TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 05: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees warms up before game two against the Toronto Blue Jays of the American League or National League Division Series at Rogers Centre on October 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We need to start this with an acknowledgement that Anthony Volpe will turn 25 on April 28th, the same age Aaron Judge was in his breakout season, so we can’t write the Yankee shortstop off just yet. Ok, age acknowledged.
I do still think the Yankees have an Anthony Volpe problem. The club has given him all the runway in the world — 472 games played out of a possible 486 to start his career. In that time he has never been a league average hitter, and while his 2024 was above average, entirely due to his strong defense, the onetime Top 10 prospect in baseball hasn’t exactly lived up to his billing.
And as Yogi said, it gets late early out there. Volpe has just three years of team control left, admittedly with players’ contract status ahead of a possible work stoppage next season up in the air. If his baseline is an 85ish wRC+ and you’re relying on defense, that’s not exactly something you want to bank on as arbitration raises creep up.
Volpe has also never been optioned to Triple-A, which is what we’re here to talk about today. He’s not going to be ready for Opening Day, as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery in the offseason. It’s tempting to bank on his healthy return being enough for a step forward, except for his remarkable consistency in producing a .660 OPS over three seasons. A rehab assignment is all but guaranteed, but I think the Yankees should go further than that.
I’m willing to concede that Volpe’s shoulder injury contributed to his poor defense, but his approach at the plate has been all over the place throughout his career. He’s vacillated between a contact-heavy attitude and one that prioritizes driving the ball in the air, and neither have really stuck. He runs into troughs where he steps in the bucket on every swing for three weeks that guts his overall production, even when he manages to establish some kind of average-or-better batting line.
Two months with Scranton allows Volpe to fully recover from labrum surgery, as well as work out those persistent mechanical failures in a much-lower-stakes environment. José Caballero, who will be at shortstop on Opening Day, is projected to produce exactly the same as Tony Fox’s 2025, and five points of wRC+ shy of Volpe’s 2026 projections. In effect, the Yankees have two Anthony Volpes on the roster already — Caballero shined in his post-trade-deadline time with the Yankees, so giving him some room to run starting the season may help him stay on that higher level, while giving Volpe time to correct his habitual swing failures can help HIM in the long run.
There is an icky factor to this suggestion, of course. A player accrues a year of MLB service after 172 days on either the 26 man roster or the injured list. Rehab assignments come within the scope of an IL stint, so Volpe would continue to accrue service on a brief trip to Scranton. Wheat I’m proposing is a much longer time at Triple-A, one that would make it impossible for Volpe to be on the 26-man roster for 172 days. This will delay Volpe’s free agency, ticketing him for the 2030 class instead of 2029.
That’s no small sacrifice to ask of a player, especially a player who could have his age-26 season wiped out by a work stoppage. You don’t need a player’s consent for a minor league option until he has five years of MLB service, but being clear with Volpe about the expectations, and the investment in his long-term success, would be crucial to this kind of decision.
I believe there is a world where Anthony Volpe could be an above-average MLB hitter. I believe that he has strange mechanical deviations and I also believe he has gotten into his own head on more than one occasion. Giving him a real Triple-A run, with a real chance at fixing what’s broken in his offensive approach, is the best way to square that complicated circle.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 25: Dylan Beavers #12 of the Baltimore Orioles runs back to the dug out between inning during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 25, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles outfield is completely remade going into the 2026 season, with Colton Cowser now the full time CF and Taylor Ward brought in to man LF. However, the Orioles outfielder I am most excited to see take the field in 2026 is rookie Dylan Beavers.
The 24-year-old former Cal Golden Bear comes into 2026 after a 2025 season that saw him take a massive leap as a player. Beavers finished the 2024 season as the Orioles No. 8 prospect, seemingly destined to remain stuck behind Heston Kjerstad and Enrique Bradfield Jr. in the O’s prospect pecking order. Instead, Beavers parlayed a Triple-A season that saw him hit .304 with a .934 OPS, 15 HRs and 31 SBs into an August MLB debut and clear status as the Orioles best OF prospect.
However, his rise to Top 100 prospect status and encouraging Major League cameo doesn’t guarantee him a starting spot with the 2026 O’s. With Ward and Cowser set for a lion share of the playing time in left and center, Beavers is set to battle it out with Tyler O’Neill for the RF job.
