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Nationals' Jacob Young scales outfield wall to rob Will Benson of a home run

Nationals' Jacob Young scales outfield wall to rob Will Benson of a home run

Yahoo23-07-2025
Will Benson thought he had hit his ninth home run of the season on Wednesday, but Jacob Young of the Washington Nationals decided to scale the centerfield wall in Nationals Park to rob the Cincinnati Reds outfielder of a two-run blast.
With the Reds up 3-0 in the top of the eighth inning during Wednesday's matinee, Benson sent the first pitch he saw from Nationals reliever Jackson Rutledge 425 feet towards centerfield. It had all the makings of a home run, until Young tracked it down and timed his climb perfectly.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]
Despite the robbery, the Reds would go on to win 5-0 to remain the only MLB team to not have been swept this season.
Channeling his inner Spider-man is just what the 25-year-old Young does. Earlier this month he took a home run away from Detroit Tigers slugger Riley Greene.
Back in April, Young also took one away from Ryan Mountcastle of the Baltimore Orioles.
Young has been an asset in the Nationals' outfield this season. He ranks in the 97th percentage in outs above average, per MLB Statcast.
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Shedeur Sanders has Browns edging into real QB drama after solid exhibition showing vs. Panthers
Shedeur Sanders has Browns edging into real QB drama after solid exhibition showing vs. Panthers

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Shedeur Sanders has Browns edging into real QB drama after solid exhibition showing vs. Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Entering Friday night, Shedeur Sanders' NFL world orbited multiple qualifiers. If the rookie quarterback could master NFL play-calling and verbiage … if he could learn head coach Kevin Stefanski's offense and maximize minimal practice reps … if he secured exhibition opportunities and showed a spark … then maybe there would be a reason to make him a serious part of the Cleveland Browns' quarterback conversation. Exiting Friday night, Sanders went ahead and started that dialogue. Whether the Browns are ready for it or not. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] This is what Sanders' first meaningful NFL incursion has generated. Get beyond the symphony of social media applause from celebrities (LeBron James, Jamie Foxx, etc.), former NFL players (Richard Sherman, Gerald McCoy, etc.), and too many NFL analysts to count. Tuck all of that away and consider this: For months, the spotlight on Sanders has washed out virtually every other storyline in the organization — and that was before there was something consequential to digest. Now he's actually played some relevant football. And the outcome was solidly impressive for exhibition work, even from the most conservative of vantages: 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes, with two sacks and zero turnovers in nearly three quarters against the Carolina Panthers. But the true gravity of the performance was more in how Sanders held up after being tapped to start Cleveland's first exhibition game, despite getting very few high level practice snaps since the start of training camp. After a series where he looked like a quarterback treading water in his first NFL opportunity, he settled into a comfort zone that was intriguing if not impressive. And he did it rotating through a tide of situational challenges that should be useful when the Browns sit down to digest the game tape. He threw from the shotgun repeatedly, but also tucked under center a handful of times. He played snaps in the red zone with scoring opportunities, as well as backed up to Cleveland's own goal line and throwing out of his own end zone. He was faced with third-and-long, third-and-short, and at one point, even executed a quarterback sneak for a first down. And on a few occasions, he was forced to evade the rush inside the pocket or to move outside and operate off