Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler.
Let’s throw it back to the 1933 All-Star Game, the very first one ever. What a lineup the American League had in that one. The middle of the order was four legendary Hall of Fame hitters: Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Al Simmons.
But we want to draw your attention to the guy who was batting sixth, right behind Simmons: White Sox third baseman Jimmy Dykes.
Dykes was a pretty good player in his day. He made the first two All-Star Games in ’33 and ’34, and he got some MVP votes a handful of times in his 22-year career. But that’s not why we’re talking about him right now.
We’re talking about him because, 93 years later, he is still the one and only White Sox third baseman to start an All-Star Game.
With Phase 1 of All-Star voting underway — fill out your ballot here — Miguel Vargas has a strong case to be the AL’s starting third baseman for the 2026 Midsummer Classic.
The 26-year-old is having a breakout year for the White Sox. Among primary third basemen this season, Vargas leads outright in home runs (15), RBIs (41), runs scored (47) and walks (43), and he sits near the top of the leaderboard in OPS (.859) and Wins Above Replacement according to both Baseball Reference (2.4 WAR) and FanGraphs (2.3 WAR).
Vargas is one of the biggest reasons for Chicago’s surprising turnaround. Entering tomorrow’s series opener against the MLB-best Braves at Rate Field (7:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV), the White Sox are 34-31 this season and hold the second American League Wild Card spot.
This is a team that lost over 100 games each of the last three years. If not for Vargas’ big breakout, they very well might not be in postseason contention in 2026.
Emerson Hancock takes the mound for the Mariners today (6:35 p.m. ET, MLB.TV) in the middle of a breakout season.
He’s cut his ERA by two full runs from where it was sitting the last couple of seasons. From 2024-25, Hancock’s ERA was 4.84. This season, it’s 2.80.
There are a few things Hancock is doing differently to drive that improvement, but the big obvious one is that he’s throwing a lot more sidearm than he used to.
Over the last three seasons, Hancock has lowered his arm angle from 27 degrees (2024) to 18 degrees (2025) to 12 degrees (2026). (The closer to zero degrees you get, the more sidearm you are.)
By now, Hancock has one of the most sidearm arm slots of any Major League starting pitcher. The only one with a lower arm slot is Chris Sale.
Starters with the most sidearm arm angles in 2026
Chris Sale: 10 degrees
Emerson Hancock: 12 degrees
Nick Lodolo: 15 degrees
Luis Castillo: 17 degrees
Spencer Arrighetti: 19 degrees
And wouldn’t you know it — Sale is the exact pitcher who inspired Hancock to make his change. Yes, even though Hancock is a righty and Sale is a lefty.
The idea came from watching Sale dominate the Mariners on Sept. 5 of last season. Hancock, who at the time had been moved to the bullpen for Seattle’s playoff push, decided he wanted to try to mimic Sale’s iconic sidewinding delivery.
Hancock asked Woodworth what he thought. Woodworth — who was actually college teammates with Sale at Florida Gulf Coast University — told his pitcher it’d be a great experiment … for the offseason.
Did Hancock follow that plan? Nope! He used his new Sale-inspired delivery in his next outing for the Mariners two days later.
The change has stuck, and it’s worked wonders for Hancock this season. The actual pitching motions look a little different, but there’s no denying Sale and Hancock’s parallel arm angles.
“It wasn’t anything that we said, ‘Hey, this isn’t working. You need to drop down,'” Woodworth said. “He just started evolving into who he naturally is and found his natural slot.”
Hancock isn’t the first pitcher to emulate Sale’s sidearm style. The Mets’ Sean Manaea did the same thing in 2024 and was awesome down the stretch and into the postseason.
Pitching can be a copycat world, and it’s always cool when something like this works out.
THE PITCH THAT UNLOCKED AN AL CENTRAL ACE
Gavin Williams just beat the Yankees. Can he do it for a second straight start?
The Guardians ace is on the mound for tonight’s series opener in Cleveland (6:40 p.m. ET, FS1 / MLB.TV). It’s the second meeting of the two AL powerhouses in less than a week.
Williams won his start at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday to move to 9-3 with a 3.20 ERA and an American League-leading 94 strikeouts. He’s been on a heck of a run for the Guardians ever since the 2025 All-Star break, with a 2.72 ERA that’s fifth best among qualified starters over that time.
One pitch more than any other has unlocked Williams’ ace potential: His sinker. Even more specifically, his backdoor sinker. That’s the pitch to watch against the Bronx Bombers. Jared Greenspan breaks it down here.
