Three questions for season two of Jacob Misiorowski

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski throws in the outfield during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Tuesday, Jacob Misiorowski is set to make his spring debut. With the departure of Freddy Peralta, he is arguably the highlight of the Brewers’ rotation now. Brandon Woodruff is still the longest-tenured Brewer, but Misiorowski is being pushed as one of the new faces of the franchise. As he enters his second season, here are a few questions for him in the upcoming year.

Can he build off his strong first season?

Misiorowski had one of the most hyped debuts that a Brewers pitcher has had in recent years. His career began with 11 no-hit innings, and he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of his season start. That helped earn him an All-Star selection after just five major league starts. While Misiorowski came back down to earth as the season went on (which may have been affected by a left tibia contusion that put him on the IL), his season ended strong, with a postseason run that put him right back in the spotlight.

That means the bar is set very high for him as season two begins. It also makes it harder to set reasonable goals for him. Early projections are overall positive. ZiPS has him projected for 26 appearances covering 116 2/3 innings, with a 3.86 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 10.93 K/9, and 3.93 BB/9. The number of innings would be a step back for him, and the strikeouts would dip slightly, but he would also see some improvement in the walk rate. This would align with his minor league development, where he has seen small drops in his strikeout rate accompanied by a reduced walk rate.

This is also where we would have to temper our expectations as fans. It may not be reasonable to expect another All-Star year for Misiorowski. He might not even end up as the best pitcher in the Brewers’ rotation. Would a season with small improvements to his stats be considered a success? It might be, since it would at least show continued growth from year to year. It just wouldn’t be as flashy as his debut in the league was last year. At the same time, it would be exciting to see him remain just as electric and establish himself as a premier pitcher in the league.

How will his jump in innings be handled?

Teams won’t set specific innings limits for pitchers, but this is an important question for Misiorowski as he continues to develop in the majors. He already saw a significant increase in his innings between 2024 and 2025. After pitching 97 1/3 innings in 2024, that workload increased to 141 1/3 innings between the regular season and postseason. That is a 45% increase. Most teams use 20% to 25% as a general rule of thumb for inning increases, but that is not a hard rule. It comes down to the individual pitcher and how they respond to the workload.

Misiorowski struggled after a short IL stint at the start of August, posting a 6.41 ERA and 4.00 FIP in his first six starts after his return. However, he rebounded in his final two starts and was included on the postseason roster. That’s where he really shone, allowing just two earned runs in three postseason starts, covering 12 innings.

It’s highly unlikely that the Brewers will increase his innings by 45% again in 2026. That would make him a 200-inning pitcher in his second season. In fact, most of the early projections only bump his innings up by a small amount. I mentioned ZiPS above, which has him pitching 116 2/3 innings in 2026. That would be a drop from the 129 1/3 innings he pitched between the majors and minors in 2025. Most of the other projections on FanGraphs put him between 134 and 139 innings, making 30 to 32 appearances.

It’s also interesting that many of these projections only have Misiorowski making 24-25 starts. A little of that could be from the Brewers using openers, which they likely will continue to do. It also could be a projection that Misiorowski spends part of the season in the bullpen, potentially as innings management. However, there’s nothing that says he can’t get a full season of starts. Quinn Priester, with 29 appearances last season (realistically, all starts despite using openers), pitched 157 1/3 innings. That’s likely near the top of what we would see Misiorowski pitch this season. Even if he pitched that much, it would still leave some space for postseason appearances, and some start manipulation during the season could give him a start off here and there.

The main question for Misiorowski is if that increased workload will affect him at all. While he has had an offseason to rest, it was still a major increase in innings. Is he fully rested and recovered from last season? Can he pitch a similar number of innings for another year?

How have other Brewers fared in their second seasons?

This question is not an easy one to answer, as other Brewers have taken different paths to establish themselves. Though the development staff has changed from year to year, the Brewers have put together a strong track record over the last several years, so it can still provide a reference point. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest names for the Brewers in the last several years:

  • Brandon Woodruff: He got his first taste in the majors in August 2017. He made an impressive debut against the Rays on August 4, then made seven more starts to finish out the season. In 2018, he served in a bullpen role for most of the season, but also made a few starts as he bounced between the majors and Triple-A Colorado Springs. His regular season was strong enough for him to earn a postseason roster spot, where he made four appearances, two* of those starts (counting the decoy NLCS Game 5).
    • 2017: 43 IP, 8 games (all starts), 4.81 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 6.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9
    • 2018: 42 1/3 IP, 19 games (4 starts), 3.61 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 10.0 K/9, 3.0 BB/9
  • Freddy Peralta: He made his debut in 2018, helping fill the Brewers’ rotation as he bounced between the major and minor leagues. In the majors, he started 14 games before finishing the season in the bullpen. He also made a postseason appearance, pitching three scoreless innings. He spent most of 2019 in the bullpen after some early struggles in the rotation. While his ERA and FIP increased, his strikeout and walk rates both saw improvements.
    • 2018: 78.1 IP, 16 games (14 starts), 4.25 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 11.0 K/9, 4.6 BB/9
    • 2019: 85 IP, 39 games (8 starts), 5.29 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 12.2 K/9, 3.9 BB/9
  • Corbin Burnes: While the above two pitchers saw growth between seasons one and two, Burnes was the opposite. His career began out of the bullpen, and he started strong. After a 2.61 ERA out of the bullpen, he earned a spot on the postseason roster as well, where he allowed just two runs in six postseason appearances over nine innings. However, season two was a disaster. He started the season in the rotation but was quickly removed after recording a 10.70 ERA in four starts. A return to the bullpen helped, but not enough, and he went back to the minors at the end of July. Thankfully, the Brewers did not give up on him, and he began to show more improvement in his third season.
    • 2018: 38 IP, 30 games (no starts), 2.61 ERA, 3.79 FIP, 8.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9
    • 2019: 49 IP, 32 games (4 starts), 8.82 ERA, 6.09 FIP, 12.9 K/9, 3.7 BB/9
  • Aaron Ashby: Ashby made his debut in June 2021, making a spot start before returning in August. He initially pitched as a starter, but shifted to the bullpen to finish out the season. He made the opening day roster in 2022 and initially shifted between the bullpen and rotation. He eventually settled into the rotation and finished out the year there. Though the results didn’t look the best, the Brewers had enough confidence in him that they signed him to a five-year, $20.5-million extension after his second season. Unfortunately, he lost all of 2023 and some of 2024 due to a shoulder injury.
    • 2021: 31 2/3 IP, 13 games (4 starts), 4.55 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 11.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9
    • 2022: 107 1/3 IP, 27 games (19 starts), 4.44 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 10.6 K/9, 3.9 BB/9

How will Misiorowski perform in year two? Looking at the Brewers’ track record, he’s likely due for some more growth. Tuesday will be the start of his second season. Let’s see another good story for the Brewers.

Where Will Cardinals Land in NL Central in 2026?

JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Nathan Church #27 of the St. Louis Cardinals catches a fly ball against the New York Mets during the fourth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If you’re ready to analyze performance and results, so am I. The first 10 games of Spring Training are a really bad barometer for that, and moreso an exercise in futility. So, until we can really dig into the fun stuff, I figured it would be a good time to share some thoughts on how I see the NL Central shaking out over the regular season. With Manager Oliver Marmol signed to a brand new 2-year contract extension, it would be a good time to point out that the Cardinals have won 11 more games than their expected Win-Loss total over the last 2 seasons. I expect that this trend will continue in the 2026 season. Will it be enough to keep them respectable, relevant, and interesting? We’ll see!

5th – St. Louis Cardinals

Let me be clear, I don’t think this is a 100-loss team, but they might lose 90. If they wound up 72-90, would anyone really be shocked at that outcome? Neither would I; that’s not to say this season can’t still be filled with a lot of interesting storylines and more interesting development from young players to provide a clearer picture for 2027 and beyond. If this were not to be the case, as I outlined in my article last week, several big question marks would have to be answered in the affirmative for them to really propel themselves beyond the cellar of the 2026 NL Central.

I’m intrigued by the rotation and the number of MLB-ready arms there are that can step in and throw meaningful innings for this team. I’m eager to see what type of steps forward Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Victor Scott take. I think JJ Wetherholt is going to solidify the 2nd base position and will hold it down in St. Louis for the next decade plus. I think that any of O’Brien, Romero, or Svanson can lock down games for the Cardinals at the back end of games based on matchups. There is a 90th percentile outcome where they contend for a Wild Card spot, seeing as how it’s never been easier for a team to make the postseason thanks to the expanded format.

The reduction of proven production from this roster in Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, Sony Gray, Nolan Arenado, and others lowers the floor of this team to a place where Cardinals fans 30 years old and younger just simply aren’t accustomed to and that leaves open the greater possibility that the floor could fall out from under them and go sideways while not knowing how to get it back on the rails.

4th – Cincinnati Reds

Manager Terry Francona’s squad did just enough to sneak past the drowning New York Mets last season to get into the playoffs and earn the honor of preparing the Dodgers for the actual contenders in the National League. Led by one of the most exciting players in baseball, Elly De La Cruz, the Reds front office did very little in the way of adding to their team in a way that moves the needle. A full season of top prospects, Sal Stewart and Chase Burns, will likely raise their floor a bit, and the additions of Eugenio Suarez, JJ Bleday, and Dane Meyers to the offense are all that Nick Krall and Co. really accomplished. They also brought back closer Emilio Pagan and added relievers Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson to a somewhat underrated group, including Tony Santillian and Graham Ashcraft. Unclear if they will all be able to repeat the strides they made last season.

Between Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, and Chase Burns thats one of the better starting rotations in the NL. Health is the biggest question mark I have with that group, and I will bet against them all making it through 2026 unscathed. They have a little depth behind those 5 in Chase Petty and Rhett Lowder. Ultimately, I just think the Reds don’t have enough offensively and in the bullpen to get them to the playoffs in what I think will be a very competitive NL Central.

3rd – Milwaukee Brewers

Speaking of teams that were run over by the World Champion Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers land in 3rd place for me. Back-to-back NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy leads a scrappy Brewers team that plays the game the right way and always seems to outperform expectations. Which would seemingly make this spot in the division an absurd prediction and one bound to be proven wrong.

However, the loss of Freddy Peralta is one that will not only impact their performance on the field but also the culture they had cultivated in Milwaukee. Brandon Woodruff is back after accepting the QO, and rookie All-Star flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski had some up and down moments in the 2nd half of the season as MLB teams were able to adjust after seeing a little bit more of him. Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, and Brandon Sproat round out the back half of the rotation and should provide some level of consistency in the rotation.

Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe at the back end of games bring big-time gas on the mound, and the rest of the ragtag group of no-name relievers that Milwaukee always features will somehow find a way to be better than expected. If that duo can remain healthy at the back end of games, I expect Milwaukee will have one of the better bullpens statistically speaking.

An offense led by All-Star Christian Yelich, up-and-coming outfielder Jackson Chourio, Catcher William Contreras, platinum glove-winning 2nd baseman Brice Turang, and breakout primed first basemen Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee will be a multi-faceted attack offensively capable of scoring runs and winning in a variety of ways. Even after the departures of Caleb Durbin and Issac Collins, the offense still figures to be one that will give the opposition fits all summer long.

2nd – Pittsburgh Pirates

No longer interm Manager Don Kelly leads a group that had one of the most productive and interesting offseasons in recent memory. With the additions of All-Star 2B Brandon Lowe, All-Star 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn, and former All-Star DH Marcell Ozuna, OF Jhostnyxon Garcia, and OF Jake Mangum, the Pirates were able to address their biggest deficiency, and that was scoring runs. You include the possibility of Phenom top prospect Konnor Griffin in that group, and you don’t have to squint to see their offense being substantially improved.

Adding to the group of Bryan Reynolds, Oneill Cruz, and Spencer Horwitz from 2025, the Pirates will also feature a bench with defensive capabilities to help the pitching staff lock down games late between Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, and the aforementioned Jake Mangum and Jhostnyxon Garcia.

A pitching staff anchored by generational talent and reigning Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes, the rest of the league will also have to contend with Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, the return of Jared Jones, and Braxton Ashcraft. Top prospects Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington will be waiting in the wings if and when anyone from the rotation blows a tire and needs a spell on the IL.

The bullpen will be a formidable group led by breakout reliever Dennis Santana and veteran lefty flame thrower Gregory Soto. The Pirates also acquired lefty fireballer Mason Montgomery (whom I wrote the Cardinals should have acquired at the beginning of the offseason). I think this bullpen is one of the more underrated heading into the 2026 season, and I won’t be surprised if they wind up being a big part of why they have success in 2026.

1st – Chicago Cubs

I hate it. It’s gross. I want to pour gasoline on myself and light a match. The Chicago Cubs made a very smart decision by bringing in Alex Bregman. He has the experience, the leadership, the slow heartbeat in big moments, the proven track record; he’s everything Chicago needed last postseason. Craig Counsell enters his 3rd season at the helm of the Chicago Cubs, and nationally they’re considered the near consensus favorite to win the division.

Will MLB teams continue to exploit PCA’s offensive shortcomings? Can Carson Kelly repeat his breakout season? Those will be interesting questions to follow. The Cubs are exceptional on both sides of the ball with the best up the middle defense in baseball between Swanson, Hoerner, and the aforementioned PCA. They’ve got strong corner presences in Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki. They added Michael Conforto on a minor league deal this spring, and he is someone who had the largest disparity between wOBA and xwOBA last season. Moises Ballesteros is a gifted young offensive catcher who profiles more as a DH long-term, who should add to the gross amount of offensive depth they boast.

The rotation I’m a little more skeptical of. Their position group should be propped up by a really strong defense behind it. All-Star Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, newly acquired Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, and Rookie sensation Cade Horton are a capable group who will be helped by the midseason return of Justin Steele. The rotation depth behind those 6 includes Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, Jaxon Wiggins, Javier Assad, and Colin Rea.

The Bullpen includes Phil Maton coming off a stellar 2025, underrated reliever Hunter Harvey, lefty Caleb Thielbar, submarine lefty Hoby Milner, and fire baller Daniel Palencia shutting the door at the end of games. A stacked group of relievers that all offer unique looks and pitch shapes that should surely give opposing teams fits to get into any type of rhythm late in games.

The rotation is my biggest question mark, but they have so much depth behind them, and the presence of the defense should prop up most lackluster performances that that group may have. It’s hard to find any true deficiencies on paper. The Cubs should stack up against any NL contender once postseason play rolls around, and it will be miserable and envious to watch it from afar all season long.

Our focus this season will understandably be to overanalyze every Cardinals decision, but I wanted to zoom the lens out to the NL Central and how I am forecasting the 2026 season. I think the 2026 will be highly contested, and I think that it will offer more twists and turns than most fans are expecting. I’m extremely anxious to see it play out, even if that means the Cardinals wind up being fodder in a majority of the contests. Still, we’re a little over 3 weeks away from getting this started again, and I’m ready to watch it all unfold with you all for another season! Let me know what you’re thinking and what order you see the division finishing in. Might be fun to look back on at season’s end to see how close (or not) some of us were.

-thanks for reading

Orioles news: Pitching prospects abound for the Birds

SARASOTA, FL - FEBRUARY 20: Trey Gibson (88) of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch during a spring training game against the New York Yankees on February 20, 2026 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

The Orioles, after their first day off, are back in action this afternoon for an exhibition game against Team Netherlands, tuning up for the World Baseball Classic. The Netherlands roster includes notable current and former big leaguers Xander Bogaerts, Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Didi Gregorius, along with former O’s catcher Chadwick Tromp and former Orioles minor leaguer (and brother of Jonathan) Sharlon Schoop. Sadly, this game, which sounds like the most interesting of the Orioles’ entire spring, won’t be televised anywhere.

In other news, MLB.com became the latest major prospect publication to unveil its ranking of the top 30 Orioles prospects. Like all the other lists published so far, Samuel Basallo is at the top, and like almost all of the others, Dylan Beavers and Nate George are right behind him. Among other prospects, Enrique Bradfield Jr. has slipped in the Orioles’ ranking, dropping from fourth place on MLB’s list last season to 10th this year, but his speed remains tantalizing enough to earn the maximum 80 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale. This just in: he’s fast.

What strikes me about this top-30 list is just how much pitching is on it. While there are only three pitchers ranked in the top 10 (Luis De León at #4, Trey Gibson #5, and Esteban Mejia #8), it’s extremely pitcher heavy after that, with hurlers ranking at every spot from #11 to #17. That’s an interesting change from the recent past. In previous seasons, even when the Orioles regularly had one of the best farm systems in baseball, position players far outweighed pitchers in their rankings. In MLB’s list two years ago, the O’s didn’t have any pitchers ranked among their top eight. In both 2023 and 2024, they had only three pitchers among their top 15 prospects.

It’s no secret that the Orioles haven’t been great at developing pitching in the Mike Elias era, but things could be starting to change. Last year’s trade-deadline selloff infused the organization with young pitching talent, including Boston Bateman (#11), Juaron Watts-Brown (#16), and Tyson Neighbors (#17). A pair of 2025-drafted pitchers also show up on this list in Joseph Dzierwa (#14) and JT Quinn (#21).

The Orioles, of course, still have to nurture and develop these young arms into capable big league-ready pitchers, which is no easy feat. Just witness the rocky arrivals of their previous two top pitching prospects, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott. Not all of these pitching prospects are going to amount to something. But the Orioles have got more pitching depth than they’ve had in years, so the odds are that some of these guys will break through even if others falter.

Dare we say it? The Orioles might finally be ready to grow the arms.

Links

Orioles reliever Rico Garcia’s Puerto Rican pride leads him to World Baseball Classic – The Baltimore Banner

I’ll be rooting for Rico in the WBC. And I’ll be rooting especially for him not to get hurt.

Why wouldn’t Orioles be interested in Danny Coulombe? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

The fact that Danny Coulombe is still unsigned less than a month before Opening Day is a surprise to me. I’m not the only one, apparently.

It’s been a mixed bag in spring so far for Coby Mayo, but lately trending up – Steve Melewski

I’m still of the opinion that the Coby Mayo at third base experiment will be a disaster, but there’s no turning back now. I don’t think another third baseman is going to materialize out of thin air, so good luck to Coby.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Six former Orioles were born on this day, and if you’ve heard of more than two of them, you’re a true Orioles sicko. They include 2019 one-gamer José Rondón (32), 2020 three-gamer Dilson Herrera (also 32), 1998 nine-gamer Bobby Muñoz (58), and the late righty Francisco de la Rosa (b. 1966, d. 2011), who pitched two games in 1991. Two birthday boys with more extensive Orioles experience are former closer Jorge Julio (47) and the late righty Jesse Jefferson (b. 1949, d. 2011).

March 3 has historically been a slow day for Orioles news. The only transaction the O’s have ever made on this date was in 2018, when they signed infielder Danny Valencia to a minor league deal. The veteran had played for the Orioles five years earlier and posted an .888 OPS in part-time duty, but his return engagement to Baltimore didn’t turn out as well. Valencia OPSed .723 in 78 games for the historically terrible 2018 Orioles before they released him in mid-August.

Phillies news: Andrew Painter, Johan Rojas, Jesus Luzardo

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 9: Johan Rojas #18 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after getting hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park on July 9, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 10-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Phillies News:

MLB News:

Bucs are scoring runs in the Grapefruit League

Mar 1, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (75) hits a two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a surprising 9-2 in this year’s Spring Training Grapefruit League following yesterday’s 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. They are currently on a five-game win streak and have the best record in all of Spring Training. And while it’s ceratinly way early, and the real games haven’t even started yet, the Bucs looks like they’ve made a dent in one of their longstanding problems — scoring runs.

The Pirates have 65 runs scored over their 11 games, or almost 6 per contest, which is good enough for third-best in the Grapefruit League. Their +31 run differential is good enough for the second best in the Grapefruit and in all of Spring Training.

The lack of power in last season’s Bucs lineup was stark, but at the moment in Spring Training, they have 13 team dingers, which is tied for ninth across the Majors, including 3 homers from top prospect Konnor Griffin, 2 from Yordany De Los Santos, and single dingers from Oneil Cruz, Ryan O’Hearn, Endy Rodriguez, and Jhostynxon Garcia, as well as a few from a couple guys unlikely to be playing in the Majors this year.

In addition, the Bucs are hitting .274 across all Spring Training games, a number I’m pretty sure we’re all happy with after a 2025 in which they hit a dreadful .231, which was third-worst in the Majors. Nick Gonzales, along with Cruz and Garcia, are all hitting .538 across 5 and 6 games respectively this Spring to help lead the Bucs in the average department.

When you combine some above-average hitting with one of the league’s best pitching staffs, this is the result. The Bucs are second in all of Spring Training in ERA, third in team WHIP, fifth in strikeouts and second in opposing team batting average. I don’t think any of us are surprised there. But we’ve all been wondering how good the Bucs could be with even some decent hitting, and we’re getting a glimpse of that this Spring.

Yes, it’s super early, and the real games haven’t even started yet, but if the Buccos can translate their Spring Training hitting into similar success in the regular season, they have every chance to be back in the MLB headlines for all of the right reasons.

Who's in WBC? Team by team look at MLB stars playing on global stage

The World Baseball Classic is back, and with it comes major-league star power battling for national pride.

Nearly 200 Major League Baseball players will take part in this year's WBC, the worldwide tournament that started in 2006. Japan has won three of the five tournaments, including 2023 when Shohei Ohtani struck out then-Angels-teammate Mike Trout to secure victory over the United States.

The WBC begins Wednesday, March 4 with Taiwan taking on Australia in the first pool play matchup. The United States kicks off its tournament in Houston on Friday, March 6 against Brazil.

Rosters at this year's WBC are littered with some of baseball's biggest stars. Czechia is the only team of the 20 that are competing to not have an MLB-rostered player on its squad.

Here is a team-by-team look at the MLB players competing:

Australia

  • Max Durrington (Athletics)
  • Travis Bazzana (Guardians)
  • Kailen Hamson (Orioles)
  • Mitch Neunborn (Phillies)
  • Blake Townsend (Rangers)
  • Kai Wynyard (Rangers)
  • Curtis Mead (White Sox)

Brazil

  • Lucas Ramirez (Angels)
  • Pedro Da Costa Lemos (Mariners)
  • Gabriel Barbosa (Phillies)
  • Pietro Albanez (Pirates)
  • Daniel Missaki (Rangers)

Canada

  • Denzel Clarke (Athletics)
  • Adam Macko (Blue Jays)
  • Jameson Taillon (Cubs)
  • Indigo Diaz (D‑backs)
  • Michael Soroka (D‑backs)
  • Bo Naylor (Guardians)
  • Matt Wilkinson (Guardians)
  • Josh Naylor (Mariners)
  • Owen Caissie (Marlins)
  • Liam Hicks (Marlins)
  • Otto Lopez (Marlins)
  • Jared Young (Mets)
  • Micah Ashman (Orioles)
  • Tyler O’Neill (Orioles)
  • Carter Loewen (Padres)
  • Cal Quantrill (Rangers)
  • Antoine Jean (Rockies)
  • Edouard Julien (Rockies)
  • Eric Cerantola (Royals)
  • Abraham Toro (Royals)

Colombia

  • Gustavo Campero (Angels)
  • Brayan Buelvas (Athletics)
  • Reiver Sanmartin (Giants)
  • Dayan Frias (Guardians)
  • Michael Arroyo (Mariners)
  • Guillo Zuñiga (Mariners)
  • Sean Linan (Nationals)
  • Austin Bergner (Rangers)
  • Nabil Crismatt (Rangers)
  • Tayron Guerrero (Red Sox)
  • David Lorduy (Reds)
  • Jorge Alfaro (Royals)
  • Gio Urshela (Twins)

Cuba

  • Yoán Moncada (Angels)
  • Francis Texido (Angels)
  • Yariel Rodríguez (Blue Jays)
  • Yiddi Cappe (Marlins)
  • Daviel Hurtado (Mets)
  • Naykel Cruz (Orioles)
  • Emmanuel Chapman (Pirates)
  • Alexander Vargas (Reds)
  • Omar Hernández (Royals)

Dominican Republic

  • Jeremy Peña (Astros)
  • Elvis Alvarado (Athletics)
  • Luis Severino (Athletics)
  • Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays)
  • Abner Uribe (Brewers)
  • Ketel Marte (D‑backs)
  • Geraldo Perdomo (D‑backs)
  • Carlos Santana (D‑backs)
  • Joel Peguero (Giants)
  • Jose Ramirez (Guardians — expected to miss first round)
  • Luis Castillo (Mariners)
  • Julio Rodríguez (Mariners)
  • Sandy Alcantara (Marlins)
  • Agustín Ramírez (Marlins)
  • Huascar Brazobán (Mets)
  • Juan Soto (Mets)
  • Yaramil Hiraldo (Orioles)
  • Manny Machado (Padres)
  • Wandy Peralta (Padres)
  • Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres)
  • Johan Rojas (Phillies)
  • Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies)
  • Oneil Cruz (Pirates)
  • Yohan Ramirez (Pirates)
  • Dennis Santana (Pirates)
  • Gregory Soto (Pirates)
  • Junior Caminero (Rays)
  • Edwin Uceta (Rays)
  • Brayan Bello (Red Sox)
  • Juan Mejia (Rockies)
  • Carlos Estévez (Royals)
  • Seranthony Domínguez (White Sox)
  • Yerry De Los Santos (Yankees)
  • Camilo Doval (Yankees)
  • Amed Rosario (Yankees)
  • Austin Wells (Yankees)

Great Britain

  • Najer Victor (Angels)
  • Willis Cresswell (Blue Jays)
  • Miles Langhorne (Brewers)
  • Jack Seppings (Brewers)
  • Matt Koperniak (Cardinals)
  • BJ Murray (Cubs)
  • Kristian Robinson (D‑backs)
  • Antonio Knowles (Dodgers)
  • Tristan Beck (Giants)
  • Ian Lewis (Marlins)
  • Michael Petersen (Marlins)
  • Harry Ford (Nationals)
  • Ryan Long (Orioles)
  • Gary Gill Hill (Rays)
  • Owen Wild (Rays)
  • Jack Anderson (Red Sox)
  • Nate Eaton (Red Sox)
  • Ivan Johnson (Reds)
  • Brendan Beck (Yankees)
  • Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Yankees)

Israel

  • RJ Schreck (Blue Jays)
  • C.J. Stubbs (Blue Jays)
  • Zach Levenson (Cardinals)
  • Noah Mendlinger (Cardinals)
  • Jake Gelof (Dodgers)
  • Harrison Bader (Giants)
  • Ryan Prager (Guardians)
  • Charlie Beilenson (Mariners)
  • Josh Blum (Mets)
  • Jordan Geber (Mets)
  • Benjamin Simon (Mets)
  • Robert Stock (Mets)
  • Matt Mervis (Nationals)
  • Dean Kremer (Orioles)
  • Josh Mallitz (Padres)
  • Max Lazar (Phillies)
  • Garrett Stubbs (Phillies)
  • Spencer Horwitz (Pirates)
  • Cole Carrigg (Rockies)
  • Troy Johnston (Rockies)
  • Eli Morgan (Royals)
  • Matt Bowman (Twins)
  • Carlos Lequerica (Tigers)
  • Harrison Cohen (Yankees)

Italy

  • Sam Aldegheri (Angels)
  • Camden Minacci (Angels)
  • Zach Dezenzo (Astros)
  • Andrew Fischer (Brewers)
  • Gordon Graceffo (Cardinals)
  • Thomas Saggese (Cardinals)
  • Dylan DeLucia (Guardians)
  • Matt Festa (Guardians)
  • Dominic Canzone (Mariners)
  • Miles Mastrobuoni (Mariners)
  • Jakob Marsee (Marlins)
  • Joe Jacques (Mets)
  • Nick Morabito (Mets)
  • Alek Jacob (Padres)
  • Ron Marinaccio (Padres)
  • Aaron Nola (Phillies)
  • Dante Nori (Phillies)
  • Alessandro Ercolani (Pirates)
  • Joe La Sorsa (Pirates)
  • Kyle Nicolas (Pirates)
  • Michael Lorenzen (Rockies)
  • Jac Caglianone (Royals)
  • Vinnie Pasquantino (Royals)
  • Dan Altavilla (Twins)
  • Sam Antonacci (White Sox)
  • Kyle Teel (White Sox)
  • Greg Weissert (Red Sox)

Japan

Japan's Shohei Ohtani (16) celebrates after Japan's victory against the United States in the World Baseball Classic at LoanDepot Park in Miami on March 21, 2023.

