Baseball America tosses in Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Kendry Chourio as a candidate for the next overall top pitching prospect.
Under the sweltering heat in Goodyear, Chourio proved to be every bit as advertised. And so far in the backfields and in spring training this year, it’s been more of the same, suggesting a ceiling for the 18-year-old righthander, even if his timeline is a little longer than more experienced prospects.
Still, there is a lot of development that needs to happen. Chourio’s fastball sat 96-98 in Spring Breakout, and he used his curveball as his secondary pitch. What stood out is that, despite the speed of the curve and its usage (57%), he got no whiffs on the pitch. In addition, he didn’t throw his changeup once in Friday’s game, so he needs to hone in on a lockdown third pitch to really be considered as a top pitching prospect.
The top four or five is what we’ll see the majority of this season, but facing Sale is a tough first assignment. Pasquantino will play regardless, but we might see other lefties swapped out for matchup reasons. Between Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel, there will likely have to be one lefty in the lineup, so we opted to keep Jensen in there at DH, while putting righties Starling Marte in right field and Lane Thomas in center field. It’s not that right fielder Caglianone won’t play against left-handers … it’s just that Sale is an especially tough lefty to face. The Royals still could put Caglianone in right field, though, while having Marte DH and Jensen on the bench for Opening Day.
Maikel Garcia, 3B Bobby Witt Jr., SS Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B Salvador Perez, C Isaac Collins, LF Jonathan India, 2B Carter Jensen, DH Starling Marte, RF Lane Thomas, CF
An all-around star, Witt missed out on the 2024 AL MVP Award because of an incredible year at the plate from Aaron Judge. The Kansas City shortstop finished fourth in MVP balloting in 2025, behind only Judge, Cal Raleigh and José Ramírez. This year, our voters project it will be Witt’s turn to take home the hardware — but they think it will be close.
Witt, who had a .295/.351/.501 slash line with 23 homers and 38 steals in 2025, was picked to beat out Judge — by only one vote! — to win AL MVP. MLB’s best defender by Outs Above Average last season, Witt certainly has the talent to do it, but he’ll have to put up a campaign comparable to his outstanding ’24 and hope Judge doesn’t eclipse him once again.
Others receiving votes: Judge, Julio Rodríguez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Roman Anthony, Nick Kurtz, Ramírez, Gunnar Henderson
The 9-9-9 Challenge is back and will be available at even more ballparks in 2026 👀
Where will you be attempting the challenge? 🌭 New York Mets – Citi Field Philadelphia Phillies – Citizens Bank Park Colorado Rockies – Coors Field Houston Astros – Daikin Park Kansas City Royals… pic.twitter.com/GYn32rRRT8
Kansas City Sports Network’s Joel Penfield chatted with Royals general manager J.J. Picollo ahead of Opening Day. You can watch the full interview here.
.@Royals general manager J.J. Picollo following the club's dominance in the @WBCBaseball:
"Since then, I’ve gotten a lot of messages from different people around the country, whether it’s other clubs or writers, ‘you guys may have something special brewing there.'" 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/NBSVXVqWDl
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The days are longer, it’s getting warmer, and baseball has arrived. MLB Opening Day is upon us, and with it, the hope that 2026 can finally be the year our team turns it all around. Sure, functionally this is another season where everyone is trying to catch the seemingly-unstoppable Dodgers’ monolith, but everyone is 0-0 right now and that means we can dream.
It’s time to take stock of the Major League Baseball landscape before the first pitch and dive into the players who will shape the grand narrative of the season. These aren’t necessarily the best players in baseball (though there will naturally be some overlap), but more so the players whose performance will write the chapter on this season.
No. 1: Shohei Ohtani — Los Angeles Dodgers
Ohtani has such gravity that all of baseball revolves around him. It’s a quality we almost never see, and perhaps haven’t seen in any sport since peak LeBron James. This isn’t a case of thinking Ohtani won’t have a monster year, or won’t win MVP (again), but rather a case where everything in MLB is defined by the most influential player on the league’s best team.
No. 2: Gerrit Cole — New York Yankees
The Yankees are settling in as one of the few teams that could actually stop the Dodgers from running a three-peat, but that all depends on the return of ace Gerrit Cole. If he is able to bounce back from Tommy John surgery then the rotation in the Bronx of Cole/Fried/Rodón might be one of the most terrifying in all of baseball. If he comes back as a shadow of his former Cy Young self, well, the Dodgers might just take home another championship without much resistance.
No. 3: Cal Raleigh — Seattle Mariners
The most difficult part of capturing lightning in a bottle is holding onto it. In 2025 Cal Raleigh went from being one of baseball’s best catchers, to one of its best players without a positional qualifier. Seattle was one of the best stories in baseball last year, but if they want to turn that into perennial success then Raleigh needs to be close to what he was in 2025. That’s easier said than done.
No. 4: Alex Bregman — Chicago Cubs
2025 marked the return of the Chicago Cubs to being a team you actually needed to pay attention to. Topping 90 wins for the first time since 2018, their big free agency acquisition this year was to fix their gaping hole at third base. Bregman might not be the elite MVP candidate he was in Houston — but he’s still a massive upgrade whose bat could become the difference in the North Siders becoming a true contender.
No. 5: Dylan Cease — Toronto Blue Jays
It’s rare you see a team as good as the 2025 Jays go through so much roster upheaval. Right now it looks like they might be better on paper? It’s difficult to know. One thing is certain though, any chance of putting up a fight to the Dodgers’ crown will require the signing of Dylan Cease to pay off in the hopes he can slot into an aging rotation and give the team a chance for its prolific batting to make a difference.
No. 6: Ronald Acuña Jr. — Atlanta Braves
It feels like both yesterday and forever ago that Ronald Acuña was a transformative star. An injury-shortened 2025 season was the downfall of the Braves, who failed to make the postseason for the first time in seven years. If they want to get back on the right side of the ledger and prove they can be a force in the National League then Acuña needs to return to being the MVP caliber player he is.
No. 7: Bo Bichette — New York Mets
One of the weirdest free agent periods for a player in recent memory resulted in Bo Bichette landing in Queens, where he will either be the missing piece — or another misstep. Nobody spends more money on mediocrity than the Mets, who are so hungry to break the cycle they’ll do anything. Bichette is another Mets swing at finding their missing piece. If he can be additive, then they might finally get over the hump. If not, well, this signing will be another overpaid punchline in Queens.
No. 8: Ranger Suárez — Boston Red Sox
Who needs bats when nobody can hit your gas? That’s more or less Boston’s approach this season as they lost Alex Bregman in free agency, then decided to load up their rotation even more. It’s truly ridiculous that the Red Sox are going to trot out Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and now Ranger Suárez. It’s a rotation that evokes memories of the World Series-winning teams Boston had in the past, and we’ll see if history can repeat itself.
