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With James Trafford already on his way, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie reports Newcastle United may soon complete another deal to sign a £60m reinforcement and finally kickstart their summer.

James Trafford set to join Newcastle

While the narrative around Newcastle’s transfer window has so far been failure, that could be about to change. The Magpies are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign long-term target Trafford in what could be the start of their summer finally turning around.

After Trafford, those at St James’ Park are likely to shift their focus back towards their frontline. Although their need for a striker has been somewhat eased by the fact that Callum Wilson has put pen to paper on a new deal, they’ve still got their sights set on signing a new right-winger.

Just who that will be is the question. Already this summer, Newcastle have been rejected by Bryan Mbeumo and then by Joao Pedro, who now looks set to join Premier League rivals Chelsea. It’s rejection that they will be frustrated by given their Champions League place, but rejection that they must move on from.

Even better than Guehi: Newcastle now in talks to sign £43m "top talent"

Newcastle are in talks to sign a defender

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 1, 2025

Alternatives mentioned so far includes Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott. The 22-year-old enjoyed an excellent U21 Euros tournament – winning Player of the Tournament as England won the competition for a second time under Lee Carsley. Now available for around £50m, Newcastle could make their move.

If not Elliott, however, then it could still be one long-term target who one reporter now expects to complete a move to St James’ Park this summer.

Keith Downie now expects Elanga to join Newcastle

As reported on his YouTube channel, Sky Sports’ Keith Downie now expects Newcastle’s deal to sign Elanga “will get done” this summer with the Swede happy to swap Nottingham Forest for Tyneside.

Downie said on his YouTube channel: “All the noises are that Elanga is the number one choice. Of course, that was Bryan Mbeumo, but it’s now been moved to Elanga, and I can see him being perfect for Eddie Howe’s style.

“I feel that deal will get done. Newcastle aren’t in competition with anyone and they know that they are close in terms of the fee. I think the player would be happy to move here from what I’m being told. And it’s a case of Newcastle coming up with the numbers.”

“They offered £45m last week but Forest want £60m. I feel if Newcastle split the difference and offered £52-53m, they’d get the deal done, and I’d hope there will be some movement on that in the next few days. I expect Newcastle to come back in with an improved bid if they haven’t already.”

After missing out on Mbeumo and then Pedro, signing Elanga would be seen as a huge success for Newcastle who would be turning their fortunes around on the transfer front with the addition of both the Forest star and Trafford.

After watching on as Liverpool seemingly jumped ahead of them in the race to sign Florian Wirtz, Bayern Munich have reportedly turned their focus towards payback in the form of recruiting one particular Anfield star this summer.

Liverpool submit first Wirtz offer

Whilst it was Manchester City and Bayern who found themselves battling for Wirtz’s signature, it has been Liverpool who have grabbed hold of the headlines. Sending shockwaves through Europe, the Reds have stolen a march on their rivals and are reportedly set to sign the Bayer Leverkusen star in what could quite easily be the deal of the summer in all regards.

Having already lifted the Premier League in their first season under Arne Slot, it’s clear that those at Anfield mean business after deciding against splashing the cash last summer.

Alongside Wirtz, rumours have also indicated that Liverpool are pushing to sign the midfielder’s Leverkusen teammate, Jeremie Frimpong, to replace the Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

Liverpool’s interest in Wirtz is a fairly open secret already and Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes had his say on the potential move earlier this week, telling reporters: “There is concrete interest from Liverpool, but there’s no more to say right now. Florian is our player.”

Ornstein: Liverpool set to make even more signings after £150m+ triple move

The Reds seem to have plenty of tricks up their sleeve…

1 BySean Markus Clifford May 26, 2025

Meanwhile, on Bayern Munich’s end, they’ve been left with no choice but to turn their attention elsewhere. And that could yet deal the Premier League champions a frustrating blow amid rumours that the German giants have set their sights on signing an Anfield star who Slot loves.

Bayern make contact to sign Cody Gakpo

According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich have now made contact to sign Cody Gakpo. Club chief Max Eberl is reportedly a fan of the Dutchman and has now added him to a list of left-wing options which already includes Rafael Leao and Brighton’s Karou Mitoma.

What’s more, given that they’re set to welcome Wirtz this summer, Liverpool and FSG are open to selling Gakpo if the right offer arrives. Whether Slot would approve such an exit is the big question. Gakpo has been a man transformed under his countryman, scoring 18 goals in all competitions and claiming a spot in Liverpool’s front three as a result.

Slot hasn’t hesitated to praise the former PSV man, either. He told reporters when asked about his winger earlier in the season: “In the second half of last season Cody scored a lot of goals so he’s been a good player for Liverpool for a long time now. He continues doing that and that’s a good thing. For me, he is a regular starter.”

Also dubbed “excellent” by former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole back in October, Gakpo is not someone that Liverpool should be keen to lose in the coming months.

Chelsea’s desire to sign a new defender this summer is no secret. After conceding 57 goals across all competitions this term, it is clear another centre-back or two is needed.

Much will depend on just how much money Enzo Maresca has to spend when the transfer window opens.

A few players might be sold in order to balance the books, although if the club achieves Champions League qualification, Maresca will need to strengthen his side.

Several defenders have already been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, although one has chosen Real Madrid instead…

Chelsea targeting defenders in the transfer window

Dean Huijsen was a name on the list of targets for Chelsea, but defender ended up joining Real Madrid, who activated the £50m release clause that was in his Bournemouth contract.

The Blues must move on, and they have already earmarked an ideal alternative to the Spaniard. Ajax defender Jorrel Hato is the latest name linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Hato, who is currently valued at £42m, only turned 19 in March and has the advantage of being able to play either at centre-back or on the left side of the defence.

The chance to play Champions League football with the Blues could give them a boost in their pursuit and he would make for an interesting signing.

Despite showing interest in both of these young, talented defenders, Maresca has someone in his squad who came through the Cobham academy and is valued higher than Hato and Huijsen; Levi Colwill.

Why Chelsea have struck gold on Levi Colwill

Colwill may have had to wait until the 2023/24 season to make his debut for Chelsea after a number of loan spells, but he has been a regular ever since.

Under Maresca, the Englishman has played 36 times in all competitions, even breaking through to earn three caps for England.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Accurate passes per 90

38.2

67

Clean sheets

4

9

Total duels won per 90

5

4.5

Tackles per 90

2.1

1.4

Possession lost per 90

10

8.9

Colwill has missed just three Premier League games this season for the Blues and, throughout the campaign, he has won 56% of his total duels per match, kept nine clean sheets and recovered 3.5 balls per game in the top flight.

Furthermore, when compared to his peers in the division, Colwill ranks impressively, notably sitting in the top 12% for passes completed (67.32) per 90, along with ranking in the top 32% for aerials won (2.32) per 90 for Chelsea.

He is still only 22, meaning he could be a cornerstone for the club over the next few years. Indeed, his performances have even seen his value rise exponentially with some reports noting last year that the club now value him at a whopping £100m.

This means he is worth even more than both Hato and Huijsen put together, signifying just how impressive a player Maresca has on his hands.

His performances were praised during a loan spell with Brighton and Hove Albion during the 2022/23 campaign, with talent scout Jacek Kulig claiming he was a “world-class talent”.

If he continues on this upwards trajectory, Colwill could become one of the best players for the Blues over the coming years, and they have certainly struck gold on him.

Chelsea readying huge £70m bid to sign their new version of Mason Mount

Chelsea are reportedly ready to pay the release clause for a star who could be Mason Mount 2.0.

ByDan Emery May 19, 2025

From languishing at the bottom in the past, the franchise is now eyeing a three-peat under Afridi’s leadership

Danyal Rasool16-Feb-2024It took merely two years for Shaheen Shah Afridi to assume the mantle of most successful PSL captain, but according to the bowler himself, he never had any interest in captaincy before his appointment. All that changed, though, with a meeting at the Prime Minister’s office a few years ago.”I have not captained at any age level, really, maybe once at Under-19 level,” Shaheen told ESPNcricinfo. “I never even had an interest in captaincy. But then in 2021, I was sitting in the PM office with Sameen [Lahore Qalandars owner] and Aqib Javed, and Imran Khan [then Pakistan Prime Minister] suggested that I be appointed captain. Obviously, you can never say no to Imran . After that I became captain of Lahore. I was vice-captain, but when Imran said I should be captain, that’s when the change happened.”When Shaheen, who has never hidden his admiration for Imran, was appointed captain of the Qalandars, they were, by almost every metric, the worst performing PSL franchise, and among the worst in all league cricket around the world. They had failed to make the playoffs in five of the first six seasons, finishing rock bottom in each of the first four. In the two seasons they have been led by Afridi, there has been a complete reversal, with Qalandars winning the title in 2022, and backing it up by becoming the first PSL side to defend the trophy when they triumphed again in 2023.Related

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Shaheen revealed he went to pay a visit to Imran after Qalandars’ first title win. “When we won the title in 2022, I went to meet Imran and told him ‘at least we’ve now won one title!’ And I thanked him at the time for showing faith in me. That’s when my captaincy started, until then I had no interest. Imran said most great fast bowlers have been captains because fast bowlers have the authority to set fields and they understand other fast bowlers, concerning what they need and what they’re going through. Those few nuggets of wisdom from him were very valuable to me, and I’d like to give him full credit for it.”Few people would understand better the extent to which fast-bowling captains can enjoy success than Imran. He was Pakistan captain through most of the 1980s when Pakistan established themselves as the second-best Test side in the world after the West Indies, before capping his career with Pakistan’s only ODI World Cup title in 1992.Afridi now has a chance to create history of his own and become the first captain to lead his side to three successive franchise T20 league titles, with Qalandars taking on Islamabad United at the Gaddafi Stadium in the first game of their title defence. Qalandars were rocked in their preparations when the PCB announced on Thursday that Haris Rauf’s central contract was being terminated as penalty for the bowler making himself unavailable for Pakistan’s Test series in Australia. The decision took the franchise by surprise, with Afridi saying he hoped the PCB would also reflect on the timing of the decision.”I don’t have much to say about the PCB’s decision,” Afridi said. “But the timing is such we have a match in one day and the decision just came through. Haris is a mentally strong boy and this won’t affect him hopefully, and perhaps the PCB will also understand making the decision at this time was not correct. Haris is doing fine, he’s always ready to play for Pakistan.”On Qalandars’ chances of going for three in a row, Afridi remains bullish. “We’ve won twice, so winning a third – why not?”

Four months after the board called off the visit to the country, a number of English players will now be part of the league

Matt Roller27-Jan-2022The Pakistan Super League is a finishing school for England’s best T20 cricketers. Since the league’s inception in 2016, England players have become increasingly popular to the extent that they now dominate the overseas player pool at the PSL, with nearly two-dozen due to appear in the 2022 edition which starts on Thursday.Ten of the playing XI for their first T20 international against West Indies on Saturday have PSL experience and the only exception, Adil Rashid, has expressed his desire to play in it in future. Eight members of the squad for that tour will fly from Barbados to Pakistan straight after this series to join up with their respective teams, and all six teams have English representation in their squads.A number of players have furthered their international cases through their involvement, including Phil Salt, Saqib Mahmood and Tymal Mills. “Playing for Peshawar Zalmi was a massive stepping stone for me to play for England,” Dawid Malan said back in 2019. “The pressure you get as an overseas player is like no other – it sets you up for when you get back to international cricket,” added Liam Livingstone.The involvement of leading overseas players in the PSL has been a contributing factor in bringing international cricket back to Pakistan on a regular basis. Chris Jordan and Malan both played in – and won – the 2017 final, the first PSL game staged in Pakistan rather than the UAE; five years later, 23 English players will travel to Karachi and Lahore with full confidence in security arrangements.Related

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The 2022 edition clashes with several international series and the Bangladesh Premier League, but falls during a rare break in England’s schedule. There is a wide range of players involved: leading internationals, T20 circuit regulars, young players cutting their teeth and senior county pros looking for franchise experience. There are even two English coaches leading franchises in Peter Moores (Karachi Kings) and James Foster (Peshawar Zalmi).But if the English influx is mutually beneficial, it also serves as a reminder that only four months ago, the ECB decided to call off men’s and women’s tours to Pakistan on the flimsiest grounds imaginable through a statement laced with hypocrisy and innuendo.”We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments,” the statement said.The Team England Player Partnership later clarified that the players had not been consulted over the decision; Ramiz Raja, the PCB’s chairman, said that Pakistan felt as though they had been “used and binned”.Phil Salt will turn out for Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2022•PA Images/GettyThe statement also made reference to the T20 World Cup, casting doubt on whether “touring under these conditions” would represent “ideal preparation”, as though there was no choice but to send a first-choice, full-strength squad. In doing so, it ignored that the fixtures’ very purpose.The men’s series – which would have comprised two T20Is and been England’s first tour since 2005 – was effectively an acknowledgement of the sacrifice made in Pakistan’s tour to England in 2020, during which their players quarantined in a three-star hotel and spent seven weeks in a country where Covid-19 was spreading fast. As a result, the ECB could fulfill its commitments to broadcasters and avoid an even heavier financial hit than the one it suffered.Pakistan toured again in 2021 for three ODIs and three T20Is, and fulfilled the series even after England’s first-choice squad was ruled out of the 50-over leg after a Covid outbreak. If England had been overseas in similar circumstances, would they really have seen the tour through?Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said at the time that England wanted to “play our part in ensuring the safe return of international cricket to this wonderful nation of passionate cricket fans” but by withdrawing in such vague circumstances, soon after New Zealand had pulled out of their own series, they immediately cast doubt on Australia’s upcoming tour – which, thankfully, looks set to go ahead.Perhaps this is water under the bridge. Ian Watmore resigned as the ECB’s chairman shortly after England’s withdrawal from the tours, and Harrison flew to Pakistan in November for discussions with Ramiz which concluded with an extension of England’s planned tour this winter from five T20Is to seven.But cricket’s insistence on postponing rather than cancelling fixtures means there is no guarantee that the reasons, which supposedly underpinned this winter’s withdrawal, will not apply in October. England’s leading white-ball players have almost no wiggle-room in their schedule, and next winter are also due to play bilateral series in Australia, South Africa and Bangladesh on top of a T20 World Cup: can the ECB guarantee they will all be available?The obvious solution would have been to go ahead with the men’s tour as scheduled and, in the event that players declared themselves unavailable due to their IPL commitments, a desire for family time ahead of a busy winter overseas or any other concerns, to find replacements accordingly.The contrast between English players’ clear desire to play in Pakistan and the ECB’s insistence that it could not fulfil a four-day, two-match tour should stick in the craw. The ill-judged, short-sighted decision to postpone is not one that will be forgotten quickly.

Also: were Eoin Morgan’s seven sixes with no fours against South Africa a record in T20Is?

Steven Lynch25-Feb-2020In the last T20I against South Africa, Eoin Morgan hit seven sixes but no fours. Was this a record? asked Richard Hall from England

Eoin Morgan’s match-winning burst against South Africa in Centurion earlier this month was actually the third innings in all men’s internationals (note that the number of fours hit by Jimmy Sinclair in the Cape Town Test of 1902 is not known) – but the first for a Test-playing country – to contain seven sixes but no fours.The other two instances both came in T20 matches between Associate member teams last year. In July, Norman Vanua of Papua New Guinea thrashed 47 from 12 balls, including seven sixes, against Vanuatu in Apia (Samoa), then the following month Razmal Shigiwal of Austria belted seven sixes (but no fours) in his 53 against Luxembourg in Ilfov (Romania).The Test record was also set in 2019: Umesh Yadav’s 31 for India against South Africa in Ranchi in October contained five sixes but no fours.Is Kyle Jamieson the tallest man ever to play for New Zealand? asked Greg Willis from New Zealand

The Auckland fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who made a stunning debut in Wellington, dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in his first four overs, does seem to be the tallest man to play a Test for New Zealand. He is reportedly 203cm tall – that’s six foot eight inches – which is a centimetre more than Peter Fulton, a batsman who rejoiced in the nickname “Two-Metre Peter”. Fulton’s finest hour was scoring 136 and 101 – his only two Test centuries – against England in Auckland in 2012-13. Some sources, however, suggest that fast bowler Kerry Walmsley, who played three Tests for New Zealand between 1995 and 2000, is also 6ft 8in.As well as taking a wicket with his first ball in international cricket, Khizar Hayat of Malaysia took a second wicket before conceding his first run. Was this unique? asked Derek Rouse from England

The Peshawar-born seamer Khizar Hayat had a dream start to his representative career: in an official T20I for Malaysia against Hong Kong in Kuala Lumpur last week, he dismissed Kinchit Shah with his first ball, and Scott McKechnie with his fourth, before conceding a run: he finished with 5 for 4 in his two overs as Malaysia won a rain-affected match.Eight other men are known to have started by taking two international wickets before conceding a run – including Hayat’s Malaysian team-mate, slow left-armer Anwar Rahman, who actually struck with his first two deliveries, against the Maldives in Kuala Lumpur in June 2019. One which I happened to see was the England seamer Richard Johnson, in his first over in a Test, against Zimbabwe in Chester-Le-Street in 2003. The others are the Australians Tom Horan (the only other one in a Test) and Trevor Laughlin, Martin van Jaarsveld of South Africa, Sri Lanka’s Dhammika Prasad, and the Dutchmen Bernard Loots and Daan van Bunge (thanks to Andrew Samson for his help with this one). But pride of place has to go to the Nepal offspinner Anjali Chand, who marked her official T20 international debut last December with 6 for 0, including a hat-trick, against the Maldives in Pokhara (Nepal).US-born Jehan Mubarak played 12 Tests, 40 ODIs and 16 T20Is for Sri Lanka between 2002 and 2015•AFPPakistan have played eight Tests in Wellington and have never lost one. Is this the most at any foreign venue by a visiting team? asked Harshit Goyal from the United States

Pakistan’s eight Tests without defeat at the Basin Reserve – they have won three times there – comes in second on this particular list: Sri Lanka have played nine Tests at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe without defeat, winning five. South Africa have also played seven Tests in Wellington without ever losing, while England are undefeated in seven in Delhi. England have also never lost in six Tests in Kanpur, while India have drawn all six of their Tests in Georgetown; New Zealand have won five out of six at Bulawayo’s Queens Club, with one draw.Have any cricketers born in the USA played for England? asked Divyesh Patel from England

Only two players born in the USA have appeared in Tests so far, and neither of them did so for England. The first was Kenneth “Bam Bam” Weekes, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts: he played only twice for West Indies, but did score 137 in his second match, against England at The Oval in 1939, in the last Test before WWII. The other was Jehan Mubarak, who played 13 Tests for Sri Lanka between 2002 and 2015: he was born in Washington DC in 1981, while his father was working there as a scientist.There might soon be an addition to the list: the West Indian legspinner Hayden Walsh was born in the US Virgin Islands. He played nine white-ball internationals for the USA last year, before making his West Indies debut against Afghanistan in Lucknow in November.Use our
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The Washington Nationals selected shortstop Eli Willits out of Fort Cobb-Broxton high school in Fort Cobb, Okla. with the No. 1 pick in the MLB draft Sunday.

Willits, 17, was the fifth-ranked prospect and second-ranked position player per MLB Pipeline's rankings. He's a switch-hitter who can have plenty of long-term upside for the Nationals as they work to reset after their recent turnover with the firings of general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. Previous assistant GM Mike DeBartolo took over as interim GM.

Willits committed to play college ball at the University of Oklahoma where his father, Reggie, coaches and his older brother, Jaxon, plays. As this year's top pick, Willits is unlikely to play for the Sooners per MLB.com.

As a top-ranked prospect and the youngest player in the class, it's not outrageous that the Nationals went for Willits at No. 1. However, the general consensus was that Washington would go for either LSU pitcher Kade Anderson or top-ranked prospect Ethan Holliday out of Stillwater (Okla.) HS. The Seattle Mariners took Anderson No. 3 and the Colorado Rockies, Holliday's dad Matt's old team, selected him with the fourth pick.

Have Liverpool rediscovered how to win football games?

There’s no question that this has been an incredibly difficult start to the season for Arne Slot and his Premier League-winning Liverpool squad, but while the defeats have come in droves in recent months, Saturday’s confident win over Brighton & Hove Albion has rubber-stamped the mini-revival.

The Reds have returned to the top six, with the noise surrounding Mohamed Salah’s recent troubles being silenced for a while, the Egyptian replacing the injured Joe Gomez in the first half and putting in a strong display, whipping in the corner for Hugo Ekitike’s second-half strike.

Ekitike now has four goals from his past two Premier League matches, and he is becoming quite the player for the Merseyside club.

Ekitike's performance vs Brighton

After Ekitike joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt in an initial £69m deal this summer, he found his big move somewhat overshadowed by the Alexander Isak saga that swallowed the transfer discourse.

But it’s the Frenchman, 23, who has better established themselves, with his latest brace taking his tally to ten goals and an assist across 23 appearances in all competitions, and he’s rediscovered his Midas touch in the Premier League.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to argue against Ekitike taking precedence over Isak, England’s record signing at £125m, the Les Bleus star so much sharper, so much more fluent.

While many of FSG’s summer signings have flattered to deceive over the past several months, Ekitike has established himself as one of the most exciting goalscorers in Europe, well worth the pennies paid.

However, another of Liverpool’s summer recruits shone just as brightly against the Seagulls, and he might have even put in his best performance since making the move in June.

Liverpool prospect just put in his best performance

Liverpool have been in a rut this season, and it’s made it difficult for new signings to acclimatise. Florian Wirtz and Isak being two cases in point.

However, Milos Kerkez has arguably suffered the toughest start of the lot, with the Hungarian left-back so far removed from the fluid and fearsome Bournemouth full-back from last season.

Matches (starts)

38 (38)

15 (13)

Goals

2

1

Assists

5

0

Touches*

59.6

49.5

Accurate passes*

28.6 (80%)

26.9 (86%)

Chances created*

1.0

0.7

Dribbles*

0.6

0.3

Recoveries*

4.7

2.5

Tackles + interceptions*

2.6

1.8

Clearances*

2.6

2.8

Duels won*

4.0 (54%)

3.9 (60%)

Errors made

4

2

The 21-year-old, who signed after a £40m deal was agreed, has so much more to give, with his bouncy athleticism not best represented as Slot’s tactical vision has struggled to take shape.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher called him a “nervous wreck” earlier in the season, but Kerkez looked more like the 2024/25 PFA Team of the Year inclusion at the Vitality Stadium, with Liverpool World acknowledging his ‘well-utilised aggression’, flawless save for one moment up against the tricky Yankuba Minteh.

It tells much of Kerkez’s combative performance that he won eight duels, energetic as he provided an outlet down the left flank and completing 89% of his passes and creating one chance.

Having endured such a challenging start to life at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, the young and talented Kerkez showed that he has what it takes, and it might even have been his finest showing in a Liverpool shirt.

It’s curious to note that Cody Gakpo was absent on the wing, having earlier this week been ruled out by Slot for the next few weeks. Kerkez’s connection with the inswinging Dutchman has been limited this season, one-dimensional.

Liverpool have taken several confident steps in the right direction, and though there is a long way to go before Slot can say that his system has stabilised and focus can be placed on winning trophies, we are beginning to see the signs that the recruits are worth their price tags, albeit with a few more still to demonstrate sustained improvement.

The new Diaz: Liverpool in talks to sign "the best winger in the country"

Liverpool will need to sign a wide forward if Mohamed Salah leaves the club in January.

2 ByAngus Sinclair 2 days ago

Ichiro Suzuki has still got it. The baseball legend threw out the first pitch at T-Mobile Park for the Seattle Mariners' Opening Day game against the Athletics Thursday and he came to impress.

Although the Mariners will hang his signature No. 51 jersey in the rafters on Aug. 9, he looks like he could still patrol the outfield before then, if needed. Suzuki walked out of the dugout to a standing ovation Thursday. He donned his full uniform, glove and all, as he jogged to the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch to Mariners manager Dan Wilson.

And Suzuki warned Wilson to be ready for a fastball. He proceeded to throw 84-mph heater down the plate, although a smidge high.

Suzuki, 51, headlines the 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame class, where he'll be inducted on July 27 alongside CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Unfortunately, Suzuki missed becoming the second-ever unanimous selection by just one vote. Nevertheless, he gets his much-deserved day in Cooperstown, N.Y. this summer, which will be followed by a jersey retirement ceremony in Seattle.

He has a busy summer ahead. But after that first pitch, some MLB teams may be interested in his services.