PHILADELPHIA — Catcher J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies finalized their three-year, $45 million contract.
Realmuto gets salaries of $15 million in each of the next three seasons and can earn a maximum $5 million annually in award bonuses.
He would get $2 million for All-Star election and $1 million for selection, $1 million each for a Gold Glove or Silver Slugger and $2 million for finishing in top 10 of MVP voting.
A three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, Realmuto made his decision a month after designated hitter Kyle Schwarber also chose to remain with the Phillies, agreeing to a five-year, $150 million deal.
Realmuto, who turns 35 in March, hit .257 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs in 134 games last year, when he tied for the major league lead with 132 games at catcher. He was in the final season of a $115.5 million, five-year contract.
Realmuto has a .270 career batting average with 180 homers and 677 RBIs in 12 seasons with the Miami Marlins (2014-18) and Phillies.
Philadelphia also reached deals this offseason with right-hander Brad Keller ($22 million for two years) and outfielder Adolis García ($10 million for one year).
Infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.
Tonight's Coast 2 Coast Tuesday NBA action features a San Antonio Spurs vs Houston Rockets showdown at 8:00 PM ET, followed by a matchup between the LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM. Live coverage begins at 7:00 PM on NBC and Peacock. See below for additional information on how to watch both games and follow all of the NBA action on NBCSN and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
San Antonio defeated the Utah Jazz 123-110 last night in the team's third straight win. Victor Wembanyama had 33 points and 10 rebounds in the win, making seven three-pointers.
Wembanyama was named to his second All-Star team yesterday. He is averaging 24.8 points while shooting 40% from 3-point range, grabbing 10.8 rebounds, and blocking 2.6 shots per game.
The Houston Rockets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 119-110 on Sunday night, earning their third win in the last four games. Alperen Sengun finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Amen Thompson had 20 points and 8 rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 18, moving into sixth place on the NBA's career points list.
"It's surreal sometimes, but it also feels like I'm supposed to be doing this," said Durant after the game.
“It’s surreal sometimes, but it also feels like I’m supposed to be doing this.” @KDTrey5 reflects on yet another career milestone and the legacy he’s built pic.twitter.com/pL80KJFJ4i
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
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Jonathan Santucci comes from a family of amateur baseball players, but he is the only Santucci to have gone pro. His father, Steven, attended Assumption College and played baseball there from 1991-1993 and his cousin, Nick, attended Rollins College and played on their baseball team for six seasons, from 2017 until 2022. Jonathan attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he hit .322 over the course of his three-year varsity career and showed a great deal of promise on the mound. One of the highest regarded prospects in the state of Massachusetts, he went undrafted in the 2021 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to Duke University.
The summer after graduating from high school, he played in the Futures Collegiate League, appearing in two games for the Worcester Bravehearts as a reliever and going 5-27 at the plate. That fall, he went on to attend Duke, and that spring, the left-hander appeared in 20 games for the Blue Devils, starting as a middle reliever but eventually transitioning and establishing himself as a weekend starting pitcher as the months went on. On the season, the left-hander posted a 4.17 ERA in 41.0 innings, allowing 32 hits, walking 20, and striking out 58.
He played in the Cape Cod Baseball League that summer, posting a 3.65 ERA for the Harwich Mariners in 24.2 innings, with 20 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He wasn’t able to keep that momentum going in 2023, as an elbow injury limited the amount of time he was able to spend on the mound in his sophomore season back at Duke. The southpaw started seven games for the Blue Devils before having his season end prematurely in March due to bone chips in his elbow. All in all, he posted a 4.30 ERA in 29.1 innings, allowing 27 hits, walking 16, and striking out 50. Fortunately for him, the injury was not Tommy John-related, but rather, an olecranon- the bony hinge tip of the elbow- fracture and he had surgery to have a screw inserted into his elbow to allow the bone to fuse back together properly.
When the left-hander returned to the mound in 2024, he made up for lost time, throwing 17 scoreless innings to begin the season, scattering 10 hits, walking 7, and striking out 31. He eventually came back to earth, and then in mid-May, sustained a rib-injury on his non-throwing side just prior to starting a game against Georgia Tech. He was originally only expected to miss a week or two, but Santucci missed roughly a month, returning to the mound in the NCAA Regionals, throwing two innings against Oral Roberts University on June 1st. The 40-20 Blue Devils had their season end the next day, finalizing Santucci’s season: in 58.0 innings, the left-hander posted a 3.41 ERA with 40 hits allowed, 36 walks, and 90 strikeouts.
The Mets selected the southpaw in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft and signed him for $2,031,700, the exact slot value of the 46th overall pick. He was assigned to the FCL Mets in early August as a roster formality but did not pitch for them. He instead made his professional debut in 2025, pitching for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. Appearing in 15 games for the Cyclones, making 13 starts, Santucci posted a 3.46 ERA in 67.2 innings, allowing 62 hits, walking 23, and striking out 75. He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton in mid-July and ended his season there, posting a 2.52 ERA in 50.0 innings over 10 starts, allowing 33 hits, walking 18, and striking out 63. All in all, the left-hander posted a cumulative 3.06 ERA in 117.2 innings, scattering 95 hits, walking 41, and striking out 138, his strikeout total fourth in the system.