  • Yusei Kikuchi (Angels)
  • Tatsuya Imai (Astros)
  • Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays)
  • Seiya Suzuki (Cubs)
  • Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers)
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers)
  • Shinnosuke Ogasawara (Nationals)
  • Yuki Matsui (Padres)
  • Masataka Yoshida (Red Sox)
  • Munetaka Murakami (White Sox)

Korea

  • Shay Whitcomb (Astros)
  • Riley O’Brien (Cardinals)
  • Hyeseong Kim (Dodgers)
  • Jung Hoo Lee (Giants)
  • Dane Dunning (Mariners)
  • Woo‑Suk Go (Tigers)
  • Jahmai Jones (Tigers)

Mexico

  • Samy Natera Jr. (Angels)
  • Joey Meneses (Athletics)
  • Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays)
  • Javier Assad (Cubs)
  • Alek Thomas (D‑backs)
  • Randy Arozarena (Mariners)
  • Andrés Muñoz (Mariners)
  • Jared Serna (Marlins)
  • Alex Carrillo (Mets)
  • Daniel Duarte (Mets)
  • Omar Cruz (Padres)
  • Victor Lizarraga (Padres)
  • Alan Rangel (Phillies)
  • Taijuan Walker (Phillies)
  • Nick Gonzales (Pirates)
  • Robert Garcia (Rangers)
  • Alejandro Osuna (Rangers)
  • Jonathan Aranda (Rays)
  • Jarren Duran (Red Sox)
  • Irvin Machuca (Reds)
  • Brennan Bernardino (Rockies)
  • Victor Vodnik (Rockies)
  • Nestor German (Orioles)

Netherlands

  • Ozzie Albies (Braves)
  • Jurickson Profar (Braves)
  • Chadwick Tromp (Braves)
  • Druw Jones (D‑backs)
  • Jaitoine Kelly (D‑backs)
  • Shawndrick Oduber (Dodgers)
  • Dayson Croes (Giants)
  • Dylan Wilson (Mariners)
  • Jamdrick Cornelia (Mets)
  • Xander Bogaerts (Padres)
  • Jaydenn Estanista (Phillies)
  • Antwone Kelly (Pirates)
  • Ryjeteri Merite (Reds)
  • Ceddanne Rafaela (Red Sox)
  • Brandon Herbold (Royals)
  • Kenley Jansen (Tigers)

Nicaragua

  • Ismael Munguia (Blue Jays)
  • Stiven Cruz (Brewers)
  • Carlos Rodriguez (Brewers)
  • Freddy Zamora (Brewers)
  • Mark Vientos (Mets)
  • Oscar Rayo (Royals)
  • Duque Hebbert (Tigers)

Panama

  • James Gonzalez (Athletics)
  • Leo Jiménez (Blue Jays)
  • Javy Guerra (Braves)
  • Leo Bernal (Cardinals)
  • Iván Herrera (Cardinals)
  • Miguel Amaya (Cubs)
  • Christian Bethancourt (Cubs)
  • Erian Rodriguez (Cubs)
  • Logan Allen (Guardians)
  • Abdiel Mendoza (Mariners)
  • Jose Ramos (Mets)
  • Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Orioles)
  • Edmundo Sosa (Phillies)
  • Miguel Cienfuegos (Padres)
  • José Caballero (Yankees)

Puerto Rico

  • Matthew Lugo (Angels)
  • Carlos Cortes (Athletics)
  • Darell Hernaiz (Athletics)
  • José Berríos (Blue Jays)
  • Bryan Torres (Cardinals)
  • Yacksel Ríos (Cubs)
  • Nolan Arenado (D‑backs)
  • Edwin Díaz (Dodgers)
  • Heliot Ramos (Giants)
  • Jose Espada (Orioles)
  • Rico Garcia (Orioles)
  • Luis Vázquez (Orioles)
  • Alexis Díaz (Rangers)
  • Ricardo Velez (Rangers)
  • Jovani Morán (Red Sox)
  • Eduardo Rivera (Red Sox)
  • Edwin Arroyo (Reds)
  • Willi Castro (Rockies)
  • Seth Lugo (Royals)
  • Luis Quinones (Twins)
  • Fernando Cruz (Yankees)
  • Elmer Rodríguez (Yankees)

Taiwan

  • Wei‑En Lin (Athletics)
  • Tzu‑Chen Sha (Athletics)
  • Chen Zhong‑Ao Zhuang (Athletics)
  • Jonathon Long (Cubs)
  • Yu‑Min Lin (D‑backs)
  • Stuart Fairchild (Guardians)
  • Po‑Yu Chen (Pirates)
  • Hao Yu Lee (Tigers)

United States

Team USA's Kyle Schwarber reacts after hitting a home run against Japan at the World Baseball Classic in the eighth inning at LoanDepot Park in Miami on March 21, 2023.

  • Ernie Clement (Blue Jays)
  • Jeff Hoffman (Blue Jays)
  • Tyler Rogers (Blue Jays)
  • Brice Turang (Brewers)
  • Matthew Boyd (Cubs)
  • Alex Bregman (Cubs)
  • Pete Crow‑Armstrong (Cubs)
  • Corbin Carroll (D‑backs — injured)
  • Will Smith (Dodgers)
  • Logan Webb (Giants)
  • Cal Raleigh (Mariners)
  • Gabe Speier (Mariners)
  • Clay Holmes (Mets)
  • Nolan McLean (Mets)
  • Gunnar Henderson (Orioles)
  • Bryce Harper (Phillies)
  • Brad Keller (Phillies)
  • Kyle Schwarber (Phillies)
  • Paul Skenes (Pirates)
  • Garrett Cleavinger (Rays)
  • Griffin Jax (Rays)
  • Roman Anthony (Red Sox)
  • Garrett Whitlock (Red Sox)
  • Michael Wacha (Royals)
  • Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals)
  • Matt Strahm (Royals)
  • Tarik Skubal (Tigers)
  • Will Vest (Tigers)
  • Byron Buxton (Twins)
  • Joe Ryan (Twins — injured)
  • David Bednar (Yankees)
  • Tim Hill (Yankees)
  • Aaron Judge (Yankees)
  • Mason Miller (Padres)
  • Ryan Yarbrough (Yankees)

Venezuela

  • Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves)
  • Andrés Giménez (Blue Jays)
  • Jackson Chourio (Brewers)
  • William Contreras (Brewers)
  • Angel Zerpa (Brewers)
  • Daniel Palencia (Cubs)
  • Eduardo Rodríguez (D‑backs)
  • Luis Arraez (Giants)
  • José Buttó (Giants)
  • Eduard Bazardo (Mariners)
  • Jhonathan Díaz (Mariners)
  • Javier Sanoja (Marlins)
  • Carlos Guzman (Mets)
  • Christian Suarez (Dodgers)
  • José Alvarado (Phillies)
  • Jesús Luzardo (Phillies)
  • Oddanier Mosqueda (Pirates)
  • Yoendrys Gómez (Rays)
  • Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox)
  • Willson Contreras (Red Sox)
  • Ranger Suárez (Red Sox)
  • Eugenio Suárez (Reds)
  • Antonio Senzatela (Rockies)
  • Ezequiel Tovar (Rockies)
  • Luinder Avila (Royals)
  • Maikel Garcia (Royals)
  • Salvador Perez (Royals)
  • Enmanuel De Jesus (Tigers)
  • Keider Montero (Tigers)
  • Gleyber Torres (Tigers)
  • Pablo López (Twins — injured)
  • Eduardo Salazar (Twins)

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB players in WBC 2026: Team by team roster breakdown

Pens Points: Rust celebrates 20-goal milestone

ELMONT, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 3: Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates a goal with teammates during the second period of the game at UBS Arena on February 3, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Dennis DaSilva/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Here are your Pens Points for this Tuesday morning….

The NHL trade deadline is this Friday, March 6. While general manager Kyle Dubas and the Penguins could hedge their bets on the current roster to withstand Sidney Crosby’s absence or answer any lingering defensive questions, Dubas may yet have a trick or two up his sleeve, given the bevy of draft capital and cap space at his disposal. [PensBurgh]

Veteran forward Bryan Rust remains a proud player, growing his game from a “non-offensive threat” to his seventh straight 20-goal season, and says he’s fully committed to the Penguins, calling Pittsburgh “home” as the trade deadline approaches. [Trib Live]

Silovs shines again: Goaltender Arturs Silovs has been named the NHL’s second star for the week ending March 1, the team announced on Monday. [Penguins]

News and updates from around the NHL…

If Dubas and Co. go bargain hunting to look for a new center or defenseman, here are some potential options he could entertain. [Sportsnet]

One potential defensive trade target is off the board for the Penguins. Connor Murphy was traded to the Edmonton Oilers by the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday for a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. [NHL]

If New York Rangers forward and Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck is traded before Friday’s deadline, he has made it abundantly clear that he will not accept a deal that sends him to the West Coast. [NHL]

The Ottawa Senators made a bid to be a host for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, but according to a new report, Canada’s capital city did not make the shortlist of options. [TSN]

Which Yankee will perform best in the WBC?

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 02: Aaron Judge #99 of Team USA talks with Ken Griffey Jr. (L) during a workout at Papago Park Sports Complex on March 02, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The leadup to the World Baseball Classic is nearly at its apex, with group play beginning later this week. The Yankees, for their part as a team, will play an exhibition game later today against the Panama team that will be participating in Pool A. But more notably for some of their individual players, they’ll have a total of ten participants from their 40-man roster in the tournament headlined by their captain, Aaron Judge, captaining the US team.

