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SAN JOSE BATTING CAGES

Batting Cage · Sporting Goods Store · Gym/Physical Fitness Center

TITANS BASEBALL TRAVEL TRYOUTS  

To schedule one of our weekly private tryouts please contact Coach Ted Montemurro@ [email protected] or 408/430-6237 or Mike Mak @ [email protected]

OUR WINNING PHILOSOPHY

San Jose Batting Cages is home to San Jose Titans 8U-13U competitive travel and baseball teams. Our focus is on providing a competitive environment where players can thrive, grow, and become well-rounded athletes. With an unwavering commitment to their development, we aim to create memorable and positive experiences for every player as they proudly represent our organization.

We believe in the power of healthy competition and its role in player advancement. Our dedicated coaches work tirelessly to bring out the best in each player, imparting not only the technical aspects of the game but also instilling a winning attitude, confidence, and the satisfaction of contributing to team victories. We prioritize a positive and enjoyable experience for all.

The Titans play during the Summer & Fall to develop their skills, including fitness and agility training, batting practice in our state-of-the-art facility, and field practice with scrimmages. Our intense practices allow players to learn, improve, and demonstrate their skills, commitment, and sportsmanship, earning more playing time and the chance to explore different positions.

Our coaching philosophy emphasizes family, cooperation, respect, loyalty, commitment, and shared responsibility. Success and adversity alike serve as powerful learning experiences, shaping character and resilience. We instill in our players a spirit that asks, "What have I done for my team today?" Striving for excellence, we empower our athletes to embrace challenges and overcome setbacks by helping them to understand that, to a person of good character with a winning attitude, both victory and adversity are powerful learning experiences. Our coaches lead by example, teaching players that no matter how hard the loss, or how lopsided the final score, the only true loss to take to heart is the loss of an opportunity to give your all to your team and the game. We hope that Titans players leave our program knowing that when we each do our best and give the game our full effort, it’s not the strikeouts that define us–it’s how we deal with them that determines if we are winners.  

Our vision extends beyond the game. We aspire for each Titan to graduate from our program enriched with life skills—teamwork, perseverance, and a sense of fulfillment—that translate into success in all walks of life. Joining the Titans means embarking on a journey where love for baseball ignites personal growth and lifelong friendships, in an ambiance where every player, from 8U to 13U, grows as part of a family, nurtured by consistent coaching and mentorship both on and off the field.

Our ultimate goal is for every Titan player to leave our program with a mindset rooted in personal growth, teamwork, and a sense of accomplishment. Join us at San Jose Batting Cages and watch your child flourish as they embrace the love of the game and build a foundation for success in all aspects of life.  If trophies are your goal don't join our program... if developing your player is your goal our program is for you.  For more information and a tryout please contact us at [email protected] Mike Mak San Jose Batting Cages San Jose Titans  

Fuego 10U: NCTB Winter Championships – Champions

Fuego 10U: TPR Halloween Classic Runner Up

Fuego 13U: Black Tie Bash Champions

SAN JOSE TRAVEL BASEBALL

About Fuego

The fuego way.

In the Summer of 2022, we started up our Bay Area Fuego Baseball program with the idea of separating ourselves from the other travel ball teams, by focusing on teaching advanced fundamentals and love of the game, and not monthly fees and large rosters. It was with this strategy that our teams went out and competed at a high level, along the way winning big games, championships, and the respect of other programs who’d been established. As one of the most competitive programs in the Bay Area, our goal is to continue to elevate our game, continue to work hard, and not let our successes diminish our drive to be the best.

MAKE IT HAPPEN

Fuego in Action

San Jose Based

Our team is based out of San Jose, California and practice out of nearby high school fields and facilities.

Tournaments

Our teams play in local tournaments (Sunnyvale, Fremont), the Central Valley (Manteca, Ripon), Monterey County (Salinas), Southern CA, Nevada and Beyond.

Our Sponsors

We are sponsored by local businesses including Dystrick Design who is responsible for our website and other marketing outreach, and our favorite post-game hangout, Smoke Eaters, and a handful of private supporters.

Our Equipment & Uniforms

Our organization uses high end equipment from Evoshield, Marucci and Wilson. Our uniforms are made specially from Str8t Sports.

It's awesome to watch these boys continue to grow both mentally and physically on the field. There's never a moment where they are not giving 100%, whether it's at practice or a championship game.

We focus on baseball fundamentals and becoming a “student of the game”, rather than trophy chasing. through this experience we want them to understand what it means to be a team player, develop confidence and life skills that will help them both on and off the field., there's a sense of unity on these fuego teams that differentiates us from the other teams we play. because of this, we never feel like we are out of a game. that togetherness helps us thrive, and win a ton of ballgames., we tell the boys to "practice like you play and play like you practice". that means give 100% effort and energy at practice and make every moment count. so when it's game time, just go out and have fun, knowing you put in the work to compete on every pitch., quick contact info.

Meet your new team leader, Top Scorer! Create your NFL or sports website, win the online sports game and dominate your competition.

Satuday: 10am to 2pm

+ (123) 124-567-8901

[email protected]

All Out Baseball

WELCOME TO ALL OUT BASEBALL

OPEN TRYOUTS HAPPENING NOW!

FLIER EMAIL

All Out competes at the highest

levels using volunteer coaches.

Parents only pay tournament fees

and pratice expenses.

MORE THAN WINNING

Dedicated to the development of

the complete baseball player.

We strive to teach life lessons that

provide value beyond the playing field.

FUN, FAMILY ATMOSPHERE

We pride ourselves on keeping our

players together from as far back as 8U,

but we're always looking to grow the family.

Click Here To Learn More

The San Jose Oaks

San jose, ca, tryouts for 2024 summer and fall teams are happening now.

16/18U Thursday 5/23  5 to 7 at George page park 

Please sign up with link below no matter what age you are signing up for. 

Tryouts click here

New Custom Oaks Hit Factory apparel

We have custom Oaks Hit factory apparel available for purchase.

Please contact Coach K if you have any questions

Custom Oaks Hit Factory apparel

Click Link below to download the order form.

Oaks apparel order form

Click the image above to signup!

Our Summer 2024 16u teams!

New team store.

Please check out the store new! New Items are a plenty!!

- San Jose Oaks Uniform Package (3 Jerseys & 3 Hats)

- Custom San Jose Oaks Apparel

- Oakley Eyewear & New Balance Footwear

- And More!!

https://tcateamstore.chipply.com/sanjoseoaks/

BE PART OF OUR OAKS FAMILY 

New Team Swag

New team swag!

Go to Team swag page or click link below 

Travel Commissioner

Phone: 408-821-9867

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• Swag Locker

Welcome to Sandlot Crew Baseball

Our Philosophy

Sandlot Crew Baseball is a local, community-ran baseball club that strives to provide excellent travel ball experience, focusing on growth and development. She are a non-profit organization operated by volunteers. 

We believe the fall season is meant for kids to do strength and conditioning, work on improving particular aspects of their game, continuing to learn the game of baseball, and most importantly having fun. We support a non-baseball sport being the first priority and encourage them to play other sports during the fall. This allows our players to rest their arms for the following spring season when their primary focus is baseball.

Our season varies with each Sandlot Crew team, but typically runs in the fall from August to November for our teams 13U and below.

Copyright © 2024 Sandlot Crew Baseball - All Rights Reserved.

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San Jose Baseball Training Center

• Bulldogs Baseball
• Lady Bulldogs
• Training Center
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• Commitments
• KV8 Memorial Foundation

Tryout for the Bulldogs

We are currently looking for players 10u-18u. Please fill out forms below and a coach will get back to you .

Welcome to the San Jose Baseball Training Center

San jose baseball training center (sjbtc).

We are proud to offer a program that allows serious baseball players to advance their skills through training programs and tournament play. Our program runs from 10U to 18U and grows with the players age and ability.  A young player will begin their career in the California Bulldogs where we will expand on what has been taught in league play such as Little League and Pony. Bulldog Baseball will help condition and prepare your player for college placement. The San Jose Baseball Training Center prides itself on its long history on successful college baseball placements. This website will provide all of the information about the coaches, our history, the training that is available and how to tryout for one of our tournament teams. Take some time and if you are interested you can contact us from the contact us

You don't have to be the best ball player when joining us, you just need to have the ability to learn and show a clear appetite for the sport. We will take that and foster the enthusiasm working with the player to grow their skills. We offer various programs that focus on hitting, defense and pitching, all designed to enhance the players skill while still cultivating their love of the game.

Development

The longer our Bulldog baseball teams exist the better they get. We focus on player development, working with the players to enhance their all around capabilties in their early years of development. Introducing them to new positions and continually assessing their progress with our baseball trainers. Once their basic skills are established natural tendencies start to show and we work on guiding those tendancies and placing the players in the position that they can succeed in.

Our History

The Bulldogs program of today was founded in Southern California as Ernie Sarinana wanted to develop his coaching skills during the off-season of his playing career. The California Rockies were based out of Walnut California and were built around a heavy training ethic run out of Pro's school of Baseball. After three successful seasons, Ernie moved to Northern California and the San Jose area in 2000. Here he established the California Bulldogs travel team. Initially the Bulldogs were based around a field practice methodology and minimal traveling in the San Francisco Bay Area. As the program grew and multiple age groups were introduced the teams success increased from both a player development and competitive results perspective. In 2005 The Bulldogs found a permanent home, an indoor facility that allowed pitching and hitting practice year round regardless of weather, as well as provide a base of operations for the growing sports team. In 2009 the California Bulldogs partnered with one of the leading College Development programs in the country. This led to a series of elite teams being built that were specifically designed to play at the highest competitive level and attend showcases around the country to show off their talents to college and professional scouts. In 2016 San Jose Baseball Training made its next generational leap joining with another Elite team to offer the next level in competitive development and exposure for its High School athletes. Today the Bulldogs offer programs suited to each age group, from basic skills development for junior players, advanced skill and position training for middle school age players, to advanced skills, mental approach and college preparation for high school players.

We are all to aware that work and no play does not lead to the desired outcome. We believe in maintaining a balance of fun and hard work. Too many young prospects are lost to the games pressures and stresses. Part of player development includes helping with the mental aspects of the game and stressing that this is just a game.

Our Academy is part of a nationwide academy program that focuses on the advanced development of players and facilitates their exposure to both college and professional scouts. Our teams will attend national tournaments to give the players maximum exposure and all scouts to track their progress during their high school years. Each team will attend multiple showcases and tournament a year and have the opportunity to compete at the highest levels.

Sign up to hear from us about specials, sales, and events.

Copyright © 2023 San Jose Baseball Training Center - All Rights Reserved.

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VISION & MISSION

Our vision is to build upon the strength of our existing programs; focusing on player, coach, and support system development to become one of the top youth baseball programs in the Northern California. Our mission is to develop baseball skills and character that enables players and coaches to reach their fullest potential both on and off the field, as well as partner with parents on how to be the best support system for their sons. The Hype Baseball experience has been developed to benefit the boys, and we expect our parents to share that value by being silent sources of encouragement. Their coaches and instructors will be teaching the boys to play the game the correct way, with respect, and class. 

212 Athlete Arm Care Camp

I’d like to thank Adrian Gomez of 212 Athlete for coming out from Arizona to hold a two-day Weekend Arm Care and Velocity Camp for Hype Baseball Players. Adrian’s camps go a long way in helping players of all ages become more fundamentally sound in every aspect of pitching. We are very excited to have partnered up with Adrian and 212 Athlete and can’t wait to bring him back next year!

