Tottenham Hotspur have been something of a mixed bag this season, but at least the Londoners are well set for a prolonged period of success, having recruited a range of exciting young talents over the past few years.

While there are many teenage talents waiting in the wings, Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou before him have succeeded in integrating youth, with the average age of Tottenham’s starting 11 in the Premier League this season 25.2, as opposed to a 27-year-old average during the 2022/23 campaign.

Who could be a better purveyor of this new focus than Micky van de Ven? The 24-year-old has increasingly become a talismanic force for the Lilywhites.

How Van de Ven is becoming the main man at Spurs

Van de Ven isn’t quite a spring chicken, having racked up 51 Premier League appearances, but he’s still well before his prime as a centre-back, and he’s still emerging as a superstar for Tottenham.

The Dutch defender has been described as “world-class” by journalist Sonny Snelling, with his remarkable blend of athletic power and position-bending pace making him a force to be reckoned with.

It is crucial that Tottenham keep him in their ranks over the coming years, with few players more influential than him in the Premier League. It would be difficult for Spurs to sign an even better star to strengthen their backline, after all. Certainly, it would be difficult to find someone capable of mimicking the former Wolfsburg player’s dynamic skills.

Of course, Tottenham’s prudence and promotion of their academy talent has seen them land such a player already.

Spurs have signed a bigger talent than Van de Ven

Van de Ven is a unique profile, but then Tottenham have also signed a singular talent in Luka Vuskovic, with the 18-year-old bearing the skillset to become one of the Premier League’s finest.

Hailed as a “freak talent” and a “freak athlete” for his physical profile by analyst Ben Mattinson, Vuskovic is currently plying his trade out on loan in Germany with Hamburger SV, with Spurs having wrapped up a deal for the youngster in 2023, yet to integrate him into the senior set-up.

While there is much work still to be done, the Croatian prospect has only increased the hype across his first few months in the Bundesliga, having established himself as a core part of Hamburg’s defence, who are 13th after ten matches.

Looking at how the teenager compares with Van de Ven this season, it’s easy to see why there is so much chatter around his name. You might even say Van de Ven is being outperformed by the younger man.

Translation from the Bundesliga to the Premier League can prove a hard task, but Vuskovic certainly has what it takes, and his physical attributes are only going to develop further over the coming years.

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

8 (8)

Goals

3

1

Assists

0

0

Clean sheets

3

2

Touches*

69.9

82.5

Accurate passes*

54.6 (92%)

53.0 (86%)

Chances created*

0.2

0.8

Dribbles*

0.3

0.3

Recoveries*

3.7

4.4

Tackles + interceptions*

2.3

1.6

Clearances*

3.4

9.8

Duels (won)*

3.1 (53%)

8.9 (72%)

With this in mind, we might consider the 6 foot 4 teenager to have what it takes to become Tottenham’s leader at the rear, ahead of Van de Ven, ahead of Cristian Romero.

In fact, WhoScored believe that Vuskovic’s performances have been so impressive that he gets into the European Team of the Season so far, higher-rated, in fact, than Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes beside him.

Not just a warrior at the back, in the words of U23 scout Antonio Mango, much like Van de Ven, he is “turning into a goal machine” having netted seven goals on loan at Belgian side KVC Westerlo in 2024/25.

Though Vuskovic still has some developing to do, there’s no question that he’s a potential superstar, and if he does come to partner the Dutchman down the line, he might even outstrip him.

Spurs have their new Parrott in academy star who's been "compared to Kane"

This Tottenham Hotspur youngster could be a future star in North London despite his struggles this season.

ByDan Emery Nov 20, 2025

MLS owners have reportedly taken their first concrete step toward identifying a successor to Commissioner Don Garber, convening a small, closed-door “succession committee” ahead of last week’s Board of Governors meeting, according to the Sports Business Journal. The group held its initial session with Garber in attendance as it began outlining early plans for the league’s future leadership.

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  Succession committee holds inaugural meeting

  A newly formed succession committee held its first closed-door meeting last Wednesday in Palm Beach, Florida, prior to the league’s full Board of Governors gathering the following day, per the SBJ report. The committee — tasked with planning for senior leadership transitions, including Commissioner Don Garber’s eventual replacement — is being co-chaired by LAFC’s Bennett Rosenthal and Columbus Crew’s Jimmy Haslam.

  Additional committee members include Jonathan Kraft of the New England Revolution, Oliver Mintzlaff of the New York Red Bulls, and John Ingram of Nashville SC. Garber himself attended the inaugural session, according to the report, underscoring his involvement in the early stages of the succession planning process.