No. 9: Tarik Skubal — Detroit Tigers
Skubal is going to be amazing. We don’t need tea leaves to see that one coming. He will dominate the competition, probably win the Cy Young, and be a key factor in the Tigers’ success this year. What this placement is really about is free agency in 2027. A big year from Skubal could make him the first $500M free agent pitcher in MLB history, making his performance this season a definitive step in baseball.
No. 10: Ketel Marte — Arizona Diamondbacks
The D-Backs have a pretty darn good lineup. It’s just a shame they have atrocious pitching, which will probably sink their season. That makes Ketel Marte a player to watch who could easily be dealt at the deadline to a contender, which could make him the biggest name to move in the trade market this year.
No. 11: Trea Turner — Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are going to be a top-tier team again, but Trea Turner once again missed over 20 games in a season. For the Phillies to be a legitimate contender, they will hope Turner can give them a full slate of games, and if that happens, there’s a real chance that he could exceed his 5.4 WAR from last year and be a league-defining player.
No. 12: Gunnar Henderson — Baltimore Orioles
Gunnar Henderson’s incredible start to his MLB career was slowed by a shoulder injury in 2025 which in part caused the Orioles to fall back to earth. There’s a real chance they could return to form this season with a healthy Henderson leading the charge. Gunnar is one of baseball’s most exciting young players who will get a big lift from Pete Alonso, who will make this list in a couple of spots. Henderson edges out his new teammate, purely by virtue of the fact that 2026 could cement him as the future of MLB..
No. 13: Roman Anthony — Boston Red Sox
We expected Roman Anthony to be good, but didn’t think he’d immediately become one of baseball’s best players in his first season. With one of the best pitching rotations in baseball the Red Sox just need bats, and if Anthony can show up once more then we’ll be talking about Boston as a team that can upend the top of the AL East.
No. 14: Pete Alonso — Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles made the big play to sign Pete Alonso in free agency primarily to give the team a massive bat, and someone who could slot in beside Gunnar Henderson to give Baltimore a much-needed one-two punch. We know the five-time All-Star has power for days, but reliability is what will determine the Orioles fortunes this year.
No. 15: Konnor Griffin — Pittsburgh Pirates
Konnor Griffin might be starting the season in the minors, but it won’t be long before the Pirates call him up. The No. 1 overall prospect is garnering a level of hype rarely seen for a rookie after registering a ridiculous 161 hits in 123 Minor League games last year. If Griffin can live up to the billing, Paul Skenes will inevitably be brilliant once more — and we can start talking about Pittsburgh as a team to watch in 2027.
No. 16: Trey Yesavage — Toronto Blue Jays
The odds-on favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year honors, Yesavage showed unreal potential in limited time in 2025. Now he arrives on a Blue Jays roster that is stacked with talent, and part of a rotation that’s rich with veteran experience. It might not be long before we talk about him as the ace in Toronto, which could lead to serious postseason success.
No. 17: Kyle Tucker — Los Angeles Dodgers
The rich just keep on getting richer with the Dodgers solving a “weakness” by upgrading at right field and adding one of the most patient batters in the game. The big thing with Tucker is whether or not he can stay healthy for a full season slate. At his current rate the Dodgers will get better, if he hits his high water marks then it might be impossible for anyone to catch L.A.
No. 18: Jackson Merrill — San Diego Padres
It was a down year for Merrill in 2025, but there’s plenty of reason to believe the Padres’ CF can bounce back. If he does then we’re looking at a San Diego roster that’s one of baseball’s best on paper, and a legitimate contender after the Dodgers in the NL West.
No. 19: Jarren Duran — Boston Red Sox
Which version of Jarren Duran will show up in 2026? The Red Sox had been waiting for the outfielder to take that next step, which he did in 2024, then regressed once more in 2025. Is he closer to the 8.7 WAR monster that he was a couple of years back? Or the barely-above replacement player? This season could determine if Duran is part of Boston’s future plans, or shipped away at the trade deadline.
No. 20: Blake Snell — Los Angeles Dodgers
If you need evidence of how good Los Angeles was last year then look at the fact the Dodgers won the World Series while having one of the best pitchers in baseball on IR for four months of the season. A returning Snell helped lift the team in the postseason, and a strong return to form in 2026 will set the tone for the season.
No. 21: George Kirby — Seattle Mariners
One of the rare players on the Mariners who didn’t lift his game during Seattle’s incredible run was the rotation’s most promising pitcher, George Kirby. This organization will need their top players to return to form, as well as guys like Kirby to lift their games to prove they’re contenders in 2026. The potential is there, now we wait to see how it plays out.
No. 22: Jazz Chisholm Jr. — New York Yankees
One of the best defensive infielders in baseball, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is back to his natural spot at second base where he can make a big impact this season after spending last season at 3B. It’s a contract year for Chisholm Jr. which will amp up the urgency to have a big year, and his performance will be key to how far the Yankees can go this season.
No. 23: Julio Rodriguez — Seattle Mariners
Rodriguez is already an elite player, but there’s been just a little bit lacking to his game up to this point. Promising signs at the end of the season when it comes to reliability could very well carry over into 2026, making this a potential MVP season in the AL for him. If we see a 7 or 8 WAR year from him then we’ll be talking about Seattle as serious threats to the Dodgers. If not, well, it might be like last year — which was brilliant, but just a little too short.
No. 24: Bobby Witt Jr. — Kansas City Royals
The Royals don’t figure into being threats, but Bobby Witt Jr. is poised to ascend into being one of the faces of Major League Baseball. There might have been a small step back last season for the MVP-caliber shortstop, but this season could see him surge back into being one of the most dominant all-around players in the game.
No. 25: Yordan Alvarez — Houston Astros
The Astros’ chances to make noise in the postseason feel slim, at best — but they hinge on Yordan Alvarez getting back to his old self. The 28-year-old went from being a high-level player to a 0.7 WAR guy who lost a lot due to injury — but there’s little doubting he can bounce back. Houston needs him to be a top talent this year to have any chance of getting back to contention.
No. 26: Munetaka Murakami — Chicago White Sox
Putting a White Sox player in last place just feels right. It wasn’t long ago that Murakami conjured almost-Ohtani levels of hype when it came to making his MLB debut after hitting 56 home runs in 2022 and breaking the single-season record in Japan’s NPB. From there he went on a serious slump, wrecking high-level dreams and settling for a two-year deal with the White Sox. In spring training there have been some signs of promise, and it will be fascinating to see if Murakami can find his bat once more, or if time has passed him by.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - FEBRUARY 28: Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz looks on during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 28, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Just last year, this rivalry was so legendary that Adam Silver had to personally step in and punish these teams by giving them the mathematically worst outcome on draft lottery night. The embers are still in the air, but these organizations are no longer the juggernauts of Tankathon. They’re retired, choosing to pave their own way and gaining a new appreciation of life, more importantly the Playoffs.
Take the Jazz for instance, who are far past the days of Kira Lewis Jr., Luka Samanic, Kenny Lofton, Talen Horton-Tucker with the exception of that one time he dropped 41 — that was pretty cool. Jaren Jackson Jr. was the character progression Utah needed to reject their life of ruthless loss mongering.
The Wizards once tried to do right by the code and made several attempts of postseason success in the olden days with supermax no-trade clause Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, before wrecking it all down to capture a Flagg. Trae Young, and half of Anthony Davis is certainly…an improvement-ish? No, no it’s nice and all, but I have mixed feelings considering I would’ve avoided these guys like the plague in a Jazz fan perspective.
But I’ll stand up for what is right, and that’s tanking actually creates more winners. These teams would have, in fact, been chasing for wins right now if they weren’t personally screwed in the lottery year after year. Instead, they’re taking part of the 10-way deadlock for the bottom to put the finishing touches on their rosters.
And tonight will be no exception. Only one can remain defeated. It’ll be a tough cookie to crack. Washington is on the verge of snapping their loss-streak record with a staggering 16 LOSSES IN A ROW. Tonight would make it 17. If I could print out both team’s injury reports on paper, I’d be able to build us a new Archie and Lois Archuleta Bridge.
OUT: Isaiah Collier (hamstring) Keyonte George (hamstring) Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) Walker Kessler (shoulder) Lauri Markkanen (hip) Jusuf Nurkic (nose) Brice Sensabaugh (rest)
D’Angelo Russell is just ‘out’ — I mean, sure, why not.
The Jazz would technically have six players available if all choose to sit out of tonight’s blood fest. They’ll have to get creative, and restart the cogs of Kevin Love and Svi Mykhailiuk. Make sure they don’t overdo those joints, they haven’t been put to good use since January.
But let’s talk about what has been active, like the dominant force that is March Ace Bailey. Who has, in fact, netted more three-pointers (42) than Kon Knueppel (32) in the month of March. His 37-6-3 performance against Toronto tied him for the most points by a 19-year old with 30+ points and 5+ three-pointers. Sure, I’m a firm believer in the March theory, where nearly all statistics are fabricated by the fact that half the teams are putting in about 70% effort. But just watching him with your own two eyes is enough evidence you need to know Ace Bailey is legitimately legit.
On the Wizards’ end, I’ve been struggling to find a player who’s actually been consistently available. Bub Carrington is cool, I suppose. That game-winner he hit to solidify our Ace Bailey hopes earned him respect in my book. And on the basketball court, he’s been a nice fill-in for the Wizards for the other half of the game Trae is missing.
Also, don’t forget about Utah’s original selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, before being sent to Washington for Walter Clayton Jr., that being Will Riley. He’s another rookie who’s been climbing up the rookie rankings in the latter part of the season. He’s knocked down the fourth-most three-pointers (21) in the month of March. There’s the concern of him being disproportionately light (180 lbs) for his 6’10” frame. He has certainly been the Washington Wizards version of Ace Bailey, if Danny Ainge ended up being scared by the Omar Cooper tactic.
Let’s all come together, hold hands, and truly witness the final tank-off between these two franchises. You will truly be missed by basketball sicko watchers.
How to watch:
Who: Utah Jazz (21-51) vs. Washington Wizards (16-55)
Reform’s use of the football club has shocked fans and left the ownership red faced but how did it happen?
When photographs of Nigel Farage’s visit to Portman Road went viral on Tuesday morning, a wave of shock quickly spread among Ipswich Town’s staff. Some were furious, others genuinely devastated by the carelessness that saw the club allow itself to be leveraged for Reform UK’s political gain. The anger was palpable and hardly assuaged by an email sent to employees by the chief executive, Mark Ashton, who sought to douse the fire by stating there had been no intention to endorse Farage nor his policies.
The problem for Ipswich is that the horse has bolted. At best, they were grievously naive in letting Farage and his social media team run amok after arriving for a pre-booked stadium tour; a less generous reading would be that they simply stood by and let it happen, fully aware of Reform’s propensity to create sensation from the smallest gulp of oxygen. A photo of Farage holding an Ipswich shirt aloft, seemingly in their press conference room, was swiftly emblazoned as the banner on his party’s X account. Before long Farage, ever the opportunist, was launching a video from the scene and cockily linking himself with the Ipswich manager’s job.
The San Francisco Giants are set to make their season debut in a home opening series against the New York Yankees beginning Wednesday, March 25.
It's also the debut for Giants manager Tony Vitello, who's getting his first crack at the major leagues after a successful collegiate baseball coaching career for the Tennessee Volunteers.
He's the first collegiate coach to make the jump straight to the majors as a manager. It's an honor he doesn't take lightly, especially as he lives out a dream to be a MLB manager.
"As a coach, I was just trying to make my way," Vitello said during an October news conference. "I got thrust into a position at a young age that I probably didn't even deserve, so I was just trying to do a good job, and fortunately it helped get me to the next spot and the next spot and the next spot, and eventually this did become a dream, where I just decided if it was, if I was blessed enough to receive an opportunity, this is something I wanted to do before I was done coaching, in general."
He added: "It is a dream come true, but it's a very recent dream. It wasn't one I had for a while and, as much as I'd like to sit up here and promise things and pound my fist on the desk, really all I want to do is a good job."
That's all that San Francisco fans want too. His track record says he will. Everyone in orange and black is hoping that success will translate. Here's a look at his résumé:
Did Vitello win a national championship at Tennessee?
Vitello had a successful seven-year stint at Tennessee that spanned from 2018 to 2025.
In that span, he coached the Vols to two SEC regular-season titles, two SEC Tournament titles and a 2024 national title, being crowned 2024 NCAA Tournament champions. He's appeared in three College World Series, in 2021, 2023 and winning 2024.
Tony Vitello record at Tennessee
Vitello was a bona fide winner at Tennessee. He became the fastest coach in UT baseball history to reach the 300-win mark.
He left the university with an overall record of 341-131 (.722).
MLB players who played for Tony Vitello
Vitello has coached several of players at Tennessee that went on to play MLB, including Christian Moore, Garrett Crochet, Chase Silseth, Ben Joyce, Andre Lipcius, Trey Lipscomb, Jordan Beck, Seth Halvorsen, Chase Dollander and current Giants pitcher Blade Tidwell.
Did Drew Gilbert play for Tony Vitello
Also included in that list is Drew Gilbert, who currently plays outfield for the Giants. He played Vitello at Tennessee from 2020 to 2022.
Did Tony Vitello play in MLB
Vitello has no MLB playing experience. However, he hopes that isn't a problem when coaching in the pros.
"Dues have come in a different way," Vitello said in reference to the fact that he never played in the majors. "Hopefully respect will be earned in different ways, and the only way I know how to do that is through hard work."
SAN FRANCISCO — Three-time New York Yankees MVP Aaron Judge will be hanging in right field. Home run king Barry Bonds will be sharing his thoughts for the world to hear. Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols will be on a microphone. Future Hall of Famers Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy and Buster Posey will be sitting together in the San Francisco Giants executive suite.
But the most high-powered microscope will be zeroed in on the 47-year-old dude who never played a professional baseball game, never managed a professional baseball game, and has never even attended an opening day game.
