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Coach Deion Sanders said his Colorado Buffaloes were coming in 2023, and now they’ve arrived in our Power Rankings.

The Buffaloes’ 45-42 victory in Week 1 at No. 17 TCU, the national runner-up in the 2022 season, made believers out of ESPN’s writers. Colorado, which had only one win last season, went from unranked to No. 21. Now they get another chance to prove themselves, this time against Big Ten foe — and former Big 12 rival — Nebraska in their home opener.

The most impressive win of the week, though, belonged to Coach Prime’s alma mater. Florida State scored 31 consecutive points against No. 5 LSU on Sunday and ESPN voters rewarded that effort by moving them from preseason No. 7 in the power rankings all the way up to No. 2.

Five consecutive days of football ended with a stunning upset as Duke took down No. 9 Clemson.

A look at the full power rankings after the first full week of college football.


Ho-hum. Another dominant defense, another deep running game, another Brock Bowers touchdown. What else did you expect from the back-to-back champs? Yeah, quarterback Stetson Bennett is finally gone, but Carson Beck looked solid in his debut as a starter against Tennessee Martin, completing 21 of 31 passes for 294 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. All told, Georgia racked up 559 yards of offense, which should be plenty against one of the weakest schedules in the SEC this season. Ball State is up next in the quest to three peat, followed by a home game against South Carolina. — Alex Scarborough

Up next: vs. Ball State (Noon ET, SEC Network)


It is hard to remember the last time the Seminoles completely dismantled an opponent the way they did LSU in the second half of a 45-24 victory on Sunday night. It may very well have been during the 2013 national championship season, and this just happens to be its 10-year anniversary. After a slow start, Florida State scored 31 unanswered second-half points to turn a close game into a rout. Quarterback Jordan Travis settled down after a shaky first half and scored five total touchdowns — one rushing, four passing. But the star of the game was transfer receiver Keon Coleman, who arrived from Michigan State in the offseason. LSU could not cover Coleman, and he made the plays that counted most — three touchdown receptions, 122 yards and an exclamation point to start a season that began with high expectations and those expectations have skyrocketed even higher. — Andrea Adelson

Up next: vs. Southern Miss (8:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network)


​​No coach Jim Harbaugh, no offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, no problem. With both serving suspensions, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was the acting head coach against East Carolina and helped lead Michigan to its first win of the season. The offense, surprisingly, was led by the passing game and quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who threw for 280 yards and three passing touchdowns in three quarters of work. Running back Blake Corum had a rushing touchdown, but it was receiver Roman Wilson who put up the most points, catching three McCarthy touchdowns. Michigan’s defense held East Carolina scoreless until a field goal on the final play of the game. — Tom VanHaaren

Up next: vs. UNLV (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)


Jalen Milroe was nearly perfect against Middle Tennessee, accounting for 242 total yards (194 passing, 48 rushing), four touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) and no turnovers. But was that enough to secure the starting job at quarterback? It might be a week too soon to say considering the caliber of competition. Next week, against Texas, will be the real litmus test about whether Milroe can handle the pressure and fit the ball into tight windows. But setting the QB battle aside, Crimson Tide fans can feel good about the receivers, particularly Isaiah Bond, and the defense, which consistently created pressure on the passing game. — Scarborough

Up next: vs. Texas (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)


After taking care of business in Week 0 against San Jose State, the Trojans handled Nevada at home with even greater ease by a score of 59-14. Aside from a 72-yard pass that led to the Wolfpack’s first score of the game and a 77-yard pass that resulted in the other, the USC defense looked much-improved against a subpar offense that struggled to get anything going. Caleb Williams produced yet another flawless performance, throwing for 324 yards on 24 pass attempts. He had five touchdowns, while adding a healthy dose of his patented scrambling highlights, and didn’t have to play beyond the first drive of the third quarter. — Paolo Uggetti

Up next: vs. Stanford (10:30 p.m. ET, Fox)


It wasn’t exactly pretty, nor was it a memorable debut for rookie starting quarterback Kyle McCord, but Ohio State earned a Big Ten road win at Indiana. The Buckeyes are going to have to improve quickly if they want to remain a CFP contender. McCord completed 20 of 33 pass attempts for 239 yards and one interception. It wasn’t the kind of offensive performance Ohio State fans are used to, as the Buckeyes had the second-highest scoring offense in the FBS last year, and have averaged at least 41 points every season since Ryan Day succeeded Urban Meyer in 2019. Against IU, which had the worst defense in the Big Ten last year, Ohio State settled for three field goals and was 2-of-12 on third downs. It was also a quiet day for the Buckeyes’ superstars, as receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had just two catches for 18 yards. — Heather Dinich

Up next: vs. Youngstown State (Noon ET, Big Ten Network)

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Why Gilmore, Acho are concerned about Ohio State after Week 1

Rod Gilmore and Sam Acho explain their worries about Ohio State after a 23-3 win over Indiana.


