There we are, one night of hockey left before the Montreal Canadiens wrap up their preseason. Much like Saturday, they’ll split it in two: one group will host the Ottawa Senators in Montreal, while the other will head to Ottawa to take on the other half of the Sens. Perhaps wisely, considering what happened to Ivan Demidov last preseason against the Sens (that forearm slashing thanks to Nick Cousin) and the fact that he missed practice a couple of times this week, Martin St-Louis has decided that the young Russian won’t be playing tonight, just like Lane Hutson, who will also be a healthy scratch.
Meanwhile, it will be a special night for Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki as he faces his brother Ryan for the first time in an NHL game, even if it’s just an exhibition one. Suzuki and the top line will lead the group playing in Montreal tonight. The lines and pairings are expected to be as follows:
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Chris Kreider
Alex Newhook – Phillip Danault – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alexandre Texier – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Florian Xhekaj – Owen Beck – Tyler Thorpe
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Luke Mittelstadt – Alex Carrier
Maksymilian Szuber – Etan Samson
Jacob Fowler
Samuel Montembeault
St-Louis said in his post-practice presser that Fowler and Montembeault would split the game in Montreal tonight, while Jakub Dobes will play the whole game in Ottawa. This will be the first time Montembeault steps between the posts at the Bell Centre and a great way to see if he can perform well in the pressure cooker that is the Habs’ home.
As for the squad who'll play in Ottawa, its lineup will be as follows:
Zach Bolduc – Oliver Kapanen – Kirby Dach
Jared Davidson – Laurent Dauphin – Alex Belzile
Brett Berard – Hunter McKown – Sasha Pastujov
Samuel Poulin – Filip Mesar – Dillan Bentley
Jayden Struble – Arber Xhekaj
Adam Engstrom – David Reinbacher
Owen Protz – Reilly Walsh
Jakub Dobes
Kaapo Kahkonen
If you were hoping to see the big questions answered in tonight’s lineup, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. The first line seems set in stone; the second line probably is, too. As for the last two lines, it’s a bit more complicated. NHL contracts probably mean the youngest, Xhekaj, will head down to Laval, even if he’s unlikely to spend the whole year there, and Dach will be the 13th forward to start the season.
On the blueline, the Matheson-Dobson pairing seems to be there to stay, but it’s hard to predict what the rest of the defense corps will look like. David Reinbacher had a great camp, and he’ll have another opportunity to show what he can do in Ottawa tonight. Since he’ll be skating in the same game as the oldest Xhekaj and Struble, it may be a bit easier to compare the three and call the shots. With Kaiden Gule still sidelined, Reinbacher appears to be the front-runner to stick around to start the season. Will it be as the seventh defenseman or in the actual lineup? That is the question. And if it is in the lineup, whose spot is he taking?
Earlier today, the Habs announced that 12 players had been assigned to the Laval Rocket, including Vincent Arsenault, Alexander Legkov, and Xavier Simoneau, among others. Essentially, they were the guys in Group C at the start of camp and were always destined for the AHL at the end of camp. The rest of the answers will have to wait a bit longer. There might be cuts tonight after the two games, but teams have until Monday at 5:00 PM to submit their 23-man, cap-compliant roster, and the Habs have tomorrow off.
Les joueurs suivants ont été cédés au Rocket de Laval · The following players have been assigned to the Laval Rocket:
V. Arseneau, J. Dion, A. Dubinsky, B. Hache, H. Jones, F. Lapenna, A. Legkov, K. Mandolese, K. McCallum, I. Mianscum, J. Nadeau & X. Simoneau.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 5 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at everyone's favorite number - Jersey #5.
Let's take a look at who wore 5, and where they are now.
Jamie Pushor - 2001-2006 - Drafted by Pittsburgh in 1989.
Heward played 97 games with Columbus and had 30 points. 69 of his games came during the inaugural season for Columbus.
After several years in Europe, he returned to the NHL and retired with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009. Pushor has been the AGM and Director of Player Personnel for the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2018.
Darryl Sydor - 2004 - Drafted by LA in 1990.
Sydor played a total of 49 games for Columbus during the 2003-04 season. He was traded to the Jackets in the Summer of 2003 and then traded to the Lightning during that season. He had 15 points for Columbus.
He went on to play another five NHL seasons before retiring on July 13, 2010. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant for the Blues and Wild. He also owns the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL.
Christian Bäckman - 2009 - Drafted by St. Louis in 1998.
Bäckman played 56 games for the Jackets in 2008-09 after being acquired by Columbus in the trade that sent Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche to the Rangers.
He left for Europe in 2009, where he signed with
Frölunda HC in Sweden. He retired in 2015.
Aaron Johnson - 2012 - Drafted by Columbus in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the power play. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."
During his time with Columbus, he also spent three years with the AHL Syracuse Crunch, where he had 73 points in those three seasons.
In 2016, he left North America and signed on with Adler Mannheim of the DEL in Germany. He then left for England, where he played for the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL. In 2021, he became a player-assistant Coach for a season. He came back home to Columbus in 2021 and joined the Jackets as a Team Consultant. Last season, he was the Team Relations Specialist for the Jackets.
Jack Skille - 2014 - Drafted by Chicago in 2005.
