PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 28: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on March 28, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Only two games this week for the Phoenix Suns, which was much needed for the team after they had five games in seven days the week before. Finishing 1–1 this week, with a loss to the Nuggets and a win against the Jazz, it was a pretty mellow week for Phoenix as the basketball world was mostly focused on March Madness.
Here are the main questions for Week 23 we want your thoughts on:
Fending off the Clippers
After a five-game win streak and with the Suns recently dropping five straight, the Los Angeles Clippers are the closest they’ve been to dethroning Phoenix for the 7th spot. Currently 2.5 games back of Phoenix, the Clippers and Suns split their season series against each other. The Suns have the better division record, so assuming they’re the only two teams in the West that finish with the same record, Phoenix will be the higher seed.
Since their 6–21 start to the season, Los Angeles has been one of the best teams in basketball, boasting a 33–15 record over their last 48 games—the fourth-best record in the league in that stretch. Whether they surpass them in the standings or not, Phoenix is likely to face them in the first round of the play-in tournament.
How do you feel about the Clippers as an opponent for the Suns in the play-in? Do you think they can catch the Suns in the standings?
Brooks and Williams Returns Loom
Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams are getting closer to returning from their respective hand and foot injuries. Both participated in 5-on-5 over the weekend, and Jordan Ott said that “everything is headed in the right direction” when it comes to their injuries.
Williams has been out since March 3rd, and Brooks has been out since February 21st. Williams will presumably replace Oso Ighodaro in the starting lineup at center, while Brooks looks to be replacing Royce O’Neale.
Suns coach Jordan Ott said Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Mark Williams (left foot third metatarsal stress reaction) both played 5-on-5 today, a huge step towards returning to the floor.
How do you think Ott and company should handle both starters’ pending returns? What do you think rotations should look like?
The Final Stretch
Phoenix has just eight games left in the regular season, about 10% remaining. The team is 4–6 in their last 10 and recently endured their longest losing streak of the season. With six more road games and two more home contests, the Suns have a chance to even out their road and home records, as the team is 24–15 at home this season and 17–18 away from the Mortgage Matchup Center.
What do the Suns need to prove to you in the last two weeks of the season for you to feel confident in them come playoff time?
On the Suns’ Plate This Week
After just two games this past week, Phoenix will have four this week. Starting tonight against the Grizzlies, the team will then head to Orlando to face the Magic tomorrow, and then the Hornets and Bulls on Thursday and Sunday, respectively.
PORTLAND, OR - DECEMBER 29: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on December 29, 2025 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks might be playing with lottery fire. Every few games they have a key result that risks their positioning in a bottlenecked cluster in the top ten. Last week it was a win against the Portland Trail Blazers on a night those around them lost.
We should take a moment and pause — positioning ultimately decides nothing. The story will only be fully told when the lottery order is decided in a draw on Sunday May, 10. Go back 12 months and look at teams like the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans who all positioned themselves better than the Mavericks and ultimately they fell back three and four spots. So sweating game to game results too closely isn’t productive. But in the event the Mavericks do get bumped backward in May, being nearest to the top will help pad the fall.
Here at Lottery Watch we’re doing the unproductive thing. We’re looking at the weekly results and measuring where the Mavericks will land as the season comes to a close and as the organization looks to this summer to find Cooper Flagg’s future running mate.
Lottery standings
The Mavericks went 1-2 last week, and face a shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves squad Monday night. No matter the opponent Dallas plays hard every night, even as the accumulate losses, and flirt with stealing some surprising wins. They find themselves currently tied for sixth in the lottery standings with the New Orleans Pelicans, 3.5 games behind the Utah Jazz — which is likely an impossible gap to make up with so few games.
Where they’re certainly looking is behind them, where the Memphis Grizzlies sit just one game behind the tie, after a dramatic near-loss-but-somehow-surprising-win to the Chicago Bulls. Dallas has a marginally tougher schedule over Memphis. But notably the New Orleans Pelicans, who once again have no incentive to lose (owe their pick to the Atlanta Hawks), has the fifth easiest remaining schedule. Something will eventually have to give…that or we all bite our nails until May 10. Probably the latter.
Weekly schedule
The Mavericks play most of their games at home this week (14-23 this season), with one game on the road to face the hobbled Milwaukee Bucks, who are currently just behind Memphis in the lottery standings. This is one of those weeks where the hustle-heavy Mavericks could grab a win or two.
The Pelicans don’t play until Thursday, and also have some winnable games on their slate, while Memphis ay have opportunity to move up in the standings.
Dallas Mavericks: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, @ Milwaukee Bucks, vs. Orlando Magic, vs. Los Angeles Lakers
New Orleans Pelicans: @ Portland Trail Blazers, @ Sacramento Kings, vs. Orlando Magic
Memphis Grizzlies: vs. Phoenix Suns, vs. New York Knicks, vs. Toronto Raptors, @ Milwaukee Bucks
One magic spin
Each week we’ll take one spin around the block at tankathon.com and see where the chips fall. This week the Mavericks move back into the top four after losing out on last week’s spin. And in a “no one cares about this witchcraft but me” scenario the Atlanta Hawks jump to first FOR THE SIXTH WEEK IN A ROW. They have gone 6-of-6 in this series. Demons.
This week’s simulation really drives the point home on positioning not guaranteeing anything but it does pad the fall back.
After four seasons away, the 43-year-old coach is back as the LSU men's basketball coach following stops at McNeese and North Carolina State. Wade was introduced as the new Tigers coach, starting for the 2026-27 college basketball season on March 30.
In his first stint with LSU, Wade had a 105-51 record, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2019. However, he was suspended for the final five games of the 2021-22 season after the NCAA issued a notice to the school based on findings from investigations into alleged recruiting violations.
"The last four years have humbled and changed me," Wade said. "You're getting a better coach, a better leader this time around."
Wade spent the 2023-24 season with McNeese, leading the program to an NCAA Tournament berth. He then coached the program to its first tournament win the following season. He signed a six-year contract with N.C. State on March 22, 2025.
He said on Monday that he had no concerns about how he left the Wolfpack after just one season.
"I long ago quit worrying about my perception," Wade said. "That part doesn't bother me too much. I'd like to focus more on what's going on at LSU. NC State was great to me. I think there have been things I have been mischaracterized on how I left."
"I am at peace with how I left. ... They are pretty mad for a coach they didn't think was very good," Wade added.
