The Tampa Bay Rays are adding a City Connect uniform to their closet.
Tampa Bay unveiled its City Connect uniforms on Monday, becoming the 23rd MLB team to embrace the alternate look since the Nike-backed brand launched in 2021.
The Rays’ City Connect uniforms have “Tampa Bay” written across the chest in neon coloring, a similar look they had on their road jerseys in their first three seasons as a franchise (1998-2000), to go with the dark base. It marks the first time the Rays will have their city name written across their chest since 2007.
Tampa Bay’s skater culture inspired some of the look. The flames coming off each letter on the nameplate on the front of the jersey include flames, which are meant to honor street art and skate media, such as “Thrasher” magazine. Gradient accents cover the sleeves and pants of the uniforms, purposely making them asymmetrically as a symbol of doing things differently.
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The Rays wanted to capture the feel of what it’s like to be in Tampa Bay, displaying a look of what people see when they’re in the city and calling it “Grit and Glow.”
“When we started thinking about that feeling that you have when you’re in some of these really special places around this community, it’s fueled by this energy,” Rays chief business officer Bill Walsh said in a statement. “A lot of these types of countercultures, creative cultures, they’re really at the center of that in terms of creating that vibe.”
The Rays honored some local landmarks with their caps and logos. The main logo on the caps features the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the outline of a sting ray. A second logo has three palm trees and a pelican. The palm trees logo replicates the mark seen on Florida Historical Makers, such as Perry Harvey Sr. Park, Florida’s first public skatepark. The other logo is a stingray on a skateboard, further embracing the city’s skater culture.
“It’s also something we think that we have in common as an organization,” Walsh said of Tampa Bay’s skater culture in the statment. “We have demonstrated that, that you’ve kind of got to be willing to go against the grain and have some courage and disrupt. So I think it’s exciting that there’s that overlap, too.”
The Rays will debut the uniforms in their three-game home series against the New York Mets this season. They’ll wear the alternate look in every Saturday home game after that.
The Phillies were the first team to unveil their City Connect uniforms this season. “PHILLY” is written across the chest in white coloring while the uniform’s colors resemble the city’s flag. The cap’s logo is the Liberty Bell with the same coloring as the city’s flag, which has Philadelphia’s skyline placed within the logo.
The Mets introduced their City Connect uniforms in April. It’s a base gray uniform with “NYC” stitched on the front and the Queensboro Bridge on the hat. The jersey also has a black patch on the arm with the Mets logo in pink lettering.
He may only be a one-way superstar this year, but Ohtani looks as comfortable as ever as he ends a roller-coaster first month with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His performance at the plate has landed him back on my Team of the Week for the first time in 2024, along with one of his new Dodgers teammates who just became a “friend of the show,” and of course received a patented “Flippin’ Bats” bump in his performance.
Meanwhile, a Seattle Mariners star is on pace for more starts than walks allowed this season and a familiar face from the New York Yankees looks ready to turn the page on a dismal 2023.
Let this be another reminder — if you are an MLB player who would like to play good baseball, coming on “Flippin’ Bats” will help you! This has been the case for years now. I don’t know what it is, but the results speak for themselves. Smith joined me in the middle of last week and has been lighting it up at the plate over the past several days. The Dodgers have rattled off a six-game winning streak as well. Coincidence? You be the judge.
This was a tough one for me because Smith’s teammate Freddie Freeman also had a really good week. But Rizzo gets the nod here thanks to his four homers. It’s great to see the 34-year-old veteran look like the Rizzo of old after that awful situation in 2023 where he played for several weeks with misdiagnosed concussion symptoms and had the worst season of his career.
I’ve been beating the Edouard Julien drum since he starred for Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He struggled mightily for the Twins to begin this season, but I still believed. Sure enough, he’s delivered and is a big reason the Twins have won seven games in a row.
Like a lot of Phillies teammates, Bohm is there for his bat more than his glove, and boy has he been swinging a hot bat, with 17 hits — including seven doubles — for an average well above .500 over the past week.
Canha was hardly the most hyped free-agent signing of the offseason, but he has been huge for that Tigers lineup, as several younger players have struggled, as has Javier Baez.
Adell may run the bases like a confused little leaguer, but at least he has been great in the batter’s box recently for an Angels team once again desperately looking for any help around Mike Trout.
Just as everyone expected, the players representing the Angels and Yankees in this Team of the Week are … Jo Adell, Anthony Rizzo and Alex Verdugo. But when you rake, you get on this list, and Verdugo certainly fits the bill as much as anyone else included here.
Ohtani may have averaged more than 100 mph in exit velocity this week. His .308 mark actually brought down his season batting average, but he still crushed the ball all week long.
