Raleigh Rumbles, Sanders Stumbles, and Wentz Wanders Again
The Monday afteroon edition of "6 things to know before 6 a.m." is live!
Where else but sports can you find Cal Raleigh chasing ghosts of catchers past, the Sanders brothers stealing headlines (for all the wrong reasons), Carson Wentz dusting off the journeyman playbook, and the Phillies and Twins setting up shop in an Iowa cornfield? Toss in my U.S. Open predictions and the weekly Monday WNBA power rankings, and this week feels like a buffet across the sports landscape.
1. The Big Dumper has career-high and MLB-best 49 taters - most by a catcher in MLB history
Seattle Mariners backstop Cal Raleigh (‘The Big Dumper’) crushed two home runs last night in an 11–4 blowout of the Sacramento A’s — vaulting past Salvador Perez’s 48 HR (2021) for the most homers in a season by a primary catcher in MLB history.
Raleigh now leads the majors with 49 home runs and 106 RBIs - a staggering mark from a position not known for power or pacing MLB HR charts.
Despite his record-breaking season, Raleigh (+135) still is in second for American League MVP odds, according to FanDuel; surprisingly, Aaron Judge (-195) still leads, despite playing eight fewer games than Raleigh, and accuring nine fewer home runs and 14 fewer RBI. Baffling that Raleigh is still not the favorite:
Raleigh received the nickname “Big Dumper” from former Mariners’ teammate Jarred Kelenic, who coined the name back in 2020, referring to Raleigh’s unusually large backside.
2. Deion’s sons - Shedeur and Shilo - stumble (and one is cut)
The legendary Hall of Fame player-turned college head coach Deion Sanders’s two sons - Shadeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders - had two pitiful performances in their last preseason games - one costing his job.
In Sunday’s 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders went 3-for-5 for a measly 14 yards, with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions… On five possessions. the former Colorado product was sacked five times for 41 yards and fumbled once. Shedeur had more sacks than completions, and about three times as many yards lost on sacks than passing yards. Shedeur showed why all 32 teams passed on him nearly five times over in the 2025 Draft, scrambling backwards for 10-plus yards on several dropbacks instead of simply throwing the ball away - a bad habit he did often at Colorado. The Browns went three-and-out on four of those five drives with Shedeur at quarterback.
For comparison’s sake, fellow Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel was a decent 12-of-19 for 129 yards and a goal-line touchdown pass, and week 1 starter, the ageless Joe Flacco, was an accurate 9-for-10 for 71 yards and a score.
If Shedeur had any other last name, he would be a definite roster casualty prior to Tuesday’s cutdown deadline, when all NFL teams have to eliminate around 40 roster spots each. Alas, the Browns may end up keeping him on the roster post-Tuesday.
As for Shilo, a defensive back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he would like to forget what he did in the second quarter of Saturday’s 23-19 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Shilo was blocked by Bills’ tight end Zach Davidson, who shoved him about 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, deep in Bucs’ territory. At the Bucs’ two-yard line, after Davidson disengaged, Shiloh bent down, took exception to the downfield blocking and threw a right punch to the jaw of Davidson. The referee, who was just a few feet from the action, instantly yanked out his yellow flag. After some discussion by the referees, Shilo was tossed from the game.
Buccaneers’ head coach Todd Bowles was dismayed by Shilo’s incident, following Saturday’s game.
"You can't throw punches in this league - that's inexcusable," Bowles said. "They're going to get you every time. You've got to grow from that."
The Bucs, on Monday morning, released Shilo Sanders, who was competing for the Bucs’ fourth (and last) safety spot.
3. Vikings trade one former Washington QB away and sign another
The Minnesota Vikings dealt quarterback Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles, swapping late round picks in the process, on Monday. The NFC North team then signed quarterback Carson Wentz, who will become the Vikings’ no. 3 quarterback on their roster. The Vikings also released former Boise State product Brett Rypien among their quarterback transactions.
Why did the Vikings trade away a 24-year old who had a career year with the Washington Commanders in 2023 (3,946 passing yards and 21 touchdowns) for a 32-year old has-been who has played for five teams (Eagles, Colts, Commanders, Rams and Chiefs) over the past five years?
Here’s The Athletic’s Vikings beat reporter Alec Lewis, who has the answer:
Brosmer had only 13 starts with the Minnesota Gophers last season in his senior year - the only year playing football with the Big Ten team, completing 66.5% of his passes for 2,828 yards, with 18 TD and only 6 interceptions. He was signed as an undrafted free agent back in late April.
