A few years ago, if you knew somebody who was into being strong and fast, who called themselves a “hybrid” athlete, or if they spent a lot of time on the rower and doing wall balls, they were probably into Crossfit, or one of the Crossfit-adjacent functional fitness gyms. But these days they’re more likely to be into Hyrox. Hyrox is a new sport—not just a workout style—that has taken off in a big way.
Perhaps your gym (or workout app, like Peloton) has started offering Hyrox classes, or you noticed that the new Amazfit fitness tracker was first teased through a Hyrox partnership. To help you understand the trend, here’s an explainer of what exactly Hyrox involves, why people like it, and where you can learn more if you’re intrigued.
Hyrox’s origins
Hyrox is a young sport, and was started by a company that holds a trademark for the name. (In that way it’s a bit like Crossfit, which is also a company, not just a term for a style of working out.)
It’s been said that Hyrox is short for “hybrid rockstar,” since “hybrid” is a term that athletes often use when they feel they’re neither endurance athletes nor strength athletes, but something in between.
The company hasn’t confirmed this theory. According to reporting from Hybrid Fitness Media, the company’s founders originally wanted the name “CuRox,” from the Latin verb currere, which refers to running. Even in those days they were referring to athletes as “roxstars,” so the theory is at least half true. The company adopted the name Hyrox after a trademark dispute with another company, and held its first race at a trade fair in Leipzig, Germany in 2018.
Hyrox has structured competitions
Unlike Crossfit competitions, which may include just about anything in any format, Hyrox’s competitions always follow the same predictable format. Much like running a marathon, you can compare your time in a Hyrox race to what others have done. The race includes eight 1-kilometer runs (adding up to about 5 miles) with stations in between. Here’s the order:
1 km run, then 1000 meters on a ski erg (a machine where you pull two cords downward toward the ground, in a motion slightly reminiscent of using ski poles)
1 km run, then 50 meter sled push
1 km run, then 50 meter sled pull
1 km run, then 80 meters of burpee broad jumps
1 km run, then 1000 meters on a rowing machine
1 km run, then a 200 meter farmer’s carry (walking while carrying kettlebells in both hands)
1 km run, then 100 meters of lunges while carrying a sandbag on your back
1 km run, then 100 wall balls (where you squat and then throw a ball upward toward a target on a wall)
Elite Hyrox athletes can do all of that in about an hour. The average experienced competitor takes around 90 minutes, and beginners are obviously a bit slower. The weights of the kettlebells, sandbags, and wall balls depend on which division you’re competing in (men’s or women’s, pro or open). There are also doubles and relay formats.
Hyrox’s workouts are easy to start doing
Hyrox events are hard work, but they aren’t too difficult skill-wise. You won’t see barbell snatches like in Olympic weightlifting, or handstand walks like in the Crossfit games. For this reason, it’s relatively beginner-friendly.
The events also give competitors a mix of strength and endurance work, skewed toward endurance. Running is obviously an endurance sport, and while the eight stations use more strength and power, you still have to do a lot of reps in a row, so pacing yourself is important.
Hyrox classes and communities are popping up everywhere
Part of the fun of Hyrox is training for it alongside others, or so I’ve heard. While you can train for a marathon on your own, training for a Hyrox race means you need access to a rowing machine, a ski erg, and a wall with an appropriate wall ball target—most of which are hard to find outside of a gym oriented toward those events. (That said, most Crossfit gyms and many commercial gyms can provide these things.)
To find a Hyrox club near you, Hyrox has a locator on its website. Also consider checking with gyms and fitness clubs to see if they may have started offering Hyrox classes or training groups.
I discovered spin classes a decade ago, and subsequently got certified to teach them myself. In the years since, I haven’t focused on other kinds of cardio group classes—but for a time, I was obsessed with them.
Thanks to a program funded by the great city of New York, I was able to take Zumba, cardio sculpt classes, and more for free when I was in my early 20s, long before I could afford a membership at a gym that offered such classes, let alone a certification course of my own. I still sign up for the occasional cardio class at the gym where I work, both to move my body and to indulge in the nostalgia, but I don’t go as often as I could—because if I’m in the mood to dance around or do some HIIT, I can access guided workouts on YouTube for free.
Some of the channels offering these classes are better than others, of course. Here are my favorites I’ve found over the years, if you’d like to join me in burning calories while saving some money.
The best cardio dance channels
Dancing is a great workout because it gets you moving and keeps you engaged. Just yesterday, I was at the gym and saw a packed Zumba class in the adjacent studio. Toiling away on the treadmill, I felt a pang of regret, wishing I could join that class, where everyone who looked so happy. For now, I’ll load up one of the options below.
Joseph Corella
On Joseph Corella’s channel 567Broadway, he shares choreography for show tunes so you can feel like you’re performing on stage, even if you’re just doing your best kick ball change around the house. He offers designated videos for warming up in addition to longer ones meant to serve as a full workout.
He keeps the classes accessible, walking you through the choreography slowly; none of it is too intimidating, though you always have the option to rewind and watch again until you get it. I like that he goes through the routines with actual people on stage with him instead of just featuring shots of himself—seeing normal-looking dancers nail the moves is really helpful and motivating.
The Fitness Marshall
The Fitness Marshall has nearly 7 million subscribers, which basically all you need to know about the channel, but I’ll tell you more. First of all, this is a high-energy channel. The instructor, Caleb Marshall, is a really fun and engaging presence. He leads you through dance routines set to popular songs, which I like because I find it a lot easier to follow instructions and retain routines when I am familiar with the music.
