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Sky News reporter Rob Harris caught up with a fan who missed England’s equaliser against Slovakia after leaving the game early.
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Rivals.com – Florida State lands four-star safety Gregory Thomas
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Four-star Gregory Thomas is ranked No. 197 in the 2025 Rivals250.
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John Garcia Jr., National Recruiting Analyst
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Olney: How O’s leverage Adley Rutschman’s bat — without overworking him
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When Adley Rutschman was promoted to the big leagues little more than two years ago, the Baltimore Orioles‘ catcher became known for how he greets his pitcher coming off the mound. With his mask tucked under an armpit, Rutschman presents energy, or empathy, or encouragement, or maybe some combination of those — more often than not, a hug. Whatever is needed in the moment.
Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde values these people skills — not to mention Rutschman’s other abilities as a catcher. But Hyde has demonstrated that with Rutschman, a priority in his planning to make sure that his offensive skills are part of his batting order as often as possible.
“I’m trying to keep him as fresh as possible defensively,” Hyde said, as part of a conversation that began in March about how he chooses to deploy Rutschman. “But he’s also Adley Rutschman offensively, and we feel it when his bat’s not in the lineup.”
Rutschman was batting .300 through Thursday’s game, with 95 hits, 15 homers and an Adjusted OPS+ of 140. Few catchers anchor a lineup in the way that Rutschman does for the Orioles. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza was usually the most important hitter for the New York Mets in his eight years with that team, and never played more than 141 games, in years before National League teams did not have daily access to the designated hitter. Buster Posey often hit third or fourth for the Giants, and in 2015, he played in a career-high 150 games, sometimes at first base. Salvador Perez, a recent outlier, played 161 games in 2021, 122 of those at catcher.
Rutschman played in 154 games last season, and in the first half of 2024, he has been in the lineup almost every game — 77 of the team’s 81 games. He hits in the No. 2 spot, or, very occasionally, as the leadoff hitter, with Hyde willing to use him at a catcher a little less to ensure that he’s available to DH.
“It’s been a process over the last two years figuring out what’s best,” Rutschman said. “He obviously puts a lot of thought into it, which I appreciate.”
In fact, the past two years have included a steady dialogue between Rutschman and Hyde and the Baltimore staff — transparent conversations about how Rutschman is feeling, and whether he might benefit from more time at DH. These discussions are parallel to those that occurred in recent seasons to those between Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels, as the player and team tried to find the best path that would give him the most success as a two-way player.
Hyde said that the majority of the time, it’s the manager who initiates the conversation about a game at DH or even a day off.
“Because he still doesn’t like sitting,” Hyde said. “But he also understands it. He understands he does need time or breaks on occasion. We talk about it …”
Hyde chuckled. “But it’s usually I’m the one who’s going to him.”
“It’s my job to play,” Rutschman said. “At the end of the day, I’m always available to play — which is always the way you’ve always been taught to play. It’s a tough thing to balance, in my mind, in players’ mind.”
Last year, Rutschman caught 110 games, and this season, he’s on pace to be behind the plate a little less. (In the team’s first 81 games, he started at catcher in 49 and as DH in 27). Hyde said there’s not a specific target, but said that he felt Rutschman’s 2023 workload “worked out really, really well. He felt good at the end of the year. So that’s sort of my goal — have him in the lineup as much as possible, with giving him the right off days, letting his body recover.”
In making his plans, Hyde will look ahead about 10 days, he estimates, in trying to figure out when he’ll use Rutschman at catcher and when he could be a DH, with a number of variables in play — the travel schedule, the opposing team’s starting pitcher, the Orioles’ starter. Hyde will also factor in the feedback that he’s getting from Rutschman about how he’s feeling. As Rutschman has gotten more time in the big leagues, Hyde said before the season, he offers opinions more freely about what days might be best for him to catch and when it could be more beneficial for him to DH.
But those plans, Hyde said, are all made in pencil, because they can change based on the ever-changing circumstances — a need for Rutschman to pinch hit and finish the game at catcher, extra innings, weather delays or postponement, a shift in the opponent’s rotation. Working behind the plate in Thursday’s game, Rutschman was clipped on his throwing hand by a ball hit back at him. Though X-rays for a possible fracture showed no break, he was out of the lineup on Friday [for just the fifth time all year].
As Hyde weighs his options, he’ll also consider the best possible matchups for James McCann, the Orioles’ other catcher, who historically has hit better against left-handed pitchers than right-handers.
Over the past two seasons, Rutschman’s power production has been better when he has served as DH. He has 27 homers in 247 games in his career at catcher. In his 96 starts at DH, he has 20 homers, with a slugging percentage almost 170 points higher than when he catches. If Rutschman has had a heavy catching load, Hyde says, he can sometimes see the impact in Rutschman’s offense.
“If he’s [caught] four out of five days, I can just tell,” Hyde said. “Nobody’s going to be fresh catching over the summer in the northeast. I try to eyeball it and communicate with him, and we manage the best we can.”
When Rutschman was in college, he acknowledged, he wasn’t in the habit of telling athletic trainers about days he didn’t feel great, or was dealing with some minor nagging issue. “I feel like I’ve gotten better at that,” Rutschman said. “But you still want to play.”
Talking over the phone Thursday, Hyde noted the intensity of the Orioles’ schedule in June — Baltimore will wind up playing on 29 of the 30 days this month — to explain why he has used Rutschman more often as the DH. That slog slows in July: The Orioles have a day off Monday [although they are flying to Seattle overnight after their “Sunday Night Baseball” game against the Texas, cutting into their down time] and then have another day off July 8, before the All-Star break. Given those respites, Hyde figures he’ll be more aggressive in starting Rutschman at catcher in the month ahead.
But again, he adds, that plan could change. Because of a rainout, or a game lingering into a 12th or 13th inning, or a foul tip, or just an instinct from Hyde or one of his coaches.
Late in Posey’s career, he learned to streamline his game preparation in order to save some of the wear and tear on his body. Near the end of Posey’s time in the big leagues, former Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens said that Posey would need only 10 swings in batting practice to be ready. Hyde believes Rutschman is learning how to make similar adjustments.
“He’s a worker,” Hyde said. “Now that he’s past his first full major league year, he understands the calendar and what it takes. I think he’s going to be able to manage his swings and his extra stuff a lot better.”
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Buster Olney
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Bellingham and Kane send England to quarterfinals of Euro 2024 after comeback 2-1 win over Slovakia
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GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — England advanced to the quarterfinals of the European Championship after Jude Bellingham scored a stunning overhead kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time to spark a comeback 2-1 win after extra time against Slovakia on Sunday.
Bellingham’s acrobatic overhead kick leveled the round-of-16 game at 1-1 with seconds remaining at the Veltins Arena.
Harry Kane headed in the winner in the first minute of extra time as England avoided one of the biggest shocks in the history of the Euros.
Ivan Schranz scored in the first half for Slovakia and his goal looked like being enough to eliminate England, which was one of the pre-tournament favorites and runner up at the last Euros.
But Bellingham’s wonder goal sent the game to extra time and Kane sealed the win and a place in the quarterfinals where England will play Switzerland in Duesseldorf.
For so long it looked like being one of the most humbling defeats England had ever suffered — bringing back memories of its elimination at the hands of Iceland at Euro 2016.
Boos rang around the stadium in the first half as frustration grew among fans after Slovakia took the lead through Schranz’s goal in the 25th minute.
England – ranked fifth – dominated the second half in search of an equalizer and hit the post through Declan Rice’s long range effort late on. Phil Foden had a goal ruled out for offside by VAR and Kane missed a golden opportunity when heading wide from close range.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
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Rivals.com – Rivals Five-Star: TE Breakdown
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Rivals Five-Star is in the books and now it’s time to start the position breakdowns and give thoughts on each prospect who competed at the summer’s biggest event. Let’s continue the discussion with tight ends.
DASAAHN BRAME
DaSaahn Brame While the tight end group in Jacksonville was slim, it actually proved to be a very impressive showing and Derby (Kansas) four-star Dasaahn Brame led the way. In the one-on-one portion of the event, Brame was almost flawless. Not only did Brame not let a ball hit the ground, but he made his reps looks effortless, creating separation easily and flashing elite hands.
Brame measured in at 6-foot-4, 218-pounds and looks like a million bucks. He is a perfect example of the modern tight end as a primary receiving threat. Brame will likely spend most of his time split out wide and is unlikely to be tasked with blocking many Big Ten defenders.
The new Oregon commit boasts great acceleration off the line and gets vertical quickly. From there, he uses quick twitch movements and leverage to snap off routes and change directions. Brame got open often in Jacksonville and displayed soft hands to reel in passes. Has great length with an 80-inch wingspan.
*****
CORBYN FORDHAM
Corbyn Fordham A hair over 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 215-pounds with a 77-inch wingspan, Fordham’s measurables are not necessarily elite. But it is important to note Fordham was the only 2026 tight end in the group, so there is time for his body to develop and grow.
