TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 18: New York Yankees Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) warms up during the spring training workout on February 18, 2026 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
ReadingYankee asks:I am starting to worry about the production of Stanton. He is aging and proved less effective in the postseason last year, although it would be foolish to expect his 2024 production again. He has another year or two, and he has not been trusted in the outfield more than a game or two in the last couple seasons. At what point do the Yankees pull the plug on an oft-injured, DH-only type player? And when that happens, what will be their plan for the DH spot?
Much like the offense at large, I’m willing to give some grace to Giancarlo Stanton’s performance in the postseason because of the heater he was on in the regular season, especially given the strong performances he’s shown in nearly every other October run. The team isn’t going to cut bait on one of the veterans of this clubhouse while he still has some juice left in his bat, and his absences aren’t that big of a hit because they free up space for the rest of the team to cycle through quasi-rest days as a DH. Between getting their superstar Aaron Judge some half-days, flexing Ben Rice’s spot in the lineup around, and working in playing time for Jasson Domínguez should he be on the major league roster, there’s plenty of options to fill the gap.
The concern going forward, however, is just how much mileage is actually left on those legs. Stanton’s been a notorious slow-returner from his injuries (which makes the run he put on in 2025 even more incredible), so if he has a season where he’s a frequent flier on the IL instead of going through one big injury, that could spell disaster for his productivity. There’s also the concern that Stanton’s good year was a product of how little he actually had to play, and while there’s a running assumption that he’s going to miss time in every season going forward the goal is to still field the best team possible — if Stanton is gassed from the rigors of a 162-game season by the end of it all, he may not find himself penciled in when the chips are down.
jmack1775 asks:Why did we get Goldy to platoon with Rice when Rice should be an everyday player and learn to be at least passable against lefties? And if the plan is for Rice to catch a significant amount of games and Goldy to fill in at 1b, isn’t Rice’s value diminished at catcher?
Paul Goldschmidt’s place on the team this year is more of a mentor figure for Rice to learn the position, as the Yankees likely see him as their everyday first baseman of the future. He’ll get the lion’s share of starts at the position, and then for the games where Goldschmidt takes over against lefties that frees Rice up to see time behind the plate and still get in the lineup for the experience (and hopefully, improvement). It shouldn’t be a significant amount of games where Rice is catching, since J.C. Escarra is still the backup catcher and Rice will be going in as the defined starter at first as opposed to bouncing around looking for playing time. Was it the ideal fit? No, and the Yankees outright acknowledged this when Aaron Boone discussed the signing, but there are ways that it can work out quite well for New York.
Shoducky asks:What would it take to pry Mason Miller away from the Friars? Would a package of Dominguez and Gil do it?
Trade packages are generally a tricky thing to speculate on considering the strengths of one system aren’t going to be the same as another, and organizations have internal scouting on prospects that differ from the outside publications — that being said, the Padres traded the No. 3 prospect in baseball at the time to acquire Miller as the headliner of a four-player package at last year’s deadline. The Yankees don’t have a prospect anywhere close to that ranking on any board, and even considering that the cost would be lowered with one less year of control on Miller’s contract it’d be a tough pitch for the Padres to listen in on. New York has also shied away from the flashier bullpen additions as of late, both in terms of free agent deals and in trades, with their deal for David Bednar being an exception that still only cost the team their eighth-best prospect. If they wanted to change direction on that they certainly could, but that’s likely a discussion for the summer when there’s a clearer field of targets to acquire.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 19: Bub Carrington #7 of the Washington Wizards shoots the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on February 19, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. tonight at Capital One Arena. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.
MAINZ, Germany (AP) — Nadiem Amiri scored his seventh goal in seven games for Mainz while a deflected second half goal from Hamburg's Fabio Vieira ensured they drew 1-1 in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Mainz was looking to get back to winning ways after a 4-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund last week . It took the lead through Amiri’s crisp volley three minutes before halftime.
However, 19 minutes into the second period Vieira’s free kick took a nick off the Mainz wall, giving goalkeeper Daniel Batz no chance.
The point helped Mainz climb one place to 13th.
Hamburg was unbeaten in six games and sat in ninth.
Minnesota Twins' Pablo López works from the mound against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning of a baseball game, Sept. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis.
Pablo Lopez will miss the 2026 season.
The Twins right-hander is set to undergo Tommy John Surgery next week after it was discovered that he had a torn ulnar collateral ligament earlier this week.
Lopez, who turns 30 next month, had felt something in his elbow during a bullpen session on Monday.
The injury also takes Lopez out of the World Baseball Classic, during which he was set to take the mound for Venezuela.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez throws during a spring training baseball workout in Fort Myers, Fla., Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. AP
The typical recovery timeline for Tommy John is roughly 12-to-18 months, meaning Lopez could be back on a big league mound by early next season.
It’s the second time in Lopez’s professional career that he will undergo Tommy John, having previously done the surgery in 2014 while he was in the Mariners’ organization.
Lopez has been Minnesota’s starter in each of their last three Opening Days since being traded over by the Marlins before the 2023 season.
In three seasons with the Twins, Lopez has posted a 3.68 ERA across 78 starts.
During his debut season with the team in 2023, Lopez had the best season of his career, making his first and only All-Star team and finishing 7th in the AL Cy Young voting with a 3.66 ERA across 194 innings.
Last season, Lopez dominated with a 2.74 ERA, although he was limited to just 14 starts with a shoulder and forearm strain.
After finishing 70-92 last season, Twins management cleaned house this offseason.
BREST, France (AP) — Habib Beye’s reign as Marseille coach got off to a losing start as Ligue 1's top goal-scorer Mason Greenwood missed a penalty in Brest’s 2-0 win on Friday.
Beye replaced Roberto De Zerbi last week after a miserable run that saw Marseille exit the Champions League and lose to archrival Paris Saint-Germain 5-0.
But the former Newcastle and Aston Villa defender could not stop the rot that threatens Marseille's hopes of a European spot next year.
Two first-half headers from Ludovic Ajorque put Brest in the driving seat and he could have had a third had a fierce shot not rattled the bar.
Marseille came into the match more in the second half but Greenwood missed a golden chance to pull it back into the game seven minutes from time.
He was brought down by Daouda Guindo but his spot kick was well saved by Brest goalkeeper Gregoire Coudertt.
The result left Marseille winless in four Ligue 1 games and in fourth place, five points behind Lyon, which has a game in hand against Strasbourg on Sunday.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar’s bid for an injunction that would have enabled him to continue playing for the Volunteers this fall was denied on Friday by a Knox County Chancery Court judge.
Aguilar was arguing that he should be allowed a fourth year of playing Divisional I football rather than having the years he spent in junior college count against his eligibility. Chancellor Christopher D. Heagerty instead dissolved the temporary restraining order he had granted in the case on Feb. 4 and denied Aguilar’s request for an injunction.
Aguilar played at Diablo Valley (California) Community College from 2021-22 before transferring to Appalachian State, where he spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Aguilar then transferred to Tennessee and completed 67.3% of his passes for 3,565 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this past season.
He also redshirted at City College of San Francisco in 2019 before the 2020 season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Although Aguilar has been invited to next week’s NFL draft scouting combine, he had filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in an attempt to return to Tennessee to play one more season.
Heagerty said the factors Tennessee courts consider before deciding to grant a temporary injunction are the threat to irreparable harm to the plaintiff if an injunction isn’t granted, the balance between this harm and any injury that granting the injunction would inflict on the defendant, the probability the plaintiff would succeed on the case’s merits and the public interest.
Heagerty noted that Aguilar’s lawyers pointed out the quarterback could lose $2 million to $3 million in name, image and likeness opportunities by not playing. But the judge also pointed out that granting an injunction “could cause sweeping implications and cause significant ambiguity and uncertainty regarding the eligibility rules of the NCAA.”
While Aguilar’s lawyers said an injunction would apply only to their client, Heagerty believed granting an injunction “could impact much broader issues and have a much more far-reaching effect than the plaintiff suggests.”
Heagerty also said the evidence before the court at this time indicated Aguilar “has a low likelihood to succeed on the merits of his claim.”
“The NCAA is thankful for the judge’s decision today, which demonstrates the court’s consideration of eligibility standards and protecting access to the collegiate experience for current and future student-athletes," the NCAA said in a statement. "We will continue to defend the NCAA’s eligibility rules against attempts to circumvent foundational policies and hinder fair competition to all student-athletes. The NCAA is making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes and will continue to work with Congress to provide stability for all college athletes.”
Missing the reigning MVP is one thing, but with Jalen Williams also out, this is a different challenge.
