Fired, Hired or Retained? The Manager Status of Each MLB Team Eliminated From Playoffs

The MLB playoffs have officially begun and with it, the quest for some fortunate clubs to capture a championship. But for the other unfortunate clubs who missed out on October baseball, the month can bring change, particularly in leadership at the manager position.

Already, MLB has seen some clubs part ways with managers. To help keep track of the comings and goings, here's a running list tracking the manager status of every MLB team eliminated from the postseason.

Which MLB managers have been fired? Bob Melvin

San Francisco endured a disappointing campaign that saw the Giants race out to a 41-29 start and seem poised for the postseason, only to stumble to a 40-52 record the rest of the way to miss out on October. And unfortunately for Melvin, the underwhelming finish cost him his job. The Giants, after seemingly endorsing him by picking up his option for 2026 in July, made an about-face and opted to instead fire the three-time Manager of the Year. In two seasons managing San Francisco, Melvin went 161-163.

Rocco Baldelli

Rocco Baldelli's tenure in Minnesota started out with a bang, as the then first-year manager led the slugging Twins to just the franchise's second-ever 100-win season back in 2019. While the Twins never again eclipsed the century-win mark under Baldelli's stewardship, the club did go on to win two more American League Central titles, bowing out in the first round of the playoffs in each year while missing out on the postseason in his four other seasons at the helm. The firing of Baldelli, who had his 2026 option picked up earlier in the year, signals a reset on the field for a Twins team that gutted its roster at the trade deadline during the summer.

The "parted ways" categoryBruce Bochy

Bruce Bochy, a four-time World Series champion who led the Rangers to the franchise's first and only championship in 2023, mutually agreed with the club to part ways. Texas reached the pinnacle of the sport with Bochy perched on the top stoop of the dugout in 2023, but limped to 78-84 and 81-81 records in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Bochy himself even acknowledged that the club "underachieved" in '25, perhaps appreciating his and the club's shortcomings. But after coaxing him out of retirement, the Rangers can't look back at Bochy's tenure as anything but a smashing success.

Ron Washington

The Angels on Sept. 30 declined to pick up the 2026 options of manager Ron Washington and interim manager Ray Montgomery, a disappointing end to the Washington tenure. The 73-year-old Washington, who led the Rangers to two AL pennants in the 2010s, stepped away from managing duties on June 20 due to a health issue, which he later revealed to be quadruple bypass heart surgery, a procedure he underwent on June 30. Washington had hoped for the opportunity to return to manage the club in 2026, but it was unfortunately not to be. Washington went 135-189 in two seasons managing Los Angeles.

Brian Snitker

It was reported on Oct. 1 that Snitker, who was mulling a potential retirement, informed the Braves he would not be returning to manage the team in 2026. In a press release, the club announced that the veteran manager will be transitioning to "an advisory role" within the organization, adding that he'll be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame next season. Snitker led Atlanta to six division titles, a pair of 100-win seasons and managed the club to a World Series title in 2021. Snitker, the 2018 Manager of the Year, won the third-most games in franchise history. But the '25 campaign, an injury-riddled season in which the Braves started 0-7 and never fully recovered, was undoubtedly a disappointment.

Which MLB managers have been retained?Don Kelly

The Pirates on May 8 fired Derek Shelton and named then-bench coach Don Kelly the interim manager. Kelly led the club to a 59-65 record, including a winning record at home, while overseeing a pitching staff that recorded the fourth-best ERA in all of baseball since the All-Star break. The Pirates were obviously not pleased that the franchise endured its 10th straight losing season, but they were impressed enough with Kelly to extend his contract on Sept. 29.

Carlos Mendoza

The Mets, despite enduring one of the most inexplicable collapses for a seemingly postseason-bound club, on Sept. 29 announced that manager Carlos Mendoza would be returning as the skipper in 2026. It's not too surprising, given that president of baseball operations David Stearns had multiple times expressed his confidence in Mendoza in August. Despite the team's stunning fall from grace in 2025, Mendoza and the Mets are still just a year removed from reaching the National League Championship Series, and Stearns expressed his belief that the skipper is a "very good manager." However, Mendoza's coaching staff will be further "evaluated", suggesting there could be changes coming.

