At age 33, Aaron Judge is elevating himself above the highest standard of hitting in the game today: himself. He is better than ever. He is redefining his legacy. So good has Judge been this month that we must begin talking about him not just as an all-time-great slugger but as an all-time-great pure hitter.
The New York Yankees right fielder is slashing .406/.500/.717. He has reached base 63 times in 28 games. Only Mookie Betts (72 in 2024), Cody Bellinger (67 in 2019), Albert Pujols (67 in 2008) and Barry Bonds (64 in 2004) reached base more times in March/April.
He is just the 20th player in his team’s first 28 games to reach base 63 times and drive in 27 runs, only the second in the past 23 years (Bryce Harper in 2017).
Judge is well known as the single season American League home run record holder and the fastest player to 300 home runs. But more and more, the best ways to define Judge as a hitter go beyond home runs. His chase rate, his strikeout rate and his two-strike batting average are all at career-best levels.
Judge is not having a “hot” month. He is continuing an amazing evolution that has been going on for years that is catapulting him from slugger into the best pure hitter in baseball. This snapshot tells his story better than his March/April slash line:
Judge by Age
Age
G
Avg.
OBP
SLG
KRate
Contact Rate
20s
572
.276
.386
.554
28.7%
65.7%
30s
449
.311
.437
.677
25.3%
68.3%
Such growth charts may have been common in the Steroid Era, but they are much more unusual in the Testing Era. So why is this happening? Judge always has had the foundation of very good plate discipline. At 6' 7" and 282 pounds, he is a physical outlier with no real historical comps. Like taller, long-levered pitchers, he has needed time to hone his swing and approach, starting with famously overhauling his swing after hitting .179 in his first year in the big leagues.
Judge was once vulnerable to spin (.226 through 2020) but closed that hole (.261 since). When teams watched him rip fastballs into the short porch of Yankee Stadium, they began to pound him in with power sinkers. He responded by pulling the ball more.
What we’re witnessing now is the result of years of craftsmanship combined with the wisdom learned from knowing how pitchers attack him—while losing nothing from his extraordinary physical tools. Judge is the oldest of the only three players in MLB who have top-10 bat speed while also having one of the 10 longest swings. The others are Shohei Ohtani, 30, and Junior Caminero, 21.
At 6′ 7″, Judge is one of the tallest players in the big leagues. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
This season Judge has closed the last obvious hole in his hitting game, small though it may be. It’s that tiny imaginary rectangle that is down and away, one-ninth of the strike zone. For someone of Judge’s height, that rectangle measures 5.66 inches by 6.98 inches. It is a bit smaller than one of those tablets in the dugout.
Until this year, if pitchers could slip a pitch into that small box, they would A) force Judge to make a swing decision and B) turn him into a .206 career hitter with almost no power. But now look how Judge has closed that hole: Pitchers are going to that spot more than ever and Judge is beating them there more than ever.
Judge vs. Down and Away Strikes
Year
Pct.
Avg.
SLG
2016–24
8.1%
.206
.329
2025
10.7%*
.381*
.524*
*Career high
Judge’s evolution into closing the last hole in his offensive game deserves a closer look. Below you see four down and away fastballs to Judge, one from each year between 2022 and 2025. The first three are all swings and misses. The one this year is a single. All are at the moment of ball release.
The main difference is where he hovers that front foot as he reads the ball out of the pitcher’s hand. I’ve added a line from his toes to the ground to highlight the gradual adjustment. His foot has moved from well inside the inner chalk of the batter’s box to over the line (closer to the plate). You can see how as he loads on his back hip the front hip stays more closed.
Sports Illustrated
Now let’s look at the moment the barrel meets the ball (2025) or misses it (2022–23). Pay attention to his spine angle. You can see how it becomes less severe over the years. Why? Look at his front foot. The open position years ago causes him to reach with his hands for the ball away, a weakened position. By maintaining a neutral stride, he is more upright and more balanced, eliminating the need to reach with his hands.
Sports Illustrated
Judge has long been among the two or three best hitters against elevated pitches. That has prompted pitchers to keep the ball down against him. Almost half the pitches Judge sees are no higher than 27 inches off the ground—the bottom six inches of his strike zone and below.
Until this year, Judge hit .181 on all pitches that low. This year he has improved to .250. You still want to pitch Judge down in order to reduce his power. He does not have an extra-base hit this year on such low pitches. He has not hit a home run off a low fastball since September 2023. But Judge is better equipped than ever to get his hits when pitchers stay low against him.
Judge vs. Low Pitches (2.25 inches and below)
Year
Pct.
Avg.
SLG
2016–24
49.8%
.181
.293
2025
48.0%
.250
.250
Judge saw a career high 47.9% pitches in the strike zone last year, when Juan Soto seemed to be on base all the time in front of him. Judge took 350 plate appearances with a runner on, a career high by 30. His rate of turns at bat with traffic has gone down this season, but incredibly, Judge is seeing even more pitches in the zone (50.2%). It makes you wonder when managers will start being more careful with Judge.
It’s only April. Judge is not going to hit .400 this year, so there is an inevitable correction over the grind of a season. His OPS+ is 246, a place where only the hitting gods live. Only three players ever posted an OPS+ of 225 or better over at least 502 plate appearances: Ted Williams (twice), Barry Bonds (four times; all the bigger, enhanced version of Bonds) and Babe Ruth (five times). The record for any right-handed hitter already belongs to Judge (222 last year) and Rogers Hornsby (222 in 1924).