Tony Vitello will make baseball history by becoming the first person to ever manage a major-league game directly out of college with zero professional experience.
The San Francisco Giants' new manager will be baseball’s guinea pig for the 2026 season, which could either open the floodgates for collegiate coaches to fill MLB vacancies – or close the door for any organization to ever consider such an idea again.
“Well," Vitello says, “I’m ready.
“I’ve got no other choice at this point, right?’’
Vitello, who coached at Tennessee, winning the 2024 national championship, looks into your eyes and won’t lie to you. He’s going to be nervous. He’s used to big games being against LSU on Friday nights on the SEC Network. Now, he’s facing baseball’s most historic franchise, with 27 World Series championships and Hall of Fame alumni from Ruth to Gehrig to DiMaggio to Berra to Mantle to Jeter to Judge.
So, you can imagine the national uproar with one lineup malfunction, a wrong pinch-hitting move, a bullpen blunder or a slip-up in a mid-game interview?
There will be millions of keyboard warriors waiting to pounce.
“I’ll be ready," Vitello says. “People critique, and when your pay for your ticket, that’s what you get to do. Or even if you're in our dugout, you're allowed to have second thoughts on anything. But the one thing I'll say is any decision we make is going to be a group effort, and there will be no stone left unturned prior to doing it.
“Whatever it is we choose to do, we're going full steam ahead, and I take responsibility from this point on. Ultimately, I have the final say, so that’s on me, but I love that I can rely on my guys."
'We couldn't be happier'
The Giants front office, who believed they’d rather have an unproven collegiate coach than hiring back Bochy, bringing in former Cubs manager Joe Maddon or David Ross, or giving recently fired Brandon Hyde or Davey Martinez another shot, know they’ve opened themselves up for ridicule.
They are paying more for a manager than any team in history, with $3.5 million paid directly to Vitello, $3 million to Tennessee for the buyout, and $4 million to Bob Melvin, who was fired.
Yet, instead of being anxious about their decision, the Giants left their Scottsdale, Arizona spring training complex convinced more than ever that they made the right move.
“I've been fortunate to be around some great managers," Giants GM Zack Minasian tells USA TODAY Sports, “from Johnny Oates to Buck Showalter to Melvin to Bobby Valentine to Boch. But watching Tony on the field during drills this spring is something different than I’ve ever seen. He makes it a lot of fun for the players. He just brings so much energy each and every day, and it’s something intentional.
“We want people excited walking into the doors in the clubhouse every day and I feel like so many people are and in a great frame of mind. I really think our players, our staff, are having fun. It’s fun to be around.
“Really, we couldn’t be happier."
There was so much outside noise about how the players may respond to a manager with zero experience, but the Giants haven't had internal complaints.
“It’s been an extremely seamless transition," Minasian says. “He’s been really able to build relationships quickly. The one thing I wasn't expecting is just how well connected he is to so many different people in professional baseball. You hear a lot, obviously, about him being the first manager to make the jump. And you assume that maybe they don't have the contacts that maybe someone else who had been in professional baseball for a long time would have. And he has just a huge address book that's full of people who have been in professional baseball a long time, from executives to agents to players.
“When we're having conversations about different possibilities, we've got a pretty good way to go and get information to help us."
There wasn’t a time a player publicly questioned anything Vitello tried, whether it was having the entire team involved in infield drills, having piercing noise blaring over the stadium loudspeakers during pop-ups to resemble a hostile crowd crowd, or watching Vitello taking grounders as if he’s one of the boys.
“It’s definitely different," Giants veteran backup catcher Eric Haase says. “Overall, he’s really brought in good energy, unmatched energy. He also has a very acute attention to detail. He’s got his hands in everything, but he’s given us a lot of freedom to have the clubhouse be our clubhouse. The guys have really gravitated towards Tony, and I’m excited to see what it looks like during the year."
'Ready or not, here we come'
It may have only been just spring training, a time where stats and standings are forgotten by the time the team boards the plane home, but for Vitello, it was a chance to establish the culture of winning.
The Giants went 19-9, finishing just one-half game behind the two-time World Series champion Dodgers (20-9), producing the highest batting average in the Cactus League with the lowest ERA.
“Tony brings a lot of passion," Giants ace Logan Webb says, “and I think he wants us to play with passion. I’m not saying he wants us to play like a college baseball team, but he wants us to play hard and be aggressive."
And yes, he badly wants to win, finally returning the Giants back to the postseason for the first time since 2021, failing to even produce a winning record.
“There’s a competitive nature with Tony that you just can't turn off," Minasian says, “in a good way. And so if we're out there playing a game, whether it's spring training or the regular season, he wants to win the game. There's an intensity and he's driven to succeed, no matter what time of year it is."
There will be growing pains, Vitello says. But the best managers learn from their mistakes and aren’t afraid to embrace them either.
He’s already been cautioned about the etiquette of being a major league manager, which he still may slip up at times this year.
“I assume I'm not going to be allowed to carry my bag on the plane," Vitello says, “even though I'm the one that packed it. I've kind of been warned of that by like seven people."
And on this Wednesday evening in San Francisco, the Vitello era begins.
“I know things will be completely different from spring training as far as the pace and the circumstances,’’ Vitello says. “The crowds will be bigger. The stadiums will be bigger. But you know, I think the baseball is going to be the same.
Mathieu Olivier (15), Zach Werenski (21), and Mason Marchment (17-GWG) provided the offense for the Blue Jackets in a 3-2 CBJ win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. Jet Greaves played lights out to earn his 24th win of the season.
This was a massive win for the Blue Jackets' playoff hopes. The Islanders, Penguins, and Bruins all lost in regulation to move the CBJ into second place in the Metro. The Hurricanes also lost and are just 9 points ahead of Columbus. While the Jackets probably won't catch Carolina, they now have a new target to aim for.
First Period - SOG 10-3 Flyers - No CBJ Goals
The first five minutes of the first period didn't have much action, with lots of back-and-forth action but very little offense. Jet Greaves made a massive breakaway stop on Owen Tippett to keep the game scoreless. The Jackets, to this point, haven't really been able to get any real shots on Goaltender Dan Vladař either.
At 12:23, the Flyers' Trevor Zegras was called for high-sticking Dante Fabbro to give the CBJ their first power play. But just a minute into the man advantage, Kirill Marchenko was called for hooking Noah Cates while on a shorthanded breakaway to give Cates a penalty shot. Jet Greaves made a massive save, though on the penalty shot, to keep the game scoreless. Columbus goalies have stopped 17 of the last 18 penalty shots against, going back to 2010.
Sean Couturier would put the Flyers up 1-0 at 17:07 into the first. The Flyers are carrying play at this point and aren't giving the Jackets anything to work with. After Couturier laid a big hit on Mason Marchment, he recovered to find himself in front of Jet Greaves for an easy goal.
Second Period - 11-7 Columbus - CBJ Goals: Olivier, Werenski
Mathieu Olivier scored his 15th goal of the season just 44 seconds into the period. He and Zach Werenski played a little tic-tac-toe to put one past Vladař to even the score.
