Through triumph and tragedy, Michigan’s Olu Oluwatimi became the nation’s top lineman
WHEN IT CAME time for center Olu Oluwatimi to take the stage at the Michigan talent show last August, he grabbed the microphone with a clear plan in mind.
It was time to let his new teammates really see him, the way his former Virginia teammates saw him for the bulk of his college career.
“I already know what song it was,” his old Virginia roommate, Richard Burney, says with a laugh.
Burney said Oluwatimi, who started 35 games at Virginia before transferring to Michigan, would sing the song in the shower, or alone in his room, or anywhere, really.
I never know when you might walk by
So I gotta be right on time
When I see you
When I see you
There is something unexpected but particularly endearing about watching a 6-foot-3, 307-pound man belt out “When I See U,” a slow jam by former American Idol winner Fantasia. His Michigan teammates started clapping and singing along.
Sherrone Moore, Michigan’s offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator, remembers watching the reaction of the players in the room. “It was a really cool moment, and just to see him open up like that was super awesome,” Moore said.
Shortly after the talent show, his teammates voted Oluwatimi an alternate captain — seven months after his arrival to campus. Offensive linemen rarely take the spotlight, but that is not the case this season with Oluwatimi, the best player on the best offensive line in college football. “When I See U” might as well be the unofficial theme to his season.
Michigan plays TCU in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN), and it’s Oluwatimi who drives one of the best rushing teams in the nation. He’s also a veteran presence for first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy as the Wolverines try to win their first national championship since 1997.
His affable personality, smarts, work ethic and leadership have made him a locker room favorite. None of this is surprising to anyone at Virginia, who watched Oluwatimi grow from walk-on to Rimington Award finalist over four years with the Cavaliers. When he decided to transfer to Michigan for 2022, those who know him best understood.
Indeed, former teammates and coaches might as well run the Olu Oluwatimi fan club, as they soak in everything he has earned.
They saw this — saw him — long ago.
“When preparation meets opportunity, there’s no luck involved in that,” former Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “Anyone on the previous staff at Virginia, just smiles, like of course. What else would you expect?'”
But the journey itself has been unexpected and filled with challenges, as Oluwatimi went from largely overlooked high school recruit to walk-on to the best center in the country. Then last month, amid the best season of his life, Oluwatimi had to confront the most gutting challenge he had ever faced when tragedy hit Charlottesville, his former home.
THIS SEASON HAS provided Oluwatimi with clarity, both to anyone who might have doubted whether he could perform on a bigger national stage and to himself. He always believed he was an elite center, always knew he could be the key cog in a power run game. He thrives on being physical. Scratch that. He has a passion for being physical.
It was not hard to see, and easy to understand why Oluwatimi racked up multiple awards earlier this month — the Rimington as the best center in the country, and the Outland Trophy, given annually to the best interior lineman on offense or defense. The individual honors are nice, but Oluwatimi will tell you the one that means the most is the Joe Moore Award, presented to the best offensive line in the country.
Needless to say, Oluwatimi is a big reason Michigan won that award for the second straight year.
“The way he attacks his preparation, the way he attacks the game, he’s an extraordinary player,” Sherrone Moore said. “He’s got elite ability, he’s got strength, he’s got power, he’s got physicality. And he uses all that very well in every situation, and his leadership traits have really pushed the guys because they see how he works, how he is, and they just want to emulate that.”
Oluwatimi has always taken great pride in being a great teammate, now at Michigan and previously at Virginia. After he left the Cavaliers, he stayed in touch with his former teammates and was part of several group texts — including one with offensive linemen who transferred at the same time he did.
The Monday before Michigan’s Nov. 19 game against Illinois, Oluwatimi learned that Virginia football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were shot and killed after returning home from a class trip. Oluwatimi played with Davis for two years, with Perry for three. Chandler had arrived after Oluwatimi left.
Oluwatimi played against Perry, a defensive lineman, both on the scout team and in practice. The text exchanges between friends and brothers continued that day and throughout the week as he tried to find a way to grapple with the loss while feeling disconnected from those suffering back in Charlottesville.
“It was a rough week,” Oluwatimi said. “To see them gone so soon, it was definitely rough, and I wasn’t around with the team when all that happened, so that was hard not being there with my guys. The team ended up going to three funerals within two weeks, so all the mourning and tears and the family members that have to deal with the loss, it hits home. It’s tough. But they’re in heaven. They’re proud of their teammates. They’re proud of me. We’ve got some angels up in heaven.”
There were phone calls, too, including to teammates who had also left UVA.
“It is a hard thing being detached from the situation, but also being so close to it,” said former Virginia teammate Ryan Swoboda, now at UCF. “We’re in contact with a lot of the guys still on the team, so just being able to talk to them and share stories was the most helpful.”
On the day of the memorial in Virginia, Oluwatimi suited up to take on Illinois. Earlier that week, his father was going in for surgery to remove a brain tumor. Oluwatimi had a lot to deal with, but being on the football field provided him a measure of solace.
“When we’re on that football field, it’s a beacon of togetherness, a beacon of hope, and it’s my happy space,” Oluwatimi said. “When I’m with my guys here, it was definitely a break from the grieving process. So playing football, it was easy for me, and it was actually needed for me.”
Said Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh following the Illinois game: “He has the strength of 10 men. The week he had this week, not only the physical strength of 10 men, but the mental strength of 10 men. The victims at Virginia, that tragedy was personal for him. Those were some of his teammates. And his dad had successful surgery to remove a tumor in his brain. All that was going on for Olu this week. I think back to being that age and there’s no way I could’ve handled that.”
With a heavy heart, Oluwatimi pushed forward to finish the season strong with a Big Ten championship and a spot in the CFP. His dad has since recovered from the surgery, a ray of hope heading into the final stretch of the year.
There is no doubt the biggest on-field tests remain, but if Oluwatimi knows one thing, it is how to handle challenges and doubters.
IT MIGHT FEEL expected now, but out of football hotbed DeMatha Catholic high school in Maryland, nobody saw Oluwatimi for what he could become. With zero Power 5 offers, Oluwatimi opted to go to Air Force as a freshman in 2017, but after a year he realized, “This is not for me.”
He decided to transfer to Virginia, in part because a former high school teammate told him he thought it would be a good fit. Plus, it was much closer to home. As the youngest of six children to Nigerian immigrants, family has always been a bedrock for him.
Oluwatimi arrived as a walk-on in 2018 with familiarity among the coaching staff. Virginia recruited him out of high school but did not offer a scholarship because, in large part, the projections about whether he could add enough weight and mature enough physically were unclear.
