Mar 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert (36) pitches to the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Good morning friends! My apologies for the late links post this morning — I forgot to get someone to cover me, so here I am throwing something up here quickly!
I hope everyone had a delightful Opening Day, even though the Mariners lost 6-4. Are we ready to anoint Dominic Canzone the American League MVP yet?
Our very own Ryan Blake penned a piece at Fangraphs about the Mariners’ dynamic duo of Julio and Cal, and why this could be a special season for the Mariners as a whole.
The Padres claim that Yu Darvish was placed on the restricted list because the veteran right-hander wants to rehab at his own pace.
Phillies infielder Alec Bohm sued his own parents for allegedly mismanaging his finances.
Former Mariners prospect and current Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill had his streak of six straight Opening Day games with a homer snapped last night.
The MLB.com prospect team outlined one prospect to watch at each organization’s Triple-A club.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: Manager Mark Kotsay #7 of the Athletics looks on during the third inning of the spring training game at Surprise Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mostly I write for our readers and commenters and the discussion it brings. Every now and again I write secretly hoping that someone who knows someone might put an elbow into a rib and say, “Hey, read this.” Long story short I hope this article gets from my fingers to Mark Kotsay’s ears — just for the good of the A’s.
First things first I want to recognize that Kotsay does many important things well, from keeping spirits up to making players feel supported to inspiring the team to play hard even when it’s in a 1-20 stretch. These are not leadership qualities to be taken lightly.
The tactical piece is important too and the point here is that it can be learned and constantly improved upon. Here are some “growth opportunities” for the A’s 4-years-going-on-5 skipper:
“Infield In” — use it, don’t abuse it
The A’s simply bring the infield in too often, especially with runners at 2B and 3B. Important to remember is that the 2026 A’s figure to score a lot of runs, meaning they can afford to give up 1 run here or there so long as they stay away from crooked numbers.
Bringing the infield in with runners at 2B and 3B is extremely risky because with holes all over the infield it runs a significant risk of a base hit that can score 2 runs and set up an even bigger inning — where a ground ball out with the infield back might allow a run, but leaves just one runner on and 2 outs.
Tony La Russa was, I thought, particularly clever. He would often play the infield back but if the batter got to 2 strikes he might suddenly bring it in to guard against a batter “just putting the ball in play” and stealing an RBI. I think there’s a place for that, but more broadly if you have a team that can score a lot of runs but is at risk of giving up runs too, don’t bring the infield in with 2 runners in scoring position unless you’re so late in the game that any run is probably going to beat you.
Platoons — know your numbers
Playing platoon match ups is generally fine. If Colby Thomas is on the roster I will want to see him leveraged against LHPs as much as possible and the same is true of Darell Hernaiz. If Lawrence Butler needs days off to rest his knee, choosing games started by opposing lefties is fine.
But playing platoons just to play platoons is short-sighted, and this year’s team in particular demands that their manager understand the individual personnel.
If the A’s need to neutralize a tough LH batter late in the game, don’t go to Hogan Harris, whose wOBA against in his career so far is .350 vs. LH batters and .310 vs. RH batters. In contrast do go to RH reliever Mark Leiter Jr. With his splitter diving away from lefties he has a career .227/.298/.382, .295 wOBA track record whereas against RH batters it’s .268/.354/.469, .354 wOBA.
Tyler Soderstrom struggled against LHPs early in his career but came on like gangbusters the second half of last season. Let him hit lefties until he proves he can’t. And so on.
In other words, platoon very strategically but not robotically. There’s a huge difference.
Minimize how many relievers/game
As I discussed with pitching coach Scott Emerson in our recent interview, the future of bullpens lies in multi-inning “bridge relievers” that spare you parading 3-4 different relievers out there to try to hold a lead. JT Ginn is a candidate (assuming he pitches more like he did at the start of spring training and not like how he finished), as are Hogan Harris and, if called up to pitch in the bullpen, Mason Barnett or Kade Morris.