The 6’2”, 205-pound left-hander has a solid frame for pitching. The left-hander throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot, almost exclusively working from the stretch, incorporating a leg kick and long arm action through the back.
His fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s, topping out as high as 97 MPH on stadium radar guns. Additionally, the pitch comes at batters from a flat approach angle, giving the pitch rising life, especially when thrown up in the zone.
His primary secondary pitch is his slider, a tight, two-plane pitch with gyroscopic break that sits in the low-to-mid-80s. Santucci can throw the pitch effectively to both sides of the plate and uses the pitch against left-handed batters and right-handed batters equally, though it has shown more effectiveness against left-handed batters. The pitch was his main strikeout pitch in college, and the pitch has retained its swing-and-miss qualifies as a professional.
His changeup sits in the mid-to-high-80s and features a bit of armside fade and vertical tumble. He generally does not use the pitch much, more or less reserving it for the second or third time through an order, and the fact that it tunnels well with his fastball and he does not telegraph it makes the pitch even more dangerous.
The left-hander recently added a developing curveball to his repertoire, and the addition of this new high-70s-to-low-80s pitch gives him a four-pitch mix. The pitch is still a work in progress and is not currently a true weapon, instead a strike stealer to catcher batters off-guard.
Command has long since been an issue for the left-hander, and all of his pitches play down when he has starts where he isn’t able to locate his pitches. Coming into the season, Santucci airmailed his fastball and bounced his secondaries with alarming regularity, making him inefficient as well. While some of his command issues stem from the movement in his pitches, almost unbelievably for a highly-regarded college pitching prospect who was drafted fairly high in his respective draft, some his command issues have come down to simply needing to throw more and learn how to repeat his mechanics and release points better; Santucci was primarily an outfielder during his high school baseball days, and after transitioning to being a pitcher full-time while at Duke, he still only threw 128.1 innings in total, supplemented by another 26.2 in collegiate summer leagues. While pitching for Brooklyn, manager Gilbert Gomez observed that Santucci had to do more on-the-job learning than most pitches his age and level and was pleased with how the left-hander began recognizing and self-correcting issues during his tenure with the Cyclones.
While he did not show any issues over the course of 2025, health may be an issue for Santucci over the course of his professional career. While his 2024 rib injury was seemingly random and has not been problematic since, the elbow issue he sustained and had surgically fixed in 2023 may have a recurring impact on his career given the location of the injury.
2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List
13) Elian Peña 14) Zach Thornton 15) Nick Morabito 16) R.J. Gordon 17) Chris Suero 18) Dylan Ross 19) Ryan Lambert 20) Antonio Jimenez 21) Edward Lantigua 22) Eli Serrano III 23) Randy Guzman 24) Daiverson Gutierrez 25) Boston Baro
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at utility guy Dylan Moore.
How many reasons can you come up with for wanting the Texas Rangers to win the division in a given year?
One could say that there’s just one reason, and its that you are a fan of the Texas Rangers, and so inherently you want them to succeed, and winning the division is a success.
But beyond that obvious fact, what other reasons might there be?
Take the 2025 Texas Rangers. I wanted the Rangers to win the division because they hadn’t won the division since 2016, and I wanted to end that run of not winning the division title, meaningless though that may be in the Wild Card Era.
I wanted the Rangers to win the division so they’d finish ahead of the Astros, because screw the Astros.
I wanted the Rangers to win the division because I didn’t want the 2023 world title to be seen as a fluke, a team that played great and then didn’t do anything else afterwards.
I wanted the Rangers to win the division because of what a great story it would be, overcoming all the injuries that near crippled the team late in the season.
And, fairly low down on the list — but on the list nonetheless — is the fact that, over the final month of the season, the Rangers had two guys playing regularly for them who had been released earlier in the season by the Seattle Mariners. And it would be very funny to me if the Rangers passed the Mariners and finished ahead of them with a couple of guys the M’s had cast off.
It didn’t happen, of course, because of course it didn’t. Too many injuries, too much ground to make up.
But it would have been very amusing. At least to me.
Dylan Moore was one of the guys the Mariners released who the Rangers scooped up. Released by the Mariners on August 25, signed by the Rangers on August 27, Moore made his first appearance on August 29 for the Rangers. He seemed to be a good luck charm at first, as the team went 9-2 in the first 11 games he appeared in for Texas. He appeared in seven games after that, and Texas went 0-7 in them, so so much for that.
The Mariners were 44-44 in the games he appeared in for them, so maybe there was something inherently average about him, something that wasn’t limited to just himself but manifested in the team around him. Maybe the Rangers, by signing him, ended up locking themselves into a .500 record for 2025. Maybe the Mariners would have finished at .500 if they had not released him.