While the energy is a positive, Caleb doesn’t always give super-clear instructions. In the video above, you’ll see him start with a move without really explaining it verbally, then cue you to move into “Donkey Kong arms.” Sure, you can watch what he’s doing on the screen and replicate it yourself, but if you’re looking for more explicit instruction (or you’re just starting out), you might need to spend some time elsewhere first.
Pamela Reif
If you thought the Fitness Marshall had a lot of subscribers, Pamela Reif‘s numbers are even better: Nearly 11 million people subscribe to her channel, which has a lot of dancing workouts, but incorporates a significant number of traditional “workout” moves too. while Corella and Marshall are more likely to show you actual dance moves, Reif focuses on specific muscle groups, or serves up highly targeted offerings, like classes designed with no jumping moves, for those who have knee issues. Popular music, clear instruction, and a wide variety of video types make her channel an easy choice, and the on-screen graphics telling you what move to do and for how long make it very beginner-friendly.
HIIT and other cardio channels
Moving away from dance fitness, there are a ton of strength-based workouts on YouTube, but you can also find channels that incorporate HIIT and other calorie-burning approaches.
Fitness Blender
Fitness Blender is a company that provides a variety of workout videos from certified trainers, so you will definitely find a lot of strength training on the feed, but cardio and HIIT are in there too. I love that the video titles are very specific, like “Bored Easily Bodyweight HIIT Tri-Sets.” Why, yes, I do get bored easily. You have my attention.
Some the videos on this channel are behind a paywall, but you’ll find plenty of free options. I appreciate that the instructors give you a rundown of what each workout will include, including how difficult it will be on a scale of one to five, and how many minutes you’ll spend doing each part of the routine, from the circuits to the burnout phase. You can also see upfront whether you’ll need any equipment, so you won’t get halfway through a video only to realize you can’t really complete it. Since it’s a big fitness company, there are a load of well-produced videos, and they’re always adding more.
Danielpt Fitness
This is another channel where you’ll find a lot of strength training, but I recommend Danielpt for the subcategory of videos called Bodyweight HIIT. Typically about 30 minutes, these workouts are challenging, but don’t require any kind of equipment. The trainer doesn’t speak much, but as he moves through the routines—which incorporate a lot of jumping, clapping, and extra movement on top of the muscle training—you’ll see picture-in-picture insets showing you the next move, plus a countdown of how long you have to do it for. It’s not an ideal choice if you are keen on audio cues, but otherwise, it’s as straightforward as it gets.
The MLB trade deadline is behind us. That means free agency is one month closer. Here’s the latest update on our 2025-26 free-agent rankings.
Notes: Whenever you see a number, a slash and another number, that’s a reference to contract years and total earnings. For instance, the shorthand for Bryce Harper’s 11-year, $330 million deal would be “11/330.” Ages listed below are for the 2026 season.
Tucker has hit just one home run since July 1 amidst what has been an extended cold stretch for the class’ top player. It’s a much bigger deal for the Cubs, who now trail the Brewers by 3.5 games in the NL Central, than it is for Tucker’s wallet. Given his track record and age, he’s still a lock to eclipse the $300 million mark in free agency. But a deal in the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. range (14/500) is starting to feel more and more out of reach.
2. Alex Bregman (opt-out), Red Sox 3B, age 32 (2)
Bregman missed a month and a half due to a hamstring issue but has looked like himself since returning in early July. He rarely chases or whiffs, and he elevates the ball often enough to the pull side to make the most of his good, not great, raw juice. One big thing to monitor with Bregman is the health of his lower half. That hamstring injury was not his first lower-body injury, and there’s no doubt that Bregman’s mobility has declined in recent years. His sprint speed, for instance, is at a career-low 20th percentile. That matters only as much as it impacts his defense at the hot corner, which remains stellar.
3. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies DH, age 33 (6) 4. Pete Alonso (opt-out), Mets 1B, age 31 (3)
Schwarber vs. Alonso will spark a fascinating debate this winter. There’s a legitimate argument to put either above the other. Alonso — who recently cranked his 251st career home run, putting him one behind the Mets’ franchise record — is two years younger than Schwarber and plays a defensive position. But Schwarber is (1) a left-handed hitter, (2) producing a tier above Alonso offensively and (3) considered one of the few elite clubhouse presences in the game. I’m leaning toward Schwarber for now because he might hit 60 home runs.
Kyle Schwarber, Bo Bichette and Framber Valdez are among the players delivering strong seasons ahead of reaching free agency this winter. (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports)
5. Framber Valdez, Astros SP, age 32 (4) 6. Dylan Cease, Padres SP, age 30 (5)
Only three pitchers have a chance to reach 175 innings this season for the fourth straight year: these two dudes and Logan Webb. As Gerrit Cole’s and Aaron Nola’s injuries have reminded us this year, past durability does not guarantee future durability. With that said, teams value arms such as Valdez and Cease quite highly. Valdez’s 3.02 ERA across this four-year stretch makes him flat-out one of the best arms in the league. Cease’s surface-level numbers this year are ugly, but the combo of strikeout stuff and availability will earn him a nice deal.
7. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays SS, age 28 (8) 8. Cody Bellinger (opt-out), Yankees OF, age 30 (10)
Neither Bellinger nor Bichette made the All-Star team, but both are having All-Star-type seasons as they approach free agency. Bichette has completely bounced back from a down 2025. He has the second-highest expected batting average in baseball andhas recovered enough over-the-fence juice to pop 15 home runs so far. Bellinger has an alluring $25 million team option for next year, but based on his 2025 performance, it’s looking likely that he’ll test the open market. There aren’t many players with his combination of contact skills and center-field defense.