Kirby has started 62 games in his MLB career. He has issued 45 walks in his MLB career. I think that is one of the coolest stats in baseball. But the pressure is on Kirby and his fellow starters — with Seattle’s lack of lineup depth around Julio Rodriguez, the Mariners will only go as far as Kirby and the rest of that talented rotation will take them.
We will not be talking about the Athletics much this year, at least when it pertains to on-field things. But Miller’s stuff is nasty, and he is perhaps the one guy on this team who merits appointment viewing. Miller’s fastball touches 104 miles per hour. His slider has incredible bite. He may be the sport’s most dominant pitcher right now. Before you say anything, go back and watch what he did to Yankees superstars Aaron Judge and Juan Soto when he faced them this past week. Miller has loads of confidence and the ability to back it up.
Player of the Week: George Kirby
Kirby has turned it around big time after a rough start to the year, showing how good he can be when he’s clicking. This is the Kirby I envisioned when I picked the Mariners as one of my preseason sleeper teams. I don’t usually select starting pitchers to be my player of the week, but Kirby was just that dominant.
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the “Flippin’ Bats” podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him at @BenVerlander.
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The ink is barely dry on the 2024 NFL draft, but we are already looking ahead to next year – and so are the defenders.
After an unprecedented 14 consecutive picks spent on offensive players kicked things off in Thursday’s first round, next year’s class appears much more even, with a quality crop of cornerbacks and edge rushers ranking among the most intriguing position groups, with a handful of Ohio State Buckeyes among the headliners.
But don’t worry, there will be plenty of playmakers available to teams with a premium pick next year — including a trio of quarterbacks and running backs.
No one knows how the 2024 NFL season will play out, so for this mock draft, we simply used the inverse order of the current Super Bowl odds (via FanDuel) to create the selection order.
With “just” 12 sacks over his first three years at the college level, Tuimoloau has not produced the eye-popping production some expected after he signed with Ohio State as a celebrated prep, but don’t let the stats fool you. The power-packed 6-foot-5, 279-pounder turned down a chance at a first-round selection this year to return to Ohio State. I anticipate will play his way into a top 10 selection cinch next fall.
A flashy dual-threat athlete whose playmaking ability is reminiscent of his Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, Hunter has the pure cover skills and soft hands to star wherever his future NFL teams most needs help.
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With all due respect to Cincinnati Bengals second-round selection Kris Jenkins, Jr. the best interior defensive lineman for Michigan during last year’s title run was the ultra-powerful 6-foot-3, 318-pound Graham. A rare true freshman starter at Michigan, Graham bulldozed his way into First Team All-Big Ten honors a year ago with 36 tackles, including 7.5 for loss and three sacks.
A blue-chip prospect who would have been the first cornerback selected in this year’s draft had he been eligible, Johnson offers a tantalizing combination of size, speed, physicality and ball skills. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder projects as an immediate difference-maker similar to the Broncos’ Patrick Surtain Jr., registering seven interceptions over his first two seasons at the college level.
Year in and year out, the Buckeyes churn out first-round-caliber wide receivers and the pipeline will continue in 2025 with the powerful 6-foot-1, 205-pound Egbuka, who caught 10 touchdowns and registered 1,051 yards while serving as the second option behind Marvin Harrison, Jr. Already productive, Egbuka’s numbers could explode in 2024.
Projected by many to be replaced by celebrated signee Arch Manning, Ewers instead showed off the accuracy and grit scouts expect of a future NFL starter, improving from a 58.1% completion rate to 69% with an impressive 37-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his two seasons in Austin.
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Banks has been money at left tackle for the Longhorns the past two seasons, earning all-conference accolades both years, including first-team honors in 2023. Similar in some ways to this year’s No. 20 overall selection Troy Fautanu, Banks’ lack of ideal height — Texas lists him at 6-foot-4 and 324 pounds) — may push him inside to guard in the NFL. Regardless, he’s great lineman.
One of the most celebrated transfers of the offseason, Scourton returned to his home state of Texas after leading the Big Ten with 10 sacks a year ago at Purdue (among his 50 overall stops, including 15 tackles for loss). At 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, Scourton combines prototypical size with good snap anticipation and power.
Despite what his gaudy statistics suggest (27 touchdown passes compared to just three interceptions in 2023), Sanders won’t be a fit for every team. But his awareness, accuracy, touch and mobility makes him one of the more intriguing dual-threat quarterbacks in college football, projecting similarly as former PAC-12 foe Bo Nix.
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Only one running back was selected in the first two rounds of the 2024 NFL draft (Carolina took Texas’ Jonathon Brooks at No. 46 overall) and that vacuum could be filled next spring with several quality options. Gordon was the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Year and the Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s top back, leading the country with 1,732 rushing yards and finishing second with 21 rushing touchdowns.