As with Luke Jackson, Moore signing with the Rangers brought his career full circle. He was originally drafted by the Rangers in the 7th round in 2015 out of the University of Central Florida, a senior sign who got $10,000 so the Rangers could go above slot for Eric Jenkins and Michael Matuella, their second and third round picks.
And like Luke Jackson, the Rangers traded Moore to the Atlanta Braves in 2016, for an insubstantial return. The Moore to Atlanta trade was actually a three way deal in late August, back when you could still make trades after July 31. Former Ranger Jeff Francoeur, on his last legs in his final major league season, went from Atlanta to Miami. Miami sent Matt Foley, motivational minor leaguer, to the Braves. Texas got international slot money from both Atlanta and Miami.
I had forgotten Jeff Francoeur played for the Rangers until just now. The Rangers traded Joaquin Arias to the Mets for him on August 31, 2010.
Man, that was a long, long time ago.
Moore spent six-plus seasons with the Mariners as a useful role player, even winning a Gold Glove for utility guy in 2024. We can condemn the Rangers for giving up on Moore barely a year into his pro career and getting little in return for him, I guess, if we are especially condemnation minded today. But the Braves released him at the end of spring training in 2018, after he had slashed .207/.291/.292 as a 24 year old in AA the year before, and apparently then didn’t do much that spring to suggest he was going to be any better going forward.
Milwaukee then signed Moore, and he had a pretty good season in their minor league system in 2018, splitting the year between AA and AAA. It wasn’t good enough to convince them to add him to their 40 man roster, however, and he became a free agent at season’s end. Seattle snatched him up a week later on a major league deal and, well, the rest is history.
Moore got 30 plate appearances in his 18 games for the Rangers in 2025, slashing .259/.300/.481 while helping fill in for the injured Marcus Semien at second base. I am hard-pressed to think of anything particularly memorable about his month with Texas. Really, in my mind, he stands as an avatar for the pets-heads-falling-off state of the Rangers in the last six weeks or so of the 2025 season.
We’re at the halfway point of the NBA schedule, meaning we’re into the back nine of the fantasy basketball season. As we draw closer and closer to the end, which players are ones fantasy managers should keep a close eye on, for both positive and negative reasons?
Let's get into it.
→ Watch the NBA Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock: The Spurs take on the Rockets at 8 p.m. ET before the Lakers and Nuggets tip off at 10 p.m. ET. Both games are available on Peacock. Check your local listings for the NBC game in your area.
A Clippers team hit by injuries throughout the first couple of months of the season turned to a two-way player for rotation minutes, and he’s been nothing short of fantastic in recent weeks. Miller, in his third NBA season, is averaging 15.0 points over the Clippers’ recent six-game winning streak, and has scored in double figures in five of those six contests. In that same stretch, he’s logged two games with at least four steals, has made nine three-pointers, and has flashed playmaking ability. Miller has essentially forced himself into head coach Tyronn Lue’s nightly rotation going forward, regardless of roster health. And with Kawhi Leonard currently out with some knee soreness, Miller’s offensive production might not ever be more valuable to this Clippers offense than it is at this moment. He’s certainly worth rostering in fantasy basketball leagues while Leonard is sidelined, but maybe even beyond that.
Jordan Miller handles ➡️ Jordan Miller lefty lay
A pretty play as the Clippers hold the lead in the 3Q!
One of the many fun things to observe this season is how many Celtics players have been counted on to deliver in bigger roles than in the past. While Hauser has had an uneven season from an efficiency standpoint, his recent play is worthy of praise. Most followers of the NBA are probably aware of his recent 30-point performances on strictly three-point attempts (21 of them). But over the three games prior to and the one immediately after, Hauser notched at least 16 points and three triples in all but one of those games. A heavy emphasis on the three-point shot will always be a part of Hauser’s game, which is valuable for those fantasy managers who may need to stream a player who can provide three-point upside. He’s done a good job on the glass in this recent stretch, as well. Stock up.
Brice Sensabaugh — SF/PF, Jazz
What Brice Sensabaugh is doing on the offensive end of the floor over the past few games has been extraordinary. Before missing Monday’s game against the Spurs (illness), he’d pieced together three straight 25-point games, including a career-high 43 points in a recent win over the Bulls in which he tallied 21 first-quarter points. Even beyond those three games, the versatile bench scorer is nearly averaging 20.0 points per game in 10 appearances during January. He’s not going to provide fantasy managers with much else aside from scoring, but if that’s all that is needed, consider him to be a perfectly fine streaming option for those situations.
Not long ago, I wrote about Porter Jr. and how he was thriving regardless of who else was playing alongside him; his usage raised his floor from a fantasy standpoint, leading to strong production. However, things have changed — he averaged 19.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists in December over 13 games, and hasn’t come close to those numbers over the last four games. In the four-game stretch, Porter Jr. is shooting 11-of-42 from the field (3-of-14 from deep), has averaged just 8.0 points, and even went scoreless in one of these appearances. He’s still logging good minutes and generating assists, rebounds, and stocks, so perhaps breaking out of his shooting slump is the simple solution to becoming a reliable fantasy basketball option again.
