It was one of the more iconic scenes in baseball moviedom. Lou Brown tells his troops that Rachel Phelps (the owner) does not want them to win. In order to win the division they will need to win 32 more games (from that point in the season) and with every win they will pull off a slice to reveal a nearly naked Rachel Phelps. I’m sure we would all just as soon scrub that mental image in our minds when doing the same with Jim Crane and the animus is not nearly on the same level.
Still, we need to look at the basic exercise because once you approach Memorial Day it is time to stop calling the season early. My comrade Patrick Creighton talked about the team only being one month in. With the early start, we are now approaching two months of baseball. So, if we are playing the Rachel Phelps game then how many wins will it take to get to the playoffs?
We need to approach this from two angles. Obviously, we need to look at where the Astros currently are and do the simple math to get them to a certain number of wins. However, how many wins is that? Following the 2020 season, MLB permanently expanded the playoffs to add the third wild card. Below are the lowest number of wins in each league to make it to the postseason that year. We will add another column for the aggregate.
AL
NL
Agg
2021
91
83
87
2022
86
89
88
2023
89
84
87
2024
86
87
87
2025
87
83
85
AVG
88.2
85.2
86.8
So, it is possible when looking at the National League to imagine a team with 83 wins making it to the postseason. You could argue that the American League could be in one of those seasons where the balance of power is skewed to the other league. Even in that universe, the average number of wins in THAT league has been 85. It feels irresponsible to assume anything less than that. Is it possible? Sure. Is it responsible? Not in a million years.
So, let’s assume 85 wins for the time being. The Astros have two separate issues. They are eleven games under .500 and they are 0-6 against the team most likely to wind up on top in the AL West. They have five games remaining this week between the Mariners and Rangers. This math exercise could get out of hand really quick, but let’s look at the basic math. The Astros sit at 16-27. In order to get to 85 wins they would need to finish the season at 69-50. That’s a .580 clip.
That doesn’t seem like much. This team played to that down the stretch in 2024 (in fact playing at a better clip after starting 12-24). They famously played at a better clip in 2005 after starting 15-30. Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future results because this is a different Astros team than even the 2024 outfit. Like the 2025 bunch, they are decimated by injuries. However, we go back to the basic math question. A .580 baseball team over 162 games would win 94 games. This is a basic question. Can this team be a 94 win team as currently constituted even when it is healthy?
I have no doubt that a healthy Hunter Brown would be huge in this rotation. A healthy Josh Hader would be huge at the end of the bullpen. A healthy Jeremy Pena would be key to the lineup. These are all givens but they are also all theoretical. None of them are currently healthy. Brown cannot return until June at the earliest because he is on the 60 day disabled list. Pena could possibly return within a week to ten days, but that would be after this key stretch in the AL West. Hader probably has at least another two to three weeks of rehab left before he can join the team.
Let’s say that in 28 days you have them all back and playing at their previous high levels. That would mean you would need to play at a .580 clip with some or all of them out or the math would change. If you go say 13-13 in those games while some or all of them are out then you need to go 56-37 down the stretch. That’s a .602 percentage or a 98 win pace.
I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but someone needs to say this. The odds of coming back from this start are slim. Yes, you are only a handful of games separated from the top of the league. You also have the 15th best record in the American League. Focusing on the number of games you are back seems simple enough, but that is assuming every other team in the league continues to sputter and spin their wheels. It assumes no one gets hot or figures something out. The best way to approach it is to go based on history and focus on that number. That number is 85.
Obviously, this is a place for cold, hard data. Understanding the math obviously spills us into the next debate and that is whether the Astros realistically can do that and what they would need to do to help their chances. That feels more like commentary to me, so I will leave that for a different time. What do you think? How realistic do you think it is for this Astros team to come back?
Mar 24, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez against the Chicago Cubs during spring training at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
We have reached the midway point of the first half of the International League schedule and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are in the thick of the race for first place. They entered the week in fifth place with a 20-17 record, four games behind the leading Memphis Redbirds (25-14). The Gwinnett Stripers are second at 24-15, the Louisville Bats third at 23-16 and the Worcester Red Sox fourth at 21-16. Right in back of the RailRiders are the Syracuse Mets and St. Paul Saints, both 20-18.
Unfortunately, the RailRiders do not play Memphis, Gwinnett, nor Louisville this season. However, they were scheduled to begin a series at PNC Field in northeastern Pennsylvania against Syracuse on Tuesday. Then after visiting the Lehigh Valley IronPigs next week, they host Worcester for six games May 26-31, then go to Syracuse for seven games June 2-7.
So in the next four weeks, the RailRiders have a chance to take care of business on their own and hope that the top three teams hit the skids. This week is the second meeting of the season between the RailRiders and Syracuse. The Mets won four of five when the teams played April 14-19 in New York.
Some of baseball’s top prospects will be featured in the series. Syracuse has the Mets’ No. 1 prospect and No. 36 overall according to MLB Pipeline in righty Jonah Tong, who debuted last year for the Amazins and is 1-2 with a 4.46 ERA, along with a league-leading 52 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. Fellow right-hander Jack Wenninger is the Mets’ No. 5 prospect with a 3-1 record, 1.27 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. Wenninger defeated the RailRiders, 5-3, on April 17th. He allowed one run on three hits in 5.1 innings with two walks and five strikeouts. The lone run he allowed was a home run to the since-promoted Spencer Jones.
First baseman/outfielder Ryan Clifford—acquired in the 2023 Justin Verlander trade—is the Mets’ No. 3 prospect. He is batting .252 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs.
Of course, the RailRiders have the New York Yankees’ top three prospects in infielder George Lombard Jr. and righthander pitchers Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodríguez. Lombard (No. 22 MLB Pipeline) is batting just .176 (6 for 34) with 6 singles in 10 games since being promoted to Triple-A, but he does have 12 walks. Lagrange (No. 62 MLB Pipeline) is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in seven starts with 38 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. Rodríguez (No. 65 MLB Pipeline) is 1-2 with a 1.38 ERA in five starts with 26 strikeouts in as many innings.
Last week in Worcester, the RailRiders won two of five games from the WooSox, including the series final, 3-2, on a home run by Ali Sánchez in the top of the second inning and a two-run home run by Yanquiel Fernández in the top of the sixth. Zach Messinger worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth by getting a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
The win was No. 500 in the managerial career of Shelley Duncan — 269 of which have come with the RailRiders. Duncan also has 87 wins from his time in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, with the Hillsboro Hops (2015-16) in the High-A Northwest League; 69 with the Visalia Rawhide (2017) in the Low-A California League; and 75 with the Jackson Generals (2018) in the Double-A Southern League. His overall record is 500-411.
