Colorado Rockies prospect rankings, mid-season 2026: numbers 30-26

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 21: Robert Calaz #25 of the Colorado Rockies bats during the eighth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 21, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

Now that we’ve looked at the players who were on a single ballot, those receiving multiple votes (2-5 ballot players and PuRPs 43-36), plus the Honorable Mention PuRPs for mid-season 2026, it’s time to examine the players that made the list. As a reminder, in this edition of the PuRPs poll, 29 qualifying ballots were cast, with 30 points granted for a first place vote, 29 for second, etc.

For each player on the PuRPs list, I’ll include a link to individual stats and contract status (via Baseball-Reference), PuRPs voting stats, a note on the 2026 season to date, and a scouting report from national prospect writers where possible. I’ll also include where I put each player on my ballot. All ages are as of the date the article is posted.

Remember that the statistics pages are not the end-all, be-all when evaluating these players. Context is hugely important (such as the player’s age relative to the league’s average or the league average offensive numbers), as is the fact that injuries to prospects can affect both their tools and their stats. I’ll make sure and note where this is the case.

30. Ashly Andujar (113 points, 17 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 20 — High Ballot 17, Mode Ballot 28

How did he enter the organization?

2024 International Free Agent, Dominican Republic

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Andujar was the headliner of Colorado’s international free agent class in January 2024, earning a $1.7 million bonus as the 18th ranked international prospect at MLB.com as a well-rounded offensive and defensive player with good bat to ball skills who was likely to stay as an up the middle defender.

The 19-year-old 6’1” switch-hitting shortstop spent his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League as expected (since he was one of the youngest players in his signing class) and was above average offensively (105 wRC+). The Rockies liked what they saw enough to bring Andujar stateside to the Arizona Complex League in 2025, where he was 2.6 years younger than average, and he looked like a natural on a strong ACL Rockies team. In 217 plate appearances, Andujar again had good contact numbers without much power, hitting .319/.370/.356 with seven doubles and seven steals (which is a 97 wRC+).

In 2026, Andujar began the season back in the Complex League in May, hitting .260/.339/.300 in 62 plate appearances across 15 games before Ethan Holliday’s season-ending injury opened up a spot at shortstop in Low-A Fresno. Andujar moved up to Low-A, where he is 3.1 years younger than league average, in late May and he’s looked young for the level. In 273 plate appearances with Fresno, Andujar has a .247/.306/.344 batting line, including his first three homers as a professional (a below average 69 wRC+). Defensively, he has committed 13 errors at shortstop in 52 games at the position with Fresno.

This year Andujar was younger than the pitcher facing him in over 97% of his plate appearances. That’s one of the reasons Andujar’s offensive performance, despite a lack of thump, isn’t a disaster (another is a strikeout % around 18% with a walk % of 8%). The trajectory of his season was encouraging as well: he went from a .593 OPS in June to .677 in July and .712 so far in August.

Here is a recent slo-mo look at Andujar’s left-handed swing:

Here is some video of Andujar before he signed with the Rockies, including some looks at him at shortstop and his swing from both sides of the plate:

What do the scouts say?

Keith Law of the Athletic wrote this about Andujar in February while ranking him 13th in the system:

Andujar is a switch-hitting shortstop with plus defense and maybe 20 power right now. He hasn’t hit a home run as a pro yet in 104 games and his career ISO is .049, with that boosted a little by his above-average speed. He does have good bat-to-ball skills, and if he can gain enough strength to hit some hard line drives, he could end up a regular in five years or so. It’s more likely he ends up a utility guy who can offer plus defense all over the infield but doesn’t hit enough to stick as an everyday player anywhere. He only turned 18 in July, so even if he keeps running back to the dugout after most of his at-bats, time is on his side.

FanGraphs ranks Andujar 18th in the system as a 40+ FV prospect with a plus run grade and a 55 future hit and field tool evaluation:

Andujar signed for $1.7 million as part of Colorado’s 2024 international class. International scouts liked his glove and feel to hit, and both of those have translated to pro ball. Last year, he hit .319 and ran an 80% contact rate as one of the youngest players in the ACL. Defensively, he has above-average range at short and a strong arm.

How much power can Andujar develop? Physical projection looms large for every teenage prospect, but the gap between where he is now (thin with 20 pop) and where could go (he’s a projectable 6-foot-1 who could grow into anything from 30 power to 50) makes him a prospect of extreme variance. Presently, his lack of strength is apparent from the way he needs extra hand movement to generate the modest bat speed he has, and his flat swing produces plenty of singles but not much else. There’s real upside here if he grows into even fringy power, though, and even some of the messier parts of his offensive game, like the indirect start to his bat path, may fall into place as he gets stronger. And in any case, with his contact skill, speed, and defensive chops, he doesn’t have to do much damage to profile as an everyday bat. Were I scouting for a team, I’d put a low-conviction 50 on him, with nods to a volatile offensive future and the long developmental timeline ahead. For us, he belongs in this FV tier as a slow-burn person of interest.

When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?

As an up-the-middle player who was a seven-figure international signee, Andujar is joining a recent tradition of PuRPs, including Adael Amador and Robert Calaz. Also fitting that category is Dyan Jorge, whose all-around game except a lack of power is reminiscent of Andujar’s batting lines so far. Then again, Jorge didn’t even sign until he was 19 and didn’t make it to the ACL until he was 20, so Andujar has more runway ahead of him.

The scouts are consistent — Andujar needs to build more strength for his offensive game to translate to the big leagues. He’s a long ways away, but his athleticism provides a good foundation for him as a potential regular, so long as he doesn’t end up a Punch-and-Judy hitter. The potential and performance so far were enough for me to rank Andujar 25th on my list in the 40 FV tier.

29. Roynier Hernandez (115 points, 10 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: NR — High Ballot 13, Mode Ballot 13, 17

How did he enter the organization?

2022 International Free Agent, Venezuela

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Hernandez signed for a $100k bonus out of Venezuela in 2022. Hernandez possesses a compact, line-drive swing that is built for contact — he relies on finding holes and using his 5-foot-10 frame to stay short to the ball. After hitting .339 in rookie ball in 2023 and .305 in the ACL in 2024, the 21-year-old lefty-batting, righty-throwing second baseman made his full-season debut with Low-A Fresno in 2025 and continued to hit well with a .293/.358/.366 line (106 wRC+).

This year, Hernandez was promoted to High-A Spokane, where he is 1.5 years younger than league average, and has stayed there outside of a weeklong visit back to Low-A Fresno in late July. Hernandez entered this year with zero professional homers, but he’s changed that in a big way this season with seven long balls among his 26 extra-base-hits en route to a .294/.406/.417 overall line in 402 plate appearances, good for a 115 wRC+). Notably, Hernandez has walked more times this year (64) than he’s struck out (59) — he’s about even in those categories across his entire professional career. On defense, he has committed 11 errors in 73 games at second base.

Here is some video of Hernandez in Fresno last year, including some slo mo looks at his swing near the end:

What do the scouts say?

FanGraphs ranks Hernandez 38th in the system as a 35+ FV player, highlighted by future 55 hit and field tools:

Of all the interesting infielders Colorado had at the lower levels last year, Hernandez has a case for the best hit tool of the group. He hit .293/.358/.366 with an 85% contact rate as a 20-year-old at Low-A Fresno, good for a 106 wRC+, with strong pitch recognition and bat-to-ball skills. For a guy who hasn’t homered in more than 1,000 career plate appearances, he’s not completely punchless either, as his 30% hard-hit rate and 101 mph EV90 attest. But his swing is flat and the path is long in a way that directs a lot of his contact into short left field. Singles hitters have a pretty low ceiling if they’re not complete freaks in the Luis Arraez mold, and it’s taking nothing away from Hernandez to take the under on that.

Defensively, Hernandez is a smooth fielder at second and has dabbled at third as well. If he could play short, he’d grade out as a traditional 40 utility infielder. His arm is light, though, which makes this a tricky skill set to fit onto a roster. His ability to hit and cover a middle infield spot should carry him to the upper levels, where he projects as an up-down guy, with paths for more if he finds a way to get to more power.

When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?

Hernandez offers something that has been all too rare among Rockies prospects: high-level bat-to-ball skills and a disciplined eye. He’s a reliable glove with high baseball IQ, though his lack of elite twitch means his long-term fit is likely as a utility infielder and as a 35+ FV player for me, off my top 30 list. Hernandez will be Rule 5 eligible after the season, the Rockies will need to decide if that profile is worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

28. Konner Eaton (128 points, 18 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 28 — High Ballot 21, Mode Ballot 24

How did he enter the organization?

2024 6th Round, George Mason University

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Eaton — a 23-year-old lefty pitcher who signed for a full-slot bonus of $378.9k after getting drafted in the sixth round in 2024 — has intriguing size and athleticism. He throws in the lower half of the 90s and boasts a slider whose late horizontal movement is effective against hitters from both sides of the plate. Eaton has a durable frame (6’3”, 210 pounds) that projects well as a traditional starting pitcher. His delivery is athletic, though he has worked on simplifying his mechanics since turning professional to improve his overall strike-throwing ability.

After seeing some action in his draft year up to High-A Spokane, Eaton was assigned back to High-A Spokane in 2025. The left-hander was a rotation stalwart for Spokane, starting 23 games and throwing 121.1 innings with a 3.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 9.3 K/9 rate, and 3.1 BB/9 rate. That includes quality starts in seven of eight starts between mid-June and early August. In mid-August, Eaton was promoted to Double-A Hartford, where he was 2.7 years younger than league average. He took the mound for another four starts in the Eastern League, throwing 18.2 innings with a nice 11.6 K/9 rate, albeit a 5.30 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 4.8 BB/9 rate.

This year, Eaton returned to Hartford, where he is 1.9 years younger than league average. He’s made 18 starts and thrown 80 innings with a 4.73 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 9.0 K/9 rate, and 5.2 BB/9 rate. Eaton has struggled of late though, with five of his last six starts not lasting past three innings, including a nine run shelling last week. That streak notwithstanding, Eaton has five quality starts on the year and has held his own against more advanced hitting.

Here’s a look at Eaton’s 2025 highlights:

What do the scouts say?

Eaton is currently ranked 19th in the system by MLB Pipeline as a 45 FV prospect with a 55 grade on his slider and 50s on the fastball and changeup:

Eaton is now showing an ability to throw three pitches for strikes and that, along with showing acumen for finishing hitters, gives him a chance to start. His fastball sits around 93 mph and he can reach back for 95-96. He’ll carry his velocity deep into starts, and the pitch has occasional cut or tail to it. His mid-80s slider is his best pitch, eliciting a miss rate north of 40 percent last year. He’ll manipulate its shape, sometimes throwing it with sweep, sometimes with the tilt and depth of a more traditional slider. A big reason for his success thus far has been his conviction in throwing his low-80s changeup more.

The big left-hander struggled with the strike zone throughout his college career, a big reason why the Rockies weren’t the only ones thinking he belonged in a bullpen. It’s not pinpoint command, but he’s around the zone enough where the organization thinks he might have the ability to stick in a rotation for a long time. 

FanGraphs ranks Eaton 27th in the system as a 40 FV prospect, highlighted by 50 grades on the slider and change-up:

Eaton has a well-rounded mix of average stuff and strike-throwing. He has both fastballs, and while he touches 96 mph with the four-seamer, both have round-down shape limits their utility. His change and slider are both average and play a little ahead of that grade due to his ability to move them around the plate. The southpaw is also good at some of the old school stuff, like sequencing and changing speeds. In my looks, his control tended to be great right until it fell apart completely, and between that and the lack of an out pitch, he looks like more of a one-time-through guy than a reliable starter. There’s also a chance everything plays a half-grade better than this projection in short stints.

Keith Law of the Athletic listed Eaton as a player of note back in February:

Lefty Konner Eaton misses bats with a plus slider, sitting 91-94, probably ending up in the bullpen because the slider is really his only weapon right now. He was excellent in High A and then struggled with his command and control in a brief stint in Double A. He does have a good delivery and may have more in the tank.

When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?

Eaton has proven so far in his professional career to be able to soak up innings, while his improving control has made staying in a starting rotation much more likely than it appeared when he was drafted. His profile is one of a back-end rotation pitcher from the left side, which to me is a 40 FV player who just missed my top 30. Eaton has fit well in Double-A and I could see him as a big league candidate by the end of next season.

27. Welinton Herrera (134 points, 17 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 17 — High Ballot 15, Mode Ballot 25

How did he enter the organization?

2021 International Free Agent, Dominican Republic

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

Herrera is probably the Rockies’ top relief prospect, though he will miss a large chunk of time after tearing his UCL in early June with the big league club. The 22-year-old 6’0” Dominican lefty boasts a plus to plus-plus mid-90s fastball coming from an uphill angle and will again contend for a Major League bullpen slot once he returns from injury. Herrera, who signed in January 2021 for $200k, was a pop-up arm in 2024 in his first taste of full season ball after two years in the DSL and a season in the ACL.

In 2024 in Low-A Fresno, Herrera, employing a low arm slot from the left side and mid-90s velocity, was immediately dominant. He struck out an absurd 62 hitters (against only nine walks) in just 34 innings (16.4 K/9 rate) with a 2.38 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 23 appearances at Fresno. Herrera was promoted to High-A Spokane in late June. Against higher-level opposition, Herrera’s rate stats were less strong (4.76 ERA, 3.75 xFIP, 1.41 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9) in 23 appearances totaling 28.1 innings.

In 2025, Herrera went back to Spokane, where he quickly showed he had mastered the level. In 15 appearances and 18.1 innings, Herrera collected 10 saves with a sparkly 0.49 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 14.2 K/9 rate, and 2.9 BB/9 rate. The Rockies promoted him to Double-A Hartford in mid-May, where he was 3.7 years younger than league average. In 37 appearances totaling 46.1 innings with Hartford, Herrera added seven more saves with a 3.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 13.6 K/9 rate, and 3.7 BB/9 rate against upper minors hitters. He also represented the Rockies at the prestigious Futures Game in July, where he got the final out to record the save for the NL squad. Herrera finished his 2025 with a strong stint in the prestigious Arizona Fall League and Herrera was added to Colorado’s 40-man roster shortly thereafter.

In 2026, Herrera was jumped up to Triple-A Albuquerque, where he faced hitters who were on average 5.6 years older than him in a tough pitching environment. He made 16 appearances totaling 22.2 innings with a 5.16 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 13.5 K/9 rate, and 5.6 BB/9 rate. Herrera was called up to the Rockies in late May, where he seemed poised to stick in the bullpen long term after three scoreless appearances where he allowed only two hits and one walk in 2 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, Herrera suffered the UCL injury and now faces a long way back.

Here’s some video of Herrera from the Arizona Fall League last year:

What do the scouts say?

Herrera was ranked 10th in the system by Baseball America before the season and was listed as having the best fastball in the system.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Herrera 14th in the system in February:

Herrera’s fastball is 97-100 and he lived off the pitch in High A until the Rockies told him he had to throw his slider more, after which he was a little more balanced and dominated through the rest of the year in Double A. His profile is straight relief, probably the one-inning variety only, but he throws plenty of strikes and it’s a pretty easy delivery for that velocity. He could easily help the Rockies this year.

FanGraphs ranks Herrera as a 40+ FV player, 19th overall in the system, putting a 70 grade on his fastball’s future effectiveness with 55 future grades on the slider and change-up:

Herrera is a six-foot, three-pitch lefty. After years at the lower levels, his dominant 2025 season put him on the prospect radar. Herrera posted a 2.64 ERA with a 36.4% strikeout rate and a 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, mostly at Double-A Hartford. His dominance earned him a spot in the Futures Game and the AFL, where he was wild. Control is a big question: Herrera is athletic and powerful for his stature, but he’s close to a max-effort guy with an unbalanced finish and a long stroke with recoil at the end. If he can stay around the plate, he’ll generate plenty of misses and chases, because the stuff is good. His tailing fastball has late life, and the slider either has very tight depth or runs away from lefty bats when he locates low and away. Even the change, which he rarely uses, looks nifty at its best, with bat-missing sink when he isn’t missing badly. He has late-inning ceiling if his command exceeds this projection; more likely, he settles in as a solid lefty reliever.

