It has been a year of firsts for Spain’s breakout teenage star Rafael Jodar.
A little over 12 months ago, the 19-year-old was outside the world’s top 800. He had never played on the main ATP Tour or contested a match at a Grand Slam.
Now, he arrives at Queen’s as the world number 23, fresh off a run to the French Open quarter-finals that was only halted by eventual champion Alexander Zverev.
The next stop in his debut season participating on the sport’s biggest stages will be Wimbledon, where his namesake, Rafael Nadal, won two titles – including triumphing against rival Roger Federer in one of the greatest matches in history in the 2008 final.
Jodar has not played an ATP Tour-level match on grass or even visited London before, but he is excited for another round of firsts in his young career.
“When I was younger I could never imagine that I would one day be here,” he told BBC Sport at Queen’s.
“It’s something that I will never forget, to play on grass.
“I haven’t played much on it, but it’s a surface I can do well on.”
While Jodar, like any young aspiring Spanish player, does idolise Nadal, the reason he shares the name with the 22-time major winner is through family tradition: both his father and grandfather were named Rafael.
“Rafa for me is a role model since I was a kid, not just in tennis but in general. I think he’s super humble,” Jodar said.
“When I had the chance to talk to him he was a very good person, he gave me some advice.
“I am super grateful for everything he has done for Spanish sport and the tennis world.”
Jodar only turned professional last year, after a brief period gaining experience in the United States college system.
He broke into the world’s top 100 in March after a strong start to 2026 and captured his first ATP Tour title in Marrakech a month later.
He further demonstrated his propensity to thrive on clay by reaching the Barcelona semi-finals and the Madrid quarter-finals, where he lost to world number one Jannik Sinner.
But it was his Roland Garros run – where he became just the fifth man this century to reach the Paris quarter-finals on his main-draw debut – that really caught the eye.
So, what can be expected from Jodar on the grass courts?
Across International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments – the level below the ATP Tour – Jodar has a 90% win record on grass, winning nine of 10 matches in 2024.
That single defeat came at Wimbledon in a straight-set loss to Japan’s Naoya Honda at the quarter-final stage of the boy’s singles competition.
The loss brought an end to a nine-match winning run in south west London, after he prepared for the tournament by taking the junior title in Roehampton without losing a set.
While it remains to be seen how he will fare at the top level, Jodar appears to possess the weapons that can see him thrive on the grass.
His game is founded on aggressive baseline striking and the Spaniard is behind only tour leader Sinner, renowned for his baseline dominance, in the ATP’s ‘return rating’ value which combines each players’ scores across first and second serve return points won, return games won, and break points converted.
Across the past 52 weeks, Jodar’s record of winning 34.0% of first-serve return points is ahead of Sinner, and behind only Argentine Mariano Navone in the men’s game.
Despite his relative inexperience, he also tends to remain unflinching in key moments.
Jodar is second on the tour for break points converted, his 44.7% putting him ahead of compatriot Carlos Alcaraz (43.6%).
His ATP ‘under pressure’ rating – calculated by combining a player’s number of break points converted, break points saved, and tie-breaks and deciding sets won – is bettered by just nine players across the men’s game, and better than five of the world’s top 10.
With Alcaraz missing Wimbledon because of a wrist injury, all eyes back in Spain will be on their latest teenage talent – but Jodar is not fazed by the attention.
“Tennis is one of the most popular sports in Spain. It has always had many good players,” he said.
“Being a young player who is doing well on tour is cool.
“Everyone who wants a picture, autograph, I will always do that.”
Curaçao got a goal in its first World Cup game. And that was the only highlight for the smallest nation in the tournament.
Germany sped past Curaçao 7-1 on Sunday in Houston as Group E opened play. The Germans were massive favorites ahead of the game and the final score reflected it. But Curacao at least had a moment of hope early on.
After Germany went up 1-0 on an early Felix Nmecha goal, Curaçao scored its first-ever World Cup goal on just its second shot of the game when Livano Comenencia’s shot deflected past Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
It was a sharp counter-attack after Germany dominated the opening stages of the game. Yes, Germany’s defending was poor to not get the ball out of the box. But Curaçao adeptly took advantage.
That hope of stealing a point — or even all three points — lasted less than 20 minutes before German defender Nico Schlotterbeck headed home a cross to restore the Germans’ lead.
The lead was two just before halftime when Nmecha was tripped inside the Curaçao penalty box. The obvious foul received little protestation from Curaçao’s players, and Kai Havertz converted the penalty.
From there, the second half was a formality. Especially after Jamal Musiala scored less than two minutes after halftime as the Germans added three more in the second half to turn what was setting up to be a comfortable win into an absolute rout.
