HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 31: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park on March 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (4-2) look to sweep the Boston Red Sox (1-4) in an afternoon series finale at Daikin Park.
RHP Mike Burrows, who grew up a Red Sox fan from Waterford, CT, will get the start for the Astros today opposite LHP Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox.
APRIL FOOLS!: The Astros and Red Sox will play an April Fools Day matchup today with the Astros going for a sweep in what is the finale of their seven-game homestand.
ABOUT BURROWS: RHP Mike Burrows was acquired from the Pirates this offseason as part of a three-team, six-player trade in which the Astros sent OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, while the Rays sent IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.
Burrows impressed this Spring, making five starts and posting a 1.50 ERA (3ER/18IP) while allowing a .200 opponent batting average with 17 strikeouts.
ASTROS VS. CROCHET: The Astros are seeing LHP Garrett Crochet today for the first time since they worked him for five runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings on 86 pitches in an Astros 7-6 win on Aug. 11, 2025 at Daikin Park. That start was Crochet’s shortest start, in terms of innings, of the 2025 season.
GOIN’ STREAKING: The Astros have won four straight games and are going for a five-game winning streak today, which would match their season high from 2025 (reached twice last June). Only the Astros and Rangers have four-game winning streaks this season, with both streaks active going into play today.
OUT OF THE BLOCKS: The Astros are off to a 4-2 start, their best start since also going 4-2 in their first six games of 2022. Should the Astros win today, it would be their best seven-game start since they went 6-1 to open the 2021 season.
CRAZY EIGHTS: The Astros have scored eight-plus runs in four straight games for the first time since July 26-30, 2021. The offense has scored 37 runs in their last four games, while hitting .319 (44×138) with 14 doubles and six homers in that span. The Astros franchise record is five straight games with eight-plus runs, accomplished just once, from Aug. 29-Sept. 3, 2004.
LEAGUE LEADERS: The Astros lead the Majors in runs (39), doubles (17) and total bases (93), while ranking tied for first in hits (55) and second in walks (20), OBP (.371), SLG (.458) and OPS (.829).
Individually, 2B Jose Altuve leads the Majors in runs scored (7), LF Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in total bases (19) and 1B Christian Walker leads the Majors in doubles (5).
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, April 1, 1:10 p.m. CST
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels close out their series after splitting the first two games. Yusei Kikuchi takes the mound for the Angels against Matthew Boyd. The Cubs are favored with a moneyline of -165.
How to Watch Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago Cubs
Date: Wednesday, April 1
Time: 2:20 p.m. ET / 11:20 a.m. PT
Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago
TV Channels: Marquee Sports Network, FanDuel Sports Network West
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 26: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates as he walks back to the dugout during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Pitching for the Rays is former Brewer and 2025 All-Star Drew Rasmussen, who has been consistently effective for Tampa Bay since they acquired him as part of the return for Willy Adames. The hard-throwing righty has had an ERA under 3 in each of the last five seasons, although he missed large chunks of the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injury. Misiorowski and Rasmussen both went five innings and allowed a single earned run in their respective first starts of the season.
As usual, Brice Turang will lead off today, followed by William Contreras and Christian Yelich. Hitting cleanup and playing first base is Jake Bauers, who went 2-for-4 with a homer last night. Center fielder Garrett Mitchell, right fielder Sal Frelick, and left fielder Blake Perkins will hit fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively. David Hamilton, back in the lineup at third base, and Joey Ortiz round out the bottom of the order.
First pitch for today’s game is slated for 12:40 p.m. You can watch the game on Brewers.TV or catch the radio broadcast on WTMJ 620 and the Brewers Radio Network.
CINCINNATI, OH - MARCH 26: Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox walks back to the dugout after pitching during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeffrey Dean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Red Sox play their sixth game of the season this afternoon. They have just one win and 11 total runs to show for it. By the way, the Red Sox are now just 4-11 in March over the last four years and 2-8 over the last two years.
But March is over! Now, Garrett Crochet, who struck out eight in his Opening Day victory, takes the mound to save Boston from a sweep in Houston. The Astros made him human last August when they chased the Cy Young runner-up after four innings and five earned runs.
It’s not exactly a juggernaut to support him in Alex Cora’s lineup, especially with Roman Anthony out of the lineup. Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate in the series finale. Connor Wong also gets the start after a late mystery scratch for Carlos Narvaez.
UPDATED: Duran LF Story SS Yoshida DH Contreras 1B Abreu RF Durbin 3B Rafaela CF Kiner-Falefa 2B Wong C Crochet P
On the other side, the Astros hung up 17 runs in the first two games. Here’s Houston’s lineup for the finale with Mike Burrows on the mound at Daikin Park.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Buddy Kennedy #41 of the San Francisco Giants bats during the eighth inning of the spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at Scottsdale Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants still have just one Minor League Baseball team in action, but that’s changing oh-so soon. Low-A San Jose begins their season on Thursday, while High-A Eugene and AA Richmond kick off the 2026 campaign on Friday. Until then, it’s just AAA Sacramento, so not a ton to talk about. But let’s get to it nonetheless!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
The Giants made some transactions on Monday that impacted the Minor Leagues. They sent cash to old friend Scott Harris in exchange for right-handed reliever Dylan Smith, whom the Detroit Tigers had designated for assignment a few days prior. Smith, who was a 3rd-round pick in the 2021 draft and has a pair of option years remaining, was immediately optioned to AAA Sacramento. He had a 3.65 ERA and a 2.69 FIP with Detroit’s AAA affiliate last year, with 22 strikeouts in just 12.1 innings, but also 7 walks.