Oliver Marmol

Cardinals new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom on Sept. 30 announced that manager Oliver Marmol will return in 2026. Marmol led the Cardinals to a 93-win season and National League Central title in 2022, but hasn't reached those heights since, as St. Louis has finished below .500 in two of the last three seasons. But the club is transitioning to a new leader in the front office and looking to get younger on the field, so it appears patience is being exercised with Marmol.

Which MLB managers have been hired? Skip Schumaker

Schumaker, the former National League Manager of the Year award winner with the Marlins, on Oct. 3 was announced as the 21st manager of the Texas Rangers. Schumaker, regarded as one of the best young managers in the game, replaces a legend in four-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy, who led the Rangers to its first World Series title in franchise history.

Kurt Suzuki

The Angels on Oct. 21 hired Suzuki, a former 16-year MLB veteran, to be the club's next manager. The Angels had expressed interest in former MLB star Albert Pujols, whom they interviewed, as the next skipper, but they instead shifted their focus to Suzuki. A former big-league catcher, Suzuki has spent the last two seasons as a special assistant to general manager Perry Minasian. Suzuki, who has never been a manager, will attempt to help Los Angeles end a postseason drought that extends to the 2014 season.

Tony Vitello

The Giants took a leap of faith and hired former Tennessee Volunteers coach Tony Vitello to be their 40th manager. While the hire has raised eyebrows around baseball, Vitello's track record at the college level is for real. He turned the Volunteers into an SEC power, leading the program to the College World Series three times from 2021 to 2024, the final year of which resulted in the program's first national championship. Vitello takes over a Giants club that has missed the postseason in each of the last four seasons.

Craig Albernaz

The Orioles on Oct. 27 announced the hiring of Albernaz as the club's 21st manager in team history. He has never been a manager at any level, but has a wealth of experience to draw from, having began his coaching career with the Tampa Bay Rays, having served as a bullpen and catching coach for the Giants and then a bench coach and associate manager for the Cleveland Guardians. Albernaz inherits a young Orioles core that won 91 games just a year ago.

Derek Shelton

After parting ways with Rocco Baldelli in September, an experienced hand appealed to the Twins. Minnesota reportedly chose former Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who had managed the Pirates earlier in 2025 and served as the Twins bench coach in 2018 and 2019. Shelton compiled a 306-440 record in six seasons as Pittsburgh's skipper. He returns to Minnesota at a time of seeming transition, as the Twins are fresh off of a massive fire sale at the trade deadline and their second consecutive season missing the playoffs.

Blake Butera

The Nationals, like the Giants, opted to take a leap of faith with the club's managerial hire. Washington reportedly hired 33-year-old Blake Butera, a longtime minor league manager in the Rays' farm system, to be their manager. He is the youngest big league manager since 1972. After winning the Word Series in 2019, Washington endured six straight seasons of missing out on October baseball, resulting in the firing of manager Dave Martinez and a parting of the ways with interim manager Miguel Cairo.

WATCH: USMNT star Tyler Adams scores outrageous 43-yard wondergoal for Bournemouth against Sunderland

U.S. international Tyler Adams stunned the Stadium of Light with an audacious 43-yard rocket, pushing AFC Bournemouth into a 2-0 lead over Sunderland just 15 minutes into Saturday’s Premier League clash. Spotting Robin Roefs off his line, the USMNT midfielder looped a brilliant effort from near the center circle into the net.

Getty Images SportMoment of brilliance

Adams' strike came just eight minutes after Amine Adli had given the visitors an early lead, stunning the home supporters into silence.

The goal immediately drew comparisons to Richarlison's 35-yard effort for Tottenham in last weekend's North London derby against Arsenal, which had previously held the record for the longest-range goal this season. It adds to the trend of spectacular long-range strikes in the Premier League this campaign, with there five strikes over a 30 yards already, including Marcus Tavernier’s 34.7 yard stunner against Nottingham Forest.

