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Kamran Ghulam’s second century in three outings, backed by three wicket-hauls from Mohammad Imran and Salman Agha handed Markhors their third consecutive win, as they beat Dolphins in Faisalabad. The win helped them consolidate their lead at the top of the points table.It was an all-round show from Markhors with Ghulam making 113 off just 110 balls, which included a 122-run third wicket stand with Mohammad Rizwan. That helped Markhors pile up 284 for 9 in their 50 overs. In reply, Dolphins lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 192 with Markhors winning by 92 runs.After Dolphins decided to field, Mir Hamza removed Markhors openers Bismillah Khan and Mohammad Faizan inside five overs. But Ghulam, fresh off a 115 against Panthers last week, continued his good form. He stabilized the innings with Rizwan, who also scored a half-century.Faheem Ashraf picked four wickets for Dolphins but Markhors managed to put up a big score on the board.Dolphins never really got going in the chase. Opener Mohammad Hurraira fell for a 12-ball duck while Muhammad Akhlaq was dismissed by Naseem Shah. Captain Saud Shakeel tried to hold his end up with 41, but got little support from the others.Asif Ali hit a quick 43-ball 50, but the Dolphins batters failed to stitch a solid partnership. Eventually, they were bowled out in 43.5 overs. Markhors employed six bowlers, and each one of them managed to pick at least a wicket.This was Dolphins’ second defeat of the tournament and they are now the only side to not register a single point on the table.

A Liverpool player who Mohamed Salah admits he loves playing with is expected to be the subject of an offer from a huge club, and he is open to the idea of leaving Anfield.

Who will Liverpool sign after Wirtz?

The Premier League champions have made a huge statement already this summer, with Florian Wirtz arriving for a British record fee of £116m from Bayer Leverkusen, with the German speaking of his delight at joining.

“I just thought that it was the right point in my career to make the next step and of course I wanted to get to a club that is from the top three in the world, and in my opinion Liverpool was one of them. Yeah, I just saw myself in the best hands in Liverpool. I was really convinced by the people here, by the idea, and everything what the club offers me was really good. And in the end [it was] also easy to be excited for me to come to Liverpool.”

It’s now a case of seeing who else arrives at Liverpool this summer, with Milos Kerkez joining both Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong at the club, and various players are being linked with moves to Anfield.

Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi has been strongly mentioned in recent days, being seen as both a replacement and an upgrade on the departing Jarell Quansah, and Lyon winger Malick Fofana has been mentioned as a potentially superb attacking signings.

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There are also constant exit rumours surrounding various unwanted Liverpool players, however, and a fresh update has now emerged.

Nunez open to Liverpool exit as Napoli ready offer

According to The Athletic‘s Pearce on X, Napoli are now expected to table an offer for Nunez, with the striker “open” to a move to the Serie A champions:

“Napoli’s interest in Darwin Nunez has been registered and an offer is expected in due course. The Italian champions are the most serious contenders for the 25-year-old and he is open to moving to Naples.”

The £140,000-a-week and £7.3m-a-year Nunez needs to leave Liverpool before next season gets underway, with Arne Slot starting him just eight times in the Premier League last season.

The Uruguayan’s performances have been far too hit-and-miss for too long, even though Salah has admitted that he likes playing alongside him.

“Who do I most like to play with? It was Firmino. Now I feel like I generally like playing with Nunez. A lot of people don’t like him but I like playing with him.”

Nunez is arguably not at the level required to take this brilliant Liverpool team forward after scoring just five league goals last season, with an upgrade required this summer, but he will still leave as a popular figure, given his effort levels.

Napoli could be ideal for him, with their passionate fans likely to be drawn to him, and he could flourish playing in a weaker division than the Premier League.

