Sports

Week 6 Fantasy Baseball Waiver

You know those safe closers you drafted? The ones you paid a premium for because you wouldn’t have to worry about them this season while everyone else had a knock-down, drag-out fight for the dregs of the RP position on waivers every week? Yeah, that plan might’ve gotten flipped on its head over the past […]

Published

2 months ago

April 28, 2025

Your Sports Nation

That’s an exaggeration, of course. Josh Hader has been fine, if you have him, and Mason Miller remains a dominant force; Ryan Helsley’s job is safe, and Raisel Iglesias just keeps on trucking. But a bunch of the high-end options look pretty scary these days.

Like Devin Williams and Emmanuel Clase, who were both shifted out of the closer’s role at least temporarily this weekend as they try to find the answer to some early-season struggles. In both instances, the Yankees and Guardians managers were clear to say their demotions were likely to be temporary, but if you invested an early pick into either, losing them as a saves source for even a week could be tough to overcome, especially since your only recourse is to stash them away on your bench – I shouldn’t have to say this, but no, you are definitely not dropping Emmanuel Clase or Devin Williams.

But you probably should be trying to add Cade Smith and Luke Weaver to replace them this week. Both are elite relievers in their own right, and both would probably be top-10 options for Fantasy if they were the closer the rest of the way for their respective teams. And, while we expect these to be short-term changes, there’s at least a chance both stick in the role and become huge contributors for Fantasy the rest of the way, either because they make themselves irreplaceable or the guy they are replacing just never gets right. At the very least, both Weaver and Smith look like must-start relievers for the next week, and possibly longer.

We’ve also got Edwin Diaz dealing with a hip injury, though the concern over that is minimal enough that he did pitch Saturday. However, he did skip a save situation Sunday, with Ryne Stanek blowing the game for the Mets, so that could be an issue that lingers and makes Diaz a risky start this week.

Things are worse for Ryan Walker, who might just be in a time share now – he worked the ninth inning in a tied game Saturday but continued to look vulnerable, giving up a couple of hits before getting out of the inning and ending up with a win. Sunday, it was Camilo Doval‘s turn to work the ninth in a tie game and get the win. They remain tied for the team lead with five saves, and while Walker hasn’t totally lost the job, it also isn’t totally his either. I wouldn’t be looking to drop Walker, but I do think Doval is someone you want to be adding in most Roto leagues.

And Ryan Pressly and Trevor Megill are both on notice, too. Both are dealing with knee issues, though Pressly’s is a bigger concern right now – he’s been throwing off to the side, but he hasn’t pitched in a game since last week. Porter Hodge could continue to see some save chances as long as Pressly is out, while Megill blew a save Saturday with a walk-off homer, and has at least a couple of viable options behind him if he continues to struggle – Abner Uribe would probably be next in line, though recently promoted rookie Craig Yoho has some interesting skills that could make him worth a look in deeper leagues, too.

And then there are a couple of bullpen situations that might have already flipped. For the Tigers, Will Vest has the last three saves ahead of Tommy Kahnle, who looked like he was running away with the job early on. That’s ambiguous enough that I wouldn’t be surprised to see it flip back to Kahnle, but Vest seems to be at the top of the hierarchy for now. And in Pittsburgh, David Bednar might have already gotten his closer job back, as he worked the ninth for the save Friday, while Dennis Santana shifted down to the eighth-inning role. I always assumed the Pirates wanted to get Bednar back into that role, and they really didn’t take long to do it.

If you’re looking for relievers to add this weekend, I would probably rank them in this priority:

David Bednar, Pirates
Cade Smith, Guardians
Luke Weaver, Yankees
Camilo Doval, Giants
Will Vest, Tigers
Porter Hodge, Cubs
Abner Uribe, Brewers

But there are plenty of options, both in the short- and long-term to consider, and that could allow you to be strategic. If you need saves right now, Smith and Weaver could be high priorities, because we know they’re good and seemingly have a short-term limit on how long they’ll have the job; if you are in a more speculative position, Uribe or Hodge might not give you a ton of saves right now, but both could end up with real long-term value if some stuff breaks their way.

Here’s who else we’re looking to add on waivers ahead of Week 5:

Week 5 Waiver Targets

Catchers

Agustin Ramirez, C, Marlins (48%) – It’s hard for a player’s first five games to go any better than Ramirez’s have. After homering in his first trip to the plate Sunday, he is 8 for his first 15 at-bats with two homers, four doubles, a steal, and just one strikeout. Ramirez played his way into the top-50 prospect discussion by hitting 25 homers and stealing 22 bases last season in the minors, and he’s going to be a stalwart of the Marlins lineup basically everyday if he keeps this up. He’s better in Roto than points, but at this point, Ramirez needs to be rostered in all leagues with this hot start.

Deep-league target: Edgar Quero, White Sox (16%) – Quero is kind of getting lost in the shuffle behind Ramirez, but he wasn’t viewed as a significantly worse prospect than Ramirez coming into the season – FanGraphs had him as the No. 59 player on their big board coming into the season, while Ramirez was 40th – and he’s more than held his own in his first taste of the majors. Quero is hitting .345/.472/.414 in his first11 games, with a couple of appearances already at DH, a sign the White Sox want to keep him in the lineup. His skillset isn’t quite as Fantasy-friendly as Ramirez’s, but with how bad catcher remains outside of a handful of options, any young guy with upside should be rostered in two-catcher leagues. And Quero will cost a lot less than Ramirez!

