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Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Padres Urged to Acquire Tyler O'Neill to Fix Outfield Hole
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The San Diego Padres have surprised many this season as they've gotten off to a red-hot start, going 31-23 and sitting just two games back of the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The Padres' success has come after a quiet offseason in which they saw many of last year's key contributors walk away. Their biggest addition was starting pitcher Nick Pivetta on a four-year, $55 million deal in February. More news: MLB Power Rankings — Yankees Rise, Dodgers Plummet Ahead of World Series Rematch Nevertheless, the Padres have picked up where they left off last year, and are making a serious case to be one of the league's top teams. However, there's one clear hole that needs to be patched up. The Padres lost last year's left fielder in All-Star Jurickson Profar, who signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Atlanta Braves before being suspended for violating the league's banned substance policy. The Padres failed to replace his production this offseason, bringing in a platoon of veterans Jason Heyward and Connor Joe, the latter of whom has already been shipped off to the Reds. Heyward, still on the roster, has been abysmal, hitting .176 and currently making his second stint on the injured list. The Padres are already scouring the trade market for a left fielder, and Jason Fray of Sports Illustrated came up with a perfect option, linking them to Baltimore Orioles slugger Tyler O'Neill. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 21: Newly named Manager of the San Diego Padres Mike Shildt and Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller speak at the introductory press conference at Petco... SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 21: Newly named Manager of the San Diego Padres Mike Shildt and Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller speak at the introductory press conference at Petco Park on November 21, 2023 in San Diego, California. More Matt Thomas/San"Tyler O'Neill of the Baltimore Orioles is a guy that could end up being a major difference-maker," Fray wrote. "The talent has never been a question with him. O'Neill is a very good athlete with an elite arm and some light-tower power to boot." More news: Dodgers Pitcher Elects to Leave Organization, Head to Free Agency O'Neill is currently working his way back from a shoulder injury. The right-handed hitter got off to a hot start before cooling down tremendously. On the year, he's hitting .188 with two home runs and an OPS of .605. However, in 113 games last season with the Boston Red Sox, O'Neill had his second career 30-plus home run campaign, finishing with an OPS of .847. He's also a two-time Gold Glove award winner, and would fix by far the biggest flaw in San Diego's roster. As for his price tag, he signed a three-year, $49.5 million deal this offseason, but has an opt-out after this season. "San Diego could bet on O'Neill returning to form, and he would be a great fit with the Padres considering the energy with which he plays," Fray wrote. "If he comes over via trade and puts up huge numbers, he'll likely reenter the market with San Diego not having to be on the hook for substantial money. If he doesn't, he'd theoretically opt-in with the Padres and have only two years left on his deal where San Diego would get him on a short commitment within his playing prime." With the Orioles sitting at 19-36, there's a good chance they're forced to sell at the deadline. For more MLB news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
MLB Power Rankings: Yankees Rise, Dodgers Plummet and More
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The final weekend of May brings with it a World Series rematch between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. More news: Dodgers Pitcher Elects to Leave Organization, Head to Free Agency While both teams have yet again been atop their respective leagues this year, lately, they've been going in opposite directions. The Yankees enter this weekend's series at Dodger Stadium having won five straight and 10 of their last 12. The Dodgers, on the other hand, enter the series coming off a 3-3 road trip, and have gone just 5-7 over their last 12 games. More news: Yankees, Mets Tried to Sign All-Star Infielder, Who Spurned Them for MLB's Worst Team The recent stretches by both teams led to a major shakeup atop Newsweek Sports' MLB Power Rankings. Here's the ninth edition of the rankings as June approaches. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in action against Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game Four of the... NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in action against Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game Four of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Dodgers 11-4. More1. Detroit Tigers (37-20) 2. New York Yankees (35-20) 3. Philadelphia Phillies (36-20) 4. Chicago Cubs (35-21) 5. New York Mets (34-22) 6. Los Angeles Dodgers (34-22) 7. San Francisco Giants (31-25) 8. San Diego Padres (31-23) 9. Seattle Mariners (30-25) 10. St. Louis Cardinals (32-24) 11. Houston Astros (30-26) 12. Minnesota Twins (30-25) 13. Cleveland Guardians (30-25) 14. Kansas City Royals (30-27) 15. Arizona Diamondbacks (27-29) 16. Tampa Bay Rays (29-27) 17. Milwaukee Brewers (29-28) 18. Cincinnati Reds (28-29) 19. Toronto Blue Jays (28-28) 20. Atlanta Braves (26-29) 21. Boston Red Sox (27-31) 22. Texas Rangers (27-30) 23. Los Angeles Angels (25-30) 24. Washington Nationals (26-30) 25. Athletics (23-34) 26. Miami Marlins (22-32) 27. Pittsburgh Pirates (21-36) 28. Baltimore Orioles (19-36) 29. Chicago White Sox (18-38) 30. Colorado Rockies (9-47) Biggest Risers Tampa Bay Rays (+6) The Rays recently held a six-game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine and three straight series against American League contenders in the Astros, Blue Jays and Twins. Houston Astros (+4) Speaking of the Astros, they won four in a row against AL West rivals and five of seven overall after Thursday night's loss. They jumped to second in the division, just a half game back of the first place Mariners. Milwaukee Brewers (+4) The Brewers just never seem to go away. Four straight wins — including a series sweep of the spiraling Red Sox — has the Brewers right back in the Wild Card picture in the National League. Biggest Fallers Los Angeles Dodgers (-4) The Dodgers started their title defense season an incredible 8-0. Since, they've gone just 26-22, good for just 11th in MLB during that time. Having 14 pitchers on the injured list hasn't exactly helped. Atlanta Braves (-4) The good news from the Braves' last week was the return of superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. The bad? Just about everything else. The Braves have gone just 2-6 in their last eight games, losing series to the Nationals, Padres and Phillies.
NBC Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
MLB Power Rankings: Phillies grab the top spot, Padres slip as Michael King lands on IL
Featured in this week's MLB Power Rankings, the red-hot Phillies make their first appearance at the top, Tarik Skubal has his best-ever start, the Padres lose Michael King, Marcelo Mayer loses his car keys, Ronald Acuña Jr. has a flare for the dramatic, and much more. Let's get started! (Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook) James Schiano, Rankings are from the morning of Tuesday, May 27. Last week: 6 While the Phillies saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, their recent heater has carried them to the top of this week's rankings. Trea Turner has been a key part in their ascent, hitting .366 over his last 26 games. The Phillies have gone 20-6 in that time. Last week: 1 After a couple of uncharacteristic so-so starts, Tarik Skubal had the best outing of his career on Sunday against the Guardians, tossing a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts in just 94 pitches. Yes, that's a Maddux. It was the first complete game of his career and just the fifth shutout across MLB this season. If that wasn't impressive enough, Skubal dialed it up to 103 mph for his final pitch of the ballgame. Pure dominance. THIRTEEN STRIKEOUTS. BALLGAME. TARIK SKUBAL 😤 Last week: 5 In one of the truly weird and somewhat unbelievable stats, this game-winning homer off the bat of Jasson Dominguez last Wednesday was the first walk-off blast by a Yankees player in 974 days. Giancarlo Stanton was the last to do it on September 20, 2022. With some expected growing pains, Jasson Dominguez has mostly been worth the wait for Yankees fans. The Martian walks it off 👽#RepBX Last week: 2 With a number of high-profile injuries in their starting rotation, the Dodgers have been topsy-turvy since their red-hot start to the season, but the good news is that Shohei Ohtani is approaching his return to the mound. The Dodgers' dynamo threw 22 pitches over five