And then there were two.
On Monday, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo joined a rare group, becoming just the second player in franchise history to record a nine-RBI game in New York's 19-5 win over the division-rival Nationals, joining former first baseman Carlos Delgado.
Brandon Nimmo joins Carlos Delgado as the only players in @Mets history to record 9 RBI in a game! pic.twitter.com/CS9vtYf3Jv
— MLB (@MLB) April 28, 2025
Nimmo broke out of a season-long slump with his monster outing. The 10-year veteran slashed .192/.239/.337 with four home runs and 12 runs batted in (RBI) entering Monday but was 4-of-6 with two home runs and a double against Washington, raising his slash line to .218/.261/.418.
Per Baseball Reference, through the Mets' first 28 games, Nimmo had 97 runners on base in 113 plate appearances, tied with Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisolm for the most in the majors. Only 8.3 percent of base-runners scored due to a Nimmo at-bat, 5.5 percentage points below league-average per 600 plate appearances.
Nimmo hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth for his first runs of the game, drilling a 91 mph four-seam fastball 410 feet to right-centerfield.
Brandon Nimmo doubles the @Mets lead with a 3-run homer pic.twitter.com/FuhXKZJ5Za
— MLB (@MLB) April 28, 2025
He followed that an inning later with a one-out grand slam against Nats reliever Cole Henry. Per Stathead, it was just Nimmo's second career grand slam and first since June 8, 2023.
Brandon Nimmo's second home run of the game is a grand slam!
— MLB (@MLB) April 28, 2025
He has 7 RBI today pic.twitter.com/nb6TZgUnQN
Nimmo's bases-loaded double in the top of the eighth drove in two runs and capped his remarkable game.
9 RBI GAME FOR BRANDON NIMMO!!!
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 28, 2025
He ties a #Mets franchise record! pic.twitter.com/gjYSRn5wWC
The Mets (20-9) have the league's best record despite their lackluster overall start at the plate. Through Sunday's games, the Mets ranked 20th in team batting average (.236) and tied for 17th in on-base rate (.311).
If Nimmo's big game is the start of him becoming a more reliable threat with his bat, New York could remain atop its perch all season.
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Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes may continue to be one of the top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award, but there is one place where he has appeared mortal this season. On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers did to Skenes what they have done to plenty of MLB pitchers in 2025 ... put up big offensive numbers. For the second time this season (Skenes also pitched in Milwaukee on June 25), the Brewers forced him from the game after just 4.0 innings on Tuesday night, logging six hits and four runs during his time on the mound. Both of those performances came at Milwaukee's home stadium (American Family Field) and both are now Skenes' shortest outings of the season. While another NL Central team has put up more runs against Skenes this season (the St. Louis Cardinals nicked him for five runs in 6.0 innings on April 8), no other team has had the same kind of success over multiple starts by Skenes in 2025 as have the Brewers inside their home stadium. In all this season, Skenes has given up 10 hits and eight runs in 8.0 innings in Milwaukee. It was his third career outing on the road against the Brewers, with his lone 2024 start representing arguably the best outing of his rookie season. On July 11, 2024, Skenes struck out 11 and didn't allow a hit over 7.0 innings as the Pirates would eventually post a 1-0 victory. Tuesday's short outing was highlighted by a pair of Milwaukee home runs, including a leadoff solo shot by Sal Frelick that quickly set the tone for the Brewers. While Milwaukee's hit parade helped raise Skenes' ERA on the season to 2.13, it's hardly any reason for concern in a season where the 23-year-old right-hander is still a heavy favorite (-600) to win the NL Cy Young Award, per BetMGM. Skenes struggling in Milwaukee is likely more yet another stamp of approval on the Brewers' potential to be a threat once the postseason arrives. With an 18-4 record since the All-Star break entering Tuesday, Milwaukee has taken over the NL Central race from the Chicago Cubs. So what's the good news for Skenes? This is Pittsburgh's last trip to Milwaukee this season and the next-to-last series for the Pirates against the red-hot Brewers. Milwaukee will visit PNC Park for a three-game series on Sept. 5-7, and if Skenes gets a chance for revenge against Milwaukee, there couldn't be a better place for him to take the mound. This season, in 11 starts covering 68.2 innings, Skenes has a 1.70 ERA in the Steel City.
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
We all know Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet by a fairly large margin, but what makes him so much more consistent than other stars in professional golf? Bryson DeChambeau, one of Scheffler's biggest rivals in major championships, thinks he knows the answer. In Tuesday's appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," DeChambeau detailed how Scheffler dominates the PGA Tour weekly. "He's got the best spin and distance control I've ever seen," DeChambeau said. "He controls the golf ball from a spin perspective so much better than everybody else. Like, if you're 175 yards out, and it's 10 miles [an hour] into the wind, he knows how to control the flight and spin to get that ball to land right next to the hole every time. Probably since Tiger [Woods], he's the best that we've seen." The stats confirm DeChambeau's breakdown. Scheffler has ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach in three straight seasons. He also ranks first in proximity to the hole and greens in regulation percentage over the last four years. Iron play is Scheffler's superpower, but it wasn't always that way. "I played with him in college a bunch, and I've said it before, but he's definitely improved since college for sure," DeChambeau said with a chuckle. "It's impressive to see what he's done, and we're all aspiring to do that. That's something I've gotta get better at. I can hit it farther than him. I can hit it probably straighter than him. I can make just as many putts as him, but, really, it's about my iron play right now and wedges to get a little more consistent." Iron play is the biggest indicator of success in professional golf. If you're giving yourself more birdie chances from close range than anyone in the field, you're going to have the best chance to win by Sunday afternoon. No one is better at hitting specific distances more consistently than Scheffler. Just look at how accurate he is. DeChambeau has the best chance to catch Scheffler as the best player in the world because he's elite off the tee and on the greens, but that won't happen unless he makes a major improvement to his iron game.
NFL legend Tom Brady isn't happy with the current climate in college sports. Fueled by money — specifically, revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness deals — along with the transfer portal's explosion and ongoing conference realignment, Brady says a reality check is needed in collegiate athletics. "But because we’re just talking about money, money, money, money … that’s the only value in college? Is that what we’re saying? To me, the priorities are a bit messed up," Brady said in a conversation with Fox Sports' Joel Klatt on the "Big Noon Conversations" podcast. College sports, in particular football and basketball, are a big business, and Brady recognizes that. At the same time, given NIL and other factors, there isn't a ton of loyalty in the college game, as players switch schools all the time. Plus, as Brady notes, these players are missing out on the college experience that he had while playing quarterback for Big Ten Conference powerhouse Michigan from 1995-1999, because they're competing for two or three schools. "I didn’t go to three different colleges," Brady, who won seven Super Bowls in the NFL, continued. "I didn’t leave college when it seemed like I wasn’t gonna play. I wasn’t at college to do anything other than have a great college experience, to go to school, to have camaraderie with my teammates and to compete at a high level. That’s really where the focus was. And at a young age, that’s where I think the focus needs to be." Brady doesn't blame the players. They're teenagers or in their early 20s when suiting up for college teams. He says that players' parents have to protect them. It's even more complicated these days (and tempting) because of the money being offered to top-ranked prospects, and some of these young men also have agents now. "It’s very intriguing to get that quick dollar," Brady said. "Look, we had a $400 scholarship check, and it seemed like I was rich. It really did. I’m sure most kids felt like that. We got pizza cards to go to dinner, and we had a training table, and it was an amazing experience. We didn’t think about the money." Brady says his time at Michigan prepared him for the pro ranks. He was in college for four years but didn't become the Wolverines' starter until his junior season. While Brady was a good college quarterback, he wasn't elite. He was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft and used that as motivation to prove that he belonged in the pros. What then transpired was Brady evolving into the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. He says young players today are too quick to move to a different school if they're not getting enough playing time. "The lessons I learned in college — and certainly about competition — those traits transformed my life as a professional. I was ready to compete against anybody, because the competition in college toughened me up so much that I had a self-belief and self-confidence that whatever I was faced with, I could overcome that," Brady said. Brady isn't saying that money isn't important. But he is saying what many others are thinking. The emphasis on money in college sports is concerning and problematic. "We’re valuing the wrong things," said Brady.