Asa Montgomery, one of the summer’s biggest risers, is taking an official visit to LSU this weekend, sources told Rivals.
The 6-foot-7 small forward out of Hillgrove High School (GA) is now ranked as the No. 15 overall recruit in the 2027 class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Montgomery, a high-four prospect, led the Nike EYCL Circuit in scoring this summer, averaging 27.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game for AOT.
In addition to the Tigers, he’s received offers Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UConn, Louisville, Florida, Alabama, Houston, Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, and more.
Scouting Asa Montgomery + what he’s looking for in a school
Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw has evaluated Montgomery multiple times in person. Here’s what he had to say about him after watching him in July:
In the most recent 2027 Rivals150 update Asa Montgomery jumped to No. 15 overall. The length and explosive 6-foot-7 forward has had as much success as anyone through the spring and summer. On Wednesday night, Montgomery was able to do whatever he wanted on the court. He showcased his handle, creating advantages for himself and his team. He knocked down multiple threes, both off the catch and the bounce. And he displayed top-level-type explosive burst finishing above the rim.
The upside remains very high with Montgomery, but with that upside comes the current level of production he is seeing. A lengthy and explosive wing with positional size and three-level scoring ability is intriguing. Especially when you also look at his defensive upside. Montgomery has been one of the steepest spring risers, and I don’t expect that to change in the coming week.
In a previous interview with Rivals, Montgomery discussed what he is looking for in a college program.
“I want to go to a family-oriented team. A tight team, and I want to play for a coach that can help me develop and who will put me in the right situations for where I am trying to go.”
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Taison Chatman (3) and forward Devin Royal (21) fight for a loose ball with USC Trojans guard Kam Woods (13) during the first half of the NCAA men's basketball game at the Schottenstein Center on Feb. 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Happy Friday, and welcome to another heart-stopping, breathtaking edition of “You’re Nuts.” Specifically, this is the hoops-related version — despite college football being mere hours away, we at Land-Grant Holy Land will continue to sprinkle in the basketball-related content wherever we see fit, even during the lean, dark days of the off-season.
The Buckeyes are back on campus, and on top of that, the Ohio State men’s team made a late-summer addition to the roster in 6-foot-9 power forward Lee Aaliya. Aaliya, who turns 22 in November, has played professionally in Argentina for multiple seasons, and actually was committed to play for Juwan Howard at Michigan in 2023. That never materialized for whatever reason, with Michigan coaches citing “logistical” issues, including visa problems and friction with the University of Michigan admissions office.
Aaliya is not expected to be a “project” player or someone who will take several months to acclimate to this level of basketball. He will have an opportunity to compete for minutes right away, despite not having been with the team for summer practices or the team’s trip to Puerto Rico, where they beat two local professional teams by a combined 80 points. Aaliya is considered more of a post player who is more explosive around the rim, not around the three-point line. He will likely log some minutes at power forward and center.
Last week, Connor and Justin predicted Ohio State’s record in the non-conference portion of the schedule, since that part of the schedule has officially been published on the team’s website. The guys were pretty close, with Connor picking Ohio State to go 10-2 in those 12 games, with losses to UConn and Vanderbilt. Justin picked them to go 9-3 in those 12 games, with losses to UConn, Vanderbilt, and BYU.
Full transparency — news is slow right now in the men’s basketball world, unless you’re interested in talking about lawsuits, temporary restraining orders, and 20-something’s trying to play another season when they should probably be updating their resumes.
For that reason, we’re backing up a few months and revisiting the group of players who transferred out of Ohio State in the spring. Five guys left Ohio State — Devin Royal (Villanova), Taison Chatman (Utah), Colin White (Akron), Gabe Cupps (UIC), and Mathieu Grujicic (Radford). Which guy do you think set themselves up for the most success in their new program?
This week’s question: Which outgoing Ohio State transfer will have the most success with their new team?
Connor: Taison Chatman
Unlike the other four guys, there’s a real chance that Taison Chatman becomes one of — if not the — key player in his team’s offense. Especially after the news earlier this week that former Israeli basketball star Noam Yaacov won’t be allowed to play at Utah, this Running Utes’ roster is looking pretty bleak.
Utah went 10-22 last year overall and 2-16 in conference play, and there’s not a ton of confidence that they’ll be a whole lot better this season. Chatman projects as the starting shooting guard for Utah this season, which means in his fourth year of college basketball, the 6-foot-4 guard will finally have a wide open lane to a starting role, consistent minutes, and a large role in an offense.
Last season from January 26 onward, Chatman averaged just over 7.2 points per game while playing 21.7 minutes per game in those final 13 games. He’s a career 43.8% shooter, 42.4% from beyond the arc, and better than 80% from the free throw line.
Fair or unfair, Chatman was really never given the opportunity at Ohio State to be a featured guy. Would those shooting numbers hold steady if Chatman was taking nine shots per game instead of the three per game he took last season? That question is going to be answered this season for Chatman, because nothing will be stopping him from playing a boatload of minutes for second-year Utes coach Alex Jensen. I think Chatman is going to easily score 10 points per game this year in the Big 12, and perhaps even more if Utah finds a way to get out of the basement of their own conference.
Justin: Devin Royal
Devin Royal transferred to Villanova for his senior season after spending three seasons at Ohio State. Being a kid from Columbus and a large contributor for the Buckeyes for his career, it was a bummer to see Royal hit the transfer portal, but it wasn’t unexpected.
With the emergence of Amare Bynum last season and five-star freshman Anthony Thompson joining the team. There were two starting spots for three guys, and Royal seemed like the odd man out from the jump. He only has one season of college basketball left, and I doubt he wants to spend that coming off the bench after two years of being a starter.
Last season, Royal averaged 13.7 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game. For his career, he averages 10.6 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game in 96 games played.
Things were rocky with Ohio State a couple of times, but for the most part, Royal was great for the Buckeyes and is easily the best player who hit the portal. He will go to Villanova and likely average somewhere in between 12 and 15 points per game and could be an All-Conference type player.
Confusion was the first reaction to the TMZ item in which former Cowboys quarterback and CBS broadcaster Tony Romo accepted “full responsibility” for his recent OWI arrest in Milwaukee, in a statement issued by an unnamed spokesperson.
The same statement arrived, unsolicited, in the PFT email box.
"Reaching out as we are working with Tony Romo’s team," the email began. "Below please find a statement to be attributed to an unnamed spokesperson: 'Tony accepts full responsibility for his actions and has taken proactive steps to ensure that this isolated civil matter is properly resolved. We are working with local authorities to bring this matter to a close and we are communicating with CBS about next steps.'" (Emphasis in original.)
While we won't name the spokesperson or his firm as a courtesy, any email that suddenly lands in the PFT account without prior communication is fair game to be used on the record. The ability to speak on an off-the-record basis can't be unilaterally activated — especially when there's no prior relationship whatsoever between the person who sends the email and the person who receives it.
The bigger issue is this. How can Romo, or anyone, accept "full responsibility" by issuing a statement through an unnamed spokesperson? To accept full responsibility, the responsibility must be fully accepted. That can't happen by issuing a statement through an unnamed spokesperson.
Really, who uses an unnamed spokesperson, for anything? Romo has a spokesperson who, for whatever reason, won't attach the spokesperson's name to the statement.
If Romo wants to accept "full responsibility," he needs to conduct a press conference, issue a statement in his own name, or submit to an interview. Maybe he eventually will. For now, though, it's impossible to regard a statement from an unnamed spokesperson as the acceptance of responsibility, full or partial.
The Raiders wrapped up their preseason games on Thursday night and running back Ashton Jeanty's status will be one of the team's focal points as they turn their attention toward Week 1.
Jeanty sprained his ankle last weekend and the team has not shared much detail about the severity of the injury or the outlook for when he will be back on the field. Head coach Klint Kubiak stayed the course on that during a Friday videoconference with reporters, but he did make it clear that the team's plans include having the 2025 first-round pick in the backfield.
“Still on the mend, still working to get him back," Kubiak said. "We’ve got another week to assess how he’s gonna look going into this first game, but we’re counting on him.”
Fourth-round pick Mike Washington had a good camp and Kubiak said he will have a role once the regular season is underway, but the Raiders would prefer it to be a complementary rather than starring one.
This is another round of the biggest risers and fallers by ADP over the past week. I’ve excluded players previously written about in this series from appearing again. Otherwise, I’m forced to write about De’Zhaun Stribling and Ja’Kobi Lane every week. For last week’s article, click here. The ADP comes via DraftKings, though most sites have the same general group of players moving up and down boards.
The easiest hack for getting CLV is to simply draft free agents before they sign.
CLV, or closing line value, is the difference between what a player cost when you drafted them and what they cost in the final drafts before the season starts. Getting positive CLV usually means you made a good pick.
Like clockwork, fantasy managers see that a player who was almost certainly going to play football for another season has decided to once again play football, and said player rockets up draft boards. Allen is no exception. He joins a Colts team that just got Alec Pierce back at practice, though in a very limited capacity, and is once again without Josh Downs. Downs is dealing with a very minor injury that shouldn’t keep him out long. Still, Allen is a year-in, year-out target earner on a team in need of, at minimum, a No. 3 receiver. I have been buying Allen as he climbs up the later rounds.
Kaelon Black, RB, 49ers (+30)
Jordan James was banged up and Black looked strong in the preseason after missing some time with an injury of his own. I have the benefit of foresight versus ADP and can look at the 49ers’ preseason game from Thursday night, in which both backs played. Black got the start alongside Mac Jones, followed by James later in the game. Both backs looked good, with Black averaging seven YPC on four attempts and James posting 4.4 YPC on eight totes. James also caught a 20-yard pass. Based on the tape and the preseason usage, Black appears to be the 49ers’ RB2. This rise is warranted and won’t stop at his current 16th-round price.
Devaughn Vele, WR, Saints (+30)
Vele has been the riser corresponding with Jordyn Tyson’s fall. In last week’s article, I wrote that Week 9 looked like the most likely return date for Tyson. That gives Vele half a season to run as the Saints’ No. 2 receiver. On the downside, he wasn’t very good last year. He was targeted on 16 percent of his routes and averaged a measly 1.2 yards per route run. Juwan Johnson operated as the team’s de facto WR2 and was quite successful, finishing as the TE8. Johnson should be the biggest mover after the Tyson injury, and rookie Bryce Lance deserves some 20th-round looks as well.
Malachi Fields, WR, Giants (+21)
Fields looks locked in as the Giants’ No. 2 receiver based on his preseason usage. That shouldn’t be too surprising given that the team spent the No. 74 overall pick on him. They also lost Calvin Austin to a torn ACL. Austin was slated for slot duties while Fields is an outside receiver, but the injury could still result in a few extra targets for the rookie. The fact that the Giants will be starting a rookie and one of Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, or Odell Beckham alongside Malik Nabers makes me want to keep buying Nabers, as he hasn’t pushed meaningfully past the 2/3 turn.
Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs (+18)
This one is weird. Johnson was reportedly the second running back up during practice, and Kenneth Walker is now a little banged up with an ankle issue, but we have more data than just one report from practice. The Chiefs have played two preseason games. Walker briefly appeared in both. Of the three backs contending for the backup job, Johnson is the only one who hasn’t gotten the RB2 treatment in one of those preseason contests. Johnson might be the RB2 right now, but that’s not something I would bet on.
Bonus: Travis Etienne, RB, Saints (+7)
If you look at the value of the draft picks instead of just the number, Etienne is the biggest riser who I haven’t already mentioned. Alvin Kamara is hurt and he was the main threat to Etienne seeing the bulk of the work on passing downs. At this point in his career, an injured Kamara might not even be of any use as a receiving specialist. He averaged .74 yards per route run. That was easily a career low for Kamara and was just the 49th-best mark by a running back. Etienne was at a solid 1.1 YPRR. That should still be enough to keep him on the field over Kamara if the latter isn’t fully healthy.
On August 19th, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Kamara was expected to miss “at least the next month.” That alone would keep him out for Week 1, and the “at least” in his report suggests it could be much longer than a month. The team strong-armed Kamara into taking a pay cut, likely with the threat of releasing him outright despite gaining no meaningful cap space from such a move. Now he has to board a moving train at some point beyond Week 1. Kamara is not a bet I have made much this summer and I won’t be doing so for the rest of drafting season.
Tyrone Tracy, RB, Giants (-24)
Tracy missed a block in the Giants’ first preseason game that resulted in a pass-rusher de-cleating Jaxson Dart. He was evaluated for a concussion following the hit. The team signed Najee Harris after that debacle. Then, in the team’s second preseason contest, Tracy fumbled in the red zone. Tracy entered the summer as the clear backup to Cam Skattebo, who was recovering from a catastrophic ankle injury. Skattebo seems to have recovered as well as Giants fans could hope for and Tracy may not even be the backup anymore. He’s a clear avoid in drafts, even as his price plummets.
Oronde Gadsden, TE, Chargers (-16)
Gadsden is another one of the preseason’s biggest fallers. The Chargers rested their starters in the first week of preseason action. Gadsden played with the reserves. They played the starters the following week. Gadsden did not see a snap with Herbert. He finally played alongside Herbert in Thursday night’s bout with the 49ers but was still the TE3, only seeing the field for LA’s lone 13-personnel snap. Mike McDaniel is screaming from the top of the mountain that Gadsden is a backup. He’s a player I’m willing to buy as the price continues to drop because of how impressive his rookie season was, but the fall is deserved.
Travis Hunter, WR, Jaguars (-16)
Hunter didn’t get any snaps with the offense in some practices and people are freaking out.
“With both Thomas and Meyers not practicing, the Jaguars had rookie receivers Josh Cameron and CJ Williams get reps with the 1s.”
“Travis Hunter once again spent his entire day on the defensive side of the ball. He did not get a single team rep with the offense.” https://t.co/0E6oUURJQw
I will admit, I would rather see a player I’m drafting loads of practice with the offense, but this also isn’t that surprising. The Jags have been adamant throughout the offseason that Hunter will play both ways. In some practices (and probably some games), that will entail playing exclusively on defense. Going in the 15th-round of Best Ball drafts, Hunter needs a pair of spike weeks to pay off. That’s still easily attainable, even if he spends some games playing mostly on defense.
Kyle Monangai, RB, Bears (-14)
Monangai went down with a hyperextended knee just under two weeks ago and has yet to resume practicing. Bears coach Ben Johnson has since called him week-to-week. He should be ready to go for Week 1, but that isn’t guaranteed. With a good camp, Monangai might have forced more of a true backfield by committee in Chicago, but that ship has sailed. Johnson has also been effusive in his praise of D’Andre Swift.
Johnson says D'Andre Swift's vision and execution of intended run reads have improved entering the season.
Ben Johnson: “It's the best I've seen him this time of year. You look back at a year ago, he was very explosive, and yet it takes a little while to gel between him and the… pic.twitter.com/yYwSXvkvq0
Swift is locked in for a strong workload out of the gates and could hold on to the bulk of the Bears’ touches for the entirety of the season.
Bonus: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders (-7)
It’s hard for Jeanty to fall more than a dozen picks, but his seven-spot drop through the second round is a bigger value loss than almost anyone over the past week. The team hasn’t given us a clear timeline for his return, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport could only say it was a sprain that’s “more low than high.” To make things worse, Mike Washington Jr. has looked phenomenal in the preseason. If the Raiders want to ease Jeanty’s workload early in the year, they have a guy who can handle some extra touches.
The NFL's new approach to on-field safety infractions creates a three-strike formula for player suspensions.
The process also extends potential responsibility to coaches and teams.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, fines for position coaches, coordinators, head coaches, and owners are "on the table" in connection with chronic violations by one player of various specific rules (hip-drop tackles, horse-collar tackles, launching, hits on defenseless players, and blindside blocks).
There's no specific equation for determining when, and if, responsibility would extend beyond the player. The fact that it's now available is appropriate, and overdue.
The new procedure also entails the possibility that the position coach, the coordinator, and/or the coach will be required to make with the player any trips to 345 Park Avenue arising from a string of violations.
Coaches lose nothing when players are fined for techniques that violate the rules. When the player is flagged, the team loses field position. When the player is suspended, the coach loses the player. But the coach never faces direct accountability.
Now, he does. In theory. It's unclear how it will play out, but the potential exists for direct financial punishment for coaches and teams if a player continues to violate one of the five specific rules that are included in the three-strike formula.
ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 26: Travis Bazzana #37 of the Cleveland Guardians runs to first base during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Two streaking baseball teams face each other tonight in Cleveland.
9-1 in their past 10 games, the Royals are 60-75 with -81 run differential, 19th in team wRC+ at 98, tenth in baserunning runs above average at 3.1, sixth in Defense at -0.4, 19th in starting pitcher ERA at 4.34 (4.25 FIP), and 29th in bullpen ERA at 5.15 (5.20 FIP).
8-2 in their past 10 games and owners of seven-game win streak, the Guardians are 68-66 with a -4 run differential, 23rd in team wRC+ at 94, eighth in baserunning runs above average at 5.1, seventh in defense at -0.6, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.84 (4.05 FIP), and seventh in bullpen ERA at 3.72 (3.78 FIP).
Keys: Get into the bullpen as soon as you can and take advantage and don’t let Witt or Caglianone beat you.
Matchups: Game One, Friday, 7:10PM ET: Wacha 3.49 ERA (4.18 FIP) vs. Bibee RHP 3.97 ERA (4.61 FIP) Game Two, Saturday, 4:10PM ET: Lynch IV (opener) 2.93 ERA (3.48 FIP) vs. Griffin LHP 3.19 ERA (4.20 FIP) Game Three, Sunday, 1:40PM ET: Lugo 4.61 ERA (4.00 FIP) vs. Messick LHP 2.50 ERA (3.08 FIP)
The Royals are led by Jac Caglianone 128 wRC+, Bobby Witt Jr. 127 wRC+, and Tyler Tolbert 123 wRC+.
The Guardians are led by Chase DeLauter 130 wRC+, Nathaniel Lowe 116 wRC+, Steven Kwan 110 wRC+, Angel Genao 108 wRC+, Austin Hedges 105 wRC+, Jose Ramirez 102 wRC+, and Travis Bazzana 102 wRC+.
The Guardians lead the season series 4-3 and need three wins in the remaining six games to secure the season win. Really need to find a way to minimize the damage that Witt and Caglianone can do and you can win this series.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 27: Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter of a preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 27, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nothing says preseason football quite like a game with 10 field goals and no touchdowns, as the Las Vegas Raiders fell to the San Francisco 49ers 18-12. That drops the Raiders to 1-2 over the last three weeks, officially wraps up training camp, and sets up the final winners and losers before the regular season.
LOSER: Fernando Mendoza
I cut Mendoza some slack last week, but it’s hard to ignore back-to-back games with interceptions. This time, he got greedy and tried to fit a ball into a very tight window while targeting the 5-foot-11 Jalen Nailor. To be fair, Mendoza managed to get the ball over the linebacker, and a bigger/taller receiver might have been able to come down with it. But it was the wrong throw/decision for the pass-catcher he was throwing to.
Also, the Raiders’ offense operates more smoothly with Kirk Cousins behind center right now. Of course, that’s to be expected since he’s the veteran and has played in Klint Kubiak’s system before. However, that’s another strong sign that the rookie won’t be the team’s Week 1 starter, and it feels like any hopes of that ended on Thursday night.
WINNER: Mike Washington Jr.
Washington has been deserving of some recognition in the winners column but hasn’t gotten it yet. That had nothing to do with his play, though, and everything to do with the fact that he’s held down the second running back job essentially since he was drafted. But that changes because not only did the Arkansas product have another strong outing with eight carries for 49 yards (6.1 ypc), he also eased some concerns if Ashton Jeanty has to miss some time.
The rookie provided some hope that he’s capable of taking on a bigger role if needed and that he can be more than just a home-run hitter out of the backfield.
LOSER: Aidan O’Connell
In a way, this preseason has summarized O’Connell’s tenure in Las Vegas. He’s been up and down, with a shaky outing in the first contest against the Cardinals, then was much better to lead a game-winning drive last week, and had another tough performance on Thursday night. If the Silver and Black were hoping to shop the fourth-year pro ahead of cutdown day, going three-for-nine with 32 passing yards didn’t exactly help matters.
WINNER: JJ Pegeus
The Raiders have been looking for defensive tackles to step up all preseason, and not many had answered the call in the first two games. However, Pegues made a statement against San Francisco, standing out against the run with four tackles, the majority of which were near the line of scrimmage.
He also made a few plays that won’t show up on the stat sheet by plugging up gaps to make runs bounce, and he had a great rep as a pass rusher, pushing the pocket with a bull rush and getting his hands up to record a batted pass. If the 2025 sixth-round pick was on the bubble heading into the game, he certainly made a strong case to stay on the roster.
LOSER: Atonio Mafi
I thought Mafi had a chance to make the team with what he was bringing as a run blocker. But he’s been a problem in pass protection, and that continued in the third preseason game by giving up another sack. The franchise needs to protect its investment in Mendoza, and it’s becoming clear that the fourth-year lineman isn’t up for the job.
WINNER: Brandon Cleveland
Along the same lines as Pegues, Cleveland had a much-needed outing to boost his odds of making the team. The seventh-round pick tied for the team lead with five total tackles and led the club outright with a pair of TFLs. He also had an impressive win as a pass-rusher to get a quarterback hit and was in the 49ers’ backfield on several occasions throughout the night. That should give the coaching staff something to think about ahead of cutdown day.
LOSER: Wide Receivers
To cut the quarterbacks mentioned above some slack, it seemed like the Raiders’ wide receivers struggled to get open. The passing game was filled with a lot of check downs, and there wasn’t a receiver who really stood out against San Francisco. Tre Tucker led the team with 25 receiving yards and no one else even eclipsed 20 yards, while the group had a handful of drops on the evening.
Kubiak called out the position group after last week’s game and can’t be much happier with what he saw on Thursday night. Even after cutdown day, the receivers at the bottom of the roster shouldn’t feel comfortable because it seems like the Silver and Black will be taking a long look at the position on the waiver wire.
WINNER: Cameron McGrone
It will be interesting to see how many linebackers the coaching staff wants to keep, and if there’s an open spot, McGrone made a strong case to fill it. He was flying around all night, showing off some impressive instincts to tie Cleveland and Greedy Vance for the team lead in total tackles (five). At the least, that could have earned the 26-year-old one of the six veteran practice squad spots.
It’s the last podcast before we get back into the in-season flow next week. Today, we’re answering listener questions as we get ready for what would seem to be an extremely promising 2026-27 U of L athletics season.
BADALONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 14: Sylvain Francisco #00, Alexandre Sarr #44, Elie Okobo #0 and Bilal Coulibaly #99 of France during friendly match between Spain and France to preparation to Eurobasket ’25 at Olimpic Arena on August 14, 2025 in Badalona, Spain. (Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The France men’s basketball team defeated Slovenia, 92-67 yesterday in Paris at Accor Arena. The Washington Wizards have Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr as part of the pipeline. They were not named for the roster yesterday however. Sarr is recovering from foot surgery earlier this offseason, but he should be ready to go this fall.
As one of the top teams in the world, France should easily make the FIBA World Cup next year. Hopefully, we’ll also see Sarr and Coulibaly playing for Les Bleus as well when the World Cup happens.
Earlier this month, the Detroit Red Wings announced their promotional schedule for the 2026-27 season, packed with giveaways and theme nights designed to give fans plenty of reasons to head down to Little Caesars Arena for the franchise's 101st season.
Familiar fan favorites are returning, including Halloween, Thanksgiving Eve and New Year's Eve games, Star Wars Night, Heritage Games, College Games and three separate Kids Day contests.
Among the new additions, the headline giveaway will almost certainly be the 2002 Stanley Cup 25th Anniversary Bobblehead Series, featuring Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom and Scotty Bowman. Other new giveaways include Salt and Pepper Shakers around Thanksgiving and a nod to Moritz Seider's German heritage with a Seider-themed beer stein.
College Night ticket packages will let fans represent their alma mater alongside the Red Wings, with participating schools including several notable around the state like Ferris State, Detroit Mercy, Michigan Tech, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan and Michigan among others.
Heritage nights make up a huge chunk of this year's giveaway slate, and the Red Wings are covering a lot of ground. Fans can look forward to shirseys honoring Canadian, Hispanic, Chaldean, Polish on Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Albanian, Greek, Italian, Swedish, Filipino, French, and Irish Heritage on participating nights.
Beyond heritage nights, there's also a Star Wars Night shirsey, a Grateful Dead shirsey, Hometown Heroes shirseys honoring police officers and fire/EMS personnel, a Military Appreciation Night shirsey, and a Faith Day shirt presented by The Walk.
The Red Wings are also leaning into a full "Build-Your-Own-Fit" series this season, letting fans piece together a look one giveaway at a time. That includes a Build-Your-Own-Fit crewneck, sweatpants, socks, a vest, and a hat, giving dedicated fans the chance to collect an entire wardrobe over the course of the season if they hit enough games.
Rounding out the schedule is a wide mix of specialty items, including a Sisterhood hat, a Love Your Melon beanie, a Winged Wheel Podcast beanie along with a separate Winged Wheel Podcast item later in the year, the classic Zamboni gravy boat making its return, a Margaritaville tote bag, and Pride Night and Weekend tumblers.
Fans supporting community causes will also see two separate Educator Appreciation lunch box nights and two Healthcare Appreciation tote bag nights throughout the year, along with a Red Wings ugly sweater giveaway around the holidays.
It's shaping up to be a packed slate of theme nights and giveaways at LCA this season, one that should give Red Wings fans plenty of reasons to come out to the rink no matter the night.
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 15: Nate Thomas #71 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the second quarter during the NFL preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on August 15, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For most of the offseason, the Dallas Cowboys have operated with fewer distractions than usual, keeping them under the radar. Then, after two strong performances in the first two preseason games, Dallas became a focus of sports talk television, raising the question, “Is this finally the year they do it?”
Before jumping too far ahead in that conversation, the Cowboys have one more preseason game to play at home against the New Orleans Saints. The top end of the roster is almost set for the season opener, but questions remain about what to do with the final spots and who will win certain competitions.
Who sits and who plays on Friday night will tell us a lot to begin with, but here are four remaining questions Dallas needs answers to by the end of the preseason finale.
Can Dallas keep three quarterbacks?
Joe Milton has performed exceptionally well in his second season as a backup to Dak Prescott. When Dallas signed Sam Howell, it “pissed off” Milton, but it also brought out the best in him and pushed him to become a proficient commander of the offense.
Milton has the fourth most passing yards in the preseason (286), leads quarterbacks in passing touchdowns (3) and passer rating (142.9) for any quarterback who has had 20 percent of the total dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Sam Howell has made a case for himself to stay on the roster as well. His first preseason game was better than the second, but Brian Schottenheimer continues to praise him and what he’s brought to the quarterback room. If Howell does nothing more than continue to keep that fire under Milton lit the entire season and grow as a player, does that justify keeping Howell in the building on the 53?
If the Cowboys cut either quarterback, it might not be as easy to claim them back on the practice squad, since good backup play is hard to come by in the NFL. Dallas has kept three quarterbacks in the past. This roster makes it much harder to find a scenario where that’s possible.
Does Dallas keep five or six wide receivers?
Over the last week, there’s been chatter on social media about Camden Brown’s flaws. He can’t separate; he doesn’t have the finishing speed; Dallas could find another developmental wide receiver. And then Brown makes another highlight play in training camp practice that makes everyone remember how consistent he’s been all offseason, forcing his way onto the 53-man roster.
Jonathan Mingo has also played extremely well in training camp and in the preseason games. He has four catches on five targets, 82 receiving yards, one touchdown, and a 90.5 PFF grade, which is fifth-best among all wide receivers in the preseason. Add that on top of him becoming a special teams player for Dallas, and it makes it hard to cut a player like Mingo, too, who Dallas has invested a ton of time in and has been patient.
If Dallas decides to go with five wideouts, which player would be unlikely to return to the practice squad and get claimed by another team? The way Brown has flashed and has been showcased in games could catch the eye of another team looking to bring on a developmental player who’s ahead of the curve as a rookie. Mingo gives another team a pro-ready player who elevates the back end of a wide receiver room, with the potential to be a high-end WR3 for a team like the Miami Dolphins.
The best-case scenario is that both players make the 53, and Dallas goes short at another position. It shouldn’t be an either-or conversation because both players deserve to be on the final roster.
Do the Cowboys have their backup tackles?
Nick Leverett, Ajani Cornelius, and Trevor Keegan have played really well in the interior of the offensive line. With T.J. Bass already locked in as the sixth offensive lineman, Dallas might only be able to keep two of the three. That’s a small potato question (if you know, you know). The big potato question is what Dallas should do about their backup offensive tackles?
Nate Thomas was supposed to push Tyler Guyton at left tackle for a starting job. Guyton quickly ended that battle, pushing Thomas down to backup. Throughout training camp and the preseason, things haven’t always looked great for the former seventh-round pick. The team has tried him at left and right tackle to practice position flex, but his development seems to be taking a step back instead of forward. For a player who has started four games in the NFL, Dallas was hoping for more.
Drew Shelton will need more time to grow as an NFL tackle. The 2026 fourth-round pick has not been great and has given up the second-most pressures (seven) of any offensive lineman in the preseason. Like Thomas, the coaching staff has tried to move him from right to left so he can learn to be a swing tackle and find the best role for him.
Dallas might not feel great about where either player is in their development, and with Cornelius moving to offensive guard, the Cowboys might have to find their swing tackle on the open market. If the front office has to pick either Thomas or Shelton to make the initial 53-man roster, the tie would probably go to Shelton, considering he’s the most recent draft pick and Dallas doesn’t usually give up on fourth-round picks this early.
Sam Williams or Marist Liufau?
After the Cowboys signed Von Miller, it took away a roster spot from James Houston, Sam Williams, and Marist Liufau. Instead of all three making the team, the competition could come down to two. All three can play on special teams and have been really good at it, so who makes the roster might be decided by who can show the most as a pass rusher.
Houston was a surprise for Dallas last year, getting 3.5 sacks in the first five games as a rotational player. He’s also continued that production in the preseason. Houston is the one Dallas might be most confident in out of the three.
Williams re-signed with Dallas on a one-year deal after testing the waters of free agency and getting nothing on the open market. The transition to a 3-4 defense could benefit him at stand-up outside linebacker. Williams has done a lot on special teams during the regular season, but has hurt the Cowboys at times with costly penalties. Do the Cowboys still believe the same player exists who had 8.5 sacks over the first two seasons of his career?
After two seasons at off-ball linebacker, Liufau made the switch to outside linebacker in the new scheme in what feels like a last-ditch effort to make the cut. Liufau has received praise from Schottenheimer for the way he’s attacked the transition and played with effort. Watching the preseason games, it looks like he may be too small to consistently go up against offensive tackles and blocking tight ends. Despite being the most recent draft pick of the three players listed, he might not fit the scheme anymore.
The final preseason game will be a chance for all three to make their final mark, with Williams and Liufau being at the center of it.
TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 26: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 and Brett Bateman #21 of the Toronto Blue Jays come off the field after the top of the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on August 26, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A 4-2 homestand against two of the best teams in the National League has put some wind behind the Mariners’ sails. Over their last 15 games, they’re 8-7 against some pretty tough competition. From here through the rest of the season, the Mariners face either teams directly competing against them in the playoff race (TOR, BOS, TEX, HOU) or teams who are on pace to lose at least 98 games this year (ATH, LAA, COL). For those still holding onto hope, this soft schedule to finish off the season has been the guiding light; beat up on a bunch of weak teams and win just enough head-to-head games against those two division rivals to eke out the division in September. It starts with an East Coast road trip through Toronto and Boston.
After their deep postseason runs last year, both the Mariners and Blue Jays have suffered through shockingly similar seasons. They’re separated by half a game in the standings right now and both teams have started to play a little better recently, though it might be too little too late for the Jays. Toronto has continued to be plagued by injuries and its superstars haven’t been able to carry the team through the summer. The team traded away a bunch of impending free agents at the trade deadline — Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, and Jeff Hoffman are out — but they also looked towards the future by acquiring José Soriano and Spencer Arrighetti.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Brett Bateman
CF
L
74
21.6%
5.4%
0.074
113
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
1B
R
507
13.0%
9.5%
0.091
94
Alejandro Kirk
C
R
230
10.9%
11.3%
0.134
111
George Springer
DH
R
428
18.2%
9.6%
0.156
104
Jesús Sánchez
LF
L
284
23.2%
6.0%
0.165
110
Kazuma Okamoto
3B
R
531
29.9%
8.5%
0.207
106
Nathan Lukes
RF
L
354
15.0%
5.6%
0.118
98
Ernie Clement
2B
R
526
9.7%
3.4%
0.116
96
Andrés Giménez
SS
L
428
18.9%
3.3%
0.117
79
Vladito’s struggles this year have been bewildering; his contact quality has taken a massive hit despite swinging just as hard as he has in the past. He simply can’t square up the ball right now and it’s driving his offensive production into the ground. The one guy who is hitting well right now is Alejandro Kirk. He missed more than two months of the season with a fractured finger and it took him a while to get his bat going after returning in mid June. Since the All-Star break, he has posted a 152 wRC+, easily the highest mark on the team in that period. The rest of the Jays’ postseason heroes from last year haven’t been able to keep it up this season; Ernie Clement has a 96 wRC+, Nathan Lukes is a hair higher at 98, and Addison Barger only played in nine games between two major injuries.
Dylan Cease was the Blue Jays’ headlining acquisition this past offseason when he signed a seven-year, $210 million free agent contract just before Thanksgiving. He’s long been one of baseball’s best strikeout artists, though all those punchouts come with some spotty command. He’s usually able to make it work because he can just work out of any trouble he gets into by avoiding contact altogether, but he can also be prone to big blowups from time to time if his command really slips. He primarily relies on a hard fastball and a nasty slider as his out pitches. He’s increased the usage of his changeup this year and it’s been nearly unhittable; the whiff rate on his offspeed pitch is over 50%!
Cease is one of the two favorites to win the AL Cy Young award. He’s been absolutely dominant throughout the entire season. Back in July when he faced the Mariners, he held them scoreless over seven innings, striking out nine while allowing just four baserunners.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
José Soriano
144.1
23.7%
10.8%
11.6%
51.9%
3.43
3.75
Kade Anderson (AA)
93.1
40.5%
3.9%
6.2%
45.3%
1.06
1.78
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
21.6%
23.8%
97.1
95
92
85
0.382
Sinker
31.1%
25.9%
96.3
104
149
85
0.374
Splitter
7.7%
28.0%
92.3
100
108
94
0.243
Curveball
30.4%
21.7%
85.4
92
140
104
0.271
Slider
9.2%
0.6%
90.2
95
93
116
0.304
From a previous series preview:
José Soriano is a weird pitcher. He throws extremely hard, he has three pitches with elite whiff rates, and his groundball rate is among the highest in baseball. Last year, his ERA outpaced his FIP by more than half a run. This year, the script is flipped; his ERA is nearly a full run lower than his FIP. Maybe he read my profile of his issues from last summer because, all of a sudden, he’s striking out a bunch more batters. He’s reduced the usage of his sinker in favor of his four-seamer and splitter, but his command hasn’t improved with the pitch mix change. The result is more punchouts, but also a lower groundball rate, a high walk rate, and more damage on contact allowed.
Soriano was traded to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, an interesting move made for the future at the same time the team was selling off some of their expendable parts. The Mariners are well acquainted with him from his time with the Angels, but he’s only faced them once this season; he allowed three runs in five innings while striking out nine back in June.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Max Scherzer
50
16.0%
11.1%
15.0%
36.6%
7.02
6.32
Bryce Miller
94
24.5%
6.6%
14.3%
37.5%
4.12
4.31
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
45.7%
47.3%
93.2
89
64
118
0.367
Cutter
1.9%
6.3%
88.3
94
Changeup
7.7%
20.5%
84.2
85
55
108
0.232
Curveball
9.3%
16.3%
75.2
99
99
125
0.313
Slider
35.5%
9.7%
85.7
106
64
108
0.370
After helping the Blue Jays reach the World Series last year, Max Scherzer staved off retirement for one more go around with Toronto. His age-41 season has been marred by a few injuries, limiting him to just 12 starts. They haven’t been good starts either. It’s pretty clear his arsenal just isn’t good enough anymore and batters are happy to tee off on his diminished stuff. For the first time in his long career, his strikeout rate is sitting below 20% and his walk rate is sitting above 10%. It’s an ugly combination and it’s the reason why his ERA is sitting above seven right now.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Astros
67-67
0.500
—
-44
L-L-W-L-W
Rangers
66-68
0.493
1.0
-47
L-W-W-L-L
Mariners
64-70
0.478
3.0
-57
W-L-W-W-L
Athletics
53-81
0.396
14.0
-185
W-W-L-W-W
Angels
52-82
0.388
15.0
-75
W-L-L-L-L
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
75-58
0.564
+7.5
+100
L-W-L-W-L
Red Sox
73-60
0.549
+5.5
+101
W-W-W-W-L
Guardians
68-66
0.507
—
-4
W-W-W-W-W
Rangers
66-68
0.493
2.0
-47
L-W-W-L-L
Orioles
65-69
0.485
3.0
-24
W-L-W-W-L
Blue Jays
65-70
0.481
3.5
-65
W-L-L-W-L
Mariners
64-70
0.478
4.0
-57
W-L-W-W-L
Twins
64-70
0.478
4.0
-56
L-L-W-L-L
The Astros kept pace with the Mariners after beating the Yankees on Thursday and winning that series in New York; they’ll head across town to face the Mets this weekend. The Rangers lost some ground after dropping the final two games of their series against the White Sox this week and face a tough challenge this weekend as they travel to Milwaukee.
In the Wild Card race, the Guardians have won seven straight and nine of their last 11 to put a sliver of daylight between them and the rest of the field. They host the hot-hitting Royals this weekend. Elsewhere, the Orioles play in Sacramento while the Twins host the White Sox.
UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 21: Final Game at Yankee Stadium., N.Y.Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium., Derek Jeter celebrates (Photo by Linda Cataffo/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) | NY Daily News via Getty Images
Everything started with an email.
On July 26, 2022, just a couple of months after graduating from high school, an 18-year-old who had already been rejected for a position once before decided to try his luck one more time. He pressed send as his heart raced and fingers twitched with excitement and nervousness. Twenty-four hours later in the beige-leather interior of his mom’s Lexus, he received a response from the man he had been trying to reach — Pinstripe Alley managing editor Andrew Mearns. After being asked for a mock piece that would be “indicative of something we might publish on the site,” the 18-year-old happily obliged, feeling fortunate even to be asked for a sample, and sent a Google Doc with an article on Joey Gallo.
The article was fundamentally sound, but not good enough. Not nearly good enough.
So came a large round of edits suggested by Andrew, and the young writer sent it back after making major changes. And after a suspense-building wait, a small dream come true.
I am, of course, writing (and reminiscing) about my story of joining this incredible site.
Since that late July day, I’ve had the immense pleasure of working at Pinstripe Alley. Talking Yankees (and baseball in general) with my wonderful co-workers, hearing their opinions, seeing their reactions through some of the best and worst times, and of course, giving mine too when I wasn’t busy screaming at the TV for all the right or wrong reasons, was just a bonus for me. The real prize? Being a young, aspiring sports journalist who got to write about his favorite team every week for an outlet he had been reading consistently since the middle of high school.
My favorite memory of my time with Pinstripe Alley was easily writing an article for my grandfather’s birthday. I’ve been a Yankees fan since I was born, and it’s because of him that I fell in love with the men in pinstripes and my favorite player ever, Derek Jeter. Having that published on this site and reading it aloud to him was one of the best, most impactful moments of my writing career, even today. I will never forget it, and I owe this site everything for creating a memory like that for me.
Pinstripe Alley wasn’t just a place where I got to write about the Yankees; it was where I learned the ins and outs of journalism on a stricter, more regimented schedule. And while I admittedly wasn’t always the best at it, especially during stressful times in college, my amazing editors greeted me with the utmost grace and acceptance. And, most importantly, it showed me early on how important that part of the job is when entering the real world.
There aren’t many words to describe how I felt when I got Andrew’s email about becoming a member of the staff here at Pinstripe Alley. In that moment, I had accomplished a goal that I had set for myself, and it helped me grow not only as a writer but also as a professional.
For four years, I woke up every week and wrote about my favorite baseball team, the New York Yankees. Now, I’m stepping into the real world, with two college degrees and a full-time sports editor job on the horizon. And had it not been for Pinstripe Alley and the amazing people at this site, I don’t believe I would have made it to where I am today and, more importantly, where I intend to be in the future.
When I began this job, I was just a kid. And to many, I still am. But Pinstripe Alley afforded me all sorts of different new experiences that helped me as I stepped into my college newsroom, my internship newsroom, and my now-sports editor newsroom. The experience I gained here was invaluable, but at the crux were the people, and the people who not only made such an incredibly accepting atmosphere for a relatively inexperienced kid, but who also loved the team just as much, if not more than I do. That is what makes this place so special, and I’m so excited to continue reading as much content from this outlet as possible.
So, after four years here at Pinstripe Alley, it’s time I bid this site adieu. But every word I wrote, and every article I published, is one I’m proud of because of where it was posted and the team it’s about. I’ll never take any of it for granted, and I can’t say thank you enough to everyone on this incredible staff and all of you amazing readers. Until next time.
You’ll have to forgive me as we get a little stuck in the weeds. I promise it will be worth it. One of the more interesting debates in statistical circles is in how much fidelity Pythagorean records have. In plain English, can we use run differentials as a way to accurately gauge the quality of a baseball team? It was established baseball “science” for several decades, but science always has a way of updating itself.
For many of you, your eyes have glazed over and you are wondering what this has to do with the price of whiskey in Ireland. Simply put, Pythagorean records are one of the things we use to determine if a manager is doing a good job and whether teams are overachieving or underachieving. When we spit runs scored and runs allowed into Bill James’ trusty formula, it spits out an expected record based on that differential. The Astros are currently four games better than their expected record. Does this mean Espada is actually doing a good job?
Obviously, that explanation is overly simplistic for a number of reasons. For one, we would have to include the manager’s input into why they have scored and allowed those runs. For instance, do shoddy bullpen decisions lead to more runs allowed? Do you shaky lineup decisions limit runs scored? Is how the manager using players and does that have an impact on player health? These are things that run differentials can’t tell us on their own.
Maybe more importantly to those of us crunching the numbers, we have a baseline explanation for things we have yet to figure out. If we don’t know why something is occurring then we are apt to assume it is random. This is not something we know mind you. It is more of a default that we put in place until a better explanation comes down the pike.
There have been a ton of theories to explain why teams overachieve or underachieve their expected records. Often times, bullpen performance can turn the tide between a good and bad record in one run games for instance. Others point to performance in clutch situations. There certainly is nothing to suggest that those are not factors in Pythagorean records, but most of it comes down to simple math.
There is an affectionate term that I have attributed to the Astros throughout their World Series run. They play something called “bully ball.” Essentially, bully ball occurs when you blow out your opponents. Those games have a way of covering up a ton of sins. Suddenly, numbers like performance with runners in scoring position or with two outs suddenly look a lot better. However, the difference between a 7-2 win and an 11-2 win are negligible for those of us watching the game.
Before we look at the obligatory table, one must appreciate the history of all this. Teams that win 100 or more games almost always overachieve their Pythagorean record. In other words, there is some luck involved in piling on that many wins. I want you to notice what happens to the Astros win differentials in those seasons where they won 100 or more games (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022).
Run Differential
Pythag +/-
One Run Games
Blowout games
2017
+196
+2
19-13
35-19
2018
+263
-6
24-24
37-8
2019
+280
0
24-19
36-12
2021
+205
-6
21-19
36-12
2022
+219
0
28-16
35-13
2023
+129
-3
20-21
28-15
2024
+91
-2
18-27
29-23
2025
+21
+4
27-17
23-21
2026
-44
+4
13-13
13-25
AVG
+151.1
-0.78
0.534
0.648
Based on the Pythagorean records, the Astros should have won 100 or more games in 2021 as well. So, they not only won 100 or more games four times, but they SHOULD have won 100 or more games four times. That is extremely rare and when you remove 2020, those seasons would have happened consecutively. I think we need to take a step back and appreciate how unique that is. There aren’t many teams in history that can say the same thing. You can probably count them on one hand.
if you remove 2026 from the equation, the Astros record in blowout games (games decided by four or more runs) moves to 259-123. That is a .678 winning percentage. That is absolutely stupid good. That would be equivalent to 110-52 in a 162 game schedule. You’ll notice that the Pythag differentials started to change in 2025 when the Astros weren’t quite as good at blowing out opponents. This year has been an inverse of their recent history dating back to 2017.
If you’ve gotten this far then you’ve reached the point where we can arrive at some conclusions. First, this is not a good baseball team. I know I’m not breaking any ground there and I know many of you are thinking you don’t need the fancy numbers to tell you that. However, the Pythagorean records say they shouldn’t even be .500 and we should take a step back before we reach that conclusion because this team gets its doors blown off with more frequency than in the past.
The second point is that it is fair to suggest that Espada is doing a good job based on these numbers alone. One could argue that the art of giving up on a lost game helps preserve players for future games when they are close. I’m not sure I would completely buy into it, but it an understandable inference from the numbers above. I do think it is important to look at the differences in how these numbers break down. By sheer definition, you would likely have to score five runs or more to register a blowout. The Astros did so 23 to 37 times between 2017 and 2025 and registered between 28 and 37 between 2017 and 2024. They have only 13 with approximately 30 games to go. Unless they suddenly go absolutely nuts down the stretch, they will drastically underachieve in that department.
Many will point to the Astros;’ pitching woes as a reason for the decline in this department and it certainly is a factor, but the offensive challenges have also played a dramatic role. This means that independent of what happens to Espada, this team was not good enough when constructed. Certainly, the use of certain players will come into focus when management makes the call on Espada. The end result is that Pythagorean records are one tool we can use to evaluate managers, but they shouldn’t be the first tool and obviously should not be the only tool.
Patrick Daugherty