Even though the win was largely expected, it’s a big step for Germany in its quest to get out of the group stages of the World Cup for the first time since winning the tournament in 2014. The victory is just the third for Germany in its last seven World Cup games. They’ll be assured of moving onto the knockout rounds of the expanded tournament with a win over either Cote d’Ivoire or Ecuador.
Curaçao, meanwhile, still remain’s the group’s massive underdogs and goal differential is now against it as well. Simply put, Curaçao needs improbable wins against the other two teams in the group to get to the Round of 32.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hockey star Matthew Tkachuk was ready to see some carnage at the White House.
“It’s going to be the under in every single fight,” he told the crowd on the Ellipse on Sunday night. “I think it’s not going to last like halfway through. They’re all going to be knockouts or finishes early.”
Tkachuk and his brother Brady — no strangers to occasional pugilism on the ice — were part of pre-fight festivities for UFC Freedom 250, the mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn of the White House on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday. While the crowd around the Octagon was full of VIPs, the Ellipse — an expansive lawn between the White House and Washington Monument — hosted a viewing party for the more common fan.
The Tkachuks appeared on stage and answered a few questions about their interest in UFC. Logan Paul was also among those who showed up to entertain the crowd, and at one point UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland arrived, causing a rush of fans in his direction. Strickland was escorted out by a group of police officers.
U.S. Park Police said Strickland’s presence resulted in disorder. He wasn’t cited or arrested, but was taken to his hotel and told not to come back to the venue.
For a while, the weather was a significant concern, and there were dark clouds hanging over the area around the time the fighting started. But although there were warnings posted on video screens about possible bad weather, the area avoided any storms.
The crowd seemed awed by the flyover at the beginning of the event, quickly starting a “USA!” chant. And there were other ways fans at the Ellipse were able to feel part of the proceedings, such as when competitors were brought back to address them from the stage after winning their fights.
“Maybe the greatest experience of my life,” Bo Nickal said after knocking out Kyle Daukaus in the first round in a middleweight clash. “Just so much fun. I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”
Nathan Lyon is certain he will be ready to return to action for the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin during August and has made sure to remind Australia’s selectors that he has the hunger to play everything available as he resumes bowling after a “pretty traumatic” hamstring injury.
Lyon suffered the injury late in the third Test against England in Adelaide and required surgery to reattach the muscle. Amid a rehab programme which has seen him find a new passion for road biking, where he has clocked up over 700km, Lyon bowled at Cricket Central in Sydney on Monday and is eager to resume against batters during a series of training camps in Brisbane next month.
“Yeah, 100%,” he said when asked about making the opening Test against Bangladesh on August 13, which will start a period of at least 20 in 11 months up to the end of next year’s Ashes.
“[I’m] absolutely flying. I feel really good, really confident … very happy with the way it’s gone. It’s been a lot of hard work, there’s no point in hiding behind that, a lot of long days and stuff, but that’s all been part of it.”
Detailing the injury, CA physical performance coach Ross Herridge expressed confidence that Lyon was on track. “It was a pretty traumatic injury,” he said. “He planted his right leg and then dived over that to get the ball. It just puts that hamstring under extreme stress and you’re having to withstand pretty high forces.
“We’ve got physical markers that we check along the way and there’s checkpoints to make sure it’s going well and so far he’s hit all of them.”
Lyon sits on 567 Test wickets – second only to Shane Warne for Australia – and could push towards 600 given the volume of matches ahead. However, he turns 39 in November and speaking in recent months, national selector George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald have given guarded assessments of his future and they hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“I saw George’s comments, he’s had a phone call. I have seen Andrew’s comments, he’s had a phone call,” Lyon said, speaking as general public tickets went on sale for the men’s international season. “But, yeah, I wouldn’t be doing all this work right now if I didn’t want to play every Test match. No one has a given right to be selected for Australia, so I know I need to make sure that I’m performing, doing all the right things. But I’m, hand on heart, set on playing every Test match I’m available for.”
Lyon said that retirement had never crossed his mind, but it was while watching the recent opening State of Origin rugby league match where New South Wales produced a stunning comeback against Queensland that reinforced the competitive juices were still there.
“Seeing those guys be able to write a fairytale script for so many people in the crowd and for a professional athlete to have that ability to do that, that’s what’s really driving me at the moment,” he said. “I was sitting there with my wife and I literally said, I’m not ready to give up this, I’m missing this right now.
“Honestly, I felt like, before I blew my hammy off, I was probably bowling the best I’ve bowled in about six years. Now I know what I need to do to get to that standard. I’m really excited by that challenge.”
