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Champ week is just around the corner, and the stakes are high as teams look to gain one of the College Football Playoff’s first-round byes.

No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia will meet again for a second time this season in a rematch at the SEC championship game. Georgia handed Texas its only loss of the season, but will the Bulldogs be able to pull off the win again in Atlanta?

No. 15 Arizona State was listed in last place in the Big 12 preseason poll and have proved the conference wrong as it holds the top spot in the league. As the Sun Devils look to gain their first Big 12 title, what do they need to do to beat Iowa State?

Our college football experts preview all of Champ Week’s biggest matchups and players to watch, and share quotes from players and coaches leading up to this week’s games.

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SEC | ACC | Big Ten
Big 12 | Mountain West | Players to watch
Quotes of the Week

What does Texas need to do to win? It starts with not getting behind early and having to play catchup similar to the last game between the teams. Georgia built a 23-0 lead and took the home crowd out of the game, and keep in mind that this game is being played in Atlanta, meaning Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be painted in red and black. In keeping with that theme, the Longhorns need to be able to run the ball and not put their quarterback(s) in tough situations. After falling behind in the first game, Texas was forced to throw 49 times. Quinn Ewers was sacked five times and Arch Manning two times. Texas’ pass protection could be even dicier in this game if star left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (ankle) can’t play or is limited. Clearly, Texas plans to use Manning situationally in the running game, which could help slow the Georgia pass rush.

On defense, Texas has surely scoured the tape from the Georgia-Ole Miss game. The Bulldogs couldn’t protect quarterback Carson Beck, who was sacked five times and threw an interception. Beck was held to 186 passing yards in that game. Texas has one of the top cornerbacks in the country, Jahdae Barron, and needs to find a way to force some turnovers and put Georgia in obvious passing situations. Beck has been turnover prone at times this season and was intercepted three times in the first game in Austin.

What does Georgia need to do to win? In both of its losses this season, Georgia was in a position where it had to come from behind, including getting down 28-0 at Alabama. The Bulldogs have long been one of the most physical teams in the country under Kirby Smart and need to be the most physical team on the field Saturday in Atlanta. That’s what was so disappointing about the 28-10 loss to Ole Miss. The Bulldogs were bullied physically. So establishing the run game against the Longhorns and not allowing them to run it will be critical. The other obvious factor will be not giving Texas short fields with turnovers. Quarterback Beck had thrown 12 interceptions in the previous six games prior to the 31-17 win over Tennessee. He threw for 347 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Vols, and it’s that kind of efficiency the Bulldogs will need Saturday.

Georgia’s offensive line played its best game against Tennessee, which had not given up more than 19 points in a game coming into that contest. Giving Beck time to throw will be vital, especially because Texas has given up very few big plays on defense. The Longhorns rank first nationally in fewest plays from scrimmage allowed of 20 yards or longer (24) and 30 yards or longer (seven). Hitting some explosive plays down the field would help loosen up a Texas defense that has allowed more than 17 points only twice all season, one of those times in the 30-15 loss to Georgia. The Bulldogs have been excellent on special teams. Place-kicker Peyton Woodring has missed only two field goals, both from 50-plus yards, and punter Brett Thorson is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. — Chris Low


What does Clemson need to do to win? The Tigers have been here many, many times before, making Charlotte a quasi-home away from home considering its two-hour proximity to campus and the fact they have won seven of the past nine ACC championship games. Their experience in this environment should give them an intangible edge, as SMU is playing in its first ACC title game. The last time the Tigers were here in 2022, Cade Klubnik came off the bench to replace DJ Uiagalelei, picked up championship game MVP honors in a 39-10 win over North Carolina and has firmly entrenched himself as the starter. This has been his best year yet, as he has thrown for 3,041 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. Clemson has had its most success when it finds the right balance between Klubnik and running back Phil Mafah, who has rushed for 1,078 yards. But more than that, Clemson must find a way to fix its run defense. In losses to Louisville and South Carolina, the Tigers allowed more than 200 yards rushing — uncharacteristic for a defense that prides itself on its strength up front.

