MONTREAL, CANADA - OCTOBER 14: Patrik Laine #92 of the Montréal Canadiens handles the puck during the first period against the Seattle Kraken at the Bell Centre on October 14, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montréal Canadiens defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It seems likely that the Pittsburgh Penguins approach to the unrestricted free agent market is going to be very similar to what it was in the summer of 2025, especially given the lack of truly high-end players that will be available in that market.
That is also a very, very good thing if it plays out that way.
The top goal-scorer on the free agent market already played for the Penguins this past season (Anthony Mantha) and there does not seem to be anybody that wants him back after his playoff performance.
But for as forgettable as that playoff showing was, Mantha was still an objectively good free agent signing given what he did over the course of the regular season and how little he actually cost them.
The Penguins took a one-year flier on him in the hopes that he could come back healthy, took advantage of the opportunity to give him an incentive-laden contract, and then watched him put together a career year. The initial goal was almost certainly to trade him at the deadline (which would have made him this season’s version of Anthony Beauvillier), but he ended up scoring more goals than anybody could have anticipated, while the Penguins ended up winning more games than anybody could have anticipated.
All of that kept him in Pittsburgh for the duration of the season.
Now that Mantha seems destined to move on, there’s going to be an opening on the roster.
Ideally there would be an internal replacement to fill that spot (looking at you, Rutger McGroarty or Ville Koivunen).
There is also the possibility that other players leave the organization along with Mantha via trade (looking at you, Rickard Rakell and/or Bryan Rust and/or Tommy Novak) which could open up additional spots.
Somebody would have to also fill them.
One name on the free agent that could follow the mold of Mantha as a potential reclamation project is Patrik Laine.
Frankly, Laine might be the only type of unrestricted free agent I have any interest in.
Alex Tuch is destined to sign with the Rangers on a contract that immediately ages like milk. I can already see him in that uniform. I can hear his name echoing throughout Madison Square Garden. It’s fate. It’s where this offseason deserves to go. It is all of their destinies.
Mason Marchment and Bobby McMann in a rising cap environment? Gross! Let Seattle and Calgary deal with that.
When it comes to making major investments this offseason you have to be thinking along the lines of trades and restricted free agents. Players still in their prime, just entering their prime or players that can provide some sort positive long-term value beyond the 2026-27 season.
After all, even though the Penguins were a playoff team a year ago they are still a team that is going through some sort of a rebuild (even if it isn’t the traditional type of rebuild people expected).
If you are going to dip into this UFA market with this Penguins team, you have to be thinking about low-risk, potentially high-reward gambles.
That is Laine.
Laine’s career has been derailed over the past few years by injuries, allowing him to appear in just 186 out of a possible 410 games over the past five seasons.
That includes just 75 games over the past three seasons and only five games this past season.
While he was limited to only five games with the Montreal Canadiens in 2025-26, he recently said he was healthy enough to play in the second half of the season only to have the Canadiens keep him on IR anyway.
All of that missed time has created the possibility for him to sign the type an incentive-filled contract that is usually only reserved for entry-level players and players over the age 35. That opens the door for a relatively cheap base-salary, with any bonus overages rolling into next year’s cap (which shouldn’t bother the Penguins given how much cap space they have and the lack of major long-term investments on the roster).
The only problem with this line of thinking is there’s probably 20 other teams in the NHL with that same mindset, which could create a more robust market for a guy that only played in five games a year ago.
But… I’m still sticking with this.
Especially since a healthy Laine can still be a potentially impactful player.
Is he one-dimensional? Probably.
But that one dimension that he provides is an important one, and he’s still really good at it when he is able to stay on the ice.
He can still shoot the puck, and he can still score goals.
Some numbers:
Between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons there were 530 forwards in the NHL that played at least 500 minutes (all-situations) of hockey.
Laine’s 1.39 goals per 60 minutes placed him 27th on the list, sandwiched immediately between Cole Caufield and Brady Tkachuk, and ahead of Kyle Connor, Nikita Kucherov, Mark Scheifele, Sebastian Aho, Sidney Crosby, Matthew Tkachuk, Wyatt Johnston, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin and Nikolaj Ehlers.
That does not mean he’s better than all of those players (or even any of them), it just means he scored goals at a higher rate than them. And there is value in that.
In terms of actual goals, he scored 48 in 125 games during that time.
That’s a 31-goal pace over 82 games.
He also averaged 9.89 shots on goal per 60 minutes (47th out of that group of 530 forwards) and 0.84 individual expected goals per 60 minutes (232nd out of the 530).
Just for comparisons sake, the Penguins signed Mantha to his incentive-based contract coming off that same three-year stretch, and also coming off an injury-shortened year.
Mantha’s numbers and rankings among that same group of forwards:
Goals/60: 1.04 (115th)
Shots on goal/60: 6.78 (258th)
Individual expected goals/60: 0.78 (290th)
The mindset with Laine could be identical to what it was with Mantha. It is a short-term, prove-it contract full of performance bonuses with the possibility of moving him at the deadline if the playoffs are not in the cards, or having a potential 30-goal scorer on your roster if the playoffs are in the cards. If you’re the Penguins and trying to sell Laine on what you can offer over other teams offering similar deals, you can literally point to the success of Mantha and what playing in Pittsburgh could do for him and his value NEXT offseason.
If it is not a move like this, I would sit out every element of the UFA signing period. But a move like this would at least be interesting. There is also some reason to believe it could work.
On this date in 2023, rumors surfaced that the Columbus Blue Jackets were going to hire long-time NHL coach Mike Babcock.
Columbus fans and hockey fans in general had a few reactions. CBJ fans were split 50/50, it seemed. Some fans wanted the hard-nosed coach that could bring out the best in the players. While others were shocked that the CBJ front office would bring in said hard-nosed coach and put him around a very young team.
Babcock has been away from the NHL for 4 years or so, and in the sports world, that’s an eternity. In 2021, he accepted the coaching job at the University of Saskatchewan, but in August of 2022, he resigned. The next day, he announced he would retire. But like most coaches in any sport, it’s hard to stay away.
Speculation around the Memorial Cup is Mike Babcock will return to the NHL as @BlueJacketsNHL new coach and the delay in announcing coincides with his existing contract with the Maple Leafs expiring the end of this month. https://t.co/OUlxBRS8bq
The question that most fans have is: has he changed? There were reports from a couple of players over the years of mental abuse or feuding with players like Mike Commodore. He has come out publicly and said that back when he was coaching, he had no idea about mental health and how to deal with it. Babcock has been an outspoken advocate for the Bell Let’s Talk awareness campaign and other groups.
A few weeks after the rumors started, Mike Commodore came out with a blistering video about Babcock. He publicly bashed both Babcock and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Commodore went on a calm, NSWF rant about how "disappointed" he was to see "Babs the Bully" back in the NHL. Commie asked, "Am I surprised? No, I'm not!" Commodore went on to say that he never believed Babcock was retiring. He said he also feels Babcock went into the CBJ front office and told them "whatever they wanted to hear," "blah blah blah," so he could get the job, claiming he changed; meanwhile Commie thinks otherwise. " Babs the bully ain't changing."
Commodore went on to say he hopes this experiment fails miserably. "With all due respect to my buddies that are in the Blue Jackets Organization, I hope this Babcock experiment is a complete disaster, on every single level."
As we know, it was a complete failure and possibly set the team back a few years; they later hired Pascal Vincent to replace him, and that hire also failed.
It's been a long three years for Columbus, but with a new GM, Head Coach(stable), and some front office changes, it seems like they're on the right track, but time will tell.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs talks to the media after the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals on May 30, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Morgan Givens/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama is listed as the tallest player in the NBA. The Spurs’ superstar is 7’4, according to the NBA website.
I’m here to tell you that the Spurs are lying, and Wemby is actually even taller than that.
Wembanyama is taking centerstage in the 2026 NBA Finals as his San Antonio Spurs take on the New York Knicks. The French sensation is only in his third season after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. This is the first playoff appearance of his career — partially because he was diagnosed with a season-ending blood clot in his shoulder last year — and he’s already in the NBA Finals. It’s likely that a lot of casual fans are about watch Wembanyama closely for the first time during the Finals, and many of them will be wondering how tall he actually is. Here’s what we know.