Make no mistake, the Brooklyn Nets aren’t a strong team, but given who’s out for OKC, it could take a quarter or two for them to get going.
There are just too many points here, so I’ll take the Nets to keep it close in the first half.
Nets vs Thunder same-game parlay
Nets forward Danny Wolf has eclipsed 1.5 threes in each of his last four games and grabbed more than 5.5 rebounds in six of his last seven.
Nets vs Thunder SGP
Nets +10.5 1H
Danny Wolf Over 1.5 threes
Danny Wolf Over 5.5 rebounds
Nets vs Thunder odds
Spread: Nets +18 (-110) | Thunder -18 (-110)
Moneyline: Nets +900 | Thunder -1600
Over/Under: Over 212.5 (-110) | Under 212.5 (-110)
Nets vs Thunder betting trend to know
Oklahoma City has only hit the 1H moneyline in seven of its last 14 home games (-27.50 Units / -42% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Thunder.
How to watch Nets vs Thunder
Location
Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Date
Friday, February 20, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
YES, FDSN Oklahoma
Nets vs Thunder latest injuries
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SASSUOLO, Italy (AP) — Sassuolo scored twice in the five minutes before halftime to pave the way to a 3-0 victory that deepened Verona's already considerable relegation woes in Serie A on Friday.
Verona was without a win in 11 league games and in last place, equal on points with Pisa.
Both clubs were nine points from safety, and Pisa faces a crunch match on Monday against Fiorentina, the team six points above them both in the third relegation spot.
Andrea Pinamonti got Sassuolo’s opener with a deflected strike then four minutes later Domenico Berardi added a second. Although the Verona goalkeeper stopped his penalty kick, Berardi was quickest to the follow up and buried the rebound.
Berardi completed the scoring 17 minutes into the second half when he finished off a rapid counterattack.
Completing Verona’s misery, Al Musrati was sent off for a second bookable offense five minutes from time.
The result extended Sassuolo's recent good run; it has taken 12 points from its last 15. It jumped two places to eighth.
Feb 20, 2026; Sarasota, Florida, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Elmer Rodriguez (76) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles during spring training at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
The Yankees’ first Grapefruit League game is in the books. For those hoping for some offense, that was always going to be a tough ask for a lineup that had just four major leaguers, especially when they’ve all been subbed out by the middle of the sixth. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled in the first, but they managed just two more singles in the final 8.1 innings of the game, Orioles pitchers tallying 13 strikeouts on the afternoon. By far, the bright spot of the game was the performance of top pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez, who pitched three scoreless innings after earning the start in the spring training opener. Pete Alonso crushed a two-run bomb in the sixth to account for all of the scoring in this game as the Yankees drop the spring opener to the Orioles, 2-0.
The Orioles had their ace Trevor Rogers on the mound coming off 18 impressive starts in 2025 when he posted a 1.81 ERA. His velocity was already at mid-season form, but that didn’t prevent Chisholm from logging the first hit in all of spring training, the second baseman dumping a two-out single to right on a 1-1 slider at the bottom of the zone.
In the bottom half, we got our first look at the Yankees’ top overall pitching prospect, Elmer Rodríguez. The 22-year-old righty was named Baseball America’s Yankees Minor League Player of the Year in 2025 after posting a 2.58 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A and the second-most strikeouts in the minors (176). He looked impressively sharp in his first taste of pitching against major league hitters, getting Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso to roll over a pair of soft grounders before striking out the Orioles’ top overall prospect Samual Basallo on an elevated heater, Rodríguez’s sinker touching as high as 97 in the first.
Rodríguez had his first brush with traffic on the bases in the second and passed that test as well. Baltimore had runners on the corners following a Tyler O’Neill leadoff single and Adley Rutschman one-out single, but Rodríguez worked himself out of the jam by getting Heston Kjerstad to bounce into the inning-ending double play on a perfectly located 1-2 changeup on the corner low and away. We also got our first ABS challenge earlier in the frame, Rodríguez having a strike two call confirmed after Colton Cowser challenged.
Rogers departed after two innings, replaced by reliever Keegan Akin, while Rodríguez was allowed to pitch the third. The Orioles started to barrel up the baseball the second time the top of the order faced Rodríguez, Henderson lining a two-out single to center and Alonso clubbing what looked like a sure-thing RBI double into the gap in left center, but non-roster invitee and former minor league Gold Glove winner Kenedy Corona made a fabulous diving catch to save a run and end the inning for the first web gem of spring.