San Francisco had to clear space on the 40-man roster to make room for Smith, and so they designated for assignment utility player Tyler Fitzgerald. It’s sad to see Fitzgerald go, but there was really no path to him getting Major League playing time anytime soon — the Giants have everyday players at every position, and Fitzgerald was well behind Christian Koss and Casey Schmitt on the infield depth chart, and behind Grant McCray, Will Brennan, and Drew Gilbert on the outfield depth chart. He still has an option year remaining, so he’ll almost certainly get claimed off waivers.
AAA Sacramento (2-2)
Sacramento River Cats lost to the Salt Lake Bees (Angels) 13-5 Box score
Despite the lopsided score, the River Cats were in this game for most of it. In fact, they held a 5-3 lead at stretch time, but then gave up 10 runs between the 7th and 8th innings.
It was a trio of rough performances that doomed the bullpen, starting with RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL). Harris was tasked with opening the 7th inning, and it started off well. He retired the first batter and third batters that he faced, with a single sandwiched between them. But then the wheels fell off, against an Angels’ affiliate that admittedly has a fair amount of ex-MLB talent on it.
The results were bad, but the talent doing it was good. That first single came off the bat of Christian Moore, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft (after a very nice career with Tony Vitello at Tennessee). A 2-out single by Trey Mancini, a 7-year MLB veteran, scored a run. But the big hit came from Denzer Guzman, one of LA’s top prospects, who made his MLB debut last year. In a 2-2 count, Harris tried a slider, but Guzman fouled it off. Harris tried it again, and Guzman fouled it off again. Unrelenting, Harris tried it a 3rd time, and this time Guzman put it over the fence for a 2-run home run.
Then Matthew Lugo, who also debuted in the Majors last year, singled. And Niko Kavadas, who spent time in the Majors in each of the last 2 years, walked. And Jose Siri, who has more than 1,000 MLB plate appearances to his name, singled home a 4th run, ending Harris’ night.
Harris remains one of the top relief prospects in the organization, but the question of “can you get advanced hitters out” stymies a lot of pitchers, and he is very much one of them. The undrafted curveball artist, who recently turned 27, dominated the lower and mid-Minors, which was emphasized by a showing with AA Richmond last year in which he posted a 1.69 ERA, a 1.73 FIP, and 14.1 strikeouts per 9 innings. But advanced hitters have gotten the best of him: Harris made 30 appearances for Sacramento last year, but the ERA rose to 5.44, the FIP leaped to 4.69, and the strikeouts per 9 plummeted to 8.7. Still, he very deservedly was given an invite to Major League camp this year, and while he showed some impressive things, the same concerns persisted: in 4 Cactus League games, he had a 9.64 ERA and an 8.80 FIP, with 7.7 strikeouts per 9 innings.
So far, that’s carrying into the 2026 season. Harris only gave up 1 baserunner in his season debut, though it was a home run, and now this outing has left him with an ERA (16.88) that will require many outings to get back into respectable territory.
Siri’s RBI single ended Harris’ night, and brought in a slightly less-heralded, but still very intriguing arm: LHP Nick Zwack. The southpaw was part of the J.D. Davis/Darin Ruf swap of … /gestures vaguely at some year in the past … as was Carson Seymour. Injuries have slowed him down — he lost the entirety of the 2024 season — but he’s back, healthy, and certainly has some serious life in his arm. He also appears to be a reliever at long last, after working as a starter to this point in his career.
Zwack had a strong return from injury a year ago, posting a 2.53 ERA and a 2.92 FIP in 7 AA starts, while having 9.0 strikeouts against just 2.5 walks per 9 innings. Like Harris, though, he struggled in his (admittedly brief) introduction to AAA late last year. And unfortunately, those struggles have carried over into the 2026 season. Zwack got off to a very rough start to the year on Sunday, in which he gave up 4 baserunners and 2 runs, while recording just 1 out. Sadly, Tuesday’s outing was fairly similar.
He did get out of the pickle that Harris created, ending the inning as soon as he entered the game. But things went very poorly in the 8th, as Zwack just couldn’t find the zone. He walked 3 batters in the frame, while also allowing 2 hits. That, combined with a catcher’s interference, 1 of 2 errors on the day by Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL), tagged Zwack for 6 runs in the inning, 5 of which were earned. If Harris thinks he has work to salvage his ERA, it’s nothing compared to Zwack’s unsightly 47.25 mark.
Like Harris, Zwack left the game with just 2 outs in the inning, and his ERA would have looked a lot better were it not for a 3rd miserable bullpen outing, this time from LHP Juan Sánchez (No. 41 CPL). Sánchez is still trying to find his command after losing the 2025 season to Tommy John surgery and, well … he didn’t find it in this game, that’s for sure.
The southpaw, who should figure into the MLB bullpen plans this year if he can find his command, entered with 2 outs and the bases loaded. He walked a run home, then walked a 2nd run home, and then walked a 3rd run home. Finally, after 3 straight walks (the 1st of which was on 5 pitches, and the 2nd on 4), and after falling behind a 4th batter 3-0, Sánchez found the strike zone and recovered to strike out Nelson Rada. Technically it was a performance that held Sánchez’s ERA at 0.00, since the 3 runs scored while he was on the mound were charged to Zwack. But needless to say, the ERA very much does not tell the story here.
