After the Montreal Canadiens’ 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild, former Canadiens’ star defenseman P.K. Subban took to social media to talk about current Hab blueliner Lane Hutson. While the 21-year-old has been snubbed by Team USA for the Milano-Cortina twice now, the ESPN hockey analyst believes he should be in the conversation for the Norris Trophy this season.
Subban believes that Hutson impacts the game at both ends of the ice, offensively and defensively, thanks to his competitiveness and drive. He sees him as a leader who galvanizes the young Canadiens, and a player who craves the big moments, who wants to be THE guy in those big moments.
According to Subban, not only should Hutson be in the conversation, but he has a legitimate chance of winning the Trophy, before adding that anyone who doesn’t believe he should be in the conversation is “absolutely nuts”. Unsurprisingly, he also believes that Team USA is making a mistake by not taking the youngster to the Olympics.
Subban was a Canadiens’ second-round pick (just like Hutson) at the 2007 draft and spent the first seven seasons of his 13-season NHL career in Montreal. He played 434 games with the Canadiens, putting up 278 points, including 63 goals. He’s the last Canadiens’ defenseman to have won the Norris trophy back in 2012-12, when he put up 38 points in a lockout-shortened 48-game season in which he played 42 matches.
A reportedly polarizing figure in the Canadiens’ dressing room, Subban was traded to the Nashville Predators on June 29, 2016, for Shea Weber, who would go on to become the Canadiens’ 21st captain. As for Subban, he spent three years in Nashville, reaching the Stanley Cup Final once but falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, before being traded to the New Jersey Devils during the 2019 offseason. He played the last three years of his career with the Devils, who then decided not to offer him a new contract, which led to his retirement from the game.
The Colorado Avalanche lost a game in a shootout yet again last night, but long before that, it was clear that the Avalanche weren’t exactly locked into a highly intense contest. Lukas Dostal had a great game and nearly secured the shutout if not for a one-timed beauty from Artturi Lehkonen late in the contest. Even with that, last night’s game watched like a late-night infomercial, and I’m not in the market for any non-stick pans. I had this article queued up before the Avs and Ducks put us to sleep, but the game solidified my opinion. The Colorado Avalanche are bored.
I don’t want this article to be perceived as a slight to the Avalanche organization or players. I am simply pointing out what we all know. It’s human nature not be all that interested in inconsequential contests. The same season in which Colorado has a 10-point lead on the rest of their division, 77 points in 48 games played, all of the NHL will come to a pause to make way for the grandaddy of them all. International high-stakes hockey. It would only be human nature for the likes of Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon to feel like they are just biding their time before things get going in Milan, Italy.
Moreover, this team as a whole has already proven it’s a dominant regular season team, but the true proving grounds and arena of opportunity come in the postseason. This is yet another cup-or-bust year, smack dab in the middle of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar’s prime. The remaining 34 games of the regular season are gonna be slow going.
Dallas downgrading
The only saving grace for high-stakes hockey on a nightly basis early on in the season was that the Dallas Stars were just about keeping up all along the way, that is, until recently. Dallas being hot on the Avalanche heels gave Colorado plenty to play for, as winning the division should mean avoiding the Stars and the Minnesota Wild, who should still take two and three in the Central.
The Avalanche experienced some injuries lately, finally dropped a game in regulation at home, lost consecutive games again, and are 5-3-2 in their last ten. Guess what Dallas is up to? They are 3-5-2 in their last ten, including a three-game losing streak.
— Starcastic Remarks-THPN Stars Podcast (@StarcasticR) January 2, 2026
Colorado has faced more adversity than ever as of late, and what has it cost them in terms of the standings and their big lead? Absolutely nothing.
Now I’ll never root for the Dallas Stars, but I would actually be pretty annoyed if they lost to the tune of being a wildcard team and a potential first-round matchup. So I guess Dallas needs to win some more games.
Reason for concern
I’m not writing this as some hard-hitting analysis or take, but mostly pointing to something that could rear it’s ugly head in the future. A wise man once told me that we are only as good as our habits, and it’s super hard to maintain great/elite-level habits when the stakes aren’t that tangible. That’s what makes these guys pros, and that will be the challenge for the rest of the regular season.
We saw Nathan MacKinnon appearing plenty passionate in Colorado’s bounce-back win over the Capitals earlier in the week, which is a good sign. He will have to fabricate and convince himself more than ever this regular season that it’s about the details and habits.
I think they are in good hands with Bednar at the helm, as he seems to be fine with keeping his big-name guys out when the opposition shortens their bench. Even when they have a stranglehold on the division.
I suppose it’s better to ease up now and save the best for last. I just hope that switch flips with ease, because sometimes that’s not the case. Would hate for that to pop up at the worst possible time. That’s exactly what has happened to other clubs in the past, namely the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and the 2022-23 Boston Bruins.
The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres meet for the second time in the span of a week on Thursday, January 22.
Both of these Atlantic Division teams find themselves firmly in playoff spots, and the Sabres are looking to end an egregious 14-season playoff drought.
My Sabres vs. Canadiens predictions and NHL picks suggest another high-scoring thriller between these two offense-centric teams, with Lane Hutson continuing to cement himself as one of the league's best defensemen.
Sabres vs Canadiens prediction
Sabres vs Canadiens best bet: Lane Hutson 1+ assists (-150)
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson has taken his seemingly nonsensical omission from the American Olympic team personally.
The sophomore leads all defensemen in assists this season (43) and is only two points behind Cale Makar for the lead among blueliners. Over his last 21 games, Hutson has 26 helpers — four more than any other defenseman has points over that span.
Bill Guerin's least favorite defenseman has six apples in his last three games, including two against the Buffalo Sabres a week ago.
Sabres vs Canadiens same-game parlay
On a related note, Alexandre Carrier is another Habs defender who has been on fire lately. Not only does he have four goals in his last five games, but the Quebec City native leads the entire NHL with 26 blocked shots in his last eight games.
His 113 blocked shots are good for fifth in the league this season, and for good measure, the 29-year-old now has more points than Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault.
Montreal, despite being the league's youngest team, trails only the Colorado Avalanche in scoring and has tallied 4+ goals in five of its last six against Buffalo.
Montreal has won five of the last six and seven of the last 10 games against Buffalo. Find more NHL betting trends for Sabres vs. Canadiens.
How to watch Sabres vs Canadiens
Location
Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Date
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSG Sportsnet, TSN2
Sabres vs Canadiens latest injuries
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Writing a primer on a player who it feels like Mets fans simultaneously don’t know very well but also know intimately well in Luis Robert Jr. is an interesting position to be in. The 28-year-old Cuban-born center fielder defected in 2016 and signed with the White Sox the following year, spending his entire career until this point with an American League club the Mets rarely face off against. But the Mets have also been connected to Robert in trade for nearly two full calendar years at this point and his name has been brought up at least a handful of times every trade deadline and offseason since 2024 as the Mets searched for answers to their center field problem.
If there is an overarching pair of themes that tell the story of Robert’s career, it’s injuries and sky-high potential. Robert made his spring training debut for the White Sox in 2018 and hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning, but then landed on the injured list for two months because he sprained a ligament in his thumb while sliding into second base in the game. That spring debut ended up being a microcosm for Robert’s White Sox career.
Robert’s major league debut came in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, before which he signed a six-year, $50 million contract with the White Sox before appearing in a single big league game. That contract included team options for 2026 and 2027; the White Sox picked up Robert’s 2026 option in November prior to the trade and the Mets will now be responsible for Robert’s entire $20 million salary this season. The 2027 option is also for $20 million with a $2 million buyout. Robert won a Gold Glove in his first major league season and came in second in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting. Robert also helped carry the White Sox to their first postseason berth in over a decade—shortened season wackiness notwithstanding—and hit the longest postseason home run in White Sox history in the Wild Card round against the A’s. Things were off to a promising start for the young outfielder.
He carried that momentum right into the 2021 season, in which he hit over .300 in his first 25 games before suffering a complete tear of his right hip flexor on May 2—the first of a string of devastating injuries Robert would have to deal with in his young career. That hip flexor tear cost him three months, but in only 68 games and just shy of 300 plate appearances in 2021, Robert still amassed 3.4 fWAR. Robert’s production fell the following season, as he put up a 111 wRC+ in 2022. Though he played more games (98) than in 2021, he still suffered multiple more minor injuries that year, including a sprained wrist in September that prematurely ended his season.
Robert’s best year of his career by far was his age 25 season in 2023 when he played nearly a full season (145 games), over which he put up 5 WAR, hit 38 home runs, drove in 80 runs, and stole 20 bases—all while playing elite center field defense (12 OAA). He earned All-Star honors that year, won the Silver Slugger, and came in 12th in the AL MVP voting. Though Robert still has potentially a lot of years left to play at age 28, that 2023 season unfortunately represents the zenith of his professional career so far. Perhaps most notably, Robert has not sniffed 38 home runs before 2023 or since.
In all, according to data from FOX Sports, Robert has had over thirty—that’s right 30, as in, three-zero—IL stints in six big league seasons. That’s, well, a lot of injuries. And they are not all bumps and bruises either. Some of these are significant soft tissue injuries that led to lengthy absences. Robert played in just 53% of possible games from 2021 to 2023 and has failed to reach the 145-game high-water mark from 2023 in either of his past two seasons, which have been injury-riddled and mediocre. His 2024 and 2025 seasons were basically carbon copies of each other with an 86 and 85 OPS+ respectively, worth 1.4 bWAR each, and 210 games played across both seasons.
That all seems pretty grim, but there is plenty of reason for optimism here. Even with his history of lower body injuries, Robert maintains excellent—and flashes of brilliant—center field defense with 7 OAA in 2025, landing him in the 93rd percentile. This is certainly in keeping with David Stearns’ vision for improving the team defensively. Robert also maintains elite sprint speed and stole 33 bases last season—a career high. On the offensive side of things, his bat is as speedy as his legs; the inimitable Sarah Langs pointed out that only Robert, Julio Rodríguez, and Oneil Cruz had both sprint and bat speeds in the 90th percentile or better in 2025. That is encouraging company to keep. If you take a gander at xwOBA, Luis Robert’s was the same in 2025 as one Cody Bellinger—he who put up a well above average offensive season last year, was one of the most anticipated and coveted free agent bats this offseason, and was connected to the Mets for many weeks before signing with the Yankees yesterday.
To phrase it charitably, the White Sox are not known as one of the more forward-thinking or advanced organizations in the sport. Of course, when it comes to injuries and realizing the potential evident in the underlying hitting metrics, there is some luck involved. But there is also good injury prevention strategy and hitting instruction involved too and the Mets are likely better positioned than the White Sox in these arenas to help tip the odds of 2023 Robert reappearing in their favor. And while I do think people often wave “change of scenery” around like a wand, hoping that a new team will magically fix all of a player’s woes, lifting the fog of the heinous vibes that come with three consecutive 100+ loss seasons from Robert’s view probably can’t hurt.