Congrats to Skipper Shelley Duncan on the 500th win of his managerial career, including 269 at the helm of the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate! 🎊
Fernández batted .333 (8-for-24) in five games with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBIs. Duke Ellis and Payton Henry both batted .462 (6-for-13) in four games. Ellis, getting a chance to play in the outfield with Jones called up to the Yankees, had two doubles, one home run, three RBIs, and three stolen bases. Henry had a double and three RBIs.
Messinger and Dylan Coleman each had one save. In two appearances, Messinger worked 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit, two walks and three strikeouts. He has not given up a run in his last four outings covering 8.2 innings. Coleman did not give up a run or a hit in 2.2 innings with no walks and three strikeouts.
As a team, the RailRiders have nine saves with eight pitchers recording at least one. Kervin Castro—who spent most of the weekend with the Yankees before returning to Scranton upon Carlos Rodón’s activation—leads with two saves. Harrison Cohen and erstwhile Astros reliever Rafael Montero also did not give up a run in two appearances against Worcester.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 12: A.J. Ewing #9 of the New York Mets steals second base in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field on May 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets beat the Tigers in a 10-2 blowout. A.J. Ewing impressed in his debut, drawing three walks, driving in two runs, stealing a base, and hitting a triple for his first major league hit.
Carson Benge’s outfield dynamism has turned heads and is one of the few bright spots in the slog of the 2026 season so far.
With A.J. Ewing’s call-up, the Mets designated outfielder Andy Ibáñez for assignment.
The Mets aren’t in the bottom of at least one hyper-specific statistic: pitches thrown outside the zone and called strikes without a challenge.
A.J. Minter threw a bullpen session yesterday and should be heading back to a rehab assignment this weekend, hopefully putting his return in the somewhat near future.
On the other hand, Luis Robert Jr. is still experiencing symptoms and doesn’t look to be coming back anytime soon, potentially giving A.J. Ewing a lot of runway.
Francisco Alvarez was removed from last night’s game due to a right knee injury and will undergo an MRI today.
MLB Pipeline put out a list of every team’s current hottest pitching prospect, and the Mets’ selection is (unsurprisingly) the nearly-untouchable Jack Wenninger.
Around the National League East
Much of the Braves’ offense—and success—is coming courtesy of the heavy-hitting duo of Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin.
The Nationals routed the Reds in a 10-4 victory, with Daylen Lile driving in four of the Nationals runs on two home runs.
The Phillies held on to beat the Red Sox 2-1, with Zack Wheeler going 7.1 innings, allowing one run on six hits and striking out four.
The Marlins were shut out by the Twins 3-0. Eury Pérez gave up all three runs in six innings, allowing six hits and three walks while striking out eight.
The Braves bested the Cubs 5-2 in a heavyweight matchup. The hero of the game for the Braves was Mike Yastrzemski, who drove in three runs on two hits including a two-run home run.
Around Major League Baseball
So many of this year’s best teams have issues with the back end of their bullpen, and Buster Olney explained why.
The Dodgers have acquired outfielder Alek Thomas from the Diamondbacks in exchange for a minor league outfielder.
MLB and the Player’s Association met for the first time yesterday to begin negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, with the current one set to expire on December 1.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Steve Sypa returned with another group of Mets Minor League Players of the Week.
Steve Sypa also introduced us to the newly called up top prospect A.J. Ewing.
Yesterday started with Kyle Dubas praising Bill Zonnon as the 2025 first round draft pick was about to turn pro full time. To say Penguin management is impressed with Zonnon’s habits would be an understatement after the player showed he was going above and beyond to watch and learn the system before even joining the team.
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) May 13, 2026
Zonnon put that preparation to good use when he scored the go-ahead goal that stood as the game winner in Wilkes-Barre’s 2-0 Game 1 victory over Springfield.
Needless to say the Atlantic Division Finals were not too big of a stage for the 19-year old to make his AHL debut. The Penguins took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series against Springfield.
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 12, 2026
Sergei Murashov only needed to stop 24 shots, the quantity not sounding like much but it doesn’t tell the whole tale of how good the goaltending was and needed to be. Murashov was deservedly named the number one star of the game and was the best player on the ice all night long, especially during a critical juncture in the second period when he had to be extremely sharp to keep the puck out of the net. What he lacked in total saves that needed to be made was more than made up for by the quality of stops required.
Harrison Brunicke wasn’t too far behind Murashov as far as top-performing players on the night. It has certainly been an unconventional and path-less-traveled type of season for Brunicke. Rocky at times even, in a year that spanned playing games across different leagues, levels and tournaments fromthe NHL. AHL, WHL to the WJC. Based on his play in the AHL playoffs, Brunicke has come out of the storm just fine. His defensive play looks much more confident and steady. His reads and stopping ability have increased, he uses his stick effectively. Overall he just looks like a stronger player whether it’s been boxing guys out in front of the net, tossing them aside from the goalies after whistles or using his body to shield pucks as he carries them. Maybe it was going back to junior and getting the chance to play huge minutes and grow. Maybe a light just went of and he would have been fine by now no matter what happened. No matter how the particulars, Brunicke looks like a different and better version of himself compared to the one who had an AHL conditioning stint early in the regular season.
Tanner Howe scored a third period insurance goal to boost the lead to 2-0.
— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 13, 2026
In the end, Game 1 will be remembered as the Zonnon debut. Springfield’s goalie, Georgi Romanov has arguably been the early player of the playoffs so far in the AHL. Romanov’s 5-1 record and .954 save% in the first two rounds of the playoffs were a leading reason why the Thunderbirds pulled off upsets over Charlotte and Providence. Romanov had the Pens blanked too until Zonnon made it happen with his goal.
The Pittsburgh organization has to continue to be pleased with how this playoff run is going. Murashov has been stellar, Brunicke is showing out and seemingly growing by the game and now their latest player to join the fray in Zonnon has made an immediate impact to show why they were so excited to get him into their organization. Vibes are strong, all signs pointing in the right direction as Wilkes heads into Game 2 tomorrow night.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers on deck against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are now losers of four straight (again) after falling to the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Tuesday, but Shohei Ohtani was able to bust out of his slump and was the only redeeming factor for the Dodgers.
