When Jayson Tatum went through an entire workout in front of reporters in Detroit last week, the message was clear — he is getting closer and closer to a return from the torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs last May. Reinforcements for Boston's playoff run seemed to be on the way.
Now, Tatum is reconsidering that comeback and may sit out the entire season, according to multiple reports.
Later that night, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on NBA TV that Tatum is re-evaluating everything and may sit out the entire season.
Sources: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum (Achilles recovery) is re-evaluating his situation and is now considering sitting out the entire 2025-26 season. Final decision has yet to be determined. pic.twitter.com/Z8CcVjFSIr
Tatum tore his Achilles tendon last May, in Game 4 of the Celtics' second-round series against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Recovery time for an elite Athlete from a torn Achilles is usually 10-12 months, and the early end of that timeline would have Tatum returning in March, with time to play for a month with the Celtics, get his legs under him and fit in with one of the surprise teams in the East.
"If or when I do come back this season, they will have played 50 some-odd games without me, so they have an identity this year or things that they've felt have clicked for them. And it's been successful. They're the (second) team in the East up to this point. So there is a thought in my head, like, how does that work? Or how does that look with me integrating myself off the injury … 50, 60 games into a season? There obviously could be some challenges. And it is a thought: Do I come back? Should I wait? It's something that I honestly, recently, in the last two weeks or so just kind of contemplate every single day."
Boston and New York are currently tied for second in the East, seeding that will matter come the postseason. Led by Jaylen Brown, who is having the kind of season that lands him on MVP ballots, Boston has the No. 2 offense in the NBA, and the defense has been solid enough to win games. In a wide-open East this year, the expectation was that Tatum, anywhere close to his old form, would elevate this team to potential Eastern Conference favorites.
Yet every time there was talk of a Tatum return, there has been a chorus of voices — including medical experts and former front office people — suggesting Tatum take the entire season off and not push for an early comeback. They suggested he take the same position as Tyrese Haliburton, who ruptured his Achilles a month later in the NBA Finals, and just take this entire season off, then return at full strength for the 2026-27 season.
That decision ultimately falls to Tatum, his medical team and the Boston Celtics medical staff. Tatum is at least considering the long-term, patient approach. Ultimately, he needs to do what is best for himself, his body, and his career — and that's no easy call. He's got time to really think it through, but a decision day is coming sometime after the All-Star break.
The Edmonton Oilers will face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, but this will be a far different test than the matchup against the Anaheim Ducks from Tuesday. Two similar up-and-coming teams that appear to be the next great franchises in the NHL, the Sharks and Ducks offer different challenges.
"The systems are different. They do things differently," said head coach Kris Knoblauch. "They're both exciting teams with a lot of young talent, yes, they are, but the type of game that each one plays is different."
The Sharks' young center is a new challenge the Oilers haven't seen before. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins noted, "There's only really a handful of guys that have been able to step in and make the impact he has so far. Obviously, it will be a challenge for us tomorrow, but one that we'll be ready for." Nuge added, "He's a really good skater, but playing against him a couple of times now, and watching him on TV, it's his compete and the way he thinks the game that is what's able to allow him to have success already at this level."
As a team, "They're where they are for a reason." Nugent-Hopkins added, "We're going to have to prepare for it. We're going to have a good start and kind of play our game. And obviously, when Macklin's out there, you’ve got to be aware and know that he's on the ice. But they have some young guys who can make you pay. They play a fast game, and we'll match that tomorrow.”
The Ducks gave the Oilers all they could handle on Tuesday, outplaying the Oilers in the first and third periods. It was the middle frame and four goals by defensemen in quick succession that allowed Edmonton to get the two points. Like the Ducks, the Sharks won't stop pushing. But, unlike the Ducks, San Jose has the Celebrini factor. They also have some other budding young stars that make them dangerous. Frankly, one could argue the Oilers were fortunate to play a Ducks team that was missing Leo Karlsson, Troy Terry, and Mason McTavish.
The Oilers won't be so lucky against the Sharks. Edmonton will need to be ready for them.
McDavid Will Get His First Look at a Future Teammate
Celebrini is headed to the 2026 Winter Olympics alongside Connor McDavid. Both will play for Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina.
They'll be opponents on Thursday, but teammates in a couple of weeks. "He's driven. He plays a hard game, wins faceoffs, and puck battles. He does a lot of things that a veteran does," said McDavid. It will be McDavid's first up-close look at a player some believe might challenge him for the Hart Trophy this season.
Expect it to be a challenge that McDavid gets excited about. And, now that Edmonton understands the kind of push a young team can bring, maybe this matchup will be another good litmus test.
"Anaheim definitely has young skill, and they play a fast game, but everybody's structured now. If you're going to have success in this league, it's not just going to be free-wheeling and having these young guys score a few points every night. You have to play a structured game, or else you're going to pay for it," said Knoblauch.
It is prospect list season! The Royals have a few names that rank highly on lists, providing reasons for optimism. But despite signs of improvement, it is clear that the team still needs more progress to become a sustainable winner.
Baseball America is the gold standard of prospect lists, release their 2026 update last week. They are quite high on Royals catcher Carter Jensen, ranking him #11 among all prospects. Other than Bobby Witt Jr.’s #3 ranking in 2022, it is the highest a Royals prospect has ranked in a Baseball America preseason ranking in the last dozen years. Jensen hit .290/.377/.501 with 20 home runs in 111 games across Double-A and Triple-A, then joined the Royals in September and impressed, hitting .300/.391/.550 with three home runs in 20 games.
Pitcher Kendry Chourio also broke into the top 100 prospect list at #82, after being aggressively promoted this year. He went from the Dominican Summer League, to the Arizona Complex League, finishing with six starts at Low-A Columbia, all at age 17. With the Fireflies, he posted a 5.16 ERA but with 24 strikeouts and just 4 walks in 22.2 innings. The publication singles him out as a prospect who could be a riser this year, writing he “blends now stuff with uncommon poise into a skill set,” and that a strong season could give him “a case as the sport’s best pitching prospect.”
Baseball America pre-season top 100 rankings for Royals prospects
Just missing the top 100 prospect list was pitcher David Shields, who also impressed this year at a very young age. The 18-year-old left-hander posted a sensational 2.01 ERA with 81 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 71.2 innings. In their article about the prospects that just missed, Josh Norris writes that he “doesn’t have the kind of blow-away stuff as some of the other pitchers in the minors, but his pitchability and command should help him become a mid-rotation starter in a few years.”
MLB Pipeline also came out with their prospect list last week, with Jensen ranked #18 and former first-round pick Blake Mitchell ranked #75. Mitchell had a tough start to his 2025 season, suffering a wrist injury in spring training that kept him out for the first half of the season. When he returned, he continued to show a very patient eye at the plate, but his power was sapped as it often is for players returning from wrist injuries. The 20-year-old catcher hit .207/.372/.296 with two home runs in 49 games for High-A Quad Cities. Mitchell was ranked #48 by the publication last year, and was ranked #75 by Baseball America last year before falling off their list this season.
