Arizona
CBS: Cardinals Have Under-The-Radar Star
For the Arizona Cardinals to get over the playoff hump in 2025 after narrowly missing the postseason a year ago, the team is going to need several of their guys to step up.
When I say they need guys to step up, I’m not referring to their current stars.
We know guys like Trey McBride, James Conner, and Budda Baker will hold up their end of the bargain. Free agent additions like Calais Campbell and Josh Sweat should also be exempt. We should have less than zero questions there.
Players being asked to step up also does not include the young players like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Walter Nolen III.
No, the players who should be asked to step up are those who are in positions to start, make significant contributions, and potentially alter games.
The Cardinals have several players who fit that billing.
I could name a slew of players that make sense to hold that label, but one player who stands out to me the most is third-year man Michael Wilson.
Apparently, I’m not the only one, either.
CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell constructed a list of three “under-the-radar” stars for every NFC team this upcoming season and highlighted the Stanford product for Arizona.
Podell started off with this to say:
“Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride and 2024 fourth overall pick wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. get the spotlight with the Arizona Cardinals, but 2023 third-round pick wide receiver Michael Wilson could be on the verge of a breakout in 2025. He was third on the team in targets (71), catches (47) and receiving yards (548) in 2024…”
Wilson has been an important contributor to the Cardinals passing game in his first two professional seasons. He was a pseudo-WR1 of sorts with an up-and-down season from Marquise Brown in his rookie season in 2023 before flourishing in a no.2 role last here behind Harrison.
We saw most of his stats improve across the board after his rookie season output of 38 receptions on 58 targets for 565 yards and three scores.
By all accounts it was a successful season, placing fourth on the team in both receptions and targets, third yards, and tied for second in touchdowns with McBride.
The hope was Wilson would take a step forward in year two with Harrison opposite him to help draw attention away from him. It did seem that way at times, but a poor passing game entirely didn’t lead to the massive results the team had hoped for.
Still, no one is quitting on Wilson yet and he’s still earned playing time for the offense. A correction in the passing game should give him an uptick in production. Kyler Murray certainly believes that he’s more than capable of eclipsing the all-mighty 1,000 yard barrier.
Podell notes a quote from Murray in his article:
“…quarterback Kyler Murray thinks Wilson has the ability to be a 1,000-yard receiver.
“‘Mike [Wilson] is a 1,000-yard receiver. I truly believe Mike can have 1,000 yards and be very comparable to the guys we see doing it year in and year out,’ Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said on April 9, via PHNX Cardinals podcast. ‘It’s all about opportunities, staying healthy and the connection we have on the field, but … he’s got it. He can play receiver.””
It’s always a good thing when your quarterback vouches for you, and Podell agrees with the sentiment:
“Given that kind of belief from his quarterback, Wilson could make a huge leap in the coming season.”
It would obviously be a welcome addition to the offense and really open things up for the team to not be so constrained. That was an issue last season that led to the team’s second-half collapse. That wasn’t remotely a Wilson problem, but he can certainly help prevent that from happening twice.
Entering 2025, the Cardinals would like Wilson’s production to improve, but they may need it plain and simple. Last year’s passing attack was OK. McBride went over 1k on the season with big time volume, and MHJ was close to 900 yards as a rookie who wasn’t used properly.
That can hopefully continue to be the case for years to come, of course with the latter becoming a perennial 1,000 yard receiver.
And although it shouldn’t be asked of Wilson to also become a 1,000 yard receiver — honestly, that’s not fair to ask of any third option in any offense given its rarity — the team will need him to step up this season.
The Cardinals offense was stagnant at times last year and a big reason why was its inconsistent passing game. If Harrison wasn’t getting it done out wide then Arizona was forced into underneath passing. That can’t continue to be the case if the Cardinals want to go back to late-January football.
Harrison will be the biggest factor in changing those fortunes, but Wilson could find a way to also become a component to that change.
Plus, it also gives him a chance to break out some big time numbers right before he heads into a contract season; even more incentive to do such than there already was.
I’m not asking for 1,000 yards out of Wilson, but it is time to get past 600 yards for the first time in his career. I would set the bar at a medium height and look to get 700-800 yards and at least five scores from him this season.
As a third option in a team’s passing game that is no easy task, but I wouldn’t just assign this to a player if I didn’t believe they were capable of doing so.
I firmly believe that Wilson is capable of posting some rock-solid numbers in 2025.
A season output of let’s say 65 receptions, 750 yards, five touchdowns may not feel like a “breakout” to many, but it would be exactly that for the Cardinals. A season like that, if paired with good-to-great seasons from McBride and Harrison, could also be the final key to this offense holding its own.
Wilson isn’t the key to fixing the offense, but he can be the key if things fall into place. So, don’t place all the expectations on him to break out, but don’t be surprised if this offense takes off with a breakout season from Wilson.
Believe it or not, the 2026 All-Star Game voting process has already begun, as of Wednesday. Fans who want to see their favorite members of the Arizona Diamondbacks take the field in the midsummer classic this season can begin voting for their stars.
There are certainly some deserving players on this Diamondbacks club, which is currently 32-28 and occupying the third Wild Card sport in the National League.
Here’s how and where you can vote for your hometown heroes:
How to vote for Diamondbacks players to make All-Star Game
Fans can utilize the following link to vote for members of their team on dbacks.com. Fans are permitted to fill out and submit as many as five ballots per day, selecting as many or as few players as they choose.
This period of the fan vote constitutes Phase 1 of All-Star voting, which will run from Wednesday, June 3 through Thursday, June 25 at 9:00 a.m. Arizona time (12:00 p.m. Eastern time).
Following Phase 1, the two overall top vote-getters will receive automatic berths into the All-Star lineups. If those two are not Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge once again, that would be an upset.
When and where is the 2026 All-Star Game?
The 2026 All-Star Game will take place at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies in Philadelphia. All-Star week begins on June 10, with a full slate of activities, before the game is played on Tuesday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time (5:00 p.m. Arizona time).
The full schedule of events are as follows:
- Friday, July 10: HBCU Swingman Classic
- Saturday, July 11: 2026 MLB Draft
- Sunday, July 12: All-Star Sunday, MLB Futures Game, MLBx All-Star 3-on-3
- Monday, July 13: T-Mobile Home Run Derby (8:00 p.m. ET)
- Tuesday, July 14: All-Star Red Carpet, All-Star Game
Which Diamondbacks are deserving All-Stars?
| Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
So, who should Diamondbacks fans vote for? Obviously, you may fill out the ballot however you choose. That can include a full roster of Diamondbacks, regardless of their stats or notoriety this season.
Still, here are some of the top performing D-backs who might have a leg up on an All-Star berth:
OF Corbin Carroll
Corbin Carroll is having another All-Star worthy season. He’s hitting .289/.380/.545 with a .925 OPS and eight home runs, while playing good right field defense. He has the eighth-most bWAR (2.7) among position players, fifth-most in the National League, and third-most among all pure outfielders.
2B Ketel Marte
If Marte wins the NL second base fan vote, it will be his third straight season starting the All-Star game. Despite such a slow start to the year, that feels possible again. Marte is hitting .259/.315/.456 with 10 homers and is playing the best defense of his career.
3B Nolan Arenado
Nolan Arenado is quietly putting together one of his better seasons of the 2020s, slashing .269/.351/.467 with eight homers and flashing his elite third base glove at nearly as good a pace as ever. His name still carries a lot of weight in third base conversations; he’ll get some votes, no matter what.
1B Ildemaro Vargas
Vargas’ bat has cooled down quite a bit since his historic start to 2026. He’s still hitting a sturdy .290/.318/.454, but feels more likely to be considered as a reserve selection than a leading vote-getter.
Honorable Mention: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
Pitchers are not selected by the fan vote. They are selected by player ballots and the All-Star Game managers. The National League’s manager will be Dave Roberts of the Dodgers, again.
The National League has quite a few talented pitchers, but Eduardo Rodriguez currently holds the fifth-best starting pitcher ERA (2.24) among NL hurlers. It’s going to be difficult to dethrone Christopher Sanchez or Jacob Misiorowski, but Rodriguez could find his way into the pitching pool, especially after his WBC heroics for Team Venezuela.
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Arizona State has added Michael White to its coaching staff for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. White will join the program as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
“I am incredibly honored to return to my home state and join this elite program,” White said. “I’m proud to say that I am coming home. I can’t thank Coach Herbie enough for the opportunity to join his incredible staff and help these young athletes grow and develop into the best individuals they can be. There are so many friends and mentors who have left their mark on this program, and I’m excited for the opportunity to leave mine and help take this program to new heights. Go Devils!”
White arrives with the Sun Devils after most recently spending the last three seasons with Alabama as an assistant. The Alabama women finished 11th at the 2026 NCAA Championships while the men were 24th.
Prior to arriving at Alabama, White spent the 2022-2023 season as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin. He primarily coached the freestyle, breaststroke and distance groups for the Badgers. In addition to coaching the Badgers, he also was an assistant senior coach with the Madison Aquatics Club for the year. He began his coaching career at Juniata College in Pennsylvania as a volunteer assistant from 2019-2021.
White spent his collegiate career at St. Bonaventure in New York. There he was a 7x individual Atlantic-10 champion and swam to three school records as a senior with a 1:47.30 200 IM, 3:52.18 400 IM, and a 1:47.70 200 fly. He also was team captain for two season and helped the team capture the 2014 A-10 team title.
The Scottsdale, Arizona native will return to his home state. He was a 2012 AIA Division I state champion in the 100 breast and 200 IM as a senior for Dobson High School.
White joins the coaching staff led by head coach Herbie Behm, who is already known to be an innovative coach. Behm spoke of White’s innovation as well saying, “Mike is one of the best young coaches in the NCAA. His interview blew me away with the innovative ideas he presented. I can’t wait to start implementing those ideas and continue our growth at ASU.”
Arizona State swept the 2026 Big 12 team titles, and the men went on to finish 4th at 2026 NCAAs while the women were 37th. Rising senior Ilya Kharun captured the NCAA title in the 200 fly with a 1:37.66.
Arizona is ranked 18th in the nation when it comes to racial equality in the classroom, according to WalletHub.
The personal finance website compiled its 2026 list of Best States for Racial Equality in Education by looking at differences between Black and white students when it comes to test scores, college attainment and high school graduation rates.
The rankings are based on a weighted average of six metrics, but did WalletHub not provide a breakdown of each category.
However, statistics from the Center for the Future of Arizona support the idea that Arizona has work to do when it comes to racial equality. African American students in Arizona have an average college attainment rate of 38%, while white students have an average rate of 54%.
That difference is also evident in other education areas, with a gap of 11 percentage points between Black and white high schoolers in graduation rate.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo called the high school graduation rate the most “alarming” data set for the Arizona. He said if the study included the state’s large Hispanic population, the results might have been different.
“It would be interesting, if those numbers were included, where the gaps would be. Again, Arizona has a high Hispanic population, as [does] New Mexico, and New Mexico was at number three. So maybe Arizona could take a look at what their neighbors are doing there to kind of bridge those gaps,” he said.
How can Arizona increase racial equality in the classroom?
Lupo said Arizona can boost its ranking and improve racial equality in schools by increasing the representation and funding for public education.
“One thing [to] do is to build more diversity within the school system. More Black administrators and more Black teachers kind of create more of a familiarity for Black students and more mentors. … Increased funding and a more concerted effort to increase diversity among the school systems, I think, would go a long way in bridging that gap,” he said.
WalletHub ranked Wyoming, West Virginia and New Mexico as the best states for racial equality in the classroom, with New Jersey, Connecticut and Wisconsin at the bottom of the list.
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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