YAY! Cleveland made the ALCS and won Game 1! Go Cleveland!
(This is SO HARD to say, but) YAY! The Brewers won! They beat the Dodgers twice, the Evil Empire, Part II!
GO Brewers! (ouch)
There’s an article below that describes a major change to baseball that is being tested in the AFL — Forcing outfielders to lineup in a particular spot prior to each pitch. This is to promote more extra-base hits. AWESOME!
Why not just eliminate singles — make every hit to the outfield an automatic double!Just think, PCA can set the MLB doubles and triples records by August!
This is stupid. Way back when, when infielders extremely overloaded the hitter’s power side — that was hurting baseball as nearly every ball hit in that direction was an automatic out. It was damaging the game.
Much differently, outfielders cover a much larger area and make adjustments by more that whether the hitters are dominant to one field. For each individual hitter, scouting and spray charts determine if the outfielder needs to move more to the power side, or less. If they need to move deeper, or shallower. It is detailed, studied analysis, not a “Here’s a LH batter — everybody move to the second base side.”
Instead, MLB wants to put a ball and chain on outfielders. Which is surprising, because while I disagree, a large number of people think that snaring a home run over an eight-foot fence is the most exciting play in baseball. If it was a 10-foot fence, sure, that would be really impressive. (I almost went into a diatribe of what I think are more exciting plays, but I digress).
Why not control outfielders like you do video games? Have a coach with a joystick control how effective an outfielder’s play is. (I better be careful — someone may be watching).
Bottom line — the extreme infield shift hurt baseball. Constricting outfielders to certain spots of the field is fixing something that doesn’t need fixing. We have way too many ERAs that are at or above 5.00 already. Is this a “fix” to dominant pitchers like the Miz — while he’s striking out 14 a game, allow almost every ball hit to the outfield will fall for a hit. That would improve baseball!
Bullhockeypucks! Looks like I’ll head out to a AFL game soon (I was going to, anyway). Read the story — more interesting points than I have room to write about. 🙂
I appreciate your reading.
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The Change MLB is Considering That Would Damage Baseball:
Granville Henry “Stick” McGhee (March 23, 1918 – August 15, 1961) was an American jump blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his blues song “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee“. McGhee grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. He received his nickname when he was a child. He used a stick to push a wagon carrying his older brother Brownie McGhee, who had contracted polio. Granville began playing the guitar when he was thirteen years old. After his freshman year he dropped out of high school and worked with his father at the Eastman Kodak subsidiary. In 1940, Granville quit his job and moved to Portsmouth, Virginia, and then to New York City. He entered the military in 1942, and when he was discharged in 1946, he settled in New York.
In the military, McGhee often played his guitar. One of the songs he performed was “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee”, one of the earliest prototypical rock-and-roll songs. Cover versions were recorded by Wynonie Harris, Lionel Hampton, Big John Greer, Johnny Burnette, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Mike Bloomfield‘s Electric Flag. McGhee continued to make records for Atlantic and created popular songs, but his music career overall was not successful. He recorded a number of rock-and-roll songs, such a “Whiskey, Women and Loaded Dice”, “Head Happy with Wine”, and “Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter”. However, he was unable to make money from his records. He retired from the music industry in 1960.[5] He became ill shortly afterward and died in August 1961 of lung cancer.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Starting pitcher Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies talks with catcher Hunter Goodman #15 during the second inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
The MLB offseason is all about trade rumors in a typical year, but with a looming lockout and an anticipated busy November, chatter is picking up.
And the Colorado Rockie getting attention is catcher Hunter Goodman. (Hey, 41 home runs and three years of team control have that effect.) Remember all that speculation we did prior to the trade deadline? Let’s get ready to do it all again.
There were questions as to whether the Rockies should have made that move last summer, but given that Goodman’s trade value has only increased, Paul DePodesta’s decision to wait seems like a savvy move. But get ready for the speculation to increase.
November should be a busy (and interesting) month.
In today’s Rockpile, look for an interview I conducted with Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer 10 days ago.
In the meantime, here’s what’s happening today.
Rockies news & links
New York Yankees must trade for 41-HR superstar catcher amid rumors | Heavy Sports — In the wake of the Yankees disappointing postseason performance, Michael DeRosa argues, they need to make changes, and one of them should be acquiring Hunter Goodman. Hey, TJ Rumfield worked out pretty well. What are you offering, Brian Cashman?
Ranking the top 25 MLB trade chips for 2026-27 offseason | Bleacher Report — Goodman comes in at #5. “After a fourth straight 100-loss season, nothing should be off the table as the Rockies explore ways to improve,” Joel Reuter writes. “The asking price will be high given his remaining control, but he might be the most impactful power bat on the market.“
I’m going to start dropping in an occasional podcast given the contracted Rockies coverage we’re seeing. So here are Ryan Spilborghs and Troy Renck discussing the playoffs as recent negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 12: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with Chase DeLauter #24 at home plate after each scored a run on a hit by Nathaniel Lowe (not pictured) in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game one of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 12, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While it still hurts that the Yankees aren’t out there playing, you better soak the rest of the playoffs in. We only have, at most, three more days with more than one game, and we’re only guaranteed one more. Before you know it, we have only the World Series and then the long, cold winter and offseason.
However, there’s still some baseball left to go, and it’s important baseball at that. Let’s check in on how the action played out on Monday night.
National League Championship Series Game 2
Milwaukee Brewers 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 4 (Brewers lead series 2-0)
William Contreras had three hits and drove in three runs, leading the Brewers to a win and a two-game lead over the reigning two-time champs.
Through much of the game, the teams kept trading runs and the lead back and forth. The Dodgers held 1-0 and 4-3 leads, while the Brewers took a 3-2 edge at one point. In the bottom of the fifth, Contreras struck with a game-tying home run and Milwaukee took control of the game after that.
An inning after his homer, Contreras hit a go-ahead single. Brice Turang and Jake Bauers got in on the action in the ninth, each recording RBI hits to help Milwaukee put the game away.
A large part of the reason they were able to do that is that the Brewers’ bullpen completely shutdown the Dodgers. After putting up four runs in four innings off starter Logan Henderson, LA not only didn’t score against Milwaukee’s bullpen, they didn’t manage a baserunner over the final five innings.
Another key for Milwaukee was that they knocked out Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto after just 2.2 innings. After dominating last postseason, Yamamoto had to leave this game early after laboring for 75 pitches in less than three frames. Bauers did some damage, drawing a walk after 12 pitches, immediately before a big hit by Christian Yelich.
Cleveland Guardians 7, Tampa Bay Rays 3 (Guardians lead series 1-0)
The Guardians proved that it is possible to record more than one hit off Drew Rasmussen, as they drew first blood in the ALCS with a win on the road in the Trop.
The Rays got out to a very quick start. Junior Caminero and Johnny DeLuca each recorded RBI singles in the first inning, as Tampa Bay started with a 2-0 lead. However, those would be their last runs for quite a while, as Cleveland worked their way back into the game.
Rasmussen continued his run of shutout innings from the ALDS, but the Guardians eventually broke through. In the sixth, Chase DeLauter got him for a homer to get Cleveland on the board. An inning later, Patrick Bailey led off the frame with another home run, also knocking Rasmussen out of the game.
After slugging out their first two runs, the Guardians eventually got the lead thanks to their customary “Guardsball.” After José Ramírez got the eighth inning started with a single, DeLauter came up with a big double to set things up. Nathaniel Lowe then popped in a single to score both runners and give Cleveland their first lead of the day.
In the bottom of the eighth, Cedric Mullins led off with a home run to get one of those runs back. However, the Guardians only added to their lead further in the ninth. Ramírez and Jo Adell each came up with RBI hits as Cleveland put up three runs to take a commanding lead. The bottom of the ninth then took just seven pitches as the Guardians closed out the win.
The puck stops here! Or it needs to if the Phoenix Suns want to have a shot at winning a playoff series this season. The here that I’m talking about is the glass.
After an unexpected first-round playoff appearance, the Suns are back, hoping to improve upon last season, one that established a culture and new direction for the organization after the short-lived Kevin Durant era. It was a season that greatly exceeded national and local expectations, yet fizzled when the competition ratcheted up in the postseason.
In that final stretch run, the Suns’ stalwart seven-footer and leading rebounder Mark Williams finally succumbed to the injury bug, as has far too often been his fate over the course of his career, leaving a second year Oso Ighodaro, a sprinkling of Khaman Malauch and a whole lot of small ball to replace his vacated minutes.
During this Mark-less stretch, the Suns struggled to compete on the glass. Larger teams had their way with the Suns, including a disappointing Houston team that swept the Suns in the regular season series. Houston will be back, and bigger, with the return of Steven Adams, and they won’t be the only team in the West with a clear size advantage over the Suns. From Wemby to Kessler Walker, from Gobert to the double big lineup in OKC, the Suns are going to need to figure out how to close out defensive possessions with a rebound if they want to be the team they envision.
