Championship risks becoming a two-tier affair as Ireland, Wales and Scotland all lose on the opening weekend
Few competitions in the world have the capacity to turn wine into water quicker than the Six Nations. Only a few days ago players, coaches and fans of Ireland, Scotland and Wales were poring over the championship fixture list with their customary annual relish. Now, after just one round, they are having to deal with the most sobering Celtic wake‑up call for more than a quarter of a century.
The 2025-2026 Winter Leagues were played from November through January in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Each country had playoffs to determine the championship for their league and those teams advanced to contend for the Caribbean Series.
Venezuela was to play host to the series but it was moved to Mexico due to concerns regarding political issues and player safety. As a result, Venezuela removed their team from the series and the host country had two teams in the tournament.
The Teams
Leones del Escogido, the Dominican champions, had multiple former Padres playing for the league championship. Catcher Martin Maldonado, outfielder Franchy Cordero, and infielder Eguy Rosario all played during their season. Cordero were the only players of the three in the series. RHP Francis Pena, a top prospect for the Padres and a player invited to major league camp, closed the championship game for Escogido. Albert Pujols was their manager.
Canorejeros de Santurce, the Puerto Rican representative, won their league by three games. They had some offensive struggles through the series and finished in third after being eliminated in the semi-finals.
Federales de Chiriqui, the Panama representative, featured former Padre Christian Bethancourt as their catcher. They went 0-4 through the tournament and finished last.
Mexico had two teams in the tournament, with Charros de Jalisco being the winners of the league and Tomateros de Culiacan coming in second and named as the replacement for Venezuela. Charros was Mexico Red and Tomateros was Mexico Green. Padres prospect Tirso Ornelas and his older brother, Julian, both played for Charros but Tirso Ornelas was not with the team for the championship or the series. His brother Julian, also an outfielder, was their No. 2 hitter and finished with a .308 average and .857 OPS.
Benji Gil, former World Series winning major leaguer, is the manager for Mexico Red and coached his own son Mateo Gil for the tournament. He will also be managing the Mexico WBC team next month.
The Mexico Green team featured former Padre Allan Cordoba in center field and newly signed Padre minor league player Luis Verdugo as their shortstop and sometime DH. Verdugo is the older brother of Padres prospect Rosman Verdugo, 20, who is an infielder in the system and played for Fort Wayne last season. Verdugo finished with a .381/.409/.476 line. Catcher Ali Solis played for the Padres in 2012 and is still catching for Mexico.
The Series
The Caribbean Series is a round-robin tournament with the teams with the best records advancing and featured the Dominican, Puerto Rican and both Mexico teams in the semi-finals on Friday. The Escogido team went in as the favorites, as defending champions and with multiple MLB prospects playing on the team. They started 3-0 and then lost two in a row, including the semifinal game against Mexico Green. The Mexico Red team defeated Puerto Rico in the other semifinal.
As a result, the two Mexico teams played in the championship game that went more than four hours and 10 innings before Mexico Red won on two wild pitches in the bottom of the 10th inning. The tournament was played in Jalisco, Mexico at over 5,000 feet of altitude so the whole series featured lots of hits and lots of runs.
The final ended 12-11 and featured a lot of tired pitchers struggling to land strikes. Former Padre Odrisamer Despaigne pitched for Mexico Green but also had difficulty getting strikes despite having done very well for six innings in his start four days earlier. He only got through 0.2 innings and allowed four earned runs.
During his time with Charros de Jalisco, Tirso Ornelas hit .236/.300/.292 in 21 games and 80 appearances with seven RBI. His inability to hit for power is what has primarily sidelined his attempt to break into the Padres 26-man roster and he had no home runs and four doubles for Mexico.
Many of these players will also be playing in the WBC and then there will be a Summer League that most of the players also participate in. It isn’t uncommon for many of these players to play almost year-round.
We're now beyond the halfway point of the 2025-26 season, and it's been a good one for a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins' prospects so far.
GM/POHO Kyle Dubas has managed to infuse the Penguins' organization with a lot of promising talent in the last two-plus years by acquiring prospects and accruing draft capital, and the Penguins' enhanced development staff has also helped young players already in the organization begin to find potential paths to the NHL.
And the Penguins' goaltending depth only continues to impress - and continues to get deeper and deeper. In fact - in addition to Sergei Murashov, who has already turned heads at various points this season - they may just have another goaltender to keep a keen eye on in their system.