NZ captain Devine praises Down for swift comeback after birth of child in January

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Jun-2024England will use the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand to fine-tune their preparations for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year, with Heather Knight suggesting XIs will be more experimental than usual in home conditions to establish better role clarity ahead of the ICC tournament.The first engagement is an ODI series, which begins at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday. The five-match T20I series that follows offers more suitable preparation for the low, turning pitches that await in October on the subcontinent. But with the 50-over leg separate from the ICC Women’s Championship – England sit second, four points behind Australia, with the top five qualifying directly for 2025’s ODI World Cup – there is scope to use the first three matches of this White Ferns tour to try different things.The weather will also help that preparation. The UK is in the midst of a heatwave, and while Durham may be a long way from Dhaka, where England start their T20 World Cup against South Africa on October 3, temperatures are expected to reach as high as 30 degrees Celsius in the north-east on Wednesday. The pitch, which spent Tuesday morning uncovered, is likely to favour spin.”It will probably turn a little bit, which is great for the spinners that we have,” Knight said in her press conference on Tuesday. “It’ll be really great conditions for us for what we’ve got coming up with Bangladesh. It’s going to be hot, the pitch is going to be a little bit dry and it’s going to spin.”It is a far cry from the damp, overcast conditions for last month’s series against Pakistan, with England winning all five completed matches. Though they will be favourites once more over the coming weeks, having beaten this New Zealand side 4-1 and 2-1 in WT20Is and WODIs in March and April of this year, Knight insists that a results-first approach will still be the priority, regardless of any experimentation.”Winning is obviously really important, and with that T20 World Cup coming up we want to build up that momentum,” Knight said. “But also get the combination of the XI we play on the field, get that right.Sophie Devine was in the runs in New Zealand’s last match against England•Getty Images”We might try a few things that we’re thinking about doing in Bangladesh that might not necessarily match the conditions we’re playing in here. I’m talking more about the T20 series here, obviously. But there might be a few little bits that we try.”The main thing is about trying to get the whole squad in the best place that we can and give that clarity around roles as much as we can. In an ideal world, as a captain, I want my bowlers to bowl in all different phases and be able to bowl players in different stages when the match-up is right, or when I get a feeling.”That flexibility, we’ve been trying to build that up over the last year or so. Winning is the main thing, but there are little narratives inside of that as well.”With Sophia Dunkley recalled and Nat Sciver-Brunt ready to reprise her role as an allrounder, there is a familiar feel to the squad. However, an abominable niggle picked up by Kate Cross last week while playing for the ECB Women’s Development XI against New Zealand has ruled her out of the first ODI.South East Stars seamer Ryana Macdonald-Gay has subsequently been drafted into the squad as cover, arriving in Durham on Tuesday afternoon. The 20-year-old has started the domestic season strongly, taking 12 wickets in the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy – the second most – off the back of an impressive England A tour of New Zealand in March with 11 wickets across two 50-over and two T20 appearances. She was also part of the England squad for 2023’s inaugural women’s U19 World Cup.Related

