WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros at bat against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a spring training game at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 10, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You certainly won’t complain about two World Championships since 2017, but it feels like for the villain status the Houston Astros have accrued since that time that they would have more. The Dodgers may have eclipsed the Astros in 2025 as the chief bad guys of MLB, but I’ll always appreciate that Houston seemed to lean so easily into playing the heel. Not only are the no longer the top evildoers, they may not even be the top in their own division — the Mariners eventually ran them down last season after the ‘Stros finished first in the AL West every year since ‘17, save that strange 2020 campaign. Indeed, it was the first time since 2016 that a postseason occurred without the pesky Astros.
2025 record: 87-75 (2nd, AL West) 2026 FanGraphs projection: 81-81 (3rd, AL West)
Yes, that’s an 81-81 projected record, something that would be borderline unthinkable given the specter Houston has cast over the American League—and particularly the Yankees—over the last near-decade. They’ve moved from the unstoppable force to a club that needs quite a few things to go right in order to challenge the Mariners, at least on paper. Hunter Brown is as good a starter as you’ll find in baseball, following up his breakout ‘24 with a Cy Young-finalist season last year, worth nearly five wins and now expected to lead the rotation.
Following Brown is a guy I’ve always liked, but is one of the ur-examples of “boy this has to go right.” Cristian Javier has thrown just 71 innings since 2023, undergoing Tommy John surgery midway through the 2024 season. He wasn’t terrible in limited action upon his return last year, but his fastball’s down a full tick from his pre-surgery self and if a few more fly balls — which he gives up a lot of — leave the park, you can see his statline starting to get pretty ugly. Tatsuya Imai, an NPB import that I wanted the Yankees to sign, will fill out the potential top three of the rotation, and while I do think he will adjust well to MLB, there will have to be an adjustment.
Offensively, the team starts to look a little old. Cam Smith, the org’s top prospect last year, is currently projected to spend the full year in right field, and Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Peña is still just 28. On the other hand, both Jose Altuve and Christian Walker are on the scary side of 34 and both seemed to take major, age-related steps back last year, while Carlos Correa will turn 32 this season and was barely above league average at the plate last year. They also have an odd infield logjam that is only somewhat “remedied” by Peña beginning the year on the IL with a broken finger; Isaac Paredes is still on the team and still tailor-made for the Crawford Boxes. But owner Jim Crane’s inability — or perhaps unwillingness — to delve into the big pool of free agency has meant that the once-great core of this team is starting to slow down.
Over the last decade, I’ll absolutely have taken the Astros’ success over the Yankees’ lack thereof, but the cracks are finally starting to show. There may be one more run left in this roster as currently constructed, but they’re very clearly not as good as Seattle on paper, and FanGraphs projects them to be slightly worse than the Rangers. Houston also ended 2025 with the second-worst-ranked prospect system, so if this roster is going to get any better midseason, Crane has to find some way to open up the pockets.
More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.
Mar 5, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Dylan Moore (25) hits a 2-RBI single during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
We have reached the endgame, friends. This will be the week where the cuts are made, where some options are picked up, where some decisions are made and the Phillies’ initial roster of 2026 is created. Some of these possibly logjams have been taken care of already thanks to decisions to ingest things against the rules, but some decisions still loom. Here is the final projection for said roster and what it will look like when the Texas Rangers roll into town next week.
I wrote last week about the ludicrous notion that Garrett Stubbs would make the roster as the 26th man/third catcher, which seems an odd topic to write about. Surely no manager would keep a light hitting catcher on the roster just because he took a few groundballs at third base or shagged a few fly balls during BP, right?
Right?
Infield – Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp, Dylan Moore
The first six players? We know they’re all making it.
And then there is Dylan Moore.
There isn’t much that Moore has done this spring that would single him out as the one to get the last spot on the roster. As of Wednesday, he was 4 for 19, a few RBI sprinkled here, a few stolen bases sprinkled there. Nothing to get excited about. Yet he fits the profile of what the team is always on the hunt for: versatility. In his career, Moore has played more or less everywhere but pitcher and catcher. In a pinch, his right handed bat can come in if Justin Crawford is struggling. He can handle other positions as well.
He’s pretty much Whit Merrifield, who made the roster at the end of spring training in 2024. I’m not sure he’s the best candidate for the job, but I would be shocked if he wasn’t the final person called into Rob Thomson’s office to get the good news.
It’s quite odd to put only three outfielders on this team and it’s possible that that won’t happen. Maybe in the end, the allure of Bryan de la Cruz is too much for Rob Thomson to ignore. Maybe the idea of only have three real life outfielders is a bridge too far. If the team opted for an outfielder like de la Cruz over keeping Dylan Moore, I’d be fine with it.
I just don’t see that happening.
Designated hitter – Kyle Schwarber
Again, easiest call here.
Starting rotation – Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter
The same five we thought would start the season will likely actually start the season.
I’m kind of interested in Taijuan Walker for some reason. Zack Wheeler is probably closer to returning than anyone thinks, which means someone is going to have to move from the rotation. The team is usually not fond of running out six man rotations early in the season, making Walker the likely candidate to move. However, what if Andrew Painter is struggling and Walker is just doing Walker things? Would the team consider a different approach then?
Relief pitching –Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, Jose Alvarado, Jonathan Bowlan, Tanner Banks, Kyle Backhus, Seth Johnson, Zach McCambley
The first six look set in pen right now. Johnson and McCambley are probably short term fixes until the two players projected to return from the injured list actually return.
