Imagine for a minute that you were the winning bidder last year for Claude Monet’s Nymphéas. It sold last year at Sotheby’s, New York after a competitive bidding war lasting only 17 minutes. And the price? $65.5m. That is just for starters. One might be forgiven for thinking that the auction house commission for the sale would be paid by the seller.
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One would of course be wrong. There is the buyer’s premium to calculate. In this case, if Sotheby’s standard fees applied, that means a 27% buyer’s premium for works up to $1m; 22% for the part of the transaction between $1m-$8m and 15% for the balance above $8m. The Monet is now going to set back the buyer almost $76m. And there is more to come.
Let us also imagine that the buyer is based in the UK and is working through his or her bank, say one of the traditional big four banks. The bank will typically add to the cost of the Monet by charging an FX fee of at least 2%, probably closer to the 3% to 4% range. Even at the midpoint of the FX fees scale, that adds about another $2.3m to the final cost to the buyer.
For the sake of brevity, let us avoid the tricky question of VAT on the buyers premium or VAT on imported works of art and just focus on FX fees. The total cost of the Monet in question, including VAT, is now way over $80m for a UK buyer. A saving on the FX fee is do-able and it is almost akin to negligence if the theoretical winning UK bidder uses a traditional bank and meekly pays a 3%-4% FX fee.
It also offers disrupters in the market such as iBanFirst, an outstanding market opportunity to highlight the benefits of its smarter, fairer FX fees structure.
Vivek Savani, UK Country Manager at iBanFirst, is on a mission to address the imbalance in the FX market.
“Whether we’re talking about high-net-worth individuals or not, the foreign exchange imbalance is an unnecessary premium that really doesn’t represent smart financial management. It also affects businesses. And I think when we look at it, there are exorbitant fees and premiums built into FX pricing and services that many banks offer.
“Over 70% of businesses are still using their bank. If we extrapolate that to the private market for individuals, it’s probably vastly more than 70% moving up towards 80% and 90% of individuals that have currency transfers and requirements, that are using their bank. And it’s there that these fees really start to kick in. Typically, they may charge between 2% to 4% and ultimately, that’s a really, really high price to pay for, ultimately what is quite a straightforward transaction. And they offer, essentially an execution only service. They seldom offer the quite bespoke service that many of these individuals and businesses require. So yeah, I’d say it’s quite a vast problem.”
To suggest that the global art market is struggling, as some have claimed, might be stretching it a little. If you want a quick but comprehensive summary of the sector, the annual Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2025 by Arts Economics is a good starting point. It reveals that the global art market recorded an estimated $57.5bn in sales in 2024.
The number of transactions grew 3% year-on-year, demonstrating continued interest from collectors worldwide. On the other hand, that total for the year of $57.5bn is down by 12% y-o-y.
The US and UK continue to lead the way with 43% and 18% respectively of global sales by value. But their 2024 sales of $24.8bn and $10.4bn are down by 9% and 5% respectively.
Given the decline in the total value of art sales, Savani argues that it is time for the art world to start paying closer attention to FX and says this could support the entire ecosystem. It would encourage higher bids for auction houses/dealers, support a better seller experience and increasing buyer strength.
And he highlights the support iBanFirst provides in the global art market and says that its business model, built around close relationships, mirrors the art world. Specifically, iBanFirst
can help buyers and sellers better track payments, meaning that they are better equipped when it comes to buying and selling based on the real-time cost of currency.
“Purchasing art is a sizable investment for many people, and those fees add to the overall cost of that transaction. They’re quite opaque. So ultimately, I would argue that this really deters many people from potentially participating in an overseas auction. It erodes confidence and penalises the sellers potentially from having a wider audience to bid on those particular pieces of art. Having overall transparency would really encourage people to participate and help the sellers and help the buyers at the same time, as well as the intermediaries, the brokers and the auction houses that are a central part of that particular ecosystem.”
Savani says that there has been a rise in levels of interest in working with FX specialists instead of banks for such international transfers and in the specialist service that bespoke disruptors can offer.
But he adds: “It’s not moving at as quick a pace as one would hope. From the consumer perspective, we want to work with more individuals, more dealers, more brokers, to try and bridge that gap. It is improving. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and we hope that we can get the message out there that there is an alternative to the bank. There are better levels of service, of convenience, of information, of assistance that are out there.”
Savani summarises the iBanFirst proposition as offering a combination of technology mixed with the human touch.
“We have a really nice piece of technology. Many clients find the platform really convenient, very easy to use, and very different to what a banking system would offer them. We also offer that human touch, so someone that is there to speak to the client from the beginning of the transaction right until the end. And this is something that is really missing from a banking solution and many of our competitors.
“That is, a specialised individual that can provide guidance in terms of setting up the transaction, even more insight and a real, healthy overview of what’s happening in the market at any particular time. Ultimately, we hold the hand of the client from the beginning until the end. And that is a very important feature, I would say, when it comes to these high value transactions. They’re not small amounts of money, and it’s a comfort for clients to know there is someone at the end of a phone that will help them with any situation, whether it’s funds, whether it’s the payment, whether it’s making the transaction, the FX piece.”
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Belgium, iBanFirst is regulated as a payment institution, passported throughout the EU and is a serious competitor to the traditional bank offering for SMBs.
Its core banking platform offers fast and secure multicurrency transactions and it wins on cost versus banks, thanks to no setup fee, no tiered monthly subscription costs and no transfer fees. Savani says that what the client sees is exactly what the client pays.