LSU opted to bring back Wade and fire head coach Matt McMahon last week. McMahon was 60-70 in four years after replacing Wade, including going 15-17 and 3-15 in SEC play this past season.
USA TODAY brought you coverage of Wade's introductory press conference with LSU on Monday. Catch up here:
The nearly 50-minute press conference to introduce Will Wade as the new men's basketball coach is over. Wade spoke for nearly 30 minutes, including fielding questions from the media.
"I long ago quit worrying about my perception," Wade said. "That part doesn't bother me too much. I'd like to focus more on what's going on at LSU. NC State was great to me. I think there have been things I have been mischaracterized on how I left."
"I am at peace with how I left. ... They are pretty mad for a coach they didn't think was very good," Wade added.
Wade added he wishes NC State "nothing but success."
Wade added he has met with five or six players since he took the job. He said that with a ton of seniors, there will be a lot of roster. He said conversations will continue for the guys who want to stay with LSU, but will also support players who want to transfer.
He said there has not been a team meeting, but he has met guys one-on-one.
"There wasn't some formal interview," Wade said. "We all knew each other for a long time. It pretty much kicked into high gear on Wednesday, when first contact was made. That was when the process started."
"We're going to get this program back to the NCAA Tournament, back to the top of SEC in short order," Will Wade said. I am honored to be your coach and represent the state in this great school."
"We're going to get in that portal when it opens next Monday and we're going to put together a winner, because that's what everyone in here deserves," Will Wade said.
Will Wade said he's going to make history with LSU basketball. He will either win a national championship or he will be the first coach fired twice from the same school.
LSU's Vice President and Director of Athletics, Verge Ausberry, is the first to speak at Will Wade's introductory press conference. He starts the press conference by thanking Matt McMahon.
Ausberry said that Wade was the only coach that LSU spoke to about the position.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 29: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals bats in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on March 29, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After an unideal opening series against the Rangers, the Phillies will get their first look at a National League East opponent this season. And in what is hopefully good news, it’s the NL East opponent that most pundits expect will finish last in the division.
Washington Nationals
Record: 2-1 (Second place in National League East)
The last time they met
The Phillies hosted the Nats in late August 2025 and took two out of three games. It would have been a sweep if not for a blown save by Jhoan Duran in the opening game.
What’s the deal with the Nationals?
After winning the World Series in 2019, things quickly fell apart for the Nationals. Star players like Trea Turner, Max Scherzer, and Anthony Rendon left the team, and Stephen Strasburg’s arm fell apart seemingly seconds after signing a lucrative extension.
Of course, we all know what really sparked the downfall of the Nats:
The Nats began to rebuild, but it generally isn’t a good sign when the team decides to fire the general manager a few years into the rebuilding process, as the Nats did with Mike Rizzo last summer. The Nats’ ownership group seemed to think that Rizzo was behind the times in terms of analytics and player development methodology. Rizzo seemed to think the Nats’ owners were cheap and should have done more to retain their stars. Because failure usually has multiple authors, they’re probably both correct.
Where does that leave the Nats now? They’re very young, without a regular player in the lineup over 30, and most are under 27. While that gives the Nats some hope for the future, it doesn’t do all that much for their chances in 2026. Most projections have them being one of the worst teams in baseball.
I have a friend who is a Nats fan, and he says he can barely identify anyone in the lineup.
Featured player: James Wood
In 2022, the Nationals realized they weren’t going to be able to sign outfielder Juan Soto to an extension and traded him to the Padres for what looked like an impressive haul of prospects.
Soto trade update:
Padres got- 1.5 years of Soto
Nationals got-
Best pitcher on team (Gore) Best player on team (Abrams) Best prospect in the system (Wood) + Hassell and Susana.
Do I wish we got Jackson Merrill? Absolutely. But the Soto trade was an INCREDIBLE haul
However, they’ve already jettisoned one of the key pieces from that trade in MacKenzie Gore (based on yesterday, that might have been a mistake), and they’ve made it known that shortstop C.J. Abrams is also available for the right price. (Buckle up, Nats fans: If a 25-year-old isn’t deemed to be in your “contention window,” you’re probably not going to be seeing the playoffs any time soon.)
At last year’s All-Star break, the Nats probably thought that outfielder James Wood would be part of that window. The 23-year-old hit 24 home runs in the first half and looked like a burgeoning star. But his star fell considerably in the second half, with a .690 OPS and just seven post-break home runs.
That performance has carried over to 2026. After a poor showing in Spring Training, he’s off to an awful start to the season. He’s 1-13 (with the one hit being a home run) with seven strikeouts.
James Wood strikes out after not swinging at 5 straight pitches.
0-6 with 5Ks to start Wood’s 2026 campaign.#Natitude
Obviously, this is a miniscule sample size, and player development is often non-linear. But, considering he’s their best hope to get a long-term building block out of the Soto trade, this has to be dismaying for the Nationals.
Remembering a guy who used to play for the Nationals
The Nationals first made the playoffs in 2012. In game five of that season’s NLDS, they were three outs away from beating the Cardinals and advancing to the next round. Closer Drew Storen was brought in to protect a two-run lead. But with two outs, Storen walked two straight batters and then allowed consecutive singles in a four-run inning that allowed the Cardinals to emerge victorious.
October 12, 2012: St. Louis comes back from a 6-0 deficit to win Game 5 of the NLDS over Washington 9-7 and take the series. The Cardinals rally included 4 runs in the 9th. pic.twitter.com/SlNFZNSm3a
I don’t know why I get surprised every year by baseball fans overreacting to any given regular season series. The Phillies didn’t look great for most of the weekend, but after three (of 162!) games, they are 1-2 with one loss coming in extra innings. I don’t know how any sweeping conclusions could possibly be made from that sample size.
And for the “Why would you expect different results when they just ran it back?” crowd, can I remind you that the team won 96 games last year? And as for the biggest potential move that they could have made this winter:
Just a reminder that this guy who most Phillies fans wanted to fix their offense https://t.co/UI6WeTJkCd
In somewhat of an upset, Here We Are Again beat out Ghost. Either people really enjoy early 1900’s British music, or you couldn’t bring yourself to vote for Justin Bieber. (I suspect it’s the latter.)
Per suggestion, the next contender is Everybody Wants You – Billy Squier, 1983
Vote for the winner and leave any suggestions for the next contender in the comments!
