Sunderland are on the hunt for Premier League-level reinforcements and have entered the race for a prolific striker from one of Europe’s top five leagues, according to a report.
Sunderland set out stall to consolidate in the Premier League
Beating the drop will be the immediate priority for Regis Le Bris on Wearside, who will have to plan for life without duo Tommy Watson and Jobe Bellingham following their moves to Brighton & Hove Albion and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.
Despite receiving criticism, Kristjaan Speakman has explained that playoff final hero Watson’s departure being public was to promote transparency with supporters following the club’s decision to speak openly about his move to the South Coast.
Why is this relevant? Well, it could be a sign of things to come moving forward, which will hopefully lead to news surrounding incomings sooner rather than later.
Sunderland now want "exceptional" £37k-p/w star who could cost £30 million
The Black Cats are probing on the market.
BySean Markus Clifford Jun 13, 2025
Ishe Samuels-Smith is said to be on the Black Cats’ radar following his rise to prominence in Chelsea’s youth ranks. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers star Tommy Doyle could also pitch up in the North East, circumstances permitting.
Millwall defender Japhet Tanganga has a £1.2 million release clause Sunderland are keen to take up. Nevertheless, recent reports suggest Le Bris may be looking to add to his pool of offensive options rather than prioritising a move for a defender.
Sunderland eyeing move for Sassuolo star Armand Lauriente
According to AS Roma Live, Sunderland are in the race to sign Sassuolo striker Armand Lauriente, and it would cost around £17 million to bring the 26-year-old to Tyneside.
Roma, Bologna, Fiorentina and Marseille are also interested in the former France Under-21 international, who will find himself playing Serie A football once again next season after his side claimed the Serie B title.
Armand Lauriente in 2024/25 – Serie B (Fotmob)
Shots
81
Shots on target
43
Successful dribbles
31
Chances created
37
Touches in opposition box
152
Labelled “amazing” by Jacek Kulig, Lauriente registered 19 goals and six assists in 34 appearances across all competitions and is now regarded as a hot property across Europe.
Intriguingly, the versatile forward has previously worked with Le Bris at Lorient, which may explain why the Black Cats have come to the table despite stiff competition from elsewhere.
The Premier League is the toughest in the world to crack, especially as a newly-promoted side, so it is interesting to see Sunderland set the bar high in their search for attacking potency.
Now, it remains to be seen whether they can tempt Lauriente with the prospect of starring for a returning force in the top-flight.
Celtic were hit with a devastating blow at the start of this month when it was revealed that Jota could be out of action for up to nine months with a knee injury.
The Hoops winger hobbled off during the 5-0 win over Dundee United away from home at the end of last month, the game that clinched the Scottish Premiership title, and is now set to be out of action until next year.
Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that he will be out for between six and nine months after suffering cruciate ligament damage, which means that he will miss pre-season and the start of next season at a minimum.
It comes as a big blow for the Scottish giants because the winger had provided four goals and two assists in seven league matches after his return to Parkhead in the January transfer window.
Celtic reportedly paid £8m to sign the Portuguese wizard from Rennes on a permanent deal, 18 months on from selling him to Al Ittihad for a fee of £25m.
How Celtic played a masterclass with Jota
Ange Postecoglou initially signed the forward on loan from Benfica in the summer of 2021 before a permanent deal was struck to bring him to Parkhead on a long-term contract in 2022.
The Hoops reportedly splashed out a fee of £6.5m to convert his loan into a permanent deal, as per the option to buy that was included in the initial move, and the exciting attacker justified that fee with his performances on the pitch in the Premiership.
Jota scored ten goals and provided ten assists in less than 30 appearances in the Scottish top-flight during his loan spell at Parkhead, which convinced the club to activate their £6.5m option to sign him permanently.
The dynamic forward instantly repaid their faith in him with another excellent campaign in the Premiership during the 2022/23 season under Postecoglou’s management, as he delivered goals and assists on a regular basis once again.
Appearances
33
Goals
11
Big chances missed
4
Big chances created
13
Key passes per game
1.9
Assists
11
As you can see in the table above, Jota scored more goals and provided more assists than he did in his first year at the club, which shows that he was heading in the right direction from a development perspective.
His impressive form for Celtic in those seasons, however, led to interest from elsewhere, and Al Ittihad eventually swooped in to sign him for a fee of £25m, representing a significant profit on the £6.5m that they paid for his services.
Jota
This shows that the Hoops played a masterclass with Jota because they snapped up a young talent from Benfica, initially on loan, and provided him with a platform to showcase his quality before selling him for a huge fee, only to re-sign the winger 18 months later.
