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Pontypool boosted their hopes of a top four finish in Super Rugby Cymru with a comprehensive 42-17 victory over Carmarthen Quins. Holding a narrow 18-17 lead at half time, having been outscored three tries to two in the first half, Pooler then ran in four tries, scoring 24 unanswered points in the second to down […]
The post Pontypool boost top four chances with bit win over Quins in SRC appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Seattle Kraken assistant coach Bob Woods coached in his 1000th game on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.
A 10th-round pick in the 1988 NHL draft, Woods would never receive the opportunity to play in the NHL but was an effective player in the minor leagues, skating in 751 games in the AHL, ECHL and IHL.
Woods began the transition into coaching while still playing as an active player, serving as a player-assistant coach for four years. Following his retirement, Woods was hired to be the head coach of Mississippi Sea Wolves in the ECHL and did so for an additional four seasons.
Woods would move to an assistant coach role for the Hershey Bears in the AHL before becoming the head coach for about a season and a half. The Washington Capitals decided it was time to give Woods his first sniff of the NHL life in 2009, promoting him to be an assistant coach of their NHL squad.
Outside of the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons when Woods left the NHL to be the GM/HC of the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL, Woods has served as an assistant coach since his debut with the Capitals.
He's spent time with the Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild and now the Kraken.
The Kraken fell short in Woods' 1000th game, losing 5-4 to the Oilers on the road. Woods is in charge of the penalty kill and the defensive aspects for the Kraken, and while injuries and trades have hampered the Kraken, the team has struggled to be consistent in that aspect.
They rank 23rd in goals allowed per game and 22nd in penalty kill percentage, both marks that could also be better if goaltending faired similarly to the previous season.
Despite that, Woods has a tremendous history of turning young defensemen into all-star calibre players, and he's attempting to do so now with Ryker Evans. HC Dan Bylsma is a fan of Woods' reputation and believes he can do the same with the Kraken.
“Bob has done a great job with lots of different types of defensemen in different places,” said Bylsma. “There’s John Carlson with Washington; a young Cam Fowler in Anaheim; 21-year-old Rasmus Ristolainen in Buffalo; and Gary Suter, Jared Spurgeon and Matt Dumba in Minnesota. At every stop, now here, he’s always been able to establish relationships with all those players and every defenseman he coaches to get them playing their best not only for the team but playing their best hockey.”
When you read some of the names Woods has worked with, you'll realize just how long he's been in the NHL and it's a testament to his ability to adapt to the always-changing and evolving game.
“The game has changed,” said Woods. “Plus, you've got analytics. You have so many more tools now [to evaluate players]. It's become a big part of the game. I think the players are basically still the same, maybe changed a little bit. If you're honest and ask what they think, I find being able to communicate is a big thing then and now. Is it hard to make decisions [about players and playing time]? Absolutely, but I've always believed, if you know it's the right decision, it's not a tough decision ... As coaches, we're always learning. Whenever you think you don't need to learn anymore, you're going to be in trouble. If you don’t you stay up with things, you will be left out.”
As it stands, the Kraken have the sixth-best odds of landing the first overall pick, which could very well be Matthew Schaefer. The Kraken are yet to draft a defenseman in the first round, and if they elect to do so, having Woods with the organization to help develop him could be very beneficial.
Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
Connor Rogers' latest mock draft takes a look at the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, giving team-by-team analysis with a focus on needs.
The first round of the playoffs is not going to be a spring walk in the park for anyone in the NHL, regardless of where they finish in the regular season.
But you have to wonder how badly the top three teams in the Atlantic Division – the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning – actually want to finish first, given their recent play.
It's not that they've been terrible, but anytime they've had an opportunity to separate from the other two, they come up short. All three are projected to finish with at least 100 points, and the Atlantic could very well have five playoff participants, but unless somebody among the Panthers, Leafs or Lightning decides to go on a run, it will come down to the last day of the season.
Today's video column has more.
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Barks and Bajas: The keys to the Celtics' championship mentality originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Hang around the Boston Celtics long enough and you’ll invariably hear some barking.
Maybe it’ll occur when Kristaps Porzingis huddles up the team pregame and asks, “Where my doggies at?” Maybe it’ll happen when Luke Kornet skies for a tip-in, and Derrick White gets all the dogs on Boston’s roster riled up by barking in the middle of the lane.