Closing thought
If people are already panicking after three games, I hate to think what would happen if the Phillies lost a series at home to the Nats. And if Andrew Painter – scheduled to make his major league debut on Tuesday – should happen to struggle, then we could see a real “sky is falling” situation around these parts.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 27: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 27, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
ATLANTA — The Celtics will once again be shorthanded when they face the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night on the second night of a back-to-back.
Jayson Tatum (right Achilles repair management) will be sidelined after exploding for 32 points and 8 assists on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. And Nikola Vucevic remains out with a right ring finger fracture suffered on March 6th.
Jaylen Brown is AVAILABLE tonight against the Hawks.
The good news for the Celtics, however, is that Jaylen Brown, who missed the last two games with left Achilles tendonitis, is available. Joe Mazzulla said last week that Brown was day-to-day.
Derrick White, who, like Brown, missed Sunday’s game, is probable to play in this one. Neemias Queta, who is dealing with a right thumb sprain, is doubtful. And, Ron Harper Jr., who sprained his ankle in Sunday’s game, is questionable to play. Harper Jr. left in the second quarter of the game, but returned in the second half and played 4 minutes the rest of the way.
Monday will mark Tatum’s second rest night since returning to action on March 6th.
Atlanta, meanwhile, will be fully healthy in the match-up.
How the Celtics, Hawks stack up
The Celtics are 2-1 against the Hawks this season, most recently beating them 109-102 last Friday at TD Garden. The Celtics overcame a 16-point first-quarter deficit in that game, fueled by a 26-point performance from Payton Pritchard and a 26-point, 12-rebound outing by Jayson Tatum.
Both the Celtics and the Hawks have been two of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Hawks (42-33) are 16-3 since the All-Star break, the third-best record in the NBA in that span.
Celtics-Hawks tips off at 7:30pm ET on Monday night in Atlanta.
The Angels face their second opponent of the season tonight, traveling to Wrigley Field to open a three-game series against the Cubs.
The Angels surprised many with back-to-back wins to open the season. While the front-line talent may be improved in Los Angeles, the Angels showed that depth in the pitching staff is an issue, giving up 20 runs over the next two games.
My Angels vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks are calling for the Chicago bats to hit their stride en route to a win on Monday, March 30.
Angels vs Cubs predictions
Angels vs Cubs best bet: Cubs -1.5 (+104)
The Chicago Cubs hit three homers on Sunday after plating 10 runs in Saturday’s win over Washington. Four of Chicago’s five dingers this season have been solo shots, but I think we'll see more table-setting from the Cubs’ offense tonight.
Los Angeles Angels SP Ryan Johnson is a former reliever making his first MLB start above Class A. Four of his six spring appearances were in relief, so that doesn’t indicate a long outing from him.
The Angels' bullpen has allowed 11 runs over 7 1/3 innings across the last two games.
COVERS INTEL: Ian Happ has made contact with seven balls this season. Five of them have qualified as “hard hit,” and three were barreled up.
Angels vs Cubs same-game parlay (SGP)
Two of three Cubs games this year have seen a team plate 10+ runs on their own, and the nine-run mark has been hit by a team three times in the Angels' four games.
Chicago starts Edward Cabrera, who had a career year with the Marlins last season. However, he had a 7.47 ERA and 1.532 WHIP in Spring Training while seeing his strikeout rate drop.
Ian Happ homered on Sunday and has a .978 OPS on the young season. Johnson allowed 14.7 hits and 2.5 homers per nine innings last season, so Happ could continue to tee off.
Angels vs Cubs SGP
Cubs -1.5
Over 9.5
Ian Happ Over 0.5 RBI
Angels vs Cubs home run pick: Mike Trout (+240)
Is he back? He just might be.
Mike Trout hit .462 with two homers and 1.573 OPS in his first series of 2026. He’s reached base twice in three plate appearances against Cabrera, who throws a fast (87th percentile on velocity last year) but hittable four-seamer.
Trout has not missed a fastball yet this season, and both of his home runs were off of that pitch.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 1-3, -2.23 units
SGPs: 0-4, -4 units
HR picks: HR 2-5, +0.65 units
Angels vs Cubs odds
Moneyline: Los Angeles +164 | Chicago -196
Run line: Los Angeles +1.5 | Chicago -1.5
Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5
Angels vs Cubs trend
The Cubs have hit the moneyline in 42 of their last 64 games at home. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Cubs.
How to watch Angels vs Cubs and game info
Location
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Monday, March 30, 2026
First pitch
7:40 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN West, Marquee
Angels starting pitcher
Ryan Johnson (2025: 1-1, 7.36 ERA)
Cubs starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera (2025: 8-7, 3.53 ERA)
Angels vs Cubs latest injuries
Angels vs Cubs weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Last baseball season, torpedo bats (remember those?) stole the show on opening weekend. They were all anyone could talk about.
But time – and technology – marches on. So what do we have dominating the discourse after the first series of games in 2026? ABS challenges, of course!
If the idea is to get the important balls and strikes calls correct, we’re off to a good start. Except for Twins manager Derek Shelton, who was tossed from a game on Sunday, March 29, for arguing an overturned Ball 4.
That incident sparked a memorable call from Orioles TV announcer Kevin Brown, who exclaimed: "He’s arguing with the robots! You can’t defeat the robots!!"
Twins manager Derek Shelton was LIVID as he argued that Ryan Helsley didn't challenge this call fast enough pic.twitter.com/NnsgUb3iap
Meanwhile, fantasy baseball managers are waging their own battles with technology as the season gets rolling. Are my projections on target? Is this guy’s hot start a fact or fluke? Why didn’t the computer give my top waiver pickup? In the search for just a fraction of the clarity ABS provides, it’s time to recognize how easy it is to overreact to the small samples of the early season. Our annual Tuffy Awards shine a spotlight on the lesser-known players off to hot starts who will raise fantasy managers’ expectations, and then predictably return to a near-replacement level of production. The inspiration for the awards is unheralded Chicago Cubs outfielder Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes, who hit three home runs off Dwight Gooden on opening day in 1994.
Fantasy teams who grabbed Rhodes off the waiver wire saw him hit .234 with five home runs from that point forward.
So with a mix of caution and skepticism, we begin our quest to uncover this year’s Tuffy.
They might be legit
Not every unexpectedly fast start is necessarily a fluke. There are always a few early-season waiver wire pickups who remain productive all year. Here are a few worth taking seriously.