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  Timing coincides with calendar shift and Garber’s contract

  The formation of the succession committee comes at a significant moment for MLS, which recently approved a major shift to a summer-to-spring calendar that will align the league with top European competitions. This calendar change complicates the timing of Garber's current contract, which is scheduled to expire at the end of the 2027 season – a date that would now fall midway through the 2027-28 campaign under the new calendar format.

  League officials have not clarified whether Garber's contract expiration date has been adjusted to accommodate this calendar shift. The commissioner, who has led MLS since 1999, has not publicly indicated whether he intends to remain beyond his current agreement.

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  Deputy commissioner's retirement adds context

  The succession committee's first meeting occurred just one day after MLS Deputy Commissioner Gary Stevenson announced his plans to retire following next summer's FIFA World Cup.

  The succession planning process appears to be part of a comprehensive strategic review that began in late summer 2025, which league spokesperson Dan Courtemanche described as focused on improving the league’s structure.

  “Major League Soccer is currently engaged in a comprehensive, league-wide strategic planning process led by Commissioner Garber together with a committee of MLS owners and an external consulting firm,” Courtemanche told SBJ. “This process, which began in late summer 2025, is focused on strengthening the league’s organizational structure and preparing MLS for the opportunities and challenges that come with being a growing sports league.

  “Like is the case with most high-performance organizations, this work includes broad, long-term succession planning for senior leadership positions, along with a holistic review of organizational design and operational effectiveness across the league office.”

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  Garber approaches milestone

  As the succession committee begins its work, Garber is approaching his 27th year as commissioner, having guided MLS from its financially precarious early days to its current position as a stable, expanding league with 30 franchises across the United States and Canada.

Northamptonshire delay trophy presentation but can’t escape defeat

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Leicestershire 429 (Eskinazi 155) and 260 for 5 dec (Patel 76, Cox 51*, Budinger 50) beat Northamptonshire 189 (Zaib 62, Wright 3-19, Holland 3-28) and 333 (van der Merwe 116, Zaib 58, Bartlett 50, Trevaskis 6-85) by 167 runsNorthamptonshire’s Stuart van der Merwe held up Leicestershire’s Division Two trophy presentation with a century on debut on the final day of this Rothesay County Championship match at Wantage Road.The 20-year-old who trialled at Leicester earlier this season was recently awarded a two-year rookie deal by Northamptonshire after impressing in the One-Day Cup and duly celebrated by scoring 116 from 209 balls, with 12 fours, to frustrate Leicestershire’s push for their seventh win of the season.Already assured of promotion and the Division Two title, Leicestershire finally wrapped up victory by 167 runs just before tea, bowling out Northamptonshire for 333, Liam Trevaskis taking a career best 6 for 85.Van der Merwe shared a sixth-wicket stand worth 80 with Saif Zaib who rounded off a spectacular year with 58, finishing as county cricket’s leading run-scorer with 1425 runs. With six centuries and seven half-centuries, Zaib has scored the third most runs in a Championship season for Northamptonshire this century.Van der Merwe also shared a seventh-wicket stand with of 128 off 187 balls with George Bartlett who scored his third half-century of the season.Earlier Northamptonshire resumed on 120 for 5, chasing an improbable 501 to win. van der Merwe was dropped off Trevaskis by Rishi Patel at wide first slip, but Zaib soon worked Holland off his legs to bring up Northamptonshire’s 150 in the 53rd over.He straight drove Holland for four before running a single off the next delivery to reach his 50, before bringing up the 50 partnership with van der Merwe in style by pulling Trevaskis over midwicket for six.Van der Merwe also started to locate the boundary ropes, dispatching two short balls through the off side in the first over of a fresh Josh Hull spell before driving Holland through the covers.Zaib’s long summer of batting finally ended though when he drove loosely at one from Hull, Stephen Eskinazi taking the catch at gully.Trevaskis had two lbw shouts turned down against van der Merwe as he went to sweep but the Northamptonshire youngster deposited him over deep midwicket when he served up a juicy full toss. With the floodlights on, van der Merwe then took a single off Trevaskis to reach 50 off 103 balls. Bartlett, meanwhile, pulled Chris Wright square for four to get off the mark.After lunch, van der Merwe and Bartlett both swept the spinners for boundaries, while van der Merwe drove Patel through midwicket to bring up Northamptonshire’s 250 and then pulled him for another four next ball.Bartlett hit a wide ball from Wright over the vacant gully position to the ropes before driving Ian Holland straight down the ground as the partnership gathered pace.Van der Merwe had a couple of nervous moments during a testing spell from Wright, playing his final game, but drove Holland confidently through the covers, while Bartlett drove Wright sweetly through midwicket and then punched Holland off the back foot through cover to bring up the 100 partnership off 160 balls.In an eventful over from Logan van Beek, van der Merwe hooked for four before running a single which allowed Bartlett to run one and reach his half-century. Van der Merwe reached three figures off the final ball of the over as he pulled to fine leg, becoming only the third man to score a century on first-class debut for Northamptonshire after Alastair Storie in 1985 and David Sales in 1996.Bartlett fell to the very next ball though when he steered Hull straight to backward point, with Trevaskis soon trapping both George Scrimshaw and Ben Whitehouse lbw. Finally, the left-arm spinner then had van der Merwe brilliantly caught by Budinger at short leg to allow the celebrations began.

