Apr 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) beats New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos (27) to the bag in the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
This place is a message… and part of a system of messages… pay attention to it! Sending this message was important to us. We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture. This place is not a place of honor… no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here… nothing valued is here. What is here was dangerous and repulsive to us. This message is a warning about danger. Mets lost to the A’s, 1-0.
Jose Alvarado gave up a pair of runs to the Diamondbacks in the eighth inning and took the short side of the decision in the Phillies 4-3 loss to Arizona.
Major League Baseball Monday has 10 games on tap, and plenty of options to set your betting card.
That includes Ronald Acuna Jr., who is heating up after a slow start to the year, and that should continue as the Atlanta Braves host the Miami Marlins.
Read below for my favorite MLB player props for Monday, April 13.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Ronald Acuna Jr.
2+ total bases
+100
Shea Langeliers
2+ total bases
+100
Kyle Schwarber
1+ home runs
+210
Ronald Acuna Jr. 2+ total bases (+100)
Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has picked up hits in four straight games, and he’s showing serious pop.
Acuna has gone 6-for-18 (.333) in the last four, picking up his first homer of the season, along with a pair of doubles and a triple.
He’ll be facing Miami Marlins righty Eury Perez, who has an inflated 5.06 ERA out of the gate. Acuna has only faced him three times, but he’s gotten his money’s worth, reaching base all three times, with a home run, a double, and two runs batted in.
Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marlins.TV, BravesVsn
Shea Langeliers 2+ total bases (+100)
Shea Langeliers is swinging a hot bat for the Athletics, with hits in four of his last five games, including three multi-hit games.
He hasn’t homered in seven games, but he’s hitting the ball well (sitting in the Top 20% in expected slugging, average exit velocity, and barrel rate), with a couple of doubles during this hot stretch.
Langeliers will step in against Nahan Eovaldi, who has struggled to start the year for the Texas Rangers, sporting a robust 7.98 ERA. He’s allowed a long ball in each of his three starts.
It’s a nice matchup for him on Monday when the Chicago Cubs come to town. Chicago right-hander Javier Assad has faced Schwarber five times and has yet to retire him, surrendering two hits and three walks.
Against righties, Schwarber is tied for seventh in the majors with a .688 slugging percentage and sixth with a 1.130 OPS, and he leads the majors in barrel rate while ranking among the elite in nearly every batted-ball metric. It’s a good spot for him to launch off Assad for the first time in his career.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FS1
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Apr 6, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals second baseman Jonathan India (6) runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run off Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Kolby Allard (49) during the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images
The Guardians dropped their first series of 2026 in impressive fashion, losing by 12 runs.
I guess we will see if Tanner Bibee can figure things out. All the regression his metrics pointed to this season hit last night. I also wonder if Kolby Allard will be replaced by Hunter Gaddis today. Not ideal to be on Sunday Night Baseball and fall flat, but today is another day as the Guardians head to St. Louis.
AROUND MLB:
The Twins and Tigers won, and the White Sox beat the Royals
Autographed portrait of Blind Lemon Jefferson (1897-1930), American country bluesman, singer and guitarist. The dedication treads 'Cordially yours, Blind Lemon Jefferson'. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jesus Lafalaise started for Frisco, throwing four shutout innings, walking three and striking out three.
Marcos Torres was 3 for 5 with a pair of triples and a homer. Yolfran Castillo was 2 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. Dewar Torres was 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. Daniel Flames was 2 for 4 with a double.
Hub City starter D.J. McCarty walked three and struck out two while allowing two runs in 3.1 IP. Joey Danielson struck out one in a scoreless inning.
Paxton Kling was 1 for 3 with a double and two walks. Yeison Morrobel was 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. Rafe Perich was 2 for 4 with a triple. Gleider Figuereo had a hit.
David Davalillo started for Frisco and went five innings, striking out seven, giving up a homer, and allowing three runs. Bryan Magdaleno walked one in 1.1 scoreless innings.
Austin Gomber allowed eight runs and recorded four outs in his start for Round Rock. Pat Murphy struck out two and walked one in 2.2 IP, allowing one run. Emiliano Teodo walked one, struck out one and allowed a run in two innings. Marc Church went 1.2 IP, striking out two and allowing a pair of homers.
Justin Foscue was 2 for 5 with a walk. Michael Helman was 2 for 3 with two walks, a double and a homer. Aaron Zavala had a pair of hits.
Apr 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) goes up to dunk during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
And so ends the regular season! I must admit, a big part of me was hoping that the Spurs would push hard to knock Denver down to the fourth seed; not only because San Antonio would thereby avoid potentially playing them in the second round, but also because it would likely make OKC’s path to the conference finals much harder. Barring a remarkable recovery in health for the Lakers or a sudden resurgence from Minnesota, it’s difficult to imagine the Thunder facing any resistance in making it out of the first two rounds.