Zach Werenski would score his 21st goal of the season less than two minutes later when Marchment and Severson fed the Norris candidate to put the Blue Jackets up 2-1. Zach Werenski came out of the locker room ready to put the team back in the win column.
With 7:09 left, Mathieu Olivier took a penalty for interfering with Noah Juulsen. He was flat out bigger and stronger than Juulsen and ended up in the box. The Jackets were able to kill it off, but not without a little anxiety and big saves from Jet Greaves.
With 2:46 left in the second, Christian Dvorak and Dante Fabbro started chuckin' knucks after Matvei Michkov and Fabbro exchanged pleasantries.
The period would end with the CBJ enjoying a 2-1 lead. This was a much better period for Columbus, and more of how they've been playing for the last two months.
Third Period - SOG 9-5 Philly - CBJ Goals: Marchment
With 15:22 left in the third period, Mason Marchment would score his 17th goal of the season. No one in the arena, including the refs, knew Marchment scored except Mason and the CBJ bench. They stopped play after about 30 seconds and announced the goal.
Adam Fantilli drew a power play when he took a high stick from the Flyers' Owen Tippett, giving the Jackets their second power play. The Flyers were able to kill it to keep the score 3-1 in favor of the CBJ.
Philly pulled Vladař with 3:01 left in the third period to try to cut the lead. Jamie Drysdale scored to make it 3-2 CBJ with 2:04 left in the third period.
After the last two minutes of extreme pressure, the Blue Jackets were able to hold off the pressing Flyers 3-2.
Final Stats
CBJ APP
Player Stats & Notes
Mathieu Olivier scored his 15th goal
Zach Werenski scored his 21st goal and recorded his 56th assist.
Mason Marchment scored his 17th goal and recorded his 19th assist.
Damon Severson picked up two assists.
Kirill Marchenko tallied his 34th assist. The assist is his 200th career point.
Adam Fantilli got his 32nd assist.
Team Stats
The Jackets went 0/3
The Columbus PK stopped the one Flyer power play.
Columbus won 46% of the faceoffs - 23/50
The Blue Jackets had 25 hits and 10 blocks.
Next Up For Columbus: The Blue Jackets travel to Montreal to take on the Canadiens on Thursday.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 22: Ja'kobe Walter #14 of the Toronto Raptors reacts after hitting a three point basket against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA landscape is populated by different classes. There are rich teams and there are penny-pinchers. Some rise above expectations to reach great heights, both of the temporary and permanent kind. The chronic underachievers exist too.
But out of all the different archetypes, the one that might be the most frustrating – at least to sports fans – is the team that becomes boring and predictable.
Without drama, or more importantly, hope, it becomes challenging to support a franchise.
For the Toronto Raptors, it looked like they were destined for an excruciating slow burn.
But ahead of their matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, a new source for optimism has manifested in the form of Ja’Kobe Walter.
On the surface, it doesn’t look like the second-year guard is having a breakout season. His minutes, points, rebounds, and assists per game are all down across the board, but that’s primarily due to the Raptors actively conceding the 2024-25 season after the Brandon Ingram trade. During that transition year, Walter had more low-leverage opportunities to find his footing in the league.
Recently, Walter has become one of the most important players on the team. It makes sense considering Walter’s strength as a shooter on a team devoid of consistent shooting ability. Toronto ranks 21st in three-point percentage (34.9) and 25th in three-point makes (11.5).
Walter is a skilled shooter and his numbers back that. The six-foot-four guard is averaging 39.3 per cent from three and 44.1 per cent from the field. He’s shooting better from the perimeter than all but one teammate, that being Jamison Battle, who averages nine minutes a game.
With the Raptors only 2.5 games from falling into the final play-in spot, and the roster in a constant state of flux, the team needed a role player to take the next step. Walter has answered that call.
He’s shooting a blistering 48.8 per cent from three on 3.9 attempts in March – both season-high marks for monthly splits. Walter has also reached double-digit scoring in the last four games, his longest stretch of the year. The sophomore recorded at least 10 points in seven consecutive appearances during his rookie year, but that was while the team was in an intentional free-fall.
In addition to the desperately needed scoring boost, Walter has also demonstrated his defensive prowess. While the latter has been more of a constant throughout the year, the recent showcase of Walter’s complete skill set has potentially piqued the curiosity of some Raptors fans.
The last time Walter was this effective for the Raptors this season was during a thrilling 141-127 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 28 and in a 107-106 win against the Orlando Magic on the following night. During the back-to-back contests, Walter averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 50 per cent from the field and 45.4 per cent from the arc.
Every time the Raptors have shown some fight in the opening round of the playoffs, they’ve had at least one resourceful two-way player come off the bench. Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell come to mind during the 2019 championship run and in the bubble playoffs. There was an entire bench mob during 2017-2018. Corey Joseph and Terrence Ross held it down during a few of ‘We The North’ seasons. Even back in 2001, the Vinsanity era needed the fun trio of Chris Childs, Dell Curry, and Jerome Williams.
If the Raptors find any morsel of success in the post-season, it’ll mean that Walter excelled in his first playoff environment. But before that can happen, he’ll need to string together more impressive regular-season performances, beginning with the Clippers.
The 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament is down to 16 teams and the injury report remains an important part of sifting through the remaining games in the bracket. Nearly one-third of the teams to qualify for the Sweet 16 are dealing with a significant player hobbled by injury, including No. 1 overall seed Duke.
Several played through the pain to advance through the round of 32, while others are attempting to return from injury as fast as possible with the win-or-go-home element of March Madness looming over their recovery. In most cases, their potential replacement has already been thrust into a bigger role after lingering uncertainty through the first weekend of this year's tournament.
Here's a look at the injuries that could most affect the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, as well as the potential replacements to watch if these injured stars can't play when March Madness resumes:
The injury status of Iowa State star Joshua Jefferson looms large over the Midwest regional in Chicago, beginning with the Sweet 16 nightcap between the second-seeded Cyclones and No. 6 seed Tennessee on Friday, March 27. The 6-foot-9 NBA prospect suffered a sprained left ankle early in Iowa State's first-round win over No. 15 seed Tennessee State on March 20 and did not play in its round of 32 victory over No. 7 seed Kentucky two days later.
Sixth man Nate Heise started in place of Jefferson, who is averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season for the Cyclones. Heise, a 6-foot-5 guard, responded with 12 points and three assists, but Iowa State got just five points from its bench as a result. Jefferson told reporters he plans to "do everything [in] my power to get healthy" ahead of Friday's Sweet 16 game.
"Nate has been essentially our sixth starter all year, even when he hasn't started on the court," Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. "I say it over and over again; Nate Heise is someone who's a fierce competitor, defensively has tremendous pride, getting stops, team defense, getting traffic rebounds, making plays. You can feel that compete every possession. Offensively he steps up and does what's needed for our team. ... Nate is somebody for me that I just have tremendous belief and confidence in, and I know what he can do, and I know what he'll continue to do."
