We’ve been waiting for Spotify’s lossless streaming for more than four years, but there are some new and promising hints that the feature might finally arrive sometime soon.
The X account for Spicetify, a command-line tool that lets you customize the Spotify client, says that a new version of Spotify includes some hidden mentions of lossless. In a screenshot the account shared, for example, lossless appears in the sidebar to connect a device. Another screenshot shows lossless as an option for streaming quality in the app’s settings. The Spicetify account also says it has seen code that lossless will be available on Spotify Connect and in the web player.
To be clear: Spotify’s lossless streaming still isn’t available yet. But these small lossless mentions and recent reporting indicate that the company may be ready to add lossless at long last.
Spotify initially announced a “Spotify HiFi” tier in 2021 that it intended to launch that year, but that didn’t happen. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in 2024 that the company was working on a “deluxe” version of Spotify. And in February, Bloombergreported that Spotify was aiming to roll out a new “Music Pro” tier with features like higher-quality streaming by the end of this year. The tier could cost as much as $5.99 per month more than its current subscriptions, Bloomberg says.
Ahead of this weekend’s games at the historic Homewood Field in Baltimore, here are my updated power rankings for the league.
1. Utah Archers
Current record: 2-1 Week 3 ranking: 2
The Archers jump into a top spot after a 12-11 win over California last Friday. To the Redwoods’ credit, they hung around for most the game and took the two-time champs into deep water. But again, Tom Schreiber was the hero for the Archers with three goals and two assists, including the team’s final goal of the night.
Utah still has a lot of work to do going forward. Led by goalie Brett Dobson’s 63% save percentage, they have the No. 1 scoring defense in the PLL. But the team is winning just 38% of their faceoffs and their offense isn’t humming like it was in 2024. They are gravely missing the injured Tre Leclaire in the pick game, and their ball movement is stagnant with clogged skip lanes.
This weekend: Sunday, 12 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+) vs. the Outlaws
2. Philadelphia Waterdogs
Current record: 2-1 Week 3 ranking: 4
After finishing the 2024 season 2-8, the Waterdogs quickly ascended into the upper echelon of the league after easily handling Boston in a 14-11 win. Philly couldn’t carry that momentum over into Saturday night, losing 9-7 to the Outlaws. But the Waterdogs shot 7-of-34 that night, which shouldn’t be an issue going forward because of their star-studded offense.
Michael Sowers, Jake Taylor and Kieran McArdle are nightmares on the attack. Midfield dodgers Jack Hannah and Thomas McConvey force teams into tough slide decisions. And after you throw in playmaker Connor Kelly (now being covered by a shorty), you can understand why I think the Waterdogs have the best offense in the league. They’ve shot a red-hot 32.5% this season, even without No. 1 draft pick CJ Kirst (PUP) in the fold.
This weekend: Saturday, 4 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+) vs. the Waterdogs
play
1:58
Denver Outlaws vs. Philadelphia Waterdogs: Game Highlights
Denver Outlaws vs. Philadelphia Waterdogs: Game Highlights
3. Boston Cannons
Current record: 2-1 Week 3 ranking: 1
Boston had a chance at being the only undefeated team in the league after last weekend, with a one-goal deficit entering the second half against Philadelphia. But the Cannons scored only once in the third quarter, and Philly ran away with a 13-8 lead to start the fourth quarter.
Boston’s kingpins Asher Nolting and Marcus Holman had just two points apiece. And the team’s defense had no answers for Sowers (two goals, five assists) or McConvey (four goals). The Cannons will have a chance to avoid .500 against the hometown team this weekend.
This weekend: Saturday, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN+) vs. the Whipsnakes
4. Maryland Whipsnakes
Current record: 1-2 Week 3 ranking: 5
Maryland had a gutsy win over the Atlas last weekend, diverting the trajectory of their season with a late rally. After trailing 12-8 with 9:56 left to play, the Whipsnakes executed an 8-0 run to finish the game. Defenseman Tim Muller blanketed Xander Dickson throughout the night, while Matt Dunn held Jeff Teat to one point.
The Whipsnakes’ penalty-kill unit is the best in the league, stopping 14 straight power plays over the 2024 and 2025 calendar. Maryland is shooting at a concerning 24% rate, but they can turn that around with back-to-back home games this weekend.
