The unofficial halfway point of the MLB season is already here, and fans all over the country will be tuned into one of baseball’s spectacles on Monday night.

This year’s Home Run Derby, however, might be the most-viewed ever, as it will be streamed on Netflix.

“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be really exciting. What they’re doing to our sport, getting basically worldwide recognition. Fans that maybe aren’t interested in baseball see that it’s on Netflix and think, ‘Hey, I’m gonna watch this.’ So, we have a really good opportunity to bring baseball to viewers that don’t necessarily see it on a daily basis,” former All-Star and Derby participant Anthony Rizzo, who is a Netflix analyst for the event, said recently to Fox News Digital.

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA MAY HAVE LEAKED SOME MLB ALL-STARS HOURS BEFORE THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo bats during the Gillette Home Run Derby presented by Head & Shoulders at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Elsa/Getty Images)

“They bring stardom everywhere. Everything they do, Netflix is first class. So, I’m excited for the guests we’re going to have on, the baseball players, the celebrities, the whole shebang.”

In an era where All-Star Games have turned into simply careful scrimmages, baseball’s remains different, as 100 mph fastballs with devastating breaking balls are still constant.

“I think when you get between the lines, it’s all fun and games until the game starts. It’s still relaxed and fun, but when you’re in the box or on defense, it’s very competitive. You want to take the guy deep, you want to get a hit, you want to showcase your All-Star talent on the national stage. If you get out, it doesn’t matter as much. If you get a hit, it doesn’t matter as much. But it feels good to perform at the All-Star Game,” Rizzo said.

One All-Star phenomenon in the NBA’s Dunk Contest unarguably has been watered down due to the fact that simply the game’s stars don’t participate. But that is not the case with the Home Run Derby, even with the exhaustion it brings.

Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs bats during the Gillette Home Run Derby at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

FORMER SAVANNAH BANANAS PLAYER NAMED MLB ALL-STAR HOURS AFTER HITTING FOR CYCLE AS A ROOKIE

“I’ve done the Derby myself, and I was sore for a week afterward just because of how hard I was swinging. So, you’ve really got to assess where you’re at physically and mentally. It’s mentally grueling, too. The magnitude and the emotion that go into the Derby and the All-Star Game are intense, and then two days later you’re back playing. So, you’ve just got to know yourself,” said Rizzo.

But Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Junior Caminero, and Ben Rice are just some of the top names that will be in Philadelphia attempting to hit as many home runs in 20 swings each round.

“The Derby brings adrenaline that you’re just not used to having in July,” Rizzo said.

“You want the big stars in it all the time. It’s also really good for young players to showcase themselves. I don’t think the game will ever shy away from it, and the incentive to win now is higher than it’s ever been. To hit a few home runs over a couple of hours and win seven figures is a pretty nice outcome, for sure.”

The break, Rizzo inclined, has the potential to be one of the best ever.

“I think it’s just so hard to be an All-Star every year. What goes into being an All-Star in Major League Baseball, especially as a position player, is you’re not just going to roll out there and hit 20 to 30 home runs by the All-Star break and have a .280 to .300 average. There’s so much work that goes into it,” he said.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo looks on during batting practice before the 86th MLB All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

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“Then you get to enjoy and celebrate that moment with all your peers who have also had a great first half. The Home Run Derby is awesome. It’s in Philly, and I feel like Philly right now is just on fire. The Phillies have completely turned their season around and are looking like World Series contenders again. It’s America’s 250th birthday, the World Cup is coming, and everything’s going right right now. Philly, the Home Run Derby there, the All-Star Game, I would imagine the city’s going to be rocking.”

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Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville has delivered his verdict on which Liverpool player he would like to see play for his old side

Gary Neville has picked Ryan Gravenberch as the Liverpool player he would sign for Manchester United. United have been in need of midfield reinforcements after Casemiro’s summer departure and Manuel Ugarte’s serious injury.