Ohtani went 2-4 with a single, a home run and a walk, recording his first home run since April 26, as he was the only Dodger to get multiple hits on Tuesday. With his next scheduled start coming today against Robbie Ray, the Dodgers will have Ohtani get the day off from hitting for the final two games of the homestand as a means to give him some additional time to regather as a hitter, notes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“For me, with any hitter, when the quality of at-bat starts to go down consistently, I think that’s a telling sign there needs to be a break,” Roberts said. “Because you’re just not able to – whether it’s the mechanics, the mind – just stay within your game plan, and then the chase starts to spike. There’s a workload component with some players, but that are more on the defensive side.”
While Ohtani hit his seventh home run of the season, rapper Ice Cube was on the broadcast with Joe Davis and Orel Hersheiser. Courtney Hollman of MLB.com has more.
Roki Sasaki has continued to display marginal improvements with each start, as before getting ambushed by San Francisco in the top of the sixth on Monday, he had held the Giants to one run over five innings with five strikeouts and just one walk. As the team sees the improvements, it only vindicates them more in seeing the potential with Sasaki as a viable starting pitcher within their rotation, per Katie Woo of The Athletic.
“We definitely see him as a long-term starting pitcher,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently told The Athletic. “We are very firm believers that he has the ability and the upside to be an elite starting pitcher in this game.”
It’s been almost 10 whole years since Charlie Culberson hit his iconic walk-off home run that helped the Dodgers clinch the NL West during Vin Scully’s final broadcast at home. Culberson spoke with Sierra Santos of MLB Network about the home run, noting that Scully was able to sign the bat he hit the home run with.
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 30: Khris Middleton #20 of the Dallas Mavericks is defended by Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at American Airlines Center on March 30, 2026 in Dallas, 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. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Khris Middleton was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. Middleton’s inclusion was all about salary. His contract made the money work both ways, and more importantly for the Mavericks, expires this summer. That gives them the financial relief they need as they begin a new era with Cooper Flagg as the focus.
Middleton was a positive for the Mavericks on the court, though. He provided a steadying veteran presence for a Dallas team that spent the entire season in a state of limbo, perhaps even turmoil at times. Some would say he helped a little too much, leading to wins the Mavericks didn’t need, for lottery reasons. Either way, Middleton remained a pro’s pro during his short stretch in Dallas this season.
Season in review
Middleton had a respectable year, his 13th season in the NBA. Over 63 games with the Mavericks and the Wizards, he averaged 10.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He shot 36 percent from behind the arc for the season.
In 22 games with Dallas, he posted similar numbers: 10 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He did shoot better once he arrived in the Metroplex, though, upping his percentage from deep to 39 percent.
Middleton had a chance to be waived so that he could latch on with a playoff team, but ultimately decided to stay on with the Mavericks. Maybe he didn’t get any explicit interest from a contender, or perhaps he and his management are thinking it’ll be easier to get one last deal in Dallas since they’ll own his Bird rights (more on that later).
Whatever the reason, Middleton provided a veteran, highly professional player for Jason Kidd to deploy through March and April. There was no chance the former Bucks star was going to lift the Mavericks, but he played entertaining ball here and there. I’ve always enjoyed Middleton’s game, the slow rhythm of his moves, the quietness to his game. Those 22 games won’t mean much in the long-term, but they were a fun watch, something desperately needed the dregs of the NBA season.
Best game
Middleton’s best game probably came at the worst time if you wanted the Mavericks to drop in the standings. On March 12th against the Memphis Grizzlies, Middleton scored 35 points, shooting 8-of-10 on 3-pointers. He also had a couple steals and rebounds, propelling Dallas to a win over a team just below them in the standings. As a result, the Grizzlies will have just a few more lottery balls than the Mavericks. But it was a fun throwback game from Middleton.
Contract status
Middleton’s contract ends this season. He is an unrestricted free agent this summer, freeing up roughly $35 million of salary for Dallas.
Looking Ahead
The Mavericks will not be prioritizing Middleton this summer. He may find some suitors across the league who think he has something left in the tank, or maybe he chases another competitive situation, albeit in a bench role where rarely plays. There’s a chance the Mavericks bring him back on a minimum or close to minimum salary so they have a veteran around for what will likely be a young team.
Grade: B+
Dallas needed a veteran who could play competent basketball alongside Flagg and eat minutes, and that’s exactly what Middleton provided. This season started weird, got worse, and continued to be a barely functioning wreck, but Flagg developed and had a good enough season to win rookie of the year. Middleton was a part keeping things afloat for the last two months, and that’s exactly what you want from a veteran nearing the end of his career.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Tuesday that Ragans (elbow) played catch two of the past three days and remains day-to-day, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Quatraro added that Tuesday’s throwing session was better than Sunday’s, and the expectation is Ragans will play catch again on Wednesday, as he deals with a case of pitcher’s elbow. Stephen Kolek is starting in Ragans’ place Tuesday night and will fill his rotation spot while Ragans heals up on the 15-day injured list. It doesn’t sound like Kansas City expects this to be a lengthy absence for its ace.
One reason to believe in this team: The veteran pitchers still have it
Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha migrated to Kansas City from San Diego ahead of the 2024 season and spearheaded the Royals’ first trip to the postseason in nine years. The unions were so fruitful that the team eventually signed both pitchers to contract extensions. Lugo and Wacha are in their mid-30s now, but they’re still as productive as ever — and at a critical juncture, with Cole Ragans on the injured list and Noah Cameron enduring a bit of a sophomore slump. Wacha owns a 2.63 ERA, as he’s held hitters to a .188 average. Lugo’s ERA is 3.21, and he has allowed a grand total of one home run in 47 2/3 innings.
Estevez won’t throw for three more weeks, and then he’s hoping to start working his way back — and given the volatility of bullpens around the game, it’s possible that he’ll get another chance to close games later this year. “I have hope,” he said. “I’ll be fine. I just have to keep working. I’ll be back, right on time, ready for the playoff hunt.”
With Estevez out, Royals manager Matt Quatraro turned to Lucas Erceg, who has been excellent, stabilizing the Kansas City bullpen and allowing just two hits and no earned runs over his past eight outings; he has compiled 10 saves this season.
The Royals might have found a temporary fix, but the closer roller coaster has been a popular ride throughout Major League Baseball this year.
