Channelsreels-598016Reelsarrow-expand-598017Chandler Simpson scores from second on infield singleRays @ YankeesMay 4 2025 | 00:00:27add-reel-598018Reelsshare-square-2-598019ShareYandy Díaz reaches with a single and Chandler Simpson comes around to score from second pushing the Rays' lead to 5-0 in the 4th inning You can now search for over 3 million videos by player Use the search box to start your search with a player or a team and then use the filter panel to refine your results You can also start by selecting filters from the panel Videos can be embedded and shared directly from MLB.com Bienvenido a la nueva búsqueda de videos de MLB Ahora puede buscar más de 3 millones de videos por jugador Use el cuadro de búsqueda para comenzar su búsqueda con un jugador o un equipo y luego use el panel de filtro para refinar sus resultados También puede comenzar seleccionando filtros desde el panel Los videos se pueden insertar y compartir directamente desde MLB.com/es There was an error when 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esta selección Actualiza la página o vuelve a intentarlo más tarde Chandler wasn’t doing what he needed to do to prepare properly for Pimblett Jared Gordon knows a thing or two about Paddy Pimblett being the only man to arguably beat him in the UFC The judges stole that W from him back in 2022, and a lesser man would be upset that “The Baddy” has withdrawn his offer of a rematch to settle things But Gordon — who faces Thiago Moises on May 17th at the UFC Apex — is surprisingly chill about the whole Paddy Pimblett thing How do you not like him?” Gordon told Inside Fighting but I knew that I was gonna give him a run for his money and beat him Considering Gordon knew what it took for him to beat Pimblett he had some interesting insight into how teammate Michael Chandler lost his fight to the Scouser at UFC 314 Asked if he was surprised Chandler fell to Pimblett so I could just see how he was training,” he continued and I always thought that he could beat him because he could catch him with one ‘I don’t think he’s gonna do it.’ Mike’s my buddy but that’s just how I felt going into it.” not really training with guys that resemble Paddy that are gonna push him,” he said when asked what the issues were so there’s only so much abuse that you should be taking in the gym he’ll have to turn things around in his next fight and find the motivation to try and actually win College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects – Baseball America we’ll highlight 10 players who stood out to us based on their underlying Statcast metrics Data will usually be through Saturday of that week but may include some data from Sunday games but often serve as good early indicators of prospects who might be ready to break out or are demonstrating MLB-ready skills Last week, we marveled at the Statcast data for Roman Anthony and Bryce Rainer, as well as several other Top 100 Prospects types The Pirates have been patient with Chandler is the clear-cut best pitching prospect in the minors We’ll start with Chandler’s surface-level results and then do a deep dive into his arsenal and approach with the help of some new visuals that will show what Chandler needs to do to maximize his top-shelf stuff Chandler’s surface stats are exactly what you’d expect from the best pitching prospect in the minors: With the caveat that Chandler is putting up these numbers against Triple-A batters, his K% would rank first overall among starters in baseball, slightly ahead of Edwin Diaz as Chandler’s raw stuff might be among the best in all of baseball Much like Jacob deGrom and teammate Jared Jones Chandler has the classic pronator arsenal: fastball the filled bubbles indicated whiffs are for each pitch and the dotted vertical line shows how much ride a pitcher is expected to get given his arm slot we can tell just how good Chandler’s fastball is you want two things: velocity and vertical ride Chandler’s fastball has plus-plus velo at 98.2 mph generating over two inches more than what a pitcher would typically get from his arm angle Chandler’s fastball grades out at at a spectacular 1.4 to 1.5 runs/100 better than average which measures fastball quality by quantifying the value of velocity and vertical ride SMOKE shows just how consistently excellent Chandler’s fastball has been all season: The above chart shows where in the zone (or out of the zone) Chandler’s fastball is getting whiffs We can see quite clearly that he needs to locate in the upper half of the zone to get swing and miss it’s pretty much game over for Triple-A batters The above chart shows where batters are swinging at Chandler’s fastball Pitches in the lower third will often be taken for a called strike if they land in the zone He’s also enticing hitters to swing at the high fastball This suggests he can steal strikes by locating a fastball at the bottom of the zone or blow one by a batter at the top StuffPro gives it another plus-plus grade at 1.1 runs/100 pitches better than average You’ll notice on the arsenal chart that most of the whiffs occur when he gets close to 20 inches of horizontal movement you want a changeup to have as much horizontal movement and depth as possible and to exhibit seam-shifted wake movement as there are major dependencies on arsenal interactions however if you can tick those boxes and have a 98 mph fastball your changeup will likely grade out quite well Chandler’s changeup is getting whiffs on about 30% of swings against both righties and lefties Let’s take a look at how Chandler is deploying the changeup: which is expected given that Chandler is a righty both righties and lefties are rolling over the pitch with average launch angles of -8.6 degrees against lefties and -16 degrees against righties This is likely due to his almost seven inches of seam-induced vertical drop on the pitch as well as batters being early on the swing trying to protect against 98 mph of velo This is why Chandler is comfortable throwing it in the zone projecting the pitch to be a net positive for Chandler—even if the batter puts the ball in play If Chandler wants a whiff with the pitch against righties it looks like he’ll need to bury it down in the zone we’re talking a very small sample of pitches so we should be wary of drawing too many conclusions The changeup is his primary secondary against lefties as he’s comfortable throwing it for strikes Chandler’s slider is extremely deceptive Chandler’s swing rates on the slider are 76% against lefties and 47% against righties and it’s easy to see that batters aren’t just swinging at the hanging ones he’s stealing strikes at the top of the zone and getting chases 45.5% of the time he’s getting negative launch angles against both righties and lefties suggesting batters aren’t getting the barrel on the pitch even when they make contact The pitch is a true bullet slider at 88 mph lending plenty of confidence that it will play well at the major league level he does throw it in the heart of the zone a lot which he might not get away with as much when gets the call up One of the underrated aspects of a curveball is the ability to steal strikes with the pitch even when it’s thrown in the heart of the zone we see that Chandler can drop a curveball almost anywhere in the top half of the zone and get a called strike Batters are so geared up for his heater that they’ll often just let the curve go I’ll leave you with one final chart indicating where Chandler is getting whiffs on his various pitches curveball down and the changeup down to righties Again, I believe Chandler is clearly the best pitching prospect in the minors. He combines top-shelf raw stuff with excellent command and an athletic delivery while pitching well below his max. In fact, I believe he even has a chance to be a little better than his future teammate, Paul Skenes Mayo is getting another well-earned shot at a big league role with the Orioles Let’s take a look at his 2024 Triple-A data: Mayo’s 2024 showed massive power potential with solid gold power metrics Combining 19-degree launch angles with 60 to 65-grade raw power is a recipe for at least 30 home runs which were below average overall and only slightly above-average against the fastball Zone contact against the fastball is a really important metric as a batter needs to be able to withstand MLB-quality heaters to succeed in the majors We’re happy to report that Mayo came back strong and is now making a lot more contact in the zone: He’s maintained his plus-plus contact quality metrics with a likely small sample blip on the fly ball data sitting close to perfect in April and pushing his overall zone contact rate to a very good 87.5% He still has a hole in his swing when he chases non-fastballs but Mayo’s done a good job spitting on those pitches at Triple-A He’ll likely need some time to adjust to MLB pitching but the raw tools are there for a high-average power hitter who should bat in the heart of the Orioles’ lineup for years to come Pitch classifications on Class A data are often not as clean as in they are in Triple-A and MLB but we can parse through that by looking at arsenal charts Hayes’ sinker is likely just a regular four-seam fastball which is an above-average pitch entirely because of its velocity (averaging 97 mph and almost touching 100) The cutter at 88 mph or so is likely a gyro slider which touches 20 inches of sweep and gets plenty of seam-shifted wake movement It’s an interesting arsenal that might prove useful in a bullpen role Matthews has a very aesthetically pleasing arsenal He’s made massive strides in fastball quality adding 1.5 mph in velocity and an inch of ride and it now grades out close to Bubba Chandler’s from a raw stuff perspective He absolutely fills the zone with the pitch And we also see that it’s not a swing-and-miss pitch for him especially when he throws it in the zone vs I’d love to see Matthews target the pitch higher in the zone I think his current approach looks more control-over-command and he’ll likely run into a lot of hard contact at the major league level Matthews’ slider is probably his best pitch and here we see he’s commanding it exceptionally well: When Matthews gets his slider down and away to righties It’s where he’s clearly targeting the pitch and it’s generating whiffs on almost a quarter of the pitches he throws He might also be better served using it more against lefties Matthews’ cutter isn’t a great pitch on its own it plays an important role as a bridge between his fastball and slider The changeup is a useful weapon against lefties but it doesn’t have deceptive movement needed to be used confidently against same-handed batters Matthews mixes in his curveball against righties only but he isn’t trying to steal strike with the pitch BASHEROFBASEBALLSBob Seymour crushes a MASSIVE 4⃣6⃣3⃣-foot homer to tie it up at 3-3 in the 1st! 😳 pic.twitter.com/fBkS0axadP The blast above was clocked at an epic 117.9 mph off the bat Seymour is still unlikely to carve out a meaningful major league role with such poor contact metrics but he can really mash when he does connect I have a treat for you: Basallo’s absolutely gobsmacking eye-opening Triple-A data in the early going of 2025 We’re talking about a player with 70 to 75-grade game power whose best contact comes in the air Basallo pairs that power with tons of contact in the zone but his overall contact rate is below average due to a poor overall approach I’ll likely headline with Basallo in a few weeks when we have hopefully enough data to do a deep dive on his swing decisions the Orioles don’t call him up before then Gervase’s bread-and-butter pitch is his 93 mph fastball It gets exceptional ride given his arm slot giving it a pure stuff grade that’s about 0.8 runs/100 pitches better than average What pops out is how his pitches all have small velocity and movement bands compared to each other making it difficult for batters to have a lot of confidence when guessing which pitch type they are seeing The results haven’t been there in the early going but I think this is an arsenal that will play at the major league level Peguero’s fastball is not a very good pitch and he might be better served focusing his efforts on refining that pitch and mixing in the four-seam more sparingly The slider/sweeper is deadly and should make Peguero an absolute weapon out of the bullpen against righties The top-line power metrics for Rodriguez are quite poor it provides us a glimpse of what he’s capable of He’s also connected on a 107.6 exit velo so we can have some measure of confidence that he might reach fringe-average power With a player this age who hasn’t filled out physically yet it’s hard to project where the power will end up If he can push to 110 mph as he grows and matures Rodriguez has a realistic pathway to useable major league power Where Rodriguez really shines is in the contact department as he boasts excellent contact rates and a patient approach We’ll be watching how the power develops as it will need to improve the most for Rodriguez to reach his potential Geoff Pontes discussed Ewing last week as an early standout in 2025 This is the kind of profile I have a ton of confidence projecting as a potential major league bat It’s average raw power with plus-plus contact and plus-plus swing decisions He’s a little older than some of the bigger names in High-A but you couldn’t ask for better contact and discipline metrics It’s no surprise the Mets promoted Ewing to Brooklyn this week and I can see him flying through the minors: A.J. Ewing is fitting in just fine after his recent promotion to the @BKCyclones.He went 3 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI in today's W! 👏 pic.twitter.com/JKtHX7pXAK the Athletics are experiencing an impressive turnaround in performance across their minor league teams Presenting Baseball America’s complete rundown of fantasy baseball resources for 2025 Come chat with Baseball America about the latest MLB prospect news We’re answering weekly reader questions beginning at 2 p.m May brings the first major update to Baseball America’s top 500 dynasty rankings for 2025 Coleman Crow has been a pro for seven seasons but he hasn’t pitched much for various reasons The Brewers are attempting to get his best version this season we talk about names to know in the upcoming Top 100 Prospects update Cooper are taking a look at basement dwellers in the AL and NL BA college writers Jacob Rudner & Peter Flaherty break Chris Lemonis’ surprise firing at Mississippi State and lots more Geoff Pontes & Dylan White highlight prospects who could be playing themselves into the Fantasy Top 100 we talk about Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Draft slide and why it wouldn’t happen in the MLB Draft Ben and Carlos talk about Red Sox and Yankees pitchers with physicality and stuff who are off to hot starts in 2025 Read the newest magazine issue right on your phone The co-main event ended up being a huge moment for the surging brit as Pimblett stopped Chandler in dominant fashion to earn the biggest win of his career Chandler has already spoken about the loss after many viewed the matchup as a crossroads fight between two competitors that are at different ends of their careers this was the former title challenger’s chance to show that he still belongs at the top of the lightweight division by ending his opponent’s win streak Though Pimblett proved some doubters wrong a teammate of his opponent recently revealed that he had his doubts about ‘Iron’ Mike’s chances after watching him prepare for his seventh appearance inside the Octagon In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, Jared Gordon revealed that he wasn’t entirely surprised by the way that the co-main event of UFC 314 played out The UFC lightweight has ties to both men that were involved having been narrowly beaten by Paddy Pimblett at UFC 282 whilst being a teammate of Michael Chandler’s at Kill Cliff FC. Gordon said that whilst he never counted out the former Bellator star, he did start to question Chandler’s chances after watching him go through his training camp. “I always thought that he could beat him because he could catch him with one but like, I saw the way he was training, who he was training with and I was like, I don’t think he’s gonna do it. Mike’s my buddy but that’s just how I felt going into it.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michael Chandler (@mikechandlermma) April 12 in Miami was the former title challenger’s second fight back following the long break that he took after his loss to Dustin Poirier where he waited for a matchup with Conor McGregor which failed to materialize Many thought that it would be tough for him to go straight back in to the division’s top 15 after not fighting for two years and Gordon believes that whilst it is understandable why Chandler wouldn’t train as hard as he once did there were some questions about his commitment this time around not really training with guys that resemble Paddy that are gonna push him “He’s been in wars so there’s only so much abuse that you should be taking in the gym and he gets paid a boatload of money so for him Since they met inside the Octagon at UFC 282 Paddy Pimblett has stated on record that he overlooked Jared Gordon in what ended up being the toughest fight of his UFC career to date Pimblett won a unanimous decision despite all but 1 of the 24 media scores having the fight in favor of the American with many giving Gordon all three rounds ‘Flash’ has since shared some friendly exchanges with ‘The Baddy’ stating in the interview with Inside Fighting that he isn’t surprised that the Brit underestimated him based on his UFC run “I knew that he would be surprised when we got in there “I did really well leading up to the Paddy fight… I could see how he could look past me but I knew that I was going to give him a run for his money and beat him Pittsburgh Pirates While fifth starter Carmen Mlodzinski has held a rotation spot since Opening Day Mlodzinski has a 6.58 ERA in the 26 innings he's pitched through six starts although his 3.52 FIP and 3.67 xFIP both suggest he's gotten a little unlucky in that time He's only made it through five innings twice so far on the young season and while he may have gotten a bit unlucky the Pirates have options they can turn to in Triple-A Far and away the most intriguing starting pitching option in the Pirates farm system is the top prospect in our Pirates' minor league report, Bubba Chandler So far in 2025 Chandler has thrown 25.1 innings with a 1.42 ERA He's struck out 36 batters during that time while.. You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here! so determining whether you have the room to stash players on your bench that could be difference makers in the long term is a part of the process too Let’s dive into the fantasy baseball waiver wire for Week 7 of the MLB season Time is ticking and we’re not going to see Bubba Chandler make many more minor league starts before he’s called up for good with the Pirates Baseball America’s number seven overall prospect heading into 2025 has dominated at Triple-A this season pitching to a 1.42 ERA while striking out 36 batters across 25.1 innings Chandler’s fastball velocity – and velocity in general – has risen from 96.8 MPH to 98.2 There isn’t anything official on when Chandler’s promotion will come but it’s coming soon and if you’re trying to gain an edge on your league mates stashing Chandler could be an elite move to bolster your staff I was incredibly skeptical of Tony Gonsolin’s return for multiple reasons one being he wasn’t a very good pitcher back in 2023 pre-Tommy John and was extremely lucky in ‘22 He looked great in his opening start of ‘25 and while it came against the Marlins there’s a lot of positives to take away from it which is nearly double his best season in that department There were basically zero hard-hit baseballs against him (20%) and his 1.9 SIERA and 1.95 xFIP suggest he was even a little unlucky in a game he only allowed three runs in but he changed his pitch mix a lot by throwing the fewest percentage of fastballs he’s ever thrown and the most sliders of his career With Justin Martinez’s velocity falling off a cliff and now placed on the injured list while A.J. Puk was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day. Both of them are the team leaders in saves, so who’s next up? Shelby Miller was called on with the first opportunity and Miller has been elite He has yet to allow an earned run in 13 innings this year and has a 30% K-rate to boot and all of his pitches are moving as if he’s throwing a wiffle ball to your waiver wire to add Miller if you need an influx of saves because there is absolutely no return in sight for Puk or Martinez You won’t be using him in your fantasy baseball lineup for that one Well well. What do we have here? Lucas Giolito looked pretty damn sharp in his debut returning from Tommy John surgery punching out seven strikeouts over six innings while actually running a little unlucky posting a 3.41 SIERA and 3.86 xFIP Giolito’s fastball velocity sat at 93.3 MPH in his first major league start back from Tommy John which is exactly what it was in 2023 and higher than ‘22 Giolito is a great source of strikeouts notching a K-rate of at least 25% in every season since 2025 10 games. That’s what we’re at in terms of hitting streak for J.P. Crawford He has six multi-hit games over his last nine and has forced his way to the leadoff hole over the last two games because of it Crawford becomes incredibly appealing if he continues to lead off considering what offensive firepower hits behind him he’s scored nine runs and driven in 12 more Crawford is ALWAYS on base and that’s thanks to a 98th percentile walk rate and 78th expected batting average He’s a really nice fantasy baseball waiver wire add As the number one Matt Shaw believer He’s on the cusp of being recalled as the Cubs third base revolving door just hasn’t worked out Shaw’s the most talented of the bunch and since being demoted he’s batting .333 with a 20% BB rate and 6% K-rate His eligibility is elite and if he can keep the K-rate down he’s going to produce results at the major league level we don’t have any date set in stone for the recall but everything is pointing to it being sooner rather than later you have to hope someone in your league isn’t looking to stash him stash him now because he’s most likely been dropped by now in any redraft format I see London, I see France..nevermind. I only see Ty France and what he’s doing this year What he’s doing is absolutely raking and things look pretty sustainable for him too There have definitely been inconsistencies with France in the past He’s 88th percentile or better in expected wOBA and expected slug and is available in 90% of leagues on ESPN and Yahoo Some of his batted ball profile things are interesting He’s hitting more line drives and fly balls while pulling the ball less and the results are obviously there This does not feel fluky to me and Ty France could be a legit 1B option for your fantasy baseball teams especially if you’re someone who just lost Tristan Casas to his serious injury Kyle Stowers, OF, Miami Marlins Things are going extremely well for Kyle Stowers and his fantasy owners and .907 ISO and all of it seems..susaintable We should absolutely be looking at Stowers on the waiver wire because he’s available everywhere Possibly my favorite thing about Stowers' season to this point is how good he is against left-handed pitching Typically we don’t get this many at-bats for lefties against the same split Gives you an idea that he’s not being taken out of many games even when a lefty comes into the game The hottest waiver wire pickup on the block this week is none other than Andy Ohtani. Whoops, I mean Mookie Pages. Shoot. Not him. Andy Judge aka Andy Pages Just over the last 14 days – a span of 10 games – Pages has slashed .462/.488/.846 with four home runs nine runs batted in and has stolen three bags It’s uncertain how long this magical run will continue because the peripherals suggest it’s a little bit of “Linsanity” but hop on the train while it’s still on the tracks Pages won’t be sitting on your fantasy baseball waiver wire for too much longer It’s not as if we haven’t seen this before with Daulton Varsho but the talent is undeniable; he's just never fully put it together Twice in his career he’s almost put up 20-20 seasons and even has a 27-homer season on his resume He’s only played four games so he doesn’t qualify for anything but look at where he WOULD rank if he he did: has looked incredible through four games and we know his dual-threat ability keeps him fantasy viable especially when he’s hitting the ball for power and hard You won’t have to break the bank for him on the waiver wire either You can email us at any time at: support@fantasyalarm.com Bing committed to Vanderbilt on April 29 after receiving offers from three other schools Shawn Riddle Photo/@shawnriddlephoto You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter dives home on a single hit by Yandy Díaz during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays’ Chandler Simpson reacts after diving home on a single hit by Yandy Díaz during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees NEW YORK (AP) — Chandler Simpson is so fast he can score from second base on an infield hit “He can change a game with one play like that,” New York Yankees star Aaron Judge said after the Tampa Bay rookie sparked the Rays to a 7-5 win Sunday “Definitely going to get excited when I see him come up to the plate or on the bases.” A day after his first multi-steal game in the major leagues the 24-year-old Simpson sped home from second on Yandy Díaz’s two-hopper to shortstop Oswald Peraza for a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning He beat out a single on a routine grounder in the fifth and stole his sixth base in 14 games since his debut on April 19 He reached on a bunt single in the seventh how’s it feel to be that fast?’” he recalled “But the real common one is: ‘What pitch you going first or second?’ I’m like: I’m not letting you know Average sprint speed in the major leagues on competitive plays is 27 feet per second and elite speed is 30 feet per second or higher Simpson reached a speed of 31.1 when he dashed home as Peraza gloved Díaz’s grounder at the back of the dirt behind second rolled over onto the outfield grass and allowed the ball to pop out of his glove then made an off-balance throw that bounced off the mound Simpson slid headfirst and slapped his left hand on the plate “It’s like the first step he’s maxed out full speed That’s pretty impressive,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said Simpson was signaled to hold up by third base coach Brady Williams “I looked back and I saw the shortstop on the ground he beat Peraza’s throw on a routine grounder “He’s as fast as it gets,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said “Peraza did everything he probably could do A friend of Rays pitcher Taj Bradley since youth ball in Georgia Simpson first realized his speed during races at elementary school and his neighborhood Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta because it had the same season at baseball Simpson says he is tied at between 3.3 and 3.4 seconds going to home to first “Just a God-given ability and all the work that I put in on my speed and recovery and making sure I’m ready to go,” he said Simpson played at UAB in 2020 and ‘21 Selected 70th overall by the Rays in the 2022 amateur draft He stole 94 bases at rookie league and two levels of Class A in 2023 104 at High-A and Double-A last year and eight in 17 games at Triple-A Durham while hitting .301 this season before the call-up Simpson is hitting .296 with four RBIs in 54 at-bats “He’s seeing the best pitching that he’s ever seen in his life and he’s doing more than holding his own,” Cash said and he’s able to go up there and repeat it multiple times.” Simpson arrived in professional baseball in the first season after bases were increased to 18-inch squares from 15 cutting the distance between bases by 4 1/2 inches “It’s played a big part in my success so far.” “I’m not looking and the camera’s not running.” AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account PHOENIX − What if he never hits a home run his entire major league career What if he never drives in more than 50 runs in a season But….what if  Chandler Simpson changes the complete baseball landscape exploiting his surreal speed and uncanny ability to get on base allowing us to view and appreciate the game as if we’re turning the clock back a quarter-century ago “I feel like God gave me the gift to motivate and inspire other generations that come after me I’ve heard it my whole life about the little power I have But you don’t have to hit home runs in this home-run era There’s other stuff that I can do well on the field that can make make up for it “I want to prove that you can make it to the big leagues And, oh, does Simpson ever know speed. Simpson, called up to the major leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays last week He has already turned routine ground balls to second base and one-hoppers to first base into hits He once scored from second base on a routine sacrifice fly in college He was timed running to first base in just 3.88 seconds by scouts last week He stole 104 bases last season in 121 attempts at Class AA and Triple-A becoming the first player to steal 100 bases in a minor league season since 2012 and only the third to accomplish the feat in the last 20 years “It gets me real hyped because I know that when I get on there actually may be one way to keep him from stealing … “We were sitting around talking about how we can keep him from stealing bases if he gets on,’’ Arizona Diamondbacks veteran reliever Shelby Miller said “We decided the best way may be to just throw over to first base three times it’s just a balk and doesn’t count as a stolen base.’’ who faced him last week: “He’s an absolute game-changer with his speed He’s like (three-time batting champion) Luis Arraez with speed This guy is going to be pretty fun to watch to go where no player has gone since Vince Coleman in 1987 the six-time All-Star and five-time stolen base champion speed is starting to get back into the game thanks to him and people understanding just how important it is this young man can bring it back and show people just how important it is in the game It’s time for baseball to praise and support guys like him not just the home-run guys all of the time.’’ If baseball wants to only talk about home runs and power Simpson may never have his name mentioned again the remainder of his career Simpson went to the plate 1,119 times during in his three-year minor-league career It was an inside-the-park home run on June 7 Simpson merely slapped a ball past third baseman Brock Wilken which then got away from left fielder Zavier Warren and by the time Simpson sped around the bases and slid into home when hit the only homer of his collegiate career a grand slam against Gardner-Webb for Georgia Tech “The right fielder went up to catch it,’’ Simpson said who entered high school at just 5-foot-5 and 130 pounds and is now 5-11 proudly recalls that he did hit one home run at St Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta during his senior season where his mom is the principal who grew up playing against Simpson since they were 6-year-old kids in Little League and played as rivals during their summer travel leagues remembers being a witness for the historic moment with Simpson sprinting around the bases so fast that his own teammates had to tell him to slow down considering Simpson’s absence of home-run power pretty easy for the guys back home to provide good natured teasing He’s not a guy who’s going to try to hit homers He knows he can get on base and make an impact with his legs.’’ who played with Simpson in the minors: “Dude is electric He hits the ball hard and it’s a double or triple the pitcher is worrying because he's going to take second base at some point Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott one of Simpson’s closest friends who also grew up in Atlanta They finished in a dead heat in a foot race in 2023 − the year Scott and Simpson each stole 94 bases in the minors Scott had a career .264 batting average and .344 on-base percentage with 17 homers in his three minor-league seasons Simpson has a career .324 batting average and .389 on-base percentage “When he got called up and he FaceTimed me,’’ Scott said “I think I was more excited than when I got called up He was willing to go up against anybody who went against the grain of what his ideology was Not everybody is blessed with an insane amount of power hitting the ball with an exit velocity of 110-mph-plus “But guys like Chandler and myself can be trailblazers for the game There’s more than one way to play this game creating havoc on the basepaths during an inning can be just as alluring than spending 20 seconds to round the bases after a home run “Whenever I step to the plate,’’ Simpson says They’re going to have to worry about putting me on base They’re going to have to worry about me on base and its going to be a problem pitching to other people in the lineup I want to be that guy who is feared by pitchers and fielders as well.’’ who didn’t even play the outfield until he was drafted in the second round of 2022 playing shortstop and second base his entire life doesn’t want to be known simply as a speedster Speed can be negated in the big leagues if you can’t get on base and can’t play defense He has much bigger aspirations than being the next Terrance Gore or Billy Hamilton He watches videotape of hitting champions Rod Carew Michael Johnson to determine what mechanics he can incorporate into his own game seeking advice and what he learned from his father the eight-time batting champion who died in 2014 all of his hitting mechanics to be a better hitter,’’ Simpson says “I feel like (Arraez) definitely doesn’t get the recognition that he deserves winning three batting titles in a row with three different teams or becomes a modern-day version of Ty Cobb who won five batting titles and led the league in stolen bases same season “He plays differently than what people are accustomed to seeing in this modern era of baseball,’’ Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks says “I think in some ways it’s a breath of fresh air to see somebody that has tailored their approach to their skill set I think that anytime you see somebody that has that unique of a skillset you’re going to see a lot of people buy into it.’’ Says Rays infielder Brandon Lowe: "The Aaron Judges of the world are few and far between But I think the Chandler Simpsons will probably be few and far between I don't know that I've ever seen anybody float the way that he floats.’’ The only real question is whether he can terrorize the opposition in the big leagues just as he did in the minors proving everyone wrong at each level he played “I think all of us have some questions about how's his skill set going to play up here “People are curious to see how major league infielders again him You can get a lot of infield hits in the minors Says Rays GM Eric Neander: The speed is top of the scale but it’s that bat-to-ball skill that is unique He puts the ball in play at an extremely high rate If successful, who knows, Simpson says, maybe the best athletes may start turning to baseball again, and the increase in young Black players will finally start to rise after being stalled at 6% on this year’s opening-day roster “I feel like there were a lot of Black players but then it kind of dropped off,’’ Simpson says ≻ Walt Jocketty, who passed away Friday at the age of 74 There have been few executives more beloved than Jocketty the architect of World Series championship teams in Oakland and St Louis while also leading the Cincinnati Reds to the postseason “He’s tied for first,’’ Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa said “with the finest person I’ve ever known.’’ ≻ The San Diego Padres pulled off the best trade never made this winter The Padres told every team in baseball that closer Robert Suarez is available with their money crunch going 10-for-10 in save opportunities with a 0.00 ERA and 0.455 WHIP They have begun work on the Athletics’ $1.75 billion Las Vegas ballpark site The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for June The stadium is scheduled to open before the 2028 season ≻ What story evaporated more quickly this season The torpedo bats or the Los Angeles Dodgers ruining baseball with their mammoth payroll The Dodgers are a sub-.500 team since opening the season 8-0 and the Yankees have discovered that it wasn’t the torpedo bats, but the Milwaukee Brewers pitching that caused their power surge already are keeping a close eye on Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley who will likely be dealt by the trade deadline the Phillies are adamant they will not include top prospects Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller in any trade ≻ Scouts have been in awe by Diamondbacks reliever Juan Morillo who was discarded by the Dodgers and signed as a minor-league free agent by the D-backs has been lighting up the radar gun at 100-mph and has yet to give up an earned run “That will be the greatest minor-league free-agent signing of the year ≻ The Brewers would love to have a mulligan and not expose pitcher Shane Smith to the Rule 5 Draft. The Chicago White Sox nabbed Smith with the first pick in December going 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in his first five starts ≻ The Yankees realized they have no choice but to take Devin Williams temporarily out of the closer’s role with his 11.25 ERA this season but remain confident he’ll soon be back to being an All-Star caliber closer “When you go from a small market to New York it’s a different animal,’’ one executive said ≻ The Brewers were planning to pounce on free agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt this winter if Rhys Hoskins opted out of his contract believing he’d have a huge bounce-back season after having the worst season of his 15-year contract Goldschmidt has been everything the Yankees hoped for ≻ You think the Dodgers’ new home clubhouse is fancy it’s the first one that comes equipped with eight state-of-the-art who was trying to decide where to sign this winter and told the Dodgers it would help persuade him to come their way with the new toilets “It sounds like a joke,’’ Sasaki told the Orange County Register ≻ No one has been crushed with more injuries to their outfield than the Tampa Bay Rays who have four outfielders on the injured list and only three true outfielders on the roster with Christopher Morel and rookies Chandler Simpson and Kameron Misner They acquired Travis Jankowski from the White Sox to give them a veteran reinforcement ≻ The Toronto Blue Jays are still looking for a return on their 5-year $92.5 million investment on outfielder Anthony Santander He is hitting .182 with two homers and a .537 OPS ≻ Remember when Kyle Tucker opened this spring by going 0-for-20 with the Chicago Cubs No one has made more money this first month of the season than Tucker whose free-agent value has skyrocketed from $300 million to perhaps more than $500 million ≻ Scouts are raving about D-backs prized infield prospect Jordan Lawler and predict that he could be their everyday second baseman next season while moving injury-prone Ketel Marte to first base ≻ Atlanta is in no hurry to call up veteran closer Craig Kimbrel whose fastball has been clocked at only 91-92 mph in his first two outings at Triple-A ≻ Considering that Baltimore Orioles assistant GM Sig Megdal used to be an engineer at NASA is it any surprise that the Orioles’ analytics department is working with engineering researchers to create AI technology to modify how pitchers are scouted and developed “We’re in the American League East with some very-large-market teams,’’ Mejdal told the Baltimore Sun To ignore a potential like this would be foolish.” ≻ Future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander just one shy of the longest drought of his career who refused to give up after surgeries and injuries derailed his career since 2021 returning last week with the Cubs for his first MLB appearance since August ≻ Prayers to Minnesota Twins legends Tony Oliva who are recovering from having strokes within days of one another two weeks ago but there was Liam Hendriks finally stepping on the mound for the Boston Red Sox after recovering from Stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma and Tommy John surgery ≻ The most emotional moment on the field this week came at Angel Stadium where Pirates starter Andrew Heaney 45 this season in honor of his late best friend pitched six shutout innings in the Pirates’ 3-0 victory “It is a number that has meaning to me,” Heaney But I’m wearing it because it was his number.” ≻ While the Rays have no idea where they’ll be playing in a few years after pulling out of their deal in downtown St the folks in Orlando announced they have received pledges of $1.5 billion towards a stadium project to lure the Rays ≻ Has there been a better multi-year free agent signing than Nick Pivetta of the Padres They signed him in spring training to a four-year $55 million contract that is so backloaded that he’s making just $1 million this season and a whole lot of other teams wish they had taken the plunge ≻ The scariest part of the New York Mets’ torrid start for the rest of the NL East is that they are doing this without starters Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas ≻ No one outside their own clubhouses believes the A’s or Marlins will be actual contenders in September because of their pitching flaws but scouts have been quite impressed with their potent offenses and firmly believe the A’’s will be in the postseason before they depart for Las Vegas in three years Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale INDIANAPOLIS – Minor League Baseball today announced that right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler has been named the International League April Pitcher of the Month after he led all minor league pitchers with at least 20.0 innings in fewest hits allowed (seven) and batting average against (.106, 7-for-66). He is the first INDIANAPOLIS – Minor League Baseball today announced that right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler has been named the International League April Pitcher of the Month after he led all minor league pitchers with at least 20.0 innings in fewest hits allowed (seven) and batting average against (.106, 7-for-66). He is the first Indianapolis Indians pitcher to win a league monthly award since Zach Duke in May 2005. Chandler, 22, went 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA (3er/20.1ip), 27 strikeouts and a 0.64 WHIP across five starts in the month. In addition to his minor league leading marks, he led IL pitchers with at least 20.0 innings in WHIP and finished third in ERA. In just 13 career starts with Indianapolis, Chandler is 6-0 with a 1.67 ERA (12er/64.2ip) and 90 strikeouts. Among all Indianapolis pitchers since 2005 with at least 40.0 career innings, he ranks first in WHIP (0.90), batting average against (.161, 36-for-224) and opponent OPS (.480). He also ranks second in ERA (1.67, 12er/64.2ip) and strikeouts per 9.0 innings (12.53). Chandler has thrown 13 pitches at 100.0 MPH or higher this season, with his fastball topping out at 101.5 on April 13 at Louisville. He is one of just seven starting pitchers in MiLB to hit triple-digits this season, with his eight pitches thrown at least 100.3 MPH marking the fastest pitches thrown by a starting pitcher in High-A or above. The Lawrenceville, Ga. native was selected by Pittsburgh in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of North Oconee (Ga.) High School. Chandler is the fifth overall Indians player to win IL monthly honors since Indianapolis rejoined the league in 1998, following the southpaw Duke, utilityman Alen Hanson (May 2015), infielder José Osuna (April 2018) and outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba (September 2023). Simpson scored from second base on Rays teammate Yandy Díaz’s two-hopper to New York Yankees shortstop Oswald Peraza His fourth-inning run helped Tampa Bay extend its lead to 5-0 en route to a 7-5 win at Yankee Stadium That effort came on the heels of his first multi-steal game of his young career. Simpson is raising plenty of eyebrows so far, even getting praise from players like Yankees superstar Aaron Judge.  “He can change a game with one play like that,” Judge said after Sunday's game, according to The Associated Press. “Definitely going to get excited when I see him come up to the plate or on the bases.” Simpson keeps early-season play in perspectiveSimpson has a pretty even-keeled attitude about his impressive speed. He said that he is between 3.3 and 3.4 seconds when going from home plate to first base “Just a God-given ability and all the work that I put in on my speed and recovery and making sure I’m ready to go,” Simpson said He was hitting .301 at the Rays' Triple-A team in Durham All of this put together leaves Rays manager Kevin Cash wanting more from this youngster “He’s seeing the best pitching that he’s ever seen in his life and he’s doing more than holding his own,” Cash said “It feels like he’s got an approach and he’s able to go up there and repeat it multiple times.”  Simpson and the Rays (16-18) look to get back to the .500 mark as they open a home series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night at George M Joe Rutland is a Trending Sports Reporter for Athlon Sports Chandler Bing has seen exactly zero episodes of the hit television show "Friends." But when the senior out of Pace Academy in Atlanta announced on social media April 29 that he committed to the Commodores the jokes about his name − the same as Matthew Perry's character on "Friends" − were resurrected 3 assists and 2 steals per game for Pace last season Chandler Bing is related to Dave BingChandler Bing has never met Dave Bing a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer a member of both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams and the founder of Bing Steel Dave Bing who also is former NBA player Jalen Rose's godfather is Chandler Bing's grandfather's first cousin the 1968 NBA scoring champion and a two-time All-NBA first-team selection "especially when I was younger," knows he hasn't heard the last of them "I actually haven't watched the show," he said "But I never really had a problem with (the jokes) Why Chandler Bing chose VanderbiltBing is a 6-foot-6 forward who previously was committed to Texas State He also had offers from Georgia State and Troy He said he chose Vanderbilt for several reasons including the level of competition in the SEC that was definitely a big part of it," he said a place where I can grow on and off the court." Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here FYI: Chandler Bing, Vanderbilt basketball commit, has same name as Matthew Perry 'Friends' character ANOTHER ONE: Vanderbilt basketball adds Washington wing Tyler Harris in transfer portal The 22-year-old threw another gem on Thursday night tossing five innings of one-run ball for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians he now has a 2-0 record and a 1.42 ERA through 25.1 innings Baseball insider Travis Sawchik notes that his numbers are almost identical to Paul Skenes when he was called up by the Pirates early last May 35% K-BB%Bubba Chandler in Triple-A: 25.1 IP Skenes quickly became one of the best pitchers in the league once getting promoted won the Rookie of the Year and finished third in the National League Cy Young voting he and Skenes will form a dynamic top-of-the-rotation in Pittsburgh Chandler is 23-12 lifetime in the minor leagues with a 3.42 ERA He was a third-round pick of the Pirates in the 2021 draft out of the high school ranks He was supposed to paly football at Clemson before turning pro in baseball The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile: Chandler has rapidly evolved from an athlete and thrower to a complete pitcher with a real idea of how to use all four of his pitches effectively It still starts with his elite-level fastball that averaged 96.7 mph and touched 99 in 2024 his command of the pitch has improved and he holds the premium velocity deep into starts The Pirates challenged Chandler to focus on the development of his secondary offerings and he responded with a much-improved 86-87 mph slider and upper-80s changeup while still dropping in the occasional low-80s curve HISTORIC DEBUT: AJ Blubaugh, the No. 10 ranked prospect in the Astros' organization, became the first pitcher from his college to ever make the big leagues on Wednesday. CLICK HERE: BUBBA CHANDLER TIME?: It's got to be getting time for the Pittsburgh Pirates to bring up top prospect Bubba Chandler, and when he gets to the bigs, he's got a believer in Paul Skenes. CLICK HERE: MADE DOMINATES: Jesus Made, the 17-year-old prospect for the Milwaukee Brewers, continues to make a huge impression at Low-A. CLICK HERE: The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Skenes 'fired up to see that'April 30th PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes hasn’t had a chance to watch pitch this year He doesn’t know how many hits he has allowed so far offhand or what the scouts are saying right now But is Skenes excited about the prospect of having Chandler join the Pirates’ rotation “Looking forward to being with him every day • Box: Cubs 9, Pirates 0 It’s safe to say Skenes speaks for just about all Pirate fans who want to see Chandler in black and gold. He ranks as the No. 14 prospect in the game He also might be the top performing pitcher in Triple-A ranking first in the International League in batting average against (.106) and WHIP (0.64) Chandler would probably be the organization’s top pitching prospect in a decade Add Mitch Keller and Jared Jones to the mix and the Pirates should have one of the most potent rotations in the game at some point this season The only question is when Chandler could debut May is going to be pivotal for figuring out that answer as well as checking the boxes the Pirates want to see • Chandler's trajectory boosted by shift in mindset as you would expect from any 22-year-old pitcher and a lot of that lies with his secondary offerings His fastball is an elite offering and he can blow it by Minor League hitters "He's now got four potentially really good pitches will challenge him and how he's using those pitches,” general manager Ben Cherington said recently “I would like to see him get some more reps with that where he's going in different situations Looking at Chandler’s pitch usage in Triple-A this year compared to the seven starts he made with Indianapolis last year with the most noticeable change in his mix being with his curveball • Chandler heads talented pitching group in Bucs' Spring Breakout Chandler's curve is averaging 84.1 mph compared to 81 mph last year You have to consider those are early season stats compared to August/September stats but it’s getting good movement and a ton of whiffs (37.5%) Continuing to develop the breaking stuff was expected We saw times in Spring Training when Chandler would challenge himself to throw an offspeed pitch rather than a fastball in a pivotal count just so he didn’t come off as predictable Continuing to develop is part of the equation but he also needs to fully stretch out as a starter Chandler has maxed out at five innings a start That’s by design and with the understanding that he is probably going to throw a new career high in innings having logged 111 in 2023 and 119 2/3 last year • Chandler adds mix to upper-90s heat in stellar Spring Breakout start The Pirates did something similar with Skenes last year It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison since 2024 was Skenes’ first full pro season the goal is to have Chandler pitch through the end of the season Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball "I think it's similar but they're different people with different backgrounds,” manager Derek Shelton said The goal is for Chandler to be ready to throw a fuller pitch volume by the end of May and this is going to be a pivotal next month toward getting the Pirates’ prized prospect to Pittsburgh Coach Mark Byington has almost completed Vanderbilt basketball's 2025-26 roster after the addition of Chandler Bing his third player in the Commodores 2025 class Bing, a 6-foot-9, 190-pound wing attended Pace Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, and committed to Byington ahead of the late signing period's end on May 15 Here are five things to know about Vanderbilt basketball's latest recruit Bing attended Pace Academy in Atlanta, the same high school as Vanderbilt baseball's RJ Austin Austin graduated from Pace Academy in 2022 after leading the team to a state final four appearance Pace Academy has an impressive athletic history with notable alumni including the Orlando Magic's Wendell Carter Jr. the New York Giants' Andrew Thomas and former Silver Slugger winner Michael Barrett Bing led Pace Academy to the GHSA Class 4A state championship game where the team finished runner-up to defending champions North Oconee Bing had previously been a part of Pace Academy's 2023 state championship winning team as a sophomore Bing averaged a team-high 19.3 points per game along with 6.2 rebounds upping his scoring total from his junior season by almost six points Bing scored 15 points in the state championship game and was named to Atlanta Tip Off Club's All-Metro first team Bing's lone Power Four offer was from Vanderbilt, with Georgia State, Texas State and Troy the only other schools to offer Bing, per 247Sports Bing made an unofficial visit to Vanderbilt on Feb 22 before locking in his commitment at the end of April stepping up to lead a Pace Academy team back to its second state championship game in three years helped earn him late attention from Byington and Vanderbilt Before committing his future to Mark Byington and Vanderbilt Bing was committed to the Sun Belt Conference's Texas State Bing received an offer from Texas State in July 2024 and committed ahead of the high school basketball season 2 he announced his decommitment via social media You may have noticed Vanderbilt basketball's latest recruit has quite the familiar name The Commodores commit shares a name with Matthew Perry's beloved character in the television sitcom "Friends." garnering tens of millions of viewers per episode in its peak Harrison Campbell covers sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@gannett.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp More Simpson speed feats propel Rays in rubber match in BronxMay 4th NEW YORK -- With his elite speed, can turn even routine plays into something special Simpson scored from second base on an infield single by Yandy Díaz capping the Rays’ three-run fourth inning at Yankee Stadium and he also reached on a pair of infield singles that few big leaguers could turn into hits He can change the game with one play like that and even just getting on base and allowing a guy behind you to knock you in,” Yankees star Aaron Judge said Definitely don't get excited when I see him come up to the plate or on the bases.” With two runners on in the fourth, Simpson -- who recorded his first multi-steal game in the Majors on Saturday -- reached on a catcher’s interference call He advanced to second on Brandon Lowe’s two-run single who smashed a 107.4 mph ground ball up the middle Yankees shortstop Oswald Peraza made an impressive diving stop to keep the ball from rolling into the outfield and I looked back and I saw the shortstop on the ground saw the ball on the ground as well,” Simpson said As Peraza rolled over and got to his feet, Simpson hustled from third base to the plate, sliding in to score well before Peraza’s throw bounced off the mound toward catcher J.C. Escarra. According to Statcast, Simpson reached a sprint speed of 31.3 feet per second which is above the 30 feet/second mark that’s considered elite he's back to full speed,” manager Kevin Cash said “That's a lot to deal with for anybody defensively.” but it's used as a tool to help the team win,” Simpson added “I'm glad I was able to use it today.” Simpson put his speed to good use again in the fifth inning Simpson hit a 77.9 mph ground ball to the right side of second base while Peraza ranged to his left to make the play but not as quickly as Simpson ran to first I saw there was nobody like directly in front of it,” Simpson said turning a routine grounder into his first hit of the day With Taylor Walls at first base and nobody out in the seventh inning Simpson dropped a bunt to the third-base side of the mound and took off Carlos Carrasco briefly struggled to pick up the ball Once again reaching a sprint speed of 31.3 feet per second Simpson raced down the line in 3.73 seconds to beat out a bunt single Simpson -- who’s batting .296 after his first 14 games in the Majors -- dashed home on a two-run single by Jonathan Aranda who went 3-for-4 with two walks and three RBIs The speedy prospect has earned the attention of opposing pitchers “It's exciting,” Rays starter Taj Bradley said stuff that I feel like people weren't really seeing as much of.” And Simpson has earned the admiration of his teammates who have seen first-hand how his contact-oriented approach and incredible speed can help them win games I don't really think you could compare what he's doing to anything that I've seen,” said Walls who tied a career high with four hits on Sunday “I think it's just a crazy element of speed that you might not ever see again And then the ability to stay within himself know who he is as a hitter and make a lot of contact and keep balls out of that air Stolen-base machine Chandler Simpson called up by Rays: 'I've proved it'April 19th TAMPA -- The fastest man in baseball had to hurry to George M With Richie Palacios going on the injured list due to a right knee sprain, the Rays promoted outfielder Chandler Simpson, their No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, from Triple-A Durham before Friday night’s 1-0 loss to the Yankees their fourth straight defeat and their second in the past three games by that score Simpson didn’t get into the game on his first day in the big leagues but he made his way to the dugout in the early innings after taking a flight from Durham to Atlanta and another to Tampa “Extremely grateful,” Simpson said after the game I was just thinking about everything that it took to get here Whenever he makes his Major League debut in a No. 14 Rays uniform, Simpson should be a sight to see. Dubbed “Little Tony Gwynn” by longtime big league outfielder Marquis Grissom he possesses a unique skill-set featuring game-changing speed and elite contact-hitting ability “There's some real hitting ability that pairs with the foot speed really comes into play,” president of baseball operations Erik Neander said “The over-the-fence power isn't there; that's not his game But you don't see many people that are that fast that control the zone as well as he does and can make contact the way he does.” Simpson, 24, stole 104 bases while leading the Minor Leagues with a .355 batting average in 110 games last season After spending Spring Training with the Rays Simpson broke camp with Triple-A Durham and hit .301/.325/.329 with eight stolen bases in 17 games Earlier this month, he turned a routine one-hopper to first base into an infield single It’s an old-school skill-set based on speed and putting the ball in play but the Rays have let Simpson be himself throughout his rise to the Majors Maybe his dynamic style will jumpstart a Rays lineup that hasn’t scored in 15 innings “I want to prove to everybody that my game plays,” Simpson said is back on the shelf with a right PCL injury who missed the start of the season due to a fractured right ring finger Manager Kevin Cash said he wasn’t sure how Palacios sustained the injury noting that he left Steinbrenner Field on Thursday night “feeling fine” but woke up Friday morning “not feeling too good.” The injury is believed to be similar to the one that sidelined Palacios from Aug The late-breaking nature of Palacios’ injury made it quite a rush to get Simpson to Steinbrenner Field He was getting ready to head to Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Friday when Triple-A manager Morgan Ensberg called him But you do have to come to the field because you’re going to the big leagues,’” Simpson recalled buying a phone charger during his 30-minute layover in Atlanta and getting whisked away to the Rays’ clubhouse Simpson was a college infielder who moved to the outfield in the Minors He is expected to get most of his work in center field the only position he has played for Durham so far this season Sign up to receive our weekly Baseball Traveler newsletter to stay updated on Minor League Baseball business and culture Jake Mangum got the start in center field on Friday night He and Kameron Misner can play all three outfield spots while Christopher Morel has spent all his time in left this year José Caballero is also an option in right field and he showed his athleticism by robbing Ben Rice of a two-run homer Friday night It’s unclear how long Simpson’s first stint in the Majors will last Lowe is expected to resume swinging a bat on Saturday while DeLuca’s initial recovery timetable offered an estimated return between late April and early May there's a need right now,” Neander said “And I think Chandler's game is unique enough where we're never really going to know but we're in a spot where there's opportunity and it's worth getting that feedback here in the big leagues.” In addition to their nine draft picks, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed 22 undrafted rookies as well Just as we did with each of the nine selections, let's take a closer look at each of the Jaguars' UDFAs Up next is wide receiver Chandler Brayboy from Elon He finished his career catching 62% of his 262 targets and averaged an impressive 16.3 yards per catch with 19 touchdowns Brayboy has ample experience playing both out wide and in the slot This includes spending most of his snaps outside in 2021 and 2022 before primarily lining up in the slot the last two seasons The 2024 season specifically was a career year for Brayboy, who had 90 targets, totaled 979 yards, and scored eight touchdowns. Among eligible wideouts at the FCS level, Brayboy was one of the best at picking up YAC, ranking 12th in that category, averaging 7.4 yards after the catch, per PFF This included averaging almost 36 yards per return this past year with two touchdowns Chandler Brayboy's scouting reportLance Zierlein: "Brayboy’s athletic traits warrant a peek at the tape He has good top-end speed and really impresses with his ability to separate from coverage his ball skills fall well below NFL standards with spotty ball-tracking and inconsistent hands His potential as a kick returner will need to be his entry point toward getting a chance in the NFL." Female US athletes filled the top four slots in the Zen Elite CDI3* Grand Prix Special on Sunday though it was by the slimmest of margins — a theme of the weekend — over second-placed Kasey Perry-Glass rode Jennifer Huber’s 13-year-old mare Haute Couture to 69.468% with three of the judges placing her and Diane Perry’s 13-year-old gelding Heartbeat WP (by Charmeur) first The judges also had a hard time choosing between Bateson Chandler and Perry-Glass in Friday’s qualifying grand prix with the two athletes posting identical 68.087% scores Katie Duerrhammer clinched third with 68.404% despite riding in one of the heaviest downpours of the day a 10-year-old gelding by the Blue Hors Zack son Zaladin MI who was formerly campaigned by Danish Olympian and current world number one Catherine Laudrup-Dufour Vividus was acquired by Kylee Lourie in late 2024 as Duerrhammer’s LA 2028 Olympics hopeful Bateson Chandler took over the ride on Haute Couture from Dinja van Liere who was reserve for the Dutch team for the Tokyo Olympics with her This victory marked the duo’s first win in a little over a year helped by the eights they were awarded for the piaffe “We had a bit of a weather situation with quite heavy rain which was a bit of a challenge,” explained Bateson Chandler “My horse has a little bit of character to her sometimes but she handled it absolutely fantastically I was trying to ignore the pouring rain in the warmup and still ride my ride and ride determined Katie Duerhammer on Vividus QREBateson Chandler has ridden the mare by Connaisseur x Krack C for almost three years The forging of the new partnership was not totally smooth but she has finally unlocked the key to the sensitive horse “I’ve started taking care of her myself and it’s made the biggest difference,” she explained “It’s been quite a challenge on my time because I have a busy business We have a really tight relationship now; I groom her myself and take care of her and I know it sounds corny We also do quite a bit of groundwork which is something we added into the program last year I do that all myself every day and it’s made a huge difference.” Bateson Chandler usually spends summers with her trainer Carl Hester in England and travels to shows in Europe although her plans for this summer are yet to be finalized Related LinkScores: 2025 CDI Myakka CityNaïma Moreira Laliberté and Inspire Win 2025 CDI Myakka City Grand Prix Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot restaurants and ample shopping opportunities make this one of Arizona's great cities to live to easily find the information and services that are important to you Chandler boasts a number of advantages as a location to start or grow a business Learn More Come meet Mayor Kevin Hartke and the members of the City Council Mayor and Council CHANDLER, Ariz. — Ryan Reeves, Airport Manager of Chandler Municipal Airport, has been named the 2025 Airport Executive of the Year by the Arizona Airports Association (AzAA) Reeves also was selected as the recipient of the AzAA’s 2025 President’s Award recognizing his outstanding leadership and service to Arizona’s aviation community “These awards reflect Ryan’s tireless dedication to aviation excellence and community engagement,” said Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke “His passion for aviation runs generations deep Having the awards presented by his mentors and in front of his colleagues we congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition and his leadership in advancing the success of Chandler Municipal Airport.” Reeves has overseen key infrastructure improvements and prioritized long-term planning to enhance airport safety and future growth—all while remaining a good neighbor to surrounding neighborhoods and businesses in the Airpark Area Reeves also is working with consultants to execute a community impact study and the development of a strategic business plan he worked with the Federal Aviation Administration and a research team who conducted flight tests with several different models of helicopters to test and create safety regulations that will impact all vertical takeoff and landing aircraft facilities nationwide Reeves and his small yet mighty team also are busy planning for the next Airport Day a community event held at the airport scheduled for January 2026 He’s been instrumental in hosting public tours of the airport—a program that will resume after the summer months Reeves continues to play an active role in shaping aviation policy and mentoring future airport leaders through his involvement with AzAA and other professional organizations “Ryan is a consummate professional who not only manages one of the busiest general aviation airports in the nation but also gives back to the aviation community in meaningful ways” said AzAA President Dave Reffner “He’s highly deserving of both these awards.” For more information about Chandler Municipal Airport, visit Chandler Airport Media contact:Stephanie RomeroPublic Information Officer 480-782-2000 Did you see a typo or come across a broken link Website Feedback Form Chandler is arguably the top pitching prospect in the sport after striking out 148 hitters over 119 2/3 innings at two minor league stops last season The 2021 third-round pick from a Georgia high school throws hard notably reaching 101.5 mph on Sunday for Triple-A Indianapolis he boasts a 1.69 ERA and a 46% strikeout rate may not have had a good chance of making the Pirates this spring as the organization wisely wishes to be cautious as he walked four of the 12 hitters he faced and permitted five runs over 2 2/3 innings In addition to a blazing fastball that occasionally reaches triple digits he features a nasty slider in the 90-mph range and an improving changeup as he has issued 20 of them across 50 Triple-A innings (including last season) Pick the winners and crown your NBA champion! Create A Bracket If Chandler isn't the top pitching prospect in the minors, it may be Philadelphia Phillies RHP Andrew Painter Painter has traveled a far different path to the edge of the big leagues a 2021 first-round selection who also reaches triple digits with his fastball retired four hitters for Single-A Clearwater last Friday The contending Phillies have been clear on the plan methodically handled Painter should debut in July Kurtz could become the DH at any point and Pick the winners and crown your Stanley Cup champion! Create A Bracket Zebby Matthews, RHP, Minnesota Twins: Matthews could have received the call to replace injured RHP Pablo Lopez in the Twins rotation but the team is being a bit more cautious with their control artist after things went poorly in his debut last season (6.69 ERA Matthews is off to a solid start for Triple-A St posting a 1.80 ERA with 13 strikeouts over 10 innings so don't let the lack of immediate promotion worry you hardly offers the mad upside of a Chandler or Painter but the eighth-round pick from the 2022 draft is far better than his debut numbers Sal Stewart, 2B, Cincinnati Reds: Stewart is off to a strong start for Double-A Chattanooga including a walk-off grand slam in a weekend game A contact-oriented power hitter who can also steal bases Stewart missed months last season with a wrist injury and he should move quickly to Triple-A this summer the Reds always seem to be loaded with infield possibilities but there is also always room for a healthy Stewart may debut in the majors this season Hyeseong Kim, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers: Kim signed a three-year contract with the World Series champions after years of success in Korea but he struggled in Spring Training and earned himself only a ticket to Triple-A Oklahoma City He is hitting .290/.362/.581 with three home runs and four stolen bases through 14 games and 70 PA so don't be surprised if he debuts for the Dodgers soon Fantasy managers probably overrated him in March but his stay in Oklahoma should be a short one Colson Montgomery, SS, Chicago White Sox: Montgomery hit only .214 for Triple-A Charlotte last year over a full campaign of 130 games and 570 PA he is hitting just .122 over 13 games and 54 PA with three walks against 26 strikeouts -- that's a 48% K rate There is so much opportunity at the big-league level with an historically terrible club is hardly proving that he is ready for promotion Quinn Mathews, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals: Mathews a popular preseason fantasy sleeper due to the Cardinals likely having rotation opportunities but he has hit the International League's IL with a sore shoulder after walking 15 of the 55 hitters he faced for Triple-A Memphis He has posted a 6.10 ERA and a 2.52 WHIP over three starts isn't likely to pitch for the Cardinals anytime soon Minnesota Twins: Jenkins remains one of the top prospects in the land though some may be wondering about his durability missed considerable time last season due to a hamstring injury He is currently on the IL at Double-A Wichita with a recurring ankle sprain from Spring Training Jenkins hit only .160 over 28 PA at the level late last season and he has just one single in eight PA to start this year as there was little expectation Jenkins would debut in the majors this season anyway but we would like to see him healthy and pounding Double-A pitching Pittsburgh Pirates: Many fantasy managers weren't pleased when Harrington got the call over Chandler to start for the big club on April 1 against the Rays a solid prospect himself who has moved quickly through the minors He did earn a four-inning save six days later (allowing three runs) showing improved control against the Cardinals but now he is back at Triple-A Indianapolis with his first outing there coming in a relief role Fantasy managers should hardly give up on Harrington so quickly as he will get more chances for the Pirates but this is not someone who approaches 100 mph as he is more in the 92-mph range 2025–Katherine Bateson Chandler and Haute Couture won the CDI3* Grand Prix Special for the American pair’s first victory of the year Katherine and the 13-year-old KWPN mare posted a result of 69.468% The pair that have competed on both sides of the Atlantic the past three years logged high placings throughout the winter-long Global Dressage Festival as he dropped to 2-5 in his last seven fights in the co-main event of UFC 314 It seems the former lightweight title challenger is far from done competing and the loss is just a minor setback A post shared by Michael Chandler (@mikechandlermma) “There are really no words to describe the pain and disappointment you feel…you just live in it…let it take its lot and leave you with what is left READ MORE: UFC star Ian Garry explains exactly why he’ll finish Carlos Prates UNITED STATES; Michael Chandler (red gloves) fights against Paddy Pimblett (blue gloves) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesChandler added he was proud of his performance despite the loss “The best you can do is move forward with confident expectancy and pride in the attempt,” Chandler wrote I can rest in knowing that I prepared the best I could and I alone was responsible for my shortcomings in that octagon I stepped into the ultimate proving grounds Chandler said although he was mounted and battered he felt like he was fine until the stoppage he was grateful to be surrounded by those who love him and the people who have his best interest “And this picture [holding hands] sums up how I feel and what truly matters yet I have my soulmate by my side and [three] little hands to hold.” it remains to be seen where Chandler goes from here: Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Read about this top fantasy baseball prospect outlook heading into Week 5 Pittsburgh Pirates top starting pitching prospect Bubba Chandler continues to impress in the minors The third-round pick from 2021 is still just 22 years old but is quickly establishing himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the game He could be a key addition for the Pirates this summer and give the team even more young talent in their rotation he'll also have the potential to be a big fantasy baseball pickup with a high ceiling down the stretch He had a good spring training and has started the year with outstanding work in Triple-A He made his longest start of the season and picked up his first win this past week so he's starting to prepare for a promotion But when are the Pirates going to call up Chandler Can we expect him to make his debut in May 1 prospect coming into the season by FanGraphs and the No making 26 appearances split between Double-A and Triple-A He has continued his success this season in Triple-A for the Indianapolis Indians He has allowed just three runs in 20 1/3 innings while racking up 27 strikeouts Chandler made his longest start of the minor-league season so far going five shutout innings and allowing just one hit but he continues to look dominant at this level What a guy. Recap here: pic.twitter.com/rp7sdMDgum — Christian ✞ (@CWolfPGH) April 26, 2025 While the exact date of his debut is still uncertain it's time to add Chandler if your roster has the space for him and even if he doesn't dominate immediately upon arrival he has the fastball velocity and elite movement to adjust and improve as the season progresses Get this man on a big league roster! pic.twitter.com/4qxqUYK8YU — Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) April 26, 2025 forming an elite top of the rotation for many years to come and he should be able to be fantasy viable in almost all formats instantly since he'll be a hot commodity as soon as his official promotion date is set You can also check out the rest of RotoBaller's fantasy baseball prospect rankings Eric Cross updates the below rankings weekly for the top impact prospects for 2025 Our goal is to put out the highest-quality content and tools Ads help us pay RotobBaller's award-winning writers as much as possible they are vital to the site's operations and team We would appreciate your support by either turning off your adblocker or signing up for our ad-free subscription tier.Thanks for being a reader get an ad-free experience and access to RotoBaller's VIP Discord Chat Community please consider turning off your adblocker for RotoBaller.com SAN DIEGO — Rookie Chandler Simpson raced home to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the fifth inning and had his first three-hit game for Tampa Bay which beat San Diego for its first sweep of the season Simpson has hit safely in all eight games since he made his debut on April 19 He reached base four straight times — a walk and three singles — scored twice and had an RBI single The Rays extended their season-best win streak to five The Padres were swept for the first time this season and have lost a season-high four straight games Zack Littell (1-5) snapped his five-start losing streak by holding the Padres to two runs and five hits in five innings Pete Fairbanks pitched the ninth for his second straight save and sixth overall Padres starter Randy Vásquez (1-3) retired the first two batters in the fifth before allowing singles to Simpson and Brandon Lowe on a wild pitch during Yandy Díaz’s at-bat to give the Rays a 3-2 lead CLEVELAND — Ceddanne Rafaela homered and drove in five runs Jarren Duran had four hits and the Boston Red Sox rolled to a 13-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday Rafaela drove a fastball from Joey Cantillo just over the centre-field fence for a three-run shot in the seventh inning Duran had consecutive three-hit games for the second time in his career He got into a confrontation with someone in the stands during the seventh-inning stretch a fan in the front row was making fun of Duran’s suicide attempt after Duran flied out in the seventh Duran went to confront the fan before Red Sox coaches and umpires said they would handle it Rob Refsnyder and Rafael Devers had solo homers for the Red Sox who are 9-3 in their last 12 games and have won 15 games in April Nolan Jones had a three-run homer in the sixth inning for Cleveland which dropped a home series for the first time this season WASHINGTON — CJ Abrams scored the winning run on Pete Alonso’s throwing error with one out in the ninth inning and Washington rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat New York Dylan Crews and Riley Adams homered for Washington which won on its final at bat for the second time in three days against the Mets Alex Call led off the ninth against Ryne Stanek (0-2) with a double down the line in right Pinch-runner Jacob Young moved to third on pinch-hitter Keibert Ruiz’s grounder to second and scored when Abrams slapped a single to right against a drawn-in infield whose RBI single won Friday’s game against the Mets hit a grounder to Alonso deep at first base Alonso sailed his throw over Stanek’s head Jorge López (3-0) got the final out of the ninth to strand