Keith Law has high praise for Jensen, ranking him #10 overall. He writes the 22-year-old is a “legit Rookie of the Year candidate this year as a true catcher who could hit 20 homers with a strong OBP, and with 3-plus WAR potential right away thanks to the defense and positional adjustment.” He ranks Mitchell #56, despite what he calls a “lost year.” Law believes Mitchell is “the best defensive catcher in the Royals’ system, a plus receiver and framer with at least a 60 arm, and has the raw power to be a regular at the position even if he doesn’t hit for a high average.” He also ranks Chourio #61, writing that although there are injury concerns when a pitcher his age throws so hard, he is “everything you’d want to see in a young pitching prospect, including the potential upside of 80 command.”
Kiley McDaniel at ESPN had Jensen as the only Royals prospect in his top 100 list at #25, but he ranked Kendry Chourio (#124), Josh Hammond (#132), and Blake Mitchell (#143) in his 101-200 list. He had high praise for Chourio, writing the right-hander “has the elements to become a front-line starter I’m looking for: enough velocity, plenty of command, the potential for three above-average pitch shapes and surface number performance.” But he adds that the right-hander needs to tweak his “breaking ball shapes.” Curiously omitted from the ranking is Shields.
As for the overall state of the Royals’ farm system, they still seem to rank in the bottom third. McDaniel ranks them #24, praising top prospects Jensen and Chourio and their draft picks of Hammond and pitcher Michael Lombardi. But he writes, “the rest of the system is made up of mostly role players and higher-variance types.”
Jon Hoefling of USA Today came out with a farm system ranking last week, putting the Royals at #26, writing, “they might have a dry spell of great prospects coming to the big leagues for a few years. However, in his top five list of Royals prospects, he omits Chourio or Shields, instead listing Jensen, Mitchell, 2025 first-round picks Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond, and 19-year-old shortstop Yandel Ricardo.
MLB Pipeline last August ranked the Royals #26, although they write the Royals had “one of the most interesting and dynamic international classes of 2025” that netted Chourio. A recent MLB Pipeline poll of executives regarding relative strengths of farm systems did not mention the Royals at all. Kiley McDaniel at ESPN ranked the Royals #27 last August, writing, “Hammond and Gamble could be the high-end prospects needed to pull this system out of the bottom third of the league.”
Prospects1500 ranked the Royals #26 at the end of last season, writing that if “Kendry Chourio continues his breakout and Blake Mitchell can bounce back after an injury-filled 2025, the top of this system could look stronger this time next year. Fangraphs has farm system rankings based on Future Value metrics of top prospects in each system, ranking the Royals 28th.
The Royals are one of six clubs to place just two prospects on the Baseball America list, with the Diamondbacks, Braves, Cubs, Phillies, and Rangers. Three clubs – the Rockies, Angels, and Padres – have just one prospect, and the Astros have none.
You could argue that the Royals’ farm system ranking is low because they graduated players to the big league roster. But that isn’t quite accurate. Jac Caglianone has graduated from lists, but other homegrown players have been in the big leagues for a significant amount of time – Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Maikel Garcia have all spent at least three full seasons in the big leagues. Noah Cameron and Freddy Fermin are the only significant players who have debuted in the last three seasons. Besides, a successful small market team needs to continually produce prospects to build a sustainable winner. Having a farm system that has dry spells will lead to a thin roster.
But there is reason to think things are turning a corner for the Royals. They have taken a more data-driven approach since J.J. Picollo took the helm, and have been more aggressive in spending in the international market, landing top prospects like Ricardo, Chourio, and shortstop Warren Calcaño. Scouting director Brian Bridges took over after the 2023 season, and his first two draft classes have an intriguing mix of prospects that includes Caglianone, Shields, Gamble, Hammond, and pitcher Drew Beam.
Still, the Royals have a long way to go before they are even close to the top farm systems in baseball. And unlike the free agent market, the financial disparities haven’t made it impossible for small-market teams to compete for prospects. The Guardians are tied for the most prospects on Baseball America’s list with six, with the Brewers and Marlins close behind at five. Kiley McDaniel tweeted that the Brewers will rank #1 when he comes out with his overall farm system rankings.
Until the Royals can consistently produce impact talent year after year, and not just rely on the occasional standout prospect, the farm will remain closer to the bottom than the top of industry rankings. Progress is evident, but sustainability remains the real test.
The 2009 season marked a transitional year for the Yankees, coming off the final season in the original Yankee Stadium and the team’s first season without a postseason appearance since 1995. The team’s aging core was still producing, but veteran slugger Jason Giambi’s contract expired after the season, leaving a hole at the cold corner.
Thankfully, there was a marquee first baseman available on the market: Mark Teixeira. The switch-hitting slugger and Gold Glover was coming off an MVP-caliber season — he had been traded from the Braves to the Angels at the trade deadline, which wiped out his vote share because of the change in leagues. Several teams attempted to woo Teixeira, but the Yankees were ultimately successful, inking him to an eight-year pact. Tex would be one of the most important contributors to the 2009 team which baptized the new Yankee Stadium with the franchise’s 27th championship. While he struggled with injuries on the back half of the deal, he was a fearsome presence in the heart of the Yankee lineup for most of those eight years.
Mark Teixeira Signing Date: January 6, 2009 Contract: 8 years, $180 million
Teixeira was born on April 11, 1980 in Annapolis, Maryland and attended Mount St. Joseph High School in Baltimore. He excelled enough there for the Red Sox to take a flyer on him with a ninth-round pick in the 1998 Draft, but he chose to honor his commitment to Georgia Tech, where he became one of the top college hitters in the country.
Now a consensus first-round talent, Teixeira was selected fifth overall in 2001 by the rebuilding Texas Rangers. It wouldn’t take long for him to blossom in the bigs. He made the Rangers’ roster out of spring training in 2003 and from that point forward was a lock to slug at least 25 home runs a season. By 2005, he had already exceeded 100 career homers, reached the All-Star Game, and taken home a pair of Silver Sluggers as well as a Gold Glove. But he wouldn’t reach the postseason until 2008, at which point Teixeira had been traded at the deadline twice in as many seasons; first from the Rangers to the Braves for a king’s ransom, then from Atlanta to the Angels.
That offseason, Teixeira entered free agency as the best hitter on the market. The Angels were interested in bringing him back, but several other teams made big offers. The Red Sox, who had drafted him back in high school, were in the mix — though Teixeira had vocally criticized Boston in the past for their pre-draft negotiations with him. The Nationals and Orioles both tried for the Marylander who grew up close to both Baltimore and DC.
