The Cincinnati Reds will line up against yet another left-handed starter on Thursday as Justin Wrobleski gets the start for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series finale between the two clubs.
Brady Singer starts for the Reds and will chuck the game’s first pitch at an early 12:40 PM ET.
Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:
After ending their win streak on Tuesday night, the San Diego Padres got back in the win column quickly. They stomped the Colorado Rockies with a 9-3 victory. Different from their previous wins, their damage didn’t all come in one big inning. Instead, the Friars scored two in the first, one in the second and fourth, four in the fifth and one in the sixth inning.
It was an all-around performance from the offense, backed by a solid performance from starter Robbie Ray and a resurgent effort from the bullpen. San Diego will go for the series win in Game 4 this afternoon. With their win tonight, and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ loss, they now are in full control of their playoff destiny. The Friars are 3.5 games ahead of the Dbacks and just behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs.
Gordon has pitched decently for the Rockies this season. He’s made 22 appearances (10 starts) with a 5.55 ERA. In his last two starts (8.2 IP), he surrendered nine earned runs. The Padres have tagged Colorado’s starters for 20 runs through the first three games of the series. It seems unlikely that stops in Game 4 against a pitcher of Gordon’s caliber.
That being said, the Padres’ lineup hasn’t faced Gordon much. Only two batters (Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin) have more than five at-bats against him. In that time, the two have combined to go 4-for-13. The hottest hitter has been Manny Machado, who owns a career .400 batting average and 2.171 OPS against the right-hander.
Every time King steps on the mound, it feels almost guaranteed that he’ll pitch a gem. Even when he doesn’t perform up to par with his insanely high standards, King still manages to get outs. He’s dangerously close to a sub-3.00 ERA this season (3.03 ERA through 175 innings).
The problem is that this is Coors Field, the land where anything happens. The Padres have seen many a game that seemed winnable dwindle before their eyes in Colorado. Hopefully, King will be able to beat the altitude and make his pitches work despite the harsh conditions.
The offense surged back in Game 3 against Colorado. The Padres scored nine runs, with three due to rookie catcher Ethan Salas having a two-homer performance. He clubbed his first home run, a solo shot, in the second inning before swatting another in the fifth.
Tatis had a DH day yesterday for the first time in a while. It’s possible that Merrill is the next to receive one. He hasn’t had any kind of rest in quite some time and could DH. That would put either Harris or Taylor in center. It’s also possible the Padres wait to do so until they go back to Petco Park (a stadium with a much smaller center field).
Ray pitched a solid six innings, surrendering three runs on two walks and three hits. Ray rebounded in this start after struggling in his last two starts. David Morgan and Yuki Matsui covered the final three frames. Apart from one hit, Morgan was perfect. Matsui struggled to find the zone after recording two outs, but eventually he closed the door on the Rox.
That leaves the Friars with a wealth of arms for the series finale. San Diego will have Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodriguez and Randy Vásquez available. That leaves the Padres with options should King stumble early.
Training camp is going to look a little different for the Florida Panthers this month than it has in past years.
That’s what will happen when you combine a longer-than-usual offseason and an abbreviated training camp and preseason schedule.
This year was the first over the past five that the Panthers did not play hockey until at least late May. They reached the second round during the 2022 playoffs and then played in the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, 2024 and 2025, winning championships during the latter two trips.
Now the Cats are entering a new season after not making playoffs for the first time since 2019, and they’re doing it in a year where the regular season is two games longer and training camp and the preseason have been cut shorter.
“There is no team in the league that's gone through what the teams will go through,” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday. “This is the shortest camp that I'll have ever been a part of. Fewest number of exhibition games, mandates on the number of games guys can play, veterans can play, so we have to learn real fast what the right (process will be).”
Maurice explained that he plans to change the way he handles his players during camp, now choosing to work his veterans early in the preseason instead of holding them back longer.
He also wants to get into the regular season meetings and preparation sooner rather than later, and this new way of running his veterans lends into that mindset.
