The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field is set, and two insiders have shared their thoughts on how the next 10 races will go. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic predicted their four drivers who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix.
Bianchi said that Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe will be the final four drivers in the playoffs. Gluck picked Blaney, defending champion Joey Logano, Briscoe and Denny Hamlin. The interesting thing is neither Bianchi or Gluck picked William Byron, who won this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season championship.
Gluck then focused on Logano since he spoke to his crew chief, Paul Wolfe. “He said that he told his team last week there’s no reason we shouldn’t be the favorites heading into these playoffs,” Gluck said about Wolfe. “It stacks up exactly how it has the last two times we won it, except even better. The tracks line up so great for them.”
Bianchi focused on Bell, as he thinks he can win it all. “If they get to Phoenix, I don’t know how you pick against Bell,” Bianchi said. “If Bell gets to Phoenix, I think they win. I think they’re going on a tear.”
Who will make a run in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
If Logano wants to win his fourth Cup Series championship, he has work to do since he’s only one point above the playoff cut line. Bell, on the other hand, is in a good spot to advance to the Round of 12, as he’s in fifth place in the playoff standings and 17 points above the cut line.
Blaney and Briscoe are the two similar picks for Gluck and Bianchi. Blaney, who won the Cup Series title in 2023, has been on a roll in the last six weeks, finishing in the top 10 in his last six races, including a victory at Daytona on Saturday night. He came close to being a two-time champion last year, losing to Penske teammate Logano in the championship race.
Briscoe finished 25that Daytona but has been racing well in the last couple of months. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished in the top five in four of his last seven races, including P2 finishes at Sonoma, Dover and Iowa.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Darlington. The first three playoff races will be the Round of 16, and the bottom four drivers will be eliminated after the third race.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field is set, and two insiders have shared their thoughts on how the next 10 races will go. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic predicted their four drivers who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix.
Bianchi said that Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe will be the final four drivers in the playoffs. Gluck picked Blaney, defending champion Joey Logano, Briscoe and Denny Hamlin. The interesting thing is neither Bianchi or Gluck picked William Byron, who won this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season championship.
Gluck then focused on Logano since he spoke to his crew chief, Paul Wolfe. “He said that he told his team last week there’s no reason we shouldn’t be the favorites heading into these playoffs,” Gluck said about Wolfe. “It stacks up exactly how it has the last two times we won it, except even better. The tracks line up so great for them.”
Bianchi focused on Bell, as he thinks he can win it all. “If they get to Phoenix, I don’t know how you pick against Bell,” Bianchi said. “If Bell gets to Phoenix, I think they win. I think they’re going on a tear.”
Who will make a run in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
If Logano wants to win his fourth Cup Series championship, he has work to do since he’s only one point above the playoff cut line. Bell, on the other hand, is in a good spot to advance to the Round of 12, as he’s in fifth place in the playoff standings and 17 points above the cut line.
Blaney and Briscoe are the two similar picks for Gluck and Bianchi. Blaney, who won the Cup Series title in 2023, has been on a roll in the last six weeks, finishing in the top 10 in his last six races, including a victory at Daytona on Saturday night. He came close to being a two-time champion last year, losing to Penske teammate Logano in the championship race.
Briscoe finished 25that Daytona but has been racing well in the last couple of months. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished in the top five in four of his last seven races, including P2 finishes at Sonoma, Dover and Iowa.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Darlington. The first three playoff races will be the Round of 16, and the bottom four drivers will be eliminated after the third race.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field is set, and two insiders have shared their thoughts on how the next 10 races will go. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic predicted their four drivers who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix.
Bianchi said that Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe will be the final four drivers in the playoffs. Gluck picked Blaney, defending champion Joey Logano, Briscoe and Denny Hamlin. The interesting thing is neither Bianchi or Gluck picked William Byron, who won this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season championship.
