All posts by h716a5.icu

Believe it or not, we’re almost halfway through the 2025 MLB season. There is now a big enough sample size to classify "slow starts" as something more, and teams have started to make tough decisions about players they were hoping would bring more to the table this year.

We haven’t published a power ranking of all 30 teams since Opening Day, when we highlighted a breakout candidate for every team. So it only makes sense that check back in while highlighting the lowlights of each team’s roster thus far (and yes, there is one player who appears on both lists).

A note on the rankings: It is terribly difficult to rank the league’s crowded middle class. There are nine teams within three wins or losses of .500. It’ll be interesting to see where they fall on the buyer-seller spectrum as the trade deadline approaches.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Opening Day ranking: 1
Most disappointing player: LF Michael Conforto

The Dodgers signed Conforto to a one-year, $17 million contract this offseason, and he was expected to solidify their open outfield spot next to Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages. He has been a monumental bust. In 65 games, the 32-year-old is slashing .168/.305/.277 with four home runs and 13 RBIs. He has a WAR of -0.9, making him one of the worst regulars in MLB. Despite that and yet another season filled with pitching injuries, the Dodgers entered Thursday perched atop the National League West with a chance to sweep the rival San Diego Padres in a four-game set.

2. Chicago Cubs

Opening Day ranking: 8
Most disappointing player: SP Ben Brown

Picking a most disappointing player for the best Cubs team since 2016 feels cosmically wrong, but someone has to take the crown. Brown has struggled mightily in Chicago’s rotation this year, giving up six earned runs in three of his last five starts. The former 33rd-round draft pick has a 5.57 ERA and 3.44 FIP—indicating he’s endured quite a bit of bad luck. However, he and a staff crying out for consistent depth need his fortunes to turn soon.

3. Detroit Tigers

They haven’t always brought success, but West Ham United has had some incredible players represent them over the years.

For example, while it was short and sweet, Dimitri Payet’s time in the Premier League was incredible.

The Frenchman could do things with a ball that most players could only dream of, and it was easy to see glimpses of the sensational Paolo Di Canio in him.

The Italian was a livewire, but one of the most technically gifted players to don the famous claret and blue. Nuno Espírito Santo has a player with shades of him in his game, but said player is becoming an issue and should probably be sold at the end of the season.

Di Canio's West Ham career

West Ham signed Di Canio from Sheffield Wednesday in January 1999, and right from the off, there was controversy.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Fans and pundits alike questioned the club’s decision to spend £1.5m on a player with a reputation as a troublemaker and, at the time, serving an 11-match ban for pushing a referee.

However, then-manager Harry Redknapp brushed aside any criticism of the move, telling the press that he was a player who “can do things with the ball that people can only dream of.”

The veteran coach would be quickly proven correct in this assessment, as he ended that campaign with five goal involvements in just 13 appearances for the Hammers and was named OPTA player of the season.

Moreover, just over a year later, he scored that famous strike against Wimbledon that was rightly later named the Premier League’s goal of the decade.

This ability to do anything he wanted with the ball, and his old-school passionate approach, quickly made him a fan favourite at Upton Park, and his decision to stop the game when Everton keeper Paul Gerrard was injured in December 2000, despite having a clear goalscoring opportunity, earned him fans across the Premier League.

However, as gifted and entertaining as the Italian was, his habit of causing problems never went away, and in 2003 he had a public falling out with then-manager Glenn Roeder, which saw him dropped from the team for some time.

At the end of the 02/03 season, despite making it clear he wanted to remain, West Ham refused to offer Di Canio another contract, a decision many attribute to his dispute with the manager.

In all, the Rome-born star was a truly sensational footballer, but his temperament eventually saw the club get rid of him, and the same thing might now need to happen with someone in Nuno’s squad.

Nuno's new Di Canio he should sell

There are a few West Ham players who should be sold in January, or at the end of the season, such as Niclas Füllkrug, Mads Hermansen and probably Max Kilman.

However, the only player who should be moved on who can even remotely be compared to Di Canio is Lucas Paqueta.

Now, before addressing the reasons the club should cash in on him, what makes the Brazilian similar to the Italian?

Well, first and foremost, he too, is capable of making something out of nothing, or as former coach Mark Warburton put it last year, he “sees things that you just don’t see. You look at the pass for the winning goal in the European final.”

That ability was on show again in the game against Newcastle United this season, when he smashed the ball into the net from some distance out.

Moreover, as Warburton puts it, the former Lyon ace is a “mercurial” talent in the sense that he can glide past opposition defenders if he wants, or pass them out of the game when on song.