First Base

Pavin Smith, Diamondbacks (53%) – The Diamondbacks seem perfectly content to use Smith as a pure platoon bat, but you have to wonder if he might be able to change their perspective if he keeps crushing everything. He took a huge step forward last season, putting up a .395 expected wOBA to go along with his .377 actual mark, and now he’s improved on both in the early going. Sure, that’s inflated by the lack of exposure to tough left-handed pitchers, which also limits his appeal in points leagues especially. But with the way he’s hitting – in that lineup, no less – Smith is useful in any format, especially if the upcoming schedule is fairly righty-heavy.

Deep-league target: Spencer Horwitz, Pirates (10%) – Horwitz began his rehab assignment Sunday as he continues to work his way back from wrist surgery prior to the season. He’ll likely stay on that rehab assignment for at least another week, but he’s obviously getting close, and should be a big part of the Pirates lineup when healthy. I’m not sure Horwitz can really hit lefties, but he showed a good approach at the plate last season and could be a useful option in deeper leagues when healthy.

Second base

Jorge Polanco, Mariners (56%) – Maybe it takes a year to get used to playing in Seattle? Or maybe, you know, playing major-league baseball when you aren’t healthy is really hard. Polanco played through a variety of lower-body injuries last season and was clearly never right, as evidenced by his career-worst quality of contact metrics and strikeout rate. He’s turned both around so far this season, sporting a 12.9% strikeout rate and .489 expected wOBA on contact, both of which would be the best marks of his career. I don’t expect he’ll keep all of that up, but it’s worth remembering that Polanco had pretty consistently been an above-average bat before last season, and he might just be back to being one.

Deep-league target: Jeff McNeil, Mets (21%) – McNeil’s big second half in 2024 might have just been a fluke, but the reason I was interested in him coming into the season is because it was accompanied by an increase in bat speed – in the first half, his average swing speed was 68.3 mph, but that jumped uip to 69.8 mph after the break. It’s only been two games, but he has a hit in both and his swing speed is up yet again. The sample size is too small to draw any conclusions from, but it’s what we wanted to see from a guy who might still have something left in the tank.

Third base

Noelvi Marte, Reds (55%) – I’m pretty skeptical about Marte’s recent hot streak, but I’m also trying to be as open-minded as I can be, given his prospect pedigree. He is 14 for 30 with three homers, 14 RBI, and three steals over the past seven games, with a totally manageable 15.6% strikeout rate in that stretch. The underlying plate discipline metrics still aren’t great, but he is chasing out of the strike zone less often while swinging at more pitches in the strike zone than last season, which is what you want to see. Let’s see if it’s real.

Deep-league target: Eric Wagaman, Marlins (15%) – There’s very little in Wagaman’s history to suggest he’s likely to be a good major-league hitter. Wagaman has just a .726 OPS in his minor-league career, and while he has better numbers in the high minors, he also has been very old for the level at basically every step. But sure, maybe he’s a late-bloomer – I don’t exactly buy that, but he’s been impressive enough in the early going that I’ll remain open-minded as long as he remains cheap to acquire. Wagaman’s .319 xBA and .568 xSLG suggest he hasn’t exactly been lucky to hit .256/.307/.439 so far, so there could be some room to grow here.

Shortstop

Josh H. Smith, Rangers (51%) – I don’t really think there’s much to be excited about with Smith, but that’s kind of the problem at shortstop – there just isn’t much to be excited about with anyone who is relatively widely available. Smith has an everyday job with Corey Seager on the IL and should put up useful production – a batting average in the .260 range, a decent number of runs, and hopefully a few steals and a few homers. Again, it’s not exciting, but as a fill-in, he can be fine.

Deep-league targets: Kyle Farmer, Rockies (5%) – Farmer is even less exciting, but he does at least get to call Coors Field home for half his games. Yeah, the deep-league options at SS are rough.

Outfield

Austin Hays, Reds (62%) – Hays’ roster rate has continued to climb, but it still isn’t high enough, given how absolutely scorching hot he’s been since debuting in mid-April. He is now up to five homers in his first 12 games, while hitting .388/.444/.755 with a manageable 22% strikeout rate. Hays struggled last season while dealing with inconsistent playing time and then an infection, but he had been a solidly above average hitter for three straight years before that and now is in arguably the best hitting park in baseball. I think he might just be a must-start outfielder moving forward.

Jordan Beck, Rockies (28%) – I try to be fairly open-minded with players on the Rockies, just because of how much Coors Field inflates offensive production. Beck has put up pretty decent minor-league numbers over the years, but hasn’t managed to make it work at the MLB level until basically this week, when he returned from Triple-A with five homers in a three-game span. He’ll probably keep striking out too often to take full advantage of the opportunity to be a full-time player in Coors Field, but after this kind of outburst, we’ll give him another look.

Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays (22%) – At this point in his career, I think we know who Varsho is: A decent power/speed threat who you’re hoping won’t kill you with his batting average. You need to decide for yourself whether you can handle what will likely be an average in the .210-.225 range, but if you can, a pro-rated pace of 20 or so homers and 15 steals can certainly be helpful.

Jesus Sanchez Marlins (15%) – Sanchez hasn’t done much since coming off the IL, but there’s still an opportunity for him to be pretty useful for Fantasy. There’s a ceiling here because he likely won’t start against many lefties, but that should help keep his average in the manageable range, and he did have 18 homers and 16 steals last season. In a daily lineups league especially, Sanchez can be a solid starter.

Andy Pages, Dodgers (13%) – Pages is starting to turn things around. He opened the season with 11 straight games without a homer, but he’s hitting .341 since, with his fifth homer in his past 13 games coming Sunday. Pages flashed some upside last season after getting the call, and he’s tapping into some lately. Even batting in the bottom-third of that Dodgers lineup isn’t a bad place to be if Pages keeps hitting like this.

Starting pitcher

Reese Olson, Tigers (78%) – When Olson locks in, it’s really easy to see how useful he can be for Fantasy. It comes down to getting into position to deploy his two excellent secondaries, while limiting the damage done against his fastballs along the way. He’s changed his approach this season to prioritize his sinker over his four-seamer, and while that sinker isn’t a great pitch – .422 xwOBA this season – the damage it gives up tends to be on the ground, which limits the downside. And when he gets to two-strike counts consistently, his changeup and slider give him a legit put-away pitch for hitters of both handedness, as we saw in his seven-strikeout effort against the Padres this week. Let’s see if he can keep rolling.

Colin Rea, Cubs (65%) – I generally don’t like to do the, “Well, I don’t think this pitcher is actually good, but he is getting good results right now so you might as well play the hot hand” thing. Sometimes, it works, but sometimes you leave that guy in your lineup too long and end up with six earned runs and 12 baserunners in five innings from Mitchell Parker, like we got this weekend. So I’m hesitant to recommend Rea here. But he does have a pretty favorable upcoming schedule, with starts against the Pirates, Giants, Marlins, and White Sox scheduled over the next four, so if you want a steamer, he at least has an opportunity to be useful.

Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers (28%) – And now we’re at the “I’d rather stash for upside than use a mediocre pitcher in my lineup” portion of the show. Gonsolin is working his way back from Tommy John surgery as well as a spring back injury, and it looks like his debut is imminent – it was likely to come some time this week, but with Tyler Glasnow leaving Sunday’s start with shoulder discomfort, Gonsolin has a clear path back to the rotation. He has been sitting in the same velocity range as he was during his very good 2022 season on his rehab assignment, and could be very useful for Fantasy if he pitches at that level again.

Ryan Weathers, Marlins (24%) – Well, here’s some good news: Weathers’ velocity was right where we wanted it to be in his rehab debut Sunday at Single-A. Coming back from a flexor strain, Weathers hit 99.1 mph and struck out six in three innings on just 35 pitches in his first start of the season. That’s a higher max velocity than he’s ever had in the majors, and was what we saw that made him such a popular breakout pick this spring. It might also, of course, be what led to the injury in the first place, sure, but here’s the thing: You don’t have to invest a draft pick in him now to find out if the velocity bump can sustain and take him to another level. Add Weathers now before there’s more competition for him as his return from the IL nears.

Eury Perez, Marlins (41%) – Speaking of getting ahead of the rush, Perez is probably still at least another month away from returning to the majors himself. He started a minor-league rehab assignment Saturday with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning of work, his first appearance in a game since having Tommy John surgery last April. He averaged 97.2 mph with his four-seamer and worked his entire arsenal in over 19 pitches. He’ll probably take the full month to rehab, and might just get optioned back to the minors afterwards to keep working his way back. But the good news is, Perez is healthy, and he looked like himself, more or less, in his first game back. And he still has “best pitcher in baseball” upside when healthy.

Lucas Giolito, Red Sox (36%) – I’m pretty skeptical about Giolito making much of an impact here – he really hasn’t been Fantasy relevant since 2021 at this point. But I’m open to the possibility and want to see how his first start off the IL goes this week. I wouldn’t start him for it, but I don’t mind adding him ahead of time just in case there’s something still here.

NIL

Sports Market Place Directory 2025

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Sports Market Place Directory 2025 Edition” book has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. Sports Market Place 2025 provides a one-stop resource for this billion-dollar industry. This will be an important resource for large public libraries, university libraries, university athletic programs, career services or job placement organizations, and is a must for anyone doing […]

Published

47 minutes ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Sports Market Place Directory 2025 Edition” book has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

Sports Market Place 2025 provides a one-stop resource for this billion-dollar industry. This will be an important resource for large public libraries, university libraries, university athletic programs, career services or job placement organizations, and is a must for anyone doing business in or marketing a product or service to the vast U.S. sports industry.

Sports Market Place is the classic sports reference work that has served the sports industry for over 50 years, offering full coverage of 103 sports – from Air Sports to Yachting – including data on fast-growing segments such as cycling, fitness, gymnastics, martial arts, running, swimming, and weightlifting. Over the years, this work has grown to include nearly 2,000 pages of valuable content, including professional, college and youth leagues and teams, sports media, events, facilities, sponsors, manufacturers, and professional services.