AdvertisementWatch the goalGetty Images SportRecent goalscoring run

Before joining Bournemouth, the American midfielder had gone nearly four years without scoring at club level, with his last goal coming 1,472 days before he finally broke his drought earlier this month against Manchester City. 

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Getty Images SportBournemouth's impressive away form continues

The American’s wonder strike put Bournemouth in a position to secure their fourth away win of the season – a notable jump for a club that struggled on the road last year. If the Cherries hold their 2-1 lead, they will finish the day in fourth place in the Premier League table ahead of their match against Everton on Dec. 2.

James Anderson receives knighthood in Windsor Castle ceremony

Fast bowler was knighted in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours in April

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2025James Anderson, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker, has received his knighthood from Princess Anne during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.Anderson, 43, was named in former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list in April for services to cricket, having brought the curtain down on his 21-year, 188-Test career at Lord’s in July 2024.He finished with 704 Test wickets, the most ever taken by a pace bowler, and behind only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708). He claimed a further 269 in ODIs – still an England record, despite playing his last white-ball match in 2015.After his international retirement, Anderson continued to play for his county Lancashire during the 2025 season, and excelled on his return to T20 cricket after a decade-long absence, as he helped take his club to Finals Day at Edgbaston.He also earned a wildcard contract with Manchester Originals in the Hundred, and is in talks to continue his county career into the 2026 season.

Crystal Palace could now make January move for £71m Gabriel & Saliba "hybrid"

Crystal Palace could make a January move for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, with the Portuguese club’s stance on sanctioning a departure recently being revealed.

The interest in the Sporting star comes amid major doubt over Marc Guehi’s future, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United among the main suitors within the Premier League, while interest is also building from across Europe.

Losing Guehi would undoubtedly be a major blow, with the captain continuing to impress over the past few weeks, having kept clean sheets in three of his last four matches in all competitions.

However, with the 25-year-old’s contract set to expire next summer, it is looking extremely unlikely the Eagles will be able to keep hold of him, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of a potential replacement.

Crystal Palace could make January move for Ousmane Diomande

According to a report from Record (via Sport Witness), Crystal Palace could make a renewed approach to sign Diomande in the January transfer window, having initially set €55m (£49m) aside to bring in the Sporting CP defender during the summer.

However, it could be difficult to get a deal over the line, with the Portuguese club eager to keep hold of the centre-back, given their aspirations of winning the Liga Portugal title, meaning Palace may have to trigger his €80m (£71m) release clause.

With the 21-year-old also being described as one of the ‘most coveted’ players in Sporting’s squad, Oliver Glasner’s side may face competition in the race for his signature, but it would be a major statement of intent if they were able to lure him to Selhurst Park.

Indeed, the youngster could have a big future ahead, given the praise he has received from scout Ben Mattinson, who dubbed the Sporting star as a “hybrid” between Arsenal defenders Gabriel and William Saliba, while also adding “he could become a monster in no time”.

Despite his age, the starlet has already built up a wealth of first-team experience, making 109 appearances for the Portuguese side, including 11 in the Champions League, which suggests he may now be ready to test himself in the Premier League.

Signing Diomande would undoubtedly soften the blow of losing Guehi, but the potential transfer fee of £71m could be an issue, given that Crystal Palace paid just £27m for their record signing, Christian Benteke.

Crystal Palace also targeting Ezri Konsa to replace Marc Guehi Crystal Palace identify Ezri Konsa as new target amid Marc Guehi uncertainty

The Eagles have joined the race for Konsa, with Guehi poised to leave on a free transfer next summer.