The Celtics’ affinity for pups is longstanding. During last year’s title run, Jaylen Brown routinely asked teammates, “Where my road dogs at?” and it became a locker room query for a Boston team that thrived away from home.
These Celtics are still road dogs. They are an NBA-best 28-7 away from home this season. What’s more, that .800 winning percentage is tied for the best mark in team history, matching the 1972-73 squad that finished 32-8 away from home.
If Brown popularized Boston’s dog attendance call, he’s perfectly fine with the way teammates are co-opting it this year.
“I didn’t invent, ‘Where my dogs at?’ It’s just something that we need to bring out, bring that mentality out of us,” said Brown. “Because I feel like we’re at our best when — we have the skill, but when we’re playing with that edge, that physicality, and that mindset that you’re not going to mess with us today, I think it’s better for our group.”
After Kornet started barking loudly — triggered by White doing the same — after a putback against the Blazers on Sunday night, teammates were asked about all the barking.
“Luke’s a dog, so he just barks when he does dog things,” said Sam Hauser.
Porzingis was mic’d up for a game earlier this season when he asked his teammates where the dogs were. After some ruffs, the team broke the huddle with a chant of, “1-2-3 … Baja!”
This reporter, intrigued by the unique huddle break, wondered if it was a playful nod to the Baha Men, who sang the inescapable hit, “Who Let the Dogs Out” in the early 2000s. It turns out it’s more likely, “Baja,” a potential offshoot on the popular “BBQ Chicken” phrase that Shaquille O’Neal popularized while dominating opposing big men around the basket.
“We have to also keep it just for us because, it is like our internal thing,” Porzingis initially protested. “I think it’s more like us being aggressive … But it’s a Luke thing, so maybe Luke can explain.”
Added Brown: “Luke heard it from me. I think he’ll tell you that. But I don’t know where I got it from, to be honest. Like just, ‘Straight to the Baja,’ you know? Not playing around, we get straight to the Baja. That it. I have no idea what it means.
“Finish your breakfast and you go straight to the Baja.”
Seeking further clarification, we asked Kornet for the lineage of the Baja, and he suggested it goes back to his college days and a Vanderbilt teammate who particularly enjoyed the phrase.
“So I believe the Baja originated, I think I took it from Wade Baldwin IV, my college teammate,” said Kornet. “He used to say, ‘Baja.’ To be honest, I don’t really remember sort of what the origin of that was, but I kind of liked it. It’s kind of a great thing to yell out. For a couple of years now, I’ve been yelling it, occasionally, in games.”
Added Hauser: “You’ll catch it on film, like a couple of clips, if you have the volume on and the guy gets to the rack and you hear Luke just yell, “Baja!” Sometimes from the other end of the court.”
Kornet loves the way “Baja!” has taken on a life of its own from its humble beginnings.
“You can really let it out. And so that’s been a thing for a couple of years now,” said Kornet. “JB has kind of taken it out and — going back to the fatherhood thing — it’s kind of just taken on a life of its own.”
Bryson Brown, No. 127 in the 2027 Rivals250, has several programs chasing him but Oklahoma may have moved to the top.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers (23-48) and New Orleans Pelicans (19-53) are all set to square off from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Tonight's contest features two teams trending in the wrong direction.
Both teams are 2-8 in their last 10 games. The 76ers are 13th in the Eastern Conference, and the Pelicans are 14th in the Western Conference.
The 76ers are in the second half of a back-to-back. They are 2-11 with no rest this season.
The 76ers are currently 11-26 on the road with a point differential of -6, while the Pelicans have a 4-6 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch 76ers vs. Pelicans live today
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for 76ers vs. Pelicans
The latest odds as of Monday:
That gives the 76ers an implied team point total of 114.46, and the Pelicans 117.59.
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Expert picks & predictions for Monday's 76ers vs. Pelicans game
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Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is leaning towards Over 130.5 points…
Thomas: “I can’t find a reason to back the Pelicans -6. It’s a grossly lousy team that doesn’t defend, maybe without Zion Williamson and Yves Missi. The 76ers aren’t without their injury woes. Joel Embiid is still out, and there’s a laundry list of questionable players for the 76ers.
The over has gone 8-1-1 in the 76ers last 10 games. The Pelicans are 5-5 to the over in their last 10 but have seen three straight overs.”
