Latest news with #RookieOfTheYear
Reuters
a day ago
- General
- Reuters
Orioles reinstate OF Colton Cowser after thumb fracture
June 3 - The Baltimore Orioles reinstated outfielder Colton Cowser from the 60-day injured list during Monday's off day, while utility man Cooper Hummel was designated for assignment. Cowser, 25, played in just four games this season before he fractured his left thumb diving into first base. He opened the season 2-for-16 with a home run. During a breakout rookie season in 2024, the left-handed hitter delivered 24 home runs with 69 RBIs in 153 games with a .242 batting average and a .768 OPS. He finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Hummel, 30, was signed as a free agent by the Orioles in 2025 and had just one at-bat. He played 10 games at Triple-A in the New York Yankees' organization earlier this season. In 83 major league games over parts of four seasons with four different clubs, Hummel is a career .159 hitter with three home runs and 17 RBIs. --Field Level Media
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Trained since childhood to never swing and miss, A's phenom Jacob Wilson raps out hit after hit
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Lawrence Butler looked like he was witnessing a World Series walkoff. The Athletics outfielder stood excitedly at the top step of the dugout, his arms raised, his grin widening. Everyone to his left and right — also watching from the top step — joined in on the celebration. Advertisement It was the second inning of a five-run game on April 23. But that didn't matter to Jacob Wilson's teammates, who had anticipated this moment nearly as long as the hitter and rookie shortstop had himself. Then it finally happened: After 87 plate appearances over 24 games, Wilson at last worked a walk. 'To look over and see all the guys freaking out in the dugout, it was pretty fun,' Wilson said. 'It was a cool moment, to get the first one of the year. It took a little bit.' Wilson, the Athletics' young star, started spring training by competing for a job. After a 4-for-4 game Sunday, Wilson is now hitting .357, the best pure hitter in a potent lineup, and the heavy favorite to win American League Rookie of the Year. The No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft has done it despite a minuscule whiff rate, walk rate and hard-hit rate. It's a unique combination of traits that hardly exist elsewhere in the game, but seemingly work for the 23-year-old phenom, and an A's team reliant on his offense. 'Swing and miss has always been not a part of who I am,' Wilson said. 'Since high school, I've been putting the bat on the ball and training my hand-eye coordination. '… If I wasn't getting hits right now, and the batting average was low, I'd probably be taking a lot more (pitches),' Wilson said. 'But right now, I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing.' Wilson is the son of former Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson, who retired in 2012. Much of Jacob's early childhood was spent bouncing around big-league clubhouses across his father's stints in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Atlanta. That's where Jack started to coach his son, who would wear the full uniform of his dad's team, and would often travel to whatever city his dad was playing in. Years later, Jack was still his son's coach as the younger Wilson became one of the top prospects before getting selected by the then-Oakland A's. Advertisement The elder Wilson was a very good player in his own right, making an All-Star team and winning a Silver Slugger in 2004. Still, he might not have the ceiling his son does. Already, though, it's clear they share an approach: The Wilsons rarely walk, and they rarely strike out. In his 12-year career, Jack walked at a 5.1 percent clip and struck out 11.6 percent of the time, when the league averages were 8.5 percent and 17.5 percent, respectively. Jacob is even more selective; he has walked in 6.2 percent of his at-bats so far, versus a league average of 8.3 percent, and struck out in a mere 7.1 percent of his appearances, compared to a league that now strikes out 22 percent of the time. Those characteristics are not genetic, however. The bat-on-ball skills were passed down through extensive training utilizing games like stickball and ping pong. Jack was Jacob's coach throughout high school in Thousand Oaks, California. When Jacob played at Grand Canyon University, Jack came on as an assistant coach for Jacob's final season. To this day, the two debrief on the phone after every game. 'The biggest thing we did is probably play stickball,' Jack said. 'Stickball in the backyard with broomsticks. And you had to square up tennis balls. I was throwing what probably seemed like 100 miles per hour to him. 'We always challenged each other, we played against each other. It was a competition.' He struggled mightily on off-speed and breaking pitches in his small big-league sample size last season, whiffing a considerable amount on both. In 2025, he's no longer missing those pitches. Because of that, Jacob Wilson speculates he's begun walking more. After no walks in his first 87 plate appearances, he has 13 walks in 153 appearances since, to go along with just 14 strikeouts this season. The rise in balls, he speculates, has come because pitchers now know to throw him fewer strikes. Advertisement Even as he walks more, he remains a rarely-seen type of player. 'We can identify a few guys, obviously a few of them are in the Hall of Fame. One was named Rod Carew,' said A's manager Mark Kotsay, trying to search for comps to his young infielder. 'That's a pretty good comp.' The easiest present-day comps would be high-average hitters like San Diego's Luis Arraez or Cleveland's Steven Kwan. But even both of those hitters have higher walk rates than Wilson. Many of the other great shortstops in baseball have serious pop. Bobby Witt Jr. is coming off back-to-back 30-home run seasons. Elly De La Cruz, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and many others rely on home run power. While Wilson can hit for power — he has seven home runs and a robust .504 slugging percentage — and the unique conditions in Sacramento might assist in home run totals, his slow bat speed, long term, seems likely to lead to a ton of singles and lesser power at a position that's become known for it. 'He hits the ball in a way that's conducive to getting a lot of hits,' said A's All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker. 'What you're seeing is what he's going to do for the next however many years. It's play a good shortstop, and get a ton of hits, and be a guy that can impact the game on both sides of the ball, but specifically offensively.' There was a stretch earlier this month where Wilson went 0-for-15. Nothing too uncommon for any player. But for Wilson, that slump felt monumental. Base hits are his value in this game, and when it felt like that dried up, and he couldn't produce, it weighed on him. Jack has come to accept that his son will soon far surpass all of his accomplishments. He's good with that. He wants that. He may not have the same level of talent, but after more than a decade in the big leagues, Jack has wisdom to spare. Advertisement 'That's when I was like, 'Alright, this is time for me to step up,'' Jack said. 