Eventually, the Angels and Red Sox got cold feet, providing an opening for the Yankees. Teixeira, who idolized Don Mattingly growing up, ultimately chose the Bronx as the place to continue his career. The eight-year, $180 million agreement, announced right before the holidays, was made official on January 6th. Teixeira joined starting pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett as part of a gargantuan free agent haul as the team awaited the grand opening of the brand new Yankee Stadium.
Teixeira proved a perfect fit in the Bronx, providing a strong baseline of production at the plate with sterling first-base defense, but also capable of entering incendiary stretches in which he was impossible to pitch to. Like the rest of the team, Teixiera took a bit to get going in April, but was the AL’s best hitter in May, smashing 13 home runs with a .330/.391/.748 slash line. He made the All-Star Game and then was an even better hitter in the second half, finishing the year with 39 homers and 122 RBI. He finished second in MVP voting behind Minnesota’s Joe Mauer.
Mauer and the Twins, of course, would meet Teixeira and the Bombers in the ALDS. The Yankees took Game 1, but Game 2 would be a battle requiring extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th, Teixeira smashed a line drive down the left field line and over the wall for a walk-off home run to put New York in the driver’s seat.
Teixeira struggled in the playoffs despite the early highlight, but the Yankees took down his former team, the Angels, in the ALCS, and hosted the Phillies in the World Series. After Philadelphia snatched the series lead in Game 1, a homer from Teixeira off Pedro Martinez tied Game 2 and lit the spark for an eventual Yankee win. Finally in Game 6, Tex provided an RBI single in the fifth to help bring the Commissioner’s Trophy back to the Bronx.
The Yankees would not return to the Fall Classic again during Teixeira’s tenure, but his presence at the heart of the order helped extend a window which appeared to be closing before his arrival. In 2010, he registered another strong season, with an .856 OPS, 33 home runs, and his second Gold Glove in as many seasons at first base. Unfortunately, Teixeira struggled again in the playoffs before a hamstring injury put him on the shelf. The Rangers, the franchise which had drafted him nine years before and was now a powerhouse, kicked the Yankees out in the ALCS in six games.
In 2012, Teixeira began to struggle with injuries. He suffered from a persistent cough that plagued him throughout the early part of the season, then endured a pair of DL stints for calf injuries late in the season. He returned in time for the postseason and hit well, but with no home runs, and the Yankees were swept by the Tigers in a demoralizing ALCS.
That marked the final postseason run of Teixeira’s career. The Yankees entered a somnambulant period after 2012, overloaded with veterans who couldn’t stay on the field. Teixeira was one of them, only playing 15 games in 2013 after injuring his wrist during the World Baseball Classic. In 2014, Teixeira’s production dropped as he again dealt with hamstring and wrist injuries. New York missed the postseason both years.
Entering the 2015 season, it appeared Tex’s halcyon days had come to an end. But in his age-35 campaign, the embattled first baseman authored a terrific comeback campaign, returning to the All-Star Game for the first time since ‘09. He finished the year with 31 home runs, a total which would have been even higher had it not been for August 17th. That night, with the Twins in town, Teixeira fouled a ball off his leg and staggered out of the box. He left the game and was diagnosed with a bone bruise, but after several weeks of tests and negative X-rays, was finally found to have suffered a shin fracture. That would spell the end of what had been a stirring resurgence.
Then, at last, came 2016, the final year of Teixeira’s deal. His final ride was an unproductive slog, in which his average hovered around .200 and his formerly prodigious power wilted, even as he slugged his 400th career homer on July 4th in San Diego. In August, he announced in a press conference that he would retire at the end of the season. But he did have one last magical moment in him: a walk-off grand slam against the Red Sox in one of the final games of his career.
The main objective for Teixeira in coming to New York was to win. He did, right away, playing an instrumental role on a championship team. Despite failing to return to the mountaintop in his successive years in the Bronx, Teixeira provided high-quality play on offense and defense for as long as his body would allow him to do so. He retired as an accomplished and dedicated 14-year major leaguer with nothing left to prove.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.
Fifth in the series.Today we look at the Cubs’newly-anointed utility man.
Matt Shaw is a controversial figure in Cubdom right now. Not for his political beliefs (at this time), but because the signing of Alex Bregman necessarily leads to a change of position for the young man, and because it looks a bit like fan favorite and team leader Nico Hoerner is going somewhere else after this season to facilitate Shaw’s transference to second base, should there be a 2027 season.
The chance of that is non-zero, but that won’t be our focus.
Shaw had two different seasons in one. His first half was iffy — the entire third base contingent were not very good, and none of them got to midseason, except for Shaw, who took over the spot, made a lot of really good defensive plays, and held his own with the bat. His slash line of .226/.295/.394, with a bWAR of 3.1, isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s leagues better than Jon Berti was turning in.
Indeed his bWAR figure is in the same ballpark as Bregman’s 2025 (3.5 bWAR). Bregman’s numbers were reduced due to injury. Shaw’s were bolstered by his very good second half. Fangraphs, who aren’t as influenced by defensive numbers, awarded Shaw 1.5 fWAR, while Bregman garnered 3.5 fWAR.
We’ll have to see how Shaw adjusts to a utility role. Team management has said that he’ll spend some time in the outfield, which would lead me to think that Kevin Alcántara will be spending the bulk of his time in Iowa, provided that Tyler Austin’s power shows up, which would make Austin the backup 1B/DH, as noted in his profile.
It would not surprise me if Shaw flourishes in that role. He certainly has the speed and athleticism to get the job done. I wouldn’t vote against his chances.
SNY, the official television home of the New York Mets, today announced its exclusive spring training schedule for the start of the Mets 2026 season. Live Mets baseball swings back into action on SNY on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. as the Mets host the Miami Marlins at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Former Mets All-Star Daniel Murphy will again join the SNY broadcast booth. Murphy will serve as an analyst alongside Gary Cohen for the Tuesday, Feb. 24 game vs. Houston and the Wednesday, Feb. 25 game vs. St. Louis.
Here are some schedule highlights:
-- Spring training home opener vs. Miami on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1:00 p.m.
-- Mets vs. Yankees in spring training Subway Series action from Clover Park on Sunday, March 8, on PIX11
-- The Mets' spring training home finale will be on Sunday, March 21, when the Mets host the Houston Astros at 1:10 p.m., with Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates set for Thursday, March 26, at 1:10 p.m.
🌴 OUR 2026 METS SPRING TRAINING BROADCAST SCHEDULE IS HERE 🌴
Tong, a native of Markham, Canada, is set to report to spring training along with Mets pitchers and catchers on Feb. 11.
The 22-year-old made his big league debut late last season, starting five games after tearing through the minors as he established himself as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
In 113.2 innings over 22 starts for Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse in 2025, Tong had a 1.43 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while striking out 179 batters -- an eye-popping rate of 14.2 per nine.