The Suns expect to be a team that gets out in transition, a team that relies on downhill rim pressure and foul shots (uh-oh) rather than the great equalizer that is the three-ball. They can no longer afford to get worked on the glass and expect to win, especially in the playoffs where giving up an offensive rebound in the closing possessions is enough to end games. The problem of size has limited the Phoenix Suns’ championship potential for years, long before the arrival of Ishbia, Gregory and Ott.
One of the all-time great fictional teams, the Mighty Ducks, found themselves in a similar situation as this year’s Phoenix Suns. Returning off a Cinderella season with new, more challenging goals, the Ducks were quickly derailed by the size and physicality of the brutal Icelandic Junior National team. In the end, they overcame their limitations. Not through the individual efforts of any one player but through the collective efforts of a team and their coach.
The Phoenix Suns must take a similar approach to solving their rebounding woes, or watch the goals we set for them this offseason sink into the cold Icelandic sea.
Just like Gordan Bombay, the mastermind behind the Triple Deke and Flying “V” formation in D2, Jordan Ott returns to the Phoenix Suns for his second go-around as an NBA head coach with a number of puzzles that still need to be solved.
How do they optimize the scoring talents of Devin Booker and Jalen Green with a roster that requires at least one of them to facilitate? How does Ott incorporate the new talent that’s been added to the roster into an established culture while allowing the team space to morph into something new? How does he adjust the offense to account for likely inconsistent three-point production from his starting five? All of these are important questions, but to me the issue that really limits the potential of what the Suns can be, a top-ten defense that causes havoc plays to generate transition opportunities, is finding a way to be a better defensive rebounding team. Mark Williams is once again out of the lineup, so Jordan Ott will have to get creative in order to cover up the defensive rebounding deficiencies of his young, promising centers, neither of which appears ready to replace Mark Williams’ rebounding production.
Ott will need to prioritize defensive rebounding as he tinkers with lineups in order to find the most effective rotations, specifically in who he pairs with Oso and Malauch as they grow into their roles.
Oso might need to be paired up with length so lineups that feature Dillon Brooks at the four might be better suited for a different center, whereas a pairing player like Ryan Dunn with Obo might be a better fit. Malauch provides length but still lacks the strength and processing speed to get into and hold position, so he needs to be paired with strength, like Miles Bridges or rebounding guards who can get to balls that are out of his reach, such as Collin or Goodie.
It will certainly take some experimenting in the beginning of the season, but it can’t be pushed aside if the Suns want to earn a playoff seed that gives them a chance to advance. Luckily, like the Mighty Ducks in the Junior Goodwill Games, the Suns have added some pieces for Ott to add to the mix. The first will open up a level of physicality the Suns haven’t tapped into since the early nineties.
When Team USA needed to beef up, they went to the streets of Chicago to find Dean Portman to play next to Fulton Reed. The two came together to form the Bash Brothers, the unruly, frequently penalized, enforcers of the Mighty Ducks.
The Suns added Miles Bridges, and in doing so, they are able to play Dillon Brooks at the three, which seems a better fit for his stature. Beyond their physical attributes, both players play with an edge and aggressiveness that lends itself to success on the boards. Can Dillon and Miles come together as veterans and leaders on this team to not only provide that grit and intention through their play on the court but permeate it through the locker room to the Suns’ young forwards? A player like Ryan Dunn, who was one of the better defensive rebounders on the team last year and who’s looking to carve out a role on this team, could stand to benefit substantially from the Bash Brothers mindset. Now that Mark Williams is sidelined, the Suns will need all the help they can get.
Yet the Bash Brothers aren’t the only direction Ott can turn to fortify his front court. He has at his disposal a unique weapon in the war of the boards. The Mighty Ducks found an edge when they discovered Tyler Russ and his Knuckle Puck. The Phoenix Suns have Jordan Goodwin.
Now that Russel Westbrook has aged out of relevance in the NBA, there really is no other player in the league like Jordan Goodwin. He’s physical, crafty, and determined, finding any opening to sneak into places a 6’3” journeyman should never tread and snatch a basketball out of the hands of an unsuspecting opponent. As Khaman works to find his flow, having a guard like Jordan Goodwin, or to a lesser extent Collin Gillespie, to swoop in on balls that bounce away from the young seven-footer could cover up some of his deficiencies in positioning as he develops his processing speed.
While so much of Goodie’s success is tied to rebounding on the offensive end, could Goodie expand his impact on the defensive glass in order to shore up the front court when the starters go to the bench, ensuring that defensive stops don’t turn into open threes and easy buckets?
Goodie is Goodie; rain, sleet, or snow. He’s put in years of work to get there, but for Oso and Khaman that’s just not the case.
The toughest call for Gordon Bombay in the Goodwill Games ended up being the move that won the tournament. Replacing his veteran goalie, Golberg, while he was on a heater, with a talented goalie from Maine, Julie “the Cat” Gaffney.
In the biggest moment, a shootout, against the Icelandic team’s best scorer, Bombay made the move to insert the Cat because of the shooter’s vain tendency to go glove side. While Goldberg was a player Bombay had leaned on through both movies, the Cat was known for her quick glove. Situationally changing goalies made sense.
Oso earned Ott’s trust over the course of last season. Ott knows he can depend on Oso to be where he needs to be and loves the defensive upside of his switchability. Yet situationally there are matchups where it will make sense to start and skew the minutes towards Malauch.
Flat out, Oso is not big enough to hold up against the league’s strongest centers. You can not win a playoff game against the Nuggets with Oso matching up against Jokic. Ott needs to be flexible and willing to play through the mistakes that come with starting a young center. Losses that may come in the beginning of the year will turn to valuable experience that will be paid forward in the back half of the season.
On the flip side, it may not make sense to play Malauch against teams that are going to bomb threes that lead to a lot of long rebounds. The Suns are blessed with diversity at the center position. Ott should lean into that.
I personally would like to see some double big lineups, where Oso is setting screens on offense and Khaman is on the three-point line stretching the floor, and defensively Khaman is taking the center and anchoring the defense, and Oso is guarding the four. I’m not going to stick Oso out there to guard MPJ or some of the more athletic fours in the league, but if Houston wants to run out Adams and Sengun, Phoenix might have an answer in KhOso.
None of these answers even need to be permanent. They just need to hold things together until they get Mark Williams back. Mark, like Adam Banks on the Mighty Ducks, is a known commodity, and if the Suns don’t fall apart before he returns, having him fresh for the back half of the season and hopefully available for the playoffs could make his injury a blessing in disguise.
Plenty of questions still remain, and their answers will only be revealed on the court, but one thing I know for certain is that if the Suns can’t improve their rebounding, they won’t be winning a playoff series. Not in this Western Conference. Not without the three-point shot. The Suns are going in the direction of the rest of the NBA in emphasizing it, but do they have the pieces to do so successfully? Ott will certainly have more to work with than in his inaugural season, but there’s a lot of ground to make up. There’s no one player that can fix this, and just like the Mighty Ducks, the Suns must learn to fly together.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 12: Patrick Bailey #16 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a Home Run during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game one of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 12, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians managed to steal game one of the ALCS, meaning they just have to split the remaining six games to go to the World Series.
They can feel free to go an easier route if they want, of course.
Jake had your recap here. Just take it one day at a time, boys. Tonight at 8pm is the next game to try to win.
Zack Meisel wrote about Nathaniel Lowe and his journey after the game.
The Brewers beat the Dodgers to take a 2-0 lead in the NLCS.
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 15: Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins face-off during the third period at the United Center on February 15, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (3-2-1, 7 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ Chicago Blackhawks (1-5-0, 2 points, 8th place Central Division)
When: 8:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Local broadcast on Chicago Sports Network and Sportsnet Pittsburgh, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: This is the start of a four-game road trip, which continues this weekend with a back-to-back in Denver (Friday) and Las Vegas (Saturday) before wrapping up Monday in Salt Lake City.
Opponent Track: The Blackhawks have been outscored 26-12 during their 1-5 start to the season. The Hawks are riding a two-game losing streak into Tuesday after most recently losing 5-2 to the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.
Season Series: The Penguins won both games of this season series last year, winning 7-3 against a team missing Connor Bedard in December before claiming a 6-2 victory in January.
Hidden Stat: The Blackhawks have had one of the worst power plays in the NHL so far this season after going 1-f0r-14 on the man advantage through six games. The home team will see if that changes tonight with the potential return of Connor Bedard.
