The New York Mets (36-51) return from a brief stint in Canada to face their division rivals, the Atlanta Braves (50-35). The Mets, if you can believe it, actually took two out of three from the first place Braves at Citi Field in June. You can probably believe this, but it’s the last time the Mets won a series, and it represents one of only two series the Mets won since the start of June.
Atlanta, GA
Under Armour Atlanta Camp: Top Performers
CARROLLTON, Ga. – Over 100 of the top prospects in the Southeast made their way to northwest Georgia to take part in the Atlanta stop of the Under Armour Next Series – the second event of the year. The event featured dozens of blue-chip prospects from the 2025, 2026 and 2027 cycles.
On3 was on hand inside Carrollton High School’s indoor practice facility on Sunday to take in the action. Here are On3’s top performers from the day, headlined by an SEC defensive line commitment who turned in an outstanding showing.
On3 MVP: DL Justus Terry – Georgia
Justus Terry turned in a very strong day of work at Under Armour Atlanta, showcasing a high-end combination of size, athleticism and play strength. The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder entered the event as one of the more highly touted prospects on hand and lived up to the billing. Terry carries his size well and made easy work of drills. He’s a light-footed mover. The Georgia pledge was also a clear standout in OL-DL 1-on-1’s. Terry had a number of impressive reps, flashing outstanding first-step quickness. On one occasion, he beat On300 interior offensive lineman Cortez Smith with a nasty swim move. We later saw Terry walk an offensive lineman back to the quarterback with impressive speed-to-power. Terry, who committed to Georgia back in January of 2023, ranks as the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2025 On300.
2. ATH Darrell Johnson
Darrell Johnson worked with the linebackers on Sunday at Under Armour Atlanta and was the clear standout among the group. In a setting that makes it hard for linebackers to stick out, Johnson flashed in a notable way. We saw the Eastman (Ga.) Dodge County break up no less than four passes during running back-linebacker 1-on-1’s. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is a plus athlete with elite length. The traits showed up on Sunday with Johnson looking like a natural in space. He was able to stay in-phase with small, shifty running backs and showed anticipation in jumping a number of passes. The length and strength at the catch point was also readily apparent. While he’s ranked as an athlete, Johnson’s athleticism and skill level project very well to off-ball linebacker. Florida State is out in front for the top 75 prospect according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
3. WR Devin Carter (2026)
Devin Carter showed why he’s considered one of the best wide receivers early on in the 2026 cycle at Under Armour Atlanta. The Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove pass-catcher showed an impressive skill set over the course of the day and had multiple eye-catching reps during the 1-on-1 period. Carter is refined route-runner, showing the ability to separate in the short intermediate areas. We also saw him flash an extra gear on a seam route that went for a long touchdown. The ball skills and ability to finish at the catch point were also notable. The son of former Florida State star and NFL running back Dexter Carter was committed to the Seminoles before opening up his recruitment in January.
4. QB Julian Lewis – USC
Julian Lewis was the top quarterback on the day at Under Armour Atlanta, showing his patented passing polish and high level of consistency. The 6-foot-0.5, 195-pounder is advanced technically and was able to deliver tight spirals with accuracy over the course of the day. Lewis also showed improved arm strength, whipping throws downfield and to the boundary with ease. He was eager to push the ball vertically in 1-on-1’s, connecting with Jerome Bettis Jr. on several occasions. In addition to the overall consistency and deep ball, we liked how quick and advanced Lewis looked in taking drops from under center. The On3 Industry five-star looked very comfortable in a setting that plays to his strengths. Lewis committed to USC in August of 2023 but has several programs in pursuit, including Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and Colorado.
5. WR Travis Smith
Travis Smith looked to have the best combination of size, functional movement skills and consistent hands among the wide receivers at Under Armour Atlanta. The Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake standout was a smooth operator on Sunday. Looking to be around 6-foot-3.5, 200 pounds, Smith has a readymade build with plus length. He impressed with his ability to get off of the line, stacking defensive backs with his releases. Smith is a polished route-runner, effortlessly dropping his weight to change directions and break off defenders mid-route. He also flashed arguably the smoothest ball skills on-hand, plucking the ball away from his body throughout the day. Smith will need to continue adding to his top gear in order to consistently separate vertically, but his overall skill level and size stood out on Sunday. Smith, who ranks as the No. 74 overall prospect in the On300, is trending towards Georgia according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
6. OT Alex Payne – North Carolina
We didn’t see an offensive lineman move as well as Alex Payne on Sunday at Under Armour Atlanta. The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder showed light-footed athleticism both in drills and during 1-on-1’s. The Gainesville (Ga.) High product carries his weight very well and made easy work of movement drills. He flashed advanced skills in pass protection, quickly getting depth within his set. Payne had two strong reps in 1-on-1’s, beating Tyler Atkinson – a smaller, quick pass rusher – to the edge and showing the ability to anchor on contact. Payne committed to North Carolina on January 17.
7. EDGE Jordan Carter (2026)
We didn’t see an EDGE prospect with more wins in 1-on-1’s than Jordan Carter. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder had several emphatic wins, using a combination of first-step quickness and violent hands at the point of attack to give offensive linemen trouble. The Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County product won with an inside rip move and then showed speed to win on the outside. Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, LSU and South Carolina are among the teams after Carter, who tallied 15 sacks as a sophomore.
8. LB Tyler Atkinson (2026)
Tyler Atkinson pulled double duty on Sunday at Under Armour Atlanta, working as an EDGE before switching over to linebacker later in the day. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder’s effort level and burst stood out in both sessions. Atkinson plays with a palpable energy, going full speed on every rep. Aside from drills, he was at his best during the running back-linebacker 1-on-1’s. We saw Atkinson stick with running backs down the boundary on several occasions. As a former defensive end who converted to linebacker last fall, Atkinson is clearly sound in coverage and impressed with his ability to play in space on Sunday. Georgia, Alabama, Florida State, Auburn, Tennessee and LSU are among the teams in the mix early on according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
9. RB Akylin Dear
While we don’t always get a great look at the complete running back skill set in this camp setting, Akylin Dear showed big play ability on Sunday. He has readymade size at around 6-foot, 200 pounds, pairing with a high-end burst. Dear blew past linebackers on vertical routes for several touchdowns during running back-linebacker 1-on-1’s. His speed was simply too much for the opposing linebackers. Dear’s ability to present a vertical pass threat adds another dimension to his rushing skills. The Quitman (Miss.) High product rushed for 2,016 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior and ranks as the No. 129 overall prospect in the On300. Ole Miss is out in front according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
10. EDGE Isaiah Gibson
Isaiah Gibson showed a versatile and translatable skill set on Sunday at Under Armour Atlanta. The Warner Robins (Ga.) High prospect has EDGE skills and athleticism in the body of a defensive lineman. At around 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Gibson is a functional athlete and operates with a high level of comfort in working on the edge. He moved very well in drills and carried that over to 1-on-1’s, where he won two easy reps, using initial quickness and a long arm to walk the offensive tackle back to the quarterback. Georgia is out in front according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Additional notes
+ Several touted 2025 quarterbacks were on hand, alongside Julian Lewis. Texas commit K.J. Lacey was accurate over the course of the day and spun the ball well. Notre Dame pledge Deuce Knight was the most physically-gifted signal caller on hand with his high-end size and athleticism. Knight had an up and down day as a passer. Antwann Hill Jr. is another well-built, big pocket passer who had some nice throws on the day.
+ The offensive line was among the deeper position groups on hand. On300 prospect Tyler Miller was among the best of the bunch, showing functional movement skills. Mario Nash came away with the event’s offensive line MVP award and showed nice feet in 1-on-1’s. Tavaris Dice has good size and had an encouraging pass set. Cortez Smith had a positive showing, locking horns with Justus Terry in 1-on-1’s. Juan Gaston was among the bigger offensive linemen on hand. He was playing out of position at offensive tackle, but the stature and mass certainly stood out. Though he was perhaps the smallest offensive lineman on hand, 2026 Alabama commit Zykie Helton took and won several reps, showing nice play strength.
+ Georgia tight end pledge Ethan Barbour had several wins during 1-on-1’s, showing refined pass-catching ability. Barbour isn’t the biggest tight end, but has good length and ball skills. Gabe Daniels, Maurice Gleaton and Lagonza Heyward were three more pass catchers who caught our eye. Daniels and Gleaton showed outstanding speed. Heyward may be best as safety prospect, but looks like a good athlete.
+ The EDGE and defensive line group featured several additional notable names. Though we didn’t see him take a bunch of 1-on-1 reps, Zion Grady showed good movement skills in drills. 2026 defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy and 2025 EDGE Jared Smith were the tallest defenders on hand, looking to be well over 6-foot-6.
+ A prolific rusher on Friday nights, Alvin Henderson had a few wins during running back-linebacker 1-on-1’s. In addition to Darrell Johnson and Tyler Atkinson, 2026 prospect Anthony Davis stood out in coverage at linebacker.
+ The defensive back group wasn’t overly loaded, but cornerback Cortez Thomas made some nice plays in coverage. We also saw Shamar Arnoux come down with a pick during 1-on-1’s.
If you thought that the June Swoon might have been the cause of the team’s problems, well think again because the Mets kicked off July with a putrid effort in a 9-3 loss on Canada Day at Rogers Centre. It capped off a series loss in which they fell 2-1 on Monday but blanked the Blue Jays 3-0 in their lone victory.
Despite escaping with one victory in the three-game set, the offense yet again remained the biggest culprit. New York scored seven runs across the three games, with six of the seven coming via the home run. The team also did not record a single hit with runners in scoring position, going hitless in 17 tries across the series and leaving 17 runners on base. Most glaring of all was the Monday game, when they went 0-for-9 and left 7 on base, and given that they lost by one run, they squandered several chances to steal the game from Toronto. Dating back to their loss on Sunday against the Phillies, New York is 2-for-25 with RISP over their past four games.
On the bright side, I mentioned the home runs, and Francisco Lindor contributed two of the five. In doing so, he doubled his home run total on the season, with two now post-IL to match the two he hit before landing on the injured list. In addition, Carson Benge hit his tenth of the year in yesterday’s loss, a two-run blast that got New York on the board. Lastly, both Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens homered in Tuesday night’s victory.
The big story from the week was Steve Cohen joining Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman on a podcast and confirming that David Stearns is safe for the duration of his five-year deal (for those keeping track, he’s currently in the middle of year five of the contract). I’d argue that it’s not really a surprise, as Cohen is committed to Stearns’ vision and also is probably in no hurry to have to fill that role again after how long he waited to get Stearns away from the Brewers.
Fans have been out in full force against the team’s President of Baseball Operations, but it also makes no sense to cut bait now, especially close to both the draft and the trade deadline. Cohen’s comments, at the very least, put all questions to bed and turn attention to Stearns fixing this mess. Cohen did express a lot of disappointment at the team’s play and the position they currently find himself in, so while he essentially said Stearns is safe (for now), that was not necessarily a glowing endorsement of the work he’s done over the past two years, given the team’s current position. However, fans should get comfortable with Stearns at the helm for the next two seasons, which will include navigating a potential lockout.
There is, perhaps, no team in baseball happier than the Braves to see the calendar turn from June to July. Atlanta started the month by going 5-2 but ended it by dropping 12 of their final 16 games, bringing their overall record in June to 9-14. They have gone 1-1 so far in July and ended up dropping two out of three in their series with the Cardinals.
The Braves’ offense was putrid in June, which resulted in their sub-.500 record. They posted the lowest wRC+ (65) and scored the fewest runs (77) of any major league club. They also hit the fewest home runs in the month (19) and had the lowest OPS (.599). Their rotation was not any better in June, as they posted a 5.69 ERA, which is somehow even worse than the Mets’ ERA for the month (5.46), and is the fifth-worst mark in the majors. Their bullpen is just about the one aspect of their game that didn’t fall apart in June, as their relievers posted a 2.14 ERA, which is the best mark in the majors.
Friday, July 3: Christian Scott vs. Grant Holmes, 7:15 PM EDT on WPIX
Scott (2026): 45.0 IP, 53 K, 21 BB, 5 HR, 3.20 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 79 ERA-
Scott made his first start in 15 days after landing on the IL with a right hip impingement and was relatively effective against the Phillies. He lasted 4 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on three hits. He struck out six in the game and walked just two. In the end, he needed 82 pitches and threw 54 of them for strikes. He did not seem to be suffering any ill effects from his injury and is set to make his next turn against the Braves. He has continued to be one of the lone bright spots for New York and has established himself as one of the faces of the club’s future.
Holmes (2026): 77.1 IP, 69 K, 37 BB, 14 HR, 3.96 ERA, 5.19 FIP, 94 ERA-
Holmes made his first relief outing his last time out, going four scoreless innings while limiting the Giants to one hit. Atlanta put him in the bullpen because he had failed to go deep in any of his previous three starts (3 2/3 innings, two innings, and 4 2/3 innings). This outing was by far his most effective of the four, and he showed enough that the Braves feel comfortable plugging him right back into the rotation after that brief reset.
Saturday, July 4: Sean Manaea vs. Chris Sale, 8:08 PM EDT on FOX
Manaea (2026): 63.0 IP, 64 K, 22 BB, 6 HR, 4.71 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 117 ERA-
Manaea bounced back from a rocky (and short) start against the Cubs by holding the Blue Jays to two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched. Unfortunately, he was bitten by a misplay to start the game, which resulted in a little league home run and put him behind one batter into his start. That was enough to saddle Manaea with his third loss of the year, despite the solid showing. Since being inserted back into the rotation on June 13, he has a 4.05 ERA and a 2.91 FIP in 20 innings across four starts, so at the very least he’s gotten his season back on track following the rough stretch in the bullpen to begin the year.
Sale (2026): 90.0 IP, 109 K, 22 BB, 6 HR, 2.10 ERA, 2.55 FIP, 50 ERA-
The 2024 NL Cy Young winner is having a really strong season for the Braves. He currently owns the third-best ERA (2.10) and FIP (2.55) among NL starting pitchers with at least 90 innings pitched in 2026. He’s also third in HR/9 (0.6), fourth in K% (29.6%), and seventh in BB% (7.0%). He’s probably right behind Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sánchez in the Cy Young race right now, but it’s still impressive to see what he’s doing at 37 years old. He suffered a loss in his last start to the Giants, as he allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits over six innings. In the loss, he reached double digits in strikeouts for the second time this season. He’s also been able to give Atlanta a lot of length this year, pitching into the sixth inning in 13 of his 15 starts. He’ll be happy to see the Mets, as he owns a 1.97 ERA in 32 career innings across five starts against the Mets.
Sunday, July 5: Nolan McLean vs. Martín Pérez, 12:30 PM EDT on NBC/Peacock
McLean (2026): 95.1 IP, 113 K, 36 BB, 10 HR, 3.78 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 93 ERA-
McLean enjoyed his best start of the season and looked like the ace the Mets were hoping he would be this year. The right-hander tossed six shutout innings against the Blue Jays, scattering five hits while walking two and striking out seven. The effort was good enough to get him his fifth win against five losses this year, which matched his win total from 2025. The outing also highlights a really fascinating split from the right-hander’s season. So far, he owns a 2.49 ERA in eight road starts while pitching to a much less palatable 5.03 ERA in nine starts at Citi Field. It’s curious to see just how much better he’s pitching away from home, but hopefully that trend continues, at least for this next go-around.
Pérez (2026): 77.0 IP, 61 K, 30 BB, 9 HR, 3.27 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 78 ERA-
Pérez is coming off of a couple of tough outings. His last time out, he was charged with four earned runs on five hits over five innings in a loss to the Cardinals. Prior to that, he was charged with three earned runs on four hits over four innings in a loss to the Padres. In those two starts, he walked seven while striking out five. He also surrendered three homers in the two losses after giving up six homers in his first 15 starts. He did very well against the Mets on June 13, limiting New York to one earned run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. It ended up being the only game the Braves won in their trip to Citi Field.
Monday, July 6: Freddy Peralta vs. Reynaldo López, 7:15pm on SNY
Peralta (2026): 95.1 IP, 92 K, 38 BB, 13 HR, 4.81 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 119 ERA-
Peralta continues to be really maddening for the Mets this year. He was tagged for five earned runs on seven hits against the Blue Jays as he picked up his seventh loss of the year. He walked three and struck out four, and again failed to pitch deep into a game. With the club all but out of it, Peralta is almost sure to be moved by the trade deadline, so his performance over the next few weeks will basically just be used to increase his value and help New York recoup some (hopefully) top prospects.
López (2026): 51.2 IP, 46 K, 22 BB, 6 HR, 3.31 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 79 ERA-
López has bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen this year but appears to be sticking in the rotation for now. He is coming off one of his best showings this year, as he held the Cardinals to one earned run on two hits over five innings of work. He walked just one and struck out six, and the result was his fourth win of the season. It was just the fourth time this year that the right-hander completed five innings of work or more.
Atlanta, GA
Decatur Square businesses thrive during 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup and WatchFest: “…beyond our wildest imagination”
With all the soccer fans visiting metro Atlanta, local businesses are reaping the benefits.
In Decatur, shops and restaurants on the Decatur Square are seeing a surge in foot traffic during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup and Decatur WatchFest.
Lee Fewell, manager and bartender at The Brick Store Pub on the square, said the excitement has been nonstop. “It’s been really crazy,” Fewell said. “We have our outback garden area just completely filled up. We added some TVs, and it’s just been full capacity at any given moment.”
While Wednesday night was relatively slower than recent days, Fewell noted that business is usually quieter during the summer. This year, however, the restaurant saw its biggest day ever when the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team played its first match in the tournament.
“It’s been 29 years this month since this place opened, but usually, it is definitely not like this,” Fewell said. “This is, I think, beyond our wildest imagination.”
Across the square, Siam Thai Restaurant is also enjoying record-breaking business. “We sold out of beer,” said Narit Narajit-McCrary, who works at the restaurant. “I had to go to the supermarket to restock for Monday.”
Narajit-McCrary said the World Cup boost has far exceeded expectations: “During the summer, normally it’s very slow for business, but this summer has been very good for us.”
Atlanta, GA
FBI orders field offices to send analysts to Atlanta for 2020 election investigation, sources say
The FBI is ramping up its investigation into the 2020 election results in Fulton County, Georgia, by ordering field offices across the country to send investigative analysts to Atlanta to help evaluate thousands of records, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
According to a memo sent to all field offices and reviewed by CBS News, the Directorate of Intelligence requested “surge support” to Atlanta to assist in what it called FBI Director Kash Patel’s “priority” investigation. The memo did not explicitly discuss the nature of the investigation, but multiple sources confirmed to CBS News the subject of the memo is the 2020 election probe in Fulton County.
The memo calls on every FBI field office to assign analysts, seeking to reach a total of 260 analysts. Large field offices are being asked to contribute eight analysts each, while small and medium offices must dedicate between three and five analysts. They are being asked to review 708 records each, and complete the work by July 17, the memo shows.
These “tactical intel” staffers typically provide help with day-to-day casework, such as running license plates, doing open-source checks on subjects of investigations, phone analysis, preparing subpoenas and reviewing subpoena returns.
The surge of personnel was first reported by MS Now.
President Trump has repeatedly alleged without providing evidence that officials in heavily Democratic Fulton County manipulated ballot counts in 2020 and that large numbers of votes in the state were cast by deceased Georgians, nonresidents or other ineligible participants.
After Mr. Trump lost Georgia by 11,799 votes, he frequently claimed the election had been “rigged.” But Joe Biden’s win in Georgia was confirmed in both a machine recount and an audit that involved hand recounts by every county in the state.
Earlier this year, the FBI executed a search warrant in Fulton County where it seized “all physical ballots” from 2020, as well as tapes from vote-tabulating machines, ballot images and voter rolls. Home to Atlanta, Fulton County was crucial to Biden’s narrow 2020 win in the state.
The case was referred to the FBI by Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who previously fought to help overturn the results of the 2020 election and now works for the Justice Department, where he is assigned in Miami to help investigate the so-called “grand conspiracy” into whether Obama and Biden-era officials conspired to keep President Trump out of office.
A judge in May denied a request by Fulton County to return the ballots that were seized.
The FBI declined to comment.
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