“The longer you keep your teams in split groups, you can't work your special teams because you've got power plays on two different surfaces against different killers,” Maurice said. “It's not right, so we're going to run hard early with those, and then shut them down, and look at the last six days of training camp as a between series break in the playoffs. We’ll go right to special teams and things that we usually push till much later in the camp. But what we're doing with the new guys is exactly what we're doing with the veterans. If every player in this training camp had played for us last year, we’re going right back to basics, right back to the simplest things we do, the hardest things we do, and we're starting there. So, for the new guys, this is a great time to come here because we're starting with day one video.”
Considering the long offseason, the consensus from Panthers players this week has been that they just wanted to hit the ice and get started.
Regardless of how long or short training camp ends up, Maurice’s guys feel they’ll be ready when the games start to count.
“It doesn't matter,” said Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. “There could be a three-day training camp, and we'll get ourselves prepared.”
Florida’s first official training camp practice started at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
They’ll run a few days of practices before getting into their four-game preseason schedule, which will take place over a seven-day span starting on Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I think it's a unique experience for everybody,” said Panthers forward Brady Tkachuk. “Everybody's got to go through that shorter camp than what we've expected and what we've gone through in the past.”
With Maurice planning to push his veteran players harder during the early stages of camp, it will be interesting to see how they respond to the workload.
Last year, when Florida brought over 20 more players to their camp than this year (72 to 51), Maurice held his veterans back during the first days, abbreviating their exposure with such a large group and essentially giving them a preview of what this year’s shorter camp could be like.
“Once you start, the only thing that probably changes is you're probably able to do a little bit more on ice, get those reps in at a higher pace, as opposed to getting your rest as much as possible,” said Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. “The shorter training camp is something everyone's going through. It’s something that’s not really new to us; we tried it out a little bit last year. The quicker you can feel up to your best and get that pace high and intensity high, the better off you'll be.”
It certainly helps that many of Florida’s veteran players, including Ekblad, Reinhart, the Tkachuk brothers and Panthers captain Sasha Barkov, have all be taking part in informal workouts at the team’s practice rink in Fort Lauderdale over the past several weeks.
Sometimes working with skills coaches, sometimes setting their own pace and drills, the players have been ramping themselves up in anticipation of hitting the ground running when Opening Night arrives at the end of the month.
That’s why for some, the shorter training camp doesn’t feel like much of a difference.
“I still think training camp is too long, but that's maybe just me,” said Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk. “Guys have been here since like August 20th. Maybe we haven't been doing Paul's skates at the end of practice, but they've still been hard. Everybody's still pulling the rope the same way right now. Guys are in the weight room all day. We've been at this for at least a few weeks now, so I don't think we should have an issue once camp starts, once the season starts.”
Ultimately, the plan for camp is something that Maurice and his staff worked and tinkered with throughout the summer.
It’s a process that started immediately after last season ended, continued when the coaches and managers returned to South Florida around the NHL Draft and free agency, and finally came to fruition as the players began making their way back to Fort Lauderdale.
“One of the things I wrestled with this summer was how to tackle this,” Maurice explained. “The first one is we run a hard camp, but if you power your team for let's say 10 days, you're not right for two days after that, so it has to be a little bit more selective, but I still have to get that message across, and it still has to be hard and it has to be fast.”
Under Maurice, Florida has become one of the hardest teams to play against, combining speed, puck possession and suffocating checking.
It’s an incredibly difficult way to play on a daily basis, and it something the Panthers have strived at.
We’ll see if Maurice can keep the train moving amid the new adjustments to training camp.
“Sometimes you don't know when you tweak your drills, what's going to happen,” he said. “But we'll go real hard.”
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Mar 28, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Ron Chenoy/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Winnipeg Jets suspended goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for failing to report to training camp.
The team said general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff would address the media. It did not specify the length of the suspension for the U.S. Olympic star.
Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and 2025 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, publicly requested a trade from the team on Aug. 27.
In a statement posted on X by his agent, Ray Petkau, Hellebuyck said he had privately requested a trade “several months ago” and that he gave the organization time to address it “quietly and respectfully.”
