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Yankees Birthday of the Day: Robinson Canó

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Robinson Cano #24 of the New York Yankees celebrates after a walk off home run in the eleventh inning against the Minnesota Twins in Game Two of the ALDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Every generation of Yankees has transcendent talent, and for the faithful fans, homegrown stars have always made their passion burn a little deeper. Robinson “Robbie” Canó was one of these stars. A homegrown wonder kid whose timing, big smile, and smooth left-handed swing made him seem destined to take the torch from Derek Jeter and continue the Yankees’ legacy. Oh, what should have been.

Robinson José Canó Mercedes
Born: October 22, 1982 (San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic)
Yankees Tenure: 2005-13

Born on the eastern side of the island of Hispaniola in the Dominican Republic, Canó’s dad, a former big leaguer himself, named him after legendary second baseman Jackie Robinson. Canó grew up playing baseball and basketball on the island but also spent a few years in the States during junior high and high school before returning to graduate from San Pedro Apostol High School in San Pedro de Macorís.

Right after graduating, Canó started his journey with the Yankees. In 2001, at 18 years old, he signed as an international free agent. An unheralded signing at the time, Canó began his path to the show that summer, playing for both the Gulf Coast Yankees and Staten Island Yankees.

Canó slowly worked his way through the farm system and up prospect boards. A free swinger with some defensive lapses, Canó started to take off as he filled out his frame. In 2003, his performance earned him a selection to the All-Star Futures Game. His rising stock also made him a potential trade chip as the Yankees tried to cash in on the youngster.

The Yankees offered to include Canó in the Alex Rodriguez deal before the 2004 season, but Texas chose Joaquín Arias instead. Then, at the deadline, they tried to package Canó and catcher Dioner Navarro to the Royals for Carlos Beltrán. The following month, Canó was part of the Yankees’ efforts to acquire Randy Johnson from Arizona. Canó just kept raking, earning his second straight Futures Game selection in 2004 while reaching Triple-A.

After surviving so many potential trades, the stars aligned in 2005 when the Yankees called Canó up to the majors in early May to replace Tony Womack. The closest regular in age to the 22-year-old Canó was a 29-year-old Alex Rodriguez. Unfazed by the star power in the lineup, the rookie slashed .297/.320/.458 with 14 home runs in 132 games. His performance was good enough for second place in the Rookie of the Year voting, behind only Houston Street.

Canó was even more impressive in his sophomore campaign in 2006. During that season, he made his first All-Star team and finished the year slashing .342/.365/.525 with 15 home runs and 41 doubles. The .342 mark was third in the AL, with only his teammate Jeter and Joe Mauer surpassing him in a bid for the batting crown.

Then, the 2007 season started what would become an 11-year run of playing at least 150 games every season. If availability is the best ability, Canó was the best of this decade-long run. Prior to the 2008 season, Canó signed an extension to keep him in pinstripes through the 2013 season. It proved to be a brilliant move.

The 2008 season proved to be the first down year of Canó’s career, as his average dropped to .271. The whole team sputtered that season and finished third in the American League East. In the final season at the original Yankee Stadium, Canó recorded the final walk-off hit in the ballpark’s history.

The down year and new stadium prompted ownership to go all in before the 2009 season. With new stars aboard, the Yankees went on to have a historic season. Canó and Jeter became the first middle-infield duo in MLB history to record 200 hits in the same season. The team won 103 games while Canó hit 25 home runs and batted .320. The Yankees went on to win the pennant and take down the Phillies for the championship in six games.

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It seemed like Canó had taken the torch and was ready to run the Bronx to another dynasty as he hit .319 with 41 doubles and 29 home runs in 2010. He posted a 143 OPS+ with 8.1 rWAR and finished a career-best third in AL MVP voting, trailing only Josh Hamilton and Miguel Cabrera (also winning his first Gold Glove at the keystone). After struggling in the postseason the previous year, Canó almost got the Yankees back to the World Series himself in 2010, hitting .348 with four home runs in the ALCS against the Rangers.

With the championship window still open, the Yankees and Canó kept rolling in 2011 and 2012. The team won the AL East both years before falling to the Tigers in the playoffs. Canó hit a combined 61 home runs over those two seasons while batting .307, plus a career-high 148 OPS+ in 2012. The biggest highlight would be when he won the Home Run Derby in 2011 with his dad pitching to him.

The 2013 season was a year of transition for the Yankees, as injuries ravaged the squad (most notably Jeter and Mark Teixeira) and there just wasn’t enough depth to get the team back to October in what turned out to be Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte’s swan song. Canó had another stellar season, hitting .314 with 27 home runs, but without much help, the Yankees struggled and finished third in the division. Canó reached free agency following the season and it seemed like a no-brainer that the star would be back in the Bronx. 

However, in a shocking situation, Canó and the Yankees couldn’t reach a deal. The club offered seven years and $175 million but would not come close to the 10-year, $240 million deal the Mariners offered. The heir to the throne signed on the dotted line, packed his bags, and headed off to the West Coast. From that moment on, the Yankees were on a different path. The once-Evil Empire, which chased championships no matter the cost, had a new direction. That new direction has yet to win another title.

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For Canó, the post-Yankees years have been complicated. In Seattle, he made three more All-Star teams during the first five seasons of his mega-contract, but he was suspended for 80 games in 2018 after testing positive for a banned substance. The Mariners traded him that offseason, along with emerging closer Edwin Díaz, to the Mets.

Suiting up across town in the other borough, Canó, at 36 years old, was officially on the back nine of his career. He played for the Mets during the 2019 and COVID-shortened 2020 seasons. However, he missed all of 2021 after testing positive for a banned substance for a second time, this time resulting in a full-season suspension.

Returning in 2022, Canó struggled and was released by the Mets. He then played out the season journeyman-style, suiting up for the Padres and Braves for about a month each. Canó continued his professional career in Mexico, most recently playing for the Diablos Rojos del México in 2026 and hitting 15 homers with an .826 OPS at age 43.

Over his MLB career spanning 17 seasons, Canó finished with a .301 batting average, 2,639 hits, 335 home runs, and 1,306 RBIs. He was an eight-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger winner, earned two Gold Gloves, and took home World Baseball Classic MVP honors with the Dominican Republic in 2013. In pinstripes, he recorded 1,649 hits, 375 doubles, 204 home runs, and 44.4 rWAR. All four marks rank among the top 16 in Yankees history.