The idea that 4 talented but volatile relievers like Elvis Alvarado, Scott Barlow, Mark Leiter Jr. and Hogan Harris can piece together 12 outs successfully is fraught with danger. Try to get your starters through 6 IP if you can and see if you can lean on just 2 relief arms to “get it to the house”. It will also spare you having to use relievers as much on back to back days, which has been shown to be statistically less reliable
Insist on the fundamentals that anyone can perform
A leader’s job includes tough love and where it’s most appropriate in baseball is the basic fundamentals that are within each and every player’s skill set.
Hit the cut off man no matter how sure you are that “if you just heave it all the way to the plate…” You will save far more bases and runs if you just fire every outfield throw to the cut off man’s chest. {An exception can be made for a runner trying to score when there is no runner(s) behind him as there is no potential downside.}
Rundowns should not require more than 2 throws: one to run the runner back to the previous base until he is only 25 feet or so from the bag — at which point the short toss to the base has him tagged out. Anytime you see 3, 4, 5 throws you are seeing multiple throws that never needed to be made, opening up chances for other runners to advance and for mistakes to be made to botch the rundown entirely.
When you don’t have endless payroll to mask deficiencies you need to do the “little things” well and the fundamentals are, by definition, the parts of the game don’t require a super athlete, advanced experience, more strength or speed. You just need the discipline to do what you have been taught since high school — or really Little League — even in the heat of the moment.
The first time a fundamental is ignored, it’s ok to confront the player, point it out and say “never again,” and the second time it’s ok to bench them next game. They will come back the following day a better player for it and you will be a better team for it. That’s leadership.
Bat Kurtz where he belongs: Not lead off
Resist the urge to bat Nick Kurtz lead off just because he figures to have an OBP north of .400. Yes the Dodgers do a “similar” thing leading off the powerful and dynamic Shohei Ohtani but Ohtani is also a lightning fast elite base stealing threat who can turn walks into doubles. He’s a very different kind of batter due to his speed.
Leading Kurtz off is just the wrong move for a variety of reasons, one being that it suppresses his RBI opportunities by batting him once with the bases empty for sure and then following Denzel Clarke and the bottom of the order thereafter.
Additionally, not only do you want as many of Kurtz’ HRs and doubles to come with runners on base, with men on it’s harder for pitchers to pitch around him. Sure you love the idea of Kurtz drawing a lot of walks and getting on base, especially to lead off an inning, but not at the expense of lacing several more doubles and launching a few more HRs with runners on and nowhere to put him.
Kurtz makes a lot of sense in the #2 spot if a RH batter leads off, or the #3 spot behind a LH batter and RH batter with OBP skills. Wilson-Kurtz, McNeil-Langeliers-Kurtz, Butler-Wilson-Kurtz all make sense. Kurtz leading off, while it’s appealing to consider your first hitter getting on base 40% of the time and getting the most PAs, will ultimately do more harm than good. Leverage Kurtz’ slugging over his OBP and you have a better lineup.
Thank you for reading, Mr. Kotsay, and for all the great work you have done and are about to do. And thanks for taking all 5 points to heart and following through. We both just want the A’s to be the best team they can be, and compared to when you started reading the A’s have greatly improved for your eager devotion to following these 5 principles. Let’s have a great season!
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are the 26 players who will be on the field, in the dugout and in the bullpen once the regular season gets underway here in Atlanta. As is tradition around here, we’re taking a deeper look at each and every player on the Opening Day roster. This includes how they got here, their basic information and then some projections and fun facts as well.
We hope you enjoy!
PITCHERS
## – Osvaldo Bido – RHP
Age: 30 Birthplace: Los Hidalgos, Dominican Republic Acquired: Claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees on March 24, 2026 Expected Role: Swingman/Long relief
Projection: Low-leverage reliever or swingman, 0 to 0.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Was previously claimed by the Braves off waivers in December 2025, but lost ten days later to make space for the signing of Ha-Seong Kim. This started a period of five different organizations claiming Bido in the span of five months; the Braves claimed him after the conclusion of Spring Training. Bido makes the Opening Day roster despite not appearing in camp with the Braves.