9. Trent Grisham, Yankees OF, age 29 (16)
I’m fully buying into Grisham’s 2025. The list of every-day center fielders with this combo of pop (on pace for more than 25 homers) and patience (his 13.7% walk rate is 12th in baseball) is extremely rare. Grisham has always had raw juice and a good eye, but he has meaningfully improved his contact quality this year. Players like this, hitting the market this young, get paid.
10. Munetaka Murakami, Yakult Swallows 3B, age 26 (17)
The highly touted Japanese slugger was sidelined for the first four months of this season due to an oblique issue but returned, fully healthy, on July 29. And now Murakami looks like a man on a mission. He has already homered three times in 29 plate appearances, including an opposite-field moon shot in his first NPB at-bat back off the shelf. If Murakami can go on a tear over the next two months, he’ll put himself in position for a nice MLB pay day.
11. Gleyber Torres, Tigers 2B, age 29 (9) 12. Luis Arráez, Padres 1B, age 29 (12) 13. Josh Naylor, Mariners 1B, age 29 (11)
You could rank this 29-year-old trio in any order, but I gave the edge to Torres, for now, based on his defensive position. He’s a poor second baseman, but that’s still more enticing than a poor first baseman, which is what Arraez and Naylor are. Torres has cooled off a bit since leading off for the AL in the All-Star Game (!!!), but the underlying metrics remain strong. Arraez slots in ahead of Naylor because I think Arraez’s high-contact schtick is going to age a bit better than Naylor’s. One fun thing about Naylor, though: He has 19 steals, a mighty impressive accomplishment for a dude with third-percentile sprint speed.
14. Eugenio Suárez, Mariners 3B, age 34 (18)
In the lead-up to deadline day, Suárez was getting a lot of buzz as the sexiest rental bat. But as Seattle’s good-not-great trade package proved, teams don’t think the slugging third baseman is an elite player. His 37 home runs remain tied with Aaron Judge for fourth in MLB, but Suárez is a supremely streaky hitter. I think that dynamic, his age and his subpar defense at the hot corner will limit his market this winter.
15. Michael King (2026 mutual option), Padres SP, age 31 (7)
King hasn’t pitched since May 18, sidelined due to a nerve issue in his right shoulder. He recently made his first rehab start and is expected back with the big-league club at some point in the next few weeks. If King reappears with the goods, he’ll fly back up this list. He was one of baseball’s best starters before he got hurt and will garner a ton of interest as a free agent because of his age, his relative newness as a starter and his 86th-percentile strikeout rate.
16. Ranger Suárez, Phillies SP, age 30 (21)
Suárez had a nine-start run from mid-May to early July in which he allowed just seven earned runs across 59 1/3 innings. He has looked a bit more human over his past few outings but remains one of the better second-tier arms set to hit the open market. Because he doesn’t have big stuff — his sinker averages 90.2 mph — and relies on a kitchen-sink approach, there has always been an air of skepticism around Suárez. But at this point, I think he has performed well enough for long enough to be considered a legitimate mid-rotation starter on a good team, which is, essentially, what he has been for the Phillies over the past handful of seasons.
17. Brandon Woodruff (2026 mutual option), Brewers SP, age 33 (33) 18. Lucas Giolito (vesting team option), Red Sox SP, age 31 (47)
Here we have a pair of former All-Star hurlers who started the season on the shelf but have either returned or rounded into form recently. Before last month, Woodruff hadn’t appeared in the bigs since September 2023 as he battled through a significant shoulder issue. But in a five-start sample since then, the burly Mississippian has carved, despite a fastball that hasn’t completely bounced back to pre-injury levels. Giolito got off the IL in late April and needed a month to shake off the rust. Across his past 10 starts, the thick-bearded vet has a 2.03 ERA, the seventh-lowest mark in MLB over that span.
19. Shane Bieber (opt-out), Blue Jays SP, age 32 (NR)
The 2020 AL Cy Young winner has yet to appear in a big-league game this year as he works his way back from reconstructive elbow surgery. That didn’t stop Toronto from acquiring him at the deadline in hopes that Bieber can contribute to the division-leading Jays down the stretch. He has made four minor-league rehab starts over the past few weeks and will make a fifth this weekend. Given the lengthy layoff, Bieber is a total mystery box. But if he makes seven starts for the Jays and looks like Shane Bieber, he’ll opt out and get paid. Worse pitchers have made money off less.
20. J.T. Realmuto, Phillies C, age 35 (23)
A strong July pushed Realmuto’s full-season numbers toward league average. That served as a valuable reminder that though Realmuto isn’t what he once was — one of the best backstops in baseball — he’s still a valuable player. That’s particularly true in a market devoid of catchers. Ultimately, I think Realmuto ends up back in Philly, where his game-calling acumen and leadership qualities are most appreciated.
21. Ryan Helsley, Mets RP, age 31 (19)
Helsley, dealt from St. Louis to Queens at the deadline, is the only top-shelf impending free-agent reliever who has improved his performance over the course of the season. He’s on a heater right now, with just one earned run allowed in his past 13 appearances. Most importantly, Helsley’s fastball has continued to tick up each month and is sitting triple digits since the beginning of July. Relievers, they are volatile, capricious things, but for now, Helsley looks like the best of this bunch.
22. Cedric Mullins, Mets CF, age 31 (22)
Mullins is ranked well below Grisham despite a superior track record for a number of reasons. The former Oriole is two years older and has much been more dependent on his legs (both on the bases and in the outfield) to create value. All of Mullins’ peripheral numbers have been ticking down for years now, making it unlikely that a team will invest big dollars in him on a lengthy deal. That said, Mullins is still a nice piece, as evidenced by the Mets’ move to acquire him at the deadline.
