It's that time of year again when fans can vote for their favorite musicians for the annual American Music Awards. Any artist with a massive fan base would presumably be a top winner at the show, since each award is determined by voting fans instead of a voting member academy. Artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks hold the record for the most American Music Awards won. With musicians such as Drake and Cardi B leading the nominations this year, they may be on their way to reaching the top echelon as well. Before the show airs on Oct. 9, check out our predictions for which artist is set to win big at the 2018 American Music Awards.
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Left-handed starting pitcher Blake Snell is in his tenth major-league season after making his debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016. Snell spent time with the San Diego Padres, then signed a deal with the San Francisco Giants after the 2023 season, which he later opted out of to enter free agency in 2024. The 32-year-old veteran signed a five-year, $182 million contract this offseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers after an exceptional 2024 campaign. Snell earned such a lucrative contract thanks to his outstanding career to date, which includes two Cy Young Awards and an All-Star appearance. Over 213 career starts, he owns a 77–58 record, a 3.18 ERA and 1,372 strikeouts. Snell was placed on the injured list on April 6 (retroactive to April 3) with left shoulder inflammation after experiencing discomfort during a bullpen session; he had made only two starts for the Dodgers before the injury. After four minor-league rehab outings, manager Dave Roberts announced on Sunday that Snell is expected to rejoin the rotation next week. With his return looming, the Dodgers have decided to shift to a six-man rotation but now face a decision on right-hander Dustin May’s roster status. May returned to a full-time starting role for the first time in two seasons and has struggled. On Sunday against the Boston Red Sox, May allowed four runs in five innings of work, and he entered the start with an ERA of 4.73. May’s name has surfaced in trade rumors, and he is a candidate to potentially be moved to the bullpen. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
The Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in Major League Baseball. Depth contributions throughout the lineup and on the pitching staff are a major factor in their success, but what might be even more important is the heater shortstop Bo Bichette is on. Like most of the rest of the team, after a slow start, Bichette has found his groove, and he put it all on display as Toronto (63-43) won three of four at AL Central-leading Detroit from Thursday-Sunday. Already with two RBI on Thursday and Friday, Bichette added two RBI in Saturday's 6-1 win that included this unreal 13-pitch at-bat against Tarik Skubal. Not many are taking arguably the best pitcher in baseball 13 pitches deep and forcing a walk. In Toronto's 10-4 loss Sunday, Bichette went 5-for-5 with two more RBI. Per StatMuse, it was his fourth five-hit game in the big leagues. Bichette entered the four-game series with a .281 average and now heads to Baltimore with a .289 average. That's superstar stuff from the 27-year-old two-time All-Star. Through 103 games, Bichette has 13 HRs and 65 RBI, putting him on pace for a 20-HR, 99-RBI season. He has driven in 100 runs only once during his seven-year MLB career. Bichette is doing himself wonders in a contract year, especially after a down, injury-plagued 2024 season. Toronto's chance to extend him at a discounted rate is long gone, and it feels like a formality that Bichette will at least test the market this winter. We've seen megadeals handed out to some of the league's best shortstops in recent years, including the Mets' Francisco Lindor, Texas' Corey Seager, Philadelphia's Trea Turner and Minnesota's Carlos Correa. Combine that with the increasing contract values around baseball, and Bichette is set to receive a massive payday. For now, Bichette's focus is on helping the Blue Jays win and make a postseason run that includes Toronto's first World Series title since 1993.