Herrera is ranked 23rd in the system by MLB Pipeline as a 40 FV prospect with a plus grade on both the fastball and the slider:

When you combine a funky delivery with velocity, you might get a very valuable left-handed reliever. Herrera cranked his fastball up to 99 mph in 2025, averaging around 95 and he throws it from a low three-quarters slot that allows it to carry above barrels, resulting in a lot of misses and chases. He leans on the heater, sometimes too much, and will have to keep using his slider more, because it has the chance to really have teeth. He threw it around 86 mph across all stops last year with depth to it when he finishes it and it missed bats at a 44-percent rate, according to Synergy. He actually has an upper-80s changeup that could be useful against right-handed hitters, but it’s not as consistent.

Herrera will still only be 23 for all of the 2027 season, when he’ll hopefully be able to return to the mound post-injury. If he can continue to hone his craft in areas like holding runners and fielding his position, not to mention committing to throwing that slider, he still has high-leverage reliever upside when healthy.

When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?

The overall value that can be added by a relief arm is limited, but Herrera seems like a potential late-inning reliever (and he’s a lefty to boot) once he returns from his injury next year. That performance and proximity, tempered by the injury, is why I have Herrera as a 40 FV player who was the last cut from my list.

26. Robert Calaz (163 points, 16 ballots) — Preseason Ranking: 6 — High Ballot 10, Mode Ballot 24, 26, 28

How did he enter the organization?

2023 International Free Agent, Dominican Republic

Why did he make the PuRPs list?

At the end of 2024, Calaz seemed to be on a rocket ship toward the big leagues after a season in which he was named the MVP of the Arizona Complex League and tore up the Low-A California league in a small sample. The next two seasons haven’t quite gone as planned for the the 6’2” toolsy right-handed 20-year-old Dominican outfielder, who has struggled mightily as one of the youngest players in High-A this year. Calaz, who was 24th on MLB.com’s international amateur free agent prospect rankings for 2023, received Colorado’s top international signing bonus in the 2023 January period at $1.7 million, which is similar to what fellow PuRP Sean Sullivan received as a second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Calaz began his professional career with a bang in the Dominican Summer League, producing a 149 wRC+ and playing center field with a bit of right field mixed in. In 2024, Calaz came stateside to play with the Arizona Complex League and flat-out murdered the ball with a monster .349/.462/.651 line, good for a 172 wRC+ in 210 plate appearances. He led the ACL in several major offensive categories (AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS/HR/RBI/TB) en route to a well-deserved league MVP award. The Rockies promoted Calaz to Low-A Fresno after the ACL season in early August, where he was 3.1 years younger than league average. That didn’t stop Calaz — he hit .327/.386/.571 with two homers, two triples, two doubles, and three steals in 57 plate appearances (147 wRC+).

In 2025, the Rockies chose to send Calaz back to Fresno for a longer run, where he was still 2.2 years younger than league average. The season started inauspiciously, as Calaz suffered an injury in the first game of the season that knocked him out for three weeks. In 424 plate appearances, Calaz hit .259/.338/.399 with ten homers among his 29 extra-base hits. He performed above average offensively (105 wRC+), but not nearly as high as Rockies fans were expecting considering his performance in 2024 at the same level. Additionally, Calaz struck out in 26% of plate appearances (9% walks), which is pretty high for low minors pitching (though he improved his contact % from 66% to 70% year over year).

This year, Calaz moved up to High-A Spokane, where he is 2.5 years younger than league average, and has really struggled. In 349 plate appearances so far, he is hitting just .205/.284/.301 with four homers and 10 steals — just a 48 wRC+. He has struck out in 31.5% of plate appearances against 8.6% walks while contact % dropped back to 67%. It is of course important to remember that Calaz has only faced a younger pitcher than him in 2.5% of plate appearances this year, but at some point he will need to figure out how to beat pitching that can execute a scouting report. In the field, Calaz split time between all three outfield positions, totaling two outfield assists and three errors.

Here is a look at Calaz from 2025 in Fresno, including some slow-mo looks at his swing:

What do the scouts say?

Baseball America ranked Calaz 9th in the system before the season:

Calaz stands 6-foot-2 with room to add more strength to an already-mature frame. He brings explosive raw power to the plate, though his game remains a bit unrefined. Swing-and-miss concerns have followed him since signing—a common caveat with young, power-first hitters—but they’ve become more pronounced. Calaz’s swing starts with an extremely high hand-set, and he sometimes rests the bat on his shoulder before using a waggle to start his trigger.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Calaz 11th in the system in February:

Calaz got a lot of attention after he hit .349/.462/.651 in the Arizona Complex League in 2024, but he did so mostly on physical ability rather than a feel for the game, and that deficiency caught up to him in Low A last year. Still just 19, he hit .259/.338/.399 in Fresno with a 26 percent strikeout rate driven by high whiff and chase rates, including a 34 percent swing-and-miss rate just on fastballs. He wasn’t ready for the level and probably needed short-season ball — he would have put up stupid numbers in Grand Junction — so take some of that with a grain of salt, but his baseball instincts just aren’t that advanced yet. He’s going to be big and strong with 30-homer upside in an outfield corner, with a lot of work to do on approach to get there.

MLB Pipeline ranks Calaz 24th in the system as a 40 Future Value player, highlighted by a 55 power grade and 50 grades on the arm and fielding:

Just 20 for all of the 2026 season, there’s still plenty of time for Calaz to figure things out at the plate. He’s a strong, right-handed hitter with a ton of raw power, but he needs to figure out a gameplan to stick with in order to get to it. He likes to attack pitches early in the count and showed he could still do damage if he got a pitch to hit in the first two or three offerings, but if he chased early and fell behind, he was done. He needs to learn he can have impact in all counts and cut down his chase because when he does connect, he still registers elite-level exit velocities.

While Calaz saw considerable time in center field at the outset of his career, he’s starting to slow down as he fills out his frame. He’s working on his conditioning and nutrition, but it’s looking like right field, where he saw a lot of time in 2025, is the best spot for him long-term. He has the power potential to profile there if he can find a bit more discipline at the plate. 

FanGraphs ranks Calaz as a 35+ FV player (35th in the system), highlighted by a plus-plus future grade on his raw power and a plus arm:

Calaz was a big-bonus prospect in the 2023 international class, signing for $1.7 million thanks to a powerful frame and the chance to grow into 70 raw. He had a great debut season in the DSL, ripped through the ACL in 2024, and after a great two-week cameo in Low-A to round out that season, he entered 2025 with no small amount of hype. On the surface, his .259/.338/.399 line, good for a 105 wRC+, is perhaps a tad disappointing but not especially illuminating. Beneath the surface, red flags lurk everywhere.

While Calaz held his own in the Cal League, his lack of feel in the box looms as a real problem. He’s an aggressive swinger with poor pitch recognition and strike zone judgement. His contact rate was just 66% last year, and he whiffed more than 30% of the time on both fastballs and breaking balls. He’s a see-ball, hit-ball hitter, and across several looks over the two seasons, he’s shown no growth in his ability to make adjustments mid-at-bat. His uphill swing is powerful, but also stiff and grooved; he’ll hammer a mistake in his wheelhouse to the moon, but there are a lot of ways to get him out.

While Calaz saw time in center field again last year, he’s slowed considerably in pro ball, and is ticketed for right. He’s presently poor there, as he often struggles to field bouncing or rolling balls, much less track stuff adeptly in the air. He has a cannon for an arm and a shot to be playable overall with a lot of reps, but as with his bat, he’s a long way off. Overall, his power and arm strength give him paths to help, most likely in a bench role. On both sides, though, his feel for the game is very raw and needs significant growth if he’s to have any chance of tapping into his power.

When’s he going to get to the Rockies and how good will he be once he’s there?

Calaz is much more likely to be in a corner outfield role and has some big plate approach and contact rate questions. Calaz is clearly a high-ceiling player who seems increasingly unlikely to actualize it absent an overhaul to his offensive approach. Still though, plus right-handed power is tough to come by, and the big signing bonus Calaz got is proof positive of its market value. Calaz is still young and has time to make corrections, but 2027 will bring a Rule 5 decision and he’ll no doubt be back at Spokane until he can prove some level of mastery there. I ranked Calaz 28th on my list as a 40 FV player because the ingredients are there for a monster but the recipe is yet to be found.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the mid-season 2026 PuRPs list!


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This Week in Mets Quotes: Lindor remains optimistic about the Mets future

Aug 8, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) smiles on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Your 2026 New York Mets: It might look like [the Mets] are taking a step back, but [they’re] not.

“Every season that you lose a lot of games, it might look like you are taking a step back, but we’re not because there’s other things happening around it or behind it that are propelling us forward.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

Do you think the ‘bad times’ and this season has changed Francisco ‘Mr. Smile’ Lindor’s vibe…

“When I signed up here, it was to be in the good times and bad times and to win.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

…of course not…

“We have the right guys. Stearns is the right guy. That is No. 1. We have one of the best owners in sports history, because [Cohen] is going to go always with the energy that needs to be put into the team. When you are in a big market there is not such a thing as rebuilding. There is a little bit of transition, that is it. You can’t afford to rebuild in big markets, so I think we are working toward the right place. We have not taken a step backwards.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

…so to follow Lindor’s optimistic outlook on life, it’s Silver Linings Week…

The Mets have pitchers on the roster; some that are young, some that are old.

“You have the players you want to build around. You have the young pitching staff, along with a couple of pitchers that are a little bit older. -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

Also, it is accurate that Marcus Semien literally has two more years of his contract.

“You have got Marcus [Semien], who has still got a couple of years.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

The Mets do still have a Minor League system and Bo Bichette.

“You have Bo [Bichette, who can opt out after this season] — it’s going to be up to him if he stays. You have the young players, and then you look at the Minor League system, and you feel that we got better [at the Trade Deadline], so I believe that we are working forward.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

You know what, winter is long and full of no Mets baseball so enjoy getting to watch Nolan McLean starts…

“It was fairly executed [McLean said of the home run pitch.] I wasn’t trying to really punch him by any means for the strikeout there, but I would have liked it slightly more elevated. He made a good swing on a pitch that was pretty close to the outside corner, so I tip my cap.” -Nolan McLean [MLB]

…Carson Benge’s arm [Per Baseball Savant: 96th percentile arm value and 98th percentile arm strength]…

“I’ve always been blessed with an above-average arm, and it really helped that I also pitched in college to build up more arm strength. Having a strong arm makes a difference, and I think it’s really helped me this season to help get adjusted to the big leagues.” -Carson Benge [MLB]

…having new names to care about while drinking coffee and reading the Mets Daily Prospect Report

“I just want to thank the organization for the opportunity. It’s been great with the guys. I’ve been getting along with everybody and I just feel like this right here is just a great opportunity.” -Jefferson Rojas [MLB] [I have to note that this quote cited that the quote was via “translator/Binghamton catcher” Chris Suero which makes me want to root for Suero to make it to the bigs one day even more]

…basically, enjoy what’s left of Hot Girl Bat Summer…

“The boys are swinging some hot bats, the bullpen is doing their thing, and the starters are always going to do their thing. It’s been fun, we’re rallying around each other, and we’ve just been playing some really good ball.” -Brett Baty [SNY]

…and, sure, enjoy the excitement of Luis Robert Jr…uh, um… being here.

“[Unable to sell Luis Robert Jr., president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke on Deadline day about] the excitement of still having him here for the next two months of the season.” -Anthony DiComo [MLB]

Let’s hear from Interim Manager Andy Green for some more Silver Linings

/Bandit Heller voice/ I agree, he has been doing great.

“[McLean’s] doing great. Eighty-five pitches, six innings and one run and one hit? That’s a good day’s work for him in August in his first year.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [MLB]

He will keep grinding.

“Some pitches in the heart of the plate have gotten hit pretty hard. [Dedniel Núñez] is going to be fine. The opportunity to get out there and continue to pitch, he’s going to get that. When we look forward to next year, he’s going to be a big part of what we do. He has good stuff. He has kind of paid for middle-middle mistakes right now. He will keep grinding and get it right.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [New York Post]

That was not his best stuff but he did continue to grind.

“It was a gritty performance for [Zac Thornton]. That was not his best stuff. It wasn’t his best strikes and he continued to grind.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [New York Post]

This game does not define him.

“I appreciate what [Robert Stock] has done to get here, and this game does not define him. It’s a rough outing, and it happens to pitchers all across the game all the time. He has talent. He earned a right to a second start.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [New York Post]

He does know he’s a part of the organization and that he’s going to be out there consistently, but not…umm…not that consistently but…uhh… yeah, that opportunity to play consistently, there is a ton of talent…umm…there. [It wasn’t Andy’s best quote and he didn’t quite stick the landing but he continued to grind and this quote DOES NOT define him]

“[Luis Robert Jr.] knows he’s a part of our organization. He knows he’s going to be out there consistently — not quite every day, but he’s going to be out there really consistently. And that opportunity to play consistently, there’s a ton of talent there.” -Interim Manager Andy Green [MLB]

/Count Rugen voice/ Get some rest, if you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.

“When it comes to the numbers, sometimes you can’t really control all of that. But I think if I can stay healthy, the rest will take care of itself.” -Luis Robert Jr. [MLB]

“There has been good and bad from this whole process. I think when you have been out as long as I was it kind of takes a little longer to find your rhythm, to kind of find that execution. I haven’t been executing my fastballs as well as I wanted to.” -Dedniel Núñez [New York Post]

“It’s a great environment for myself. First of all, my body feels great. I’m able to go out and perform even in short innings, regardless of the situation.” -Kodai Senga [MLB]

I’m going to follow Kodai Senga’s example. Like Lindor, he’s finding the positive during a year that hasn’t quite gone the way he would’ve liked.

“Whenever it’s a first for anything, you don’t really think much of it in the moment or while you’re still playing. But when you skip ahead in years and retire, then I think it has a lot more meaning. So I wanted to have [the baseball from his 1st career save].” -Kodai Senga [MLB]

Has Joel Embiid already clinched a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame?

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 08: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

On Saturday, Amar’e Stoudemire, Doc Rivers and Mike D’Antoni will be among the latest inductees to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

LeBron James is an absolute lock to join them in the next few years. Players now have to be only two years removed from their retirement to become eligible for enshrinement, and James will undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer as soon as he’s eligible.

He might not be the only member of the 2026-27 Sixers who finds himself in the Hall of Fame one day, either. Joel Embiid is already putting together a convincing resume, although he still may have work to do before he becomes a lock.

Basketball Reference’s Hall of Fame probability model—which is based on height, NBA championships, peak win shares, All-Star selections and appearances on statistical leaderboards—currently gives Embiid roughly a 66 percent chance of becoming a Hall of Famer one day. LeBron, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Nikola Jokić, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are all viewed as locks, while Karl-Anthony Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson are among the active players ahead of Embiid in the model.

So, would Embiid already be a Hall of Famer if he retired tomorrow? If not, what else does he need to accomplish to become a lock?  

Is Embiid already a Hall of Famer?

Every eligible NBA player who won at least one Most Valuable Player award is already in the Hall of Fame. Derrick Rose may eventually put that to the test, but based on that alone, Embiid should be in.

Rose got off to a meteoric start in the NBA. He won Rookie of the Year, was named an All-Star in his second season and became the youngest MVP in NBA history in his third year. But an ACL tear during the 2012 playoffs upended the trajectory of his career. He never received another All-Star nod upon his return, although he did emerge as a Sixth Man of the Year contender late in his career.