If not for the suspensions, Canó would have a legitimate case for a call to Cooperstown. He is arguably one of the 10 best second basemen to ever play the game, but between the failed drug tests and his departure from the Yankees, Canó’s legacy is complicated. For Yankees fans, he will always be a reminder of what could have been.

All the same, I wish you would’ve never left. Happy birthday, Robbie!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

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Watch These Former Mariners in the World Series

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Jake Bauers #9 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after striking out during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

No, the Mariners aren’t playing in the World Series this year. No surprise there. But that doesn’t mean Mariner fans have to sit out the Fall Classic without any thought of their hometown nine. In fact, there are plenty of Seattle connections featured during this series between the Brewers and Rays.

1B/OF Jake Bauers

2021: .220/.297/.275, 2 HR, 67 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR

2026: .266/.389/.484, 26 HR, 143 wRC+, 3.7 fWAR

By now, you’ve probably heard all about Jake Bauers’s story. How went from considering leaving baseball entirely a few years ago to winning the NLCS MVP award last week. His story also briefly crosses paths with the Mariners — twice! Way back in 2018, Bauers was traded from the Rays to the Guardians as part of the three-way, Edwin Encarnacion/Yandy Díaz trade. (Weird that that trade included two key players during this postseason eight years later.) Bauers was later traded to Seattle in June 2021 and posted an ugly 67 wRC+ across 202 plate appearances during the second half of that season. He was outrighted off the 40-man roster at the end of the season and bounced between the Reds and Yankees before latching on with the Brewers in 2023.

INF Ben Williamson

2025: .253/.294/.310, 1 HR, 76 wRC+, 0.4 fWAR

2026: .238/.302/.318, 3 HR, 76 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR

Ben Williamson made his major league debut with the Mariners last year combining excellent defense at third base with a noodle bat at the plate. Recognizing a need for a more potent profile at a traditionally offense-focused position, the Mariners traded Williamson to the Rays during the offseason as part of the three-way, Brendan Donovan deal. With Junior Caminero manning the hot corner for Tampa Bay, Williamson spent most of the season as a utility infielder, splitting time between second base and shortstop. His defensive chops were stretched a little at those two up-the-middle positions and he matched his rookie campaign with a 76 wRC+ in 2026.

RHP Freddy Peralta

2015 (MiLB): 4.11 ERA, 2.32 FIP, 8.38 K/BB

2026: 4.42 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 2.48 K/BB, 1.9 fWAR

Both of the MVPs from this year’s LCS’s had ties to the Mariners, but you have to go all the way back to 2015 to find Freddy Peralta’s connection. He was dealt to the Brewers in the ill-fated Adam Lind trade as a 19-year-old prospect and made his major league debut just three years later. Peralta was traded to the Mets this past offseason and then dealt to the Rays at the trade deadline, so he’ll be facing his old ballclub in the World Series. His season started off pretty rough in New York — his ERA was just a hair under five in 22 starts before moving to Tampa Bay — but he got things back on track down the stretch and has allowed just two runs in 16.2 postseason innings so far.

RHP Brody Hopkins

2024 (MiLB): 2.90 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 2.38 K/BB

2026: 5.06 ERA, 6.29 FIP, 1.17 K/BB, -0.1 fWAR

Brody Hopkins was the headlining prospect sent to the Rays in the Randy Arozarena trade in 2024. He’s developed into a top 100 prospect and was ranked third in Tampa Bay’s preseason farm system rankings. His athleticism has helped him thrive on the mound even though he’s only truly focused on pitching for four years now — he was a two-way player in college. But that lack of experience has led to some developmental hurdles that have stalled his growth a bit. The biggest issue is his command; he was walking nearly a batter per inning in Triple-A, limiting his strikeout-to-walk ratio to just 1.3. His stuff is nasty, his velocity has played up in shorter stints out of the bullpen, but he simply can’t locate any of his pitches with any regularity.

Those four players are the most notable former Mariners playing in the World Series this year. A special mention goes to Casey Legumina who was a significant piece of the Rays bullpen since being traded to Tampa in April but wasn’t included on their ALDS or ALCS rosters. The Rays have the advantage with three players (four if you count Legumina), plus it seems like Arozarena will be cheering on his former club as loudly as he can this weekend.

Oh, and there’s the fact that the creator of Lookout Landing, Jeff Sullivan, is employed by the Rays. In a roundabout way, Tampa Bay’s success is also Lookout Landing’s success.

Even though the Brewers have only one former Mariner on their roster, the franchise started out as the Seattle Pilots in 1969. By the transitive property, a Milwaukee championship would also count as a Seattle championship, right?

If you’re looking for a team to bandwagon simply based on Mariners connections, you can’t go wrong with either team.

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2026 Atlanta Braves Player Review: Connor Thomas

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 27: Connor Thomas #65 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Monday, July 27, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Evan Yu/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The good news for Connor Thomas is that he’s appeared to have figured it out as a reliever and he should be able to find somewhere to pitch once the smoke has cleared with the upcoming labor war that’s looming over all of baseball. The bad news is that he figured that out with the Kansas City Royals instead of the Atlanta Braves.

Connor Thomas didn’t make too many appearances for the Braves in 2026 but he did somehow manage to become the focus of a rival broadcast’s pity based on his final outing as a Brave this season. Just how badly did it go for Connor Thomas in Atlanta? Let’s get into it, shall we?

How Acquired

The Braves signed Connor Thomas to a minor league deal back in early November of 2025. This came after he elected free agency when the Brewers outrighted him off of their roster oncer their season came to a close. That came after he was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Brewers ahead of the 2025 season, so that tells you that something was certainly there for Thomas if a team was willing to pick him in that particular draft. With that being said, it mainly didn’t work out for Thomas in Milwaukee because bone spurs in his elbow wrecked his 2025 season, so Atlanta was certainly taking a bit of a flier on bringing in Thomas.

What were the expectations?

Well, Thomas ended up starting the season on the Injured List due to the surgery that he underwent in the previous year and while he did make a handful of appearances with the Rome Emperors in High-A, it wasn’t until May 22 when he was finally activated and sent to the Gwinnett Stripers. That’s where he stayed until he got called up in early-July, so the Braves really did kind of have Thomas tabbed as organizational depth during his time here.