two Mets in scoring position Luis Torrens had two hits and two RBIs for the Mets MINNEAPOLIS — Joe Ryan struck out a season-high 11 in seven shutout innings and Minnesota beat Los Angeles for its first three-game win streak since August The 28-year-old right-hander finished one strikeout shy of his career best Justin Topa threw two hitless innings to complete the Twins’ second shutout of the season Ty France had an RBI double and Ryan Jeffers doubled in two more runs — all in the sixth inning — knocking Angels starter José Soriano (2-4) out of the game France also knocked in a run in the first with a sacrifice fly and Trevor Larnach added an RBI single in the seventh Carlos Correa had a double among his three hits The 30-year-old shortstop went 6 for 11 in the series and is batting .211 in his five-plus innings as the Angels lost their third straight and for the fifth time in six games Mike Trout batted leadoff for the first time this season and went hitless Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel didn’t play after leaving Saturday’s game with a bruised right knee DETROIT — Tarik Skubal struck out a season-high 11 batters in six overpowering innings as Detroit finished off a three-game sweep of Baltimore Skubal (3-2) held the Orioles to four hits without a walk The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has five career games with 11 or more strikeouts Sean Guenther struck out three in two innings and Kenta Maeda got the last three outs to complete the shutout Gleyber Torres knocked in three runs as the Tigers completed an 8-2 homestand Jace Jung and Dillon Dingler added run-scoring singles Baltimore starter Dean Kremer (2-4) gave up five runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings The Orioles have lost six of their last seven games NEW YORK — Aaron Judge broke a sixth-inning tie in the second game with his eighth home run this season, and New York swept a doubleheader from Toronto Judge drove a first-pitch cutter from Chris Bassitt (2-2) to the opposite field and into the right-field stands for a 2-1 lead He leads the major leagues with a .406 batting average and is second with 27 RBIs Trent Grisham led off the first with his seventh home run Bassitt had not allowed a homer in 28 2/3 innings this year coming in Escarra hit his first big league homer in the eighth off Chad Green Escarra singled home a run against Brendon Little in the three-run sixth following Jasson Domínguez’s RBI double that chased Bassitt the only hit Clarke Schmidt allowed over five innings in his third outing since recovering from right rotator cuff tendinitis making his first appearance since taking over from a struggling Devin Williams as the Yankees closer got three straight outs to finish a three-hitter Grisham hit his sixth career leadoff home run and second this year The Yankees have a big league-high five leadoff homers LOUIS — Christian Yelich had two hits and two RBIs and Milwaukee beat St Jackson Chourio added two hits as the Brewers snapped a four-game skid José Quintana (4-0) struck out six over five innings allowing one run on five hits and three walks to stay unbeaten this season Erick Fedde (1-3) was chased with two outs in the sixth The 32-year-old right-hander gave up seven runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking our four Lars Nootbaar had two hits for the Cardinals The Brewers jumped on Fedde for three runs in the first inning Sal Frelick and Rhys Hoskins hit RBI singles after Brice Turang and Yelich drew walks Milwaukee extended its lead to 7-0 with four runs on five hits in the fourth inning Caleb Durbin and Turang singled home runs before Yelich drove in two with a single to right field Brendan Donovan doubled to right field in the fifth inning to score Nootbaar for the Cardinals — Yordan Alvarez’s long home run backed a solid start by Hunter Brown as Houston beat Kansas City in the series finale to avoid being swept Alvarez snapped Houston’s 26-inning scoreless streak crushing Kris Bubic’s sinker 436 feet to centre for a three-run homer and a 3-0 Astros lead in the third inning who allowed one run on seven hits and a walk with nine strikeouts over six innings surrendered a lone hit in each of the first four innings but struck out seven while not allowing a runner past second Brown’s 28-inning shutout streak – fifth longest in franchise history – ended in the fifth inning on a two-out single by Jonathan India and an RBI double by Bobby Witt Jr Chas McCormick doubled and scored on Jeremy Peña’s single McCormick had three hits and scored three runs for the Astros two-run double in the sixth extended Houston’s lead to 6-1 Peña collected three RBIs in his first game batting leadoff Yainer Diaz added a solo home run in the seventh Bubic (2-2) allowed four runs on five hits and three walks India had a pair of singles and drove in a run while Witt extended his hitting streak to a career-best 19 games DENVER — Nick Lodolo allowed just two hits through seven shutout innings The Rockies have dropped six in a row and are 4-23 They have lost all nine of the series they have played Lodolo didn’t allow a hit until two outs in the sixth inning when Jordan Beck reached on a single to shortstop The Reds appealed the call but it was upheld upon review Noelvi Marte had three of Cincinnati’s 14 hits Kyle Farmer singled off the bag at third base in the seventh inning and Alan Trejo acquired from Texas on Saturday and added to the 26-man roster Sunday singled leading off the eighth and scored on Beck’s sacrifice fly Lodolo (3-2) struck out nine in his longest outing of the season to help the Reds win their fourth in a row — Luis Urías hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th inning help the Athletics rally and beat Chicago in the rubber game of the series Urías homered to left field on the first pitch he saw from Jordan Leasure (0-2) after JJ Bleday struck out to begin the inning with Jacob Wilson on second The White Sox took a 2-1 lead off reliever Grant Holman (2-0) on a one-out single by Luis Robert Jr Edgar Quero singled Robert to third but Andrew Vaughn grounded into a double play Joshua Palacios led off the game against Athletics starter Osvaldo Bido with his first home run this season Lawrence Butler led off with a single against White Sox opener Brandon Eisert and Brent Rooker followed with an RBI double to tie it after one Davis Martin pitched six shutout innings for the White Sox after relieving Eisert to begin the second Cam Booser and Steven Wilson both threw a scoreless inning SAN FRANCISCO — Heliot Ramos circled the bases on an infield single and two Texas errors for a Little League homer in the ninth inning as San Francisco won With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth Ramos led off with a soft dribbler to the right of the pitcher’s mound Rangers reliever Luke Jackson (0-3) threw the ball wide of first base and then Jake Burger — after retrieving the ball in foul territory — threw wide of third in an effort to get Ramos The errors allowed Ramos to score the winning run Marcus Semien drove in two runs with a single in the first Wilmer Flores drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom half of the inning and the Giants tied it in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Christian Koss Giants starter Jordan Hicks allowed two runs in five innings Hayden Birdsong worked three scoreless innings in relief and Camilo Doval (2-1) got the win after pitching the ninth making his first start in nearly a month after being placed on the 15-day injured list with a blister on his right middle finger lasted just 3 2/3 innings and allowed two runs PHOENIX — Josh Naylor hit a crucial two-run double in the seventh as part of a three-hit day Brandon Pfaadt threw six quality innings and Arizona snapped a four-game losing streak by beating Atlanta Naylor’s two-out double off Aaron Bummer fell between left fielder Alex Verdugo and centre fielder Michael Harris II after it appeared the pair miscommunicated Atlanta threatened in the ninth after Marcell Ozuna’s RBI double cut it to 6-4 closer Justin Martinez retired Ozzie Albies on a flyout to end it but Atlanta rallied with back-to-back RBI singles from Nick Allen and Verdugo that cut the margin to 4-3 with no outs Diamondbacks right-hander Shelby Miller managed to wiggle out of the jam without further damage striking out Austin Riley and Ozuna before retiring Albies on a popup in foul territory Verdugo finished with four hits and two RBIs Geraldo Perdomo’s solo homer gave Arizona a 4-1 lead in the fifth Corbin Carroll hit two triples for the first time in his career SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh tied for the major league lead with his 10th home run Logan Evans won his MLB debut and Seattle beat Miami Connor Norby’s three-run homer in the eighth cut Seattle’s lead before Andrés Muñoz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save tying San Diego’s Robert Suarez atop the majors The Mariners have won six straight series and 12 of their last 16 games Raleigh’s homer tied Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez Evans (1-0) made his debut after All-Star right-hander Logan Gilbert went on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right elbow flexor strain Evans gave up two runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts Seattle’s Randy Arozarena reached base for the 23rd consecutive game the second-longest active streak behind Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber (32) Max Meyer (2-3) pitched four innings and gave up five runs drove in a career-high four runs and tied a career best with four hits as Los Angeles rebounded from an early deficit to earn a victory over Pittsburgh Pages had an RBI single in the first inning when the Dodgers scored twice to emerge from a 2-0 hole Los Angeles overcame the departure of right-hander Tyler Glasnow who left after one inning with right shoulder discomfort Ben Casparius (3-0) went 3 2/3 scoreless innings in emergency relief with five strikeouts and Yoendrys Gomez earned a three-inning save in his Dodgers debut Andrew McCutchen had a home run among his four hits for the Pirates who finished 3-3 on a six-game road trip to the Los Angeles area gave up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings McCutchen and Enmanuel Valdez hit back-to-back home runs for the Pirates in the first inning off Glasnow The Dodgers responded with a four-run first that included a two-run single from Freddie Freeman and an RBI single from Pages Mookie Betts made it 5-2 in the second inning on a sacrifice fly while a three-run fifth for Los Angeles included a home run from Teoscar Hernández and a two-run shot from Pages CHICAGO — Alec Bohm hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and Philadelphia beat Chicago Trea Turner had three hits and two RBIs for Philadelphia which took two of three in the weekend series Aaron Nola pitched seven innings of three-hit ball after dropping his first five starts this season The patient Phillies loaded the bases in the 10th on walks by J.T Realmuto and Max Kepler against Julian Merryweather (0-1) Bohm then drove in Nick Castellanos with a flyball to the warning track in right A two-out walk by Bryson Stott loaded the bases again before Kepler scored when the speedy Turner singled on a grounder to third José Alvarado (3-0) got three outs for the win and Jordan Romano pitched the 10th for his second save The Cubs wasted a sharp performance by Jameson Taillon who pitched seven innings of five-hit ball The right-hander has a 2.08 ERA over his last three starts — all no-decisions When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines Should you violate our submissions guidelines we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time .css-s4id4f{font-family:Suisse Intl,"Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.9rem;line-height:2.2rem;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:-0.01em;}Official Money TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 17: A PGA Tour flag near the putting green during the final round of the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation at The Grove on September 17 Will Chandler enters play in Ponte Vedra Beach looking for better results March 13-16 in the 2025 THE PLAYERS Championship after failing to make the cut in his most recent outing All stats in this article are accurate for Chandler as of the start of THE PLAYERS Championship Note: The PGA TOUR has created this story via a machine-learning model using data from ShotLink, powered by CDW, in addition to player performance data. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided may not be entirely error-free. Copyright © 2025 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission – The Chandler City Council issued policy direction to proceed with a proposal to lower the city’s primary property tax rate in the fiscal year 2025-26 would mark the 10 consecutive year of lowering the city’s property tax rate The City Council will vote on the property tax rate during its June 26 meeting This decision highlighted a six-hour budget briefing held on May 2 as the City Council reviewed each city department’s operating budget requests and proposed capital improvement projects for next fiscal year The proposed budget equips Chandler to provide high-quality services and infrastructure while maintaining the lowest sales tax rate in Arizona The city’s general fund operating budget is primarily funded by local sales taxes and state shared revenues Priorities in the operating budget will sustain existing service levels while managing inflation-driven cost increases Recommended expenditures will focus on public safety quality of life enhancements and neighborhood services Chandler continues to be recognized for sound budgeting practices that support the city’s financial stability This includes maintaining strong financial reserves and a structurally balanced budget where ongoing revenues cover ongoing expenditures and one-time revenues are used for one-time expenditures The City Council also reviewed proposed projects in the upcoming capital improvement program Recommended investments include developing the first phase of Mesquite Groves Park Chandler Park and improvements to existing parks Additional projects include building a Chandler Police Forensics Facility repaving city streets to maintain and improve pavement quality widening sections of Lindsay and Alma School roads in south Chandler and updating Chandler’s water and wastewater facilities Chandler’s AAA bond ratings from all three rating agencies help keep financing costs low, producing savings for taxpayers when financing major capital improvements. About 70 percent of Chandler’s capital projects are funded through bonds. A special bond election will be held on Nov 4 to seek voter authorization to fund investments in future years for streets The City Council is scheduled to vote on the tentative adoption of the budget and capital improvement program at its May 22 meeting A public hearing and City Council vote for the final adoption of the budget and capital improvement program is scheduled for June 12 Learn more about Chandler’s Proposed Budget and Capital Projects.   