The San Francisco Giants once again entered an offseason saying they intended to get better defensively. And, with Spring Training right around the corner, they’ve finally made good on that promise. According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, on Monday morning the Giants agreed to a two-year deal with free agent outfielder Harrison Bader. According to multiple reports, the deal will pay Bader $20.5 million.
Bader, a 31-year old who bats and throws right-handed, is widely considered one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, and won a Gold Glove in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year, which he spent on the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, Bader finished 18th among all outfielders with seven Outs Above Average, and 22nd in Fielding Run Value.
That defense is desperately needed for a team that plans on playing Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee in the grass every day. Bader instantly makes the outfield defense significantly better.
The offense is more of a question mark, and it’s been a roller-coaster recently. Bader was comfortably below average in the batter’s box from 2022 through 2024, posting wRC+ marks of 84, 69, and 85, respectively. But he caught fire in 2025, ending the year with a slash line of .277/.347/.449 with a career-high 17 home runs, good for a .796 OPS and a 122 wRC+. If the Giants get the Bader of last year, they’re getting an All-Star; if they get the Bader of the previous years, they’re getting an excellent fourth outfielder.
Bader has, historically, been a bit of a platoon hitter. For his career, he’s hit left-handed pitching comfortably better than average (106 wRC+) and right-handed pitching comfortably below average (92 wRC+). That, too, was flipped on its head in 2025, when he demolished same-handed pitching (136 wRC+) but struggled when he had the advantage against southpaws (92 wRC+).
Anything he provides on offense is gravy, though — the Giants are bringing him in for the defense. We’ll have to wait and see what Buster Posey and Tony Vitello have to say, but for now, the expectation is that Bader will become the starting center fielder, and Lee will slide over to right field.
Arnaldo Lantigua rocketed to spot #10 after adding his name to the list of existing top prospects. Maybe that’ll be the case again with spot #11 in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings!
Per usual, here’s a link to the Google Form where you can vote, though it should be embedded at the end of the list if you’d rater read first and then vote on-page after digesting all the glorious information on these up and coming future Cincinnati Reds.
Here’s how the list has materialized so far:
Sal Stewart
Alfredo Duno
Rhett Lowder
Hector Rodriguez
Edwin Arroyo
Cam Collier
Steele Hall
Tyson Lewis
Chase Petty
Arnaldo Lantigua
A large list of talented names exists below for spot #11. Have at it with the votes!
Adolfo Sanchez, OF (19 years old)
2025 at a glance: .339/.474/.504 with 2 HR, 10 SB in 154 PA with DSL Reds (Dominican Summer League)
Pros: Left-handed hitter who profiles to have a plus hit tool and potentially plus power; arm good enough to play RF if he doesn’t stick in CF; shaved 20% off his K% year over year; plus runner
Cons: Questions whether he’s already physically matured to the point where projecting him to be much better exist
The Reds signed Sanchez for $2.7 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2024 and kept him there to ply his trade professionally in the Dominican Summer League. Things went quite poorly for him there during his age 17 season, and he subsequently stuck around there to repeat in 2025 – though this time, things went swimmingly.
He’ll undoubtedly play in the States in 2026, but the question now is just how quickly the Reds might try to move him up if he hits the ground running. At 6’3” and 200 lbs already, he’s not the kind of prospect where you say he’s X now, but when he gets bigger and stronger he’ll be Y in two years. In other words, if he looks the part now, he needs to be challenged immediately, and my hope is that he gets time with Daytona right off the bat.
He’s got a hit tool that comes with all-fields power, excellent patience at the plate, and I really do think his swing will continue to play. Still, it’s likely he ends up in a corner spot in the OF, which means the power’s going to need to continue to show up for him to project as an everyday regular – at least vs. RHP.
Leo Balcazar, SS/2B (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .263/.339/.381 with 12 HR, 8 SB in 560 PA split between A+ Dayton Dragons (Midwest League) and AA Chattanooga Lookouts (AA Southern League); .277/.340/.340 in 103 PA with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)
Pros: Good strike zone judgement and plate discipline (52/75 BB/K in 2025); well-rounded tools, continuing to improve off ACL surgery
Cons: Not a ton of power yet; some question whether he’ll be able to stick at SS long term
It’s easy to forget just how good of a start Balcazar had to his pro career after signing with the Reds for $100,000 out of Venezuela. He posted an .882 OPS in 2021 in Dominican Summer League play, an .886 OPS in 2022 with the Arizona Complex League Reds, and was off to a wicked start (.897 OPS) across the first 18 games of his 2023 season with Class-A Daytona before he tore his ACL.
2024 was a bit of a rough year for him, however, as the layoff and working back from the surgery clearly impacted his performance (.264/.295/.354 in 410 PA). However, 2025 saw him look a lot more like his former explosive self – both at the plate and in the field – and he clearly was healthy enough once again as he logged a combined 663 PA across all leagues.