I’d also like to thank Coach Ulu, Coach Eddie, Coach Barry and our Team Mom Rosalyn for helping out and coordinating the camp.

Keep grinding boys! We’ll be back on the field soon!

Hype Baseball

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Collegiate National Team Training Camp Roster Announced

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the roster for the 2024 Collegiate National Team Training Camp that will compete in a two-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series. The 2024 roster features 55 primarily non-draft-eligible players from across college baseball.

The Collegiate National Team Training Camp begins on June 25, with game one of the Stars vs. Stripes series following on June 26 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The second game of the series will be on June 27 before the 55 players are split into two rosters: one that will compete in the 21st USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series and another that will play in a four-game Summer League Tour against select teams from the Appalachian League and Coastal Plain League.

“The talent across college baseball this year has been nothing short of fantastic,” said Eric Campbell , USA Baseball’s General Manager of Professional and Collegiate National Teams. “We had an incredibly deep pool of players to select from for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp and we are confident in the fifty-five players who will be arriving to Cary tomorrow. We are excited to get our Stars versus Stripes series underway.”

Nine USA Baseball alumni appear on this year’s Training Camp roster, including two players from last year’s Collegiate National Team. Ben Abeldt (TCU) and Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M) return to Cary to compete at Training Camp after helping lead Team USA to a 7-3 record against Chinese Taipei and Japan last summer. Two-time USA Baseball alums Gavin Grahovac (Texas A&M) and Steven Milam (LSU) will don the stars and stripes for a third time in 2024, and RJ Austin (Vanderbilt) returns to Team USA after playing for the 18U National Team in 2021. Additionally, five players from the gold-medal-winning 2019 15U squad will reunite at Training Camp: Drew Burress (Georgia Tech), Matthew Matthijis (North Carolina), Ethan McElvain (Vanderbilt), Milam, and Nolan Schubart (Oklahoma State).

Four other athletes, in addition to Abeldt and LaViolette, will make their return to Cary to compete at Training Camp for the second consecutive summer: Alton Davis II (Georgia), Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine), Matt Scott (Stanford), and Pablo Torres (Bethune-Cookman).

Additionally, seven players at this year’s Training Camp have previously participated in a USA Baseball National Team Development Program (NTDP). Grahovac and Milam have each participated in two NTDPs, reuniting with Dean Curley (Tennessee), Daniel Cuvet (Miami), McElvain, and Liam Peterson (Florida) from the 2021 edition of the event. Martinez participated in the 14U NTDP in 2018.

Overall, 37 schools and nine conferences are represented on the 2024 Training Camp roster. Vanderbilt leads all schools with four players on the 55-man roster, while Georgia, Louisville, North Carolina State, and UNC follow with three each. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) boasts 10 athletes on the roster to lead all conferences, followed by the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which has eight.

The 2024 Collegiate National Team will be led by International Friendship Series Manager José Vázquez and Summer League Tour Manager Gary Gilmore . Vázquez will be joined on staff by assistants Brady Austin , Mark Calvi , John McCormack , Skylar Meade , and Kier Meredith . Gilmore’s staff includes Chris Crenshaw , Justin Haire , Carlos Muñoz , Christian Ostrander , and Matt Pepin .

The Collegiate National Team begins the 2024 slate with the annual Stars vs. Stripes series on June 26 and 27 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. Following the conclusion of the series, the International Friendship Series roster will play in the 21st USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series from June 29-July 3 while the Summer League Tour roster will play a four-game schedule against select teams from the Appalachian League and Coastal Plain League from June 29-July 2. The summer will then conclude with a matchup between the two U.S. rosters on July 4 at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Tickets for this year’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA’s games this summer, can be found HERE .

2024 Collegiate National Team Training Camp Roster

(Name; Position; School)

*Ben Abeldt; LHP; Texas Christian Jamie Arnold; LHP; Florida State *RJ Austin Jr.; UTL; Vanderbilt Max Belyeu; OF; Texas Tucker Biven; RHP; Louisville Caden Bodine; C; Coastal Carolina Tyler Bremner; RHP; UC Santa Barbara Brooks Bryan; C; Troy *Drew Burress; OF; Georgia Tech Cooper Consiglio; LHP; North Carolina State ^Dean Curley; INF; Tennessee ^Daniel Cuvet; INF; Miami (FL) Gabe Davis; RHP; Oklahoma State Alton Davis II; LHP; Georgia Jason DeCaro; RHP; UNC Danny Dickinson; INF; Utah Valley Jacob Dudan; RHP; North Carolina State Anthony Eyanson; RHP; UC San Diego Patrick Forbes; OF/RHP; Louisville Henry Ford; INF; Virginia Gabe Gaeckle; RHP; Arkansas Jamal George; C/INF; Alabama State AJ Gracia; OF/LHP; Duke *^Gavin Grahovac; INF; Texas A&M Miller Green; LHP; Vanderbilt Marek Houston; INF; Wake Forest Ben Jacobs; LHP; Arizona State Kyle Johnson; OF/LHP; Duke Nelson Keljo; LHP; Oregon State *Jace LaViolette; OF; Texas A&M Justin Lebron; INF; Alabama ^Anthony Martinez; INF; UC Irvine *Matthew Matthijs; RHP; UNC *^Ethan McElvain; LHP; Vanderbilt *^Steven Milam; INF; Louisiana State Trey Newmann; RHP ^Liam Peterson; RHP; Florida Tre Phelps; INF; Georgia Brett Renfrow; RHP; Virginia Tech Luis Rodriguez; RHP; Alabama State Zion Rose; C; Louisville *Nolan Schubart; OF/INF; Oklahoma State Matt Scott; RHP; Stanford Eric Segura; RHP; Oregon State Brennan Seiber; RHP; Vanderbilt Kolten Smith; RHP; Georgia Derrick Smith; RHP; North Carolina State Luke Stevenson; C; UNC Devin Taylor; OF; Indiana Pablo Torres; RHP; Bethune-Cookman Dominic Voegele; RHP; Kansas Joey Volchko; RHP; Stanford Kyle Walker; INF; Grambling State Kyson Witherspoon; RHP; Oklahoma Malachi Witherspoon; RHP; Oklahoma

* USA Baseball alum ^ participated in a National Team Development Program

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Jose altuve, alex bregman, nico hoerner, yordan alvarez, wyatt langford, jose miranda, joey loperfido, deyvison de los santos, tanner bibee, ronel blanco, pete fairbanks, griffin jax, ryan pepiot, michael king, landon knack, gavin stone, matt waldron, simeon woods richardson, david festa, gavin williams, jeffrey springs.

