The average NBA career is a short 4 1/2 years. Yaxel Lendeborg wants to make sure his time in the league stretches far beyond that number, and that begins with taking care of himself in the gym.
“I want to be here every single day at all times just because I know how it’s going to get,” Lendeborg said Monday at Warriors Media Day. “The average … lifespan I guess that people are in the NBA is three, four years, I think I keep hearing. I definitely have hopes and plans of being in it for way longer. If I can get like grandpa Al (Horford), then hopefully 20 years would be great, but we’ll see how it all goes. I’m going to continue to try to work out and stay in the best shape as I can be.”
Lendeborg’s constant presence in the gym also has caught coach Steve Kerr’s attention, who told media that the rookie has “a great approach”.
“I’ve literally had three different conversations with him telling him to get out of here for a few days because, you know, we’re going to embark on this eight-month journey or so starting tomorrow,” Kerr said Monday. “He just can’t stay out of the gym. He wants to be great.”
Kerr also said how he likes Lendeborg’s “journey,” winning a national championship last year at Michigan and having to “fight for everything,” while adding that he is “going to play a ton”.
The 24-year-old briefly played alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green during Butler’s players-only camp in San Diego, but as Golden State begins its training camp Tuesday, the veterans and coaching staff surely will be keeping an eye on Lendeborg’s ability to fit into the Warriors system.
The MLB wild card round gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 29, featuring a packed slate of games to kick off the action. Among them is an NL wild card series rematch, as the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs face off for the second straight year.
Last season, the Cubs edged out the Padres in a close 2-1 wild card series at Wrigley Field in Chicago. This year, the stage shifts to San Diego, giving the Padres home field advantage at Petco Park for the best-of-three set. The winner will earn the right to face the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-five Division Series.
"Should be a great series," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "They’re a great team, they’ve got a lot of great players, a good coaching staff. It’ll be tightly contested. They’re the ones that knocked us out of the postseason last year. So we’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game."
In Game 1, Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd will take the mound, while the Padres will start right-hander Michael King, in a duel to set the tone for the series.
The Chicago Cubs will send left-hander Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91 ERA) to the mound for Game 1 on Tuesday, while the San Diego Padres counter with right-hander Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA).
Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres schedule
Game 3 time is subject to change.
Game 1, Tuesday, Sept. 29: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET – NBCSN/Peacock
Game 2, Wednesday, Sept. 30: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET – NBCSN/Peacock
Game 3*, Thursday, Oct. 1: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET – NBCSN/Peacock
* if necessary
What decides the Cubs vs Padres series?
Offense shouldn't be a problem in this series. The Cubs were the highest-scoring team in the majors this season, averaging 5.25 runs per game. Meanwhile, the Padres really caught fire after the All-Star break − with an average of 5.2 runs per game that was second only to the Cubs.
Which team's pitching staff can rise to the occasion and shut down their opponents' bats will likely be the difference in who moves on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division series. It could all come down to the bullpens in the late innings, where the Padres and lights-out closer Mason Milller have a definite advantage.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on September 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Playoff baseball is finally here. Chris Sale will man the mound for the Braves while Jesus Luzardo will start for the Phillies. Sale is ready for the moment, but many in Braves country know it is going to be just as important that the offense is ready to go as well. It does seem that the Braves are ready to make the most of the opportunity, especially in front of the home crowd at Truist.
In the modern NHL, it isn’t uncommon for high draft picks to be given favourable chances in training camp to prove what they can do at the highest level.
It’s understandable. Organizations want these picks to succeed because failed development breeds criticism for management. Criticism creates pressure and eventually costs people jobs.
For a 21-year-old fourth-round pick who only has six games of professional experience under his belt, it is almost unheard of.
Senators defenseman Hoyt Stanley spoke on Monday about keeping his confidence high throughout camp (Senators/YouTube).
Yet, this is the reality Hoyt Stanley is living right now.
The defenceman was the Senators’ first pick, but a fourth-round selection (108th overall) from the 2023 NHL Draft. After three seasons at Cornell University, the 6’3”, 203 lb right-shot defenceman was enjoying his first main NHL training camp.
Early in camp, the Senators paired him with a third-year pro and regular, Tyler Kleven.
What was immediately noticeable in camp was Stanley’s blend of size and skating ability, and how he uses it effectively to disrupt offensive rushes. This combination has been a calling card for the Senators’ amateur scouts in recent years, but what separates Stanley from his prospect peers within the organization is how he limits mistakes.
For a prospect who has not played many professional games, it has been impressive to watch the simplicity and effectiveness of his game. And when he is handling the puck, there have been very few unforced errors.
Those traits have certainly caught the attention of the veteran defencemen on the team.
Following the Senators’ final split-squad game against the Montreal Canadiens, Thomas Chabot was asked about the quality performances of the young defencemen.
“The younger guys coming up, it's awesome to see (their development),” Chabot said enthusiastically. “You guys saw it last year. We had to use so many defencemen, unfortunately, but to see that there are so many guys down the pipeline who can come in and have a great impact and play good hockey, it makes everybody feel better.
“There are learning curves for everybody, but to see them go through training camp, step up and get the job done like that, all credit to them. The way Hoyt’s been playing, everybody notices, and it's good for him. It won't be long before we see him (in the NHL).”
We might even see it sooner than we expected.
Stanley was named to the Senators’ 23-man opening night roster on Monday.
When asked about the fact that he was still participating this late in training camp, Stanley still was not completely sure whether he was sticking with the club. Despite messages from friends, family and former teammates asking for clarity on his situation, Stanley admitted he was trying to take everything one day at a time.
“Yeah, definitely didn't know what to expect,” Stanley said while reflecting on his first training camp. “Coming into my first training camp, I don't want to say I’m super surprised, but I'm definitely grateful.
“I just put the work in all summer and wanted to work as hard as I could every day at camp and show what I could do, and control what I could control. I’m just grateful they've taken notice and that I'm still here. I’m just continuing to try to learn as much as I can for as long as I stick around.”
As grateful as Stanley is, he has the confidence to compete with the best players in the world.
“You want to have self-belief and believe that you can compete with the best players,” he explained. “In the summer, I'm working my tail off with some of the best players in the world too.
“Knowing that you can compete with these guys (helped), but also at the same time, I’m grateful. A lot of people probably wouldn't think that I would be at this point. So I’m happy to be here still.”
Injuries to Warren Foegele, Kurtis MacDermid and Artem Zub meant that the players were designated as injured, non-roster players. The Zub injury in particular helped open the door for Stanley to break camp with the team.