Here is our February Penguins' prospects update for goaltenders:
Sergei Murashov
It's hard to believe that a guy boasting a .924 save percentage at the AHL level this season actually saw a stretch of struggle this season.
Well, Murashov has struggled for a few very small stretches this season - enough to dethrone him of the AHL's top save percentage and goals-against average. In late October and late November - sandwiching a brief NHL stint - there was a four-game stretch where, in three of those four games, he had a sub-.895 save percentage. At the turn of the New Year, Murashov had two consecutive appearances where he was pulled and allowed five goals in each game.
But, other than that, he's been lights-out. Murashov is still third in the AHL in both goals-against average (2.11) and save percentage, and he is also 7-1 with a .925 save percentage in his last eight appearances. He is still - more than likely - the first guy the Penguins will call on if needed, and he is still the best goaltending prospect in the Penguins' system.
After missing the first month of the season due to a lower-body injury sustained during training camp, Blomqvist, 24, got off to a good start this season. In his first nine appearances, he put together a .929 save percentage to go along with a 5-2-2 record to close out the calendar year of 2025.
However, he's struggled a bit since then. In his last six appearances, he's put up an .878 save percentage and a 3.17 goals-against average, which puts his season save percentage at .916 and his record at 8-4-3-1.
Of course, the overall numbers are still good, and he is playing in a bit of a backup role behind Murashov, who has seen the majority of the starts. The Penguins are still high on Blomqvist, and his performance against Murashov's for the rest of the season could help determine who has the inside track to a potential NHL roster spot for 2026-27.
Gauthier didn't appear in a game this season until Dec. 6, as the injury bug plagued him again to begin the season - just like his start to 2024-25.
But - just like last season - that did not deter him at all. In fact, the 25-year-old netminder is putting together the best season of his career up to this point for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.
Dubas has talked about how he wants the Penguins' ECHL affiliate to be a legitimate developmental step for players with an NHL future, and the foundation seems to have been laid there. Gauthier has put together three very impressive seasons in a row for Wheeling, and he has gotten it done in his AHL minutes so far as well.
As good as Murashov and Blomqvist have been, don't discount Gauthier as a legitimate option for the Penguins somewhere down the line. The biggest thing working against him right now is the fact that the two guys in front of him have been outstanding, too, leaving little opportunity for him to see starting minutes at the AHL level. That could change as soon as next season, should one of the other two make the NHL roster.
Maxim Pavlenko
Pavlenko, 23, signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins on a one-year contract this season, and the netminder from Kazakhstan hasn't seen as much playing time since Gauthier came back into the fold.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound goaltender still has a save percentage north of .900 at .901, and his season started off well enough. But it has been a bit of a mixed bag since the start of the calendar year, as he had shutouts on Jan. 10 and Feb. 7 but struggled in the three starts in between, posting a .759 save percentage in those three appearances.
It's also worth noting that Pavlenko appeared in four games at the AHL level earlier this season, going 3-1 with a .912 save percentage - including a shutout.
If he can find a bit more consistency, he could be a legitimate depth option for the Penguins in their system. He moves well for a goaltender his size and occupies a lot of space in net, and his play at the international level gives some reason for optimism.
You may have heard at this point that the numbers don't tell the story for D'Aigle, whose Victoriaville Tigres have allowed a QMJHL-high 1,245 shots against, a similar story to last season.
Well, he's also made the most saves in the QMJHL with 1,129, and his .907 save percentage is still ninth in the league, even though he's ninth in the league in terms of minutes for goaltenders. This stuff alone kind of show that there may be more to D'Aigle than what appears to be through a mere stat line.
NEW: Gabriel D'Aigle (3rd rd 2025) is thriving in goal despite being under constant siege. A closer look at the best work of the 3rd round pick in 2025 and how his rare combination of size and athleticism is keeping him afloat. https://t.co/L0sLZjp36ypic.twitter.com/GmdPywLCAD
D'Aigle is not only big at 6-foot-4, 213 pounds, he's also very quick and very athletic. Marshall's breakdown covers all of that, so be sure to check it out here.
This guy may be one to keep an eye on. Once he is in a more stable environment - and not in one where most goaltenders would probably look a whole lot worse - those numbers could look much, much better if he can put everything together.
