Jannik Sinner thrashes powerless Novak Djokovic to set up tantalising Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner thrashes powerless Novak Djokovic to set up tantalising Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz

Strap yourselves in, folks.Jannik SinnerandCarlos Alcarazhave endured their fair share of frights over the past 12 days at theAll England Club, but the two leading stars in men's tennis are not to be denied. They have, we have, athrilling rematchahead of us on Sunday afternoon, five weeks on from theirRoland Garrosepic. And with the greatest of respect toNovak Djokovic, a seven-time champion no less, this is the finalWimbledonwill havewanted too. On Friday, both Alcaraz and Sinner emerged victorious in their semi-finals but it was Sinner – the world No 1, chasing a first Wimbledon title – who made the most emphatic statement. Taking on Djokovic, eyeing a seventh consecutive final here, Sinner walked ontoCentre Courtand played lights-out tennis. It was the closest thing to flawless we've seen all year. In less than two hours, Djokovic – albeit a Djokovic hampered by injury – was swatted aside like a rookie on the south-west London stage he has made his own, the scoreline a devastating 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Demolition job complete. "Amazing, I cannot believe it," Sinner said on court. "From my side, I served very well, I felt great on court and was moving much better today. I tried to stay calm and play the best tennis I could, especially in the important moments." There was a sombre tone to the finale, however. Djokovic, clearly hampered by a thigh injury sustained at theend of his quarter-final winagainst Flavio Cobolli, was virtually on his knees in the third set. Such a rare sight in over 20 years on tour, Djokovic this time could not muster any resistance. Will we see him here again? He hopes so. "I would be sad, hopefully it's not my last match on Centre Court," he said in his post-match press conference, just 20 minutes after his match concluded. "I'm not planning to end my Wimbledon career today. I want to be back here at least once." The Serb acknowledged pre-match, having not claimed a set in their French Opensemi-final last month, that it would "take the best of me" to beat Sinner. The Serb, 15 years older we should not forget, and in the autumn of his glittering career, has not beaten Sinner in 30 months. But the SW19 grass, without a doubt, represented his best shot at a record-breaking 25th grand slam, having defeated Sinner here in 2023 and 2022. However, the leaps and bounds by which the 23-year-old Italian has improved his game, athleticism and mentality are why he is the top men's player. Yet he had a point to prove on grass, the only surface he had yet to reach a major final on. And here, Sinner came out of the blocks like Usain Bolt on an August day in Beijing. Sinner sealed an early break with a superb lob and, from there, the first set was claimed. A low-energy Djokovic, whose fitness beforehand was in doubt, did not have so much as a sniff on return. Some pill to swallow, you'd assume, for the best returner the sport has ever seen. In fact, in mirror image to Alcaraz'swin against Taylor Fritz earlier in the day, Sinner did not lose a point behind his first serve in the opening set. First-set tie-break on Sunday, anyone? In the first hour, Sinner was strutting around the court like a mechanical monster, smashing the life out of every shot with supreme accuracy. Yet curiously, for as full throttle as Sinner was, Djokovic was severely lacking in adrenaline, unable to shift out of first gear. Even chants of "Nole, Nole" were futile in the face of Sinner's unwavering attacking tennis. In hindsight, perhaps deep down, the Serb knew he was fighting a battle he couldn't possibly win. Djokovic did have a chance at 4-2 in the second set. The chance was 0-15. Sinner produced three unreturnable first serves, before Djokovic netted. And that was that. The Serb escaped his own service game but Sinner, unrelenting, powered to the second set. By this point, his first-serve accuracy was riding high at 76 per cent and he'd only lost two of 32 points behind it. That told its own story. For Djokovic's 11-year-old son Stefan in his player box, wearing a cap littered with signatures of top players, including Sinner and Alcaraz, it was a gut-wrenching watch. Djokovic wisely took a medical timeout as the trainer tended to his leg. The writing was on the wall. But then, suddenly, Sinner did something unusual: he made a few errors. Even more unusual: they were on serve. Djokovic ground his way to 30-30 and Sinner mishit a routine forehand. Then, the Italian lumped another into the net. A break of serve and a roar from the crowd, keen for more action this Friday night. Was this to be the turning point? Not this time. Sinner's peerless level had dropped, ever so slightly, and Djokovic even had a point to go 4-0 up. But Sinner crucially held, overcame his 10-minute lag, and broke back as Djokovic, almost in surrender, meekly plunged a drop-shot into the net. It was a sign of things to come. Djokovic was no longer moving freely as a result of his leg problem, and was failing to chase down every ball in normal fashion. Sinner claimed another break, with Djokovic heading into the net behind every serve, and soon the ending was inevitable. The Serb saved two match points on his own serve, but was a beaten man. He didn't even run for the final ball, as Sinner comfortably stroked a forehand into the open court. The biggest compliment we can pay to Djokovic, a man refusing to retire in the face of Father Time, was his will to compete despite hardship here. He didn't withdraw pre-match. He didn't retire. He finished the contest. And the Serb gave the obligatory wave as he left the stage. For the last time? After this, it feels more likely than ever. The next generation is now the present generation and their protagonists will take to the court once more in the showpiece match on Sunday. Popcorn at the ready, everyone.