See, Williams loves to throw his sinker — a new pitch that he added in 2025 — to the outside part of the plate against right-handed hitters. He starts it off the plate away, and it runs back over the edge of the strike zone.
That’s the opposite from how a lot of pitchers use their sinkers these days. They tend to throw them hard inside, to jam the hitter.
And the reason Williams uses his sinker that way is pretty interesting. He needed a fastball to attack righties away, but it can’t be a four-seamer, because he gets so amped up when he pitches that he yanks his four-seamer out of the strike zone, and hitters don’t chase it.
So, enter the sinker, which, no matter how excited Williams gets, still finds its way back over the plate thanks to its natural movement.
“I get a little bit too juiced up, so my miss is way worse with the four-seam on the outer half,” Williams told MLB.com. “I’m able to run [the sinker] back — where with the four-seam, I just pull it. It’s an auto take every time.”
Here’s the news and notes from around the Majors this weekend.
• After a couple more big games against his old team in the Freeway Series, Shohei Ohtani now leads the National League in OPS (.939). He also leads the National League in ERA (0.74), out of all the pitchers who’ve thrown at least 50 innings. Pretty good.
• Just a month after surgery, Tarik Skubal made his first rehab start at High-A West Michigan. And the back-to-back Cy Young winner looked as dominant as ever, throwing five scoreless innings with six strikeouts and touching 99 mph on his fastball. Skubal could be back in the Tigers rotation as soon as this weekend for a key AL Central series against the Guardians.
• Cam Schlittler got back on track with a 5 2/3-inning, one-run start against the rival Red Sox in yesterday’s series finale at Yankee Stadium. He continues to lead the American League with a 1.87 ERA. And according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Schlittler’s 2.38 career ERA is the third lowest by any Major League pitcher through their first 28 starts since 1913, trailing only Paul Skenes (2.14) and José Fernandez (2.19).
• Jacob Misiorowski set yet another velocity record by topping out at 103.7 mph in his start against the Rockies on Saturday. That’s the fastest pitch thrown by any MLB starter in the pitch tracking era, which goes back to 2008. Coors Field was no match for Misiorowski, who now has a 1.50 ERA and a Major League-leading 116 strikeouts this season.
• Roki Sasaki finally looks like the pitcher the Dodgers were hoping for. He turned in his finest outing as a Major Leaguer on Friday, throwing seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the Angels. Roki’s fastball was humming, topping out at a career-high 100.6 mph, and his new, harder splitter racked up six K’s.
During Sunday’s Tigers game, the Detroit broadcast showed a young fan named Cece wearing homemade goggles (made of plastic cups attached to a pair of empty lenses) with “McGonigoggles” written on a piece of paper across the frame.
Mere moments after the broadcast cut back to game action, McGonigle crushed his fourth home run of the season. That prompted the broadcast crew to proclaim: “The McGonigoggles are working today!”
And things only got better from there. McGonigle sent Cece and the Tigers faithful home happy with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lift Detroit to victory over the Mariners.
The McGonigoggles even got a shoutout from McGonigle himself in his postgame interview.
“Shoutout, Cece,” McGonigle said. “Thank you so much. Keep wearing those goggles.”
Clearly this is the hot new trend in baseball fashion.
What happens when AI starts finding security flaws that humans missed for 27 years?
Governments don’t ignore it. They want access.
Anthropic recently agreed to give the European Union (EU) access to Mythos – its highly advanced cybersecurity-focused AI model – after months of discussions between the company and EU officials.
Anthropic initially released a limited version of Claude Mythos in April. It reportedly uncovered zero-day vulnerabilities across every major operating system, including one security flaw that had remained hidden for 27 years. (Zero-days are hidden software flaws that hackers can exploit to steal data, take over systems, or launch cyberattacks.)
Because of its capabilities, Anthropic immediately restricted access to the model to a small group of organizations involved in critical infrastructure, finance, and cybersecurity under its “Project Glasswing” initiative.
So, the EU gaining access to Mythos signals a broader shift in the AI race and where capital may start to flow. Here’s why…
Mythos features powerful autonomous and agentic capabilities. Many of you have heard the term “agentic AI” for months, but the model is a concrete example of why it matters.
To briefly review, agentic systems are the “next generation” of AI technologies that can make decisions by themselves and adapt to changes. They are essentially like the brain behind a smart assistant or AI robot, able to perceive their environment and act accordingly.
