SOUVENIRS

BY MARK HALPERN

     In sports there are ways to own Sports Memorabilia from meeting the player(s) at a sports convention or sometimes Grand Opening of new businesses. You could be lucky enough to bump into them on the street and having them sign the most random thing you have (that’s if they are even willing to) and third you could write the player and give a donation to their foundation and get something back. However, that isn’t the only type of sports souvenirs you can get. 

     In some sports such as Baseball and Hockey if a Ball or a Puck is hit into the crowd and you are lucky to get it; you can keep it and, in some situations, you could be lucky enough to see the player after the game and get a sweet auto on your game used item. However, in the case of the NFL and NBA if a ball ends up in the crowd via an errand pass or a ball thrown away into the stands after a Touchdown the fan is expected to hand it back.

   Last week during the Sunday Night game between the Patriots and the Bills Josh Allen who is the Quarterback for the Bills through a ball that was way out of the endzone and into the hands of a lucky fan. The fan was whispered by the fan next to him to stash it under his clothes and run out of the stadium because a representee from the NFL would be by quickly to collect. The fan is then seen stuffing the Ball under his shirt and running out of the Stadium. He got out without incident and is looking to have Josh Allen sign it as it would make to a fitting end to this story.

WEEK 6

BY SIN BLITZERS

CHARGERS AT DOLPHINS : Two teams that are trying to right the ship will meet Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, as the Dolphins welcome in the LA Chargers. The Chargers are coming off their second straight loss against the Commanders last week.. One major concern for LA has to be their offensive line, as Justin Herbert has been sacked six times over the last two weeks. Herbert has also thrown three interceptions in that span. Third year receiver Quentin Johnston has had a really good start to his season with 26 catches for 377 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Dolphins are looking to bounce back after blowing a 17 point lead in a loss at the Panthers. Tua Tagovailoa went 27-36 for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Jaylen Waddle had 110 yards and a touchdown on six catches. The story of the game was the Dolphin defense inability to stop the run. The Panthers had 239 rushing yards (206 from Rico Dowdle) and averaged 7.5 yards per carry. One has to wonder if the Dolphins lose again what happens to coach Mike McDaniel?

SEAHAWKS AT JAGS : This should be a fascinating game in Jacksonville as the Hawks come to visit. The Seahawks are coming off a 38-35 loss to the Bucs, in what was a tremendous game. Sam Darnold is proving that last year was not a fluke, as he has 73.1 completion percentage, averaging 249 yards per game, with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Jaxson Smith-Njigba has become one of the elite receivers in the NFL. The Jags are coming off a 31-28 win over the Chiefs. Trevor Lawrence threw for 221 yards with a touchdown and an interception, Lawrence also ran for 54 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the final minute. We fell into the trap of the Jags a few seasons ago, if they win this game it’s a message to the rest of the league. 

49ers at Bucs : Two of the best in the NFC will clash in Tampa, as the Niners come to visit. The 49ers are coming off a win over the Rams in overtime. Mac Jones, who will start again threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey had 30 touches for 139 yards and a touchdown. Kendrick Bourne, in place of Jajuan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall had 10 catches for 142 yards. The Bucs are coming off the 38-35 win over the Seahawks. Baker Mayfield has been superb so far has he is fourth in the league with 1,283 yards, tied for third with ten touchdowns and only one interception. Emeka Egbuka has been awesome to start his career with 25 catches for 445 yards and five touchdowns. He will have to be big without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. 

COWBOYS AT PANTHERS : This week the  2-2-1 Cowboys will travel to take on the Carolina Panthers.  Weather could be a major factor in this game. The Cowboys even with having so many injuries have been playing competitive football with a trouncing of the Jets last week. This week opponent dosen’t strike much fear into teams, but they overcame a 17 point deficit last week. What Dallas needs to prepare for is a very wet field and needs to play it safe. Look for Javonte Williams and Jayden Blue to get plenty of action from the back field. I don’t expect a big air game but, Jake Ferguson has been very reliable short yardage target. The Dallas defense just has to stop Rico Dowdle (last years Cowboys Rushing Leader) and can’t let garbage/trick plays control this game. 

LIONS AT CHIEFS : The Detroit Lions will face off against the KC Chiefs this weekend. The Lions after a horrible first week loss haven’t looked back since. The running game is the most feared in the NFL and the receiving threat is top 5 in the NFL. Goff will look to keep the Lions at the head of the NFC North with the Packers having tied the Cowboys two weeks ago. The Chiefs are not the team they once were but, Mahomes can still beat you even now that the Chiefs are getting older. The Lions secondary will be very busy especially with the injury to Terrion Arnold. Despite the lack of weapons this is still Mahomes and he is dangerous. 