Factor in his age and steroid testing, and Judge may be heading toward more history. Only Ruth, Willliams and Honus Wagner have exceeded 200 OPS+ at age 33 or older without a connection to steroids. Those are long-dead relics of the ancient past. This kind of head-and-shoulders above one’s peers is not supposed to happen in modern times with the depth of talent and wide access to training.
But here is Judge, continuing to get better, and making it possible, hitting .400 when the major league average is .240. He looks so polished and pure at the plate it’s time to regard him in a new light.
Celtic are now reportedly tracking a Serie A midfielder who impressed against Rangers last season, but has since struggled to make his mark in Italy.
The Bhoys have plenty of work to do off the pitch between now and the January transfer window. Not only must they identify some much-needed reinforcements, but they’re also still without a permanent manager weeks after Brendan Rodgers’ shock exit.
Martin O’Neill has continued to do an impressive job in the meantime and continued his impressive domestic run with a 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday, but the job he’s doing has only sparked more debate.
The 73-year-old has distanced himself from the permanent position time and time again, yet the rumours continue to arrive that he could yet be the man to steady the ship until at least the end of the current campaign.
Speaking to reporters after victory over Kilmarnock, O’Neill shared that it’s been the most “surreal fortnight” back in the Celtic dugout, saying: “I’m delighted to have won, great to score an early goal – it settled things after Thursday night.
“There were some parts of the performance I was absolutely delighted with. I was very concerned about the game before, but that’s typical me – I’m always concerned about matches beforehand. There were very good bits, we defended strongly.
Upgrade on Nancy: Celtic considering move for "unbeatable" 4-2-3-1 manager
Celtic are considering a move for this 4-2-3-1 manager who would be an upgrade on Wilfried Nancy.
2 ByDan Emery Nov 12, 2025
“I’ll take a little time in the international break, most of our players will be away, and there will be time of inner reflection. It’s been a whirlwind of a fortnight, I can’t believe it’s really happened. It’s been the most surreal fortnight. Without doubt (I need to lie down in a darkened room).”
If it’s not O’Neill, then it may well be Wilfried Nancy. The Columbus Crew manager has recently emerged as one of the top candidates and may yet get the chance to coach in Europe just in time for Celtic to make their improvements in the January transfer window.
Celtic now keeping close tabs on Lennon Miller
As transfer reporter Graeme Bailey told 67 Hail Hail, Celtic are now keeping close tabs on Miller following his difficult start to life at Serie A side Udinese. The midfielder was one of several transfer targets that the Hoops missed out on in the summer, as he swapped Motherwell for Italian football, but they could now get a second opportunity to secure his signature.
Of course, when the 19-year-old was plying his trade in the Scottish Premiership, he was one of the best young talents in the country and things would be no different if he made a return in 2026.
The teenage star left his mark on the league in the previous campaign and played his part as Motherwell held Rangers to a 2-2 draw last December. Getting an assist and winning over half his duels in that clash, Miller proved that he can cut it against Celtic’s biggest rivals.
Dubbed a “brilliant player” by former Motherwell boss Michael Wimmer, Miller is still full of talent and bring an early end to his Italian woes to make a return to Scotland’s top flight.
Celtic's top manager target now ready to replace O'Neill during int'l break
Fast bowler declares injury-free summer to be a “tick” after helping England seal record consolation win
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2025Jofra Archer declared his performance in third ODI against South Africa at the Utilita Bowl as “one of those times you don’t want to put the ball down”, after routing his opponents with four powerplay wickets en route to England recording the largest margin of victory ever in a 50-over international match.Archer’s superb figures of 4 for 18 in nine overs weren’t enough to salvage the series for England, after their contrasting defeats in the first two matches at Headingley and Lord’s. However, in reducing South Africa to 18 for 5 in the space of his first 4.5 overs, he set up a thumping 342-run win that bettered England’s previous largest victory in the format by exactly 100 runs.With Brydon Carse claiming two wickets in his own opening spell, and with Temba Bavuma absent with a calf strain, South Africa were reeling at 24 for 6 in the ten-over powerplay, before Adil Rashid’s three wickets sealed the victory in 20.5 overs – the same figure that South Africa themselves had needed to complete their series-opening run-chase at Headingley last week.”I told Carse, when we were bowling, let’s just do it so nobody else has to bowl,” Archer said afterwards. “Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out that way, but we definitely did try. They were either going to get them or they were going to get bowled out trying to get them, and everyone’s figures are pretty good today. It’s good to win a game by that margin.”For Archer, the performance continued a hugely uplifting summer in which he has re-established his credentials across formats, including with his recall to the England Test team during the series against India in July.Related
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He admitted, after being named Player of the Match, that he had not expected to feature in his third match in a row, in light of the previous regime’s caution about his workload after numerous injuries. However, he acknowledged it “meant a lot” to be able to put in another strong performance for his team.”To be injury-free is always a plus,” he said. “This summer is a tick for me.”Archer’s first wicket came with the second ball of his spell, as Aiden Markram flashed outside off to nick off for a duck. But thereafter, he was nigh on unplayable, bowling back-to-back wicket maidens as Ryan Rickelton also edged to the keeper, before Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs were both dismissed by extra bounce.”There are some spells that you bowl like you hardly bowl a bad ball,” he said. “You can bowl good balls that go for boundaries. But when every single ball that you’ve released, you’re happy where it landed, today was one of those days.”Archer did, however, claim he had felt in even better rhythm in the series opener in Leeds, where his superbly economical figures of 5-1-8-0 were overshadowed by the brutal treatment meted out to Sonny Baker (7-0-76-0) on debut at the other end.”I felt I bowled better at Headingley, but obviously I didn’t get the wickets to show,” he said. “But for the first four or five overs, well, actually the first 10 of the powerplay today, it was overcast. The ball was hard, the pitch was nipping. I don’t know if a red ball would have done the same thing, but that’s probably one of the times you don’t want to put the ball down. I tried my best not to put it down today either.”Asked how it felt to be a part of such an emphatic victory, Archer admitted he had not known the specifics of the victory, mouthing “wow” when told that 342 runs was a world-record margin.”To be honest, I didn’t really look at the scoreboard much,” he said. “I actually don’t know what they finished on, we were so focused on just trying to get off. But it was exciting. There was an ‘ooh’ or an ‘aah’ every single over.”
