San Diego, CA - March 30: Nick Castellanos #21 of the San Diego Padres taps his bat after striking out in the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on March 30, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
For all the talk of Dombrowski running the team back, there are a few significant players and faces who made up the 2022-25 run, now gone. Ranger Suárez signed a five-year deal with Boston, Nick Castellanos is trying to prove himself in San Diego, and Matt Strahm returned to the city that started his career and is the Royals top left-handed option.
There are eight players from the Phillies 2025 roster who are in different big league uniforms to begin the 2026 season. This will be a running series to track how these players are doing and potentially more. Maybe Max Kepler inks a one-year deal at some point, or David Robertson gets enough money to put the cleats back on. Maybe there are callups later on.
Ranger Suárez’s Debut with Boston
Suárez inked a five-year, $140 million contract with Boston and made his first start of 2026 against the Houston Astros and their heavy right-handed lineup. The results weren’t great, allowing four runs in 4.1 innings of work with just three strikeouts and two homers allowed. They weren’t cheap homers either.
He struggled to get consistent swing and miss, which was part of why the Phillies essentially chose to pay Jesus Luzardo instead.
One interesting nugget from this start is how the Red Sox chose to deploy Suárez’s deep mix. His cutter usage spiked from 18% with the Phillies to 32% in his first Boston start. There were a few less changeups and curveballs and he didn’t throw a single sweeping slider. The slider part is almost certainly because Houston’s lineup featured eight right-handed hitters.
Lance McCullers went 7 innings with 9 strikeouts in 2026?
Padres and Giants highlighted 3 former Phillies
The Giants signed Harrison Bader to be their starting center fielder, shifting Jung Hoo Lee to right field after a disastrous defensive season in 2025. Bader showed off his strong glove that made him a beloved Phillie on Opening Night against the Yankees.
Bader has started a bit cold at the plate, going just 2 for 14 with five strikeouts over the first few games of the season. He did pick up a big homer against the Padres to help give Tony Vitello his first win as a big league manager.
You know who was pitching for the Padres last night? Walker Buehler only made two starts with the Phillies at the end of 2025 but was still memorable. He signed a minor league deal with San Diego after pitching well with the Phillies and made their starting rotation out of camp.
His first start as a Padre wasn’t great. He went just four innings on 72 pitches, allowed three runs with three strikeouts and two walks. He threw seven different pitches to try and keep the Giants lineup off balance but still struggled with hard contact.
The most notable former Phillie, and the entire reason this will be an ongoing series, is Nick Castellanos. His departure from Philadelphia was well documented and the Phillies related him when spring training started. Castellanos signed with the Padres soon after and has started two games as their designated hitter, and played two more off the bench.
In nine at bats, Castellanos has one hit, a bloop single against the Tigers, and three strikeouts. Padres manager Craig Stammen did not start Castellanos against either Tarik Skubal or Framber Valdez, two of the toughest left-handed pitchers in the American League.
Who knows how long of a leash Castellanos will have with the Padres.
Through two games, Strahm has not allowed a run in 1.2 innings with one strikeout. There are some concerning underlying numbers though. His four-seam fastball velocity has dropped from 92.3 mph to 90.2, which could lead to a lot more hard contact down the line.
Jordan Romano is now the Los Angeles Angels, picking up his first save on opening day against the Astros. Romano pitched the following day again in a four-run game and threw another scoreless frame. Romano is now throwing 94 mph with a slower slider. Maybe the Angels found something but maybe they’re the Angels.
Joe Ross made the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen and even pitched a scoreless inning to begin his 2026 season against none other than the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It would be great if the story ended there but sadly it doesn’t. He pitched for the snakes Monday night against the Tigers and allowed six earned runs on five hits and a walk. Through 1.2 innings of work, Ross has a 32.40 ERA. Small sample math is great!
Also, Michael Soroka went five shutout innings with ten strikeouts. Is he back?
His 2026 debut was just rough. Abel allowed eight hits and five earned runs in just 3.1 innings of work. He struck out four hitters but also walked four more. He needed 81 pitches to get through a little more than three innings of work. That’s just not great.
Notable Others
Here are some of the players from the 2025 Phillies that did not make a big league roster.
If your concern about the Cubs would be that the offense wouldn’t be potent enough in 2026, it’s a fine time to express some concern about where this season is headed. Though as you do so, note that while losing three of their first five games, they have managed to plate 24 runs or 4.8 per game. That number in and of itself would be pretty good one over 162 games. 777.6 runs scored is pretty good. Eight teams met or exceeded that number in 2025. Two of them played in the World Series, three of them played in their respective LCS. Seven of them reached the playoffs. Among those eight teams were last year’s Cubs.
All of that said, that 24 runs in five games didn’t see the Cubs face any of the significant number of elite pitchers they will face this year. The offense will have to get better or this team is going to falter even more significantly as the grind of the season sets in. But in being fair, the Cub offense forced José Soriano to throw something like 45 pitches the first time through the order. That was the first two innings of the game. On a night where the playing conditions were horrible, the Cub offense just couldn’t string positive outcomes together. Hat tip to the Angels pitching on that.
Soriano ultimately got through six scoreless and he did it on only 90 pitches. He’s unscored on through his first two starts of the season. Three more Angels pitches needed 46 more pitches to record nine outs. When you make pitchers work that hard, you usually eventually scratch out at least a run or two. But a couple of timely double plays helps the Angels keep the Cubs off of the scoreboard.
