Fantasy Baseball Pickups: Race to the waiver wire for Matt ShawNew Foto - Fantasy Baseball Pickups: Race to the waiver wire for Matt Shaw

OK, folks, if I am gonna reach my quarterly transaction quota around here, I am gonna need everyone to commit to this week's fantasy baseball pickups. Corporate is all over me. No excuses this week, people. Just please add these widely available (and quite useful) players as soon as possible… Shaw has been terrific since he returned from exile in Iowa. He just went 5-for-11 with 2 runs, 2 RBI and 2 steals in the Miami series, and his late-inning stolen base on Wednesday was basically the game-winning play. There should be a spot for Shaw on someone's roster in pretty much any league. If the power/speed potential doesn't do it for you, the multi-position eligibility should.He was raking at Triple-A before he was recalledand he's sustained that level of play so far in the big leagues. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Meidroth is something like the south side version of Shaw, except A) he's batting at the top of the lineup and B) he doesn't offer the same power upside. He's hit safely in nine straight games for the Sox and he's swiped five bags in his last six. This is some serious professional hitting right here, on a tough pitch: Meidroth drives Elko in and Sox take the lead!pic.twitter.com/EsO7vQKwLl — White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox)May 21, 2025 Meidroth was part of the prospect haul sent to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet deal and he's been plenty impressive to this point, batting .301 and getting himself on-base at a .381 clip. The 23-year-old was a career .285/.425/.414 hitter in the minors, so his OBP skills were already well-established. It's pretty wild that Scott remains eligible for the pickups feature, unattached in roughly two-thirds of Yahoo leagues. He's hitting a respectable .275 with an OBP of .349 and he's a clear contender to lead the National League in steals this season.Scott has top-of-the-charts sprint speed, he's stolen 13 bags in 14 attempts so far and he swiped 94 bases in the minors back in 2023. This is a potential category leader just hanging out in the free-agent pool. Let's correct this situation. Beck is basically having the season you might have reasonably expected from Brenton Doyle, claiming the leadoff spot in Colorado's lineup. He has eight homers this season among his 18 extra-base hits and he's stolen six bases. Beck has previously demonstrated 20/20 ability in the minors, so there's reason to believe the 24-year-old's breakout is legit. He's worth a test-drive this weekend, with the Rockies at home in Coors Field. Sheets raced out to a scorching start for San Diego and never really faded. He's coming off a two-homer, five-RBI game on Thursday, which gives him eight bombs for the year. He was a buzzy name in the spring (6 HR, 1.077 OPS) and he's carried that level of performance into the regular season. Sheets has madesignificant gains in bat speed and exit velo, improvements that have clearly boosted his fantasy profile. If you're searching the free-agent pool for power, this is your guy. Warren has struck out 34 batters over his last four starts (22.2 IP), walking just six and earning a pair of wins. He's worth adding simply for his bat-missing ability. Dalton Del Don madethe full case for Warrenearlier this week, so I will simply function as his cosigner. When a young pitcher with an appealing profile on a good team begins producing K totals like this, we need to act. Warren's next start is on Sunday against Colorado, the team that currently leads the majors in strikeouts while ranking near the bottom in run-scoring. Here's one for those who stream starting pitchers. Leiter, 25, is still a work in progress with a promising arsenal, including elite velocity. He's coming off a pair of excellent starts against the Astros and Rockies (13.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 9 K), taking a no-hitter into the seventh against Houston last weekend. On Saturday, Leiter is on track to face the White Sox, a team that's already 20 games below .500. You know what to do. If we're being completely honest here, I'm not fully committed to this pickup. Palencia earned the most recent save for the Cubs, closing out Wednesday's one-run win with a 1-2-3 inning. All three outs were hammered to the warning track, however. Palencia routinely hits 101 on the radar gun, but he doesn't actually have any other tricks — it's all gas, all the time. We would havelovedthis guy 30 years ago, but, today, it might not be enough. Still, Palencia is the man getting save chances in this flawed bullpen, so he's an auto-add in fantasy.