Santiago Giménez’s future at AC Milan has become increasingly uncertain, even though his contract runs through 2029. Local reports suggest the Mexican striker may be nearing the end of his spell at San Siro, drawing interest from several clubs across Europe – including a surprising contender in the Premier League with Sunderland.
Getty Images SportJoining the Black Cats?
Among the teams monitoring his situation, Sunderland have surfaced as one of the most serious candidates, according to Calciomercato.com. The Premier League club has started the season in unexpected form, sitting fourth in the table with 19 points, ahead of giants such as Tottenham, Manchester City, and Liverpool. Their rise – and need for added depth in attack – has put Giménez firmly on their radar.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportA difficult debut season in Italy
Giménez’s time with Milan has not unfolded as hoped. Through eight Serie A matches, he has yet to score or provide an assist, a downturn that has fueled speculation about a winter overhaul of attack. Giménez has also been linked to West Ham, who are reportedly exploring a swap involving Niclas Füllkrug – a sign that Milan could be preparing to move on from the Mexican forward.
AFPInjury concerns complicate his situation
Adding to the frustration, Giménez is recovering from a lingering ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for several weeks. His absence has hurt his rhythm in Milan and limited his opportunities with the Mexican national team. The lack of playing time has only intensified conversations about whether a change of scenery would benefit both sides.
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Getty Images SportOther Prem options emerge
According to the same outlet, Milan would consider signing a new center forward in January – but that move may hinge on Giménez leaving to free up a roster spot. In addition to Sunderland, Brentford have also inquired about a potential loan deal.
This wouldn’t be his first chance to cross into England: Giménez previously turned down an offer from Nottingham Forest during his final months at Feyenoord.
Now, with Sunderland flying high and Brentford solidly mid-table, both clubs see an opportunity to bring in a striker who, at Feyenoord, became one of Europe’s breakout goalscorers.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted three new members on Tuesday. Representing the class of 2025 include Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.
Wagner, one of the game's all-time great relievers, made the cut during the final year of his eligibility on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot, receiving 82.5% of the vote. Wagner would've been removed from the ballot if he didn't meet the voting requirement in 2025, and it's clear just how much it meant to him to get the nod.
When receiving the call from the Hall of Fame, Wagner was reduced to tears in an incredibly emotional and heartwarming moment.
That's what it's all about.
Wagner played 16 seasons in MLB, spending time with the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. He made 853 appearances in his career and racked up 422 saves, good for eighth all time.
His first year on the ballot was in 2016, when he received just 10.5% of the vote. Last year, in 2024, Wagner just narrowly missed the cut, collecting 73.8% of the vote, just five votes shy of the required 75% threshold.
One year later, he got the nod into Cooperstown that he deserved, and it's clear how much it meant to him.
After a run of six defeats in their last seven games, Liverpool are finally back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Arne Slot’s side managed to put in their best performance in some time to earn all three points at Anfield ahead of a big week.
Unai Emery’s men had their fair share of chances in the first half. Morgan Rogers came closest, rattling the woodwork. The Reds survived that scare and were pushing for a lead. Hugo Ekitike thought he had put them in front, but his header was ruled out for a clear offside.
It was Mohamed Salah who opened the scoring, bagging his 250th goal in that famous Red shirt. It was surely one of the easiest, too, with Emiliano Martinez gifting him the ball, trying to play out from the back. Salah simply fired into the empty Villa net.
The Reds doubled their lead 13 minutes into the second half. Ryan Gravenberch was able to receive the ball in space, with the Dutchman unleashing an effort from range. Two wicked deflections took it past Martinez and put Liverpool 2-0 up.
There were some standout performers, with Salah and Gravenberch looking at their very best.
How Salah and Gravenberch downed Aston Villa
It must be a relief for Liverpool fans to see Salah put in a performance like he did against the Villans on Saturday night. His 250th goal was a huge milestone, and it capped off his best showing in some time.
Salah was at his very best with the ball at his feet against Emery’s men. He gave Lucas Digne, the Villa left-back, a tough day. Liverpool’s number 11 completed four of his seven dribbles and created one chance, to go with his goal.
As for Gravenberch, he continued to show the excellent form he has been in under fellow Dutchman Slot. The Ajax academy star got on the score sheet with his deflected long-range effort, but also controlled the game at the base of the midfield.