• BABIP - Batting Average on Balls in Play  Definition The rate at which the batter gets a hit when he puts the ball in play. The calculation for BABIP is (H-HR)/(AB-K-HR+SF). League average is typically .300. A batter with a BABIP of greater than .300 is typically thought of as lucky (though batters with above average speed often have BABIPs greater than .300). A batter with a BABIP lower than .300 is often thought of as unlucky though batters with below average speed often have BABIPs lower than .300. As a rule batters have much greater variance in BABIP than pitchers. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Unlike pitchers, there's no "normal" baseline for BABIP with hitters, as this can fluctuate greatly. A higher BABIP tends to mean the hitter produces a lot of line drives and a high exit velocity, which is a good thing for fantasy value.
• FB% - Fly Ball Percentage  Definition Percentage of fair balls hit in the air, excluding line drives (pop-ups, fly balls) Why does this stat matter for fantasy? A batter with a higher fly ball percentage will provide more extra base opportunities, more power, and more RBI.
• FB - Fly Balls  Definition Number of fair balls hit in the air, excluding line drives (pop-ups, fly balls) Why does this stat matter for fantasy? On average, fly ball hits result in extra bases more often than ground balls
• GB% - Ground Ball Percentage  Definition Percentage of fair balls hit on the ground Why does this stat matter for fantasy? A high GB% leads to a higher BABIP but lower slugging%.
• GB/FB - Ground ball to fly ball hit ratio  Definition Ratio of ground balls to fly balls Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Batters with an extreme grounder ratio have limited homer upside
• HR/FB - Home Run to Fly Ball Rate  Definition The number of home runs hit by a batter per fly ball. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Batters with a higher home run to fly ball ratio tend to hit more home runs, especially if they also have a high fly ball:ground ball ratio.
• ISO - Isolated Power  Definition Isolated Power (ISO) measures the power of a batter. The calculation is ISO=SLG% - AVG. Result displays the number of extra bases a player averages per at bat. An ISO of. 200 or higher indicates a hitter with very good power. An ISO of ~.140 will be roughly the league average. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? If you are looking for a stat that helps you identify power hitters, ISO is a great stat to use. However, it takes about a full season of data (500-600 ABs) to achieve statistical significance foir ISO. A rookie flashing a high ISO early in the season may not be as likely to maintain his level as player with multiple seasons with high ISO.
• P/PA - Pitches to per Plate Appearance  Definition Number of pitches thrown to batter per plate appearance. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Pitches per plate appearance is a measure of a batter's patience and can serve as a leading indicator for higher on-base-percentage.
• RC - Runs Created  Definition Number of runs a batter has generated for his team. This stat measures a player's offensive contribution in total runs. It does so by adding the number of times a batter gets on base to his number of extra base hits and dividing this number by his number of opportunities. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? A batter with more runs created is most often a valuable fantasy contributing in a number of categories.
• SB% - Stolen-base Percentage  Definition The percentage of successful stolen bases against attempts. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? A player with a low stolen-base percentage may be inclined -- or asked by his team -- to attempt fewer steals, thus hurting his fantasy value. Conversely, a player with a high stolen-base percentage -- provided he is active on the bases -- will likely have more latitude to steal in the future.
• SL - Strikeout Looking  Definition The number of time a batter has struck out looking. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Players with a higher number of strikouts looking may be having issues identifying the strike zone and thus are at risk for producing a lower batting average.
• TOB - Times on Base  Definition Number of times a player has been on base Why does this stat matter for fantasy? The more often a batter reaches base, the greater the chance they will score runs. Not recording outs also helps BA.
• bWAR - Batting Wins Above Replacement  Definition Batting WAR (bWAR) measures a player's value as a hitter only by how many more wins he is worth than a replacement-level player at his same position. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? bWAR is quick way to view the best hitters in the game. It does not account for base running, so players with the highest bWAR are not always the highest raanked players in fantasy baseball.
• brWAR - Baserunning Wins Above Replacement  Definition Baserunning Wins Against replacement measures the value of a player's base-stealing performance and their base-running in non-stolen base situations by home many more wins he is worth than a replacement-level player at his same position. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? BrWAR is a quick way to identify the best players on the basepaths. Players with a high brWAR are potential sources of runs and stolen bases.
• wOBA - Weighted On Base Average  Definition A stat designed to measure a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance based on linear weights. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Typically the biggest fantasy stars grade very well in this category.
• wRAA - Weighted Runs Above Average  Definition Weighted Runs Above Average measures how many runs a player contributes, compared with an average player. A player with a 0 wRAA would be considered average and a player with greater than 0 wRAA would be considered above average. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? In calculating a player's Wins Above Replacement (WAR), which factors a player's offensive and defensive value, wRAA is used to represent the player's offensive contributions