Fantasy Baseball Pickups: Race to the waiver wire for Matt Shaw

Fantasy Baseball Pickups: Race to the waiver wire for Matt Shaw OK, folks, if I am gonna reach my quarterly transaction quota around here, I...
Who is Sam Landry? Oklahoma softball ace leading Sooners in NCAA tournamentNew Foto - Who is Sam Landry? Oklahoma softball ace leading Sooners in NCAA tournament

Oklahoma softball lost nearly its entire starting lineup from last season, including more than 330 innings from its pitching staff. And yet,first-year transfer Sam Landryhas played a vital role in the Sooners being national championship contenders once again in 2025. Landry, who transferred from Louisiana in the offseason to help fill the void left by ace Kelly Maxwell, has blossomed into quite the ace herself in 2025. The 5-foot-10 senior was a first-team All-SEC selection in her first season at the Power Four level, and was also named the SEC Newcomer of the Year. REQUIRED READING:Texas A&M becomes first No. 1 seed to miss Super Regionals in NCAA softball tournament The Mont Belvieu, Texas, native leads the team with 160 2/3 innings pitched this season, which is nearly 90 more innings than Oklahoma's second-most used pitcher. Landry has been leaned on in heavily in 2025, with 15 complete games in 23 of her starts. While the Sooners reloaded on offense after losing a quintet of All-Americans from a season ago, Landry's play in her first season with Oklahoma has been essential to the program's success. Here's everything to know of Landry, who Oklahoma will rely on heavily as it looks to win its fifth consecutive national championship: Landry is the ace of Oklahoma's pitching rotation, and has developed into one of the best pitchers in college softball in 2025. The first-year Sooner transferred from Louisiana last season, looking to prove she can compete against Power Four talent. She has done just that, throwing 160 2/3 innings so far this season with a 2.00 ERA and 165 strikeouts en route to being named a first-team All-SEC selection. Landry wasn't an unknown commodity, however. She was the No. 4-ranked recruit of the 2021 recruiting class, per Extra Innings Softball. She was also one of 40 high school players selected to play in the Premier Girls Fastpitch High School Senior All-American Game. Landry was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection in 2024, throwing 194 1/3 innings with 20 complete games while compiling a 2.09 ERA and 165 strikeouts. She also led the Ragin' Cajuns in wins in each of her three seasons before transferring to Oklahoma. Landry has also been open about how her transfer to Oklahoma reinvigorated her love for the game. "I loved my Louisiana teammates as well, but I think the change was much needed at the point I was at in my life,"Landry told The Oklahoman. "I think being around a whole bunch of new girls, new coaches was what I needed at that point." Landry was selectedNo. 1 overall in the Athletes Unlimited Softballdraft this season, a new league with four teams competing in 24 games starting June 7. Arkansas' Bri Ellis, a finalist for national player of the year, went No. 2 overall. Landry said playing professional softball was never a thought before transferring to Oklahoma. "Before I got here … I probably didn't have that much interest in going pro,"Landry told The Oklahoman. "And then getting here and just falling in love with the sport again and being able to strengthen my strengths, I guess, it's really made me more interested in doing it." REQUIRED READING:Super regionals schedule: Full TV slate for college softball NCAA tournament Here are Landry's year-by-year stats in college: 2022 (Louisiana):20-3 record with 2.76 ERA and 145 strikeouts across 117.1 innings pitched 2023 (Louisiana):19-6 record with 2.74 ERA and 150 strikeouts across 147.2 innings pitched 2024 (Louisiana):24-10 record with 2.08 ERA and 165 strikeouts across 194.3 innings pitched 2025 (Oklahoma):22-4 record with 2.00 ERA and 165 strikeouts across 160.2 innings pitched* *Through regionals This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who is Sam Landry? Oklahoma softball ace leading Sooners in postseason

Who is Sam Landry? Oklahoma softball ace leading Sooners in NCAA tournament

Who is Sam Landry? Oklahoma softball ace leading Sooners in NCAA tournament Oklahoma softball lost nearly its entire starting lineup from la...
Who is Mia Williams? Meet Jason Williams' daughter and Florida softball second basemanNew Foto - Who is Mia Williams? Meet Jason Williams' daughter and Florida softball second baseman