With this directory on your desk, you have a comprehensive tool providing current key information about the people, organizations and events involving the explosive sports industry at your fingertips. Sports Market Place provides must-have contact information (nearly 13,500 listings) including: 11,484 websites, 6,047 email addresses, and nearly 40,000 key executives.

Single Sports has over 2,109 sport-specific organizations, leagues and teams that comprise over 100 specific sports. It includes professional, major and minor leagues, coaches, managers, and an alphabetical index.
Multi Sports includes 12 specific categories, including athletic foundations, Olympic teams, halls of fame and youth sports organizations. It includes a total of 835 and an alphabetical index.
College Sports has 1,697 listings with associations, conferences, degree programs, and division I, II and III schools. You’ll find a comprehensive list of coaches and sports management programs, and an alphabetical index.
Media includes prominent newspapers and radio and television sports programming. Listings include editors, commentators, show hosts and an alphabetical index.
Sports Sponsors includes 119 sponsors that support most major sports, including college bowl games, and an alphabetical index.
Professional Services comprises 13 categories, from executive search services to ticket services, for a total of 1,684 listings, and an alphabetical index.
Facilities has 1,365 listings and includes seven categories from arenas to facility concession services. You’ll find stadiums, race tracks, architects, management services, and an alphabetical index.
Manufacturers & Retailers include 1,929 listings, with a separate section for Software Manufacturers. Listings include valuable contact information, including key executives, plus products and brands. This chapter includes two indexes – one by sport and one by subject.
Events, Meetings & Trade Shows include 1,060 listings, of which 130 are trade shows. Events and trade shows are listed separately by both sport and date. This section also includes two alphabetical indexes, one for trade shows and one for events.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Single Sports

Alphabetical Index
Air Sports Organizations
Archery Organizations
Arm Wrestling Organizations
Auto Sports Organizations
Auto Sports Racing Leagues/Teams
Badminton Organizations
Bandy Organizations
Baseball Organizations
Baseball, Professional Leagues/Teams: Major
Baseball, Professional Leagues/Teams: Minor
Basketball Organizations
Basketball, Leagues and Teams
Biathlon Organizations
Billiards Organizations
Boating Organizations
Bobsledding Organizations
Bowling Organizations
Boxing Organizations
Broomball Organizations
Canoeing Organizations
Climbing Organizations
Cricket Organizations
Croquet Organizations
Curling Organizations
Cycling Organizations
Cycling, Leagues/Teams
Dart Organizations
Diving Organizations
Equestrian Organizations
Equestrian, Commissions/Pari-Mutuel
Exercise/Fitness Organizations
Fencing Organizations
Figure Skating Organizations
Fishing Organizations
Football Organizations
Football, College Bowl/Classics
Football, Professional Leagues/Teams
Frisbee Organizations
Golf Organizations
Greyhound Racing Organizations
Gymnastics Organizations
Handball Organizations
Hockey, Field Hockey Organizations
Hockey, Ice Hockey Organizations
Hockey, Professional Hockey (NHL)
Hockey, Professional, Minor Leagues
Hockey, Roller Hockey Organizations
Horseshoe Organizations
Inline Skating Organizations
Jai-Lai Organizations
Kayaking Organizations
Kiting Organizations
Lacrosse Organizations
Lacrosse, Leagues/Teams
Luge Organizations
Martial Arts Organizations
Motorcycle Organizations
Mountainboard Organizations
Netball Organizations
Orienteering Organizations
Pentathlon Organizations
Petanque Organizations
Platform Tennis Organizations
Polo Organizations
Racquetball Organizations
Ringette Organizations
Rodeo Organizations
Roller Skating Organizations
Rowing/Crew Organizations
Rugby Organizations
Running Organizations
Sailing Organizations
Scuba Organizations
Shooting/Hunting Organizations
Shuffleboard Organizations
Skateboard Organizations
Skiing Organizations
Sled Dog Organizations
Snowboarding Organizations
Snowmobile Organizations
Soccer (Futsal) Organizations
Soccer Organizations
Soccer, Leagues/Teams
Softball Organizations
Softball, Leagues/Teams
Speedskating Organizations
Squash Organizations
Surfing Organizations
Swimming Organizations
Table Tennis Organizations
Tennis Organizations
Tennis, Leagues/Teams
Track & Field Organizations
Triathlon Organizations
Tug of War Organizations
Volleyball Organizations
Water Polo Organizations
Water Skiing Organizations
Weightlifting Organizations
Windsurfing Organizations
Wrestling Organizations
Yachting Organizations

2. Multiple Sports

Alphabetical Index
Athletic Foundations
Disabled Sports
High School Sports
Military Sports
Olympic, International Federations
Olympic, Organizations
Olympic, United States Major Governing Bodies
Professional Organizations
Sports Commissions/Convention Visitors Bureau
Sports Halls of Fame, Libraries, Museums
State Games Organizations
Youth Organizations

3. College Sports

Alphabetical Index
College Associations
College Athletic Conferences
NAIA I Colleges
NCAA Division I Colleges
NCAA Division II Colleges
NCAA Division III Colleges
Sport Management Degree Programs

