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This Week in Purple: Let’s Talk About That

DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 13: From left, Colorado Rockies Executive Vice President Walker Monfort, new President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta and owner Dick Monfort during Depodesta's introductory press conference at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, November 13, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images

The 2026 Major League Baseball regular season is officially one week in the rearview mirror with the Colorado Rockies finishing with a 58-104 record. With the Division Series of the MLB playoffs starting this weekend, the rest of the league—as well as the teams eliminated in the Wild Card round—find themselves in the same place as the last-place Rockies: preparing for the long off-season.

For most teams, the first part of the off-season is a given. The end-of-season post-mortem press conference by team ownership and the front office is an expected part of the transition between the season and the off-season. However, it has been something Rockies fans have not regularly seen this decade.

Since Dick Monfort infamously suggested he could “fire himself” following a losing 2021 season that saw the departure of franchise third baseman Nolan Arenado, Rockies fans have become used to radio silence. Perhaps they would get a quick interview with the GM in the waning weeks of the season. Maybe they would get a “letter to the fans” from a member of the organization discussing how things didn’t go as planned this season yet again. A true media availability session to kick off the off-season, though, was rarely part of the process.

That’s what makes it all the more refreshing that the Rockies have already announced a press conference and media availability session at 20th and Blake. On Tuesday, October 6th, Rockies president Walker Monfort and president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta will address the press.

Not only is this a much-needed return to normalcy for one of the league’s oddest ducks, it also represents the continuation of a trend started last November when the Monfort scion, DePodesta, and Rockies CEO and majority owner Dick Monfort took questions from the media after announcing a new front office.

Since then, the Rockies have been much more open to the fans and the media. Explaining their thought processes and plans regularly throughout the season despite another long year and another losing record.

The Rockies may have lost 100 or more games for the fourth consecutive season—a feat that will land them once again in dubious baseball history—but at the very least the organization is willing to talk about it out in the open.

With that being said, here’s what our staff here at Purple Row had to say this week:

To Read: Scaling the Rocks

To Read: Rockpiles

To Read: Ranking the Rockies, 2026

To Read: News

Weekly Discussion Topics

This week’s press conference marks the official start of the off-season for the Rockies. What would you like to hear from Walker Monfort and Paul DePodesta on Tuesday? Let us know in the comments!

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How to watch Dodgers vs. Braves NLDS Game 2

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers players stand for the national anthem before game one of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers will turn to Blake Snell in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, throwing another southpaw starter against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.

Snell, like Skubal, has won two Cy Young Awards in his career. But for Snell, his two Cy Young years (2018, 2023) are the only two times in his 11-year career he’s reached even 130 innings in a season. Snell has only started 20 times in the regular season in the first two seasons of his five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers.

But he made an impact last postseason, with a 3.18 ERA in five starts plus one relief appearance, with 41 strikeouts (a 31.5-percent strikeout rate) and 13 walks in his 34 innings. In his career, Snell has a stellar 3.27 ERA in 18 postseason appearances, including 15 starts, with 102 strikeouts and 36 walks in 82 2/3 innings.

“If you want to be a Hall of Famer, if you want to be a legend in the game, I think it all happens in October,” Snell said Saturday. “The regular season sets you up in a lot of ways, but the postseason definitely is what could cement you, stamp you as a Hall of Famer is how you pitch in those games.”

After Saturday’s NLDS opener was televised by Fox, Game 2 on Sunday will be on FS1.

Reggie Smith, who was inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball this August, will throw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2, and saxophonist Mike Phillips will perform the national anthem.

NLDS Game 2 info

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The Red Sox Wild Card exit was no plot twist

Sep 30, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) is relieved in the sixth inning against the New York Yankees during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I’m still processing all my feelings over here, and having gone through the Wild Card Series itself already, I find myself back at September’s regular-season games. We saw them go 12-12 on the month, as Chad Tracy allowed players to rest and conserve their energy for the postseason. I am starting to see their September fade not just as a slump, but as a trap they collectively bought—or fell—into.

In these days of three Wild Cards, conventional wisdom basically says all you have to do is get in, use your best two or three reliable starting pitchers for this short playoff round, and get hot at the right time. Conventional wisdom also says that anything can happen in the postseason, but the Sox liked their chances, particularly due to the strength of their top three starters. This was a rotation built to handle a three-game sprint, which was consistently mentioned in predictions prior to the series. (This was true even when the edge was actually given to the Yankees; MLB’s positional breakdown is one example.)

In fact, speculating about who would pitch the crucial Games 1 and 2 in the Wild Card Series became a main focus in September as fans, the manager, and the team turned their attention to the playoffs. With a postseason berth assured and no real chance to take over the division, the Red Sox paced themselves by resting their starters and other players, to ensure they were ready.

Tracy said about Willson Contreras, ““DH’ing yesterday [instead of playing first base] was strictly to manage the load.”

After three losses in a row (to the Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays), he said: “I told the guys before, we earned the right to be in position to be able to line things up.”