• AVG - Opponent Batting Average  Definition The batting average of all opposing batters Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Facing weaker competition increases the chances of success in ERA, WHIP and recording wins and strikeouts.
• BABIP - Batting Average on Balls in Play  Definition The rate at which opposing batters get a hit when they put the ball in play. Calculation is (H-HR)/(AB-K-HR+SF). League average is typically .300. Pitchers with BABIPs above .300 are often considered unlucky, where those below .300 are often considered unlucky. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Pitchers tend to vary less than hitters with regard to BABIP. Fantasy players should expect pitchers with BABIPs above or below .300 to regress to the mean over the course of the season. It makes sense to target pitchers with a BABIP above .300 as they have been unlucky.
• ERA- - ERA Minus  Definition ERA- is a park-adjusted and league-normalized Earned Run Average, where 100 is the league (NL or AL) average. Therefore, a pitcher with a 95 ERA- has a park-adjusted ERA 5 percentage points better than their league’s ERA. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? ERA- provides a good overview of a pitcher's value. However, because the data is normalized against the league and adjust for the pitchers home park, a pitchers value may stray from their actual fantasy value.
• FB - Fly Balls Allowed  Definition Number of fly balls hit in play allowed Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Extreme fly ball pitchers tend to have lower WHIPs but higher ERAs.
• FB% - Fly Ball Percentage  Definition Percentage of fly balls allowed Why does this stat matter for fantasy? A pitcher with a high FB rate is more likely to be homer prone.
• FIP - Fielding Independent Pitching  Definition Fielding independent pitching (FIP) counts only the events over which a pitcher has the most control: strikeouts, unintentional walks, hit-by-pitches and home runs. It excludes balls hit into the field of play. FIP is expressed numerically the same as ERA. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? FIP is a great stat for evaluating pitchers for fantasy baseball to see if they are due for a correction. A pitcher with a low FIP but a high ERA has most likely been unlucky and should be targeted.
• GB - Ground Balls Allowed  Definition Number of ground balls hit in play allowed Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Ground ball pitchers tend to allow fewer fly balls and therefore fewer home runs and hits that lead to earned runs.
• GB% - Ground Ball Percentage  Definition Percentage of ground balls allowed Why does this stat matter for fantasy? The higher a pitcher's GB rate, the fewer home runs they will allow.
• GB/FB - Ground Ball to Fly Ball Ratio  Definition Ratio of ground balls allowed to fly balls Why does this stat matter for fantasy? A high ratio here can lead to a higher BABIP but typically lower ERAs.
• HR/FB - Home Run to Fly Ball Rate  Definition Home-run-per-fly-ball (HR/FB) rate is the rate at which home runs are hit against a pitcher for every fly ball he allows. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? A hitter with high home run/fly ball is a good target when looking for home runs. To find players with strong home run tendencies, look for hitters who have both a high fly ball rate and a high HR/FB rate.
• IR - Inherited Runners  Definition Number of runners inherited (For relief pitchers only) Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Preferably the closer enters the game with no runners on base.
• IRS% - Inherited Runners Scored Percentage  Definition Percentage of inherited runners who scored (For relief pitchers only) Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Relief pitchers with a high percentage of inherited runners who scored are not going to help you win your league. These pitchers may not have a high ERA (inherited runners are scored against the pitcher they relieved) but their inability to prevent runs in a high-leverage situation makes them a risky own, especially if they happen to be closers.
• OBP - Opponent On Base Percentage  Definition The on base percentage of all opposing batters Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Pitchers with high opponent on-base percentage will have higher WHIPs and are likely to have higher ERAs as well.
• P/IP - Pitches Per Inning  Definition Number of pitches thrown per inning Why does this stat matter for fantasy? The fewer pitches thrown per inning, the more efficient a pitcher is. The more efficient a pitcher is, the deeper they can go in games, giving them a better chance at a win.
• P/S - Pitches Per Start  Definition Number of pitches thrown per start Why does this stat matter for fantasy? If a pitcher throws an excessive amount of pitches consistently, their chance of injury increases.
• SLG - Opponent Slugging Percentage  Definition The slugging percentage of all opposing batters Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Pitchers with high opponent slugging percentage are more victimized by extra base hits and thus are more likely to struggle with ERA.
• STR - Inherted Runners Stranded  Definition Number of inherited runners left stranded (For relief pitchers only) Why does this stat matter for fantasy? Relief pitchers with a high strand rates help the departing starters' ERA. A high strand rate also indicates closer potential for set-up men asit demonstrates the ability to succeed in high-stress situations.
• WAR - Wins Against Replacement  Definition WAR measures a player's value across all aspects of their game (pitching and defense) by how many more wins he is worth than a replacement-level player at his same position. Why does this stat matter for fantasy? By itself WAR is more valuable for non-fantasy purposes than for fantasy players. Players with high WAR tend to be more highly ranked in fantasy but because fielding is not used in most leagues, it is less useful than other advanced stats.