Honestly, there wasn’t much of a reason to think differently. He was getting 35+ future value grades on FanGraphs, which is very definitionally a fringy prospect. He was a fifth-round draft pick with a modest signing bonus, hadn’t pitched well in all of two appearances with the Brewers in 2025, and had fairly unimpressive numbers from 2022-onward, after he ascended full-time to Triple-A. Largely the only thing he had going for him was running a low-ish ERA relative to his peripherals in some minor league stints, but that does not a pitcher above organizational depth make.

2026 Results

Connor Thomas finished with 19 1/3 innings pitched under his belt during this particular stint, as he proved to be a bit of a ground ball machine (finishing with a 64.4 percent ground ball rate) while also doing a good job of keeping runs at a premium. He ended up finishing with a 2.33 ERA (54 ERA-) and a 2.43 FIP (58 FIP-) across 19.1 innings pitched and 17 appearances — for the Kansas City Royals. When it came to his time with the Braves, well, it was disastrous.

Thomas only made two appearances totaling 6 1/3 innings while he was with the Braves. We all know about the second and final appearance that he made (which we will discuss later) but his first appearance still ended with some poor results. Thomas gave up the first of four homers that he’d somehow end up giving up in such a brief amount of time with Atlanta during his first appearance on July 7 against the Pirates. He wound up giving up four runs while he was out there, so this was certainly a rough experience for Thomas while he was here.

What went right?

The only good thing I can say about Connor Thomas’s time with Atlanta is that he ate some innings. The guy who entered the game after Thomas was done with both of his appearances was none other than Jorge Mateo, who is not a pitcher. Thomas’s job while he was here was to be on mop-up duty unless there were no other options available out of the ‘pen at any given moment.

Unfortunately for Thomas, that scenario came to fruition three weeks later.

I guess, one thing we can say went “right” for Thomas is that he pitched so much better in an extended stint for the Royals that he actually finished with positive fWAR for the year. Seriously: -0.4 fWAR across 40 batters faced for the Braves, and +0.5 fWAR across 78 batters faced for the Royals. Well done, sorta.

What went wrong?

Thomas’s second and final appearance for the Braves was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Walt Weiss brought him in for the sixth inning of a tie game against the New York Mets on July 27, which was a sign that the bullpen was definitely a bit gassed at this particular moment in time. Thomas gave up a single and a two-run homer to kick off his outing and at that point, it became clear that Thomas was going to have to wear one for the team.

Sure enough, he ended up facing 23 batters and getting charged with 10 hits (three of which were homers bashed off of him) and walking five batters in order to give up a grand total of 11 runs over 78 pitches. You know it was bad when the Mets’ TV commentary team was actually feeling bad for the guy instead of cheering on the onslaught.

Anyways, Thomas did indeed receive his ticket back to the minors after this and two days later, the Athletics claimed him off of waivers. Oof.

2027 Outlook

Considering that he did end up sticking around with the Royals through the end of the season and what the Royals were able to get out of him while he was there, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see him pitching somewhere once the 2027 season rolls around. He’s a left-hander, he’s under 30 and he’s shown an ability to induce ground balls at a pretty high rate and his stint with the Royals ended up going pretty well. He’s never going to blow anybody away with his velocity but maybe some organization will decide that it’s worth it to see if he can keep on getting opposing hitters to keep it on the ground instead of the air by relying on the varied movement of his pitches. It probably won’t be the Braves giving him another shot, though.

Of course, the Royals still control him, given his low service time, so all of this only matters if they decide to move on. Which, given how he pitched for them down the stretch, isn’t a certainty. Still, he looks like a replacement-level reliever on balance until he shows otherwise for more than a couple of months. But, maybe the Royals helped him figure something out that goes beyond serving as a sacrificial lamb to the long grind of an MLB season.

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Draymond Green wants to retire a Warrior, but plans to play in 2027-28 season

Draymond Green wants to retire a Warrior, but plans to play in 2027-28 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green entered his 15th season with the Warriors on a one-year contract that he signed in the offseason. 

While the one-year deal reaffirmed the team’s commitment to the four-time champion, it raised questions about Green’s future with the team, and in the NBA, beyond the 2026-27 season. 

Green reiterated in an interview with CNBC’s Alex Sherman that he wants to spend his entire career with the Warriors but also stated that this will not be the final season of his career. 

“I would love to retire a Golden State Warrior; however, I also would love to play basketball next year,” Green said. “So if that’s not here, I’m not going to retire. But in saying that, I would love for that to be here.  

“It’s such a rare thing to be on one team for your entire career, and if I can accomplish that feat, I would love to do it.” 

Green’s love for the franchise is clear, but he also acknowledged that he doesn’t have the “luxury that Steph Curry has” of a guaranteed future spot on the Warriors roster if that is what he desires. 

He understands that the franchise has a business decision to make next offseason regarding roster construction. 

“Number one, I understand the business,” Green explained. “I do know that this is a business and the organization is going to make the best decision from a business standpoint. If I fit into that equation: great. If I don’t: great.  

“But I’m extremely grateful for the journey that I’ve been on here, and I’m going to enjoy this year like it’s my last, even if it isn’t.” 

In 2023, Green told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that his preferred career timeline would draw its conclusion toward the end of his 15th season. But now that year No. 15 has arrived, Green sees at least one more year in professional basketball.  

The possibility that it is his last year with Golden State is not something he ignores. 

“I think I’d be crazy to not think that that’s a possibility,” Green said. “In saying that, I don’t approach every day like this is my last year here. But to say that that’s not a possibility; I’d be fooling myself.” 

Above all else, Green is content with playing a key part of the Warriors since the beginning of his career in 2012. 

“If 14-and-a-half years ago you handed me a sheet of paper that said ‘Hey, not only are you going to player 15 years in the NBA, but you’re going to play 15 years with one team?’ I would have taken that sheet of paper so fast – sign me up as fast as you can,” Green said. “So, I’m not going to get to year 15 in this place and have any ill-will or any ill-feelings towards this maybe [being] my last year.” 

Green is clearly appreciative of his time as a Warrior. And even if the powers that be decide that this is his last year with the franchise, it does not appear that it will be his last year playing basketball. 

