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In January, interim sporting director Jason Ayto had the opportunity to boost Arsenal’s title challenge by signing a new striker.

Alexander Isak was linked but that move was impossible over the winter and will likely still be impossible come the summer.

Benjamin Sesko continues to be touted with a move and it was reported that the Gunners at one stage had agreed personal terms with Wolves’ Matheus Cunha.

So, by the time the deadline surpassed at the beginning of February, no deals were done.

Mikel Arteta subsequently hailed Kai Havertz for his fitness and availability, only for the German to suffer a season-ending hamstring injury, joining Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines until next term.

Therefore, it’s hardly a surprise that their title challenge is derailing. Arteta’s side may have a game in hand on league leaders Liverpool but the Reds are 15 points clear. The league is a foregone conclusion.

It’s safe to say the interim solution hasn’t gone well and that was abundantly clear against Manchester United on Sunday.

Mikel Merino’s performance in numbers vs Man Utd

Mikel Merino has done an admirable job since being forced into a makeshift forward role.

With news of Havertz’s cruel injury blow during their warm weather camp in Dubai, the Spaniard was ultimately promoted against Leicester.

Introduced as a second half substitute, Arsenal were drawing 0-0 away at the Foxes until Merino came up with the goods, scoring twice.

Since then has found the net in the Champions League against PSV but a lot of his general play has left much to be desired.

It’s difficult to get frustrated at the player himself, he’s not a natural forward, but it’s criminal that the Arsenal hierarchy left the club in a position where they don’t have a proper striker.

Sadly, Merino saved his worst performance as a forward for their trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.

He had one chance of note, pulling an effort wide from the edge of the area early in the first half but didn’t pull up many trees that moment aside.

Somehow lasting the full 90 minutes, the former Real Sociedad man trudged from the pitch having completed just 71% of his passes and not registering a single effort on target.

So, the experiment has to end, but what will that mean the attacking positions look like?

Well, it either involves pushing Leandro Trossard into a central role or playing the returning Gabriel Martinelli as the focal point.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Yet, if Merino does remain up top as is expected, Trossard is the man who must be sacrificed for Martinelli.

Leandro Trossard’s performance in numbers vs Man Utd

Since signing for Arsenal in a bargain £27m deal, the Belgian has proven himself to be a valuable player.

Only Bukayo Saka scored more than Trossard’s haul of 17 last season but amid the Gunners’ teething problems in attack this time out, he has become a scapegoat.

The former Brighton man has still scored on six occasions and supplied a further seven assists but it’s not the Saka-like levels Arsenal require to get near a Liverpool team boasting Mo Salah.

Trossard is a fine player. He’s optimal as a sub or playing the best part of 60 minutes but in a demanding game like United, you need someone with a bit more life and a bit more vigour.

Unfortunately, that’s been left wanting throughout several of his recent appearances. He did find the net against PSV last time out but that was his first strike in nine games. The 30-year-old simply hasn’t been scoring the goals Arteta craves.

Like Merino, the winger’s performance this weekend was a concerning one. Handed a 4/10 match rating by GOAL, they stated that it was ‘one of those days where nothing really worked for him’. That just about sums up his recent form.

Minutes played

90

Touches

52

Accurate passes

29/35 (83%)

Shots on target

1

Shots off target

3

Successful dribbles

1/1

Big chances missed

1

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

0/2

Duels won

4/8

Possession lost

12x

Fouls

2

Tackles

2

There were several key moments in the game when Trossard should have done better too. Chief among them was giving away a “silly foul” – in the words of Arsenal podcaster Jamie Kent – which led to the free-kick from which Bruno Fernandes netted the opener.

He also missed a cutback in the second half, one of three efforts that were off target.

With Martinelli back, Ethan Nwaneri firing and Saka potentially set to step up his recovery after the international break, Trossard should be looking at a situation where he’s not in the starting lineup anymore. He simply isn’t good enough to be a regular starter.

He lost the ball 19x: Arteta got it wrong giving Arsenal star the full 90

Arsenal looked toothless in attack again as they drew 1-1 with Manchester United.

4 ByMatt Dawson Mar 9, 2025

يستقبل ريال مدريد ضيفه ريال مايوركا، مساء اليوم، في الجولة الثالثة ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني موسم 2025-2026.