Despite the harder hit balls to end his outing, Rodríguez was nothing short of impressive in his spring debut. His sinker had decent velocity, averaging 94, while the changeup and slider look like his go-to weapons to induce whiffs. Overall, he posted a very good 29-percent called-strike-plus-whiff rate and an even better 70-percent groundball rate. Most notably, Rodríguez exhibited sharp command of four different pitches, able to find the edges of the zone with the sinker, cutter, changeup, and slider. He departed after three scoreless innings having allowed three hits and no walks with one strikeout on 42 total pitches.
Jake Bird was the first reliever out of the bullpen for the Yankees, and he maneuvered around an O’Neill one-out single by inducing the inning-ending double play from Cowser. Austin Wells unsuccessfully challenged a pair of called balls that weren’t particularly close in the fourth and fifth innings, meaning the Yankees were out of challenges for the rest of the game. New York subbed out all their starters shortly thereafter, but not before Alonso provided the only offense of the contest, a booming two-run blast to left off a hanging first-pitch curveball from career minor-leaguer Bradley Hanner.
The Yankees offense went hitless for a six-inning stretch, their two other singles coming from substitutes Jackson Castillo in the seventh and Jonathan Ornelas in the ninth. Outside of Hanner in the sixth, you have to admire the job done by the Yankees pitchers, Rodríguez, Bird, Kervin Castro, Carson Coleman, and Dylan Coleman combining to toss seven scoreless frames. I also reckon there will be more excitement on offense as more lineup regulars are worked into spring games.
The Yankees return to Tampa to host the Tigers in the spring home opener at George M. Streinbrenner Field. Aaron Judge is penciled in to right field, while Rodríguez’s fellow top pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange draws the start against Keider Montero. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm ET with the broadcast moving to YES.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 19: The sneakers worn by Gui Santos #15 of the Golden State Warriors during the game against the Boston Celtics on February 19, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said Friday there were circumstances surrounding his altercation with a court-storming Iowa fan that people viewing viral social media videos might not fully understand.
The videos showed Hoiberg making a swiping motion at a person pointing a camera toward him during the handshake line after his ninth-ranked Cornhuskers lost 57-52 to the Hawkeyes on Wednesday night. In doing so, Hoiberg accidentally struck a member of Iowa’s staff.
Hoiberg said he fully relies on a pacemaker. He said his reaction stemmed from awareness that close contact with cell phones can interfere with the heart device.
“I am 100% reliant on a pacemaker," Hoiberg said. "I’ll never forget a conversation with my doctor. A cell phone can put it off. If anything ever happens, I’m done. I will not survive if something ever happens to a pacemaker. I’m very cognizant of that, so when somebody rushes up on me with a cell phone, of course I’m going to react.”
Hoiberg said the probability of anything happening was unlikely, but the chance of him developing heart block in his first open heart surgery was also slim.
He recounted the situation and explained that while he doesn't have a problem with court storms, he's against putting players and coaches in danger.
“It was a heated moment,” Hoiberg said. “I was going through the handshake line congratulating Iowa coaches on a hard-fought win, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this kid rushes up on me, and I reacted to it. I think anybody in my position, after a game like that, would’ve reacted in a similar way.”
The seventh-year Nebraska coach said he apologized to the Iowa staff member whom he struck both in the moment and in the days following. The staff member was understanding and said he would've done the same, Hoiberg said.
Iowa released a statement apologizing for the lack of security.
“We apologize for this incident and will conduct a review of our procedures and security measures to determine what adjustments may be needed to further strengthen our protocols and help prevent similar incidents in the future," the statement reads.
Hoiberg said he appreciated Iowa's statement and that it's a learning opportunity.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 9: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 9, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
UPDATE: Lakers fans can breathe a sigh of relief as LeBron James has been upgraded from questionable to available for the team’s game against the Clippers.
During his pregame media availability, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that LeBron felt some soreness in his knee after Thursday’s practice and was a game-time decision.
With LeBron ready to go, the Lakers have a clean injury report, which has been a rarity this season. Now, Redick will have every option at his disposal and can find out just how good his team can be.
Original story follows.
Well, so much for the Lakers being fully healthy coming out of the All-Star break. On Thursday, LA had an empty injury report heading into their contest against the Clippers.
