Nets vs Suns preview: Back to New York after quick road trip

Even though Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears were unable to pull it off against the Los Angeles Rams, the Chicago Bulls were able to give their city a tad bit of comfort as they manhandled the Nets all game last night. Of course, having your best player in Michael Porter Jr. out of the lineup did hurt some, okay a lot, as so they are now 0-8 without him. But for a team that was so successful on the defensive side just last month, Brooklyn just did not have it in them.

Tonight, the Nets will travel back to Brooklyn for the second half of their back-to-back to take on the Phoenix Suns. The Suns, even though only seventh in the Western Conference standings, have tremendous strides so far in the season. This will be no cake walk, but with MPJ back, the Nets definitely have their chance.

Where to Watch

Check out the action at 7:30 p.m. ET on the YES Network and NBA League Pass, as well as streaming on the Gotham Sports App.

Injury Report

Nets have not been announced yet but expect players who’ve been on injury management and played yesterday will be out. That would include Cam Thomas and Egor Demin to sit and those who rested to return, meaning MPJ. Lots of speculation about CamT’s role as Jordi Fernandez made clear: he’s likely to come off the bench rather than start. No word on any trade possibilities just yet.

For the Suns, good news for them as Jalen Green has been upgraded to questionable after his troubles with his hamstring that has sidelined him for 32 consecutive games. And the bad news, Devin Booker is also questionable with left ankle soreness. Jamaree Bouyea (concussion) will also miss action tonight.

The Game

Here are some stats that should give you a glimpse of what kind of season the Phoenix Suns are currently having. Through 41 games, they are the only team in NBA history to make over 575 threes and have over 400 steals. Also, they have the highest field goal percentage through 41 games in NBA history at 65.6%.

With a resume like this, you have to applaud the personnel who helped make this happen. Jordan Ott, a former Nets assistant coach under Kenny Atkinson, is a leading Coach of the Year candidate in part because of those numbers, but also because the Suns are now 25-14 out west, only a half game behind the Lakers for the sixth seed and ahead of the Warriors and Clippers among others.

Aside from Booker, who can score 25 points in his sleep, Ott has specialized in unlocking a players’ true potential. Dillon Brooks, the league’s most infamous villain, is averaging 20.7 on 44.5% shooting, both career highs. Collin Gillespie, a scrappy Villanova product who went undrafted in 2022 is having a stellar season, averaging 13.2 PPG on 44/41/84 shooting splits, as well as over a steal per game. And finally, Grayson Allen is also putting up career high numbers, including 33 points including seven 3-points three days ago

The Nets have seen some good production from members of the Flatbush 5 as of late. Danny Wolf has been in double figures in the last two contests, Nolan Traore is coming off a career high 16 points and a career high in 3 pointers made, going 3-of-4 vs. Chicago and Egor Demin has been… Egor Demin.

Drake Powell has looked a lot more comfortable as of late as well, and if he could provide his level of defense against this fiery Phoenix offense, it would help tremendously. Along with the rookies, Day’Ron Sharpe needs to have a better game than last night. In the first game against the Bulls he was active, providing 14 points and six boards in 19 minutes. In the same amount of minutes last night, it wasn’t the same story.

It’s as simple as this. Defend the three, don’t turn the ball over. If these things can happen, a Brooklyn win could be in store.

Player To Watch: Jalen Green

According to some hints on his Instagram story, there is a chance that Jalen Green will return and play today. If he does, he would be another weapon the Suns will have on the offensive end. While in Houston, Green averaged 20 points with an array of high flying dunks and difficult jumpers. He was offered to the Nets at the trade deadline two years ago along with some of the Nets picks, but Brooklyn ultimately felt the Knicks offer of five firsts, a first round swap and a second plus the injured Bojan Bogdanovic was a better deal.

While helping the Rockets reach the playoffs, Green was criticized for showing up when it mattered, ultimately falling to Golden State and the hands of Steph Curry. With a fresh new start after being included in the Kevin Durant trade, Green will hope to bring success to the Suns organization.

There might be something else to watch … if he plays. The Suns had cameras in their draft room as they sweated out picks in hopes of winding up with Duke big Khamen Maluach at No. 10. When the Nets surprised by taking Egor Demin at No. 8, there were expressions of surprise and smirks. Demin tends to take slights like that personally.

From the Vault

There was some sad news from within the Nets history book this weekend. John Forte, the Brooklyn-born rapper and producer died at age 50. Forte was best known for his work with the Fugees but among Nets fans, his and J.Pride’s “”Brooklyn: Something To Lean On” will always have a place in their hearts. Forte and Pride composed it as as a tribute to Brooklyn as the Nets made their move 13 years ago from Newark and their New Jersey past…

Rest in peace and power.

More reading: Bright Side of the SunThe BigsSB Nation NBANew York PostNew York Daily NewsClutch PointsNets WireSteve’s NewsletterCity of Nets

Bucks at Hawks, MLK Day: start time, TV, streaming, radio, game thread

The Atlanta Hawks (20-24) and the Milwaukee Bucks (17-24) try to honor the legacy of a great leader with the eyes of a nation watching.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Start Time: 1:00 PM EDT

TV: N/A

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: Peacock streaming service, NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)

Knicks 2025-26 Midseason Report Card: Grading the players and head coach Mike Brown

We are now past the halfway point of the 2025-26 NBA season, and what started as a year of heightened expectations and optimism for the Knicks has quickly torpedoed in the last 10 games. 

After winning the NBA Cup, completing an incredible comeback on Christmas Day and closing 2025 strong, New York has gone 2-8 since New Year’s Eve, falling from the clear No. 2 seed to a game ahead in the third spot entering play Monday. 

Fans have suffered whiplash from the shift in quality of play from dominant contender to lottery fodder, but it’s important to keep context from the whole season, understand that even the best teams go through bad stretches, and remember the sample of New York outperforming is much larger. 

To help us do that and take objective stock on where the team is at the midpoint, let’s give out midseason grades to each member of the rotation. 

Jalen Brunson: B+ 

New York’s captain is having a career offensive season, averaging 28.2 points and 6.1 assists on some of the most efficient shooting of his career. He immediately bought in to Mike Brown’s new system and has once again proved himself one of the clutchest players in the league when the Knicks get down to the wire.

However, his defense as a whole this season has been worse, which has impacted the team at large. And when the last 10 games of shlock can be largely attributed to a lack of effort, energy and focus, that falls on the team’s leader.

In his defense, Brunson missed three of these losses, but it’ll be on him to help right the ship down the stretch. 

Karl-Anthony Towns: C+

Towns is having a bad season. We always preach patience, but 42 games is more than enough sample to call it what it is, and Towns has simply not found any consistent comfort this year.

Perhaps it’s the new offensive system, the layers of added defensive complexity, injuries, or a mix of the above and more. But Towns’ scoring is near all-time-lows, his efficiency is already there, and the defensive end looks worse than ever after a promising start. 