It’s easy to see the appeal of this trade on both sides. The Mets have traded a blocked infield prospect with no options remaining and a starting pitching prospect from a farm full of excellent young arms for a player still in his twenties who they have been targeting for years, fits the roster perfectly, and whose potential they think they can maximize. Luisangel Acuña will now have the privilege of everyday playing time to hopefully be the best version of himself. For the White Sox, Robert is the talented, but oft-injured last bastion of a core that fell spectacularly short of expectations and was slowly jettisoned, piece by piece. And Robert also committed the greatest sin of all: making money without providing the bang for that buck consistently enough. For Mets fans still aching over the scattering of our own core of the first half of the 2020s, take comfort in the fact that unlike the team from whence Robert came, this is not a teardown. Unlike Robert was in Chicago by the end of his tenure, Pete Alonso was not the only bright spot in the abyss. At best, Mets fans can dream on Robert putting up a dynamic and fun to watch 5 WAR season, solving (at least in the short-term) the team’s longstanding center field quandary, and being a part of the beginning of the Mets’ next era of success. At worst, if Robert is injured and/or underperforms, as has been the case of late, the Mets have overpaid—something they can afford to do—for one mediocre season that still has a decent chance of exceeding the production the Mets got from center field in 2025.
Ah prospects. Sometimes they really hurt you. After watching the Detroit Tigers pass on Zach Neto and instead select Jace Jung in the first round of the 2022 amateur draft, there was some hope of redemption in the second round. The Tigers picked up an athletic shortstop with power out of the University of Oklahoma named Peyton Graham, and for a while I expected he’d add muscle to his reedy 6’2” frame and take advantage of his power and plate discipline to reach the majors as at least a platoon player who could handle the shortstop position effectively.
Things have not worked out that way. Graham spent much of the 2023 and 2024 seasons battling injuries. He missed half a season in 2023 after getting hit in the face by a pitch. In 2024 he was hit by another that broke two fingers. Beyond those injuries he’s had various minor sprains and strains that he’s had to work through. And after three full seasons of A-ball, he still hasn’t made the strength gains required to reduce the need for his long, high effort swing and all out approach to playing the infield.
Graham was never going to be a quick mover to the big leagues, but the progress required to keep his higher end projections hasn’t materialized. It was easy to be patient after all the injuries coming into 2025, but he needed a a strong move to the Double-A level in 2025 to keep a platoon player future on the board. Instead, he had a good year with the West Michigan Whitecaps without any real breakthroughs and didn’t make the leap to the upper levels.
Graham hit seven homers, 23 doubles, and three triples in 100 games in 2026. He also stole 20 bases for the Whitecaps, slashing .283/.366/.423. He did manage to trim his strikeouts down to a reasonable 20.8 percent, walking in 9.8 percent of his at-bats. Zone discipline has never been the issue for him, but ultimately those numbers don’t matter much without more progress in his overall quality of contact.
Despite his slender frame, Graham will still show you above average juice on occasion, but he just hasn’t developed the physicality to simplify his swing and still relies on a lot of moving parts to generate his quality batspeed. He starts early and is often caught a little off balance or just plain late, leading to a lot of pop-ups on pitches up in the zone. There’s plenty of hard line drive contact and stretches where he’s catching the ball out front and driving more pitches, but it just hasn’t sustained it well enough. In 2025, he finally caught fire for a while from mid-May to mid-July hitting all seven of his home runs on the year in that stretch. For a while things were looking pretty interesting. But then he cooled down after the All-Star break before finishing strong in the Whitecaps postseason run to the Midwest League championship.
As a shortstop, Graham’s main flaw was just generally being too busy. He has good reactions and a solid glove, but his all out style led to too many errant throws. He has the arm strength to play third base, and enough speed to play the outfield corners well, and the Tigers started getting him more work in all those positions in 2025 while Kevin McGonigle took the reps at shortstop. Graham did improve as a defender this season and played much more within himself, looking like an above average second baseman who is solid at third as well. He can handle shortstop too, but he’s fringy there and fits a lot better at second base in particular. He didn’t get that much work in the outfield, but should be able to handle the corners reasonably well with more reps.
There would be a little more optimism if Graham hit left-handed, but the path for a right-handed hitting utilityman is exceedingly narrow. His development was short-circuited early on by the injuries, and I’ve always thought he would be a late bloomer, but it’s getting pretty late indeed. His raw power is still a lot better than most utility types, and his improved defense helps his case to a degree, but raw power doesn’t help unless you’re getting to plenty of it. It was at least a positive sign that he was finally looking more like the player the Tigers were hoping for in the middle of the season. Graham will be in Erie this season, and we’ll see if he can build on the modest progress he made in 2025.
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at outfielder Michael Helman.
Michael Helman was one of the good, fun stories of the maddening 2025 Texas Rangers season. If the Rangers had been able to pull off that improbable September comeback and make the playoffs, he would have entered the pantheon of unexpected sports heroes.
Shades of Francisco Cabrera, whose two out pinch hit single in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS off of Pirates closer Stan Belinda, with the Braves down one, sending the Braves to the World Series, after having just 11 major league plate appearances in the 1992 regular season.
Or Tom Lawless, who hit a three run homer off of Twins starter Frank Viola in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series, giving the Cardinals a lead in the game they wouldn’t relinquish. Lawless was on the Cardinals’ roster all season, rarely played (this was back in the days of 10 man pitching staffs, when National League teams had seven bench guys), and had two hits all season — the first not coming until August 12, in Game 113, and the second not coming until the final regular season game of the year.
Can you imagine what it would be like, in 2026, if a position player was on a team’s roster all year and didn’t have a hit until mid-August? Social media would be all over it. He would become a meme. Late in blowouts, fans would be chanting for him to be put into the game, like college basketball fans calling for Olivier Roux late in a Florida Gator blowout, or Mavs fans in the late 80s chanting for Dennis Nutt.