With that said, then, why on earth should the club sell him?

Well, the first reason is that, like Di Canio at his worst, he can have a bad temperament.

This was on full show against Liverpool at the weekend, when he received a second yellow card for dissent, which is a truly petulant reason to be sent off.

The second reason he should be moved on is that while he can be an exceptional player on his day, he also isn’t irreplaceable.

For example, he has scored only four goals this season, three of which have come in the Premier League, and last season he ended the campaign with a paltry tally of five goals in 36 games.

Appearances

36

13

Minutes

2536′

1135′

Goals

5

4

Assists

0

0

Ultimately, Paqueta is a great player, but with his contract running out in less than two years, his slightly underwhelming output and the fact that he can do things as silly as be sent off for dissent, West Ham may be wise to move him on at the end of the season.

West Ham set for 'big decision' over selling 'most talented player' with Nuno 'fuming'

It would be a controversial move.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 2, 2025

The opener is one of a crop of young batters who will feature in the two-day pink-ball game

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2025Sam Konstas has been named in the Prime Minister’s XI to face an England team in Canberra at the end of November in a two-day day-night fixture with the side including some of the best young batting talent in Australia.Ollie Peake, Campbell Kellaway and Hugh Weibgen will also feature alongside Nathan McSweeney who played three Tests against India last season. The side will be captained by the experienced Peter Handscomb and also includes former Test quick Peter Siddle.It was the corresponding fixture last season that helped propel Konstas into the Test side when he flayed 107 off 97 against India in what became a one-day game due to rain.Konstas has lost his Test place for the start of the Ashes after struggling in West Indies then making 161 runs at 20.12 in four rounds of the Sheffield Shield.Kellaway, meanwhile, has been one of the standout batters in the early stages of the season with 317 runs at 39.62 opening for Victoria, recently facing down a rapid spell from Mitchell Starc at the SCG.His state coach, Chris Rogers, earmarked him as one of the frontrunners to replace Usman Khawaja when his career ends.”It’s proven once again he could be the successor to Khawaja. He’s going to do fantastic things in his career,” Rogers, said. “I spoke to Campbell about it after and he wouldn’t have faced that challenge throughout his career.”But if he’s going to go on and play international cricket then he will have to face things like that, where tall, fast bowlers are kind of aiming at his front shoulder.”So that’s something that he’s going to have to work on, the positions he gets into. But to come out and get 50 and line the ball up so well against Starc and Hazlewood, I thought that was a real tick.”Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “This team showcases the depth of talent in our domestic cricket system, and I’m particularly excited to see some of our emerging stars earn this opportunity.”I am also looking forward to the Ashes commencing in Perth from 21 November, it’s the oldest rivalry in world cricket – Australia and England in an Ashes Series always means something extra.”The PM’s XI match takes place on November 29 and 30 between the first and second Tests.Prime Minister’s XI squad vs England
Peter Handscomb (capt), Benji Floros, Campbell Kellaway, Campbell Thompson, Charlie Anderson, Doug Warren, Hugh Weibgen, Joel Curtis, Nathan McSweeney, Oliver Peake, Peter Siddle, Sam Konstas, Sam Skelly

It's fair to say that not even Arsenal fans were convinced by the club's decision to pay Chelsea £50 million for Noni Madueke during the summer transfer window – but it's starting to look like a masterstroke, with the winger having produced another stellar performance on the game's grandest stage in Wednesday's Champions League win over Club Brugge.

Just a few weeks after opening his account for the Gunners in the 3-1 defeat of Bayern Munich, Madueke helped himself to a double in a 3-0 victory in Belgium – thus becoming the first player to ever score his first three goals for the north Londoners in the European Cup.

His first effort was a stunner, too, with Madueke showing terrific strength to hold off one challenger and barge past another before rifling a shot into the back of the Brugge net via the underside of the crossbar. The England international's second strike was far more straightforward, as he was completely unmarked and only two yards out when he got his head on the end of a delightful cross from Martin Zubimendi.

Perhaps inspired by what Madueke was producing on the opposite flank, Gabriel Martinelli decided to leave his stamp on the game with a stunning strike of his own after a fortuitous break of the ball on the left wing and, in truth, the visitors could have added even more goals during the closing stages of what proved an ultimately facile win.

GOAL rates all of the Arsenal players on show at the Jan Breydel Stadium as the Gunners made it six wins from six games in this season's Champions League…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (7/10):

One second-half save wasn't particularly convincing but the Spaniard will be delighted with his latest shut-out, as he was called into action a lot more than usual.