Miles Bridges — SF/PF, Hornets
The Hornets have put together an encouraging on-court product of late. Several players have stood out, with LaMelo Ball’s recent resurgence a talking point and Brandon Miller’s and Kon Knueppel’s development other significant stories. Miles Bridges, though he’s having a similarly productive season to previous ones, hasn’t had many noteworthy performances lately from a fantasy basketball standpoint. He’s scored in single digits in back-to-back games and barely made it to double figures in a recent loss to the Clippers. His 13.0/5.5/2.0 splits over the past four games aren’t ideal from a fantasy basketball standpoint. Yet, there haven’t been many low-production stretches from Bridges this season. He should get back on track, but for now, his stock is down.
Jordan Poole — PG/SG, Pelicans
It’s been an up-and-down first season in New Orleans for Jordan Poole. The former NBA champion is averaging his fewest points since his sophomore season, is struggling with his shooting efficiency, and has become mostly a full-time reserve for a Pelicans team with the league’s worst record. And things don’t appear to be trending up for Poole, who’s totaled 31 points, five assists, and zero stocks over his last three appearances. His impact in fantasy leagues has been far less than in past seasons, and given the direction the Pelicans are heading, there isn’t much for fantasy managers to be optimistic about going forward.
If last Wednesday night’s loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings didn’t make you pull out your hair, scream, shake your head, and or contemplate how much you believe in this team for the rest of the season, than chances are, the loss to the Warriors, Suns, or the embarrassing loss at home to a 17-26 Mavericks team did. For nearly a month now, the Knicks, yes, the same Knicks that were labeled as favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, have looked closer to the worst team in the league than even a good one.
That’s led to the front office being tasked with two major questions. One, do they think that there are personnel issues, or do they think that the team, as currently constructed, is good enough, and that they are just in the middle of a rough patch? And two, if they do think there are some personnel issues, then are there moves out there that are both realistic, and can help remedy whatever issues that they have diagnosed.
Regardless of the front office’s view, the answer to the first question is a clear yes. Whether fans like it or not, the team is flawed. Few teams are perfect, but the Knicks’ talented roster has clear, exploitable weaknesses. They have only one point-of-attack defender in Deuce McBride, who, despite his development, is still undersized and can’t play full games. Besides Jalen Brunson, they lack real ball handlers, resulting in poor shot creation. The bench, though occasionally effective, remains inconsistent.
The Knicks are considering trading Karl-Anthony Towns and have discussed potential deals with the Magic, Hornets, and Grizzlies, per @StevePopper
The second question, unfortunately, is one that we cannot answer. Fans can speculate, but they are left to social media and media outlets. And even then, they seem not to be able to come to a full agreement for much of the season. Throughout this turbulent season, fans have heard about the possibility of the Knicks moving on from Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as players like Mitchell Robinson and the aforementioned McBride. Whether Towns is involved in a deal for a certain Greek superstar or not, it seems that his defense has struggled, paired with what has now become one of his worst offensive seasons in a very long time, making Towns a likely trade candidate.
See a lot of attention on the trade stuff at the bottom of this column— which i still think is unlikely to happen. As noted, Knicks not openly shopping and anything outside of Giannis downgrades talent. Lots of other issues to fix without breaking up roster. https://t.co/86gb2y0D1x
Steve Popper of Newsday Sports said yesterday there were “whispers around the league” about New York possibly moving Towns. He added, “His name surfaced when Bucks & Knicks discussed the chance of a Giannis deal, but now league sources said that talks have involved other teams including Memphis, Orlando & Charlotte.”
That certainly must’ve raised the eyebrows of some Knicks fans, especially as the fanbase has slowly, but very surely, started to turn against the big man. But Popper also reiterated earlier this morning that he doesn’t think a trade is likely, and that the team isn’t openly shopping anybody.
That sentiment was backed up by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, who spoke about how the Knicks are not looking to move any of their core guys and are planning to ride the season out with the group. He did make sure to include the fact that this doesn’t mean they aren’t speaking to teams. New York will still do their due diligence as they often have, and in a league that just saw superstar Luka Doncic traded away less than 12 months ago, you can never say never.
But much to the dismay of most Knicks fans, it’s looking more and more likely that this team won’t be making any substantial changes this season.
The Winnipeg Jets land a soft matchup to snap a two-game losing streak, with the road-weary St. Louis Blues visiting the Canada Life Centre on Tuesday, January 20.
My top Blues vs. Jets predictions and NHL picks are calling for Winnipeg to capitalize with a win on home ice tonight.
Blues vs Jets prediction
Blues vs Jets best bet: Jets moneyline (-120)
We’re landing a soft price on the Winnipeg Jets, with them playing the second leg of a back-to-back set and for the third time in four nights.
Still, the St. Louis Blues aren’t a good hockey team and sport a 7-13-3 road record while allowing the third-most goals per game (3.74) and eighth-most expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
The Jets have also won four of their past six while scoring 3.83 goals per game and generating the seventh-most xGF per 60 at 5-on-5.