Tyler Bertuzzi – Anton Frondell – Teuvo Teravainen
Cole Smith – Ryan Greene – Jordan Greenway
Oliver Moore – Dominic Toninato – Ryan Donato
DEFENSEMEN
Bowen Byram – Artyom Levshunov
Alex Vlasic – Ian Cole
Wyatt Kaiser – Sam Rinzel
Goalies: Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom
Potential scratches: Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro, Nick Lardis
Injured Reserve: Andrew Mangiapane
Suspended: Frank Nazar
Connor Bedard could be making his season debut for the Blackhawks, and his first appearance alongside Patrick Kane on Chicago’s new top line, after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and missing the start of their campaign. He rejoined practice without a no-contact jersey Sunday, and multiple reporters indicated Monday he could be in the lineup against the Pens.
Based on Monday’s practice lineup, second-year forward Nick Lardis will be the odd man out if Bedard is able to play tonight.
Chicago head coach Jeff Blashill said Connor Bedard is trending towards being a “coach’s decision” on Tuesday vs. Pittsburgh.
He paused then laughed and said: “We’ll see how that goes.”
I think that means he’s probably playing, #Blackhawks
Bedard missed 12 games last season with a shoulder injury before returning to the lineup. He then suffered another injury in practice in early July and underwent surgery. Unlike his last return from a shoulder issue, Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said Bedard won’t have restrictions such as a ban on face-offs. Blashill also noted Bedard might need some additional time to adjust to game speed before producing, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Jeff Blashill on Connor Bedard:
“He came back last year and still had restrictions on him: no faceoffs and things like that. There’s mental hurdles involved with that. With this one being surgically repaired, it’s in a great spot.”
Rookie Roman Kantserov, who could be skating on Bedard’s wing opposite Kane tonight, scored the first goal of his NHL career on a breakaway in the Blackhawks’ Saturday loss to the Hurricanes.
Roman Kantserov has his first NHL goal, and it was a beauty! 👏
Spencer Knight is in line for another season as the Blackhawks’ top goaltender after starting 55 games last season. He’s started four of the Hawks’ six games, and he made 25 saves on 27 shots in their lone win of the season so far against the St. Louis Blues.
the dark Knight between the pipes ⚔️
on Tuesday’s game Spencer notched 25 saves for his 25th win with the Blackhawks!
IR: Ryan Graves, Justin Brazeau, Trevor van Riemsdyk
van Riemsdyk hit IR yesterday, backdated to 10/9. That means he could be eligible to return as soon as the following game on Friday night, if his health allows it. The Pens haven’t announced any call-ups from the AHL for the interim, but they do have an open roster spot and only six healthy defensemen. (A pre-emptive welcome back to the NHL roster, Ilya Solovyov?)
It looks like there’s a chance Andrei Kuzmenko draws into the lineup tonight after an extended absence from the non-roster list. Based on practice, that would mean Hendrix Lapierre and Elmer Soderblom are the odd men out, given that Koivunen also rotated back in.
Dan Muse, on Andrei Kuzmenko: "I still want to touch base with him and have conversations, but he was a full participant. He looked good. We’ll have some conversations and figure things out for tomorrow."
The Vancouver Canucks have struggled out of the gate, going 2-5-0 through their opening seven games of the Manny Malhotra era. They've been outscored 35-24 and are currently riding a four-game skid.
On the flip side, as they enter their Tuesday night matchup against the New York Islanders, they're looking to keep a different streak going.
Since UBS Arena opened its doors, the Canucks have gone 5-0-0. Not only that, but they are the only NHL franchise to not have lost in Elmont yet, with all of their wins coming in regulation:
Mar. 3, 2022: Van 4, NYI 3
Feb. 9, 2023: Van 6, NYI 5
Jan. 9, 2024: Van 5, NYI 2
Mar. 26, 2025: Van 5, NYI 2
Dec. 19, 2025: VAN 4, NYI 1
In that game on Feb. 9, Anthony Beauvillier scored the go-ahead goal, a low-slot tip in his first game back after being dealt to Vancouver as part of the package that brought the Islanders their current captain, Bo Horvat.
The Islanders have alternated losses and wins since opening night in Toronto, as they try to get back on track against the Canucks after falling 5-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
The Canucks fell 6-2 to the Rangers on Sunday.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:45 PM ET with all 32 NHL teams in action. The NHL's Frozen Frenzy begins at 6 PM ET, with games starting every 15 minutes after that.
Draymond Green always has been one to speak his mind, even about his teammates’ contract terms.
After fourth-year shooting guard Brandin Podziemski signed a five-year, $110 million extension on Oct. 10, Green congratulated his younger teammate on Tuesday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” before commenting on an interesting aspect of Podziemski’s contract.
“I will say about this deal: it has the mutual option in the fifth year, and these mutual options, it’s kind of gotten a little weird,” Green said on his podcast. “We’re starting to see them pop up more and more in the NBA. You used to see the player option or team option, but lately we’ve been seeing these mutual options, … and it is ultimately a structure to where the final year of the deal requires both the player and the team to opt in for the contract to continue.
“Now, obviously, in the other ones, either the player has the option, or the team has the option. This one, they both have to agree. And if either the team or the player declines, the the year is voided. So this is essentially a four-year deal with the mutual option for the fifth year.”
Green noted that Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein and Miami Heat guard Pelle Larson, who both signed extensions this summer, also included a mutual option in their deals.
The former Defensive Player of the Year also pondered how the second apron could potentially alter a team’s perspective.
“The second apron has affected a lot,” Green said. “I wonder if this is another instance where the second apron is essentially making a team say, ‘Hey, we want the option to be able to get out of this because what if we are up against the second apron and we need a way out? This is an opportunity for us to be able to get out, even if we need to negotiate a lower number to avoid the second apron.’ “
The second apron is a spending threshold that went into effect in the 2024-2025 offseason, and severely curtails an organization’s ability to spend on or sign players through trade and free agency restrictions that are triggered if the monetary barrier is crossed.
The Warriors currently sit in the first apron with a $205 million cap that ranks third in the NBA, according to Spotrac.
Podziemski is set to be paid $5.7 million in the 2026-27 NBA season before his salary jumps to $18.9 million in the first year of his extension.
The Boston Celtics might be the most annoying team in the NBA this season — and in the best way possible.
Picture this: You’re a team playing your fifth game in seven days in Boston. Legs are heavy, everything feels like a grind. And when you’re not getting swarmed by Boston’s gaggle of young wings like Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh, you’ve got to try to figure out how to keep Mitchell Robinson and his 7-foot, 240-pound frame from vacuuming up every available offensive rebound.
Boston’s depth and potential playstyle might be the two biggest reasons the Celtics can remain entrenched at the top of the Eastern Conference, despite beefed-up competition and the departure of Jaylen Brown.
We may very well be overreacting to an incredibly small sample of preseason basketball, but in two games so far the Celtics have showcased a readymade identity that builds off much of what made the team elite last season. Health is vital to Boston’s overall regular-season success, and there’s a lot to figure out to be able to judge how successful this team might be when the playoffs arrive.
But over the course of 82, we’re pretty bullish that Boston is going to be exactly the sort of team that opponents don’t want to see.
Let’s crunch some early numbers:
22
That’s how many deflections Boston registered against Philadelphia. For context: Boston ranked 25th in the NBA generating just 15.2 deflections per game and lagged way behind league-leading Oklahoma City, which generated 20.8 deflections per game last year.
The addition of Paul George ought to kick up both Boston’s total deflections and steal rates on its own. George produced five steals against Philadelphia and has routinely ranked among the best at his position in steal rate. And whenever George wasn’t deflecting an entry pass, it was Baylor Scheierman swatting one on his own, then hurling himself into the front row of the stands to ensure that turnover morphed into points.
With George and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics now have two of the more underrated forward defenders in the league (their offensive prowess often overshadowing their ability on the other end). Mix in All-Defense stalwart Derrick White and Boston’s three core starters set a heavy defensive tone. Regardless of how coach Joe Mazzulla elects to deploy the rest of his depth, the Celtics are going to have the ability to roll in long, active wings like Scheierman, Gonzalez, Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. to keep the defensive intensity up.
The Celtics have averaged 28.5 points off turnovers through their first two preseason games, this after ranking 25th in points off turnovers in each of the past two seasons (averaging 15.7 points off turnovers per game across those two seasons).
Boston has an opportunity with its personnel this year to take some more risks and cause more chaos on the defensive end. It’s a big reason why one of our bold preseason predictions was for Boston to lead the Eastern Conference in defensive rating this season.
44.8 percent
That is Boston’s offensive rebound rate this preseason, the best mark in the league and by more than three percent from the next closest team.
The Celtics were already one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA last season, subsisting largely on the corner crashes of its young wings combined with energetic big man play from Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. Now the team has added the league’s best offensive rebounder in Robinson.