The 2026 version of Squires is doing something more interesting. His .244 ISO is among the better power numbers in the Texas League, and a .538 slugging percentage from a first baseman who went undrafted out of college is not a small thing. His 139 wRC+ sits just six points below Kulasingam’s despite a vastly different profile. Squires swings more, walks less, and does his damage in larger doses. His 23.7% strikeout rate is the number skeptics will point to, and fairly so, but corner infielders with real power carry higher strikeout rates at every level of professional baseball. The contact he makes tends to travel.
The Royals feel fairly set at first base in 2026 with Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez handling the primary duties, and Squires knows it. That means the most realistic outcome for a strong season may not be a call-up but a deadline trade, a contender in need of corner infield depth acquiring a first baseman with a .538 slugging percentage and three stolen bases in a single game against Corpus Christi. That would be a reasonable outcome for both sides. In the meantime, Squires keeps hitting, keeps running, and keeps making the case that someone should have drafted him when they had the chance.
Mozzicato rose from No. 20 in the preseason rankings to No. 17 in our latest update. The ERA is brutal at 6.65, but he has a 21.7% K% and has shown some intriguing stuff on his pitches, though control and command have been less than stellar to begin the year. The sooner Kansas City moves Mozzicato to the bullpen full-time (he’s made six starts), the better his outlook (and current statline in Double-A) will be. Also in Double-A, Beam rose from No. 9 to No. 7, despite sporting a 4.88 ERA and 6.63 FIP in 27.2 IP. The strikeouts haven’t been there for Beam to begin the year, as illustrated by a 13.6% K%. However, he could be due for a positive bounce-back when the weather heats up, and he gets more settled against Texas League hitting.
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 home runs last season and finished second in American League Most Valuable Player voting, is in a terrible slump. But last night he snapped an 0-for-38 streak with a single last night.
All it took to break out was getting smacked in the oompa-loompas with a foul ball the half-inning before.
Big oof and big ouch…
Cal Raleigh goes down after a hard foul tip directly between his legs and is understandably showing a ton of pain upon gathering himself.
Ken Rosenthal writes that Giants team president Buster Posey keeps making big, risky moves, but none of them are paying off at the moment. (The Athletic sub. req.) He also said that Posey grew frustrated with Bailey, feeling that his game management skills were lacking in addition to his weak bat.
The issues for Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai continue. He came off the injured list yesterday and got rocked for six runs in four innings. Jack Baer examines what’s gone wrong for the Japanese rookie.
Yankees infielder Jose Caballero went on the IL after he broke the same finger! Well, not exactly the same finger. Caballero’s broken finger is attached to his hand and not Murphy’s. It would be weird otherwise. Anyways, that means that Anthony Volpe got recalled from Triple-A.
Astros Hall of Fame broadcaster René Cárdenas died at age 96. Cárdenas was the first ever Spanish-language team broadcaster when he called the Dodgers in 1958. He moved on to Houston to call the “Colt .45s” when the expansion franchise got underway.
And finally, thirty years ago director Spike Lee wanted a red Yankees cap to complete his outfit for the World Series, but there weren’t any in any color other than Black. Lee’s quest for a red Yankees cap opened up the current world of multiple caps in multiple colors for alls teams. The Yankees, Lee and New Era are celebrating the 30th anniversary of that with a a new Spike Lee line of Yankees caps.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 07: Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox throws in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on May 07, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching injuries happen. They have always happened, and they always will happen. That’s why when someone says “there’s no such thing as too much pitching”, they’re correct, regardless of how much pitching that team actually has. You could have a rotation of prime Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Pedro Martinez, Cy Young, and Randy Johnson, and that would still not be enough pitching (I don’t know why those are the five names that came to mind. It’s late. Leave me alone).
The Red Sox, despite having plenty of pitching, have proven that rule. Through the first month or so of the season, they’ve had eight different pitchers start games, and only one has been a scheduled opener. That also doesn’t include Johan Oviedo, who was injured before he could get a crack at the rotation. One of those pitchers was Jake Bennett, who most didn’t expect to debut in May. Thanks to a series of injuries, some major and some minor, he got his chance on May 1st. Since then, he’s made two starts, thrown 10.1 innings while registering a 4.35 ERA, 9.5% strikeout rate, and 9.5% walk rate. While those numbers are far from stellar, they’re not bad, and he’s held his own in those two games.
After Spring Training, I was excited about Bennett as a prospect. He’s a huge lefty who was throwing hard and using his frame to get down the mound. He’s also equipped with a plus changeup, a useful tool in neutralizing right-handed hitters. After two starts in the big leagues, I walked away underwhelmed, but not discouraged.
Bennett struggled to punch out hitters. Over his two starts, he only struck out four guys. He got to two-strike counts against 19 hitters. I actually don’t know what the league-wide conversion rate for two-strike counts into strikeouts is, but about 19% of two-strike pitches go for strikeouts, so it has to be above Bennett’s mark of 21%. Doing my best to be polite to Mr. Bennett, I’d say it’s because his stuff isn’t good enough. Here’s a look at his two-strike command against each side.
Against righties, it looks pretty good. The changeups are down and away, while the four-seamers are upstairs. Of those 37 pitches, however, just two returned whiffs, while 12 were fouled off to extend at-bats. While I can’t definitively give a reason for that, I’d say it’s because the four-seam fastball isn’t enough of a threat. Through two starts, it’s averaged 92.6 mph. The 7.1 feet of extension it’s thrown with helps it play up, but it only has about 11 inches of induced vertical break. The height-adjusted vertical approach angle is just 0.5 degrees, meaning it’s not an outlier at all in terms of shape.
It’s returned two strikeouts, but it feels to me like hitters aren’t threatened by it. His changeup is his best pitch, and he’s yet to strike out a right-handed hitter with it, depsite good locations. Almost half of his two-strike changeups to righties have been fouled off. It’s a good pitch; it’s generated whiffs earlier in counts, but it feels to me as if he’s missing a third pitch to prevent hitters from seeing a low pitch and identifying it as a changeup.
He has a curveball and a cutter, but neither has shown bat-missing ability so far. He doesn’t generate a ton of spin on any of his pitches, so finding a breaking ball to add to his arsenal could be a challenge. The low spin rate allows him to create depth on his changeup, which is a plus, but it makes it difficult for him to get lift on his fastball and move the ball to the glove side with a breaking ball. I think adding a quality breaking ball will be difficult, so his best path forward is likely to add velocity. It’s easier said than done, but his fastball was up to 98 mph in Spring Training, so there’s clearly room to grow in that department.