The iBanFirst pricing structure is designed with scaling international businesses in mind. iBanFirst gives a standard exchange rate spread that applies across all of a client’s transactions. This means they can predict their costs even as payment values increase, rather than watching fees eat away at profits. Its offering best suits established small and medium businesses that are outgrowing entry level payment providers and that need advanced tools for things like FX risk management. It will suit importers and exporters with international supply chains seeking the tools and expertise to manage complex payments, that do not want fees eating into their margins. And it suits wholesalers who rely on FX risk management tools that crave detailed payment tracking and hands on responsive support.
What’s more, iBanFirst clients are able to track international payments every step of the way, with detailed, timestamped updates and tracking links that clients can share with their partners and suppliers.
This is, however, a competitive market, and iBanFirst is competing with some serious players. For example, Wise Business can claim that it keeps things simple, both in terms of pricing and functionality. It targets both individual consumers and businesses, especially those looking for a cost-effective solution.
On the other hand, once you are regularly moving over, say, €100,000 euros annually, across borders, iBanFirst would argue that Wise’s per transaction fees soon start adding up. And if a business is growing, foreign currency risks will become more of a concern. Wise doesn’t offer the kind of FX risk management tools or dedicated support that iBanFirst offers to protect margins from exchange rate swings.
Another competitor is Airwallex, a cross-border payment provider that offers multi-currency accounts. Airwallex is a payment gateway allowing e-commerce businesses to collect online payments, and it offers virtual and physical cards for expense management. On the other hand, it’s a more complex platform, and its features are plan dependent, that may require a steep learning curve for some users. And iBanFirst might argue that the Airwallex pricing structure is not the most SMB friendly.
Another competitor is Payoneer, which specialises in facilitating payments to and from freelancers, contractors and online sellers. But with a split focus across multiple audiences, freelancers, businesses and marketplaces, Payoneer, arguably isn’t so focused on developing solutions that meet the specific needs of SMBs.
And then there is Ebury. Ebury offers forward contracts and other FX hedging tools and offers mass payment capabilities for handling multiple international transactions. However, its complex tailored pricing structure can make it harder for businesses to predict costs or compare Ebury to other providers.
In addition, iBanFirst may argue that the Ebury platform is not so user friendly, making it harder to integrate into a modern tech stack.
Two other competitors are Convera and Revolut. Convera does suit large businesses with more complex FX needs across multiple countries, but some SMBs may find the Convera platform overwhelming and potentially more expensive than alternatives like Wise or iBanFirst.
And finally, there is Revolut. It features a tiered monthly subscription model and each plan comes with a monthly allowance for currency exchanges at the interbank rate. Revolut business does work well for companies that want a single platform to handle most of their financial needs.
So, it does have a lot to offer in terms of functionality, but iBanFirst could argue it’s not a specialised tool for a specific business type, because it tries to cater to vastly different audiences. Accordingly, some clients may find themselves paying for features that are not relevant to their business needs.
And Savani can argue that if human support is a must have, iBanFirst can win against any of what is a very competitive peer group.
“How global art auctions expose FX fees imbalance” was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.
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European governments may be reconsidering their use of American technology and services, according to a new report in The New York Times.
The flashpoint seems to come after President Donald Trump sanctioned Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, over the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
In response, Microsoft turned off Khan’s email address. Casper Klynge, a former diplomat who has also worked for Microsoft, told the NYT that Microsoft’s action became “the smoking gun that many Europeans had been looking for,” pushing them to look at alternative options. (Some ICC workers have reportedly switched over to Swiss email service Proton, for example.)
“If the U.S. administration goes after certain organizations, countries or individuals, the fear is American companies are obligated to comply,” Klynge said.
For its part, Microsoft said it has subsequently made policy changes to protect customers similar situations, and it noted that it did not shut down the email accounts of four ICC judges who Trump sanctioned earlier this month. In addition, just this week, CEO Satya Nadella announced new “sovereign solutions” to protect European institutions.
Atlas: Danny Logan questionable (medical), Jeff Teat questionable (left Achilles tendon tightness), Max Krevsky questionable (right groin strain), Gavin Adler questionable (right groin strain) Waterdogs: Liam Byrnes out (physically unable to perform list), CJ Kirst out (PUP), Christian Scarpello (PUP), Zed Williams (PUP), Charlie Hayes injured reserve (left hamstring strain)
The first two overall picks in the 2021 PLL draft — No. 1 Jeff Teat and No. 2 Michael Sowers — match up again in this one. Teat won last year’s Jim Brown MVP Award, while Sowers has emerged as an early favorite to win that honor this season.
Atlas
Just three midfielders since 2001 have reached the 100-assist benchmark for their career — Paul Rabil, Tom Schreiber and Matt Striebel. New York’s Myles Jones (98) is closing in on that total.
The availability of SSDM Danny Logan is a big deal for the Atlas. They are 1-0 in games with Logan this season, and 0-2 without him. He’s a three-time winner of the George Boiardi Hard Hat SSDM of the Year.
Waterdogs
Sowers’ assists-per-game rate steadily increased from 2021 (1.0) to 2024 (1.9), and has exploded in 2025, as he has registered 4.7 per game this season. He is on pace to break Teat’s single-season assists record (36), set last season.
Kieran McArdle begins play this weekend sixth on the all-time goals leaderboard (309), and is eight points shy of his 500th career point.
play
0:29
Thomas McConvey nets his 4th goal for Waterdogs
Thomas McConvey slams in his fourth goal of the game for the Waterdogs vs. the Cannons.