1 ByDominic Lund Oct 31, 2025

Stats – The breathtaking Crawley-Duckett opening salvo

They are the first opening pair from England with a 500-plus aggregate in a Test series since Strauss and Cook in the 2010-11 Ashes

Sampath Bandarupalli01-Aug-20251:58

Bangar on Crawley-Duckett: Haven’t seen batting of that quality

7224 – Runs scored by Joe Root in Tests in England. His tally is the second-highest for any batter in a single country, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s 7216 in India, and only behind Ricky Ponting’s 7578 in Australia.Root has scored 2006 runs against India at home so far. He is only the second batter to aggregate 2000-plus Test runs against a single opposition at home after Don Bradman, who had scored 2354 runs against England.8 – Number of 50-plus stands between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in Tests against India, the joint-highest by an opening pair, alongside Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. Crawley and Duckett have 984 runs in 18 innings against India, only behind Greenidge-Haynes, who had 1325 runs in 30 partnerships.Related

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7.16 – The run rate during Crawley and Duckett’s 92-run partnership, which came in 12.5 overs. It is the second-highest run rate for a 50-plus opening stand against India in men’s Tests. .The highest is 7.18 by Shahid Afridi and Yasir Hameed, who added 91 in 12.4 overs in Bengaluru in 2005. Four of the top 15 fastest 50-plus opening stands against India have been by the Crawley and Duckett pair.539 – Partnership runs between Crawley and Duckett in this series so far. They are the first opening pair to aggregate 500-plus runs in a Test series since David Warner and Joe Burns’ 547 against New Zealand in 2015. They are also the first opening pair from England with a 500-plus aggregate in a Test series since Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook in the 2010-11 Ashes.48 – Runs scored in boundaries by Crawley at the time of reaching his half-century. It is the joint-second-highest runs scored in boundaries while completing a half-century in men’s Tests (Since 2002). Only Tim Southee scored more, with 50, on debut against England in 2008.Harry Brook falls over after nailing a jaw-dropping slog sweep•Getty ImagesCrawley’s 64-run knock featured 56 boundary runs, a percentage of 87.50. It is the third-highest boundary percentage in a 50-plus score for England in men’s Tests, behind only Andrew Flintoff’s 88.89% (48 out of 54) against New Zealand in 2004 and 88% by Chris Woakes (44 out of 50) against India in 2021.6 – Bowlers to take a four-plus wicket haul for India in this series, with Prasidh Krishna the latest. Only once have more bowlers had a higher tally in a Test series for India – seven against Pakistan at home in 1960-61, while six bowlers did so against West Indies in 1974-75 and also in the 2018 tour of England.1066 – Balls that KL Rahul faced in this series against England, the second-highest by an India opener in a Test series in England, behind Sunil Gavaskar’s 1199 on the 1979 tour. Only six visiting players have faced more balls than Rahul’s tally in this series while opening the batting in a series in England.Rahul’s 532 runs are the most for any opener in a Test series in England in nearly 22 years and the second-highest for India behind Gavaskar’s 542 in 1979.

AL Cy Young Race: Garrett Crochet Is Just About Even With Tarik Skubal

A month ago, it appeared almost a foregone conclusion that Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal would run away with the American League Cy Young award. As the final month of the regular season nears, however, the race has opened up, thanks to a brilliant summer from Boston Red Sox star Garrett Crochet.

Crochet wasn’t charged with a loss throughout June and July, going 8–0 with 86 strikeouts and 18 earned runs in a 10-start span over those two months. He’s been no slouch in August, either, going 2–1 with 32 strikeouts and just four walks with nine earned runs in four starts.

At this point, there appears to be just two true contenders for the award, as Skubal and Crochet have effectively separated themselves from the pack. While Paul Skenes has virtually locked up the NL Cy Young, something many thought Skubal had done by the end of June, Crochet's dominance has him making a late push to prevent the Tigers lefty from becoming the first pitcher since Jacob deGrom in 2018–19 to win consecutive Cy Youngs.

Skubal's latest start only furthered Crochet's case for the Cy Young, too. Despite striking out 12, Skubal was tagged for six runs against the Athletics after surrendering a grand slam to Shea Langeliers. Though only one of those runs went down in the scorebook as an earned run due to an error earlier in the inning, it was the most runs Skubal has allowed in an outing all season, and the fourth time this month he's surrendered three or more runs.