Injuries have also plagued Embiid throughout his career, but he’s sustained his greatness far longer than Rose did. He finished as the MVP runner-up in back-to-back years before finally outdueling Nikola Jokić in 2022-23, and he already has seven All-Star nods and five All-NBA selections to his name. He also led the league in scoring in back-to-back years and has yet to average fewer than 20 points per game across any of his 10 active seasons.

Only four players in NBA history have at least seven All-Star nods without making it into the Hall of Fame: Chris Paul, LaMarcus Aldridge, Joe Johnson and Larry Foust. CP3 just announced his retirement in February and is a Hall of Fame lock as soon as he becomes eligible for enshrinement, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Aldridge and/or Johnson eventually wind up in the Hall as well.

Embiid’s lack of playoff success is the major knock against his Hall of Fame candidacy, but luckily for him, it’s the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, not just the NBA Hall of Fame. Players’ college and international accomplishments get considered as well, and Embiid helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Embiid wasn’t just tagging along on the group project, either. While he was quiet for most of the Olympics, he bailed Team USA out against Jokić and Serbia in the semifinals. Curry might have never gotten his “nuit nuit” moment against France if not for Embiid.

Embiid’s NBA peak alone might be enough to earn his ticket to Springfield one day. His Olympics exploits should only be the icing on the cake.

Does he still have work to do?

If Embiid isn’t already a Hall of Fame lock, two main things will be holding him back: injuries and a lack of playoff success.

Embiid missed his first two seasons due to injuries and has played in only 490 of a possible 801 games since he made his debut. He combined to play only 96 games over the past three seasons combined.

Embiid went into this past season thinking he “was done” because of the knee injury that submarined his 2024-25 campaign. However, at the end of the year, he was optimistic that he and the team “found something” that should have his knee in better shape next season. (His new svelte look can’t hurt, either.)

With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown now in the fold, Embiid isn’t likely to average 30-plus points per game again anytime soon. The Sixers don’t need him to do that anymore, and reducing the wear and tear on his body during the regular season should be one of their top priorities. But even if his per-game averages dip, staying healthy could go a long way toward addressing the other major knock on his resume.

Embiid has yet to drag the Sixers past the Eastern Conference semifinals, although he’s had plenty of heartbreak and near-misses along the way. While the East looks loaded this year, the talent around him makes this arguably his best-ever chance to go on a deep playoff run.

If the Sixers make it to the conference finals or beyond before Embiid retires, his Hall of Fame case will be that much more iron-clad. If Embiid ever helps the Sixers win a championship, the Hall might as well start working on his plaque right then and there.

But if injuries rear their ugly head again and Embiid never makes it past the conference semifinals, the “what if?” aspect of his career might be the only thing that could hold him out of the Hall.

As if the Sixers needed any extra motivation heading into this all-in season, a championship would go a long way toward cementing Embiid’s Hall of Fame candidacy—and Brown’s as well, for that matter.

NBA News: Kevin Garnett’s Jersey Retirement Announced

MINNEAPOLIS, MN. - APRIL 2026 Kevin Garnett acknowledges the crowd at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The Hall of Fame forward and all-time franchise leader in nearly every major statistical category walked into the arena after player introductions, receiving a roar from the crowd and patting his heart with his hand. Garnett, who had a falling out with previous owner Glen Taylor after his career was over, reached an agreement last year with the team to serve as an ambassador. His No. 21 jersey will be retired at a later date. Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans, final regular season game. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images) | Star Tribune via Getty Images

On Friday morning, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced the day that Kevin Garnett’s jersey is finally going up in the rafters.

February 28, 2027.

This will be just the second game after the All-Star break on a Sunday evening. The Wolves will play host to the team that first retired KG’s number (#5), and where he finally won a well-deserved championship, the Boston Celtics. He hasn’t been shy about how much the Celtics have meant to him, so one will have to wonder which team he’ll be rooting for that night. Is it possible he sits courtside dawning an abomination of a jersey like this?

I am not going to share the link to where to find this jersey.

All jokes aside, this jersey retirement is 10 years overdue. Had it not been for his long standing feud with former Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, number 21 would have been up at Target Center right between the late Malik Sealy’s #2 and the Flip Saunders banner. The energy will surely be electric that night. You better believe that once single-game tickets go on sale, they’ll be scooped up immediately.

For those of you who were asleep for the last year, it was formally announced in December 2025 that new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were bringing Garnett back into the organizational fold. He would be coming aboard in a role on the business, community, and content side of the team. KG would also soon return to Target Center for a Timberwolves game for the first time in eight years, walking into the arena to a raucous standing ovation alongside his daughters.

KG’s jersey retirement ceremony will surely be filled with lots of emotions and special guests, but surely not many dry eyes.

Until then, I leave you with one of my favorite videos on YouTube. It’s a carefully curated 11-minute long pictorial video created by garnetttribute, detailing his career (until that point) backwards. It starts hitting me in my feels around the 7:55 mark. So many memories resurface in my head not just of KG, but my life around that time.

We’ve come a long way.

Flyers return most of defense, but two youngsters are pushing

Flyers return most of defense, but two youngsters are pushing originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers are bringing back the majority of their defense from last season’s playoff team.

At the NHL draft in late June, Danny Briere wasn’t bothered by that idea. This offseason, the Flyers held onto Rasmus Ristolainen, who’s entering the final year of his contract. In a four-player trade two months ago, the club parted ways with Emil Andrae and acquired Simon Benoit. Other than that, the Flyers’ defense stayed mostly intact.

“We have the same top five defensemen that took us to the second round last year,” Briere said.

But the Flyers’ general manager did mention David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk, a pair of young righty shots who are vying for opportunities.

“You have a guy like Jiricek, who’s going to come in and battle,” Briere said. “You have a guy like Bonk, who’s about to get into battle. I don’t know that these guys are quite ready to take on 22, 23 minutes a night. That’s where Risto gets to protect them.”

Ristolainen allows the Flyers to not rush either of the prospects. He delivered top-pair play after not being shipped off at last season’s trade deadline. The Flyers would love if Ristolainen can sustain that momentum at the start of this season. He has fought injuries and was unavailable last season until mid-December.

While Jiricek won’t be rushed into significant minutes, the Flyers do have some pressure to have him in the mix. Jiricek, a product of last season’s Bobby Brink trade, is no longer exempt from waivers. There’s a good chance the 2022 sixth overall pick would be claimed by another club if the Flyers tried to send him to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. So the Flyers will likely have him on the season-opening roster.

The 22-year-old is trying to find his NHL footing with the Flyers, his third team after playing for the Blue Jackets and Wild. The offensive ability and instincts are there; the Flyers will look for him to be a confident skater and defender in his own zone. In 15 games with the Phantoms last season, he had two goals and 11 assists.

Benoit could be Jiricek’s biggest competition in training camp and the preseason. The defense’s final lineup spot on opening night could be between those two.

“I just try to be a two-way defenseman, support the offense, too,” Jiricek said in April, a day before playing in the Flyers’ regular-season finale. “I have a big shot, so I try to use it.”

Bonk shouldn’t be overlooked.

“I think he’ll challenge at camp,” Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said in July. … “He may force his hand. To me, the moment’s never too big for him, just the way he plays the game. Doesn’t matter the level.”

The Flyers like the 2023 first-round pick so much that they trusted him to play in last season’s second-round Game 4 elimination loss to the Hurricanes. The 21-year-old had played just one NHL game before getting the nod for his pressure-filled playoff debut against the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

“It was a good experience to play against the best team,” Bonk said in July. “Next year, we’re going to go for even better and try to beat teams like that. We’ve just kind of got to learn from it, see what we did wrong. There was a lot of good stuff in the series, too, from Philly, so I’m excited to see the future.”

Bonk’s one career regular-season game came in last season’s finale. He played like an NHLer, recording a goal and an assist in the Flyers’ 4-2 win over the Canadiens. It was a meaningful game for Montreal, which was still jockeying for playoff seeding.

“To see how he played, the swagger he played with, it’s great,” Flahr said. “I think he still needs to get stronger, which he’s working at. But he’s just such a smart player. I think if we probably put him with better players, NHL players, he might just take off. So we’ll see where that one goes.”