But on Friday afternoon, the team added LeBron James to the list, placing him as questionable to play due to left knee soreness.
Per the Lakers: LeBron James, left knee soreness, has been downgraded to questionable for tonight’s game versus the Clippers.
If LeBron misses this contest, it’ll be another game in which the team will play without one of its top three players.
Luka Dončić missed the last four games on the Lakers’ schedule due to a hamstring strain, and while Austin Reaves was back from his calf injury, he was still on a minutes restriction.
LA’s game against the Clippers is set to be the first time this calendar year that Reaves is going to play without a minutes restriction.
So, hearing that LeBron might be out when his two co-stars are finally fully healthy is frustrating for Lakers fans.
Until we hear more about the injury, it remains unclear what caused the soreness, how serious it is, and whether he could miss not only this Clippers contest but also upcoming matchups.
The last time LeBron played was on Sunday in the All-Star Game, representing Team Stripes. His importance to the team can’t be understated. James is still one of the best playmakers on the roster and is averaging 22 points, 5.8 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Without him on the court, beating the Clippers gets that much harder. It also means the chemistry between him and Luka and Austin won’t be further developed on Friday.
There’s also still a possibility that LeBron plays in this matchup. However, being downgraded to questionable on the afternoon of a game isn’t a sign that things are heading in that direction.
If LeBron is out, then it’ll be the Luka and Austin show in LA, and they’ll have to hope that’s enough to beat their Western Conference rival.
The wife of NBA veteran Russell Westbrook received a message wishing death upon her and her family after the Sacramento Kings guard failed to cash an angry sports bettor’s player prop wager.
Nina Westbrook posted a screenshot of an email she received on Thursday night.
Key Takeaways
Russell Westbrook failed to cash the bettor’s prop line of 10 points scored on Thursday.
Nina Westbrook said that she is growing more concerned for athletes’ safety.
The NBA is strongly linked to the gambling industry.
Westbrook and the Kings made their return to the court on Thursday against the Orlando Magic, ending their weeklong hiatus from the All-Star break. The 2016 MVP was held to five points on 2-8 (25%) shooting in an uncompetitive 131-94 loss.
The result prompted a violent written assault from “Joel Molina,” whose vitriol was captured in a screenshot posted to Nina Westbrook’s Instagram story late on Thursday evening.
The email contains vulgar language.
Nina Westbrook captioned the picture, “The negative effects of sports betting. Brings out the worst in ppl smh.”
Russell Westbrook’s wife shared this disturbing email she received titled “F**k you” pic.twitter.com/OTNPTOvaQp
Sports betting is not legal in California, where the Kings reside, and where they played the Magic on Thursday.
'Not an isolated incident'
Early on Friday morning, Nina Westbrook posted a follow-up addressing the email and its public response. She noted that it was not her family’s first time dealing with harassment from angry sports bettors.
“Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident,” she wrote. “It’s something my husband and I consider routine. With that said, I’m sharing this now because I’m growing increasingly concerned for athletes.
“Gambling is a highly addictive behavior, and people should understand the risks associated with it, especially before introducing it to their children. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but the threatening behavior directed toward athletes and their families after games has proven to be one of the early results of amped up sports betting.”
A growing number of amateur and professional athletes have documented their encounters with angry sports bettors. Cases have ranged from Olympic champions being stalked and verbally assaulted at their competitions to professional athletes being confronted in person over their performances.
The NCAA also found in a study last year that 36% of men’s basketball players reported experiencing social media abuse from sports bettors within the last year.
Despite the growing wariness, the NBA is still firmly entrenched in the gambling industry.
The NBA has primary sports betting sponsorships with DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. Commissioner Adam Silver was also an early proponent of legalizing sports betting, writing in 2014 an op-ed titled “Legalize and Regulate Sports Betting.”
PHOENIX — Pat Murphy says he knows he belongs with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Now the two-time NL manager of the year has agreed to a new contract that assures he will remain in Milwaukee for some time to come.
Murphy has led the Brewers to division titles and has been selected as NL manager of the year each of his first two seasons on the job. He had been Milwaukee’s bench coach on Craig Counsell’s staff for eight seasons before taking over as manager.
“I don’t want to be with any other organization,” Murphy told reporters Friday from the Brewers’ spring training complex after the deal was announced. “I feel really connected. This is going on my 11th season. I feel really part of it. I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be.”