Gluck then focused on Logano since he spoke to his crew chief, Paul Wolfe. “He said that he told his team last week there’s no reason we shouldn’t be the favorites heading into these playoffs,” Gluck said about Wolfe. “It stacks up exactly how it has the last two times we won it, except even better. The tracks line up so great for them.”
Bianchi focused on Bell, as he thinks he can win it all. “If they get to Phoenix, I don’t know how you pick against Bell,” Bianchi said. “If Bell gets to Phoenix, I think they win. I think they’re going on a tear.”
Who will make a run in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
If Logano wants to win his fourth Cup Series championship, he has work to do since he’s only one point above the playoff cut line. Bell, on the other hand, is in a good spot to advance to the Round of 12, as he’s in fifth place in the playoff standings and 17 points above the cut line.
Blaney and Briscoe are the two similar picks for Gluck and Bianchi. Blaney, who won the Cup Series title in 2023, has been on a roll in the last six weeks, finishing in the top 10 in his last six races, including a victory at Daytona on Saturday night. He came close to being a two-time champion last year, losing to Penske teammate Logano in the championship race.
Briscoe finished 25that Daytona but has been racing well in the last couple of months. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished in the top five in four of his last seven races, including P2 finishes at Sonoma, Dover and Iowa.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Darlington. The first three playoff races will be the Round of 16, and the bottom four drivers will be eliminated after the third race.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field is set, and two insiders have shared their thoughts on how the next 10 races will go. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic predicted their four drivers who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix.
Bianchi said that Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe will be the final four drivers in the playoffs. Gluck picked Blaney, defending champion Joey Logano, Briscoe and Denny Hamlin. The interesting thing is neither Bianchi or Gluck picked William Byron, who won this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season championship.
Gluck then focused on Logano since he spoke to his crew chief, Paul Wolfe. “He said that he told his team last week there’s no reason we shouldn’t be the favorites heading into these playoffs,” Gluck said about Wolfe. “It stacks up exactly how it has the last two times we won it, except even better. The tracks line up so great for them.”
Bianchi focused on Bell, as he thinks he can win it all. “If they get to Phoenix, I don’t know how you pick against Bell,” Bianchi said. “If Bell gets to Phoenix, I think they win. I think they’re going on a tear.”
Who will make a run in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
If Logano wants to win his fourth Cup Series championship, he has work to do since he’s only one point above the playoff cut line. Bell, on the other hand, is in a good spot to advance to the Round of 12, as he’s in fifth place in the playoff standings and 17 points above the cut line.
Blaney and Briscoe are the two similar picks for Gluck and Bianchi. Blaney, who won the Cup Series title in 2023, has been on a roll in the last six weeks, finishing in the top 10 in his last six races, including a victory at Daytona on Saturday night. He came close to being a two-time champion last year, losing to Penske teammate Logano in the championship race.
Briscoe finished 25that Daytona but has been racing well in the last couple of months. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished in the top five in four of his last seven races, including P2 finishes at Sonoma, Dover and Iowa.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Darlington. The first three playoff races will be the Round of 16, and the bottom four drivers will be eliminated after the third race.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field is set, and two insiders have shared their thoughts on how the next 10 races will go. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic predicted their four drivers who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix.
Bianchi said that Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe will be the final four drivers in the playoffs. Gluck picked Blaney, defending champion Joey Logano, Briscoe and Denny Hamlin. The interesting thing is neither Bianchi or Gluck picked William Byron, who won this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season championship.
Gluck then focused on Logano since he spoke to his crew chief, Paul Wolfe. “He said that he told his team last week there’s no reason we shouldn’t be the favorites heading into these playoffs,” Gluck said about Wolfe. “It stacks up exactly how it has the last two times we won it, except even better. The tracks line up so great for them.”
Bianchi focused on Bell, as he thinks he can win it all. “If they get to Phoenix, I don’t know how you pick against Bell,” Bianchi said. “If Bell gets to Phoenix, I think they win. I think they’re going on a tear.”