Skille played 61 games for Columbus and had 12 points. On July 6, 2013, Skille was signed as a free agent by the CBJ, but the following summer, he left in free agency. On October 5, 2014, Skille was claimed off waivers by Columbus, where he would play in 45 games. He left Columbus again and would play a season in Colorado and a season in Vancouver.
In 2017, he left for Europe, where he played in Russia, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. He retired in 2021 and went into coaching. He was the skills coach and the Director of Skills Development for the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies franchise in 25-26, and is currently an asst. coach for the Schwenniger Wild Wings of the DEL in Germany.
Gavin Bayreuther - 2022 - Undrafted out of Canaan, New Hampshire.
Bayreuther played 103 games for Columbus and totaled 23 points over three seasons. He also played for the Dallas Stars.
He was made famous in 2021 when he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft. One week later, he signed a two-year deal with Columbus, marking the end of his long tenure with Seattle.
After playing a season in Switzerland for Lausanne HC, he came back to North America and played for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL last year. He is currently unsigned and is running the Bayreuther Hockey Club in Maine. BHC is a skills camp for young hockey players.
Denton Mateychuk - 2025 - Drafted by Columbus in 2022.
Mateychuk was called up midway through the 24-25 season and never looked back. He played in 45 games for the CBJ and scored 13 points. He was also a plus-4, which isn't bad for a young defenseman.
Before being called up from the Cleveland Monsters, he was having a good season in the AHL. Playing in just 27 games, he scored 9 goals and totaled 25 points, so the Jackets had no choice but to call him up.
Mateychuk earned a spot on the NHL's All-Rookie Team for his play in 24-25 and put up 31 points in his first full NHL season last year.
This season, Mateychuk will be expected to take yet another step forward and help his club into the playoffs.
Colson Montgomery made history for all the wrong reasons Friday night, breaking a 17-year-old record for strikeouts in a single season during his first full year in the majors.
The record was previously held by Mark Reynolds, who struck out 223 times in 2009.
Montgomery, the White Sox shortstop, struck out for the 224th time this season at home against Colorado, setting a new single-season mark.
Colson Montgomery just broke the @MLB single season strikeout record with his 224th strikeout!
I don’t really know what he is looking for with a 3-2 count but apparently it wasn’t a 93mph fastball right down the middle.
The record-setting strikeout came in the fifth inning against Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.
With a full count, Montgomery watched a 93-mph fastball down the middle of the plate go by.
Montgomery is batting .199/.285/.407 this season. Despite the modest averages, the 24-year-old has hit 31 home runs, driven in 87 runs, and posted a 1.9 WAR for the White Sox.
His impact has been more evident in the field, with Chicago director of hitting Ryan Fuller describing Montgomery’s year as “unbelievable.”
It’s possible he could be passed this weekend, though, with Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber sitting at 218 strikeouts with two games left against the Rays.
Montgomery tied the record Thursday night in Kansas City, but the team’s celebration in the locker room was focused on clinching its first playoff berth since 2021.
Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery misses the ball for a strike during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Rate Field in Chicago, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The South Siders became the first team in MLB history to reach the postseason after back-to-back 100-loss seasons.
It has been a frustrating month for Montgomery, who has hit .111 so far, with 38 strikeouts and eight walks.
“I was told this by someone really close, that I know, is they asked me: ‘Did Shaquille O’Neal care about his free-throw percentage? Probably not,’” Montgomery said.
Chicago White Sox’s Colson Montgomery reacts after striking out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
“He’s just going out there and doing the things he knows he’s really good at and that’s dominating his craft. It’s what I’m trying to do. Try not to think about it at all.”
Even with the record, manager Will Venables still believes in his young infielder.
“In Colson’s case, he doesn’t like the strikeout, but I also don’t see him going up there just trying not to strike out, or the idea of a strikeout is consuming him or taking away from his approach and aggressiveness,” Venables said.
The White Sox finish the regular season with two more games against Colorado before the playoffs start.
They sit one game behind Cleveland in the AL Central and will either earn a bye as the No. 2 seed or be the No. 6 seed and face the AL West winner in the Wild Card round.
There is common ground in the ongoing contract extension talks: Karl-Anthony Towns wants to stay in New York and even retire someday as a Knick; New York wants to keep the center who was a key part of its championship core.
"I want to talk about the overall value of the contract, because Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible to sign a four-year, $276 million extension. That's his max that he's eligible to get... He and his side have a position on what he wants to sign for. The Knicks have a position on what they have offered. So those are the parameters. From what I understand, they are tens of millions apart. They're not close."
Then ESPN's Tim MacMahon chimed in:
"I believe that they could be eight figures apart on an annual basis."
Towns is under contract this season for $57 million. The extension talks start with 2027-28, when Towns has a $61 million player option. New York wants Towns to opt out of that big number and take less per year in exchange for more guaranteed money across multiple years, but the question is: how much less per year? A contract that starts at $45 million a season? $55 million? Whatever that starting number is impacts the overall number of that contract.
Towns is just the first contract the Knicks are dealing with, a wave of extensions is about to roll in over this team — and owner James Dolan has repeatedly said it would be "suicidal" to be over the second apron. In 2028-29 (two seasons out), a Jalen Brunson extension would kick in (don't expect a massive discount this time around), a Josh Hart extension also would begin, and an OG Anunoby extension likely would start that season as well. With all of that, keeping this championship core together gets incredibly difficult. The Ringer's Zach Lowe said on a recent podcast he projects the Knicks at the luxury tax with just nine players on the roster in two years.
