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NBC Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
MLB Power Rankings: Blue Jays soar to the top, streaking Mets gain momentum as trade deadline looms
Featured in this week's MLB Power Rankings, the Blue Jays keep on rising, Aaron Judge is hurting, the Tigers are slipping, the Mariners make the first big move before the trade deadline, Emmanuel Clase is probably not on the trade block anymore, rookie slugger Nick Kurtz has perhaps the best game by a hitter in MLB history, and much more: (Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook) Let's get started! Eric Samulski, Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, July 28. Last week: 3 Another week, another new No. 1 team. Is this season fun or what? Even with a loss on Sunday, the Blue Jays made a huge statement by taking three out of four from the Tigers. Max Scherzer made one mistake to take the loss Sunday, but he mostly looked dominant while striking out 11 batters on his 41st birthday. Some good news even in a rare loss for the Jays. At 41 years old, Max Scherzer is the oldest pitcher in at least the last 125 seasons with 10+ strikeouts on his birthday Surpassing 37-year-old Randy Johnson in 2000 Last week: 4 With Shota Imanaga coming off his roughest start of the season, the Cubs' need for an impact starting pitcher becomes more clear. The big question is who? Edward Cabrera? Sandy Alcantara? Merrill Kelly? Zac Gallen? MacKenzie Gore? Last week: 8 Seven straight wins for the Mets to climb back into first place in the NL East. The best sign in recent days has been how good Francisco Alvarez has looked following his return from Triple-A. HE'S BACK. FRANCISCO ALVAREZ TIES THE GAME WITH A TWO-RUN HOMER! Last week: 1 The Brewers walked off the Marlins on Sunday to avoid a sweep, but up next is a three-game first place showdown against the Cubs in Milwaukee. That's as important as it gets in late July. By the way, the best thing I saw this weekend was this. So cool to see Prince Fielder hitting bombs. He's still got it! The @Brewers are holding a postgame alumni HR Derby, and Prince Fielder is hitting TANKS Last week: 6 The Dodgers have had a patchwork rotation for much of the year, but with Blake Snell nearing his return, it suddenly looks like the club could have a surplus. Would the club actually consider parting with Dustin May to improve in other areas? Last week: 2 The Tigers scored 10 runs on Sunday to snap their six-game losing streak. Kerry Carpenter went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his return from the injured list, but getting him back is a big deal for this lineup moving forward. Last week: 7 Kyle Schwarber reached 1,000 career hits on Friday, and of course he did it with a homer. Kyle Schwarber's 1,000th career hit is a no-doubt homer! #FridayNightBaseball Nobody has hit more homers (319) within their first 1,000 hits than Schwarber. Last week: 5 The battered and bruised Astros continue to stumble. After getting swept by the A's, they've now lost 11 out of their last 16 games. Look for the club to prioritize a position player via trade this week. Last week: 9 When there are trades happening, you can expect A.J. Preller to be involved in some way. He has a way of keeping us on our toes, so nothing can be ruled out, including potentially moving closer Robert Suarez or Dylan Cease to upgrade in other areas. Watch this situation closely. Last week: 10 Yes, things could have been much worse in regard to Aaron Judge's elbow, but missing him for any length of time is a brutal blow in a tight AL playoff situation. Last week: 11 Garrett Crochet outdueled Clayton Kershaw on Saturday and Alex Bregman hit a go-ahead homer on Sunday as the Red Sox took two out of three from the Dodgers. The big question for the Red Sox to start the week is if Aroldis Chapman's back injury is a long-term concern. Last week: 12 Lots of things to discuss with the Mariners. Cal Raleigh is now the AL MVP frontrunner with Aaron Judge sidelined and Seattle's lineup is looking more fearsome with the acquisition of Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks. I couldn't write about the Mariners here without mentioning Ichiro's wonderful speech at his Hall of Fame induction on Sunday. There's simply nobody better than this man. "Not bad, huh?" 😏 Last week: 17 After sweeping the Braves, the Rangers have now won six straight games and find themselves very much in the mix for a playoff spot. SIMMY WALKS IT OFF! #AllForTX Last week: 14 The Reds and Braves will square off in the first-ever 'Speedway Classic' this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. MLB says they've sold over 85,000 tickets to Saturday's game, which will set a new regular-season MLB attendance record. Here's the first look at an official MLB field inside a NASCAR track 🤯 The Speedway Classic will take place next Saturday, Aug. 2nd between the Braves and Reds Last week: 15 It took long enough (17 starts), but Justin Verlander finally picked up his first win of the season last Wednesday against the Braves. He's now sitting on 263 wins for his career, so getting to 300 is looking unlikely for the 42-year-old. Last week: 13 Does