Category: MLB

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Gerrit Cole took a significant step in his long journey back to The Bronx on Friday night via TD Bank Ballpark, making his first rehab start (Double-A Somerset) since undergoing Tommy John surgery more than 13 months ago.

The Yankees ace displayed strong command, along with some rust, in his 4 ¹/₃-inning outing, allowing three runs (one home run), three hits and one walk, while throwing 44 pitches (36 strikes) and recording three strikeouts.

The 2023 AL Cy Young winner, who isn’t expected to rejoin the Yankees until late May or early June, hadn’t pitched in an official game since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.

“I have a lot of confidence, but tonight was probably not the exact same guy,” Cole said. “Hopefully, it’s on its way.”

Cole took the mound to a standing ovation, giving the minor league crowd a rare chance to see a potential Hall of Famer at the 6,100-seat ballpark. Even rarer was the sight of a six-time All-Star eager to step onto such a stage, making his long-awaited return.

“I felt good,” said Cole, who threw 2 ²/₃ innings in two outings during spring training. “It was fun to get back out there, game situations, a little extra adrenaline with the crowd.”

In a perfect first inning, Cole nearly surrendered a home run to right to Reading’s second batter, Carson DeMartini, but the ball drifted foul, allowing the right-hander to recover with a swing-and-miss breaking ball for a strikeout.

Before the second inning, Cole was thrown a curveball when his temporary teammates batted around in a five-run frame. Following the 20-plus-minute wait, Cole issued a one-out walk, then surrendered a two-out, run-scoring double, followed by an opposite-field, two-run homer.

“I didn’t come out quite so sharp that inning so that was a good challenge,” Cole said. “That was really the only time the command was a little shaky. The walk was a bad walk.”

In a four-pitch third inning, Cole found frustration — and a reminder of the lowest moment of his career — when he didn’t immediately break for first base on a grounder to the right side, though Somerset first baseman Coby Morales stepped on the bag in time.

“I got there late,” Cole said. “That was not good.”

The 35-year-old, whose fastball consistently reached the mid-90s, needed just four pitches to complete the fourth inning. He returned for one more at-bat and finished by fielding his position, leaving to his loudest applause of the night.

“Probably the only thing I didn’t accomplish was really moving the four-seam [fastball] as well as I know I can,” Cole said. “I was pleased with the changeup. I misexecuted one. The curveball was very sharp. I didn’t make any mistakes with that pitch. The slider was good. I hung one slider. … The fastball was good overall. Good pressure at the top and a lot of strikes, but I know I can move it better.”

Cole isn’t the only nine-figure starter the Yankees expect back in the near future.

Carlos Rodón — who underwent surgery on his left elbow in October — is scheduled to throw live batting practice Saturday at Somerset after throwing 50 pitches in a simulated setting Monday at Yankee Stadium. Rodón, 33, had been on the verge of making a rehab start, but suffered a setback two weeks ago when he felt tightness in his hamstring.

“We’re very excited to get those guys back,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday. “We know how good they are their entire careers. We know what they’re capable of. But it’s a process, too, of getting them back. They’re still a little ways off. The biggest thing right now is making sure they’re checking all the boxes and getting built up properly and then hopefully, when they enter back into the rotation, we get the impact we hope and expect.”

The Dodgers continue their weekend series against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night in Denver, with Emmet Sheehan coming off his best start of the season.

Sheehan struck out six in six innings against the Texas Rangers last Saturday at home, allowing three runs. The right-hander has started three times at Coors Field and won all three games, with a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings, with 22 strikeouts against only two walks.

Right-hander Ryan Feltner starts for the Rockies. He’s allowed 10 runs in 12 1/3 innings in his three starts this season, with nine strikeouts and six walks.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Rockies
• Ballpark: Coors Field, Denver
• Time: 5:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

The Athletics are back at it this evening at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento as they begin a three-game series against the American League Central rivals, the Chicago White Sox. The 6-13 White Sox are currently sitting in last place in the AL Central while the A’s are 10-9 and are tied for first place with the Texas Rangers

Aaron Civale, the 30-year-old righty will get the start for the A’s tonight. He’s currently 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his first season with the Athletics. He’ll go up against 29-year-old righty Davis Martin for the White Sox.  Martin is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA in three starts for Chicago, while tossing 15 strikeouts in 18 innings of work.

