Several players detailed verbal abuse and practicing without water breaks from the coach on and off the record in complaints to Wagner College officials.
It’s Time to Update Your Passwords, MLB Tickets Thefts Prove
Baseball fans from Los Angeles and Detroit to Miami and Boston saw coveted tickets to MLB games disappear from their accounts within the league’s Ballpark app earlier this month. Some faced disruptions while attempting to enter stadiums using tickets in the app, and many more got notices to update their account information.
In a statement, MLB said it has uncovered “bad actors” who used leaked or stolen credentials from breaches of other websites to access fan accounts, adding that there is no evidence that MLB systems themselves were exploited and that its app is operating properly.
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MLB’s Ballpark app was designed for fans attending baseball games, offering ticket storage and management capabilities, as well as other features such as stadium maps and weather alerts. Fans can also sell their tickets using a connection to SeatGeek or directly transfer them to other users.
“We are working tirelessly to address this matter and protect our fans,” the league said. “We want all of our fans to have a great experience when they come to the ballpark, and we are sorry that some fans have had to deal with an issue related to their tickets.”
While the frenzy seems to have been quelled with the league’s latest security updates, the issues highlighted the growing threat of identity fraud targeting sports fans, particularly within the frothy market for live event tickets.
Reports of baseball tickets disappearing from the app spiked around the beginning of September, according to an MLB source granted anonymity to discuss the matter. Numerous fans took to Reddit to report similar issues.
One Philadelphia fan said seven tickets acquired for their brother’s bachelor party were swiped sometime before the day of the game. After the Phillies replaced their tickets, the group found people sitting in their seats, who said they’d bought the stubs online an hour before the first pitch.
In many cases, fans were able to see that the tickets were surreptitiously forwarded to unrecognized accounts, presumably so they could be sold on third-party sites. In a legal complaint filed Thursday, an Illinois man said he missed the first hour of a Cubs tilt after his tickets vanished on the day of the game. The filing goes on to argue that “MLB’s data security obligations were particularly acute given the substantial increase in data breaches in various industries preceding the date of the Data Breach.”
The league declined to comment on ongoing litigation.
Fraud cost consumers more than $12.5 billion in 2024, a 25% jump over the prior year, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. In 2024, a separate report found that so-called “account takeover attacks” were up 24% year-over-year. Often, consumers can recoup their losses, Merchant Risk Council CEO Julie Fergerson said, with companies facing both lost revenue and a potential deflation of customer confidence.
While experts, including those at MLB, urge buyers to use different, secure passwords for each of their accounts across different sites, surveys continue to find that a majority of Americans don’t practice pristine password hygiene. Consumers are also encouraged to set up multi-factor authentication for purchases when possible, but only some do.
“Especially in the United States, we love convenience over security,” Fergerson said.
Following data breaches, hackers identify uses for the stolen information, occasionally selling techniques in manuals for others on forums dedicated to the practice. That explains how instances of fraud strategies can explode overnight before being dealt with.
As live event get-in prices rise, ticket platforms become a more enticing target for illicit activity. The move to digital stubs has cut down on old-school forgery, but other avenues for concern have emerged. Prior to this month, multiple users have complained online about their credit card information being used to purchase game tickets on top ticket marketplaces. In the case of the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, a man in Northern Ireland allegedly racked up $100,000 in purchases for “Wicked” tickets using stolen card info.
A Ticketmaster data breach reportedly exposed up to 560 million North American customers in 2024. A Blue Jays fan appears to have lost control to his StubHub account, and the tickets within it, this July. For its part, MLB-owned Tickets.com has posted multiple job listings for a “fraud prevention analyst” this year, a position that a league source said is not new for the company (among the job perks: MLB tickets). At the same time, reports of speculative ticket sales—aka “ghost tickets”—have some potential buyers on edge. Others have attempted to set up automated bots that buy tickets from teams before humans can acquire them and then resell them at higher prices.
MLB is unique among major leagues in operating its own companion app for game attendees across all its clubs. In other sports, teams typically work with different official ticket providers. Baseball’s proprietary platform allows it to roll out advances such as facial recognition-based stadium entry and in-app concessions purchases. On Apple’s iOS App Store, the app has 1.1 million ratings averaging 4.7 stars out of five. The league also touts the app’s “effortless ticket sharing” functionality, though for some, it proved too easy for tickets to change hands this month.
Once hackers identified that some MLB Ballpark users were vulnerable to losing their account access due to having repeated or weak passwords—and that they held valuable assets that could be sold in relatively liquid markets—it makes sense that the apparent fraud accelerated quickly. But with the league now taking steps to mitigate the issue, it’s also likely that those involved have already moved on to focusing on their next potential target.
“We hadn’t really seen something like it,” Binary Defense counterintelligence manager Jake Aurand said of the Ballpark exploit. “It blew up. … But if [MLB] make it difficult enough [for hackers], it’s likely threat actors will move on to the next thing.”
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Long List Of Players Returned To The WHL From NHL Teams For The 2025-26 Season
The second weekend of the WHL season will feature plenty of familiar faces. With NHL teams reassigning players after training camp, some of the WHL's best will make their 2025-26 season debuts this week. Here is a look at which players have been reassigned to the WHL.
Brandon Wheat Kings:
- Brady Turko- Anaheim Ducks
- Carter Klippenstein- Minnesota Wild
Calgary Hitmen
- Brandon Gorzynski- Dallas Stars
- Axel Hurtig- Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oil Kings:
- Blake Fiddler- Seattle Kraken camp
- Max Curran- Colorado Avalanche
- Adam Jecho- St. Louis Blues
Everett Silvertips:
- Julius Miettinen- Seattle Kraken
- Tarin Smith- Anaheim Ducks
- Shea Busch- Florida Panthers
Kamloops Blazers:
- Tommy Lafreniere- Edmonton Oilers
- Nathan Bhem- Chicago Blackhawks
Kelowna Rockets:
- Tomas Poletin- New York Islanders
- Nate Corbet- Los Angeles Kings
- Hiroki Gojsic- Nashville Predators
- Mazden Leslie- Vegas Golden Knights
Medicine Hat Tigers:
- Kadon McCann- Calgary Flames
- Nillio Muhonen- Dallas Stars
- Jordan Switzer- Calgary Flames
- Veeti Väisänen- Utah Mammoth
Portland Winterhawks:
- Max Pšenička- Utah Mammoth
Prince Albert Raiders:
- Max Heise- San Jose Sharks
Prince George Cougars:
- Corbin Vaughan- New York Rangers
- Josh Ravensbergen- San Jose Sharks
Red Deer Rebels:
- Jaxon Fuder- Dallas Stars
- Chase Wutzke- Minnesota Wild
Saskatoon Blades:
- Evan Gardner- Columbus Blue Jackets
- David Lewandowski- Edmonton Oilers
Seattle Thunderbirds:
- Coster Dunn- Utah Mammoth
Swift Current Broncos:
- Joshua McGregor- Carolina Hurricanes
Tri-City Americans:
- Charlie Elick- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Jaxen Adam- Edmonton Oilers
- Cash Koch- Minnesota Wild
Vancouver Giants:
- Cameron Schmidt- Dallas Stars
- Burke Hood- New York Islanders
Wenatchee Wild:
- Blake Vanek- Ottawa Senators
Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Edmonton, Spokane, Everett & Kelowna Named To 2025-26 CHL Top-10 Week 1 Rankings
Rudolph Ready For Second WHL Season With Prince Albert Raiders
Vancouver Giants Defenceman Ryan Lin Named To Team CHL For 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge
Red Deer Rebels' Chase Wutzke Signs ELC With The Minnesota Wild
Standouts From Week 1 Of The 2025-26 WHL Season
Athletics star Nick Kurtz named Baseball America's MLB Rookie of the Year
Athletics star Nick Kurtz named Baseball America's MLB Rookie of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
No surprises here.
Star Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz was named Baseball America’s MLB Rookie of the Year on Wednesday, the sports publication announced to Chris Townsend on “A’s Cast,” further solidifying Big Amish’s unreal introduction to the big leagues.
Kurtz, whom the A’s selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, absolutely has raked over 112 games during the 2025 season — after becoming the sixth-fastest player to reach the majors in franchise history following his promotion from Triple-A Las Vegas on April 23.
The two-time AL Rookie of the Month enters Wednesday’s game against the Houston Astros carrying a sensational .995 OPS and 5.0 WAR with 117 hits, 81 RBI, 33 home runs, 26 doubles and 60 walks. Kurtz is slashing .291/.383/.612.
His magnum opus of the year came on July 25, when Kurtz became the first rookie to hit four homers in one game — a 15-3 win over Houston at Daikin Park. Kurtz finished with 19 total bases, eight RBI and six hits.
“It’s hard to think about this day being, you know, kind of real,” Kurtz told Chris Caray and Dallas Braden on “A’s Cast” following the win. “Still feels like a dream. So it’s just, it’s pretty remarkable. I’m kind of speechless.
“I don’t really know what to say.”
The same can be said about Kurtz’s green-and-gold ascent.
On a team with fellow star rookie Jacob Wilson, who has a .318 batting average with 150 hits over 121 games this year, and two-time MLB All-Star slugger Brent Rooker, who has an .821 OPS with 30 homers in 2025, not many expected Kurtz to headline the A’s offense when he was first called up.
But as the Baseball America nod implies, Kurtz is the real deal. He should be a fan-favorite building block for the A’s for seasons to come.
Fantasy Basketball 9-Cat Leagues, 101: Draft strategy for the 2025-26 NBA season
If you're new to fantasy basketball, you might find that it's a bit different from other fantasy sports. While there are a few ways to play, the most popular format is 9-category (or 9-cat) head-to-head. It's the classic setup, and if you're in a Yahoo league, there's a good chance this is your format. This guide is here to walk you through everything you need to know to build a winning team, from draft day to the championship.
[Join or create a fantasy basketball league for the 2025-26 NBA season]
For anyone coming from the world of fantasy football, the idea of "categories" might seem a little strange. Fantasy football is based on points, but in 9-cat, you're going head-to-head with an opponent each week across nine different statistical areas.
Those nine categories are:
Points (PTS)
Rebounds (REB)
Assists (AST)
3-Pointers Made (3PM)
Steals (STL)
Blocks (BLK)
Field Goal Percentage (FG%)
Free Throw Percentage (FT%)
Turnovers (TO)
Each week, the goal is simple: win more categories than your opponent. If you win points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, but lose the other four, you finish the week with a 5−4 victory. These wins and losses pile up over the season to decide the league standings.
Big-Picture Draft Strategies
Think of your 9-cat draft as less of a race to grab the biggest names, and more of a puzzle. The best player available isn't always the right pick for your team. You're building a portfolio of stats, and every pick changes the equation.
1. The Balanced Build
This is the bread and butter of 9-cat strategy. The goal here is to build a solid team that can compete in every single category, every single week. You want to draft versatile players who stuff the stat sheet without torpedoing any of your categories.
Dan Titus' Category League Rankings
We've all seen it: A dominant center who grabs every rebound but shoots 50% from the free-throw line, single-handedly losing you that category. On the flip side, some score-first guards can tank your field goal percentage and rack up turnovers. Very few players are elite in everything. The key is to pay attention to how each player you draft affects your team's overall stat profile. Keep an eye on your projected totals after every pick and make sure you're not accidentally digging yourself a hole in one category. Speaking of which ...
2. The "Punting" Strategy
Now for a more advanced, high-risk/high-reward strategy: Punting. This is where you intentionally decide to ignore, or "punt," one or more categories so you can build a powerhouse in the others. It's a bold move, but if you do it right, you can create a team that's almost guaranteed to win you 5 or 6 categories every week.
Here are a couple of popular ways to punt:
Punt the Guard Stats: Load up on centers and forwards. By punting categories like Assists, 3s and Free-Throw Percentage, you can build a monster team in Rebounds, Blocks and Field Goal Percentage. You'll usually be solid in Turnovers, too, leaving you to fight for Points and Steals each week.
Punt the Big Man Stats: This is the reverse. You grab elite, high-usage guards and wings, aiming to dominate Points, Assists, 3s, Steals and Free-Throw Percentage. You basically concede Rebounds, Blocks and FG% from the jump. This can be a bit riskier, as there's less room for error when you're aiming for that 5−4 win every time.
Punt Percentages: Another way to go is to just focus on the "counting" stats (points, boards, assists, etc.) and forget about FG% and FT%. This works great if you plan to be very active on the waiver wire, because the more games your players play, the more counting stats you'll rack up.
How to Manage Your Team During the Season
The draft is just the beginning. Winning a championship is all about how you manage your team week in and week out.
Know Your Opponent
Take a look at your opponent's team each week. What are they good at? Where are they weak? You can use your weekly waiver wire moves to counter their strengths. If they're loaded with guards, maybe you stream a center to lock up rebounds and blocks. And don't be afraid to bench players on a Sunday! If you have a slim lead in FG% and a risky shooter on your team, sitting them is a smart tactical move to secure the category win.
Master the Stream
Having a dedicated streaming spot on your roster is a massive advantage. At the start of each week, look at the schedule. See which teams have four games or a nice back-to-back set. You can pick up a player from one of those teams to maximize your games played for the week. You'll get a huge boost in those counting stats, and you might even stumble upon a player worth keeping long-term. Sure, you'll make a few drops you regret, but the extra stats you gain over the season are well worth it. Also, learn to manage your losses. A tough 4−5 loss is fine, but a crushing 1−8 defeat can sink your season.
Just Stay Active!
Honestly, one of the biggest keys to success is simply paying attention. Set your lineup every day, stay on top of the news and be active on the waiver wire. Just by being more engaged than the other managers in your league, you give yourself a considerable leg up.
A Few Quick Tips for Your Draft
Find Value in Late-Round Guards
Right now, the guard position is incredibly deep. My favorite strategy this year is to lock up solid forwards and centers in the middle rounds and then pounce on the guard value that falls late. You can find guys like Reed Sheppard, Andrew Nembhard, D’Angelo Russell, Keyonte George, Bennedict Mathurin, Jalen Suggs and CJ McCollum well outside the top 100 picks. The big men in that range are often much bigger gambles.
Be Careful with Rookies
Every single year, people get hyped and overdraft rookies. It’s the classic case of chasing the shiny new toy instead of the reliable veteran who just gets the job done. For every rookie who hits the ground running, there are five who disappoint based on where they were drafted. This pushes proven, steady players down the draft board, creating amazing value for you. My personal rule is to generally let someone else take the risk on rookies. You can often trade for them a month into the season if they start slow anyway.
Final Thoughts: Trust Your Gut
At the end of the day, this is your team. While all this advice can give you a great foundation, you have to be the one to make the final call. A lot of fantasy decisions are basically coin flips, so you might as well go with your own opinion, right? Be confident in your picks and your strategy, and everything else will fall into place.
And remember, this is supposed to be fun! If you're not enjoying the daily grind of fantasy basketball, you're doing it wrong. Good luck!
What Every Rangers Fan Should Know About What's Going On
1. Minus Jake (The Rake) Trouba, Chris (Stop Crying He's Gone) Kreider and D'Andre (Not Captain) Miller around, the Rangers room is as peaceful as a churchyard. Also boring!
2. I can't wait for Captain J.T. (The Golfer) Miller's first address to the troops. Prediction: Something like "If you guys don't hustle, I'll kick your butt!"
3. Okay, fair enough; but who's gonna kick the captain's toosh when he doesn't backcheck? (Will Sully have the nerve to do that? Doubt it.)
4. Speaking of butt kicking, isn't that what Connor McDavid is doing to the fair village of Edmonton by not getting it over with and putting pen down on an Oilers contract? (Sure is.)
5. Writing in The Hockey News Yearbook about the Rangers, Steve Zipay asks, "Can Mike Sullivan galvanize the defense and core forwards and develop some youngsters with a new voice and style?" (Answers below.)
6. A. To galvanize the defense, get Cale Makar; trade Slava Gavrkov; B. To galvanize the core forwards, get Auston Matthews and William Nylander; trade Breadman and meek Mika; C. To develop youngsters with a new voice and style, promote and keep Gabe Perreault, Brett Berard and Scott Morrow. (Make sure you let them talk to the media daily.)
7. Sportsnet's Emily Sadler produced a list of "Players Under The Most Pressure." Vegas' Mitch Marner tops the list and his ex-Leafs buddy Auston Matthews is runner-up. No Rangers made the list.
8. Maven's List of Rangers Under Most Pressure; A. Fats Lafreniere; earn the dough or get traded; B. Breadman Panarin; reach the 100-point mark or get traded: C. Igor Shesterkin; either carry the team or get booed; D. Mika Zibanejad; Either reach a 70-point season or live in the press box; E. Slava Gabrikov: Either carry Adam Fox or Will Borgen will.
9. If rookie Matthew Schaefer makes the Islanders varsity and plays better than Gavrikov: OY VAY!
10. If nothing else, the Rangers – thanks to MSG Networks – will be blessed by the twin voices of Kenny Albert and Dave Maloney on the Blueshirts' telecasts.
Thomson ‘didn't quite expect' this strong of a season from Luzardo
Thomson ‘didn't quite expect' this strong of a season from Luzardo originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
In what will be his last start of the regular season on Wednesday, Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo will have completed a year that few expected. He will most likely be one of the three starting pitchers for manager Rob Thomson when the team begins their playoff run. The Phillies’ magic number to clinch the second seed is just one going into the middle frame of their series against the Marlins.
After coming over from the Marlins, Luzardo has gone through the normal ups and downs when joining a new team, but has impressed his manager with how he’s handled it.
“He’s had a really, really good year,” said Thomson of Luzardo, who will make his 32nd start of the season with a 14-7 record and a 4.08 ERA. “Didn’t quite expect this. He’s going to surpass his innings for a year, he’s going to surpass strikeouts for a year. Career-highs in both. He’s done a great job. Great pick up.
“A guy comes here for the first time there’s expectations, obviously. This isn’t the normal place to play because there’s a lot of expectations, there’s a lot of noise. So, when a guy comes in and starts off good and then goes into a little bit of a slump, whether it’s on the mound or at the plate, it’s good to see a guy come out of that and get to the other side. That was really something that has impressed me, that he has been able to do. To put the bad starts behind him and get going again. It shows how strong of a person he is.”
In his starts this season, Luzardo has compiled 176 2/3 innings pitched and 206 strikeouts, both just two off his career high. He has also yielded just 16 home runs. And while the ERA may not be eye-popping good, there are extenuating circumstances, such as a mini mid-season slump.
“I think it’s just, at the time, not executing pitches,” Thomson said. “There was one game in particular where I had to push him a little bit further because I didn’t have much bullpen. So, there are add-on runs that probably wouldn’t be there if we had a full bullpen.”
While Thomson wouldn’t commit to Luzardo being among his top three starters for the playoffs, it’d be surprising if he isn’t.
Health updates
The worst fears of an injury to J.T. Realmuto were erased Tuesday when X-Rays were negative on his right hand after taking a foul tip off it in the ninth inning. He was held out of the lineup by Thomson on Wednesday, however.
“J.T. is better today,” said Thomson. “There’s more mobility in his finger. It’s bruised. There’s still some swelling in there, some pain. But not as bad as yesterday.” Thomson said he’d like to see his catcher behind the plate before the regular season ends, if he’s able.
Bryce Harper missed his second straight game as he’s dealing with an illness. “Bryce is feeling better but still feeling the effects of the sickness. He hasn’t been in yet. I’m not sure if he’s coming in at all.”
As for shortstop Trea Turner, he continues to climb the ladder in his rehabilitation to get his hamstring to 100 percent as he continued his workouts at Citizens Bank Park.
“He got six at-bats, was fine then he ran in the outfield,” Thomson said. “Looked good.”
Asked if he’s running at 100 percent, Thomson jokingly put it in the 75 or 77 percent range. “I hope, I hope,” he said of Turner playing before the regular season ends on Sunday. “Just continue tomorrow get more at-bats for him, ramping up his speed. More ground balls. He’s done everything. It’s just a matter of getting that speed up to 100 percent.”
The manager stated that it’s not necessary for Turner to play before the regular season ends but he’d like to see it. “We’re not going to push him if he’s not 100 percent.”
Bullpen worries?
After Cristopher Sanchez threw seven shutout innings at the Marlins, the bullpen struggled by giving up seven hits and six runs (three earned) in four innings of work. David Robertson allowed three hits and an earned run in 2/3 of an inning, Jhoan Duran blew a ninth-inning save and Orion Kerkering was touched for a hit and an earned run in the 10th.
“Yesterday I think Robbie (Robertson) was just rusty. He had six days off,” said Thomson. “Kerk, I think it’s executing his slider. He’s just not getting a lot of swing and miss. He’s got to do a better job at that, and I know he will.”
Sosa returns
The Phillies brought infielder Edmundo Sosa off the injury list Wednesday and Thomson threw him right in the lineup at shortstop and hitting sixth. Infielder Donovan Walton was designated for assignment to make room for Sosa.
Sosa had been on the 10-day injured list with a sore groin that Thomson labeled as very minor.
NHL Power Rankings: Setting The Stage For 2025-26
The 2025-26 season is just two weeks away, which means the NHL power rankings are back every Wednesday. We are back, baby.
This pre-season edition ranks all 32 NHL teams based on their performance last season and also takes into account the moves they’ve made during the off-season. The two-time defending champion Florida Panthers obviously retain the top spot and will be on the hunt to accomplish something no team in the cap era has ever done before: threepeat.
Even before puck drop, several key storylines have already emerged. There’s the pending superstar-laden free-agent class that includes the likes of Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin and Kyle Connor, which may significantly alter the landscape, and also the NHL’s return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
Without further ado, let’s take stock of where all 32 NHL teams stand.
1. Florida Panthers (47-31-4, +29 goal differential)
Even without the services of Matthew Tkachuk for the first few months, the defending champions retain the top spot and will hunt for the coveted threepeat.
2. Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5, +23)
Always the bridesmaid but never the bride, the Oilers only made minor changes to their roster, and we shall see if that will be enough. The pressure on Connor McDavid feels even more immense this season with the Olympics and free agency looming. No player in the league can change the fortunes of all 32 teams with one decision like McDavid can.
3. Dallas Stars (50-26-6, +53)
Peter DeBoer has reached the Western Conference final six times and a Stanley Cup semifinal eight times. Glen Gulutzan has reached the Western Conference final zero times. The new coaching change will be something to watch, and hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (47-30-5, +33)
Hey, look, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the Carolina Hurricanes winning a game in the conference finals! The Canes are running it back with the same coach and the same goalie tandem, and it’s either going to prove them right or be certifiably insane.
5. Vegas Golden Knights (50-22-10, +56)
The Knights went big-game hunting again, this time landing Mitch Marner, giving them two elite superstar forwards. We should not forget, however, how much losing Alex Pietrangelo may hurt.
6. Winnipeg Jets (56-22-4, +86)
Always seemingly more than the same of their parts, the Jets face a difficult challenge to repeat as Presidents’ Trophy champions. Only two teams have won back-to-back regular-season titles (Canucks in ’11 and ’12, and Capitals in ’16 and ’17), and they lost Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency and gambled on Jonathan Toews being their No. 2 center.
Jonathan Toews Making Immediate Mark On Winnipeg JetsWhen longtime Chicago Blackhawks star center and captain Jonathan Toews chose to sign with the Winnipeg Jets this summer as part of his NHL comeback, the questions began about how quickly he would make his mark on his new team.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (52-26-4, +37)
Life after Marner will certainly look different, but this can still be a strong defensive group with a captain who can be a 70-goal threat.
8. Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4, +43)
The last time captain Gabriel Landeskog suited up in the regular season, the Avalanche won the Cup. The revenge tour after coming back from a potentially career-ending injury officially starts now.
9. Washington Capitals (51-22-9, +56)
Just about everything went right for the Capitals in a storybook season. Sometimes, it’s difficult to get back to those emotional highs, and this season may mark the end of an exceptional era with Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson entering the final season of their contracts.
10. Los Angeles Kings (48-25-9, +44)
Speaking of closing chapters, Anze Kopitar’s reign will end after 20 seasons and two Cups. Quinton Byfield is the ordained prince, and all eyes will be on him to carry the torch.
11. Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8, +75)
Following three straight trips to the finals, the Lightning have bowed out of the first round three straight times. Are they still a juggernaut team that had the misfortune of running into the eventual champions two years in a row, or are their best days over?
12. Minnesota Wild (45-30-7, -11)
A healthy Kirill Kaprizov is enough reason to believe the Wild can be a contender. What’s scary, though, is the lack of an extension after the Wild made it clear they’re willing to make him the league’s highest-paid player.
13. St. Louis Blues (44-30-8, +21)
After Jim Montgomery took over, the Blues had the seventh-best points percentage in the league, and their offense blossomed. If there’s a dark horse in the West, it’s definitely the Blues.
14. New Jersey Devils (42-33-7, +20)
If Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton can stay healthy, the Devils are a contender. But that’s a big if.
15. Ottawa Senators (45-30-7, +9)
A playoff appearance for the first time in eight seasons and the prospect of a new rink closer to downtown? The Senators are rising to power.
16. Montreal Canadiens (40-31-11, -20)
Excluding the pandemic-shortened seasons, the Habs made the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. With Lane Hutson, Calder candidate Ivan Demidov and the acquisition of Noah Dobson, the Habs are a young, exciting team whose GM isn’t afraid to take big risks.
Montreal Canadiens' Choice For Their Second-Line Center Raises DoubtsThe Montreal Canadiens had a game-changing off-season.
17. Utah Mammoth (38-31-13, -10)
The Mammoth have massive potential in a very new market, and their offensive talent makes them fun to watch. Ranking fourth in expected goals at 5-on-5, per naturalstattrick.com, but finishing tied for 18th in goals-for per game is a big clue this team will score goals in bunches.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets (40-33-9, +5)
The Jackets are looking to build off a momentous season and finally – after a quarter-century – have unearthed a franchise center in Adam Fantilli. They’re in a major upswing, and the challenge is to keep the momentum going and find a reliable goaltender.
19. New York Rangers (39-36-7, +1)
The Rangers are looking to put a tumultuous season behind them with Mike Sullivan as their new coach, J.T. Miller as captain and a revamped defense that, hopefully, won’t leave Igor Shesterkin out to dry.
20. Vancouver Canucks (38-30-14, -17)
Speaking of tumultuous seasons, no team’s off-ice struggles took more attention away from their on-ice play as much as the Canucks. It was a relatively quiet summer, which means they’re betting on bounce-back seasons from nearly everyone on their roster.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Updates On Canucks' Hughes And Stars' RobertsonVancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn
Hughes and Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson were frequently the
subject of off-season trade speculation.
21. Calgary Flames (41-27-14, -13)
The Flames were surprisingly in playoff contention all season, which put a potential roster overhaul on hold. They will take another wait-and-see approach this season, but the ticking clock is pushing GM Craig Conroy into deciding whether he wants to keep his veteran core or focus on building a new one.
22. Detroit Red Wings (39-35-8, -21)
Will we be speaking of the Yzerplan this time next season? We’ve preached patience, but it’s been nine years since the Red Wings made the playoffs. Their promising young core needs to take a step forward, but can they do so if Steve Yzerman insists on signing veterans who are potentially blocking their paths? It’s a constant battle to decide which stage of the Yzerplan this team is in.
23. New York Islanders (35-35-12, -36)
One of the biggest factors that will determine the Isles’ fortunes this season is Mathew Barzal’s knee. If it holds up, they can form a respectable attack to complement their elite goaltender and a budding franchise defenseman, Matthew Schaefer.
24. Anaheim Ducks (35-37-10, -42)
Joel Quenneville returns to the NHL bench after a lengthy absence, and this is a talented roster that improved by eight wins from the previous season. Keep your head up – not only are the Ducks on the rise, but Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba might form the hardest-hitting right-side defense in the league.
25. Buffalo Sabres (36-39- 7, -20)
A talented roster on paper, but the annual question is if they can put it all together. They can definitely score, and they can somewhat defend, but when you sign Alexandar Georgiev in a panic, it’s not a good sign to start the season.
26. Seattle Kraken (35-41-6, -18)
Are the Kraken running out of patience? They made a big splash in free agency last summer, and coach Dan Bylsma lasted just one season. They’re now onto their third coach, entering their fifth season, and are still nowhere close to being a contender. Fair or not, the Knights set the bar very high for expansion franchises.
27. Boston Bruins (33-39-10, -50)
The Bruins have a lot of players poised for bounce-back seasons, but will it be enough to return to the playoffs? Jeremy Swayman enters the second year of a lucrative eight-year deal, and he’s as vital to their chances as David Pastrnak after allowing a league-high 176 goals last season.
28. Pittsburgh Penguins (34-36-12, -50)
Sidney Crosby will do his darndest to keep the Pens competitive, but they’re obvious sellers at this point with Evgeni Malkin entering the final year of his contract and Erik Karlsson more likely than not to get traded at some point. Could you imagine if the Pens go Lemieux to Crosby to McKenna? Bless.
29. Philadelphia Flyers (33-39-10, -48)
Season 2 of Matvei Michkov should be exciting, but there are still so many holes in this lineup, especially the big gaping one in net. Rick Tocchet returns to Philly, where he had some of his best seasons as a player, and Trevor Zegras is reunited with his good buddy Jamie Drysdale. It’s not always sunny in Philadelphia, but there are definitely fewer dark clouds.
30. Nashville Predators (30-44-8, -60)
The Preds were a disaster last season after many pegged them to have one of the NHL’s best offenses. Barry Trotz joked they’re out to prove the ‘experts’ wrong for the third straight season, which actually means they could go from bad to worse…
31. San Jose Sharks (20-50-12, -105)
The reason why the Sharks aren’t ranked at the bottom after finishing with a league-low 52 points is because they really bolstered their roster with multiple veterans, and their bright future isn’t difficult to see. Macklin Celebrini alone is worth the price of admission, and in the words of Yoda: “We shall watch your career with great interest.”
32. Chicago Blackhawks (25-46-11, -70)
The narrative for Connor Bedard has changed quickly, going from the new face of the league to getting leapfrogged by Celebrini and wondering if he will live up to his potential. We forget that Bedard is just 20 years old and entering his third season, though you wonder how the Hawks are going to provide the support he needs after acquiring only *checks notes* Andre Burakovsky over the summer.
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Rob Key insists Brook’s England promotion is not ‘scheme’ to oust Pope
Key all but confirms Woakes’ international career is over
Brook replaces Pope as vice-captain for Ashes series
Rob Key has all but confirmed Chris Woakes has played his last game for England and insisted Harry Brook’s promotion to vice-captain for the Ashes is not “an elaborate scheme” to oust Ollie Pope from the team.
Speaking a day after naming a 16‑man squad to take on Australia, Key, the team director, clarified the selections – not least the late switch in deputy for Ben Stokes – and confirmed Woakes missed out because of the dislocated shoulder sustained during the final Test of the summer.
Continue reading...The Yankees Own 10% of NYCFC. So Why Is Messi Playing at Citi Field?
As NYCFC builds its own soccer-first stadium, the team continues to play most home matches at Yankee Stadium, in part due to the Yankees’ minority ownership of the MLS franchise. But when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami come to town Wednesday, the match will instead be played at the New York Mets’ Citi Field. It’s …
Guardians' David Fry hit in the face by a 99-mph pitch during bunt attempt: 'Scary moment'
Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry was hit in the face by a 99-mph fastball thrown Tuesday by Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal at Ohio's Progressive Field.
During a sixth-inning at-bat, Fry was attempting to bunt when the ball missed the bat completely and hit him in the nose and mouth area. He fell to the ground and remained there for several minutes while being treated by medical staff.
Fry eventually was able to walk to a cart under his own power. The 2024 American League All-Star gave a thumbs-up signal as he was being driven off the field. The Guardians later said Fry was undergoing tests and observation, possibly overnight, at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus.
David Fry exited the game after being hit in the face by a pitch.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 24, 2025
He was able to walk under his own power and was carted off the field. pic.twitter.com/IrFO20gBbR
“He’s getting tested," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters after the game. "He stayed conscious the whole time. Definitely some injuries there, so I’ll give you an update tomorrow on David.”
Vogt added: "We're all thinking about Dave and his family right now. Obviously, we're glad he's OK, but obviously it's really a scary moment. So [we're] thinking about him."
As the incident took place, Skubal reacted in horror from the mound, immediately dropping his glove, removing his cap and covering his face with his hand. The 2024 American League Cy Young Award winner later told reporters it was "really tough" to see Fry like that.
Read more:How Bill Russell stayed connected to baseball, and reconnected with the Dodgers
“I’ve already reached out to him. I’m sure his phone is blowing up. I just want to make sure he’s all right," Skubal said. "Obviously, he seemed like he was OK coming off the field and hopefully it stays that way.
“I know sometimes with those things that can change. So hopefully he’s all right. I look forward to hopefully at some point tonight or [Wednesday] morning getting a text from him and making sure he’s all good because there’s things that are bigger than the game and the health of him is more important than a baseball game.”
Cleveland won the game 5-2 to pull to a tie with Detroit at the top of the AL Central Division after trailing by as many as 15½ games this summer.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
19 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #19
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 19 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #19.
Let's take a look.
Mathieu Darche - 2001-2002 - Undrafted out of Saint-Laurent, Quebec.
Darche played 24 games for the CBJ over their first three seasons, totaling two points. Darche played until 2012, retiring with the Montreal Canadiens.
He is now the Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Ops for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He started with Tampa Bay in 2019 and has held various positions.
Sean Pronger - 2003 - Drafted by Vancouver in 1991.
The brother of Hall of Famer Chris Pronger played 104 games in Columbus and had 17 points. He also attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
After his two seasons in Columbus, he played for Vancouver and then left for Germany, where he played one season before retiring.
Brian Holzinger - 2004 - Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 1991.
He played 13 games as a Jacket in 03-04 and had one point. The Parma, Ohio native was traded to Columbus in 2003 and never played another NHL game after that season.
Holzinger also attended Bowling Green State University and won the Hobey Baker Award in 1995 when he had 66 points in 38 games. He retired in 2004.
Joe Motzko - 2004 - Undrafted out of Bemidji, Minnesota.
Motzko played 11 games with the Jackets over three seasons where he had one point. After his time with Columbus, he played for the Capitals and Thrashers.
He left for Europe in 2009, and played in Germany, Austria, and Italy until he retired in 2014.
Alexandre Picard - 2006-2007 - Drafted by Columbus in 2004.
Picard was drafted 8th overall in 2004 by Columbus. He played 67 games over five seasons and had two points. He never played another NHL game after Columbus.
After leaving for Europe, he returned to North America in 2019 to play in The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, a semi-professional ice hockey league based in Quebec, where he still plays today.
Michael Peca - 2008-2009 - Drafted by Vancouver in 1992.
Peca played 136 games from 2007 to 2009 and had 56 points. After his time in Columbus, he never played another NHL game and retired in 2009.
On October 11, 2008, he received an indefinite suspension, which was later reduced to a five-game suspension, after grabbing referee Greg Kimmerly's arm in Columbus' first game of the 08-09 season. He is now an asst. coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Ethan Moreau - 2011 - Drafted by Chicago in 1994.
Played 37 games for the CBJ in 2010-11 and had six points after being claimed off waivers by the Edmonton Oilers on June 30, 2010.
The former Edmonton Oilers Captain and 08-09 King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner retired in 2012 after playing a season with the LA Kings.
Ryan Johansen - 2012-2016 - Drafted by Columbus in 2010.
Johansen was supposed to be the center of the future in Columbus, and he was until John Tortorella came to town. Johansen played 309 games for the Jackets and had 193 points, including back-to-back seasons with 63 and 71 points respectively.
He was traded to the Nashville Predators for Seth Jones in 2016, where he played 533 games for the Preds. He was never able to replicate his 71-point season from 2014-15 and hit a 64-point high for the Preds in 2019. Johansen is currently embroiled in some drama with the Philadelphia Flyers. On August 20, 2024, He was placed on unconditional waivers following material breach of contract.
Ryan Dzingel - 2019 - Drafted by Ottawa in 2011.
The former Ohio State Buckeye played 21 games as a Blue Jacket in 2019 and had 12 points after being acquired in 2019. He left in free agency and bounced around the league after that.
He played in the AHL in 23-24 for Henderson and currently doesn't have a contract.
Liam Foudy - 2020-2024 - Drafted by Columbus in 2018.
Foudy played 90 games as a Jacket in five seasons, scoring 7 goals and totaling 19 points. He also had 35 points in 41 career games for Cleveland.
He was put on waivers on October 21, 2023, and picked up by Nashville. He signed with the New York Islanders for the 24-25 season and is slated to play for AHL Bridgeport this season.
Adam Fantilli - 2024-2025 - Drafted by Columbus in 2023.
After suffering a brutal skate cut in 2024, he was forced to miss the rest of the season. He scored 12 goals and totaled 27 points.
Last season, Fantilli got off to a bit of a slow start but really turned it on as the season went on. He would finish the season tied for the team lead with 31 goals. He also chipped in 23 assists and totaled 54 points.
This season, Fantilli is expected to take yet another step and become the dominating two-way player everyone thinks he can be. With the tutelage of Boone Jenner and Sean Monahan, he should be able to continue to grow into the face of the franchise.
There are 19 days until opening night at NWA.
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New York fans promise to be loud and proud at Bethpage Ryder Cup
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — New York sports fans have been so starved for something to celebrate that they poured out of Madison Square Garden onto the streets and snarled city traffic in May, all because the Knicks simply got out of the second round of the NBA playoffs.
They’re already resigned to the Giants and Jets being bad, aware the Yankees and Mets might not be good enough. They need a team to pin their hopes on.
The U.S. squad playing in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, a place revered by locals in ways no arena ever could, could be it. The Americans might as well trade their red, white and blue for Yankee pinstripes, because their support comes New York style: loud, loyal and liquored up.
“There’s not going to be a lack of alcohol consumption,” U.S. player Ben Griffin said. “Fans are going to be loud. New York people love their sports.”
New York sports fans keep on waiting for wins
New York teams have iconic championship moments like Joe Namath guaranteeing victory in the Super Bowl in 1969 and Willis Reed limping to the court to play Game 7 of the NBA Finals a year later, but the Jets and Knicks haven’t won since those guys were on the team.
Fans wept in the stands at MSG when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, ending a 54-year drought. Now they’re working on another one of 31 years and counting.
Even the Yankees don’t win like they used to, with only two World Series titles in the 2000s — and one came against the Mets, so a portion of New Yorkers hated the whole thing.
It can make even longtime New York fans wonder if they can keep hanging in there. John McEnroe questioned why he didn’t switch allegiances after watching the Showtime Lakers when he was living in California and befriended team executive Jeanie Buss, but the Hall of Fame tennis player could never quit the Knicks.
So he remains a regular at Madison Square Garden with Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and all the other fans who come to cheer on their Knicks. (Well, usually cheer.)
“Listen, I’ve been in all of these arenas. If things are going bad in Indiana, the Indiana fans are going to try to rally their team back. The Knicks fans are going to boo their team,” said Stan Van Gundy, an NBA coach and broadcaster whose brother, Jeff, coached the Knicks to their most recent NBA Finals appearance in 1999.
True, New Yorkers sometimes struggle to hide their disappointment. Giants fans couldn’t, booing throughout their home opener Sunday, and some Jets fans wore paper bags over their heads at MetLife Stadium last year.
But when things are good, players say no place compares.
“Everything is heightened, everything is better here,” the Knicks’ Josh Hart said. “With all due respect to other places I’ve played, New York, it’s the mecca, and when you have people that really wear their heart on their sleeves and they go out there and they’re really passionate about sporting events of their teams, they come to show love and that energy is what makes you feel that difference.”
Some fans already started, booing loudly Tuesday morning as their shuttle bus passed Team Europe’s blue and yellow coach.
Get an in-depth look at this year’s Ryder Cup host, the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York.
Bethpage Black is hard, just the way New Yorkers like things
Bethpage Black is the public course that New Yorkers arrive a day early to and sleep in their cars overnight for a chance to play. It’s not one of those hotel resort courses people play on vacation where there’s no trouble unless they drive it behind a palm tree. The Black is long and it’s hard. Arms get sore and legs feel weary. It hurts like playing against Lawrence Taylor’s Giants.
But hard is how New Yorkers want things.
“Everything we do, we grind. We grind every day. It’s so New York,” said David Caleca, the president of Bonnie Briar Country Club in nearby Westchester County.
Besides playing Bethpage, Caleca was there when New York fans heckled Sergio Garcia during the 2002 U.S. Open. He’s also been in Shea Stadium when fans would boo their own Mets players, so knows emotions can swing in a New York minute.
He thinks the U.S. team will receive a huge backing not only because it’s Bethpage but because of captain Keegan Bradley, who is a New Englander but played collegiately at St. John’s and displays the passion of someone who must be from Brooklyn or the Bronx.
“He’s the kind of guy that New Yorkers love because he wears his emotions for everyone to see,” Caleca said.
Some fans may be cheering as much for the course as Bradley’s team. He knows how New Yorkers feel about Bethpage, a place they learned the game from their fathers or spent summers caddying.
“It’s much more than a golf course to a lot of these people,” Bradley said. “When you add all these things up, you’re going to get fiery fans.”
Nine NHL teams have a new coach. Here’s what to expect from the changes
When Mike Sullivan’s time in Pittsburgh came to an end after nearly a decade behind the bench produced two Stanley Cup championships, he became the most-sought after coach on the market.
With plenty of vacancies around the NHL, Sullivan had his pick of the litter. He landed with the New York Rangers, tasked with taking over an Original Six franchise that missed last season’s playoffs but is loaded with talent.
Sullivan has coached Sidney Crosby and was picked by USA Hockey to lead the country at the upcoming Olympics in Milan. Starting this journey with the Rangers had him struggling to find a way to capture his emotions.
“This is a new challenge for me,” Sullivan said. “It’s hard for me to express in words how excited I am about this challenge and about this opportunity.”
Sullivan is one of nine coaches with a new challenge in front of him. A look at the changes for nearly a third of the league and what to expect:
Mike Sullivan, Rangers
Sullivan made trips over the summer to begin building personal relationships with his players. The 57-year-old from Massachusetts wanted to get to know players away from the rink and vice versa. When it comes to hockey, Sullivan’s straightforward approach is evident.
“Obviously a good pedigree,” defenseman Carson Soucy said. “He’s intense, very detail-focused and he wants to win.”
The Rangers haven’t won it all since 1994 but reached the Eastern Conference final in 2024.
Joel Quenneville, Ducks
Quenneville is back in the league with Anaheim, four years since resigning from Florida in the wake of an investigation into Chicago’s 2010 sexual assault allegations. Quenneville said at his introductory news conference he understands those who question is return and will “demonstrate (by) my actions that I am a man of character.”
The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup three times with Quenneville as their coach. Only Scotty Bowman has more NHL wins.
“Just to have a voice like that behind the bench guiding and leading our team, we got a good mix of some veterans and some young guys, so I think it’s a great hire and I’m really, really excited to play for him,” winger Sam Colangelo said.
Rick Tocchet, Flyers
Tocchet nearly was as prized as Sullivan after he decided not to renew his contract in Vancouver. Philadelphia is a homecoming of sorts for Tocchet, who played over 700 games in orange and black during separate stints.
“Him being back in Philly and wanting to be there and picking us, his excitement for where we’re headed, I think it excites us as a team and kind of the growth that we’re about to take,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “He’s already a step ahead. He already knows the organization, the city, the fans and so I think that’s going benefit us moving forward.”
Glen Gulutzan, Stars
Dallas fired Peter DeBoer following three consecutive trips to the West final. Pulling franchise goaltender Jake Oettinger in the series-deciding loss and his handling of it afterward played a part.
“You never want to see anyone lose their job,” Oettinger said. “It’s a tough business and with how good we’ve been the last three years, it’s tough. ... Looking forward to getting a fresh start.”
That comes with Gulutzan, rehired 12 years after being fired by the Stars his first time around. Gulutzan the past seven seasons has been an assistant in Edmonton, where he ran the power play and earned praise from Connor McDavid for his communication skills.
Marco Sturm, Bruins
Playing over 1,000 games in the NHL, coaching Germany at the Olympics and spending multiple years as a Los Angeles Kings assistant didn’t prepare Sturm for taking over in Boston. It took three full seasons running a bench with Ontario of the American Hockey League to be ready.
“This is the time,” Sturm said. “Timing is everything. And I couldn’t end up in a better spot than Boston.”
Jeff Blashill, Blackhawks
Connor Bedard, the top pick in 2023, might finally have a long-term coach after Chicago fired Luke Richardson last December and played out the season with Anders Sorensen in an interim role. Blashill gets his second head-coaching job in the league after seven years with Detroit from 2015-22.
“We’re excited to have him,” Bedard said. “He’s thrilled to be with us. He’s showing a ton of excitement.”
Lane Lambert, Kraken
Dan Bylsma lasted one season in Seattle after he was promoted from the minors to replace Dave Hakstol. Lambert, fired in January 2024 by the New York Islanders, is tasked with getting the Kraken back to respectability.
“He brings a structure, an emphasis on structure that we desperately need a little bit,” captain Jordan Eberle said.
Dan Muse, Penguins
Muse, who was an assistant under former Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, takes over with Pittsburgh nearing a crossroads. Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang still are around but a youth movement is coming. Muse has caught players’ attention.
“I came and grabbed dinner here at the rink,” Letang said. “When I left, I think it was 8 o’clock and he was still on his computer working on some stuff. So there you go. You see the passion that he has for the game and trying to work on every little detail to make us better and improve every single guy out there.”
Adam Foote, Canucks
Tocchet’s exit opened a void for the Canucks, who would love to convince elite defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes to stick around beyond the end of his current contract in 2027. Hughes said he had his two best seasons with Foote, a former defenseman, as an assistant, but that guarantees nothing.
“It’s different being a head coach,” Hughes said. “I’m sure there’s going to be challenges as a first-year head coach that he’s going face, just like anyone else would. But I think he’s prepared for it.”
MLB’s New ABS Challenge System, Explained
As we enter the final week of the 2025 MLB regular season, the league has made a significant announcement, stating that it will implement an Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System for the entirety of the 2026 season.
BREAKING: Major League Baseball will use the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) during the entire 2026 season
— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2025
ABS CHALLENGE RULES:
- Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they're successful
- Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or… pic.twitter.com/xHkRIbHrRx
What is an ABS challenge system?
The ABS challenge system is not "robot umps," as many had feared would come to baseball. Instead of being an automated system that calls every ball and strike, the ABS Challenge System allows teams to request a review of important ball-strike calls during a game. It's a balance between a fully technological system and the current system that includes natural human error from the very human umpires.
If you've watched a tennis match, then you already know how this ABS system will work. After a given pitch is delivered during a game, a batter, catcher, or pitcher will have a narrow window of time to challenge the call the umpire made. Once a challenge has been made, the umpire will inform the stadium that the pitch is being challenged, and everyone, including the players and umpires, will watch the Jumbotron that every stadium has in the outfield. The screen will show an animation that depicts the path of the pitch, and then, when the pitch crosses the plate, it will pause and highlight the location of the pitch as it crossed the plate to see if any part of the ball knicked the strike zone in the slightest bit. If the animation shows that the pitch was a strike, the pitch must be called a strike, regardless of what the umpire had called before, and vice versa.
How will the ABS system work in baseball?
MLB stadiums are equipped with Hawk-Eye technology that already monitors the exact spin, movement, and location of each pitch, relative to the batter’s zone. That's how we get all of our advanced pitch mix data over the last few seasons. Players will now be able to use that technology to request a challenge of a ball or strike call if they think the umpire got it wrong.
Unlike in the NFL, where a coach has to throw a challenge flag, in MLB games, managers will not be able to challenge. Challenges are only allowed to be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or batter, and they will do so by tapping their hat or helmet to let the umpire know.
This system is designed to prevent any help from the dugout or other players on the field, which will limit any player from getting outside feedback from a team's own technology to tell him that he should challenge. The challenge must also come immediately after the ball or strike has been called, so players will get no time to deliberate and wait for a teammate or coach to yell something to them.
This ABS system will work by creating a unique strike zone for each batter. This was something that Guardians catcher Austin Hedges was worried about when I spoke to him during spring training. Austin Hedges told me that his biggest fear with an ABS system was that the league needs "to figure out what that strike zone means. I worry about having a different strike zone for every hitter, and now the umpire has to know what that strike zone is for each measured zone."
As outlined by The Athletic, the zone will also be created using technology: "The ABS zone for each player is based on measurements taken by one independent party and verified by another; the top of the zone is defined as 53.5 percent of a player’s height, and the bottom of the zone is 27 percent of their height. The zone is 17 inches wide — the width of home plate — and pitch location is measured at the midpoint between the front and back of the plate. Any part of the ball only needs to tick the edge of the zone to be a strike."
Of course, the issue here is that umpires will need to be able to quickly adjust the strike zone to that specificity for every single hitter during a game or risk getting calls wrong.
Another wrinkle in how this will work is seeing how teams devise a strategy for deciding who can issue a challenge. Data has shown that catchers tend to be the most accurate in terms of determining balls and strikes, which seems obvious, but managers may prevent some issues with a poor understanding of the strike zone by issuing a challenge. Managers may also prevent their team from challenging pitches early in the count or early in the game because they don't want to risk being out of challenges in the crucial final innings. It will be an interesting and exciting new level of strategy for MLB managers.
How many ABS challenges per game in MLB?
Each team will get two challenges at the start of the game, and they will be able to keep the challenges if they're successful, so we could rephrase that to say that each team gets two incorrect challenges a game. Even if that seems like a recipe for infinite challenges, previous data has shown that to not be the case. According to Baseball America,"On average, there were 4.2 ABS challenges out of the roughly 290 pitches thrown per Triple-A game in 2025."
In each extra inning, a team will be given an additional challenge if it has none remaining entering the 10th inning. If they use the challenge, they will get a new one at the start of the 11th inning. If a team does have challenges remaining entering extra innings, they will not be given a new challenge, but they will be granted an additional one if they use their remaining challenge in the 10th inning.
Which baseball leagues are using automated systems?
MLB has been experimenting with many different forms of ABS systems in games since 2019. Back in 2019, the Atlantic League, which is an independent league run in conjunction with MLB, adopted a full ABS system, which is more casually referred to as "robot umps," where technology called every pitch in the umpire's ear. The Challenge System was then used for the first time in 2022 in the Florida State League. For the two seasons after that, 2023 and 2024, Triple-A teams tested both the Challenge System and the full ABS system. By the end of the 2024 season, it had become clear during feedback that the challenge system was more popular with players and fans, which is why it was tested in MLB spring training this season.
Will the ABS system impact the length of the game?
As Baseball America reported in the same article linked above, "the ABS challenge system hasn’t really affected game time in Triple-A." Much like in tennis, these challenges are quick, so this will not be similar to lengthy NFL and NBA replays that can often sap the momentum of the game. According to an MLB release, "In 288 games with the ABS Challenge System during Spring Training 2025, there were an average of 4.1 challenges per game, and those challenges took an average of 13.8 seconds." That means the Challenge System would add approximately one minute to each game.
How accurate is the ABS system in baseball?
According to the same MLB press release, during the 288-game experiment during spring training, calls were overturned 52.2% of the time. As we noted above, catchers had the best success rate at 56%, while hitters were successful 50% of the time, and pitchers were successful just 41% of the time.
It is important to note that there is a margin for error with the Hawkeye technology, as there is for all technology. As previously reported by The Athletic, the league has "acknowledged the margin for error’s presence," but had not, at that time, told players exactly how large the margin was.
How will ABS impact catchers?
One of the immediate reactions to the challenge system is that it will impact the value of catchers being strong framers. Hedges mentioned that he had some concerns about what the ABS system would do for defensive catchers like himself: "I don't know if it's gonna be enough to make [framing] not as important, but it's definitely gonna take a little bit away from receiving."
While it may impact receiving in a small way, because the catcher can fool an umpire with good framing and then have that call challenged, it's unlikely to have a major impact on framing. As Giants catcher Patrick Bailey said in an article with The Athletic, "I don’t think it’s going to take away the value of framing. You still have to get calls and keep strikes (as) strikes. At the end of the day, I still think it’s going to be really valuable to know the zone.”
Bailey's point is a crucial one here. For a strike to even be challenged, the catcher has to get the strike first. He still has to present it successfully to the umpire. If he does get that strike call, it's not a given that the opposing team will challenge since they only get two missed challenges a game. Are you willing to risk that in the second inning on an 0-0 pitch? That may not seem like a significant pitch in the overall course of the game, but it's huge for a pitcher to be in a 0-1 count versus a 1-0 count. That could drastically reshape an entire inning, so the value of framing absolutely will still exist.
In the ABS challenge system, the vast majority of pitches are still going to be called by the umpires, so catchers being able to get those borderline called strikes called will still have tremendous value. A really good framing catcher could also make it hard on opposing teams to know when they should challenge or not, which adds an extra layer of strategy, while a poor framer may force himself or his pitcher to use more challenges to get ball calls reversed because the catcher framed a strike poorly.
For every player, it will make an understanding of the strike zone even more important.
“I don’t think it’s going to change the game as much as I originally thought it would,” Bailey said. “I think it’s just going to take away the really big misses.”
That's something everybody can get behind.