Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors pick the best sports images from the last seven days. France met Paraguay in the final match at Philadelphia Stadium (aka Lincoln Financial Field), while fans across the area and the nation watched the U.S. bow out of the tournament. The summer of sports continues, though, with preparations underway for MLB’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.
With all due respect to LeBron James, the Sixers’ greatest and most impactful unknown is the same as it has always been.
Mike Gansey acknowledged as much on Thursday.
“Obviously,” the Sixers new president of basketball operations said in a courtside interview during ESPN’s broadcast of the team’s summer league opener, “the big fella is the X-factor.”
It speaks to the magnitude of Joel Embiid that such a sentiment can be qualified as obvious. Nothing about the Sixers over the last two months has been obvious. From the firing of Daryl Morey to the hiring of Gansey as his replacement to the dramatic trade of Paul George and a couple of first- and second-round picks to the Celtics for some guy named Jaylen Brown to the front office’s attempt to woo James, the Sixers are in the midst of an overhaul more radical than any Embiid has seen in his decade with the team.
For maybe the first summer of his career, everyone’s focus is elsewhere. Yet, everyone is fooling themselves if they think they can talk about the Sixers as a legitimate contender without factoring the big fella into the equation.
The exact nature of the question has changed. There’s no doubt about that. It is no longer, “How far can Embiid carry the Sixers?” In Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, they have young guards who carried them to a Game 2 playoff win over Brown and the Celtics without Embiid. In Brown, they have a player who was overwhelmingly responsible for Boston’s win over the Sixers in Game 1 of the same series. That trio is talented enough to pencil in the Sixers for a playoff spot and, potentially, a top-four seed even if Embiid were not to play a game. At no point prior in the Embiid era have we been able to say such a thing.
That’s more than a good thing. It’s the reason that a jaded city can now deconstruct its emotional walls and allow itself to invest time and energy in the Sixers again. The potential outcomes are no longer as divergent as “championship contention” or “No. 3 overall draft pick.” The exhaustion that people feel with regard to Embiid is in large part a function of his inordinate importance over the years. With him, the Sixers could beat anybody. Without him, there was little point in watching.
So, yeah, the question has changed. But it is still the one that matters most when it comes to handicapping the Sixers’ 2026-27 title odds.
What do they expect out of Embiid?
What will they get?
The first part is more interesting. The organization’s public rhetoric regarding their big man has shifted since the change in regimes.
For Morey, Embiid was something like a mission statement: any time the former president spoke publicly about his team, his comments were centered around the center. He took the job in 2020 with the idea that Embiid was the exact sort of front line, once-in-a-generation superstar that teams need to win a title. The goal was to get him whatever help he needed. Morey professed that belief to (virtually) the bitter end.
Gansey and ownership proxy Bob Myers have been far less committed in their public sentiments about Embiid. In his introductory press conference a month ago, Gansey avoided talking with much specificity about the big man beyond including him in the framing of the Sixers’ existing roster structure as a “Big Four.”
“They’re our four guys, they’re under contract. We got to do the best to get them to their best self,” Gansey said on his first day on the job, “because I think every night at 7 p.m., we got to get them to their best to help us win.”
Barely a month later, George was en route to Boston and the Sixers “Big Four” was now a “Big Three.”
Perhaps it is notable, then, that Gansey now feels comfortable speaking of Embiid in such terms as the ones he deployed in his ESPN interview on Thursday.
“Joel’s in a good space,” Gansey said. “He’s finally healthy going into the offseason. He’s excited about this summer. He’s getting to work here shortly. He expects to have a good year, as we all do.”
Embiid has been conspicuously silent since the Brown trade. His lone Twitter post in the wake of the deal was about the Tour de France. In an interview with the Sixers’ flagship radio station on Thursday, Gansey said that Embiid was excited and “fired up” when Gansey informed him of the trade.
Whatever the case, the Sixers are well past the point of factoring Embiid’s feelings into their actions. The Brown trade was as much about the Sixers’ ability to compete without him as with him. At the same time, the only way they contend for a title this season is with him.
April’s playoff series against the Celtics offers a tidy encapsulation of where the Sixers are. As dominant as Brown was during various stretches, Boston still lost. As impressive as Maxey and Edgecombe were at times, the Sixers still needed to win a Game 7 against the Jayson Tatum-less Celtics just to earn the right of getting blown out of the playoffs by the Knicks. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla offered the definitive sound byte after the Sixers finished off their series comeback.
“What changed in this series was Joel Embiid came back and they’re a completely different team,” Mazzulla said.
Embiid missed Game 2 of the next series. The Sixers were outscored by 57 points in the 88 minutes he played against the Knicks. Somewhere on that continuum, their immediate hopes lie.
The 2026 Major League Baseball draft kicks off Saturday in Center City Philadelphia as part of the All-Star festivities, taking place in the City of Brotherly Love for the first time since the production hit the road in 2021.
Another first? NBC will broadcast the first hour and a half of the draft, which kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. It’s the first time since MLB started televising the draft live in 2007 that it’ll air on broadcast TV, at least until it switches over to the MLB Network at 2:30 p.m.
The MLB draft hasn’t historically been a big TV draw because of how long it takes players to make it to the big leagues. Last year’s No. 1 pick, shortstop Eli Willits, is just 18 and is currently playing for the Washington Nationals’ single-A team in Fredericksburg, Va.
The fastest top pick to be called up? Former third baseman (and one-time Phillie) Dave Roberts, who started just one day after being taken with the No. 1 pick by the San Diego Padres in 1972.
For the fourth-straight year, the first six picks of the draft were determined by a lottery that took place in December. The Chicago White Sox enter the draft with the No. 1 pick for the first time since 1977, when they took future Hall of Famer Harold Baines.
The Phillies don’t technically have a first-round pick; they were pushed back 10 spots because their 2025 roster exceeded the second surcharge of MLB’s luxury tax. As a result, they have the No. 36 pick, the first time in franchise history they’ve received such a penalty.
Here’s everything to know about the MLB draft:
The 2026 MLB draft is scheduled to begin Saturday at 1 p.m. Philly time at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and run through 7:45 p.m., but not all of it will air on TV.
NBC will broadcast the first hour and a half, covering the first 10 picks, before handing off to MLB Network at 2:30 p.m. The event will shift to streaming only at 4:30 p.m., with both Peacock (which is streaming the entire draft) and MLB.com carrying the proceedings through the fourth round.
Rounds 5 through 20 will stream on Peacock and MLB.com Sunday beginning at 11:30 a.m.
While NBC is dipping its toes into broadcasting the draft, MLB Network will be handling the production. A new face this year will be 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, who will provide analysis alongside Mark DeRosa, Harold Reynolds, and former Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd. Coverage will be hosted by Greg Amsinger.
The Phillies have five picks Saturday: Nos. 36, 64, 100, 128, and 135.
They’ll get 16 more Sunday, beginning with the No. 161 pick in the fifth round and ending with the No. 209 pick in the 20th round.
Yes, the MLB draft is long, but a lot shorter than it used to be. The draft used to last 40 rounds before being cut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2011, it ran upwards of 50 rounds.
It’s really anyone’s guess who the Phillies will take with the No. 36 pick, but experts have some thoughts.
In his final MLB mock draft, ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel has the Phillies selecting 2026 grad Archer Horn, a shortstop prospect who already committed to Stanford after batting .406 with six homers this year for St. Ignatius Prep in San Francisco.
One other name McDaniel mentioned is Taj Marchand out of South Carolina, another high school shortstop, who hit .531 with 13 home runs this year. But Marchand is expected to be taken before the Phillies are on the clock.
MLB Network’s Jonathan Mayo predicted the Phillies would take Notre Dame pitcher Jack Radel in his most-recent mock draft.
The Athletic’s Keith Law, who correctly predicted the Phillies would take Gage Wood last year with the No. 26 pick, didn’t include the Phillies in his final mock draft.
The Phillies have had some success landing major league players in recent years, with three former first-round picks — Justin Crawford, Bryson Stott, and Alec Bohm — currently starting for the team.
Andrew Painter, the Phillies top pitching prospect, struggled during 12 starts for the team this season and was demoted to triple A last month. The Phillies haven’t outlined a timetable for when he could return.
Two former first-round picks play for other teams. Mickey Moniak, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2022 and currently plays for the Colorado Rockies. Pitcher Mitch Abel, taken with the No. 15 pick in 2020, was traded to the Minnesota Twins last year in the deal that landed closer Jhoan Duran.
Here are the Phillies recent first-round picks:
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This year, the first round of the draft has just 25 true picks. Three teams — the Phillies, New York Yankees, and New York Mets, exceeded MLB’s surcharge tax threshold in 2025, pushing their first-round picks 10 spots down into the second round.
The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros were awarded picks for promoting prospects
There are also a handful of compensatory picks that will take place after all the first-round picks have been made.
Here is the order for the first round, including supplemental picks that begin with No. 26:
In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, Major League Baseball (MLB) is bringing the Mid-Summer Classic to the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Among the kick-off events is the HBCU Swingman Classic on July 10, an event showcasing the past and present of historically Black college and university (HBCU) baseball programs.
The event, intended to increase interest in baseball among Black Americans, reflects MLB’s complicated relationship with Black fans. Across the 20th century, team owners and executives have tried periodically to draw Black fans to the ballpark. Yet, to maintain the game’s appeal to its traditional fanbase, much of it white, owners simultaneously created environments that did not fully welcome Black fans. This history shows that if MLB truly wants to draw more Black Americans to the game, it has to alter the culture of the game and do more than just stage one-off events like the Swingman Classic.
Until the 1940s, some Major League teams racially segregated their ballparks. As early as 1920, Black fans could sit only in the outfield seats at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis, home to the National League’s Cardinals and the American League’s Browns. Following decades of advocacy by St. Louis’s Black community, the policy changed in 1944. Yet even after it ended, Black fans who still felt the sting of being segregated did not go to Sportsman’s Park in large numbers.
Even at ballparks where Black fans had not been formally segregated, MLB executives marginalized them by making it clear they did not believe Black fans deserved the same respect from players as white fans. For example, one Black fan recalled that as a child in the 1930s, “I was called a ‘black bastard’ by St. Louis Cardinal left-hander Clyde Shoun,” and in a demeaning move harking back to a common practice of slave owners, his “head was rubbed for good luck by St. Louis Cardinal right-hander Fiddler Bill McGee as he walked out of the clubhouse past the bleachers.”
Racism permeated the sport, inside and outside the ballpark. In a radio interview in 1938, despite not actually working in law enforcement, Yankees outfielder Jake Powell (who ended his career with the Phillies in 1945) claimed that he stayed in shape in the offseason by claiming to be a police officer who would beat Black people “over the head with my blackjack.” His comments provoked outrage and although Powell was suspended and forced to apologize, he remained with the Yankees through the 1940 season.
Yankees General Manager Ed Barrow told The Philadelphia Tribune, “No owner of a business permits his employees to be pert or insulting to the customers patronizing the business,” indicating that the team was happy to take money from Black fans but would prefer their players not share racist views on the air. Evidently, the team concluded that they should angle for revenue from Black fans—but keep Powell on the roster all the same.
As Jackie Robinson tore up the minor leagues in 1946, several MLB owners had another concern: too many Black fans if he were moved up to the majors. As they wrote in what was intended to be an internal document, they feared that “the preponderance of Negro attendance in parks such as the Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds, and Comiskey Park could conceivably threaten the value of the major league franchises owned by these clubs.”
The next year, when Robinson broke MLB’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Black fans regularly made up as much as one-third of the crowd at his games. But as scholar Gerald Early recognized, it was “not the desire of any major-league baseball owner to have blacks make up the kind of attendance percentage they did when Robinson debuted in 1947. It would, indeed, be a cause of unease, if not downright unrest.”
Owners couldn’t stop Jackie Robinson and the waves of talented players of color who followed him to the majors. Instead, they made it more difficult for Black fans to attend games by building stadiums farther away from Black communities. Scholars Alan Sager and Arthur Culbert determined that the demographics of the neighborhood around a team’s ballpark was the deciding factor for whether or not a team moved in the decades after Robinson’s debut. Teams that moved between the 1950s and 1970s left neighborhoods that were on average 44.1 percent Black. By contrast, teams that did not move were in neighborhoods that were 17.6 percent Black. Almost all teams that relocated in this era moved to far whiter neighborhoods, including the Phillies who moved from Connie Mack Stadium in North Philadelphia to Veterans Stadium in South Philly after the 1970 season.
By contrast, in Houston, owners of a yet-to-be-named franchise secured vital Black voter support for the bonds needed to construct what would eventually be called the Astrodome. They promised that unlike many other public accommodations in Houston in 1961, it would be desegregated. But MLB owners continued to display bias against Black fans. Roy Hofheinz, who led the franchise and was the driving force behind the Astrodome, told a reporter, “We did a lot of research before choosing the colors [of the luxury suites]. We made sure the color complemented the complexion and clothing of women. It took us two weeks to get the right color of blue. Many blues would give ladies a pasty-looking complexion.” His concern reveals that he did not expect Black women to sit in the most exclusive part of the dome.
When the Baltimore Orioles opened Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore’s downtown in 1992, it seemed to signal a shift in ballparks’ relationship to urban spaces and their Black populations. Yet in other ways, the team continued MLB’s pattern of marginalizing potential Black fans. Maryland state representative Howard P. Rawlings noted that the Orioles had “neglected the city’s black majority” in the park’s opening festivities and argued “it’s a reflection of [the team’s] lack of awareness that” the city “is more than 60 percent African-American.” Ballparks evolved, but many MLB executives’ attitudes about potential Black baseball fans did not.
Even this year, new barriers to Black fan attendance were added, such as when the Texas Rangers installed the “One Riot, One Ranger” statue at their ballpark. The statue depicts a member of the original Texas Rangers, the state law enforcement organization the baseball team is named after, that was modeled on E. J. Banks, a ranger best known for being dispatched by the state’s governor to keep Black students from enrolling in an all-white public school in 1956. Banks stood by and watched as white segregationists threatened violence against any Black child who tried to enter the school.
Yet MLB is also making efforts to attract Black fans with events like the HBCU Swingman Classic at Citizens Bank Park. The Swingman Classic, named in honor of Black Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr., is open to 50 current players from 17 historically Black Division I colleges and universities. The players will be divided into two teams, each coached by a Black former MLB player including, Phillies legend Jimmy Rollins.
Unlike the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game being played a few days later at Citizens Bank, tickets for the Swingman Classic are comparatively affordable and cheaper than some Phillies games, an admirable and encouraging choice. History cautions, however, that MLB is usually only interested in extracting revenue from Black fans when doing so does not threaten the game’s largely white fan base. While the Swingman Classic will likely draw a higher percentage of Black fans to Citizens Bank Park than an average Phillies game, only time will tell whether it helps to shift MLB culture towards greater inclusion of Black fans.
Seth S. Tannenbaum is a Philadelphia native, historian, and associate professor of sport studies at Manhattanville University. His book, Bleacher Seats and Luxury Suites: Democracy and Division at the Twentieth-Century Ballpark was published this spring by the University of Illinois Press. He will be speaking at the Roxborough Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia on Friday, July 17 at 3:30pm and at the Joseph E. Coleman Branch on Saturday, July 18 at noon.
Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of The Inquirer.
Kyle Schwarber figures he was 15 years old, maybe 16, when he caught his first glimpse of Bryce Harper.
They were at a travel ball tournament in Marietta, Ga., 30 miles north of Atlanta. Schwarber played for a team from Ohio, and Harper for, well, who can remember? He was a travel ball star, competing for more than a dozen teams across the country, often against older kids.
“We all knew about him,” Schwarber said.
And once word circulated around the eight fields at the East Cobb Baseball Complex that Harper was somewhere on site, Schwarber and his teammates set off in search of the teenage baseball prodigy.