Martin will go up against this lineup for the homestanding Athletics:

Civale will look to remain undefeated against this batting order for rookie manager Will Venable and his club:

Follow the Game:

Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners

Friday, April 17, 2026, 8:40 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

T-Mobile Park

RHP Jacob deGrom vs. RHP Logan Gilbert

Go Rangers!

Gerrit Cole completed his first rehab start in Friday's Double-A game between the Yankees' Somerset Patriots and the Philadelphia Phillies' Reading Fightin Phils.

New York's ace RHP threw 44 pitches (36 strikes), allowed three runs on as many hits (one home run) while striking out three and walking one in 4.1 IP.

Still working with an overhead windup, Cole (Tommy John surgery recovery) delivered a perfect first inning with a strikeout sandwiched between two groundouts.

A perfect first inning for Gerrit Cole in Somerset!

(via @MILB) pic.twitter.com/Q74I52wPkU

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 17, 2026

The Patriots' five-run first inning gave Cole a lead to pitch with in the second.

The inning, however, saw Cole work into trouble after Raylin Heredia's one-out walk and, two batters later, Dylan Campbell's two-out double.

Bryson Ware's two-run homer followed before Cole struck out Cade Fergus to end the frame.

Gerrit Cole gave up 2 hits, a walk and 3 runs in the 2nd inning, but struck out a pair pic.twitter.com/9HpokQT5J1

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 17, 2026

Cole rebounded in the third inning with a perfect frame, throwing four pitches and getting three groundouts.

The fourth saw Cole allow a one-out single to Heredia before Alex Binelas' 3-6-3 double play to end the inning.

After Campbell's leadoff groundout, RHP Andrew Landry replaced Cole with one out in the fifth inning.

A ground ball hit to Gerrit Cole to finish out his night as he departs to a standing ovation in Somerset

Final line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 44 pitches pic.twitter.com/NjcR0TwtEr

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 18, 2026

Cole's plan is to "just recover the next couple days and see when the next turn is," he said.

"Early, it was just fastballs for strikes," Cole said of his approach. "As many, heart of the plate -- as many as we can go, just start repping that out. The second inning, I tried to kind of move it a little more. But I paid the price for that, just not being sharp. And then after that, my fastball location was really high. So, I came through the lineup a second time and tried some off-speed and had a good run of lefties so work some changeups, get some curveballs for Strike 1, curveball for Strike 1 to a right-hander. So, probably the only thing I didn't really accomplish was really kind of moving the four-seam as well as I know I can. But it looked really good from a metrics standpoint, and we were in the zone a lot, which was probably the main goal."

In spring training, Cole made two starts, totaling 2.2 IP, but this was different, he said.

"No, no nerves," Cole said of his first rehab start. "But even in the spring training games, you know can get rolled. So, if you need to get two innings, they'll figure out a way to make you get two innings. And that's not the case when you do this. ... At some point, you've got to collect outs. It's nice to go out there and throw a bunch of fastballs and fill the zone up. But if it doesn't go your way, you've got to figure out how to keep going. So, that is just a little extra level compared to spring training. And that not only presses you in terms of your pitches but in terms of all your other defensive aspects, whether it be picks or backing up or covering, etcetera."

Cole's last non-spring start for the Yankees was Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angles Dodgers, but he has not thought about his rehab's finish line.

"It's exciting, yeah, it's exciting," Cole said. "But I'm not looking farther than really what I've got to do the next couple days. Looking too far ahead and thinking about that would kind of take me out what I need to do right now, which is focus on one day at a time -- which, when you're in the thick of it in the big leagues, is what you've got to do. So, in that sense, I'm just trying to get back in the swing of things and do that process and not really focus on where I am in terms of the rehab or how close it is to the end."