All of that ruined a really nice start from LHP Seth Lonsway, who, it turns out, is in Sacramento’s rotation. Lonsway only pitched 3 innings as he gets stretched out to start the year, but he gave up just a single and a walk in those 3 frames, with no runs (though he also didn’t have any strikeouts). For now, at least, it appears that Lonsway — who made 19 starts for Richmond last year, and another 9 for Sacramento — will join a rotation headlined by Seymour, Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL), Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL), and Trevor McDonald (No. 12 CPL). Quite a nice opportunity for him.
Unfortunately, the bullpen foibles didn’t begin with Harris, as RHP Spencer Bivens — perhaps the most surprising omission from San Francisco’s Opening Day roster — had a rough go of it in the 4th inning, ceding back-to-back 2-out solo home runs to Kavadas and Siri. He’ll surely be back on the big league roster at some point this year, but he’ll have to show some stuff in Sacramento first.
On offense, it was a quiet day for most of the players, as the River Cats are still looking for their 1st home run of the season. Third baseman Buddy Kennedy continued his torrid start to the year, hitting a perfect 4-4 with a double and a walk. The bats have yet to wake up for Sacramento, but Kennedy hasn’t gotten that message.
It seems that Kennedy, who was an offseason Minor League signing with an invite to camp, is more emergency depth than anything else. The Giants have everyday players across the infield in San Francisco, with a pair of backups that they feel strongly about. But Kennedy is certainly a quality emergency depth piece to have: he has MLB experience, and is hitting 6-12 with 3 doubles, 2 walks, and just 1 strikeout to start the AAA season.
The other nice hitting day belonged to second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), who singled in his only official at-bat, while also drawing 2 walks and hitting a sacrifice fly. The on-base percentage and the contact skills to succeed in a situational appearance are why the Giants are so high on Furman, who was an NRI this spring, and who came over in the Alex Cobb trade. But there are questions remaining, including on defense, where Furman committed his 1st error of the season on Tuesday.
First baseman Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL) hasn’t been forcing the issue since getting optioned, and that was again the case on Tuesday, as he went 0-4 with a strikeout, though he reached base by getting hit by a pitch. His contact wasn’t especially hard in this game, either.
Center fielder Grant McCray came back to earth a little bit after a nice start to the year, as he went 1-5 with 3 strikeouts. The other 40-man hitters didn’t do too well, either, as Rodríguez and left fielder Will Brennan also went 1-5, with the latter striking out twice.
With Fitzgerald DFA’d, the River Cats have a hole at shortstop. For now, AAA repairman Thomas Gavello is tasked with that duty. Gavello, a 2022 13th-round pick who filled in in Sacramento last year and impressed the coaching staff enough that he stuck around, was drafted as a catcher, but didn’t play the position in 2025, instead primarily focusing on second base, third base, and left field, with a few starts at shortstop. It will be interesting to see if the Giants let Gavello, who hit 0-4 with 3 strikeouts, stay at shortstop until Osleivis Basabe is healthy, or if they bring up someone like Aeverson Arteaga to fill in for a while.
Upcoming schedule
The River Cats continue their series against the Bees tonight at 5:35 p.m. PT, while the Low-A San Jose Giants join them tomorrow. High-A Eugene and AA Richmond kick off the season on Friday.
The Houston Astros (4-2) will play host to the Boston Red Sox (1-4) in the final game of their series. Garrett Crochet starts for Boston, while Mike Burrows takes the mound for Houston.
In an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Wednesday, April 1, the Hall of Fame coach said he had discussed taking an NBA job last year to coach the Phoenix Suns, who are owned by his former Michigan State walk-on, Mat Ishbia. No, this is not an April Fool's joke.
"I've had more than a couple of job offers in the NBA, and looked at one last year with Phoenix. You know my former player, Mat Ishbia, and that was hard," Izzo said. "That was a hard thing to turn down because No. 1, I kind of wanted to go with him ..."
Michigan State HC Tom Izzo reveals he was in talks with the Phoenix #Suns:
"I've had more than a couple job offers in the NBA, looked at one last year with Phoenix – my former player Mat Ishbia. That was hard, that was a hard thing to turn down... we talked seriously about it." pic.twitter.com/kjSIJreIWz
Interrupted by Dan Patrick mid-thought and asked whether the Suns offered him the job, Izzo said, "We talked seriously" about the position.
"... And then No. 2, I have been pretty vocal about it, I don't like what's going on in college athletics," Izzo continued with his original thought. "But by the way, neither do 99.98% of the football and basketball coaches in America. And I think the kids are going to still find out before it is done that it isn't best for them either."
The Suns haven't been the only NBA team to express interest in Izzo, who ranks 20th in career wins among Division I men's college basketball coaches (764) and has eight Final Fours and a national championship on his resume. As alluded to in the clip, the Cleveland Cavaliers, owned by another Michigan State alum, Dan Gilbert, expressed interest in Izzo in the past. That interest from the Cavaliers came in 2010.
As noted by the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, The Athletic reported in February that Ishbia had asked Izzo if he was interested in leaving Michigan State for a job in the NBA, but the understanding was that Izzo didn't take it all that seriously.
