Mike Gianakos Articles - Page 9

Sammy Sosa made his long-awaited return to Wrigley Field on Friday. The former fan favorite had been exiled by the Chicago Cubs after parting on bad terms with the team 21 years ago. Now the team’s all-time home run leader was welcomed back to his old stomping grounds. And he caught up with current fan […]

Despite a rough start to the season and a sub .500 record after 73 games, the Atlanta Braves continue to fight, striving to make the playoffs for the eighth straight year. The Braves have made it clear they will not become sellers at the MLB trade deadline. And a recent hot streak has spurred the […]

San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez has become baseball’s best contact hitter. The three-time batting champion puts the ball in play. That approach has led to his major league-best .319 career batting average and his preposterously low 6.3 career strikeout percentage. Arraez took his aversion to whiffing to a new level Thursday night. The […]

Clint Frazier began his career as a promising prospect with the New York Yankees. But after the Yankees designated him for assignment following the 2021 season and he failed to stick with the Chicago Cubs, Frazier had the misfortune of ending up with the Chicago White Sox in 2023. He would be out of the […]

The Arizona Diamondbacks stumbled out of the gate this season as the team is mired in fourth place in the highly competitive NL West. Arizona’s disappointing campaign has contending clubs salivating at the thought of stripping the team for parts, with Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and Zac Gallen receiving the most interest. But despite the […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers decided on a fresh start at the quarterback position for 2025. The team moved on from last season’s starters Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. But Pittsburgh didn’t replace the passers during free agency. Then, the Steelers took some heat for passing on Shedeur Sanders in the first round of the 2025 draft. […]

The Boston Red Sox began spring training with three of baseball’s top prospects competing for a spot on the team. While a case could have been made for each of the “Big 3” – Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer – it was Campbell who made Boston’s Opening Day roster. The 22-year-old rookie, who […]

The New York Jets’ newly installed braintrust executed a sensible if unspectacular debut draft in April. Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey recognized the team’s most glaring needs and addressed them. Still, a team that finished 5-12 last season and hasn’t reached the playoffs in 14 years is more than one sensible […]

Chris Sale was sensational Wednesday night as the Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets 5-0. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner had his best start of the season as he passed Felix Hernandez on the career strikeouts list. Sale nearly tossed a complete-game shutout, going 8 2/3 scoreless innings against the Mets before […]

Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a starting quarterback for the 2025 season after Aaron Rodgers agreed to a one-year deal with the team, all eyes are on the T.J. Watt extension saga. Watt has been holding out as he seeks a new contract and he racked up over $100,000 in fines for skipping mandatory […]

Despite the returns of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider from lengthy IL stints, the 2025 season hasn’t gone as the Atlanta Braves had hoped. In 2024 the team battled through numerous injuries, somehow making the playoffs for the seventh straight season. This year, the team is six games under .500 and 11 games out […]

The Chicago Cubs have been dominant to start the 2025 season as the team has gone 45-28, tying the New York Mets for the second-best record in baseball. The Cubs appear poised to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. And the team received more good news Wednesday as the All-Star Game […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers opted for an Aaron Rodgers-or-bust strategy this offseason as the team patiently waited for the future Hall of Famer to accept their offer. The Steelers refrained from signing a starting quarterback during free agency. Then they held off on taking a passer in the draft until the sixth round. Finally, that patience […]

Juan Soto’s slow start this season has dominated headlines as the All-Star right fielder stumbled out of the gate after signing a 15-year contract with the New York Mets. But Soto has turned things around in June, evidenced by his .340 batting average and 1.222 OPS in 15 games this month. Now he’s on the […]

The Buffalo Bills reunited with former All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White this offseason. The Bills released White after the 2023 season but welcomed the 30-year-old DB back to Buffalo on a one-year deal. Yet despite his history as a leader in the Bills’ secondary, White could be an afterthought for Buffalo in 2025. “The main concern […]

The Boston Red Sox’s sudden, unexpected decision to trade Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants left the baseball world stunned. Devers had spent his entire nine-year career with the Red Sox, winning the World Series with the team in 2018 and becoming a cornerstone of the franchise. It’s no secret that cracks began to […]

Giancarlo Stanton made his long-awaited season debut for the New York Yankees on Monday against the Los Angeles Angels. The former MVP had been sidelined all year with injuries to both elbows. But Stanton worked his way back and enjoyed a memorable return to the Yankees’ lineup. The 15th-year veteran picked up his first base […]

Despite signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract prior to the 2024 season, the Atlanta Falcons doubled down on the position a month later, taking Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall in the NFL draft. After a brutal four-game losing streak during which the veteran quarterback had zero touchdowns and eight interceptions and the […]

Mike Evans is looking to make history in his age-32 season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout extended his incredible 1,000-yard receiving seasons streak in 2024, tying Jerry Rice for the all-time lead with 11 straight. Evans hopes to set the record with his 12th-consecutive 1,000-yard campaign in 2025. But the future Hall of Famer will […]

