On Sunday, March 8th I entered my first official salary cap draft of the 2025 fantasy baseball season – a $150 Online Auction Championship at the NFBC.
For those that are not familiar, it’s a 15-team format that utilizes 23 roster spots – 14 hitters (2 Catchers, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, Corner Infield, Middle Infield, 5 OF and Utility) and 9 pitchers. Each team is given $260 to spend during the salary cap draft and the entire 23-man starting roster must be filled out during the salary cap draft. There is then a seven-round reserve draft afterwards. In addition to competing for league prizes in this 15-team league, there is also an overall component in which this team will be competing against all other leagues for overall prizes as well.
Over the years in this space and in our draft guide I have already delved deeply into basic strategy for salary cap drafts, but for this article I wanted to give readers a deeper insight into my personal process for these types of drafts. In fact, I’m writing up this first section the day before the draft.
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Let me start out by saying that I’m not the type of drafter who has dollar values for every particular player that will be available in the draft and who goes into the draft simply looking for discounts and to accumulate as much “value” as I possibly can. I’m someone who believes strongly in getting my guys, and I’m willing to go down fighting with the players that I think are the best options on the board. Entering this draft, or any draft for that matter, I usually start with about 25% of the player pool crossed off my board and around another 25% that I’d only really be interested in at a steep discount.
Now historically, I skew slightly more towards pitching, usually devoting around 59% of my budget on the hitting side ($140) and 41% ($120) on the pitching side. That strategy hasn’t worked out well for me in recent years though and I wanted to try to mix things up in this one. For me personally, I’m usually better at identifying and finding viable pitching options in the middle and late rounds than I am finding impact hitters – especially power bats. So I asked myself, what if I devoted an unreasonable amount of my budget towards offense and absolutely dominated the power categories while competing in speed and batting average as well – and then just tried to make the pitching work?
The idea intrigued me. If you’re going to build a team that’s going to absolutely dominate in power, you’re going to want to have a few of the sluggers that are projected to lead the league in home runs. Your Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh types. So what if we went out and tried to get all three? Remember, this is a salary cap draft, not a standard snake draft. The whole player pool is available to you. You can try any wacky strategy that you want. So I dove in a bit deeper. Looking at average auction values over the past few weeks, I looked at the maximum bids that each of those players had gone for – and budgeted those into my pre-draft plan. For Ohtani, that was $53 ($48 AAV), for Judge it was $53 ($48 AAV) and for Raleigh it was $32 ($29 AAV). Assuming we would need to go to the max to get them, that would be $138 of our $260 on just three players, but it would be three players who would provide an unimaginable base in power while also delivering a smattering of speed, terrific counting stats and a strong batting average.
From there, I started to plan out what other players I would want to add to that strong offensive base. It’s no secret that Brice Turang has been a target of mine in every draft that I have done this year. Second base is an incredibly weak position overall and I think he’s going to have a monster five-category season. His contributions in batting average and stolen bases in particular would gel really well with that top three. His max mid over that same time frame was $24 (AAV $21), so let’s pencil that in.
Do you know who else would deliver five-category production with a major emphasis on batting average and stolen bases while filling another infield position? Trea Turner. His maximum bid during that stretch was $29 (AAV $26), so we’ll add that to the draft plan as well.
If we could get those five bats at those maximum bids, that would take us to $191 and leave us with just $69 to fill out the remaining nine spots on offense and our nine pitching spots. That’s not ideal, but we can also assume that we won’t need to get all five of those at their maximum bids. If we can get them closer to their combined AAV of $171, that would give us an extra $20 to play with and make the experiment much more intriguing.
Staying with the hypothetical for now though. There’s one other player on offense that’s kind of a must-have for me right now and that’s Kazuma Okamoto. I think he’s extremely undervalued in both standard snake and salary cap drafts. He also fills a shallow position that doesn’t have may other options that I like. He has gone for a max of $12, which likely prices him out for me unless I’m able to get him closer to his AAV of $7. We’ll budget $7 for now and adjust from there.
Budgeting $1 for every available spot around those six, we’re looking at devoting $206 of our $260 on offense, leaving just $54 on the pitching side, keeping in mind we’re hoping to gain back somewhere in the range of $15 based on discounts that we can secure those hitters for off of their maximum bids.
If we only have $54 to start with on the pitching side though, some sacrifices are obviously going to have to be made. The easy one is closers. We’re not going to be able to compete for the top options there and are going to have to go the speculative route. Trying to get two guys for $1-$3 each is probably the best case scenario there and then we’ll have to attack the category through FAAB throughout the season. It’s not the way that I like to build my teams normally, but we don’t really have an option if going with this extreme build on offense.
I would also still like an ace on my staff. It’s crazy to try to shop in the Tarik Skubal or Paul Skenes range, as the rest of the staff would be woefully underfunded if trying to do that. I’m a huge believer in Yoshinobu Yamamoto though and I still feel like he’s being discounted relative to the top of the pitching market. His maximum bid during this stretch has been $29 with an AAV of $26. I’d love to try to get him at or near that AAV, and may even extend to that max depending on whether or not we have landed any discounts before then. Let’s work with that $26 number though and go from there.
If we’re just going to have one ace at the top of the staff, we’re going to need at least two additional quality arms that we think can outperform industry projections and expectations and help to solidify this group. We can’t miss on these guys, because the rest of the staff behind them is going to be basically $1 arms. There are two names specifically that I’m very high on this year that I think fit in here perfectly. Drew Rasmussen and Trevor Rogers. Rasmussen has an AAV of $12 with a max of $15. Rogers has an AAV of $9 with a max of $15. We’re not going to be able to go to $15 for both of them, but could probably make it work if we can get them close to their AAV. We’re going to budget with that and adjust as necessary if we’re able to secure discounts on offense.
If the prices in the pitching market soar and we’re unable to get Rasmussen and/or Rogers, we’re going to have to fall back to other options in the same price range that we like but are not quite as high on. For me that’s Kevin Gausman, Michael King, MacKenzie Gore, Shota Imanaga, Tatsuya Imai and Robbie Ray. If I wind up with two from that group it’s fine, I just won’t like the staff as a whole as much as I would if getting Rasmussen or Rogers – or ideally both. We’re also going to budget $1 for Justin Verlander, as he’s a top target of mine and should be easy to secure at that price, as long as I wait for the right time. If someone clicks him to $2 and I need to go $3, that would be a disaster.
Adding in the AAV’s that we’re trying to get Rasmussen and Rogers at, we’re going to have to put the budget for the speculative closers at $1 to make it work – at least initially. We can add back there as well when/if we get any discounts. So here’s what the draft plan looks like heading into the draft:
C
$32
Cal Raleigh
C
$1
1B
$1
2B
$24
Brice Turang
3B
$7
Kazuma Okamoto
SS
$29
Trea Turner
CI
$1
MI
$1
OF
$53
Aaron Judge
OF
$1
OF
$1
OF
$1
OF
$1
UTIL
$53
Shohei Ohtani
$206
SP
$26
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
SP
$12
Drew Rasmussen
SP
$9
Trevor Rogers
SP
$1
SP
$1
SP
$1
SP
$1
Justin Verlander
RP
$2
Speculative Closer
RP
$1
Speculative Closer
$54
$260
Honestly, I’m very intrigued by the possibilities here. I genuinely feel like the bones of this team would be good enough to make it competitive overall with strong in-season FAAB work. Of course, this plan could fall apart very quickly, especially if we’re unable to get any of the arms that we’re looking for at the prices that we’re hoping to see – or if we get a lot of pushback on offense and have to go to the previous max or beyond to land those core five bats. Let’s see how it unfolds!
It actually took me a little bit of time to get into the action, as most of the first round of nominations were lesser players and didn’t factor into my draft plan at all. It wasn’t until near the end of the first round that Aaron Judge came up for nomination. I knew that he was an integral part of this plan and that I needed to get him at all costs – hoping to not go beyond the $53 that I had in the budget for him. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I clicked the bidding to $48 and heard crickets from the rest of the room. Starting off with a $5 discount gave me the confidence to think that this plan could actually work. I didn’t re-distribute that $5 initially but knew that I had it in my pocket.
A couple of picks later, Shohei Ohtani was nominated. We went into it the same way that we did for Judge, willing to go to $53 but hopeful that we would be able to get him for less. Imagine our shock and dismay when we only needed to go to $47 to get the job done. Two superstar hitters secured at a total of $11 less than we had budgeted. We were off and running.
Shortly after that, our expected ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto was nominated. We weren’t as confident about this one. The Dodgers’ right-hander had gone as high as $29 in recent salary cap drafts but we were hoping to keep it around his AAV of $27 instead. If we had to go to $28 or $29 – or even $30 – we would probably do so based on the savings that we got from Judge and Ohtani, but we’d really like to use those savings elsewhere if possible.
This wound up being the biggest surprise of the draft for me as once the bidding got to $24, everyone simply backed off. Perhaps they were waiting and saving their pitching budgets to fight for Skubal and Skenes. Either way, I couldn’t believe the way that the start of this draft had unfolded in my favor. Not only did I get my desired ace, but I did so at a significant discount.
The next player that was integral for the plan that came up for nomination was Cal Raleigh. Similar to our plan for Judge and Ohtani, we were prepared to go to the previous maximum ($32) to get him but hoping to land closer to his AAV. With that in mind, we were more than happy to secure his services for only $28. Operation crush the baseball was now in full effect.
The next name up that we were concerned with was Trea Turner. The plan had us getting him for $29, so anything around there would have been perfectly fine. Turner, like many players nominated in the first couple of rounds of this draft, got to his AAV that was listed on the site and the bidding stopped. He was ours for $26.
The final piece of the big five clicked into place on offense shortly after that when we nominated Brice Turang. Our budget was starting to dwindle and I wanted to have clarity on where to go at the second base position if I was unable to get Turang. I also had backup options at other positions – namely Freddie Freeman – that I was willing to pivot to if I couldn’t secure Turang. Either way, I needed to know so I didn’t let other contingency plans go by. We didn’t wind up with as steep of a discount on Turang, going $22 which was $1 above his AAV but still $2 below the $24 that we had targeted from his previous max.
Now came the waiting game. This part of the draft was absolutely brutal as we basically had to sit on our hands for the next hour and not compete on any players. We threw a couple of bids in here and there trying to get players at a discount, but we were basically sitting around and waiting for Drew Rasmussen and Trevor Rogers to come up without having to nominate them too early ourselves.
Finally, after nearly 100 players went off the board, Rasmussen was on the block. We knew from our draft plan that he had a previous max of $15 but were hoping to get him closer to his AAV of $12. So there was some frustration when we got to $14 and someone else clicked him up to $15. Not to worry though, as we were happy to tap into those earlier discounts that we secured to get the guy that we had targeted. Thankfully, $16 is all that it took. I don’t like the overpay, but in the end was thrilled to still get the player that I had targeted as my SP2.
The next player up for bid was Rogers. My initial assumption was that he was going to wind up going for a similar bid to Rasmussen after other managers in the league just missed out on the Rays’ right-hander. I was able to breathe a gigantic sigh of relief this time when the bidding stopped at $11. We had now secured each of the top five bats that we targeted and the three SP that we wanted to build this team around. Now all we had to do was fill out the rest with a limited budget.
The next name that we picked up much further down the road wound up being Justin Sterner. He’s someone that I had in mind going in as a potential closer option that could be had for $1 or $2. I didn’t nominate him, so I had to go to $2 but was overjoyed when the bidding stopped right there. At least had a shot at some cheap saves.
I made a play to try to get Robert Garcia, going as high as $6, but couldn’t bring myself to go to $8 and give up what little flexibility that I had in the draft at that point. The only other strong target that we had on offense was Kazuma Okamoto, with his AAV of $7 penciled into the draft plan. Once again we were able to secure an unexpected discount, getting him for just $5. That one got a fist pump.
At this point on offense we still needed to find a second catcher, first baseman, corner infielder, middle infielder and four outfielders. If you’re going to have a weakness somewhere on offense, those aren’t bad positions to need to fill in-season as options on the waiver wire are usually plentiful – especially if you’re streaming bats weekly.
I took a shot at some other bats. Adolis Garcia I went as high as $10 but couldn’t go to $12. Matt McLain I went up to $9 as a middle but couldn’t go to $11. Sal Stewart I went to $8 as a first base option before bowing out. Calen Durbin I also took the bidding to $8 before letting him go for $9.
I tried to get a few more options on the pitching side as well, going to $5 on both Tatsuya Imai and Carlos Rodon before painfully watching them land elsewhere as big discounts at $6.
It wasn’t pretty, but I picked up another speculative closer in Kirby Yates for $3. Not thrilled about it, but if he opens the season with the job it will be worth it. Otherwise, no harm, no foul. I filled my second catcher spot with a $2 Carson Kelly.
By this point, the talent pool was dwindling, and I actually had a decent amount of money remaining compared to the rest of the league. While there wasn’t a lot of talent left in the player pool, it meant that I could at least be competitive in securing what was there. I chose to do my shopping in the outfield, landing some discount power speed options in Ramon Laureano ($6), Jordan Beck ($6) and Mickey Moniak ($5). Not players that I necessarily targeted coming into the draft, but all were still on my board and I think can be solid and capable producers.
That didn’t leave much for the final four spots. We ended up settling on Kyle Manzardo ($2), Colt Keith ($1), Andres Gimenez ($2) and Jesus Sanchez ($1). On the pitching side, we added another speculative closer in Kevin Ginkel ($1), while adding to the rotation with Chad Patrick ($1), Connelly Early ($1) and as expected Justin Verlander ($1).
Here’s the full final team through the salary cap portion of the draft:
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Cal Raleigh
$28
$29
$1
C
Carson Kelly
$2
$1
($1)
1B
Kyle Manzardo
$2
$4
$2
2B
Brice Turang
$22
$21
($1)
SS
Trea Turner
$26
$26
$0
3B
Kazuma Okamoto
$5
$7
$2
CI
Colt Keith
$1
$2
$1
MI
Andres Gimenez
$2
$2
$0
OF1
Aaron Judge
$48
$48
$0
OF2
Ramon Laureano
$6
$7
$1
OF3
Jordan Beck
$5
$6
$1
OF4
Mickey Moniak
$5
$4
($1)
OF5
Jesus Sanchez
$1
$1
$0
UTIL
Shohei Ohtani
$47
$48
$1
76.92%
14
$200
$206
$6
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
$24
$26
$2
P2
Drew Rasmussen
$16
$12
($4)
P3
Trevor Rogers
$11
$9
($2)
P4
Chad Patrick
$1
$2
$1
P5
Connelly Early
$1
$2
$1
P6
Justin Verlander
$1
$1
$0
P7
Kirby Yates
$3
$2
($1)
P8
Justin Sterner
$2
$1
($1)
P9
Kevin Ginkel
$1
$1
$0
23.08%
9
$60
$56
($4)
Overall, we actually ended up with $2 of profit against AAV while devoting nearly 77% ($200) of our budget toward the hitting side. As far as executing a plan goes, this one wound up going about as smoothly as you can imagine in a salary cap draft. We were able to get all six of our pre-draft targets to build the offense around and were successful in getting all four starting pitchers that we targeted as well. If this team ends up failing, it will be because I targeted the wrong players – which is ultimately how I would prefer to be judged.
There are obviously holes to fill on the edges of the offense and we’re going to need to bolster the backend of the starting rotation while chasing saves all year, but I firmly believe that this team has the bones to compete – not just for league prizes, but to be a contender in the overall competition if things break right for us.
In the supplemental draft portion, here’s what we added to the mix:
SP – Jameson Taillon
SP – Tyler Mahle
2B/3B – Luis Rengifo
SP – Clay Holmes
SP – Nick Martinez
OF – Isaac Collins
SP – Payton Tolle
Basically wanted to add as many quality options to the mix for the rotation to try to maximize starts early in the season and see what shakes out. I also like the addition of Rengifo for flexibility considering how weak we are going in at both the corner and middle spots.
Here’s a quick look around the rest of the league and how their builds turned out:
Team 1
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Kyle Teel
$9
$9
$0
C
Edgar Quero
$1
$2
$1
1B
Sal Stewart
$9
$9
$0
2B
Ozzie Albies
$8
$9
$1
SS
Geraldo Perdomo
$16
$17
$1
3B
Matt Chapman
$11
$9
($2)
CI
Noelvi Marte
$11
$11
$0
MI
Kevin McGonigle
$2
$2
$0
OF1
Jackson Merrill
$20
$20
$0
OF2
Taylor Ward
$13
$11
($2)
OF3
Dylan Crews
$11
$10
($1)
OF4
Jac Caglianone
$9
$8
($1)
OF5
Colton Cowser
$2
$4
$2
UTIL
Jorge Polanco
$6
$7
$1
49.23%
14
$128
$128
$0
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Tarik Skubal
$41
$41
$0
P2
Paul Skenes
$38
$39
$1
P3
Jesus Luzardo
$21
$20
($1)
P4
Logan Henderson
$4
$3
($1)
P5
Hunter Greene
$2
$21
$19
P6
Rhett Lowder
$2
$3
$1
P7
Brady Singer
$1
$2
$1
P8
Daniel Palencia
$18
$17
($1)
P9
Robert Suarez
$5
$4
($1)
50.77%
9
$132
$150
$18
Team 1 went with nearly a 50/50 split between offense and pitching and started that $132 staff by taking the top two names on the board in Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes for a combined $79. Overall it looks like he did well against AAV, but that entire difference is coming from the pre-injury AAV on Hunter Greene. Remove that, and he’s actually -$1 in total. The pitching is going to have to carry the team, as the offense looks a bit light across the board – especially in the stolen base department.