Ben White (6/10):

Always looking to get forward, particularly in the first half, and also played his part in Arsenal keeping a commendable clean sheet against a dangerous counter-attacking team.

Christian Norgaard (6/10):

With Arsenal shorn of the services of several players, Arteta opted to deploy the Dane as a centre-back in Belgium and while he picked up a booking for a tactical foul, the defensive midfield did well for the most part.

Piero Hincapie (7/10):

A solid showing from the Ecuadorian, who defended well and also twice went close to scoring before being brought off midway through the second half.

Myles Lewis-Skelly (5/10):

Carlos Forbs caused the England international all sorts of problems during the first half but he looked a lot more comfortable after the break.

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Martin Odegaard (6/10):

Very bright early on and nearly scored at one point but the Norwegian was once again quietly efficient rather than overtly influential before his 71st-minute withdrawal.

Martin Zubimendi (8/10):

Another dynamic display from one of Arsenal's best players so far this season. The Basque got through plenty of work in midfield, kept the ball moving and also contributed two assists, the second of which was a cross from the left wing that was just begging to be converted.

Mikel Merino (5/10):

An unusually underwhelming outing from the Spaniard, who surprisingly offered little in attack and was relatively poor in possession. 

Getty Images SportAttack

Noni Madueke (8/10):

Starting ahead of Bukayo Saka, Madueke broke the deadlock with a sensational solo strike that his compatriot would have been proud of – before showing good goalscoring instincts to get on the end of Zubimendi's cross. Those of us who doubted his worth to Arsenal are being made to eat our words!

Viktor Gyokeres (4/10):

A painfully ineffective performance from the expensive Swedish striker, who never looked like scoring and touched the ball just 12 times before being hauled off just after the hour mark.

Gabriel Martinelli (8/10):

An absolute livewire down the left wing, the Brazilian tormented his marker throughout and capped a dynamic display with a stunning right-footed strike into the top corner. Fair to say that Martinelli is back to his best.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Riccardo Calafiori (6/10):

Replaced Hincapie with half an hour to go and slotted seamlessly into the back four.

Gabriel Jesus (6/10):

Made his long-awaited return to action and looked lively, hitting the bar with a thumping late strike. Gyokeres has competition for the central striking berth!

Ethan Nwaneri (6/10):

Brought on with less than 20 minutes to go and saw a couple of good efforts saved in injury time.

Bukayo Saka (5/10):

Part of a double substitution with Nwaneri but didn't make that much of an impact.

Marli Salmon (N/A):

The 16-year-old came on for White in the 81st minute to make his first appearance at senior level.

Mikel Arteta (8/10):

Made excellent use of arguably the strongest squad in Europe, as Arsenal maintained their perfect record in this season's Champions League by sweeping aside a team that had previously held Barcelona to a 3-3 draw.

The New York Yankees made a massive addition to shore up their infield by trading for Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon on Friday. The Yankees sent prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz back to the Rockies so that they could acquire the former All-Star infielder.

Prior to the Yankees' game against the Philadelphia Phillies Friday, manager Aaron Boone shared his initial thoughts on the addition of McMahon.

“Really excited, been an All-Star third baseman," Boone told reporters. "Really good defender. Has had some ups and downs offensively this year, but over the past month, he’s swinging the bat well. He's a presence and can really defend over there at third, and has for a number of years. We're excited to get him."

McMahon has had some struggles at the plate this year—only Riley Greene has struck out more than him in MLB this year—but he will provide stability at third base and defensively after the Yankees have cycled through several options at the position this year.

"He can really defend over there," Boone said. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there. He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing.'"

McMahon will come to the Yankees after spending his entire career prior with the Rockies. This season, he has slashed .217/.314/.403 with 16 home runs and 35 RBIs. He is the Yankees' first major midseason addition this year as New York looks to keep up with the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East division race and return to the World Series.

They go into the 2025 season with a huge disadvantage: Alyssa Healy is out injured. To plug the gap, Chamari Athapaththu will need to blaze away, and Sophie Ecclestone extend her stellar 2024

Ashish Pant12-Feb-20251:02

Despite losing Healy, UPW still ‘a very decent team’

Where UP Warriorz finished in WPL 2024Fourth. One place worse than what they managed in 2023. They were inconsistent all season, managing just three wins in eight matches and failed to qualify for the playoffs.What’s new in WPL 2025?For starters, a new captain. Deepti Sharma will lead Warriorz in WPL 2025 after Alyssa Healy pulled out due to a stress injury in her right foot. Deepti has been with Warriorz side since the first season and was their shining light with ball and bat in 2024.Warriorz have opted to bring in West Indies middle-order batter and quick bowler Chinelle Henry as a replacement for Healy.Related