On a side note, all three quarterbacks (Howell, Wentz and Rypien) have ties to the Washington Commanders.
Howell played a full season (2023) with the Commanders
Wentz started eight games (2022) with the Commanders
Rypien is the nephew of 11-year NFL veteran Mark Rypien, who was Super Bowl XXVI MVP with the-then Redskins in 1992 and started in 77 games over six years (1988-1993) in Washington D.C.
4. Field of Dreams 3.0: MLB opponents announced for 2026
Baseball meets cinema next year as the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins square off in Dyersville, Iowa in the first Field of Dreams Game since 2022.
The actual date of the Field of Dreams game will be determined at a later time. Two two prior games took place on Aug. 12, 2021 and Aug. 11, 2022, so figure an August date next year.
The Chicago White Sox won on a walk-off home run from then-shortstop Tim Anderson against the Yankees in 2021. The Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 in the 2022 matchup in Iowa.
Those two games took place on a temporary ballpark that has since been dismantled, according to The Athletic; the new permanent stadium will seat fewer than the 7,800 that attended each Field of Dreams game.
I am personally disappointed. I lived 15 minutes outside Davenport, Iowa and two hours south of Dyersville, in 2023 and 2024 - two of the three years that did not feature an MLB Field of Dreams game. The area underwent renovations for a youth baseball field complex adjacent to the permanent stadium that is set to be finished by next year.
5. U.S. Open is underway! My predictions, from the quarterfinals-onward
The opening day of tennis’s last major of the 2025 season began yesterday, and the nightcap featured a stunner in the men’s draw. Unranked (No. 51 nationally) Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi defeated 13th-seeded Danill Medvedev in five sets, in a match that ended well past midnight EST on Monday morning.
While filling out my whole bracket for both the men’s and women’s draw (yes, every single match!), I found some potential notable matches for each of the first four rounds:
Notable potential matches for the Men’s draw:
Second Round
(3) Alexander Zverev vs. Roberto Bautista Agut
(25) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Gael Monfils
Third Round
(11) Hector Rune vs. (17) Francis Tiafoe
Fourth Round
(1) Jannick Sinner vs. (14) Tommy Paul
(3) A. Zverev vs. (15) Andrey Rublev
(6) Ben Shelton vs. (12) Cameron Ruud
My quarterfinal picks (Men’s draw):
(BOLD is my favorite to advance)
(1) Jannick Sinner vs. (5) Jack Draper
(3) Alexander Zverev vs. (9) Karen Khachanov
(4) Taylor Fritz vs. (11) Hector Rune
(2) Carlos Alcaraz vs. (6) Ben Shelton
My semifinal picks (Men’s draw):
(1) Jannick Sinner vs. (9) Karen Khachanov
(2) Carlos Alcaraz vs. (4) Taylor Fritz
My U.S. Open Men’s Final pick: (2) Carlos Alcaraz
Notable potential matches for the Women’s draw:
Second Round
(10) Emma Navarro vs. Caty McNally - All-American 2nd round
(26) Sofia Kenin vs. Danielle Collins
(12) Elina Svitolina vs. Maria Sakkari
Third Round
(1) Arya Sabalenka vs. (31) Leylah Fernandez
(9) Elena Rybakina vs. Emma Raducanu
(4) Jessica Pegula vs. Victoria Azarenka
(8) Amanda Anisimova vs. Danielle Collins - All-American 3rd round
Fourth Round
(7) Jasmine Paolini vs. (9) Elena Rybakina
(5) Mia Andreeva vs. (10) Emma Navarro
(6) Madison Keys vs. (11) Karolina Muchova
(8) Amanda Anisimova vs. (12) Elina Svitolina
My quarterfinal picks (Women’s draw):
(BOLD is my favorite to advance)
(1) Arya Sabalenka vs. (9) Elena Rybakina
(4) Jessica Pegula vs. (10) Emma Navarro
(3) Coco Gauff vs. (6) Madison Keys
(2) Iga Swiatek vs. (12) Elina Svitolina
My semifinal picks (Women’s draw):
(1) Arya Sabalenka vs. (10) Emma Navarro
(2) Iga Swiatek vs. (6) Madison Keys
My U.S. Open Women’s Final pick: (1) Arya Sabalenka
6. WNBA Power Rankings
Another week is in the books for the WNBA, and with just a handful of regular season games left, all but three eliminated teams are either jostling for a playoff berth or playoff seeding for home court advantage.
