Sports
Bobby Witt Jr. vs. Aaron Judge Puts Spotlight on Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees ALDS Series
The MVP chase we didn’t know we needed is now the playoff series we can’t wait to watch as a contrast in styles is about to commence.
When Bobby Witt Jr. and the Kansas City Royals meet Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, there is so much to savor—at face value and below the surface.
The Royals have scratched and clawed their way back to relevance this season, earning a wild-card spot with a plus-91 run differential that was tied for second best in the American League.
The Yankees have assumed their spot back atop the American League heap, earning a No. 1 seed on their side of the bracket and returning to their Evil Empire identity, although it never really went away.
If Witt was charging toward superstar status when he signed an 11-year, $288.8-million contract extension in February, he has fully arrived now. If there was any thought the Royals were getting ahead of themselves after Witt showed a strong rookie campaign and one high-level season last year, those concerns are long gone.
Witt charged into the MVP conversation not only by hitting 32 home runs with 31 stolen bases and Gold Glove-worthy defense at shortstop; he was the main reason Kansas City was able to charge back to the playoffs after losing 106 games last season. The Royals have not reached the postseason since their 2015 title.
Yet, the reality is that Judge will be the American League MVP for the second time in three seasons on the back of a 58-homer, 144-RBI, 1.159-OPS season that was every bit as good as his 2022 season, minus the AL home-run record.
The Yankees were among the top MLB teams all season thanks to an offense that led baseball with 237 home runs and was tops in the AL with 815 runs scored and a .762 OPS. And while they are always viewed as an annual team to beat, New York will operate with something to prove after just three playoff victories over the previous three seasons.
Earlier this season, the Yankees won five of the seven games between the teams, including a four-game series at Kansas City in June when New York won three times.
Witt did not hit a home run against the Yankees this season, but he batted .367 with an .887 OPS. Judge hit one home run in six games against the Royals with a .250 batting average and a .708 OPS.
As far as the playoffs are concerned, Witt has established some momentum by helping the Royals to a 2-0 wild-card sweep against the Baltimore Orioles. Kansas City managed to pull off the two victories with just three total runs and Witt drove in one during each game.
“It’s pretty special to see what this team has done this year from what happened last year, and so now we’ve just got to keep doing it,” Witt said after the Royals advanced.
Judge has helped put the Yankees in the favorite role in the series, with home-field advantage to go along with it. But in the new era of expanded playoffs and three wild-card teams, division winners have been at something of a disadvantage.
The Royals and Detroit Tigers already have advanced to the division series with wild-card series wins on the road. Last season, a pair of wild-card teams in the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks played in the World Series. And in 2022, the wild-card Philadelphia Phillies, the lowest seed in the National League, were a World Series participant.
It sets up a scenario where Judge will get his MVP when the season ends, but Witt could end up getting what he would have preferred anyway if the Royals can advance past the Yankees and into the American League Champion Series.
“We’ve just got to take things one day at a time, one step at a time like we’ve been doing,” Witt said. “It’s unbelievable doing it for (Royals) fans, so I can’t wait to play a game (at home), but first we’ll go to New York.”
Sports
WTA roundup: Tamara Korpatsch wins Hamburg, first German champ in 34 years
Jun 29, 2026; London, United Kingdom; Coco Gauff of the United States at the net with Tamara Korpatsch of Germany after their match on day one at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images Tamara Korpatsch broke the German curse at the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open by claiming the title in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Hungary’s Anna Bondar on Sunday in Germany.
Korpatsch, born in Hamburg, is the first German since Steffi Graf in 1992 to win the Hamburg Open. Since Graf’s last title, Germans were 0-4 in the final at Hamburg. Korpatsch claimed her second career singles title in one hour and 28 minutes to improve to 5-0 in her career against Bondar.
Korpatsch came out hot in the first set with two aces and won 18 of her 25 first serve points (72%). She won 10 of the first 15 points to jump ahead to a 3-0 lead and wrapped it up by getting a break back to all but clinch the set.
Korpatsch continued to push in the second set and broke Bondar two more times, including to clinch the match.
Prague Open
Austria’s Lilli Tagger won her first ever WTA singles title with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Daria Snigur of the Ukraine.
Tagger came out firing with nine aces, including five in the first set. She found herself down 5-2 in the first set, but won five of the next six games to steal the set. She was able to get a break off Snigur when she was serving for the match.