What Tracy meant is prioritizing rest and conserving energy ahead of the postseason. I hear some entitlement in this and that doesn’t sit well with me. They drifted through a completely uninspired September because they “earned the right” to do it that way. Where’s the grit? Where’s the burning desire to compete and win?

At one point, I remember Lou Merloni saying that the way Tracy handled the roster down the stretch (shuffling lineups, resting players, and experimenting with matchups and platoon roles) reminded him of a spring training evaluation period instead of a September playoff push.

The Sox finished the final month of the regular season with the fewest runs scored in all of Major League Baseball: a measly 71. The team above them, the spiraling Phillies, scored 89. The Brewers scored the most for the month, with 146. I would argue that when the Sox coasted their way through September, they didn’t conserve energy—they atrophied.

They “earned the right” to glide their way through September, operating under the delusion that momentum can be toggled on and off at will and that the postseason stage would automatically trigger their best selves. There’s that “just get in” mentality.

The Red Sox wrote a hell of a story in 2026. So why didn’t they treat the postseason as the action-packed continuation of that page-turner? Instead of continuing to build toward the climax of that story, they slowed down the pace and gave us an anticlimactic month of baseball. Even off the field, in the last week of the regular season, the front office celebrated prematurely when they handed Tracy a three-year deal and picked up both of Craig Breslow’s contract options. All before the postseason even began. The timing was odd.

The team spent a month resting on the field, with the really unfortunate result of turning their playoff run into an epilogue—a few extra words tacked onto the end of a story that had already said all it needed to say. When they were outscored 18-2 and swept by the Yankees, it was a heartbreaking ending, for sure, but it wasn’t a plot twist. It was the punctuation mark on a sentence they started writing weeks prior.

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Where to watch Dodgers vs Braves today: Predictions, NLDS Game 2 time and channel

Behind Tarik Skubal's brilliance and three home runs, the Los Angeles Dodgers took Game 1 of the National League Division Series against Atlanta and the two teams are right back in action on Sunday, Oct. 4 at Dodger Stadium.

The back-to-back World Series champions will another send two-time Cy Young winner, Blake Snell, to the mound in the second game of the best-of-five series. When the series heads back to Atlanta for Game 3, last year's World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound.

"We could have deployed our starters any way we wanted, but to have Blake going (Sunday) to follow up with what Tarik did (Saturday) and knowing that you got Yamamoto in the holster for Game 3, we're in a good spot," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. "It all starts with winning Game 1."

Stealing a game in Los Angeles would be huge for Atlanta, with Games 3 (Tuesday) and 4 (Wednesday) at Truist Park in Cobb County, Georgia.

Where to watch Dodgers vs Braves: TV channel, streaming

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV channel: FS1
  • Streaming: Fubo and Fox One

Watch Dodgers-Braves on Fubo

Dodgers vs Braves predictions

  • Bob Nightengale: Dodgers in 4
  • Gabe Lacques: Dodgers in 4
  • Kristie Ackert: Dodgers in 4
  • Jesse Yomtov: Dodgers in 5

Dodgers vs Braves NLDS schedule

  • Game 1 (Saturday, Oct. 3): Dodgers 5, Braves 3
  • Game 2 (Sunday, Oct. 4): At Los Angeles, 8 p.m. ET
  • Game 3 (Tuesday, Oct. 6): At Atlanta, 6 p.m. ET
  • Game 4 (Wednesday, Oct. 7)*: At Atlanta, 6 p.m. ET
  • Game 5 (Friday, Oct. 9)*: At Los Angeles, 8 p.m. ET

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where to watch Dodgers vs Braves today: Predictions, NLDS Game 2 time and channel

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Blackhawks Forward Anton Frondell Showed Off The Goods In Buffalo

The Chicago Blackhawks had another tough performance on Saturday night. This time, it was a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres, ending an 0-3-0 road trip. It was a slight improvement in terms of competitiveness, but the overall lousy play continued. 

There were a couple of bright spots in the game, however. Two players can claim they played well. One of them, Alex Vlasic, didn’t have Bowen Byram on his pair due to the fact that Byram had to leave to attend a family matter. They may have been separated anyway due to their play over the first two games, but Vlasic bounced back in a big way.

In addition to playing much better in his own end, especially compared to his fellow Blackhawks blue-liners, he collected two assists. One was a brilliant centering pass to Ryan Donato, proving Vlasic can make a play when the opportunity arises. 

"Sometimes things go your way," Vlasic said about his personal success in the loss. "I don't think it really matters. I'm not focused on that. I'm trying to help us win. Any way I can do that is something I'm striving for." 

Although he is not going to be happy about his game because of the result, it's a game for him to build on as an individual. 

Anton Frondell is the other player who had a great game on an individual basis. He, like Vlasic, had two assists, but they were both grade-A primaries. The first was a magnificent pass to complete the tic-tac-toe goal scored by Tyler Bertuzzi. The second was a wonderful pass back to Oliver Moore on what was a go-ahead goal at the time. 

Vlasic is a very important two-way defender that the Blackhawks have a lot of faith in. They have also committed to him financially and with term. However, Frondell was a third overall pick who has the tools to be one of the franchise's marquee players. He looked like it in this game. 