Hot take: by season’s end, this will be a top five bullpen by WPA.
Injured list – Zack Wheeler, Orion Kerkering
Wheeler is probably close. Kerkering might not have enough time to be ready for the season opener. Best idea might be to slowplay his return and letting them keep McCambley or Johnson in the big leagues for now before they have to make a decision on either.
If you’re looking on the bright side, we’re at least writing this about three months later this season than we were last season. For about 35-45 games, the Sixers gave their fans enough of a reason to tune in. But the last five to six weeks of the 2025-2026 season have been far from fruitful. Not only have the Sixers lost a lot of games since the beginning of February, but they’ve lost players to injuries and suspension and have lost a lot of their fans with a perplexing trade deadline as well.
With Philly’s next game likely to be another loss in the Motor City against the Eastern Conference leading Detroit Pistons, now feels like a good time to entertain a scenario we haven’t really discussed all season. Are the Sixers best off losing as many games as possible in the regular season’s final month, bowing out quickly in the play-in tournament, and participating in this year’s draft lottery?
Granted, it’s highly unlikely Philadelphia could lose enough to fall below the play-in tournament cut line, so even a bad final month of the regular season would still have the Sixers playing beyond the season’s 82nd game. However, as many know by now, jumps up in the lottery from play-in tournament losers into the top four have happened a few times in recent years.
In 2019, the NBA debuted its new lottery in which the ping-pong balls determined the first four picks instead of the first three. This was part of an unsuccessful effort to curb tanking as the league thought that more randomness in the lottery would increase competitive balance. Since the reform, there have been seven draft lotteries. In three of them, a team from outside the league’s 10 worst records has jumped into the top four of the draft order. That includes the last two lotteries in which play-in tournament losers Atlanta and Dallas won the first pick in the 2024 and 2025 drafts respectively.
To be very clear, we’re still talking about approximately a 10% chance that Philadelphia drafts in the top four in 2026 which would again allow the Sixers to keep their first-rounder and not send it to the Thunder. But haven’t we all resigned ourselves to the fact that there’s a 0% chance of a deep playoff run coming? It feels like a dart worth throwing if you ask me.
Of course, the elephant in the room here will be if Joel Embiid is OK with being shut down. At this rate, it seems reasonable that Tyrese Maxey may not play for the rest of the regular season. Does anyone even care how many games Paul George plays after his suspension? But Embiid went public with comments before the trade deadline hoping that the front office would add to the roster and give him the best chance possible to make a deep playoff run given he may not have many chances left. We all saw that happened at the deadline.
Embiid certainly isn’t thinking about a 10% chance the Sixers draft in the top four this summer. If you’re a big draft nerd too, you might be tracking the Houston first-rounder which the Sixers now own via the Jared McCain trade. There’s still a world in which the Sixers get out of the play-in tournament, send a pick in the late teens to Oklahoma City, and the Houston pick lands in the mid 20s and this whole thing is water under the bridge.
Perhaps this is all just one sad pity piece on what this season has turned into. There were certainly times this season in which the Sixers gave the fans reason to be excited. Heck, there’s a reason there was a sentiment leading up to the trade deadline that they could be a buyer and really make a run in a wide-open Eastern Conference this spring. But those hopes are crushed now, and the Sixers are back to churning out fringe NBA players in their rotation on a regular basis. So yeah, maybe they should just exit early in the play-in tournament and then we can all ask ourselves how lucky are we feeling on lottery night yet again.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL has decided not to make the Ottawa Senators forfeit a first-round draft pick for their role in a 2021 trade that was later nullified.
The Senators instead will get the 32nd and final pick in the first round after the league decided their change of ownership affected what the appropriate punishment should be. The team will also pay a fine of 1 million Canadian dollars, roughly $735,000, to NHL Foundation Canada.
If Ottawa misses the playoffs and happens to win the draft lottery for one of the first two picks, it will result in a re-draw. After announcing the alteration Thursday, the NHL said it will have no further comment on the matter.
The decision was initially levied on Nov. 1, 2023, that the Senators would forfeit a first-rounder in 2024, ‘25 or ’26. New owner Michael Andlauer fired then-general manager Pierre Dorion that day and named Steve Staois as the replacement for that role.
The Senators traded forward Evgenii Dadonov to Vegas in July 2021 and failed to supply the Golden Knights with the player’s 10-team no-trade list. Vegas attempted to send Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks in March 2022 before the move was nixed by NHL Central Registry because he had not waived his no-trade clause.
There is precedent to the NHL reducing punishment after the fact. The New Jersey Devils in 2010 were docked a first- and a third-round pick and fined $3 million for a contract with Ilya Kovalchuk that was rejected. They instead were, like Ottawa, forced to the end of the first round in 2014.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 10: Onyeka Okongwu #17 and Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks high five during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 10, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 10: Onyeka Okongwu #17 and Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks high five during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 10, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s what the people wanted! The Brooklyn Nets took on the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night and got the hell beat out of them as they lost by 38 points.
The opponent tonight is flying high. The Atlanta Hawks pushed their winning streak to seven after beating the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. They’re solidly in the play-in tier and have an outside chance of breaking in to the top six.
Where to follow the game
YES Network on TV. Gotham Sports on streaming. WFAN on radio. Tip after 7:30 PM.
🤕 Injuries
The following are out:
Egor Demin
Michael Porter Jr
Nolan Traore
Day’ron Sharpe
Ziaire Williams is questionable. The three two-ways available.
For the Hawks, Jonathan Kuminga and Dyson Daniels are questionable.
🏀 The game
Atlanta won the first and second meetings. They wrap the series up in April.
With both guards out, Drake Powell will get as many minutes as he can handle. It should be a great opportunity for the rookie to figure things out, and as our Tyler Carmona writes, he can grow into a really solid pro:
“With some added physical development in the offseason, he could grow into a reliable defender capable of guarding positions one through four and giving head coach Jordi Fernández some breathing room when facing elite offensive talent.“
With Traore and Porter Jr out, who will take the shots for the Nets tonight? That’s the question Jordi Fernandez will have to figure out and figure out fast. Danny Wolf figures to start again and should get plenty of opportunities to make something happen.
This is also a night for Noah Clowney to do a bit more. Clowney has had plenty of bright spots this season and now that we’re moving in to the middle of March, this represents a chance for him to do a bit more on offense. Games like this will help him figure out what parts of his game can get better as he fights to be a starter next season.
Jalen Johnson has been one of the best players in the NBA this season, and he’s picked things up as of late. During the Hawks’ winning streak, he’s averaging around 20/7/6 on 50 percent shooting from the field. A walking triple-double threat, Johnson does a lot of things well and hopes to put on a show in the postseason if the Hawks make it there.
Now that the Hawks are in serious playoff contention, they have some things to figure out. One of them will be how they best utilize CJ McCollum. The Hawks have youngsters that figure to be key parts of their program going forward and while still capable of heating up at a moment’s notice, CJ does have flaws in his game. Over at Peachtree Hoops, Hassan Ladiwala explores the conundrum Atlanta finds themselves in:
“To be clear, while I am of the opinion that the decision to start McCollum over Risacher is a touch short-sighted*, I do understand it from the perspective that it’s a move that helps the team win games this season. Putting a high-level offensive player like McCollum alongside Atlanta’s ‘core four’ has raised the group’s offensive ceiling and eased the ball-handling burden on Johnson and Daniels. You would also be justified in pointing out that Risacher had done little to justify keeping his job in the starting unit prior to the lineup change.
*It’s unclear whether McCollum will be on the team next year while Risacher was drafted #1 overall just last season and has a ways to go before reaching his potential.
That said, despite the staggering plus-minus numbers*, I am not fully convinced that McCollum is a part of the Hawks ‘best’ five-man unit – and their opponents woeful three-point shooting during his minutes is a big factor in my skepticism. Next time you see a stat praising McCollum’s on/off impact in Atlanta, just know that it hasn’t been because the Hawks shot-making, it’s been because of their opponents shot-missing.“
Give your youngsters more run, or turn to your vet and try to win? Everybody’s got to find the proper balance.
🏀 Player to watch: Onyeka Okongwu
Steady growth is always welcome. When you add to your game every year, you become more reliable and someone the team can trust. It’s a sign that you’re a part of their plans and it leads to great things if you keep at it. Onyeka Okongwu has seen his scoring average increase in each season of his career and even as he expands his game, he’s still shooting well and someone opponents have to respect. Atlanta hopes to be a steady playoff contender for many years to come, and Okongwu’s rise will be a shining light in Atlanta.
Nic Claxton will be tasked with controlling the middle for the Nets tonight. When the Nets lose on the boards, it’s impossible for them to win games. And with no Sharpe, the Nets have even less help on the glass. Claxton has to be better and playing in front of friends and family should give him an extra bit of motivation.
📺 From the Vault
On Tuesday, Bam Adebayo scored 83 points, now second most in NBA history. With that in mind, let’s take a trip back in time and look back at the mark Bam suprassed
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: Washington pitcher Brad Lord (61) reacts during the MLB game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves on September 23rd, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
At this time last year, Brad Lord was one of the biggest stories of Nationals Spring Training. After working at Home Depot in the offseason, the former 18th round pick pitched his way on to the Nationals roster. Following a solid rookie season, Lord is flying much more under the radar.
He is a lock to make the roster, the only question is what role he will serve. Lord is a quiet, go with the flow guy, which makes him the perfect candidate to bounce between the rotation and bullpen. He just wants to help the team in whatever way he can. Lord told me that he will “Do whatever they need and I am always open to anything”.
As of right now, he is building up to be a starter, but he is not sure what his ultimate role will be. After the Zack Littell signing, I think he is likely to head to the bullpen. He was more effective out of the bullpen last year, posting a 2.79 ERA in that role. However, he was reliable wherever he pitched and was a rare bright spot on a brutal Nats pitching staff.
In a season that has gone about as bad as possible in most ways, I am very thankful for Brad Lord
Lord faded a bit down the stretch, but he still had a great rookie season for a guy taken in the 18th round. He posted a 4.34 ERA in 130.2 innings as a rookie. His ability to generate ground balls and keep the ball off the barrel made him a solid MLB pitcher. To get to the next level, he will have to refine some of his secondary pitches, as he was very fastball reliant last year.
He threw either a 4-seam or a sinker 66.5% of the time last year. With the Nationals cutting fastball usage, I anticipate that to go down. However, the heater should still be Lord’s bread and butter. His low arm slot and solid velocity make his fastballs quite good. He just needs another weapon that hitters have to respect.
Lord told me that one thing he was refining is his changeup. He did not make any massive changes, but the righty did tweak his changeup grip. Last year, the changeup was a solid weapon to lefties, but nothing special. This grip change could improve the pitch. Lord used the changeup to overwhelm Nolan Gorman yesterday in his Spring Training outing.