Celtic could, now, repeat that masterclass by swooping to sign another talented young winger who has been linked with a move to Parkhead, Kwame Poku.
The latest on Celtic and Kwame Poku
GIVEMESPORT recently reported that Birmingham City are concerned that they could lose the race to sign Peterborough United forward Kwame Poku to Celtic or Rangers.
The outlet pointed out that the two Scottish giants would have to pay a significantly lower compensation fee for the winger, whose contract expires this summer, because of the UEFA cross-border compensation deals, than any English team would have to pay.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
GIVEMESPORT added that Peterborough’s director of football, Barry Fry, has already confirmed that Rangers and Celtic scouts have been at their games this season to watch the 23-year-old talent in the flesh.
The report revealed that Birmingham and Sheffield United, among other English sides, are also interested in the winger, though, and that means that there is likely to be plenty of competition for his signature.
Celtic must, now, push to win the race for his services because he could arrive at Parkhead with the potential to be the next version of Jota for the club.
Why Kwame Poku could be Celtic's next Jota
The Ghana international could be Jota 2.0 for the Hoops for several reasons, most notably that he is also an exciting winger who can provide goals and assists on a regular basis.
Whilst he is a left-footed forward who predominantly plays on the right, as opposed to a right-footer on the left like Jota, Poku is similar to the Portuguese talent in the way that he looks to make an impact in the final third.
Appearances
37
27
Goals
11
12
Big chances missed
11
3
Big chances created
10
9
Key passes per game
1.5
1.2
Assists
7
8
As you can see in the table above, Poku has delivered 21 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in his last two seasons in League One with the Posh, which shows that he can offer a constant threat at the top end of the pitch.
Whilst he is yet to show that he can translate that to the top level in England, these statistics show that the potential is there for him to be a Jota-esque figure for Celtic with his quality on the wing.
Such is his potential, Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony believes that his next move could cost £30m: “He’s top drawer. He has everything, a great technique, pace and physicality. He will be a Premier League star in the future and that next move will probably cost £30m.”
At the age of 23, Poku still has plenty of time left to develop and improve, and he could use a transfer to Celtic as a platform to shine on the domestic and European stage whilst winning trophies to enhance his value, as Jota did under Postecoglou.
Not just Nawrocki: Exciting Celtic star just made himself unsellable
Maik Nawrocki was not the only rarely seen Celtic star who caught the eye against Aberdeen.
ByDan Emery May 15, 2025
Therefore, the Hoops could find Jota 2.0 by signing Poku because he is another exceptional wing talent who can provide goals and assists, whilst also having the potential to be worth millions more in the future if he hits his stride at Parkhead.
Aston Villa have now joined Bayer Leverkusen and many other suitors in the race to sign a £30 million defender, according to a recent report.
Aston Villa eye in-demand star as summer plans ramp up
The Villans still have a lot to play for in what remains of this season, and Unai Emery will be desperate to secure a place in next season’s Champions League not only for what it means on the pitch but also because it can do wonders for their transfer business this summer.
Aston Villa ready to spend £75m to sign star who has scored at Villa Park
He’s been in stellar form this season.
1 ByBarney Lane Apr 14, 2025
Marco Asensio’s and Marcus Rashford’s futures need to be decided at the end of this campaign; both have done very well since arriving at Villa Park and could have long-term futures at the club if Emery decides he wants to keep them. Villa are also willing to spend £75 million to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' MatheusCunhaduring the warm up
The Brazilian is expected to leave Molineux at the end of this campaign despite signing a new contract not long ago. Teams such as Manchester United, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest and Villa are all keen on securing a transfer.
The Villans are hoping the fact they are willing to spend £75 million to secure a deal for Cunha will give them an edge over the other teams in the race, and they are now eyeing up a new defender to come in with their marquee target.
Aston Villa in race to sign Facundo Medina
Indeed, it could be an expensive summer for the Midlands side, as according to Caught Offside, Aston Villa are now interested in signing defender Facundo Medina from French side RC Lens.
The report states that Medina is preparing to leave Lens at the end of this season, despite the fact that he is under contract until the summer of 2028. Lens’ financial difficulties mean an exit is very likely this summer, as they want to cash in for between €30-35 million, which is roughly £25-30 million.
Villa, as well as Everton and Newcastle, are the latest teams to join the race to sign Medina this summer, with all three now keeping a close eye on his situation. But they face further competition, as Bayer Leverkusen, Crystal Palace and AS Roma have all expressed their interest in signing the 25-year-old.