4. Media

Alphabetical Index
Newspapers
Magazines
Sports Business Directories
Media Production
Sports Radio Networks
Sports Radio Programs, Local
Sports Radio Programs, National
Sports Satellite Radio
Sports Radio Stations
Sports Television, Cable & Broadcasting
Sports Television Pay Per View
Sports Television Programs, Local
Sports Television Programs, National
Sports Satellite Television
Sports Television Stations
Sports on the World Wide Web

5. Sports Sponsors

Sponsor by Sport Index
Sports-Related

6. Professional Services

Alphabetical Index
Executive Search Services
Event Planning & Services
Event Security
Financial Services
Marketing & Consulting Services
Technical Services
Sports Agents
Sports Attorneys
Sports Medicine Services
Sports Travel Services
Statistical Services
Student Athlete Recruiting Services
Ticket Services

7. Facilities

Alphabetical Index
Arenas & Stadiums
Race Tracks – Auto
Race Tracks – Equestrian Downs & Parks
Race Tracks – Greyhound
Facility Architects & Developers
Facility Management
Facility Concession Services

8. Manufacturers & Retailers

Company by Sport/Subject Index
Equipment & Product Manufacturers
Software Manufacturers
Retailers

9. Events, Meetings & Trade Shows

Alphabetical Trade Show Index
Meeting and Trade Show Calendar
Alphabetical Events Index
Events by Date
Events by Sport

10. All-Volume Indexes

Entry Index
Executive Index
Geographic Index

For more information about this book visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fkhjzi

Source: Grey House Publishing Inc

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world’s leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Sports

Live Water Polo U16 Girls Inter-Regional Championships 2025

June 27, 2025 Eight teams are heading to Liverpool Aquatics centre as the North West’s Region hosts the U16 Girls Inter-Regional Championships this weekend. Five teams will battle it out for the top prize with North West Thunder, West Midland Warriors, South West Sharks, London Sharks and South East competing in Division One. They’ll face […]

Published

56 minutes ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

June 27, 2025

Eight teams are heading to Liverpool Aquatics centre as the North West’s Region hosts the U16 Girls Inter-Regional Championships this weekend.

Five teams will battle it out for the top prize with North West Thunder, West Midland Warriors, South West Sharks, London Sharks and South East competing in Division One.

They’ll face off for the top honour after finishing as the highest ranked teams at the U14 inter-regionals two years ago.

In Division 2, Scotland, East Midlands and North East Steelers will go head to head in the event, which will see each side gain plenty of vital match experience.

You can follow all the scores from the competition with our live scoreboard below.

Division 1

Division 1 Fixtures & Results
Saturday 28 June
North West Thunder	v	West Midland Warriors	13:15
London Sharks	v	South West Sharks	14:30
North West Thunder	v	South East	15:45
West Midland Warriors	v	South West Sharks	17:00
London Sharks	v	South East	18:15
Sunday 29 June
West Midland Warriors	v	South East	09:15
North West Thunder	v	South West Sharks	10:30
West Midland Warriors	v	London Sharks	11:45
South East	v	South West Sharks	13:00
North West Thunder	v	London Sharks	14:15

Division 1 Table
Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
North West Thunder	0	0	0	0	0	0
West Midland Warriors	0	0	0	0	0	0
South West Sharks	0	0	0	0	0	0
London Sharks	0	0	0	0	0	0
South East	0	0	0	0	0	0

Division 2

Division 2 Fixtures & Results
Saturday 28 June
Scotland	v	East	13:15
Scotland	v	North East Steelers	15:45
East	v	North East Steelers	18:15
Sunday 29 September
East	v	North East Steelers	09:45
East	v	Scotland	11:45
North East Steelers	v	Scotland	14:15

Division 2 Table
Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
Scotland	0	0	0	0	0	0
East	0	0	0	0	0	0
North East Steelers	0	0	0	0	0	0

Link

Sports

Digital Sports Summit takes attendees beyond broadcast

SVG Europe’s Will Strauss with Lewis Wiltshire, SVP and managing director of digital at IMG SVG Europe welcomed some 200 people to the Digital Sports Summit on Wednesday, where the strategies, tools, techniques and technology required to successfully create and distribute social, mobile and streamed sports content where explored. After opening remarks from George Lopez, […]

Published

1 hour ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

SVG Europe’s Will Strauss with Lewis Wiltshire, SVP and managing director of digital at IMG

SVG Europe welcomed some 200 people to the Digital Sports Summit on Wednesday, where the strategies, tools, techniques and technology required to successfully create and distribute social, mobile and streamed sports content where explored.

After opening remarks from George Lopez, head of global operations at title sponsor Tata Communications, attention turned to IMG’s Digital Trends Report 2025.

In a presentation and fireside chat, Lewis Wiltshire, SVP and managing director of digital at IMG, outline the technologies and developments that are expected to shape the sports media landscape for rightsholders over the next 12 months. First up was the notion of a “first” or “second” screen, with Wiltshire emphasising the parity between larger screens and mobile devices.

He said: “There are more than 7bn mobile phone contracts globally…so this is not ‘second screen’ tech. We’re not saying it’s become the ‘first’ screen, we just don’t think there is a hierarchy.