That said, the Knicks want to keep Towns, an All-Star and All-NBA center, an anchor of a championship team, a fan favorite and now a New York legend. And Towns wants to say.
But money issues have broken up plenty of relationships.
Tampa Tarpons center fielder Yostin Pena (27) at bat during the Tarpons vs Lakeland Flying Tigers game at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, USA, on July 28, 2026. (Photo by Carl Rizzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The minor-league season has officially come to an end, a season in which we saw a bit of a shift from the usual trend of Yankees’ minor league seasons.
We didn’t see too many midseason departures due to a weird deadline, we didn’t see a plethora of starting pitchers excel and we saw, for once, a group of hitting prospects that actually showed promise. Remember, entering this year, the No. 4 hitting prospect in the organization behind George Lombard Jr., Dax Kilby, and Spencer Jones was… who, exactly?
Scott will have you covered in the coming days with a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders-intensive recap, but here’s the final evaluation of the rest of the full-season affiliates in a player-specific format, where I highlight some of the players to watch who defined the seasons at their respective levels.
Double-A Somerset Patriots
Record: 74-64
Run differential: +45
Hitters
OF Jace Avina: The hitter with the best name brand here, Avina had a solid season all around in his first season in Double-A, but warts still remain. Acquired in the Jake Bauers trade after 2023 (who would’ve thought he’d turn into that in Milwaukee), Avina was remarkably consistent all year through late July, even winning Eastern League Player of the Month after posting a 1.106 OPS in May.
However, as has been his bugaboo at times in his career, he ended the season in a slump, hitting just .229 with a 90 wRC+ in his final 41 games. It might’ve been the result of a midseason approach change, as he cut down on strikeouts at the expense of power production. When he was raking during the early summer, he was striking out nearly 30 percent of the time. He should get to Triple-A at some point next year, but I’m not convinced he’s passed all the tests to get there yet.
1B/3B Coby Morales: Somerset’s MVP in 2026, the corner infielder was a 20/20 bat this year at the level, showing a side of him that we hadn’t quite seen. The 2023 18th-round pick out of Washington started his professional career with extremely little pop, but has slowly tapped into his raw power over the course of his career. Now finishing his age-24 season, Morales was reliable all season long in Somerset.
He finished slashing .282/.372/.479 with a 129 wRC+ while splitting time at first and third base. I’m not entirely sure of his big league projectability, but this is a guy who will be in Scranton next year. With 156 total games of Double-A experience, it’s time to see if he can sink or swim.
OF DJ Gladney: There were a few quiet minor-league free agent signings who fared pretty well for the Yankees this year. Gladney is one of them, posting a 113 wRC+ in Double-A after spending six years in the White Sox organization. We’ll see if he re-ups on another minor league deal or heads elsewhere.
1B/LF Josh Moylan: Every draft, the Yankees pick one guy who displayed big-time power in college and see if it translates. It doesn’t usually work, and it seemed like Moylan would be the latest example of the archetype failing in the pros… but maybe there’s something there. After struggling to hit much of anything through 2025, the 24-year-old finally got on a heater down in High-A before a late June promotion. After being called up, he posted a 118 wRC+ in 68 games in his first taste of Double-A. His 29 home runs were the most in the farm this year. Keep an eye on him.
C Manuel Palencia: Through late June, the closest catching prospect to the majors in the system was one of the worst hitters in the entire system, but he suddenly found something when the calendar flipped to August. After hitting one singular homer in his entire pro career through June 30th, he had six in July. In his final 150 plate appearances, he slashed .319/.351/.521. I’d have him repeat the level to see if those two months were a fluke or a sign of things to come.
Garrett Martin, Tyler Hardman, Marco Luciano: A grab bag of guys you’ll hear about from Scott in his Scranton roundup. These three guys were part of a historic start to the season for the Patriots, combining for 44 home runs in 550 plate appearances. Hardman hit a wall in Triple-A, the erstwhile Giants prospect Luciano did incredibly well and should push for a 40-man spot this offseason, and Martin suffered a season-ending injury in July. It’s a real shame; he was on pace to go well past 30/30 this season.
Starting Pitchers
Ben Hess: Just a really disappointing season from the former first-round pick. He had a 4.45 ERA in 56.2 innings, struggling with a high walk rate despite having stretches of brief brilliance with his enticing stuff. The injuries were rough, costing him a month early in the year and leaving him with a summer of building back up. Just a few weeks after finally getting back to full strength, he was put on the 60-day injured list. Next year will be big for him.
Xavier Rivas: This was Somerset’s best pitcher all season. In 81.1 innings, the former 16th-round pick pitched to a 3.65 ERA with a 22.0 K-BB%, boasting one of the largest strikeout rates of any Double-A pitcher by leaning heavily on his filthy secondaries. He hit a major wall in Triple-A and will have to fine-tune some things to avoid being the next Edgar Barclay with his low-90s fastball, but it was a step forward for a guy who has a case to be the org’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Rory Fox: If it’s not Rivas, it might be Fox. The Notre Dame product had a really strong debut season, tossing 130 total innings across two levels. What might be most impressive? After being so-so in Hudson Valley, he was aggressively pushed to Somerset in late July and excelled, pitching to a 3.97 ERA in eight starts across 47.2 innings. This guy eats innings like a bowl of cereal in the morning.
Cade Smith: Not related to the Guardians’ closer, Smith had some prospect stock entering the season, but is likely off everyone’s boards after struggling to a 5.27 ERA in 124.2 innings. The 24-year-old former sixth-round pick will repeat the level in 2026 looking to find the stuff that had him jump up prospect lists in A-ball a few years ago.
Relievers
Kelly Austin: A former Astros prospect acquired last July, Austin was Somerset’s closer in 2025, but had to repeat the level this year. I thought he might be able to break through into Scranton this year, but he battled some early struggles to make his season numbers more palatable towards the end, as the 25-year-old finished with a 3.61 ERA in 57 innings.
Hayden Merda: He earned a late-season promotion to Scranton for his exceptional work down here this season. When he was drafted, he sat 91-92. Now, two years after Tommy John surgery? How about 96-98? Command is still a bit of an issue, but he struck out 67 in 41.2 effective innings at this level this season.
Tony Rossi: The Yankees love to play with overage undrafted free agents with outlier traits in the bullpen. Rossi is quite old for a guy who made his pro debut last summer, but the 26-year-old has been exceptional at keeping the ball in the ballpark (3 HR allowed in 94 career innings) and racking up strikeouts. He had a 27.0 K-BB% in the minors this year while not allowing many homers and a .171 BAA. That’s not bad.
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades
Record: 65-65
Run differential: +4
Hitters
INF Core Jackson: It was a strong debut season for Jackson, who battled a few minor ailments (three different injured list stints) to have one of the more productive all-around seasons in the system, slashing .262/.360/.459 with 41 stolen bases in 101 games across two levels, being promoted in early August to Somerset. He spent much of the season at shortstop, but should settle at second or third base long term. The former fifth-round pick is in a good spot to be a featured face in Somerset in his age-23 season next year.
INF Roderick Arias: Remember me? The former uber-prospect revived his stock after a miserable two years in Tampa and a dreadful first two months in Hudson Valley, with an exceptional finish to the season, slashing .305/.377/.521 with a 133 wRC+ in his final 83 games across two levels. He’s still extremely athletically gifted and just turned 22 years old. He popped some big exit velocities and displayed tremendous arm strength, splitting time at shortstop and third base this year. He has a toolkit; let’s keep an eye on him next year.
C Eric Genther: Is this the new best catching prospect in the system? Hard to say. Genther, a former outfielder from Rhode Island, converted to catcher after signing as an undrafted free agent last summer and spent this season as a work in progress on both sides. He bounced back from a putrid start (0 HR in first 40 games) to ultimately finish as the Renegades’ best hitter, and should get to go to Somerset next year. Now, he is an extreme work in progress behind the plate, allowing a truly baffling number of stolen bases (196 in 65 starts).
OF Wilson Rodriguez: You don’t hear of many players coming from Puerto Rico anymore because of how their pipeline has changed over the years, but Rodriguez is the organization’s most notable Puerto Rican as a former 17th-round pick. He was a pretty niche prospect for his entire career, but got hot in June (.319/.396/.615) to put himself on the map. He unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury in late July, but having just turned 22, there’s time for him to become someone.
C David McCann: Another former undrafted free agent, McCann split time across three different levels this year, but never stopped displaying his raw power. The 22-year-old from Virginia Tech slugged .544 in the first 68 games of his pro career and also saw time at first base this season.
INF Jackson Lovich: He’s a fun prospect. A six-game cameo in Tampa last year got a lot of people excited about the Missouri alum’s potential, but the former 16th-round pick looked like one for much of the season, with big contact issues delaying a seemingly overdue promotion to this level. After he got to Hudson Valley? He stepped up his game, reining in those whiff issues and rediscovering his unique power-speed combo. He finished with 24 home runs and 41 stolen bases, the first Yankee to reach those numbers in 32 years.
Starting Pitchers
Bryce Cunningham: For much of this season, a guy who’s been hyped as one of the organization’s best pitching prospects looked pretty tough. He was able to routinely go deep into games, but he struggled with command and missing bats, posting a single-digit K-BB% all season long. Due to the roster churn and promotions, he got a late promotion to Somerset and actually finished really strong, posting three consecutive starts of at least six innings with 21 total strikeouts to zero walks. It was also nice to see him build up to 105 innings after his injuries last year.
Allen Facundo: The stuff is absolutely there for Facundo to be in the big leagues one day; it’s just not going to be as a starter. The Yankees finally got him out of Tampa in April and he showed he can stay healthy, but he wasn’t able to show he can consistently throw strikes. The 24-year-old walked 71 batters in 99 innings in Hudson Valley, but also struck out 123. He should probably be put in the bullpen next year and sent to Somerset to expedite his high-level stuff.
Luis Serna: Entering this season, you could lump Serna in a group with Henry Lalane as damaged goods after years of injuries, but the 22-year-old found an unlikely revival in 2026, just by finally being able to stay healthy. He blew past his prior career high of 69.1 innings to toss 118.2 and set the Hudson Valley single-season strikeout record at 140, while reasonably managing his walks. The ERA was still pretty average at 4.32 in 23 starts, but he’s back on the prospect radar after vanishing following a brilliant 2021 and 2022.