In two preseason games with the Senators, Stanley recorded a beautiful goal, two penalty minutes and two shots on goal. He finished the preseason with an even plus/minus rating. When Stanley was on the ice at five-on-five, the Senators generated 45.83 percent of the shots (CF%), 47.83 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 50.00 percent of the total goals (GF%), and 43.93 percent of the expected goals (xGF%) per Natural Stat Trick. These numbers may seem unflattering, but the sample size is small and, relative to his peers, they were still among the better marks on the team.
Stanley is one of eight defencemen on the roster, but with Zub being out of the lineup for the immediate future, he’ll likely be competing with Carter Yakemchuk for those third-pairing minutes. It creates an interesting dynamic: on one hand, you have Stanley; on the other, Yakemchuk, who has the pedigree, offensive aptitude, and more professional experience, but also has defensive warts that will hopefully lessen with time and experience.
What helps Stanley is a belief that as the talent and competition around him improves, he has found ways to elevate his game as well.
“I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but it's definitely it's cool to take in,” he explained. “I've always thought that as the game gets faster and the players are elevated, that I also seem to rise to the occasion and play better with better players. I’m just fortunate that's the way my game's been since I was younger. I believe a lot in myself and the work I've put in.”
How it will unfold will be intriguing, but Stanley wants to make the most of this opportunity.
“Since I was a kid, like everyone else, I dreamed of playing in the NHL and playing my first game,” he stated. “If I got the opportunity, just going to try to make the most of it and show what I can do.”
By Graeme Nichols The Hockey News
This article was published first at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For more from THN, click on one of the latest headlines below:
Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis instructs players during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Brossard, Quebec, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP
Eastern Conference Finals: Montreal over Carolina
Western Conference Finals: Dallas over Vegas
Stanley Cup Final: Montreal over Dallas
Hart Trophy (MVP): Macklin Celebrini, San Jose
Norris Trophy (Defense): Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Igor Shesterkin, Rangers
Calder Trophy (Rookie): Ivar Stenberg, San Jose
Adams Trophy (Coach): Martin St. Louis, Montreal
First coach to be fired: Sheldon Keefe, New Jersey
Ethan Sears
Eastern Conference
Metro
1. Carolina 2. New Jersey 3. Washington
Atlantic
1. Montreal 2. Tampa Bay 3. Florida
Wild cards
Buffalo Ottawa
Western Conference
Central
1. Dallas 2. Colorado 3. Minnesota
Pacific
1. Anaheim 2. San Jose 3. Vegas
Wild cards
Edmonton Utah
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) looks on during the second period of a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Eastern Conference Finals: Montreal over Carolina
Western Conference Finals: Dallas over San Jose
Stanley Cup Final: Montreal over Dallas
Hart Trophy (MVP): Macklin Celebrini, San Jose
Norris Trophy (Defense): Quinn Hughes, Minnesota
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa
Calder Trophy (Rookie): Ivar Stenberg, San Jose
Adams Trophy (Coach): Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose
First coach to be fired: Scott Arniel, Winnipeg
Andrew Crane
Eastern Conference
Metro
1. Carolina 2. Washington 3. Philadelphia
Atlantic
1. Montreal 2. Florida 3. Tampa Bay
Wild cards
Buffalo Boston
Western Conference
Central
1. Colorado 2. Minnesota 3. Dallas
Pacific
1. Vegas 2. Edmonton 3. San Jose
Wild cards
Utah Anaheim
Eastern Conference finals: Montreal over Carolina
Western Conference finals: Colorado over Vegas
Stanley Cup final: Colorado over Montreal
Hart Trophy (MVP): Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado
Norris Trophy (Defense): Quinn Hughes, Minnesota
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Igor Shesterkin, Rangers
Calder Trophy (Rookie): Porter Martone, Philadelphia
Adams Award (Coach): Martin St. Louis, Montreal
First coach to be fired: Sheldon Keefe, New Jersey
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 28: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox speaks to the media during a workout ahead of the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees on September 28, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another year another Red Sox vs Yankees Wild Card round at Yankee Stadium.
I think it’s safe to say we’d all like something different but if that’s not possible, for the Red Sox to win this year. They almost pulled it off in 2025 but with the offense and pitching (minus Garret Crochet) both depleted it was just too much to overcome. This year, while Crochet is at most a bullpen arm, the Sox acquired veterans Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez to bolster a playoff rotation. And watched Payton Tolle surge to the top anyway and become the obvious choice for Game 1.
Game 1
Tolle made his brief MLB debut and playoff debut (1 out) last year but is still very much a rookie. This year he’s been fantastic while putting up an ERA right about 3.00 and striking out 171 in 148.2 innings of work. It’s wild to think that he didn’t make the team out of Spring Training. But they wanted a little more development out of Tolle and when he returned in late April he looked MLB-ready starting from 6.0-inning, 11 strikeout tour de force against these same Yankees. Tolle made a second start against the Yankees in June during The Turnaround Homestand where he struck out 7, allowed 1 hit, and 0 runs.
Cam Schlittler is the Game 1 starter for New York.
Compared to Tolle’s 16 MLB innings in 2025, Schlittler threw 73.0 in the regular season. He bumped that to 193.3 in 2026 on his way to, unfortunately, probably a Cy Young award. Not bad for a guy drafted in the 7th round. The Red Sox selected Caleb Bolden with the pick immediately preceding him. Win some, lose some. He faced the Sox four times this season with the Yankees winning three of the four. That’s just bad luck. April he was dominant: 8.0 inning, 4 hits, 2 runs. Early June he lasted just 5.2 innings, 4 hits, 1 run. Honestly most of the time the Sox might win this one but it featured that 5-run eighth inning bullpen collapse. In Boston during late June was another 5.0 inning effort with 4 runs (0 earned) on 5 hits. Sox win this game. Then back in NYC in August 5.2 innings, 2 hits and 0 runs. Hopefully the coaches have been working on this. Third time through the order and he’s a .691 OPS allowed pitcher vs. ~.500 which is huge. The Blue Jays also faced him in four games and put up a total OPS of .686 against Schlittler to the Sox .560 mark. So, it can get better.
Game 2
Game 2 features Sonny Gray, the elder statesman of the rotation. Gray faced the Yankees twice this season, the Sox won both matchups. In early June he went 6.1 innings while allowing 3 runs on 8 hits. During The Weekend he was even better: 7.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs. The Sox did have to wait until the 10th inning to walkoff the game but it was a masterpiece against (probably still) Aaron Judge-less Yankees.