Football is a big man’s game and they don’t come much bigger than the 6-foot-6, 346-pound Walker, who earned Second Team All-SEC honors from league coaches a year ago after leading the Wildcats in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (7.5) despite fighting near-constant double-teams.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Campbell (along with right tackle Emery Jones) played a critical but underrated role in Jayden Daniels’ run to the Heisman Trophy. An immediate standout who earned second-team All-SEC honors from league coaches as a true freshman, Campbell ascended to first-team honors in 2023, showing off the size, agility and strength to warrant an early first-round pick.
A powerfully built 6-foot-4, 320-pounder, Jackson is the latest in the long line of former five-star recruits polishing their game at Ohio State before earning a high selection in the NFL. He generated all-conference honors at left guard following each of the past two seasons, including first-team accolades by both the media and league coaches in 2023, but nevertheless returned for a chance at a national championship.
A natural playmaker as both a receiver and returner, Burden has lived up to his prep hype as a five-star recruit, finishing second in the SEC in 2023 with 1,212 receiving yards and nine touchdown receptions. Powerfully built at 5-foot-11 and 208 pounds, Burden is appropriately named as he is a real problem for defensive backs.
Pearce led the SEC with 10 sacks in 2023 and finished second in the conference with 15 tackles for loss. Listed by the Vols at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, Pearce has a lean, lanky frame that can handle another 10-15 pounds without sacrificing his trademark burst and bend off the edge.
A four-year producer at Florida with 24.5 tackles for loss (including 14.5 sacks), Umanmielen transferred to Ole Miss in the offseason in hopes that a change of scenery could result in a breakout campaign. Umanmielen (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) has the size and explosiveness scouts want to develop, but he needs to show greater consistency.
As opposed to most Ducks flying south for the winter, this one flew west from the Bronx (by way of the University of Rhode Island), joining Oregon in 2023 as one of the more celebrated blockers in the transfer portal. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder had no trouble with the jump in competition, earning Honorable Mention All-PAC-12 honors last year, allowing just a single sack and providing plenty of punch in the running game.
To earn a first–round NFL draft selection, Milroe will have to show significant improvement as a pocket passer, but he has a head coach in Kalen DeBoer who can develop his accuracy and anticipation and, of course, already boasts elite size and athleticism. Milroe will be one of the most fascinating and closely scrutinized prospects in the country next season.
As the NFL increasingly spreads horizontally, as well as vertically, linebackers with true sideline-to-sideline speed are jumping in value. Mondon is a 6-foot-2, 230-pound heat-seeking missile who could be on the verge of a Butkus Award season.
With just six touchdown receptions to his credit, Loveland likely won’t generate first-round buzz from those scouting stat sheets, but the 6-foot-5, 245-pounder possesses the soft hands and balance through contact to be a monster in the middle in the NFL.
There wasn’t a member of the Georgia defense drafted in the first round this year but don’t expect that to be a trend. The twitchy 6-foot-5, 265-pound Williams is still growing into his body, but scouts are excited about his upside — and that is after he led the Bulldogs with 4.5 sacks a year ago.
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A true ballhawk with nine interceptions recorded over his first two seasons, the six-foot, 186-pound Morrison is well known for his soft hands and instincts in coverage, but scouts also like his reliability as an open-field tackler.
It isn’t often that true freshmen start at blue-blood programs like Clemson, but that is the road Miller has traveled on his way to the NFL, earning the nod at right tackle in all 27 games of his college career. Balanced and powerful at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, Miller could be Clemson’s highest-drafted blocker of the Dabo Swinney era.
Whether off the edge or in more of a traditional linebacker role, Oliver is a proven playmaker, registering an eye-popping 38.5 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks among his 130 career tackles. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Oliver won’t be a fit for everyone — just those willing to prioritize big plays over prototypical size.
At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Perkins lacks the bulk the NFL prefers off the edge, but his explosive burst and closing speed are undeniable. He enters his junior campaign having already recorded 27 tackles for loss and 13 sacks, along with seven forced fumbles.
After leading the Big 12 in tackles in 2022 and earning All-American accolades (despite battling injury) a year ago, Stutsman was thought to be a shoo-in to join the 2024 NFL draft. Instead, by returning, the rangy 6-foot-4, 241 has a chance at being the first off-ball linebacker selected next spring. He certainly checks boxes for his playmaking ability, recording 267 tackles, including 28 tackles for loss already.
The first cornerback didn’t come off the board until No. 22 overall this year, but Burke is part of a very intriguing class that looks like one of 2025’s strongest groups. Silky smooth in coverage, Burke just needs to show more ball-hawking skills, turning just two of his 26 career pass breakups into interceptions.
