My NBA Draft big board is well underway and will likely be posted the week of the draft — probably on Monday or Tuesday. It’s a weak draft — no doubt about it — but it will surely produce effective NBA players.

MLB

Orioles 5, Rays 2

With Baltimore opting to bat Gunnar Henderson leadoff, a ton of pressure is placed on opposing starting pitchers to open games. Ryan Pepiot fell victim to Henderson’s bat yesterday, as the AL MVP candidate homered on the first pitch of the contest — his 21st of the season.

I suppose at some point the accomplished Randy Arozarena has to start hitting, but we’re approaching the middle of June and it hasn’t happened yet. After going 0-for-4 in this game, the left fielder is batting just .175. Arozarena has hit for some power (eight home runs), but he’s underachieving in a big way.

Twins 5, Rockies 0

Availability is the best ability, and it’s the only part of Royce Lewis’ game that’s consistently missing. The third baseman has suffered a number of setbacks dating back to 2021 — two torn ACLs, an oblique strain and a hamstring injury — but Lewis has been a star when healthy. Through seven games this season, the 25 year old already has four homers and is crushing it in the middle of Minnesota’s lineup.

It would behoove the 23-43 Rockies to sell at the trade deadline, but one of the club’s top players to trade could be on the shelf for a short period. Elias Diaz left this contest with a calf injury after coming up limping on his way to first base. Again, the catcher will almost certainly be healthy when it comes time for serious trade talks, but Colorado should be exploring deals sooner rather than later.

Yankees 4, Royals 2

The Yankees handed Carlos Rodon a six-year, $162 million contract prior to last season, and entering this year, it did not look like a great investment. Battling through injuries, Rodon was bombed on his way to a 6.85 ERA, but the tide has turned in 2024. Following a sparkling seven-inning outing last night, the lefty boasts a 9-2 record and a 2.93 ERA.

Brewers 3, Blue Jays 1

20-year-old Jackson Chourio has gone through some growing pains in his rookie campaign, but if (and when) the right fielder catches fire, it’ll be bad news for the rest of the NL Central. In this game, Chourio filled up the box score with a homer and a walk in just three plate appearances.

Mariners 8, White Sox 4

You can ask any baseball player; they’ll tell you it’s never fun when you’re struggling at the dish. That’s been the case for Cal Raleigh of late, but maybe the catcher’s walk-off grand slam in this game will get him off the schneid. The Mariners have a 5.5-game lead in the AL West, but Scott Servais would obviously welcome more offense from his club.

It’s hard to find a bright spot on a 17-50 squad, but Erick Fedde has been terrific for the White Sox. Chicago wasted his start yesterday — to be expected from a lowly team — but the 31 year old continued his breakout campaign with seven frames of one-run ball. Fedde is under contract for 2025 at a bargain of $7.5 million, but Chicago will surely receive calls regarding him over the next six or so weeks.

Padres 6, Athletics 1

Oakland put up a valiant effort to start the season at 17-17. For just over a month, the Athletics weren’t the joke of baseball. Five weeks later, well, the A’s still aren’t the worst team in MLB at 26-42, but Oakland is back where it belongs in the AL West — last place. Avoiding 100 losses would be a massive win for the A’s this season.

Giants 4, Astros 3

A week ago, Houston general manager Dana Brown was quite adamant his club wouldn’t sell at the deadline, but the middling Astros might force his hand. A complete teardown obviously shouldn’t be in the cards for 30-37 Houston, but viewing this season as a one-year retool would be fruitful for the long-term health of the franchise.