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This Week in Mets Quotes: Your 2026 New York Mets

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 15: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets looks on from the dugout during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Your 2026 New York Mets: Hello darkness, my old friend…

“It’s not a good showing right now. They’re pissed, frustrated, obviously not happy about it. And I want them to be pissed.” -Carlos Mendoza [The Athletic]

…I’ve come to talk with you again

“If we don’t score runs, it’s hard to win.” -Francisco Lindor [The Athletic]

Because a vision softly creeping

“It’s surprising, but you go through these things — maybe this is a bit extreme, probably. I don’t really got much to say other than we can’t explain it, and we’ll keep on working to figure it out.” -Bo Bichette [The Athletic]

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

“We’re not doing damage on pitches in the strike zone, guys are being passive, guys are getting ahead of us, and then we’re chasing and hitting the ball on the ground. Right now it’s just quick innings.” -Carlos Mendoza [The Athletic]

And the vision that was planted in my brain

“Each April I’ve been here has been pretty similar, where we don’t score as many runs as we’d like and then the weather warms up and balls start flying out of the ballpark. We probably haven’t scored quite as many runs as we’d like, but that’s a pretty talented position player group that’s going to get going. We’re going to score runs.” -David Stearns [The Athletic]

Still remains

“Guys have got to start playing better. It’s as simple as that. They’re too talented. But right now, we’re not seeing anything on the field.” -Carlos Mendoza [MLB]

Within the sound of silence

“It’s weird because that’s not [Francisco Lindor]. It’s hard to explain. And he’ll be the first one. He’ll tell you that he’s got to be better. But yeah, never seen some of those plays that he’s just out of position at times.” -Carlos Mendoza [ESPN]

In restless dreams I walked alone

“Not sure. I feel like I’m locked in. I feel like I’m in the game. It just happens. Got to be better.” -Francisco Lindor [ESPN]

Narrow streets of cobblestone

“[Francisco Lindor’s] the same guy. He shows up. He prepares. He works as hard as anybody. He wants to win. I don’t think it’s got anything to do with who’s in the lineup and who’s not. It’s weird.” -Carlos Mendoza [ESPN]

‘Neath the halo of a street lamp

“I went after the ball and Marcus was there and didn’t make it to second base and we didn’t turn the double play.” -Francisco Lindor [New York Post]

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

“The biggest thing was I wasn’t able to control very many pitches near the strike zone or over the plate.” -Kodai Senga [New York Post]

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

“It wasn’t a bad pitch, but I’ve seen [Nick Kurtz before]. He has a very good swing. He is a power hitter. He is a tall guy. He did what he needed to do with that pitch. I tip my hat to him.” -Freddy Peralta [MLB]

That split the night

“I know we are way better than this. We have a great team. We believe in each other and I know that we are going to do better… I know there are a lot of people who want us to win. We want to win, too. Sometimes this is baseball. We have to get through this.” -Freddy Peralta [MLB]

And touched the sound of silence

“Honestly, when you’re out there, you don’t really feel the score. At least in my opinion, you’re just out there trying to execute each pitch. Obviously at any given moment, somebody can clip you for a home run, or things can get haywire. But you’re just trying to execute each pitch.” -Nolan McLean [MLB]

“You wish we could have gotten it done for [McLean] — and for everyone else here. But it’s one of those where he pitched his butt off today. Even though he wasn’t feeling the best probably at the beginning of the game, then all of the sudden he gave us the momentum every single inning. We’ve got to do our best to win games like this.” -Francisco Lindor [MLB]

“I played hard, I played with passion every single day. I’m a fiery guy, but you know I cared. I wanted to win, I wanted to do well. I think the fans knew that. I want to be known as a player who played the game the right way, gave it his all, and enjoyed being in the Mets organization.” -Jeff McNeil [Twitter]

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LeBron James' future: Retirement reportedly on table, so is staying with Lakers, moves to Warriors, Cavaliers

"When I know, you guys will know. I don't know. I have no idea. I just want to live. That's all."

That is all LeBron James has said about his plans for next season, and he uttered those words back during All-Star weekend. They still ring true. The sense in league circles is that LeBron has not made a decision about his future, although there is an expected lean towards playing one more year.

Retirement is legitimately on the table, and the idea that LeBron wants a "farewell tour" season is false, according to reporting from Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Team and league sources granted anonymity to speak openly say James has made no decisions regarding his future; that retirement remains a real possibility. The notion that James would want a farewell tour — long cited as evidence that this season was not his last — is false, those sources said, with several sources even hearing that directly from James himself.

LeBron isn't thinking about any of that heading into this weekend. As it has been for much of his career, his team's postseason hopes fall squarely and fully on his shoulders — with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out, 41-year-old LeBron becomes the Lakers' primary scorer and shot creator, going up against an athletic, long, high-level Houston Rockets defense.

