SARASOTA, FL - MARCH 20: Ethan Anderson #57 of the Baltimore Orioles bats during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Norfolk second baseman Payton Eeles had himself a big game, going 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, two walks, and a run scored. The rest of the lineup when 1-for-27 with five walks and 14 strikeouts. The only other hitter with a hit was Bryan Ramos. The team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Trey Gibson started on the mound, but went just three innings, allowing a run on three hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. Gerald Ogando was the standout for the Tides, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings and recording all four outs via strikeout. Nick Raquet had a tough afternoon. He allowed two runs in 1.1 innings and made two fielding errors. Josh Walker coughed up a run in his 1.1 innings or work. And Alex Pham worked a scoreless eighth inning to close the book on the pitching staff for the game.
Chesapeake were actually outhit by visiting Somerset 12-9, but they also walked 12 times and hit four home runs as part of the onslaught. Ethan Anderson got the scoring going with a solo homer un the first inning as part of his 1-for-2 game with three walks and three runs scored. Aron Estrada added two hits, a double and a home run, plus three runs scored and four RBI. Carter Young hit his fourth home run of the season while Tavian Josenberger went deep for the second time. Thomas Sosa had a 2-for-2 game with a double, three walks, and two runs scored.
Seven different Baysox pitchers took the mound in the winning effort. The first four hurlers allowed eight runs over 4.1 innings. That included starter Juaron Watts-Brown, who recorded just two outs and allowed three runs. The final three pitchers combined for 4.2 shutout frames. Cohen Achen earned the win, striking out two over 1.2 innings. Ben Vespi also had a nice outing, striking out three in his 1.2 shutdown frames.
High-A: Frederick Keys 6, Greenville Drive (Red Sox) 4
Eight of the Keys nine hitters collected hits. Many of them had multiple as the team collected 17 base knocks altogether, though only one went for extra bases. Leandro Arias led the way with his 4-for-5 game that included an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. Wehiwa Aloy had two hits and a stolen base. Victor Figueroa had two hits of his own to go with a walk and two runs scored. Colin Yeaman had a three-hit game plus a stolen base. Ike Irish was out of the lineup again with a wrist bruise he suffered on a hit by pitch over the weekend.
Boston Bateman delivered 5.2 shutout innings in this one, striking out six and walking two in the process. The lefty is in the midst of an impressive run that has seen him allow just one earned run over his last four starts. His ERA is down to 3.62 on the year. The three relievers that came behind him had more trouble. Jacob Cravey allowed one run over 1.1 innings. Braeden Sloan followed with a run allowed on no hits but four walks in his lone inning. And Chandler Marsh coughed up two runs in the ninth inning before closing out the win.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 12, Wilson Warbirds (Brewers) 6
The Shorebirds absolutely loaded up the box score in this win. The team had 13 hits, nine walks, four stolen bases, and three errors. So, not perfect, but still an impressive showing. They were led by the two Amparos. Félix Amparo went 3-for-3 with a triple and four RBI. Edwin Amparo hit his second home run of the season and drove in two. Andrés Nolaya collected three hits, scored twice, and stole two bases. Juan Ortega added a pair of hits, a pair of runs, and a pair of RBI.
Christian Rodriguez put in a solid effort on the mound. The starter worked 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. Brendan Parks was credited with the win despite giving up two runs in his 2.1 innings of work. Jason Shockley allowed two runs but neither were earned as he recorded the final three outs of the game.
Oct 3, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) hits a two-RBI single against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
The Brewers do not hit many home runs. When play starts on Friday, they’ll be last in the majors. While I’d be surprised if the Brewers finish the season in last — remember, Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich, and Andrew Vaughn have all missed significant time, and they’ve closed the gap somewhat in the last week — it does seem like power isn’t going to be a major strength for this team.
But even if I don’t believe the Brewers are going to finish last in the league in homers, it got my twisted baseball-history brain working. I wanted to know: has a team that finished last in homers ever won the World Series?
The answer is yes, but it’s only happened five times, and two of those occurred more than 100 years ago. But surprisingly, the most recent occurrence isn’t from all that long ago. Let’s look back.
Ancient history: 1906 White Sox
I’d argue that the first two instances shouldn’t really count. The first is the 1906 Chicago White Sox, in what was just the third World Series ever played.
If you aren’t familiar with how baseball was played in 1906, get ready for some numbers.
The White Sox hit seven home runs in 1906.
The league leaders that season, the Philadelphia Athletics, hit 32. The A’s played in Columbia Park, where it was 340 feet down the left field line and — wait for it — 280 feet down the right field line.
Teams just didn’t hit homers in 1906, or, really, in any season prior to 1920. So even though the White Sox finished 16th out of 16 in home runs, they were an above-average offense, at least from a run-scoring aspect — they were sixth in the league in runs scored (and fifth in stolen bases).
Chicago was led by one of baseball history’s most underrated players, the Hall-of-Fame shortstop George Davis; he was 35 in 1906 but led the team with a 120 OPS+ and still had a sterling defensive reputation. The pitching staff had a couple of stalwarts, as well: Big Ed Walsh was on the younger side of his career but was one of four White Sox starters to throw over 200 innings with an ERA+ of at least 109. But Walsh was not Chicago’s best starter that year: that would be Guy “Doc” White, who went 18-6 with a league-leading 1.52 ERA.
So, Chicago didn’t hit homers, but they played good defense, ran the bases well, and pitched well.
Not-quite-as-ancient history: 1924 Nationals
This team also maybe shouldn’t count. The 1924 season is technically outside of the Deadball Era, but barely: no team in baseball hit 100 homers, and only three had more than 72. The Yankees led the league with 98, but 46 of those were hit by one guy.
So, while the Nationals did have the fewest homers in the league — just 22 — they were not a bad offensive team. Their leader that season was the Hall of Famer Leon “Goose” Goslin. He put up a .344/.421/.516 batting line (143 OPS+) and did lead the team with 12 home runs, but he also hit 30 doubles and 17 triples and led the American League with 129 RBIs. Another Hall-of-Fame outfielder, Sam Rice, also played for that team; he hit only one homer (of his 2,987 career hits, just 34 were home runs), but had 39 doubles and 14 triples.
But the player who was really carrying the team, along with Goslin, was arguably the greatest pitcher of all time, who, at age 36, was having a last hurrah: Walter Johnson.
In 1924, the Big Train led the AL in almost everything. He won the pitching Triple Crown with 23 wins, a 2.72 ERA (149 ERA+), and 158 strikeouts, and also led the league in FIP, WHIP, hits per nine, strikeouts per nine, strikeout-to-walk ratio, and shutouts.
A couple other starting pitchers played well for the Nationals, particularly Tom Zachary, but they also boasted a unique weapon for the time: an elite bullpen piece. Firpo Marberry threw 195 innings in 50 games (14 of which were starts) and technically led the league in saves (though that stat wasn’t kept track of for several more decades) with a 132 ERA+.
It was the pitching that really stood out for Washington: they led the majors with a 122 ERA+, way ahead of the next-best AL team. But that wasn’t all they did for run prevention: while it’s hard to know for sure, basic fielding metrics suggest they were the best defensive team in the league. Their shortstop, Roger Peckinpaugh, was not only the subject of a good Joey Votto bit but is credited as the 1924 league leader in dWAR by Baseball Reference.
Modern-ish times: 1965 Dodgers
The next team isn’t from the Deadball Era, but it’s from the closest thing this side of the 1920s.
There’s not a ton of mystery here: the 1965 Dodgers had peak Sandy Koufax. They also got good seasons from two other starters, Claude Osteen and another Hall-of-Famer, Don Drysdale. Out of the bullpen, the Dodgers had a major weapon, Ron Perranoski, in a fireman role.