Lehigh Valley head coach John Snowden called Bonk an “extremely smart hockey player.” At development camp this summer, Snowden liked the improvement he saw on Bonk’s shot.

“Just the last couple of days, watching him shoot, I even went to him on the ice today and said, ‘Your shot has got some pop on it right now,'” Snowden said in June. “He’s scoring from distance, he’s doing those things that you have to have on the blue line nowadays in the game, you have to be a threat to be able to shoot from the top.

“I think he has made those gains. I know he’s putting in a ton of work, I know his brain is very, very, very high and it’s going to suit him as he starts to go up and he starts to play in the NHL here eventually one day. He’s making all the steps that are going to be vital for his development right now.”

Why Joonas Korpisalo Has An Edge Over Dylan Garand To Secure Rangers' Backup Goaltending Role

Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

We all know Igor Shesterkin will be the New York Rangers’ starting goaltender, but who will take on the backup position?

For the past three seasons, Jonathan Quick served as Shesterkin's backup, but his retirement at the end of the 2025-26 season left a vacancy in the Rangers’ goaltending room. 

At the end of last season, Dylan Garand got an audition with the Blueshirts, playing in three games and recording a .948 save percentage and a 1.62 goals against average.

“It was great, such a good experience,” Garand said of his time with the Rangers to close out the season. “Obviously, waited my whole life for an opportunity like this, and yeah, it was everything I dreamed of.”

With Quick retiring, the tides seemed to be shifting in Garand’s direction to secure the backup goaltending role for the 2026-27 campaign. 

The Rangers gave Garand a two-year contract extension late in June, which seemed to prove further that he would be on the NHL roster once training camp rolled around.

“As far as Dylan, I couldn’t be happier for him, coming up and playing as solid as he did,” Rangers’ president and general manager Chris Drury said during his exit interview. “I was excited about what we saw, and we're certainly looking at him and among other options as to see who could be backup.”

Despite all of the positive signs leaning toward Garand, the Rangers acquired veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins on July 1 in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick. 

Korpisalo comes in with a $3 million cap hit for the Rangers over the next two years, with the Bruins reportedly retaining $1 million per season from his current contract, which expires after the 2027-28 season.

Between Garand and Korpisalo, who will serve as the Rangers’ backup goaltender?

While the Rangers are viewing the backup position as up for grabs and a competition between Korpisalo and Garand, it’s hard to imagine the Blueshirts not handing the job to Korpisalo. 

Drury specifically sought out Korpisalo and used draft compensation to acquire him. 

The 32-year-old goalie’s $3 million cap hit and 334 games of NHL experience make it more likely for the Rangers to give him the job over Garand, who’s on a league-minimum contract and has only 3 games of NHL experience. 

If there were to be an early favorite to secure the backup goaltending role behind Shesterkin going into training camp, it would be Korpisalo.

What Does Canadiens’ Kapanen Have In Store For Sophomore Season?

Oliver Kapanen had a surprising rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens last year. After Martin St-Louis put him on the third line with Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook to start the season, the coach realized the youngsters were ready for a bigger workload, and shortly after the start of November, they moved up to the second line.

The 64th overall pick at the 2021 draft put up 37 points in 82 games, including a whopping 22 goals. Nobody expected that kind of output from the then-22-year-old Finn, but playing with a player as talented as Demidov sure has its advantages. However, Kapanen hit a proverbial wall midway through the season, and after returning from the Olympics, he was only able to put up six points in 25 games.

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In the playoffs, he struggled with the game’s speed and intensity and soon found himself on the outside looking in. He was only dressed for seven games, four against the Tampa Bay Lightning, one against the Buffalo Sabres and one against the Carolina Hurricanes. Obviously, that wasn’t a great confidence builder for the youngster, and if he wants to bounce back, he’ll have to get over the disappointment of his playoff usage and performance. This is where a player needs to show that he has a short-term memory to be in the best possible mental frame to bounce back.

If St-Louis elects to use Kapanen with Demidov once again this season, the young centerman may be able to avoid the sophomore slump. Still, if he decides to give yet another chance to Kirby Dach as a top-six center, things may get more complicated for Kapanen. There’s a possibility that St-Louis will be asked to showcase Dach if he’s still a member of the Canadiens to give him some value on the trade market, since Kent Hughes is not one to sell low, but one had to think that Dach would be on a short leash, so to speak. In fact, given the opportunities he’s had in the past and the fact that he’s unlikely to be part of the long-term picture in Montreal, it would make more sense to give Kapanen the better opportunities.

If Kapanen spends much of the season with Demidov, we can expect some growth in his offensive production; if not, he may become a candidate for regression this season. In the long term, it would be surprising if Kapanen hung on to a top six spot. On a contending team, he’d be best suited to a third-line center role, but right now, as a placeholder for Michael Hage until he not only joins the Habs, but proves he’s able to take on a top six role, Kapanen appears to be the most viable option.


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Former Oiler Signs One-Year Deal In Switzerland

Jeff Skinner's hockey career in the NHL might be over. At least, for the 2026-27 season, he'll be playing overseas and not on one of the 32 NHL franchises. 

The unrestricted free-agent winger signed a one-year contract with EHC Biel-Bienne in the Swiss league, the team announced Friday.

Oiler fans will know Skinner from his brief stint with the team during the 2024-25 season. He scored 16 goals and 29 points in 72 games. Given how little ice time he was offered under then-head coach Kris Knoblauch, it wasn't a bad season. He also saw the only playoff action of his 16-season NHL career in Edmonton, playing in five games. 

A six-time 30-goal scorer, Skinner was limited to 13 points in 32 games with the San Jose Sharks last season, averaging a career-low 12:21 per contest.

If this is the end of his NHL run, he finishes with 379 goals and 712 points in 1,110 games.

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Former Sabre Skinner Signs In Switzerland

Former Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner surprisingly did not find a home after having his contract terminated last February by San Jose. This summer, the former 40-goal scorer did not latch on with an NHL club and he has opted for a sure thing instead of a professional tryout at training camp. 

On Friday, the 16-year NHL veteran signed a one-year deal with HC Biel-Bienne in Switzerland. 

Skinner signed an eight-year, $72 million contract in 2019 after scoring 40 goals in the final year of his contract. The club’s coaching change to Ralph Krueger was not a good fit for the offensive winger, who was relegated to a bottom-six role and scored only 21 goals in 112 games the next two years, but his goal scoring returned under Don Granato, with 33 and 35-goal campaigns in 2022 and 2023. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

Who had the best and worst offseasons in the Atlantic Division?

After dropping to 24 goals in 2023-24, the Sabres bought out the final three years of his contract; something that has resulted in over $6 million in dead cap space this season.  The 34-year-old hooked up with Edmonton in 2025, and played in his first postseason games during the Oilers run to a Cup Final loss. 

In other news, the Sabres announced the hiring of five to their management and scouting staff: David Warsofsky as Defense Development Coach, Chris Knieste as Data Engineer, Eric Weissman as Director of College Recruiting and Reserve List Scouting, Jack McNaughton as Goalie Scout and Emergency Replacement Goaltender, and Ariel Amaral as Data Scientist. 

Warsofsky, 36, is a former NHL defenseman who played for four clubs (Boston, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Colorado) and served as head coach and Director of Hockey Operations of the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays last season. McNaughton, 24, played four WHL seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, and another four years in Canadian college hockey at Western Ontario. 

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

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Seven riveting Kings matchups to watch following 2026-27 NBA schedule release

Seven riveting Kings matchups to watch following 2026-27 NBA schedule release originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There always is something to look forward to coming off a 22-win season — assuming things won’t be worse than they were before.

That is the hope for the Kings, as they brace for a 2026-27 NBA campaign after a forgettable 2025-26 season in which they lost 60 games and were tied for the worst record in the entire Western Conference.