23. Jack Flaherty (opt-out), Tigers SP, age 29 (28)
After a bounce-back 2024, Flaherty’s walk rate has nearly doubled this year. Even so, he has been quite good since July 1, with a 3.16 ERA across his past six starts. Flaherty has a $20 million option with Detroit for next year, but I think he’ll opt out and try to get a longer-term deal. He had difficulty securing that type of contract last winter, but given his age and another year of decent performance, I think he’ll find something more alluring this go-round.
24. Zac Gallen, D-backs SP, age 30 (26)
Somewhat surprisingly, Gallen wasn’t dealt at the deadline as part of the D-backs’ expiring contract garage sale. Why? Well, Arizona’s former ace has the second-highest ERA among qualified starters this season. That appears to have made him too much of a question mark for teams in the playoff hunt. Over the past month, Gallen’s peripheral numbers have been better, and there’s a chance Arizona extends him a qualifying offer to try to recoup a draft pick if he departs in free agency. At this point, Gallen is a project, but one that many teams would be eager to undertake.
25. Ramón Laureano, Padres OF, age 31 (43)
Heck yeah, brother. I know this seems a bit heavy for Laureano, a dude who was non-tendered by the Braves last winter, but he’s a 31-year-old outfielder with a .900 OPS and the underlying metrics to back it up. And it’s not a platoon thing, either; the right-handed Laureano, who has traditionally crushed southpaws, is hitting better against righties than lefties this season. He still has a howitzer in right field and a fiery edge that some teams value. He’s going to end up with a bigger deal than people suspect.
The MLB trade deadline is behind us. That means free agency is one month closer. Here’s the latest update on our 2025-26 free-agent rankings.
Notes: Whenever you see a number, a slash and another number, that’s a reference to contract years and total earnings. For instance, the shorthand for Bryce Harper’s 11-year, $330 million deal would be “11/330.” Ages listed below are for the 2026 season.
Tucker has hit just one home run since July 1 amidst what has been an extended cold stretch for the class’ top player. It’s a much bigger deal for the Cubs, who now trail the Brewers by 3.5 games in the NL Central, than it is for Tucker’s wallet. Given his track record and age, he’s still a lock to eclipse the $300 million mark in free agency. But a deal in the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. range (14/500) is starting to feel more and more out of reach.
2. Alex Bregman (opt-out), Red Sox 3B, age 32 (2)
Bregman missed a month and a half due to a hamstring issue but has looked like himself since returning in early July. He rarely chases or whiffs, and he elevates the ball often enough to the pull side to make the most of his good, not great, raw juice. One big thing to monitor with Bregman is the health of his lower half. That hamstring injury was not his first lower-body injury, and there’s no doubt that Bregman’s mobility has declined in recent years. His sprint speed, for instance, is at a career-low 20th percentile. That matters only as much as it impacts his defense at the hot corner, which remains stellar.
3. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies DH, age 33 (6) 4. Pete Alonso (opt-out), Mets 1B, age 31 (3)
Schwarber vs. Alonso will spark a fascinating debate this winter. There’s a legitimate argument to put either above the other. Alonso — who recently cranked his 251st career home run, putting him one behind the Mets’ franchise record — is two years younger than Schwarber and plays a defensive position. But Schwarber is (1) a left-handed hitter, (2) producing a tier above Alonso offensively and (3) considered one of the few elite clubhouse presences in the game. I’m leaning toward Schwarber for now because he might hit 60 home runs.
Kyle Schwarber, Bo Bichette and Framber Valdez are among the players delivering strong seasons ahead of reaching free agency this winter. (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports)
5. Framber Valdez, Astros SP, age 32 (4) 6. Dylan Cease, Padres SP, age 30 (5)
Only three pitchers have a chance to reach 175 innings this season for the fourth straight year: these two dudes and Logan Webb. As Gerrit Cole’s and Aaron Nola’s injuries have reminded us this year, past durability does not guarantee future durability. With that said, teams value arms such as Valdez and Cease quite highly. Valdez’s 3.02 ERA across this four-year stretch makes him flat-out one of the best arms in the league. Cease’s surface-level numbers this year are ugly, but the combo of strikeout stuff and availability will earn him a nice deal.
7. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays SS, age 28 (8) 8. Cody Bellinger (opt-out), Yankees OF, age 30 (10)
Neither Bellinger nor Bichette made the All-Star team, but both are having All-Star-type seasons as they approach free agency. Bichette has completely bounced back from a down 2025. He has the second-highest expected batting average in baseball andhas recovered enough over-the-fence juice to pop 15 home runs so far. Bellinger has an alluring $25 million team option for next year, but based on his 2025 performance, it’s looking likely that he’ll test the open market. There aren’t many players with his combination of contact skills and center-field defense.
9. Trent Grisham, Yankees OF, age 29 (16)
I’m fully buying into Grisham’s 2025. The list of every-day center fielders with this combo of pop (on pace for more than 25 homers) and patience (his 13.7% walk rate is 12th in baseball) is extremely rare. Grisham has always had raw juice and a good eye, but he has meaningfully improved his contact quality this year. Players like this, hitting the market this young, get paid.
10. Munetaka Murakami, Yakult Swallows 3B, age 26 (17)
The highly touted Japanese slugger was sidelined for the first four months of this season due to an oblique issue but returned, fully healthy, on July 29. And now Murakami looks like a man on a mission. He has already homered three times in 29 plate appearances, including an opposite-field moon shot in his first NPB at-bat back off the shelf. If Murakami can go on a tear over the next two months, he’ll put himself in position for a nice MLB pay day.