Offensively that Dodger team was dreadful, but they found a way. They had just an 89 OPS+ and no player on the team had more than 12 home runs, but they were by FAR the league leaders in stolen bases: 172 of them, with second place at just 110. The reason for that was the shortstop, Maury Wills. Wills had already won an MVP in 1962, and he finished third in 1965 on the strength of his league-leading 94 steals (more than all but four other teams). Wills was also a good fielder, as were center fielder Willie Davis, second baseman Jim Lefebvre, and catcher John Roseboro.
The Dodgers really didn’t have anyone who could hit, though. Second baseman Jim Gilliam, who stands out among players of his time for having a high walk rate, led the team with a 121 OPS+; he played only 111 games and hit just .280 with only 27 extra-base hits in total, but he had a .374 OBP, and it was a bad offensive era and a bad offensive ballpark.
This is a clear example of a team that was led by its pitching staff. They led in team ERA by a fairly significant margin; that was partially boosted by Dodger Stadium, but they were just behind the league-leading Pirates in ERA+. They were also first in FIP, and that, combined with one of the best defenses in the league, is what put the Dodgers in the World Series. Koufax did the rest.
A painful memory: 1982 Cardinals
I swear I was not expecting this when I started researching this project, but one of the three teams in the last 100 years to win the World Series with the fewest homers is also the only team to ever beat the Brewers in the World Series.
It was a matchup of extremes. The Cards were dead last in homers with just 67, while the Brewers were the most powerful team in baseball and hit 216 homers, 30 more than anyone else. The Brewers had a 121 OPS+, best in the league by a lot, while the Cardinals were at 95.
That 95 OPS+ mark, though, was far from worst in the league — it was tied for 15th, just below the middle of the pack (remember there were 26 teams then). While the Cardinals didn’t hit homers, they did several other things well: they were second in the league in stolen bases, tied for second in triples, and seventh in walks.
They also played excellent defense, something that’s becoming a trend here. This was Ozzie Smith’s first season in St. Louis. He won a Gold Glove, and Baseball Reference has him as the league’s best defensive player that season. Keith Hernandez also won a Gold Glove at first base, second baseman Tom Herr probably should have, and third baseman Ken Oberkfell could also flash some leather.
Those Cardinals were interesting as far as this exercise goes because unlike the teams we’ve already looked at, they had a good-but-not-great pitching staff. They were third in the league in ERA, but several other teams were close behind; their FIP was a solid but not spectacular 10th in the league. Among their starting pitchers, only Joaquín Andújar stood out: he really did have a fantastic year and went 15-10 with a 2.47 ERA (148 ERA+) and was seventh in Cy Young voting.
But no one else in the rotation stands out, and while Bruce Sutter did lead the majors in saves (36), he had a middling 2.90 ERA (126 ERA+) and significantly worse FIP (3.63). In those bonkers times, though, when awards voters were fetishizing saves, Sutter finished third — ahead of Andújar! — in CYA voting.
Modern times: 2012 Giants
This is the one that’s kind of hard to believe. The first thought that came to my mind was that this must’ve been one of those Giants teams with a fantastic pitching staff, but that’s not the case — Tim Lincecum, the back-to-back Cy Young winner in 2008 and 2009, had already fallen off a cliff, and the 22-year-old Madison Bumgarner wasn’t yet much of a contributor (at least until the Giants were actually in the World Series). Matt Cain was the team’s best starter, but he’d had other better years.
Sergio Romo had an excellent season out of the bullpen, but the Giants’ closer situation was in flux all year; the team leader in saves was Santiago Casilla, who had a 4.14 FIP and 125 ERA+ while picking up 25 suspenseful saves. (The Giants did make Romo the closer before the postseason, and he was nails in October: he finished his 10-game postseason run with a 0.84 ERA, and he saved three of four games in the Giants’ sweep of Detroit.)
It’s still a little difficult to understand this team’s success, but the most compelling reason is that Buster Posey was 100% deserving of the MVP award he won in 2012. Posey won a batting title and led the majors in OPS+ (171), he hit 39 doubles and 24 homers, and he led the NL with 7.6 WAR via Baseball Reference. But FanGraphs’ framing-influenced numbers think he was even better than that and have him with 9.8 WAR in 2012, the best season ever by a catcher via fWAR.
San Francisco also got a big partial season from Melky Cabrera, who hit .346/.390/.516 in 113 games and would’ve won the batting title had he qualified, but he was suspended for steroid use in August of that season and missed the playoffs. Center fielder Ángel Pagán had the best full offensive season of his career. Pablo Sandoval played pretty well (in only 108 games). Brandon Belt had a 123 OPS+ and 27 doubles but homered only seven times. Marco Scutaro only played 61 games but hit an astronomical .362.
It was a lot of decent offensive players who just didn’t hit homers. San Francisco hit only 103 home runs (the Yankees led the way with 245), but they were 10th in doubles, first in triples, 10th in stolen bases, and fifth in batting average. They had several part-time players who performed quite well, so when starters were missing time, the gap between them and their backups was small. They also play in a tough ballpark.
Put all of that together, and despite being last in homers, the Giants were fourth in OPS+. They were a good offensive team; they just didn’t do it the way we’ve gotten used to. Honestly, they were good in a way that should look familiar to fans of the 2025-26 Brewers.
The bad news
So, there are the reasons to be optimistic that even if the Brewers don’t get out of the home run basement, they can still compete.
Now the reason to be pessimistic: recent trends suggest that this might not be possible anymore.
Since 2020, all six World Series winners have finished in the top four in baseball in homers:
This unsurprisingly aligns with the trends that some fans bemoan in modern times: that players have stopped putting the ball in play to sell out for the home run.
In the past — not that long ago — teams that struggled with the long ball could adapt and find a different approach. But in modern times, when parades of anonymous pitchers with unhittable stuff arrive in waves, we could be reaching a point where that alternative approach is difficult to find, particularly in the postseason as pitcher usage gets more extreme. In those low-scoring playoff environments, when stringing hits together becomes tougher, it helps immensely to have guys who can run into one.
It doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though. The 2025 Brewers were 22nd in home runs but third in runs scored. The 2026 version of the team is, as of Wednesday, last in homers but seventh in runs scored. But there’s likely to be some difficulty in maintaining that disparity long term, and the postseason question will linger until it doesn’t anymore.
These past examples prove that winning with a low-power team can be done if other aspects of the game are in place. Those other aspects — speed, defense, pitching — are all present in this iteration of the Brewers. They were last year, too. It might just be a matter of things clicking into place at the right time.
KANSAS CITY, KS - MAY 06: Savannah Banana Malachi Mitchell (2) flips in the air as the team cheers before the start of a banana ball game against the Kansas City Monarchs at Legends Field on Friday, May 6, 2022 in Kansas City, KS. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Good morning, baseball fans!
It’s an off day for the San Francisco Giants today, so I wanted to touch on a topic that I’ve been thinking about for a while.
At this point, I can only assume that most people familiar with baseball are also at least somewhat familiar with the Savannah Bananas, and the league that was created around them called Banana Ball. If not, it’s a fast-paced version of baseball with an emphasis on entertainment value and fan engagement.
The rules are a bit different, but not so much that a fan of traditional baseball cannot follow the game. There’s an emphasis on trick plays and entertaining the crowds (both at the parks and those watching online). But that doesn’t take away from the on-field product at all, it just adds to it.
I recently had the chance to have a brief conversation with the founder of Banana Ball, Jesse Cole. You may know Cole as the dude that’s always in the yellow tux and top hat, featured in a lot of promotional materials for the league.
During the conversation, I told Cole that I think MLB should absolutely be taking notes from Banana Ball in terms of growing the game. What they are doing to engage new audiences is some of the best work I’ve seen from any league.
What works about it, in my opinion, is that it’s not intended to be gatekept. And what I mean by that is something that I think a lot of women who are sports fans can relate to. You have to prove you belong there, you don’t just get to be a fan because you like the team. I’ve had many experiences where I tell a male acquaintance that I was a Giants fan and I would get presented with a pop quiz to prove it.
And I feel like MLB in general kind of leans into that gatekeeping, whether they realize/intend it or not. Women are grudgingly allowed in the fandom, but not really catered to as a legitimate part of the audience.
Meanwhile, Banana Ball is not only catering to their female fans, they’re making the league as accessible and inviting as possible. And the game play is electric, there is never a dull moment for fans. If you go to a Banana Ball game, you know with absolute certainty that you’re going to have a great time, regardless of how the game plays out.
The same cannot necessarily be said for MLB games. Before the game I went to last month, the last five games I had attended in person were complete shut out losses by the Giants. And I had to pay about $300-400 and travel several hours for the pleasure of sitting through those games with dull, lifeless eyes watching a dull, lifeless team.
The Giants’ past offensive woes aside, with the cost of everything skyrocketing these days, entertainment value is assuredly going to become much more of a factor in terms of people planning to spend money on sports outings.
And listen, I’m not here to say that MLB should have dancing umpires and outfielders doing backflips. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with traditional baseball existing as it is, and having the more exhibition style league exist as a separate thing.
But MLB would be doing themselves a massive disservice to not take notes from how Banana Ball markets to all audiences, and focuses on appealing to a wide demographic of people by creating a fun environment for everyone. It’s a massively successful league that is only growing in popularity and talent.
Just this week, former MLB player Jackie Bradley, Jr. announced that he would be joining the Indianapolis Clowns, a team in the Banana Ball league. They also have the biggest stars of the upcoming Women’s Professional Baseball League, a former Broadway actor, and are so popular that they will have a player on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars.
The kind of astronomical growth that Banana Ball has seen over the last few years should absolutely be studied by MLB. They’d be silly not to. Given the game’s decline in popularity, sticking to the traditional route of “playing the game the right way” and policing anything that could remotely be considered fun or an individual’s personality is not going to cut it.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Tanner Franklin #43 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Washington Nationals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
On Monday, I looked at how the pitchers in the upper minors were doing and honestly from a statistical standpoint, it wasn’t great. Mind you, it’s early in the season, and we know pitchers work on things at the expense of the best way they currently know how to get hitters out, and the run environments are pretty rough at both levels. Also, AAA has a different ball than the rest of the minor leagues. These are all reasons the stats are going look worse without being a problem. Lower minors however have good pitching environments, so I expect more pleasing-to-the-eye stats.
Peoria
Brandon Clarke, LHP – 23 (VEB’s #9 prospect)
Clarke was diagnosed with an aneurysm in his left arm and had surgery around the beginning of spring training and it has caused him to be out until at least June. I haven’t heard an update since.
Franklin is working on two things simultaneously. He is working on developing pitches to add to his fastball and slider while also working on a starting pitcher’s workload. He usually faces between 15 and 18 batters in a start, which even in today’s age, is short of how many outs a starter needs to get regularly. But he was facing between three and nine batters in college, and you don’t want to skip a step.
I am feeling very good about placing Fajardo 9th on my list. He has been unbelievable this season. That is an absurd K/BB ratio. He has 47 strikeouts and 6 walks in 32.2 IP. Just purely scouting the stat line + age, I feel like Fajardo should be a much bigger prospect than he appears to be.
I don’t know what to do with this line. His strikeouts are way up from last year, his walks are about the same, and he’s still getting groundballs. But when hitters make contact, they appear to be going for hits most of the time. Tough to say if that’s unlucky or not in this kind of sample. He has allowed 10 homers already, and he’s only allowed 28 flyballs all year. If you’re wondering, a normal amount of luck and that’s three homers allowed. He’s probably pitching worse than someone who would allow three homers, but 10 certainly feels unlucky.
Nate Dohm, RHP – 23 (acquired in the Ryan Helsley trade)
Well Dohm is for sure pitching poorly, but wow another case of a wildly disproportionate ERA in comparison to advanced stats. Now this is a significantly smaller sample size and can happen when you get blown up in three of your six starts, which unfortunately appear to be his three most recent starts.
Blake Aita, RHP – 23 (acquired in the Willson Contreras trade – with Fajardo)
The return for Sonny Gray has resulted in a completely missing season and one where they haven’t debuted yet, but the early returns for the Contreras trade have been fantastic. Dobbins, the MLB ready piece, looks like an ideal sixth starter, Fajardo has probably catapulted himself into a top 10 team prospect, and Aita – well he’s been fine. Clearly they’re making an effort to get him more strikeouts, which has the side effect of more as well so far. The next step is keep the strikeouts, lower the walks.
Oh yeah there was a third part of the Gray trade, which is Galle. He was quite literally unhittable in Low A, throwing 5.2 hitless innings down there. Just three of the 23 hitters he faced even made contact. No wonder they promoted him to High A after just five appearances. But it’s clear Galle doesn’t have a lot of control and High A hitters – well they’re still barely getting hits despite much more contact.
Frank Ellisalt, RHP – 24 (acquired in the Ryan Helsley trade)
Ellisalt suffered some kind of hip injury in February, and I’m not exactly sure how long he’s expected to be out, but he was put on the minor league 60-day injured list, so he certainly won’t pitch the rest of this month at least.
Van Dyke has already been promoted to Peoria and he had… a not very good first start there. He threw 3.2 IP, walked three, struck out two, and allowed three runs. Nevermind that though, it was his first start and we have a 10th rounder who the Cardinals promoted him to High A after just 12 starts at that level. I’d call that a success.
Well, I like the strikeouts. The walks and lack of groundballs aren’t great. A good example of his season is his last two starts. In his most recent start, Crossland threw 5 innings, struck out 7, walked two and allowed 2 ER. The start before, Crossland walked six, struck out six, allowed no hits and yet gave up a run. Every other start seems to involve a lot of walks. It has only really burned him in one start, when he gave up seven runs.
Jack Martinez, RHP – 23 (acquired in Nolan Arenado trade)
These stats kind of scream reliever to me. He misses plenty of basses but can’t find the zone a lot and almost nothing is on the ground. I don’t know, it’s a tough profile to make work. But these are his first 8 career pro starts, despite his age, because he was in college last season. Too early to make any declarations.
Oh hey a genuine breakout. Odle has been a strikeout machine and a groundball machine, which is a pitching coach’s dream. Very tough for an offense to get runs if the pitcher does both of those things. His walks are a little high, but really not that bad and especially not bad with that K rate.
Despite just one game started, Shelagowski appears to currently be a starting pitching prospect, average over 3 innings per game. And he was a starter in his most recent game, so he may have officially moved into the rotation. While his walks haven’t been bad, he has somehow hit seven batters already this season.
Well it’s obviously early in the season, but Batista may be seeing a promotion before the year is up, because 13 strikeouts to one walk is quite the K/BB ratio. He was kind of being treated like a starting pitching prospect a year ago, but his stats weren’t very good, so he seems to be in more of a relief role this year. And it has made a difference. Last year, his K% was just 16.4% and he walked 10.9%. The Cardinals made the right decision.
Young hasn’t quite pitched as bad as his ERA. It just so happens when you walk your fair share of batters and your BABIP is .400, you’re going to allow a lot of runs. It’s too early to judge if that BABIP is comically unlucky, or a sign that Young is pretty hittable. Striking out 26% of batters would seem to suggest the BABIP is probably, at least somewhat, unlucky.
Holiday is in the beginning stages of his rehab from his Tommy John surgery last year, which caused him to miss the entire season. He was the 3rd round pick of the 2024 draft, and he didn’t get a chance to pitch in the pros, getting hurt before he ever threw a pitch. These are exactly the stats I’d expect of college righty rehabbing in rookie leagues.
Graham is also pitching in the pros for the first time after having had Tommy John surgery last season. In Graham’s case though, he had it before he got drafted, and I was actually under the impression that Graham would debut much later. He’s carving up these teenagers like Michael Myers, so I actually expect to see him in Palm Beach pretty soon.
And that’s pretty much it. I wasn’t going to list any rookie league players, because the season just started, but both Holiday and Graham are arguably Low A pitchers at least who are simply pitching for the first time after Tommy John surgery. Graham was healthy and ready to pitch earlier than Holiday, because Graham faced 11 batters and threw 3 innings in his first outing, Holiday only pitched an inning. So just not the order I would have expected there.
When Donnie Nelson was fired in 2021, and Rick Carlisle stepped down shortly after, no one argued whether or not this was the correct decision. Nelson had failed to put together a functional roster, and Carlisle’s relationship with Luka Doncic grew sour. The question revolved around who they hired to replace them. And, as history will now tell us, the skepticism was rooted in some amount of truth.
Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison were hired as a coach/general manager packaged deal before the 2021-22 season. At the time, there was a lot of caution exhibited when trying to project the tenures for both hirings. Kidd was a Hall-of-Fame point guard, but his head coaching resume to that point was far from stellar and included a lot of crucifying anecdotes from his time in Milwaukee. Harrison had no prior experience working in basketball and was the poster boy for Nike’s botched shoe deal pitch to Steph Curry. Needless to say, the Mavericks had a lot of hope in their young superstar in the summer of 2021, but the support from the coaching staff and organization remained to be defined.
It was always a “wait-and-see” with those two. There was no clear-cut floor, and the ceiling was like one of those drawings of a tunnel on a wall. This time around, however, there is both a concrete expectation and an endless possibility of hopeful outcomes. Masai Ujiri is an accomplished basketball professional. He has the respect of a lot of players and personnel league-wide, and the way he has spoken to the Dallas media in two short press conferences is already leaps and bounds above the slop that Harrison produced.
Ujiri has won a championship, something that most general managers around the league cannot say. With the coaching search now underway following his dismissal of Jason Kidd, it feels different than it did in 2021. There is an adult in the room now, something that was not true of the past five years, which was made very clear in retrospect. Ujiri’s first hire, Mike Schmidtz, is a widely celebrated, draft-centric savant who adds a level of care for scouting and an emphasis on building through the draft. When looked at in conjunction with Ujiri’s comment about making decisions based on the future and not winning now, it paints a picture that the foundation of the organization is far more stable than the one they put in place the last go around.
After 15 months of chaos, anger, and uncertainty, it seems like the Mavericks have rebounded incredibly from an unprecedented situation. There is a hierarchy in place that has voiced a commitment to time. Letting time build, connect, and improve the organization and the city of Dallas. The old regime made no such pledge. They promised a quick win and could not deliver. This time, the Mavericks are doing it right. And they’re doing it in a way that lends itself to a long run of success.
It’s been almost a week since the Minnesota Timberwolves season came to a flaming end. Though the final on the court memory of the Wolves was them getting smacked with eight minutes of garbage time left, there were still plenty of good parts to the journey. Let’s not lose sight of all that.
So let’s walk through Canis Pulsus Vol. 50 – Memories Edition together!
SAN ANTONIO, TX – MAY 4: The Minnesota Timberwolves huddle before the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to Canis Pulsus Vol. 50!
For those of you who have been ignoring this series since the 2021 season — Canis Pulsus is designed to give our Canis Hoopus community a published voice.
A pulse, if you will.
We all know that if CH occupied all seats of the Minnesota Timberwolves front office, we would be celebrating our 36th consecutive championship this year. But for now, it’s time for us to exercise our right vote. How would you grade the performance of our pups?
It’s a simple concept, really. Just submit your vote as honestly or sarcastically as you would like. All individual submissions will remain anonymous so no one will know if you were the one voter who enjoyed Spurs-Wolves game 6. The results as a whole will be published on Canis Hoopus and (in theory) be texted to all the Wolves staffers and players.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 26: Jaden Bradley #0 of the Arizona Wildcats dribbles the ball against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Since my last article on second round prospects, we’ve seen the ping-pong ball gods reward the Wizards, and the draft combine gives us a better understanding of the physical tools of the players the Suns might select at 47.
In another case of “I hate being right”, most of the players I identified as possibilities back in April have seen their draft stock steadily rise. As a result, players that intrigued me the most (Jefferson, Okorie, Ejiofor, Veesaar, and Chinyelu in particular) now appear to be late first or early second round picks, and likely to go about 12-15 spots too high unless the Suns trade up. Another player (JT Toppin) has elected to go back to college after an injury shortened his senior year. Flory Bidunga seems likely to follow.
The draft combine measurements were kind to Baba Miller, Rueben Chinyelu, and Zuby Ejiofor. The latter may sneak into the late first round as a result. Josh Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic did not do themselves any favors, however. Momcilovic may well slip all the way back to 47 now. Bruce Thornton also fared poorly and may fall out of the draft altogether.
After all this movement, four players have been popping up in mock drafts for the Suns that look both interesting and potentially available at 47. While I loved Ejiofor, Veesaar, Okorie, and Chinyelu, they’re very unlikely to be available when the Suns pick. I think Ejiofor, in particular, could contribute right away. I’m much less excited about these next four: they mostly seem like two-way players who might develop into useful reserves.
So, in order of best first, here are four more players that would make sense for the Suns, and that I’ve seen go to them in one or more mock drafts. The analysis of draft positions is based on 16 recent mock drafts and big boards from various well-known sources.
Trevon Brazile (Arkansas, Senior, PF)
Trevon Brazile is a highly athletic, 6’10”, 226-pound power forward with an elite 7’4” wingspan and notable bounce, profiling as a modern stretch-four and vertical spacer. He brings immense physical upside and defensive versatility but is often evaluated as a developmental project due to inconsistent offensive aggression and fluctuating half-court feel.
Elite Physical Profile: Possesses NBA-level size and length, highlighted by a massive wingspan and a 41.5″ vertical, allowing him to play well above the rim.
Vertical Spacing: A dynamic lob threat and explosive rim runner who thrives in the dunker spot, on pick-and-rolls, and in transition.
Shooting Upside: Capable of stretching the floor as a stretch-big, showing the ability to knock down catch-and-shoot threes and project as a floor-spacer.
Defensive Versatility: Uses his length and impressive foot speed to switch onto smaller guards on the perimeter, while offering strong weakside shot-blocking and transition defense.
Weaknesses
Offensive Creation: Lacks a highly creative handle and struggles to generate his own offense in isolation, relying mostly on set plays or put-backs.
Inconsistent Motor & Feel: Can drift in games and sometimes lacks aggressiveness off the ball, leading to quiet stretches where he isn’t heavily involved in the offense.
Defensive Discipline: Has shown tendencies to be foul-prone, which has at times mitigated his overall impact as a rim protector, though this has improved over his college career
Injury History: Dealt with a significant ACL tear in his sophomore season, but recovered well enough to dominate the draft combine
Age: 23.45 years at the time of the draft; his remaining upside is an open question, given his lack of feel for the game.
Draft Range
Between 36 and 57 in the 13 mock drafts he appeared in.
Why the Suns Should Take a Look
Trevon Brazile absolutely annihilated the combine as perhaps the best athlete there, tying for the top overall score at Tawny Park Metrics. Standing reach equal to Rasheer Fleming, big wingspan, leaps out of the gym, agility and acceleration better than most point guards, 8 inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter than him. Oh, in addition to being a long, athletic, mobile big man who can switch on all five positions, he shoots threes at a respectable percentage, and his mechanics are smooth with high release, good arc, and good back spin. He shoots 43% from three when left unguarded. He doesn’t turn the ball over, has his foul rate under control, and posts a respectable Box Plus Minus.
The reason he’s not a lottery pick is that he’s more of an athlete than a basketball player. He lacks killer instinct, his attention waxes and wanes, and his fundamentals are “meh”. He has the physical tools to be a number one pick, but his issues are all between the ears. He’s a 5th-year senior, and it’s debatable if he will ever “get it”. However, of all the players in this article, he has by far the most upside. If it ever does “click” for him, he could be a surprise all-star or all-defensive team player.
NBA Comparison
Amir Johnson most likely, but Aaron Gordon if it all comes together for him.
Jaden Bradley (Arizona, Senior, PG)
Jaden Bradley is a highly experienced, 6’3″ pass-first point guard who established himself as a premier floor general and the Big 12 Player of the Year at the University of Arizona. Known for his physical downhill play, elite free-throw rate, and on-ball defensive tenacity, he projects as a reliable, high-IQ backup guard in the NBA.
Yes, the Suns will have a pre-draft workout with Arizona PG Jaden Bradley. https://t.co/7uEYYvnccj
Rim Pressure & Free Throw Drawing: At around 205 pounds, Bradley possesses excellent size and strength for his position. He uses a quick first step, body control, and clever footwork to get downhill and initiate contact. He is elite at drawing fouls and consistently gets to the charity stripe.
Playmaking & Pace: He operates as a traditional, pass-first floor general. He avoids over-dribbling, plays at a steady, controlled tempo, and excels at running the pick-and-roll.
Defensive Tenacity: Bradley plays with a high motor and gets after it on the defensive end. His strength and 6’6″ wingspan allow him to pressure the ball full-court and guard multiple positions.
Winner’s Mentality: He brings significant championship DNA, having played meaningful roles for title-winning and contending teams at Alabama, Arizona, and throughout his final season
Weaknesses
Perimeter Shooting Consistency: While he has shown flashes of improvement, outside shooting remains a primary concern. Teams may sag off him and dare him to shoot from beyond the arc.
Playstyle Limitations: He thrives with the ball in his hands and in college-style systems. It remains to be seen how smoothly he will transition to an off-ball, floor-spacing role in the NBA.
Half-Court Scoring Versatility: He prefers driving right and can be reliant on mid-range pull-ups when the lane is clogged, making him somewhat predictable against set NBA defenses.
Draft Range
The highest draft position in 13 mock drafts was 41. He went undrafted in three of the 16.
Why the Suns Should Take a Look
Jaden Bradley is one of those generally unexciting players who made it this far based on his discipline and basketball IQ more than raw physical talent or supernatural situational awareness. He graded out at the combine as slightly above average athletically as a point guard. Defensively, he’s aces with a great feel for the game at both ends. The most common criticism of him was his shooting, but in 2025-26 he raised his three-point percentage to more than respectable 39.4%.
The biggest problem with Bradley is that it is tough to look at him and find anything he’s elite at. His profile kind of screams perennial third-string point guard. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but his upside seems very limited, but with a solid floor. Given how well Booker did in the past next to a defensively solid, pick-and-roll point guard, Bradley might be a good fit culturally.
NBA Comparisons
Aaron Holiday, Derrick White
Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida, Senior, PF/C)
Izaiyah Nelson is a 6’9”, 219-pound center/forward high-motor defensive specialist and rim-runner. After transferring from Arkansas State, Nelson dominated the American Athletic Conference during his senior year, taking home AAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year honors. He recently reinforced his draft stock at the NBA Draft Combine, showcasing a rare mix of elite length and functional lateral quickness that projects well into a modern NBA energy-big role.
Elite Physical Tools & Motor: Nelson optimizes every inch of his length, utilizing a 7’3″ wingspan and a massive standing reach to heavily impact the game on the borders. He plays with an incredibly high, relentless motor, making him a constant double-double threat.
Pick-and-Roll Defensive Versatility: Unlike many traditional low-major bigs, Nelson boasts exceptionally smooth footwork and excellent lateral speed. He tracks smaller guards tightly on switches, possesses the baseline recovery time to execute clean drop blocks, and can confidently defend out to the three-point line in five-out schemes.
Offensive Glass Mastery: Nelson is an absolute menace on the offensive boards, hunting out-of-area rebounds and easily converting physical putback dunks over heavy traffic.
Pro-Ready Screening: Out of handoffs and high pick-and-rolls, he acts as a hard “wall-setter”. He absorbs defensive contact rather than slipping early, creating direct separation advantages for his ball handlers before rolling aggressively to catch lobs.
Weaknesses
Lack of Perimeter Modernization: Nelson’s offensive utility is strictly confined to the paint. He shot an abysmal 14.3% from beyond the arc on low volume as a senior, signaling that he offers virtually zero floor-spacing threat out of the gate.
Self-Creation Limitations: He cannot reliably generate his own look off the bounce and relies almost entirely on drop-offs, cuts, lobs, and second-chance opportunities to score.
Lack of Ideal Center Bulk: Weighing 219 pounds, he can still give up deep post positioning against heavier, physical NBA interior bigs and occasionally struggles to finish inside if he cannot exploit his initial vertical pop. He projects as more of a 4 in the NBA.
Draft Range
His highest position was 44th in one of the 10 mocks he was picked in. Went undrafted in six out of 16 mocks.
Why the Suns Should Take a Look
The Suns desperately needed rebounding, length, and defense from a power forward this year. Nelson is extremely raw offensively, but he’s an exceptional offensive rebounder and great at generating steals.
Defensively, he fits the Suns’ switching defensive scheme, and his aggressive, high-energy style is seemingly “aligned” with Ott’s philosophy. The plus-minus statistics suggest he’s great at setting screens and slipping them for amazing dunks. Izaiyah Nelson also had a very good showing at the draft combine (though not as good as Trevon Brazile), both in terms of vertical leap and agility.
The downside is that he doesn’t space the floor at all, and it’s hard to see how he would mesh with Ighodaro or Williams. However, he might be an intriguing fit next to Maluach if Man-Man keeps developing his three-pointer. All in all, Nelson projects as a potential two-way player upgrade over Isaiah Livers.
NBA Comparisons
Nic Claxton, Onyeka Okongwu
Jeremy Fears, Jr. (Michigan State, Sophomore, PG)
Jeremiah (Jeremy) Fears, Jr.is an undersized (6’0” barefoot, 196 pounds), gritty point guard with elite playmaking vision, a high motor, and advanced ball-handling skills. He excels at generating paint touches, slashing to the rim, and drawing fouls, but he struggles with outside shooting consistency and can be prone to turnovers with a high offensive usage rate. Note: it is widely expected that Fears will return to MSU.
Dynamic Slashing & P&R: Exceptional at navigating ball screens and using creative change-of-pace dribbles to get to the basket. He scores efficiently at the rim for his size.
Elite Free Throw Creation: He draws contact at a very high rate and converts efficiently at the free-throw line (historically shooting around 85%).
Playmaking Vision: Possesses great court vision, frequently executing drive-and-kick passes, wraparounds, and no-look feeds.
Weaknesses
Shooting Limitations: His three-point shooting remains a work in progress. Defenses are known to sag off him, which can clog the half-court spacing when he operates off the ball.
Physical Profile: Measured at around 6’2″ barefoot with average length, he is slightly undersized for a modern NBA lead guard. He isn’t the most explosive athlete, making it occasionally tough for him to finish over length in the paint without relying on floaters or drawing contact.
On-Court Discipline: His intense competitive nature has occasionally boiled over into visual frustration or controversial physical plays, including multiple highly scrutinized technical fouls during rivalry games.
Draft Range
His highest position was 47th in two of the three mocks he was picked in. Went undrafted in 13 out of 16 mocks, though he showed up in the low 60s in three other mock drafts.
Why the Suns Should Take a Look
Former GM James Jones and others have observed in the past that prospects need to have at least one elite skill to survive in the NBA, and Fears’ skill is playmaking. He might have been the best pure point guard in college basketball last year, leading the nation at 9.4 APG. However, assists and assist-to-turnover ratios historically have been mediocre predictors of success in the NBA. For every Ja Morant or Trae Young, there are two Yuri Collinses or Jalen Moore’s. Fears’ mediocre three-point shooting, below-average height, wingspan, and reach are all red flags in the modern NBA for a point guard.
However, I noticed something looking at historical data. Players who lead NCAA Division 1 schools in APG fall into one of two categories: guys who went to major schools and go on to really good NBA careers (Morant, Young, Ball), and guys who went to smaller schools and never panned out (Moore, Collins). While APG isn’t a great indicator of success by itself, APG and school size together are. Fears led the NCAA in APG, and he went to a big school and faced top-level competition, which bodes well for his future.
That said, I think there’s a significant chance the Suns take him at 47 if he doesn’t withdraw from the draft and return to MSU for several reasons.
First, there’s the Michigan State connection with Owner Matt Ishbia. He loves his Michigan State guys, and there’s a zero percent chance he hasn’t been watching Fears. If Fears unexpectedly decides to stay in the draft, I would take it as a huge sign that Ishbia has made Fears a promise of a guaranteed NBA contract, especially given his feisty, tough, intense play style is aligned with the Phoenix team concept.
Fears’ weaknesses also aren’t as they appear at first glance. His super-high free throw percentage and relatively young age strongly suggest that his three-point percentage will improve over time. He’s still 6’1 or 6’2 in shoes, and the advanced metrics say he isn’t a liability on defense due to his excellent agility, strength, and vertical leap, which all graded well at the combine. His defensive box plus minus was a stronger positive than his (slightly) negative defensive rating, per Tankathon.
NBA Comparisons
Jaden Ivey, Markelle Fultz, Tyus Jones
Final Verdict
Most of the players I was really stoked about when I started looking at the draft have either returned to college or risen out of range of the Suns’ pick. All of the players here project as two-way players, except perhaps Fears, if Ishbia has decided that he’s willing to make promises of guaranteed, multi-year money for an MSU alumnus. (Seriously, I wouldn’t put it past him: if Fears doesn’t drop out of the draft, I’d drop a wad of money on the Suns picking him, it’s the only reason he wouldn’t).
Multiple mocks have shown the Suns picking each of these new players, and which one the Suns select says a lot about what the Suns are looking for. Brazile is a swing for the fences, take a flyer on a guy kind of move, and he’s the only one I could see developing into a high-quality starter. Izaiyah Nelson is a safe pick if you’re looking for the next Lou Amundson, high-energy, low-skill power forward to provide a spark from the deep bench and keep practice competitive. Jaden Bradley is a low-risk, low-reward sort of deep bench, third-string point guard who you can trust to not do anything incredibly dumb in limited minutes. Jeremy Fears has a higher ceiling than Nelson or Bradley if he figures out his three-point mechanics. Given his free-throw percentage, I believe he will.
If you made me rank these four players in terms of my own personal preference, I’d say Brazile, Fears, Nelson, and Bradley from most to least.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: AJ Dybantsa smiles during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The 2026 NBA Draft Combine was held from May 10-17 in Chicago with the Washington Wizards being the center of attention. Obviously, when Washington has the No. 1 pick, that is to be expected.
However, in the last week, we have heard rumblings of the Utah Jazz looking to trade up to No. 1. The Jazz have the No. 2 pick and consensus No. 1 pick and former BYU star AJ Dybantsa has played in their state.
But if the Wizards think Dybantsa will be the best fit at No. 1, they will select him, and he will play in D.C.
Or will they?
Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic polled front office executives during the draft combine and found that out of 10 executives in an anonymous poll, seven indicated that Dybantsa will go at No. 1.
There is also an indication that there are four prospects who stand out, including Dybantsa. Darryn Peterson of Kansas, Cameron Boozer of Duke and Caleb Wilson of North Carolina are also part of this “Fantastic Four” group. It would be who Washington to take a deep look at the other three players as well.
Jeremy Woo of ESPN released a post combine mock draft with the Wizards selecting Dybantsa. But if Washington begins to covet one of the other three players in the “Fantastic Four,” then we can expect trade talk to heat up more than it already has.
On this day 70 years ago, the White Sox made a horrible blockbuster deal with Baltimore, shipping away Bob Nieman and three other future contributors. | (Photo by Hy Peskin/Getty Images)
1905 Frank Smith tossed a one-hitter, the first of his career and fifth in White Sox history.
The proceedings didn’t begin as a Smith masterpiece, as the righty actually trailed in the game after walking Senators leadoff man Charlie Jones, Jones sacrificed to second by Hunter Hill, then driven home on a Jake Stahl (with throngs … OK, 117 fans … from his hometown of Champaign, Ill. present) single. But that was the first and only Washington hit for the game, and later on Smith helped his own cause with a double (the only extra-base hit in the contest) in the fifth inning, sacrificed to third by Fielder Jones, and scoring on a bobbled ground ball at shortstop — the second and decisive Sox run of the game.
Smith would throw two more one-hitters in his White Sox career, and only Doc White, Ed Walsh and Billy Pierce have more all-time South Side one-hitters than him.
1915 Red Faber won his seventh straight game in a 17-inning win over the Red Sox at Comiskey Park, 3-2. Both Faber and Boston loser Carl Mays, rotation members, came on in relief and essentially pitched a second complete game on the day.
Faber went 10 scoreless innings on six hits, giving up one walk and whiffing eight to improve to 9-2. The White Sox as a team stood at 20-12, alone in first place in the American League.
The 17 innings were played in three hours, 25 minutes!
1943 The White Sox won the fastest nine-inning game they’ve ever played, 1-0 over the Senators at Comiskey Park. Johnny Humphries threw a three-hitter in a game that took just one hour, 29 minutes. Humphries in fact scored the game’s only run, doubling to lead off the fifth and getting singled home by Thurman Tucker.
1956 The White Sox made a six-player blockbuster trade with Baltimore, sending George Kell, Mike Fornieles, Connie Johnson and Bob Nieman to the Orioles for Dave Philley and Jim Wilson.
Philley, an outfielder and first baseman who’d spent his first seven season in the majors with the White Sox, part of seven seasons, had a poor finish to 1956 (-0.4 WAR, .701 OPS) and was swapped to Detroit in June 1957. Right-handed starter Wilson, presumably the headliner of the deal for the White Sox, was coming off of a stellar 1955 season with the Orioles but was mediocre in Chicago (0.8 WAR, 9-12, 4.06 ERA); he pitched for the ascendant White Sox in 1957 and 1958 as well, but saw his MLB career end after 1958.
Kell, a (very dubious) future Hall-of-Famer, was at the very end of his career yet still produced at a better-than-average clip for the remainder of 1956 and 1957. Fornieles was a swingman who could both start and close games, an average pitcher who nonetheless extended his career until 1963, mostly with Boston.