Wiltshire also spoke about 2025 being the true era of wearables, and the impact of connected glasses and spectacles that are equipped with cameras on the capture of content. And he also spoke about the changing nature of search, with people now – thanks to AI – expecting answers rather than a list of results.

The session then shifted to a ranking of publishing platforms, with YouTube taking top sport thanks largely to its monetisation options for content owners.

Kahlen Macaulay, head of international sports partnerships at Snapchat (pictured, below), then shared how sports broadcasters, federations and other rights holders/owners and brands can successfully make use of the platform, particularly to reach younger viewers.

Macaulay spoke about how Snap has moved beyond a platform for video content teams to something that can “drive marketing and affinity”.

“Adidas, Nike and a host of luxury brands understand that it’s not about selling product straightaway, it’s about brand building. Sky Sports, for example, know they aren’t going to get a 15 year-old to take out a subscription, but it’s about building that relationship.”

Next, Tom Halls, SailGP, director of social, Patrick Burch-Lovell, European Tour Productions, creative director, original and branded content, Alexandra Willis, the Premier League, director of digital media & audience development and chair Richard Craig-McFeely explored strategies for engaging sports fans with short-form content, taking a detailed look at how federations, leagues and broadcasters alike can use Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms to attract, retain, monetise and engage with sports fans.

And then, before breaking for lunch, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Reuters Imagen shared how they digitised and centralised the federation’s content library, with Kirsten Lincoln, Reuters Imagen, senior account manager, Tabitha Horsefield, ITF broadcast operations project lead and Eoin Kelly, ITF senior media rights manager exploring the journey from siloed management to a searchable, cloud-based platform.

After lunchtime networking, a fireside chat: with Tim Cocker, founder of Eggchasers Rugby (pictured, below), revealed how – and why – the podcast and YouTube channel acquired the rights to second tier French rugby union, the Pro D2.

Cocker spoke about adopting an “I’ll do it myself” approach, which when combined with the forward-thinking approach of French rugby authorities, resulted in the acquisition of a year long deal to air Thursday night matches live on his YouTube channel to viewers in the UK and Ireland.

Next up was a panel comprised of Colin McKevitt, Badger & Combes, MD & Lancashire CCC CIO, Duncan East, Buzz 16, MD, Joshua Barnett, After Party Studios, MD, Ed Abis, Dizplai, CEO plus chair and consultant Tom Bowers, who delved into the world of watchalongs, exploring why people want to shape content as well as watch it, and how best to enable more involved viewing experiences.

Leaning on his experience of working with the FA on the Women’s Super League (WSL), Little Dot Sport Partnerships Director David Scriven provided expert insight into how to launch, manage and run a YouTube sports channel.

And then, taking into account the sessions that preceded it, Scott Miles, Sky Sports, head of content delivery, Donald Sievewright, Matrox, EMEA director of sales and Alex Ferris, LucidLink, senior director of solutions engineering explored how content hubs can streamline the distribution of sports video across multiple platforms.

The day wrapped up with a special showcase session in which Rachael Burford, head of women’s rugby at the Rugby Players Association (RPA), and HBS/Skroller general manager Jamie Aitchison discussed how and why female rugby players are becoming digital content creators: a move that is both helping clubs and leagues resonate with new and different audiences, and also supporting current and former players as they persue new career paths beyond the game.

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The X’s Have It – North Carolina A&T

Story Links GREENSBORO – It was a big season for North Carolina A&T men’s track and field, culminating on Thursday with two postseason outdoor track and field awards from the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) for two of its student-athletes. Sophomore Xavier Partee claimed CAA Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. Sophomore teammate […]

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2 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

GREENSBORO – It was a big season for North Carolina A&T men’s track and field, culminating on Thursday with two postseason outdoor track and field awards from the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) for two of its student-athletes.

Sophomore Xavier Partee claimed CAA Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. Sophomore teammate Xzaviah Taylor captured CAA Men’s Athlete of the Year.

Taylor earned second-team All-American honors from the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) in the 400H. Taylor advanced to the NCAA East Prelims in 2024 in the 400H, but this season, he elevated to a new level. He won CAA outdoor titles in the 400H, 400m and he helped the 4×100 team finish second.

Taylor entered NCAA nationals with the best qualifying time coming out of the NCAA East Prelims in the 400H, running a time of 49.18 to break the program record. Additionally, he ran on the 4×400-meter relay team that won at the prestigious Drake Relays.

“It means a lot to me,” said Taylor. “I went through a couple of struggles my freshman year, learning how to run my races. Coming into my sophomore year, I made a conscious effort to put in the work. I focused on my craft. I did what I had to do, and I came to conference, and I doubled. It showed how much work I put in over the years.”

In addition to having a twin brother who excels at track, his father, Angelo Taylor, was a three-time Olympian and three-time world champion in the 4×400 relay. Therefore, he fully understands the journey and is going through the process to reach his ultimate goals.

“I just need to compete more, and having competed at NCAA nationals helps,” said Taylor. “I have to compete against the best even more. That was my first time there in my individual event, so it was a little nerve-wracking for me.

Taylor also acknowledged how much fun he had at nationals competing against the nation’s best.

“It showed me how much experience they had and that they had to wait their turn. The guy who won finished fifth two years ago, then he finished second the next year, and then, of course, this year, he won. It showed me he put in the work and just stayed patient.”

