You have to admit, the start of the MLB season in New York has been underwhelming with all of the injuries and mediocre records. However, we are starting to see a change as the Mets have won a string of games coming from behind late, and the Yankees have a hot Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo. For the Mets in particular, this is huge as winning in that fashion changes the whole mood of the clubhouse and gives a team confidence that no game is out of reach. The Mets also have brought up their top prospects, and that is always a good thing. They also have recalled Gary Sanchez and that is usually not a good thing.

The Yankees have a red hot Judge, and it shows just how much they rely on him to win games offensively. It’s actually a black mark on Cashman’s record that he wasn’t able to improve the offense from last season. Yes, the injuries to Donaldson and Stanton have hurt but we all know that Donaldson is past his prime and even when he returns, it won’t help scoring runs. Stanton will help but he will also get hurt again later in the year as he needs to hit that 40% of games played level target for the Yankees in 2023.

SU is excited about the young catcher, Ben Rortvedt, who had 2 hits in his Yankee debut Saturday and looks like he can hit. He must get regular playing time and when Trevino returns, they will have a decision to make. Now, he has been hurt for 2 years since being acquired from the Twins and who knows if he can stay healthy? But SU says keep him on the roster at least and use him as a DH. The team badly needs more offense as teams will get smart and start walking Judge all the time.

Aaron Hicks has been Designated for Assignment. End of an era. It’s the best thing for all parties involved. The Yankees rarely eat salary but they will here on Hicks’ contract. SU predicts someone will pick him up once the time period passes where they would have to pay his full salary going forward. He actually had started hitting of late but he needs to move on. The fans have been killing him – even on the road. He’s not a bad guy.

The PGA Championship was great over the weekend. This guy Block stole the show with his top 15 finish and a hole in one in the final round. Good for the sport and the fans. Is having a LIV golfer, Brooks, Koepka, win a bad thing for golf? Do fans care at this point? Do fans want to watch a tour where the top players are paid millions of dollars just for showing up to play 3 rounds? It’s not for SU and I would not watch any sport do that. Between sponsorship deals and appearance fees (essentially), is it true competition? Or just a series of exhibitions?

The NBA is not likely going to get the Lakers – Celtics finals that they would have wanted as both series are now 3-0. Truth be told, SU has not been watching the Conference finals but I will tune into the finals if it’s Denver – Miami. The Nuggets are a fun watch and play at a very fast pace. The Heat are quite a story overcoming injuries and getting contributions up and down the roster. I have to believe the Celtics will make a stand, and not sure this series is quite done yet.

Finally, a men’s tennis comment. We are now seeing the changing of the guard from the Nadal/Djokovic/Federer era. Nadal is out until 2024, and has already announced that will be his last year on the ATP Tour. Djokovic has some elbow issues and it’s hard to see him making it deep into the French Open or beyond. There are some great young players – Alcaraz, Rune, Sinner – and Medvedev is figuring things out. Like all sports, the next generation takes over at some point. Even LeBron is nearing the end. We will miss the Big Three/Four era when they are gone but time marches on.