BENGALS AT PACKERS : The Bengals have finally made a change at Quarterback.  Joe Flacco will start on Sunday at Lambeau, replacing Jake Browning. Browning wound up with decent numbers last week, but the game was over by that point. Flacco also has already beaten the Packers when he was a Brown. The Packers are coming off a tie against the Cowboys, and if they want to go where they want to go Jordan Love needs to be great. The Bengals need to stop Josh Jacobs and make Green Bay one dimensional.

WHAT NOW?

BY Mike Rifkin

If you’re a hockey fan one of the best days of the year is July 1st. July 1st is the beginning of free agency. The 2026 free agent class was stacked. Kirill Kaprizov, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel were the headliners of the class. But, as we get the season going all three players have signed extensions with their respective teams. 

One of the teams that was rumored to have interest in the three players was the New York Rangers. With the cap continuing to rise, the Rangers will have approximately 29 million dollars in cap space. So with the news of the three top guys re-signing what does that mean for Chris Drury and company. Now remember they don’t have to use all 29 million, since they’re compliant with the cap, but here’s how I would look at Drury’s summer.

  1. Re-sign Artemi Panarin to a short term deal – This could be a fluent situation, if the Rangers don’t have a Panarin deal done by the trade deadline would they consider moving him? Obviously, they wouldn’t if they’re in the playoff race, but it is a thought. Panarin has been the best Ranger player not named Shesterkin the last few seasons, but at his age you don’t want to commit to a long term deal. So, a high AAV (average annual value) on a short term deal could work. 
  1. Extending Braden Schneider- Schneider has taken big leaps in his game. The former first round pick has been excellent since coming up. With the trade of K’Andre Miller, Schneider has the potential to be an anchor on the top four of the Blue Line.
  1. Look at the RFA market – With the Rangers having multiple first round picks in 2026, they could use one or both to add an impending Restricted free agent and then work out a deal. Marty Necas, Shane Pinto, Cole Perfetti, and Jason Robertson are all names that are intriguing to me. 

Let’s be honest for a second, the worst place in sports to be is in the middle. The Rangers right now kind of feel like an in the middle team. They’re not as good as the team that won the President’s trophy two years ago, and they’re not as bad as the team we witnessed last season. Yes, we are one game into the season, but this team needs to figure out the direction soon.

2025-26 NHL PREDICTIONS

BY MIKE RIFKIN

As we prepare for the NHL Season, here is how I see the season playing out. *PLAYOFF TEAMS ARE TOP THREE IN EACH DIVISION PLUS TWO WILDCARDS. 

DIVISION STANDINGS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

METRO

  1. HURRICANES – Carolina has been one of the elite teams in the NHL over the years and they just need to get over the hump. 
  2. DEVILS – Health was the big issue last season. They have Jack Hughes healthy and Nico Hischier is coming off a great season, the Devils will be a problem again. 
  3. RANGERS – Maybe I’m drinking too much Kool-Aid, but everything that went wrong last season can’t go wrong again. Having Igor Shesterkin in net is an advantage most teams don’t have. 
  4. CAPS – I love the mix of youth and veterans on this team. I wonder how much the Ovi chase took out of them, but can the goaltending do it again?
  5. ISLES – They have some great talent, and will have a healthy Matt Barzal. Ilya Sorokin should bounce back, but I still have some questions regarding their blue line, they definitely have the skill. 
  6. BLUE JACKETS – Can their young players continue to take steps forward? They were so close last season, but the goaltending let them down and didn’t really address it. They also need Zach Werenski to be healthy all season. 
  7. FLYERS – Still in the midst of a rebuild, Rick Tocchet gets to evaluate the talent going forward. 
  8. PENGUINS – The rebuild has started in Pittsburgh, and now what are the next steps that take place. Will Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Evgeni Malkin last the season in Pittsburgh?