Long-time NBA Draft insider Jonathan Givony reported that Wembanyama measured at 7’4 barefoot in the summer of 2022 when he was only 18 years old. It’s the measurement I always think about before I write down Wemby’s height.
The 18-year old Wembanyama, who recently measured 7-foot-4 barefoot with an 8-foot wingspan, will draw a huge audience of NBA decision makers for the pair of exhibition games in Vegas, marking a significant opportunity for Henderson to stake his claim as the No. 1 pick. https://t.co/46vfPl6Dv2
If Wembanyama measured at 7’4 barefoot when he was 18 years old, then it’s at least somewhat plausible he’s gotten even taller since then. Because basketball is played in shoes, I’d give Wemby another inch or inch-and-half. He’s at least 7’5 on the court, and probably even a little bit taller.
Why would the Spurs lie about Wembanyama’s height? Maybe they don’t have an official measurement considering Wembanyama skipped the 2023 NBA Draft combine. Maybe Wembanyama doesn’t want the truth out there. I have proof that the Spurs have incorrectly labeled the height of other players by making them shorter than barefoot measurements at the combine.
Rookie forward Carter Bryant measured at 6’6.5 barefoot at the 2025 NBA Draft combine.
Yet he’s listed at 6’6 on the Spurs’ official website.
Dylan Harper measured 6’4.5 barefoot at the combine in the same class as Bryant, and the Spurs list him at 6’5. Stephon Castle measured 6’5.5 at the combine, and the Spurs list him at 6’6. The Spurs like to list their players’ barefoot height as their official height, and it seems like they aren’t rounding up on a half inch.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Edey is the second-tallest player in the NBA according to its official website, and he’s listed at 7’3. Edey measured at 7’3.75 at the combine in the same class as Castle.
Looking at photos from Wembanyama’s matchups vs. Edey in the NBA, it sure seems like more than a quarter of an inch taller than Edey.
I always think back to this photo of Wemby standing next to Edey at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup — which is where Wembanyama’s one-sided rivalry with Chet Holmgren began. The French star looks at least an inch or two taller than Edey here, too.
The Spurs said they measured Wembanyama at his introductory press conference after they drafted him in 2023. San Antonio said Wembanyama measured at 7’3.5 barefoot, which would be a half inch shorter than the height Givony reported a year earlier. I tend to believe Givony’s number based on his reputation as the reporter and the visual evidence that Wembanyama is clearly taller than the 7’3.75 Edey.
Donovan Clingan is listed at 7’2, which is tied for the NBA’s fourth-tallest player. Wembanyama clearly looks taller than him in photos when they’ve faced off.
My best guess for Wembanyama’s height in shoes is 7’5.5. Even that might be conservative. The Knicks better have a good game plan to slow down Wemby, because he already feels like the best player in the world.
New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson has had one hell of a run in the playoffs.
He’s scoring almost 27 points a night and has propelled New York to the NBA Finals, including back-to-back series sweeps to set up this showdown with the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite that success, Brunson isn’t buying into his own brand.
“We can’t be satisfied just because we’re here,” he told reporters ahead of tonight’s Game 1.
Big Apple basketball bettors are banking on Brunson big time. I dig into his NBA player props for my best Knicks vs. Spurs predictions and NBA picks for June 3.
Jalen Brunson prop pick for Game 1
Jalen Brunson best bet: Jalen Brunson Over 2.5 rebounds
The New York Knicks' burly point guard can also clean the glass and unlike the opening three rounds, Brunson faces a smaller San Antonio Spurs squad.
Beyond 7-foot skyscraper Victor Wembanyama and a few backup bigs, the Spurs’ main rotation doesn’t go beyond 6-foot-7, and that gives smaller guards a fighting chance on the boards (take Wemby out and San Antonio drops to an average height of 6-foot-6.1 – fourth shortest).
Brunson was an active rebounder in three meetings with San Antonio this season, snatching four rebounds in each of those outings while averaging more than seven rebounding chances per game.
He wrangled three or more rebounds in three of the four games against a shorter Cleveland backcourt, upping his chances to 8.0 per contest in the Eastern Conference finals. Projections for Game 1 of the NBA Finals all sit north of three boards with a ceiling at 4.1 rebounds.
My conservative number comes out to 3.4 rebounds, which lands the fair price right on this current ask of Over 2.5 -155.
However, if you lean toward his past production versus San Antonio and the high side of the game models (as well as an expected uptick in pace compared to the past two opponents), Brunson is pegged for 3.75 rebounds. That should have the Over 2.5 listed closer to -200.
Jalen Brunson same-game parlay
I like the Knicks to cover in Game 1, despite the risk of a “rust over rest” factor following an extended layoff. Ahead of tonight, Brunson specifically mentioned the team’s flat start in Game 1 of the Eastern finals following a big break, and I don’t see New York falling into that trap again.
The Knicks have various defensive options to throw at Wembanyama and pose a much bigger threat from outside than OKC, hence the Over on Brunson’s triples. Between battling a smaller Spurs lineup on the boards and burying shots from downtown, Brunson puts in a strong start to the NBA Finals.
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Robinson, who has had several injury issues throughout his career, had been available for New York this postseason. In 13 playoff games this year, Robinson has averaged 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.6 bocks and 0.5 steals across just 14.2 minutes per game.
Robinson is the first center off the bench to spell starter Karl-Anthony Towns, but Robinson’s struggles from the free throw line — he’s shooting just 30.2% from the line this postseason — have forced Knicks coach Mike Brown to be more calculated with Robinson’s playing time. That’s magnified further because opposing teams have resorted to intentionally fouling Robinson to put him on the line.
Still, Robinson tends to have extremely impactful minutes because of his high effort and intensity. He’s also dominant on the offensive glass and is averaging 2.5 offensive rebounds in his short time on the floor.
Because the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, one of the toughest players to guard in the entire NBA, Robinson would be a key piece in neutralizing Wembanyama’s effectiveness.
Here’s everything you need to know about Mitchell Robinson’s status ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals:
Is Mitchell Robinson playing tonight in Game 1 of the NBA Finals?
It’s still unclear. According to multiple reports, Robinson had been planning to play through the injury and was planning on wearing a brace. But when the first official injury report published the evening of Tuesday, June 2, Robinson was still listed as questionable.
When asked earlier Tuesday about Robinson, Knicks coach Mike Brown declined to give too many details but said Robinson “did individual stuff” Monday, June 1.
Presumably, Robinson and the Knicks medical staff will monitor Robinson’s injury prior to the game and will see how he responds to activity during shootaround prior to making a formal determination.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
Mitchell Robinson stats
In 60 games this season, Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
In the postseason, Robinson’s minutes have declined a bit from his regular season average, in large part because of his struggles from the free throw line.
Mitchell Robinson injury: what it means for Knicks
If Robinson is forced to miss time, third-string center Ariel Hukporti becomes the next man up. Hukporti, who is in his second season, appeared in just 54 games this season — most of that coming in garbage time — and played just 9.2 minutes across those appearances.
Mar 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
After so many years off, I can’t believe we are getting round four of my all-time favorite series: Fraternizing with the Enemy, where I discuss happenings with a writer from the enemy other team. We’ve had three great series through the first three rounds of the playoffs, and now, not only have we reached the pinnacle known as the NBA Finals, but we’ve come full circle with a rematch with the Spurs’ first ever Finals opponent from 1999: the New York Knicks. There’s no one better to get down to brass taxes with than Russell Richardson: editor-in-chief of SB Nation’s Knicks blog, Posting and Toasting.
J.R.
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling strong 20th century vibes right now. As if I want to party like it’s 1999, or at least watch basketball like it. Twenty-seven years have passed since the Knicks and Spurs met in the playoffs and here we are in the year that the NBA Finals validates the in-season NBA Cup Tournament.
Ever since San Antonio eliminated Minnesota in the second round, I’ve been saying that New York scared me more than OKC. But during games 1, 2 & 7 against the Thunder, I was more tense than I’ve been for any game in over twenty years, so I don’t know that stack-ranking teams by induced fear will accomplish much. Before the OKC series, people were saying how much both teams had developed since they last played, but the Knicks have undergone at least the same kind of improvement since SA and NY have met. Which makes me wonder, with all of these changes on both sides, how long a series do you expect?