What does SMU need to do to win? One ACC coach said Clemson has the better team, but SMU has done a terrific job being opportunistic. That part is undeniable. SMU has forced 21 turnovers and scored four defensive touchdowns, but maybe more impressive, the Mustangs are plus-77 in points scored off turnovers. So yes, they have done a great job at being opportunistic in this category. Coach Rhett Lashlee said the most important thing for his team to do to win is to not deviate from what has gotten it here — play physical, create turnovers and play loose and free on offense behind Kevin Jennings, who is 9-0 since he took over as the starter following Week 3. Brashard Smith has come on strong in the backfield, too, earning All-ACC honors after rushing for 1,157 yards and 14 touchdowns. SMU has not let any moment get too big for it this season, and that is partly because Jennings is as even-keel as they come. He led the team to the American Athletic Conference championship last year as an injury replacement for Preston Stone. The stage won’t be too big, but SMU will have to match Clemson’s physicality and force some turnovers to take home another championship. — Andrea Adelson


What does Oregon need to do to win? Played indoors at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Big Ten championship game often favors teams with superior speed. Oregon checks those boxes and can also match opponents at the line of scrimmage. The Ducks recorded their biggest win of the season against Ohio State by challenging the Buckeyes’ secondary with receivers Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson, who combined for 14 receptions, 224 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon needs to force Penn State’s defensive backs to stop downfield passes.

The Ducks’ defensive line has held up very well against the run, allowing 81 rushing yards or fewer in five games. Oregon allowed explosive runs to Boise State‘s Ashton Jeanty and Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and will need to limit Penn State’s talented tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Penn State lacks the wide receiver threats that Ohio State had, but tight end Tyler Warren presents a major matchup problem for most defenses. Coach Dan Lanning and coordinator Tosh Lupoi must craft a plan to limit Warren.

What does Penn State need to do to win? Since the start of the 2023 season, Penn State leads the FBS in yards per rush allowed (2.66). The path to beating Oregon starts with stopping Jordan James, who averages 5.7 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns and, while not a burner, consistently gains yards. Penn State ideally wants to mimic what Wisconsin‘s defense did against the Ducks. The Badgers twice turned away Oregon in their own red zone and allowed only one play longer than 25 yards. Penn State must make Oregon work for its points and ideally play a low-possession game in which field position, takeaways and special teams become the difference.

The Lions also need innovation from offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who has been masterful in using Warren and getting more out of quarterback Drew Allar, despite some limitations at receiver. Penn State will need to generate some chunk plays against an Oregon defense that has been susceptible to them through the air. — Adam Rittenberg


What does Arizona State need to do to win? Iowa State’s defense allowed just 14.4 points per game in the Cyclones’ 7-0 start but is allowing 26.8 over its 3-2 finish. Jordyn Tyson, who leads the Sun Devils in targets, catches, receiving yards and receiving TDs, is out for the season with an injury, so finding room for running back Cam Skattebo is key. The Sun Devils have a big, experienced offensive line, and Skattebo had five games with more than 150 rushing yards, second only to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, despite missing a game because of a shoulder injury. Skattebo’s 42.5 receiving yards per game also ranks third among running backs.

Redshirt freshman QB Sam Leavitt has taken care of the ball all season, with 21 touchdowns to five INTs, but Iowa State has seven players who have combined for 14 picks, and without his favorite target, he’ll have to stay disciplined against an opportunistic defense.

What does Iowa State need to do to win? The Cyclones’ defense is second best nationally in pass completion percentage allowed, but it has struggled in key run statistics. They rank 112th in yards per carry allowed at 5.1, 114th in percentage of opponents runs that go five or more yards, and 121st in yards before contact. This is a concern against Skattebo, who is second nationally in forced missed tackles with 93, so they’ll have to get him on the ground.

Offensively, the Cyclones boast the only pair of 1,000-yard receivers in the FBS in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, and quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown a TD in 16 straight games, the longest such streak in school history. The Cyclones’ passing game struggled against Kansas State, with Becht going 13-of-35 for 137 yards, but he still threw two touchdowns in the 29-21 win to help Iowa State to its first 10-win season in school history. — Dave Wilson


What does Boise State need to do to win? It sounds simple, but the recipe for Boise continues to be the same: Give the ball to Ashton Jeanty and watch him go. Against UNLV, however, exactly how Jeanty fares will be particularly important. The Rebels were one of only a few teams able to somewhat contain the Heisman Trophy contender — he had 128 rushing yards (his second-lowest total on the season) and only one touchdown.

