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NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
MLB Power Rankings: Tigers remain on top, Pete Alonso powers Mets
Featured in this week's MLB Power Rankings, Pete Alonso climbs the Mets' all-time leaderboard, the Phillies' slide continues, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are red-hot since coming off the IL, the Rays and Blue Jays are rolling, hope is fading for the Braves, and much more. Let's get started! (Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook) Eric Samulski, Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, June 9. Last week: 1 Everything is coming up Tigers right now. Nothing signifies this more than this catch by Zach McKinstry, which left him in a state of disbelief. HOW DID THEY DO THAT?! Last week: 3 Fresh off a sweep of the lowly Rockies, the Mets have won 12 out of their last 15 games. Pete Alonso has drive in 18 runs in eight games this month and crushed two homers on Sunday to pass David Wright for second on the Mets' all-time home run list. He's just nine away from catching Darryl Strawberry (252) for the No. 1 spot. The Polar Bear strikes again! Pete Alonso passes David Wright for 2nd place on the @Mets all time home run list! Last week: 2 In a possible World Series preview, the Cubs dropped two out of three to the Tigers over the weekend. It was their first series loss in a month. Last week: 6 With his new '70 percent' mindset, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is hitting .381 (8-for-21) with two homers since coming off the injured list. Maybe just stay away from the in-game interviews. "DAMMIT" Last week: 4 It's pretty much history watch every time Clayton Kershaw gets on the mound. The southpaw played the role of stopper on Sunday five innings of one-run ball against the Cardinals and is now just 17 strikeouts away from joining the 3,000 K club. Last week: 7 All eyes are on the Padres and Dodgers to start the week, as the divisional foes will meet for the first time this season. The Padres are just one game behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. This week's three-game set will take place in San Diego and they'll meet again next week in Los Angeles for a four-game series. Last week: 8 The Giants will carry a five-game winning streak into the week; all of the victories came by the margin of just one run. They have a chance to stay hot as they square off against the Rockies in Coors Field for three games. Last week: 5 A stunning fall for the Phillies, who have lost nine out of their last 10 games. Bryce Harper hit the injured list on Saturday as he deals with a recurrence of a right wrist injury from last year. Not great. Last week: 11 Jeremy Pena is quietly enjoying the best season of his career. Even with an 0-fer on Sunday to snap his 12-game hitting streak, he's batting .361 with a .975 OPS over his last 30 games. The Astros have gone 19-11 in that time to climb into first place in the AL West. Last week: 9 After a bit of a stumble, the Cardinals took two out of three from the Dodgers over the weekend. Sonny Gray got the win on Friday and now owns a 13 1/3-inning scoreless streak. Last week: 18 What a turnaround by the Rays, who are 14-4 over their last 18 games. With the exception of Saturday's slugfest against the Marlins, they haven't allowed more than four runs since May 18. Last week: 15 The Rays aren't the only red-hot team in the AL East, as the Blue Jays have won nine out of their last 11 games. Only the Dodgers, Mets, and the aforementioned Rays have scored more runs over the past two weeks. Last week: 14 Big blow to the Twins over the past week, as right-hander Pablo Lopez suffered a Grade 2 teres major muscle strain and is expected to miss 8-to-12 weeks. Last week: 13 The wait continues for Brandon Woodruff, who was hit in the elbow by a 108.2 mph comebacker last Tuesday in what was supposed to be his final minor league rehab start. Fortunately, X-rays came back negative, but he'll need some downtime before starting a new rehab assignment. Last week: 12 The key question for the Guardians is if they can get any semblance of consistent offense from someone outside of José Ramírez and Steven Kwan. Ramírez is currently riding a career-best 34-game on-base streak. Last week: 10 George Kirby did what aces are supposed to do, stopping a five-game losing streak on Sunday while notching a career-high 14 strikeouts against the Angels. Last week: 16 Any time you can get in the same sentence with Bo Jackson is usually a good thing. .