11. Gleyber Torres, Tigers 2B, age 29 (9) 12. Luis Arráez, Padres 1B, age 29 (12) 13. Josh Naylor, Mariners 1B, age 29 (11)
You could rank this 29-year-old trio in any order, but I gave the edge to Torres, for now, based on his defensive position. He’s a poor second baseman, but that’s still more enticing than a poor first baseman, which is what Arraez and Naylor are. Torres has cooled off a bit since leading off for the AL in the All-Star Game (!!!), but the underlying metrics remain strong. Arraez slots in ahead of Naylor because I think Arraez’s high-contact schtick is going to age a bit better than Naylor’s. One fun thing about Naylor, though: He has 19 steals, a mighty impressive accomplishment for a dude with third-percentile sprint speed.
14. Eugenio Suárez, Mariners 3B, age 34 (18)
In the lead-up to deadline day, Suárez was getting a lot of buzz as the sexiest rental bat. But as Seattle’s good-not-great trade package proved, teams don’t think the slugging third baseman is an elite player. His 37 home runs remain tied with Aaron Judge for fourth in MLB, but Suárez is a supremely streaky hitter. I think that dynamic, his age and his subpar defense at the hot corner will limit his market this winter.
15. Michael King (2026 mutual option), Padres SP, age 31 (7)
King hasn’t pitched since May 18, sidelined due to a nerve issue in his right shoulder. He recently made his first rehab start and is expected back with the big-league club at some point in the next few weeks. If King reappears with the goods, he’ll fly back up this list. He was one of baseball’s best starters before he got hurt and will garner a ton of interest as a free agent because of his age, his relative newness as a starter and his 86th-percentile strikeout rate.
16. Ranger Suárez, Phillies SP, age 30 (21)
Suárez had a nine-start run from mid-May to early July in which he allowed just seven earned runs across 59 1/3 innings. He has looked a bit more human over his past few outings but remains one of the better second-tier arms set to hit the open market. Because he doesn’t have big stuff — his sinker averages 90.2 mph — and relies on a kitchen-sink approach, there has always been an air of skepticism around Suárez. But at this point, I think he has performed well enough for long enough to be considered a legitimate mid-rotation starter on a good team, which is, essentially, what he has been for the Phillies over the past handful of seasons.
17. Brandon Woodruff (2026 mutual option), Brewers SP, age 33 (33) 18. Lucas Giolito (vesting team option), Red Sox SP, age 31 (47)
Here we have a pair of former All-Star hurlers who started the season on the shelf but have either returned or rounded into form recently. Before last month, Woodruff hadn’t appeared in the bigs since September 2023 as he battled through a significant shoulder issue. But in a five-start sample since then, the burly Mississippian has carved, despite a fastball that hasn’t completely bounced back to pre-injury levels. Giolito got off the IL in late April and needed a month to shake off the rust. Across his past 10 starts, the thick-bearded vet has a 2.03 ERA, the seventh-lowest mark in MLB over that span.
19. Shane Bieber (opt-out), Blue Jays SP, age 32 (NR)
The 2020 AL Cy Young winner has yet to appear in a big-league game this year as he works his way back from reconstructive elbow surgery. That didn’t stop Toronto from acquiring him at the deadline in hopes that Bieber can contribute to the division-leading Jays down the stretch. He has made four minor-league rehab starts over the past few weeks and will make a fifth this weekend. Given the lengthy layoff, Bieber is a total mystery box. But if he makes seven starts for the Jays and looks like Shane Bieber, he’ll opt out and get paid. Worse pitchers have made money off less.
20. J.T. Realmuto, Phillies C, age 35 (23)
A strong July pushed Realmuto’s full-season numbers toward league average. That served as a valuable reminder that though Realmuto isn’t what he once was — one of the best backstops in baseball — he’s still a valuable player. That’s particularly true in a market devoid of catchers. Ultimately, I think Realmuto ends up back in Philly, where his game-calling acumen and leadership qualities are most appreciated.
21. Ryan Helsley, Mets RP, age 31 (19)
Helsley, dealt from St. Louis to Queens at the deadline, is the only top-shelf impending free-agent reliever who has improved his performance over the course of the season. He’s on a heater right now, with just one earned run allowed in his past 13 appearances. Most importantly, Helsley’s fastball has continued to tick up each month and is sitting triple digits since the beginning of July. Relievers, they are volatile, capricious things, but for now, Helsley looks like the best of this bunch.
22. Cedric Mullins, Mets CF, age 31 (22)
Mullins is ranked well below Grisham despite a superior track record for a number of reasons. The former Oriole is two years older and has much been more dependent on his legs (both on the bases and in the outfield) to create value. All of Mullins’ peripheral numbers have been ticking down for years now, making it unlikely that a team will invest big dollars in him on a lengthy deal. That said, Mullins is still a nice piece, as evidenced by the Mets’ move to acquire him at the deadline.
23. Jack Flaherty (opt-out), Tigers SP, age 29 (28)
After a bounce-back 2024, Flaherty’s walk rate has nearly doubled this year. Even so, he has been quite good since July 1, with a 3.16 ERA across his past six starts. Flaherty has a $20 million option with Detroit for next year, but I think he’ll opt out and try to get a longer-term deal. He had difficulty securing that type of contract last winter, but given his age and another year of decent performance, I think he’ll find something more alluring this go-round.