Max Fried was rumored to be starting Game 1 for a bit over the weekend, although that seemed kinda nuts to everyone. Is it good or bad he tossed only 112.2 innings this year? Is he fresh or rusty? Fried was originally drafted by the Padres in 2012 and traded with a package for Justin Upton. Did you forget the Justin Upton era (1 year) in San Diego? (I sure did). Despite this limited workload, Fried faced the Sox twice. One was 8.0 innings of 3 hit, 0 run ball. The second was a 3.2 inning return from the IL during the August doubleheader in the Bronx. Three hits, 1 run. That one run? A Nick Sogard homer. Just about 12 innings and 1 run. Maybe they should have opened with this guy?
Game 3
Hopefully there is no Game 3 because the Sox go 2-0. But if they can only win one of the first two games then Ranger Suarez will start the third matchup of the Wild Card series. The Sox signed him in part because he’s been excellent in October. Well, he had a pretty good September. He’s allowed just 3 runs all month putting up a 1.09 ERA in that span. Batters hit just .182/.250/.284 during the last month of the regular season. In his introduction to the rivalry in April, Suarez lost 4-1, hit hard through 4.2 innings of work including a crushing homer. Then in early June he held the Yankees to 1 run in 6.1 innings but the bullpen couldn’t hold them back. Sox lost 6-1. Then he allowed 6 runs as part of the 16-1 drubbing in August. He might not be the guy you want starting in this series but then again, he’s in a groove now and has recovered from various IL stints so he might just be in a better place pitching-wise than August.
Gerrit Cole used to be the ace. Now he’s the number three. Cole missed all of 2025 with injury but came back for 127 innings this year. Despite no longer having Rafael Devers, Cole was hit hard by Boston: 5.1 innings, 7 hits, 2 homers, 4 runs. Masa and Anthony Seigler hit the bombs, and, clearly neither will e playing this fall. So someone else will need to emerge as the hero.
Aaron Judge is probably out but he’s trying to play anyway.
Giancarlo Stanton is possibly out but he’s been on the IL since April. If he’s healthy is that even the way to return? We might find out!
Trent Grisham is also a possibility.
Ben Rice ended up with 41 homers but didn’t even lead the American League. Thanks, Pete! Alonso also robbed Yordan Alvarez of a chance at the Triple Crown by winning RBI as well. Just doing service all over the league.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, September 29: Payton Tolle (3.03 ERA / 3.04 FIP) vs. Cam Schlittler (1.95 ERA / 2.56 FIP)
Wednesday, September 30: Sonny Gray (2.72 ERA / 3.47 FIP) vs. Max Fried (2.80 ERA / 2.65 FIP)
Thursday, October 1: Ranger Suarez (3.22 ERA / 3.16 FIP) vs. Gerrit Cole (3.41 ERA / 3.93 FIP) (If needed)
When/Where to Watch
Tuesday, September 29: 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock
Wednesday, September 30: 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock
Thursday, October 1, 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock (If needed)
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 27: Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jo Adell (7) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during a MLB game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals on September 27, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Their 2026 campaign was an utter disappointment. The Royals entered the year with high expectations but fell short of their intended goals. A slow start and a slew of injuries sent them tumbling down the American League Central standings.
KC suffered through a rough spring. As the calendar flipped to June, the Royals were 22-37, well behind the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians in the division race.
This week, both of those competitor teams made the playoffs. The Royals had to watch from their own dugout as their AL Central rivals clinched postseason berths at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals have been here before. A large part of this team was here when they turned 106 losses in 2023 into a postseason run in 2024. There will most likely be a few changes to the coaching staff and free-agent signings to bolster the bullpen and rotation — but the core is here to stay, including starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo.
It’s up to that group to get back to the winning baseball of years prior.
“From my end, I feel like we have the pieces to be able to do it and we didn’t do it this year,” Pasquantino said. “Like I said, that’s a failure. That doesn’t mean I have any less confidence going into next year. … I’m walking into next season expecting us to be in a playoff push the whole year. Those are just words; they don’t mean anything right now, but those are my expectations. We just gotta go do it.”
David Lesky pointed toward the last game in August as the last gasp of a team falling apart.
I sort of think September, and this weekend on a smaller scale, was just a team that ran out of gas. Specifically, it was about a pitching staff that ran out of gas. That’s an issue, of course, but it’s a bigger issue when they weren’t good enough on a full tank. I will never stop believing that when they got the band back together in mid-August and went on that run, they saw that Sunday loss against Cleveland that dropped them to 7.5 back with 24 to play and realized the longshot dream was dead. They went 7-17 from there. I have a hard time thinking they could have continued the run they were on with this pitching staff, but none of them are stupid. They knew that they almost had to win that last game of August. And when they didn’t, it completely fell apart.
Former Royals broadcaster Buddy Blattner (1969-1975 for the Royals) is on the ballot for the 2027 Ford C. Frick award.
Miami Dolphins star RB (and fantasy top pick) De’Von Achane suffered a torn ACL in the game against the Chiefs and is out for the season. Football is brutal.
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino is mad about Manchester City’s financial chicanery, of which they’ve apparently been found guilty.
Atlanta’s NWSL expansion club starting in 2028 has been revealed to be Atlanta City FC.
The Senate passed a bill containing regulations over college sports by a 77-22 vote yesterday.
Your song of the day is Audioslave with Yesterday to Tomorrow.
SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 28: A general view of the ballpark as fireworks go off on the field on Opening Day before the game against the San Francisco Giants on March 28, 2024 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB Playoffs begin today and it will be jam-packed with four games. Here’s everything you need to know to keep up with the action.
National League
The Atlanta Braves welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to town for Game 1 of their Wild Card series which begins at 11:00 a.m. this morning and will air on NBC/Peacock, with national radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
After that, the San Diego Padres will welcome the Chicago Cubs to Petco Park to begin their series at 7:00 p.m. PT tonight. This series will have the same broadcast coverage on NBC/Peacock and ESPN Radio. I would expect that to be delayed for this one due to the overlap with the second AL game.
American League
The Houston Astros will welcome the Chicago White Sox to town to begin their series this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. PT, with coverage on Peacock/NBC Sports Network and radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
After that, the New York Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox for Game 1 tonight at 5:00 p.m. PT. This will somehow also be on NBC/Peacock with national radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 14: Colorado Rockies President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta looks on during batting practice prior to the game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday, September 14, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
While much of MLB looks to the postseason with games starting today, the Colorado Rockies are turning to their rebuild, a point Paul DePodesta stressed in a recent conversation (linked below) with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.