ATLANTIC

  1. LIGHTNING – I just have a feeling about them this season. They have great depth and a winning pedigree, the Lightning are going to be a tough matchup.
  2. PANTHERS – They’ve played a ton of hockey over the last three seasons. No Matt Tkachuk until December and Barkov even longer, but they can withstand the regular season that way, that’s how deep they are.
  3. LEAFS – They’ll miss Mitch Marner, but they are a deeper team than they were. Still have questions regarding the goaltending. Most important the regular season doesn’t matter they’ll be judged in April. 
  4. SENATORS – This is the sleeper team in the Eastern Conference. They have a tremendous forward group, solid Blue line and Linus Ullmark. I have high expectations for the Sens. 
  5. CANADIENS – They might be the envy of the league with their young talent. If those guys stay healthy and get the goaltending they can compete for a Wild Card spot.
  6. RED WINGS – At this point they have to prove they can get in. John Gibson is an upgrade in net, but I have questions about him staying healthy. Steve Yzerman needs this team to step up or he’ll be out.
  7. BRUINS – Jeremy Swayman should bounce back, but outside of David Pastrnak I am not sure where they’ll get consistent offense. 
  8. SABRES – Great nucleus, but massive questions about pieces. This is also a year they have to prove something, otherwise they’ll tear it down again. 

EAST PLAYOFFS

HURRICANES, DEVILS, RANGERS, LIGHTNING, PANTHERS, LEAFS. WC : SENS AND CAPS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL : LIGHTNING DEF HURRICANES IN 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

CENTRAL

  1. STARS – Top to bottom this might be the most complete roster in the league. They have a great mix of vets and young guys, and they should have a chip on their shoulder. Oh and they have Mikko Rantanen for a full season.
  2. AVS – The captain is back and that’s big for the AVS. Again another loaded lineup, Mackenzie Blackwood played fine in goal last season.
  3. JETS – Yeah, losing Nikolaj Ehlers hurts, but they got Jonathan Toews to come back. He brings great leadership to a team that has the ability to win it all. 
  4. WILD – The Kaprizov contract is no longer a distraction, the Wild are solid everywhere. Brock Faber could be a darkhorse Norris candidate. 
  5. PREDS – The Preds were the toast of the town July 1st, 2024 and their season was not good. I think they bounce back, there’s too much talent, but if they start slow I wonder if Barry Trotz breaks it down.
  6. BLUES – They got hot at the end of last year, led by Jordan Binnington. I still don’t trust Binnington, and the Blues have talent but this division is hard.
  7. MAMMOTH – They’ve done a lot of good this offseason, but as I said on the Blues this division is awesome and deep. I like their future but I still question the goaltending. 
  8. BLACKHAWKS – Does anyone have a brighter future? A lot of their success will hinge on Spencer Knight in goal. A lot of young players will get valuable time. 

PACIFIC

  1. GOLDEN KNIGHTS – The addition of Mitch Marner will boost their offense, and make them deeper. They have a winning pedigree. 
  2. OILERS – McDavid’s contract no longer a distraction, and they have two of the four best players in the league. Like the Leafs I don’t care until April as they look to go to their third straight final.
  3. DUCKS – Whether you think Joel Quenneville should be behind the bench or not isn’t the question (even though I don’t think he should) but he wins. The Ducks made a lot of moves and got better. I am buying the hype.
  4. CANUCKS – They had a ton of distractions last season, now they need some bounce back guys including Elias Pettersson and Thatcher Demko, if they bounce back Vancouver is in a great spot.
  5. KINGS – Anze Kopitar’s final season, should be met with the playoffs, I don’t think it will. I think the Kings need to figure some things out, they’re still dangerous but they also need reinforcements. 
  6. FLAMES – Kind of like the Flyers, they’re in a rebuild and overachieved last season. They’re still evaluating talent, but Dustin Wolf is their cornerstone. 
  7. KRAKEN –  They disappointed last season, and I’m not sure they’re that much better. I need them to prove a lot this season, because their offseason left a lot to be desired.
  8. SHARKS – They’re on the rise, they have a lot of skill up front led by Macklin Celebrini. We’ll see some growth from this group this season. Don’t be shocked if they don’t finish last. 

WEST PLAYOFFS : STARS, AVS, JETS, GOLDEN KNIGHTS, OILERS, DUCKS : WC WILD AND PREDS 

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL : STARS DEF GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN 7

AWARDS

HART : CONNOR MCDAVID

VEZINA : ANDREI VASILEVSKIY 

NORRIS : CALE MAKAR

JACK ADAMS : TRAVIS GREEN

SELKE : ANZE KOPITAR

STANLEY CUP FINAL : STARS DEF LIGHTNING 6 GAMES

DONE

BY MIKE RIFKIN

On Sunday the Dolphins squandered a 17 point lead against the lowly Carolina Panthers and lost 27-24. At 1-4 the Dolphins most likely will miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season, and that leaves a fork in the road for the organization. Chris Grier and the front office have two choices : choice one would be to keep things status quo and just say this is a bad year. Choice two : tear parts of this team down and stockpile draft picks. 