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s 76ers & Pelicans game:
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Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of 76ers vs. Pelicans on Monday
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Whether it is "championship week" or the semifinal round of your league's playoffs, Week 21 is critical in fantasy basketball. Teams with no hope of reaching the postseason have already begun tinkering with their lineups, and those fighting for seeding are also dealing with injuries to key players. This week's injury report focuses on some key availability issues heading into Week 21, starting with the most productive player in fantasy basketball.
C Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
The three-time Most Valuable Player has missed Denver's last four games with an ankle injury and will not be available for Monday's matchup with Chicago. That's the first game of a five-game homestand, with three contests during Week 21. The hope is that Jokic can return at some point during the homestand, but he can play in a maximum of two games this week. While the Nuggets went small in the first three games Jokic missed, with Aaron Gordon (65 percent rostered, Yahoo!) moving into the center position, DeAndre Jordan (one percent) filled the void during Sunday's win over the Rockets.
The veteran pivot logged 38 minutes, finishing with 11 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and one steal. Jordan can have value depending on the matchup, as evidenced by his performance in Houston. Peyton Watson (four percent) would be another possibility for deep-league managers despite not qualifying for the center position in Yahoo! leagues.
PG/SG Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Not only did the pelvic contusion Curry suffered during a March 20 win over the Raptors cause him to miss Golden State's game in Atlanta two nights later, he didn't even travel with the team. That did not bode well for his availability on the Warriors' six-game road trip. Still, it was reported on Sunday that Curry was traveling to Miami to rejoin the team ahead of Tuesday's game in Miami. This doesn't mean he will be available, but it should be considered positive. Quinten Post (five percent) returned to the starting lineup against the Hawks and played 28 minutes, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block and three three-pointers. However, Moses Moody (17 percent) may be the best option among low-rostered Warriors to consider adding with Curry out of the lineup. Over the past two weeks, he has provided sixth-round value in nine-cat formats and has been a fixture in the starting lineup since February 12.
PF/C Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks
After being sent to the G League last week to get additional practice reps, Davis is doubtful for Monday's game against the Nets. That's the first of four games Dallas will play during Week 21, which begins with a back-to-back against the Nets and Knicks. To say the team needs Davis back in the lineup would be an understatement; before Kai Jones' return from injury, the Mavericks started Kessler Edwards at the center position on most nights. Jones (16 percent) is worth streaming as long as Davis is out, and Naji Marshall (56 percent) has seen his fantasy value increase since the All-Star break due to the team's many injuries. Edwards has been sent to the G League and is approaching the 50-game limit that two-way players are under.
PG Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
A calf injury has sidelined Lillard for Milwaukee's last two games, and he will miss a third on Monday when the Bucks visit Phoenix. While Ryan Rollins (zero percent) has been the replacement in the starting lineup, he has not provided much value in that role. Gary Trent Jr. (10 percent) has been a fifth-round player in nine-cat formats over the past week, averaging 14.7 points, 3.3 three-pointers and 1.7 steals per game. While Kevin Porter Jr. (six percent) has his moments, Trent is the player to target while Lillard remains out of the lineup.
C Domantas Sabonis and PG/SG/SF Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings
Sabonis and Monk are questionable for Monday's game against the Celtics, which will be the reigning champs' second in as many nights. Sabonis missed the last three games with a sprained right ankle, and a Monday return would put him ahead of schedule, given the initial announcement by the Kings on March 19 that he would be evaluated in 10 days. Jonas Valanciunas (81 percent) is already rostered in most leagues, and Trey Lyles (eight percent) has been close to a top 100 player over the past week. Both players take a hit with Sabonis in the lineup, but the former will be worth holding onto in some standard leagues.
Monk missed Saturday's loss to the Bucks due to illness, opening up a place in the starting lineup for Keon Ellis (23 percent). He logged 37 minutes and finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three three-pointers. With Devin Carter (zero percent) also questionable for Monday's game, Ellis would be the only potential target if Monk is out for the first of four games the Kings will play during Week 21.
PG/SG James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers
Harden took a Luguentz Dort knee to the hip during Sunday's loss to the Thunder, but that wasn't his issue after the game. Harden said he rolled his foot on the play and struggled to move around the locker room. While the Clippers won't play again until Wednesday against the Knicks, this is something to be mindful of when crafting fantasy lineups.