I talked after game 4 about four quadrants of results. In this instance, even without a quality start for Cub starter Jameson Taillon, I’m going to give Cubs pitching a thumb up for this game. Two runs over nine innings wins many more than not. The Cubs scored one or no runs 28 times last year. They lost only seven games last year when they allowed two runs or fewer. So that’s a quality team outing. So this was a good pitching/bad hitting game. And it is a loss. So far, the team has only been able to win good/good outings. Hopefully that will eventually change. Even more so, hopefully there continue to be a high percentage of good/good outings.
The teeter totter continues to run undaunted. Down, Up, Down, Up, Down. Let’s hope it bounces back again and the Cubs win their first day game after night game of the season and their first series of the season.
For now, let’s look for some positives.
Three Positives:
Ben Brown faced 12 batters and recorded 10 outs. He allowed a hit and a walk and struck out five. He and Colin Rea are doing a terrific job early absorbing outs and keeping everyone else fresh. The Cubs will head into the final with all of the leverage pitchers rested.
Hoby Milner has been devastating against lefties for most of his career. He came into a key situation in the fifth and bailed out Jameson Taillon with a key out.
Ian Happ continued his nice start to the season. He was the only Cub on base twice, drawing a pair of walks.
Game 5, March 31: Angels 2, Cubs 0 (2-3)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
Billy Goat: Phil Maton (-.282). 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, K (L 0-1)
Goat: Matt Shaw (-.194). 0-3, DP
Kid: Alex Bregman (-.150). 0-4, DP
WPA Play of the Game: Logan O’Hoppe batted with two outs and runners on second and third, the game scoreless. He hit a hard grounder to third that Bregman couldn’t quite pick up. Two runs scored. (.254)
*Cubs Play of the Game: Maton faced Josh Lowe with runners on second and third and one out, the game scoreless. He coaxed a grounder to first and the runners were unable to advance as the second out was recorded. (.117)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 4 Player of the Game: Edward Cabrera received 218 of 224 votes.
Up Next: A quick turn around. Matthew Boyd (0-1, 14.73) looks to bounce back from his disappointing first start. He faces fellow lefty Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 4.15). Last time out Kikuchi allowed eight hits and a walk in just 4.1 innings.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Miguel Ullola #66 of the Houston Astros throws a bullpen session during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 16, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (3-1) won 5-2 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got the scoring started with Unroe connecting on an RBI double in the 4th inning. In the 5th, Alexander extended the lead with a 2 run HR. Ullola got the start and was great allowing 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 7 batters over 5.2 innings. The lone run came after he was pulled. The offense added some insurance in the 9th on solo homers from Price and Trammell. Maldonado, Leach and Murray tossed scoreless innings to close out the 5-2 win.
NEW YORK - CIRCA 1985: Pitcher Phil Niekro #35 of the New York Yankees pitches during a Major League Baseball game circa 1985 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Niekro played for the Yankees from 1984-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For many players, making the Major Leagues is the top of the mountain, and generally the great accomplishment of a career. For someone of Phil Niekro’s status, that accomplishment was blown out of the water by sticking around for a quarter-century, winning 300 games, and making the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was a long and incredibly impressive career, and the subject of today’s birthday series entry.
Known primarily as a knuckleballer, Niekro was able to stick around a long time, succeeding well into his 40s, and becoming easily the last player born in the 1930s to be pitching on a big league mound. On longevity alone, it was an impressive run, but he was a mighty fine pitcher for much of those 24 seasons as well.
Philip Henry Niekro Born: April 1, 1939 (Blaine, OH) Died: December 27, 2020 (Flowery Branch, GA) Yankees Tenure: 1984-85
Despite the historically lengthy career, Niekro was neither a high-profile prospect nor an early bloomer in the Braves organization. He missed the 1963 season due to military service, and didn’t make his big league debut until 1964, his age-25 season. His first three seasons with the Braves, from ‘64-’66, were largely forgettable, as he worked mostly as a reliever to the tune of a 3.54 ERA.
So, Niekro really didn’t begin to make his mark until the age of 28, but it would turn out to be a historic one. In the 1967 season for Atlanta, Niekro pitched in 46 games (20 starts), and managed a league-leading 1.87 ERA in over 200 innings of work. In shocking fashion, this kicked off a terrific 17-season run with the Braves for the crafty right-hander, and an even more impressive 20-year run in which Niekro pitched over 200 innings in all but one season.
During that stretch in Atlanta, Niekro posted five seasons with a sub-3 ERA, topped 20 wins twice, made four All-Star teams, racked up five Gold Gloves, and finished in the top three in Cy Young Award voting twice, finishing in the top six an additional three times. He was a simply as good and as dependable as they come for the Braves through the 1970s, posting an ERA above 4.00 just twice and pitching at least 207 innings every year in that decade.
Perhaps known best for his longevity thanks to the use of the knuckleball, Niekro did some of his finest work in his late 30s and early 40s. In a four-year stretch from 1977-80 (ages 38-41), Niekro led the league in bWAR twice, pitched over 330 (!) innings in every year but one (275 in the other), became one of the few pitchers in history to rack up 20 wins and 20 losses in the same season, and led the league in both starts and complete games for a stretch of three seasons. Not only was he shockingly durable, especially considering his age, but he was an excellent pitcher through it all.