If O’Neill can stay healthy, the two may form a platoon with Beavers playing against right handed pitchers and TON playing against lefties. Beavers was particularly strong against righties in his short debut, posting a .798 OPS with eight extra-base hits in 90 ABs. If he can improve upon those numbers, he may force manager Craig Albernaz to give him the every-day RF role.
Major projection sites seem differ on how they think Beavers’ season will play out:
ZiPS: .249/.336/.414 with 17 HR and 15 SB in 550 PA
BRef: .247/.347/.407 with 8 HR and 5 SB in 269 PA
FanGraphs’ ZiPS projection paints a picture of Beavers playing a major role in the Orioles outfield, getting close to a 20/20 season while taking a slight step back from the .375 on-base percentage he posted in 2025. It helps that ZiPS projects the oft-injured O’Neill to only play 89 games in 2026.
Baseball Reference projects Beavers as more of a part-time player who splits time all season with O’Neill. Each projection service projects the 24-year-old to take a jump in his batting average, while taking a dip on on-base percentage and maintaining his slugging output.
If Beavers outperforms the modest projections, he could become the exact hitter the exact hitter the Orioles need at the top of their lineup. In his 35 games last season, he posted an elite chase rate and BB%, suggesting the .375 OPS is something that he can maintain as he gains more Major League exposure. He also showcased near elite speed that could make 25+ SB a real possibility. If everything breaks right, the O’s could have a faster version of Nick Markakis patrolling RF for years to come.
Tom Ricketts is making World Series noises, which ring like endorsing a manager before changing faces. There’s a real spring game tomorrow. Kris Bryant is having a hard time with his chronic pain condition.
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Thoughtful answers from new Miami Marlins Outfielder Owen Cassie who was traded by the Cubs to Miami in the offseason Cabrera deal. Says he felt somewhat blocked in Chicago, now gets a fresh opportunity this Spring. pic.twitter.com/Psao9prsEV
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Kris Bryant talks about his pain, and what comes next. “Some days it’s hard to grab the toothpaste in front of me. It’s not like that every day, but those days it’s like you just wish you had some type of answer.”
Food For Thought:
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HOOVER, AL - MAY 24: Tennessee pitcher Tanner Franklin (50) winds up for a pitch during the SEC Baseball Tournament Semifinals game between Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores on May 24, 2025, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s funny that Tanner Franklin ended up at 12, because that’s about where I thought he’d end up when we started this, and yet it took him a rather long time to actually be added to the voting because he lost two initial votes to players who still haven’t been selected to the top 20. That’s a little odd, and tells me there are certain players where the head-to-head against individual guys may not exactly tell me about his chances to be added to the top 20. Franklin must just be a unique enough pitcher that normal voting rules don’t seem to apply. The current top 20 stands at:
JJ Wetherholt
Liam Doyle
Rainiel Rodriguez
Quinn Mathews
Jurrangelo Cjintje
Joshua Baez
Leonardo Bernal
Jimmy Crooks
Brandon Clarke
Tink Hence
Tekoah Roby
Tanner Franklin
Comparable Player Poll
We’re going to stick to the same theme as yesterday’s polls and run three outfield prospects together and see which player ends up on top. It’s an easy way to turn three potential names that I am considering adding and making it just one name. Makes my job easier later.
Won-Bin Cho has seen some ups and some downs in his short pro career. Things started well enough. He hit reasonably well with a great approach in both the complex league and Low A. He’s had a lot more trouble at High A. He whiffed like crazy and had no power in his first attempt. In his second attempt, his approach was much better, but the results weren’t quite there until a very strong finish to the season. He will either repeat High A with the intention of a quick promotion so long as results are there or he’ll start the year in AA. He’ll be 22.
Colton Ledbetter was the third piece of the Brendan Donovan return. Drafted 55th overall in 2023, Ledbetter played well enough in that draft season at Low A to start his first full pro season in High A. He played there well too, albeit with some strikeout issues. With his promotion to AA, he may have made an emphasis on cutting down his K rate, which he did, but he did see a noticeable drop in power while still managing an above average hitting line. He will be 24 and probably in AAA.