INF Dax Kilby: It was a lost season for Kilby, who missed several months due to recurring hamstring issues. This was a guy who had skyrocketed into the Top 100 lists entering the season, but only managed 154 plate appearances due to an exceptionally low start. The only two things I really got out of his season? He’s absolutely not a shortstop down the road (second base, third base, or center field seem more likely), and he has one of the best eyes of any 19-year-old I’ve ever seen. He had a 25.3-percent walk rate this season. The Arizona Fall League awaits.
OF Yostin Pena: I will try to not be a prisoner of the moment, but this might be the best prospect in the system. A 6-foot-4 athletic freak from the D.R., Pena is just 18 years old and hit historically well in the DSL, becoming the first Yankee in nine years to skip the GCL/FCL and go straight to full-season ball, where he barely slowed down. He finished the season hitting over .350 with truly alien exit velocities for a player his age, strong defense in center field (with a cannon for an arm), and plus-plus speed. This is the most tool-heavy guy in the entire system and I am super excited about 2027 for him.
INF Luis Escudero: Who had the best overall numbers for this elite Tampa offense? It was actually Luis Escudero, who slashed .288/.455/.556 in 202 plate appearances after spending the spring at the complex. The 20-year-old packs a lot of pop in a small, 5-foot-8 frame, and somehow managed to have an even better eye than Kilby this year. There wasn’t enough sample to have him go to High-A to start next season, but he’ll be there soon if he continues to produce.
UTL Luis Puello: Do you miss Jesus Rodriguez in the system? Here’s your new favorite prospect. Puello is basically a baby Rodriguez, already having experience at catcher, first base, left field, and right field. I’m not sure what his long-term position is, but if any organization can get this guy catching in order, it’s this one. His bat also looks great, smacking 14 home runs in 73 games with some solid game power.
OF Brando Mayea: In the most recent edition of “former multi-million prospect shows life,” Mayea looked really bad to start the season, but found something over the course of the regular season. I’m going to need to see a lot more to be truly convinced the 20-year-old is on the right path, but he hit .298 across his final 47 games. Now if he could only find the power…
2026 Draftees Grab Bag: Way too little sample for much on any of these guys. Here’s a sampler:
Tyce Armstrong, the guy who once hit three grand slams in a game, carried that Big 12 power into Single-A, finishing the season on an absolute heater.
Anthony Potestio, the 11th-round pick, is getting a lot of buzz for how well he handled Single-A pitching as someone who didn’t play in the SEC or Big 12. In 19 games, he slashed .333/.513/.684.
Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II has been the most impressive in terms of exit velocities. He’s pumped out a handful of batted balls over 105 mph already.
Starting Pitchers
Tyler Boudreau: A 2025 undrafted free agent, Boudreau came out of nowhere to be one of the most productive starting pitchers in the system. In 103 innings, he posted a 3.41 ERA with a 17.3 K-BB% and even struck out six in 3.1 shutout innings in a brief Somerset cameo. This is a guy who will have an opportunity to get himself on the map in Hudson Valley next year.
Justin West: Mr. Consistency. West started the season with some growing pains, but ended it as the most effective starter in the system. The 22-year-old finished the season by pitching to a 2.23 ERA across his final 10 starts, averaging six full innings per start. He just got better and better over the course of the season.
The Injured Bunch: Oh boy. Mac Heuer suffered a season-ending injury in July. Thatcher Hurd started the season recovering from Tommy John surgery, made eight solid starts, and finished the year injured. Brennan Stuprich spent several months on the injured list. J.T. Etheridge was also only limited to 13 starts, but he finished the season extremely strong and will be a sneaky pitcher to watch in the AFL next month.
The Phillies took advantage of a Mets fold to reach the postseason in 2007, but nearly 20 years later, they are on the verge of their own collapse.
The Phils lost for the ninth time in 14 games Friday night, and their lead for the final wild-card spot in the National League is down to one game over the Diamondbacks with two games remaining.
Arizona holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner reacts after a strikeout in the fourth inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Getty Images
The Phils have scored two runs during their three-game losing streak, including Friday’s 2-0 loss to the Rays, and their postgame show on NBC Sports Philadelphia — with host Michael Barkan and analysts Ricky Bottalico and Ruben Amaro Jr. — unloaded on the flailing team after the game.
“Two-nothing Tampa Bay, incredibly. Ruben, I would submit to you, they would flip the table if they could make contact with the table … Guess what, this season’s not just spiraling down the drain, it is choking down the drain,” Barkan said. “And if you’re watching this in that clubhouse, prove me wrong. I’ll be glad to eat my words.
“There are two games remaining in this regular season and this team has lost nine of its last 14 games. This is a September to forget, an epic September to forget for the Phillies, who have shown us very little this month. I wish I had some daylight for you, folks. I wish I had some hope … Right how I expect very little from this team with Arizona now [one game] back of a playoff spot.”
Frustration takes center stage on Postgame Live after another quiet night for the Phillies’ offense. pic.twitter.com/vJDqY0Ft0U
Amaro interjected, “That’s not nice,” during Barkan’s opening remarks, but Bottalico quickly added that “Michael’s not wrong” in his blunt assessment.