byMario Satorik

in

July 11, 2025

Jannik Sinner thrashes powerless Novak Djokovic to set up tantalising Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner thrashes powerless Novak Djokovic to set up tantalising Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz Strap yourselves in, folks.Jann...

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House attorneys slam NCAA and power conferences over denied NIL deals, issue legal warning about settlement

House attorneys slam NCAA and power conferences over denied NIL deals, issue legal warning about settlement

In another twist in college athletics' new revenue-share era, attorneys for the plaintiffs in theHouse settlementbelieve the NCAA and power conferences are violating terms of the legal agreement and are threatening to report the wrongdoing to the court. In a terse, two-page letter sent to NCAA and power conference officials Friday, Jeffrey Kessler, a co-lead House plaintiff attorney along with Steve Berman, requested that the NCAA and conferences "retract" a statement of guidance released Thursday from the College Sports Commission and, presumably, reinstate name, image and likeness deals that the CSC has denied — many of them from booster-backed NIL collectives. In his letter, Kessler describes the guidance as "not consistent" and "undermining" settlement terms, according to a copy of the document Yahoo Sports obtained. The CSC, the new revenue-share enforcement arm policing NIL deals, notified schools Thursday that it was denying dozens of NIL deals for not meeting what it terms a "valid business purpose." The guidance specifically targeted collectives, entities that for years now have paid millions to athletes through booster donations. In the letter, attorneys write that collectives should not be treated differently as other businesses. "There is nothing in the Settlement Agreement to permit (NCAA and conference) or the CSC, acting on their behalf, to decide that it would not be a valid business purpose for a school's collective to engage in for-profit promotions of goods or services using paid-for student-athlete NIL," the letter reads. "To the extent the NIL payment is for the promotion of a valid business purpose, it is irrelevant whether that payment comes from a NIL collective or any other third party." Attorneys are planning to bring the issue before Judge Nathanael Cousins, the appointed magistrate in the settlement who has been appointed to resolve such disputes. "We urge the CSC to retract the July CSC Memorandum and clarify that the valid business purpose requirement applies to NIL collectives in the same manner as any other entity," the letter reads. The letter was addressed specifically to the NCAA's outside counsel, Rakesh Kilaru, the organization's lead attorney and one of the key designers of the settlement. Copied on the letter were the general counsels of the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC and Pac-12 — all named defendants in the case. In a statement to Yahoo Sports, an NCAA spokesperson said the association has "no role in these decisions" and to seek comment from the CSC. A CSC spokesperson provided this statement to Yahoo Sports: "The guidance issued by the College Sports Commission yesterday is entirely consistent with the House settlement and the rules that have been agreed upon with class counsel. The defendants have been in close coordination with class counsel on the key provisions in the memo and will continue to work with them to resolve any concerns they may have." In the letter, Kessler notes that the "valid business purpose" rule in the settlement "was meant to prohibit NIL collectives from simply receiving donations and paying athletes for play," it reads. "It does not, however, prohibit a NIL collective from paying athletes itself — not as a marketing agent for others — if the payment is 'for a valid business purpose' related to the promotion or endorsement of goods or services provided to the general public for profit." Some of the collective deals paid athletes to attend autograph signings or make event appearances for payment — all of which should be deemed legal, according to the letter. This issue is not insignificant. In fact, prohibiting collective pay is at the center of the House settlement, a multi-billion dollar agreement the NCAA and power leagues struck to settle three antitrust cases. The goal of the agreement, in part, is to shift athlete pay from booster-run collectives to schools that are now permitted to directly share revenue with athletes under a capped system that began July 1. However, many schools are still operating their collectives as a way to provide third-party compensation to athletes that does not count against a program's cap — a way to, perhaps, legally circumvent the system. The College Sports Commission, an entity created and currently administered by the power conferences, is charged with enforcing prohibitions around collective pay. Athletes must submit any third-party deal of $600 or more to an NIL clearinghouse, NIL Go, that uses a Deloitte-created algorithm to determine if the deal meets certain standards, including a "compensation range" and a "valid business purpose" definition. Those deals flagged by NIL Go are sent to the CSC and its new leader, Bryan Seeley, to determine an enforcement decision. As of Thursday, about 80 of more than 2,000 submitted deals have not been cleared, with several more denials expected this week based on the commission's latest guidance. More than 1,500 deals have been approved.