San Diego Padres (13-6) at Los Angeles Angels (10-10), April 17, 2026, 6:38 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Angel Stadium – Anaheim, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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The Dodgers (14-4) open a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies (7-12) starting Friday night at in Denver.

Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) makes his first career start at Coors Field in the series opener. Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16 ERA, 0.78 WHIP) will counter for Colorado.

Lineups

Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Rockies
• Ballpark: Coors Field, Denver
• Time: 5:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

The St. Louis Cardinals will continue their strong start to the 2026 season by opening a series in Houston versus the Astros Friday night. Kyle Leahy is scheduled to make the start for the Cardinals. He’s 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA. Peter Lambert will start Friday night for the Astros. 7:15pm central is scheduled to be the first pitch at Daikin Park.

The Houston Astros (8-12) will open a three-game series with their former division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals (10-8), tonight at Daikin Park.

RHP Peter Lambert (season debut), selected from Triple A today, will make his first regular season appearance for the Astros tonight opposite the Cardinals and starter RHP Kyle Leahy (1-2, 5.14 ERA).

TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Peter Lambert joined the Astros via free agency this offseason after pitching last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 appearances in Japan.

This season, Lambert made his case by getting off to a strong start at Triple A Sugar Land, where he posted a 1.84 ERA (3ER/14.2IP) in three games (two starts), while also impressing at Major League Spring Training as a non-roster invite (1-1, 2.92 ERA, 4ER/12.1IP). A former Rockie, Lambert has 74 career MLB appearances, including 35 starts.

HOME-COOKIN’: Tonight is the fourth game of a six-game homestand for the Astros, in which they’ll host a pair of NL opponents in the Rockies (2-1) and Cardinals. The Astros have been great at home in 2026, going 7-3, including a seven-game winning streak, which was snapped last night.

VS. THE CARDS: This series is a matchup of former division rivals, who spent 19 seasons together in the NL Central from 1994-2012.

Overall, the two teams have played each other 722 times, with the Astros going 336-384.

These teams also have postseason history, with the Astros going 7-6 vs. the Cards in the playoffs. The two clubs faced off in back-to-back NLCS in 2004-05 with St. Louis taking the ‘04 NLCS in seven games and Houston winning the ‘05 NLCS in six games.

TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have selected RHP Peter Lambert (#38) to the Major League roster today. He takes the roster spot of RHP Christian Roa, who was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land after last night’s game.

In a corresponding move, the Astros transferred LHP Josh Hader to the 60-day IL.

EXTRA! EXTRA!:2B Jose Altuve recorded his 750th career extra-base hit last night with his 461st career double. He also has 32 triples and 257 home runs, all coming as an Astro. Only Craig Biggio (1,014) and Jeff Bagwell (969) have more extra-base hits than Altuve in franchise history.

GETTING ON :IF Isaac Paredes has an active on-base streak of 13 games, which ties as the longest active streak in the AL. During the run, which dates back to March 28, Paredes has posted a .375 OBP.

ON THE MEND: OF Zach Dezenzo (right elbow sprain) will begin a rehab assignment with Double A Corpus Christi tonight. Additionally, LHP Bennett Sousa (left oblique strain) is scheduled to make another rehab appearance at Corpus Christi tonight.

FAITH & FAMILY NIGHT: Tonight is Faith and Family Night at the ballpark. After the final out, fans are encouraged to stay for special postgame testimonials featuring Spencer Arrighetti, Carlos Correa and Shay Whitcomb.

Friday Night Fireworks presented by ConocoPhillips, will also be part of Faith and Family Night, as they will feature the musical theme Faith and Family.

TONIGHT’S SPECIAL GUESTS:SS Jeremy Peña will host students from Raul C. Martinez Elementary School tonight for Peña’s Pals.

In its fourth year, Pena’s Pals was developed by Jeremy in partnership with the Astros Foundation. The program celebrates kids and their development in academics, character building and making healthy choices.

THIS WEEKEND’S GIVEAWAYS: Tonight, 10,000 fans will receive a Carlos Correa City Connect Jersey, presented by Houston Methodist.