Quite how many Tests Lyon plays, though, may not come down purely to fitness after he was left out of consecutive pink-ball matches last year against West Indies and England – with Lyon not hiding his anger at those decisions – while Australia didn’t select a frontline spinner at the MCG or, more surprisingly, the SCG in the Ashes even though they had called up Todd Murphy.
Conditions in South Africa during October could favour the quicks and while Lyon will be vital in India, the 150th anniversary Test against England at the MCG is a day-night clash. Lyon expected “pretty decent batting wickets” in the Top End which “hopefully spin later”, but more broadly for the traditional part of the season hoped to see contests return to a more even balance between bat and ball.
“A number of years ago it was too batter friendly, now we’ve swung around and now we’re probably too bowler friendly,” he said. “I know how hard it is to make a good wicket, so I’m not going to sit here and criticise curators. I think if we get a nice healthy middle we’ll see some really good cricket.”
Pittsburgh Pirates (36-36, fourth in the NL Central) vs. Athletics (35-36, second in the AL West)
West Sacramento, California; Monday, 9:40 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Jared Jones (1-0, 4.73 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 14 strikeouts); Athletics: J.T. Ginn (4-3, 3.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 65 strikeouts)
LINE: Athletics -128, Pirates +108; over/under is 10 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates will attempt to end a three-game road slide when they visit the Athletics.
The Athletics have a 35-36 record overall and a 15-19 record at home. Athletics hitters are batting a collective .250, which ranks second in the AL.
Pittsburgh has a 16-17 record in road games and a 36-36 record overall. The Pirates are 16-28 in games when they have given up at least one home run.
Monday’s game is the first meeting between these teams this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nick Kurtz has 13 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs and 52 RBIs for the Athletics. Tyler Soderstrom is 10 for 32 with two doubles, five home runs and 11 RBIs over the last 10 games.
Brandon Lowe leads the Pirates with 34 extra base hits (16 doubles, a triple and 17 home runs). Oneil Cruz is 8 for 24 with three home runs and nine RBIs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Athletics: 5-5, .272 batting average, 7.58 ERA, outscored by 19 runs
INJURIES: Athletics: Luis Severino: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Brooks Kriske: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Brent Rooker: 10-Day IL (knee), Aaron Civale: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Denzel Clarke: 60-Day IL (foot), Gunnar Hoglund: 60-Day IL (knee)
Pirates: Wilber Dotel: 15-Day IL (the pittsburgh pirates placed rhp wilber dotel on the 15-day injured list.), Konnor Griffin: 10-Day IL (flexor tendon), Oneil Cruz: 10-Day IL (hand), Chris Devenski: 60-Day IL (illness), Joey Bart: 10-Day IL (foot infection)
Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has infected more than 675 people.
The risk that a traveler infected with Ebola could arrive in the United States during the 2026 World Cup tournament that kicked off last week is low but not zero, and if that happens, United States (US) hospitals are ready to respond, US infectious disease experts say. It wasn’t always so.
During the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, a Liberian man, Thomas Eric Duncan, arrived in a Dallas hospital with Ebola symptoms and was turned away before being admitted.
Two nurses were infected but survived.
That led to $260 million in US funding for Ebola preparedness training and response capabilities and 13 specialized treatment centers all intended to help hospitals identify, isolate and safely care for suspected Ebola patients.
“We’re not going to be able to prevent 100% of infections, but we certainly are the most prepared that we have ever been,” said Dr. Gavin Harris, an expert in serious communicable diseases at Emory University in Atlanta, one of 11 US World Cup host cities.
Public health officials and hospitals in the U.S. host cities have been preparing for a range of infectious disease threats as 6.5 million fans travel across North America during the 39-day event featuring 104 matches in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pan American Health Organisation and the World Health Organisation have all described the risk of Ebola to World Cup host countries as low, citing measles, COVID-19 and influenza – which spread when large crowds gather – as the most likely threats.
But the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has infected more than 675 people and killed more than 135 remains a concern.
“The risk of Ebola to anyone at the World Cup is extremely low. Ebola isn’t airborne and doesn’t spread through casual contact it requires direct contact with the body fluids of someone who is ill,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, chief executive of Resolve to Save Lives and former director of the CDC.
“But low isn’t zero, and it won’t be zero until the outbreak is stopped at its source in DRC.”
LINE: Nationals -142, Royals +119; over/under is 9 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Nationals host the Kansas City Royals on Monday to start a three-game series.
Washington has a 37-35 record overall and a 14-21 record at home. The Nationals have gone 14-7 in games when they did not allow a home run.