The top four had another bad time of it in the second innings in Barbados, and Sam Konstas is under increasing pressure after falling to an incoming ball for a second time in the game

Andrew McGlashan28-Jun-20252:05

Travis Head made back-to-back fifties

Australia’s top order is spluttering, but the middle-order engine room purred nicely on the third and, in the nick of time, final day in Barbados – as it has on numerous occasions in recent times to help the team out of trouble.It does fuel the notion that such performances, along with the strength of the bowling attack, are papering over cracks, and a team with less brittle batting and better catching than West Indies could have made them pay – like South Africa in the World Test Championship final – but that should not diminish what Australia were able to achieve at Kensington Oval.While the result was comfortable for Australia, their position at the start of the day was anything but with a lead of 82. The performances of Travis Head, Beau Webster and Alex Carey provided a big enough cushion of runs that they could attack with the ball without too many concerns and the trio, while playing largely against an older ball, belied how tricky the surface remained.Related

• Smith ready for the real stuff after passing baseball-cage test

• McDonald asks for 'a bit of patience' as spotlight remains firmly on Konstas

• Chase calls out 'so many questionable calls' in Barbados Test

• Jayden Seales reprimanded for Cummins send-off

• Hazlewood's five helps Australia surge to victory inside three days

“I thought those three were brilliant,” Pat Cummins said. “They kept the scoreboard ticking over. I thought they took really good options. They were always looking to score. Really, that was the difference. [You are] turning up today thinking that if we didn’t get a big lead it was 50-50, really. Those guys took the game away from West Indies.”There was some luck, such as Head profiting from the seventh dropped catch of the match by West Indies, but they made it count. Head was named Player of the Match for his twin half-centuries and Carey produced some of the most free-flowing batting of the game, highlighted by stunning straight sixes off Jayden Seales and Justin Greaves. Yet, in many ways, given his inexperience at international level, it was Webster’s innings that stood out most.It was the second time in five Tests that he has made a half-century on a very tricky pitch after the debut effort against India at the SCG. He also nipped in with a brace of important first-innings wickets. Barbados was perhaps not quite as spiteful as that Sydney surface, but a batter always knew there could be one that misbehaves, as Head found out against Shamar Joseph and a few of the West Indians did later in the day.2:25

Webster’s 63 steadies Australia

At a time when so much attention is on Sam Konstas and how he is attempting to learn as he goes at international level, it is worth noting that Webster has a decade of domestic experience under his belt and earned his chance by churning out runs and wickets in the Sheffield Shield. That isn’t to say the route Konstas is taking – a youngster plucked out after a handful of games – won’t eventually work, but Webster has seen and done plenty before moving up a level.”I think it’s pretty much the same as what he does for Tasmania,” Cummins said. “He seems to always contribute in some way. He’s kind of knocked down the door with his performances over the years in Shield cricket. It’s great when you’ve got someone like that coming to the team. They know their craft so well and you saw that today, even on a tricky wicket, he knew where his areas to score were. He’s been a fantastic asset to the team over the last six months.”Konstas, meanwhile, is being thrust into a new situation almost every time he bats. In this match, he was twice dismissed by deliveries angling back – once lbw and once bowled – to highlight a technical flaw that has been visible before. In the second innings, he became increasingly flustered trying to break the shackles, albeit Shamar Joseph bowled superbly to him.”One of the hard things about playing Test cricket is you get thrown into different conditions all the time,” Cummins said. “And you might not have the flying hours under your belt as a youngster coming in, so you’ve got to work out your craft on the bigger stage.2:15

Alex Carey’s swashbuckling 65 sets up Australia’s lead

“What we’ll keep working [on] with the young guys over the next little bit is: where are your options? Because that’s probably the hardest thing when the pitch is doing a lot, is getting out of your little bubble, still trying to score and taking good options. You saw it today, how hard it can be to try and fire a few shots.”Sammy, he tried a few different options yesterday. Not too many of them worked out, but full confidence [in him].”When Webster fell, glancing down the leg side, the lead was nudging 200 and Carey, who had a superb 2024-25 season across formats, flicked a switch and took 14 off an over from Seales. There is a fine balance of risk and reward in Carey’s batting; he was criticised for his missed reverse sweep against Keshav Maharaj in the World Test Championship final, but here he found the perfect balance.”I went in before tea and try to get a bit of a feel for the wicket,” Carey told ESPN. “I think when you see Travis Head not scoring at 90 strike rate you know it’s probably a pretty tricky wicket. I was trying to get into my innings, and then just try to continue to put the bowlers under pressure. We lost Beau Webster and I thought my role was just to stay positive and try to keep the scoreboard ticking – the messaging today was, runs are going to be crucial, however you can get them.”Scoring runs however you can: it’s something a few of Australia’s top order will hope to be able to do in Grenada.

