Jase Richardson has vaulted higher in NBA mock drafts, from a potential first-round pick to potential lottery pick if he leaves Michigan State.
Roki Sasaki's MLB debut is tantalizing, and shaky, as Dodgers complete Tokyo Series sweep
It lasted just three innings. It included a grand total of 56 pitches. And it was nowhere near a flawless introduction to Major League Baseball.
But was it ever one heck of a show.
Making his Major League Baseball debut Wednesday night, in front of his home nation at a sold-out Tokyo Dome and under immense pressure that had been building ever since his mid-January signing, Roki Sasaki’s first Dodgers start ran the full gamut of emotions, and included the kind of twists and turns that will likely define his rookie MLB season.
There was jaw-dropping stuff — including four consecutive 100 mph fastballs to start the night, a flurry of signature splitters that seemed to break in unpredictable directions every time they were unleashed from his right middle and index fingers, and even a few swing-and-miss sliders that effectively complemented his other two primary pitches.
Read more:Hernández: Shohei Ohtani's Tokyo Series home run is the culmination of the 'Week of Ohtani'
There was also wildly inconsistent command — leading him to walk five of the 14 batters he faced on the night, miss the strike zone on more than 55% of his total pitches, and spend much of his night working out of constant stress.
There were highlight reel moments — like when he blew Seiya Suzuki away for his first career strikeout, and stranded the bases loaded in the third on back-to-back punchouts of Michael Busch and Matt Shaw.
And then there were expected examples of growing pains — from Sasaki’s inability to slow the running game, to the bases-loaded free pass he issued to Kyle Tucker that resulted in his only run allowed.
Welcome to the Roki Sasaki experience, one that should make the 23-year-old right-hander one of the most interesting players to watch on this year’s Dodgers team, if not all of baseball.
On any given pitch, the Japanese phenom can dazzle with his talent, and dominate with his pure athletic ability. On any given night, he might make entire big-league lineups look foolish at the plate.
Yet, at any given moment, he can also lose his rhythm, pepper the ball anywhere but the strike zone, and create chaos for himself and his Dodgers team.
Buckle up. Because when Sasaki pitches, it will almost assuredly be must-see TV.
“When you get youth and talent, which is Roki, what that introduces is variance,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So there's going to be some really high highs, and then some things that you just don't know that are gonna happen, because of his inexperience.”
The good news for the Dodgers: Sasaki’s inexperience didn’t derail Wednesday’s debut, with the pitcher working out of just enough trouble to preserve a three-inning, one-run line in the Dodgers’ 6-3 Tokyo Series-sweeping win.
In the first inning, Sasaki was flawless. He lit up the radar gun with fastballs of 100, 100, 100 and then 101 mph to begin the night. He pumped 99-mph heat past Suzuki to record his first career K. He retired the side in order while a captivated Japanese crowd roared in applause.
From there, however, little came easy.
Sasaki lost fastball after fastball to his arm side in the second inning, issuing walks to Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson before getting a reprieve on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s line-out double play. He started spraying the ball again in the third, following Jon Berti’s one-out single — the only hit Sasaki allowed in his outing — with three straight walks to force in a run.
Read more:Hernández: Roki Sasaki's bond with Rikuzentakata endures, long after 2011 tsunami
At that point, the Dodgers still had a 3-1 cushion, thanks to a two-run rally in the second-inning rally and solo home run from Tommy Edman in the third. They’d add more insurance later in the game on a two-run home run from Kiké Hernández in the fourth and, to the raucous delight of the Tokyo Dome crowd, a Shohei Ohtani solo blast in the fifth.
But in this moment, with Sasaki seemingly on the ropes, Roberts got his bullpen active while staring toward the mound with a contemplative gaze.
It felt like, with Sasaki’s pitch count climbing quickly, he was likely down to his final couple batters.
Then, in the most telling sequence of the night, he struck out both to extinguish the danger — spotting three outer-edge fastballs to sit Busch down looking, before dialing up a pair of sliders to Shaw that he helplessly swung through — and end his debut with a deep sigh of relief.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Rangers tell fans behind ‘shameful’ banner to stay away after Uefa charge
- Banner appeared during victory over Fenerbahce
- Club expecting ‘significant sanctions’ from Uefa
Rangers have described the behaviour of a minority of their fans as “embarrassing” after being charged by Uefa over incidents during last week’s Europa League last-16 victory over Fenerbahce at Ibrox.
Rangers confirmed on Wednesday that they faced significant sanctions after what Uefa described as a “racist and/or discriminatory banner” was unveiled by a group of fans. The banner read: “Keep woke foreign ideologies out. Defend Europe.”
Continue reading...Scheierman has breakout performance in Celtics' win over Nets
Scheierman has breakout performance in Celtics' win over Nets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics are pretty much locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings and the Brooklyn Nets are destined to finish in the draft lottery, so there wasn’t a ton at stake in Tuesday night’s matchup at TD Garden.
But that didn’t stop fans from creating an amazing atmosphere, and the primary reason for the excitement was Baylor Scheierman.
The 2024 first-round draft pick scored a career-high 20 points on 6-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. His best moment came at the end of the third quarter. He banked in a long 3-pointer but it was waved off due to a whistle. The rookie forward got another chance with 1.7 seconds left and drilled a 3-pointer as time expired, sending the crowd into a frenzy and firing up his teammates.
“It’s pretty special. When I hit that buzzer beater and the crowd was going crazy, that was probably a top-three environment I’ve ever been a part of,” Scheierman told reporters postgame. “It’s just special, and that’s obviously what makes Boston so elite and the best sports city in the country.”
It can be tough for a rookie to find a rhythm on a team like the Celtics that wins a lot of games and has a bunch of veteran players, but Scheierman has done a nice job staying ready and taking advantage of opportunities whenever they come.