His performance certainly seemed to stand out to Will Rooney, journalist for Liverpool World. He gave Gravenberch a post-match rating of 8/10 and praised him for how well he “displayed composure” in the middle of the park for the Reds.
As well as both Salah and Gravenberch played against Villa, there was another Liverpool player who stood out above the rest.
Liverpool's standout player versus Aston Villa
A performance like that in the Premier League has been a long time coming for Slot and his Liverpool side. Salah’s dominant effort will be pleasing, given how underwhelming he has been of late.
Well, the Egyptian star is not the only player who fits that mould. It was refreshing for Liverpool to have Alexis Mac Allister back to his best in the middle of the park. The 2022 World Cup winner teed up Gravenberch for his goal and showed class on the ball, and worked hard without it.
His numbers from the game show how well he played. Mac Allister was excellent in possession, having 64 touches and completing 48 out of 51 passes, creating three chances. Off the ball, the former Brighton star won five out of eight ground duels.
Touches
64
Passes completed
48/51
Opposition half passes completed
30/33
Ground duels won
5/8
Chances created
3
Fouls won
3
Assists
1
Well, it is fair to say that the Reds’ number 10 left a good impression on Rooney. He gave Mac Allister a 9/10 for his performance. After a tough start to the season, he said the midfielder “looked much more like his usual self” and “kept on showing his class” throughout.
It is certainly not outlandish to say Mac Allister was better than both Salah and Gravenberch against the Villans. Rooney was certainly of that opinion, given the fact that he gave the Argentine a higher rating than the pair of 8/10s he gave to the other two players.
Mac Allister’s contribution in the middle of the park was vital. He progressed the ball well and worked hard out of possession to help guide Liverpool over the line. There is a strong case to be made that he was the Reds’ standout player in a huge win to get them back on track.
Liverpool's £280k-per-week talent is looking like Slot's own Keita signing
Liverpool looks to have dropped the ball already, splashing the cash on this £280k-per-week star.
Bangladesh have also dropped Mohammad Naim after a string of low scores
Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2025The Bangladesh selectors have recalled wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and allrounder Saif Hassan in the senior men’s squad for the Asia Cup next month. There was however no place for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim, who were both part of the Bangladesh side that beat Pakistan 2-1 last month.The same 16-member squad will play in the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands starting on August 30. Mehidy would have missed the Netherlands matches due to personal reasons, but he also lost his place for the Asia Cup. Mehidy, the new ODI captain, returned to the T20I side after Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat against UAE, but didn’t make a big impact. He has been named among the four standby players.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup•ESPNcricinfo LtdNaim couldn’t convert his domestic T20 form into international runs. He had scores of 32*, 3 and 10 in the three T20Is against Pakistan. Naim also didn’t perform well enough for Bangladesh A side in the Top End T20s in Darwin, Australia.Nurul’s last T20I was in the World Cup in 2022, when he made just 41 runs in five innings. He gained better form during the 2024-25 season in which he scored 513 runs at a strike rate of 132.90 across the Bangladesh Premier League, National Cricket League and the Global Super League. The 31-year-old Nurul had also led Rangpur Riders to the inaugural GSL title in 2024.Both Nurul and Saif are playing the Top End T20s. Saif struck a half-century against the Pakistan Shaheens, and 45 against the Melbourne Stars Academy. Nurul got couple of thirties in the five matches.Related
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Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud are the others on the standby list.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Netherlands on August 30, and September 1 and 3. Their Asia Cup campaign starts against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 11.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup and Netherlands T20Is:Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad SaifuddinIN: Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan OUT: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim
The center midfielder, who was a mainstay for the USMNT during the 2022 World Cup, is in danger of missing out on the 2026 tournament on home soil. Could a new manager at Atalanta change his fortunes?
On Aug. 26, Yunus Musah made it clear that he had big plans for the 2025-26 season at AC Milan.
"The nearest goals and achievement for me are winning trophies here at Milan," he told ESPN. "This season we have the possibility to win three trophies [Serie A, Coppa Italia, Italian Supercoppa]. I'd love to win all three of them. And also then go to the national team and win more trophies as well."
That all sounded good. There was confidence, gusto, the idea that Musah believed that all of those things were possible Milan and the USMNT. A week later, he was holding up an Atalanta shirt, grinning, after agreeing to a year-long loan to Milan's direct rivals. Just over two months after that, he is out of the U.S. squad after barely playing for his new club.
It is impossible to speculate on the minutea here. But some things are true. The first is that Musah has played just under 300 minutes of football this season. He has also played for two different club managers and is about to play for a third after Atalanta sacked Ivan Juric on Monday. And, according to insights offered by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino, it is playing time, not injury, that has seen him dropped from the U.S. squad. Piece it all together, and this looks like a footballer who made one of those rare, truly poor decisions in his career. His move may have come late, but the destination was also frightfully ill-judged, with Musah now stuck in a spot where he is unlikely to play more, and without a steady parent club to return to.
Getty ImagesAllegri didn't rate him
The state of tension between Musah and Allegri was perhaps a bit overblown. But the eye test certainly didn't help. There were, in fact, two significant incidents in the game between Milan and Lecce that suggested that something was up. The first came in the second half, when the American was on the ground after being on the receiving end of a hefty challenge. Allegri didn't "kick" him, per se, but there was, to be sure, contact between the manager's foot and Musah's body.