OF Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians. The No. 16 overall pick in 2022 out of James Madison made his MLB debut during last year’s playoffs. Then in his first official at-bat with the Guardians, he took the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert deep – and seemingly never stopped slugging. After one series, DeLauter led the majors with four home runs.
The 24-year-old has always been a highly regarded prospect, but persistent foot injuries have kept him from playing more than 57 games in any of his three pro seasons. Through it all, he’s consistently posted excellent numbers. It’s time DeLauter takes a big step forward.
3B Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox. There was plenty of skepticism this offseason that Murakami’s outrageous power numbers in Japan would translate to the majors, where he’d see many more power arms. The former Triple Crown winner and Japan Central League MVP seems to have adjusted pretty well though, with three solo homers in his first three games. There are still concerns about his contact rate and propensity to strike out, but he did have as many walks as strikeouts (four) in his opening series.
SP Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels. We all should know better than to get too excited about Angels pitchers, but Soriano thrived in his first opening day start. He averaged 99.1 mph on his fastball – up 1.2 mph from last year’s average – in tossing six scoreless innings against the Astros. He also allowed just two hits and struck out seven.
Near-Tuffys
SP Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners. In the final game of opening week, Hancock stopped the Guardians (including DeLauter) cold. Sure, the chilly temperatures may have helped, but he struck out nine and allowed just one walk in six no-hit innings before departing. This performance came out of nowhere after Hancock posted ERAs near 5.00 while bouncing between Seattle and the minors the past two seasons. The former first-round pick should make a few more starts before Bryce Miller is healthy, but it’s hard to see him doing this again.
SP Randy Vasquez, San Diego Padres. In his first two seasons with the Padres, Vasquez averaged fewer than six strikeouts per nine innings with swinging-strike rates below 8.5%. In his first start of 2026, he fanned eight Tigers in six frames with a 14.3% swinging-strike rate. Like Hancock, Vasquez did gain more than a tick on his fastball from last season, but let’s see if it sticks.
SP Eric Lauer, Toronto Blue Jays. After fellow starters Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease combined for 11 ⅓ scoreless innings against the Athletics, Lauer followed with four more of his own before allowing a two-run homer in the fifth. What was most eye-opening though: nine strikeouts in 5 ⅓ innings. Jumping on the Jays bandwagon is easy at this point, but Lauer’s time in the rotation will only last until Trey Yesavage returns from a shoulder strain in a couple weeks.
2B David Hamilton, Milwaukee Brewers. One glance at the half-week stolen base leaders reveals Hamilton ahead of everyone with three. (On pace to top 70!) But Hamilton had just four at-bats and eight plate appearances in the Brewers’ opening series while platooning with Luis Rengifo at third base. If you need speed only, he swiped a total of 55 over the past two seasons in part-time duty with the Red Sox. But he won’t give you anything else.
3B Ben Williamson, Tampa Bay Rays. Also getting off to a hot start with his new team, Williamson went 5-for-9 and scored four runs in his first three games. Known primarily for his glove, he’s part of a platoon at third and will only see part-time at-bats until Gavin Lux returns from the IL Williamson has just one home run in 286 career at-bats through Sunday.
And the 2026 Tuffy Award goes to ...
OF Joey Wiemer, Washington Nationals. It’s hard to be any better than Wiemer was in going 6-for-6 with a couple of walks and two home runs to start the season. The 27-year-old journeyman is playing for his fourth major league team in four seasons. On a rebuilding Nationals squad, it’s no surprise he went undrafted in just about every fantasy league after hitting .150 this spring.
Wiemer’s roster rate will skyrocket this week after he homered on opening day and followed it up with three-run blast on Sunday. But those heroics came against a pair of left-handed Cubs starters. He isn’t going to take away playing time from a true young talent like Daylen Lile in right field or a defensive whiz like Jacob Young in center.
Wiemer is a nice story, but one we’ve seen many times before at this time of year.
It’s Championship Week for fantasy basketball managers, and we’ve reached our last waiver wire article of the season. Thanks for following along in 2025-26, and best of luck in your title matchups!
As a reminder, this article will only feature players rostered in 25% or less of Yahoo! leagues for the rest of the season. The waiver wire in competitive leagues is cut-throat, and managers looking for an end-of-season edge will need to dive deep.
Here are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for Week 23.
Priority Adds
1. Collin Sexton
2. Jaxson Hayes
3. Paul Reed
4. Jamal Shead
5. Sandro Mamukelashvili
6. Gary Payton II
7. Daeqwon Plowden
8. Will Riley
9. Kennedy Chandler
10. Kevin Huerter
Collin Sexton, Chicago Bulls (24 percent rostered)
Chicago’s guard rotation is thin due to injuries, and the “Young (Chicago) Bull" has taken full advantage of his opportunities. In 10 games this month, he’s averaging 21.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.0 dimes, 1.2 steals and 2.9 triples across 26.2 minutes per game. Sexton has offered sixth-round value in that span and scored 20+ points seven times.
Collin Sexton went OFF in the Bulls W against the Suns
Will Riley, Washington Wizards (20 percent rostered)
Riley continues to be one of the most reliable options for the Wizards. Despite numerous injuries and clear tanking protocol, Riley has logged 32 minutes per game across his last seven with averages of 16.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.0 triples.
Like Riley, Plowden has been a consistent option for a tanking team, and fantasy managers can pick him up for championship week. Over his last 10, the second-year man out of Bowling Green has averaged 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 3.1 triples across 31.6 minutes. He should stay heavily involved for the shorthanded Kings moving forward.
Gary Payton II, Golden State Warriors (14 percent rostered)
Golden State’s roster is as banged up as they come, and Payton II has stepped up with some much-needed scoring, rebounding and defense. He’s scored in double figures in 11 straight games, averaging 14.3 points on 69% shooting, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals. He’s worth a look for the final week of the season.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Toronto Raptors (14 percent rostered)
Collin Murray-Boyles is banged up, and Jakob Poeltl doesn’t see big minutes these days. Over the last eight games, Poeltl has averaged 26.5 minutes compared to 19.1 for Mamu. In that span, Mamu has averaged 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 triples. He could see increased run if CMB misses time and an even bigger role if Poeltl sits out for one game of Toronto’s back-to-back set in Week 23.