With an arsenal that features a high-octane fastball, developing slider, and curve, Tong missed bats at an elite level last season.
Tong will enter camp with a chance to win a job, but opening the season back with Triple-A seems likely -- considering the rotation depth ahead of him and the need to refine his stuff a bit.
After adding Freddy Peralta via trade, the Mets could feature a six-man rotation that also includes Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga.
McLean and Holmes will be on Team USA for the WBC. Francisco Lindor is playing for Team Puerto Rico, while Mark Vientos will play for Team Nicaragua.
Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu has some serious dental work in his future after taking an elbow to the face during Atlanta’s 117-106 win over the Boston Celtics Wednesday.
Taking to his Instagram Story after the game, Okongwu shared a photo of his bloodied mouth and some of his front teeth, which appeared pushed back and knocked out of place.
“Good winssss birdsss,” Okongwu wrote.
Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu has some serious dental work in his future after taking an elbow to the face during Atlanta’s 117-106 win over the Boston Celtics Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Instagram/Onyeka Okongwu
Okongwu caught an elbow in the mouth from Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, who was trying split a double-team from Okongwu and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels during the fourth quarter.
Brown was assessed a flagrant 1 offensive foul.
Okongwu went over to the bench and then jogged back onto the court to shoot his two free throws.
He made one to give the Hawks a 107-92 lead over Boston.
After the game, Brown explained that his elbow to Okongwu’s face “wasn’t intentional,” and sympathized with him over the injury.
“Just being aggressive like I always am,” Brown said. “Just a basketball play. It’s unfortunate. Okongwu is a good player.
Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) reacts after being hit in the jaw with an elbow by Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second half at the TD Garden on January 28, 2026. Brian Fluharty-Imagn ImagesAtlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) grimaces after being flagrantly fouled by Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, January 28, 2026, in Boston. AP
“I know from my own experiences with a fractured face and chipped teeth, that s–t is a hassle. It wasn’t intentional, and I know it’s going to be a long day at the dentist tomorrow, so hopefully he has a good recovery.”
It’s unclear if Okongwu, who’s only missed two of the Hawks’ games this season, will miss time for dental work.
“I mean, he’s tough,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said after the game. “He took quite a shot. It’s a good thing that dentistry as a profession is — I don’t know what he’s going to need, but he’s pretty banged up. He took quite a shot.
“I told him he’s still handsome, but it’s a good thing that people can repair his teeth, because he’s going to need some work.”
Okongwu finished with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists.
For the second time this season, and for the first time in the province this year, the Montreal Canadiens will be taking on the Colorado Avalanche masquerading as the Quebec Nordiques on Thursday night at the Bell Centre. Thanks to a derogation from the league, the visitors will be wearing their blue jerseys, which should give every fan who lived through the Quebec-Montreal rivalry a trip down memory lane.
The last time the two teams met, the Habs were obliterated by the Avs, who put seven goals past Jakub Dobes. Brock Nelson led the charge with two goals and two assists while Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog had three points each. The latter won’t be a problem for the Canadiens tonight as he’s currently injured, but Devon Toews, who has been out for three weeks, is now considered day-to-day and could return. Just like the Canadiens’ last opponents, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Avs are coming off a frustrating 5-2 loss against the Ottawa Senators and will be looking to bounce back in the second game of their back-to-back.
At one stage this season, the Avs looked near invincible, but since we’ve entered 2026, they have lost two games in a row three times, so it doesn’t look like an impossible mission for the Canadiens. Still, Colorado has won seven of the last 10 duels between the two teams, including the previous two.
Martin St-Louis has already announced that Dobes will be in the net, giving him a chance to avenge the seven-goal beating he took in November. The Czech netminder has a 1-1-0 record against the visitors with a 3.84 goals-against average and a .864 save percentage. After his strong performance against the Golden Knights, he has brought his GAA on the year back under 3.00 at 2.96, and his SV now stands at .890. Meanwhile, Samuel Montembeault has a 1-0-1 record against Colorado with a 2.61 GAA and a .916 SV.
Colorado’s starter has yet to be confirmed, but since Mackenzie Blackwood played in Ottawa last night, it would make sense for Scott Wedgewood to get the start, even though his record against the Habs isn’t excellent. He’s 0-1-0 with a 4.45 GAA and a .778 SV, while Blackwood is 6-0-2 with a 2.41 GAA and a .922 SV.
Up front, the Avs will want to keep a close eye on Nick Suzuki, who has 10 points in as many games against them. Phillip Danault also has 10 points when facing Colorado, but in 21 games, and Brendan Gallagher completes the top three with nine points in 17 games.
Colorado would be smart to pay attention to Cole Caufield, as well. The sniper has five points in seven games against the visitors, but he’s on an incredible run right now with points and goals in his last six games. He’s got 11 points in that span, including nine goals. His goal-scoring streak matches those of Max Pacioretty (2014-15) and Max Domi (2019-20) for the longest in 30 years for a Hab player. He still has a long way to go to break the franchise record that was set by Joe Malone, who scored in 14 consecutive games in 1917-18. Newsy Lalonde is in second place with goals in 13 straight games in 1920-21, and multiple players have had nine-game goal streaks with the Habs: Lalonde, Aurele Joliat, Maurice Richard, Bernard Geoffrion, and Denis Savard. The Franchise’s last seven-goal game streak dates back to 1981-82 when Steve Shutt accomplished the feat.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens will want to find a way to contain Nelson, who now has 31 points in 33 games against the Habs, Brent Burns, who has 21 points in 29 games, and Nathan MacKinnon, who has 20 points in as many games. As for Artturi Lehkonen, he has seven points in just six games against his former team.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch the game on RDS, TSN2, and ALT. Justin Kea and Frederick L'Ecuyer will be the referees, while Michel Cormier and Devin Berg will be the linemen.
The Arizona Cardinals coaching search could stretch through the Super Bowl.
In a recent report, coming out late last night, the team has scheduled another interview with Klint Kubiak, the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator.
Peter with the latest on Kubiak…
Expecting these interviews to happen Saturday in Seattle. Belief among some in league is Kubiak is the lead candidate in both places. https://t.co/bSR1sMl7BD
So, the Cardinals have been waiting and taking their time trying to get another shot at Kubiak, but so are the Las Vegas Raiders.
Both teams will have to do a quick sales job, before Kubiak returns his focus to the Seahawks in their quest for another Super Bowl.
The question becomes, what do the Cardinals have to offer over the Raiders?
If Kubiak was to turn towards the Cardinals, I think the biggest thing it would signal, at least to the Raiders, is a lack of belief in likely first overall pick Fernando Mendoza. While there is a debate on the rest of the roster, their is an unquestioned reality that having Mendoza if you believe he can be a franchise guy, is better than the Cardinals options at quarterback, thus negating basically all other roster construction questions.