The Yankees’ overall representation in the games is spread across several countries: The US leads with four Yanks starring Judge and featuring closer David Bednar, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough; the Dominican Republic has three players shedding their pinstripes for a bit including catcher Austin Wells, infielder Amed Rosario, and reliever Camilo Doval; Great Britain got Jazz Chisholm Jr. aboard (with prospect Brendan Beck on their pitching staff); Panama carries shortstop José Caballero; and Puerto Rico has reliever Fernando Cruz on their team.

There’s only so many games to be played in a tournament like the World Baseball Classic, so even though some of those names are heavyweights on the Yankees’ roster there may be others who steal the spotlight for their country over the next couple of weeks. Judge is obviously the superstar among the listed candidates and the US team is expected to go far and compete for the title, but will teams give him anything to crush? Perhaps they’ll pitch around him and deal with some of the other bats protecting him in the lineup. Chisholm is another strong candidate on paper, but will Great Britain go far enough to give him a chance to stand out? Perhaps Fernando Cruz ends up tossing some of the most crucial innings late in games to close out wins for Puerto Rico that push them towards the championship game. Who would you pick to end up being the most impactful Yankee in the WBC?


We’ll lead off today with more WBC coverage, as Jake previews the Pool B rosters that the US team will compete with. Josh is up next with a look at Cam Schlittler’s upcoming season now that all eyes will be on him following his magnificent postseason run, and one of our new writers Jonathan debuts with a birthday post to one of the oldest Yankees there is in Willie Keeler. Finally, Jeff continues our MLB team previews with a look at the Athletics as they try to build back up to average.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Panama

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field

The Breakdown | Again we dare to wonder if this is Italy’s time – because England’s confidence looks shot

Italy matched France physically and, while England have never lost to the Azzurri, Saturday is a Six Nations chance as good as any for the hosts

Italy and England. On level points in the Six Nations table. Two rounds to go. And England have already played their Wales joker.

All in all, there is quite a lot riding on the fixture in Rome on Saturday, especially if you are interested in the lower reaches of the Six Nations table, a purgatory with which even England are quite familiar. They started this championship ranked third in the world, a whisker behind the All Blacks in second, and feeling (not unreasonably) rather good about themselves after 11 Test wins in succession. Then it was 12 (Wales), and then … oh dear.

Continue reading...

"It Felt Good": Red Wings Rookie Emmitt Finnie Breaks Lengthy Scoring Drought

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It was a long time coming for Detroit Red Wings forward Emmitt Finnie, but the giant piano finally fell off his back, fittingly, in the place known as Music City.

Finnie scored his first goal in 23 games, his first since Dec. 23 against the Dallas Stars, as part of Detroit's 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville on Monday afternoon.

The victory helped the Red Wings leapfrog the Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division; they have the same number of points as the Buffalo Sabres, who own the tiebreaker and also have a game in hand. 

For Finnie, one of three rookies who initially made the club out of Training Camp, it was a naturally good feeling - but he also gave credit to teammates Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton. 

“Yeah, it felt good, good play by Marco getting it to Apps, then Apps with a great play to Marco in front," he said. "I was just fortunate to be there in the right spot to put it in.”

"Obviously, you think about it in the back of your mind," he continued about his goalless drought. "I wasn't trying to focus on it too much, I want to score and produce. It was good to get that one in, but I'm going to try and keep playing my game." 

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The Red Wings dropped a disappointing 5-2 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes earlier in the week, which put them back into a Wild Card position in the tightly-packed Atlantic Division standings. 

The need for two points on Monday afternoon was discussed beforehand by the club, and they responded well. 

"I thought we played well right from the start," Finnie said. "You know, coming into this, we knew it was like a must-win for us, so I thought we responded pretty well."

Finnie is one of just two rookies on the Detroit Red Wings roster who have stayed with the club all season, the other being defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka.

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Rotoworld Staff Mock Draft – Results and Analysis

Each year it seems as though the fantasy baseball season begins earlier and earlier. Most sharp players have already been drafting since the World Series wrapped up in October. We have seen the data on average draft position mold and take shape throughout the off-season as trades, free agent signings and injuries have shaped and reshaped the overall player pool.

Now that we have turned the corner into March, we are into the home stretch. Most fantasy managers have their biggest drafts on the horizon and are developing draft plans on how to build their championship winning rosters. Before those drafts kick into high gear though, we got the Rotoworld baseball crew (and several of our friends in the industry) together last to select players in standard snake-style fashion for a 12-team mock draft.

Follow along with our round-by-round analysis and develop some ideas for your own drafts.

For this draft, we utilized the basic 5x5 scoring that most fantasy managers are accustomed to: AVG, R, HR, RBI, SB on the hitting side, and W, ERA, WHIP, SV, K on the pitching side. And with the following position setup: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, 3 OF, CI, MI, UTIL and 9 P.

The participants, in draft order …

1. Jorge Montanez (Rotoworld)
2. Nate Marcum (Reliever Recon)
3. Dave Shovein (Rotoworld)
4. Steve Gardner (USA Today)
5. Matthew Pouliot (Rotoworld)
6. Christopher Crawford (Rotoworld)
7. Frank Ammirante (Roto Baller)
8. Eric Samulski (Rotoworld)
9. James Schiano (Rotoworld)
10. D.J. Short (Rotoworld)
11. George Bissell (Rotoworld)
12. Lucas Biery (FTN Fantasy)

I’m going to examine things round by round for the first five rounds before diving into each team individually and exploring their roster construction.

Round 1

1.01 Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees
1.02 Shohei Ohtani, UTIL/SP, Dodgers
1.03 Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals
1.04 Jose Ramírez, 3B, Guardians
1.05 Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Braves
1.06 Juan Soto, OF, Mets
1.07 Elly De La Cruz, SS, Reds
1.08 Julio Rodríguez, OF, Mariners
1.09 Paul Skenes, SP, Pirates
1.10     Tarik Skubal, SP, Tigers
1.11     Garrett Crochet, SP, Red Sox
1.12 Fernando Tatis Jr., OF, Padres

Round Analysis: And they’re off! Early ADP data has shown us that there’s a very clear top three players atop every draft, and while the order was switched up a bit with Aaron Judge going ahead of Shohei Ohtani, our drafters stayed true to the market and made them the first three names off the board. The same thing happened with the next three players: Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr and Jose Ramirez, with each manager plucking a five-category stud off of the board. Frank Ammirante pulled Elly De La Cruz off the board at pick seven. He’s usually the next hitter off the board in early drafts, though he routinely goes behind Tarik Skubal. Eric Samulski followed with Julio Rodríguez before James Schiano shunned Skubal and made Paul Skenes the first pitcher selected in tis draft. Skubal and Garrett Crochet immediately followed, making the top 11 options by ADP the first 11 players selected in this draft. Lucas Biery wrapped the opening round by taking Padres’ multi-talented outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.

They say that you can’t win a draft in the first round, but you can lose it. In this case though, there are no glaring picks that stand out as anything other than the industry standard. Nine teams are starting with a strong five-category base on the offensive side of the ledger while the other three have locked in one of the clear top three starting pitchers on the board. It’s where our fantasy managers decide to go from here that will start to define their overall chances.

2.13     Kyle Tucker, OF, Dodgers
2.14     Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners
2.15     Corbin Carroll, OF, Diamondbacks
2.16     Gunnar Henderson, SS, Orioles
2.17     Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays
2.18     Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers
2.19     Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
2.20     Pete Alonso, 1B, Orioles
2.21     Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Dodgers
2.22     Cristopher Sanchez, SP, Phillies
2.23     Junior Caminero, 3B, Rays
2.24     Kyle Schwarber, UT, Phillies

Round Analysis: At a glance, the second round might look pretty straightforward, but there’s a whole lot going on here. Let’s try to unpack it. Lucas started things out with Kyle Tucker, starting his squad with two five-category studs in the outfield (Fernando Tatis Jr.). While it’s not the build that I typically choose to utilize, I can’t find any fault with it. George followed with Cal Raleigh. Some prognosticators are adamant that in a one-catcher league, that you don’t need to spend serious draft capital at the position. I’d argue conversely that Raleigh is such a huge edge at the position that he’s still likely to deliver a profit, even from that lofty draft cost. Our fearless leader D.J. Short went with Corbin Carroll at pick 15, showing no qualms about the surgery that he underwent to repair the hamate bone in his wrist. Historically, we have seen hitters’ power output be slow to come back following the procedure, and whether or not Carroll ends up delivering profit here may ultimately depend on how he responds.

Midway through the round we see three first baseman selected in the span of four picks with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Nick Kurtz and Pete Alsonso going at picks 17, 19 and 20 respectively. The recent ADP data actually has Kurtz as the top option at the position around pick 17, so it looks like Eric may not completely buy into the hype on the A’s young slugger – or he just trusts Guerrero a bit more. The only player that was selected in the first 24 picks that doesn’t reside in the top 24 by ADP, was Steve’s selection of Yoshinobu Yamamoto. This one agitated me, as I was going to be the one to take him with the very next pick. He’s far and away the fourth ranked starting pitcher on my board and I actually have him closer to the big three than I do to the next few names on the list. I see zero issue selecting him at pick 21 and actually would have taken him higher if I had been drafting elsewhere and wanted an SP there.