Despite his measurements, there was not a tight end that had more contested catches than Fordham. The Jacksonville native will need to improve his route running – he tends to get handsy – but Fordham catches the ball at a high clip and that’s what matters. He is the No. 4 tight end in the 2026 Rivals250 at this time, and if he can clean up some of the technical skills, his ceiling is very high as a pass catcher.
*****
TAE’SHAUN GELSEY
Tae’Shaun Gelsey The 6-foot-3, 222-pound Gelsey was one of the biggest surprises of the event. Gelsey won all but one of his many one-on-one reps in Jacksonville. The twitchiest of the tight end group, Gelsey had some of the best routes in the position group on the day. A lengthy athlete with 34-inch arms and an 80.5-inch wingspan, he has an impressive catch radius.
The Florida commit won a majority of reps with crisp route running, leaving defenders out of position and trailing behind, but ones that were contested were still in Gelsey’s favor due to his reach and body control.
*****
NATE ROBERTS
Nate Roberts Roberts is much more of a traditional style tight end, measuring in at 6-foot-4.5, 243-pounds. With a thicker frame, the four-star is not as smoother of a mover as some of his peers, but he is instead more comparable to a train on the tracks. When he gets moving, he does not create much separation in the route, but a physical style of play gives defenders fits.
The Ohio State commit will absolutely be valuable in the Big Ten as a blocker but will also add value in his receiving. Roberts’ 78-inch arms are not the longest you will find, but he has more than enough tools at his disposal to succeed at the position.
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Marshall Levenson, National Recruiting Analyst
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Versatility is key as Mike Macdonald plans to unlock Dre’Mont Jones and Seahawks defense
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RENTON, Wash. — Over the first half of 2023, Dre’Mont Jones was almost exclusively a defensive tackle, lining up inside on the vast majority of his snaps.
Over the second half, he was predominantly a defensive end.
And by the time his first season with the Seattle Seahawks was in the books, Jones was something of an enigma, a highly talented player whose impact didn’t quite match up with the hype that accompanied his arrival as one of the biggest free agent acquisitions in franchise history.
Enter Mike Macdonald.
The Seahawks’ new head coach isn’t installing a copy-and-paste version of the scheme he coordinated in Baltimore over the last two seasons, but he is bringing with him elements that made the Ravens’ defense perhaps the toughest in the NFL to solve. One of the ways in which they plan to keep opposing offenses guessing and put their defenders in advantageous positions is by constantly moving them around up front.
That’s why versatility has been the buzzword of the offseason among Seahawks defensive linemen, coaches and even their personnel department.
“One thing that I would emphasize is versatility,” assistant general manager Nolan Teasley said before the draft when asked about the change in defensive style from former coach Pete Carroll to Macdonald.
“I think they probably touched on it by retaining [Leonard Williams]. His ability to play up and down the line of scrimmage depending on the front and personnel. I know a player that we’re really excited about, that they’re excited about moving around is Dre’Mont Jones because of his ability off the edge, his ability to rush anywhere from the three-technique to the six, maybe even out to the nine.”
Williams, who re-signed in March after arriving via trade last October, said he’s been working at five other positions in addition to his usual spot as a three-technique defensive tackle.
“I think it benefits us in creating matchups where you’re putting the defensive player in the best position and then you’re also confusing the offense,” Williams said during minicamp earlier this month.
“It makes it harder for the offense to study us knowing that they may see Dre’Mont at a five-technique on film, and then when we line up and play against them, he’s probably going to be playing zero- or three-technique. So it’s harder for an offense to scheme against one specific player because we move around so much.”
Can that help Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde unlock the 27-year-old Jones?
His debut season with the Seahawks was more solid than spectacular, at least relative to expectations that came with his big contract.
The three-year, $51.53 million deal Jones signed with Seattle last March easily made him the highest-paid free agent acquisition of the Carroll-John Schneider era. His $17.18 million average far surpassed the $9.53 million average of the deal the Seahawks gave outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu 12 months earlier, which was previously the most that regime had spent on another team’s free agent.
Jones produced career-highs in tackles (49) and QB hits (12) while playing in all 17 games, and one of his 4.5 sacks came in the final minute of a Christmas Eve game against the Tennessee Titans to help the Seahawks close out a three-point win that kept their playoff hopes alive.
But that was Jones’ lowest sack total since his 2019 rookie season with the Denver Broncos, when he posted 3.5 (he recorded 6.5, 5.5 and 6.5 over the next three years). His five tackles for loss were also his fewest since 2019.
One thought inside the Virginia Mason Athletic Center is that Seahawks coaches didn’t use Jones in a way that maximized his strengths. According to ESPN Stats and Information, he played 329 snaps at defensive tackle and only 45 at defensive end over the first nine games. Then after Nwosu went down with a torn pectoral in October and Williams arrived via trade eight days later, Jones moved outside, playing 302 snaps at end and 61 at tackle over the final eight games.
So while the Seahawks did utilize Jones’ versatility last season, they didn’t do so on a play-by-play basis like their new staff intends to in 2024.
And while their exact plans for individual players are still being sorted out, signs point to the edge potentially being something of a home base for Jones. That would make sense given how well-stocked Seattle is at defensive tackle with Williams, Jarran Reed, first-round pick Byron Murphy II and veteran addition Johnathan Hankins, among others.
Over the offseason, Jones’ personal trainer shared a video of Jones dropping into coverage during an on-field workout. During minicamp, he took part in position drills with the outside linebackers. That was after he showed up weighing around 265-270 pounds, down from his listed weight of 281.
During an 11-on-11 period in the second minicamp practice, Jones lined up on the edge opposite Williams with Seattle’s defense in dime, and then a few plays later he was inside next to Williams in a nickel package.
“I think his skillset lends to trying to play a little matchup ball with him or setting another guy up,” Macdonald said. “He can do a lot of things. We’ve talked about it, but we’re really excited about Dre’Mont.”
Macdonald credited Jones for being in “great shape” and for staying up to speed with Seattle’s defensive installation despite being away from the facility during voluntary Organized Team Activities; Jones posted on Instagram earlier this month that he recently became a father for the second time.
“He knew a lot of the stuff we were doing even though he hadn’t been in the building,” Macdonald said.
Before departing for the pre-training camp summer break, the Seahawks converted $9.875 million of Jones’ $11 million base salary for 2024 into a signing bonus and added a pair of void years onto the end of his deal in order to create $7.4 million in salary cap space. That’s a common restructure done solely to give Seattle some needed breathing room against the spending limit, as no new money was added.
The bigger change for Jones will be with his expanding role along Seattle’s defensive line.
“When you have guys that can do multiple things, play different gaps in the run game and rush at different levels in the pass game and you can have more big guys, it just opens up more personnel groups, more looks you can generate,” Macdonald said. “Overall, it’s good for us. … We’ll kind of reassess how the spring has been, reassess our plan going into camp, and then as camp goes, we’re going see how it evolves throughout camp. I think you have to have that attitude. If you just cookie cutter it … I think you limit yourself on how far you can take your team.”
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Brady Henderson
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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell engage in brilliant early battle
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Lewis Hamilton and George Russell engage in an early battle in the Austrian Grand Prix.
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UFC 303 live results: Pereira vs. Prochazka walkouts up next
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Alex Pereira defends his light heavyweight championship in a rematch with former champion Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 303 on Saturday, June 29, in Las Vegas. The main card at T-Mobile Arena is on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET, with prelims and early prelims on ESPN and ESPN+ starting at 6 p.m.
Pereira (10-2) has won three fights in a row, including a second-round TKO of Prochazka in November that earned the Brazilian the vacant 205-pound title. Pereira is No. 3 in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings.
Prochazka (30-4-1), who is ranked second (behind Pereira) in the ESPN light heavyweighht rankings, has won 14 of his last 15, with the Pereira fight his only defeat since 2015.
Here’s everything to know about watching or streaming UFC 303, including all 13 fights on the card. Check back here afterward for results and how to watch replays of each matchup.
How to watch the fights
Watch the PPV and all other fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access.
There’s also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every UFC card.
UFC 303 fight results
Karate Hottie calls it a career, leaves gloves in Octagon
Michelle Waterson-Gomez, one of the most influential figures in women’s mixed martial arts history, retired at UFC 303 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Waterson-Gomez, 38, announced her retirement following a unanimous-decision loss to Gillian Robertson on the UFC 303 undercard. Waterson-Gomez (18-13) came to prominence more than a decade ago, at a time when women’s MMA was still finding its footing. She won a 105-pound atomweight championship in 2013 and went on to a successful career in the UFC at 115 pounds.
Okamoto: Waterson-Gomez says she’s retiring after UFC 303 loss
‘Poatan’ talks flat tires, Jiri Prochazka and more
Alex Pereira sits down with Brett Okamoto to discuss broken toes, changing tires and his upcoming title defense against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 in Las Vegas.