Kennedy Chandler, Utah Jazz (13 percent rostered)
Chandler is yet another name in Utah’s rotation who has stepped into an increased role during the team’s blatant tankathon. Over the last five, Chandler has averaged 14.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 triples across 30.6 minutes.
Jaxson Hayes, Los Angeles Lakers (6 percent rostered)
Hayes’ playing time has soared over his last five games, and he’s been great as a shot-blocker. Hayes has averaged 11.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 swats across 24.2 minutes in that span, recording multiple rejections in all five appearances.
Paul Reed, Detroit Pistons (5 percent rostered)
B-ball Paul doesn’t see a ton of work when Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are available, but it’s unclear when Stewart will return, and Duren is listed as doubtful on Monday. Reed could be heavily involved in the frontcourt, and he’s an interesting addition to kick off Championship Week.
Kevin Huerter, Detroit Pistons (4 percent rostered)
Huerter has seen at least 20 minutes in five straight games, turning that court time into 12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.2 triples. With a slew of Pistons out on Monday and a four-game week on the horizon, Huerter is worth an add in most formats.
22 points. 4 triples. 9 made shots. Kevin Huerter had his best scoring night in a Pistons jersey. pic.twitter.com/gUPmSQe69A
Shead has seen good run with Immanuel Quickley on the sideline, and he’s averaged 1.6 steals and 8.4 dimes across his last five games overall. Shead isn’t a big-time scorer or rebounder, but he offers strong numbers in two scarce categories.
Other options:Brook Lopez (23%), De’Anthony Melton (17%), Gary Payton II (14%), Ziaire Williams (12%), Julian Reese (5%), Leonard Miller (5%), Ja’Kobe Walter (4%), Leaky Black (0%)
Every moment of pretty much any major sporting event can be dissected in high-definition these days, and officials and umpires are spending more and more time staring at a TV screen to review close calls.
It’s also led to a type of sign language unique to the sports world.
There’s the twirling motion with a finger that’s ubiquitous during NBA games when anyone believes their team has been wronged. In the NFL, it’s a red challenge flag thrown by coaches that’s often mimicked by fans.
It’s not just a U.S. phenomenon, either: There’s the rectangular box drawn in the air that’s everywhere in international soccer for VAR (Video assistant referee). In cricket, certain players can make a “T” sign with their hands, signaling they would like a replay from the DRS (Decision review system). Then the umpire draws a rectangular box in the air, similar to soccer.
Now Major League Baseball has a new entry to the lexicon: A couple pats on the head.
The Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System officially now is part of MLB games, with cameras that track each pitch and judge whether it crossed home plate within the strike zone. Human umps still call every pitch, but each team has the ability to challenge two calls per game.
When a batter, pitcher or catcher believes a ball-strike call has been missed, they can pat their head a few times and also verbally confirm they want a challenge. It hasn’t taken long for fans to get in on the lingo, patting their heads when they think there’s a bad call.
“Everybody now knows what touching the top of their hat means,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said, laughing. “It’s definitely caught on fast. I think it’s a great thing — everyone wants to get the calls right.”
Sometimes, the hand signals can be seen as a sign of disrespect.
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Taylor Walls was ejected from a regular season game last season after disagreeing with a call, patting his helmet a few times while arguing with the umpire. ABS was used in spring training in 2025 on an experimental basis, but wasn’t allowed during regular season games.
Walls maintained it was an innocent gesture. Plate umpire Nic Lentz disagreed and sent Walls to the clubhouse early.
Lovullo said he doesn’t expect many misunderstandings in the future.
“There’s the verbal command, too, so that should help,” he said.
In many sports, the expanding video review procedures have created new strategies to get challenges right. Many times it’s quick non-verbal cues that make the process work.
Many NBA teams have an assistant coach or staff member on the bench who has a tablet and can view the broadcast, reviewing plays quickly. Players sometimes make emotional decisions in the heat of the game — twirling their finger in the air when they believe their team should challenge. (Spoiler alert: Players always think they’re right.)
But the final say comes from the bench.
For the New York Knicks, assistant coach Jordan Brink is the man who advises head coach Mike Brown.
“If he does this (nodding his head up and down), then you do this (twirls his finger). If he does this (shaking his head side to side), then you just go ‘Hmm...’ and got to tell your players sorry,” Brown said.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said “you really got to control yourself” because replay reviews are usually emotional situations. Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue had no clue how the finger twirl became the NBA’s go-to symbol for a review, but in his typical deadpan manner, said its prevalence could occasionally be annoying.
“I’m sick of looking at it. Let’s take a look at that,” Lue said, drawing laughs from reporters. “Now they’re doing it in college, too, everybody’s doing it.”
MLB now has a pair of replay review signals. Managers can call for reviews of out-safe calls and some other rulings by tapping their hands over their ears, mimicking umpires putting on headsets to discuss plays with MLB’s replay center. That and the ABS head-pat have taken over at a time when some of the longtime hand signals of baseball are disappearing. For more than a century, catchers called pitches with their fingers, sometimes relying on an elaborate sequence of signs to keep the opposing team from figuring out the next pitch.
That all started to change following the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal, which was uncovered in 2020. Now there’s a system called PitchCom that can relay pitch calls and infield positioning decisions without hand signals.
“You used to have signals from the dugout to watch for a bunt, or watch for a delayed steal, but now all you have to do is hit a few buttons,” Lovullo said.
But the low-tech system of hand signals in sports is still very much a thing. In a strange juxtaposition, the high-tech world of video replay is one of the main reasons.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 28: Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sal Stewart hit 5 homers for the Cincinnati Reds once called upon for the stretch run of the 2025 season, and he backed it up with a pair of hits (and 4 RBI) in Cincinnati’s brief postseason play against the Los Angeles Dodgers. People saw him. People became aware of him. The brash rookie in Cincinnati looked ‘ready’ to be a big leaguer, but none of it shot him up to the elite echelon of Top 100 prospect lists, or anything.
After how last season ended, people thought he was a big leaguer.
After the first weekend of the 2026 season, people are beginning to think he may alter the entire franchise’s direction.
Sal eyed up a Boston Red Sox pitching staff that had been revamped with elite arms all winter and mowed right through them with nary an overlooked PA. He went 7 for 10 with 3 doubles, a homer, 3 walks, and not a single strikeout as Cincinnati won 2 of 3 in Great American Ball Park, even putting his stamp on the ball on pitches that should have otherwise tied him up completely.
You see a swing like this from Sal Stewart and you understand why he's just an animal in the box.