Now into his mid-40s, despite still being a fine-enough starter, his time with the Braves was done after the 1983 season. In January of 1984, Niekro signed with the New York Yankees, with the club trying to get whatever they could out of the 45-year-old. What they got was likely far better than they could have expected.
The 1984 season, Niekro’s first in the Bronx, turned out to be the last great season in a storied career. He pitched in 32 games and over 215 innings, posted a 123 ERA+, and made his final All-Star game at the age of 45. In 1985, Niekro’s overall performance took a step back, though he still pitched well over 200 innings as a roughly average run-preventor.
He was not done with the accomplishments, though. On the last day of the season in 1985, Niekro tossed a complete-game shutout against the Blue Jays — amusingly eschewing his patented knuckler until the very end. It was the 300th win of his career, and also made him the oldest pitcher in Major League history to throw a shutout, a record that stood for 25 years.
Still not finished pitching in the big leagues, Niekro continued onward after being released by the Yankees before the ‘86 season kicked off. He signed with Cleveland and tacked on one more 30-plus-start, 200-inning campaign onto is textbook-sized resume at the age of 47. 1987, his age-48 season, would be his last in the Major Leagues. He split time between Cleveland, Toronto, and ultimately a brief reunion with the Braves to wrap things up in his 24th season.
Over his lengthy and impressive career, Phil Niekro racked up over 300 wins, 3,000 strikeouts, nearly 100 bWAR, and was not short on personal accolades, despite the lack of a World Series appearance. The right-handed knuckleballer was rewarded with election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, a deserved accolade for a historic career.
Pitchers of tremendous longevity, like Tommy John, Jamie Moyer, or Niekro, can often be overlooked as talented pitchers and seen just as innings-eaters. And although Niekro ate a lot of innings (his 5,404 the most of any pitcher in the live-ball era), he was a very good pitcher for much of that time, including seasons in his mid-to-late-40s.
It is a hell of a career to look back on, on what would be his 87th birthday.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
The oft-troubled history of Chelmsford City racecourse in Essex took its latest turn for the worse on Wednesday when the track lost its licence to host fixtures. This means the cancellation of scheduled meetings including the lucrative Good Friday fixture and putting the long-term future of the venue in serious doubt.
There have been enough twists in the Chelmsford saga that Justin Timberlake’s apparent walk-on part in the latest chapter is just one more to add to the list. The singer’s concert at the track on 4 July 2025 led to chaotic scenes when 25,000 fans left afterwards, forcing some to queue for up to four hours and others to abandon their cars and walk along the nearby A131 dual carriageway.
As the NBA regular season continues to wind to a close, every day and game is becoming more and more important in a tight Eastern Conference — and Wednesday is set to be a massive day with some massive games.
As the Philadelphia 76ers sit smack in the middle of a cluster of about six teams within reach of each other for seeds No. 5 through 10, it’s important to be aware of everything going on around them right now. Winning is obviously paramount for the Sixers, but it doesn’t control their destiny.
So let’s take a look at what happened last night while the 76ers were off, how things shifted in the East, and the major day ahead.
Last night (Tuesday, March 31)
Here was the Eastern Conference before any games were played on Tuesday:
Three of the six relevant teams played yesterday: the Toronto Raptors, who started the day No. 5 in the East, the Orlando Magic (No. 8) and the Charlotte Hornets (No. 10).
The Raptors fell 127-116 to the East-leading Detroit Pistons, shifting them back from the No. 5 seed to the No. 6 seed and now half a game behind the Atlanta Hawks, who take over that fifth spot.
The Magic and Hornets, however, both won their contests. They remain in their same positions after the victories, but gain half a game of ground on the teams ahead of them, including the Sixers.
Today (Wednesday, April 1)
Now, let’s see how things look today.
Your Wednesday look at the East!
It's a HUGE night for the Sixers and the East in general. All five teams highlighted play: – Sixers face a tanking Wizards squad – Hawks and Magic play each other – Heat face strong Celtics squad – Raptors host tanking Kings pic.twitter.com/lje1e5YPS5
Comparing from yesterday and as mentioned above, Tuesday saw the Hawks overtake the Raptors by half a game for No. 5 while the Magic and Hornets each add a game in the win column.
What these results mean for the Sixers is that they now are just a game back from the No. 6 seed (Raptors), while holding just a single game lead over the Magic (No. 8) and a game and half over the Hornets (No. 10), losing a half a game of ground to each via their victories.
Looking at the photo above, all five teams highlighted play tonight, including Philadelphia. The No. 7 Sixers have a favorable matchup against a tanking Washington Wizards squad that have won just one of their last 20 contests.
The No. 6 Raptors, however, also face a tanking team in the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are slightly more threatening than the Wizards, having won seven of their last 20 games by comparison, but Toronto are still set to be heavy favorites even on the second leg of a back-to-back.
A huge matchup amongst the five teams features two playing one another — the No. 5 Hawks against the No. 8 Magic. A reminder that the Sixers have the tiebreaker over the Magic, but the Hawks have the tiebreaker over the Sixers.
Last but certainly not least we have the No. 9 Heat, currently a game and a half behind the Sixers, facing off with the tough Boston Celtics. This is good news for Philadelphia, who do not have the tiebreaker over Miami.