The Celtics have a new luxury of managing the minutes of Queta and Robinson, letting them go full throttle over shorter stints as the two divide up the majority of 48 available minutes. Whatever is left over, Garza will come in and be relentless on the glass in those minutes.
What once felt like the weak spot of Boston’s roster, the center position now feels like a strength. Queta put up some of the best analytics in the NBA last season during his floor time, and Robinson is going to generate so many second-chance opportunities for a team that isn’t bashful about kicking the ball back outside and continuing to launch from the perimeter.
Consider this: Boston posted a 35-18 record (.660 winning percentage) in the games it won the shot margin last season. That’s a 54-win pace over 82 games. And Boston’s new personnel configuration gives it a chance to win the shot margin each night if the team takes care of the basketball.
18.1 percent
That is the offensive rebound rate for Boston’s opponents so far this preseason. It’s the best mark in the NBA this preseason by 5.6 percent.
Sustainable? We’ll need a bigger sample. But Boston ranked 25th last season, giving up second-chance opportunities on 33.6 percent of possessions. Even some minor strides in that category are going to help the hunt to win the margins. And Boston’s ability to finish out possessions this preseason is a big reason for its early success.
The bottom line is that Boston, with its new look, is set up to build off the “hardest-playing team” identity it embraced last season — and got accentuated in the Game 82 win over Orlando.
For a team whose North Star is winning titles, the Celtics have to figure out how to best translate that to the postseason. There is no victory in being a great regular-season team if it ends with a first-round exit.
But the first two preseason games have shown a roadmap to how Boston can stay at the top of a beefed-up Eastern Conference. The Celtics are the last team you want to see on the second night of a back-to-back. The handful of schedule losses that most teams will endure in the dog days of the NBA calendar might be the time when Boston thrives.
While we can’t know yet how rookies will adapt to professional basketball, how veterans will integrate with new teammates and how coaches will choose to employ individual players for the betterment of their teams, we can judge talent and skill.
His strength is overpowering defenders in the low block, and it’s remarkable how comfortably he gets to the rim, despite being undersized at 6-foot-6. As always, the questions with Williamson are his weight, conditioning and his availability, though in recent seasons, Williamson has made it a priority to slim down a touch. The Pelicans were in a lost season, but a career-low scoring average was nonetheless a concern.
No. 49 Rudy Gobert
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Center
Age: 34
2025-26 stats: 10.9 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg
2025 was a return to the All-Defensive First Team for Gobert, who jumped back into the top-four of Defensive Player of the Year voting after a “down” 2024 (he was still second team All-Defense). And now he has a real chance to increase his scoring output with LaMelo Ball there to create easy opportunities as the most dynamic point guard Gobert has ever played with.
No. 48 Jaren Jackson Jr.
Team: Utah Jazz
Position: Center
Age: 27
2025-26 stats: 19.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Jackson Jr. is a dynamic two-way center that can affect both sides of the ball. He can score from inside and out. He can guard the interior and the perimeter. Jackson is a two-time All-Star, two-time blocks leader and was the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. He only appeared in 48 games last season though, so expect that number to go up.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, even though he is only entering his sophomore season in the league, the Spurs internally believe Harper is already their second-best player behind Victor Wembanyama. Something that pops about Harper: He averaged 2.1 unassisted field goals at the rim per 36 minutes, via PBPStats. That ranked behind two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2.35) for the most among players who hit the 65-game threshold last season. Harper was just 19 years old until a month before the playoffs began.
No. 46 Derrick White
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Guard
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 16.5 ppg, 5.4 apg, 4.4 rpg
By all metrics, White set career-highs in points, assists, steals, and blocks, but he also shot under 40% and all but disappeared in the Celtics’ first-round playoff meltdown. His defense remains a strong part of his game, and with Jaylen Brown now in Philadelphia, he will be expected to be even more productive on offense to help Jayson Tatum.
No. 45 Trae Young
Team: Washington Wizards
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 17.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 8.0 apg
Young was limited to just 15 games total during the 2025-26 campaign — 10 with the Atlanta Hawks and five with the Wizards, who by the time Young arrived, had entered tank mode for the No. 1 pick in the draft. However, don’t sleep on Young; he’s one of the best playmakers at the point guard position. He can pass and he can score, especially from long range. Young now has a chance to reestablish himself as one of the best perimeter threats in the league alongside Anthony Davis and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa.
No. 44 De’Aaron Fox
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 18.6 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.8 rpg
There will be nights when Fox is the fourth scoring option, and if that becomes the norm, he may be prime trade bait at the deadline. The Spurs are still on the hook for his four-year, $221 million deal until further notice. Having three ball handlers on a team is a luxury, but not getting enough shots while still trying to please Victor Wembanyama is another matter.
No. 43 Lauri Markkanen
Team: Utah Jazz
Position: Forward
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 26.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 apg
Utah’s lack of competitiveness is hopefully in the past and should help one of the league’s best scoring big men. Markkanen could again put up big numbers with the talent infusion that is on its way to Utah, which has missed the playoffs in each of the past five years.
The big question last season was whether Wagner and fellow Magic co-star Paolo Banchero could co-exist. Both can handle the ball, and both can create their own offense. The difference with Wagner is that his jumper is more consistent. Wagner also flies under the radar as a defender, but he’s solid there. What new coach Sean Sweeney will want to see is availability; injuries have limited Wagner to just 94 games across the last two seasons, including just 34 last year.
No. 41 Joel Embiid
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Center
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 26.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.9 apg
Unlike some of the other injured players on this list, we saw enough of Embiid last year to know exactly how much his injuries have taken a toll on his mobility – and we also saw how effective he still was as a scorer. Expect that to continue with him apparently in better shape. The biggest knock today is his insistence to shoot so many threes despite his declining efficiency from deep.
OK, so maybe the (premature) “Baby Jokić” comparisons were inaccurate. That doesn’t change the fact that Şengün is an All-Star-caliber big man with terrific passing chops at the center of a Rockets team with expectations. The question for Şengün and Houston moving forward is simple: Is he closer to the reliable regular-season version, or the playoff dropper that helped open the door to a troubling first-round upset last spring?
No. 39 Jalen Duren
Team: Detroit Pistons
Position: Center
Age: 22
2025-26 stats: 19.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 65% FG
Duren may have overplayed his hand when he was named third-team All-NBA and demanded max dollars. While he did eventually sign for five years and $200 million, Duren’s next move is to improve his relationship with the team and his offensive game – especially in the playoffs, which is why Detroit was hesitant to pay him big bucks in the first place.
No. 38 Deni Avdija
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 24.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 6.7 apg
Avdija has increased his scoring average in each of his six NBA seasons, and he'll have three dynamic guards to play off him if he's asked not to be the offense's focal point. Another season like 2025-26, when he also posted career highs in assists and free-throw percentage, would put him in line for a big payday in 2028.
No. 37 Anthony Davis
Team: Washington Wizards
Position: Forward
Age: 33
2025-26 stats: 20.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Davis’ ability on the floor has never been a question. When he plays 60 games in a season, he’s a lock to make the All-NBA and All-Defense teams. The only problem is he’s played 60 games just twice in the last eight years. But, if we’re assuming good health, Davis is one of the league’s very best bigs and much better than this ranking.
No. 36 Evan Mobley
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 18.2 ppg, 9 rpg, 3.6 apg
Mobley, a former Defensive Player of the Year, is an enigma. He can easily dominate on any given night, but sometimes he seems overwhelmed, especially when his shooting is suspect and his rebounding is nonexistent. Mobley simply needs to elevate his Robin role to Donovan Mitchell’s Batman if the Cavs ever want to make it out of the Eastern Conference finals.
No. 35 Kyrie Irving
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Guard
Age: 34
2025-26 stats: Did not play
It’ll be interesting to see how Irving looks after a full year off, but if he’s anything close to the player he was before the ACL injury, he’ll still be one of the best guards in the game. As a former 50-40-90 guy whose year-to-year production is normally in that range, Irving has several ways he can beat a defense. Expect him to return to All-Star form.
No. 34 Paolo Banchero
Team: Orlando Magic
Position: Forward
Age: 23
2025-26 stats: 22.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.2 apg
Paolo Banchero is one of the young, bright stars of the NBA. He’s led the Magic to three consecutive postseason appearances and continues to grow in the league. His 6-foot-10 stature makes him a matchup problem for opponents. The next step in his game is getting him to buy into playing bully ball.
No. 33 LaMelo Ball
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 7.1 apg
While his identity on the court will shift after a blockbuster trade sent him from Charlotte to Minnesota, there is still plenty to celebrate about Ball. He is the only player in league history aside from Luka Dončić with at least 6,000 points 2,000 assists and 900 made 3-pointers before turning 25 years old. Pair his electric shooting and playmaking with Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves should make some noise on offense this season.