A pitch he muscles out of the yard that nearly jams him inside, and he still hits it 108.6 MPH to center. You then remember he’s 22 until December 7th lol.pic.twitter.com/meiP4Uc08s
He mastered lefty ace Garrett Crochet. That clip above is him manhandling precisely the pitch that Sonny Gray – who Reds fans know quite well – wanted him to swing at. Sal, as of this morning, sits atop MLB leaderboards in wOBA, wRC+, rOBA, OPS+, and OBP, among many others.
It’s an impossibly small sample size, yes. If he’d not made his big league debut last fall and this was all we’d ever had to see of him at the big league level, this outbreak would merely be filed next to Jason Vosler and Austin Wynns in the annals of Great Starts to Seasons. But, if we stretch our world view back to when Sal first hit the scene on September 1st of 2025, it’s beginning to look like ‘atop the leaderboards’ is precisely where we should expect to find him.
Among the 297 players who have logged at least 50 PA since 9/1/25, Sal’s .443 wOBA ranks 8th best, right ahead of Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, ahead of New York Mets star Juan Soto (.419), and just a hair behind a guy in 6th place on that list named Shohei Ohtani (.458). His 1.042 OPS ranks 9th, his .338 ISO 6th.
These aren’t fluky numbers, either, as he’s been hitting the absolute snot out of the ball. His 96.2 EV in that time ranks 3rd (behind only Washington’s James Wood and New York Mets slugger Aaron Judge), while his 56.0% hard-hit % ranks 15th out of that 297 player group. His expected batting average and expected slugging percentage both also track with his actual numbers – meaning it’s not as if he’s lucking into this productions – and the end result is an expected wOBA (xwOBA) of .442 in that time.
That’s 4th best in all of baseball, right ahead of Mike Trout (.426), Ronald Acuña, Jr. (.425), and Juan Soto (.423), while trailing only Judge, Seattle’s Dominic Canzone, and Ohtani. That’s as elite as it gets, isn’t it?
As with any player, there will be ebbs and flows to this kind of production. Believe it or not, Sal did go 0 for 4 with a strikeout in his penultimate start in 2025 against the Pirates, for example. Still, as the sample size begins to grow, it’s looking more and more like that polished, impressive hitter we’ve seen all the way through the minors might actually be that good as a big leaguer, too, or perhaps – he’s still just 22 years old – even better.
He’s certainly making the case right now that he’s not the bat who’s job it should be to ‘protect’ Elly De La Cruz in the lineup. He’s the bat who’s about to need some protecting, since I don’t think we’re going to go too much longer with pitching staffs simply trying to rear back and chuck it by the rookie to see what he’s made of.
Maybe I’m just dating myself, or simply putting the cart impossibly far in front of the horse, but it’s enough to make the brain recall a similar start to a pair of careers in Cincinnati – one featuring a consensus top prospect in the game who had all the tools and a swing that may have ended up being the slightest bit too free and another, slightly overlooked 1B whose mastery of the strike zone ended up propelling him up offensive leaderboards from the moment he stepped to the plate.
Not to shoehorn one, both, or either into those archtypes, but it certainly has made my brain do some comparisons over the last few days. We did get a pair of NL Central titles out of that run, too.
The great old warhorse of British boxing, who faces his 50th and final bout on Saturday, reflects on retirement, Deontay Wilder and his friendship with the Reform leader
“Nigel’s here,” Derek Chisora says as he gives me a nudge when we walk into a restaurant called Boisdale in Belgravia. The great old warhorse of British boxing and I have been ambling around this stretch of London in search of a place where we can sit down and talk. He settles on Boisdale, which tags itself as “a British restaurant” and “a carnivore’s delight”.
Even though we are not dropping in for lunch Chisora has enough of a swagger to blag us a private room to chat. We look more ragged than the diners, including Nigel Farage, and I’m not sure that the seemingly bewildered staff have a clear idea who Chisora is but we sweep through the restaurant, climb the stairs and find ourselves in a discreet room. After Chisora orders a bottle of water for us to share he asks the waiter to let Farage know that he is here.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 17: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox poses for a picture during the 2026 Boston Red Sox Photo Day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 17, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
WORCESTER, Mass. – Payton Tolle already showed his MLB potential last summer with an electric Fenway Park debut and meaningful innings for the Red Sox in a playoff push.
To start 2026, Tolle finds himself in a much lower-stress environment on the mound. The 2024 second-round pick got thrown into emergency circumstances for several starts with a plethora of starting pitching injuries last year. But Boston upgraded the rotation with the offseason additions of Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. Those moves took the pressure off arms like Tolle and Connelly Early, who now have time to improve their big-league arsenals as depth starters rather than immediate pillars of the rotation. Early got the nod for the Opening Day roster and got the ball for Boston’s series finale in Cincinnati against the Reds. Tolle returned to Triple-A Worcester and also made his first start of 2026 Sunday afternoon.
“I think it’s always just getting ready to go, getting ready to compete,” Tolle said at WooSox Media Day on Thursday. “Because then once the first one starts, it just keeps rolling and I’m excited to get it going, get it started. Because that offseason can get long sometimes. It was the fastest one that I’ve ever had but it feels like I’m ready to go.”
Tolle certainly looked ready to go with two strikeouts in his first inning of work against the Syracuse Mets dialing up his impressive fastball to 97 MPH. That hot start cooled off as Syracuse tagged him for six runs (four earned) in four innings of work, though he did strike out six hitters with 11 swings-and-misses.
His future as a big-league starter revolves around the ability to deepen his arsenal and find legitimate out-pitches among his secondaries. The fastball is real. The lefty knows what he has to show to take the next step.
“I think that it’s definitely come a long way,” Tolle shared. “We now have five pitches that I feel confident in throwing. It’s now just finding the locations of it. I’m not really searching for the grips anymore. I think all the pitches are in where they need to be metrics-wise, and now it’s just trying to get them over the plate, having good misses, putting them where I need to be. So I feel more like a complete pitcher.than I did last year because last year it exposed very early that all I got was a fastball. So I’m excited about it.”
Tolle certainly didn’t lack voices around him at spring training to learn from, whether in the general flow of pitching or in picking the brains of veterans who can spin the baseball.