Tomorrow, 10,000 fans will receive an Astros Ice Cream Bucket Hat, presented by Texas Bay Credit Union.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, April 17, 7:10 p.m. CST

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

The Colorado Rockies (7–12) return home after a rough 1–6 road trip, salvaging the finale in Houston with a gutty, arguably career-best outing from Chase Dollander (5.1 IP, 0 R, 9 K). 

They now return to Coors Field after stops in San Diego and Houston — only to be greeted by a much different environment. Frigid temperatures are expected at first pitch after snow moved through the area earlier in the day, adding another variable to tonight’s game. 

It’s been a familiar early-season formula for the Rox: 

• A rotation that’s struggled to provide length (and is dealing with injuries) 

• A bullpen that’s been excellent — but is starting to feel the workload 

• An offense that shows flashes, but hasn’t found consistency 

Now comes the real test. 

We know what the Los Angeles Dodgers are. A behemoth — the behemoth. 

The early-season numbers just confirm what everyone expected. It was never really a question of whether this team would be great — it’s a question of how great. 116 wins? Another title? Something even more absurd? It’s not out of the realm. 

They arrive at 14–4 with the best record in baseball, leading MLB in AVG/OBP/SLG and producing runs at one of the highest rates in the league. Their pitching staff has been just as strong, with a top-five rotation and a top-10 bullpen ERA. 

And, as usual, expect plenty of Dodger Blue in the stands. 

Taking the mound for Colorado is Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16 ERA, 12 K/16.2 IP). Sugano has been one of the early bright spots in the rotation, posting strong surface results while leaning on his trademark command and deep pitch mix. A true control artist to start the year, he attacks hitters with a mix of fastballs, cutters, splitters, and breaking stuff — keeping batters off balance rather than overpowering them. 

His start was pushed back a day, which could help a taxed staff, but tonight’s matchup presents a real challenge. Sugano has done well limiting damage so far, but with a contact-oriented profile and a Dodgers lineup that punishes mistakes top to bottom, his margin for error at Coors Field is thin.  

The Los Angeles Dodgers will counter with Tyler Glasnow (1–0, 4.00 ERA, 22 K in 18 IP). Glasnow pairs elite swing-and-miss stuff (31% strikeout rate) with solid command, featuring a devastating mix of upper-90s fastballs and a heavy curveball. When he’s on, he can dominate any lineup. 

Cold weather can affect a pitcher’s feel on the ball — making grip a little less reliable and slightly muting pitch movement, especially on breaking balls — but even with those variables, Glasnow still can miss bats at a level few pitchers can match. If the Rockies are going to have success, they’ll need to stay disciplined, work counts, and capitalize on the few mistakes he might make. 

For Colorado, the path to staying competitive is pretty clear: 

• Sugano needs to provide real length to protect a taxed bullpen 

• The offense has to be pesky — work counts, take pitches, avoid chasing 

• And Coors Field needs to play like an advantage 

Because if this turns into a depth game, the Dodgers have the obvious edge. 

Now for the details…. 

First Pitch: 6:40pm MDT 

TV: Rockies.tv 

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish) 

SBN Site: True Blue LA 

Live Box Score: GameDay  

Lineups: 

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The San Diego Padres’ offense has been very potent to begin the 2026 season. One of the early contributors has been Luis Campusano. He is off to a hot start because Campusano finally feels free from the pressure of fulfilling others’ expectations

It has allowed him to play carefree baseball. 

Stammen’s belief never wavered 

Padres skipper Craig Stammen put trust in his game. It began in Spring Training, when the manager proclaimed that Campy was the team’s backup catcher, despite the pleas for a more reliable option. The support for the one-time top minor league prospect came as a surprise.

It was not too long ago when the front office thought Campy was a defensive liability. They felt he regressed in framing pitches, blocking balls in the dirt, and throwing out would-be base-stealers. When Campusano started, he lasted five or six innings before a defensive replacement was put into the game.

It was obvious there was no trust that he could navigate a pitching staff to a victory. Unfortunately, the organization never took into consideration that the position was too encompassing for a young player. The demands overwhelmed Campy, but those days are over.