Against lefties, the story is similar. He does a good job locating his sinker on the arm side for weak contact and quick outs, but a breaking ball, something to throw away from lefties, is necessary to increase his strikeout rate. He uses his changeup against lefties, which can miss bats, but the downside is it’s often in an area where lefties can drop the barrel and tee off on it. That hasn’t happened for Bennett yet, but it happens to same-handed changeups when they’re poorly located.
It’s not all bad, though. Bennett hasn’t made many mistakes over the plate and has missed barrels as a result. It’s not overpowering, and he probably hasn’t been in the zone as much as he’d like, but he’s done a nice job living on the edges. With Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez returning to the rotation, Bennett was optioned back to Triple-A. If the Red Sox need him, though, he’s a high-floor option, with the ceiling of an excellent pitcher. He’ll need to add some velocity and potentially a breaking pitch to reach that ceiling, but the bones of a major league rotation piece are there.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - May 11: Eric Haase #18 and Sam Hentges #31 of the San Francisco Giants prepare for the game at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants had a good time in Southern California on Tuesday night, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2. In a statistic that almost defies reality, the Giants are now 4-1 against the two-time defending champions … and just 14-23 against the rest of the league.
But that wasn’t the only fun that was had, and it wasn’t the only reality that was defied. The Giants won with the long ball on Tuesday, with three solo home runs, all of which came from the eighth and ninth hitters.
That included a double dinger day for backup catcher Eric Haase, who did something that, when all is said and done, may go down as the least likely thing that happened to the Giants this year: he became the first player in the Majors to have a two-homer game against ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The fun continued all game, but it was … uhh … restrained. After Monday’s win in the series opener, outfielders Harrison Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, and particularly Drew Gilbert (to the surprise of no one) celebrated with a little bit of consensual behavior normally reserved for incognito mode.
And indeed, the Giants fantastic beat reporters got to the heart of it … and it turns out that the call came in from somewhere higher up.
Now for the million dollar question: was it Buster Posey putting an end to the mild dose of homoeroticism, or the corporate folks at the league offices? We may never know, but at least the Giants are having fun.
Or as much fun as they’re allowed to have, at least.
DENVER, CO - MAY 04: Jordan Beck #27 of the Colorado Rockies hits an RBI triple in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Darryl Strawberry was pinch-hit for in the championship softball game against the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant, Springfield Power Plant mogul and manager C. Montgomery Burns explained the decision:
“It’s called playing the percentages; it’s what smart managers do to win ball games.”
Sure, Strawberry had nine home runs that day, but with the lefty on the mound and the game on the line, Mr. Burns turned to the right-handed hitting “Home Run” Homer Simpson, who was subsequently beaned in the head to drive in the winning run.
Match-ups matter.
As I watch the Rockies on television, a common turn of phrase seems to be that the Rockies are looking for proper match-ups to allow their players to succeed. Lineup construction is often based on the handedness of the starting pitcher, and in-game substitutions are more prevalent based on which reliever is brought into the game.
Platoon splits are nothing new in baseball. Manager Warren Schaeffer and the Rockies front office haven’t reinvented the wheel, but the use of platoon splits has felt more pronounced this season as the Rockies try to give themselves and the players the best chance to win ball games.
So, this raises the question: Is the platoon system working for Colorado’s offense?
Team Splits
First, let’s take a look at the team’s splits as a whole.
Like most teams in the league, the Rockies generally have more success against right-handed pitching. Entering Tuesday, they rank seventh in batting average (.256) and eighth in OPS (.745) while having the second-most hits (265).
They also have the third-most strikeouts (284) and are 18th in walks (101).
On the flip side, left-handed pitchers represent a decline in production. The Rockies rank 14th in AVG (.235), 25th in OPS (.643), 19th in hits (84), the fourth-most strikeouts (117), and the second-fewest walks (24). Granted, the sample size against left-handed pitching isn’t large across the league, and the Rockies ranked 23rd in total at-bats against southpaws (357), nearly 700 fewer than against right-handers.
As you’d expect, right-hander batters are seeing the bulk of success against left-handed pitching, batting .251/.317/.379 with six home runs. Meanwhile, left-handed batters are slashing .295/.369/.489 with 22 home runs against right-handed pitching. In the same side match-ups, both aspects of the platoon have a .205 AVG and OPS numbers that are relatively close. The main difference is that right-handed batters have 11 home runs against righties in 300 more at-bats.
The platoon splits are nothing surprising. In general, the scarcity of left-handed pitchers makes the proportions of sample sizes skewed, and it’s well known that a hitter will often struggle more against a same-sided match-up, but that is exponentially more true for left-handed hitters. The lack of regular opportunity to see lefty-pitchers puts left-handed hitters under a microscope, making it more likely they will be subbed out if the match-up demands it.
The Lefty Swingers
The poster child for the Rockies platoon is none other than Mickey Moniak.
Tormenting right-handed pitchers to the tune of a .337/.390/.716 slash with nine home runs, Moniak is having a fantastic year in Colorado. However, he has seen his opportunities against left-handers limited as he is just 4-for-24 with 12 punchouts. Granted, he does have two home runs to do the heavy lifting for his slugging percentage (.417), but it’s clear that the Rockies are cognisant of his struggles along with the other left-handed hitters.
Moniak, TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Edouard Julien are a combined 19-for-92 against southpaws with three walks and 25 strikeouts. Like Moniak, this group of lefties — along with Jake McCarthy — are torching righties to help propel the Rockies’ offense. In the past, the team struggled to employ multiple lefties in the lineup in general, but in 2026, they have the luxury of deploying up to seven in a single lineup against a right-handed pitcher. Those kinds of odds are helping to produce runs and generate wins for the Rockies.
The anomaly for the group is catcher Brett Sullivan and McCarthy, to an extent. Sullivan has struggled quite a bit in the platoon advantage, slashing .167/.222/.238 with seven hits in 42 at-bats, including three doubles. Meanwhile, in half the sample size, Sullivan is slashing .350/.409/.500 against lefties, going 7-for-20 with three doubles. McCarthy seems to be the only one consistent on both sides of the platoon as he is batting .300/.300/.500 against lefties, albeit in just 10 at-bats, and .288/.368/.500 against righties.
The Righty Swingers
What becomes of the right-handed batters then?
This group of hitters is struggling quite a bit at this point in the season against right-handed pitchers. Tyler Freeman leads the group with a .315/.393/.352 batting line followed by Hunter Goodman’s .262/.327/.524 slash. Beyond them, however, none of the right-handed batters on the current roster against side-sided matchups have an AVG above .200, and only Kyle Karros has an on-base percentage above .300.