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Hero ball? Don’t expect it

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 20: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the game against the New York Knicks on October 20, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Whenever there are star-laden rosters rolled out in the NBA, skeptics of said rosters often have the same critiques.

“There’s only one ball.”

“Too many egos.”

“Good luck getting that guy to take a back seat to anyone.”

The NBA has long been powered by its stars and while it seems as if the narrative in recent years has changed, particularly with a team like New York winning an NBA championship last season primarily due to its stellar depth, top-end talent will always garner a lot of conversation in the NBA. The Sixers have a ton of it. It was fair to question how quickly all of the talent would mesh and come together, but if the season opener at Madison Square Garden was an indication, chemistry isn’t going to be a problem for this season’s Philadelphia 76ers.

Every Sixer in the starting lineup, besides VJ Edgecombe who attempted the fewest number of field goals amongst the five, had at least five assists in the 106-100 victory over New York. The Sixers committed fewer turnovers than a Knicks team that was returning the bulk of its roster that won last season’s title. Philadelphia also had 24 fastbreak points to 16 for the Knicks. These are all statistical categories that indicate a strong degree of togetherness and selflessness on the court.

On Tuesday night, the Sixers did not look like a team that was still trying to figure out how to put the puzzle pieces together. They also did not beat the Knicks due to a hot shooting night that could just be chalked up to randomness. Philly shot just 28% from the three-point line in the win. They did so with two high-profile new starters in the lineup in LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. They closed out a close game on the road against an opponent that’s owned them in recent seasons including two of the last three postseasons. So if they can do all of that in their first game together against the reigning champions, maybe it’s easy to see why there was so much hype around this team.

Inevitably, there are going to be overtures, if they haven’t started already, from fans about coach Nick Nurse’s overreliance on the starting five. Every starter played at least 33 minutes in the opener. There are another 81 regular season games to go plus what the franchise hopes is a deep playoff run. Managing minutes is not a novel concept for Nurse, but how good will he be at it this season? It’s a fair question.

Will Mike Gansey be able to find a backup center to Joel Embiid after losing Ariel Hukporti for the year before the season started? Finding some consistent outside shooting from the wing also figures to be the easiest way to get James some rest throughout the marathon that is the regular season.

Surely, there are still things the Sixers will have to figure out during the season as they’re not going to waltz to an NBA championship. But playing into June was on everyone’s minds before this season started and the victory on Tuesday night in New York showed us why. Chemistry and cohesion are usually things that only get better as the season goes on and if that’s the case for this group, we might be in for a very special next 6-8 months, Sixers fans.

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LaMelo Ball got away with the most blatant travel you will ever see

There is uncalled traveling in the NBA, and then there is what LaMelo Ball did on Wednesday night.

That's not a travel, that's a vacation.

It was right in front of the official — who should have been focused on Ball's feet, making sure he was behind the arc. To the credit of the official NBA referees account, they owned that this was a missed call.

Don't let this take away from Ball's impressive Timberwolves debut: 21 points and six assists in 28 minutes, and he was +18. It also helped that Anthony Edwards was on a heater.
But that absolutely was a travel.

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Draymond Green names the one thing he would change about the NBA as commissioner

Draymond Green names the one thing he would change about the NBA as commissioner originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green is in the midst of a Hall of Fame career and is set to play a big role for the Warriors this season. But nothing lasts forever, and it is almost time for him to think about his post-basketball life.

Green could have an option once he retires, as he has said in the past that he would like to eventually become NBA commissioner, a position currently held by Adam Silver.

Speaking to CNBC Sport’s Alex Sherman, Green was asked what he would change as commissioner and his answer suggested that the league’s current state isn’t working.

“The salary structure,” Green told Sherman. “Ultimately, the salary structure has changed a lot of teams. I think it’s changed the NBA. We’ve always heard the word parity thrown around. Over the last six years, there’s been six different champions. That hasn’t had the benefit of having dynasties. All fans love to see dynasties; even the fans that hate to see dynasties, they really tune in for the dynasties and we’re not getting that anymore due to salary structure.

“That’s what I would change because ultimately, it’s a reason why Michael Jordan dominated for a period, the Spurs dominated for a period, LeBron dominated for a period. [The Golden State Warriors] dominated for a period. Now, it’s all over the place, and I don’t love that. As a basketball fan, I don’t love that.”

The Warriors’ dynastic run began during the 2014-15 season and netted four NBA championships through the 2021-22 season. During that time, NBA competition wasn’t as strong, with the Warriors dominating the Western Conference by a large margin.

Sherman noted that Silver recently told him that the NBA has data stating fans want parity. But when it was suggested the commissioner could be twisting the data, Green defended Silver while also emphasizing that basketball fans don’t love parity.

“I never think he’s twisting the data,” Green told Sherman. “When speaking of Commissioner Silver, I think he’s the best commissioner out there when you’re talking about all the major sports leagues. I don’t think he’s necessarily twisting the data. But, as you and I both know, data isn’t everybody’s opinion. It’s a subset of people, and then we take that and say, oh well, if you divide that by this many people, then that’s what you get.

“Or you add that in this amount of people, that’s what you get. I don’t think he’s twisting the data, but I will tell you as a basketball fan, and I’m always around a lot of basketball fans, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s loved.”

Green is not ready to retire yet and is focused on playing at a high level this season so he can help Golden State achieve its goals. But when he retires, don’t be surprised if he starts impacting the game of basketball in other ways.

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Mavericks coach Dusty May breaks down Flagg’s, Irving’s season-opening performances against Rockets

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 21: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks speaks with Cooper Flagg #32 during the second quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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 Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks’ 2026-27 season got off to a rocky start on Wednesday night, as they got blown out by Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets, 128-110. After only trailing 32-26 when the first quarter ended, the Mavs proceeded to get outscored 38-12 in the second quarter, which ended up being the deciding factor in the game. Dallas outscored Houston 72-58 in the second half, but it was already too late.

It was a little bit of a mixed bag when it came to the performances of the Mavs’ two stars, 19-year-old Cooper Flagg and 34-year-old Kyrie Irving, who was playing his first real NBA game in nearly 600 days following an ACL injury. Flagg finished with a game-high 32 points (10-17 FG, 11-13 FT), five rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block in 33 minutes of action. He poured in 23 of his 32 points in the second half alone. Irving finished with 15 points (6-9 FG), four rebounds, two assists and one steal. Both Flagg and Irving had four turnovers each.