Brad Lord was telling me about how he tweaked his changeup grip when he talked yesterday. He made Nolan Gorman look silly on back to back changeups to get a strikeout
Yesterday was the best Lord has looked this spring. Six of his nine outs came via the ground ball, which is exactly what you want to see from him. Getting quick outs is a big part of Lord’s game. It is what makes him a solid starter and a fantastic swing man.
Lord was at his best last season in that swing man role. From late May to early August, he was dominant, posting a 2.20 ERA in that time. When he moved to the rotation full time, he got exposed a bit down the stretch. I also think he began to wear down at the end of his first MLB season.
Brad Lord with a very solid start for the Nats today going 6 IP, 4 Hits, 1 ER, 5 Ks, 19% Whiff% and lowering his season ERA to 3.28
Since May 22nd he has a 2.20 ERA and 2.97 FIP with just 13 BBs in 45 IP
Whatever his role is, Brad Lord will be a key piece for the Nats pitching staff. He is a guy who can get outs in a variety of roles, which is very important in the modern game. While he is unlikely to start the season in the rotation, he will be the next man up when injuries inevitably hit.
Last season, he made 48 appearances with 19 starts. I would not be surprised if we saw something like that again. He can just do whatever the manager asks of him, which is incredibly valuable. Brad Lord’s name is not on the tip of fans tongues like it was last year, but I think he is poised to be a pivotal piece of the Nats pitching staff once again.
The Florida Panthers will aim for their third straight victory when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Florida has won back-to-back games, both against the Detroit Red Wings, outscoring their divisional rival 7-4 between victories during a home and home series that occurred on Friday in Motown and Tuesday in Sunrise.
Now the Cats will shift their attention to another team trying to cement their position in the race to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Entering play Thursday, the Blue Jackets are the first team out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Columbus trails the Boston Bruins by two points for the final Wild Card spot, each team still with 18 games remaining on their respective schedules.
As for Florida, their consecutive wins did little to help them make up ground in the playoff race.
The Panthers are currently 11 points behind Boston, with four teams between them. If the Cats keep winning and turn their modest two-game streak into one that’s double-digits, they can find their way back into the case for a playoff spot. But that’s a big if.
Ahead of Thursday’s game, Florida called up defenseman Mike Benning from AHL Charlotte.
A day earlier, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said that the playing status for defenseman Uvis Balinskis was up in the air due to the aggravation of an injury he sustained a couple weeks ago against Buffalo.
Balinskis won't play, meaning Benning will step in and make his NHL debut. He'll be on a pairing with Niko Mikkola.
Florida selected Benning in the fourth-round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He’s played each of the past three seasons with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, racking up 26 goals and 89 points in 182 games, to go with 124 penalty minutes and a plus-16 on-ice rating.
He was on the ice for Florida's optional morning skate Thursday at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.
Maurice also said that Carter Verhaeghe may or may not play Thursday after something tightened up on the forward following his two-goal effort on Tuesday against Detroit.
Verhaeghe was also on the ice for Florida's morning skate, but he and Anton Lundell will both be held out of the lineup, Maurice said.
Between the pipes, the Cats will turn to Sergei Bobrovsky.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s battle with the Blue Jackets:
A.J. Greer – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart
Cole Reinhardt – Tomas Nosek – Jesper Boqvist
Mackie Samoskevich – Luke Kunin – Vinnie Hinostroza
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Mike Benning
Donovan Sebrango – Dmitry Kulikov
Extras: Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Uvis Balinskis
‘I don’t enjoy the car but I do enjoy working with the team’
Meeting with drivers brought forward amid disquiet
Max Verstappen has once more expressed his discontent with the new Formula One regulations. Amid a clamour of unhappiness from many drivers, the four-time champion also reiterated his warning that he would leave the sport if he ceased to enjoy it, which is clearly the case at the moment.
After the first round of the season in Melbourne last week, Verstappen showed disdain for how the new rules had affected driving, and speaking before this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, he belittled the new formula with another reference to the videogame Mario Kart, which has swiftly become a go-to reference across the grid. A drivers’ meeting to discuss the new regulations, originally planned for after the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of the month, has now been brought forward to take place after this weekend’s race, the Guardian understands.
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 21: Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat handles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks on December 21, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Tuesday night was fascinating for me as a sports fan.
I started my night by watching my college’s depressingly bad basketball team lose to Northwestern to end its season in the Big Ten tournament, then switched the channel to watch Team USA lose in embarrassing fashion to Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
At the same time, I was mildly aware of Alexis Lafreniere scoring a hat trick for the Rangers, Jaylen Brown getting ejected in a high-profile game against the Spurs, and a niche game between the Heat and Wizards that would later go down in NBA history.
I was first aware of Bam Adebayo’s historic night when someone told me he scored 31 points in the first quarter. It was surprising, sure, but it’s the 2026 Wizards. At some point, the Heat will begin to blow them out, and Adebayo will eventually hit the bench with a career scoring effort. He had 43 at half, another shocking sum, but nothing insane was on the radar with the Heat well on their way to a blowout victory.
But they just kept feeding him. He kept going to the line. I got Real notifications that he had 50; he had SIXTY points in the third quarter. At that point, I still didn’t turn on League Pass. In my mind, there was no way he’d stay in the game to make any serious history, right?