“I think I’ve just done a good job of just trying to be where my feet are, whether that’s Maine or here, and try to learn as much as possible and take bits and pieces from everybody and mold it into my routine and how I go about things,” Scheierman said.
“I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve seen over the course of the year is just the growth that I’ve learned and staying ready for whenever my number is called.”
Scheierman was labeled as a very good outside shooter when the Celtics drafted him out of Creighton, and his ability to knock down 3-point shots is obviously quite valuable. But he’s more than just a shooter. He crashes the boards, he plays with toughness, he gives great effort defensively, he dives on the floor for loose balls — a lot of the little things that add up to winning. In addition to his scoring, he tallied three rebounds, two steals and one assist in 16 minutes versus the Nets.
“The thing I really like about him is his toughness,” C’s head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters postgame. “He’s got a high level of toughness. He’s got a chip on his shoulder and kind of an F-U mentality to where he’s going to make it work. We saw that on some of his box-outs, some of his offensive rebounds. Again, the threes were great, but I like the mindset and the toughness that he brought on both ends of the floor.”
Scheierman agreed with his coach’s remarks.
“You kind of have to have that mentality to make it in this league with a lot of talented players,” he said. “Every time I step on that court I’m trying to go 110 percent and play as hard as I can regardless of the score or who we’re playing against. Just trying to put my best foot forward every single time.”
The Celtics have a pretty soft schedule the rest of the regular season. There are a lot of matchups against non-playoff teams coming up. If Mazzulla chooses to rest some of his veterans to keep them fresh for the playoffs, there could be lots more chances for Scheierman to develop his talent and prove he belongs at this level.
And if Scheierman continues to play well, maybe he could earn some minutes in the playoffs. Celtics history is full of unexpected playoff heros who played a key role in winning a single game or an entire series.
Hernández: Shohei Ohtani's Tokyo Series home run is the culmination of the 'Week of Ohtani'
The entire week was a buildup to this.
Whether the ball struck by Shohei Ohtani would have cleared the right-field wall at the Tokyo Dome if some fans hadn’t reached over the railing is immaterial. In baseball, results are marked in absolute terms, and the official record will forever show that Ohtani homered in the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ season-opening, two-game series finale against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.
Which is how it had to be.
Because this week wasn’t about the defending World Series champions visiting Japan, or Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s transformation, or even Roki Sasaki’s major league debut.
This week was the Week of Ohtani.
Read more:Dodgers vs. Cubs live updates: Shohei Ohtani homers, Dodgers finish Tokyo Series sweep
This was the week when Ohtani brought his team to Japan. This was the week when Ohtani’s adopted country of the United States became aware of the degree to which he was admired in his homeland. And this was the week in which Ohtani homered in the Dodgers’ second win in as many nights over the Cubs.
Ohtani’s penchant for delivering on command is something that has been discussed ad nauseam — I wrote about it again after Ohtani homered in an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants four days earlier.
But his reliability is what made this entire week possible.
That Shohei swing. #TokyoSeriespic.twitter.com/ca4BHlOFg9
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 19, 2025
Sponsors paid a premium to have Ohtani pitch their products on the never-ending stream of commercials that were shown inside the Tokyo Dome because they know he will produce. Other companies made similar wagers on Ohtani, their Ohtani-themed advertisements found everywhere around this city.
Fans paid outrageous prices for tickets to watch these games because they knew there was a good chance Ohtani could produce a moment like this for them.
And he did.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hitter values for fantasy baseball: Did spring training help Cam Smith or Brett Baty?
Spring training may be winding to a close, but there are still a few position battles up for grabs. While most of the players competing for these jobs are not high-end fantasy assets, a few of them could prove to be major values in this weekend's fantasy baseball drafts if they were to find themselves in a full-time job. Below, I've gone through each of the remaining positional battles that I see out there and, with the help of Thomas Nestico's awesome playing time cheatsheet, tried to make sense of who might win the job and what that could mean for their fantasy value.
Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworld’s preseason fantasy baseball content.
AL East
Boston Red Sox
Second Base
Rafael Devers has said that he would DH if that's what the Red Sox wanted him to do, and Alex Bregman has started no games at second base this spring, so it feels like a good bet that Bregman is the starting third baseman in Boston. That leaves Kristian Campbell, David Hamilton, and Vaughn Grissom to battle for second base. Campbell has, unfortunately, had a bad spring, going 5-for-33 (.152) with 13 strikeouts and five walks. While he's one of the top prospects in baseball, he did start the 2024 season in High-A, so there's an argument that he could use more time in the minors. Had Grissom done better than hit 6-for-32 (.188) this spring, he may have forced the Red Sox hand. Grissom did have just five strikeouts and four walks, so he's making a lot of contact, but he didn't win this job. Hamilton may have after going 10-for-40 (.250) with eight strikeouts, seven walks, and five steals. This is after a good MLB debut in 2024. I think this comes down to Hamilton and Campbell, but because Hamilton can also play short and be an elite pinch runner, he could make the team as a backup with the Red Sox giving Campbell a month or so at the beginning of the season to attempt to lock down the job. However, just know that this could be a Jackson Holliday situation. The Red Sox want to contend this season, and if Campbell doesn't hit in April, the Red Sox have options to send him down and give somebody else a shot.
Corner Outfield
I think this is settled, but for how long? Jarren Duran seems locked in as the left fielder with Ceddanne Rafaela in center field. Masataka Yoshida still is only throwing from 90 feet, so he seems likely to start the season on the IL with Devers now at designated hitter. That means Wilyer Abreu will remain in right field without much competition for now, but what happens when Yoshida is healthy or when Boston decides having Roman Anthony in Triple-A is offensive? Rafaela is also a former top-40 prospect who has made great strides this spring, so I don't think the Red Sox just push him aside, especially since he's an elite defensive center fielder, which might mean Abreu needs to be traded somewhere.