Tarik Skubal had a vice grip on the AL Cy Young race at the All-Star break, but he’s now in a dead heat with Crochet. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Crochet's last start on Saturday saw him fan 11 batters while surrendering just one run against the rival Yankees. It was the fourth time in his last five starts he'd allowed two or fewer runs, and the third time in that span he'd recorded double digit strikeouts.

On the year, both pitchers have outstanding and nearly identical numbers across the board. Skubal has a slight statistical edge, with a superior walk rate (3.9% versus Crochet's 6.3%) and higher WAR figures.

2025 Stats

W–L

IP

ERA

FIP

K

BB

bWAR

fWAR

Crochet

14–5

166 1/3

2.38

2.58

207

42

5.2

5.3

Skubal

11–4

166

2.28

2.26

212

25

5.8

6.1

Crochet's 166 1/3 innings are his career high in innings pitched, and he's already well beyond his previous high of 146. He'll be in unfamiliar territory as he approaches the 200 innings mark, though that's a threshold Skubal has also not yet reached in his career. Considering Crochet was a reliever as recently as 2023, the fact that he leads MLB in innings pitched, albeit by the narrowest of margins over Skubal, is a testament to how quickly he's transitioned into his new role and developed into a top-tier starting pitcher.

The final month of the regular season will be critical for both pitchers to make their case as the American League's best pitcher. Neither of the two candidates boast very much experience pitching this deep into a season, and they'll both be under more pressure as they gear up to lead their respective teams into the postseason.

At this point, Skubal is still in the lead to win his second consecutive Cy Young. But a race that seemed like it may be wrapped up in the earlier part of the summer is once again wide open. Crochet is very much a contender to win his first Cy Young. If he continues to pitch at his current level, there's a real chance he could overtake Skubal by season's end.

Barcelona handed huge injury boost ahead of Chelsea clash with Spain international set to return after injury lay-off

Barcelona have finally received the kind of news they have been waiting months for. Pedri’s accelerated recovery puts him on course to face Chelsea in a crucial Champions League clash, Joan Garcia is set to return after the break, Raphinha has also entered the final phase of his rehabilitation, with their injury returns coming at an ideal time for manager Hansi Flick.

Pedri’s fast-tracked return ahead of Chelsea clash

Pedri’s injury during the El Clasico loss to Madrid was one of the defining blows of Barcelona’s turbulent season. The midfielder tore the distal biceps femoris muscle in his left thigh, a serious hamstring injury that was expected to leave him out for six weeks. The timeline meant missing vital Champions League fixtures and the entire November international window, depriving Barca of the player who dictates tempo, links phases, and provides balance in midfield.

In his absence, Barcelona visibly suffered. Without Pedri’s positional intelligence and control, their build-up became erratic, transitions slower, and Flick’s game model lost its anchor. Matches against Club Brugge and league opponents highlighted how heavily the side still leans on his presence.

However, in a major and somewhat unexpected twist, Pedri has responded extremely well to treatment, allowing Barcelona’s medical staff to accelerate his reintegration. Journalist Xavi Campos confirmed that he is now expected to be available for the Champions League clash against Chelsea on November 25 in a match that could decide top spot in the table. Barcelona will not risk him against Athletic Club, but the plan is clear: Pedri will be eased in at Stamford Bridge.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesJoan Garcia’s return restores stability between the posts

If Pedri’s injury hurt Barcelona’s structure, Garcia’s absence damaged their foundations. Before tearing his medial meniscus in late September, the 24-year-old was in outstanding form: seven matches, three clean sheets, only five goals conceded.

His injury, which required arthroscopic surgery on September 27, came at the worst possible moment. Barcelona had begun to settle defensively, and Garcia’s chemistry with the back line was improving every week. His replacement, Wojciech Szczesny, offered experience but struggled to replicate Garcia’s calm presence. Over nine matches, Barca conceded far more chances, lacked assurance in build-up, and visibly missed their first-choice keeper.

The international break, however, has worked in Barcelona’s favour. With no competitive fixtures, Garcia has been able to use the fortnight to complete the final stages of his rehabilitation without pressure. Reports now confirm he is fully recovered and expected to start against Athletic Bilbao when La Liga resumes.