script. In one game, he packed in a multitude of scenarios that should have the coaching staff and front office feeling good about what it can digest as it heads into next week. But it also now pours jet fuel onto an external fire the Browns have been trying to tamp down for weeks, if not months. And that is this: If Sanders takes sparing opportunities and excels in those moments, how can he not become a legitimate part of a larger quarterback conversation? A little over four weeks ago, I spoke to a high-ranking executive inside the franchise and they offered this line amid an assessment of Sanders' potentially moving up the team's depth chart: 'How he plays in preseason games won't be ignored.' If that sentiment still rings true, then Sanders' performance against the Panthers can't simply be written off as exhibition snaps against exhibition quality players, especially when the snaps come on the heels of Sanders effectively being forced into three quarters of work after fellow backup quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel suffered injuries that took them off the table for Friday night. Yet, after this performance, you could still feel Stefanski redirecting the conversation about Sanders. Nearly every postgame question had something to do with his rookie quarterback's performance — asking how Stefanski rated it, what it meant for Sanders' future, how the quarterback slotting might be impacted … on and on. For the most part, the Browns head coach was gently complimentary, often choosing to steer many of his answers to the overall team by using phrases like 'the guys' and 'the players.' It wasn't a ham-handed attempt to keep from focusing solely on Sanders, but it wasn't exactly subtle, either. And within it, you could feel a continued effort to put the screws down on a wider quarterback conversation. 'We're really just focused on developing our players,' Stefanski said at one point, when asked specifically about a potential impact to the quarterback depth chart. 'We're in evaluation mode. I'm pleased with where the guys are, but I'm not diving into the quarterback competition.' The one thing Stefanski did allow? Sanders' preseason opportunity is going to extend to next week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. 'He'll get a ton of reps next week as well,' Stefanski said. 'That's all a part of our development of our young players.' For Sanders' part, he remained diplomatic and focused inward — which has been his base line attitude from the moment Cleveland's training camp began. 'I just think about when I get out there just doing what I gotta do,' Sanders said. 'Everything else is out of my hands, so why worry about it? I just don't think that deep into everything because it's something that you're not able to control. So why put energy into something you can't control? The most you could do is whenever you get your opportunity and your number is called, is perform and at least do the bare minimum and win the game. That's what I feel like we did today and there's definitely things that I could grow off of.' At the very least, it's an approach based in reality. Two months ago, when the Browns were heading into their full squad minicamp, it was clear Sanders was only going to be able to control the opportunities the Cleveland staff offered to him. And at the time, it didn't sound like there would be a landslide of chances to make a difference. There was a strong insinuation that he should be viewed as nothing more than fourth-string quarterback who had a short list of things that needed to focus on. He needed to learn Stefanski's scheme and take advantage of whatever reps were provided — even if they were few and far between. He had to master NFL terminology and play-calling verbiage and treat it like a first language. And above all, if the time came and he was given opportunities in preseason games, he had to make the very most out of every single snap. On Friday night, he did that. And come Saturday morning, the quarterback conversation in Cleveland will have just gotten started.