R.R.
Pleased to meet you finally, J.R. I have three tickets to see Wilco this month, so when a message arrived from Wilco, I assumed Jeff Tweedy was checking on my choices for the setlist.
Funny story: My reason for picking the Knicks to win in five games is not rooted in basketball logic. A few months ago, my wife and sister-in-law asked about attending a Wilco show at Beak and Skiff (an excellent venue). With a date of June 16, a potential Knicks conflict didn’t register. Why? Because it’s been decades since the Knicks last played in June, and they weren’t exactly living up to expectations this season. I bought tickets. Child care was arranged. Now, I’m in a pickle: either the Knicks wrap this up in five, or I’ll need to fake an injury so I can watch Game Six. What’s the marital equivalent of an SGA flop?
Your memories of the 1999 Finals must be fonder than mine. For one, I was inebriated throughout the series, watching from a Belmar barstool while my soon-to-be (and eventually ex-) wife drowned me in whiskey. Suffice it to say, my recollection is blurry. For two, look at those box scores. Yikes! The Knicks scored 77 in Game One and 67 in Game Two. It’s crazy to remember that they averaged 86 points per game that season. Sure, that was nearly the lowest in the league, but the NBA was still a far cry from the point-paloozas of today. In 25 years, teams will average 150 and play exhibition games on Mars.
The current Spurs team has no trouble running up the scoreboard. And in the playoffs, they’ve looked more cohesive than the iteration New York beat in the NBA Cup. Even then, they were no pushovers; the Knicks had to rally in the fourth, winning the quarter 35–19. When the Thunder were favored in the WCF, I was skeptical. San Antonio proved me right. They’re truly the best in the West, and, truth be told, they’re a helluva lotta fun to watch.
I can’t wait for these two teams to lock horns. I’m here for any and all of your questions, although brilliant answers are not guaranteed (many brain cells died before this blogger sobered up). I’m curious to know what you think is different between the Spurs of this moment versus the team that NY beat in the Cup game. I have assumptions (a young team coming to understand each other’s rhythms and style after playing more games together, for instance) but you’ve watched them more than I.
J.R.
The changes the Spurs have undergone since the Knicks beat them on December 16 is a fun topic because some started soon after, and some have just been completed in overcoming Oklahoma City.
The first transition was in the team’s approach on offense. Early in the season, the offense ran through Victor, and opponents were selling out to stop him at all costs. Sometimes this would work (the early-season games against Phoenix are great examples) and San Antonio’s offense simply cratered. Even in the games they won, the Spurs would go through extremely long offensive droughts. This continued until the all star break after which Wemby suddenly showed that he’d learned that he didn’t have to be the center of the offense for the team to win.
Suddenly, instead of calling for the ball while 20 feet from the basket, going on-on-one, and driving into loads of help defense and turning the ball over (which he’d done a lot of last season), he would set screens and roll while the defense stretched to keep him from the rim, which opened up all kinds of opportunities for the Spurs shooters and drivers to exploit. That’s the environment in which Wemby would then attack, and defenses have a hard time defending so many threats, and that explains the run they went on from February through the end of the season.
Then the postseason came, which taught the coaching staff and the team to deal with situational threats that are rarely seen during the regular season. The OKC series was an advanced education in developing new offensive strategies on the fly, and if they hadn’t passed that test we wouldn’t be talking right now.
So that’s what’s changed since we met. There was the final meeting of the year in that stretch, which New York won, and it’s apparent that the Knicks are a different beast from any of the previous Spurs opponents because of how they handled SA during the 20+ game stretch in which their only loss was to the Knickerbockers. Then as if that weren’t enough, they unlocked KAT’s point center module and started tearing through teams. San Antonio made it past the defending champs largely through size and physicality, but New York has shooting AND length. They have size at the wing that can dwarf the Spurs, and they’re on a win streak longer than the Thunder’s 8-0 run to start the playoffs.
All that to say, I haven’t seen enough of the Knicks’ recent games to have anything close to a good foundation to make an educated guess from. So I have some questions that would help me get ready for the series; some about basketball, some about the fanbase, and some about you: Has point KAT been that big a deal? In other words, was placing the ball in his hands the move that facilitated the 9-0 win streak? How much point KAT have they been using?
R.R.
Indeed, like the Spurs, New York has improved since December — and not just by dumping Guerschon Yabusele. It took a while to get cooking, though.
“Wemby suddenly showed that he’d learned he didn’t have to be the center of the offense for the team to win.”
You could say the same about Jalen Brunson.
Throughout the season, many complained that Mike Brown should play Brunson off the ball more often, for multiple reasons. It saves his legs, and it diversifies the offense. But the Knicks kept drilling the same formula repeatedly.
Through two seasons, the Towns-Brunson pairing was never as successful as it could have been. Countless games started stale and didn’t improve until the reserves came in to mix up the lineup. Usually, KAT would flourish while Jalen rested in the second quarter, and he’d get some buckets in the third, letting Jalen take center stage in the fourth.
Here’s another gripe: For whatever reason (either by his choice or the coach’s) KAT doesn’t post up. It didn’t happen under Thibs, either, so you can draw your own conclusions. We came to accept it, but it drove some of the fanbase nuts.
Anyway, the first three games of the playoffs followed the same script they tried all season. And after falling behind 1-2 to the clearly less-talented Hawks (losing each game by one point), many fans wondered if our hopes had been too high.
Then, a change. Point-KAT was unleashed; the team started playing faster, exploiting more fast-break opportunities; the scoring load was shared across all five starters (plus one sharpshooting Shamet); and their defense has bordered on criminally abusive. They unlocked an unprecedented level of beautiful basketball during their 11-game winning streak — and their historic numbers back it up.
Some specific changes we’ve seen is Mikal Bridges bringing the ball up the court more often, and Hart taking off on a sprint if he’s hauled in a rebound. That means a good defender has to chase Jalen around away from the ball, while the other four starters go to work — and each can shoot or attack the rim.
Karl is an exceptional passer. As the hub, he can thread a pass to a cutter, zip it out to a corner (and from there it swings until an open shooter is found), rise up for a high-percentage shot, or put his shoulder down and drive to the cup.
So the Knicks unlocked basketball nirvana by relying less on Brunson as the primary ball handler, rocketing defensive rebounds down the court for fast-paced buckets, and letting KAT operate as a hub. Just as the Spurs learned to rely less on Wemby, the Knicks did the same with Jalen. And, lo and behold, both players became even more valuable to their teams.
A few Q’s for you. Where do you think the Spurs will most surprise the Knicks? What vulnerabilities worry you the most? (You mentioned size, but most of your key guys are 6’5” and up — and Wemby is a friggin’ tree.)
J.R.
When the NBA Cup final was over, who could have expected that both teams would be in the Finals because their centers started initiating their offense as 7-foot point guards? Well it’s happened. I know that KAT has spent far more time in that role, but Point Wemby made a significant contribution at the beginning of Game 7 in OKC and it helped the Spurs build their first lead. So I’m wondering how much of that we’ll see in the Finals, and I’m enjoying with anticipation the media losing their minds over a series in which centers are leading their teams in assists. With how much of a copycat league this is, it would be interesting to see how far the idea can go.
As to how the Spurs will surprise the Knicks, I think it has to be with Dylan Harper. The rookie has played well all year, but there’s nothing about his play in the playoffs that looks the slightest bit like it’s his first season in the league. Of all the changes the Spurs have made since they’ve played NY, Harper’s emergence has to be the one that I think will have the biggest effect on the Finals because he’s like no one else at his age in ages, literally. When his numbers aren’t matching Magic Johnson’s rookie playoff stats, they’re setting rookie postseason records. If he hadn’t gotten an adductor injury during the WCF, there’s no way he’d be able to surprise anyone because I believe that it would have been a shorter series, and he’d have been one of the major Spurs stories heading into the Finals. Even with the 3-4 subpar games from Dylan as he recovered his health, you can make a strong case that San Antonio doesn’t eliminate OKC without him.