Drafted in the 11th round in 2018 out of Texas A&M by the Twins, Helman finally made it to the bigs in 2024 with Minnesota, getting 10 plate appearances in 9 games and somehow managing to play four different positions in that small stretch. He was acquired by the Cardinals right before spring training started last year for the always popular cash considerations, was claimed on waivers by the Pirates in May, followed by the Rangers claiming him on waivers less than a week later.
Helman was AAA depth for the Rangers, and as such, got summoned a couple of times to the bigs during the summer for short stints, and was fine, didn’t embarrass himself, did what you hoped a depth guy called up to patch a hole for a short time would do.
When half the team was struck down by the injury gods in August, Helman was brought back up once again, and asked to play a more regular role. It doing so, it is fair to say, he exceeded expectations.
For about a month, Helman was spectacular. He hit. He played great defense. He was dynamic. In a particularly memorable pair of games, he drove in all five Rangers runs in a 5-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers, blowing the game open in the fifth with a grand slam off of Jose Quintana, then hit a game tying homer the next day to help the Rangers to what would be a 5-4 win against the Brew Crew.
From the time he was called up on August 23 through September 13, when the Rangers won their second straight game against the Mets, putting them just two games back in the A.L. West and for Wild Card spots 2 and 3, Helman slashed .294/.345/.627 in 56 plate appearances, while making some dazzling catches in center field. The Rangers’ unexpected surge while missing so many key players was driven by unexpected guys, including Helman.
Alas, we know how things turned out. After that September 13 win in New York, the Rangers wouldn’t win again for 11 days, losing eight straight and crashing out of the playoff race. And after September 13, Cinderella Helman turned into a pumpkin, slashing .162/.205/.216.
For the season, Helman put up a .232/.290/.455 slash line in 110 plate appearances, giving him an impressive 1.0 bWAR. Very good results from him, and part of why the Rangers were playing meaningful games in the final month of the year. It led to some talk that he should be penciled into the Rangers 2026 plans, part of the Opening Day roster, getting a platoon role in the outfield, with possibly the opportunity to do even more.
Looking under the hood, though, the underlying metrics for Helman were not as good as the raw numbers would suggest. They were, in fact, kind of awful.
Helman didn’t walk much, and struck out at an average rate. Combined with his middling batting average, it means that he had a sub-.300 OBP. His offensive value was primarily derived by his hitting for a surprising amount of power — five home runs in 110 plate appearances, a rate higher than he had shown even in the minors.
The batted ball data isn’t encouraging about how sustainable that would appear to be. Helman’s average exit velocity was near the bottom of the league, as was his hard hit rate. His stint with the Rangers resulted in a .250 xwOBA and a .323 xSLG.
Michael Helman provides value to this team on the 40 man roster as depth, a guy you can stash in AAA and bring up if someone is hurt and you need a fill in on the active roster for a week or two. He’s fast and can play good defense in center, which has value.
But he does not appear to be someone who is going to hit enough to have a meaningful role on a major league team. He turns 30 in May, and his OPS for Round Rock last year was 744, the same as it was in the big leagues, weirdly enough. He has a career .255/.327/.446 slash line in 266 games in AAA. He’s the 39th or 40th guy on a 40 man roster, someone you like to have available, but also someone who is going to be a waiver wire candidate when you need a 40 man spot at some point.
Robert Eckl Sr. and Robert Eckl Jr., Jack Wenninger’s grandfather and uncle, respectively, both played baseball at the University of Wisconsin, but Jack decided to not follow in their footsteps, instead committing to Murray State University after graduating from Cary-Grove Community High School in 2020. Wenninger’s numbers in his freshman season were only pedestrian, posting a 5.26 ERA 51.1 innings over 16 games with 46 hits allowed, 27 walks, and 42 strikeouts. He entered the transfer portal after the season and transferred to the University of Illinois, where head coach Dan Hartleb saw promise in his size, increasing fastball velocity, and improving secondary pitches.
Overview
Name: Jack Wenninger Position: RHP Born: 03/14/2002 (Age 24 season in 2026) Height: 6’4” Weight: 210 lbs. Bats/Throws: L/R Acquired: 2023 MLB Draft, 6th Round (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 2025 Stats: 26 G (26 GS), 135.2 IP, 114 H, 53 R, 44 ER (2.92 ERA), 42 BB, 147 K, .288 BABIP (Double-A)
The right-hander appeared in 15 games in his first season with the Fightin Ilini in 2022 and posted a 5.71 ERA in 34.2 innings over 15 appearances, allowing 30 hits, walking 21, and striking out 30. That summer, he pitched for the Wausau Woodchucks of the Northwoods League and posted a 2.54 ERA in 46.0 innings over 10 games- all starts- allowing 37 hits, walking 21, and striking out 42. He returned to Illinois for the 2023 season and became a mainstay the team’s weekend rotation. The right-hander appeared in 15 games, starting 14 of them, and posted a 4.59 ERA in 80.1 innings, allowing 69 hits, walking 28, and striking out 76.
Following the conclusion of the season, he pitched some supplementary innings with the Williamsport Crosscutters of the MLB Draft League. The right-hander made three starts there and allowed 6 earned runs over 11.0 innings while allowing 9 hits, walking 7, and striking out 19. In early July, the Mets drafted Wenninger in the 6th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the 186th player selected overall, and signed him to a $225,000 signing bonus, below the MLB-assigned slot value of $299,800. Wenninger appeared in two combined games with the FCL Mets and the St. Lucie Mets to finish out his year and allowed 2 earned runs in 2.1 innings, giving up 1 hit, walking 2, and striking out 4.