After the Lakers' postseason run ends, the questions about LeBron's future become more real. For LeBron, there are three real options.

Retirement

LeBron missed training camp and the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica, and that memory lingers. No player puts in more hours in training, more hours working on his body to get it right to play in NBA games, but when the legends call it quits — as with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers before — it's because they say they don't have the desire to put in all that work to play the game anymore.

This quote in the must-read Athletic story sums up the idea that LeBron decides to hang up his Nikes.

"There's nothing left to prove," the second Lakers player reasoned. "It's like playing a video game you've already beaten 80 times. You've done it."

Stay with Lakers

Until a month or so ago, this seemed like the least-likely option. There was a real sense that the Lakers wanted to fully pivot to building around Luka Doncic — and that remains true, a shakeup of roster role players is coming this offseason — and that LeBron was not really part of those plans. He seemed good with that.

Then came March, when the Lakers went 15-2 with a top-five net rating, following the formula coach JJ Redick had been espousing — elite offense and solid defense (10th in the league in March). LeBron, Doncic and Austin Reaves were clicking and fans could see the path to the Lakers winning with those three.

Even after the untimely injuries to Doncic and Reaves at the end of the season — likely sidelining the duo for the first round of the playoffs against Houston, leaving the Lakers major underdogs — LeBron played so well leading the team he was the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the final week of the season.

The door is open to a return, The Athletic reports.

According to team and league sources, the Lakers have not closed the door on James returning next season. While it's been the organization's public position that it hopes James retires as a Laker, the run in March was the clearest example of the basketball advantages of pairing him with Dončić and Reaves...

The fact that James agrees with that assessment is crucial, as league sources say he was intrigued and encouraged by what they accomplished during that stretch.

Two things matter most in any scenario where LeBron plays another season: How much of a pay cut is he willing to take, and where does he feel he can win?

With the Lakers, March showed that winning is a possibility in Los Angeles. The Lakers also have LeBron's Bird rights and can theoretically pay him whatever they want to return (the Lakers are in the repeater luxury tax, so how much new owner Mark Walter wants to pay for the roster matters in this calculation). The reality is, LeBron and the Lakers would need to work this out quickly, then he would sit on the sidelines while the Lakers used up to $50 million in cap space plus three picks to trade to reshape the roster (which includes re-signing Reaves). LeBron then would return for whatever money the Lakers could or would offer.

Move to Warriors, Cavaliers

If LeBron decides to play one more season not with the Lakers, the teams that come up most often are the Warriors — who remain interested in reuniting him with this Olympics buddy Stephen Curry, according to this latest report — and Cleveland.

Both teams already have stars in place — Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green with Golden State; Donovan Mitchell and James Harden with Cleveland — and both teams are pushing or past the second apron of the luxury tax already. In both cases, LeBron would have to accept a smaller role on the court and serve as the glue and third man to make it all work — which is exactly what he proved he could do in March with Doncic and Reaves — and take a massive pay cut. Neither team can offer much in terms of salary, although a sign-and-trade is an option.

How well Cleveland does this postseason will have a lot to say about how hard it will pursue LeBron, a deep run may make the Cavaliers less likely to mess with team chemistry.

The story in the Athletic says a LeBron reunion with former coach Tyronn Lue, with LeBron going to the LA Clippers, is not off the table. League sources have told NBC Sports this option is incredibly unlikely.

However, staying with the Clippers would mean not having to move and staying in Los Angeles — at age 41 with his family established in the city and his other businesses there, does he want to relocate everything to Cleveland or the Bay Area for a year?

It's all a lot to consider. But it's something LeBron is not going to think about until this Lakers postseason run is over. He just wants to live. That's all.

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Russell says he would understand if Verstappen quit but ‘F1 is bigger than any driver’

  • Mercedes driver doesn’t want to lose four-time champion

  • ‘Natural’ for lack of competitiveness to start taking its toll

George Russell has said he would understand if Max Verstappen chose to leave Formula One after the four-time champion recently cast doubt on his future in the sport because of his dissatisfaction with current regulations.

Russell, who is currently second behind his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli in the world championship, insisted Verstappen had nothing left to prove.

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Scott Wedgewood stops 22 shots, Avalanche beat Kraken 2-0 to break franchise’s single-season points mark

Colorado Avalanche

Apr 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) and defenseman Brett Kulak (27) celebrate defeating the Seattle Kraken at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Ron Chenoy/Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

DENVER — Nick Blankenburg scored a second-period goal, Scott Wedgewood made 22 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Seattle Kraken 2-0 to break the franchise’s single-season points record.

The Avalanche won the Presidents’ Trophy with 121 points, eclipsing the total of 119 points set by the 2021-22 squad that went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Colorado hosts the Los Angeles Kings to begin the playoffs. The last time the teams played in the postseason was the 2002 conference quarterfinals when the Avalanche won in seven games.