Following the loss, Mavs head coach Dusty May gave his thoughts on how his two stars played in their first real game together.

“I thought he was setting us up,” May said of Flagg’s second-half scoring. “In the first half I thought he was being very intentional with getting his teammates shots, and then, in the second half, we did a better job of getting some off-ball movement. We played a little bit faster, and then obviously if you’re not taking the ball out of the net, you can get it up and attack quickly. I thought that was the biggest difference. We just — our pace got a lot better in the second half.”

Getting to the free-throw line was something Dallas struggled with in the preseason, so Flagg’s ability to get to the stripe 13 times and convert 11 of them was a welcome sight for May.

“That’s been a point of emphasis, and that’s one thing, when we evaluated ourselves after four [preseason] games, getting to the line wasn’t something we did well,” May said. “We thought [Flagg] was the best way to capitalize in the paint. I thought he was strong. I thought he made good decisions. When we start knocking down some open shots, his assist numbers will increase.”

Irving was efficient on Wednesday night, but the problem was that his shots were limited. That obviously wasn’t by May’s design, but it’s what the Rockets’ defense forced the Mavs into.

“He’s obviously the focal point,” May said of Irving being limited to nine field-goal attempts by Houston’s defense. “They put two on the ball. I thought he made the right plays, the right decisions. There [are] going to be puzzles we’re going to have to figure out. Playing four-on-three with our other guys — we’ve got to do a better job and find some solutions.

“But I thought there in the second half, he showed a real — his true character — in being a leader when things weren’t going well, I thought he set a great example. Our bench was phenomenal. They were cheering for each other. We’re worried about getting better, especially starting with a couple games on the road like we are. We’re focused on getting better, and I was proud of the way the guys stayed connected and stayed fighting until the end. That showed some character.”

The Mavs now shift their attention to another road test against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night before opening up at home against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. The Pacers started their season off 1-0 with a 123-120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans after star point guard Tyrese Haliburton made his return from an achilles injury he suffered in the 2025 NBA Finals.

“[We have to] learn from what we did well,” May said. “I thought we made some strides in areas we’ve struggled in. But just look at the film. The lowest-hanging fruit — what can we fix in a 48-hour period, so we’re not out here chasing every rabbit, but focus on a couple of things so we can just trust it a little bit more. From everybody, we’ll fix that area. … These extra possessions, they steamroll on you, so if we just clean up a few things, I think we’ll make a significant jump.”

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Donovan Mitchell wants to be in Cleveland ‘forever’

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 11: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates after scoring during the second quarter of a preseason game against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena on October 11, 2026 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers took a risk when they traded for Donovan Mitchell in 2022. They made a gamble that the assets they unloaded, which included multiple first-round picks that spanned seven years, would ultimately never be missed.

It looks like they’re winning that bet.

“I don’t ever want to wear another uniform,” Mitchell said in a Cleveland.com exclusive with Chris Fedor. “I dream of myself being here forever and hopefully having 45 in the rafters one day.”

Mitchell has not only led the franchise to some of their most successful seasons, but he’s signed an extension that keeps him in Cleveland through the 2029-30 NBA season — past the date of the final draft pick that is owed to the Utah Jazz.

There was a time when it was unclear if the Cavs would retain Mitchell for more than a single season. Or if they’d reach an agreement on even one contract extension. But now we are two extensions deep with a franchise star who has fully committed to the city he’s in.

Mitchell has averaged 26.7 points and 5.3 assists in four seasons with the Cavaliers. He’s been an All-Star in each season and was named to an All-NBA team in three of the four.

Entering his fifth year in Cleveland, Mitchell has made it clear that this is where he wants to be. The franchise has doubled and tripled down on their own commitment to him. Trading for James Harden last season and shuffling the starting lineup to add a 3-and-D wing in Peyton Watson. It’s all built around competing now while Mitchell’s window is open.

The Cavs haven’t had many players of Mitchell’s caliber represent the city, let alone retire in Cleveland. There’s something to be said for a star embracing his new home — even if this is all easier said than done. A lot can change between now and the end of Mitchell’s career, but a verbal commitment like this shouldn’t be taken for granted.

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Yaxel Lendeborg continues beef with Luka Doncic postgame: 'I lost all respect' for him

LOS ANGELES — It says something about how Steve Kerr and the Warriors feel about Yaxel Lendeborg that, in the season opener, they started him and gave him the Luka Doncic defensive assignment.

Lesson No. 1 for the rookie: Don't trash-talk Doncic. As the Slovenian himself said in his ESPN walk-off interview, "Everybody knows when somebody starts talking, you got a different me." Not only did Lendeborg pick up a technical, but also when he really got in Doncic's face, the Lakers went on a 13-4 run sparked by Doncic. And this happened.

That didn't stop Lendeborg from continuing his beef with Doncic after the game.

"I had a lot of respect for him, you know, just watching," Lendeborg said postgame. "I didn't really watch the NBA much, I just watched highlights, seeing him kill people all the time. But then, being in there firsthand, just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man. Like, that was awful. Me getting frustrated, it's not about the foul call being called, it's about him complaining the entire game. And then you get the foul call, congratulations, bro, and then you talk to me like you did something great, bro. Come on. That's just weak.

"So, it kind of threw me off for a little while because, like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone, man. Gone."

Those comments came after Doncic spoke, and this is all Doncic said about it and the technical foul on Lendeborg.

"I mean, he was talking crazy," Doncic said. "But you know I wasn't trying to talk back. This season, not trying to get techs. So it's the first time that that was not a double tech because I didn't say nothing. So I'm working on it."

Some quick thoughts on all this:

• Never change, Lendeborg. Don't go through Raymond Ritter's media training. Speak your mind.

• There are a lot of fans around the league who agree with Lendeborg about Doncic.

• It's tough to talk trash when your team is getting trashed. The Lakers pulled away in the second quarter when Doncic got hot — and Curry got cold, the Warriors are banged up and have no offensive creators to speak of outside of him — and that came when Lendeborg fired up Doncic.