Boston Cannons vs. Maryland Whipsnakes
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2/ESPN+
Injury report:
Cannons: Bubba Fairman injured reserve Whipsnakes: Rob Pannell questionable (right calf), Tucker Dordevic injured reserve (fractured jaw), Ryan Conrad out (PUP)
Cannons
Marcus Holman is on the precipice of some major career milestones:
With one more point, he’ll join the 500-point club, which currently has just five members: Paul Rabil (657), John Grant Jr. (643), Rob Pannell (616), Joe Walters (565) and Casey Powell (523).
With three more groundballs, he’d reach 300. By doing so, he’d become the first member of the 300 point-300 groundball club.
Whipsnakes
If Pannell is good to go for this game, he has a chance to break ESPN analyst Ryan Boyle’s all-time assist record; Boyle finished with 292 and Pannell currently has 291. Will it happen during homecoming weekend?
Matt Dunn may be tasked with defending Asher Nolting. As the closest defender in 2024, Dunn held Nolting to 1-for-10 shooting.
play
0:33
Brad Smith scores a go-ahead goal for the Whipsnakes
Brad Smith gives the Whipsnakes a lead in the fourth quarter against the Atlas.
Archers vs. Outlaws
Sunday, 12 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+
Injury report:
Archers: Nick Washuta out (PUP), Brett Dobson questionable (left ankle sprain), Tre Leclaire out (PUP), Devon McLane out (PUP) Outlaws: Michael Manley questionable (right arm), Pat Kavanagh questionable (medical)
Archers
Will the defending champs use Graeme Hossack again to slow down Brennan O’Neill? In the teams’ second matchup in 2024, Hossack held O’Neill to zero points (after O’Neill had nine in an earlier game that season when Hossack was out of the lineup).
On the other side, Tom Schreiber is close to a milestone: With his next goal, he’ll join the 200-goal club, which currently has 21 members.
Outlaws
The Archers got their first win of the season in Week 3; Pat Kavanagh recorded his first career hat trick, and Jared Bernhardt scored his first PLL goal.
Rookie goaltender Logan McNaney took command of the Outlaws’ crease in Week 3, finishing with 14 saves to earn the W.
play
0:24
Pat Kavanagh scores a goal for Denver Outlaws
Pat Kavanagh scores a goal for Denver Outlaws
Chaos vs. Whipsnakes
Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Injury report:
Chaos: Sergio Perkovic questionable (PUP), Ray Dearth questionable (right foot), Chris Aslanian injured reserve (torso) Whipsnakes: Rob Pannell questionable (right calf), Tucker Dordevic injured reserve (fractured jaw), Ryan Conrad out (PUP)
Chaos
The Chaos are expected to see a couple big debuts this weekend:
Shane Knobloch — the No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft — has been activated off the PUP list. The midfielder scored the game-winning, overtime goal against Maryland in 2024.
Attackman Owen Hiltz — the No. 8 pick in the 2025 draft — is poised to make his first pro appearance, after finishing his collegiate career with 137 goals and 102 assists at Syracuse.
Whipsnakes
This will be Pannell’s second opportunity to break Ryan Boyle’s career assists record — or keep adding to it.
Each homecoming team this season has failed to get two W’s. Will the Whipsnakes follow that trend, or can they reel off two victories to get back in the playoff hunt?
Duffy spent eight years as Ashland County District Attorney in his home state of Wisconsin before serving in Congress from 2011 to 2019. He resigned from office that August, citing his yet-to-be-born ninth child’s health issues.
“After she’s born, whether it’s two to six months after life, she’s going to need open-heart surgery,” he explained on Fox & Friends. “They gotta crack her open and fix the heart.”
Duffy added, “I love politics, but I love my family, and I think it’s always a balance. The schedules are grueling. I’m out in D.C. four days a week, and then I’m back with Rachel.” Traveling around his district meeting people, he said, “we get beat up a little bit as members of Congress. We’re a favorite punching bag.”
On The Real World, “I was forced to live with people who were so different than me,” he told NCTA in May 2019. “When I first got there, I saw the stark differences I had with my roommates. But when I left, I realized I had way more in common with them than I ever imagined.”
He compared the experience to crossing the aisle in Congress: “It’s amazing the kind of legislation you can work on together and how many points of agreement you actually have.”
A British tourist is in hospital after catching a serious lung disease while on an all-inclusive holiday in Greece.
Donna Jobling, from west Hull, contracted Legionnaires’ disease on the island of Crete, and is in intensive care.
The 57-year-old was travelling with easyJet Holidays, which says it has moved other customers out of the hotel where she was staying.
“We’re so sorry to hear that Ms Jobling is unwell, and we’re continuing to support her and her family in every way we can,” a spokesperson said.
Ms Jobling has been in an intensive care unit at Venizeleio Hospital in Heraklion since 11 June, her niece Klaire Keita told Hull Live.
On 5 June she developed a chest infection which triggered acute respiratory failure and pneumonia, her niece added.
“We were told it was touch and go whether she would survive,” she said, adding Ms Jobling is “stable but under constant watch”.
Following her diagnosis, the Greek health ministry issued a statement to hoteliers in Crete to “raise awareness among all those involved in monitoring the quality of water for human consumption especially with regard to Legionella”.
The source of the disease has not yet been identified but easyJet Holidays has moved other customers out of the hotel they were staying in, as a precaution.
“We’ve also been in touch with customers who recently returned home from this hotel, to inform them of necessary guidance,” a spokesperson said.
“Our customers’ safety and wellbeing is our top priority, and we’ll continue to do all we can to support them.”
It is understood the hotel affected is currently working with local health authorities on the island.
An emergency alert has been issued on the island by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control following the diagnosis.
Legionnaires’ disease is a lung infection most commonly contracted through the inhalation of water droplets containing Legionella bacteria.
