Vlad Jr. steals the show at the All-Star Game | The top QB-coach combos in the NFL
And which college football coaches are on the hot seat
•
8 min read
Hello everyone, Shanna McCarriston here, it's been a while since I've talked to you guys and I've missed you all dearly.
I am still in Hawaii and having a blast. I tried surfing for the first time and shockingly I actually caught a few waves. I am not athletic at all so this was a major feat for me. I write about athletes, I'm not an athlete myself.
I also went parasailing and tomorrow I'll be jet skiing. Anything I can do on the ocean I will do.
Now to sports. Today I have an All-Star Game recap and we'll look at whether hitters have actually noticed a change since MLB cracked down on foreign substances. But we won't stop there! We are also looking at the top quarterback/coach duos heading into the next NFL season and which nine college football coaches have their jobs on the line this season.
Why delay it anymore, let's get to talking sports.
📰 What you need to know
1. All-Star Game recap ⚾
The American League beat the National League 5-2, marking the AL's eighth straight win. The American League has a 46-43-2 edge all-time.
The Midsummer Classic took place at Coors Field, with everyone looking to see what Angels star Shohei Ohtani would do under the bright lights. He didn't have a performance to go crazy about, but did pitch a perfect first inning before going 0 for 2 as the DH.
It was Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who had the night of note, hitting a 468-foot home run, after which, he was named the MVP.
The game was packed full of action, so let's look at some takeaways, courtesy of Mike Axisa:
- Ohtani has quiet, victorious night: He is the first player to ever start on the mound and play DH at the All-Star Game. He owned the fastest pitch of the night, and his fastest of the season, with a 100.2 mph offering.
- Vlad Jr. goes deep, wins MVP: The 22-year-old became the second youngest player in ASG history to hit a home run. His 468-foot dinger is also the longest All-Star Game home run in the Statcast era, which started in 2015. Also, he is the youngest ASG MVP and the first Blue Jay to win the award.
- Red Sox players have a good night: The Sox had five players at the game, the most in the league. Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and JD Martinez went a combined 3 for 7 with a double and a run driven in at the plate and Nathan Eovaldi threw a scoreless fourth inning.
- Two catchers went yard: A catcher from each league, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto and Rays backstop Mike Zunino, hit home runs. It's not often you see catchers hitting homers in the ASG.
- Jared Walsh made a game-saving play: His sliding catch was an impressive one, and stole a hit from Kris Bryant in the eighth inning.
- The AL continued it's All-Star dominance: The American League just seems to know how to win All-Star games, at least as of the last two decades. The AL has won 19 of the last 23.
For full commentary on the ASG, click here.
2. Hitters haven't noticed much of a difference since crackdown on foreign substances ⚾
Major League Baseball has been cracking down on foreign substances, in an attempt to even the playing field for the offense, but hitters say it isn't making much of a difference. Spin rates have been impacted and league was hitting .232 with a .389 slugging percentage in April. Those numbers have ticked up since, to .247 and .412. While this could be due to the new pitcher checks, it could also be due to the warmer weather. It is also a small sample, so the data is not representative of everyone in the MLB.
Some hitters and catchers weighed in on their thoughts on the pitching, saying it's still difficult to hit and at most there's a slight difference.
Here is what some of them had to say:
- Cubs' star Kris Bryant said: "It's a little confusing because they stopped it and the pitchers are still really good. They're still really good pitchers. Maybe a little less bite on some curveballs? I guess what I'm really trying to say is Major League Baseball is really hard and these guys are good."
- Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said: "It's not always the case, but there are definitely a lot more sliders that are backing up, not having the same shape. Earlier in the season there were a lot of good sliders and were really tight nearly every time."
- Nick Castellanos of the Reds said: "I've noticed some sliders from some guys that aren't breaking as hard as they were earlier this season."
- Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien said: "Maybe you see a breaking ball back up a little more often, but I don't like hitting back up sliders."
Realmuto seemed to have the most to say among those polled, but as a catcher he does see more pitches than hitters. "The ball just isn't spinning quite as tightly," he said.
It's still early in the rule change, and Nationals outfielder Kyle Schwarber says as time goes on they might notice it more. Semien even added that he's been hitting worse since the league cracked down on foreign substances, laughing about it.