Now, a bad season from Towns will likely still result in an All-Star appearance, and he’s putting up 20 and 12 with the occasional breakout shooting night. But this remains a departure from previous Towns seasons, a departure from what we should expect given he’s fighting for the best shot at his first ring, and it needs to turn around fast. 

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter at T-Mobile Arena
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter at T-Mobile Arena / Kirby Lee - Imagn Images

OG Anunoby: B-

Anunoby looked like a top performer on the team, embracing the new offense to the fullest and making a case for a long-deserved Defensive Player of the Year award on the other end. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury sidelined him for nine games in late November, and his impact hasn’t been the same since.

He was hitting 39 percent of his threes before the injury, and is only converting 30 percent since returning, while his defense has slipped as well. We’ve seen similar, recurring short-term dips from Anunoby, so he should recover quickly to get his season back on track.

Mikal Bridges: B-

Welcome to Year 2 of the Bridges enigma, where he’s spending another regular season with perfectly valid production on impressive efficiency and few mistakes to really gripe about — yet it remains some of the most frustrating basketball to watch. The reason being, for all his talent (and the cost to acquire it), his day-to-day impact feels marginal when he could be much more aggressive, especially now that his team needs him.

The other issue is Bridges seemed to be one of the loudest voices opposite Tom Thibodeau’s last season, and for the new head coach New York’s brought in, Bridges still isn’t looking for layups, or getting to the free throw line, or showing any additional physicality. Chances are fans will be calling his name for a trade up until he makes all his value up in the postseason again, but in the meantime, it’s difficult not to feel mixed emotions about his play. 

Josh Hart: A

Hart’s quietly had a career year and perhaps the best individual season of any Knick thus far. After a bad first four games, Hart has averaged 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists, injecting energy as a starter or reserve, and most shockingly hitting 42.1 percent of his threes on over four attempts a night. 

Miles McBride: A-

Those hoping McBride would develop more of a handle or penetration game to give the Knicks some extra points in their guard rotation may be disappointed, but McBride’s seemingly doubled down on the things of which he’s already great. His three-point shooting is up to a sizzling 43.4 percent on over seven tries a game — numbers met only by Jamal Murray, Sam Merrill and Kon Knueppel, and he remains one of the team’s most valuable defenders.

Mitchell Robinson: B-

Robinson’s consistently been putting in a good effort in a new system amidst fluctuating teammate availability, without getting increased touches, and while still dominating the glass unlike anybody but few in the league. He also took a few weeks to find his legs defensively and is at a new low from the charity stripe, but however his regular season ends up grading out, his true value is realized in the playoffs.

Oct 31, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts during the first half of an NBA game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
Oct 31, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts during the first half of an NBA game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Jordan Clarkson: B

These grades are relative to expectations, and if you expected more or less from Clarkson than a nice handling-plus-scoring spark off the bench at unimpressive efficiency with high highs (NBA Cup) and low lows (pick a random game of the week), you were bound to be disappointed.  

Tyler Kolek: B+

You really wish you’d seen more of it this past month, but Kolek’s emergence into a reliable backup guard that closes big games for the Knicks this season, including the NBA Cup, was the development of the year. If he can shake this downturn off, it will do much to restore the confidence of Knicks fans.

Landry Shamet: A

Stepped into a more consistent bench role and hit 40 percent of his threes, defended hard and put up a big 36-point game before getting injured. He’s back in uniform now and hopefully won’t need much time to get back in rhythm. 

Guerschon Yabusele: F

New York’s biggest signing of the offseason has been their biggest disappointment of the regular season thus far. It’s beyond adjusting to scheme and playing into shape — Yabusele hasn’t looked the part anywhere on the court, seemingly only getting minutes over unproven rookies to try to build some trade value. 

Mike Brown: B

The Knicks’ new head coach and their controversial decision to remove their previous one after a Conference Finals trip will ultimately be judged on one thing: whether or not they win a championship. If you want to judge the first half of this season as a marker for how things are going, there’s been more good than bad.

Until lately, New York was in control of the standings and had great team numbers, even winning the NBA Cup on the heels of experimentation, thoughtful adjustments, and the newly integrated offense. The bad news has centered around Towns’ season and the last 10 games, setting up Brown’s latest and greatest challenge as coach.

How he and the team respond will ultimately decide how the regular season plays out and beyond.

Bright Side Wonders, Week 13: Dealing with adversity

The Phoenix Suns started one of their two six-game road trips of the season with heartbreaking losses to the Miami Heat and the Detroit Pistons, but ended it strong with a 106-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday. Devin Booker missed the team’s game against Detroit, but returned to score 27 points against New York.

Here are the main questions for Week 13 that we want your thoughts on:


Clutch Game Woes

Since all three of the Suns’ games this week were at one point within five points, all of their games were clutch games. Down the stretch with opportunities to beat the Pistons and Heat, Phoenix struggled to make shots and execute defensively. Against the Knicks, the Suns did a better job of weathering storms. When the Knicks cut the lead to five late, the Suns responded swiftly to secure the win. Both games in which the Suns struggled to execute late Devin Booker was either playing injured (he hurt his ankle in the second half against the Heat), or didn’t play.

Are you concerned about how the Suns played down the stretch this week, or was it a product of their best player’s health?

Jalen Green’s Return Looming

Listed as Questionable tonight against the Brooklyn Nets, Jalen Green could make his return from his hamstring injury after missing more than two months. It has been reported that Collin Gillespie will return to the bench when Green returns so the team’s starting lineup will consist of: Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale and Mark Williams.

How should Jordan Ott handle the starting lineup and bench rotations with a career 20-point-per-game scorer about to return? How should Ott handle his minutes? Would you play him on both sides of a back-to-back?

Enduring Shooting Struggles

Dillon Brooks had a rough shooting week, to say the least. He shot 32% from the field and 17% from three, including 1/10 from deep on Tuesday against the Heat. Despite struggles from its second-leading scorer, the team stayed competitive in all of its games, and Grayson Allen, Collin Gillespie, and others stepped up. When Devin Booker was struggling with his shot last month, his teammates stepped up to secure victories.

How have the Suns been able to withstand some of their best players struggling to make shots? Are you concerned about Brooks’ efficiency for the longterm?


For more questions on the Suns follow @HoldenSherman1 on X for content after every game.

The history of Royals attendance and ticket prices

Attendance at Royals games has waxed and waned throughout the years, mirroring the fortunes of the team on the field. Periods of contention have reliably driven crowds well above the franchise’s baseline, while prolonged rebuilding cycles have pushed attendance toward the bottom of the league.

Here’s a look at how Royals attendance has evolved over the years compared to MLB averages.