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Knight admitted she has not seen all that much of Macdonald-Gay., although the England captain was part of the broadcast team for Oval Invincibles versus Manchester Originals in last year’s women’s Hundred when Macdonald-Gay took 4 for 16.”I first saw her in The Hundred. I think I interviewed her – I was working for the BBC down there and she got player of the match. I remember thinking she was quite accurate and quite skilful with her variations of pace. She doesn’t leave the stumps too much as a little skiddy seamer. From what I can hear, she’s grown a lot in the last year.”That A tour to New Zealand was a really big one for her, she performed really well, against good opposition as well. She’s started this season stellar-ly, and she can bat and field as well. I saw her in the U19 World Cup, she was quite impressive out there for England as well.”Meanwhile, New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine believes her team can cause an upset. Wednesday will be their first international fixture since the visit of England in March and April. And though the finale was a consolation win in the third ODI at Hamilton, led by Devine’s unbeaten 100, the 34-year-old believes the introspection that followed, along with three gruelling training camps, has them in good stead to exact some form of revenge.”I think it’s something that New Zealanders are pretty used to, to be fair,” she said of the underdog tag. “Unless it’s rugby union.”Whether we’re underdogs or favourites, it doesn’t really matter to us. We know at the end of the day that we need to be playing to our strengths. And know that we’re going to have fear, but we need to play in the face of fear.”We’ve looked back on that tour because we thought it was a really important phase for us. We came close in a number of those matches but it showed England’s strength to get out of a number of tricky positions. We went back, we reflected really hard on that, and we’ve had a really incredible block of training where we’ve come here and ready to take them on in their backyard.”Devine also championed White Ferns opening batter Lauren Down, who will earn her first international cap since December 2022 after giving birth to her daughter, Ruby, in January.”She certainly makes me feel a little bit guilty,” said Devine. “I’m tired and here she is with her five-month-old daughter Ruby, up and down in the night.”What she’s been able to achieve has been incredible. I certainly hope she feels she’s got 15 aunties on tour. She certainly has been handing Ruby around a little bit, in the changing room or back at the hotel.”I think it’s really important we make her feel comfortable and safe in our environment. But what she’s been able to do on the cricket field has been just astonishing. She’s such a professional in terms of she wants to be in the best possible shape before she steps out on the park, and that’s something I’ve got a lot of time and respect for.”We’re really stoked to have her back, and it’s obviously nice to have another little bub on tour. It certainly brings a little bit of perspective to the group as well. Cricket is incredibly important to us. But when you’ve got a little one there that doesn’t care how your day is gone, all she cares about is getting fed and getting cuddles from mum, it certainly brings a smile to a lot of our faces.”

Following defeat in the Europa League final, Ruben Amorim is reportedly ready to sanction exits for as many as four Manchester United mainstays this summer, as he gets ruthless at Old Trafford.

Amorim "will not quit" at Man Utd

Nobody could have foreseen quite as disastrous as Amorim’s first six months in charge have gone at Manchester United. It was clear that he had quite the task on his hands, as all managers before him had. But to go from four points away from the top four to likely finishing as low as 16th would have been seen as an impossible reality. Yet, with one week to go in the Premier League, that’s exactly where the Red Devils find themselves.

The former Sporting Club boss is not ready to give up quite yet, however. As much as he’s been knocked down, he is seemingly not down and out even after losing the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

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Amorim told reporters in his post-match press conference: “I am confident that I am still the guy. More than [at] the beginning! I know that it’s going to be tough. I know that we lost against an English team. I know the patience of the fans is going to be really short in the next season.

“But I guarantee that I will not quit. I will not go away. I am really confident, because I know the club, I know what it means to coach this club. I understand what this team needs. I have more tools to do my job.”

Defeat in the final wouldn’t have revealed anything that Amorim didn’t already know about his side, either. Instead, it has seemingly doubled down just how badly Manchester United need to show several names the door this summer. And the manager is reportedly ready to get ruthless.

Amorim ready for ruthless Man Utd clear out

According to GiveMeSport, Amorim is now ready to ditch Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana this summer in an attempt to make room and fund the arrival of a number of improvements. In all cases, convincing arguments can be made for exit, but three of those represent just how poorly Manchester United have recruited in recent years.

When it comes to Onana, Hojlund and Casemiro, it’s clear as to why they’re set to be shown the door. Onana, despite initially starting the current campaign strongly, has rediscovered bad habits between the sticks. Meanwhile, there remains little sign that Hojlund is set to burst into life almost two years on from a hefty £72m arrival.

Casemiro is an interesting one. The midfielder has been somewhat revived in recent months, becoming an important member of United’s side again amid reports Amorim texted Sir Jim Ratcliffe to praise the Brazilian. Given that he’s now 33 years old, though, he is not someone that the Red Devils should be relying on.

Whilst those three come as little shock, Shaw’s departure would likely surprise a few. Alas, one look at his salary and it becomes clear. A talented defender, but ultimately one that is never fit to showcase those talents, Manchester United must clear his £150,000-a-week from their wage bill this summer.

It’s hard to pinpoint just why this season has gone as horribly as it has for Tottenham Hotspur.

Injuries have undoubtedly played a large part, but even when the team has been close to full strength, they’ve found ways to drop points.