49 – Aaron Bummer – LHP
Age: 33 Birthplace: Valencia, CA Acquired: Traded from the White Sox to the Braves on November 16, 2023 in exchange for Nicky Lopez, Braden Shewmake, Jared Shuster, Michael Soroka and Riley Gowens. Expected Role: Middle relief
Projection: Quality reliever, 0.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Made his first career start in 2025, striking out the first five batters he faced.
55 – Bryce Elder – RHP
Age: 27 Birthplace: Decatur, TX Acquired: Drafted by the Braves in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft Expected Role: Starter
Projection: Fourth starter, 1 to 2 WAR
Fun Fact: This is Elder’s first time on a Braves Opening Day roster; he didn’t even make it when ultimately making an All-Star Team in 2023.
72 – Didier Fuentes – RHP
Age: 20 Birthplace: Tolu, Colombia Acquired: Signed by the Braves as an international free agent on January 15, 2022 Expected Role: Swingman/Long relief
Projection: Average swingman or starter, 0 to 1.5 WAR
Fun Fact: When making his MLB debut in 2025, was the third-youngest starting pitcher in Atlanta Braves history, and the youngest debut in MLB since 2016 (Julio Urias).
66 – Grant Holmes – RHP
Age: 29 Birthplace: Conway, SC Acquired: Signed a minor league deal deal with the Braves on November 21, 2023 Expected Role: Starter
Projection: Average swingman or starter, 0.5 to 1.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Made his MLB debut a full decade after being drafted.
26 – Raisel Iglesias – RHP
Age: 36 Birthplace: Juventud, Cuba Acquired: Signed a one-year, $16 million contract on November 19, 2025 Expected Role: Closer
Projection: Above-average reliever, 0.5 to 1 WAR
Fun Fact: Was once ejected for throwing a tub of sunflower seeds and a bucket of gum onto the infield while his teammates were engaged in an on-field brawl.
45 – Tyler Kinley – RHP
Age: 35 Birthplace: Plantation, FL Acquired: Signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract on January 10, 2026 Expected Role: Middle-to-High-leverage relief
Age: 31 Birthplace: Dinuba, CA Acquired: Signed a minor league deal with the Braves on April 15, 2021. Expected Role: Middle-to-High-leverage relief
Projection: Average reliever, 0.5 WAR
Fun Fact: I am contractually and morally obligated to repeat the fact that when he started a game in the 2021 World Series, he had the fewest career MLB appearances for a starter in such a game, in every post talking about Dylan Lee, as well as this fun fact series.
40 – Reynaldo López – RHP
Age: 32 Birthplace: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic Acquired: Agreed to a three-year, $26 million deal that also includes an $8 million club option for 2027. Expected Role: Starter
Projection: Middle of the rotation starter limited by availability, 1.5 to 2 WAR
Fun Fact: First Dominican player signed and developed by the Nationals to start a game for them. (Doesn’t include the pre-Nationals, Expos tenure.)
34 – Joel Payamps – RHP
Age: 31 Birthplace: Santiago, Dominican Republic Acquired: Signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract on November 23, 2025 Expected Role: Middle Relief
Projection: Below-average reliever, 0 to 0.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Was included in the three-team trade that brought Sean Murphy to Atlanta. As part of the deal, the Athletics sent to Payamps to the Brewers.
51 – Chris Sale – LHP
Age: 37 Birthplace: Lakeland, FL Acquired: Traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Braves on December 30 in exchange for Vaughn Grissom. Agreed to a two-year, $38 million deal on January 4 that also includes an $18 million club option for 2026. Signed a one-year, $27 million contract on February 25, 2026 that also includes a $30 million club option for 2028. Expected Role: Starter
Projection: Above-average starter to elite starter, 2.5 to 4.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Has made back-to-back All-Star Team appearances after a prior seven-year stretch (2012-2018) of consecutive appearances as well.
54 – Jose Suarez – LHP
Age: 28 Birthplace: Naguanagua, Venezuela Acquired: Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on January 26, 2026 Expected Role: Starter
Projection: Average reliever or swingman, 0 to 1 WAR
Fun Fact: Though he appeared with the Braves in 2025 and will likely do so at least once in 2026, spent part of the offseason (less than two weeks) with Baltimore after being claimed on waivers in mid-January. The Braves claimed him back in late January.