“A lot of times, there’s a risk aversion by a program when they don’t know for sure,” Mendenhall said. “After one year of seeing his growth and progress at Air Force, we wish we would have done something earlier. So when we had the second chance to act, it was a much easier decision.”
Playing on his second college team in as many years presents challenges, especially when it comes to getting to know a new set of teammates. But Oluwatimi took a simple approach.
“Every coach and every teammate loves somebody that’s going to lay it on the line and work hard for the squad and be selfless,” Oluwatimi said. “You can’t be fake. So if you’re yourself and you have those qualities of being humble and a hard worker, everybody’s going to love you, and that’s how I’ve been able to mesh with the teams that I’ve been on.”
Indeed, Oluwatimi got to work, putting in long hours both with the team and on his own. In the weight room, he had to work on gaining better flexibility in his hips and functional movement with his entire body. He ran stiff at times, so gaining better fluidity with his lower body was at the top of his list.
All that extra work, whether that meant waking up early, watching extra game tape or staying late to help a teammate, stood out immediately. Swoboda describes Oluwatimi’s preparation as “surgical” because “he takes everything into consideration and works to perfect his craft.”
“He’s in the top 1% of people in strength, speed, agility,” Swoboda said. “He’s in the top 1% of people in terms of his mental understanding of scheme and techniques, and he’s in the top 1% of people who finish plays and are tenacious on the field. So when you’re in the top 1% of those three categories, as an O-lineman, it’s probably a nightmare for defensive lineman.”
Oluwatimi had to sit out 2018 because of the transfer rules that existed back then, but he and then-graduate assistant Jackson Matteo got into a routine. Matteo told Oluwatimi about the Rimington Award. Every drill they did together, Matteo would repeat: Rimington, Rimington, Rimington. “All those words can just mean nothing,” Matteo said. “Or you can literally watch a young man take full responsibility for his destiny and turn it into reality.”
By the time 2019 rolled around, Oluwatimi had earned a scholarship and the starting center job, essentially becoming the assistant to then-offensive line coach Garett Tujague. The two spent countless hours together watching tape. Oluwatimi was responsible for setting the front and calling all protections, and his preparation provided a calming presence on the field, even when things would go wrong.
Former teammate Jack Keenan called it “ironclad emotional control.”
“It is almost impossible to ruffle his feathers,” Tujague said. “I never saw him lose control of the situation he was in. I would come over to the sideline to talk to the linemen and Olu would tell me, ‘Coach, we got it.’ He and I had invested so much in preparing for Saturdays that it made it that much easier.”
Perhaps more indicative of what was to come, Mendenhall had his players go through assessments to determine the best way they learned and communicated. Oluwatimi’s scoring was tilted heavily toward factual, analytical, logical and sequential learning and decision making.
“That is magical for the position he plays,” Mendenhall said. “His ability to identify defensive fronts, in a sequential, thorough way, and then have us in the appropriate run play, check or protection, the number of times that he misses that is almost zero.”
Mendenhall said he noticed Oluwatimi work even harder ahead of the 2021 season. Strength coaches would text him constantly, “Olu is here again.”
“If you put a camera outside of our outdoor and indoor facility at UVA, he probably walked in and out of that building more than anybody,” Swoboda said.
Oluwatimi would hold film sessions to help freshmen and sophomores, and stay after practice to help anyone who needed it. If anyone had a question about technique, formations or alignments, they would text Oluwatimi and he quickly responded.
“Coach Mendenhall had the mantra ‘earned not given,’ and Olu embodies that probably more than anybody else that came to that program,” Keenan said.
When the 2021 season ended, Oluwatimi had earned second-team All-ACC honors and was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy — a first in Virginia history. But when Mendenhall stepped down in December of 2021, Oluwatimi had to make a decision.
“I honestly wanted to go to the NFL, but the draft grades and scouts were telling me to come back to school,” Oluwatimi said. “So I decided to look for a different opportunity to try to elevate my draft grade, because I felt that I did all I could do at the University of Virginia. I wanted to go to a place where I felt that we could compete for a national title and win a conference championship.”
OLUWATIMI WAS TRANSFERRING for the second time in his career. Only this time, Michigan saw exactly who he was.
The Michigan recruiting staff alerted Sherrone Moore as soon as they saw Oluwatimi’s name enter the portal. Michigan was losing center Andrew Vastardis, the anchor of the Joe Moore-award winning offensive line, so this was a position that needed a veteran presence — especially with three starters on the offensive line returning.
“I knew right away who he was, and I went back to watch the film and was like, ‘This guy’s really good,” Moore said. “When he came on his visit, we knew right away he would be awesome, just from a personality standpoint, how he acted, very humble. It was love at first sight for everybody.”
Whether Moore knew it at the time or not, Michigan had always been a dream school for Oluwatimi. The opportunity to showcase his ability as a power run blocker — something that Virginia did not do as an Air Raid offense — only added to the appeal.
“It was a perfect fit,” said Burney, his Virginia roommate. “I remember telling him, ‘If you can put it all together, the sky’s the limit,’ and now we’re here. It’s crazy.”
The same characteristics his Virginia teammates and coaches raved about were on display as soon as he arrived in Ann Arbor last January. He simply worked, and essentially had the playbook down by the time spring practice started.
“He was asking me in the first days of spring ball, ‘Hey, Coach when are we going to put this play in?'” Moore said. “And I was like, ‘It’s not going in until like install seven. He’s like, ‘Oh because I was just looking at them last night and just want to make sure I had it down.'”
His play this season might have been a revelation to those unfamiliar with Virginia and ACC football, but those who have watched Oluwatimi over the past three seasons can’t help but smile.
Former Virginia teammate Martin Weisz decided to visit Oluwatimi in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines’ game against UConn in Week 3. Though the game was a 59-0 blowout win, Weisz recalls watching Oluwatimi interact with his coaches and teammates on the sideline, and again after the game.
“I could just tell even though he was in that offensive line room at Michigan for less than a year, he had already emerged as somebody who everyone could lean on,” Weisz said. “After the game, they always have a tailgate for players and their families, and one of the younger centers was going over film with Olu, asking him all these different questions about football, life, how he manages it all. I know how much they value Olu’s experience, and they truly take his words very, very seriously, just because he’s been through it all.”
Without question, Oluwatimi has elevated the offensive line in Ann Arbor. Michigan ranks No. 6 in the nation in rushing offense, and Moore said his presence was “huge” for McCarthy because “you’ve got somebody in the middle that can help you and get you out of things if you’re unsure.”
Now the biggest test remains. Michigan lost in the CFP semifinals to Georgia last year, in large part because it could not handle the Bulldogs’ defensive front.