simulated at-bats on Sunday at Citi Field. According to Sonja Chen of Ohtani sat in the 94-95 mph range with his fastball and topped out at 97 mph. He's likely to make his first start as a member of the Dodgers after the All-Star break. Last week: 7 Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker are getting most of the headlines, but Seiya Suzuki is enjoying his best season stateside. The 30-year-old leads the NL with 49 RBI through 49 games. Keep in mind that he's never driven in more than 74 runs in a season. He's also up to 14 homers after never having hit more than 21 homers. Losing the hot-hitting Miguel Amaya to an oblique injury certainly hurts, but this Cubs' lineup remains a powerhouse. Last week: 3 Pete Alonso endured the longest home run drought of his career before slugging a go-ahead two-run homer against Tony Gonsolin and the Dodgers on Sunday night. That blast was set up by Juan Soto legging out a ground ball which was mishandled by third baseman Max Muncy. With all the recent commentary on Soto and effort level, it was an especially big moment. An absolute LASER 🐻❄️ Last week: 8 The Giants might have come back down to Earth in May, but don't blame Robbie Ray. The southpaw spun six innings of one-run ball against the Nationals on Sunday, giving him a 1.41 ERA across five starts this month. He's 7-0 on the year and the Giants are 10-1 in his starts this season. Last week: 10 As hot as Jorge Polanco was in April, the opposite has been the case in May. He's hitting just .155/.234/.241 with one home run this month. Last week: 9 While the Twins' offense has been piecemeal at times, the starting rotation has been a true strength. Entering play on Tuesday, the club ranks sixth in the majors with a 3.34 ERA. Last week: 4 The Padres snapped a six-game losing streak by winning two out of three against the Braves over the weekend, but they also lost their ace Michael King with right shoulder inflammation. The hope is that he won't require an extended absence, but we should learn more about his status soon. Last week: 12 The Cardinals swept the Diamondbacks over the weekend, with catcher Ivan Herrera driving in a run in all three games. The 24-year-old catcher has picked up where he left off before his left knee bone bruise in April, hitting .365/.435/.500 with one homer, 14 RBI, and an 8/6 K/BB ratio this month. Last week: 11 Congratulations to Nic Enright, who made his major league debut against the Tigers on Sunday two and a half years after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in December of 2022. In a moment he wasn't sure would ever come, he struck out three batters over two scoreless innings. "On December 26 I have a port in and I'm sitting there looking at it wondering, am I ever going to be able to throw again?" A day after his MLB debut, #Guardians RHP Nic Enright spoke about his Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis in 2022, and doubting if he'd play baseball again. Last week: 15 A statement series for the Astros, who took three out of four from the first-place Mariners over the weekend. They are just 1.5 games out of first place in the AL West despite the struggles from Jose Altuve, Yainer Diaz, and Christian Walker. Walker provided his biggest hit in an Astros uniform with a walk-off blast to cap off the series victory on Sunday. WALK(ER) - OFF.#BuiltForThis Last week: 13 With the Royals' offense in need to a boost, it's likely just a matter of time before we see Jac Caglianone in the major leagues. The 2025 first-round pick has done nothing but mash since being promoted to Triple-A, including this titanic blast on Sunday. Get ready, Royals fans. Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone has homered in FOUR straight games in Triple-A His latest blast traveled 459 feet 🤯 Last week: 23 The Rays are Ray-ing again. Maybe. After six straight wins, the club has climbed back to the .500 mark for the first time since April 27. Brandon Lowe has homered three times during the win streak and is hitting .396/.442/.771 over his last 32 games. Last week: 14 Like he never left. Ronald Acuña Jr. announced his return with authority on Friday, homering on the first pitch he saw against Nick Pivetta. It was also the only run of the game for the Braves, who have lost four out of their last five. Last week: 17 Marcelo Mayer is the latest high-profile prospect to arrive for the Red Sox, as the was the corresponding move with Alex Bregman going down with a significant right quad strain. That's exciting and all, but the saga of Mayer's