75 – Robert Suarez – RHP
Age: 35 Birthplace: Bolivar, Venezuela Acquired: Signed a three-year, $45 million contract on December 11, 2025 Expected Role: High leverage
Projection: Above-average reliever, 0.5 to 1 WAR
Fun Fact: Was once ejected and suspended for a sticky substance during a routine glove check.
CATCHERS
30 – Drake Baldwin – C
Age: 24 Birthplace: Madison, WI Acquired: Drafted by the Braves in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft Expected Role: Starting catcher
Projection: Above-average regular, 2 to 4 WAR
Fun Fact: Led his home state of Wisconsin in high school hockey goal scoring as a junior in 2018.
20 – Jonah Heim – C
Age: 30 Birthplace: Buffalo, NY Acquired: Signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract on February 10, 2026 Expected Role: Backup catcher
Projection: Below-average to average regular, not expected to play frequently, 0 to 2 WAR depending on playing time
Fun Fact: As a child, started switch-hitting because, in his own words, “hitting from the right side is boring.”
INFIELDERS
1 – Ozzie Albies – 2B
Age: 29 Birthplace: Willemstad, Curaçao Acquired: Signed as an international free agent by the Braves in 2013. Signed a seven-year, $35 million extension with two club options on April 11, 2019. Expected Role: Starting second baseman
Projection: Average regular, 1.5 to 2.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Hit a walkoff three-run homer in the 2026 WBC with two outs and a two-run deficit, preventing Nicaragua from getting their first-ever victory in WBC play.
14 – Mauricio Dubón – UTIL
Age: 31 Birthplace: San Pedro Sula, Honduras Acquired: Traded by the Houston Astros on November 19, 2025 in exchange for Nick Allen Expected Role: Super utilityman, temporary starting shortstop
Projection: Below-average regular, 0.5 to 1 WAR
Fun Fact: Moved to the U.S. at 15 to play baseball after a chance meeting with a mission group in his native Honduras; second native-born Honduran to play in MLB, first to appear in the MLB playoffs, and first to win a Gold Glove Award.
15 – Kyle Farmer – INF
Age: 35 Birthplace: Atlanta, GA Acquired: Signed a minor-league deal on February 6, 2026 Expected Role: Bench
Projection: Replacement level (or below), 0 WAR
Fun Fact: Appeared in the film, The Blind Side, as a high school quarterback.
2 – Jorge Mateo – UTIL
Age: 30 Birthplace: San Domingo Oeste, Dominican Republic Acquired: Signed a one-year, $1 million contract on January 19, 2026 Expected Role: Utilityman
Projection: Below-average regular, 0 to 1 WAR
Fun Fact: Named the fastest minor leaguer ahead of the 2018 season by Baseball America. Then, led MLB in steals in 2022.
28 – Matt Olson – 1B
Age: 31 Birthplace: Atlanta, GA Acquired: Traded by the Athletics on March 14, 2022. Signed an eight-year, $168 million extension with a club option for 2030 on March 15, 2022. Expected Role: Starting first baseman
Projection: Above-average regular, 3 to 3.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Was ejected for the first time in his career for arguing a batter interference call during the second-to-last game of the 2025 regular season.
27 – Austin Riley – 3B
Age: 27 Birthplace: Memphis, TN Acquired: Selected by the Braves in the supplemental first round, 41st overall, of the 2015 MLB Draft. Signed a ten-year, $212 million extension on August 1, 2022. Expected Role: Starting third baseman
Projection: Above-average regular, 3 to 4 WAR
Fun Fact: In addition to baseball, played quarterback for his high school team during his freshman and sophomore years. Attempted to quit the football team to focus entirely on baseball, but was retained as the squad’s punter.
8 – Dominic Smith – 1B
Age: 30 Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA Acquired: Signed a minor-league deal on February 17, 2026 Expected Role: Left-handed pinch-hitter
Projection: Below-replacement to generic bench production, -0.5 to 0.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Had an insane WPA game in the final game of the 2019 season by hitting a three-run, pinch-hit walkoff homer against the Braves while down by two runs and with two outs in the 11th. But, the game was ultimately meaningless for the standings, so no one remembers this as particularly dramatic.
OUTFIELDERS
13 – Ronald Acuña Jr. – RF
Age: 28 Birthplace: La Guaira, Venezuela Acquired: Signed by the Braves as an international free agent in July 2014. Signed an eight-year, $100 million extension with club options for 2027 and 2028 on April 2, 2019. Expected Role: Starting right fielder
Projection: All-Star production, 4.5 to 5.5 WAR
Fun Fact: WBC 2026 champion, baby.
23 – Michael Harris II – CF
Age: 24 Birthplace: DeKalb County, GA Acquired: Selected by the Braves in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Signed an eight-year, $72 million extension with club options for the 2031 and 2032 seasons on August 17, 2022. Expected Role: Starting center fielder
Projection: Above-average regular, 3 to 4 WAR
Fun Fact: In his 2022 Rookie of the Year campaign, won Rookie of the Month in three of the four full months that he was up with the big league club.
36 – Eli White – OF
Age: 31 Birthplace: Greenville, SC Acquired: Signed a minor league deal with the Braves on July 25, 2023 Expected Role: Bench, potential weak side platoon outfielder
Projection: Replacement level to regular-quality production 0 to 1.5 WAR in limited PAs
Fun Fact: Was once part of a trade that also involved eventual teammate and current problem child Jurickson Profar. White went from the Athletics to the Rangers in the deal, while Profar went the other direction. Also, the Rays and a bunch of other players were involved.
18 – Mike Yastrzemski – LF
Age: 35 Birthplace: Andover, MA Acquired: Signed a two-year, $23 million contract on December 10, 2025 Expected Role: Strong side platoon outfielder
Projection: Below-average to average regular, 0.5 to 2.5 WAR
Fun Fact: Is part of one of four grandfather-grandson pairs to each hit 100 homers in MLB.
Sunday Night Basketball features double the NBA action this week as the race for the playoffs heats up. First, at 7:30 PM ET, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks head to Paycom Center to take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then, at 10:00 PM ET, the Denver Nuggets host the Golden State Warriors in a Western Conference thriller. Live coverage begins with Basketball Night in America at 6:30 PM on NBC and Peacock. See below for additional information on how to watch both games.
Follow all of the NBA action on NBCSN and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
New York Knicks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game Preview:
Sunday's game marks the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Thunder defeated the Knicks 103-100 on March 4 and have won their last five straight games against the Knicks.
The Knicks are looking to make their fourth straight playoff appearance, which would be the franchise's longest streak since making a run of 14 straight from 1988-2001.
After falling to the Indiana Pacers in six games in last year's Eastern Conference Finals — New York's first Conference Finals appearance in 25 years — the expectation is clear: reach the NBA Finals.
“We want to get to the Finals. And we should win the Finals. This is sports, and anything can happen. But getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do," said Knicks owner James Dolan in January.
The Thunder have already clinched a playoff spot and look to claim the No. 1 seed in the West for the third straight season. Oklahoma City could become the first team to repeat as NBA champion since the Warriors won back-to-back titles in 2017 & 2018.
How to watch New York Knicks vs Oklahoma City Thunder:
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. Sunday Night Basketball coverage will also be available on NBC and Peacock. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.
NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule:
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
Fresh off a 4-1 week on the road where they stifled a red hot Wichita State offense and took a weekend series from a good Michigan team, Nebraska plays its first series as a ranked team since the first two weeks of last season. Solid starts from all of the rotation combined with an offense that really woke up (Other than the Kurt Barr experience on Friday, but he’s been confounding B1G bats for 3.5 years.) and some opportunistic bullpen experiences has really pushed Nebraska into the national conversation.
Indiana had the unfortunate timing last offseason of the best HS recruiting class in program history graduating, and maybe the 2nd best player in the conference, Devin Taylor getting drafted at the same time. They are in a full rebuild for the first time under coach Jeff Mercer. They are not taking it easy on the scheduling though. 8 of their losses are to teams that either are or were ranked at the time of playing. They were upset by Washington in the first conference series, then swept by Oregon the week after.
They have shown they aren’t dead yet. They beat Vanderbilt in a midweek game on St. Patrick’s Day. Then they won the first two games against a Minnesota team that had been off to a surprising start to the year, albeit against a VERY easy schedule. They stumbled again since, as Minnesota rebounded and won on a 10 run rule game on Sunday, and then lost to in state rival Indiana State Tuesday 5-4. That was on a late inning implosion by one of their, let’s say, less reliable relievers. We are about to see if that 3 game streak was a hiccup in their mediocrity or if they really are resurrecting their season.
Game 1: RHP Ty Horn (0-1, 3.26 ERA) vs. RHP Reagan Rivera (0-2, 10.90 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Carson Jasa (4-1, 3.99 ERA) vs. LHP Tony Neubeck (2-2, 3.49 ERA)
Game 3: RHP Cooper Katskee (3-0, 2.10 ERA) vs. LHP Brayton Thomas (1-2, 5.09 ERA)
Ty Horn found himself in the middle of just an old fashioned Big Ten Friday night pitcher’s duel for the first time. It took him a minute to find his stuff, made all the more problematic by the tight zone, rare for a game that ends 2-1. Something clicked in the 3rd, and Horn rattled off 6 straight strikeouts before walking a Wolverine. At that point, he had just used too many pitches to survive the first few innings and had to exit after 102 pitches in 4.2 innings.
Everything for Nebraska was firing on all cylinders Saturday, and that included Carson Jasa. He shutout the Wolverines in his 6 innings of work, striking out 8 and only walking 1. It was evident from the start that the cutter/change and slider were in dominant fashion for Jasa, and if those are going, tying to time up a 97 mph fastball is nearly impossible. He just keeps improving with each start.
It was hard to place what was going on with Gavin Blachowicz on Sunday, his velocity was down and just wasn’t commanding the mound like we’ve grown accustomed to as he battled his way through 4 innings. With only 1 midweek game, the Huskers were able to maneuver Cooper Katskee to make the Sunday slot he was originally brought in to occupy. The former Indiana Hoosier is 4th in the Big Ten in ERA at 2.10 and will be given his first weekend start against his former team.
After losing one of their top starters for the season, the Hoosiers are struggling to figure out a rotation for the weekend. Reagan Rivera, a Copin State grad transfer is getting the Friday nod. He doesn’t get far in games, so we are going to see the bullpen early on a Friday night, more than likely. Rivera is the definition of hot or cold. He either throws a shutout, or gives up 4 or more runs. There is no in-between.
The most consistent pitcher for Indiana is the lefty Missouri grad transfer Tony Neubeck. He had a rough go at Oregon, but most do. Other than that he has been coming on strong lately, striking out 9 Washington batter and 8 Minnesota batters, while walking only 2. Their top recruit a season ago, Bryaton Thomas is still figuring things out. He shows promise, with 20 strikeouts in 23 innings, but leads the team in walks. Minnesota burned him for 6 runs in 1.2 innings last Sunday.
Scouting Report
The Hoosiers offense is led by reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jake Hanley. Hanley has started every game since arriving on campus, something easy to do because not only does he bring a good bat, but he also won an All-Region Gold Glove last season. Hanley is batting a team leading .354 with 5 home runs and 24 RBIs. He had a home run in each of the victories over Minnesota last week, and has 2 doubles in the last week, to go along with batting .416 in Big Ten play, so he is a big part of this team coming back from the dead recently.
The other most dangerous bat in the Hoosiers’ lineup is sophomore Hogan Denny. While splitting time at catcher and in the outfield, Denny is hitting .326 and leads the team with 9 doubles and is tied for the team lead with 5 home runs. He also leads the team with a 1.016 OPS.
Leadoff batter Will Moore was also a Freshman All-Big Ten Team member last season. He is a menace in the batters box, but not just because of his bat. He is only batting .250 with 20 hits, way down from last year. But he has 15 walks, and 6 HBP on the year. He is constantly working the pitchers deep into counts, contributing to his 21 strikeouts. Pitchers will need to attack him quickly.
Indiana does not run a lot, but if you see part time player Ayden Crouse in the outfield, get ready to watch him run on the bases. He has more than half of the teams stolen bases and attempts on the season, going 9 for 11.