Facundo Medina’s 24/25 Ligue 1 stats
Apps
25
Assists
1
Touches per game
77.1
Key passes
0.9
Clean sheets
9
Interceptions per game
1.2
Tackles per game
1.6
Medina is a natural centre-back by trade but can also play at left-back if required. The Argentine has been a key player for Lens this season, playing 25 games in Ligue 1.
The centre-back position is an area that Villa may need to strengthen this summer given Axel Disasi will return to Chelsea after his loan spell and Kortney Hause’s contract expires. Medina also being comfortable at left-back is another key reason why Emery may want to secure a transfer, giving him more depth ahead of likely being in four competitions once again next term.
He struggled in white-ball cricket and was moved from opener to No. 7 in the early rounds of the Ranji Trophy last season. Then he turned it around and went on to average 74.18
Sruthi Ravindranath11-Sep-2024N Jagadeesan was pretty sure he was getting phased out of the Tamil Nadu team last season. He was only 28 and was one of the side’s senior players, with eight years of domestic experience. He had broken records at the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2022-23 season. But he played only two games in the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and had an average return in the Vijay Hazare Trophy that followed. He was also pushed down to No. 7 from his regular opening position in the first match of the Ranji Trophy. Then, when he got a chance to move up to his preferred opening slot in his hometown Coimbatore, he wanted to make it count. He went on to enjoy his best season, racking up 816 runs in nine games at an average of 74.18, and went on to make the India B side for the ongoing Duleep Trophy.Among the feats he achieved in the Ranji Trophy last season was also facing 400-plus balls in an innings in two consecutive games: he scored 245 not out against Railways and followed it up with 321 against Chandigarh.”I was coming out of a place where I wasn’t considered to be part of the team,” Jagadeesan tells ESPNcricinfo. “In the second game [against Tripura] I didn’t get to bat and the first game [against Gujarat] I didn’t score a lot of runs, I was batting lower down the order too. The moment I went opening, I told myself there’s no way I’m going to let my wicket go.”There was a very much a driving factor after I got settled which kept telling me that ‘you’ve struggled a lot and people have been talking about dropping you, you are not going to be in that situation ever again’. The moment I got settled in, there was another driving factor. I was settled and I was not letting it go. It’s a different high when you know that you actually faced 400 balls because it involves a lot of stamina. My focus levels were really, really high too. I genuinely felt that I didn’t have the patience to play 400 balls. It was the grit.”While Jagadeesan finished the season on a high, TN’s campaign ended on a sour note. After their semi-final loss against Mumbai, Sulakshan Kulkarni, who was the coach of TN at the time, publicly criticised captain R Sai Kishore’s decision to bat first.It was the culmination of a season in which relations between the coach and the players were not smooth and, in that tricky situation, the TN players got a lot closer, Jagadeesan says, praising Sai Kishore’s leadership.During the downtime post the domestic season, Jagadeesan captained the TN Colts team on their UK tour in May for three weeks under coach L Balaji. That aside, he also dabbled in TV commentary during IPL 2024 and the men’s T20 World Cup, which he says was an “eye-opening” experience.”When you’re at the comm box, you have to pay a lot of attention,” he says. “You have to focus on the game and predict…only then you will be able to speak well. I realised even when I’m not playing the game, I knew what the bowlers were going to do by just watching. It was very insightful.”For example, when you’re in the comm box you actually predict what a fast bowler is going to do looking at the field set. You get deeper connections with the bowlers. That helps you while you bat against them as well, because you’ve actually seen what the bowler is going to do. If the thing I predict happens then I can say I’ve learned something out of it. There’s a lot you can learn when you commentate.”Jagadeesan is hoping to harness all of these experiences, and has also set clear goals – which he usually doesn’t do – heading into this domestic season.”The ultimate aim for me is to be part of the Indian cricket team,” he says. “I don’t usually set goals coming into a domestic season, but I think it’s high time I start doing that. In Ranji Trophy where I did not even think I could face 400 balls, I did that. These were the things which I did not even think was possible. Just like how my long-term goal is to play for India, there’s always been a goal for me in my head since childhood which is to cross the 1000-run mark in Ranji Trophy. That’s always been on my checklist.”
