DETROIT, MI - APRIL 23: Tarik Skubal (29) of the Detroit Tigers delivers a pitch during an MLB game against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 23, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A simple one this morning. There are many pitchers in baseball. Is Tarik Skubal the best?
A reason to say yes: he has the highest projections for a single pitcher across Steamer and ZiPS. He also (barely) led Paul Skenes in fWAR last year, and finished second to Chris Sale in fWAR in 2024.
A reason to say no: well, I’m not going there. I think definitively saying he isn’t is too tough a sell. He is not the pitching fWAR leader right now, trailing both Cam Schlittler (and his ridiculous video game numbers through seven starts) and Max Fried of the Yankees. That said, he’s still top five in FIP- and top seven in xFIP- among anyone that’s thrown 20 innings so far (142 pitchers), and he actually has one fewer start than Schlittler and Fried, so…
Anyway, what say you? Tarik Skubal, currently the best pitcher in MLB? If not, who is.
Apr 22, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (24) hits a single during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images
So, what’s wrong with Chase DeLauter? This has been a pretty hotly debated topic, at least online. He started the season scorching hot, putting up a 200 wRC+ in the first two series of the year. He, notably, finished his regular season debut with 2 homers, one off Andres Munoz. Since then, he’s been in a weird spot. To many, it looks like a slump. A weird slump, though.
He’s not chasing more than usual, not whiffing more than usual. None of the telltale signs of a slump. No pressing, no (repeated) poor swing decisions. Through the home opener, where he went 3/4 against the Cubs with a homer and 3 RBI, he had a slashline of .346/.370/.923, good for a 250 wRC+. Since then? .206/.321/.324 (85 wRC+). But, he’s walking 14.8% of the time and striking out just over 6% of the time. He hasn’t homered once since the home opener, although he’s tallied 7 extra base hits (half of his total hits since then).
He’s gotten unlucky, yes. But, I’m not sure that’s telling the whole story. Over his last 50 plate appearances, his rolling xwOBA has crept below league average, sitting, now, around .300. His savant page is, still, bright red, and it shows that he’s underperforming his xwOBA, albeit only by a few points (.359 to .366).
So, what’s wrong with him? DeLauter has hit at every level, and was considered one of the safest hitting prospects the Guardians have ever produced. But, he doesn’t seem to be slumping, at least in the stereotypical way. I decided to look at something that I thought might provide some answer as to what’s going on with him. If he’s not pressing and setting himself up repeatedly in bad counts, what’s going on?
As we all know the topline of almost every story about DeLauter, throughout his professional career, has been his injury history. Since being drafted, he’s never playued more than 60 games in a minor league season. So far this year, he’s played in 27 of the Guardians’ first 30 games. So, here’s a graph of his bat speed, labeled with, at least what I think, are notable points on the graph that should be explained. Disclaimer, before you look at it, is that most players are going to have somewhat drastic bat speed fluctuations throughout the year, and usually the continued stretch of games in which a player’s bat speed is higher than usual are the ones in which the player does the best. Bat speed correlates extremely strongly with a number of metrics (wOBA, xSLGCON, Barrel%, Hard-Hit%, Average Exit Velocity), so I thought it might explain why he’s been performing more poorly recently, even when he’s walking over twice as often as he’s striking out.
Again, disclaimer, this is a small sample size. You’d, ideally, like at least 60 games of a sample to determine whether or not his bat speed correlates with the amount of playing time he’s getting. But, I don’t want to wait that long, so we’ll try to work with what we have. As you can see, the majority of the low points on the graphs correspond with games in which he’s played multiple games in a row, in which he’s mostly played the field. I’ve noticed that DH’ing doesn’t necessarily always mean he’s going to perform better (.830 OPS in RF, .782 OPS as DH), but you’d think it might help the strain off of a player’s body throughout an extremely strenuous 162 game stretch, or even a stretch in which a team plays 13 straight games in 3 different cities. He’s strangely been siginificantly better on the road (.878 OPS vs .762 OPS), but that is most likely buoyed by his torrid stretch in Seattle during opening weekend.
If you can remember last season, when there were constant rumors about DeLauter being called up over the summer, Chris Antonetti’s response seemed to always sound something like “We’re very excited about Chase, but we want to see him built up with his conditioning to be able to withstand an 162-game season”. DeLauter last year in the minors never played more than 3 games in a row, and rarely played 3 games in a row. This season? He’s played >3 days in a row *4* times. Now, the guy who (even now) is still one of your best hitters is of course going to force himself into the lineup more often than not. But, at a certain point, you have to ask yourself whether the ends justify the means. That is, if his performance keeps slipping when he’s playing multiple games in a row, is it worth it to have him in the lineup just to have him in the lineup? Wouldn’t he be more valuable with more days off, so that when he’s in the lineup, he’s actually productive? On days in which he’s played at least 3 days in a row, he’s slashing .200/.286/.320 (.606 OPS). On all other days, he’s slashing .261/.350/.551 (.901 OPS).
So, what’s the solution? The Vogt Punt Game™, as I like to call it. In every game that precedes an off day, keep him out of the lineup. Punt it. We’re all too familiar with these punt games, perhaps the most infamous of which was that horrid Sunday morning Roku game against Tarik Skubal, where he madduxed the Guardians (1 of 2 madduxes twirled against the Guardians in 2025). Don’t pinch-hit, don’t pinch-run, don’t bring him in as a defensive replacement. Leave him out of the lineup. His bat is far too important to this team, and you have to do whatever necessary to give him the best chance to succeed. Obviously it’s early, and his body isn’t used to this amount of stress. He might acclimate to the season, and he might only do that if you play him more often. Regardless, the learning curve should be far less steep than it is now. Ease him into 5/6 games a week.
There is, of course, more to this slow stretch than just the things I mentioned. Any rookie who starts their season the way that DeLauter did is bound to get adjusted to far more quickly than your average player. The zone in which he was doing the most damage (inside), is getting attacked far differently than it was before. Before his slump, he was crushing inside fastballs. Since then, the league has adjusted. They’ve stopped throwing him sinkers and cutters (.548 xwOBA, 1.014 xwOBA) inside, and have started attacking him with breaking pitches. This has, in turn, hurt his numbers on inside 4-seamers. Seeing more spin inside has gotten him off 4-seams, going from a .440 xwOBA on those pitches to a .251.