This weekend: Saturday, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN+) vs. the Whipsnakes; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+) vs. the Chaos
5. California Redwoods
Current record: 2-1 Week 3 ranking: 6
Like all of their games this season, the Redwoods started slow and were forced to climb back last weekend against Utah. But they fell short, unable to net a game-tying goal after Charlie Bertrand brought them within one score with five minutes left.
For some opposing team fans, the loss will feel like validation. The Redwoods enter will return to the league play in two weekends on their home turf, with games on June 27-28 in San Diego.
This weekend: Bye
6. New York Atlas
Current record: 1-2 Week 3 ranking: 3
With the worst defense this season, New York is underachieving after three weeks. Against Maryland, the Atlas blew a 6-0 lead, an 8-1 advantage and a 12-8 margin in the fourth quarter. They entered that game coming off a bye week, which showed. It looked like their legs went rubbery and like they were breathing fire.
New York’s epic collapse caused the team to drop this much in my rankings. They couldn’t win faceoffs, ground balls or make stops when it mattered.
This weekend: Saturday, 4 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+) vs. the Waterdogs
play
0:32
Hugh Kelleher buries it for New York Atlas
Hugh Kelleher buries it for New York Atlas
7. Denver Outlaws
Current record: 1-2 Week 3 ranking: 8
In his PLL debut, rookie goalie Logan McNaney helped the Outlaws enter the winning column with 14 saves against the Waterdogs. Those stops, combined with flawless passing and some instinctual grounders around the crease, indicated McNaney’s strong arrival to the pros. Another star, Pat Kavanagh, scored a hat trick versus Philly, while former NFL wide receiver Jared Bernhardt netted his first career PLL goal.
Jake Piseno, Nick Grill and Ryan Terefenko also ran hard from defense to the offensive arc last weekend, which is a good sign for the team going forward. Though the final 9-7 result was unimpressive, it was a giant step in the right direction for this team.
This weekend: Sunday, 12 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+) vs. the Archers
8. Carolina Chaos
Current record: 1-2 Week 3 ranking: 7
The Chaos are last in the league in two important categories: time of possession and faceoff percentage (33%). Luckily for them, goalie Blaze Riorden has a 63% save percentage and pole Troy Reh leads all non-FOGOs with 15 ground balls. Carolina had a bye weekend in Philly and gets an extra day of rest before facing Maryland.
This weekend: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+) vs. the Whipsnakes
She said yes! But only after putting up with some of Jason’s B.S.
During a September 2023 episode of the New Heights podcast, the couple shared their engagement story, which Jason prefaced by admitting he is not a “romantic” person.
The NFL star proposed to Kylie in his car while they were leaving her parents’ house.
“I couldn’t figure out how to inconspicuously go back into the house,” he explained, “because if I was like, ‘Hey I gotta go talk to you dad for a second,’ it would have been very odd of me to say that.”
Instead, Jason went with, um, option No. 2: “When we got in the car, I said, ‘Ky, I’m sorry but I gotta take a s–t.'”
However, Kylie immediately knew Jason was up to something when he returned minutes later. “He came back out and I said, ‘Jason, I know you didn’t just go in there and take a s–t, it usually takes you 20 minutes.'”
Jason then cut the bulls–t and got down to business.
“He said, ‘This isn’t the most romantic way to do this,'” Kylie recalled, “and I immediately started crying because I knew what was happening only because he referenced being romantic.”
President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok’s sale in the US for a further 90 days.
The video-sharing app has faced questions over its future after the US passed a law last year requiring the app to be banned unless sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
Lawmakers said it posed a risk to national security – something TikTok denies.
Trump, who vowed to save TikTok during his presidential campaign, signed an executive order on Thursday which has delayed the date for enforcing the law for a third time.
In a statement, TikTok said it was “grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support” in keeping the app online for its 170m US users.
“We continue to work with Vice President Vance’s Office,” it added.
A deal for the sale of TikTok in the US by ByteDance must now be reached by 17 September, Trump said in a post on his platform Truth Social.
The further delay was an expected development in the long-running process of securing a buyer for TikTok.
It is thought the authorities in Beijing will need to approve any sale or part sale of the app by its parent company.
The law was prompted by fears in the US that TikTok or ByteDance could be forced to hand over data on US users by the Chinese government.
Trump said on Tuesday he expected there would be a further delay.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that a further 90-day extension would “ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.”
Trump tried to force a sale of TikTok to an American buyer in 2020, during his first term in office.