Zach analyzes three top fantasy baseball prospects - Bubba Chandler Jordan Lawlar - who could make big impacts this season These MLB prospects are potential waiver wire pick-ups or stashes If your fantasy baseball team is in need of reinforcements as we head into May there are some exciting young players on the verge of making an impact as soon as they get the call to the majors Whether you're looking to replace a struggling starting pitcher or an under-performing infielder there are three prospects who should be on your radar and possibly on your roster if you can find the space to stash them In this post, we'll look at the latest news on Pirates' starting pitcher Bubba Chandler, Twins' starting pitcher Zebby Matthews, and Diamondbacks' infielder Jordan Lawlar All three of these players could have a huge impact when they arrive in the MLB let's dive in and check out the situation and upside of these three top prospects 17 prospect in all of baseball by FanGraphs coming into the season He has gotten off to an outstanding start to the season in Triple-A and he has stretched out to the point where a promotion could come at any time and 148 strikeouts in 119 2/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A His strikeout numbers spiked after his promotion to Triple-A when he went 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in seven starts He picked up right where he left off this season giving up only three runs on seven hits in 20 1/3 innings His punchout potential continues to be elite with a 12.0 K/9 after racking up 27 strikeouts in those 20 1/3 innings Chandler made his longest start of the minor-league season spinning five scoreless innings and giving up just a single hit He had four strikeouts and hit 100 mph seven times in his final inning of work Since he's been virtually unhittable at Triple-A, he could be ready for his MLB debut very soon. Last year, the Pirates followed a similar schedule with top prospect Paul Skenes Skenes tossed 27 IP innings in the minors last year (35% K-BB in Triple-A) before his callup Skenes jumped from 129 total innings in 2023 to 160 in 2025 — Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) April 28, 2025 Things worked out well for both Skenes and the Pirates last year so a similar plan makes sense for Chandler this year Even if it takes an adjustment period before he's dominant Chandler's plus strikeout stuff should play up right away He should definitely be added if you have roster space since his promotion seems just around the corner Matthews' numbers stack up nicely next to Chandler's and he could also have a huge impact once he arrives in the MLB rotation I'd give Chandler a slight edge only because he seems closer to his promotion He skyrocketed through the system last year and the Twins called on him to make nine starts in the majors even though he began the year in Low-A Matthews worked to refine his mechanics and tweak his pitch mix In nine 1/3 innings in the Grapefruit League he allowed four hits and no runs with 12 strikeouts but this year he has allowed just a 1.93 ERA with five earned runs allowed over his five starts He has kept his very high strikeout rate as well His last two outings haven't been quite as sharp Hopefully nothing injury wise is up but 57% strike rate is real low for Zebby. A few edge strikes didn’t go his way. pic.twitter.com/5CFLY8XHbt — YGM Fantasy Baseball (@YGMfantasy) April 30, 2025 He hasn't been nearly as lights out in his last few outings as Chandler, and the Twins still have some depth in front of him. In fact, when Pablo Lopez went down earlier in the season, it was Matthews' teammate and fellow prospect David Festa who the Twins tapped to fill in Both Festa and Matthews have huge long-term potential with Matthews' ceiling likely a little higher than Festa's Both are worth watching when they get opportunities but there isn't quite a clear path for either of them you can also probably afford to wait in most standard-sized leagues Some managers could be deterred by his stats from last year but Matthews has vastly improved since that cameo and should make an impact when he arrives in Minneapolis Lawlar has been a rising fantasy baseball factor for a few seasons. He was actually in the farm system with many of the D-backs' current stars before hitting a detour last season. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the team's No. 3 prospect back all the way back in 2022 and the No. 2 prospect behind Corbin Carroll in 2023 which makes him feel like he's been around a very long time for a player who is only 22 years old and he made it to the MLB by the end of 2023 He struggled in his 20-game stint at the end of the season the team hoped he would push for a starting role but he was unable to make an MLB appearance while working through thumb and hamstring injuries Lawlar returned to form and had an excellent spring training the team opted to send him to Triple-A Reno and let him get everyday playing time and is making enough noise to show he's ready for a promotion Jordan Lawlar (@Dbacks' No. 1 prospect) delivers a four-hit performance for the Triple-A @Aces his ninth multihit outing over his past 11 games More on his potential return to The Show as he carries a .381/.470/.690 slash line in 2025: https://t.co/a2MNsPddM3 pic.twitter.com/j7YqiTnBkP — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 1, 2025 He's hitting .381 after his recent hot streak with a .499 wOBA He has collected 43 hits in 28 games with 13 doubles Lawlar has checked all the boxes and is showing he's fully healthy and ready to resume his rise to the MLB The one issue is that he doesn't have a clear spot to fit into the everyday lineup in the majors. The D-backs extended both shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and second baseman Ketel Marte recently and it looks like that won't be the opportunity that Lawlar uses to get back to the majors He has played 2B, SS, and 3B with the Aces, although most of his time has been focused on 2B. He could fill in for Perdomo, Marte, and Eugenio Suarez while getting time at DH as well The situation could shift suddenly due to injury or trade he definitely looks ready to make a splash but Lawlar's outstanding work at Triple-A could force the issue for the D-backs or you can stay ready to scramble for him on the waiver wire as soon as the team makes the plan for his next step clear Paddy Pimblett earned the biggest win of his MMA career at UFC 314 over fellow UFC fan favorite Michael Chandler earlier this month Pimblett left Chandler’s face a bloody mess in a dominant performance and cemented himself as a dark horse in the lightweight title mix Pimblett and Chandler didn’t have a hostile buildup to their UFC 314 fight with both sides acknowledging the sheer talent of the other But both lightweights are extremely competitive and knew what was on the line in their co-main event slot Despite being one of the biggest stars in the UFC Chandler is winless over his last three fights and his combat sports future is becoming increasingly uncertain Pimblett’s rise to UFC stardom is due to his elite in-cage skillset to go with a colorful personality outside of it Pimblett understands the imprint Chandler has left on Mixed Martial Arts and addressed as much in a recent social media message In a recent Instagram post Pimblett sent a classy post-fight message to Chandler “It was an absolute pleasure to share the cage with such a legend of the sport in [Michael Chandler],” Pimblett wrote “Nothing but respect for him before the fight and even more after we fought.” As Pimblett’s stock continues to rise, so do the opportunities he’ll be presented with outside of the Octagon. After teasing a potential future in film, Pimblett teased McGregor after calling him out in post-fight media availability at UFC 314 While McGregor hasn’t responded to Pimblett’s recent comments, he gave Pimblett credit for his performance at UFC 314. But McGregor suffered a big loss financially falling short of a $500,000 wager on Chandler to defeat Pimblett McGregor has teased retirement from MMA after a four-plus-year absence from the Octagon. He hasn’t fought in the UFC since injuring his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 McGregor was in line to return to the cage last summer against Chandler at UFC 303 before withdrawing due to injury As he prepares to run for the Irish presidency McGregor’s combat sports future remains cloudy A post shared by Paddy THE BADDY Pimblett (@theufcbaddy) CHANDLER, Ariz – The Chandler City Council has approved a two-year contract renewal for Chandler Flex The renewed agreement with River North Transit Chandler Flex was originally launched in July 2022 to provide residents with convenient and flexible transit options Chandler Flex was funded by an A for Arizona Transportation Modernization grant using state funding To fund the next two years of the newly approved contract Congressman Greg Stanton worked to secure a $1 million Congressionally-Directed Spending (CDS) grant to fund up to 50% of the cost of Chandler Flex operations “Good transit drives economic development—and as one of the fastest-growing areas in the region Chandler needs flexible and affordable last-mile transportation options I was proud to work with Mayor Hartke to bring home federal funding to extend and expand the successful Chandler Flex program,” said Rep Chandler Flex uses minivans to provide shared rides Passengers can request a ride with a smartphone app and are picked up and dropped off with only a minimal walk to meet the vehicle and to arrive at a destination Rides are typically shared with other passengers The service area is generally bound by Chandler Boulevard on the north Chandler Flex has provided more than 100,000 trips Positive feedback on surveys and an average 4.9-star rating (out of 5) demonstrates the popularity of Chandler Flex among riders “The City of Chandler is proving itself to be a leader in providing reliable convenient and safe transit options,” said Mayor Kevin Hartke “We are excited to continue to offer Chandler Flex ride share providing transportation options for Chandler residents Media contact:Jennifer HoneaPublic Information Officer480-782-2228 striking out nine hitters in a 7-2 win by his Indianapolis Indians The 22-year-old right-hander allowed one earned run three hits and walked one against the Omaha Storm Chasers The phenom's performance solidifies his status as one of the top pitching prospects in all of Major League Baseball Chandler, ranked as the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has been nearly unhittable in his first six Triple-A starts 0.67 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 25.1 innings His command (just seven walks all season) and ability to maintain elite velocity deep into starts at the Triple-A level proves that Chandler may be ready to test his stuff against Major League hitters I got a HELL of a recap video for you! 🔥Bubba Chandler with a STELLAR start - 5.0IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 1BB, 9SO’s 71 pitches - 47 strikes Fastball hit 100mph 🔥🔥Through 6 starts, he has a 1.42 ERA & 36 strikeouts in 25.1 inningAbsolutely TOYING with AAA pic.twitter.com/tmJOp5s8XH The right-handed flamethrower retired the first nine hitters in order Two of Chandler's three hits allowed were sharp line drive doubles in the gap - but he was still able to keep all contact in the ballpark Chandler threw 71 pitches (47strikes) in his five frames his fastball was routinely hitting 100 MPH on the radar gun True to what Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington stated last month his workload seems to be steadily increasing Paul Skenes is already a Cy Young candidate in Pittsburgh’s rotation the Pirates may have another future ace in the making Though the team will still manage his workload carefully — especially after jumping from 119 innings last year to 25.1 so far this season — his sustained dominance is building a compelling argument for a call-up Chandler’s next start will likely be next weekend against the Columbus Clippers. If recent trends hold true Pirates fans should have another opportunity to stream and watch the game for free It may be one of the last times that Chandler makes a start at the minor league level Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates Chandler Simpson beats out a routine one-hopper TO FIRST BASEApril 5th Chandler Simpson has already earned his reputation as the fastest man in the Minors someone whose speed breaks the 20-80 scouting scale More from MLB Pipeline:• Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage It may sound like the stuff of legend, but Simpson, who became the first Minor Leaguer to steal 100 bases in a season since 2012 last year really does leave defenders with little margin for error Simpson slapped a grounder to Astros prospect Collin Price The first baseman had to shuffle a couple of steps to his right to corral the ball but with pitcher Blake Weiman not covering first Price had little chance against the speedy Simpson which is the fourth-fastest sprint speed of any play Statcast has measured in Minors (Triple-A and the Single-A Florida State League) this year he raced up the baseline and made it to first in 4.01 seconds both of those figures rank in the top percentile that wasn't Simpson's only track-meet performance of the day The 24-year-old also reached on an infield single to second base (30.8 ft/sec spring speed) in the fourth inning and proceeded to steal second base before right-hander Aaron Brown could get a pitch off to home plate Simpson added sprint speeds of 30.7 and 29.5 on other plays making him the only player in the Minors to achieve three sprint speeds of at least 30 ft/sec in a single game He's also the only Minor Leaguer to reach 29.5 ft/sec four times in a game the Minor League season is only a week old but this showing is impressive even for the Major League level as well Only four big leaguers -- Pete Crow-Armstrong -- reached sprint speeds of 30.5 ft/sec three times in a game last year And it's not just Simpson's peak speed that's impressive He became the only player in the Minors this season that Statcast measured to reach first in less than 4.10 seconds multiple times -- and he did so three times nobody has ever done so three times in the Minors since measurement began in 2021 and the last person to do so in the Majors is Miami's Magneuris Sierra on Sept and now that he's reached the highest level of the Minors that dominance can be precisely measured by Statcast And if he keeps running this way while hitting for a high average he'll be racing his way to the Majors before long as well Ever since he burst onto the UFC scene with a first-round knockout of Dan Hooker in 2021 UFC lightweight Michael Chandler has done nothing but win over crowds with electrifying performances While his six-fight run in the UFC hasn’t gone entirely to plan - suffering four losses including a heartbreaking defeat in a fight for the UFC lightweight title - he has lived up to his claim of being one of the most entertaining fighters in the lightweight division Order UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes Take Chandler’s fighting style and add a superstar opponent who carries overwhelming support behind him everywhere he goes and you have a can't-miss co-main event in Miami that will keep you on the edge of your seat While this fight should deliver as much as any of Chandler’s previous UFC bouts Pimblett presents an entirely new challenge he’s not accustomed to seeing in the Octagon Chandler typically fights opponents ranked ahead of him with the only exception being his bout against Tony Ferguson But after back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira Chandler now finds himself at another crossroads With his intention still to challenge for the lightweight title in the near future a win over a young rising star is essential to maintaining his position in the rankings There have been two instances in Chandler’s UFC career where he’s had his back against the wall: his UFC debut where he needed to make a strong first impression on the millions of fans watching worldwide and his fight with Tony Ferguson after back-to-back losses to Oliveira and Justin Gaethje Get Ready For UFC 314 With Our Full Fight Card Breakdown What happened in those two fights? A first-round knockout and a head-kick KO that’ll forever live on as one of the best finishes in UFC history.  so don’t blink on Saturday night,” Chandler said “Whether it’s a surgical and systematic breaking down of another human or it’s an absolute domination I think it’s going to prove that there’s levels to this game and continue to prove that just because we’re all in the UFC it doesn’t mean we’re all on the same level.” Chandler feels the expectation is on him to get an easy victory Chandler has learned to drown out the noise and treat this fight as if he were challenging for a world title.  “I have the unique perspective of fighting guys that I’m supposed to beat in a lot of ways.” Chandler said I was fighting guys that I was supposed to steamroll in a lot of fights; I was the huge favorite there’s actually a lot more pressure to have to beat somebody because you’re supposed to beat them compared to fighting a guy that’s ranked ahead of you READ: Miami Hosts Key Featherweight Fights That Could Reshape The Division but I’ve grown so much and matured so much Looking at the matchup without any of the noise surrounding his and Pimblett’s career trajectories Chandler believes the skill gap will simply be too much for Pimblett’s confidence to overcome.  “I  think my skill set is just too much,” Chandler said my champion mentality I’ve had since I was 14 years old not that he hasn’t earned it to a certain degree but he hasn’t earned a win on Saturday night compared to me He’s not ranked or has the strength of schedule of the guys that I have fought Now he is in this position where either he sinks or swims and this is my opportunity to prove to myself and prove myself to the MMA fanbase that I’m one of the forces to be reckoned with at the top of the lightweight division.” How To Watch And Stream UFC 314 In Your Country Not only does Chandler feel that Pimblett won’t be able to overcome the physical disparities between them but he also believes the pressure of the moment may be too much for him to handle Pimblett hasn’t faced anyone at the level of Chandler let alone in a five-round slot on a massive pay-per-view card in Miami.  a different level of feeling,” Chandler said “You’re going into the middle of Madison Square Garden against a first ballot Hall of Famer these guys that are first ballot Hall of Famers and on the Mount Rushmore of the lightweight division whenever he has an opportunity to step into the Octagon with a guy like me who’s fought all of those guys was very close to becoming the world champion a different type of speed and it’s a different atmosphere That answer we’ll find out on Saturday night.” The Official Weights Of The Athletes Competing April 12 At Kaseya Center In Miami Mexican Featherweight Star Wants To Gatecrash The Title Picture By Handing Former Two-Weight Bellator Champion A Debu Former Title Challenger Talks Turning Setbacks Into A New Winning Streak Ahead Of UFC 314 Clash With Krylov But no one is more excited to see Pittsburgh's top pitching prospect join the Pirates' rotation than the man currently at the front of it It's safe to say that just about every Pittsburgh Pirates fan wants to see Bubba Chandler in black and gold Pirates ace Paul Skenes – who was in Chandler's position this time last year as the Pirates' top pitching prospect who was knocking on the door of the major leagues – recently shared that he is eagerly anticipating Chandler's arrival in Pittsburgh “He’s my buddy,” Skenes told Alex Stumpf of MLB.com Bubba Chandler's dominant numbers this season:⚾️ 2-0⚾️ 25.1 IP⚾️ 4 R⚾️ 36 SO⚾️ 1.42 ERA⚾️ 0.67 WHIP⚾️ .122 AVG pic.twitter.com/myrfXJxqag Chandler continued to live up to the hype in his latest start with Triple-A Indianapolis Thursday night The 22-year-old right-hander pitched five innings walking one and allowing one earned run on three hits against Omaha (Kansas City Royals) similar to the one they took with Skenes last season Chandler, the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 14 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline has been virtually unhittable in his first six starts at Triple-A this season posting a 1.42 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP with 36 strikeouts over 25 1/3 innings of work He has also demonstrated exceptional command Chandler certainly looks ready to face major league hitting and it shouldn't be too long before we see him in Pittsburgh Skenes' ringing endorsement can only help © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands “He’s my buddy,” Skenes told Alex Stumpf of MLB.com Bubba Chandler's dominant numbers this season:⚾️ 2-0⚾️ 25.1 IP⚾️ 4 R⚾️ 36 SO⚾️ 1.42 ERA⚾️ 0.67 WHIP⚾️ .122 AVG pic.twitter.com/myrfXJxqag Chandler continued to live up to the hype in his latest start with Triple-A Indianapolis Thursday night Chandler, the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 14 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline Former Bellator champion Chandler was brutalized and TKO’d in the third round of his UFC 314 co-main event with Pimblett in Miami He narrowly avoided being hospitalized after suffering a particularly gnarly cut following a big knee from the Brit The loss marked a third consecutive defeat for ‘Iron’ Mike, who hasn’t won since a 2022 knockout of Tony Ferguson. He was due to face Conor McGregor last year and spent the best part of two years waiting for that fight before moving on in November at UFC 309 Michael Chandler decided to take his time before returning to social media after his loss to Paddy Pimblett He stayed quiet throughout Sunday and most of Monday as he made his way back home to his wife Brie and their kids Never out of the fight. This picture sums it all up. As long as I’ve got these heartbeats and hands to hold, I’ve already won. pic.twitter.com/q7F1gB4KhD Brie shared a number of photos to Instagram showing her husband wearing sunglasses to hide his gruesome cut but generally ‘still smiling’ before sharing a more lengthy message on X “Never out of the fight,” he wrote to his 433,000+ followers alongside a photo of himself holding hands with his eldest son Hap As long as I’ve got these heartbeats and hands to hold Michael Chandler is a fan favorite due to his exciting fight style and is the type of fighter who will take a shot to land two in an effort to get the knockout But after a lengthy career outside the UFC and now a 2-5 run inside of it, legendary world champions Michael Bisping and Henry Cejudo believe that he should hang up the gloves  “I don’t say this lightly, but that was a career-killing performance for Michael Chandler,” he said in a YouTube video He’s 38 years old and there ain’t no way he’s getting back into title contention ever again.” Cejudo believes he has one more fight in him, but reckons that it’s not just results that are hurting him; it’s the manner in which he gets to the final bell. “I think Chandler should have just one more fight, man. I really do,” Cejudo said on the Pound4Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman Hybrid fronting carrier MS Transverse has hired Pete Chandler as its chief revenue officer where he will take over responsibilities from Paul Goodwin You have reached the limit for gifting for this month Insurance Insider US is the premier intelligence solution for the P&C insurance market Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy Will Chandler breaks out at WM Phoenix Open to earn spot in Mexico Open In his rookie interview at PGA TOUR Studios last fall Will Chandler was asked to identify the most important part of his routine It was simply getting a good night’s sleep Some might have had trouble sleeping. Chandler slept like a baby and then met the moment. The University of Georgia alum, who Monday qualified into the WM after earning his first TOUR card via PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry last fall, carded a final-round 66 at TPC Scottsdale to tie for sixth and secure a spot in this week’s Mexico Open at VidantaWorld. “It feels good for sure,” the unassuming Chandler said afterward. “I’m not thinking about much. “I'm definitely, definitely pleased with the week, but I'm excited to get back to work and get home. I have a lot I can improve on for sure.” Will Chandler sinks a 22-foot birdie putt at WM Phoenix Open Will Chandler birdies No. 15 at WM Phoenix Open “Will’s just an incredibly hard worker and an incredibly focused person,” said his brother Carter Chandler at Final Stage of Q-School last fall. “As a mom, you’re always thinking, ‘What’s Plan B? What can he do? How can he translate this into another career?’” added his mom Beth Chandler at the time. If her son’s performance at the WM is any indication, he won’t need any backup plan. Chandler’s rookie season on TOUR continues at this week’s Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, and the opportunities aren’t drying up anytime soon. “I think I’m a hard worker, but everyone works hard,” Chandler said in his rookie interview. “That’s just a prerequisite for this job.” PGA TOUR’s Devon Reagan contributed to this report. This story was excerpted from Adam Berry's Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox TAMPA -- With a profile featuring speed that threatens to break the traditional scouting scale, it should be no surprise that does things fast He runs fast, of course. That’s how the Rays’ No. 7 prospect stole 214 bases in 250 Minor League games and batted .324 in the Minors despite possessing limited power at the plate He got to the Majors in a hurry, arriving not even three years after he was selected out of Georgia Tech in the second round of the 2022 Draft he played in the High-A South Atlantic League batting .400 (12-for-30) while stealing three bases driving in three runs and scoring five times Bouncing between the leadoff spot and the bottom of the order the longest career-opening streak in the Majors since the Angels’ Nolan Schanuel (10 games) in August 2023 And he’s made an instant impact on the Rays who have gone 6-2 since Simpson’s earlier-than-expected debut on April 19 “Quite the impact,” manager Kevin Cash said after Sunday’s 4-2 win in San Diego but the way that he’s come in against some really good elite starting pitching -- nothing seems to faze him and he’s just continuing to get more confidence as he goes He’s really impacted our offense and our defense.” How is the 24-year-old Simpson doing it? By being himself A few things felt different to Simpson during his first road series last week The past few days were admittedly a “whirlwind.” The team’s private flight was a little nicer the D-backs’ Chase Field felt slightly bigger He’ll continue to be challenged by the Majors’ elite pitchers and athletic defenders not to mention more advanced scouting reports as he experienced Tuesday night when the D-backs attempted two pickoff throws and a back pick after his third-inning single … before he stole second “I appreciate the recognition of the gift that I have and the fact that I can still cause havoc at this level and the fact that I can make it a problem for the pitchers and they will have problems pitching to the guys behind me,” he said “Just got to go out there and just know who I am and play my game.” That’s what got Simpson to this level: He plays his game, one built around making contact and, of course, speed. There was so much hype built up around the latter -- deservedly so, considering he stole 104 bases last year -- that everything else even the fact that he hit .355 last season his speed was the element that everybody wanted to see But I think he's showing that he has the ability to impact the game offensively and defensively,” shortstop Taylor Walls said There's guys in Triple-A that can come up and impact the big league team at any second and I think that we've seen that this season.” When the Rays called up Simpson amid that rash of injuries president of baseball operations Erik Neander admitted they were “never really going to know” whether he was ready said they would “see how it plays.” Simpson acknowledged a desire to “prove to everybody that my game plays,” the same as he felt at every previous stop “It's a skill-set that we probably haven't seen as much over time in recent years I think we're certainly excited to see what we learn from it,” Cash said “His combination of speed and bat-to-ball is unique Chandler Bing, a late commit 2025 wing from Atlanta, committed to Vanderbilt basketball on April 29 the same school as current Vanderbilt baseball player RJ Austin Bing joins a signing class that also includes guard Jaylon Dean-Vines and center Jayden Leverett five returners from 2024-25 and six incoming transfers Mark Byington has one more spot on the 2025-26 roster for an incoming transfer The scholarship limit is increasing from 13 to 15 this upcoming season Key returners for the upcoming season include Devin McGlockton, Tyler Nickel and Tyler Tanner as well as walk-ons Coleson Messer and Miles Keeffe. In the transfer portal, Vanderbilt has added TCU guard Frankie Collins, Cornell wing AK Okereke Jacksonville State center Mason Nicholson and North Carolina center Jalen Washington NAME EXPLAINED: Vanderbilt basketball commit Chandler Bing explains origin of name, 'Friends,' Dave Bing connection TRANSFER TRACKER Vanderbilt basketball transfer portal tracker: Who is leaving, joining for Mark Byington The late signing period for basketball began on April 17 and runs through May 15 Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson After opening up a nasty cut on Michael Chandler with a well-drilled knee, Paddy Pimblett secured the victory via ground and pound to enter the top 10 at 155-pounds There was a lot of mutual respect between Pimblett and Chandler but that didn’t hide how important this matchup was for both men who are at very different points in their careers ‘The Baddy’ will now move on to what will likely be a title eliminator as he continues to climb up the rankings in search of a title shot As for ‘Iron’ Mike, this defeat sends him back to the drawing board in a big way with Chandler referencing the support of his loved ones in a post-fight statement Michael Chandler immediately exited the Octagon and headed to the back after he was stopped in the third round at the Kaseya Center in Miami. A massive night in his career was made all that more emotional for him due to the fact that his oldest son was in attendance on April 12. Chandler and his wife Brie have two sons and they’re both clearly huge sources of motivation for the 38-year-old veteran every time that he makes the walk to the Octagon. The result may not have his gone his way this past weekend but the Missouri native was able to turn a negative experience into a positive one for his eldest son, Hap. Chandler posted a video on Instagram where he consoled his son backstage, telling him to repeat his words back to him in order to learn a vital lesson about adversity. “Okay, listen. We’re going to work extremely hard, we’re going to try and do the best that we can. Sometimes, we’re going to fall short. Gonna come up short but we’re always going to keep our head up. Even if you get some cuts on your face. I love you, cheers.” Chandler reflected on this conversation in the caption of the post where he wrote about what his son experienced and what he hoped to accomplish in sending him this message. “MOMENTS. A Nutella cheers. This was the first time Hap saw me lose a fight in person. He was full of emotions back stage, and rightfully so. He was thrown into the pit of a valley he didn’t see coming. “The blood and swelling only exacerbated the fears of how daddy was doing as he held my hand as I got stitched up. But in the midst of the chaos and pain was a perfect time to show him how a man responds. Don’t tell them, show them. Bested but never beaten.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michael Chandler (@mikechandlermma) It’s clear from Michael Chandler’s reaction to his loss at UFC 314 that being there for his family is his number one priority in life ‘Iron’ Mike should ride off into the sunset and whilst his career inside of the Octagon hasn’t gone to plan it certainly produced some incredible moments We’ve now seen what it looks like when he takes on the younger rising contenders in the division and it’s not something that fans will be clamouring to see again Unless the UFC is able to put something together where he faces a fellow veteran or established name in a big marquee matchup for one last dance now might be the right time for Chandler to bow out.