The Kraken missed the playoffs with a final record of 34-37-11.

Blankenburg broke a scoreless game with a late second-period goal. He had a goal in the opening period overturned after Seattle challenged for offside.

Parker Kelly scored in the third period, while Valeri Nichushkin added a pair of assists. Wedgewood won his 31st game of the season. Colorado rested several key players in the season finale, including Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and captain Gabriel Landeskog.

MacKinnon finished with a career-high 53 goals to win the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s goal-scoring leader.

The Kraken lost a seventh straight game to Colorado. Victor Ostman made his first NHL start and turned back 33 shots. Ostman’s debut was last season in relief.

Seattle and Colorado were a combined 0 for 6 on the power play.

Coach Jared Bednar was back behind the bench for Colorado. He missed the team’s recent two-game trip after being hit in the face by a puck last weekend.

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Padres' record-shattering $3.9B price tag proves MLB is plenty healthy

Major League Baseball just received its most startling data point in a year that will be defined by them.

The San Diego Padres are a (nearly) $4 billion franchise.

Forget existential crises, attention economies, disparate and increasingly complex TV situations and, dare we say, salary caps and luxury tax thresholds. If the industry - and that includes owners, players and fans - ever needed a crystal clear sign that the game is healthy, that spending some money might actually make you a little money in the end, the impending purchase of the Padres will be it.

Private equity baron Jose E. Feliciano - and that's apparently a career prerequisite for owning a ball club these days and wife Kwanza Jones - are on the verge of a $3.9 billion transaction to buy the club from the Seidler family trust, the Wall Street Journal reported.

It is a staggering amount, not just because it's a 62.5% increase on the record $2.4 billion Steve Cohen spent to buy the New York Mets in 2020. Hey, inflation is a bear and franchises appreciate. It happens.

Just not like this, and not for a club like the Padres.

A view of Petco Park in San Diego.

We've heard the two to three strikes against them for years: San Diego is bordered by the Los Angeles region (and its two MLB franchises) to the north, Mexico to the south and the desert to the east. The Padres were also the very first team whose local broadcast situation collapsed to the point MLB had to take over production and distribution, way back in 2023.

So just how did the Padres, their TV model collapsing, their geographic situaton no better, go from a $600 million valuation when the club was last purchased in 2012 to nearly twice the purchase price of the Mets, who have their own lucrative TV network and a position in the game's largest media market?

Well, sometimes when you spend a little money, you can make it back.

The Padres' ownership group - Ron Fowler and then the Seidler family, with the late patriarch Peter Seidler still talked about reverentially around Petco Park - has been on one for the last eight years. It started with a slow drip - a nine-figure contract in 2018 for first baseman Eric Hosmer, an overpay that let the world know San Diego was open for business.

It went into hyperspace mode a year later, with a $300 million guarantee to Manny Machado. And since then, Seidler's checkbook and GM AJ Preller's impetuous and sometimes insane but always forward-looking transactions have kept it pushing at Petco.

Ah, Petco Park. No worse than the fourth-greatest park in the game yet a place that could never attrack more than 1.9 to 2.1 million fans in eight of 10 seasons from 2009 to 2018.

Now, look at 'em.

The attendance meter has only gone up, up, up since 2019, COVID notwithstanding, and in 2023, the club's first full season after Preller traded for Juan Soto, the team cracked the 3 million mark for the first time since Petco's opening year of 2004.

Preller has barely slowed doling out big paychecks (Xander Bogaerts, $280 million, Machado $350 million after an opt-out) and neither have the turnstiles stopped whirring. The club drew a franchise-record 3.4 million last season and are behaving like they have the entire market to themselves (which, along with the San Diego Surf, they do, after the Chargers left).

Now, we said the game was healthy, not perfect.

The club's frenetic spend has slowed since Seidler's tragic passing in November 2023. Many a modern executive would term their payroll commitments "unsustainable," and they'd probably be right.

Yet this was no Ponzi scheme. The Padres' four playoff berths the past six seasons were very real, as were the millions who populated their ballpark. As is the $3.9 billion reportedly about to make the Seidler heirs wealthy beyond their imagination.

Jose E. Feliciano set to become Padres' new owner

MLB needed this, in a sense. Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed satisfaction, but hardly rabid enthusiasm, over the Baltimore Orioles' $1.73 billion purchase price. The Tampa Bay Rays sold for a similar $1.7 billion and now hope to leverage political clout to strong-arm a stadium in Tampa.

The Padres have no such worries. Petco isn't going anywhere and, apparently, neither are the fans, who have come out more than 40,000 strong for 10 of the Padres' first 13 home dates.

Yes, the Padres. Which is one reason why the upcoming labor war won't engender too many sympathetic cries from players. Management and labor will hammer out a deal knowing that the true Armageddon comes in 2028, when MLB's entire national TV inventory hits the market.