Murphy’s contract had been set to expire at the end of the season before he and the Brewers agreed to terms on this new deal. He had taken over as Milwaukee’s manager after Counsell let his contract run out following the 2023 season and then signed a lucrative deal with the rival Chicago Cubs.
Counsell said he talked to Murphy on Thursday night.
“Thrilled for him,” Counsell said before the Cubs’ Cactus League opener in Mesa. “Absolutely thrilled for him.”
The Brewers didn’t release terms of Murphy’s contract. The Athletic, which first reported Murphy’s new deal, said he now has a three-year contract with a club option for 2029.
“I really didn’t have any doubt that this was going to work out,” Murphy told reporters. “I’m really grateful, really thankful.”
Murphy, 67, owns a 190-134 record as Milwaukee’s manager and has helped the Brewers wildly outperform preseason forecasts each of the last two years. The Brewers earned a franchise-record 97 wins last season, won a third straight NL Central title and beat Counsell’s Cubs in the NL Division Series before getting swept in the NL Championship Series by the eventual World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Brewers went 93-69 and won the NL Central championship in 2024 before losing an NL Wild Card Series to the New York Mets.
Along the way, he has delighted Brewers fans and gained attention for his unique style, which has included pulling out pancakes from his pocket during a televised dugout interview and having his sons frequently sitting alongside him at postgame news conferences.
“He fits a young team really well, getting guys to believe in themselves — the kind of players who have made up our team over the years, where guys maybe hadn’t had success in other places and kind of come here and find their footing, find success and find themselves,” Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich told reporters.
Murphy is the first Brewers skipper ever to get named manager of the year. The only other people ever to get selected as manager of the year in consecutive seasons are Atlanta’s Bobby Cox (2004-05), Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash (2020-21) and Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt (2024-25).
“He’s special,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold told reporters. “I love the fact he wants to continue to challenge everyone in the room and try to make everyone better. I think he’s not afraid. He’s competitive. He’s going to fight you tooth and nail for a win and to make you better off the field. He cares about people. I love that about him.”
Murphy’s only previous major league managerial experience came when he went 42-54 on an interim basis with San Diego in 2015 after the firing of Bud Black. He was a minor league manager in the Padres organization from 2011-2015.
Before that, Murphy posted a combined 947-400-2 coaching record at Notre Dame (1988-94) and Arizona State (1995-2009). He coached Counsell at Notre Dame and helped Arizona State reach the College World Series championship game in 1998.
He had a total of 1,000 college wins in a career that also included stints at Division-III Maryville (1983) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (1986-87).
“I really feel lucky driving to work every day,” Murphy told reporters. “I feel lucky this is what I do for a living. I feel lucky that someone says, ‘Yes, yeah, we want you to be in this position for our organization. I feel lucky and I feel fortunate. I know how tough it is to get there.”
May 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, US; A draft prospect during the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery at McCormick Place. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
Tonight, the Bucks play the Pelicans in The Big Easy. As you might be aware, New Orleans has the right to swap their first-round pick in this June’s draft with Milwaukee’s, thanks to 2020’s Jrue Holiday trade. They won’t actually receive that pick because the most favorable of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ picks will go to the Hawks, but we’re here to talk about the Bucks, so forget that for now.
The debate that’s been raging on for weeks, if not months now, since Milwaukee’s season turned south (though it’s currently trending back up) has been whether or not to purposefully lose to improve their draft odds; i.e., to tank. Since the Pelicans are much worse than the Bucks this year, the logic goes that the Bucks can keep losing and get a better pick. But because of that pick swap, it’s not so simple. Let’s dive in.
Bucks draft odds
The lottery is pretty straightforward for each individual team: if you finish in a certain place, then you get certain odds. It turns into a flaming nest of vipers when you consider two teams, though, because their odds are “non-independent”—math speak for the fact that if one team wins the lottery, the other team can’t! Unfortunately, we have to enter that nest of vipers thanks to Milwaukee’s potential pick swap with New Orleans.
To do so, we considered every possible lottery order: 14 teams could win the lottery, the remaining 13 could get second, the remaining 12 could get third, and the remaining 11 could get fourth (the rest of the lottery lands in inverse order of record after that), for a total of 14 * 13 * 12 * 11 = 24,024 possible orders. We then calculated the probability of each order. The odds of each team winning the lottery are easy enough, but then it gets complicated: for each subsequent pick, you have to readjust the odds based on the teams whose lottery balls are no longer in contention (since they can’t win multiple picks). And that’s before the swap enters the picture: if the Bucks end up with a better pick than the Pelicans, they swap picks.