ويستضيف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” لقاء ريال مدريد ضد ريال مايوركا في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة من الليجا.

ويدخل ريال مدريد لقاء اليوم بعد أن جمع 6 نقاط من مباراتين متتاليتين، من الفوز على أوساسونا بهدف نظيف والفوز بثلاثية نظيفة على ريال أوفييدو في الدوري الاسباني.

أما ريال مايوركا يأتي بعد بعد خسارة ثلاث نقاط أمام برشلونة بالهزيمة 3-0، والتعادل مع سيلتا فيجو بهدف لمثله.

(محدث) تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام ريال مايوركا في الدوري الإسباني.. موقف فينيسيوس ورودريجو تشكيل ريال مدريد المتوقع أمام ريال مايوركا

في حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا.

خط الدفاع: ألفارو كاريراس – دين هويسن – روديجر – داني كارفاخال.

خط الوسط: تشواميني – فيديريكو فالفيردي – أردا جولر.

خط الهجوم: فرانكو ماستانتونو – فينيسيوس جونيور – كيليان مبابي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

da heads bet： FSG are going to invest in Liverpool’s first-team squad this summer. It might feel like the Anfield side are allergic to transfer activity, but having held off from big acquisitions over the past three windows, the time for strengthening is nearly upon us.

da apostebet： What is the priority? Where should sporting director Richard Hughes centre his focus? Liverpool are approaching a critical juncture, not least because arguably the biggest three names at the club are just a few months away from their contracts expiring.

However, Liverpool are a prudent club and will have spent countless hours mapping out strategies going forward. While the future of right-sided forward Mohamed Salah remains a point of great contention for fans, who desperately want him to stay, there are one or two forwards whose sales would be met with less dismay and more acceptance.

Perhaps, in Luis Diaz’s case, such an eventuality would even be a warm thing.

Why Liverpool should cash in on Luis Diaz

Make no mistake: Diaz is one of the best wingers in all of the Premier League Europe. The Colombia international joined from Porto in January 2022, all tricks and athletics and energy. He cost an initial £37m and was billed as Sadio Mane’s successor.

He has succeeded Mane, winning the FA Cup and two Carabao Cups; and, whisper it quietly, he’s edging toward matching the Senegalese’s Premier League title tally.

But Diaz is also approaching a crossroads of his own, for he will be playing out the penultimate year of his Liverpool contract next year. By the time Diaz’s current deal expires, he will have turned 30.

There’s also the matter of his potency, averaging a goal contribution every 0.39 matches for Liverpool as opposed to the devastating Mane’s 0.60 per game.

With Cody Gakpo, 25, so high and mighty on the left wing, you feel that Diaz has been demoted to a second-fiddle sort of role, only playing with such regularity this term because of his makeshift centre-forward stint, largely facilitated by Darwin Nunez’s unreliability and Diogo Jota’s inconsistency on the fitness front.

Luis Diaz – Liverpool Stats by Position (24/25)

Apps

Goals

Assists

Left winger

21

5

3

Centre-forward

11

6

0

Right winger

1

1

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

It’s possible that Diaz will be sold this year. Barcelona and Saudi-based outfits have expressed an interest, with Liverpool fielding bids worth £67m.

He’d need replacing externally, to be sure, but Liverpool might find that they actually have a homegrown successor in their midst.

Liverpool may already have their next Luis Diaz

Gakpo has scored 16 goals already this season, matching his haul from last year having played about 1,000 fewer minutes. For sure, the Netherlands star has replaced Diaz as Liverpool’s star man on the left flank.

Diaz is still playing regularly though, but his blank against Everton last weekend now means that he has gone six top-flight fixtures without a goal contribution, starting as the ‘striker’ each game. In fact, the 28-year-old has only scored in seven of his 34 matches in all competitions, with 12 goals in total.

The South American’s football isn’t exclusively defined by his numbers, but he’s hardly irreplaceable for a sum such as £67m, especially when Liverpool have a prospect as exciting as Rio Ngumoha pushing against the first-team fencing.

Ngumoha, 17, has made waves within Liverpool’s academy this year, having been poached from Chelsea’s Cobham last summer in what has been regarded as a detrimental blow by senior Chelsea figures.