Hale: Pereira helps stranded motorist change tire
Inside the seven-year free fall of Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor was scheduled to return at UFC 303, but a toe injury is the latest saga for the Irishman. McGregor has chased the professional and monetary highs he reached nearly seven years ago since the night he walked out of the boxing ring against Mayweather. What’s transpired since 2017 is just one UFC win and countless setbacks, including: arrests, injuries, lawsuits and multiple allegations of sexual assault.
McGregor shares injury status, vows to be ready for next fight
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Conor McGregor looking to be 100% before his next fight
Conor McGregor explains his injury and details how he is preparing for his next UFC fight.
Conor McGregor was on hand for the Bellator Dublin event to support Sinead Kavanagh in her fight against Arlene Blencowe. After the Blencowe-Kavanagh match, McGregor spoke in the postfight interview and detailed his injury status along with his plans to return to the Octagon later in the year.
Ranking the fights at UFC 303: With no McGregor-Chandler, who steps up?
Saturday’s reinvigorated main event is a rematch of the fiery fight last November in which Alex Pereira won the belt. It was tightly contested and swung in both directions — mostly toward Jiri Procházka, honestly — before Pereira landed a left hook counterpunch in Round 2 that was the beginning of the end. Speaking of beginnings, though: The most spine-tingling highlight came during prefight introductions, when the fighters stood in their corners staring across the cage at each other, neither man moving a muscle. If Pereira and Procházka can bring that chilling energy again Saturday, we’re in for a good one.
Several storylines will play out at UFC 303. Here are the most intriguing, framed as questions to be answered on fight night.
Expert picks and best bets: Where’s the value at UFC 303 and PFL?
Brett Okamoto spoke to UFC light heavyweight and ESPN analyst Anthony Smith to get his perspective on the UFC main event. ESPN betting experts Ian Parker and Reed Kuhn add their insight and analysis on the UFC main event and other intriguing bets they like on this weekend’s fight cards.
UFC 303 broadcast team treated to ‘best fighter meeting of all time’
In advance of his UFC 303 fight, Ian Machado Garry met this week with the UFC broadcast team — along with a special guest, his young son, who had Daniel Cormier, Jon Anik and the rest of the crew in stitches with his spot-on fighter impersonations. Check out which UFC stars the youngster mimicked — hint: One is headlining on Saturday, and another was supposed to — and see why backstage interviewer Megan Olivi called this “the greatest fighter meeting of all time, absolutely amazing.”
Top stories
Conor McGregor says broken toe forced him out of UFC 303
Dana White: Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler UFC 303 fight off
UFC 303 instant reaction: McGregor-Chandler cancellation, Pereira-Procházka rematch and more
Jamahal Hill: Meniscus, ACL injuries led to UFC 303 withdrawal
Unbeaten welterweight Ian Garry gets Michael Page at UFC 303
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Ian Happ hits 2-run homer in 8th, Cubs beat Brewers 5-3
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MILWAUKEE — Ian Happ hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs beat Milwaukee 5-3 on Saturday, ending the Brewers’ winning streak at five games.
After the game, 11 people were injured at the stadium when an escalator malfunctione d. The Brewers said six people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and five others were treated at the ballpark.
Tyler Barnes, the senior vice president of communications and affiliate operations for the Brewers, said the malfunction resulted “in an increased downward speed.”
In the eighth, Joel Payamps (1-4) came on and walked Seiya Suzuki to open the inning, Happ then sent a 1-0 pitch 394 feet to right-center for his 11th home run of the season.
It was the second game-deciding homer in three games for Happ, whose two-run shot in the 10th gave the Cubs a 5-3 victory at San Francisco on Thursday.
“You’re facing back-end arms in those situations,” Happ said. “But trying to have the same process, believe in yourself and get yourself into a lot of positivity going into those situations.”
Payamps also walked the next two hitters after Happ before being lifted.
“You can’t walk people,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Whatever it is, you can’t walk people. You’re in the major leagues and you’re pitching at that time of the game, walks are not a possibility. If you look at our pitching staff, a lot of our success has come from not giving up free bases. A home run is a home run. Hap’s a good hitter.”
Luke Little (3-1) threw a scoreless seventh for the victory, and Porter Hodge followed with a scoreless inning. Héctor Neris allowed a hit and walk in the ninth, then struck out the final two hitters for his 11th save in 15 opportunities, and 100th career save.
“Hector made pitches when it counted in the end,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He had to make some pitches, and they had some traffic, and they laid off a couple close pitches, and some checked swings close, not called, but he made pitches.”
Chicago took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Happ walked, advanced on a single and a double play, and scored on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s single to right.
The Brewers answered in the bottom half when Jackson Chourio doubled to open and came around on a single and RBI fielder’s choice.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the fifth on two singles and a hit batter, but starter Tobias Myers got Christopher Morel on an inning-ending strikeout.
In the seventh, Milwaukee’s Andrew Monasterio was caught off third on Brice Turang’s attempted steal of second, and was out at home in a rundown to end the inning.
Milwaukee erased a 2-0 deficit with two runs in the third, aided by several defensive lapses. Sal Frelick singled to open and stole second. Frelick was caught off second on Monasterio’s comebacker, but the Cubs botched the rundown to send Frelick to third and Monasterio to second.
Pitcher Justin Steele couldn’t corral Brice Turang’s bunt single, allowing Frelick to score. William Contreras then blooped an RBI single into shallow center, just beyond the reach of three defenders.
Two pitches in, the Cubs were up 2-0. Nico Hoerner singled on the first pitch and Michael Busch followed with his 10th homer, a 413-foot shot to center.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: LHP Jared Koenig was placed on the 15-day IL because of tightness in his left forearm. He will undergo an MRI on Monday. “There’s more to it, because today it kind of moved more toward the elbow … it’s scary stuff,” manager Pat Murphy said Saturday. Koenig faced four batters Friday in the Brewers’ 4-2 win, relieving to get out the final out with the bases loaded in the seventh, then striking out the side in the eighth. … 3B Joey Ortiz, originally back in the lineup after sitting out Friday, was scratched due to neck soreness. Ortiz pinch-ran in the ninth inning.
STEELE STILL WINLESS
Steele (0-3, 3.20 ERA) allowed three runs six innings, striking out five and walking none but remains winless in 12 starts. He is 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA in six starts in June. “Wins have become a difficult stat to evaluate,” Counsell said. “Justin Steele is pitching, like I said before the game, every bit of what he did last year. He’s been really, really good.” Steele was 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA last season.
BREWERS MOVE
LHP Rob Zastrzyny was selected from Triple-A Nashville to replace Koenig. OF Chris Roller was designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (1-5, 6.87) was scheduled to start for the Cubs in the series finale Sunday against RHP Freddy Peralta (5-4, 4.03).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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Fantasy football: Should managers be confident in the Falcons’ offense?
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Last season was a tough one for Atlanta Falcons fans and fantasy football managers alike. The team’s offense left much to be desired, struggling with inconsistency and underwhelming performances throughout the season. Despite having high hopes for playmakers Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts, each struggled to live up to expectations while dealing with erratic quarterback play and questionable play-calling from former head coach Arthur Smith.
However, as managers look ahead to the 2024 season, there’s reason for optimism. The Falcons hired Raheem Morris and added Kirk Cousins in free agency in an effort to address their offensive woes. These moves could give them a top-10 fantasy offense.
Here’s the reasons why managers should be confident in the Falcons’ offense:
New coaching staff
The Falcons fired Smith after he finished with a 21-30 record over the past three seasons. Despite being brought in as an offensive-minded coach, Smith’s offense never flourished. The Falcons failed to average more than 22 points per game, finished 26th in scoring in both 2021 and 2023 and tied for 15th in 2022. Now, Atlanta has Morris as head coach and former Rams quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Zac Robinson as its offensive coordinator.
Robinson spent past three seasons working with Matthew Stafford, who averaged 266.8 passing yards and 17.5 fantasy points per game over that span. In 2019, he coached Jared Goff, who averaged 290 passing yards and 16.4 fantasy points per game working with Robinson. The Falcons averaged only 209.6 passing yards per game in a run-heavy system under Smith, but Robinson’s experience with Rams head coach Sean McVay suggests the Falcons should have a more balanced offensive strategy this season. Los Angeles ranked 13th in pass and rush attempts per game, seventh in total yards and ninth in points per game last season, showcasing McVay’s innovative offensive schemes that lean heavily on outside-zone concepts, motion and bunch formations.
Cousins and the Falcons are a perfect match
The Falcons feel great about Kirk Cousins upgrading the quarterback position this upcoming season. Cousins completed 69.5% of his passes last season and averaged 19.3 fantasy points per game before suffering a torn Achilles in Week 8, which ended his season. Cousins has also proven to be very consistent over the course of his career. He has averaged 18.5 fantasy points per game since 2019 and has the third-highest passer rating (106.6) over that time frame. Given Cousins’ situation with the Falcons and the playmakers around him, he is best viewed as a high-end QB2 with the potential to be a fringe QB1.