The Municipal Stadium Years (1969-1972)

Baseball was America’s #1 sport in the 1950s and 60s, but average per-game attendance was only about half what it is today. Baseball added four new teams in 1969 – the Royals, Seattle Pilots (who moved to Milwaukee after one year), San Diego Padres, and Montreal Expos. And yet attendance league-wide actually dipped by 1 percent to 13,992 fans per-game. The Expos were the only one of the four new teams to finish above-average in attendance, and the Padres were dead-last with just 6,333 fans per game.

The Royals finished 15th out of 24 clubs in per-game attendance, playing games in old Municipal Stadium at 22nd and Brooklyn. Just 17,688 fans came out on a cold and windy night to the first game in club history, half the stadium capacity of 34,164. They finished with the third-worst attendance in baseball the next year, but had a mild attendance bump by 1971 during the team’s first winning season. That didn’t carry over to 1972, as the Royals were one of eight clubs to draw fewer than 10,000 fans per game.

Here are ticket prices back in 1969, from the Royals team yearbook.

Early Royals Stadium (1973-1975)

The Royals enjoyed a pretty significant attendance bump after moving into brand new Royals Stadium, finishing tenth among all clubs in attendance in 1973, drawing more fans to the gate than the Yankees or either of the first-place AL clubs – the Orioles and Athletics. Attendance fell slightly the next two years as the team had a losing record in 1974, but bounced back with a then-club record 91 wins in 1975.

Here are 1975 ticket prices, from the team yearbook.

Western Division Dynasty (1976-1985)

The Royals soon became a fixture in the postseason, reaching the playoffs seven times in ten years. They became one of the top draws in baseball, finishing among the top six clubs in attendance every year between 1976 and 1982, except for 1979, when they finished seventh. But the Dodgers emerged as the top-drawing club in the game, becoming the first team ever to draw 3 million fans in a season in 1978.

Attendance actually went down in 1984, when the Royals went on a very late charge and won an unexpected division title. They got their attendance bump the next year, an 18 percent increase as they went on to win the first championship in club history.

Here is the ticket information for the 1980 season.

Post-first championship (1986-1994)

The Royals enjoyed another attendance bump in the year after their title, a 9 percent increase despite a losing season in which they lost popular manager Dick Howser to cancer. Attendance would continue to increase through 1989, when they topped 30,000 fans per-game for the first time in franchise history, a mark they wouldn’t reach again until 2015.

MLB attendance really began to take off in the mid-80s, going from 22,589 fans per game league-wide when the Royals won the 1985 title to 31,256 fans per-game when the players went on strike in 1994. New stadiums brought large new crowds in Baltimore, Cleveland, Texas, and Toronto, and new expansion teams in Colorado and Florida initially drew massive crowds in temporary homes in NFL stadiums.

Here are Royals ticket prices from the 1990 team yearbook.

Post-Kauffman (1995-2006)

Team founder and longtime owner Ewing Kauffman died in 1993, and his wife, Muriel, died a year later, leaving the team in the hands of a non-profit. Small market teams cut costs in the post-work-stoppage environment, leaving the Royals to flounder in the standings. Large market clubs like the Yankees and Dodgers were huge gate draws, while the Pirates, Royals, and Expos drew much smaller crowds. The Rays and Marlins also quickly sunk to the bottom of the league in attendance.

Here are ticket prices for the 2006 season.

Dayton Moore years (2007-2022)

The Royals had the sixth-lowest attendance the year they made a late run and won a surprise pennant in 2014. But fans came out in droves the next year, giving the Royals a 38 percent bump in attendance. That year, 2.7 million fans came to the K, tenth-most in baseball. The team averaged 33,439 fans per game, still the most well-attended season in club history.

Attendance league-wide was at its healthiest in the first 15 years of the century, with all but a handful of clubs averaging at least 20,000 fans per-game. MLB attendance peaked in 2008, with an average of 32,382 fans attending big league games that year. But by the end of this period, several clubs began “tanking” or were just plain lousy, leading to sparse crowds. In 2020, no fans were permitted due to the COVID pandemic, and crowds were restricted the following season.

The Royals began “dynamic pricing” in 2013, with ticket prices fluctuating based on demand. According to Statista, the average ticket price at Kauffman Stadium went from $19.83 in 2013 to $24.73 in 2014, when the Royals won the pennant, to $29.76 in their championship 2015 season.

J.J. Picollo years (2023-present)

After years of rebuilding after the championship core departed after 2017, the Royals began to build attendance back up once J.J. Picollo took over in 2023. A playoff run in 2024 boosted attendance, and that increase continued to 2025 when the team drew 21,590 fans per game, their best numbers since 2017.

Baseball recovered from the pandemic, although with slightly lower attendance numbers than before. The Athletics and Rays each played in minor league stadiums in 2025, limiting their already small attendance figures. The league overall has not averaged 30,000+ fans per game since 2016.

A look at the former Atlanta Braves eligible for the 2026 Hall of Fame

On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the Baseball Hall of Fame will likely gain new inductees when the results of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote will be announced at 6PM Eastern on the MLB Network. These possible inductees will join second baseman Jeff Kent who was some-what surprisingly elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee last December.

Long-time big league outfielder Carlos Beltran is considered a near-lock to be elected. Joining him could be one of the icons of the Atlanta Braves post-1990 era, as center fielder Andruw Jones seems increasingly likely to gain election in his ninth year on the ballot.

Here are a look at the former Atlanta Braves who are on this year’s ballot.

Andruw Jones

Considered to be among the best defensive center fielders in the history of the game – and often the argument is between Jones and inner-circle Hall of Famer Willie Mays – Jones’ defensive runs saved are almost otherworldly and proof that his 10-consecutive Gold Gloves were much-deserved. Jones debuted with Atlanta at age 19 in 1996 and played with the Braves through the 2007 season.

His career declined significantly as he spent the next five seasons with four different organizations before heading to Japan for the final two season he played professionally. He was a five-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger and Player of the Year in 2005 when he hit a career-best 51 home runs. He hit 368 of his 434 career MLB home runs with Atlanta. He also hit 50 home runs in Japan.

Jones, with a career 67.o fWAR, is trending forward election in 2026, although the final vote will be close to the 75-percent threshold needed for induction.

Cole Hamels

Starting pitcher Cole Hamels pitched in one game for Atlanta in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. That ended up being his final big league appearance although he didn’t officially retire for the final time until 2024 after multiple failed come-back bids.

Although his time with the Braves did elicit a far number of jokes, Hamels is gaining notice for his overall career work, 10 years of which were as a starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a four-time All-Star and a World Series and NLCS MVP.

This is his first time on the ballot and he is going to safely make it to the 2027 ballot despite fall far short of induction in year-one. Hamels’ case for election will likely see him stay on the ballot for each of the years he is eligible, but he seems unlikely to gain election with stronger candidate on the ballot struggling to be voted into the Hall.