To say the least, there’s a lot going into this slump from DeLauter. The league adjusted to him — he has to adjust back. But underneath all of this, the Guardians have to put him in the best position to succeed. To be blunt, they need to bubble-wrap him. No more 3 days in a row. While the DH option is there, it doesn’t seem to be helping. He needs to have more rest to be able to be the best hitter possible.
Mar 26, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) shoots past Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that the Dallas Mavericks desperately need guard help. Cooper Flagg was thrusted into the role early, which obviously led to a ton of early struggles. While development was certainly had, playing point is never going to be the way to best optimize the newest rookie of the year.
Because of that, it seems to be most logical that Dallas must use their lottery pick on a guard. However, this draft does offer a couple of interesting scenarios if the Mavericks choose not to do so. There are some very interesting depth pieces in this draft that could be available in the 20 to 25 range. Guys like Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Bennett Stirtz (Iowa), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt) are all mid-to-late first round guards that the Mavericks could very well fall in love with. If that happens, it makes this draft far more intriguing at the top. With that and mind, let’s run through some quick scenarios.
If the Mavericks jump into the top two…
Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Let’s assume the Mavericks stick and pick here, although trading back a couple of spots and recouping some of the draft assets they’ve traded over the years isn’t a bad idea. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson are likely going to be the top two picks, and whichever one the Mavericks would be lucky enough to take will be difference makers. Dybantsa is more of your scoring wing type, while Peterson is an elite combo guard. Regardless of who the selection is here, it doesn’t fill the point guard need for the Mavs. However, there’s simply nobody else you would select here.
If the Mavericks jump to third or fourth…
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Things get a bit more interesting here, as the two players who are widely expected to go in this range are Duke’s Cam Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. The talent of those two guys are both overwhelming, but the fit is more murky. Boozer’s athleticism concerns are real, as well as his fit defensively in the NBA. Wilson is an A++ athlete, with the potential to be the best defender in this class. However, his offensive fit would be very clunky, as Wilson will provide very little floor spacing around Flagg, who isn’t a marksman from deep himself.
I could paint a really good argument that Dallas should simply take the guard they like the most at this spot, even though he wouldn’t likely be drafted until fifth at the earliest. If they don’t, the talent is undeniable with Boozer and Wilson that they can easily justify the pick. This spot is a great place to be in, as you’ll either take a fantastic player, or get a nice package to move back from someone who is desperate for their guy.
This scenario is very simple to me. The Mavericks should simply take the best available guard on the board, unless they fall in love with a guy in the twenties. There are five really good guards in this class, with the run likely starting at pick five. At eight, you won’t get your first choice of who you like, but you’ll likely still be picking an elite, five-star prospect.
At nine and ten, the choices get a bit more funky. If they go with a guard, they have to accept that you’re dropping a tier level in talent that would certainly invite forwards into the equation. If you get to that point, I’d be hammering the phone lines to move back in the order. This isn’t a great forward class at the top, but the depth stretches all the way through the lottery and into the teens. If the Mavs choose to go forward early and guard later, getting an extra late lottery or mid-teens pick is a savvy way to go about it.
The verdict
The way I see it, there shouldn’t be a mandate that the Mavericks must take a point guard. Taking the best player available is always a prudent strategy, and if the Mavericks jump or fall to a certain point, taking a guard might not make sense. Because this team isn’t under pressure to win right now, they need to acquire as much top-level talent as possible and try and develop it together. Depending on where that is, it might come from someone other than a guard.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 28: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers slides into second base for a double against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Globe Life Field on April 28, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yankees 3, Rangers 2
This not scoring many runs things is getting old.
You had Jacob deGrom give up just one run in six innings! You let down Jacob deGrom!
In six innings, deGrom allowed three hits. Unfortunately, two of the three hits came in the first inning, when an Aaron Judge two out single was followed up by a Cody Bellinger double that barely missed leaving the park.
As a side note, I was looking at exit velocity and launch angle data during yesterday’s game and comparing it to similar EV/LA combos from this season around MLB, and while the ball has generally not carried well once again in 2026 at the Shed, the ball did seem to be carrying well to right field on Tuesday.
The Bellinger double, for example, was 97.5 mph off the bat, with a 25 degree launch angle, and was measured by Statcast at 383 feet. There have been 12 other balls in the majors this year hit between 97 and 98 mph with a 25 degree launch angle, and three-fourths of them were between 337 feet and 348 feet, with the others being 371 feet, 372 feet and 381 feet. So Bellinger’s double carried farther than any other ball at that EV/LA in the bigs this year.
Also, the entire rotation appears to have contracted Dane Dunning Disease this year. Texas has allowed 23 runs in the first inning of games, including 11 home runs. That’s 21% of all runs allowed by the Rangers this season, and 30% of all homers. They’ve also allowed 23 runs in the fifth inning, weirdly, though on just 5 homers. Otherwise, from the second through the seventh innings, the pitching staff hasn’t allowed more than 10 runs.
The pitching staff has allowed 12 runs in the 8th and 15 in the 9th, though.
Jalen Beeks allowed a solo homer to Austin Wells in the 7th. It was just the fourth run allowed, and the second homer, in the 7th inning by the Rangers this year. It was also to right field, and carried slightly more than average for its exit velocity (97.5 mph) and launch angle (31 degrees). Maybe the Rangers turned the air conditioning on high.
Cole Winn allowed a homer in the ninth, to Aaron Judge, which, you know, its Aaron Judge. That’s three homers Winn has allowed this year, though, which matches his total for all of 2025. That’s less than ideal.
The other two homers Winn has allowed were to Shea Langeliers and Jacob Wilson, both on Tax Day in Sacramento. In case you’re interested.
You’re probably not.
The offense once again had baserunners but didn’t get them in. Seven hits, four walks, an HBP and an E5, and Texas only pushed two runs across, with both of those not coming until the ninth.
Texas was 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position, and left ten runners on base.
Texas was pretty helpless for most of the game against Yankees starter Cam Schlittler, who has been dominant this year. But they had plenty of opportunities late, and didn’t convert.
Brandon Nimmo singled and Josh Jung walked to start the sixth inning, but didn’t advance.
Sam Haggerty had a pinch hit single to lead off the seventh, with Danny Jansen then walking with two outs, but they were left on first and second at inning’s end.
The eighth was perhaps the most vexing part of the evening for the offense. Josh Jung singled and Corey Seager walked, putting runners on first and second in what was then a 2-0 game. That brought up Joc Pederson, who…bunted.