Team 2
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Salvador Perez
$17
$16
($1)
C
Tyler Stephenson
$3
$4
$1
1B
Josh Bell
$1
$2
$1
2B
Marcus Semien
$4
$5
$1
SS
Xander Bogaerts
$6
$7
$1
3B
Josh Jung
$1
$1
$0
CI
Nolan Schanuel
$1
$1
$0
MI
Luisangel Acuna
$1
$2
$1
OF1
Julio Rodriguez
$37
$38
$1
OF2
Pete Crow-Armstrong
$24
$25
$1
OF3
Randy Arozarena
$17
$18
$1
OF4
Jakob Marsee
$11
$14
$3
OF5
Adolis Garcia
$11
$7
($4)
UTIL
Kyle Schwarber
$28
$27
($1)
62.31%
14
$162
$167
$5
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
George Kirby
$23
$21
($2)
P2
Logan Webb
$23
$23
$0
P3
Framber Valdez
$20
$19
($1)
P4
Jacob Misiorowski
$8
$9
$1
P5
Aaron Nola
$8
$6
($2)
P6
Chris Bassitt
$1
$2
$1
P7
Reynaldo Lopez
$1
$2
$1
P8
Grant Holmes
$1
$1
$0
P9
Kenley Jansen
$13
$13
$0
37.69%
9
$98
$96
($2)
Overall, Team 2 finished with $3 in surplus value against AAV while going with a 62.31%/37.69% split between offense and pitching. That’s a much more standard split than what we saw from myself and Team 1. I really like the top three starting pitchers that he chose to build his staff around, though I would’ve preferred to see him get a second closer to pair with Jansen. The offense obviously is build around a terrific outfield, but man does that infield need work overall. I feel like a couple of those spots are going to be a problem for him throughout the season. I think this team is solid enough that it could compete for league prizes.
Team 3
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Shea Langeliers
$23
$22
($1)
C
Ben Rice
$22
$21
($1)
1B
Nick Kurtz
$32
$28
($4)
2B
Brandon Lowe
$9
$6
($3)
SS
Konnor Griffin
$12
$10
($2)
3B
Jordan Westburg
$1
$1
$0
CI
Ryan O'Hearn
$6
$3
($3)
MI
Jacob Wilson
$7
$8
$1
OF1
Brent Rooker
$28
$27
($1)
OF2
Cody Bellinger
$19
$18
($1)
OF3
Tyler Soderstrom
$19
$17
($2)
OF4
Jurickson Profar
$1
$7
$6
OF5
Anthony Santander
$1
$1
$0
UTIL
Zack Gelof
$1
$0
($1)
70.43%
14
$181
$169
($12)
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Kevin Gausman
$16
$13
($3)
P2
Chase Burns
$15
$16
$1
P3
Sonny Gray
$12
$13
$1
P4
Jack Flaherty
$5
$6
$1
P5
Emilio Pagan
$15
$15
$0
P6
Trevor Megill
$8
$8
$0
P7
Paul Sewald
$3
$1
($2)
P8
Will Vest
$1
$2
$1
P9
Kyle Finnegan
$1
$1
$0
29.57%
9
$76
$75
($1)
While my strategy in this draft was a bit extreme and unconventional, somehow this team usurped what I did to be the most interesting squad in the draft. At first I wasn’t sure what was going on with the offense. I didn’t know if he was just a super fan of the Athletics, or if he was trying to take advantage of them playing in Sutter Health Park once again in 2026 – as he built his offense around Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson and Zack Gelof – taking most of them at a premium. I see that he then added three pirates (Konnor Griffin, Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn) and a pair of Yankees (Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger). He then filled out his offense with injured and/or suspended players in Jordan Westburg, Jurickson Profar and Anthony Santander. I don’t believe he timed out, so perhaps he just wasn’t prepared for the endgame? Either way, he wound up with -$12 against AAV on offense and will need his A’s stack to crush all season to have a shot there. On the pitching side, it’s confusing as well. Started out paying a premium for Kevin Gausman and then landed some solid arms and a pair of closers in Pagan and Megill (maybe). He then finished it with a $3 Paul Sewald and two setup arms from the Tigers in Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan. He also ended up leaving $3 on the table. Perhaps the plan all along was to speculate on saves late, but the rotation depth concerns me. I wouldn’t be surprised if this team winds up near the bottom of the standings.
Team 4
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
William Contreras
$22
$21
($1)
C
J.T. Realmuto
$7
$7
$0
1B
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
$32
$32
$0
2B
Bryson Stott
$7
$10
$3
SS
Gunnar Henderson
$34
$35
$1
3B
Alex Bregman
$12
$12
$0
CI
Andrew Vaughn
$2
$3
$1
MI
Zach McKinstry
$1
$1
$0
OF1
Wyatt Langford
$26
$24
($2)
OF2
Mike Trout
$10
$8
($2)
OF3
Steven Kwan
$9
$9
$0
OF4
Jake McCarthy
$2
$1
($1)
OF5
Dylan Beavers
$1
$1
$0
UTIL
Jordan Walker
$1
$2
$1
63.85%
14
$166
$166
$0
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Logan Gilbert
$26
$26
$0
P2
Michael King
$14
$12
($2)
P3
Cam Schlittler
$11
$9
($2)
P4
Kris Bubic
$6
$5
($1)
P5
Andrew Painter
$4
$2
($2)
P6
Mike Burrows
$4
$4
$0
P7
Ryan Weathers
$4
$4
$0
P8
Andres Munoz
$23
$23
$0
P9
Taylor Rogers
$2
$1
($1)
36.15%
9
$94
$86
($8)
This looks like a pretty standard build overall with a 63.85%/36.15% split between offense and pitching. The offense looks solid from top to bottom, and while there are players that I don’t typically target mixed in, there’s a nice balance to it. He had to overpay a bit on the pitching side, giving up $8 against AAV to build his staff, which hurt the overall quality in my opinion. He’s really going to need Cam Schlittler and Kris Bubic to stay healthy and produce strong seasons if he’s going to be competitive. He’ll also need to find a second closer if Taylor Rogers doesn’t win the Twins’ job. A fine squad, at a glance I’d expect him to finish somewhere near the middle of the pack.