But last year, he signalled he’d had a change of heart, saying the platform had helped him win the 2024 presidential election.
“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points,” Trump said in December, although most young voters backed the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
The law was supposed to take effect on 19 January, a day before Trump’s inauguration to a second term in office.
TikTok challenged its constitutionality in the courts. The Supreme Court upheld the law days before it was due to take effect.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, a Democrat, criticized Trump’s decision.
“Once again, the Trump administration is flouting the law and ignoring its own national security findings about the risks posed by a PRC-controlled TikTok,” Warner said in a statement.
“An executive order can’t sidestep the law, but that’s exactly what the president is trying to do,” Warner added.
President Trump’s immigration crackdown is exacerbating the already precarious problem of absenteeism in America’s schools.
Experts say schools will have to come up with action plans for their student bodies ahead of the fall semester after a recent study showed that an increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids leads to undocumented students missing more class.
“What we’ve really seen and been told is that communication is really key, and so a district can be really explicit with families to understand the fear that they have and then explain all of the protections and protocols that the district have in place to prevent students from being detained at school or for their data to be protected,” said Tara Thomas, government affairs manager for the Schools Superintendents Association.
New research recently released from Stanford University found a 22 percent jump in absences from five California school districts during January and February, compared to the same months in the previous years.
The difference, analysts say, was ICE raids carried out under former President Biden and Trump during the first two months of the year.
The study found absences increased in the majority Latino student populations by 30 percent for those in pre-K, 27 percent for students in kindergarten through 5th grade, 17 percent for middle schoolers and 8 percent for high school students.
And that was before the sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles this month that led to widespread protests, which themselves led to Trump calling in the military.
The issue for educators isn’t so much fear of ICE agents at schools as it is the disruptions that the raids can cause among immigrant communities.
“It is something that many of the schools that we’re partnering with across Texas, New Jersey, New York, something that they have already started seeing and they are having conversations around expecting a decline of enrollment, even in summer school […] all because of all that is happening with immigration and parents being afraid to bring their kids to school,” said Viridiana Carrizales, co-founder and CEO of ImmSchools, a group that focuses on the intersection between immigration and education.
Experts’ biggest recommendation is open communication with parents about how schools can protect student information and what would happen if ICE shows up.
While Trump’s administration has lifted legal guidance prohibiting ICE in K-12 schools, there have been no confirmed incidents of federal authorities doing so. And if they did, the officers would need a judicial warrant for the school to let me through.
A more pressing concern for undocumented parents could be getting their kids to and from school, as many are wary to go out when it is known ICE officials are around in a community.
“The other thing that we’re also pushing school districts to consider is their transportation,” said Carrizales.
Parents are “trying to minimize that exposure, and that is making some families keep their kids at home so that they’re not they’re not detained while they’re driving […] There might have to be some policies or transportation currently as it is, might need to shift,” she added.
All of this comes as chronic absenteeism has been a struggle for schools in general since the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Future Ed, chronic absenteeism rates were at 28 percent in the 2021-2022 school year, 25 percent the following year and 23 percent in the 2023-2024 academic year.
The consequences are severe, including substantial drops in academic performance and graduation rates.
“The number one thing that the school can do, whether it be a teacher, cafeteria worker, principal, whatever your role is, the importance is to establish trust. And families need to know that the school will protect their children if they are not there to protect their children,” said Carl Felton, policy analyst on the P-12 team at EdTrust.
But that is not always easy, especially in parts of the country where local or state politicians support deportation policies that could put schools in a precarious position.
“One of the most frustrating things is that even in the context and everything that you’re seeing happening right now, school districts are still very hesitant in taking any sort of action to support these families, and honestly, for us, it has been a little bit frustrating to see that inaction and to see how many districts are losing families because they are not intentionally speaking out or even telling families that their kids are safe at their school,” said Carrizales.
Teradyne, Inc_ logo on phone-by Piotr Swat via Shutterstock
With a market cap of $14.1 billion, Teradyne, Inc. (TER) is a leading U.S.-based technology firm specializing in automated test equipment (ATE) and industrial robotics. Founded in 1960 and headquartered in North Reading, Massachusetts, the company supports high-tech sectors like semiconductor, wireless, storage, industrial, defense aerospace, and automotive with its testing and automation solutions.