“After living through this for a year, we have a very good direction on what it is we feel we need,” DePodesta said. “So we’ll certainly be ready to act early this offseason if need be.”
For teams not playing in the postseason, this week will make debriefing sessions with media and the beginning of personnel changes. DePodesta is expected to speak with media within the week, so stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, here’s what’s happening with the Rockies and in baseball today.
Close losses defined this 100-loss season for Rockies | Denver Gazette ($) — As Kevin Henry writes, “ avoid 100 losses in 2026, the Rockies needed to win five more games than they did. Considering the team was 17-25 in one-run games and 12-24 in two-run games this season, there are plenty of contests where one or two moments made the difference between a win and a loss.” He then identifies five games that the Rockies should have won, including a heartbreaker at Coors Field on August 31 with Colton Cowser made a stunning bottom-of-the-ninth catch that led the Baltimore Orioles to a 2-1 win.
Scouting in the age of machines | FanGraphs — Here Brendan Gawlowski, himself a former scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates for four years, explains what scouts bring to baseball teams.
This week on the internet
In case you missed it, with their win last Saturday, the Rockies helped not only themselves but also the Cleveland Guardians, which led Guardians fan @GuardsJoey to post this:
Can someone organize a go fund me for a charity in Colorado?
I don’t know how to organize it but I’ll promote it with everything I’ve got if someone sets it up https://t.co/5ge7DIEgQW
The Guardians reached out to the Rockies for Goodman’s charity of choice, and he went with Clothes to Kids. As of Monday morning, the organization had received more than $7,000 in donations.
For the fifth time in six years, the Minnesota Twins clocked out at the end of September—eschewing October overtime. On many occasions I was in the trenches with them, attending 27 contests (most at home, some away). My personal 11-16 record wasn’t exactly sterling—but neither was the club’s. You know the old mantra: “a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work”? Swap amateur angling for stadium spectating and a lot of fun was still had at the ballpark(s) this particular 162 slate.
The beginning of the season brought cold, cold, and—you guessed it—a little more cold. I wasn’t done lugging the parka from the parking ramp until late-May. But I bundled up and even convinced some family to shiver along with me. On April 14 we saw two Buck Truck bombs and an Abel/Rogers/Sands shutout of the BoSox!
As April showers (and cold) turned into May flowers—the dogs ate them. I kid, I kid…just trying to scare gintzer more about Bark at the Park Night (when Bailey Ober inexplicably twirled a complete game shutout against the Miami Marlins!). To be fair, I also consumed my share of cased-meat dogs.
June 12 brought me a wild 9-8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals where Buxton doubled twice, homered—and the Twins still needed long balls from Royce Lewis & Brooks Lee in B8 to take a lead!
A few weeks later, I attended the big Joe Ryan versus Shohei Ohtani pitching matchup in front of a sold-out Target Field crowd. The Twins lost and were swept by True Blue—but years from now someone will be impressed at me seeing Ohtani pull double duty (even if that someone is me!).
When the calendar flipped to July, I saw Alan Roden walk off the Cleveland Guardians—then paused to enjoy the All-Star festivities with my unaccustomed-to-billed-headware niece.
Fortunately, I was able to pull off two more baseball stadium trips: Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. and Chase Field in Arizona. Great times—like a Buxton salami—in both locales!
For the first time, I was also at Target Field without a baseball game—instead, the Tim McGraw concert! My sister and I had a great time and it’s a tribute to Son-of-Tug that his music can bridge a 13-year sibling gap.
A 15-2 victory (featuring a 10-run inning!) over the Tigers was somewhat of a September salve for another late-season collapse. My final night under the North Loop skies was another high-scoring fun affair!
At least there was no Curse of Kyle Lohse (seeing him at the Dome when I pined for Santana, Radke, or even Silva)—my SP distribution was remarkably even…
Joe Ryan: 7 starts
Zebby Matthews & Taj Bradley: 4 starts
Bailey Ober & Connor Prielipp: 3 starts
Simeon Woods-Richardson & Mike Paredes: 2 starts
Mick Abel & Dean Kremer: 1 start
Sometimes I complain about the traffic—or the ushers—or the folks oblivious to the water fountain button in the bottom right corner. Sometimes my baseball glove gets stolen out from under my seat. But I still enjoy getting out to the ballgame. There’s a song about it, after all.
Sunday’s game didn’t matter. The playoff positions had been solidified. It was a good day to rest your players as the team heads to the playoffs.
It wasn’t an off day for Alex Bregman. After his miraculous return on Friday, Bregman does what he does best — viewed videos of his hitting. After he saw something that he could correct, he didn’t just go to the batting cage to work it out. Nah. He texted Craig Counsell and said “LFG.” That meant he wanted in the game to see if his hitting correction worked.
A two-run home run. A solo home run. A single. An RBI-double.
4-for-4, three runs scored and four RBI. That is a man determined, a man that is a leader. That’s why he’s on the Cubs team.
There were several substitutions during the game. After Pete Crow-Armstrong knocked his first-inning single to right field, Tyrone Taylor entered the game and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Michael Conforto was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Pedro Ramirez and Miguel Amaya both went 2-for-4. Amaya doubled and scored a run.
It was a bullpen day after a Shōta Imanaga first-inning appearance. We got our first look at Braxton Garrett. He started out rough in the second inning, with a pair of singles, a HBP and a run-scoring fielder’s choice, tying the game with the Red Sox at 2-2. But after that, Garrett went four innings of scoreless ball, but allowed two hits and three walks while striking out two. The last three innings pitched were perfect, one by Jacob Webb, the last two by Colin Rea.
Off to San Diego!
I appreciate your reading.
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Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): Who Needs to Step Up for the 2026 Cubs Playoff Run. “Postseason baseball is always different, and Chicago will have to put the past behind. If they wish to move on to face the Brewers, a few players need to step up.”
David Adler (MLB.com): Cubs-Padres position-by-position breakdown. “It’s a rematch — the Cubs vs. the Padres in the National League Wild Card Series for a second straight year.”
Deitra Farr (born August 1, 1957) is an American blues, soul and gospel singer-songwriter. Farr was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and began singing in the mid-1970s with various soul bands. She converted to Catholicism as a child and sang in the gospel choir at Holy Angels Catholic Church on the South Side. She graduated from Kenwood High School (Academy) in Chicago. She studied vocal music there with Lena McLin and was a member of the Kenwood Choir. At the age of 18, she recorded the lead vocals on “You Won’t Support Me” with the Chicago group Mill Street Depo. That song made the Top 100 R&B list with Cashbox magazine in 1976.