Wenninger was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets to begin the 2024 season and struggled early on. The 22-year-old hurler appeared in 15 games for them, making 10 starts, and posted a 5.02 ERA in 71.2 innings, allowing 67 hits, walking 23, and striking out 89. He was promoted to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones in mid-July and finished out the season in Coney Island, having a much better go at it, assisted by the pitching friendly confines of Maimonides Park. Appearing in 10 games and making 9 starts, he posted a 3.12 ERA in 43.1 innings, allowing 40 hits, walking 17, and striking out 51. Altogether, he posted a combined 4.30 ERA in 115.0 innings in his first professional season, allowing 107 total hits, walking 40, and striking out 140; his 140 strikeouts were second-most in the entire Mets minor league system, trailing Jonah Tong and his 160 punchouts.
Promoted to Double-A Binghamton for the 2025 season, Wenninger was even better. Pitching in the shadows of more noteworthy prospects such as Nolan McLean, Joan Tong, and Brandon Sproat, Jack Wenninger was just as good, appearing in 26 games for the Rumble Ponies and posting a 2.92 ERA in 135.2 innings, allowing 114 hits, walking 42, and striking out 147. For a second consecutive year, his strikeout total was the second most in the system (tied with R.J. Gordon), behind Jonah Tong once again. The right-hander ended his season on as high a note as possible, shoving in the Eastern League Championship winner, throwing five innings and allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out a whopping eleven.
The 6’4”, 215-pound Wenninger has a high-waisted frame, throwing from a high-three-quarters arm slot with a simple delivery that utilizes a leg kick and a long arm action through the back. He gets good extension off the mound and keeps his upper and lower halves in sync. His arm is clean, loose, and repeatable, allowing him to consistently throw strikes and keep unintentional walks to a minimum.
The right-hander throws both a four-seam and two-seam fastball, the latter used moreso against right-handed hitters to keep them honest with an offering that breaks towards them. Both fastballs sit in the low-to-mid-90s, with his four-seam fastball velocity up in 2025, topping out at 98 MPH on occasion but comfortably averaging 94 MPH. Thanks to his tall frame, extension, and high arm slot and release point, the pitch gets above-average ride up in the zone.
Wenninger’s main secondary offering is an extremely effective split change. The pitch is a plus offering, sitting in the low-to-mid-80s with a low spin rate that causes it to absolutely drop off the table. He can throw it in all four quadrants of the zone, throwing it up and letting it drop in for strikes and throwing it low and letting it drop out of the zone for chases and whiffs. He is comfortable throwing the pitch against left-handed and right-handed batters, the pitch’s horizontal movement breaking in on right-handed hitters in addition to its downward dive.
Coming into the 2025 season, Wenninger supplemented his fastball-changeup combo with a cutter, curveball, and slider that were all get-me-over offerings that flashed average, but he has refined his arsenal since. His cutter and slider, already brothers on the pitch spectrum, have melded into a single pitch, a tight mid-80s gyro slider. Using a different grip, his curveball now has more bite to it. Both breaking pitches are now average offerings, their effectiveness amplified by his ability to command them and throw them for strikes.
The improvements made to his arsenal have helped minimalize the reverse platoon splits that he was beginning to show. In 2024, right-handed hitters averaged a .262/.336/.409 batting line against him in 254 plate appearances, while left-handed hitters averaged .213/.275/.324 against him in 248 plate appearances, a difference of roughly .150 OPS points. In 2025, right-handed hitters averaged a .237/.280/.381 batting line against him in 321 plate appearances while left-handed hitters averaged .208/.294/.338 against him, a difference of roughly .030 OPS points. His batted ball data also has marginally improved, with his groundball and flyball rates both improving slightly.
2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List
11) Mitch Voit 12) Jonathan Santucci 13) Elian Peña 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
The quest of the Cincinnati Reds to never again be last while feigning interest in actually being first continued over the last week whether they liked it, or not.
Off the board came Kyle Tucker, first, whose signature with the Los Angeles Dodgers further solidified their modern Evil Empire status. The New York Mets, meanwhile, had been heavy on Tucker all winter, and losing out on him caused a domino effect where they pivoted to Bo Bichette on a big AAV deal to further crowd their infield mix. That threw the Philadelphia Phillies into flux, as they’d been big on Bichette all winter, and they subsequently pivoted back to their old friend JT Realmuto, inking the backstop to another deal to once again solidify that part of their roster.
Bichette, an infielder, caused a bit of a logjam on the Mets roster, and they responded by unloading former top prospect Luisangel Acuña to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for mercurial outfielder Luis Robert, Jr., in whom the very Reds once reportedly had kicked tires.
During this flurry, the New York Yankees finally struck terms with Cody Bellinger for a long-term return, while the Los Angeles Angels chimed in with their own rendition of ‘reunion’ by signing Yoan Moncada to a 1-year, $4 million contract that, in theory, would’ve suited the Reds perfectly had they not chosen to take on the some $30 million due to Ke’Bryan Hayes at the hot corner. Then, last night, the Mets struck again by landing Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers, who themselves seem committed to attempts at winning in 2026 with one hand tied behind their back.
(They’ll probably still find a way.)
The flurry of moves gives two clear indications. First, obviously, is that pitchers and catchers begin to report to spring camps in only three-ish weeks and rosters need to be finalized. Second, though, is that the Cincinnati Reds are once again going to play the patience card and wait around to see which remaining free agents are left in the bargain bin.