He’s still just 21 years of age (22 in June of 2026), and if he’s shaken the rust off completely and enters this season after a normal winter, there’s a chance we see a whole lot more from him, too.
Aaron Watson, RHP (19 years old)
2025 at a glance: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Trinity Christian Academy (FL); signed overslot $2.7 million bonus to forego commitment to the University of Florida
Pros: 6’5” frame; potential 60-grade slider; fastball that runs up to 96 mph from a three-quarter arm slot and already has a solid three-pitch mix with his change rotated in
Cons: Did not pitch professionally after being drafted, so he’s a complete unknown
One glimpse of Watson on the mound and you immediately think yep, I bet that guy can turn into a pretty dang good pitcher. He’s got an ideal frame to produce downhill offerings, and his fastball/slider mix is already something on which he can hang his hat.
However, command of all three of his pitches – specifically a very developmental changeup – will be what he needs to work on to begin to move quickly through the ranks. He possesses a good ‘feel’ at the moment in terms of what pitches to throw, which part of the zone to attack vs. which hitters, etc., but how well he can build in more deception with his offerings will be vital.
Jose Franco, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 3.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 118/54 K/BB in 110.0 IP split between AA Chattanooga Lookouts (Southern League) and AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Fastball that flirts with triple digits with ease
Cons: Secondary pitches need work, and that’s impacting his overall command (and ability to limit walks)
Franco turned 25 years old in November and earned a promotion to the 40-man roster of the Reds shortly thereafter due to his consistent performance across the upper levels of their farm system.
The Reds have a few hulks they’ve put on the mound in recent years, and Franco thoroughly qualifies. He’s listed at 6’2” and an oddly specific 257 lbs, and his size and frame allows him to tap into his excellent fastball velocity with ease. It’s the pitch he misses bats with the most, but how well he can differentiate his breaking pitches (and improve his changeup command) will determine whether or not he can a) get left-handed hitter out with aplomb and b) avoid ending up in the bullpen.
He’s been a late bloomer, in part due to injuries that cost him his entire 2023 season, and if he continues the path he’s been on since getting healthy there could be a whole lot more from him as early as 2026 for Cincinnati.
Carlos Jorge, OF (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .251/.342/.355 with 6 HR, 40 SB in 469 PA with High-A Dayton Dragons (Midwest League)
Pros: Plus speed; former infielder moved to CF in 2023 and in 2025 looked like a natural there; plus speed; shaved 12.5% off K-rate from down 2024 season; 60-grade arm strength a weapon in CF
Cons: ISO declined for third straight year, this time precipitously; prone to extreme streakiness
If you threw out every other stop of Carlos Jorge’s pro career and just focused on the good ones, he’d already be ranked by now. The good parts of the best of his years have been quite tremendous, all told. He’s flashed great speed (40 steals in 2025), good pop for a small-ish CF (12 HR in 2023 and 2024; .483 SLG in the cavernous Florida State League in 2023), and the ability to play pretty elite CF defense (as recently as 2025).
However, he’s added some real clunkers in there, too. He hit just .220/.291/.394 with a K-rate over 31% at Dayton in 2024, and that came on the heels of hitting just .239/.277/.398 in 23 games once he reached Dayton at the end of 2023.
Maybe it’s just Dayton, where he was again in 2025 in a much better all-around year, even though his power dried up again. He’ll surely begin with AA Chattanooga of the Southern League in 2026, and at 22 (with his position in CF now settled) the former 2B might finally have a one-track shot to focus on his all around game in a new locale. After acing his move on defense, shaving off a ton of strikeouts, and bumping his walk rate back up over 11.1% (where it’s been for most of his career), perhaps 2026 will have a lot more in store for him.
Zach Maxwell, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 4.50 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 13/4 K/BB in 10.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds; 4.17 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 59/32 K/BB in 49.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Huge. Literally gigantic (6’6”, 275-ish lbs). Throws gas (100 mph+) with a devastating slider (70-grade). And he’s titanic.
Cons: Struggles with control (6.1 BB/9 across 172.1 IP in his minors career)
Maxwell, a former 6th round pick out of Georgia Tech, throws the ball up to 102 mph with his heater, and it’s clear that hitters have just about as little idea where it’s actually going to be as Maxwell himself. That’s the rub here, really, in that Big Sugar has the pure stuff to turn even the best hitters into guessers, and it comes down to whether they’ll guess wrong more often than Maxwell misses the zone in each and every PA.
If they swing, though, they’re likely going to miss, and that’s why he’s right in the mix for a spot in Cincinnati’s bullpen again in 2026 after making his debut there in 2025. He can be a bit wild if it’s effectively wild, and that’s a tightrope he’s been walking since his days back at North Paulding HS in Dallas, Georgia. When he’s locked in, though, the heater is backed up by an absolutely devastating slide piece, and that two-pitch mix – again, when he’s locked in – is good enough to be closer material. He’s just got to continue to refine his delivery.