She began singing the blues in the early 1980s. From 1993 to 1996, she was the lead singer for Mississippi Heat and recorded two albums with them, Learned the Hard Way and Thunder in my Heart. In 1997, she released her first solo album titled The Search is Over. In 2005, Farr released her second JSP album, Let It Go. The blues guitarist, Billy Flynn, played on Let It Go.
Since 1990, she has toured internationally, so far performing in over 40 countries. Farr is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She has a regular column called “Artist to Artist” in Living Blues magazine.
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SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: Creed Willems #97 of the Baltimore Orioles poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at Ed Smith Stadium on February 18, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Since being drafted in 2021, Creed Willems has steadily worked his way up through the minor leagues. An eighth-round draft pick out of high school, Willems hung around on the Orioles’ prospect lists in the mid-levels, but never did enough to really cause a stir (if you don’t count his kickass mullet).
Willems spent all of 2025 with the Double-A Baysox, where he hit ..253/.338/.441 in 105 games. Just as he had done throughout his time in professional baseball, Willems hit righties pretty well but was lousy against lefties. After the season he was eligible for the Rule 5 draft. The Orioles did not protect him, and no team selected him. That’s good for the Orioles, who got to keep him in the system without putting him on the 40-man roster, but maybe a bummer for Willems that no team wanted him badly enough to give him a shot.
Willems started the 2026 season with the Norfolk Tides and stayed there for the rest of the year (except for two rehab games with Frederick). At age 23, Willems was about three years younger than the league average. The C/1B/DH came out of the gate hot, cooled a bit, then had a scorching month of May. On May 31st, Willems had an .846 OPS through 47 games and people were starting to notice. When will Creed get a chance, we wondered.
The hot hitting cooled off, but Willems was still going well enough overall that it seemed like he might actually get to the majors that year. On June 30th, Willems was OPS’ing .798. On July 1st, the Tides were on the road at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Willems suffered a freak injury. He slipped on a mat in the dugout and pulled a hamstring, landing him on the IL for about two weeks.
If you remember July in Baltimore, the situation got pretty ugly, catcher-wise. Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo were both injured around the middle of the month. Then, of course, Rutschman was traded to the Red Sox while Basallo was on the injured list. That’s how the Orioles spent a month with catchers like Chadwick Tromp, Sam Huff, Yohel Pozo, Jake Rogers, and eventually Carlos Narváez making starts. It was an ugly scene. And yet, Creed Willems was not recalled.
There are a couple ways to look at that. One is that Willems was on the IL from 7/2-7/20 and missed his opportunity to make the big leagues due to poor timing. Rutschman went on the IL on 7/20 and Basallo went on the IL on 7/22.
So yeah, timing could have been it. Or it could have been that Mike Elias had no intention of adding Willems to the 40-man roster and bringing him up. In fact, Elias went out of his way to acquire new catchers rather than turn to Willems. He selected Pozo off waivers from the Cardinals on July 23rd. He traded for Jake Rogers on July 30th. He brought Tromp into the organization in early July. And of course, Narváez came back in the Rutschman trade and spent the rest of the season being terrible.
We’ll never know if Willems would have gotten his chance if he hadn’t been injured. It was probably for the best that they didn’t add him to the team right after his injury because he was terrible at the plate for the rest of July and all of August. His overall numbers plummeted, though he rebounded nicely in September to make his overall numbers look more respectable.
Willems finished 2026 with 113 games played and a hitting line of .260/.351/.434. He hit 21 home runs but just five doubles. One interesting thing about his batting line is that, for the first time in his career, he did not have a large platoon split. In fact, he hit lefties and righties almost evenly, with just a bit higher OBP against righties.
Due to the impending owners’ lockout, we will not need to worry about Willems being subject to the Rule 5 draft. In all likelihood, there will not be one.
The problem for Willems is that he doesn’t hit well enough to be a starting catcher, but he doesn’t play defense well enough to be the backup catcher. He is also a first baseman and designated hitter, but the Orioles are pretty full up on players to fill those roles.
FanGraphs is a Creed fan, however, ranking him as the Orioles #15 prospect back in May. He has surely been pushed down that list with the influx in talent from the trade deadline deals, but that is still a pretty good ranking for Willems. Eric Longenhagen likes Willems’ bat and predicted in May that Willems should have been ready to debut in the summer. As for his defense, Longenhagen says:
Willems isn’t great behind the plate. He isn’t an especially smooth receiver or blocker, and it takes him awhile to get out of his crouch and release the ball on stolen base attempts. You can play him there occasionally, but it’s hard to see a team starting him there every day even if he hits his offensive ceiling. Willems thus projects as a hybrid sort of bench bat, a Mitch Garver type who catches once per week while playing a little first base and DH and pinch-hitting when he’s not in the bucket.
Willems did join the Orioles on the taxi squad at the end of the year, but he was never activated and will have to wait to make his MLB debut. Steve Melewski caught up with Willems during that time and posted a nice interview with him on his website.
If Willems is not shipped off via trade this off-season, I expect he’ll be back at Triple-A Norfolk to start the 2027 season. Basallo is committed to the Orioles long-term, Willems isn’t strong defensively behind the plate, and the Orioles are awash in 1B/DH types. That doesn’t bode well for him. But I hope he will force his way up when given the chance.
Starting on Tuesday, September 29, 12 teams remain alive in the chase for the World Series. But by the middle of October, only two teams will be left standing.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are chasing an elusive three-peat, as only four teams — and two organizations — have pulled off that accomplishment. The New York Yankees have done this three times (1936-1939, 1949-1953, and 1998-2000), while the Athletics pulled off a three-peat from 1972 through 1974.
If the Dodgers join this exclusive club, they would be the only National League team to pull off a three-peat.
Here is the MLB Playoff Bracket, as well as the times for every game leading up to the ALCS and NLCS.
MLB Playoff Bracket
Here is the playoff bracket for the 2026 MLB Playoffs. You will see that the Tampa Bay Rays secured the top seed in the American League and have a bye, as do the Cleveland Guardians as the No. 2 seed. Tampa Bay will face the winner of the Wild Card Series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, while the Guardians will take on the winner of the series between the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox.
In the National League the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers are the top seeds, and will wait on the wild card winners. The Brewers will face the winner of the series between the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres, while the Dodgers will take on the winner of the series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves.
Bracket courtesy of MLB.com:
National League schedule and scores
Here is the schedule for the National League playoffs. All times listed are Eastern.
Scores will be updated as games go final.
Wild Card: Phillies vs. Braves
Game 1: Braves 5, Phillies 3 (Braves lead series 1-0) Game 2: Phillies 4, Braves 3 (F10) (Series tied 1-1) Game 3: Braves 6, Phillies 2 (Braves win series 2-1)
Wild Card: Cubs vs. Padres
Game 1: Padres 8, Cubs 0 (Padres lead series 1-0) Game 2: Padres 4, Cubs 1 (Padres win series 2-0)
NLDS: Padres vs. Brewers
Game 1: Padres at Brewers, Saturday, October 3, 8:30 p.m., FS1 Game 2: Padres at Brewers, Sunday, October 4, 4:00 p.m., FS1 Game 3: Brewers at Padres, Tuesday, October 6, 9:30 p.m., FS1 Game 4: Brewers at Padres, Wednesday, October 7, 10:00 p.m., FS1* Game 5: Padres at Brewers, Friday, October 9, 4:30 p.m., FS1*
NLDS: Braves vs. Dodgers
Game 1: Braves at Dodgers, Saturday, October 3, 4:00 p.m., FOX Game 2: Braves at Dodgers, Sunday, October 4, 8:00 p.m., FS1 Game 3: Dodgers at Braves, Tuesday, October 6, 6:00 p.m., FS1 Game 4: Dodgers at Braves, Wednesday, October 7, 6:00 p.m., FS1* Game 5: Braves at Dodgers, Friday, October 9, 8:00 p.m., FOX*
NLCS
Game 1: NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed, Sunday, October 11, TBD, FOX or FS1 Game 2: NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed, Monday, October 12, TBD, FOX or FS1 Game 3: NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed, Wednesday, October 14, TBD, FOX or FS1 Game 4: NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed, Thursday, October 15, TBD, FOX or FS1 Game 5: NL Higher Seed at NL Lower Seed, Friday, October 16, TBD, FOX or FS1* Game 6: NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed, Sunday, October 18, TBD, FOX or FS1* Game 7: NL Lower Seed at NL Higher Seed, Monday, October 19, TBD, FOX or FS1*
* If necessary
American League schedule and scores
Here is the schedule for the playoffs on the American League side of things. All times listed are Eastern.
Wild Card: White Sox vs. Astros
Game 1: White Sox 6, Astros 3 (White Sox lead series 1-0) Game 2: White Sox 7, Astros 3 (White Sox win series 2-0)
Wild Card: Red Sox vs. Yankees
Game 1: Yankees 9, Red Sox 0 (Yankees lead series 1-0) Game 2: Yankees 9, Red Sox 2 (Yankees win series 2-0)
ALDS: Yankees vs. Rays
Game 1: Yankees at Rays, Saturday, October 3, 6:30 p.m., TBS Game 2: Yankees at Rays, Monday, October 5, 8:00 p.m., TBS Game 3: Rays at Yankees, Wednesday, October 7, 8:00 p.m., TBS Game 4: Rays at Yankees, Thursday, October 8, 8:00 p.m., TBS* Game 5: Yankees at Rays, Saturday, October 10, 8:00 p.m., TBS*
ALDS: White Sox vs. Guardians
Game 1: White Sox at Guardians, Saturday, October 3, 1:00 p.m., TBS Game 2: White Sox at Guardians, Monday, October 5, 5:00 p.m., TBS Game 3: Guardians at White Sox, Wednesday, October 7, 4:00 p.m., TBS Game 4: Guardians at White Sox, Thursday, October 8, 5:00 p.m., TBS* Game 5: White Sox at Guardians, Saturday, October 10, 5:00 p.m., TBS*
ALCS
Game 1: AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed, Monday, October 12, TBD, TBS Game 2: AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed, Tuesday, October 13, TBD, TBS Game 3: AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed, Thursday, October 15, TBD, TBS Game 4: AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed, Friday, October 16, TBD, TBS Game 5: AL Higher Seed at AL Lower Seed, Saturday, October 17, TBD, TBS* Game 6: AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed, Monday, October 19, TBD, TBS* Game 7: AL Lower Seed at AL Higher Seed, Tuesday, October 20, TBD, TBS*
World Series schedule
Here is the schedule for the World Series:
Game 1: Lower Seed at Higher Seed, Friday, October 23, TBD, FOX Game 2: Lower Seed at Higher Seed, Saturday, October 24, TBD, FOX Game 3: Higher Seed at Lower Seed, Monday, October 26, TBD, FOX Game 4: Higher Seed at Lower Seed, Tuesday, October 27, TBD, FOX Game 5: Higher Seed at Lower Seed, Wednesday, October 28, TBD, FOX* Game 6: Lower Seed at Higher Seed, Friday, October 30, TBD, FOX* Game 7: Lower Seed at Higher Seed, Saturday, October 31, TBD, FOX*
(Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
The puck is about to drop on another NHL season, and the 2026-27 season is about to begin. Free agency and the draft are in the rearview; training camp and preseason are done — now we see if those moves paid off. It was a relatively quiet offseason, all things being equal. A soft free agent market meant that there weren’t a lot of established veterans available to improve teams, which led to the majority of the NHL either trusting their internal systems, or finding themselves out of luck for improvement.
As we await the beginning of the season, these are our opening night power rankings, as well as which tier each team slots into as it pertains to their chances to hoist Lord Stanley at the end of the season.
Rank
Team
Tier
1
Colorado Avalanche
1
2
Carolina Hurricanes
1
3
Vegas Golden Knights
1
4
Montreal Canadiens
2
5
Dallas Stars
2
6
Buffalo Sabres
2
7
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
8
Minnesota Wild
2
9
Florida Panthers
2
10
Utah Mammoth
2
11
San Jose Sharks
3
12
Anaheim Ducks
3
13
Boston Bruins
3
14
Washington Capitals
3
15
Edmonton Oilers
3
16
Philadelphia Flyers
3
17
Pittsburgh Penguins
3
18
New Jersey Devils
3
19
Ottawa Senators
3
20
Los Angeles Kings
3
21
Toronto Maple Leafs
4
22
New York Islanders
4
23
New York Rangers
4
24
St. Louis Blues
4
25
Nashville Predators
4
26
Columbus Blue Jackets
4
27
Detroit Red Wings
5
28
Chicago Blackhawks
5
29
Winnipeg Jets
5
30
Seattle Kraken
5
31
Calgary Flames
5
32
Vancouver Canucks
5
Tier 1: Avalanche, Hurricanes, Golden Knights
These are the teams that we call the Stanley Cup Favorites. They are organizations that have almost no discernible weaknesses, and only a significant injury or bad fortune would lead to them missing the playoffs. All these teams should make it into the postseason, and at least win one series — or it would be considered both a shock, and a failure of a year.