But this purchase price is a pretty big tell, and another argument that the sport should not screw up what it has going on right now in favor of a civil war.

After all, the Padres are a $4 billion team, and a bigwig like Feliciano - co-founder of Clearlake Capital Group and part owner of the Chelsea soccer club - viewed them as a good investment, still. No telling if he can continue pushing them toward a first World Series title.

Yet the franchise is already an example of what's possible even in a decidedly imperfect economic landscape.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres MLB record sale to new owner Jose E. Feliciano, Kwanza Jones

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Crawfish Boil: Astros 9th SP, Cam Smith Extension Window, The ABS Effect, MLBs Newest Trend & More

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 01: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros steals second base against Zach Neto #9 and Chris Taylor #33 of the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Daikin Park on September 01, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The latest news on the Houston Astros and from around MLB:

It’s a good thing the Astros went and acquired all that starting pitching depth:

Starting pitching woes have led to the Astros leaning harder on their bullpen than any team in baseball:

Are the Astros missing their chance to extend Cam Smith?

While Astros pitchers are having big trouble with walks, they aren’t the only ones:

There is a strategy to challenging. The Astros lost both their challenges early and it cost them later in the game with some bad calls to their hitters:

What has teams signing young prospects to big extensions earlier than ever?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2026/04/15/kevin-mcgonigle-contract-extension-mlb-biggest/89626582007/

Bob Nightengale takes at look at MLB’s biggest surprises and disappointments this season:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2026/04/16/mlb-biggest-surprises-disappointments-mets-giants-red-sox-twins/89638120007/

Mike Trout is hitting .246 but he has 7 HR, several of the tape measure variety. Time for the Hype Train:

The San Diego Padres are about to be sold to a private equity firm owner for a record-setting price:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7203881/2026/04/17/san-diego-padres-sale-jose-e-feliciano/

Mets GM taking heat for their bad start punctuated by an 8-game slide.

Jon Heyman on Mets manager, Padres Fernando Tatis Jr, FA SP Lucas Giolito, and Yankees pitching logjam:

At 37, there may not be much left in the tank for Mark Canha, but can’t blame him for trying:

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Connor McDavid has 4 assists in Oilers’ finale to take NHL scoring title with 138 points

Connor McDavid

Apr 13, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal scored by forward Connor McDavid (97) during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche.Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Perry Nelson/Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid had four assists to take the NHL scoring title with 138 points and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-1 to finish second in the Pacific Division and open the playoffs at home.

Edmonton will host Anaheim in Game 1. The Oilers were 7-2-2 in their last 11 to finish 41-30-12, while Vancouver was last in the NHL at 25-49-8.

McDavid won his sixth Art Ross title as the NHL scoring leader to tie Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe for second — four behind Wayne Gretzky. McDavid reached 1,220 career points, passing Jeremy Roenick, Larry Murphy and Jean Beliveau to advance to 47th on the NHL list. McDavid entered the season 71st.

Rookie Matthew Savoie had his first hat trick, Josh Samanski, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Colton Dach also scored and Evan Bouchard had three assists. Connor Ingram made 11 saves, allowing only Ty Mueller’s first career goal.

Edmonton was buoyed by the return of forward Zach Hyman and is expecting star forward Leon Draisaitl back during the opening series.

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Devils hire two-time Panthers Stanley Cup-winning executive Sunny Mehta as general manager

Sunny Mehta

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Sunny Mehta and Bryan McCabe of the Florida Panthers celebrate their Stanley Cup victory in Game Seven of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils hired Sunny Mehta as their general manager, bringing back their former director of analytics to oversee their hockey operations department.

Owner David Blitzer announced the hire less than 48 hours after the team’s regular season ended without a playoff appearance. Mehta was an assistant when the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup each of the past two years.

“We quickly realized this job was in high demand and were incredibly fortunate to meet with many qualified candidates,” Blitzer said. “Sunny’s familiarity with our organization and experience with a two-time Stanley Cup-winning team are characteristics that will serve as a foundation for future success. Our expectations are to be a perennial playoff team and compete for the Stanley Cup, and I look forward to Sunny leading us there.”

Mehta, 48, established the NHL’s first full-fledged analytics department when he joined his home-state Devils in 2014 and worked for them through 2018. He spent time with Washington before going to Florida.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, who also had a vacancy after firing Brad Treliving late last month, also showed interest in Mehta, given their interest in a numbers-driven GM. The Devils beat Toronto the punch.

Raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey, Mehta grew up a Devils fan. He had a career as a professional poker player and worked in finance before getting into hockey.

“I knew this was the place I wanted to be,” Mehta said, thanking the Panthers for the chance to take the next step in his career. “New Jersey has a tremendous young core that will be looking to get back to being a contender, a complement of young assets and draft picks, and a passionate fan base hungry for success.”

