SEATTLE - JUNE 14: Gary Payton #20 of the Seattle SuperSonics posts up against Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls in Game Five of the 1996 NBA Finals at Key Arena on June 14, 1996 in Seattle, Washington. The Sonics won 89-78. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1996 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Gary Payton built a Hall of Fame NBA career from 1990-2007. A 6-4 native of Oakland, California, Payton went to Oregon State, where he built a tremendous reputation as a defender and all-around point guard.
He was the second pick in the 1990 draft, taken by Seattle behind Derrick Coleman and ahead of Chris Jackson, now known as Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
It took Payton a couple of years to truly establish himself as a top-tier point guard, but he did and then some.
Known as “the Glove,” Payton was mostly celebrated for two things: his superb defense – he was the first point guard to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year – and his relentless trash talking. Most people regard Larry Bird as the greatest trash talker in NBA history, but Payton is almost certainly a close second.
The bulk of his career was spent with the SuperSonics, but he played for four other teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Boston Celtics. In 2006, he helped the Miami Heat win the NBA Championship.
This video mostly focuses on Payton’s offensive talents, and some of these plays are spectacular. Incidentally, look for one against the Chicago Bulls where he takes the time to do something most people tried very hard not to do: he woofs at Michael Jordan immediately after scoring.
Connecticut is in and Houston is out on the No. 1 line of the USA TODAY Sports latest bracketology after the Cougars fell 70-67 at Iowa State on Monday night.
The Huskies regained their grip on a No. 1 seed after rebounding from a road loss to St. John’s with Big East wins against Butler and Georgetown. UConn joins Michigan, Arizona and Duke. This foursome has separated itself from the pack thanks to a combined 35-6 record in Quad 1 games.
It’s a big week coming up for Michigan, which travels to Purdue on Tuesday night and then plays Duke in Washington, D.C., this weekend.
Iowa State takes over as the top-rated No. 2 seed after notching a second high-profile Big 12 win in a row, following this past Saturday’s 74-56 victory against Kansas.
Houston’s drop is one of several in the updated bracket involving some of the biggest names in the Power Five.
The Jayhawks slip to a No. 3 seed after the Iowa State loss erases some of the good vibes stemming from a torrid eight-game run that included wins against the Cyclones, Brigham Young, Texas Tech and Arizona.
Three losses in four games sent Michigan State to the No. 4 line. While two of those setbacks came against the Wolverines and Wisconsin, the Spartans’ résumé is dinged by an ugly road loss to Minnesota. The Gophers are 4-10 in Big Ten play and are 86th in the NET rankings.
March Madness last four in
Georgia, UCLA, Ohio State, TCU.
March Madness first four out
New Mexico, California, Missouri, Santa Clara.
NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown
Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (11), SEC (10), ACC (8) Big 12 (8), Big East (3), West Coast (2), Mountain West (2).
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 17: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees celebrates on second base during the game between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Graham Miller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Spring training positional battles are storied Florida/Arizona traditions, but as of now, the Yankees don’t have many significant battles to play out in camp. Sure, there could be injuries that shake up the depth chart, and there will always be jockeying for spots at the back of the rotation and in the bullpen. But as far as the Yankee lineup goes, all the slots seems spoken for.
One of the few positional storylines actually left to follow is that of Jasson Domínguez and whether he’ll make the club’s Opening Day roster. After coming out of camp as the team’s starting left fielder last year, Domínguez is far from a lock to make the team, with Brian Cashman indicating earlier this week that Domínguez could plausibly start the season in the minors at this point.
What do you think the Yankees ought to do with Domínguez? From a pure roster-building standpoint, I think it’s hard to argue that he isn’t one of the most talented 26 players in the Yankee organization and that he shouldn’t make the team based on potential production alone. Domínguez struggled for chunks of 2025, but even as a 22-year-old coming off a series of major injuries that cost him huge chunks of development time, he managed a league-average batting line as a rookie, hitting the ball very well against right-handed pitchers and flashing elite athleticism.