Kansas City has gone 12-22 in road games and 29-43 overall. The Royals have the seventh-ranked team batting average in the AL at .242.
Monday’s game is the first time these teams square off this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: James Wood has 20 home runs, 58 walks and 46 RBI while hitting .281 for the Nationals. Daylen Lile is 12 for 38 with a double, two triples, a home run and nine RBI over the last 10 games.
Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Royals with 29 extra base hits (19 doubles, a triple and nine home runs). Jac Caglianone is 15 for 34 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nationals: 6-4, .258 batting average, 4.30 ERA, outscored opponents by 20 runs
Royals: 5-5, .282 batting average, 4.50 ERA, outscored opponents by one run
INJURIES: Nationals: Jake Irvin: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Trevor Williams: 60-Day IL (elbow), Ken Waldichuk: 60-Day IL (forearm), Josiah Gray: 60-Day IL (elbow), Max Kranick: 60-Day IL (elbow), DJ Herz: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Royals: Vinnie Pasquantino: 10-Day IL (hand), Kyle Isbel: 10-Day IL (foot), Seth Lugo: 7-Day IL (head), Cole Ragans: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jonathan India: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Kris Bubic: 15-Day IL (elbow), Nick Mears: 15-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Carlos Estevez: 15-Day IL (foot), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder)
That was the oft-used description of Andrew Friedman’s circumstances a dozen years ago, when he left the cash-strapped Tampa Bay Rays to join the affluent Los Angeles Dodgers. In nine years leading their front office, Friedman had built the Rays into an organization that pushed the boundaries on analytics, thrived at player development, engineered shrewd trades and routinely outplayed financial juggernauts like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
The prospect of replicating that model 2,500 miles west, with a historic franchise bolstered by the deep pockets of a new ownership group, was too alluring for Friedman to turn down.
The result: a juggernaut.
The Dodgers dominate the sport, winning the last two World Series and claiming 12 of the last 13 National League West titles, dating back two years before the start of Friedman’s tenure. Dodgers owner Mark Walter has funded the most expensive roster in baseball history and Friedman, his president of baseball operations, has buttressed it with many of the components that helped the Rays thrive.
In Friedman’s wake, though, the Rays continue to do their thing, currently owning the sport’s fifth-best record despite possessing its third-smallest payroll.
The Rays are spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million on their entire roster this season. The Dodgers’ luxury-tax bill alone came out to $169.4 million last year. This year, for luxury-tax purposes, their payroll will easily exceed $400 million. And yet, in a snapshot of what can be so beautiful about this sport, the Dodgers (45-27) and Rays (41-27) are separated by just two games in the standings. A World Series meeting is very possible.
As they prepare to face off at Dodger Stadium this week, let’s take a look at how each team is allocating its resources.
Infield
Dodgers
Salary: $87.25 million ($13.4M/WAR)
1B: Freddie Freeman 2B: Tommy Edman 3B: Max Muncy SS: Mookie Betts C: Will Smith
Why they’ve been worth it: Freeman and Betts are future Hall of Famers who have remained productive through the first half of their 30s, but more than that, they set the culture. The Dodgers are a team of stars, but they’re also a team of players who pay attention to details, tirelessly hone their craft before games, and have this robotic consistency that allows them to navigate the highs and lows of a season (and of a postseason). That all starts with Freeman and Betts, two players who remain obsessed with achieving greatness. And though they’re expensive, the Dodgers actually have pretty good bargains elsewhere with Muncy and Smith, who are making a combined $23 million this season.
It’s also worth noting that this infield was built by seizing opportunities. The Boston Red Sox could have extended Betts and the Atlanta Braves could have brought back Freeman, but they didn’t, so the Dodgers pounced. Any team could have had Muncy when he was released by the Athletics in March of 2017, but it was the Dodgers who brought him in and helped him become a prodigious power threat. In the 2016 draft, 24 teams passed on the opportunity to select Smith, who went 32nd overall to the Dodgers and is now arguably the NL’s best catcher.No other first-round pick from that year has even put up half of Smith’s career WAR. — Alden Gonzalez
Rays
Salary: $8.31 million ($2.4M/WAR)
1B: Jonathan Aranda 2B: Richie Palacios/Ben Williamson 3B: Junior Caminero SS: Taylor Walls C: Nick Fortes
Why they’ve been a bargain: For the Rays to succeed with a payroll hovering just under $100 million, they need their pre-arbitration players to play well, and that’s been the case. Aranda and Caminero are still making less than $1 million and rank in the top 50 in OPS among all qualified hitters. The 22-year-old Caminero is a budding superstar, coming off a 45-homer season while more than doubling his walk rate this season to boost his on-base percentage and making him one of the most well-rounded hitters in the majors. Defense isn’t a strong suit for either Aranda or Caminero, but Walls leads all shortstops in defensive runs saved.