No. 32 Austin Reaves
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 23.3 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.7 rpg
Reaves’ ability to score at all three levels is an asset, and he will be expected to increase his production alongside Luka Dončić, now that LeBron James is no longer in L.A. to serve as a security blanket. Reaves just needs to stay healthy and prove that the team was right to give him a four-year, $180 million extension.
No. 31 Cooper Flagg
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Forward
Age: 19
2025-26 stats: 21.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.5 apg
Flagg came on strong to win Rookie of the Year honors last season, emerging from an early shooting funk to deliver some historic scoring performances during his first campaign in the league. His combination of size, skill and versatility naturally translated to the NBA, and he should have more space to operate with the return of Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks’ lineup. If his shooting improves in Year 2, Flagg could quickly ascend to the top of the league’s pecking order.
No. 30 Pascal Siakam
Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: Forward
Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 24 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.8 apg
Don’t let a gap year without Tyrese Haliburton fool you. The Pacers’ dark-horse 2025 NBA Finals run doesn’t happen without Siakam’s all-around versatility. Full stop. Indiana can basically insert Siakam into any lineup and expect to win those minutes. He is the ultimate gap-filler, a guy who almost always finds a way to make a play. Now firmly in his early 30s, pairing Siakam with a defensive big like Ivica Zubac might unlock his final form.
No. 29 Amen Thompson
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Forward
Age: 23
2025-26 stats: 18.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.3 apg
Along with his brother, Ausar, who plays for the Pistons, Amen Thompson might be the most athletic player in the entire league. He broke out last season when the Rockets deployed him as a point-forward, after starting point guard Fred VanVleet was lost to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Thompson is a two-way demon; he uses his quickness and length to lock-up his assignments, and he can slash to the cup for high-percentage looks. The only thing keeping Thompson from becoming a Top-15 player is a jumper that can be unreliable, especially from deep (21.6% last season).
No. 28 Stephon Castle
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Guard
Age: 21
2025-26 stats: 16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 7.4 apg
The 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year backed up that initial campaign by improving in nearly every statistical category during his second season, then elevated his game even further during the Spurs' run to the NBA Finals. Castle's shooting efficiency improved dramatically from his rookie year, while his playmaking and ability to lock down opposing teams' top perimeter scorers has quickly made him one of the league's most promising young guards.
There are role players, and then there are the kind of indispensable winning players who do all the little things and hard things at the same time. Anunoby is the latter. Anunoby can nail corner 3-pointers in the clutch, dive for loose balls and snatch long rebounds, and lock down the other team’s best player. He is the lovely rug that ties the room together for the reigning NBA champions.
No. 26 James Harden
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Guard
Age: 37
2025-26 stats: 23.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 8.0 apg
At his age, it’s amazing what James Harden has been able to do, especially adapting his game. We’ve seen the dynamic scorer version of Harden, and now we get more of a playmaking version of him. Is Harden still a top 30 player in the league? Yes, especially since this is a regular-season designation.
No. 25 Jalen Johnson
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Position: Forward
Age: 24
2025-26 stats: 22.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 7.9 apg
He’s more of a point-forward, and Atlanta’s decision to turn the offense over to Johnson proved to be a sound one. Though he’s versatile, Johnson is at his best when he’s leading the Hawks in transition, where he deploys his size, handles and vision to find teammates or simply get to the rim. Coach Quinn Snyder deserves a lot of credit here, as Johnson also displays excellent patience and doesn’t force many looks; he lets the game come to him.
No. 24 Scottie Barnes
Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 18.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.9 apg
Barnes emerged as a bonafide two-way force as the Raptors became one of the Eastern Conference’s biggest surprises last season. The fourth-year forward shot better than 50% from the field for the first time in his career, pairing elite defensive versatility with a more polished offensive game. He then elevated his play in his postseason debut, helping push Toronto to the brink of an upset over Cleveland in the playoffs.
No. 23 Chet Holmgren
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Forward
Age: 24
2025-26 stats: 17.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.7 apg
Holmgren’s reported two-pound offseason weight gain certainly won’t do him any favors if he doesn’t use his other skills on offense. His defense is elite, and he has the capabilities to become a 25-point-a-night scorer. With the talent he has around him, including Shai Gilgeous Alexander, the MVP of the last two seasons, Holmgren should be an All-NBA mainstay for years to come.
No. 22 Jalen Williams
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Forward
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 17.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.5 apg
Injuries (wrist surgery, hamstring) robbed huge chunks of his regular season and playoffs, which massively hurt the Thunder. But he remains a two-way forward who can slash to the rim, handle the ball and lace perimeter shots when required. Now that he’s fully healthy, he should continue his production as one of the game’s bright stars – one that was instrumental in closing out the Pacers at the 2025 NBA Finals.
No. 21 Jamal Murray
Team: Denver Nuggets
Position: Guard
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 25.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 7.1 apg
Where Murray lacks high-end athleticism, he makes up for it by being arguably the craftiest offensive player in the league. The veteran has built his career on reaching into his bag of tricks. And when he’s on, Murray’s capacity for microwave scoring and shooting can be genuinely jaw-dropping. All of this context is why he fits with Nikola Jokić like a glove as his running mate.
No. 20 Bam Adebayo
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Center
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.2 apg
Adebayo coming in at No. 20 still makes him a top-five center or big-man in the NBA. Don’t let the 20.1 ppg fool you, he can fill it up with best of them – Remember, 83? The addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo should really open up Adebayo’s game and his impact will be felt tremendously.
No. 19 LeBron James
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Forward
Age: 41
2025-26 stats: 20.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 7.2 apg
There will be times throughout the season when James coasts simply due to age and the mileage on his body. But he proved in carrying the Lakers to a first-round playoff win over the Rockets, when he needs to assert himself, he can still control a game better than most thanks to the best mind in basketball.
No. 18 Tyrese Haliburton
Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: Guard
Age: 26
2025-26 stats: Did not play due to injury
The last time we saw Tyrese Haliburton play basketball, he led the Pacers to the 2025 NBA Finals, where he pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games before he devastatingly tore his right Achilles tendon. We don’t know how Haliburton will look coming off the injury – which is why he finished this low on the list – but if he returns to form as the season progresses, while running pick-and-roll with Ivica Zubac, then he can easily outperform this spot in our rankings.
No. 17 Devin Booker
Team: Phoenix Suns
Position: Guard
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 26.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.0 apg
One of the smoothest and most consistent buckets in the NBA, Booker is a three-level scorer who has taken on even more responsibility since a June 2025 trade shipped Kevin Durant to the Rockets. Booker is the face of the franchise, and his silky jumper helped elevate the Suns to a surprise playoff run last season. He may not be the most vocal, but he has also embraced a leadership role, while trying to get the Suns back to legitimate competition out West – six seasons after they reached the Finals.
No. 16 Karl-Anthony Towns
Team: New York Knicks
Position: Center
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 20.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 3.0 apg
Towns’ frustrations with his contract situation could be an interesting side note and distraction for the world-champion Knicks, but Towns’ professionalism won’t let that be the case. As long as he keeps up his stellar playoff play, with timely outside shooting and defense, the Knicks will be right back in contention.
No. 15 Jaylen Brown
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Guard/Foward
Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 28.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.1 apg
Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP, has been heralded for his ability to play both sides of the ball, but his offensive output deserves more recognition after being among the top five scores in the league during the 2025-26 regular season. The scenery change to Philadelphia could shine an even bigger spotlight on him, playing alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James.
No. 14 Tyrese Maxey
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 28.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 6.6 apg
Maxey’s high-profile teammates will probably make most headlines this year, but make no mistake: The electric point guard is the straw that stirs the 76ers’ drink. An explosive first step, an elite shooting stroke and underrated passing vision make Maxey one of the Association’s most dynamic offensive players. If the new-look 76ers live up to the hype, Maxey will almost certainly drive their success.
No. 13 Donovan Mitchell
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: Guard
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 27.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.7 apg
Mitchell has earned all-NBA honors in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career and inked a new $273 million contract extension this offseason that should keep him in Cleveland for the duration of his prime. Questions linger about his viability as a No. 1 option in the playoffs after the Cavaliers were swept in the Eastern Conference finals, but Mitchell remains one of the league’s most explosive perimeter scorers and playmakers.
No. 12 Kevin Durant
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Forward
Age: 38
2025-26 stats: 26.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.8 apg
For all intents and purposes, this might be Durant’s last hurrah, as he will move into fourth place on the all-time scoring list by season’s end. The 38-year-old can rely on the young core to give the Rockets hope of making a dent in the West, but Durant’s leadership and still-lethal scoring will ultimately decide Houston’s fate.
No. 11 Stephen Curry
Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: Guard
Age: 38
2025-26 stats: 26.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.7 apg
Whatever decline we’re supposed to be expecting from Curry hasn’t taken place yet. In the 43 games he was on the court last year, he was still cheffing. His 46.8 shooting percentage was his second highest in the last five years, and he still knocked down 39 percent of his threes.