United confirmed the £50m signing of Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea on Monday. The club are also set to sign Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans after activating the Belgian’s £35m release clause.

But a move for Atalanta’s Ederson has still not been completed despite a £38m fee being agreed with the Serie A side in early June. The 27-year-old has been eager to join the Reds and hinted during the World Cup that the move was all-but confirmed.

The Manchester Evening News understands that United may seek to renegotiate the deal, which became complex after medical tests raised concerns about a knee injury sustained last season. Regardless of what happens with Ederson, United will still look to sign a third midfielder after Santos and Tielemans.

And former Reds captain Neville has told the Overlap podcast that he would like to see Gravenberch at Old Trafford if he had to choose a player from United’s bitter rivals.

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He said: “It’s harder because [Florian] Wirtz, Isak aren’t jumping out to me, [Hugo] Ekitike yeah, [Dominik] Szoboszlai maybe, [Alexis] Mac Allister hmm. I’d go Gravenberch.

“If you said to me now, I’d take Gravenberch because I think he’s the best of the three midfielders and we need a midfielder desperately.

“The forwards are good but I wouldn’t swap them over [Bryan] Mbeumo, [Matheus] Cunha, Bruno [Fernandes], Amad, I’d don’t think I’d be jumping to take any of them. I think they’ve got potential to do brilliant things but they’ve not proved it yet.”

Michael Owen was the last player to play for both Liverpool and United when he arrived at M16 in 2009. The striker went on to win the Premier League title and League Cup during his time in Manchester.

Neville was also asked which manager in world football he would most like to have played under. The 51-year-old said: “[Jurgen] Klopp. I’ve said this before, I think Klopp with his football, his personality, I just love it. Mad.

“For five or six years you couldn’t help but admire the team that I dislike the most, the team that I don’t want to win. Every time you went and watched Liverpool it was a proper game of football, you knew they weren’t holding back and you knew they were going to go for it.

“You knew they were electric in attack, speed, particularly in that two or three-year period when they had [Sadio] Mane, [Mohamed] Salah and [Roberto] Firmino at their peak. That was a proper front three, that. The runs of Salah and Mane and the goals, then you’ve got Firmino just dropping in and pulling centre-backs out and then they go in behind. It was devastating, honestly, it really was.

“It was an aggressive backline. If you think of the three, the two full-backs and [Virgil] van Dijk, [Andy] Robertson at his peak, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk and then you had [Joel] Matip or someone… but they were three brilliant defenders and Alisson was the best goalkeeper in the world. So for me, the style of football, the personality of Klopp, yeah, I’d say Klopp.”

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Former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood could be on the move this summer and his former employers will be looking on with interest

Al-Ahli have reportedly tried to hijack Fenerbache’s move for former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood. The Reds sold Greenwood to French Ligue 1 side Marseille in July 2024 for a deal worth £26.7million.

United secured a sell-on clause, which entitles them to a major portion of any future transfer fee which Marseille may receive from a sale. While initial reports varied, the clause is widely understood to be between 40 and 50 per cent – providing United with a financial boost for their next transfer if he moves.

Recent reports from Turkey claim that Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce are expected to sign Greenwood for €40m (£34m) plus €2m in bonuses. However, TalkSPORT now claim that Al-Ahli called the 24-year-old on Sunday to try and persuade him to join.

It is said that Al Ahli head coach Matthias Jaissle spoke directly with the player as they look to hijack his move to Fenerbahce. The report adds, though, that Greenwood’s mooted move to the Istanbul-based club is at an advanced stage.

It comes after recent reports that Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has requested his signing. It is said the Argentine seeks to reinforce the attacking positions following the departures of Antoine Griezmann, Nico Gonzalez, and the likely exit of Julian Alvarez.

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According to ESPN, both Fenerbahce and Atletico have agreed deals with Marseille. United would receive €14m (£11.9m) if Greenwood opts to move to Turkey, or €15.7m (£13.3m) if he returns to Madrid, having had a loan spell at Getafe while he was still registered at Old Trafford.