XAVIER PARTEE

Partee also has a father with a familiar name. Derrick Partee is a 2000 graduate of North Carolina A&T and the head boys basketball coach at Ben L. Smith High School in Greensboro. Xavier said there is no question he comes from a basketball family. He planned to become a walk-on for the A&T men’s basketball team upon becoming a student at A&T.

Then, by some random chance, someone encouraged him to try track and field during his senior year at Smith High School. Partee started with the high jump, but he wasn’t sold on the event. Therefore, someone suggested the triple jump. Bingo!! That led Partee to come across another familiar name and face in the Triad area – Roy “Spaceman” Thompson.

Thompson is the former legendary director of track and field at A&T and a former track and field athlete at A&T who has coached a few jump champions over the years.

“Shout out to Space,” said Partee. “He showed me so much about the event. I fell in love with it.”

During his freshman outdoor season, Partee finished second in the triple jump at the 2024 CAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Before winning the CAA indoor championship in the triple jump in 2025, Partee jumped 51 feet, 1 ¾ inches, at Texas Tech’s Corky Classic to finish eighth.

“To go from 49 (feet) to skip 50 and go to 51, I wondered if it was a fluke,” said Partee.

He wondered about that for a while. Partee opened the outdoor season by sustaining an injury at High Point University during the Aggies outdoor track and field opener, forcing him to miss a month. When he returned, the Aggies were hosting the Aggie Invitational at Johnson Track. It was no fluke. Partee jumped 50 feet, 10 ½ inches, to win the event.

“I religiously rehabbed my hamstring injury every day,” Partee said. “Then, to do that, my first meet back, I believed I could really be something happen in this event.”

Partee jumped 52 feet, 4 ¾ inches at the NCAA East Prelims to qualify for nationals as a sophomore. He finished 17th nationally at nationals, jumping 50 feet, 3 ¼ inches.

“I really haven’t had a second to sit with it,” said Partee about being named CAA Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. “Right now, I just feel ready for the next step. I feel ready for next year. We put in a lot of work obviously to get here, so I’m excited about getting back to work to see how much better we can do.”

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Looking ahead to Orioles' draft with Jim Callis

SCROLL DOWN TO READ ARTICLE Jim Callis is a senior writer for MLB.com. He covers prospects and ahead of next month’s draft, spoke about the Orioles and what their strategy might be on July 13th. This interview has been edited for brevity. Question: How does this draft class look as compared with past years? Jim […]

Published

3 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Looking ahead to Orioles' draft with Jim Callis

SCROLL DOWN TO READ ARTICLE

Jim Callis is a senior writer for MLB.com. He covers prospects and ahead of next month’s draft, spoke about the Orioles and what their strategy might be on July 13^th.

This interview has been edited for brevity.

Question: How does this draft class look as compared with past years?

Jim Callis: “I think it’s a little down compared to past years. You don’t have the top-of-the-draft-type talents. The last couple of years we’ve had a bunch of guys that we’d say would be overall No. 1 picks in most years

“In 2023, it was Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford, Max Clark and Walker Jenkins. Last year, it was even more: Travis Bazzana, Charlie Condon and Chase Burns and Hagen Smith, Nick Kurtz, JJ Wetherholt and Jac Caglianone.

“This year, I don’t think anyone has separated themselves from the pack. The strength undoubtedly is that there are a lot of high school shortstops and high school infielders

Q: Is this a good year for the Orioles to have three picks in the top 31 and six in the top 100?

Callis: “I think it’s always good to have extra draft picks. They’re not picking at the top, so I actually think you could argue that the guy they get at 19 might not be that much different than the guy they get at No. 9. You have those extra picks at the end of the first round, and that helps, too.

“Any scout will tell you there’s always talent in the draft, and it’s the team’s job is to go out and find it, and the thing the Orioles have going for them is that they don’t pick before 19, but because of those extra picks, they have the fifth-highest draft pool in baseball. It’s only $500,000 behind the number one team. They have as much spending power as any team in baseball and can do some damage with it.”

Q: The Orioles have to restock the farm system because so many prospects have either graduated to the major leagues or been traded. Do you think they’ll draft for specific need with those first three picks or for the best available player?

Callis: “I think they’ll probably go best available player the way their draft board is lined up. You know this regime has not spent very many early picks at all on pitchers. The flip side is that the team needs pitching more than anything at both the major league level and the minor league level,

“I’m not convinced that they’re necessarily going to change that. I would be kind of surprised if they took a pitcher with one of those three first picks, especially at 19, but I do think it’s probably best player available because I think the way they line up their boards.”

Q: But isn’t there pressure on them to take a pitcher because it’s such an obvious need?

Callis: “If you look at what the organization needs, they still have a bunch of young hitters, and they’re trying to figure out how to get them in the lineup at the same time. Samuel Basallo is still in Triple-A. The pitching staff is kind of old and not really effective. I don’t think they have that many guys on the pitching staff under 30 years old playing major roles at the big league level.

“I don’t know that the owner is saying: ‘Hey, go get some pitching.’ They haven’t drafted that way, so I don’t think the front office is going to say we have to get more pitching.