With a promising draft by general manager Scott Perry and his front office staff, which included adding No. 7 overall pick and the hopeful future face of the franchise Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban (No. 29) and Emanuel Sharpe (No. 45) to a rebuilding squad in Sacramento, the future is bright in California’s capital.

But execution is everything. False promises and hope bring eye rolls to desperate and die-hard Kings fans, who have experienced just one playoff series in 20 years. While they might not necessarily be expecting a championship parade down J St. next summer, there is a sense that the rookies and young players will, at the very least, bring some new excitement to the city over the course of an 82-game season.

Here are seven games to look forward to:

at Los Angeles Clippers, Oct. 21

Season openers bring enough excitement on their own.

But this particular game could bring an extra batch of eyes to it with the Acuff Jr. vs. Keaton Wagler matchup.

Wagler was selected No. 5 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, two spots ahead of Acuff Jr.

The 2026 draft class was regarded as one of the best in years, and specifically with the flurry of point guard talent around where Wagler and Acuff Jr. were selected, the comparisons have poured in and will continue to do so throughout their respective rookie seasons and NBA careers.

The comparisons already drew in during NBA Summer League. But it’s a different story during the regular season.

vs. Trail Blazers, Oct. 23

There is nothing quite like a Golden 1 Center homecoming.

Despite the team’s lack of consistent success, Kings fans celebrate their favorite team every game like it’s the playoffs.

While a Trail Blazers vs. Kings regular-season game doesn’t necessarily scream box office, the first game at home for any team is special. Plus, Portland’s squad will look a bit different than Sacramento’s last run-in with it, with Ja Morant now on the team and Damian Lillard‘s return after missing the entire 2025-26 season recovering from a torn left Achilles.

The home opener also sets the tone. Sacramento won just 15 games at home last season. Doug Christie is trying to change that.

That begins Oct. 23.

vs. Spurs, Nov. 6

OK, OK. Now let’s really get into it.

Fans can say they’re over the De’Aaron Fox drama, but it might never not feel weird to see Fox walk onto the Golden 1 Center court wearing anything other than a Kings jersey.

The former Kings point guard, who spent the first eight seasons of his career as the face of the franchise in Sacramento, received a mixed bag of reactions during his return to G1C last season, although the positive applause slightly outweighed the gentle boos and groans.

All eyes were on Fox, and that also will be the case during his return to the 916 in early November. Every move he makes, such as which Kings players he shakes hands with postgame — and more so which ones he doesn’t — will be amplified and become a storyline.

I’m not sure when this will stop being a storyline, but that time is not now.

Plus, the Spurs are the defending Western Conference champions led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama. Once a generational talent like Wembanyama walks into the building, it’s always a must-watch game.

vs. 76ers, Dec. 29

I don’t know the last time a 76ers-Kings matchup was as enticing as this upcoming one.

That is the power of the King.

LeBron James decided to end his NBA career with Philadelphia, meaning when his Sixers come into town just after Christmas, it could be the last time James plays an NBA basketball game in Sacramento.

It is quite the full-circle moment for James, who began his NBA career in Sacramento when he entered the league with the Cleveland Cavaliers and faced the Kings in his first regular-season NBA game in 2003.

In that game, he finished with 25 points on 60-percent shooting, with six rebounds, nine assists and four steals in 43 minutes.

The rest, of course, is history.

But that history is still being written for at least one more season, and it will be special.

vs. Nets, Dec. 31

Similar to the season opener against the Clippers, this late December Nets-Kings matchup will bring two promising rookies face-to-face.

Acuff Jr. and the Kings will host Mikel Brown Jr., who was selected No. 6 overall, and the Nets, who are coached by former Kings assistant coach Jordi Fernandez.

Similar to the Kings, the Nets have been in what feels like a forever-rebuilding stage. But each team’s young players give their fans something to look forward to for the future.

vs. Knicks, Jan. 8, 2027

If Mike Brown were a petty king, his return to Sacramento could look very different next January.

But the former Kings coach, who was fired by the organization during the 2024-25 season, continuously has taken the high road when speaking about his former employer.

Even while on his path toward making history with the New York Knicks by winning their first championship in five long decades, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé for giving him an opportunity.

When Brown returned to Golden 1 Center last season, he, rightfully so, was greeted with a warm welcome by fans.

That likely won’t change anytime soon.

vs. Warriors, March 10, 2027

It is kind of wild to think that the Warriors won’t come into town until five months into the season.

With their arenas about 90 miles away from one another, there is never a shortage of Warriors fans who swarm into Golden 1 Center to watch Steph Curry play.

The close proximity, plus recent intense battles, have heightened this NorCal rivalry over the past couple of years.

While some could argue that this isn’t a true rivalry such as Lakers-Celtics, there is no denying that Warriors and Kings players turn it up a notch when facing each other.

Whether they want to admit it or not.

Unfortunately, fans in Sacramento will have to wait a while to watch it.

Fortunately, it almost certainly will be worth the wait.

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Scouting Report: What should Lakers fans expect from Ziaire Williams?

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 14: Ziaire Williams attends a 2026 NBA Summer League game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After making their big swings this offseason, the Lakers made some low-risk, high-reward signings.

Both came on the wing with one being Matisse Thybulle, a talented defensive player with injury questions and the other being Ziaire Williams.

Trapped on the Brooklyn Nets for the last two seasons, Williams has shown signs of improvement, but also largely stagnated. This offseason, Brooklyn cut him free and the Lakers pounced, bringing in the former Sierra Canyon product on a minimum contract.

In continuing our series, we reached out to Anthony Puccio, site manager for Nets Daily, to ask him about Williams, where he succeeds and struggles and how he might fit with the Lakers.


What are his strengths?

He’s a high-energy player with defensive versatility. He’s long and thrives covering wings, but he’s laterally quick enough to stick with guards. His active hands force some turnovers, too.

What are his weaknesses?

His 3-point shooting hasn’t improved beyond a career-best 34% from three last season, and his physical frame isn’t that of a frontcourt anchor. So he’s in no-man’s land for someone whose biggest asset is their size/interchangeability.

Combine that with limited playmaking ability, and he’s a 3-and-D guy at best…assuming the three ball is going down.

From an outsider’s perspective, how do you see him fitting with the Lakers?

He should thrive in a system where he can float and do all the high-energy things nobody else wants to do. It was applauded in Brooklyn, but a curse because his weaknesses were exposed on a bad team. With Luka Dončić and more weapons around him, he should be able to carve out a consistent role in the league.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The NBA only gave the Suns 9 national games? Good.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 19: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after making a three pointer during the third quarter of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 19, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

With the 2026–27 Phoenix Suns schedule officially released, we now have some insight into the cadence of next season. We now know how many back-to-backs exist, how long the road trips are, and when the NBA’s joke of a “rivalry week” will occur.

One of the more interesting aspects, though, is how often the Suns will appear on a national stage. That number is usually a good barometer of how the league views a team’s relevance. You want your most marketable teams and players in front of a national audience as often as possible to maximize profits. If there’s anything we know about the NBA, and quite honestly just about anywhere you look these days, it’s that maximizing profits tends to drive the conversation. Quality be damned.

That brings us to the Suns. Phoenix was an unexpected success story last season. Granted, they faded late, lost a Play-In game, finished as the eighth seed, and were ultimately swept out of the playoffs. Still, they were entertaining. They had their own storylines, an aggressive identity, and a gritty style of play that gave people a reason to watch.

So what is their reward for all of that? Nine nationally televised games. Nine opportunities to showcase what Phoenix Suns basketball looks like in front of a national audience.

You could take that personally if you’re the Suns. You could look at it as the league not respecting what you do or how you do it. Quite honestly, though, this is exactly where I’d rather be as someone who watches Suns basketball.

It wasn’t that long ago when Phoenix had more than 30 nationally televised games and routinely embarrassed itself on the national stage. It was torture watching those KD/Booker/Beal teams drag us through uninspired moments of basketball, and it was exacerbated by the fact that it was under the bright lights.