One thing the Rays have long excelled at: Finding talent in other organizations. They arguably do this better than any other team, with the running joke going, “Hang up if the Rays call about one of your guys.” They famously stole Caminero from Cleveland when he was still in the Dominican Summer League. Aranda and Walls are two of the rare homegrown players on the 26-man roster, while Palacios, Williamson and Fortes were fringe major leaguers acquired in trades. The Rays often are creative in this department as well: Williamson came over in the Brendan Donovan trade between the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners, with the Rays interjecting themselves as a third team in the deal. — David Schoenfield
Outfield
Dodgers
Salary: $67.8 million ($16.5M/WAR)
LF: Teoscar Hernandez CF: Andy Pages RF: Kyle Tucker
Why they’ve been worth it: The Dodgers’ standing as the proverbial villains of the sport was solidified on Jan. 21, when they signed Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract, an exorbitant price tag for someone who might not even be one of their five best players. That Tucker has been basically mediocre through the first two-plus months of being baseball’s highest earner without it sinking the Dodgers tells you all you need to know about the team’s financial might. But that is also being offset by Pages, who’s putting up MVP-caliber numbers while making close to the major league minimum. — Gonzalez
Why they’ve been a bargain: Bargain? Not exactly. The Rays’ outfield ranks 29th in the majors in OPS and tied for last in home runs. Simpson is the exciting slap-hitting speedster who hit .314 in April but has posted a sub-.300 OBP since then. With his lack of power and walks, if he’s not hitting .300, he’s not providing any offensive value. The veteran Mullins was signed to a one-year, $7 million deal in the offseason but has struggled at the plate, hitting under .200. DeLuca, originally acquired from the Dodgers, is currently on the IL with a hamstring strain, and with Jake Fraley also injured, right field has been a mix lately of Ryan Vilade, Victor Mesa Jr. and Austin Slater. The strength has been the defense, at least when Simpson and DeLuca are manning the corners. — Schoenfield
Designated hitter
Dodgers
Salary: $23.05 million ($8M/WAR)
Shohei Ohtani
Why he’s worth it: For the sake of this exercise, we used Ohtani’s cost toward the competitive balance tax payroll and split that number equally between pitching and hitting. Ohtani joined the Dodgers on a 10-year, $700 million contract in December of 2023, and it is the biggest bargain in sports. All but $20 million of that total is deferred until after he retires, giving Ohtani an annual salary of just $2 million a year (though he still costs roughly $46 million toward the luxury-tax threshold, which accounts for present-day value). The revenue Ohtani brings in — from tickets, merchandise, sponsorships, etc. — has already been worth more than the contract’s value. Then, of course, there’s the on-field component. Ohtani is one of the game’s best pitchers and one of the game’s most dynamic offensive players, all in one. And if that weren’t enough, he affords them the luxury of an extra roster spot. The Dodgers have done nothing but win the World Series since he joined them, and that’s no coincidence. — Gonzalez
Rays
Salary: $12 million ($5.4M/WAR)
Yandy Diaz
Why he’s a bargain: He’s been one of the best hitters in the game in 2026 and makes just $12 million. That makes Diaz the quintessential Rays player. Originally acquired from Cleveland in another three-team trade, Diaz signed a three-year, $24 million extension in 2023, but that contract included a $12 million vesting option for 2026 and then another reasonable club option for 2027, both salaries a bargain for a hitter of Diaz’s ability. He’s 11th in the majors in OPS, perhaps on his way to his second batting title. The Rays have the lowest strikeout rate in the majors and Diaz’s contact ability is a big key to that. His biceps are those of a slugger, but he’s more of a polished hitter with power. The Rays could have traded Diaz either of the past two offseasons — his contract would have guaranteed a nice return — but they’ve smartly held on to him.— Schoenfield
Depth
Dodgers
Salary: $16.1 million ($6.7M/WAR)
C Dalton Rushing INF Miguel Rojas INF Hyeseong Kim UT Enrique Hernandez OF Alex Call
Why they’ve been worth it: Rushing, long billed as one of the game’s best catching prospects, would be a franchise cornerstone on many teams. On the Dodgers, he is merely a backup. Hernandez, meanwhile, is basically on the roster just so he can contribute in October (and given his career .826 postseason OPS, it’s tough to blame the Dodgers). Kim signed with Los Angeles out of South Korea — to a three-year, $12.5 million deal — even though he knew it would be difficult to break through. But Rojas might be the most telling of all. Despite a limited role, Rojas is the team’s vocal leader. And when the Dodgers needed him most in the World Series, he made several key defensive plays and hit the game-tying home run in Game 7. — Gonzalez