It is usually caught in places such as hotels, hospitals and office buildings from contaminated air conditioning systems, but can also be contracted from spa pools and hot tubs.
Symptoms include shortness of breath, a high temperature and chest pain or discomfort, particularly when breathing or coughing. The disease can induce pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses, which can be life-threatening.
Smokers, people over the age of 50 and those who are immunocompromised or have chronic lung conditions are at higher risk of developing the disease.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) called Vice President Vance’s remarks 100 percent lies after Vance traveled to Los Angeles on Friday to show support for the Marines deployed during the anti-ICE protests.
“He comes in, he makes all of these statements about what is not happening in LA at all, then insults the senator that he serves with now, as president of the Senate, so it was just disrespectful and it was tough listening to him saying what is going on in our city and it be 100 percent lies,” said Bass.
Vance, in front of federal, state and local officials in Los Angeles, justified President Trump’s decision to send in the National Guard and Marines to squash anti-immigration protests last week.
During his remarks, Vance insinuated that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Bass were encouraging the protestors and preventing law enforcement from doing their jobs.
He referred to the protests as “riots” and said it was necessary to send the National Guard as the violence was uncontrollable by local law enforcement.
The vice president came to LA after a three-judge federal appeals court panel unanimously ruled on Thursday that Trump was allowed to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles.
Newsom sued Trump over his use of the National Guard, as he was not consulted prior to their deployment.
During Vance’s remarks he also misnamed Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), calling him Jose Padilla.
“I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,” Vance said. “I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theater.”
Padilla was forcibly removed from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press briefing last week after trying to ask a question. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the senator did not identify himself. Video footage showed he did identify himself when making remarks. The scene created a scandal among Democrats who fear a normalization of violence against elected officials.
“He knows my name,” Padilla told MSNBC on Saturday. “Look, sadly, it’s just an indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is. But he’s the vice president of the United States. You think he’d take the situation in Los Angeles more seriously.”
Democratic allies of Padilla say it was done intentionally and accuse the vice president of blatant disrespect.
LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC) LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC) introduced LevelUp Checking, a new digital checking account that provides cash back on debit card purchases and personal loan repayments through its LendingClub Bank business.
As part of its conditions, the account will offer 1% cash back on debit card purchases for mainly gas, groceries, and pharmacy products once its clients activate direct deposits. But it’s more exciting for customers having a LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC) personal loan, as they can enjoy 2% cash back on their timely monthly loan payments using their LevelUp Checking account.
As the Chief Customer Officer of LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC) stated,
“LevelUp Checking delivers cash back for essential purchases like gas and groceries while stacking on additional cash back for our borrowers who make on-time payments.”
LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC) delivered around a 42% return in one year. While this may not be truly impressive, the recent insider buying can’t be overlooked. During the five years of share price growth, the company has transitioned from loss to profitability. It’s clear that the management’s strategic vision will bring growth well into the future.
LendingClub Corporation (NYSE:LC) is a California-based bank holding company that provides a variety of financial products and services in the United States. The core offerings of the company include deposit and loan products, as well as a lending marketplace platform. Incorporated in 2006, the small-cap company is focused on offering members better borrowing rates and higher savings yields.
While we acknowledge the potential of LC as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
Welcome back to Week in Review! Lots in store for you today, including Wix’s latest acquisition, Meta’s new smart glasses, a look at the new Digg, and much more. Have a great weekend!
Smart specs: Meta and Oakley have teamed up on a new pair of smart glasses that can record 3K video, play music, handle calls, and respond to Meta AI prompts. They start at $399 and have double the battery life of Meta’s Ray-Bans. A $499 limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN model will be available starting July 11.
Unicorn watch: Wix bought 6-month-old solo startup Base44 for $80 million in cash after it quickly gained traction as a no-code AI tool for building web apps. Created by a single founder and already profitable, Base44’s rapid rise made scooping it up irresistible.
Sand to the rescue: Finland just turned on the world’s largest sand battery — yes, actual sand — which stores heat to help power the small town of Pornainen’s heating system and cut its carbon emissions. The low-tech, low-cost system is built from discarded fireplace soapstone, is housed in a giant silo, and can store heat for weeks, proving you don’t need fancy lithium to fight climate change. You just need a pile of hot rocks.
This is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, where we recap the week’s biggest news. Want this delivered as a newsletter to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.
News
Image Credits:Rebecca Bellan
We’re back, baby: VanMoof is back from the brink with the S6, its first e-bike since bankruptcy — and it’s sticking to its signature custom design, despite that being what nearly killed the company. Backed by McLaren tech and a beefed-up repair network, the new VanMoof promises smoother rides, smarter features, and (hopefully) fewer stranded cyclists.
Space lasers: Baiju Bhatt, best known for co-founding Robinhood, is now building lasers in space. His new startup, Aetherflux, has raised $60 million to prove that beaming solar power from orbit isn’t a fantasy, with a demo satellite set to launch next year and early backing from the Department of Defense.
Oh no: One of SpaceX’s Starship rockets exploded during a test in Texas, likely pushing back the vehicle’s next launch, which had been tentatively set for June 29. SpaceX says the blast, caused by a pressurized tank failure, didn’t injure anyone, but it’s yet another setback in a rocky year for the company’s ambitious mega-rocket program.
That lossless feeling: Spotify’s long-awaited lossless audio tier still hasn’t launched, but fresh hints buried in the latest app code suggest that it’s under active development and could be closer than ever. But with years of delays and no official timeline, fans might want to temper their excitement until Spotify confirms the rollout.