Purdue sophomore C.J. Cox suffered an apparent knee injury early in the second half of the No. 2 seeded Boilermakers' win over No. 7 seed Miami in the round of 32 and did not return. Coach Matt Painter told reporters after the game that Cox had "hyperextended" his knee and would see how it responded to treatment this week.
Cox called it "nothing serious" and said he could have re-entered the game if needed. The 6-3 guard had three 3-pointers that helped Purdue erase a first-half deficit against Miami before leaving the game due to injury. He has started every game for the Boilermakers this season, while averaging 8.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
If Cox can't play, or is limited, when Purdue faces No. 11 seed Texas Thursday, March 26 in the Sweet 16, Gicarri Harris is likely to take on a bigger role. He replaced Cox against the Hurricanes and buried his only 3-pointer within three minutes of entering the game. Harris also had two steals as the primary defender on Miami guard Tre Donaldson down the stretch.
UConn's point guard was initially listed as questionable by the Huskies in their NCAA player availability report before coming off the bench in the No. 2 seed's round of 32 win over No. 7 seed UCLA. Though he had just two points, Demary finished with four assists and two steals after missing the Huskies' first-round win over No. 15 seed Furman. He initially suffered an ankle injury in the second half of UConn's Big East Tournament final loss to St. John's on March 14.
Graduate transfer Malachi Smith, who came to UConn from Dayton ahead of this season having never played in an NCAA Tournament game before, has produced 13 assists starting in place of Demary the past two games. Smith's minutes have increased substantially with Demary hobbled, setting new season highs for playing time at UConn in its two March Madness games thus far.
Coach Dan Hurley told reporters after Smith's first-round performance that the team thought Smith had also hurt his knee in a practice collision before leaving for the NCAA Tournament. "He was banged up out there playing 31 minutes. The guy’s a warrior and showed that New York toughness today.”
Duke starting point guard Caleb Foster hasn't played for the Blue Devils since suffering a broken foot in the team's regular-season finale against North Carolina March 6. But coach Jon Scheyer left the door open for him to return in time for No. 1 seed Duke's Sweet 16 matchup against No. 5 seed St. John's on Friday, March 27.
"Not to reference 'Dumb and Dumber,' but when he first got hurt, I felt like maybe it was one in a million," Scheyer told CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein on Monday. "Since then, the way Caleb has worked, the chances have continued to increase. I think there's an outside chance, maybe for Friday.
"He's trying to do the impossible here and try to come back as soon as he can," Scheyer added. "This weekend, I don't think I can rule it out because of who he is and how he's been working."
Cayden Boozer has moved into the starting lineup for Foster and performed well during the ACC Tournament and the first two games of Duke's NCAA Tournament run. He had a career-high 19 points and five assists when the Blue Devils came back in the second half to beat No. 16 seed Siena in the first round.
Nate Ament, Tennessee (Jaylen Carey or Amari Evans)
Ament, a potential NBA lottery pick, is playing through ankle and knee injuries that forced him to miss two games at the end of Tennessee's regular-season schedule. He was used for just 18 minutes in the Vols' opening round NCAA win over Miami (Ohio) and then gutted through a 16-point, 4-rebound performance against Virginia in the round of 32. He's shooting 5-for-27 from the field over the past three games.
"For me, I wanted to do it for my teammates and this university. I owe them so much," Ament said after the game. "The least I could do is fight through this."
Jaylen Carey started six consecutive games when Ament didn't play to close the regular season, but the Vols have altered their lineups since then. J.P. Estrella was moved back into a starting role beginning with the SEC Tournament, with Amari Evans shifted to the bench along with Carey. Tennessee Coach Rick Barnes can turn to the 6-foot-5 Evans for more versatility or the 6-foot-8 Carey for more size inside if Ament can't go or significantly limited by injury.
BOSTON — The Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in familiar territory early Tuesday night, digging a hole with three penalties in the opening 25 minutes against the Boston Bruins. Despite trailing 1-0 after the first period and facing early trouble in the middle frame, the Leafs found a spark from a familiar source in Matthew Knies.
The turning point arrived when Knies flexed his size in the neutral zone, wrestling the puck away from Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei before breaking free for a shorthanded breakaway. Knies beat Jeremy Swayman to knot the game at 1-1, an individual effort that served as the catalyst for one of the Leafs’ most complete performances in recent memory. Following the 4-2 victory, his teammates were quick to praise the rare blend of attributes the sophomore forward brings to the lineup.
“It always just impresses you when he pulls it off,” captain John Tavares said of Knies’ highlight-reel goal. “His ability to just be so strong and just how physically mature he is, he’s a beast. He’s a very unique player at his age to have that type of strength, and then after that to have the soft hands and the poise and touch to score a beauty like that. He’s got a nice package as a player. We’re obviously very lucky to have him.”
The shorthanded marker was Knies’ 19th of the campaign, and he later added an empty-netter to reach the 20-goal plateau for the first time. With 59 points in 69 games, the Arizona native continues to set new career highs across the board. The performance is particularly notable given Knies has been navigating a lingering knee injury. While some wondered if he might shut things down with the Leafs’ playoff positioning relatively secure, Knies has remained adamant that playing won’t aggravate the issue. Based on his showing at TD Garden, the injury isn’t slowing his production.
“Just the power he presents and strength in skating I thought he was really good all night for us. Did a lot of good things,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of Knies.
The game took a physical turn after Knies’ first goal when Nikita Zadorov leveled Tavares from behind. Rookie Easton Cowan didn’t hesitate to jump in for his captain, challenging the veteran defenseman. That grit continued into the third period when Dakota Joshua dropped the gloves with Zadorov, signaling a collective pushback from a Toronto squad that showed plenty of resolve.
Statistically, it was a dominant night for the visitors. The Leafs fired 35 shots on goal, their highest total since a shootout win over Vancouver, and outshot their opponent for the first time since March 5. Anthony Stolarz remained sharp in the crease, making 18 saves on 20 shots, including several high-danger stops of a difficult variety, to preserve the win for Toronto.
Over the last few years, the Montreal Canadiens have often struggled against the Carolina Hurricanes, and Tuesday night’s tilt at the Bell Centre was no different. Martin St-Louis can keep his cards close to his chest when it comes to his lineup, all he wants, but it’s not going to make an iota of difference if the players he puts on the ice aren't ready to go when the puck drops.
After missing the last two games with an upper-body injury, Josh Anderson was back in the lineup, taking over from Joe Veleno. At the same time, the coach had elected to go back to Jakub Dobes in net, despite Jacob Fowler winning the last game. A wise decision considering the Czech netminder made 14 saves in the first frame while his team was largely “sleepskating” on the ice.
The first period, especially its first 12 minutes, was worrying for the Canadiens. It looked like the puck was a hot potato none of their players were comfortable handling; perhaps it had to do with the coaches' warning them about the Canes' intense, fast forecheck. Whenever they’d get the puck, they’d get rid of it in a hurry, often handing it right back to the visitors.