Liberts Aponte, SS (18 years old)
2025 at a glance: .247/.368/.461 with 7 HR, 9 SB in 193 PA for DSL Rojos (Dominican Summer League)
Pros: 29/35 K/BB showed greatly improving strike zone awareness; already a plus defender at short where he projects to be excellent both with range and arm long-term
Cons: Still not viewed as a potential plus with the bat, though early returns are already better than original scouting reports; has a long way to go in terms of physically maturing
The Reds doled out $1.9 million to sign Aponte last January, and that marked the single largest contract they doled out in that particular international signing window. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the #18 player overall in that class, noting he was ‘one of the most skilled defenders in his class’ and ‘offers solid wheels’ with ‘magic in his hands’ while doling out a 65 grade on his fielding ability.
The rest, we knew, would take time, as he was just liked at 6’0” and 160 lbs, and that even felt like a slight exaggeration. To his credit, though, he mashed 7 homers as a 17 year old in DSL play while showing more power than anticipated, and if that aspect of his game grows to match what’s already known the Reds have found themselves a gem.
It will be interesting to see if the Reds push him up to Arizona Complex League play at all in 2026 or give him another year in the DSL seeing as he just turned 18 years old in November.
The 29-19 Toronto Raptors are currently the 3rd-best team in a wide-open Eastern Conference, but things aren’t the same over the in the West. It’s pretty obvious that the Western Conference poses the biggest threat to take home this season’s NBA Championship, but who makes it from the Eastern Conference is up in the air. After a plethora of injuries have left the East in a wonky position, the Raptors have capitalized. Yet, that wasn’t the performance expected when Toronto went on its yearly winter West Coast road trip.
Despite the tough competition, the Raptors went 4-1 on their five-game road trip, losing only to the LA Lakers, and then went on a four-game winning streak, defeating the Warriors, Kings, Trail Blazers, and defending champion Thunder. It was a statement performance, done while the Raptors have been struggling with injury, and more proof that this team has something going for them.
They are on the precipice of winning more games before the All-Star Break than they did all season last year (they need one more win), and are six games behind the top spot in the East. The Knicks, who are coming to town on Wednesday, are on their heels.
In terms of individual performances, Scottie Barnes is having an all-time career season. He is widely believed to be a top contender for a reserve All-Star spot, which should be announced soon. He is also looking like a shoo-in for First Team All-Defence, and has a believable campaign for Defensive Player of the Year. Brandon Ingram could very well join him at the All-Star game in Los Angeles, if not as a reserve than as an injury replacement. Immanuel Quickley shut the haters up in his West Coast trip performance, averaging 25.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting better than 60% from both the field and three-point range in that stretch, per the NBA.
RAPTORS ROLLING: The Toronto Raptors defeated the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 103-101 last night, completing a 4-1 road trip against Western Conference teams and improving to 16-9 on the road this season. During Toronto’s four-game winning streak, guard Immanuel Quickley is… pic.twitter.com/A2mf7Zr8Vf
It’s an interesting time to be putting up these numbers as a team. The Feb. 5 trade deadline is just over a week away now, and the Raptors have been connected to several trade rumours. It’s always good to take these Raptors rumours with several grains of salt, though. The franchise is notorious for not leaking information out, and these whispers are likely coming from other teams that are engaging in talks with Toronto. You never really know what the Raptors are thinking until they actually do something.
Yet, there are several things the Raptors could do before next Thursday, and this road trip may have shaken those plans up a bit. Quickley, likely feeling the heat, definitely proved something during these past few games — whether that his trade value is high or that he is an asset to this current team. As someone who has been heavily involved in these talks, it will be interesting to see if this changes anything regarding his future.
The other big question mark is Poeltl. He left the Raptors’ road trip early to return to Toronto and receive some more treatment on his nagging back issues. Not only has this left the Raptors without a true centre (something that didn’t seem to hinder them too much during their road trip), but it’s also made the idea of trading him harder. Not only does he have a massive contract to move (he is signed until 2030), but this mysterious and ongoing back injury would make anyone wary of committing to that kind of deal.
The question then leads to, do the Raptors move other players then, in order to get a backup big to replace Poeltl? Do you move on from hometown hero RJ Barrett, whose trade value has definitely risen in his time with the team, to get a decent (and taller) player back? Do you move on from Quickley and task someone with Barnes with ball handling duties in order to build a bigger lineup (vision 6’9 reboot)? Or, do you trust in the incredible chemistry this team has built, ride out the rest of the season without a 7-footer (potentially), and regroup in the summer?
Bobby Webster has about a week and a few more games to watch before he really needs to make a decision on this, but this last week could have the potential to change the course of the Raptors’ season.
England will kick off their Six Nations training camp in Spain this week without their captain, Maro Itoje, who has travelled to Nigeria for his mother’s funeral. Itoje was conspicuously absent from the official Six Nations championship launch in Edinburgh on Monday and is not expected to join up with his squad until Wednesday evening.