تحدثت صحف إيران عن مواجهة منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العالم، نسخة 2026، وذلك حسب القرعة التي تمت اليوم في مركز “جون كينيدي” في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

وتُعد تلك هي النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم، بعد استحداث نظامها، حيث سيشارك فيها 48 منتخبًا، سيتم تقسيمهم على 12 مجموعة، ويتأهل متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة إلى دور الـ32، بالإضافة إلى أفضل 8 منتخبات في مركز ثالث.

وشهدت القرعة تواجد كل من: بلجيكا، مصر، إيران ونيوزيلندا في المجموعة السابعة في بطولة كأس العالم الصيف المقبل (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة عن القرعة من هنا).

وقالت صحيفة “hamshahrionline” الإيرانية: “وُضع المنتخب الإيراني في المجموعة السابعة في كأس العالم، إلى جانب بلجيكا ومصر ونيوزيلندا، وبالتالي، يبدو أن إيران لديها فرصة جيدة للتأهل، وسبق أن توقع المدرب أمير قاله نوي أن إيران ستقع في مجموعة واحدة مع بلجيكا ومصر وهايتي، وقد تحققت اثنتان من توقعاته، ولم تحل محلها سوى نيوزيلندا”.

وأضافت: “ستواجه إيران نيوزيلندا في أول مباراة لها في كأس العالم، وفي حال فوزها، فقد تكون لديها فرصة جيدة جدًا للتأهل كأحد الفريقين أو أحد الفرق الثلاثة الأولى، ووعد أمير قاله نوي سابقًا بأن فريقه سيحصد 4 نقاط على الأقل في كأس العالم ويتأهل”.

في حين قالت صحيفة “ettelaat” الإيرانية: “بعد قرعة كأس العالم، وتواجدنا في مجموعة مصر، بلجيكا ونيوزيلندا، حصلنا على فرصة للتأهل إلى الدور المقبل”.

بينما قالت صحيفة “sharghdaily” الإيرانية: “يعد المنتخب البلجيكي، الذي يحتل حاليًا المركز الثامن في تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا)، أحد أخطر المنتخبات في العالم، حيث يضم نجوما مثل تيبو كورتوا، ويوري تيليمانس، وتوماس مونييه، وأليساندرو سالماكيرز، وتشارلز ديكتيلير، وجيريمي دوكو، ولياندرو تروسارد، وروميلو لوكاكو، وكيفن دي بروين، ولويس أوبيندا، وأمادو أونانا، بينما فازت مصر، المصنفة في المركز 34 في تصنيف الفيفا، بسبع بطولات كأس أمم إفريقية، ويعتمد المصريون على نجوم أمثال محمد صلاح وعمر مرموش ومصطفى محمد، ما يجعلهم قادرين على إثارة المشاكل لأي خصم”.

واستكملت: “ويضم منتخب نيوزيلندا، الذي يحتل المركز 86 في تصنيف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا)، والذي فاز بكأس أوقيانوسيا ست مرات، كريس وود كشخصية بارزة في الهجوم، إلى جانب لاعبين مثل بنجامين أولد وتايلر بيندون”.

أما صحيفة “asriran” فقد قالت: “لم يتواجد المنتخب الإيراني في مجموعة صعبة، سيواجه بلجيكا ومصر ونيوزيلندا في دور المجموعات، وهي من أكثر المجموعات تنوعًا من حيث أسلوب اللعب وجودة الفرق، لا تزال بلجيكا، بجيلها الجديد، من أقوى المنتخبات في أوروبا، وتعتبر المنافس الأهم لـ إيران في هذه المجموعة، أما مصر، بنجومها أمثال محمد صلاح، فهي من أكثر المنتخبات طموحًا في إفريقيا، رغم خسارتها مؤخرًا أمام أوزبكستان، أما نيوزيلندا، المصنفة في المركز 76، فهي أضعف منتخب في التصنيف الرابع، وقد حلت رابعة في هذه المجموعة”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras encara o Vitória no Barradão neste domingo (14), em jogo válido pela primeira rodada do Brasileirão 2024.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O confronto que marca o duelo entre o atual campeão brasileiro da Série A contra o atual campeão nacional da Série B, volta ser disputado após longos cinco anos.