Still, Jeanty and Boise did enough to win their regular-season matchup, and it will be fascinating to watch the Rebels’ defense and Boise’s offensive line battle it out now that they have film on each other. Whoever can either move or halt the game’s biggest chess piece (Jeanty) most effectively will likely emerge with a victory and a conference title.

What does UNLV need to do to win? During that late October matchup, Jeanty’s explosiveness was stifled. His longest run of the night was 16 yards, by far his lowest for any game this season. If the Rebels want any chance to win this game and spoil the Broncos’ season, they’ll need to once again do the same, if not better. The good news is they have the personnel and the scheme to do it.

Defensive coordinator Michael Scherer has UNLV defending the run better than nearly anyone this season. The unit is ranked 10th in the country in run defense, allowing just over 100 rushing yards per game, and it has allowed only nine rushes of 20 yards or more (good for 16th overall). Jeanty met his match in October, yet still got his yards. If Scherer and Co. can replicate their performance, they should be in position to win. — Paolo Uggetti


Players to watch from each championship team

Clemson: LB Barrett Carter

A week ago, Clemson’s defense was stout — unless it came to stopping QB LaNorris Sellers. South Carolina’s battering ram of a QB is an exception to many rules, but SMU will present some similar problems. Kevin Jennings is a mobile quarterback, but he’s also more than capable of beating teams with his arm. Brashard Smith has made countless defenders look foolish this year. SMU’s slot receiver and tight end play have been strong. All of that is a lot of pressure on a talented linebacking corps for Clemson, led by Carter. SMU wants to stress a defense by forcing linebackers to make choices — knowing the Mustangs’ offense can beat a team multiple ways. But Carter’s a veteran, and he’s not fooled easily. — David Hale

SMU: S Isaiah Nwokobia

The first-team All-ACC linebacker has been a tackling machine for the Mustangs, racking up 91 stops to go with three picks, three pass breakups, two QB hurries and three tackles for loss. He’s versatile, consistent and fast — more than capable of helping in the run game but also holding up well in coverage. His ability to do a little of everything opens up options for SMU to get after QB Cade Klubnik, who has struggled against better defenses since taking over as QB1 in 2023. — Hale

Georgia: TB Nate Frazier

One of the best ways for Georgia to take pressure off quarterback Carson Beck is to establish a running game and open up the play-action passing game. In the teams’ first meeting, Georgia ran for 108 yards on 30 carries. That might not seem like much, but Texas was held to just 29 rushing yards after sacks. The Bulldogs might get back senior tailback Trevor Etienne, who has been battling a rib injury. Etienne was upgraded to questionable on Wednesday’s availability report. He ran for 87 yards with three touchdowns in the first meeting.

Freshman Nate Frazier has emerged as Georgia’s No. 1 tailback during his absence. Frazier ran for a career-high 136 yards with three touchdowns against UMass on Nov. 23, then scored the winning touchdown in the Bulldogs’ eight-overtime marathon against Georgia Tech last week. — Mark Schlabach

Texas: QB Quinn Ewers

Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers struggled against Georgia’s tenacious pass rush in the first meeting. Ewers was briefly benched in that game, but backup Arch Manning didn’t have much success, either. Georgia pressured the Texas quarterbacks on 23 of 59 dropbacks, and Ewers and Manning combined to complete 5 of 13 attempts for 46 yards when under duress. They were sacked seven times and lost three fumbles. Ewers has been battling a low-grade high ankle sprain the past few weeks. He was effective in last week’s 17-7 win at Texas A&M Aggies, throwing for 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Longhorns leaned heavily on their running game the past few weeks, but they can’t be one-dimensional against Georgia. Ewers is averaging 6.47 yards per attempt this season, which ranks 123rd out of 126 FBS quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. — Schlabach