He’s the real deal. It’s a situation that has even been likened to the Blues’ former loss of Jamal Musiala, who joined Bayern Munich aged 16 and hasn’t looked back.

Ngumoha saw the success of ‘Klopp’s Kids’ last year and decided that Liverpool’s foundational fold would be the perfect hothouse for him to foster his ability and fight for a place in the first team.

Liverpool’s starlet is principally a left-sided forward but, as is commonplace at youth level, he’s played across a variety of roles. However, the right footer’s pace and natural power denote a place on the left wing.

Reporter Lewis Bower went as far as to say that his quality at such a young age is peerless at Kirkby academy: “I’ve probably never seen anything like it before. In terms of his ceiling, it’s frightening.”

All told, he’s rather good, with his FA Cup showing against Accrington Stanley this season showcasing the raw qualities that bespeak a future at the summit of the European game.

Rio Ngumoha – Stats vs Acc. Stanley

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

72

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots (on target)

2 (0)

Touches

30

Accurate passes

16/18 (89%)

Dribbles (completed)

7 (3)

Ground duels (won)

9 (3)

Stats via Sofascore

He was tenacious, with a bite and ball-carrying drive that certainly presents similarities to Diaz. With several years of hard graft ahead, Ngumoha could find himself occupying a nailed-down role in Slot’s squad, perhaps taking the long-term seat that will have been vacated by Liverpool’s Colombia international.

The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle even handed Ngumoha a 7/10 match score on his professional debut, causing problems for the League Two side throughout and looking at home among his senior peers. The teenager’s propensity for good timing was noted, releasing balls at the right moment and knowing when to take on his man.

In The Pipeline

Expand Collapse

The caveat to all this is that should Diaz be sold this summer, it would be remiss to throw Ngumoha into the deep end before he has developed his football to the right level.

However, given that Slot has already handed the prodigy an opportunity, it’s fair to say that he can expect further chances over the coming months and years, with a goal toward taking the baton as Liverpool’s new talisman.

Related Sold for 1570% profit: Klopp hit the jackpot with Liverpool's superstar

This former Liverpool player made it all happen for Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Feb 14, 2025

Griffiths battles with 92, including century stand with Scrivens, before Gregory seals victory

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2023Tazmin Brits’ blistering 66-ball hundred headlined South East Stars’ 19-run win over Sunrisers at Beckenham.The South Africa international hit 10 fours and five sixes on her way to an unbeaten 112 off 72 deliveries as the Stars put up 290 for 9.Sunrisers looked well-positioned to chase down the target after an opening stand worth 143 between Cordelia Griffith and Grace Scrivens was followed by some fine hitting from captain Dane van Niekerk. With 10 overs left, 80 runs were required for victory with nine wickets still in tow.But leg-spinner Danielle Gregory, not introduced into the attack until the 37th over, took four wickets in the space of three overs to turn the tide and end the Stars’ three-match losing streak in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Brits’ blast came after the Stars’ openers had established a fine base, with Alexa Stonehouse and Kira Chathli putting on 111 together.The 19-year-old Stonehouse had some fortune, surviving two dropped chances, but she was the first to fifty, which came off 65 deliveries.A fifty for Chathli arrived in the 23rd over, but Stonehouse departed for 51 from the very next delivery, smacking spinner Jodie Grewcock straight into the safe hands of van Niekerk at mid-off.Chathli impressed with her ball-striking down the ground to spin but saw Bryony Smith dismissed for 2 from the other end; attempting to clip Grewcock through the leg-side, the right-hander lobbed a simple catch to van Niekerk at mid-off.The Grewcock and van Niekerk combination struck again in the 29th over when Chathli also couldn’t beat mid-off, her knock ended on 71.Brits had already entered the fray by this stage and enjoyed some fortune, dropped on 1 by Florence Miller in the deep. She found her flow, though, a pair of boundaries in a Grewcock over followed by a six over long-on off Amu Surenkumar.She was given another reprieve on 44 off the final ball of the 35th over and went on to reach her half-century off 41 balls.The 32-year-old then went on to thump her compatriot van Niekerk for two sixes off consecutive legitimate deliveries, and her century arrived in the 48th over.Wickets tumbled from the other end as the innings came to a close, but Brits reverse-swept the final ball for four to finish with a flourish.Griffith and Scrivens then set about eclipsing the opening partnership that Stonehouse and Chathli had put together. The pair brought up 50 in the 13th over of the innings before two brief interruptions of rain followed, the second one taking two overs off the innings and revising the target to 282.Griffith was the more aggressive of the pair, her half-century taking 64 balls while Scrivens took 87 deliveries to get to her fifty. The latter seemed ready to up her rate, hitting Smith down the ground for four off the first ball of the 32nd over. But an attempted reverse-swat two balls later saw her bowled for 59.Van Niekerk was in next, showing her power down the ground and through cover with four boundaries off one Ryana MacDonald-Gay over.Gregory then arrived to made a crucial breakthrough; Griffith was adjudged lbw on 92 as she missed out on a flick off the pads. The leggie struck again in her next over, with Mady Villiers’ attempted cover drive resulting in a thick edge that lobbed up to Kalea Moore at third man. Grewcock was Gregory’s third, but the most vital delivery was the one to remove van Niekerk, the batter sweeping hard but into the hands of short fine leg for 44.Amara Carr hit a quickfire 29 but Gregory’s intervention was a match-winning one.