On the vulnerabilities front, it’s all about New York’s size for me. You’re right that the Spurs have big guards, but their forwards are undersized against most teams in the league. Against Anunoby and Robinson, they’re almost tiny. Also, San Antonio likes to guard opposing centers with a guard or a wing, so that Wemby can roam the paint and play Gandalf. (You shall not pass!) If they do that in the Finals then that’s another matchup the Spurs are small in, which could create rebounding problems and a bevy of other issues, crossmatching, etc.
Ok, my questions for you: Who did you want to advance between the Thunder and the Spurs and why? And are you concerned about one of the consistent issues over the past few postseasons: rest-induced rust for the team that ended its series early?
R.R.
Cooper Flagg deserves his flowers, but Harper deserved more votes for Rookie of the Year. His skills and poise in the biggest moments have impressed us at P&T. Wemby, Castle, and Harper: three excellent drafts for you, my friend!
Upon examining the strengths and weaknesses of both Western Conference finalists, I argued that the Knicks should want to face the Spurs. Not the greatest take, in hindsight. I assumed that San Antonio’s youth and mounting fatigue after a grueling three rounds would make them less formidable than the defending champion Thunder. Furthermore, many of these young Spurs had never played so many games without a break, counting both the regular season and the postseason. After watching them lay out OKC on the road in a closeout game, I should probably surrender my sportswriting license.
Now I’m a little worried that the Knicks have had too much time off. It wouldn’t astonish me if New York loses Game One. They’ve played just eight games in the past month, and while that absolutely keeps them fresh, allows for injury recovery, etc., I wonder how they can maintain their game conditioning. Playing 40+ minutes of NBA basketball is different from 40 minutes on a stationary bike. You’ll recall that they were pretty rusty early in Game One against Cleveland after nine days’ rest. They fell behind by 22 points before their amazing, miraculous, one-for-the-ages comeback to win in overtime.
Phew, I’m back. Needed a shower after that. . . . Yeah, so, this break between Game Seven and the Finals might actually be the perfect length for San Antonio — long enough to get healthy and prepare for its opponent, short enough not to lose momentum — while eight days off might not be ideal for New York.
Question for you: Has there been any word on De’Aaron Fox’s high-ankle sprain? He seemed really limited in the Thunder series, but I’d imagine he’s getting better all the time (forgive the obligatory Beatles reference). How do you feel when Castle plays lead guard? I recall he had an 11-assist, 11-turnover double-double in Game One of the WCF.
J.R.
Your request for an Official Sportswriting License from the Guild of Legitimate Sportswriters was approved? Lucky! I guess I shouldn’t wonder; you live in New York state after all. Must be nice to cover the largest media market in the hemisphere. Meanwhile, we small market folk have to make do with the sportswriting licenses we find at the bottoms of a cereal boxes. But that didn’t stop me from getting mine laminated and displaying it proudly in my home office workstation right next to my typewriter, my dogeared copy of the AP Stylebook, and my horn-rimmed glasses with the old prescription that I only use to focus the sun to burn ants after the Spurs lose.
As for the Knicks’ Game 1 comeback win, there is no shame in re-re-watching those recaps, particularly when you have so much time to wait before your team can generate new highlight reels. I’m only a couple days removed from Game 7, and I found myself going down the rabbit hole of one video after another and had to tear myself away when you messaged me to say it was my turn to write. That said, isn’t it interesting that both the Knicks and the Spurs had to endure overtime in the first game of their conference final series? Makes me wonder what other kinds of similarities there are to be uncovered over the next two and a half weeks.
In order to answer your question about any news concerning the condition of Fox’s ankle, I need to introduce you to the Spurs media landscape. This isn’t like the Big Apple where the media is strong enough to get a coach fired if they don’t get complete enough answers to their questions. In San Antonio, the tenure of the head coach doesn’t rely on anything except the good will of the owner, and that good will has essentially been granted to Gregg Popovich for life. (In case you don’t know, Popovich is still the president of basketball operations which means that he is the one in charge of hiring the general manager. In other words, Pop named his successor.) In this environment, we find out about the news concerning injuries at the same time that everyone else does: an hour and 15 minutes before tip off. So, no, there’s no additional word outside of our own speculation surrounding what kind of advanced treatment he’s receiving. (No need to apologize for Beatles references. I love the Fab Four.)
My feelings about Castle are not particularly complicated. First and second-year players aren’t known for being able to avoid turnovers, and Stephon is no exception. His exceptional qualities are so many and varied that I happily classify the turnovers as the price for entry. I remember hearing Steve Kerr, at the beginning of the Golden State dynasty, discuss the Warriors’ turnovers in terms that I’d never heard a coach use before. He said something to the effect that the team was at its best when the ball moved, and he would prefer that his players made mistakes while passing for advantage, as opposed to mistakes of passing omission. It sounded revolutionary at the time because Pop always considered turnovers an existential threat. Castle turns it over less frequently when Fox is out there to calm things down. The problem at the beginning of the Thunder series was Fox‘s absence, which hopefully won’t happen again.
For my next queries, I have to go back to the All-Star game for the set up. Wemby and KAT played together and Victor got quite upset about more than one of Towns’ … defensive choices. Much seemed to be made about Wemby’s body language with people interpreting it as him blaming KAT for the loss. This also seemed to play into a reputation for a certain lack of focus on defense in high leverage moments.
So my questions are: is this reputation earned, what forms do his miscues take, and are you concerned about how he’ll handle the kind of complex and fluid defensive schemes that success in the Finals requires?
R.R.
Ah, yes, I heard tales of sportswriters sharing malteds with Gregg Popovich on a bench outside the Alamodome while watching tumbleweeds roll by. Meanwhile, in the metropolis, writers interviewed players in the Champagne Room at Scores (allegedly). Alas, everyone’s too brand-conscious for such extracurricular hijinks these days, or at least they don’t invite me along for the fun.
True confession: I loved Pop as a coach. He was a gruff, fundamentals-focused skipper like Thibs, who deserves credit for laying the foundation that made this Finals appearance possible. Pop always seemed both perfectly suited to San Antonio and an odd fit. He got far more rope than he would have in New York thanks to the small market and his winning track record, yet he was also outspoken, unconcerned about offending the season-ticket-holder base. We saw one aspect of the man in front of the camera. The fact that former players like Tim Duncan are helping him recover from his stroke speaks volumes about his character (and theirs).
On the subject of injuries, the Knicks are notoriously tight-lipped as well. We may never know how Mitchell Robinson broke his finger. If Leon Rose & Co. hadn’t done such a tremendous job building the roster, they’d be pilloried for their silence. I believe Leon has sat for one interview in six years as president of basketball operations. Try getting away with that in any other city, or any other profession.
In my Game Two preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, I wrote something like, “Lord Silver must be smiling.” Early on, both conference finals looked destined to be epic when each began with an overtime thriller. Then the Cavs folded like laundry. While we were ecstatic that New York steamrolled the next three games, there wasn’t much drama to it.
The Finals should be a helluva show. I wouldn’t be surprised if both teams rip off a 15-point run every game, but a blowout either way feels unlikely–if the teams take turns, winning one, losing one, etc. My family and I live about three hours from the city, though my son in Brooklyn insists we’d be safer farther away during the Finals—maybe bunkered in an Airbnb in Buffalo. If the Knicks win, the fans might steal the Statue of Liberty. If they lose, City Hall could burn to the ground.
Regarding Castle’s turnovers: I’m too lazy to look it up, but Mike Brown recently explained why some turnovers are better than others. His logic shared the spirit of your Steve Kerr reference. Still, 11 giveaways is an Ooof. I hope Stephon will be as generous to the Knicks. You’re right, though; with Fox back, Castle will have fewer opportunities to cough up the rock.
Here’s the thing about Towns. Knicks fans have pulled out copious amounts of hair over two types of fouls: Karl’s occasional brain-fart foul and, worse, his hook-on-the-drive foul. His teammates didn’t care for them, either. You could see the blood drain from their faces when he hooked his way into another offensive infraction and then argued that he was the victim.
During this 11-game winning streak, however, Karl has played with discipline. We pray it continues. If he gets into foul trouble early against the Spurs, though, New York will be in trouble. Why? Mitch hasn’t exactly wowed us this postseason and has claimed to be dealing with mental health issues. Add a broken finger and he’s a real wildcard. Ariel Hukporti is the team’s third-string center. If you haven’t heard of him, there’s a reason for that.