Coach James Franklin’s reluctance to name a starting quarterback couldn’t calm the excitement around Drew Allar, who predictably took the field first against West Virginia and played well. Penn State’s most decorated quarterback recruit since Christian Hackenberg (2013), Allar opened the season with 325 pass yards and three touchdowns, completing 21 of 29 attempts with no interceptions. He became the first PSU quarterback since Daryll Clark in 2009 to reach 300 pass yards and three touchdowns in an opener. Penn State’s offense took a while to get going, though, recording only 14 points through the first 36-plus minutes. The Nittany Lions missed two field-goal attempts and didn’t really get their running game going consistently. Allar gives Penn State a different element in the pass game, as coordinator Mike Yurcich can stretch the field more with wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith and others. — Adam Rittenberg

Up next: vs. Delaware (Noon ET, Peacock)


Turn on a Washington game and chances are you’ll see quarterback Michael Penix finding a wide-open receiver time and time again. The offensive scheme of head coach Kalen Deboer and coordinator Ryan Grubb makes the Huskies’ ability to move the ball seem almost effortless at time. In the Huskies’ dominant 56-19 win against Boise State, Penix passed for 450 yards and five touchdowns without a pick to get his Heisman Trophy campaign off to a strong start. As expected, arguably the nation’s top trio of receivers — Rome Odunze (7 catches, 132 yards, TD), Ja’Lynn Polk (3 catches, 101 yards, TD) and Jalen McMillan (8 catches, 95 yards, 2 TD) — were equally impressive. — Kyle Bonagura

Up next: vs. Tulsa (5 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)


Tennessee was a four-touchdown favorite in its season opener against Virginia, and even though the Vols were guilty of a few missteps in the first half, they were never threatened in a blowout victory in Nashville. Joe Milton III was solid at quarterback with 201 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in three quarters, and the Vols racked up 499 yards of total offense. But the story of the game for Tennessee was its defense. The Cavaliers took over on Tennessee’s side of the 50 three times in the first half, but all Tennessee’s defense would allow was a single field goal, which set the tone for the rest of the game. — Chris Low

Up next: vs. Austin Peay (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+)


The Utes began their defense of two straight Pac-12 titles by avenging their season-opening loss to Florida from last year. Utah won despite several injuries, most notably quarterback Cam Rising, who couldn’t play as he continues to recover from an ACL surgery. His absence allowed coach Kyle Whittingam’s team to show off its depth at the position as well as their strong defensive identity on their way to a 24-13 win. Although the Utes and the Gators were only separated by 13 points, Utah dominated the matchup thanks to the work of Bryson Barnes (12-of-18, 159 passing yards and two touchdowns) and Nate Johnson (six carries, 45 yards and a touchdown), who split reps at quarterback and found success in the air and the ground respectively. Utah’s defense didn’t allow a score until early in the fourth quarter. — Uggetti

Up next: at Baylor (Noon ET, ESPN)


Texas eventually rolled past Rice, 37-10. The Longhorns scored only one touchdown on their first seven drives, settling for field goals and turning the ball over on downs twice, but a 21-0 third quarter turned an odd 16-3 game into a laugher. Quinn Ewers completed 19 of 30 passes for 260 yards and touchdowns to three different receivers, and the running back trio of Jaydon Blue, Jonathon Brooks and Cedric Baxter ground out 145 yards on 27 carries. The UT defense only sacked Rice’s JT Daniels once but hurried him constantly, picked off two passes and broke up four more. In all, kicker Bert Auburn made a few too many appearances, and the Longhorns were a pretty mediocre 6-for-15 on third downs, but this one was still easy. — Bill Connelly

Up next: at Alabama (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)


The Ducks became the first FBS team since — surprise? — UNLV in 2015 to score 80 points in a game during their 81-7 win against Portland State. The Ducks had more than 300 yards rushing (348) and 300 yards passing (381) in the same game for the first time since 2017 and played essentially their entire eligible roster. Considering the considerable talent gap, there’s probably not much that can be learned, but it was a nice way to welcome back college football in Eugene where expectations are high. — Bonagura

Up next: at Texas Tech (7 p.m. ET, Fox)