Traditionally, cybersecurity has relied on highly skilled analysts spending weeks or months searching for vulnerabilities. But if AI can discover software vulnerabilities that humans missed, the opportunity changes from “AI helping workers” to “AI performing work that previously required highly specialized experts.”
That shift points to cybersecurity AI as an emerging market in its own right.
In other words, the next phase of the AI boom may not be about helping workers write emails faster… but about helping governments and corporations protect digital infrastructure, like data centers and software systems, from increasingly sophisticated threats.
And governments getting access to models like Mythos suggests that advanced AI is being viewed less like normal software and more like critical infrastructure, similar to cloud systems, or even energy systems.
This could drive more spending on AI security and defense tools that will most likely be run by agentic AI themselves.
And if Mythos is any indication, the real opportunity in agentic AI extends even beyond cybersecurity. The same autonomous capabilities that can identify software vulnerabilities could eventually be applied to scientific research, engineering, healthcare, manufacturing, and countless other fields that rely on specialized expertise.
That means agentic AI has the potential to become a new kind of digital worker that helps organizations solve complex problems faster, cheaper, and at a much larger scale than before.
Many investors think of AI as a story about chips, software, and the companies building the technology. But its biggest impact may be far broader than that.
Louis is teaming up one of the most sophisticated investment technology experts in the world… to share with you a revolutionary AI that spots investing signals with the highest upside potential Louis has ever seen. It could soon trigger a wave of wealth so powerful, it might change everything about how you look at stocks. More details when you sign up in advance.
Louis has been investing through major market cycles for nearly 50 years, including the internet boom of the late 1990s. Recently, he told me that the AI boom reminds him of that period in surprising ways.
Not because he thinks the market is about to crash, but because he believes investors need to be prepared for both opportunity and volatility. Here’s what he has to say.
This little-known building in Pasadena is where I learned about a kind of investment most people never get access to. Twenty years later, that same opportunity is wide open again. And it’s all because of what’s about to happen to OpenAI and Anthropic. Get your free ticker here.
“I think this is like more than 10X, probably 50X bigger than dot-com,” SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son told CNBC. The “this,” of course, is the AI Revolution.
And if AI delivers even a fraction of the impact Son predicts, the greatest opportunities will not be in the technology itself, but the infrastructure required to power it.
Looking Ahead
Anthropic isn’t just making moves across the pond.
It kicked off its initial public offering process after confidentially filing paperwork with U.S. regulators last week.
The confidential filing is the early, private step where regulators review the company’s financials. That means the details, like share price, IPO date, and final valuation, are not yet public. However, the company was recently valued at about $965 billion after a massive funding round – surpassing OpenAI’s valuation for the first time.
Anthropic is joining the AI IPO race alongside OpenAI and SpaceX – the latter of which is set to go public on Friday.
The three companies’ huge valuations show strong demand for AI tools and suggests investors believe the AI boom – from software to chips and data centers – is still far from over.
We’ll further discuss SpaceX’s IPO later this week. So, be sure to keep an eye out on your inbox.
Regards,
Eric Fry Editor, Smart Money
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1. There is a buzz, a feeling, a vibe in New York like no other I can remember for Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight.
The intensity has been taken to another level because of measures that are being put in place at Madison Square Garden thanks to Donald Trump attending the game.
What is ABC/ESPN’s plan on how to handle the President’s appearance with its coverage before and during the Spurs-Knicks game?
As for Inside the NBA, which will air before the game, Charles Barkley told me Monday morning, “If they show him, we’ve probably got to acknowledge it. I have no idea what they’re gonna do, to be honest with you. If they show him, we probably have to address it.”
Would Barkley, who has never been afraid to speak his mind, share his feelings on the President during the pregame show?
“I would never disrespect the President of the United States,” Barkley told me. “I would never do that. I’m not a fan of Trump. Like I said, I would never disrespect the President, so I’m hoping that ESPN or TNT would not put me in a position for that to happen.”
When I spoke to Barkley, he wasn’t nearly as interested in talking about the President as he was Knicks fans.
“I think this is going to be one of the craziest things we’ve ever been part of in my entire life,” Barkley said. “I think these people in New York are gonna be so excited. I’m not even worried about the President. I’m just worried about the whole New York thing to be honest with you. I think these people are gonna go crazy.
“I’m excited to see the Knicks in these two games because I think they’re gonna sweep them, but I think it’s gonna be amazing to be there, but crazy to be there also. I’m terrified and excited at the same time.”