byMario Satorik

in

July 11, 2025

House attorneys slam NCAA and power conferences over denied NIL deals, issue legal warning about settlement

House attorneys slam NCAA and power conferences over denied NIL deals, issue legal warning about settlement In another twist in college athl...

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'Abolished': State Department is laying off over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan

'Abolished': State Department is laying off over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan

The U.S. State Department is firing more than 1,300 employees on Friday in line witha dramatic reorganization planfrom the Trump administration that critics say will damage America's global leadership and efforts to counter threats abroad. The department has begunsending layoff noticesto 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with assignments in the United States, according to a senior department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Staff began to receive notices shortly after 10 a.m. Friday saying their positions were being "abolished" and that they would be losing access to the department's headquarters in Washington as well as their email and share drives by 5 p.m., according to a copy of one of the notices obtained by The Associated Press. Foreign service officers affected will be placed immediately on administrative leave for 120 days, after which they will formally lose their jobs, according to a separate internal notice. For most civil servants, the separation period is 60 days, it said. "Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices," the notice says. While lauded byPresident Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their Republican allies as overdue and necessary to make the department leaner, more nimble and more efficient, the cuts have been roundly criticized by current and former diplomats who say they will weaken U.S. influence and the ability to counter existing and emerging threats abroad. The layoffs are part of big changes to State Department work The Trump administration has pushed toreshape American diplomacyand worked aggressively toshrink the size of the federal government, including mass dismissals driven by the Department of Government Efficiency and moves to dismantle whole departments likethe U.S. Agency for International Developmentandthe Education Department. USAID, the six-decade-old foreign assistance agency, wasabsorbed into the State Departmentlast week after the administration dramatically slashed foreign aid funding. A recent ruling bythe Supreme Court cleared the wayfor the layoffs to start, while lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts continue to play out. The department had advised staffers Thursday that it would be sending layoff notices to some of them soon. The job cuts are large but considerably less than many had feared. In a May letter notifying Congress about the reorganization, the department said it had just over 18,700 U.S.-based employees and was looking to reduce the workforce by 18% through layoffs and voluntary departures, including deferred resignation programs. Rubio said officials took "a very deliberate step to reorganize the State Department to be more efficient and more focused." "It's not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don't need those positions," he told reporters Thursday duringa visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people." He said some of the cuts will be unfilled positions or those that are about to be vacant because an employee took an early retirement. Critics say the changes will hurt US standing abroad The American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents U.S. diplomats, said Friday that it opposed the Trump administration's cuts during "a moment of great global instability." "In less than six months, the U.S. has shed at least 20 percent of its diplomatic workforce through shuttering of institutions and forced resignations," the organization said in a statement. "Losing more diplomatic expertise at this critical global moment is a catastrophic blow to our national interests." If the administration had issues with excess staffing, "clear, institutional mechanisms" could have resolved it, the group said. "Instead, these layoffs are untethered from merit or mission. They target diplomats not for how they've served or the skills they have, but for where they happen to be assigned. That is not reform," AFSA said. Former U.S. diplomats echoed that sentiment, saying the process is not in line with what Congress had approved or how it's been done under previous administrations. "They're doing it without any consideration of the worth of the individual people who are being fired," said Gordon Duguid, a 31-year veteran of the foreign service underDonald Trumpand Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. "They're not looking for people who have the expertise ... they just want people who say, 'OK, how high'" to jump. He added, "That's a recipe for disaster." In a notice Thursday, Michael Rigas, deputy secretary for management and resources, said that "once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganization and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy." The State Department is undergoing a big reorganization The department told Congress in May of an updated reorganization plan, proposing cuts to programs beyond whathad been revealed a month earlierby Rubio and an 18% reduction of U.S.-based staff, higher than the 15% initially floated. The State Department is planning to eliminate some divisions tasked with oversight of America's two-decade involvement in Afghanistan, including an office focused on resettling Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. military. Jessica Bradley Rushing, who worked at the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, knowns as CARE, said in an interview with AP that she was shocked when she received another dismissal notice Friday after she had already been put on administrative leave in March. "I spent the entire morning getting updates from my former colleagues at CARE, who were watching this carnage take place within the office," she said, adding that every person on her team received a notice. "I never even anticipated that I could be at risk for that because I'm already on administrative leave." The State Department noted that the reorganization will affect more than 300 bureaus and offices, saying it is eliminating divisions it describes as doing unclear or overlapping work. It says Rubio believes "effective modern diplomacy requires streamlining this bloated bureaucracy." That letter was clear that the reorganization is also intended to eliminate programs — particularly those related to refugees andimmigration, as well as human rights and democracy promotion — that the Trump administration believes have become ideologically driven in a way that is incompatible with its priorities and policies. ___ Lee reported from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Amiri from New York. ___ Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Department of State athttps://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-state.