Oregon: RB Jordan James

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is Oregon’s Heisman Trophy contender. But James is an underrated, yet critical, piece of the Ducks’ offense. He’s third in the Big Ten with 1,166 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns. In Oregon’s win over Ohio State on Oct. 12, James rushed for a game-high 125 yards, keeping the Buckeyes off balance. The Nittany Lions have a solid run defense, but Ohio State was able to pile up 176 rushing yards in its 20-13 win at Penn State last month. Likewise, Oregon can keep the Nittany Lions’ defense on its heels by remaining two-dimensional. — Jake Trotter

Penn State: DE Abdul Carter

The Ducks have allowed just 12 sacks, the second fewest in the Big Ten. They also have a sack-per-drop-back rate of just 2.9%, sixth lowest of all Power 4 teams. The Nittany Lions can’t allow Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel to sit back and pick them apart. Penn State boasts one of the most talented pass rushers in the country in Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who’s projected to be a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Carter, who has 10 sacks, is fifth nationally with an edge pressure rate of 17.2%. Him getting in the face of Gabriel early and often will be paramount for the Nittany Lions. — Trotter

Arizona State: RB Cam Skattebo

As goes Skattebo, so does Arizona State. In ASU’s two losses — against Texas Tech and Cincinatti — Skattebo was held to 60 and 75 yards rushing, respectively. In the Sun Devils’ other games, he averaged 140.3 yards rushing, including 177 in the regular-season finale against rival Arizona. Six of Skattebo’s 17 rushing touchdowns came in the past two games as the Sun Devils finished strong to reach the title game. If he winds up on the ballots of a few Heisman Trophy voters, it won’t come as a surprise. — Kyle Bonagura

Iowa State: WR Jaylin Noel

Noel will leave Ames as one of the best receivers in school history, having caught a pass in 44 consecutive games. In four years, he has 231 catches for 2,670 yards — which ranks Nos. 2 and 4 on the school’s all-time lists. Noel’s 67 catches for 1,013 yards this season came playing alongside receiver Jayden Higgins (80 catches, 1,068 yards), which makes them one of the best receiving tandems in college football. Noel has made at least five catches in eight straight games and has made at least two catches in every game over the past two seasons. — Bonagura

Boise State: QB Maddux Madsen

Yes, all eyes will be on Jeanty as they should be, but Madsen’s role will only get more important as the stakes get higher. So far, the sophomore quarterback has been a more-than-capable game manager for the Broncos, but if UNLV can limit Jeanty or even simply knock him off his rhythm, then Madsen will need to step up. Against the Rebels in the regular season, Madsen threw the ball 33 times — tied for second most in a game this season. It’s likely he’ll have to do the same this time around, and 18 completions for 209 yards might not cut it. — Uggetti

UNLV: Wide receiver Ricky White

The senior wideout might be the most talented player on the field not named Ashton Jeanty. White has caught 75 passes for 1,000 yards this season and 11 touchdowns despite having a quarterback change from the outgoing Matthew Sluka to Hajj-Malik Williams earlier this season. Though Williams is more of a dual-threat quarterback who has shown his ability on the ground (he has three games of 100 rushing yards or more), White has continued to be the top target, averaging over 13 yards per catch and crossing the 100-yard mark five times. White is a playmaker, and given that he’s facing one of the worst passing defenses in the nation in Boise State, his production will go a long way toward getting UNLV the win. — Uggetti


Quotes of the Week

“We’re playing for a freaking championship. That’s not good. It’s great. We’re playing one of the best teams in the country, that’s playing with a lot of precision on both sides of the ball, and we’re going to have to play our best football. We’ve not done that yet,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “But you know what? It ain’t too late to play our best football. Hopefully we can find a way to get that done this week and hold that trophy up.”

“We want to be a team that year in, year out, is viewed as a team that has a chance to compete to get to Charlotte. That’s what Clemson is every year. Everybody knows that if you want to win the championship, probably to some degree, you’re going to have to go through them,” SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. “We came into this season knowing that we wanted to just prove we belonged, and I think our guys have done that, and this is just another opportunity to see where we stand, see how we measure up against the team that has set that standard.”

“Absolutely not. Ashton Jeanty is the best football player in the country. For me, if you’re one of the best players in the country, you play in the championship game.” — Boise State coach Spencer Danielson on whether the Heisman race is over after Colorado‘s Deion Sanders declared it over in favor of Travis Hunter.