As for ABC’s game coverage, an ESPN source told me ABC will show Trump and document his appearance at the game, as is always the case when he attends a sporting event, but that the focus will remain on what’s taking place on the court.
2. Nobody will be rooting harder for the Spurs tonight than ABC/ESPN. The network desperately needs length from this series, especially after the Knicks swept the Cavs in the Eastern Conference finals.
Game 1 drew 17 million viewers last Wednesday. If San Antonio can come back and make this a six- or seven-game series, ABC could get close to 25 million viewers for those games.
A Knicks win tonight, though, means the series could conclude Wednesday night in a New York sweep.
3. ESPN will offer an alt-cast for tonight’s Spurs-Knicks game featuring Pat McAfee and his crew.
This has absolutely nothing to do with McAfee, but I can’t think of a worse sport for an alt-cast than basketball. Baseball and football are great for alt-cast. Basketball? Not so much. There’s no downtime. A basketball telecast is about 90% play-by-play. I’m not sure how the crew on an alt-cast will have time or opportunity to cook. But if you are a McAfee fan, you will find out tonight if you choose to tune in.
4. Kevin Love likes to get high and watch old NBA videos on YouTube. The level of his highness determines which videos he consumes.
5. This Reds security guard has to be the biggest party pooper ever.
6. The latest episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina features an interview with Sports Business Journal media reporter Austin Karp.
Karp talks about the NBA and ABC being set up for big ratings with the Spurs and Knicks in the Finals, the trio of Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler calling their first NBA Finals together and the Inside the NBA crew of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal working the NBA Finals pregame, halftime and postgame studio shows for the first time.
Following Karp, Sal Licata from SNY TV and The Sal Licata Show joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include: the NBA Finals, my recent interview with Marv Albert, Sal getting a message from a Howard Stern Show wack packer, a fun rankings game, Sal’s lack of Bon Jovi knowledge and more.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: With a big basketball game taking place at MSG tonight, I was trying to come up with something along those lines for this part of the column and then it hit me: “IN DE FACE!”
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The All-Star ballot is packed with tough choices, so this week’s Power Rankings make it easier — and more fun — by spotlighting one compelling pick from each team.
A fan’s homemade “McGonigoggles” got quite a workout as Kevin McGonigle homered and hit a walk-off single, earning the inventive youngster a shoutout from the Tigers’ star rookie.
Whether it’s promising prospects, star players or veterans enjoying surprising seasons, every team has something to bargain with at the 2026 Trade Deadline.
Shohei Ohtani and Paul Skenes are slated to pitch during a Dodgers-Pirates series, and Cristopher Sánchez and Jacob Misiorowski are scheduled to be on the hill in a Phillies-Brewers set to highlight this week’s top matchups.
After seven seasons pitching in Japan, Dallas Escobedo Magee couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to the U.S. to participate in the second season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
More than 250 participants from past Breakthrough Series have been drafted by MLB clubs, and this year’s group includes a pair of players from MLB’s Youth Academy network.
Automation is transforming every industry. From factories to AI-driven robotics, a few companies are leading the charge. Discover 3 robotics stocks positioned to benefit from the rapid rise of automation.
Wall Street living legend Marc Chaikin has returned with his #1 Stock Pick for 2026. This is his highest conviction pick to survive an increasingly dangerous U.S. stock market. And if you’re thinking it’s NVDA, TSLA, or the Mag 7, you’re dead wrong. More Info ➔The High-Yield Stocks the Smart Money Is Buying Right Now
Top Wall Street analysts changed outlook on top names. See analyst ratings page for upgrades, downgrades, and initiations. Check out what analysts think of GE stock. More Info ➔Wall Street Issues Dire Warning to Clients – Ad
Wall Street has issued a chilling warning for anyone with money in the U.S. stock market right now. Top analysts at these banks say a big event is coming that could both wipe out the market and keep it down for 10 years or longer. What can you do? A new tech breakthrough from a firm in Baltimore, Maryland may hold the answer. Learn more.Trump immunity from IRS audit shocks experts, who warn it could undermine trust in tax system
As demand for faster data and stronger networks grows, telecom leaders are expanding rapidly. These 3 companies are key players in global communication.
Michael Saylor told his followers to never sell their Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC). But his company did, and Bitcoin has been sliding every day since. More Info ➔Why Is Nebius Stock Gaining Monday?
Jensen Huang takes care of the Nvidia employees with personal attention to compensation. More Info ➔
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