@Royals with a four-hit contest within their first six MLB games: Bo Jackson, Sept. 11, 1986 Jac Caglianone, today Last week: 22 Christian Encarnacion-Strand has provided quite the jolt since coming off the injured list, as he homered in all three games during the Reds' weekend sweep over the Diamondbacks. Last week: 20 Hey Red Sox? It's time. 497-FOOT GRAND SLAM FOR ROMAN ANTHONY ‼️@RedSox | @WooSox | @RedSoxPlayerDev Last week: 21 The Rangers' offense has been a massive disappointment this season, but Marcus Semien is finally waking up. The 34-year-old is hitting .517 (15-for-29) with three homers, three doubles and nine RBI over his last nine games. Last week: 19 With Corbin Burnes needing Tommy John surgery, it's increasingly clear that this isn't going to be the Diamondbacks' year. It will be interesting to see which players end up going on the trade block in the coming weeks. Zac Gallen? Merrill Kelly? Eugenio Suarez? Last week: 24 As someone who is constantly fielding snack requests from my two young children, it's nice to know that it never truly ends. Kudos to Eric Young Sr. as Father's Day approaches this Sunday. Gotta have snacks at the ballpark 🏟️@Angels third base coach, Eric Young Sr., left snacks out for his son, @Mariners first base coach Eric Young Jr. 🙂 Last week: 23 As James Wood develops into a star, we're also seeing MacKenzie Gore become one of the game's best left-handed starters. Also acquired in the Juan Soto blockbuster with the Padres, Gore holds a 2.87 ERA through 13 starts and currently leads the NL with 108 strikeouts. Last week: 17 As the kids say, the Braves are crashing out. A seven-game losing streak, including a sweep at the hands of the Giants over the weekend. Spencer Strider is showing diminished stuff with a 5.85 ERA in four starts since coming off the IL last month. Last week: 27 Some recent momentum for the Orioles, who won six straight before dropping two out of three to the lowly Athletics over the weekend. Last week: 28 Paul Skenes has one win in his last seven starts despite posting a 1.12 ERA (six ER with a 51/12 K/BB ratio in 48 1/3 innings) during that time. Last week: 25 The A's aren't winning many games these days, but Jacob Wilson can't be stopped. He's hitting .461 over his last 19 games and has amassed at least two hits in five straight games. Also, I'd be remiss to leave out the best catch of the past week. DENZEL CLARKE FULL SPEED UNBELIEVABLE CATCH 🤯 Last week: 26 The Marlins have lost six out of seven (including a humiliating sweep by the Rockies), but the good news is that stud right-hander Eury Perez is set to make his return from Tommy John surgery on Monday. Last week: 29 A former top prospect for the Dodgers, Miguel Vargas is beginning to realize his potential. After getting off to a slow start, he's hitting .289 with nine home runs and a .900 OPS over his last 41 games. Last week: 30 A rollercoaster week for the Rockies, who managed to pull off a three-game sweep of the Marlins on the road before being swept by the Mets at Coors Field over the weekend.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 316's Waldo Cortes-Acosta plans Serghei Spivac KO, enter heavyweight title contention
Waldo Cortes-Acosta feels he's on the cusp of title contention, and it's hard to disagree. The Dominican heavyweight has quietly put together an impressive run in the UFC, picking up six wins in the seven fights he's had since joining the promotion. These victories include two knockouts, and several notable names such as Ryan Spann, Robelis Despaigne, Chase Sherman and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. Advertisement This Saturday at UFC 316, Cortes-Acosta (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) looks to continue to bolster that resume and go on a five-fight winning streak when he takes on top-10 ranked heavyweight Serghei Spivac. He thinks a win over Spivac (17-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) will open up big opportunities for him in the division. "Yeah, I do feel the attention and the importance of the event," Cortes-Acosta told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "This fight can push me, can catapult me to the top, and put me in the title conversation. Maybe I win this one, one more after that, and I'm ready for a title shot, God willing." Cortes-Acosta has his path to victory mapped out for Spivac. Avoid the ground game and keep the fight in his realm. "I see it as a striker vs. wrestler," Cortes-Acosta said. "I don't think he has the hands to match me in the octagon. Like I've said, every fight I'm evolving. I never stop evolving. I feel stronger and I'm heavier now." Advertisement There are high expectations for Cortes-Acosta in this matchup. He sees himself finishing the "Polar Bear" "I expect the knockout," Waldo-Acosta said. "Come Saturday, I'll be knocking on the door, and it will be opened." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 316's Waldo Cortes-Acosta plans to KO Serghei Spivac