After 20 minutes, the shots were 16-4 Carolina, and had it not been for Dobes, the score would have been much worse than 2-1. The goalie was peppered with shots, and they were not easy ones either. The first goal came when Mike Matheson tried to block a shot from the blueline with his stick and deflected it past Dobes. As for the second goal, it came from Oliver Kapanen turning the puck over in the defensive zone, inexplicably sending it from the blueline to the slot where Jordan Staal was all alone. It was easy for the Canes’ captain to give his team a 2-0 lead.
Thankfully for the Finnish rookie, he made up for his mistake when he deflected a Jayden Struble shot past Frederik Anderson to put Montreal on the scoreboard later in the first period.
Speaking about the first frame, the coach explained:
You try to talk about it before the game, but you have to live it. We shot ourselves in the foot early with giveaways and penalties; it was hard to get momentum, but I feel we found our game toward the end of the first. We spoke about their pressure in between the first and the second, once again, about how the team could get through that. We were better in the third, but it’s not an easy team to play when you’re leading by one goal; you try to play with little calculated risk, and they’re in your face the whole time. You have to try to put pucks deep and capitalize on their aggressiveness; that’s how we were able to separate ourselves with Demidov’s goal. Then we had to close out the game, which isn’t easy against a team that shoots everything from everywhere.
- St-Louis on his team's game
Caufield Activated
As is often the case when Montreal is in trouble, Cole Caufield rose to the challenge, scoring the game-tying goal nearly six minutes into the second frame. The goal came just at the right time after Montreal failed to capitalize on two Hurricanes penalties, even though they enjoyed a 29-second five-on-three.
His goal seemed to jump-start the Habs, and it even looked like he had his 45th of the season less than four minutes later, but the puck ended up deflecting on Juraj Slafkovsky. Still, Caufield had an assist on that goal two, and his redirection of Noah Dobson’s slapshot was perfect. While the sniper is chasing the 50-goal mark, that goal was the big Slovak’s 28th of the season, and it’s looking increasingly likely that he will reach the 30-goal mark.
After 40 minutes, Montreal had a 3-2 lead while the Hurricanes led 26-15 in shots, but they were unable to get anything past Dobes in the middle Stanza.
Dobes’ Best Game Of The Season
Goaltending hasn’t been a force for the Canadiens this season, but since January, Dobes has found plenty of ways to win. Tonight, he went for the good old making a truckload of saves. St-Louis rarely speaks a lot about his goaltenders, but tonight, he gave the Czech netminder his due:
I feel he plays big; he’s confident, but I can’t speak to his technique. He’s been excellent tonight, especially with the start we had to our game; he made some big saves. You look at the attempted shots, it’s a team that shoots from everywhere, and that creates a lot of chaos; you have to be alert, and he was.
- St-Louis on Dobes' performance
The coach also added that his performance gave the team a lot of confidence and that he often does it. St-Louis’ decision to give him the next speaks volumes about how he feels about Dobes now. Earlier in the season, he didn’t hesitate to sit him even if he was doing well to try and get his number one netminder going, but now, he clearly sees that Dobes is the hot hand, and he doesn’t want to mess with that.
It feels like Dobes has finally earned the organization's respect despite competing with the former number one and the youngster generally regarded as the Canadiens’ goaltender of the future. His performances since the new year have forced the Habs not to skip his turn.
The Canadiens will have an optional skate at the Bell Centre tomorrow before getting back on the ice on Thursday night for one last home game before a five-game road trip. The Columbus Blue Jackets, who are currently battling for a playoff spot, will no doubt be desperate for the win, and the Canadiens will have to be ready from the get-go.
CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 27: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins left wing Ville Koivunen (41) is congratulated by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Sebastian Aho (25), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins center Tristan Broz (26), and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins left wing Rutger McGroarty (2) after scoring a goal during the first period of the American Hockey League game between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Cleveland Monsters on February 27, 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins managed to win two out of three games on a road trip through Canada last week. WBSPenguins.com with the details on each game:
Wednesday, Mar. 18 – PENGUINS 1 at Laval 5 Gabe Klassen scored Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s only goal in its first meeting with the North Division-leading Rocket. As a result, the Penguins have lost five in a row at Place Bell, with their last victory in Laval coming on Jan. 13, 2018.
Friday, Mar. 20 – PENGUINS 2 at Belleville 1 (SO) A 28-save night by Joel Blomqvist helped the Pens win a war of attrition against the Sens. Aidan McDonough logged a power-play goal in the middle frame, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton went three-for-three in the shootout with strikes from McDonough, Klassen and Avery Hayes. Blomqvist denied the league’s top goal-scorer, Arthur Kaliyev, to earn his first AHL shootout win.
Sunday, Mar. 22 – PENGUINS 4 at Toronto 3 The Penguins constructed a commanding 4-0 lead, which proved to be important insurance after a third-period fright from the Marlies. Hayes and McDonough both secured one-goal, one-assist first periods, while Rafaël Harvey-Pinard lit the lamp twice, including the game-winner.
Perhaps word will trickle back to Pittsburgh that Avery Hayes scored a shootout goal on a nice forehand deke move. Hayes was unused by the NHL Penguins over the course of three potential shootouts in the NHL during games that he recently played in.
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 21, 2026
Wilkes will get another chance to see Laval (first place in the North Division) on Saturday at home and try to repay the favor from last week’s game. WBS then stays at home on Sunday for another meeting with Lehigh Valley.
Here was the lineup the WBS Pens used last game, it’s outdated already since Ville Koivunen has been called back up to Pittsburgh. Center Tristan Broz remains out with his undisclosed injury that has held him out for all of March.
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 22, 2026
Aidan McDonough, a 26-year old playing on an AHL contract this season, has been the most consistent player for Wilkes all year long. McDonaugh has an active four-game point streak (2G+3A) and recently surpassed Broz for the team lead in scoring this season, McDonough having notched 36 points in 57 games over Broz’s 34 points in 45 games. Koivunen (33 points in 29 games), Hayes (32 points in 39 games) and Rutger McGroarty (26 points in 25 games) all have spent enough time in Pittsburgh and/or injured to not quite be the AHL’s leading scorer.
The end of the season is drawing near, WBS only has nine more games to go before the playoffs start. They still look locked into second place, the most important number for the rest of the regular season is sitting at 14. That’s the magic number for any points gained by the Penguins or lost by the Charlotte Checkers to ensure that WBS secures the second position and gains a first-round bye in the playoffs, eventually having their opening playoff series against whomever comes out of the 3/6 divisional matchup.
Mar 24, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Jesper Bratt (63) skates with the puck on a breakaway during the third period against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Plenty of goals once again. Jack Hughes scored two goals, and the Devils hung on for a 6-4 win over the Stars on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]
Well!