Later in the game, Allegri berated him for trying to take a throw in quickly with his side leading 2-0 in stoppage time. Musah dropped the ball and looked away without even looking at his coach. It must be acknowledged here that managers and players are allowed to disagree. Allegri, too, isn't exactly the most fun guy. He is a strict disciplinarian who plays intense, testy football. He was famously denied a job in the Premier League when he outlined his playing style: "I don't have one."
Allegri also made it abundantly clear to Milan's hierarchy that he wanted a center midfielder who could offer a little more control in his side. The solution? Veteran Frenchman Adrien Rabiot, one of Allegri's favorites at Juventus, and a regular for Didier Deschamps in the French National Team. The reality was that Musah was always going to be a bit frozen out.
AdvertisementAFPDecision to join Atalanta
And so it proved. Things accelerated rapidly on Musah's move. There had been some scattered talk for a few weeks that his long term future might not lie with the , but the pace at which his loan move was tracked through was remarkable. All of the reporting all summer suggested that Musah was set to be an important player for Milan. But then, on Aug. 27 – less than a week before the transfer deadline – Serie A transfer guru Matteo Moretto reported that a move to Atalanta was gaining traction. The club was reportedly prepared to pay €25 million for his services. Eventually, the two sides agreed on a loan with a club option to buy.
But it was an odd call, all said. There were, admittedly, some things to like about playing for Atalanta. They needed a little midfield depth. They play attacking football. They are in the Champions League this season. There seemed to be plenty of minutes to go around, then.
Tactically, too, the fit was intriguing. Atalanta play a 3-4-2-1, with two disciplined, defensive center midfielders and proper runners on the wing. Musah, at his best, is an energetic, box-to-box No. 8. But he can also play on the right or left. He even admitted, after playing well in a 4-3-3 for the USMNT, that he could play on the wing if needed.
"It's more of a position where you're supposed to be that guy that takes the risks, you're supposed to be that guy that takes on a man and creates [scoring] chances," Musah said. "So ultimately, when the coach tells you to play free, then it gives you even more of a chance to do those things."
Getty Images SportNeeding a position
Musah's versatility, in a way, cannot be questioned. But it might have also held him back a bit. In Milan in the 2023-24 campaign, he played nine different positions. But 42 percent of his minutes came in central midfield, where he was genuinely excellent for spells. The rest? Well, there was some time spent out wide, a bit as a defensive midfielder, and even as a right winger. But the point was, largely, he was a center mid doing center mid things.
The year after, Milan changed managers, and thereby removed the role that Musah had excelled in. Under Paolo Fonseca, he operated mostly as a right attacking midfielder. The Portuguese did not set up in a system that offered his preferred position. And even if he finished the campaign with 1,600 minutes under his belt and 19 Serie A starts, Musah didn't quite offer a sense of specialization that he needed.
And Atalanta have, in a way, capitalized on that. Musah has perhaps a similar problem to Weston McKennie in that he can do a little bit of everything – but is caught in a system that doesn't truly excel in his greatest area.
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AFPA nightmare of a start to the season
The result is a limited role. It was always, perhaps, going to be tough to crack the XI. In Ederson and veteran midfielder Mario Pasalic – a similar profile of player to Musah – they have two established center midfielders. Davide Zappacosta is a mainstay out wide. Raoul Bellanova has impressed on the other wing. Musah isn't a good fit in either of the No. 10 positions.
So, yes, the tactical fit is an awkward one. But what is perhaps even more surprising is just how few minutes he might get. Ederson is a star midfielder who plays nearly every minute. But Pasalic is aging. Zappacosta, too, could do with a rest here and there. Rotational minutes may not be ideal, but even they should still be attainable – especially for a player of Musah's potential. Instead, Musah has played just six times in Serie A, totaling 145 minutes. His one start came not for Atalanta, but Milan – where he played all 90 minutes against Lecce. He has only played five of Atalanta's last 10 games, despite being fit and available for all of them.
His performances, meanwhile, have been agreeable. It is admittedly hard to make much of an impact when minutes are sparse. But Musah assisted in the Champions League, and his efforts when on the pitch cannot be questioned. His dribbling and ball-carrying stats are as strong as ever, too.
Every year for 24 consecutive years the World Series has given us a new champion. Repeating is difficult because of the expanded postseason, a more even distribution of talent and the democracy of analytics and technology, which can level the playing field in non-monetary ways.
The bottom line is there are many ways to win a World Series—from a sixth seed last year (Texas Rangers) to a one seed this year (Los Angeles Dodgers). But there are some lessons we can learn from the 2024 World Series. For instance, the next World Series champion is likely to have elite power. The past five champions all have ranked in the top four in MLB in home runs. As hits have grown scarcer, the home run ball looms larger in deciding games.
Here is what else we learned from the 2024 World Series:
1. Spin is in
The Dodgers threw 41.2% breaking pitches against the Yankees. Since pitch tracking began in 2008, that’s the heaviest dose of spin by any of the 34 World Series teams.
Los Angeles knew the New York offense was predicated on taking pitches and creating count leverage to force pitchers into the zone with fastballs—and hammering them. The Dodgers did not let that happen.
Los Angeles kept the Yankees off balance by throwing the abundance of breaking pitches. The idea was to constantly change speeds to keep hitters uncomfortable. There was no better example than how Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Treinen carved up Aaron Judge in Game 2 (0-for-4, including three strikeouts).