Liverpool are in the market for forwards this summer, and they’ve already agreed a £100m deal for Florian Wirtz (which could rise to a British-record £116m).

Wirtz, 22, is a “truly generational talent”, as per sports media professional Cristian Nyari, and he’s only going to get better, having led Bayer Leverkusen to the 2023/24 Bundesliga title (winning the division’s Player of the Year), and breathing life into his side whenever he collects the ball, gambolling his way into the danger area.

Liverpool have got themselves a player, all right, and Arne Slot now has an elite-level playmaker in the attacking third of the field – all the more important with Trent Alexander-Arnold signing for Real Madrid.

Though FSG would like to turn their attention toward the front of the pitch, there’s little question that a replacement for Luis Diaz would need to be sourced, should he leave this summer.

It’s for this reason that rumours have gathered apace regarding Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon.

Why Liverpool want Anthony Gordon

Last summer, Liverpool were offered the chance to sign Gordon as Newcastle sweated over PSR; after failing to qualify for Europe, the Magpies were forced to stare at their jewels and decide which to sell.

Liverpool were curious, but Newcastle found other ways to offset their troubles, selling more outlying members of Eddie Howe’s squad.

Now, the Merseysiders are keen once again, and Newcastle might be open to selling if their £100m valuation is met.

Liverpool are hardly going to meet such exorbitant demands, but if Diaz does leave, with suitors in Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League, then Reds intrigue in their former academy member, who left and joined Everton when he was 11, could take a more solid shape.

Would Liverpool be getting bang for their buck by signing Gordon for such a figure? Would they really? What about an alternative, one who would arrive for a similar fee but pack a far meatier punch under Slot’s wing?

Liverpool leading race for Diaz heir

Liverpool could sign an even bigger talent than Gordon if they advance their long-standing interest in Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, with Spanish reports claiming that the Brazilian forward could be sold for €90m (£77m) this summer.

More to the point, the Anfield side are considered alongside Manchester City to be the favourites in the race for the talented winger, though further Premier League sides are keen. Arsenal, in previous reports, have been credited with an interest.

Coming off the back of a difficult year, both Slot and Pep Guardiola believe a poor Club World Cup campaign could leave Rodrygo isolated, and with his valuation slashed toward a more agreeable €75m (£64m) ballpark.

How Rodrygo would perform for Slot

Picture this: it’s a decade ago, and Liverpool have fallen by the wayside under Brendan Rodgers. The staple of Liverpool’s summer 2015 transfer window was the £32.5m acquisition of Christian Benteke from Aston Villa.

Ten years later and Liverpool are among the frontrunners for superstars like Rodrygo, having won two Premier League titles, the Champions League and plenty more across the intervening years.

It was over ten years ago that Liverpool released Gordon when he was a youngster, and though the England international is talented and a boyhood fan of the club, Rodrygo is the superior player, even if he only notched 14 goals and ten assists across 51 matches last season.