"It's hard to say after a loss," Frondell said about his personal game. He went on to credit the fact that he and Teravainen were able to make some nice plays, but it wasn't good enough in his mind. 

You're not going to get much from hockey players when they lose, even if they had excellent games on a personal level, which Frondell did. 

"It's boring to lose games," Frondell said. "That's not what we want to do. But I think today showed that we can play better as a team."

The Blackhawks need more of this from Frondell. They selected him where they did because they believed he was an elite prospect. Now, they need him to be an elite player, but it is going to take time. There are going to be more sensational games like this; some of them may even come in wins, and there are going to be more growing pains.

At the end of the day, it's about learning to rack up multiple good games in a row until it becomes part of who you are as a player. For Frondell, he's on the right track entering his first full season. 

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'Actually, I Don't See Anything': Maple Leafs React To Penalty Which Tilted Game In Senators Favor

The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered their second loss of the regular season, a 3-2 defeat to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.

Toronto had a solid performance, especially offensively in the second period, putting up 14 shots to Ottawa's four in that middle frame. There were also some moments on the power play during the game where the Maple Leafs looked very threatening and converted on one of the four opportunities they had in the outing.

The power-play marker, scored in the second period, was by Kirill Marchenko, netting his first goal since being traded to the Maple Leafs.

In addition to his goal, the Russian also took two minor penalties. One was a slashing minor in the first period, and the other was a high-sticking penalty on Senators center Tim Stutzle in the third.

The second penalty was deemed slightly controversial, given Stutzle's reputation for embellishment in the NHL. Leafs captain Auston Matthews made a diving motion with his hand after the penalty was called, giving his opinion on a decision that tilted momentum in Ottawa's favor.

"I don't know, I mean, the refs obviously see what they see, and it's a quick game, and you have to respect that," Matthews said of the call after the game. "But I think we could definitely do a better job just with our sticks there. And it's like a high-sticking penalty, tripping penalty, just being better with our sticks."

Marchenko began his post-game media availability by apologizing for taking that penalty. Ottawa didn't officially score a power-play goal from that penalty, but they did score as the penalty expired, with Toronto essentially still having four players on the ice.

"My penalty, I apoligize for that," he said.

In terms of the decision, the left winger doesn't totally agree with the call. And while he doesn't agree with the ruling that was enforced on the ice, he says it's not an excuse and takes responsibility for his undisciplined actions.

"Actually, I don't see anything," Marchenko said of the high-sticking penalty on Stutzle. "Battle on the puck. I think it's just put his stick and my stick touch his face and he's kind of like dive, not dive. I don't want to say anything about it, but yeah, it's penalty. Penalty is penalty and it's on me. I can play better next time on this moment, but yeah, what I can do, just try to win the pucks."

'Doesn't Matter For Me': Maple Leafs Kirill Marchenko Has No Problem On Off-Wing And Power-Play Bumper Positions'Doesn't Matter For Me': Maple Leafs Kirill Marchenko Has No Problem On Off-Wing And Power-Play Bumper PositionsKirill Marchenko has been pencilled in as the left winger on the top line for the Toronto Maple Leafs, even though he's been a right winger thus far in his NHL career for the most part. However, he has stressed that it doesn't matter to him where he plays, and this is why.

Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller said he wasn't pleased, not by the decisions of the officials, but by the number of penalties his team took. He noted specifically that the two late in the game, one by Marchenko and the other by Jack Roslovic, really hurt the team.

"Some careless penalties," the bench boss noted. "I thought the two penalties in the third period really hurt us. Just took our momentum away a little bit, gave them some life, and they pushed hard."

Particularly on the Marchenko penalty, "I haven't looked at it that closely," Hiller said. "But it's a stick battle. A stick comes up. It's, you know, it's a penalty. That's just the way it works. Got to keep your stick down."

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Flyers Need Big Simon Edvinsson Trade to Shake Up Slumping Roster

If anything has become clear from the team's first three games of the season, it's that the Philadelphia Flyers are nowhere near ready to begin their ascent to the status of perennial playoff team.

In three consecutive games - all losses - the Flyers have been handily outplayed and out-shot by divisional opponents, and they generally look like a team that met each other for the first time right before puck drop.

It hasn't been all doom and gloom, of course, as Joseph Woll has been a real bright spot for the Flyers, and Matvei Michkov looked more like his usual self on Saturday night against Carolina after being reunited with Travis Konecny.

The talent remains in place, but the Flyers have objectively regressed and look completely overmatched. That falls on the coaching staff, but it's up to the players, too, to get ready and stay ready. By now, that should be a given for anyone who isn't a rookie.

"Other teams are going through the same thing," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said of the shortened training camp and lack of practice time after Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina.

"Developing your game doesn't start, like September, and ends in June. It's through the summer. Hopefully, we had some guys working on their game, because the execution is really bad. It really is."

The Flyers are a young team with playoff aspirations, but all the good will they built last year with a fanbase that has been more than patient could quickly evaporate entirely if this skid continues.

