The Los Angeles Rams have done it again, acquiring a premier defensive star. The Rams reportedly going to acquire three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns in a blockbuster deal. Cleveland will acquire edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick and potentially more, according to NFL Network and ESPN. ESPN also reports that more draft compensation is being negotiated. Garrett signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the Browns last season, indicating he wanted to remain with Cleveland for the long haul. Garrett and the Browns adjusted his contract earlier in the offseason around free agency, seemingly opening the door to a potential move away from Cleveland. Now, he lands with the Super Bowl favorites, according to most sportsbooks. After news of the trade broke, the Rams went down to +650 at DraftKings, with the Seahawks, Bills and Ravens all at +1000. Garrett, 30, is a five-time first-team All-Pro selection and is coming off a season that saw him win his second Defensive Player of the Year award. He set the NFL record for most sacks in a season with 23 and have at least 14 sacks in each of the last five seasons. Verse had a big rookie season in 2024 that saw him win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He was a Pro Bowl selection last season, as well, and had three forced fumbles and 7.5 sacks. The Rams have overhauled their defense this offseason. It started in the secondary by acquiring cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs for a first-round pick, and then Los Angeles signed McDuffie’s Kansas City teammate, Jaylen Watson, to a three-year deal in free agency.Now, the Rams have upgraded their pass rush by acquiring the best in the game. Garrett will slot in for Verse and rush the passer on the opposite side of Byron Young.
Here’s what’s happening this week Inside The Garage: DETROIT — Josef Newgarden had this look of pain on his face. But this wasn’t from his foot. It was for the award he was about to receive for the driver who gained the most positions during the race. For Newgarden, that’s just a reminder that he qualified poorly. In some races, it would also be a little bit of a reminder of what could have been. But on Sunday in Detroit, it at least was a sign of perseverance that he went from struggling early in the race to finishing 10th on a weekend where he walked with a crutch and a walking boot on his left foot, which was injured in a crash in the Indianapolis 500. “I think a top-15 would have been a miracle today, so where we ended up, you’ve got to take that for sure,” Newgarden told me and other reporters following the race. “I feel bad. I feel like the opportunity that the team put in place for this car was podium potential.” The Team Penske No. 2 driver has not talked specifics of the injury, which was termed as “minor” by the INDYCAR doctor following the crash a week prior in Indy. But it hurt bad enough that the team had its IMSA driver Felipe Nasr prepared to get in the car if needed, as he wore a firesuit and had his helmet for the opening practice Friday. The two-time INDYCAR champion Newgarden admitted he was not at his best and in a moment of blunt honesty, saying Nasr possibly could have performed better. But like most drivers, Newgarden badly wanted to race and if the team wanted him to race, he was going to put on the firesuit and go. Newgarden said if the team told him they were putting Nasr in the car, he would have understood the decision. “If they didn’t want me to drive, I would have accepted that,” he said. “If they wanted to win the race, you put Felipe in this car. … He was ready to rock. “I wasn’t going to be sitting out [voluntarily]. But this is not my team, so you’ve got to be open to it.” Newgarden could thank his team’s pit strategy that gave him some track position and then his ability to just stay out of trouble. That wasn’t easy because his competitors knew he wasn’t 100 percent. “It was like everybody got the memo out there to use me up is what it kind of felt like, whenever they could — I felt like I was in just defense mode most of the race,” Newgarden said. “And certainly at the end I was just defense mode, just trying to protect the car more than anything.” “But the team did just an amazing job to let me get in it and drive, and they did a great race. The only reason we finished where we did is because what the team did. Great strategy, great pit stops.” [INDYCAR TAKEAWAYS: Alex Palou Wins Detroit Grand Prix Slugfest] Having driven with a broken clavicle and wrist in 2016, Newgarden said the race Sunday was more difficult. “This was worse,” he said. “This is definitely a less advantageous situation. … I knew it wasn’t going to be good. And it wasn’t. I don’t want to speak on [the pain] too much. “It is what it is.” With another race this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway), Newgarden hopes the oval (and a week of therapy/rest) won’t be as much of a pain. “We were here, we were in the race, and now we can go to the next one. … I’m mixed [on Gateway],” he said. “I’m excited, but I’m in two minds right now.” Heim Time, Finally Corey Heim finally will have a full-time Cup ride in 2027 as 23XI Racing announced he will drive the No. 35 next season, replacing Riley Herbst. The organization started the third car for Herbst but also with an eye on the highly touted Heim having an established team for his rookie season. Heim, the defending truck series champion, has patiently waited while under contract for the full-time Cup ride, running a mix of trucks and Cup this year. “I just always felt like this is the most prepared race team I’ve ever worked with, and it just felt like a home to me and everyone felt like they were very welcoming and motivated,” Heim said in a news conference Saturday at Nashville. “When I ran my first race with these guys, and their preparation was just top-notch. I felt confident going into that race and everyone was firing on all cylinders. So to me, it was an easy decision to proceed to work with them for the long term.” Preece’s Appeal Denied In a 2-1 decision, a NASCAR-appointed appeals panel upheld a 25-point, $50,000 penalty to Ryan Preece for intentionally wrecking Ty Gibbs at Texas. Preece had indicated on his team radio earlier in the race that he would wreck Gibbs. Later in the race, Gibbs tried to cut in front of Preece and Preece didn’t lift — whether that was intentionally wrecking Gibbs or just not cutting him a break appears to be in the eye of the beholder. The appeals panel stated: “”Although not a unanimous decision, NASCAR and RFK Racing presented competing interpretations of common data. Neither side clearly proved their point, but Mr. Preece’s comments showed that he chose to not cut his competitor any breaks.” Preece and RFK Racing won’t appeal the decision to the final appeals officer. Preece is two points out of a Chase spot with 12 races left in the regular season. The burden of proof on an appeal from the rulebook: “The Appeals Panel must determine whether NASCAR has shown that it is more likely than not that a violation occurred based on the NASCAR Rule Book, special rules, bulletins or any applicable agreements to which NASCAR is a party cited in the penalty notice.” Preece tried to have some humor but make a point with this social post: Ford: No O’Reilly There are no Ford teams in the O’Reilly Series at the moment, so where does that put Ford’s development program for its NASCAR Cup teams? Ford Racing global director Mark Rushbrook had this response when I asked him about it as he met with a group of reporters Saturday in Detroit: “We’re looking at our driver development program more broadly these days. There’s a strong focus on sports car. We see that as a potential path. … There is the possibility to certainly go straight from trucks to Cup as some drivers have done before.” Rushbrook said they would only get back into the O’Reilly Series if there is the right program. He said the Cup has relevance with the Mustang and the trucks have relevance with the F-150. “Right now, none of our [Cup] teams are in O’Reilly,” Rushbrook said. “It has to make sense for Ford and our teams in terms of a place to race.” In The News –Conor Daly, fresh from his Indy 500 start, will be in the Kaulig Racing No. 25 “free agent” truck at Lucas Oil Raceway (Indianapolis Raceway Park) next month. –Mick Schumacher was named the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year by a voting panel of media members following the Indy 500. He was the best-finishing rookie in the race with an 18th-place finish. Social Spotlight They Said It “What an unbelievable day — starting first, going to last, and back to first.” — Denny Hamlin following his NASCAR win at Nashville. In Inside The Garage, Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way only he can.