“No.1, I think you had your hope. You had Christopher Sanchez go out there and throw a nice game for ya. What did you do offensively? Absolutely jack,” the former All-Star closer said. “I mean, think about this, all this money that you put into all these players, who were supposed to be these big-time players. Nothing. And it hasn’t been just one game. It’s been the last three games.
“All you had to do was win one stinking game. I mean, you sit here and you wait for this team to win one stinking game.
Bottalico added that he could “feel the tension at the ballpark” among the unhappy crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
“They’re not there to necessarily go crazy for the home team; they are there to let them know that they know what’s going on right now,” Bottalico said. “And this team is not playing up to snuff. They are not. Are the starting pitchers? OK, they’re doing fine.
“But how in the world do you score two runs in three games when you need a win? If there is a pressure situation on a team, these guys that are paid that money are the guys that are supposed to step up. It’s not happening.”
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Nolan Arenado (28) is congratulated by Geraldo Perdomo (2) after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Petco Park in San Diego, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Getty Images
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, have won six consecutive games, including Friday’s 11-4 rout of the Padres — and they’re feeling themselves.
“Something magical is going to happen here,” shortstop Geraldo Perdomo said, per MLB.com.
In 2007, the Mets led the Phillies by seven games with 17 to play before going 5-12 and relinquishing the NL East title on the final day of the regular season.
The Vancouver Canucks are in a complicated situation with their goaltenders. As of writing, Vancouver has four goalies on the NHL roster in Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, Nikita Tolopilo and Leevi Meriläinen. With all needing waivers to be sent to the AHL, the Canucks could lose one or even two for free during the 2026-27 season.
The first piece of the puzzle Vancouver needs to sort out is the Demko timeline. At this stage of the year, there is no clarity on when the 30-year-old will return. All that is known right now is that Demko will be placed on some form of IR to start the season, meaning he will not count toward the 23-man roster.
Shifting to the other three goaltenders, it appears a decision will soon be made on whether someone will be exposed to waivers. Given that the Canucks just claimed Meriläinen, it appears that Tolopilo would be the odd-man out if Vancouver elects to keep just two goalies on the NHL roster. When asked about keeping three goaltenders on the NHL roster, GM Ryan Johnson had this to say.
"It's not something that I've intended to do, kind of all summer," said Johnson. "Obviously, we'll get through tomorrow night. Three goaltender system, from my experience, at any level is is complicated for everybody and more so the the goalies themselves. But like I said, we've got to just take it a step at a time here. Get through tomorrow night's game and make some decisions on Sunday."
The big question Johnson and his staff have to ponder is whether they'll lose Tolopilo on waivers. The 26-year-old struggled in 2025-26, but has shown well in the AHL since arriving in North America three years ago. Like with every player, there is risk in placing Tolopilo on waivers, but it may be an unavoidable decision the Canucks have to make.
How Vancouver manages its goaltenders this year will be worth watching. Whether it is this week or when Demko eventually returns, Johnson and his staff will have to make tough decisions that could result in a player being lost on waivers. While having multiple NHL-level goaltenders in the organization is a positive, it can create problems, especially when all need to pass through waivers.
Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) and goalie Nikita Tolopilo (60) celebrate their victory against the Florida Panthers at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Blackhawks are going to close out the preseason with a match against the St. Louis Blues. The United Center will be the setting as the Blackhawks look to get certain players ready for the regular season one last time.
Players who have more than 100 games of NHL experience are not allowed to play more than two of the four preseason games. For Chicago, this eliminates eligibility for Frank Nazar, Landon Slaggert, Kevin Korchinski, and Wyatt Kaiser.
Chicago also made it clear that they are saving Patrick Kane's first appearance at home for the regular season, so he will sit this one out as well.
Scouting St. Louis
The St. Louis Blues are going to go with a mostly NHL lineup for this game against the Blackhawks. On the final night of the preseason, St. Louis is also looking to get their guys ready for the games to begin for real.
The Blackhawks faced the Blues two nights ago in St. Louis, and they used a lineup that was about half of their opening night group. There was no captain Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, or Jimmy Snuggerud among others. Some of them may get action in this game.
Jordan Binnington was the starter in the last game (and shut out the Blackhawks), so you can expect to see Joel Hofer in this one at the United Center.
UPDATE: This is the lineup that the St. Louis Blues will be using:
(9-26-26) Blues-Blackhawks Preseason Gameday Lineup -- #stlblues to get good look at majority of their regular season lineup in preseason finale; Dean to play in all four preseason games: https://t.co/2r4c2PLt1i
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks, as mentioned before, have a few different reasons for this not being a true Opening Night group to close out the preseason. Instead, they will line up like this:
Bertuzzi-Frondell-Mangiapane
Donato-Moore-Greene
Teravainen-Kantserov-Lardis
Boucher-Toninato-Smith
Vlasic-Byram
Del Mastro-Levshunov
Cole-Rinzel
Knight
This is a chance for Andrew Mangiapane, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ethan Del Mastro to make a last chance effort to impress the coaching staff before some hard decisions are made.