NewYork Yankees
Designated Hitter/ Centerfield
The Giancarlo Stanton injury opened up the DH spot in New York and many people, like me, would love to see Ben Rice get the job because he has been hitting the ball hard all spring, going 10-for-39 (.256) with three home runs, 12 strikeouts and four walks. However, Dominic Smith has also had a good spring, going 10-for-31 (.323) with three home runs, five strikeouts, and no walks. Yet, what further complicates this is that the Yankees love Trent Grisham's defense in the outfield, so they could start Grisham in the outfield and allow Aaron Judge to DH more often, which would help keep Judge healthy. Grisham has also had a good spring, so I feel like the most likely outcome is that Rice, Smith, and Judge all spend time at DH early in the season, which will make it hard for any of Rice, Smith, and Grisham to carve out fantasy value in shallower formats.
Toronto Blue Jays
Designated Hitter
It would seem to be best if Anthony Santander was the full-time DH and one of Joey Loperfido or Alan Roden could play left field for Toronto; however, that seems unlikely. Santander is going to play some left field and also DH, which means there needs to be somebody to fill in at each spot around him. When Santander is in left, it seems like the Blue Jays could go with Will Wagner at DH against righties and Davis Schneider there against lefties. Schneider also played five games in LF, so he could move out there and seems likely to be in every lineup against left-handed pitching. Addison Barger could also play his way into consideration here and, unlike Wagner who can only play the infield, Barger has experience in the corner outfield as well as at third base. Barger has gone 9-for-24 (.375) this spring with two home runs while Wagner has gone 4-for-28 (.250) with six strikeouts and no walks, so it wouldn't surprise me if Barger makes this team and gets an early shot at DH at-bats against right-handed pitchers when Santander is in the outfield. I've drafted Barger in a few draft-and-holds, and I would recommend adding him in AL-only formats if he makes this team.
Baltimore Orioles
Designated Hitter
It doesn't seem like there should be a spot open here with Ryan O'Hearn at designated hitter against righties and Ryan Mountcastle at first base; however, the Orioles keep saying that Heston Kjerstad deserves to get at-bats against righties, so perhaps the Orioles will make a change. O'Hearn has been solid for the last two years, but he's a .270 hitter with 15 home run power and no speed, which doesn't move the needle for a team like Baltimore. Kjerstad could push to be the regular DH, which would allow O'Hearn to fill a role as a bat off the bench or a trade candidate. I like taking late fliers on Kjerstad in case it takes him a couple of weeks to get the job, like Colton Cowser last season.
Tampa Bay Rays
Designated Hitter
Eloy Jimenez has made the most starts at designated hitter this spring, and it's clear that the Rays want him to earn a role; however, he's gone just 8-for-34 (.235) with one home run, nine strikeouts, and one walk. Unfortunately for him, Curtis Mead has been one of the stars of the spring, going 19-for-33 (.576) with one home run, one steal, five walks, and three strikeouts. Mead is a below-average defender at most positions, so he would likely need to be in the lineup at DH if he's going to be in the lineup. That also means he would have to push aside presumed favorite Jonathan Aranda, who has gone 9-for-36 (.250) this spring with 13 strikeouts and three walks. For a few years now, the Rays have not wanted to give Aranda a shot at full-time at-bats, possibly because of his poor defense, so it wouldn't be a shock for them to give Mead a shot before Aranda.
Shortstop
The Rays need to find somebody to play shortstop with Ha-Seong Kim out, and the early favorite appears to be Taylor Walls, who started 10 games at short this spring. That's not going to move the needle much for fantasy purposes. We'd probably rather it be Jose Caballero, given his plus speed, but he only made five starts there this spring so it feels unlikely he gets more than a few starts a week per week.
The Rotoworld staff unveil the players they have drafted the most this spring.
AL Central
Cleveland Guardians
Right Field
While everybody assumes Jhonkensy Noel is going to man right field because he hits the ball hard, it's never that simple with the Guardians who value contact and versatility. Noel has gone 11-for-39 (.282) this spring with two home runs; however, he has also struck out 16 times and not walked once. That's always going to be the big issue with him. Meanwhile, Will Brennan has almost as many starts in right field at Noel this spring and has gone 9-for-31 (.290) with two home runs, four strikeouts, and one walk. Brennan is a better defender and is a left-handed hitter, so he could get the majority of the starts in right field against right-handed pitchers with Noel mixing in against lefties and getting starts in favorable matchups. I feel like Brennan is underrated in deeper formats.
Detroit Tigers
Third base
The Tigers sent Josh Jung down to the minors this week, which means they need somebody else to claim the third base job until Matt Vierling returns. They did play Javier Baez at third base a few times this spring, and he has looked better with a new swing and a potentially clean bill of health. The Tigers have a lot of money tied up in Baez, so they may give him a shot. At least against right-handed pitching. Against lefties, I'd expect Andy Ibanez to get the vast majority of starts, but I'm probably avoiding all in fantasy formats.
Designated Hitter
With the Tigers managing the injury to Vierling and also Parker Meadows, they don't have a clear option at designated hitter. It's typically a spot they will use to get usual starters a day off from playing the field; yet, that wouldn't be the case to start the year because they don't have enough healthy hitters. That could mean that Spencer Torkelson gets another shot after a solid spring that saw him go 10-for-35 (.286) with four home runs, nine strikeouts, and two walks. It's worth a gamble in most formats to give Torkelson a chance since he hit 31 home runs in 2023, but he doesn't seem like a vastly different player to me, so I'm not sure he will stick as an everyday player when Vierling and Meadows return.
