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The 2025 MLB season is fully into its stretch run, and the playoff picture has solidified. While a number of the usual suspects will likely reach the playoffs, a lot has happened since the All-Star break.

When digging into the numbers of baseball's second half, several surprising, even shocking trends have emerged. The Brewers have emerged as a powerhouse. Kyle Schwarber and Nick Kurtz have been the second-half MVPs. Meanwhile, a number of teams and players are doing things you wouldn't expect.

What follows is a look inside the numbers of the surprising trends across baseball since the All-Star break.

14.3 — fWAR by Blue Jays hitters, best in baseball, to go along with a team-wide 131 wRC+, again, the best in baseball.

8.7 — fWAR produced by the Dodgers pitchers, best in MLB since the All-Star break, a full 1.5 points higher than the Reds and Phillies, who sit in second place. Their team FIP (3.37) is also tops by a wide margin over the Pirates (3.73).

197 — Runs scored by the Astros, which ranks 29th in MLB. Only the Cardinals (185) are worse. Houston's hitters have a collective fWAR of 5.2, worst in baseball among contending teams in the second half.

265 — Runs by the White Sox since the break. That ranks fifth in baseball.

287 — Runs by the Brewers since the break, best in baseball.

3.57 — Team ERA for the Brewers, second-best in baseball behind the Dodgers. So Milwaukee is scoring the most runs and has the second-lowest team ERA since the break.

4.93 — ERA of Mets pitchers since the break, 24th in baseball and worst among contending teams. Their collective WHIP (1.41) ranks 26th and is also the worst among contenders.

14 — Second-half home runs by Trent Grisham, which is second on the Yankees. Aaron Judge's 11 home runs since the break are actually tied for fourth on the team with Jazz Chisholm. (Giancarlo Stanton leads the club with 16.)

20 — Second-half home runs for Kyle Schwarber to lead MLB. The Phillies slugger is slashing .230/.348/.592 with 54 RBIs and a wRC+ of 154 since the All-Star break. The pending free agent seems to have earned himself an obscene amount of money with his performance over the past few months.

21 — Stolen bases by (*) Juan Soto… to lead all of baseball since the All-Star break. Weird. Soto had 25 total stolen bases over the past three years entering 2025 and had never topped 12 in a season before. He only stole 11 bases in 96 games in the first half.

33 — Wins for the Brewers since the All-Star break, best in baseball.

154 — Second half wRC+ for Rafael Devers, who is slashing .269/.367/.538 since the break with 14 home runs. After a slow start in San Francisco, he has found his groove offensively.

220 — Second half wRC+ by Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, by far the best in baseball. Kurtz is slashing .361/.474/.715, his OPS of 1.189 leads baseball, as does the 3.0 fWAR he has produced.

2.5 — fWAR for Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, best among MLB starting pitchers since the break. He is 5–3 with a 2.67 ERA and a sparkling 2.13 FIP. With Zack Wheeler out for the season, he's Philadelphia's best starter heading into the playoffs.

0.84 — ERA for Cubs rookie Cade Horton, best among qualified starting pitchers since the break. Horton has a 7–1 record in 10 starts, has produced 1.6 fWAR, and is just what Chicago needed after losing Justin Steele for the season.

1.74 — ERA for Paul Skenes since the All-Star break. His 2.11 FIP is the best among qualified pitchers since the break, and he's averaging 11.37 strikeouts per nine innings. If anything, the Pirates star has gotten better as his second season has gone along.

99.5 — Average fastball velocity for Hunter Greene since the break. The best among MLB starting pitchers. The Reds ace is 2–1 with a 2.35 ERA since the break.

101.6 — Average fastball velocity for Padres reliever Mason Miller since the break, best among all MLB pitchers. He's 0–0 with two saves and a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings in that time and is averaging an eye-popping 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings. This one may not be surprising, but like Skenes, he appears to be getting better as his second full season goes along.

Pick between three Tests, with each of them having thrilling moments to offer

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2025Update: This poll has ended. The ENG-AUS 2019 Leeds Test moves into the final.