With the tournament commencing on Thursday week every team is scrambling to be ready for their opening games but Steve Borthwick, England’s head coach, has given the Saracens lock permission to miss the start of this week’s training block in Girona. “He is in Nigeria for the funeral of his mother and we are all deeply saddened for him,” said Borthwick, whose side open their campaign at home to Wales on Saturday week.
It will be made up March 9, and tickets purchased for the Jan. 26 game will remain valid. A large winter storm that covered Central Ohio and its roads with snow was cited for the decision. The Blue Jackets held a morning skate at Nationwide Arena, as usual, but the decision to postpone the game was made after it concluded.
The Kings' last game was a 5-4 shootout win Jan. 24 at the St. Louis Blues, but they made it to Columbus in plenty of time to face the Blue Jackets.
In fact, the Kings turned what would have been a morning skate into a full practice after the decision was made to postpone the game.
The start time for the March 9 makeup game hasn't been determined yet, but playing on that date now gives both teams an extra set of back-to-back games to play. The Blue Jackets will host the Kings and then fly to Florida after the game to conclude their new back-to-back March 10 at the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Kings will fly to Boston for a back-to-back finale against the Bruins.
The Blue Jackets will now play four games in six days, including the last three on the road, while the Kings have a five-game road trip, rather than four.
Williams unable to take to the track at all in Spain
The Aston Martin team have admitted they are to miss at least one day of their allotted three at Formula One’s first pre-season test in Barcelona and will not run their car before Thursday at the earliest. They are the second team to fail to take full advantage of the opening test after Williams also announced they would be unable to take to the track at all in Spain.
Testing is taking place from Monday to Friday this week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with teams able to use three of the five days to assess their cars. They have been designed to entirely new regulations and with new engines this season and consequently three full pre-season tests are being held. But as the track running began, Aston Martin conceded they would not be there at the off and issued a statement.
I’ve been working on some stuff. Researching. Hitting the archives. Looking for lost media. The digital world is an interesting place. The saying was, at one point, “the internet is forever” but now we know linkrot is a plague for the internet as websites shut down. Having a link to a site that doesn’t exist anymore is, aside from a few things like the Wayback Machine, useless.
We’re past the 20th anniversary of the 2004 World Series, but one of the moments I will always remember was from a game on June 13th. The Dodgers were in town. Dave Roberts (still a Dodger, remember) is at the plate. He hits a line drive. Surely extra bases. But no! Pokey Reese leaps into the air to snag the ball out of the sky.
MLB Film Room? They have just one highlight from 2004 and it’s not that.
But after some extensive searching I struck gold. Practically found footage.
I clipped the frames from the grainy video myself. Apologies for the poor quality of a game someone surely taped and uploaded to a corner of the internet.
And now we have a highlight.
And that was good. I was happy. But there was something more. Something else. Something commemorative for this year.
“It’s like a baby New York” maybe? Already uploaded. Although this too was lost media for a while. I actually wrote to Southwest in the early 2010s asking about the commercial. They have a YouTube channel and it had their latest ads…why not a classic? Anyway, here’s that one.
But I wanted to shoot higher.
As I mentioned in the 2006-2016-2026 article last week, those ‘06 Sox traded for a new centerfielder to replace the departed Johnny Damon. The lucky guy? Coco Crisp. While there was a lot of talk about Jeremy Reed as a “Johnny Damon starter kit,” Coco was established. Francona was ready to unleash his speed in the outfield and on the bases.
Everyone was excited.
Unfortunately an injury put Crisp on the IL just five games into the season. It was a minor disaster on the field.
It was a major disaster in the media relations department! Coco Crisp was a centerpiece of the NESN ad campaign for the season. They’d already shot the film and produced the commercials.
If you were around in 2006 this isn’t a surprise.
And you know what’s coming.
So I give you a treat. NESN’s big ad campaign: One Nation, One Network.
Or as you remember it: Did you see that catch Coco made?
The Memphis Grizzlies were snowed out of their game yesterday, but they probably wish it was tonight’s matchup against the Houston Rockets that was postponed.
Memphis has dropped nine of its last 12 games, is dealing with a colossal amount of injuries, including to Ja Morant, and is a double-digit underdog tonight.
My Grizzlies vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks break down why Alperen Sengun is in for a big game against the declawed Grizz.
Grizzlies vs Rockets prediction
Grizzlies vs Rockets best bet: Alperen Sengun to record a double-double (-110)
The Memphis Grizzlies are going to have a hell of a time trying to stop Alperen Sengun. And it’s not just because the Rockets' big man is averaging 21.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.
Memphis is not only down Mortant, but Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke. Meaning they have little presence in the paint. Meaning, Sengun will face little resistance on the boards.
He has a rebounding prop at 8.5, but instead of taking a juiced Over, let’s back him to record a double-double.
Sengun has 20 double-doubles this season and three in the last six games.
Grizzlies vs Rockets same-game parlay
Amen Thompson could also be in for a big night for the Rockets. The Houston wing is averaging 18.4 points per game, but has seen his production dip a bit lately.