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A partida mais recente entre as equipes foi pela última rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2018, quando o Verdão, com o título já garantido, venceu no Allianz Parque por 3 a 2, gols de Edu Dracena, Gustavo Scarpa e Bruno Henrique.

Desta atual geração que forma a terceira Academia, estiveram em campo naquela tarde o goleiro Weverton, o lateral Mayke e o atacante Dudu.

Palmeiras e Vitória se enfrentaram oito vezes entre 2014 e 2018, todas pelo Campeonato Brasileiro e o Verdão só perdeu uma vez.

Matador! Com R$50 no Lance! Betting, você leva R$151 se Flaco López balançar as redes do Vitória a qualquer momento

O atual bicampeão brasileiro emendou cinco vitórias seguidas, foi derrotado no segundo turno de 2017 no Barradão e venceu as duas partidas mais recentes, ambas na campanha do Deca, em 2018.

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The 48 hours before the 2025 MLB trade deadline were hectic, with a ton of movement from contending teams looking to improve their roster. Nearly two months later, it has become clear which teams won and lost at the deadline.

The flurry of activity before the deadline on July 31 didn't produce great results for every team, but some have hit the jackpot, and their additions fueled their sprint to the postseason. What follows is a look at the players who have solidified themselves as the best trade deadline pickups this year.

10. Kyle Finnegan, Tigers

Finnegan was having a wobbly season for the Nationals when the Tigers acquired him on deadline day in exchange for pitchers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales. He has been lights out ever since.

In 40 games for the Nationals, the 34-year-old reliever was 1–4 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP, with 20 saves in 26 opportunities. Since Detroit acquired him, he’s been dominant, going 3–0 with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.42 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts against three walks in 14 1/3 innings over 12 appearances. He also has four saves without blowing one. Unfortunately, an adductor injury has sidelined him for most of September, but he appears close to a return.

Before the deadline, I identified a high-leverage reliever as Detroit’s biggest need. Finnegan has filled that role. His injury is the only thing dragging this ranking down.

9. David Bednar, Yankees

The Yankees also needed relief help at the deadline and found it in Bednar. New York landed the two-time All-Star from the Pirates in exchange for Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez and Brian Sanchez. He has rewarded them by helping solidify their previously erratic bullpen. Fellow deadline acquisitions Jake Bird and Camilo Doval have produced mixed results, but Bednar has been excellent.

In 17 appearances for the Yankees, the 30-year-old is 3–0 with a 2.75 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts against six walks in 19 2/3 innings. Bednar has eight saves in 11 chances, and opposing batters are slashing .181/.244/.319 against him. He has only allowed four runs since Aug. 4, and hasn't blown a save since Aug. 20, when the Yankees rallied to get him a win after he gave up two runs against the Rays.

Bednar is under team control through next season, and the Yankees will happily keep him as their closer moving forward after Devin Williams's mess of a season.

8. Miguel Andújar, Reds

The Reds acquired Andújar from the A’s at the deadline in what was an under-the-radar move. He had been solid up to that point in the season, slashing .298/.329/.436 with six home runs and 27 RBIs in 60 games, but he exploded upon joining the Reds.

In 26 games with Cincinnati, Andújar is slashing .351/.405/.545, with three homers and 15 RBIs. His .950 OPS and 161 wRC+ are outstanding. Unfortunately, a lingering quad injury has limited his availability, which has knocked this pickup down the list. He’ll hit free agency after the season, so this could be a brief pairing. When he’s been available, Andújar has been excellent, though.

7. Leo De Vries, Athletics

This is a bit of a curveball because I’m adding a minor leaguer who won’t see the big leagues for quite a while, but De Vries is a special case. The Athletics were part of the biggest deal at the deadline when they sent Mason Miller and JP Sears to the Padres in exchange for prospects. De Vries was the headliner. The 18-year-old is a consensus top-five prospect in baseball as a shortstop with elite skills at the plate. Many, including myself, couldn’t believe San Diego traded him. It’s looking like a move the Padres will come to regret, no matter how good Miller is for them.

The A’s bumped De Vries to Double A in mid-August, and he has gone on a tear. In 21 games, he has slashed .281/.359/.551 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. He posted a wRC+ of 144 in that span. Just as a reminder, he won’t turn 19 until next month. He has incredible plate discipline, and his power has continued to increase as he has climbed the minor league ladder. It’s not a stretch to think he could be in the big leagues by next summer, though 2027 is a more likely target.