“Great competitors, they don’t care. We can play in the parking lot. It don’t matter.” — UNLV coach Barry Odom on the potential of his team playing in inclement weather in Boise.

“Obviously, there’s benefit to having more time to prepare for an opponent, and you should have a benefit if you go and win your conference championship game. So there’s definitely a huge advantage there of putting yourself a step closer to the end-all goal.” — Oregon coach Dan Lanning

“Being from PA, Penn State, seeing that game from 2016, them winning a championship, I always imagined being in that moment, trying to win a Big Ten championship. So being in that exact moment right now just feels good. Just got to go out there and win it.” — Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton

“I think he’s one of the most real people in the sport. I mean, you see the passion, emotion on the sideline. … It’s not fake, it’s real,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said of Matt Campbell and Iowa State. “When I was at Auburn, I had the ability to go study at one program in the country. I had two days. At that time, coach [Gus] Malzahn would let you go and study with the team … and I chose to go visit Iowa State. That was the program that I wanted to study from because I thought that they were overachieving at that time early in his career at a high level before he had built it up. Now he’s built it up.”

“It’s not payback. We have it in the back of our minds what they did to us. We have respect for them, but we don’t fear them.” — Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron

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2025 MLB All-Star rosters: Biggest snubs and other takeaways

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2025 MLB All-Star rosters: Biggest snubs and other takeaways

The initial 2025 MLB All-Star Game rosters are out, the product of the collaborative process between fans, players and the league. How did this annual confab do?

We already know that injuries will prevent some of these selectees from appearing in Atlanta, and replacement choices will be announced in the coming days. By the end of this post-selection period, we’ll wind up with something like 70 to 75 All-Stars for this season.

These first-draft rosters contain 65 players, the odd number stemming from the decision to send Clayton Kershaw to the festivities as a “Legend” pick. First reaction: Baseball’s newest member of the 3,000 strikeout club has earned everything he gets.

Now, on to the nitpicking.


American League

Biggest oversight: Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

The Twins’ lone representative on the initial rosters is outfielder Byron Buxton, a worthy selection. Ryan (8-4, 2.76 ERA) fell into a group of similar performers including Kansas City’s Kris Bubic and the Texas duo of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Bubic and deGrom made it, which is great, and Bubic in particular is quite a story.

But Ryan and Eovaldi didn’t make it, and both were probably a little more deserving that Seattle’s Bryan Woo, whose superficial numbers (8-4, 2.77) are very close to Ryan’s. But Woo plays in a more friendly pitching park, and the under-the-hood metrics favor Ryan.

The main takeaway: If this is the biggest discrepancy, the process worked well.

Second-biggest oversight: Many-way tie between several hitters

The every-team-gets-a-player rule, along with positional requirements, always knocks out worthy performers from teams with multiple candidates. Thus, a few picks on the position side might have gone differently.

The Rays are playing so well they probably deserve more than one player. Their most deserving pick made it — infielder Jonathan Aranda — along with veteran second baseman Brandon Lowe. Infielders such as J.P. Crawford (Seattle), Isaac Paredes (Houston) and Zach McKinstry (Detroit) had good cases to make it ahead of Lowe, whose power numbers (19 homers, 54 RBIs) swayed the players.

While acknowledging that Gunnar Henderson has had a disappointing season, I still think he deserved to be the Orioles’ default pick instead of Ryan O’Hearn. But the latter was selected as the AL’s starting DH by the fans, and Baltimore doesn’t deserve two players. It’s a great story that O’Hearn will be a first-time All-Star just a couple of weeks before his 32nd birthday.

Other thoughts

• The default White Sox selection is rookie starter Shane Smith, a Rule 5 pick from Milwaukee last winter. Smith is my lowest-rated player on the AL squad, but he has been consistently solid. Adrian Houser, an in-season pickup, has been great for Chicago and has arguably produced more value than Smith. But I like honoring the rookie who has been there the whole campaign.

• The Athletics’ Jacob Wilson was elected as a starter and is easily the most deserving player from that squad. I’m not sure I see a second pick there, but Brent Rooker made it as a DH. Rooker has been fine, but his spot could have gone to one of the overlooked hitters already mentioned, or perhaps Kansas City’s Maikel Garcia.