Yet the Yankees’ decision on Domínguez doesn’t just hinge on whether he’s one of their 26 best players, as there’s obvious context to consider. The team’s outfield is plenty full, starting Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge from left to right, and Domínguez’s skillset at the plate (strong against righties, weak against lefties) doesn’t fit well as a backup, given the team’s desire for bats that can hit left-handed pitchers off the bench. Though Domínguez clearly has more upside than, say, Oswaldo Cabrera, or the veteran reserves the Yankees have brought in this offseason like Paul DeJong and Max Schuemann, they may be better served letting Domínguez get regular run in Triple-A while letting the others assume backup duties at the major-league level.
What do you think? Should the Yankees prioritize giving Domínguez consistent playing time in the minors, or should they include him on their Opening Day roster on the basis that he’s more talented than the other options?
Today on the site, you can get your morning started with Nolan’s overview on the state of relief pitching in the Yankee organization. Also, Matt celebrates Wally Pipp, the man most famous for losing his starting job to Lou Gehrig, and John previews J.C. Escarra’s 2026 campaign. And later, as part of our Free Agents series, Michael looks back at one of the most important signings in Yankees history, their re-signing of Aaron Judge in 2022.
Dodgers veteran infielder Miguel Rojas, whose surprising tying home run helped the Dodgers rally in Game 7 of the World Series, is back for his 13th season in the major leagues. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
When asked to describe Game 7 of the World Series and his place in it more than three months later, veteran infielder Miguel Rojas did not hesitate with his answer.
“Game 7 of the World Series was unbelievable,” Rojas said at his locker inside the Dodgers' clubhouse at Camelback Ranch last week. “Because nobody believed that I was able to hit a home run in the ninth inning with one out, and in that spot. No way.”
Rojas worked the count full, and on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman left a slider over the plate, which Rojas rocketed over the left field bullpen, leaving the 44,000 fans on hand at the Rogers Centre — and the 51 million viewers watching — completely stunned.
“That was one of the most shocking World Series home runs I’ve ever seen,” award-winning baseball writer and Fox Sports commentator Tom Verducci said. “Here I was thinking, ‘Well, Ohtani’s on deck, so he doesn’t want to walk him.’ Never in my mind did I ever think that he was going to hit a home run. It was even more shocking to me than the Rajai Davis home run off [Aroldis] Chapman in 2016.”
Davis’ two-run blast in the 2016 World Series tied Game 7 at 6-6, capping a three-run comeback for the then-Cleveland Indians. It however, occurred in the eighth inning, and came in a loss, as the Cubs snapped their 108-year championship drought in extra innings that night in Cleveland.
How does Rojas’ tying homer rank historically? Is it on par with Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit, walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series?
“I think in terms of game leverage, it’s right up there in I want to say the top five [greatest hits in the World Series],” Verducci said. “You’re not going to match Gibby’s for the kind of cinematic quality of it. But, in terms of out-of-the blue, series on the line — not just game on the line. Kirk Gibson was Game 1. Freddie Freeman off [Nestor] Cortes [in 2024] was Game 1. This is down to your last couple of outs in the World Series by a guy who hadn’t hit a home run all year against a right-handed pitcher — he hit one off of a position player right-handed. The shock value and game-leverage situation, it’s got to be top five; I’m talking about any hit in a World Series game.”
Rojas, who turns 37 next week, has not been known for his power. The middle infielder enters his 13th and final big league season with a total of 57 home runs. As Verducci notes, he hit just seven last season — six off left-handed pitchers and the one he hit off of a righty came against San Francisco Giants catcher Logan Porter late in a regular season game in which the Dodgers won, 10-0.
Miguel Rojas celebrates as he rounds the bases after he hit a home run to tie the game during the ninth inning of Game 7. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Batting ninth, with Shohei Ohtani on deck, Rojas stepped into the box with the goal of getting to first base. Hoffman started Rojas off with an 86-mph slider off the plate, getting the veteran to chase, putting him behind in the count, 0-1.
“I mean, my mentality was always to get on base,” Rojas said. “I think the first pitch taught me a lot about how the at bat was going to go. I was able to, kind of like, regroup and kind of keep myself in that at-bat and give myself an opportunity to get on base."