Whether it be entertaining another NBA job or continuing to coach at Michigan State, the 71-year-old isn't retiring anytime soon, either. He addressed that topic after the Spartans' loss, which extended the program's Final Four drought to seven years.
"... It's sure as hell not going to be now," Izzo said on Friday, March 27. "I've got some things to accomplish."
He added: "I said a couple years ago that I'll find a way to get back there. We've knocked on the door twice. We haven't gotten back. We'll get back."
Happy April Fools' Day, though our MLB best bets are certainly no joke with today's loaded slate.
Prediction markets like Polymarket allow baseball bettors from coast-to-coast a chance to lock in their favorite plays, and our baseball experts are chiming in with their favorite MLB picks today — plus we're offering some extra MLB expert picks from the rest of the Covers staff for Wednesday, April 1.
Sign up now using our exclusive Polymarket promo code 'COVERS' (on your mobile app only) and get a $20 trading bonus after you deposit $20 to trade on any other event contracts — including MLB expert picks!
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Reds moneyline
Price: 40¢ (+140) at Polymarket
This isn’t about fading Paul Skenes — it’s about backing the value on Andrew Abbott, who has the ability to trade zeroes in this matchup. THE BAT projects a fair price closer to 48%, compared to the current market around 40%, creating a solid edge. It’s also worth noting that over Skenes’ last 33 starts, the Pittsburgh Pirates are just 17–16 straight up — a reminder that elite pitching doesn’t always translate to wins. With this being a getaway day for Pittsburgh, the lineup could be in a tougher spot generating runs.
Neil Parker's expert pick: Twins moneyline
Price: 52¢ (-108) at Polymarket
Twins starter Joe Ryan is 8-1 with a 2.02 ERA and 0.87 WHIP across 11 career starts against Kansas City, and the Royals have only scored nine times through their first four games. Additionally, Kansas City starter Noah Cameron outpitched his underlying numbers last season, with his 2.99 ERA well below his 4.10 xFIP and alongside an unsustainably good .241 BABIP and 84% strand rate.
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Twins/Royals Under 8.5
Price: 53¢ (-113) at Polymarket
This is too high a number for two light-hitting teams, which rank 23rd and 28th in OPS and are a combined 7-1 to the Under so far. Ryan has owned Royals’ hitters, holding them to a .582 OPS across 110 at-bats, while Cameron draws a Twins lineup that's posted a pathetic .458 OPS vs. lefties so far (and he had a 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 innings of work vs. Minnesota last year).
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
NHL games on Tuesday, March 31 brought about a shift in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.
The Tampa Bay Lightning lost in regulation and dropped out of the top seed in the conference and out of first place in the Atlantic Division. The Buffalo Sabres' victory gave them the division lead and the Carolina Hurricanes' win gave them the top seed in the East.
The Wednesday, April 1 games could affect the Western Conference standings.
The Los Angeles Kings could pass the idle Nashville Predators and move into the second wild card spot if they win. A San Jose Sharks victory would let them pass the Predators based on percentage points because they'll have played one less game.
Also Wednesday, the Minnesota Wild can become the third NHL team to clinch a 2026 postseason berth.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, including the latest playoff bracket and the tiebreaker procedures for the 2025-26 season:
Who's in the 2026 NHL playoffs?
Eastern Conference: None
Western Conference: Colorado, Dallas
Who can clinch today?
The idle Minnesota Wild will clinch a playoff berth if the Kings lose to the Blues or if the Sharks lose to the Ducks in regulation.
NHL games today (Wednesday, April 1)
All times p.m.Eastern
Vancouver at Colorado, 8:30
St. Louis at Los Angeles, 9
Anaheim at San Jose, 9, TNT
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
As of March 31. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes (100)
Pittsburgh Penguins (92)
New York Islanders (89)
Atlantic Division
Buffalo Sabres (100)
Tampa Bay Lightning (98)
Montreal Canadiens (96)
Wild card
Boston Bruins (94)
Columbus Blue Jackets (88)
Sitting out of playoff position: Ottawa Senators (86), Detroit Red Wings (86), Philadelphia Flyers (86), Washington Capitals (85), New Jersey Devils (78), Toronto Maple Leafs (77), Florida Panthers (75), z-New York Rangers (71)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
As of March 31. x-clinched playoff spot. z-eliminated
Central Division
x-Colorado Avalanche (108)
x-Dallas Stars (100)
Minnesota Wild (94)
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks (87)
Edmonton Oilers (85)
Vegas Golden Knights (82)
Wild card
Utah Mammoth (82)
Nashville Predators (77)
Sitting out of playoff position: Los Angeles Kings (76), Winnipeg Jets (76), San Jose Sharks (75), Seattle Kraken (75), St. Louis Blues (73), Calgary Flames (70), Chicago Blackhawks (68), z-Vancouver Canucks (50)
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on March 31.
Carolina (M1) vs. Columbus (WC1)
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. N.Y. Islanders (M3)
Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC2)
Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended on March 31.
Colorado (C1) vs. Nashville (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Anaheim (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Edmonton (P2) vs. Vegas (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
Regulation wins
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
Total wins
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded.
Goal differential
Total goals
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are expected to begin on Saturday, April 18.