Now, you may say, Joc Pederson is terrible, he might as well bunt, but you’d be wrong. Pederson is slashing .224/.346/.328 this year, good for a 102 OPS+. Since starting the season going 0 for 14 in his first six games, Pederson has been slashing .283/.406/.415. He homered the night before.
One can argue that, well, it almost worked out. Pederson laid down a good bunt, and it took a great play by Yankees’ pitcher Fernando Cruz to get Jung at third base:
Skip Schumaker challenged the play, which was upheld.
It appears Pederson was bunting for a hit there, not trying to lay down a sac bunt, given that he bunted it towards third, rather than first. But still, behind Pederson you had Jake Burger, who has been struggling. After Burger was Haggerty, who had pinch hit for Carter, and who doesn’t hit well against righthanders (and who was lifted for pinch hitter Ezequiel Duran). After Haggerty was Josh Smith, who is doing an early season Marcus Semien imitation, only without the Gold Glove defense.
I think I’d rather have Joc Pederson swinging away in that situation.
As a side note, the aggressively pinch hitting for Evan Carter when the opposition brings in a lefthanded pitcher before the eighth or ninth is becoming problematic, because you end up in a situation like this one, where whoever pinch hit for Carter is now facing a righthanded pitcher later in the game, and you’d rather have Carter up there.
That’s before getting into the fact that the various pinch hitting machinations resulted in the Rangers running an outfield of Andrew McCutchen in left, Brandon Nimmo in center, and Ezequiel Duran in right in the ninth inning.
Texas did manage to avoid the shutout in the ninth, with McCutchen reaching on a one out E5, then scoring on a Danny Jansen triple. A Brandon Nimmo HBP and a Josh Jung single brought Jansen home, putting the tying and go ahead runs on base for Corey Seager, who had the opportunity to be a hero.
Sadly, Seager hit into a 4-6-3 GIDP, and that was ballgame.
I want the Rangers to start scoring some runs, dammit! Lots of runs!
Jacob deGrom hit 98.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 97.1 mph. Jalen Beeks’ fastball reached 94.9 mph. Jakob Junis touched 92.7 mph with his fastball. Cole Winn’s fastball maxed out at 96.2 mph.
Corey Seager had a 109.3 mph double. Josh Jung had a 106.1 mph single and a 103.4 mph fly out. Sam Haggerty had a 105.5 mph single. Jake Burger had a 101.5 mph fly out. Joc Pederson had a 101.1 mph fly out.
Okay, let’s try to avoid the sweep, and not going into the off day on a losing note.
LeBron James and the Lakers take the court tonight at home looking to eliminate the Houston Rockets who will be without Kevin Durant…again.
There is a Game 5 because the Rockets controlled Game 4 start to finish ultimately winning 115-96. Amen Thompson led the way with 23 points and Tari Eason chipped in 20. As a team Houston shot 40% from deep (12-30) and while the Lakers shot 50% (37-74) from the field for the game they were just 5-22 (23%) from downtown. LeBron James was not his usual self, scoring just 10 points and turning the ball over eight times for the Lakers.
Los Angeles may get Austin Reaves back tonight but despite he and Luka Doncic not dressing through the series first four games, the Lakers have controlled most of the series behind LeBron’s playmaking and a defense that has consistently disrupted Houston’s perimeter rhythm. Even at 41 years old, James is averaging 21.5 points per game in the series. He has been the stabilizing force for L.A., highlighted by his late‑game heroics in Game 3. With the exception of Game 4, the Lakers’ supporting cast—particularly Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and Deandre Ayton—has stepped up in key moments, giving L.A. enough balance to withstand the absence of two of their top three players.
Houston, meanwhile, enters the night with its season on the line and a roster that has struggled to find consistency. Kevin Durant’s knee and ankle issues have limited the Rockets’ offense, and the team’s inability to generate efficient scoring against the Lakers’ defense has been a defining storyline. Turnovers and cold perimeter shooting have repeatedly stalled Houston’s momentum, though their Game 4 performance—where they finally outshot the Lakers from deep—offers a glimmer of hope. To force a Game 6, the Rockets will need a repeat of Game 4 in which they controlled tempo, shot well from deep, and limited the Lakers from beyond the arc.
The biggest question heading into tonight is whether the Lakers can reassert control after their Game 4 stumble. LeBron’s scoring prop sits at 23.5 points, the lowest it has been in weeks, and analysts expect him to bounce back with a more aggressive approach after a two‑day rest. Houston avoided the sweep once, but history—and the matchup trends—favor Los Angeles. If the Lakers maintain their defensive discipline and get even modest offensive contributions from their role players, they’re well positioned to advance. But if the Rockets can speed up the pace, hit threes, and pressure L.A.’s thin rotation, this series could tighten unexpectedly.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Lakers vs. Rockets
Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Time: 10PM EST
Site: crypto.com Arena
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: ESPN
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Game Odds: Lakers vs. Rockets
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers (-180), Houston Rockets (+150)
Spread: Lakers -4.5
Total: 207.5 points
This game opened Lakers -2.5 with the Game Total set at 205.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Lakers vs. Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
PG Marcus Smart
SG Luke Kennard
C Deandre Ayton
SF LeBron James
PF Rui Hachimura
Houston Rockets
PG Amen Thompson
SG Reed Shephard
C Alperen Sengun
SF Tari Eason
PF Jabari Smith Jr.
Injury Report: Lakers vs. Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves (oblique) is questionable for tonight’s game
Luka Doncic (hamstring) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant (ankle/knee) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Steven Adams (ankle) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Fred VanVleet (knee) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Lakers vs. Rockets
The Rockets are 22-21 on the road this season
The Lakers are 30-13 at home this season
The Rockets are 37-49 ATS this season
LA is 48-37-1 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 41 of the Rockets’ 86 games this season (41-45)
The OVER has cashed in 44 of the Lakers’ 86 games this season (44-42)
After going 9-17from 3-point range in the series first 3 games, Luke Kennard was 0-3 in Game 4
Marcus Smart has averaged 3.5 steals per game in this series
Deandre Ayton has averaged 8 rebounds per game in this series with highs of 11 boards in Game 1 and 10 in Game 4
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Lakers and Rockets’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Lakers on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Lakers -4.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 207.5
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 27: Nate Ament #10 of the Tennessee Volunteers dribbles against the Iowa State Cyclones in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 27, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Wake Forest’s Juke Harris, who also entered the transfer portal, was another one of those early entrants. Both Ament and Harris saw their name appear in a new NBA Mock Draft from ESPN this week. Felix Okpara also found himself in the projection after a strong senior season.