Campusano turning a new leaf

So far, you have to give Campusano high marks in fulfilling his catching duties. He has become more attentive in having pitchers execute the game plan. Stammen has given him some latitude to call certain parts of the game from what he has observed behind the plate. Finally, Campy has effectively utilized the ABS system, turning it into an advantage for getting ahead in counts.

In the batter’s box, you might describe what Campusano is experiencing as an offensive renaissance. Currently, he is batting .310 with a .885 OPS in 10 games. Let’s not forget that Campy did not record a base hit in 27 plate appearances last season.

He has made the necessary adjustments that allowed him to make quality contact with a more level swing. Despite all the early-season success, Stammen has to be smart in how he uses Campusano in the lineup. 

What is next in Campy’s development

The burning question is whether his offensive value gives Campy more playing time. The organization may not be ready to have that conversation at this moment. However, starting receiver Freddy Fermin is struggling at the plate, hitting .161 with two RBI this season. 

There has been no talk of Campy replacing him in the lineup, but that could change if he maintains good offensive and defensive metrics. Right now, Fermin is the better catcher. He ranks second in the defensive runs saved category and throws the ball down to second base in 1.89 seconds. No question, Fermin has elite defensive skills behind the plate. 

Campusano is slowly gaining the trust of the coaching staff. Still, the Friars cannot sacrifice defense for another bat in the lineup.

However, he is a work in progress, as Campy is improving his footwork, becoming a solid blocker of pitches in the dirt, and making more accurate throws to second base. 

Finally, confidence is in his professional vocabulary.

The Milwaukee Brewers will take on the Miami Marlins in Florida on Friday night, as right-hander Coleman Crow makes his MLB debut.

Crow, who was already on the 40-man roster, was recalled from Triple-A Nashville earlier today. Right-hander Easton McGee was optioned to Nashville to open up the active spot.

Ranked as the team’s No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Crow was a 28th-round pick by the Angels back in 2019. He came over to Milwaukee from the Mets in exchange for Tyrone Taylor and Adrian Houser. After spending 2025 between Double-A and Triple-A, he started 2026 with the Sounds, making three appearances (two starts) with a 4.02 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 15 2/3 innings. Crow will match up with Janson Junk, a former Brewer who has found a home in Miami’s rotation over the last season-plus.

Crow will be backed up by Sal Frelick, William Contreras, and Brice Turang at the top of the order. Gary Sánchez bats cleanup as the DH, followed by Jake Bauers and Luis Rengifo. Garrett Mitchell, Greg Jones, and David Hamilton fill out the bottom of the order, as Joey Ortiz gets the day off.

First pitch is slated for 6:10 p.m. You can catch the television broadcast on Brewers.TV or listen to the game on WTMJ 620 and the Brewers Radio Network.

First pitch: 7:10 Central

Weather: Partly sunny, 44°

Opponent’s SB site: Red Reporter. Indie site: Redleg Nation

TV: Twins TV. Radio: There is no actual WKRP in Cincinnati (there is a low-power WKRP radio station in Raleigh, NC)

The Reds come into town sitting at 11-8 (same as the Twins), after finishing 83-79 last year and getting swept in the wildcard round. If, like me, you don’t think a playoff series win is a “real” series win unless it involves winning the divisional series, then the Twins haven’t done it since 2002… but the Reds haven’t done it since 1995. They did get to Game 5 in the 2012 NLDS, behind the bats of Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, and Joey Votto, and I’m having a hard time remembering who those guys were. The last Reds I really remember were Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey, Jr.

The current squad is led by rookie tater masher Sal Stewart (7 homers) and slick-fielding SS Elly De La Cruz (who Snoop Dogg loves).

Their starting pitcher today is Brandon Williamson, a 28-year-old lefty who spent much of 2024/2025 on the injured list. He throws a low-90s fastball and cutter, plus a change against RHB and a slider/sweeper against LHB. Those offspeed ones are his best pitches.

Williamson is officially One Of Us, born in Fairmont, MN. Fairmont is a south-central Minnesota town with some 10,000 residents (that’s pretty big for the region!). Its Wiki “Notable people” entry lists the Education Minnesota 2018 Teacher of the Year and a gentleman who wears a homemade costume to sci-fi conventions, calling himself Tron Guy:

Hey I’ll betcha he’s gotten more readers than I ever will.