Chinelle Henry replaces injured Alyssa Healy at UP Warriorz

Warriorz went into the auction with the second-highest purse of INR 3.9 crore and three slots to fill. They ended up using only INR 50 lakh of that amount which they used to buy Alana King, Arushi Goel and Kranti Goud. It is likely that all three might not get into the first XI right away.Squad and likely XI1 Chamari Athapaththu, 2 Vrinda Dinesh, 3 Kiran Navgire, 4 Grace Harris, 5 Tahlia McGrath, 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Uma Chetry (wk), 8 Sophie Ecclestone, 9 Anjali Sarvani/Kranti Goud, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Rajeshwari Gayakwad/Gouher SultanaOther players: Shweta Sehrawat, Poonam Khemnar, Arushi Goel, Alana King, Chinelle HenryKey players: Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Chamari AthapaththuIt is hard to look past Deepti, who is Warriorz’s third-highest run-getter (385 runs in 16 innings) and their second-highest wicket-taker (19 wickets in 17 innings) overall. Deepti has been in terrific form in the last 12 months, averaging close to 50 with the bat and 21.13 with the ball in T20 cricket. She showed her range in WPL 2024, scoring runs at a fair clip and taking wickets like she always does. Now with the added responsibility, Deepti becomes an even more vital cog in the setup.Sophie Ecclestone, WPL’s highest wicket-taker and the highest wicket-taker in T20s over the last 12 months, will also have an important role to play in conditions where pitches are likely to turn.The other key player in the Warriorz line-up is Chamari Athapaththu. She did not always start last season, but now, with Healy not around, she is expected to get an extended run at the top. Don’t discount her offspin as well.Young one to watch: Kranti GoudKranti Goud, the 21-year-old Madhya Pradesh quick, is a player to keep an eye on. She is rapid and gets plenty of movement both off the surface and in the air. She picked up 15 wickets in nine matches at the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy in December last year, which included a 4 for 25 in the final that helped MP to the title. Warriorz do not have a lot of pace in their unit and Goud could help add that extra nip.UP Warriorz’s league fixturesWarriorz are the last team to start the season, on the third day against Gujarat Giants in Vadodara. This is the first season they will get to play in their home city of Lucknow. They start the season with two games in Vadodara, before they move to Bengaluru for three games and then to Lucknow for their final three league games.

Plenty has changed since we last discussed the American League and National League Most Valuable Player races.

While Shohei Ohtani maintains his reign over the National League, still a clear-cut favorite to lock down his fourth MVP award in five years, the American League is much less set in stone. That's due to an injury sustained by Aaron Judge and the Yankees star's subsequent struggles in his return to the lineup. Additionally, Mariners star Cal Raleigh has found his power stroke again lately after a prolonged cold spell, tightening what should be a memorable AL MVP battle.

There's still over a month to go, so plenty can still change as teams begin to make their final push for the postseason.

Let's take a look at how the MVP races are currently shaking up:

National League MVP Race1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter/pitcher

The Yankees no longer have the best record in baseball or the lead in the AL East.  

They are the better team tonight, but will they play like it?

I’ll be backing the Blue Jays as home underdogs tonight for plus-money. Here’s why. 

MLB Best Bets TodayToronto Blue Jays ML (+100) at DraftKings

I’m not making this pick because the Yankees got shelled by the Jays last night or because they have lost eight of their last 10.

I’m making this pick because of how poorly the Yankees play vs. left-handed pitching.  Just last week, we saw the New York Mets sweep the Yankees in no small part because they pushed back Luis Severino and instead started lefties David Peterson and Sean Manaea (apologies to Grimace, who probably wants the credit).

Though the Yankees are first overall in OPS when facing right-handed pitching (.779), they are 15th vs. lefties (.707).  The Yankees are slugging just .337 (18th) and batting just .235 (21st) when facing southpaws.

The Blue Jays will be starting lefty Yusei Kikuchi tonight at home. Kikuchi has an ERA of 4.00 this season with an xERA of 3.89, according to Statcast. 

Kikuchi has struggled in his last two starts, but this could be the matchup that gets him back on track. When Kikuchi faced the Yankees in April, he allowed just one run on four hits while striking out nine.  Aaron Judge is hitting just .179 career vs. Kikuchi. 

Marcus Stroman gets the start for the Yankees on the road. Stroman’s max exit velocity allowed is in the bottom 2% of the league, and his xERA is 4.40, according to Statcast. Look for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. to remain hot at the dish tonight. 