The slumping roster would benefit from an infusion of talent that never came in the offseason, and perhaps more importantly, a kick in the pants to get the season going in the right direction after dropping cheap points to division rivals early on.

Flyers' opportunity for Simon Edvinsson trade

Simon Edvinsson would be a big upgrade for the Flyers... literally. (Photo: Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)
Simon Edvinsson would be a big upgrade for the Flyers... literally. (Photo: Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)

On Saturday, while the Flyers were playing the Hurricanes, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that RFA Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson now prefers a trade away from the team with his contract situation lingering into the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

"The team and the agents are not talking, but there is word today around the league that unsigned Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson prefers a trade from the Red Wings. He went to camp with no contract. On the eve of the season, he went back to Sweden, where's skating now," Friedman said on Sportsnet's "Saturday Headlines" segment.

"Now, I understand the Red Wings have made it clear to other teams that their priority is still to sign him. That is their No. 1 goal, but apparently his frustration at the entire situation has led him to indicate he would prefer a trade."

With all their struggles, this should be music to the Flyers' ears.

Before and during the offseason, the Flyers made clear their desire to make an upgrade on defense, though nothing ultimately came to fruition.

The Leo Carlsson offer sheet saga came and went to no avail, and that was it for the Flyers' offseason.

Now, though, the Flyers have an opportunity to take advantage of the Red Wings' plight, upgrade their defense, and take the big swing all in one go, proving to concerned Flyers fans that they won't stand idle amid a dreary start.

Edvinsson, 23, is a 6-foot-6 former No. 6 overall pick who has scored 16 goals and 56 points over the last two seasons, emerging as a top-pair complement to Moritz Seider on the Red Wings.

The hulking Swede can do a bit of everything in the vein of someone like Travis Sanheim, and his combination of size, youth, and ability makes him everything the Flyers would want in an addition to their defense.

Throughout their first three games, the Flyers have been bleeding scoring chances, and the injury to Rasmus Ristolainen may motivate the front office to bolster their defense before things get even uglier on the backend.

Players like Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster, Cam York, and Jamie Drysdale are all without trade protection, and the Flyers have plenty of draft picks and prospects they can use in a deal, too, even though the Red Wings have reportedly been looking for assets that can benefit them now.

The Flyers have a myriad of options available to them, in any case, and this is the perfect opportunity to shake the complacency label and take action while sending a strong message to the rest of the group.

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Canadiens Take A Big Nap, Storm Back But Get Burned In The End

The Montreal Canadiens were back in action on Saturday night, taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pennsylvania. Martin St-Louis’ men started better than they did in Toronto on Tuesday, with Cole Caufield quickly putting them ahead, but momentum shifted after the hosts scored their first power-play goal.

The 6-5 scoreline may make it seem like a tough night at the office for Jakub Dobes, but while there’s one goal he most likely would like to have back, a comedy of errors unfolded in front of him for much of the game.

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Matheson Will Want To Forget That One

While Mike Matheson is often the defenseman the coach trusts the most, he seemed to labor throughout the game. The momentum flipped when he was sent off for interfering with Sidney Crosby in the first frame. One could argue the Penguins captain should have gotten a penalty for roughing, given how he reacted, but most of the Canadiens’ woes were self-inflicted.

Then, the veteran didn’t close down Declan Carlile on the Pens’ second goal and was dispossessed twice on the fourth. He was also on the ice for the Pens’ last two goals, but he wasn’t responsible for either. The Pointe-Claire native had a very rough night. 

There’s Something About The Second

Both teams were tied at 1-1 after 20 minutes, but once again, the Canadiens went for a nap in the second frame, leaving Dobes to fend for himself. The Pens put 15 shots on net in the period, while the Canadiens could muster only seven. Granted, Dobes could have had better rebound control, but with the panic around the net, it can’t have been easy to keep a cool head.

St-Louis often says that his players’ intentions were good, but that wasn’t the case tonight. The Habs made so many lazy plays and bad reads that they asked for trouble. They didn't keep it simple or play it safe in any of the three zones, but the neutral-zone turnovers really were their undoing. The coach summed it up best when he said:

We shot ourselves in the foot throughout the second. […] I’m pleased with the fight back in the third; we managed to get a point out of the game, but I don’t think we deserved two.
- St-Louis on his team's performance

We’ve heard time and again that the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Habs in the Eastern Conference Final because Rod Brind’Amour’s side plays a detailed game, but playing 60 minutes isn't a detail; it’s a minimum requirement. 

First Line On A Desperate Mission

If the first line didn’t have a good game Tuesday night, the Nick Suzuki and Caufield duo seemed everywhere tonight. Caufield scored the first goal of the game, Suzuki scored the goal that gave the Canadiens a bit of hope in the dying minutes of the second, and Caufield scored Montreal’s first goal in the third frame. Montreal scored its last two lamplighters with six players on the ice, but Suzuki got the primary assist on both.

Caufield finished with a plus-3 rating while Suzuki was plus-4, and the captain was also named the second star of the game with a goal and three assists, but he clearly wasn’t pleased in his post-game presser. The points that really matter are the two that were on the line Saturday night, and Montreal lost one.

Since 2024-2025, the Canadiens have the most comeback wins in the league with 48, which is quite impressive. However, the truth is: they need comeback wins because they consistently dig themselves into huge holes.

Quick Shots

Chris Kreider scored his first goal as a Hab tonight, with a one-timer from his office in traffic. He finished the game with two points and had a good night overall.

Alexandre Carrier left the game after a bad fall in the first frame; his back was slammed awkwardly into the boards, and while he kept going for a bit, he had to call it a night.

The Canadiens have a day off on Sunday, but chances are the coaches will be very busy, not only watching what happened during the game but also trying to finally find a way to get a full 60-minute effort out of this team.

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Open Thread: Tobias Harris trained with George Gervin

SAN ANTONIO, TX -SEPTEMBER 28: Tobias Harris #23 of the San Antonio Spurs poses for photographs at the San Antonio Spurs Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center on September 28, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Tobias Harris joining the Spurs seems like a perfect summer acquisition, and it just got better.

Tobias Harris described his bond with George Gervin:

“When I was young, I used to come to San Antonio to train with George Gervin. He and my father (Torrel Harris, an NBA agent) are very close. George is practically like an uncle to me.

So, when I signed here, he was one of the first people I called. I told him, ‘I’m coming to San Antonio.’

He’s my guy. I’ve been in touch with him since I was really young—probably since I was 5 or 6. I used to come here to train with him at his academy.

I’d say he’s probably my only real connection to San Antonio, but now, I’m looking forward to my family and me becoming part of the community.”

Torrel Harris started Unique Sports Management, now Unique Sports Management International (USMI) in 1988. Tobias grew up around the game and was drafted nineteenth overall in 2011.

Looks like San Antonio may be an excellent fit on multiple levels.

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Three scenarios: What history says about the Wizards this season

Can the Washington Wizards end the tank? With Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and DeAndre Ayton onboard, here are 3 historical paths and what each would mean for 2026-27. | NBAE via Getty Images

After a brutal stretch of losing by design, the Wizards are going to try to start winning this year. The past three seasons, the team totaled 50 wins — tied with the 2021-24 Detroit Pistons for the 10th worst three-year stretch in NBA history.

The worst stretch belongs to The Process Philadelphia 76ers, which went 37-109 from 2013-16. That’s a .150 winning percentage. That got them six trips to the second round of the playoffs in the years since. The last player still around from all that tanking is the creaking, disintegrating, brittle Joel Embiid.

While cratering the franchise for multiple seasons had become such a prevalent rebuilding strategy that the league finally imposed draft lottery rules to put an end to the practice, the reality is it takes a long string of roster moves (draft, sign, trade) that work and a liberal dose of good luck to build any team into a title contender.

Can the Washington Wizards end the tank? With Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and DeAndre Ayton onboard, here are 3 historical paths and what each would mean for 2026-27. | NBAE via Getty Images

This isn’t me just tapping away — rebuilds are difficult and complex, and big leaps from a bottom dweller are relatively rare. Last season, the Wizards had the NBA’s worst record — just 17 wins. Based on history, what’s realistic for the team this season? Scanning back through time, three paths emerge:

  1. The Stagnanation — Think the multiyear tank — where the Wizards, Jazz, and process Sixers were. This is what Washington is hoping to graduate from. Another sub-20 win season would be unbearable. Teams in this phase would typically “improve” by up to three wins, though another season at the bottom of the rankings would be fairly normal.
  2. The Norm — Teams that finish at the bottom get high draft picks and accumulate young talent. Where building a title contender takes a long sequence of good decisions and good luck, continuing to lose when given prime opportunities to add top-shelf talent takes the opposite. That said, it takes a special rookie to transform a persistent loser into a winner, though normal improvement from young teammates and some well-time veteran additions can yield a meaningful uptick in team record — from 4-9 wins.
  3. The Transformation — This happens in two (and only two) situations — if a previously good team fell because their star player (or players) missed all (or virtually all) of a season due to injuries, OR if a team gets freakishly lucky in the draft lottery. The Indiana Pacers are likely prime candidates for this kind of bounceback. The San Antonio Spurs famously hit both these criteria when David Robinson missed a season with a back injury, and they landed Tim Duncan in the lottery. Teams in this category could add 15-25 wins the following season.

Which scenario is most likely? We can safely dismiss scenario No. 1. The Wizards are going to try to win, and it would take an incredible string of injuries to several players for them not to improve. It’s possible though extremely unlikely they’ll manage just 15-20 wins again.

That leaves the other two — normal improvement or a major step forward. My lean is towards a hybrid of scenarios No. 2 and 3. The team has accumulated talented youngsters, at least some of whom should improve to some degree this season. That’s The Norm.

It’s also added three significant veterans without giving up any core youngsters — Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and DeAndre Ayton. That’s akin to adding back star players who missed the previous season. Last year’s team wouldn’t have gone 17-65 if they’d had Davis, Young, and Ayton available. Not no way, not no how.

Adding those three plus top pick AJ Dybantsa adds a lot of firepower to the roster, and should allow youngsters to slot into more natural roles. This should give the team a significant boost on both ends of the floor. But, Davis has missed a lot time due to injury throughout his career, and Young appeared in just 15 games last season.

Davis’ health is The Wildcard. If he manages 65 games, the Wizards could enjoy a transformative change. If it’s 45-50 games…they’re more likely in The Norm range.

So what does that mean? Last season, the Wizards managed 17 victories.

  1. The Stagnation | 17-20 wins — This would be brutal — it would mean many injuries, and youngsters regressing instead of improving. It might well mean wholesale changes to the roster, coaching staff, and front office.
  2. The Norm | 21-26 wins — This range would also be painful, but there’d be positive signs and fnas would have reason for hope. The most likely way this happens is if Davis and Young get hurt, and the team rides normal incremental improvement from the kids. Watching Alex Sarr, Dybantsa, and Kyshawn George or Bilal Coulibaly lead the team to 25 wins could be somewhat rewarding.
  3. The Transformation | 32-42 wins — This would take good health and career norm performances from the veteran stars plus normal development from the kids. This is also what it would take for the Wizards to even make the play-in this season, especially in a deeper and more competitive Eastern Conference.

Sports books are anticipating scenario No. 3 — the over/under for wins is 34.5. They’re usually in the right ballpark, though it’s worth mention that this scenario is rare. Improving by 25 wins from one season to the next has happened just 16 times in NBA history.

The San Antonio Spurs have done it three times! Leaping by 35 wins when they got David Robinson onto the floor, by 36 wins when they drafted Duncan and got Robinson back from injury, and by 28 wins last season.

The biggest single season improvement was 42 wins by the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, which traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The Celtics also have a 33-win leap, which happened when Larry Bird joined the team.

The only other team to jump by 30+ wins in a single season was the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns, which added free agent guard Steve Nash.

With some freakish good health, the Wizards could conceivably improve by 30 wins or more next season. History says 12-15 is more in the realm for the optimistic realist. That probably leaves the Wizards just outside the play-in, though with a more entertaining and interesting product on the floor.

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MMBets: The Wolves Go All In

I like Minnesota’s roster a lot. I also think this is one of those teams where the over could look great for two months and then completely fall apart because one injury changes everything. The LaMelo Ball trade raised Minnesota’s ceiling, but it also came at a real cost. The Timberwolves traded Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and major draft capital to get him, then added Jonathan Kuminga and Cody Williams to rebuild the forward rotation.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Over/Under 48.5 wins

Over: -110
Under: -115
To win NBA Championship: +3000
To win Western Conference: +1400
To win Northwest Division: +1100

Last season: 49-33, sixth in the West, lost in the second round

Key additions: LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga, Trey Lyles, Cody Williams, Isaiah Evans
Key losses: Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, Sandro Mamukelashvili

The under case really comes down to how much Minnesota lost and how much it is now relying on two stars who have had injury problems.

Edwards only played 61 games last season after being much more durable in previous years. LaMelo has struggled to stay on the floor throughout his career. Minnesota is now counting on both of them not only to stay healthy, but to carry a huge amount of the offense.

That is risky when the line is 48.5.

The other thing I keep coming back to is the loss of Reid and Randle. Reid gave Minnesota shooting, size and lineup flexibility. Randle gave them another legitimate creator and rebounder. Those are not small departures. Kuminga is talented, but he has never really found a consistent role, and Cody Williams is still young. SB Nation’s preseason look at Minnesota basically framed this roster as boom-or-bust for that exact reason: the Wolves traded proven depth for more upside.

I still think Minnesota is good. LaMelo should make Edwards better, Gobert keeps the defensive floor high, and McDaniels is still one of the league’s better defenders.

I just think this roster has less margin for error than last year’s.

If Edwards or LaMelo misses 15 or 20 games, or if Kuminga does not fit cleanly, this could easily become a 45- or 46-win team in a loaded West.

That would still make Minnesota dangerous in the playoffs.

It would also cash the under.

Prediction: Under 48.5 wins (-115)

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2026-27 Atlanta Hawks player preview: The two-ways

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 12: Rayj Dennis #00 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the first quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

As we embark on a new Hawks season, it’s time to preview the members that will shape the next nine months or so.

The Hawks have all three of their two-way spots filled, but these contracts don’t count against the salary cap and so these spots are often subject to movement throughout the season. Still, two players are familiar faces to the organization, and a third has a decent amount of NBA experience for young player.

As such all three possess enough tangible upside that they could earn themselves a full standard contract before the end of this upcoming season.

PG — RayJ Dennis

RayJ Dennis is back after signing a two-way contract with the team last December. He only appeared in four games with the Hawks, but in 31 games with the College Park Skyhawks, he averaged 24.3 points, 10.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 37% from three.

Had Dennis had enough games to qualify for the G League leaderboard, his points per game and assists per game marks would have ranked sixth and second in the league respectively.

As a 6’1” point guard with no issue getting buckets against G League competition, the real question is how his skillset translates to the NBA level. There’s no doubt that his size is an obstacle to overcome on both ends of the floor, but after waiving Devin Carter and trading away Ryan Nembhard, there could be minutes available for the young point guard.