The struggles are quite pronounced and become more worrisome when the majority of starting pitchers in the big leagues are still right-handed. It has forced the Rockies to use more platoon match-ups, and we’ve seen decreased playing time for Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck, along with more days off for Ezequiel Tovar.
The player settling into the platoon role the best at this point is Beck.
As mentioned last week, Beck has earned some patience, despite his struggles against righties (.049/.114/.073), because he’s doing well against lefties. Thus far, he is slashing .306/.333/.500 with a 115 wRC+ against southpaws, tallying 11 hits including two doubles, a triple, and a home run. A platoon role may be what’s best for Beck at the moment to spot Moniak and Johnston in the outfield. The downside is that he gets less playing time, but the Rockies want him to have a chance to have opportunities to succeed. He was solid enough last season against right-handers, so he is capable, but just hasn’t found that rhythm in 2026.
Karros and the switch-hitting Castro, who is fine on either side of the plate, are also enjoying more results at the plate against left-handed pitching. Oddly enough, Freeman is batting .192/.276/.423, but does have two home runs. Unfortunately, Doyle’s struggles have continued against left-handed pitching with only slight improvement to a .198 AVG, but he has drawn five walks against 10 strikeouts.
Tovar is the interesting piece here because his struggles have felt more pronounced this year. In his big-league career, he has generally been immune to the platoon split because the numbers have been similar enough. Star players have to have the capabilities of posting up every day and finding ways to beat the pitcher regardless of what hand they throw with. This year, however, right-handers are exploiting Tovar’s weaknesses more than ever. Meanwhile, he’s posting career-highs in AVG (.286) and OBP (.375) against left-handers.
Out of all the players mentioned above, the Rockies can’t afford for Tovar to become a platoon player at the plate because he has the potential to be a star and is elite on defense.
Is it working?
Overall, the platoon system and hunting match-ups seem to be working. Given the makeup of the team, it makes sense that Paul DePodesta and Warren Schaeffer would keep an eye on platoon splits. For some players, it genuinely can make a difference and allow more opportunities for other players. However, for players like Tovar, some issues run deeper than a simple platoon split, and more work will need to be done to mitigate the gap in production.
Still, the Rockies are looking to give players opportunities to succeed, and platoon splits are a good place to start.
Despite 10 hits as a team, the Albuquerque Isotopes managed just two runs as they won in extra-innings against Oklahoma City. The Isotopes scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Sterlin Thompson and wouldn’t score against until the 10th, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men on base. Thompson played hero in extras, lacing an RBI single for the walk-off victory. Cole Carrigg, Adael Amador, and Chad Stevens also had two-hit nights for the ‘Topes. Erasmo Ramírez, the 36-year-old veteran, was excellent in his second start since joining the organization, as he allowed just one run on two hits over 5.2 innings. The bullpen surrendered just three hits the rest of the way and allowed three walks with two strikeouts.
Thanks to a walk-off home run by Benny Montgomery, the Hartford Yard Goats pulled out a 7-6 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs. The home run was Montgomery’s third of the year and his only hit of the night as he struck out three times. Meanwhile, Andy Perez tallied three hits and scored three runs on the night to lead the Yard Goats. Hartford recorded nine hits while striking out 13 times and drawing six walks. Konner Eaton started on the mound, allowing five runs through 4.2 innings, giving up three home runs while striking out three and walking one. Three relievers then combined to allow just one run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
The Spokane Indians scored early and often to secure a 7-3 victory over Hillsboro. Roynier Hernanadez and Tommy Hopfe led the 13-hit barrage for Spokane with three hits apiece. Jacob Hinderleider drove in three runs, aided by a two-run homer, along with Jacob Humphrey, who had a two-run home run of his own. Jackson Cox was again brilliant in his start, working 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The bullpen was also strong, as two relievers combined to allow just one hit and a walk, along with two strikeouts.
A nightmare top of the ninth cost the Fresno Grizzlies a series-opening victory against the Visalia Rawhide as four runs came across to snag an 8-7 loss. Austin Newton delivered a solid start for Fresno, allowing two runs on five hits through five innings. He gave way to Easton Marks, who worked three innings but allowed two runs in the eighth and was responsible for three more in the ninth, although one was unearned. Seth Clausen was then tagged with the loss and blown save after giving up the winning run. Offensively, the Grizzlies had 11 hits with Cameron Nelson going 3-for-5 with a couple of RBI. Tanner Thach blasted his sixth home run of the season, and Roldy Brito delivered his fourth triple of the season as part of his two-hit night.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the production of Jake McCarthy and the cracks in the rotation, and take a quick look around the minor league system.
The Rockies have been trying to preach more patience and focus and the plate at the results are starting to show in Triple-A for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
ATLANTA, GA OCTOBER 08: Legendary Atlanta manager Bobby Cox gets a hug from current Braves bench coach Walt Weiss (4) after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of the Major League baseball NLDS game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 8th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Despite the fact that the Braves were back in town and riding high following a successful road trip out West, there was still a bit of a somber feeling at the ballpark ahead of their series opener against the Chicago Cubs. That’s because this was the first time where the organization would be able to honor the memory of both former owner Ted Turner and former manager Bobby Cox — both of whom passed away while the Braves on the road.
As such, this gave some figures around the Braves a chance to publicly spell out some of their memories and takeaways from their time spent with the legendary manager. Walt Weiss spoke with the media (as he usually does) ahead of Tuesday’s game and he had plenty to say about Bobby Cox’s impact on his baseball career.“
“I think everybody’s done a really good job of communicating the legacy of Bobby Cox in the last several days. There’s been a lot of great stories,” said Weiss when he was asked about his thoughts on the whole situation. A lot of confirmation about what a great leader he was and the impact he had on so many people.
Walt Weiss played under Bobby Cox from 1998 through the 2000 season as he ended his playing career as a member of the Braves. He also discussed how he learned from Cox on how to be a leader during those times. “I was honored that I got a chance to play for him for three years. I always tell everybody that I wish everybody in the game could either play for Bobby or work for Bobby for at least one year, just to see how it’s supposed to be done,” explained Weiss. “He was a different type of leader and a different type of person based on the way he treated people. He just created loyalty with how he treated people. That respect always came back to him.”