Harden having to miss time would open up a spot in the starting lineup, with The Beard having last missed a game on January 22. However, the Clippers roster looks far different, as the player who replaced him (Kevin Porter Jr.) is no longer with the team. Kris Dunn (nine percent) is already starting and would likely have the ball in his hands more if Harden cannot play to begin Week 21. As for who steps into the lineup, Derrick Jones Jr. (seven percent), Amir Coffey (two percent) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (62 percent) are all possibilities. Bogdanovic offers the highest offensive upside, but he won't be an option in most standard leagues.
SG/SF Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Edwards, who has not missed a game since February 28, is questionable for Monday's game against the Pacers with a right thumb laceration. This situation is straightforward: Mike Conley (37 percent) would be the only worthwhile option in standard leagues if Edwards misses time, while Donte DiVincenzo (68 percent) is the player most likely to move into the starting lineup. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (eight percent) would play additional minutes, but his fantasy upside isn't great, especially if he remained in a reserve role.
PG/SG Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Cunningham was a late scratch for Sunday's win over the Pelicans due to bilateral calf soreness. Dennis Schroder (38 percent) was the replacement in the starting lineup and is a sensible streaming option. He finished with 16 points, one rebound, five assists, two steals, and one three-pointer in 35 minutes. Cunningham's absence also freed up additional opportunities for other Pistons, with Ron Holland II (one percent) and Marcus Sasser (zero percent) stepping up. Holland played 36 minutes, finishing with 26 points, five rebounds, six assists, one steal and one three-pointer. As for Sasser, he tallied 20 points, one rebound, two assists and three three-pointers in 26 minutes. Neither player is a safe fantasy option, but Holland would be the better choice if Cunningham is unavailable for Tuesday's game against the Spurs. Detroit plays three games during Week 21.
PF/C Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Due to a strained left hip, Holmgren was held out of Sunday's win over the Clippers. Alex Caruso (48 percent) started and finished the victory with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and two three-pointers in 31 minutes. Despite the availability issues, he still has value in standard leagues. Aaron Wiggins (19 percent) and Cason Wallace (22 percent) are worthwhile options for managers competing in deeper leagues. Last but not least, Jaylin Williams (nine percent) has provided top 20 value over the past week. While the production was boosted by a stellar effort in a March 19 win over the 76ers in which most of the starting lineup was out, Williams should not be overlooked on nights when Holmgren and Jalen Williams are unavailable. That was the case on Sunday, and he finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block and three three-pointers in just 15 minutes.
PG/SG/SF Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns
Beal has missed the Suns' last three games with a hamstring injury. On Sunday, it was announced that he will be out for at least another week, meaning the veteran guard will miss Phoenix's four Week 21 matchups. Ryan Dunn (five percent) has been a starter since March 14, and the rookie has provided top-75 value over the past week. Royce O'Neale (13 percent) has averaged 8.3 rebounds per game off the bench during this stretch and could be a safer option than Dunn in this spot. While Collin Gillespie (zero percent) has replaced Beal in the starting lineup, his production has not been good enough to merit being streamed in fantasy leagues.
BYU Cougars vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Game Preview
The transfer portal has become a hot topic across the realm of college basketball and that has been no different at West Virginia. The transfer portal is essentially a database that allows other schools to contact them regarding a transfer, and WVSports.com will track it. Here is a list of the Mountaineers that are currently in the portal exploring the possibility to transfer as well as who has transferred into the program and what it could mean to the current West Virginia basketball team.
Jaden Akins scored 16 points, including a 3-pointer that put Michigan State ahead to stay, and coach Tom Izzo took the Spartans to the Sweet 16 for the 16th time with a 71-63 victory over New Mexico on Sunday night.
The former Minnesota Wild forward Pat Maroon announced on Saturday before the Chicago Blackhawks' game against the St. Louis Blues that he will be retiring after this season.
Maroon, 36, announced on Saturday he would retire after this season and after the game, the Blues named him the first star of the game. Maroon got to hear the roar of the St. Louis crowd for one final time. He won a Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019.
The 6-foot-3 forward played one season in Minnesota during 2023-24. He recorded four goals, 16 points, and 71 hits in 49 games for the Wild and was eventually traded to the Boston Bruins at the 2024 NHL trade deadline.
He signed a one-year contract with the Blackhawks after the 2023-24 season and has five goals, 18 points, and 96 hits in 61 games.
Butler unmoved by emotions, drama before facing Heat in Miami return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
MIAMI – There was no turning back. Warriors star Jimmy Butler stated Monday after practice at Barry University, one day before his first game back in Miami against his former team, the Heat, that even if he and team president Pat Riley sat down immediately after last season and he was offered a contract extension, he still would have wanted to eventually move on.