While it feels increasingly likely that Ange Postecoglou will be replaced in the summer, it feels just as crucial that Daniel Levy and Co bring in some genuinely talented players to help whoever the next manager is to take the team back up the Premier League table.

Fortunately, the last few weeks have seen the North Londoners linked with a whole host of extraordinary goalscorers from across Europe, including one who is just four goals behind Harry Kane and could, therefore, be a significant upgrade on Dominic Solanke.

Spurs' striker search

Before we get to the goalscorer in question, it’s worth reviewing a couple of the other strikers linked with Spurs in recent weeks, like Jonathan David and Liam Dealp.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former has been in incredible form this season, racking up a tally of 25 goals and 12 assists in 48 games, and will be available for free thanks to his contract expiring in June.

However, since being linked to the Lilywhites, it would appear that Serie A giants Napoli have stormed ahead in their pursuit of the Canadian and are now in talks with him.

Delap, on the other hand, appears not to be in talks with any other teams at the moment, meaning the North Londoners might still be able to get him for around £30m, which could be a steal considering he’s scored 12 goals and provided two assists in just 35 league games this year.

However, perhaps the most gettable, and arguably most interesting, forward Spurs have been linked to in recent weeks is Daizen Maeda.

Reports from earlier this month claimed that the Lilywhites are interested in the Celtic star, who could be available for just £25m.

Now, he might not be the biggest name around, but the Hoops’ Japanese superstar has been in sublime form this season and could very well be an upgrade on Solanke.

Why Maeda would be an excellent signing

So, the first thing to clear up is that while Maeda does tend to play out wide more often than not, he’s no stranger to playing straight down the middle, having done so on ten occasions this season alone.

Therefore, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Spurs opt to play him there, which would, thus, put him up against Solanke for game time, but who comes out on top?

Well, when it comes down to the most important metric of all for a centre-forward, raw output, it’s the Celtic star who comes out on top, and by quite a significant margin at that.

For example, in 49 appearances, totalling 3891 minutes, the Osaka-born “machine,” as dubbed by previous coaches, has scored 33 goals – just four off Kane’s tally – and provided 12 assists.

In other words, the free-scoring dynamo is averaging a goal involvement every 1.08 games or, even more impressively, every 86.46 minutes.

Appearances

49

42

Minutes

3891′

3221′

Goals

33

15

Assists

12

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.91

0.54

Minutes per Goal Involvement

86.46′

140.04′

In contrast, the North Londoners’ record signing has scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3221 minutes.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.82 games, or every 140.04 minutes.

Now, it has to be said that the former Bournemouth star is playing in a far tougher league, but the difference is so stark that it at least suggests that the Japanese international is worth signing to see what he could do in a top-five league.

Ultimately, while Maeda isn’t the biggest name around, his output this season has been nothing short of spectacular, and for the price that was reported earlier this month, he’s certainly worth a gamble, as he could prove to be a massive upgrade on Solanke.

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Sheffield United are believed to be interested in signing a “very good” attacking player in the summer transfer window, along with Championship rivals Leeds United.

Sheffield United suffer 3 Championship defeats in a row

The Blades suffered yet another damaging result on Saturday lunchtime, losing 2-1 away to struggling Plymouth Argyle, despite taking the lead in the first half.

It means Chris Wilder’s United side have now lost their last three matches in the league, going from top of the table to third place, now trailing both Leeds and Burnley by five points after their respective victories on Saturday.

The Blades’ defeat led to angry scenes at the end, with Wilder involved in heated discussions with Plymouth players after the hosts’ players celebrated in front of the travelling supporters.

While the manager has played down the post-match drama, it was arguably a sign of the pressure getting to him and his players, and they now have a huge amount of work to do if they want to get into the Premier League without the stress of the playoffs.

Sheffield United battling Leeds for "very good" ace

According to journalist Graeme Bailey for EFL Analysis, Sheffield United are eyeing a move for Go Ahead Eagles winger Oliver Antman ahead of the summer window.