With an impressive average of 6.67 runs per game across the last three, the Blue Jays have been on a scoring spree. In contrast, the Yankees have managed only 3.33 runs per game. 

I love a home underdog. Give me the plus-money payout for the Jays to log the win. 

The Dodgers are champions once again.

Behind a dramatic game-tying homer in the ninth inning from Miguel Rojas and a superhuman effort from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles defeated the Blue Jays 5–4 in 11 innings on Friday night to clinch its second straight World Series title.

The Dodgers now have a chance to become the third franchise in MLB history to win at least three straight World Series championships, and the first since the Yankees from 1998 to 2000.

Looking at the Dodgers’ roster, the star core of the team will return in 2026. Tyler Glasnow, Mookie Betts, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Yamamoto are all signed well past the 2026 campaign.

The Dodgers will have six players hit arbitration this offseason, and they have a $10 million team option on slugger Max Muncy and a $3.55 million team option to potentially bring back Alex Vesia. But there are seven players whose contracts will officially expire once the offseason begins. Here they are:

Michael Conforto, OF

Whom would you pick to chase 110 runs from ten overs against England at Lord’s?

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2020 Hot Seat I’d pick Imad Wasim because he averages 41.39 in ODIs but mostly because he has a strike rate of 109.62, which improves to 116.2 when batting at Lord’s. With him, I’d have Carlos Brathwaite. He strikes at 106.20 in England, and we know he has some experience in conjuring late heroics against England. I’ve been screaming at the top of my lungs that KL Rahul should be India’s No. 5 since before the 2019 World Cup. Finally, India have listened. He is an attacking player with 360-degree strokeplay (the best late cut since Inzamam-ul-Haq?). In this scenario, he has come in after three early wickets and is on 70, set for the late charge. Joining him is MS Dhoni, refreshed after his long break from cricket. Dhoni has been finishing games since he was an 18-year-old in Ranchi. He does it for fun. Rahul plays upper-cuts, flicks and off drives for six. Dhoni keeps running the twos and threes before using raw power to bunt Jofra Archer’s slower balls over the boundary. The game ends in the 49th over with both men not out. Rahul gets recognised as the next big thing, Dhoni gets redemption for the World Cup semi-final. Getting 110 from ten overs is going to be extremely difficult against the death bowlers England possess. You’re not going to do it with slogging. You need batsmen with strong technique, who can hit it clean. Ravindra Jadeja will be the new man in. He seems unaffected by pressure and can both hit the big shots and run hard between the wickets. The set batsman is Kohli. You cannot afford dot balls in this scenario, and these two will run even when the ball goes to a fielder, putting them under pressure and perhaps even creating overthrows. Plus, they are a left-hand, right-hand combination. Getty ImagesWhile many of the ESPNcricinfo writers picked Rohit Sharma for the set batsman, I’d go for Kohli. While Rohit can hit sixes at will, we need to remember that fitness is important in the last ten overs. We’ve sometimes seen Sharma getting tired at the end of an innings. Kohli is a beast when it comes to fitness and he’s the best chaser around today, with his ability to break the chase down over by over and take calculated risks. For the new batsman, I’d pick Andre Russell, who can hit sixes even off yorker-length balls and has a presence that seems to unnerve bowlers. The task is nigh impossible, so you need someone who with a ‘let’s have a go, and if we perish so be it’ attitude. Therefore, I’d pick Chris Gayle, who has a gear no one else – not even Sharma – has. To accompany him, who else but Dhoni, who, I am going to assume, has not lost his powers. For my No. 7, I’d go with Jimmy Neesham, who can hit sixes against quality pace bowling – remember how he held his nerve in the World Cup final Super Over and tied the match. With him, I’d pick Kohli, whose name immediately comes to mind when you say the word chase. Though Sharma is a tempting pick, his double-centuries have all come in India. In England, he tends to get out soon after reaching a ton. When it comes to finishing a game, there is one name you cannot ignore: MS Dhoni. His vast experience in finishing games is the reason I would pick him. My other pick is Russell because of his six-hitting ability. AB de Villiers averages 82.77 in successful chases and has the ability to stun the opposition with stinging attacks. With him, I’d pick Dhoni, who averages 102.71 in successful chases. With ten overs left, you can expect a few twists and turns before the end, so you need a cool head out there. Someone who has done it many, many times before. de Villiers will get 50 off 25 and then get out. Meanwhile, Dhoni has strolled to 17 off 17 balls. With 40 needed off three, he turns it on, finishing the game off the last ball with a hit to cow corner.