But he played most of the fourth quarter. He got to 70, and I finally relented. What I saw in the final five minutes of that game was some of the most shameless basketball I’ve ever seen from the referees, the players on both teams, and the coaches. The Wizards were sending triple-teams, the Heat were intentionally fouling to get more possessions, and Erik Spoelstra refused to remove his big-money star in a 30-point game.
Adebayo ultimately did get to end the game on the bench, but not before scoring 83 points. There’s a sect of the NBA community that sees the lack of broadcast evidence of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game and refuses to believe it exists. Putting aside the fact that it’s totally irrational that it was totally ridiculous that the basketball media would make up a black man scoring 100 points in a game in 1962, there are people who consider Kobe Bryant’s 81 points in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors as the single-game scoring mark to beat.
So, for those people who believe Wilt never scored 100, Bam Adebayo is now the standard for single-game dominance. Bam Adebayo, who has never scored 45 in a game prior to Tuesday night, had indisputably scored the most points in an NBA game in over 60 years and, to some people, the most points ever.
THE ICONIC PHOTO: BAM ADEBAYO HOLDS UP ‘83’ ON A PIECE OF PAPER! 8️⃣3️⃣
That fact is just jarring to me. Bam is an incredible player, don’t get me wrong. He’s a multi-time all-star, a staple on All-Defensive teams, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and will almost certainly have his No. 13 retired by a Heat organization that’s had many great players don its colors. He’ll likely be enshrined in the Hall of Fame one day, but he isn’t known as a pure scorer.
The players to score 70 points in an NBA game are a who’s who of scoring talent: Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Luka Doncic, David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, and Donovan Mitchell. All of these guys are or were capable of scoring 40 on any given night, even if only a few are inner-circle Hall of Famers.
How far down the list do you have to go before you find a player on the level of Adebayo’s offensive skills? MJ scored 69. Pete Maravich scored 68. Giannis and Rick Barry scored 64. The most points ever scored by a player to average under 20 PPG for his career is Joe Fulks, who scored 63 in 1949.
Fulks was the first NBA player to score 60 in a game and held the single-game scoring record until Elgin Baylor’s 64-point game in 1959. Fulks is an interesting piece of trivia in NBA history as maybe the league’s first shot-chucker. He averaged 19.1 FGA per game in his career and shot 30.2% from the field. He led the NBA in scoring in 1947-48 while shooting 25.9% from the field on over 25 shots per game. He’s the Father of NBA Tour Dates. If you want a laugh, go to @extrastats on Twitter and search for Fulks on his account.
Lowest FG% in a game on 45+ shot attempts:
23.6 — Joe Fulks (1948, 55 FGA) 25.5 — Joe Fulks (1947, 47 FGA) 31.1 — Cade Cunningham (tonight, 45 FGA) 32.0 — Joe Fulks (1946, 50 FGA)
The day Fulks scored 63 points, he attempted 56 shots and took 14 free throws. He shot 48.2% from the field, which is a modern-day equivalent of if Cam Thomas shot 70% from the field in a 40-piece. No player had ever scored more than 63 points and shot worse than 50%… until Adebayo on Tuesday. His 67.0 TS% is the least efficient 65+-point game since the invention of the 3-point line.
But I think the thing that’s been bothering me the most about this game is the way it progressed. Adebayo was absolutely tremendous in the first quarter, scoring 31 points on 10-for-17 from the field and making five three-pointers. Even if he was playing the Wizards, it was an all-time great quarter.
But the way the game ended is what soured me. The Wizards, in their desperate attempt to tank and keep their draft pick, load managed Trae Young. Alex Sarr scored 28 points, but he was limited to 20 minutes and sat out the game’s final 18. They did the same with Tre Johnson. The poor players that had to stop a coordinated effort to give Adebayo his moment were the likes of Will Riley, Anthony Gill, and Jalen Hardy.
Granted, part of that is because the Wizards were being blown out, but that’s another thing. Adebayo was being force-fed the ball and was just running full speed into defenders to draw fouls in the paint. Miami’s benchwarmers were fouling to get more possessions. It’s as if Jalen Brunson was playing with Trey Jemison III, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Pacome Dadiet in the final minutes of a blowout victory.
Speaking of Brunson, can he get some of these free throws next time he plays the Wizards? An NBA-record 43 free throw attempts. The only other players to even get within 10 of that number were notoriously bad free-throw shooters who were intentionally put on the line (or Wilt, who was both a poor free-throw shooter and dominant enough to get to the line naturally). Brunson’s 61-point game against the Spurs a few years ago is the second-best in history with less than 10 FTA (Rick Barry had 5 FTA in a 64-point game in 1974).
But we’d be getting into a whole different debate if we were talking about how ethical a high-scoring game is. Kobe’s 81-point game saw him put the finishing touches on a blowout, but he also had to power a very bad supporting cast back from a 14-point halftime deficit. Bryant scored his last seven points from the free-throw line in the final 2:36, but it was only a 13-point game at that point, and even then, that’s 74.
There are even reports of similar tactics to the ones the Heat used back in 1962, used by the Philadelphia Warriors to get Wilt to 100. You can argue that if we’re talking about ethics, Wilt’s 78-point game in a double-overtime win three months before he dropped 100 is the standard for ethical, ballistic scoring games. (Fun fact about that one: Wilt went 16-for-31 at the line. He would’ve scored 90 if he shot granny-style like he did when he scored 100.)
In the end, it happened. Regardless of how you feel, Bam Adebayo made history on Tuesday night. It was surreal to watch as someone who didn’t see Kobe score 81.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Evan Carter #32 of the Texas Rangers runs up the line during a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning, all!