This is all new to Oluwatimi but do not expect him to lose focus. That is simply not in his nature. He knows what is at stake, and how much his teammates are depending on him in what is now the biggest game of the season against TCU.
“Through the first 13 games of the year, I’m happy with how I performed and what I’ve done,” Oluwatimi said. “We’ve got two more, and I’ve got to show some more. I’m excited.”
Oluwatimi is now rated the No. 2 center headed into the 2023 NFL draft by both Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, a far cry from being told to return to school a year ago. NFL scouts are recognizing Oluwatimi, too. But any NFL draft talk has been shoved to the side.
Instead, there has been time for reflection. The night before the regular-season finale against Ohio State, Michigan held a team meeting. As Harbaugh talked, Oluwatimi looked around, taking everything in, appreciating every moment over the last six years as if he was seeing it all for the first time.
“I could have never imagined my college journey bringing me here, being able to compete for a national title,” Oluwatimi said. “As I look back and reflect on the journey, I’m just speechless.”
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Kiley McDaniel
As we head toward the home stretch of the 2025 season, it’s time for my annual ranking of the core talent of all 30 MLB teams. This judges teams based on which players they have under contract through the next two full seasons — and you’ll find many clubs at the top of this list are in the thick of the playoff races over the final month.
For this exercise, salaries don’t matter and age isn’t a factor — but I’ll round up on projecting young players (and down on older players) because I’m projecting/ranking teams for a two-plus-year period. Very few players in either level of A-Ball are listed because they likely will contribute only at the end of 2027, if at all, even if they’re a top prospect.
To make it easier to see which team has more talent, I split players into three tiers: elite (5ish WAR talent, or perennial All-Stars with MVP chances), plus (3-5ish WAR types) and solid (1.5-3ish WAR, or lower-end starters and valuable role players). I included players who have easy-to-hit vesting options or club/player options that are likely to be picked up, but left out players with likely-to-be-exercised opt-outs. There’s some subjectivity in this area; star players who don’t qualify are called out below.
Players are listed in general order of my preference within each tier, so you can argue for a player who’s on the top/bottom of a tier to move up or down or flip two players who are back-to-back in the same tier. And the overall ranking isn’t coming from an algorithm that judges the teams or their players in each tier — I’m still comparing each list one by one. It’s often hard to compare the next 2½ years of value of a prospect in Double-A versus a proven veteran having a down season.
Jump to a team:
AL East: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
AL Central: CHW | CLE | DET | KC | MIN
AL West: ATH | HOU | LAA | SEA | TEX
NL East: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH
NL Central: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL
NL West: ARI | COL | LAD | SD | SF
2024 rank: 1
2023 rank: 2
2022 rank: 3
Elite: Shohei Ohtani/DH+RHP
Plus: Will Smith/C, Yoshinobu Yamamoto/RHS, Freddie Freeman/1B, Mookie Betts/SS, Andy Pages/CF, Blake Snell/LHS, Tyler Glasnow/RHS
Solid: Tommy Edman/2B, Emmet Sheehan/RHS, Teoscar Hernandez/RF, Hyeseong Kim/2B, Tanner Scott/LHR, Brock Stewart/RHR, Justin Wrobleski/LHR, Dalton Rushing/C, Alex Freeland/SS, Roki Sasaki/RHS, Edgardo Henriquez/RHR, Josue De Paula/LF, Jack Dreyer/LHR, Zyhir Hope/RF, Mike Sirota/CF, Jackson Ferris/LHS, River Ryan/RHS, James Tibbs/RF
The Dodgers stay at the top, but some cracks have been forming since last year’s ranking. Betts and Freeman moved down a tier, Max Muncy fell off the list because he is under team control through next season, Bobby Miller and Roki Sasaki are among the young players who took a step backward, and several core players are in their 30s.
But the Dodgers still have the best mix of high-end hitting and pitching talent in the big leagues, with the biggest contributors under team control for at least a few more years, and they have the second-best farm system in baseball. They’re very likely to be in this area of the list next year.
2024 rank: 4
2023 rank: 3
2022 rank: 10
Elite: Cal Raleigh/C, Julio Rodriguez/CF
Plus: Logan Gilbert/RHS, George Kirby/RHS, Bryan Woo/RHS, Andres Munoz/RHR
Solid: Colt Emerson/SS, Kade Anderson/LHS, Luis Castillo/RHS, Gabe Speier/LHR, Cole Young/2B, Ryan Sloan/RHS, Matt Brash/RHR, Harry Ford/C, Michael Arroyo/2B, Lazaro Montes/RF, Luke Raley/RF, Victor Robles/CF, Bryce Miller/RHS, Dominic Canzone/RF, Jurrangelo Cijntje/SHP, Jonny Farmelo/CF, Ryan Bliss/2B
Raleigh and Woo have taken big steps forward this season while the rest of Seattle’s top-end big league talent has, at least, held strong, if not improved a bit.
Similar to the Dodgers, the Mariners also have one of the top farm systems, ranking third. Seattle has eight top 100 prospects, and most of them will be in Double-A or Triple-A to start next season. That next wave of talent looks impactful and could affect the major league level in 2026. That would be timely, as J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena are set to hit free agency after 2026, while Gilbert’s team control ends after 2027.
2024 rank: 5
2023 rank: 15
2022 rank: 8
Elite: Trea Turner/SS, Zack Wheeler/RHS, Cristopher Sanchez/LHS
Plus: Bryce Harper/1B, Jhoan Duran/RHR
Solid: Aaron Nola/RHS, Bryson Stott/2B, Brandon Marsh/CF, Aidan Miller/SS, Andrew Painter/RHS, Justin Crawford/CF, Orion Kerkering/RHR, Tanner Banks/RHR, Johan Rojas/CF, Gage Wood/RHR
Philadelphia has much less depth than Seattle because the Phillies have a few good big leaguers whose contracts end after this year or next: J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suarez, Alec Bohm, Jesus Luzardo, Matt Strahm, and Jose Alvarado.
The farm system isn’t as deep either, ranking 21st out of 30 teams, because the Phillies pushed their chips in for these next few seasons. But the top of the Phillies’ roster is really good, and it’s basically a coin flip with the Mariners for the second spot, depending on what kind of core you prefer. Wheeler’s injury and Nola’s down season made the difference for me.