Notable: G Filip Larsson cleared waivers for the purpose of contract termination and is now a free agent
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 21: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees in position during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NY Daily News | Gary Phillips ($): Yankees pitchers and catchers officially report to spring training on Wednesday, bringing with them the end of the offseason at long last. It was a drawn-out winter as the Yankees mostly held serve and retained key parts of their roster, but the few new faces that were brought in could be interesting to watch. Ryan Weathers will get a shot out of the rotation right away with half of the regular roster still nursing injuries, and the health of said rotation will be monitored closely as something always comes up, and they cannot afford any big blows to come early in the process.
NY Post | Greg Joyce: Ben Rice is one of the Yankees’ more versatile defensive pieces, being able to catch as well as man first base, but up until a few days ago the tools of ignorance were going to be used in emergency situations at most. Now that Paul Goldschmidt is back in the fold as a platoon bat at first, however, manager Aaron Boone sees Rice getting a bit more play behind the plate as he can fill in for Austin Wells against left-handed pitchers. The plan is still for Rice to get plenty of time against lefties this season, as the team is hopeful that their promising young star will get a full breakout this season.
FanGraphs | David Laurila: Yankees broadcaster David Cone sat down for an interview last season where he had to guess which player he had the most appearances against, who he struck out the most, who hit the most bombs on him, etc., and then give his thoughts on the actual answers. Cone had a fairly good memory, coming close on a few categories, and his anecdotes were a neat look into the playing days of a fan favorite.
DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 27: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives against Christian Braun #0 of the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at Ball Arena on December 27, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers finish off their five-game Western Conference road trip as they take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
This will be a fun test for the new look Cavs. It’ll be interesting to see how James Harden attacks Jokic — who is a better rim defender than he gets credit for — in the pick-and-roll. Jokic usually doesn’t want to guard in space. We’ll see if the Cavs can exploit that.
On the other end, Jarrett Allen will have his hands full against the best player in the league and won’t have a lot of help. Evan Mobley (calf) has been ruled out for this game, and both Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (ankle) are questionable to participate.
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network App, NBA League Pass
Point spread: Cavs -1.5
Cavs injury report: Dean Wade – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Evan Mobley – OUT (calf), Jaylon Tyson – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Emanuel Miller – OUT (G League)
Nuggets injury report: Jamal Murray – QUESTIONABLE (hip), Peyton Watson – OUT (hamstring), Tamar Bates – OUT (foot), Christian Bruan – PROBABLE (ankle), Aaron Gordon – OUT (hamstring), Nikola Jokic – PROBABLE (ankle), Curtis Jones – OUT (G League), Spencer Jones – OUT (concussion)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Nae’Qwan Tomllin, Jarrett Allen
Nuggets expected starting lineup: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, Cameron Johnson, Nikola Jokic
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 14: Jaylon Tyson #20 and Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers high five during the game against the Detroit Pistons during Preseason on October 14, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will conclude their five-game, Western Conference road trip against the Denver Nuggets on Monday evening at less than 100%. If you’re going against a team with Nikola Jokic, you would ideally like to have your entire front court available for that matchup. Unfortunately for the Cavs, that won’t be possible.
Cleveland will be without the services of Evan Mobley. He’ll be missing his sixth game in a row with a calf strain he sustained in the team’s Jan. 26 win over the Orlando Magic.
The Cavs might also be without Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson. Both are questionable for Monday’s game.
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Wade missed Friday’s win against the Sacramento Kings with a left ankle sprain. He last played on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
On the season, Wade is averaging 5.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on .417/.340/.750 shooting splits.
Tyson is the new addition to the injury report. He’s also questionable with a left ankle sprain.
Tyson struggled as the de facto starting power forward against the Kings. He seemed hesitant at times playing alongside James Harden, and wasn’t able to get his shot to fall. He finished that game with 10 points on 3-8 shooting with six rebounds and no assists.
The Cavs will likely turn to Nae’Qwan Tomlin as the starting four if neither can go. Their absence would also open the door for increased minutes for Thomas Bryant and Keon Ellis.
Denver could also be down several key pieces.
The Nuggets will be without the services of Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (hamstring). Jamal Murray (hip) is questionable for the game. Jokic (ankle) and Christian Bruan (ankle) are probable to play.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 28: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on September 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Super Bowl was pretty fun. And a certain Brave had a pretty good view of both the game and the half time show. While Ronald Acuna Jr. likely had fun seeing football up close, you know that he and his teammates are ready for later this week as Spring Training gets under way.