Raphinha enters the decisive phase of his recovery

The international break also offered Barcelona something they have rarely enjoyed this season: a quiet training environment with no new injuries and even better, clear signs of progress. The most encouraging update concerns Raphinha, who has officially entered the final phase of his recovery.

The winger has been working individually at Ciutat Esportiva, focusing on strength, explosiveness and controlled workload to avoid setbacks. With only a handful of first-team players in training, all eyes shifted to him and every report from inside the club described his evolution as “very positive.” If his progress continues, he is expected to rejoin full sessions right after the international break, giving Flick another guaranteed starter during a period in which rotation will be unavoidable.

His comeback also arrives at a moment when other attacking options, such as Lamine Yamal, remain in longer recovery programmes.

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Getty Images SportRare positive window for Flick amid a season of setbacks

For coach Flick, the first months of the season have resembled a survival test rather than a smooth managerial transition. Multiple key players dropped out with long-term injuries, medical disagreements created tension with national teams, and constant squad disruption made it nearly impossible to establish a consistent style of play.

At various points, Flick lost Pedri, Raphinha, Gavi, Garcia, Yamal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and several defenders. Tactical adjustments became reactive rather than strategic, and results fluctuated as Barcelona tried to adapt.

This is why the current wave of good news feels so significant. Pedri’s accelerated return, Garcia’s full recovery, and Raphinha’s advancing rehabilitation collectively give Barcelona something they have not had all season which is continuity. Flick will finally be able to work with a more complete squad, regain tactical balance, and build consistency ahead of a demanding fixture calendar.

Rangers teenager was their next Igamane in the making but he left for £0

Glasgow Rangers were hit with a big blow during the summer transfer window when Hamza Igamane moved on from Ibrox to sign for Ligue 1 outfit Lille.

The French side swooped in to sign the Morocco international for a fee of £10.4m, thanks to a release clause in his contract, after he spent just one full season in Glasgow.

Igamane showcased his quality on a regular basis in the 2024/25 campaign, as shown in the graphic above, and that is why it was such a blow for the Scottish Premiership giants to lose him in the summer.

The right-footed centre-forward arrived at Ibrox in the summer of 2023 as a 21-year-old and inexperienced striker, and Philippe Clement provided him with the chance to play regular football and develop.

Igamane, as evidenced by his goal tally last season, took advantage of the chances that Clement, and later, Barry Ferguson, offered him on the pitch, which earned the striker his big-money move to Lille.

Unfortunately, replacing the Moroccan centre-forward has proven to be a task too difficult for Kevin Thelwell, as the club’s current striker options have struggled this season.

Ranking the first-team striker options at Rangers

Rangers swooped to sign Youssef Chermiti from Everton for a fee of £8m, the most they have paid for a player since the £12m move for Tore Andre Flo in 2000, and agreed a deal worth up to £4.2m to bring Bojan Miovski in from Girona.

On top of signing Chermiti and Miovski to make up for the departures of Igamane and Cyriel Dessers, the Light Blues decided to keep hold of Brazilian forward Danilo, leaving Russell Martin with three centre-forward options.

Danny Rohl has inherited those three options and it still remains to be seen which of those three is his preferred option. Danilo has started four games, Chermiti has started three games, and Miovski has started three games across the manager’s six games in all competitions.

The Brazilian striker has been the most effective option, so far, with a return of two goals in three Scottish Premiership appearances under the German tactician, whilst Miovski is yet to score for him and Chermiti has scored once.

James Tavernier

2.9

4

+1.1

Bojan Miovski

2.16

1

-1.16

Thelo Aasgaard

1.63

1

-0.63

Djeidi Gassama

1.43

1

-0.43

Nicolas Raskin

1.07

1

-0.07

As you can see in the table above, only Miovski ranks within the top five players with the highest xG in the Premiership this season, and he has underperformed his xG by 1.16 goals.

It is hard, therefore, to rank the Macedonia international any higher than bottom of the pile because he has had enough chances in front of goal to have more than one league strike to his name.