byMario Satorik

in

July 11, 2025

'Abolished': State Department is laying off over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan

'Abolished': State Department is laying off over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan The U.S. State Department is firing...

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Senate Democrat questions Noem on reported Texas flooding response delay

Senate Democrat questions Noem on reported Texas flooding response delay

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) called a reported Department of Homeland Security policy requiring Secretary Kristi Noem personally approve significant purchases "one of the stupidest decisions and policies I've ever heard of" as questions swirl aboutthe federal responseto deadly flash floods in Texas. "For an administration that tries to talk about red tape, they are adding red tape here. They are adding bureaucracy," the New Jersey Democrat said during an MSNBC appearance Thursday. "This is a terrible idea to bottleneck." Kim, who serves on the Senate Homeland Security Committee and serves as ranking Democrat on its disaster management subpanel, alsotook aimat the policy in a letter to Noem asking her department for its hurricane response plan for the 2025 season, which began in June. CNNandThe Washington Postreported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) response to the deadly floods, which killed more than 120 people, was hamstrung by a Department of Homeland Security budget restriction thatrequired Noem's approvalfor any purchase, grant and contract of more than $100,000. The policy, which was previouslyreported by CNN in June, meant FEMA was slowed in positioning and deploying search and rescue teams as well as other resources. Those teams were reportedly not authorized until Monday, 72 hours after the flooding. Texas deployed its own disaster response to the floods, now among the deadliest weather events in state history. Noem's department has forcefully pushed back against CNN's reporting, calling it a "FAKE NEWS LIE." Noem also ripped the news organization in a Thursday Fox News appearance. "It's absolutely trash what they are doing by saying that," Noem said. "Every single thing they asked for, we were there." In his letter to Noem, Kim asked her department to detail how FEMA could be able to respond to hurricanes without being "hindered" by Noem's purchase approval policy. "This added layer of bureaucracy threatens to delay work that could mean the difference between life and death for disaster victims, and it is unclear how FEMA will be able to comply with this directive without sacrificing its duty to protect people before, during, and after disasters," he wrote. The Wall Street Journal in Junereported that FEMAhad decided to revert to the hurricane plan it developed in 2024. FEMA Administrator David Richardson reportedly told staff he didn't want to make new guidance that could contradict proposals from a new FEMA review council headed by Noem. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

byMario Satorik

in

July 11, 2025

Senate Democrat questions Noem on reported Texas flooding response delay

Senate Democrat questions Noem on reported Texas flooding response delay Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) called a reported Department of Homeland Sec...