“He always had great culture,” continued Weiss. “I remember coming in my first year for spring training as a Brave and thinking ‘I don’t wan’t be the one to screw this thing up,’ so you get on board and you do things the way Bobby wanted them done…in ‘99 we lost in the World Series to the Yankees. Every guy in the room felt like we let Bobby down. That doesn’t happen in professional sports. A lot of times, it becomes self-preservation because it’s such a cutthroat business. But he had that kind of impact where when we didn’t play well or in that instance, we didn’t win the World Series for him, we let him down. I don’t know if I’d ever felt that before at this level.”
Weiss’ time playing under Bobby Cox clearly had an impact on how he has operated as a manager and it’s obvious that he has carried a lot of what he learned during that time with him into his current stint as manager. “I said this when I got hired. I was proud that in some way, a small way, that Bobby’s lineage continues,” exclaimed Weiss. “I think that’s really important here. It’s been foundational to the Braves’ success over the last few decades so I’m proud of that. That doesn’t mean that we’re all do the things the exact same way that Bobby did but we are going to do some of the things that he did that are important and that respect this brand and organization. I think that’s important and I’m proud that in some small way, I’m an extension of Bobby.”
Tuesday’s game was televised on TBS (coincidentally but also fitting), which meant that Jeff Francoeur got a chance to be in the house as a color commentator. He also spoke with the media ahead of the game and he took the time to share plenty of memories that he had during his time playing under Bobby Cox.
“The first game I ever got ejected was in San Diego at Petco Park in 2006,” began Frenchy as he started telling a story of one of the more offbeat moments for him — and something routine for Cox. “Bobby comes out and he gets ejected with me — I’ve never been ejected. We’re walking on the stairs, Bobby’s waddlin’ and I ask him ‘Bobby, what do I do? I’ve never been thrown out of a game before,’ and he said ‘Well, go get in the cold tub, have a couple of beers, ice your legs. You’ll probably get fined $500 or $1000, depending on what you said — or you can do what I do which is I just send a $50,000 check at the beginning of the year and whatever’s left over, just give it to charity…he was one of a kind.”
Frenchy went on to talk about how he wasn’t the only former Braves player in the house to pay respects to their former manager. “It’s cool to be here to be able to honor Bobby tonight…we’re having Andruw [Jones] on in the third [inning] on TBS because I want him to tell the story live of when Bobby yanked him out of the game…He’s just a such a respected man, Bobby was. In our first day of spring training, Bobby would get everybody in that thing and he would say that everybody that was on the plane, whatever they were, they were part of the Braves family. Treat them with respect and give them your time.”
Frenchy went on to give Bobby Cox some extremely lofty praise when it came to his opinion of Cox’s impact on the franchise. “This might be a lot to say but I think that the two most influential people in the history of the Atlanta Braves were Hank Aaron No. 1 and probably Bobby Cox as No. 2,” exclaimed Frenchy. “Just the foundation and the way he built [this team], people came here to play for less money and they came here to play for Bobby. I was one of the fortunate ones who got to realize the dream to play for him early on.”
Francoeur went on to tell another story about how Bobby Cox would be faithful to his players. Sometimes it would be to a fault but sometime it would work out like it did for Frenchy in this particular situation. “I was 2-for-26 coming off a road trip and he’s like ‘You’re going to play right field for me and you’re going to bat fifth or sixth depending on the matchups so just go out there, relax and play baseball. It’s what you’re good at, it’s what you do — don’t listen to talk radio or anybody else. Just go out there and play baseball,” remembered Francoeur. “That little two-minute conversation all of a sudden frees me up. My last at-bat that night, I got a bloop single to right at Turner Field. The very next night vs. the Phillies…I had two home runs. I took off, man. He knew how to encourage you.”
It makes sense that when Francoeur was asked to sum up Bobby Cox in one word. It’s a tough task but Frenchy rose to the occasion with a pretty good word, in my opinion. “Loyal. Loyalty was his thing,” said Francoeur. “He would ride and die with you. You wanna know the impact he had? All the guys he had to release, trade, send down…they all still talked about him with reverence. They all talked about him with such respect. I’ve played for a lot of other managers and I loved them but they’re not talked about like that. He found a way to just ride with you to the end.
After the Lakers were booted from the playoffs by a younger and faster Thunder team, Luka Doncic reminisced about what could’ve been.
In March, the Big Three were healthy. They had gone on a 15-2 run. They were soaring.
“We thought we were gonna compete for a championship,” Doncic said.
But those hopes dimmed amid a string of injuries to Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique), and ultimately came crashing down against a second-round opponent that was deeper and vastly superior on both ends of the court.
LeBron James was the only one of the Lakers’ Big Three to be healthy for every playoff game. Getty Images
Now a franchise that views anything short of winning a championship as failing needs to hit the drawing board. Lakers’ president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka shared his vision during his exit interview Tuesday.
“Of course, we want that core to be back together,” Pelinka said.
There are a lot of moving pieces for the Lakers this offseason, including impending decisions by free agents James, Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard. Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton have player options.
Luka Doncic did not make an appearance on the court in the postseason. NBAE via Getty Images
The 41-year-old reiterated that he’s uncertain about his future after the Lakers’ Game 4 loss to the Thunder on Monday. Pelinka said if James chooses to return for his 24th season, the Lakers would welcome him back.
“Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster,” Pelinka said. “That’s a blessing in itself just with what he does.”
For that to work, James would need to agree to a significant pay cut from the $52.6 he earned this season.
James, who averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists this season, proved that he’s willing to sacrifice and do what’s best for the team after embracing becoming the team’s third option this spring. Would the Lakers be able to find a better “role player” than him? No.
And if James chooses to return, the Lakers would seemingly be the best situation for him considering his family has made LA their home and he has played for the franchise for the last eight seasons.
But before making any decisions, James wants to confer with his wife, daughter and sons, as well as do some introspection over whether he’s still “in love with the process.”
Austin Reaves returned to the Lakers lineup after missing part of the playoffs due to injury. NBAE via Getty Images
As for Reaves, who’s expected to turn down his $14.9 player option to become a free agent, he has made it clear he loves playing alongside Doncic and wants to keep playing with James.
Pelinka anticipates a deal working out between the two parties.
“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said of Reaves, who averaged a career-high 23.3 points on 49% shooting from the field, 36% from deep this season. “And we feel the same way. We want his Odyssey to continue to unfold in the Purple and Gold.”
But if the Lakers bring back their core, do they have enough maneuverability to construct a roster that can compete with top echelon teams?
Therein lies the rub.
The Lakers have three first-round picks and it’s no secret they’re going to try and target Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.