Also, to note that my weekly power rankings is based on how hot or cold the team is and not necessarily where the team currently sits in the WNBA standings.
Biggest rise: Seattle Storm (+4) | Biggest fall: Golden State Valkryies (-2)
1. Las Vegas Aces | 24-14 | Last Week: 3 | Current Streak: W10
There’s a new no. 1 (not based on WNBA standings, as the Minnesota Lynx are 30-7), with the Aces on a franchise-best 10-game winning streak - the longest since the organization moved from San Antonio (as the Stars) back in 2018.
The Aces beat the Atlanta Dream by only two points (74-72) on Tuesday, but routed the likes of the Phoenix Mercury (83-61) and the Washington Mystics (91-81). Since Las Vegas’s humuliating 111-58 loss to the top-seeded Lynx on Aug. 2, the Aces have yet to be defeated, riding high on MVP candidate A’ja Wilson. The three-time MVP has scored 30-plus points and 12-plus rebounds in five of the last seven games, including a 32/12/4/5/1 (pts/reb/ast/blk/stl) against the Dream and 36/13/1/2/2 at Washington.
Currently (as of Sunday night), she is second in MVP odds (at +280), with the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier the favorite at -400. Collier just returned to the Lynx after a seven-game absence (ankle injury).
The Aces face the Lynx on Thursday (10 p.m. ET on Prime Video), and will be looking for revenge in a battle of the two best teams in the WNBA. That match is sandwiched between two games against the second-worst team in the ‘W’ in the Chicago Sky (on Monday and Sunday) this week.
Upcoming matchups: at Sky (9-27) tonight; at Dream (24-13) on Wednesday; vs. Lynx (30-7) on Thursday; vs. Sky on Sunday
2. Minnesota Lynx | 30-7 | Last Week: 1 | Current Streak: W2
Speaking of winning streaks, the Lynx saw their six-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday, in a 85-75 road loss to the New York Liberty (22-15), followed by a narrow road loss to the Dream (75-73) on Thursday (what is with the Dream and close games against top Western Conference teams this past week?). However, the Lynx bounced back with consecutive wins in a home-and-home with the reeling Indiana Fever (95-90 on Friday; 97-84 on Sunday).
Lynx forward Jessica Sheppard set a WNBA record in Friday’s victory, starting in place of the injured Collier. She recorded the fastest triple-double in WNBA history, accruing 11 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in just under 22 minutes. The previous record was set by Seattle guard Skylar Diggins on July 28 (23 minutes).
The Lynx received their MVP back in Naphessa Collier on Sunday, and she did not miss a beat. Collier finished with 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting, with 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in her first game back since Aug. 2.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Storm (20-18) on Thursday; at Sun (9-27) Saturday
3. Atlanta Dream | 24-13 | Last Week: 2 | Current Streak: W2
The Dream went 3-1, defeated the Lynx, yet drop a spot in the power rankings - why? Only because the Aces are scorching hot right now. The Dream took care of business against the Golden State Valkryies (79-63) and Liberty (78-62) in bookend victories last week.
Dream guard Allisha Gray is showing why she is deserving of a WNBA All-First Team selection, with her fourth-best scoring performance of the season (a game-high 27 points) in the 75-73 triumph over the Lynx.
Like the Lynx, the Dream also have a two-game slate this week, but with both games at home in the Gateway Center.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Aces (24-14) on Wednesday; vs. Wings (9-29) Friday
4. Phoenix Mercury | 22-14 | Last Week: 5 | Current Streak: W1
The Mercury are here by default; they are fourth in the WNBA standings, and have stayed steady (two wins, one loss) this week. Despite the Mercury having one of their worst shooing performances of the season from long range (6-of-32) in the blowout loss to the Aces on Thursday, the team from The Valley managed to take home-and-home victories against the Valkryies (98-91 on Tuesday and 81-72 on Friday).
Distant third MVP candidate, forward Alyssa Thomas, continues to put up Russell Westbrook-like numbers, racking up her sixth triple-double of the season (13 points, 12 rebounds and a season-high 16 assists) in Friday’s home game. That was also her 21st career triple-double - no WNBA player in the storied history has more than four.