That’s not exactly a terrible haul, though the 24-year-old did only score six goals and six assists across the La Liga season, albeit missing just one big chance in front of goal, as per Sofascore, to emphasise his clinical ability.

The crux of Rodrygo’s Madrid malaise is that he’s routinely fielded out on the right, despite feeling the alternate flank as being his best position. Indeed, the right-footer has been far more prolific when playing as a left winger.

Rodrygo – Real Madrid Stats by Position (24/25)
Position	Apps	Goals	Assists
Right winger	29	7	4
Left winger	12	6	6
Centre-forward	8	0	0
Stats via Transfermarkt

The problem, however, is that Vinicius Junior holds down the fort in that area, with focal frontman Kylian Mbappe also preferring the left side to the right, as can be observed through his league season heatmap.

Given that Mohamed Salah is staying at Liverpool for the next two years, it hardly seems likely that Liverpool would make a marquee move and bring Rodrygo into the fold just for him to play second fiddle to the Egyptian.

Instead, he could replace Diaz, who, at 28, isn’t indispensable, and prove an upgrade on Gordon, with the 24-year-old also enduring something of a tough term in front of goal for the Toon, equal to Rodrygo in that he posted six goals and six assists in the Premier League.

As Liverpool plan to foray deep into next year’s Champions League knockout stage, putting themselves on a platform to claim number seven, Rodrygo would be the perfect fit, for his pedigree on the biggest stage speaks for itself.

Gordon failed to register a goal involvement across his six games in the 2023/24 Champions League, and while he’ll have the chance to rectify that over the coming year, Rodrygo is tried and tested, hailed as a “special striker” who can “play in all positions” by former Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti.

A fierce blend of speed, skills and strength, Rodrygo would be a statement signing for a Liverpool side who are undergoing a good amount of change this summer. While the Brazil star would be a new part, he’d arrive with a wealth of experience at the highest level, and Slot’s sharp tactics would surely whip him back into an elite standard.

Slot's own Mane: Liverpool enter race to sign "unbelievable" £51m star

Liverpool are presented with a unique market opportunity to sign a talented youngster.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 16, 2025

From his early days as an anchor, he is now an enforcer, and well on his way to becoming a household name in Chennai

Deivarayan Muthu20-May-20232:34

How Gaikwad thrives in T20 despite being a conventional batter

In the lead-up to the match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, Aaron Finch suggested that the Delhi pitch resembled a “dry riverbed with jigsaw-puzzle-type cracks”. The ball didn’t turn that much, but it stopped on the batters regularly. Deepak Chahar later said it was a “160 wicket”. But Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, like they have often done this season, put up a batting clinic to propel CSK to 223 for 3 and seal their spot in the playoffs, perhaps even the second spot on the table.Let’s talk about Gaikwad. He had started his IPL career as an anchor who would allow others around him to bat at higher strike rates. In the past, he would only take the lead if he made it to the second half of the innings. His powerplay strike rates in his first three seasons were 100, 113.41 and 112.03.In IPL 2023, Gaikwad has shelved the caution and gone harder in the early exchanges, as his powerplay strike rate of 147.17 indicates. Only Ishan Kishan (147.57), Faf du Plessis (167.83) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (175.24) have better powerplay strike rates than Gaikwad this IPL among batters who have faced at least 150 balls during this phase.Related

Gaikwad, Conway script CSK's big win

At spin-friendly Chepauk, where Gaikwad had never played an IPL game before this season, that strike rate has jumped to 158.71. The ability to adapt to conditions on the fly against both pace and spin has even vaulted him back into the national reckoning.It was on show in what was a must-win game for CSK on Saturday afternoon. When Axar Patel pushed out a full ball – by no means a wide half-volley – outside off, Gaikwad stretched out, opened the face of the bat and pumped him over extra cover with the intended turn. When Khaheel Ahmed and Anrich Nortje tried to tuck him up with short balls, he dealt with them as confidently.Even after the powerplay, Gaikwad continued to attack. The passage of play against Kuldeep Yadav, in particular, highlighted Gaikwad’s evolution as a T20 batter. Kuldeep had just found some grip with his wrong’un, drawing a toe-ended mis-hit over extra-cover. When the left-arm wristspinner tried to find more grip by tossing the ball up, other batters, including the previous version of Gaikwad, might have sat back and just tapped it. But this version of Gaikwad brought both brawn and brain to launch Kuldeep for three successive sixes down the ground – the long-on and long-off boundaries are smaller than the square boundaries in Delhi.