Minnesota Twins
Third Base/ First Base / Designated Hitter
The injury to Royce Lewis is going to lead to some shifting in the Twins' infield, but it's not as if they're unaccustomed to that. Jose Miranda could slide to third base, as he did for a chunk of 2024, but he graded out poorly there defensively, so it's more likely that Willi Castro or Brooks Lee could see a chunk of playing time there, which would allow Miranda to fill in as the primary designated hitter. That's good news for Miranda because he's had a solid spring but has also been outplayed by Ty France, who is hitting the ball well and was likely to be the starting first baseman. This would allow all of Miranda, France, and Castro to get regular playing time at the start of the season. France is more of a deeper-league play in my eyes given his limited power upside as a first baseman, but I'm happy to take a late-round flier on Miranda, who was hitting the ball well before his back injury last year.
Second Base
With Willi Castro sliding over the third base, that would mean that Brooks Lee and Edouard Julien would battle for second base. Unless Lee takes over a third base and then Castro and Julien share second. Confused yet? Lee is a switch-hitter and a far better defender than Julien, so he certainly has a leg up. He's also gone 8-for-39 (.256) this spring with two home runs, six strikeouts, and one walk, so he hasn't exactly pulled away from the competition too much. Lee would pick up 2B/SS eligibility or SS/3B eligibility and was a prospect of note coming up, so he's worth a gamble. I'm just not sure his skill set is entirely fantasy-friendly in shallower formats.
Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Othani lead Rotoworld’s preseason Top 300 for 2025
Another injury for Royce Lewis and David Bednar’s struggles continue.
Matthew PouliotChicago White Sox
Shortstop/ Second Base
With the White Sox sending Colson Montgomery down to the minors, they need a starting shortstop. Jacob Amaya has played the most games there this spring, but Chase Meidroth is right behind him, and Meidroth, who the White Sox got in the Garrett Crochet deal, is more interesting to me. He's only 3-for-28 this spring, but he has eight walks and six strikeouts, so the plate discipline numbers have been pretty good. He was good for the Red Sox in 2024 and played the entire 122-game season at Triple-A, so he may not have much left to prove. With Josh Rojas battling a fractured toe, that could allow Lenyn Sosa to start the season at second base. He's gone 9-for-32 (.281) this spring and could have earned himself another shot.
Left Field
The White Sox outfield is incredibly banged up with both Austin Slater and Andrew Benintendi set to start the season on the IL. The team signed Travis Jankowski just the other day and also has Michael A. Taylor as a reserve outfielder. So far, Taylor has split his eight starts between left field and center field and he does make more sense as a starter than Jankowski. However, Jankowski is a left-handed hitter, so maybe Chicago would prefer that platoon split. Regardless, neither would move the needle outside of deep AL-only formats.
AL West
Houston Astros
Right Field
This is probably the most discussed position battle in spring training because it involves rookie Cam Smith, who has gone 11-for-26 (.423) in 11 MLB spring training games with three home runs, six strikeouts, and five walks. He certainly looks the part; however, we should note that he hasn't faced many MLB pitchers this spring. That said, he was a highly-regarded prospect and he played some outfield in the Cape Cod league before being drafted, so he has the athleticism to make the transition. Do the Astros want him to make that defensive change on the fly while also learning to hit MLB pitching? It's a lot to ask. They could instead go with Zach Dezenzo, who is just 24 years old, worked out in the outfield in Triple-A last year, and is hitting 13-for-35 (.371) this spring with two home runs, nine strikeouts, and two walks. Dezenzo can also play 1B and 3B, which would add some extra depth if the Astros want to get left-handed-hitting Ben Gamel in the outfield for some games. My personal opinion is that it makes more sense for the Astros to give Dezenzo the shot and let Smith adjust to the outfield while facing Triple-A pitching for a month or so, but I'm not sure that's what Houston will do. UPDATE: Dezenzo got hurt on Tuesday night while diving for a ball at first base, so that could change how this plays out.
Second Base
With Jose Altuve moving to a more primary outfield role, that leaves second base for Mauricio Dubon or Brendan Rodgers. So far this spring, Dubon has started nine games and second and only two games at other spots, so even though we think of him as a super utility player, and he kind of is, the Astros have been using him mainly at second base. Rogers has eight starts at second and has played no other positions this spring. Rodgers had gone 8-for-28 (.286) this spring and brings no speed and average defense, so it's unclear if he will even make this team. The Astros would give themselves more flexibility by using Dubon at second, knowing that they can also bring Altuve in to play there at times. Then they can keep Luis Guillorme as the backup infielder since he's a plus defender at all infield spots.
Los Angeles Angels
Third Base / Second Base
The recent news that Yoan Moncada has a thumb injury that could result in an IL stint shakes up this infield a bit. The Angels could decide to use J.D. Davis as their starting third baseman, but he's just 10-for-40 (.250) this spring with 19 strikeouts in 20 games and has been an average MLB hitter for a while now. The Angels could instead slide Luis Rengifo over to third base and open up second base for Tim Anderson, who is 11-for-40 (.286) this spring with six strikeouts, three walks, and five steals. I'd rather take a gamble on the 31-year-old Anderson becoming an MLB average hitter again because he can play strong defense up the middle and even played some outfield this spring.
Seattle Mariners
Second Base
This is a battle between Ryan Bliss and Dylan Moore. Bliss has started 11 games at second this spring, and Moore has started nine. Bliss has also gone 9-for-28 (.321) with six strikeouts and two steals in those games, while Moore has gone just 2-for-32 (.063) with eight strikeouts. This may be a situation where the Mariners prefer the younger player, Bliss because Moore can also fill in at most spots on the diamond, which makes him a valuable bench piece. Both bring speed upside, and Bliss has stolen at least 50 bases in the last two minor league seasons, so he could be worth a late dart throw if you need speed in your drafts.