With Asia’s best going head to head in the UAE, here are four contests you do not want to miss
Alagappan Muthu24-Aug-2022The one everybody’s waiting for – Babar vs Rashid
Babar Azam playing fast bowling is a thing of beauty. He is never rushed. It’s as though having things hurled at him at 90mph is his idea of a good time. So naturally, opposition teams will try to take that away from him. But while denying the No. 1 batter in T20Is pace on the ball may appear a sound plan, it doesn’t always produce results. Unless your name is Khan. Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan legspinner has dismissed the Pakistan captain more often (five times) than anybody else in the shortest format, and conceded just 59 runs off 48 balls. In fact, every single time they have met in a T20 match, Rashid has taken Babar out, and if they face off in the Asia Cup , it will be only their second meeting in T20Is.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe one that’s just beginning – Kohli vs Hasaranga
It’s always eventful when Virat Kohli goes up against a bowler who takes the ball away from him. At the Asia Cup, he will come up against another exponent of this art. Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga. Okay, we’re cheating a bit here, picking a legspinner, but come on. They’re rivals turned friends turned rivals again. It’s just too juicy. Kohli and Hasaranga were part of the same dressing room at Royal Challengers Bangalore, experiencing the high of an improbable journey into the playoffs together. In fact, Hasaranga was Royal Challengers’ top wicket-taker this season. Now they are back to plotting each other’s downfall. And it could go either way. Hasaranga is exceptional against right-handers – they make up 86 of his 116 T20 wickets – but Kohli averages 62 against legspin. Hasaranga’s bowled just six balls at Kohli in T20 cricket – for four runs and no wicket – so this battle is only just beginning.The one not many know about – Rajapaksa vs Shadab
When he is not busy retiring and un-retiring from cricket, Bhanuka Rajapaksa is a pretty good wristspin hitter. And that’s bad news for Shadab Khan. These two have faced each other three times in T20 cricket for a total of 45 runs in 29 balls and only one dismissal. Sri Lanka don’t play Pakistan in the group stages but if they do meet in the later stages, this middle-overs bout could prove crucial. Of course Pakistan do have the option of going an entirely different way to handle Rajapaksa. The left-hander is a lot more suspect against offspin, which accounts for 16 of his 28 dismissals to slow bowlers.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe one that’s been on hold – Mushfiqur vs Hardik
The world has seen a lot over the last six years. A virus. A vaccine. New star systems. Something called the Griddy. But you know what’s not happened in 2344 days? Mushfiqur Rahim playing a T20 against Hardik Pandya. March 23, 2016. Bangladesh were on the cusp of knocking India out of their own T20 World Cup. An equation that once read 11 runs off six balls turned into two off three and it was all because of Mushfiqur. He punched the air and screamed into the night, emotion pouring out of him. But Mushfiqur’s celebration turned out to be premature. Hardik was bowling the final over of a T20 defence for the very first time back then. He’s become a much better bowler now(ww).
Saha rode his luck thrice on the way to a gritty 64 which pleased coach Arun Lal
Shashank Kishore in Rajkot12-Mar-2020It took two iffy decisions that reprieved Cheteshwar Pujara in the semi-final of the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy for the BCCI to make clear their intentions of installing DRS for the knockout stages of the ongoing season. But having a “half-baked DRS” – as members of the Saurashtra camp described – has reiterated what was feared: a system that could end up causing more confusion, maybe even leave third umpires guessing.It was one such guess early on Thursday that has perhaps given Bengal a doorway to the title. Understandably, it left Saurashtra disappointed.It was the third over of the morning. Bengal had added just four runs to their overnight 134 for 3, with Wriddhiman Saha on 6. Jaydev Unadkat got the ball to jag back in from around the stumps to beat a half-prodding Saha. As soon as the ball thudded into his pads, Unadkat knew it was out. Umpire KN Ananthapadhmanabhan nodded and Saurashtra celebrated wildly.It looked like Saha didn’t get an inside edge, because he would have immediately reviewed otherwise. He spoke to his non-striker, Sudip Chatterjee, and challenged the on-field call at the stroke of 15 seconds. S Ravi, the third umpire, looked at multiple replays.The square-on angle showed the bat was a touch ahead of the pad, but there was nothing to suggest an obvious deflection. Then he asked for the front-on angle, again inconclusive because there was no drastic change in seam position. Yet, he ruled not out because he thought there was an inside edge. A very thin one, because he “can hear two sounds” even though the visual evidence suggested otherwise. The green light flashed and Saha survived.It was the slice of luck Bengal needed after Abhimanyu Easwaran was given out in a similar manner on Wednesday, the third morning. Easwaran was struck on leg stump at the point of impact, and while the angle the ball was delivered from made it obvious it