'He kind of just let it go, he was frustrated. 'I said, 'You have no idea how good this is.' And we're on FaceTime, and he's just looking at me. He's like, 'What are you talking about?' I'm like, 'This isn't the first time you're gonna go 0-for-15 in your career. But the best players in the world find a way to get out of these quicker than everybody else.'' And his father was right. He went 6-for-13 in the immediate aftermath, picking back up where he left off. Which is going from a player with potential to one who's showcasing it on a nightly basis. Making an All-Star game? Winning Rookie of the Year? Becoming the one-day face of the A's? It's all possible, even if he's making it happen in his own unique way. 'I have a lot of belief in myself as a player, having a lot of confidence and belief in yourself that you can do those things,' Wilson said. 'I'm helping my team do whatever they need, and the personal stuff will come.' (Top photo of Jacob Wilson: Mark Blinch / Getty Images)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's Behavior During Fever's Third Straight Loss is Turning Heads
Caitlin Clark's Behavior During Fever's Third Straight Loss is Turning Heads originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever are now 0-2 since Caitlin Clark went down with an injury that will keep her out for at least two more games. Advertisement The Fever hosted the previously winless Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday in what turned out to be a highly disappointing 85-83 loss for Indiana. The Sun marked their first win of the season, improving to 1-5. The Fever, on the other hand, have fallen to 2-4 after their third straight loss. Clark may not have been on the court for the game, but she was a very active figure on the bench throughout the contest. At one point in the game, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year was seen having an animated discussion with a referee on the court. Clark clearly wasn't happy with how one particular call did not go in her team's favor. The Fever cannot be faulted for a lack of fight in this one, though. After going down by as many as 16 points, Indiana came storming back in the fourth quarter. Clark was up on her feet on the bench as DeWanna Bonner hit back-to-back triples to give the Fever a 76-74 lead with less than four minutes remaining in the final frame. Clark's behavior quickly grabbed the attention of fans on social media. Advertisement "Probably killing her to be on the sideline. Get healthy queen CC!" a comment on X read. "need her so bad," said another. "Aura," a reaction read. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.© Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images "We need her back, this team sucks. You disappointed your fans once again," a disappointed supporter wrote. "Can one player really have that big of an impact on a team? It's starting to look like it. Need her healthy and back on the floor," agreed another. "Another L," commented a user. Clark's participation from the bench clearly hasn't been enough to help the Fever win without her. The fact of the matter is that they need her back on the floor as soon as possible. Advertisement Related: Indiana Fever Deliver Exciting Update After First Loss Without Caitlin Clark Related: Fever Suffer Concerning Injury Blow Amid Caitlin Clark's Absence Related: Caitlin Clark Had No Words for Fever Teammate's See-Through Outfit This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sixers draft history: Michael Carter-Williams selected No. 11 in 2013
With the NBA draft right around the corner, now is the time to look at some past drafts and see what the Philadelphia 76ers have done in their history. The Sixers have selected some big-time players in the past who have become an important part of the fabric of the franchise's history. This edition focuses on the 2013 draft when the Sixers selected Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams with the No. 11 overall pick. Philadelphia had just traded All-Star guard Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans earlier in the evening so the Sixers needed his replacement. They found it in Carter-Williams. Advertisement The 6-foot-6 guard went on to win Rookie of the Year with averages of 16.7 points, 6.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals while shooting 40.5% from the floor. He had one halluva NBA debut going for 22 points, 12 assists, nine steals, and seven rebounds while guiding the Sixers to an upset win over LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and the defending champion Miami Heat. Carter-Williams looked like he was going to be a Sixers fixture for quite some time. However, he missed time to begin the 2014-15 season due to offseason shoulder surgery and he got off to a slow start. He was then traded to the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline in 3-team deal that netted a 2018 draft pick. Carter-Williams would go on to play nine years in the league. He played for the Sixers, Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets, and Orlando Magic. He averaged 10.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists across his nine seasons playing in the league. This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers draft history: Michael Carter-Williams selected No. 11 in 2013
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov wins KHL Rookie of the Year award
Montreal Canadiens' Ivan Demidov steps onto the ice prior to an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Montreal, Monday, April 14, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press) Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov won the Kontinental Hockey League's Rookie of the Year award on Thursday. 'He's incredible! Ivan Demidov won the 2025 Rookie of the Year award! In his first season in the KHL, the 19-year-old forward was SKA Saint Petersburg's leading scorer (49 PTS, 65 G), even though he was only the 11th most-used forward (13:45),' the KHL wrote on its official English-language X account. He succeeds Metallurg Magnitogorsk goalie Ilya Nabokov, who was voted Rookie of the Year in 2024. Demidov scored one goal and added one assist in two regular season games with the Habs this season. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Russian also had two assists in five playoff games this spring against the Washington Capitals. Demidov was the Bleu-blanc-rouge's first pick, fifth overall, in the last NHL draft. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 30, 2025.