Sacramento Athletics
Left Field
While there was some initial belief that Seth Brown was the favorite to start in left field, spring training usage would indicate that Miguel Andujar is the leading candidate to take that job. He has made 10 starts in left field with the next closer player being Esteury Ruiz, who made seven starts but was sent to the minors already. Brown has started seven games at first and four games in right field and figures to be a left-handed bat off the bench. Meanwhile, has gone 15-for-28 (.395) this spring with two home runs, five walks, and five strikeouts. This Athletics lineup is a fine lineup, and their new home ballpark should be an upgrade on the Coliseum, so taking a gamble on Andujar in deeper formats is not a bad idea. He was playing well last year before getting hurt.
Where should rising stars like Paul Skenes, Jackson Chourio, and James Wood be drafted in dynasty formats?
George BissellNL EAST
New York Mets
Second Base
Wil Jeff McNeil sidelined for up to a month with an oblique injury, the Mets have an opening at second base. It would appear that Brett Baty has the inside track at the job since he has gone 12-for-39 (.308) this spring with two home runs, five strikeouts, and four walks. Baty only has made five starts at second base this spring, but he has made two of them since McNeil went down. Luisangel Acuna has also made five starts at second base this spring, hitting 9-for-34 (.265) with three steals. He provides more defensive ability than Baty, but the Mets may opt for Baty's offense since he has been a long-time prospect of note and might need one more chance before the Mets decide to keep him or trade him away.
Atlanta Braves
Catcher
We know that Sean Murphy will start the season on the IL, so the question is whether or not the Braves immediately turn to Drake Baldwin or not. It seemed like Baldwin was a lock to be on the Opening Day roster, but then the Braves went out on Monday and signed James McCann to a minor league contract. It seems unlikely that McCann would be ready for Opening Day in a little over a week, but it's at least an option should the Braves not want to start Baldwin's clock when Murphy is not far from returning.
Read Rotoworld’s individualized player profiles, complete with 2025 projections!
NL Central
Milwaukee Brewers
Third Base
With Joey Ortiz moving to shortstop, the Brewers are looking for a new third baseman. So far this spring, Oliver Dunn has started 11 games at the position with Caleb Durbin starting eight. Dunn is a left-handed hitter who's gone 12-for-38 (.342) with two home runs, three steals, 11 strikeouts, and five walks. He was good for Philadelphia in the minor leagues in 2023 and provides an intriguing power/speed combination. Durbin, who came from the Yankees in the Devin Williams deal, has gone just 9-for-41 (.220) this spring with two home runs and four steals. The Brewers could start him at second base if Brice Turang is delayed by his shoulder injury or keep Durbin as a utility infielder, but it seems likely that Dunn gets the first crack at third base and could be a useful dart in deeper formats or NL-only leagues given he had 21 home runs and 16 steals in 2023.
Left Field/ Designated Hitter
This situation is entirely dependent on Christian Yelich. The Brewers could decide to keep him primarily at DH to help him play more games this season, which would open up playing time for Sal Frelick, who has played all over the outfield this spring and gone 14-for-36 (.389) with two home runs, four steals, two strikeouts, and five walks. Frelick was solid in his 524 MLB plate appearances last year, and I like taking fliers on him late in deeper formats because I think he can provide a solid batting average and some speed. If Yelich does slide into the outfield at times, that could open up at-bats for Mark Canha, who has struggled this spring but still has a good chance to make the roster. I like taking shares of Frelick in deeper formats because I think he has the profile to be a useful fantasy outfielder.
St. Louis Cardinals
Centerfield
Michael Siani has made 11 starts this spring with Victor Scott II making nine. It would seem to be a competition just between the two of them, but Lars Nootbaar has also started five games there and could play center if the Cardinals wanted to play Brendan Donovan and Jordan Walker out there. Between Scott and Sinai, Scott has had the better spring, going 13-for-35 (.371) with two home runs, five steals, seven strikeouts, and seven walks while Siani has gone just 4-for-35 (.114). If the Cardinals do give Scott the chance, he is worth a shot late in drafts because we know that he can steal bases, and his performance this spring suggested he could at least put up a passable batting average. However, he should be limited to a late-round flier so that you can just cut him without fuss if he looks overmatched again in the first two weeks of the season.
Second base
The Cardinals have said they're going to give Nolan Gorman a long leash at second base, but he's gone just 9-for-46 (.196) with 12 strikeouts in 16 games. Brendan Donovan has made the most starts at second base this spring, but he has also struggled, going 6-for-32 (.188) with six strikeouts and three walks. Donovan has the better MLB track record, but the Cardinals like to use him all over the field, so it seems likely Gorman will start at second base, but the Cardinals could make the swap soon if he continues to struggle.
Pittsburgh Pirates
First Base
The early injury to Spencer Horwitz created an opening at first base. The Pirates have spent all spring moving plenty of guys around at that spot. DJ Stewart has the most starts with six, while Nick Yorke has made five and both Darick Hall and Jared Triolo have made four. Stewart, as a left-handed hitter, could be in the lead since he has gone 9-for-32 (.281) this spring with one home run and one steal. Yorke could be used at first and also second, but he didn't show well in the outfield this spring and has gone 7-for-29 (.241) with 10 strikeouts in 11 innings, so he may not have done enough to win himself a job.
Second Base
If Yorke didn't win the second base job then it likely locks up the job for Nick Gonzales. However, we should note that Adam Frazier has also made six starts at second base. Frazier hasn't been good this spring, so it's unlikely that he won the job.