2024 rank: 9
2023 rank: 10
2022 rank: 7
Elite: Francisco Lindor/SS, Juan Soto/RF
Plus: Brandon Nimmo/LF, Edwin Diaz/RHR
Solid: Nolan McLean/RHS, Jonah Tong/RHS, Francisco Alvarez/C, Jeff McNeil/2B, Brett Baty/3B, Jett Williams/SS, Carson Benge/CF, Sean Manaea/LHS, Tylor Megill/RHS, Kodai Senga/RHS, Mark Vientos/3B, Ronny Mauricio/3B, Christian Scott/RHS, Brandon Sproat/RHS, A.J. Ewing/CF, Jacob Reimer/3B, Ryan Clifford/1B, Reed Garrett/RHR, Jonathan Santucci/LHS, Will Watson/RHS
The Mets have one of the healthiest organizations in baseball, combining the top farm system in the game and a playoff-caliber major league club, with Pete Alonso the only key player who will likely test free agency.
I put Diaz in the plus tier and left off McLean and Tong because of their lack of longevity performing at that level, but in a month, those two prospect starters might move up a tier. Similar to the Mariners, the Mets have a wave of young talent that will open in the upper minors or big leagues next season and could define the next five years of the team.
2024 rank: 2
2023 rank: 1
2022 rank: 1
Elite: Ronald Acuna Jr./RF
Plus: Matt Olson/1B, Austin Riley/3B, Spencer Strider/RHS, Drake Baldwin/C, Spencer Schwellenbach/RHS, Sean Murphy/C
Solid: Michael Harris II/CF, Jurickson Profar/LF, Ozzie Albies/2B, Reynaldo Lopez/RHS, Hurston Waldrep/RHS, Didier Fuentes/RHS, JR Ritchie/RHS, AJ Smith-Shawver/RHS, Nacho Alvarez Jr./3B, Owen Murphy/RHS
It has been a down year for the Braves on numerous fronts. Chris Sale no longer qualifies for this exercise, Spencer Strider hasn’t been himself, and Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies moved down a tier. Injuries impacted Riley’s and Schwellenbach’s seasons, and Profar’s PED suspension limited his campaign.
This core has been so good for years, as you can see by the organization’s past ranks, that the Braves’ poor 2025 season still can’t knock them out of the top five. Waldrep, Fuentes, and Ritchie could all be answers to starting pitching needs in 2026, while Smith-Shawver, Murphy, and Cam Caminiti could be answers in 2027.
2024 rank: 14
2023 rank: 13
2022 rank: 20
Elite: Corbin Carroll/RF, Ketel Marte/2B
Plus: Geraldo Perdomo/SS, Gabriel Moreno/C, Corbin Burnes/RHS
Solid: Lourdes Gurriel Jr./LF, Brandon Pfaadt/RHS, Jordan Lawlar/SS, Ryne Nelson/RHS, Slade Caldwell/CF, Adrian Del Castillo/C, Tyler Locklear/1B, Ryan Waldschmidt/LF, Kohl Drake/LHS, Blaze Alexander/3B, Tommy Troy/2B, Eduardo Rodriguez/LHS, Justin Martinez/RHR, Alek Thomas/CF, Jake McCarthy/LF, Cristian Mena/RHS, Brandyn Garcia/LHR
Carroll, Marte and Perdomo have grown into an elite group of position players and Moreno isn’t that far behind. Burnes is an ace but might not pitch again until 2027, so the D-backs need to see this next group of young players continue to progress and supplement that core. Locklear, Drake and Garcia were acquired at the deadline, and Caldwell and Waldschmidt were their first two picks in the 2024 draft.
2024 rank: 13
2023 rank: 24
2022 rank: 24
Elite: Garrett Crochet/LHS
Plus: Roman Anthony/RF, Jarren Duran/LF, Ceddanne Rafaela/CF, Wilyer Abreu/RF
Solid: Trevor Story/SS, Brayan Bello/RHS, Marcelo Mayer/SS, Payton Tolle/LHS, Kristian Campbell/2B, Carlos Narvaez/C, Triston Casas/1B, Garrett Whitlock/RHR, Jhostynxon Garcia/CF, Tanner Houck/RHS, Kutter Crawford/RHS, Justin Slaten/RHR, Connelly Early/LHS, Luis Perales/RHS, Kyson Witherspoon/RHS
Very few players (mostly, those acquired at the deadline) aren’t under team control for multiple years, so the Sox set up well for this exercise.
Anthony could jump into the elite tier next season, with Mayer, Toll and Campbell all strong candidates to be in the plus tier next year or the year after. The end of the solid tier contains a lot of pitching depth to add to next year’s big league team, as do a few pitching prospects I didn’t list who could join the list next year.
2024 rank: 7
2023 rank: 5
2022 rank: 3
Elite: Jeremy Pena/SS, Hunter Brown/RHS
Plus: Yordan Alvarez/DH, Carlos Correa/SS, Isaac Paredes/3B, Josh Hader/LHR
Solid: Jose Altuve/2B, Jake Meyers/CF, Yainer Diaz/C, Cam Smith/RF, Christian Walker/1B, Brice Matthews/2B, Cristian Javier/RHS, Jesus Sanchez/RF, Ronel Blanco/RHS, Jacob Melton/CF
The Astros consistently rank high on this list and are akin to the Phillies because they both don’t have a highly ranked farm system, mainly due to their top-heavy big league roster.
Pena and Brown are recent farm system success stories to help supplement the older core, while Matthews and Melton debuted this year and are Houston’s top two current prospects.
2024 rank: 3
2023 rank: 6
2022 rank: 13
Elite: Gunnar Henderson/SS
Plus: Adley Rutschman/C, Samuel Basallo/C, Jordan Westburg/3B
Solid: Jackson Holliday/2B, Kyle Bradish/RHS, Dean Kremer/RHS, Colton Cowser/LF, Grayson Rodriguez/RHS, Felix Bautista/RHR, Dylan Beavers/RF, Tyler O’Neill/RF, Tyler Wells/RHS, Trey Gibson/RHS, Enrique Bradfield Jr./CF, Ike Irish/RF, Coby Mayo/3B, Cade Povich/LHS, Albert Suarez/RHS, Michael Forret/RHS
The O’s blitzed up this list, then came back to Earth as they joined the Braves in having a somewhat surprising down year in a few phases.
Rutschman/Basallo isn’t a problem, as they can easily coexist on a big league roster, but getting Rutschman right at the plate will be a big priority for 2026. Beavers, Mayo and Gibson could all play their way into big league roles in 2026, with Holliday, Cowser, and Rodriguez all solid bets to move into the plus tier.