Rays
Salary: $10.5 million ($10.5M/WAR)
C Hunter Feduccia OF/1B Ryan Vilade OF Victor Mesa Jr. OF Austin Slater OF Jake Fraley IF/OF Gavin Lux
Why they’ve been a bargain: At their best, the Rays mix and match with their bench and get the most out of their entire roster. That hasn’t been the case in 2026, however. Lux and Fraley are eating up most of that $10.5 million, but Lux hasn’t played due to a shoulder injury while Fraley was basically a replacement-level player before he went down with a sports hernia. Vilade has been the savior, ranking fifth among the team’s position players in WAR, while Feduccia, an ex-Dodger, has played well as the backup catcher. The Rays will need Lux and Fraley to make an impact in the second half. — Schoenfield
Why they’ve been worth it: This group embodies everything that has put the Dodgers at the top of the sport. We’ll start with the money. Yamamoto is the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history and Ohtani is on the second-largest contract in North American professional sports, but Snell and Glasnow cost a combined $64 million per year even though they routinely only pitch parts of the season. Next, it’s development. Sheehan and Wrobleski are homegrown pitchers with the makings of being frontline starters, and the Dodgers also have River Ryan waiting in the minor leagues. And, finally, it’s the fact that the Dodgers have become the ultimate destination spot, especially for Japanese players. Sasaki is the latest example. The entire industry chased him two offseasons ago. And yet he signed with the Dodgers. It was stunning at the time, but also predictable. — Gonzalez
Rays
Salary: $29.4 million ($5.3M/WAR)
Shane McClanahan Drew Rasmussen Nick Martinez Steven Matz Griffin Jax
Why they’ve been a bargain: Well, for a cumulative salary that is less than the Dodgers are paying Glasnow and barely more than they’re paying Snell, this group has nearly matched the production of the vaunted Dodgers’ group. It was built not with a big checkbook but with the Rays’ usual blend of creativity, player acquisition skills and figuring out how to get the most out of pitchers.
McClanahan is the one homegrown guy here, healthy again after missing the past two seasons and looking a lot like the pitcher who started the 2022 All-Star Game. Rasmussen, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2021 and turned into a starter, is working on a sixth straight season with an ERA under 3.00. He’s dealt with various elbow issues through the years, but when he pitches, he’s always effective. Martinez and Matz were – believe it or not – free agent signings. The Rays have changed Martinez’s pitch usage, having him throw his sinker and changeup 59% of the time compared to 37% last season and, look at that, he has a 2.43 ERA. With Jax starting with Ryan Pepiot out for the season, the Rays hope to replicate the Rasmussen move, turning Jax from a reliever into a starter. — Schoenfield
Bullpen
Dodgers
Salary: $50.5 million ($14.9M/WAR)
Edwin Diaz Tanner Scott Blake Treinen Alex Vesia Will Klein Edgardo Henriquez Brock Stewart Evan Phillips Jack Dreyer Kyle Hurt
Why they’ve been worth it: Not signing relievers to lucrative multiyear contracts might as well have been a mantra for Friedman. It’s too volatile a position, too easy — relatively speaking, at least — to develop in-house. And outside of a Kenley Jansen extension at one point, Friedman stuck to that throughout his tenure. Until two offseasons ago, when he signed Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract. Scott’s first year in L.A. was a disaster, and yet Friedman went back to the well again, signing Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal because the Dodgers clearly needed a closer. Diaz went on to make seven appearances before undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He won’t be back until after the All-Star break. But all the Dodgers care about is that he’s there in October. They’re operating in a completely different financial stratosphere these days, even for them. — Gonzalez
Rays
Salary: $8.78 million ($3.7M/WAR)
Bryan Baker Kevin Kelly Ian Seymour Garrett Cleavinger Mason Englert Cam Booser Casey Legumina Cole Sulser
Why they’ve been a bargain: This is the group currently on the active roster — and it has a combined salary about one-fifth of the Dodgers’ relievers. Cleavinger is the highest paid at $2.4 million, while Baker has done a superb job filling in for Edwin Uceta, the projected closer, who has been injured all season. While the overall bullpen ERA isn’t all that impressive at 4.59, the pen has been clutch, ranking sixth in win probability added, as the Rays have gone 10-3 in one-run games (the Dodgers rank 16th in WPA).