Cleveland’s size neutralized Point-KAT early on in the conference finals. New York still won the battle in the paint, however, and pushed the pace to great effect. This series will be different, of course. We expect that Mitch Johnson will strategize to limit KAT, points in the paint will be hard won, and the Spurs will have springier legs than the Cavs, but we’re also sure that Mike Brown knows all this and will plan accordingly. The Knicks have so many offensive weapons, a stifled KAT just means that one of the other guys gets to eat.
I’m curious what similarities, and differences, you’ve seen between Johnson and Pop. And finally, what’s your pick for the series? Who wins, and in how many games?
J.R.
The best description I have of Mitch Johnson is that he’s a updated version of Pop. There are so many similarities between them that it’s easier to describe the differences. Pop was famously against ever giving another team points. He lost a number of games over the years because he wouldn’t foul when up three, which allows the opponent to tie with a three and win in overtime. Johnson has ended my agony by handling end game strategy more to my liking. Also, San Antonio’s defense is far more modern than it was toward the end of Pop’s tenure.
Before I make a prediction, I have to address the Jose Alvarado situation: SA’s coaches better have the guys trained up on his gambits so he can’t create extra possessions with his wonderful sneakiness. Also, there’s the fact that we haven’t yet discussed the player who’s guaranteed the championship ring this year, Jeremy Sochan. Just putting this here for the moment, so we remember to chop it up before the series is over.
Now to the series: I like the Spurs in 6 (yes, even on the road at MSG), but I could see them winning in 7 or 5 depending how things break. First, they have the rust/rest early advantage. Second, I don’t think the Knicks have had to face the same quality of opponents that the Spurs have had to overcome and the adjustment to the level of play might be worth something in this series. Third, if San Antonio can keep Wemby off KAT and near the basket, then his ability to lock down the paint throws a major wrench into New York’s offense.
So there you have it; I hate making predictions and you got one out of me. Anyway, here’s to an entertaining series opener, and I’ll see you on the other side!
Duke Ellis of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders steals a base during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
May was not a merry month for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Although they won the final two games of a six-game series last week against the Worcester Red Sox at home at PNC Field, the RailRiders finished May with a 12-15 record. In two series against the WooSox during the month, they went 4-7. They opened May splitting four games against the Buffalo Bisons. They also split six-game series with the Syracuse Mets and Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
As a team, the RailRiders batted .236 with 34 home runs and 129 runs. Jonathan Ornelas led the way with a .305 average (25-for-82) with three doubles, two triples, one home run, a dozen runs, and seven RBIs. He hit safely in 15 of 24 games with seven multi-hit games, including a four-hit game on May 19th at Lehigh Valley.
Familiar face Oswaldo Cabrera batted .275 (28-for-102) with seven doubles, two home runs, 13 runs, and 17 RBIs. Top prospect George Lombard Jr. did not fare as well on the whole with a .192/.351/.298 triple slash, though his numbers from the final two weeks of the month (May 17-31) did look better better at .269/.371/.481. Call it a hot streak or a sign of adjusting to the higher level following an April 30th promotion.
Yanquiel Fernández had a team-high eight home runs during May, including multi-homer games on May 6th at Worcester and May 19th at Lehigh Valley. He also batted .286 (26-for-91) with three doubles, 22 RBIs and 15 runs. He was named the International League Player of the Week for May 18-24. Unfortunately, he also ended the month injured, as he was placed on the seven-day IL on May 29th.
The RailRiders swiped 43 bases, which ranked third in the International League during the month. Duke Ellis led the thievery going a perfect 15-for-15 in steal attempts. Ellis is tied for the league-lead with Worcester’s Braiden Ward with 24 steals.
On the mound, the pitching staff had a 4.32 ERA with six saves. It bookended the month with shutouts and Adam Kloffenstein was involved in both.
On May 1st, in the first game of a doubleheader against Buffalo, Kloffenstein and Rafael Montero combined on a two-hit, seven-inning shutout, 2-0. Then on May 31st, Kloffenstein struck out 10 in six innings before Bradley Hanner and Peter Strzelecki finished off a combined three-hit blanking of Worcester, 1-0.
Hanner recorded two of the team’s six saves. He was also 2-0 during the month with a 2.25 ERA. In 10 games and 12 innings, he allowed three runs, eight hits, walked four, and struck out 20.
Brendan Beck went 2-0 in May with a 2.17 ERA. In five starts, he allowed eight runs (seven earned) and 19 hits with 11 walks and 27 strikeouts in 29 innings. The Yankees’ No. 21 prospect also made his MLB debut in a cameo while effectively tagging in for a sick Ryan Weathers on May 7th and was chosen International League Pitcher of the Week for May 11-17.
Carlos Lagrange, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect, had a team-high 33 strikeouts during the month in five starts and 25 innings. Lagrange ranks second in the International League with 63 strikeouts and Beck is tied fourth with 60. For June onward however, look for Lagrange to build his case to make the 2026 big-league club out of the bullpen.
Carlos Lagrange is being shifted to the bullpen at AAA. The Yankees always believed the hard-throwing RHP could boost the bullpen this year. So this is a major step in that direction. Get ready to see 103 MPH in the Bronx.
Zach Messinger did not allow a run during the month in eight appearances covering 15.1 innings. He gave up three hits, walked four and struck out 11. He has not given up a run since April 23.
One thing RailRiders pitchers haven’t been doing is issuing walks. They have allowed 220 walks, which ranks second in the league behind only the Charlotte Knights with 215.
Heading into June, the RailRiders are 28-27 and six games behind the Memphis Redbirds and Nashville Sounds in the International League standings. Three weeks remain in the first half of the season.
Most of this month will be spent away from PNC Field. The RailRiders began a seven-game series in Syracuse last night, one with an extra game via a doubleheader today. This already is the third of four series meetings between the teams with the Mets having win seven of the 11 games played in the first two series.
After facing Syracuse, the RailRiders return home to host Lehigh Valley for six games June 9-14. They then head to Columbus to face the Clippers on June 16-21 and conclude first-half play. They open the second half at the Indianapolis Indians on June 23-28.
HOUSTON - CIRCA 1987: A detailed overview of The Houston Astrodome during a Houston Astros Major League Baseball game circa 1987 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
He pitched his entire major league career in the 80’s with our Houston Astros. He’s Mike Madden, and he joins us exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes for our 21st installment of the Legends Series.
Q: That 1983 season, you appeared in 28 games, started 13, and won 9 of those. What was that like?
A: Boy, joining that staff. We had Nolan, Niekro, Bob Knepper and Mike Scott came towards the end of that year. I was really young, coming right out of the University of Northern Colorado, it was one level up.
I didn’t think my heart rate those first few months would ever come down, everything was going super-fast but once I’d take the mound, it would slow down.
More than anything, it was educational learning as you saw what hitter’s tendencies were and then you got to learn your body on the flight, the travel, all of those adjustments.
Q: Speaking of travel, did you have an opposing city/ballpark that you enjoyed more than others?
A: I liked all of them (laughs) because it was the big leagues! I had been to a few of them because my folks were in the Air Force, but playing ball in a city for three days and then jumping on a plane to the next one was different.
I had parks that I didn’t really like. Wrigley was so tiny and small. The field, the clubhouse, the whole thing.
Q: Most memorable strikeout?
A: I’d have to say Tony Gywnn. I got him at least 3 or 4 times striking out.
One time, I went 8 and 1/3 innings in a game against the Padres. That was a good day.
Q: Favorite teammate?
A: Dave Smith, #45. He threw that forkball.
The thing is though; we had so many characters. Nolan would tell us in the bullpen not even to put shoes on because he was going the distance that day. Then the game would start, he’d mow down like 17 guys and two hours later, we’d be victorious and onto the next city.
Terry Puhl was another one.
God Bless, Phil Garner, that was a team that loved each other.
Q: Pitching in the dome, what comes to mind?
A: I tried to throw pitches that would go to center field because it went on forever. It was always 72 degrees in there, and the Astrodome was truly the 8th Wonder of the World.