“I remember we were out, just walking around getting ready to go, and we heard and we’re like, ‘Oh, we’re running over there to go watch him play. Get on the fence,’” Schwarber recalled the other day. “It was fun. As a young kid, you’re like, ‘Oh, he’s on the cover of Sports Illustrated.’ So, it was really cool.”
Schwarber chuckled.
“It’s funny,” he said. “Look where we’re at now. We’re, what, 33? It’s a long time.”
Indeed, look at them now. Harper and Schwarber are not only in their fifth season as Phillies teammates. They’re also the main attractions as baseball gathers for Philly’s first All-Star Game in 30 years.
Harper, the face of the Phillies and among the most marketable players in the sport, announced Thursday on Instagram that he will enter the Home Run Derby for the first time since 2018, when he won it in his then-home ballpark in Washington.
Schwarber, the National League’s preeminent slugger and a consummate leader, a force with his personality as much as his Louisville Slugger, committed to the Derby on Friday, setting up a rematch from his runner-up finish to Harper eight years ago.
Whatever the Showman and the Schwarbino have in store, it’ll be difficult to top what Philadelphians saw them do on June 20.
Harper hit for the cycle for the first time as a major leaguer, while Schwarber blasted three home runs, two in one inning. They were the second teammates to achieve those feats in the same game, joining Lou Gehrig (four homers) and Tony Lazzeri (cycle), Hall of Fame Yankees, in 1932.
And there’s more. Harper entered the weekend with 20 homers and 383 for his career, and was on pace to finish the season with 397; Schwarber was leading the majors with 32, giving him 372 overall and putting him on pace to finish with 395.
The last teammates to chase down 400 homers in the same season: Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltrán with the Yankees in 2016.
“I think it’s cool,” Schwarber said. “The fact of having milestones, one, you’re celebrating for yourself. But then also to have someone else doing the same thing as well, it’s impressive, especially for a player of his caliber.”
As their mutual milestone draws closer, and with the All-Star Game upon us, Harper and Schwarber talked recently about one another in separate conversations with The Inquirer.
Nobody can top Harper’s view of the Schwarber Show.
“It’s a lot of fun to be on deck to watch him do what he does,” Harper said. “It’s impressive.”
Two things stand out most to Harper: the simplicity of Schwarber’s short, left-handed swing and how often he’s able to repeat it.
Harper is notorious for tinkering. When the hits aren’t falling, he alters his stance or switches batting gloves. Last month, the night he hit for the cycle, he dragged a 35-ounce bat — four ounces heavier than his usual model — to the plate.
“You know how I am: I change crap all the time, or I’m doing something different,” Harper said. “Him being able to repeat each swing, understanding what he needs to do on each pitch, is very impressive. I would say it’s one thing that I would be a little bit jealous about, just because he can repeat it so well.”
Schwarber is also the Benjamin Button of sluggers. He’s aging in reverse.
In his first seven major league seasons, from 2015 to 2021, Schwarber hit 153 homers and was 19% more productive than league average, based on OPS+. Since signing with the Phillies in 2022, he has hit 219 homers and is 35% more productive than league average. His OPS has improved each year since 2023, from .817 to .851, .928, and .945 through Wednesday.
“I think he’s just kind of bought into what he’s good at,” Harper said. “This isn’t anything bad, but I don’t know if he’s ever going to hit over .260, or whatever. But he’s bought into hitting homers and walking, and he’s very, very good at it. I mean, he’s on an elite level doing those things.”
The homers come with high strikeout totals. Schwarber led the majors in strikeouts in 2022 and ‘23 and is on pace for a career-high 238 whiffs this season.
Harper doesn’t mind the tradeoff.
“I kind of throw the strikeouts out the window,” Harper said. “It’s like hitting a ground ball to second, right? You’re still out. I’m glad that he doesn’t take that too much into consideration. He kind of just plays along with it, and it’s like, whatever. And then he goes up there, hits a homer.
“And it’s really cool to see his day-to-day work and why he does things. He’s bought into the DH role so well, and I think that’s helped him, too, over the years, not having to worry about defense. He’s just been able to maintain hitting. And it’s great for him because he can buy into what he’s good at.
“It just makes me laugh because he’s such a good dude. It couldn’t happen to a better person, right? I love watching him play. I love watching him hit. I love guys that hit homers, you know?”
But Schwarber’s career path hasn’t been linear.
Drafted fourth overall by the Cubs in 2014, he reached the majors within 12 months and blasted 16 homers in 69 games. He tore a knee ligament two games into the 2016 season and beat every projection to play in the Cubs’ hex-breaking World Series. He got demoted to triple A in 2017, averaged 31 homers per year from 2017-19 despite lingering doubts that he could handle left-handed pitching, and got nontendered after the 2020 season.
Harper believes Schwarber’s range of experiences contributes to his leadership by making him relatable to teammates at every stage of a career.
“I think that’s why everybody gravitates to Schwarbs so much,” Harper said. “Obviously he’s a great human being, great teammate. But he can be a superstar player; he can also be the guy that got hurt; he can also be the guy that gets [nontendered] and they think he’s the worst player in the league.”
Schwarber bounced from the Nationals to the Red Sox in 2021 and signed a four-year, $79 million contract with the Phillies the following spring. He has hit 46, 47, 38, and 56 homers over the last four years, a mid-career surge that reminds Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long of David Ortiz.
“Yeah, I agree,” Harper said. “Obviously the last couple of years have been incredible. And I just see him doing that again. I just don’t see it going anywhere. And I say that because the swing is so repeatable. I’m impressed by him every day.”