So, in summary, here are the games to pay attention to tonight:
No. 7 Sixers at Wizards, 7 p.m. ET
No. 5 Hawks at No. 8 Magic, 7 p.m. ET
Celtics at No. 9 Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET
Kings at No. 6 Raptors, 8 p.m. ET
Just over 10 days left in the regular season. Here we go!
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31: Zach Eflin #24 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Rangers, the Orioles did as they signaled last night and placed pitcher Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort. The corresponding move is to select the contract of Albert Suárez from Triple-A Norfolk. Suárez was removed from the 40-man roster over the offseason and now is back less than a week into the season.
The Orioles 40-man roster was full before this move, so there needed to be a corresponding move there as well. The team transferred infielder Jordan Westburg to the 60-day injured list, which now guarantees that he will not return before the end of May. That’s a whole separate conversation, but I think that means the Orioles pretty much know Westburg will not play before this year. If the platelet-rich plasma injection had been working as they hoped, I think Westburg would have been back before that.
There is not an immediate diagnosis on Eflin’s injury. Last night, the team indicated that he would be getting an MRI. Those results could come later on. I don’t expect good news. The circumstance of a pitcher walking off the mound with a trainer without ever making warmup tosses and later reporting elbow discomfort usually only ends up one way.
This is likely not a signal that Suárez will replace Eflin in the rotation. The off day tomorrow means that the Orioles don’t need the fifth starter again until the 7th, which they can worry about on the 7th. In the meantime, Suárez provides some length in the bullpen after the starting rotation was largely not going deep into games its first time through the rotation. We observed in Tuesday’s game the downside of calling on Grant Wolfram or a Grant Wolfram-tier pitcher in the fifth inning.
Dean Kremer seems like the obvious candidate to fit into Eflin’s spot in the rotation, though until the team makes that announcement, they could always surprise us. There is a complicating factor that Kremer can only join the roster within the first two weeks of the season if he is called up to replace an injured player. The easiest way to do that would have been calling him up here, when there is an injured player.
That would have been the obvious thing to do, but then Mike Elias doesn’t have five games with an extra reliever. He could have chosen to do without that. He just was never going to. It’s not how he’s wired.
As far as making space for Kremer with an IL move in a few days, general managers always manage to find an injured guy when they really need one. Here on Camden Chat, the long-running inside joke for this is “stepped into a pothole,” referring to a time that Ubaldo Jiménez was placed on the IL at a convenient time with the explanation being that he rolled his ankle when he stepped out of his car in the player parking lot and into a pothole. You will never convince me that then-GM Dan Duquette did not personally operate the jackhammer that created that pothole.
Elias will find his pothole between now and April 7. I’ll predict Yaramil Hiraldo with shoulder inflammation. For now, Suárez is back. The 36-year-old was a fun surprise guy in 2024 and spent most of last season hurt. It would have been better if the 2026 Orioles didn’t need him on April 1, but here we are anyway. Hopefully he can do his part when asked to prevent specific games and this season generally from sliding off the rails early like last year’s Orioles team did.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31: Shortstop Corey Seager #5 and shortstop Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrate an 8-5 victory against the Baltimore Orioles of the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for April 1, 2026 against the Baltimore Orioles: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Trevor Rogers for the Baltimore Orioles.
The Rangers play an early game today, then head home for a luxurious day off at home on Thursday before starting a series at the Shed against Cincinnati on Friday. With a lefty going for the Orioles, Joc Pederson, Evan Carter and Josh Smith are all getting the day off.
The lineup:
Nimmo — DH
Langford — CF
Seager — SS
Burger — 1B
McCutchen — RF
Jansen — C
Jung — 3B
Duran — 2B
Haggerty — LF
11:35 a.m. Central start time. Rangers are +105 underdogs.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 31: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a two RBI home run in the 9th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before Tuesday’s game, Oneil Cruz had been struggling early in the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cruz only had two hits and he had struck out eight times through four games. There were serious concerns about his performance at the plate and on defense, especially after a disastrous performance at center field on opening day.
However, that all changed when the Bucs faced off against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. Cruz had a career day as he finally found his power for the 2026 season.
Cruz hit a single in the second inning, which loaded the bases. Nick Yorke then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to start the scoring and give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth inning, he smashed a 444ft solo shot off of Brandon Williams to give the Pirates a 6-1 lead. Then in the top of the ninth inning he swung at the first pitch he saw off of Pierce Johnson, and it went 403ft for a two run blast.
Cruz finished the day with 3 hits, 3 RBIs, and 2 HRs in Cincinnati. He has been struggling with strikeouts so far this season, as he struck out twice on Monday’s 2-0 loss to the Reds. Now he did strike out once on Tuesday, but it was nice to finally see his bat come to life.
His two homers were his first two of the season for him. There was a lot of hype around Cruz’s power to start the season especially after the performance he put up in the World Baseball Classic.
Fans in Pittsburgh hope that this is just the beginning for Cruz this season. Tuesday night’s game showed that when Cruz is playing well the Bucs can win games and hopefully this is the sign of the beginning of a good season for the lefty. The Pirates really need players like Cruz and Bryan Reynolds to hit well and when they do the offense can look really scary.