Odell Beckham Jr. is going back to his first professional home. The wide receiver has agreed to a deal with the New York Giants, according to multiple reports. The terms of Beckham’s deal with New York are unknown, but he visited the Giants on Monday. New York also reportedly agreed to terms on a contract with wide receiver Braxton Berrios earlier in the day. Beckham’s return to the Giants had been months in the making. New Giants head coach John Harbaugh, who coached Beckham for a season with the Ravens, told reporters at the owners meeting in March that the team was open to signing Beckham. In those comments, Harbaugh also shared that he and Beckham had remained in contact even after the wide receiver left Baltimore at the end of the 2023 season. A few weeks later, Beckham had a workout with the Giants and underwent a physical for the team. While a deal didn’t culminate then, it was apparent that New York’s interest in reuniting with Beckham was real. This past week created an urgency for the Giants to add at wide receiver. Wide receiver Gunner Olszewski tore his Achilles during New York’s organized team activities (OTAs) session on Friday, thinning the Giants’ depth at the position. Star wide receiver Malik Nabers is returning from an ACL tear that ended his second season early, and Darius Slayton is rehabbing from a core injury. New York also lost productive wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency this offseason, but signed veterans Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin. The Giants used a third-round pick on Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields as well. Beckham, 33, didn’t play in the NFL in the 2025 season, remaining unsigned for the entire year following a stint with the Miami Dolphins, as he was also suspended six games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. However, he had expressed an interest in playing again multiple times this offseason. Beckham emerged as one of the NFL’s top receivers during his Giants tenure. After being taken by New York with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Beckham quickly set Giants and NFL records. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, logging 1,305 receiving yards and making his memorable one-handed grab that season. He also tied Lance Alworth for the NFL record for the fewest games needed to reach 4,000 career receiving yards, as he had at least 1,300 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. But Beckham’s dominance never translated into consistent success for the Giants. They reached the postseason only once in his five-year tenure with the team, causing the Giants to trade Beckham to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 as part of a rebuild. Now, Beckham will join a rebuilding Giants squad that is hoping to get back into the postseason for the first time in four years.
Admittedly, Denny Hamlin has not executed the best on restarts this season, so winning Sunday in a race that was a nail-biter down the stretch certainly made for a satisfying night. Hamlin led 57 of the 115 laps of the final stage at Nashville Superspeedway but stole the win from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell after a late caution set up a four-lap dash to the finish. “We had a few [races] where we were the best car this year, and we didn’t win because of restarts,” Hamlin said in his post-race news conference following his second victory of the year. “It felt really good to get one back that we certainly shouldn’t have on speed. “The 20 [of Bell] had us covered. I think he passed us about three or four times. But I just learned from my mistakes earlier in the season and how I approach restarts.” Here are my takeaways: 1. Worst To First For Hamlin Much like the track going from dry to wet to dry, Hamlin went from first to suddenly worst to methodically getting back to first. Hamlin started from the pole but was penalized for jumping the restart by mashing the throttle well ahead of the restart zone. It was a pretty clear violation of the restart rules for Hamlin, who didn’t question the call at the start of the race, which was delayed by 80 minutes because of rain. “Usually, as the leader, you can dictate when to go, but it was way too close to Turn 4 and not close enough to the start-finish line,” Hamlin said about restarting well ahead of the zone that is on the frontstretch. “No arguing it or anything like that. It was certainly the right call.” From there, he just had to be patient over the 300-lap, 400-mile race on the 1.33-mile concrete track. He obviously knows how to rally as he won for the 62nd time in his Cup career. 2. Bell Loses Another One A week after he could blame the rain, Bell could only blame himself for not winning. He had a better car than Hamlin and was in position to win until a late caution set up the dash to the finish. He could never get clearly ahead of Hamlin as they battled along with JGR teammate Chase Briscoe for the top three spots. The finishing order ended up being Hamlin-Bell-Briscoe, extending Bell’s winless streak to 21. He has led 398 laps this year without a win. “I’m just disappointed in myself,” Bell said in a Toyota news release. “[My team] brought a great race car and I didn’t get the job done.” 3. In The Dumps Nine cars ended up retiring from the race because of damage in accidents (another three were damaged in a crash just past the finish line) and only 15 cars finished on the lead lap in a race filled with wrecks. It had drivers feeling frustrated, with possibly Bubba Wallace feeling it the most, as he dropped to 15th in the standings, just 34 points ahead of the current playoff bubble. “I’m tired,” he said in his interview on Prime following his exit. “It’s hard to be in the same boat constantly every week. You’ve got to figure out how to put it behind you and show up. I somehow become the bad guy the days following this, but I’ve got to figure out how to be better and learn from it. “It’s really hard when you are driving your best and trying to just make progress throughout the race, and you get wiped out.” 4. Impressive SVG Shane van Gisbergen is known for his road-course dominance but he had a solid day at Nashville with a fifth-place finish. The race showed he is getting the hang of the ovals. “I really enjoyed myself,” “van Gisbergen said in a Chevrolet news release. “I learned a lot. I learned to be comfortable moving around in (Turns) 1 and 2, which I’ve never been able to do before.” 4 ½. What’s Next The NASCAR Cup Series goes to one of the fastest tracks on the circuit as it heads to the 2-mile Michigan Speedway for a 400-mile Sunday afternoon race. ARCA (Friday) and trucks (Saturday), both on FS1, are also on the weekend lineup. That race could very well be another JGR intra-team battle, but with it being near the homes of Chevrolet and Ford, this race often carries extra emphasis for the teams.