Zach Levenson was drafted in the 5th round of the 2023 draft. While he did well enough in his initial debut season at Low A, he was not particularly impressive in his first attempt at High A. It was almost an average line, but he repeated High A in 2025. This time, he was quite good thanks primarily to an excellent K/BB ratio. He finished the season in AA with a strong showing in 26 games. He will be 24 and probably repeat AA.
There are obviously still prospects who could arguably be on the poll, but I think we’re in a good place where there’s nobody missing that I feel is kind of egregious. That means I think it’s okay to re-add Ryan Mitchell back to the voting. I think he’s going to be on the voting for good and considering everyone on the current list got at least 9 votes, I feel like there’s no real contenders left who could get removed. Never say never, but I probably won’t have to go to that well again just because honestly there won’t be much time to do it.
Scouting (FG): 30/45 Hit, 35/50 Game Power, 50/55 Raw Power, 40/40 Speed, 40/45 Fielding
The biggest weakness, near as I can tell, is that Baez is immature. He is also about to be 21-years-old. I’ll be very interesting to see how Baez pans out specifically because I kind of want to know how much weight to put on when a scout like Keith Law essentially goes after his character. It’s one sample, so I shouldn’t use his example for all prospects like him but nonetheless I really am not sure how to handle it.
Scouting: 55/55 Hit, 35/35 Game Power, 40/40 Raw Power, 55/55 Speed, 45/45 Field
I know that scouts can’t constantly update their numbers, but I feel like you are clearly out of date if you’re giving Nathan Church a 45 fielding grade. You don’t want to overrate the small sample of fielding numbers that Church currently has, but I will say when a player posts an 84 percentile sprint speed, has a 92 percentile arm speed, and posts a fairly high OAA, we can probably write off him being a below average fielder. That doesn’t feel like asking much. I’m not convinced he’s as good as his numbers were, mind you, but I am convinced he’s an above average fielder at the least.
Acquired in the trade for Willson Contreras, Fajardo is an unusual 19-year-old, because he’s already built up his innings to throw 100 or so innings for the 2026 season. He’s also probably going to be in High A and that is a fairly rare group. His next step is maintaining what he’s been doing, because though he’s a hitter, we saw an example of a very young player struggling to get past High A in Won-Bin Cho these past two seasons. Wouldn’t be totally shocking if he had an adjustment period.
I’m happy that the voting for Henderson seems to have been unaffected by the recent news of him getting shut down for the moment from throwing. I think that’s the right call. Even if he does end up missing a significant amount of time, it’ll feel more like a hiccup than if say, Tink Hence got injured again. It’s not an injury prone guy who can’t stay healthy, but someone going through the typical injury that just about every starting pitcher seems to face at some point.
Good news about Hjerpe: he had Tommy John surgery in April of last season. That is not a statement that is usually said, but basically it means Hjerpe’s Tommy John recovery should put him in line to throw half a season or so of innings. A very reasonable timeframe of returning in fact would have him in line to throw his career high in professional innings. That’s the bad news about Hjerpe: he hasn’t given us a lot of faith in staying healthy.
Mautz has reasonably good scouting, but I’ve always kind of felt like he was almost a scouts versus stats prospect where if scouts were more convinced he would start for sure, then his stats would be good enough to become a legit prospect. What I’m saying is that his stats are strong. He struck out guys, didn’t walk much, got enough groundballs. If he has that exact same line in AAA, he’s an MLB caliber starter I would think.
Ryan Mitchell, 19 – OF
I do not have stats to share with you – I’m sure I can find high school stats, but they aren’t a lot of use on this kind of list. It doesn’t appear Fangraphs has given him scouting grades, I can’t find MLB Pipeline (and I don’t like how they give grades anyway, too high generally). I have access to Baseball Prospectus’ top 20, and while they don’t give Mitchell a scouting grade, I thought just sharing their blurb would suffice:
“Mitchell, a toolsy overslot second-rounder, didn’t play after the draft. For much of his high school career, he would rotate so early that he was more or less standing up when making contact, but his swing became one of the most fun to watch in the class. He dips down a bit and explodes from the lower half. There is some risk he won’t be able to get around against higher velocity fastballs, but his contact rates on the circuit were adequate, and there’s enough athleticism, present bat speed, and physical projection to expect some power. Defensively, he has good actions but could be forced to second base in pro ball. There aren’t any elite tools here, but he presents a pretty well-rounded infield profile and had an arrow up coming into the draft.”