Playing just a week after a game in Ireland, Notre Dame got through a predictably sluggish first quarter to pull away from Tennessee State. Quarterbacks Sam Hartman and Steve Angeli combined for 324 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. The Irish had 221 rushing yards, led by Audric Estime‘s 116, and continued to receive stifling play from their defense. Notre Dame has held its first two opponents without a touchdown for the first time since 1975. The Irish had 28 points in the second quarter, the team’s highest total in a quarter since tallying 31 in the fourth against Wisconsin in 2021. Notre Dame’s scoring margin of 98-6 marks its highest points differential (92) through the first two games of a season since 1932, when it outscored Haskell and Drake by 135. — Rittenberg

Up next: At NC State (Noon ET, ABC)


The biggest story in the Tar Heels’ 31-17 victory over South Carolina was not quarterback Drake Maye. It was their defensive performance, and in particular their physicality and aggressiveness up front that raised eyebrows. A season ago, North Carolina struggled through poor defensive performances and one of the biggest question marks about this team headed into the season was how much that defense would improve. We got an early answer in Week 1. After getting only 17 total sacks last season, North Carolina had a whopping nine on Saturday — in addition to 16 tackles for loss. That was its highest sack total in the last 25 seasons. Linebacker Kaimon Rucker was particularly impressive with two sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss and eight total tackles and was named the Walter Camp National FBS Defensive Player of the Week. — Adelson

Up next: vs. Appalachian State (5:15 p.m. ET, ACC Network)


A week after San Jose State put up 28 on USC, Oregon State’s trip to SJSU figured to serve as a measuring stick game. After losing some key players from the Pac-12’s best defense in 2022, how would this re-worked unit compare to USC? Pretty darn well. The Beavers’ starting group allowed just 10 points — looking every part as good as the one that led the team to a 10-win season a year ago — and, perhaps more importantly, were joined by a proficient offense as quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei turned in a sparkling debut. A San Jose State touchdown in the closing seconds only made the Beavers’ 42-17 win less of a blowout. It’s just one game but the combination of improved offense with no regression on defense is the formula OSU was looking for to contend in the conference. — Bonagura

Up next: UC Davis (9 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)


You want your FCS games to be as forgettable as possible. In that regard, Saturday night against Southeast Missouri State was a total success for Kansas State. Granted, quarterback Will Howard made history by becoming just the sixth player in Big 12 history to record passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game — some might end up remembering that — and Avery Johnson, Howard’s four-star freshman backup, was dynamic in a small sample. But the Wildcats erupted for 28 second-quarter points and cruised in for a 45-0 victory. Running back DJ Giddens rushed for 128 yards, receiver RJ Garcia II and tight end Ben Sinnott each topped 100 receiving yards, linebacker Austin Moore recorded a trio of tackles for loss and now it’s on to a tricker game. — Connelly

Up next: vs. Troy (Noon ET, FS1)


The offense clearly needs some work after a lousy effort against Florida State, particularly in the red zone. And while quarterback Jayden Daniels showed once again he’s a big play waiting to happen running the football, he’s yet to prove he can consistently push the ball downfield in the passing game. But perhaps more troubling was the play of the secondary, which flat out got exposed by Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson and Co. Getting Maason Smith back at tackle and pairing him alongside Mekhi Wingo should help when it comes to pressuring the quarterback, but the DBs have to step up. Grambling offers a good opportunity to regroup this Saturday, but don’t sleep on a trip to Mississippi State the following week where quarterback Will Rogers won’t be afraid to put the ball in the air. — Scarborough

Up next: vs. Grambling (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

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Ryan Clark not happy after LSU’s loss to FSU

Ryan Clark weighs in on LSU’s season-opening loss to Florida State and what the Tigers need to do to improve.


Lane Kiffin waited all preseason to name a starting quarterback, which must have motivated Jaxson Dart. He started Saturday’s opener by completing his first 11 passes and finished the game with 334 passing yards and four touchdowns — all four going to Tre Harris — as the Rebels steamrolled FCS foe Mercer 73-7 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Harris, a transfer from Louisiana Tech, set an Ole Miss single-game record with four touchdown receptions. Spencer Sanders, an Oklahoma State transfer, took over for Dart at quarterback in the third quarter and also threw two touchdown passes, as the Rebels piled up 667 yards of total offense. Jordan Watkins‘ 70-yard punt return for a touchdown put the Rebels ahead 45-7 a few minutes into the third quarter and was their first punt return for a touchdown in 10 years. — Low

Up next: at Tulane (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)