I would choose choice two and here’s why: As long as Josh Allen is in the AFC East, the Dolphins aren’t beating the Bills currently constructed, that’s been proven time and time again. The other reason is in the Mike Mcdaniel/Tua Tagovailoa era the Dolphins struggle with good football teams, especially late in the season. If you want to eventually hoist the Lombardi you have to beat good teams. So how would I fix the Dolphins if I was Chris Grier? Let’s do it

The first key date is November fourth, that’s the trade deadline in the NFL. Prior to his injury it was safe to assume Tyreek Hill was going to be traded, his name had already surfaced in trade rumors. Other names I would include would be Edges Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. Now, if it were up to me I wouldn’t move Phillips, despite a few injury plagued seasons there is still a lot of upside in my opinion. Matt Judon, who is on a one year deal could also be expendable. Two guys I wouldn’t move but you might hear about are Linebacker Jordyn Brooks and Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, both of whom are under contract through next season, and one thing this team needs is leadership. 

The ultimate decisions are going to come this offseason. Let’s start with Mike McDaniel. Unless this team turns it around and shows some fight McDaniel will be gone at the end of the year. Is it warranted, that’s debatable but he really hasn’t grown in game and his offense isn’t fooling anyone at the moment. Now is that McDaniel or limitations on Tua? That’s got to be something to think about. Speaking of Tua, he’s going to make 39 million next season. He hasn’t played like the franchise Quarterback some think of him as. Let’s be honest he is not in the class of Allen, Mahomes, Lamar, and Burrow. Part of that might be injuries and part of that is he is not a big guy. The Dolphins created a speed offense with his accurate arm and now there has been no adjustment. Tua has to be on the team next year because nobody is taking on the contract, but that shouldn’t stop the team from potentially drafting a Quarterback. 

Not sure what names will be out there this offseason, and when the time comes I’ll break it down. But Sunday’s loss for the Dolphins means that there needs to be changes made, because this roster isn’t it and this team hasn’t won a playoff game in 25 years, that needs to change. But after Sunday the 2025 season is done.

WEEK 5 NFL PREVIEW

BY SIN BLITZERS

CIN VS DET : The Lions and Bengals are going in two different directions so far this season. Not having Joe Burrow has really impacted the Bengals, they’ve scored 13 points over their last two games. They need to get Higgins and Chase involved offensively. On the other side the Lions are roaring, they’ve scored over 30 points in the last three weeks. And is there a better connection right now than Jared Goff to Amon-ra St. Brown. Detroit has too much firepower for Cincy to contain, and the Bengal offense right now is on life support. – Bill Murphy and Mark Halpern.

DAL AT NYJ : Cowboys will take aim against the New York Jets this Sunday at the Meadowlands. The Cowboys are no stranger to this stadium as they visit to play the Giants every year. The Jets are a new look football team with a stronger offense led by Justin Fields. He won’t need to be at his 100% best to beat this Dallas Defense but, if the line breaks down like it has it could make it difficult for Fields. Dallas is coming off an impressive TIE last week against the Packers in which Dak was at his best throwing over 300 yards and 3 Touchdowns plus a running one. For Dallas to beat the Jets they have to score and keep pace as the Defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone lately. Look for Javonte Williams to lead the way with over 20 carries and 100 yards with at least one score. On the Defensive side it will be up to Tre’von Diggs to stop Garrett Wilson and make Fields throw into tighter spots hoping to create turnovers. Dallas’s defense needs to force someone other than Wilson to beat them. – Mark 

MIA AT CAR : The Dolphins are coming off their first win of the season over the Jets, and now they look to make it two in a row against the Panthers. The Dolphins will be without Tyreek Hill, who injured his knee Monday night. Darren Waller made his return and Dolphin debut on Monday night and had two touchdowns. The key is going to be the Dolphin defense. Can they get pressure on Bryce Young, who was pulled last week. Also the Panthers will be without Chuba Hubbard. – Mike

HOU AT BAL : The Texans and Ravens are both off to slow starts this season. But they’re off to slow starts for different reasons, the Texans offense has struggled, while the Raven defense has been god awful. The Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson this week, which means Cooper Rush against a really good Texan defense. CJ Stroud needs his line to protect him this week because the Ravens’ secondary is injured and vulnerable. 