The Devils parted ways with longtime GM Tom Fitzgerald late in the season. The future of coach Sheldon Keefe is not clear, though he guided the team to the playoffs in his first year in charge.

Mehta takes over at an important time for the franchise, with U.S. Olympic hero Jack Hughes at the center of a young core and captain Nico Hischier eligible to sign an extension as soon as July 1.

“I’m focusing on playing hockey here,” Hischier said about it the morning after Fitzgerald left. “I still have one more year. I’m with the Devils right now, and then we’ll see what happens.”

If he is able to trade defenseman Dougie Hamilton this summer after his $7.4 million roster bonus is paid, it will clear up valuable salary cap space to use to improve the forward group.

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Yankees vs. Royals prediction: Odds, recent stats, trends, and best bets for April 17

The New York Yankees (10-9) open a weekend series tonight against the Kansas City Royals (7-12). Both teams have been consistently inconsistent in April. The Yankees sit second in the AL East and the Royals arrive in the Bronx in fourth in the AL Central.

 

The Yankees split a four-game series earlier this week with the Angels. While New York’s pitching was throwing at an all-time elite level in March, Yankee hurlers struggled against the Halos allowing 32 runs in the series. Offensively, Aaron Judge was in fine form. The MVP smacked four home runs in the four games to give him eight for the season.

 

The Royals’ offense made a rare appearance yesterday, but KC’s pitching was MIA as the Tigers scored three in the bottom of the ninth to knock off the Royals 10-9. It was just the second time in the last 10 games that Kansas City scored more than two runs in a game.

 

The pitching matchup tonight features right-hander Michael Wacha (2-0) going to the bump for the Royals and Cam Schlittler (2-0) getting the ball for New York. Wacha has been dominant with a 0.43 ERA over 21 innings. Conversely, Schlitter looks to rebound from his first loss of the season, a 5-4 defeat at Tampa Bay where he allowed three runs in five innings.

 

Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.

 

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

 

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

 

Game Details and How to Watch: Royals vs. Yankees

 

  • Date: Friday, April 17, 2026
  • Time: 7:05PM EST
  • Site: Yankee Stadium
  • City: New York, NY
  • Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, Royals.TV, YES

 

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

 

The Latest Odds: Royals vs. Yankees

The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Kansas City Royals (+153), New York Yankees (-186)
  • Spread: Royals +1.5 (-143), Yankees -1.5 (+119)
  • Total: 8.0 runs

 

Probable Starting Pitchers: Royals vs. Yankees

Pitching matchup for April 17:

  • Royals: Michael Wacha
    Season Totals: 21.0 IP, 2-0, 0.43 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 17K, 5 BB
  • Yankees: Cam Schlittler
    Season Totals: 21.2 IP, 2-1, 2.49 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 30K, 1 BB

Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Royals vs. Yankees

  • Cam Schlittler has struck out 30 hitters this season (T7 in MLB)
  • Jose Caballero is 6-15 over his last 4 games
  • Trent Grisham is 3-22 over his last 8 games
  • Bobby Witt Jr. has been on base 25 times in April, but it was not until yesterday that he scored his first run of the month
  • Sal Perez is 5-37 over his last 10 games

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

 

Top Betting Trends & Insights: Royals vs. Yankees

  • The Yankees are 8-11 on the Run Line this season
  • The Royals are 8-11 on the Run Line this season
  • The OVER has cashed an MLB-worst 6 times in the Royals’ 19 games this season (6-13)
  • The OVER has cashed 8 times in the Yankees’ 19 games this season (8-9-2)

 

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

 

Expert picks & predictions: Royals vs. Yankees

Rotoworld Bet Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

 

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

 

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

 

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Yankees and the Royals:

  • Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Yankees on the Run Line.
  • Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total OVER 8.0.

 

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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NHL Unveils Complete First-Round Playoff Schedule For Senators-Hurricanes Series

With the regular season now in the books, the NHL has released the full first-round schedule for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the series between the Ottawa Senators (WC2) and Carolina Hurricanes (M1) series.

The league announced on Friday that Games 1 and 2 will take place in Raleigh on Saturday and Monday. Games 3 and 4 will be played in Ottawa on Thursday and next Saturday. Here's the full list of dates for each game in the best-of-seven series.

Game 1: Ottawa at Carolina, 3 p.m. ET April 18 (ESPN, SN, OMNI TVAS)

As the Sens get ready for Game 1 in Carolina on Saturday, Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss a season to be proud of in Ottawa.

Game 2: Ottawa at Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET April 20 (ESPN2, SNE, SNO, SNP, CBC TVAS)

Game 3: Carolina at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. ET April 23 (TBS, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Game 4: Carolina at Ottawa, 3 p.m. ET April 25 (TBS, truTV, HBO Max, SN, TVAS, OMNI)

*Game 5: Ottawa at Carolina, April 27 TBD

*Game 6: Carolina at Ottawa, April 30n TBD

*Game 7: Ottawa at Carolina, May 2 TBD

*- If necessary

Normally, Senators fans would also be keeping a close eye on Atlantic Division playoff opponents, but because of the way wild cards played out this year, they're participating in the Metro tournament.