The Blue Devils were one of the most improved teams in college football last season, but not many gave them a chance against Clemson. After all, they had lost their previous five meetings to the Tigers by an average of 31 points. But coach Mike Elko has done a masterful job since taking over Duke a year ago — and his team outcoached and outplayed Clemson in a 28-7 victory Monday night, a stunning victory in every facet. Quarterback Riley Leonard outplayed Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, with 273 total yards and a score. It was Duke’s first win over an AP Top 10 team since Sept. 30, 1989, when Steve Spurrier was the head coach. The team they beat? Clemson. Spurrier and members of the 1989 team happened to be at the game, watching yet another historic moment in Duke football history. — Adelson

Up next: vs. Lafayette (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)


After a frustrating 6-7 debut season, Brent Venables and his Sooners were looking for a bright start to 2023. Safe to say, beating Arkansas State 73-0 probably qualifies as “bright.” Dillon Gabriel (who only had to play in the first half) and backup Jackson Arnold completed a combined 30 of 33 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns as OU scored on every drive of the first three quarters. Nineteen different Sooners got a touch, and eight scored a touchdown. ASU, meanwhile, couldn’t top 200 total yards until the final drive of the game. This was always going to be a blowout, but it was a particularly resounding one. One assumes OU will find more resistance against SMU next week, but you couldn’t ask for a better start to a rebound year. — Connelly

Up next: vs. SMU (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)


The team of the offseason opened its season in record-setting fashion to beat TCU 45-42 on the road. Coach Deion Sanders was the story coming in, but his son Shedeur owned the spotlight by passing for 510 yards – a Colorado single-game record – and four touchdowns, while completing 38 passes. Travis Hunter, the other headliner in Deion Sanders’ massive group of newcomers, had an interception and 119 receiving yards while logging a staggering 129 snaps in his Buffaloes debut. Colorado had four 100-yard receivers for the first time and snapped a streak of 24 consecutive losses as an underdog of 21 points or more. The defense needs work after surrendering 541 yards, but Colorado appears much better than many of the bleak preseason forecasts, of which Sanders and his players have “got receipts.” — Rittenberg

Up next: vs. Nebraska (Noon ET, Fox)

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Sam Acho: Shedeur Sanders was MVP of Colorado’s win over TCU

Sam Acho has a lot of praise for Shedeur Sanders after Colorado’s win over TCU.


The head coach Jimbo Fisher-offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino pairing got off to a high-flying start in a 52-10 blowout of New Mexico, giving the Aggies hope last season’s woes that led to a 5-7 season are gone. The Aggies scored on their first five possessions and sophomore QB Conner Weigman had a career-high five touchdown passes, three to Noah Thomas and two to Evan Stewart, who had 8 catches for 115 yards. Since Weigman took over as the Aggies’ starter last October, he has thrown 12 TDs with zero interceptions — that’s the most touchdowns without an interception in the FBS during that span. The defense dominated as expected, allowing 91 yards and just 2.8 yards per carry. Another new face, Boston College transfer Josh DeBerry, made an instant impact with 10 tackles, a sack and an interception. — Dave Wilson

Up next: at Miami (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)


The Badgers’ new-look offense looked flat in the first half. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai threw an interception and Wisconsin held just a four-point lead over Buffalo. It was a different story in the second half, however, as the Badgers showed flashes of the offense new coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo are hoping to build. Running back Chez Mellusi ripped off an 89-yard touchdown run and finished the game with 157 yards and two total touchdowns. Braelon Allen also got in on the scoring with two rushing touchdowns and 141 yards of his own. — VanHaaren

Up next: at Washington State (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)


Picking up where they left off in last January’s Cotton Bowl Classic upset of USC, quarterback Michael Pratt was nearly flawless and Tulane began the season with a bang. Pratt completed 14 of 15 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns (three in the first half). Pratt’s second career four-touchdown game tied him with Patrick Ramsey for the Green Wave’s career passing touchdown record (72). Pratt connected with Jha’Quan Jackson (three receptions for 106 yards) for touchdown passes of 47 and 48 yards, helping highlight an offense that racked up 436 total yards. — Blake Baumgartner

Up next: vs. Ole Miss (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)


This was supposed to be the start of a new era for the Tigers. Dabo Swinney fired Brandon Streeter as offensive coordinator and brought in the hottest name on the market, Garrett Riley. QB DJ Uiagalelei, who shouldered much of the blame for Clemson’s offensive struggles in 2021 and 2022, transferred to Oregon State, and the keys to the offense were handed to Cade Klubnik. And Monday was to be the grand unveiling. Instead, it was more of the same. Klubnik struggled mightily, the receivers were rarely open and mistakes abounded. Four trips into the red zone resulted in zero points, and turnovers handed Duke several prime opportunities. If 2023 was supposed to be a rebirth, Monday sure looked a lot more like a step backwards. — David Hale

Up next: vs. Charleston Southern (2:15 p.m. ET, ACC Network)

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Duke fans storm the field after historic upset of No. 9 Clemson

Duke fans rush the field to celebrate a monumental upset of No. 9 Clemson.