Butler, who turned 35 years old in September, knew which direction he wanted to go in his career. He also had an indication of where the Heat were headed after their first-round NBA playoff exit without him.
The Heat suspended Butler three times during the 2024-25 NBA season before trading him to the Warriors on Feb. 6, and some bills still are being sent his way.
When, and if, Butler sees Riley on Tuesday at the Kaseya Center, anger won’t be his first emotion. No animosity. No frustration.
Nothing, according to Butler.
“I don’t got no thoughts,” Butler said. “I won’t say nothing. I got nothing to say to nobody. No hard feelings. I’m in a better place now for me. Continued success to those guys over there.”
None of this is new to Butler. Tuesday won’t be the first time he plays a former team. It’ll be the fourth. This just feels heightened because of the success Butler had in Miami, leading the Heat to three Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals, as well as how his departure once again was surrounded by drama.
He has maintained his first game back at his old arena will be nothing more than another game on the schedule, continuing to show his love for Heat fans.
Staying stuck in the past is a decision Butler refuses to let himself sink into and be a part of. Let the outside speculate. The 14-year NBA veteran knows the legacy he made in Miami and that it can never be taken away.
“This is basketball,” Butler said. “It’s very simple. I don’t have all the emotions everyone thinks I’m going to have. It is what it is. I realize that I had some great years here. I built some incredible bonds with some individuals within the organization, in this city – hell, in the state of Florida. But I’m going there to hoop. I’m going there to play basketball.
“Ain’t nothing nobody say, ain’t nothing nobody do is finna get me out of character. Ain’t nobody got me out of character when I was going through what I was going through this entire season with the suspensions. It’s just another day for me.”
There might be boos from Heat fans. There might be derogatory signs. None of it will bother Butler, or so he says.
“I wonder if they look at the Heat the same way,” Butler said. “Ain’t like I was the one that was doing everything. It’s gotta be 50/50. Maybe 51/49 – 49 towards them and 51 towards me. There’s no way that I was the cause of all of this.”
Butler spent the first six years of his career with the Chicago Bulls, going from being the last pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft to becoming a star. The end wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t pretty. He then spent one full season playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but a chaotic ending saw him sent to the Philadelphia 76ers less than a month into the next season.
The 76ers fell one wild Kawhi Leonard shot short of reaching the conference finals that season, but how Butler left again wasn’t without controversy. His Heat exit this season has been retold time and time again.
“I’m always painted as the bad guy,” Butler said. “Everywhere I’ve been I’ve always been the problem. We’ll take it. I don’t got nothing to say. I’m not mad at being a bad guy. It’s all the way that everything gets portrayed. Some people talk to the media, some people don’t. I’ve never been one to tell my side of the story to almost anybody.
“Let everybody think that this is what happened, and we’ll ride with it. Then in like a year’s time it’s going to be somebody else’s fault besides myself.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr bore witness to perhaps the worst version of a homecoming when Kevin Durant was a member of Golden State and went back to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder for the first time.
“Yeah, that was maybe the most emotional return game I’ve ever been a part of,” Kerr said. “It kind of got ugly, really. It was important for our guys to go to bat for Kevin and they all did. It was nice to get that behind us when it happened.
“There’s just going to be games like this in the NBA season because of the emotion involved in sports. You handle them when they come and you just support your teammate and then you move forward.”
Kerr has no doubt the Warriors will play highly motivated for Butler. He also doesn’t sense any distraction getting in Butler’s way.
“It’ll be a charged atmosphere,” Kerr said. “I’m sure it’ll be emotional on many levels. I know Jimmy’s just going to lock in and play, and he’s very capable of that. But there’s no getting around the fact of what he meant to this team, this organization, this city. That will come out tomorrow.
“It’s part of sports. It’s kind of what makes sports, too, is the emotional connection that everyone has with players and teams. So you get these nights that can be tricky. I know Jimmy will handle it well. I know our guys will handle it well.”
Since the Butler trade, the Warriors and Heat have gone in opposite directions. Golden State is 16-4 since Butler made his team debut, and one of those losses was with him in street clothes. Miami, meanwhile, is 5-16 since the trade, beating the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday to snap a 10-game losing streak.
There has been debate surrounding a possible Butler tribute video being played during Tuesday’s game. The expectation is any pettiness will be put to the side, and the Heat will honor one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
Butler will watch if the jumbotron displays his many past highlights in a Heat jersey. And he’ll remain unmoved if the Heat opt out of doing so.