And because Greenwood was an academy product, the initial fee paid by Marseille was recorded as pure profit under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). The same accounting benefit would apply to any sale-on income they receive down the line.

Greenwood has scored 48 goals in 81 appearances for Marseille. The forward’s impressive form has previously seen former Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi back him to win the Ballon d’Or.

He said: “I see him every day, he has huge potential. I don’t see any other players in Europe at the same level.

“He has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or. It will be up to him to decide whether he wants to do everything he can to fight for it or not.

“At the level of the qualities that nature has given him, that his parents have given him, I think he is worthy of the Ballon d’Or.

“I would like him to be more consistent. I know he needs to press with more intensity, he needs to manage the ball better when the team is in trouble, not lose the ball easily, but keep it to allow the team to move up because he has the ability to do it.”

Greenwood, who has one England cap, switched international allegiances to Jamaica last year. In August 2025, he received his passport for the Caribbean nation, opening the door for him to represent his grandparents’ country.

Thousands of Man United fans upgraded their matchday last season. This is how they did it.

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England are set to host India for a three-match ODI series, with the action shifting from the T20Is. The first one-day will be played in Birmingham on Tuesday, July 14. India will be bolstered by the presence of senior players as they aim to bounce back after the loss in the T20I series.

When the Men in Blue toured England in 2018, they lost the three-match ODI series 2-1. They won the first game by eight wickets but were defeated by 86 runs and eight wickets in the second and third games, respectively.

Several players who were part of the 2018 tour will return for the 2026 series as well. That said, here are five Indian players part of the squad in the upcoming series who toured in 2018 as well.

#5 Axar Patel

All-rounder Axar Patel was part of the ODI series in 2018. However, he did not feature in a single game out of the three matches that were played. He has played five ODIs against England (all in India), scoring 107 runs and picking up four wickets.

Axar did not have a good performance in the recently concluded T20I series. He scored just 19 runs from five matches and claimed only two wickets. The all-rounder will be keen to put up a better showing in the ODI series and will be expected to contribute with both bat and ball as the visitors aim to bounce back.

#4 Kuldeep Yadav

Wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav had a memorable series on the 2018 tour. He was India’s leading wicket-taker with nine scalps from three games at an average of 16.44 and an economy rate of 4.93 with best figures of 6/25.

In nine ODIs against England, Kuldeep has bagged 14 wickets at an average of 34.78 and an economy rate of 5.75. The wrist-spinner has done fairly well in England too, picking up 15 wickets from ten matches at an average of 32.33 and an economy rate of 5.00. He will have a key role to play against the English batters.

#3 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer returned to India’s ODI squad as the vice-captain. With a packed batting line-up featuring Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, and MS Dhoni, Iyer did not get a chance to play a single ODI on the 2018 tour despite being part of the squad.

He has played just one ODI in England in 2022, but did not bat in that game. Overall, Shreyas Iyer has played six one-dayers against England and has scored 191 runs. He showed good form in the T20I series and will be expected to carry the same into the ODIs.

#2 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma was India’s second-highest run-getter in the 2018 series in England. He made 154 runs from three games at an average of 77 with a century. The veteran batter has toured England multiple times. (including ICC tournaments).

In 27 games, he has piled on 1428 runs at an average of 64.90 with seven hundreds and as many half-centuries. Given his experience playing in these conditions, he will certainly be among the key players for the Men in Blue this time around.

#1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli scored the most runs for India during the 2018 ODI series. He made 191 runs from three games at an average of 63.66 with two half-centuries. Like Rohit Sharma, Kohli has also been to England several times, including ICC tournaments.

In England, Kohli has played 33 ODIs, scoring 1349 runs at an average of 51.88 with a hundred and 12 half-centuries. Overall, he has scored 1397 runs from 38 matches at an average of 41.08 with three hundreds and ten half-centuries. The star batter will also have a vital role to play in the 2026 series.