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Copa América: U.S. loses to Panama, putting their hopes of advancing in peril

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Jose Fajardo beat backup goalkeeper Ethan Horvath in the 83rd minute to give Panama a 2-1 victory over the United States at the Copa América on Thursday night and put the Americans in danger of elimination if they don’t beat Uruguay in their group-stage finale.

The U.S. played nearly the entire game a man down after a silly foul by Tim Weah in the 18th minute.

Folarin Balogun put the short-handed U.S. ahead in the 22nd minute but César Blackman tied the score in the 26th.

Horvath, who replaced injured Matt Turner at halftime, couldn’t prevent Fajardo’s close-range shot from going through his arms, and Panama beat the U.S. for just the third time in 27 meetings.

The U.S., which opened with a win against Bolivia , likely will need to beat 15-time champion Uruguay on Monday in order to finish among the top two teams in Group C and earn a quarterfinal berth.

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Panama lost to Uruguay 3-1 and closes against Bolivia, a team with 13 straight Copa América losses going into Thursday night’s game against the Uruguayans.

Failure to advance from the biggest test for the Americans ahead of the 2026 World Cup will raise questions about whether coach Gregg Berhalter should remain in charge.

Weston McKennie appeared to put the U.S. ahead in the fifth minute but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Panama also finished a man short after Adalberto Carrasquilla was given a red card in the 88th for chopping down Christian Pulisic from behind. The U.S. threw everyone forward in a desperate attempt to tie the game -- including Horvath — but Panama held.

Turner left with a bruised leg and Horvath entered in his first game for club or country since May 4.

Weah was sent off by Salvadoran referee Iván Barton with a straight red card for punching Roderick Miller in the back of the head. A pro-American crowd of 59,145 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was irate, especially after two other calls went against the host country.

Chris Richards’ header from Pulisic’s corner kick was deflected off the crossbar by goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera, and a video review determined Tim Ream was offside when he poked the ball to McKennie, who put the ball in from near the penalty spot.

Blackman did not receive a card when he collided in the 12th minute with a leaping Turner, who landed awkwardly on his right arm and was down for several minutes while being tended to by medical personnel.

Balogun scored after a sloppy clearance. Antonee Robinson dribbled into the penalty area and passed to the striker. Balogun exchanged taps with Robinson and curled a shot from the edge of the area off the inside of the far post and in for his fifth goal in 14 appearances.

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Blackman tied the score in the 26th when he took a pass from Carrasquilla at the arc, dribbled around Robinson and shot through the legs of Richards and just past Turner’s outstretched arm.

Berhalter made three substitutions to start the second half.

The Americans benefited from a video review in the 63rd minute after Cameron Carter-Vickers, another substitution, was whistled for taking down Fajardo in the area. The call was reversed when a video review, which showed Fajardo already had crossed the ball when Carter-Vickers made contact.

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Senators GM Steve Staios 1-on-1: Linus Ullmark opportunity, trading No. 7 pick and more

LAS VEGAS — Far away from the sweltering heat and the constant pinging of slot machines in the lobby, the Ottawa Senators are occupying two rooms on the convention centre level of their luxury hotel on the Vegas Strip.

The staff has neatly divided itself into two groups — the amateur scouts and pro scouts — with general manager Steve Staios and his key staff bouncing between the rooms as needed. Sitting on a couch in the hallway outside of those two rooms — where conversations about the draft and free agency are feverishly taking place — Staios has taken a few minutes from his hectic schedule to speak with The Athletic.

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As he enters his first offseason as general manager of the Senators, Staios is well aware this week represents a rare window in which NHL clubs are looking to radically alter the chemistry of their rosters. 

“Draft time and trade dealing are times when teams are looking to reshape their rosters and add pieces. That’s when you get calls on your players. So there is more of an intensity leading into this week,” says Staios. “Things will probably pick up in the next couple of days.”

Staios already got the ball rolling earlier this week, when he engineered a significant trade with the Boston Bruins . And during his extended conversation with The Athletic on Wednesday, he touched on his thought process behind the trade, plus a wide range of other topics around the team. 

Opportunity to acquire Ullmark ‘was just too good’

The timing of Ottawa’s acquisition of Linus Ullmark was certainly surprising, with the official announcement coming as the entire hockey world was focused on Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and Panthers on Monday.

Staios explained the timing was not intended to serve as a distraction from the most anticipated NHL game in years. 

“It was a travel day for us as a group. I’m not fond of the timing of it in light of Game 7, but business has to get done and we moved forward with it,” Staios said. “This was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

In Ullmark, the Senators are acquiring a goaltender who is only one year removed from capturing a Vezina Trophy. As Staios puts it, “You can wait a long time to acquire a goalie of that calibre.”

While there had been reports that Ottawa was originally on Ullmark’s no-trade list, the netminder started his video conference call with the media by flatly shooting down that storyline. 

“Ottawa wasn’t on my list, so there was nothing to waive,” said Ullmark.

Ullmark played a career-high 49 games in 2022-23 when he posted a .938 save percentage and 1.89 goals-against average en route to capturing the Vezina. If everything goes according to plan, Ullmark should seize the majority of the starts in Ottawa, with Anton Forsberg — a longtime friend of his — serving as the primary backup. 

“It’s always something that I’ve dreamed about. Being a clear No. 1 and playing a lot of games,” Ullmark said. “I showed my skill level a couple of years ago. I’m hoping for this season to come that it’s going to be a great one.”

Ullmark will carry a $5 million cap hit this season — while being paid $4.5 million in real cash — and is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Ullmark told reporters that preliminary negotiations between his camp and the Senators had not commenced. 

“Not yet. It’s only been 36 hours. It’s still very fresh,” he said. 

“The contract contract situation, that is something Steve and my agent will deal with on the side. Once there is something to be discussed, you can reach me,” added Ullmark. “That’s the situation right now. I try not to look too far ahead and worry about what may be or could be in the future.”

When asked by The Athletic about the state of contract talks with Ullmark, Staios said that his top priority is creating an environment where his netminder feels welcome on and off the ice in Ottawa. 

“The most important thing is that Linus and his family are comfortable. I’ve seen firsthand how our fans embrace our players in Ottawa-Gatineau and that gives me great confidence with any player that we bring into our organization,” said Staios “Those conversations will take place in the future.”

If there is some reason for optimism on this front, it’s that Ullmark has received glowing reviews about Ottawa as a city. 

“The thing that everybody has talked about is that Ottawa is a great place to raise a family. And that speaks volumes to me,” Ullmark said. “I feel comfortable settling into Ottawa.”

Ullmark says that in addition to speaking with fellow Swedes Forsberg and Daniel Alfredsson, he also received welcoming texts from key members of the team like Brady Tkachuk , Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson . 

“There’s a certain level of confidence for our players with having someone like Linus part of our team,” adds Staios. “It’s somebody we identified would be a perfect fit for us. With the age of him and the age of the group, we were excited to see this one through.”

The 30-year-old goaltender says that being exposed to the Bruins’ winning culture — where they amassed a league-best .713 points percentage in Ullmark’s three seasons — will allow him to impart wisdom to the younger core in Ottawa. 

