
Zeke Elliott should have a big week. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images
QB
- Matt Ryan vs. PIT
- Cam Newton vs. NYG
- Drew Brees vs. WAS
- Ben Roethlisberger vs. ATL
- Tom Brady vs. IND
- Jared Goff @ SEA
- Philip Rivers vs. OAK
- Aaron Rodgers @ DET
- Deshaun Watson vs. DAL
- Patrick Mahomes vs. JAX
- Matt Stafford vs. GB
- Kirk Cousins @ PHI
- Alex Smith @ NO
- Blake Bortles @ KC
- Andrew Luck @ NE
RB (Standard)
- Todd Gurley @ SEA
- Ezekiel Elliott @ HOU
- Melvin Gordon vs. OAK
- Saquon Barkley @ CAR
- Christian McCaffrey vs. NYG
- Alvin Kamara vs. WAS
- Kareem Hunt vs. JAX
- James Conner vs. ATL
- Sony Michel vs. IND
- David Johnson @ SF
- Chris Thompson @ NO
- TJ Yeldon @ KC
- Marshawn Lynch @ LAC
- James White vs. IND
- Kerryon Johnson vs. GB
- Carlos Hyde vs. BAL
- Adrian Peterson @ NO
- Mark Ingram vs. WAS
- Giovani Bernard vs. MIA
- Matt Breida vs. ARI
- Jay Ajayi vs. MIN
- Alex Collins @ CLE
- Aaron Jones @ DET
- Tevin Coleman @ PIT
- Dion Lewis @ BUF
- Nyheim Hines @ NE
- Phillip Lindsay @ NYJ
- Royce Freeman @ NYJ
- Derrick Henry @ BUF
- LeSean McCoy vs. TEN
WR (Standard)
- Antonio Brown vs. ATL
- Julio Jones @ PIT
- Michael Thomas vs. WAS
- DeAndre Hopkins vs. DAL
- Juju Smith-Schuster vs. ATL
- Keenan Allen vs. OAK
- Odell Beckham Jr. @ CAR
- Adam Thielen @ PHI
- Stefan Diggs @ PHI
- Davante Adams @ DET
- AJ Green vs. MIA
- Brandin Cooks @ SEA
- Golden Tate vs. GB
- Calvin Ridley @ PIT
- Tyreek Hill vs. JAX
- Kenny Golladay vs. GB
- Corey Davis @ BUF
- Cooper Kupp @ SEA
- Robert Woods @ SEA
- Jarvis Landry vs. BAL
- Amari Cooper @ LAC
- Alshon Jeffery vs. MIN
- Emmanuel Sanders @ NYJ
- Tyler Boyd vs. MIA
- John Brown @ CLE
- Marvin Jones vs. GB
- Julian Edelman vs. IND
- Demaryius Thomas @ NYJ
- Keelan Cole @ KC
- Sterling Shepard @ CAR
- Devin Funchess vs. NYG
- Dede Westbrook @ KC
- Nelson Agholor vs. MIN
- Doug Baldwin vs. LAR
- Mike Williams vs. OAK
- Michael Crabtree @ CLE
- Tyler Lockett vs. LAR
- Jordy Nelson @ LAC
- Kenny Stills @ CIN
- Will Fuller vs. DAL
TE (Standard)
- Zach Ertz vs. MIN
- Travis Kelce vs. JAX
- Rob Gronkowski vs. IND
- Jared Cook @ LAC
- Jordan Reed @ NO
- Jimmy Graham @ DET
- George Kittle vs. ARI
- Kyle Rudolph @ PHI
- Eric Ebron @ NE
- Vance McDonald vs. ATL
- Ricky Seals-Jones @ SF
- David Njoku vs. BAL
- Austin Hooper @ PIT
- Ben Watson vs. WAS
- Antonio Gates vs. OAK
D/ST
- Rams @ SEA
- Titans @ BUF
- Ravens @ CLE
- Broncos @ NYJ
- Panthers vs. NYG
- Jets vs. DEN
- Bengals vs. MIA
- Chargers vs. OAK
- Patriots vs. IND
- Texans vs. DAL
- Vikings @ PHI
- Eagles vs. MIN
- Cowboys @ HOU
- Browns vs. BAL
- Jaguars @ KC
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
A new challenge awaits, and the Astros know what’s at stake
Jun 27, 2025, 2:05 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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