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Scully’s Spikes of the Day: Who is the Willie Mays of Our Era? Earlier this past week, baseball lost one of its biggest advocates for the sport. Willie Mays is one of the few players who remain legends of the game. Mays is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time, with some even calling him the greatest. Known for his all-around skills, Mays could do everything on the field as an outfielder—hit for average, hit for power, make incredible defensive plays, and use his speed to change the game. Willie Mays' 22-Year Career: .302 Batting Average (AVG) .384 On-Base Percentage (OBP) .557 Slugging Percentage (SLG) 3,283 Hits 660 Home Runs (HR) 1,903 Runs Batted In (RBI) 338 Stolen Bases (SB) 1x World Series Champion (WS Champ) 2x National League Most Valuable Player (NL MVP) Who is the Willie Mays of our era? Who most resembles his playstyle and game? There are several great players in today’s game who exhibit similarities to the late, great Willie Mays. However, one player stands out more than the others: Mike Trout. Widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, players of our generation, Trout has shown over his 14-year career that he can hit for average, hit for power, make great defensive plays, and use his speed to change the game. Mike Trout's 14-Year Career: .299 Batting Average (BA) .410 On-Base Percentage (OBP) .581 Slugging Percentage (SLG) 1,648 Hits 378 Home Runs (HR) 954 Runs Batted In (RBI) 212 Stolen Bases (SB) 3x American League Most Valuable Player (AL MVP) Trout’s stats are eerily close to Mays'. If Trout plays 22 seasons like Mays did, he is on pace to match Mays in hits, home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases. Both players are multiple-time MVP winners, but Trout lacks one thing: a World Series title. Scully’s Take: The similarities between Mays and Trout are closer than we may think. While Trout is the closest thing to Willie Mays that our generation has seen, there will never be another Willie Mays. Everything Mays did for baseball will always place him in a league of his own. Rest in peace to a role model to many and a legend of the game. via TruMedia & StatMuse #sports #mlb #mlbnews #williemays

A week before the 2024 United Shore Professional Baseball League Season began, Andrew Huffman, an RHP for the Utica Unicorns, signed a professional contract with the Minnesota Twins, making him the 52nd player in USPBL history to join an Major League Baseball (MLB) organization. Huffman, a graduate student from SUNY Brockport, was named the 2023 USPBL Pitcher of the Year, leveraging his impressive season to elevate his status as a potential prospect for 2024. Upon hearing the news of Huffman’s signing, I reached out to Shane McCatty, the current Director of Baseball Operations for the USPBL, to learn more about his journey. Shane, who served as the USPBL pitching coordinator from 2018 to 2021, has been instrumental in integrating the DVS Methodology into pitchers across the league. Huffman's rise as a pitching prospect mirrors the path of many pitchers who diligently work on their areas for improvement and are committed to making necessary changes. When Huffman first arrived at the USPBL, his command and results were inconsistent. However, with his strong physique and promising rising fastball, he was identified as a potential prospect. Early in his training, Huffman’s inconsistency was traced to his throwing mechanics, specifically his arm action. His throwing arm would rotate into position before his pelvis, leading to larger margins of error at release. After six weeks of focused training and adjustments to his timing, Huffman began to see significant progress by July. His transformation was evident in his performance: May through June: 10.3 IP, 8 ER, 24 K, 8 BB, 11 H, 6.99 ERA July through August: 35.2 IP, 6 ER, 43 K, 18 BB, 15 H, 1.53 ERA Jim Essian, manager of the Utica Unicorns, commented on the decision to make Huffman a starter: "His confidence grew. His off-speed pitches started to land in the zone more consistently, hitters continued to chase his fastball, and he became a prospect for us. We wanted to get him more innings to give him more exposure and allow him to get out of here." The process of developing a pitcher involves teaching and time commitment, helping to build a "confidence loop." Consistent visual feedback enables pitchers to trust their improvements and see the ball’s trajectory more optimally. This growing confidence in their pitching skills during catch play, bullpens, and games propels their success to a higher level. Congratulations to Andrew Huffman, his family, and the entire USPBL for creating another remarkable story to share!