“Winnipeg has been my home for my entire NHL career, and I will always be grateful for my time there,” Hellebuyck said. “I have never forgotten June 23, 2012. That’s the day Winnipeg took a chance on a goalie playing in Odessa, Texas. I gave everything I had from that moment to prove that the Jets made the right decision.”
Cheveldayoff had said before June’s NHL draft that he was listening to offers for Hellebuyck. At the time, he did not confirm that the goaltender had asked to be traded.
After a de facto bullpen game because of Blake Snell’s early exit, the Dodgers require length from Justin Wrobleski in an early start against the Reds.
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Apr 16, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Sergei Belski/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Drew Doughty was named captain of the Los Angeles Kings, inheriting the leadership position left vacant by Anze Kopitar’s retirement.
Doughty is the 15th captain in team history. He served as an alternate captain since 2016-17, when Kopitar replaced Dustin Brown as captain.
The 36-year-old Doughty is the franchise leader among defensemen in numerous categories, including goals, assists, points and games played and was a key piece in their Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014. He will start preparations for his 19th NHL season when the Kings open training camp.
“Being named captain of an NHL team is something I’m truly honored by, and it’s something I take great pride in,” Doughty said in a statement released by the team.
The decision to elevate Doughty to the role comes less than four months after general manager Ken Holland said the Kings would not discuss a contract extension this offseason. Doughty is entering the last season of a eight-year deal he signed in June 2018, but Holland indicated he wants Doughty to finish his career with the organization.
“He’s earned the right to have a lot of say in what happens, so I’m going to work with Drew,” Holland said on June 26. “He’s not worried about an extension, I’m not worried about an extension, and let’s just get more information about where things are at before we talk about going forward after the ’26-27 season.”
Doughty had five goals and 18 assists in 72 regular-season games but was held without a point in a four-game sweep against the Colorado Avalanche. He also helped Canada reach the goal medal final at the Milan Cortina Olympics where they lost 2-1 in overtime to the United States.
The Kings are going through a major leadership transition this season, with Kopitar ending his career after spending all 20 seasons with the club, and Peter Laviolette joining the team as head coach in June following a fifth straight first-round playoff exit. They have not won a postseason series since claiming their second Stanley Cup in 2014.
Forward Adrian Kempe and defenseman Mikey Anderson will continue to serve as alternate captains, while forward Artemi Panarin adds an “A” in his first full season with the Kings after being acquired in a trade from the New York Rangers in February to round out their leadership group.
Five biggest issues plaguing Red Sox with postseason looming originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox are still sitting comfortably in the second Wild Card spot, but there are several issues they must resolve before they start thinking about playoff baseball.
Boston is a mediocre 11-11 over its last 22 games. While that’s been good enough to sustain its playoff position, its play hasn’t exactly inspired optimism for a deep postseason run.
Most of the Red Sox’ problems can be linked to their underperforming lineup. Key hitters like Roman Anthony, Willson Contreras, Adley Rutschman and Wilyer Abreu have been concerningly inconsistent.
A deeper dive into the numbers suggests the struggling Sox will have their work cut out for them in their presumed Wild Card Series rematch at Yankee Stadium. Here are the club’s five biggest areas of concern with 10 games remaining:
The Red Sox need Roman Anthony to be one of their best offensive players to have any chance of a deep postseason run. If the former No. 1 prospect continues to play the way he has for most of September, that will be problematic.
Anthony is hitting just .149 (7-for-47) with one home run and a .428 OPS over his last 11 games. He has struck out 18 times in 51 plate appearances.
The 22-year-old’s struggles beg the question: should he still be the leadoff hitter in the postseason? Interim manager Chad Tracy will have no choice but to reevaluate Anthony’s spot in the lineup if his woes continue. The problem with that is there aren’t any exciting alternatives. The leadoff spot has been a glaring issue all season long, regardless of who has been thrust into the role.
The Red Sox offense has been inconsistent no matter who’s on the mound, but it has mostly struggled against pitchers with high velo. Here’s how some of Boston’s regulars have fared this season against pitches greater than or equal to 97 mph:
The Red Sox’ top performer against high velocity (97 mph and above) has been Caleb Durbin (.364 BA, .912 OPS, 161 pitches).