If Kubiak decides to go back to Seattle to wait until the next coaching cycle, then it would say a lot about both moribund franchises.
The problem seems to be, that all the “insiders” continue to say it isn’t likely Kubiak would come to Arizona, so are the Cardinals wasting their time?
Via @ScoopCityShow, @DMRussini says that Mike LaFleur, Raheem Morris and Anthony Weaver are waiting to hear back from the Arizona Cardinals.
The Vegas Golden Knights have enjoyed a lot of success in January, posting an 8-4-2 record while ranking 2nd in goals.
My Stars vs. Golden Knights predictions expect them to snap their mini two-game losing streak on home soil against Dallas.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Thursday, January 29.
Stars vs Golden Knights prediction
Stars vs Golden Knights best bet: Golden Knights moneyline (-125)
The Vegas Golden Knights possess one of the league’s most talented rosters, and the results are starting to reflect that.
Only the Sabres have outscored the Golden Knights in January, and their underlying numbers are also strong. The Golden Knights have controlled better than 53% of the expected goal share across all situations this month, sitting eighth in the NHL – ahead of the Dallas Stars.
They are likely to generate more than their fair share of chances and put a lot of stress on Jake Oettinger. He's a solid goaltender, but he has struggled of late when going up in class.
Oettinger has lost three of his past four against Top-10 scoring offenses, allowing 15 total goals and posting a sub-.900 save percentage in each of those games.
He doesn’t have the best track record against the Golden Knights in the regular season, either, allowing at least three goals in four straight.
Vegas has scored 4+ in four of its past five at home and six of the last nine. Coming off back-to-back losses to close out their road trip, the Golden Knights will no doubt be looking to make a statement back on home ice.
Stars vs Golden Knights same-game parlay
Jack Eichel has created goals in bulk, no matter the matchup. Isolating games against Top-10 teams in limiting goals (which the Stars are), Eichel has piled up 16 assists through 14 games. He recorded at least one helper in 10 of 14, including eight of the last nine.
Mark Stone has scored in eight of his last nine home games following a day off. He and Eichel have picked up points on the same goal a whopping 27 times this season. If Eichel gets his assist, there’s a pretty good chance it comes on a Stone goal.
Going the other way, Jason Robertson appears the most reliable target in a tough matchup. He has averaged 3.5 shots per game against Top-10 shot suppression teams this season.
Stars vs Golden Knights SGP
Golden Knights moneyline
Jack Eichel Over 0.5 assists
Mark Stone anytime goal
Jason Robertson Over 2.5 shots on goal
Stars vs Golden Knights odds
Moneyline: Stars +105 | Golden Knights -125
Puck Line: Stars +1.5 (-240) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+195)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+115) | Under 6.5 (-135)
Stars vs Golden Knights trend
Vegas has won four of its past five games at home. Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs. Golden Knights.
How to watch Stars vs Golden Knights
Location
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Date
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
Victory+, Vegas 34
Stars vs Golden Knights latest injuries
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
After breaking out in a big way, seeing career breakouts from many players across the roster and sitting far ahead in the standings above what everyone expected, the Washington Capitals took everyone by surprise last season.
They finished with a 51-22-9 record, the second-best in the NHL, but have since regressed into a subpar hockey club. Washington now sits outside the playoff picture with a 25-22-7 record, while another team has captured the same magic the Capitals experienced last season in the Detroit Red Wings.
The Motor City hockey club has been sensational this year in many of the same ways Washington dominated the league a season ago, with one key difference. Detroit’s roster is significantly younger and appears far better positioned for sustained success beyond this season.
Still, the Capitals aren't a team to take lightly as they still have the makings of the team they had last season. Despite their record, Washington has beat the likes of the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning at different points this season. It should make for an exciting clash and could end up being a historic night.
Wednesday could be another historic night in this Red Wings season as veteran winger Patrick Kane is one point away from breaking Mike Modano's record for most points by an American-born player. It was confirmed by John Buccigross that Modano will not be in attendance despite being a Livonia, Michigan native but he did confirm that when they would honor the record at the following home game, that Modano would make sure that he was there.
Detroit has been starting to show signs of mortality lately as they've been narrowly edging out wins over their last eight games with three overtime wins, two regulation losses and one overtime loss.
They've won just two games in regulation during this span with narrow margins going in the favor of the Red Wings but that could quickly change and flip against them. Washington hasn't been so lucky as they are long overdue for a shift in momentum with a 7-13-4 record over their last 24 games with the sixth-worst goals against per game average at 3.63 during this span.
If the Red Wings offense can drive the offense, they should be able to win this game and it starts with the bottom-six forwards. We know over Detroit's recent hot streak that the top six will do their part as the Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond duo have a combined 11 goals over the last 11 games while the lethal second line trio of Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane and the surprising breakout of the season Andrew Copp have also combined the same mark at 11 goals over the same 11-game stretch.
We know these units will produce but if they don't the bottom of the lineup outside of the recently hot James van Riemsdyk needs to find their spark. The third line is starting to make significant moves as rookie Emmitt Finnie has assists in two of his last three games, center J.T. Compher chipped in two goals during the Wings 5-1 rout over the Winnipeg Jets while van Riemsdyk has helped drive the offense for the unit with points in eight of his last 11 games, totaling four goals and eight assists for 12 points.
This line chipping in would be a massive help and although scoring isn't expected from them, the fourth line getting a goal would be a massive help as well. The trio of forwards have all been riding lengthy point droughts with Mason Appleton at 13 games, Elmer Soderblom at 11 games and Michael Rasmussen saw a burst in production when playing with van Riemsdyk but has since gone ice cold with no points in ten games. If this unit can muster together even just one goal, it would go a long way.
On the opposing end, hockey legend Alex Ovechkin is always a threat to score, even at 40 years old. The league's greatest goal scorer is still doing his thing with 22 goals and 23 assists for 45 points in 54 games. His production at such a young age is miraculous but also speaks to the skill of his teammates.
Dylan Strome has emerged in Washington as a late career breakout with a career-best 82 points last season but has seen a step back this season with 42 points in 52 games. The surprise for this Capitals team this season has been winger Tom Wilson, who turned his physcial, gritty style of play into a true difference-making kind of player with a team-leading 46 points and plus-20 rating in 45 games and even earned himself a spot on Team Canada for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Wilson has done very well playing with a relatively unknown 23-year-old kid named Justin Sourdif. The former Florida Panthers third-round pick has quietly broken out in a big way this season with 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points and a plus-13 rating in 50 games.