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Building the perfect trade deadline for the Mets and Phillies

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Building the perfect trade deadline for the Mets and Phillies

There’s plenty of history in the rivalry between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. It’s about 116 miles from Citi Field to Citizens Bank Park. The two teams been competing for the NL East since 1969. Star players from Tug McGraw to Jerry Koosman to Lenny Dykstra to Pedro Martinez to Zack Wheeler have played for both franchises. Mets fans loathe the Phanatic, and Phillies fans laugh derisively at Mr. Met.

Despite this longevity, the two teams have rarely battled for a division title in the same season. The only years they finished No. 1 and 2 or were battling for a division lead late in the season:

  • 1986: Mets finished 21.5 games ahead

  • 2001: Both finished within six games of the Braves

  • 2006: Mets finished 12 games ahead

  • 2007: Phillies finished one game ahead

  • 2008: Phillies finished three games ahead

  • 2024: Phillies finished six games ahead of Mets and Braves

So it’s a rare treat to see the Mets and Phillies battling for the NL East lead in as New York faces the San Francisco Giants on “Sunday Night Baseball” this week. This season has also been a bit of bumpy ride for both teams, so there is pressure on both front offices to make trade deadline additions in hopes of winning the World Series that has eluded both franchises in recent years despite high payrolls and star-laden rosters. Let’s dig into what both teams need to do before Thursday.

The perfect trade deadline for the Mets

1. Bullpen help

The Mets already acquired hard-throwing lefty Gregory Soto from the Orioles, but David Stearns will likely look for another reliever, given that the Mets’ bullpen has struggled since the beginning of June with a 5.02 ERA. In my grade of the trade, I pointed out the importance for the Mets to add left-handed relief. Think of potential playoff opponents and all the key left-handed batters: Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper on the Phillies; Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy on the Dodgers; Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong on the Cubs.

Soto has held lefties to a .138 average this season, and it does help that the Mets have two lefty starters in David Peterson and Sean Manaea. They also just activated Brooks Raley after he had been out since early 2024. If he is back to his 2022-23 form, when he had a 2.74 ERA and held lefties to a .209 average, maybe the Mets will feel good enough about their southpaw relief.

They could still use another dependable righty reliever. Mets starters were hot early on, but they weren’t going deep into games, and outside of Peterson, the lack of longer outings is a big reason the bullpen ERA has skyrocketed. Carlos Mendoza has overworked his setup guys, including Huascar Brazoban and Reed Garrett. Brazoban has never been much of a strike thrower anyway, and Garrett similarly faded in the second half last season. Adding a high-leverage righty to set up Edwin Diaz makes sense. Candidates there include David Bednar of the Pirates, Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals, Griffin Jax or Jhoan Duran of the Twins, or maybe a longer shot such as Emmanuel Clase or Cade Smith of the Guardians.

2. Think big, as in Eugenio Suarez

Mark Vientos was a huge key to last season’s playoff appearance and trip to the NLCS, hitting .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs after beginning the season in Triple-A. He hasn’t been able to replicate that performance, though, hitting .224/.279/.354. That has led to a revolving door at third base, with Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio starting games there in July. Overall, Mets third basemen ranked 24th in the majors in OPS entering Friday.

Lack of production at third is one reason the Mets’ offense has been mediocre rather than very good — they’re averaging 4.38 runs per game, just below the NL average of 4.43. They could use another premium bat, given the lack of production they’ve received from center field and catcher (not to mention Francisco Lindor‘s slump since the middle of June). Maybe Francisco Alvarez‘s short stint back in Triple-A will get his bat going now that he’s back in the majors, but going after Suarez to hit behind Juan Soto and Pete Alonso would lengthen the lineup.

3. Reacquire Harrison Bader to play CF

Tyrone Taylor is a plus defender in center and has made several incredible catches, but he’s hitting .209/.264/.306 for a lowly OPS+ of 65. Old friend Bader is having a nice season with the Twins, hitting .251/.330/.435. Maybe that’s a little over his head, given that he had a .657 OPS with the Mets last season, but he would still be an offensive upgrade over Taylor without losing anything on defense — and he wouldn’t cost a top-tier prospect. The Mets could still mix in Jeff McNeil against the really tough righties, but adding Suarez and Bader would give this lineup more of a championship feel.