It’s one thing to be 11 years old and tell your dad, “I’m gonna be the No. 1 pick.” Or to be 16 and labeled as “Baseball’s Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated. Or to leave high school after two years and enroll in junior college to play against older competition.
“But this guy,” Schwarber said, “has been able to be that kid and do even more in the game.”
As he predicted, Harper got drafted first overall in 2010, four months before his 18th birthday. At 19, he made his major league debut … and the All-Star team … and was crowned NL Rookie of the Year.
Harper has spent almost half his life in the majors. This is his 15th season; he won’t turn 34 until October.
It’s a running joke in the Phillies’ clubhouse.
“We’re always like, ‘What were you doing when [Harper] came up?’ ” Schwarber said. “He made his debut in ‘12, I think. I’m like, ‘Well, I was a sophomore in college.’ You know what I mean?”
There are times when Schwarber has to remind himself that he’s only six months younger than Harper.
“No one really knows what it’s like to have expectations at such a young age,” Schwarber said. “There have been people who, when you talk about younger kids and they go, ‘Man, this kid’s going to be a prodigy’ or whatever, and then it doesn’t work out. To have that at such a young age and to be able to be fulfilling it and more, it’s pretty hard to do. Right?
“Even I’m sure now there’s expectation for him. He’s handled it every single year the way he should. He goes out there and he produces, and he’s able to be the same guy on a daily basis, which is awesome.”
It’s Harper’s consistency that stands out to Schwarber.
With a strong first half, Harper quieted all the offseason chatter, fueled by Dave Dombrowski’s answer to a question last October, about whether he’s still “elite.” Was it ever really debatable? Harper has hit at least 20 homers in 10 of the last 11 full seasons. He’s a nine-time All-Star and two-time MVP. He’s eighth among active position players in wins above replacement, according to Fangraphs.
“To be able to do it on a year-in and year-out basis,” Schwarber said, “to be consistent on a year-to-year deal, that’s what makes the greats the greats.“
And what makes Harper a great hitter?
“Not to be like the nerdy kid, but the way his hips move, the way his hands are able to get to the slot, and the way he’s able to stay inside the ball and hit the ball to left-center for power and still be able to turn on a 98-mph fastball and pull it out to right field,” Schwarber said. “I’ve seen many times where he’s taken the 90-whatever mph fastball on the inside corner and taken it out to left-center field.
“I don’t do that. I wish I could. My body type is not his body type. I’m short and stocky. For him to be able to move the way he does, it’s controlled but also still fast. Those are like the really geeky things I think about. Those are the things that impress me.”
And so, their march to 400 homers continues, with an All-Star detour — and maybe even a Home Run Derby rematch — in their home ballpark this week.
“For the career that he’s had — and that he’s going to continue to have,” Schwarber said, “to be able to be in the same category in one thing with him, I think it would be pretty cool to celebrate together one day.”
With Eagles training camp drawing nearer, The Inquirer is taking a closer look at the more than three dozen new faces who are expected to report along with the rest of the team on July 28.
Player: Cole Wisniewski
Position: Safety
Age: 24
Previous experience: Wisniewski enters his first NFL training camp with a lot of football under his belt. He spent six years in college, five at North Dakota State and last year at Texas Tech, where he helped the Red Raiders win the Big 12 title and reach the College Football Playoff. Wisniewski, largely a linebacker at NDSU, had 78 tackles and was an All-Big 12 honorable mention in addition to being a semifinalist for comeback player of the year after missing 2024 with a foot injury. Wisniewski is a big safety at 6-foot-3. There’s some Reed Blankenship in his game. While Wisniewski was a seventh-round pick, Blankenship went undrafted. They were similarly rated as average athletes who make up for that with good tackling instincts.
Path to a roster spot: Safety is an interesting position for the Eagles entering camp. Andrew Mukuba will man one of the spots, with Cooper DeJean slated to play safety when the Eagles are in base. In nickel or other packages, which the Eagles are in the vast majority of the time, Mukuba will need a partner with DeJean playing nickel. That spot is Marcus Epps’ right now, with Michael Carter II and others, including Wisniewski, next in line. Can Wisniewski beat out Andre’ Sam and J.T. Gray for a roster spot? Will undrafted free agent Kapena Gushiken make a charge? Wisniewski may have a leg up on his competition as a draft pick, but the Eagles haven’t shied away from cutting a late-round pick, if necessary.
Fun fact: Wisniewski was a multisport athlete at Sparta High School in Wisconsin. In addition to football, he lettered in basketball, track, and cheer. No, he wasn’t a cheerleader, but he did fill in as the mascot.
Quotable: “He’s one of the godfathers,” Wisniewski said of playing in Vic Fangio’s system during Eagles rookie camp. “I’m just really excited to learn the ins and outs and how he operates. … Being able to come to the source is awesome.”
Player: Elijah Mitchell
Position: Running back
Age: 28
Previous experience: Mitchell is the most experienced running back in camp not named Saquon Barkley, having been in the NFL since 2021, when the 49ers selected him in the sixth round. Mitchell rushed for nearly 1,000 yards as a rookie before combining for 560 yards in his next two seasons. A knee injury cut his 2022 season short, and he hasn’t had a carry in a regular season game since 2023. Mitchell’s 2024 season then was derailed by a hamstring injury. He signed in 2025 with Kansas City and made one appearance before being released in December.