Dravid conquers Australia and Adelaide, 2003

It was Kolkata 2001 all over again, except the support act took over the lead role this time.Instead of 445, Australia scored 556 batting first here, with Ricky Ponting hitting 242 at a strike rate of 68.75. But unlike their 171 in Kolkata, India scored 523, keeping the match on an even keel, more or less, and it was the Rahul Dravid-VVS Laxman partnership for the fifth wicket, worth 303 runs, that made it possible. Here, Dravid scored 233 from No. 3, and Laxman 148 from No. 6.Like in Kolkata, Australia’s second innings was a letdown; all they got was 196, setting India 230 to win, and the star of the show, which gave India the upper hand, was Ajit Agarkar, whose 6 for 41 thwarted Australia as they were looking to put the game beyond India.Dravid had scored that many in the first innings alone, but this time he only had to make 72, hitting the winning runs when he cut Stuart MacGill through the off side. It remains one of India’s great victories in Australia, achieved at a time when they didn’t come as thick and fast as they do now.Kusal Perera’s one-man show in Durban, 2019
Sri Lanka were coming off a 2-0 pummeling in Australia, their captain had just been sacked, and an inexperienced team, led by Dimuth Karunaratne, landed in South Africa.Then, in what was one of the most dramatic Tests in history, Sri Lanka emerged victorious, chasing down 304 with one wicket to spare. They had lost their ninth wicket while still 78 runs off their target. Kusal Perera then scored 67 of the the remaining 78 runs in an incredible finale on the fourth afternoon, along with the No. 11 Vishwa Fernando, as they saw their team home. Towards the end, you knew where this was going, even if it was just a matter of one good delivery.At lunch on the day, Sri Lanka were 166 for 5, still 138 runs away, after which Keshav Maharaj ripped through the lower-middle order, leaving them at 226 for 9. That brought Fernando to the middle, and he was entirely focused on survival. He faced 22 balls before he got off the mark.As Fernando clung on at one end, Perera defended with unreal calm, and even took several blows to his body on his way to the target. Batting for 309 minutes, he farmed the strike, and picked his opportunities to attack and push the score forward. Along the way, he also made his career-best Test score of 153*.

The Stokes show at Headingley, 2019

A Test that might not have otherwise stayed for too long in the memory, it was the unbroken 76-run stand for the last wicket between Ben Stokes and Jack Leach that lifted it to where the greatest Test matches in history are clubbed together.And, of course, the fact that in those 76 runs, one batter scored 74 (in 45 balls) and the other 1 (in 17 balls)! Not to forget that the winners had scored 67 in their first innings and then hit 362 for 9 in a Test where 246 was the next-best total.Australia won the first Test, and the second was drawn, so England wanted to win this one at Headingley to stay in the Ashes contest. But after Australia were bowled out for 179 in the first innings, all England could put up was 67, with Joe Denly top-scoring with 12. Back to Australia, and this time they put up 246.Was the pitch getting better for batting? It didn’t seem so when England were 15 for 2 in their chase of 359, and then 159 for 4 with Joe Root gone, and then 286 for 9. Stokes, the No. 5, was on 61 at the time. Off 174 balls.But with last-man Leach for company, Stokes switched something on. He hit four fours and seven sixes from that point, keeping Leach away from the strike as much as possible, before finishing it off with a flay through the covers off Pat Cummins. Done and dusted!

Arsenal are set to be minus an “underrated” star for their looming North London derby against Tottenham and far beyond that, following some injury news out of the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s side host Spurs on Sunday in imperious form, but the manager is being made to sweat over several key players. The Gunners remain in pole position at the top of the Premier League table after a fantastic start to the campaign, which is made all the more impressive by the absences of numerous big-name attackers lately.

Arsenal currently sit top with eight wins, two draws and one loss from their opening 11 matches, boasting a phenomenal defensive record. They’ve conceded just five goals all season, the best of any team in Europe’s top five leagues, which has formed the backbone of their title challenge.

However, the international break has brought fresh concerns.

Left-back Riccardo Calafiori returned early from Italy duty due to hip pain, but encouragingly, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Arsenal’s medical checks confirmed that Calafiori will be available for the derby with no injury issues, just overload.

Calafiori has become an undisputed starter this term, chipping in with one goal and two assists from 11 games, even thwarting Myles Lewis-Skelly for a consistent place in the starting eleven.

Meanwhile, captain Martin Odegaard is continuing his recovery from a knee injury that has plagued him since October. The Norwegian, before his country’s 4-1 win over Italy, told TV2 that his recovery is progressing and he “will hopefully be back soon” — though it remains to be seen whether that could be against Tottenham.

His creativity has been sorely missed in Arsenal’s midfield, and elsewhere in the squad, Viktor Gyokeres has been struggling with a hamstring injury sustained at Burnley. He’s missed their last two matches against Slavia Prague and Sunderland, as a result, with Gyokeres believed to remain a doubt ahead of Spurs.

Noni Madueke is approaching a comeback after being sidelined for almost two months due to a knee problem, while Kai Havertz continues his recovery from knee surgery with a potential return on the cards “towards the end of the year”, according to Julian Nagelsmann.

Gabriel Martinelli is racing to be fit for this weekend, but the game comes too soon for his compatriot, Gabriel Jesus, who’s expected to be the last to return after his ACL injury at the start of 2025 (Simon Collings).

Amid this wave of Arsenal team news, it is another Gabriel who’s been making the headlines recently.