But the gems of this trade were Nieman and Johnson. Nieman was seeing no playing time in Chicago but broke out into stardom with the Orioles in 1956, putting up 4.0 WAR in just 114 games (.322/.442/.497); the left fielder would go on to a solid 17.4, WAR career over 12 seasons, 14.4 WAR coming with Baltimore. Johnson was a late bloomer who was very strong as a right-handed starter for the White Sox in 1955 and outright blooming in Baltimore, putting up 6.4 WAR and a 3.42 ERA in 87 games for the Orioles through 1958 to end his MLB career.
Although GM Frank Lane made his share of trade steals, but this one was a clear loss on his ledger, getting the two worst players of the trade for his trouble.
1980 Despite a 3-2 loss to Minnesota, the White Sox remained in first place in the AL West, at 22-16. Nearly 34,000 fans showed up at Comiskey Park on a 65° Wednesday night, excited over the prospect of fielding a competitive squad once again. Down 3-1 in the ninth, the White Sox put runners on the corners with one out but could only muster an RBI ground out and strikeout to end the game.
It was the start of a four-game losing streak that bounced the White Sox from first the next day. The White Sox would bid goodbye to a winning record a month later, but in a weak AL West stuck in and out of second place past the All-Star break, with a record as poor as 39-44.
The second half was a full free-fall, with a 32-49 record, as the White Sox finished the year in fifth place, at 70-90-2. Britt Burns, at 21, was brilliant for the club (15-13, 2.84 ERA, 11 complete games, and a 7.0 WAR that remains tied for 25th among all franchise seasons) and Chet Lemon had another solid year (4.2 WAR), but that was about it for a floundering franchise.
2009 The White Sox tied their team record for worst defeat when they were annihilated, 20-1, by the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field. The 19-run margin was first set on May 10, 2002 in Anaheim.
Bartolo Colón, Lance Broadway and Jimmy Gobble gave up all the runs. Colón at least had something of an excuse — of the eight runs he allowed, seven were unearned!
The Cleveland Guardians look to finish a four-game sweep and push their winning streak to six when they visit the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park this afternoon.
I’ll break down why I’m taking the visitors to break out the brooms in my Guardians vs. Tigers predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, May 21.
Who will win Guardians vs Tigers today: Guardians moneyline (+100)
The Cleveland Guardians come into the series finale as a slight underdog, but there’s plenty to like about the visitors in this matchup.
The Detroit Tigers are banged up, missing three starters in Gleyber Torres, Javier Baez, and Kerry Carpenter. Unsurprisingly, Detroit is 2-13 over its last 15 contests while mustering a mere 2.47 runs per game through that span.
The Guardians, meanwhile, are 8-1 over their last nine, ranking second in runs scored (102) and third in on-base percentage (.347) among all teams this month.
Guardians vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-125)
Detroit has a dismal offense, but also a solid starter on the hill today in Casey Mize.
Mize, who has allowed one earned run or fewer in five of seven starts, carries a stingy 2.43 ERA and ranks in the 85th percentile in xBA (.211).
The Tigers can’t score, Mize won’t give up a ton, and both teams have bullpens with a sub-4.00 ERA. That all adds up to a third straight meeting with Under 7.5 runs.
Chris Faria's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 1-0, +0.67 units
Over/Under bets: 0-1, -1 unit
Guardians vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Guardians +108 | Tigers -113
Run line: Guardians -1.5 (+178) | Tigers +1.5 (-186)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+117) | Under 7.5 (-122)
Guardians vs Tigers trend
Detroit has cashed the Under in five of its last six games. Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. Tigers.
How to watch Guardians vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Thursday, May 21, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
Guardians.TV, DSN
Guardians starting pitcher
Joey Cantillo (3-1, 3.40 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Casey Mize (2-2, 2.43 ERA)
Guardians vs Tigers latest injuries
Guardians vs Tigers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 20: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Oklahoma City Thunder evened the Western Conference Finals Wednesday evening with a 122-113 win. The series is now tied 1-1
Jared McCain came off the bench to score 12 points, hitting 4-14 overall and 3-9 from behind the three-point line.
Mason Plumlee did not get off the bench for San Antonio.
Victor Wembanya continues his assault on the league, scoring 21 points, pulling down 17 rebounds, passing out 6 assists and blocking 4 shots.
This has quickly become the most interesting rivalry in the NBA, but the future belongs to Wembanyama and OKC will have to find a way to counter him. They can either find someone who can more or less match his abilities, which is a long shot at best, or they can find some modern equivalent of the Jordan Rules, and that might mean substantially altering their roster.
Fortunately, they have a ton of options.
They could, for instance, build a frontcourt specifically to cage Wembanyama, at least offensively. We’re just using hypothetical examples here, but if you threw Steven Adams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Zion Williamson at him, that’s a frontcourt that would expose his biggest weakness, which is his pipe-cleaner frame. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar entered the league, his physique was somewhat similar, but by the time he retired, his body was much thicker. But it took him years to muscle up.
Alternatively, they have a ton of draft picks to work with. Over the next five years, the Thunder have up to 11 first-round picks and between 12-15 second-round picks.
Already one of the deepest teams in the NBA, Oklahoma City clearly can’t use that many picks. It’s possible they could put together a deal for, say, Antetokounmpo, who would help a lot. Or they could look for another emerging young big man.
Or to go another route, the Thunder could just ruthlessly pursue great three-point shooters to counter Wemby. With great ball movement, you could just bomb away, and as freakish as Wembanyama can be, he can’t chase the ball around the perimeter. Again, this is hypothetical, but imagine if you hit him with Steph Curry, Kon Knueppel, and Luka Doncic.
Everyone is going to have to figure out how to deal with Wembanyama as the future of the league. OKC probably has the best chance of actually doing it.
Deandre Ayton is the Lakers’ biggest X-factor in the offseason. NBAE via Getty Images
Ayton is one of three Lakers, along with Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart, who have a player option for the 2026-27 season.
The expectation around the NBA is that Reaves will opt out of his $14.9 million option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. He’ll be eligible to sign a maximum five-year contract worth $241 million with the Lakers or a four-year, $178 million deal with another team.
Smart, who has a $5.4 million player option for 2026-27, should be able to sign a more lucrative deal this offseason — including one with the Lakers — if he opts out after having his best season in a few years.
But Ayton, and his $8.1 million player option, will be a pivot point for the Lakers’ offseason as he weighs his options after saying after the season ended that he didn’t know what decision he’d make.
“Just being honored and happy to be on this platform,” Ayton said. “And another chance, and all of that. There’s great players I learned [from] here. I haven’t really thought about nothing else, to be honest. I have a little break to myself.”
Ayton added: “I trust my agents. That’s about it. That’s really out of my hands; I love it here regardless. Fans and everybody that’s been around me, the coaching staff. They treat me like family.”
But Ayton, and his $8.1 million player option, will be a pivot point for the Lakers’ offseason as he weighs his options after saying after the season ended that he didn’t know what decision he’d make. AP
With the Lakers looking to “retrofit” the roster around superstar guard Luka Doncic, there’s a heightened spotlight on the team’s big man rotation — especially the starting center.
Doncic has been at his best when playing alongside a rim-running, lob-threat center who’ll also protect the rim defensively, evident during his run to the 2024 NBA Finals when the Mavericks had a center rotation of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.
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Ayton and his style of play don’t fit that archetype.
There was a push-pull dynamic between what Ayton had been and wanted to be versus what the Lakers needed from him throughout the season — which Ayton acknowledged after the Lakers’ playoff run ended.
Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, “had to adjust” his style of play after joining the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images
Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, is used to being the featured option within an offense and have the opportunities to impose his scorer’s mentality.
But that wasn’t what the Lakers needed from him most games. They needed his presence on the boards. A stout rim protector and defensive anchor. Even when his offensive touches were limited and consistently infrequent.
This dynamic is why Ayton said he came to the Lakers with a “different mindset” and “had to adjust.” And why he referred to 2025-26 as “humbling.”
This dynamic is why Ayton said he came to the Lakers with a “different mindset” and “had to adjust.” And why he referred to 2025-26 as “humbling.” Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
It reflected in his career-low averages of 12.5 points and eight rebounds. But to his credit, Ayton also shot a career-high 67.1% from the field. The Lakers were better at protecting the rim when Ayton was on the floor during the regular season and a significantly better rebounding team with Ayton playing during the playoffs.
“I came in here with a scorer’s mentality, and we don’t really need that,” Ayton said. “We have the best players on the team and the best playmakers. Kind of had to break down my game where just rebounding, defending the rim was what the team wanted. It’s not what I want, but it’s what the team wanted the most.”
This is why he’s the X-factor for the Lakers’ offseason. Getty Images
This is why he’s the X-factor for the Lakers’ offseason.
If Ayton opts out and signs with another team, it would help open pathways for the Lakers to sign or acquire another starting center who is a better fit alongside Doncic.
Ayton opting in or re-signing with the Lakers on another deal would make those pathways narrow and murkier.
It’s important to note that Doncic and Ayton are represented by longtime agent Bill Duffy of WME. And that Doncic recruited Ayton to the Lakers last summer after Ayton was bought out of his contract with the Trail Blazers.
The Lakers have been searching for the right center to pair with Doncic since they acquired him last February.
And they’re still searching.
How simple or complicated that search will be this summer will depend on Ayton.
The Edmonton Oilers are in the market for a new head coach following the dismissal of Kris Knoblauch, and amid the pursuit of high-profile options like Bruce Cassidy, whispers have emerged about a name that once commanded respect across the NHL but now carries significant baggage: Former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock.
On Oilers Now, host Bob Stauffer and former NHL GM Brian Lawton floated the idea, with Lawton suggesting that someone with Stan Bowman’s background might consider Babcock given his pedigree. Lawton, who knows Babcock personally, described him as a good human being who deserves a second chance in a business that can be unforgiving. Yet, the conversation quickly pivoted to the realities of Babcock’s recent past, particularly the short-lived and tumultuous stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Babcock's coaching journey is one of remarkable highs followed by a steep fall from grace. He began his NHL head coaching career with the Anaheim Ducks, leading them to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final. His true breakthrough came in Detroit, where he guided the Red Wings to the 2008 Stanley Cup and established himself as one of the league's elite tacticians. His international success with Team Canada, securing Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, further cemented his status as a winner who could extract the best from star-studded rosters.
That reputation led the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign him to a massive eight-year, $50-million contract in 2015, positioning him as the franchise’s saviour during a rebuild. In Toronto, Babcock inherited a young core headlined by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and others. His early tenure showed promise, with the team improving and making the playoffs in three straight seasons. However, underlying issues simmered.
The most infamous incident involved a then-19-year-old Marner during the 2016-17 season. Babcock tasked the rookie with ranking his teammates by work ethic. Marner, eager to please, complied and even placed himself at the bottom. What followed was a betrayal of trust: Babcock shared the list with veterans like Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri, who were ranked lower. Marner was reportedly brought to tears, and teammates were furious with the coach for pitting players against each other in such a public, humiliating way.
These incidents paint a picture of a coach whose old-school, demanding approach, once celebrated for driving success, now collides with today's NHL values around mental health, player autonomy, and respect. Babcock's 700-plus wins and championship pedigree remain undeniable, but trust has eroded.
For the Oilers, facing pressure to deliver with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the appeal of a proven winner is understandable, especially if other targets like Cassidy prove elusive due to contractual hurdles with Vegas. Bowman himself received a second chance after his own controversies, as Lawton noted. But hiring Babcock would invite intense scrutiny and potential locker-room friction in a market already under a microscope.
As of now, Babcock insists he's content in retirement. The Oilers' search continues, likely prioritizing candidates who can unify rather than divide. In a league evolving rapidly, Babcock's history serves as a cautionary tale: success on the ice doesn't always translate when the human element falters. Edmonton must weigh pedigree against past patterns carefully if his name resurfaces.
As is customary, the GM and coach of all the teams that made the final four had a scheduled media availability before the start of their third-round series. On Wednesday, Eric Tulsky and Rod Brind’Amour from the Carolina Hurricanes spoke to the media early in the afternoon, while Kent Hughes and Trevor Letowski from the Montreal Canadiens met the press later in the day.
When Tulsky was asked about how the Canadiens operated their rebuild, he said:
Yeah, I mean, he’s done a great job. The team has come a long way; they’ve got a really strong young core, and they’re well set up to obviously have a great run this year and set up to keep getting better from there. Very impressed with what they’ve done, what they’ve put together. It’s going to be a tough round for us.
That’s a fair assessment, especially when considering that most pundits considered the Canadiens’ window of contention hadn’t opened yet, and here they are in the Eastern Conference Final, just four wins away from playing for the Stanley Cup.
As for being well set up for the future, I believe their goaltending duo says a lot about how well Hughes and his team have planned. They may not have drafted Jakub Dobes, but they did recognize he was a better option than Cayden Primeau, and they now have him competing with Jacob Fowler, who was the heir apparent. Up front, they still have exciting prospects coming through the ranks in Alexander Zharovsky and Michael Hage, and they also have good blueliners waiting for their opportunity.
As for Brind’Amour, he was asked what had made the Canadiens’ power play so successful against the Buffalo Sabres, and he explained:
Well, I don’t know if that’s just in the playoffs, but they’ve been dynamic. They have dynamic players. All five of those guys in their own right are elite at what they do [Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson]. You put them together in those roles, and I think they feed off each other really well.”
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You just watch, they’re in synch. I think a power play is about skill, and they have it. So that’s a definite concern.
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While the Canadiens have had a good success rate on the power play in these playoffs at 25%, they’ll have their work cut out for them against Carolina. The Canes have the second-best penalty kill with a 95% success rate over the eight games they played. However, things have not gone as smoothly on the power play for Brind’Amour’s men; with the man-advantage, they’ve only scored on 13.5% of their opportunities.
It will be interesting to see just how big a role special teams play in the third round. Will penalties be called consistently? It seems like the referees struggled with that in the first two rounds, and it would be great if the quality of the on-ice product weren’t affected by them.
PITTSBURGH - MAY 21: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores a hat trick in the third period as Dennis Seidenberg #4 and Cam Ward #30 of the Carolina Hurricanes are unable to stop the shot during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 21, 2009 at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Seventeen years ago today, Evgeni Malkin put on a show with one of the most remarkable goals of his career in the Eastern Conference Final.
In 2009, the Penguins stormed back to the Stanley Cup Final by blowing past the Carolina Hurricanes in the Conference Final, thanks in part to Evgeni Malkin’s spectacular play with six goals in the four games of the series.
The most special of those six goals came during the Penguins’ 7-4 win in Game 2 of the series.
The Penguins had trailed 3-2 in the game before jumping back out to a 5-3 lead, but Carolina wouldn’t go quietly, drawing back within a goal to make it 5-4 early in the third period.
That’s when Evgeni Malkin made headlines with a special goal, his third of the game.
“Oh my word!” Joe Beninati said on the call. “Evgeni Malkin….spectacular for the hat trick!”
Malkin’s hat-trick goal gave the Penguins a bigger lead, one that they never gave up for the rest of the game, going on to win Games 3 and 4 on the road, and punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.
COVERS INTEL: The Tigers are 