We classify these, along with Tier 1, as the elite of the NHL. The key difference between this group and the three in the top rank is that there are a few issues with their roster construction or experience that mean we can’t define them as favorites quite yet. This is also the tier of teams who could be the most active at the NHL trade deadline, with a key acquisition or two pushing them into contention. There are similar playoff expectations, but winning a series or two would be defined as a successful campaign.
Another step down we have teams that we could call “Dark Horses.” These are organizations who are better than fighting for a Wild Card spot, but could find themselves in that position. All of these teams have some really great qualities, but either lack the depth or the top-end talent to really favor them in a series against anyone above them. Still, what this tier has is ample potential to shock the hockey world. A player breakout, or a shift in fortunes coul easily make one of these teams into an organization that makes a Cinderella run in the playoffs.
Tier 4: Maple Leafs, Islanders, Rangers, Blues, Predators, Blue Jackets
Earning a Wild Card would be a successful campaign for a team in Tier 4. All are in some stage of flux or are so unproven it’s difficult to see them making a significant impact on the year. Never say never, but as the season begins we can expect these teams to simply work on improving their on-ice play, integrate new players, or implement a new locker room culture. The goal is to build, not complete — not yet.
Tier 5: Red Wings, Blackhawks, Jets, Kraken, Flames, Canucks
It is what it is. These organizations are all in a state of building or rebuilding which makes it unlikely they’ll really threaten the playoffs. It would take wide scale problems for numerous teams above them to enable a path forward, and the goal this season is improvement. If they can even fight for a Wild Card spot it would be a small miracle, and these are likely the teams that will be looking ahead to the 2027 NHL Draft in February.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 07: Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz warms up prior to a game against the New Orleans Pelicans of a game at Smoothie King Center on April 07, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Very few days in Utah Jazz history have made me as excited as Thursday, June 22, 2023 – the night of that years NBA draft. As a plucky 18 year old, I (unwisely) fancied myself quite the prodigy in the draft field, and 7 to 10 P.M was my time to show off my stuff. I thought Taylor Hendricks was a pretty solid selection , and didn’t feel too strongly one way or other about Keyonte George (though I would’ve preferred Brandin Podziemski).
I had set myself up for disappointment that night – there was a player that I had convinced myself beyond all doubt was the correct pick at #9, but who was so outside of the realm of possibility that this pipe dream was bringing me nothing but grief. He wasn’t picked at #9 and, even more heartbreakingly, he wasn’t picked at #16. Surely, he wasn’t going to last until the Jazz’s last pick at #28. Surely.
But someway,
somehow,
the Utah Jazz selected Brice Sensabaugh at #28. We are going to win the championship.
2023 Grant Nielson has not yet been completely validated (I hope I have not shot down 2026 Grant Nielson’s credibility in the opening 200 words). Brice has shown flashes each of his first three seasons, but he cannot yet even be labeled as categorically positive – the shooting has been less consistent than hoped, the shot selection has often been morbidly fascinating, and the defense has been unequivocally awful. His smoothness in the mid-range has not yet served as the foundation for a winning basketball player.
However, I will continue to stubbornly, almost paternalistically, stand in defense of my younger self and his contrarian draft opinions, because, in spite of it all, I still endorse pieces of my 2023 evaluation of Ohio State’s freshman bucket-getter. As Sensabaugh continues to make year-by-year improvements, I concurrently become less and less ashamed of my pre-draft championing of him. Brice was as effortless of a shot-maker as I had ever seen for a player his age, from any area on the court. He had the mass to avoid the fate of other spindly scorers in his archetype (I’m glad the Jazz didn’t take Jett Howard), and a sneaky athleticism that should do just enough to allow him to translate his game to the next level. Coming out of high school, he was marketed as more of a point forward, leading me to believe that the flashes of passing I saw at Ohio State could be harnessed and developed into something more. Then and now, Brice Sensabaugh had and has it.
A comment given by Austin Ainge, given in an interview with new Salt Lake Tribune Jazz writer Shreyas Laddha, provides me with some hope that the it that Brice has is finally becoming the it that the Utah Jazz need. When asked which players have stood out over the summer, Ainge didn’t begin by gushing over either Ace Bailey or Darryn Peterson, the two youngsters with the most pedigree and (hopefully) room for growth – instead, he said begins by saying that Brice Sensabaugh has had a “particularly good summer”. Immediately, I was struck by how odd this comment would read if Brice is not apart of the opening night rotation, which is not yet guaranteed; the Jazz are hoarding wealth when it comes to competent back-up shooting guards.
But after that initial reaction, I asked myself – “what does that even mean?” In an empty gym, Brice has always looked great. Purely from a shot-making perspective, Sensabaugh isn’t substantially worse than a lot of the 20 points per game, household name, franchise faces. Does a “particularly good summer” imply more of the same beautiful mid-range jumpers, or is Austin referring to something more?
The Utah Jazz backup shooting guard race is still decidedly up in the air, so in this article I will lay out the 3 (feasible) improvements necessary for Brice to make if he wishes to secure consistent playing time this year, and that I hope were the foundation of the Summer that Austin Ainge found so praiseworthy.
On-Ball Playmaking and Passing
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 02: Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz looks to pass the ball around Tre Mann #23 of the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of a basketball game at Spectrum Center on November 02, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Normally, when teaching a highly talented youngster how to become a winning player, it involves some degree of scaling down. No longer are you the #1 option – you have skill, and you need to learn how to translate it to the very specific role that we need you to play. Strangely enough, I feel the opposite is more applicable to Brice, and that is all entirely due to the context of the team around him, especially when he is playing with bench units. The backups brought in this Summer have clearly been chosen to shore up the team’s obvious defensive shortcomings – Jaxson Hayes, Josh Okogie, and Josh Green all have paid their bills on the defensive end, but conversely offer very little offensively. Now, I don’t think that trio will play very many minutes all together, but I do anticipate minutes with two of the three on the court; those minutes will live and die by the hand of the offensive conductor that accompanies them. Hayes, Okogie, Green, and even slightly more well-rounded bench pieces like Svi and (likely) Ace – none are players that, at this point, are consistently creating offense for themselves or their teammates. They can be positive, but they, for the most part, prefer to receive than to give.