Taking that all into consideration, we calculated the Bucks’ odds of receiving lottery picks 2–14 (first overall is impossible) based on them finishing sixth through 14th and the Pels finishing first through seventh (which we considered the most likely scenarios) in the lottery standings, where the worse your record is, the higher you place. Here is the Bucks’ average draft pick in the table below:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
6
6.2
6.3
6.5
6.6
6.8
n/a
6.8
7
6.8
6.8
7.0
7.1
7.3
7.5
n/a
8
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.9
8.1
8.3
9
8.3
8.4
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.8
8.9
10
9.3
9.4
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.7
9.8
11
10.4
10.4
10.4
10.5
10.5
10.6
10.7
12
11.4
11.4
11.4
11.5
11.5
11.6
11.6
13
12.5
12.5
12.5
12.5
12.6
12.6
12.7
14
13.7
13.7
13.7
13.7
13.7
13.7
13.7
The case for tanking
Morgan: The case for tanking is pretty simple: the worse you finish, the better the draft pick, and (hopefully) the better the player. On its own, that is obvious. Indeed, in each column above, you can see the Bucks’ average draft position gets lower the closer you get to the top of the table.
Furthermore, in each row, you can see the numbers get smaller the closer you get to the left of the table. The worse that the Pelicans finish, the better it is for the Bucks, albeit more marginally. That’s because Milwaukee would net a better pick post-swap in the cases where they are picked in the lottery before New Orleans.
It becomes less clear with the swap involved, since finishing below New Orleans increases the chances that Milwaukee would have to swap back anyways. However, the numbers show that it still bears fruit. In the example above, if the Bucks are sitting in 7th and the Pelicans are sitting in 6th, passing Nola would increase the Bucks’ average draft position by 0.7 spots (from 7.5 to 6.8). That’s not nothing!
At this point, it’s a lost season, and I would at least like to end up with something to show for it. For me, that would be a slightly better chance at a slightly better draft pick.
The case against tanking
Van: Not so fast, my friend! Entering play today, PlayoffStatus.com gives the Bucks a 40% chance of making it into the play-in field, though that’s not the playoffs. Basketball-Reference is much lower on their odds, and the chance of them making it to the first round (or further) just gets lower and lower. As are the odds of them obtaining a higher draft pick than their lottery position: currently 10th. Here is where that could place the Bucks’ draft pick, factoring in the swap with the Pelicans, and depending on how their opponent tonight finishes in the standings:
MIL Pick
NO 1st
NO 2nd
NO 3rd
NO 4th
NO 5th
NO 6th
NO 7th
1
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2
0.9%
0.9%
0.9%
0.8%
0.7%
0.6%
0.5%
3
2.0%
2.0%
2.0%
1.9%
1.7%
1.5%
1.2%
4
3.3%
3.3%
3.3%
3.1%
2.8%
2.6%
2.3%
5
9.6%
4.3%
1.6%
0.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
6
0.0%
5.3%
5.4%
3.7%
1.4%
0.0%
0.0%
7
0.0%
0.0%
2.6%
4.8%
5.3%
3.2%
0.0%
8
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.1%
3.5%
5.9%
5.4%
9
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.4%
2.1%
5.4%
10
60.5%
60.5%
60.5%
60.5%
60.5%
60.7%
61.5%
11
21.4%
21.4%
21.4%
21.4%
21.4%
21.4%
21.5%
12
1.7%
1.7%
1.7%
1.7%
1.7%
1.7%
1.7%
13
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
14
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
Average
9.3
9.4
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.7
9.8
As you can see, their chance at moving up from 10th is very slim—no better than 15.9%, regardless of where New Orleans finishes. But that’s actually a better chance of them moving up than it would be without the swap, and with it, they can move up to a variety of positions 2–9. If Milwaukee finished 10th but was guaranteed to keep their own pick, they would only be able to move up to picks 1–4, and that would only happen 13.9% of the time. So as long as their record is better than the Pelicans’, they’re more likely to get a better pick than they would have otherwise; even if New Orleans is seventh, Milwaukee moves up more often.