Pitchers and Catchers will report today and tomorrow, while the rest of the team will stroll in as the week progresses. We are less than two weeks away from the Braves first Spring Training game, so you know everyone is ready to get to Florida and get to work in anticipation of the season.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Ny'Ceara Pryor scored 20 points with two clutch free throws late, Fatmata Janneh added a double-double and Texas A&M upset No. 21 Alabama 72-69 on Sunday to snap a six-game losing streak.
Jessica Timmons had a three-point play to give Alabama a 57-53 lead with 9:34 remaining. Lemyah Hylton hit a 3-pointer and Lauren Ware added a layup to cap a 10-0 run as Texas A&M moved in front 63-57. Timmons did all the scoring in a 7-0 spurt and the Crimson Tide moved ahead 64-63 at 4:11.
Alabama’s Essence Cody was called for a flagrant-1 technical, fouling out with 3:03 left. Ace Austin, who was fouled by Ware prior to the technical, made 1 of 2 free throws before Salese Blow sank two for the technical and the Aggies led 67-65. Pryor and Naomi Jones traded baskets before Janneh made 1 of 2 foul shots for a three-point lead with 21 seconds remaining.
Karly Weathers scored nine seconds later, but Pryor hit two foul shots and Ware blocked a 3-pointer at the other end to preserve the upset.
Pryor added seven assists, six rebounds and four steals for the Aggies (9-10, 2-8 Southeastern Conference). Janneh had 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Ware scored 13.
Timmons totaled 19 points and eight rebounds to pace the Crimson Tide (20-5, 7-5). Ta'Mia Scott added 18 points and Cody scored 13 with seven rebounds.
Ware scored six to help Texas A&M take a 14-12 lead after one quarter.
Ware, who had 10 points by halftime, scored on a layup in the final minute and Janneh had a three-point play with two seconds left to give Texas A&M a 34-29 lead at the break.
Scott hit her fourth 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded in the third quarter to give the Tide a one-point lead.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cam Thomas has signed with Milwaukee after getting waived by the Brooklyn Nets, the Bucks announced on Sunday.
The 24-year-old guard had spent his entire career with the Nets, who selected him out of LSU with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.1 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 24.3 minutes in 24 games with Brooklyn this season. He had missed about seven weeks with a left hamstring strain but returned on Dec. 27.
Hamstring issues also limited Thomas to 25 games last season, though he scored 24 points per game when available. Thomas, who is 6-foot-3, averaged 22.5 points and played 66 games in 2023-24.
Thomas is shooting a career-low 39.9% overall this season, and he’s made 32.5% of his 3-point attempts. He has shot 43.5% overall and 34.3% from 3-point range in 239 career games, including 88 starts.
TAMPA — Ben Rice may not want to lose his catcher’s gear just yet.
While the emerging slugger is still slated to be the regular Yankees first baseman this season, the re-signing of Paul Goldschmidt as a veteran backup could also lead to a few more starts behind the plate for Rice, according to manager Aaron Boone.
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“I don’t anticipate it affecting Rice because we think Rice is a star and we think he’s going to mash in the middle of the lineup for a long time,” Boone said Sunday on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM.
“Before we signed Goldy back, I was thinking Rice is truly our third catcher [behind Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra]. Protect you late in the game if you make an aggressive move with the bench or whatever, you got that coverage. Now, it probably pushes him a little more into — I don’t expect a lot — but somewhat more of a catching role. There’s tough lefty days, we’re going to want Goldy in there, we could put Ben behind the plate because we feel he’s going to hold his own too against lefties.
“So it complicates it there a little bit, but to finish off our roster with a really good player [in Goldschmidt], we felt like we had to do it.”
Paul Goldschmidt playing first base against the Athletics. JASON SZENES/NY POST
Boone acknowledged that Goldschmidt “wasn’t necessarily the perfect fit” — a right-handed hitting outfielder would have been more useful given the composition of their projected roster — but the Yankees opted to go for what they felt was the best player available in free agency to help balance out their left-handed lean.
Goldschmidt crushed left-handed pitching last season, posting a .981 OPS, though the Yankees have said they want to let the lefty-hitting Rice — who started 46 games at first base, 26 at catcher and 48 at DH in 2025 — face his fair share of lefties this year as well.
While the signing of Goldschmidt to a one-year, $4 million deal, as The Post’s Jon Heyman reported, should not affect Rice’s overall playing time, it could have some ripple effects down the rest of the roster, particularly with how the Yankees make up their bench.