One day after losing sole possession of first place in the NL West the Los Angeles Dodgers turned to veteran ace Clayton Kershaw to right the ship. Kershaw has been rounding into form since returning to the mound after offseason surgery. But the three-time Cy Young winner had his best outing of the season against […]

After a slow start to the season that led some to predict the Arizona Diamondbacks would be sellers at the trade deadline, the team is suddenly red-hot. The Diamondbacks swept the Seattle Mariners in a three-game series and then won the opening game against the San Diego Padres Friday. And while it appeared as if […]

San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill is on his way to MLB superstardom. Merrill is following up his breakout rookie campaign with a strong sophomore season for the Padres. But the 22-year-old All-Star could miss some time after getting banged up in Saturday’s matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Merrill was caught stealing to end […]

Adolis Garcia came through with a clutch RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning, giving the Texas Rangers the walk-off win against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. The hard-fought 5-4 victory was the Rangers’ third straight win. But manager Bruce Bochy didn’t see it. In the previous inning, Bochy was convinced the […]

Aaron Judge won his second league MVP Award in his age-32 season last year, leading the majors with 58 home runs and 144 RBI while helping the New York Yankees reach the World Series. This season, Judge picked up where he left off, producing at a level comparable to peak Barry Bonds as the 33-year-old […]

The New York Yankees suffered a devastating one-two punch this spring when Gerrit Cole was lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil was shut down with a high-grade lat strain. The injuries decimated New York’s rotation as Gil was placed on the 60-day IL and has yet to pitch this […]

The Washington Nationals are in the midst of another lost season. After getting dominated by the New York Mets in a three-game series sweep, Washington is now on the verge of being swept by the Miami Marlins. With the season spiraling, the Nationals called on a very good boy to help turn things around. Bruce […]

The Baltimore Orioles put together a season-high six-game win streak earlier this month. However, the team has gone just 3-4 since, as the streak failed to turn a disappointing season around. And Baltimore will be shorthanded for its game against the Los Angeles Angels Saturday. Colton Cowser will miss his second straight game after crashing […]

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted that playing the Padres is “fun” as the division rivals bring out the best in each other. LA won its series against San Diego 2-1 and began a three-game stand against another NL West foe, the San Francisco Giants, on Friday. No word yet on how Roberts feels […]

The Arizona Diamondbacks were hoping to bounce back this season after a disappointing 2024 campaign. Arizona failed to make the playoffs last season after reaching the World Series in 2023. This year the team has struggled to find its footing in the highly competitive NL West. And even though there’s plenty of season left, the […]

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already boasted one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL with Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The Bucs scored a major victory by re-signing Godwin on a $66 million deal, securing the wideout amid interest from multiple teams around the league. But with both veteran pass catchers […]

The Toronto Blue Jays have been scorching hot over the last two weeks, boasting the second-best record in baseball since June 1. Toronto has gained ground on the New York Yankees in the AL East. And the team could get some significant reinforcements with the return of key contributors from the injured list. The Blue […]

The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to reclaim the division lead with a strong second half. However, the team’s rotation took a major hit this week when an MRI revealed Aaron Nola suffered an injury setback. Nola sustained a stress fracture in his rib cage and the 11th-year veteran said the ailment is causing discomfort when “breathing […]

Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021. He’s been selected to the Pro Bowl every season since entering the league. He’s earned first- and second-team All-Pro honors. He’s third in football with 5,425 receiving yards since 2021 and first in touchdown catches with 46. And Chase won the receiving […]

Kodai Senga was well on his way to his third straight quality start for the New York Mets Thursday as the All-Star righty dominated the Washington Nationals. Then suddenly, Senga exited the game with a hamstring injury. The Mets later announced he would be placed on the injured list. Manager Carlos Mendoza addressed the disheartening […]

The Chicago Cubs have had a remarkably successful start to the 2025 season. After missing the playoffs for four straight years, Chicago appears poised to return to the postseason. The resurgence has been a team effort. But the contributions of second-year standout Pete Crow-Armstrong cannot be overlooked. After a promising but unspectacular rookie campaign with […]

After a brief detour through New York, Aaron Rodgers’ long, strange NFL trip will continue in Western Pennsylvania. The future Hall of Famer eventually agreed to join the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, signing a one-year contract in free agency. Rodgers will partner with head coach Mike Tomlin for his age-42 season, making Super Bowl history […]

With the MLB trade deadline on the horizon the Seattle Mariners are considered a team to watch. Seattle must decide if it will add reinforcements this season to help the club return to the playoffs for just the second time in the last 23 years. Seattle is rumored to be interested in adding a middle-of-the-lineup […]

David Peterson pitched a complete-game shutout against the Washington Nationals Wednesday night, delivering a 5-0 win for the New York Mets. Peterson became the first Mets lefty to accomplish the feat since Steven Matz in 2019 – six years ago. “You dream of doing stuff like this… We try and go as deep as we […]

Dak Prescott has returned to the practice field after an injury-shortened season in 2024. In his absence, the Dallas Cowboys failed to reach the playoffs. Now the pressure is on Prescott to return to his Pro Bowl form. And fourth-year tight end Jake Ferguson hopes to help the QB get back on track. The two […]