Eric Comrie should have a solid start in net. He posted a rock-solid .914 save percentage and 2.39 GAA in backup duty last season and stopped 23 of 24 shots in a 5-1 home win over the Kings last time out.
The Blues have also scored the fewest goals per game (2.43) in the NHL.
Blues vs Jets same-game parlay
With St. Louis singing the defensive blues on the road, Winnipeg winger Alex Iafallo is positioned to stay hot. He’s been logging top-line minutes and picked up a point in four of his past five games while skating with stars Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.
Jets winger Cole Perfetti rounds out the parlay, and he’s shown off an uptick in shot volume to clear this total in nine of his past 13 games for 27 total shots on 57 attempts.
Blues vs Jets SGP
Jets moneyline
Alex Iafallo Over 0.5 points
Cole Perfetti Over 1.5 shots on goal
Blues vs Jets odds
Moneyline: Blues +110 | Jets -130
Puck Line: +1.5 (-225) | Jets -1.5 (+185)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-135) | Under 5.5 (+115)
Blues vs Jets trend
The St. Louis Blues have only covered the puck line in one of their last eight road games (-8.95 Units / -77% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Jets.
How to watch Blues vs Jets
Location
Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, MB
Date
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN MW, TSN3
Blues vs Jets latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The people have spoken and Angel Genao is our No. 5 Cleveland Guardians prospect. Genao won with a 40.1% of the vote, beating out Cooper Ingle (26.8%), Braylon Doughty (15.5%) and Khal Stephen (11.3%). He moves down one spot from No. 5 last year.
Genao received a $1.175 million signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic in Cleveland’s 2021 international class, tops in Cleveland’s class. In his debut season for the Dominican Summer League, the switch-hitting shortstop slashed .265/.422/.364 with an impressive 20.3% walk rate. The following season, he moved to the United States, where he dominated the Arizona Complex League to the tune of a .322/.394/.416 slash.
Genao spent his entire 2023 campaign with Lynchburg at age 19, slashing .263/.345/.385, although he missed the first two months of the season because of knee surgery. Once fully healthy in 2024, Cleveland chose to repeat him at Lynchburg and the move paid off.
Genao slashed .322/.377/.463 with a 166 wRC+ in Lynchburg, which earned him a promotion to Lake County, where he didn’t slow down, slashing .322/.377/.463 with 13 stolen bases over 66 games played, good for a 140 wRC+. He finished his season with a career-high 10 home runs, more than double his previous best of four in 2023. He has also had pretty even splits against LHP and RHP as a professional.
Genao began 2025 with an aggressive placement at Double-A Akron for his age-21 season, but he was hampered by an injury. He didn’t debut in Akron until early June due to a right shoulder sprain and it never seemed like he was able to fully put it together, finishing the year with a disappointing .263/.332/.382 slash and a ho-hum 103 wRC+ in 77 games at Akron.
Hopefully he can put the shoulder issues behind him in 2026 and get back to his dominant 2024 self.
Now, it’s time to determine who is number five in the Guardians’ loaded farm system! Your options are below:
Impressed at the complex league, then hit the ground running in a late season promotion to Single-A before running out of steam late in his age-17 season. Loaded with potential.
Chourio was lining up to be Cleveland’s top prospect after a sensational 2024, but he was slowed in 2025 by a nagging shoulder injury and had a very average season. He’s looking to bounce back in 2026.
Cleveland’s competitive balance first round pick in 2024, Doughty debuted in full-season ball and put up solid numbers in his age-19 season at Single-A, showcasing elite control.
Cleveland’s first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-6 LaViolette instantly becomes one of the top power hitting prospects in the system. Strikeouts and contact have been an issue, however.
One of Cleveland’s most impressive hitters in its minor league system during his stint at High-A Lake County as a 20-year-old. Rosario has a unique combination of speed and power, but will need to overcome his strikeouts.
Acquired from Toronto in the Shane Bieber trade, Stephen rocketed through the minor league system in 2025 before hitting a wall in Double-A.He instantly became one of Cleveland’s top pitching prospects.
Welcome back to A Pod of Their Own, an all-women led Home Run Applesauce podcast where we talk all things Mets, social justice issues in baseball, and normalize female voices in the sports podcasting space.
This week, we begin by discussing the very busy 24 hours for the Mets between Thursday night when they missed out on Kyle Tucker and Friday afternoon when they pivoted to Bo Bichette instead. We also talk about whether a salary cap or a lockout is coming for baseball and where the Mets go from here this offseason.
We also talk about the state of the NL East with the Mets sniping Bichette from the Phillies and the Braves losing their starting shortstop to injury for the first half of the season. We also shout out the record-breaking attendance at Capital One Arena in Washington DC for the PWHL game between the New York Sirens and the Montreal Victorie.
Finally, we wrap things up with Walk-off Wins, where each of us talks about what’s making us happy this week, baseball-related or otherwise.