Cincinnati Reds
Third Base
This seems like Gavin Lux will start the year at third. He's made nine starts, and the Reds did bring him in this offseason because they like what he can bring to the table. We just need to note that Jeimer Candelario can play third base and has started five games there this spring, so the Reds could also play Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base and move Candelario to thirdif they wanted to get somebody like Stuart Fairchild in the lineup or Tyler Stephenson when he's back or Spencer Steer when he's healthy. It all seems a bit chaotic here, but I will say that Candelario is going too late in drafts right now. He struggled in his first year in Cincinnati last year after signing a big contract and while battling injuries, but he's a very capable hitter in a good home park, and he's going to get a lot of at-bats.
Tyler Stephenson is the latest catcher to land on the IL before the start of the MLB season, and Eric Samulski shares if fantasy managers are better suited to pay a premium at the position or wait it out in the draft.
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Colorado Rockies
Right field
Coming into spring, it seemed like Jordan Beck was the favorite to win the right field job, and he has made seven starts there this spring, which is the most of anybody. However, Sean Bouchard has also made seven starts, and Zac Veen has made five, so this could be up for grabs. Beck has gone just 8-for-43 (.186) this spring with 15 strikeouts and five walks, which is not exactly what he needed to do to win this job. Meanwhile, Bouchard has gone 14-for-37 (.378) with three home runs while Veen has gone 13-for-41 (.317) with two home runs, six steals, 12 strikeouts, and five walks. Given that Veen struggled in the minors last year, the Rockies could just let Bouchard handle right field and allow Sam Hilliard to act as the fourth outfielder.
San Diego Padres
Designated Hitter
The bottom of this Padres lineup is a little bit of a mess, and that's where you'll find all of these players we're going to discuss. Right now, I can't tell you with any confidence who will be the designated hitter for the Padres. It could be any of Gavin Sheets, Oscar Gonzalez, Jose Iglesias, Jason Heyward, Eguy Rosario, Connor Joe, or just a rotation of regular starters. I will say that Sheets has done the most to claim the job, going 14-for-45 (.311) with six home runs, four walks, and 11 strikeouts in 19 games. Sheets has had intriguing batted ball data in the past, so he might deserve a chance to see what he can do outside of the White Sox lineup. Gonzalez has also had a solid spring, going 19-for-50 (.380) with nine strikeouts, and three walks in 19 games, but he hits right-handed and has less positional flexibility than Sheets, so it's hard to see him making he team over him, and I can't see both making it. Iglesias is likely battling Tyler Wade for the backup infielder role while Heyward, Rosario, and Joe will factor into the next position battle.
Left Field
The Padres' plan was to have Jason Heyward play left field against righties and Connor Joe play against lefties. Joe can also play first base, so he makes sense as a bench bat who will start against left-handed pitching. I don't think his spring training results should change that plan; however, Heyward really hasn't done much of anything to feel like he should be the regular left fielder despite getting 13 starts there this spring, which is more than Joe's four and Tirso Ornelas' five starts. Heyward has gone 3-for-25 this spring, will be 36 years old this season, and hasn't been an average MLB hitter outside of a break stretch in 2023 with the Dodgers. That could open the door for Ornelas, who has gone 13-for-45 (.286) this spring with one home run, six walks, and six strikeouts in 20 games. He hit .297 with 23 home runs and seven steals in Triple-A last year and might deserve a chance to play over Heyward and I'd be drafting shares of Ornelas in draft-and-hold formats.
Catcher
If we go just by spring starts, then the two catchers on this team are Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado, who have both started 10 games while Luis Campusano has started five. I should also note that Campusano has one minor league option left, while Diaz and Maldonado do not. That means, the Padres can send Campusano to Triple-A without releasing him, but they would have to put Diaz and Maldonado on waivers if they didn't make the Opening Day roster. Teams love catching depth, so it's hard to see the Padres intentionally losing an MLB-caliber catcher and Maldonado certainly is that if you're involving his defense into the equation. Diaz has not been great this spring, going 4-for-25 (.160) with seven strikeouts and one walk, so there is a world where the Padres start Campusano and cut Diaz, but I'm still not sure that's how I'd bet it goes. Regardless, this is a situation to avoid in fantasy.
Draymond makes DPOY case while dominating Giannis in Warriors' win
Draymond makes DPOY case while dominating Giannis in Warriors' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – News began to spread Monday night in the Warriors’ locker room that the Denver Nuggets would be without Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Christian Bruan a little more than an hour before tipoff.
Relief wasn’t felt. Disappointment was, perhaps from Draymond Green more than anybody.
Battling Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP who is averaging a triple-double this season, is like wrestling a bear blindfolded. All you hope for is survival. Most don’t make it out. But those are the challenges Green lives for.
It’s not like Draymond didn’t show up in the Warriors’ letdown of a loss to the Nuggets, especially defensively, where he had five blocked shots and three steals. If his intensity always is at a 10, though, he turned the knob to 12 or higher 24 hours later guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo in a game where the Warriors were without Steph Curry against the Milwaukee Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Warriors needed to set a tone early Tuesday night, and fire could be felt rising from the Chase Center hardwood, with Green being the architect of a gut-check 104-93 win over the Bucks.
“He’s always like that. It’s not just Giannis. He don’t give a damn who he’s going against. If he’s going up against a damn five-year-old,” Jimmy Butler said, earning laughs from reporters. “No, seriously. He would hate for that individual to score on him, and he wouldn’t want anybody helping. It’s like, this is my matchup, this is on me and I got to get a stop.”
Green let Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks know what kind of night they were in for from the start. Within the first four and a half minutes of the game, he already blocked three shots, beginning with the Bucks’ opening possession where Green trailed Antetokounmpo, stayed vertical and met him under the basket. Green’s second blocked shot was his most impressive, highlighting how unique of a defender he is.
A mere two minutes after Green’s first block, he showed on a Damian Lillard high screen, going past the free-throw line, only to recover quick enough to flip his hips, slide and meet Antetokounmpo, who is at least five inches taller than him, at the rim.