While Morris is a defense-oriented coach, he has surrounded Cousins with an excellent support system, including Robinson, QB coach T.J. Yates, assistant QB coach D.J. Williams, senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese, offensive assistant K.J. Black, and pass game specialist Chandler Whitmer. All of these coaches played quarterback in college and Zampese has 17 years of QB coaching experience.
Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke didn’t have this type of support system last season, so Cousins and rookie Michael Penix Jr. should be able to thrive with an increased emphasis on the passing game.
Breakout seasons ahead for London, Robinson and Pitts
London is the WR15 in current ESPN ADP. While constrained by Smith’s run-heavy scheme, he was productive when targeted (1.5 fantasy points per target) and is primed for a breakout 2024 season. He has averaged only 10.7 fantasy points per game so far in his career and has been outside the top 20 in targets his first two seasons, but he is well positioned to see career highs in multiple statistical categories this season. London excels at route running and making contested catches, which Cousins should leverage. Cousins’ top receiver during his time with the Vikings averaged 9.1 targets and 18.1 fantasy points per game, providing a glimpse of what London could achieve. He is best valued as a high-end WR2, with room for improvement as the season progresses.
Were you one of the fantasy managers disappointed by Pitts’ performance the past two seasons after his excellent rookie year in 2021? If so, don’t let that deter you from drafting him this season. Pitts was relegated to blocking duties over the past two seasons and didn’t get many opportunities to use his considerable skills as a receiver in mismatches against linebackers. He ran just 20% of his total routes with a linebacker in coverage and 65% of his targets were uncatchable. With Cousins now in the mix, Pitts’ production should improve. He should be considered as a low-end TE1 and is someone to target in the middle rounds. He’s projected to see the second-most targets on the team behind London.
Robinson finished his rookie season as RB9, but it was a mixed bag because of Tyler Allgeier‘s involvement in the backfield. Robinson saw only 47.5% of the rushing attempts but excelled as a receiver. He ranked in the top five among RBs in routes, targets, yards and receiving touchdowns, but had just two rushing attempts inside the 5-yard line, a huge hit to his fantasy scoring potential. Robinson is lethal as both a runner and a receiver and Kyren Williams‘ 2023 season (21.7 touches and 21.2 fantasy points per game) gives us a glimpse of what we might see from Robinson this season. The Falcons’ offense will likely use various rushing concepts to get Robinson into the open field. He is set to feast behind a stout offensive line that will return all five starters. Robinson is the second-highest RB on my draft board this year, behind only Christian McCaffrey.
Bringing it all together
The Falcons’ offense has loads of potential this season and fantasy managers should be excited. Cousins, London, Robinson and Pitts will be targeted in all leagues, but don’t forget about Darnell Mooney as a WR5, especially in deeper leagues. He is unchallenged as the Falcons’ No. 2 receiver and has sleeper appeal if he can stay healthy. Make sure you leave drafts with at least one Falcons player on your roster.
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Eric Moody
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Rivals.com – Four-star CB Dorian Brew commits to Oregon
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Oregon adds to an already stellar Saturday afternoon as they have added a commitment from an elite defensive back in the 2025 class.
Conroe (Texas) four-star cornerback Dorian Brew has committed to the Ducks.
Brew, 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, is the No. 42 overall prospect and No. 6 cornerback in the 2025 class. He is also ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the state of Texas.
Brew is a big addition for Oregon, who is an Ohio State legacy. The Buckeyes were long thought to be the team to beat in his recruitment, but Oregon grabbed the momentum in this summer and were able to close.
Brew was limited in his junior season, playing just five games as a junior. There is a lot to like though from what he has put on tape. He has an aggressive play style, proven to be a willing tackler.
From an athletic profile, Oregon is getting a fantastic body type to put in their secondary.
With a 6-foot-2 frame, he has a 73-inch wingspan to go along with 32.5-inch arms. He also has tested strong times on the track with 10.75-second in the 100 meter and 21.79-seconds in the 200-meter.
Following the addition of Brew, Oregon has the No. 7 recruiting class in the country, No. 3 in the Big 10 conference.
The Ducks hold commitments from one five-star, 11 four-stars, and two three-star prospects. Brew is the second defensive back among the 14 total commits, joining four-star Brandon Finney.
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Marshall Levenson, National Recruiting Analyst
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India’s Virat Kohli retires from T20 international cricket after World Cup win over South Africa
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Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from international T20 cricket after hitting a half-century in India’s win over South Africa in the World Cup final in Barbados.
Kohli snapped a lean run of form in the tournament, which had seen him score just 75 runs in seven innings at an average 11, by hitting 76 from 59 deliveries in his side’s total of 176-7.
After India limited South Africa to 169-8 in reply to win their second T20 World Cup and first since 2007, the 35-year-old confirmed in his Player of the Match interview that he was now quitting T20Is.
Kohli bows out from the format with 4,188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.69, with 38 fifties and one century – against Afghanistan in September 2022 – at a strike-rate of 137.04.
He said: “This was my last T20 World Cup.
“It is time for the new generation to come through for India now. We have some amazing players coming through and they have to take this team forwards now.
“One day you feel like you can’t get a run but one day, things just click. I am so proud to get the runs for the team the day it mattered most.
“The occasion prompted that change for me. I felt like it was now or never.
Kohli says it is time for India’s new generation to take the T20I team forward
“We have wanted to lift a trophy for a long time and the occasion made me put my head down, respect the situation and play the innings that the team needed from me.
“I wasn’t feeling myself before today. I wasn’t confident. So I am very grateful and humble right now. It has been difficult, so there are a lot of emotions.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in for me yet. It’s an amazing day, I am so thankful.”
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Gleason to be honored at ESPYS for ALS advocacy
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Former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason has been selected to receive the 2024 Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS, it was announced Thursday.
The award is given to individuals “whose contributions transcend sports.” Recipients of the award, which was first given in 1993, are intended to reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe and possess strength, courage and willingness to stand up for their beliefs in the face of adversity.
“Over the past 13 years, I’ve been documenting our journey with ALS. My aim has always been to see if we can discover peace and freedom with a love of Life, in the midst of extreme adversity. Being recognized at The 2024 ESPYS is not just an honor, but a powerful platform to further help and serve others. Thank you, ESPN, for this incredible accolade,” Gleason wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.
Gleason, a standout special teams player for the Saints from 2000 to 2008, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2011.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually robbing a person of the ability to move, talk or breathe. The disease is considered terminal and currently there is no cure.
Gleason, 47, and his wife, Michel, founded the nonprofit organization Team Gleason following his diagnosis. Team Gleason’s mission is to improve life for others living with ALS by providing technology, equipment and support services.
The Steve Gleason Act was passed in 2018 to ensure the availability of life-sustaining communication devices such as eye-tracking technology that allows individuals like Gleason to communicate using only their eyes.
In 2020, Gleason became the first football player to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor awarded to civilians, for advocacy work with ALS.
Gleason, a special teams captain and the Saints’ leader in blocked punts, was most known on the field for his blocked punt against the Atlanta Falcons in the Saints’ first game back after the Superdome reopened in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina. A statue depicting the moment was erected on the Superdome concourse in 2014.
A documentary about Gleason’s life titled “Gleason” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. His memoir, “A Life Impossible,” which was co-written with Jeff Duncan, was released in April.
It was also announced Thursday that University of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
The 2024 ESPYS, hosted by Serena Williams, will air live Thursday, July 11, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Katherine Terrell
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Biles leads big at trials; injuries hit 2 other stars
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MINNEAPOLIS — Maybe the most remarkable thing about Simone Biles’ decade-plus run redefining what’s possible in gymnastics is how she has managed to stay healthy while doing it.
She is well-versed in the danger lurking at every turn, every twist, every landing. Blocking it all out and forging ahead might be her greatest skill, one that was put to the test Friday night at the U.S. Olympic trials.
Before Biles hopped onto the uneven bars in her first event, Kayla DiCello’s hopes of joining her in Paris ended with a torn right Achilles suffered a few feet away on vault.
A short time later, Shilese Jones gingerly made her way off the floor with a leg injury that left the six-time world championship medalist’s status very much up in the air.
It’s a lot to take in, even for a 27-year-old who has made the impossible look impossibly easy so often for so long.
The whole meet is, as Biles put it, “so stressful, so heavy.”
Still.
“If we can do this, we can do anything,” she added.
So while there were some uncharacteristically sloppy moments early, there was a splash of Biles’ singular brilliance late on her way to an all-around total of 58.900 that put her position to lock up an automatic berth on the five-woman team that will be announced Sunday night.
Still, it was hard to shake the image of two of her peers exiting in tears, all of it accompanied by an ever-present fear that never really goes away no matter how long you do this for a living.
“There is anxiety,” Biles longtime co-coach Laurent Landi said. “[Like], ‘All right, am I the next one to get hurt? What’s going to happen to me?’”
Landi’s advice was simple and direct, long the most effective way to communicate with the biggest star of the U.S. Olympic movement.