The Pirates beat the Reds 8-3 Tuesday night and have now improved to 2-3 on the season. They finish their three-game series with Cincinnati on Wednesday at 12:40pm, with Paul Skenes set to pitch.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 15: Outfielder Drew Burress #8 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before the Spring Classic college baseball game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on April 15, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As we reach the end of March, most college baseball teams have either hit the halfway point in their regular season schedule, or do so after the upcoming weekend. That means now is as good of a time as any to do a midseason stock report on the 2026 MLB Draft prospects. We did one after February, which could be found right here – but now with more data, and conference play kicking off, we have a better idea of where some of these guys might be at, and which of the breakouts may be for real. As a reminder the Atlanta Braves have picks No. 9 and No. 26 in the first round, along with No. 48 overall in the second round and No. 84 overall in the third round.
The focus here is guys who are in the Top 50-100 prospects in this draft, along with some names who have broken out this year to put themselves on the map for a potential Day 1 pick. Since the stats for all of these players are in their attached player cards, these write-ups will focus less on their stats and more on their stock and reasons why they are moving up or down at midseason.
Two names missing from the initial update, including one big name, are simply because Cameron Flukey and Tommy LaPour haven’t pitched at all since February – though Flukey is expected back in the near future and if he looks the same, could very much be a candidate for the Braves at #9. I have also removed Roch Cholowsky from the update, as there just isn’t any scenario where he would be available to the Braves this year, and I decided to leave this space for guys who could potentially be available for the Braves.
I also want to point out that these stat cards that I have generated have come from a new app focused on college baseball scores and stats, named Diamond: Baseball Stats. I would recommend the app to anyone with interest in college baseball or the draft.
Myles Bailey, 1B, Florida State – One of the top power bats in this year’s draft, Bailey is looking like he has taken the next step in his plate discipline this year as a sophomore eligible prospect with increased walks and decreased strikeouts – though the hit tool still needs further growth to reach his upside. Bailey likely isn’t a first rounder as a first base only bat with some hit tool questions, but he should go high with his elite power.
Brady Ballinger, 1B, Kansas – Ballinger bust out last year in his first year after coming from the JUCO ranks and was getting himself some later first round consideration due to some Nick Kurtz comps. Unfortunately he has never really gotten going yet this year, and took more than a month to hit his first homer of the season. Ballinger could possibly fall as far as the third round, but if he goes on a tear in the second half he could get himself back into first round conversation.
Eric Becker, SS, Virginia – Becker came in as a candidate for a Top 10 pick in this draft. Unfortunately his walks are down and his strikeouts are elevated. For a guy you are taking for his hit tool, you don’t really want to see a three strikeout to one walk ratio. That has Becker more in the late first to second round range at the moment.
Tyler Bell, SS, Kentucky – Similar to Becker above, Bell came in as a potential Top 10 pick. He got hurt on Opening Day and has returned in the last couple of weeks, so we don’t exactly have a large sample size on Bell at this point. Right now he is trending as a guy who still has a chance to go Top 10, but may have been passed out by a couple of this year’s helium guys.
Ben Blair, RHP, Liberty – A new addition since the last stock report, Blair has pitched very well so far this year at the mid major level, taking things up another level from a quality 2025 season in his starting debut. His strikeout to walk ratio is an eye-popping 14.8:1. He could be a factor in the later part of the first round.
Caden Bogenpohl, OF, Missouri State – Bogenpohl is another mid major star, though he already came in rated pretty high. An increase to his walk rate has helped to solidify him as an early pick in July, even if his home run total is a little down this year.
Jake Brown, OF, LSU – Brown used a huge February to shoot up draft boards. He has slowed down a bit from his ridiculous February pace, but is still looking like a guy who will have a chance to go in the later portion of the first round.
Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech – Burress came into the year as a candidate to go Top 5 overall. He has been having a good, though not elite season and some of the same questions about him have persisted – namely struggles against breaking balls. Burress is likely going to go Top 10-15, though he may not have the upside that some of the other candidates for the No. 9 pick have.
Cole Carlon, LHP, Arizona State – Carlon has emerged as the top college lefty in this year’s draft through the first half of the season, as he has been nasty all year while leading a surprise ASU team. That 14.4 K/9 is very much legit.
Derek Curiel, OF, LSU – Coming into the season Curiel was getting some Top 10 talk after a strong freshman debut last year. He hasn’t quite lived up to those expectations, and is now looking more like a late first round option because we are still waiting on his power to show up in games.
Daniel Cuvet, 3B, Miami – Cuvet is another slugger, though one with some real question marks. He has done a better job of limiting his strikeouts this year, but the future position questions around him still exist.
Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina – DeCaro got off to a hot start to this year, but wasn’t quite as elite in March. At this point he is looking like more of a guy who should be picked sometime after No. 26, as the stuff isn’t on the level of some of the top tier of arms – though his three-year history of production in an ACC weekend role could be enough to entice a team early.
Jacob Dudan, RHP, NC State – Dudan has emerged this year after starting the year behind fellow 2026 prospect Ryan Marohn in the Wolfpack rotation. He has the swing and miss stuff to get himself drafted in the second round.
Mason Edwards, LHP, USC – One of this year’s biggest surprise teams is USC emerging as a Top 25 team. One of USC’s biggest surprise players has been Edwards emerging as a true ace on the college level. He is a guy the Braves would need to take at No. 26 to have a chance at, as he is chasing down Carlon for the top college lefty in this draft. The command is really the only thing keeping him from being even higher on the board.
Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara – Flora has looked excellent this year and is firmly in the mix as high as No. 2, looking like the best pitcher in this draft – partly because Cam Flukey’s injury has kept him from competing for that spot. There is a strong possibility that he won’t even be around for the Braves to pick.
Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Arkansas – Gaeckle got off to a strong start to the year, but he hasn’t been as consistent in March. Gaeckle has elite stuff, but has never spent a full season in a starting role, so the question on if he could be starting to wear down has to be in the back of scout’s minds. Also his fastball has been a slight tick down from it’s peak, which might push him into the second round instead of being an option at No. 26.
Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA – Like Jake Brown above, a huge first month has shot Gasparino up the draft board. He has slowed down in March and still should go high this summer, but he is outside of the first round.
AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia – Gracia came in as a potential Top 10 pick and the Duke transfer has lived up to the hype. He’s a lefty with a pretty swing that should be able to hit for both average and power, which is a description that also fits Kyle Tucker well. Gracia may or may not be there when the Braves pick at No. 9, but if he is available he would be among the first names on the list for me to select.
Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M – Last year was a lost year for Grahovac, as injury limited him to just six games. He came in as a potential first rounder and is having a good year at the plate, but his power just hasn’t showed up in games like it did back in 2024 – however it has started to come on a bit within the last week. He’s still a potential first rounder, as the power is definitely in there, but he is a bit hard for me to place right now.
Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M – Hacopian transferred in from Maryland and was seen as a potential Top 10 pick coming into the season. He has performed well, though there has been some missed time with injury as well. He is still a Top 10 candidate, but his medicals could end up being a factor.
Daniel Jackson, C, Georgia – Daniel Jackson was not high on my list coming into the year as a three true outcomes hitter. However he has made real strides to cut the strikeouts and been among the national leaders in homers all season. Add in high end athleticism behind the plate and some defensive versatility, and Jackson is on the rise right now. He could be in play as high as some point in the second round with his interesting skill set for a catcher, but his second half could continue to push him up the board.
Cam Johnson, LHP, Oklahoma – Johnson is another one of the pitchers who have really emerged this season. His numbers have been excellent as the Sooners ace, and he could earn himself a spot in the second round of the draft.
Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee – After coming into the season as a late first round candidate, Kuhns has done nothing to dissuade that opinion, as his numbers would look even better if not for a couple mistakes being punished. At this point there is even a chance he wouldn’t be available to the Braves at No. 26.
Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech – Lackey came into the year as a potential first rounder, an advanced defender at catcher with elite athleticism for the position and a bat with potential to continue developing. His bat has taken a real step forward to the point he is a legit Top 10 candidate and passed out his teammate Burress for me. In fact the bat and athleticism are so good, you have to wonder if a team considers moving him to the outfield to fast track him to the big leagues and help extend his career. He would be very high on my list for the Braves at No. 9 – that is if he is even available at that point.
Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama – Yes, Lebron is considered a strong bet to go Top 3-4, but there is a world where he could slip just a little as guys like Flora, Strosnider, Lackey, and Gracia have earned Top 5 consideration. That is the only reason he is even included on this list, and it would be an absolute no brainer for the Braves to select him if he was available.
Wes Mendes, LHP, Florida State – The next in a long line of aces for the Seminoles, Mendes has been one of the best pitchers in the country this season. Despite his elite results, his stuff isn’t quite first round caliber, and he is more likely to go in the second or third rounds.
Ethan Norby, LHP, East Carolina – While Norby has hardly been bad, it’s safe to say that he has been passed out by some of the helium lefties in the race for best college lefty that was him versus Carlon at the start of the season. He is probably more of a second round pick.
Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida – Another season, and it’s been the same Peterson. He has Top 5 stuff, but the results have been inconsistent from start to start for him as his command has been up and down. He came in as the favorite to be the first college arm off the board, but has definitely been passed by Flora at this point.
Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame – Radel is the final helium arm to make this list, as he has taken a big step forward for the Irish this season. Radel’s numbers are just crazy, and the stuff is strong too. He could be pushing himself up into the first round conversation.
Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State – Reese came in likely to be picked somewhere between No. 10 and No. 15 before the season. However his big start to the season has his name now in the consideration for going somewhere in the Top 10, even if he has some questions about his future defensive home.
Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn – Another sophomore eligible bat, Rembert came in as a late first round candidate. It’s been a good season for him so far, though he hasn’t really seen his stock move either way with his own performance.
Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas – The replacement in the Texas lineup for Will Gasparino, who left for UCLA, Robbins has seen his power show up more often in games while still getting on base at a high clip after trading Seton Hall for the Horns.
Zion Rose, OF, Louisville – Rose got a late start to his season because of injury, and after starting out his season hot in March, he hasn’t played since March 20 until coming into a game late yesterday and not recording any stats. He came in a potential late-first round candidate and has been good when he has been on the field, but at the same time he also hasn’t been on the field much yet this spring.
Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M – Caden Sorrell came in a potential first round pick trying to bounce back from injury last year. So far the bat has looked great and he has put himself into Top 10 consideration, despite the swing and miss in his game.
Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU – Coming into the season Strosnider was seen as a first round pick after a freshman season that saw 10+ doubles, triples, homers, and steals. His bat has taken a leap forward to the point he could now be going as high as Top 5 overall as a potential true five tool prospect. Assuming my personal Top 3 of Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, and Justin Lebron are gone, I would take Strosnider over anyone else in this draft right now at No. 9.
Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss – Another one of the big helium pitchers, Townsend has really emerged this year to become a true first round candidate. He left his March 14 outing against Texas early with shoulder soreness and only returned on Sunday the 29th. That start wasn’t his best, as he was hit for three homers, but did also manage eight strikeouts in four innings of work. The fact he is a pitcher dealing with shoulder soreness is going to cause some pause until we see how his health and stuff look in the second half of the season, at least until teams get a chance to review his medicals ahead of the draft.
Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia – The Stanford transfer has come to Athens and has seemed to make real strides in his development with a new coaching staff. Volchko has first round stuff, but until we see him make more SEC starts he might be hard to place. Right now his stock is very much dependent on whether teams can see his command continuing to improve or not.
Things went from bad to worse to soul-crushing for the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night, as their playoff hopes took another significant hit in a lopsided 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The defeat marked yet another discouraging chapter in a difficult stretch for Detroit. Over their last 21 games, the Red Wings have posted a 7-11-3 record, the third-worst mark in the NHL during that span. On a night when several teams around them in the playoff race also lost, Detroit failed to capitalize, leaving them still sitting two points outside of a wild card position.
The playoff implications are becoming increasingly stark. According to MoneyPuck, the Red Wings’ postseason odds dropped to a season-low 32.2 percent on Wednesday. That figure marks their lowest point since opening night, when their chances sat at 23.1 percent, underscoring just how far their outlook has slipped.
Detroit’s remaining schedule does little to inspire confidence as it is considered one of the toughest in the league, featuring multiple matchups against surging opponents like the Philadelphia Flyers twice more, a team riding a wave of momentum after top prospect Porter Martone made his NHL debut Tuesday in a 6-4 loss to the Washington Capitals.
Beyond Philadelphia, Detroit must also contend with a gauntlet that includes the Minnesota Wild, the red-hot New Jersey Devils, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Their most critical showdown will be with the Columbus Blue Jackets and could ultimately define Detroit’s season. Columbus currently holds the wild card spot the Red Wings are chasing, and a victory would give Detroit a direct opportunity to leapfrog them in the standings.
With time running out, the margin for error has all but disappeared and if the Red Wings hope to keep their playoff aspirations alive, they will need to reverse course quickly and begin turning close games into crucial wins before the window closes entirely.
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Bespectacled young batter shone on England duty in Australia and is primed to make a splash in Division One
The daffodils were in suitable bloom in Cardiff, swathes of them, creeping from under the trees in Bute Park, yolky heads bobbing in the spring sunshine. A few hundred metres up the road, Glamorgan’s players were gathering at Sophia Gardens before their biggest season in years, back in Division One of the County Championship for the first time since 2005.
Their campaign last year was a slow burner but blossomed, a close-knit side playing confidently. Alongside a thousand runs each from Colin Ingram and Kiran Carlson were eye-catching performances from two talented then 21-year-olds, Ben Kellaway and Asa Tribe, who went on to be picked for the Lions tours in the winter. In their shellacking by Australia A in the unofficial Test, Tribe hit an unbeaten 129, which was enough to get him a namecheck from the England managing director, Rob Key, in pre-season media musings – the only non-capped player to be mentioned.
A federal judge this week dismissed a securities fraud lawsuit brought by two men who claim they purchased Warner Bros. Discovery common stock “at artificially inflated prices” and who insist they were duped by allegedly false or misleading statements made by WBD chief executive officer David Zaslav as his company unsuccessfully tried to renew NBA media rights in 2024.
During WBD’s negotiations with the NBA, Zaslav offered remarks that the plaintiffs allege downplayed the importance of NBA rights to WBD or suggested he was confident a deal would be struck.
For example, as part of an earnings call held in February 2024, Zaslav optimistically spoke of WBD’s financial future due to a “global sports portfolio” and the company’s plan to “drive increased shareholder value.”
The lawsuit, filed by Anthony Yuson and Michael Steinberg, criticized Zaslav for these remarks. He allegedly omitted mention of how “NBA Rights were crucial to support the high carriage rates that WBD was able to command, produce significant advertising dollars, provide a ‘halo effect’ that boosted all of WBD’s other properties, and negotiate more favorable terms with other sports leagues.” From that same lens, the lawsuit maintains that Zaslav should have acknowledged that “WBD internally viewed the NBA Rights as a unique irreparable asset.”
Zaslav’s remarks during an earnings call in May 2024 were also slammed in the lawsuit. At the time, Zaslav emphasized how WBD had “matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.” He added, “we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to reach an agreement that makes sense for both sides.”
The plaintiffs maintain Zaslav was disingenuous since, they claim, he knew WBD “could not in fact match NBCUniversal’s and Amazon’s bids.” For instance, Zaslav was aware NBCUniversal and Amazon “offered the NBA cross-promotion alongside their pre-existing NFL media rights, which WBD did not have.”
Also, WBD allegedly could not match Amazon’s ability to offer an internet streaming audience and infrastructure. To further this critique, the plaintiffs point out that while WBD submitted a bid that “equaled Amazon’s monetary offer,” the so-called “match” revised Amazon’s terms “so significantly” that it could not be understood as a match of Amazon’s offer.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla disagreed that anything Zaslav said could be construed as fraudulent.