No. 10 Kawhi Leonard
Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: Forward
Age: 35
2025-26 stats: 27.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.6 apg
Now free of distractions after a year-long saga following an investigation and subsequent discipline involving cap circumvention for the Los Angeles Clippers, let’s allow Leonard to reintroduce himself to us. The last time that Leonard played for the Raptors, he was crowned NBA Finals MVP for the second time in his career. Everyone knows what he can do on defense, but Leonard quietly played the second-most games in his career since 2017-18 while averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game at 34 years old.
No. 9 Jayson Tatum
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Forward
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 21.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.3 apg
Expect Tatum to return to his All-NBA, MVP-candidate form without Jaylen Brown, with one caveat: his health. Tatum was injured again at the worst possible time, as the Celtics were eliminated early in the playoffs. Expecting Paul George to match Brown’s production might be a little too much to ask.
No. 8 Cade Cunningham
Team: Detroit Pistons
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-2026 stats: 23.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 9.9 apg
Cunningham has put up gaudy numbers for years. Last year was when the young star finally came of age at the helm of a winning Pistons team. At his best, Cunningham is a big, physical and strong guard who leverages every bit of his listed 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame to punish smaller defenders while leaning on a silky-smooth jump-shooting bag. He is a metronome the Pistons can count on to deliver, and perhaps even rescue them, every single night.
No. 7 Anthony Edwards
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: Guard
Age: 25
2025-26 stats: 28.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.7 apg
Edwards set career highs for points, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage during the 2025-26 season before a knee injury slowed him in the Timberwolves’ playoff run. The franchise is betting that the addition of LaMelo Ball will finally provide Edwards with the elite playmaking point guard he’s lacked throughout his time in Minnesota. Already one of the league's most explosive scorers, Edwards enters 2026-27 with legitimate MVP and championship expectations.
No. 6 Jalen Brunson
Team: New York Knicks
Position: Guard
Age: 30
2025-26 stats: 26.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.8 apg
Everybody is better than Brunson until it’s time to be better than Brunson. There was no better example than his 45-point magnum opus in the NBA Finals. When the lights are brightest, the 2025 Clutch Player of the Year gets it done.
No. 5 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Forward
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 27.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 5.4 apg
Antetokounmpo is still a top-5 player in the NBA, and he has been for nearly the last decade becoming a 10-time All-Star, two-time league MVP, an NBA champion and Finals MVP. He’s about to remind everyone just how dominant he can be – even without a consistent jump shot – now rejuvinated and playing in South Beach.
No. 4 Luka Doncic
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Guard
Age: 27
2025-26 stats: 33.5 ppg, 8.3 apg, 7.7 rpg
Dončić has ranked among the top five in usage percentage in each of the last seven seasons, and without LeBron James, don’t expect that to change much. With the Lakers on national television 34 times this season, Dončić is expected to take Los Angeles to championship heights. It’s too bad the Lakers don’t have five Luka’s on the floor at once.
No. 3 Victor Wembanyama
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: Center
Age: 22
2025-26 stats: 25.0 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.1 bpg
It was genuinely difficult not have Wembanyama at No. 1 overall, but after falling short to the Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals, it became clear that there is still more room for growth for the Defensive Player of the Year. Expect we see that this season as the MVP favorite looks to make it evident to the rest of the world that he is the best player on the planet. And with a chip on his shoulder after winning the Western Conference Finals, he can do exactly that.
No. 2 Nikola Jokic
Team: Denver Nuggets
Position: Center
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 27.7 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 10.7 apg
Though he has a legitimate claim as the top player in the world, Jokić was just edged out. Either way, he might be the best passer in all of basketball – not just among bigs. His footwork is singular, his touch around the rim makes him a nightmare to defend, and he’s just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a single season. Last year was the second-consecutive time he did it.
No. 1 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Guard
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 31.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.6 apg
The two-time reigning MVP had the most efficient offensive season of his career in 2025-26, and his play remained elite in the playoffs with the Thunder battling injuries. SGA is also evolving as a playmaker after setting a career high for assists last season and dishing out nearly eight per game in the postseason. He’s already a defining player of this era, but another title with OKC and a third-straight MVP trophy in 2026-27 would elevate him into the conversation with the league’s greatest players of all-time.
Before heading to Washington on Tuesday night, the Montreal Canadiens will host the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre. The two teams played a nail-biting second-round series last season. The Habs won on an Alex Newhook overtime goal in Game 7, but the Sabres had a 39-25 shot advantage that night and felt they should have won the series. On Tuesday night, they’ll have a chance to avenge their elimination.
In the regular season, the two teams met four times and split the series, each winning one at home and one on the road, and both scoring 13 goals. They could not have been more evenly matched. Unlike the Canadiens, though, the Sabres made many offseason changes, bidding farewell to Alex Tuch, Bowen Byram, Jordan Greenway, Logan Stanley, and Luke Schenn, to name a few. They’ve added Louis Crevier, Olen Zellweger and Dennis Gilbert. Over six games this season, they scored 16 goals and went 3-3-0, leaving them in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, they leapfrogged the Habs last night with a win over the Florida Panthers. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are 2-2-1 with five points for seventh place in the Atlantic Division and 23rd in the league, having scored 15 goals.
The Sabres are struggling in net. Alex Lyon has yet to make his season start and is day-to-day; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has one win, a 4.02 goals-against average, and a .782 save percentage; and Colten Ellis has one win, a 2.91 GAA, and an .880 SV. Meanwhile, in Montreal, Jakub Dobes also has one win with a 4.43 GAA and a .856 SV, while newly recalled Jacob Fowler is 1-1-0 with a 1.46 GAA and a .938 SV.
At Monday’s practice, the Canadiens spent a lot of time working on their anemic power play ( a single goal in 17 opportunities for a 5.9% success rate), which is currently 31st in the league, just like the Sabres’. Florian Xhekaj returned to practice but left after a few minutes, clearly still bothered by a minor ailment. St-Louis refused to confirm whether he’d run the same formation with 11 forwards and seven defensemen or to confirm which goaltender would get the first game of the back-to-back.
In the regular season, Dobes has a 3-0-0 record against the Sabres with a 2.00 GAA and .937 SV, while Fowler has lost his only start against Tuesday night’s visitors, posting a 4.13 GAA and a .846 SV. Will St-Louis give the youngster a third straight start, or will he let Dobes back between the posts? Hard to sit Fowler after he pitched a perfect game against the Detroit Red Wings. The Florida native was absolutely flawless through regulation, overtime and the shootout.
As for the Sabres, Ellis got the start on Monday against the Florida Panthers, so it makes sense for Luukkonen to start. The former has a 1-0-0 record against the Habs, surrendering three goals in a 5-3-win last season and a .870 SV, while the latter is 2-2-0 with a 3,95 GAA and a .871 SV.
Up front, captain Nick Suzuki has 26 points in 21 games against the Sabres, the same total as newcomer Chris Kreider, but the veteran has faced them 40 times to reach that total. Sniper Cole Caufield ranks third with 16 points in 18 games.
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres in points against the Habs with 23 points in 20 games; Rasmus Dahlin has 21 points in 24 games; and Jack Quinn comes in third place with six points in 12 games. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Dahlin was injured in Sunday's game and didn't make the trip to Montreal.
Beware, the game starts at 6:30 PM, and you can catch it in French on RDS 2 and in English on TSN 2. It will be the first of four duels between the two sides this season. The Canadiens have won six of their last 10 games against the visitors and will no doubt hope to improve that record. Jake Brenk and Pierre Lambert will be the officials on the night while Ryan Daisy and Tommy Hughes will be the linesmen.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Alec Bohm #28, Bryson Stott #5 and Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate a win over the Atlanta Braves in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s pumpkin spice season. Do you think the Phanatic likes pumpkin spice? Given that he’s green, he’s probably more of a matcha guy.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 12: Tyler Wells #68 of the Tampa Bay Rays walks off the mound during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game one of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 12, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Both the ALCS and NLCS are underway, and we’re one step closer to an all-Central division World Series as both the Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Guardians were winners yesterday. The Brewers’ 7-4 win over the Dodgers gave them a 2-0 series lead as the teams travel to Los Angeles today. It’s a delightful outcome for the majority of baseball fans, who are exhausted by the idea of a Dodgers World Series three-peat. The 103-win Brewers are showing why they were the best team in baseball this season, and they’re halfway toward getting revenge on L.A. for last year’s NLCS sweep.