The Athletics appear to have a future star on their hands thanks to a savvy deal at the deadline that, yes, moved an All-Star, but may have gotten them a future cornerstone. Speaking of the guy he was traded for…

6. Mason Miller, Padres

To land Miller, the Padres shipped a king's ransom to … Sacramento? Las Vegas? What are we going with here? He’s one of the game’s elite relievers and added to an already strong bullpen, which made the deal puzzling. Regardless of the price paid to land him, Miller has been even better than advertised since arriving.

The 27-year-old has been on the mound for the Padres 18 times and boasts a 0.93 ERA, a WHIP of 0.67 and 36 strikeouts against six walks in 19 1/3 innings. He has only allowed two runs, both came in his second appearance for the team on Aug. 5. Since then, he has authored 16 scoreless outings while mostly acting as the setup man for All-Star closer Robert Suárez. Opposing hitters are batting .115 off of him with an OPS of .358 since the trade.

It remains to be seen what the Padres’ plans for Miller are long-term. He came up to the big leagues as a starter and is under team control through 2029. They could transition him back to that role. If not, they will have an elite reliever under team control for a long time. They paid a high price for it, but he has lived up to his billing so far.

Major League Baseball features one of the most grueling schedules in sports, with 162 games spread out over six-plus months. Players who can perform when everyone else is worn down are worth their weight in gold to contending teams.

As we turn to September and October, teams in the playoff hunt will lean on those with extensive track records of success to lift them into the postseason. What follows is a look at each player on a National League contender with the best and worst September track records. We've lumped October numbers from the regular season into these calculations since the sample sizes are too small to warrant their own category.

It's fascinating to see which guys step up when the games matter most.

Milwaukee BrewersBest: William Contreras

Contreras is having another excellent season, and he could really put the hammer down in the season's final month, judging by his past track record. In 80 career September/October games, Contreras is slashing .305/.402/.462 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs. That on-base percentage is his highest in any month, his .864 OPS is excellent, and his wRC+ of 139 is stellar for a catcher.

Worst: Andrew Vaughn

Vaughn has been great for the Brewers since they traded for him in June. That said, he's traditionally been pretty bad late in the season. In 91career games in the season's final month, Vaughn is slashing .235/.279/.372, with 11 home runs, 41 RBIs and 76 strikeouts against 19 walks. Only his March/April OPS of .647 is worse than his September/October mark of .651. His wRC+ of 81 is also brutal, though he rebounded last September with a mark of 131. So maybe things are looking up.

Philadelphia PhilliesBest: Bryce Harper

Like Shohei Ohtani with the Dodgers, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. While Harper got a run for his money from Kyle Schwarber, his late-season track record is the best on the team. In 329 career September/October games, Harper is slashing .274/.390/.509 with 61 home runs and 167 RBIs. The future Hall of Famer boasts an OPS of .900 and a wRC+ of 139. Last season, that mark was 157, so he may overperform his career numbers again.

Worst: Bryson Stott

While Harper is outstanding late in the season, Stott is not. The 27-year-old former first-rounder has played in 77 career games in September and October and is slashing .242/.295/.335, with four home runs and 26 RBIs. His OPS of .630 is only five points better than his worst month (.625 in May) and that .295 on-base percentage is his worst. His wRC+ of 75 is woeful and the bad news is that it is buoyed by one average season. He posted a mark of 100 in 2022, then dropped to 52 in 2023 and 72 in 2024.

Los Angeles DodgersBest: Shohei Ohtani

Shocking that the best player on the planet would be L.A.'s best player in the final month of the season. The three-time MVP has a career September slash line of .291/.385/.551 with 29 home runs, 87 RBIs and an OPS of .936 in 136 games. His wRC+ for the month is 151, and he was even better in 2024 when he posted a ridiculous OPS of 1.225 and a wRC+ of 232. Of course, Ohtani will be on the mound in September for the first time since 2022, and his track record is stellar. In 65 2/3 career September innings, he's 5–3 with a 2.47 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and opposing hitters have a .581 OPS.

Worst: Tyler Glasnow

It's tough to find a Dodger with a truly bad track record in the season's final month, but Glasnow gets the nod here. In 29 career games in September/October, Glasnow is 7–8 with a 4.38 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts against 56 walks in 123 1/3 innings. Those are his highest ERA and WHIP totals in any month. The 2023 season was the last time he saw action in September, and he posted a 4.86 ERA. We'll see if he can bounce back this season.

Chicago CubsBest: Seiya Suzuki

Researching articles like this is always fascinating because you learn unexpexted things. Like how I had no idea Suzuki is an absolute monster in September. In 71 career games, the 31-year-old is slashing .333/.422/.564, with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. His OPS of .986 is his highest in a month by 107 points, and his wRC+ of 172 is only two points behind Aaron Judge as the best among active players. What did to Gen Z brains this summer, Suzuki does to pitching in September.