Leeds are also in the mix to snap up the 23-year-old ahead of next season, with Leicester City, Southampton and Sheffield United all mentioned as suitors to acquire his signature, too.

Aside from the entertaining, superhero-like surname, Antman is an excellent young player who could thrive for the Blades, although much may depend on their potential promotion to the top flight.

The 20-cap and sevel-goal Finland international has bags of quality in wide attacking areas, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig describing him as “very good”:

This season, Antman has a highly impressive 14 assists in just 24 starts in the Eredivisie, outlining the creativity he possesses, and he has also scored six goals in the competition for good measure.

While at his most dangerous on the right flank, his versatility also allows him to do a strong job on the left wing, with such versatility likely to appeal to Wilder.

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As mentioned, though, if the Blades fail to reach the Premier League and Leeds, they could face an uphill battle to secure his services ahead of next season, making the next few weeks crucial.

He’s taking over a team that has qualified for two IPL finals and won a title, and needs a big season to push for a place in India’s T20 World Cup XI

Shashank Kishore23-Mar-2024″I don’t know if you’ve looked at the captains photo with the trophy. That’s how different it is.”Shubman Gill summed up in one sentence the different vibe to IPL 2024. He was referring to the changing of the guard among captains. No Dhoni, Rohit or Kohli. Shreyas Iyer is the most experienced leader, while Gill is the newest.The new Gujarat Titans captain has barely any formal leadership experience. He’s led his state side Punjab in just two T20s in 2019-20. That’s two more than his predecessor – and opponent on Sunday, Hardik Pandya – had when he captained Titans to the IPL title in their first season in 2022, and steered them to the final again in 2023. The bar has been set high for Gill.Related

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He also takes over as Titans captain in what is going to be a crucial season for him as a batter. After a sensational performance in IPL 2023 – 890 runs – you’d imagine that Gill is a lock-in for India at the upcoming T20 World Cup. But the competition for place in the top order, and even to be a reserve in a 15-man squad, is tough.The spectacular rise of Yashasvi Jaiswal and the return of Rohit Sharma as captain leaves little room in the top two. Virat Kohli’s comeback to the shortest format means No. 3 could be spoken for too. Suryakumar Yadav, when fully fit, walks in as well.So this is the challenge facing Gill in his first season as Titans captain, just one year after he so successfully transformed himself as a T20 batter. Between 2019 and 2022, Gill had a best strike rate of 132 in an IPL season. He upped that to 157.80 while remaining prolific – three hundreds and nearly a fourth, an unbeaten 94.Gill took giant strides in improving his six-hitting too. Between IPL 2018 and 2022, he had hit only 47 sixes. Last season alone, he hit 33. The question now is whether Gill will continue batting this aggressively and effectively with the added responsibility of captaincy? There are some examples of young Indian batters who haven’t done so.A time for change: the next generation of IPL captains•BCCIRishabh Pant’s strike rate in his first IPL season as captain was 128.52; it was 152.26 in the previous three seasons. Sanju Samson’s strike rate was 147.32 for three seasons leading into his first as captain, when it dropped to 136.72. For KL Rahul, the drop was from 146.60 to 129.45.Hardik Pandya also slowed down as captain. He went from being a finisher for Mumbai Indians with a strike rate of 169 in three seasons before he became the Titans captain, and then scored at 131.26 in his new role as the team’s anchor. It’s probable that Gill isn’t aware of this trend, but he’s shown himself capable of overcoming challenges.As recently as February, his place in the Test side came under scrutiny during the home series against England after a string of low scores. As the criticism of his form and weakness against the incoming delivery grew, Gill displayed resilience in constructing a fighting second-innings hundred in Visakhapatnam. It paved the way for more runs in the next three Tests.IPL 2022 was an incredible season for Gill with the bat. He needs to find a way to match that along with the responsibility of captaincy, for the Titans to go far in the IPL, and to further his prospects of making the cut for the T20 World Cup.