Indeed, star defender Gabriel Magalhaes, who’s been equally vital going forward as well as at the back, was taken off with a thigh problem during Brazil’s 2-0 friendly win over Senegal at the Emirates, and the early signs aren’t exactly cause for celebration.

Arsenal star Gabriel to miss "minimum four weeks" after thigh injury

According to journalist Sami Mokbel of The BBC, Gabriel could now miss a “minimum four weeks”, and some sources suggest that he could be out until January as the club wait for further scan results.

Gabriel has been the linchpin of Europe’s most water-tight defence, partnering both William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera to devastating effect and making him irreplaceable in Arteta’s system.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Arsenal face a crucial run of fixtures beyond just Tottenham, with Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Chelsea awaiting them right afterwards.

Beyond defensive stability, Gabriel already boasts five goal involvements in all competitions this season, including a vital late winner away to Newcastle in September, highlighting his importance at both ends of the pitch. The 27-year-old gifts Arsenal a major outlet, and has been a significant part of their outstanding set piece record this season.

With Gabriel set to miss this weekend, Mosquera or Piero Hincapie will likely come in to replace him, with the summer signings now given a baptism of fire.

While the November international break was one for the ages as teams around the globe kept their World Cup dreams alive in dramatic circumstances, the return of club football marks a magic time in the calendars of many fans, as it means we are now at the beginning of four uninterrupted months of club action. This is when narratives truly take form, with teams able to build momentum and set off on potentially season-defining runs.

Of course there will be those for whom an unhappy winter is only just beginning, and the relentless nature of the modern fixture list means there could be plenty of dark times ahead for some fanbases. However, given the action we saw upon the resumption of leagues around Europe, it's hard not to be excited by what's to come over the next weeks and months.

For now, though, here's our 10 biggest winners and losers from the past couple of days…

• AFP
  

  WINNER: Eberechi Eze

  Back in the middle of August, Tottenham fans were gearing up to welcome Eberechi Eze to north London after widespread reports that Spurs were closing in on a deal to sign the Crystal Palace midfielder. Fast-forward three months, and those same supporters could only watch on in horror as Eze scored a superb hat-trick to decide the north London derby in Arsenal's favour and further tighten the Gunners' grip on the Premier League title race.

  Arsenal's last-minute hijack of Eze's Tottenham switch was one of the most dramatic moments of the summer transfer window, and the England international has gradually grown into his role at the Emirates Stadium, most notably by stepping into the shoes of injured captain Martin Odegaard. And it was from that position on the right side of Mikel Arteta's midfield three where Eze did his damage on Sunday as he continually found space on the edge of the penalty area to cause problems for the Spurs defence.

  Eze set the tone for his virtuoso performance with a delicious chipped ball for Declan Rice to volley towards goal in the opening couple of minutes, and while Guglielmo Vicario could keep out that effort, he was powerless to stop Eze when he got into shooting positions either side of half-time. Eze showed unerring accuracy with his finishing, and by the end of the game was showing off his full array of flicks and tricks as the Gunners moved six points clear at the top of the table.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WINNER: Michael Olise

  Perhaps Eze was inspired by the performance of one of his former Palace team-mates just over 24 hours earlier? Michael Olise has taken his game to a new level since leaving Selhurst Park to join Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024, emerging as one of the most creative forwards in Europe while also forcing his way into the France line up during World Cup qualifying.

  On Saturday, however, it looked like it might be a long afternoon for Olise and his Bayern team-mates as they went 2-0 down at home to Freiburg inside the opening 17 minutes. From there, though, the ex-Reading youngster took over, as he first provided the assist for teenager Lennart Karl to pull one back before equalising himself in first-half stoppage time with a drilled effort from the edge of the box.

  After the break, it was Olise's corner which found an unmarked Dayot Upamecano to volley Bayern into the lead, and after Harry Kane had netted his customary goal, Olise danced through the Freiburg defence to set up Nicolas Jackson for goal number five. And Olise wasn't done there, either, as he rounded out the scoring with a superb individual strike after cutting inside from the right wing.

  His five goal contributions at the weekend takes Olise's tally to 22 combined goals and assists in just 23 appearances for club and country so far this season, and the 23-year-old still has plenty of room to improve even further. For now, though, his focus will turn to midweek and a reunion with Eze as Bayern take on Arsenal in a heavyweight Champions League clash.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Liverpool

  Back in the Premier League, and while Arsenal edge further clear at the top, the reigning English champions' sorry season hit a new low on Saturday as Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Nottingham Forest at Anfield. Boos rang down from the Kop as the Reds lost their sixth league game of the campaign already, leaving them languishing in the bottom half of the table just six months on from the joyous scenes that greeted them securing the title back in May.

  Successive wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid suggested Arne Slot's side had turned a corner ahead of the international break, but defeat to Manchester City has now been followed up by an embarrassing loss to Sean Dyche's side that has caused some to start questioning whether Slot possesses the tactical acumen to reverse this slide or if a new manager needs to be sought if things do not turn around.

