Culture
If Shedeur Sanders wants to be drafted No. 1, he needs to act like it
![If Shedeur Sanders wants to be drafted No. 1, he needs to act like it If Shedeur Sanders wants to be drafted No. 1, he needs to act like it](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,height=630,fit=cover/app/uploads/2024/09/10195428/GettyImages-1484189531-scaled.jpg)
By themselves, the pieces of a puzzle reveal very little. But link them together and a clearly defined picture emerges.
Metaphorically speaking, that describes the NFL Draft. After spending months, if not years, gathering information on prospects, teams then connect all the dots — er, data — to create a fuller picture of whom they might be selecting.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders should understand that more than any prospect. His father, Deion Sanders, is not only his head coach but also one of the greatest cornerbacks in NFL history. Coach Prime, as he likes to be called, knows the league and its inner workings as well as anyone. He is familiar with the circus that is the draft process and how innocuous incidents can take on a life of their own.
That’s why I’m surprised Shedeur hasn’t handled the spotlight in a more circumspect manner over the past year. It goes beyond him throwing his offensive linemen under the bus after he was sacked five times in Saturday’s loss at Nebraska. It’s also having his work ethic questioned by Miami quarterback Cam Ward, another potential top-5 pick, after the two trained together in South Florida in the offseason. And him making a disparaging comment about a former teammate after the player transferred. And legendary QB Tom Brady joking (?) that he needed to get out of the car showroom and into the film room after he posted pictures in a Rolls-Royce.
“How many times did Raiola get touched?”
Shedeur Sanders putting the blame on his O-Line
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 8, 2024
By themselves, these things might not mean a lot.
But when strung together, they could result in uncomfortable questions about his fitness to potentially be drafted No. 1 — which is one of the reasons he returned for his senior season. As one former longtime general manager told me this week: “If you’re asking the question, teams are definitely going to be asking the question.”
At this point, just three weeks into the season, it’s too early to credibly discuss front-runners for the top spot. And though some entered the year projecting 2025 to be a QB-weak draft class, history tells us relative unknowns will be pushed up draft boards by the end of the season, making for a robust discussion about who should go No. 1.
We’re sure to hear names like Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Georgia’s Carson Beck, and Miami’s Ward, all of whom are talented and leading potential playoff squads. USC’s Miller Moss also could join the conversation. None is more physically talented than Sanders, but, to this point, each has handled the spotlight with greater dexterity.
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Sanders has to know he is going to be judged differently than others. For one, he is a quarterback, which is the premium position in football. For another, he is a quarterback who happens to be Black in a league that only recently has viewed African Americans as capable of excelling at the position. And thirdly, he is a quarterback who happens to be Black and is the son of Deion Sanders, a man whose confidence, flash and bravado rubs some the wrong way. To think that Shedeur won’t be judged more critically is to be naive.
That said, none of these things will prevent Sanders from being highly drafted. But they could create openings for unnecessary and unwanted drama leading up to the draft, which has a voracious appetite when it comes to inane storylines. See, Cam Newton and “fake smile” for Exhibit 1A.
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Seeking perspective, I reached out to a couple of former general managers and asked what impact these puzzle pieces could have on Sanders’ consideration as a No. 1 pick. Both were involved in selecting a QB among the first three picks, including one at the very top, and each spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Their views contrasted.
“All of these things do matter,” one said. “We’ve seen some great quarterbacks over the years who are unbelievably talented but they just can’t pull it off. There are many, many like that. … At this point, if I’m coming back to the league and kicking off a new regime, with what I know, I would never have Shedeur kick things off with me. I’m trying to pinpoint why that is, and I just don’t trust everything I’m seeing right now. He’s got some money from the portal and he’s spending it the way he is. … I just don’t trust his maturity. I don’t trust how he’s going to be able to handle the limelight, which sounds odd because he should be able to handle it more than anyone because he’s been around it all his life. I don’t mean handle the limelight; rather, is he going to be a distraction in that building? Is he going to irritate people? Do his teammates like him, or do they resent him?”
Said the other: “During the draft process, everybody pokes holes. Yes, people are going to be looking at that stuff. But I view it differently. Those types of things are all learned, maturing traits. We forget that kids are going to be kids. What you look for is how quickly they will grow up. Obviously, he has grown up in an athletic environment where he’s used to having the best around him. The work ethic will be the most important thing. The stuff about the comments and things like that, people will worry about that a little bit, but the work ethic is the thing. If you don’t think he’s going to have the work ethic, it’s a big red flag. You look at Jayden Daniels and he had the receivers in at 5:30 in the morning for meetings. You look at Matt Ryan, and he used to take his offensive linemen to dinner once a week. That said, I do think you have to be very careful about letting those things build up.”
Both men called Sanders “extremely talented” and said they expect him to be among the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft. He could have turned pro after last season and possibly been the first quarterback taken after Caleb Williams, who went first overall to the Chicago Bears. But he came back because he said the timing “didn’t feel right,” the season didn’t “end right,” with Colorado finishing 4-8 after a 3-0 start, and because he wants to be the first quarterback off the draft board.
He has the talent, without question, completing 69 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns, with just three interceptions, last season behind an awful line. Scouts speak highly of his accuracy, arm talent and pocket mobility. The tangibles. But the intangibles are what clubs figure to dissect during the draft process. They will want to know about his makeup and leadership skills. So far this year, frustration is seeping through.
He was sacked 56 times last season and has been dropped six times through two games this year. If his protection doesn’t improve in the coming weeks, how will he respond? The answer could be a major piece to his draft-day puzzle.
(Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
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Culture
He just wanted a better golf bag for his toddler. Now he’s shaking up the equipment game
![He just wanted a better golf bag for his toddler. Now he’s shaking up the equipment game He just wanted a better golf bag for his toddler. Now he’s shaking up the equipment game](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,height=630,fit=cover/app/uploads/2024/09/10181627/0911_Changemakers3.jpg)
Editor’s note: This article is part of The Changemakers series, focusing on the behind-the-scenes executives and people fueling the future growth of their sports.
MASON CITY, Iowa — Two 30-something-year-old dudes set up lawn chairs in a garage on a nice little Friday morning in November. The fridge is stocked with celebratory beers. Their laptops are out, if anybody wants to actually buy high-quality golf bags made specifically for preschoolers.
Tyler Johnson is nervous. He usually is. “Nobody’s actually going to buy any bags,” he keeps telling his buddy, Jared Doerfler, there for moral support. The waitlist was plenty long, but still, “Maybe I’ll sell 50 bags,” he says looking around at the 150 bags in his garage.
10 a.m. hits.
Cha-ching. Cha-ching. Cha-ching.
The Shopify notifications go off rapidly.
Cha-ching. Cha-ching. Cha-ching.
He is not prepared for this. The blue bags are gone in four minutes.
Cha-ching. Cha-ching. Cha-ching.
“What the hell is happening,” Johnson says as he runs around the garage trying to get things in order. The gray bags are sold out in 10. Only pink is left. The waitlist was north of a thousand, but he worked the numbers backward and landed on a conversation rate to sell less than 100. Foolish.
Cha-ching. Cha-ching. Cha-ching.
Within 28 minutes, all 150 bags are sold.
Johnson, 36, is a former University of Northern Iowa golfer turned software salesman living in Mason City with his wife, Jolene, and their two kids, Charlie and Alivia. He’s the son of a golf course superintendent who was the son of a golfer named Birdie, and one day Johnson wanted to take Charlie to the driving range to keep the cycle alive. But Charlie didn’t have a bag, forced to carry around a few loose clubs because the bags on the market just didn’t make sense. To Johnson, they were poorly made and impractical for a toddler. So Johnson created his own. Out of his garage. He designed these adorable 21.5-inch waxed canvas and leather golf bags made specifically for 2- to 5-year-olds in various colors, and he found an approachable price point. And he named it Charlie Golf Co.
Doerfler has to leave early to get out of Johnson’s hair. The Friday beers will have to wait. Johnson has 150 orders to ship by hand. Within a year, he’ll have shipped thousands. By this November, he’ll be faced with the decision to quit his job and commit to Charlie Golf Co. full time, a side hustle becoming a career.
The golf equipment industry was disrupted by a golfer trying to bond with his family. Now, it’s blowing up because of that very thing. Family.
The clock is fast. No need to stress. But Jolene Johnson throws on some shoes and runs out the garage. It’s a big day in the Johnson household. They just got home from a quick family vacation to Duluth, Minn., with the kids. Now a reporter is in their kitchen asking how their little company bootstrapped out of a garage is blowing up less than a year after launch. A charcuterie board is set up with meats and cheeses. Croissants they brought home from Duluth sit in a glass cake display. But far more importantly, it’s Charlie’s first day of preschool.
Even their 2-year-old daughter Alivia could tell the significance, sadly asking, “Char-lee?” as her 4-year-old brother walked away. Tyler didn’t cry, but it was tough. Jolene absolutely did. But now, a few hours later, they’re in the kitchen talking about whether the day will come for Tyler to quit his job and run this toddler golf equipment company full time.
Before he can finish his thoughts, Jolene notices the time on the microwave.
“I’m so sorry,” she jumps in. “I didn’t realize it was 10:53! I need to go get Charlie.”
Three generations of Johnson golfers.
Packing up and shipping out toddler golf bags and clubs. What a world.
Wonder what my Grandpa Birdie would be thinking about all of this right now.
He would be so fired up. pic.twitter.com/LjB4I2knN9
— Tyler Johnson (@tylerjohnson_59) August 10, 2024
Tyler reminds her the clock is ahead. Nonetheless, she leaves and Tyler makes his way out to the home of Charlie Golf: the garage in suburban Iowa that created a new market in the golf space. Currently, more than a thousand bags in various colors are organized throughout the garage, which gets rather warm on summer days like today. A thousand? That would have blown his mind nine months ago. Then came the sellouts. The wait lists. The national attention. Multiple PGA Tour players outfitting their kids in them at the Masters Par 3 contest. The move to selling kids’ clubs, too. Their first Black Friday is quickly approaching like the nexus point in this family’s life that it is. If it goes as they project, Charlie Golf Co. will suddenly be a legitimate force in the golf space and the focus of Tyler’s life. If it doesn’t, well, their lives are still completely fine.
Golf tends to be about family, as is this story. A chunk of the first $5,000 Tyler put into it began with a bond that Tyler’s grandpa Birdie — not nicknamed because of golf, though it fits! — bought for him back in the 1990s that they only found when Birdie died. Birdie taught Johnson’s father, Doug, the beautiful game. Then Doug taught Tyler, cutting down some old clubs, regripping them and gifting them to Tyler as a boy, a tradition he’s maintained with all his grandchildren, giving them either a blue or pink grip once he knows their gender. The tiny clubs he made Charlie and Alivia hang on the garage wall.
Charlie just wants to hang out with his dad. So when they’d go for some father-son time at the driving range, they’d carry Charlie’s little clubs because the bags just didn’t make sense for a kid that size. They were two-strap bags and had a stand, which was impractical. They were not very nicely made. And they all looked the same.
Deep down, Tyler Johnson is a starter. An entrepreneur. The guy coming up with business ideas with his old Northern Iowa golf buddies. He’s also a salesman, currently working as a general manager at an asset tracking company selling RFID tags, but Charlie Golf Co. is not his first startup. This isn’t out of his comfort zone. Well, yes and no.
He began making sketches on the graphic design platform Canva for prototype bags and working with manufacturers, sending prototypes back and forth trying to nail down all the little details. This had to make sense for kids, for families, for golf. The names of those first three bags? The Charlie (blue), the Livvy (pink) and the Birdie (gray).
Golf equipment is a $15 billion industry, constantly growing and evolving while being pushed by technological innovation in the clubs and balls. Even aside from the Goliaths like Callaway, TaylorMade and Titleist, the kids’ golf club market has been dominated by U.S. Kids Golf. And when these massive corporations are involved, you don’t expect a software salesman in Iowa to throw a wrench into those profits.
But it was some simple advice from his friend Jared Doerfler — who runs the Perfect Putt golf business newsletter and launched a boutique putter company called Hanna Golf — that might be the seed for how this worked so well.
“Just tell a story,” Doerfler told his former Northern Iowa golf teammate.
Johnson’s story was family. It was the bond money from Grandpa Birdie. It was using his Twitter account to let people in through photos of Charlie and Tyler in the garage playing with boxes or Tyler having to chase Charlie sprinting around a course with his bag on his back or highlighting all the extra time spent with his own father.
When the first tweet with a link went up in October, it went viral. Eight hundred on the waitlist immediately, all from organic social media marketing. It was up to a thousand by that launch date in November. The first sellout only seemed to increase demand — the next drop of 300 bags sold out in less than 30 minutes again.
“I think there’s something about a story and relating to the people,” Johnson said. “It’s a family, a small family business, there’s a story behind it. They can connect to it. And now, in the social media age, I think that’s extremely important to know who you’re buying from.”
They had no idea what they were doing in those days. Each inventory drop was a chaotic mad dash. Each extra name on the waitlist a jolt to Tyler’s already high anxieties. Anywhere from 300 to 750 bags would arrive on a Friday, and the cavalry drove to Mason City. Tyler would take the day off work. They’d get a babysitter for the kids. Doug usually drove up that Friday. Grandma and both Jolene and Tyler’s aunts came on Saturday. All hands on deck to try to meet demand.
And Tyler insisted on everything feeling personal, because that’s what the root of this company is about. That story takes longer, though. Each shipment must be delivered with a handwritten note. Early on, he’d hand stamp each outgoing shipping box with the Charlie logo, rolling out the ink, stamping one side, laying them all out overnight to dry and then stamping the other side in the morning. There’s no production facility, and until recently, there was not even a tape dispenser. The waitlist grew and grew.
Tyler Johnson is running Charlie Golf Co. out of his basement, hand-selecting and preparing each order. (Brody Miller / The Athletic)
Deep down, Tyler knew that the scarcity helped build demand and intrigue. But his brain doesn’t always work that way. He hated that people had to wait. Plus, each name on a waitlist is a name not guaranteed to still be a customer when the inventory was ready. They got better, preparing boxes more for each shipment and knocking out inefficiencies. But Tyler also doesn’t really know how to stop, balancing a growing company, a full-time job and a family.
“It’s a lot…” he said.
“He’s probably going to be modest about it,” Jolene joked.
Tyler wakes up at 5 a.m. each day and works in the garage for two hours preparing orders. He gets to work around 8 and is there until he comes home for an hour during lunch. Back to work until 4:30 or so — all while he is still thinking about Charlie Golf — before again returning home for dinner with the family and putting the kids to bed. He’s back to the garage working on manufacturing, new designs or new business channels like club embroidery. Some nights he’s so spent he accidentally falls asleep in Charlie’s bed and has to accept that the garage will wait until morning.
He came home from the trip to Duluth to find his dad — who came up for two days to help while he was gone — had handwritten some of the thank you notes. Tyler interpreted that as a message from Doug saying, “I can take this off your plate, you know?”
It just kept growing and growing, but it was the 2024 Masters that might have sent it over the top. First, Jessica Hadwin, the social media star/wife of PGA Tour golfer Adam Hadwin, DMed Tyler and bought one for her daughter, Maddox. She then told Adam Schenk’s wife, Courtney, who bought one too. Then journeyman Peter Malnati won the Valspar Championship to get into the Masters. His agent was an old Northern Iowa golf teammate. He got hooked up, too.
Tyler was hanging at Doerfler’s shop watching the Par 3 Contest — where players often have their wives caddie and kids run around and even take swings — when ESPN cameras cut to Malnati on the driving range. There was Malnati’s son Hatcher running up to his green Charlie Golf Co. bag.
This was suddenly something real.
Mason City is a small, blue-collar town in northern Iowa built on two cement plants and a door factory. It’s not a huge golf hub, with just two courses and not many resources. Yet every Friday morning at Jitters Coffee Bar, you can find the most industrial minds of Mason City trying to take over the world.
“There’s not much entrepreneurship in North Iowa,” Doerfler said, “but most everyone that’s most involved in entrepreneurship is going to cycle through here on that Friday morning.”
So Johnson and Doerfler make sure they are there most weeks to meet and talk business. They played together at UNI and worked at MetalCraft together until Doerfler took his own leap of faith, quitting his job to buy a mill and teach himself how to make hand-crafted putters. Doerfler is the first to tell you how challenging it is. He has moments where he wonders if he’s an idiot for taking this risk, but he loves it.
Lately, many of these meetings are centered around where Johnson should take Charlie Golf, and by extension his career.
He added kids golf clubs in the spring, which immediately took off by staying true to the company’s core principles. He insisted on them being stainless steel clubs that look like real, adult clubs but much lighter than others in the market. “The kids just want something to swing,” he said. “They’re not gonna hit the ball much. It’s not about that. It’s not about launch angles and ball speed. It’s about having a golf club in their hand they can hit a real ball with.” He’s certainly not inventing the wheel with kids clubs, something that’s been around forever and dominated by U.S. Kids Golf, but he’s also developing a strong, family-based brand. If people know Charlie Golf, they know it’s authentic. So if people are searching for toddler golf clubs, maybe the tie goes to the company they feel a connection toward.
![](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/09/10183141/0911_Changemakersinside.jpg)
(Courtesy Charlie Golf Co.)
His Google Analytics tools tell him more people search for clubs than they do bags, which makes sense. Having a cool bag is additive. Getting your kid into golf certainly starts with the clubs. That may be the future of the company.
Johnson is long past the phase where this is all just a hobby. The next step is figuring out how to make this a sustainable company. The self-sustaining business now projects to reach seven figures in revenue with a good holiday season, Johnson said.
And within that contrast between CEO and normal dad, there are little choices Johnson has to make. Like the price: $88 for a bag.
“I’ve had so many people tell me, ‘You’re not charging enough.’ But it wasn’t about that. In my mind, when I was growing up, there was no way my dad was gonna spend $100 on a 2-5 year old bag. It wasn’t gonna happen. So, ‘OK, what can I do to make this somewhat attractive for all families and not let the money aspect restrict them?’”
Even that price has family meaning. His uncle’s old Iowa dirt track race car number was 88, and at their home course driving range Doug took a side panel from the car and set it up at the 88-yard mark. Johnson spent his whole youth trying to hit three-quarter wedges to 88 yards, bouncing off the panel. When it was time to pick a price for the clubs, he went with $188.
As the market grows, so does the competition that didn’t exist when he started. “Well, you would imagine once people see the success of it…” Johnson joked as he prepares for the reality that those major corporations will begin to sell their own toddler bags.
If this Black Friday is the test for what his company will become, the 2025 Masters might be a little marker for where they stand. Last April was such a moment for the Johnsons, and the hope is to build on it. Can he get the prodigy of the top names in the sport to run past the azaleas with a Charlie bag? Or will the brands that sponsor these star golfers try to use the moment to jump in and outfit the kids in their own merch?
Johnson wrestles with these future challenges while still working another job. He primarily works alone at the company’s Mason City office, making it even easier to get distracted by Charlie Golf.
“I’m on my computer so much, and I have the tabs of the other stuff, checking it periodically,” he said. “It’s hard. It’s very, very challenging. That’s how I know I need to do one or the other.”
So much of this is built on projecting the future for a company there’s no projection for. It’s all new. Each inventory purchase is another risk that maybe people will one day just stop buying. This latest drop was for 1,700 bags. If Johnson used to stress about people on the waitlist not buying, he has shifted that to the stress of not selling out. That’s generally a good thing, as his manufacturing and scale has caught up with the company and now sales are steady and not dependent on chaotic drop days. But he has to walk out to the garage each day and see all these bags that need to be sold.
He knows the numbers better now and knows that the last few months indicate he can support his family with the company. That’s why Black Friday is the big moment. It’s his first real holiday sale season to find out if Charlie Golf is here to stay.
Then maybe he’ll quit his job. Then maybe they’ll expand. Maybe they’ll move into a real facility.
Whatever happens next, he can lean back on this. That it all started with a father and a son in a garage.
The Changemakers series is part of a partnership with Acura.
The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Brody Miller / The Athletic)
Culture
Women’s football chief says WSL YouTube switch will grow the game’s reach
![Women’s football chief says WSL YouTube switch will grow the game’s reach Women’s football chief says WSL YouTube switch will grow the game’s reach](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,height=630,fit=cover/app/uploads/2024/09/10080021/GettyImages-1345803735-scaled-e1725969645473.jpg)
Nikki Doucet, the CEO of the English women’s professional game, says moving the Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship’s streaming platform to YouTube will grow the game’s reach.
Doucet also confirmed there is a “long-term” timeframe to pay back the £20million ($25.2m) loan provided by the Premier League to Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL, previously NewCo), and said her job was to find more owners like London City Lionesses’s Michele Kang to invest in clubs and drive revenue.
The WSL and Championship’s YouTube channels have replaced the FA Player as the divisions’s primary streaming service for the 2024-25 season, with all non-televised WSL matches and select Championship games available to view globally on the platform.
The WSL’s broadcast deal was set to expire at the end of last season and in April this was extended for a further year by the BBC and Sky Sports. Doucet said the move to YouTube can help make the case for the value of both leagues when the media rights go out to tender again next year.
“When we are going to market, we are including both the WSL and the Championship (broadcast rights),” Doucet said.
“We had 55,000 people watch the (London City Lionesses vs Newcastle United) game (on YouTube on Sunday). When you think about that vs the FA Player. I think the most on the FA Player last year ever was 4,500.
“So our job right now is to make sure we’re getting as much reach, that we’re bringing up the Championship in the right way, that we’re focused on it. So there is careful consideration from a marketing and commercial perspective, on what we can do for the Championship.
“The more value we can extract there, the better for everybody and the WSL. The more reach we can do with the Championship, bringing them on YouTube, bringing more people in, telling more stories, using our channels in the right way.
“We’re investing in the YouTube channel to make sure we’re getting views and we can point to that in the right way. And over time, we’re building that up to have more data to be able to show these are the views, this is the engagement, this is the audience, this is the reach. And then we have the ability to go back to market and see again where we can maximise value on those points.
“Our media rights are up for 25-26, and we’ll be looking at both properties.”
Doucet was appointed WPLL CEO in November (The Football Association – Women’s Pro Game/Nina Farooqi)
The Football Association’s (FA) outgoing director of women’s football Baroness Sue Campbell said last year the governing body was exploring whether the women’s game could be exempt from the 3pm television blackout to help attract a regular audience.
Under Article 48 of UEFA’s statutes, the FA prevents games from being broadcast between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturdays in the UK to protect stadium attendances. Doucet added while they had explored potential changes to the 3pm blackout, “at the moment it is not an option”.
![go-deeper](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=128,height=128,fit=cover,format=auto/app/uploads/2024/01/29104959/GettyImages-1487003975-scaled-e1706544790575-1024x714.jpg)
GO DEEPER
WSL deserves a dedicated TV slot – should it be exempt from the 3pm blackout?
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told a government committee in January that Premier League clubs had agreed a loan to WPLL. This was for £20million ($25.2m) and was expected to be interest-free and only repayable when it reaches £100m in annual revenue.
“Based on the size of the business, that’s the right amount of capital today,” Doucet explained. “It is a loan. We do have to pay it back at some point.
“It’s a long term loan on favourable terms. It’s interest free, which is super positive, and it comes with that cooperation agreement. So we have to meet either certain revenue thresholds to pay it off, or there’s a time frame, but it’s a longer term time frame to enable us to have space to grow.”
On the topic of raising revenue and attracting investors, Doucet emphasised the importance of long-term vision and highlighted the example of U.S. businesswoman Kang following her takeover of London City Lionesses in December.
The Washington Spirit and Lyon Feminin owner’s investment resulted in a busy summer window for the Championship side, with signings including Sweden international Kosovare Asllani and young forward Isobel Goodwin from Sheffield United. The club has also purchased and is in the process of renovating a new training facility.
“To invest in the women’s game today, based on where we are in the phase of maturity of the business, is a different type of capital and risk profile than investing in the men’s game today,” Doucet added.
“We have to find the investors over here that believe in the concept of community purpose, of a growth story that is built on business metrics going forward but has the ability to invest ahead of revenue. Our biggest challenge is a revenue challenge, not necessarily a cost challenge.
“To be a professional club, to provide the right infrastructure, costs money. That’s someone like a Michelle Kang or some of the bigger clubs right now, their owners are investing, they believe in that future. They’re like: we understand that this is a ten year journey. This isn’t like a two or three year immediate return.
“And our job right now is to maximise value at each point of the growth journey. The market will dictate what we can extract and what we can maximise from a value perspective. And our job is to obsess that every single day.”
![go-deeper](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=128,height=128,fit=cover,format=auto/app/uploads/2024/07/30114527/LCL_PRESS_27-JUN_004-1024x683.jpg)
GO DEEPER
Kang, London City Lionesses and the promise and pitfalls of an intriguing project
(Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
Culture
MLB Power Rankings: Royals, Padres shake up top 10; Our picks for each team’s MVP
![MLB Power Rankings: Royals, Padres shake up top 10; Our picks for each team’s MVP MLB Power Rankings: Royals, Padres shake up top 10; Our picks for each team’s MVP](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,height=630,fit=cover/app/uploads/2024/09/09214221/0910_MLB-Power-Rankings-1-scaled.jpg)
By Tim Britton, Chad Jennings and Kaitlyn McGrath
Every week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results.
All right, enough fooling around. There are less than three weeks left in the regular season, and these games are starting to carry real weight and significance. These wins and losses really mean something.
The Mets got red-hot last week to stay very much in the hunt. The Royals swept the Twins over the weekend to take control of a wild-card spot. The Red Sox failed to sweep the White Sox — after being swept by the Mets — and the Diamondbacks narrowly avoided being swept by the Astros, affecting the bottom of each league’s playoff race.
It’s mid-September, and it’s time for Power Rankings to carry that same sense of urgency and importance.
We did this back in April, when it was way too early and a just-for-fun kind of thing. This time, we mean it.
Each team’s MVP. Go!
Record: 86-58
Last Power Ranking: 1
One-month MVP: Mookie Betts
Five-month MVP: Shohei Ohtani
Is Ohtani the frontrunner for National League MVP right now? We’d put the chances at, oh, something like 50/50? As in, once he gets to 50 homers and 50 steals, the race might as well be over. A year after Ronald Acuña Jr. made history as the sport’s first 40/70 player, Ohtani is doing something even more remarkable. And he’s doing it for a Dodgers team confronted with an unexpected amount of adversity. Los Angeles lost Betts and Max Muncy for significant stretches and Freddie Freeman for a shorter one. Its rotation still requires sorting out. (Ohtani can’t help there until next year.) But as usual, LA is still at the top of the NL — because Ohtani is the NL’s best hitter. — Tim Britton
Record: 86-58
Last Power Ranking: 2
One-month MVP: Ranger Suárez
Five-month MVP: Zack Wheeler
At what point does — or did — Wheeler become the most reliable starting arm in baseball? The guy you trust most to give you 30 starts and 200 quality innings or take the ball in a big game? Wheeler’s in year five of sparkling results for the Phillies, and hasn’t hit the injured list since 2022. That’s despite big innings counts in consecutive Octobers.
Wheeler has been the leader of the National League’s best rotation. Aaron Nola has rebounded from a down 2023 while lefties Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez have bloomed into front-end starters. Philadelphia has built its playoff runs the last two autumns on its stars; it has more depth now. — Britton
Record: 83-61
Last Power Ranking: 3
One-month MVP: Juan Soto
Five-month MVP: Aaron Judge
Judge already has one of the 30-highest WAR seasons of all time, and he may soon have another. As measured by FanGraphs WAR, this season may surpass Judge’s 2022 when he finished with 11.1 WAR (21st all-time among position players). It seems inevitable he will at least reach double-digit WAR this season. He leads the majors in home runs, walks, RBIs and OPS. In almost any other season, Soto’s tremendous year would be a shoo-in for team MVP, but the distinction belongs to Judge without question. — Chad Jennings
Record: 82-61
Last Power Ranking: 4
One-month MVP: Brice Turang
Five-month MVP: Willy Adames
As the Brewers cruise to an NL Central title and position themselves as the team to watch out for in October, they can credit a few noteworthy performances in helping them get there. Turang had a strong first half but faded in the second half. Meanwhile, rookie Jackson Chourio has done the reverse and has used an impressive second half to vault himself into the NL Rookie of the Year conversation. William Contreras has been a constant behind the plate and leads the team in OPS, but ever-so-slightly edging him out for team MVP is Adames, who has a team-leading 30 home runs – including 13 three-run home runs, tying Ken Griffey Jr. for the most in a single season. Adames had played all 143 games this season at shortstop and, as Cody Stavenhagen wrote, he is the team’s “emotional catalyst.” — Kaitlyn McGrath
Record: 82-63
Last Power Ranking: 5
One-month MVP: Gunnar Henderson
Five-month MVP: Gunnar Henderson
Corbin Burnes has been the experienced ace the Orioles needed. Colton Cowser is having a fantastic rookie season and is a favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year. Anthony Santander is on pace to hit a career-best 40 home runs. But, four months later, it’s still Henderson who remains the Orioles MVP. He leads the club in 7.3 fWAR and has hit a career-high 36 home runs. His odds of winning the AL MVP may have slipped since April, as Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. have emerged as heavy favorites, but Henderson has been the Orioles’ most consistent hitter this season. — McGrath
Most home runs by an @Orioles shortstop in a single season:
Gunnar Henderson: 35 (2024)
Miguel Tejada: 34 (2004)
Cal Ripken Jr.: 34 (1991) pic.twitter.com/CmHqo4pQM3— MLB (@MLB) September 4, 2024
Record: 81-64
Last Power Ranking: 8
One-month MVP: Dylan Cease
Five-month MVP: Jurickson Profar
It’s like we all expected at the start of the season: On a roster with Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr., the five-month MVP really comes down to Jackson Merrill or Profar. A team that looked like it had zero outfielders at the start of spring training has instead boasted two of the very best in the NL this season, and Profar gets the edge here thanks to the consistency of his late-game heroics.
Remember last season for San Diego? When the Padres posted one of the strangest offensive seasons in memory, thanks to their utter inability to come through in the clutch? Well, Profar has been the most clutch hitter in baseball this season, with the sport’s best OPS in high-leverage moments. He ranks behind only Aaron Judge in win probability added. He was released by the Rockies last season! This sport is incredible. — Britton
Record: 82-62
Last Power Ranking: 7
One-month MVP: Steven Kwan
Five-month MVP: José Ramírez
Kwan and Josh Naylor have been great, and Emmanuel Clase is the best reliever in the game, and Tanner Bibee has lifted a rotation that badly needed the help. But let’s not overthink this. Ramírez is one of the game’s great players, and he’s proving it again this season with a frankly typical year that will end with his fifth straight top-10 MVP finish. In fact, it will probably be his sixth-ever top-six MVP finish. Ramírez turns 32 later this month and is signed through 2028, meaning he has time to make a real case for Cooperstown when all’s said and done. — Jennings
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Record: 80-64
Last Power Ranking: 6
One-month MVP: Ketel Marte
Five-month MVP: Ketel Marte
As the Diamondbacks clawed their way back into contention, Marte helped by having a legitimate MVP-esque season before he injured his left ankle on Aug. 18 and landed on the IL. At the time of his injury, Marte ranked fourth in the NL with a 5.4 fWAR, per MLB.com, and was hitting .298 with 30 home runs. After being sidelined for about three weeks, he returned to the lineup last Friday, but even with the time missed, he still leads the Diamondbacks in fWAR, home runs and OPS. Ohtani is pulling away as the NL MVP favorite, but Marte could still finish as a finalist. More importantly, his return helps a D-Backs team eager to play spoiler in October once again. — McGrath
Record: 79-66
Last Power Ranking: 11
One-month MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
Five-month MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
If it were possible to merge Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and Michael Wacha into one player, the Royals’ team MVP … might still be Witt. The top of the team’s rotation has been excellent, with Ragans and Lugo providing especially valuable (and unexpected) impact, but Witt is doing something historic. He might not win the AL MVP because of Aaron Judge but he’s making it a close race by delivering perhaps the greatest season by a shortstop since Honus Wagner (or, at the very least, the greatest season by a shortstop since Lou Boudreau or Cal Ripken Jr.). — Jennings
Record: 78-66
Last Power Ranking: 10
One-month MVP: Marcell Ozuna
Five-month MVP: Chris Sale
Ozuna hasn’t really slowed down, and he’s been the linchpin to a stunningly makeshift lineup for Atlanta. But the choice here is still Sale, who might just be having the best year of his career. In case you forgot, Sale earned Cy Young votes in each of his first seven seasons as a starter, but never won the award. He hasn’t received any votes over the last five years, when he made 56 total starts. But Alex Anthopoulos’ gamble to acquire Sale — and to double-down by extending him shortly after — has blossomed into one of the offseason’s best moves. With Spencer Strider out and Max Fried uncharacteristically inconsistent, and on an Atlanta team in an absolute fight for the postseason, Sale has been an anchor and the best pitcher in the National League. — Britton
Record: 77-66
Last Power Ranking: 9
One-month MVP: Jose Altuve
Five-month MVP: Yordan Alvarez
Step 1: Go ahead and type Altuve’s name into the five-month slot. Step 2: Look up the stats that surely will show Altuve has remained the Astros’ team MVP. Step 3: Realize just how good Alvarez has been. Step 4: Type Alvarez’s name instead. Seriously, this guy has been one of the five best hitters in baseball while playing about a third of his games in left field. And he’s been at his best in the second half, when the Astros have pulled themselves into a firm lead in the AL West. Altuve is awesome, Framber Valdez and Ronel Blanco have been great, but Alvarez is the Astros’ MVP. — Jennings
Record: 79-65
Last Power Ranking: 13
One-month MVP: Reed Garrett
Five-month MVP: Francisco Lindor
Not only was Lindor not the Mets’ MVP in April, but you could make a case that Lindor was one of the sport’s worst hitters then, ending the month with a .197 batting average. Since then, thanks to his two-way brilliance, he’s been unquestionably the best player in the National League. His OPS is right around .900 since the start of May and he’s played elite defense at shortstop, catalyzing New York’s own about-face in the standings. Lindor’s move to the leadoff spot sparked an offensive revival, and he has found himself in a number of crucial late-game moments. He’s also started all but one game this season.
Once 11 games under .500, the Mets have been the majors’ best team since June 3 and a legitimate contender not only to get to October, but to do something when there. —Britton
![go-deeper](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=128,height=128,fit=cover,format=auto/app/uploads/2024/09/06000444/GettyImages-2167038692-scaled-e1725685348948-1024x683.jpg)
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Record: 76-68
Last Power Ranking: 12
One-month MVP: Edouard Julien
Five-month MVP: Griffin Jax
It was hard to pin down a Twins MVP. After his strong start, Julien spent the season shuffling between the major and minor leagues. Carlos Correa had an MVP first half but hasn’t played since the All-Star break. Bryon Buxton and Royce Lewis have also been on and off the IL all season. Joe Ryan had been having a nice season until an injury ended his year. That leaves Jax, who has been a constant for Minnesota. Jax has a career-best 2.01 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings. He’s tied his career-best mark in holds with 23 and has eight saves this season. It’s been an uneven season for the Twins, filled with injuries, but at least Jax has been a reliable arm out of the pen. — McGrath
Record: 73-71
Last Power Ranking: 17
One-month MVP: Logan Gilbert
Five-month MVP: Logan Gilbert
What was true in April remains true five months later: The Mariners have a very good rotation, led by Gilbert. The 27-year-old right-hander was a first-time All-Star and leads the Mariners with 185 2/3 innings pitched, a 3.15 ERA and 4.1 fWAR. Unfortunately, this also remains true: The Mariners have a flawed lineup, resulting in a free fall that saw them squander a 10-game lead in the AL West and eventually led to the firing of their manager. If the Mariners miss the postseason, we’ll look back on their season and bemoan how they let their subpar offense waste a rotation seemingly built for playoff success. — McGrath
Record: 74-70
Last Power Ranking: 14
One-month MVP: Shota Imanaga
Five-month MVP: Shota Imanaga
Imanaga placed the cherry on top of his sterling rookie campaign with seven innings in Chicago’s combined no-hitter against the Pirates. A team’s record behind an individual starter can occasionally be misleading — check out Jacob deGrom, 2018-2019 for a trip — but the Cubs’ 20-6 mark with Imanaga on the mound is the best for any starter in baseball. The left-hander should receive down-ballot Cy Young consideration for a season that, right now, includes more than 150 innings, a sub-3.00 ERA and a league-leading strikeout-to-walk ratio. With better play lately, the Cubs may match or exceed their 83 wins from last season. But that doesn’t look to be nearly as close to the postseason in a tougher National League. — Britton
Record: 73-71
Last Power Ranking: 16
One-month MVP: Tarik Skubal
Five-month MVP: Tarik Skubal
It’s always hard to compare pitchers and hitters, and there’s no universal agreement about what to do with pitchers on an MVP ballot. But even in an MVP race loaded with elite seasons, Skubal is sure to get some down-ballot votes in the American League. He’s the favorite for Cy Young and ranks eighth in the league in fWAR. Left fielder Riley Greene has had an excellent season and would be a fine team MVP, but it’s Skubal who’s really been the best player on the Tigers. — Jennings
![go-deeper](https://cdn.theathletic.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=128,height=128,fit=cover,format=auto/app/uploads/2024/09/04170056/0905_MLB_Top50_Prospects-1024x512.png)
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Record: 73-71
Last Power Ranking: 15
One-month MVP: Tanner Houck
Five-month MVP: Jarren Duran
Duran was a seventh-round pick who quickly became a top-100 prospect but then struggled for two years to establish himself in the big leagues. He began to find his footing last season, but he’s reached unforeseen heights this year. He’s the first player ever to record 40 doubles, 30 stolen bases, 20 home runs and 10 triples in a season. He’s already been named All-Star Game MVP, and at season’s end, Duran may very well finish top five in a crowded and elite race for American League MVP. — Jennings
Record: 72-71
Last Power Ranking: 18
One-month MVP: Sonny Gray
Five-month MVP: Masyn Winn
While Gray has remained St. Louis’ best starting pitcher, Winn has emerged as the Cardinals’ most reliable position player — partly the result of his excellent first full season in the majors and partly the result of injuries to Willson Contreras and underperformance from Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Winn has avoided the deep slumps that often hinder rookies and produced at above a league-average clip with the bat while bringing Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop. In a season that has again posed questions about the long-term direction in St. Louis, there are zero queries about who’s playing short for the next decade. — Britton
Record: 71-73
Last Power Ranking: 20
One-month MVP: Isaac Paredes
Five-month MVP: Brandon Lowe
Paredes still leads the team in WAR, but he’s been playing for the Chicago Cubs since the trade deadline, so there’s not really a slam dunk team MVP for the disappointing Rays. None of their pitchers performed up to their usual standards, and top prospect Junior Caminero’s been with them less than a month (though he’s been quite good). Jose Siri and Jose Caballero have been excellent defenders but neither has hit a ton. Lowe, though, is a good fit for this label. He missed time with an injury (again), but he’s been the Rays’ best hitter for much of the season and he’s a link to the team’s past success. — Jennings
Record: 71-73
Last Power Ranking: 19
One-month MVP: Logan Webb
Five-month MVP: Matt Chapman
When in doubt, go with the guy who just signed the $150 million contract extension. That probably reveals how the team feels about him, no? Not that there really was doubt here: Chapman is delivering his best all-around season since maybe 2019 in Oakland, when he finished sixth in the MVP balloting. He’s as terrific as ever at the hot corner, and his offense has rebounded after flat-lining in the final five months of the 2023 season with the Blue Jays. That’s star-level performance for a franchise that had struck out hunting it on the open market in recent years. So it’s no surprise they went wherever necessary to keep Chapman in the Bay through 2030. — Britton
Record: 70-74
Last Power Ranking: 22
One-month MVP: Marcus Semien
Five-month MVP: Corey Seager
He hasn’t been quite as good as he was last year (when he finished second in AL MVP voting), but Seager’s had another really nice season reminiscent of his early seasons with the Dodgers. There should be space on a Rangers MVP ballot, though, for Josh Smith, Kirby Yates and David Robertson, all of whom provided tremendous impact beyond what was probably expected heading into the year. If more Rangers had followed their lead, the team might actually have a chance to defend its title. — Jennings
Record: 70-75
Last Power Ranking: 23
One-month MVP: Elly De La Cruz
Five-month MVP: Elly De La Cruz
As a team, the Reds didn’t take the step forward into contention as was expected this season. Still, individually, De La Cruz has established himself as one of the game’s most exciting young players to watch. At 6.2 fWAR, he’s been worth more than double any other position player on the Reds. As of Monday, he led his team in home runs (23), OPS (.820) and he leads his team — and the majors — in stolen bases with 62. That’s 16 more than Ohtani, who is second in stolen bases with 46. As the Reds look to improve ahead of next season and try to return to the postseason, the goal will be finding a way to build around De La Cruz further. — McGrath
Elly De La Cruz shows off the range to take away a hit. 😎 pic.twitter.com/NA7w74N2Cc
— MLB (@MLB) September 8, 2024
Record: 68-77
Last Power Ranking: 21
One-month MVP: Jose Berrios
Five-month MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
At the end of April, Guerrero was hitting .229/.331/.347 with a 100 wRC+ and there were serious questions about whether he could ever replicate the near-MVP season in 2021. But since May 1, Guerrero has slashed .350/.414/.611 with 186 wRC+ and 25 home runs. (Stats don’t include Monday’s game). Only Aaron Judge — likely to be a finalist for AL MVP — has a higher wRC+ in that same span. Even after a slow first month, there is no question Guerrero has been the Blue Jays’ MVP this season, and he has also re-established himself in the upper echelon of the game’s best hitters. The Blue Jays have been relegated to postseason spoiler — they’ve had a direct hand in the NL wild-card race with back-to-back series against the Braves and Mets — but at least Guerrero has given fans something to cheer for. — McGrath
Record: 68-76
Last Power Ranking: 24
One-month MVP: Jared Jones
Five-month MVP: Paul Skenes
Skenes couldn’t have been the Pirates’ MVP after the first month because he wasn’t yet in the majors. The rookie didn’t get called up until early May. But he made up for lost time. His 3.3 fWAR co-leads the Pirates alongside Oneil Cruz and his 2.13 ERA leads Pirates pitchers. In fact, among pitchers with at least 110 innings pitched, his ERA ranks second and his 32 percent strikeout rate ranks fourth. Skenes has been fantastic, but Jones is having a solid season in his own right, despite missing a month with a lat strain with a 3.91 ERA in 18 starts. Skenes is in the mix for NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards – and while he may not be the favorite for those honors, he is the runaway Pirates’ MVP. — McGrath
Record: 64-79
Last Power Ranking: 26
One-month MVP: CJ Abrams
Five-month MVP: Luis García Jr.
While sympathetic to the argument that MacKenzie Gore has had a better season than García, we’re going with the second baseman because of what it means moving forward. Gore had already shown he could be a major-league-capable starting pitcher. García’s long-term role on a rebuilding roster was very much up for debate entering 2024, and he’s now solidified another important position for a team gradually checking the boxes for a return to relevance. Still just 24, García’s hit for more power this season and turned in a borderline top-five offensive season for second basemen in the league. That’s helped mitigate the disappointment of Abrams’ step back since April, with the shortstop tripping a little bit in his leap to star status. — Britton
Record: 62-82
Last Power Ranking: 25
One-month MVP: Mason Miller
Five-month MVP: Brent Rooker
If a DH can win the MVP in the National League — which Ohtani might do — then surely a DH can be the MVP of the Oakland A’s. Miller, J.J. Bleday, and Lawrence Butler have been really good, and Shea Langeliers has shown serious pop, but Rooker has been one of the best hitters in the majors. By wRC+, he meaningfully trails only Judge and Soto, he’s basically tied with Witt, and he’s been better than Ohtani, Guerrero or Ozuna. — Jennings
Record: 60-84
Last Power Ranking: 27
One-month MVP: Mike Trout
Five-month MVP: Zach Neto
If you stopped paying attention to this team in April, you’d probably expect Trout to remain the team MVP, but we’ve got some bad news for you. If you stopped paying attention to this team at the deadline, you’d probably expect it to be Tyler Anderson, Taylor Ward or Luis Rengifo — all of whom generated a ton of trade speculation. But 23-year-old Neto has been excellent in the second half, giving him the team lead in WAR. The team’s first-round pick in 2022 has been one of the few Angels’ bright spots in an otherwise bleak season. — Jennings
Record: 54-90
Last Power Ranking: 28
One-month MVP: Trevor Rogers
Five-month MVP: Jake Burger
Even though Rogers is a member of the Norfolk Tides now, it’s possible he’s got an even stronger case as the Marlins’ 2024 MVP; trading Rogers away is how Miami landed Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers from Baltimore. On the other hand, Burger has rebounded from a rough start at the plate; at one point, he socked 16 homers in 33 games. The Marlins will need the better Burger next year for all 162. — Britton
Record: 54-90
Last Power Ranking: 29
One-month MVP: Brenton Doyle
Five-month MVP: Brenton Doyle
It may be another familiar last-place finish for the Rockies this year, but there has been a lot to like about Doyle’s sophomore season. The center fielder cut down his 35 percent strikeout rate from last year to a more manageable 26.6 percent while also improving his walk rate to eight percent. He’s more than doubled his home run total from last year, hitting 22 compared to just 10 last year. Meanwhile, defensively, he’s remained one of the game’s best defensive outfielders and ranks third among all center fielders in Outs Above Average with 13. He leads the Rockies with 3.8 fWAR and easily qualifies as the team’s MVP. — McGrath
Record: 33-112
Last Power Ranking: 30
One-month MVP: Campfire Milkshake
Five-month MVP: N/A
After one month, as the White Sox stumbled to a 6-23 start, it was cute to name a decadent chocolate milkshake as their MVP. At the time, it was the main attraction drawing crowds to the field, while the woeful South Siders played in the background. But beyond the gag, it was a clear signal that there might not be much to cheer about. That has indeed been the case as the club has already set a franchise record for losses in a season and is on pace for a 124-loss season which would break the MLB record for losses, eclipsing the 1962 Mets, who went 40-120. Yes, it’s all very, very bad, which is why we’ve chosen to abstain from naming a White Sox MVP. Not even a delicious milkshake can salvage this season. — McGrath
(Top photo of Bobby Witt Jr.: Ed Zurga / Getty Images)
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