The numbers may not seem impressive but Sourdif is a rookie, who entering this season hadn't played more than four NHL games. His rise into a top-six player for Washington has come out of nowhere and he will need to be watched by the Red Wings defense.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: John Gibson (Season: 21-10-1 record, 2.60 GAA, .906 SV% | VS WSH: 4-6-4 record, 2.92 GAA, .906 SV% in 15 games)
Washington: Charlie Lindgren
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I was tired before this game even started. I had just spent two straight days in 10 hours of meetings, and I was mentally done. It was my department’s annual meeting at work, and usually it’s a “destination” event. Sometimes it’s in San Antonio — yes to that! It’s my hometown, an easy drive from Houston, and the Riverwalk rocks. It’s been in Dallas before (no fun — longer drive and an uninteresting city in my opinion), but this year, it was going to be in Florida! (Fun, plus I haven’t been there since I was four years old!)
Regardless of where, it’s supposed to be anywhere but Houston since over half my department is here, with the rest scattered around the eastern half of the country, and the goal is to have everyone together where there’s dinner and bonding afterwards while no one can slip out and go home. It’s tiring, but I enjoy the bonding part of it (at least dinner, I’m not part of the crowd that goes drinking until 2AM just to be suffering through the next day of meetings).
However, for budgetary reasons, Florida got canceled, and the meeting was here in our downtown Houston office, with all the remote folks on conference call. Without being in a hotel, there was still the commute to and from work, making the day even longer, and I didn’t get to see coworkers from around the country whom I talk to often but am lucky to see in-person once a year. And for the cherry on top, this was the third year in a row the meeting was impacted by a winter storm, which ended up canceling Monday’s events and jamming everything into Tuesday and Wednesday. In other words, it was just two super long work days with the only plus being free breakfast and lunch.
After all that, an 8:30 Spurs-Rockets tip-off felt even more brutal than usual. Compound that with a horrible first 20+ minutes of action where the Spurs looked completely helpless — it felt like they weren’t even trying while the Rockets were slicing right through their defense on their way to a 16-point lead with 3:22 left in the first half — and I was ready to write a cranky WWL this morning. Longtime Pounders probably know I’m usually an optimist and try not to be too critical (they’re young, this is Mitch Johnson’s first full season as a head coach, give him a chance, etc.), but I wasn’t having it last night. Not after they showed a similarly atrocious effort in a home loss to the Pelicans a few days ago, and not after this issue with complacency and inconsistency has been going on for over a month now.
This was what I had to say while texting with Jeje Gomez and Jacob Douglas during the first half, right after a slew of Rockets offensive rebounds (including one where the ball bounced between three Spurs who were just watching before a Rockets player who was outside the play grabbed it) and careless backcourt turnovers: “I can give them (the Spurs) a grace period for stuff like shooting slumps, but poor effort and complacency is unforgivable. How many more ‘wake up call’ games do the need (before they get the memo)?”
Apparently, my superpower is the reverse jinx, because not long after that, they figured something out. They got more physical, stopped being careless with the ball, and started getting stops and rebounds. I was personally shocked that they were still in the game and only down by eight at the break, and in a reverse from last week’s game in Houston, the team that started hot fell off a cliff in the second half, especially the fourth quarter, and by then the Spurs were running over them so badly that even Kevin Durant was about to throw a fit.
This is what we expect to see from this team: physical, hungry and determined. The second half brought me joy the same way the first half brought me frustration, and it turned this entire WWL on its head. Was this finally the wakeup call they will take to heart, or are we destined to be frustrated again if a Charlotte Hornets team currently playing well above its record catches them off guard on an early Saturday tip-off? We’ll find out then, but in the meantime, I’ll relish the win against a rival that I already saw as a scheduled loss, which seemed even more likely after 21 minutes of play.
Takeaways
Just like this game and the Spurs as a whole, it was a tale of (almost) two halves for Stephon Castle. For the first 21 minutes, he was the frustrating version of himself: sporadic on defense, indecisive on offense, and leaving everyone clamoring for him to just let De’Aaron Fox have the ball-handling duties. Then, like everyone else, he flipped a switch and was the best version of himself by the second half. He guarded and annoyed the Rockets best players, from Kevin Durant to Alperen Sengun, and contributed on offense by not trying to do too much, simply taking the lanes the defense gave him and finishing at the rim. As he showed last night, he’s a game changer for the Spurs when everything is clicking, and now we just need to see it on a more consistent basis.
I was ready to give Victor Wembanyama an equally hard time on here while watching the first half. He was passive and looked frustrated on both ends, which has been a common theme for him against physical teams like the Rockets. But perhaps my biggest concern was watching him get manhandled by the similarly slender Durant. Granted, Durant is a bit thicker with 4 extra pounds to cover at last 5 fewer inches (I still say Wemby is closer to 7’7” than 7’4”, but whatever), but he’s still 15 years older. While he’s still a very good player at age 37, he should not be pushing Wemby around on his way to the basket or preventing Wemby from doing the same on the other end. Fortunately, Wemby figured that out in the second half and picked up: attacking everyone on defense, blocking shots, and muscling his way to the rim for shots or free throws. To both Wemby and Castle: more of this, please.
Our Editor-in-Chief J.R. Wilco has told me he feels the same way, but I have a passionate sports hate for Sengun, and I’m not even going to pretend like I don’t know why. I’m sure he is a great guy off the court, but man, I can’t stand watching him play basketball. He flops too much for such a big dude, he’s a Luka Doncic-level whiner with the same whiney face and “I’ve never committed a foul in my life but am fouled every time I touch the ball” attitude, and his body language is terrible. He’s an All-Star level player that I’m sure we would love if he was a Spur — we all know the mistake the Spurs made in drafting you-know-who ahead of him in 2021 — but ultimately, I’m glad he’s not. I just don’t like him, and it’s only compounded by him being on a direct rival.
NEW YORK — Cody Bellinger listened to pitches from other teams during his second foray into free agency, but he made it clear to his agent, Scott Boras, that calls from the New York Yankees come first.
It took more than two months, but Bellinger officially is returning to the Yankees. The versatile outfielder spoke with the media after becoming the last of the free-agent hitters to reach a new agreement by signing a five-year, $162.5 million contract.
“I spoke my mind to Scott all the time whether it was on any different occasion,” Bellinger said. “I definitely really enjoyed my time. I love playing in New York and I love the stadium. I made that very clear to Scott there as well.”
Bellinger’s new deal with the club includes a $20 million signing bonus, half payable April 1 and the remainder Aug. 1. The contract also includes a full no-trade provision.
The 30-year-old receives a $32.5 million salary in each of the first two seasons, $25.8 million in the next two and $25.9 million in 2030.
He can opt out after the 2027 or 2028 seasons to become a free agent for the third time. If a work stoppage leads to no games being played in 2027, the agreement specifies the opt outs will shift to after the 2028 and 2029 seasons.