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MLB farm system rankings for every team entering 2025 draft

MLB farm system rankings for every team entering 2025 draft

In every sport, the annual draft is a sign of a new day. It's an opportunity for basement dwellers to grab players to boost them into contention before the big-market teams can get to them. That's no different inMajor League Baseball. With so much of a team's success hinging on their farm system, the MLB draft is an incredible tool to help teams either trade for better talent or prep for the future. We've already seen a myriad of teams improve their fortunes with solid drafts. Just a few years ago, theBaltimore Orioleswere one of the worst teams in baseball. By 2023, they had won a division title. Sure, they may not be doing so hot in 2025, but their rebuild is evidence that with a little luck, even the lowliest of teams can crawl out of the gutter to become feared. So, before the draft messes with power dynamics across the league, let's take a look at where each team's farm system ranks. Here's our power ranking of every MLB team's prospect pool heading into the 2025 draft. MLB News:Athletics infielder Jacob Wilson leads pack of dominant rookies in MLB's first half Disclaimer: Prospect qualifications are determined byMLB.com; while a player listed may already be with their Major League club, they will remain a part of these rankings, so long as they are classified as a prospect Top five prospects: 2B/SS Brice Matthews OF Jacob Melton C Walker Janek RHP Miguel Ullola RHP Anderson Brito Brice Matthews is the onlyAstros' prospect in MLB's Top 100, and Melton has struggle in his limited action with the big league club. Top five prospects: LHP Cam Caminiti RHP Hurston Waldrep IF Nacho Alvarez Jr. RHP Drue Hackenberg RHP Owen Murphy The lack of offensive talent shouldn't be much of an issue considering most of the Braves' current lineup is locked up for a few more years, but the pitching depth isn't exactly spectacular either. Caminiti boasts a 4.78 ERA across A and Rookie ball this year. Top five prospects: 2B Christian Moore RHP Caden Dana RHP George Klassen SS Joswa Lugo LHP Sam Aldegheri The Angels are known for calling up their prospects incredibly early, and Christian Moore has been no different. He should remain in the minor league system to develop. If he does, then the Angels could have a star on their hands. As of now though, Moore is struggling at the major league level. Top five prospects: SS/2B George Lombard Jr. OF Spencer Jones RHP Ben Hess RHP Bryce Cunningham SS/2B Roderick Arias Jasson Dominguez was carrying the Yankees' prospect pool for many years. Now that he is gone, the Yankees don't have much to brag about. That said, there is potential for both Lombard Jr. and Jones to thrive in Yankee Stadium. Both of them have done outstanding offensive work in the minors thus far. Top five prospects: LHP Gage Jump RHP Luis Morales OF Colby Thomas RHP Mason Barnett 3B Tommy White Without Jacob Wilson qualifying for prospect consideration, the A's farm system takes a massive hit. That said, Gage Jump has shown signs of brilliance at the lower minor league levels, and although Colby Thomas has struggled thus far with the A's, he was a stud in the minors. Perhaps he just needs a bit more time to develop. Top five prospects: SS Arjun Nimmala RHP Trey Yesavage 2B/3B Orelvis Martinez LHP Ricky Tiedemann RHP Jake Bloss The Toronto Blue Jays' prospect pool is full of injuries and even a PED scandal, but there are some things to like about this group. Clearly not much though, considering they fall at 25. Top five prospects: 1B Bryce Eldridge LHP Carson Whisenhunt SS Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez SS Jhonny Level OF Dakota Jordan Bryce Eldridge is the only reason this group is not last place. It certainly doesn't help your farm system when you trade away a recent first-round pick for Rafael Devers. That said, the fact that James Tibbs does not crack the Red Sox top-five prospects is evidence of just how thin this Giants' farm was before the trade. And now, it's only thinner. Top five prospects: 1B/OF Charlie Condon OF/SS Cole Carrigg OF Robert Calaz RHP Brody Brecht OF Yanquiel Fernandez The Rockies get a slight edge over division rival San Francisco, because, although Condon does not rank as highly as Eldridge, the Rockies' depth is far more substantial than the Giants. Top five prospects: C/1B Samuel Basallo OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. RHP Chayce McDermott OF Vance Honeycutt OF Dylan Beavers Samuel Basallo is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for this group. Obviously, with so many of the team's top prospects being called up in recent years, the Orioles don't have much left in their tank. Top five prospects: INF Jordan Lawlar OF Slade Caldwell OF Ryan Waldschmidt INF Demetrio Crisantes RHP Yilber Diaz Jordan Lawlar is the shining gem of this group, but there is depth elsewhere with both Caldwell and Waldschmidt cracking MLB's top 100. Regardless, Lawlar's remarkable Triple-A stats must translate to MLB. If not, this group will fall down the leaderboards quickly. Top five prospects: RHP Travis Sykora RHP Jarlin Susana 3B Brady House SS Seaver King LHP Alex Clemmey Dylan Crews was a big reason for this team's farm system being ranked so high in recent years. Now, they rely on their pitching, which is undeniably solid. However, when one of your top-five prospects is struggling to maintain an OPS of .700 at the lowest levels of the minors like Seaver King is, that's not a good sign for the immediate future. Top five prospects: SS Carson Williams OF Theo Gillen 1B Xavier Isaac OF Aidan Smith 1B/OF Tre' Morgan Although no one really stands out as an elite talent in the Rays' farm, it's hard to argue against a team that has developed so many players so tremendously. Their depth is still very impressive though. Top five prospects: SS/3B Sebastian Walcott C Malcolm Moore RHP Winston Santos RHP Emiliano Teodo RHP Alejandro Rosario Much like the Orioles, a lot of this team's top prospects have been called up in recent years, but Walcott and Moore remain two very appreciated pieces that will carry this farm for now. Top five prospects: SS/OF Jett Williams RHP Jonah Tong OF Carson Benge RHP Nolan McLean RHP Brandon Sproat Brandon Sproat is an enigma. He dominated at every level until Triple-A and now he can't seem to buy an out. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though, and assuming he can find his form, he'll be a massive addition to the Mets down the line, and he's just their No. 5 prospect. He needs to find it fast though. He's already 24 years old. Top five prospects: LHP Thomas White SS Starlyn Caba LHP Robby Snelling C Joe Mack RHP Noble Meyer Noble Meyer has taken a bit of a tumble since our last rankings, but he is still just 20 years old. That said, his inability to move past High-A could start to get worrisome soon. Top five prospects: OF Owen Cassie C/1B Moises Ballesteros 2B/SS Jefferson Rojas OF Kevin Alcantara 2B/OF James Triantos Despite the Cubs calling up a few of their top prospects recently, there is still a plethora of talent in this farm. Owen Cassie is undoubtedly the brightest star though, boasting a .957 OPS in Class AAA this year, a more than 100-point jump from his already impressive numbers in Triple-A a season ago. Top five prospects: SS/2B JJ Wetherholt LHP Quinn Mathews C Leonardo Bernal C Rainiel Rodriguez RHP Tink Hence Wetherholt is obviously a stud, but Bernal and Rodriguez are two incredible backstop options as well. The Cardinals have always loved their great catchers, and between those two and Ivan Herrera, there could very well be a bright future in St. Louis. Top five prospects: SS Leo De Vries C Ethan Salas LHP Kash Mayfield RHP Humberto Cruz LHP Boston Bateman This farm does take a steep dive after Salas, but Salas and De Vries are so talented that placing the Padres any lower feels like a disservice. Top five prospects: 1B/OF Jac Caglianone C Blake Mitchell C Carter Jensen RHP Ben Kudrna OF Gavin Cross Jac Caglianone blazed through the minor league system faster thanJoey Chestnutthrough a glizzy, and he alone warrants a solid placing on this list. However, with talent like Kudrna and Mitchell still in the system as well, the Royals have done a nice job of maintaining competitiveness right now without sacrificing the development of their future stars. Top five prospects: OF Walker Jenkins OF Emmanuel Rodriguez 2B/OF/1B Luke Keaschall SS Kaelen Culpepper LHP Connor Prielipp While Walker Jenkins is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, the Twins still have two other prospects in MLB's top 50. The Twins could use a little more pitching near the top of their prospect pool though. Top five prospects: RHP Bubba Chandler SS/OF Konnor Griffin LHP Hunter Barco RHP Thomas Harrington 2B/SS Termarr Johnson Bubba Chandler and Paul Skenes could be a deadly 1-2 punch in the near future. Between the depth on the mound and in the field, the Pirates have a lot of good players lined up to help them in the future ... if they can just hold out long enough for them to reach the majors. Top five prospects: OF Josue De Paula OF Zyhir Hope SS/3B Alex Freeland LHP Jackson Ferris OF Eduardo Quintero The rich get richer! TheLos Angeles Dodgershave studs throughout their farm system, with De Paula, Hope, and Freeland each recording an .800 OPS at their current levels. The Dodgers have always had tremendous depth on the mound, but now they are bringing up their best hitters too? Things could get dangerous. Top five prospects: 2B Travis Bazzana OF Chase DeLauter INF Angel Genao OF Jaison Chourio 1B/OF C.J. Kayfus While Bazzana might be the only one with All-Star potential on this list, everyone within the Guardians' top-ten prospects could play a pivotal role on the big league team within the next five years. The depth is incredible. Top five prospects: RHP Chase Burns RHP Rhett Lowder 3B/2B Sal Stewart 3B/1B Cam Collier RHP Chase Petty Although Burns has struggled and Lowder has struggled with injury, the Reds still have arguably the best 1-2 pitching prospect punch in MLB. That keeps them so high on this list. Top five prospects: LHP Noah Schultz C Kyle Teel OF Braden Montgomery LHP Hagen Smith SS Colson Montgomery When you're as bad as the White Sox have been in recent years, you hope they have a good future ahead of them. The White Sox do. Top five prospects: OF Roman Anthony INF Marcelo Mayer SS/2B Franklin Arias OF Jhostynxon Garcia RHP Luis Perales When you steal another team's high-end prospect and he doesn't even crack your top-five, that's the sign of an organization with a very bright future. Top five prospects: RHP Andrew Painter SS Aidan Miller OF Justin Crawford C Eduardo Tait RHP Mick Abel The Phillies have been tremendous with their draft picks in recent years, with their 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 first-round picks all in their top five. When you hit on your top guys, you tend to rank well in these lists. Top five prospects: SS/3B Jesus Made RHP Jacob Misiorowski SS/3B Luis Peña SS Cooper Pratt C Jeferson Quero Misiorowski has been an absolute stud for the Brewers, and he's not even the team's top prospect. Enough said. Top five prospects: SS/3B Colt Emerson OF Lazaro Montes 2B/SS Cole Young SS Felnin Celesten C Harry Ford Picture this. You list out each of a team's top-five prospects and there are still four more in MLB's top100 that didn't make the cut for this article. That's how good the Mariners' prospect pool is. Top five prospects: SS Kevin McGonigle OF Max Clark SS Bryce Rainer 1B/C Josue Briceño C/1B Thayron Liranzo Although the Tigers may not have nine prospects in the top 100 like Seattle does, the Tigers have higher quality guys, being the only team in MLB, outside of Boston, with two top-12 prospects. The Tigers don't stop there though. Each of their top-five prospects ranks in MLB's top 100. And even their No. 10 prospect, has a 3.43 ERA across Double and Triple-A this year. That's remarkable for a team's No. 10. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:MLB farm system rankings for every team entering 2025 MLB draft