Team 5
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Austin Wells
$5
$5
$0
C
Victor Caratini
$1
$1
$0
1B
Matt Olson
$22
$22
$0
2B
Jose Altuve
$12
$12
$0
SS
Ezequiel Tovar
$7
$8
$1
3B
Maikel Garcia
$22
$22
$0
CI
Austin Riley
$20
$20
$0
MI
Josh Smith
$3
$1
($2)
OF1
Ronald Acuna Jr.
$43
$43
$0
OF2
Jarren Duran
$21
$19
($2)
OF3
Brenton Doyle
$10
$10
$0
OF4
Kerry Carpenter
$3
$5
$2
OF5
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
$1
$1
$0
UTIL
Marcell Ozuna
$4
$1
($3)
66.92%
14
$174
$170
($4)
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Max Fried
$23
$23
$0
P2
Zack Wheeler
$11
$12
$1
P3
Edward Cabrera
$10
$8
($2)
P4
Ranger Suarez
$9
$8
($1)
P5
Robbie Ray
$8
$8
$0
P6
Bryce Elder
$1
$1
$0
P7
Michael Wacha
$1
$1
$0
P8
Ryan Walker
$13
$12
($1)
P9
Seranthony Dominguez
$10
$9
($1)
33.08%
9
$86
$82
($4)
Team 5 came out at $8 below AAV in terms of their total team value at the end of the draft while using a traditional 67/33 split between offense and pitching. As a whole, I like the five bats that he chose to build the offense around, with a stack of three big Braves’ bats leading the way (Acuna Jr., Olson and Riley). I’m concerned that there’s just not enough around them though. I like Zack Wheeler as much as the next person, but counting on him to be an SP2 out of the gate might be a stretch. I like that he strengthened his SP3-SP5 though to be able to pick up the slack if Wheeler misses more time than expected or shows significant rust upon his return. This is another team that feels like middle of the pack to me.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields on March 22, 2024.
Hello friends, this is another #Laterecap (#Latercap? What do we like?) as your lovely blogueuse (thanks, Duolingo) is en route back to Seattle. Today was my last day in camp, and I’m sad to be leaving just as players are coming back from the WBC, but also so happy to have gotten to connect with many of the new faces brought in over the off-season and players I might not have talked to as much otherwise. Look for those stories over the coming weeks. For right now, I’m tucked up in the peacock blue-paneled Victorian-style library in the historic Grand Canyon Hotel in Williams, Arizona. Bless ample wifi, charming family-run historic hotels, and the ability to take a birds-eye view of today’s 7-4 loss in Mesa against the Cubs and put it in its proper size.
I was sad about leaving camp without seeing one final Emerson Hancock start, and very torn about disrupting my travel plans just to see it (which would have then led into sticking around for Kade Anderson’s start tomorrow, and so on…). Hancock has been sterling this spring, and with Bryce Miller questionable to start the season, the fifth starter job seems his for the taking. With the caveat that I was listening to this game while driving through the red rocks of Sedona and being shot full of positive energy from the vortex, today seemed like another notch in Hancock’s Bulldog-red belt. The sweeper continued to be a weapon, getting weak-contact outs, called strikes, and whiffs, including an inning-ending strikeout on the sweeper to Chas McCormick, and he was also able to use the changeup for outs.
The one tricky part is the fastball velocity: Hancock opened sitting around 95, ending the first on a strikeout looking to Ian Happ on 95.5 perfectly located. In the second, he undressed Dansby Swanson on three pitches, getting him swinging three times through the four-seamer. But as the outing went on, he dropped from 95-96 to 93-94 in his final inning of work, the fourth. That is the danger zone for Hancock, as we’ve noted in the past, and it means his secondaries have to be perfectly crisp in order to balance out that more hittable fastball. But, it is spring training, and this is an actual starter’s workload for Hancock rather than the piggyback situations he’s been pitching in behind Anderson, so some of this might be a mid-spring recalibration into a starter’s mindset.
(If you’re looking at Hancock’s line, take out one run from the third inning, which opened with a sun double to Michael Arroyo playing in a tough left field in Mesa. The other run definitely belongs to Hancock, who left a sweeper somewhere Ian Happ could get after it for a two-RBI double hit at 103 mph.)
The Mariners got their first – and only, for most of the game – run in the third after Leo Rivas singled and stole second, moved to third on a Brendan Donovan ground ball single, and scored on a Cole Young RBI groundout. Which is fine but man. Young had a four-seam fastball right in the heart of the plate, something he’s been really working on this spring, and you’d love to see him do more with it than hit a 100 mph groundout, although to be fair to Cole, he also had a hard-hit single in the first, torching an Eduwrd Cabrera changeup at 106.4 mph for another ground ball base hit.
Things got, as they often have this spring, out of hand after Hancock departed the game in the fifth. Casey Legumina gave up a run but not much else, and Alex Hoppe pitched a mostly-clean sixth, walking Dansby Swanson but since he’d just been hit in the leg by a comebacker from Happ (and still made the play!), we’ll let it slide. Plus, Hoppe then came out to strike out his next two hitters, getting Owen Ayers hacking after a cutter that was headed for the center of the Earth, Magic Schoolbus-style, and flummoxing Dylan Carlson on a slider for another swinging strike three. Look for a deeper dive on Hoppe, who I think is one of the most interesting arms in camp, in the coming weeks.
Unfortunately that was the end of the fun pitcher contingent, as lefty Josh Simpson really struggled, giving up three runs and leaving Peyton Alford a mess to clean up (Alford let in one of his inherited runners, making it 7-1. But hey, a scoreless Troy Taylor inning in the eighth! He did hit a batter but that’s all that happened so we’ll call this progress.