24. Zac Gallen, D-backs SP, age 30 (26)
Somewhat surprisingly, Gallen wasn’t dealt at the deadline as part of the D-backs’ expiring contract garage sale. Why? Well, Arizona’s former ace has the second-highest ERA among qualified starters this season. That appears to have made him too much of a question mark for teams in the playoff hunt. Over the past month, Gallen’s peripheral numbers have been better, and there’s a chance Arizona extends him a qualifying offer to try to recoup a draft pick if he departs in free agency. At this point, Gallen is a project, but one that many teams would be eager to undertake.
25. Ramón Laureano, Padres OF, age 31 (43)
Heck yeah, brother. I know this seems a bit heavy for Laureano, a dude who was non-tendered by the Braves last winter, but he’s a 31-year-old outfielder with a .900 OPS and the underlying metrics to back it up. And it’s not a platoon thing, either; the right-handed Laureano, who has traditionally crushed southpaws, is hitting better against righties than lefties this season. He still has a howitzer in right field and a fiery edge that some teams value. He’s going to end up with a bigger deal than people suspect.
Paul Goldschmidt’s pinch-hit solo home run put the Yankees ahead in the seventh inning, and the much-maligned bullpen pitched four innings of scoreless relief to end a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday afternoon in Arlington.
With the win, just their eighth in 19 games since the All-Star break, the Yanks improved to 61-54 on the season. The Rangers, who entered the game just 0.5 game behind New York for the final Wild Card spot, fell to 60-56.
Here are the key takeaways…
– Looking for a spark in a tie game, Aaron Boone went to the bench in the seventh against left-handed reliever Robert Garcia. Amed Rosario (batting for Ryan McMahon) tapped out to third, but Goldschmidt (batting for Austin Wells) had better luck, taking an 0-2 up-and-in fastball and clobbering it 395 feet to left (109.3 mph off the bat) for a solo home run to put New York up 3-2.
Goldschmidt has been eating southpaws alive; he is now batting .410 (43-for-105) on the year with 13 doubles, seven home runs, and 16 RBI.
After Ben Rice reached on a two-out infield hit, Bruce Bochy went to the bullpen, but Shawn Armstrong allowed a single and a walk to give Jazz Chisholm Jr. a bases-loaded chance. But Chisholm managed just a flyout to the warning track in left.
Through the series’ first 26 innings, the Yanks had left 19 runners on base and were 4-for-21 with runners in scoring position.
– Tim Hill, pitching with a lead in the seventh was the second man out of the ‘pen, got the first out before a single and catcher’s interference by Rice put two aboard. The lefty got CoreySeager swinging and Boone summoned Yerry De los Santos, who walked the first man he faced. But a good sinker in on the hands got a fly out to center to leave the bases loaded.
– After De los Santos got the first out of the eighth, Boone called on David Bednar, who walked the first guy he faced, but struck out the next two.
In the ninth, Bednar got pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez swinging at a high fastball and Sam Haggerty to wave at a splitter. Seager looked at a 3-2 pitch that appeared to just catch the corner but was judged a ball, giving the Rangers life. Marcus Semien slashed a single through the right side of the infield to put the go-ahead run on base. Boone came out for a visit and after a conversation, allowed Bednar, who was already at 35 pitches (a season high), to face Adolis Garcia. And the righty got Garcia to swing through a 2-2 splitter on the seventh pitch of the at-bat to end the game.
The Yanks held the Rangers to 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position, with 11 runners left on base and turned three double plays.
– Carlos Rodon allowed two singles and a walk, but no runs in his first two innings of work. The Rangers pushed the game’s first run across when a Rodon changeup over the middle got smashed by Ezequiel Duran for a double off the left field wall to start the third, and Haggerty slapped a single the other way.
The left-hander walked Seager on a full count, after getting squeezed on a 2-2 sinker that caught the outside corner to put two men on, but a 5-4-3 double-play and flyout saw him safely out of further damage.
Rodon was in a spot of bother with one out in the fifth after a swinging bunt single, walk, and Seager bloop single to center loaded the bases. The lefty was able to escape with minimal damage, a Semien sac fly to tie the game, getting Adolis Garcia to ground out to short to leave two men on.
The lefty walked Wyatt Langford to start the sixth and Boone went to the bullpen in a tied game, but Mark LeiterJr. got a flyout and a double play to close Rodon’s line: 5.0 innings two runs on six hits, four walks, three strikeouts on 93 pitches (58 strikes) raising his ERA to 3.35 on the year.
– In the top of the fourth, Anthony Volpe had a big chance with runners on first and second and one out after a couple of walks, and tied the game yanking an inside fastball into left for an RBI single off Texas starter Jack Leiter. The Yanks used their speed to take the lead when the runners took off, and catcher KyleHigashioka‘s throw to third was low and bounced away, allowing Jasson Dominguez to score and Volpe to reach third.
After McMahon walked to put runners on the corners, the Yanks failed to score off lefty reliever Hobby Milner, as Wells tapped into a fielder’s choice (Volpe caught off third, 1-5-2) and Trent Grisham tapped out to Milner, as well.
Since the All-Star break, Wells is 5-for-46 with just one extra-base hit, three walks, and 11 strikeouts. McMahon went 1-for-1 with a walk and is batting .297 in 12 games with the club. Volpe finished 1-for-4, including bouncing into a double play.
– Judge, who threw in the outfield before Wednesday’s game, looked overeager his first time up when he popped out on the infield swinging at a 3-0 fastball coming in on his hands from Rangers starter Jack Leiter.
The slugger came up in a big spot with runners on first and second and two out in the third, but was caught looking at a 2-2 changeup at the knees on the outside corner.