byMario Satorik

in

July 11, 2025

MLB farm system rankings for every team entering 2025 draft

MLB farm system rankings for every team entering 2025 draft In every sport, the annual draft is a sign of a new day. It's an opportunity...

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NFL 18-game schedule: Patrick Mahomes 'not a big fan' of potential expansion

NFL 18-game schedule: Patrick Mahomes 'not a big fan' of potential expansion

Kansas City ChiefsquarterbackPatrick Mahomesknows the NFL is strongly considering expanding to an 18-game regular season. Even so, the three-time Super Bowl champion made it clear he isn't necessarily a supporter of that initiative. "I always say the more games, it's a little bit more taxing on the guys that play the game,"Mahomes saidwhen asked about an 18-game season by CNBC's Alex Sherman. Mahomes is not alone in his disdain for a potential 18-game schedule. NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell toldUSA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bellat the 2025 NFL combine, "The majority of the guys I've talked to about it, they already feel that 17 is long enough." Still, Mahomes acknowledged there is potentially a way the NFL could make such an arrangement work – if the league is willing to make some other changes to its schedule. "I think that you'd have to find a way to have more bye weeks, more time spread out," Mahomes told Sherman. "Because, I mean, you've seen the amount of injuries that have kind of piled up there at the end of seasons, and you want to have the best players playing in the biggest games. "So if there were a way to get to 18 games – I'm not a big fan of it – but if there were a way, I think you got to add some bye weeks in there to give more time for guys' bodies." TREY SMITH:Chiefs guard not sweating franchise tag deadline, contract extension Mahomes has a similar view of the NFL's international schedule and acknowledged he has enjoyed playing overseas. The veteran quarterback also believes the league has done a good job building extra travel time into the schedule for most of the league's international games, whether they lead into a bye week or take place on a Friday, like the Chiefs' Week 1 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Mahomes wants to see that type of forward thinking continue for international games. He additionally believes it could be a critical part of any potential expansion of the regular season. "The NFL has to continue to plan well to rest the guys' bodies, kinda like what I talked about with the 18th game," Mahomes said when discussing international games. "You have to think about the people and the players as well when you're talking about expanding the game in any way." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Patrick Mahomes 'not a big fan' of potential 18-game NFL schedule

byMario Satorik

in

July 11, 2025

NFL 18-game schedule: Patrick Mahomes 'not a big fan' of potential expansion

NFL 18-game schedule: Patrick Mahomes 'not a big fan' of potential expansion Kansas City ChiefsquarterbackPatrick Mahomesknows the N...