Being so vulnerable against high velocity will especially be a problem for Boston in its expected Wild Card Series matchup against the New York Yankees. Cy Young frontrunner and likely Game 1 starter Cam Schlittler averages 98 mph with his four-seam fastball, which he uses 44.5 percent of the time. Gerrit Cole averages 96.9 mph with his four-seam, using it 49.3 percent of the time.
Boston has been below average all season at capitalizing on runners in scoring position. It currently ranks 17th in batting average (.250) and 21st in OPS (.731) with RISP. They’re hitting just .212 in such situations through 14 games so far in September.
The Yankees’ elite pitching staff probably won’t provide the Red Sox with many scoring opportunities in their short series, so it’s imperative that they come through when given the chance. Lately, Boston hasn’t had anyone in its lineup to feel confident about when they step to the plate with runners on.
As great as guys like Willson Contreras, Caleb Durbin, and Wilyer Abreu were throughout the Red Sox’ incredible midseason turnaround, it was the role players who powered their surge. Mickey Gasper, Jahmai Jones, Nick Sogard, Anthony Seigler, and Andruw Monasterio were instrumental in resurrecting Boston’s season.
Gasper has cooled off, though no one expected him to sustain his Barry Bonds-like run. Jahmai Jones is 4 for his last 22 (.182) with nine strikeouts, suddenly making him a playoff roster cut candidate. Sogard is still hitting, but his .758 OPS so far in September suggests regression to the mean. Seigler is hurt. Monasterio posted a .578 OPS in August and is 0-for-11 so far in September, putting him on the playoff roster bubble.
That group deserves immense credit for getting the Red Sox here, but it cannot be counted on to propel the club through the postseason.
Boston’s bullpen is arguably its biggest strength heading into the postseason. The back end with Garrett Whitlock, Tyron Guerrero, and Aroldis Chapman is elite.
We would’ve included trade deadline addition Erik Miller in that group last month, when he allowed only one earned run with 20 strikeouts and just three walks across his first 11 appearances with the Red Sox. His performance so far this month, however, has been alarming.
Miller, acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the Marcelo Mayer trade, has allowed four earned runs with six walks and six strikeouts through five appearances (4.1 IP) in September. His command struggles were a question mark upon his joining the club, and it appears that issue has reemerged with less than two weeks until the playoffs.
After Wednesday’s poor outing against the Texas Rangers (2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB), Miller attributed his recent struggles to his mechanics. The Red Sox will hope that whatever the problem is, it’s a quick fix, because Miller will be counted on to be their most reliable left-handed reliever not named Aroldis Chapman.
CINCINNATI –– Even after watching Roki Sasaki complete the final checkmark in his recovery from a blister on Wednesday afternoon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn’t say for sure how the team would use the 24-year-old phenom pitcher.
All year, it seemed clear that Sasaki was destined to wind up back in the Dodgers bullpen, reprising the late-inning leverage role he unexpectedly ascended to as a rookie last October.
Though he had turned a corner as a starter during the second half of this campaign, posting a 2.31 ERA in his first six outings after the All-Star break, he had still long looked like a superfluous piece of the Dodgers’ rotation, an excess arm stuck behind the four veteran superstars the club had penciled in to lead this fall’s World Series push.
However, Roberts remained non-committal about Sasaki’s plan on Wednesday, after the right-hander completed a four-inning, 48-pitch session of live batting practice in Cincinnati, in what was hoped to be his final step before returning from the injured list.
On the one hand, the skipper noted, the Dodgers could shift Sasaki to the bullpen now, give him time to re-acclimate to relief duties, and let him focus on just short-burst stints.
But on the other, “one can argue it’s best to [let him] take down a couple starts and keep him built up,” Roberts countered. “Because if something does happen, then he is built up.”
Hours later, the something Roberts was worried about might have suddenly happened –– with Blake Snell’s groin injury having direct repercussions on Sasaki’s potential task.