“If they don’t, it makes no difference,” Butler says. “It really don’t.”
Embarrassing disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc raises difficult questions for Scuderia
Before the Formula One season began Lewis Hamilton had taken his motorhome to Ferrari’s Maranello factory, living alongside his new colleagues in order to bond with them and better learn their methodologies in an effort to make his transition into the Scuderia as seamless as possible. After he and his teammate, Charles Leclerc, were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, he may have to consider taking up residence again, as a rocked Ferrari deal with a disheartening opening to the season.
Ferrari have never endured a double disqualification before in the 75 years they have participated in F1, an embarrassment for which they held up their hands. They conceded that the skid block on the floor of Hamilton’s car had been worn 0.5mm below the limit, while Leclerc’s ride was 1kg below the minimum weight requirement. The F1 governing body, the FIA, said Ferrari acknowledged a “genuine error” and the team said it was a “mistake” they would endeavour not to repeat.
Continue reading...SNY contributor Joe DeMayo answers fan questions in this edition of the Mets Minor League Mailbag...
Quickly on the Vlad front: we will see what comes of that situation next winter, but as SNY’s Andy Martino reported at the beginning of March, there are too many variables at play to know whether that could be a pursuit the Mets make.
If Alonso has the type of season that causes him to opt out, I don’t think we should rule out the Mets and Alonso continuing this marriage beyond 2025. The Mets like Alonso and Alonso likes being a Met. It will be important for Alonso to have a bounce back season, both for the 2025 Mets success as well as his next contract.
While I do have a 2026 major league ETA on Clifford, my No. 4 ranked prospect in the system who showed out at the spring breakout game with a 449 foot home run off of a lefty, I am unsure if that necessarily means Opening Day 2026.
Clifford will head back to Double-A Binghamton to start the 2025 season. He had success there last year as a 20/21-year-old, posting an .815 OPS with 18 home runs in 99 games.
Clifford possesses plus power and overall plate discipline. He still needs some approach refinement -- he can stand to be more aggressive early in counts as he will at times let good pitches to hit go by to work the count. He also had a 29 percent strikeout rate at the Double-A level, and you’d like to see that number more in the low-20s.
If Clifford can take that next step in his development as a hitter, I can see him getting to Triple-A Syracuse some time in 2025, which ultimately puts him in the picture for 2026.
The Mets are going to need to infuse their big league roster with homegrown youth within the next year or two due to the way their roster is set up from a payroll perspective. Clifford could certainly be a part of that equation; I just think he would have to make it to Triple-A relatively early this season and have a run of success at that level for the Mets to consider him an Opening Day 2026 option.
What ultimately could be the most interesting thing to follow is how Clifford’s presence could impact their potential pursuit of a 10-plus year deal with Guerrero or a potential lengthier re-commitment with Alonso.
One of the strong suits of Williams is that he has the versatility to play all three up-the-middle positions. Mets President of baseball operations David Stearns confirmed in an in-game interview with SNY during Sunday’s game against the Marlins that Williams will start the season with Double-A Binghamton and continue to play shortstop, second base, and center field.
Right now, Williams -- my No. 2 prospect in the system -- is behind quite a few players on the depth chart simply due to proximity to the big leagues, and the Mets need to figure out what they have in some other pieces first.
That can cause a trickle effect, as right now they have Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, and Ronny Mauricio as young factors behind the incumbent Jeff McNeil at second base. Center field will be primarily manned by Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor to start the 2025 season, but a healthy Drew Gilbert could impact that situation as well this summer.
While I think Williams may be more natural in the dirt at either shortstop or second base, I liked what I saw out of him in center field when he got the opportunities (he has played just 33 career professional games in center field).
He is a plus athlete with the range to cover gap to gap, but he simply needs more reps. At times his reads are just a tick late and he’s been making up for it with his speed, but some plays have ended up more difficult than they needed to be. That is something that can be improved with more repetition of tracking the ball off the bat.
Williams has a chance to be a dynamic player who hits at or near the top of a batting order. He is the type of player that you eventually make a spot for, and I think his general versatility could be a weapon.
I am intrigued to see more of him in center field to determine how viable that will be at the next level, as that picture has a much cloudier future than second base does as of this writing. Though, as we say on The Mets Pod, these things always have a way of figuring themselves out.