However, that’s just going to give us some value with Thompson. Thanks in part to the injuries, the Grizz rank 22nd in defensive rating in January, yet still play at a high pace. More possessions and bad defense mean Thompson goes Over.
And he’ll go Over in a game where the Rockets cover this double-digit spread. Memphis has covered the number in just three of its last 12 games.
Grizzlies vs Rockets SGP
Alperen Sengun double double
Amen Thompson Over 17.5 points
Rockets -10
Our "from downtown" SGP: Rockets shine bright
The Grizzlies take a lot of shots, but aren't flush with good shooters. Meaning Kevin Durant goes Over his modest rebounding total.
Grizzlies vs Rockets SGP
Alperen Sengun double-double
Amen Thompson Over 17.5 points
Rockets -10
Kevin Durant Over 5.5 rebounds
Grizzlies vs Rockets odds
Spread: Grizzlies +10 | Rockets -10
Moneyline: Grizzlies +350 | Rockets -450
Over/Under: Over 224.5 | Under 224.5
Grizzlies vs Rockets betting trend to know
The Rockets are 7-2 straight up and against the spread in their last nine meetings against the Grizzlies. Find more NBA betting trends for Grizzlies vs. Rockets.
How to watch Grizzlies vs Rockets
Location
Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Date
Monday, January 26, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
SCHN, FDSN SE-MEM
Grizzlies vs Rockets latest injuries
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The NHL's Central Division has cooled off and now the Atlantic Division is heating up.
The Colorado Avalanche have four regulation losses in their 10 games after having only two through Dec. 4. They still have a big lead in the Presidents' Trophy race, but with 79 points in 50 games, they're on pace for 129 points, short of the record held by the 2022-23 Boston Bruins (135).
In the Atlantic, the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and the Buffalo Sabres continue their turnaround with an 18-3-1 surge that puts them in better position to end a 14-season playoff drought. The Bruins are on a 8-2 run to move into a wild-card spot.
Here are the latest USA TODAY NHL power rankings:
NHL power rankings
Statistics are through Jan. 25. Number in parentheses indicates a change from two weeks ago.
Forward Brock Nelson had a hat trick as the Avalanche defeated the Maple Leafs 4-1 to end a 1-2-2 slide. The U.S. Olympian ranks second on Colorado with 27 goals.
The Lightning's 15-game point streak ended as they fell 8-5 to the Blue Jackets despite a four-point game by Nikita Kucherov. He had 32 points during the team's point streak.
Struggling Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been mentioned in trade rumors. He has averaged a little more than 11 minutes a game and has two goals in 31 games while carrying a $4.82 million cap hit.
Patrick Kane is one point away from tying Hall of Famer Mike Modano for most points by a U.S.-born scorer. He could have tied in his last game, but one of his assists was taken away.
Swedish defenseman Jonas Brodin had surgery for a lower-body injury and will miss the Olympics. But fellow Olympians Matt Boldy (USA) and Joel Eriksson Ek (Sweden) appear good to go after returning from injuries.
Two Stars non-Olympians are putting up big numbers. Jason Robertson leads U.S. scorers with 30 goals. Wyatt Johnston (Canada) leads all NHL players with 17 power-play goals.
The Sabres have surged from outside the playoff picture to third in the Atlantic Division since changing general managers. Jarmo Kekalainen made his first major move by giving Josh Doan a seven-year extension.
8. Vegas Golden Knights (0)
Goaltender Adin Hill is 2-2 since returning from a long injury absence, but he has a .848 save percentage. He lost 7-1 to the Senators on Jan. 25.
The Penguins went 4-0 in their western Canada trip, their first sweep there since 2018. British Columbia native Ben Kindel scored twice in a Jan. 25 win in Vancouver
The Canadiens have lost two in a row and dropped to a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
11. Boston Bruins (+5)
Forward David Pastrnak has six goals and 17 assists in his last 12 games. He has been held off the scoreboard once in that stretch, in which the Bruins have gone 10-2.
12. New York Islanders (-3)
Bo Horvat, the Islanders' lone Olympian (Canada), returned on Jan. 24 from an injury that kept him out for nine games.
13. Florida Panthers (+5)
Matthew Tkachuk played his first game of the season on Jan. 19, but his appearance was overshadowed by the first NHL goalie fight in six years. Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky charged down the ice to take on San Jose's Alex Nedeljkovic, who had entered a scrum behind his net. The Panthers are 3-1 since Tkachuk returned.
Goalie Karel Vejmelka, named to the Czech Olympic team, is 9-1 with 2.19 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in January.
15. Edmonton Oilers (-1)
Connor McDavid has been averaging two points a game since the start of December to move into the league's scoring lead. He had five points, including an overtime win, against the Capitals on Jan. 24. Defenseman Evan Bouchard had three goals and three assists in that game.
16. Philadelphia Flyers (-5)
Forward Rodrigo Abols will miss the Olympics because of an ankle injury. He had been named to Team Latvia as one of the first six. Two of the Flyers' other Olympians, Czechia's Dan Vladar and Finland's Rasmus Ristolainen, are on the injured list. They were at practice on Jan. 26.