missing car keys has been the real story. Mayer's keys were reportedly missing for three weeks and he needed a clubhouse attendant to drive him to Fenway Park for his MLB debut. Worry not, though, as his keys were finally found…in Milwaukee. After three weeks of searching, @WebsterOnTV is happy to report that Marcelo Mayer's car keys have been found… in his pocket 😂 Last week: 16 What's going on with Zac Gallen? After allowing four runs over 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Cardinals on Friday, the veteran right-hander now holds a 5.25 ERA through 11 starts for the season. Take out his two starts against the Mets (two ER in 13 innings) and his ERA sits at 6.29. Last week: 22 What does a 1.80 ERA over three starts in May get you? A demotion, apparently. Logan Henderson is headed back to Triple-A despite an impressive and historic start to his major league career. The Brewers deemed it necessary with Jose Quintana and Brandon Woodruff on their way back from the injured list. Either way, odds are it won't be long before Henderson gets his next opportunity. Last week: 19 Andrew Abbott just keeps getting it done. After allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings in a win over the Cubs on Saturday, the 25-year-old southpaw now holds a 1.77 ERA on the year. He's allowed one earned run or fewer in seven out of his eight starts this season. Last week: 18 Jacob deGrom failed to strike out a batter for the first time in his career in Monday's start against the Blue Jays. In addition to that, he managed just three swinging strikes in his 81 pitches. This simply does not compute. Last week: 20 This just about sums up the ups and downs the Blue Jays have navigated so far this season. Wednesday: Blue Jays match record for the largest home shutout victory in franchise history, Sunday: Blue Jays suffer their 3rd largest road shutout margin of defeat in franchise history Last week: 25 While the Angels await Mike Trout's return from a knee injury, Taylor Ward has stepped things up in grand fashion this month, including two grand slams during their recent eight-game winning streak. The club has lost three straight since the win streak, of course. Last week: 24 Cool moment for Keibert Ruiz and his family last Thursday. Ruiz's parents were able to watch him play for the first time as a professional baseball player and he wasted no time in putting on a show. Keibert Ruiz's parents are watching him play in person in the Major Leagues for the first time. He doubled in his first at-bat🥹 Ruiz's parents, who are from Venezuela, were denied travel visas in their previous four attempts before finally getting clearance this month. Last week: 21 The Athletics were four games over .500 on May 5, but they've gone 3-15 since then, including their recent 11-games losing streak. Last week: 26 Sandy Alcantara has struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery, but that doesn't mean Marlins fans shouldn't be excited about Eury Pérez as he makes his way back. The 22-year-old struck out seven batters in his most recent rehab start in Triple-A and should find his way back to the major leagues by mid-June. Pérez looked like a future ace when we last saw him in as a 20-year-old rookie in 2023, posting a 3.15 ERA over 19 starts with 108 strikeouts in 91 1/3 innings. Last week: 27 After tying the MLB record by going 26 straight game with four runs or fewer, the Pirates scored five runs in three out of their next four games. Baseball gonna baseball! We also can't leave out that Oneil Cruz now has the hardest hit ball in the Statcast Era. 122.9 off the bat 😳 Oneil Cruz sent this baseball for a SWIM Last week: 28 Thanks for Dylan Carlson exacting revenge against his former team on Monday, the Orioles have secured their first three-game winning streak of the season. Cue the scene from Lou Brown in 'Major League.' Last week: 29 It wasn't too long ago that Andrew Vaughn was considered a building block for the White Sox, but he was surprisingly demoted to Triple-A Charlotte last week after beginning this season with a .189/.218/.314 batting line. According to White Sox general manager Chris Getz, the club is hopeful that he'll be able to 'slow down and regain confidence' in a less-pressurized environment. Last week: 30 The Rockies are currently on pace to go 28-134. There's very little hope that they can avoid a place in baseball infamy. The weirdest thing about the Rockies' struggles are that they are 20th in OPS at home this season; they are usually in the top-tier at Coors Field.
