Month: August 2026

Now that the chaotic frenzy of MLB’s trade-deadline day is over, we have a better idea of where some contenders stand. The Dodgers landed Tarik Skubal, stole the deadline and sparked fresh debate about baseball’s impending labor negotiations. Fringe clubs like the Mariners, Guardians, Padres and Pirates decided to buy and make their push for the postseason. Teams that we expected to be more ambitious — like the Yankees, Braves and Brewers — ultimately disappointed. But we’ve still got some questions. Here are 10 that we’re curious about as we enter baseball’s stretch run. While it’s true that adding a two-time Cy Young award winner to an already stacked rotation gives the reigning back-to-back champions a ceiling that no other team can match, Skubal’s addition doesn’t guarantee a Dodgers three-peat. Health and matchups still decide what happens in October, and we saw the Dodgers get pushed to the brink by a red-hot Blue Jays team just last year. The rest of the league is motivated to dethrone the Dodgers, and this might all come down to who gets hot at the right time. Skubal and the Dodgers, while staggeringly dominant, are not indestructible. Boston surrendered the deadline’s biggest prospect haul, dealing Carlos Narvaez and top prospects Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later or cash considerations for Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. The three-time All-Star has been sidelined with a wrist injury since July 20, his fifth stint on the injured list in a 14-man span. It’s not great that the Red Sox seem to have no idea when Rutschman will make his debut, and he’ll hit free agency after next season, creating an even shorter window for Boston’s return on its investment. The Red Sox paid a steep price, to be sure, but Rutschman addresses their roster flaw, and you have to appreciate Boston going all-in — even if this might end up not working out for the club long term. The departure of Rutschman reminds me of the impactful loss of Pete Alonso in Queens, and how letting the Polar Bear walk to Baltimore still and might forever distress the Mets’ fan base. It’s hard for the Orioles to say no to the massive package the Red Sox pushed across the table. After all, Rutschman’s Baltimore tenure did not even feature a single playoff win. But you have to feel sorry for O’s fans, who are dealing with major heartbreak after the blockbuster in-division trade. The Phillies have one of the worst offenses in baseball, with their 92 wRC+ tied with the Mets and Rockies for 26th in the majors. Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez is a fantastic who should help improve their offensive numbers. But I still would’ve liked to see Philly add more, particularly a right-handed-hitting outfielder. The club’s recent October failures have come down to situational execution, and second baseman Arraez’s addition will require a defensive realignment, with Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm moving positions. That will present more challenges to a Phillies team with the worst Defensive Runs Saved (-47) in MLB. All eyes will be on the dozen starting pitchers who found new homes on deadline day, including Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes to the Cubs, Robbie Ray and Casey Mize to the Padres, Freddy Peralta to the Rays, José Soriano to the Blue Jays, Foster Griffin to the Guardians, Luis Castillo to the White Sox, Dustin May to the Brewers, Tyler Mahle to the Braves, and of course Skubal to the Dodgers. This one will be answered by the end of September, but the Cubs might experience the biggest benefit here. The Yankees, Braves and Brewers were all considered losers this deadline after failing to meet their needs and add in the significant ways that they were expected to. New York didn’t get any bullpen or catching help. Atlanta didn’t make a splash on the starting-pitching market even though it was flooded with solid options. And Milwaukee refused to part with top prospects in their loaded system. The Yankees face the most pressure to win a championship, and they should be the most nervous about neglecting their checklist. It’s not Skubal. The Dodgers, better than anyone, can afford to ease him in without sacrificing their winning ways. So the answer here has to be Arraez in Philly, Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos in the Bronx, and Peralta in Tampa Bay. A lot is hinging on Garcia and Ramos being the answer to New York’s offensive problems, but at least they’re under team control beyond 2026. Arraez and Peralta are free agents after this year, plus they carry huge stakes for the success of their new clubs. Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and, given the news from the Bronx today, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. Both of these bats don’t have a ton of value right now, and the Mets tried hard to trade Robert, to no avail, likely because rival executives balked at the $20 million he’s owed next year. Volpe was demoted to Triple-A hours after the deadline, and with Yankees No. 1 prospect George Lombard Jr. called up to replace him at shortstop, it’s hard to see how Volpe fits into their long-term plans. And, with so few shortstops available, New York probably could’ve addressed their bullpen or catching needs by moving him. The AL East is going to be popcorn-worthy from now until the final day of the regular season. The Red Sox, of course, were the most aggressive of the divisional contenders, and they’ve been playing really well as of late. The Rays whiffed on Skubal but still bolstered their rotation with Peralta, and they’ve been the team to beat all season. The Yankees stayed relatively quiet and passed on major upgrades, which could end up hurting them. New York is in second place, 3.5 games behind the Rays. Boston is in third place, 5.5 games behind Tampa. It will be fascinating to see how much that race changes over the next two months. Without doing a full-on deep dive that can be reserved for the offseason, when front offices will again try to use some of the prospects they just gained as leverage in trade deals, it seems like the Blue Jays and Cubs took the biggest hits. Toronto parted ways with its top prospect, shortstop Arjun Nimmala, in order to gain a controllable arm in José Soriano, which addressed one of the team’s biggest current needs. And the Cubs dealt their No. 2 overall prospect, infielder Jefferson Rojas, to the Mets in order to get Holmes. These were big blows to their farm systems, even though it might help them in the short term.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There’s no shortage of star talent in college football ahead of the 2026 season, and that’s apparent when you look at Joel Klatt’s list of the top 10 players in the sport. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is widely viewed as one of the best receivers in college football since the turn of the century, and he’s only heading into his junior year. Several quarterbacks are also talented enough to potentially be a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, like Texas’ Arch Manning and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr. Which of those players is the best in college football, though? Here’s Klatt’s top 10 players for the 2026 season. 2025 stats: Completed 77% of his passes for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and 8 interceptions Klatt’s thoughts: “To be candid with you, they played it safe with him. … If you’re looking for some areas of improvement with Juian Sayin, I’ve got a couple for you … he’s not a gunslinger. I don’t want him to get careless with the football. … But there are times where there are throws to be made down the field, big throws to be made down the field … there are times the throw is there down the field to Jeremiah Smith and he checks the ball. “I think his next step in his maturation as a quarterback is to take those shots down the field. I think the other area that hurt them is the fact that he’s not a very big guy … the short yardage issues for Ohio State were a thing. “This is likely going to be an offensive-led team. This is one of — if not the best — offenses in college football. Led by Sayin. He’s calm, cool and collected. He learned some lessons late last year… I think he’s going to be better for it as he moves into his second year as starter.” 2025 stats: 33 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles Klatt’s thoughts: “I love watching this guy on film. He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s got a good motor. … Remember, two years ago, he was incredible as a freshman. … He backed it up with a pretty productive year last year, and I think he’s likely going to be a top four, five, six pick in next year’s NFL Draft. “Do I love South Carolina? No. But do I love Dylan Stewart? Yes. This guy is an elite player and there’s no doubt. … Could this guy absolutely wreck a game? Yes. That’s what makes South Carolina such an interesting case study. Fabulous player. I love watching him play.” 2025 stats: 2 sacks, 7 pressures allowed at Colorado (per Pro Football Focus) Klatt’s thoughts: “This is a guy that I love more than most. … He’s 6-foot-7, he’s 307 pounds, and he’s got 22 starts under his belt. … He was already [LSU’s] best offensive lineman right when he walked through the door. This guy was an elite player, an elite pass protector. “I think this is a guy who can go in the top 10 of the NFL Draft next year. … He’s certainly going to anchor what I feel like is a really good offensive team… This is one of the pieces to fix that LSU offense.” 2025 stats: 43 total tackles, 12 sacks, 3 forced fumbles Klatt’s thoughts: “The moment I saw him as a true freshman at Texas, I was like, ‘Yup, that’s an elite player right there.’ He was elite last year as well, 12 sacks a year ago, and now he has 21 sacks in his first two seasons in college football. An elite pass rusher and edge player since he stepped foot on campus there in Austin. “This is a defense that’s going to need to improve. This is a team with high expectations. One of those consistent performers for that Texas team a year ago was Colin Simmons. He needs to have a great year for them to bring Will Muschamp along, improve the defensive side … this is the type of guy who can do it.” 2025 stats: Completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions; rushed for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns Klatt’s thoughts: I want to put this guy higher, but there are incredible players ahead of him. Moore was outstanding last year. Outstanding. Truth be told, if he had come out for the draft last year, he would’ve been the No. 2 overall pick. … 15 touchdowns on deep throws last year, nobody was better in college football. They’re going to be an elite team around him. “He’s entering his second year as the starter, I’m a big believer in experience at the quarterback position. There are some absolute dogs in the top five.” 2025 stats: 109 receptions, 1,211 receiving yards, 10 receiving touchdowns; 113 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown Klatt’s thoughts: “Was there a better player, other than Fernando Mendoza, than Malachi Toney in the College Football Playoff? “I believe he could have a really good year. I love his playmaking ability. [I love] his versatility in the way that he can impact and attack the defense. Can you get him the ball right away on the outside? Yes. He’s a terrific slot receiver and has a really good feel for space for such a young player. I’m a big Malachi Toney fan.” 2025 stats: Completed 61.4% of his passes for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and 7 interceptions; 399 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns Klatt: “Here’s the problem from last year for Arch: The expectations were outrageous. … If you look after his first few starts, he was elite … with a supporting cast that was subpar. … Their wide receiver room, woefully short of Texas standards. Their offensive linemen, woefully short of Texas standards. Their ability to run the football, or lack thereof, woefully short of Texas standards. So, it fell all on Arch’s shoulders. “He’s not a bust. He’s got that running ability when he gets loose on the outside, he’s got that Trevor Lawrence quality to him when he gets space. I think it could be a big year for Arch.” 2025 stats: Completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions; 33 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns Klatt: “I cannot contain my excitement for CJ Carr at Notre Dame. I think CJ Carr is incredibly talented. This is going to be a different style of Notre Dame offense this year. “What people fail to realize is how explosive [Notre Dame was], and can be this year, offensively throwing the football. They averaged over 40 points last year, 42 to be exact. “Carr got a bunch of experience a year ago. They got a chip on their shoulder after not being in the playoff. This is an offense that’s going to be more quarterback-centric than it was running back-centric than it was a year ago. … He could have a monster, monster season in terms of numbers. He’s probably my Heisman frontrunner.” 2025 stats: 31 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, 5 interceptions Klatt: “I think he’s absolutely the top cornerback in next year’s draft. … Leonard Moore is fantastic. He’s going to allow them to do so much on that defensive side. This should be one of the best defenses in all of college football. They’re good up front, they’re good at linebacker, they’re really good in the secondary. “I can’t wait to see what Leonard Moore does in the playoff. I think this is absolutely a playoff team. He can do everything. He can play well in zone, he’s got good instincts. He can play well in man; he’s got good coverage ability. He’s loose, he’s flexible, he’s fast, he’s terrific once the ball is in the air.” 2025 stats: 87 receptions, 1,243 yards, 12 receiving touchdowns Klatt: “There’s no other No. 1 when he’s playing in college football. He’s physical, he’s fast, he’s great catching the football. He’s got great hands. He’s a technician. If [Julian] Sayin lets it loose and throws the ball down the field, Jeremiah Smith might have 15, 18 touchdowns this year. He’s a regardless receiver, which means regardless of what coverage you’re in, they’re throwing him the football. “Nobody can cover him. The only guy I think who can have a chance is Leonard Moore, my No. 2 player. He’s that elite. It’s, candidly, not even close.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports