Just as he has done throughout training camp, Noah Laba stole the show in the New York Rangers’ 3-2 preseason win over the New York Islanders on Monday night, capping the game off with an overtime-winning goal.
Coming into training camp, nobody expected Laba to crack the Rangers’ opening-night roster, but here he is, making it extremely difficult for the Rangers to deny him a spot.
Laba has continued to impress Mike Sullivan, and as a result, Sullivan is putting the Laba in positions to thrive and showcase his skills.
It’s safe to say that he hasn’t disappointed.
Laba’s hard-nosed style of play helps transform him into a reliable two-way forward, which has set him apart from the rest of the young prospects.
Monday night’s preseason game was a big test for Laba, who was going up against some of the Islanders’ top veteran players.
The 22-year-old forward showed that he belongs in this NHL environment, as he thrived in this competitive environment.
Laba had no fear when scoring his overtime goal, going straight to the net, a valuable attribute in an impactful NHL forward.
Over the course of training camp and the preseason, Sullivan has grown more and more fond of Laba’s offensive game.
“I think Noah has a 200-foot game. I think his offense is evolving,” Sullivan said. “With each game that he plays, you could see more of the playmaking and just his vision, whether it be with the puck or without the puck on the offensive side, just his instincts.”
The Rangers have thrown more challenges onto Laba’s shoulders throughout the past few weeks, and that has only helped him grow his confidence.
“From the first game till now, just slowly kind of gaining more and more confidence,” Laba said. “Obviously, that was the first time I kind of played an all-NHL lineup, so definitely a bit nerve-wracking there, but felt like as the game went on, I gained a little more confidence.”
That third-line center role is up for grabs, and Laba continues to gain momentum in his pursuit of securing the role.
Whether Laba ultimately makes the Rangers’ opening-night roster or not, he’s put the entire organization on notice, and he’ll eventually make his way to The Big Apple.
At this time last year, the pressure was palpable.
Up until last October, the Dodgers had a reputation as postseason failures.
It wasn’t an unwarranted distinction. In each of the previous two seasons, the team had been upset in the National League Division Series by lesser opponents in the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. The fall before that, their title defense flamed out against the underdog Atlanta Braves in the NL Championship Series. Yes, they won a World Series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. But outside of that, it’d been more than three decades since they last triumphed under typical circumstances.
That checkered history weighed on them. Their urgency to change it in last year’s playoffs was fervent.
“That kind of sour taste that you have when you make an early exit from the postseason, our guys are tired of it,” manager Dave Roberts said on the eve of last year’s postseason. “So this is another opportunity. I do sense that edge.”
This week, of course, the Dodgers face a different kind of dynamic.
After their memorable run to a championship last year, the team has gotten the monkey of its full-season title drought off its back. And while expectations are still high, with the Dodgers and their record-setting $400-million roster set to begin the playoffs with a best-of-three wild-card round starting Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, the questions about past October disappointments have dissipated.
So, does the pressure of this postseason feel different?
"You would think,” veteran third baseman Max Muncy said. “But the pressure's always going to be there. Especially when you're this team, when you're the Los Angeles Dodgers, there's a lot of expectations around you. There's a lot of pressure.”
Indeed, after an underwhelming regular season that saw the Dodgers win the NL West for the 12th time in the last 13 years, but fail to secure a first-round bye as one of the NL’s top two playoff seeds, the Dodgers have a new task before them.
Erase the frustrations of their 93-win campaign. Maintain the momentum they built with a 15-5 regular-season finish. And recreate the desperation that carried them to the promised land last fall, as they try to become MLB’s first repeat champion in 25 years.
“For us, the challenge is not letting that pressure get to you and finding our rhythm, finding what's going to work for us this year,” Muncy said. “Each year the team has to find their identity when they get to this point. You have an identity during the regular season, and you have to find a whole 'nother identity in the postseason.”
The Dodgers’ preferred identity for this year’s team figures to be the opposite of what worked last October.
Unlike last year, the team has a healthy and star-studded starting rotation entering the playoffs. Also unlike last year, the bullpen is a major question mark despite an encouraging end to the regular season.
For the wild-card series, it means the team will need big innings out of Game 1 starter Blake Snell, Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and (if necessary) Game 3 starter Shohei Ohtani — who is being saved for the potential winner-take-all contest in part to help manage his two-way workload.
Ideally, their production should ease the burden on a relief corps that ranked 21st in the majors in ERA during the regular season, and has no clear-cut hierarchy for its most trusted arms.
“The starting pitching is considerably better” than it was last year, Roberts said Monday. “That's probably the biggest difference between last year's team.”
Granted, the Dodgers do feel better about their bullpen right now, thanks to the return of Roki Sasaki, the reallocation (at least for this series) of Emmet Sheehan and Tyler Glasnow from the rotation to relief roles, and recent improvements from Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott.
“[We have] much more confidence than we had a couple weeks ago,” Roberts said of the bullpen. “I think that it's because those guys have shown the confidence in themselves, where they're throwing the baseball. I think last week we saw guys more on the attack setting the tone, versus pitching behind or pitching too careful.”
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott delivers against the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 19. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Still, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will pitch in the ninth inning, or be called upon in the highest-leverage moments.
Close, late contests would be best for the Dodgers to avoid.
To that end, the continuation of the Dodgers’ recent uptick at the plate would also help. During a dismal 22-32 stretch from July 4 to Sept. 6, the Dodgers ranked 27th in scoring, struggling to overcome injuries to several key pieces, slumps from some of their biggest stars, and a general lack of consistent execution in situational opportunities. Over their closing 20 games, however, the lineup averaged an NL-best 5.55 runs per game behind late-season surges from Ohtani and Mookie Betts, plus team-wide improvements while hitting with runners in scoring position.
“The team is starting to fire on all cylinders, finally,” Muncy said. “It's something that we haven't really felt all year."
The Dodgers had good news on the injury front during Monday’s team workout at Dodger Stadium. Muncy, who missed the last four games of the regular season while battling leg bruises and what Roberts has described as other “overall body” issues, is expected to be in the lineup. So too is Tommy Edman, who hasn’t played in the field since last Wednesday because of a lingering ankle injury.
The big question remains catcher Will Smith, who has been out since Sept. 9 with a right hand fracture.
Roberts said Monday the team has been “encouraged” with Smith’s recent progress. The slugger was even able to take live at-bats Monday night.
“If he can get through today and feel good,” Roberts said, “then it's a viable thought” that he could be on the final 26-man roster the Dodgers will have to submit ahead of Tuesday’s game for the wild-card series.
Either way, the Dodgers’ biggest concern remains on maintaining their recent level of play. Erasing past October failures might no longer be a motivation. But, like Muncy, Roberts said the urgency to win another World Series remains the same.
“I don't know if it's easier or harder that we won last year,” Roberts said. “But, honestly, all we care about is winning this year.”
Mets pitching prospects Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean dazzled in the minor leagues during the 2025 season and were recognized for their performances at the third annual MiLB Awards Show on Monday night.
Tong, the No. 2 prospect in SNY's midseason rankings, was named the 2025 Pitching Prospect of the Year and earned All-MiLB Prospect First Team honors after his dominant season with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.
The 22-year-old went 10-5 with a 1.43 ERA and 179 strikeouts over 113.2 IP combined across both levels. He was promoted to Triple-A in the middle of August and made two starts with Syracuse, tossing 11.2 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts.
McLean, SNY's No. 4 prospect, won the Breakout Player of the Year after flying up the rankings and impressing each time he took the mound.
In his first season as a full-time pitcher, the former two-way player owned a 2.45 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 113.2 IP and 21 appearances with Binghamton and Syracuse.
Both prospects earned promotions to the majors and gave Mets fans something to look forward to for years to come. The pitching duo, along with fellow top prospect Brandon Sproat, are all expected to play a major role in 2026, which will mark their official rookie seasons.
Congrats to the Canadian Cannon! 🇨🇦#Mets No. 4 prospect Jonah Tong is the 2025 Pitching Prospect of the Year! The 22-year-old led the Minors with a 1.43 ERA with 179 strikeouts across 113 2/3 innings. pic.twitter.com/HVsmN6Ge3I
Call it a breakout! 🔥#Mets No. 3 prospect Nolan McLean is the Breakout Player of the Year!
After starting the season off @mlbpipeline's Top 100, the righty impressed with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts across 21 Minor League appearances. pic.twitter.com/haSfkNGax3
Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones had himself a fantastic 2025 season in the minor leagues and has been rewarded by being named to the All-MiLB Prospect First Team.
Jones split the year between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and excelled at each level. He finished with 35 home runs, 80 RBI, 102 runs scored and 29 steals in 116 games. His triple slash line was an impressive .274/.362/.571 to give him a .933 OPS.
Following his successful campaign, the 24-year-old will look to make a difference in New York as soon as 2026.
The lefty-swinging outfielder joins Dylan Beavers (Baltimore Orioles) and Edward Florentino (Pittsburgh Pirates) as outfielders selected to the First Team.
Mets' Jonah Tong also made the First Team as the right-handed starting pitcher. On top of that, Tong was also named the MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year.
The Carolina Hurricanes made their second round of cuts just before their penultimate preseason game.
The Hurricanes reassigned a trio of defensemen — Dominik Badinka, Domenick Fensore and Aleksi Heimosalmi — to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
The team also reassigned center Skyler Brind'Amour and defenseman Ronan Seeley to Chicago as well, but the two will need to pass through waivers first before they can officially reassigned.
The team had already sent goaltenders Amir Miftakhov and Ruslan Khazheyev to the Wolves a day prior and there will be a whole litany of players right behind these seven as well now that the Hurricanes have just one preseason game remaining.
Rod Brind'Amour had been pretty upfront about wanting to keep his main NHL guys off the ice throughout the preseason to avoid injuries, but he did say that he'd like to have most of them play the final preseason game.
"We'll decide when we get a little bit closer, but yeah, I'd like to see more of our guys play that have only played one game," Brind'Amour said.
More cuts are coming, but it'll also be interesting to see if anyone has earned the chance to stick around a little bit longer.
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The Florida Panthers returned home to Sunrise for the first time since hoisting the Stanley Cup back on June 17th. It was the debut of their new scoreboard, and a lineup with a mix of veterans and young guys, the Panthers fought off the Hurricanes comeback as they won it in overtime by a final of 4-3.
It did not take long for the first goal to be scored. After battling for the puck at the end boards, Mackie Samoskevich set up Jack Studnicka, who beat Frederick Andersen with a backhand shot through the legs to make it 1-0 Florida.
Each team got a power play in the first period, but neither team lit the lamp on special teams.
Florida added on to their lead in the second period. Their active sticks in the neutral zone paid off. Nolan Foote created the turnover and a quick entry into the Carolina’s zone, was able to hit the trailer Sandis Vilmanis who got the puck through the short side with a back hand at 9:48 of the second.
Shortly after the second television timeout, 6’8” goaltender Cooper Black stepped into the crease to play the remainder of the game.
Carolina’s Bradly Nadeau looked to have scored to make it 2-1, but a challenge for offside by the Panthers was successful to keep it at a two-goal lead.
Minutes later, Carolina did find the back of the net off the draw. Former Panther Givani Smith got behind the Panthers defense and beat Cooper Black past the blocker at 14:40 of the second frame.
Carolina had two shots through most of the second, yet were opportunistic a second time in the period. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin’s shot from the right circle and a screen made it past Black to tie it at two at 17:02.
After 40 minutes, Anderson was taken out for 2021 6th round German goaltender Nikita Quapp to play the remaining 20 minutes.
The Panthers continued to tilt the ice in their direction, and it paid off.
Catching the Hurricanes on a line change, Brett Chorskie was able to skate in a straight line after Ben Harpur’s chipped it to him off the boards in the neutral zone, and then got the puck past the glove of Quapp as the Panthers retook the lead at 8:36 of the third.
The back-and-forth continued as Cooper Black was once again beat on the blocker side, this time it was Justin Robidas less than 4 minutes later to tie it at three.
This game wouldn’t be set in regulation, but the Cats would start overtime on the power play as Carolina was called for delay of game with 23 seconds left in regulation.
Studnicka already had one goal on the night, and he added another in overtime with a chance off the rebound while parked at the net front on the man advantage.
Florida wins both games of the home-and-home against Carolina, and take their record to 2-2 for the preseason.
No time to waste as the Panthers will travel 250 miles to Central Florida to play a game in less than 24 hours. Florida will play a neutral site game from the Kia Center against state rival Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, where the Panthers are expected to dress a younger lineup.
Logic has never stopped random online speculation, and some wondered if it was a sign that he might want out in the summer of 2027, when he can become a free agent. No, he does not. Jokic ended that at Nuggets Media Day on Monday.
"Those contract extensions come as a reward as something that is natural to the sport," said Jokic. "Especially in today's NBA with how the salary cap is going. My plan is to be a Nugget forever."
While there are teams aiming to have cap space in 2027, most of them are more focused on another former MVP, one who plays in a northern Midwestern city. Sure, they would be open to Jokic if he decided to bolt, but nobody really expected that to happen.
Now Jokic and Jamal Murray — one of the best duos in the NBA — can focus on returning the Nuggets to the NBA Finals, surrounded by an improved roster filled with solid role players such as Cameron Johnson, Bruce Brown and Tim. Hardaway Jr., as well as the returning Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther.
The Buffalo Sabres need solid years from everybody to even come close to being in the mix for a Stanley Cup playoff appearance for the first time in a decade. But (and at the risk of just pointing out one of those players when it will take big efforts from most Sabres players to make Buffalo a playoff team) we're going to focus on a player this writer believes has to have a big year to get the Sabres back in the post-season.
And that player is a key player for Buffalo: team captain and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
First of all, let's be clear: we all need some empathy for Dahlin. His fiancee had a major health scare, and Dahlin and his fiancee need our understanding as they walk the road of recovery. Nothing that happens on the ice is more important than that.
But there's also no denying Dahlin needs a high-impact season to improve Buffalo's play in its own zone and getting into a playoff spot. The Sabres were tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins as the third-worst defensive team last season, giving up an average of 3.50 goals-against per game. Only Chicago (3.56) and San Jose (3.78) were worse -- and both of those teams, as well as the Sabres and Penguins, all were well out of a playoff position in 2024-25.
Thus, while the Sabres definitely needs a banner year on offense from Dahlin, it's the team's play in the defensive end that has to show the most growth. And as he enters his prime at 25 years old, Dahlin has to lead the charge and be better all-around this season.
Dahlin had a rebound season on offense last season; although his goal total fell from 20 in 2023-24 to 17 in 2024-25, Dahlin's assist total went from 39 in '23-24 to 51 in '24-25. Dahlin had nine more points last season than he did the year prior, so imagining he's going to surge by 20 points is unfair to him. If he can get back to his career highs of goals (20) assists (58) and points (73), the Sabres will be elated.
But though Dahlin is a savvy defender who is Buffalo's primary saving grace on 'D', he needs to create a defense-minded tide that raises all Sabres boats -- by which, we mean Dahlin has to find ways to make his teammates better. Dahlin can't work miracles if the talent Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has assembled around him aren't true difference-makers. But when you wear the 'C', you're primarily responsible for ensuring the mentality you expect in a playoff team to have taken root in your dressing room. You have to be what you're being asked to be -- a leader.
Absent an all-around improvement in their own end, the Sabres are going to miss the playoffs for the 15th-straight season. That's inevitable unless Dahlin and his teammates change the narrative in Buffalo.
The Sabres are going to need contributions from each of their players this season in order to get back into the post-season. But if Dahlin can't coax better play out of the rest of the Sabres, Buffalo will indeed be in trouble once again.
The defense is the thing in Sabres Land, and that's what Buffalo has to address. What their captain has to address. Nobody's asking Dahlin to coach the team, but when you're the leader, you're responsbile. And the defense is going to hang on Dahlin's shoulders this year. When you're making $11-million every year until 2032, it's ultimately on you. And that's where Dahlin is in NHL Season No. 8.
For the second time in preseason action, the Flyers went to a shootout.
And for the second time, they won it.
The Flyers picked up a 3-2 victory Monday night over the Bruins at TD Garden in Boston.
Bobby Brink was the lone scorer in the skills competition. Dan Vladar denied all three of the Bruins’ attempts.
The shootout wasn’t nearly as long as the Flyers’ first one, which was eight days ago and went 11 rounds against the Islanders. Rick Tocchet’s club finished with a 3-2 victory in that one, as well.
On Monday night, Noah Cates broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the second period. After Boston responded a little over three minutes later, Rodrigo Abols struck with 24 seconds left in the middle stanza.
The Bruins tied things up again with 8:39 minutes left in the third period to force overtime.
The Flyers didn’t dress four of their top five scorers from last season and four of their top defensemen.
“I think he worked extremely hard on his rehab, give him a lot of credit,” Tocchet said Monday morning. “Doesn’t surprise me, he’s a character kid.”
The 23-year-old winger picked up an assist on Cates’ goal and played just under 21 minutes. It would be surprising if the line of Foerster, Cates and Brink isn’t together on opening night.
• Vladar has been a real positive through his four periods of preseason action.
The free-agent addition played the full game Monday night and converted 13 saves on 15 shots. He has stopped 21 of 24 shots in exhibition play.
The 6-foot-5 netminder has the ability to make an athletic save and has done a nice job tracking pucks through traffic.
So far, so good from Vladar.
• The Flyers’ entire defensive group Monday night featured players on the bubble.
Adam Ginning didn’t hurt his push for a job by recording four blocked shots and a plus-1 mark in 22:58 minutes. His size and defensive-minded game could be welcomed by the Flyers with Rasmus Ristolainen out to start the season.
It’s possible Egor Zamula didn’t help himself. On Boston’s game-tying 1-1 goal, it looked like Zamula was unable to pick up the stick of Sean Kuraly, who tipped one home in front.
During another part of the second period, Zamula was a bit too methodical in the slot of the Flyers’ defensive zone. As he tried to clear the puck, he was stripped and it led to a scoring chance.
• Helge Grans was placed on waivers Monday, according to PuckPedia.com. If the 23-year-old defenseman clears, he’s expected to report to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
• The Flyers have a couple of days before they’re back into preseason action Thursday when they host the Islanders (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
LeBron James laughs with James Worthy and others during a television interview at Lakers media day on Monday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
LeBron James chuckled at the question he knew was coming as a a smile crossed his face when he was asked about the word “retirement.”
James stammered as he tried to answer the question during his session at the Lakers’ media day on Monday.
He never provided a definitive answer about his future. He’s about to enter his 23rd season in the NBA, which will mean James will have played more seasons in the league than anyone in history. He turns 41 on Dec. 30, but if last season was any indication, James hasn’t slowed down.
When James was asked about his approach to this season, knowing that retirement is near, he seemed unsure how to answer.
“I mean, I don't know,” he said. “I mean, I'm excited about today, I'm excited about an opportunity to be able to play a game that I love for another season. And whatever the journey, however the journey lays out this year, I'm just super invested, because like you just said, I don't know when the end is, but I know it's a lot sooner than later.
“So just being super appreciative of the fact that I could come up here, do another media day and talk to you guys and do all this stuff around here, so just excited about the journey and whatever this year has in store for me.”
James exercised his player option for $52.6 milllion this summer to play with the Laker, the final year of his deal. He did not sign an extension with the Lakers, meaning that James will be a free agent after the 2025-26 season if he does not retire.
James already is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer during the regular season with 42,184 points. He has played the second-most regular-season games in history at 1,562, just 50 behind the leader, Robert Parish.
James averaged 24.4 points,7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season
It was clear that he still was on top of his game.
“The things that still pushes me is the fact that the love of the game is still high,” James said. “The love of the process is even higher. So that's what continues to push me to play this game. I mean, it's really that simple. Me training and working on my body and trying to get my body as close to 100% as possible every year, it's something that's like —- it's a beautiful thing for me. Just continue to challenge to see how well I can push myself to play the game at a high level, recover at a high level, be able to sleep better, mentally prepare, try to stay sharp throughout the course of a long season. And just the roller coaster of an NBA season, that's all like, gratifying to me, no matter the good, the bad, the ugly. I love that process. So it's a bigger. … So much that goes into it, more than just picking up a basketball and shooting at the rim.”
James is teaming up with another superstar in Luka Doncic, who signed a three-year extension for $165-million.
Doncic, 26, is considered one of the top players in the league, giving James a top-notch running partner.
James was asked how much having a player like Doncic beside him will weigh in his decision to retire.
“Nah, nah. As far as how long I go in my career? Nah. Zero,” James said. “The motivation to be able to play alongside him every night, that's super motivating. That's what I'm going to train my body for. Every night I go out there and try to be the best player I can for him, and we're going to bounce that off one another. But as far as me weighing in on him and some other teammates of how far I go in my career, nah. It would be, literally my decision, along with my wife and — two of my boys [Bronny and Bryce] already gone. ... So it'll be a decision between me, my wife [Savannah] and my daughter [Zhuri]. It won't be, ‘Hey, having a meeting with my teammates.’ It won't be that.”
James and Austin Reaves have been teammates for four years now, and Reaves has seen no decline in his famous teammate.
Reaves, who declined a four-year, $89.2-million contract offer from the Lakers over the summer, hasn’t talked to James about retirement but doesn’t see it happening any time soon.
“Every time you see him, he’s got a big smile on his face, he’s the biggest kid in the room, has a great time and you got to appreciate that for somebody who has been going at it for so long, 23 years,” Reaves said. “At some point you feel like the joy might not be there. But every time you see him, it reinsures that he’s here for one thing and one thing only and that’s to win. But I don’t know about retirement. He might play for another 10 years.”
James returns to a Lakers team that was 50-32 last season and finished third in the Western Conference. The Lakers then lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnnesota Timberwolves.
But the Lakers have retooled, adding center Deandre Ayton, guard Marcus Smart and wing Jake LaRavia.
James has won four NBA championships, and yearns for another.
“I don't know, just to know how many miles I got as far as this game in my 22 years, now starting 23 years, and to still be able to play at a high level, to still to be able to go out there and can make plays and be respectful on the floor,” James said.
“It's just super humbling and gratifying for me, personally. I love to play the game, and I love to play at a high level. And for me, age is kind of just a number, but it is reality too, though. I mean, you look at the history of the game, it's not been many guys at my age, or especially going into Year 23 that's been able to play at a level like that. And I've just tried to not take it for granted and just try to give the game as much as I can, inspire whoever I can: the younger generation, my generation, the generation after me, the generation to come. I think you are of the age what you, I guess, tell your mind you are.”
Cantwell said she will introduce the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement Act to give lawmakers an alternative to a bill on the House side that has yet to come up for a floor vote.
The Mets' season ended on Sunday afternoon in disappointing fashion, losing to the Miami Marlins and failing to reach the postseason which capped off a disastrous final three-and-a-half months for New York.
In the wake of the perplexing elimination, president of baseball operations David Stearns spoke to the media about the unacceptable performance by him and the team that resulted in a 83-79 record despite sporting the second-largest payroll in MLB at $341 million.
Stearns also spoke on how to deal with a few players moving forward, as well as some housekeeping on the injury front.
Leadership material
With such a talented roster that was unable to put it all together consistently down the stretch, a common critique thrown out there by fans who are obviously not in the clubhouse or around the team on a daily-basis was that New York lacked leaders and/or leadership to be able to pick the rest of the team up when it was down.
It's a fair assumption given the way the Mets played for more than half the season, at times sleepwalking on the field and making mental/physical mistakes routinely. Plus, with the departures of veterans like J.D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias, who were instrumental in keeping New York focused yet loose last season, a void at the top was seemingly felt.
However, Stearns dismissed the notion that the Mets lacked leadership, pointing to what he personally saw out of the team in his interactions with the players.
"I think we have leaders in our clubhouse. I think we have leadership in our clubhouse,” Stearns said. “I do not think that was a problem."
He later added:
"I can tell you my experience in the clubhouse throughout this year is we had guys who cared about each other, who cared about winning, who worked hard."
It's true, New York had veterans on the roster such as Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Edwin Diaz and more who are certainly capable of leading a team. But the spiraling nature of the team's free fall certainly would suggest that it was unable to cling on to something or someone when things got tough.
What was also telling, and quite frankly shocking, about this year's Mets team was their failure to win a single game after entering the ninth inning with a deficit. New York went 0-70 in those situations and was the only team in MLB to not record a comeback win in the ninth inning or later.
"It’s very difficult for me to explain how we were 0-70 trailing going into the ninth. That’s an inexplicable stat, and I’m not going to sit here and make up an answer for it," Stearns said.
So Senga?
In his news conference, Stearns made no bones about the pitching, or run-prevention as he put it (which includes defense), being the biggest culprit in the team's slow collapse. And while almost every pitcher fell short of their expectations whether from injury or just poor performance, perhaps the most notable was Kodai Senga who finished the season as a non-contributor to the team as he was sent to the minor leagues.
Senga's overall numbers actually don't look too bad as the right-hander went 7-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 22 starts over 113.1 innings pitched. But the numbers don't tell the full story.
After injuring his hamstring in a start on June 12, Senga, who had been pitching brilliantly following a lost season, missed a month before returning to the mound. Needing the help in what was a beleaguered starting rotation at the time, the Mets chose to bring back Senga earlier than anticipated and allowed him to work up his pitch count at the big-league level.
Perhaps rushing back the fastidious Senga was a detriment because after his first outing in his return to New York, the right-hander struggled mightily. In his final seven starts, Senga had a 6.06 ERA (1.65 WHIP).
His struggles left the Mets with no choice but to send him down to the minors where they hoped he would be able to figure out his mechanics and get his confidence back up to help the team for the final push. Instead, Senga made two starts for Triple-A and pitched to a 4.66 ERA before his fastball velocity dipped during a bullpen session that gave the team cause for concern. Enough so that he didn't make another start for the Mets despite the team and its pitching flailing.
That leaves New York and the right-hander in a precarious situation going forward, one with little faith that Senga can be counted on as he once was.
"Kodai has had two very inconsistent, challenging years in a row," Stearns said. "We know it’s in there. We know there’s potential. We’re gonna do everything we can to help get it out of him. But no, could we put him in ink as making 30 starts next year? I think that would be foolish."
Thumbs up
One player who should be celebrated this year is Francisco Alvarezwho had a rollercoaster season. After a midseason demotion to the minor leagues following a brutal stretch, Alvarez worked hard to come back stronger than ever -- which he did.
With his season seemingly back on track, the young catcher was dealt a massive blow, spraining his UCL in his right thumb. The injury put him on the IL, but soon after he was back on a minor league rehab assignment, determined to return to New York and help his team.
In his first rehab game following the injury, Alvarez was hit on the hand and broke his left pinky. With just eight healthy fingers, Alvarez made his way back to the big leagues and not only caught behind the dish, produced at the plate too.
In his last 30 games, the 23-year-old had seven home runs with a .920 OPS to completely turn his season around. He finished with a triple slash line of .256/.339/.447 in 76 games.
The key and next step for Alvarez will be to stay healthy for a full season to fully tap into his potential. Stearns said he's on his way to doing that as he will require surgery on his ligament which he'll get in the coming days.
The St. Louis Blues have assigned winger Matt Luff and defenseman Corey Schueneman to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, after they cleared waivers.
Luff, 28, is entering his second season with the Thunderbirds after pouring in 18 goals and 45 points in 50 games last year.
The 6-foot-3, right-handed shooter started his professional career with the Los Angeles Kings franchise, before playing with the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings and the Florida Panthers AHL affiliate.
Luff has played 276 games in the AHL, scoring 87 goals and 212 points. In the NHL, Luff has scored 15 goals and 27 points in 106 games. Luff hasn't played any games in the NHL with the Blues.
Schueneman, 30, is a left-handed defenseman also playing in his second season with the Thunderbirds. In 63 games, Schueneman scored four goals and 20 points. In his AHL career, Schueneman has recorded 25 goals and 110 points in 307 games.
Schueneman skated in four games with the Blues last year, but did not record any points. In his career, Schueneman has played in 35 games, scoring two goals and seven points.
Rangers' Lines Combinations, Defensive Pairings And Goaltenders For Preseason Game Against Islanders The New York Rangers are set to play in the New York Islanders on Monday in what will be their fourth preseason game.
