Paul Skenes continues to dazzle; Ranking NFL coaches; complete preview of the MLB Draft

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⚾ Good morning to everyone, but especially to ...

PAUL SKENES

Paul Skenes' first 10 career starts were electric. Start No. 11, though, might have been his best yet -- and a convincing final pre-All Star Game appearance that should boost his chances to start the Midsummer Classic.

Skenes threw seven no-hit innings (and allowed just one walk), and though the Pirates' bullpen couldn't complete the no-no, it did hold on for a 1-0 win over the Brewers. Afterward, Skenes took no issue with being pulled.

Skenes struck out 11 batters and joined Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers with multiple starts of at least six innings, no hits allowed and at least 11 strikeouts in a season.

Conveniently, Skenes' latest dominant showing came the same day our MLB writers discussed who should start the All-Star Game. Skenes was the most popular NL choice, but Dayn Perry went a different direction.

Perry: "In the NL I have to lean on the established ace Chris Sale, who's having an excellent season in Atlanta and has a shot at finally winning the Cy Young. The AL's a tougher call. I'll repeat for me it's not just eyeballing WAR leaderboards. It's the All-Star Game, and I want to watch big-name talents. I'll go with Corbin Burnes of the Orioles knowing full well he hasn't been the best pitcher in the AL this season. Still, he's a star, and he's been quite worthy of the honor on a performance basis."

👍 Honorable mentions

Bill Belichick is joining "Inside the NFL."
The Titans signed Jamal Adams.
After impressing against Team USA, here's what you should know about Cooper Flagg.
Brad Botkin ranked Klay Thompson's 11 best moments with the Warriors.
Can Caleb Williams and the Bears deliver on high expectations?
In his first round since U.S. Open heartbreak, Rory McIlroy shot 65 at the Scottish Open. But Justin Thomas leads after flirting with the course record.
The Mets swept the Nationals and are in the third NL Wild Card spot.
The NBA Cup is returning, with a new logo.
These second-year college football coaches face big seasons.
The Big 12 is wide open.
Jay Norvell wants Colorado vs. Colorado State every year.
Coming off a career year, James Conner has even higher expectations.
The NCAA Tournament will include two new metrics in the selection process. That makes it a perfect time for Jerry Palm's latest Bracketology.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

Jurgen Klopp -- one of the top candidates to succeed Gregg Berhalter as USMNT coach -- turned down the opening.
How harsh will Darwin Nuñez's suspension be for fighting in the crowd?
Smael Mondon and Bo Hughley were arrested on reckless driving charges.
Cody Bellinger (broken finger) landed on the IL.
The Blue Jays put Kevin Kiermaier on revocable waivers.
Rob Manfred discussed the rise in pitcher injuries.
Extreme heat could cause issues for the Athletics when they move to Sacramento.

🏈 Ranking every NFL head coach

We're inching towards the NFL season slowly but surely, and with training camp just weeks away, Cody Benjamin has the perfect offseason activity: ranking all 32 NFL head coaches. No. 1, I feel, is no debate:

Andy Reid -- "Reid has completely entrenched himself as a future Hall of Famer in Kansas City, melding the superstar traits of quarterback Patrick Mahomes with constant offensive wrinkles and a warranted trust of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He and the Chiefs are the contemporary version of Belichick and the Patriots, except with more fireworks, and their unflinching ability to adapt from high-octane attack to disciplined crunch-time strategy sets them well above the rest."

Meanwhile, the biggest-name hire of the offseason, Jim Harbaugh, landed in the top 10 despite not having coached in the league in nearly a decade. The rebuilding Chargers may not reflect that ranking this year, but I'd bet he gets them there sooner rather than later.

Thirteen coaches fell into the top tier, followed by nine coaches in the second tier and 10 -- including one whose team has Super Bowl aspirations (and major boom-or-bust potential) -- in the third tier.

⚾ 2024 MLB Draft top 50 prospects

COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 21 SEC Baseball Tournament — Icon Sportswire

The MLB Draft opens Sunday, and the Guardians -- currently atop the AL -- own the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history. Cleveland had just a 2% chance to land the top pick in December's lottery.

Cleveland's history drafting early picks is spotty, but there are many talented options for the Guardians to turn that around. R.J. Anderson ranked the top 50 prospects in the draft, and here's his top five:

Charlie Condon, 3B/OF, Georgia -- "The selling point here is still the bat. Condon, listed at 6-foot-6, possesses big-time strength and the ability to reliably hammer the ball."
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State -- "Bazzana has above-average strength and speed (though a substandard arm limits him to second base), an excellent command of the strike zone, and as good of a feel for barreling balls as any player in this class."
Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest -- "Burns has all the makings of a well-above-average starter, and it shouldn't come as a surprise if he becomes the first pitcher in this class to make their big-league debut."
Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest -- "There's no denying Kurtz's well-above-average power or his discipline, and to his credit he makes a solid rate of contact when he offers."
Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida -- "Caglianone is the most fascinating player in the class, a freak show talent denied a better ranking by transferability concerns."

However the draft plays out -- there are whispers the Guardians are leaning Bazzana -- make sure to have R.J.'s terrific, in-depth prospect reports up all Sunday night so you know everything you need to know about the potential future faces of the game.

⚽ Euro, Copa America final previews

The biggest summer soccer weekend of the year has arrived. Sunday, Spain and England face off in the Euro title match, and Argentina and Colombia battle for the Copa America crown.

England and Spain have storied histories, but they haven't met quite as often as one would expect. In fact, this is just their second meeting at a major tournament this millennium. Jonathan Johnson looked at the history between the nations.

The history is, well, history, and the present and future are bright for both squads, led by respective brilliant youngsters Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham, Francesco Porzio writes in his three keys to the match.

Porzio: "More than the records and the age, Yamal impressed with the quality of football expressed, and how he's already becoming a key player for the team while scoring stunning goals such as the one against France in the semifinal. On the other side, Bellingham has launched into superstardom after he joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023 for €103 million and won the Champions League and La Liga in his first season under Carlo Ancelotti."

Francesco has also made his match prediction. I, for one, know how I'll be spending my Sunday.

🏈 Monte Kiffin dies at 84

Monte Kiffin, the longtime former defensive coordinator and the father of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, died at 84 years old.

The elder Kiffin started his coaching career at his alma mater, Nebraska, and debuted in the NFL as the Packers' linebackers coach in 1983. He got his first shot as defensive coordinator in 1991 with the Vikings and assumed that role again in 1995 with the Saints.
But he truly excelled with the Buccaneers from 1996-2008, becoming the mastermind of the "Tampa 2" defense, a variation of Tony Dungy's "Cover 2." The Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII (the 2002 season), intercepting Rich Gannon five times. That defense featured Hall of Famers Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Ronde Barber.
Kiffin was part of the hiring of six assistant coaches who would become head coaches. That includes the Steelers' Mike Tomlin -- who got his first NFL job as Tampa Bay's defensive backs coach -- and the Falcons' Raheem Morris.
Earlier this year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame honored Kiffin via its Awards for Excellence program.
Overall, Kiffin coached for over 50 years, most recently serving as an analyst for Ole Miss last season.

📺 What we're watching this weekend

Friday

🎾 Wimbledon, 8 a.m. on ESPN
🏀 Pelicans vs. Timberwolves, 5 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Kings vs. Grizzlies, 6 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Rockets vs. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Hawks vs. Wizards, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

🎾 Wimbledon, 9 a.m. on ESPN
🏀 Liberty at Sky, 1 p.m. on ABC
⚾ Dodgers at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Sparks at Wings, 3:30 p.m. on CBS
⚾ Yankees at Orioles, 4:05 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Hornets vs. Knicks, 5 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Pistons vs. 76ers, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ Braves at Padres or Twins at Giants, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Copa America (third-place match): Canada vs. Uruguay, 8 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Spurs vs. Trail Blazers, 9 p.m. on ESPN2

Sunday

🎾 Wimbledon, 9 a.m. on ESPN
🏀 Mercury at Sun, 1 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Euro 2024 final: Spain vs. England, 3 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Aces at Mystics, 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 Fever at Lynx, 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Rockets vs. Wizards, 6 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ MLB Draft, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Copa America final: Argentina vs. Colombia, 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Spurs vs. Hawks, 8 p.m. on ESPN2