“I’m hoping to bring consistency, effort and attitude,” said Ullmark. “It’s a young, but exciting team. They really showed how dangerous and how good they can be. It’s all about consistency in my mind. Hopefully, going into this season with a new coaching staff we can get that ball rolling. Once we do that, it’s going to be a very dangerous team going forward.”

No buyouts on the horizon

The NHL’s window for teams to buy players officially opens on Thursday. But Staios told The Athletic that he was not planning on exercising that option during the 48-hour buyout window this week. 

The two players who received the most speculation on the buyout front have been Joonas Korpisalo and Travis Hamonic . Korpisalo was traded to Boston to acquire Ullmark, with Ottawa retaining 25 percent of Korpisalo’s salary over each of the next four seasons. Staios said he studied various options for how to move on from Korpisalo — including a buyout — but eventually landed on this route. A straight buyout of Korpisalo’s deal would have seen Ottawa pay the netminder two-thirds of his salary for eight more seasons.

“When you ask if it was the best option, the answer would be yes,” said Staios of Korpisalo. “As I did my work and gained information on the market on goaltenders, that was the best deal.”

As for Hamonic — who has one year remaining with a cap hit of $1.1 million — Staios says the veteran defenceman underwent a “minor procedure” on his knee during the offseason. The 33-year-old has a full no-move clause in his contract, which means he cannot be demoted to the AHL or traded to another team without his permission. 

If Ottawa wanted to enact the buyout option on Hamonic, it would cost the club roughly $366,000 per season in each of the next two years, according to CapFriendly. Staios stopped well short of saying Hamonic would be a fixture inside the club’s top six, instead highlighting the intangibles he can bring inside Ottawa’s locker room. 

“Travis is a veteran defenceman with great leadership qualities and we expect him to bring those to our team next year,” said Staios. 

‘Lots of interest’ in Ottawa’s No. 7 pick

After trading the 25th selection to Boston to acquire Ullmark, the Senators are back to only having one pick in the first round of Friday’s draft. Staios says teams are constantly phoning him to inquire about the availability of the No. 7 selection. 

“There’s lots of interest in the pick,” says Staios. 

While it’s virtually impossible to envision a scenario where Staios ships that pick off for immediate roster help, he did concede he is open to the idea of trading down a couple of spots. 

“The answer is yes — depending on what the return is and who the players is that is sitting at that pick,” said Staios. “You always have to be looking at opportunities to add to our group. And if the fit is right, then we would move on it. I don’t make deals, just to make deals. I’ll be patient. And if the right opportunity comes, we’ll move on it. 

Part of the reason Staios says he will be flexible to move back is that there is a lot of mystery and intrigue with this year’s draft. After Macklin Celebrini undoubtedly goes first to San Jose, the rest of the draft order appears to be completely up in the air. So if Staios sees that multiple players they like are available at No. 7, trading back a couple of spots, might be something worth considering — if they can still land one of their desired prospects. 

“Typically if you’re sitting at No. 7, you know 24 hours before what one through six looks like. I don’t think that’s the case this year,” said Staios. “The last thing you want to be is surprised on the draft floor. That’s why the preparation is so important.”

Staios spent the latter half of the season personally scouting some of the players who are on the Senators’ radar, plus he had a chance to connect with several of them at the draft combine in Buffalo earlier this month. He says he’s confident in the ranking system of the prospects headed up by Don Boyd, who is leading the amateur side of the hockey department. 

“You have to trust the staff that put the list in the right order,” added Staios. “We have certain things and attributes we want to see in an Ottawa Senator. There are a few players who fit the bill in that category at No. 7. You look at organizational need as well and that factors into the conversation.”

Sens ‘continue to work on’ Pinto contract 

Staios has a lot on his plate this week with the draft and free agency. But arguably one of his biggest priorities in this offseason is to ink Shane Pinto to a contract extension. The 23-year-old centre is scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

“It’s a priority and something that we continue to work on,” said Staios. “There’s been great dialogue and we’re working towards it.

The Senators clearly want to avoid a repeat of last season’s salary-cap crunch in which Pinto was left unsigned late in the summer. His 41-game suspension for gambling-related activities ultimately proved to be helpful on the cap front — but Staios certainly doesn’t want to get into training camp without Pinto under contract. 

Pinto told The Athletic at the conclusion of the regular season that he was hoping to get a contract done before the start of the world championships in May. That obviously did not materialize and the next true pressure point is probably as we edge closer to the start of training camp. 

‘It’s tough to say’ how aggressive Sens will be in free agency

The period for unrestricted free agents opens in five days and Staios currently has some holes to fill on the roster.

He’s addressed the goaltending situation by landing Ullmark, but there are still some notable openings. The club is desperately seeking a right-shot defenceman to play inside the top four. Ottawa could also use some help on the wings, as it will need to replace players like Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik who were regulars for most of last season. 

But Staios says he might be able to obtain those players via trades in the next couple of days, which would significantly lessen the importance of free agency. 

“I think it’s tough to say how aggressive we’re going to be. It depends on if there are any transactions that make sense in the next 48 hours or before July 1,” said Staios. “If there is a need and we can accomplish it over the next couple of days, maybe we won’t be as aggressive in free agency.”

During his conference call with reporters later on Wednesday, Staios said the notion of trading Thomas Chabot has not come up at all . 

After trading Mark Kastelic to Boston as part of the Ullmark deal, the Senators are potentially in line to add a fourth-line centre. Staios didn’t seem overly keen on the idea of using Ridly Greig in that spot, although he said that decision will be left up to new head coach Travis Green. If nothing else, Greig offers some versatility in the event that Staios doesn’t find a true No. 4 centre this week. 

“Ridly can play anywhere in our lineup. He knows what we think of him. He gives us everything whether it’s on wing, centre — the first line or fourth line,” said Staios. 