Last season might not have been the Rams’ season, but it was surely Matthew Stafford’s season. For the first time in his 17-year career, Stafford took home the league’s most prestigious individual hardware: regular-season MVP. How will he follow up that MVP season? Let’s check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of June 1. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Matthew Stafford 2026 NFL odds Regular-season passing yards Over 3,999.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)Under 3,999.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total) Regular-season passing touchdowns Over 30.5: -105 (bet $10 to win $19.52 total)Under 30.5: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70 total) Stafford has long been regarded as one of the game’s top flamethrowers. However, the accolades have rarely followed. In addition to winning MVP last season, he was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. He also earned just his third Pro Bowl appearance. Seems a bit odd for a guy with the sixth-most passing yards in NFL history, right? The only names ahead of him on that list are Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, all of whom are remarkably decorated. It could have to do with the fact that during the first 12 years of Stafford’s career, all with the Detroit Lions, he only took the franchise to the playoffs three times and never won a playoff game. However, since arriving in L.A., he’s been to the postseason four times in five years, winning the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021 and making it to the NFC Championship Game last season. In terms of stats, Stafford is expected to throw for around 4,000 yards next season, a mark he’s reached more often than not in his career. In those 17 professional seasons, he’s thrown for 4,000 yards or more 10 times. He’s also expected to throw around 30 touchdowns, a mark he’s reached only four times in his career. Last season, his MVP season, he blasted past both of those numbers, finishing the regular season with 4,707 passing yards and 46 TDs.
There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball: The Phillies came back late on Saturday to secure a 4-3 win in this 2025 NLDS rematch, but otherwise, this weekend’s series between them and the Dodgers was all Los Angeles. That felt especially true on Sunday in the rubber game, as the Dodgers scored early and did not let up — the memory of Saturday’s late loss was erased in a hurry. With Los Angeles already up 2-0 in the fourth, left fielder Ryan Ward went deep to make it 3-0: that was the rookie’s first career home run, as he was playing in just his third game and first since mid-April. Second baseman Alex Freeland would follow shortly after with a solo shot of his own to make it 4-0, and that was far more cushion than starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto needed against Philadelphia. Yamamoto lowered his ERA for the season to 2.86 thanks to 5 ⅓ scoreless innings with four scattered hits and 10 strikeouts against just two walks. The Dodgers didn’t give up a run until the ninth, when Jonathan Hernández finally allowed one — by that point, Los Angeles was up 9-1, however. Third baseman Max Muncy helped with that, hitting his 14th homer of the year in the bottom of the seventh. Munch, Freeland and Shohei Ohtani all had two hits on the day, while Freeland also had two runs and RBIs a piece. The Dodgers didn’t get the sweep, no, but they slowed the surging Phillies and have now won 14 of their last 17 games — Los Angeles is now 5.5 up on the Padres in the NL West, as San Diego has been scuffling a bit of late, including a series loss to the upstart Nationals to close out their own May. Mets’ left fielder Juan Soto went yard again — he has hit nine of his 13 homers in his last 15 games — and this time, it was a grand slam. If 13 homers for Juan Soto by June 1 doesn’t sound like that many, remember, he missed considerable time already with an IL stint thanks to a calf strain — he’s played in just 42 of the Mets’ 59 games. Soto has been on fire of late, as he’s hit .382/.469/.873 over that 15-game stretch, and the Mets are looking better as a result. New York still has a ways to go, as 26-33 and fourth place in the NL East isn’t exactly inspiring, but his was a team that had the worst record in MLB not that long ago, and was also swept by the Marlins to drop back into last place in the division, too. This time around, it was the Mets with brooms in hand, as they scored 25 runs against Miami’s nine, seven of which were scored in the first game of the series. Starter Nolan McLean looked a little off for New York in Sunday’s finale, allowing five walks while striking out just two, but his control issues were not also command ones, and he limited the Marlins to two hits and just one run. David Peterson followed with a four-inning scoreless save, and New York had a sweep. Again, New York is under .500 and in fourth, but the Mets are also just 5.5 back of a wild-card spot, which is somehow 2.5 games closer than they were when May kicked off. April was really, really bad for the Mets, but it’s two months back now, as well. Bats flying out of a players’ hands isn’t all that uncommon, but said bat getting not just stopped by a protective net, but caught in it like a bug in a spider web? That’s a lot more unusual. Sadly for Jakob Marsee, that net was the only thing the center fielder’s bat made contact with all day, as he went 0-for-3 with a walk in the loss. On the one hand, the Mariners are in first place in their division. On the other, Seattle is just 31-29 on the season — the American League West has been a mess this year. The M’s have now won six games in a row, however, as they followed up a sweep of the formerly first-place Athletics with another of the Diamondbacks. This was a close one, as the Mariners would end up winning just 3-2. Seattle’s Bryce Miller threw