From Dugout Dreams to WNBA Dominance ⚾🏀
Big swings, bigger blowouts… and a mid-game nap from Shohei Ohtani? Let’s go.
Here are 3 things you need to know. ⏬
1️⃣ Yankees Finally Wake Up 🛌
Remember how the Yankees lost 18–2 on Saturday?
It was so rough that Shohei Ohtani was caught napping in the dugout… literally. The clip went viral, and fans couldn’t stop laughing! (Want to know why stars swear by naps? We covered it here.)
Good thing Sunday gave the Yankees something to cheer about. After the beatdown the day before, New York came out focused, sharp, and loud.
Yankees pitcher Ryan Yarbrough held the Dodgers to just one run over six innings. And while Aaron Judge didn’t get a hit, the rest of the Yankees’ hitters stepped up with 11 hits, including a 2-run home run in the 3rd inning.
For the Dodgers, Ohtani and Freddie Freeman also went hitless, and Mookie Betts sat out with an injured toe.
Final score: Yankees 7, Dodgers 3.
🎥 Want to see the bounce back? Click here for the highlights.
The head-to-head series is done, and there’s still lots of baseball left to play. But both teams sit in first place in their divisions… so maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a World Series rematch this fall.
(Wait… what are divisions?! Major League Baseball has two leagues: American and National… think of them like the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences. Each league has three divisions: groups of nearby teams that play each other most often. The Yankees lead the American League East division. The Dodgers top the National League West.)
2️⃣ Star Power, Coast to Coast 🌟
We already told you that four of baseball’s top 10 players shared the field this weekend: Ohtani, Judge, Betts, and Freeman.
But they’re not the only names lighting up the league.
Here are a few more stars you should know:
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
He’s only 24 years old, and he’s already a Gold Glove shortstop with lightning speed and elite power. This year, he’s leading the entire league in doubles. And if you’re building a team from scratch, Bobby’s the guy a lot of experts would pick first.
Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
After a rocky start to the season… Devers has caught fire. He now leads all of Major League Baseball in runs batted in… or RBIs for short. (That means he’s been bringing teammates home by getting big hits when it counts.) It’s one of the clearest signs of a hitter who knows how to deliver under pressure.
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
This 6'6" pitcher is a FIREBALLER! He was last year’s Rookie of the Year… and now he’s gunning for the Cy Young (think: the MVP award… but only for pitchers!).
🎥 His pitches have nicknames like “splinker” and “ghost sinker” because… they look like this!
With an ERA of 2.15, he’s the most exciting young pitcher in the game.
(Wait… what’s ERA?! It stands for Earned Run Average… the lower, the better. It’s how many runs a pitcher gives up every 9 innings. Think of it like a report card for pitchers. If it’s near 2.00? That’s awesome… straight A’s!)
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
For the past 10 years, Trout has been the guy. Speed, power, defense… he did it all. But injuries have kept him off the field in recent years. Now he’s finally back in the lineup… and baseball is better for it. Here’s hoping we see more Trout highlights this summer.
From power hitters to power pitchers, baseball’s biggest names are putting on a show.
But if you’re looking for intensity, urgency, and trophies on the line… look no further than the WNBA.
3️⃣ Liberty Let It Fly, Lynx Lock It Down 🏆
The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup tipped off Sunday, and two undefeated powerhouses made opening statements loud enough to echo.
First, the New York Liberty delivered a historic beatdown… a 100–52 domination of the Connecticut Sun. That 48-point margin? Second-largest in league history.
The Liberty matched their own WNBA record with 19 made three-pointers, and every player scored. Sabrina Ionescu led with 18 points, while Jonquel Jones added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Liberty are now 7–0 on the season, tying the best start in franchise history.
🎥 Want to see what a 48-point blowout looks like?
Finally, out west, the Minnesota Lynx stayed perfect too, improving to 7–0 with an 86–75 win over the Golden State Valkyries.
Napheesa Collier (nickname: Phee) racked up 24 points and 11 rebounds, and the Lynx turned a one-point halftime deficit into a double-digit win by holding the Valkyries to just eight points in the third quarter.
🎥 Watch how Phee and the Lynx locked in and took over.
We’ll keep an eye on the action as the Commissioner’s Cup continues for the next few weeks!
That’s it for today’s action. Whether you’re dreaming of World Series rematches or Commissioner’s Cup crowns… we’ve always got stories coming your way.
See you tomorrow, Smallball-ers!
I would like more of the questions like the video game one! -Jake
Or if you are actually dreaming.—Samuel