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 316's Waldo Cortes-Acosta plans Serghei Spivac KO, enter heavyweight title contention
UFC 316's Waldo Cortes-Acosta plans Serghei Spivac KO, enter heavyweight title contention Waldo Cortes-Acosta sees a big opportunity at UFC 316. Waldo Cortes-Acosta feels he's on the cusp of title contention, and it's hard to disagree. The Dominican heavyweight has quietly put together an impressive run in the UFC, picking up six wins in the seven fights he's had since joining the promotion. These victories include two knockouts, and several notable names such as Ryan Spann, Robelis Despaigne, Chase Sherman and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. This Saturday at UFC 316, Cortes-Acosta (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) looks to continue to bolster that resume and go on a five-fight winning streak when he takes on top-10 ranked heavyweight Serghei Spivac. He thinks a win over Spivac (17-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) will open up big opportunities for him in the division. "Yeah, I do feel the attention and the importance of the event," Cortes-Acosta told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "This fight can push me, can catapult me to the top, and put me in the title conversation. Maybe I win this one, one more after that, and I'm ready for a title shot, God willing." Cortes-Acosta has his path to victory mapped out for Spivac. Avoid the ground game and keep the fight in his realm. "I see it as a striker vs. wrestler," Cortes-Acosta said. "I don't think he has the hands to match me in the octagon. Like I've said, every fight I'm evolving. I never stop evolving. I feel stronger and I'm heavier now." There are high expectations for Cortes-Acosta in this matchup. He sees himself finishing the "Polar Bear" "I expect the knockout," Waldo-Acosta said. "Come Saturday, I'll be knocking on the door, and it will be opened."
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB free agency rankings 2025-26: Kyle Tucker's dip and Alex Bregman's injury loosen each star's grip on top 2 spots
April showers bring May free agency rankings updates. Enough said, you know the drill. (Note: Whenever you see a number, a slash and another number, that's a reference to contract years and total earnings. For instance, the shorthand for Bryce Harper's 11-year, $330 million deal would be '11/330.' Ages listed below are for the 2026 season.) Following a supersonic start to his Cubs tenure, Tucker has slightly cooled off over the past month. The underlying numbers indicate Tucker's May swoon is just a small blip. He's still the runaway top free agent for the upcoming class and a lot would have to happen for that to change. There has been no additional extension chatter over the past month between Tucker and the Cubs, increasing the already high likelihood he reaches free agency this winter. Bregman picked a darn good time to have a career year, although a "significant injury" to his quad that he suffered Friday dampens things significantly. The veteran had the sixth-highest OPS in MLB late last week. His Red Sox haven't ventured far beyond the .500 mark this year — they entered Monday 27-28 — but things would be much bleaker in Beantown if not for Bregman. With him out for an unspecified amount of time, the forecast looks challenging for the Red Sox. Boston recently played a three-game set in Detroit against the Tigers, who Bregman spurned over the offseason. Instead of accepting Detroit's more traditional long-term offer, Bregman went for Boston's short-term, high-value, opt-out-laden deal. That appeared to pay off early for Bregman before last week's injury. Tigers fans, despite their team's sensational 2025, did not forget, booing Bregman upon his arrival in the Motor City. Still, that may be a short-sighted decision, considering Bregman looks like a near lock to activate his opt-out and re-enter the market this winter. Alonso's strikeout rate