His third block of the first quarter was another example of how there aren’t any defenders like Green. Maybe ever. He went from guarding 7-foot center Brook Lopez in the post to recognizing Taurean Price was beating Quinten Post off the dribble fast enough that Green was able to rotate and block his attempt of a floater.
Green on his fourth and final block of the night lured Kevin Porter Jr. into thinking he had enough space behind the arc. He didn’t. Green stepped up right as Porter went to unload for three, knocking the ball upon its release.
Below are all four of his blocked shots. Each shows the many ways Green can completely disrupt an offense.
“He’s the best defender I’ve ever seen,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I mean, you see the pick-and-roll with Dame. If he’s in it, he kind of does this fake blitz thing with his speed, with his anticipation. He forces Dame back out towards halfcourt and he’s able to get back. The speed and recovery with Draymond is just stunning.
“And then the brain that goes with it. If he’s on the weak side, he’s constantly coming over to help. He’s one of the great defenders of all time, and he’s still doing it at a high level.”
Blocking shots wasn’t the only way Green dominated defensively, too. He also had two steals in the second quarter, including this one that again emphasizes how he sees and affects everything.
Butler is in his 14th NBA season. Playing 17 games alongside his fellow 35-year-old has given him an enhanced sense of appreciation for Green.
“Hell yeah,” Butler said. “I think you have to respect the hell out of what he does, and it’s so hard to do. To shoot the ball, I don’t know, four times maybe, if that, and then just lock in on defense every possession down and get mad when anybody scores — not just the guy he’s guarding — you don’t find that around the league too often.
“He has won at this level. He is a Hall of Famer for a reason. I just respect what he brings to this squad, what he brings to this locker room and how he affects winning in every single way.”
Stats of course play a major part in awards. Voting also can be subjective, which is why Green somehow only has one Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s coming for No. 2 right now, and believes he should have a strong case, even more so with Victor Wembanyama out for the season.
What he did to Antetokounmpo should be the film every voter watches. Green guarded him for seven minutes, and Antetokounmpo, who is second in the NBA averaging 30.2 points per game, didn’t score once on him. He was 0 of 7, trapped in Green’s defensive spell.
The stats Tuesday night did Green justice. Often times they don’t tell the full story, particularly on defense, requiring watching the game to actually make it clear why Green deserves so much applause.
“I look around the league and I don’t see many players impacting the game on the defensive side the way I do,” Green said. “I don’t see many players completely throwing off an entire team’s offense the way I do. So, one thousand percent. Especially with Wemby going down. Seemed like he had it won, and now it’s right there.
“One million percent I have a case, and I’ll continue to build a case over these next 13 games. But tonight I think was a prime example of it.”
The stats against top players matches the eye test. Zion Williamson in two games has been blocked six times by Green and has shot 41.7 percent (10 of 24) this season. Paolo Banchero went 7 of 21 (33.3 percent) when guarded by Green in two games. Kyrie Irving was 4 of 13 (30.8 percent) in their four matchups, and Jalen Green is 0 of 5 with two turnovers in three games against the Warriors while being defended by Draymond this season.
He’s a terror to players of all skill sets, all shapes and sizes. Those on the East Coast, this is your reminder to stay up late to appreciate a defensive clinic. Those on the West Coast, consider yourself lucky.
Draymond only having one Defensive Player of the Year is a crime equal to Kevin Garnett just claiming one, and Tim Duncan having none. The Warriors will have to keep winning, and Green will have to remain healthy, but he’s on a mission and the league knows trying to get in his way is never a good idea.
Which player will own Celtics' 3-point record at season's end?
Which player will own Celtics' 3-point record at season's end? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics have three players currently on pace to shatter the team record for most 3-pointers in a single season. The only question is which one will own the top spot in the Celtics’ record book at season’s end?
With 13 games remaining in the regular season, the trio of Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Payton Pritchard are all on pace to eclipse Boston’s single-season record of 245 3-pointers by Isaiah Thomas during his magical 2016-17 season.
White leads the pack at 228 made 3-pointers, while Tatum is close behind at 227. Pritchard is lingering at 223.
The White/Tatum/Pritchard trio already slots in spots 5-7 on Boston’s all-time list and should soon comprise three of the top five spots overall.
Boston’s trio also sits in spots 4-6 among the NBA’s leaders in 3-pointers this season:
Who emerges as the Celtics’ single-season leader could hinge on games played, which could help Pritchard make up ground. If the Celtics prioritize rest for veterans like Tatum and White, particularly after all the basketball they’ve played over the past 18 months, it could open a pathway for Pritchard to make a late surge.
While Pritchard has prioritized team success over all individual accomplishments, he’s acknowledged that winning Sixth Man of the Year is an obvious goal of any player in a bench role. Landing the Celtics’ single-season record would be another bold line on his 2024-25 resume when voters make their end-of-the-year selections.
Tatum owned spots 2-4 on Boston’s single-season list entering the season and, if he doesn’t get the single-season record this year, it feels like there could still be plenty of chances moving forward in Boston’s 3-point heavy attack.
White tops the team with 4.2 3-point makes per game since the All-Star break. He’s shooting 41.7 percent over a 13-game span, leaving a little midseason slump in the rearview mirror. If games played are equal among the three players, White is on pace to stiff arm Tatum and Pritchard at the finish line.
The Celtics have loftier goals than a single-season record but it’s no easy task to muscle your way into Boston’s record books. The three-horse race could add a tiny slice of intrigue to the Celtics’ final games of the season, particularly if the combatants playfully jockey for the honor.
Imagine a scenario where Tatum and White rest on the final day of the regular season but Pritchard has the opportunity to catch them. TD Garden hummed with intrigue on opening night when the Celtics nearly set the league record for 3-pointers in a single game versus the Knicks. Might the building have a little extra energy on 3-pointers if aware of the 3-horse race for the single-season record?