“I think it was incredible to be able to have (Garrett) Crochet and Sonny (Gray), great guys to learn from,” Tolle said. “Talking to Sonny, like, you talk to guys that have been there, done that, had a ton of success, are able to do it as long as they have. Danny Columbe, another great one, (Garrett) Whitlock, like, we have a bunch of good guys that like talking about baseball and like answering our questions and having that is amazing to young guys like myself. Everybody being able to talk to guys. Me and (Tayron) Guerrero would call (Aroldis) Chapman ‘Sensei.’ We’re excited about it. I feel like it’s a good spot. I think the dynamic of the locker room is really good.”
The Red Sox will surely count on Tolle in a big way through stretches of this season. Even with that reality, he’s nowhere near a finished product. There are going to be ups and downs, such as the scuffles against Syracuse Sunday afternoon.
His responsibilities in 2026? Be ready when your number is called, but don’t be too hard on the ups and downs of the process.
“But I tried to take a step back every day, every night after. Like, ‘OK, what did we do today?’” Tolle explained. “It was good. What did we do today that we can learn from? Because if you just focus on the bad, it’s not going to go very well. Just, ‘what can I learn from, how can I make this take us to the next step?’ Most of that was just something simple, I just need to get my curveball to the floor. We were a little bit low with the heater today, we got to get that up top more. It was trying to be simple with it.”
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 11: Colt Emerson #85 of the Seattle Mariners walks into the dugout during a Spring Training game against the Colorado Rockies at Peoria Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back, prospect lovers! Whether you’re new to the minor leagues or a seasoned veteran, our weekly roundup of all that’s occurred down on the farm is a fantastic way to stay up to date on all the up-and-comers in the organization. Releasing weekly on Mondays!
Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma started off the season with a weekend road matchup against the Reno Aces, Arizona’s AAA affiliate that features a healthy amount of prospect pedigree from recent drafts. Fortunately for the Rainiers, they were able to quell that talent and come out with a series victory, clinching two of three with a Sunday afternoon W. Despite having just three games logged on the season, this potent Tacoma team has already produced plenty of exciting news that has a real shot at having big league implications sooner than later. This Rainiers team is as deep as it’s been in years, and having already seen one promotion (Cole Wilcox) this season, expect to see plenty of these guys in the majors at some point this season.
The name everybody’s sure to be looking for, Colt Emerson was unsurprisingly superb to start the season, collecting five hits on the series with plenty of loud outs. Perhaps the most impressive knock so far, Emerson sent a lefty-lefty slider out to opposite field on opening day for a two-run homer, an incredibly impressive feat he managed off one of the better arms in the Arizona system that’s five years his senior. With a season OPS of a clean 1.000, there’s a real chance we see the top Mariner prospect in the big leagues before he can legally buy a beer this summer.
Other Names to Know
Brock Rodden, a site favorite, had a tough opening night, but has since picked it up and is looking much better in his first taste of the PCL. There’s a chance he can carve out a big league role this season if he’s hitting enough; he’s openly embraced the “super utility” role and would play just about anywhere on the diamond if you asked him to.
Rhylan Thomas seems very likely to get some run in the majors, as a glove-first speedster that can man all three outfield spots is too useful of a resource to not have to go to at all over the course of a season. There’s not much impact in the bat, but the man rarely swings-and-misses and is a dynamo in the outfield defensively.
Old friend Patrick Wisdom is still launching homers, and he’s already done so thrice this season as his three true outcome approach appears to have only ramped up as time has passed. How much run he gets in the majors isn’t super clear, but he’s got big league experience and thump.
Connor Joe, akin to Patrick Wisdom, has big league experience and little defensive versatility, though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in the big leagues at some point. He can at least stand in a corner outfield spot if needed, and might actually have an advantage breaking through as a right handed hitter on a lefty heavy roster.
The arms are tough to evaluate after a weekend, but Alex Hoppe, Troy Taylor, Yosver Zulueta, and Robinson Ortiz all looked good in their time on the mound and seem destined to help at the big league level at some point this season. They all have rather dynamic stuff; if they’re able to locate just enough, there’s a world where a reliable mid-leverage arm is unearthed and sticks for the foreseeable future.
Mar 29, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (67) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
For the third straight season, the Royals opened the year by dropping two out of three in their first series. In 2023, they were swept by the Twins to open the year. In each of the past two years, they have ultimately won more games than they lost and stayed in the playoff hunt until at least the middle of September. So you could argue this was a pretty good outcome for them. Sure, you’d have liked to win the series, especially since you were never behind in one of those losses until Atlanta walked it off. But you’re going to have some unfortunate losses mixed in here and there, and beyond that unfortunate mess, the Royals seem primed to have another exciting season of baseball.
The starting pitching looks fantastic
Sure, Cole Ragans didn’t have a great start on Friday, but I’m going to put at least some of that up to his stumble while throwing a pitch to Ozzie Albies in the first inning. Not that I think he was hurt, but that it made him doubt his ability to plant his foot while pitching for the remainder of the game. I don’t have any evidence for it, but he has looked so good for most of his career with KC, including during Spring Training, and looked primed to shut Atlanta down prior to that event, even if it was to only two-and-a-half hitters. I’m not going to write him off after one bad outing, for sure.
Meanwhile, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo looked like rejuvenated versions of themselves. There was some concern among the fanbase and internet writers that Wacha and Lugo looked a bit worn down last year and that neither had particularly good springs. However, each put together a scoreless outing of six innings to start the year, with Lugo adding one more out for good measure. Wacha only allowed one walk; Lugo allowed none. Wacha allowed only singles; Lugo gave up a double. Wacha made his outing even more impressive with the seven strikeouts. Lugo only had three strikeouts, but he had Atlanta off-balance and swinging at his pitches all day, giving up lots of soft contact. When they did hit it hard, they hit it to center field, which is going to serve him well with half of his games in the newly shrunk Kauffman Stadium field that still has an expansive center. We haven’t even gotten to see what Kris Bubic and Noah Cameron – two pitchers who were better than Wacha and Lugo last year – will get to do.
The relievers look…fine
Listen, we all know about Carlos Estévez. I already wrote at length about it in Saturday’s recap, and Matthew LaMar wrote some more for good measure. So I’ll just say here that I understand why Quatraro, as a leader of men who are not machines, wanted to show some faith in his league-leading closer from last season – someone who had struck out three in his last exhibition appearance on Tuesday. The faith was not rewarded, and Q has already said that Estévez will be pitching in lower leverage situations until he gets right again. Assuming, of course, that the batted ball he took off his foot Saturday night doesn’t force him to the IL. I’d guess that if it does, he’ll get some rehab time in Omaha to get right instead of even pitching in low-leverage situations.