Path to a roster spot: Mitchell is a long shot to make the team out of camp. The Eagles are pretty set at the position with Barkley at the top of the depth chart and Tank Bigsby a lock to be his backup. The No. 3 spot is up for grabs, but it likely will be Will Shipley or Dameon Pierce. The Eagles seem most likely to keep three running backs on the initial 53-man roster, but a fourth is possible. If they go heavy in the backfield, Mitchell could have a chance of pushing for a spot.
Fun fact: Mitchell has a career yards per carry of 4.7 yards. That’s slightly higher than Barkley and Christian McCaffrey at 4.6 and would rank tied for 12th among active players with Miles Sanders. Speed has never been the issue with Mitchell, who ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at his college pro day in 2021. Staying healthy has been.
Quotable: “It was very challenging,” Mitchell told Kansas City media last March when asked about missing the 2024 season. “Just having the love for football and not being able to compete against the best really weighed on me a lot. I’m hungrier than ever, and I’m ready to roll.”
LAS VEGAS — When Labaron Philon Jr. got the ball at the top of the key with less than a minute to play, 76ers summer league coach T.J. DiLeo told everybody else to get out of the way.
So Philon went to work on his defender with multiple between-the-legs moves as the shot clock ticked inside five seconds. He pulled up and buried the game-clinching shot.
It was a dynamite capper to a terrific summer league debut for the Sixers’ first-round draft pick. Philon compiled 18 points and seven assists in a 101-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday afternoon at Cox Pavillon, making good on his quest to be a “smart guard” by mixing in sound playmaking with a hot shooting start and clutch finish.
“Showing I can compete,” Philon said. “Having the same ‘dawg’ mentality that I had at Alabama, and being the same person. Being me, really.”
Philon, whom the Sixers took 22nd overall last month, opened the game with a three-pointer, then dished to big man Johni Broome for his own deep shot on the next possession. When another Philon long ball forced a Pistons timeout less than two minutes later, he flexed and hollered before returning to the bench.
After that, Philon again flashed his crafty ballhandling while getting to the rim for a left-handed layup. He delivered a slick bounce pass to Broome for a dunk between two defenders. And before hitting that dagger three-pointer, Philon drove to the basket late in the shot clock for the and-1 conversion to break an 85-85 tie with less than four minutes remaining.
“That’s who he is,” DiLeo said. “He’s a gamer.”
DiLeo, who is coaching the summer Sixers for the second consecutive year, emphasized that combination of scoring and distributing — along with playing hard defensively — with Philon ahead of Thursday’s opener in Las Vegas. The coach put the ball in Philon’s hands during practices, and came away impressed with the rookie’s pace, natural instincts, and willingness to pass.
“It’s a big responsibility,” DiLeo said. “ … You’ve got to find a good balance of it, because the team will take [on] your identity. He was getting guys shots. Now everybody’s moving the ball a little bit and they kind of follow him.
“I was proud of him for tonight. Obviously, he’s going to grow and get better, but it was a good first step.”
That “smart guard” mentality also comes with some foresight. Philon knows he is joining a Sixers roster that already boasts All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey and electric youngster VJ Edgecombe, and recently added sharpshooter Anfernee Simons in free agency. Philon recognizes the value in taking pressure off those teammates.
“Once you’re able to get [that playmaking] going,” Philon said, “guys [start] to step up.”
Minutes after Thursday’s performance, DiLeo had already identified improvement areas he would show Philon on film. The Pistons began switching more defensively in the second half, and the coach noticed a couple times when Philon got past his defender but pulled back his dribble instead of remaining aggressive.
Philon, meanwhile, lamented the “easy looks” he missed during his cold streak in the second and third quarters of a 6-of-19 shooting outing. But he appreciated that trust in him did not waver down the stretch.
Because when the summer Sixers gathered for the first time, DiLeo showed clips of each player’s strengths. He called Philon a “big shot taker, big shot maker,” as a similar one-on-one sequence flashed across the screen.
“You’ve got to let him go one-on-one a little bit,” DiLeo said. He’s going to make some of these.”
So DiLeo put the ball in Philon’s hands at the top of the key in the final minute, and insisted that no other players get involved in the play. An additional motivational boost came from Philon spotting Mike Gansey — the Sixers’ new president of basketball operations who was thrilled Philon was still available for them to select on draft night — along with executive Jameer Nelson and future teammates Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow sitting courtside.
“I think they knew what I was going to do,” Philon said. “So I was solid. After I hit the shot, I looked at Mike. He was like, ‘OK’ [with a head nod].”
Ryan Howard was a three-time All-Star and champion of the 2006 Home Run Derby in his legendary run with the Phillies. With the baseball world coming together in Philadelphia for the 96th All-Star Game, Howard sat down with Phillies Extra to discuss his All-Star memories, his expectations for a Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park, his outlook on the Phillies’ season, Kyle Schwarber’s chances of breaking his single-season franchise mark for homers, and more. Watch here.
The Flyers tried.
In a world where the salary cap is rising, free agency is dwindling and trade partners want the world, the opportunity to get a top-line center who fits the Flyers’ timeline required a drastic step.
The Flyers did that by tendering an offer sheet. It made sense, but on Thursday, the Anaheim Ducks matched the hefty five-year contract with an average annual value of $18 million that the Flyers had given to 21-year-old center Leo Carlsson.