If everyone stays healthy through spring training, the Yankees bench will likely include Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario and two of Escarra, Oswaldo Cabrera and Jasson Domínguez.
Yankees catcher Ben Rice #22 reacts against the Red Sox. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Escarra still projects as the true backup catcher, though depending on how often the Yankees would play Rice there, that could change.
Cabrera and Domínguez are both switch-hitters who are better from the left side, though the Yankees may need Cabrera more as a backup shortstop to José Caballero (since they did not seem comfortable playing Rosario there last season).
“Probably not in either situation a case where we’d want them as bench pieces — that doesn’t mean there’s not a scenario where they’re part of a true rotation where there’s real regular playing time,” Boone said. “But there’s a lot to still happen between now and when we break camp in late March.”
Jan 19, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) celebrates a three point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Looks like Giannis isn’t the only Milwaukee Bucks player who will take part in All-Star Weekend. Bobby Portis was announced as one of the eight players who will take part in this season’s three-point contest. This is the first time in his 11-year career that Portis will participate in an All-Star event. It’s the third straight year the Bucks have had at least one player in the three-point shootout, with Damian Lillard (2024, 2025) and Malik Beasley (2024) also participating for Milwaukee. The remaining competitors include Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Norman Powell, Devin Booker, and Kon Knueppel.
Portis is having one of his best seasons shooting from behind the arc, hitting 45.1% on 4.3 attempts per game. That mark puts him in a virtual three-way tie for fifth place in 3P% with Sam Merrill and Ayo Dosunmu. He’s also tied for seventh for three-point shooting in a single season in Bucks franchise history. It ranks as his second-highest career percentage, as he shot 47.1% in his first season with the Bucks.
Speaking of Lillard, he’s set to make his return to the court in the competition as well. Despite not playing at all this season due to a torn Achilles, Lillard is looking to add another three-point title to his extensive resume. Dame won back-to-back competitions in 2023 and 2024, the latter of which he won while in Milwaukee.
For those who don’t remember how the event goes, the NBA explained it in their press release about this year’s participants:
In the two-round contest, players attempt to score as many points as possible from multiple 3-point locations within 70 seconds. The top three scorers from the first round advance to the championship round, where the highest score determines the winner.
You can watch BP light it up from Los Angeles next Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Central time on NBC and Peacock.
AMARILLO, TX - SEPTEMBER 16: Mitch Bratt #20 of the Amarillo Sod Poodles pitches during the game against the Midland RockHounds at Hodgetown on September 16, 2025 in Amarillo, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | John E. Moore III/Getty Images
We already discussed one part of the return for Merrill Kelly in this series, when we covered Kohl Drake. Bratt was also received from Texas for their short-term loan of Kelly. While he is three years younger than Drake, having turned 22 in July, and is less likely to reach the majors this year, Mitch is still seen as among our better pitching prospects. Fangraphs had him in their top 10 arms, while Prospects 1500 were even more bullish, ranking Bratt as Arizona’s fifth-best pitcher (and it was perilously close there: Bratt was #13 overall, with the pitchers ahead of him occupying spots #9-12).
Mitch’s best talent is his control. He just doesn’t walk many batters: last year at Double-A, he issued only 21 free passes across 122.1 innings of work. His K:BB for the year was better than seven, and he actually improved on that after the trade. Small sample size warning, but in Amarillo, he had a K:BB ratio of 42:5 across 31.2 innings for the Sod Poodles. That 8.4 ratio was easily the best of any Arizona prospect in 2025 – nobody else, regardless of innings pitched, was able even to reach 7.0. Purely on walk rate alone, Bratt was tied for the lowest figure of anyone with 10+ IP in the D-backs’ system.
That’s the good news. The bad news is, his strike-throwing comes with a cost: a lot of hard contact. All told, Mitch allowed almost as many home-runs (18) as walks (21) last year. His fastball typically sits around 91 mph, and none of his pitches appear to be particularly outstanding at this point. Fangraphs rates them all 45-50, with the latter grade seen as the ceiling across the board. It seems that Bratt is going to need to learn how to pitch, in order to be successful, because he won’t be blowing the ball past batters based on stuff alone. That mean mixing up his offerings and locations, in order to keep hitters off balance, while continuing to show the good control he has done thus far.