2024 rank: 6
2023 rank: 9
2022 rank: 9
Elite: Jose Ramirez/3B
Plus: Steven Kwan/LF, Tanner Bibee/RHS, Cade Smith/RHR
Solid: Travis Bazzana/2B, Emmanuel Clase/RHR, Kyle Manzardo/1B, Chase DeLauter/RF, Gavin Williams/RHS, Parker Messick/LHS, Khal Stephen/RHS, Daniel Schneemann/2B, Angel Genao/SS, C.J. Kayfus/1B, Ben Lively/RHS, Luis L. Ortiz/RHS, Logan Allen/LHS, Gabriel Arias/SS, Ralphy Velazquez/1B
Cleveland continues to stay in the top 10 thanks to a heavily homegrown and cost-effective bunch, with only Ramirez making over $8 million this year. Clase’s future is unclear, but the first five players listed are strong figures for the organization. DeLauter, Messick, Stephen, and Velazquez could all be making a big league impact as soon as 2026 to push the Guardians back into the playoff race.
2024 rank: 12
2023 rank: 12
2022 rank: 12
Elite: Aaron Judge/RF
Plus: Max Fried/LHS, Gerrit Cole/RHS, Carlos Rodon/LHS
Solid: Austin Wells/C, George Lombard Jr./SS, Cam Schlittler/RHS, Ben Rice/1B, Clarke Schmidt/RHS, Will Warren/RHS, Spencer Jones/CF, Ryan McMahon/3B, Carlos Lagrange/RHS, Jose Caballero/SS, Luis Gil/RHS, Giancarlo Stanton/DH, Anthony Volpe/SS, Jasson Dominguez/CF, Camilo Doval/RHR
The Yankees have a slew of good players who don’t qualify for this list because they’re not under contractual control through 2027: Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, David Bednar, and Trent Grisham.
Of those who qualify, there’s still plenty of star power and depth, with a nice group of young players in the upper minors or just getting to the big leagues. But the top four players are between 31 and 35 years old, so keeping those key veterans productive while shuffling in young players (or getting Volpe and Dominguez back on track) and shuffling out aging role players will be difficult.
2024 rank: 10
2023 rank: 11
2022 rank: 6
Elite: Fernando Tatis Jr./RF
Plus: Jackson Merrill/CF, Manny Machado/3B, Xander Bogaerts/SS, Mason Miller/RHR
Solid: Jeremiah Estrada/RHR, Jake Cronenworth/2B, Joe Musgrove/RHS, Yu Darvish/RHS, JP Sears/LHS, Freddy Fermin/C
The Padres continue to bet big in hopes of getting a title with this core, but the upper minors of the farm system and multiyear outlook for the depth of the big league team keep getting thinner.
After this season, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Ryan O’Hearn, Nestor Cortes, and Luis Arraez are set to hit free agency, and after next season, they’ll be joined by Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon, and Ramon Laureano.
With very little minor league help to fill those holes, the Padres will have to pick their spots and continue to excel at finding overlooked players to plug holes once the big money has been spent. If they do that, and the key players listed above remain impactful, it could be enough to win a title; it’s just a little harder to imagine.
2024 rank: 17
2023 rank: 21
2022 rank: 12
Elite: None
Plus: William Contreras/C, Jackson Chourio/CF, Jacob Misiorowski/RHS, Brice Turang/2B, Christian Yelich/LF
Solid: Trevor Megill/RHR, Andrew Vaughn/1B, Sal Frelick/RF, Isaac Collins/LF, Abner Uribe/RHR, Caleb Durbin/3B, Jesus Made/SS, Joey Ortiz/SS, Luis Pena/SS, Logan Henderson/RHS, Quinn Priester/RHS, Cooper Pratt/SS, Aaron Ashby/LHR, Garrett Mitchell/CF, Luke Adams/1B, Jeferson Quero/C, Brock Wilken/3B, Luis Lara/CF, Jared Koenig/RHR, Tobias Myers/RHS, DL Hall/LHR
The Brewers have two organizational competencies that they balance very well: helping young players reach big league success and optimizing big leaguers to reach their potential. Making those two things work involves basically every department of a baseball team, so that’s why so few teams do both well year after year.
The Brewers might not have anyone in the elite category, but they have a few homegrown players who might make that jump next year, and their solid tier is one of the deeper ones in terms of players who could jump into plus next year. This organization’s top decision-makers will likely be targets for GM and team president searches over the next few years.
2024 rank: 15
2023 rank: 4
2022 rank: 14
Elite: Corey Seager/SS, Wyatt Langford/LF
Plus: Jacob deGrom/RHS, Marcus Semien/2B, Nathan Eovaldi/RHS
Solid: Evan Carter/CF, Josh Jung/3B, Josh Smith/SS, Sebastian Walcott/SS, Cody Bradford/LHS, Jack Leiter/RHS, Kumar Rocker/RHS, Jake Burger/1B, David Davalillo/RHS, Winston Santos/RHS, Alejandro Osuna/LF
It is deceptively difficult to spend big money in free agency and have those players hold their spots in the top two tiers for years. With that in mind, the Rangers deserve kudos on the non-Langford players in their top two tiers. Of course, Langford is also a development success story, as are the top few players in the solid tier.
This team has a few players set to hit free agency over the next two seasons. The best parts of the farm system are largely in the low minors (and thus not listed here) as Leiter, Rocker and Osuna graduated in the past year, and other minor leaguers were traded at the deadline for players on expiring deals. Walcott still has star potential but has some work over the next few years to realize it.
2024 rank: 22
2023 rank: 22
2022 rank: 28
Elite: None
Plus: Logan Webb/RHS, Matt Chapman/3B, Willy Adames/SS, Rafael Devers/1B, Patrick Bailey/C
Solid: Jung Hoo Lee/CF, Bryce Eldridge/1B, Randy Rodriguez/RHR, Ryan Walker/RHR, Drew Gilbert/CF, Landen Roupp/RHS, Carson Whisenhunt/LHS, Heliot Ramos/LF, Casey Schmitt/3B, Bo Davidson/CF, Jesus Rodriguez/C, Kai-Wei Teng/RHR
I like what president of baseball operations Buster Posey has done in remaking this big league team. He’s investing in star players (re-signing Chapman, signing Adames, trading for Devers), and at the deadline, he moved nonessential players or those on expiring deals to beef up the farm system.
The Giants aren’t quite where they need to be, but they’re getting close, and Eldridge should be showing up next year. Unfortunately, two of their top prospects are at the lower levels of the minors and don’t qualify for this list. With some money to spend this offseason, I could see this team being a contender next season.