would have missed leg stump, the absence of ball-tracking meant the TV umpire simply had to look for an inside edge in case of a referral. There wasn’t any and Easwaran was sent back.ALSO READ: Bengal live to fight another day to end 30-year hurtOn the fourth morning, Saha’s reprieve proved to be a vital moment in the game. Saha and Chatterjee, who came together on the third evening at 124 for 3, added 101, more importantly occupying the crease for over four hours and battling through 49 overs, well into the second session. By the time Chatterjee was out jabbing to short leg, Bengal’s deficit had come down to exactly 200.Saurashtra’s camp was guarded, not wanting to get into the DRS debate while the game was still on. In their minds, they need just four good balls to win their first-ever Ranji Trophy title. But their coach gave a peek into the fact that they were hampered by the decision. “We definitely need a full-fledged DRS,” Karsan Ghavri said. “It was a key moment in the game, but we were fully aware of the system in place. Hopefully it will be looked into for the future.”The lbw reprieve wasn’t Saha’s only slice of luck. Immediately in the over that followed the huge lbw appeal, Saha should have been run out for 8 after being sent back while attempting a single. The mid-off fielder failed to effect a direct hit while wicketkeeper Avi Barot, charging in from his position, failed to grab the ball and remove the bails.Then, he was dropped at gully soon after the second new ball was taken in the 83rd over while pushing at a wide delivery. It carried to Vishwaraj Jadeja, who first moved the wrong way to his right before moving to his left. Visibly disturbed by his shin pads, he put in a desperate dive but cuffed the chance. Saha eventually fell for 64, by which time Saurashtra knew Bengal’s lower-order pluck wouldn’t make matters easy.The beauty of Saha’s innings lay in his simplicity: try and get outside the line, not allow Unadkat to threaten his off stump by the one that straightens. And whenever there was a hint of pressure building on him, he found a way to pierce the off side through some of the most gorgeous copybook strokes to not just eat into the deficit, but also relieve some pressure.”It was incredible, the fight he showed,” Bengal coach Arun Lal said. “He hadn’t played any cricket for three weeks. He sat out in New Zealand. To come in here, have one net and bat the way he did showed character. Some of it wasn’t pretty, but you don’t need to be pretty. You need guts, you need to show fight and he did just that.”While these opportunities may or may not have directly impacted Saurashtra, it did give Bengal some leeway, which they maximised to the fullest as the day panned out.Saha’s may haven’t been that fairytale daddy hundred, but in battling through the way he did, he had laid down a marker for Bengal’s lower order to follow.
Fluminense e Vasco se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (14), às 21h30 (horário de Brasília), pela 8ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca, no Maracanã. O Tricolor lidera a competição, enquanto o Cruz-Maltino luta por uma vaga na semifinal do torneio.
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✅FICHA TÉCNICA Fluminense x Vasco 8ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca
Data e horário: quarta-feira, 14 de fevereiro de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília) Local: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Onde assistir: Band, BandSports e Canal GOAT Árbitro: Bruno Mota Correia Assistentes: Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa e Wallace Muller Barros Santos
⚽PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES FLUMINENSE (Técnico: Fernando Diniz) Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Thiago Santos, Felipe Melo e Marcelo; André, Martinelli e Ganso; Keno, Arias e Cano.
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VASCO (Técnico: Ramón Díaz) Léo Jardim; Paulo Henrique, João Victor, Léo e Piton; Medel, Galdames e Payet; Adson, Vegetti e David.
The hit by pitch has become so common—and dangerous—that twice last week benches cleared on hits by pitches that were . Even accidental plunkings are putting hitters in a fighting mood.
The Padres and Dodgers confronted each other Thursday after Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a 27-year-old pitcher making his major league debut in a 5–0 game. San Diego manager Mike Shildt touched off the bench-clearing episode when he stormed out of the dugout toward Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts.
“Intentional, unintentional, the fact of the matter is I took exception to it,” said Shildt after watching Tatis get hit for a fourth time in seven games by the Dodgers. He’s been hit once in all other games.
The next night, the Angels and Astros went at it after Angels shortstop Zach Neto took exception to getting hit by a Hunter Brown sinker for the second time .
“I know he’s not trying to hit me,” Neto said, “but it’s definitely frustrating.”
Since spring training, Chris Taylor (hand), Sean Murphy (rib), Thairo Estrada (wrist), Andrew Benintendi (hand), Jake Cronenworth (ribs), Paul DeJong (nose), Joc Pederson (hand) and Luke Keaschall (forearm) all suffered broken bones on pitches. Stars such as Corbin Carroll, Bryce Harper and Christian Yelich were fortunate to avoid major injuries on scary hits by pitches.