Ever since James Franklin took over at Penn State, the Nittany Lions have churned out edge rushers and all indications are that Carter is next. Even while splitting duties with 2023 top-100 draft picks Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter earned first-team All-Big Ten honors with 5.5 tackles for loss, including 4.5 sacks.
A four-year starter with experience at both tackle spots as well as right guard, Monheim is expected to slide inside to center in 2024, showing off a combination of size, agility and versatility that helped earn former Duke blocker Graham Barton Tampa Bay’s top pick, No. 26 overall.
A surprise returnee after earning first-team All-ACC honors with 45 tackles, including 14.5 for loss and 11 sacks, Gillotte is a slippery — if unconventionally built (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) — edge rusher with the burst and bend that translates well to the next level.
A transfer from Ole Miss, where Judkins was the first running back from the SEC to score 15+ touchdowns in each of his first two seasons since the legendary Herschel Walker (Georgia), the six-foot, 219-pound Judkins is a greasy runner who accelerates smoothly and slithers his way through arm tackles.
A physical mauler similar in many ways to his former Alabama teammate, JC Latham (now a member of the Tennessee Titans), the 6-foot-5, 352-pound Booker cracked the starting lineup in 2023 and immediately earned All-SEC honors. Scouts will love the fact that he enjoyed his strongest performance of the year last season in the SEC Championship victory over Georgia.
Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on Twitter @RobRang.
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Major League Baseball plans to introduce changes to the oft-criticized new Nike uniforms this season, ESPN reported.
According to ESPN, a memo sent out by the MLB Players’ Association on Sunday said that Nike — not Fanatics, which manufactures the uniforms — was to blame for the uniform issues that caused criticism from both fans and players when the jerseys were rolled out at the beginning of spring training.
The fixes that MLB reportedly plans to make to the uniforms include a return to larger name lettering on the backs of jerseys, fixing mismatched shades of gray on road jerseys and pants, and reverting to a “higher quality zipper” on the pants.
The memo reportedly went as far as praising Fanatics for how it has listened to player and fan feedback while shading Nike for not taking a similar approach.
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Nike has been MLB’s official uniform supplier since 2019.
Aaron Judge should have been called for interference for his slide on a botched double-play attempt that sparked New York’s winning rally Sunday at Milwaukee, crew chief Andy Fletcher acknowledged after the Yankees‘ 15-5 victory.
With the score tied 4-all in the sixth inning, Judge raised his left arm while sliding into second base after Alex Verdugo hit a bouncer to the right side of the infield. Brewers shortstop Willy Adames was attempting to complete the double play when his throw bounced off Judge’s padded hand and landed on the ground, enabling Verdugo to reach safely.
The Yankees went on to score seven runs in the inning, all with two outs.
“On the field, we got together and did the best that we could to come up with the correct answer,” Fletcher told a pool reporter after the game. “After looking at it off the field in replay, it appears that the call was missed. It should’ve been called interference because it wasn’t a natural part of his slide. It didn’t appear that way to us. We did everything we could to get together and get it right. But after looking at it, it appears that it should’ve been called interference.”
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Fletcher noted the call isn’t reviewable.
Judge said he had no worries about getting called for interference even as the crew gathered to discuss the play.
“No, that’s never happened before in my life, and I’ve been sliding like that for years,” Judge said.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy had come out of the dugout to argue for an interference call. He continued pleading his case while speaking to reporters after the game.
“It’s hard to say that he wasn’t making an attempt at least purposely to obstruct,” Murphy said. “I don’t think he wanted to get hit by the ball, but I think he was trying to purposely obstruct. That’s my opinion. I don’t know what his intent was. He seems like a wonderful man, but very competitive also.”
Adames noted how Judge’s 6-foot-7 frame made it particularly difficult to attempt a throw to first.
“He’s like 7 feet tall,” Adames said. “He’s huge. I think when he puts his hands up, he’s taller than me even when he’s sliding to second base. It’s a tough space for me to throw the ball.”
Judge reached on a leadoff walk before Verdugo hit his bouncer to second baseman Brice Turang, who threw to Adames to retire Judge at second. As Judge raised his left arm on his slide to second, he was wearing a sliding glove on his hand. Judge, who said the throw hit him on the side of his fingers, noted he frequently slides that way.
“You can look back at any picture you want of me sliding into second base,” Judge said. “That’s always happened.”
It appeared the lack of an interference call wouldn’t make much of a difference in Sunday’s outcome after Abner Uribe retired Giancarlo Stanton on a pop fly for the second out of the inning. But everything fell apart for the Brewers from that point on.
Volpe and Soto executed a double steal while Judge was at the plate receiving a chorus of boos from the American Family Field crowd. Judge capped the seven-run outburst with a two-run single that extended the Yankees’ lead to 11-4.
The Brewers never recovered from the missed call.
“They admitted they messed up,” Adames said. “We mess up sometimes. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