In Wednesday night’s game, Snell left his start after just one inning because of left groin tightness. While he’s hopeful he avoided any serious injury, he has had bouts of groin issues in the past that have sidelined him for up to a month at a time.
If that were to be the case again now, Sasaki would be first in line to replace Snell in the Dodgers’ postseason rotation.
Mix in the uncertainty surrounding fellow starter Tyler Glasnow faced following his four-inning outing last weekend in Miami –– after which he conspicuously returned immediately to Los Angeles to limit extra travel on the rest of this road trip –– and Sasaki now seems like a valuable starting-pitching insurance policy the Dodgers might still need to utilize in the playoffs.
That’s why, by the end of Wednesday’s game, Roberts was able to at least be definitive about the team’s plan for Sasaki when he comes off the injured list, confirming he is likely to make a start sometime next week, perhaps during a visit from the San Diego Padres.
In a best-case scenario, that will be Sasaki’s last time starting a game this year, with an otherwise healthy rotation allowing the Dodgers to shift him to an equally banged-up bullpen.
But for now, the team can’t be certain of anything.
Which means, when it comes to Sasaki, all options remain on the table.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is entering his 22nd season in the NHL and has a chance to set another goal-scoring record.
But the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer's opening news conference for the 2026-27 season also dealt with his appearance in a political ad for the United Russia Party, which supports president Vladimir Putin.
MultipleRussian news outlets have published images and video of the commercial showing Ovechkin, a Moscow native, standing behind Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, a prominent figure in Putin's Kremlin and the leading parliamentary candidate for the United Russia Party. Other Russian celebrities appeared in the ad.
"They asked me to do this, and I said yes," he said at the opening of his news conference, which occurred on his 41st birthday.
He said there was no hesitiation on his part.
"I'm Russian and I support my country," he said.
He's planning to live with his family is Russia after he retires.
"I'm for peace and love and I hope everything is going to be OK," he said.
Ovechkin said he heard no backlash over the ad, but there has been.
Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek, a Czechia native and frequent critic of Russia's war against Ukraine, said, "Everyone in this photograph has chosen to officially support Russia's imperialist war in Ukraine. Among them are also hockey player Ovechkin and former hockey player and national team captain (Slava) Fetisov. Because of each of them, many Ukrainians and Russians will be killed."
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C. sent a letter to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman asking him to "clarify what policies, if any, govern the participation of active players in political advertisements or propaganda on behalf of dictatorial political parties and foreign political regimes. I further request that the League and the Capitals organization clarify any endorsement of Putin’s party is not a official position of the NHL or the Washington Capitals."
Ovechkin has been tied to Putin before the political ad.
He had started a social movement supporting Putin ahead of the 2017 Russian presidential election, and a picture of the two of them is the profile picture of the winger's Instagram account.
The Capitals had called a news conference in February 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in which Ovechkin answered questions about the war.
"It’s a hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine, and it’s hard to see the war," he told reporters. "I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world."
Ovechkin was asked at the time whether he supported Putin amid the invasion.
"He’s my president but … I’m not in politics," he said. "I’m an athlete and how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s a hard situation right now for both sides. … I'm not in control of the situation."
Capitals spokesperson Sergey Kocharov provided the following statement to USA TODAY Sports
“Alex Ovechkin is a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family during the offseason and will live there following his retirement. This summer, while in Russia, he was asked by his country to participate in a video campaign. As the longest-tenured athlete in Washington, D.C. and a pillar of the community, his focus and ours is on the season ahead and the continued impact he makes on the ice and in our city.”
Ovechkin signed a bonus-laden deal for this season. He broke Wayne Gretzky's goal record in 2025 and has a chance for another this season.
Ovechkin trails Gretzky by 10 goals when it comes to combined regular season and playoff goals (1,116). Ovechkin has scored 929 goals in the regular season and 77 in the playoffs.
Contributing: Mark Giannotto
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Ovechkin on Russian political ad appearance: 'I support my country'
While the Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto will forever be linked to the Clippers salary cap circumvention findings and punishments, the motivations for it were never fully — or even mostly — about that. The Clippers already were pivoting away from the Leonard/Paul George era before everything hit the fan, and they had no intention of giving Leonard the massive extension he wanted. He then wanted to go to a team that would pay him.
Enter the Toronto Raptors.
Leonard and the Raptors "have held advanced discussions and are nearing an agreement on a contract extension," reports NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Those talks were always expected but, like the trade to Toronto itself, were put on hold as the Raptors waited for the NBA investigation to play itself out.
To answer the first question: Leonard has a different agent handling these negotiations, Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports. "Uncle" Dennis Robertson has been banned from doing any business in the league for five years, not that he had any clients outside Leonard.
The bigger question here is money. Leonard will make $50.3 million this season in the final year of his current contract, and is eligible for a max extension of two years, $126 million. The Raptors are likely looking for something below the $100 million mark for two years, because paying big money to a 35-year-old with a lengthy injury history is a massive risk.
When healthy, Leonard is still elite: Last season in 65 games, he averaged 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, shot 38.7% from 3 and played high-level defense. Having him and Scottie Barnes at forward gives the Raptors two All-NBA-level players who can lift them into the top four and make them a threat in the East.
The risk is Leonard being on the court enough to have that impact. Both the Raptors organization and its fans understand the need to prioritize recovery and give him days off during the season to maximize his chances of playing 65 games again (and being good to go for the playoffs).
Whatever the final number, look for Leonard to sign a two-year extension, which will take him to age 38. He says he wants Toronto to be the last stop in his career.
CHICAGO — As Pete Crow-Armstrong came up with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, the Wrigley Field crowd chanted “M-V-Pete! M-V-Pete!” — and not for the first time.
The fans serenaded the Chicago star after his first home run, his 43rd to break Billy Williams’ Cubs record for left-handed hitters. They made their feelings known after his RBI triple and after his 44th home run.
Even when Crow-Armstrong struck out on five pitches in the eighth, he still received a standing ovation on his way back to the dugout at the end of a 3 for 4 night with three RBIs and three runs in an 8-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves, his seventh multi-home-run game of the season.
With Shohei Ohtani still on the injured list with right biceps inflammation, Crow-Armstrong keeps hitting home runs, closing in on the first 40-40 season in Cubs history, putting the finishing touches on his MVP case, at least as far as Cubs fans are concerned.
“You’re shaking your head in amazement, sometimes,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “In amazement. You know, you don’t get to see this. That’s what I told Alex (Bregman): ‘We don’t get to see things like this.’ You spend your whole life in baseball and you just don’t see this happen on a baseball field.
“You’re grateful to be a part of it. You’re grateful to see things like this. And then you’re grateful the fans get to see a season like this. They’re going to talk about it. They’re going to tell their kids about it. They’re going to tell their grandkids about a season like this.”
Yet as he’s gone from breakthrough player to MVP candidate to MVP favorite, Crow-Armstrong has been unfazed by the pressure, his performance unwavering as the Cubs chase a wild-card spot.
“I keep it pretty simple,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I enjoy just kind of laying low, as I always do and always will. I’ve got a really nice support system.”
Only one home run behind Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the major league lead, Crow-Armstrong is hitting. 283 with 105 RBIs, 29 doubles and 37 stolen bases to go with Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field.
Crow-Armstrong’s breakthrough season at age 24 has him at or near the top of every offensive metric in the NL while also tapping out the vocabulary of Shota Imanaga.
“We can always say he’s great, or he’s excellent, but really there’s no words to describe him,” Imanaga said through an interpreter. “So I’ll think of a new word in English for that.”
The Knicks committed a ticketing turnover and are working to get back possession of more affordable prices.
After their individual game tickets were listed Wednesday with eye-popping prices — including a $1,000-plus minimum for the season opener against the Sixers — the Knicks suspended sales because of an internal mistake, The Post has learned.
The team plans to restart sales early next week with more modest prices. The new markups will be roughly 12% above last season’s prices, which is the same hike for season-ticket holders.
Fans who already purchased individual tickets will be refunded the difference to the roughly 12% increase.