Shedeur Sanders has the Browns edging into real QB drama after solid exhibition showing vs. Panthers
Shedeur Sanders has the Browns edging into real QB drama after solid exhibition showing vs. Panthers

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Shedeur Sanders has the Browns edging into real QB drama after solid exhibition showing vs. Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Entering Friday night, Shedeur Sanders' NFL world orbited multiple qualifiers. If the rookie quarterback could master NFL play-calling and verbiage … if he could learn head coach Kevin Stefanski's offense and maximize minimal practice reps … if he secured exhibition opportunities and showed a spark … then maybe there would be a reason to make him a serious part of the Cleveland Browns' quarterback conversation. Exiting Friday night, Sanders went ahead and started that dialogue. Whether the Browns are ready for it or not. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] This is what Sanders' first meaningful NFL incursion has generated. Get beyond the symphony of social media applause from celebrities (LeBron James, Jamie Foxx, etc.), former NFL players (Richard Sherman, Gerald McCoy, etc.), and too many NFL analysts to count. Tuck all of that away and consider this: For months, the spotlight on Sanders has washed out virtually every other storyline in the organization — and that was before there was something consequential to digest. Now he's actually played some relevant football. And the outcome was solidly impressive for exhibition work, even from the most conservative of vantages: 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdown passes, with two sacks and zero turnovers in nearly three quarters against the Carolina Panthers. But the true gravity of the performance was more in how Sanders held up after being tapped to start Cleveland's first exhibition game, despite getting very few high level practice snaps since the start of training camp. After a series where he looked like a quarterback treading water in his first NFL opportunity, he settled into a comfort zone that was intriguing if not impressive. And he did it rotating through a tide of situational challenges that should be useful when the Browns sit down to digest the game tape. He threw from the shotgun repeatedly, but also tucked under center a handful of times. He played snaps in the red zone with scoring opportunities, as well as backed up to Cleveland's own goal line and throwing out of his own end zone. He was faced with third-and-long, third-and-short, and at one point, even executed a quarterback sneak for a first down. And on a few occasions, he was forced to evade the rush inside the pocket or to move outside and operate off script. In one game, he packed in a multitude of scenarios that should have the coaching staff and front office feeling good about what it can digest as it heads into next week. But it also now pours jet fuel onto an external fire the Browns have been trying to tamp down for weeks, if not months. And that is this: If Sanders takes sparing opportunities and excels in those moments, how can he not become a legitimate part of a larger quarterback conversation? A little over four weeks ago, I spoke to a high-ranking executive inside the franchise and they offered this line amid an assessment of Sanders' potentially moving up the team's depth chart: 'How he plays in preseason games won't be ignored.' If that sentiment still rings true, then Sanders' performance against the Panthers can't simply be written off as exhibition snaps against exhibition quality players, especially when the snaps come on the heels of Sanders effectively being forced into three quarters of work after fellow backup quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel suffered injuries that took them off the table for Friday night. Yet, after this performance, you could still feel Stefanski redirecting the conversation about Sanders. Nearly every postgame question had something to do with his rookie quarterback's performance — asking how Stefanski rated it, what it meant for Sanders' future, how the quarterback slotting might be impacted … on and on. For the most part, the Browns head coach was gently complimentary, often choosing to steer many of his answers to the overall team by using phrases like 'the guys' and 'the players.' It wasn't a ham-handed attempt to keep from focusing solely on Sanders, but it wasn't exactly subtle, either. And within it, you could feel a continued effort to put the screws down on a wider quarterback conversation. 'We're really just focused on developing our players,' Stefanski said at one point, when asked specifically about a potential impact to the quarterback depth chart. 'We're in evaluation mode. I'm pleased with where the guys are, but I'm not diving into the quarterback competition.' The one thing Stefanski did allow? Sanders' preseason opportunity is going to extend to next week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. 'He'll get a ton of reps next week as well,' Stefanski said. 'That's all a part of our development of our young players.' For Sanders' part, he remained diplomatic and focused inward — which has been his base line attitude from the moment Cleveland's training camp began. 'I just think about when I get out there just doing what I gotta do,' Sanders said. 'Everything else is out of my hands, so why worry about it? I just don't think that deep into everything because it's something that you're not able to control. So why put energy into something you can't control? The most you could do is whenever you get your opportunity and your number is called, is perform and at least do the bare minimum and win the game. That's what I feel like we did today and there's definitely things that I could grow off of.' At the very least, it's an approach based in reality. Two months ago, when the Browns were heading into their full squad minicamp, it was clear Sanders was only going to be able to control the opportunities the Cleveland staff offered to him. And at the time, it didn't sound like there would be a landslide of chances to make a difference. There was a strong insinuation that he should be viewed as nothing more than fourth-string quarterback who had a short list of things that needed to focus on. He needed to learn Stefanski's scheme and take advantage of whatever reps were provided — even if they were few and far between. He had to master NFL terminology and play-calling verbiage and treat it like a first language. And above all, if the time came and he was given opportunities in preseason games, he had to make the very most out of every single snap. On Friday night, he did that. And come Saturday morning, the quarterback conversation in Cleveland will have just gotten started.

Shedeur Sanders shined vs. Panthers. Will performance shake up Browns' QB depth chart?
Shedeur Sanders shined vs. Panthers. Will performance shake up Browns' QB depth chart?

Yahoo

time19 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Shedeur Sanders shined vs. Panthers. Will performance shake up Browns' QB depth chart?