five scoreless innings with six strikeouts, one walk and just one hit allowed, while Arizona’s Merrill Kelly struggled more — eight hits, two walks, just two strikeouts — but held Seattle to two runs across 5 ⅓ all the same. The Mariners would score their second run of the game after Miller had already departed, off of Kelly, when DH Dominic Canzone hit his second homer in as many games to make it 2-1. The D-Backs would answer back in the eighth to tie things up, with Ketel Marte — playing DH on Sunday — hitting a sac fly to score pinch-hitter Gabriel Moreno, who singled before being bunted over to second. Arizona played for one run, and that’s how many they got. Which ended up being unfortunate in extra innings, when the Mariners — at home — got a chance to walk it off. Which they did. Designated hitter Victor Robles, who had entered the game earlier as a pinch-runner, came to the plate with one out and runners on second and third. All he needed was a single to win it, and that’s what he got. The Mariners are now 2.5 up in the West, which isn’t a huge lead but is their largest of the season so far. Considering they were five games under .500 about six weeks ago, that’s not such a bad turnaround, especially with slugging backstop Cal Raleigh either not actually slugging or sitting on the IL, depending on when in the season you’re talking about. Ronald Acuña Jr. had a fairly slow start to the season for the otherwise red-hot Braves, but after coming back from a hamstring strain on May 19 he’s looked a lot more like Ronald Acuña. On Sunday, he hit his fifth homer in 12 games since returning from injury, and is batting .256/.429/.628 in that stretch. Acuña didn’t just hit a homer, though. He absolutely blasted one, 438 feet, off of Reds’ starter Nick Lodolo. It was the right fielder’s fourth-straight game with a long ball, to boot. Sadly for the Braves, it was just a solo shot to lead off the game, and not a portent of things to come. Atlanta would end up losing, 6-4, but the Braves made it to the very last day of May before losing their 20th game of the season. They lead the majors with 40 wins — for all the winning the Dodgers have been doing of late, Los Angeles is at 38 — and took the series against the Reds despite the L, so the more important thing here is that it’s looking like Acuña is back. The Angels lost to the Rays 5-2 on Sunday, but it could have been much worse. Look at left fielder Jose Siri out there robbing Tampa Bay of a grand slam, for instance. Wait a second. Computer, enhance. Alright, Siri saved four runs and the outfield buffet from certain doom. And while it would have been hilarious to see whatever disaster came out of a baseball striking a bunch of food plates at high velocity, more important is that lunch was salvaged. Maybe next time don’t line it up near where baseballs might land, though. Credit to the ump’s reflexes on that one. The Giants crushed the Rockies, 19-6, and the performance that stood out the most in all that scoring was that of right fielder Jung Hoo Lee. He had his first-ever five-hit game, singling in the first to give the Giants their first lead of the day, doubling in the fifth, singling again later in the fifth — San Francisco scored seven runs in that frame — singling again in the seventh and then hitting another single in the eighth. In between that first hit and the rest of the game were 18 other Giants runs, including four on one swing from shortstop Willy Adames, which made it 11-3 in the fifth and made this game feel out of reach for the Rockies. Giants’ starter Robbie Ray didn’t even pitch particularly well — he went just four innings and allowed seven baserunners and three runs — but Tanner Gordon gave Colorado even less to work with over three innings with four runs allowed, and then the bullpen gave up another 15. Zach Agnos wore the bulk of them thanks to that seven-run fifth, but the next two pitchers after him each gave up three, and Brett Sullivan allowed another two to close things out, as well. It has not been a great season for the Rockies to this point, but seeing what was already the league’s worst run differential get that much worse all in one afternoon is rough. And to the Giants, too, who are all of 1.5 up on the basement-dwelling Rockies in the NL West right now. A seven-run inning is big, but the Yankees did the Giants one better. In fact, they scored 10 runs in the third inning against the Athletics in the third inning on Sunday before an out was recorded. New York would pile on another three runs to make it a 13-run third inning, which included DH Ben Rice hitting a triple and a double in the same frame. Just as incredible as this 13-run outburst is that it was the only inning in which the Yankees scored. They were up 13-3 at this point, and ended up defeating the A’s, 13-8: the Athletics tried chipping away at the lead over the remaining innings, but despite the Yankees seemingly giving them plenty of opportunities to catch up, the 10-run deficit that stood after the third proved too much. Jacob Misiorowski looked impressive in 2025, but he also didn’t have the greatest command nor control of his high-end velocity, resulting in a 4.36 ERA as a rookie despite striking out 11.9 batters per nine: Miz still walked 4.2 per nine and allowed eight homers in 66 innings, so there were clear weaknesses to his game. Good luck finding those weaknesses in 2026. The 24-year-old right-hander, who stands an imposing 6-foot-7 even before he steps on the rubber, has found both command and control. He has more than halved last season’s home run rate, is down to 2.4 walks per nine, and has increased his strikeout rate to 13.7 per nine: he’s striking out just under 40% of the hitters he faces. The result? A May to remember. Seriously, though, what are you supposed to do when he can locate 102 with pinpoint control all of a sudden? Same as the rest of us, apparently. What a month for Misiorowski.