So what’s next for the Flyers? Let’s answer some questions.
Flyers general manager Danny Brière and his staff took a home run swing and ended up striking out. But the fact that they swung for the fences in this scenario was a solid attempt and showed that the organization is willing to pony up and take a big risk to acquire talent.
According to Puckpedia, the Flyers have a smidge above $29.5 million in cap space; however, as we have reported, that number includes center Jett Luchanko’s contract ($941,667), and Brière told The Inquirer in early June that the expectation is he will be in Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League this upcoming season.
Regardless of whether Luchanko is around, that is a lot of cap space. Philly does need to sign its four restricted free agents: forwards Trevor Zegras and Nikita Grebenkin, and defensemen Jamie Drysdale and Hunter McDonald. Grebenkin and, especially, McDonald, could start the 2026-27 season with the Phantoms, meaning their salaries would not count against the cap.
Zegras and Drysdale’s new contracts should be around a combined $15 million AAV. Both players did file for salary arbitration — protecting them from getting an offer sheet — although the expectation is that it will not get that far.
But those are things that the team has to get done. After Brière and Co. tried to upgrade their team, are they finished? From what we’re hearing, it sounds like there was always a Plan B.
It feels like the Orange and Black have been in on everyone this summer, but thus far have only upgraded their backup goalie, with Joseph Woll, and their fourth line with Noel Acciari, and added a depth defenseman in Simon Benoît. Necessary adds, but it still feels like more is needed.
So where does that come from?
The unrestricted free-agent market does not have a 1C remaining — and never really did with everyone signing extensions. How about a top-four defenseman with power-play punch? There’s not really one of those on the market either, but names like John Klingberg, who has some power-play experience, Carson Soucy, and Logan Stanley could be interesting depth additions.
But this is about the 1C spot that the Flyers have needed for years. There is always the offer sheet route again. Most would argue that’s not the best move considering how the hockey world functions and how it could burn bridges. But it is fair game, and there is still an intriguing name out there: Adam Fantilli.
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reported Monday that the 21-year-old center could be the Flyers’ next target. It doesn’t sound like the Flyers want to go the route of another $90 million contract, but he does fit their timeline and has upside that still needs to be drawn out. According to Puckpedia, the Columbus Blue Jackets have more than $23 million in cap space, and while they have to re-sign Cole Sillinger and Jet Greaves, it doesn’t sound like matching would be an issue for them.
So that leaves the trade route. Mavrik Bourque and Mason McTavish have already been traded to the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, respectively. Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright continues to be a hot topic on social media as a possible solution to the Flyers’ need at center, along with teammate Matty Beniers. But the ask for Wright, a 22-year-old center, was reportedly high in June — the Flyers’ interest wasn’t high back then either — and there was also no indication that Beniers was available at that time.
Could the Flyers circle back on Shane Pinto or Dylan Cozens with the Ottawa Senators? Both are young centers with size and skill. Dylan Larkin was someone that the Flyers were reportedly interested in; however, the Detroit Red Wings center has a full no-move clause and wants to choose his next destination — MLive reported on Thursday that he added the Dallas Stars to the original list of the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers as teams he’d waive for a trade.
If the Flyers do acquire a 1C or top-four defenseman, does long-rumored trade asset Rasmus Ristolainen finally get moved? He is a top-four defenseman, but at almost 32 years old, the thought is the Flyers are aiming for a younger defenseman who fits their timeline a little better.
Could the answer then be an RFA defenseman who is not eligible for an offer sheet but sounds like he is on his way out of Carolina and could be available via trade? On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman suggested Alexander Nikishin, who played with Egor Zavragin in 2024-25 and briefly suited up with Matvei Michkov across two seasons for SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League, was almost traded to the New York Rangers. He fits the Flyers’ timeline, can play on the power play, was plus-18, had a 58.39% Corsi For at five-on-five during the regular season, and has the valuable experience of winning a Stanley Cup.
And are there other options that no one has seen coming? The general sense we’re getting is that the Flyers are still cooking.
The Flyers have six players who can play center: Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates, Sean Couturier, Denver Barkey, Zegras, and Acciari.
Barkey didn’t look bad down the middle when called upon in the postseason, but the expectation is he will play wing next season. Couturier shared the middle spot with current unrestricted free agent Luke Glendening toward the end of last season, and for all intents and purposes, that’s probably the case with Acciari.
The biggest question mark: where does Zegras fit?
Brière told The Inquirer on March 7 that the team “felt he’s been a little better on the wing this year.” An hour later, Zegras was centering a line, and he held that spot for pretty much the rest of the season and into the playoffs.
So do they see Zegras as the answer for the No. 1 center slot heading into the season? Time will tell how Rick Tocchet lays out his lines; however, there is another layer to this. If Zegras is a center, his asking price for his new contract just went up.
But in the end, overall, where do the Flyers stand now? This is a team that is largely the same as last season, with a few small upgrades to the goaltending, the fourth line, and the defense. That is not the big splash everyone was hoping for.
They will still be a young team, with Porter Martone as a centerpiece, while Michkov will be expected to have a better season, and another young player, David Jiříček, will be in the lineup on the blue line as he is no longer waiver-exempt.
Brière suggested that “there’s a chance, and a good chance, that we take a little bit of a step back” in the upcoming season at his July 1 press conference. With Carlsson, that probably wasn’t happening. Without Carlsson, is that statement setting the tone?