• Houston’s Jeremy Pena is a deserving choice and arguably should be the AL’s starter at shortstop instead of Wilson. Alas, he’s on the injured list, and though reports say he might soon resume baseball activities, it’s likely Pena will be replaced. Any of the above-mentioned overlooked hitters will do.

• As for the starters, the fans do a great job nowadays. I disagreed with them on a couple of spots, though. I would have gone with a keystone combo of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Pena rather than Gleyber Torres and Wilson, but I’d have them all on the team. And I would have definitely started Buxton over Javier Baez in the outfield.


National League

Biggest oversight: Juan Soto, New York Mets

Not sure how this happens, but I’m guessing Soto is a victim of his own standards. Yes, he signed a contract for an unfathomable amount of money, and so far, he hasn’t reinvented the game as a member of the Mets. He has just been lower-end Juan Soto, which is still one of the best players in the sport. His OBP is, as ever, north of .400, he leads the league in walks and it sure seems as if Pete Alonso has very much enjoyed hitting behind him.

The All-Star Game was invented for players like Soto, and though you might leave out someone like him if he is having a truly poor season, that’s not the case here. It is kind of amazing that he didn’t make it, while MacKenzie Gore and James Wood — both part of the trade that sent Soto from Washington to San Diego — did. They deserve it, and you can make a strong argument that a third player the Nats picked up in the trade — CJ Abrams — does as well. But Soto deserves it too.

Finally, the Marlins’ most-deserving pick is outfielder Kyle Stowers, who indeed ended up as their default selection. But he probably ended up with Soto’s slot.

Second-biggest oversight: Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers

It’s hard to overlook anyone on the Dodgers, but somehow Pages slipped through the cracks despite his fantastic all-around first half for the defending champs.

It was just a numbers game. I’ve got five NL outfielders rated ahead of Pages, and all but Soto made it, so no additional quibbles there. The fans voted in Ronald Acuna Jr. to start at his home ballpark. Having Acuna there in front of the fans in Atlanta makes sense. But he has played only half of the first half.

Other thoughts

• The shortstop position is loaded in the NL, but the only pure shortstops to make it were starter Francisco Lindor and Elly De La Cruz. Both are good selections, but the Phillies’ Trea Turner has been just as outstanding. Abrams and Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo are also deserving. The position has been so good that the player with the most career value currently playing shortstop in the NL — Mookie Betts — barely merits a mention. Betts has had a subpar half, but who will be surprised if he’s topping this list by the end of the season?

• Both leagues had three pitching staff slots given to relievers. The group in the AL (Aroldis Chapman, Josh Hader and Andres Munoz) was much more clear-cut than the one in the NL, which ended up with the Giants’ Randy Rodriguez, the Mets’ Edwin Diaz and the Padres’ Jason Adam. It made sense to honor someone from San Diego’s dominant bullpen, and you could have flipped a coin to pick between Adam and Adrian Morejon.

• Picking these rosters while meeting all the requirements and needs for teams and positions is hard. I don’t have any real issue with the pitchers selected for the NL. One of them is Atlanta’s Chris Sale, who is on the IL and will have to be replaced. My pick would be Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez (7-2, 2.68 ERA).

• And for the starting position players, Alonso should have gotten the nod over Freddie Freeman at first base, though it will be great to see Freeman’s reception when he takes the field in Atlanta. For that matter, the Cubs’ Michael Busch has had a better first half than Freeman at this point, though that became true only in the past few days, thanks to his explosion at Wrigley Field. I would have gone with Turner at short, but it’s close. And I’d have started Wood in place of Acuna.

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Nats seek ‘fresh approach,’ fire Martinez, Rizzo

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Nats seek 'fresh approach,' fire Martinez, Rizzo

The last-place Washington Nationals fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, the team announced Sunday.

Rizzo, 64, and Martinez, 60, won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, but the team has floundered in recent years. This season, the Nationals are 37-53 and stuck at the bottom of the National League East after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the World Series.

“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.

“While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

Mike DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft. An announcement will be made on the interim manager Monday, a day before the club begins a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rizzo has been the top decision-maker in Washington since 2013, and Martinez has been on board since 2018. Under Rizzo’s leadership, the team made the postseason four times: in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The latter season was Martinez’s lone playoff appearance.

