The American League wins the MLB All-Star Game; 50 under-the-radar NFL players; Open Preview

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⚾ Good morning to everyone, but especially to…

Jarren Duran and the MLB All-Star Game

Unlike Monday’s Home Run Derby, in which lean Startup The MLB All-Star Game was spectacular from start to finish, before a thrilling finale.

• It started with a superstar rookie making history Paul Skenes Scoreless first round win against Stars Aaron Judge Is This is the best any All-Star event has ever seen and a dream for MLBMatt Snyder writes.
• Shohei Ohtani broke the scoreless deadlock in the third inning 400-foot three-run home runFirst Dodgers Player to homer in All-Star Game Mike Piazza In 1996.
• The A.L. responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, cutting the lead to two Juan Soto double.
• Jarren Duran Duran hit a two-run home run in the fifth and the A.L. won 5-3 from there. Earned MVP honors,

The outcome of the game was secondary. The most important thing was the star players – Skeens, Judge, Ohtani, Soto – being in the spotlight and thrilling throughout the game. Mike Axisa has more to say about the Midsummer Classic that is thoroughly entertaining.

👍 Honorable Mention

😬 And not so good morning…

Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers

The Gulf region remains in a stalemate, with no winner and no solution in sight. Brandon Aiyuk Requested trade From 49ers on Tuesday, a week before his term ends Report to training campAiyuk had been seeking a long-term contract throughout the offseason and Voluntary OTAs abandoned And Mandatory MinicampTheir cost later exceeded $100,000.

The problem is this: Aiyuk has very few options, and the 49ers have no plans to extend or trade him, even if teams are interested.

• Aiyuk is in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract and is due to receive $14.1 million. There are currently 13 wide receivers making more than that per year.
• The 49ers and Aiyuk were reportedly close to an extension earlier this offseason, before the wide receiver market exploded.
• Six of the nine highest-paid wide receivers got deals this offseason. That includes three — Justin Jefferson, AJ Brown And Amon-Ra St. Brown – Who earn at least $30 million per year.

Aiyuk is valuable in every way. Aiyuk, a second-team All-Pro last season, gained 1,342 yards. His 3.1 yards per route run ranked third in the NFL. He is a terrific intermediate and downfield threat, with 81% of his catches going for a first down or touchdown in the NFL. He is also one of the league’s premier blocking receivers, a coveted skill in San Francisco’s rushing attack.

there are Lots of logical landing spotsCody Benjamin Notes, and Cody Underlines Potential trade package Teams can offer.

The 49ers have addressed trade requests before, including for Aiyuk’s fellow wide receivers Deebo Samuel‘And it’s hard to imagine a team that’s in such a win-now mode losing such a fantastic player. But with him absent and sadly missed, nobody is feeling good about things.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

⛳ Open Preview: selections, field rankings, sleepers, and more

Who is ready for this? Very Would love to play some early morning (late night?) golf! The 2024 British Open starts tomorrow at 1:35 a.m. ET (Here’s how), so today we’re giving you our big preview. Let’s start with some Notable Tee Times,

• 4:47 pm — Ludwig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau, Tom Kim
• 5:09 pm — Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Tyrrell Hatton
• 9:26 am — Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka
• 9:37 am — Tiger Woods, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay
• 10:10 am — Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young

Scheffler is the favorite, followed by McIlroy (Full possibilities here), but neither of our golf experts, Kyle Porter and Patrick MacDonald, agree Pick them to winInstead, Patrick goes with…

• MacDonald: ,Tony Finau (50-1) — There is a lot to like about Finau’s game and his connection to Royal Troon. He is long off the tee and is one of the best iron players in the area, plus his short game has taken on a new dimension over the last few months. He arrives at The Open on the back of consecutive top-five finishes at the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship, and Finau has a solid Open track record.”

Here is their Full selection in several categories. Patrick also has Five Sleepers And Nine golfers to support,

I don’t think I’m spoiling much by revealing that McIlroy leads the second list. He has been very up close, very honest and openly emotional. These emotions will be at the center this weekKyle writes.

• Porter: “But it’s not really about floors and ceilings anymore, is it? It’s about what’s going on inside a player when he’s playing frantically over the last nine holes of a 72-hole tournament — desperate to make the most of his excellent play for a trophy. … McIlroy wants the arena, though. He wants to get back in it, whatever that means. He said this week that he’s ready to put himself out there again, and he’s eager to do so.”

Here’s more information:

🏈 50 under-the-radar NFL players who have 50 days left until the season opener

We humans love round numbers, which means today is a day to celebrate: we’re 50 days away Chiefs And Crows Opening of the 2024 NFL season.

To honor the occasion, I took a look at 50 potential under-the-radar players who could play a big role this season. Here are my favorites.

• Perales: ,Martin Emerson (CB), Browns — Emerson is one of those great players you probably haven’t heard of (unless you’re a Browns fan or you follow the NFL very closely). In fact, he’s barely eligible for this list, because he deserves to be on the radar. Over the past two years, Emerson has allowed only 45.8% of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed, the best mark in the NFL. His 50.8 passer rating as a primary defender in that span ranks 14th, ahead of more lauded teammates. Denzel Ward, Sauce Gardner And other top corners.”

At least one player from each team made it onto the list, so your favorite team is here!

Speaking of each team, our NFL staff has ranked all 32 offensive triplets — quarterback, running back and wide receiver — and you can see why top half here and this bottom half hereI was one of the voters, and although I will not disclose it which team is thisMy No. 1 became the overall No. 1. Great minds think alike!

⚾ MLB Draft Grades, Results & Analysis

After three days, it’s 615 up, 615 down for the 2024 MLB Draft, and we have Every single pick (with analysis for first rounders) right here.were there Some familiar nicknamesalso, including …

• Angels Drafted lucas ramirez (Manny’s son) in the 17th round.
• red Sox Drafted D’Angelo Ortiz (David’s son) in the 19th round.

Man, do I feel old?

As always, RJ Anderson did an incredible job throughout the draft cycle. Grades for all 30 teamsOf which 11 got “A” grade.

• Anderson: ,Patron — If you get first place overall, you better move on with good grades. Guardians do that. Travis Bazzana Has a great feel for the barrel and makes top notch swing decisions…prepares right Braylon Doughty And Joy Oak Both are interesting in different ways (Doughty would have more floor; Oki more ceiling), and Miami left Rafe SchlesingerThe low arm slot and fastball-slider duo make him an interesting fourth-round pick. I’d be remiss to overlook a second-round catcher Jacob Cozart: He’s big for a backstop (6-foot-3), but he had a great offensive line this season and was worth adding.”

🎤 MLB Home Run Derby anthem singer says she was drugged, plans to check into rehab

Ingrid Andres, whose Singing of the National Anthem Having been heavily criticized and mocked before the Home Run Derby, he said he Was intoxicated during the performance and had to check into a rehab center,

Andres continued, “That was not who I was last night. I apologize to MLB, to all the fans, and to this country that I love so much for that presentation.”

Andres has done a commendable job with his statement and we wish him all the best for the future.

📺 What we’re watching on Wednesday (and early Thursday morning)

Team USA vs. Serbia12 p.m. on FS1
Kings vs. Knicks3:30 p.m. on NBA TV
Fever on the wings7:30pm on ESPN
Lakers vs Hawks8 p.m. on NBA TV
British OpenAt 1:35 a.m. Thursday morning, how to see