Jul 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) reacts after striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
Recently, fellow PSA writer Jeff Middleton wrote an appealing article covering the Hope-O-Meter poll that The Athletic conducted and how it showed a particularly pessimistic outlook regarding the Yankees in 2026—check that out over here. It sort of goes without saying that each outlook is assessed while keeping the expectations for that specific team in mind, and the reality is that any Yankee fan—rightfully so—has a threshold of expectations matched by fewer than a handful of teams.
More than 11,000 fans participated in our fifth annual MLB Hope-O-Meter.
Overall, 72 percent reported they are optimistic about their favorite team this season, compared to 66 percent in 2025. pic.twitter.com/ywvrqQAsGs
Ahead of the 2024 campaign, Yankee fans came in with a Hope-O-Meter of 80.1%, a number that dropped down to 67.1% ahead of last season. For all of the issues that they’ve worked through in recent campaigns, including losing out on Juan Soto and seeing Gerrit Cole miss all of 2025, the Yankees have done a fairly decent job at retaining their place as a top contender. One could be forgiven for a decent level of skepticism in how the club replaced Soto, but even after seeing those moves pay off, the level of optimism significantly trails that of the 2024 campaign.
If we look at all 30 teams on that poll, the Yankees are not the only regular contender sitting in the bottom half. There they’re joined by the Philadelphia Phillies, ranked 18th, with an optimism percentage of slightly over 70 percent. In many ways the Yankees of the National League, the Phillies were also unceremoniously bounced out in four games in the LDS, showing vulnerabilities against a team that would represent their league in the Fall Classic.
Similarly, a regular contender over the past five years with one World Series trip that ended in heartbreak, the Phillies, much like the Yankees, retain a competitive core. They do a good job of supplementing it both from within and outside the organization and face the threat of fresher, more exciting adversaries inside their respective divisions. The trendy pick is to go with the Blue Jays as the strongest team in the AL East and the Mets in the NL East—have the Yankees and Phillies really done enough negatively to no longer truly excite their respective fans about the prospects of these two teams?
It would be more reasonable if the Yankees had been content in not bringing back the likes of Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham, looking for cheaper ways to complement this lineup around Aaron Judge. They even had the in-house options to reasonably justify this approach. The same could be said had the Phillies not ponied up for Kyle Schwarber coming off an outstanding campaign. The pitching parallels are also quite clear. While one could be skeptical of what Gerrit Cole and Zack Wheeler might still be able to deliver, the success of these two pitching staffs is not entirely contingent upon them returning to their peak form, even if that’d provide a massive boost.
While the recent World Series winners have suggested that either a team that’s been there, done that (the Dodgers), or a fresh out-of-nowhere contender (Rangers) is better positioned to win it all, that’s not necessarily the case. It’s all a matter of perspective. Maybe the team that has been knocking on the door for a long period is actually close to breaking through and not just repeatedly showing what they’re missing. Maybe, just maybe, we could have a Yankees vs. Phillies World Series in 2026.
ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 26: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will try to win the series versus the New York Mets Wednesday afternoon starting at 12:15pm at Busch Stadium as they’ll close out the homestand with Matthew Liberatore on the mound. Freddy Peralta is scheduled to make the Wednesday afternoon start for the New York Mets.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated in the dugout after scoring a run during the third inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on March 31, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night was hard to watch.
Not only because the San Francisco Giants slugged their way to a, 9-3, win against the San Diego Padres.
Not only because Nick Castellanos was tough to watch in left field.
The Friars lost this game in a way they haven’t lost since Opening Day: their pitching.
In what felt like a must-win game for the Padres, starter Germán Márquez allowed four runs and reliever Kyle Hart allowed another four (despite looking sharp for a while). San Diego didn’t stand much of a chance.
It felt like they kept getting extremely unlucky. Whether by some incredible defensive play or a strangely batted ball, it was a tough night in Petco Park.
The Friars have still yet to score more than three runs in a game, and are now on the verge (yet again) of being swept.
Taking the mound
Adrian Houser (SF) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)
The Padres’ Opening Day starter had a rough go of it last week, allowing six runs in only three innings pitched against the Detroit Tigers.
Pivetta struggled to get out of the first inning, giving up four of those six runs after failing to locate his pitches in the strike zone.
He was a workhorse for San Diego last year (and a legitimate ace to boot), and the club needs him to be that again.
There’s a lot riding on this outing for the Friars’ ace. If Pivetta can stifle San Francisco’s lineup, it will go a long way toward forgetting the concerns of Opening Day.
Houser will be making his Giants debut after signing a two-year, $22 million deal with the club this offseason. He was signed by San Francisco to help round out the rotation behind Webb and Robbie Ray.
Houser put up a solid year in 2025 (3.31 ERA), but struggled down the stretch (4.79 ERA, 56.1 IP) after being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.
He’s a solid righty starter but should be easy enough for San Diego to rack up some hits against… hopefully.
Batter up!
San Diego rolled out a similar lineup to how they ended Monday night’s game. Freddy Fermin catching, Miguel Andujar at DH.
The only — slightly strange — difference was Castellanos in left field over the red-hot bat of Ramón Laureano, though that’s likely to not happen too often.
Against a right-hander like Houser, manager Craig Stammen will likely construct something similar to Monday’s outing against Roupp. But after Jake Cronenworth’s struggles at the plate he may be bumped down in the order:
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Ramón Laureano, LF
Nick Castellanos, 1B
Gavin Sheets, DH
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Cronenworth batted ninth in the order on Opening Day, so he could return to that spot. Since his debut game in the leadoff spot he has yet to record a hit.