Hoffman proceeded to throw the next two pitches out of the zone, bringing the count to 2-1. He then attacked the strike zone with back-to-back fastballs, both of which Rojas fouled away, into the stands. An up-and-in slider brought the count full.
“Then he hung a slider, and I put a good swing on it,” Rojas said. “I knew a strike was coming. I didn't know what kind of strike I was gonna see. I was happy to put the barrel on that ball.”
The rest is history. The Dodgers would go on to win in 11 innings, repeating as World Series champions. What came in the immediate aftermath of confetti and champagne, was not something Rojas could have ever expected when he rejoined the Dodgers via trade before the 2023 season.
“It was a little bit more of attention, on the media side, fans and all that,” Rojas said. “It feels like it was overwhelming with the off-the-field stuff, because I was traveling a lot and all that.”
Little did he know, Rojas had unintentionally launched himself to stardom.
“There were definitely a couple things that I didn't have on my radar, like the Latin Grammys was one of them,” Rojas said. “I went and shot an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune.' A couple nice things that you don't even know that you're playing this game for. But then you got the opportunity to, kind of like, travel and visit the world and go to places that you never expected to go. Really, it was really cool, overwhelming… but I think it's something that you don't have another opportunity to do.”
After enjoying the ride of the unanticipated media tour, Rojas is back at Dodgers camp, itching to win the final game of the season for the third year in a row in what he has said will be the final season of his career.
“Ever since I got traded, I can feel like walking into this clubhouse in spring training, the expectations are the same,” Rojas said. “And they're always making the team better. It's kind of like, right now, it feels like you have to win. It's not like, ‘OK, let's try to win. Let's try to do our best.’ It's like, ‘We have to win.’ It feels the same as last year and the year before and the year before that. The mentality is 'win.'”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 12: Dallas Mavericks have officially won the in NBA Draft Lottery with 1.8% pre-lottery chance to win the pick in Chicago, Illinois, United States on May 12, 2025. San Antonio Spurs got the second pick, Philadelphia 76ers got 3rd and Charlotte Hornets got the 4th pick in the lottery. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
It’s that time of year again. It’s tanking season. And it’s bigger and better than ever. There are seemingly more teams tanking than ever before, and they are doing it earlier and bolder and in more innovative ways. Everybody is talking about it, so why not Fear The Sword? There have been lots of crazy proposals to fix tanking thrown around. Even odds. Rookie free agency. The Wheel.
Here’s one more: Let’s try just forcing teams to win games.
I know this sounds crazy, but I believe basketball is the most fun to watch when teams are trying to win. And I also believe that the answer to what is wrong with basketball is usually more basketball.
Here’s the proposal:
You hold an eight-team tournament before the playoffs to determine draft order.
Lowest seeds gain entry, with the exception that every playoff team and play-in teams that reached the second round from last year are not eligible. No gap years. If one of those teams is at the bottom, take the next lowest seed.
Just like the player awards season, if you don’t play, you can’t play. Let’s set a low bar and focus on the stretch run. If you haven’t played > 1,230 minutes (15 minutes per game all year) or > 15 mpg post-All-Star break, you’re out (this can be fine-tuned for role players, but you can see the point). No miraculous recoveries for the draft tournament allowed.
Draft tournament winner gets the number one pick. Trades be damned.
That’s it. That’s the whole idea. Play basketball. Win. Get rewarded.
Why is this a good idea? Let’s break it down.
The Draft Lottery is the worst. There is no fixing it. We have this many teams tanking and piling picks because the draft is unreliable. Every time a San Antonio or a Philly gets lucky in the lottery, every time an Indiana takes a gap year, a team that has been tanking for years signs up for yet another year of tanking. The lottery is why we have so many teams tanking at once. It makes the draft unreliable. That’s bad. Not good.
The goal of a draft should not be to create middle-class citizens. It should not be to let the Chicago Bulls hang around near .500 forever. That isn’t parity. The goal should be to create contenders. The draft needs to help teams on the outside-looking-in become truly competitive. You can grow to Play-In status with picks five through 10 and shrewd acquisitions. It’s the leap that requires a top-four pick.