(Photo of Brady Tkachuk and Linus Ullmark : Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images)

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Ian Mendes is a senior writer covering the NHL. Prior to joining The Athletic in 2021, he spent seven years as an afternoon talk show host for TSN 1200 in Ottawa and as a contributing writer for TSN.ca. He also worked as a television reporter and host with Rogers Sportsnet for 12 years and has served as a feature columnist for both The Ottawa Citizen and Today’s Parent magazine. Follow Ian on Twitter @ ian_mendes

San Francisco Giants | SF Giants denied four-game sweep of Cubs before…

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San francisco giants | watch live: biden-trump presidential debate, san francisco giants, san francisco giants | sf giants denied four-game sweep of cubs before dodgers’ final visit, the sweep-seeking giants fell 5-3 to the cubs on ian happ’s 10th-inning home run.

Instead, a 5-3, 10-inning loss spoiled their sunny, blue-sky afternoon and ushered the Giants into a scheduling gauntlet before the All-Star Break.

The first-place Dodgers arrive Friday night for, already, their final series at Oracle Park this season. Then come three-game sets at Atlanta and Cleveland before the Giants host Toronto and Minnesota. All those teams, except Toronto, are in playoff position and playing above .500.

“We’re just worried about L.A., not who’s after that,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “They’re a lot to handle. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry can inspire you, as well. It’s always pretty festive here when we play the Dodgers.

“It’s a tough assignment but our guys are feeling good. We won three in a row before this last game here.”

The Giants rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a three-run sixth, and as brilliant as their bullpen was this series, all it took was a Luke Jackson slider to end that mojo. Ian Happ belted it for a two-run homer off the top of the center-field wall in the 10th, breaking through against a bullpen that had not allowed a run its previous 21 1/3 innings this series.

The Giants’ 10th-inning counterattack came alive when pinch hitter Brett Wisely reached on a single into shallow left field. There would be no further rally. Austin Slater struck out (on nine pitches), Heliot Ramos flew out to cap his 0-for-4 day, and Wilmer Flores’ infield flyout finished his 0-for-5 day – and finished the series.

Limited to one hit through five innings, the Giants got to Cubs’ pitcher Shota Imanaga with a game-tying, three-run rally in the sixth. Jorge Soler’s two-out, ground-rule double off the left-field track pulled the Giants within 3-1, then Matt Chapman scored on a wild pitch, and, Soler came home on Luis Matos’ infield dribbler past Imanaga.

Then it was up to the Giants’ bullpen to repeatedly keep the Cubs from answering. Not all of the bullpen was available, however.

Melvin declined to send out closer Camilo Doval nor Tyler Rogers because both pitched the previous two days; Doval would have pitched if a save opportunity presented itself, Melvin added.

The bullpen did much of the heavy lifting all series, pitching scoreless ball for 15 1/3 consecutive innings before Thursday’s closing act by (in order) Spencer Bivens, Erik Miller, Ryan Walker, Sean Hjelle, and, finally, Jackson. They weren’t stress-free innings.

Hjelle’s turn came in the ninth. After one-out singles by Miles Mastrobuoni and Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch struck out looking, then Hjelle ended the threat by covering first on Cody Bellinger’s groundout.

Spencer Bivens worked a 1-2-3 sixth in relief of Jordan Hicks, then Erik Miller struck out Cody Bellinger with a 96.6-mph, full-count fastball to strand two runners in the seventh. A leadoff double by Seiya Suzuki in the eighth threatened to break through the Giants’ bullpen, but Walker struck out two of the next three batters he faced to strand Suzuki.

“Our bullpen is nasty. They’re the best in the league,” Hicks said. “… Hopefully we get that out of them all year, and as the starters come back, we can kind of take that load off a little bit, give them extra rest in the second half and prepare for the playoffs.”

Melvin talked about how it’s “unsustainable” to keep taxing the bullpen, especially Rogers and Walker.

“Other than (Logan Webb), we’re getting some short starts right now, so it’s a mix-and-match to make sure you have enough guys to cover nine innings,” Melvin said.

The Cubs stranded a runner at second base in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. They struck out 14 times overall, the first seven against Hicks, who allowed five hits, two walks  and three runs over six innings.

Ramos tried to ignite a winning rally with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth. He was stranded at third, however, once Soler struck out, following groundouts by Flores and Chapman.

The Cubs’ initial three runs also came in a collective bunch, in the third inning. Nico Hoerner’s two-run home run that just cleared the left-field wall, and Suzuki’s RBI triple over right fielder Matos’ reach. Hoerner’s shot was the eighth home run allowed by Hicks over his past nine outings, after yielding just one over his first eight starts.

The Cubs unsuccessfully tried to score first an inning earlier, only to continue baserunning woes from their previous game. Happ got thrown out at home trying to score from first, with Curt Casali easily applying the tag after Thairo Estrada’s relay throw from Ramos, who allowed Dansby Swanson’s two-out single to surprisingly fall into shallow center field for the Cubs’ first hit.

NOTES: First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. (hamstring) is expected to be activated for Friday’s 7:15 p.m. game. Wade leads Giants’ hitters with a career-high .333 batting average and .470 on-base percentage. … Logan Webb (6-6, 3.16 ERA) is slated to oppose Landon Knack (1-1, 2.10). … Whereas this will be the Dodgers’ final visit here, the Giants make their last trip to Los Angeles July 22-25. As odd as it is for the rivals to bid adieu with two months left in the regular season, perhaps that is a positive for the Giants’ playoff hopes, as they won’t have to further face the Dodgers in a wild-card pursuit. … Alex Cobb (right shoulder) and Kyle Harrison (right ankle) are slated to throw bullpen sessions Friday as they near respective comebacks. Cobb’s next step would be to pitch a couple of days later at Single-A San Jose.

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