DEN AT PHI : Yeah, the Broncos whooped the Bengals, but are they back? We’ll see when they travel to Philly and play the Eagles. Philly is one of two unbeatens left and are flying on all cylinders. Denver needs Bo Nix to get the ball out early before the lethal rush comes to play. I’m interested to see how Denver uses Pat Surtain, whether it’s on AJ Brown or Devonta Smith.

TB AT SEA : Two NFC hopefuls meet in Seattle. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold (Panther fans look away) have both had nice starts to the season. The Bucs are going to be without Mike Evans and Bucky Irving this week, but did get Chris Godwin back last week. Him and Egbuka should have some chances against a really good Seahawk defense. Seattle at home is a tough place to play. We have a lot of talent at the receiver position between Godwin and Egbuka for Tampa and Jaxson Smith-Njiga and Cooper Kupp for the Hawks. This should be a fun one.

MET FOR LIFE

BY : MIKE RIFKIN

The Mets lost to the Marlins on Sunday and their playoff hopes for this season went up in smoke. And while fans should expect changes to the roster, there is one change that most fans don’t want.

Last Winter, Pete Alonso was on the market for a long time before signing a two year contract with the Mets. Alonso said postgame Sunday he does intend to opt out of the contract. Alonso has every right to opt out as he had a phenomenal season with 38 homers and 126 RBI’S along with a slash line of .272/.347/.524. You could also make the case that Alonso was the most consistent Met all season long. Since his debut in 2019 Alonso became a fan favorite, and already has broken several team records including most homers in franchise history. Let’s be honest the Mets haven’t had a homegrown star like Alonso since David Wright. 

Alonso said postgame about his future “ Playing for this organization, this city they’ve continued to believe in me. I love playing here. There’s some great guys in the clubhouse, some great people on the staff. Every single day, it’s been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue. I’ve really appreciated it and have nothing but full of gratitude every single day. Nothing is guaranteed, but we’ll see what happens. I’ve loved being a Met. Hopefully, they’ve appreciated me the same.” I think most fans appreciate what Pete brought to this team. It’s not just the numbers, it’s about availability too and Pete on Sunday became the first Met ever to play 162 games in back to back seasons. 

Yes, the fans appreciate everything Steve Cohen has done. And Cohen has done a lot for the Met fan and that includes opening up his checkbook and signing Juan Soto. But, now you’re talking about a fan favorite and a guy who can go down as the greatest homegrown player in franchise history, but definitely down as the greatest power hitter in team history. There is no reason why Pete Alonso shouldn’t be a Met for life, and there doesn’t have to be a middle man just let Cohen and Alonso take care of this for the fans, because the end to the 2025 season was hard enough.

Bengals Vs Broncos : preview 

By Bill Murphy 

Last week , The Bengals got absolutely thrashed by the Minnesota Vikings  48-10. In their first Burrowless game , Jake Browning went 19/27 ,140 yds, one touchdown and two interceptions . The  Bengals offense was just not good to watch and they got stomped . When it comes to this week  they are taking on the Denver Broncos who are  also coming off of a loss against the Chargers by a score of 23-20. Bo Nix went 14/25 , 153 yards and one touchdown , JK Dobbins went for 11 carries  83 yds and one touchdown , Cortland Sutton went  for six receptions ,118 yards and one touchdown  .

Keys To The Game 

Bengals 

Offense: The Bengals are really going to have to rely on the run game, since the Broncos pass rush is going to give Browning a hard time.Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins might not get as many targets. Samaje  Peline ran for 20 yards last week and Chase Brown ran .3 yards per carry. So far the Bengals have not run over 55 yards in a game, they need it to happen this week.

Defense 

The pass defense is going to be a big factor in this  game , they have only allowed five touchdowns in the last two games and last week they only allowed Carson Wentz 173 yards .  They are going to have to put the same pressure on Bo Nix, who has struggled to start the season.

Broncos 

Offense :  A huge part of the Broncos offense that is going to be utilized this week is wide receiver Cortland Sutton . Last week, Sutton had six receptions 118 yards  and one touchdown.  Nix has to hit Sutton if he wants to get something going .Defense:  The crucial part of the Broncos defense for this game is the pass rush . Last week they sacked Herbet five times  and picked him off once.  Now the Broncos have to go against a weaker quarterback with Jake Browning who was sacked three times and picked off twice .