“T20 can cater to different types of players. It can cater to brute force, the Andre Russell types, and the beautiful classical players like Ruturaj, who can still score at a very high strike rate as well by playing good cricket shots all around the ground”Mike Hussey on Ruturaj Gaikwad

“Playing the 50th game for this franchise, [it] couldn’t get better,” Gaikwad said after collecting the Player-of-the-Match award. “Really grateful and thankful for this wonderful franchise for backing me throughout. I think the wicket was holding up a little bit, but it was a bit difficult to hit the fast bowlers.”With the spinners, we have a chance because the straight boundaries are slightly shorter. In Chennai, there are always big boundaries, so you have to rotate the strike. Here you can take that extra risk of hitting it for six, and once we set a platform, with Shivam Dube to come in, Mahi [MS Dhoni] to come in, Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] to come in, we have that power. So back yourself and just go for it.”CSK’s batting coach Mike Hussey had spoken glowingly of Gaikwad’s evolution last month.”It’s been amazing to watch him develop since he was first here at CSK to where he is,” Hussey said. Now he’s such a self-aware player. He has a great understanding about his game and what he wants to improve. He has a beautiful all-round game, and he plays good cricket shots, and he is slowly adding more power to his game. He is making it very difficult for bowlers to bowl to him because he can hit even good balls for fours or sixes as well.”He is a brilliant player. T20 can cater to different types of players. It can cater to brute force, the Andre Russell types, and the beautiful classical players like Ruturaj, who can still score at a very high strike rate as well by playing good cricket shots all around the ground.”The CSK management takes a lot of pride in the progress of Gaikwad. When they snapped him up for his base price of INR 20 lakh in the IPL 2019 auction, Gaikwad was only in his second full season at Maharashtra and had played just five T20s. He is now one of the mainstays in the CSK batting line-up and perhaps a future captaincy candidate.”In cricket, you say you can play your way, but he can play according to what the demand of the game is,” Dhoni recently said of Gaikwad at an event in Chennai. “Over the years he has evolved and as Mo [Moeen Ali] said, he’s very calm and he doesn’t speak a lot. So, at times, initially it was difficult to assess whether he was under pressure or he’s not under pressure because he was quite the same .”Once, another Gaikwad with Maharashtrian roots, a certain Shivaji Rao, went on to become a household name in Chennai. That’s some way away, but if this Gaikwad continues to expand his range even further, he could soon become a huge name in Chennai, too. He is certainly headed that way.

MLB announced the winners of the first major annual award on Monday, revealing the winner of the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year award for both the American and National League.

The Rookie of the Year awards are annually voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America, with 30 voters determining who was the top rookie in MLB during the season. The reigning Rookie of the Year winners are Yankees pitcher Luis Gil and Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.

Here’s a look at the 2025 Rookie of the Year winners.

American League Rookie of the Year Winner

Winner: Nick Kurtz, Athletics 1B

Finalists: Roman Anthony, Red Sox OF and Jacob Wilson, Athletics SS

Nick Kurtz made his debut for the Athletics on April 23, 2025 and finished his stellar rookie campaign slashing .290/.383/.619 with 122 hits, 90 runs, 36 home runs, 86 RBIs and a 1.002 OPS. Kurtz, nicknamed the “Big Amish” and known for his butter churning celebration, finished 10th in MLB in home runs and led all rookies in 2025 in home runs, RBIs, runs and walks.

Kurtz’s finest performance of the season came on July 25, when he went 6-6 with four home runs and eight RBIs against the Astros, becoming the first rookie ever to hit four home runs in a single game.

He is now the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year. Teammate Jacob Wilson finished second in the voting with 23 second-place votes while Roman Anthony comes up in third after receiving three second-place votes and 15 third-place votes.

“It’s a great ending to the first year,” Kurtz told MLB Network. “Like Jacob said earlier, use this and keep on grinding and come back better next year.”