The Kings caught a break when goalie Darcy Kuemper didn't miss any games in an injury scare. He left a game after his arm went numb following a collision, but he started the Kings' next game.
The Kraken, who dropped out of a playoff spot in a 2-5-2 slide, pulled even in points with the Sharks and Kings for the second wild card spot. They remain out of a position because they have played one more game.
Injured Mitch Marner apologized on social media for making an obscene gesture while on camera. "sorry about my moment of frustration today!" he posted on Jan. 25. "didn't mean to upset anyone. looking forward to being back on ice and not in the stands."
Dougie Hamilton has a goal and eight assists in seven games since he sat out as a healthy scratch. The veteran's production has risen with Luke Hughes out with an injury.
24. Washington Capitals (-9)
The Capitals have one win in their last six games, a stretch that included a regulation loss to the last-place Canucks. But by picking up a point in an overtime loss to the Oilers, they sit two points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Goaltender Linus Ullmark returned from his leave of absence on Jan. 25 as a backup. He told TSN he took the leave for mental health reasons and blasted the rumors that started. "People wonder why hockey players, professional athletes are not talking, why we're not showing any sort of emotions, what mental health in men and women are a stigma," he said. "It took them less than 24 hours from my absence of leave to try to find reasons to why I'm gone, saying that I'm a homewrecker, a person that no one likes on the team."
26. Nashville Predators (-4)
Steven Stamkos' bounce-back season continues. He picked up his second hat trick of the season and has 25 goals in 51 games, two shy of his 2024-25 total in 82 games.
27. Chicago Blackhawks (-1)
Connor Bedard has been limited to one goal, four points and a minus 6 rating in eight games since he returned from a shoulder injury.
The Jets have been up and down this season as they try to avoid missing the playoffs one season after winning the Presidents' Trophy. They put together a four-game winning streak after ending an 11-game winless streak. But now they lost four of their last five games.
The Flames dealt pending UFA defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights. Along with draft picks, they received defenseman Zach Whitecloud, who's signed through 2028.
31. St. Louis Blues (-1)
Canadian Olympic team goalie Jordan Binnington has lost four in a row since a Jan. 23 shutout, giving up 18 goals.
Forward Kiefer Sherwood, the subject of much trade speculation, was shipped to the Sharks for two second-round picks and American Hockey League defenseman Cole Clayton.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki has been a force for the Abbotsford Canucks when returning to the AHL at various points this season. Despite only playing in 16 games for Abbotsford this season, the forward leads his team in goals (10) and sits at fifth in points (16). In terms of offensive output and the skills he’s shown so far this season, Lekkerimäki absolutely deserves a shot at some NHL playing time this season. Here’s why giving him that time right now isn’t the wisest decision.
Lekkerimäki Is Finding Consisentcy At The AHL Level
Lekkerimäki got his rookie season in the AHL off to a good start, as the forward scored 19 goals and nine assists in 36 games played. He did all this while bouncing from Vancouver to Abbotsford due to injuries within the organization, also while scoring three goals and three assists in 24 games at the NHL level. All things considered, Lekkerimäki’s efforts in a split season were impressive — but not necessarily something that’s good for his development.
When he returned to the AHL for a more extended period of time this season, Lekkerimäki made an automatic impact. After returning from injury, the forward put up three goals and two assists in five games with Abbotsford, ultimately helping him receive a call-up at the end of November. Lekkerimäki played in four games with the Canucks before being sent back down to Abbotsford at the beginning of December.
Since then, Lekkerimäki has remained in Abbotsford, though he has missed two different stints due to injury and illness. Even so, with his current four-game point streak, it appears that Lekkerimäki has found comfort in consistency playing with Abbotsford, which will be integral to his development moving forward. Calling him up when he’s playing with consistent linemates and getting proper minutes would only hamper his growth.
Vancouver Needs To Figure Out What Moves They’re Making
With the 2026 Winter Olympics coming up in February, the Canucks have a lot of things to sort out before they can consider giving young players like Lekkerimäki NHL minutes. For starters, it would make no sense to bring him up now, as the league will be going on break in two weeks, resulting in the forward being sent down then to get some more playing time with Abbotsford.
The fact that Vancouver is getting healthy bodies back, as well as the fact that the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline will occur at the start of March, means that Lekkerimäki probably won’t get the kind of minutes he should be getting. With Teddy Blueger and Filip Chytil back in the lineup, as well as Marco Rossi likely to return immediately after the Olympic break, there may not be enough room for Lekkerimäki with so many wingers — particularly veterans — stuffing Vancouver’s depth chart.
Adding to Vancouver’s stockpile on the wings is the fact that the Canucks are expected to be a seller come the trade deadline. Vancouver already traded Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks last Monday, though it seems as though they’re not quite done yet. On one hand, as a rebuilding team, Vancouver will want to give the players they’re looking at moving on from a fair amount of minutes to showcase their skills. On the other hand, playing a young player like Lekkerimäki with a group that might not even be in-tact in a couple weeks’ time will mess with the forward’s consistency even more. It’s one thing to bring him from one team to another; swapping multiple pieces in a roster he’s playing on will make an even bigger difference.