It feels weird that a player as young as Ortiz playing at two separate levels who dominated both levels was not considered a good enough prospect to give an actual scouting report. I feel like the fact that I’m not sharing any scouting numbers with you makes him harder to grade. He has some swing-and-miss and those lines are uncomfortably BABIP-driven, but he was also 20 at High A who had a 168 wRC+.
Scouting: 25/55 Hit, 20/55 Game Power, 40/60 Raw Power, 50/40 Speed, 30/40 Field
On the flipside of the scouts versus stats is Padilla on the scouting side. Which is slightly misleading, because as you can see, he does actually have good stats. It’s not necessarily a line that would stand out to me, but an 18-year-old shortstop prospect with a 119 wRC+ in rookie leagues would most likely be a prospect in nearly all outcomes. But clearly there is more power expected specifically and that’s where the scouting part of it comes more into play.
Scouting: 20/30 Hit, 30/50 Game Power, 50/60 Raw Power, 60/60 Speed, 45/55 Fielding
And here we have your classic “if only he could make contact a little bit more” prospect. One quick fix and he’s a super prospect. That fix might be the most difficult thing to fix though. Even with his swing-and-miss stuff, he still had 19 homers in 125 games and had a .189 ISO as a 19-year-old playing in High A. That is not that common. Unfortunately, that pesky contact tool. You’ll see that speed and he did steal 25 bases, although he also got caught an unacceptable 11 times. The year before he stole 45 bases and got 6 times. Not really sure why he was such a worse base stealer, but there is base stealing potential in his future.
The most beautiful sight. Baseball is back in Glendale. | Brandon Sloter/Getty Images
It’s that time of year again. The wind off the lake is still occasionally biting, the potholes on 35th Street are reaching record depths, and yet, the first sign of life is finally here. The White Sox have dropped their Spring Training broadcast schedule, and for those of us who have spent the winter itching for baseball again, it’s the lifeline we’ve been waiting for.
Glendale is calling. And while we know better than to put too much stock in Cactus League box scores, there’s no denying the pull of seeing the South Side logo back on a TV screen.
The action kicks off with a bang, or at least a very loud neighborhood dispute, on February 20 at 2:05 p.m. CT against the Cubs. Even though it’s a meaningless exhibition, beating the North Siders is always a healthy way to start the year.
The first part of the schedule is heavy on the home turf at Camelback Ranch, with matchups against the A’s, Brewers, and Rangers all slated for late February. If you’re looking for an early glimpse at the new-look rotation or young prospects, mark these dates down.
The Crosstown Reprise: After the opener, we get another look at the Cubs on March 1.
The Night Caps: If you prefer your baseball under the lights (or at least as the sun sets over the desert), keep an eye on March 19 for a double-header of sorts against the Diamondbacks and Padres, followed by a 5:30 p.m CT start against the Dodgers on March 21, which is the Spring Breakout game.
The Finale: The broadcast slate wraps up on March 22 against the Mariners. By then, we should have a much clearer picture of who’s heading north to Chicago and who’s packing for the affiliates.
Most of these games will be carried by ESPN 1000 and CHSN, with a few webcast options sprinkled in for the true diehards who need to hear the crack of the bat while they’re “working” from home. Additionally, both of the Cubs matchups will be broadcast on the Marquee Sports Network.
Whether you’re watching to scout the next generation or just to see some green grass and sunshine while huddled over a space heater in Bridgeport, baseball is officially back. Let’s see what this squad has in store for us.
Feb 24, 2023; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Maikel Garcia (11) gets ready in the dugout prior to the spring training game against the Texas Rangers in Surprise, AZ. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Royals expect most of the spring competition to be reserve roles. The starting lineup is pretty much set with Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez leading the way.
“I mean, without naming names, it’s very obvious who some of the everyday guys are,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “The competition is going to be how we fill out the last, you know, I’ll say 10 through 13. You know, we have some guys that have more experience than others, but it’ll play out in spring training. And I think our guys are hungry. I think they understand what the competition is like. They want to go out and win.”