Upcoming matchups: at Los Angeles Sparks (17-18) Tuesday; vs. Sky (9-27) on Thursday; vs. Liberty (22-15) on Saturday
5. Seattle Storm | 20-18 | Last Week: Unranked | Current Streak: W3
Remember how two weeks ago, the Storm were in the midst of a free fall, in the midst of potentially not making the playoffs? Also, last week, and how I did not rank them after losing eight of their last nine games?
Well, a week later, this Pacific Northwest team has the second-longest current winning streak, beating all sub-.500 teams on the road. Seattle never trailed from the 8:26 mark of the second quarter-onwards in a 94-88 win over the Sky on Tuesday, but needed a heroic effort (and a buzzer-beating, game-winning basket that hit every part of the rim) from forward Nneka Ogwumike to defeat the Mystics, 84-82, on Sunday.
More needs to be said about the quiet, yet lethal 25-year old forward, who could not miss from three (6-of-7) and finished with a game-high 30 points on an efficient 11-of-15 shooting, which was her second-best scoring effort this season.
Upcoming matchups: at Fever (19-18) Tuesday; at Lynx (30-7) on Thursday; vs. Sky (9-27) on Saturday
6. Golden State Valkryies | 19-18 | Last Week: 4 | Current Streak: W1
Even though the Bay area team dropped two spots after a 1-2 week, the Valkryies still remain a potential playoff team in a tight race for the final three spots, as seen below:
This, despite falling to the Dream on Aug. 17, and compounding that with successive home-and-home losses to the Phoenix Suns last week. WNBA’s newest expansion team continues to reach new heights as the best inaugural expansion team of all-time. No other team has had 19 wins in their first year (the next closest was the 1998 Detroit Shock, with 17 wins).
The Valkryies rebounded from their three-game losing streak with a 90-81 win over the 9-29 Dallas Wings. Golden State guard Veronica Burton, who spent her first towo years (2022 and 2023) with the Wings, became the only player in WNBA history to record 25-plus points, 10-plus assists, 5-plus rebounds and 4-plus blocks in a single game, in a match against her former team.
The Valkryies are having this success without five of their players, with Kayla Thornton (out for the season) and Cecillia Zanalasini (injured calf) not with the team on Sunday, and Tiffany Hayes (left knee), Monique Billings (right ankle) and Carla Leite (right ankle) out in Sunday’s road win.
Thankfully, Golden State has just two games this week, both happening next weekend, to start a five-game homestand.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Mystics (16-22) Saturday; vs. Fever (19-18) on Sunday
7. New York Liberty | 22-15 | Last Week: 6 | Current Streak: L2
The Liberty, WNBA defending champions, have not been their champion selves over the past two weeks, dropping five of their last seven games, all without forward Brianna Stewart. The UConn great could potentially be cleared to play as early as tonight, against the Connecticut Sun.
New York lost three of their last four games last week, including getting thumped 78-62 by the Dream on Saturday. The Liberty were also without the likes of guard Sabrina Ionescu, who injured her foot in Thursday’s home loss (91-85) to the Sky, and could again be without her services this evening. In addition, fellow starting backcourt mate Natasha Cloud may not play today, as she is questionable with a nose injury.
The Liberty have dropped three spots in the WNBA standings during this skid - the Brooklyn-based team was as high as second a month ago, but now is fighting for home court advantage in the playoffs with seven games left in the regular season.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Sun (9-27) tonight (Monday); vs. Mystics (16-22) on Thursday; at Mercury (22-14) on Saturday
8. Los Angeles Sparks | 17-18 | Last Week: Unranked | Current Streak: W1
Another week, another sub-0.500 team in the WNBA Power Rankings. In this case, the Sparks have won six of their last nine games, including finishing off back-to-back home-and-home wins against the Dallas Wings over the last week.
What has been more impressive was that both victories over the Wings were each by just a point (97-96 on Aug. 15; 81-80 on Wednesday), with guard Kelsey Plum providing the buzzer-beating basket in Wednesday’s win. This, despite allowing and withstanding a 2025 WNBA season-high 44 points from 2025 No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers.
Los Angeles sits only a game back of the injury-ravaged Indiana Fever (19-18) in ninth place, just outside a potential playoff berth.
The Sparks continue their four-game homestand this week, with three games at the Crypto.com Arena.
Upcoming matchups: vs. Mercury (22-14) Tuesday; vs. Fever (19-18) on Friday; vs. Mystics (16-22) on Sunday
Well, that wraps up another Monday edition of Sameer’s Snippets.
Until next time, signing off.