The Mariners did get some back as the kids made noise, with Colin Davis reminding everyone there’s more than one player named Davis in this camp. His three-run shot made the game a respectable 7-4, but unfortunately that’s as close as the Mariners could get.
Today en route from Phoenix to Williams I went through Sedona and the Grand Canyon, which resulted in a camera roll full of silly pictures where I’m trying to put myself into scale with first the enormous rock formations and later the massive chasm behind me. It’s an impossible task; they don’t call it the Just Fine Canyon. When I studied abroad in Rome, I had a professor tell us “Rome makes you feel small, which is your proper size.” The Grand Canyon also has this effect, watching people scrambling along the canyon rim like so many ants clinging to the edge of a picnic paper plate. Humbling spring training outings also can make you feel small, but like the ant, like the tourist in Rome or in the Grand Canyon, no less important, I think; just appropriately-sized, waiting for something else to come into frame.
Mar 3, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher DL Hall throws in the first inning at the American Family Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The pitching staff put together a strong performance on Thursday night. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t get anything going against the Guardians’ pitchers, and the Brewers lost their third straight game 1-0.
That one run was allowed by DL Hall in the first inning. He walked Chase DeLauter with one out, then threw a wild pitch that let DeLauter reach second. Kyle Manzardo singled to bring him in for the only run of the game.
The Brewers’ offense did have a few chances. Jett Williams hit a one-out double in the second, and a wild pitch by Slade Cecconi moved him to third. Unfortunately, two groundouts from Mike Boeve and Cooper Pratt stranded him there. In the next inning, Eddys Leonard singled with an out, then swapped places with Garrett Mitchell on a fielder’s choice. Mitchell stole second and got to third on a throwing error, but a Brandon Lockridge groundout stranded him there.
That was it for the Brewers’ offense. They got two more baserunners but neither made it past first base. In total, the offense was held to three hits and two walks.
Meanwhile, the pitching staff mostly matched the Guardians. The Brewers’ pitchers held the Guardians to one run, four hits, and two walks. Hall pitched two innings and allowed the one run on one hit, one walk, and two strikeouts. Easton McGee pitched two clean innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two. Jacob Waguespack had a clean fifth with a hit and two strikeouts. Drew Rom worked around a hit and a walk for a scoreless sixth and seventh inning. Peter Strzelecki finished the night with a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out one.
The Brewers are back home tomorrow for a Friday afternoon matchup against the Athletics. Kyle Harrison is scheduled to start against Gage Jump. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on the Brewers Radio Network.
BOTTOM LINE: Phoenix visits the Toronto Raptors after Devin Booker scored 43 points in the Suns' 123-108 win against the Indiana Pacers.
The Raptors are 17-16 on their home court. Toronto ranks fourth in the NBA with 28.8 assists per game led by Immanuel Quickley averaging 6.1.
The Suns have gone 17-14 away from home. Phoenix is 17-20 against opponents with a winning record.
The Raptors score 113.4 points per game, 2.4 more points than the 111.0 the Suns allow. The Suns are shooting 45.4% from the field, 1.0% lower than the 46.4% the Raptors' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Scottie Barnes is shooting 49.9% and averaging 18.8 points for the Raptors. Quickley is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Collin Gillespie is scoring 13.4 points per game and averaging 4.2 rebounds for the Suns. Royce O'Neale is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Raptors: 4-6, averaging 111.4 points, 39.3 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 9.6 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.9 points per game.
Suns: 7-3, averaging 108.2 points, 44.2 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.4 points.
INJURIES: Raptors: Scottie Barnes: day to day (illness), Collin Murray-Boyles: day to day (thumb).
Suns: Grayson Allen: day to day (knee), Dillon Brooks: out (hand), Mark Williams: out (foot).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Charlotte Hornets (34-33, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (48-18, second in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The San Antonio Spurs host the Charlotte Hornets in non-conference play.
The Spurs have gone 25-7 at home. San Antonio averages 118.9 points and has outscored opponents by 7.0 points per game.
The Hornets are 20-16 in road games. Charlotte is 3-6 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Spurs are shooting 48.0% from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point higher than the 47.0% the Hornets allow to opponents. The Hornets are shooting 45.9% from the field, 0.7% higher than the 45.2% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Hornets won 111-106 in the last matchup on Jan. 31.
TOP PERFORMERS: Keldon Johnson is scoring 12.8 points per game and averaging 5.5 rebounds for the Spurs. De'Aaron Fox is averaging 18.2 points and 3.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 21.5 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 8-2, averaging 120.8 points, 44.9 rebounds, 30.9 assists, 7.5 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.5 points per game.
Hornets: 8-2, averaging 117.6 points, 47.4 rebounds, 27.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.1 points.
INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Victor Wembanyama: day to day (ankle).
Hornets: Liam McNeeley: day to day (ankle), Grant Williams: day to day (knee), Ryan Kalkbrenner: day to day (illness), Tidjane Salaun: day to day (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Orlando Magic (37-28, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Miami Heat (38-29, sixth in the Eastern Conference)
Miami; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Orlando visits the Miami Heat following the Magic's 136-131 overtime win against the Washington Wizards.
The Heat have gone 22-18 against Eastern Conference teams. Miami ranks sixth in the NBA with 28.7 assists per game. Davion Mitchell leads the Heat averaging 6.7.
The Magic are 23-19 against conference opponents. Orlando is sixth in the Eastern Conference giving up only 114.0 points while holding opponents to 47.4% shooting.
The Heat are shooting 46.4% from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point lower than the 47.4% the Magic allow to opponents. The Magic are shooting 46.5% from the field, 0.8% higher than the 45.7% the Heat's opponents have shot this season.
The teams meet for the fifth time this season. The Magic won 133-124 in the last matchup on Jan. 29.
TOP PERFORMERS: Bam Adebayo is averaging 20 points and 9.8 rebounds for the Heat. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is averaging 14.3 points over the last 10 games.