Sheets has seen a lot of time at the cold corner lately (and has been pretty good so far), but he deserves a day off and Castellanos could offer him that today.
Relief corps
Kyle Hart pitched two innings quite well in relief before blowing the game open for San Francisco in the sixth inning. Bradgley Rodriguez came in and gave up a hit but locked it down for an inning and two-thirds.
Jeremiah Estrada pitched a great inning, redeeming himself a bit after his rough outing against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
David Morgan allowed his first run of the season, but it was unearned and inconsequential with the Padres already down five runs when he came out for the ninth inning.
That leaves two of the high leverage guys in the ‘pen for San Diego. Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller have been used sparingly thus far, and will likely emerge tomorrow if the Friars can (finally) get a lead.
Behind them are the ever-serviceable Wandy Peralta and Ron Marinaccio. They’ll be middle-innings choices for the Padres should Pivetta stumble early.
The NBA MVP race is heating up, and for 22-year-old Victor Wembanyama, the time is now. My favorite NBA picks for today include backing Wemby against the Golden State Warriors' pitiful frontcourt.
Read on to find out what other NBA player props I'm betting on for Wednesday, April 1.
Both the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers are terrible defensively and play at a fast pace. They're also eliminated from the playoffs and will likely give even less effort on D, which is why the total is set at a whopping 249.
That has me taking the Over 24.5 points for Indiana's leading scorer Pascal Siakam. The All-Star has been dealing with lingering knee pain, but is probable today.
He's fresh off a 30-point performance against Miami and has dropped 25+ points in five of his last nine games.
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CHSN | FanDuel SN IN
Prop #2: Nikola Jokic Over 12.5 rebounds
-110 at bet365
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is always filling up the stat sheet, but his work on the glass lately has been especially impressive. The Denver Nuggets center has pulled down at least 14 boards in five straight games and is averaging 16.4 rpg over that span.
Jokic and the Nuggets are fresh off two days of rest and travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz tonight. Since the start of January, Utah is 26th in the NBA in rebounding rate (48.3%) while playing at the second-fastest pace.
That should lead to plenty of rebounding opportunities for Joker.
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ALT2/KTVD | KJZZ-TV
Prop #3: Victor Wembanyama Over 36.5 points + rebounds
-112 at bet365
The MVP race is heating up, and it's become clear San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama wants it. The 7-foot-4 unicorn is coming off a game against Chicago, where he scored 41 points on a season-high 27 shots while adding 16 boards.
Wemby is averaging 28.2 ppg over the last three weeks and has grabbed at least 15 boards in four straight games.
He has a favorable matchup tonight against the Golden State Warriors, who are weak inside with Kristaps Porzingis, Quinton Post, and Al Horford all injured.
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We're about halfway through Week 23, which means that it's crunch time in fantasy basketball. One question that fantasy managers will have to answer for themselves is whether one game of Stephen Curry in Week 23 will be enough to take home the title. The Athletic reported on Tuesday that he's targeting Sunday for a return from a knee injury that's sidelined him for more than two months.
Can the future Hall of Fame guard do enough, likely in limited minutes, to provide suitable fantasy value? Or should managers look in another direction instead of slotting Curry into their lineups? That depends on the level of desperation and how much he'll be allowed to play. Below are some injury situations that are affecting fantasy basketball during the final week of Yahoo! default leagues.
G Jaylon Tyson and F Dean Wade, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tyson has missed Cleveland's last six games and Wade the last four due to ankle injuries. Having been ruled out for the entirety of the Cavaliers' three-game road trip, they will also miss out on Thursday's game against the Warriors. Since Tyson's absence, Max Strus (six percent rostered, Yahoo!) and Sam Merrill (11 percent) have taken on added importance within the Cavaliers' rotation.
Strus, who made his season debut on March 15, started Tuesday's loss to the Lakers with Merrill unavailable; Merrill started Monday's win over the Jazz while Strus sat. After Thursday's game, the Cavaliers play once more in Week 23, at home against the Pacers on Sunday. Strus and Merrill offer solid upside in the matchup, especially if Tyson and Wade aren't available.
F P.J. Washington and F Naji Marshall, Dallas Mavericks
Washington and Marshall have missed Dallas' last two games due to illness, resulting in Khris Middleton (nine percent) and Ryan Nembhard (one percent) moving into the starting lineup. Neither offered much in blowout losses to the Timberwolves and Bucks. Middleton totaled 17 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and two three-pointers in 45 combined minutes, while Nembhard accounted for 17 points, three rebounds, nine assists, two steals and three three-pointers in 42 minutes.
In theory, Nembhard is better positioned to play more in the Mavericks' final two games of Week 23 with the team long eliminated from postseason contention. However, his playing time did not receive much of a boost after his contract was converted from a two-way to a standard deal, so nothing is guaranteed if Washington and Marshall remain out. Dallas plays games on Friday and Sunday, so there's no need to make a move now, as the time off may give the two starters the time needed to return to full strength.
F Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets
Gordon, who has injured his hamstring on multiple occasions this season, sat out Sunday's win over the Warriors due to tightness in his calf. Peyton Watson (21 percent), who remains under a minutes restriction as he returns from a strained hamstring, played 22 minutes, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, one block and two three-pointers. Watson shot just 3-of-11 from the field, but the rebounds, assists and three-pointers were decent. With Gordon considered probable for Wednesday's game against the Jazz, Watson is likely to return to his usual reserve role.