Tagger won five of the final six games to clinch the title, breaking Snigur two separate times while never facing a break point herself. Four more aces along with converting 10 of 12 first serve points (82 %) was enough to ice the match.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lando Norris captures first race as F1 champion
May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; McLaren driver Lando Norris (1) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Defending 2025 Formula One champion Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, finally capturing his first victory of 2026.
Norris was the pole sitter in Mogyorod, Hungary, but quickly lost the top spot when his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, capitalized on a chance to overtake him at Turn 2 of the opening lap.
Norris and Piastri accounted for much of the race drama, with Norris unsuccessfully asking McLaren to call off Piastri. Norris had his first chance at clear sailing when McLaren pulled Piastri in for his second pitstop.
The owner of seven victories in 2025, Norris was forced to watch from behind until Piastri emerged from the pitstop and collided with the car of Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr. The short delay was enough for Norris to overtake Piastri.
Norris took his first race as the champion ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and points leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.
“I don’t know what happened, to be honest,” Norris said of the faulty Turn 2. “I just kept losing the rear. I had like three or four big snaps. It felt horrible and of course Oscar did a good job to get the cutback and get back past, so I think I was just a bit wide in the dirt — game over for the first lap.
“But man, I was pushing like hell to try and force him into a mistake or something. My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so a great race.”
“I’m just happy to be back and see the number one again,” the 26-year-old Brit added.
Piastri had completed 55 of the 70 laps when he was forced to end his day because of a problem with his gearbox.
Technical problems in shifting to the 2026 car specifications allowed Ferrari and Mercedes to pull ahead of McLaren this season after its dominant 2025.
Norris has complained plenty about his car this season but had compliments Sunday.
“The team has put so much work in to making a car that can finally win again. It’s nice to be able to do it for them,” Norris said.
“If we want to come back, we need a lot more of these and we need to continue putting pressure on our competition. This weekend was a perfect weekend for us but it’s going to be tough, so we’ll keep pushing and keep working hard.
“I owe the team a lot. They’ve done an amazing job to even get back to winning races at this point, so I’m proud.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Hamilton fell to fifth place following a penalty for speeding during pitstops. A seven-time season champion, Hamilton is second to Antonelli in the driver standings, trailing by 50 points.
Mercedes leads the team standings with Ferrari second. McLaren is a distant third.
Formula One is now on its summer break until it resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB Best Bets for Sunday's Rockies vs. Brewers, Yankees vs. Phillies
Mar 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports Watching baseball is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. So, why not make it even better by getting in on the action? To help you do just that, I’ve combed through the data, odds, and trends for today’s games to find the MLB Best Bets of the day.
Here are my picks:
Colorado Rockies vs. Milwaukee Brewers
The pitching disparity in this game makes it relatively easy to make a pick. Colorado is going with Kyle Freeland, who is 0-6 in nine road starts with an 8.28 ERA and a .330 OBA. The Rockies lineup, which has hit .243 over the last week, will face one of the best pitchers in the game, Jacob Misiorowski.
Misiorowski is 10-4 with a 1.57 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP. Milwaukee’s lineup has only been hitting .236 over the last week. However, that will change with Freeland taking the mound for the Rockies.
My Pick: Milwaukee -1.5 (-125, FanDuel)
I’d feel better if the Brewers were hitting better right now, but Freeland may be one of the most hittable pitchers in the game. The Milwaukee lineup will wake up against him and lead the Brewers to a runaway victory.
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New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies
We saw seven hits and one run scored in Friday’s game. Saturday’s saw a little more hitting with each team recording seven, but still only four runs scored. So, it is safe to say neither team is hitting the ball really well at the moment (over the last seven days, Yankees– .197 and Phillies– .216).
Don’t expect them to do so today; Will Warren (7-4, 4.00 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) will get a few good innings under his belt before getting pulled for the best bullpen in the league (3.01 ERA). Between the two, the Phillies will not generate much offense.
Philadelphia is set to start Cristopher Sanchez (12-4, 2.71 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), who has been phenomenal at home (8-1, 1.15 ERA).
My Pick: Under 8 at -107 (DraftKings)
Both teams have been terrible at the plate over the last week, and it is unlikely either lineup wakes up against these pitchers.
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WTA roundup: Tamara Korpatsch wins Hamburg, first German champ in 34 years
Lando Norris captures first race as F1 champion