Wendell Carter Jr. is scoring 11.6 points per game and averaging 7.6 rebounds for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 24.9 points and 4.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Heat: 8-2, averaging 124.6 points, 48.5 rebounds, 29.1 assists, 8.9 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.9 points per game.
Magic: 8-2, averaging 117.5 points, 45.7 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.6 points.
INJURIES: Heat: Nikola Jovic: day to day (back), Andrew Wiggins: day to day (toe), Norman Powell: out (groin), Tyler Herro: day to day (quadriceps).
Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: out (back), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Indiana hosts New York looking to stop its seven-game home losing streak.
The Pacers have gone 11-30 against Eastern Conference opponents. Indiana is ninth in the Eastern Conference with 26.5 assists per game led by Andrew Nembhard averaging 7.3.
The Knicks are 27-15 in conference games. New York is fourth in the Eastern Conference scoring 117.2 points per game and is shooting 47.4%.
The Pacers are shooting 45.0% from the field this season, 0.7 percentage points lower than the 45.7% the Knicks allow to opponents. The Knicks average 14.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.0 more made shots on average than the 11.7 per game the Pacers give up.
The teams meet for the third time this season. In the last meeting on Feb. 11 the Pacers won 137-134 in overtime led by 30 points from Pascal Siakam, while Jalen Brunson scored 40 points for the Knicks.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jarace Walker is averaging 11.1 points for the Pacers. Micah Potter is averaging 13.0 points over the last 10 games.
Karl-Anthony Towns is scoring 20.0 points per game with 11.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 22.1 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 41.8% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 0-10, averaging 112.9 points, 38.8 rebounds, 29.2 assists, 7.5 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.4 points per game.
Knicks: 6-4, averaging 114.2 points, 47.6 rebounds, 30.1 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.9 points.
INJURIES: Pacers: Obi Toppin: day to day (foot), T.J. McConnell: day to day (hamstring), Pascal Siakam: day to day (knee), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles), Quenton Jackson: day to day (calf), Aaron Nesmith: day to day (ankle).
Knicks: Josh Hart: day to day (knee), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (knee), Miles McBride: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Memphis visits Detroit looking to stop its three-game road skid.
The Pistons have gone 25-8 in home games. Detroit is 9-5 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Grizzlies are 11-22 in road games. Memphis ranks sixth in the Western Conference with 11.6 offensive rebounds per game led by Zach Edey averaging 3.9.
The Pistons are shooting 47.9% from the field this season, 0.5 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Grizzlies allow to opponents. The Grizzlies average 13.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.9 more makes per game than the Pistons allow.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Pistons won the last matchup 114-106 on Nov. 4, with Cade Cunningham scoring 33 points in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jalen Duren is averaging 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds for the Pistons. Cunningham is averaging 19.0 points over the last 10 games.
Jaylen Wells is averaging 12.8 points for the Grizzlies. GG Jackson is averaging 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pistons: 5-5, averaging 115.4 points, 46.3 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 9.8 steals and 7.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points per game.
Grizzlies: 2-8, averaging 117.5 points, 37.7 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 9.8 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.4 points.
INJURIES: Pistons: Ausar Thompson: day to day (ankle), Caris LeVert: day to day (wrist).
Grizzlies: Santi Aldama: day to day (knee), Taj Gibson: day to day (reconditioning), Walter Clayton Jr.: day to day (ankle), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: out for season (finger), Ty Jerome: day to day (calf), Ja Morant: out (elbow), Scotty Pippen Jr.: out (toe), Zach Edey: out for season (ankle), Cedric Coward: day to day (knee), Cam Spencer: day to day (back), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Washington Wizards (16-49, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (43-23, second in the Eastern Conference)
Boston; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Washington travels to Boston looking to stop its eight-game road skid.
The Celtics have gone 28-14 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is third in the Eastern Conference with 33.5 defensive rebounds per game led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 6.6.
The Wizards are 11-30 against Eastern Conference opponents. Washington gives up 123.9 points to opponents and has been outscored by 11.1 points per game.
The Celtics average 15.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 more made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Wizards give up. The Wizards average 12.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.1 fewer made shots on average than the 14.0 per game the Celtics allow.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Celtics won 146-101 in the last matchup on Dec. 5.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is scoring 28.4 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 10.8 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 39.1% over the past 10 games.
Bub Carrington is averaging 9.9 points and 4.6 assists for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 15.0 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 6-4, averaging 108.7 points, 49.4 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 5.1 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.9 points per game.
Wizards: 0-10, averaging 114.8 points, 39.4 rebounds, 23.0 assists, 6.7 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.3 points.
INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: day to day (conditioning), Nikola Vucevic: out (finger), Derrick White: day to day (knee).
Wizards: Jamir Watkins: day to day (foot), Anthony Davis: out (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (not injury related).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas aims to end its eight-game home skid with a win against Cleveland.
The Mavericks have gone 14-19 at home. Dallas is fourth in the league with 53.2 points in the paint led by Cooper Flagg averaging 11.0.
The Cavaliers are 18-14 on the road. Cleveland is eighth in the NBA with 28.2 assists per game led by James Harden averaging 8.1.
The Mavericks average 10.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.2 fewer makes per game than the Cavaliers give up (13.8). The Cavaliers average 118.8 points per game, 1.1 more than the 117.7 the Mavericks give up.
TOP PERFORMERS: Flagg is averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the Mavericks. Max Christie is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Donovan Mitchell is averaging 28.3 points, 5.8 assists and 1.6 steals for the Cavaliers. Harden is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 106.4 points, 46.2 rebounds, 23.8 assists, 5.3 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.8 points per game.
Cavaliers: 5-5, averaging 112.9 points, 41.3 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 7.4 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points.
INJURIES: Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Klay Thompson: day to day (rest).
Cavaliers: Max Strus: out (foot), Tyrese Proctor: day to day (quadriceps), Jarrett Allen: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Chicago visits the Los Angeles Clippers after Matas Buzelis scored 41 points in the Bulls' 130-124 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors.