What’s going on with hits by pitches? Are hitters getting too sensitive? Is this the price for pitchers getting rushed to the big leagues? Are injuries forcing pitchers into the big leagues when they don’t belong there?
It’s time to set aside the myths and sloppy narratives. Let’s examine the facts of the hit by pitch epidemic to find out what’s going on.
1. Hitting has never been more dangerous than these past eight seasons.
The eight seasons with the highest rates of hit by pitches since 1901 are, in order, 2020, 2023, 2021, 2024, 2022, 2019, 2025, 2018. Notice a trend? In 117 seasons from 1901 to 2017, the hit by pitch rate never reached 0.8 per game (both teams combined). Now it has done so eight straight years. (That’s also before and after the sticky stuff crackdown.)
Hits by pitches have become so common and dangerous, it is rare to see a player go to the plate without some kind of armor on their hands, wrists, arm or elbow.
2. The biggest factor in the rise of hits by pitches is the rise of pitch-shaping.
The trend toward lab-grown pitches (tweak their shape and spin) has overtaken pure velocity as the guiding force of pitching. Most pitchers now want to move the ball to both glove side and arm side. That has given rise to more same-side sinkers (i.e., right-on-right two-seamers running in) and off-side cutters (i.e., right-on-left cutters).
Of the 914 hits by pitches this year through Saturday, more have been caused by sinkers and cutters than any other type of pitch. More telling, the rate of HBP from sinkers and cutters is much higher compared to their overall use. Nothing else is close. Sinkers and cutters account for only 23.4% of pitches but 34.2% of HBPs.
2025 HBP by pitch type
Pitch type
No. of pitches
% HBP
% of Pitches
Difference
Sinkers/Cutters
310
34.2
23.4
+10.8
Breaking
281
30.7
31
-0.3
Four-seamers
239
26.1
31.6
-5.5
Off-speed
73
8
13.8
-5.8
“I don’t think [pitchers] pitch in as much as they used to,” says Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, the dean of active managers who is in his 28th season. “So, they don’t quite have that command for that pitch. And a lot of it is elevated in, too. You pitch on that top rail, in with the sinker that gets away from you a little bit, you’re gonna hit somebody. Those are the scary ones.”
3. The youngest pitchers are not the worst culprits.
Pitchers 25 and under hit batters at a 7% lower rate than pitchers 26 to 30 years old.
Hit by Pitch rate by age of pitcher, 2025
Age
Plate appearances per HBP
25 and under
95.6
26-30
88.5
31-35
105.2
36+
105.3
4. That said, there is a general correlation between age and control.
Pitching control metrics by age, 2025
Age
PA per HBP
BB percentage
30 and under
90.2
8.8%
31+
105.2
8.2%
5. Hitters share the blame.
Brown yelled back at Neto that standing close to the plate and “diving” into a pitch puts a hitter in harm’s way. He is not wrong.
Here are the two right-on-right sinkers from Brown that hit Neto:
MLB
Those pitches are only 6½ inches off the inside corner of the strike zone, about the width of two baseballs. Neto’s feet are close to the plate and his hands are above the plate as he starts to bring the barrel around.
Where does a hitter look for the baseball? Here’s a clue: Combine that prevalence with the widespread adoption of body armor and you have hitters dismissing the pitch in.
“I don’t think they’re even concerned about it,” Bochy says. “When these hitters are going to game plan, a lot of times they’re looking out over the plate. There's no fear.
“Guys pitched in more than I think what they do now. And these [hitters], they’re just diving. I mean, we have some guys doing it, too. You saw Josh Jung break his wrist [last year]. Guys used to turn or move [away]. But now they’re going right into the pitch. Some guys just have a hard time turning out of the way versus getting their hands going there a little bit.
“You’ve got these pitchers now throwing so hard with that ball running in or that cutter … that cutter is a big pitch and it’s hitting a lot of these guys because they’re committing and then they’re just going right into it.”
6. Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners is the best example of the collision of these pitching and hitting changes.
Arozarena leads the majors in hit by pitches with 13 (tied with Ty France). One pitch clipped his hand and 11 have hit his elbow guard. Six of them have come on right-on-right sinkers.
He has been hit 84 times in his career. Seventy-five of those HBPs (89%) have been above the waist and below the shoulder—mostly off his elbow guard.