Companies valued at $10 billion or more are generally labeled as “large-cap” stocks, and Teradyne fits this criterion perfectly. The company stands as a dominant force in semiconductor test and a rising contender in AI-enhanced robotics. Its technology leadership, market share, innovation focus, and financial stability underscore a strong strategic position.
However, shares of TER touched its 52-week high of $163.21 on July 16, 2024, and have dwindled 47% from the peak. Shares of TER have dropped 4.2% over the past three months, lagging behind the First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF’s (FTXL) 10.4% returns over the same time frame.
www.barchart.com
TER has fallen 31.4% on a YTD basis, trailing FTXL’s 7.9% decline. In addition, shares of Teradyne have dipped nearly 40.3% over the past 52 weeks, compared to FTXL’s 11.6% drop over the same time frame.
The stock has been trading below its 200-day moving average since late January but has edged above its 50-day moving average since early June.
www.barchart.com
Teradyne delivered Q1 results on Apr. 28, and its stock slipped 2.5% in the following trading session. Revenue rose 14.3% year over year to $685.7 million, driven by solid gains in Semiconductor Test, especially SoC for mobile, coming slightly above the consensus estimate of $683.9 million. Adjusted EPS surged 47.1% from the prior-year quarter to $0.75, beating analyst expectations by nearly 23%.
Meanwhile, its top rival, ACM Research, Inc. (ACMR), has outpaced TER. ACMR shares have soared 66.9% on a YTD basis and 6.4% in the last 52 weeks.
Despite TER’s underperformance over the past year, analysts are moderately optimistic about its prospects. TER has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the 15 analysts covering the stock. Its mean price target of $96.86 implies an upside potential of 12.1% from the prevailing price levels.
On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
The Department of Justice reported yesterday that it filed a civil complaint to seize roughly $225.3 million in cryptocurrency linked to crypto investment scams. In a press release, the DOJ said it traced and targeted accounts that were “part of a sophisticated blockchain-based money laundering network” dispersing funds taken from more than 400 suspected victims of fraud.
The 75-page complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia lays out more detail about the seizure. According to it, the US Secret Service (USSS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tied scammers to seven groups of Tether stablecoin tokens. The fraud fell under what’s typically known as “pig butchering:” a form of long-running confidence scam aimed at tricking victims — sometimes with a fake romantic relationship — into what they believe is a profitable crypto investment opportunity, then disappearing with the funds. Pig butchering rings often traffic the workers who directly communicate with victims to Southeast Asian countries, something the DOJ alleges this ring did.
The DOJ says Tether and crypto exchange OKX first alerted law enforcement in 2023 to a series of accounts they believed were helping launder fraudulently obtained currency through a vast and complex web of transactions. The alleged victims include Shan Hanes (referred to in this complaint as S.H.), the former Heartland Tri-State Bank president who was sentenced to 24 years in prison for embezzling tens of millions of dollars to invest in one of the best-known and most devastating pig butchering scams. The complaint lists a number of other victims who lost thousands or millions of dollars they thought they were investing (and did not commit crimes of their own). An FBI report cited by the press release concluded overall crypto investment fraud caused $5.8 billion worth of reported losses in 2024.
Money recovered from this seizure will be put toward returning funds to the known victims of the scammers, the DOJ says. The fervently pro-crypto Trump administration has previously said forfeited money that isn’t sent to victims could be used to fund a US cryptocurrency reserve.
With a third week in a row atop our list, the Tigers become the team with the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 so far in our 2025 power rankings, passing the Dodgers, who have spent two consecutive weeks in the top spot twice this season.
Week 12 also saw a number of clubs continuing their rise up our rankings, including the Astros and Rays each moving up one spot, to eighth and ninth respectively, as well as the Brewers and Reds each rising three places.
The mid-June blockbuster trade of Rafael Devers from the Red Sox to the Giants didn’t affect either team’s outcome this week, with San Francisco at No. 7 for a second straight week and Boston going from 20th to 17th.
Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Buster Olney, Jorge Castillo and Bradford Doolittle to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
The Tigers’ poorest-performing position this season has been shortstop, the spot Detroit thought it solidified when it signed Javier Baez. Rather than becoming an obvious trade deadline need, the Tigers seem to have found an in-house solution: Baez. The return of center fielder Parker Meadows on June 2 allowed manager AJ Hinch the luxury of relocating Baez’s resurgent bat to his old position, which he had not started at since April 18. Good idea: Baez has a 1.017 OPS this season when playing at his old stomping grounds. — Doolittle
Record: 46-29 Previous ranking: 4
Underneath the shadow of the future Hall of Famers at the top of the Dodgers’ lineup, Andy Pages is emerging as one of the best young run producers in the sport. Manager Dave Roberts believes that Pages has greatly benefited from the mentorship of Teoscar Hernandez, who fosters a focus on driving in runs. Pages, said Roberts, “hunts RBI.” The 24-year-old is on pace to finish the year with 32 homers and drive in 106 runs; in his past 50 games, he’s batting over .330, with a slugging percentage close to .600. — Olney
Record: 45-29 Previous ranking: 2
The Mets’ rotation has been baseball’s best, but it’s entering a period of flux. Kodai Senga, having a Cy Young-caliber campaign, hit the shelf with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, and Tylor Megill is out for longer than Senga with an elbow sprain. Meanwhile, Sean Manaea, who is on a rehab assignment for Triple-A Syracuse, and Frankie Montas, who has yet to make his Mets debut because of a lat strain, should return soon. Montas is also on rehab, but over six outings has an ERA that looks like half a football score (12.05). What will this unit look like a month from now? — Doolittle
Record: 45-28 Previous ranking: 5
What has really caught the attention of rival evaluators is how versatile Chicago is in how it dominates.
With Pete Crow-Armstrongleading the way, the Cubs have six players on pace to hit 20 or more homers this year. They field three players who could reach 30 bases, and they rank second in the majors in defensive runs saved. “That’s a team that could win the World Series,” an executive from another team told ESPN recently. — Olney
Record: 42-31 Previous ranking: 3
Aaron Judge is human after all. The two-time AL MVP — and near lock for another one this year — is 1-for-19 with 11 strikeouts and two intentional walks over the last five games to interrupt a historically unmatched start to the season and drop his batting average from .394 to .366. If he needed more evidence he’s again the MVP front-runner (he doesn’t), New York’s offense, which led the majors in wRC+ and OPS through last Thursday, crashed during his rut. The Yankees scored four runs in those five games and were shut out in three consecutive games for the seventh time in franchise history. The 29-inning skid was their longest since September 2016. The Yankees go as Judge goes. — Castillo
Record: 44-30 Previous ranking: 6
Nick Castellanos‘ streak of 236 games started came to an abrupt halt Tuesday when Phillies manager Rob Thomson benched him for an “inappropriate comment” after Castellanos was removed from Monday’s game for defensive purposes. Truth is, he has little objective leverage working on his behalf. As tricky as public-facing defensive metrics can be in small sample sizes, they are convincing when it comes to Castellanos — and the sample is huge. Over 13 seasons at different positions, he’s minus-136 defensive runs saved, per Baseball Reference, and he has never broken even in any season, regardless of sample size. — Doolittle
Record: 41-33 Previous ranking: 7
In the first hours after Giants players learned that the team had traded for Rafael Devers, who is generally regarded as one of the better hitters in the game, they were careful to be respectful to the two big leaguers swapped to Boston in the deal, pitchers Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks. But it was easy to see in their faces how excited they are about the addition of Devers, who gives the Giants their best pure hitter since Buster Posey, the guy responsible for making the deal in his first season as San Francisco’s president of baseball operations . — Olney
Record: 43-31 Previous ranking: 9
The blows keep on coming for the Astros, but they keep on winning. The latest setback was Lance McCullers landing on the injured list when he sprained his right foot working out over the weekend. He’s the fourth Astros starter placed on the IL this season, including Yordan Alvarez, who remains out with a fractured hand. But the Astros continued to charge forward nonetheless, winning seven of eight games and 11 of their past 15 to take a commanding lead in the AL West. Hunter Brown (1.88 ERA in 14 starts), Josh Hader (1.45 ERA in 29 games) and Jeremy Pena (3.6 fWAR and 143 wRC+) have starred for a franchise that just won’t stop winning. — Castillo
Record: 41-33 Previous ranking: 10
Here’s a fact not on most people’s bingo cards in 2025: The Rays, the organization once at the forefront of the opener craze, lead the majors in starter innings pitched. That’s despite not having ace Shane McClanahan throw a single pitch this season. Instead, right-handers Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot are leading the way. Rasmussen has a 2.55 ERA in 14 starts. Pepiot has a 3.11 ERA in 15 outings. Further illustrating Tampa Bay’s consistency in the rotation, Rasmussen, Pepiot, Zack Littell, Taj Bradley and Shane Baz have started 72 of the team’s 73 games this season. Joe Boyle got the other start. The formula is working, with the Rays surging to within 1½ games of the first-place Yankees in the AL East. — Castillo
Record: 39-34 Previous ranking: 8
Manny Machado is a big-stage performer, and the Padres have a couple of high-end starting pitchers. But in the eyes of some rival executives, the best part of the team is its bullpen. “That’s the group that got them as far as they got last year,” one club official said.