A few links for your perusal:

Simeon of the Three Names had a fourth-inning meltdown last Friday, but a case of food poisoning might have been partly responsible, per this Bobby Nightengale Star Tribune story.

Woods Richardson “was throwing up pregame,” manager Derek Shelton said. “I mean, after the third, he wasn’t in a great spot. We were hoping to get more out of him, and it just looked like he ran out of gas.”

Woods Richardson told the coaching staff he could pitch after chucking up his pregame meal. The Twins already had a shorthanded bullpen, and they were down a reliever because Cody Laweryson is headed to the 15-day injured list.

“I think it’ll be the last day he eats Subway for a long time,” catcher Ryan Jeffers said.

Well, it’s probably just one worker who didn’t wash their hands properly, it can happen at anyplace, not just at Subway. Still, all kudos to SWR for trying his best to help the team. (Hopefully on Wednesday he didn’t eat from “Crazy Eddie’s Sushi Truck.”)

Of course, that’s better than that time in 1972 when Reds management sent a pitcher with a sore arm to… the dentist. The dentist yanked teeth to cure the sore arm. It did not cure the sore arm.

Per Eric Strack and Ted Schwerzler at this site, Tom Pohlad got cranky with a fan who was wearing a “Sell The Team” hat at Sunday’s game, calling her “classless.” Apparently the woman did take some pictures of Pohlad — I don’t like having a camera pointed at me, either — but if he was just crabby about the hat, that’s a bit silly.

Yet another story about how sports gambling ruins lives. Yet another story about how sports gambling companies are trying to subvert laws protecting residents in all 50 states (and get the legal age you have to be to gamble lowered). None of this is going to end well.

Defector’s Diana Moskovitz on being a woman who’s a sports writer. It’s what you’d expect in terms of the rotten stuff. It doesn’t make it any less infuriating.

“Talking Points Memo” is a terrible name for a website, but Peter Dreier has an good post there about how Jackie Robinson’s legacy is much more radical than MLB tends to highlight.

And ESPN the channel may be the all-sports-gambling, all-Screaming Bro network at this point, yet the website still has OK stuff sometimes, and here’s a fun piece about what players think of ABS so far. Basically, they like it, though everyone has a different notion of how the system could be improved. I like Reese McGuire’s idea that offense and defense should get two challenges each. Travis d’Arnaud made a neat point I hadn’t thought of before; umpires like being proved right. I was thinking more about ego-tripping umps not wanting to be proved wrong… but for good umps who really are trying their best to not be ego trippers, it must be nice to know you got a tough call right.

Why does that ESPN piece have no author name? Was it compiled by a bunch of interns? Freelancers? Who knows. Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be writers, it’s usually not for the best.

Words may not be actions, but words certainly speak volumes in their own right. 

During the New York Rangers’ breakup day and in their individual exit interviews on Friday from Chris Drury to Mike Sullivan to all of the players, there was a clear message being sent regarding the team’s future direction.

The Rangers are signaling their intent to become a competitive, playoff-caliber team sooner rather than later. 

Of course, that vastly contradicts Drury’s letter sent out to fans on Jan. 16 outlining the Rangers’ plan to retool the roster, trade some of the organization's key players, and get younger as a whole. 

Drury’s message held an awfully similar tone to the Rangers’ 2018 letter to fans issued by the franchise's previous management group, in which was followed up by a multi-year rebuild. 

However, it doesn't appear as if Drury, Sullivan, and company want to go down that same path. 

Sullivan has expressed that he believes the Rangers can be more proactive in jumpstarting their competitive window instead of going through a long restructuring of the roster, typical in most rebuilding teams. 

He shared that same sentiment on Friday with more time to decompress on the 2025-26 season.

“I think we have the ability to improve and get better in the most immediate future,” Sullivan said. “When you look at our team this year, for most of the year, we were right in the hunt. With some tweaks to our roster, get some guys healthy again, I think we have the ability to become a competitive team.”