Brice Sensabaugh, being one of the few competent ball-handlers on the roster, has the capacity to be a huge boon to the second unit when placed next to more defensively oriented players. While my 2023 dreams of a point forward Sensabaugh are dead and buried, I have consistently been impressed with the accuracy and decision making Brice showcases when he does decide to function as a playmaker. I’ve been especially impressed with his passes on the move – his ability to situate himself, pick up the ball from the dribble, and deliver accurate passes are three small skills, but still quite valuable ones. This pass below was probably the Utah Jazz assist of the season, and exemplifies what I hope Brice has been focusing on this Summer.
So, while I don’t want too many sets to be initiated by Brice dribbling the ball up the court as a traditional point guard, I think there are other ways for his passing to open up the offense. I picture him in the corner to start a play, running off of a Filipowski pin-down, catching the pass from Collier on the wing and then, with the pressure of his shooting shifting the defense, taking two or three dribbles into the middle of the court and making an accurate, quick decision. His shooting is the one skill that we can unequivocally count on heading into this next season, and it has the potential to unlock so much of his game. The play outlined above only works because of the gravity Sensabaugh will have as a shooter running off that screen – defenders who have read the scouting report know that Brice is a contender for the best off-the-catch shooter on the team, and will be strained in their attempt to stay on their man and make Brice’s shots more challenging. I don’t mean to sound blasphemous to Jazz fans, but I would love to see Brice play a role similar to a modern-day Jeff Hornacek (this is only a comparison of role, not skill) – a player made so dynamic by their unique combination of shooting and playmaking. We’ve seen the signs from Brice in this regard, and this development (both in Brice’s skill and Hardy’s gameplan) looks to be some tantalizing low-hanging fruit.
Rim Pressure and Shot Selection
This change requires both a shift in attitude and physicality. Even back to his collegiate days, Brice has always been a bit too comfortable in settling. Sure, he’s never possessed overwhelming quickness or burst, but he has always had the physical size necessary to impose his will on smaller players. To this point in his career, Brice has simply not gotten to the rim enough. He shot 11% of his total attempts at the basket this past season – a career high – but, for reference, that would be the 3rd lowest mark of Svi Mykhailiuk’s entire career. Instead, when he begins to face resistance on the path to the rim, he too often falls back on his floater or a short, fall-away midrange – he has a comparative advantage over much of the league with these shots, but even he doesn’t shoot them efficiently enough for them to act as a substitute to a rim attempt. Additionally, with every subpar floater or midrange, two naturally contact-averse shot attempts, Sensabaugh lets the referees off the hook. Even if he misses a contested layup or two due to his limited verticality, his frame could be ideal for physicality and, in turn, foul drawing. Free throws are the most efficient shot in basketball, especially for a player like Brice (85% at the line over his career thus far), and he is leaving those points at the table with his inefficient shot selection and avoidance of contact near the basket.
I believe rim attempts will become more plentiful as Brice plays for a team with the goal of winning. Offense is not a 1v1 game – Sensabaugh is not the only player who has an impact on his individual shots at the basket. As the team improves, both in mindset and performance, our offense will be better. As our offense improves, more strain is put on the opposing defense. As strain on the defense increases, it becomes easier and easier for a player to get to his spots. No longer are we incentivized to give substantial minutes to Bez Mbeng and Kyle Anderson – instead, Will Hardy will use his best players and his best schemes to produce the best offense. I see a world where, with only marginal improvements to Brice’s talent as a player, he jumps to a 20% rim frequency this next season, driven by his inclusion in an offense with a newfound desire for competence. He certainly has to want to get to the rim, but infrastructure may be the independent variable most causally linked with Brice’s shot selection.
The midrange shots sure are pretty, though.
Defense, Defense, Defense
SAN ANTONIO, TX – OCTOBER 10: Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz plays defense during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on OCTOBER 10, 2025 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
At the end of the day, this is the improvement. It’d be great if Brice showcased his passing, and I’d love if he got to the rim more frequently, but they are almost inconsequential in comparison to defense, defense, defense. In each of his three seasons, Brice has populated the very bottom of the barrel in every advanced defensive stat you can find. Unfortunately, these one-number metrics are substantiated by a putrid eye-test. He’s too slow to guard guards, too contact-averse to guard bigger on-ball wings, too large to chase off-ball wings off of screens, too short to guard forwards and bigs. He doesn’t steal and he doesn’t block and he doesn’t rebound. Even more fatally, it is painfully obvious that defense has not been Brice’s priority. He was recruited to Ohio State as a scorer, he was drafted as a scorer, so, seemingly, he still considers himself as only a scorer. I don’t enjoy participating in armchair psychology, but the chasmic difference in effort level between his mid-range isos and off-ball defense makes some theorizing inevitable. In an era where coaches are more persistently and meticulously attacking mismatches than ever before, If Brice does not improve on defense, he cannot play basketball in the playoffs.
Thankfully, he seems to know this just as much as we do. When asked about his work over the offseason, Brice responded with defense as an emphasis:
Brice Sensabaugh on his summer work:
"It was a big step for me, it's hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. I feel like I’m 2x better. I worked on everything, with shooting and defense being the two focal points."
Brice does not need to become a lockdown. He doesn’t need to become a steal+block machine or start pulling down 10 rebounds a night. He just needs to be fine. His offense gives him his NBA-level skill, and all he needs to do now is make sure that the rest of his game isn’t nullifying it. Currently, if Brice is having a bad shooting game, he is providing some of the harshest negative impact in the league – the defense is damaging enough that he cannot afford the low shooting percentage games that will naturally, inevitably come to every player. However, if it is true that defense has been one of the two primary focuses of Brice’s summer, his value could legitimately skyrocket. Even a marginal improvement defensively could exponentially increase the value of Sensabaugh on the basketball court – a worst-in-the-league level defender is so much more detrimental than a simply bad defender, and a coach can much easier utilize a bad defender’s offense than a worst-in-the-league level defender. Maybe it requires losing weight and maybe it’s just a mindset shift, but either way – Brice Sensabaugh can guarantee himself 20 minutes per game and a decade in the league if defense changes from an intermission to a priority.
I’m rooting for Brice Sensabaugh. I’ve been rooting for Brice Sensabaugh for over 3 years. I hope that he is the backup shooting guard selection because I believe that, of the available options, he clearly has the highest ceiling. However, from my over 3 years of fandom, I have become just as well acquainted with what Brice is bad at as what he is good at. So, while it’s good that I wasn’t in the Jazz brass championing Brice as a potential #9 overall selection in the 2023 NBA draft, with a few well-directed tweaks over this particularly impressive summer, Sensabaugh can still be a home-run #28 draft pick.
What are you hoping to see from Brice this year? Let me know below!