The Rays basically assembled a pen out of thin air, as no team does a better job of seeking out other teams’ castoffs. Baker was acquired last year from the Baltimore Orioles for the 37th overall pick in last year’s draft. Kelly was purchased from the Colorado Rockies. Cleavinger is yet another former Dodger, acquired for a minor leaguer now out of baseball. Englert was acquired from the Detroit Tigers. Booser was let go by the Chicago White Sox. Legumina came over from Seattle in April after the Mariners designated him for assignment. Sulser was purchased from the New York Mets. Only Seymour was an original Rays draft pick. Baker has been the key and, as with Martinez, the Rays simply changed his pitch usage, as he has almost completely ditched his slider, which he threw 25% of the time last year, and turned into just a fastball/changeup pitcher. — Schoenfield
In conclusion …
Why the Dodgers are more than just their money
Here’s something that has been lost amid the Dodgers’ recent success: Their free agent signings have been quite bad. Two offseasons ago, they threw money at Snell (missed four months), Sasaki (out of the rotation by May), Scott (4.74 ERA) and Michael Conforto (.637 OPS). Last offseason, it was Diaz (elbow surgery after seven appearances) and Tucker (batting sixth and contributing 0.7 fWAR). And yet they continue to dominate. Sure, they have the financial resources to recover from the types of mistakes that might cripple other franchises. But in a bigger sense, it’s because their 40-man-roster depth is unrivaled — a product not just of money, but of scouting, drafting, developing and acquiring at an elite level. The Dodgers burned through 40 different pitchers and won the championship each of the last two years, becoming the first franchise in a quarter-century to go back-to-back. Money alone doesn’t overcome that. — Gonzalez
Why the Rays can be the last team standing in October — despite their payroll
The Rays have stumbled a bit after roaring to a 34-15 start, but the recent three-game sweep of the Red Sox might get them going again. They do have obvious flaws. The lineup is top-heavy with Diaz, Caminero and Aranda carrying much of the load, while the outfield lacks power. The back of the rotation is relying on the Jax conversion working. The long-term viability of the pen is a question, especially with Uceta suffering a setback in his rehab. The Rays do have a strong farm system, however, if they want to make a big splash at the trade deadline – such as making a run for Tarik Skubal. Similar to last year’s Toronto Blue Jays, they’re a contact-heavy team and that’s an approach that can work in October if the big hitters get hot. Add Skubal to McClanahan, Rasmussen and Martinez, and you have a World Series-worthy rotation, one capable of upsetting a team with much deeper pockets. — Schoenfield
Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. All fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.
Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, as well as any breaking news that might impact today’s MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball buzz.
STARTING PITCHERS FOR MONDAY
Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points (FPTS), using ESPN’s standard scoring system (2 points per win, minus-2 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).
T: The pitcher’s handedness. OPP: Opposing team. RST%: The pitcher’s roster percentage in ESPN leagues. W%: The individual starting pitcher’s win probability using ESPN projections. IP: Projected innings pitched. H+BB: Projected hits plus walks allowed. ER: Projected earned runs allowed. K: Projected strikeouts.
If a team is planning on using an “opener” to start their game, but will rely on a “bulk pitcher” to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, the bulk pitcher is listed and indicated with an asterisk.
FPTS
Team
Pitcher
T
Opp
Rst%
W%
IP
H+BB
ER
K
15.8
Zack Wheeler
R
MIA
97.5%
53%
6.5
6.7
2.3
7.1
13.4
Chase Burns
R
NYM
96.8%
46%
6.1
7.1
2.7
7.3
11.5
Shota Imanaga
L
COL
78.5%
38%
5.4
6.1
2.3
5.5
11.2
Troy Melton
R
@HOU
17.2%
36%
5.8
7.0
2.5
5.6
11.1
Dustin May
R
SD
12.7%
40%
6.2
7.8
2.6
5.4
10.0
Ryne Nelson
R
LAA
9.9%
33%
6.0
7.5
3.0
5.7
9.6
Kai-Wei Teng
R
DET
2.8%
32%
5.5
7.4
2.6
5.6
9.1
Walbert Urena
R
@ARI
12.6%
37%
6.0
8.5
2.8
5.2
8.9
Andrew Alvarez
L
KC
0.6%
39%
5.2
6.7
2.5
4.5
8.3
MacKenzie Gore
L
MIN
58.1%
38%
5.4
7.8
3.0
5.7
8.3
Eric Lauer
L
TB
2.1%
28%
5.0
6.4
2.4
4.5
7.7
Nick Martinez
R
@LAD
54.6%
19%
4.8
6.1
2.2
3.9
7.3
Lucas Giolito
R
@STL
3.2%
26%
5.0
7.0
2.3
4.1
5.5
Michael Lorenzen
R
@CHC
0.4%
14%
4.7
6.9
2.8
4.2
5.0
Ryan Gusto
R
@PHI
0.1%
3%
3.1
3.9
1.5
2.9
4.3
J.T. Ginn
R
PIT
23.4%
25%
5.0
7.8
3.9
4.9
2.8
Jared Jones
R
@ATH
17.4%
15%
4.3
7.0
3.8
4.6
TBD
@CIN
0.0%
0%
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
TBD
@TEX
0.0%
0%
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
TBD
@WSH
0.0%
0%
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Pitchers to stream on Monday
Dustin May continues to display improved control. He has issued more than two walks just once all season, a four-walk effort against the Kansas City Royals last month. His 4.22 ERA is pegged about half a run too high by the associated estimators. He begins the fantasy week with a favorable home matchup when the St. Louis Cardinals host the San Diego Padres. May faces a lineup with the fourth-lowest wOBA facing right-handers, fueled by an above-average strikeout rate and below-average walk and home run rates.