10. Nate Ament — Milwaukee Bucks
While Ament’s stock has slipped from an early top-five projection, he had productive stretches this season within a tricky team context and has room to help himself in workouts. Although scouts are split on whether he has star upside or projects better as a long-term supporting player, there is still plenty of intrigue around the opportunity to select a prospect of his caliber later in the lottery. As a tall skill player with real shotmaking upside, Ament fits a player archetype that teams often love to swing on. — ESPN
Ament ended up scoring 16.7 points per game, a number that was held back from a slow start during the November and December months. Ament really came on during SEC play as Barnes and the staff leaned on him during the second half of games exclusively. You saw that scoring ability in the paint, along with the touch from deep. Ament will have to get stronger, but a 6-10 frame with shooting and ball-handling skills will be hard to pass on in that 8-12 range.
33. Juke Harris — Brooklyn Nets
Harris declared for the NBA Draft upon announcing his entry into the transfer portal. This one feels like an information-gathering mission for Harris, who could benefit by coming out next year in a more shallow class. There seems to be a lot of momentum towards Harris ending up in Knoxville — stay tuned.
60. Felix Okpara — Washington Wizards
A bit of a surprise here for Okpara, who we haven’t really seen talked about as a draft pick. His 6-11 frame and elite rim protecting do bring some value here as a potential rotational piece down the road. Teams will likely want to see him develop more offensively, however.
Harris and Ament have until May 27th to officially withdraw their names from the NBA Draft, but they’re free to go through the process and gather information. Based on the tone of Ament’s statement on Thursday, it feels like he’s already made his decision. Harris, however, has some things to consider. A borderline first round pick, the 6-7 guard could make significantly more money following a strong season at Tennessee in a weaker class.
The NBA Draft is set for June 23rd and June 24th in Brooklyn. ESPN will have the coverage for both nights. The NBA Draft Lottery, which will finalize picks 1-14.
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 09: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians reacts with manager Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox before the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 9, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! The Phillies — wanting to get in on some of that sweet, sweet dysfunction — copied the Red Sox by firing their own manager yesterday. Rumors immediately swirled that Alex Cora would reunite with his old boss, Dave Dombrowski. But those rumors were quickly quashed when it was revealed that interim manager Don Mattingly would be given the rest of the season (a level of job security that Craig Breslow did not give to Chad Tracy). As it turns out, though, the rumors were based solidly in fact. From Chris Cotillo:
Within 24 hours of his dramatic firing by the Red Sox on Saturday, Alex Cora received a new job offer from a familiar boss.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed Tuesday that he tried to hire Cora in the immediate aftermath of his firing Saturday night. Despite still having a manager (Rob Thomson) at the time, Dombrowski made an overture to Cora on Sunday. Cora declined, citing a desire to spend the rest of the season with family, and Dombrowski pivoted, firing Thomson and replacing him with interim manager Don Mattingly before Tuesday’s game.
Cora is free to sit on his couch for the rest of the season and keep collecting paychecks from the Sox (about $7.5 million worth of them) which sounds pretty good to me. But Rob Thomson is not going to be the last manager fired this year, and the rumors will keep coming. So what do you think, will we see Cora back in the bigs this year? Would you want to work or would you take the cash and spend the summer roadtripping to music festivals or something? Talk about that and whtever else you want and, as always, be good to one another.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Craig Kimbrel #46 of the New York Mets celebrates after striking out the final batter on the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on April 28, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 8-0. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets beat the Nationals 8-0, with most of the offense coming in the fourth inning during a seven run offensive outburst, the likes of which have been unheard of for the Mets this season.
Firing Carlos Mendoza in the middle of the season may not have the positive impact some would hope, if the last few instances of mid-season managerial changes are to be considered.
For what it’s worth, Mendoza said he has had no conversations with team leadership about his managerial status and it has been business as usual instead.
With the rest of the Mets struggling offensively, Soto is getting pitched to much differently by opposing teams.
Christian Scott is back with the major league team after Kodai Senga was placed on the 15-day injured list with lumbar spine inflammation.
Kodai Senga had to receive an epidural for his back inflammation, and will go 7-10 days without throwing at all.
Christian Scott will be slotting into Senga’s spot in the rotation, lining up to face the Angels on Friday night.
In continued injury news, Juan Soto has been dealing with forearm tightness and will continue to play at designated hitter for the time being, but an MRI showed no structural damage to his arm.
Luis Robert Jr. is day-to-day with lower back tightness, not appearing in last night’s win over the Nationals.
Around the National League East
The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson, promoting Don Mattingly to interim manager.
The hope is that Mattingly can provide the same spark that Thomson did when he took over for Joe Girardi mid-season in 2022.
Alex Cora was offered the managerial spot with the Phillies, but he opted to spend time with his family instead.
The Phillies first game in the Don Mattingly-tenure was a big 7-0 victory over the Giants, with Trea Turner going 4-for-5 and Adolis Garcia driving in two runs on a double.
The new Phillies mantra under Don Mattingly seems simple enough: get back to “better baseball.”
While Ronald Acuña Jr. has had a disappointing season (by his standards) at face value this year, a closer look reveals some cause for hope.
The Braves beat the Tigers 5-2, with Martín Pérez going five innings, striking out five and walking four while only allowing two hits and no runs.
The Marlins held on to beat the Dodgers 2-1, behind a solid Janson Junk start of six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four.
Around Major League Baseball
Tatsuya Imai is struggling with adjusting to American baseball and culture, and a not insignificant part of those struggles might just be the team he decided to sign with.
One month into the season, there are already some big surprises—and some major disappointments.
Giancarlo Stanton has found himself on the injured list yet again—this time with a low-level calf strain.
Pete Alonso hit a two-run home run to propel the Orioles to a 5-3 win over the Astros, in an encouraging sign after his slow start to 2026.
The Tigers were dealt another blow to their rotation, with Casey Mize leaving his start against the Braves in the third inning with groin tightness.
UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 10: New York Yankees' reliever Sterling Hitchcock winds up in the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics after taking over for Roger Clemens, who left the game with a tight right hamstring. The A's went on to win Game 1 of the American League Division Series, 5-3, at Yankee Stadium. (Photo by Linda Cataffo/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) | NY Daily News via Getty Images
Often, we hear about those who contributed to the New York Yankees’ best years in franchise history. Those names are etched not just on the walls of Yankee Stadium, but also on some in Cooperstown through the Baseball Hall of Fame and, of course, in the videos of their work in the biggest moments.
But quite a few who departed the organization prior to their winning ways would help them reach greatness in a roundabout fashion. And we’ll talk about one of those players today, who not only left before the best years of the club, but also found the best years of his career along the way with another.
Sterling Alex Hitchcock Born: April 29, 1971 (Fayetteville, NC) Yankees Tenure: 1992-95, 2001-03
Sterling Hitchcock was born in North Carolina and attended Armwood High School in Seffner, Florida. Selected in the ninth round of the 1989 MLB Amateur Draft by the Yankees out of Armwood, despite initially committing to the University of South Florida to play ball he signed with the club instead, earning himself a $50,000 signing bonus.
Hitchcock had a quiet confidence about him, and scouts loved the lefty’s approach, ultimately earning him multiple appearances on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list. He worked his way up the ranks of the minor leagues before jumping from Double-A Albany-Colonie straight to the majors, making his MLB debut in pinstripes at the age of 21 on September 11, 1992. He tossed six innings against 39-year-old George Brett’s Kansas City Royals, allowing six hits, one walk, and three earned runs, though he only fanned a couple batters and took the loss. That was one of three games he pitched for the Yankees that season, and the other two didn’t go nearly as well. Hitchcock only saw seven innings across the two, giving up 12 earned runs in 13 total innings pitched with six walks and six strikeouts to his name. He finished with an 0-2 record and an 8.31 ERA.
Hitchcock spent most of 1993 at Triple-A Columbus and was only solid, but he did have a much better showing when he was tapped for another look at the big-league level. In 31 innings pitched, he struck out 26 batters and walked only 14 with an ERA of 4.65 in the six starts — including shutting out an up-and-coming Cleveland lineup through seven in his season debut on August 26th.
By overall ERA, Hitchcock’s 1994 was better, but it was honestly a year he’d probably have preferred to forget. He got himself in hot water by criticizing the Yankees’ organizational development strategies in spring training, and while he did appear in 18 games for New York in the first half, they were all out of the bullpen. Hitchcock never fully found his rhythm as a lefty reliever and was eventually optioned to Triple-A with a 6.27 ERA. At Columbus, he built back up as a starter, and he did have a 2.93 ERA across five starts for New York when given another chance in late July, but the players’ strike cut that season short on August 11th with the rebuilding Yankees holding the AL’s best record.
Manager Buck Showalter entrusted Hitchcock with a rotation spot in 1995, and he acquitted himself nicely at age-24, starting 27 games with 168.1 innings of league-average ball, recording 2.2 bWAR. He shined brightest down the stretch when the Yankees couldn’t really afford to lose any games as they desperately hunted down a Wild Card berth with a 22-6 final month. Hitchcock threw a complete game in a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays on September 20th and followed it with seven innings of two-run ball in a win in Milwaukee on September 26th.
Given the ball for the regular-season finale in Toronto on October 1st, Hitchcock knew that if the Yankees won, then his team would snap its 14-year postseason drought. Rubén Sierra and Pat Kelly helped give him a 4-0 lead by the bottom of the second, and the lefty made it hold up with 5.1 innings, striking out six while allowing one run on five hits and two walks. He ran into some jams but mostly escaped them, and reliever Bob Wickman induced a double-play ball to escape his last hurdle in the sixth. The bullpen kept the Jays at bay and the Yanks — and Don Mattingly — finally had their playoff spot.
Alas, there was no room for Hitchcock in the playoff rotation, thanks to former Cy Young Award-winning starters David Cone and Jack McDowell, the surging Scott Kamieniecki, and another young southpaw by the name of Andy Pettitte, who outpitched him. Hitchcock was ineffective in relief in both of his ALDS appearances, and the Seattle Mariners won a New York heartbreaker in five games.
Following the 1995 campaign, the Yankees underwent some upheaval on and off the field and Hitchcock was deemed expendable for the right cost. Indeed, he was traded to those same Mariners as part of a package that brought over a legend of the late ’90s Yankees: Tino Martinez. He started 35 games for the M’s and racked up a 5.35 ERA before Seattle sent him to the San Diego Padres in a deal for Scott Sanders, a right-handed pitcher. The 1997 season was somewhat forgettable for the left-hander, but it was 1998 when Hitchcock really shone, not just in the regular season but in the playoffs as well.
Hitchcock pitched in 39 games (and started 27) for the pennant-winning Padres in 1998. He threw 176.1 innings and finished with 158 strikeouts and a 3.93 ERA, the lowest of his career for one season where he pitched at least 10 games with one team. But in the postseason, he received his flowers. Hitchcock not only won both of his starts in the NLCS with a 0.90 ERA, but also overall in the 1998 playoffs, he was 3–0 with a 1.23 ERA and 32 strikeouts. (As an amusung aside, whenever Hitchcock struck anyone out, the fans at Qualcomm Stadium would hang Alfred Hitchcock silhouettes instead of K’s.) He was awarded the National League Championship Series MVP Award as a result of his heroic performance against a favored, All-Star-filled Atlanta Braves team.
In an absolute David vs. Goliath matchup in the Fall Classic against Hitchcock’s old club, the Padres were swept by the Yankees. Hitchcock gave it his best effort in Game 3 in San Diego, going pitch-for-pitch with former teammate Cone and only really getting burned by eventual World Series MVP Scott Brosius (as did Trevor Hoffman).
Hitchcock pitched for the Padres up until 2001. He dealt with injuries, including Tommy John surgery in June of 2000 when he only threw 11 games for the team. Shortly after returning to the team the next season, he was dealt back to the Yankees for a couple of minor-league players. New York wanted better rotation depth and was interested in seeing what the 30-year-old had to offer. His 4-4 record belied how he actually pitched (6.49 ERA) across 10 games, and once again he ended up near the back of the Yankees’ playoff depth chart.