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 16: John Gil #97 of the Atlanta Braves runs to first base during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Sunday, March 16, 2025 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tuesday was a fascinating evening for those fans of the Atlanta Braves minor league system. There were a couple of big returns — Drue Hackenberg off of the injured list and Blake Burkhalter to rehab in Rome. Then there were prospects making a huge impact at the dish, notably John Gil’s home run and the combination of Tate Southisene and Conor Essenburg in Augusta. Then you can’t forget Owen Murphy, who continues to impress in Gwinnett and had a fine outing despite not having his peak stuff.
The full season teams swept their way through the first game of their series, and with three of them facing weaker opponents it could be a fun one for fans over the rest of this week. Gwinnett and Norfolk traded early runs with half of the game’s total coming in the first inning, but Gwinnett didn’t trail after taking the lead in the bottom of the first inning and rode a solid performance from Owen Murphy. Gwinnett didn’t really light the world on fire in the first inning, but starting with a leadoff double from Jim Jarvis everything they made contact with found it’s way into space, and the Stripers totaled up three quick runs despite zero hard-hit balls. Over the coming innings they would slowly add to that lead. Jim Jarvis slapped a sharp single the other way for an RBI in the second inning, which was the second of his three hits on the day. Jarvis’s numbers slipped quite a bit throughout May and the call up to Atlanta did seem to throw him a bit off of his rhythm, but his last few he has been on fire. This was his third three-hit game out of his past four contests, and in those games he has four extra base hits and only two strikeouts. Rowdy Tellez had a three hit game as well, and of course he is doing exactly what we expected after a surprisingly slow start to this season. On May 6th Tellez bottomed out with a .782 OPS, but the next day had three hits and hasn’t slowed down since then. He missed some games in the Nashville series that may have cost him a little momentum, but over his past 13 games he has an OPS of 1.036 and is the guy on the team who is hitting the ball hardest by far.
Owen Murphy had a bit of trouble locking into this game in the first inning, as his fastball command was off and he walked the first batter. He made some mistakes over the plate that would result in two hits and two runs against him, but he showed great resilience and turned it around to have a solid outing. It was far from his best look as his curveball was largely ineffectual due to issues with his release and his command came and went on his other pitches, but he had his fastball fairly well dialed in and was able to to produce good results even having to use his four seam or sinker 2/3 of the time. Murphy had a bit of a tick down in velocity across just a few pitches in his final inning but held his velocity well prior to that, with this being his second-highest average fastball velocity in a game. Murphy’s velo and command have been terrific for the past three outings and he has looked more like the player we expected compared to early in the season, though it’s still been a major struggle to lock down a consistent breaking ball. This was, especially after the first inning, the best he has done at avoiding the middle of the plate, which is almost as vital for him as throwing strikes. This was his first outing at Triple-A without allowing a home run, and the first such game for him since April 9th, and it boils down to him being able to elevate without those fastballs occasionally drifting into dangerous areas. It wasn’t his best game due to a largely ineffectual curveball, but it was his best fastball this season and his steady improvement in that realm is promising for a breakout summer.
Swing and Misses
Owen Murphy – 12
Anderson Pilar – 7
Ian Hamilton – 6
(24-26) Columbus Clingstones 11, (26-25) Rocket City Trash Pandas 3
David McCabe, 1B: 2-5, 2 2B, BB, RBI, .253/.360/.521
Patrick Clohisy, CF: 3-5, 2 2B, BB, 3 RBI, .253/.320/.429
Drue Hackenberg, SP: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA
Owen Hackman, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3.55 ERA
The Clingstones are looking to shake off a terrible May in which they were the worst run-scoring team in the league and the home runs that drove them to a good April evaporated. I’d say 11 runs with seven extra-base hits is a good way to get started on that goal. It was a poor final series for Patrick Clohisy, but overall he was one of the lineup’s top performers in May and continued in this game with a three-hit, two-double evening to set the tone for the entire offensive explosion. Clohisy had a mere .102 isolated power on May 7th. Now, that number is at .176 with this making 12 extra base hits in 20 games. He has sacrificed some swing-and-miss to make that sort of impact happen, but it’s easy to argue that it’s worth it for Clohisy to be hitting the ball hard, especially since he is a guy who is going to take good at bats and work a fair share of walks. His swing and approach this season indicate there is some level of sustainability to his power surge as well. He is hitting the ball in the air more often and pulling the ball far more often, getting him more chances to hit gaps for doubles and hit hard line drives. Clohisy doesn’t have the natural power to be a consistent home run threat, but if he continues to be a double-digit sort of guy that’s going to be easy to take from someone who can run the bases and play defense as well as he does. David McCabe being bad in May was one of the big drivers of Columbus’s downfall, so a big opening to the month is already going to turn a few heads. McCabe’s streakiness over the past two seasons has been holding him back from really making a big splash and push for Triple-A, but he has gotten his timing back locked in and stopped posting the egregious strikeout rates from the early weeks of May. It’s not encouraging to see his contact rate fall off of a cliff this season, though the increase in power in the early part of the season definitely helps mitigate that weakness, and it seems McCabe has just hit a wall that he cannot consistently get past.
Drue Hackenberg is finally back on the mound for Columbus after that early exit in April, and he was definitely a bit rusty. Hackenberg’s sinker command was fine — he threw a lot of early strikes and got a ton of ground balls — but much of the rest of his arsenal lacked the same level of feel. His cutter was his best other offering, however he did not have enough finesse with his curveball, slider, or changeup to get whiffs later in at bats. His success was largely predicated upon him moving that cutter and sinker combo east-to-west and forcing weak contact, and it served him fairly well in this game. His unearned runs came following a hit batter and a wild pitch, then a bad mistake with his slider up that got tattooed for a home run. Above all else Hackenberg has just got to be consistently healthy before we can really start to evaluate his development compared to last year and two seasons ago, though his command has looked solid in the two short glimpses we have had of him. Out of the bullpen this has been a dream start to the season for Owen Hackman. Outside of a singular blow up outing in his Double-A debut he has been lights out in a shortened role, and is quickly proving that his fastball is lively enough to miss bats at the upper levels of the minor leagues. This wasn’t his peak performance as he had some trouble locating his slider this game, but it didn’t matter much because he was throwing his four seamer through the Trash Panda’s bats.
Jeremy Reyes, SP: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 4.59 ERA
Blake Burkhalter, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
John Gil delivered a huge hit late in the game, and the Rome offense exploded in the seventh to drive a win that was far less comfortable than the final score would suggest. It was bad, bad bad out there for Jeremy Reyes. He’s had a few up-and-down starts in a row but this one was all downs. His control was non-existent from the first pitch and it stayed that way throughout the game, though in a way it kind of worked. Reyes was so wild the Drive had a hard time really sitting on anything or being able to make hard contact, so despite his five walks and a hit batter he managed to hold them to just two runs. This is not a bad offensive unit for the Drive, either — they’re above league average as a team. They just could not find success against Reyes despite his self-inflicted wounds, and that carried over as the bullpen shut them down late in the game. The most notable appearance there was Blake Burkhalter, who is with the Emperors this week to make his rehab appearances. Burkhalter made quick work of Greenville, throwing nine of his 12 pitches for strikes and whiffing the first batter he faced. With his move to the bullpen full time he is going to get some real looks at promotion if he goes to Gwinnett and excels, though his performance there to end last season wasn’t a good first step for that.
It was a great start for Greenville pitcher and recent Boston draftee Marcus Phillips, who took out the frustration of a rough May on Rome. He shut them down into the fifth inning, protecting the two runs his offense got early and holding the Emperors to just Cody Miller’s second inning single. Unfortunately for Greenville their weakness is their poor pitching staff, and it didn’t take long into the bullpen before Rome started feasting. Two errors put Gil and Hartman on base for the middle of the lineup, and Dixon Williams come through in the first scoring chance to drive home Gil with a base hit. Will Verdung soon after tied the game with a hit, resetting the system headed into the seventh. Then, the Emperors went crazy. A walk and two singles brought up John Gil, who to this point had no hits in the game, with the bases loaded and no outs. Gil got a fat one on the first pitch and he was aggressive, and blew the game wide open with one swing. He crushed a grand slam out to center field, giving Rome a 6-2 lead. Eric Hartman followed by doing Eric Hartman things, smacking a base hit then stealing second base, third base, and scoring on a single from Cody Miller. Miller followed suit by stealing his way around to third, then capped the six run inning off by coming home on a sacrifice fly. Despite his early season struggled Miller has quietly done a lot of good, especially on the bases as he is 20 of 23 on stolen base attempts this season. His contact rates are starting to normalize and while they’re still below average overall he has been much better the past could of weeks, with solid numbers in his past 13 games and quite a bit of power. Miller’s approach needs a ton of work but he’s come a long way just in the season to date, and as long as he is actually making contact he should continue to put up good numbers based on his other attributes.