Chermiti ranks in second place, as he also has one Premiership goal but has only started one match, and that leaves Danilo in first place, with three goals and one assist in all competitions, per Sofascore.

The fact that the former Feyenoord ace can be considered the best striker option at the club with three goals to his name in November, though, shows that the club have failed to replace Igamane’s influence in the final third.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

It is, therefore, unfortunate that there is a former Rangers academy graduate, who left the club for nothing, currently shining and looking like he would have been their next Igamane at Ibrox.

The former Rangers star who could have been their next Hamza Igamane

Robbie Ure, per Transfermarkt, left Glasgow on a free transfer to sign for Anderlecht’s academy in the summer of 2023 at the age of 19, after only making three appearances for the first-team.

The then-teenage Scottish centre-forward scored one goal in three games for the senior side. After his first senior goal, against Queen of the South, teammate Scott Arfield described the striker as “magic” in their post-game interview.

Ure had scored 17 goals in 37 B team matches and five goals in ten Youth League games at academy level, per Transfermarkt, but was not given more than three appearances for the first-team, despite scoring in one of them.

The Scotland U21 international went on to score 12 goals in 38 games for Anderlecht’s Futures team in 18 months in Belgium, before sealing a move to Swedish side Sirius to play regular first-team football.

Since his move to Sweden, Ure has made a name for himself with a return of 11 goals and four assists in 28 starts in the Allsvenskan in the 2025 campaign for Sirius, per FotMob.

xG

10.54

Top 9%

xG on target

11.13

Top 9%

Goals

11

Top 11%

Chances created

44

Top 1%

Assists

4

Top 11%

Touches in the opposition’s box

116

Top 9%

Duels won

157

Top 7%

Duel success rate

43.5%

Top 30%

As you can see in the table above, the former Rangers marskman ranks incredibly highly among forwards in the division for scoring goals, creating chances, and winning duels.

This shows that he has been outstanding technically and physically at first-team level in Sweden. Now, if Rangers were linked with a promising 21-year-old striker with his statistics this season, supporters would surely be excited by the prospect of that signing.

The Gers already had him on their books, though, and did not give him enough opportunities to shine at senior level before he decided to move on at the end of his contract in 2023.

Rangers just lost an incredibly exciting and talented young goalscorer, in Igamane, and they could have had their next version of the Moroccan if they had kept hold of Ure and given him chances to impress at Ibrox.

He scored goals at youth level at Ibrox, he scored in one of his three senior outings for the club, he scored goals for Anderlech’s academy, and now the youngster is scoring goals regularly at first-team level in Sweden.

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Rangers, therefore, already had their next Igamane in the making at the club, but they were unable to convince him not to walk away for nothing in 2023, which they will surely regret in hindsight.

Prasidh, the silent superstar in Titans' mix-and-match attack

He is finally reaping the rewards for his consistency and fitness but can he sustain this intensity for longer formats for India?

Sidharth Monga10-Apr-20251:36

What’s working for Prasidh Krishna this season?

Gujarat Titans (GT) have shown themselves to be a pretty ruthless and unemotional side.Washington Sundar finally got a chance to play – the Impact Player rule has ruined it for even slightly imperfect allrounders – in the last match, put in a match-winning innings that had commentators and experts calling him too good to be left out, but when GT returned to a red-soil pitch at home, they left him out. They didn’t get carried away. They trusted M Shahrukh Khan, a specialist batter, to do the job. They also saw the conditions called for an extra fast bowler. They didn’t try to accommodate Washington.R Sai Kishore was GT’s second-highest wicket-taker before this match. “Probably the best spinner in the tournament so far,” according to their mentor Parthiv Patel. He didn’t get to bowl until this match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) was practically over as a contest.Related

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Samson: 'We just went off the plan in the death overs'

Samson fined INR 24 lakh for RR's second over-rate offence

This is a squad that has lost Kagiso Rabada after three games, and yet they seem to be able to field different attacks for different conditions almost effortlessly. They go to Bengaluru where new-ball movement can be crucial, they add Arshad Khan. They see the one sluggish track in Hyderabad being used, and they bring in Washington. They roll out the slow and low black-soil pitch at home, they go for taller bowlers. On red soil, back comes Arshad. And Shubman Gill almost always has six nearly genuine bowlers at his disposal.However, apart from the resurgent Mohammed Siraj and the all-time-great Rashid Khan, there has been one constant in the GT side that has made this versatility and ruthlessness possible. He is tall, finally fit and quick, he goes by Skiddy on Instagram and with his team-mates, but he is anything but. This version of Prasidh Krishna is the one that India hoped for when they backed him.