• Lendeborg did a respectable job on Doncic, who shot just 1-of-5 when the rookie was the closest defender challenging the shot. The problem was that when the Warriors' defense focused and collapsed on Doncic, he found Walker Kessler rolling to the rim for one of his 10 dunks on the night.

• Lendeborg, 24, speaks for a generation of fans when he said, "I didn't really watch the NBA much, I just watched highlights." There are many, many who consume all their NBA info through social media clips and people on social media talking about the game. Nothing wrong with that, except the NBA's entire financial model is based on you tuning in to watch games. It's about television revenue (and ratings were up last season). It's a problem for Adam Silver and the league (and other sports leagues as well).

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Maple Leafs Morning Skate: Jake McCabe Avoids Eye Injury Scare Ahead of Rangers Clash, Marshall Rifai's Status In Doubt And More

Jake McCabe was a full participant at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ morning skate on Thursday and is expected to play against the New York Rangers despite absorbing a high stick that forced him from Tuesday’s game in Columbus.

The 33-year-old defenceman was struck near the eye by Kent Johnson’s stick in the first period of the Leafs’ 6-2 win over the Blue Jackets. He went to the locker room and did not return, held out as a precaution once the lead grew comfortable. McCabe skated with regular defensive partner Darren Raddysh on the top pairing. 

“He really got himself a break,” Hiller said of McCabe’s injury. “Anytime the stick gets up underneath the eye, you never know what it’s going to look like. So he was fortunate. He’s doing well.”

McCabe described a brief moment of panic before he opened his eye and confirmed he could still see. Swelling set in quickly, but he said it felt better by Thursday. He credited the training staff, including Paul Ayotte, for handling the situation. Asked about any frustration with the play, McCabe was direct.

“A little bit, yeah. I’ll be honest,” McCabe said. “I think guys can take better care of their sticks for sure. But obviously, it’s an accident. I’m not going to fault him for that. But just a general consensus. I’ve gotten a couple high sticks the last three, four games, and they seem to be from younger players. So keep your stick down.”

McCabe said he does not need a different visor for Thursday’s game. His availability is significant with Chris Tanev still sidelined by an upper-body injury. McCabe and Troy Stecher have been hopping over the boards first on the penalty kill, and the Leafs have continued to generate pressure and chances late in kills even without Tanev.

Marshall Rifai’s status is less clear. The defenceman left the morning skate early after starting the session paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Hiller said Rifai is dealing with something and that the Leafs would have to wait and see. 

Rifai scored his first NHL goal on Tuesday in Columbus, finishing a play in the Leafs’ six-goal outburst. McCabe noted that the call-up received regular shifts and close to 20 minutes that night, which he viewed as positive for Rifai’s confidence. The 28-year-old had been recalled to provide depth on a blue line already missing Tanev.

Matthews of Old?

Auston Matthews has been scoring on a torrid pace, with six in his last six games. Through 11 games, Matthews leads the Leafs in scoring. Hiller said the production is a matter of time given the talent level once the skating and habits stay in place.

“He’s just been so consistent,” Hiller said of Matthews. “He’s skated from the first day of camp. That’s what I’ve noticed. Now to start the season, he played really well. Didn’t score a lot of goals, and it didn’t change. He just kept skating and skating. So now, you know, he’s going to score. We know that he’s a world-class goal scorer.”

McCabe described Matthews as leading the way on and off the ice. Darren Raddysh called the current version “vintage Auston,” referencing the games from Matthews’ 70-goal chase. Nylander, who has seen the full arc of Matthews’ career in Toronto, said the present level may even exceed that earlier peak.

“Probably maybe even better than that at that point,” Nylander said. “I mean, we’ll see. I think 70 goals is crazy, but I mean just the way he’s playing is about the same probably.”

Nylander’s own game has drawn positive reviews from the coaching staff for reasons beyond the scoresheet. Hiller said conversations about play without the puck that once required regular attention are largely finished. Nylander now shows a clearer grasp of both sides of the puck and how he fits into the structure when the Leafs are playing well. He has found chemistry with Marchenko and Paul. Nylander likes Marchenko’s size, right-handedness and similar approach to the game, and he noted that the line has been clicking. 

Special Teams Fuel Leafs

The Leafs’ special teams have been a quiet strength through the early schedule. On the penalty kill, McCabe pointed to increased up-ice pressure from Sissons and others that disrupts opposing breakouts, plus late-kill contributions from Nylander and Cowan. Nylander mentioned a strong pass from Rielly that set up Cowan’s first NHL shorthanded goal in Columbus. On the power play, Nylander said the unit is moving the puck well and getting pucks to the net, producing goals in different ways. Raddysh attributed the success to options, reading pressure and players buying into the system the coaches want.

Younger players continue to receive opportunities and show comfort with the pace. Hiller said a pre-season conversation with Easton Cowan stood out because Cowan laid out higher expectations for himself than the staff had outlined. Consistency night after night remains the challenge for any young player, but Hiller said Cowan has largely met that standard. Nylander, asked about the confidence level of the next wave, recalled his own early desire to have the puck and score. He said the current group is doing a good job of wanting to be difference-makers.

Toronto’s penalty kill is the best in the NHL through games played on Oct. 21 at 97.4 percent. They also have the fifth-best power play at 27.5 percent.

Brother vs Brother

Darren Raddysh will face his brother Taylor of the Rangers on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena. Raddysh led the stretching group at the morning skate and called the matchup special. Taylor was supportive of the decision to join the Leafs, and the brothers have talked for years about the possibility of playing together. They shared three seasons in junior and appeared in two games as teammates in Tampa. Raddysh said the family has long discussed the idea, though he expects a competitive night.

“It’ll be special,” Raddysh said. “He’s been supportive of my decision to come here and what it means to our family. We’ve talked about it for a long time, and both being on the ice here will be special.”

He noted that Taylor may hold the overall bragging rights in their NHL meetings, but pointed to a previous game in which he recorded three points and the Leafs won. Childhood game trips usually involved their father taking one of the brothers, often the one who was a Devils fan. On the ice, Raddysh said there are no friends, though he joked he might not deliver his hardest check if they meet in a corner.

The Rangers enter the game with a 7-3-1 record and have looked more solid on the blue line after summer additions. McCabe described Alexis Lafrenière as a player who brings pace, a quick release and offensive vision, and he expects a difficult test against a Rangers group that has been playing with confidence.