the situation with Emmanuel Clase make it more likely that the Cardinals trade closer Ryan Helsley? The impending free agent told Katie Woo of The Athletic last week that he sees the odds as, '90 percent I go, 10 percent I stay.' It's a weird spot for the Cardinals, as they are one game over .500 and 3.5 games out of the Wild Card race to begin the week. Last week: 16 The Rays are 6-15 this month and look more and more like a seller going into this week's trade deadline. The question is whether we'll see some smaller deals or bigger moves involving the likes of Yandy Diaz or Brandon Lowe. Last week: 20 The topsy-turvy Guardians have been playing better recently, but should they keep the band together? One player we know won't be traded is Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, who has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of MLB's sports-betting investigation. Last week: 21 While we wait to see what path the Guardians will take, it's clear that the Royals are still in it to win it. In addition to acquiring Randal Grichuk in recent days, they have reportedly agreed to an extension with right-hander Seth Lugo. Still, it will be challenging to chase down a Wild Card spot while missing both Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic. Last week: 18 Let the deals begin! The Diamondbacks have already traded Josh Naylor (Mariners) and Randal Grichuk (Royals) over the past few days and we should see Eugenio Suarez, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen follow them out the door before Thursday's deadline. Suarez has slugged his way into being the most-coveted name on the trade block, with the Yankees, Reds, Cubs, Tigers, and Phillies among the potential landing spots. Last week: 19 Mike Trout reached the 1,000 career RBI mark in majestic fashion on Sunday, as he launched a 443-foot homer to center field. The future Hall of Famer is now just three homers away from 400 for his career. MIKE TROUT JOINS THE 1,000-RBI CLUB WITH A BANG 🐟 Last week: 22 The Twins are a key team to watch leading into the trade deadline. There's the obvious route to go with impending free agents like Harrison Bader, Willi Castro, and Danny Coulombe, but they could make things interesting if Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran are made available. Last week: 23 Sandy Alcantara picked a good time for a throwback performance. The former Cy Young Award went a season-high seven innings while allowing just an unearned run against the Padres last Wednesday. The Marlins have other likely trade candidates, but Alcantara's situation is the most interesting to follow this week. Last week: 24 There's been some talk in recent weeks about the Orioles potentially trading Felix Bautista, but that's increasingly unlikely after he landed on the injured list last week with right shoulder discomfort. Gregory Soto was shipped to the Mets over the weekend and we should hear plenty of buzz about names like Ryan O'Hearn, Ramón Laureano, and Charlie Morton, among others. Last week: 26 The A's just pulled off their first-ever sweep of the Astros in Houston, highlighted by rookie slugger Nick Kurtz having perhaps the best game by a hitter in MLB history. THE 20TH FOUR-HOMER GAME IN MLB HISTORY BELONGS TO NICK KURTZ! In addition to being the youngest player ever to pull off a four-homer game, Kurtz's 19 total bases tied the MLB record set by Shawn Green on May 23, 2002. Last week: 25 The Braves can't wait for 2026 to come along. Grant Holmes hit the IL due to right elbow inflammation on Sunday, joining rotation mates Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, and AJ Smith-Shawver on the sidelines. The Braves acquired the recently-DFA'd Erick Fedde from the Cardinals as well as Carlos Carrasco from the Yankees just to have some dudes who can throw some innings. Last week: 28 With another dominant outing Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Paul Skenes has won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Of course, that's not his fault. Skenes holds a ridiculous 1.83 ERA and 146/32 K/BB ratio over 133 innings (matching his innings total from last year) and should be considered the frontrunner for NL Cy Young Award honors. Last week: 27 Nationals outfielder Jacob Young pulled off one of the best catches of the season last Wednesday. MUST SEE: JACOB YOUNG SCALES THE WALL TO BRING THIS ONE BACK! Last week: 29 White Sox fans are getting a tantalizing glimpse at the future, with shortstop Colson Montgomery recently homering in three straight games. Colson Montgomery homers for a third straight game! The South Siders are putting on a show 😎 Last week: 30 Well, hey, look at that. The Rockies have won consecutive series for the first time this season and might be able to avoid the White Sox record for futility.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies' Kyle Schwarber makes MLB All-Star Game history without a single hit
The post Phillies' Kyle Schwarber makes MLB All-Star Game history without a single hit appeared first on ClutchPoints. Related: Phillies' Kyle Schwarber drops truth bomb on All-Star Game swing-off Related: Phillies' Kyle Schwarber wins All-Star Game MVP with HR Derby takeover