Worst: Carson Kelly

I'll admit some of these were difficult to parse, going through long track records to compare players. This was by far the easiest selection on this list because Kelly has been in September throughout his career. In 147 career games in the season's final month, Kelly is slashing .186/.252/.299, with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs. His .551 OPS in September is 132 points lower than any other month, and his wRC+ is 50, meaning he’s half as good as the average major league hitter in September.

The veteran catcher has revitalized his career in Chicago, so maybe this year will be different.

San Diego PadresBest: Luis Arraez*

Arraez is at his best to open and close the season. The three-time batting champion consistently struggles in August only to turn it on in September and finish strong. In 126 career games, he's slashing .336/.371/.458 for an OPS of .829, his best of any month. His career September wRC+ of 128 is excellent and is buoyed by an incredible finish to 2023 when he hit .384 with a 1.038 OPS and a 175 wRC+.

Worst: Jake Cronenworth

Cronenworth has quietly had a solid season for the Padres, but given his track record, that could come to a screeching halt this month. The 31-year-old has consistently tailed off in September during his career. In 96 career games, she's slashing .208/.294/.341, all of which are his lowest numbers for any month. His .636 September OPS is brutal, as is his wRC+ of 82. His wRC+ has never topped 93 in September during his five-year career.

New York MetsBest: Juan Soto

Given that Soto is a generational hitter, you'd expect to find him here. He doesn't necessarily get better as the season goes along, but he certainly stays consistent. In 188 career games in the season's final month, the $765 million man is slashing .290/.440/.528, with 36 home runs, 126 RBIs and 169 walks against 134 strikeouts. That OBP is his best in any month, his .969 OPS is tied as his second-best monthly mark and his 160 wRC+ is one of the best among active players. It's not hard to see why the Mets handed him all that money.

Worst: Mark Vientos

While Vientos doesn't have a ton of late-season experience, he certainly hasn't been at his best in the home stretch. In 63 games during the season's final month, he's slashing .217/.274/.419 with 13 home runs, 28 RBIs, and 77 strikeouts against 15 walks. His .694 OPS is his worst of any month, and his wRC+ of 92 is pretty dismal.

Cincinnati RedsBest: Ke'Bryan Hayes

Again, research leads to shocking outcomes, and this one ranks up there. You'd expect this result to be flipped, but I assure you it's correct. Hayes is a below-average hitter, but for some reason, he's great late in the season. In 93 career games, he's slashing .299/.344/.475, his best monthly marks across the board. His .819 OPS in September is remarkable considering his career mark is .677. Likewise, his wRC+ in September is 118, while his career mark is 85. It's mind-boggling.

Worst: Elly De La Cruz

De La Cruz remains one of baseball's most electric players, but not during the month of September. In 50 career games, the dynamic shortstop is slashing .219/.308/.374, with five home runs, 25 RBIs and 76 strikeouts against 23 walks. His .682 OPS is his second-worst of any month, and his 85 wRC+ is well below his talent level. Those numbers are ominous for the Reds as they try to make a late-season playoff push.

Vidarbha opener Atharva Taide scored an unbeaten 118 on the first day of the Irani Cup in Nagpur, putting his team on course for a strong first-innings total against Rest of India. He wasHe began the day alongside Aman Mokhade, who hit four boundaries during his 27-ball 19, before nicking an Akash Deep delivery in the eighth over of the match. Akash Deep – returning to competitive cricket for the first time since his Test tour of England – found success at either end of the day’s play. He was the most economical bowler for Rest of India, going at just 2.50 across his 14 overs.Akash Deep capped off the day by having Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar caught behind for 5 in the 82nd over. Vidarbha were reduced to 275 for 5, and Taide batted out the remaining overs alongside Yash Thakur to take Vidarbha to stumps on 280 for 5.Earlier in the day, Rajasthan allrounder Manav Suthar had threatened to roll them over for much less. Fresh off an eight-for against Australia A in Lucknow, he took back-to-back wickets in his first over – the 23rd of the innings. First, he cleaned up Dhruv Shorey (18) while the batter was playing down the wrong line, before he had Danish Malewar caught behind just three balls later. The latter was the second of three catches Ishan Kishan completed behind the stumps.Akash Deep impressed on his return to competitive cricket•PTI

At 80 for 3, 25-year-old Yash Rathod walked in. He stopped the slide and continued his good form from the Duleep Trophy, where he had scored 374 runs in five innings at 124.67. Rathod and Taide batted through the second session, and looked all set to bat till stumps.However, after having hit Suthar for a six just the previous ball in the 74th over, Rathod skipped down the track for the second time in a row and holed out to mid-off on 91 against the run of play. The dismissal ended a 184-run partnership for the fourth wicket.While Akash Deep snared the fifth wicket before the close of play, Taide’s presence in the middle will be essential to Vidarbha’s hopes on the second day. In case an outright result cannot be achieved over five days, the team with the first-innings lead will be declared the winner.Vidarbha will thus be looking to bat deep in their first Irani Cup outing since the 2018-19 edition, which they won through a first-innings lead as well.