Senators on X
Senators on X

The winner of this series will face the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins-Philadelphia Flyers series. That series will go off like this:

Philadelphia Flyers (M3) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (M2)

Game 1: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m. ET April 18 (ESPN, SN, TVAS)

Game 2: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET April 20 (ESPN SN360, TVAS)

Game 3: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET April 22 (ESPN, SN360, TVAS)

Game 4: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. ET April 25 (TBS, truTV, HBO Max, SN, TVAS)

*Game 5: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, April 27 TBD

*Game 6: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, April 29 TBD

*Game 7: Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, May 2 TBD

*- If necessary

The Atlantic playoffs will feature Boston at Buffalo, and Montreal at Tampa, and will have games on the following dates:

Montreal Canadiens (A3) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (A2)

Game 1: Montreal at Tampa Bay, 5:45 p.m. ET April 19 (TNT, truTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Game 2: Montreal at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. ET April 21 (ESPN2, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Game 3: Tampa Bay at Montreal, 7 p.m. ET April 24 (TNT, truTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS)

Game 4: Tampa Bay at Montreal, 7 p.m. ET April 26 (ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNP, CBC, TVAS)

*Game 5: Montreal at Tampa Bay, April 29 TBD

*Game 6: Tampa Bay at Montreal, May 1 TBD

*Game 7: Montreal at Tampa Bay, May 3 TBD

*- If necessary

Boston Bruins (WC1) vs. Buffalo Sabres (A1)

Game 1: Boston at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. ET April 19 (ESPN, SN360, TVAS)

Game 2: Boston at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. ET April 21 (ESPN, SN360, TVAS)

Game 3: Buffalo at Boston, 7 p.m. ET April 23 (TNT, truTV, HBO Max, SN360, TVAS)

Game 4: Buffalo at Boston, 2 p.m. ET April 26 (TNT, truTV, HBO Max, SN, TVAS)

*Game 5: Boston at Buffalo, April 28 TBD

*Game 6: Buffalo at Boston, May 1 TBD

*Game 7: Boston at Buffalo, May 3 TBD

*- If necessary

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:  

Through All The Noise, The Playoff-Bound Senators Held Their Ground
Drake Batherson's Eight-Year Career Climb Is One For The NHL History Books
Senators Announce Plans For 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff Ticket Sales This Week
Shane Pinto Should Be One Of The Selke Trophy Favourites
Great Opportunities: The Rise Of Senators Defenseman Jordan Spence

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Brewers finding unusual ways to manufacture runs while key hitters are injured

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers have grown accustomed to scoring runs without necessarily having much punch in their lineup.

They’re needing to do that more than ever as they wait for some of their top hitters to recover from injuries.

Milwaukee has scored three runs or fewer in six of its last eight games as it plays without the injured Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn. Yet they managed to snap a six-game skid by winning 2-1 each of the last two days, relying on small ball during their go-ahead rallies each time.

“It’s just about getting the job done, doing the little things right,” said shortstop Joey Ortiz, whose safety squeeze in the seventh inning brought home the go-ahead run Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays. “When guys get on, we’ve got to get them over and get them in. However we do that is the way we do it.”

They’ve done it in some unusual ways lately.

Milwaukee hit only one ball out of the infield Wednesday during its two-run rally in the eighth inning. The Brewers didn’t hit any balls out of the infield in the seventh inning Thursday, but still scored the tiebreaking run by executing three consecutive bunts.

“We’re not really hitting the best right now as a team, so we’re doing anything we can to make something happen,” utilityman David Hamilton said.

That kind of resourcefulness has helped Milwaukee win three straight NL Central titles. The Brewers led the majors with a franchise-record 97 wins last year and had the third-highest run total – behind only the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers – despite ranking just 22nd in homers.

“We find a way to score in literally any way,” Ortiz said.

Sometimes that means taking advantage of any assist possible.

For instance, outfielder Sal Frelick said after Wednesday’s game that the Brewers may have gotten some help from Mother Nature, which is rather notable considering they play in a stadium with a retractable roof.

A torrential downpour caused some leaking through the American Family Field roof that resulted in pockets of rain coming down in certain portions of the field. One of the areas impacted was right in front of home plate, and Frelick believed that might have deadened the ball when he hit a chopper that catcher Brandon Valenzuela was unable to pick up cleanly off the ground

Frelick reached on an error after Hamilton had led off by beating out an infield hit. Both runners ended up scoring.

The field was dry as the Brewers played under the roof again Thursday, but they still found a way to manufacture a run when it mattered.