Oct 9, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki (23) during a stop in play against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Why A Full AHL-Season Could Be Beneficial To Lekkerimäki
Even after the trade deadline, the Canucks may be tempted to call Lekkerimäki up to give him proper NHL minutes. The argument could be made that giving him some NHL time will allow him to adjust to the league while getting used to playing with some of Vancouver’s younger players at the NHL level. As helpful as this might be, overall, letting him stay in the AHL is probably the better decision.
If the Canucks truly are rebuilding, as they say they are, the two months after the trade deadline probably aren’t going to be very pretty for Vancouver. Players’ confidence may take a hit if the team ends up on yet another 11-game losing streak. While things aren’t going much better in Abbotsford, the team is starting to find some success while retaining that Calder Cup culture that helped propel them to a championship in 2025. A positive atmosphere like that will help a player like Lekkerimäki approach the game with a more positive mindset compared to what he may develop during an end-of-season skid at the NHL level.
Mindset aside, another positive point of Lekkerimäki remaining in Abbotsford for the rest of the season is that it gives him a break from the back-and-forth. After jumping around in 2024–25, and then bouncing back and forth a little more this season, the forward will have played quite a bit by the end of this season. While the trip from Abbotsford to Vancouver is nowhere near as bad of a commute as it could be for some AHL players, the amount of playing time Lekkerimäki has taken part in is a good chunk more than what he’s been used to in the past when playing in the SHL. Keep in mind that this is a second-year player who played in a total of 76 games last year at both the NHL and AHL level as well as in the post-season. He’s also dealt with two different injuries this season and sustained another one during the Calder Cup playoffs last year. More back-and-forth and switching between different leagues’ styles of play may result in him re-aggravating something or even sustaining another injury.
At the end of the day, Lekkerimäki will make his way back to the NHL. Despite how much he’s earned it with his recent stretches of play, now is not the time for that. It’s in the organization’s best interest to give a young player like Lekkerimäki the proper minutes to develop his game in a stable environment while the NHL-side figures out the direction they want to go in.
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We’ve definitely hit a lull here in the offseason — one where no news is good news as you hope that players and coaches are continuing to make personal preparations for the season while hopefully avoiding pratfalls such as, oh, I don’t know, slipping on ice or something like that.
As such, this is a good time for articles such as the one that ESPN put out here on Monday morning. Bradford Doolittle of ESPN has once again tried to figure out who will be the breakout teams of baseball for this upcoming season and as it turns out, Doolittle has placed the Braves in this list of breakout clubs.
In fact, Doolittle has tabbed the Braves as his top breakout candidate. Based on his own algorithms and simulations that he’s run over the course of the offseason, he’s given the Braves a 59 percent chances of picking up 90 wins during this upcoming season — compared to a baseline of 80 wins for 2026. For comparison’s sake, the Orioles were the No. 2 team in Doolittle’s eyes and he only gave them a 35 percent breakout probability, so he appears to be somewhat confident in Atlanta’s chances to return to form after two-straight disappointing seasons.
Here’s part of Doolittle’s reasoning for Atlanta being primed to bounce back this season (and I highly recommend you go over there and give the entire article a read as well):
Injuries were the primary culprit, though there were certainly some underperformances as well. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider both missed time, as they did in 2024, and when they played they were still working their way back into form. Getting those stars and others, such as Austin Riley and Matt Olson, back to full capacity and/or productivity is the Braves’ best hope for a quick bounce-back. The projections think they have a good chance of getting that. My simulations have the Braves winning 11 more games than their baseline win estimate of 80. In other words, their average projection qualifies them as a breakout team, the only team for which that is the case.
Doolittle mentioned Strider in there but also, my own personal belief is that health among the entire starting rotation should help boost the Braves in 2026. He’s absolutely right about Austin Riley hopefully returning to form after two injury-plagued and other stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson continuing to be stars as well but the rotation is key. It’s been mentioned multiple times but Bryce Elder ended up leading the Braves in innings pitched last season. With all due credit to Bryce Elder and his contributions to the team over the past few seasons, having Elder lead your team in innings pitched doesn’t appear conducive to the overall success of a baseball club.
As long as Chris Sale stays healthy and the rest of the rotation follows suit, that alone should give the Braves more of a fighting chance to stay relevant and return to the Postseason conversation during this upcoming season. The team’s depth has been fortified over the course of this offseason as Alex Anthopoulos did a pretty solid job of addressing the team’s needs in the infield, outfield and bullpen as well. Now granted, the team will already start of shorthanded due to Ha-Seong Kim’s icy mishap and I will admit that that doesn’t engender a lot of confidence about this team finally evading the injury bug for the first time since 2023.