I also want the Bucks’ pick to be as high as possible, but other teams—looking at you, Bulls—are better set up to tank, and have tanked harder or sooner than the Bucks. Let’s consider scenarios, though, where Milwaukee is able to slip lower and lower in the standings: what would happen to their chances of getting any given pick if they fell one spot to ninth?
MIL Pick
NO 1st
NO 2nd
NO 3rd
NO 4th
NO 5th
NO 6th
NO 7th
1
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2
1.4%
1.4%
1.4%
1.3%
1.1%
0.9%
0.8%
3
2.9%
2.9%
2.9%
2.7%
2.4%
2.1%
1.8%
4
4.6%
4.6%
4.6%
4.4%
4.0%
3.7%
3.2%
5
13.4%
6.1%
2.3%
0.6%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
6
0.0%
7.3%
7.6%
5.3%
2.1%
0.0%
0.0%
7
0.0%
0.0%
3.5%
6.6%
7.6%
4.7%
0.0%
8
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.5%
4.7%
8.2%
8.1%
9
44.7%
44.7%
44.7%
44.7%
45.3%
47.4%
52.0%
10
28.2%
28.2%
28.2%
28.2%
28.2%
28.4%
29.5%
11
4.0%
4.0%
4.0%
4.0%
4.0%
4.0%
4.1%
12
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
0.1%
13
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
<0.1%
Average
8.3
8.4
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.8
8.9
Sure, their average position improves since they climb up the lottery standings, as does their chance of moving up from ninth. And as long as New Orleans’ record remains bottom-five, their odds of rising above ninth are better than they would have been sans swap. But they’re still not good. What if they somehow tanked all the way down to the league’s sixth-worst record?
MIL Pick
NO 1st
NO 2nd
NO 3rd
NO 4th
NO 5th
NO 6th
NO 7th
1
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
n/a
0.0%
2
2.8%
2.8%
2.8%
2.5%
2.1%
n/a
1.5%
3
5.4%
5.4%
5.4%
5.0%
4.4%
n/a
3.3%
4
7.5%
7.5%
7.5%
7.2%
6.6%
n/a
5.4%
5
22.0%
10.4%
4.1%
1.1%
0.0%
n/a
0.0%
6
6.4%
17.9%
19.0%
15.7%
10.6%
n/a
0.0%
7
27.1%
27.1%
32.3%
37.6%
39.9%
n/a
23.3%
8
23.1%
23.1%
23.1%
25.1%
29.9%
n/a
44.9%
9
5.1%
5.1%
5.1%
5.1%
5.8%
n/a
18.9%
10
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
0.3%
n/a
2.1%
11
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
n/a
0.1%
Average
6.2
6.3
6.5
6.6
6.8
n/a
6.8
Herein lies the rub. They could tank and tank, improving their average pick position, but risk swapping back multiple spots. Even if the Pelicans have the league’s worst record, the odds the Bucks will be picking after sixth are 55.5%, with a 28.4% chance they fall multiple spots. And if New Orleans were to improve and finish fifth, then Milwaukee would be swapping back 75.8% of the time and dropping at least two spots in 36% of lottery outcomes. And if the Pelicans surpassed the Bucks, they lose their chance at sixth completely, and 65.9% of the time, they’d pick no better than eighth.
This goes along with what Jack was saying before the break: if the Bucks are going to tank, you have to do so relative to the Pelicans. Lose at the same rate as them, win at the same rate as them. But moreover, why go through all the trouble of tanking down to sixth when it only increases the likelihood you’ll have to move back? Yes, your pick is almost certainly better than if you hadn’t tanked, but most of the time you’ll be swapped back. That outcome gets more and more likely the closer you get to the Pelicans. And the Bucks finish seventh, they are statistically more likely to draft seventh than they would be to draft sixth if they finish sixth. So what’s the real benefit of finishing sixth when you’ll seldom receive that, let alone a more favorable pick?
Ultimately, this decision probably rests with Giannis. He won’t play tonight, but if he’s back soon, he wants to try for a postseason spot, even if it’s via the play-in. Recent comments suggest he has no interest in tanking, so the Bucks will go as Giannis goes. With an extension offer due to him in October, and persistent rumors that he could just ask for a trade before then swirling, Milwaukee should follow his preferred path if they want to keep him long-term. Unless he misses further time, in which case: roll the tanks! However, with how well the post-trade deadline Bucks have played, that might not be in the cards either.