With the score tied 1-all, Garrett Mitchell led off the seventh by walking. Then came the flurry of bunts.

Greg Jones, making his Brewers debut and playing just his 10th career MLB game, bunted Mitchell over to second. Hamilton then got a bunt single to put runners on the corners before Ortiz dropped his safety squeeze.

“Once we got the leadoff runner on, we knew we had to move him around the basepaths,” Jones said. “We weren’t swinging the bats the best, so getting the ball on the ground, moving the baseball is an easy way to get guys to the next base. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

The Brewers needed this kind of response as they closed a six-game homestand before playing their next six games away from American Family Field. Brewers manager Pat Murphy liked the way his team bounced back from adversity.

For instance, Hamilton struck out on each of his first two at-bats Thursday. Then he delivered that key bunt hit in the seventh to play a major role in a go-ahead rally for a second straight day.

“That’s what I’m looking for – that resiliency,” Murphy said. “That’s who we have to be.”

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Canadiens St-Louis’ Thinks Xhekaj Has Shown Enough

Getting Martin St-Louis to reveal his lineup in the last few days of the season has not been an easy task; in fact, the Montreal Canadiens’ coach even asked journalists if anyone had good questions to ask him the last time he was asked. On Thursday, however, with the playoffs fast-approaching, when he was asked if blueliner Arber Xhekaj had shown him enough to earn the right to start the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the bench boss was clear:

Yes, I believe he has. He has played good hockey, played physically, and stuck to his identity. He had good reps down the stretch. Of course, we lost Dobber [Noah Dobson], which allowed him to get more minutes, and I liked what I saw.
- St-Louis on Xhekaj's play

NHL Reveals Schedule For Canadiens vs. Lightning Series
Opinion: A Goal Is A Goal – The Race To The Rocket Richard Trophy
Canadiens’ Likely Lines And Pairings Ahead Of Series Start Are Surprising

For the 25-year-old who will be a restricted free agent this summer, this is a big opportunity. He’s been involved in a duel with Jayden Struble for the last three seasons, with both players trying to earn a regular spot as the Canadiens’ sixth defenseman, but neither has been able to grab the job and keep it. Now, with other blueliners like David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom knocking on the Canadiens’ door, Xhekaj and Struble may be running out of time.

While there’s no denying that the youngsters bring more raw talent, the gritty defender brings something to the table that none of the other three players have: a lot of physicality and a knack for fighting.

Last season, when the Canadiens started their series against the Washington Capitals, they did it without the hard-nosed blueliner, but this year, Dobson’s injury has given him an in. As long as he can make the right reads on the ice and not take himself out of the play by over-committing to land a big hit rather than play the game that’s in front of him, Xhekaj should be fine.

Xhekaj is built for playoff hockey, but not for the kind of system Martin St-Louis has his men playing. Still, over the last four years, he has had the opportunity to learn what the coach expects of his players and to work on his reads. Now, it’s time for him to show that he can use the knowledge he gathered when it really counts, not only for the team, but for his own future in the Canadiens organization.

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Friday Bantering: Jose, Someday

DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: José Berríos #17 of the Toronto Blue Jays works pitches a spring training workout at the Toronto Blue Jays' Player Development Complex on February 18, 2026 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Happy Friday. It’s been a long week in Blue Jays land, and a long week here in Calgary for that matter. It snowed sideways yesterday, about eight inches. Other Tom is enjoying 21 degrees and cherry blossoms in Tokyo, not that I’m bitter.

Anyways, in Jays news, Jose Berrios pitched in Dunedin yesterday. The surface stats were ugly, five runs on five hits and a walk over 2.2 with three strikeouts. Some of the pitches that got hit were definitely left way too much out over the plate. Probably more importantly, though, he was sitting 93 and 94 with his sinker and four seamer, respectively, which is better than he managed last year by about a mile an hour, and was getting all his pitches over. He was allowed to throw 47 pitches, so he’s well into stretching out, but I would imagine we’ll need to see him handle 30+ more pitches and look significantly sharper in a minor league game before he’s back in Toronto, which probably makes early May the target at this point.

Tonight will be a big test for how much of a problem the wait is, as Eric Lauer makes his first start since (hopefully) fully recovering from the stomach flu that sapped his stuff and lead him to getting rocked his last two times out. Tomorrow, we’ll hopefully see Max Scherzer bounce back from a couple of ugly outings as he’s dealt with forearm tendinitis. If one or both can look at least serviceable, the Jays have a hope of getting through this stretch until Trey Yesavage and Berrios make it back. If not, it’s going to be a rough ride.