The perfect deadline for the Phillies

1. Acquire Jhoan Duran

Like the Mets, the Phillies already made a move here, signing free agent David Robertson, who had a 3.00 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 72 innings last season with the Rangers. On paper, he should help, but he’s also 40 and will need a few games in the minors to get ready. Even with Robertson, the Phillies could use some more help here. They’ll eventually get Jose Alvarado back from his 60-game PED suspension, but Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason. At least the Mets have an elite closer in Edwin Diaz. Jordan Romano leads the Phillies with eight saves and has a 6.69 ERA. Matt Strahm is solid, but more useful as a lefty setup guy than a closer (think of all those left-handed batters we listed for the Mets, then sub out Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo for Harper and Schwarber).

And the Phillies’ bullpen has consistently come up short in big games. Think back to last year’s NLDS, when Jeff Hoffman lost twice to the Mets. Or 2023, when Craig Kimbrel lost two games in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks. Or the 2022 World Series, when Yordan Alvarez hit the huge home run off Alvarado in the clinching Game 6.

So, yes, a shutdown closer is a must. Maybe that’s Bednar, maybe Clase if he’s available (although he struggled in last year’s postseason), maybe Helsley. But the guy Dave Dombrowski should go all-in to get: Duran. The window for the Phillies is slowly closing as the core players get older. Duran is under control through 2027, so he’s a fit for now and the immediate future. The trade cost might be painful, but with his 100 mph fastball and splitter, he has the elite stuff you need in October.

2. Add Ryan O’Hearn

The Phillies have received below-average production from both left field (mostly Max Kepler) and center field (Brandon Marsh/Johan Rojas platoon). The center-field market is pretty thin except for Bader or maybe a gamble on Luis Robert Jr. I’d pass on Robert, stick with the Marsh/Rojas platoon and upgrade left field with O’Hearn, who is hitting .281/.375/.452 for the Orioles. He isn’t the perfect fit since, like Kepler, he hits left-handed and struggles against lefties, but he’s a patient hitter with a much better OBP, and he’s passable in the outfield.

3. Acquire Willi Castro

Here’s the bottom line: The Phillies have to admit that some of their long-term position players aren’t getting the job done — such as second baseman Bryson Stott, who has a 77 OPS+. Third baseman Alec Bohm has been better but also has a below-average OPS.

That makes Castro a nice fit. He’s not a star, but he’s an above-average hitter, a switch-hitter who plays all over the field for the Twins, having started games at five different positions. He could play second or third or start in left field against a lefty. Philadelphia could even start him in center instead of Rojas, although that would be a defensive hit. Bottom line: Castro would give the Phillies a lot more versatility — or a significant offensive upgrade over Stott if they start him every day at second.

Note as well: Stott has hit .188 in 33 career postseason games. Bohm has hit .214 with two home runs in 34 postseason games. The Phillies need a different offensive look for October.

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Olney: The 8 teams most desperate to make a deadline deal

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Olney: The 8 teams most desperate to make a deadline deal

It would be ideal if every MLB team were so desperate to win that they would do whatever it takes. But in an industry with so many variables from team to team — roster composition, payroll commitment, market size, owner ambition, fan rabidity and history — some organizations are willing to go further and do more than others.

The New York Mets paid more in luxury taxes last season ($97 million) than the Pittsburgh Pirates have dedicated to payroll this season, and Pittsburgh could attempt to reduce salary commitments even further at this year’s trade deadline.

Some teams are more desperate than others. As we near the July 31 deadline, we present the teams most desperate to make a deal.


New York played in the World Series last year, and in a lot of markets, that might be enough to satisfy a fan base. But not with the Yankees, whose most faithful fans judge them under the George Steinbrenner Doctrine: If you don’t win the World Series, you’ve had a bad year. This is a constant.

The Yankees could return to where they were last October. The 33-year-old Aaron Judge, one of the most dynamic hitters ever, is having another historic season. New York wants to take advantage of that — particularly because the American League is wide open with as many as seven or eight AL teams having reasonable paths to the World Series.

But the Yankees still have distinct holes. They badly need an upgrade at third base, which someone like Eugenio Suarez could fill. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt suffered season-ending elbow injuries, leaving a need for another experienced starting pitcher. Their bullpen also needs help in the sixth and seventh innings.

After the departure of Juan Soto, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman are probably under more pressure to do something this season than any of their peers. What else is new?