Who will make a run in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
If Logano wants to win his fourth Cup Series championship, he has work to do since he’s only one point above the playoff cut line. Bell, on the other hand, is in a good spot to advance to the Round of 12, as he’s in fifth place in the playoff standings and 17 points above the cut line.
Blaney and Briscoe are the two similar picks for Gluck and Bianchi. Blaney, who won the Cup Series title in 2023, has been on a roll in the last six weeks, finishing in the top 10 in his last six races, including a victory at Daytona on Saturday night. He came close to being a two-time champion last year, losing to Penske teammate Logano in the championship race.
Briscoe finished 25that Daytona but has been racing well in the last couple of months. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished in the top five in four of his last seven races, including P2 finishes at Sonoma, Dover and Iowa.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Darlington. The first three playoff races will be the Round of 16, and the bottom four drivers will be eliminated after the third race.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field is set, and two insiders have shared their thoughts on how the next 10 races will go. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic predicted their four drivers who will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix.
Bianchi said that Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe will be the final four drivers in the playoffs. Gluck picked Blaney, defending champion Joey Logano, Briscoe and Denny Hamlin. The interesting thing is neither Bianchi or Gluck picked William Byron, who won this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season championship.
Gluck then focused on Logano since he spoke to his crew chief, Paul Wolfe. “He said that he told his team last week there’s no reason we shouldn’t be the favorites heading into these playoffs,” Gluck said about Wolfe. “It stacks up exactly how it has the last two times we won it, except even better. The tracks line up so great for them.”
Bianchi focused on Bell, as he thinks he can win it all. “If they get to Phoenix, I don’t know how you pick against Bell,” Bianchi said. “If Bell gets to Phoenix, I think they win. I think they’re going on a tear.”
Who will make a run in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
If Logano wants to win his fourth Cup Series championship, he has work to do since he’s only one point above the playoff cut line. Bell, on the other hand, is in a good spot to advance to the Round of 12, as he’s in fifth place in the playoff standings and 17 points above the cut line.
Blaney and Briscoe are the two similar picks for Gluck and Bianchi. Blaney, who won the Cup Series title in 2023, has been on a roll in the last six weeks, finishing in the top 10 in his last six races, including a victory at Daytona on Saturday night. He came close to being a two-time champion last year, losing to Penske teammate Logano in the championship race.
Briscoe finished 25that Daytona but has been racing well in the last couple of months. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished in the top five in four of his last seven races, including P2 finishes at Sonoma, Dover and Iowa.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Darlington. The first three playoff races will be the Round of 16, and the bottom four drivers will be eliminated after the third race.
The Eagles are continuing to make moves ahead of the 53-man roster deadline, with Howie Roseman making his third trade of this Sunday afternoon. Hours after trading for Sam Howell, Philadelphia reunited with former swing tackle Fred Johnson. Adam Schefter reports that the Jacksonville Jaguars are trading Johnson back to Philadelphia in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick.
A hat trick of trades today for the Eagles: Philadelphia now is acquiring a 2027 sixth-round pick from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for offensive tackle Darian Kennard, per sources.
It is the third Eagles trade today, and the second involving an OT. The Eagles also traded… pic.twitter.com/JSQxVTmlxh
Over the past three weeks, Roseman has parted ways with a 2026 5th round pick, a 2026 5th round pick, a 2026 7th round pick, and a 2027 7th round pick. In exchange, the Eagles received a 2026 6th-round pick, a 2026 6th-round pick, and another 2027 6th-round pick.
Philadelphia didn’t like their offensive line depth
The Eagles took several swings at adding a backup offensive tackle during the spring. Philadelphia signed Kendall Lamm during free agency, drafted Myles Hinton, and had Matt Pryor and Darian Kinnard operating as backup offensive tackles during the preseason. Kinnard has been traded, while Lamm and Pryor could both be cut.
Eagles have been active over the past two weeks.
With the move, Philadelphia has made four trades in the past three weeks, since acquiring cornerback Jakorian Bennett for Thomas Booker.