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. Mia Williamsmay only be a sophomore, but she has been aFlorida Gatorfor much longer than two years. The Gators softball second basemancommitted to Florida as a seventh graderwhen she was 12 years old, but her connection with the school runs even deeper than that. Even when Williams became the youngest recruit to ever commit to a Division I program at the time of her commitment in 2017, she seemed Gainesville-bound longer than that. REQUIRED READING:NCAA softball tournament super regional schedule breakdown in race for Women's College World Series Williams is the daughter of former Florida basketball star guard Jason Williams and former Gator track and field athleteDenika Kisty. As a sophomore, Williams has grown into a key cog for the Florida offense with a 1.185 OPS, 19 home runs, 44 RBI and 50 runs scored, while manning the keystone position on the softball diamond. She will be in the lineup when the No. 3 Gators host rival Georgia in the Gainesville Super Regional. Here's what you need to know about Williams, her parents and her stats at Florida: After starting his career at Marshall, Jason Williams transferred to Florida to play under head coach Billy Donovan for his junior season in 1997-98. He had to sit out the 1996-97 season due to his transfer, but averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game in his lone season with the Gators. Nicknamed "White Chocolate" during his playing career, Jason Williams was the No. 7 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. He won an NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. Despite having a superstar father in basketball, Williams has always been more in love with the softball diamond. "To this day, people will find out who my dad is, and they'll ask me, 'Why don't you play basketball?'" Williams said toSaturday Down South. "I'm not him. I'm someone else. I get to do whatever I want, you know?" Williams' mother was no slouch either when it comes to athletics.Denika Kistywas a two-time All-American for Florida's track and field teams. The success in different sports for the family brings out a competitive side, too. "In our house, we all think we are the best,"Denika said to FloSports in 2018."I remind Jason weekly I'm the only All-American and he reminds me he is the only World Champion and it goes on and on." Here's a look at Williams' stats through her first two collegiate seasons with the Gators: 2024:.164 batting average, .287 on-base percentage, .632 OPS, 6 home runs, 18 RBI, 31 runs scored and 9 stolen bases in 65 games played, 110 at-bats 2025:.343 batting average, .434 on-base percentage, 1.185 OPS, 19 home runs, 44 RBI, 50 runs scored and 8 stolen bases in 60 games played, 169 at-bats This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Mia Williams age, dad, more to know of Florida softball second baseman

Who is Mia Williams? Meet Jason Williams' daughter and Florida softball second baseman

Who is Mia Williams? Meet Jason Williams' daughter and Florida softball second baseman USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from link...
How big is a softball? Size, weight for 2025 NCAA softball tournament, WCWSNew Foto - How big is a softball? Size, weight for 2025 NCAA softball tournament, WCWS

Apart from a player's own individual skillset,college softballis a sport built much on strategy. This is especially true for pitchers inside the circle. That strategy building betweena pitcherand a catcher begins traditionally before a start by building the scouting report in film work sessions with a pitching coach. It is then executed in the game withthings like rise balls, off-speed pitches and ball placement among other strategies. REQUIRED READING:NCAA softball tournament super regional schedule breakdown in race for Women's College World Series But there is perhaps an unknown common denominator in all this with the softball itself, as a pitcher tries to retire a batter at the plate by changing up speed and location: the weight and size of the softball. The NCAA softball tournament continues on Friday with a full slate of super regional matchups, where the winners of these best-of-three series will advance to the Women's College World Series. Here's what to know: The circumference of a softball is measured anywhere between 11⅞ inches and 12 1/4 inches, which is an estimated 3 inches bigger in circumference than an NCAA regulation baseball.As noted by The Oklahoman,part of the USA TODAY Network, a softball is also slightly heavier than a baseball, as a softball weighs between 1.7 and 2.3 ounces. Here are the official requirements of a regulation softball, as noted inRule 3.2.1 of the NCAA's softball rulebook: "The ball shall be an optic yellow sphere with raised red thread seams. It shall have a polycore center. The cover shall be smooth and made of chrometanned, top-grain horsehide or cowhide. It shall be affixed to the core by cement and sewn with waxed cotton or linen thread by the two-needle method with not fewer than 88 stitches per cover. The ball shall meet the following specifications." Minimum circumference:11⅞ inches Maximum circumference:12 1/4 inches Minimum weight:6 1/2 ounces Maximum weight:7 ounces Maximum COR (coefficient of restitution):47 Compression:Minimum 275 pounds; maximum 375 pounds Maximum dynamic stiffness:7,500 pounds per square inch. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How big is softball? What to know ahead of super regionals, WCWS