The Lakers were outmatched in their series against the Thunder. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
They’re too top heavy. The Thunder had 13 players who were playing well. The Lakers were lucky if they had six.
“I think depth is really important, athleticism and youth,” Pelinka said. “We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it.”
The Lakers also desperately need to bolster their defense and acquire more shooters who can spread the court for Doncic. Pelinka hopes to find some diamonds in the rough who they can develop.
He pointed to the fact that Ajay Mitchell was a second round draft pick. Mitchell torched LA with 22.5 points a game while also playing lockdown defense in their second-round series.
“There’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces,” Pelinka said.
But for the Lakers, everything starts and stops with Doncic, who averaged a league-leading 33.5 points a game, was third in assists (8.3) and sixth in steals (1.6).
Reaves, who’s expected to turn down his $14.9 player option to become a free agent, has made it clear he loves playing alongside Doncic and wants to keep playing with James. Getty Images
He’s their now. He’s their future.
Pelinka plans to meet with Doncic on Friday or Saturday. He praised Doncic for being open about the style her prefers to play and whom he wants to play alongside.
“We’re in constant communication with him and his team,” Pelinka said of the Slovenian superstar. “I plan on seeing him before he takes off to go home and spend time with his daughters.”
It’s going to be a very active offseason for the Lakers.
Right now there are far more questions than answers.
But this much is for sure: The Lakers are going to need to make some major tweaks to be able to compete for their 18th championship.
“We’ve got to find a way to have a roster that will compete with any team in the NBA,” Pelinka said. “That’s what we do here.”
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When the front office hands you the keys to basketball’s most glamorous franchise, the one draped in 17 championship banners and impossible expectations, you’re not allowed to have excuses.
That is why what JJ Redick has done in his first two seasons as head coach of the Lakers deserves far more credit and respect than he’s getting nationally.
What JJ Redick has done in his first two seasons as head coach of the Lakers deserves far more credit and respect. NBAE via Getty Images
Last-second substitutions aside, let’s be honest about the situation Redick inherited when he was hired back in the summer of 2024.
Redick didn’t take over the 1996 Bulls or 2017 Warriors. He inherited an aging top-heavy, injury-riddled roster featuring a 40-year-old LeBron James and a walking MRI in Anthony Davis. But Redick was still under constant pressure to win every single night. That’s what comes with the job.
Oh, and did we mention he had never coached before at any level?
Not in college, not as an assistant, not in the G League. Nowhere.
Redick went from sitting across the table from LeBron on a podcast talking basketball philosophy, to holding a clipboard and coaching LeBron on the court.
Everyone thought Redick would fail spectacularly.
Redick went from sitting across the table from LeBron on a podcast talking basketball philosophy, to holding a clipboard and coaching LeBron on the court. NBAE via Getty Images
Instead, he won 50 games in Year 1.
Then he followed that with 53 wins in Year 2.
Not since Phil Jackson had any Lakers head coach had back-to-back 50-win seasons, and Redick accomplished the feat in his first two years ever doing the job. That matters.
It matters because coaching in today’s NBA is less about X’s and O’s and more about managing egos, adapting on the fly, and convincing millionaire superstars to sacrifice parts of themselves for the greater good of the team.
Redick already has a long list of coaching accomplishments. He was gifted Luka Doncic in the middle of last season and had to start from scratch on how to get the most out of a roster that had no rim protection. He guided them to the No. 3 seed in the West.
This season, Redick’s greatest coaching accomplishment was convincing LeBron to become the third option. Something he’s never done before.
He was gifted Luka Doncic in the middle of last season. NBAE via Getty Images
“I’ve never been a third option in my life,” said James. “So to be able to thrive in that role…that was pretty cool for me at this stage of my career.”
Redick convinced one of the greatest players of all time to be selfless and humble. That does not happen unless a coach has complete trust inside the locker room.
Despite having “three quarterbacks” Redick got buy-in from three ball-dominant creators to find a way to play together. Normally, that’s a chemistry disaster. Instead, it became one of the more selfless Lakers teams in years.
“JJ did an amazing job of fitting all that together,” said Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. “It was incredibly impressive.”
Redick spent two seasons coaching without the benefit of practice days. Without roster balance and without a reliable center. It felt like the Lakers were constantly trying to patch leaks in a sinking boat, while simultaneously racing the fastest teams in the league.
Redick’s decision to switch to zone midway through the season was a great example of adaptability. Early in the season, the Lakers did not have the foot speed to survive in man-to-man coverage. So Redick switched to zone. The players all would later admit that the communication required to play zone sharpened them defensively when they switched back.
It matters because coaching in today’s NBA is less about X’s and O’s and more about managing egos, adapting on the fly, and convincing millionaire superstars to sacrifice parts of themselves for the greater good of the team. NBAE via Getty Images
Now that’s coaching.
And when Doncic and Reaves both went down with serious injuries on April 2, the season should have collapsed right there. Any other team would have folded and started booking their tickets to Cancun.
Instead, Redick recalibrated again.
He shifted LeBron back to the number one scoring option. He unlocked Luke Kennard, and he unleashed Rui Hachimura.
Redick understood Kennard’s game from years of watching him dating back to high school and college. Redick did what nine other coaches couldn’t do, and challenged Kennard to handle the ball, create offense, and make reads off the dribble instead of being a spot-up three-point shooter. The result was a triple-double in his first game. A little over a week later, came a stunning 27-point performance in Game 1 of the first round series with the Rockets that sparked the eventual upset.
Redick helped develop a hesitant and overwhelmed Hachimura into one of the most dangerous playoff shooters the NBA has ever seen. Hachimura shot 56.9% from three during the postseason and looks more confident than at any other point in his career. That’s coaching.
Redick helped develop a hesitant and overwhelmed Hachimura into one of the most dangerous playoff shooters the NBA has ever seen. NBAE via Getty Images
The season didn’t end the way anyone wanted. A sweep is never how you want to go out.
But without Doncic, the Lakers were trying to survive against the youngest, deepest, and most athletic team in basketball. The reigning Champion OKC Thunder.
And that’s not an indictment of Redick. If anything, the fact that the Lakers remained competitive at all says more about him than the sweep itself.
And now, for the first time under Redick, the Lakers will enter the offseason with real financial flexibility and a clearer understanding of their identity. They will have plenty of cap space to spend. They have Doncic as their centerpiece. Most importantly, they have a coach who players genuinely believe in.
Two years ago, everyone mocked the hire, but Redick is no longer a podcast host pretending to coach.
He’s a real one.
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