Chris Young says that he’s seeing indications that the Rangers have had a better approach at the plate this spring and he hopes that means the offense won’t be repeating the futility of 2025.
Evan Grant hosted a Q&A where he answered questions about how the bullpen will shake out, whether Ezequiel Duran will make the team, and the expected outfield alignment.
Shawn McFarland continues his prospect countdown with number 13, RHP Leandro Lopez.
It just wouldn’t be spring if we weren’t reading articles wondering if this is finally the season a player is finally as good as they were three years ago.
The experts are predicting big things for Rangers’ pitching prospect Caden Scarborough
Indiana, California, SMU, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Texas all lost at their respective conference tournaments.
Thursday didn't start any better with Miami (Ohio) and their curious case for the tournament getting tested. The MAC tournament began Thursday and the 31-0 RedHawks were knocked off by Massachusetts after having a double-digit lead in the second half. The record may have one blemish, but Miami's metrics don't make an at-large bid a sure thing.
The results leave the door open for teams like Auburn, and even Oklahoma, to slip into the field of 68. If the Tigers can manage to beat Tennessee in Thursday's SEC tournament second round, they'd almost certainly be able to overcome the 15 losses that weighs their resume down.
Oklahoma (18-14) gets a shot at Texas A&M in the SEC second round, and while they may have more work to do than Auburn, if they keep winning while all the other bubble teams are already at home, who knows?
Heck, in the ACC, even Florida State has some renewed hope. Beat No. 1 Duke in Thursday's ACC tournament quarterfinal and perhaps the Seminoles (18-14) can leapfrog into March Madness.
Fourteen teams have already punched their tournament tickets in Long Island (NEC), Queens (Atlantic Sun), High Point (Big South), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), Tennessee State (OVC), Furman (SoCon), North Dakota State (Summit League), Troy (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (WCC), Siena (MAAC), Wright State (Horizon), Hofstra (CAA), McNeese State (Southland) and Idaho (Big Sky).
Here's a the latest look at how the NCAA Tournament bracket may look on Selection Sunday. We'll be providing live updates, so be sure to hit refresh for latest seedings.
The Toronto Raptors will likely be going to the 2026 NBA Playoffs. After three straight years of missing the postseason, this qualifies as a feel-good campaign for the franchise. Some good things have happened for the Raptors this year: Scottie Barnes has taken a big leap in his scoring efficiency, Brandon Ingram earned an All-Star nod in his first year with the team, and the defense has jumped from No. 17 last year to No. 6 this season.
The Raptors also feel like a flawed team that beats up on bottom-feeders and loses to anyone good. On Wednesday, they suffered their biggest indignity of the season against a team that has nothing to play for when Dejounte Murray sealed a New Orleans Pelicans win over the Toronto Raptors with an incredibly brutal three-pointer.
Murray was hounded by Toronto’s Jamal Shead late in the fourth quarter. Murray’s crossover put Shead on the floor, then he ripped a three, then he bent at the waist to yell at Shead in the face. Sheesh. Watch the full play here:
Nah this gif of Dejounte Murray after he dropped him is even more disrespectful pic.twitter.com/AF6BALbBUW
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) March 12, 2026
The Pelicans beat the Raptors, 122-111. The Raptors are now in play-in territory as the No. 7 seed in the East, a half-game behind the Miami Heat for the No. 6 seed. It’s cool that Toronto fans have had something to cheer for this season, but I just don’t believe in this team in the playoffs at all. The Raptors can’t beat good teams, and they have been embarrassed by a tanking team.
The Pelicans only have 22 wins, but that’s suddenly good enough to put them in No. 7 in the reverse standings when they were No. 1 a couple months ago. That’s good, because their draft pick is owed to Atlanta. Maybe the Derik Queen trade won’t age so poorly after all.
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 7: Manager A.J. Hinch #14 of the Detroit Tigers, along with bench coach George Lombard #26 and pitching coach Chris Fetter #52 watch from the dugout during the ninth inning of a 7-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park on August 7, 2022, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Over the last five years, we’ve written often about the outstanding job A.J. Hinch and his staff does in terms of getting the most out of a good, but far from dominant roster. From pinch-hitting, to bullpen usage, to creativity when things go wrong, to details like taking the extra base, the Tigers continue to do a lot of little things right to paper over weaknesses and play to their strengths. Sports Info Solutions gave us another example in an article written by Mark Simon on Monday.
Sports Info Solutions provides data and analysis to teams in many different sports, and has been a leader in that field over the last decade in particular. They are the creators of the defensive runs saved (DRS) metric used by FanGraphs and many other sites to evaluate team and player defense. And the defensive metrics on the Tigers the past two seasons are fairly eye-opening.
In 2024, the Tigers were a combined negative four defensive runs saved if you add up each players” individual DRS numbers. Yet the team was plus 40 in defensive runs saved in defensive positioning, far outweighing the modest collection of defenders’ actual ability.
In 2025? The Tigers were a negative 11 runs saved on defense individualy. And yet their positioning saved 47 runs, for a net +36 runs saved. Pretty impressive.
Defensive runs saved, on a player by player basis, functions much like Statcast’s outs above average. Each play made or not made is judged by where the fielder is on the field at contact, how fast the ball is moving and its trajectory, figuring the most direct intercept point, and judging difficulty of plays by those means. However, DRS also visually grades plays so that unique factors, like a baserunner crossing in front of a defender and blocking their view momentarily, the ball changing direction or off of the pitcher’s mound or the edge of the infield grass, and other factors that the raw data can’t pick up, can be taken into account. Statcast is much more straightforward. The ball was hit to this spot, this hard, and did the fielder take a good route, have the range to get to the spot, and did they make the play cleanly.
Defensive statistics are never going to be perfect, and their are valid arguments for both DRS and OAA. Still, actual defensive value is tricky to evaluate, particularly when you don’t have several years worth of data. Personally I tend to just rough it out between them, figuring that somewhere between each number is likely closest to the truth.
The difference here is that Statcast doesn’t issue a positioning metric for teams. Essentially, Sports Info Solutions is adding another layer of defensive analysis by grading how close to where the ball is actually hit a given team’s fielders are over the course of a season. Teams that routinely position their defense best in accordance with each individual hitters’ tendencies, have the advantage of being in a better starting position to make each given play.
I’m simplifying the whole methodology here, so if you’d like to learn more, read the full article here, with notes on individual players. You can go deeper and check out Sports Info Solutions numerous articles on the topic on their site, though they keep their full methodology under wraps.
Of course, this isn’t solely about George Lombard and Joey Cora positioning their fielders in accordance with the opposing teams’ spray charts produced by the Tigers’ analytics department. There’s also the component of getting the hitter to hit the ball where you want it to go, or to strike out. This is a group effort that also leans heavily on Chris Fetter’s game-planning and pitch sequencing acumen, and translating all that to his catchers to call the game.
Fetter and his staff’s ability to combine pitching strategy and defensive positioning to exploit hitter tendencies was a big part of his work with the Michigan Wolverines, and it’s part of the secret sauce that made him a sought after coach at the major league level. A.J. Hinch and the Tigers did well to land him, and as we’ve seen, the Tigers results often seem better than the raw pitching talent they’ve had over the last five seasons. This despite the fact that outside of Tarik Skubal and a few others, they haven’t actually made that many young pitchers radically better in isolation.
What’s interesting about these results, is that they suggest that the Tigers can make average defenders play like above average ones by positioning them better and getting the ball hit to that position more regularly. You might grade negative in DRS, but if you’re routinely being positioned closer to spot you need to be to make a play, the team is in good shape even if your individual defensive grades aren’t actually good. The plays you’re required to make are just made easier from the start.
Managers often talk about putting their players in the best position to succeed, but Hinch and his coaching staff have taken this very literally, to the Tigers’ benefit.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 18: Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox makes a call to the bullpen in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 18, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/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.Last time, we took a look at the primary middle relief options. Today, we’re talking about the last part of the bullpen: the lefties.
The left-handed relief group is lacking depth. Aroldis Chapman is the only southpaw in the bullpen with significant MLB experience, and he’ll handle the ninth inning almost exclusively. Patrick Sandoval could also figure into the mix here, but that will probably be in a long relief role to keep him stretched out for a spot start, if necessary. Past that, there aren’t many veterans in the mix.
While the three-batter minimum has changed the role of lefty reliever, it’s still a unique one. Oftentimes, you’re being called on to clean up someone else’s mess. Recent rule changes mean that these pitchers need to be able to get both sides of the plate out, though matching up with pockets of left-handed hitters is still their primary responsibility. The group isn’t very deep, so don’t be surprised to see an addition before the season begins.
Jovani Moran
Jovani Moran is in pole position to win the spot as the first lefty out of the bullpen, which is somewhat terrifying. Moran threw four innings in the majors last season; before that, he hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2023. Fortunately, while the track record of success isn’t there, there’s plenty to like about what Moran brings to the table.
Moran’s best season came all the way back in 2022. He posted a 2.21 ERA over 40 2/3 innings with a 33% strikeout rate and 11% walk rate. He was effective against both sides of the plate, but his stats against righties were slightly stronger. It’s thanks to his changeup, which has posted swinging strike rates over 20% in each of his four big league seasons. He keeps the ball down well, which prevents hard contact, though the lone zone rate contributes to his high walk rate. His four-seam fastball has a flat shape and is thrown with seven feet of extension, which led to decent swing and miss numbers, though righties didn’t expand the zone frequently. It’s up to 94 mph in Spring Training, and it will play well if he can locate it at the top of the zone.
Against lefties, it’s a similar story. Both his changeup and his fastball created whiffs, but the four-seam didn’t get hitters to chase. He mixed in a slider as well, although it was almost never in the zone, so it didn’t help with his walk issue. He showed a cutter and a slider last year in the minors and in Spring Training, though he’s thrown 92% fastballs and changeups for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. He’s faced almost entirely righties and done a good job keeping his fastball up. He’s yet to allow a run over three innings, striking out one and walking two. He needs to be in the zone and limit walks, but the strikeout potential is enough to give him the inside track to the opening day roster.
Tyler Samaniego
Samaniego came over in the Johan Oviedo trade and is a really intriguing arm. Stop me if you’ve heard this before — he’s a big lefty with huge extension. He has different approaches against each side of the plate. Righties see a four-seam fastball with solid vertical movement from a low release that should be able to miss bats with solid command. It’s paired with a changeup that can induce whiffs when he spots it on the arm side. Lefties see sinkers with solid horizontal movement, and a slider that’s both in and out of the zone. His velocity and extension give him a solid floor, although the secondary pitches need to be honed in to reach his potential. He walked 7% of hitters in 38 minor league innings last season, a level of strike-throwing that will help him get to the big leagues.
Samaniego was late to get into a spring training game, but he’ll be ready to go for opening day. He’s on the 40-man roster, but he has options remaining, so he’s not a lock for the opening day roster. He’s probably next in line behind Moran for the leverage lefty spot in the bullpen.
Alec Gamboa
Gamboa is a non-roster invitee who throws from a straight over-the-top arm slot. He spent part of 2025 in the KBO, where he struck out 24.6% of hitters but walked 10.3%. He has a 94 mph four-seam and sinker, as well as a hard slider and a steep curveball. He was shut down for a few days with elbow soreness, however, and is on the outside looking in for the 26-man roster.
T.J. Sikkema
T.J. Sikkema is a soft-tossing lefty who worked as a starter for a recent Spring Training game. The lack of velocity limits his upside and makes it hard to find a spot for him as the matchup lefty, but he’s shown good command in camp. He’s spotted his sinker consistently on the arm side, allowing him to get strikes and weak contact. He’s also thrown his cutter to righties on the glove side regularly, although the lack of velocity makes it possible for them to get around it. He’s unlikely to find a spot besides a depth option to provide innings, but his command in camp has been impressive.
Jeremy Wu-Yelland
Jeremy Wu-Yelland was already reassigned to minor league camp, so he won’t be on the active roster to start the season. That doesn’t mean he won’t appear in a big league game this year, though.
Wu-Yelland is similar to other Red Sox pitchers in that he has a low release that helps create a flat approach angle on his four-seam fastball. He’s also very different due to the fact that he has less than five feet of extension. He has a unique delivery that allows him to hide the ball, although the cross-body style he employs sometimes leads to inconsistency in command. His walk rate was 8.5% last season over 45 innings at High-A and Double-A, so he appears to have a handle on it, but strike-throwing was an issue earlier in his career.
While he’s yet to reach Triple-A, his ability to punch hitters out has stood out in the low minors. Last season, his strikeout rate was over 37%. His fastball has touched 97 mph, and he also has a hard cutter/slider that he’s uses as a primary offering. His go-to breaking ball is a sweeper that he hasn’t quite found a feel for, but it contributed to that huge strikeout rate by missing bats. Wu-Yelland isn’t on the 40-man roster, so Samaniego is probably in front of him, as is Moran, but he isn’t that far down the totem pole and has a chance to debut this season.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 09: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the United States hits a double in the eighth inning during a World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Mexico and the United States at Daikin Park on March 9, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arguably the most consistent debate in Kansas City sports over the last two years is about who should be the Kansas City Royals’ leadoff hitter. After shuffling around multiple guys in the spot in 2024, the Royals went out and acquired Jonathan India last season to explicitly fill the job. That didn’t quite work, and so now Matt Quatraro is mulling over five different players to be the team’s main leadoff guy.
Unfortunately, in addition to being the most consistent debate in Kansas City sports, this particular conversation is also, I think, the stupidest. There is one and only one answer to who the Royals’ leadoff hitter should be, and that person is Bobby Witt Jr.
I’m not going to go into extreme detail here, but let’s cover why this is the case. Most importantly, the first hitter in the lineup sees the most plate appearances; over the course of a full year, a team’s leadoff spot in the lineup sees about 760 plate appearances with each subsequent spot seeing about 18 fewer PAs. Secondarily, the first hitter in the lineup is the only hitter you can guarantee a clean base with no one in front of them.
As a result, there are three schools of thought with leadoff hitters. One is that your leadoff hitter should be the guy with the best on base percentage on your team because he gets a chance to get on base before anybody else; let’s call this the Alex Gordon School. Two is that your leadoff hitter should be fast to take advantage of open bases; let’s call this the Rickey Henderson School. Three is that your leadoff hitter should simply be your best hitter; let’s call this the Shohei Ohtani School.
The reason why Witt should lead off for the Royals is because it literally doesn’t matter what school of thought you ascribe to. Who’s got the best OBP ability on the team? Bob, no question. Who is the fastest player on the team? Bob, again. Who’s the most talented overall hitter on the team? Bob, by a rather huge margin.
Historically, Witt has hit second, which is the second-best place for him. Hitting second makes it so that he always has a chance of coming to the plate with someone on base. But Kansas City’s problem is that Witt is so much better than anyone else on the team that it just doesn’t make sense for him to lose out on those 18 plate appearances along with the other elite table-setting benefits that Witt provides. Remember: Witt does hit home runs, but he’s a doubles machine who leads all of Major League Baseball over the last two seasons.
All of this has sort of made it frustrating to see JJ Picollo and Matt Quatraro waffle on who should be the leadoff hitter between Witt and literally any other inferior option. So far, I’ve chalked it up to Bob simply not wanting to hit leadoff. Baseball players are a superstitious bunch, and Lord knows that Witt has earned enough leeway to say that he prefers hitting second and stick to it.
But something rumbles, y’all. During the World Baseball Classic, Witt has been leading off.
Witt as Team USA’s leadoff hitter is significantly more up for debate considering the hilarious offensive firepower he’s paired with. If he didn’t want to hit leadoff, he wouldn’t have to. I mean, what are we gonna do, complain about Aaron freaking Judge hitting at the top spot of the lineup otherwise?
But Witt is indeed hitting leadoff. And it’s going well; he’s contributed on offense and on defense for Team USA.
So my hope, my prayer, is that Witt realizes his love of hitting leadoff for Team USA and brings that love of leadoff to Kansas City. Then, we might close this debate for good as long as Witt may reign with the Royals. Amen.