It’s remarkable how similar this version of the Phillies is to the teams that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski constructed in Detroit, with Philadelphia’s strong starting pitching (Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez playing the roles of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer) and a lineup of sluggers (Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper as Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder).

The major question that hangs over this Philadelphia team, as was the case with those Tigers teams, is about the bullpen: Is there enough depth and power? For the Phillies, that is complicated by the situation with lefty Jose Alvarado, who will return in August from his 80-game suspension under the PED policy but not be eligible for the postseason.

The Phillies paid heavily for free agent reliever David Robertson, giving him the equivalent of a $16 million salary for the rest of the regular season, but they could use another reliever who is adept at shutting down high-end right-handed hitters in the postseason.


On the days Tarik Skubal pitches, the Tigers could be the best team in baseball; it’s possible that in the postseason, he could be his generation’s version of Orel Hershiser or Madison Bumgarner, propelling his team through round after round of playoffs to the World Series.

But the Tigers might have Skubal for only the rest of this year and next season, before he, advised by his agent Scott Boras, heads into free agency and becomes maybe the first $400 million pitcher in history.

Now is the time for Detroit to make a push for its first championship in more than four decades. And for Scott Harris, the team’s president of baseball operations, that means adding a couple of high-impact relievers capable of generating a lot of swing-and-misses.


The Mariners showed they are serious about making moves before this deadline with Thursday’s trade for first baseman Josh Naylor.

The last time the Mariners reached the league championship series, Ichiro Suzuki — who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend — was a rookie. Edgar Martinez was a 38-year-old designated hitter, and Jamie Moyer and Freddy Garcia were the staff aces. You get the point: It has been a really long time since the Mariners have had postseason success, and the team has never reached the World Series.

An opportunity seems to be developing for Seattle. The talented rotation, hammered by injuries in the first months of this season, could be whole for the stretch run. Cal Raleigh is having the greatest season by a catcher, contending with Judge for the AL MVP Award. Julio Rodriguez has generally been a strong second-half player.

Even ownership seems inspired: After a winter in which the Mariners spent almost nothing to upgrade the roster, other teams report that Seattle could absorb money in trades before the deadline.


5. New York Mets

Owner Steve Cohen doesn’t sport the highest payroll this year — the Dodgers’ Mark Walter is wearing that distinction — but the Mets are well over the luxury tax threshold again, in the first season after signing Juan Soto. Cohen has made it clear that generally, he will do what it takes to land the club’s first championship trophy since 1986.

But that does not include preventing David Stearns, the Mets’ respected president of baseball operations, from doing what he does best — making subtle and effective deals at the trade deadline. Rival execs expect that Stearns will work along the same lines he did last year — finding trades that improve the team’s depth without pillaging its growing farm system. That could mean adding a starting pitcher capable of starting Game 1, 2 or 3 of a postseason series, as well as bullpen depth.

Cohen is experiencing the impact of overseeing a front office that made an impetuous win-now trade at the 2021 deadline, when the Mets swapped a minor leaguer named Pete Crow-Armstrong for two months of Javier Baez. That clearly didn’t pan out for them. Cohen is desperate to win, but within the prescribed guardrails.


Last winter, the Padres had to live with the knowledge that they were probably the best team other than the Dodgers and that they came within a win of knocking out L.A. There is a lot about San Diego’s 2025 roster to like: Manny Machado clearly responds to a big stage, and the bullpen could be the most dominant at a time of year when relief corps often decide championships.

However, as Padres general manager A.J. Preller navigates this trade deadline in the hopes of living out late owner Peter Seidler’s dream of winning San Diego’s first World Series title, he has a relatively thin, aging, top-heavy roster with a lot of significant payroll obligations. This is why the Padres are considering trading Dylan Cease, who is potentially the highest-impact starter available on the market. Preller could move Cease to fill other roster needs, current and future ones, and then deal for a cheaper veteran starter to replace him.

“He’ll have to rob Peter to pay Paul,” one of Preller’s peers said.


Hope has emerged after the team’s all-in, $500 million signing of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with the Blue Jays taking the lead in the AL East.

Toronto’s rotation is comprised of an older group — 34-year-old Kevin Gausman, 36-year-old Chris Bassitt, 40-year-old Max Scherzer and 31-year-old Jose Berrios. Without a clear favorite in the AL, Toronto could break through for its first title since the Jays went back-to-back in 1992-93 — and in just the second season since the club’s expensive renovations of Rogers Centre were completed. When Alex Anthopoulos led the front office a decade ago, he made an all-in push to get the Jays back into the playoffs, adding players like David Price because he believed this was the right time for them to take their shot — and they came very close to getting back to the World Series.