The more surprising result came in the ALCS opener, where the Guardians (85-77 in the regular season) stole a win on the road from the heavily favored Rays (98-64). Things seemed to be going as planned for the Rays when they pounced for two runs in the first and handed the lead to their ace, Drew Rasmussen, who tossed five scoreless innings. But the Guardians turned the tables and stunned the Tropicana Field crowd by scoring seven times in the final four innings, including a pair of solo homers off Rasmussen to tie the game and a five-run explosion against the bullpen.
It was a particularly rough night for two former Orioles relievers, Tyler Wells and Cole Sulser, who combined to cough up five runs in the Rays defeat. Wells, making his first appearance of the postseason — and his first in exactly a month, after he missed much of September with forearm tightness — was tagged for a single and a double in a tie game in the eighth. Both runs scored after he left the game, saddling him with the loss. Later, Sulser, trying to keep it a one-run deficit in the ninth, instead let the Guardians put the game out of reach with a three-run rally in which he gave up two singles, a walk, a wild pitch, and a balk.
Wells and Sulser struggled, but you could question manager Kevin Cash’s choices to bring them into the game at all. Was it wise for Wells, who’d had a month-long layoff from the mound, to make his return in as high-pressure a situation as a tied playoff game in the eighth? And why use Sulser, who had a -0.3 WAR in the regular season, instead of All-Star closer Bryan Baker (another former Oriole) in the ninth? Yes, the Rays were losing, but it was only a one-run game. If Baker had shut down Cleveland in the top of the ninth, Tampa Bay might’ve had a real chance to tie the score in the bottom half. I guess now we’ll never know. But in happier former Oriole news, Cedric Mullins smashed a left-on-left homer in the eighth that kept the Rays close, at least for a little while.
The Rays will look to even the series tonight, with Freddy Peralta taking the mound against Guardians ace Parker Messick. Will there be more bullpen shenanigans this time around?
Purely my speculation, but I don’t think the Orioles’ beat crew are the biggest fans of Albernaz. Rich Dubroff states that it was “not a good look” for Albernaz to air out his criticisms of players in the media.
Honeycutt is continuing to rake in the AFL, and he credits his turnaround to consulting with a private hitting instructor in Gaithersburg. Not exactly a rousing endorsement for the Orioles’ development staff.
The performances of some of the Orioles’ AFL players might decide whether they join the 40-man roster or get left out in the cold, writes Meoli. No pressure!
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Two former Orioles were born on this day: right-hander Hayden Penn (42) and the late lefty Ron Moeller (b. 1938, d. 2009).
The O’s have played five postseason games on this date in history:
In 1970, the Orioles took an insurmountable three-games-to-none lead in the World Series against the Reds, winning a 9-3 rout in Game 3 in front of a crowd of 51,773 at Memorial Stadium. Orioles starter Dave McNally truly did it all. Not only did he pitch a complete game victory, but he also hit a game-breaking grand slam in the bottom of the sixth. McNally was the second (and final) pitcher in postseason history to hit a grand slam (and the other one was done by his Orioles teammate, Mike Cuellar, 10 days earlier in the ALCS). Former Reds superstar Frank Robinson burned his former team with a dinger of his own.
In 1971, the Orioles and Pirates played the first nighttime World Series game in history. The O’s lost, so we don’t need to discuss it further.
In 1979, the Orioles took a 3-1 series lead over the Pirates in the World Series with a 9-6 win in Pittsburgh. Trailing 6-3 in the eighth, the O’s erupted for a six-run inning. Pinch-hitter John Lowenstein drove in two runs with a bases-loaded double, and two batters later, pinch-hitter Terry Crowley did the same. Even relief pitcher Tim Stoddard joined in on the fun with an RBI single, and Stoddard also finished the game with three scoreless innings on the mound.
In 1996, the Orioles lost the ALCS to the Yankees with a 6-4 defeat in Game 5. Bleh.
And in 1997, the O’s stayed alive in the ALCS with a 4-2 victory in Game 5 in Cleveland. Geronimo Berroa’s two-run single in the third provided the game’s only runs for the first eight innings, and Eric Davis added some much-needed insurance with a home run in the ninth. Orioles pitchers Scott Kamieniecki and Jimmy Key held Cleveland’s powerful offense scoreless for eight innings before closer Randy Myers survived a two-run scare in the ninth.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 12: William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates at home plate after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during Game Two of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday, October 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
A cursory glance at the numbers over the past two seasons will tell you that William Contreras is still a good major-league catcher, but that he’s taken a little step back. After he was the league’s best catcher in 2024 at age 26 (he made First Team All-MLB and finished fifth in NL MVP voting), one could find a way to be disappointed with his two follow-up seasons; his OPS+ dropped from 130 in ‘24 to 111 in ‘25 to 108 in ‘26. Maybe he was hurt, maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was being overused, maybe he wasn’t. But the numbers were declining earlier than you’d expect them to.
But those following the Brewers know how valuable he’s been to the team. While Christian Yelich is universally acknowledged as the team’s leader and Jake Bauers has had a couple of important leadership moments this season, Contreras brings a different dimension to this team: swagger, confidence, soul. Even during the moments when his offense has struggled—he went through a brutal slump this season, in which he hit just .159/.248/.506 for six weeks between the beginning of July and mid-August—he still brought that dimension to the team.
Well, his offense is back. Since his OPS bottomed out at .702 on August 14, Contreras hit .321/.384/.557 over the regular season’s last six weeks—in 33 games in that stretch, Contreras had 10 doubles, seven homers, and more than an RBI per game (35). More importantly, he’s kept it rolling in the postseason. Against the Padres, Contreras went 6-for-16 (.375) with two solo homers. He was 0-for-3 with a walk in Game 1 on Sunday, and followed that up with a monster game on Monday in which he was 3-for-4 with a massive solo homer and a pair of RBI singles. All three of Contreras’s run-scoring hits either tied the game or gave the Brewers the lead, which makes him just the fourth player ever to have three such hits in a postseason game.
Should we look at them all? Let’s look at them all. First, a first-inning RBI knock to tie up the game after the Dodgers got out to an early lead:
The result is that the Brewers are headed to Los Angeles with a 2-0 lead in the NLCS, as good a position as they could possibly be in. There have been several games this postseason—even games that the Brewers won, like the first game against the Dodgers and game 4 of the NLDS against the Padres—where there was plenty of traffic and plenty of hard-hit balls, but the big hits just weren’t falling. On Monday, Contreras made those hits fall.
It hasn’t always been easy for Contreras in the postseason. He’s had his moments—he homered twice in the NLDS victory over the Cubs last season, for instance. But coming into tonight Contreras was a .241/.308/.410 lifetime postseason hitter (compared to .272/.354/.442 in the regular season), and while he had four homers he had only seven RBI in 91 plate appearances and was a negative Win Probablity Added player in the playoffs.
I suspect the WPA numbers will look much better once they’re updated.
There is no shortage of heroes through the Brewers’ first six postseason games; Aaron Ashby has been the most impressive member of a bullpen that has been, almost literally, unhittable, and they set a postseason record by throwing five perfect innings on Monday. Jake Bauers and Yelich both had big moments in game 2. Brice Turang has been huge so far in the NLCS. David Hamilton had one of his best games as a Brewer when it mattered most.
But Contreras is the reason why they won game 2, and he was a huge part of the reason why they defeated the Padres. He’s on one right now, and when he does that he is more than willing to let the whole team jump on. We’ll see how long he can keep carrying the team, but right now, Wild Bill is this group’s major driving force.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 24: Nathan Church #27 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As we inch closer and closer to the offseason, the more we try to pick apart what the roster picture looks like as of right now and how that picture could be manipulated before opening day to give the Cardinals their best chance to win in 2027. Perhaps I’ve been too gullible in believing them when they say they expect Nathan Church to open 2027 as the starting center fielder. But the devil’s advocate of that stance is that they’re being extremely transparent in their approach to the offseason, and they truly believe that they don’t need to commit any substantial resources to the position. The latter of those two viewpoints has drawn the ire of a majority of the readers, which led me to create this piece today that will explore outside additions that are both realistic and have the capacity to overachieve what the incumbent might be capable of.
The question of “Could the Cardinals upgrade in center field?” is one that is easy to answer. Could they? Yes, fairly easily. Will they? TBD. We can argue about the who of it all day long, but unless they choose to take action, it’s all a moot point.
Nathan Church in 2027 slashed .247/.290/.364 -> .654 OPS; his .288 wOBA was actually higher than his .283 xwOBA, which means that, for as underwhelming as his offense was, it actually slightly outproduced what his expected production was. Further evidenced by his 81 wRC+ and his 0.7 fWAR. His +2 OAA and 90.8 MPH were both above-average rated defensive outputs, and his 28.5 MPH sprint speed rated in the 81st percentile in baseball according to Baseball Savant. Those are replacement-level stats, and I came into the season viewing Church as a 4th outfielder long-term, and his performance did not move me off that stance.