Unfortunately, Hitchcock had rejoined the Yankees just in time to see their championship run come to a close, Luis Gonzalez’s World Series Game 7 heroics ending dreams of a fourth consecutive title. Hitchcock, at least, could lightly console himself with the fact that he’d won one of the games during the Yankees’ furious mid-series comeback in New York. After Brosius’ ninth-inning heroics tied Game 5 against Byung-Hyun Kim, the Yankees and Diamondbacks battled into the night. Manager Joe Torre called on Hitchcock in the 12th, and he smoothly retired the side in order on 10 pitches.
Rookie Alfonso Soriano walked it off in the home half of the 12th, and Hitchcock got the win to give New York a 3-2 series lead. If only it wasn’t the Yankees’ last of 2001.
Re-signed to a two-year deal that December, the Yankees ultimately decided in a hurry that they weren’t actually that interested in Hitchcock. A lower back injury delayed the start of his 2002 campaign, and he wasn’t given a spot in the rotation upon his return — only occasionally being given spot starts. Acknowledging that it’s hard to find consistency when you’re not pitching much, Hitchcock didn’t earn time either. In 47 games from 2002-03, he had a 5.46 ERA across 89 innings.
Hitchcock was traded to the Cardinals down the stretch in August 2003, and though he was solid in St. Louis, a swan song in San Diego turned sour in 2004. He hung up the spikes that September after just four MLB appearances. Hitchcock has appeared at Yankees Old-Timers’ Day in retirement but has otherwise led a pretty quiet life away from the game. We hope that includes a happy 55th birthday!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 24: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter during game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 108-100. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In Tuesday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Philadelphia mauled Boston, 113-97, New York hammered Atlanta, 126-97, and San Antonio eliminated Portland, 114-95.
Jayson Tatum finished with 24 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and three steals for the Celtics. Boston is still up 3-2, but they could have closed the Sixers out. Too bad.
The Knicks are up 3-2 over Atlanta as well. Jalen Johnson finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, but Jalen Johnson had 39 in a brilliant performance for the Knickerbockers.
Meanwhile, the Spurs moved on to the next round, sending Portland back home, 4-1. Mason Plumlee got a DNP.
On Wednesday, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter lead Orlando aginst Detroit. Up 3-1, the Magic have a great opportunity here.
RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram lead Toronto against Tyrese Proctor and Cleveland. That series is tied up 2-2.
Finally, Luke Kennard and Los Angeles hope to eliminate Houston.
Drew Rasmussen is pitching like an ace with an 88th-percentile xERA, 96th-percentile walk rate, and the Cleveland Guardians are hitting .167 against him career, with zero extra-base hits in 36 career at-bats.
The Guardians have scored just seven runs in their previous four games, while the Tampa Bay Rays offense scores just enough to win and owns a career 1.070 OPS in 34 career at-bats against Gavin Williams.
The Rays' pitching in this series has been outstanding. Tampa Bay is hot, and Cleveland can’t string two hits together. Back the Rays to sweep.
COVERS INTEL:The Rays are hitting a seventh-best .275 with runners in scoring position.
Rays vs Guardians Over/Under pick: Over 6.5 (-114)
Williams looks great on paper, but Tampa Bay has tattooed him.
Yandy Díaz is hitting .500 against him in 12 ABs, and the righty has walked more Rays hitters than he has struck out.
Once Rasmussen exits, the Tampa bullpen becomes a liability that Cleveland might exploit.
One crooked number from the Rays early and a few runs against the pen late make this total very reachable. Back the Over.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 4-8, -3.20 units
Over/Under bets: 5-6, -1.16 units
Rays vs Guardians odds
Moneyline: Rays +104 | Guardians -108
Run line: Rays -1.5 (+194) | Guardians +1.5 (-203)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5
Rays vs Guardians trend
The Tampa Bay Rays are riding a six-game winning streak heading into today’s contest with the Guardians. Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Guardians.
How to watch Rays vs Guardians and game info
Location
Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
Date
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
Rays.TV, Guardians.TV
Rays starting pitcher
Drew Rasmussen (2-0, 2.45 ERA)
Guardians starting pitcher
Gavin Williams (4-1, 3.28 ERA)
Rays vs Guardians latest injuries
Rays vs Guardians weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres have split the first two of their three-game set and will play the series finale at Petco Park on Wednesday, April 29.
My top Cubs vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks are calling for Chicago to put too many crooked numbers on the scoreboard for San Diego to keep up this afternoon.
Who will win Cubs vs Padres today: Cubs moneyline (-108)
The Chicago Cubs are rolling at the dish during their 14-6 heater with the highest wOBA in baseball and an average of 6.2 runs per game.
Facing San Diego Padres knuckleballer Matt Waldron shouldn’t be too high a hurdle on Wednesday afternoon, either. He sports a career 5.19 ERA and 4.53 xFIP across 201 1/3 innings in the majors.
Finally, I particularly value the sustainable surface of the Chicago offensive success, with the Cubbies sporting the fifth-highest walk rate and fifth-lowest strikeout percentage during the 20-game stretch.
COVERS INTEL: The Cubs have a 60% Pythagorean winning percentage, matching their 18-12 record, and showing that their success is sustainable.
Cubs vs Padres Over/Under pick: Over 9 (-105)
In addition to Chicago being positioned to put runs on the board, San Diego is set up to chip in offensively as well.
Chicago has also played to the Over in 16 of its past 23 games (+9.40 units / 37% ROI), and there have already been 27 runs through the first two games of this series.
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 13-8, +6.29 units
Over/Under bets: 5-6, -1.94 units
Cubs vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Cubs -115 | Padres -105
Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+140) | Padres +1.5 (-170)
Over/Under: Over 9 (-105) | Under 9 (-115)
Cubs vs Padres trend
The Chicago Cubs have won 11 of their last 14 games (+8.75 Units / 53% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Padres.
How to watch Cubs vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
MARQ, Padres.TV
Cubs starting pitcher
Jameson Taillon (1-1, 4.55 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
Matt Waldron (0-1, 12.46 ERA)
Cubs vs Padres latest injuries
Cubs vs Padres weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 28: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium on April 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers offense let down Shohei Ohtani after another dominant start as he suffered his first loss of the season on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.
While Ohtani dazzled on the mound over six solid innings, the Dodgers didn’t give him any run support and just narrowly avoided being shutout by scoring their lone run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ohtani’s bat was desperately missed on Tuesday, as he had six hits over his last two games at the plate and had reached base 10 times over his last three games.