“You can’t control this,” Landi told her. “So control the controllable.”
Biles did. Even on a night when she wasn’t at her unparalleled best, she left little doubt she remains in control of her gymnastics and, perhaps most important of all, in control of her emotions.
While there was an uncharacteristically sloppy and shaky balance beam routine that left Biles cursing for all the cameras to see, there was also a standing ovation that accompanied her Yurchenko Double Pike vault, the one that’s named after her in the sport’s Code of Points and is among the most difficult done in the world by anyone, man or woman.
And so it goes for Biles, who will head to Paris heavily favored to bookend the Olympic all-around gold she won as a teenager in 2016.
A lot has happened since then: marriage, a fistful of world titles and a memorable trip to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she removed herself from multiple finals to focus on her mental health.
She took a two-year break from competition after returning from Japan but has looked as good as ever for most of the past 12 months, joking after her record ninth national title earlier this month that she’s “aging like fine wine.”
Biles hardly seems to be the only one.
Jordan Chiles, 23, is surging toward an Olympic spot just as she did three years ago. She finished in the top six on all four events Friday, heady territory considering injuries earlier this year appeared to dim her chances of making it to Paris.
Now, not so much. Yet Chiles laughed when asked if her previous experience in this spot helped her navigate the complex emotions of a meet that can alter the life of the five women who hear their name called at the end of it.
“No,” Chiles said. “I literally was saying this earlier this morning. I was like, ‘No matter what meet I’ve done in my life, this is the most stressful one I’ve done in my whole entire career.’ Because it’s that one night it’s like you either find out you make it or you don’t.”
Chiles appears on the verge of a return to her sport’s biggest stage. So does reigning Olympic champion Sunisa Lee.
The 21-year-old Lee, who has spent most of the past two years battling kidney-related health issues, used a pair of excellent sets on uneven bars and balance beam in front of a hometown crowd to finish third.
Behind Lee was 24-year-old Jade Carey, the reigning Olympic champion on floor exercise. Carey, who has spent the last three years deftly straddling the line between collegiate and elite gymnastics, finished second behind Biles on vault and fourth on floor.
The biggest question heading into Sunday will center on who will land the fifth spot. Joscelyn Roberson, at 18 one of the younger athletes in the 13-woman field, used a powerful set on floor to finish fifth.
Yet USA Gymnastics officials stress they are not married to the idea of taking the top five in rank order at the end of trials, which is what happened under previous leadership in 2021.
Kaliya Lincoln put up the second-best score on floor. Hezley Rivera appears to be improving with each passing meet, and 2020 Olympic alternate and four-time world championship medalist Leanne Wong has plenty of international experience.
Jones, the top American gymnast not named Biles when healthy, has spent most of the past two years looking essentially like a lock. That likely ended before the competition even officially began.
The 21-year-old arrived at the Target Center already nursing a slightly torn labrum in her right shoulder. Then she landed awkwardly while warming up on vault, wrenching her left knee.
She exited briefly but returned to be introduced with the rest of the field. She skipped the vault in the first rotation but returned to grit through the uneven bars, her best event.
While Jones put together an excellent 14.625 even while doing a slightly watered-down routine, she gingerly made her way off the podium. She talked to medical staff for several minutes before leaving for good.
Whether Jones tries to give it a shot Sunday is unclear. What is clear — what has always been clear since Biles’ senior debut in 2013 — is that there is her, and there is everyone else.
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Athletics rally late, snap 11-game road losing streak by beating Diamondbacks 9-4
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PHOENIX — Zack Gelof tripled to key a three-run eighth and the Oakland Athletics snapped a five-game losing streak, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 on Friday night.
The A’s also halted an 11-game road losing streak. They hadn’t won away from home since June 1 in Atlanta and had lost 15 of their previous 18 games overall.
“Overall it was a great game,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve hit a lot of home runs as an offense, but we haven’t built innings that way; walks, couple hits, it’s nice to see.”
Gelof was 3 for 4 with the RBI triple, a walk and a stolen base.
“The month of June has been a lot better for him and he’s finishing up really strongly,” Kotsay said.
Gelof’s average went from .196 to .205 on Friday. He hit .267 with 14 homers as a rookie second baseman last season, but has found it tougher in his second year.
“All around we put it together,” he said. “It just feels good to win on the road.”
Tyler Soderstrom’s home run off Ryan Thompson (3-3) leading off the eighth tied it at 4. Thompson then walked rookie Armando Alvarez before Gelof hit a line drive to the gap in right-center, scoring the go-ahead run. Max Schuemann followed by chopping a single over the head of shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to make it 6-4.
The A’s hit three homers in the ninth off Brandon Hughes to put it out of reach. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers went back-to-back, each for their 15th homers, of the season and Daz Cameron hit his third.
Scott Alexander (1-2) gave up a tie-breaking single to Ketel Marte in the seventh, but picked up the victory. Mason Miller, in a non-save situation, struck out two in the ninth to preserve the win.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his 11th homer leading off the sixth for Arizona off JP Sears.
Arizona has lost three straight and is 1-3 on its homestand.
Diamondbacks starter Slade Cecconi threw 88 pitches in four innings, allowing three runs. He struck out seven and walked two.
“We’ve got to pitch better,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “You can’t make assumptions because the Oakland A’s are here that we’re going to beat them three games. That’s a well-run team, they got a good manager with young players that are very enthusiastic.”
Sears went six innings for Oakland, allowing five hits and three runs. Only two hits came after the first inning; he walked one and struck out six.
Sears bounced back from his previous start against Minnesota, in which he pitched just 1 1/3 innings, giving up nine hits and eight runs and hitting three batters.
Before the game, Arizona called up RHP Humberto Castellanos from Triple-A Reno and sent down RHP Scott McGough.
NEXT
Lovullo said after the game that RHP Zac Gallen will be activated from the injured list. Gallen (5-4, 3.12 ERA) has been sidelined with a right hamstring strain since he left one batter into a May 30 start against the New York Mets. Oakland’s starter will be LHP Hogan Harris (1-1, 2.72).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Rivals.com – Penn State’s bond with three-star WR Jeff Exinor leads to commitment
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Class of 2025 high-three-star Jeff Exinor Jr. has committed to Penn State.
Exinor currently attends McDonogh School in Owing Mills, Maryland and whittled down his list of more than 20 scholarship offers to two finalists before making his final decision: PSU and Maryland. However, it was the Nittany Lions’ long-standing relationship with Exinor that ultimately made the difference.
Interestingly, Penn State was the the first program to offer Exinor in his recruitment way back in 2021, and the consistency the school showed ever since then helped secure the wide receiver’s verbal pledge.
The Nittany Lions’ track record of producing NFL Draft picks and ranking amongst the top teams in the country year-in and year-out under head coach James Franklin were also things that stood out to Exinor.
“Penn State was my very first offer, so over the years I’ve been able to build a great relationship with them,” Exinor told Rivals. “They also consistently rank in the top-10 and pump out NFL talent.”
Exinor has taken multiple visits to Happy Valley, including most recently for his official visit on June 7. Franklin has also taken various trips to McDonogh to check in with Exinor and his coaches during contact periods. Exinor feels a strong bond with Franklin.
More recently, he’s gotten to know offensive recruiting coordinator/wide receivers coach Marques Hagans well, and has started to learn more about newly-hired offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnick and the offensive system as well.
“My relationship with Coach Franklin is good,” Exinor explained. “He regularly takes trips down to my school during recruiting season and we have been able to have some great conversations over the years. I’ve really only been in contact with Coach Hagans within the last six or seven months, but in that time we have been able to have some great talks not only about football but in life as well.
“I have a newer relationship with Coach Kotelnicki, really stemming from the official visit, but we had great conversations about their offensive scheme and how I could contribute to the team.”
Exinor enjoyed the official visit to Penn State, which gave him a chance to truly connect with the coaching staff and the current Nittany Lion players, including his former high school teammates, redshirt freshman defensive end Mason Robison and junior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton.
“I’d say the best part for me was just getting a chance to connect with the staff and the players — especially my former high school teammates,” Exinor said.
Exinor also took official visits to Maryland during the weekend of June 21 and Virginia Tech during the weekend of April 12.
Exinor ranks as the No. 12 player in the state of Maryland and No. 73 wide receiver in the 2025 cycle.
He had additional scholarship offers from Boston College, Duke, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, West Virginia, Wisconsin and several other.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Exinor provides excellent size as a wide receiver. He uses his strong hands, measurables and physicality to his advantage, and is hard to bring down once the ball is in his hands. Exinor has the coveted combination of size, strength and solid speed that makes him a constant threat to opposing defenses.
“I would describe myself as a big receiver,” Exinor said. “I have that size to get physical and bully smaller defensive backs, and the athleticism to make a play on the ball no matter what. My size also helps me break tackles easily, and mixed with my speed, it gives me a chance to score every time I touch the ball.”
McDonogh head coach Hakeem Sule added his thoughts on Exinor as well.