<!-->--> The Houston Rockets have received some good news regarding the injury to leading scorer Alperen Şengün. The 21-year-old Şengün, who left Sunday night’s win over the Sacramento Kings with a right knee injury, has avoided a major injury, according to a report by ESPN on Monday. According to the report, postgame X-rays and an MRI revealed he suffered a “severely sprained ankle and a bone bruise on his knee”, and avoided any breaks or tears. Şengün’s timetable for return has yet to be determined, and it’s likely the Rockets won’t push him. The team is currently 4.5 games out of the Western Conference Play-In tournament, behind 10th-place Golden State. Şengün, who had 14 points prior to the injury, was hurt while landing awkwardly while challenging a shot on defense. The Rockets ultimately won the game, 112-104. He is leading Houston in points this season, averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game. Sacramento cut a 17-point lead down to five late in the fourth quarter, but Houston held off a late push, with Green hitting a three to push the lead to eight with under a minute to play. The Rockets grabbed control in the third quarter, going on a 13-0 run and taking advantage of five straight turnovers by the Kings to take an 86-73 lead into the fourth. Şengün had eight points in the quarter, and the Kings held the Rockets to just 14 points and four field goals. Houston swept the Kings this season, also beating Sacramento in consecutive home games in November. The Rockets had dropped four of the last five to the Kings on the road. They have now won three straight on the road, a season-high. Sacramento dropped to seventh in the West, entering the game tied with Phoenix for the last spot to avoid the play-in tournament. The Rockets trailed by 13 points in the first half, but finished on a 13-5 run to cut the deficit to 59-54 at halftime, with VanVleet making back-to-back 3-pointers. Reporting by The Associated Press.  FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Basketball Association Houston Rockets Alperen Sengun Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more Source link

<!-->--> Jamal Shead had 13 points, six rebounds and eight assists, while Damian Dunn added 12 points as No. 1 Houston claimed the Big 12 Conference regular-season title in its first season in the league, dominating No. 14 Kansas 76-46 on Saturday. L.J. Cryer scored 11 points and J’Wan Roberts had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars (28-3, 15-3), who shot 46% from the field and hit six 3-pointers on the way to a 40-21 lead at the half. Houston shot 44% for the game and hit 11-of-29 shots from long distance, while forcing 18 turnovers and converting them into 30 points. The Cougars closed out their regular season by winning their ninth straight game and extending their home winning streak to 22 games. Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson had 11 points and six rebounds, but left with 11:08 remaining, holding his right shoulder after battling for a rebound.  According to Kansas head coach Bill Self, Dickinson suffered a dislocated shoulder, but the team’s staff were able to pop it back in. Self also added that Dickinson would get an MRI when the team returned home. Kevin McCullar Jr., who tweaked his knee earlier in the week against Kansas State, was scoreless in 15 minutes in the first half. He didn’t play in the second half. Kansas (22-9, 10-8) has lost three of its last four games. The Jayhawks shot 33% and were 3 for 21 from 3-point distance. Houston controlled the first half, charging to a 34-9 lead. Kansas missed 10 straight field goal attempts at one point. The game was a stark contrast to the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 3 in Lawrence when Kansas jumped out to a 23-11 lead and shot 69% en route to a 78-65 win. Kansas will now open up the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday or Thursday in Kansas City, while Houston opens the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 1 seed on Thursday in the quarterfinals in Kansas City. Reporting by The Associated Press.  [Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.] Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more Source link

MARSHALL, Texas–Sayers Collins has been on a level of his own throughout the spring. His overall performance has been unparalleled by virtually every pitcher in Division III baseball, and that’s not an exaggeration. Perfect Game was the most recent organization to laude his accomplishments on the mound, naming him their 2024 DIII Pitcher of the Year just last week. And that is along with a third-straight ASC Pitcher of the Year honor earned a few weeks ago. Collins has helped spearhead ETBU’s second-straight run to the Super Regionals, as the win total has accumulated, and the Tigers aim at back-to-back appearances in the DIII World Series. Incredibly, his earned run average (ERA) of 0.99 ranks No. 1 amongst all NCAA pitchers this season, regardless of division. In 82.0 innings pitched, the Frisco native has surrendered just nine earned runs, which has led to a near-flawless 12-1 record. Collins’ 4.72 hits allowed per game is the second-best mark in D-III, and his WHIP of .80 is No. 5 amongst D-III pitchers this season. “The biggest thing for me as a head coach is to see the way he’s evolved as a player,” ETBU’s Jared Hood said. “He always had really good stuff. Sometimes the pitchability factors, especially when he was younger, were not there. He’s only really been pitching full-time since he got into college, so he’s had to evolve as a player and a pitcher. “I believe his mindset as far as a competitor, has really set him apart. When you talk about consistency, that’s where it starts. It starts with a consistent mindset on what you’re trying to do, what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s because of that, every time he gets on the mound he gives us a chance to win.” Collins’ first attention-gaining moment at ETBU came during a prospect camp while he was still a high school recruit... Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gBpU6TvJ #collegebaseball #etbu #sportswriting