“We are going to talk about that a little bit to see who’s going to challenge,” catcher Salvador Perez said Saturday. “Early in the game, if we lose a challenge, we may need it later in the game. It’s like, ‘Should we wait?’ Even if the umpire makes a little mistake, you have to be 100% right to challenge in the first three innings. That’s kind of what I think. But I have to wait for Skip [manager Matt Quatraro] and see what Bobby [Witt Jr.], Vinnie and Maikel [Garcia] think about that.”
Stephen Kolek will start the Cactus League opener on Friday against the Rangers.
Stephen Kolek will be the #Royals starter for their Cactus League opener on Friday against the Rangers. Ryan Bergert follows on Saturday.
“It was a good meeting,” said John Schreiber, who is the Royals’ player representative. “A lot of questions from guys and a lot of positive feedback. So feeling good about where we are right now. Obviously, it’s a little bit of a disappointment. A little bit of a challenge with what came out yesterday and all that stuff. But, you know, the unity and strength we have from this union from the players is what it’s about.”
Kansas City outfielders hit a miserable .225/.285/.348 last season, which isn’t going to work if the Royals want to return to the postseason. They acquired Collins from the Brewers after he hit .263/.368/.411 and finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting, but he was a 27-year-old rookie, so there isn’t any growth potential there — more likely some regression. Still, if he can get on base at a reasonable clip, he’ll give the Royals the leadoff hitter they lacked a season ago. Thomas hasn’t been good since 2023, so it’s unclear why the Royals would give him $5.25 million coming off a season in which he hit .160. Call it a ho-hum offseason that gets a boost with the underrated Maikel Garcia signing an extension that runs through 2031.
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 02: Logan Allen #26 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts to the camera prior to Game Three of the American League Wild Card Series between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Thursday, October 2, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Now that Spring Training is getting into full swing, various interviews are popping up ahead of Saturday’s games. Foul Territory posted many interviews from Guardians camp. The full, two-hour video is available on YouTube.
GM Mike Chernoff talked Travis Bazanna timetable, off season signings (and the lack thereof), and signing José. Players Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith also made appearances.
Mason Horodyski of Channel 5 News also had a few interviews posted on his Twitter page. Gavin Williams spoke on his bond with Carl Willis. Slade Cecconi talked his mystic prediction powers and the power of friendship. Parker Messick is toying with a cutter. Hunter Gaddis gave his thoughts on how the new gaggle of bullpen pitchers are fitting in.
It was already announced the Logan T. Allen and Joey Cantillo will be getting the starts on Saturday. LTA will start at home against the Reds and Cantillo on the road against the Brewers.
As of yesterday, it is official perpetual baseball season:
From today through Sept. 27, there’s MLB or college baseball EVERY day… except two.
July 15–16 after the All-Star break. That’s it. Then 73 straight days of baseball before the postseason.
The NBA returns from the All-Star break with a possible Eastern Conference Finals preview with the Detroit Pistons heading to face the New York Knicks.
My Pistons vs. Knicks predictions trust the veteran team to have better handled its week off as something to keep in mind with all NBA picks on Thursday, February 19.
Pistons vs Knicks prediction
Pistons vs Knicks best bet: Knicks -4.5 (-105)
While the Detroit Pistons have had the New York Knicks’ number in two meetings thus far this season, this is a ripe scheduling spot for the Knicks. Yes, even right after the All-Star Break, it can be argued New York has a scheduling edge.
The young Pistons just had a week of vacation, while the veteran Knicks likely treated it more as recovery and recuperation time.
Furthermore, Detroit’s 5.5-game lead in the East should induce some coasting in the season’s final third.
Pistons vs Knicks same-game parlay
Jalen Duren is not 100%, hence there not being prop bets available on him as of Wednesday afternoon.
Less Duren should mean more Tobias Harris, even if this matchup has yielded two distinct Unders already this season.
Pistons vs Knicks SGP
Pistons -4.5
Under 222.5
Tobias Harris Over 13.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Towns Returns To Form
Karl-Anthony Towns entered the All-Star break struggling from deep, but the rest should have restored the legs beneath the best-shooting big man in NBA history.
Pistons vs Knicks SGP
Pistons -4.5
Under 222.5
Tobias Harris Over 13.5 points
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 1.5 three-pointers
Pistons vs Knicks odds
Spread: Pistons +4.5 | Knicks -4.5
Moneyline: Pistons +150 | Knicks -180
Over/Under: Over 222.5 | Under 222.5
Pistons vs Knicks betting trend to know
The two meetings between these two teams already this season fell short of their totals by 21.5 and 22.5 points. Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Knicks.