3.25     Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B/3B, Yankees
3.26     Trea Turner, SS, Phillies
3.27     Zach Neto, SS, Angels
3.28     Yordan Alvarez, UT, Astros
3.29     Logan Gilbert, SP, Mariners
3.30     Ketel Marte, 2B, Diamondbacks
3.31     Cole Ragans, SP, Royals
3.32     Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets
3.33     Manny Machado, 3B, Padres
3.34     CJ Abrams, SS, Nationals
3.35     James Wood, OF, Nationals
3.36     Chris Sale, SP, Braves

Things start to deviate a bit from ADP as we get into the third round. Chisholm is a very strong pick at the top by Jorge, and was the lone player from the top-24 that wasn’t taken in the first two rounds. Then we get a couple of five-category studs at the shortstop position. Turner offers a much higher average ceiling while Neto nearly went 30/30 in 2025 despite missing several weeks due to injury. I don’t love the roster construction that I was forced into starting with two shortstops in my first three picks, but I couldn’t pass on him there. Yordan Alvarez was pulled up the board a bit, as he’s 34th by ADP over the past couple of weeks. If he manages to stay healthy and avoid the injured list, he’ll crush from that spot. That’s a big if though. Logan Gilbert, Cole Ragans and Chris Sale are the three starting pitchers selected in the round. Of the three, Ragans gives me the most reason for concern as I don’t trust that he’s healthy now or that he’ll be able to make 30 starts during the season. The talent is obviously there, he’s just someone that I can’t personally trust as my ace.

Francisco Lindor is another fascinating pick as he has seen his draft stock tumble on the news that he underwent surgery to remove his hamate bone. Like Corbin Carroll, I have concerns about Lindor’s power output upon his return, he does so much else across the board though that I think fantasy managers might have pushed him too far down. I really like his overall upside from that draft cost.

4.37     Bryan Woo, SP, Mariners
4.38     Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs
4.39     Bryce Harper, 1B, Phillies
4.40     Brent Rooker, OF, Athletics
4.41     Brice Turang, 2B, Brewers
4.42     Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers
4.43     Hunter Brown, SP, Astros
4.44     Mason Miller, RP, Padres
4.45     Hunter Greene, SP, Reds
4.46     Edwin Diaz, RP, Dodgers
4.47     Max Fried, SP, Yankees
4.48     Cade Smith, RP, Guardians

We’re getting into the part of the draft where it’s much more acceptable to deviate a bit more from the established ADP in order to get your players. This round frustrated me specifically though and destroyed the draft plan that I was attempting to execute here. Brice Turang is my guy, he is someone that I’m actively targeting in all of my drafts this year and I believe he’ll end up being the class of the second base position. Coming into this draft, his ADP was 50th and the highest that he had gone in any draft was pick 42. I had been hopeful that he would be there for me to take at pick 44, but Eric had the same idea and grabbed him at pick 41 instead. That one pick would have serious reverberations in my total draft plan.

I wound up pivoting there and went with Edwin Diaz, one of three closers taken in the round. I’m of the belief that I like to make it out of every draft one of the top-tier options at the position along with a second established guy – or a couple of guys I feel good about later. By locking in Diaz, it gave my flexibility on how I needed to attack the position in the rest of the draft.

I also want to go on record saying that I really like the Brent Rooker pick. I think fantasy drafters are overlooking the fact that he’s no longer only UTIL eligible and can now be played in the outfield from day one. He has slugged 30 homers in each of the past three seasons and should do so again in 2026 while hitting in the middle of an interesting young A’s lineup.

5.49     Jesus Luzardo, SP, Phillies
5.50     Andres Munoz, RP, Mariners
5.51     Matt Olson, 1B, Braves
5.52     Rafael Devers, 1B, Giants
5.53     Austin Riley, 3B, Braves
5.54     Logan Webb, SP, Giants
5.55     Maikel Garcia, 3B, Royals
5.56     Jacob deGrom, SP, Rangers
5.57     Jhoan Duran, RP, Phillies
5.58     Roman Anthony, OF, Red Sox
5.59     Mookie Betts, SS, Dodgers
5.60     Freddy Peralta, SP, Mets

It’s more of the same in the fifth round with nothing to egregious jumping out from an ADP standpoint. The two closers specifically – Jhoan Duran and Andres Munoz – look like terrific values to me. We’re starting to run thin on the pure five-category hitters, which is why you’re seeing more of the power types like Matt Olson, Rafael Devers and Austin Riley start to come off the board. Both Maikel Garcia and Roman Anthony are extremely dynamic talents and if anyone is going to jump up into the first or second round from this group in terms of overall value this season, I’d wager it’s one of them.

Now that we have taken a look at the top 60 picks, let’s break it down team by team and see how each fantasy manager chose to attack this draft:

Team 1 – Jorge Montanez

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CShea Langeliers9655.3840.62
1BAlec Burleson216176.5439.46
2BGleyber Torres193253.46-60.46
SSDansby Swanson144152.15-8.15
3BJazz Chisholm Jr.2519.545.46
CICaleb Durbin240219.6920.31
MINico Hoerner97108.62-11.62
OFAaron Judge11.92-0.92
OFJarren Duran7367.775.23
OFJo Adell145121.8523.15
UTILKyle Schwarber2423.770.23
PJesus Luzardo4975.15-26.15
PJoe Ryan7288.77-16.77
PNick Lodolo120124.85-4.85
PEmmet Sheehan121118.082.92
PNathan Eovaldi169147.3821.62
PJack Leiter217232.08-15.08
PCade Smith4840.857.15
PSeranthony Dominguez168199.15-31.15
PAbner Uribe192159.0832.92

Taking a look at Jorge’s team, it appears to me that he’s going to have a very strong offense. Putting all of the teams through my personal projections, he checks in with the second best offense in the league overall – behind only my team, and I’m at a huge advantage because they’re my projections. It’s just quality production up and down the lineup and maximizing at-bats across the board. The question with this squad will come down to whether or not he has enough pitching to back it up. Personally, I wouldn’t be thrilled heading into a season with Jesus Luzardo and Joe Ryan as my top two starters – especially in a 12-teamer. If Nick Lodolo and Emmet Sheehan take that next step forward though, perhaps there’s enough there to make it work. I like the Seranthony Dominguez pick as well and was looking there myself before Jorge Sniped him in the round that I was going to pull the trigger.

Team 2 – Nate Marcum

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CSamuel Basallo215181.9233.08
1BYandy Diaz122137.38-15.38
2BOzzie Albies167151.2315.77
SSTrea Turner2626.77-0.77
3BJunior Caminero2316.156.85
CIBen Rice9554.8540.15
MIJJ Wetherholt191222.15-31.15
OFOneil Cruz7193.38-22.38
OFTeoscar Hernandez119132.08-13.08
OFMike Trout170178.38-8.38
UTILShohei Ohtani21.230.77
PMax Fried4752.92-5.92
PNolan McLean7490.31-16.31
PNick Pivetta98962
PBubba Chandler146161.77-15.77
PBrayan Bello218319.54-101.54
PJeffrey Springs239#N/A#N/A
PAndres Munoz50419
PDennis Santana143147.77-4.77
PRoki Sasaki194239.46-45.46

Looking at Nate’s squad, you can see like many teams in this league he wasn’t afraid to shun ADP to go and get his guys. Whether or not that will end up working out for him remains to be seen, but I’m glad that he stuck to his convictions. Jeffrey Springs isn’t showing an ADP because he hadn’t been selected in an NFBC Online Championship draft over the past couple of weeks, but that’s not to say he won’t be a viable fantasy contributor this season. The pitching staff here is quite strong, it’s the offense that worries me. I have him with the fewest at-bats in the league, based somewhat on the uncertainty around Wetherholt, how much action Basallo will ultimately see and the healthy of Mike Trout. His counting stats get dinged because of that and I think he’s also a bit light overall on speed.

Team 3 – Dave Shovein

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CAgustin Ramirez9981.1517.85
1BMatt Olson5149.081.92
2BJose Altuve94115.85-21.85
SSBobby Witt Jr.32.920.08
3BKazuma Okamoto147201.54-54.54
CIJosh Naylor7566.318.69
MIZach Neto2727.54-0.54
OFGeorge Springer11894.3823.62
OFLawrence Butler142156.23-14.23
OFJurickson Profar166198.62-32.62
UTILAdolis Garcia238220.6217.38
PCristopher Sanchez2225.23-3.23
PFramber Valdez7088.15-18.15
PTrevor Rogers123142.38-19.38
PLuis Castillo171172.54-1.54
PJack Flaherty195222.46-27.46
PJustin Verlander219357-138
PEdwin Diaz4632.6913.31
PBryan Abreu190190.85-0.85
PRobert Garcia214245.46-31.46

Clearly this is the best team in the league and doesn’t warrant any further discussion. In all seriousness though, there are a lot of things that I struggled with during this draft that hurt the overall roster construction. I missed out on top targets Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Brice Turang. I wasn’t able to land a solid second closer and had to bet against Josh Hader’s health. While I like all of the arms on my pitching staff, I feel like I’m one SP2 or SP3 short of where I need to be. That’s something that can be fixed in season, but I don’t completely love it on paper. That being said, I do dig the offense. I think the power and speed are there and spades and I was able to get both without sacrificing batting average or counting stats. I think this team would be a contender.