Boston Red Sox vs Baltimore Orioles Free MLB Pick 8-15-24 https://lnkd.in/gszbRieb Matt Fargo Sports Boston Red Sox +131  MLB  08/15  6:35 PM  Boston Red Sox vs Baltimore Orioles  PICK: Boston Red Sox 131 s is a play on the BOSTON RED SOX for our Thursday Free Play. After getting swept in Houston against the red hot Astros, Boston had a chance for its own sweep but blew a 7-4 lead in the ninth inning, allowing a two-out, three-run home run and then gave up a two-run home run in the tenth inning to lose 9-7. A sweep would have been huge heading into this massive series as the Red Sox are now two games behind Kansas City for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. While going to Baltimore is not an easy endeavor, Boston has been great away from home as it is 34-24. Baltimore stopped a two-game slide with a 4-1 win over Washington on Wednesday to keep pace with the Yankees in the American League East as it remains a half-game back. The offense is one of the best in baseball but it has struggled of late, scoring just eight runs over its last three games and has a tough matchup tonight. Nick Pivetta has been fairly consistent but has a 4.44 ERA due to a few poor results, the latest being where he allowed seven runs on 10 hits in just 2.2 innings but that was against Colorado in Coors Field so we can give him a mulligan on that one. He is pitching to a 3.55 xERA which is best among Boston starters and No. 4 out of 18 pitchers on the staff that have a qualified BIP. He does not fit into any qualified rankings due to not enough innings pitched but of the 104 starters that has gone at least 90 innings, he is ranked No. 9 in K% at 29.9% while his 24% k-BB% in No. 8. Zach Eflin has been a great acquisition for the Orioles as he has a 2.33 ERA in his three starts since coming over from Tampa Bay. He has elite control as he leads baseball with a 2.7% BB% but his 19.3% K% is well below average so the Red Sox are not at a disadvantage being a high strikeout team. Boston is No. 2 in baseball in OPS on the road at .778. Play (909) Boston Red Sox +$1,430 Run. MLB Afternoon Dominator today. Over the last 12 NFL seasons, Matt has profited in 10 of those with $75,110 in profits and there is no reason to slow down! NFLX Action resumes Thursday. CFL 8-1 L9 Plays. All Packages purchased that are 30 Days or Less are GUARANTEED to show you a profit! YESTERDAY'S LEADERS Top Handicappers Profit Anlyedge $660.00  CAPPERS HOT STREAKS OVERALL - Capper W/L PROFIT TKwins (Tommy King) 4-1 $3060.00 CFL - Capper W/L % PROFIT Anlyedge 5/0 100% $5000.00 Matt Fargo Sports 4/0 100% $4000.00 MLB - Capper W/L % PROFIT Anlyedge 5/2 71% $2800.00 TKwins (Tommy King) 4/1 80% $3060.00