How to watch Pistons vs Knicks
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Pistons vs Knicks latest injuries
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Jaylon Tyson #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center on December 29, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jaylon Tyson doesn’t lack any confidence. That’s something fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers have quickly learned during the course of his sophomore breakout. When asked about his experiences in the recent Rising Stars Game, Tyson once again reminded us of how confident he is.
“It was cool sharing the court with those guys,” Tyson said. “You know, in the back of my mind, I know I’m better than a lot of those guys, if not all of them, right. I just want to go out there and prove that every single day, and then hopefully be an All-Star one day.”
There you have it. Being in the Rising Stars Game was cool, but Tyson is more interested in making it to Sunday’s event than competing in the rookie/sophomore challenge. If you’ve followed him this season, that shouldn’t surprise you.
Tyson is averaging 13.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists for Cleveland this season while shooting a scorching hot 47.5% from deep. That makes him the second-best shooter in the league for a minimum of 100 attempts. All the while, Tyson’s rounding into a jack-of-all-trades who can defend the perimeter, crash the offensive glass, and create plays for others in the short-roll.
In summary, Tyson not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. That’s why Donovan Mitchell has had zero hesitation taking him under his wing. Mitchell understands the value of a role player who can adapt to whatever the team asks of him.
“He plays hard, he’s picking up full-court, he’s doing all the things,” Mitchell said of Tyson’s performance in the Rising Stars Game. “He was rebounding, he’s passing, doing everything.”
Hard work and talent earn respect. Tyson’s managed to prove himself in the eyes of his superstar teammate by working relentlessly towards making sure his talents translate to playing winning basketball. He says getting Mitchell’s support has been a blessing, even if it’s sometimes annoying, like when he’s trying to shoot free throws.
“When he walked in, I was actually on the free-throw line,” Tyson said. “Mitchell was over there screaming something. So I’m over there, trying to make this free throw because I was trying to win MVP… and he’s over there screaming something… But I made it so I’m super, super blessed to have him as a vet.”
Jokes aside, Tyson is truly grateful for the mentorship Mitchell has offered. Sometimes even the most confident people in the world can benefit from external reassurance.
“He’s one of those guys I will keep a relationship with forever. I don’t think people understand how much that text message meant to me and the confidence it gave me. I give a lot of credit to him for all my success.”
Gregor Townsend expects Blair Kinghorn and Duhan van der Merwe to be fuelled by “huge determination” against Wales after they were restored to Scotland’s starting XV for Saturday’s Six Nations meeting in Cardiff.
The British & Irish Lions duo were high-profile omissions from the 23 for the first two championship matches against Italy and England amid question marks about their form. The Toulouse back Kinghorn will start at full-back in place of Tom Jordan, who drops to the bench, while Van der Merwe, Scotland’s record try-scorer, returns at wing to take over from Jamie Dobie, who is out due to injury.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 11: Ranger Suárez #55 of the Boston Red Sox speaks to the media during a workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 11, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s pitching preview time, ladies and gentlemen. Over the next several days, I’ll be writing 10,000 words or so about everyone you might see pitching for the Red Sox to start the season. I’ve put the team’s starting options into tiers because that’s how my brain works. Don’t think of them as rankings, but rather buckets based on some similarities I see.
This next tier consists of Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray, the two guys who are getting paid a lot of money to be in the Red Sox rotation. Suarez is entering his eighth season, while Gray is entering his 14th. While labeling guys as “a decent two” or “a three for a playoff team” is a silly endeavor in my opinion, these guys will likely start on the second and third day of the season.
Ranger Suárez
2025 in a sentence: Suarez started the season on the IL, but was rock solid once he got back on the field in May.
Ranger Suarez has been remarkably consistent over the past four seasons. He’s averaging 26 starts, 147 innings, and a 3.59 ERA over that span. 2026 will be his first season with a team not named the Philadelphia Phillies, but you can expect more of the same from Suarez.