Moving forward, evaluators from other teams are very curious as to whether the Padres’ key relievers can continue to sustain the high volume of work. Jason Adam is tied for most appearances in the big leagues; Jeremiah Estrada was tied for the fifth-most outings; and Adrian Morejon was tied for 10th most. — Olney
Record: 39-35 Previous ranking: 14
In this era when relievers are absorbing more and more innings, Abner Uribe has emerged among the best setup men, with the sort of stuff that makes you wonder how anyone can hit him. Uribe is averaging 11.53 strikeouts per nine innings, but he also has generated an exceptional ground ball-fly ball rate of 2-to-1. Closer Trevor Megill, Nick Mears and Uribe have been the collective backbone for the Brewers’ bullpen this season. — Olney
Record: 40-33 Previous ranking: 13
Max Scherzer completed his second and maybe final rehab start Wednesday and looked ready for the big leagues. Pitching for Triple-A Buffalo, the 40-year-old right-hander held Worcester to one hit and two walks with eight strikeouts over 4⅓ innings. He threw 75 pitches, the target number in preparation for possibly coming off the IL next. Scherzer landed on the IL with right thumb inflammation after logging just three innings in his season debut March 29. The Blue Jays have remained in the postseason picture without him, but the rotation, which ranks 26th in ERA, could use a healthy and effective Scherzer, who signed a one-year, $15.5 million contract in February. — Castillo
Record: 39-35 Previous ranking: 16
The history of manager Terry Francona’s teams, generally, is that they will get better over the course of the season, and Cincinnati has proved that anecdote to be true. The Reds have won 19 of their past 30 games, and they’ve got a run differential of plus-44 for the season. The surge coincides with the play of Elly De La Cruz, who is batting .333 with 15 runs and 10 RBIs in 15 games. Somebody get De La Cruz to the Home Run Derby. — Olney
Record: 37-36 Previous ranking: 15
Logan Gilbert was activated from the IL on Monday and looked sharp in his return from a right elbow flexor strain. The 2024 All-Star held the Red Sox to two runs with 10 strikeouts in his first start since April 25. Gilbert has a 2.55 ERA in seven outings this season. His strikeout rate has soared from 27.4% last season to 39.7% in this year’s small sample size. If he stays healthy, he’s a significant boost for a club that lost eight of nine games earlier this month and fell behind the Astros in the AL West. — Castillo
Record: 36-37 Previous ranking: 19
It’ll be interesting to see how deep Arizona delves into the free agent pitching market, since its recent forays there have been an abject disaster: Madison Bumgarner (five years, $85 million), Jordan Montgomery (two years, $47.5 million), Eduardo Rodriguez (four years, $80 million) and Corbin Burnes (six years, $210 million). Bumgarner was cut in the fourth year of his deal; Montgomery was terrible last year and had elbow surgery this year; Rodriguez has a 6.27 ERA in 2025; and Burnes is out for the season after Tommy John surgery. — Olney
Record: 38-35 Previous ranking: 12
When executives near the end of their contracts, the usual expectation is that those officials will make a big push at the deadline to give their respective teams the best possible chance to win — and maybe make a case for an extension. The read of St. Louis by other teams, conversely, is that the Cardinals won’t consider being aggressive at the trade deadline out of the desire for a more palatable finish for John Mozeliak, who is in his last year as the team’s head of baseball operations. — Olney
Record: 39-37 Previous ranking: 20
The decision to tradeRafael Devers might haunt the Red Sox for a long time. At the moment, questions still abound: Why now? Why for that package? Was there a mandate from ownership to unload the entirety of Devers’ contract? Lost in the outrage is another question: How is Boston going to replace Devers? Unearthing Devers’ production elsewhere is far-fetched.
As for the DH spot Devers left behind, the Red Sox will at least temporarily cycle various players. They used Kristian Campbell, Rob Refsnyder and Romy Gonzalez in the first three games of the post-Devers era. A more permanent solution could soon be Masataka Yoshida, who has been on the IL all season after undergoing shoulder surgery in October. — Castillo
Record: 36-37 Previous ranking: 11
It’s hard to believe, but, at 31 years old, Byron Buxton has played more than 102 games only once since reaching the majors in 2015. This season, he has been mostly healthy (now would be the time to knock on wood, Twins fans) and is playing as well as he ever has. Buxton has a career-best OBP, and, once on base, he’s 12-for-12 in stolen bases while scoring 41% of the time, tied for third best in the AL. His power numbers are good, and, according to BaseballMusings.com, he leads the AL in RBI percentage among qualifying batters. — Doolittle
Record: 36-38 Previous ranking: 22
The Rangers put up 16 runs twice in three games last week, giving fans hope that the team’s perplexing offensive struggles were in the past. But they have otherwise continued. Besides those two games, Texas has been held to five or fewer runs in its 12 games since June 1. Turns out the hitting coach wasn’t the problem. And yet the ineptitude has not cost the Rangers much lately; they’ve won seven of 10 games to squeeze back into the wild-card picture. — Castillo
Record: 37-35 Previous ranking: 18
At 32 years old, Jose Ramirez is as good as ever and is a solid bet to land an eighth top-10 MVP finish of his eventual Hall of Fame career. He has been at it so long now that, at this point, he’s moving way up the list on a number of Cleveland franchise leaderboards. He should pass Tris Speaker for second in total bases in the next month, leaving only Earl Averill ahead of him. Ramirez also has a great shot at passing Hal Trosky, Nap Lajoie and Jim Thome this season to move in behind Averill in RBIs. Just an amazing career. — Doolittle
Record: 33-39 Previous ranking: 21
Matt Olson has probably been the Braves’ best position player this season, but that might say more about Ronald Acuna Jr.’s late start to the season and the club’s underachieving offense than about Olson. The lefty masher racked up 54 homers and 139 RBIs in 2023, but this season’s .251/.354/.479 showing is a dead ringer for his numbers in 2022 and 2024. In other words, 2023 looks like an outlier year, not a new, elite career level. Olson is a fine player as is, but this season’s Braves sure could use the 54-homer version of him. — Doolittle
Record: 36-38 Previous ranking: 17
The Royals’ clutch-hitting-based offense of 2024 has devolved into the AL’s lowest-scoring attack in 2025. The bats were particularly miserable during a 3-10 start to June, when Kansas City scored three or fewer runs eight times, losing all eight of those games. Injuries dinged the pitching staff, affecting the run prevention, and the bats have not picked up the slack. Even Bobby Witt Jr. has struggled. Over his first 12 games this month, Witt hit .234 with a .677 OPS. As the offense flailed, the Royals’ postseason odds dwindled to the point that the club’s trade deadline direction is no longer fixed. — Doolittle
Record: 36-37 Previous ranking: 24
The Angels’ aggressive handling of top prospects continued last week when they called up second baseman Christian Moore, their first-round pick from Tennessee last June. Moore is the third straight first-round pick the Angels fast-tracked to the majors within the first half of their first full professional season, joining shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel. A Yankees fan from Brooklyn, Moore went hitless in his first two starts before lining a triple past a diving Aaron Judge at Yankee Stadium on Monday for his first career hit. — Castillo
Record: 31-42 Previous ranking: 25
Boston’s AL East rivals were surely pleased to see Rafael Devers shipped off to San Francisco, but perhaps nobody was happier than the Orioles’ Ryan O’Hearn. With Devers in the NL, O’Hearn moved to first place among AL designated hitters in All-Star fan voting. The slugger is deserving of the honor. In a lineup featuring Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, O’Hearn has been the club’s best hitter with a .302 batting average, 10 home runs and an OPS of .869 in 61 games. Astonishingly, he could end up being Baltimore’s lone representative. — Castillo
Record: 30-44 Previous ranking: 23
Welcome to The Show, Brady House. The Nationals’ first pick (No. 11) from the 2021 draft made his MLB debut last week against Colorado. He collected his first two hits and first RBI in his second game (also against the Rockies). When Dylan Crews returns from the IL, he will join House, CJ Abrams and Robert Hassell III on an active roster with four top-11 picks taken since 2019 — and that doesn’t include budding star James Wood, a second-round pick in 2021. The Nationals are flailing on the field lately, but their talent level keeps rising. — Doolittle