Nick Markakis

Outfielder Nick Markakis won’t get elected and will likley drop off the ballot after this year, his first of eligibility. Markakis played six of his 15 seasons with the Braves and appeared in his only All-Star game with the Braves in 2018.

He was a three-time Gold Glove winner – once with Atlanta – and also won is only Silver Slugger with the Braves. A solid big leaguer, he pounded more than 500 doubles in his nearly 2,400 career hits. He was a Brave from 2015 through the 2020 season.

Matt Kemp

Outfielder Matt Kemp is also a first-time eligible player who will also drop off after this year. Kemp had one stand-out season in his career – 2011 when he posted 8.3 fWAR and led the National League in multiple offensive categories but finished second in the NL MVP to Ryan Braun.

Kemp’s injury-plagued career was up-and-down after 2011. He played part of the 2016 season with the Braves as well as the 2017 season. He hit 31 home runs with Atlanta and 287 in his career.

Félix Hernández

Starting pitcher Félix Hernández is included here because if not for the COVID-season of 2020, he would have been an Atlanta Brave. “King Félix” came to Spring Training in 2020 and made four starts with the Braves, tossing 13.3 innings while striking out 14 and allowing on three runs before Spring Training ended and he decided to opt out of the shortened 2020 season.

As it stands, all 15 years of his big league career were with the Seattle Mariners where he was the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner and finished second in the Cy Young twice. He won’t be elected in this cycle, but his vote totals are trended up as the six-time All-Star and two-time AL leader in ERA looks-to-be on pace for eventual election by the writers.

Looking ahead to the 2027 ballot, there a several other former Braves who could find their way on to the ballot for the first time, but none-of-which would be likley to be more than a one-and-done option.

NBA 2025-26 midseason MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander running away from field, plus betting angles

We've reached the midpoint of an NBA season that has been filled with surprises — Detroit and Boston lead the East, San Antonio is second in the West — and also far too many injuries to stars. It's also given us jaw-dropping moments, and not just the ones Victor Wembanyama seems to deliver us on a nightly basis.

The midpoint also means it's time to take stock of the NBA postseason awards. All week long, I will make my picks for some of the NBA's top awards at this point in the season, plus get betting angles from NBC Sports experts. Today: MVP.

NBA MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

2. Nikola Jokic
3. Luka Doncic
4. Jalen Brown
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Note: I have excluded from my list only players who have already missed more than 17 games and will not reach the league's (unnecessary) 65-game threshold to qualify for the award. While multiple players on this list ultimately may not qualify, we're not trying to predict the future here.

Analysis of MVP

This is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's race to lose.

As it was a year ago, this was really a two-man race between SGA and Nikola Jokic, but Jokic's injury not only puts him behind now, it basically dooms his case as long as Gilgeous-Alexander stays healthy — at the end of the season, if Jokic has played 66 games and Gilgeous-Alexander 76, voters will factor that in.

Not to take anything away from SGA, who has more than earned a repeat MVP win, averaging 31.8 points, 6.2 assists and four rebounds a game, shooting 39.6% from 3 and being a quality defender on the other end of the court. He is again a team that is on pace for about the 68 wins it had a season ago. Gilgeous-Alexander may have won this award even if Jokic had been healthy.

The rest of this list will look different at the end of the season because there is a real chance Jokic (who has to return from his knee injury by Jan. 30, then not miss any more games) and Antetokounmpo (can only miss three more games this season) could well fall short of the league's 65-game cutoff. Also on the bubble of making the cutoff is Wembanyama, who can only miss three more games this season and was sixth on my list. This could open up spots for Donovan Mitchell and Tyrese Maxey, who were in serious consideration for the top five as well.

Doncic deserves his No. 3 seed because of the make-Mavs-fans-cry stats he is putting up, including leading the league at 33.3 points per game. He is the driving force of a top-10 offense, and the Lakers are top-six in the West because of him.

Jalen Brown has been the driving force in Boston and, by the end of the season, could be higher on this list, but he more than deserves his spot. Antetokounmpo has put up statistics this season that are in line with the top three here, but the struggles of the Bucks knock him down a peg.

Betting MVP Race

We reached out to the NBC Sports betting experts for their thoughts on the MVP race and how they might bet it.

Jay Coucher, NBC Sports Lead Betting Analyst

Barring a miraculous 65-game qualification by Nikola Jokic, this should essentially be a bet on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander staying healthy. The Thunder are pacing for 68 wins and Shai's stats - basic and advanced - are otherworldly as usual. Even if Jokic were to improbably squeak across the qualification threshold, Shai is still the likely favorite given games played matter in an award about "value", and Jokic will have missed a month of the season.

Flyers vs Golden Knights Prediction, Picks & Same-Game Parlay for Tonight’s NHL Game

Ivan Barbashev is having another productive season for the Vegas Golden Knights, pacing for 58 points, which would be a new high during his tenure with the team.

My Flyers vs. Golden Knights predictions expect Barbashev to build on those outputs on his home ice.

Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Monday, January 19.

Flyers vs Golden Knights prediction

Flyers vs Golden Knights best bet: Ivan Barbashev Over 0.5 points (+115)

Ivan Barbashev has points in 63% of his home games compared to just 39% when playing on the road.

His numbers are even better when rested, hitting the scoresheet in 10 of 15 in Vegas after an off day, tallying 16 points in total.

He is currently riding shotgun with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone on the top line, which is a dream spot to be.

Eichel leads the Vegas Golden Knights in points, while Stone is producing at by far the highest level of his career, averaging more than 1.5 points per game.

The Golden Knights have filled the net at an unbelievably high rate with that trio on the ice. They’re averaging nearly five goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, numbers comparable to the Nathan MacKinnon-Martin Necas duo (5.25 per 60).

The Philadelphia Flyers are also dealing with goaltending issues. Starter Dan Vladar is banged up, and the Flyers have not gotten any saves without him. Even if Vladar can return, he’s not invincible.

Vladar is giving up an average of 2.82 goals per game to Top-10 scoring offenses and has won only three of 11 appearances.

Flyers vs Golden Knights same-game parlay

Stone has skated with Eichel and Barbashev for 10 games this season. He recorded multiple shots on goal in nine of them, averaging 2.9 in total.

It’s hard not to get excited about Owen Tippett right now. He has generated 3+ shots in seven straight, including twice against an excellent Lightning squad. His 5-on-5 shot volume is particularly strong, which is important as Vegas doesn’t take many penalties.

Flyers vs Golden Knights SGP

  • Ivan Barbashev Over 0.5 points
  • Mark Stone Over 1.5 shots on goal
  • Owen Tippett Over 2.5 shots on goal

Flyers vs Golden Knights odds

  • Moneyline: Flyers +170 | Golden Knights -210
  • Puck Line: Flyers +1.5 (-135) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+115)
  • Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+110) | Under 6.5 (-130)

Flyers vs Golden Knights trend

Ivan Barbashev has nine points over his last 10 home dates. Find more NHL betting trends for Flyers vs. Golden Knights.