However, if Ha-Seong Kim’s injury is simply the injury bug’s last hurrah before a healthy season on the field for the Braves, then things should be better based off that alone. It’s January — why not be a little optimistic? This projection from ESPN is optimistic for Atlanta’s chances in 2026 and as always, all we ca do is hope for the best in order to see those projections play out as planned so that the Braves can finally bounce back after a couple of years in the wilderness. We’ll see what happens.
Shohei Ohtani reacts after recording the final out of the World Baseball Classic in 2023 on a strikeout of then-Angels teammate Mike Trout. (Eric Espada / Getty Images)
Japan's roster for the World Baseball Classic features familiar names, but one question lingers.
Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki, who will be returning to the starting rotation after missing most of last year’s regular season because of a shoulder injury, was not selected. Sasaki was on Team Japan in 2023, starting two games — including a dramatic semifinal win over Mexico.
In his earlier announcement, Ohtani did not indicate whether he would pitch in the WBC and on Monday Ibata told reporters that the team will get a better sense once Ohtani reports to spring training next month.
In the 2023 WBC, Ohtani won tournament most valuable player with a .435 batting average and 1.86 ERA, helping Japan to the title. He punctuated the event with his memorable strikeout of Mike Trout for the final out in the championship game.
Eight major leaguers were named to Team Japan's WBC roster, including Angels left-hander Yusei Kukuchi, Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui, Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto, White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami, Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki and right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, currently a free agent who pitched for the Baltimore Orioles last year.
MLB players are expected to join Team Japan for exhibition games on March 2. Japan will open WBC play on March 6 against Taiwan.
Nielsen on Monday, Jan. 26, revealed the top 10 most-watched men's and women's basketball programs thus far through the 2025-26 college basketball season.
The list was, unsurprisingly, dominated by the Big Ten and SEC: The Big Ten in particular had four teams on each of the men's and women's top 10, while the SEC teams had three teams on the men's list and two on the women's list.
Other conferences with multiple teams include the ACC (two men's programs) and Big 12 (two women's programs)
There were also no school repeats across either top-10 list. The list is comprised of viewership numbers across ESPN, Fox, NBC and Warner Bros. family of networks, according to Nielsen.
Here's a look at the full list, which is as of Jan. 18.
Most-watched men's, women's college basketball programs of 2025-26
Here are the most-watched men's and women's college basketball programs in 2025-26, as of Jan. 18, per Nielsen:
Tonight's Peacock NBA Monday action features an exciting tripleheader. The Orlando Magic go head-to-head with the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at 7:00 PM ET. Then, at 8:00 PM ET it's the Portland Trail Blazers vs Boston Celtics, followed by the Golden State Warriors vs Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 PM ET. Live coverage begins at 6:30 PM ET on NBCSN and Peacock. See below for additional information on how to watch each game and follow all of the NBA action on NBCSN and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
Tonight's game marks the second of four meetings between the Magic and Cavaliers this season. Orlando looks to bounce back after falling 119-105 to Cleveland at home on Saturday in their third straight loss. Paolo Banchero scored a team-high 27 points, Desmond Bane finished with 20, and Anthony Black added 16. Orlando shot just 27.5% from three-point range.
The Cavaliers look to extend their win streak to four games when they host the Magic tonight. Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 36 points in Saturday's victory. He is currently ranked sixth in the league with 29.1 points per game putting him on pace for a career-high.
Jaylon Tyson finished with 17 points. The 2024 first-round pick has started each of the last six games for Cleveland and is averaging 18.6 points per game over his last eight.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.
NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule:
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
After the Pittsburgh Penguins' 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, the Islanders now trail Sidney Crosby and Co. by four points in the standings.
And with the Flyers defeating the Colorado Avalanche 7-3 their last time out, Rick Tocchet's team trails the Islanders by just two points in the standings, making Monday night's game a big one.
The Islanders have battled consistency all season long. They've gone on a run, showcasing a tremendous amount of swagger, like when they went 6-1-0 on their first seven-game road trip of the season.
But, they've also gone on the opposite streak, going 0-4-1 in their first five games after returning home. Flash-forward to now, they are losers of three of their last four games, the latest a 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, a nightmarish showing.
There are 31 games left in the season, but with how tight the Metropolitan Division still is, an extended losing streak could be disastrous.
The Islanders' struggles as of late, even a week ago, didn't seem too costly, given that they were still sitting in second place in the Metro, with the teams behind them failing to take advantage.
Despite Philadelphia's latest win, they've lost seven of their last nine games (2-5-2).
The Islanders may be without defenseman Ryan Pulock for a second straight game, but they do have their leading goal scorer, Bo Horvat, back in the lineup.
Vezina-favorite Ilya Sorokin is back in between the pipes, but even he is looking to raise his game a bit after allowing three or more goals in four of his last five games.
The Islanders have seven more games before the Olympic break, with six games against Metropolitan Division foes.
Puck drop between the Islanders and Flyers comes your way at 7 PM ET on MSGSN.
Rotoworld Bet Staff