The Clippers are 18-13 in home games. Los Angeles is the worst team in the Western Conference recording just 40.8 rebounds per game led by Kawhi Leonard averaging 6.4.
The Bulls are 11-20 in road games. Chicago is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 45.1 rebounds per game led by Jalen Smith averaging 7.0.
The Clippers are shooting 48.3% from the field this season, 1.1 percentage points higher than the 47.2% the Bulls allow to opponents. The Bulls average 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 more made shots on average than the 13.4 per game the Clippers give up.
The two teams match up for the second time this season. The Bulls defeated the Clippers 138-110 in their last matchup on Jan. 21. Buzelis led the Bulls with 21 points, and John Collins led the Clippers with 23 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Leonard is shooting 50.3% and averaging 28.3 points for the Clippers. Darius Garland is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Josh Giddey is scoring 17.7 points per game and averaging 8.4 rebounds for the Bulls. Buzelis is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Clippers: 6-4, averaging 121.4 points, 41.2 rebounds, 23.7 assists, 10.2 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 51.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.7 points per game.
Bulls: 3-7, averaging 109.4 points, 47.6 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 7.4 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.9 points.
INJURIES: Clippers: Darius Garland: out (toe), Yanic Konan Niederhauser: out for season (foot), Bradley Beal: out for season (hip), John Collins: out (arm).
Bulls: Anfernee Simons: day to day (wrist), Isaac Okoro: day to day (knee), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Jaden Ivey: out (knee), Guerschon Yabusele: day to day (foot), Zach Collins: out for season (toe), Patrick Williams: day to day (ankle), Collin Sexton: day to day (leg).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Luka Doncic led the offense in the Los Angeles Lakers' 142-130 victory over the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, March 12.
Doncic nearly produced a triple-double while scoring 51 points in front of the home crowd. It marked his first 50-point game as a member of the Lakers after putting up 12 40-point games, including a 49-point effort on Oct. 24, 2025.
The Lakers have won four straight games and seven of their last eight. Doncic put together a triple-double effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Here's how he did Thursday night against the Bulls:
The Big 12 has made the decision to change out its controversial court ahead of the men's conference tournament semifinal games.
The conference has decided to switch back to a hardwood court after experimenting with LED glass floors during the early-round action and throughout the women's tournament. The court change is expected to be done overnight.
German company ASB GlassFloor developed the LED floor. But that court was said to be slippery, according to Kansas State player Taj Manning, who also claimed it caused one of his teammates to have a migraine.
"After consultation with the coaches of our four semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the tournament," Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement to CBS Sports and other outlets. "We look forward to a great semifinals and championship game."
Iowa State will take on Arizona in the first of two semifinal games. Houston and Kansas will go head-to-head in the second game for a chance to play for the conference crown.
All four teams were ranked in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Arizona was the highest-ranked team in the conference at No. 2. Houston is ranked No. 5, Iowa State is No. 7 and Kansas is No. 16.
“The focus now needs to be on four of the best teams in the country and not the court. I look forward to a great semi-finals and championship,” said Yormark in a statement to ESPN.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks scored a pair of third-period goals to erase a two-goal deficit then got a shootout goal from Jake DeBrusk to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Thursday night.
The Canucks trailed 3-1 after two periods, but Marco Rossi scored with 4:05 to play to make it 3-2 and Filip Hronek tied it at 3-all with 1:01 left in regulation.
Brock Boeser also scored in regulation for Vancouver.
Tyson Jost scored twice for Nashville, and rookie Matthew Wood added a goal.
Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. Nikita Tolopilo stopped 16 shots for Vancouver.
The Canucks opened the scoring at 8:40, when the double-tip of Hronek's point shot — first Marco Rossi and then Boeser — beat Saros. But the teams went to the dressing room tied 1-1 after Justin Barron snapped up a turnover by Tolopilo before Jost scored on the rebound.
In the second, Jost gave the visitors their first lead of the night, corralling the puck after Roman Josi's blast from the blue line went wide of the net, then depositing it past Tolopilo. Wood followed, his centering pass deflecting into the net off the skate of Canucks forward Liam Ohgren.
Rossi snapped a rebound past Saros and with Tolopilo on the bench, Hronek sent the game to overtime.
DeBrusk scored the only goal of the shootout as Tolopilo stopped all three shooters he faced.
Boeser’s goal was his 16th of the year, and fourth in five games. Evander Kane returned to the lineup after missing one game while dealing with upper-body discomfort.
With 17 games remaining, the Predators remain locked in a race for a wild-card spot with three other Western Conference teams. Saros became the second NHL goalie to reach 50 starts this season. Wood has four goals in his last four games.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Big 12 Conference is ditching its slippery new glass floor for a hardwood court for the final two days of the tournament.
“After consultation with the coaches of our four semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the tournament," Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement Thursday night. "We look forward to a great semifinals and championship game.”
“Obviously, the floor is a bit slippery," Anderson said. “I think I just kind of mis-stepped or did a movement that caused me to slip,”
The Big 12 announced last month that it would play the men’s and women’s tournaments on the ASB GlassFloor-made court that has been used at the NBA All-Star Game and in Europe but never before during an official U.S. competition.
“I personally didn’t have any involvement (in the decision to go to hardwood),” Kansas coach Bill Self after the No. 14 Jayhawks beat TCU 78-73 on Thursday night in the last game played on the glass floor. “If the other coaches are doing it, (they) have juice and they got more than I got. Because I didn’t have any any involvement with that at all.”
Then he added, “I think it’s the right thing to do.”
The glass floor has an aluminum and steel spring-action design that is supposed to mimic the flexibility of hardwood. The LED panels, which display everything from data-driven graphics to advertising, have ceramic coating and little dots etched into the glass that are supposed to create grip that is consistent with traditional surfaces.
The ball seems to bounce like usual, though with a different “thudding” sound. There are a whole lot more squeaks from sneakers than usual. But the biggest difference has been the traction.