Team 4 – Steve Gardner

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CHunter Goodman10063.0836.92
1BRafael Devers5259.62-7.62
2BBryson Stott196183.4612.54
SSGeraldo Perdomo6979.92-10.92
3BJose Ramirez45.77-1.77
CISpencer Torkelson213181.2331.77
MIJose Caballero237197.0839.92
OFCody Bellinger9383.859.15
OFBrandon Nimmo124145.08-21.08
OFIan Happ189187.381.62
UTILYordan Alvarez2832.92-4.92
PYoshinobu Yamamoto2128-7
PHunter Greene4543.621.38
PTyler Glasnow117118.54-1.54
PBrandon Woodruff141138.082.92
PRobbie Ray148164.77-16.77
PTanner Bibee172181.31-9.31
PMerrill Kelly220280.46-60.46
PDavid Bednar766313
PTrevor Megill165146.3818.62

Running my numbers on the offense for Steve’s squad, he finishes in the middle of the pack overall, being brought down by his home runs and batting average. Individually, I like a lot of his picks though. Brandon Nimmo is someone that I routinely target in drafts and wanted to grab here, but he was pulled before I could get there. I also think he got terrific value late on both Spencer Torkelson and Jose Caballero, which was set up by knowing which positions he could push until the end of the draft. I won’t forgive him from sniping me on Yamamoto, but overall I think that Steve did a nice job constructing this team.

Team 5 – Matthew Pouliot

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CGabriel Moreno236179.3856.62
1BPete Alonso2023.54-3.54
2BJackson Holliday221205.4615.54
SSJeremy Pena7789.08-12.08
3BAustin Riley5363.54-10.54
CINoelvi Marte149142.926.08
MIEzequiel Tovar188211.62-23.62
OFRonald Acuna Jr.55.62-0.62
OFJackson Merrill6869.23-1.23
OFMichael Harris II92103.23-11.23
UTILIvan Herrera173154.6918.31
PLogan Gilbert2935.69-6.69
PBlake Snell101150.54-49.54
PJacob Misiorowski116123-7
PJoe Musgrove140213-73
PGerrit Cole164245.62-81.62
PBryce Miller197250.38-53.38
PMason Miller4428.7715.23
PJosh Hader125127.69-2.69
PRiley O'Brien212257-45

The first thing that jumps off the page to me on this team is the overall talent on the pitching staff. I don’t know how healthy it’s all going to be, but if Josh Hader, Blake Snell and Bryce Miller spend more of the season off of the injured list than on – and if Gerrit Cole is his true self upon his return from elbow surgery – then this group has a chance to be special. I do have concerns on the hitting side, as I’m not sure there’s enough speed here to compete and Matthew checks in last in my projections in terms of runs scored. Part of that is getting dinged for the Jackson Holliday injury though and having to have a second catcher in the initial lineup until Ivan Herrera qualifies. The power base is strong and is certainly something that can be worked with. Given his managing capabilities, I would expect Matthew to field a competitive team throughout this season.

Team 6 – Christopher Crawford

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CWilliam Contreras7852.3825.62
1BNick Kurtz1918.230.77
2BKetel Marte3033.23-3.23
SSKonnor Griffin126138.23-12.23
3BAlex Bregman91115.23-24.23
CIIsaac Paredes235233.541.46
MIJacob Wilson163180.92-17.92
OFJuan Soto64.921.08
OFRandy Arozarena6788.15-21.15
OFSteven Kwan187166.7720.23
UTILDylan Crews198169.7728.23
PHunter Brown4336.316.69
PLogan Webb5458.92-4.92
PSpencer Strider102105.08-3.08
PCam Schlittler150128.4621.54
PCade Horton174180.54-6.54
PZac Gallen211223.62-12.62
PCarlos Estevez115104.7710.23
PKenley Jansen1391363
PJoJo Romero222344.08-122.08

When running all of the offenses from this draft through my projections, Christopher’s squad grades out as the third best offense in the league behind only myself and Jorge. That’s saying something considering how bearish I am on the playing time of both Konnor Griffin and Isaac Paredes. The overall bones of this team are very solid. If I had to nitpick anywhere it would be trusting Spencer Strider as an SP3, but then again if he’s right he’s an ace and this team could jump to the top of the league. This was a job very well done.

Team 7 – Frank Ammirante

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CAdley Rutschman199154.6244.38
1BSal Stewart138187.62-49.62
2BCeddanne Rafaela127128.31-1.31
SSElly De La Cruz78.46-1.46
3BMaikel Garcia5567.85-12.85
CIMunetaka Murakami162206.15-44.15
MITrevor Story114113.380.62
OFJackson Chourio1819.31-1.31
OFWyatt Langford4242.69-0.69
OFHeliot Ramos175226.46-51.46
UTILBryan Reynolds234209.5424.46
PCole Ragans3145.15-14.15
PKyle Bradish6674-8
PEury Perez7984.85-5.85
PMacKenzie Gore151156.38-5.38
PShane Baz186189.15-3.15
PConnelly Early210256.54-46.54
PMitch Keller223338.38-115.38
PRyan Helsley9083.236.77
PJeff Hoffman10397.775.23

Another manager that wasn’t afraid to go and get his guys ahead of ADP if he had to, which hurt me in my pursuits of Maikel Garcia and Sal Stewart specifically. There’s an abundance of speed on the offense, in fact there might be too much. Frank grades out as the top team in the league in stolen bases while finishing near the bottom of the pack in home runs and RBI. That’s something that could be balanced out a bit in season, but he also has concerns in batting average that he’ll have to contend with. I’d have a hard time trusting Cole Ragans to be my SP1, but I like all of the arms that he assembled here. This team feels more boom or bust than some in the league, but if he hits on a couple of key picks, he would be in the mix at season’s end.

Team 8 – Eric Samulski

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CAlejandro Kirk233151.8581.15
1BVladimir Guerrero Jr.1719.15-2.15
2BBrice Turang4150.92-9.92
SSFrancisco Lindor3227.624.38
3BEugenio Suarez8098.92-18.92
CIWillson Contreras137165.92-28.92
MIMatt McLain200183.6216.38
OFJulio Rodriguez89.54-1.54
OFSeiya Suzuki8987.151.85
OFTaylor Ward152150.921.08
UTILMax Muncy185256.08-71.08
PJacob deGrom5650.625.38
PGeorge Kirby6565.54-0.54
PRyan Pepiot113127.15-14.15
PSandy Alcantara128150-22
PTatsuya Imai176167.628.38
PKodai Senga209237.31-28.31
PRaisel Iglesias10497.466.54
PRyan Walker1611547
PWill Vest224333-109

This is another team that is particularly interesting to me. I like so much of what he did on the pitching side, as all six of his starting pitchers are in my draftable player pool and deGrom/Kirby makes for one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. I like a lot of the hitters as well, and the overall base that he compiled by starting with Julio Rodriguez, Vladimir Guarrero Jr. and Brice Turang is very impressive. I think he lost sight of the offense a bit after that though. I have him finishing near the top of the league in both power categories on offense, but coming in near the bottom in batting average and stolen bases. I think there are just a few too many all slug and no speed guys, where more balance would have made this team incredibly dangerous to compete against.

Team 9 – James Schiano

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CWill Smith177101.4675.54
1BTyler Soderstrom8184.08-3.08
2BXavier Edwards160187.23-27.23
SSGunnar Henderson1612.313.69
3BManny Machado3339.92-6.92
CIMichael Busch105106-1
MIBo Bichette8896.08-8.08
OFBrent Rooker4047.85-7.85
OFLuis Robert Jr.13610630
OFAndy Pages184132.6951.31
UTILJac Caglianone201194.926.08
PPaul Skenes910.69-1.69
PDylan Cease6475.46-11.46
PZack Wheeler112111.540.46
PMichael King153120.8532.15
PAaron Nola208215.23-7.23
PJose Soriano225312.85-87.85
PAndrew Painter232275.69-43.69
PJhoan Duran5740.6216.38
PDaniel Palencia129104.8524.15

I really like what James did on the pitching side of the ledger here, starting with Paul Skenes, Dylan Crase, Zack Wheeler and Michael King. If Wheeler is ready at any point in April, this team should finish near the top of the heap in pitching, even if I don’t love most of the back-end starters. The offense looks more middle of the pack than a team that’s going to take the league by storm though. I really like the strong base in batting average, which gives him something to work with as he looks to attack other categories and I think he’s actually fine in terms of power. It’s stolen bases and runs scored that come up a bit light here. If he were to be able to add a viable base stealer during the season without sacrificing much in terms of power, he would be in the mix at season’s end.

Team 10 – D.J. Short

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CSalvador Perez11193.7717.23
1BBryce Harper3946.46-7.46
2BLuke Keaschall82126.15-44.15
SSCJ Abrams3463.69-29.69
3BMatt Chapman130167.69-37.69
CIAddison Barger202200.151.85
MIJorge Polanco178213.31-35.31
OFCorbin Carroll1514.540.46
OFRoman Anthony5854.233.77
OFKyle Stowers159129.6929.31
UTILDaylen Lile231208.4622.54
PTarik Skubal106.543.46
PSonny Gray87136.69-49.69
PDrew Rasmussen106145.77-39.77
PRanger Suarez154171.46-17.46
PShane McClanahan183205.08-22.08
PMatthew Boyd207223.92-16.92
PAroldis Chapman6365.69-2.69
PGriffin Jax135151.62-16.62
PKirby Yates226302.46-76.46

I really like what’s going on with the pitching staff here. Tarik Skubal is a cheat code. The strong ratio and strikeout base that he provides just sets you up so well regardless of what you do next. D.J. didn’t rest on his laurels though, he surrounded Skubal with a ton of quality arms and built a strong bullpen to go with it. On offense, I like the strong batting average base and there’s more than enough speed to get the job done. My concern with this squad is power. While I have everyone on the team penciled in for 10 or more long balls, I don’t have anyone eclipsing 30, and just Bryce Harper and Kyle Stowers with more than 25. Of all the things to have to find on the waiver wire during the season, power may be the most plentiful though, so if you’re going to have a weakness somewhere, that’s a good place to have it. Nicely done.