I can Digg it: Digg’s reboot has entered alpha testing with a fresh iOS app aimed at becoming an AI-era Reddit alternative. The app offers a clean, simple design with curated communities, AI-powered article summaries, and gamified features like “Gems” and daily leaderboards.
We want you: The U.S. Navy is speeding up how it works with startups, cutting red tape and zeroing in on real wins like saved time and better morale. Department of the Navy CTO Justin Fanelli says it’s leading with problems, hunting for game-changing tech in AI, GPS, and system upgrades. And with Silicon Valley finally paying attention, the Navy’s becoming a go-to partner for innovators ready to shake things up.
Cash ain’t king: Mark Zuckerberg is throwing out massive cash — up to $100 million — to lure top AI talent from OpenAI and DeepMind. But OpenAI’s Sam Altman says none of his key people have bitten, praising his team’s mission over money. Meanwhile, OpenAI keeps pushing ahead with new AI models and even hints at launching an AI-powered social app that could outpace Meta’s own shaky attempts.
Before you go
Image Credits:Cluely
San Francisco’s latest startup saga? Cluely’s after-party for YC’s AI Startup School blew up on Twitter, drawing 2,000 party crashers, but it became the “most legendary party that never happened” after getting shut down by cops before a single drink was spilled. Founder Roy Lee’s viral marketing may have promised chaos, but the real party’s waiting. Maybe once the weather warms up?
The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are battling this weekend for a lead in the National League East that has gone back and forth between the two clubs, with the Mets opening up a 5½-game lead June 12 before losing six in a row to the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves and drawing the Phillies back in.
The Braves were supposed to be part of this mix but have stumbled through a terrible first half, leaving this as a two-team race. While Mets and Phillies fans are bitter rivals, it’s been a long time since the two teams have clashed for a division crown. Even last season, when both teams joined the Braves in the playoffs, the Mets were never really in the division race, getting no closer in the second half than five games back in the final week.
The Mets and Braves tied for the division title with 101 wins in 2022, but the Phillies finished 14 games behind, only to get hot in the postseason and reach the World Series. The Phillies were bad for a long time before that, the Mets mostly bad, so we go back to 2008 to find the most recent heated Mets-Phillies division race. The Mets were a half-game up with nine to play, but they finished 3-6, while the Phillies went 6-2 to win the division by three games — and went on to win the World Series.
What has put both teams in this position? Let’s look at the biggest strength so far for the Mets, Phillies and all the teams in the majors with records currently above .500 this season, starting with the National League.
National League
Record: 47-30 (1st in NL West)
Biggest strength: Offense
Just like the Cubs, the Dodgers might have the best offense in franchise history, league-adjusted. They lead the majors in runs scored and their wRC+ of 124 would be their highest ever. (If we remove pitchers from the equation, the top mark goes to the 1953 Brooklyn club at 126.) This is nothing new, as the Dodgers have ranked first or second in the NL in runs scored each season since 2018.
We know all about the remarkable exploits of Shohei Ohtani and his chance to become the first player to score 160 runs since Lou Gehrig, but one big key of late has been Max Muncy — now wearing glasses. Through April 29, Muncy was hitting .180 with no home runs in 28 games. He wore glasses for the first time on April 30 and homered that night. He’s hitting .281/.420/.541 since donning the eyewear, giving the Dodgers yet another lethal bat.
On paper and in the standings, the Phillies match up with the Mets. When you dig into the numbers, however, the Mets should be ahead of them. Even with their recent slide, the Mets have a plus-60 run differential, with the Phillies at plus-42. The Mets are fifth in the majors in bullpen win probability added, the Phillies way down at 23rd as they’ve struggled with their closer situation. Aaron Nola is 1-7 with a 6.16 ERA and on the IL. Even Bryce Harper has been a little down at the plate and is now injured as well.
But the Phillies do have Wheeler and Suarez (and Cristopher Sanchez has been good, too). Wheeler is doing his usual thing, once again on the short list for best pitcher in baseball. At 35, he’s not only showing no signs of age, but has a career-high strikeout rate of 32.5%. Suarez, meanwhile, is 6-1 with a 2.20 ERA in starts after beginning the season on the IL. After giving up seven runs in his first start, he has been in lockdown mode, with a 1.17 ERA across eight starts, including five of seven innings. Suarez has had runs like this before, including a 2.76 ERA in the first half last season that earned him an All-Star spot.
How good has the Cubs’ offense been? They’re averaging 5.36 runs per game, second in the majors. The last time they came close to that was 5.31 in 2008. The last time they averaged more per game was 1935, when five regulars hit over .300. If we adjust for league context, however, the 2025 Cubs have the highest wRC+ in franchise history since 1900. This is an excellent offense.
How good has the Cubs’ defense been? They’re second in the majors in both defensive runs saved and Statcast’s fielding run value.
Leading the way on both sides of the ball has been the thrilling, the wonderful, the breathtaking Pete Crow-Armstrong. How good has the 23-year-old center fielder been? With his defense, power and speed, he has already posted 4.3 WAR though 74 games, a season-long pace of 9.5. Only four Cubs position players have topped that mark: Rogers Hornsby in 1929 (10.6), Sammy Sosa in 2001 (10.3), Ernie Banks in 1959 (10.2) and Ron Santo in 1967 (9.8).
The analytics say he can’t keep this up, that pitchers will figure how to exploit his league-worst chase rate. Except they haven’t yet (see the 452-foot home run he just hit a few days ago). In the Statcast metrics, he ranks in the 100th percentile in fielding value, 99th percentile in baserunning value, and 89th percentile in batting value. Call that the triple crown of awesomeness.