You can listen or subscribe to all of our wonderful Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts. You can also support our work by subscribing to our Patreon, which will get you bonus episodes, access to our Discord server, livestream experiences, an exclusive monthly playlist, and more!
You can follow A Pod of Their Own on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky (@apodoftheirown) and you can follow Home Run Applesauce on Twitter and Instagram (@HRApplesauce). You can also follow our co-hosts on Twitter and Bluesky: Allison McCague (@PetitePhD), Maggie Wiggin (@maggie162), and LindaSurovich (@LindaSurovich). You can also email the show at aa.apodoftheirown@gmail.com.
Look for A Pod of Their Own in your feeds every week and don’t forget: there’s no crying in podcasting!
After each game, Brew Hoop evaluates each Buck’s individual performance with a letter grade. At this season’s 25% mark, we decided to check the Bucks’ grades as a progress report, but now that we have hit the halfway point, it’s time to see how the grades turned out since last check. Below are the players’ first-quarter averages, current averages, their most common grades, and their highs and lows. You will probably notice an unfortunate trend.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Q1 average: A-
Current average: B+
Most common grade: A (nine games)
Best grade: A+, October 26 (Cavaliers) and November 17 (Cavaliers)
Lowest grade: D, January 15 (Spurs)
Myles Turner
Q1 average: B-
Current average: C+
Most common grade: B- (six games)
Best grade: A, November 7 (Bulls), December 29 (Hornets)
Lowest grade: F, January 15 (Spurs)
Ryan Rollins
Q1 average: B+
Current average: B
Most common grade: B (eleven games)
Best grade: A+, October 28 (Knicks) and 30 (Warriors), December 27 (Bulls)
Lowest grade: D-, January 15 (Spurs)
Kevin Porter Jr
Q1 average: Incomplete
Current average: B-
Most common grade: A, A-, and B+ (three games)
Best grade: A+, December 6 (Pistons)
Lowest grade: F, January 15 (Spurs)
AJ Green
Q1 average: B-
Current average: C+
Most common grade: B (eight games)
Best grade: A, October 26 (Cavaliers), November 29 (Nets), December 3 (Pistons)
Lowest grade: F, December 21 (Timberwolves), January 4 (Kings) and 15 (Spurs
Gary Trent Jr.
Q1 average: C+
Current average: C
Most common grade: C+ (six games)
Best grade: B+, October 22 (Wizards) and 24 (Raptors), November 1 (Kings) and 26 (Heat)
Lowest grade: F, October 26 (Cavaliers), December 21 (Timberwolves), January 2 (Hornets) and 15 (Spurs)
Bobby Portis
Q1 average: C+
Current average: C+
Most common grade: B+ (five games)
Best grade: A, November 24 (Blazers)
Lowest grade: D, October 22 (Wizards), November 28 (Knicks), January 15 (Spurs)
Kyle Kuzma
Q1 average: B
Current average: C+
Most common grade: B+ (four games)
Best grade: A+, November 14 (Hornets)
Lowest grade: F, November 15 (Lakers), January 13 (Timberwolves)
Jericho Sims
Q1 average: C+
Current average: C+
Most common grade: C and C+ (two games each)
Best grade: A+, December 3 (Pistons)
Lowest grade: D, November 24 (Blazers)
Gary Harris
Q1 average: B-
Current average: C+
Most common grade: C (four games)
Best grade: A-, November 14 (Hornets), January 7 (Warriors)
Lowest grade: C, November 20 (Sixers) and 26 (Heat)
Doc Rivers
Q1 average: B-
Current average C
Most common grade: C (five games)
Best grade: A, October 30 (Warriors), November 7 (Bulls)
Lowest grade: F, December 14 (Nets), January 13 (Timberwolves) and 15 (Spurs)
The following received incompletes due to injury and/or lack of playing time in quarter 2: Amir Coffey, Andre Jackson Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Pete Nance, Taurean Prince, and Cole Anthony.
Unsurprisingly, Milwaukee’s declining performance over the last several weeks affected these grades. Almost all the players—except Bobby Portis—saw their average drop, with Kuzma seeing the largest drop from a B to C+. Giannis, Ryan Rollins, and Bobby are the only main rotational players to not receive an F grade this season, and Gary Trent Jr. is still hoping for his first A.
Some of the worst games of the season, like losses against Brooklyn, Minnesota, and San Antonio, really hurt the averages with plenty of D or F grades. Doc Rivers saw his average drop from a B- to a C, and given his uninspiring coaching, he will likely continue a downward trend. In January alone, Doc averages a 1.62 GPA, which would put him closer to the C- range. Rivers will be on an IEP until further notice.
Spencer Martin stopped 21 of the 25 shots he saw in the defeat, while Jonathan Quick is slated to face his former team in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Asked if Quick’s 16-year history with the Kings factored into the decision to play him in the second game, coach Mike Sullivan left nothing for interpretation.
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“It does,” he said with a smile. “Without a doubt, it for sure does. I think Quickie deserves that.”