Judge got his first hit since his return, lining a two-out single in the seventh. He went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts and one walk in his first two games back.
– Rice went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts and hit into a double play. He is now 9-for-46 (.196) with eight walks and eight strikeouts since the All-Star break.
– Chisholm finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He is now batting .208 (15-for-72) with just four extra-base hits, eight RBI, and 24 strikeouts since the break.
– Bellinger went 0-for-2 with a walk and grounded into a double play. The outfielder went 3-for-22 with two walks and two strikeouts during the six-game road trip.
– Dominguez 0-for-2 with two walks, now has 12 hits in his last 57 at-bats.
– Grisham, who singled to start the game, went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout and is batting .217 (13-for-60) since the break.
Game MVP
The Yankee bullpen allowed two hits and walked three batters, but got 12 outs without allowing a run and struck out six, including five by Bednar, who earned his 18th save of the year.
After taking Thursday off, the Yanks open a three-game series in The Bronx against the Houston Astros, starting on Friday at 7:05 p.m.
New York is scheduled to start with Cam Schlittler (4.58 ERA, 1.678 WHIP in 19.2 innings) on Friday, with Luis Gil and Max Fried following. Houston is set to counter with righty Hunter Brown (2.47 ERA, 0.985 WHIP in 131 innings) on Friday with lefty Framber Valdez on Saturday. No Astros starter has been named for Sunday.
All seems well with the National League MVP favorite.
Ohtani pitched four one-run innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. And he hit a two-run home run in the third that gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 2-1 lead. But it wasn’t enough for a Dodgers win, as the Cardinals rallied for a 5-3 victory.
Ohtani quickly quelled any concerns about the cramps from his previous start with a strong first inning. He needed just 10 pitches to get through the Cardinals’ side and reached 100 mph on the radar gun with a third-pitch strike to Alec Burleson that ended the inning.
Ohtani pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the second that featured two strikeouts and required just 11 pitches.
The third inning required more work from Ohtani and saw the Cardinals get on the scoreboard first. Jordan Walker reached on a leadoff infield pop-up that Miguel Rojas lost in the sun. Walker then stole second and reached third on a groundout. Brendan Donovan sent him home with a savvy, two-out bunt that landed for an RBI single and a 1-0 Cardinals lead.
Brendan Donovan making things happen with an RBI bunt with two outs!
Alex Call led off the bottom of the third with a double for the Dodgers. Two batters later, Ohtani sent him home with a blast deep into the center-field stands off Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore.
The home run was the 39th of the season for Ohtani, which puts him one behind NL leader Kyle Schwarber and three behind MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh. It was also the 1,000th hit of Ohtani’s MLB career.
And Ohtani’s day on the mound wasn’t finished. He returned for the top of the fourth inning, in which he proceeded to strike out the side. Ohtani got each of Burleson, Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn swinging on third-pitch breaking balls to maintain the 2-1 Dodgers lead.
Shohei Ohtani strikes out the side in the 4th inning!
The Dodgers took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth, and Ohtani did not return to the mound for the fifth inning. Reliever Justin Wrobleski took over.
Ohtani finished his day on the mound having pitched four innings and allowed two hits, zero walks and one earned run that was the result of a misplay in the field. He struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 2.37.
Ohtani’s abbreviated start was part of the continued plan to ramp him back up on the mound following his 2023 elbow surgery. The Dodgers bullpen couldn’t hold on for the win.
Cardinals rally against Dodgers bullpen
The Cardinals added a run in the sixth off reliever Justin Wrobleski to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 3-2. In the eighth inning, St. Louis capitalized on an opportunity to retake the lead.
Burleson and Winn got to first and second with one out via singles off Alex Vesia. Walker then delivered the game-tying RBI on a single to left-center field that scored Burleson.
Then disaster struck for the Dodgers. After a throw to third base failed to get Winn out, third baseman Alex Freeland attempted to throw Walker out at second. Instead, the ball ended up in right field, and Winn scored the go-ahead run on the throwing error for a 4-3 Cardinals lead.
Alex Freeland throws the ball away and the Cardinals take the lead in the 8th!
All seems well with the National League MVP favorite.
Ohtani pitched four one-run innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. And he hit a two-run home run in the third that gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 2-1 lead. But it wasn’t enough for a Dodgers win, as the Cardinals rallied for a 5-3 victory.
Ohtani quickly quelled any concerns about the cramps from his previous start with a strong first inning. He needed just 10 pitches to get through the Cardinals’ side and reached 100 mph on the radar gun with a third-pitch strike to Alec Burleson that ended the inning.
Ohtani pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the second that featured two strikeouts and required just 11 pitches.
The third inning required more work from Ohtani and saw the Cardinals get on the scoreboard first. Jordan Walker reached on a leadoff infield pop-up that Miguel Rojas lost in the sun. Walker then stole second and reached third on a groundout. Brendan Donovan sent him home with a savvy, two-out bunt that landed for an RBI single and a 1-0 Cardinals lead.
Brendan Donovan making things happen with an RBI bunt with two outs!
Alex Call led off the bottom of the third with a double for the Dodgers. Two batters later, Ohtani sent him home with a blast deep into the center-field stands off Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore.
The home run was the 39th of the season for Ohtani, which puts him one behind NL leader Kyle Schwarber and three behind MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh. It was also the 1,000th hit of Ohtani’s MLB career.
And Ohtani’s day on the mound wasn’t finished. He returned for the top of the fourth inning, in which he proceeded to strike out the side. Ohtani got each of Burleson, Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn swinging on third-pitch breaking balls to maintain the 2-1 Dodgers lead.