For Suarez, it’s all about command. He’s going to be really tough on lefties and won’t see many of them as a result. He pounds the inside part of the plate with sinkers and four-seamers, before turning to his curveball and slider out of the zone to put hitters away. The curveball is particularly effective at getting hitters to expand the zone; the chase rate on the pitch over the last three seasons is nearly 50%. He’ll also mix in his changeup with two strikes, though the Red Sox have generally avoided same-handed changeups. It’s been incredibly effective in small samples, though, so they might allow him to keep that arrow in his quiver.
On the other side, it’s a much more even mix, with each of his five pitches accounting for 15% and 25% of his offerings. His sinker still leads the way and gets early strikes, but the contact against it from righties is better than lefties, while his cutter is a reliable strike-getter early in at-bats as well and avoids hard contact. A kind of fun, or at least fun to me, testament to his command is that only two non-four-seam pitches generated a higher percentage of foul balls than Suarez’s cutter (27.7%). Because he doesn’t use the pitch in two-strike counts very often, those are almost entirely productive pitches.
While Suarez will throw any pitch in any count, he turns to his changeup and curveball most often as his strikeout pitches against righties. The changeup is incredibly effective with a two-strike chase rate of 43%. The curveball isn’t as devastating, but he avoids mistakes with it and can drop it in the zone for free strikes. He uses the four-seam at the top of the zone as well, and it’s outperformed what one might expect given the shape over the past three seasons, with putaway rates over 20% thanks to impeccable command.
Suarez has his approach, and when he executes, he’s as good as anyone. He’s slated to pitch in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela, which will give us a good look at any tweaks he made to his arsenal over the offseason. It’d be nice to see him gain a tick or two of velocity as well. He was at about 93 mph just two years ago, but a sudden drop has him sitting closer to 90 mph today. Suarez is your favorite pitcher’s favorite pitcher and has shown the ability to survive without premium velocity. I’d expect more of the same from him in 2026.
2025 in a sentence: Gray’s season line was marred by a number of blow-up outings, but the underlying numbers paint a better picture.
Sonny Gray had five games with six or more earned runs allowed last season. I hate excluding games from a line because they all count, but I feel comfortable calling that a fluke. His 26.7% strikeout rate was among the best in baseball, as was his 5% walk rate.
Gray had reverse splits in 2025, but is roughly platoon-neutral for his career. He used six different pitches in 2025, with significant differences against each side of the plate. Early in at-bats, righties primarily saw sinkers and cutters, with occasional curveballs dropped in for called strikes. With two strikes, he went to his sweeper. Gray called himself one of the best spinners in the league, and his sweeper supports that. Against righties, nearly one in every four pitches resulted in a whiff. They also swung at over 50% of the sweepers he threw out of the zone. He pairs it with a backdoor sinker that freezes hitters as they give up on the pitch, expecting it to spin off the plate.
Against lefties, Gray used more four-seam fastballs and curveballs early in counts. Each pitch had a strike rate over 65%, but the ideal contact rate against each was on the high side, though opponents hit the ball on the ground frequently. A changeup accounted for 15% of his pitches to lefties, primarily early in at-bats, but a 55% strike rate and 43% ideal contact rate make it a candidate to be replaced by something else. His cutter and sinker each earned strikes at a high rate in a small sample, but were also hit hard. With two strikes, his sweeper was again the star, getting whiffs on 26% of pitches, as well as a huge chase rate (48.7%). The contact quality from lefties is somewhat of a concern, but his ability to miss bats compensates for it.
I mentioned blow-up outings, and home runs were the culprit for many of them. He allowed 25 on the season, though his 22.7% home run per fly ball rate should come down closer to league average. Overall, for Gray, I’d expect his splits to flip, with righties having a more difficult time than lefties, based on his ability to pitch to the glove side. RedSoxStats on Twitter pointed out that over the last two seasons, most of his hard contact allowed has come to right center field, where the Red Sox have two Gold Glove outfielders stationed on a nightly basis.
Oct 3, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver (30) throws the ball during workouts at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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TORONTO, CANADA - FEBRUARY 5: Immanuel Quickley #5 of the Toronto Raptors and Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors high five during the game against the Chicago Bulls on February 5, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
No one is walking through the door to help the Toronto Raptors. While several Eastern Conference rivals bolstered their rosters in preparation for the playoff sprint ahead, the Raptors opted to pursue meaningful internal changes.