Record: 45-31 (2nd in NL East)
Biggest strength: Starting pitching
The Mets’ big three — Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso — have all been outstanding, with Soto back on track after a slow start, but the rotation has keyed the team’s strong start, leading the majors with a 3.03 ERA. They’ve done it even without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, who haven’t pitched in the majors yet this season. Leading the way have been Kodai Senga (1.47 ERA), David Peterson (2.60) and Clay Holmes (3.04). Kudos to Mets management for signing Holmes as a free agent and converting him from reliever to starter, a gutsy move that has paid huge dividends.
Aside from likely regression, the rotation depth will now be tested. Senga just injured his hamstring and might miss a month. Tylor Megill is out with an elbow sprain and could miss up to five weeks. Montas’ rehab clock ends Sunday, but he got pounded in four Triple-A starts for Syracuse, with a 13.19 ERA and just eight strikeouts in 14⅓ innings. He looks unusable for the rotation right now, so the Mets might have to bury him in the bullpen. Manaea made a rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday, so he’s at least getting closer. The Mets might also have a weapon waiting in the minors if needed in Jonah Tong, who has a 1.97 ERA in Double-A while averaging 14.6 K’s per nine.
Record: 42-34 (2nd in NL West)
Biggest strength: Front-line pitching
The Giants are third in the majors in ERA and fifth in runs allowed per game, but have relied on a relatively small group of pitchers to achieve that: starters Logan Webb (7-5, 2.49 ERA) and Robbie Ray (8-2, 2.68 ERA) and relievers Randy Rodriguez, Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers and Erik Miller (all with sub-2.00 ERAs). Hayden Birdsong has also moved to the rotation from the bullpen and has a 3.25 ERA.
Not surprisingly, the Giants receive a lot of help from their home park: Their ERA is 2.89 at home and 3.72 on the road. That road ERA is still seventh best in the majors, but the Giants have certainly thrived at home, where they are 23-14 despite averaging fewer than four runs per game. Acquiring Rafael Devers will help the offense, but the pressure will remain on the pitching to win these low-scoring games. The Giants are 18-15 in one-run games, leading the majors in one-run games played and one-run wins — with 10 such wins coming when they’ve scored three or fewer runs.
Record: 41-35 (Tied for 2nd in NL Central)
Biggest strength: Position player durability
OK, this is kind of a weird one, but we’re trying to figure out how the Brewers are once again succeeding. Their bullpen has been solid, but certainly has had a few more leaks than the past two seasons, when the pen was dominant, especially in win probability added. They’re good on the bases, but near the bottom of the league in home runs. So let’s go with lineup stability.
The Brewers have played 76 games, and seven players have played at least 70 of them. That’s pretty remarkable in today’s game, when staying healthy sometimes feels like half the battle. Other than Joey Ortiz, they have all produced positive WAR — and since the Brewers are not using their bench much or resorting to call-ups, they’re avoiding the “bad” plate appearances that drag down some lineups. No single player is tearing it up, but having seven slightly better than average hitters might be enough to win a wild card.
Record: 41-35 (Tied for 2nd in NL Central)
Biggest strength: Rotation stability
The Cardinals have been a mild surprise, even without any specific thing standing out. Is anybody on offense killing it? Not really. Brendan Donovan is hitting over .300 and has a bunch of doubles, and Ivan Herrera is hitting over .300 and has an OPS over .900, but he missed a month. Has the bullpen been shutting opponents down? Not exactly, no. Closer Ryan Helsley has five blown saves. Is the defense great? Maybe, with Victor Scott II and Masyn Winn, but the teamwide metrics don’t stand out. Is the rotation dominating? Hardly. The rotation is 18th in ERA.
But … the rotation has been stable, with the top five guys all making at least 14 starts. They’ve needed only four starts from outside those five, two of those coming in doubleheaders and a third resulting from a doubleheader. This is a change from last year, when eight pitchers made at least six starts and especially from the 91-loss season of 2023, when only Miles Mikolas made more than 21 starts. Similar to the Brewers not using many bad position players, the Cardinals at least haven’t had to deploy any bad starters — and that keeps you in games.
The Padres are kind of walking a tightrope right now, with several key performers either injured (Michael King, Yu Darvish) or not providing much value (Luis Arraez, Xander Bogaerts). Closer Robert Suarez has even had two catastrophic five-run blowups in save situations. Arraez is hitting .280, but it’s an empty .280 — he’s posting a career-low OBP with poor defensive metrics and he has been worth 0.1 WAR. Bogaerts is heading for a third straight season where his OPS+ will drop since he signed with the Padres, so he has been worth just 0.8 WAR (at least his defense has been solid).
While Gavin Sheets has stepped up in the DH role, the Padres’ lineup otherwise lacks depth: Ten different players have batted at least 10 times and have negative WAR. The Padres will no doubt look to address this at the trade deadline, but with Arraez and Bogaerts not major contributors, that puts all the pressure on Machado, Tatis and Merrill — and Merrill is currently on the concussion IL. Tatis might be the focal point here: He had a huge April with eight home runs and 1.011 OPS, slumped in May (.184 batting average, .626 OPS) and has been better in June. Let’s just say it would be beneficial for the April Tatis to show up the rest of the way.
Record: 39-37 (4th in NL Central)
Biggest strength: A young rotation finally emerging
The Reds have come up with several talented young pitchers in recent years, but have had issues keeping them healthy or seeing them productive in the same season. So far, however, the Reds’ rotation ranks third in Baseball-Reference WAR, behind only the Phillies and Royals, with Andrew Abbott (6-1, 1.84 ERA in 12 starts) perhaps on his way to a breakout season and Nick Lodolo on his way to a career high in games started and innings.