At the start of training camp, Roseman admitted that he’d use the 13 picks in 2026 to help improve the club, and the Eagles’ GM has been active. Since training camp, these are Roseman’s moves.
Sherrone Moore told reporters during fall camp his intention was to name Michigan football’s 2025 starting quarterback during his first weekly press conference on the Monday of the first game week (August 25). However, according to both 247Sports and On3, Moore has been somewhat scooped.
Though, there was exactly zero drama or suspense for the decision, as it’s been an open secret who the starter would be.
First reported by 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Wolverines are expected to name true freshman Bryce Underwood the starting quarterback for the season opener (and the season itself) against New Mexico. On3’s Pete Nakos followed Zenitz’s reporting with the same news moments later.
Michigan is set to name five-star freshman Bryce Underwood as its starting quarterback with an official announcement set for tomorrow, sources tell @CBSSports.
Had been the clear favorite to win the job throughout the offseason. Now set to officially be named the starter. pic.twitter.com/po499taDF4
Underwood was a five-star recruit, rated as the No. 1 overall recruit according to 247Sports, On3, and ESPN. Only the old version of Rivals had him ranked below No. 1.
The last time that the Wolverines started a true freshman at quarterback was in 2009, when Tate Forcier came out of the jump and led Michigan to wins in the first several games before things started falling apart (due to the defense at that time). Unlike Forcier, Underwood has had a lot more time on task, having participated in bowl prep, spring ball, and finally fall camp, where he’s reportedly had the bulk of reps with the ones.
The Mets were slow to promote Nolan McLean — too slow it appears, judging by his two outstanding starts in the big leagues. They need to change that conservative approach as it applies to their two other top pitching prospects, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong, in their pursuit of a postseason spot.
And it appears they may be ready to do just that — perhaps quickly, as the week ahead figures to be pivotal.
At least there are indications the Mets are thinking more aggressively, perhaps realizing their trio of electric young pitchers, Sproat, Tong, and McLean, could help provide a much-needed re-set for the major league staff.
On Sunday they had an opener start for Triple-A Syracuse rather than Sproat so the 24-year old right-hander would get a taste of coming out of the bullpen. It’s a way of preparing him for the possibility of the role as a bulk reliever for the Mets in the weeks ahead, something they will need if their starters continue to have problems going deep into games.
That it didn’t go well for Sproat on Sunday, as he gave up seven runs — five earned — in 3 2/3 innings, shouldn’t deter the Mets from continuing to let him get a feel for the new role. He’s pitched with enough dominance at Triple-A over the last two months to make the case he’s as ready as McLean for the big leagues.
Whether he has McLean’s poise and presence remains to be seen. But there is no doubt Sproat has the high-ceiling stuff to succeed anywhere.
“He’s not as naturally confident as McLean,” one Mets’ person said of Sproat Sunday. “It took him longer to make the transition to Triple-A because he lost his confidence and started shying away from contact. But he’s come a long way this season in the way he attacks hitters and commands all of his pitches. When he’s on, he’s very impressive.”
And then there’s Tong, whose eye-popping success since his recent promotion to Triple-A is apparently forcing the Mets’ brass to re-think the possibility of using him in the big leagues this season, as reported Saturday by the New York Post.
And why not? Tong on Saturday not only pitched six scoreless innings, while racking up eight strikeouts, but got a whopping 21 swings-and-misses while throwing 88 pitches, as his fastball topped out at 97.6 mph.
In two Triple-A starts he’s pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts and 39 swings-and-misses. The K’s are impressive enough but the crazy-high total of whiffs is what had baseball people I spoke to believing that Tong could have immediate success if promoted.
“If I see 21 swings-and-misses, and I have a need, I’m absolutely giving him a shot,” a former GM told me Sunday. “Otherwise you’re not doing right by your ballclub.