Bellinger’s second free agency was a much-wider process than his first. After getting non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers in November 2022, he agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
“You work your whole life pretty much in order to get into this type of position,” Bellinger said. “So, you want to enjoy the ride and, you want to understand (everything). You want to take in all these many different things that are being thrown at you.
“So it’s a combination of wanting to enjoy the process and hear what everyone’s got to say and ultimately expressing what you really want and where you want to see your future at.”
A two-time All-Star acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs in December 2024 after Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, Bellinger hit .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs last year — including .302 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs at Yankee Stadium. A left-handed hitter, he played 149 games in the outfield and seven at first base in his first season since 2022 without a stint on the injured list.
Bellinger appeared in 152 games, last season his most since winning the MVP, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award with the Dodgers. He also hit .353 against left-handed pitching, .348 with runners in scoring position and .304 with runners on base.
“Badly, Badly,” manager Aaron Boone said when asked how much he was hoping Bellinger would return.
A Gold Glover in 2019, Bellinger also made standout defensive plays in right and left field.
On July 6, Bellinger also made an 89.8 mph throw from left field after making a shoestring catch on Soto to start a double play in a 6-4 win over the Mets.
Three months later, he made a 95.3 mph throw from right field to get Bo Bichette at the plate in the sixth inning of a 3-1 win over Toronto.
“He can win a game in a lot of different ways and that became very apparent to us,” Boone said.
Bellinger is joining a roster mostly intact from last year when the Yankees won 94 games, beat the Red Sox in three games in the wild-card series before getting outscored 34-19 in a four-game ALDS loss to the Blue Jays.
Bellinger has a .261 average with 225 homers and 695 RBIs in eight seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-22), Cubs (2023-24) and the Yankees.
He earned $57.5 million from the three-year, $80 million contract he reached with the Cubs before the 2024 season. Bellinger declined a $25 million option for 2026 in favor of a $5 million buyout.
On January 21, 2026, Brandon Sproat was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. This list, and Sproat’s place on it, was compiled back in late-November. For continuity’s sake, I decided upon including Sproat’s profile, but for all intents and purposes, every player on our list below Sproat can be considered to have moved up a spot on it.
Always more focused on hitting than pitching while playing little league and travel ball in the Pensacola area, Brandon Sproat left coaches stunned when he finally tried out for the Pace High School varsity baseball team in his junior year there. With a fastball that sat in the high-80s-to-low-90s and a full arsenal of secondary pitches, the right-hander instantly became the best player on the team. He dominated hitters not just across Santa Rosa County, but all over Florida, a baseball hotbed. In his junior year, he posted a 1.78 ERA in 59 innings, helping lead Pace to Florida’s Class 7A State Championship Game, and in his senior season, he posted a 1.53 ERA in 32 innings. Over the two seasons that he pitched for the Patriots, he made 27 starts and 5 relief appearances, posting a cumulative 1.83 ERA. The Texas Rangers selected Sproat in the 7th round of the 2019 MLB Draft and offered him an over-slot deal, but the right-hander elected to honor his commitment to the University of Florida instead, looking to really develop as a pitcher with the Gators and hear his name called earlier in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Initially, it looked like turning down the Rangers and their money might have been a miscalculation, as the right-hander missed most of his freshman season thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. He appeared in 4 games out of the bullpen at the beginning of the season prior to the suspension and eventual outright cancellation of the season, and allowed 1 earned run over 6.0 innings, giving up 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 8. That summer, as many players did, he supplemented his time on the mound by pitching in an independent collegiate league, the Texas Collegiate League. Pitching for the Tulsa Drillers, the right-hander allowed 4 earned runs over 10.1 innings, allowing 6 hits, walking 11, and striking out 7.
In 2021, he returned to Florida and appeared in 16 total games, starting 2 midweek games and making 14 appearances out of the bullpen. All in all, he posted a 6.65 ERA in 21.2 innings, allowing 29 hits, walking 15, and striking out 18. Over the summer, he made a brief appearance with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Collegiate Baseball League, allowing 3 earned runs in 2 innings with 3 hits allowed, 4 walks, and 2 strikeouts.
In 2022, his junior season, Sproat finally established himself, serving as the team’s Saturday starter following an injury to Hunter Barco. Making a team-high 16 starts, the right-hander posted a 3.41 ERA in 89.2 innings, allowing 84 hits, walking 33, and striking out 82. Analysists believed that based on his stuff and performance, Sproat would be selected early on the second day of the 2022 MLB Draft, and sure enough, he was. With their third round pick, the 90th selection overall, the Mets selected the right-hander. The two sides were unable to agree to terms, and Sproat ended up returning to Florida for a senior season, fulfilling a promise to graduate from college and potentially fulfilling a promise to teammates, classmates and Florida fans to bring a championship to Gainesville.
Sproat gave it all he could, but he and the Gators ended up falling just short of winning that championship in 2023. The right-hander appeared in 19 games as the staff ace and posted a 4.66 ERA in 102.1 innings with 81 hits allowed, 43 walks, and 134 strikeouts. Florida made the College World Series, defeating the University of Virginia in the first round, Oral Roberts University in the second round, and TCU in the semifinals, but lost to Louisiana State University in the finals two games to one. Sproat took the mound in game one, matching up against Tigers ace Ty Floyd, and pitched four innings in Florida’s one and only win in the series, allowing two runs on six hits, with five walks and seven strikeouts and not factoring into the decision. With the Gators’ eventual loss, Spoat’s career at the school came to an end. In total, he appeared in 56 games for them, starting 37, and tossed 223.2 innings. He posted a cumulative 4.27 ERA over the course of his four seasons at Florida, with 202 hits allowed, 99 walks issued, and 242 strikeouts.
Having given the Mets permission to potentially select him a second time around prior to the start of the 2023 MLB Draft, the Mets did just that, selecting him a second time, this time in the second round, the 56th player selected overall. The two sides agreed to a $1,474,500 signing bonus, exactly the MLB-recommended slot value, and Sproat finally became a professional baseball player. He did not suit up for the Mets for the remainder of the season.
Over the off-season, Amazin’ Avenue ranked Sproat the Mets 14th top prospect on the Mets Top 25 Prospects list for 2024. He was assigned to start the season with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, but it quickly became apparent that he was not being challenged at the level. He appeared in 6 games for the Cyclones, starting 5 of them, and posted a 1.07 ERA in 25.1 innings, allowing 12 hits, walking 16, and striking out 33. He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton in mid-May and was just as good against Double-A hitters, posting a 2.45 ERA in 62.1 innings over 11 starts with 39 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 77 strikeouts. He was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse in early August and the wheels finally fell off of his excellent season. The right-hander wrapped up his first professional season there, making 7 starts and posting a bloated 7.85 ERA in 28.2 innings, allowing 36 hits, walking 11, and striking out 21. Despite its poor ending, the right-hander had a successful season and catapulted his name into the discussion not only for Mets top prospect, but among the best nationally as well.