2024 rank: 20
2023 rank: 20
2022 rank: 19
Elite: Elly De La Cruz/SS
Plus: Hunter Greene/RHS, Chase Burns/RHS, Andrew Abbott/LHS
Solid: Nick Lodolo/LHS, Matt McLain/2B, Sal Stewart/3B, Rhett Lowder/RHS, TJ Friedl/CF, Ke’Bryan Hayes/3B, Noelvi Marte/3B, Cam Collier/1B, Chase Petty/RHS, Spencer Steer/1B, Edwin Arroyo/SS, Hector Rodriguez/LF
The Reds have a nice young core of players, and the best players who don’t qualify for this list are under contract for next season: Gavin Lux, Tyler Stephenson, and Brady Singer. They’re competitive now and should be better next year, with real strengths in the infield and rotation. The challenge will be filling the holes around those key players and working in Stewart, Lowder, and Petty next season.
2024 rank: 8
2023 rank: 16
2022 rank: 22
Elite: Pete Crow Armstrong/CF
Plus: Dansby Swanson/SS, Michael Busch/1B
Solid: Matt Shaw/3B, Cade Horton/RHS, Justin Steele/LHS, Moises Ballesteros/C, Owen Caissie/RF, Daniel Palencia/RHR, Jefferson Rojas/SS, Ben Brown/RHS, Jaxon Wiggins/RHS, Kevin Alcantara/CF, Miguel Amaya/C, Jonathan Long/1B, Brandon Birdsell/RHS
The Cubs are having a solid season at the big league level, but the rules of this exercise mean the organization is having a slight down year. Since last year’s rankings, they traded Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith for Kyle Tucker (who doesn’t qualify) and have a big group of players who become free agents after 2026 and thus also don’t qualify: Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Jameson Taillon, and Nico Hoerner.
Matthew Boyd has a mutual option after 2026 that seems unlikely to keep him from free agency, and I think Shota Imanaga will also need a raise or an extension (his contract options are quite complicated) after this season to keep him from free agency, so he also doesn’t qualify.
But the team is good and has a strong core of young players in the big leagues and upper minors (the top of the solid tier has upward mobility), but gets hurt by the rules of these rankings. The Cubs also need to re-sign a lot of players the next two winters to keep this group together.
2024 rank: 11
2023 rank: 19
2022 rank: 17
Elite: Byron Buxton/CF
Plus: Joe Ryan/RHS, Pablo Lopez/RHS
Solid: Walker Jenkins/CF, Luke Keaschall/2B, Royce Lewis/3B, Taj Bradley/RHS, Zebby Matthews/RHS, Matt Wallner/RF, Emmanuel Rodriguez/CF, Connor Prielipp/LHS, Kaelen Culpepper/SS, Mick Abel/RHS, Kendry Rojas/LHS, Gabriel Gonzalez/RF, Bailey Ober/RHS, Brooks Lee/SS, Trevor Larnach/RF, Kody Clemens/2B, Edouard Julien/2B, Simeon Woods-Richardson/RHS, Alan Roden/LF
The Twins stay in the middle third of the list, but after their moves at the trade deadline, this group is overwhelmingly made up of prospects and young players who haven’t proven themselves at the big league level, along with three standout holdovers. That’s a strong group to build around, with the first five players in the solid tier all having the potential to move up a grouping in next year’s rankings.
2024 rank: 16
2023 rank: 26
2022 rank: 27
Elite: Bobby Witt Jr./SS
Plus: Cole Ragans/LHS, Maikel Garcia/3B
Solid: Michael Wacha/RHS, Noah Cameron/LHS, Seth Lugo/RHS, Vinnie Pasquantino/1B, Jac Caglianone/RF, Carter Jensen/C, Carlos Estevez/RHR, Kyle Isbel/CF, Lucas Erceg/RHR, Ryan Bergert/RHS, Stephen Kolek/RHS, Ben Kudrna/RHS, Luinder Avila/RHS, Alec Marsh/RHS
Maikel Garcia’s emergence helps cover for Ragans’ injury while Witt continues to be one of the best players in the majors. You could argue to move Wacha up a tier, but I’m projecting over the next two seasons primarily, so I rounded down a bit. Cameron’s emergence helps with Caglianone’s surface-stat problems, but his underlying numbers are about what was expected, so I’m continuing to buy stock in him.
Similar to the Pirates below, this is a team without a ton of payroll that is carried mostly by a star player. But the Royals’ supporting cast is a bit better (for now) and their star is a position player rather than a pitcher — and they’ve been willing to open their wallets a bit in free agency to surround their star with talent.
20. Athletics
2024 rank: 26
2023 rank: 29
2022 rank: 26
Elite: None
Plus: Nick Kurtz/1B, Brent Rooker/DH, Tyler Soderstrom/LF, Jacob Wilson/SS
Solid: Shea Langeliers/C, Lawrence Butler/RF, Luis Severino/RHS, Jeffrey Springs/LHS, J.T. Ginn/RHS, Gage Jump/LHS, Luis Morales/RHS, Denzel Clarke/CF, Leo De Vries/SS, Darell Hernaiz/SS, Jacob Lopez/LHS, Zack Gelof/2B, Jack Perkins/RHS, Jamie Arnold/LHS, Max Muncy/SS, Colby Thomas/RF, Tommy White/3B, Mason Barnett/RHS, Gunnar Hoglund/RHS, Braden Nett/RHS
The A’s record hasn’t been great this year, but development-wise, they’ve taken a step forward.
Kurtz has gone from controversial early-first-round pick last summer to potential star by this summer, Rooker has performed despite being a primary DH in his 30s, my longtime prospect favorite Soderstrom has come back to life and Wilson continues to defy the odds by performing despite little raw power.
Langeliers and Butler could jump a tier by next year’s rankings, and De Vries could be a franchise cornerstone. And there’s probably an impact arm and a solid third/fourth starter among Ginn, Jump, Morales and Arnold.
There are some signs that with a strong winter and continued progression, this team could be competitive in 2026.
2024 rank: 21
2023 rank: 17
2022 rank: 22
Elite: Paul Skenes/RHS
Plus: Oneil Cruz/CF, Konnor Griffin/SS
Solid: Bubba Chandler/RHS, Mitch Keller/RHS, Bryan Reynolds/RF, Johan Oviedo/RHS, Spencer Horwitz/1B, Jared Triolo/SS, Jared Jones/RHS, Braxton Ashcraft/RHS, Mike Burrows/RHS, Termarr Johnson/2B, Hunter Barco/LHS, Isaac Mattson/RHR, Nick Gonzales/2B, Rafael Flores/C, Joey Bart/C, Henry Davis/C, Nick Yorke/2B
Skenes and Griffin are recent first-round selections who look to be home run picks. Cruz and Chandler look like solid players, and the rest is a nice group of players but doesn’t have much star potential.
Combine that with the lack of payroll and the Pirates will need to get creative to add to the clearly strong four-player core, or get very efficient at filling out the rest of the roster, similar to the Tigers.