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'Nothing to stand on': Ex-White House physician slams Biden doctor for silence during House GOP grilling

'Nothing to stand on': Ex-White House physician slams Biden doctor for silence during House GOP grilling

A former White House physician is criticizing Kevin O'Connor after the ex-Biden administration doctor refused to answer questions by House Oversight Committee investigators earlier this week. Dr. O'Connor, who served as White House physician to former PresidentJoe Biden,sat down for a transcribed interview with committee staff and panel Chair James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday. The closed-door meeting lasted roughly 30 minutes, with O'Connor invoking the Fifth Amendment to all questions, save for his name. His legal team said there were concerns the broad scope of Comer's probe could force O'Connor into a position of risking doctor-patient confidentiality privileges. "Well, you can't do both," Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a former White House doctor himself, told Fox News Digital in an interview afterward. Comer Dismisses Biden Doctor's Bid For Pause In Cover-up Probe: 'Throwing Out Every Excuse' "I mean, the Fifth Amendment is designed to keep him from incriminating himself in some type of, you know, criminal or unethical behavior. He'd already addressed the issue of patient-doctor privacy, or confidentiality, with the committee." Read On The Fox News App He pointed out that O'Connor's lawyers had already raised issues with patient-doctor confidentiality in a letter to the committee trying to get the interview delayed, but Comer pressed forward. "They had already let him know that in this particular case, because he had been subpoenaed, and it was a legal process, he'd been subpoenaed to testify before Congress in this closed session, that the patient-doctor privilege no longer applied," Jackson said. "And President Trump had waived presidential privilege. So it left him with nothing. Nothing to stand on except for pleading the Fifth." Before being elected to Congress, Jackson served as White House physician to both former President Barack Obama and current PresidentDonald Trump. Comer told reporters on Wednesday that Jackson played a key role in crafting questions for O'Connor. Far-left Firebrand Says She 'Never Had A Concern' About Biden's Mental State As House Probe Heats Up "We have a lot of questions that we've prepared for this. We've consulted closely with Ronny Jackson, my colleague, who was the White House physician in the first Trump administration. We've consulted with a lot of people in the medical community, so there's going to be a lot of medical questions that are asked," he told reporters before the transcribed interview. He is investigating accusations that Biden's former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president's full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back on those claims. "The cover-up could not have happened without the assistance and the help of his personal physician, Kevin O'Connor," Jackson said. "I think that's why he pled the Fifth, because he realized he was about to implicate himself as a key player in this cover-up." O'Connor's lawyers havedenied any implications of guilt. Jackson said some of the questions he recommended to the committee would have surrounded any potential neurological concerns or cognitive tests while Biden was in office. But many of those were left unasked, it appears, after O'Connor's brief meeting with House investigators. The doctor's lawyers said O'Connor's refusal to answer questions on Fifth Amendment grounds was not an admission of guilt, but rather a response to what they saw as an unprecedentedinvestigatory scopethat could have violated the bounds of patient-physician privilege. "This Committee has indicated to Dr. O'Connor and his attorneys that it does not intend to honor one of the most well-known privileges in our law - the physician patient privilege. Instead, the Committee has indicated that it will demand that Dr. O'Connor reveal, without any limitations, confidential information regarding his medical examinations, treatment, and care of President Biden," the attorney statement said. "Revealing confidential patient information would violate the most fundamental ethical duty of a physician, could result in revocation of Dr. O'Connor's medical license, and would subject Dr. O'Connor to potential civil liability. Dr. O'Connor will not violate his oath of confidentiality to any of his patients, including President Biden." Fox News Digital reached out to O'Connor's lawyers for further comment. Original article source:'Nothing to stand on': Ex-White House physician slams Biden doctor for silence during House GOP grilling

byMario Satorik

in

July 11, 2025

'Nothing to stand on': Ex-White House physician slams Biden doctor for silence during House GOP grilling

'Nothing to stand on': Ex-White House physician slams Biden doctor for silence during House GOP grilling A former White House physic...

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