Yes, this is a much different team. Thankfully. But the lack of national exposure also reinforces where expectations currently sit. The Suns are projected to win 38.5 games. The league and the sportsbooks don’t appear to believe Phoenix will be anywhere close to relevant. And that’s right where I like them. I’d much rather be overlooked than overhyped. I’d rather be underappreciated than overexalted.

There’s also another benefit to having 73 games that aren’t nationally televised. You know exactly where you’re going to watch them. The nationally televised games will be spread across NBC, Peacock, ESPN, and Amazon Prime. Everything else will be available on Arizona’s Family and the Suns Live app. As a consumer, I find that finding Suns games is much easier and far more predictable. Call me old school, but hopping between five different streamers is cumbersome. We don’t have to navigate the confusion the league has created as it tries to squeeze every profitable dollar possible out of each broadcast deal. From that perspective, I’ll take it as a win.

If the Suns want more national exposure, there’s a pretty simple way to get it. Earn it. Make the postseason and stick around for a while, because those games are all nationally televised.

So the Suns are only on national television nine times this season. Who cares? The team can use it as motivation, we know where to find the games, and the ones that ultimately matter most will be played in the postseason. Don’t let it get you down. Although I’m sure it didn’t.


Blake Butera believes in the process. Living with the results is harder

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 19: Manager Blake Butera #10 of the Washington Nationals looks on during the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on July 19, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images

When I first met Blake Butera, we were in his small Spring Training office in West Palm Beach. The main thing I remember is the scented candles, a sign of his youth.

Over the last few weeks, through a series of questions before and after games, I’ve tried to get a better sense of how Butera thinks about the job.

Butera has become a more seasoned and experienced manager since arriving in Jupiter, Florida for Spring Training, but fundamentally, he is still the same person. He still has the same goals and mentality, but Butera, who turned 34 last week, has learned about the realities of managing a big league club.

As Butera put it, he has “been able to see things through a different lens” as he has gained experience. From bullpen management to knowing when to pull starters, Butera feels like he is learning something every game.

For this whole organization, they are constantly thinking about the process. That is something being done from the top down, and something Butera is constantly trying to do.

But it can be challenging for him. His head knows that he needs to be process oriented, but his heart lives and dies with every result.

With how the Nats season has gone, that has surely been on his mind often. There have been plenty of meltdowns this year, but Butera said, “As long as the process is good, you can live with the outcome, at least that is what I tell myself.”

That last part was telling. Butera may be the same person every day, but losing is something that clearly pushes him to the edge.

That combination of consistency and competitiveness is part of what has endeared him to his players. Jake Irvin told me that Butera is “very focused and diligent in his work.” He also mentioned that his new manager is the same guy every day.

But more importantly, Irvin pointed to the trust Butera has built. “The best managers I have had put trust in their players and communicate well,” Irvin said. “Blake has done both those things.”

Butera is a hands-on presence in a clubhouse that desperately needed that. He is constantly asking how to put his players in the best position to have success. That can even mean delivering hard truths to players. Irvin told me that Butera “tells you the truth whether you want to hear it or not.”

Butera is someone you would firmly characterize as a new school manager. However, Thursday revealed an old-school side of him that still matches with his player-first mentality.

He told me that if Cade Cavalli still had a no-hitter going, he would have been out for the ninth inning even if he was above 100 pitches.

For a few years now there have been a lot of debates about whether to let guys throw well over 100 pitches in pursuit of history. Earlier this season, the Marlins pulled Eury Perez after seven perfect innings.

Butera made it clear that was not his philosophy.

“If there was still a no-hitter, Cade would be pitching until he said he could not pitch anymore.”

Despite being a young, analytically minded manager, Butera appreciates the history of the game. He made it clear that he was not the type of manager to stand in the way of a no-hitter.

There have been times where Butera’s bullpen management has been questionable. It is something where he may even second guess himself. He is constantly thinking about the process and how he can get better. But there is another side to that.

You could see how desperate he was to get a victory during the team’s recent seven-game losing skid. That frustration boiled over when the normally even-keeled Butera got his first ejection as an MLB manager.

In a presser, Butera told a story about how his wife was upset that there wasn’t anything “juicier” that led to the ejection. She asked him what the umpire said that made him so mad, and Butera explained that he was just yelling at the dugout.

His wife was confused about how that made him so mad.“You don’t get it,” Butera told her. That angry side of Butera is not the norm. Most of the time he is calm and calculating. But it gets at the tension that has become more apparent as his first season has gone along.

Butera may not cut the most imposing figure and still looks at least five years younger than your average 34-year-old, but the competitive fire is burning.

He is a fresh-faced 34-year-old who loves talking about cutting-edge analytics in his office with scented candles. However, he is not the type to pull someone from a no-hitter and had the loud endorsement of a Hall of Famer in Mike Piazza.

Blake Butera is a process-oriented manager, or at least he tries to be. In a 162 game season, you can’t live or die by every result. But that can be tough for Butera, who leaves no stone unturned in his goal of winning as many games as possible.

Maybe that is why the most revealing thing Butera said was not that he can live with a bad outcome when the process is good. It was what he added afterward. “At least that is what I tell myself.”

Former Flyers Stars to Feature in NHL Legend's Farewell Game

For what very well could be the last time, a group of former Philadelphia Flyers standouts will return to the ice in honor of one of the NHL's greatest, most impactful defensemen in the history of the game.

On Friday, Aug. 21, a large handful of legends and former stars will reconvene in Trencin, Slovakia, to play in Zdeno Chara's farewell game in a matchup of Team Boston vs. Team World.

Team Boston will feature all the star names you'd expect: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Ray Bourque, as well as current Boston Bruins head coach Marco Sturm.

Also joining the fray, however, are Flyers Hall of Famer Mark Recchi, as well as former Flyers defenseman Dennis Seidenberg.

The Flyers will be equally represented on Chara's Team World, which boasts a group of ex-Flyers forwards in Michal Handzus, Jaromir Jagr, and Jakub Voracek.

As a fun Easter egg, legendary soccer goalkeeper Petr Cech will be between the pipes for Team World; Cech, 44, is a four-time Premier League champion, a Champions League winner, and an ice hockey goalie with 40 games of experience playing in the English leagues.

Zdeno Chara farewell game rosters

Team Boston: Patrice Bergeron, Chris Kelly, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Daniel Paille, David Pastrnak, Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder, Marco Sturm, Ray Bourque, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid, Dennis Seidenberg, and Jaroslav Halak, coached by Matt Keator and Tim Thomas.

Team World: Michal Handzus, Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Anze Kopitar, Ziggy Palffy, Robert Reichel, Miroslav Satan, Thomas Vanek, Jakub Voracek, Radek Hamr, Duncan Keith, Andrej Sekera, Aaron Ward, and Petr Cech, coached by Jergus Baca, Peter Bondra, and Marian Gaborik.

Chara, 49, last played in the NHL in the 2021-22 season, returning to the New York Islanders team that drafted him 56th overall in the 1996 NHL Draft.

The 6-foot-9 Hockey Hall of Famer scored 17 goals, 29 assists, and 46 points in 84 career games against the Flyers, per Statmuse.

Caglianone’s Future Position Provides Royals’ Positive After Dodgers Series to Forget

The Kansas City Royals dropped a series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco find plenty worth discussing in both the struggles and the small victories along the way.

Jac Caglianone remains the most compelling storyline on the roster right now. He is hitting for average and looking increasingly comfortable at the player while playing first base, and Jacob and Jeremy dig into the ongoing debate about which position actually maximizes his value to this team. It is a conversation about more than just defense but where he plays affects the entire lineup construction moving forward.

Carson Roccaforte is making waves with legitimate home run power, and Sean Gamble continues to impress in his second-half turnaround. The headline name, though, is Angeibel Gomez at just 17 years old and already drawing comparisons to Juan Soto. Jacob and Jeremy place his early performance in the context of the Royals’ historically uneven track record developing outfielders, while acknowledging that the depth and quality of this farm system feel different than in years past.

Injury updates round out the roster conversation, with Vinnie Pasquantino back from injury and Maikel Garcia’s status also addressed. Statistical trends across the roster get a look as well, including the team’s surprising leader in OPS.

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
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