2024 rank: 18
2023 rank: 25
2022 rank: 25
Elite: None
Plus: Riley Greene/LF, Kevin McGonigle/SS, Dillon Dingler/C
Solid: Max Clark/CF, Will Vest/RHR, Troy Melton/RHS, Parker Meadows/CF, Spencer Torkelson/1B, Colt Keith/2B, Josue Briceno/C, Zach McKinstry/3B, Kerry Carpenter/RF, Reese Olson/RHS, Jackson Jobe/RHS, Thayron Liranzo/C, Max Anderson/2B, Javier Baez/SS, Wenceel Perez/RF, Matt Vierling/CF, Jace Jung/3B, Sawyer Gipson-Long/RHS
McGonigle is one of the few true prospects listed in the plus tier because he’ll likely be big league-ready at some point next year, is putting up absurd surface numbers at every level, and is in the top five prospects while playing a premium position.
Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Gleyber Torres and all of the players Detroit acquired at the deadline aren’t eligible for this exercise, so it’s mostly just the homegrown young players. But by this time next year, there might be three to five of those players in the plus or elite category, so I see solid win-loss records and a better showing in next year’s ranking.
2024 rank: 24
2023 rank: 14
2022 rank: 5
Elite: Vladimir Guerrero Jr./1B
Plus: Alejandro Kirk/C
Solid: Andres Gimenez/2B, Trey Yesavage/RHS, Addison Barger/3B, Jose Berrios/RHS, Anthony Santander/RF, Arjun Nimmala/SS, Ricky Tiedemann/LHS, Ernie Clement/3B, Jeff Hoffman/RHR, Nathan Lukes/RF, Myles Straw/CF, Jake Bloss/RHS, Brendon Little/LHR, Davis Schneider/LF, Alek Manoah/RHS, Eric Lauer/LHS
Lots of notable players are not eligible for this list: George Springer, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Bo Bichette, and Daulton Varsho. So, this doesn’t represent what the team will be this season and next, but reflects more what’s nailed down for that next version of the team. There’s solid depth, but there’s some reliance on Yesavage, Tiedemann and Nimmala turning into standout players, particularly if some of the aforementioned players aren’t re-signed and Santander can’t get back on the right track.
2024 rank: 23
2023 rank: 8
2022 rank: 4
Elite: None
Plus: Masyn Winn/SS, Sonny Gray/RHS
Solid: JJ Wetherholt/SS, Brendan Donovan/2B, Willson Contreras/1B, Ivan Herrera/C, Lars Nootbaar/LF, Liam Doyle/LHS, Tink Hence/RHS, Victor Scott/CF, Leonardo Bernal/C, Alec Burleson/RF, Matthew Liberatore/LHS, Michael McGreevy/RHS, Nolan Gorman/3B, Jesus Baez/3B, Quinn Mathews/LHS, Nolan Arenado/3B, Joshua Baez/RF, Blaze Jordan/3B, Pedro Pages/C, Jimmy Crooks/C, Cooper Hjerpe/LHS, Matt Svanson/RHR
All of the key players are eligible for this exercise, thanks, in large part, to the deadline trades that helped to beef up the farm system. There are a few catchers (not including the top prospect in the system, Rainiel Rodriguez, who is in Low-A) and starting pitchers (including some who just missed), though there isn’t a ton of frontline potential.
Gray’s mutual option for 2027 is priced just right to get him on here, but it was a close call. Wetherholt and Doyle clicking would be huge for the organization because there’s a ton of upper-minors prospects and somewhat unproven young big leaguers, to the point where the Cardinals could run out of room for all of them to play — but they also need some stars to emerge to build around.
2024 rank: 19
2023 rank: 7
2022 rank: 11
Elite: None
Plus: Junior Caminero/3B
Solid: Yandy Diaz/1B, Ryan Pepiot/RHS, Shane Baz/RHS, Carson Williams/SS, Jonathan Aranda/1B, Josh Lowe/RF, Ian Seymour/LHS, Griffin Jax/RHR, Chandler Simpson/CF, Jake Mangum/LF, Hunter Feduccia/C, Garrett Cleavinger/LHR, Shane McClanahan/LHS, Xavier Isaac/1B, Aidan Smith/CF, Brody Hopkins/RHS, Jonny DeLuca/CF, Yoniel Curet/RHS, Joe Boyle/RHS
Only a few big league players don’t qualify for this list, but some higher upside prospects don’t qualify because they’re too far from contributing in the majors. The middle tiers of the minor leagues are down a bit, as most of the best young talent in the organization is in Low-A or lower or in the big leagues.
I could see the Rays making a lot of trades this offseason because they don’t have much money coming off the books or players leaving via free agency, but they also don’t have many standout players, aside from Caminero (who may be in the elite tier by the middle of next year). This list isn’t deceptive like it is for some contending teams. It reflects a team that’s around .500. There’s a lot of depth of interesting talent in the upper minors and in the big leagues, as is usual for the Rays, so making trades is more sensible to help the team be more competitive while it waits to see if the lower minors can deliver a few Top 100-caliber prospects and maybe a star.
2024 rank: 25
2023 rank: 28
2022 rank: 29
Elite: None
Plus: James Wood/LF, CJ Abrams/SS, MacKenzie Gore/LHS
Solid: Luis Garcia Jr./2B, Dylan Crews/CF, Travis Sykora/RHS, Jarlin Susana/RHS, Brady House/3B, Jacob Young/CF, DJ Herz/LHS, Cade Cavalli/RHS, Jose Ferrer/RHR, Daylen Lile/RF, Drew Millas/C, Mitchell Parker/LHS, Brad Lord/RHS
Wood, Abrams and Gore are success stories who continue to progress and are the faces of the franchise at this point. Garcia’s underlying stats are still solid, so you can mostly disregard his down season. Crews is a little more worrisome, but he also has been unlucky on ball-in-play luck. Sykora can’t stay healthy, and House has had some big league struggles, but Susana might be turning the corner in terms of throwing strikes and has had ace potential.
No. 1 pick SS Eli Willits and other players taken in the past two drafts are a bit too far away to include here, but there are a few candidates to make this list next year.
2024 rank: 27
2023 rank: 23
2022 rank: 18
Elite: None
Plus: Kyle Stowers/LF
Solid: Eury Perez/RHS, Sandy Alcantara/RHS, Edward Cabrera/RHS, Thomas White/LHS, Jakob Marsee/CF, Robby Snelling/LHS, Otto Lopez/SS, Ryan Weathers/LHS, Agustin Ramirez/C, Xavier Edwards/2B, Joe Mack/C, Connor Norby/3B, Janson Junk/RHS, Aiva Arquette/SS, Maximo Acosta/SS, Ronny Henriquez/RHR, Liam Hicks/C, Max Meyer/RHS, Dax Fulton/LHS
Every player in the organization qualifies because they’re all under contractual control for at least two more seasons after this one. The problem is that only Stowers has broken through into the upper tiers, but a few young players could make that jump next season — mostly at the top of the solid tier and a very pitching-heavy group. Miami’s rebuild has turned around and is about to add more propulsion.