Dave Roberts explained that just because Ohtani was not in the lineup isn’t enough reason as to why the Dodgers couldn’t manufacture runs on Tuesday, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
“I don’t think that is going to play in my math. I think the main thing is to do right by Shohei,” Roberts said. “Even without him tonight in the lineup, we should’ve won the game. I feel good about it. I’d do the same thing again.”
As far as whether Shohei Ohtani will continue to remain out of the lineup on start days will vary week to week, but Ohtani is determined to do whatever he and the team feel is best for keeping him healthy throughout the season, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“I’m going to prepare the best I can with whatever the team expects is best for me and for the team,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “We’re only going to find out in the totality if it’s a plus or a minus. I think for players who want to do two-way and want to DH, they should get the option to do DH. But at the same time, it’s hard to tell now. We’ll see how it goes at the end of the season.”
Links
Monday was a feel-good moment for Kyle Tucker, as he delivered his first-walk off hit as a Dodger in their come-from-behind victory on Monday. In what has been an early season slump, Tucker described the walk-off hit as a “huge moment” for him, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
“I was like, ‘OK, sweet, this is sick,’” Tucker said after the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory… “That was a huge moment right there,” Tucker said.
Is it time for Roki Sasaki to move to the bullpen, or should the Dodgers keep him in the rotation? That’s what Huston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times attempts to solve in the latest edition of Dodgers Dugout.
The Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars by a 4-2 final score in Game 5. With this, the Wild now have a 3-2 series lead over the Stars and need only one more win to advance to the second round.
A former Montreal Canadiens first-round pick certainly played a role in the Wild's overtime winner, as Michael McCarron scored the game-winning goal for Minnesota.
At the 7:47 mark of the third period, McCarron gave the Wild a 3-1 lead with a nice goal. After skating hard to get a loose puck, the former Canadiens forward beat Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger five-hole.
With this clutch performance, McCarron now has two goals and a plus-1 rating in five games for the Wild this postseason. The former Canadiens forward has proven to be a nice addition to the Wild's roster, and this big moment in Game 5 only proves that.
McCarron was selected by the Canadiens in the first round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft with the 25th overall pick. In 69 games over three seasons with the Habs, McCarron had two goals, six assists, eight points, 110 penalty minutes, and 185 hits.
The 2025-26 season for the New Jersey Devils is in the books, and the time has come to shift our attention from what’s going on on the ice to off the ice.
New general manager Sunny Mehta has plenty of business to handle this summer as he inherits a talented, but flawed roster from Tom Fitzgerald. The Devils have several restricted free agents that need to be addressed, and in the first part of our annual series where we profile the pending RFAs and UFAs on the roster, we will begin with Arseny Gritsyuk.
Who is Arseny Gritsyuk?
Arseny Gritsyuk is a 25 year old winger who was drafted in the 5th round way back in 2019. The former 129th overall selection was one of Ray Shero’s final draft picks as an NHL general manager.
Like many Russian prospects before him, Gritsyuk continued his development in his homeland, playing for clubs such as Omskie Yastreby, Izhevsk Izhstal Ustinov, and Novokuznetsk Metallurg before winding up with Omsk Avangard of the KHL for three seasons. While there, he represented the Russian Olympic Committee in the Olympics in 2022, winning a silver medal. He would play two more seasons with SKA St. Petersburg before finally making his way to the NHL prior to the 2025-26 season. He scored 68 goals and added 84 assists in 216 KHL games over five seasons.
Gritsyuk is represented by agent Shumi Babaev of the Shumi Agency. According to PuckPedia, he has 4 other NHL clients aside from Gritsyuk, with the most notable ones being Penguins winger Yegor Chinakhov and Avalanche center (and former Devils draft selection) Zakhar Bardakov among them.
What has Gritsyuk done as a Devil?
Gritsyuk has only played one season in New Jersey, but its safe to say he’s made a good first impression and he’s someone Devils fans want to see more of moving forward.
Gritsyuk started out this season on the Devils fourth line, but with his responsible two-way play, high hockey IQ, and a sometimes lethal shot, he gradually earned more ice time. He eventually settled into a third line role for the majority of the season and earned ice time on the second power play unit.
After tallying a few assists over his first few NHL games, Gritsyuk scored his first career NHL goal in the Devils 4-1 win over the Wild back on October 22. And it was a snipe.
Unfortunately for Gritsyuk, he was like many Devils players this season who just went ice cold offensively in the middle of the campaign. He did rebound post-Olympic break with 4 goals and 4 assists before a shoulder injury ended his season. All in all, he finished his rookie campaign with 13 goals and 18 assists in 66 games. His 31 points placed him 13th among all rookies, and while he won’t win the Calder Trophy, he may wind up earning a few down ballot votes as recognition for the campaign he had.
Now that the season is in the rear-view mirror though and looking back on it, I think there’s a lot to like when it comes to Gritsyuk’s game. He’s a much better defensive forward than I think anyone could’ve hoped for. He’s a good skater. He gets in there on the forecheck. And of course, he has one of the better shots on the team.
He also now has a season’s worth of NHL experience under his belt, which is key. We know what his floor is. He can carve out a role as a defensively responsible bottom six winger who can drive offense. But I think he’s versatile enough as a player where he could play anywhere in the lineup and not look out of place. He got some time with Jack Hughes post-Olympics and looked fine, but I could see him fitting in with Nico Hischier as his wingman as well. Chris alluded to this when he said Gritsyuk deserved a bigger role, and I think one could argue he was just as good as Timo Meier or Dawson Mercer were this past season, if not better.
Gritsyuk’s ELC concluded at the end of this Devils season. He will have arbitration rights as a pending RFA, assuming the Devils qualify him (spoiler alert: they will). The Devils will maintain his NHL rights until he becomes eligible for UFA following the 2027-28 season.
What will Gritsyuk do going forward?
This is a difficult question to answer, as there are a lot of unknowns moving forward.
We don’t know if Sheldon Keefe will be back as the coach, nor do we know who Sunny Mehta is planning on keeping from the roster he inherited. We also don’t know how Mehta will value Gritsyuk, as we just have the one NHL season under his belt to go off of. And even assuming Gritsyuk is back, what will his role be? Will he be shoehorned into the Top Six? Will he continue his third line role alongside Cody Glass? Can he earn more time on the power play unit?