How to watch Flyers vs Golden Knights

LocationT-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
DateMonday, January 19, 2026
Puck drop8:00 p.m. ET
TVNBCSP+, SCRIPPS

Flyers vs Golden Knights latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Week in Review: The Spurs’ offense is coming back around

Welcome to Week in Review: a Monday feature that looks back at the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a look at the week ahead, and more. Enjoy!


Week 12: The hunt for the Spurs’ 2025 offense continued into the second week of 2026, with them splitting another set of games. Despite only hitting 4 threes, they got their most comfortable win since Christmas against a Lakers squad missing LeBron James and Austin Reeves, followed by upsetting a hot Celtics team in a defensive slugfest in their own building. However, sandwiched around those wins were one-point losses at Memphis and Minnesota, both of which featured the Spurs blowing double-digit leads and losing focus in the fourth quarter.

Week 13: 2-1 (29-13, 2nd in West)

98-119 loss at Oklahoma City Thunder

The joy that came from beating the Thunder three times in less than two weeks — with the climax of the Spurs’ hot December being embarrassing them on their own court on Christmas — was finally gone as they hit rock bottom of their 10-game slump ever since. After a tight first half, OKC returned the favor with a second half offensive thrashing that the Spurs had no answer for, with plenty of trash talk and taunting to let out all their pent up frustration from last month. This is officially a rivalry.

119-101 win vs. Milwaukee Bucks

After going 4-6 across the last 1o games, the Spurs needed a confidence-boosting win, and they finally got one against a Bucks team that is dealing with its own turmoil and had nothing going beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo and a little spurt from Kyle Kuzma. Meanwhile, the Spurs achieved all three points needed to bust out of their slump: they hit their threes (16-37, 43%), the guards all had good games (De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper combined for 47 points and 19 assists in three quarters of work), and the Spurs took their opponent seriously, resulting in a blowout win that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated, with the Spurs leading by as much as 39.

126-123 win vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Spurs got revenge against one of the teams who gave them trouble during their slump, but they had to sweat it out first. Similar to their two losses in Minnesota this season, the Spurs got out to a big lead early, leading by 25 at halftime, but took their foot off the gas in the second half. A 55-point outing from Anthony Edwards, including 26 points in fourth quarter, brought his team surging back to take the lead late, but fortunately for the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama was able to match him shot-for-shot in the clutch, and a big three from Keldon Johnson sealed the deal (but not without plenty of free throw drama to give everyone a heart attack first).


Power Rankings

John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 3 (last week: 4)

OffRtg: 116.7 (10) DefRtg: 111.6 (3) NetRtg: +5.0 (5) Pace: 100.7 (15)

The Spurs suffered their first loss to the Thunder last week, but they remain comfortably in the top three in the West after surviving a wild game against fourth-place the Wolves on Saturday.

Three takeaways

1. The Spurs’ loss in Oklahoma City on Tuesday was the end of their worst five-game stretch of offense (103.4 points scored per 100 possessions) this season, with their trio of guards – De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper – combining to shoot just 34% over the five games. San Antonio ranks 26th offensively (111.0 scored per 100) since Christmas.
2. But the offense returned as they returned home to beat the Bucks and Wolves. The three guards scored more efficiently, Castle had 19 assists and just two turnovers over the two games, and Victor Wembanyama scored 39 points against Minnesota. Though he’s first in defensive rebounding percentage, he’s just 61st in offensive rebounding percentage (6.9%) among 289 players who’ve averaged at least 15 minutes per game. But he sealed the win by rebounding Julian Champagnie’s missed free throw in a crowd of Wolves with four seconds left.
3. With that win, the Spurs are 21-1 when they’ve scored at least 116 points per 100 possessions and 6-3 within the top five in the West, set to visit the fifth-place Rockets (1-0) twice in the next 10 days. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage for the first of those two visits (Tuesday).

Coming up: The Spurs are 9-1 against the eight teams that have lost at least 60% of their games, with the one loss having come (at home) to the Jazz. They’ll face Utah twice this week and also complete their season series with the Pelicans.

Brett Siegel, Clutch Points — 2 (last week: 1)

The Spurs are tied with the Denver Nuggets for the second-best record in the Western Conference*. What has made this Spurs team so unique throughout the season to this point is their ability to find production from a lot of other players outside of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

Not to mention, San Antonio’s defense has been among the best in the league lately, only surrendering an average of 105.6 points per game over its last seven contests.

(*Note: the Nuggets lost to Charlotte last night, so the Spurs are now a half game ahead of them.)


Coming up: Mon. 1/19 vs. Utah Jazz (14-28); Tues. 1/20 at Houston Rockets (25-15); Thurs. 1/22 at Utah Jazz (14-28); Sun. 1/25 vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Prediction: 4-0 — I predicted a game too early for the Spurs to get out of their slump last week by choosing them to go undefeated, but I’m throwing caution to the wind and predicting the same this week. The Spurs will have zero excuses against two of the three worst teams in the West, and while Houston can sometimes be a house of horrors for them, the Rockets have struggled of late. Granted, this is the second game of a back-t0-back for the Spurs, but its an early tip-off today, and Houston is just a 45-min flight away. (I also just flat out hate the Rockets and want this win!)

Ralphy Velazquez is our No. 4 Guardians prospect. Who should be No. 5?

The people have spoken and Ralphy Velazquez is our No. 4 Guardians prospect. Velazquez won with a whopping 84.4% of the vote despite competing against six other prospects. He moves up five spots from No. 9 last year (and also No. 9 in 2024).

Velazquez was Cleveland’s first round draft pick in 2023, selected No. 23 overall out of Huntington Beach High School. Initially drafted as a catcher, it didn’t take long for Velazquez to be converted to first baseman. His bat was what mattered however, and he has hit at every level he’s played.

Velazquez made his pro debut at in the Arizona Complex League the year he was drafted, smacking a pair of home runs in the six games he played while sporting an impressive 153 wRC+.

In his first full season in the Cleveland system, Velazquez debuted at Single-A Lynchburg, where he blasted 10 home runs while slashing .243/.362.414 with a 131 wRC+ over 82 games, good enough to earn an invite to represent Cleveland in the Futures Game. While there, he put on a prodigious display in the home run derby and wowed scouts with his exit velocity. He finished the season with a 19-game stint at High-A Lake County.

The powerful prospect got off to a slow start to the 2024 season, which began at Lake County. After a rough first two months where he experienced a brutal .212 BABIP, although all of his other underlying data spoke otherwise. He broke out of his unlucky streak with an incredible two and a half months, slashing .287/.357/.522 with 10 home runs and a 143 wRC+. This earned him a promotion to Double-A Akron, where he made one of the most impressive Double-A debuts in recent memory, collecting 12 hits in 22 at bats with four home runs, four doubles and four walks, earning Eastern League player of the week. In his 28 games at Akron, he slashed .330/.405/.589, posting a career-best 188 wRC+.