Shohei Ohtani strikes out the side in the 4th inning!
The Dodgers took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth, and Ohtani did not return to the mound for the fifth inning. Reliever Justin Wrobleski took over.
Ohtani finished his day on the mound having pitched four innings and allowed two hits, zero walks and one earned run that was the result of a misplay in the field. He struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 2.37.
Ohtani’s abbreviated start was part of the continued plan to ramp him back up on the mound following his 2023 elbow surgery. The Dodgers bullpen couldn’t hold on for the win.
Cardinals rally against Dodgers bullpen
The Cardinals added a run in the sixth off reliever Justin Wrobleski to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 3-2. In the eighth inning, St. Louis capitalized on an opportunity to retake the lead.
Burleson and Winn got to first and second with one out via singles off Alex Vesia. Walker then delivered the game-tying RBI on a single to left-center field that scored Burleson.
Then disaster struck for the Dodgers. After a throw to third base failed to get Winn out, third baseman Alex Freeland attempted to throw Walker out at second. Instead, the ball ended up in right field, and Winn scored the go-ahead run on the throwing error for a 4-3 Cardinals lead.
Alex Freeland throws the ball away and the Cardinals take the lead in the 8th!
Instagram is copying major features from three other social networks in one sweeping update. It’s adding a Snapchat-like Snap map, a Repost option clearly inspired by X (but implemented in style of TikTok), and for good measure, it’s also rolling out its TikTok-like “Friends” Reels feed globally. That’s a lot to take in, so let’s break this down.
Reels and reposts
Credit: Instagram
Reposts are finally coming to your Instagram profile. The new Repost feature will let anyone repost public reels or posts onto their own page, without having to bother with the previous Instagram Story workaround. These will show up in your friends’ feeds, but unlike on other sites, reposts won’t be mixed in with your regular posts on your own profile, and will instead be housed in a new Reposts tab. Like a quote post over on X, you can also add your own comments to reposts, which will show up on top of them in a small bubble. To control whether your posts can be reposted, navigate to Settings and activity > Sharing and reuse.
Welcome to Instagram Map
Credit: Instagram
Instagram’s new Map feature will let users share their most recent active location with their fiends on an interactive map, which the site can use to promote more location based content. It’s reminiscent of Snapchat’s Snap Map feature, but with one major difference. Snapchat lets you share your location even when you’re not using the app, but Instagram limits location updates to when the app is actively open. It’s also important to note that location sharing is disabled by default, so you’ll need to turn it on manually (under Messages > Map > Settings) to post your location to Instagram Map.
Instagram hopes that users will use the Map feature to plan hangouts, but I’m personally looking forward to using it to make sure I’m nowhere near my Instagram followers. Instagram will also display Stories with location-sharing enabled on the Map page, so if your friend or favorite local influencer posts about a new cafe, it will show up there as well, and you won’t even need to have location sharing on to see it. Similarly, users can also share Notes, or short messages, directly to the Map.
“Friends” tab in Reels goes global
Credit: Instagram
Meta has already trialed a dedicated Friends feed for the Reels tab in the U.S., but now it’s rolling out globally. If you ever wanted one place that shows you all the weird reels your friends are liking and commenting on, this is it. This will only show Reels that your friends have created, liked, commented on, or reposted, but if you do want some extra privacy, Meta says it’s working on rolling out ways to hide your own likes and comments from showing up in this feed, as well as mute activity from specific friends. The Friends tab is found right on top of the Reels screen, although I have yet to locate the new privacy controls—they’ll likely need some time to reach everyone.
Luka Doncic got his max contract extension. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got a historic one, and the Thunder also extended and locked up his running mates Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Devin Booker got his extension.
Trae Young has yet to get his, and he’s growing increasingly frustrated. He was frustrated at the pace of things a month ago.
ESPN/Andscape’s Marc Spears said Tuesday that Young is “disappointed” that he has yet to be offered a deal. From Spears’ appearance on NBA Today:
“What I’m hearing now, at this point — you can tell by Trae’s Tweet, and I saw him during the Finals — I think he’s disappointed that it hasn’t come, it hasn’t been offered.”
Atlanta can offer Young a four-year, $228.6 million max extension right now, but there also is no time crunch from the Hawks’ perspective (the deadline to reach a deal is June 30, 2026).
The question becomes: Is Young a max player? If not — and the conventional wisdom around the league is he’s not a full max guy — then what is the number where everyone is happy, both in terms of dollars and years?
The Hawks were aggressive this offseason, retooling their roster into one that could be a top-four team in the East. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who brings much-needed shot blocking to Atlanta, and he seems a natural pick-and-pop partner with Young. Nickeil Alexander-Walker brings shooting to the wing, plus he and Dyson Daniels give the Hawks an elite wing defense. Luke Kennard adds even more shooting. And that’s not counting Jalen Johnson getting healthy and Zaccharie Risacher potentially making a leap in his second season.
There’s some logic to the idea of Young at the point leading this roster, he averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists per game last season, shooting 34% from beyond the arc. He also led the league in turnovers with 355 (4.7 per game), and is a minus defender.
Does Atlanta want to see how things shake out on the court before getting serious with extension talks? More likely, they talk to Young about a two-year contract closer to his current salary (two years, $100-105 million). Whether he’d accept that is the question.
What Young wants is an offer and negotiations as a place to start. You could easily get that vibe out of his support for Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons and the drama around his contract.
This why you pay the man early, when someone will take less early to stay in a place he wanted to be forever, you do it… the price only goes up now! Get what you deserve bro!