At media day, Dennis had this to say about how the Hawks are approaching his development, “[h]elping me get better and making sure I’m ready for any opportunity and hopefully a bigger role coming this year.”

PG/SG — Keshon Gilbert

The off guard to Dennis’ primacy on the ball, Gilbert is an athletic, downhill scorer who averaged 20.1 points per game in nine games with the Skyhawks.

“Me and RayJ [Dennis], we been knowing each other for a while,” he had to say at media day about his College Park backcourt partnership. “I worked out with him in St. Louis before. Played against him in college. Me and RayJ, we got history, so it was easy. We [are] two unselfish players, and at the end of the day both of us want to win. That’s why we click so good on the court, I feel.”

Gilbert signed a two-way contract with the Hawks just ahead of the deadline to do so on March 3rd. From that date until the end of the Skyhawks’ season, the team went 8-2 largely behind their explosive guard duo.

Can that carry over to the Hawks this season?

The biggest worry is that Gilbert is just a career 24% shooter from three in the G League as a 6’4” guard and often needs the ball in his hands to be most effective. I think he’s slated for another year mainly in the lower league, but his familiarity with the program should give him a leg up in his development journey.

SF/PF — Jalen Wilson

You can never have enough forwards named Jalen.

Wilson was drafted 51st overall to the Nets in 2023 after a standout career at Kansas before spending three seasons with the team — first on a two-way contract then later on a standard contract.

Wilson brings 176 games of NBA experience to Atlanta, all with the Nets. He wasn’t asked to do much with the ball in his hands other than to shoot catch-and-shoot threes (career 36% shooter from deep). Often deployed as a small ball power forward with Brooklyn, at 6’6” he may shift up and defend more opposing wings with the Hawks and Skyhawks going forward.

On why he chose to sign with the Hawks this offseason, Wilson responded at media day, “I just saw the group of guys and saw the work ethic. I saw how hard they played in the playoffs. The type of fit that I can have. A lot of good wings here. Playing around guys like Jalen [Johnson], he’s been able to be in a in a position to make guys better.”

If I had to choose, Wilson would be the player of this trio that has the best path to rotation minutes because of his prior NBA experience as well as his ability to fit into lineups as a 3-and-D wing or forward. Wilson even went so far as to label himself ‘3-and-D’ later on at the same press availability.

New additions like Lu Dort and Dorian Finney-Smith are among the most well-regarded NBA players of that archetype, so there may be no better examples than the ones he’ll be practicing every day against going forward.

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Phillies news: Trea Turner, Don Mattingly, Adley Rutschman

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 01: The Atlanta Braves grounds crew prepares the field before Game Three of the Wild Card Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on October 1, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Turns out that maybe pursuing Munetaka Murakami may have been the right idea for the Phillies after all. His first career playoff home run led the White Sox to victory and showed other teams yet again that they made a mistake in not going harder after him.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

MLB news:

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Swanson: Dodgers' ace-filled rotation affords them the audacity to reveal next-round plans

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers against the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 9 at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers against the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 9 at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers are better than you. They’re smarter than you. They’re richer and deeper and more popular than you. You know it, they know it, there’s no point pretending otherwise.

So, yes, they went into the National League Divisional Series looking past the threadbare Atlanta Braves and thinking about the National League Championship Series.

Who does that? In the playoffs?

Your two-time World Series champions with the world’s best starting pitching rotation and a 1-0 NLDS series lead, that’s who.

The way the Dodgers did the math, it made sense to save their ace of aces, Yoshinobu Yamamoto — who last postseason went 5-1, had an ERA of 1.45 and 33 strikeouts in six appearances and won the World Series MVP — for Game 3 of the NLDS.

Read more:Plaschke: Kyle Tucker becomes unlikely NLDS hero with Dodgers poised for series sweep

Not for the tone-setting Game 1 and, potentially, Game 5 on regular rest.

But Game 3.

Because to the Dodgers, that’s not even much of a calculated risk. It was a math problem specific to them, before they beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 in 100-degree heat Saturday afternoon.

They figured they’d be able to throw two consecutive left-handers at the lefty-averse Braves lineup, starting Saturday with recently acquired two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, followed Sunday by Blake Snell, also a two-time Cy Young winner.

Additionally, this way they could have Yamamoto pitch Tuesday on the road, where his ERA is 1.77 instead of at home, where it’s 3.13. And where he’s given up 14 home runs compared with six on the road, where he’s made four fewer starts.

But mostly the Dodgers’ calculus was that having Yamamoto pitch Game 3 means it will line up so that they’ll have him for Game 2 in the NLCS and, if necessary, Game 6 against the Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres. (Or, if you really want to plan ahead — and the Dodgers with their leaky bullpen absolutely should not — for Game 1 of the World Series.)

“That just sets up the rotation and Yamamoto better looking forward,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained before Saturday’s game.

“Not discounting this series, because you’ve got to win this series first, but you start from the fact that they’re all going to pitch — the three [Skubal, Snell and Yamamoto] are going to pitch for sure ... and then what sets them up going forward.”