Velazquez possesses a unique combination of power, athleticism, patience and contact. With improvements to his physical ability made over the past few years, he was able to withstand a full season of baseball in 2025, performing even better in his final month of the season.

Now, it’s time to determine who is number five in the Guardians’ loaded farm system! Your options are below:


Jaison Chourio, OF (Age 20)
2025 (CPX) 27 PA, .261/.370/.304, 0 HR, 1 SB, 14.8 BB%, 37.0 K%, 95 wRC+
2025 (A+): 353 PA, .235/.380/.284, 2 HR, 9 SB, 18.7 BB%, 21.8 K%, 103 wRC+

Chourio was lining up to be Cleveland’s top prospect after a sensational 2024, but he was slowed in 2025 by a nagging shoulder injury and had a very average season. He’s looking to bounce back in 2026.

Braylon Doughty, RHP (Age 20)
2025 (A): 22 GS, 85.1 IP, 3.48 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 27.3%, 6.4%, 1.25 WHIP

Cleveland’s competitive balance first round pick in 2024, Doughty debuted in full-season ball and put up solid numbers in his age-19 season at Single-A, showcasing elite control.

Angel Genao, SS (Age 21)
2025 (CPX) 32 PA, .308/.438/.654, 3 HR, 0 SB, 18.8 BB%, 12.5 K%, 177 wRC+
2025 (AA): 341 PA, .259/.323/.359, 2 HR, 6 SB, 8.5 BB%, 15.8 K%, 103 wRC+

Had an average regular season in 2025 after missing the first two months with a shoulder sprain, which likely sapped his power after he came back in June.

Cooper Ingle, C (Age 23)
2025 (AA) 403 PA, .273/.391/.443, 9 HR, 0 SB, 16.1 BB%, 17.4 K%, 148 wRC+
2025 (AAA) 107 PA, .207/.383/.329, 1 HR, 0 SB, 19.6 BB%, 16.7K%, 105 wRC+

Ingle has shown excellent offensive tendencies for a catcher. Will his defense and power be enough to earn an opportunity in Cleveland this year?

Jace LaViolette, OF (Age 22)
2025 (NCAA) 262 PA, .258/.427/.576, 18 HR, 7 SB, 21.8 BB%, 25.2K%, 120 wRC+

Cleveland’s first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-6 LaViolette instantly becomes one of the top power hitting prospects in the system. Strikeouts and contact have been an issue, however.

Alfonsin Rosario, OF (Age 21)
2025 (A+) 354 PA, .268/.362/.490, 16 HR, 12 SB, 10.8 BB%, 25.1 K%, 139 wRC+
2025 (AA): 145 PA, .211/.303/.391, 5 HR, 2 SB, 10.3 BB%, 33.1 K%, 105 wRC+

One of Cleveland’s most impressive hitters in its minor league system during his stint at High-A Lake County as a 20-year-old. Rosario has a unique combination of speed and power, but will need to overcome his strikeouts.

Khal Stephen, RHP (Age 23)
w/ TOR 2025 (A) 7 GS, 39.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 1.97 FIP, 31.4 K%, 4.6 BB%, 0.92 WHIP
w/ TOR 2025 (A+): 9 GS, 48.1 IP, 1.49 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 26.6 K%, 5.4 BB%, 0.85 WHIP
w/ TOR 2025 (AA): 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 6.35 ERA, 1.88 FIP, 11.1 K%, 5.6 BB%, 1.68 WHIP
2025 (AA): 4 GS, 11.1 IP, 9.00 ERA, 9.54 FIP, 21.9 K%, 3.9 BB%, 1.50 WHIP

Acquired from Toronto in the Shane Bieber trade, Stephen rocketed through the minor league system in 2025 before hitting a wall in Double-A.He instantly became one of Cleveland’s top pitching prospects.

NOTE ON POLL: We have moved to Google Forms Surveys in an attempt to eliminate vote spammers. Please vote below. Voting will close at 11:59PM ET

Sergei Bobrovsky Looks To Bounce Back After Nine-Goal Outing As Panthers Host Macklin Celebrini And The Sharks

The Florida Panthers entered the fifth game of their six-game road trip last Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes, feeling better about their hockey after winning two straight.

When the final buzzer sounded, the only feeling was one of dread and embarrassment. The Panthers found themselves tied 1-1 early in the second period, but they went on to allow six goals in the third period, losing 9-1.

Sergei Bobrovsky was in goal for all nine goals, finishing with a .743 save percentage, turning away just 26 of the 35 shots he faced. The Panthers’ penalty kill percentage took a significant blow as they allowed four goals on five opportunities.

When the Panthers travelled to Washington to take on the Capitals, Daniil Tarasov backed the Panthers, turning away 22 of the 24 shots he faced en route to a 5-2 victory. 

Although Tarasov’s numbers are significantly better than Bobrovsky’s, Tarasov is still taking on very few starts, and prior to his start against Washington, it had been five games since he last played. 

The 37-year-old Bobrovsky will be back in goal tonight against the San Jose Sharks, looking to slow down Macklin Celebrini and the rest of the young, high-flying forwards the Sharks dress. The Sharks are tied for third place in the Pacific Division with 51 points and a 24-20-3 record. 

Matthew Tkachuk to make season debut for Panthers against San Jose on MondayMatthew Tkachuk to make season debut for Panthers against San Jose on MondayAfter a long recovery, Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is set to return to the ice, ready to rejoin his teammates against the Sharks.

The Sharks average the 16th most goals per game (3.11), 29th most shots on goal (25.3), and the fifth-best shooting percentage (12.3 percent). Bobrovsky has at times shown he is the goaltender who backstopped the Panthers to consecutive Stanley Cup wins, but his inconsistency has plagued the Panthers. 

The Panthers remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, but are now four points back of a wild card spot with two teams ahead of them. They are also eight points back of third place in the Atlantic Division, with three teams ahead. 

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Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2026: Elian Peña (13)

Signed by the Mets on the January 15, 2025, Peña was the organization’s crown jewel for the 2025-2026 international free agent signing period. Considered one of the best position players available in the class, and potentially the best position player available, the Mets and Peña agreed to a $5 million dollar signing bonus, shattering the prior organizational record (Yovanny Rodriguez, $2.85 million) and eating up the majority of the $6,261,600 that the team had in their 2025-2026 pool.