Since he first came up in 2019, Arozarena has moved closer to the plate and learned how to keep his protected front elbow in the path of the pitch rather than avoiding it. Here are pitches off his elbow guard over the years where you can see he moved closer to the plate with his feet and, thus, his elbow:
MLB
7. Tatis was hit by pure misfires from Lou Trivino and Jack Little.
Those pitches were 24.5 and 15 inches off the inside corner of the plate, respectively.
MLB
Shildt overreacted because he doesn’t want to lose his impact hitter to a broken bone caused by bad pitching. Intent didn’t matter. Major league hitters expect major league pitchers to have major league command. Sometimes pitches get away.
Like many modern hitters, Tatis starts with an open stance and steps into the baseball. Over his career, he has been hit 18 times by pitches from righthanders; eight of them on sinkers.
Said a rival manager, “Tatis, you have to pitch him in. I know they’re tired of him getting hit. But, hell, what’s your option? Keep throwing him away and give up damage? Or try to get him out? I don't think anybody was trying to hit him, but he gets hit a lot.”
8. The HBPs of Shohei Ohtani by San Diego, both after Tatis was hit, looked intentional.
Randy Vásquez hit Ohtani in the thigh with a four-seamer on Tuesday, after just missing him with the previous pitch, also a four-seamer. It was only the third lefthanded hitter Vásquez hit in his career with a four-seamer, the first time on a pitch that high.
Two days later, Robert Suarez also hit Ohtani with a fastball. Suarez has thrown 831 four-seam fastballs to lefthanded hitters. The one to Ohtani was the farthest inside of all of them.
Suarez has hit only three lefthanded batters with his fastball in his career. The other two occurred in his rookie season, three years ago.
The count was 3–0. It happened in the bottom of the inning just after Little pegged Tatis.
Cool cat that he is, Ohtani shrugged, took first base without complaint and waved to his teammates the equivalent of, “Let’s move on; nothing to see here.”
MLB deemed it intentional and suspended Suarez three games. Suarez denied it was intentional.
9. Injuries and analytics-based game management have put hundreds more pitchers in the big leagues who about a decade ago would still be in the minor leagues honing their craft.
Just short of halfway through this season, MLB teams already have used more pitchers than in the 141 entire seasons between 1874 and 2014.
The 19th century, I get. But just think about this when you want to understand how fast the game has changed: teams have used more pitchers less than halfway through this season (709) than they did the entire season just 11 years ago (692).
In an interview with Andrés Cantor for Futbol de Primera, Mauricio Pochettino discusses the work behind the USMNT’s recent turnaround – and calls out coaches who have criticized his approach.
U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino has had no shortage of critics in the early months of his tenure. After a rocky start, though, he's finally shaping something that resembles a team on the rise. The U.S. are unbeaten in their last five matches, and with a new culture taking hold – supported by clear tactical tweaks – the sting of the Gold Cup final and Nations League semifinal losses is starting to fade.
But the questions haven’t gone away. There are still debates to settle and plenty of decisions to explain. In a wide-ranging conversation with legendary Argentine announcer Andrés Cantor for , Pochettino tackled many of them head-on. He acknowledged that the job has proven to be a bigger undertaking than he expected, and opened up about roster decisions, culture-building, and why he believes the USMNT should approach next summer’s World Cup believing they can win every match they play.
Here are thefive main takeaways from an enlightening conversation with the U.S. manager…
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More changes needed than expected
This may have gotten a bit Eric Cantona-esque from the manager, but he did admit that the challenges in the job were perhaps more apparent than he had suspected. A lot of his rhetoric since he took the job has been about "cultural resets" and problems within the problem. It was no secret that Pochettino was going to be more than just a teddy bear. But what neither side, presumably, realized was just how much things needed to be changed in order for Pochettino to shape the team in his vision. Results take time; the "ship" needed to be steered.
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Gold Cup changed everything
Pochettino has faced consistent questions about his squad selection. He has leaned heavily on an MLS contingent and introduced a number of players who might not have been involved in previous cycles. In total, the Argentine has brought 71 different players into camps and handed out several debuts.
That approach creates opportunities for new faces and also carries the possibility that some players may not remain in the picture long term. Pochettino noted that the strategy has begun to show signs of progress. Aside from the lopsided loss to South Korea, the USMNT have shown improvement since the Gold Cup and are currently on a five-match unbeaten run.
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'We let him rest'
Pochettino has also dealt with disagreements with European clubs regarding player availability for international duty. He described the situation as a balance handled on a case-by-case basis.