New Post: WATCH: Pete Crow-Armstrong launches home run for first MLB hit after Cubs’ top prospect returns to majors - https://lnkd.in/ezudhVzj The Chicago Cubs were hit with some bad news Wednesday when Cody Bellinger landed on the 10-day injured list with two fractured ribs. He suffered the injury crashing into the wall Tuesday night, and it happened just as he was getting hot at the plate. Bellinger was 10 for 30 (.333) with three homers in his last eight games after going 9 for 54 (.167) in his first 14 games. Every injury creates an opportunity though, and to replace Bellinger, the Cubs called up top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. The man they call PCA made his MLB last September, going 0 for 14 at the plate while mostly being used as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. Crow-Armstrong was hitting only .203/.241/.392 in Triple-A at the time of his call up.Thursday afternoon, Cubs manager Craig Counsell put Crow-Armstrong in the starting lineup against Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros (CHC 3 HOU 1), and the 22-year-old rewarded his manager's faith with a go-ahead two-run home run against Rafael Montero in the sixth inning that would serve as the winning runs. In one swing PCA picked up his first career hit, first career home run, and first career RBI.The Cubs are also without Seiya Suzuki, who is out with an oblique strain, so there's a chance Crow-Armstrong will get a good amount of playing time these next few weeks. Ian Happ and Mike Tauchman are going to play every day. The lefty hitting Crow-Armstrong and righty hitting Alexander Canario figure to platoon in the other outfield spot for the time being. "Pete's here because of injuries, right? When these guys get healthy, there's probably not going to be a spot for him," Counsell said after Crow-Armstrong was called up (via MLB.com). "And so, from that perspective, we're maybe taking a timeout (from his minor league development). But I still think big league at-bats, big league competition, that's development, too. It may not be on an everyday basis here, but there's still things to learn. And really, the priority is going to be winning games, and we'll put him in spots that hopefully help us do that."Our R.J. Anderson ranked Crow-Armstrong the 16th best prospect in baseball entering the season. Here's his write-up: Crow-Armstrong, acquired from the Mets at the 2021 deadline for Javier Báez, is one of the game's best young defensive outfielders. He moves well and throws well, and he should be in contention for a Gold Glove Award beginning in 2024. That much is certain. What's less sure is how Crow-Armstrong will perform offensively. He's learned to lift the ball with greater frequency as a pro, but he's paid rent on it in the form of a rising strikeout rate. It's probably reasonable to think of Crow-Armstrong's outlook as being something akin to Harrison

Phillies Recession Watch Part 2. The last two really nasty recessions, in 2008 and 1980, happened to coincide with the Phillies winning their only 2 World Series, thus making any Phillies WS win some kind of recession indicator. I know, I know. Correlation doesn't equal causation. But it's just a hunch, ok? I love writing about my beloved Phillies, so cut me some slack. So how are they doing? The Phightin' Phils have the best record in baseball at 64-38. They have entered a bit of a mini-swoon, winning 4 of their last 10 games, but Dave Dombrowski just picked up outfielder Austin Hays from the Orioles, offloading Seranthony Dominguez from the bullpen (Yes! They can have him blow games alongside Kimbrel!) and Christian Pache's light bat from the outfield. It's a solid upgrade in the outfield. Hays started in center for the AL All-Star Team last summer. He's hitting .328 against lefties. And Rojas, while pretty good on defense, has a light bat. Speaking of the All-Star Game this past week, we had 3 infielders starting in the game: Alec Bohm at 3rd, Trea Turner at short, and Bryce Harper at 1st. It was the first time 3 Phillies started in the infield since 1982 when it was Mike Schmidt at 3rd, Manny Trillo at 2nd and Pete Rose at 1st. This team is putting up monster stats, both offensively and from the starting pitching. Schwarber is hitting .238 after posting .197 last year. 19 titanic HRs and 68 walks for a .363 OBP. Bohm has 71 RBIs, leading the league. Harper is having another great season hitting .292 with 23 homers and 65 RBI - with 60 games to play. The starting pitching is what propels this team however. The top 3 pitchers are really good: Zach Wheeler is 10-4 with a 2.55 ERA; Aaron Nola is 11-4 with a 3.44 ERA. And the big surprise this year is Ranger Suarez, making the leap into Cy Young contention with a 10-5 record and 2.87 ERA. How'd you like to face those 3 in a playoff series? The only weakness I can see is a wobbly bullpen at times. They have some absolute lights-out guys like Hoffman, Alvarado and Stramm. But beyond those guys it's a little scary. We have these new "PHILLY" City Connect jerseys. The jury is out and some are critical but I like 'em. Especially the Liberty Bell hats, which I see everywhere now. For Philly fans, it's a World Series win or nothing. Harper said at the All Star Game, "We want to win a World Series, not just this year, but every year." #phillies #baseball #riskmanagement