And if you want to monitor the fun straight into the postseason, here are the Celtics’ top six in 3-pointers made in one season when including postseason games (with total 3-point output and total games played):
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3 Takeaways From The Canadiens’ Crucial Win
On Tuesday night, rivalry night at the Bell Centre, as the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Ottawa Senators. With the hosts sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and the visitors in the first wild card spot, the tilt had huge playoff implications, just like the Calgary Flames vs. New York Rangers, New York Islanders vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals matchups.
Just like Saturday night, the Bell Centre crowd was very vocal. It erupted in cheers when Patrik Laine made Linus Ullmark drop his stick with a hard shot and even more when Christian Dvorak scored to give Montreal the early lead.
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Back in Marc Bergevin's days, the Habs had several hard-hitting defensemen, which the former GM liked to say made them hard to play against. Montreal still has some hard-hitting blueliners, but there are also hard hitters up front, and it makes a difference.
In the first period alone, Thomas Chabot backed off the puck twice to brace himself for contact. Once because of a Jayden Struble hit and once because of Josh Anderson. That was one of Anderson’s five hits in the first 20 minutes.
Montreal dished out 13 to Ottawa’s nine. While we often speak of the Canadiens being more offensive under Martin St-Louis, the physical aspect of the game is getting increasingly important.
At the end of the game, the Canadiens had 27 hits, the Senators only 13, and captain Brady Tkachuk didn’t have a single one. I asked Martin St-Louis why his players were so physically dominant during the game:
I think it’s part of the game, and when you bring pace to the game, you have an opportunity to be physical. We put good pucks in the zone, and it allowed us to be close enough to them to be able to be physical. We talk a lot about the strategy of where to put the pucks, and we have players who are able to play a physical game.- Martin St-Louis on his team's physical game
Double Whammy
Failing to score on a power play is one thing, but conceding inside what should have been the two minutes of the power play hurts that much more. In the middle frame, while Drake Batherson was in the sin bin, Juraj Slafkovsky was found guilty of holding on Artem Zub. Michael Amadio gave the Senators the lead on the ensuing four-on-four sequences and deflated the Habs and the building momentarily.
Slafkovsky didn’t play a bad game, but that penalty was costly, when it happened. Still, on the Sens’ second penalty of the frame, he prevented two clearing attempts in the nick of time. After 40 minutes, the big Slovak had 3 of the Canadiens’ 17 shots and was doing more than his fair share offensively.
Thankfully for the power forward, the Habs bounced back in the best of ways in the third frame.
Winning As A Team
After Lane Hutson leveled the score in the third frame, Travis Hamonic scored from far out, a goal Samuel Montembeault probably would have liked to get back. Earlier this season, this could have been it; it could have sucked out the energy from his teammates but not on Tuesday night the Canadiens rolled up their sleeves and went to work.
Anderson, who had worked so hard all game long, was rewarded when he scored the Canadiens’ second game-tying goal of the frame. Montreal was still hungry, though, and when Shane Pinto tripped Anderson, he opened the door wide for the Habs to put the finishing touch on that game.
dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien... MA FAMILLE!!!
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 19, 2025
don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it… pic.twitter.com/bNrvyJ6hdK
Nick Suzuki, who once again played on both powerplay units, scored the game-winning goal with two seconds to go to the man advantage, but he never would have been able to do it had Brendan Gallagher not gotten it away from Ullmark after Emil Heineman’s rocket of a shot. The alternate captain got three points, and even though he didn’t get a star, he did everything else. It was a dominant performance from the third line since center Dvorak scored four points, and they were the line who capped the win off with a couple of empty-netters.
With this hard-earned win, the Canadiens leapfrog the Rangers and take sole possession of the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. With 15 games to play, the Habs are squarely in the mix, and right now, this group believes it can do anything.
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Post wildly out-performing Steph's early NBA career 3-point pace
Post wildly out-performing Steph's early NBA career 3-point pace originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Warriors rookie Quinten Post is outpacing the greatest shooter in NBA history from beyond the arc. Yes, you read that correctly.
Golden State’s 7-foot center, as the San Francisco Chronicle’s Ron Kroichick pointed out on X after the Warriors’ 104-93 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday at Chase Center, has made more 3-pointers (53) through his first 31 NBA games this season than Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame-bound teammate Steph Curry (40) did through his first 31 career games 15 years ago.
This stat conveys how much basketball has changed in the past 15 years: #Warriors rookie center Quinten Post has made 53 three-point shots through his first 31 career games. Stephen Curry made 40 in his first 31 career games (2009-10). Whatever happened to that Curry guy?
— Ron Kroichick (@ronkroichick) March 19, 2025
Of course, context is important, and as Kroichick alludes to, the game of basketball has changed dramatically since Curry’s rookie 2009-10 NBA season. In large part, due to his impact.
However, Post’s success from the 3-point line still is eye-opening. In 31 games this season, the Warriors’ rookie big man is shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the arc, the best clip on the team.
While Post has emerged as a reliable stretch big for the Warriors this season, the rookie still is developing at the NBA level. After a pair of turnovers in Tuesday night’s game, Post was pulled and went back to the Warriors bench, where he was seen chatting with Curry, who did not play against the Bucks due to rest.
“I don’t think [the conversation] was about the turnovers, more defensively when they’re trying to get me in the action, trying to pick on me,” Post told reporters postgame “Steph said ‘I’ve been dealing with this for 16 years, so you’ve just got to keep your head cool, do the best of your ability and whatever you do on the floor do it with some type of aggression and things will usually end up right.”
Although the two sharpshooters play different positions on the court and have wildly different physical attributes, there still is plenty the 24-year-old can learn from Curry.
And so far it appears he’s doing just that.
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