“He has a unique delivery, the way he comes over the top, and that may be creating deception to go with his plus stuff. It gives him a better chance of having immediate success in the big leagues against guys who haven’t seen him. He could be the type of lightning-in-a-bottle guy who can have a big impact for a team chasing a postseason spot.”
A scout who saw Tong multiple times in Double-A added: “I’ve seen him dominate hitters at the top of the strike zone with his fastball and at the bottom with his offspeed stuff. He has weapons and he has deception. I wouldn’t be afraid to throw him in there against big-league hitters.”
Suddenly, then, the Mets have a slew of possibilities to improve their pitching staff, including Tylor Megill, who has pitched nine scoreless innings in rehab outings and could be back soon as well.
So how would the Mets find places for the new faces?
They DFA’d Paul Blackburn to make room for McLean, and Frankie Montas’ season-ending elbow injury opened another spot, filled for now by the call-up of reliever Huascar Brazoban.
Because they’re six games into a stretch of 16 straight without an off-day, they’ve indicated they will add a sixth starter at some point soon to give their five-man rotation an extra day of rest. Senga, in particular, rarely starts on four days rest, but is scheduled to do so Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
It seems highly unlikely the Mets would have him make a second start on regular rest, which would be Saturday at home against the Miami Marlins. So that could well be the day they use the extra starter, either Megill, Sproat, or Tong.
Beyond that, however, much could depend on how both Senga and Sean Manaea pitch over the next two days. They have been the primary short-start culprits lately, which has created a sense the Mets would be better off with a couple of bulk relievers than all of the one-inning guys they have now.
In addition, if Manaea continues to lose velocity after a few innings, which could be the result of the loose bodies in his elbow, the Mets could also be served well to designate someone to piggyback and limit Manaea to 3-4 innings.
Clay Holmes seems to have gotten a second wind in that regard in his last two starts, but his innings-total remains enough of a concern that the Mets could need a similar set-up for him in the weeks ahead.
It’s why David Stearns is likely mulling multiple pitching scenarios for the days and weeks ahead.
If he wants to go bold and utilize both Sproat and Tong at some point, it could mean optioning Reed Garrett to the minors and DFA’ing Ryne Stanek.
That shouldn’t be a deterrent at this point. If anything, Stearns should be emboldened enough by McLean’s success to get creative and give his pitching staff a makeover. The sooner the better.
It’s still not clear when New York Yankees star Aaron Judge will make his return to the outfield, but he took a significant step in that direction on Sunday.
Judge threw to bases at Yankee Stadium on Sunday for the first time since he went down with a flexor strain in his right arm earlier this month. Judge threw balls from about 150 feet out ahead of the Yankees’ matchup with the Boston Red Sox.
As for when he’ll be fully recovered and back in the outfield, though, neither he nor manager Aaron Boone had a clear answer.
“The bottom line is we want to do this the right way,” Boone said, via ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. “And as much as he wants to be out there and we want him out there, we’ve got to make sure we want to do everything possible to put ourselves in the best position to not reinjure this.”
Judge has been the Yankees’ designated hitter since he came off the injured list on Aug. 5, and Giancarlo Stanton has taken his place in right field.
Judge entered Sunday’s series finale with the Red Sox with a league-high .326 batting average with 40 home runs and 92 RBIs. His production has been down significantly since he transitioned into the designated hitter role, however. He’s held just a .218 batting average over that span.
The Yankees took a 69-60 record into Sunday’s matchup, too. They’ve lost three straight to the Red Sox, which snapped a five-game win streak, and they are in third in the AL East standings whild holding onto a wild card spot.
Though it’s unknown when Judge will get to return to the outfield — he said Sunday that he’s still not feeling 100%, and that he was still undergoing “quite a bit” of treatment — his presence should make quite the difference for the Yankees as they enter the last stretch of the regular season. He just has to get there first.
“I’m a ballplayer,” Judge said. “I want to play both sides of the ball and go out there, making plays on defense, helping my team out. I know hitting’s important and all that, but I feel like I can impact this team on both sides, so I can’t wait to get back out there.”