Swing and Misses
Jeremy Reyes – 13
Trent Buchanan – 3
(30-22) Augusta GreenJackets 2, (17-35) Delmarva Shorebirds 1
Aiven Cabral, SP: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2.36 ERA
Logan Forsythe, RP: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 3.92 ERA
Delmarva is both the worst pitching and hitting team in the Carolina League this season, so the Augusta GreenJackets have a real chance to create a lead in the South division if they can take care of business. They did so in this game, but it was a taut affair after Augusta seemed to be on their way to great things after the first inning. Tate Southisene started the game off with a bang, slicing a line drive into the right center field corner for a leadoff double to extend his hitting streak to seven games and his extra-base hit streak to four games. Conor Essenburg followed up by poking a ball down the line and motoring in for a double of his own, and within two batters Augusta already had a lead to play with. Juan Mateo then came in and hit a ball high off of the right field wall for a double of his own, and with two runs and three doubles in the first inning things were looking up for the GreenJackets. That slow start would fade, though, and over the next eighth innings the GreenJackets failed to add any insurance runs on the board. Essenburg had a hit later in the game to keep his hot play going, and he drew a walk, but excitement was hard to find on the offensive end through most of the game and the pitching staff would have their hands full protecting that lead. Essenburg has needed zero time to re-orient himself after coming off of the disabled list, and his strikeouts are already coming back down to earth. In his past four games he only has three total strikeouts, and I have a feeling that given his bat speed and pitch recognition he is going to have no problems eventually adjusting to Single-A pitching. He just does not seem fazed at the plate and finds a way to make hard contact in every game.
A two-run lead and a Single-A pitching staff is not a safe bet at all, but there is no one on Augusta’s roster right now they would trust more than Aiven Cabral to hold it down. Cabral did his thing again with 5 1/3 impressive innings, allowing only one run and keeping Delmarva off balance throughout the game. Some of the success is attributable to Delmarva just not being very good. Cabral didn’t miss a lot of bats and was heavily reliant on his sinker to do the work in this outing, but Cabral’s consistency with commanding a full arsenal continues to be impressive. I typically expect to see Cabral relying more on his sweeper to have success — it’s his only pitch I would grade at an MLB average level — but it wasn’t the go-to for him in this outing and he still found success. The other pitchers on Cabral days have always been then the shakier ones, but Logan Forsythe had by far his most effective outing as a professional and even outshined Cabral in this one. Forsythe’s command has been abysmal this season, and when he started out with a walk and then two straight balls it looked like it could be the same old story for him. His command never quite got to good in this game, but for the first time it really felt like he found something with locating his fastball and he went on to strike out six of his next seven batters and got the game into the ninth inning before allowing a double that ended his day. When he is able to throw enough strikes it’s fairly easy to see why Forsythe was interesting enough for the Braves to pick up in the 13th round. His slider is still largely a non-factor because he can’t locate it well enough to take advantage of it even if it does have good traits, but it doesn’t always matter given how good his fastball is. His velocity isn’t the mid-90’s that was in some reports following the draft, but it plays well above that velocity given Forsythe’s low release and the carry on the pitch. The ball just continues to ride above the hands of hitters and produce whiffs at the top of the strike zone, so it’s really just a matter of him actually being able to land that pitch there. If I were working on Forsythe’s arsenal I would love to see a change in his slider. It has a ton of movement but it’s fairly slow sitting in the low 80’s, and a harder, shorter shape might serve him better when paired with that fastball movement. In addition the extra velocity could give him a bit more leeway given how often he misses over the plate, taking some of these hits where guys can just adjust, wait back on 80 and turn on it, and turn those into foul balls or whiffs.
Carter Holton, SP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1.13 ERA
It was another disappointing day for Diego Tornes and the FCL Braves lineup, which collectively combined to generate just two hits on the day. The silver lining to that would be Owen Carey, who picked up the second hit of his rehab stint down in Florida and has hope to return to the Emperors soon. It’s been a pretty massive breakout season for a number of Emperors hitters and giving Carey the opportunity to put his name back in the hat brings even more excitement for the looming summer. Carter Holton’s third rehab appearance was his best as he dominated and faced the most batters he has in a game. Holton is going to be in a very interesting spot once he does return to the rotation this season, given his age and how many red flags he had in his profile even before his injury. I had quite a critical view of his starting potential and mechanics after his sole game in Augusta two seasons ago and I’m going to watch closely when he does get back onto video feeds to see what changes they have made during his rehab.
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 18: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals looks on prior to the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, May 18, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Many announcers and writers have called Salvador Perez a future Hall of Famer, but I do not think that he is going to make it to Cooperstown. Two things have kept him in that tier just below elite. First, he is a free-swinger in an era where on-base percentage is valued higher than batting average, hindering his perceived offensive value. Second, the rise of catcher framing statistics have diminished his perceived defensive value despite his Gold Gloves. Both on-base percentage and framing metrics have really limited his value by Wins Above Replacement (WAR). His Baseball Reference (BR) career WAR is sitting at 35.5 compared to an average Hall of Fame catcher WAR of 53.6. His Fangraphs WAR is a paltry 18.4 because they include the framing values while BR defensive WAR does not.
Salvy’s framing values have vacillated, as all statistics do, but they have been consistently negative. The only season where his framing metric (FRM) value was positive was 2020 when it was 0.3 in the COVID shortened season. The new ABS challenge system is exactly the sort of thing that would be beneficial to a catcher like Perez. He throws well and has been around average at blocking per Statcast, though we will never know how that would have rated in his younger seasons before blocking metrics were tracked. He has even had some very nice defensive value seasons despite the framing issues, but over the years, Salvador has accumulated -125.5 FRM, which is largely responsible for the 17 WAR disparity between Baseball Reference and Fangraphs.
When it comes to catchers taking advantage of the new ABS system, Salvador Perez is near the top of the leaderboard. He has won 74% of his catching challenges for a 74% success rate. Only William Contreras and Tyler Stephenson have won more challenges. Each one of those wins represents a strike that would have counted against his framing in past years that he can now salvage for his pitcher. It hasn’t been enough to make Salvy’s 2026 framing value positive—he currently sits at -1.0 FRM—but he’s on pace for roughly -3 FRM, which would rank as the third-best framing season of his career over a full year. Each framing call – either turning a ball into a strike or a strike into a ball – is worth roughly 0.12 to 0.13 runs. Perez being successful on 31 challenges implies that it would be worth around 3.7 runs in framing negatives that he avoided. That would have put him on pace for closer to a -12 FRM and he generally hangs out in the -8 to -13 range, so that makes it feel like it is a “real” difference from ABS.
More broadly, ABS seems to be taking some value away from the top framing performers, as you might have expected it would. Both Fangraphs and Baseball Savant had Patrick Bailey worth more than 20 runs from framing in each of 2024 and 2025 and many other players are often in the upper teens. Right now, Dillon Dingler is leading FRM with a pace for around +11. Statcast does have Adley Rutschman and Brandon Valenzuela pacing closer to +14, but the top end does seem to be a little compressed as some of your framed strikes could get overturned along with the generally tighter strike zone that we have seen presumably as umps try not to expand the zone now that they can get embarrassed on overturns. Bailey is only on pace for +5 to +6 FRM, which would be quite the drop for him despite having won 28 ABS challenges but having 21 overturned the other direction by the batters. Salvador has only had batters overturn 10 calls against him. Being good at framing just creates more opportunities for batters to challenge and presumably fewer for the catcher.