Even if teams figure out how to game the system and gain entry in nefarious ways, it’s largely a one-and-done scenario. They’ll do well, they’ll get a good pick, and they will graduate to a competitive level. That’s the goal. No tanking for half a decade or more.
The top-two picks landing in the worst situations is also the worst. What are our favorite stories? It’s rookie Kobe playing with Shaq. It’s rookie Tim Duncan playing with David Robinson. It’s Wemby being competitive *right now*. It is not Kevin Garnett dragging Sprewell to the Western Conference Finals or LeBron dragging Larry Hughes to the Finals before they inevitably leave the team that drafted them because they were too good for the team to build around them. The best-case scenario is that you get your second or third-best player, and then you get your generational talent. Not the other way around.
A draft tournament is still high variance. In a single-elimination format, anything can happen. You get that excitement. Whether your team is awful or your pre-season expectations are falling apart, you get that hope. And as a fan, you get to hope your team wins important ball games rather than hope they lose 75 meaningless ones.
It incentivizes teams to try to win. Think about what a draft tournament does to a rebuild cycle. Right now, when a team thinks they are close, they worry that if they get too good, too soon, then they might never get good enough. The entire young core could be wasted. They worry they should tank for one more high pick. With a draft tournament, you can go for it. You can try. You can bring in vets. Maybe you’re right, and you’re in the playoffs. Maybe you’re wrong, and you’re in the draft tournament with the best chance of winning it. Either way, the current core has a future.
It revitalizes the NBA middle class. No more player purgatory. No more players that are too good to tank with and not good enough to win with. These players instantly have value because even if they can’t help you win the NBA championship, they can help you win the draft tournament. Shout out to Georges Niang. Pay the Miini-van.
So that’s it. That’s the pitch. Structure everything so that in order to accomplish your goals, you have to win basketball games. Always.
And if you like that, just let me know. Because we can keep going with this concept. More tournaments, all with critical team-construction rewards. The rewards are the key. If the tournament helps a team build and helps a player get paid, everybody cares. Teams, GMs, players, fans. That adds value. That drives interest. That drives revenue. And that, ultimately, is the only way we ever get to shorten the regular season, which is what the sport truly needs. But that’s a story for another day.
Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert have thrilled during Les Bleus’ storming start to the Six Nations
The greatest double acts roll off the tongue. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Morecambe and Wise, Lennon and McCartney. It’s the same in sport: Lillee and Thomson, Torvill and Dean, Redgrave and Pinsent. After a while their individual talents complement each other so perfectly it becomes hard to mention one without the other.
Which is what is now happening on the rugby fields of Europe. For Butch and Sundance read Antoine Dupont and Matthieu Jalibert, the creative partnership behind a France team weaving the prettiest of Six Nations patterns. Between them “Jalipont” are helping to fashion some of the most spectacular attacking rugby anyone could wish for.
Nikola Vučević has played three games with Boston and, so far, he’s been exactly as advertised.
The Montenegrin big man is averaging 13.7 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 48.5% from the floor and better than 41% from three. As a proven veteran, you generally know what you’re getting from Vučević — steady scoring, strong rebounding, and a polished offensive game.
Growing up, my two favorite NBA players were Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan — Garnett for his defense and intensity, and Duncan for his fundamentals and beautiful post game. What I admire most about Vučević is that same kind of polished presence on the block. It’s something that the Celtics have lacked over the years. Al Horford, in his early years with Boston, was a reliable post option, but as he got older, he drifted behind the arc more to help space the floor.
Now, Boston has a player who is both a legitimate post threat and a capable outside shooter. On any given night, Vučević can easily be the team’s second-leading scorer, which gives Boston’s offense more balance — and that’s already been the case through his first three games.
In his first game in green, Vučević was clearly a bit passive. It looked like he didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes as he adjusted to a new team and system. He’s not going to be a great defender, and there will be moments when quicker players beat him. But having him come off the bench alongside Payton Pritchard creates a dynamic one-two, inside-outside punch that can keep the scoring flowing when Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White are off the floor. Over time, Vučević will get more comfortable with the defensive rotations and team schemes. I expect him to look sharper on that end as he settles in.