Reportedly, Mark Shapiro — the team’s incoming president at the time — did not approve of Anthopoulos’ strategy. Now, Shapiro’s Blue Jays are in a similar situation in 2025 to where they were under Anthopoulos: Will they wheel and deal aggressively before the deadline, or will they be conservative?


The Dodgers won the World Series in 2024, after taking the title in the shortened season of 2020. So, if they don’t win a championship this year, it’s not as if a bunch of people are getting fired and the roster will be jettisoned. But winning can be intoxicating, especially when the lineup and rotation are loaded with stars: The Dodgers can envision a postseason in which a starting staff of Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto could propel the team to a second consecutive title.

But the Dodgers’ bullpen — heavily worked in the first months of this season because of injuries to the rotation — is in tatters due to injuries. Will the Dodgers’ push to become the first team to repeat as champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees drive them to swap valuable prospects for needed bullpen help before the deadline? We’re about to find out.


This is a team very well-suited for the postseason: The Cubs are a strong defensive team; they have a deep lineup around Kyle Tucker, in what might be Tucker’s only season in Chicago; and they put the ball in play.

They’ve got a good farm system, as well as an experienced president of baseball operations in Jed Hoyer. He was part of championships in Boston in 2004 and 2007 and was the Cubs’ general manager for their 2016 title. He and Theo Epstein made the Nomar Garciaparra deal at the trade deadline in 2004, in advance of Boston’s breakthrough title in 2004, and the all-in trade for Aroldis Chapman on the way to the Cubs’ first World Series win in 108 years in 2016.

But the X factor for Chicago in recent years is whether ownership operates with the same desperation — in the way that Astros owner Jim Crane did when he pushed through a Justin Verlander trade for Houston in August 2017.

This seems to be a good time for the Cubs to be desperate, to do anything to win another championship. Will a title be a priority for owner Tom Ricketts?

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Schwarber reaches 1,000-hit milestone with HR

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Schwarber reaches 1,000-hit milestone with HR

NEW YORK — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber topped Mark McGwire for most home runs among a player’s first 1,000 hits, hitting long ball No. 319 during Friday night’s 12-5 victory over the New York Yankees.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not,” Schwarber said.

Ten days after lifting the National League to victory in the first All-Star Game swing-off, Schwarber keeps going deep. He hit a pair of two-run homers Friday night, with the first drive, his milestone hit, starting the comeback from a 2-0 deficit. He got the ball back after it was grabbed by a Phillies fan attending with his friends in Yankee Stadium’s right-center-field seats.

“I saw it on the video and then I see the dude tugging,” Schwarber said. “I’m like: ‘Oh, they all got Philly stuff on.’ That was cool.”

He met the trio after the game, gave an autographed ball to each and exchanged hugs. When he went to get a third ball to autograph, one of the three said he just wanted the potential free agent to re-sign with the Phillies.

“You show up to the field every single day trying to get a win at the end of the day, and I think our fans kind of latch on to that, right?” Schwarber said. “It’s been fantastic these last 3½ years, four years now. The support that we get from our fans and it means a lot to me that, you know, that they attach themselves to our team.”

Schwarber tied it at 2-2 in the fifth against Will Warren when he hit a 413-foot drive on a first-pitch fastball.

After J.T. Realmuto‘s three-run homer off Luke Weaver built a 6-3 lead in a four-run seventh and the Yankees closed within a run in the bottom half, Schwarber sent an Ian Hamilton fastball 380 feet into the right-field seats.

Schwarber reached 1,000 hits with eight more homers than McGwire. Schwarber has 36 homers this year, three shy of major league leader Cal Raleigh, and six homers in seven games since he was voted All-Star MVP. He has 33 multihomer games.

“I don’t know where we’d be without him,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Comes up with big hit after big hit after big hit. It’s just — it’s amazing.”

Schwarber, 32, is eligible for free agency this fall after completing a four-year, $79 million contract. He homered on all three of his swings in the All-Star Game tiebreaker, and when the second half began, Phillies managing partner John Middleton proclaimed: “We love him. We want to keep him.”

“He’s been an incredible force all season long,” Realmuto said. “What he’s meant to his team, his offense, it’s hard to put in words.”

A World Series champion for the 2016 Chicago Cubs, Schwarber has reached 35 homers in all four seasons with the Phillies. He’s batting .255 with 82 RBIs and a .960 OPS.

He also has almost as many home runs as singles (46).

Schwarber had not been aware he topped McGwire for most homers among 1,000 hits.

“I had no clue. I didn’t even know it was my 1,000th, to be honest with you,” he said.

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