Overview

Name: Elian Peña
Position: INF
Born: 10/19/2007 (Age 18 season in 2026)
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Bats/Throws: L/R
Acquired: IFA, January 15, 2025 (Dominican Republic)
2025 Stats: 55 G, 178 AB, .292/.421/.528, 52 H, 13 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 36 BB, 36 K, 21/25 SB, .319 BABIP (Rookie-DSL)

Assigned to the Dominican Summer League, Peña has had an interesting start to his career so far. The 17-year-old shortstop started his career on June 2 for the DSL Mets Orange and went 0-2 with a strikeout and a hit-by-pitch. He would go 0-fer for roughly two weeks before logging his first professional hit on June 14th, going 1-3. After finally getting over that hurtle, Peña hit an incredible .351/.467/.635 over the course of the rest of the season. In total, he ended up hitting .292/.421/.528 in 178 at-bats over 55 games with 13 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 21 stolen bases in 25 attempts, and drew an even 36 walks to 36 strikeouts. Not just once, but twice, Peña hit three home runs in a single game; on June 26 when he went 4-5 with a double and three homers, and on August 18, when he went 4-5 with a single and three homers.

Listed a 5’11”, 170-pounds, Peña is almost certainly a little bigger and heavier than that now. He stands slightly open at the plate, holding his hands at the shoulders and wrapping his bat behind his head angled at 10:30. He swings with a slight leg lift but no real load or weight shift, primarily pulling the ball right now at a 48.5% rate and going back up the middle and to the opposite field at a 22.1% and 29.4% rate, respectively. His swing has natural uppercut and is designed towards putting the ball in the air, but was a bit slow and stiff according to scouts and evaluators early on in the season; whether it was just because he was still getting accustomed to professional baseball or not remains to be seen.

Despite the current lack of explosivity, Peña still makes loud contact, with a high-water exit velocity mark of 99.8 MPH as per public broadcasts of DSL contests where data is available. He does not expand the zone much, either. Peña was marketed as a hitter with his advanced pitch recognition and plate discipline for his age, and while that may be true broadly, the level of pitching he has been facing so far may simply be too embryonic to really get a good gauge on whether or not he actually is, or whether or not he only is currently for his cohort, relative to their current pitching abilities.

Peña’s lower half has thickened since first being scouted professionally, and he seemingly is still far from being physically maxed out. Defensively, he has the tools and ability to play shortstop but may be better suited at third base in the future depending on how quick-twitch athletic he remains. His range at shortstop is not currently an issue, but it may be taxed if he slows down in the future. His plus arm, smooth hands, and strong instincts work at either position.

2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List

14) Zach Thornton
15) Nick Morabito
16) R.J. Gordon
17) Chris Suero
18) Dylan Ross
19) Ryan Lambert
20) Antonio Jimenez
21) Edward Lantigua
22) Eli Serrano III
23) Randy Guzman
24) Daiverson Gutierrez
25) Boston Baro

A look back, decades apart

Inspired by Mike Carlucci at Over the Monster (and, perhaps, an Instagram trend) I thought it would be a fun exercise to look back at Detroit Tigers teams from ten, twenty and thirty years ago and put myself in the shoes of the average fan in the winters just before those seasons.

Some of you here may be relative newcomers to the Tigers; in that case, welcome aboard, and just know that being a serious playoff contender isn’t always a frequent occurrence. But sometimes things line up just right – and, of course, a certain pizza-chain-owning mogul decides to blow his entire bank account on the team for which he once played in the organization.

Some of you have followed the Tigers for decades longer than others; in that case, feel free to fill things in for forty, fifty or more years in the past down in the comments. To that end, fifty years ago marked the debut of one of the singular sensations in baseball history, Mark Fidrych. He’d put together a good year across three minor-league levels in 1975 at age 20, capping things off with six very good starts at Triple-A Evansville (completing four of them; ah, different times, then). Did anyone see his 1976 coming? I doubt anyone would’ve, including Fidrych himself, may he rest in peace.

Anyway, on with the exercise at hand.

Ten Years Ago: 2016

A sense of dread hung over Tigers fans that offseason, as the window for a realistic shot at a World Series title appeared to have mostly snapped shut in the second year of Brad Ausmus’ tenure in 2015. Core stars like Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martínez were aging, Justin Verlander had re-emerged as one of the best pitchers in the league in the second half of the season but most weren’t yet convinced and they’d failed to build back around him, and it became clear that Ausmus was not the guy to reassemble the Tigers into anything ressembling a good team. Plus, Dave Dombrowski quit as General Manager and his longtime deputy, Al Avila, was expected to pilot the ship along roughly the same course as before.

And, let’s face it, the less said about Alfredo “Big Pasta” Simón’s season in Detroit, the better. Yikes. (How did that trade with the Reds turn out? I hope what’s-his-name turned out alright. You know, ol’ Jonathon Crawford.)

But, like all good baseball movies, the aging veterans surely had to have one last turn in the Sun in them, right? Besides, J.D. Martinez had a great season with 38 home runs and 33 doubles, and while he wasn’t so hot with the glove, you could stick him in right field and have him occassionally DH, you could get away with some suspicious defence now and again. Al Alburquerque and his amazing slider could baffle hitters in the late innings, and Bruce Rondón was going to be the Closer of the Future.

While the 2016 Tigers finished with 86 wins – short of a Wild Card spot after a wretched August and September in which they went 23–32 – it was pretty clear that the extended run of consistently good teams, stretching back to 2011, was over. Ausmus was kept around for another year in which the Tigers struggled, traded away all the veteran they could, including Verlander, and finished last. Things look pretty bleak for years afterwards.

Twenty Years Ago: 2006

I’ve always felt that Alan Trammell got a raw deal as manager of the Tigers for three years in the early 2000s. He was handed a truly horrible team in 2003 and, unsurpsingly, they did terribly; nearly-historically-terribly, as it turned out. When your starting lineup features Dmitri Young as, by far, its most valuable hitter (with a nice 3.4 bWAR but a glove as strange as you’ll ever see), and a starting rotation in which one starter had an ERA below 5 (Nate Cornejo, ladies and gentlemen), there’s only so much you can do.

Since things can’t stay that bad for that long, they won 29 more games in 2004 than they did the year before: no pitcher lost twenty games, Iván Rodriguez and Carlos Guillén were solid free-agent pickups, and Dombrowski had a full season on the job to build the kind of team we’d desperately wanted for years. With high hopes and an interesting young rotation, what would 2005 bring?

A slight regression, as it turned out. They won one fewer game, the bullpen was a mess (although they managed to get rid of Ugueth Urbina just in time and flip him for the impossible-to-whiff Plácido Polanco), and while the young starters stayed healthy and ate up a whole lot of innings, they didn’t take the huge step forward that many were hoping for. They had a 61-62 record near the end of August, but the bottom fell out and that was that.