Against his former team, Vučević showed the Boston Celtics faithful at TD Garden exactly what he’s capable of. The big man finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in the win over the Bulls. What impressed me most was his 4-of-5 shooting from three. If Vučević can consistently knock down the three-ball, he adds a dimension this team was missing prior to the deadline.
Another key element Vučević brings to this Celtics team is elite rebounding. Before joining Boston, he averaged nine rebounds per game, and so far, he’s posted rebound totals of 11, 6, and 12. In his debut alone, he grabbed six offensive boards — a huge boost for second-chance opportunities. That presence will pair well when Neemias Queta heads to the bench. Having at least one strong rebounder on the floor at all times — and the ability to consistently attack the offensive glass — will be pivotal for Boston, especially in tight playoff-style games.
Three games in, it’s hard not to like the fit. Vučević gives Boston a different look offensively — a true interior scorer who can also step out and stretch the floor, something Boston has missed since getting rid of both Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis. He stabilizes bench units, adds rebounding toughness, and brings veteran poise to a team with championship aspirations.
If this is the baseline, then Boston may have found exactly what it needed. I truly believe Vučević is going to be a great addition to this roster. More than anything, I’m glad he gets the opportunity to play meaningful basketball on a legitimate contender. Veterans like him don’t always get that chance late in their careers, and if these first three games are any indication, he’s going to make an impact.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 2: Jack Suwinski # 65 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on September 2, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are cutting ties with tenured outfielder Jack Suwinski as they are officially designating him for assignment.
Suwinski has been a part of the Pirates’ organization since July of 2021 when he was acquired in a trade that sent second baseman Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres. Suwinski having now being DFA’d will have the opportunity to be claimed off waivers by the other 29 MLB organizations. If Suwinski is not claimed off waivers, he will return to the Pirates’ Minor League system and likely elect to hit the free-agency market.
Suwinski being DFA’d frees up space on the Pirates’ 40-man-roster to officially sign newly acquired designated hitter, Marcell Ozuna. The Pirates resigned Suwinski to a one-year contract this offseason to avoid arbitration.
The time that Suwinski spent with the Pirates was highlighted by power at the plate coupled with wild inconsistency. The 27-year-old slugger made his MLB debut in 2022 and played in 106 games for the Pirates that season. Suwinski enjoyed a breakout season in 2023 where he had 26 homers, which ranked as the 20th-most in the National League. Suwinski’s cardinal sin was while he would have incredible power at the plate, he also had a nasty reputation of having a high swing and miss rate. That same 2023 season where he ranked 20th in homers, he also ranked sixth in total strikeouts with 172.
Jack Suwinski: 2nd more home runs by a Pirate player in their first 2 MLB seasons, behind only Ralph Kiner.
While he had flashes of greatness and potential as a power hitter in Pittsburgh’s lineup, Suwinski was never able to replicate the pop he he showed during the 2023 season. 2024 saw Suwinski appear in 88 games and hitting just 9 home runs.
2025 seemed to be the real breaking point for Suwinski’s time in Pittsburgh. He would appear in just 59 games, as he battled inconsistent play at the plate and did several stints with Triple-A Indianapolis. Suwinski finished the season with a slash line of .147/.281/.534 with 57 strikeouts and a career low t3 homers.
Suwinski’s departure opens the door for prospects Jake Mangum, Jhostynxon Garcia and Esmerlyn Valdez to have more playing opportunities in a thin Pittsburgh outfield group.
Olympics hockey, just like the NHL, doesn't allow for ties.
A game will go to overtime if it is tied after 60 minutes and there also is the possibility of a shootout if the game remains tied once an overtime period ends.
But there are differences between NHL rules and Olympic rules on how overtimes and shootouts are conducted. The maximum length of a sudden death overtime depends on the round in which the game is being played. And the shootout format is totally different from the one used by the NHL.
Here's an explainer on how overtimes and shootouts work in Olympic hockey:
Olympic overtime rules
If the teams are tied after 60 minutes in the preliminary round, a five-minute sudden-death overtime will be played at 3-on-3. Unlike the NHL, teams don't change ends for overtime.