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NL wins 2025 All-Star Game in HR Derby tiebreaker, Schwarber named MVP
For the first time in history, the 2025 All-Star Game was decided by a Home Run Derby tiebreaker, with the National League coming out victorious. NL wins 2025 All-Star Game in HR Derby tiebreaker, Schwarber named MVP originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston


USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oneil Cruz's 513-foot Home Run Derby blast sent Kevin Brown into a delightful frenzy
Oneil Cruz has Kevin Brown going wild on the Statcast broadcast."513! HE DID IT! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING! ONEIL CRUZ HAS BROKEN THE DERBY!" ⚾️💣📺🎙️ #MLB #HomeRunDerby Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz blasted a 513-foot homer out of Atlanta's Truist Park on Monday night during the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby. It's one of the most impressive homers you're likely to see this season, even if it was technically done in a non-game event specifically engineered to produce homers. Live HR Derby bracket updates, rules, results: Best moments and dingers However, Cruz even outdid the expectations for an event such as a home run derby. ESPN2's Statcast Edition broadcaster Kevin Brown absolutely flipped out over how much power Cruz put on his stunning homer. Brown always has been one of the best in the business for broadcasting baseball, and he brings the heat with this sincerely jubilant call. Sometimes, it's just nice when somebody who genuinely loves something gets excited about it on live television. There is no snark or cynicism here, just a guy experiencing genuine joy at getting to broadcast such a monster home run. While the main ESPN broadcast got lots of bad reviews, Brown's great call of Oneil's homer made his feed stand out.


Newsweek
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Bet365 Bonus Code WEEK365: Claim $150 Bonus For Home Run Derby, WNBA Games
The bet365 bonus code WEEK365 will score new users a $150 bonus for the MLB Home Run Derby, WNBA and more this week. The bet365 bonus code WEEK365 will score new users a $150 bonus for the MLB Home Run Derby, WNBA and more this week. Sign up for a new sportsbook account with the bet365 bonus code WEEK365 and get your choice between $150 in bonus bets or a $1,000 first bet safety net for the Home Run Derby or Monday's WNBA games. Just sign up here and capitalize on this new user offer by betting on any market. You will be able to place a $5 bet on any MLB Home Run Derby market to activate the $150 bonus offer, or you could bet up to $1,000 with the first bet safety net and get your stake back if your wager loses. The WNBA games tonight are options, too. Get up and running before Monday night's action to maximize your welcome offer and in-app opportunities with bet365. Use bet365 Bonus Code WEEK365 For HR Derby, WNBA Let's go into how to use each offer, starting with the popular $150 bonus option. As mentioned above, you just need to put a $5 bet on any market to get your reward. The outcome of that $5 bet does not matter, and you will receive your $150 in bonus bets before your initial wager even settles. For example, you could bet $5 on someone like James Wood to win the event and instantly get $150 in bonus bets to use on any other market. A $5 bet on the Lynx-Sky or Mercury-Valkyries WNBA games would work to activate this offer, too. If you prefer the $1,000 first bet offer, you will have the opportunity to make an aggressive wager to secure a large payout if you win, while knowing that you will get your stake refunded if your bet loses. So, if you bet something like $750 on Wood to win the derby, you will win big if your bet hits, and you will receive your $750 stake back in the form of a bonus refund if your wager loses. MLB Home Run Derby Contestants, Odds There will be eight contestants in this year's Home Run Derby, which has the same format as the 2024 edition. The top four hitters will advance from the first round to the semifinals. The four who advance will be seeded. In the semifinals, the No. 1 seed will take on the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed will face the No. 3 seed. The winners of those matchups will advance to the finals. The eight contestants are listed below, along with their odds to win the event: Cal Raleigh, Mariners (+275) Oneil Cruz, Pirates (+300) James Wood, Nationals (+450) Byron Buxton, Twins (+800) Matt Olson, Braves (+800) Brent Rooker, Athletics (+1000) Junior Caminero, Rays (+1200) Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees (+1400) Signing Up With bet365 Bonus Code WEEK365 All you have to do to redeem this welcome offer is enter the bonus code WEEK365 after you click here to start the registration process. You will then need to provide basic personal information, like your name, date of birth, mailing address, etc. to complete your account. From there, just make an initial deposit with a secure payment method. This will cover your first wager with bet365 to activate your welcome offer. Use any bonus bets you get within a week before they expire. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.