“We are pausing Knicks individual ticket sales due to a mistake in our pricing,” an MSG spokesperson told The Post. “We are rolling back to last year’s prices plus an average increase of 12%.
“We will restart sales with new prices shortly, and anyone who already purchased individual tickets will be refunded the difference. Our intention was never to overcharge our loyal fans, and we thank everyone for their support of the Knicks and their patience as we get this right.”
In other words, the prices will drop dramatically from the $2,500 average initially released for opening night.
A source close to the situation said the pricing error was a first-time mistake for MSG and it was never the intent to price gouge fans after a championship season.
Under owner James Dolan, the Garden’s policy was to not raise prices if the team failed to qualify for the postseason. But upticks have become commonplace since Jalen Brunson’s arrival, with the Knicks advancing to the playoffs in four straight years – including last season’s title run.
The result is expensive tickets at MSG for Knicks games — just not as expensive as the prices mistakenly listed Wednesday.
MSG and the Knicks have tried to counter price gouging with their Fan First program, which is intended to weed out the marauding brokers.
With the 2026 campaign in the books, let's open up the mailbag to discuss some of the Mets' top prospects...
Voit won the Mets Player Development Player of the Year after a breakout 2026 season. The 2025 first-round pick entered the season as the No. 10-ranked prospect in the Mets system.
In his first offseason after being drafted, the Mets and Voit remade his swing from college to allow him to more consistently impact the ball. The adjustment that he was working with could have led to a slow start to his pro career with High-A Brooklyn, hitting .219 with a .697 OPS in his first two months as a professional.
His season took off from there and went to even another level upon reaching Double-A Binghamton. The 21-year-old slashed .347/.430/.517 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI in 29 Double-A games. He rose to No. 5 on SNY’s top 30 prospect list midseason and may end up a little higher when the system is re-ranked in the offseason.
Looking ahead to 2027, Marcus Semien is the incumbent at second base. Voit is a natural second baseman who has begun to play some shortstop this season to add defensive versatility. Right now, No. 13 prospect Émilien Pitre and No. 1 prospect Jefferson Rojas (more on him in a minute) have already made it to Triple-A and have also played second base. They could be ahead of Voit on the organizational depth chart heading into 2027.
Having competition for who takes a stranglehold on second base is nothing but a good thing. I would anticipate that when/if there is a spring training, all three of the names above will be in big league camp competing for a spot, assuming they are all still with the organization.
Voit told the media after accepting the Player of the Year award that his focus is on going to instructs in Port St. Lucie this fall and setting up a plan with the staff of how he can impact the big-league team in 2027.
I don’t think I would look at Voit as someone being on the Benge-like timeline of being the strongest candidate to start 2027 at second base. With that said, I believe he will get the opportunity to make an impact on the 2027 Mets, but it might be more on an A.J. Ewing type of timeline rather than Benge.
The Mets' No. 1 prospect Rojas has done nothing but hit since joining the organization in the Clay Holmes/Tyrone Taylor trade, including hitting his second home run in his second game with Triple-A Syracuse. The power has looked real. Rojas is up to 200 pounds, and his 90th percentile exit velocity of 104.2 mph shows there is above-average power in his bat.
There are multiple factors to consider with this question. Heading into the winter, the free agent class on paper is weak in comparison to past years. There is some thought in league circles that this could lead to an increase in the number of trades that occur in whatever type of offseason it ends up being with the pending lockout.
It is also possible that given the uncertainty surrounding what the sport’s financial system will look like, prospects could be even more valuable. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was not shy after the trade deadline in saying that some of the prospects in the system could impact the Mets roster, and some could end up being used in trades.
While Rojas has played second base and shortstop, the near consensus from scouts I talk to is that Rojas fits best at third base. The Mets currently have Bo Bichette as their third baseman, though he possesses an opt-out each of the next two offseasons. If Bichette opts in and is with the Mets in 2027, pending health, Rojas' pathway to a near-term opportunity at third base is blocked. If Bichette were to opt out, that runway to opportunity at third base would be wide open.
If the Mets are going to consider a significant trade, given his season and proximity to the big leagues, Rojas is going to be a prospect teams around the sport are asking about.