  "We're definitely letting the manager down, but we've let ourselves down as well," said captain Virgil van Dijk as he tried to ease the pressure on his compatriot and coach. "At the moment it is a mess – that's just a fact. As the champions we can't be in the situation we are in right now."

  A 'mess' is an understatement. Liverpool aren't just the defending champions – they are also a team that spent over £400 million on bolstering their squad, led by the British-record acquisition of Alexander Isak, who returned to the line up on Saturday but mustered just 15 touches in another anonymous display. Isak is now the first Liverpool player to taste defeat on each of his first four league starts for the club, but he is far from the only person to blame for Liverpool's predicament, and right now it's difficult to see a route out of this for Slot and co.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Phil Foden

  Given their own collapse last season, Manchester City know how Liverpool are feeling, but right now Pep Guardiola's side should be more focused on whether they can get themselves back into the title picture after Saturday's damaging defeat at Newcastle. Having got themselves to within four points of the Gunners heading into the international break, City slipped up on Tyneside thanks in large part to some miserable finishing.

  Phil Foden wasn't the only culprit in that regard, but there's no doubt that his chances to score – especially the one he spurned in the first half – were the most presentable, and the homegrown midfielder would have expected to have found the net at least once. Instead, Foden was left to rue a missed chance to not only boost City's title hopes but also his own chances of playing a key role at the World Cup this summer.

  Foden returned to the England squad for their games against Serbia and Albania, but had to make do with appearances off the bench on both occasions, suggesting he remains behind both Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers in the pecking order. And so on a weekend when both his main rivals for a starting role with the Three Lions, as well as Eze, showcased their abilities in front of goal, Foden was left wanting.

José Caballero leads Major League Baseball with 41 stolen bases and after seeing how easy his latest theft was, you'll understand why.

Caballero was on first based after earning a two-out walk from Nationals reliever Clayton Beeter in the bottom of the seventh on Tuesday night. After watching Beeter throw three pitches to Trent Grisham he took off.

He got such an incredible jump that he actually made it all the way to second before Beeter even threw the pitch. Video of the play barely looks real. What must have been going through first baseman Josh Bell's mind as he pointed at Caballero running to second?

The only way we can tell for certain that the footage wasn't doctored is the combination of the box score and the laughter of the announcers as they watched it happen.

After the game, manager Aaron Boone called his jump on this play, "elite" and joked about his pace maker.

Caballero was aquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline. He has now appeared in 17 games for the team.

Wolverhampton Wanderers star Joao Gomes is now close to sealing a move to a rival Premier League club in January, despite Rob Edwards wanting to keep him.

With just under a third of the Premier League season gone, Wolves find themselves in a worse position than they possibly would’ve imagined, having collected just two points from their opening 11 games, leaving them nine points adrift of safety.

It has been nothing short of a disastrous start to the campaign for the Old Gold, who are arguably already staring down the barrel of relegation, having now lost their last five league games on the spin, failing to score in four of those matches.

As such, it is little wonder that Fosun & co have started to identify new targets ahead of the January transfer window, with it recently being revealed that Independiente’s Patrik Mercado is in line to become Edwards’ first signing since arriving at Molineux, following talks.

However, Mercado may end up simply being brought in as a replacement for one of the Wanderers’ current key players, with a new update emerging on the future of a central midfielder…

Joao Gomes close to sealing January move to Man Utd

According to a report from Trivela (via Sport Witness), Gomes is now close to sealing a January move to Manchester United, with talks advancing over the course of the past week, despite the fact Edwards wants to keep hold of the midfielder.

A move to United could now be on the cards in January, with a €50m (£44m) fee being mentioned, which would undoubtedly be a major blow for Edwards in his bid to steer the struggling side clear of the bottom three.

The Brazilian has been a key player over the past few seasons, recently surpassing 100 matches in a Wolves shirt, and it would be fair to say supporters were impressed by his performances in the 2024-25 campaign.

The 24-year-old, who rakes in £105k-a-week, is particularly impressive from a defensive point of view, placing in the 97th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to other midfielders, having averaged 3.39.

With Gomes contracted until 2030, Wolves should be able to command a good fee for his services, but the fact they are currently bottom of the Premier League table weakens their negotiating position, as relegation would surely make a summer departure an inevitability.

That said, if Fosun were to cash-in this winter, it would significantly weaken Edwards’ side’s already low chances of avoiding the drop, and they should keep hold of the 10-time Brazil international until the end of the season.

Fosun in contact to sign £30m Premier League ace

Fosun in contact to sign £30m Premier League ace who Wolves feel is perfect

The Old Gold haven’t got the reply they’d have wanted.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 21, 2025