Team 11 – George Bissell

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CCal Raleigh1417.62-3.62
1BFreddie Freeman6267.69-5.69
2BBrandon Lowe179187.54-8.54
SSMookie Betts5957.231.77
3BJordan Westburg230325.46-95.46
CIJonathan Aranda2062015
MIKevin McGonigle203283-80
OFJames Wood3532.922.08
OFPete Crow-Armstrong3832.235.77
OFByron Buxton8372.3810.62
UTILRiley Greene8674.8511.15
PGarrett Crochet1111.23-0.23
PChase Burns10799.547.46
PKevin Gausman110122.23-12.23
PTrey Yesavage131155.23-24.23
PGavin Williams155136.3118.69
PKris Bubic158196.69-38.69
PAndrew Abbott182219.38-37.38
PZebby Matthews227289.38-62.38
PEmilio Pagan134111.5422.46

In terms of roster construction, George did something unique here compared to the rest of the draft. He started by taking Garret Crochet in the first round, then took hitters with each of his next seven picks to build a stellar base on offense. He then went back to pitching in full force – taking pitchers with each of his next six selections. The pitching staff looks very impressive, though he’s going to have to find another closer someplace to pair with Emilio Pagan as everyone else in the league is already rolling with two or three relievers. The offense looks great in four categories but checks in dead last in the entire league in stolen bases. I don’t know if that was by design or wound up being a formality based on how the draft played out. If he can address the stolen base deficiency, there’s enough talent here to compete for league prizes at season’s end.

Team 12 – Lucas Biery

PositionPlayerPickADPDifference
CDrake Baldwin10981.6927.31
1BVinnie Pasquantino8580.154.85
2BMarcus Semien204255.08-51.08
SSCorey Seager8497.54-13.54
3BRoyce Lewis157187.08-30.08
CIChristian Walker22920227
MIWilly Adames108132.62-24.62
OFFernando Tatis Jr.1214.08-2.08
OFKyle Tucker1312.850.15
OFJakob Marsee156136.4619.54
UTILChristian Yelich132127.464.54
PChris Sale3637.69-1.69
PBryan Woo3736.080.92
PFreddy Peralta6055.924.08
PEdward Cabrera180179.850.15
PShota Imanaga18115823
PCarlos Rodon205203.691.31
PCasey Mize228264.54-36.54
PDevin Williams6160.850.15
PPete Fairbanks133108.6924.31

Overall, I can get behind what’s happening with the offense on this team. He looks to be strong in four categories with his only deficiency coming in batting average. My concern are the health scares that you get from rostering Royce Lewis and Corey Seager. If this offense can stay intact and avoid the injured list, he’ll have a shot. The pitching is really the prize on this squad though, as Chris Sale, Bryan Woo and Freddy Peralta make up the most fearsome trio in the entire league and he has two quality bullpen arms to go with them. If Carlos Rodon returns to any semblance of his former self, this team could be incredibly dangerous.

Antetokounmpo rusty on return as Celtics beat Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo, wearing number 34, dribbles the ball against Hugo Gonzalez, the Boston Celtics's 28
Giannis Antetokounmpo (left) played 25 minutes in his first game since 23 January [Getty Images]

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said he "did not play well" on his return from injury but the two-time NBA MVP was just "happy" to be back on the court.

The 31-year-old made his comeback after missing six weeks of action with a calf strain in a 108-81 defeat against the Boston Celtics.

He put up 19 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes in a defeat that left the 2021 champion Bucks 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-34 record.

Antetokounmpo said "we've got 24 games left - it's 24 fights" when asked about the Bucks' battle to reach the post-season.

"Obviously I did not play well, but at the end of the day, I'm just happy that I'm out there being able to help my team-mates in any way that I can and just do what I love, which is play basketball," he added.

"I'm just happy that I'm on the court. It doesn't matter if I play 18 minutes, 20 minutes, 22, whatever, I'm just happy that I'm out there."

Antetokounmpo missed 15 games through injury and says he has "got to be smarter moving forward because things that I was able to do in the past, maybe I'm not able to do now".

Rivers on Antetokounmpo return

Antetokounmpo's injury in January came shortly before the NBA trade deadline.

The deadline passed with him still a Bucks player, despite heavy speculation that he could leave.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said before the game against the Celtics that he would ease Antetokounmpo back into action.

"I'm not going to overdo it," he explained. "It's not like we had a big practice or a shootaround on Monday morning, so it's not the ideal way of bringing him back.

"But the fact that he's available, you put him in and you figure it out."

Recap: Kings no match for Colorado as Avalanche win 4-2

Mar 2, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) celebrates with center Nathan MacKinnon (29) after scoring a goal. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Colorado Avalanche secured a milestone victory on Monday night, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4–2 at Crypto.com Arena to capture the franchise’s 1,750th regular-season win.

A late third-period goal from defenseman Devon Toews proved to be the difference, while Martin Nečas delivered a dominant three-point performance (one goal, two assists). Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog each contributed a goal and an assist as Colorado improved to 40-10-9 on the season. In net, Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 19 of 21 shots to anchor the win.

What Happened

Colorado established control early.

MacKinnon opened the scoring just 4:27 into the first period, wiring a one-timer from the slot off a rush chance created by Nečas. The goal — his 41st of the season — extended his torrid offensive pace and immediately quieted the home crowd.

The Avalanche doubled their advantage at 10:13 of the opening frame. Landeskog buried a one-timer from the high slot for his eighth of the year after a crisp setup from defenseman Brent Burns, showcasing Colorado’s sharp puck movement through the neutral zone.

It looked like the visitors were going to cruise to an easy win but Los Angeles responded late in the period. Brandt Clarke cut the deficit to 2–1 with a power-play blast from the point at 17:20, beating Blackwood through traffic.

To begin the second period Martin Nečas had a goal wiped off the board due to a quick whistle. Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg didn’t have the puck secured and dropped it in the crease. But the officials deemed it no goal and play moved on.

The Kings carried that momentum of good fortune and evened the game at 8:32 when Angus Booth redirected a feed at the left doorstep, tying the contest at 2–2.

The game remained tightly contested until the closing minutes of regulation.

With 4:55 remaining in the third period, Toews broke the deadlock on his second goal of the season. MacKinnon controlled the puck high in the zone, skating from the point toward the right circle before threading a cross-ice pass into the slot. Toews stepped into the feed and snapped home his second goal of the season, restoring Colorado’s lead at 3–2.

Nečas sealed the victory in dramatic fashion at 19:59, scoring into an empty net on the power play for his 26th goal of the year to secure the 4–2 final.

Colorado now turns its focus toward sustaining momentum as the regular season enters its decisive stretch. Unfortunately they lost the services of Artturi Lehkonen early in the first period to an upper-body injury and Jared Bednar stated postgame that the Finnish winger will miss some time.

Upcoming

It’s a quick turn around as the Avalanche continue their road trip Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks, with puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast on Altitude, Altitude+, and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.

Hawks face the Bucks, look for 5th straight win

Atlanta Hawks (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (26-34, 11th in the Eastern Conference)

Milwaukee; Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta is looking to extend its four-game win streak with a victory against Milwaukee.

The Bucks are 19-22 in conference games. Milwaukee gives up 115.6 points and has been outscored by 4.3 points per game.

The Hawks have gone 17-21 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta is second in the Eastern Conference with 18.4 fast break points per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 4.1.

The Bucks score 111.3 points per game, 6.1 fewer points than the 117.4 the Hawks allow. The Hawks average 14.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 fewer makes per game than the Bucks give up.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Bucks won 112-110 in the last matchup on Jan. 19.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Rollins is averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals for the Bucks. Kevin Porter Jr. is averaging 18.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, seven assists and 2.1 steals over the past 10 games.

Johnson is scoring 22.7 points per game with 10.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Hawks. CJ McCollum is averaging 18.6 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 42.2% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bucks: 5-5, averaging 108.0 points, 41.8 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.7 points per game.

Hawks: 6-4, averaging 117.2 points, 48.8 rebounds, 28.9 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.7 points.

INJURIES: Bucks: Taurean Prince: out (neck).

Hawks: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Washington takes on Orlando on 5-game skid

Washington Wizards (16-44, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (31-28, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Magic -15.5; over/under is 227.5

BOTTOM LINE: Washington heads into the matchup with Orlando after losing five games in a row.

The Magic are 19-19 in Eastern Conference games. Orlando is eighth in the Eastern Conference in rebounding with 43.4 rebounds. Paolo Banchero leads the Magic with 8.5 boards.

The Wizards are 2-9 against opponents from the Southeast Division. Washington has a 4-29 record against opponents over .500.

The Magic average 11.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.3 fewer makes per game than the Wizards allow (14.0). The Wizards are shooting 45.9% from the field, 1.8% lower than the 47.7% the Magic's opponents have shot this season.

The two teams play for the third time this season. The Wizards defeated the Magic 120-112 in their last meeting on Jan. 7. Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 23 points, and Jase Richardson led the Magic with 20 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Desmond Bane is averaging 20.3 points and 4.1 assists for the Magic. Banchero is averaging 22.4 points over the last 10 games.

Kyshawn George is averaging 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 12.7 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 6-4, averaging 112.6 points, 41.9 rebounds, 26.4 assists, 10.7 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.4 points per game.

Wizards: 2-8, averaging 111.9 points, 39.0 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.1 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: day to day (quadriceps), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).

Wizards: Anthony Gill: day to day (illness), Anthony Davis: out for season (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (thigh), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (not injury related), Leaky Black: day to day (ankle), Alex Sarr: out (hamstring), Trae Young: day to day (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.