They’ll need to get Hunter Greene healthy, though. Greene tied Chris Sale for the NL lead with 6.2 bWAR last season and was on his way to a similar campaign (2.72 ERA in 11 starts) until he missed two weeks with a groin strain, returned to make three starts, and then landed back on the IL with another groin strain and a sore back that required an epidural. Veteran Wade Miley is filling in for Greene, and the options beyond him appear limited, so getting Greene back will be a must in the second half.
Record: 38-37 (4th in NL West)
Biggest strength: Offensive depth
After leading the majors in runs scored in 2024, the Diamondbacks are once again averaging more than five runs per game, one of just four teams above that mark. Leading the way: Corbin Carroll, having a bounce-back season more in line with his rookie numbers from 2023 except with even more power; Ketel Marte, with an OPS over .900; and slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who has 24 home runs. Eight of the nine regulars have an OPS+ over 100, and the top two bench guys are solid-average as well.
The problem: They might need the offense to be even better. Corbin Burnes is out for the season, and Merrill Kelly has been the team’s only other consistent starter with Zac Gallen‘s ERA on the wrong side of 5 and Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez getting hit hard. Outside of Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks, the bullpen has been terrible, ranking last in the majors in win probability added. The Diamondbacks will have some tough decisions at the trade deadline and will be the most interesting team to watch, with Suarez, Kelly, Gallen, Miller, Beeks and Josh Naylor all heading to free agency.
The Detroit offense has been much improved, ranking fifth in the majors in runs per game after finishing 19th last season. On defense, the versatility of multiple players like Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry helps manager AJ Hinch. Still, the clear strength here is reigning Cy Young Award winner Skubal — who might be on his way to becoming the first repeat winner in the AL since Pedro Martinez in 2000.
Skubal began the season with two so-so starts and lost both those games, but since then he’s 8-0 with a 1.58 ERA and an otherworldly strikeout-to-walk ratio of 107-to-8 — yes, that’s eight walks in his past 13 starts. The Tigers are 11-2 in those games, with the two losses a 10th-inning defeat and a 1-0 finish. When Skubal starts, the Tigers usually win.
Because of Skubal’s excellence, the Tigers rank third in the majors in rotation ERA. Still, that probably overrates their depth, as Hinch has been investing heavily in openers such as Brant Hurter and Tyler Holton of late, with only Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize remaining on regular rotation. With Jackson Jobe done for the year with Tommy John surgery, Skubal’s importance ramps up even higher.
Record: 44-32 (1st in AL West)
Biggest strength: Late-game bullpen
Houston’s offense has actually been pretty solid after a poor April — even without Yordan Alvarez — and the 1-2 duo of Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez has been dominant, but the back end of the bullpen has been the key for the team’s surge into first place.
It begins with closer Josh Hader. After a homer-prone first season with the Astros in 2024 in which he allowed 12 home runs in 71 innings and lost eight games, Hader is 5-1 and a perfect 18-for-18 in save opportunities. Setting him up are Bryan Abreu, Bryan King, Steven Okert and Bennett Sousa, all with sub-3.00 ERAs. Shawn Dubin has a sub-2.00 ERA in more limited action. Overall, Houston ranks fifth in the majors in bullpen ERA.
In high-leverage situations, the bullpen has been even better, with the lowest OPS in the majors, holding batters to a .146/.233/.236 line according to TruMedia data. That performance has helped the Astros to a 14-7 record in one-run games and a 5-0 mark in extra innings.
Is the pen this good? Hader and Abreu have strong track records. That’s less true for King, Okert and Sousa — but nothing in their numbers screams fluke, as they’ve combined for 109 strikeouts and just 18 walks. Veteran Okert, 33, has been the biggest surprise. Signed as a free agent for just $1.2 million, he entered 2025 with a career walk rate of 3.8 per nine innings; suddenly he’s Greg Maddux and has just six walks in 34⅔ innings (with 44 strikeouts). Other than Abreu, the other three setup guys are left-handed, but that hasn’t been an issue so far. This pen looks like the real deal.
For the first two months of 2025, the Yankees’ offense was clicking on all cylinders. Judge was leading the way with a historic start to his season, putting up numbers only Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth had matched over a full season. But he wasn’t the only one doing big damage. Paul Goldschmidt was hitting .347 through May 28, Trent Grisham cracked 12 home runs and had an OPS over 1.000 through May 12, and Ben Rice had an OPS over .900 as late as May 20.
The Yankees not only weren’t missing Juan Soto but were thriving without him. Unlike last season, when Soto was often the only major supporting cast member, Judge suddenly had multiple mashers around him.
Alas, what happens when Judge goes into a slump? During a recent six-game losing streak, Judge went 2-for-23 with 14 strikeouts and just a solo home run for his lone RBI, his average dropping from .392 to .366. The Yankees scored six runs and were shut out in three consecutive games, just the seventh time that has happened in franchise history.
It wasn’t just Judge. Goldschmidt, Grisham and Rice have all predictably regressed from their hot starts, leading to the concern: Can this lineup score enough runs if Judge isn’t superhuman all the time?
Record: 42-34 (2nd in AL East)
Biggest strength: Infield offense
The Rays are a balanced team without any single huge strength. They do lead the majors in stolen bases, but that’s primarily from two players: Jose Caballero and Chandler Simpson (and Simpson is currently in the minors). Their overall baserunning is a strength, third in FanGraphs’ baserunning metric, but that’s a small strength and hardly the reason they’ve surged after sitting five games under .500 on May 19. They’re a good defensive team, but they’ve had better defensive teams. The pitching? Good, but they’ve had better seasons in that area as well.