Overtime in a playoff game, along with the bronze medal game, lasts a maximum of 10 minutes. It's also 3-on-3, as opposed to 5-on-5 in NHL playoff games.
In the gold medal game, teams play 20-minute 3-on-3 overtime periods, separated by 15-minute intermissions, until someone scores. Teams don't change sides for the first overtime but do for subsequent overtimes.
Olympic shootout rules
If overtime doesn't settle a game outside of the gold medal game, there will be a shootout. The winner of a coin toss gets to choose whether their team shoots first or second.
The format differs from the NHL, with five shooters per team instead of three. If nothing is settled after five rounds, then each round is sudden death as in the NHL. But there's another difference. Olympic teams can use the same shooters multiple times during the sudden death rounds (think back to TJ Oshie in the 2014 Olympics). They also can change goaltenders.
In the sudden death round, the team that shot second in the first five rounds will shoot first. The rounds continue until one team finishes with one more goal than the other. That team is declared the winner.
Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Team USA Stripes forward Kawhi Leonard (2) of the LA Clippers reacts with Donovan Mitchell (45) of the Cleveland Cavaliers in game three during the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
Good morning, it’s Tuesday, February 17th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 34-21 and don’t play again until Thursday.
I hope you enjoyed the All-Star break. From here on out, the playoffs are going to be on everyone’s mind. But before we do that, let’s take a moment to discuss the weekend we just had.
All-Star Recap
There has been a lot of discourse about All-Star Weekend this year. To be honest, there’s a lot of discourse about everything nowadays. Since there are no games on right now, I figured I’d add my two cents to the pile.
The problem is, I didn’t get to watch All-Star weekend this year.
I understand why the NBA decided to start the events early to avoid overlapping with the Winter Olympics. But, did you really expect me to catch a 5 pm start on Valentine’s Day? No chance.
I knew I wasn’t going to catch Friday’s events, which actually started during prime time at 8 pm Eastern — but I foolishly made plans for Sunday evening as I didn’t realize the big game would be over by 7:30. That’s partly my fault, but mainly, I blame the NBA for poor scheduling.
My problems aside, I was pleased to know that the All-Star Game was actually fun this season. At least, for a few moments.
The flashes of entertainment we received this weekend all came from one single fix: effort. No format change or fancy tournament will matter if the players don’t care. This has been the only important factor for the entire history of the event.
Long story short, we’ve all spent too much time problem-solving something that is out of our control. Either the players care, or they don’t. The events are only as fun as the players make them. This year, they delivered. Next year? We’ll have to wait and see.
LONDON (AP) — Real Madrid and Benfica will do it all over again on Tuesday after their epic Champions League showdown last month.
A 4-2 win for Benfica against Madrid in the last round of games in the league phase produced one of the most dramatic finishes in the competition's history.
A goal deep into added time by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin secured Benfica's place in the playoffs. Defeat for Madrid, meanwhile, meant the record 15-time European champion missed out on automatic qualification for the round of 16.
The mastermind behind that win for Benfica was former Madrid coach José Mourinho.
Now he gets the chance to inflict more pain on his old team in the first leg of their playoff series at Benfica's Stadium of Light.
“I don’t think it takes a miracle for Benfica to eliminate Real Madrid,” Mourinho said, although he did acknowledge his team would have to be close to perfect to advance.
Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain is playing at Monaco in the playoffs on Tuesday. Galatasaray hosts Juventus and Borussia Dortmund is at home against Atalanta.
SCOTTSDALE — Patrick Bailey’s 2025 MLB season was not a strong one offensively, but you wouldn’t know that if you watched a highlight reel of the Giants season.
In addition to winning a second straight Gold Glove Award, Bailey provided two of the biggest moments at the plate for the Giants. He put his name in the history books in July with a rare walk-off, inside-the-park homer against the Philadelphia Phillies, and two months later he stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers with a walk-off grand slam.
Bailey smiled Monday when asked which highlight he watched more often over the winter.
“I feel like I get tired when I watch the Phillies one,” he said. “So I like the Dodgers one.”