has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, going from 14.6 percent in March/April to 33.3 percent in May entering Monday. His overall numbers aren't terrible. The Polar Bear is still cranking the ball with authority, but it's a notable decrease from his hot start. Lefty hurlers, in particular, are giving Alonso fits as the Mets first baseman was 3-for-23 with 12 punchouts against southpaws this month entering Friday's series vs. the Dodgers. Some of that is surely small sample size, but Alonso's chase and in-zone whiff rates vs. lefties have spiked notably in May. This may seem like picking nits, but with a player like Alonso, whose entire value is so dependent on offensive production, minor trends can become major concerns. We saw as much last winter when he failed to secure the contract he was looking for. Is Pete one of the top five hitters in the game? Top 10? Top 25? The answer matters a great deal as far as his bank account is concerned. We considered dropping Alonso below Kyle Schwarber, but sided with Alonso's age, positional advantage and our belief that he gets back to elite production. Schwarber just keeps raking. His 18 homers are currently tied with Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge for the MLB lead. His .974 OPS is fourth, behind only Judge, Freddie Freeman and Ohtani. And he's doing it all while striking out at a career-low 22 percent clip. The likeliest scenario still remains a reunion with the Phillies, who desperately need to retain their slugging DH in order to keep their competitive window open. But with every long ball, Schwarber's price tag keeps on rising. Valdez had a couple stinkers in April, but he's been sensational as of late. As long as he continues to conjure an avalanche of ground balls, his trademark, Framber will stay toward the top of the list. Consistency has been the calling card for King, who has yet to allow more than three runs in a single start this season. Cease has had a slow start by his standards (ERA), but that's mostly been about bad luck rather than any notable change to the right-hander's profile. His peripheral numbers remain strong and he has been better in his past four outings (9 ER in 25 1/3 with 33 Ks). We aren't too worried. The Big Bear's numbers have slid a smidge in May, though he's still a top 25 hitter by most metrics. It won't help Ozuna that he's hitting the open market alongside Schwarber and Alonso, two similarly one-dimensional sluggers who have him beat in age and positional flexibility. Ozuna has not started a game in the outfield since April 2, 2023. He remains a dynamic hitter, but signing Ozuna means clogging up your DH spot for the entirety of his contract, something that not every team will be interested in. Bellinger has bounced back from a slow start, posting a .983 OPS across his past 25 games entering Thursday while providing great defense in two outfield spots. That hot stretch has pushed the 'will-he-opt-out' meter back toward yes, though chances are it will be a borderline call once again for the former NL MVP. Last winter, Bellinger declined to activate his opt-out while still a member of the Cubs because he, and his representation, weren't confident enough that Bellinger could garner more than the $27.5 million he was due in 2025. Chicago didn't want Bellinger on their roster at that price and shipped him off to The Bronx for nothing but salary relief. Bellinger's salary drops to $25 million next year, the last year of his contract, making it more likely he opts out this go-round. Bichette is making that subpar 2024 look like a blip instead of a trend. The sweet-swinging shortstop cut his long locks before the season, but in most other respects, he's playing like the Bo Bichette who ranked as one of the game's top shortstop from 2021 to 2023. The home runs haven't fully returned, but if that happens too, Bichette could push himself over the $100 million mark. Just six qualified hitters have more walks than strikeouts right now: Luis Arraez, Geraldo Perdomo, Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto and Torres. It's been a fantastic first two months in Detroit for Gleyber, who has sliced his strikeout rate in half. That's come alongside big improvements in his batted ball data. He's still a bad infielder, but the bearded version of Torres is thriving outside The Bronx. The highly-touted Japanese slugger has been sidelined with a vague upper body injury since our most recent free-agent update and sinks on the list as a result. In the 2023 WBC, a 23-year-old Murakami hit fifth for champion Japan, slotted right behind Shohei Ohtani and Masataka Yoshida. He and the Swallows have had this upcoming winter circled for some time as the moment Murakami would make the MLB leap. But if his jump-year continues to be so thoroughly derailed by injuries, there's a chance the NPB's all-time single season domestic home run leader stays in Japan for one more year. Mullins and Naylor have cooled off significantly in May, with OPS point drops of .318 and .249 respectively entering Thursday. They both stay relatively high on our rankings because we think they'll even out to career norms. Given Baltimore's catastrophic decline into competitive irrelevance, there's an increasing chance that Mullins gets traded. That would probably raise the ceiling on his free agency as a midseason trade would make him ineligible to receive a qualifying offer. Teams would then be more inclined to sign him, considering they wouldn't have to forfeit a draft pick for doing so. After a slow start and an injury scare, Arraez is back to his old tricks, well ... trick. He really just hits a bunch of singles. Baseball's batting average merchant was 'only' hitting .304 before an 0-for-12 weekend vs. the Braves knocked him below what we've come to expect from Arraez. That number should continue trending up, making Arraez a puzzling free-agent proposition. He can't play defense, he doesn't run the bases well, he's allergic to hard contact, but boy, oh, boy can he conjure up a good piece of hitting. We're a little worried about Gallen. His surface-level and peripheral numbers have been in steady decline for a few years now. Entering Thursday, Gallen was one of only seven qualified starters this year with a HR/9 at 1.5 or over and BB/9 at 4.0 or over. In other words, he's allowing a lot of base runners and giving up a lot of home runs. That's a bad combo. He gave up four earned runs and four walks, one of them a bases loaded pass, in a loss to St. Louis on Friday. Some team with faith in its pitching development group will leap at the chance to try and refurbish a fallen ace, but that's what Gallen is right now. Mahle has a 1.80 ERA, the fifth-best starter ERA in baseball, just like everyone predicted. He's been a huge part of a Rangers rotation that ranks second in starter ERA, just like everyone predicted. Mahle has allowed two runs or fewer in 10 of his 11 starts this year thanks to a stellar fastball-splitter combo that has kept hitters guessing. The longer he keeps this up, the higher he'll climb on the list. Bassitt on the other hand, feels nice and comfy here in the late teens as a reliable, but unspectacular veteran arm. It's a delightful profile; Bassit doesn't walk dudes, throws a ton of different pitches and hoovers up outs with his sinker. Do you want him working through a lineup three times in a playoff game? No, but tons of contenders will be looking at Bassitt to round out their rotations. The biggest riser on the list, Grisham just continues to rake. After three straight seasons of mediocre results (two in San Diego, one in The Bronx) the mustachioed outfielder is finally capitalizing on his elite plate discipline and impressive power. His .257 season batting average reflects some regression, but Grisham is always going to run a strong OBP. This is a center fielder on the good side of 30 having a career year as he reaches free agency. That should put Grisham in line for a surprising payday. With each strong start, Canning's out-of-nowhere 2025 feels realer and realer. At this point, for the Mets right-hander, it's all about showing he can do it over a full season. He'll definitely get the opportunity to prove that. Entering spring training, Canning felt like the prime candidate to be the Mets' long man, but injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas pushed him into the rotation. That's been a massive win so far, for all parties. Helsley has never been a control artist, but his walk rate has nearly doubled this season. He's still effective because, well, he throws 99, but if the walks continue and the batted ball luck gets worse, he could be in some trouble. We still like his overall profile — track record, age, stuff — more than the other free-agent relievers to-be. Williams' early-season struggles pushed him out of New York's closer role and Weaver into it. That's paid off for the Yankees so far. Weaver has allowed just two earned runs this season in 23 2/3 innings, while Williams has rediscovered his form as