Since the Kings traded him to Columbus, which flipped him to Vegas in March 2023, Quick has faced the club that drafted him 72nd overall in 2005 three times as a Ranger.
He has yet to win in Los Angeles, however, after the Blueshirts fell 2-1 in his return to the city in January 2024.
Appearing in relief in one of his previous three games against the Kings, Quick owns a 1-1 record and a .952 save percentage against his former team.
The 39-year-old Quick got a run of five consecutive games from Jan. 5-12 amid Igor Shesterkin’s injured reserve designation.
Jonathan Quick will start against his former team. Jason Szenes/NY Post
Since Shesterkin went down with a lower-body injury, Quick has posted a .786 save percentage (22 goals on 103 shots) and an 0-4-1 record.
His 5.78 goals-against average over that span is the highest — by a considerable margin — among NHL goalies who have appeared in at least five games since Jan. 5.
The Rangers haven’t helped Quick much in front of him. The Connecticut native has also been pulled twice in his past three games.
Martin, who signed a two-year contract with the Rangers in November, made his Rangers debut in relief in Boston. Since then, Martin has owned a .852 save percentage and a 4.16 GAA.
He picked up his first victory with the Blueshirts in a 25-save performance in Philadelphia.
“I thought he played well,” Sullivan said of Martin in Philly. “I thought he made some key saves for us, in particular in the third period [against the Flyers]. We felt like he played well. The reality is, we’re going to need two goalies given the workload of games leading up to the Olympic break. We’ll continue to monitor that. We thought he played real well the other day.”
Carson Soucy joined the Rangers for morning skate in Anaheim but did not suit up Monday night.
“He’s had a long trip coming back, hasn’t skated in three days,” Sullivan said. “We didn’t think it was the right thing to do to put him in right away.”
The Ottawa Senators need to string together wins before the playoffs are out of reach, and they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena tonight.
My Senators vs. Blue Jackets predictions and NHL picks are calling for Ottawa to return to the wins column in the Buckeye State tonight.
Senators vs Blue Jackets prediction
Senators vs Blue Jackets best bet: Senators moneyline (-110)
The saves are coming for the Ottawa Senators because their league-low .887 team save percentage at 5-on-5 is unsustainable given they’re doing so much else right.
Ottawa ranks fifth in both Corsi For percentage and expected goals percentage at 5-on-5, and the Sens also rank seventh in power-play percentage. Add the Senators having their entire roster healthy, and the goaltending script is set up to be flipped.
This is as good a night as any, too. The Columbus Blue Jackets have middling ranks in both CF% and xGF% at 5-on-5, and they’ve allowed the second-most shots per game and fifth-most attempts per 60 minutes at 5-on-5.
So, even if the goaltending falters, the Sens can also score their way to a win.
Senators vs Blue Jackets same-game parlay
Sens winger Drake Batherson has marked the scoresheet in six of his past nine games, and he’s put up a high-end 1.41 goals and 3.26 points per 60 minutes to pace the Sens for the year in both. The Blue Jackets have also allowed the ninth-most goals per game (3.13).
Rounding out the SGP, I’m eyeing Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot in the shot market. He’s picked up 2+ in 11 of 15 games since returning to the lineup for 31 total on 85 attempts, and Columbus has surrendered the sixth-most shots per game to opposing defensemen.
Senators vs Blue Jackets SGP
Senators moneyline
Drake Batherson Over 0.5 points
Thomas Chabot Over 1.5 shots on goal
Senators vs Blue Jackets odds
Moneyline: Senators -110 | Blue Jackets -110
Puck Line: Senators +1.5 (-275) | Blue Jackets -1.5 (+210)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 | Under 6.5
Senators vs Blue Jackets trend
The Senators have covered the puck line in seven of their last 10 road games for +6.30 units and a 40% ROI. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs. Blue Jackets.
How to watch Senators vs Blue Jackets
Location
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Date
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
RDS2, FDSN-Ohio
Senators vs Blue Jackets latest injuries
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John Owen was key figure in titles won from 2014 to 2021
Audi to unveil first car in Berlin on Tuesday evening
Mercedes have announced that their leading car designer, John Owen, will leave this season as Formula One enters the first year of a major change in regulations. Owen has played a key part in the enormous success Mercedes has enjoyed in the modern era when the team secured eight consecutive constructors’ championships.
There are no indications as yet that Owen intends to join another team, with Mercedes saying he will continue in his role until mid-season to manage the transition process, after which he will take a period of gardening leave and what the team described as “a break from F1”.
Cubs left-hander Justin Steele made just four starts in 2025 before missing the rest of the season with Tommy John surgery. That surgery took place April 18, 2025, and the normal time frame for returning is between 12 and 15 months.
That means, theoretically, that Steele could be back pitching sometime in late April, though that’s likely not going to happen. Most probably, Steele will be placed on the 60-day injured list whenever that list opens, usually sometime in early March, which would mean the first game back for him would be in early May.
Steele took a step forward in his rehab process Friday when he threw off a mound for the first time since he underwent season-ending elbow surgery in April. Steele said Saturday he is feeling really good and hasn’t suffered any setbacks.