That said, I could see Gritsyuk being better in his second full NHL season now that he’s been around the league once. He’s now familiar with the speed at which the NHL game is played. He knows he’ll have to get stronger to get to those tougher areas of the ice more consistently. The defensive game is already there for him, but the next step for him as a goal scorer will be picking up on those little nuances and creating separation to get his shot off.
I don’t know what his ceiling will ultimately be as an NHL player, but I do think he has the potential to be a Top-Six caliber winger who scores 20-25 goals a season and contributes around 50 points.
Who are Gritsyuk’s comparables and what is his value?
My natural inclination was to compare Gritsyuk’s rookie NHL season to the rookie season of other players who played multiple seasons in Russia and debuted in their 20s. But I also don’t think you can really compare Gritsyuk to Kirill Kaprizov or Artemi Panarin. Both of them had significantly better rookie campaigns than Gritsyuk did, and both have stood the test of time as elite-level NHL wingers. I’d be thrilled if Gritsyuk was half the offensive force that they are.
The next player that came to mind was a former Devils draft pick out of Belarus that we should all be familiar with in Yegor Sharangovich. But it’s another imperfect comparison.
Yes, they do share some similarities as players. Sharangovich is a little taller but they have similar frames as players. They both possess what can be termed a lethal shot. And when their shot is going well, they can pump in goals as a reliable source of secondary offense.
But I view Gritsyuk as more of a complete two-way forward, despite Sharangovich regularly seeing time on a penalty killing unit. I also view Sharangovich as a player who almost has to be shooting well above expected to have positive value in your lineup. Calgary gave him 5 years and $5.75M after a 31 goal season where he shot over 17%, but he has struggled enough the last two years where that contract doesn’t look like the greatest investment after the fact.
Part of why I bring up Sharangovich as a potential comp though is the contract he signed in between that deal and the $2M AAV for 2 year deal he signed out of his ELC. As a 25 year old, he signed a $3.10M AAV deal for 2 years shortly after being traded to Calgary in 2023. Sharangovich would’ve been eligible for UFA at the end of that deal but Calgary moved to sign him to an extension after his career year and buy out five UFA years. I do think that $3.10M AAV is in line with Gritsyuk’s production at that age, and even accounting for the growing cap ceiling and inflation, it makes his AFP analytics projection of $3.55M for 2 years on a bridge seem reasonable.
I did struggle to come up with other comparables for Gritsyuk though, so I decided to reach out to Chris and see what he thought and he threw out a few interesting names. He noted that Gritsyuk had similar scoring rates to Alex Tuch and Adrian Kempe at the same age. Both of those players obviously had far more NHL experience through their age 25 season than Gritsyuk does, but they also both found another level and developed into top line scoring wingers. He also mentioned Jake DeBrusk, but that would be the opposite end of the spectrum as he’s never really proven to be anything more than a 20-ish goal, 40-ish point winger.
After tallying 52 points with the Golden Knights in 18-19. Tuch signed a long-term deal for $4.75M AAV over 7 years. That deal has proven to be an exceptional value as he has three 30+ goal seasons in Buffalo and is set up nicely to cash in as THE premier free agent of this year’s class on July 1.
Kempe is finishing up 4 year deal worth $5.5M AAV that he signed after his breakout season in 21-22 when he scored 35 goals with the Kings. He has since signed a new deal with the Kings to bypass free agency, extending for $10.63M AAV over the next 8 seasons.
DeBrusk signed a series of bridge deals with the Bruins, beginning with a 2-year, $3.68M AAV deal after a 35 point campaign in 2019-20. He followed that up with another 2-year deal, this time for $4M. DeBrusk cashed in on a long-term deal with the Vancouver Canucks when he hit free agency in 2024.
I’ve rattled off a bunch of names, but I don’t think there’s a perfect comp unfortunately. His fellow countrymen in Panarin and Kaprizov are simply better players, and just because guys like Tuch and Kempe have similar scoring rates doesn’t mean they’re similar players. But I did want to cover a wide base of guys with similar numbers and what they ultimately received.
What would I do with Gritsyuk and what do I think the Devils will do?
According to AFP analytics, Gritsyuk is projected for either a 2-year bridge deal worth $3.55M AAV or a 5-year longer-term deal worth $6.58M AAV.
On the surface, both of those projections might seem a little high given Gritsyuk’s lack of experience. But I’m also still operating of the mindset that yesterday’s prices should be today’s prices and that’s not the case. The cap is continuing to increase and contracts that might’ve been good 2 years ago might not be today. I can’t blame Gritsyuk for looking to cash in when athletes only get so many opportunities to do so. The proverbial pie is getting bigger and he wants his fair slice of it.
I’m not sure I love the idea of a long-term deal though given his relatively small track record. Especially at a time where the Devils simply don’t have a ton of salary cap flexibility. I’m not saying they should get rid of Gritsyuk but the cap is something to consider, especially if he doesn’t take those next steps in his development. And I think if I were Gritsyuk, I wouldn’t want to sign long-term yet if I think I have much more to give as a player.
I think the approach that might make the most sense for now is something similar to what the Flames did with Sharangovich. A bridge that locks in his AAV for the next two years, and if he has a good season in 2026-27, we can talk about a longer-term deal next summer when we have a better idea of who the player is.
We don’t know how Sunny Mehta will manage the salary cap, but I can’t imagine that he’s going to be on board with paying so many guys market rate like Fitzgerald did before him. Then again, given the aforementioned salary cap situation, Mehta might be content to get Gritsyuk locked in at as low an AAV as possible for the next two seasons while money is tight and worry about 2028 when it gets here. Especially if he has any grandeurs of completing the Hughes triforce next summer or trying to land another big fish on top of a potential Nico Hischier extension.
I do wonder if one potential option that makes sense for the Devils is to try to meet Gritsyuk somewhere in the middle with a 3 or 4 year deal in the $5.5M AAV range that buys out one year or two of his UFA years. The reason I bring that up is because we’re seeing more and more players sign shorter-term deals. Not only does it keep pressure on the team to put a winner around them, but it gives the player an opportunity to test the market again sooner at a time where the salary cap ceiling is exploding. Gritsyuk could sign a 4 year deal this summer and still be in a position to sign a long-term deal when he’s 29 and there’s a larger body of work and more proof of concept with him. Like I said, I don’t think it makes a ton of sense for Gritsyuk to want to max out on term right now.
With cap space at a premium though, I think the most likely move is a bridge. My contract prediction is 2 years at $3.5M AAV.
COVERS INTEL:
