Jul 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes (15) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
The Mets rank fifth on Kiley McDaniel’s list of all thirty farm systems at ESPN, and he notes that they had the top system in baseball before trading Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers.
Keith Law isn’t nearly as high on the Mets’ system as he ranked it twelfth in his list at The Athletic.
Jonah Tong will not play for Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Joey Votto and Clayton Kershaw are set to join NBC as the network returns to covering baseball this year.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
As our top prospects list for 2026 was set before the Mets’ trade for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers, Steve Sypa wrote up Brandon Sproat, who ranked fifth on that list.
This Date in Mets History
The late Davey Johnson, whose managerial stint with the Mets brought the team one of its two World Series titles, was born on this date in 1943.
Former Rockie and current TV personality Ryan Spilborghs, left, moderates a panel with Rockies pitching coach Alon Lichmann and assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas at Rockies Fest on Jan. 24. 2026 at Coors Field. | Joelle Milholm
As one of the 5,000 Rockies fans to hear from the new front office and coaching staff and lean into the new-look Rockies organization at Rockies Fest on Jan. 24, I was struck by three things:
A genuine feeling of optimism
Consistent messaging
The emergence of three new core values that feel like the new direction is real
First, a genuine feeling of optimism.
Coming off 119 losses, it almost seems impossible, but I was inspired by the new Rockies leaders. Everyone I heard from who came to Colorado from other organizations mentioned being excited about the challenge of finding a way to win in Colorado’s unique environment. They were also all focused on winning, which wasn’t always communicated so clearly from the previous front office.
“I was having a good time in the NFL and everything else, but the chance to be here in Denver, to be around this fan base that has supported this team — I mean, even during the last couple years — looked pretty amazing,” said president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta. “And then to be able to, hopefully, do what we want to do, which is build not just a good team out in the field, but a championship organization, that’ll be a championship contender, year in, year out, and do that here, I think it’d be incredibly special.”
Second, the consistency from the top down on the new vision for baseball in Colorado.
From DePodesta and GM Josh Byrnes and his assistants to the research and development department and players and coaches, everyone talked about winning and the excitement to explore new ideas on how to do it for pitchers and position players from Single-A to MLB.
Third, three core principles of that winning vision came up over and over again in various sessions: learning from failure, embracing curiosity and sticking with the process.
While all three values are closely linked, since there was so much discussion of the trio, I’ll focus on failure this week, and curiosity and sticking with the process next week.
I first heard failure come up when former Rockie turned announcer Ryan Spilborghs was moderating a panel with some of the new pitching coaches and members of the R&D department. Considering the Rockies have struggled to develop players in the past, despite calling themselves a draft-and-develop team, there was a consistent theme around helping players learn to learn from and bounce back from setbacks.
“We also like it when players fail. We, like, in general, we want, you want a pitcher to stink for a month and figure it out after that. You don’t want it always to be, like, you’re dominating, dominating, dominating ’cause you’re gonna get your teeth kicked when you get here [MLB],” Spilborghs said to kick off the discussion on failure. “So you have to have that background of, ‘Okay, when I fail, this is what I did to get out of it.’ … Failure is a huge, huge advocate for learning and to get better.”
New pitching coach Alon Leichman, who worked on pitching coach staffs for the Marlins, Reds and Mariners before coming to Colorado, also mentioned how beneficial it is to have Minor League teams in Double-A Hartford, which has an altitude of 30 feet, and Triple-A Albuquerque, which sits at 5,312 feet. His biggest reason why the change is helpful is more exposure to failure.
“It can be really helpful because it lets them have an opportunity to fail. You know, they go from Connecticut to now altitude, and it’s kind of like a test run for them of what it’s gonna be like over here,” Leichman said. “So, it’s a super important level setting. We’re hoping that they come, learn from their failures. Once they come here, it’s not the first time they are experiencing it.”
Understanding the new focus on growing from failure, especially since it’s such a part of the game of baseball, made it easy to understand why the new front office and coaching staff wanted to sign pitcher Michael Lorenzen. The RHP is an 11-year veteran with a 4.08 career ERA who has pitched for the Reds, Angels, Tigers, Phillies, Rangers and Royals. He represents the rare free agent pitcher who willingly signs a deal to pitch in Colorado.
Lorenzen credits his routine to his longevity, in addition to his love for problem-solving and ability to make and monitor adjustments. Considering the Rockies have recorded the worst team ERA in MLB every season since 2022, there is a big problem to be solved.
“One thing I do love is problem-solving and growing as a pitcher, and I have grown as a pitcher by failing,” Lorenzen said in a panel with other members of the Rockies pitching staff. “So I feel like that’s why I’ve been able to stick around for as long as I have, and Colorado just seems untapped in that area. So we’re gonna fail a little bit, but we have a good coaching staff that has been brought in and a new front office that has been brought in to hopefully make that learning curve a lot shorter than normal.”
Gabe Ribas, the new assistant pitching coach, was on the same page. Ribas has dealt with his fair share of helping develop prospects and coach MLB pitchers as he spent the last five years as the director of pitching for the Detroit Tigers and four years as a pitching coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“A wise person once said to me, ‘You do not want them experiencing failure for the first time at the Major League level.’ That is a recipe for disaster,” Ribas said. “… So nobody should panic when they get their teeth kicked in in Fresno or Albuquerque or Harford or wherever. That’s all part of the learning curve.”
Ribas then looked out to the audience and talked about the lessons that failure can teach us all outside of the game of baseball.
“You know, I would do a poll in this room. How many people have walked away from something successful going, ‘Man, I learned so much.’ Right?” Ribas said. “It’s when you get beat up. It’s how you respond. That sparks learning and curiosity. And anything that’s worth having is hard. And they’re gonna experience that.”
Over the last few seasons, the Rockies have experienced more failure than success. Since 2021, their 504 losses are the most in MLB. Now, it’s time to learn from that failure, keep learning from that failure, fail and bounce back and do it all over again.
It takes resiliency and curiosity to make that process work, which we’ll dive into next week.
Patrick Saunders admits to being optimistic, but doesn’t believe the Rockies will improve as much as the headline hopes. He also shares his thoughts on Kris Bryant’s status, if he thinks Germán Márquez will return, who will lead the team in saves and more.
New legislation in Colorado could include an element that could help make life at Coors Field a little more affordable for Rockies fans. The “captive-audience pricing” element of House Bill 1012 would lower food prices at places like stadiums, where food is usually outrageously expensive.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 17: Jose Quintana #62 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees offseason hasn’t been as bad as the average fan believes: it has been worse. All kidding aside, things haven’t been explosive on the player acquisition front, but the Bombers have done plenty of work. They brought back Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Amed Rosario, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, and Paul Blackburn while also trading for Ryan Weathers and taking a few chances in the form of minor league deals.
After adding Weathers, their rotation depth for the first few weeks of the 2026 campaign looks as follows: Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Weathers, and Yarbrough.
That group has, in that order, an established ace, a ‘broken’ former Rookie of the Year, an exciting second-year young star, and three serviceable mid-to-backend options with upside, some with more upside than others. Keep in mind, things will improve dramatically when Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon rejoin the staff at some point in the first couple of months of the 2026 campaign, but until that happens, there are real depth concerns with the aforementioned group.
Given the inexperience of some of those pitchers (Schlittler, Warren) plus the injury-related concerns of others (Gil, Weathers), it’s clear that the Yankees could stand to add at least one more capable starter before the start of the season.
We are not talking about another ace (although that would be nice!). But Spring Training always brings injuries with it, and the Yanks are a couple of strains away from having to rush Elmer Rodríguez to the majors or use a mediocre Triple-A option for spot starts. Counting on Cole and Rodon to be aces immediately upon returning would also not be fair.
That’s where a pitcher like José Quintana comes in. The veteran left-hander is not a sexy name, but the Yanks don’t necessarily need one. They need reliability and pitching know-how, and Quintana offers both.
In 2025, Quintana was limited to 131.2 innings due to a left shoulder impingement and a calf strain, yet he was able to offer reliable production while on the mound. His 3.96 ERA was more than serviceable, and even though his 4.81 FIP told another story, the lefty was able to keep the Brewers in more games than they probably expected.
Quintana is 37 and, as a result, is not expected to command a hefty salary or a multi-year deal, which certainly appeals to a team like the Yankees. And his run-prevention skills are not exclusive to last season: his career ERA is a fine 3.76, and his mark over the last four campaigns is an even better 3.53 in 543.1 frames.
In fact, here are his ERA finishes since 2022:
2022: 2.93
2023: 3.57
2024: 3.75
2025: 3.96
That’s consistency right there. That’s a pitcher who repeatedly hits his spots when he is locked in and is not afraid to pitch when the lights shine the brightest.
Quintana is far from dominant, though. He pitches to contact, ranking in the seventh percentile in both whiff rate and strikeout rate last year. In fact, his Statcast profile is more blue than red:
Still, 543.1 innings is definitely proof that, when he’s healthy, the crafty lefty has gotten outs consistently in recent seasons, even if his underlying stuff is far from over-powering.
He relies heavily on his sinker, which he throws 44 percent of the time, and also on a mix of changeups, curveballs, four-seamers, and slurves as his secondary pitches. As long as Quintana’s sinker averages between 90 and 91 mph, he will probably be able to offer solid backend production for a contender, and so far, there haven’t been any signs of a relevant velocity drop. He has been around that range for the last three years.
Maybe the Yankees don’t want to spend anymore and are happy with their current group. Perhaps they bring in another arm via trade. But Quintana gives them a rather inexpensive option if they want to go that route, and while it wouldn’t be wise to expect a 3.50 ERA with a strikeout per inning, somewhere around a 3.80 ERA and a 4.20 mark with plenty of weak contact would be enough to meet expectations and provide cover while the Yankees wait for their injured starters to come around.
As my mind’s eye turns to Spring Training, hope stirs. What once seemed so far away is now just around the corner, even though it hasn’t moved one iota (for those keeping score at home, iota is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet and is proxy for really, really small amount). My mind wanders to considering the possibilities for young Tink Hence, one of my personal favorites. He reminds me a bit of Carlos Martinez, another personal favorite from years past, both in stature and in stuff.
In the abbreviated 2020 draft, the Cardinals drafted a 2-way player out of a Pine Bluff, Arkansas HS by the name of Markevian “Tink” Hence with their Comp-B pick (end of 2nd round). Arkansas. I wonder if he grew up a Cardinal fan? Perhaps listening via KDPX – Pine Bluff? He was converted to full-time pitcher and quickly received a lot of prospect accolades normally reserved for 1st rounder. Since, he has been listed in various Top-100 publications anywhere between 47th and 84th. Not too shabby.
This off-season, he has fallen out of the Top-100. This isn’t a lack of stuff, it is more about his availability, as he has only accumulated 257 IP over 5 minor league seasons, averaging just over 50 IP per year. One can look at this stat alone and wonder if he has a starter’s trait.
Coming into the 2026 season, people are left to ponder several unknowns.
Is he a potential star?
Baseball American (BA) now ranks him with a 55 scouting grade (above average), so his star potential is seen as diminished, but not absent. They rate him as high risk, which adjusts his scouting grade down to 40. Yuk. Individually, his FB and SL are grade 50, command is graded 50 and his change is graded at 60 (excellent!). Fangraphs is a little more bullish on his slider and change, giving the Change an FV of 70!
BA ranks him 15th in the Cardinal organization. No longer a prospect darling, he is in that typical saddle of prospect fatigue that so often occurs when initial hype is excessive and success isn’t immediate.
Beyond the scouting grades, it is hard to evaluate his stuff anymore. His Statcast data dates back to 2022 (ancient history!), and I’m not sure he is that pitcher anymore. Suffice to say, he would have had lots of red on his Statcast/Savant page. Good K-rate, north of 25%, decent walk-rate, good at suppressing hard contact (80th to 90th percentile). Since, he has pitched at High-A and AA, which do not support Statcast data collection. We will get a new look at the pitcher he has become when he hits Memphis.
Is he a starter or a reliever?
The IP totals in his minor league career suggest durability is lacking. He has yet to cross 100 IP in a season and has not regularly exceeded 5 IP in his starts. In the modern game, these aren’t significant concerns for young starters, but the time spent on the IL is.
His pitch mix and command says starter. His durability says reliever. His career arc begins to lean that way (see next paragraph). High leverage reliever is a sought after commodity in MLB, no?
Reports are the Cardinals are having that starter/reliever conversation internally. Their focus seems to be to get him to the place where he can start and finish a season healthy, and work from there. This seems sound.
Is he running out of time?
He is only 23 years old and projects to start this season at AAA, where he will be young for the league. In that sense, it is way too early to give up on such a dynamic arm.
That said, one of the challenges of drafting high school pitchers is the requirement that they be added to the 40-man roster after their 4th professional season. Hence was added last year. This means they had to burn one of his 3 minor league option-years last year, in what turned out to be a lost year. He has 2 such option-years left, and a second will undoubtedly get used when he is assigned to AAA around the middle of 2026 Spring Training. That will leave 1 remaining option, ostensibly to be used in the 2027 season (if needed. One can hope!).
Even if he were to join the major league team in either 2026 or 2027, given his relatively low innings build up, it is easy to imagine that he would not be on the MLB roster for an entire season. They will need to manage his innings and that is difficult to do at the major league level. Those options will be needed, and that safety blanket will come off in 2028, when he will be out of options. He will be merely 25 years old then and potentially the poster-boy for why teams shouldn’t draft HS pitchers.
Even the most optimistic innings projections would be unlikely to project him as built up much over 100 IP by 2028. So, in the race to build up his arm before he runs out of options, he appears to be running out of time.
Also, related to the time scale, is the fact that he is occupying a 40-man roster spot. It’s one thing to give a 40-man spot to a prospect, but quite another to not have that spot producing at either level. At some point, the Cardinals are going to face needing a roster spot for a different prospect and will have to choose between a high-upside/low availability option like Hence, or another prospect. That decision will be a bit tougher this next off-season, when the 40-man is refined yet again, especially if there has been any slippage in his stuff as the injuries have accumulated.
What kind of innings build up can a pitcher like this accept?
The Cardinals have a pretty complicated database that captures baseline (chronic, steady-state) workloads for pitchers and also acute (recent) workloads. They use this database to manage innings (and pitches) and protect pitcher health. Tink’s prior workloads likely present a unique challenge in this regard, as his pattern is a bit unusual, particularly for a starter. They are likely wondering …
What exactly is his baseline heading into 2026?
The average of 50 IP? That 21 IP from last year is artificially low, because he threw bullpens with some frequency, even though he didn’t get in games. They count this and factor it in, although it is lower stress, so not that low.
How about the 79 IP from the 2024 season? The 96 IP from 2023? Since they count more than innings, they really can’t put a single IP number on a target to shoot at. Pitch stress, max effort throws, high pitch count innings and things like that factor into workload calcs. But I’d bet they are looking at 80-100 IP as the high side of a target range this year. I’d also bet they start him but use him as more an opener (2 or 3 IP) to begin the season and work from there. While lower inning counts might be to his benefit, irregular usage is likely not his friend and he still needs to build experience, in addition to stamina.
Given health, 20-25 appearances might be a nice target, with 20 starts averaging 4 IP each (lower at the start of the season, higher toward the end), with a handful of MLB opener/bulk inning appearances to nudge that number up. Basically, once per week. They might set up framework like that. Within his MiLB starts, they would likely shorten them if stress pitches go up or if he has excessively long innings or if his velo drifts, as it can do. They do this with a lot of young pitchers anyway, but probably a bit moreso with him.
What does his future look like?
One could say 2026 is a big season for him, but really, any season is big for every prospect.
Because of his relative lack of experience, he is very likely to start the 2026 in the minors, most likely at AAA, which is where he was targeted last year before injuries derailed that trip.
Because of his 40-man spot and diminishing options, he is equally likely to see some time at the major league level. Because of the difficult innings management challenge they will face with him this season, it would seem more likely that they might spot him into starter/opener situations that they can control the timing and duration such appearances (such as 27th man for double headers, or a planned extra rest day for the rest of the rotation. They could slot him in as an opener or a bulk innings guy and return him to Memphis immediately after using him, where they can manage his innings. They could pretty much do this once a month throughout the season, without exceeding the limit of 5 minor league assignments in a single season. More practically, I wouldn’t expect to see any of these appearances before June. He will be one of nine (or so) pitchers at Memphis on the 40-man roster, and he wouldn’t seem to be first in line for promotion.
Beyond that, health, durability and performance will dictate, as it does with all pitchers. If he maintains health and given how starters are used in the modern game, it doesn’t appear that they need to make a permanent starter vs. reliever decision, but his path to the MLB will almost certainly start in the bullpen.
I will seek him out in Spring Camp at the end of February. I hope to see him pitch, at least in live BP if not in a game.
I used to be a “small Hall” guy—generally believing that the hallowed halls of Cooperstown should be reserved for “the best of the best of the best—sir!” Then I saw this in 2023…
Truth be told, I wouldn’t have checked the box next to Scott Rolen’s name on the HOF ballet. But seeing his emotional reaction to telling his parents he made it in softened my stance. While I still would probably be a small Hall voter in a strictly balloting sense if given a vote, I no longer complain too much about the results. Who am I to begrudge these moments of joy in a world where such things are hard to come by?
Funny enough, I wouldn’t have voted for any of the three 2026 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. But they’re in now, so let’s take a brief look at their key stats/accomplishments, career versus our Twins, and why I’d not have punched their ticket.
Why not: Purely stats-wise, he’s a little sub-par across the board. Kinda one of those “a few supernova seasons and a bunch more okay ones” player. Poor with the leather, Kent was also a surly fella—once vehemently blaming a 2002 wrist injury on “slipping and falling while washing my truck” when really he was tooling around on his motorcycle and had an accident.
Why not: Jones was really good at two things: CF defense and power. I’d argue not quite enough for enshrinement. I think he gets a lot of press for being 19 years old and playing in a World Series (1996), and for his age he truly was a phenom. But the rest of his career is a little iffy outside of glove & pop.
Why not: This one is tougher because Beltran’s career on the field probably is Hall-worthy (solid average, power, speed, & defense). Maybe not slam-dunk HOF, but better than a lot of folks already inside. Yet, I still can’t quite get over his role in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. I know this gets complicated because of Carlos Correa, but I truly do hold Beltran more accountable in that debacle for being a veteran presence who was still largely masterminding/championing the cheating behind the scenes.
Again, congratulations to all these new members of the MLB HOF club! I visited Cooperstown back in 2001 (I saw Kirby’s plaque!) and would love to get back to upstate New York someday—perhaps tag-teaming it to see the Rod Serling Memorial statue in Binghamton.
Sep 23, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (15) high fives teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
The much anticipated 2026 World Baseball Classic will be starting in early March with teams finalizing their rosters as the tournament approaches. The Pirates’ centerfielder Oneil Cruz is the latest addition to the Dominican Republic team.
Cruz will be participating in his first ever WBC as he joins a loaded Dominican lineup. The Pirates’ centerfielder had hinted at the possibility of participating during Pirates’ Fest, but it was officially confirmed this week.
Since coming into the league Cruz has spent his winters working out back in his native Dominican Republic, and has close ties to several of the players on the team.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) April 9, 2025
“Three or four days after the season or when I got to the Dominican, I started working right away with Wilton Guerrero, Vladimir Guerrero Sr.’s brother, down in the Dominican,” Cruz said. “He helped me a lot with the outfield stuff and hitting stuff. Basically no break.”
During the annual Pirates’ Fest, Cruz acknowledged his shortcomings during the 2025 season, stating that he felt that he had no time to relax this offseason and had to get to work.
“The season that I had last year, it was not my best season,” Cruz said. “I just went home, no time to relax. I went right to work. Just to work on the stuff that I was having trouble with last year and work on my body again. No time to relax. Just focus on what I need to do to get better.”
Cruz is one of the most physically gifted players in MLB, but Pirates’ fans have been waiting for him to take the next step in his career and really come into his prime. Being on this stacked Dominican team could be a great opportunity for him to be around incredible talent and get some valued experience playing in a high stakes tournament.
Oneil Cruz will play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic! 🇩🇴
The Dominican Republic last won the WBC in 2013 and with the roster they have this year are going to be hard to beat as they’re one of the best teams in international play. Players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr. and Seranthony Domínguez are just a few of the top talent that will be apart of this Dominican roster.
Fellow Pirate Paul Skenes will be representing Team USA during the WBC as the Americans will be looking to win the title on home soil.
The Dominican Republic is full of fire power throughout their lineup and rotation, and Cruz should be a welcomed addition to an already stacked roster.
Chicago Blackhawks - 21-24-9 - 51 Points - 3-5-2 in the last 10 - Lost 2 - 6th in the Central
Columbus Blue Jackets - 25-20-7 - 57 Points - 7-3-0 in the last 10 - Won 3 - 5th in the Metro.
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus has won seven of its past eight games overall and outscored opponents 30-21 since Jan. 11 (7-1-0) after its 5-3 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday.
CBJ are tied for the NHL lead in points pct. (.875, Anaheim) and rank fourth in shots on goal (30.9), fifth-T in goals for/game (3.75), eighth in power play pct. (30.0), ninth in team save percentage (.908) and 11th in goals-against/game (2.63) over that stretch.
The club has scored the opening goal in three consecutive games and seven of the past eight. The team has scored the first goal in 31 games, tied for third-most in the NHL in 2025-26.
Columbus leads the NHL in goals by defensemen and ranks fourth in points with 39-93-132 in 52 contests.
CBJ play consecutive back-to-back sets before the Olympic break (Jan. 30 at CHI/Jan 31 at STL and Feb. 3 at NJD/Feb 4 vs. CHI). The team ranks fifth-T in the league in points pct. in back-to-back settings in 2025-26 (.639; 10-5-3).
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle, who skated in his 1,000th career game on Jan. 22 vs. Dallas and notched his 200th career goal on Jan. 24 vs. Tampa Bay, has registered goals, assists and multiple points in consecutive outings (2-3-5).
Jet Greaves (4-0-0, 2.35 GAA, .915 SV%) and G Elvis Merzlikins (3-1-0, 2.64 GAA, .908 SV%) have each won three games for the Blue Jackets since Jan. 11.
Kirill Marchenko notched a goal vs. Philadelphia and has points in back-to-back games (1-2-3) as well as 13 of the last 17 contests dating back to Dec. 22 (9-9-18).
Sean Monahan notched the game-winner on Wednesday and has posted goals in three of the past four contests.
Zach Werenski, who has notched two assists in consecutive contests, leads NHL blueliners in goals (19), points (57), multi-point efforts (19), points-per-game (1.19), and shots on goal (172) this season. He has points in 27 of his past 32 contests overall to lead league defensemen in goals, points, and points-per-game since Nov. 13 (15-31-46, 1.44).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.4% - 19th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 76.2% - 28th in the NHL
Goals For - 158 - 19th in the NHL
Goals Against - 171 - 23rd in the NHL
BlackhawksStats
Power Play - 19.9% - 17th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 85.5% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 141 - 27th in the NHL
Goals Against - 163 - 18th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheBlackhawks
Columbus is 42-46-2-13 all-time, and 20-25-1-5 on the road in Chicago.
The Blue Jackets are 6-0-1 in the last 7 games of the series and have won 5-straight overall.
The CBJ won both games against the Blackhawks last season.
Who To Watch For TheBlackhawks
Tyler Bertuzzi leads the Blackhawks with 25 goals.
Connor Bedard leads Chicago with 29 assists and 49 points.
Goalie Spencer Knight is 15-14-7 with a SV% of .910.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Blackhawks
Zach Werenski has 19 points in 18 career games vs. the Blackhawks.
Boone Jenner has 12 points in 22 games.
Charlie Coyle has 11 points in 38 games against Chicago.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 14 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 147
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Benfica goalkeeper Trubin scored in 4-2 win over Madrid
Eddie Howe’s men face 3,000-mile trip for first leg
Real Madrid have been dealt an instant rematch with José Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League playoffs. The Portuguese club will seek a repeat of Wednesday’s astonishing 4-2 victory against the Spanish giants, when their goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored deep into injury time to send them through, and host the first leg in Lisbon.
It is the headline tie in a draw that also gives Newcastle a 3,000-mile journey to Azerbaijan for a first leg against Qarabag. Eddie Howe’s side will feel confident after an impressive display in holding Paris Saint-Germain, last season’s winners, to a 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes on Wednesday, although they will be aware that the Azeri champions, beaten 6-0 at Liverpool, held Chelsea to a 2-2 draw on home soil in November. They will face Barcelona or, in an all-Premier League clash, Chelsea if they go through.
DALLAS, TEXAS - JANUARY 29: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks makes a move to the basket against Moussa Diabate #14 of the Charlotte Hornets during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center on January 29, 2026 in Dallas, 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. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Only eight NBA rookies have ever scored more points in a game than Cooper Flagg did in the Dallas Mavericks’ (19-29) heartbreaking 123-121 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Center on Thursday.
Wilt Chamberlain scored 52 or more points five times in his rookie season of 1959-60 and owns the single-game rookie scoring record of 58 points, which came against the New York Knicks on Feb. 21, 1960. Five years later, Rick Barry scored 57 points as a rookie, also against the Knicks. Earl “The Pearl” Monroe scored 56 as a rookie in 1968 against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Milwaukee Bucks’ rookie Brandon Jennings went out of his mind for 55 against the Golden State Warriors in 2009. Jennings matched Elgin Baylor’s high-scoring game as a rookie 50 years after Baylor scored 55 for the Minneapolis Lakers against the Cincinnati Royals. Elvin Hayes scored 54 against the Detroit Pistons in 1968, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 51 against the Seattle Supersonics in 1970 and Allen Iverson scored 50 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1997.
That is the rarified air that Flagg entered on Thursday with his 49 points on 20-of-29 shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds against his former Duke roommate Kon Knueppel and the Hornets. Flagg’s 49 points also matched the rookie-season-high scoring mark of some guy named Michael Jordan. His Airness poured in 49 in a 136-129 win over the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 12, 1985 in the most prolific scoring outburst of Jordan’s rookie campaign.
Rookies just don’t do the things that Flagg does — and that’s before you take into account the fact that Flagg started doing these things as an 18-year-old. Scoring 49 points in an NBA game at Age 19 is unheard of. Chamberlain was 23 years old when he rewrote the NBA record books as a rookie in 1959-60. Barry was 21 and nine months when he scored 57 points in a game during his rookie season. Jennings was a full year and change older than Flagg when he scored 55 points as a rookie for the Bucks. Iverson was two months shy of 22 when he scored 50 as a rook. Flagg became, with Thursday’s performance, the youngest player in NBA history (19 years, 35 days) to record a 45-point game.
Mavericks fans have seen some things, man. The 2011 NBA championship was a basketball fairy tale written by a team that zigged when the entire league was mid-zag, with the unlikeliest of protagonists at center stage. The rise of basketball savant Luka Dončić in our own backyard was the stuff of legend, made all the more quizzical by his untimely ouster. When it’s all said and done, though, the Legend of Flagg has the potential to move all that to one side if his career continues on the trajectory his rookie season has taken off on.
COOPER up to 44pts! New career high and new Mavs rookie all time scoring high! pic.twitter.com/ByEV3e8JOp
When people tell you who they are, it’s wise to believe them. When people show you who they are and what they’re about, you’re left with no choice in the matter. Flagg’s ability to take over a game is no mere flash in the pan. He shows us the fundamentals that gird his game-changing, high-flying explosiveness on a night-in, night-out basis. His game isn’t perfect, but he’s already shown a unique aptitude for learning on the fly and improving the weak spots in his game on the job as the youngest player in the league. Just wait until he’s had a full NBA offseason or two under his belt.
This kid is already a certified monster. He’s an omega-level mutant in a world of superheroes — there appears to be no upper limit to the development of the powers he possesses. Flagg defends better than any rookie we’ve seen take a swim through Dallas, both in passing lanes and on the ball. He can get to the rim against basically anyone. His mid-range game could fool a casual fan into believing they’re watching the savviest vet in the game. If Flagg ever becomes a true 3-point shooter and if he can cut his turnovers by a third, he’s going to be the best player in the NBA one day.
All that is to say nothing of Flagg’s most impressive skill — the ability to elevate his game in the final five minutes of a close game. He’s a killer. His game-tying 3-pointer on Thursday over the outstretched arm of 6’10” forward Moussa Diabate with 33 seconds showing on the clock is just the latest evidence of Flagg’s latent greatness, magnified when the lights are at their brightest.
The lumps he’s taking with a ragged roster around him in his rookie season will serve Flagg well, as long as the Mavericks’ front office can get its shit together behind whoever is inserted into the captain’s chair as the team’s next general manager. As exciting as Flagg’s rapid on-the-job development has been to watch in his rookie season, his demeanor is the glue that will eventually hold a winning team together.
DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 29: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dunks as Moussa Diabate #14 of the Charlotte Hornets defends during the second quarter at American Airlines Center on January 29, 2026 in Dallas, 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. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“It’s tough,” Flagg said in his postgame press conference on Thursday. “We fight the whole game, play really heard, stick together, give ourselves a chance to win. It’s tough, but there [are] a lot of positives we can take from this. … With the turnover, I’ve just got to be better. I haven’t seen a ton of double-teams closing out games, so I just have to be a lot better.”
This is not a young man getting in over his skis or drunk on his own power. This is a kid who knows only winning and has a thirst to get back to his regularly scheduled dominance as soon as the roster around him allows for it.
“Ten-plus years down the road, we’ll both be looking back on this as a pretty special thing,” Flagg said on Thursday. He was referring specifically to his in-game battle with his friend Knueppel, who piled up 34 points on eight made 3-pointers for the Hornets in the win, but Mavs fans are no doubt envisioning another “pretty special thing” when they peer 10 years into Flagg’s potential career arc.
It’s hard not to, even as we recover from a deep burn less than a year old, because we’re bearing witness to things already in Flagg’s rookie season that few fans are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of. Let’s not take this for granted. The history books suggest not to.
A frustrating season for the Florida Panthers may have hit its peak on Thursday night.
Playing their tenth road game of the month, Florida rebounded from some rough moments in the first 20 minutes and appeared to give themselves a good chance at two points against the St. Louis Blues.
Alas, a questionable late penalty led to a last-second power play goal by the home team and sent the Panthers home to South Florida empty handed.
“That’s a tough one to swallow,” forward Sam Reinhart said afterwards.
Indeed, Sam.
Let’s get to the takeaways:
EXASPERATING WAY TO LOSE
It’s hard to put it better than Reinhart did.
Did Florida deserve to win? Eh, based off their first period (and we’ll get to that in a second), perhaps not.
But based off the effort they put forth in turning the game around, not getting down on themselves and playing the right way while clawing their way back, they absolutely deserved better than losing in the final seconds on a power play goal that came off a marginal call, though a tough one to make, to be fair.
“It’s heartbreaking because you fight back and get into it the way we did, and get so close to killing it off, with some great blocks and great battles,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “That's a tough one.”
Despite taking an early lead in St. Louis, Florida quickly fell behind thanks to a couple of plays that had Maurice and his staff quite unhappy on the bench.
First it was Jake Neighbours getting behind Florida’s defense for a quick breakaway goal, and then a seemingly harmless zone entry by the Blues turned deadly when the Cats failed to pick up Jordan Kyrou in the middle of the ice.
Being the veteran, mature team that they are, Florida didn’t allow the game to spiral out of control, instead digging in and starting to put in the work on mounting a comeback.
But at the end of the day, the Panthers need to tighten the screws because these are mistake they generally do not make.
“We were a little simpler and we were a little more conscientious with what we did with the puck, and we didn’t get so far apart from each other,” Maurice said. “We had some egregious errors in the first (period) that ended up in our net.”
EVERYONE PULLING THE ROPE
There is a long list of valid reasons as to why the Panthers are where they are currently.
More than halfway through the season, Florida is fighting to maintain a spot in a crowded playoff race after an injury-plagued first half has cost them any kind of ability to manage players or playing time as the postseason nears.
It’s going to be balls to the walls from here on out, and there isn’t a person in that room who isn’t ready or up for the challenge.
“We may not have played the smartest first period we ever played, but nobody is not giving (it their all),” Maurice said. “We're paying the price for a tough schedule and a lot of guys out of lineup, and we've run some guys so hard that they’re doing it on will now.”
Photo caption: Jan 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud (21) celebrates with right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) after scoring the game winning goal against the Florida Panthers during the third period at Enterprise Center. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
After being humiliated 7-2 by the Colorado Avalanche at the end of November, Jakub Dobes and the Montreal Canadiens had a chance to make amends at the Bell Centre on Thursday night. With the NHL’s agreement, the visitors were wearing their alternate blue Quebec Nordiques jersey, which allowed the Habs to market the game as a new chapter of the Battle of Quebec. It might not have been the real deal, but the 21,000 fans that filled up the arena seemed to love it as they sang along to the Canadian anthem louder than ever.
After the November defeat, Martin St-Louis had taken the blame, saying his strategy wasn’t right on the night as he had instructed his men to let the Avs players come to them rather than being aggressive on the forecheck. Given how badly that strategy failed, it wasn’t surprising to see the Habs play a much more aggressive brand of hockey on Thursday.
For a second game in a row, Dobes played a significant role in the Canadiens’ win. While he wasn’t tested much in the first frame when the Avalanche only took five shots on goal, thanks in part to seven blocked shots by the Habs, he took center stage in the middle frame.
As soon as the 2nd period started, Martin Necas got to the net from the wing, and the Habs goalie was ready, sticking the pad out. Seconds later, with Montreal on the penalty kill, Mike Matheson turned the puck over in front of the net to Nathan MacKinnon, and he was stoned cold by Dobes. Minutes later, it was Parker Kelly who was alone in front, and he was stopped as well. Samuel Girard suffered the same fate on a breakaway; Dobes was in the zone.
Yesterday, Martin St-Louis praised Dobes’ compete level, and that character trait was on full display again tonight. The netminder was aggressive, challenging the shooters, coming out of his net and making the big saves. On Colorado’s second goal, he sent a big rebound to the side, unaware that Joel Kiviranta was right there, but he still dove for the puck. He believes he can stop any shot, and it shows. He didn’t get it, but it doesn’t matter; he fought for it.
For a second game in a row, Dobes was named the second star of the night, and he can honestly say mission accomplished after his performance in this 7-3 win over the best team in the league.
On The Pairings
Instead of using his usual pairings, St-Louis used Mike Matheson with Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson with Noah Dobson. Asked what motivated the change, the coach explained that with Colorado’s top line, he wanted to have a real shut-down pairing:
When there’s a first time that’s so loaded, I think it helps to have skaters like Guhles and Matheson, who cover a lot of space. We did it last year as well; it’s not new. We knew we could do that. Sometimes, you get led in a direction. When you give Guhle that kind of challenge, his game rises. I liked what I saw.
Guhle played over 22 minutes tonight, by far his highest total since he came back from injury, and he had a great game. Of course, there was that scary moment when he collided with Josh Manson and left the ice, spiking his helmet on his way to the room while holding his other arm completely still, which made everyone fear the worst. When he got back on the ice, though, he completely obliterated Artturi Lehkonen with a bone-crushing hit. I believe that translates to “I’m fine” in Guhle talk.
It’s also worth mentioning that Arber Xhekaj had a good game as well tonight. He was on the ice for 13:38 and made several good, safe plays. At one stage, he was going to hit someone in the boards, but he had the discipline to stop himself when he saw how the player was positioned. Not so long ago, he would have finished the check and gotten himself a boarding call; his game has really matured.