But outside of Estévez, the bullpen has pitched to a 3.12 ERA, with 8 strikeouts and 1 walk in 8.2 innings. That’ll do just fine. Bailey Falter even looked halfway decent by striking out four in three innings of relief for Cole Ragans. Both of the runs he allowed were in the third inning, and I understand the Royals want to keep him stretched out to some degree, but I think he could end up being a really interesting two-inning weapon out of the bullpen. The only other run allowed was by John Schreiber, who gave up a solo shot to one of the best, young, left-handed hitters in the sport, Drake Baldwin, while pitching with a four-run lead. The ability to avoid walking guys is really huge for the bullpen, too. If they can keep that going, things are probably going to turn out just fine.
The offense might still be a problem
Here’s the bad news. The Royals’ outfield still hasn’t done much. And I think we need to talk about Isaac Collins, the guy we were kind of hoping could be the starting left fielder for KC this year.
In Saturday night’s broadcast, Adam Wainwright noted that Isaac Collins struggles with fastballs up in the zone. Now that I was paying attention, I saw that Atlanta pitchers threw him almost nothing besides fastballs up for the remainder of the game. So I went and did some digging. Per some searches on StatCast, the league average slash line since the beginning of last year on pitches in the top third of the zone and above is .246/.257/.426/.683. It turns out pitching guys up can be reasonably effective. Collins, on the other hand, slashed .094/.134/.109/.243. And, by the way, that’s not just fastballs, that’s all pitches. Basically, if you throw a pitch up, Collins can’t do anything with it. That’s a pretty big hole in his swing. It won’t matter how good he is at not chasing bad pitches if pitchers can win by just tossing anything at the top of the zone.
You have to assume the Royals knew about this, not just because they’ve shown themselves to be a team that does its due diligence under J.J. Picollo, but because they had hired his old hitting coach, Connor Dawson, before making the trade. They must think they can help him fix it, but it sure didn’t look like they’d gotten there yet with him as of Saturday night. Meanwhile, Lane Thomas has struck out in four of nine plate appearances, and Starling Marte was oh-for-three in his one game played Friday night. Admittedly, that was against Chris Sale, but still. Things are looking pretty dire.
Here’s the good news: after three games, Jac Caglianone has the highest OPS on the team, and he’s done a good job of not chasing, despite how his last two at-bats finished today. Carter Jensen has struck out a few times, but mashed his first home run Sunday afternoon. The consensus all winter has been that if those two are good, the Royals are going to be good. So far so good. But that’s not all, either. Maikel Garcia looks like he’s going to be a problem for pitchers as the leadoff hitter; he’s walked three times while striking out only once and could have had a fourth hit if he’d challenged a ninth-inning 3-0 pitch. Salvador Perez has a dinger. Vinnie Pasquantino has put some good swings on the ball and finished his Sunday with a pair of hits. Bobby Witt Jr. has a three-game hitting streak to start the season.
Speaking of stolen bases, the team has already stolen three bases while only getting caught once, and I can’t recall another baserunning blunder in the first series, so perhaps that’s going to go better, too. Honestly, my biggest complaint right now is that I think the Royals aren’t challenging enough balls and strikes. They haven’t gotten one wrong, yet, but Salvy is the only one who has even attempted them, and he’s only done it as a catcher. It sure seems like there could be more opportunities to try to make things easier on themselves at the plate without completely killing themselves at the end of the game.
There is no denying the offense is starting slowly, again, and it’s easy to panic after it was such a problem last year. But there’s still time for the guys to heat up. They were sluggish in April and still did just fine, record-wise. The big thing is to avoid another June like last year, and they’ve got lots of time to figure things out before that becomes a possibility.
Welcome back to “Three up, three down,” a review of the previous week’s worth of Cubs action during the regular season.
Of course, we don’t have an entire week to review, just three games. Nevertheless, there are some positives — and negatives — that came out of the season-opening series against the Washington Nationals.
Here goes!
Three up
Alex Bregman’s two-homer game
After Bregman went 1-for-9 with a walk in the first two games of the series, he smacked a pair of home runs Sunday, one to left field, one to right.
Bregman will be just fine, I’m not worried about that 1-for-9.
Pete Crow-Armstrong laid down two perfect bunts for hits
With his speed, PCA should be able to do this more often. Of course, you don’t want him to do it all the time, not with his power, but the occasional bunt for a hit if the defense will give that to you would give him an additional weapon.
Congratulations to Nico Hoerner on his contract extension
Nico signed a six-year extension for $141 million that includes a no-trade clause. The extension begins next year, so that will give him 14 seasons in a Cubs uniform.
If this is Nico’s final contract and he retires after it’s over, he would join just three other men who played at least 14 years as a Cub and didn’t play for any other team: Cap Anson (22), Ernie Banks (19) and Stan Hack (16). Overall, 11 men have played at least 14 seasons as a Cub. The other eight: Phil Cavarretta (20), Gabby Hartnett (19), Billy Williams (16), Charlie Root (16), Ryne Sandberg (15), Frank Chance (15), Jimmy Ryan (15) and Ron Santo (14).
If you missed the post-game news conference Sunday with Nico that officially announced the deal, here it is in its entirety:
Honorable mention to Ian Happ and Miguel Amaya, who also homered against the Nationals.
Three down
Matthew Boyd, yikes
Boyd threw three really good innings on Opening Day and then got pounded in the fourth.
I don’t think this is an indication of what’s to come; his velocity seemed fine. Maybe the Nats just figured out what he was throwing. Or maybe he missed some spots. He’ll go again against the Angels this Wednesday (weather permitting).
Hey, his ERA is currently more than 50 runs lower than Paul Skenes’. (Yes, I know this is silly fun with early season numbers.)
Moisés Ballesteros is off to a rough start
In 16 Spring Training games, Ballesteros hit .357/.413/.619 (15-for-42) with five doubles and two home runs.
In the three-game series against the Nats, he was 1-for-10 with four strikeouts.
Yet another reason spring stats don’t tell you much of anything.
Eventually, I think he’ll be fine. I would look for him to sit on Wednesday against Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.
COVERS INTEL: Ian Happ has made contact with seven balls this season. Five of them have qualified as “hard hit,” and three were barreled up.