How big is a softball? Size, weight for 2025 NCAA softball tournament, WCWS

How big is a softball? Size, weight for 2025 NCAA softball tournament, WCWS Apart from a player's own individual skillset,college softba...
Sam Bennett, Panthers roll to 2nd road rout of HurricanesNew Foto - Sam Bennett, Panthers roll to 2nd road rout of Hurricanes

The Florida Panthers are two wins away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight season following a dominant effort on Thursday. Yet even after a 5-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., gave Florida a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, the defending NHL champions aren't resting on their laurels. The best-of-seven series shifts to Sunrise, Fla., for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday. "We got what we wanted, but still obviously lots of work to do," Panthers center Sam Bennett said. "We're not gonna relax or sit back now. We know it's gonna get more difficult for sure." Bennett recorded two goals and an assist, Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist, and Carter Verhaeghe added three assists for Florida on Thursday. Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov also scored, and Aaron Ekblad and Evan Rodrigues each notched two assists. Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves for his third shutout of the postseason. "He's incredible every night," Bennett said. "His composure in the net and his focus, game in, game out, he's always dialed in. He makes the big save when he needs to and gives our team so much life, so much momentum." Panthers winger Sam Reinhart left the game in the first period after sustaining a lower-body injury on a hit from Carolina center Sebastian Aho. "We'll get him looked at tomorrow," coach Paul Maurice said of Reinhart. Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen allowed four goals on 16 shots before he was replaced by Pyotr Kochetkov to start the third period. Andersen yielded all of the Panthers' goals in a 5-2 defeat on Tuesday. Kochetkov turned aside four of the five shots he faced. "Sometimes it's easier to recover from a game like that because there's nothing good out of it," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "... There was nothing good on this game for us. We're going to have to learn from it. Everybody has to be better." Forsling gave Florida a 1-0 lead at 1:17 of the first period, taking a short feed from Tkachuk to the top of the slot and snapping it past Andersen's glove. Tkachuk made it 2-0 at 11:41 of the first. Verhaeghe retrieved a pass behind the net and cut out to the front to try to beat Andersen, but his shot slid under Andersen's stick and across the crease to Tkachuk for the tip-in. Bennett deflected Verhaeghe's shot on a power play to push the margin to 3-0 at 15:50 of the first. "Obviously we've got to figure out how to win a period," Brind'Amour said. "I think we came out with the right intentions but trying to do too much, and then we're not doing the things we do as a team that normally helps us. ... "I didn't know what I was watching in the first period, and that didn't go well. I said the other day, the margin here is tight. We're not going to beat this team if we're not on the same page." Aho appeared to get Carolina on the board 51 seconds into the second period, but the Panthers challenged for offside. After a video review, the goal was overturned. "The offside was so important that got called back," Maurice said. "It's 3-0, but at 3-1 with 39 minutes left, you've got a problem. That was a really pivotal moment." The Hurricanes had one of their few chances with 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the middle period, but Seth Jarvis' pass attempt to William Carrier during an odd-man rush was denied by a diving stick block from Forsling. That prompted repeated chants of "Shoot the puck" from the crowd, with Carolina stuck on seven shots on goal. Bennett's second goal of the night extended the gap to 4-0 with 39 seconds left in the second frame. Verhaeghe looped around the net and the puck rolled off his stick over to Bennett on the other side, where he put a snap shot past Andersen's left skate. "In big moments, we seem to have a lot of guys that rise to the occasion," Verhaeghe said. Barkov deflected Ekblad's shot past Kochetkov's glove on a power play at 13:49 of the third period for the final tally. "It's not easy," Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. "We've got a long road ahead of us, but there's no quit in this team. It just takes one. We'll focus on this next game and we'll go from there." --Field Level Media

Sam Bennett, Panthers roll to 2nd road rout of Hurricanes

Sam Bennett, Panthers roll to 2nd road rout of Hurricanes The Florida Panthers are two wins away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for...

 

SPORTS © 2015 | Distributed By My Blogger Themes | Designed By Templateism.com