They still need middle infield help. They could still really use an established outfielder given that TJ Friedl – who missed a ton of time in 2024 – is the only guy they’ve got on-roster who’s recently filed away a full year of good production out there. They likely could use someone who can play all over the place and hit left-handed after the trade of Gavin Lux, who was going to make $5 million, hit left-handed, and not really be able to play anywhere.
The Reds were never going to be in on any of these players because each of these players actually requires being paid market rate for their services. But, now that they’re flying off the board quickly, the rosters of the competition of the Reds are beginning to be solidified, reducing the number of places the remaining names on the market might otherwise have sought out – and that gives us a bit clearer picture of who is realistically on their radar.
Old friend Eugenio Suarez is out there and would be incredibly fun to have back…if the Reds were willing to use Spencer Steer a lot in LF and if Geno’s real with the idea of not ever really playing 3B again. Austin Hays and Harrison Bader are still out there looking for work, too, though it doesn’t appear the Reds have a ton of interest in retaining either of their services for a second time. The same seemingly goes for Miguel Andujar, though the Reds have at least had their name pop up a time or three in connection with him during his otherwise slow winter.
There’s also the curious case of Luis Arraez, who can hit whenever and play nowhere despite his batted-ball profile being more or less exactly what this current iteration of Reds front office slash managerial staff wants out of each of their players. I’m not saying I love the fit, I’m just saying he’s exactly what the Reds seem to want from a bat and at this juncture his dried-up market might well push him into we’ll spend it territory for an otherwise frugal Reds ownership group.
It’s been a pretty rapidly developing free agent tumble the last week even if the Reds themselves haven’t yet dived in.
Bo Bichette is projected to slash .294/.339/.445 (121 OPS+), while Jorge Polanco is projected to hit .253/.327/.446 (118 OPS+).
As far as Marcus Semien, who is coming off two down seasons, he is projected to bounce back a bit and be literally a league average hitter (100 OPS+).
The projections are bullish on Juan Soto, with him slashing .271/.408/.524 (163 OPS+) with 37 home runs, 103 RBI, and 109 runs scored.
Francisco Lindor (123 OPS+) and Francisco Alvarez (112 OPS+) are also projected to have strong offensive campaigns.
STARTING ROTATION
Traditionally, the ZiPS projections for innings totals and ERA for starting pitchers can skew conservative, and that's reflected a bit in the Mets' numbers.
Freddy Peralta (3.87 ERA/9.7 K/9), Clay Holmes (3.90 ERA), and Nolan McLean (3.94 ERA) are all projected to have sub-4 ERAs.
A bounce back is projected for Kodai Senga (3.82 ERA) but not Sean Manaea (4.51 ERA).
Top prospect Jonah Tong is projected to have a 4.07 ERA while striking out 10.1 per nine.
BULLPEN
A big season is projected for closer Devin Williams, with a 3.14 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 57.1 innings (a rate of 12.4 per nine).
Luke Weaver is projected to have a 4.30 ERA, with solid seasons in the cards for A.J. Minter (3.53 ERA) and Brooks Raley (3.79 ERA).
Luka Doncic and the Lakers make the long trip to Inglewood to take on James Harden and the Clippers tonight.
The Lakers are coming off a 115-107 win in Denver Tuesday night against the Nuggets. Doncic was dominant scoring 38, pulling down 13 rebounds and handing out 10 assists to lead LA to their second straight win. LeBron James added 19 points and Marcus Smart chipped in 15. The Clippers’ six-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday night when the Bulls routed them in Chicago, 138-110. It was the second half of a back-to-back for the Clips who could not overcome the absence of Kawhi Leonard (ankle/knee). James Harden had 24 points in the loss.
After starting the season 6-21, the Clippers are 13-3 in their last 16 games. That run has moved them from the cellar out West to tenth place and a spot in the play-in game. The Lakers are 5-5 in their last ten games but still sit tied for first with the surprising Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division.
This matchup boils down to the Clippers’ commitment to defend against the Lakers’ offense. Over their last 16 games, the Clippers are allowing just 108 points per game. The Lakers do not play much defense but are efficient on offense averaging nearly 117 points per 100 possessions (No. 7 in the NBA).
This is the third meeting of the season between these teams. The Clippers took the most recent encounter, winning 103-88 on December 20. The Lakers outscored the Clips on November 25, 135-118.
Lets take a closer look at the matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Lakers at Clippers
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 10PM EST
Site: Intuit Dome
City: Inglewood, CA
Network/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game Odds: Lakers vs. Clippers
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers (-108), Los Angeles Clippers (-112)
Spread: Clippers -1.5
Total: 223.5 points
This game opened Lakers -1.5 with the Total set at 223.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Lakers at Clippers
Lakers
PG Luke Doncic
SG Marcus Smart
SF Jake LaRavia
PF LeBron James
C Deandre Ayton
Clippers
PG James Harden
SG Kris Dunn
SF Kawhi Leonard
PF John Collins
C Ivica Zubac
Injury Report: Lakers at Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves (calf) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Adou Thiero (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Los Angeles Clippers
Kawhi Leonard (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) is OUT for tonight’s game
Derrick Jones (knee) is OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Lakers at Clippers
The Clippers are 11-9 at home this season
The Lakers are 14-8 on the road this season
The Clippers are 20-23 ATS this season
The Lakers are 23-19 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 25 of the Lakers’ 42 games this season (25-17)
The OVER has cashed in 21 of the Clippers’ 43 games this season (21-22)
The season series is tied at 1 game apiece
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Lakers and Clippers’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Clippers on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Clippers -1.5
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 223.5
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It feels increasingly likely that MacKenzie Gore will be on the Nationals Opening Day roster. Those odds only went up when the Mets swung a trade for Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. The teams desperate to make a move for a starting pitcher are decreasing by the day. With that in mind, it really feels like MacKenzie Gore will be getting the ball on Opening Day.
