Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal each won their first Cy Young Award after the left-handers shared the MLB lead with 18 wins while leading their respective leagues in strikeouts and ERA.

Skubal was a unanimous winner in voting for the American League prize by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America that was completed before the playoffs.

Sale received 26 of 30 first-place votes in the NL. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler got the other four and finished second. Hard-throwing Pittsburgh Pirates righty Paul Skenes was third only two days after being selected the NL Rookie of the Year.

Kansas City starter Seth Lugo was runner-up to Skubal, and Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase came in third.

MLB

Robot umps to be tested in spring training

Major League Baseball will test robot umpires as part of a challenge system during spring training at 13 ballparks hosting 19 teams, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026.

MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 but is still working on the shape of the strike zone.

An agreement for big league use would have to be reached with the Major League Baseball Umpires Association, whose collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1.

Manfred said the spring training experiment will have to be evaluated before MLB determines how to move forward.

Manfred: No thought of Tampa relocation

Tampa area politicians will be given time to sort out the Rays’ ballpark situation following Hurricane Milton, and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said there has been no thought to allowing the team to explore a relocation.

Tampa Bay announced a stadium plan in September 2023 but following Hurricane Milton, which damaged Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Oct. 9, the Pinellas County Commission has not approved financing bonds for the new ballpark. The Rays said this week the new ballpark wouldn’t be able to open until 2029, if at all.

The team will play home games this year across the bay at the New York Yankees’ spring training ballpark, Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

San Juan, Mexico City game plans scrapped

Major League Baseball scrapped plans to play regular-season games next year in Mexico City and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The season opens on March 18 and 19 with a two-game series in Tokyo between Shohei Otahni’s Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. The collective bargaining agreement agreed to in 2022 also called for Mexico City games next May, the first-ever Paris games in June and San Juan games in September.

MLB played at Mexico City’s Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú in 2023 and 2024.

MLB’s labor contract calls for 2026 games at Mexico City in May, London in June and San Juan in September.

college men’s basketball

Gophers pick up top 170 recruit Jefferson

The Gophers men’s basketball program picked up a commitment from Parker Jefferson. Minnesota had a glaring lack of a big man in its recruiting class for next season, and the 6-foot-9 post player fills it in a big way.

Jefferson, a three-star recruit from Waxahachie, Texas, picked Minnesota over Southern California. He recently visited both schools.

Jefferson, who is playing this season at Inglewood (Calif.) High School, is considered a top 170 player in the nation, according to 247’s composite ranking. Growing up in the Dallas area, he had other offers from Iowa, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Central Florida, Oklahoma State and others.

Jefferson is the third commitment in the 2025 recruiting class, joining a pair of guards in Jacob Ross and Kai Shinholster.

— Staff report

pwhl

Frost top Sceptres in exhibition opener

The Minnesota Frost opened the 2024-25 season with a 3-1 exhibition game victory over the Toronto Sceptres at the Ford Performance Centre in Toronto.

Lee Stecklein scored in the first period for the Frost, who won last season’s Walker Cup playoffs championship in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, and Katy Knoll and Kastlyn Willoughby added second-period goals for Minnesota.

“I think it gives our team a sense of confidence and accomplishment that we’re the defending champs. And now I think they’ve all enjoyed it this summer and can’t wait to do it again,” Frost coach Ken Klee said. “I mean, we’re not getting ahead of ourselves. Obviously, it’s a long year. But also, you know, you can put pressure on us because we’re defending champs, but also we put pressure on ourselves. That’s what we want.”

The Frost play New York in the second game of the PWHL Mini Camp on Thursday.

Nine players made their preseason debuts with the Frost, including signed rookies Britta Curl-Salemme and Klára Hymlárová, draft picks Mae Batherson, Katy Knoll, Brooke McQuigge and Dominique Petrie, and camp invites Charlotte Akverik, Lucy Morgan and Kaitlyn O’Donohoe.

— Staff report

NFL

Semifinalists announced for Hall of Fame ’25 class

Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, prolific tight end Antonio Gates and dominant pass rusher Jared Allen are among the 25 modern-era candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The full selection committee will next reduce the list of candidates to 15 finalists who will be voted on at the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in with between three and five players getting in as modern era candidates.

Leading the group of candidates in their first year of eligibility were Manning, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs, Adam Vinatieri, Earl Thomas and Marshal Yanda.

— From news service