The Flyers shocked the hockey world last week when they tendered a historic offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson. Front-loaded with a hefty signing bonus, it carried an average annual value of $18 million, the biggest in the NHL.
It, in Mike Sielski’s words, represented a sharp, strong machete, capable of cutting through thick jungle vines in pursuit of treasure — in this case, a first Stanley Cup since 1974-75.
But on Thursday, the Ducks announced that they had matched the offer sheet, making the 21-year-old Carlsson the highest-paid player in the NHL.
We won’t be getting Carlsson as a Flyer, but we will be getting Bryce Harper in the Home Run Derby. So at least there’ll be some fireworks.
So now, Danny Brière’s search for treasure — and a top-line center — just got a bit longer.
— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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❓If you could pick any player, past or present, to immediately join the Flyers, who would it be and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.
At first, Jimmy Amplo thought his coach was joking.
The rising senior at the Shipley School in Norristown will be one of eight high schoolers nationwide who will compete in the MLB All-Star High School Home Run Derby.
The event has featured future stars like Bobby Witt Jr., Jordan Walker, Riley Greene and Phillies prospect Aidan Miller.
Now Amplo, who earned his spot after hitting a ball 106.9 mph in June, will take his turn in the batter’s box at Citizens Bank Park.
As Citizens Bank Park becomes a temporary home for some of the league’s top players, the Pennsylvania Convention Center will welcome fans to MLB’s All-Star Village, beginning on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know before your visit to four-day baseball experience.
Next: The All-Star festivities start today with the HBCU Swingman Classic at Citizens Bank Park (7 p.m., MLB Network). Matt Breen rounds up everything you need to know about the baseball spectacle descending upon Philly.
Jesús Luzardo made his final start on Thursday before his first All-Star Game appearance next week, and he turned in a performance worthy of the honor. Luzardo pitched seven scoreless innings in the Phillies’ shutout win over the Reds.
Before the game, the Phillies’ bullpen had a few more shuffles, with Tanner Banks going on the injured list with a left forearm strain and Chase Shugart being recalled.
Next: The Phillies head north to face Detroit in their final series before the break. Aaron Nola (3-6, 5.87 ERA) is scheduled to start tonight’s series opener (6:40 p.m., NBCSP) against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty (2-8, 4.60).
🏀 Learning: That Penn State and Pitt will renew their rivalry as part of the Palestra’s 100th birthday celebration.
📚 Reading: The Havertown native whose Philly basketball roots helped him land an assistant coaching job for Syracuse basketball.
🦅 Watching: To see which newcomers crack the 53-man roster. We’ll meet Cole Wisniewski and Elijah Mitchell in today’s installment of our series.
Labaron Philon Jr., whom the 76ers took 22nd overall last month in the NBA draft’s first round, compiled 18 points and seven assists in a 101-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons Thursday afternoon at Cox Pavillon. Afterward, summer league coach T.J. DiLeo called the Sixers rookie “a gamer.”
What are the current chances of LeBron James joining the Sixers? Check out this Bron-O-Meter as we calculate the likelihood of James bringing his talents to South Street.
Next: After a day off, summer league action at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas continues Saturday vs. the Indiana Pacers (5:30 p.m., Prime Video).
Though the World Cup continues into next week, Thursday presented a glimpse of what the Union might look like when its MLS season resumes on July 22 with interim manager Ryan Richter at the helm.
The team held a friendly against the New England Revolution, which was interrupted by two weather delays because of lightning and thunder. The Inquirer’s Owen Hewitt was there and offers three takeaways from the exhibition match.
The World Cup may have left Philly and the U.S. may have bowed out of the tournament, but the party’s still going with four free concerts at the FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill.
Next: The Union are back in action on July 22 against the New York Red Bulls at Subaru Park (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors will pick our best shots from the last seven days and share them with you, our readers. This week, photos include a World Cup heartbreak, preparations underway for the MLB All-Star Game, and gravity-defying skills.
We asked: Even if LeBron James signs elsewhere, do you think the Sixers have done enough to finally make it past the second round of the playoffs?
The Sixers have a much better bench than I’ve seen in awhile. Maxey and Edgecombe lead a better starting five last season, and it should be better this season even without LeBron. But it’s just not ready to challenge the Knicks and Celtics without him. And I’m not even factoring in Embiid because he would have to duplicate his MVP year to make the whole thing work. — Mike R.
With the addition of Jaylen Brown and the maturing of VJ Edgecombe and other young players I think they will finally take down the Knicks this coming season. You used the term biblical proportion in your intro this morning, but remember when Moses came he had the biblical name where Lebron does not. And consider that LeBron is 41 years old and has not won a championship since 2020. — Everett S.
My heart says yes, the Sixers have enough to compete, but my gut says no, given Joel Embiid’s inability to stay on the court. Both Maxey and VJ logged too many minutes last season filling Embiid’s absence. LeBron would provide leadership and take some pressure off of the core. What is the alternative — Ben Simmons as a facilitator? — Bob C.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jackie Spiegel, Gabriela Carroll, Mike Sielski, Ariel Simpson, Becca O’Reilly, Lochlahn March, Conor Smith, Lauren Jones, Jeff Neiburg, Gina Mizell, Sam Morris, Matt Mullin, Owen Hewitt, Kerith Gabriel, and The Inquirer’s photography staff.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
That’s it for this week! Thank you for reading along, and Isabella will be back in your inboxes on Monday morning. Have a great weekend! — Maria