Last week, Phillies phenom Cristopher Sánchez completed a flawless May with his fifth scoreless outing of the month, increasing his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 44.2 consecutive innings. But Sánchez isn’t the only pitcher enjoying an incredible start to the 2026 season. Jacob Misiorowski wrapped up a similarly extraordinary May with the Brewers (0.23 ERA). Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani allowed one run over six hitless innings last Wednesday and actually saw his miniscule season ERA (0.86) rise in the process. Also last week, second-year Reds right-hander Chase Burns fired his eighth straight start of two runs or fewer, and Braves veteran lefty Chris Sale recorded his eighth straight start allowing two earned runs or fewer. Clearly, Pirates star Paul Skenes will have a lot of competition this year in what should be a thrilling National League Cy Young race the rest of the way. In this week’s Power Rankings, we take a look at every team’s best starting pitcher to this point of the season. Until Chase Dollander returns from injury, it might be best to skip this one. Tomoyuki Sugano has been the most consistent of the group with a 4.01 ERA over 11 starts. With Tarik Skubal down, Casey Mize has become the de facto ace. He has a 1.45 ERA over his past seven starts, but he can’t fix a Detroit offense that ranks 29th in runs scored. Michael Wacha leads Royals starters in ERA, strikeouts and wins, but that hasn’t been enough for a Kansas City team that has lost 16 of its last 19 games. José Soriano saw his ERA rise from 0.84 to 2.65 in May, but he still deserves recognition here. Keep an eye on Reid Detmers, though. His ERA starts with a 4, but he leads the team in strikeouts, and a week ago he fanned 14 in a start against the Rangers. Landen Roupp is the only Giants starter with an ERA under 4.00. His consistent production has been important for a San Francisco starting rotation that ranks 28th in ERA. Offseason additions Ranger Suárez (3.38 ERA) and Sonny Gray (3.06) have both pitched well, but the lowest ERAs in the Boston rotation belong to 24-year-old Connelly Early (2.95) and 23-year-old Payton Tolle (2.61). Among all MLB starters who’ve thrown at least 40 innings this year, Tolle ranks sixth in WHIP and fourth in opponents’ batting average. With much of the attention this year on Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, it’s Max Meyer who has been the best starter in the Marlins’ rotation. Even after surrendering six runs to the Mets over the weekend, Meyer is 5-0 on the year with a 2.97 ERA that is by far the best mark among Miami starters. He won’t get the same attention as other starters while pitching for the middling Twins, but Joe Ryan ranks in the top 10 among all qualified MLB starters in WHIP, opponents’ average and fWAR and has a 1.97 ERA over his past six starts. Someone needed to step up with all the injuries in the Astros’ rotation, and Spencer Arrighetti answered the call. He’s 7-1 with a 1.34 ERA in eight starts. Until he fractured his fibula last month, Clay Holmes had been the one consistent piece of the volatile Mets rotation. They need at least one of Nolan McLean (4.21 ERA) and Freddy Peralta (3.55) to go on a run quickly. The A’s are trending the wrong way, but it has been a career year for 2020 second-round pick J.T. Ginn, who took a no-hitter into the ninth inning on May 18 in Anaheim and leads A’s starters with a 2.87 ERA. Even after a few May clunkers that made Jacob deGrom’s ERA climb to 3.77, he is still the best pitcher in the Rangers’ rotation. But keep an eye on MacKenzie Gore, who has lowered his ERA from 5.18 to 3.96 over his past four starts. Orioles fans would probably hope the answer here would be Shane Baz, who just signed a $68 million extension, or Trevor Rogers. But it’s Kyle Bradish who has started the most games and has the most strikeouts and lowest ERA of anyone in the Baltimore rotation. Baz, however, has started to pick up some steam. Dylan Cease is currently on the shelf, but his hamstring injury appears minor. That’s a big relief as the Blue Jays try to claw their way into contention. Cease has lived up to the expectations of an ace after receiving a $210 million deal in Toronto, ranking first among qualified AL starters in strikeout rate. The Cease-Kevin Gausman duo atop the Toronto rotation is one of the best in the league. Chase Burns (7-1, 1.96 ERA) is one of just five qualified MLB starters with an ERA under 2.00. His work has been especially vital in a Reds starting rotation that has a 4.54 ERA as a group. The Nationals are one of the stories of the season. They just picked up impressive series wins against the Guardians and Padres, and former first-round pick Cade Cavalli is finding his form. Since April 18, he ranks eighth in the majors in strikeouts. The Diamondbacks’ pitching staff figured to be an issue this year, but veterans Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.31 ERA) and Mike Soroka (7-2, 3.25) are lifting the rotation. Even if the underlying numbers suggest regression ahead, Rodriguez currently ranks in the top 10 among qualified MLB starters in ERA. That’s a significant turnaround after he logged an ERA over 5.00 in each of his first two seasons in Arizona. The fact that you could make an argument for Braxton Ashcraft here says something both about Ashcraft’s season and Paul Skenes’ year so far, but the answer is still Skenes. His 2.89 ERA is about a run worse than either of his past two seasons, but his expected ERA is the best of his career, his walk rate is the lowest of his career, and his underlying numbers are all exceptional. Injuries have ravaged this rotation — Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele and Cade Horton are all on the injured list — which helps explain Chicago starters’ 4.71 ERA. Ben Brown only joined the rotation in May, but since then he has been the star of the group with a 1.73 ERA over his last five starts. The Cubs desperately need Shota Imanaga to get back on track. Starting pitching isn’t the reason the Cardinals have stayed competitive in what is surprisingly the best division in baseball, but the group has been better than expected. Michael McGreevy’s expected ERA (5.63) is about double his actual ERA (2.98), but he’s the lone member of the rotation with an ERA under 4.00. Losing Munetaka Murakami to a hamstring strain hurts, but it’s not just power that has gotten the South Siders to this point. They’ve won 15 of their last 21 games with the help of a rotation that now ranks 11th in ERA. That group is led by Davis Martin, who has allowed one or no runs in eight of his past 10 starts. As Cristopher Sánchez continues to rack up scoreless outings, he’s now the NL Cy Young favorite. The Phillies southpaw just wrapped up a month of May in which