“There hasn’t really been any hiccups at all through this process,” Steele said. “It’s felt good the entire time. If anything, we’re ahead of schedule. Kind of been pushing the envelope the entire time, wanting to get off the mound, push the footage back as far as the throwing progression goes. But, yeah, it’s full steam ahead.”
Steele expects his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, will want him to be on some level of an innings limit for 2026 and so he anticipates that will impact when he comes back, though the belief is it will be sometime early in the season. The Cubs envision playing in October and making a deeper run this year, lessening a rush to get Steele back as soon as possible, especially with the depth they have built for the rotation.
The last sentence is the most important. This sort of thing is something the Dodgers, for example, have done — put together a deep rotation so that injured pitchers don’t have to rush back. For example, Blake Snell made just 11 starts during the 2025 regular season, but started five times (and appeared in six games) during the Dodgers’ postseason run.
The acquisition of Edward Cabrera means the Cubs already have a solid rotation that includes Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shōta Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. Colin Rea, who started 27 times for the Cubs in 2025, is thus pushed to a long relief/swingman role, and Javier Assad, who started seven games down the stretch for the Cubs last year, probably starts the year at Triple-A Iowa being stretched out to start.
Thus Steele’s return could even be delayed until after the All-Star break, with a somewhat leisurely rehab assignment before that to make sure he’s 100 percent. That would be a bonus to the Cubs, to be able to add a starter of Steele’s caliber in late July, almost like a trade deadline acquisition.
Give Jed Hoyer credit — he’s addressed the starting rotation by acquiring Cabrera, which helps give the staff more depth, and here’s hoping when Steele comes back, he’s ready to produce — similar to the way Boyd did for the Guardians when he returned from TJS in August 2024. You probably remember that first Boyd start — it was against the Cubs Aug. 13, 2024, and he shut them down for 5.1 innings with six strikeouts.
Although the Royals have added Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas to their lineup, the offseason still feels incomplete. The Royals could use another outfielder to provide depth and give more options on offense. Reports are that a trade for Jarren Duran of the Red Sox or Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals are “increasingly unlikely,” the Royals may have to turn to a thin free agent market.
One of the outfield bats still available is 30-year-old Miguel Andujar. Andujar is coming off a career resurgence, in which he hit .318/.352/.470 with 10 home runs in 341 plate appearances with the Athletics and Reds last season. According to New York Post reporter Jon Heyman, the right-handed hitting outfielder is drawing “significant interest” with Rangers, Padres, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs, and Athletics among the teams “in play.”
Miguel Andujar, off big 2025 season (.318 BA, .822 OPS), is drawing significant interest. Rangers, Padres, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs, A’s among many in play.
Andujar was once a highly-touted top 100 prospect with the Yankees. In 2018, he hit .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs as a rookie, finishing behind only Shohei Ohtani, then of the Angels, in Rookie of the Year voting. He missed most of the next season following shoulder surgery, and struggled to hit the next few years with the Yankees. The Pirates claimed him off waivers in 2022, and the Athletics picked him up after the 2023 season.
After a wrist injury set him back to begin the year, Andujar’s got off to a hot start in 2024. He hit .285/.320/.377 in 75 games with the A’s, but he missed the final month with a core muscle injury that would require surgery. In 2025, he got off to a decent start but went on an absolute tear over the last two months. After July 25, he hit .372/.411/.620 with seven home runs in his last 39 games.
Andujar obliterated lefties last year, hitting .389/.409/.578 against them, and he hit .411 against southpaws in 2024, although in just 61 plate appearances.
He also puts the ball in play. Andujar has a strikeout rate of just 13.8 percent over the last two seasons, 21st-lowest among players with at least 600 plate appearances. He has a 92.9 percent contact rate on pitches in the strike zone in that time, one of the highest rates in baseball. He hardly ever walks, but he is a tough out – over the last two seasons, he has hit .269 with two strikes on him, the fifth-highest average in baseball in those situations.
Andujar is not particularly fast, and he has negative Baserunning Runs in each of the last two seasons. He split his time mostly between third base and left field last year, and was a poor defender at each position.
Andujar is probably looking for a two-year deal, but at this point in the offseason, he will likely have to settle for a one-year contract, even with the alleged suitors Heyman mentions. He has value as a role player, likely in a platoon role, but is not worth investing in long-term. The Royals may be up against their budgetary limitations, but Andujar shouldn’t break the bank. I would expect him to sign for between $6-8 million, with maybe a $9-10 million club or mutual option for 2027 with a $1 million buyout.
The Royals have two left-handed-hitting outfielder with Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone. Isaac Collins is a switch-hitter without much of a platoon split, and Lane Thomas is a right-hander. Andujar could slot in there and spell Isbel and occasionally Caglianone (unless his reverse split last year was for real) and give the Royals a weapon against lefties. It isn’t the impact bat the Royals are looking for, but even incremental upgrades can help and the Royals can always reassess the market this summer if they are in contention.
Kurt Helin