If the Mets believe Rojas can profile as a second baseman, then he could be competing with Semien, Pitre, and Voit for a job on the Opening Day roster.
I hate to ride the fence, but Rojas is a valuable piece, however you slice it. He could be the long-term option at either third or second base depending on how the roster shakes out, or he could be a part of a package to make a significant trade this winter, perhaps for a starting pitcher?
After playing two series in two weeks against a lowly Reds team, the Dodgers have two of their final three series of 2026 against a bad San Francisco Giants squad, the first of which starts Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Tyler Glasnow starts the series opener for the Dodgers, with left-hander Cesar Perdomo pitching for San Francisco.
Friday is the 17th and final exclusive national television broadcast of the regular season for the Dodgers. Wayne Randazzo will call play-by-play for Apple TV, the fourth time the Dodgers are on the streaming service this season. Dontrelle Willis will be the analyst, calling his eighth consecutive Dodgers game.
After four seasons in the NCAA, Charlie Stramel finally signed an entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild, and excitement around his arrival is high.
Leading up to his draft year, Stramel was considered a top-10 pick, or at the very least a candidate to land in the top 10. As a late-2004 birthday, Stramel missed the cutoff for the 2022 draft and was selected by the Wild in the first round (21st overall) of the 2023 NHL draft.
His first two seasons of college hockey with the University of Wisconsin were very underwhelming, but the move to Michigan State unlocked his game. In his first season with the Spartans, his junior year, Stramel posted nine goals and 27 points in 37 games. But his senior season is when things finally came together, as the 21-year-old scored 19 goals and 44 points in 37 games.
Stramel morphed into one of the better players in college hockey and proved to the Minnesota brass that he was ready to begin his professional career.
After signing his entry-level contract, Stramel will have the opportunity to compete in training camp and pre-season to make the opening-night NHL roster. The question is whether he has the tools to play a bottom-six role, or if his skill stands out enough to warrant a spot in the top six.
If he can provide neither, he'll likely start in the AHL, but he is gunning for an NHL job.
"That’s for sure a goal of mine,” Stramel told reporters last week during the team’s prospect camp. “I’m going to have to bring it in camp and hopefully show them what I’m capable of. But at the end of the day, if it doesn’t happen right away, it doesn’t happen right away.”
Minnesota Wild Announce 2026-27 Training Camp Roster, Preseason ScheduleQuinn Hughes and fresh additions join Kirill Kaprizov in St. Paul, while Jesper Wallstedt takes the spotlight in net with Filip Gustavsson sidelined by early-season injury.There is no shame in starting in the AHL; for many prospects, it helps them acclimate to the style of play and speed they may face in the NHL. But with some of the off-season departures the Wild faced, it would be great to see a top prospect like Stramel force his way into the lineup.
Stramel has the physical tools, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 212 pounds. His game is built on his playmaking, as he excels in small areas of the ice. His hockey IQ is arguably his greatest strength, and he uses that to be a step ahead of the game.
His ability to play on the wing or up the middle could be another valuable trait that helps him land an NHL job.
Six Questions Facing The Wild Entering Training CampFrom contract tension surrounding Quinn Hughes to a high-stakes battle for the top center spot, Minnesota enters camp balancing Stanley Cup ambitions with critical roster uncertainties.But it won't be an easy task for Stramel. If he starts on the wing, he can't beat out Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy in top-six roles, and in the bottom six, Stramel doesn't have the physicality of Yakov Trenin or Marcus Foligno to beat them. Additionally, Blake Coleman provides offense and penalty killing, and Nick Foligno is a veteran leader who also brings physicality. The two players he can truly compete with are Maxim Shabanov and Bobby Brink, but they, too, have more NHL experience than Stramel.
Up the middle, Stramel won't beat Joel Eriksson Ek, doesn't bring the physicality of Michael McCarron on the fourth line, nor the veteran experience of Ryan Hartman, and like Brink and Shabanov, he is likely unable to beat out Danila Yurov.
It's more than an uphill battle, but Stramel will be given the opportunity to prove himself.
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