While the fact he is a left-handed pitcher certainly raises his profile, the addition to the 40-man roster in November was likely more to do with Mitch being Rule 5 eligible, rather than immediate plans for him in the big leagues. Despite his young age, Bratt has already completed five years in the minors, having been drafted out of high school. He was picked by Texas in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, out of Georgia Premier Academy. I think he may start the year in Double-A again, mostly because the Reno Aces rotation appears full: Cristian Mena, Kohl Drake, Dylan Ray, Spencer Giesting and Yu-Min Lin are probably ahead of Mitch on our current depth chart.
As mentioned in our World Baseball Classic articles, Bratt is Canadian, though his appearance in the 2023 WBC did not go well. If he reaches the majors here, he won’t quite be a pioneers, but it’s close. The D-backs have only had one pitcher born in Canada across their history. It was Adam Loewen, who made eight appearances in relief, as part of the 2016 squad. It didn’t go well – a 15.00 ERA. So Bratt definitely has a shot at becoming our most successful pitcher from North of the border. [Since you ask, there have been three such position players. Most recently, of course, was Josh Naylor: but before him, Arizona was home to Jamie Romak and Danny Klassen]
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 07: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns pressures Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You know this by now: I love discovering and learning new things related to basketball or related to the Suns. I’ve already talked about it here, but once again, it’s a video from the Dreamcast Show that inspired me in the production of this article about maximizing possessions (a domain that is important in Jordan Ott’s playing philosophy).
This season, the Suns don’t win because they shoot better, but because they shoot more. Phoenix is not elite in shooting (15th in shooting efficiency this season), but Phoenix — and some of its players — is a team that manipulates the volume of play.
You know this: a possession is gained and preserved in three different ways.
First, by securing an offensive rebound. Phoenix grabs almost 13 offensive rebounds per game, with an Offensive Rebound% of 31%, which places them near the top of the league in that area. A possession is also gained by forcing a turnover, and Phoenix is also very well positioned in that category, ranking top 3 in steals per game (10.4), but also top 3 in Opponent Turnovers% with 17.1%. The quality of this team in these two areas is no longer in question, but what often hurts them is converting those opportunities (because of major shooting inconsistency).
Finally, it’s good to gain a possession, but it’s even better if it is preserved so you can attempt a shot. Here, the Suns are less good: 19th in offensive TOV% and 15.4 turnovers per game, which is huge for a team that creates so many “easy” situations.
To better visualize this possession gain, I imagined a small formula: (OREB/g + STL/g) – TOV/g — it’s not perfect science nor an absolute truth, but a trend indicator with a margin of error. And with this formula, the Suns gain on average +7.8 possessions per game.
For comparison, the best defensive team in the league, OKC, is at +6.3. Houston, who are the best offensive rebounders, are at +9.8. The Celtics, who are the team that loses the ball the least this season, are at +8.2. And finally, the Pistons, who are the most balanced team in this area, are at +7.8.
Phoenix doesn’t need to be perfect to win; they have a structural engine that gives them 6–10 extra possessions per game. But unfortunately, a big lack of shooting success on some nights places them in the Play‑in zone even though they generate as many extra possessions as the top‑3 teams.
But how is the team organized to generate so many extra possessions? Well, they rely on a clearly defined system and style of play: a constant physical presence in the dunker spot, combined with a sort of all‑in approach to maximize the chances of grabbing the offensive rebound. We can see it clearly in the action below: it starts with a pick and roll between Mark and Devin to swing the ball to Dillon in the corner, Booker positions himself in the dunker spot while the rest of the team comes to support him in that task. As a result, Embiid is focused on Devin Booker, which leaves Mark Williams free to do his job.
Then the team also relies on a super aggressive and oppressive defense that is not afraid to jump passing lanes or closeouts. The system is disruptive, which allows Phoenix to force many turnovers, like here against the Blazers: they try as much as possible to poke the ball loose (on passes or on-ball) while staying close to their matchup, Jordan Goodwin succeeds, and can go straight into transition.
Speaking of Jordan Goodwin, the wing ranks among the best in the league in this possession‑maximization profile. If we take the raw formula from earlier and standardize it per 100 possessions to make it more representative, Goodwin alone generates +5.2 extra possessions per 100 possessions. And that’s not all: among all players with +250 minutes this season (yes, that’s a lot of players…), Jordan Goodwin is the only one combining +7% OREB% and +2% TOV%. If there is one player whose value is underestimated, it’s him. At the end of the season, he should be one of the priorities when salary negotiations begin.
Phoenix doesn’t dominate through pure talent, but through volume. And it’s clear that the day efficiency matches intention, this team will move into another category.
