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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Iowa Football Preview 2025: The Hawkeyes Are Set For A 10-Win Season
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a great pitcher named Bret Saberhagen. He's a fringe Hall of Fame candidate who won two Cy Youngs, a World Series, and had a great career. He's also forever known for a long stretch of rocking in odd-numbered years and being blah in even-numbered football has become the Bret Saberhagen of the Big Ten, winning ten games in 2019, 2021, and 2023, and failing to get past eight victories in 2020 (to be fair, there were only eight games), 2022, and 2024. X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN Iowa Offense BreakdownIowa Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season Iowa has won ten or more games in a season 11 times. Eight of them have been under Kirk Ferentz. Appearances in good bowl games have become the norm. The team committed the fewest penalties per game in all of college football, only Air Force was flagged for fewer yards, there weren't problems with turnovers, and ...Iowa lost to UCLA and Michigan State. If last year's team beat the Bruins and Spartans - who both finished with losing seasons - it would've been a ten-win Hawkeyes were good, but five of the eight wins were against teams that ended up under .500, another was against Illinois State from the FCS, and another came against a meh Nebraska that's been part of the formula for Iowa. It usually beats all of the teams it's supposed to. In the 10-4 2023 season, Northwestern was the only FBS team Iowa beat that finished with more than seven 2021 and 2019, Iowa won ten games in both seasons, beat good Minnesota teams, and the other 18 games came against the meh. This year, Oregon will finish with more than seven wins. So will Penn State, and so will a few other good teams on the Iowa slate. So no, Iowa might not get to ten wins without a little bit of help, but it's 2025. It's an odd year in so many a program overdue to make the College Football Playoff, and puts itself in a position to win every year, it might just Saberhagen its way into something special. Iowa Offense BreakdownIowa Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Boston Globe
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Rangers starter Jacob deGrom has a glittering résumé that only lacks a World Series title
'It's the biggest thing for me,' the Rangers righthander said during a visit to Fenway Park last week. 'The only goal now is for the team to win. The rest doesn't matter, it's just getting back to the Series.' deGrom took the loss in Game 2 of the 2015 Series, giving up four runs over five innings against the Royals. He was lined up to start Game 6 but the Mets were eliminated in Game 5. Advertisement deGrom was a member of the 2023 Rangers but started only six games before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Being there in '23 and watching what the team was able to do was awesome,' he said. 'Seeing how much fun that was, it makes you want to be a part of it. 'The Cy Youngs, those are personal accomplishments and personal goals. It's all great, but the ultimate goal is the World Series.' deGrom was on a Hall of Fame path before injuries altered his career. He made only 35 starts from 2021-24 because of forearm, shoulder, and elbow issues. He still became the quickest pitcher to reach 1,700 strikeouts, hitting the mark in 225 games. It took Randy Johnson 230 and Nolan Ryan 245. Advertisement deGrom was a ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft and made his debut in 2014 at Citi Field in a Subway Series game against the Yankees. The second batter he faced was Derek Jeter . 'All I remember is Jeter stepping into the box and in my mind thinking, 'Everything away. Make sure you don't hit him. He's retiring, don't be the dummy who breaks his hand or something and be forever hated in New York,'' deGrom said. Related : Jeter grounded to shortstop, lined into a double play, and grounded out facing deGrom. The Yankees won the game, 1-0. 'I was like, 'Holy smokes, that's Derek Jeter.' I actually got on base and talked to him for a minute at second. That was a really cool experience,' deGrom said. deGrom's career has coincided with baseball's analytics revolution. He's not a convert, although he sees the value of trying to make every pitch look the same coming out of his hand. 'In the bullpen you work on things but no matter what the numbers say you have to make mid-game adjustments,' he said. 'You see how hitters will attack you and then you come up with a different game plan. 'You can take all the information into the game you want but sometimes you need to take an old-school approach and just see what the hitter wants to do.' deGrom doesn't mind the pitch clock. But he would like to see the pitcher get one timeout per inning. He remembers seeing former Rangers teammate Martín Pérez cover first base on two batters in a row then have to get right back on the mound. Advertisement 'Clock's rolling, either get up there and throw a pitch or they'll call a ball,' he said. 