“Jeff is a powerful receiver with exceptional strength and dependable hands,” Sule said about Exinor. “He consistently delivers big plays every game. His dedication and reliability will make him a key player for Penn State.”
While he excels on the football field, Exinor is also an accomplished basketball player as a small forward/wing. He had three Division I basketball offers from Siena, Radford and North Carolina A&T, and interest from several other schools as well.
With Exinor’s pledge, Penn State’s 2025 class currently includes 20 total commitments and ranks in the top-five in the national rankings.
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Ryan O’Bleness, Recruiting Analyst
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Grace Kim hole in one earns her team share of Dow Championship lead after second round
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Grace Kim had a hole-in-one and combined with Auston Kim for eight birdies for a nine-under 61 and that earns them a five-way share of the lead in the Dow Championship.
The best score of the second round actually belonged to the Danish pair Nicole Broch Estrup and Nanna Koertz Madsen, who birdied their last two holes for a 10-under-par 60.
Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho of the United States had a 64, the same score they had in foursomes during the opening round, to also sit in among the bunched leaders at 12 under, along with the Thailand tandem of Jaravee Boonchant and Chanettee Wannasaen and Taiwan duo of Ssu-chia Cheng and Wei-Ling Hsu.
Three other teams, including England’s Charley Hull and Georgia Hall, are one shot behind. Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson are two shots back at 10 under.
Grace Kim said of her ace at the par-three seventh hole: “I’ve had a lot of close shaves, and this is actually my first one, so it’s very exciting.
“I was obviously just trying to put it close. All I see is it kind of disappear.”
Grace and Austin Kim birdied their next hole, and then had five more on the back nine.
“A lot of good came from that hole, courtesy of Grace,” Auston said. “It felt really positive going forward from there.”
Watch coverage from day three of the Dow Championship, live on Sky Sports Golf from 11pm on Saturday.
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How fast could a human being throw a fastball? 106 mph, 110 mph — even 125 mph?
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The 10-second 100-meter dash. The four-minute mile. The two-hour marathon. In baseball, is the 110 mph fastball the next big number to fall? What actually is the upper limit when it comes to professional pitchers throwing their fastest pitches?
There is some debate about what the fastest fastball to date has been. In the documentary Fastball, filmmakers looked at a few key moments from the past. Bob Feller threw a ball faster than an 86 mph motorcycle. Nolan Ryan was clocked at 100.8 mph by a radar gun in 1974. If you convert Ryan’s number to the out-of-the-hand methodology used to measure pitch speed today, you get 108 mph. For some, that counts as the fastest pitch on record.
We’ve been tracking major-league pitchers with the same quality of technology since 2007, though, and nobody has thrown harder than Aroldis Chapman and his 105.8 mph fastball in 2010. So Ryan’s 108 would be a large departure from 15 years of tracking pitches — and, for what it’s worth, it’s a large departure from radar gun readings over the rest of his game that day, as well as the rest of his career, which usually topped out around 96 and 97 mph.
Some Nolan Ryan gun readings to show how random Radar gun/Laser technology was back in the day. pic.twitter.com/BAuEMAbTIM
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) January 20, 2024
Since those other pitchers were clocked using outdated technology, it’s probably fairest to call 105.8 mph the modern record in fastball velocity. So that’s how fast a human has thrown the ball. But what’s the fastest a human being could throw the ball?
“When you build up a simple physics model that is essentially a series of collisions between body parts, you get a max fastball velocity of about 125 mph,” said Jimmy Buffi, who has a PhD in biomedical engineering. Buffi is a former Los Angeles Dodgers analyst and is a co-founder of Reboot Motion, a player development consultancy firm.
“We’ll need to use new methods,” said Kyle Boddy, current Boston Red Sox consultant and the founder of Driveline Baseball, a player development lab and consultancy company. “If there is a way to continue on, it won’t be with current methods. Using the best mechanics from elite pitchers, piecemeal, is unlikely to be the way we can create the 110 mph pitcher.”
Others thought about the potential for injury in this pursuit – pitching injuries have been up with velocity, after all. Maybe we’re already at the limit?
“I don’t think people are going to be able to throw that hard,” said the Dodgers’ Bobby Miller, the league’s third-hardest throwing starter, about numbers like 110 and 125 mph. “You reach a certain point where your arm will probably break.”
That’s three different answers. Let’s take a closer look at each.
The case for 125 mph
There’s a concept in pitching called the “kinetic chain,” which describes the transfer of force from the ground, and the larger muscles in the legs, up through the core and out to the end of the arm. If you work in a purely theoretical space, that chain is basically a bunch of interactions that attempt to conserve the momentum created down low as it travels out to the arm. Buffi’s job at ReBoot is to help make those transfers as efficient as possible. He created a physics model to describe them for the purposes of answering this question.
“To come up with this toy example,” he said, “I thought of the pitching motion as essentially a series of energy transfers between two masses, similar to a large ball colliding with a smaller ball. The legs are the larger mass, and they transfer energy to the torso, which transfers energy to the upper arm, then to the forearm, then to the hand, then to the ball.”
The relative sizes of each of those muscle groups govern the amount of energy that can be transferred in each interaction, just as it is in the classic physics problem in which a big ball hits a smaller ball. In the model that Buffi created, a 200-pound person putting 500 pounds of force into the ground while being 85 percent efficient in his transfers (an efficiency that is elite, but within the range of possibility, in his estimation) would throw 125 mph.
“Even though it’s a toy example, when you put in reasonable energy transfer numbers and ground reaction force values, you actually get reasonable pitching velocity estimates,” said Buffi.
One of today’s hardest throwers, Oakland closer Mason Miller, agrees that the size of the player and force into the ground was a common denominator when you look at the hardest throwers.
“Physically, I’m 230 pounds, maybe 240 at my biggest. Chapman is like 250 pounds,” said Miller. He has thrown the fourth-fastest pitch this season at 103.7 mph, which trails only a couple Chapman fastballs (one at 104) and one from Angels reliever Ben Joyce. “Force production into the ground is important, we’ve seen that from force plate testing, that’s a good measure of power production.”
But there are some flaws in this case. Ground force reactions north of the ones Buffi used have been recorded already by athletes at Driveline Baseball, and they didn’t throw 125 mph. It’s way out in front of what’s been observed, as well.
Said Miller: “125 seems like it’s way out of our current existence.”
“Oh my goodness, 125, that’s crazy,” said Twins’ closer Jhoan Duran, who has topped out at 104.8 mph.
The case for 110 mph
The study of biomechanics, or the mechanical laws relating to the movement and structure of living organisms, has unlocked velocity for a lot of today’s hard throwers. The average four-seam major league fastball, measured by the same technology and methodology, has increased in velocity every season since Major League Baseball started tracking it, all the way from 91.1 mph in 2007 to 94.1 now.
Sam Hellinger of Driveline Baseball shared an example of how this understanding of the body has helped players train to get more velocity. Justin Thorsteinson, a former Division I pitcher hoping to sign on with an organization, came to them throwing 87.7 mph in June and by August was throwing 91.5 mph, and his changing how his shoulder moved was key. Scapular retraction — in rudimentary terms, how far back the throwing shoulder reaches before coming forward — has been linked to velocity by biomechanics studies because it creates a big separation between the hip and the shoulder. As that separation snaps back like a rubber band, torso speed is accelerated, which is then transferred to the arm. That was a big focus for Thorsteinson.
“Based on Justin’s bio report, we determined that his most glaring need mechanically was his arm action, specifically his max shoulder external rotation and scapular retraction,” said Hellinger.
After some work with weighted balls and specific drills, Thorsteinson improved his scores in the specific biomechanics that they were targeting, as you can see also from this picture, which shows how much he improved his shoulder retraction.
Before (left) and after (right) for Justin Thorsteinson, showing more shoulder retraction after the drills. (Driveline Baseball)So could a 250-pound monster of an athlete refine each of his movements to the best of current knowledge and bust past the 106 mph ceiling towards the 110 mph that Boddy thought possible?
“If you’re getting bigger than Chapman, who throws 105, if you get any bigger, you lose coordination,” said Dodgers starter Walker Buehler. “He’s as big and as strong as you can be, and his delivery is all about velo.”
Boddy is also not sure that a big dude, plus the best piecemeal mechanics of our time, was the right way forward.
“We’ll need to use new methods, like simulation of human movement with millions of synthetic data points using machine learning and artificial intelligence to explore the entire latent space of possible mechanical outputs and muscular contributions to the throwing motion,” said Boddy. “This is something Driveline Baseball has been working on for years and is rapidly becoming a priority project — primarily for durability improvements over performance gains, though we anticipate breakthroughs in both realms over the coming years from our Sports Science and Research teams.”
In other words, instead of taking our mythical 250-pound flamethrower and then giving him what modern research thinks is the best mechanics in the legs, the torso, the shoulder, and the arms, Boddy is hoping that AI could help us think of new ways those body parts could move in concert with each other, in order to identify even better possible mechanics.