More optimistically, although not for 2026, Nolan Perry took the ball for the next five innings and allowed just one hit. He also punched out a dozen, somehow only needing 60 pitches to do it. It took about one inning of seeing Perry this spring for me to realize he should have been on the main prospect list, but at least Matt was smart enough to feature him prominently on his pref list. He’ll definitely feature in our midseason update, and not at the bottom. Other early standputs among lower ranked prospects in the farm system include Daniel Guerra, a 22 year old righty who struck out 11 in five hitless innings for the Vancouver Canadians last night to bring his early K total to 23 in 14.1 innings, Charles McAdoo, who’s showing a better eye and making more contact at AAA than he did last year at AA and posting a .900 OPS because of it, and the New Hampshire trio of Eddie Micheletti jr, Sean Keys and Jayce Bohrofen, who’ve combined for 11 home runs so far with improved underlying data.

That’s it for Jays news. On a happier note, here’s Mike Trout hitting a 450 foot tank as the Angels beat the Yankees in New York:

You have to remember to find joy where you can.

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Glen Gulutzan was ready to be coach of Dallas Stars this time after 12 seasons gaining experience

Glen Gulutzan

Mar 16, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan looks on from the team bench during the first period against the Utah Mammoth at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jerome Miron/Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

DALLAS — Glen Gulutzan was ready to be the head coach of the Dallas Stars this time.

There was a lot of experience Gulutzan gained in the 12 years between being let go by the Stars after his first two seasons as an NHL head coach and being re-hired last summer — by the same general manager who soon after taking that role in 2013 decided not to keep him.

“He’s lived it. How do you build your résumé, you’ve got to go through experiences,” Stars GM Jim Nill said. “He’s gone through those experiences and those situations.”

The 54-year-old Gulutzan now is leading the Stars (50-20-12) into the Western Conference playoffs. Game 1 is at home against Central Division rival Minnesota. They wrapped up their third consecutive 50-win regular season with 112 points, the third-most in the NHL.

After the Stars fired Pete DeBoer last June, even though each of his three seasons ended in the Western Conference final, Nill brought back Gulutzan after a dozen seasons in Canada for 947 regular-season games and 93 more in the playoffs. He was a Vancouver assistant for three seasons, then the head coach in Calgary for two before seven seasons on the staff in Edmonton, which eliminated Dallas in the West final each of the past two years.

“He’s got composure behind the bench. He’s guided our team,” Nill said. “There’s been highs and lows during the year, there’s a lot of injuries he’d had to deal with. But he’s gotten that experience now, how to deal with that. And it doesn’t change focus. It’s always about the next moment, the next game.”

First time with the Stars

Gulutzan was coaching the Stars’ AHL team before becoming a first-time NHL head coach in 2011, during an awkward period for the franchise as it went through bankruptcy and an ownership change while being basically run by the league.

Dallas was 42-35-5 in Gulutzan’s debut season, then 22-22-4 in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season before Nill became the GM and didn’t pick up the coach’s option for a third season.

Not always a head coach

DeBoer has been a head coach for six different teams over 18 seasons, including the final four games for the New York Islanders this year after replacing the fired Patrick Roy.

While DeBoer always has been in charge behind the bench in the NHL, Gulutzan after his initial head coaching stint got the opportunity to work with coaches like John Tortorella, Ken Hitchcock, Dave Tippett and Kris Knoblauch. He was part of 75 playoff games with the Oilers the past four seasons, getting to the Stanley Cup Final twice after eliminating the Stars.

Having been a depended-on assistant himself, Gulutzan now heavily depends on his staff.

Solid foundation in Dallas

Gulutzan took over a Stars team that returned most of its primary core, though the only player still around from his first time there is Jamie Benn, the 36-year-old captain in his 17th season.

Veteran center Matt Duchene said DeBoer did an amazing job laying a foundation, and that Gulutzan has done a nice job tweaking things through the course of this season.

“Just a really, really smart hockey mind that sees the game really well,” said Wyatt Johnston, the 22-year-old, fourth-year forward whose 45 goals matched Jason Robertson for the team lead.

“He’s brought in some elements to our team that have made us, when we’re at our best, probably just an elite, elite team, and I think understands our group pretty well,” Duchene said. “There’s a reason you go to three straight conference finals. It’s not by accident. You need great coaching to be able to do that. And I think Pete was that for sure and then Gully coming in ... he didn’t come in being like, all right, it’s my show now, I’m going to completely gut this and redo it.”

Under DeBoer, the Stars became the first team to reach the conference finals three seasons in a row without winning at least one Cup title under the playoff format that began in 1994. The Stars didn’t even make it past that.

Streaking Stars

The Stars had a franchise-record 10-game winning streak that ended in early March, and now have won five in a row. That’s a stark difference from the seven-game losing streak they took into last year’s postseason.

“The focus, that’s what I’m recognizing as very, very similar,” Gulutzan said when asked what he’s seen in the Stars compared to his recent deep runs with the Oilers. “You can just feel the focus of the players starting to change the closer they get. ... Their demeanor is starting to change.”