Amazin’ Avenue ranked the right-hander the Mets’ top prospect coming into the season, but he stumbled out of the gate, once again struggling at the Triple-A level. In March/April, he posted a 5.48 ERA in 23.0 innings over 6 starts, allowing 21 hits, walking 12, and striking out 17. In May, he posted a 6.56 ERA in 23.1 innings over 5 starts, allowing 25 hits, walking 10, and striking out 17, and in June, he posted a 4.15 ERA in 21.2 innings over 5 starts, allowing 19 hits, walking 13, and striking out 15. In late June, a lightbulb finally went on. It wasn’t one thing specifically, but suddenly everything started clicking for Sproat. Thanks to a combination of throwing his fastball harder and using a more effective pitch mix, the right-hander went on a terrific run in the month of July. In 27.0 innings over 5 starts, the right-hander posted a 0.67 ERA, allowing 14 hits, walking 8, and striking out 33. His streak of success ended in August, but by that point, the organization was looking at internal options to bolster the starting rotation and the Mets’ dwindling playoff aspirations, and Sproat was in consideration for a call-up. Sure enough, in mid-September, the Mets selected his contract from the Syracuse Mets, joining fellow recently-promoted right-handers Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong.
In his first big league start on September 9th, Sproat allowed 3 runs on 3 hits over 6.0 innings against the Cincinnati Reds, walking 4 and striking out 7. In his next start, against the Texas Rangers on September 13th, the right-hander threw six scoreless innings, scattering 6 hits and not walking a single batter while striking out 3. His next start, which came on September 19th against the Washington Nationals, was his first real clunker, allowing 4 runs over 4.0 innings. His next and final start of the year, September 26 against the Miami Marlins, was a similar clunker that saw him allow 4 runs over 4.2 innings. All in all, Sproat posted a 4.49 ERA in Queens, allowing 18 hits, walking 7, and striking out 17 in 20.2 innings of work and a 4.24 ERA in 121.0 innings with the Syracuse Mets, allowing 97 hits, walking 53, and striking out 113.
The 6’3”, 210-pound Sproat has a solid pitching frame. The right-hander throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a long, whippy arm action through the back. His delivery is fairly simple with few moving parts, and he repeats it well. He struggled with his control earlier in his career while playing at Florida, but has improved in that regard since turning pro, as the Mets worked with him to raise his arm slot a bit and remove some of the crossfire from his delivery, as they identified his lagging arm being the root cause of his control issues.
Sproat has a wide assortment of pitches that he is comfortable using, incorporating multiple fastballs, breaking balls, and off-speed pitches. His pitch mix changed slightly in Queens as compared to his mix while in Syracuse. In Triple-A, he threw his four-seam fastball 26% of the time, his sinker 21.3% of the time, his sweeping slider 16% of the time, his gyro slider 15% of the time, his changeup 15% of the time, and his curveball 7% of the time. In Queens, Jeremy Hefner had Sproat throw his sinker 34% of the time, his sweeping slider 19% of the time, his curveball 15% of the time, his changeup 15% of the time, his four-seam fastball 14% of the time, and his gyro slider 3% of the time.
Sproat’s four-seam fastball averaged 96.2 MPH while playing in Syracuse and 96.7 MPH in his cup of coffee with the Mets, topping out at 100 MPH. While it has plenty of velocity- the pitch was in the 94 percentile in Syracuse and in the 78 percentile in the majors in terms of average velocity- it features a well-below average spin rate. With an average spin rate hovering around 2,000 RPM, the pitch has minimal life and movement. Batters hit .258/.390/.423 against it in Triple-A with a 24.3% Whiff% and in a much smaller sample size, .143/.282/.143 with a 6.3% Whiff% in Queens. The pitch is almost a brute pitch offering, with Sproat having success with the pitch when he is throwing it as hard as he can and sniffing triple-digits but missing considerably fewer bats when the pitch’s velocity backs up.
His sinker sits in a similar velocity band, averaging 95.7 MPH in Syracuse and Queens, topping out at 100 MPH. Triple-A batters hit .268/.366/.366 against it with a 13.7% Whiff% while MLB batters hit .333/.262/.519 against it with a 6.7 Whiff%. Jeremy Hefner had Sproat throw the pitch more than his four-seam fastball, and while its metrics aren’t that great either, the bit more vertical and horizontal movement that it has helped with its damage suppression, resulting in more ground balls and weaker exit velocities in batted ball events.
Sproat’s sweeping slider averaged 85 MPH, while his harder gyro slider averaged 89 MPH. Like his fastball, both pitches recorded spin rates well below average for their respective pitch types, with his sweeping slider averaging 2,400 RPM and his gyro slider averaging 2,090 RPM at Triple-A and the MLB combined. While his sweeping slider has less movement than the MLB average in 2025, the pitch was effective against Triple-A and MLB hitters alike, resulting in a .104./211/.269 BAA in Syracuse with a 33.8% Whiff% and a .077/.268/.077 BAA with a 34.6 Whiff% in the small sample size of his MLB call-up. His gyro slider, used more in Syracuse than in Queens, did not achieve such results, resulting in a .291/.381/.382 BAA with a 29.3 Whiff%.
His changeup, which was an effective offering and arguably his most effective offering while a collegiate player, has remained an effective pitch against professionals. Triple-A batters hit .194/.243/.284 against it with a 29.7% Whiff%, while MLB batters hit .182/.234/.273 against it with a 8.3% Whiff%. The pitch hovers around 90 MPH with a spin rate of 1650 RPM, giving it roughly 30 inches of vertical drop and 16 inches of horizontal movement. Ironically, despite its arm-side fade, the pitch was more successful against right-handers than the left-handers change-ups usually neutralize.
Rounding out his arsenal, Sproat also throws a high-70s-to-low-80s curveball with big 11-5 shape. Much like his change-up, while conceptually his bender should have been more effective against left-handed hitters, it was actually better against right-handers.
Trouble against left-handers has plagued Sproat for his young professional career. In Triple-A, right-handers hit .180/.276/.272 against him with a 28.1% Whiff%, as opposed to the .260/.353/.390 left-handers hit against him with a 23.6% Whiff%. Left-handers also hit the ball harder and further, with more advantageous launch angles.
2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List
6) A.J. Ewing 7) Jacob Reimer 8) Ryan Clifford 9) Will Watson 10) Jack Wenninger 11) Mitch Voit 12) Jonathan Santucci 13) Elian Peña 14) Zach Thornton 15) Nick Morabito 16) R.J. Gordon 17) Chris Suero 18) Dylan Ross 19) Ryan Lambert 20) Antonio Jimenez 21) Edward Lantigua 22) Eli Serrano III 23) Randy Guzman 24) Daiverson Gutierrez 25) Boston Baro