'I think we should have the ability to step off when it's necessary. 'The pitch clock has been good for speeding up the game but it can be adjusted.' deGrom is nine months older than Chris Sale . Both were from small towns in central Florida and faced each other in college. 'I didn't play travel ball or AAU, any of that kind of stuff,' deGrom said. 'I just played for the teams where I lived. I didn't know Chris then.' DeLeon Springs, where deGrom is from, is a speck on the map with a population of 2,784. He was noticed by the coaches from nearby Stetson University. He signed there to play shortstop and didn't pitch until he was a junior. deGrom's only homer for Stetson was off Sale in 2010 in a conference tournament game in Nashville. Before the universal DH came in, deGrom hit .204 with 12 extra-base hits — three of them homers — and 29 RBIs in 383 at-bats. deGrom's only start at Fenway Park was late in the 2018 season. He allowed three runs and struck out 12 over seven innings. 'A special place,' he said. 'I remember Brock Holt homered off me. But it was great being able to pitch here. All the history, it was a really, really cool experience.' The Rangers aren't due back to Fenway until 2026, unless they meet the Sox in the postseason. 'I'll take it,' deGrom said. 'That would be a lot of fun.' Jacob deGrom was a member of the 2023 Series champion Rangers but started only six games before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Julio Cortez/Associated Press Devers drama Red Sox at odds with their DH For a team that once employed Manny Ramirez , the Advertisement Devers should be annoyed that the Red Sox have handled his situation poorly for four-plus months. The team was wrong not being upfront about the possibility of Devers was taking grounders at third base when spring training opened, a process that continued after Bregman signed. The team knew then there was no adequate backup at first base. Why not introduce Devers to the position at that time, with no pressure to perform? A few days into the season, a question was asked about who would back up Bregman. That's when Alex Cora Then Triston Casas was Craig Breslow It created a rift between the team and its highest-paid player. It's enough of a mess that John Henry , who also owns the Globe, Now it's Devers who is wrong. He should have thanked Henry for interceding and started taking a few grounders. Instead we were told the sides would continue to talk. These aren't the Panmunjom peace talks. Devers is an employee, something his agents may want to mention to him. Say what you need to say then go take grounders at first. Related : Advertisement The Sox created a bit of monster when they He accepted the kind of contract that makes you the face of the team and Devers avoids that role as often as possible. David Ortiz had occasional issues with authority. But when the Sox lost a few in a row, he was at his locker to speak for the team. This seems sure to end badly. Devers will get booed during the next homestand and he'll withdraw even more. He's signed through 2033 but now the clock is ticking toward some kind of rancorous breakup. Even if Cora hammers out some kind of resolution and Devers plays first, nobody will come away looking good. Wait until after the season when Bregman opts out and the Sox ask Devers to go back to third. The Red Sox have mishandled the Rafael Devers situation for months. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff A few other observations on the Red Sox: ▪ With 45 stolen bases in their first 39 games, the Sox are on pace to have 187 this season. They have not done that since the 1913 Sox swiped 189. The modern-day team record of 144 was set last season. ▪ Aroldis Chapman's 103.8-m.p.h. sinker against the Rangers on Wednesday night was the fastest pitch of the season in the majors and the fastest recorded pitch in Sox history. Chapman ended the game by striking out Blaine Crim on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Six of those pitches were between 100.4-103.8 m.p.h. The two outliers were splitters that came in at 94.6 and 93.5. 'Dude's a beast,' first baseman Romy Gonzalez said. 'That was amazing.' Advertisement Chapman was unimpressed. He threw 105.8 in 2010, after all. 'It was pretty good,' he said. ▪ The Sox clubhouse has three rows of thin shelves that hold photos from each victory this season. Cora tried that motivational tactic in 2018, hanging the photos in his office. ▪ The Yankees are happy with their end of the Carlos Narváez trade. They acquired 21-year-old righthander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz in the deal. He's 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA through five starts for High A Hudson Valley. He's struck out 35 over 28 innings. Rodriguez-Cruz has hit 98 m.p.h. with his fastball while changing his repertoire to include more two-seamers, sweepers, and splitters. Aroldis Chapman's 103.8-m.p.h. sinker against the Rangers Wednesday night was the fastest pitch of the season in the majors and the fastest recorded pitch in Sox history. David Richard/Associated Press Etc. White Sox feeling blessed The White Sox finally caught a break. Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago and raised in Dolton, a suburb that borders the South Side. He frequently attended White Sox games with his family while growing up. The Cubs tried to claim the new Pope after he was elected on Thursday but his brother shot that down. 'They had it wrong,' John Prevost said. 'He's been a White Sox fan as long as I've known him.' Well, would you look at that... Congratulations to Chicago's own Pope Leo XIV — Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) Then The White Sox, who could use all the help from above they can get, were quick to issue a statement. 'Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV's lifelong fandom falls a little closer to 35th and Shields,' it said. 'Some things are bigger than baseball, and in this case, we're glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican.' The White Sox said a team jersey and cap were on their way to Rome. The White Sox honored Pope Leo XIV on Friday. David Banks/Associated Press Extra bases When the Bob Nutting was quoted in the team release saying, 'We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization.' Maybe that should start from the top. The biggest offseason addition to the roster was lefthander Andrew Heaney for one year and $5.25 million. The largest free agent contract in team history was three years and $39 million for lefty Francisco Liriano before the 2015 season … The Mets were badly damaged with the loss of lefthanded reliever A.J. Minter for the remainder of the season because of a lat tear. Minter was dominant in 13 outings, handling righthanded hitters even better than lefties. The team was 11-2 when he pitched. The only lefthander in the bullpen now is Génesis Cabrera … Baltimore gave Charlie Morton another start Wednesday and he took a loss against the Twins to fall to 0-7. The Orioles won't want to eat the remainder of his $15 million contract but there may not be a choice … Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Elly De La Cruz is the first player with 115 extra-base hits and 115 stolen bases in fewer than 300 career games … The revival of Javier Báez's career is one of the unexpected stories of the season. He hit .317 with an .835 OPS through 30 games. Báez was 11 of 31 with six extra-base hits and 12 RBIs over seven games during Detroit's most recent road trip. Báez had a .610 OPS in his first three seasons with the Tigers after agreeing to a six-year, $140 million contract. A shift to center field — along with games at third base and shortstop — has proved revitalizing … The Giants and Cardinals played at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., last June. This year, the East-West Classic will be at the historic ballpark on June 19. The game is a tribute to the Negro League All-Star Games played from 1933-62. It was played at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., last season. The rosters will include new Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and former Red Sox players Mike Cameron , Jake Peavy , and Chris Young … The Athletics aren't expected to move to Las Vegas until the 2028 season. But the team arranged for a 15-game package of games to be shown on KVVU Fox 5 in Las Vegas. It includes the three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park from Sept. 16-18 … Devin Williams allowed 13 earned runs over his first 11⅔ innings for the Yankees. He allowed 13 earned runs over 80⅓ innings for the Brewers from 2023-24 … Jose Altuve so far grades out as the worst left fielder in baseball. He also asked to be moved out of the leadoff spot because it was too far to jog in from left field to the dugout to get ready for his at-bat. Discounting 2020, Altuve was worth an average of 4.3 bWAR from 2012-24. He's at negative-0.5 this season and will make $92 million from 2026-29 … The Rockies went into the weekend 6-31 after being swept by the Tigers at home in a doubleheader on Thursday, 10-2 and 11-1. They had nine hits in the two games as their run differential fell to minus-109. The Rockies are on their way to a third consecutive 100-loss season. No team has done that since the Astros from 2011-13, which was on purpose and led to a long run of success. The Rockies don't seem to have a plan beyond continuing to mismanage the team while drawing 2.5 million a year because there's not another team within 850 miles … Happy birthday to Jeff Sellers , who is 61. The righthander from California pitched for the Red Sox from 1985-88, going 13-22 with a 4.97 ERA. Sellers was drafted in 1982 out of high school and made his way to the majors without appearing in Triple A. At 21, he made his debut on Sept 15, 1985 at Milwaukee and allowed one earned run over 6⅓ innings to get the win. 'Believe me, it was a pleasure to watch the pitching today,' manager John McNamara said. 'The kid went out and pitched very well.' Sellers opened 1986 in the minors but returned to the Sox in June. He was traded to the Reds after the 1988 season, part of the deal that brought Nick Esasky to Boston. But Sellers never appeared in the majors again because of injuries and eventually returned to California to raise his family. His son, Justin , was an infielder who appeared in 99 games for the Dodgers and Indians from 2011-14. Jose Altuve asked to be moved out of the leadoff spot because it was too far to jog in from left field to the dugout to get ready for his at-bat. John Fisher/Getty Peter Abraham can be reached at
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Fresh faces and (very) familiar names to enhance any roster
Let's see if we can't improve those fantasy baseball rosters ahead of the weekend, people. If you ain't transacting, you ain't trying… You probably haven't heard of this audacious up-and-coming 37-year-old Dodgers farmhand, but those of us who are extremely plugged-in have been tracking his development. He threw six no-hit innings in his most recent start and his next minor league appearance is expected to be his last before elevation to the MLB roster. Also, he has won three Cy Youngs, one MVP and five ERA titles across 17 major league seasons. Kershaw won't need to be the peak version of himself in order to help fantasy managers. He'll be pitching for a dominant team, working ahead of an elite bullpen. Stash him on the IL while you still can. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] If you're just not sold on that Kershaw kid and prefer someone who actually appeared on all the 2025 prospect lists, Horton is your guy. He's on his way to the big leagues after several weeks of dominance at Triple-A Iowa. Horton has struck out 33 batters over 29.0 innings this season, allowing only four runs and 12 hits. The 23-year-old right-hander seems appropriately seasoned and ready for an opportunity at the highest level. Horton makes his MLB debut against the Mets this weekend, which is obviously a significant jump in quality-of-competition. We're not telling you to start him immediately. But he'd line up to face the White Sox in his second start, a much friendlier spot in which he's approved for use. Abbott struck out eight Braves over 5.0 scoreless frames on Tuesday, lowering his ERA to 2.25 and his WHIP to 1.17. His K/9 for the season is now 11.6 and his xERA is 2.63, so the lefty has been legitimately quite good. He has an 11-K effort at Baltimore on his game log this season as well. Abbott will draw a Yordan-less version of the Astros lineup in his upcoming start this weekend. Realistically, Chicago can't allow this Ryan Pressly-as-closer thing to continue much longer, given his alarming inability to miss bats. Pressly's ERA ballooned to 7.62 after Tuesday evening's disaster, his K/9 is just 3.46 and his swinging-strike percentage is now a dreadful 5.7. Yikes. Hodge seems like the natural ninth inning replacement, since he successfully filled the role late last season. He's struck out 16 batters in as many innings so far this year and he hasn't allowed an earned run in any of his last seven appearances. Hodge has allowed a hard-hit rate this season of only 18.6%, which is outrageous. Unlike Pressly, he clearly has closing-quality stuff. It's a small surprise that Friedl is actually eligible for this feature, available in a majority of Yahoo leagues. He's the leadoff hitter for a fun Cincinnati lineup, he hit a pair of homers on Wednesday night and he's swiped eight bags so far this year. Also, he's just one season removed from an 18/27 season in which he slashed .279/.352/.467. This is a verifiably good player in his prime. Add wherever you can use a power/speed combo platter. Sheets is off to an excellent start this season (.278/.343/.443) and he's heading into a weekend series at Coors Field, an exceedingly friendly hitting environment. This one shouldn't require much additional salesmanship. He's a solid single-series pickup, at the very least. Sheets has been stinging the ball so far, ranking among the MLB leaders in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. Yeah, we are just gonna keep promoting him in these waiver wire features until he finally reaches a more appropriate roster percentage. Scott is up to 11 steals on the year, he's hit safely in eight straight games and is now batting .289/.359/.412. This is an ascending player who once stole 94 bases in a minor league season. Ninety-four! It's wild that more of you aren't willing to give him a test-drive. Catcher has been delightfully full of fun options this year, Ramírez included. He's the rare backstop with both power and base-stealing upside, so he offers the potential for a significant positional edge. Last year, he hit 25 bombs and stole 22 bases in the high minors while reaching base at a .358 clip. He's gone 5-for-10 with a homer over his last three games heading into a road series against the White Sox.