Even so, pushing for the win tonight would have represented a serious risk for a Spurs team that has the opportunity to enter the playoffs fully healthy after an amazing overall regular season and a particular stunning post-Allstar run. In short, San Antonio has every reason to believe that their team is capable of beating anyone, so last night’s game was much more about mitigating injury risk than bracket engineering. Whatever the case may be, the Silver and Black did fight hard to end the season, though the outcome felt pretty inevitable throughout. Even so, the box score always has some interesting stories to tell, as I will outline below:
Factors that Decided the Game
One central but comparatively subtle issue in this game was Denver’s significant advantages on the glass, including DRB and ORB margins of +8 and +5, respectively. All else equal, these outcomes produced somewhat more offensive opportunity for the Nuggets
Some of that extra opportunity came at the free throw line (+4 FTA), aided by San Antonio having more (+2) and worse timed fouls. In addition, Denver had a mild but meaningful edge in FT% (+5.05 percentage points). Consequently, they ultimately outscored the Spurs by four from the charity stripe.
San Antonio’s relative shooting inefficiency extended beyond the free throw line to the field in general, as the Nuggets logged FG% and 3P% margins of +4.55 and +4.75 percentage points, respectively. As a result, Denver scored five more baskets. The Spurs countered with a huge edge in three-point attempts (+17), which did help San Antonio earn a 3PM differential of +4. This clawed back some of the lead that the Nuggets had built in other areas, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Rare Box Score Stats
From a team perspective, nothing about this game stands out as being super unusual from the perspective of basic box score stats. The closest thing that comes to mind is Denver’s negative 3PA (-17) and 3PM(-4) margins. Over the last 13 regular seasons, this was just the 142nd contest in which a team won by 10+ with margins as bad or worse in both areas. Probabilistically, this combination happens about once every 120 games, or about 10 times per season (on average).
The most shocking stat to me was part of Jokic’s performance, as this game marked just the 22nd time in his 810 career regular season games that he played 18 minutes and logged no more than ONE assist. Almost all of the other cases were much earlier in his career; in fact, the last instance was in a game against Indiana on January 2, 2020.
What are Team Graded Box Scores?
Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).
Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.
For as long as the NBA has honored me by asking me to be one of the postseason award voters, each year there are a couple of awards that keep me up at night, trying to split hairs between players who all deserve recognition for monster years. For example, Third-Team All-NBA is always brutal. Some years it's the big ones, such as MVP. This year I struggled more with Most Improved Player than other award on the board.
What follows is my official ballot for the NBA's end-of-season awards. [Note, this ballot assumes that the league grants Luka Doncic's challenge and makes him eligible despite having played in 64 games, one short of the league threshold. It would be some frighteningly bad PR for the league to say Doncic is out because he chose to fly to Slovenia for the birth of his child and missed a couple of games — the league is very sensitive to those kinds of image issues.]
NBA Most Valuable Player
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) 2. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) 3. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 4. Luka Doncic (Lakers) 5. Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
This is an incredibly deep MVP field, and it had the vibe of a real race for a while over the last month, with all four top players playing at their peak and making their case. However, it was never quite that close in my mind — this is a season-long award, and SGA was the most consistent of this group, both in terms of minutes and efficient production. Wemby returned from an injury earlier in the season in time to meet the 65-game threshold, but that same injury put him on a strict minutes limit and even had him coming off the bench in some games. Jokic dipped from his incredible standards for a stretch after his injury. Doncic was out for a critical final push of the season (and likely the first round of the playoffs) with his hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander just kept scoring, kept defending at a level that put him in All-Defense consideration, and was at his best in the clutch, which is why the Thunder have the best record in the NBA.
If the league does not make Doncic eligible, I will move Jaylen Brown up a spot and slide the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard into fifth. Also, if he had played enough games, Cade Cunningham would have been in my top five.
All-NBA Teams
First Team
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) 2. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) 3. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 4. Luka Doncic (Lakers) 5. Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Second Team
1. Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) 2. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) 3. Tyrese Maxey (76ers) 4. Kevin Durant (Rockets) 5. Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Third Team
1. Jalen Johnson (Hawks) 2. Chet Holmgren (Thunder) 3. Jamal Murray (Nuggets) 4. Jalen Duren (Pistons) 5. Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)
It was painful for me to leave Toronto's Scottie Barnes and Portland's Deni Avdija off this list, both had strong seasons and were central to their team's success (and both teams exceeded expectations). Mr. 83 Bam Adebayo from Miami also merited a long look here.
NBA Rookie of the Year
1. Kon Knueppel (Hornets) 2. Cooper Flagg (Mavericks) 3. VJ Edgecombe (76ers)
The betting odds shifted in recent weeks as Cooper Flagg had some monster nights and some talking heads wanted to make this a race — and, to be fair, Flagg was brilliant, would have won the award most years. He will be the best player from this class in a few years. However, Knueppel had the most efficient rookie season in NBA history, played in 10 more games and nearly 200 more minutes, and most importantly, his play lifted his team to the postseason. Knueppel was essential to the Hornets' improvement this season.
I believe the Spurs' Dylan Harper will be the second-best player out of this class in five years, but the award is about this season, and Edgecombe was simply better and more important to his team.
NBA All-Rookie Teams
First Team
1. Cooper Flagg (Mavericks) 2. Kon Knueppel (Hornets) 3. VJ Edgecombe (76ers) 4. Dylan Harper (Spurs) 5. Cedric Coward (Grizzlies)
Second Team
1. Ace Bailey (Kings) 2. Ryan Kalkbrenner (Hornets) 3. Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans) 4. Derik Queen (Pelicans) 5. Maxime Raynaud (Kings)
Ace Bailey almost played his way onto the first team for me, and good on the Kings (and Hornets, and Pelicans) for having two players making All-Rookie. Tre Johnson of the Wizards almost made the cut for me, but was just too inefficient. Also, Brooklyn took five guys in the first round and none of them made the cut... ouch.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) 2. Chet Holmgren (Thunder) 3. Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
Not much debate here. Honestly, no real debate about the top two spots on this list in my mind. For the third slot, I went with the best on-ball hawk in the league and a representative of an elite Pistons defense, but Rudy Gobert or Bam Adebayo were also under consideration for that spot.
All-Defensive Teams
First Team
1. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) 2. Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves) 3. Chet Holmgren (Thunder) 4. Bam Adebayo (Heat) 5. Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
Second Team
1. Scottie Barnes (Raptors) 2. OG Annunoby (Knicks) 3. Derek White (Celtics) 4. Cason Wallace (Thunder) 5. Dyson Daniels (Hawks)
More than many voters (at least I think), I lean more into guards and wings who defend well for this award rather than just listing seven or eight bigs, even though a good rim protector can change a defense (four of my first team selections are bigs). It was hard to leave off Amen Thompson. Also, it was strange not to vote for Draymond Green — and he has a legit case. The Warriors' defense was top five before the Jimmy Butler injury (and others) crushed their depth, and he was quarterbacking it. He also nearly made my list.
NBA Coach of the Year
1. Joe Mazzulla (Celtics) 2. J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons) 3. Jordan Ott (Suns)
This, to me, is a two-man race, and there is a very good case for Bickerstaff, but I will lean into Mazzula. It's not just because this team was unexpectedly good (remember when this was a "gap" year in Boston?), but also because of the culture he has built and his ability to put in place a system that develops guys like Neemias Queta and turns them into quality rotation players. I think this season he did that better than Bickerstaff. That same logic has me putting in Phoenix's Joran Ott third, just ahead of San Antonio's Mitch Johnson.
This was a very close two-man race for me between Johnson and Jaquez. To me, the difference ultimately was Johnson's locker room leadership in San Antonio, which was a foundational part of allowing this San Antonio team to blossom the way it did. It was a tough call giving Sheppard the third spot over Naz Ried or Tim Hardaway Jr.
This was the hardest choice on the awards list for me this season. There is a tremendous case for Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who in his seventh season took on a new and larger role and thrived. Ultimately, I gave my vote to Duren because he showed significant improvement on both ends of the court, not because his situation changed but because he simply got better. His handle got better, his shot creation improved while his turnovers dropped, and he became a high-level paint protector. Then Duren showed real leadership when Cade Cunningham went out at the end of the season, he had the Pistons going 8-3.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 13: Justin Turner #3 of the Chicago Cubs warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 13, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Old friend Justin Turner signed with the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League, the team announced on Friday. The longtime Dodgers third baseman took to Instagram to talk about his new team as well, in both English and Spanish.
Turner, 41, played last season with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he hit .219/.288/.314 with a 71 wRC+ and three home runs in 80 games and 191 plate appearances. That ended a string of 11 consecutive seasons with at least a 116 wRC+, the first nine of which were with the Dodgers.
In 17 major league seasons thus far, the two-time All-Star Turner has 354 doubles, 201 home runs in 1,758 games, hitting .283/.360/.454 with a 125 wRC+ for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, and Cubs.
The Toros begin their Mexican League schedule Friday on the road against Saltillo.
“I’m just trying to find the pitch that I can do the most damage on,” Pages told Ardaya. “It’s continuing my plan, and not changing it in the middle of the at-bat, and trying to wait for my pitch.”
Longtime major league infielder and manager Phil Garner died on Saturday night at age 76. The Associated Press has more.
Garner played 16 major league seasons, including the final three and a half months of the 1987 season with the Dodgers, then later managed another 15 years, including leading the Houston Astros to their first pennant in 2005.
The Philadelphia Flyers got all the help they could have possibly asked for, and now it's up to them to seal the deal and book their place in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
On Sunday night, with a brutal 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Islanders were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
That leaves the Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Washington Capitals to vie for the last playoff spot--third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Blue Jackets lost 3-2 to a Boston Bruins team resting some of its players on Sunday night, putting them on the precipice of elimination as well.
With a win over the Carolina Hurricanes at home at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday night, the Flyers can clinch themselves a playoff berth outright with no further strings attached.
Because they have two more points than the Blue Jackets with a game still in hand, just one point from an overtime or shootout loss will allow the Flyers to knock Columbus out of the running.
Then, it's down to Washington, who have 93 points in 81 games and can only reach a maximum of 95.
The Flyers are sitting at 94 in 80 games, so their magic number is, obviously, two. A win or two overtime losses seals the deal for Philadelphia.
In anticipation of Monday night's game against the Hurricanes, it's worth noting that Carolina was without Taylor Hall, Mark Jankowski, William Carrier, Jalen Chatfield, K'Andre Miller, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake in their most recent game--a 4-1 win over the Utah Mammoth.
The Hurricanes have already clinched first place in the Metropolitan Division and can clinch home-ice advantage and the Eastern Conference with one more point over their final two games, so they don't have all that much to play for while already resting some players.
Apr 12, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) limps off the floor during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Mercifully for your Dallas Mavericks, the 82-game grind that is the NBA regular season has come and gone. Just about the only two bits of drama over the last two months of this disaster was whether or not they could lose enough games to earn some lottery balls, and if they could get Cooper Flagg the Rookie of the Year award.
The awards race will have to wait for a bit, although Cooper finds himself as a -160 favorite over Charlotte’s Kon Kneuppel (+125) for Rookie of the Year as the season comes to a close. As for the lottery odds, the Mavericks have done enough to secure the tied for seventh best odds in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. The full standings are as follows.
According to the FanDuel Sportsbook, your Mavs have a +1000 shot at landing the number one overall pick. As you can see above, Dallas has a 29% chance at landing in the top four of the draft. If the Mavericks lose the coin flip for seventh, they will have a 33% chance at picking eighth, 31% at picking ninth and 7% at picking tenth or worse. If they win it, they will have a 20% chance of picking seventh, 36% chance at picking eighth, and a 15% chance at picking ninth or worse.
The NBA Draft Lottery will take place on May 10th from Chicago, which overlaps with the NBA Combine (May 8th to the 17th).
Moving on from the losers bracket, there will still be an NBA Champion crowned this summer. The top six seeds in each conference have been set, while seeds seven through ten are set to duke it out in the play in tournament. Here’s how things stand.
According to the FanDuel Sportsbook, the Oklahoma City Thunder (-155) enter the playoffs as the overwhelming favorite to win the West. Next in line are the San Antonio Spurs (+310) and Denver Nuggets (+650).
Out East, the Boston Celtics (+155) enter the postseason as the favorites to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, once again per our good friends over at FanDuel. Not far behind are the Cleveland Cavaliers (+340) and both the Detroit Pistons (+500) and New York Knicks (+500).
Overall, the OKC Thunder (+125) remain heavy favorites to repeat as Champions, per FanDuel. The Spurs (+450) and the Celtics (+550) come in with the next best odds to bring home a title.
Wizards big man Alex Sarr protecting the rim with a block. | NBAE via Getty Images
With a 130-117 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Washington Wizards close out the 2025-26 season with 17 wins. This means they now go down in history as just the third team ever to win fewer than 20 wins in three consecutive seasons.
The first to do it was the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies, which didn’t crack 20 victories until their fifth season. From 1995-96 to 1997-98, the Grizzlies won 15, 14, and 19 games. They followed up that epic run of futility by going just 8-42 in their labor dispute-shortened fourth season. That’s a 13-win pace, by the way.
Hubie Brown was the first coach to have a winning record for the Grizzlies. | Getty Images
They moved to Memphis before season seven without surpassing 30 wins in a season. Their first winning record came in year nine during Hubie Brown’s first full season as coach. Brown was the sixth coach in Vancouver/Memphis history.
Team two was The Process Philadelphia 76ers, which from 2013-14 to 2015-16 won 19, 18, and 10 games. After three years of intentionally losing, Philadelphia won 28 and then topped 50 wins four times over the next decade. All that tanking got them to the playoffs in seven straight seasons — where they exited in the second round five times and the first round twice.
Washington has won 15, 18, and 17 the past three seasons. It’s been a brutal stretch, even for the masochists who comprise the long-time Wizards fan base. The 1-25 run — nearly a third of the season — has been an appalling exercise in strategic losing. To make sure they got the best lottery odds possible, they’ve been restricting minutes and sitting with “injuries” even the young players they hope will be part of their future.
Wizards head coach Brian Keefe. | Getty Images
It gets worse. Using strength-of-schedule adjusted scoring margin, this season culminates the worst three-year run in NBA history. Washington has been outscored by an average of 11.02 points per game (adjusted for strength of schedule). The second worst three-year span was by the expansion Grizzlies, which were still two points per game stronger than the Wizards. This season, Washington posted the sixth worst adjusted scoring margin in history. The 2024-25 was third worst. Ever.
The Wizards this season were 28th in offense and 30th in defense. On offense they were 21st in eFG%, 26th in turnover percentage, 27th in getting to the free throw line, and 21st in offensive rebounding. On defense: 27th in deFG%, 24th in forcing turnovers, 29th in sending opponents to the free throw line, and 30th defensive rebounding percentage.
The Wizards hope to resume competing next season. They traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and they expect to add a talented rookie with a pick that can be no worse than fifth overall. History suggests the first foray into trying to win may not go as well as we’d hope. When hitting bottom this hard, it’s probably going to take some time to get good — if it happens at all.
The team acquired some veterans they think will help. The big challenge: the youngsters who have played in an environment where nothing really mattered will have to learn the effort, attention to detail, and execution required to be good in the NBA.
To close out the season, here’s a quick look at each player — a thought or two for each, a level set, and a PPA score. By “level set,” I mean that I’m giving my opinion of the player’s future NBA role based on currently available information. My opinion is formed with full understanding that many of these guys are young and have potential, and their futures are likely to be based more on the work they will do than how they’ve played so far.
PPA is short for “Player Production Average,” which is the overall production metric I developed. PPA is pace neutral, and includes accounting for role and defensive impact. In PPA, 100 is average and higher is better. Replacement level is 45.
A quick note: I use four positions — guards, wings, forwards, and centers — which better reflects the reality of how the game is played than the traditional point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, center paradigm.
The list below is sorted by total minutes played for the team this season.
Wizards guard Bub Carrington played all 82 games for a second straight season. | Getty Images
Bub Carrington | G | 20 years old | PPA: 61 — Shot 40% from three-point range and still ended up with an offensive rating (points produced per 100 individual possessions) more than 10 points below average. He’s competitive and tough (played all 82 games for a second straight season) but is also an ineffective defender who plays smaller than his 6-4 frame. I didn’t like that his turnovers went up at a faster rate than his assists did. Level Set | 9th man.
Will Riley | F | 20 | PPA: 57 — Riley got a lot of buzz for how he’s played the past couple months. While I see the potential, I think the excitement has gotten ahead of his actual performance. His offensive efficiency (both for the season and for his “good” stretch) have loitered 6-7 points per 100 possessions below average. He has much work to do to get stronger. Level Set | 7th man.
Bilal Coulibaly | W | 21 | PPA: 101 — Good defender who showed signs of a pulse on offense in the latter part of the season. Opposing defenders had a difficult time staying in front of him when he decided to drive. But, he also shot 31.9% from three, which is something he must improve. Level Set | Starter.
Tre Johnson | G | 20 | PPA: 61 — Last year’s tanking prize, Johnson flashed “lethal shooter” potential. He also shot just 28.9% from deep after Feb. 1, and below 50% on twos for the season. My pre-draft evaluation questioned his athleticism and all-around dimension to his game. After watching him play in 60 NBA games, I have the same questions. Level Set | Off the bench shooter.
Kyshawn George improved significantly in his second NBA season. | NBAE via Getty Images
Kyshawn George | F | 22 | PPA: 87 — George took significant steps forward in per possession, scoring, rebounds, assists, usage and overall offensive efficiency. He also committed more turnovers and fouls on a per possession basis than he did as a rookie. While his offensive rating improved 7 points per 100 possessions from last season, it was still almost 9 points below average. He’s gotta stop fouling so much — it undercuts his defensive value and hurts the team defense by putting them in the penalty sooner. Level Set | 6th man.
Justin Champagnie | F | 24 | PPA: 105 — Always looks like he just woke up, even when he’s dunking on an opposing seven-footer or crashing for yet another offensive board. He was the team’s leading rebounder (well, Julian Reese and Marvin Bagley III had more on a per possession basis in relatively scant playing time), and he was one of the few Wizards this season with above average offensive efficiency. I think he could be a starter on a good team, though he may need to wait until Anthony Davis ages out, if he stays in Washington. Level Set | 7th man.
Alex Sarr | C | 20 | PPA: 132— Sarr improved a bunch from his rookie season on both ends of the floor. On defense, he was one of the league’s busiest and most effective rim protectors (partly because his perimeter teammates did such a bad job). On offense, he shot better on twos, threes, and free throws, showcased burgeoning fluidity in the post and improved his offensive rating by 11 points per 100 possessions. That ortg was still about 6 points below average, and the quality of his play drooped as the season wore on, but he took giant steps for a second-yer player. Level Set | Franchise player.
Jamir Watkins | W | 24 | PPA: 63— Watkins’ defense is what will keep him in the league next season. He MUST improve his shooting to stay beyond that. Level Set | Deep bench.
Anthony Gill | F/C | 33 | PPA: 67 — After 5+ seasons as the team dad, Gill got a steady diet of playing time over the last 20 or so games, and…he wasn’t bad. Level Set | Deep bench and future assistant (and then head) coach.
Sharife Cooper | G | 24 | PPA: 58 — Cooper has some craft and was fun to watch at times, but ultimately was too small to hold up defensively, doesn’t shoot well enough to scare defenses, and commits too many turnovers for his level of playmaking. Level Set | G League or overseas.
Tristan Vukcevic | C | 23 | PPA: 73— The big man can shoot and pass with some flare. He also commits a ton of turnovers (more than four per 100 team possessions), his rebounding is subpar for a big, and his slow feet and lack of anticipation makes him a weak defender who fouls a ton. Level Set | 10th man.
Jaden Hardy | G | 23 | PPA: 39 — His role seems to be instant offense, or at least instant shot attempts. Aside from inefficient offense, he offers little — at least so far. I liked flashes of what I saw, and he could be a good NBA player if he puts in the serious work. Level Set | 12th man.
Leaky Black | W | 26 | PPA: 54 — Poor defender who also struggles offensively. Level Set | G League or overseas.
Julian Reese | C | 22 | PPA: 90 — I wrote a bit about Reese in a recent critique of the Monumental broadcast. Suffice to say I’m lower on Reese’s future prospects than others. I like his competitiveness and effort. I don’t think he can play forward with his skill set and agility. He was productive in the limited minutes he got, though his better games came against teams that didn’t have genuine bigs available. When he went against quality size, he seemed to vanish. He’s undersized and under-skilled for a modern NBA center. Drew Gooden said he sees Reese as a “traditional power forward,” which might have been meaningful 15-20 years ago. I think Reese needs to get much stronger and savvier and become a competent shooter to stick around. I think there’s probably too much work to think he’ll get there anytime soon. Also, are we sure he’s really left-handed? Level Set | Deep bench or G League.
Cam Whitmore has promise, but can he put it together and become a quality NBA player? | Getty Images
Cam Whitmore | F | 21 | PPA: 49— Whitmore’s career has had some twists. Expected to go in the top 10, he slid to 20th in the draft. The Houston Rockets gave him to the Wizards for essentially nothing after two seasons. His performance in Washington was up and down until he got benched for his attitude. While languishing, he suffered a deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, which meant he had to miss the rest of the season for medical reasons. He has great athletic tools and some genuine skills, though he suffers from the worst case of tunnel vision I’ve ever seen. Level Set | Deep bench.
Tucked beneath the baskets along both baselines at Crypto.com is a secret that soon everyone will know about.
The Los Angeles Lakers announced Thursday that they will be unveiling new Courtside Reserve seats for the upcoming NBA Playoffs on April 18.
The California Post was granted exclusive access to the location of the new seats ahead of the game between the Utah Jazz and LA Lakers on Sunday.
Jay-Z and his eldest daughter Blue Ivy Carter attend a Lakers game in LA. Getty ImagesIf you’re lucky enough to get that email, you’ll have the opportunity to watch LeBron alongside celebs like Adam Sandler. Getty Images
The new Courtside Reserve seats will be a second row of seats behind the existing courtside seats located along the baseline. They will give fans an up close and personal look at all the playoff action when the Lakers take on the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
According to a team source, there will be around 60 total seats, split evenly between each basket. The seats come with in-seat food and beverage service, access to the exclusive VIP club during halftime, and a seamless premium arrival from the moment you enter the arena. Think of it as a backstage pass to one of the most exclusive shows in all of sports.
More views from where the Lakers new “Courtside Reserve” seats will be located for the NBA Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/eavS2Tvsgi
For more than a half a century, courtside seats at Lakers games have been a cultural institution. From Jack Nicholson to Jay-Z, it’s almost a right of passage. From the Showtime era to the Kobe and Shaq era, from LeBron James to Luka Dončić, sitting courtside at Lakers games is a who’s who of Hollywood power brokers, music icons, athletes, actors and basketball purists.
The Lakers courtside seats have been sold out since the 1970s, but these new seats crack that door open ever so slightly.
Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner courtside at a Lakers game. Getty Images
A Lakers team source told The California Post that the price point is expected to land somewhere between $15,000 and $30,000 per seat for the playoffs. No doubt, this is an additional revenue stream discovered by new Lakers’ owner Mark Walter, who purchased the team at an evaluation price of $10 billion last November.
Fans interested in securing one of these 60 golden tickets can’t simply show up and buy them. The process begins by filling out an interest form. A filtering mechanism that reinforces the exclusivity before a single dollar is exchanged. After filling out the form, the Lakers will reach out via email about purchasing a ticket for the new seats.
If you’re lucky enough to get that email, then you’ll have the opportunity to watch LeBron James and the Lake Show alongside celebrities like Will Ferrell, Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Flea, Justin Bieber, Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Jamaree Bouyea #17 of the Phoenix Suns brings the ball up court during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 82 of the season, a game that generally means nothing. It meant something for plenty of teams in the Eastern Conference on Sunday, but everything was already decided for both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns. So there isn’t much to take away from a game like this unless you’re a Suns sicko. That’s what I am. That’s what you are if you’re reading this.
While the second season begins on Tuesday for the Suns, there were still some interesting things to see as the regular season came to a close. Many of the young players who were part of that 25-point second-half debacle against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday were given more opportunity on Sunday against the Thunder. And they took advantage of it.
You might not take much from that performance, but those players will. Their coaches will too. When the season ends and the offseason regimens begin, there are real takeaways from what they showed on Sunday.
On Friday, the youth movement looked disorganized and passive. On Sunday, they looked engaged and aggressive. That’s what I’m taking from the final game. The team, and especially the youth movement, showed some promise, even if it came against the Third Team Thunder. I’ll take 135 points to end the season every time.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
It was a disgusting showing against the Lakers, but not by Oso!
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 82 against the Thunder. Here are your nominees:
VANCOUVER, CANADA - NOVEMBER 9: Head coach Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche looks on from the bench during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
Head Coach Bednar will not travel with the team on this road trip due to a facial injury after taking a puck during a game. [TSN]
Top college free agent T.J. Hughes to sign with Colorado Avalanche. [The Athletic]
Can juggernaut Avalanche break Presidents’ Trophy curse? [The Score]
Masterton Trophy nominations announced and Landeskog, Ullmark among those up for award for perseverance, sportsmanship, dedication. [NHL]
Sam Malinski selected for Avalanche’s 2026 King Clancy Trophy Nominee. [The Hockey News]
With plenty of fresh blood, NHL will have new Stanley Cup champion after the back-to-back champs failed to make the playoffs. [CBC]
Avalanche say Nazem Kadri will miss a few games. [Sportsnet]
News Around the League
Suzuki becomes first Canadien in 40 years to record 100 points in a season. [TSN]
Do the Maple Leafs really play in a tough NHL market? It depends on who you ask. [The Star]
Ovechkin appreciates ‘nice’ tribute during possible last game in Pittsburgh. [ESPN]
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 12: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a solo home run against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium on April 12, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As most of you know, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Winter Warmup as a reporter. Last year, I used that experience to write several season previews. Due to the late start of the top 20 prospect series (caused by waiting for Brendan Donovan to be traded), my Winter Warmup stories have been pushed to now instead of at the beginning of spring training. Thus technically, these could also be called season previews, but there’s a good chance I write a couple of these after the season has already started. I’ll try to pick stories that are not outdated for the ones during the season.
Coming into the season, the infield looked fairly strong, the bullpen looked like it should be competent, and the starting rotation, well that took a bit more hoping, but each individual member was fully capable of being average or better and there’s a good amount of depth for when things went wrong. Average rotations have certainly been built on flimsier material.
Outfield though, that took some imagination. The kind of imagination that would get you labeled a homer who was incapable of looking at things objectively. Too much had to go right and nobody was a safe bet. There were only two sure starters and both gave you reason to doubt them. Victor Scott can’t hit and Jordan Walker can’t really do anything. As for that third spot, hope things don’t go too badly and pray Lars Nootbaar gets back quickly.
Two weeks into the season, the biggest homer in the world wouldn’t dare predict what Jordan Walker has done. It’s almost inconceivable, which is itself kind of a crazy thing to think for a man once considered a top 10 prospect in the game. Of course, he was capable of this. It just doesn’t usually happen after 1,000 plate appearances of failure. Obviously, that affected him.
“When you go into the MLB, you know there are gonna be struggles,” Walker said. “I knew that as a rookie coming up. I didn’t think everything was gonna go my way immediately and that it was always gonna go my way. But it’s still tough to deal with.”
Walker began his journey to this point by starting at Driveline. Interestingly, Driveline seems to be getting all the credit (as judged by an MLB Network clip, which also erroneously seemed to suggest he’s now successful because of more consistent playing time), but if I’m hearing his quote correctly, he instituted his changes at a different sports performance facility.
“At the beginning of the season, I went Driveline and did the whole body analysis thing, how I move and I brought that program over to Cressey,” Walker said. “We took that Driveline program and I incorporated it to the movement and workouts at Cressey.”
I’m pretty sure he meant offseason, but he definitely did say season. If I were an actual reporter, I would contact Walker to clarify, but I don’t have his number and I’m not going to change a quote based on an assumption. It’s not the point anyway. He gave a special shout-out to Shane Olive and Max Rios at Cressey as people he worked closely with. He didn’t mention their last names, but they do have a website, so it wasn’t hard to find.
But they didn’t start from the vantage point of let’s increase the launch angle.
“To be honest, it was really how forward I was coming when I was hitting and what we learned is that when I’m hitting off my backside, I’m driving the ball in the gaps way more consistently,” Walker said. “I’m not rolling over, I’m not getting that topspin on the ball. The focus is really how far back I’m onto my hip and how I’m hitting on my backside rather than me focusing on launch angle.”
Essentially, he doesn’t need to focus on launch angle. Launch angle is more of a consequence of smart, effective changes.
“If I’m moving correctly, then the launch angle and exit velo and driving it where I want to will come up with it,” Walker said.
That is certainly a sentiment that Nathan Church would agree with. Though in a different spot and with different expectations, his career did hang in the balance because of a concern about power. It’s just that his power was lacking in the minor leagues. He reached AA in 2024, but only managed a .106 ISO, which also happened to be his professional high at the time. After starting 2025 injured, he then suddenly had power en route to a surprise debut in the MLB.