The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians were rained out on Sunday. Casey Mize was set to come off the 15-day IL to start for the Tigers, but now he’ll be activated before Wednesday’s tilt with the Houston Astros, keeping Troy Melton on schedule for the series opener. He has pitched well since coming off the 60-day IL due to a right elbow strain. His last outing was a mixed bag as he fanned five without issuing any walks in five frames, but he yielded eight hits — including four solo homers — accounting for all four Minnesota Twins runs. Next up is a road date in Daikin Park, where the Astros have recorded the fourth-lowest home wOBA against right-handed pitching.
Before his last start, Ryne Nelson was on a roll, recording five quality starts in six outings. However, he struggled in South Beach, yielding seven runs in four innings to the Miami Marlins. The Arizona Diamondbacks are home against the Los Angeles Angels, giving Nelson a great opportunity to get back on track when facing a below-average lineup in a pitcher’s park.
Pitchers to avoid on Monday
It seemed like the perfect fit when Nick Martinez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s a versatile arm capable of filling many roles, and there isn’t a team better suited to use him in the right situation. It turned out the role is a traditional starter, pitching in that capacity in all 13 of his outings. Martinez sports a modest 13.8% strikeout rate but gets away with it because of elite command and control. Even so, his lack of dominance leaves Martinez vulnerable to a top offense and he’s slated to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lead the league in runs per game. Trust Martinez when he’s squaring off with less potent lineups; avoid him against the Dodgers.
Hitters to stream on Monday
As a team, the Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled against right-handed pitching, but they have a few left-handers who are dangerous with the platoon edge, especially in a hitter-friendly environment like Sutter Health Park. The Athletics rotation exhibits extreme splits, led by J.T. Ginn posting a 4.70 ERA at home, compared to a 1.99 road mark. Pirates’ lefties Spencer Horwitz, Ryan O’Hearn and Tyler Callihan are candidates to fortify a Monday lineup on an abbreviated seven-game slate.
The Las Vegas Raiders starred in one of the most bizarre incidents in recent NFL offseason history.
Trading Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens was a league-altering move, and so was getting him back. The Ravens shut down the deal over alleged concerns about his knee injury. Given that he didn’t want to be traded in the first place, he happily agreed to return … for now.
According to Raiders insider Hondo Carpenter, who broke the news that he would be on the trade block last offseason, this saga might not be over.
The 49ers and Eagles are trying to trade for Maxx Crosby
“I know there are a lot of fans who, after the season, when we talked about it, mocked me, got mad, and even had people threaten me,” Carpenter said on the “Las Vegas Raiders Insider” podcast. “Then, bam, you saw him get traded to Baltimore. Okay, I am telling you there is a lot of interest in Maxx Crosby. Two teams specifically are nuclear hot: the Eagles and the 49ers.”
This checks. The 49ers now have Myles Garrett in the division, and life was already tough with the Seattle Seahawks there. As for the Eagles, they also tried to trade for Garrett, so they now need to do a power move to make up for missing out on the Defensive Player of the Year.
Of course, as Carpenter also pointed out, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be traded or that the Raiders want to move on from him, but that won’t stop other teams from trying.
And if the Raiders struggle right out of the gate, which is a strong possibility, even with a new quarterback and coaching staff, perhaps they might want to revisit trading Crosby.
For now, the Raiders shouldn’t be in much of a hurry, as Crosby still isn’t back to full strength. They can probably get a more valuable return once other teams watch him play.