It feels like a faux pas, to be that forward-thinking, and to be saying the quiet part out loud!

“If you can kind of line it up in such a way to give guys ample rest, it puts you in a better position for more options down the road,” Roberts said. “That’s kind of some of the math we had.”

I mean, it adds up. And for these Dodgers — whose fourth starter, Tyler Glasnow, was a key cog in last year’s World Series-winning rotation — it’s a fair assessment.

Read more:'He's a competitor.' Tarik Skubal's dominant outing stakes Dodgers to NLDS Game 1 win

Though it’s nice of Roberts to pay enough lip service that he’s not totally discounting the best-of-five current series they’re in.

Predictably on Saturday, Skubal, who previously had a 2.04 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 39⅔ playoff innings for the Detroit Tigers, brought his own October heat.

The 29-year-old from Kingman, Ariz., gave up just one run and two hits, walked two and struck out seven — giving him 64 in the postseason, the second most in his first seven postseason appearances behind only Bob Gibson (74), per MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Skubal retired 15 consecutive, hit 101 on the radar gun in the second inning and didn’t have a three-ball count until the fifth inning.

“We knew,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said, “it was going to be a rough ride.”

But Weiss did not know, immediately after Saturday’s loss, when he’d be able to deploy his sole ace, 37-year-old Chris Sale, the 10-time All-Star who just pitched in the Braves’ Game 3 wild-card closeout.

“To me it’s not that big a deal when he pitches,” Weiss said. “The Dodgers can’t win it in two.”

A true statement and a matter of fact: The Dodgers can’t win in two, but they’re not shy about expecting to win.

Read more:Shaikin: Dodgers are forcing Braves to make tough decision about Chris Sale

“It’s prudent to kind of map out potentially how they could line up,” Roberts said Friday. “And that’s just doing your due diligence.

“We are very fortunate because we have four guys essentially that you could really kind of pick through to figure out what’s the best way to deploy all four starters, that’s the exercise. But it starts with having four talented guys.”

Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, reveled in the notion that his club might actually be disproving the rule that you can never have enough pitching — at least when it comes to their elite quartet of starters.

And that, Friedman said, “is very impactful for quality of life.”

And the Dodgers aren’t afraid to say it.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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ALDS Game 1 Player of the Game: Gerrit Cole

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 03: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in game one of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on October 03, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images

“Kevin, can you pick up the Player of the Game for Game 1 of the ALDS?”
“Sure… I hope I can write about Gerrit Cole going eight shutty.”

Baseball can be a cruel sport. I suspect we all would have signed up for five innings of one-run ball from Gerrit Cole at The Trop Saturday night. That’s the kind of thing that the vast majority of the time would have put the Yankees in great position to steal home-field advantage from the Rays.

The above is exactly what we got from Cole. Unfortunately, on the other side Drew Rasmussen was basically untouchable, toying with a formerly hot Yankee offense. Cole being merely excellent was therefore not enough. But on a night when nary a hitter was worthy of being honored, Cole’s sterling five innings makes him the Player of the Game, albeit in a losing effort.

His final line: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

At the end of the day, Cole made one mistake all night, in the third inning – a 2-2 changeup middle-away to Jonathan Aranda that the Rays lefty turned around and drove out to right center for a solo home run, the lone run either team scraped across Saturday. I don’t even hate that location. Just have to tip your cap to Aranda to a certain extent.

Otherwise, Cole gave the Yankees everything they could have asked for, other than perhaps more length. Though the venerable ace was only sitting at 82 pitches through five innings, so likely could have come back out for another frame if needed. But with a fully rested bullpen in a one-run game, it made sense for manager Aaron Boone to be aggressive. To give the skipper his due, his moves worked, and the ‘pen held Tampa scoreless for the remainder of the game.

Much was made coming into Game 1 about the increased induced vertical break (IVB) on Cole’s four-seam fastball at The Trop versus in outdoor environments, where the wind can mess with it. Reportedly, the way Cole’s stuff plays indoors was a key reason for going with him in Game 1.

Since joining the Yankees, Cole’s heater has averaged 19.3 inches of IVB inside Tropicana, compared to 17.7 inches at Yankee Stadium. Saturday, it averaged 17 inches of IVB, down considerably from his average while pitching in Tampa. Despite that drop, the pitch remained effective nonetheless.

Cole got seven whiffs on 27 swings at his heater, and averaged 96.8-mph with it, maxing out at 98.8-mph. Three of his five strikeouts came on the offering, including a 96-mph fastball to Victor Mesa, Jr. that looked like it was still rising as Mesa swung through it.

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The curveball was Cole’s secondary weapon Saturday, especially against lefties (he threw the pitch 27% of the time when facing the platoon disadvantage). He racked up his other two strikeouts with the pitch, including one up in the zone that turned Junior Caminero’s knees to jelly.

Cole’s outing on Saturday moves his career playoff ERA since joining the Yankees down to 2.85 in 72.2 innings. Hopefully, he’ll get to appear again this postseason, whether later in this series against the Rays or against an AL Central foe in the ALCS, to bring that already nice ERA even lower.

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