The Indiana bullpen is not a strength of the team. They don’t use a single pitcher as a closer. Three different pitcher have combined for their 4 total saves on the season. The Hoosiers have 2 pitchers that have been consistently good for them this season.
Long reliever Gavin Seebold is leading the team in most categories. He is sporting a team low 0.83 ERA, having given up only 2 runs on the season, both in his appearance against Oregon. He has struck out 23 and walked 8 in 21.1 innings of work. He only pitches 1 game a series, usually going for 2-3 innings. 6’7 260 lb Jacob Vogel is another go to arm. He has struck out 12 and walked 7 in 15 innings this season. He has a 3.00 ERA but generally doesn’t go for more than an inning.
The defense is average, with a fielding percentage at .972. Short stop Cooper Malamazian makes some spectacular plays, but has 7 errors on the season, for only a .924%.
Series History
Nebraska owns a 20-15-1 record against the Hoosiers. They last met in 2024 in the Big Ten Tournament with Nebraska needing to beat them twice to advance to the title game. The Huskers won 4-2 and 10-4 on their way to their first Big Ten Tournament Championship. The teams met earlier in the season with Indiana winning the opener in extra innings, but Nebraska winning the last 2 games to claiming the series.
On Deck
Dylan Carey hit career double number 56 at Kansas State on Tuesday, tying Will Bolt for the Husker career record.
Dylan Carey and Mac Moyer are tied for 2nd in the Big Ten and 17th in the country with 40 hits on the year.
Nebraska is 9-0 at home this season. The record to start a season is 11-0 in 2015.
Happy Opening Day for the MLB, for those that celebrate! Especially to the Husker Baseball alums! Get well soon, Schwellenbach!
The St. John's basketball coach has brought a team to the Sweet 16 for the 14th time in his Hall of Fame career, and has the highest all-time winning percentage among Division I coaches who have at least six trips to the regional semifinals of March Madness (92.3%, on a 12-1 record).
But as No. 5 St. John's prepares to take on No. 1 Duke in the Sweet 16 inside Washington D.C.'s Capital One Arena, one chapter of Pitino's March Madness history — from his time at Kentucky — has resurfaced: Christian Laettner's game-winning shot against the Wildcats to send the Blue Devils to the 1992 Final Four.
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 5, 2023
Laettner's turnaround jumper, which came at the end of a perfect full-court pass from Grant Hill on the baseline, is widely regarded as one of the all-time March Madness moments in the tournament's history. And the memory of that play still stings for Pitino, even when he's least expecting it.
"I'm not big into watching 'Yellowstone' and shows like that on the iPad, but everybody is convincing me to watch this 'Paradise' (show). I was so sick of commercials with Christian Laettner hitting that shot over and over and over," Pitino said after St. John's win over Kansas. "So, OK, I'll watch 'Paradise.'"
Little did the Hall of Fame coach know that the show references Laettner in an episode.
"That's cruel. Why would my staff and friends tell me to watch (that)?" Pitino said.
Curiously, the Duke-Pitino storyline was made possible because of a game-winning buzzer beater from one of Pitino's own players, Dylan Darling, against the Jayhawks.
Now, Pitino's hoping they can replicate that against Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils — getting back at Duke for putting him on the receiving end of one of the most seminal moments in March Madness history.
"I'm hoping we can get Duke at the buzzer next to make up for that Christian Laettner shot," Pitino said.
“You win some, you lose some. I’m hoping we get Duke at the buzzer next to make up for that Christian Laettner shot.” 😂
Rick Pitino on being on the wrong sides of buzzer beaters in the past. Also mentions the show Paradise 😂 pic.twitter.com/uG5049gZog
Friday's game won't be the first time Pitino has coached against Duke in the Men's NCAA Tournament since Laettner's shot. The two met in the 2013 Midwest Regional Elite Eight, with Pitino's Louisville Cardinals team defeating the Blue Devils en route to an NCAA championship.
Asked whether that Elite Eight win — followed by his second national championship ring — tempered his memories of Laettner's shot during his media availability in D.C. on Thursday, Pitino said he treasures that 1992 game.