Tavares and Tanev status for upcoming road trip unclear

John Tavares remains out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Hiller said he did not yet have a definitive update on either Tavares or Tanev regarding the road trip that follows Thursday’s game. The Leafs are looking for a third consecutive win after taking both ends of a back-to-back against the Sharks and Blue Jackets. With McCabe available, the blue line has its most experienced option back in the mix, even as Rifai’s availability stays unresolved after his early departure from the skate and his first career goal two nights earlier.

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Dodgers say Shohei Ohtani’s knee and biceps injuries require offseason rest, not surgery

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani needs offseason rest, not surgery, for knee and biceps injuries that led to his worst offensive numbers since he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2024 season.

“It was just an unfortunate game of whack-a-mole,” Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, said. “The knee got to a better spot, and then just kind of the biceps area was bothering him. Some of that would calm down for some period, some of that would get re-irritated. It was just a lot of different things he was trying to contend with at once.”

Ohtani and the Dodgers equally are enthused about him returning to two-way duties next season. What both sides need to figure out is how to keep him healthy while hitting and pitching into October.

“I’m not only expecting him to pitch,” Friedman said, “we’re excited about him pitching.”

Ohtani didn’t pitch after July 3 this year due to injuries that also affected his hitting. He had his worst offensive numbers since joining the Dodgers in December 2023, and his 30 home runs were his fewest since 2019 with the Los Angeles Angels. His three-run drive in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against Milwaukee snapped a 25-game homerless streak.

Ohtani turns 33 next July and has undergone two Tommy John surgeries on his right elbow during his MLB career. Friedman said how to better manage Ohtani’s two-way workload for a potential full season next year had yet to be discussed since the season ended with a four-game sweep at the hands of the Brewers in the NLCS.

“I expect us to throw our heads together and figure out both in the batter’s box, on the mound, just how we marry all that together to have him impact us as much as he can during the regular season and then also be in a really good spot going into October,” Friedman said.

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Mitchell Robinson had a strong reaction to his Celtics debut

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 20: Mitchell Robinson #4 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on October 20, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

BOSTON — Mitchell Robinson didn’t mince words at Celtics practice Thursday morning, less than 48 hours after his lackluster Celtics debut.

In the Celtics’ 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons, Robinson tallied 4 points, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 turnovers in 18 minutes. The normally prolific rebounder couldn’t make his impact on the glass, grabbing just 3 boards, only 1 of which came on the offensive end.

“It’s obviously just my fault,” Robinson said. “I got to accept that, and obviously be better from here on out. It’s straightforward — my fault.”

Robinson pointed to his lack of defensive impact as one of the main issues with his performance.

“We didn’t keep our foot on the gas, and it starts with me,” he said. “I’m one of the best defensive bigs in this league, and I didn’t show it that night. I got to take ownership of that; I gotta be better.”

The 28-year-old did go down with a twisted ankle in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game, but returned shortly after. On Thursday, he said the ankle injury didn’t factor into his performance.

“You tweak an ankle, you’re going to feel it a little bit here and there, but shit happens,” Robinson said. “I just felt like I was playing like trash the whole time anyways. I mean, shit.”

Robinson isn’t worried about putting points on the board. But his interior presence and rebounding got him a 3-year, $47 million contract, and he prioritizes those on any given night.

“Once I feel good about that after the game, for me, that’s when I know I did pretty good,” he said. “I really don’t care about stat lines, scoring; we got that over here already. It’s like — what can I do to help my team?”

Joe Mazzulla spoke with Robinson after the game

Mitchell Robinson said last week that Joe Mazzulla has been hard on him since he arrived in Boston.

“He’s getting on my ass a lot,” he said. “Which, you know, I need that. But he gets on my ass.”

But after Robinson’s frustrating game, Mazzula reached out in an encouraging fashion.

“Joe’s a great guy,” Robinson said. “He talked me through a lot of things, especially that night. He sent me text messages and stuff like that, and I appreciate it, but I didn’t even respond to the last text. But I was still stuck in my head about it. Like, I played like ass.”

Mazzulla said he recognizes Robinson’s importance and expects him to keep acclimating over time.

“It’s game one, obviously, and again, for us, he’s a very important piece to what we do, and so the standard is a little bit higher, and the expectation is a little bit higher,” Mazzulla said. “So I think it just comes with time, understanding that every play, you’re at the nucleus of what we’re trying to accomplish on both ends of the floor, and it’s a great compliment that all three of those bigs share. And some of that just comes with time — just the offensive reads, the offensive chemistry, the offensive execution, but also the defensive reads and the defensive reactions that we have to have. I appreciate that he’s in that space, and I think he’s taking on the responsibility and knowing how important that position is.”

Robinson said last week he’s enjoying his more involved role, even though there’s been an acclimation period.

“I’m in a lot of actions on the offensive side,” Robinson said. “Over there, I was just like, set one screen, roll, and they’ll be going on the other side, and then maybe come back. But like, this one, I’m in like every action. I’m setting the flare, pin down, ball screen, whatever. Like I’m just always actively moving.”

Mitchell Robinson will face his old Knicks teammates on Friday

On Friday, Robinson will face the New York Knicks, the team he spent his first 8 years with. The Knicks also come off an opening-day loss, a 106-100 defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers.

But though Robinson is excited to put Tuesday behind him, he said he doesn’t have extra emotion or motivation specifically because of the Knicks match-up.

“It doesn’t really matter that I’m playing my former team,” he said. “It’s more so just trying to bounce back from what happened two nights ago. At the end of the day, it’s basketball; it’s a business. And, you got to play the team just like you play any other team.”


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Has Atlanta’s offense been left behind by a new wave in baseball?

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 06: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves hits a double during the ninth inning of Game Three of the Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on October 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

In 2023, just three years ago, the Atlanta Braves had just completed what is statistically recognized as the greatest single-season of team performance at the plate in a 162-game season. The Braves as a team hit .276/.344/.501 with a wOBA of .359, an astonishing xwOBA of .364, a mind-boggling 307 home runs and a team wRC+ of 126. There is no other offense in the history of baseball that was that consistent over the course of 162 games. If the Braves had gone deep into that year’s Postseason instead of falling flat on their face against the Phillies (for the second season in a row, mind you), that team would be a lot more fondly remembered by not just Braves fans and media but the baseball universe as a whole.