Let’s go with their overall offense from the four infield positions. The Rays rank third in the majors in OPS, third in home runs and third in runs from their infielders. First baseman Jonathan Aranda has been the best hitter in this group, having his breakout season at age 27 and in line for possible All-Star selection. Second baseman Brandon Lowe is doing his usual thing, with 15 home runs, and, most importantly, has remained healthy. Taylor Walls is the defensive wizard at shortstop, while Caballero splits time there in his utility role.
Then there’s Junior Caminero. Remember him? Last year’s hyped prospect doesn’t turn 22 until July and entered the season with just 213 plate appearances, but it feels as if everyone forgot about him heading into 2025 after he didn’t immediately tear up the majors as a rookie. He remains a flawed offensive player with an OBP just north of .300 and is on pace to break Jim Rice’s single-season record for grounding into double plays, but the power has arrived with 17 home runs — and he’s been red-hot of late, hitting .317/.389/.683 since May 23 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs in 26 games. That included a 4-for-5 game Wednesday as the Rays rallied from an 8-0 deficit to beat the Orioles 12-8. That sounds like the Rays team that made the playoffs five straight years from 2019 to 2023: scrappy, underrated and capable of beating you in different ways.
Record: 40-35 (3rd in AL East)
Biggest strength: Lowest strikeout rate in majors
We’re digging here to find somewhere the Jays excel. They are a very good defensive team with either Daulton Varsho or Myles Straw in center (Varsho is on the injured list at the moment), Andres Gimenez at second, and Ernie Clement at third. Even Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is posting the best defensive metrics of his career. The pitching certainly hasn’t been a strength. They’ve been outhomered 101 to 77, so power hasn’t been their game. Indeed, the Jays are five games over .500 even though they’ve been outscored by 14 runs.
That makes them a hard team to read. They’re 7-13 in blowout games — those decided by five or more runs — and that’s usually a surefire indicator of a bad team. Good teams don’t get blown out more often than they blow out their opponents. The Jays have thus done well in close games, and one related cause might be their ability to put the bat on the ball. They do have five walk-off wins (as opposed to two walk-off losses) and they’re 5-2 in extra-inning contests. In the bigger picture, maybe the contact rate will eventually turn into more offense if they can turn more of those balls into extra-base hits (the Jays are just 17th in the majors in isolated power). With just nine home runs, Guerrero is certainly the primary guy to watch in this area.
What, you expected this to say team chemistry or something? The promise of youth? No, with Rafael Devers in San Francisco and Alex Bregman still on the injured list, Crochet is the answer here. Where would this rotation be without him? Let’s do some math:
Crochet: 7-4, 2.20 ERA, 10-for-16 in quality starts
Other starters: 15-17, 5.04 ERA, 22-for-60 in quality starts
Now, maybe those “others” will improve. Tanner Houck, Sean Newcomb and Richard Fitts are a combined 0-9, and Houck is now on the IL, Newcomb is on the Athletics and Fitts is in the minors. Brayan Bello has been better his past few starts, but Boston is still looking for consistency from Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolito. Even if the young position players start hitting better, the Red Sox are going to need more than just Crochet to stabilize the rotation.
Record: 38-36 (2nd in AL West)
Biggest strength: The Big Dumper
Here’s a stat that might surprise you: The Mariners are third in the majors in road OPS. Is this actually a good offensive team, only to have that good offense masked by playing half their games in a home park where offense goes to die? The Mariners are hitting .265/.345/.428 on the road, trailing only the Cubs and Yankees in OPS. At home, however, the numbers dip to .221/.300/.371 — 24th in the majors in OPS.
The Big Dumper is Cal Raleigh, and with the starting rotation struggling with injuries, the bullpen a little thin behind standout closer Andres Munoz and Julio Rodriguez more “meh” than awesome, Raleigh has felt like a one-man show at times. He leads the majors with 29 home runs, leads the AL with 63 RBIs, and trails only Judge in OPS. He has played in 73 of Seattle’s 74 games and does his best damage when he starts behind the plate: Twenty-seven of his 29 home runs have come as a catcher. The record for home runs by a primary catcher is Salvador Perez‘s 48 in 2021, but only 33 of those came as a catcher. The record for home runs hit while catching is Javy Lopez’s 42 in 2003. Raleigh’s 180 wRC+ currently sits second highest for a primary catcher, behind only Mike Piazza’s 183 in 1997.
All that undersells how Raleigh has propped up the Mariners. He’s been clutch as well, ranking in the top three in the majors in advanced metrics such as win probability added, situational wins added and championship WPA. Oh, and he’s hitting .257/.358/.614 at home. Judge might have MVP all but locked up already, but don’t tell that to the Big Dumper.
Ultimately, the state high court ruled that the Mighty Ducks actor should not have been charged after he entered a non-prosecution agreement with the State Attorney’s Office in Cook County. The court also noted it had remanded the case back to the circuit court to enter a judgement of dismissal.
Since the controversy—which saw the celeb accused of paying two brothers $2,500 to stage the hate crime—Jussie announced he would be donating $50,000 as part of a settlement with the city of Chicago, as well as an additional $10,000 on top of that.
“Though I was exonerated by the Illinois Supreme Court in a unanimous decision and the civil case will now be dismissed, I’m aware that it will not change everyone’s mind about me or the attack I experienced,” he wrote on Instagram last month. “Despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent in the eyes of God and our criminal justice system. What I have to do now is move forward.”
While Jussie and Jabari prepare to embark on their new journey together, keep reading to see which celebs tied the knot in 2025.