Judge saw 21 pitches in Game 2. He saw the same pitch a second time in a row in the same at-bat only twice—and whiffed both times. Look how Yamamoto and Treinen yo-yoed Judge with pitches as far apart as 21 mph:
MLB
The Dodgers expertly executed this back-and-forth style of pitching throughout the series. The Yankees were the No. 1 slugging team against fastballs in the regular season. They had an easy time with the Royals and Guardians in the first two rounds because those teams inexplicably threw them less spin than the Yankees saw in the regular season.
The Dodgers gave the Yankees a whole different look. They threw so much spin that when they did attack with fastballs the Yankees were not on time.
This progression of pitching plans against New York says it all: the way to get the Yankees off the fastball was with increased spin:
Yankees Hitting 2024
Spin %
Fastballs in Zone
Regular season
30.7%
.307 (2nd in MLB)
NL division series
26.1%
.347
NL championship series
27.4%
.313
World Series
41.2%*
.211 (5th lowest among past 34 WS teams)
Soto had just one RBI via a Game 2 solo home run during the World Series. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images2. The Dodgers took Juan Soto off the board.
Before Game 1, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked which hitters in the Yankees lineup most concerned him.
“Soto,” Roberts said. Then, looking over the New York lineup card, added, “Soto, Soto, Soto.”
Soto is the best fastball hitter on the planet. Overall in the postseason Soto hit .600 and slugged 1.300 against fastballs.
The Dodgers’ plan for Soto was brutal in its simplicity: never give him a fastball to hit in any meaningful spot. The pennant-winning home run Soto hit off a four-seamer from Hunter Gaddis of Cleveland, one of the most ridiculous pitch calls in recent memory, was fresh in their minds.
The Dodgers threw Soto:
Only 13 four-seamers in the zone out of 110 pitches in the series. Soto was 3-for-3 on those rare heaters. 65% secondary pitches, including cutters. Soto was 1-for-11 against them.58% pitches out of the zone.
Los Angeles preferred pitching to Judge. The plan worked perfectly until Jack Flaherty threw Judge a first-pitch fastball right down Broadway in Game 5.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone accommodated the Dodgers’ plan to take Soto off the board by never tweaking his lineup. He was fully committed to Gleyber Torres-Soto-Judge as the 1-2-3 hitters, a combo that worked well down the stretch. But when Torres and Judge went cold, the lineup remained the same.
Boone could have batted Judge first, with Soto behind him. The Dodgers did that with Shohei Ohtani and the Mets with Francisco Lindor. The idea is to have the whole lineup protect your best hitter, get that hitter to the plate as often as possible and, in the case of Judge just as it was for Lindor, take pressure off a cold hitter by asking him to simply get on base, not produce damage.
Boone said he did think about batting Judge leadoff for Game 4, but opted against it because he did not think it was fair to Torres. But Torres had gone cold. He took the most plate appearances for the Yankees in the series and slashed .143/.250/.333.
With Torres cold and the Dodgers flipping Soto so much spin out of the zone, Soto became a non-factor. He saw four pitches the entire series with a runner in scoring position, including one pitch in the zone. He saw just 10 pitches in the zone with a runner on base.
3. The Dodgers out-executed the Yankees
Years from now people will look at the statistical summary of the 2024 World Series and ask, “How did the Yankees not win?” New York had more hits, more home runs, more walks, more stolen bases, a higher batting average, a better on-base percentage, a lower ERA and a lower WHIP.
To understand why the Yankees lost you had to watch the games. Their fifth-inning collapse in Game 5 was historically awful. But at every turn the Dodgers made plays the Yankees did not. Here are some of the key hidden moments why Los Angeles won the series:
The Yankees were two outs away from winning Game 1, 4–3. Jake Cousins, facing the 7-8-9 hitters, had just retired Will Smith. Lux was hitless in his last 16 plate appearances. Cousins walked him on five pitches, four of which were nowhere close to the strike zone, including a wild high sinker after four straight sliders. The walk virtually assured the lineup would turn over, and when it did, Boone called on Nestor Cortes, who gave up the grand slam to Freddie Freeman.
Batting ninth, Edman drew a four-pitch walk from Clarke Schmidt leading off the third. (Yankees pitchers had some terrible walks, and the Dodgers made them pay.) Edman took off for second on his own on a 2-and-2 pitch, allowing him to reach second and stay out of a double play as Ohtani grounded out. He scored on a bloop single because he broke immediately on a perfect read rather than hesitating to see if the ball could be caught.
With runners at first and second in the fifth, Smith hit a ground ball to the right of Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. Running from second, Hernández bowed his angle to disrupt Volpe’s throwing lane (perfectly legal). Volpe, sidearm, alligator-armed his throw into the dirt and Hernández’s running lane. Third baseman Jazz Chisholm should have been able to secure the ball on a short hop. But he did not work his glove hand through the ball and dropped it.
Kahnle threw 27 pitches in the series. Twenty-five of them were changeups. The Dodgers swung and missed only once against him.
Seeing the same pitch over and over—not a nasty swing-and-miss pitch at that—gave the Dodgers an edge. Down 6–5 and down to their last six outs, the Dodgers built their series-winning rally on Kahnle changeups: singles by Hernández and Edman on changeups left up in the zone and a walk by Smith on four changeups out of the zone.