National League Rookie of the Year Winner

Winner: Drake Baldwin, Braves C

Finalists: Caleb Durbin, Brewers 3B and Cade Horton, Cubs pitcher

Drake Baldwin made his MLB debut at the start of the season on March 27, 2025. Over the course of 124 games during his first season, he slashed .274/.341/.469 for 111 hits, 56 runs, 19 home runs, 80s RBIs and a .810 OPS. Baldwin finished the season leading all National League rookies in RBIs, second among NL rookies in home runs and second on the Braves in WAR.

Blundell has been ruled out of the second Test against West Indies, with Mitch Hay in line for a Test debut in Wellington

Deivarayan Muthu05-Dec-2025

Tom Blundell has been sidelined from the second Test against West Indies•Getty Images

Injuries have severely depleted New Zealand in the first Test against West Indies in Christchurch, with their bowling spearhead Matt Henry and seam-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith joining wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell on the sidelines.Blundell, who suffered a hamstring injury while batting on the opening day in Christchurch, has been ruled out of the second Test, which will begin at the Basin Reserve, his domestic home ground, on December 10. Smith was not available to bowl or field on day four because of a side complaint while Henry left the field after the 35th over and didn’t bowl or field in the final session on day four. He subsequently headed to the hospital next door for scans on his calf. He bowled 11 overs on Friday for the wicket of Roston Chase.In the absence of both Smith and Henry, New Zealand turned to the part-time fingerspin of Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra. They were already without one of their middle-order mainstays, Daryl Mitchell, who couldn’t recover in time from a groin injury for the Test-series opener against West Indies. New Zealand bowling coach Jacob Oram said that they are awaiting the scan results of Henry and Smith.”They’ve had scans and it’s really disappointing for them,” Oram said. “I feel for them and I have a lot of empathy for them. We’re basically waiting for the report to come back to decide what we’re going to be doing not only this Test match but the series going forward. So it’s a wait and see and you always have your fingers crossed but with just one day left and a quick turnaround, we’ll wait and see.”Matt Henry and Nathan Smith’s injuries reduced New Zealand’s attack to two frontline seamers•ICC via Getty Images

Wicketkeeper-batter Mitch Hay is in line for a Test debut in the second game against West Indies. Hay, 25, has played 19 white-ball internationals for New Zealand so far, but is uncapped in Test cricket. He has a strong record in first-class cricket, with 1888 runs in 47 innings at an average of 49.68.Hay is currently in action for Canterbury against Central Districts in the third round of the Plunket Shield. He will turn out for Canterbury during the first two days of this round in Napier before linking up with the New Zealand side in Wellington, in the lead-up to the second Test against West Indies.In his second T20I against Sri Lanka last November, Hay effected six dismissals in Dambulla, a New Zealand record. Hay also has some exposure outside of New Zealand, having been on A tours to Bangladesh and South Africa, and to India to train at the Chennai Super Kings Academy.Rookie Jesse Frew, who had turned out for New Zealand XI against the West Indians in a tour game in Lincoln, last week, will slot in as Hay’s replacement for Canterbury during the third and fourth days of the Plunket Shield in the ongoing round.In the injury absence of Blundell, Tom Latham juggled captaincy with keeping across both innings at Hagley Oval. He took four catches in West Indies’ first innings, helping New Zealand claim a 64-run first-innings lead. Latham then stretched New Zealand’s lead, scoring 145 off 250 balls for his first Test hundred in three years. Along the way, he also became the fifth New Zealand player to reach 6000 Test runs.”[The body is] not too bad,” Latham told the host broadcaster after stumps on day three. “I’ll try to get the recovery but a really good day and pleased to be in the position we are.”I guess that [Smith’s injury] is another thing but that hampers the decision [declaration] but it was nice to see a little bit of spin out there when we were batting and that’s an encouraging sign. We’ll chip in when a man goes down and the guys are looking to put a big shift in.”New Zealand eventually declared on 466 for 8 on the fourth day, setting West Indies an improbable target of 531. West Indies, led by an unbeaten 116 from Shai Hope, finished day four on 212 for 4.Allrounder Glenn Phillips, meanwhile, could be in contention for the second Test in Wellington, having proven his match fitness in the first two rounds of the Plunket Shield. Phillips joined New Zealand’s side in Christchurch and pitched in as a substitute fielder after his team was weakened by injuries.