WEEK FOUR PREVIEW 

BY SIN BLITZERS

PHI AT TB : One of the premier games of the day will take place in Tampa as the Bucs and Eagles meet with one of them going to 4-0. Both teams survived last week, as the Bucs were able to withstand a Jets comeback and the Eagles were able to come from behind and beat the Rams. Last season the Bucs beat the Eagles 33-16 behind 347 yards passing and two touchdowns. This time will be a little different; the Bucs will be without Mike Evans, who has a hamstring injury. In last season’s matchup Evans had eight catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. 

IND AT LAR : Speaking of undefeated teams, how about the Colts and Daniel Jones at 3-0, but now they will be tested as they head to LA and play the Rams. The Colts are coming off a 41-20 beatdown of the Titans. Jonathan Taylor posted 102 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. The bigger story for Indy is Daniel Jones has yet to throw an interception through three games. For the Rams they will try to rebound after blowing a game to the Eagles. The Rams were up 26-7, before losing 33-26. 

BAL AT KC : Two of the best Quarterbacks in today’s game go head to head both looking to avoid going 1-3. The Ravens’ issue has been their defense. The Ravens are last in the league in yards allowed. The Defense will be without Defensive Tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who is out with a neck injury. Offensively Baltimore needs to get Derrick Henry going again. Henry has struggled since his big week one, and has fumbled three times. For the Chiefs they will get back Xavier Worthy, we’ll have to see if that sparks the offense. Two teams that desperately need a win. Can Lamar improve his 1-4 record against the Chiefs, and win his first game at Arrowhead?

GB AT DAL : Something big is going on here, oh yeah Micah Parsons returns to Dallas. For some reason Cowboys owner Jerry Jones keeps poking the bear when he said it’s not like the Cowboys won any Superbowls with Parsons. Well Dallas is coming off a dismal performance against the Bears. A game that saw them lose Ceedee Lamb for multiple weeks with an ankle injury. As for the Packers they’re coming off a stunning 13-10 loss to the Browns. They need Jordan Love to be really good against a Dallas secondary that is extremely banged up. 

NYJ AT MIA : Two division rivals that are still winless meet Monday night when the Jets play the Dolphins. Both teams have really struggled defensively, so this could be a shootout or it could be a penalty filled night. The Jets will get Justin Fields back and his dual threat skills, could be a major factor. For the Dolphins they’re going to have to run the ball and rely on some short passes to avoid the Jets pass rush.

THE GREAT DEBATE : AL MVP

BY MIKE RIFKIN

As we enter the final weekend of the MLB season, there is a lot to be determined including who is the American League MVP. There will be three finalists at the end, but everyone knows that this is a two horse race between Mariners Catcher Cal Raleigh and Yankees Outfielder Aaron Judge. 

Judge is the reigning MVP and has had an outstanding season, going into the final weekend Judge has 51 homers and 109 RBI’s along with a slash line of .328/.455/.681. Judge most likely will be a batting champion for the first time. My biggest question for managers across baseball is why they kept pitching to Judge?

Raleigh is having a historic season. Entering the final weekend he has 60 home runs ( two shy of tying Judge’s record) and 125 RBI’s. Raleigh’s slash line is .241/.361/.598. So, Raleigh has the better power numbers and not by much and Judge has the better slashline. Ironically enough the Yankees and Mariners are the top two home run hitting teams this season. 

So offensively both guys have been studs and defensively both do their thing. But there’s a number that sticks out to me and that number is 11. The Seattle Mariners are 11th in MLB in team ERA at 3.87. We have never seen this offensive outburst from a catcher before. Now, is it fair to penalize Aaron Judge for not playing a particular position? No, but Raleigh is also at a sort of disadvantage with the Mariners not being on a similar scale to the Yankees. 

Aaron Judge is one of the faces of baseball, while Cal Raleigh is a really good player. But we’ve never seen this kinda season from a catcher and the Mariners have clinched the AL West. Now, while the Yankees don’t know whether they won the AL East or will enter the playoffs as a wild card, what Aaron Judge has done over the years is absolutely insane. I’ve heard people say we might take it for granted. I disagree we haven’t seen something like what Judge is doing since Barry Bonds. 

This is going to be close to call, except for one part whoever the third finalist is they’ll be a distant third. Either way in the race between Judge and Raleigh I lean towards Cal Raleigh. 60 homers doesn’t happen every year and especially from a catcher.