the setup guy. Both should end up with multi-year contracts this winter. Flaherty's fastball velocity is down to 92.9, the lowest of his career. His numbers are more meh than disastrous, but if his heat doesn't resurface it will almost certainly make clubs wary of offering Flaherty a long-term deal. To become a free agent, he'd have to opt out of a $20 million contract for next year, something that looks less and less likely with each underwhelming outing. He's hitting the ball harder and walking more, but everything else about Realmuto's offensive profile has continued to decline. He was 21st in OPS among catchers entering Thursday with at least 100 plate appearances. Realmuto is still an elite thrower behind the dish and has a magnificent game-calling reputation, but he hasn't graded out as an above average framer since 2021. Because he'll essentially be the only catcher on the open market, Realmuto should get a two-year contract, but the offensive dip is hard to avoid. Zach Eflin, Orioles SP, age 31 (17) Robert Suarez, Padres RP, age 35 (22) Ranger Suarez, Phillies SP, age 30 (25) Dustin May, Dodgers SP, age 28 (26) Brandon Woodruff (mutual option), Brewers SP, age 33 (30) Walker Buehler, Red Sox SP, age 31 (31) Austin Hays, Reds OF, age 30 (37) Rhys Hoskins, Brewers 1B, age 33 (42) Paul Goldschmidt, Yankees 1B, age 38 (39) Mike Yastrzemski, Giants OF, age 35 (34) Jorge Polanco, Mariners IF, age 32 (35) Eugenio Suarez, D-backs 3B, age 34 (40) Ryan O'Hearn, Orioles 1B, age 32 (41) Erick Fedde, Cardinals SP, age 33 (33) Nick Martinez, Reds, SP, age 35 (NR) Raisel Iglesias, Braves RP, age 36 (28) Kirby Yates, Dodgers RP, age 38 (29) Jordan Romano, Phillies RP, age 33 (NR) Kyle Finnegan, Nationals RP, age 34 (44) Ramón Laureano, Orioles OF, age 31 (NR) Harrison Bader, Twins OF, age 32 (NR) Willi Castro, Twins UTIL, age 29 (45) Dylan Moore, Mariners UTIL, age 33 (46) Kenley Jansen, Angels RP, age 38 (43) Miles Mikolas, Cardinals SP, age 36 (49)
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB rumors: Insider suggests New York Mets could lose Pete Alonso to hated rival this winter
A top MLB insider believes there is a real chance the New York Mets could lose Pete Alonso to a top rival, the Philadelphia Phillies, this winter. It took months for the Mets and homegrown star Pete Alonso to finally agree on terms of a new contract. In the end, the thing that finally brought them together was a two-year pact that allowed the four-time All-Star to opt out after the season re-test free agency. Over the first couple of months, the slugger has done everything to boost his value for another free agent run. Advertisement Related: New York Mets game today – Get a look at the upcoming Mets schedule While 'The Polar Bear' isn't smashing balls over the fence like he usually does, he is doing everything else instead. He is on pace for career highs in average, on-base, slugging, and OPS. And is striking out at a far more reasonable rate. He has proven that he actually might be getting better as he gets older and is changing opinions around the league. Including nearby rivals. This week, The Athletic MLB insider Jim Bowden took a look at the various stars that could hit free agency this winter. And he offered a possibility that will send a shiver down the spine of New York Mets diehards. Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images 'Alonso entered Tuesday ranked fourth in MLB with a .965 OPS. He likely will opt out. And get the long-term contract he sought last offseason before returning to the Mets on a two-year, $54 million deal,' he wrote. 'If he doesn't stay in New York, Alonso would be a fit with several teams, including the Phillies. Bryce Harper would seem willing to move back to the outfield for him.' Advertisement Saquon Barkley left the New York Giants a year ago to join NFL rivals the Philadelphia Eagles. He would play a massive role in their Super Bowl win earlier this year. The last thing New York sports fans want is to see another one of their homegrown stars head down I-95 to help a Philly team compete for a title. However, to avoid locking him to the long-term deal he wanted, the organization risked this exact possibility. And now they will likely have to deal with a far more competitive market to bring him back. Bowden believes the Cubs, Rangers, Mariners, and Red Sox could be among Alonso's suitors in free agency. Also Read:: MLB Power Rankings: Detroit Tigers knock Los Angeles Dodgers from top spot as Minnesota Twins surge into top 10