The Blueshirts came into the 2025-26 campaign fresh off signing Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract, while Sullivan left a 10-year partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins to become the head coach of the Rangers, with the hopes of reviving their Stanley Cup aspirations that once seemed promising just one year before. 

In spite of Drury’s competitive mindset, the Rangers struggled out of the gate, and by January, it was apparent that they would likely not make the playoffs. 

"What I'll tell you is that did I anticipate some of the challenges that we had this year? Probably not,” Sullivan said. “I wouldn't be being honest with you if I said otherwise, but I just think that's the nature of pro sports.”

Shortly after the letter was released, the Rangers traded their franchise leader in points since the 2019-20 season, Artemi Panarin, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for prospect Liam Greentree and a conditional 2026 third-round pick. 

Outside of the Panarin deal though, Drury didn’t put his words from the letter into action, as he only made a couple of other minor trades leading up to the trade deadline, and notably held onto veteran forward Vincent Trocheck, who was heavily rumored to be moved. 

Now, a Rangers team that just finished in last place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 34-39-9 record and 77 points, are conveying a sense of confidence about the immediate future. 

“I'm not going to get into the timelines,” Chris Drury said on how close the Rangers are to becoming a playoff team. “I think we have a lot of good players. We have a lot of talented players. As we said in the letter, certainly wasn't good enough to that point and we're trying to retool and find some different ways to have success. I do like a lot of our pieces, and I'm excited to begin the offseason and take a deeper look at it and try and figure out how to be better.”

What led to this desire for a quick retool? 

If you look around the NHL, there are teams that have been able to fastrack their rebuild and become competitive quickly, adding some young talent to an already established core, including the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, and the Penguins. 

That is the model the Rangers appear to be looking to copy. Drury emphasized building around the team’s “core” players in his letter. These “core” players are likely headlined by Adam Fox, Igor Shesterkin, J.T. Miller ,and Mika Zibanejad. 

There also has to be a level of buy-in from the core players, which seemed to be on shaky ground after the letter was released. 

The main source of uncertainty came from Fox, whose noncommittal comments about his future with the Rangers sparked a wave of speculation. 

That initial uncertainty from the team’s top point producers has suddenly turned into unwavering optimism, something strongly made transparent during Friday’s exit interviews.

"I’ve been here for 10 years. I’ve gone through the ups and downs. For me, yeah retool or whatever, but you just look around the league and see how fast it can go,” Zibanejad said. “I’m optimistic, especially with the young guys coming in, too, and playing. I don't feel like we need a whole lot. I want to be here to turn this around." 

The Rangers ended the season on somewhat of a high note, winning five of their last seven games at home. 

During the last stretch of games, the Rangers’ veteran talent was healthy, and a new wave of young talent, headlined by Gabe Perreault, Noah Laba, Tye Kartye, Jaroslav Chmelař, Adam Sýkora, and Drew Fortescue began to emerge. 

This hot stretch was viewed as a sign of optimism by Drury and potentially even gives him more of a reason to jump on this trend of embarking on a quick retool as opposed to a mythical rebuild, whether that line of thinking may be irrational or not.

“Although the result of the season was not what we had hoped for, we were encouraged with how the team played to close out the year after the Olympic break,” Drury said. “The brand of hockey we played over the last few months gives us something to build on going into next season. 

“We are excited with the future holds with the players we have in our roster, the prospects that we've already drafted, and 11 picks we have in the upcoming draft. We're determined to take the momentum we've created and carry that forward for the 2026-27 season.” 

While we haven’t seen this plan of a shortened retool put into action just yet, and there’s no direct evidence to point toward the Drury going in that direction over the offseason, the words heard during breakup day were a clear indication that the Rangers are looking to be a competitive team in the near future, to the possible detriment of the organization.

Detroit Tigers (10-9) vs. Boston Red Sox (7-11)

Time/Place: 7:15 p.m., Fenway Park
SB Nation Site: Over the Monster
Media: Apple TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Casey Mize (1-1, 3.94 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (1-1, 5.02 ERA)