Alabama News

The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby is set for 8 p.m. ET on Monday at Atlanta’s Truist Park. While some big names such as Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Ronald Acuna Jr. will not be participating, there are still some notable power hitters that will headline the annual marquee event.

Seattle’s Cal Raleigh is coming off a historic first half of the season, on his way to possibly logging the most home runs ever hit by a catcher. His 38 homers set an American League record for most before the All-Star break and were also the most ever by a catcher before the break.

At +300, Raleigh is the favorite to win the 2025 HR derby, but Washington’s James Wood (+425) should also be a top contender, as he is truly delivering an impressive breakthrough season. Matt Olson (+800), who is replacing Acuna, will naturally be the favorite for the home crowd. Junior Caminero is a very tempting longshot, too, at +1200.

There are several markets to wager on at DraftKings Sportsbook, including the HR Derby winner, finalists, total HRs overall, longest homer, Exit Velocity and more. We feature our favorite bets for the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby.

*All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook*

2025 MLB Home Run Derby Winner Odds

• Cal Raleigh +300
• Oneil Cruz +330
• James Wood +425
• Matt Olson +800
• Brent Rooker +850
• Byron Buxton +950
• Jazz Chisholm +1100
• Junior Caminero +1200

MLB Home Run Derby Winner: James Wood

Odds: +425 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Raleigh seems to be the obvious pick, but Wood will certainly give him a strong battle. The rising Nationals standout has a significant edge over Raleigh in Average HR Distance, 411 to 386 feet. Wood is top 15 in MLB in Average HR Distance, and Raleigh is 180th.

Wood is eighth in the Majors in average Exit Velocity (93.6) and Raleigh is 41st (91.8), per Baseball Savant. The Nationals slugger leads MLB in HR/FB rate at 32.4 percent, and the Mariners’ catcher is sixth at 27.0 percent.

Wood is 14 HRs behind Raleigh for the season, yet the 6-foot-7, 234-pounder can simply let loose for natural power in this event, even though Raleigh has stacked up more HRs during normal regular-season play.

Raleigh is a favorite to be a finalist at +130, and Wood offers an even better return at +220. Caminero, who is 12th in MLB in HR/FB rate at 22.1 percent, is an inviting finalist wager at +500.

Matt Olson Over 18.5 Home Runs in First Round

Odds: -120 at DraftKings Sportsbook

I am not forecasting Olson to win the 2025 HR Derby or be a finalist, but he will want to put on a good showing in front of the home folks as the Acuna replacement. Let’s not forget Olson hit 54 HRs in 2023, so he can be a contender to make it out of the first round when unleashing his pure power. I give him an extra edge on an early shot of adrenaline in his home park,

Olson’s Hard Hit Percentage of 54.4 percent for the first half of the season is the second-highest of his career in any season, with the 2023 mark of 55.1 percent in 2023 being higher. The average Exit Velocity of 93.8 is a career best, just ahead of 93.7 in ’23. Don’t wager on Olson for the full tournament, yet there is a good chance he will shine early on before exiting to a big ovation.

Most First Round Home Runs Head-to-Head: Byron Buxton Over Brent Rooker

Odds: -115 on DraftKings Sportsbook

Buxton should be a quality pick in several head-to-head matchups, and he is the best all-around player of any guy in the competition. It is good to see him healthy and getting the opportunity to fully reveal his natural pop. He owns the seventh-highest Isolated Power (.285) in MLB and the second-best of any hitter in the HR Derby. His Hard Hit Percentage of 55.3 is a career-high so far.

Player to record Highest Exit Velocity on an HR: Oneil Cruz

Odds: -135 at DraftKings Sportsbook

This is the advanced category that simply belongs to Cruz. He leads the Majors in average Exit Velocity (96.3) and Maximum EV (122.9). Every other competitor is at plus odds. Wager two units when going with Cruz. Wood, who is at +320, is second to Cruz in both EV categories among the HR Derby participants.

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Jackson 4-star quarterback Landon Duckworth is set to make his college decision on Friday.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound reigning Class 4A Back of the Year posted on social media that he will announce his college destination at 6 p.m. at the Jackson Community House.

RELATED: Meet the top senior recruits in the state

Duckworth told AL.com in June that his finalists were still South Carolina – where he was once committed – and Auburn.

The 247 composite rankings predict Duckworth has an 80 percent chance to commit to the Gamecocks again and a 20 percent chance to go to Ole Miss. On3 predicts Duckworth has an 85 percent chance to re-commit to South Carolina and a 12 percent to commit to the Rebels.

In leading Jackson to the Class 4A state title a year ago, Duckworth completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,439 yards and 39 touchdowns. He also rushed for 648 yards and 12 TDs. He was the MVP of the 4A championship game against Cherokee County.

Tank narrows it down

St. Paul’s 5-star LB Anthony “Tank” Jones, the top uncommitted senior recruit in the state, has announced his final three colleges.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior has said his final choices are Alabama, Oregon and Texas A&M.

Jones finished his junior season with 84 solo tackles, 38 assists, 18 tackles for a loss and 16 sacks. He also had a pair of interceptions.

On offense, he scored 5 rushing TDs and 3 receiving touchdowns. The first-team Class 6A All-State selection also was a finalist for Lineman of the Year.

Jones is the No. 1 senior prospect in the state, according to the On3 Industry rankings and the No. 2 prospect in the 247 composite rankings.

Jones is scheduled to appear at Mobile County High School Media Days on July 28 as a representative of his team.

Other recruiting news:

Commitments:

Auburn 3-star LB Greg Williams announced his commitment to UNA. The 6-foot, 210-pound Williams also had offers from Alabama A&M and Gardner-Webb.

B.C. Rain 6-foot-4, 250-pound EDGE Aaron Moore is scheduled to commit at noon on Tuesday. His finalists include Louisiana, Troy, South Alabama, North Alabama and Georgia State.

Offers:

In basketball, Hoover senior Jackson Sheffield announced offers from Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. The 6-9 Sheffield also has offers from Tennessee, Mississippi State, South Florida and more.

Lee-Scott 6-foot senior Haiden Harper picked up his first D1 offer from Troy.

President Donald Trump’s does not have the highest favorability of his administration, according to a new poll.

The Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University/Harris Poll released Monday revealed the president’s net favorability is the second best of seven administration officials mentioned in the survey.

The poll found Trump has a favorability rating of 47% and a 47% unfavorable rating for a net zero approval rating.

Every other administration official polled in the survey was underwater.

The most unpopular Trump administration official, according to the poll, is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with a -4 net approval rating.

Hegseth is followed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recorded a -3 net approval rating.

Vice President JD Vance, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were tied with a -2 net approval rating.

The most popular Trump official, the survey found, is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy was the only figure with a positive net approval rating of +5%; his approval stood at 45% while his disapproval was at 38%.

The online Harvard-Harris poll of 2,044 registered voters was conducted from July 6-8, 2025.

It has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2.2 percentage points.

The fourth installment of Disney’s Zombies franchise, Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, officially hit the network July 10.

Cord cutters who missed the premiere and are still looking for ways to watch without cable can stream the movie through Fubo (free trial), DirecTV (free trial), Sling (50% off first month) or Disney+ (plans start at just $10.99 a month).

What is Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires about?

While the first three Zombies movies followed Zed and Addison as they brought human and monsterkind together in their hometown of Seabrook, the duo are now setting out on a new adventure when their summer road trip takes an unexpected detour, landing them in the middle of yet another monster rivalry: Daywalkers vs. Vampires.

Tensions flare when Zed and Addison find themselves acting as camp counselors between the two opposing supernatural factions. With the help of Eliza and Willa, they must convince the sworn enemies Nova and Victor to try and unite their warring worlds before an even greater threat endangers them all.

Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Chandler Kinney, Kylee Russell, Freya Skye, Malachi Barton and more star.

How to watch Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires

Those interested in streaming the newest addition to the Zombies franchise can find Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires available for streaming through Fubo, DirecTV, Sling and Disney+.

Both Fubo and DirecTV offer free trials for new subscribers to enjoy while Sling offers those that commit to a paid subscription half off their first month.

What is Fubo and DirecTV?

Fubo and DirecTV are two of the top streaming services steadily replacing traditional cable services. Both offer free trials to new subscribers, a plethora of popular live TV channels, on-demand streaming options and helpful features such as unlimited DVR storage.

Fubo considers itself a sports-focused live streaming service, but with over 100 live TV channels available through its base package at just $84.99 after its free trial, it offers much more to its subscribers.

Popular TV channels available through Fubo include ABC, FOX, BET, MTV, CNBC, MSNBC, USA and much more.

DirecTV mirrors Fubo by offering many of the same live TV channels and useful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNN, BET and much more.

Two other DirecTV packages are the Choice package (original price $114.99) and the Ultimate package (original price $129.99), both of which are part of an ongoing promotion that offers new subscribers $10 off the original price for the first three months of their subscription.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages can check them out here.

What is Sling?

Sling is another streaming service to consider if you want to access top-rated TV channels like Disney Channel. Though no free trial is available to new subscribers, those who commit to a paid plan get half off the first month.

Both the Sling Orange plan and the Sling Blue plan are normally $45.99 a month, but with the current promotion, Sling users will pay just $23 a month for the first month.

For those who wish to access channels from both the Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans can do so by signing up for the Orange + Blue plan, which combines the best of both plans for just $60.99 a month ($30.50 for the first month).

What is Disney+?

Disney+ is a streaming service created by Disney, and with plans starting at just $10.99, it rivals many of the top streaming services on the market now.

Through Disney+, subscribers can access movies, series and originals from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more. Subscribers can also tailor their content specific to them by exploring the available bundles which include other streaming services Hulu and ESPN+.

Those interested in exploring all available plans and bundles offered through Disney+ can compare them here.

Nick Saban continues to grab headlines during SEC Media Days on Monday, more than a year after he retired as the Alabama head coach.

Lane Kiffin can see the now-ESPN and “College GameDay” analyst coaching again one day.

“I have thought that,” the Ole Miss coach told “SEC Now” on the SEC Network. “I have thought that it would be one year in the media, then back. And I kind of thought it might be the NFL just because he’s so sharp still. … He has the process so nailed as how to do it that I do see it as a waste that he’s not doing it.

During his radio show on WJOX in Birmingham on Monday, former Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy said he had heard Saban could return to the game.

“I did read that he said that earlier today,” Kiffin said. “They asked me a question and yeah, I was like he’s going to coach again. I don’t know if it’s college or NFL, but he’s going to coach again. So, he put that in my head, and I repeated it.”

RELATED: Damien Harris chimes on in Saban’s future

Kiffin called coaching an addiction for guys like Saban. And as the panel discussed the topic, it was made clear there is a difference between coaching football and talking about it as an analyst.

“That’s why I never thought it would last,” Kiffin said of Saban’s retirement. “It’s been two years, and I still don’t think it will last because of that addiction to it.

“He has the highest level of addiction to it because he’s the same guy that goes to a little kids camp and he is coaching it the same way because he is so into it. He’s screaming at them. He’s yelling at them. They got the helmets on like at Alabama. Half the kids don’t come back the second day.”

Saban, now 73-years-old, won an Emmy for his work on ESPN’s College Gameday this past season.

McElroy cited a person “very much in the know” who he respects believes Saban isn’t done coaching.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

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One of Birmingham’s top baseball stars will stay close to home for his professional career.

Former UAB star and Thompson High alum Logan Braunschweig was selected by the Atlanta Braves with the 277th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Monday.

The ninth-round pick has an approximate pick value of $199,200, according to MLB.com.

A native of Alabaster, Braunschweig was an all-American Athletic Conference selection last season for the Blazers after batting .319 with seven home runs, a team-high 14 doubles and 31 RBIs, posting an on-base percentage of .437.

Braunschweig finished with a league-high 27 stolen bases as a senior, which ranks seventh for a single season in UAB history; his 52 runs scored ranked third in the AAC.

He was also a finalist for the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team, with the center fielder posting a .974 fielding percentage with four outfield assists.

The outfielder played in 196 games across four seasons at UAB with 181 starts, ranking third in career walks (129) seventh in runs scored (146) and seventh in stolen bases (72).

As a senior at Thompson High, he batted .391 with 18 RBIs and 31 runs scored before signing with the Blazers. He was an com Birmingham Terrific 20 selection.

Samuel Dutton returned to his home state to pitch for Auburn in 2025, and it helped send him into the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The Athletics took the right-handed pitcher on Monday with the 290th pick.

Dutton became the third Auburn pitcher picked on Monday. The Toronto Blue Jays chose Dylan Watts at No. 202, and the New York Mets took Cam Tilly at No. 223 before Dutton went off the board in the 10th round.

Dutton won the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 2A Player of the Year Award in 2021, when he posted a 9-0 record with four no-hitters, including a perfect game, for Westbrook Christian. He led the Rainbow City school to the AHSAA state championship as he struck out 117 and yielded 14 hits in 53 innings as a senior.

Dutton made 11 starts in his first season at LSU in 2022. But over the next two seasons with the Tigers, Dutton started only four times in 39 games.

In 2025, Dutton came to Auburn and started all 16 of his appearances. He had a 7-3 record with a 4.31 ERA. In 85.2 innings, Dutton struck out 95 while yielding 86 hits and 19 walks for the Tigers.

The three pitchers picked on Monday join two other draft picks from the 2025 Auburn team so far. The Baltimore Orioles chose catcher/outfielder Ike Irish at No. 19 on Sunday and the Toronto Blue Jays selected infielder Eric Snow at No. 172 on Monday.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Joy Taylor is out at Fox Sports.

The Athletic reports Fox Sports has opted not to renew Taylor’s contract, which is up this summer. Meanwhile, FS1, the company’s cable arm, has canceled three shows.

According to the report, “Speak,” which Taylor co-hosted with former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson and former NBA star Paul Pierce, is among them. “Breakfast Ball” and “The Facility” are also gone. The reason, The Athletic reports per sources, is ratings.

Earlier this year, the 38-year-old Taylor was accused by a former Fox Sports employee of sleeping with her boss to help her career.

Taylor admitted earlier this summer it’s been a difficult time in her life.

“No, I’ve never felt compelled to litigate that. Genuinely,” Taylor told “The Breakfast Club” podcast.

“I have felt a lot of different emotions. I think it’s a grief process when anything like that happens. I’ll say, I’ve been through a lot of traumatic things in my life. A lot. And I think any time you go through a trauma or a grieving period of something, you can’t decide who you are when it’s happening. “And that’s been the biggest thing for me.

“It’s this or that. I’m working on it, but it’s this or that. And I know years from now I’ll look back, and I will feel differently than I feel right now. And I’m trying to be patient with myself in that way, because it’s a lot to adjust to. It’s a new reality. And I’m trying to choose myself and be gentle with myself in that sense.”

The lawsuit filed against Fox Sports by Noushin Faraji, a former hairstylist, was directed at the culture of the network.

In the lawsuit, Taylor was accused of engaging in sexual relationships with “The Faculty’s” Emmanuel Acho and former network executive Charlie Dixon to advance her career.

Additionally, Taylor allegedly fabricated a sexual misconduct claim against Dixon after he was no longer beneficial to her.

Taylor denied those claims.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

A man that died Friday after being struck by a train in south Alabama has been identified.

Mobile police said the man was 36-year-old Devonte Carmichael.

The department said officers responded at about 6:25 p.m. to the 5900 block of Highway 90 regarding a train accident involving a pedestrian.

Carmichael was found dead at the scene.

Mobile police continue to investigate.