2024 rank: 28
2023 rank: 27
2022 rank: 21
Elite: None
Plus: Zach Neto/SS, Jose Soriano/RHS
Solid: Mike Trout/RF, Yusei Kikuchi/LHS, Jo Adell/CF, Reid Detmers/LHR, Nolan Schanuel/1B, Christian Moore/2B, Logan O’Hoppe/C, Tyler Bremner/RHS, George Klassen/RHS, Kyren Paris/SS, Caden Dana/RHS, Nelson Rada/CF, Denzer Guzman/SS
Soriano, Detmers, Bremner, Klassen, and Dana are five solid pitchers to build around, along with veteran Kikuchi, but it’s unlikely all of them pitch on the same staff.
Trout unfortunately has to be moved down a tier as he has posted 2.2 WAR over the past two seasons combined. Taylor Ward’s under contract through next year so he falls off the list. Neto is a clear keeper, and Adell is starting to put it together, but there aren’t a ton of position players right behind them in the system, so the Angels need to find more impact players without clear avenues to do so.
2024 rank: 29
2023 rank: 15
2022 rank: 18
Elite: None
Plus: None
Solid: Colson Montgomery/SS, Kyle Teel/C, Shane Smith/RHS, Grant Taylor/RHR, Noah Schultz/LHS, Hagen Smith/LHS, Chase Meidroth/SS, Edgar Quero/C, Lenyn Sosa/2B, Braden Montgomery/RF, Miguel Vargas/3B, Drew Thorpe/RHS, Jordan Leasure/RHR, Peyton Pallette/RHS, Tanner McDougal/RHS
Montgomery started the season ice cold (.626 OPS through 48 games in Triple-A) but then caught fire in the big leagues, hitting 16 homers in 49 games. He and Teel are the clear best long-term players of this core, with a lot of questions below them.
Luis Robert Jr. isn’t listed because it’s unlikely that both of his club options get picked up, and the two top pitching prospects (Schultz and Hagen Smith) had trouble throwing strikes this year. Shane Smith was a revelation, and Taylor is a potential long-term closer, but this organization needs some stars and they haven’t shown up.
2024 rank: 30
2023 rank: 30
2022 rank: 30
Elite: None
Plus: None
Solid: Ezequiel Tovar/SS, Brenton Doyle/CF, Hunter Goodman/C, Chase Dollander/RHS, Kyle Karros/3B, Charlie Condon/3B, Jordan Beck/LF, Jimmy Herget/RHR, Juan Mejia/RHR, Roc Riggio/2B, Jaden Hill/RHR, Seth Halvorsen/RHR, Ryan Feltner/RHS, Yanquiel Fernandez/RF, Brody Brecht/RHS, McCade Brown/RHS, Victor Vodnik/RHR, Jared Thomas/CF, Sterlin Thompson/LF, Griffin Herring/LHS
The tradition continues. It’s not like the amateur scouting staffs aren’t finding good players. I continue to have no faith and very little evidence that the development and big league team-building decision-makers know how to create value where it doesn’t exist.
I like some of the players they acquired at the deadline when they were finally as active as they should’ve been, but all four of the highest-paid players (Kris Bryant, Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez) are in their 30s and either weren’t good enough or don’t have enough contractual control to be listed above.
MADISON, Ill. — Denny Hamlin won from the pole position at World Wide Technology Raceway, playing the strategy perfectly to lead the final 25 laps in his series-high fifth victory this season.
With his 59th career win, Hamlin advanced to the second round of the Cup Series playoffs and joined Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who finished second after winning last week’s opener at Darlington Raceway.
The No. 11 Toyota team called Hamlin to the pits for his final stop with 44 laps remaining, and he cycled to the front on a caution 15 laps later. The Virginia native seized the lead from Brad Keselowski on the restart, delivering the 200th win in NASCAR’s premier series for Toyota.
Chase Elliott finished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano as playoff drivers swept the top five spots at the 1.25-mile oval outside St. Louis that is commonly referred to as Gateway.
Other playoff drivers in the top 10 were Christopher Bell (seventh) and Bubba Wallace (eighth), who led 73 of 240 laps and won the race’s second stage.
The Cup Series now will head to Bristol Motor Speedway for the first-round cutoff race that will trim the playoff field from 16 to 12 drivers. After Gateway, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry are outside the top 12 points positions that will advance to the second round.
Defending race winner Kyle Larson has won consecutive races at Bristol, leading 872 of the past 1,000 laps on the 0.533-mile oval in Tennessee.
Berry will need a win at Bristol to advance to the next round after opening his Cup playoff debut with consecutive last-place finishes. The Wood Brothers Racing driver was tapped in the left rear by Elliott, sending Berry’s No. 21 Ford spinning into the Turn 2 wall on the 36th lap.
“Chase and that team have done a lot for me, and I really doubt that was on purpose,” said Berry, who crashed on the first lap of the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. “Just wrong place, wrong time for us again. Obviously, it’s unfortunate. We’ll just go to Bristol and try to do the best we can and put ourselves in position to race for a win, and that’s really all we can do at this point.”
Earlier on Sunday, NASCAR announced the death of Bill Davis, whose teams won 40 races in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series from 1993-2008. Davis had all five of his Cup victories with driver Ward Burton, including the 2001 Southern 500 and 2002 Daytona 500. The Arkansas native, who was 74, also fielded cars for Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte before they won Cup championships with other teams.
“A championship-winning leader and owner, Bill Davis made a lasting mark on our sport through his passion and unwavering belief in the people around him,” NASCAR said in a statement. “His teams celebrated some of NASCAR’s most prestigious victories.
“Bill was more than a competitor — he was a friend to all in the garage, respected for his kindness, generosity, and genuine love for racing.”
MIAMI — Philadelphia Phillies star shortstop Trea Turner left the team’s game against the Miami Marlins in the seventh inning Sunday because of a right hamstring strain.
Turner hit a solo homer in the sixth to narrow Philadelphia’s deficit to 4-2. When his turn came again in the seventh, Turner legged out a grounder and reached on a throwing error by Miami Otto Lopez.
Edmundo Sosa replaced Turner as the baserunner and at shortstop.
The 32-year-old Turner leads the NL in batting average at .305 and also has a league-leading 179 hits this season.
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