After the Dodgers loaded the bases against Kahnle, Boone brought in Weaver to face Lux. The average MLB hitter delivers the runner from third with less than two outs 50% of the time. Lux had done so only 35% in the regular season. Only 12 hitters were worse (min. 20 PA).
This time Lux ripped a 2–2 fastball for a sacrifice fly. The key to this at-bat was that the flyball was deep enough to center field not just to score Hernandez but also to advance Edman to third base. Those 90 feet were huge because Edman scored the series-clinching run on a sacrifice fly by Betts.
The World Series exposed a huge difference between the Dodgers and Yankees: athleticism and baseball IQ. In the regular season, Los Angeles was tied with Detroit for the MLB lead in taking the extra base (49% of the time). New York was tied for last with Houston (36%).
Smith, right, was trusted with more game management responsibilities in his sixth season. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images4. The maturation of Will Smith
In past postseasons the Dodgers were a quick out while relying heavily on analytics-based scripts. “We probably stuck to scripts a little too much,” Roberts said.
This year they gave Smith more freedom behind the plate to call his own game.
“Yeah, for sure. Definitely,” Smith told me. “That was probably one of the things we talked about early in the year. Going off script. But Mark [Prior], Danny [Lehmann], Connor [McGuiness], the pitchers have been great. It's all been a lot of good communication, conversations before games, in game … trying to figure out best ways to change, or redirect, or whatever it is, or kind of stick with the same plan. It's just a lot of people coming together, talking through stuff.”
A good example: Smith freelanced to throw a 3-and-2 curve to Francisco Lindor in NLCS Game 3 with the bases loaded. Walker Buehler had thrown only six full-count curves to lefties all year. Lindor struck out. I asked Smith if that was an example where he felt more empowered to call his own game.
“Yeah, I feel super confident,” he said. “You know, I'm convicted in it. Just as long as the pitcher's convicted in whatever I put down. If they want to shake, that's fine. Just as long as they're convicted, it's fine.”
5. The Yankees pitched Shohei Ohtani tough
Ohtani’s swing in Games 3 through 5 was clearly compromised after he suffered a left shoulder subluxation. Nonetheless, give New York credit for making it difficult on Ohtani with a mix of pitches, especially down in the zone.
On pitches no higher than 25 inches off the ground—about mid-thigh high and below—Ohtani was 0-for-6 in the World Series and 1-for-17 in the postseason.
6. The ballad of Anthony Banda
The first of seven relievers Roberts called on in Game 5 was Banda, who at this time last year was coaching kids at Higley High in Gilbert, Ariz., and wondering if his professional career was over.
Banda was DFA’d last season after one month with the Nationals, his 10th team in 10 years. Nobody wanted him. At age 30, he spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Rochester, where he posted a 7.58 ERA.
“I don't know what I would have done,” he told me. “I would have probably found myself in Mexico playing ball or something. I felt after that last season, getting my butt whooped all season, it was just like, ‘Man, if I can't even get these guys out, what makes me think I can get to the big-league level and get those guys out?’”
Then one day, while working with high school kids, he had an epiphany.
“I had a moment,” Banda told me, “where I even looked to one of the assistant coaches and I was like, ‘Man, I'm telling them the things that people would tell me all the time.’ And I found myself enjoying it. Seeing the kids have fun … It made a lot more sense.
“I mean, watching the kids, the way they were asking questions and going through the practices and understanding that they could do it … and me showing them that they could do it … It was just a lot of fun, seeing all the kids light up.
“That was something where I'm like, ‘Man, this is fun. This is fun. I really love this.’ And I just started training again.”
Banda signed a minor league deal with Cleveland, his 11th team. He made 12 appearances for Triple-A Columbus and caught the eye of the Dodgers. On May 17, the Dodgers became his 12th team. They traded cash considerations for Banda.
His world was about to change immediately. You can talk all you want about all the money the Dodgers have and spend. But the secret sauce to how the Dodgers have built one of the greatest 12-year runs in baseball history is their player development, both in the minors and majors. They are expert at finding undervalued talent in the draft and on other rosters and bringing the best out of those players. Banda is another example.
Banda could always throw hard and had a good changeup, but he had trouble throwing a good breaking pitch.
“I never had a breaking ball really that was consistent enough for hitters to respect,” Banda said.
The day Banda reported to the Dodgers they had him throw a bullpen session while being recorded by a high-speed video camera known as edgertronic, which shows at thousands of frames per second how a baseball leaves a pitcher’s hand. Banda threw his slider, which he threw with a funky three-finger grip.
“Uh, they laughed at me when I showed them,” he said, “because they couldn't believe I was throwing a slider like that. They changed it right away when they saw it.”
Banda’s problem with his slider was due to the natural movement of his hand and wrist. Banda is a heavy pronator, which means his hand naturally turns outward, which is great for throwing a football or a changeup, but not for throwing a breaking pitch.
“I was always told growing up, ‘You’ve got to get the fingers to the front of the ball,’” Banda said. “I just couldn't do it. I was just like, ‘I don't know how guys do this.’”
Dodgers assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness is the King of Spin. No one in baseball better understands how spin works and how to teach it than McGuiness. He sat down with Banda and showed him edgertronic videos of the breaking pitches of other pitchers who, like him, were heavy pronators.
“They're throwing sliders and curveballs and I'm like, ‘How did they do that?’” Banda says. “They showed me the edgertronics stuff and it just showed that it works off the pronation of your hand instead of getting to the front of the ball. So that’s what really made it click for me and then after that it was just kind of like I got a new toy.