The Blackhawks are going to get a look at Roman Kantserov at center for the first time in a preseason game. Kantserov is seen in North America as a goal-scoring winger, but he actually played center for most of his KHL season last year, in which he led the league in goals.
Anton Frondell and Oliver Moore will be the centers ahead of Kantserov in the lineup. Behind them is Dominic Toninato, who will be with the IceHogs this season as a great veteran.
The last time Bowen Byram was on the ice for a preseason game, Monday at the United Center, he scored a hat trick capped off by an overtime winner. He will once again be paired with Alex Vlasic in this one.
Spencer Knight is scheduled to play the entire game for the Blackhawks. Arvid Soderblom was excellent in St. Louis on Thursday, and Knight is going to go in this one. For now, this is your tandem headed into 2026-27.
How To Watch
You can hear the game locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. You can watch the game locally on CHSN. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT. National audiences can also watch the game on NHL Network.
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The
end of the preseason concludes on Saturday for the St. Louis Blues
(1-2-0), who will close things out with another game against the
Chicago Blackhawks (1-1-1) at United Center at 6 p.m.
(stlouisblues.com, Blues app, ESPN 101.1-FM).
The
Blues and Hawks will play for the second time in three days after the
Blues took a 1-0 win on Thursday at Enterprise Center, thanks to a
third-period Calle Rosen goal, just one of 36 shots the Blues were
able to get past Arvid Soderblom, who was really good for Chicago.
It
was a game in which the Blues could have conceivably scored anywhere
from 3-6 goals had it not been for the Chicago goalie, and even in
preseason, it’s more of what Blues coach Jim Montgomery was looking
for after a couple of less-than-stellar identical 2-1 losses to the
Dallas Stars.
“Yes,
and the physicality and winning battles was excellent,” Montgomery
said of Thursday’s game. “We were really connected and we were
really hard. Everybody was pulling on the rope.”
-
- -
The
Blues will play most of their opening night lineup in this one and
left for Chicago on Friday to get acclimated with travel with the
regular season slated for Oct. 2 against the Stars, and with the new
CBA in place that limits those that have 100 or more games of NHL
experience, there are a couple of players that cannot play in
tonight’s game because they have already played in two preseason
games, and they include Ross Johnston, Dillon Dube and Jordan
Binnington.
So
Zach Dean, who barring anything unforeseen by Monday’s 23-man
NHL-mandated roster deadline of 4 p.m. (CT) will be on the opening night roster, will play on the fourth
line in place of Johnston.
“Just
continue to improve his game all around,” Montgomery
said of Dean.
“He’s shown really well. We’re excited about him. Show the
speed, show the tenacity, get pucks to the net. Has had great
chances, just hasn’t buried on them.”
Dean
and Dube have won out the 13th
and 14th
forward slots with Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker and Jack Finley all placed on waivers Friday and will know their fates by 1 p.m.
(CT) Saturday whether any of them are claimed by someone or not, and if
not, each will be assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey
League.
-
- -
Blues
Projected Lineup:
Dylan
Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Pavel
Buchnevich-Mason McTavish-Connor McMichael
Jake
Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren
Alexey
Toropchenko-Pius Suter-Zach Dean
Philip
Broberg-Logan Mailloux
Theo
Lindstein-Colton Parayko
Cam
Fowler-Brandon Carlo
Joel
Hofer will start in goal and play the full game; Georgii Romanov will
be the backup.
-
- -
Blackhawks
Projected Lineup:
Tyler
Bertuzzi-Anton
Frondell-Andrew
Mangiapane
Ryan
Donato-Oliver
Moore-Ryan
Greene
Teuvo
Teravainen-Roman
Kantserov-Nick
Lardis
Dillon
Boucher-Dominic
Toninato-Cole
Smith
Alex
Vlasic-Bowen
Byram
Ethan
Del
Mastro-Artyom
Levshunov
Ian
Cole-Sam
Rinzel
Spencer
Knight will start in goal; Drew Commesso is projected to be the backup.
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ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 5: Jalen Johnson #1, Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7, and Corey Kispert #24 of the Atlanta Hawks celebrates during the game against the Utah Jazz on February 5, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Hawks will host their annual preseason media day on Monday, signifying the unofficial end of the offseason and the unofficial start of the 2026-27 season.
Atlanta is looking to lean into their development program that has produced the last two Most Improved Player award winners — a feat that no other franchise has ever accomplished.
As such, many eyes will be on the progress of the 21 or so players in camp leading into their first preseason game on Monday, October 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Yesterday, the Hawks announced their training camp roster, something that is always subject to change based on waivers and other processes. The camp itself will be held out of the state entirely — instead based on Vanderbilt University’s campus in Nashville, Tennessee.
So without further ado, here are the players currently signed up for preseason basketball action:
Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (75-85) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-79)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:Bucs Dugout Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Juston Verlander (0-1, 12.27 ) vs. RHP Kirby Yates (2-5, 3.32 ERA)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 2: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers reacts as he watches a tribute video on the scoreboard honoring his career before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on September 2, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are the answer to a unique baseball trivia question following today’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
The Pirates will be the final team legendary pitcher Justin Verlander faces in his epic 21-year career that will almost certainly end with enshrinement into the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown once he is eligible.
Verlander began his career as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers. He went on to make his MLB debut the following year, which led to an impressive 13-year run with the franchise. During that time, the Tigers qualified for the playoffs five times and the World Series twice, in 2006 and 2012.
With the Tigers exiting their contending window, Verlander was traded to the Houston Astros, who were poised to go on a dynastic run that saw them win the World Series in 2017 and 2022. After making appearances in the Fall Classic in 2019 and 2021, once he turned 40 years old, Verlander was on a quest to win 300 games, but he ultimately fell short of that goal.
Throughout his career, Verlander has a WAR of 82.3, with 266 wins to his name. But it’s up to the Pirates to ensure he doesn’t get No. 267.
Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game against the Detroit Tigers. Chime off in the comments section below.
The biggest among them: the four-time league MVP’s voice. And his leadership after achieving virtually every accolade in the NBA.
James’ guidance, and his two-decades-plus of playing experience in the NBA, can’t be replicated.
The Lakers have a leadership hole to fill after LeBron James’ departure. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
But the Lakers are ready for their current stars to step up as leaders in light of James’ departure.
And Luka Doncic is ready to take that mantle as the Lakers fully entrench themselves in their next era.
If that wasn’t already clear, Doncic made it evident during the Lakers’ minicamp in his home country of Slovenia last month.
“Probably the leadership role,” Doncic responded when asked what matters to him more now compared to five years ago toward the end of a 24-minute video posted on his YouTube page Friday about the camp in Slovenia.
Doncic added: “Trying to be a leader. Five years ago, I was [three years in] the league. I wasn’t the leader I was supposed to [be]. So, leadership is an important part in my case now.”
Luka Doncic is ready to take on a bigger leadership role. Andrej Tarfila/Shutterstock
The Lakers already had an idea of what Doncic brought to the table in this regard since being traded to the franchise in February 2025.
But the Lakers got a closer look at what the team’s leadership could look like moving forward with Doncic as the face of the franchise.
The Slovenian superstar organized a five-day trip for his teammates, which included a chartered flight, multiple dining experiences at Doncic’s favorite restaurants, tours of the sights in Ljubljana (river cruise and Ljubljana Castle among them), golfing, rowing at Lake Bled and basketball activities.
His teammates raved about the experience.
Collin Sexton (left) was among the Lakers players who spoke highly about the team’s trip to Slovenia. REUTERS
“I’m definitely coming back,” Collin Sexton said. “We had an amazing time. Great experience. Nothing but good vibes, nothing but love. Luka, man, appreciate you for bringing us out to your country and taking us back where it all started.”
Leadership will be paramount for the Lakers moving forward.
James was among nine Lakers from the 2025-26 team who didn’t return for this upcoming season.
Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard were among the other departures.
Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia are the only four players from last season’s team who played at least 600 regular-season minutes that are returning for 2026-27.
Coach JJ Redick stressed the importance of connectedness during Thursday’s joint availability with president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka.
Lakers coach JJ Redick stressed the importance of his team being connected. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In his eyes, the NBA’s best teams over the last six to seven years have also been the most connected teams.
And because that isn’t a coincidence, that’ll be part of his messaging to the team throughout 2026-27 as Redick enters his third year as Lakers coach.
“There were times last year, there were times my first year where the team was connected,” Redick said. “I really believe this group is gonna be connected from Day 1. And they already are.”
And they are, in part, because of Doncic stepping up as a leader.
“There’s a lot of new guys on the team,” Doncic said. “Building chemistry is very important. That was the first thought, just to get the guys together. That’s why I wanted to do it.”
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals hits a RBI sacrifice fly in the third inning against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on September 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats are playing an early game in an attempt to try and avoid the bad weather. This game got pushed from 3 PM to 12:35. With just two games to go, we are really in the homestretch here. Hopefully the Nats can finish strong this weekend.
Blake Butera is making a couple changes to his lineup. Abimelec Ortiz enters the fray as the DH. Yohandy Morales will also be in the lineup as the first baseman. Nasim Nunez is at short which pushes CJ Abrams to second base. This will be a Nationals debut for Connelly Early, who is returning from injury. The Nats acquired Early for Curtis Mead. He will only throw 2 to 3 innings before Jake Irvin follows him.
Nationals 9/26
J. Wood RF A. Ortiz DH D. Crews CF C. Abrams 2B B. House 3B D. Lile LF Y. Morales 1B K. Ruiz C N. Nuñez SS
The Mets are making changes in the middle infield. Francisco Lindor will be the DH in this one. That pushes Brett Baty to shortstop. This will actually be Baty’s first MLB start at short. Ronny Mauricio will be at second base. Those are the only real changes the Mets are making. Jonah Tong will be on the mound.
I am looking forward to seeing what Connelly Early can do in his Nats debut. It is exciting to see him finally on the mound in DC. With the Nats locked into 4th place, there is not a ton to play for standings wise, but it is great to see Early. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Briton forced to retire from Azerbaijan GP when eighth
Colapinto given a grid drop at the next round in Malaysia
Lando Norris has issued a scathing criticism of Franco Colapinto, saying the Alpine driver does not deserve to be in Formula One and should face a ban after taking Norris’s McLaren out of the race.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was won by Mercedes’ George Russell but Norris was forced to retire from eighth place after Colapinto caused the accident that all but ended the defending world champion’s title hopes.