The organization is clearly not ready to let go of this group – at least not yet. Whether that mindset proves fruitful remains to be seen. But this iteration of the Raptors seemingly has one final chance to prove they’re worth investing in and it begins with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EST on Sportsnet.
Here are three storylines ahead of the matchup.
Poeltl Must Pay it Forward
The unofficial mid-season break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Raptors as they desperately attempt to keep their grasp on a playoff spot.
The two players that admirably stepped up while the team dealt with injuries earlier in the year, Sandro Mamakelashvili and Collin Murray-Boyles, are ironically listed as questionable. Mamukelashvili has exceeded all expectations and remains on track as one of the best free-agent signings in franchise history. Meanwhile, Murray-Boyles is still dealing with a thumb issue. The rookie is averaging 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks.
Before the All-Star festivities, Jakob Poeltl finally returned after missing 24 consecutive games. While on a minutes restriction, Poeltl finished with nine points and six rebounds in 20 minutes during a 113-95 defeat to the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 11.
With only 26 games left in the Raptors’ schedule, Poeltl will finish the season playing fewer than 57 games for the fourth straight year. The Raptors’ playoff hopes and season highly depend on Poeltl’s back holding up. Even if he’s not at full strength, Poeltl’s availability considerably improves Toronto’s chances in the East.
The Bulls are confused
Even when the Bulls started the season with five consecutive victories, no one outside of Chicago batted an eye. At 6-1, the Bulls held the top spot in the Eastern Conference on Nov. 1. With the NBA returning from its All-Star Weekend, the Bulls are 24-31 and currently hold the 11th seed.
The Bulls have etched an awkward page in history books as a frequent participant in the league’s play-in tournament. Chicago has appeared in the competition in each of the last three years. They’ve accumulated a 2-3 record during this span.
After years of mediocrity, the Bulls’ front office decided to move in a new direction. But in what is the feather in the cap for those who believe Bulls fans are still paying for how they ended their golden era, the team still feels directionless despite roster changes.
Out goes Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Ousmane Dieng and Mike Conley in separate transactions. In return, Chicago acquired Anfernee Simons, Colin Sexton, Jaden Ivey, Rob Dillingham, Nick Richards and Guerschon Yabusele.
When Josh Giddey and Tre Jones return from their respective hamstring injuries, the Bulls’ coaching staff will have to solve the funky logjam of guards they have.
Even with the Bulls in disarray, the Raptors will still have their hands full against a scrappy Bulls team that ranks 11th in rebounding. If Poeltl and Murray-Boyles miss the game, it’ll take a team effort to contain Richards and Yabusele, both of whom are expected to be on “prove-it” missions for the rest of the season. Centre Jalen Smith, who has been dealing with a calf stain, has also been fantastic in limited minutes.
This feels familiar
It feels like the Raptors have been here before. There’s an eerie tension in the air that suggests a transition is waiting around the corner, ready to ambush the fans into the next era of Raptors basketball.
The optimistic basketball fan in Toronto will remind their peers that something fun typically follows. From Mighty Mouse and Vinsanity to Chris Bosh. From DeMar DeRozan’s ‘Young Gunz’ era to We the North. Then there’s the 2019 championship run to this current version of the team.
The latter is still difficult to judge because it’s defined by Scottie Barnes, who has never benefitted from proper roster construction. Since moving on from the parts that helped bring the city’s first NBA title, the Raptors have leaned on the likes of Immanuel Quickley, Canadian RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick and Ja’Kobe Walter as key acquisitions. What makes them important adds were the assets, cap room and draft capital used.
While the Raptors never miss out on an opportunity to remind fans and media they’re in the middle of a rebuild, it’s difficult to completely buy in, considering their lone move at the trade deadline was partly done to get under the tax line.
Skipping the play-in tournament should be the expectation because it’s time to see what this group can do in the playoffs.
Curry will have missed six games as he deals with a right knee injury. He did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.
He was expected to be evaluated by the team’s training staff, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
How did Stephen Curry get injured?
Curry appeared to be uncomfortable with his right knee during a game against the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 30. He had a brace on his knee and was grabbing at it during the game.
Who is Stephen Curry’s backup?
Brandin Podziemski and Pat Spencer are expected to serve as the primary backup options while Curry remains out of the lineup.
Podziemski has averaged 12 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in 55 games this season. Spencer has averaged 6.3 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game in 39 games played.