BREAKING: The New York Mets have acquired All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, sources tell ESPN. Deal is done. Top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat are headed to Milwaukee. One more big league pitcher will head to the Mets.
This offseason I have been mostly operating under the assumption that Gore would be dealt. The southpaw only has two years of team control remaining, and the Nats seem unlikely to be true contenders in the next two years. Gore is also a Scott Boras client, making an extension unlikely.
When you consider these factors, not trading Gore feels like a risk. Pitchers come with more injury risk than ever these days. Tommy John Surgery looms like a dark cloud for pitchers. If Gore suffers a major injury, his value would be gone. However, Paul Toboni appears willing to run that risk.
There is some payoff to keeping Gore. If he has a strong first half, his trade value could increase at the deadline. It is also possible that the Nats surprise some folks, though I do not think Toboni is counting on that. For me, holding on to Gore just feels like a big risk.
Teams have had a clear appetite for starting pitchers on the trade market this offseason. Shane Baz, Edward Cabrera and Freddy Peralta have all gotten impressive returns. Peralta is the best pitcher of the group, but only has one year of control. That did not stop the Mets from giving up multiple top 100 prospects.
One of my favorite analysts Lance Brozdowski wondered if that package would have been enough to get Gore. A package of Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat certainly would have excited me. Sproat is a high floor arm that should be a middle of the rotation piece. Williams is a potential spark plug at the top of a lineup.
Ok, hear me out, but how far off was a Jett Williams + Brandon Sproat package from getting MacKenzie Gore? 🤔
Most baseball fans, including myself, see Peralta as a much better pitcher than Gore. He is certainly more proven, with multiple All-Star appearances and a top 5 finish in NL Cy Young voting last year. Brozdowski actually said he thinks they project similarly in 2026, which really surprised me.
If you look at some of the advanced numbers, you start to see his point though. Over the last two seasons, Gore has a FIP of 3.64, while Peralta’s FIP sits at 3.90. Peralta had a 2.70 ERA with a 3.64 FIP last year, while Gore had a 4.17 ERA with a 3.74 FIP. It sure seems like Peralta is a regression candidate. I would take Peralta next year, but it is closer than I first thought.
With the Mets out of the Gore sweepstakes and February approaching, it sure feels like MacKenzie Gore will remain a Nat. There have been multiple reports that the asking price for Gore is sky high. Yankees reporter Jack Curry said the Bronx Bombers have discussed Gore, but have been turned off by the asking price.
The Yankees have spoken with the Brewers and Nationals regarding Freddy Peralta and MacKenzie Gore, but the prices remain extremely high, according to @JackCurryYES. pic.twitter.com/aYyHSEHa9K
This report came out a couple days ago, which is interesting. The Yankees traded for Marlins lefty Ryan Weathers about a week ago. I thought that trade would take them out of the mix for Gore. However, this does not appear to be true. Gore has proven to be much more durable than Weathers, so it seems like the Yankees want more of a sure thing.
The Yankees were also rumored to be in on Peralta, so Gore could be the fallback option. However, they don’t have that much incentive to move off their demands, given the fact they have Weathers already.
Other potential suitors include teams like the Giants and the A’s. Prying first baseman Bryce Eldridge away from the Giants would be a dream scenario. The Nats desperately need first base help and Eldridge is a local product. It does not seem like the Giants have put him on the table though because that deal would have probably happened already if he was.
The A’s are a team that has intrigued me for a while. They have a playoff caliber lineup, but a weak rotation. Gore would give them an arm with top of the rotation upside, something they do not currently have. He also fits within their budget as well. They have plenty of young talent for the Nats to choose from as well.
However, I don’t think we will see a Gore trade this winter anymore. I was confident it would happen, but as we get closer to Spring Training without a deal, it feels less likely. Personally, I think the Nats should trade him, but I understand not wanting to settle. Paul Toboni is taking a risk here, but it is one that could pay off.
A pair of superstars will hit the ice at Rogers Place tonight with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby visiting the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid.
This is a tough schedule spot for Pittsburgh, and Edmonton is without go-to scorer Leon Draisaitl, so my Penguins vs. Oilers predictions and top NHL picks are calling for this game to stay Under the number.
Penguins vs Oilers prediction
Penguins vs Oilers best bet: Under 6.5 (-110)
The Edmonton Oilers have allowed two goals through three games since star center Leon Draisaitl took leave from the team, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing the second leg of a back-to-back road set.
Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid obviously can’t play the entire game, and the Oilers have only scored 1.36 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 without No. 29 or No. 97 on the ice this season.
No Draisaitl is a huge hit to the Edmonton attack, and the Penguins could also be without No. 1 defenseman Erik Karlsson (lower body), so there’s potential that both teams will be missing key drivers of their offenses.
I also value the Pens ranking fifth in penalty-kill percentage, and the Oilers checking in above average at 11th.
Penguins vs Oilers same-game parlay
This is a tough schedule spot for Pittsburgh, and Edmonton has won 14 of its past 16 games by 2+ goals while also allowing the fifth-fewest goals per game during the 16-9-3 stretch.
Turning to Oil winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, he’s marked the scoresheet in seven of his past 10 games and has long-standing chemistry with McDavid. The duo has clicked for a dominant 6.34 goals and 6.18 expected goals per 60 minutes over the past three seasons.
The Penguins have only cashed the Over in 10 of their last 25 away games for -4.15 units and a -15% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Penguins vs. Oilers.