On The Third Line
Things are starting to click between Zach Bolduc, Jake Evans, and Kirby Dach. The line produced two of the team’s seven goals and was often in complete control on the ice, not giving the Avalanche a chance to come up for air. In their own zone, they were also very efficient, accounting for five of the 21 shots the Canadiens blocked.
Dach and Bolduc already had some chemistry before the former’s injury, but they were playing with Brendan Gallagher then; it’s reassuring to see that adding Evans to the combination has only made it stronger.
Toujours être vigilant lorsque Jake est dans les parages
Overall, the Canadiens played a really clean game tonight, and when they made mistakes, Dobes was there to bail them out. Granted, Colorado was playing a second game in as many nights, but that doesn’t diminish how good a performance the Canadiens had.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 29: Roman Josi #59 of the Nashville Predators looks to play the puck while being defended by Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Prudential Center on January 29, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
A tying third-period goal from Jesper Bratt, and a Nico Hischier goal in overtime pushed the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Predators on Thursday. [Devils NHL]
Well!
Lower body injury for #NJDevils Jack Hughes, says Sheldon Keefe. Will need to be evaluated again tomorrow to determine his availability for the trip to Ottawa.
Keefe says he doesn't believe it's a serious injury.
“The Devils did well in the Palát half of this trade, but Tsyplakov is not a bum. He only has one goal and one assist in 27 games this season, but he was a legit middle-six winger as a rookie last season. Tsyplakov was one of the Islanders’ more efficient five-on-five scorers a season ago, averaging 1.84 points per 60 minutes. That ranked fifth among the team’s skaters.” [Devils on the Rush]
“Things have changed leading up to the Palat trade with some Devils trade chips. With the expectation that New Jersey isn’t done dealing, what tier do each of their assets live in?” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
On Luke Hughes: “As well as he anticipates offensively, it just hasn’t connected when he doesn’t have the puck on his stick. And those mistakes can spiral and directly contribute to the Devils falling behind in games. The circumstances around him have put even more attention on that. If Hughes can start processing defensive situations quicker and more efficiently, he should be able to problem solve back to offensive situations — and that’s the area of his game that really lacks. Fixing that will keep him on the path to becoming a true top-pair caliber defenseman.” [The Athletic ($)]
Hockey Links
It’s still hard to believe this is happening in Tampa, but it is: “The crew building the ice rink for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series feels it has hit the lottery despite it being one of the trickiest projects in the NHL’s 23-year history of outdoor games.” [NHL.com]
Artemi Panarin has likely played his last game with the Rangers.
His agent has permission to negotiate an extension with any team Panarin would waive his NMC to be traded to – and as of last night, sounds like there’s a few in the mix. NYR won’t risk injury until then. https://t.co/e2PTgdgkGl
A look at the trade and contract extension market for Artemi Panarin: “It most likely involves teams that aren’t scared of signing a 34-year-old player to a four-year extension with, perhaps, a double-digit average annual salary. That’s what we think the extension would be if this gets done.” [TSN]
A look at how seven early NHL trades have worked out so far: [Sportsnet]
Assessing 12 rebuilding franchises and where they stand on their journeys: [Daily Faceoff]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.
Happy birthday to Brailyn Marquez*, Grover Cleveland Alexander threatens to retire,and other stories.
Today in baseball history:
1917 – Pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander announces he is ready to retire from professional baseball and join a semipro team if his salary demands are not met. Alexander wants a three-year contract at $15,000 per year. (2)
1926 – The Major League Rules Committee agrees that pitchers may have access to a rosin bag. On February 8, the American League will refuse to permit its use, but on April 28th, the league will give in and allow a rosin bag on the field, but discourage its use by players. The Committee also discusses the possible elimination of the intentional walk, a topic that has come up before, by making the pitcher throw to the batter. Calling a balk on the catcher if he steps out of his box has not eliminated the intentional walk as intended. No action is taken, however. (2)
1958 – CommissionerFord Frick announces that players and coaches, rather than the fans, will vote on selections for the All-Star Game. The vote will not return to the fans until 1970, when Commissioner Bowie Kuhn reverses Frick’s action. The decision is a reaction to alleged ballot box stuffing by Cincinnati fans before last year’s All-Star Game. (2)
2006 – The Cubs and Jerry Hairston Jr. (.261, 4, 30) avoid salary arbitration when the second baseman/outfielder agrees to a one-year, $2.3 million deal. The 29-year-old Illinois native was acquired from the Orioles last February for slugger Sammy Sosa. (2)
2017 – CommissionerRob Manfred issues a ruling in the case of an employee of the St. Louis Cardinals caught for hacking into the scouting database of the Houston Astros. The Cards are fined $2 million, which they must pay to Houston, and also surrender two top picks in the upcoming amateur draft to the Astros. The guilty former employee, Chris Correa, incurs a lifetime ban. This is on the top of the 46-month prison sentence and $279,000 fine he received after pleading guilty to federal charges last July. (2)
Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 15: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s cold. Very cold. You know where it’s not cold? Clearwater.
Now is a pretty good time to plan a Spring Training trip.