Major League Baseball's playoff games will begin October 1st. Here's how the playoffs work (described in our book Baseball Field Guide): Major League Baseball consists of two leagues. There are 15 teams in each the American League and the National League. Of the 30 total teams, 12 will enter the playoffs, 6 from each league. The American League teams are used here as example, the National League's procedure is identical. (This diagram is for example only, it doesn’t represent the actual standings of the teams in 2024.) Bear with this, there are several steps to winning the World Series and it's a bit complex. Following the 162 games each team plays in the regular season, two teams within each league will automatically advance to The Division Series - the two teams with the highest win/loss record advance to the Division Series, which will take place following the Wild Card Round (the Yankees and the Astros in this diagram.) The Wild Card Round: four other teams in the league will play in two separate “best of three games” series hoping to advance to the Division Series - The team with the third best win/loss record will play the team with the sixth best win/loss record (shown here, the Guardians and the Rays). - The team with the fourth best win/loss record will play the team with the fifth best win/loss record (the Blue Jays and the Mariners.) The Division Series: four teams play in two separate “best of five games” series - The team with the league’s highest win/loss record, the Astros, will play the winner of the games between the fourth and fifth teams. (The Astros will play either the Blue Jays or the Mariners.) - The team with the league's second highest win/loss record, the Yankees, will play the winner of the games between the third and sixth teams. (The Yankees will play either the Guardians or the Rays.) The League Championship (a.k.a. the Pennant): the two teams winning the Division Series will play each other in a “best of seven games” series - These will be the two winning teams that emerge from the Division Series. The World Series: two teams will play in a “best of seven games” series - The winner of the American League Championship will play the winner of the National League Championship. Result: baseball glory and history! Paul Hamburger Laura Gross #baseball #baseballplayoffs #BaseballRules #informationdesign #MajorLeagueBaseball #mlb #playoffs #sports #worldseries

Mets&Braves doubleheader to determine final NL Wild Card teams in dramatic fashion https://ift.tt/IsKiMWF For most teams in MLB, the regular season has come to an end, and they know whether postseason baseball is in their future or not.  But for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, NL East rivals, a Monday doubleheader will determine the postseason fate of three teams, as the Arizona Diamondbacks will be watching intently.  The American League bracket has been set, but the National League Wild Card is coming down to the two final games of the regular season between the Mets and Braves, which is a doubleheader due to Hurricane Helene impacting the southeast United States.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM After those three teams played on Sunday, we now know the scenarios each team needs to reach the postseason.  Sunday’s games set everything in motion as the Atlanta Braves fell to the Kansas City Royals, an AL Wild Card team, while the Mets beat the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers and the Diamondbacks downed the San Diego Padres, who have an NL Wild Card.  WHITE SOX LOSE 121ST GAME OF THE SEASON, SETTING NEW MLB RECORD So, this was the "chaos scenario," as none of the three teams were able to secure a postseason berth, meaning everything relies on what happens in these two games on Monday.  First, for the Mets and Braves, one win in either game will grant them a spot to play October baseball. So, even if the Mets or Braves lose Game 1 on Monday, there is still a chance to continue playing this season in Game 2.  Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks will be rooting for whoever wins Game 1 because they need a sweep by either team to have the chance to defend their National League pennant from a season ago.  There was a world this weekend where the Mets, if they won at least two out of three against the Brewers, didn’t have to sweat out a doubleheader on the road to determine their playoff spot. And while the Braves took two out of three from the Royals, a clean sweep would’ve meant the doubleheader was a moot point, except for trying to keep their division rival from making the cut.  But the Mets and Braves are in a position the Diamondbacks envy – no team wants their playoff fate to rest in the hands of two other teams.  In the first game, the Mets will be turning to Tylor Megill to start the game on the mound, while Spencer Schwellenbach will be going for the Braves.  Game 2 has not yet been determined for starters on either side, but the Braves do have their ace, Chris Sale, ready to go if they need him to pitch. If the Braves win the first game, Sale will likely be saved for Game 1 of the Wild Card series later this week.  It might not be playoff baseball, but everyone in MLB will be watching these two rivals going at it at 1:10 p.m. in Truist Park to see who will round out the NL Wild Card in thrilling fashion. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle...