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Best Whirlpool Refrigerators Online at Best Prices in India (May 2023)

by economictimes.indiatimes.com Leave a Comment

Synopsis

This article will give you a list of the best Whirlpool refrigerators available with different capacities and features. Considering Whirlpool refrigerators that provide a wide range of options, you might find that this article ends your refrigerator search and gives you the best refrigerator in India. Unlike the other brands Whirlpool fridges are popular for the quality of products they manufacture. Lets move further to make you search easier and faster.

Every home needs a refrigerator because they provide the best cooling and guard against food spoilage. There are several brands on the market that provide a variety of refrigerators, including LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, and others. If you want to purchase a new refrigerator, we advise choosing the Whirlpool brand. It has a large selection of refrigerators that are packed with features, provide optimal cooling, and are available in various sizes for all types of families.

Choose the most popular Whirlpool refrigerators that are ideal for you and your family and provide the best cooling while consuming the least amount of electricity. decide which refrigerators to purchase in 2023.

Best Whirlpool Refrigerators

1. Whirlpool 190 L Single door Refrigerator

This is the most affordable refrigerator by Whirlpool, it gives various features and top notch quality to its customers. It is 4 star energy efficient refrigerator that has an in-built inverter and a direct cooling system. Its cooling can last for around 9 hours during power cuts. It has spacious storage of on the door for bottles, large vegetable crisper, insulated capillary technology and auto-connect system to home inverter.

Click here to buy Whirlpool 190 L Single door Refrigerator

2. Whirlpool 200 L Single door Refrigerator

This Whirlpool 3-star fridge has various qualities like direct cool refrigerator with UI and 3s Energy rating. It has a modern door design with a metallic handle, which compliments your house elegantly. It gives you hassle-free experience through its auto defrost from intelli-frost technology. It can preserve milk for 12 hours in case of power cuts. It also has a few special features like 6th sense technology, 4X precise cooling, stabilizer-free operation, a quick chill zone and many more.

Click here to buy Whirlpool 200 L Single door Refrigerator

3. Whirlpool 280 L Single door Refrigerator

Whirlpool 280 L Single door Refrigerator is a 3-star direct cool fridge. It has 4 star intellisense inverter technology. It can keep your vegetable garden fresh for up to 15 days. Up to 12 hours of preservation during power cuts. It can also make ice in just 1 hour through fast ice mode and it can also cool a bottle in just a few minutes of refrigeration.

Click here to buy Whirlpool 280 L Single door Refrigerator

4. Whirlpool 265 L Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator

Whirlpool frost free double door refrigerator comes with advanced Intellisense inverter technology. It is a 3-star German steel refrigerator with 265 litres capacity and 125 wattage capacity. The convertible freezer converts the refrigerator in 5-in-1 modes as per your convenience — all-seasonal mode, chef mode, desert mode, party mode and deep freeze mode.

Click here to buy Whirlpool 265 L Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator

5. Whirlpool 265 L Double Door Refrigerator

This refrigerator from Whirlpool has a few exciting features at a budget-friendly price. It has a beautiful glass finish door that looks elegant from all sides. It is badged with 2-star energy ratings and has 6th sense Deepfreezes technology, and chilling gel prevents cold air from escaping from the refrigerator. Its Fresh flow Air Tower with Flexi vents keeps the fruits and vegetable garden fresh for up to 12 days. The 265 L capacity of this refrigerator is good for the small-sized family.

Click here to buy Whirlpool 265 L Double Door Refrigerator

FAQs: Best Whirlpool Refrigerators

Q1. Why should I buy a Whirlpool Refrigerator?

Ans. You can opt for Whirlpool over any other brand as it gives you quality products. It manufactures good quality products, this is the major reason why it has millions of customers.

Q2. Can Whirlpool refrigerators work on home inverters?

Ans. Yes, there are many fridges from Whirlpool that can directly connect itself to the home inverter during power cuts.

Q3. Can I purchase a Whirlpool refrigerator below Rs. 20,000?

Ans. Yes, Whirlpool gives you many options, if you have to purchase refrigerators under 20,000. You can buy Whirlpool’s 190 L single door refrigerators, 200 L single door refrigerators and many more.

Q4. Can I switch for Whirlpool over any other brand?

Ans. Yes, switching over to Whirlpool over any other brand can be fruitful. Whirlpool gives you the best quality products with your preferred range.

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( Originally published on Sep 09, 2022 )
Disclaimer : The above content is non-editorial and produced by a third party advertiser. Times Internet Limited/ Economic Times does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of the content or its genuineness. The product prices mentioned in the article are subject to change including depending upon offers given by Amazon.

Buy Windows 10: the cheapest prices in May 2023

by www.techradar.com Leave a Comment

We’ve searched online and brought together where to buy Windows 10 for the best price right now. If you need it for a new PC build, are upgrading an old device, or have a Mac you’d like to install a Windows operating system on, we can help you find it for less. All the cheapest Windows 10 deals are right here.

Even though Windows 11 is the latest version that now ships with many of the best laptops , there are many users who would prefer to stick to its predecessor. It’s a strange stat but, in spite of the free upgrade, barely anyone has moved on to Windows 11 . This is mostly due to its TPM requirements , compatibility issues and poor performance.

Still, you don’t need to jump all the way to Windows 11 if you’re trying to upgrade from an older OS. You can just get the best-supported version of Windows (which remains Windows 10) and it will make your computer more secure. After all, if you’re running an older version such as Windows 8 , you’re vulnerable to all sorts of security issues.

To make things easy, we’ve collected the best deals out there so you can get Windows 10 for the least amount of money. That way, you also get to experience speedier performance, Cortana assistance and crucial security features.

If you need Word, Powerpoint, Excel and more, too, then here’s where to find the latest Microsoft Office deals .

Or, if you need a whole new device, check out the latest laptop deals .

Where to buy Windows 10

Windows 10 Home deals

Windows 10 Home is the version that most people will need. It’s for home use and includes game streaming from Xbox consoles as well as other consumer features like Cortana and Windows Hello for logging into your PC via a fingerprint scanner or your face.

If Windows 8 was the steepest learning curve imaginable, Windows 10 is like meeting a great friend you once knew again – it’s just that they’ve bought some new clothes that get your full approval. If you’re looking to buy Windows 10 Home today, you’ll find some excellent offers to save you some cash below.

Windows 10 Professional deals

Buy Windows 10 Professional if you need the extra security and management improvements over the Home version above. It’s an unnecessary upgrade for most users, so only consider this if you know any of the features below are vital for your setup.

It includes Hyper-V for virtualization, BitLocker whole disk encryption, enterprise mode IE, Remote Desktop, a version of the Windows Store for your own business and assigned access (which locks a PC to running only one modern application, to use like a kiosk). Network admins can also schedule updates so they don’t happen at important times.

Why buy Windows 10?

You may still be running your computer on Windows 7 or 8, and if so now’s the time to buy Windows 10. This isn’t just a performance update, Windows 10 brings new features and security settings to your machine that are crucial to getting your work done in today’s operating systems. From the ease of the Cortana assistant to the speed boost you’ll notice instantly, upgrading your older system to Windows 10 will be well worth your while.

Buy Windows 10 to install on a Mac

Another reason you might want to buy Windows 10 is you want to install the operating system on an Apple Mac computer. You can install Windows 10 on a Mac that is no older than 2015 by using Boot Camp Assistant, Apple’s own utility. You will need between 64GB and 128GB of free storage space on your computer, as well as an external USB flash drive with at least 16GB of space in certain instances. Find out more about installing Windows 10 on a Mac via Apple Support . Once installed, you’ll be able to switch between Mac OS and Windows 10 when you start up your computer.

Need some added security? Download the best Windows 10 antivirus and Windows VPN . You can also check out the latest MacBook deals right here on TechRadar.

The Best DDR4 RAM of 2023

by www.howtogeek.com Leave a Comment

Buying DDR4 RAM for Your PC in 2023

Originally released in 2014, DDR4 is an older RAM standard than DDR5, released in 2020. If you’re building a new PC from scratch, you may want to opt for the newer standard for future compatibility, but even for new PCs, DDR4 has a big advantage in price .

Once you’ve settled on DDR4, the main issue you’ll want to address is how much memory you need and how many slots you have. If upgrading your laptop shipped with 8GB RAM, you may need a 16GB SODIMM stick because there’s only one available slot. On the other hand, a gaming PC often has four slots for running two pairs of dual-channel memory .

Dual-channel memory lets you take a certain memory capacity, like 32GB, and divide it into two RAM sticks. This gives you the same capacity but greater bandwidth since the memory uses two slots, which makes for better performance. It’s less common, but quad-channel memory uses the same concept, just with four slots.

The next issue is speed, but how important this is will differ for everyone. If you’re mainly using RAM in the form of multiple Chrome tabs and chat windows, most RAM should work fine as long as it has the capacity you require. That said, gamers, video professionals, and others will want the fastest RAM they can find.

If you’re adding RAM instead of just replacing it, note the capacity and speed of the memory you have. While most DDR4 RAM should work together in your PC, it’s easier to keep your PC running smoothly with the same speed and capacity RAM or, ideally, even the same manufacturer.

Finally, gamers may be looking for more specific features, like RGB lighting or overclocking features . Not all RAM is made equal regarding how far you can push it before it begins to have issues.

Finally, make sure that you don’t skimp on the capacity. While 16GB is still plenty of RAM for most uses, if you’re gaming a lot or are running a lot of resource-heavy applications, it may be time to move to 32GB of RAM .

Best DDR4 RAM Overall: Patriot Viper Steel DDR4

Pros

  • ✓ Classy look
  • ✓ Available in speeds up to 4,400Mhz
  • ✓ Compatibility ensures it works with your PC

Cons

  • ✗ Works best only with specific motherboards

Whether you’re building a new PC or upgrading an older one, faster RAM is always nice to have. That’s especially true when that fast RAM also looks great and doesn’t cost too much, like the Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 memory.

This DDR4 kit is available in various speeds and capacities, with capacities of kits ranging up to 64GB (2×32GB) and speeds up to 4,400Mhz. No matter which kit you choose, the Viper Steel has a more minimal look than other high-performance RAM, with no RGB lighting and a sleek metal heat spreader.

If you’ve got a high-end motherboard and patience, you can eke some serious performance out of the Patriot Viper Steel’s higher-speed kits. With Intel XMP 2.0 enabled and some overclocking, this RAM can reach timings up to 19-19-19-39.

The Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 isn’t the cheapest memory you can buy, but 32GB costs you less than $70, if you’re willing to opt for 3,600Mhz. That said, this RAM can go faster, with 16GB 2×8GB kits available at 4,400Mhz .

Best DDR4 RAM Overall

Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 32GB (1 x 32GB) 3600 MHz Module

The Patriot Viper Steel DDR4 offers great performance, high capacities, and Intel XMP 2.0 support to ensure you hit the advertised speeds, all in a great-looking and affordable package.

Best Budget DDR4 RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX

Pros

  • ✓ Minimal design looks great in any PC build
  • ✓ Hand-sorted chips for solid performance
  • ✓ Available in up to 256GB kits
  • ✓ Low-profile design

Cons

  • ✗ May be too plain looking for some

There are plenty of budget RAM options, but only so many are available from companies with reputations as solid as Corsair. While it’s not the cheapest DDR4 RAM you’ll find, the Corsair Vengeance LPX is a solid, dependable component that offers better performance than many budget options.

While any DDR4 RAM should work with a compatible motherboard, Corsair has gone to great lengths to ensure that the Vengeance LPX is optimized for both modern Intel and AMD processors. This RAM also uses hand-sorted chips to ensure you have room to overclock, should you want to.

Intel XMP 2.0 makes setup and getting the RAM to run at its advertised speeds simple. The Vengeance LPX also uses a low-profile design, with a height of just 34mm. This makes space for other components in your PC build and a great option for PCs with smaller form factors.

The Corsair Vengeance LPX has three-speed options: 3,200Mhz, 3,600Mhz, and 4,000Mhz. While the highest speed comes at a premium, in some cases, a 3,600Mhz 16GB kit is cheaper than the slower alternative.

Best Budget DDR4 RAM

Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4

Budget RAM doesn’t have to mean cheap quality, and the Corsair Vengeance LPX makes that clear, with hand-sorted chips that ensure you’ve got plenty of room for overclocking.

Best DDR4 RAM for Gaming: TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem ARGB

Pros

  • ✓ ARBG lighting
  • ✓ Sleek look even without the lighting
  • ✓ Excellent performance
  • ✓ Great price for what you get

Cons

  • ✗ Could overclock better
  • ✗ Kit options can be overwhelming

If you’re building or upgrading a PC for gaming, you need to pay close attention to each component if you want to squeeze out every last drop of gaming performance. That’s when you turn to an option like the TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem ARGB .

Gaming PC builds are synonymous with over-the-top lighting, but if you prefer things on the subtler side, the RGB lighting here is controllable to suit whatever style you prefer. The aluminum alloy heat sink has a great look all on its own while still allowing the light to shine through.

The T-Force Xtreem ARGB will work well regardless of whether you’re running an Intel or AMD CPU. That said, the way the RAM is optimized means you’ll end up with slightly better performance on an AMD platform. Many PC builds for gaming use AMD Ryzen CPUs, so this is a great fit.

We’re looking at the 32GB PC4-28800 kit, but multiple speeds and capacities are available. You can go up to 16GB of 5,333Mhz PC4-42700 in a 2×16GB kit or up to a 128GB 3,600Mhz PC4-28800 kit .

Best DDR4 RAM for Gaming

TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem ARGB 32GB (2x16GB)

If you’re looking for DDR4 RAM that looks as impressive as it performs, the ARGB lighting on the TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem ARBG is a perfect match for its speed and ease of use.

Best DDR4 RAM for Laptops: Kingston FURY Impact 32GB

Pros

  • ✓ Available in multiple capacities and kits
  • ✓ Plug N Play automatic overclocking
  • ✓ Low power consumption

Cons

  • ✗ Not as fast as desktop options

Upgrading the DDR4 RAM in your laptop can be tricky, as the SODIMM modules you need for a laptop are harder to find than standard modules. Assuming your laptop doesn’t have soldered-in RAM, the Kingston FURY Impact 32GB is a perfect kit to drop in and replace your existing DDR4.

Kingston advertises that the FURY Impact 32GB kit is ready for AMD’s Ryzen chips. Of course, the RAM will still work fine with your Intel processor, and this RAM supports Intel XMP 2.0 profiles.

The Kingston FURY Impact DDR4 features Plug-N-Play automatic overclocking. This feature automatically overclocks the RAM to the highest published frequency supported by the RAM and your hardware, taking the tedious setup out of overclocking.

We’re specifically looking at the 3,200Mhz 32GB kit, but plenty of other speeds and options exist. This RAM is also available in 2,666Mhz and 2,933Mhz speeds, with capacities ranging from 16GB to 64GB (2×32GB) .

Best DDR4 RAM for Laptops

Kingston FURY Impact 32GB

If you have the ability to replace the RAM in your laptop, the Kingston FURY Impact 32GB will ensure that you’ve got more than enough memory for as long as that laptop keeps running.

Best 32GB DDR4 RAM: G.SKILL 32GB Ripjaws V Series

Pros

  • ✓ Tested for wide compatibility
  • ✓ Optimized for dual-channel performance
  • ✓ Low-profile design is great for large CPU coolers

Cons

  • ✗ Look may not be for everyone

If you know you’re going for 32GB in your PC build, buying it all at once makes sense, as this lets you make sure your RAM is compatible for the best performance. In this case, the G.SKILL 32GB Ripjaws V Series kit is a perfect option.

The Ripjaws V Series 32GB kit is meant to run in dual-channel mode for increased bandwidth. This increases the speed at which your CPU can access the memory, giving you better overall performance without the headaches of overclocking.

Of course, if you want to overclock the Ripjaws V Series, you can. This RAM features XMP 2.0 profile support to easily reach the 16-18-18-38 RAM timing listed on the Amazon page. G.SKILL also mentions that this RAM is specifically optimized for AMD’s Ryzen X570, Intel’s Z390 and Z490, and newer processors.

Finally, while the Ripjaws V Series kit isn’t as low-profile as some, at 42mm, it leaves plenty of room for large CPU coolers. This is a great choice for building a high-performance, small-footprint PC.

Best 32GB DDR4 RAM

G.SKILL 32GB (2 x 16GB) Ripjaws V Series DDR4

If you’re building a DDR4 PC, you may as well take advantage of current prices and go for 32GB while you can. The G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series offers great performance and the capacity you’ll need for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

DDR stands for “Double Data Rate,” and DDR4 is the fourth generation of this type of memory.

No. While some manufacturers advertise their memory as better-suited to certain CPU architectures, DDR4 RAM will work with either type of CPU, assuming it’s compatible with your motherboard.

No. DDR4 and DDR5 use slots that are physically incompatible with each other, so you wouldn’t even be able to fit it into the slot.

For most games that are on the market at the time of this writing, yes. That said, games with higher system requirements are coming all the time, and you may need to upgrade to 32GB.

Yes, at least theoretically. In practice, modules with different speeds, capacities, and manufacturers can cause issues with each other. They may still work, but performance may suffer.

You can see this information in Windows. For full instructions, see our guide to checking your RAM amount, type, and speed on Windows 11 .

The Best AMD Motherboards for Gaming in 2023

GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX

Best AMD Motherboard for Gaming Overall

GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX

MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi

Best Budget AMD Motherboard for Gaming

MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi

GIGABYTE B650I AORUS Ultra

Best Mini-ITX AMD Motherboard for Gaming

GIGABYTE B650I AORUS Ultra

ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming

Best DDR5 AMD Motherboard for Gaming

ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming

MSI MEG X670E ACE

Best for Overclocking AMD Motherboard for Gaming

MSI MEG X670E ACE

Memorial Day MLB check-in: Awards for MLB-best Rays, NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., plus current postseason bracket

by www.cbssports.com Leave a Comment

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It’s Memorial Day and that means we are all now free to obsess over the standings. Memorial Day is the traditional start of summer and, at this point, we kind of have to stop saying “it’s early.” The 2023 season is nearly two months complete and the contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders, and those hot and cold starts are sorting themselves out.

Now that summer has unofficially begun, let’s take stock of the baseball landscape. Come with me, won’t you?

Postseason bracket

This is Year 2 of MLB’s new 12-team postseason bracket. Eight of the 12 teams in postseason position on Memorial Day last year ultimately made the playoffs. The biggest miss? The Twins . They were 29-19 (.604) on the morning of Memorial Day, then went 49-65 (.430) the rest of the way to finish 14 games out in the AL Central and eight games out of a wild-card spot. These would be the postseason brackets if the season ended today (based on winning percentage):

AMERICAN LEAGUE BYE: Rays (.709) and Rangers (.635) WC1: Yankees (.582) at Twins (.509) WC2: Astros (.596) at Orioles (.642)

NATIONAL LEAGUE BYE: Braves (.604) and Dodgers (.593) WC1: Giants (.509) at Brewers (.528) WC2: Marlins (.519) at Diamondbacks (.566)

The only teams truly out of the race right now are the Athletics (.182) and Royals (.296). Both are double-digit games out of a postseason berth and there’s no reason to believe they can put together the sort of turnaround necessary to contend. It would be a stunning and historic reversal.

Otherwise, every single team in the NL — every single one! — is within 4 1/2 games of a postseason berth. Every team other than the A’s and Royals in the AL is within six games of a postseason berth. The races are still wide open, as they should be on Memorial Day. Even a team like the White Sox , who started so terribly, has hope with four months to play. That’s good for baseball.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Best team: Rays. It’s closer than you think — the Orioles and Rangers have been excellent and appear to have staying power — but yeah, it’s the Rays, who have won 39 of their first 55 games. Tampa is second in runs scored per game, fourth in fewest runs allowed per game, and first in defensive efficiency. They have 11 players with at least seven home runs. The Rays have been a powerhouse two months into the season. The best team in baseball, regardless of league.

Worst team: Athletics. This is just a sad situation and I feel terribly for A’s fans. How government officials in Las Vegas could look at the way A’s owner John Fisher and team president Dave Kaval have run the franchise and treated the fan base and say, “That looks great, let’s given them hundreds of millions of dollars to run a team in our city!” is beyond me. The A’s are on pace to go 29-133 and shatter — shatter — the 1962 Mets modern record for futility (40-120-1). What a shame. What a disgrace. Also, the Royals owe the A’s a big thank you. Kansas City is on pace to go 48-115, and without Oakland, we’d be talking about the Royals having a chance to be the worst team since the 2003 Tigers went 43-119.

Biggest surprise: Rangers. They lead baseball in runs scored per game and are fifth in fewest runs allowed per game, and they’re doing that despite getting only 30 innings out of Jacob deGrom . Injuries come with the territory with deGrom, I know that, but if you would have told me before the season that the Rangers would have allowed the fifth fewest runs per game on Memorial Day, I would have assumed deGrom had stayed healthy and been a major contributor. Nathan Eovaldi stands out as the best free agent signing of the winter, certainly among pitchers at least, and the Rangers surpassed the Rays in run differential last week (plus-123 to plus-120). I thought Texas would be improved this season. I did not think they would be this good, even just over the first two months.

Biggest disappointment: Blue Jays . I was tempted to say White Sox, though a poor start didn’t seem out of the question given last year and their underwhelming offseason. Toronto looked like a potential powerhouse with a shot to challenge for the AL East title, if not the best record in the AL. Instead, they’re hanging around .500 two months into the season and recently wrapped up a 2-9 stretch against division rivals with some careless mistakes along the way . The Blue Jays should be a lot better than this. The Guardians deserve a shoutout here as well. That offense is abysmal.

Team with the most to prove: Mariners . They snapped the longest postseason drought in the four major North American sports last season and, while there are still four months to play, the Mariners haven’t exactly looked like a team ready to make the jump to World Series contender. Offseason additions Teoscar Hernández , AJ Pollock , and Kolten Wong have underperformed (and that’s putting it nicely), and while they’ve lost several important pitchers to injury ( Andrés Muñoz , Robbie Ray , etc.), Seattle isn’t alone in that department. The Mariners are better than they’ve shown to date. Now they have to go out and prove it.

Team that most needs to make a trade: Rangers. There are a lot of “correct” answers to this one. The Yankees need a left fielder. The Mariners need a DH. The Rays need bullpen help . I’ll go with the Rangers because, as good as they’ve been, the bullpen has been a sore spot. Texas doesn’t want to undermine their dominant offense and strong rotation work with a leaky bullpen come the second half and the postseason. GM Chris Young has shown himself to be a big game hunter and I can’t help but wonder if Liam Hendriks would be on the radar should the White Sox decide to sell.

MVP: Shohei Ohtani . The AL MVP race is wide open at the moment and the tie goes to the dude who pitches and hits at high levels. Wander Franco leads the league in WAR, Marcus Semien is the engine that drives the Rangers, and if you took Aaron Judge away from the Yankees that offense goes from mediocre to bad real quick. There have been a lot of terrific individual performances in the Junior Circuit this season. I won’t argue against Franco or Semien or Judge or Randy Arozarena or several others. Right now, two months into the season, I’ll go with Ohtani. He’s incredible.

Cy Young: Sonny Gray . The case can be made the top two Cy Young contenders are Twins: Gray and Joe Ryan . Shane McClanahan is the frontrunner among non-Twins with Gerrit Cole ‘s so-so May knocking him down the depth chart. Gray is going to get whacked with the home run regression stick at some point — he has yet to allow a home run in 54 1/3 innings — but it hasn’t happened yet, so the MLB leader in ERA, ERA+, FIP, and WAR is an obvious choice for the Memorial Day Cy Young.

Rookie of the Year: Hunter Brown . Gunnar Henderson is beginning to pick it up at the plate — the stats aren’t there yet but he consistently puts together quality at-bats and hits the ball hard — and my guess is he’ll be a serious contender for this award when it’s all said and done. But, right now, two months into the season, I’ll go with Brown over Bryce Miller and Yennier Cano mostly because he’s thrown roughly twice as many innings, and pitched very well in those innings. Don’t sleep on Zach Neto. He’s beginning to settle in after a sluggish start to his MLB career.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Best team: Braves. The Braves and Dodgers have essentially the same record and run differential, and roughly the same strength of schedule too. They’ve both had a lot of injuries as well. This really is a toss up. I’ll go with Atlanta because the case can be made they have the two best players in the NL this season ( Ronald Acuña Jr. and Sean Murphy ) and because they’ve weathered the pitching injuries a little better than Los Angeles. But again, this is a toss up, and I wouldn’t argue with anyone who says the Dodgers have been the best team in the NL. Atlanta’s margin of victory here is razor thin.

Worst team: Rockies . The Cubs have not covered themselves in glory the last few weeks and are a viable contender for this spot. I mean heck, they have the NL’s worst record! Colorado is right there with them though, and the Cubs have enough talent that I can see them turning things around in a way I just can’t with the Rockies. Credit to the Nationals for being better than just about everyone expected too. They’re not good (23-30), but they’re not an abject disaster either and they compete hard. Two months ago I would have assumed they were a shoo-in for this spot.

Biggest surprise: Pirates . They have crashed back to Earth hard since their 20-8 start, but they woke up in a postseason spot Sunday morning, and that qualifies as a surprise on Memorial Day. Even with Oneil Cruz ‘s unfortunate injury, you can see the makings of the next contending Pirates team coming into place. It’s Mitch Keller atop the rotation, Bryan Reynolds in the middle of the order, Ke’Bryan Hayes winning Gold Gloves at third base, etc. The Diamondbacks deserve a mention here as well, though I thought they had this kind of start in them given their young talent. I’m less surprised the D-Backs are where they are than I am surprised the Pirates are where they are, so the Pirates it is.

Biggest disappointment: Padres . The names say this should be one of the best teams in the league, if not the best, and yet the Padres are under .500 and far enough out in the NL West that a division title might already be out of the question. The hope was Fernando Tatis Jr. would give the team a spark, and as good as he’s been, San Diego had a .450 winning percentage before he returned from his suspension and they have a .455 winning percentage since he returned from his suspension. They haven’t exactly turned things on. The Padres should be better than this. We also said that last year and the year before though. It’s impossible to quantify and difficult to even explain, but the Padres seem to be lacking an “it” factor.

Team with the most to prove: Mets. San Diego certainly fits here as well. The Mets having the highest payroll in the sport’s history, however, and they’ve hovered around .500 most of the season. On paper, they have the best rotation in the game, but that rotation ranks 29th in WAR because of injuries and poor performance. The Mets blew a 10 1/2-game division lead last season and lost in the Wild Card Series, then owner Steven Cohen invested heavily in the roster in the offseason. This is very much a World Series or bust team, and the Mets have not looked very World Series-ish to date. The Phillies are an honorable mention here.

Team that most needs to make a trade: Cardinals . St. Louis is 14-7 since their 10-24 start and they’ve begun to climb up the NL Central standings. The division is extremely winnable and, like most contenders, the Cardinals will look to add at the deadline. Unlike most contenders, the Cardinals also figure to look to trade pieces away at the deadline. They have too many outfielders and not enough pitching, so an outfielder for a pitcher trade would be ideal. Easier said than done, of course. Point is, St. Louis needs to clear the outfield logjam and beef up the pitching, both for this year and the future.

MVP: Ronald Acuña Jr. He has been arguably the best all-around player in the game and he has a real chance at a 40/40 season. The best player on the league’s best team always gets a ton of MVP support. Acuña’s teammate, Sean Murphy, deserves love here as well, as do Freddie Freeman , Mookie Betts , Paul Goldschmidt , and others. It’s weird to call him a sleeper, but don’t forget about Juan Soto . He’s back to being the best hitter in baseball after an underwhelming (by his standards) April. If the Padres get their season on track, Soto will be a major reason why, and that will lead to MVP votes.

Cy Young: Logan Webb . Alex Cobb ‘s stinker Sunday paved the way for his teammate to take our Memorial Day Cy Young. Webb leads the league in innings and ranks near the top of the league in ERA, ERA+, ground ball rate, and WAR. That’s good enough for me. Zac Gallen is in the race as well, ditto Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder . Atlanta’s rotation injuries gave Elder an opportunity and he currently leads the league in ERA and ERA+, albeit in considerably fewer innings than the other Cy Young candidates. I value volume, so Webb gets the nod here. Great season for Elder though. Way to capitalize.

Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll . James Outman ‘s poor May opened the door for Carroll to win our Memorial Day Rookie of the Year award. Francisco Álvarez is charging hard though. He’s out-hitting Carroll and Outman, albeit in way fewer plate appearances, and he’s doing it as a catcher. For now, Carroll is the NL Rookie of the Year thanks to a thrilling power/speed combination. He is the franchise player the D-Backs have lacked since trading away Paul Goldschmidt.

Shubman Gill: Is the Indian batter cricket’s next big thing?

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By Suresh Menon
Sports Writer

Fans are big on identifying baton-change moments in sport.

In his final Test innings just under a decade ago, when Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for the last time, in came Virat Kohli. Kohli began with a boundary first ball, and the whispers gained in volume at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai that the future is here, Tendulkar’s successor is ready and able, the Kohli era has just begun.

Something similar happened last week when Shubman Gill’s second successive IPL century for Gujarat Titans topped Kohli’s second successive century for Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Chinnaswamy Stadium audience, disappointed at the home side’s defeat, however said with a knowing nod: the baton is being passed on, the future is ready, long live the king.

For so long has Gill been seen as the natural successor to Kohli that this was an easy one to hang a label on. Transitions are usually recognised only in hindsight, but here was an opportunity to see it happening before one’s own eyes. Neither fans nor critics could resist the temptation. Gill will be 24 in a few days’ time and is two years younger than Kohli was during the earlier baton passing. In sport, we love inevitabilities just as much as we enjoy surprises.

Some players are picked for big things at a very young age. When Gill was 15, he made 351 in an under-16 match; for Punjab in the Vijay Merchant (Under-16) tournament, he began with a double century.

When he was named India’s Under-19 vice captain for the 2018 World Cup, it came as no surprise. He had already made his Ranji Trophy [India’s main domestic tournament] debut for Punjab. And when he hit an unbeaten 102 against Pakistan in the semi-final, everything seemed to be going to plan. He emerged as player of the tournament.

Gill has been enjoying an incredible 2023, becoming the youngest double centurion in one-day internationals, India’s highest centurion in T20 internationals and now scoring back-to-back centuries in the IPL (His team, Gujarat Titans, was defeated by Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday. They will have another shot at the final when they play a qualifier later this week).

India like their best batsmen to be all-format players. It is an old bias that T20 hasn’t been able to erase. At 20, Gill took on Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood and Nathan Lyon, in a chase that saw him make 91 and take India to a Test win in Brisbane.

His natural sense of timing, instinctive understanding of where the fielders are and ability to play between any two of them are hallmarks of a very special player. With the confidence that comes from having run up big scores in all formats, he knows that he belongs. And he should, for another decade and more while the Indian team undergoes the inevitable transition.

There might be something of the young Dilip Vengsarkar in his batting, but Gill is not your typical Indian batsman, all wristy flair and mischief. Like the greats of the past, he is a backfoot batter, pulling to leg and stroking to the off in unexpected ways.

It all looks effortless because the power is married to aestheticism, and there isn’t an extra note in the composition. For a predominantly bottom-handed player who loves to play the pull, he can drive like the best of them on either side of the wicket. And even the pull comes with a wide range. The ball can finish anywhere from the right of square leg to the left of mid-on.

Above all, there is a calmness and control about Gill’s batting that communicates itself to those watching including the bowler, who is often as much a spectator as the man in the stands. You can only pray for bowlers when you realise that he has not yet peaked as a batter and will become even more of a force.

If missing matches for India – through injury or shortage of runs – has taught him one thing it is to bat as long and as productively as possible. In any case, that is something he enjoys.

White ball cricket has taught Gill to be innovative and score at a gallop. In 15 Tests he averages just under 35, which for a batter of his gifts is well below par. The World Test Championship final next month in England might be the platform which launches him towards the statistical towers of a Tendulkar or Kohli. He owes it as much to himself as to a billion fans who like to draw a straight line from one batsman of a generation to the next.

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