That second walk-off was notable for more than just allowing Bailey to become the first player in MLB history to check both of those specific boxes in one season. It came from the right side, and it was his first homer against a lefty in two years.
Bailey hit .212 with a .566 OPS from the right side last season, but he responded with a quick “no” during a group session last week when asked if there was any thought of giving up switch-hitting. The other five catchers in camp all hit from the right side, including both young options on the 40-man roster — Daniel Susac and Jesus Rodriguez — so the Giants are positioned to limit Bailey’s exposure to tough lefties if they want to, but he doesn’t intend to cede any playing time.
During a live batting practice session over the weekend, Bailey scorched a ball into the gap off lefty reliever Matt Gage. The swing showed off some mechanical changes made over the winter.
Bailey’s hands are lower and he has a much bigger leg kick from the right side than he did in 2025. The latter adjustment came when he was doing a drill that required him to hover his lead leg in the air and then bring it down in a controlled manner.
“I took a couple of good swings that way and I was like, ‘You know what, let’s just lift my leg really high and give myself more time,'” he said. “I almost feel more athletic when it’s up in the air. Pitchers do it, so it feels like an easy timing mechanism. It feels really good so far.”
Bailey is hopeful the changes help him rediscover some of the results from his rookie year, when he had a .829 OPS against lefties. But he also knows there’s a long way to go on his left side, too. Bailey’s OPS against righties last year was .615; overall, he had a .602 OPS and six homers, both career lows.
The strange thing about Bailey’s 2025 season was that he was actually one of the Giants you might most want up late in a game. He hit .290 in what were deemed “high-leverage” plate appearances, with a .739 OPS that was comfortably above the league-average mark of .717. Bailey drove in 28 runs in 107 high-leverage plate appearances and 27 in his other 345 plate appearances.
The new staff is diving into those specific numbers, and Bailey is well aware of the splits. He said he enjoys the big moments, but he’s working with hitting coach Hunter Mense on trying to be more balanced and improve his swing intent earlier in games.
The splits are odd, but there also might be a simple explanation. Bailey is the game’s best defensive catcher and expends a lot of physical and mental energy before and early in games leading the pitching staff. At the same time, he’s a first-rounder who has shown flashes of being a good big-league hitter.
It would make sense if Bailey had a bit more focus in those tense moments late in games and was able to tap into more of his natural talent. But that’s not something he’s leaning on.
“Obviously what I do with catching a lot is a grind, but at the end of the day, a lot of other guys do it,” he said. “I’ve got to hold myself to that standard whether it’s the ninth inning or the first inning. Each run is the same. But yeah, we’re definitely kind of trying to play around with intent on each swing and just trying to be the same.”
Even with a subpar offensive season, Bailey was worth 3.2 fWAR, ranking him eighth among MLB catchers and behind only Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames among Giants position players. His defense is simply that valuable, and the Giants don’t anticipate that changing much with the implementation of ABS. Bailey will take the lead in requesting their challenges, and given that they’re limited, his pitch-framing skills are likely to still have a huge impact.
A step forward at the plate would be huge for the lineup and could turn Bailey into an All-Star, which would be nice timing given that he’s about to go through his arbitration years. So far, he’s encouraged by how he’s feeling after offseason adjustments.
“I wasn’t happy with either side last year,” he said. “But I’m super confident this year, both right-handed and left-handed.”
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Jeremy Sochan. After a year riding the pine for the San Antonio Spurs, he and his camp received permission to pursue a trade. The one trade that was publicly shared was the offer from the New York Knicks, which was rejected by the Spurs.
After a suitable trade did not materialize before the deadline, the Spurs graciously waived him, allowing Sochan flexibility to his future.
Jeremy signed with the New York Knicks, packed up, and took himself out East.
And now it has been revealed that Jeremy and his girlfriend Mya Mills are going to be parents.
Mills, a British model and social media influencer, made the announcement via Instagram. Looks like their baby girl is expected May 20th, one day after Mills turns twenty-five.
Sochan is currently twenty-two-years-old. The Knicks is his second NBA team after starting his career in 2022 being drafted by the Spurs.
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