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3 hours ago
- Entertainment
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Former Florida Commit Riley Greene Makes MLB History on Friday
Former Florida Gators commit and current Detroit Tigers star Riley Greene made MLB history on Friday's game in an incredible 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. In the top of the ninth, tied 1-1, Greene was the first up to the plate, and hammered a home run to kick off the inning. Advertisement His hit started an onslaught of offense, with two more home runs shortly after and a score from a wild pitch to make it 6-1. After the entire order made it through, Greene approached the plate with runners on first and third, and made MLB history by being the first player to ever hit two home runs in the top of the ninth inning. This feat is incredible in its own, and to do it in the ninth inning, which started as a tie ballgame, is nothing short of incredible. Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene rounds the bases and scores a run against the Cleveland Guardians during Game 5 of the ALDS at Progressive Field on Oct. 12, Blaze-Imagn Images They followed up their 10-4 blowout victory to begin their series in Los Angeles with another 9-1 victory. Greene and the Tigers are sitting at the top of the AL Central with a 21-12 record, which is also first in the entire AL, with the Yankees, Mariners, and Guardians shortly behind. Advertisement After Friday night's heroics, Greene posts a .276 batting average with eight home runs and 20 RBIs on his 35 hits so far this season. Greene was drafted out of high school with the No. 5 overall pick, but had committed to the Gators in his freshman year. They will need more of that magic heading into the depths of the season, but look ahead to another matchup against the Angels on Saturday. Related: NBA Makes Major Walter Clayton Jr. Announcement
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
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Jac Caglianone Given Huge Comparison to Ohtani, Judge
Jac Caglianone Given Huge Comparison to Ohtani, Judge originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Jac Caglianone, former Florida Gators first baseman and the No. 6 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft to the Kansas City Royals has been called up to play in the big leagues after dominating AA and AAA ball. Advertisement In his 50 games in AA and AAA, Caglianone was hitting .322/.389/.593 with 15 home runs as well as 56 RBIs, and is now ready to make his long awaited jump to the MLB. ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan spoke on the Pat McAfee Show about Caglianone, and gave him high praise as he enters the biggest part of his professional career, as well as a comparison to some of the biggest stars in baseball. Florida Gators first baseman Jac Caglianone (14) singles against the Texas A&M Aggies during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha during the College World Branscombe-Imagn Images "He is a guy who has the kind of power that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani have, and there are very few guys in baseball who can say that," said Passan. It seems outlandish to compare a 22-year-old prospect to the likes of Ohtani and Judge, but the stats have spoken for themselves as of now. His power is undeniable and he can make contact with the ball regardless of where the pitch gets thrown. Advertisement After switching from first base to an outfield role (left and right field) in the minor leagues, that is a significant adjustment that is probably delaying his call up to the majors until now. Where they will be playing Caglianone has yet to be determined, but outfield, first base, and even designated hitter are all possibilities for him, and his added height at 6-foot-5 should help him adjust to any of them. Royals fans finally get a glimpse of their bright future with another incredible prospect. Adding him to a lineup with Bobby Witt Jr. certainly creates a lot of excitement for a team looking to push past their 31-29 record. On an off day on June 2, the Royals and Caglianone have the time to get acclimated more before they travel to St. Louis to face the Cardinals. Should he get in the lineup immediately, his first home game will be June 10 where they will be playing the New York Yankees. Advertisement Related: Former Florida Commit Riley Greene Makes MLB History on Friday Related: DJ Lagway Expected to be Throwing to Elite WR in 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
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Royals to call up top prospect Jac Caglianone to boost struggling offense
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 21, 2025: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during the eighth inning of a spring training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on February 21, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) The Royals are hoping Jac Caglianone can boost their moribund offense. Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Kansas City is calling up its top prospect after a 1-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. The Royals are 31-29 despite having one of the worst offenses in baseball. The Royals have scored just 194 runs through 60 games this season. Only the the Colorado Rockies — a team on pace to be historically terrible — have scores fewer runs. Advertisement Caglianone has mashed since he was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Florida. Across AA and AAA this year, he's hitting .323 with an OPS of .991. Caglianone has also hit 15 HRs and driven in 56 runs across 49 minor league games this season. Even if he's an immediate impact bat for the lineup, there could be some growing pains in the outfield. After pitching and playing first base for the Gators, Caglianone has shifted to the outfield and is still learning the corner positions. The Royals are an organization that puts a premium on outfield defense. But they also need outfielders that can hit. Kansas City's outfielders have struggled over the past two seasons and Hunter Renfroe was recently designated for assignment after posting a .483 OPS over 35 games. Drew Waters has been the team's best outfielder so far this season and he's posted just a .703 OPS over 43 games. Despite the offensive struggles, the Royals are just two games out of second in the American League Central thanks to a pitching staff that's been one of the best in baseball. Kansas City made the playoffs a season ago and beat the Baltimore Orioles in the wild card round before losing to the New York Yankees in the Divisional Series.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
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Florida Beats Out Three SEC Rivals For Elite OL Recruit
Florida Beats Out Three SEC Rivals For Elite OL Recruit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Last season, the Florida Gators won eight games for the first time since 2020. Leading the offense for the second half of the season was quarterback DJ Lagway, a five-star true freshman quarterback and the future of the program. With his health a priority for at least the next two seasons, Florida added a key building block to their future offensive line on Sunday. Advertisement Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported that G'Nivre Carr, a towering 6-foot-5, 320-pound interior lineman, has committed to Florida's 2026 class. The three-star recruit chose the Gators over SEC rivals Tennessee and South Carolina. He also held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, among others. © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images "Once a Gator, always a Gator! Proud to be a Gator 5=1🐊," Carr said in a statement per Fawcett. Carr becomes the third hard commit in Florida's 2026 class, joining defensive lineman Jamir Perez and quarterback Will Griffin. His commitment signals another long-term win for third-year head coach Billy Napier, who has gone 19-19 in Gainesville but is fresh off his best season at the helm with the Gators. Advertisement Carr's path could align perfectly with the rise of former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a true freshman last fall. By 2026, Lagway will be in his third season under center, with Carr potentially ready to shore up any holes on the offensive line. Following the conclusion of this season, Florida will graduate multiple seniors on the offensive line, including veteran guard Damieon George Jr. Noel Portnjagin and Roderick Kearney sit as the only non-upperclassmen on the two-deep of Florida's depth chart, per Ourlads. Related: College Basketball World Reacts to Xaivian Lee's $6 Million NIL Move This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
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Georgia Football Makes Major Announcement in Recent Days
Georgia Football Makes Major Announcement in Recent Days originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Georgia Bulldogs will take on at least three rivals at 3:30 pm ET during the 2025 regular season. The Bulldogs will also have two other games kick off mid-afternoon. Advertisement Georgia announced kickoff times for five 2025 matchups Thursday. All five of the matchups will have the mid-afternoon start. Those games include two non-conference matchups in Athens, a non-conference neutral site showdown, a road SEC game, and the neutral site SEC rivalry matchup with the Florida Gators. Other than the Gators, Georgia's opponents in those 3:30 games will be the Marshall Thundering Herd, the Austin Peay Governors, Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart© Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Georgia-Florida kicking off at 3:30 pm ET is no surprise. The rivalry matchup, nicknamed, "The World's Largest Cocktail Party," is almost always the Saturday after Halloween at 3:30 ET. Advertisement But last year, Georgia faced Tennessee and Georgia Tech in primetime. Also in the past, the Bulldogs have often played their home non-conference games at noon. As the schedule announcement indicated, Georgia will open the first two weeks of the season at home versus Marshall and Austin Peay. The season opener will air on ESPN while the matchup with Austin Peay will be on ESPN+/SEC+. Georgia's matchups with Tennessee, Florida and Georgia Tech will be on ABC. Technically, the Bulldogs-Yellow Jackets matchup is a neutral site game this year, but the rivalry game will still be in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Advertisement Home to the Atlanta Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a few miles from Bobby Dodd Stadium and Georgia Tech's campus. Related: Historic College Football Program Surges in Battle With Georgia for Touted Playmaker This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