he totaled 45 strikeouts and three walks without allowing a run over 39 innings, and he leads the majors in ERA and fWAR. That’s more like it. The Mariners have now won six straight games after sweeping the A’s and Diamondbacks, which was enough to move them to the top of the lowly AL West. Any one of Bryan Woo (3.44 ERA), George Kirby (3.77), Logan Gilbert (3.69) or Emerson Hancock (2.78) could claim the title as team ace this year, but it’s worth singling out Hancock’s consistent contributions to this point, especially as the team struggled early in the year. He has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his 11 starts and has the lowest ERA of the group. The Guardians’ momentum slowed last week with series losses to the Nationals and Red Sox, but their pitching still has them atop the AL Central. The Cleveland rotation ranks sixth in ERA led by rookie Parker Messick (6-1, 2.21 ERA), who could get both Rookie of the Year and Cy Young consideration. The regression appears to be starting now for a Padres team that has stayed well above .500 despite what is now a negative run differential. Michael King leads the San Diego rotation in every major category and will continue to be a critical piece for a team lacking pitching depth. It has been a remarkable year for 35-year-old veteran Nick Martinez, who has done far more than just solidify his role as an MLB starter. Martinez ranks third among all qualified MLB starters in ERA (1.62) and has not allowed more than two runs in any of his 11 outings this year. Cam Schlittler, the American League Cy Young favorite, leads the AL in both ERA (1.50) and WHIP (0.85). He has allowed three runs or fewer in every start and two runs or fewer in each of his past eight starts. Over six starts in May, Jacob Misiorowski allowed just one run and struck out 57, the most by any pitcher in any calendar month in franchise history. He leads all qualified starters in strikeouts (108), WHIP (0.79) and opponents’ average (.150). No other pitcher has 100 strikeouts. Among qualified starters, Cristopher Sánchez has the lowest ERA in MLB (1.47). But lower the minimum to 50 innings, and Shohei Ohtani’s mark (0.82) is about half of that. Ohtani won’t end up with the same number of innings as other top pitching contenders in his first full season on the mound in three years, but he looks like a potential Cy Young winner every time he takes the ball. The Braves have two of the top 10 qualified starters in ERA in Chris Sale (2.01) and Bryce Elder (2.50). At age 37, Sale remains one of the best pitchers in the game and should be in the Cy Young conversation as long as he stays healthy. Among all qualified MLB starters, Sale ranks seventh in ERA and fifth in both WHIP and opponents’ batting average. He’s also throwing harder this year than he did last year.
Everything can change in one offseason in the NFL. Just take a look at what happened last year. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots went head-to-head in Super Bowl LX after missing the playoffs in 2024. In fact, they were two of six teams (Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers) to make the postseason in 2025 after failing to make the playoffs the year prior. That was just the latest sign of the year-to-year parity we see in the NFL, which the league takes great pride in. While two non-playoff teams from the prior meeting in the Super Bowl isn’t the norm, seeing a handful of new teams make the postseason each year certainly is. The NFL has an unbelievable streak of 36 seasons in which at least four teams that missed the playoffs the year prior make the postseason the next year. So, who could make up that group in 2026? Let’s rank the 18 teams that missed the playoffs in 2025 who have the best chances to make the postseason in 2026, with odds courtesy of BetMGM. Odds to make playoffs: +1500 It’s not just that the Arizona Cardinals went 3-14 last year and are moving forward with Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback, but they also play in the toughest division in the NFL. The other three teams in the NFC West made the postseason in 2025, and all three appear to be in strong shape to make it to the playoffs again in 2026. The Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are all in the top eight or so in most power rankings. Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is exciting and new coach Mike LaFleur can start to move Arizona in the right direction, but if that amounts to more than six or seven wins this year, they’ll be one of the better turnaround stories in the league as they aren’t favored in the early point spreads in any of their 17 games. Odds to make playoffs: +1100 The Miami Dolphins went 7-10 last season, but much of the past year has been shedding big contracts — wide receiver Tyreek Hill, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb — to where there’s clear expectations of a major step back as they rebrand with a new quarterback (Malik Willis), new head coach (Jeff Hafley) and new general manager (Jon-Eric Sullivan). No team has more 2027 salary cap space than the Dolphins do, and they’ll look like it in 2026 as they set themselves up for a high draft pick and rebounding from there. On top of that, the Dolphins have the second-toughest strength of schedule this season. Odds to make playoffs: +550 There’s excitement around rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but he’ll go from a 16-0 perfect season at Indiana to maybe winning a third of his games this first year with the Las Vegas Raiders. New coach Klint Kubiak also has Kirk Cousins, so he doesn’t have to go to Mendoza immediately, but a No. 1 overall pick is a huge investment that you want to see on the field fairly quickly. They’ll improve from a league-worst 14.2 points per game in 2025, but even if you add a touchdown to every score from last season, that doesn’t get you to .500. Odds to make playoffs: +800 After a 3-14 season in 2025, the Jets underwent significant roster changes this offseason. They’ve got eight new starters on defense for Aaron Glenn’s second season as head coach, seeking to improve a unit that finished 31st in points allowed last season. Moving into the middle third of the league in that stat would be a vast improvement. But with Geno Smith as the starting quarterback, it’s hard to see a significant improvement from last season’s record. Getting wide receiver Garrett Wilson healthy for a full season and seeing what rookie pass catchers Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper add to the offense are all good things, though. Odds to make playoffs: +450 The offensive line is completely revamped, but realistically, who’s the quarterback, and can he throw more than the 16 touchdowns the Cleveland Browns managed in 2025? Can new head coach Todd Monken