They did all say that the pitching these days is next level, with faster throws and explosive sliders. Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo said "guys still have ridiculous stuff," and they're not thinking about the change much.
Bryant said, "Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in any sport," and clearly no rule change is going to alter his feelings.
3. Top 10 quarterback/coach NFL duos heading into 2021 season 🏈
I'm on the newsletter which means you know I'm going to try to talk about the NFL with you guys. We've already broken down top players in many positions, but now it's time to take a gander at the top quarterback and coach duos heading into the season.
As a Bostonian, it's tough not to see Tom Brady and Bill Belichick on this list, but TB12 is of course still there. Yes, he's about to be 44, but he still finds himself at the top of most "best" lists. Avocado toast and drinking a million gallons of water everyday is clearly working.
Before we look at the list, let's talk about what went into the ranking. New head coaches and quarterbacks on new teams don't qualify for the list, we're looking at you Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay.
Longevity also isn't everything, Brady and Bruce Arians haven't been together long but that doesn't keep them from the No. 1 spot. Those two bring us to our next comment, championships of course do help.
Let's take a look at the full top 10 list:
- Tom Brady/Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay
- Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs (last year's No. 1)
- Aaron Rodgers/Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
- Russell Wilson/Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
- Lamar Jackson/John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
- Josh Allen/Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
- Ryan Tannehill/Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
- Ben Roethlisberger/Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Baker Mayfield/Kevin Stefenski, Cleveland Browns
- Jimmy Garoppolo/Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
I'm glad to see Cleveland on this list, because if you follow me on Twitter, you know I'm a Browns believer and I am expecting them to succeed this year.
I'm not sold that Ben Roethlisberger still has much in him. I didn't think the Steelers were as good as their record last year and I think this is a crucial season to see what his future in the league looks like and how much time he has left. He's still Big Ben, yes, and he's been on a strict diet and working out a lot, but I'm not fully convinced we will see him starting for much longer.
There's no denying Mahomes' ability, but watching what Brady did in his first year with the Bucs, and just knowing how the seven-time champion is, how can you not put him at No. 1?
4. College football coaches on the hot seat this season 🏈
Being a college coach these days is no easy feat. Throw in one-time transfers, COVID-19 protocols, likeness rights and more and it's been a tough year for these coaches.
The "Hot Seat Rankings" are in, and some coaches just won't deliver this year with the pressure and chaos of all the above, so they might just be getting the boot.
The scale of these rankings goes from 0-5, with 0 being untouchable no matter what. Sixteen coaches scored a zero, including Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban. Two coaches scored a 5, which means win or else.
Here is how the rankings work:
0- Untouchable
1- Safe and secure
2- All good ... for now
3- Pressure is mounting
4- Start improving now
5- Win or be fired
The Hot Seat rankings have been pretty accurate in predicting whether or not a coach would stick around. In the last six years, 20 of the 38 coaches rated 4 or worse would go on to lose their jobs.
Here are nine coaches with their jobs on the line this season, along with their school and ranking:
- Scott Frost - Nebraska, 5
- Justin Fuente - Virginia Tech, 5
- Randy Edsall - UConn, 5
- Herm Edwards - Arizona State, 4
- Ed Orgeron - LSU, 4
- Jim Harbaugh - Michigan, 4
- Clay Helton - USC, 4
- Walt Bell - UMass, 4
- Dana Dimel - UTEP, 4
For full commentary, check out the list here. CBS Sports also has the full set of 2021 Hot Seat Rankings for all 130 FBS coaches, with scores and information on each coach.
📝 Odds & Ends
- According to reports, multiple matches at Wimbledon are being investigated for fixing
- Why you shouldn't hit the panic button yet on Team USA's men's basketball team
- Stanley Cup gets dented during Tampa Bay Lightnings' championship boat parade
📺 What to watch tonight
🏀 Suns vs. Bucks, (Game 4, PHX leads, 2-1) 9 p.m. I MIL -4 I TV: ABC
🥇 Best thing I saw on the internet
The All-Star Game is a fun time to see your favorite players compete on a different type of stage. It always brings us fantastic plays, and this year was no change. If you haven't yet, you have to see Vlad Jr.'s soaring home run during the ASG. And while you're at it, check out Fernando Tatis Jr.'s reaction.