The Cardinals have pieces in their pipeline they’re excited about long-term: Tai Peete, Josiah Ragsdale, and Trevor Condon, who might eventually force the issue. Peete and Ragsdale likely will start the season in Triple-A Memphis, and if they get off to hot starts, they could be realistic options by June/July. Condon, who was just drafted 13th overall as a prepster, is likely 3-4 years away from knocking on that big league door.
The other name worth mentioning here is 2023 1st-round pick Chase Davis, who primarily plays CF and has not quite been what the Cardinals had expected when they drafted him. He parallels a lot of what Nathan Church does: a really solid defender in CF, flashes occasional power, and they go about their at-bats a little differently, with church swinging early and often; Davis is far more passive, somewhat like what some fans’ frustrations were surrounding Lars Nootbaar and his patience bordering on passivity. Davis is R5 eligible this offseason, so the Cardinals will be forced to make a decision on him. Might he instead be part of a package to get an established CF, or do they protect him and continue to throw numbers at the position and see who sticks?
I identified a few options that might intrigue you based on your current belief in the internal options. If you believe that Ragsdale/Peete are solutions, perhaps a 1-year short-term stopgap might be your best bet. If you aren’t sold on those guys and you think that Trevor Condon is the more likely future CF, perhaps a medium-term guy with years of control might be better. And perhaps if you think prospects are overrated and waiting for them to ascend is just a foolish waste of time, then young MLB-experienced long-term pieces are what might appeal to you the most.
I’ll try to provide a little something for everyone and put the onus on you, the reader, to decide what path you like the most. None of these players project to be stars, face of the franchise, or organizational direction-altering players, but guys who could factor in as everyday contributors/fringe all-star caliber depending on upside. We’ll work from short-term (most likely) to long-term.
SHORT TERM PLACEHOLDERS
CF/LF Steven Kwan – ARB 3 (1 year /11.5 million projected salary)
Kwan is the ideal 9-hole hitter in modern baseball. The subsequent 2nd lead-off hitter in a lineup as it turns over and rolls back into the top of the lineup. Kwan has no power, but that’s okay because he does everything else so exceptionally well that he still makes an impact. For fans who love throwback-style hitters who don’t strike out, put the ball in play, use their speed to manufacture hits, and can play above-average defense and steal bases. This guy is a “whiteyball” fan’s dream. .282/.382/.349 -> .731 OPS, Kwan was 15th in the AL in hits and 7th in the AL in walks. He only struck out 62 times this season and has never done so more than 75 times in a season in his career. He produced 3.8 fWAR and is a 2x All-Star in ’24 and ‘25 and has won 4 consecutive Gold Gloves. So, why would Cleveland trade him? He’s entering his final season of Salary Arbitration, and at 11.5 million, that’s a little pricey, especially when they have 12 other arb-eligible players and a team that routinely carries a bottom-10 payroll in baseball. They also have guys like Angel Martinez, Chase DeLauter, and Daniel Schneeman who can cover CF. It might cost the Cardinals some future value, but of the short-term options, he would be the best of the bunch.
CF Trent Grisham – FA
After a 2025 season in which Grisham hit 34 home runs and earned the qualifying offer, he followed it up with a performance that saw him hit .211/.308/. 395 -> .703 OPS and still managed to blast 18 home runs into the New York sky. The underlying data suggests that there wasn’t a marked difference between what he did in 2025 and what he produced in 2026. He produced a .311 wOBA that was 26 points below his .337 xWOBA and still managed a slug that was nearly .400 and an OPS that was 50 points higher than Nathan Church in 2026. Grisham produced 0.7 fWAR this season, and his defense has taken significant steps back since he went to New York, producing -5 OAA, which is a complete 180 from his 2023 in SD when he produced a +6 and was one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. I’m not totally sure what to make of that, given that he is still only 29 years old, so it shouldn’t be age-related decline. Perhaps an indictment of the Yankees’ coaching staff? A 1-year flier on a guy looking to bump his value back up, and to work with an excellent outfield coach in Jon Jay, could help him look to cash in during the 2028 offseason after all of the CBA hubbub is behind the league.
MEDIUM TERM PLAYERS WITH UPSIDE
OF Colton Cowser ARB 1 (1 year/2.2 million projected salary)
After an impressive breakout 2024 season, Cowser has followed it up with back-to-back underachieving seasons in Baltimore. Slashing .226/.317/.370 -> .687 OPS. On the one hand, that’s pretty underwhelming, and the 30% K rate and lack of consistently squaring up the ball (17.5%) does give some pause. Considering his .144 ISO, he still produced slightly above-average power, produced an 11.7 BB%, which was 81st percentile, and was credited with a +10 OAA, which means he can really go get the baseball. Cowser is Nathan Church with power potential, and that’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked. It seems as though Cowser would benefit from a change of scenery, where in Baltimore the outfield picture is very crowded, and in St. Louis he could be given every opportunity to take hold of an everyday OF job. Would the Orioles entertain a Cowser for Gorman swap and engage in a challenge trade? Maybe. Gorman could serve as quite the complement for Coby Mayo and Pete Alonso.
CF Jake McCarthy ARB 2 (1 year/4.6 million projected salary)
Jake McCarthy showed what he can do when given a chance to play every day after leaving the complex outfield picture in Arizona. Slashing .291/.334/.475 -> en route to an .809 OPS and 2.7 fWAR. He is a real spark plug of an offensive piece and can cause havoc on the bases at the big league level in the way that fans had hoped Victor Scott would provide. He stole 32 bases and ran at 30.0 ft/s, which is in the 98th percentile. Paying for guys’ career years coming out of Coors Field will generally cause fans and analysts to pause, but when you consider that what he produced was just a continuation of what he showed in AZ, he was able to recreate what he did in ‘24 and exceeded it because of volume, not necessarily because of ballpark factor alone, which should reconcile some of those concerns, and you also consider what kind of havoc he was able to create in their 3-game series in St. Louis in August. Perhaps on days the offense struggles to get going, as it did at times in ‘26, a spark plug like McCarthy to wake the guys up a little might be something worth investing a couple of resources in.
LONG TERM INVESTMENTS
CF Jakob Marsee – Pre-Arb
2026 wasn’t quite the encore to the 2025 cup of coffee that Marsee obtained in 2025 when he slashed .292/.363/.478 -> .841 OPS in 234 PA. In 2026, his first full season, Marsee slashed .231/.348/.359 -> .707 OPS and produced 2.5 fWAR. A lot of the power and impact Marsee showed in 2025 didn’t carry over to 2026 due to multiple injuries suffered throughout the season; to Marsee’s credit, he continued to post and do what he could to help his team win. A quality this Cardinals organization finds endearing, perhaps to the players’ detriment, Marsee had UCL surgery on his left elbow (non-throwing) arm this month and is expected to have a 6-month recovery timetable that should put him on track for a May return in 2027; considering potential labor strife that might eat up all of April, he theorhetically, could be available for most of the season. The Cardinals would likely have to include multiple young players to pry Marsee away from Miami, though they’ve never been known to be a particularly difficult organization to pry players away from.
CF Drew Gilbert – Pre-Arb
2026 was Gilbert’s first real taste of big league baseball, and he showed really well in his opportunities. Slashing .238/.330/.394 -> .724 OPS and produced 1.7 fWAR. After being drafted by the Houston Astros and traded multiple times to the New York Mets and now the San Francisco Giants, Gilbert is no stranger to being moved around, and he could find a long-term home in St. Louis. Defensively, he was a +4 OAA and displayed an above-average throwing arm, more of an average runner in terms of sprint speed, and underlying metrics in terms of whiff%, chase%, and BB% are all positive indicators, as well as the ability to display some sneaky raw pop, producing a max EV of 110. The Giants have more young SS than they know what to do with, which could lead to one of them finding their way to CF long term, and that follows a modern philosophy of roster building, which could then theoretically make Gilbert gettable for the right price after a disaster of a 2026 season as a team; they should be open to anything.
The Cardinals don’t have many glaring holes on their roster from an offensive perspective heading into 2027, but one of the more persistent ones that continued to frustrate fans throughout the season was the play of Nathan Church in CF. Your perception of where you think the Cardinals are in their build will likely lead you to which of these plausible options could be the right answer. The Cardinals could argue their belief in Nathan Church to be capable of playing on par with some of the names listed above, and thus they don’t see a great need to make a change in CF at the start of the 2027 season. I’m somewhat indifferent on the topic, as I can see the rationale for both sides. Though I will always lean towards the direction of the higher upside just because I believe that the more high-upside players you can obtain, the greater the likelihood you are to be successful in a 162-game marathon season. I’d like to know your thoughts on the article, if there was someone presented you hadn’t really thought of, or if there’s someone you really have your eye on you think would be a perfect fit.