get more out of the offense to match what could be a top-10 defense? Even with uncertainty in the division, they’ll do well to finish third, which would require either the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a big step back with their first-year head coach, or another quarterback injury in Cincinnati or Baltimore. Odds to make playoffs: +325 Last season wasn’t a good one for the Tennessee Titans. They finished in the bottom five in scoring offense and defense en route to a 3-14 record. On top of that, new head coach Robert Saleh will have at least six new starters on defense, with rookie receiver Carnell Tate potentially helping quarterback Cam Ward make a jump in his second season. The Titans had nine double-digit losses last season, matching the most in the NFL, so there’s much ground to make up to get the franchise back to .500, let alone playoff contention. Odds to make playoffs: +240 The Atlanta Falcons tied for the best record in the NFC South last year, going 8-9 in as close a division as you’ll find from top to bottom. Yet, the oddsmakers have them on the outside looking in for what would be a ninth straight year of missing the playoffs. Can head coach Kevin Stefanski take the offense to another level with Tagovailoa or Michael Penix at quarterback? Can the defense continue its progress under coordinator Jeff Ulbrich? The division is wide-open, but that’s probably the easiest sell for why the Falcons could end their postseason drought. Odds to make playoffs: +260 How much better can John Harbaugh make the New York Giants in 2026? Add in a healthy Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers on offense, rookie edge rusher Arvell Reese on defense, and the NFC East has four teams all in flux. How much will they miss star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence up front? Who knows, but they got a top-10 pick to beef their offensive line when they traded Lawrence, using the selection on Miami (Fla.)’s Francis Mauigoa. The final three-week stretch is a tough one. They travel to face the Detroit Lions on the Monday after Christmas and hit the road again to take on the Dallas Cowboys the following week. They’ll leave those matchups with the hopes of having something to play for when they finish the regular season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Odds to make playoffs: +175 Last season didn’t start well for the New Orleans Saints, but they closed strong. They were 2-10 before winning four of their last five, although two of those wins came against the Jets and Titans. Still, was that late surge a sign of how the Saints can rally around quarterback Tyler Shough? Head coach Kellen Moore got valuable additions to his offense in running back Travis Etienne and rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, suggesting that they’re buying into Shough entering Year 2. But can their defense improve without linebacker Demario Davis in the middle? A last-place schedule hooks them up with games against the Raiders and Cardinals, as the Saints have the second-easiest strength of schedule in 2026. Facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice in the final four weeks could be very pivotal. Odds to make playoffs: +170 If the Minnesota Vikings had found ways to put up more points last season, they would’ve made the postseason for a second straight year. They had a top-10 defense with coordinator Brian Flores, going 7-2 in games where they scored 20 points or more. That suggests if the offense can get back to 2024 levels, they could be a surprise team in the NFC North. However, big questions loom. Will Kyler Murray prove to be a bargain on a league minimum prove-it deal? Can rookie defensive tackle Caleb Banks show he wasn’t a first-round reach and offset the loss of edge rusher Jonathan Greenard? Can wide receiver Jauan Jennings find himself again as a potent 1-2-3 with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison? Odds to make playoffs: +140 Just like the Vikings, a few big questions linger for the Indianapolis Colts entering 2026. The first that must be answered is when Daniel Jones will be healthy and back, and whether he comes close to the 8-2 start he had with the Indianapolis Colts last year? Without many notable additions, can head coach Shane Steichen keep up with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, who both look like solid bets to return to the playoffs? The Colts lost their final seven games last season, but five were one-score games as 44-year-old Philip Rivers came out of retirement to quarterback them down the stretch. So their hopes are built around Jones staying healthy and the defense being much better, especially with cornerback Sauce Gardner getting healthy, too. Odds to make playoffs: +225 The optimism of a bounce-back year starts with a healthy Jayden Daniels, but the bigger deal might be a defense with seven new starters, including first-round pick Sonny Styles. They won five games in 2025, with two coming against the Giants and one against Eagles backups. Can the defensive overhaul get them back to the excitement of 2024, when they went 12-5 and won two playoff games? Dan Quinn needs two first-time coordinators — David Blough on offense, Daronte Jones on defense — to figure things out quickly. Odds to make playoffs: +100 Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys’ offense had another productive season in 2025. However, the defense was so bad last year, giving up a league-high 30 points a game. So, Christian Parker takes over on that side of the ball, becoming Dallas’ defensive coordinator with what looks to be six new starters, including promising rookie safety Caleb Downs. Even with their sluggish defense a year ago, the Cowboys were 6-5-1 after beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving, but then lost four of five to finish the season. Their success may hinge on a new secondary with Downs and safety Jalen Thompson leading the way. December looks daunting with trips to Seattle and Los Angeles before hosting the Jaguars, so the Cowboys might need to have a strong record through the first three months of the season. Odds to make playoffs: -155 The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has been enough of a liability to negate a prolific passing game with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, keeping them out of the playoffs three years in a row. Zac Taylor likely won’t survive as the head coach with a fourth year like that. So, can big swings for Lawrence and edge rusher Boye Mafe get the Bengals to at least an average defense? Over the last two years, the Bengals have had four games in which they scored 38-plus points and lost — the rest of the NFL combined has had five such games. They’re favored to win 15 of their games, which is the second-most in