Instead, it feels like one of those things that’ll be left as a footnote to history — especially considering how Atlanta’s offense has looked since then. Despite the fact that six of the core players from that 2023 lineup (Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, Sean Murphy, Matt Olson and Austin Riley) are still around and only two of them are currently over 30, the Braves have largely been average in the three seasons since that historic 2023 performance.

Across the three seasons, he Braves have been a completely average ballclub at the plate — they’ve hit .245/.313/.408 with a .315 wOBA, a .321 xwOBA and a wRC+ of exactly 100, placing them in 15th place (exactly middle of the road) among big league ballclubs from the 2024 season through the 2026 season. 2024 saw the Braves go down to a 101 wRC+ (13th overall) before they somehow managed to repeat the trick in 2025 with the same number in that regard and then 2026 actually saw Atlanta’s offense fall down to a 20th-ranked offense in wRC+ with 97.

One thing that’s remained somewhat constant is the home run rate. In 2024, the Braves hit 213 homers (4th overall), hit for .172 in Isolated Power (5th overall) and slugged for .415 (9th overall). In 2025, their homers went down to 190 (14th overall), .155 in Isolated Power (15th overall) and slugged for .399 (14th overall). In 2026, the homers went back up to 204 (7th overall), their Isolated Power went up as well to .162 (9th overall) and they tied with the Yankees for sixth place overall in slugging at .409.

Since the NL Champion Milwaukee Brewers and the AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays are both the talk of the town right, let’s compare Atlanta’s offense in 2026 to theirs. The Braves hit more homers than either the Rays (169) or the Brewers (154, fewest in the NL), Atlanta slugged at a higher rate than either Milwaukee (.403) or Tampa Bay (.402), and the Braves had a higher number in Isolated Power than either the Brewers (.144) or the Rays (.143). So when it came for hitting for power and hitting the long ball, the Braves were clearly better at doing that than any of the two teams who will be playing for that nice gold trophy this Fall.

Despite that, the Brewers (.328) and Rays (.320) both easily cleared the Braves in terms of wOBA and the Brewers did the same in xWOBA (.321) as well. Milwaukee ended up finishing third in wRC+ (107) and Tampa Bay finished in sixth with 104 wRC+.

So what gives, here? I’d imagine that all of y’all who are over here at this particular website are smart enough to realize that there’s more ways to take bases than simply hitting for power and putting ‘em over the fence. Where the Brewers and Rays did a ton of damage this season was from wreaking havoc on the basepaths. According to Statcast, the Brewers finished with a Baserunning Runs Value of 9, which was tied for third in all of baseball. The Rays weren’t all that far behind, as they finished with a BRV of 4. The Braves wound up tied for 21st with a BRV of negative-4. The Brewers led baseball in Extra Bases Taken Run Value and the Rays placed in the Top-10 in that regard — the Braves finished in 23rd in that category.

This wasn’t just a case of Milwaukee and Tampa Bay picking their spots, either — the Brewers attempted to advance baserunners at a less-than-one-percent above average rate while the Rays were only one percent above average in their attempts. The Braves were one-percent above average in that regard and still put up worse numbers on the basepaths.

If you like to think that the Rays and Brewers are on the cutting edge of where the on-field aspect of baseball is heading in the future, then it could be safe to assume that figuring out a way to extract value on the basepaths is going to be the way forward. I’m not saying that the Braves should just forget to hit homers and start bunting everywhere — I am saying that it’s clear the the Brewers and Rays figured out by owner-caused necessity that home runs are expensive and you’ve got to figure out different ways to put runs on the board rather than simply swinging for the fences and putting runs on the board via the long ball.

It doesn’t just mean bunting or eschewing “analytics” or giving up on power hitting altogether, since both the Rays and Brewers have still been able to do that well during the Postseason — it means smart, efficient baserunning and putting pressure on not just the opposing pitcher to make their pitches but also on the defense to stay locked in and make plays in the field against your baserunners. Contact and speed may be the next frontier that we see teams try to maximize on going forward into the future, as both of these teams have proven that if you can put the ball in play and bust it around the basepaths, good things can happen. That appears to be the way forward for the more analytic-minded teams and it’s not going to take a long while for other teams to catch up.

The good news for the Braves is that they appear to be set up pretty well when it comes to the defense and pitching. The Braves have continued to figure out a way to keep their pitching staff afloat despite not having a full-strength starting rotation for a long time now, their bullpen is usually reliable and according to Fielding Run Value, the Braves were top-10 in that category and were better than the Brewers and the Rays. They’ve got the tools to do some good work at run prevention and I’d imagine that that could be the new way for the Braves to consistently win games going forward.

That’s because due to the fact that they’re currently locked in with their core set of batters, the Braves appear to be stuck in a 2023 philosophy due to their personnel limitations. While Walt Weiss, Antoan Richardson, Tommy Watkins and the rest of this staff have been trying their best to make baserunning a strength of this team, they may be limited by the fact that this squad just isn’t exactly adept when it comes to running the bases effectively.

Sprint Speed isn’t everything but it’s pretty tough to be very effective on the basepaths when you’re currently stuck with the 29th-fastest team in baseball according to Sprint Speed. The Braves averaged a Sprint Speed of 27.0 ft/sec in 2026 — the Rays came in 11th at 27.5 ft/sec and the Brewers led baseball at 28.1 ft/sec. In terms of competitive runs (according to Statcast), the Rays and Brewers were both in the Top 3 — the Braves came in at 18th.

This team just may not have the horses to run the track meet in this new era that baseball may be entering into. If that’s the case, then Alex Anthopoulos’s job of getting this offense up to speed (for lack of a better term) may be even trickier than we thought. A lineup that seemed locked in for greatness not even five years ago might find itself left in the dust if Milwaukee and Tampa Bay’s version of baseball turns out to be the way forward for baseball going into the near future.

I’m not going to turn into that guy who says “JUST BUNT IT” whenever there’s even a decent amount of space on the infield but at the same time, it’s fair to ask whether or not the Braves may have found themselves getting left behind at a very inopportune moment in time as far as the future of the sport goes. We’ll see what happens, though.