Could AI do this? Given the rapid rise of that technology, it seems plausible that we could see gains from re-evaluating current processes, even ones that involve the movement of our bodies.
The case for 106 mph
Let’s flip over to a different sport for a second. Over in the 100-meter dash, we have records going back to the 1970s. If we track the best times by year, it looks like we’re hitting a bit of an asymptote — instead of large gains like we saw in the 1980s and ’90s, we’re fighting over smaller increments of change.
If you altitude-adjust these numbers — running higher up can shave some milliseconds, as we saw with a couple of record-breaking runs earlier this century — we’re zeroing in around 9.7 to 9.8 seconds as perhaps the fastest a runner can manage in a neutral setting. This is seen by some to show that modern training, nutrition, and equipment have pushed the body as far as it can go. There are similar graphs in other running sports that suggest the same.
A few examples from other sports:
100m sprint, marathon & 1 mile world record progressions pic.twitter.com/6z5nhPPbdP
— Ben Brewster (@TreadAthletics) May 28, 2024
The maximum pitch velocity seems to be following a similar trajectory in baseball. Chapman threw 105.8 mph in 2010 and since then, the average best fastball has been 104, with a peak of 105.7 (Chapman again in 2016) and a nadir of 102.2 (in 2020, of course). The best non-Chapman fastball is around 104 mph in any given season.
There are some differences between pitching and running, though. Here’s where Glenn Fleisig, the director of biomechanics research at the American Sports Medicine Institute, comes in.
“Fifteen years ago I was quoted as saying that I didn’t think top velocity or the ceiling going up, but I foresee it getting pretty crowded at the ceiling,” said Fleisig. “It wasn’t a lucky guess that I pulled out of my butt.”
“When others talk about the ceiling, they talk about physics and statistics. Maybe by the laws of physics, maybe people could throw faster. Maybe the highest number could keep going up like it (did) for runners, because the training can improve, the mechanics and biomechanics can improve, the nutrition and supplements can improve,” he continued.
“The difference here is that we’re pushing this little ulnar collateral ligament to its limit. We are strengthening our muscles and improving our mechanics and nutrition, but based on how the body is built, the ligaments and tendons don’t improve proportionally to the other parts of the body and the process.”
When that ligament tears, the pitcher needs Tommy John surgery to get back on the mound, and those surgeries are more common than ever. How much stress that ligament can handle might be up for debate.
“No one really knows how much stress a UCL can really take, because of a problem I call cadavers and robots,” said Randy Sullivan of the Florida Baseball ARMory on a recent podcast. “We determined how much stress a UCL can take through a cadaver setting where we found that it tears at 35 newton-meters of torque, and then we used motion capture to determine that it can tolerate on a single pitch, it has to accept 70-75 nM of stress. We got the bottom number from a person who wasn’t alive; living tissue wouldn’t react the same way. And we got the top number from a model, a mythical robot.”
Fleisig, who authored the study that looked at how much stress the UCL could handle in cadavers, saw that second number in a slightly different light.
Throwing high-velocity pitches puts a great deal of stress on a pitcher’s UCL. (Drew Jordan / The Athletic)“That 70-75 nM dynamic stress from biomechanics analysis is on the entire elbow, and the UCL does about a third of that resistance, your bones and tendons help with that resistance,” he points out. Taking a third of 75 nM leaves the current stress on the elbow within the 35 nM maximum we see in cadavers.
The sport might be telling us something with the spike in arm injuries. All those torn ligaments, which are increasingly tied to top-end velocity by the best available research, seem to suggest that we are running up on the physical limits of that little tendon. Maybe 106 is all that we can do.
“I’ve thought about it before,” said Joyce, the Los Angeles Angels pitcher who has thrown the hardest this year and also had a fastball tracked at 105.5 mph in college. “I would think someone will hit 106.0, but I don’t know if there is much more than that.”
Where do we go from here?
The work to improve the ceiling will go on, no matter what injuries say, because of the reward system in place for pitchers who can throw hard. The highest draft picks, the biggest free-agent contracts — those go to the fastest fastballs, and that’s not likely to change in the short term.
Joyce has an identical twin who tops out at 98 mph, with similar mechanics and identical genes. So what separated Ben from his brother Zach?
“I didn’t do anything specific,” said the harder-throwing Joyce. “I just always wanted to throw hard, so I tried to throw harder every day, kept throwing harder and harder, and it eventually worked out.”
Joyce pointed out that he hadn’t really optimized his mechanics or done anything special in that regard. He’s just throwing 103 and 104 on pure willpower. He’s also a little smaller than Miller and Chapman. Maybe the next kid is 50 pounds heavier, has that same iron will, ends up as a reliever where he can max out on fewer pitches, and also optimizes his biomechanics. That scenario seems likely to push the top-end velocity some … but how much higher if that little ligament is taking all it can handle already?
If that combination of inputs only pushes maximum velocity forward a tick or two, it might behoove young pitchers to consider other goals as they come up the ranks. In other words, if we get to a point where everyone throws harder than 94 mph in the big leagues, but nobody really throws harder than 106, maybe the best way to stick out in the future will be to demonstrate a pitch mix with varying velocities and movements, with good command. Maybe the success of softer-throwing pitchers such as the Royals’ Seth Lugo, who throws eight different pitches from two different arm slots, and the Phillies’ Ranger Suárez, who keeps the ball on the ground with great command, can provide new role models for young pitchers.
As the injuries mount in the search for velocity, chasing a maximum number that might not even be possible may not be the best plan for a young arm interested in making the most out of his talent.
— The Athletic’s Sam Blum contributed to this story.
(Top image: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photo of Paul Skenes: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
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He’s 15 and just made his PGA Tour debut. Miles Russell won’t be the last
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DETROIT — Miles Russell’s pants don’t fit. He didn’t mean to show off his ankles during Thursday’s first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. It’s just, the inseam he was measured for recently no longer applies. He hit a growth spurt soon after and now measures 5-foot-7, but stuck with pants meant for a wee 5-6. His waist, meanwhile, remains near-nonexistent. At 120 pounds, he wears a 28-inch waistline “with a scrunched belt.”
So there was Russell on Thursday, walking around Detroit Golf Club, flashing those ankles with each step.
Such is the life of a 15-year-old.
Russell made his PGA Tour debut at the Rocket Mortgage, shooting a 2-over 74. Born in 2009, he signed autographs for 7-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 15-year-olds and some adults. He took every swing with a PGA Tour Live cameras a few feet behind him. He held a press conference the day before his first round and afterward. He played from tees measuring 7,370 yards. He played in a field with 10 of the top 50-ranked players in the world.
And the strangest thing about it all?
It felt oddly normal.
This year has already seen two 16-year-olds make the cut on the PGA Tour — Kris Kim at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and Blades Brown at the Myrtle Beach Classic. Last year, 15-year-old Oliver Betschart survived a 54-hole qualifier to play in the Bermuda Championship, becoming the youngest player to play in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in almost a decade. He was three months younger than Russell is now.
First birdie on TOUR for 15-year-old Miles Russell 🤩 pic.twitter.com/5tLfnf5HuW
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 27, 2024
Now it’s Russell at the Rocket Mortgage. In April, he played in the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic, shooting rounds of 68 and 66 to become the youngest player to make the cut in the developmental tour’s history. Headlines followed. Then Russell followed with rounds of 70 and 66 to finish T20. The winner, Tim Widing, was 11 years older than him.
Tournament organizers from the Rocket Mortgage took notice and contacted Russell following his performance at the Suncoast Classic, hoping to capitalize on the story. Because that’s what a tournament like the Rocket desperately needs — attention, however it can get it. Big names are scarce in Detroit, so compelling storylines are required. The Nos. 2, 4 and 5 ranked amateurs in the world — Jackson Koivun, Benjamin James and Luke Clanton — are all in this year’s field. Clanton is making his PGA Tour debut, as is Neal Shipley, the low amateur at the Masters and U.S. Open who recently turned pro. As Shipley walked off the course on Thursday, he was told next week’s John Deere Classic, another non-elevated PGA Tour event, has a spot for him.
Those names are all at least in or out of college, though.
Russell just finished his freshman year of high school, even though he doesn’t attend a physical school. The Jacksonville Beach, Fla., native began playing at 2 years old, broke par at 6, and has been on a prodigious path ever since. He is home-schooled and already operating as a small business. He has an agent and holds Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals with TaylorMade and Nike.
Because 15 sounds so jarring, there’s the tendency for some to see Russell as a novelty.
In reality, this is all less and less uncommon.
Russell did not come to Detroit like some kid looking to high-five his heroes.
Rico Hoey, one of Russell’s playing partners on Thursday, was on the practice green after their round and still in a bit of disbelief. Now 28, he was trying to break 80 at Russell’s age. Coming into the first round, he assumed he and Pierceson Coody, a 24-year-old PGA Tour rookie with three Korn Ferry wins to his name, would need to keep things light and easy for the young star. Then they met him.
“As a 15-year-old, I’m sure I’d be pretty nervous out here, so we tried to make it easy on him, and make him feel comfortable, but, really, I don’t even know how much he needed that,” Hoey said. “He was cool. His short game is really good. He has a lot of length for his size. His game is just really good and he’s really calm.”
Russell shot a 74 in his first PGA Tour round on Thursday. (Raj Mehta / Getty Images)Some will always be inherently uncomfortable with young mega-watt talent being expedited to play among pros in any sport. But that’s never stopped it from happening. And golf appears to be revving more and more, and going younger and younger. It’s reasonable to expect someone soon emerging to surpass Michelle Wie West as the youngest player to ever tee it up in a PGA Tour event. She was 14 years, three months and seven days old when she played in the 2004 Sony Open.
What’s most eye-opening isn’t the ages, but how narrow the gap is between the kids and the pros. Russell is not some beefed-up bomber. He is instead elastic and has crafted a swing with his coach, former Korn Ferry player Ramon Bascansa, that generates enough clubhead speed to hang with the pros. He averaged 292 yards off the tee on Thursday, tied for 78th in the 156-man field.
But that doesn’t mean everything surrounding him isn’t still misfitting. He is technically not old enough to use Detroit Golf Club’s men’s locker room, though exceptions are made this week. He is not able to drive, let alone rent a car or check into a hotel alone. One group behind Russell’s, 36-year-old Rafael Campos played his round while ripping a few cigarettes — a vice that Russell can’t legally buy for another three years.
Afterward, Russell played along with questions about the experience, but was really only concerned with the golf. He talked about unforced errors and missing some makable puts. He said he learned watching Coody and Hoey how tour pros manage to “grind it out and shoot a couple under.” He said, sure, he was nervous to start the round. How much out of 10? “I’d probably give it a seven.” But sort of shrugged off the idea of being intimidated.
Russell’s voice was soft and he was obviously still a little peeved. A missed 3-footer on the final hole left him with a closing bogey.
“We live, we learn, we move on,” he said, sounding like someone who is not only used to playing on tour, but damn near expects to.
Maybe, for better or worse, that’s not so crazy anymore.
(Top photo: Raj Mehta / Getty Images)
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Why Alex Morgan missed the USWNT Olympic roster
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For the first time in 16 years, forward Alex Morgan will not feature on a major tournament roster for the U.S. women’s national soccer team.
On Wednesday, coach Emma Hayes left Morgan off the 18-player roster for the Olympics this summer in Paris. In her absence, the U.S. will be without a previous gold medal winner, with the team’s last win from the London Games in 2012.
“It was a tough decision, of course, especially considering Alex’s history and record with this team,” Hayes said, “but I felt that I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players.”
Morgan’s absence can be considered in several ways. It is the end of an era for the USWNT. Some will see it as an overdue move to balance younger players alongside veterans. Others will argue that Hayes made a simple soccer decision. Above all, Wednesday’s move reminded us that no spot on any U.S. roster is guaranteed.
“Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage,” Morgan posted on social media following the announcement. “This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest.”
Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage. This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest.
In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team… pic.twitter.com/NAXmQnNN8B
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) June 26, 2024
Hayes declined to get into her reasons for leaving Morgan off the roster and a list of four alternates, which included Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams. Instead, she highlighted “what an amazing player and human that Alex Morgan has been” through her brief window of working with her at this month’s camp for two friendlies against South Korea.
“I saw firsthand not just her qualities, but her professionalism. Her record speaks for itself,” Hayes said. At the same time, she acknowledged the constraints of the 18-player roster, with spots for only 16 field players.
Morgan has leadership, having captained the Americans on the biggest stage at the World Cup. Her experience outranks every other player on the roster in terms of appearances and goals. So what kept her off the Olympic team?
It had been clear since the South Korea friendlies that the best forward starting line involved Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, yet Morgan was still in contention for a roster spot. But her club performance may have hurt her campaign for a role.
“I’ve come from a club level and what I have learned is the best development is done at club level,” Hayes said at her first media availability last month in New York City, essentially directly addressing players through the media. “So go back to your clubs, play, compete, get healthy, and put yourself in the best possible place.”
Hayes has been consistent since taking over the job that performance and form matter in her assessment, particularly on the club side.
“There are players on the roster that are performing well, and the decision to take those players was one that we certainly deliberated over, but I think it’s a balanced roster,” Hayes said. “I’ve considered all the factors that we’re going to need throughout the Olympics, and (this roster is) one that I’m really happy with.”
After a few years with limited club involvement — she only played 10 league games across the Orlando Pride and Tottenham from 2019-2021, including a break while she was pregnant with daughter Charlie — Morgan had a resurgent 2022 season for the newly launched San Diego Wave. She won the Golden Boot by leading the NWSL with 15 goals, including 11 from the run of play. It was Morgan at her best — consistently setting up shots on her left foot while finding plenty of space inside the six-yard box to convert dangerous chances.
Morgan, who turns 35 on Tuesday, has also missed time due to a lingering ankle injury.
Her form wasn’t quite as robust at the start of 2023, but her place on Vlatko Andonovski’s World Cup roster was assured. She was a fixture in his lineups throughout the run-up to the tournament, and the hope was that she could do some thankless line-leading work even if her scoring touch wasn’t quite in vintage form.
Since the USWNT’s elimination in the World Cup round of 16, however, Morgan has struggled to score for club and country alike. San Diego has not hit form this season and dismissed head coach Casey Stoney this week. Still, a player of Morgan’s pedigree is expected to score even when the going gets rough. Instead, she has yet to find the back of the net in 2024, midway through the season.
Given the Wave’s struggles to advance possession this year, Morgan has had to drop deeper than usual to get on the ball. That’s illustrated by how much more frequently she’s having to direct her passes upfield — 16.2% of her distribution advances at least 5 yards toward goal, a rate more commonly seen from a midfielder than a striker and well above her 12.1% in 2022. She has looked less inclined to take an opponent on with her dribble, making just three take-ons in 542 minutes this season after logging 35 in 1,630 minutes last year.
Even more concerning is the 0 in her goals scored column this season despite logging nearly 600 minutes.
Morgan’s lack of versatility could have also factored into Hayes’ decision. Morgan has long been an expert striker, scoring 123 goals as the USWNT’s fifth-all-time leading goalscorer. But with that specialization comes a lack of experience at other positions, like some of the players called up for the tournament.
Hindered in part by her club team’s stagnating approach in possession, Morgan hasn’t been able to enjoy a similarly bountiful amount of service in the box. She has yet to take a single shot inside the six-yard box in the 2024 season, leading to a steep regression in her expected goals per shot, and only six of her 20 shot attempts this season have been taken on her stronger left foot.
Wave teammate Jaedyn Shaw was able to do just enough despite the team’s floundering form to remain in Hayes’ plans for the Olympics. Unfortunately, Morgan didn’t have the same bulk of strong USWNT performances that helped anchor Shaw’s case for inclusion, with Hayes calling her national team goal involvements “significant” on Wednesday.
Morgan’s greatest case for making another Olympic appearance had more to do with the intangibles, whether that was her presence as a veteran leader alongside captain Lindsey Horan, or the kind of presence she could offer at the late stages of a knockout match considering her major tournament track record. With an 18-player roster, it’s clear Hayes could not justify those intangibles over more basic roster needs.
“There’s no denying the history of this program has been hugely successful, but the reality is that it’s going to take a lot of work for us to get to that top level again,” Hayes said.
Youth is part of that process. Hayes has named the youngest Olympic roster for the USWNT since 2008, when the team won gold in Beijing. The current roster has an average age of 26.8, four years younger than the team that went to Tokyo in 2021 and settled for a bronze medal. But even more stark is the difference in the number of appearances from the last Olympics. The average caps per player in 2021 was 111; for this team the average is only 58.
“Looking through the cap accumulation of the team, there’s been a lack of development, of putting some of the less experienced players in positions where they can develop that experience,” Hayes said. “I think it’s important that we have to do that to take the next step. So I’m not looking backwards.”
Morgan’s 224 appearances for the U.S. far surpasses any player on the Olympic squad. (Photo by Brad Smith, Getty Images for USSF)Hayes pointed to Shaw’s inclusion on the roster to support this idea, focusing on younger players and their development at major tournaments to gain experience that would benefit the USWNT immediately and in the longer term. Hayes avoided questions about where the team might finish or what its goals would be for the Olympics, stressing that her mission was getting the team as close as possible to its best level and best version.
Morgan, for all the history and legacy she will leave in her absence, might have provided a short-term boost. She also might not have. It’s impossible to predict what an individual player might contribute in the run of a major tournament. Ultimately, Hayes is focusing on something larger, building on the changes that have already been made following the early exit from last summer’s World Cup.
“For us, this is an opportunity to show those learnings will take us much further than it did last time,” she said. “But there is no guarantee in anything in life.”
(Top photo: Getty Images; Design: Dan Goldfarb)
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