the NFL, and have the third-easiest schedule based on their opponents’ combined winning percentage from last season. Odds to make playoffs: +125 It took a collapse in the second half of the season for the Buccaneers to even appear on this list. The Bucs were 6-2 last year before going on a nosedive, losing seven of eight games and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The offense was scuttled by injuries along the offensive line and at receiver down the stretch. While they should enter the year healthier (running back Bucky Irving is expected to be ready for training camp), this is a team that lost two franchise icons in receiver Mike Evans (signed with 49ers) and linebacker Lavonte David (retired), so finding new leadership will be a must. There’s excitement surrounding rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain, who wasn’t expected to fall to them at No. 15 and highlights a tougher, new-look defensive front. Odds to make playoffs: -235 Patrick Mahomes as an underdog? That’s what we have as the Kansas City Chiefs look to rebound from a 6-11 season, with Mahomes working to return from a torn ACL. He’s not the only Super Bowl MVP in the backfield now, either, as the team signed running back Kenneth Walker from Seattle. They lost Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the secondary, so first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane becomes a crucial piece. Eric Bieniemy is back as offensive coordinator. Can the Chiefs get back to the juggernaut they were just two years ago? Odds to make playoffs: -220 The Detroit Lions lost both coordinators from 2024 last year and took a step back, losing four of six to finish the year and missing the playoffs. There are big changes on the offensive line, with Penei Sewell flipping from right to left tackle. They also have newcomers in center Cade Mays and rookie right tackle Blake Miller. The schedule closes with a nasty stretch, with three division games on the road in the final four weeks of the season. If they don’t stockpile wins early, they’ll need a very strong finish in cold conditions to stay in contention. Luckily for the Lions, they have a last-place schedule this year, though, giving them the sixth-easiest schedule in 2026. Odds to make playoffs: -340 Those odds have an implied probability of 77% that the Baltimore Ravens make the playoffs, with a first-time head coach in Jesse Minter and a 30-year-old first-time play-caller in offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Last year’s Ravens opened 1-5 amid a ton of injuries and couldn’t dig themselves out of that hole, costing Harbaugh his job. Getting defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike back is huge for the defense, and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson doesn’t hurt either. They close with four straight division games, including both Steelers games, so the AFC North will be decided in that stretch, as the Ravens have the ninth-easiest schedule this year.
Norway and Sweden head to the pitch in a friendly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Norway will be making their fourth appearance in the tournament while Sweden will be making their 13th. Matteo Bonetti thinks the Norwegian squad are a potential World Cup dark horse. Here’s Bonetti: “Norway is back at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and it arrives as one of Europe’s most in-form sides. It dominated a Euro World Cup qualifying group that included Italy and also went undefeated during the qualifying process. Another story is that striker Erling Haaland has spent his entire career watching the World Cup on television; watching the other superstars get to shine on the biggest stage. Haaland scored a mind-numbing 16 goals in qualifying in just eight matches played. Simple math shows that’s an average of two goals per game. That just doesn’t happen in this sport. Norway did not sneak through — it bulldozed through, and Haaland did it with the energy of a man who benches small cars for fun and whose hair has its own agent. Anyway, Group I features France, Senegal and Iraq. Norway needs to finish second. Beating Senegal and taking something off France is entirely doable for a squad that also includes Martin Ødegaard and Alexander Sørloth floating around Haaland. Get into the knockouts, and nobody will want to play Norway. ” Here’s everything you need to know ahead of kickoff, including how to watch. How to Watch Norway vs Sweden Norway vs Sweden Odds Norway is favored to win the match, check out the full odds below: Team Form Check out how each team have recently performed below: Norway Sweden How to Watch World Cup 2026 Stream all FIFA World Cup games on FOX One from June 11 to July 19, 2026, as 48 national teams compete across the Group Stage and Knockout rounds. FOX One gives fans access to live games, pregame coverage, highlights, expert analysis, and unforgettable moments directly to your screen. Norway World Cup Schedule Sweden World Cup Schedule
Canada and Uzbekistan face off in a friendly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Canada will be appearing in their third tournament while Uzbekistan will be marking their historic debut. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of kickoff, including how to watch. How to Watch Canada vs Uzbekistan Canada vs Uzbekistan Odds Canada is favored to win the match, check out the full odds below: World Cup Players to Watch The Canadians will lean on Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David. After several seasons of scoring goals with French side Lille, David is now trying to break through in more elite competition for Italian giants Juventus. Other players to keep an eye on are midfielders Tajon Buchanan (who plays at Spanish side Villarreal) and veteran Stephen Eustáquio, who co-captains Canada and is a steady presence at Portuguese club Porto. Abdukodir Khusanov headlines Uzbekistan’s national team after earning a move to Manchester City following several impressive seasons at Ligue 1 club Lens. Eldor Shomurodov brings top-level experience from Serie A, with stints at Genoa, Roma and Cagliari providing a veteran presence in the attack. Husniddin Aliqulov adds further stability to the back line through consistent performances in the Uzbekistan Super League and increased involvement in the national-team setup. Team Form Check out how each team have recently performed below: Canada Uzbekistan How to Watch World Cup 2026 Stream all FIFA World Cup games on FOX One from June 11 to July 19, 2026, as 48 national teams compete across the Group Stage and Knockout rounds. FOX One gives fans access to live games, pregame coverage, highlights, expert analysis, and unforgettable moments directly to your screen. Canada World Cup Schedule Uzbekistan World Cup Schedule