“Yeah, it was fun. It all happened May 19. I wasn't able to see the name of the guys they showed me, but it was a close-up of the hands in a similar arm slot. They have stuff where they can match it with my video. And it was mind blowing when it really, really clicked and I understood it. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this really clicked. I've been taught wrong this entire time.’”
His career was changed. Batters hit .147 against Banda’s new slider, including .125 in the postseason. He threw the pitch 53% of the time in the postseason. It was the toughest slider to hit in the postseason among those thrown at least 60 times.
Banda became one of only five pitchers to appear in four World Series wins without allowing a run (min. batters faced: 14). The others are Rollie Fingers (1972), Mariano Rivera (2009), Joe Kelly (2018) and Will Smith (2021).
World Series Fun FactsFreddie Freeman joined Lou Gehrig as the only players to hit four home runs in a World Series while striking out no more than once. Gehrig had no strikeouts in 1928.Roberts joined Tony La Russa (2011 Cardinals) as the only managers to win the World Series using five or more pitchers in each victory.Roberts is the only manager to win a nine-inning World Series game with eight pitchers, as he did in the clincher.The Dodgers in Game 5 became only the third team to win a World Series game by getting out-homered 3–0 (Blue Jays 1993 Game 4 and Yankees 1949 Game 3). They are the first team to win a clincher that way.The Dodgers are only the second team to win a World Series clincher by scoring seven runs without a homer and no more than seven hits. The other: the 1919 Pirates.Buehler became only the sixth pitcher to win a game as a starter and save the clincher. The others were Grover Alexander for the 1926 Cardinals, Bill Hallahan for the 1931 Cardinals, Gene Bearden for the 1948 Indians, Johnny Antonelli for the 1954 Giants and Madison Bumgarner for the 2014 Giants.The Dodgers hit .184 with runners in scoring position, the worst such average for a team that won the World Series since the 2008 Phillies (.167).Gerrit Cole has made 339 career starts, postseason included. Game 5 marked the first time he allowed five unearned runs. He is only the ninth pitcher to allow five or more unearned runs in a World Series game, the first since Clem Labine for Pittsburgh in 1960 World Series Game 2 and the first ever to do so facing elimination.The Yankees are the first team to lose the final game of the World Series while allowing five unearned runs. The previous high was four, set by the 1911 Giants and matched by the 1925 Senators.
Aston Villa may not end the 2024/25 season with a trophy, but Unai Emery could still lead them back into the Champions League courtesy of a top-five finish in the Premier League.
The Spaniard now needs to add some depth to the current Villa squad this summer, especially if they do reach the promised land once again.
Securing a permanent deal for Marcus Rashford – now out for the season through injury – and Marco Asensio could be an excellent way to start his summer business.
It is another Premier League midfielder who Emery has recently targeted, however, and this could be a game-changer.
Why Aston Villa want to sign Kevin De Bruyne
According to Sky Sports last week, Villa have held internal discussions regarding a sensational move for Kevin De Bruyne once his Man City contract expires in a few weeks.
He wouldn’t cost a penny, therefore it could be one of the best bargains of the summer should a potential move go ahead.
Kevin De Bruyne
After 11 years at City, where he won six league titles and the Champions League, the Belgian is now looking for a new challenge.
He will be 34 by the time the 2025/26 season begins, yet according to Transfermarkt, he is still valued at €27m (£23m) after registering 13 goal involvements this term.
It’s safe to say he’s been one of the most elite playmakers we’ve ever seen in the English top-flight.
A six-time Premier League winner, a Champions League winner and the assister of 121 goals in the Premier League, few have been better when it comes to supplying chances and creating magic than the Belgian.
This is the type of quality Emery needs. Although there is someone who plays in his position that is valued nearly twice as much as the Belgian.
Aston Villa's very own De Bruyne
When Villa spent just £15m on bringing a certain Morgan Rogers to the Midlands from Middlesbrough in the 2024 winter transfer window, it was deemed a signing for the future.
Three goals and an assist in his first 13 top flight games, however, cemented Rogers as one of the finest young talents in the Premier League.
Goals
8
4
Assists
8
2
Big chances created
13
5
Key passes per game
1.3
1.3
Successful dribbles per game
1.8
1.6
This season couldn’t have gone any better for the Englishman who is now following in the footsteps of De Bruyne, creating and scoring goals aplenty while shining on the European stage too.
Across 50 matches so far, he has amassed 27 goal involvements – 14 goals and 13 assists – with seven of these coming in the continent’s premier club competition, the Champions League.
The former Man City starlet even made his England debut against Greece towards the end of 2024 and was called up for Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad for the games against Albania and Latvia.
Following his display against the latter, Glenn Hoddle hailed the midfielder as “wonderful” and his future at both club and international level looks bright indeed.
He ranks 14th for big chances created (13) and eighth for successful dribbles per game (1.8) in the Premier League this season, just rubberstamping those comparing to De Bruyne.
These displays have, unsurprisingly, seen a staggering rise in his market valuation over the previous 12 months.
As per Transfermarkt, Rogers is now valued at €50m (£43m) and this is nearly double what De Bruyne is worth at the time of writing.
If Emery does persuade the City dynamo to join Villa, hopefully it won’t be to the detriment of Rogers, who certainly has the number ten position locked down with a string of excellent performances.
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