The reaction Prasidh is getting from the pitch is a sight for sore eyes. The bounce is steep and unbecoming of the lengths he is bowling, drawing poor connections from the batters

Without taking anything away from Siraj, he does get the new ball to play with. Prasidh is playing the other role of making something out of nothing when the movement has died, and you need some other point of difference. He has now had four straight matches in which he has gone under seven an over. He has taken wickets in each of these games.Nothing quite sums up Prasidh’s impact more than GT’s last two home games. Against Mumbai Indians (MI), they played on the black-soil pitch because MI are used to the red soil at Wankhede and are built for quick and bouncy surfaces. His figures: 4-0-18-2. Against RR, GT went back to the pace and bounce of red soil. His figures: 4-0-24-3.A lot of top-level cricket is about feeling good about your body and executing your plans well, but don’t underestimate the value of knowing what to do in different conditions. In these two games, Prasidh has shown the awareness of his own game that only comes with experience. On the slower, grippier surface, Prasidh went into the surface more and bowled more slower balls. Both his wickets in that match came off slower balls. Every fourth ball he delivered in that game was a slower one.Prasidh Krishna enjoyed a productive outing against his old team, Rajasthan Royals•IPLOn the quicker pitch, not only did Prasidh crank up the pace, he also didn’t bother with the slower balls. He tried just one against RR as against seven against MI. Six balls went above 145kph and 14 above 140kph against RR, as against just one and eight against MI. Against MI, he went short of a good length 15 times, against RR only 12.Reaping the rewards for his consistency and fitness, Prasidh has probably been the best fast bowler outside the powerplay in this IPL so far. Even if it is over a period of four overs, the reaction Prasidh is getting from the pitch is a sight for sore eyes. The bounce is steep and unbecoming of the lengths he is bowling, drawing poor connections from the batters. The pace is up perhaps because he feels good about his physical fitness.Too often, India have been edged out of Test matches because their bowlers are shorter and skiddier, thus extracting less from the surfaces in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia. India’s next big Test tour is in England, two months away. Can Prasidh sustain this consistency and intensity for longer formats?

Aaron Judge Vows Yankees Will See Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers 'Down the Road'

It's hard to argue against the fact that Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are the two faces of MLB. After their teams met in the World Series last year, in which the Dodgers took care of business against the Yankees in a five-game series, it doesn't seem as if there's any animosity between the league's two brightest stars.

Both were the top recipients in MLB's fan voting process, earning automatic spots in the All-Star starting lineups, not that they wouldn't have found their way there without the fan vote. Judge checked in for an appearance on which was filming live in Atlanta ahead of Monday night's Home Run Derby at Truist Park.

McAfee jokingly asked Judge whether he and Ohtani had ever gotten into an altercation behind closed doors, to which the star outfielder responded by laughing and praising the Dodgers' two-way superstar. He did say, however, that he's hoping to get revenge for the World Series loss at some point in the future.

"He's a great guy, a great ambassador for this game. We're gonna get him back though. We'll see him down the road," said Judge with a grin.

A rematch of the 2024 World Series is certainly possible this season, though there are plenty of other teams making noise at the midway point. Whether or not it happens this year, based on the way the two teams are constructed, a rematch between Los Angeles and New York feels like it's bound to happen at some point in the coming years.

Judge made clear he has nothing but respect for Ohtani and all he does for the sport, but also didn't hesitate to say that he's hoping for another shot at the Dodgers in a future World Series showdown.

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