West Indies coach claimed he was not nervous as England pushed for final-day win

Cameron Ponsonby13-Mar-2022Phil Simmons, West Indies’ head coach, says that he wasn’t nervous as his side successfully batted out 70.1 overs to force a draw on the final day’s play in Antigua, but joked that the teams had been “playing in Trent Bridge for the last few days” after the home supporters had been outnumbered by England’s travelling support.Speaking after West Indies had negotiated a final-day wobble to close on 147 for 4, Simmons praised man of the match Nkrumah Bonner, who scored a fantastic 123 in the first innings and was instrumental in securing the draw with an unbeaten on 38 from 138 balls second-time around.”He started doing it for us against Bangladesh,” Simmons said, recalling Bonner’s scores of 86 and 90 in his debut series in February 2021. “When he came and played Sri Lanka he did the same thing [with a maiden Test century]. So we’ve seen that with him and it’s getting more and more consistent, so that’s brilliant for us.”I’m hoping for a little more in the wicket [in Barbados] as it’ll make for a better Test match,” Simmons added. “I used to be a batter but you can’t let batters have it easy all the time and it’s hard for bowlers on wickets like these. You need an even surface and let’s compete.”Despite the apparent serenity of the final scoreline, West Indies endured a dicey passage of play either side of the tea-break, when four wickets fell for eight runs in the space of 9.3 overs to leave them awkwardly placed on 67 for 4. Bonner, however, found steadfast support in Jason Holder (37 not out), whose unbroken 80-run stand for the fifth wicket guided the team to safety.”I was more nervous when the review went up for Jason’s caught at slip [on 32] so no, I was not really nervous,” Simmons said. “The wicket has been flat so once you get your head down it’s difficult to get wickets on that, so I wasn’t that nervous.”After England had added 132 more runs in 25 overs in the morning session, Root declared shortly before lunch to set West Indies a teasing target of 286 to win from 71 overs. Simmons joked that he would have preferred 250 to win in 80 overs, but said he was pleased that England made a proactive decision that kept the game alive.Related

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“It’s good, we ended up being put under pressure because they’ve given themselves a chance with 70 overs to bowl against us and that’s how you want to finish a Test match looking to win.”They’ve come here to play a hard-fought series and they’ve shown that they’re not going to lie down so it’s good to see the fight from them and the other two matches are going to be just as hard.”This Test match in Antigua has been played out in front of thousands of fans, of whom the vast majority have been English. The lack of home support in West Indian cricket has been an issue for a number of years with the Caribbean Cricket Podcast confronting the issue in a recent episode by asking what can be done to effect change and encourage more local fans to attend.There are numerous reasons for the lack of local support, including a low vaccination rate within the population of Antigua, the location of the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, which is a fair distance outside of the capital St John’s, and also the fact that the match started on a Tuesday, meaning locals were working for all but the fifth and final day. Sure enough, Saturday’s play did lead to a slight, but noticeable increase in the number of local fans.”We’ve been playing in Trent Bridge for the last few days and we were playing in Lord’s for the T20s,” Simmons joked. “We have no support … but it’s great because we went through a period where we played with no fans in the stands, and I had to jump over and fetch the balls. So it’s great to see the fans and it’s great to see the music up on the hill. It’s great that people are coming back to cricket and things are getting back to normal.”Asked whether he’d like to see more support from home fans across the series Simmons responded that “we’ll see what happens. In Barbados? I’m not too sure.”

Baseball's rookie class of 2025 may have lacked the raw star power of its 2024 counterpart, but it gave fans no shortage of moments to remember.

Who can forget Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz's four-home run outing against the Astros on July 25? Or Braves catcher Drake Baldwin driving in six runs against the Giants? Or Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin introducing himself to the baseball world with a walk-off home run in June?

Yes, we'll be talking about this class deep into October and beyond, as a number of postseason contenders received contributions from first-year players. On that note, it's time to anoint an All-Rookie team—a lineup of nine, three starting pitchers and a relief pitcher. Note, before we begin, that a few players are named in their secondary positions; this was in order to create the best lineups possible, and acknowledge that many players occupy quasi-utility roles in their rookie years.