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Yankees' Jasson Dominguez Makes Insane MLB Home Run History
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New York Yankees rookie outfielder Jasson Dominguez accomplished some impressive Major League Baseball history in the month of May. More news: MLB Power Rankings — Yankees Rise, Mets and Padres Fall, AL Team Skyrockets Into Top 10 Since the start of the month, Dominguez has hit three home runs in a game, homered from both sides of the plate in a game, hit a grand slam and hit a walk-off home run. Since the start of May, the @Yankees' Jasson Domínguez has: - hit 3 homers in a game - homered from both sides of the plate in a game - hit a grand slam - hit a walkoff homer He's the first player in MLB history to accomplish all 4 feats in the same month. — OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 22, 2025 According to OptaSTATS, Dominguez is the first player in MLB history to accomplish all four home run feats in the same month. NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees celebrates his walk-off home run in the ninth inning for a 4-3 win against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on... NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees celebrates his walk-off home run in the ninth inning for a 4-3 win against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on May 21, 2025 in New York, New York. More NewDominguez accomplished the first of those three feats in the same game on May 9 against the Athletics. In his second at-bat of the game, Dominguez crushed a 398 foot home run to right-center field, hitting from the left side of the plate. Then, in his fourth at-bat of the game, he smoked a ball 111.9 mph off the bat and 431 feet to left-center field, this time hitting from the right side of the plate. More news: Mets' Juan Soto Wanted to Re-Sign With Yankees in Free Agency, Says New York Insider Dominguez wasn't done, though, as in his very next at-bat, he came up with the bases loaded and hit his third home run of the game, this one a grand slam from the left side of the plate. He did the Martian SLAM 🛸 — New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 10, 2025 The history didn't come until this week, though. In the Yankees' 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, Dominguez was the hero, as he hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. More news: Pirates General Manager Breaks Silence on Paul Skenes Trade Rumors The Yankees trailed, 3-1, entering the late innings of the game. However, they scored one run in each of the last three innings, culminating in Dominguez's first career walk-off home run. The Martian walks it off 👽#RepBX — New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 22, 2025 Dominguez got off to a slow start this season, hitting just .228 through March and April with two home runs, 12 RBIs and an OPS of .687. However, across 15 games in May, the rookie outfielder is slashing .250/.362/.542 with four home runs, 10 RBIs and an OPS of .904. Dominguez appeared in just 26 MLB games over the last two seasons. After bursting onto the scene in 2023 — hitting four home runs in eight games — he was diagnosed with a torn UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery. After returning in 2024, he suffered an oblique strain that sidelined him for over a month. Now, Dominguez is getting his opportunity — and after a slow start, he's now making the most of it. More news: Former Phillies, Brewers, Mariners All-Star Announces Sudden Retirement From MLB For more MLB news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Braves Ex-MVP Set to Return, Provide Offensive Spark
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After nearly 365 days away, former MVP and Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected to make his season debut on Friday against the San Diego Acuña has been out since May 25 of last season when he tore his ACL for the second time in four seasons. His addition to the Atlanta lineup could be exactly what the Braves offense needs after a bad series loss to the Washington Nationals. ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of Atlanta Braves celebrates advancing to the National League Wild Card Series after defeating the New York Mets during game two of a double header at... ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of Atlanta Braves celebrates advancing to the National League Wild Card Series after defeating the New York Mets during game two of a double header at Truist Park on September 30, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. More Matthew Grimes Jr./Getty Images The last full season we saw from Acuña was one of the greatest in the history of Major League Baseball. Acuña led all players in hits, runs scored, stolen bases and on-base percentage. The season was capped off by Acuña winning the first MVP award of his career and left high hopes for his 2024 season. That season was cut short by his injury in May against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is finally ready to return to the major leagues and prove he is still among the game's best players. A lifetime .289 hitter, Acuña will insert at the top of a Braves lineup that currently ranks 14th in the major leagues with a .247 team batting average. Acuña also has 196 career stolen bases and will add that threat to an Atlanta offense that ranks 20th in stolen bases with 32. After starting the season 0-7, the Braves were able to get their record back to .500 at 21-21 but have since lost four of their last season games to fall to 24-25 on the season. Atlanta's next three series are against the Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox. With the club already sitting 7.5 games out of first place in the NL East, the next 10 games for the Braves are a chance to prove that despite their slow start, they are still one of the best teams in baseball. More MLB: MLB Power Rankings: Yankees Rise, Mets and Padres Fall, AL Team Skyrockets Into Top 10