Free-agency signing Daniel Jones seemingly entered training camp as the favorite to win the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback job after third-year pro Anthony Richardson was shut down from throwing in late May when he experienced discomfort in his surgically repaired shoulder. However, James Boyd of The Athletic noted in an article posted on Monday that Jones "hasn’t done anything to separate himself from Richardson" heading into August. "If anything, Jones seems to have lost ground with the QB battle about even," Boyd continued. "...The only day one quarterback clearly outplayed the other was Friday, when Richardson went 8-of-11 passing with a couple of first-down throws and a handful of solid checkdowns. The latter have typically hindered Richardson in the past, so that he connected on those passes was a positive sign for his development. Jones, meanwhile, finished 6-of-10 passing Friday as Indy’s defensive backs were able to break up his passes." The Colts made it known they were serious about possibly naming Jones their 2025 Week 1 starter when they signed him to a one-year, $14M contract that's worth up to $17.7M and included $13.15M guaranteed this past March. That's understandable considering Richardson has hardly looked like a star when healthy and was limited to 15 starts out of 32 contests (outside of a two-game benching) over his first two NFL seasons. According to Pro Football Reference, Richardson finished the 2024 campaign ranked last in the league among qualified players with a 47.7 percent completion percentage and a 61.6 passer rating. That said, Jones' performances in July could cause some to worry that he won't be better than what he was when he went 3-13 over his final 16 starts with the New York Giants from September 2023 through last fall. For what it's worth, Jones ended the 2024 season ranked 35th out of 36 quarterbacks with a 79.4 passer rating. "Neither quarterback has lit it up on offense, evidenced by their unofficial stats, but for Jones to win the starting job, he’ll have to play a lot better," Boyd continued. "Otherwise, the Colts have no reason to start the 28-year-old Jones, who’s on a one-year deal, over the 23-year-old Richardson, who was drafted to blossom into the face of the franchise." As of Monday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Richardson at -130 betting odds to start Indianapolis' Week 1 game versus the Miami Dolphins over Jones (+102 odds). ESPN's Dan Graziano suggested in a piece published on Monday that he agrees with such forecasts. "Training camp is where Richardson looks the best," Graziano said about the fourth overall pick of the 2023 draft. "If he's healthy, he's likely to outperform Jones on the practice field. The Colts also have a lot more invested in Richardson, and if it's a close competition, most people I talk to believe that will tilt things in his favor -- at least to start the season." Indianapolis opens the preseason with a game at the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 7.
While the Washington Commanders won't be revealing all their secrets at training camp, there are always subtle clues that emerge. And the first padded practice saw the unveiling of a bold special-teams personnel wrinkle that is worth keeping an eye on. The Commanders have some dynamic young players to take over kick and punt return duties this season. Jayline Lane, Luke McCaffrey, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt will fancy their chances of earning special-teams reps. Former undrafted free agent Kazmeir Allen is another option, although his chances of making the 53-man roster look bleak. Special teams coordinator Larry Izzo tried something different on Monday. According to team writer Zach Selby, wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and running back Austin Ekeler were deployed as the kick return duo. Both are more than capable of making an impact in this key discipline, but it remains to be seen whether these tasks will be given when competitive action begins. Commanders could use Austin Ekeler and Deebo Samuel as their kick return tandem in 2025, but they shouldn't It's not a bad option for the Commanders to have. It could even be potentially dominant based on the track records of Ekeler and Samuel in the biggest moments. However, there are risks attached. Ekeler earned second-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner last season, his first with the Commanders. That's an undoubted positive, but the veteran also sustained serious concussion issues that threw his playoff participation into doubt at one stage. The former Western Colorado standout got the all-clear to resume his career. Even so, there's just no telling what another big hit will do to Ekeler's status, so taking return duties away from him is the best way to minimize risk. Samuel was acquired this offseason via trade from the San Francisco 49ers. He's taken some unfair criticism since the move, but the wide receiver showed up in tremendous shape and ready to silence his doubters. His primary objective will be to assist on offense. Using him in the return game isn't exactly the best way to keep him fresh. Much will depend on the situation, but the Commanders have other possibilities to pick up the slack. This leaves Samuel and Ekeler firmly focused on their offensive duties as both look to make a considerable impact within Kliff Kingsbury's schematic concepts. If the game is on the line and the Commanders need a little bit of magic, perhaps Ekeler and Samuel could be utilized as kick returners. But the risks outweigh the rewards in terms of implementing this frequently. Still, it's something for fans to monitor if nothing else. More Commanders news and analysis