Sheldon Keefe says that Gritsyuk will have to be evaluated tomorrow, get some imaging done before they can determine the severity of a potential injury. #NJDevilshttps://t.co/RPfhCePmcf
After a solid stretch of the season, a look around the roster at some players who are rising and and trending down: [Infernal Access ($)]
“It’s too little too late, but the New Jersey Devils have finally opened up their offense. After struggling to score for much of this season, they’ve started lighting the lamp more often since the Olympics.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
A look at the prospect pool: “The Devils’ pool lacks a top prospect up front, but they have a star goalie (as well as another who is intriguing), multiple legit D prospects and some peripheral forwards who could play games.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Anton Silayev, drafted 10th overall by the Devils in the 2024 NHL Draft, is currently battling with Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL playoffs. Once his post-season run comes to a close, the 6-foot-7 blueliner is expected to sign his entry-level contract with the Devils.” [The Fourth Period]
Hockey Links
“NHL goaltending is quickly becoming one of the most volatile positions in all major sports. Here’s some evidence to support that belief, along with possible explanations for why.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The New York Rangers were awarded an extra shot on goal on Tuesday as part of their 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators Monday night, bringing their total for the game up to 10. The additional shot helped the Rangers avoid the dubious record of being the first team in the salary-cap era to be held to under 10 shots on net in a game. The mark would have also been the fewest shots on goal allowed by the Senators in franchise history.” [TSN]
An impressive number for Paul Maurice:
Paul Maurice becomes just the second coach in NHL history to reach 2,000 games 👏 pic.twitter.com/vXlmiOCtzs
The former NBA All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year believes the New York Knicks are the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Starks is remembered for his long Knicks tenure, helping lead the team to the NBA Finals in 1994 along with Patrick Ewing.
The former undrafted guard became an All-Star the year the Knicks advanced to the Finals and he became the first player in NBA history to make at least 200 three-pointers in a single season when he accomplished the feat in 1994-95.
“We’re the best team in the East.”
While the Knicks have been behind the No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons during the entirety of the season and have gone 0-3 against the Pistons.
However former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, John Starks said the Knicks, not the Pistons, are the team to beat in the East.
It's worth noting that Detroit's best player, Cade Cunningham, is out indefinitely due to a collapsed lung.
"That San Antonio game showed me that they're a championship-quality team."
- John Starks
"I feel like we're the best team in the East," said Starks in an exclusive interview. "I really do. I know Detroit has the record over us, and I know Boston is ahead of us right now. But when I saw that San Antonio game, it’s almost like when you dangle some meat in front of some guys and they go get it. That's what it looked like to me. That told me that they can beat anybody in this league."
Starks is referencing the New York Knicks' 114-89 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on March 1 when New York vastly outplayed the Victor Wembanyama-led squad.
However, he does preach that the Knicks need to be more consistent against the top teams in the NBA.
"They’ve got to be consistent when you're playing against these good teams, and they haven't shown that, obviously... But I think when it comes to playoff time, all these guys are going to lock in, because they've been there. Sometimes you start to look ahead and you forget you’ve got to play Detroit and you’ve got to play the Celtics. You’ve got to play the Cavaliers. You’ve got to play the Lakers. You’ve got to play all these good teams. But that San Antonio game showed me that they're a championship-quality team."
Starks: Knicks can make NBA Finals run
The former Knicks star said that he's confident that the team can make an NBA Finals run this year. It would be the first time since 1999 - when Ewing was still on the team - that they'd be in the championship round.
New York would have to go on the road and likely get through the Pistons in Detroit if they want to get to the Finals. They defeated the Pistons in six games in the first round in Detroit last season.
"No question," said Starks about the Knicks making a Finals run. "Understand one thing about this team: they know they can go on the road and beat anybody. The playoffs is all about going on the road and winning on your opponent's home court. That's the most important thing."
"You can always shift the home court. If you go seven games, then that game - that's the only thing the home court advantage means. Other than that, you can go in and just like what they did to Detroit last year. They had the home court, and then went in and shifted it in our favor. We're good."
Knicks Legend: “He's back to being Jalen Brunson.”
Starks gives tremendous credit to the Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns pairing. The duo is in their second season together and previously led the squad to the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
"I think Karl is doing a tremendous job and making conscious efforts on the defensive end of the court," said Starks. "He's starting to get a little bit more in that post where you like your big man. He's just not settling for jump shots. Now he's been more aggressive going to the basket. I like where he's at in his thought process."
"I think he didn't figure that part out. Now I think he's back to being Jalen Brunson."
- John Starks
"Jalen is going to do what he's going to do. I think he struggled over the last three or four weeks because teams are starting to play him differently. They're starting to take the ball out of his hand, and everybody's starting to double him early in the game. I think he was kind of struggling with that: how to be aggressive on the offensive end, how to get his teammates involved, and keep his teammates involved. I think he didn't figure that part out. Now I think he's back to being Jalen Brunson."
Starks: Knicks have turned up defensive intensity in recent weeks
The Knicks are currently hot right now, riding a six-game win streak entering their Tuesday night game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
"I like where we are headed and I like the way we are playing right now. We're getting back to our DNA, and that's on the defensive end of the court. I think we lost a little bit of that during that losing streak. Guys got so worried about the offensive end that if you're struggling on offense, you can get it on the other end."
"We kind of turned the corner when we played against San Antonio. We started off from a defensive standpoint. I haven't seen these guys move that fast in awhile. It was like eight guys out there on the court on defense. That's how you could see that intensity level step up."
Starks does mention the recent back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, but said that's probably just the Los Angeles effect of having to travel all the way from the east coast to the west coast.
"Obviously, we took a step back against the Lakers and the Clippers, but that could be the Los Angeles effect and the driving and flying. But after that they got back to playing aggressively. On the defensive end, Golden State woke us up again.
“You gotta play hard, and you can't go out there and underestimate anybody in this league because they can beat you, and they just carry that over into the next game and the next game."
"I like where we are from a mentality standpoint. A couple of guys have to get going with their shots, but other than that, defensively, I like where we are heading into the playoffs."
Defense Should Lead For The Knicks
The former All-Defensive Second Team guard said he believes the team's identity is on the defensive end. If they can execute on that end, the sky's the limit for the Knicks. New York is fifth in points allowed per game and in defensive rating.
"You have to have an identity. You can't just go into the game and say one night we're going to play defense and one night we're not. Offensively, we're going to shoot the ball great, one night we're not."
"I think when you want to hang your hat for any team, you hang your hat on the defensive end of the court, because that keeps you in the games until your offense gets going."
"That's always been our mentality when I was here, and it's going to continue to be that way here in New York, because when this crowd gets going and is hollering, 'Defense! Defense!', they want you to go out there and guard."
"I think we got enough on the offensive end of the court. Our shooting has been a little erratic lately, but I think overall once playoff time comes, we'll work out the kinks and we should be fine."
John Starks spoke exclusively with DJ Siddiqi on behalf ofCovers.com. All quotes in this article are taken from an exclusive interview conducted by Covers.com. Journalists and media outlets are welcome to use these quotes, provided they are attributed to Covers.com. Please ensure links back to the original article to provide full context for readers.