Last summer, Christian Pulisic requested time off during the Gold Cup to recover after a long club season. Pochettino acknowledged the request and agreed to give him a break, and Pulisic returned to the squad once he was fit. Chris Richards, meanwhile, joined the U.S. for the Gold Cup before immediately entering Crystal Palace’s preseason. In response, Pochettino left the defender out of the most recent camp to manage his workload.
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'I would never have criticized a coach'
One recurring topic when a foreign coach takes over a national team is whether they understand the culture surrounding the program. In Pochettino’s case, some observers questioned whether he grasped the expectations around the USMNT, suggesting his reaction to the Nations League semifinal and third-place losses reflected a lack of familiarity with the U.S. sporting landscape.
Pochettino rejected that characterization, saying the defeats were difficult for him and formed part of a broader rebuilding process. He noted that winning the tournament would have been positive, but emphasized that his priority at the time was addressing what he viewed as structural issues within the team.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has reignited the drama surrounding Barcelona's Negreira case, as Los Blancos' chief pointed to the perceived injustice in Barca's "best sporting era" coinciding with alleged payments of more than €8 million to referees over a 17-year period. Perez also cited the clear imbalance in red cards issued to the two clubs during the period, stating that the situation is "not normal".
Speaking at the latest Assembly of Representative Members, Perez used his speech to attack several major bodies, including UEFA, La Liga and, especially, Barcelona.
As reported by the Real Madrid president took the opportunity to reopen the controversy surrounding Barca’s referee scandal, where La Blaugrana were accused of paying approximately €8.4m (£7.3m/$9.7m) to referees in the Spanish top flight within a 17-year period, between 2001-2018.
The ‘Negreira case’, as it is often known, begun following accusations in 2023. Jose María Enríquez Negreira was formerly vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees (TCA) of the Spanish FA (the RFEF). Negreira received these substantial payments from Barcelona, which the club claimed was in a consultancy capacity as Negreira offered refereeing reports and advice. Both the club and Negreira have denied accusations of bribery being involved, but a case into sporting integrity is still ongoing.
Perez has now relaunched the controversy amidst his claims that the situation is “not normal” and coincides with sporting success in a manner which the Los Blancos chief questioned in his speech.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesPerez questions Barcelona and refereeing scandal in fiery speech
"It’s not normal that Barcelona has paid the vice president of referees more than €8m for at least 17 years, whatever the reason," Perez denounced before the members. "I repeat: whatever the reason, it’s not normal."
He continued to say that Enríquez Negreira held "a key position in the refereeing hierarchy," responsible for referee promotions and demotions. "A period that coincides, coincidentally, with Barcelona’s best sporting results in our country," added Perez.
Perez used charts and data to back up his claims. "Real Madrid had a net balance of two red cards in 2021,” he explained. "And Barcelona, 61 red cards. That’s a difference of no less than 59. On the other hand, during the same period, the balance in Europe is almost identical: +12 for Barca and +13 for Madrid.
"Bayern and Dortmund have the same balance, and so do the major leagues. The red card balance during the Negreira period at Barcelona was +49 and at Real Madrid, -1. Draw your own conclusions."
'Who is going to forget it?'
"Real Madrid is the only club that has appeared in the trial. Four presidents have maintained millionaire payments for 17 years to the vice president of referees,” he stated.
He also pressurised the stance of the TCA president: "Fran Soto has asked us to move on and forget the ‘Negreira case.’ Who is going to forget it? The reality is that they [the referees involved] are still there. It’s a situation that prevents them from acting with neutrality.
"How is it possible that, before the Copa final, the match referee said that referees were going to take action against our club? Before a Copa del Rey final? He should have been removed, and no measures were taken."
The president concluded by pointing towards La Liga’s role in the Barcelona match which was going to be held in Miami. "Not even their captain, Frenkie de Jong, thinks it’s normal," he claimed about the proposition to hold an official match in the US. "And it’s also not normal that La Liga supports two teams, Barcelona and Villarreal, who receive additional financial incentives for playing in Miami. And yet we have to listen to Mr Tebas trying to compare this with the NFL."
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Getty Images SportBarcelona's refereeing controversy goes on
The fact that Perez has taken such a high-profile opportunity to speak out on the case shows its continued importance to the Madrid president at Barca’s arch-rivals.
He feels that the case questions the integrity of La Liga and is not willing to hear La Blaugrana’s explained reasoning for the situation occurring. Whether Barca, La Liga or the TCA will respond to the outburst remains to be seen.