“I think the pressure is more on the outside, and people saying, ‘They need to get some pitching. I don’t think they feel some internal pressure, like, ‘hey, we need to draft some pitchers.’ If you look at their philosophy, it clearly is, ‘we’re not going to spend high picks on pitchers, and we’ll find out the ways to find them. All things being equal, it would make sense that two of those first three picks to be pitchers. This regime has just not drafted many pitchers in the first three rounds.”

Q: How would you rate the Orioles’ farm system?

Callis: “It’s not as strong as it used to be, and that’s natural. It’s very hard to sustain a top farm system when you’re winning at the big league level. Instead of picking in the top five and having those huge bonus pools, you’re picking around 20, and you have less international money. You’re making trades like the Corbin Burnes trade, and you’re giving up prospects.

“It’s very rare to see a team win at the big league level and continue to sustain a top-shelf farm system. Coming into the year, we had the Orioles ranked as our No. 15 farm system. I haven’t contemplated farm system rankings because the draft’s approaching but they’d probably be down a little bit.

“Coby Mayo, who was ranked in our top 15 prospects, has graduated, out of rookie status, out of prospect status. It’s a farm system with one top 100 prospect, and that’s Samuel Basallo, who is one of the best hitters in the minor leagues, and he’s interesting.

“There’s Enrique Bradfield. He’s interesting. We have him as the No. 2 prospect, and he’s kind of polarizing. He can definitely run, steal bases and play a good center field, but there’s mixed opinions of how much impact he has on the bat. Chayce McDermott is kind of a rough year. He has a good arm. Vance Honeycutt, last year’s No. 1 pick. He had probably the best tools on the college side of the draft, but he’s hitting .185 in High-A, and they were swing-and-miss concerns with him.

“The farm system isn’t at that level where it was the best farm system in baseball. There have been some positive developments. [Aberdeen right-hander] Michael Forret has pitched pretty well. That’s a positive development. They need more of them. They’re kind of in the contender status of farm systems.”

Q: Considering those last two drafts, was it that they were drafting lower or did the Orioles lose their touch?

Callis: “Nobody has a good draft year after year. When you’re picking No. 1 and you have a huge bonus pool, you can take Adley Rutschman and you can push Gunnar Henderson down to your second-round pick. You can’t do that at 19 or at 22 or wherever they’re picking.

“It’s early, but last year’s draft does not look great right now. Vance Honeycutt is really struggling, and to be honest, there were swing-and-miss concerns with him. [Second pick in 2024] Griff O’Ferrall isn’t really hitting, and he was a glove-first shortstop. I don’t think we thought he’d be hitting .207 in High-A.

“[Second rounder] Ethan Anderson had an OK year at Virginia, and he’s struggling a little bit in High-A, too. You could argue guys are being pushed aggressively, too. Coming out of the ACC, you should be able to handle High-A in your first year, also.

“I wouldn’t say that last year’s draft is in the books, and we know what it is, but it’s not looking very good right now. The guys who made the good picks in prior drafts. I wouldn’t say they’ve lost their mojo.

“If you want a positive development, there’s a guy they spent extra money on in the 16^th round, Nate George, who’s a really athletic high school kid from Illinois. He’s played really well. He might be a nice late-round find. It’s still early, but you would hope that your ’24 draft class was looking better than it has been in ’25.”

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: [email protected].

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Johnson Named Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year

Track & Field | 6/26/2025 5:59:00 PM Story Links GREENSBORO – Allen Johnson pulled off the double on Thursday by winning Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year three months after winning CAA Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year. The conference announced its postseason honors on […]

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3 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Track & Field | 6/26/2025 5:59:00 PM

GREENSBORO – Allen Johnson pulled off the double on Thursday by winning Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year three months after winning CAA Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year. The conference announced its postseason honors on Thursday.

“I’m humbled, really,” said Johnson. “It is a time of reflection. To realize where the program was when I got here in 2022. Looking back on the journey we undertook in 2023 and seeing what we have accomplished to date is humbling.

There were so many trials and tribulations along the way, which was unbelievable. If it weren’t for the type of student athletes we have in this program, this wouldn’t be possible. It wasn’t for the kind of coaches I have on this staff, this wouldn’t be possible. If it weren’t for the type of people I work with in athletics and at the university, this wouldn’t be possible. I didn’t do this alone. I have had a lot of help.”

Johnson led the Aggies to the 2025 CAA men’s indoor and outdoor track and field championships, winning the outdoor title at A&T’s Marcus T. Johnson Track. The Aggies won the outdoor title by 36 points over Monmouth, claiming titles in the 400 meters, 800m, 400-meter hurdles, triple jump, shot put, and the 4×400-meter relay.

In addition, the Aggies took the top four spots in the 400m, the top three spots in the shot put, and the top two spots in the 800m and the 400H. Johnson then sent 14 male student-athletes to the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.

Xzaviah Taylor (400H, 4×100, 4×400), his twin brother Isaiah Taylor (110H, 400H, 4×100), Partree (triple jump), Correy McManus Jr. (4×100), Jaeden Gumbs (4×100), Brandon Nya (4×100), Elijah Thomas (4×400), Caleb Gurnell (4×400), and Dyimond Walker (4×400) all advanced to the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.