How to watch Penguins vs Oilers
Location
Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
Date
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Puck drop
9:00 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet Pittsburgh, Sportsnet West
Penguins vs Oilers latest injuries
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Just five days ago, one of the hottest rumors making the rounds involved the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox having discussions involving Astros 3B Isaac Paredes and Red Sox OF Jarren Duran.
As typical to baseball offseason talks, however, that could all be a thing of the past just as fast as it was the hot rumor.
In her article today at The Athletic, Red Sox reporter Jen McCaffrey laid out a different path forward for the Red Sox this offseason:
Though Breslow wouldn’t commit to (Marcelo) Mayer at second or third base, a source with the team recently noted a preference for Mayer at third. After Bregman’s injury last season, Mayer played well at the position, but there’s also an idea of keeping him on the same side of the field as his natural shortstop position. He’s likely the heir to the shortstop spot after Story’s contract is up following the 2027 season.
With that in mind, it appears the Red Sox are seeking a strong defensive second baseman.
“It’s really important that we improve our defense, particularly our infield defense,” Breslow said. “Any additions that we may make, we’ll be very mindful of the defensive skillset.”
That would seem to rule out Houston’s Isaac Paredes, who has struggled defensively at third base.
You can see the whole article here (subscription required):
Inside the pivot that led the Red Sox to double down on pitching and add Ranger Suárez.
Also notes in here about the Red Sox looking to add a defense-first infielder https://t.co/gC2QquaHxV
While this doesn’t mean a deal between the two teams doesn’t eventually happen anyway, as trade talks ebb and flow all offseason and pivots/re-pivots happen all the time, it does change the outlook and perception of a deal that could possibly involve Isaac Paredes and the Red Sox to a less likely scenario.
Luis Robert Jr.’s exit marks another inflection point in the White Sox rebuild under Chris Getz.
In true Chris Getz fashion, the White Sox are once again in a position that warrants more questions than answers. On a cold and random late January night, the Sox dealt Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets for prospects Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley. This trade is anything but straightforward, so let’s dive into it.
Financials
The Sox set themselves up for plenty of economic flexibility. With New York footing the bill for Robert’s $20 million option exercised in November, Chicago won’t risk overpaying a player who slashed .223/.288/.372 in 210 games over the last two seasons. In most circumstances, this financial relief would be welcome. But the Sox aren’t like most teams.
Although Getz hinted that the Sox will spend their freed-up $20 million on players, fans know better than to set their expectations too high. Realistically, rather than pursuing qualified free agents, Jerry Reinsdorf will put roughly $17 million toward Munetaka Murakami’s contract this year — one that required a hard sell from Getz and Brooks Boyer — and likely spend the remaining $3 million on a pair of one-year relievers.
Signing Munetaka Murakami was an excellent move for the White Sox, but why did Jerry Reinsdorf have to be talked into it? pic.twitter.com/2p64uT7eQ7
While dealing Robert makes economic sense, money shouldn’t be the sole driver of trades.
Return
Acuña headlines a lackluster trade package that doesn’t immediately remedy the South Siders’ needs. Acuña, MLB’s No. 66 overall prospect in 2024, is best known for his glove and quickness on the base paths. He paired 60-grade speed with impact defense, generating four baserunning runs in 2025 and posting a +2 fielding run value and three Outs Above Average in 2024. For him to stay in The Show, Chicago must help Acuña improve the quality of his contact, which dropped significantly last season to under 5% for solid and barrel events. Though he didn’t blow anyone out of the water in 2025 with his production (.234/.293/.274 in 95 games), Acuña has proven he can be a faster version of Brooks Baldwin.
Pauley has more unknowns but leaves fans with plenty of wishful thinking. His stats shouldn’t be heavily weighed in his evaluation, as he has tallied fewer than 50 games between two years of summer and college ball, plus half a season in Single-A. However, the 20 inches of vertical break on his fastball puts the pitch’s dominance in the conversation with hurlers like Chris Sale and Logan Webb, which may be a strong sign of future success if he can keep it in the zone.
12th-rounder Truman Pauley signs w/@Mets for $400k ($250k counts vs bonus pool). @HarvardBaseball RHP, crazy ride on a fastball that reaches 96 mph, low-80s gyro slider as well. First over-slot bonus I've seen after the 10th rd in this year's @MLBDraft.
Acuña and Pauley both bring plenty of unlocked potential to a team that still needs to prove it can successfully develop players.
Short-Term
It’s hard to see how the Sox took a strong step in their rebuild with this trade. Although no one expected them to get an All-Star after Robert’s career-low production, they also didn’t acquire a dependable player that can slot in right field for over 100 games. Another concern with bringing in an inexperienced utility player like Acuña is that it will be hard to guarantee him enough playing time to justify trading away a starter. While Robert’s various injuries sidelined him for 62 games, it will be much harder to carve out a spot for Acuña with several other qualified bench players chomping at the bit for a starting job. In terms of immediate impact, Acuña and Pauley won’t increase the win total dramatically if at all.
Long-Term
The best way to spin this trade is that the Sox are preparing to be in their prime by 2028, which is earlier than many expected. Chicago added depth to a team whose shallow end of the pool is overcrowded, but they’re starting to push their young guys closer to the deep end with every at-bat. With a surplus of prospects and an abundance of infielders, the Sox can quickly make a few trades to propel them from a fringe playoff contender to a dominant division threat in the next two years, especially if the Chicago takes Roch Cholowsky 1/1 in the 2026 draft.
Overall
For the first time in nearly a decade, the White Sox are straddling the immediate and long-term future rather than past and present. While this is refreshing, patience is still key for a team whose payroll always sits in the bottom third of the league.