There were other injuries of note during Sunday's victory. Cameron Johnson (71 percent) exited during the third quarter due to back spasms, and while he did return to the bench, the veteran wing did not check back into the game. Spencer Jones (one percent) exited with a strained hamstring, and that likely takes him off the board for the rest of Week 23. That does not affect fantasy basketball, but it may mean a few more minutes for Julian Strawther (one percent) if the Nuggets continue to limit Watson's playing time.
F/C Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons
On Saturday, the Pistons announced that Stewart has been cleared to resume on-court activities. He's been out since March 15 with a strained left calf, freeing up rotation minutes for Paul Reed (eight percent). He's worth rostering in deep leagues for the rest of Week 23, as it is not clear exactly when Beef Stew will be allowed to play in games. And with the Pistons closing in on the top seed in the East, the final two games of Week 23 may not be viewed as a priority to get him back on the floor. Detroit could easily use Week 24 to help Stewart shake off the rust ahead of the postseason.
G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Progress has been made regarding Curry's return from a right knee injury that sidelined him for over two months. Not long after Warriors head coach Steve Kerr announced that Curry would not play on Wednesday and is "doubtful" for Thursday, it was reported that the guard is targeting Sunday's game against the Rockets for his return. Given the time off, one would assume that there will be some restrictions regarding playing time, but simply having him on the court can give fantasy rosters a needed boost at the end of Week 23.
Brandin Podziemski (47 percent), Gui Santos (37 percent) and De'Anthony Melton (15 percent) will continue to have added fantasy value when they're available. Melton has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Spurs and Santos is questionable, which raises Podziemski's ceiling, even with the challenging matchup. The Warriors are locked into the Play-In tournament and trail the Clippers by two games in the loss column for eighth place in the Western Conference standings.
G/F Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
On Tuesday, Wells underwent a procedure meant to stabilize his right great toe and is done for the rest of the season. Cedric Coward (23 percent) is a worthwhile target, even with his underwhelming showing in Monday's loss to the Suns. In the previous game, the rookie put up 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two three-pointers in a March 28 win over the Bulls. The Grizzlies are also navigating injuries at the point guard position, with Ty Jerome sidelined by a sprained ankle. As a result, Cam Spencer (15 percent), Javon Small (nine percent) and Walter Clayton Jr. (three percent) take on added importance.
Including Wednesday's matchup with the Celtics, Powell has missed Miami's last three games due to illness. Pelle Larsson (10 percent) has moved back into the starting lineup, totaling 35 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and one steal in those two games. The second-year wing has not offered much value in the three-point category, having shot 1-of-10 from deep over his last five games. So if you're targeting that category specifically, look elsewhere. But the overall shooting (15-of-24 FGs) and rebounding production were solid.
G Kevin Porter Jr., Milwaukee Bucks
Porter has been dealing with right knee synovitis, and on Saturday, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said that he would be "surprised" if the guard played again this season. KPJ has not been officially ruled out by the team, but with Milwaukee eliminated from postseason contention, it would not make much sense for them to put him back on the court.
As a result, Ryan Rollins (69 percent) takes on even greater value for the rest of Week 23. However, his status for Wednesday's game in Houston was undetermined in the aftermath of Tuesday's win over the Mavericks. Gary Trent Jr. (10 percent) and Ousmane Dieng (15 percent) are two players who would be worthy of streaming consideration if Rollins were to be ruled out, even though neither has point guard eligibility in fantasy leagues (Trent has SG/G eligibility).
F Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves announced on Monday that McDaniels is considered week-to-week after injuring his ankle during the team's March 25 win over the Rockets. Diagnosed with patella tendinopathy and a bone bruise in his left knee, this effectively rules McDaniels out for the rest of the fantasy season. The good news for the Timberwolves was that Anthony Edwards made his return from a knee injury in Monday's win over the Mavericks. Mike Conley (one percent) made another start, but that was because Edwards was late due to nature calling. Ayo Dosunmu (34 percent) is the fifth starter and should be rostered for the Timberwolves' final three games of Week 23.
Ayo Dosunmu becomes the third player in @Timberwolves history with a 15+ point/15+ rebound/10+ assist triple-double and the first since Kevin Love did so on 4/2/14 vs. MEM. Kevin Garnett did so five times. pic.twitter.com/HS0qPATTIy
McBride made his return from sports hernia surgery in Sunday's loss to the Thunder but experienced an injury scare during the third quarter. The good news is that the reserve guard did not aggravate his surgically repaired sports hernia and was able to play in Tuesday's loss to the Rockets. McBride played 13 minutes off the bench but struggled, shooting 1-of-9 from the field and finishing with three points, one rebound, two assists, one block and one three-pointer.
Jordan Clarkson (three percent) has remained in the rotation, most recently playing 19 minutes on Tuesday, while Jose Alvarado (two percent) played 12. Mohamed Diawara (less than one percent) has fallen out of the rotation, playing a total of four minutes in New York's last two games.