Welcome to this final 2025 edition of MLB Rookie Watch.

Catcher: Drake Baldwin, Braves

The Braves—winners of nine in a row, including a sweep this weekend of the free-falling Tigers—never quit on a lost season. Similarly, Baldwin was undeterred in the face of adversity—namely a spirited, semi-ongoing battle for the catcher position with former All-Star Sean Murphy. The .462-slugging Missouri State product looks like a star in the making and should in all likelihood end 2025 holding the National League Rookie of the Year trophy aloft. Second Team: Carlos Narváez, Red Sox. Third Team: Edgar Quero, White Sox.

First Baseman: Nick Kurtz, Athletics

A .395/.480/.953 (that last number is not a typo) July propelled Kurtz from a curiosity to the owner of one of the great rookie seasons of the 21st century. His four-home run game, in which he went 6-for-6 and drove in eight runs, has a strong case as the greatest individual performance by a rookie in history. The Athletics may have left Oakland, but the team clearly carried some of ex-general manager Billy Beane's talent-discovery DNA to Sacramento. Second Team: Liam Hicks, Marlins. Third Team: Eric Wagaman, Marlins.

Second Baseman: Luke Keaschall, Twins

If there was a bright spot to be gleaned from the Twins' July firesale, it's that it opened the door for the stunning emergence of the team's 2023 second-round pick. Slamming shut a revolving door at his position (Minnesota used eight second basemen this year), Keaschall has slashed .304/.380/.448 and paced for 6.9 bWAR over 162 games. A 48-game sample size is admittedly small, but his gifts should have the Land of 10,000 Lakes dreaming of a new star. Second Team: Hyeseong Kim, Dodgers. Third Team: Javier Sanoja, Marlins.

Third Baseman: Caleb Durbin, Brewers

It wasn't always roses for Durbin in his debut season—he had to weather a .202 May—but he will end the year as a critical cog on baseball's best team. Building on a run of early clutch success, he became a two-way force at third base—he currently wields the third-lowest strikeout lead in the NL the second-most zone runs among NL third basemen. Unlike many rookies listed here, his story isn't over yet (as this charming story by Avery Meer in the student paper of his academics-minded alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis, outlines). Second Team: Jeremiah Jackson, Orioles. Third Team: Matt Shaw, Cubs.

Shortstop: Jacob Wilson, Athletics

The original star of his team's Sacramento jaunt, Wilson burst out of the gate with a .345/.387/.495 slash line through the end of May. As late as June 8, he was hitting a sizzling .372; fans responded by electing him a second-generation All-Star 21 years after his father. Yes, Kurtz ultimately eclipsed him, but Wilson's still-robust .315 average and .806 OPS give the Athletics an embarrassment of riches. Second Team: Colson Montgomery, White Sox. Third Team: Chase Meidroth, White Sox.

Left Fielder: Isaac Collins, Brewers

He may be the unlikeliest member of the team, what with his 5' 8", 188-pound frame and his ninth-round draft selection by the prospect-graveyard Rockies in 2019. Defying fans' most optimistic expectations—Milwaukee has spent the entire year doing that, hasn't it?—Collins took home NL Rookie of the Month honors in July on his way to a .262/.364/.409 campaign. He might be getting a bit lucky (his BABIP is .322), but there's enough to like to hat-tip a second Brewer after Durbin. Second Team: Heriberto Hernandez, Marlins. Third Team: Otto Kemp, Phillies.

Center Fielder: Jakob Marsee, Marlins

What the Athletics had in rookie quality this year, the Marlins had in quantity. The Dearborn, Mich., native and Central Michigan product was summoned to the big leagues Aug. 1 and immediately looked like he'd been there his entire life (he slashed .352/.430/.629 with four home runs and 25 RBIs in August). Michael Baumann of FanGraphsastutely pointed out that Marsee has feasted on a diet of bad pitching that month, but Miami fans will take any glimmer of hope at this point. Second Team: Jake Mangum, Rays. Third Team: Chandler Simpson, Rays.