CHARLOTTE, NC – So much for the narrative that Shedeur Sanders was set up to fail. No, there's another way to look at this after the fifth-round rookie quarterback essentially aced his test for the Cleveland Browns in their preseason opener on Friday night. Sanders was hardly perfect while handling a heavy workload in the 30-10 exhibition win against the Carolina Panthers. But boy was he good. Sanders, 23, threw two touchdown passes to Kaden Davis that looked as if they were guided by laser. He had a few Harry Houdini moments, escaping at least four would-be sacks. He flowed off-script, like on a 30-yard completion that fellow rookie Luke Floriea hauled in with one hand. And he never committed a turnover. Yet afterward, Sanders (14-of-23, 138 yards, 106.8 passer rating) bemoaned missing on a couple throws that got away. 'Did I play up to par?' he said. 'No, I don't think I did.' Well, he's entitled to his opinion, too. So, just imagine what Sanders, listed as fourth-string on the depth chart, might have done if he had worked some practice reps with the starters or the second team. Sanders has yet to have a single rep with the first team during training camp, and has had only a handful with the 2's. He's the guy seen during practices working alone on an adjacent field. With Kenny Pickett and rookie Dillon Gabriel, listed behind Joe Flacco, nursing hamstring injuries, Sanders got his chance to start and shine. Some suggested he was set up to fail because of his limited practice reps. Sanders, though, has a totally different view. 'I think overall in life, I don't want anybody to make excuses,' said Sanders, who led college football in completion percentage in his final year playing for his Hall of Fame father, Deion, at Colorado in 2024 – then dominated the news cycle during the three-day NFL draft as his stock tumbled from a projected first-round pick to a Day 3 selection. Set up to fail? 'You ask God for something. It's there,' he said. 'And you're going to complain about it? So, it's two ways you can look at it. You can look at it and be thankful and take full advantage of the opportunity. Or you can look at it like 'Dang. This is what I've been asking for, but I'm not prepared.' I've been able to sleep at night, knowing I was going to be playing. And then I just prepared as normal. Then that switch kicked in. When you're out there on the field, it feels different. Ball's ball. Ball has never been a problem for me.' Shedeur Sanders debut winners, losers: How Browns QB's performance impacts team Sanders may have just played himself into a serious contender for the Browns' starting job. After all, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has maintained that it's an 'open' competition. And if that's the case, Sanders, who played 45 snaps on nine series (excluding a kneel-down at the end of the first half), has at least earned the chance to get reps with the 1's and 2's. Stefanski evaded that question when I asked during his postgame news conference and also wouldn't touch the topic of the competition. The rookie wouldn't light a match, either. Sanders: 'I just think about when I got out there, doing what I've got to do. Everything else is not in my hand, so why worry about it? I just don't think that deep into everything because it's nothing you're going to be able to control. Why put energy into something that you can't control? The most you can do is hey, man, if you get your opportunity and your number's called, perform it. At least to the bare minimum to win the game.' There's fresh videotape out there now, however, showing Sanders making splash plays like he did at Colorado and demonstrating keen instincts during his big audition. It's a starting point. Never mind that the Browns didn't play starters and Carolina played first-teamers for only a couple series. As LeBron James so eloquently put it in a post on X, Sanders' performance shouldn't be discounted because he didn't play with or much against starters. Ah, social media. Sanders was such a trending topic on Friday night, just as he was during the NFL draft. His famous father, aka Coach Prime, didn't hesitate to put out a post amid the buzz. 'What now?' Deion asked on X. Stefanski and his staff – including Bill Musgrave, the Browns quarterbacks coach who was a teammate of Deion's on the San Francisco 49ers squad that won Super Bowl 29 – can assess so many layers of Sanders' performance. If you wanted to script a test to cover all of the bases, the Browns couldn't have done much better than compiling the 'situational football' scenarios from Friday night. Sanders operated in a nine-play drive and a two-play drive. On another possession, he faced back-to-back third-and-long plays, converting the first one after he rolled out and bolted from the pocket for a 9-yard run. Another time he powered under the pile to convert a quarterback sneak. Both of his TD passes came while positioned in the red zone. Another series had him backed up deep in his own end, then throwing from the end zone. At the end of the half, a hurry-up drill. Said Stefanski: 'The situations were invaluable for Shedeur, for all of our offense.' Then there's this other situation, reflecting uncharted territory for Sanders. Someone asked about his patience, given the scant opportunities while buried on the depth chart. 'It's different things and different life lessons you've got to go through,' he said. 'And I haven't gone through this situation that I'm in, ever. So, it's really just a test from God. I was just thankful that I was able to see the light of day and get out there and play.' Still, it's so striking that he produced so much from so few practice reps. 'I'm comfortable with being uncomfortable,' he declared. 'That's what it is. I've got pockets of finding my rhythm. I've got to get into that quicker, regardless of anything. But overall, I felt like me out there. 'I couldn't do it without the time, I couldn't do it without the play-calling,' he added. 'So, I'm just thankful to have the joy of just being on the field overall. And carrying the responsibility to do the right thing. So, that's two badges under my belt already.' And with that, Sanders re-wrote the narrative. 'My vow is to definitely make change,' he said. 'And change was made.' Which adds some major intrigue to the Browns' quarterback situation. Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@ or follow on social media: On X: @JarrettBell; On Bluesky: This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Could Shedeur Sanders performance shake up Browns QB depth chart?

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