F Franz Wagner and G Anthony Black, Orlando Magic
Black, who has been out with an abdominal strain, was seen going through an individual workout following shootaround ahead of Tuesday's win over the Suns. As for Wagner, who continues to recover from a high ankle sprain initially suffered in early December, he hopes to play again before the end of the regular season. However, that may not be of much use to fantasy managers, as it's unclear whether his return will occur in Week 23. Wagner has played 5-on-5, so a return may not be far off.
#Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Franz Wagner is “progressing well.” Wagner has gone through physical games and has played 5-on-5 as well. Mosley said they’ll see how Wagner responds to today’s treatment and they’ll go from there.
Tristan da Silva (20 percent) continues to serve as the fifth starter and is worth rostering in 14-team leagues. Orlando plays three more games in Week 23, with two coming against the Mavericks and Pelicans, who won't reach the postseason.
F Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers
Grant strained his right calf during a March 27 loss to the Mavericks, and the Trail Blazers have not announced a return timeline for him. Scoot Henderson (20 percent) has started the last two games, including a win over the Clippers on Tuesday, totaling 36 points, six rebounds, nine assists and four three-pointers while shooting 44 percent from the field.
The opportunity to start does raise Henderson's ceiling for now, but the playmaking responsibilities aren't his alone. Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday also have the ball in their hands plenty, so the boost to Henderson's fantasy value is not as pronounced as some may have hoped. And with Portland only playing one more game in Week 23, Thursday against the Pelicans, there isn't much to gain from adding Scoot.
G Immanuel Quickley, Toronto Raptors
Counting Wednesday's game against the Kings, Quickley has missed Toronto's last six games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. While Brandon Ingram returned from a heel injury on Tuesday, he will also miss Wednesday's game due to the back-to-back. Ja'Kobe Walter (four percent) has been Quickley's replacement in the starting lineup recently, while Ingram's absence also opens up a spot for Jamal Shead. While both offer limited streaming upside, Shead is worth a look in deep leagues for managers seeking assist and steals production specifically.
F/C Anthony Davis, Washington Wizards
Will we see Davis take the court in a Wizards jersey this season? Who knows. However, the team announced on Tuesday that he has been cleared for light contact work. This development is highly unlikely to affect Week 23, even with the Wizards having three more games to play this week. Something to watch is how the team manages Alex Sarr's minutes, as he is dealing with a left great toe injury. The 7-footer is questionable for Wednesday's game against the 76ers. Tristan Vukčević (seven percent) has been the starter when available, while Julian Reese (five percent) is not guaranteed to be active due to his status as a two-way contract player. When Sarr and Vukčević are out, the rookie is worth a roll of the dice due to his rebounding ability.
FIFA appeared to have technical difficulties when it resumed World Cup ticket sales Wednesday after the 48-team field was finalized.
Soccer's governing body did not say which games and price categories were available.
Some people who clicked on what FIFA called its “last-minute sales phase” when sales opened at 11 a.m. EDT were directed into a queue for "PMA late qualifier supporters sales phase," aimed for a segment of fans for the six nations who earned berths on Tuesday.
FIFA appeared to have lengthy waits to purchase tickets, with people who joined the queue at the start still waiting to get through the queue 90 minutes later.
FIFA did not have an explanation for why the link misdirection occurred but said around noon that the links were working properly.
FIFA also said that not all remaining tickets were being put on sale for the 104 games to be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 and that additional tickets will be released on a rolling basis.
This was the fifth phase of ticket sales following a Visa presale draw from Sept. 10-19, an early ticket draw from Oct. 27-31, a random selection draw from Dec. 11 to Jan. 13 and an unscheduled 48-hour availability in late February.
FIFA said this phase, which will remain open through the tournament, marked the first time a specific seat location could be purchased rather than a request for a ticket in a category.
FIFA is using dynamic pricing for the tournament, which will be played in 11 U.S. cities plus three in Mexico and two in Canada.
For the month-long sales phase after the Dec. 5 draw, tickets were priced at $140 to $8,680. After complaints, FIFA said $60 tickets would be made available to each participating national federation for their most loyal supporters, an amount likely to be 400-700 per team for each match.
“The employment of dynamic ticket pricing for the 2026 FWC starkly contrasts with FIFA’s core mission to promote the accessible and inclusive promotion and development of soccer globally,” 69 Democratic members of Congress wrote in a March 10 letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “Despite host cities’ cooperation in bringing the vision of the largest, most global World Cup in history to fruition, the consequences of dynamic pricing will make the 2026 FWC the most financially exclusionary and inaccessible to date.”
FIFA also has its own resale market, collecting 15% from both the buyer and seller.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Congo, the Czech Republic, Iraq, Sweden and Turkey completed the World Cup field. Fans of teams eliminated Tuesday could attempt to resell tickets they already had purchased, nations that include Italy, Poland, Denmark, Jamaica and Bolivia.
Infantino claimed in January that the amount of ticket requests FIFA had received was the equivalent of “the request for 1,000 years of World Cups at once.”
“This is unique,” he said at the time. “It’s incredible.”
It was unclear if many of those requests were for seats in the lowest-price categories.
Fan groups have voiced concern over the soaring costs for resold tickets and one filed a formal complaint to the European Commission last month.
Infantino defended FIFA's cut of resales, saying the governing body was engaged in a legal commercial activity under U.S. law. Some European countries have laws which can restrict resale by requiring tickets to be sold for face value or only by authorized partners of the event organizers.
Pascal Siakam
Nikola Jokic
Victor Wembanyama
Cole Huff