Record: 29-45 Previous ranking: 26
David Bednar has had some ups and downs in his time as the Pirates’ closer, but with the trade deadline 42 days away, he is drawing the attention of some rival evaluators with his recent performances. Pitching for a team that isn’t going to provide many save chances, Bednar has six walks and 34 strikeouts in 24 innings. Left-handed hitters have an OPS of just .548 against Bednar, and he has given up only one extra-base hit (a double) in 41 at-bats. — Olney
Record: 30-46 Previous ranking: 28
The Athletics have been a better club on the road than at Sutter Health Park, their temporary, minor league digs, and nobody embodies the contrast more than Luis Severino. The veteran right-hander has a 6.79 ERA in 10 home starts and a 0.93 ERA in six road outings. Combine the outputs and you get a 4.42 ERA — not what the Athletics envisioned when they gave Severino the largest guaranteed contract in franchise history. If only he could pitch anywhere but West Sacramento. — Castillo
Record: 29-43 Previous ranking: 27
If you created a Sandy Alcantara trade barometer, the arrow would be pointing upward, meaning things are looking up. After bottoming out at an 8.47 ERA at the end of May, Alcantara has displayed sharper command this month, and the results have followed. In three starts — which includes outings against the woeful offenses of Colorado and Pittsburgh — Alcantara has a 2.12 ERA over 17 innings with 15 strikeouts and only three walks. Suitors are probably already knocking on the proverbial door of Marlins GM Peter Bendix regarding the former Cy Young winner, but if Alcantara keeps this up, they’ll be pounding on it. — Doolittle
Record: 23-50 Previous ranking: 29
If you’re going to stink, you might as well do it with young players so that your fans can dream of a day when things don’t stink so bad. Here’s a fun fact: The White Sox lead the majors in rookie WAR, ranking sixth among hitters and tops on the pitching side. Chicago is still headed for another 100-loss season, but things could be worse: Colorado, which looks to be bidding to break the loss record set by last year’s ChiSox, ranks last in rookie WAR. South Side denizens would be more than happy to let the Rox take on that malodorous crown of worst team in history. — Doolittle
Record: 17-57 Previous ranking: 30
Given the struggles of the Rockies this season, they are likely to glean only one spot on the NL’s All-Star team, and perhaps that’ll be Hunter Goodman, the 25-year-old who leads Colorado in all of the Triple Crown categories. So much has gone wrong for the Rockies, but the emergence of Goodman has been perhaps the team’s best story. Over 70 games in 2024, Goodman hit .190 with a .417 slugging percentage. This year, he has improved his OPS by more than 200 points. — Olney
Having a bad headache at the gym, “I reached the toilet, sank to my knees, and proceeded to be violently, voluminously ill,” the actress wrote. “Meanwhile, the pain—shooting, stabbing, constricting pain—was getting worse. At some level, I knew what was happening: my brain was damaged.”
She was taken to the hospital for a brain scan.
“The diagnosis was quick and ominous: a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a life-threatening type of stroke, caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain,” the Emmy nominee added. “I’d had an aneurysm, an arterial rupture.”
Emilia had immediate surgery to seal the aneurysm, calling the pain “unbearable.” While she was recovering, she continued, she experienced aphasia and was “muttering nonsense.”
A week later, “the aphasia passed,” Emilia added, and she left the hospital a month after being admitted.
At a 2013 brain scan, she learned a growth “doubled in size” and that she needed surgery again.
“When they woke me, I was screaming in pain,” she wrote. “The procedure had failed. I had a massive bleed and the doctors made it plain that my chances of surviving were precarious if they didn’t operate again. This time they needed to access my brain in the old-fashioned way—through my skull.”
Thankfully, Emilia shared, she’s now “at a hundred per cent.”
The Premier League’s stance is fairly clear. Broadcasters spend billions of pounds for the rights to screen matches and part of the deal is knowing, within reason, when they are likely to end.
Not every eventuality can be factored in as players get injured. But the kick-off time and half-time break are controllable.
City argue it was a difficult season, which is true. But the first breach came during a victory over Southampton in October, when they were still unbeaten, were leading at half-time and made no changes during the interval. Yet they were still two minutes and 10 seconds late back onto the pitch.
The sympathetic assessment is Guardiola and his staff are so wrapped up in the messages they deliver that they forget they are over-running.