Thus, ol’ Tram “got the ziggy,” and Jim Leyland was brought in to scream and yell and occasionally cry and the room you were sitting in sure got a little dusty when that happened for the 2006 season. As we all know, the Tigers got a Wild Card after skidding backwards into the playoffs, losing the AL Central title to Minnesota, but they made it all the way to the World Series in a run that none of us could have truly predicted. Breakout or standout seasons were all over the place, and some young punk kid named Verlander decided he’d go out and win himself seventeen games as a 23-year-old rookie. Not bad at all.

Thirty Years Ago: 1996

Here’s where a lot of us start to have slightly fuzzy memories, myself included.

Sparky Anderson retired at the end of the 1995 season. He’d been the manager in Detroit since mid-1979, which is the kind of managerial tenure you rarely see in baseball. He’d turned a boatload of ridiculously talented prospects into a World Series winner and kept things going for a while as those prospects aged into veterans. But the strike in 1994, and management asking him to possibly guide replacement players in 1995 (before the strike was resolved) suggested to Sparky that it might be time to hang ‘em up.

Lou Whitaker also retired at the end of 1995, but Trammell decided he had one more season in him as Travis Fryman was clearly going to be the starting shortstop going forward. Kirk Gibson had also squeezed one final campaign out of his body and reitred a Tiger, after memorable seasons in Los Angeles (and not-so-memorable ones in Kansas City and Pittsburgh). Chad Curtis looked to be a solid pickup from the Angels, but the less said about him the better, too, as it turned out.

Add Mike Moore’s name to the list of fresh retirees, too: he’d lost 15 games in the Tigers rotation in 1995, and at age 35 and after fourteen seasons, he probably figured he’d had enough. The rotation in ‘95 had Felipe Lira and José Lima, two promising young pitchers, and the Tigers picked up Omar Olivares as a free agent; he’d had some good seasons in St. Louis. Gregg Olson was brought in to be their closer, and he’d had a nice run in the early-’90s in Baltimore. Could this patchwork pitching staff get the Tigers some wins, picking up the slack for a questionable starting lineup?

Nope. The Tigers in 1996 had the worst team ERA in American League history, they lost 109 games under Buddy Bell, and it kicked off a ten-season stretch in which they wouldn’t win 80 games in a season, and indeed only cracked 75 wins twice. Bobby Higginson sure deserved better than this.


Again, feel free to add your recollections of any of these past offseasons, a decade apart – or if you’re of a more refined vintage, something from a previous ending-in-six offseason.

The Good Phight’s Community Prospect list: #3 – Justin Crawford

The thumb went on the scale, folks.

There is no result because the results were skewed. How skewed? When closing responses, there were 548 collected. 86.6% of people claimed Dante Nori was the team’s third best prospect. No disrespect to Nori intended, but there is a consensus among the scouting community who the team’s top three prospects are, so let’s just learn from this and move on.

There is a decent amount of pressure on Justin Crawford now. He’s taken the methodical route to the majors, the team preferring him to find success at levels over an entire season as opposed to being rushed to Philadelphia before he was ready. Many scouting gurus have talked about his swing not being conducive to major league success no matter how well he performed in the minors, yet perform well in the minors he has.

The time has come for him to show what he can do in the majors and it seems the Phillies are primed to do just that. Judging from their offseason moves, the runway has been cleared for his to hit in the bottom third of the lineup and play left field full time.

Let’s see how he does.

2025 stats (with Lehigh Valley)

112 G, 506 PA, .334/.411/.452, 7 HR, 47 RBI, 46 SB, 11.5 BB%, 18.0 K%, 135 wRC+

Baseball Prospectus scouting report ($)

Offensively, we could pretty much cut and paste any report we’ve written about Crawford since he was drafted here. He still hits the ball on the ground way too much, he still runs like the wind, he still puts the ball in play a lot, and he still swings at way too many pitches for a guy who has what is otherwise a 1990s leadoff man profile. He made some real improvements around the edges of his very durable broad profile in 2025—he cut his chase rate by over five points year-over-year, which got it from catastrophic to merely bad, while turning a few grounders into line drives—but for the most part what you think about his offensive game still depends on whether you think his reliance on nine-hopper singles can sustain a plus-or-better hit tool outcome in the majors.

With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.

Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!

Capitals vs Avalanche Prediction, Picks & Same-Game Parlay for Tonight’s NHL Game

Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals with 36, but he hasn’t scored in three straight games, tying his season-long dry spell.

My Capitals vs. Avalanche predictions expect MacKinnon to find the back of the net while leading the charge for a Colorado team looking to rebound from a pair of losses.

Let’s dive into my NHL picks for Monday, January 19.

Capitals vs Avalanche prediction

Capitals vs Avalanche best bet: Nathan MacKinnon anytime goal (+100)

Nathan MacKinnon has filled the net at an incredible pace this season, scoring at least one goal in 54% of his appearances, and 57% at home.

He has often led the charge in winning efforts, scoring in 64% of the Colorado Avalanche’s wins. That’s certainly noteworthy as the Avalanche are 19-1-3 at home and more than -200 favorites against the Washington Capitals in this game.

Also working in his favor is rest. The Avalanche have had a couple of days off, and they’ve been borderline unstoppable when that’s the case.

Colorado is 12-1-1 following 2+ days of rest. They've scored 3+ goals in all 14 games and are averaging 4.57 in that span — absurd production.

As you’d expect, MacKinnon has played a huge part in that. MacKinnon has scored in four of the last five games following two off days, potting six goals in that span.

He is the tone-setter for the Avalanche, and he’s undoubtedly licking his chops to get back out there after suffering a pair of losses in a row.

The Capitals haven’t defended all that well of late, either.

They rank 22nd in expected goals against at 5-on-5 and on the kill over the last 10 games. They’ve also played at the 10th-highest pace, which MacKinnon and the Avalanche will certainly welcome at altitude.

Capitals vs Avalanche same-game parlay

Sam Malinksi is playing a much larger role in the absence of Devon Toews, averaging just over 20 minutes spanning the past five. His numbers reflect the spike in usage, with Malinski producing 3.0 shots on 6.2 attempts per game in that span.

The Avalanche have won by 2+ goals in nine of 12 victories following at least two days off. They’ve only lost multiple games in a row two different stretches this season, and exited both of them with eight-goal performances.

Capitals vs Avalanche SGP

  • Nathan MacKinnon anytime goal
  • Sam Malinski Over 1.5 shots on goal
  • Avalanche -1.5

Capitals vs Avalanche odds

  • Moneyline: Washington +175 | Colorado -215
  • Puck line: Washington +1.5 (-130) | Colorado -1.5 (+110)
  • Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-105) | Under 6.5 (-115)

Capitals vs Avalanche trend

The Avalanche have covered the Puck Line in 17 of their last 25 games at home (+10.30 Units / 37% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Capitals vs. Avalanche.

How to watch Capitals vs Avalanche

LocationBall Arena, Denver, CO
DateMonday, January 19, 2026
Puck drop4:00 p.m. ET
TVTNT, HBO Max

Capitals vs Avalanche latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here