Highly negative framing values are a little harder to deal with, though maybe some of those catchers will get more chances in an ABS era. When there are issues in an area like this it can cost people playing time and thus not show us what the overall seasons might typically look like. Tyler Stephenson is the worst framer so far this season, but is having an overall positive defensive contribution, so he is likely to get to continue behind the dish despite the framing deficiencies. It is hard to say how ABS is going to affect the bottom end of the spectrum here, and it might take several years before we know.
What we’ve seen so far suggests that Salvador knows what a strike is and is using that to have a high success rate in his challenges. That may also be helping to buoy his FRM value above its typical level. Early returns suggest ABS may substantially mitigate Salvy’s framing deficiencies, reducing their impact to perhaps a quarter or a third of what they would have been under the previous system. Unfortunately, he is nearing the end of his career so ABS is not going to take away all the negative framing value he has already accrued in his long and successful big-league career.
Jun 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Athletics relief pitcher Scott Barlow (58) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Happy Wednesday A’s Fans!
Entering the third full month of the 2026 MLB season, the Athletics will hope to play better after languishing through their fifth straight losing May.
The team’s pitching depth will be tested this month as four of the five members of the Opening-Day starting rotation are no-longer on the active roster. Right-handers Luis Severino and Aaron Civale are on the injured list with shoulder injuries while right-hander Luis Morales and left-hander Jacob Lopez struggled to get big-league hitters out and are now trying to re-gain form in Triple-A. Lopez was demoted after giving up the first half of the Yankees 13-run inning this past Sunday. That leaves left-hander Jeffrey Springs as the lone veteran holdover.
Springs will be joined by breakout right-hander J.T. Ginn, who moved from the bullpen to the rotation earlier this season and has not looked back. Ginn has become one of the A’s most consistent pitchers, finding success against both right and left-handed hitters.
The other three spots will likely be awarded to more unproven options. The A’s top pitching prospect, left-hander Gage Jump, has a firm grip on one, especially after his extremely impressive seven innings of one-run ball in his second career MLB start against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Right-handed pitchers Kade Morris and Mason Barnett have joined Jump in the big-leagues because the A’s need healthy arms. The A’s have not listed a starting pitcher for Thursday’s series-finale against the Cubs. All signs are pointing towards Morris making his first MLB start that day, unless he is summoned out of the bullpen tomorrow.
The A’s starting pitching uncertainty is worrisome as it has a strong chance to force the team’s shaky bullpen to cover more innings, resulting in more opportunities for the likes of Mark Leiter Jr.., Scott Barlow and other relievers to blow late leads in winnable games.
This month is the most consequential of the Athletics’ season. The way the team performs over the next couple of weeks will determine the direction the A’s take at the trade deadline and how the rest of the campaign unfolds. Entering action tonight with a 29-31 record that has the team in third place in the American League West, the A’s need its pitching staff to support its offense if the team wants to remain in contention in a wide-open division.
A’s injuries – Jacob Wilson could begin rehab assignment later this week – Luis Severino has a strain of shoulder capsule and subscapularis muscle. Will be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks – Aaron Civale began a throwing progression – Max Muncy will play 7 innings tonight for Las Vegas
— A's Ballpark in Las Vegas (@VegasAthletics) June 2, 2026
Kade Morris pitched well in this year’s Spring Breakout showcase. Can the A’s 12th ranked prospect translate his minor-league success to MLB like Jump has done or will he experience some initial struggles against big-league hitters?
The A’s are promoting their No. 12 Prospect RHP Kade Morris.
Morris, who was acquired in 2024 for Paul Blackburn, has long been speculated as the next man up for this A’s rotation.
Which player has impressed you the most over this recent stretch of play? I have to give some flowers to Jhonny Pereda for admirably filling in the large shoes of Cal Raleigh and helping to keep the team afloat.
Critics have called situation ‘ludicrous’ and ‘frustrating’
‘Jofra may not play for England if handled differently’
Ben Stokes has defended England’s decision to excuse Jofra Archer from the start of the Test summer so he could compete in the Indian Premier League, saying a more militant approach risks a situation where “players like him might not play for England again”.
On Wednesday Archer was strongly criticised by the former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull, who described his absence as “absolutely ludicrous” and “completely wrong”. The former England batter Mark Butcher has previously said it was “absolutely ridiculous”, while Michael Atherton described it as “incredibly frustrating”.
LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 26: Pictured is Cyndi Lauper being held by Hulk Hogan on THE 27TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS, February 26, 1985, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) | CBS via Getty Images
For Hickory, Louis Marinaro struck out five in two shutout innings. Michael Trausch struck out one in a scoreless inning.
Paulino Santana was 2 for 3 with a pair of walks. Hector Osorio had a homer and a pair of walks. Dewar Tovar doubled and walked. Josh Springer doubled and walk. Marcos Torres had a hit and a walk. Curley Martha, the 19 year old infielder from Curacao who was promoted over the weekend and made his full season debut on Sunday, went 2 for 5.
Hub City starter Enrique Segura threw 3.1 shutout, no hit innings, but walked six and struck out three. Andrew Susac went two innings, struck out two, and allowed a walk and a two run walkoff homer.
Yeison Morrobel had three hits. Chandler Pollard had a walk, a hit and a stolen base. Paxton Kling had a hit.
Frisco starter Aidan Curry struck out four and walked two in 4.1 IP, allowing six runs. Eric Loomis struck out two in a shutout inning.
Rehabbing major league Corey Seager was 1 for 2 and played shortstop before being lifted. Rehabbing major leaguer Wyatt Langford was 1 for 2 with two walks and a stolen base and played left field before being lifted.
Dylan Dreiling had a hit and two walks. Arturo Disla doubled.
Round Rock starter David Davalillo allowed one run in 4.1 innings but continued to have control problems, throwing just 41 of 80 pitches for strikes, walking three, hitting a batter and balking for good measure, while also striking out two. Emiliano Teodo struck out one and walked one in an inning of work, with 10 strikes out of 17 pitches. Alexis Diaz struck out one in a scoreless inning.
Cam Cauley was 1 for 3 with two walks and a stolen base. John Taylor was 2 for 4 with his first AAA homer and his first AAA stolen base. Blaine Crim had a hit and a walk. Aaron Zavala had a hit.
In addition to having a 7-foot-4 alien who can shoot, pass, dribble and single-handedly stop elite offenses from getting to the rim, what makes the San Antonio Spurs’ run to the NBA Finals unique is they possess what most champions typically lack: youth.
When the NBA’s championship round tips off Wednesday night, the Spurs will be looking to become the youngest Finals winner in recent NBA history.
NBC News analyzed the average ages of NBA champions’ playoff rotations since 2016, and San Antonio would be the youngest team to win a title — out-young-ing last year’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs rotation’s average age is 24.4, while their opponent, the New York Knicks, are coming in at a relatively ancient 28.8.
Compared with the overall average championship age of 27.8, San Antonio is 3.4 years younger, while the Knicks are 1.0 years older.
The Spurs aren’t just a relatively young team on the whole — their best players are also on the younger side.
San Antonio’s leading scorer in the postseason is center Victor Wembanyama, who is only 22 years old and in his third year in the league. Wembanyama would be the youngest leading scorer to lead his team to a Finals victory in recent history. (If he wins Finals MVP, he would join Magic Johnson and Kawhi Leonard as the youngest players to win it.)
The Spurs’ three leading scorers — Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox — would also be tied with last year’s Thunder as the youngest top-scoring trio of the last 11 NBA Finals.
Compared with New York, San Antonio is led by neophytes. The Knicks’ leading scorer, Jalen Brunson, is 29 and in his eighth season in the NBA. New York’s top three scorers — Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby — also average 29, with none younger than 28.
The median age of leading champion scorers is 27, with Wembanyama coming in a clean five years younger.
At least through three playoff rounds, youth and inexperience haven’t been barriers for the Spurs. They’ve already beaten a team that made two straight conference finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves, as well as last year’s champion, Oklahoma City, en route to the Finals.
In fact, less playoff seasoning may even help San Antonio.
“The lack of experience is a strength of us,” Wembanyama told ESPN on Tuesday. “Because we could do impossible stuff because we don’t know it’s impossible.”