In siding with arguments raised by Jonathan Polkes, Stacy Nettleton and other attorneys from White & Case who represented WBD and Zaslav, Failla reasoned Zaslav’s statements were, “at worst,” puffery. That term encompasses exaggerated, subjective assertions of optimism that are not intended to be taken as factual, are too general to cause a reasonable investor to rely upon them and are not actionable in securities law.
Along those lines, the judge underscored that Zaslav, as an executive engaged in business negotiations, didn’t break any laws when he described negotiations in a positive light—“even if,” Failla noted, “those negotiations later fail.”
She also emphasized that Zaslav and other WBD executives “repeatedly communicated to the public the importance to WBD of the NBA rights.” Those communications were made in various statements to the public, including WBD’s filings to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. To illustrate, the company’s 2023 Form 10-K bluntly acknowledged “failure to renew, renewal with less favorable terms, or termination of our content licenses and similar distribution agreements may cause a decline in our revenue.”
Failla also noted that “widely disseminated media reports” about the importance of NBA rights to WBD and the status of the negotiation informed investors and would-be investors about the situation. She pointed out that the plaintiffs’ complaint “itself proves the point” by citing media reports that offered specifics about the likely economic impact on WBD if it lost NBA games.
“To the extent” WBD’s disclosures “fell short,” Failla wrote (while emphasizing those disclosures did not fall short in her estimation), “media reporting filled in the gaps.”
The WBD-NBA saga ended up in court during the second half of 2024. WBD invoked the matching provision, but the NBA rejected it, claiming the revisions outlined by WBD rendered a non-match, and the NBA questioned WBD’s technological capacity to stream games in the same manner as Amazon. WBD sued the NBA in July 2025 for alleged breach of its matching right, with the parties reaching a settlement and hatching a new partnership four months later.
Yuson and Steinberg can appeal Failla’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
At multiple points during both losses to the Penguins and Sabres, you thought the Islanders might at least get a point or more. In each case, things shifted suddenly and maddeningly.
They wake up still in a playoff spot, but also still with their biggest competitors for that spot having a game or two in hand. Pittsburgh is now three points ahead with a game in hand, giving them the lead on home ice for a 2 vs. 3 matchup should the Islanders hang on.
The gap between the Isles and the Canadiens and Bruins has likely widened too far, so they pretty much need to claim the Metro third spot or final wild card spot or else, with several other teams also in the running. Their six remaining games include two against the automatic-loss Hurricanes, so there’s that, too.
But things change quickly in the bubble of teams that only kinda deserve to be in the playoffs; there are surely more turns, surprises and frustrations in store over the next two weeks.
Islanders News
Yet again, the Islanders were in position to get some much-needed points only to fritter it all away. [LHH | Newsday]
The AHL has approved relocating the Isles’ affiliate from Brideport to #makeitseven Hamilton. [Newsday]
The Skinny: Thursday will be a big night on the schedule as some of these games-in-hand are (momentarily) used. [Isles]
Elsewhere
At least scores last night largely broke in the Islanders’ favor…the Senators, Red Wings, Blue Jackets and even the Flyers all lost in regulation. Pittsburgh won, but that was the price of a Red Wings regulation loss. Tonight’s schedule is just three games, all of the Westerly variety.
Goalie fight! Pretty good one, too, in Rangers vs. Devils. [Post]
The Leafs have fired GM Brad Treliving and the Kyle Dubas Choir is enjoying their victory lap. [Athletic-Mirtle | Athletic-Segal]
Elliotte Friedman says there were even discussions of extending Treliving or maybe keeping him in a different role… [Sportsnet]
After picking up a crucial two points in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets are within striking distance of what once seemed like an impossible playoff push. Winnipeg now sits just one point out of a wild card spot, turning a late-season surge into a legitimate postseason bid.
Since returning from the Olympic break, the Jets have been one of the hottest teams in the league, earning points in 14 of their last 18 games and posting a 10-4-4 record over that stretch. Their ability to keep games close has been a defining factor, allowing them to steadily climb the standings while other contenders have stumbled.
Among the teams battling for the final wild card positions, Winnipeg holds a subtle but important edge as they have the best goal differential at minus-15, significantly better than the current holders of those spots, the Nashville Predators at minus-26 and the next closest contender with the Jets in the Los Angeles Kings at minus-27.
Despite the momentum, the path to the playoffs remains complicated as Los Angeles controls its own destiny with what is considered the easiest remaining schedule in the league. The Kings also have two pivotal head-to-head matchups against Nashville, games that could dramatically reshape the standings.
The Predators, meanwhile, face a demanding stretch run in addition to their games against the Kings as they must take on the San Jose Sharks and the Utah Mammoth, both of whom are still part of the playoff picture. Nashville’s schedule becomes even more daunting with upcoming matchups against the Minnesota Wild and two games against the Pacific Division leading Anaheim Ducks.
Winnipeg’s road is no easier as they will need to maintain their strong play against direct competitors like San Jose and Utah while also navigating a series of tough games against top-tier opponents. Their remaining schedule includes clashes with the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vegas Golden Knights, and the surging Philadelphia Flyers.
According to MoneyPuck, Winnipeg’s playoff odds currently sit at 15.6 percent. While those numbers remain modest, they reflect a team that has given itself a real chance down the stretch. If the Jets can sustain the level of play they have shown over the past 18 games, their late-season push may yet become one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent memory.
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