“A lot of it is not really trying to put up power numbers to be honest,” Church said. “A lot of it is just trying to get stronger in the gym and knowing how my body moves correctly is kind of the main thing. The numbers kind of spoke for itself. Put all the work in the gym and the training room and the cage kind of shows out in the field.”
I realize that Walker went to outside sources to improve his hitting, but the verbiage both use suggest the Cardinals are also preaching this. Both reference that if their body moves correctly, the power will naturally come. That cannot be a coincidence. Joshua Baez, in the organization since he was drafted in 2021, thinks the coaching has improved since he got here.
“It’s been going upwards every single year,” Baez said. “They’re really involved with the players, they want to know about them, what they’re doing, their routine, to help them prepare for spring training and the season.”
And yes, if you’re good at math, if he is indeed correct about it being better every year, it means things were improving before Chaim Bloom even got there. Probably a consequence of him getting better instruction as he rose through the system, but I thought I’d point that out. But he did get more specific in how things are different now.
“It was just a more personalized program for me,” Baez said. “They know me better now, it was more about me and not so much comparing or saying ‘maybe this could work for you.’ Going by experience and just try to find things that will continue to make me better.”
Baez could commiserate with Walker on struggles, albeit he got a lot less attention for them. Nonetheless, he was a high draft pick, a somewhat highly rated prospect, and the road has probably been bumpier than he thought it would be.
“Going through the down times, yeah it definitely questions you,” Baez said. “Being drafted high, having all these expectations, then just hitting that brick wall, it just builds character. I just found a way to get up and keep going every time.”
Is there a more character-building sport than baseball? My experience is on a far smaller scale and not specifically about baseball, but when I first came onto this blog, I spammed the fanpost section with recaps back when the fanpost was considered sacred and I got roasted here in the comments and I soon learned on Twitter and I was an 18-year-old trying to skip a few steps, so it wasn’t entirely unjustified, but it definitely hurt me.
But it was character-building. Didn’t matter who it was, I used to take criticism so personally. But after that, a random person on social media doesn’t affect me at all. So on the larger, more public scale that Baez and Walker had to deal with, I’m guessing it’s significantly easier to remain confident even when slumping after their struggles. And confidence is not seen in the advanced stats, but we’re all human and it’s going to affect play.
And to again relate to my own experience: that experience also made me a better writer and a better baseball fan. It’s why I bothered to learn about advanced analytics, which only made me love the sport more. Walker, who has previously been somewhat hesitant to change a swing he was comfortable with, became someone ready to make changes.
“He has had a better, more engaged and more communicative offseason than any than I think people can remember from him,” POBO Chaim Bloom said. “Obviously, the proof will be in the pudding. But I’m encouraged by where his head is at in terms of understanding what the adjustments need to be for him to have consistent success at this level.”
Bloom followed that up with a quote that may have been scoffed at in spring training, especially in the middle of it, but seems like the most obvious statement ever given how Walker has started his season.
“You don’t have to squint to see why the upside is worth staying with him,” Bloom said.
What’s funny is that at the time he said that, some may have argued that you do actually have to squint. But you really don’t have to squint now. It’s smacking you right in the face.
“I still have the same mentality,” Walker said. “I want to come here, I want to win a spot, and I want to have a crazy year.”
Nothing says “crosstown rivalry” quite like A.J. Pierzynski slapping the plate and Michael Barrett throwing hands. | (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
We’ve spent plenty of time talking ourselves into hope. Convincing ourselves that this rebuild will be different, that this time the plan will actually resemble a plan, that the next good White Sox team won’t just be a two-year window duct-taped together with waiver claims and good vibes.
But let’s be honest, hope is fragile on the South Side. And if there’s one thing this fan base knows better than anyone, it’s how quickly things turn from optimism to open disdain.
So, today’s question is simple: Who is the South Siders’ biggest rival — and which team do you hate the most?
Is it the Cubs, the natural crosstown foe, where every game feels less like baseball and more like a referendum on the city itself? Is it the Twins, who somehow always seem to have things figured out just enough to be annoying? Or maybe it’s a newer kind of resentment for a team that’s crossed the Sox one too many times recently, building a grudge that didn’t exist a decade ago.
And then there’s the second part, which isn’t necessarily the same answer. Rivalries are supposed to be competitive. Hate? That’s really personal.
Is it the team whose fans you can’t stand? The one that always seems to get the call, the bounce, the breakout season? The one that turns every series into a slow boil?
Or, and be honest, is it the White Sox themselves? Because sometimes the most exhausting rivalry is the one between expectation and reality.
Let it out. Your grievances, fresh wounds, all of it. Because if there’s one thing Sox fans know how to do, it’s hold onto a grudge like it’s a retired number.
So, who’s your biggest rival, and who do you truly hate?
Ronald Acuna Jr.
Shea Langeliers
Kyle Schwarber