Right Fielder: Roman Anthony, Red Sox

Red Sox fans are still mourning the news they received Sept. 3—that an oblique strain would end Anthony's regular season. What a regular season, it was, though: .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 71 games (to go with a mouth-watering 7.1-per-162 games bWAR rate). As of Aug. 6, Anthony is under contract through 2033 with a club option for 2034—so don't touch that dial. Second Team: Daylen Lile, Nationals. Third Team: Cam Smith, Astros.

Designated Hitter: Kyle Teel, White Sox

As alluded to in the introduction, this is cheating a little bit—Teel is first and foremost a catcher. However, he's DH-ed just enough that he gets a spot on the first team guilt-free after a widely overlooked offensive season. Since the start of August, the Virginia product has very quietly raised his slugging percentage from .392 to .423—helping the White Sox show signs of life here and there, such as during a six-game winning streak around Labor Day. Second Team: Jasson Domínguez, Yankees. Third Team: Agustín Ramírez, Marlins.

No. 1 Starting Pitcher: Cade Horton, Cubs

A furious finish to 2025 gives Horton a crown that almost assuredly would have belonged to Royals pitcher Noah Cameron (more on him in a minute) as recently as a month ago. Since the calendar turned to July, Horton has been absolutely filthy: 8–2 with a 1.29 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 70 innings. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in a game since before the All-Star break. Second Team: Chad Patrick, Brewers. Third Team: Shane Smith, White Sox.

No. 2 Starting Pitcher: Noah Cameron, Royals

He was the best rookie starting pitcher in baseball for the vast majority of 2025, single-handedly keeping an injury-ravaged Kansas CIty staff solvent for longer than it had any right to be. The Missouri native and Central Arkansas product pitched 6 2/3 sterling innings against the Blue Jays in front of his parents Saturday, receiving a deserved standing ovation for his efforts. A 9–7 record with a 2.90 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 133 2/3 innings is the kind of start that will keep him on the Royals' radar for years to come. Second Team: Cam Schlittler, Yankees. Third Team: Will Warren, Yankees

No. 3 Starting Pitcher: Hurston Waldrep, Braves

He barely clears this team's threshold for inclusion—you need to pitch 48 innings; he's thrown 50 1/3—but his jaw-dropping August and role in Atlanta's late-season surge demands acknowledgement. Starting six games in August, Waldrep went 4–0 with a 1.01 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings. His numbers would hew significantly closer to that if not for an eight-run adventure against the Astros on Sept. 12. Second Team: Jack Leiter, Rangers. Third Team: Joey Cantillo, Guardians.

Relief Pitcher: Matt Svanson, Cardinals

No true shutdown rookie closer emerged this year, so this spot goes to Svanson—an eminently competent middle reliever for the Cardinals who has thrived since a July trip to Triple-A Memphis. Svanson is 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 57 innings this year, by-the-book power-relief numbers that mask how effective he's been of late (a 1.16 ERA since July 28). A future closing doesn't look impossible for a man with 28 minor-league saves in 2024. Second Team: Braxton Ashcraft, Pirates. Third Team: Braydon Fisher, Blue Jays.

Anthony Rizzo is returning to where it all started as he caps off his stellar career.

Rizzo, beloved in Chicago, will retire as a Cub and be honored in a ceremony on Saturday at Wrigley Field, ESPN's Jesse Rogers reports. From there he'll become an ambassador for the organization.

The heart and soul of the 2016 World Series champion team that broke free of the most famous curses in sports history, Rizzo is finishing off a 14-year stint in the Major Leagues.

The sweet-swinging lefty made three All-Star teams in a row and finished in the top 10 of National League MVP voting in four consecutive years while playing on Chicago's North Side. He also racked up four Gold Gloves for his work at first base.

All told he collected 303 home runs and posted a .828 OPS over 1,727 games.