“When our family assumed control of the team, nearly 20 years ago, Mike was the first hire we made,” Lerner said. “Over two decades, he was with us as we went from a fledging team in a new city to World Series champion. Mike helped make us who we are as an organization, and we’re so thankful to him for his hard work and dedication — not just on the field and in the front office, but in the community as well.”

The Nationals are in the midst of a rebuild that has moved slower than expected, though the team didn’t augment its young core much during the winter. Led by All-Stars James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, Washington has the second-youngest group of hitters in MLB and the sixth-youngest pitching staff.

The team lost 11 straight games in a forgettable stretch last month. And during a 2-10 run in June, Washington averaged just 2.5 runs. Since June 1, the Nationals have scored one run or been shut out seven times. In Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Boston, they left 15 runners on base.

There was industry speculation over the winter that the Nationals would spend money on free agents for the first time in several years, but that never materialized. Instead, the team made minor moves, signing free agents Josh Bell and Michael Soroka, trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and re-signing closer Kyle Finnegan. Now, the hope is a new management team, both on and off the field, can help change the franchise’s fortunes.

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

The rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will feature 19 first-timers — and one legend — as the pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday for the July 15 contest at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who made his first All-Star team in 2011, was named to his 11th National League roster as a special commissioner’s selection.

Kershaw, who became only the fourth left-hander to amass 3,000 career strikeouts, is 4-0 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts after beginning the season on the injured list. He joins Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as a legend choice, after the pair of sluggers were selected in 2022.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection Sunday.

Among the first-time All-Stars announced Sunday: Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and left-hander MacKenzie Gore; Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Pena; and Chicago Cubs 34-year-old left-hander Matthew Boyd.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

First-time All-Stars previously elected to start by the fans include Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Overall, the 19 first-time All-Stars is a drop from the 32 first-time selections on the initial rosters in 2024.

Kershaw would be the sentimental choice to start for the National League, although Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who leads NL pitchers in ERA and WAR, might be in line to start his second straight contest. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, a three-time All-Star, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA after Sunday’s complete-game victory and also would be a strong candidate to start.

“I think it would be stupid to say no to that. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Skenes said about the possibility of being asked to start by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I didn’t make plans over the All-Star break or anything. So, yeah, I’m super stoked.”

Kershaw has made one All-Star start in his career, in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.

Among standout players not selected were New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a $765 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who had made eight consecutive All-Star rosters since 2016.

Soto got off to a slow start but was the National League Player of the Month in June and entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NL in WAR among position players while ranking second in OBP, eighth in OPS and third in runs scored.

The players vote for the reserves at each position and selected Wood, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres as the backup outfielders. Kyle Stowers also made it as a backup outfielder as the representative for the Miami Marlins.

Unless Soto later is added as an injury replacement, he’ll miss his first All-Star Game since his first full season in 2019.

The Dodgers lead all teams with five representatives: Kershaw, Yamamoto and starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. The AL-leading Detroit Tigers (57-34) and Mariners have four each.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will join AL starters Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez, while Raleigh, the AL’s starting catcher, will be joined by Seattle teammates Bryan Woo, Andres Munoz and Julio Rodriguez.

Earning his fifth career selection but first since 2021 is Texas Rangers righty Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy after making only nine starts in his first two seasons with the Rangers and is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA. He has never started an All-Star Game, although Skubal or Brown would be the favorite to start for the AL.

The hometown Braves will have three All-Stars in Acuna, pitcher Chris Sale (his ninth selection, tied with Freeman for the second most behind Kershaw) and first baseman Matt Olson. The San Francisco Giants had three pitchers selected: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and reliever Randy Rodriguez.

The slumping New York Yankees ended up with three All-Stars: Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Max Fried. The Mets also earned three All-Star selections: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” Chisholm said. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

Rosters are expanded from 26 to 32 for the All-Star Game. They include starters elected by fans, 17 players (five starting pitchers, three relievers and a backup for each position) chosen in a player vote and six players (four pitchers and two position players) selected by league officials. Every club must be represented.

Acuna, Wood and Raleigh are the three All-Stars who have so far committed to participating in the Home Run Derby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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