INEOS splashed the cash in the summer transfer window to provide Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim with more quality at both ends of the pitch.

Senne Lammens was brought in from Royal Antwerp, to replace Andre Onana, and has prevented 1.51 xG across five appearances in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore.

£62.5m was also spent on the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Brazil international scored his first goal for the club last month in the 4-2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Bryan Mbeumo has arguably been the most successful addition to the squad. Since his £71m move from Brentford, the left-footed star has scored five goals and provided one assist in 11 Premier League games for the Red Devils.

Whilst Cunha and Mbeumo both arrived from other English clubs as known quantities, the club were also willing to splash the cash on more of a gamble, with Benjamin Sesko.

The Red Devils spent £66.4m to sign the Slovenia international from RB Leipzig in the summer to replace Rasmus Hojlund, and he has had a mixed start to life at Old Trafford.

Why Man Utd need to sign another centre-forward

Sesko has scored two goals in 11 appearances in the Premier League since his big-money move from Germany, and both of those goals came in his first seven outings.

The 22-year-old marksman scored his first goal for the club against Brentford in September, before netting his second goal against Sunderland in a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

Sesko scored 13 goals in 33 matches in the Bundesliga in the 2024/25 campaign for Leipzig, per Sofascore, so it was always going to be a tough ask for the striker to hit the ground running as a goal machine in the Premier League.

The Slovenian forward, as shown in the graphic above, has missed more ‘big chances’ than he has managed goals scored, which suggests that he needs to improve his efficiency in front of goal if he wants to be the main number nine for Amorim.

As you can see in the table above, Sesko struggled in his last two appearances for United before the international break, losing the majority of his physical duels without offering any significant threat in the final third.

The former Leipzig star’s mixed start to his career at Old Trafford may explain why the club are reportedly looking to add another player in his position in the winter market.

Man Utd chasing deal for another Bundesliga striker

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are one of a number of clubs chasing a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund centre-forward Serhou

Guirassy.

The report claims that he has a release clause in his contract with the German side that will allow him to be sold for a fee of roughly £44m to a ‘select group of elite clubs’ in the January transfer window.

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It adds that Arsenal, Manchester United, and PSG are all in the race to sign the Guinea international, but it remains unclear if any of those three teams fall into the group of clubs that can activate that release clause.

CaughtOffside reports that the Red Devils are ones to watch in the race to land the Bundesliga centre-forward because Amorim wants more experienced options in his frontline.

Sesko, 22, is still in the early stages of his development and Guirassy could be viewed as an experienced number nine who could offer a huge upgrade in the immediate term.

Why Man Utd should sign Serhou Guirassy

At the age of 29, the Dortmund centre-forward would arrive at Old Trafford as the experienced striker that Amorim wants to bolster his squad with, as he would be ready to come in and make an instant impact.

It can sometimes be the case with young players that they have the technical qualities and potential to be an incredible player in the future, but they do not have a tight grasp of the nuances that come with delivering consistently at the top level.

Guirassy, being 29 and having been around the block, has tightened up his game and is focused on output, scoring and assisting goals, which is reflected in his statistics compared to Sesko’s over the past 365 days.

His statistics when it comes to scoring goals and creating goals are far more impressive than the young Slovenian’s, which is understandable given the difference in experience between the two players.

The Dortmund striker was even described by German legend Lothar Matthaus as “one of the best strikers in Europe” back in March, which speaks to how much he has impressed in German football.

As you can see in the table above, the United transfer target scored eight more goals than Sesko in the Bundesliga during the 2024/25 campaign, despite playing three fewer matches.

The experienced centre-forward has also scored seven goals in 15 appearances in all competitions during the current season, per Sofascore, whilst the Red Devils marksman has only scored twice since his move from Leipzig.

Therefore, United could immediately improve their starting line-up by bringing the Dortmund striker in to be a huge upgrade on Sesko, given that their respective performances over the past 18 months suggest that he would offer significantly more as a goalscorer.

Forget Anderson: Man Utd in talks to sign "world's most underrated footballer"

Manchester United appear to making huge moves in their pursuit for a new midfielder in January.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 20, 2025

This is why INEOS should push to beat Arsenal and PSG to the signing of the Bundesliga star to add more goals to the team for the second half of the season, whilst also providing Sesko with an experienced mentor to help him improve in the long term.