"I treasure that game in so many ways. Not the loss, but the way the game was played," Pitino said. "Give all the credit in the world (to Duke). I can't escape Grant Hill, who has done seven games for me this season (on TV)."
Pitino won't be able to escape Hill on Friday either, as he'll be calling the St. John's vs. Duke Sweet 16 game on CBS alongside Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery and Tracy Wolfson. So, you can almost bet on Hill and Co. bringing up "The Shot" a time or two on the broadcast.
One reason Elliot Cadeau was drawn to Michigan as a transfer last spring was the size of the Wolverines’ starting front line, with 7-3 center Aday Mara flanked by 6-9 forwards Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg.
Being surrounded by this length and athleticism has given the more diminutive former North Carolina point guard room to dip and duck his way through coach Dusty May’s read-and-react system, where spacing and ball movement are mandatory and players are “encouraged to pass up good shots for great ones,” according to the program’s definition.
“I would say that he does an amazing job dissecting the offense,” said Michigan guard Nimari Burnett. “He makes it so much easier for us all around the court that played with him, just getting us easy shots. I'm just joyful to play with him every single game.”
Along with Mara and Lendeborg — from UCLA and Alabama-Birmingham, respectively — Cadeau has helped transform the No. 1 Wolverines into one of the best teams in the nation and the favorite to advance out of the Midwest Region for the ninth Final Four appearance in program history.
“Elliott runs the show,” Johnson said.
There have been a few hiccups along the way to Friday’s matchup in Chicago against No. 4 Alabama, including a dud in Michigan’s nonconference loss to Duke in February and a run of poor shooting performances late in Big Ten play.
But Cadeau has rebounded to play some of his best basketball in the past few weeks, including a stretch of 26 assists against just five turnovers in his past three games. That he’s done so while dealing with medical issues has made Cadeau one of Michigan’s unquestioned leaders both on the court and off.
“I think he’s really relatable in terms of where he’s from, what he’s been through,” guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “He’s always a guy that you can rely on. I feel like most point guards have that trait, but really, he has been someone where if someone isn’t going right, I’m able to lean on him.”
That Cadeau has remained unflappable amid his high-profile transfer from Chapel Hill and the stress of running the show for the Wolverines shouldn’t come as a surprise.
As a child growing up in New Jersey, Cadeau was diagnosed as partially deaf in his right ear. He’s had to manage asthma. As a freshman with the Tar Heels, he needed to have surgery to treat a progressive eye disorder called keratoconus, which thins the cornea and can often cause blurred vision and a sensitivity to bright lights and glare.
None of these conditions would seem to be conducive to playing point guard for a team with national championship goals, let alone playing basketball, period.
Yet these same issues have helped define Cadeau, shaping the way he approaches his role as the Wolverines’ facilitator.
“It kind of just made me feel like I just can’t make excuses,” he said after Michigan’s win against No. 9 Saint Louis in the second round.
“I have really close friends when I was growing up who are all at the highest level of the NBA, high-major basketball players, and I wanted to be just as good as them. I was trying to be better than them.
“Even though they didn’t have the same issues as me, I couldn't just make excuses about it and not be as good as them.”
Handling this adversity helped Cadeau weather a tumultuous two-year run at North Carolina, where he often became the poster child for the Tar Heels’ unrealized expectations after ranking near the bottom of the ACC in turnovers and fouls as a sophomore.
“That’s just kind of a testament to who he is,” said Gayle. “Because of everything that he’s been through, he’s able to kind of separate himself from everything that’s going on and be able to give you advice.”
And despite the challenges he’s faced to reach Friday night, Cadeau insists he’s never been slowed down by the conditions that could have easily derailed a promising career.
“There are no adjustments made,” he said. “Me not being able to hear fully didn’t really make any difference on the court, because you don’t really need hearing unless you’re listening to a play call or you’re listening to your teammates. I feel like basketball-wise, it doesn’t affect me.”
Cadeau a ‘savant’ at the controls of Michigan’s offense
Cadeau’s game has blossomed as the showrunner for one of the top offenses in college basketball. The Wolverines enter the matchup against Alabama ranked ninth nationally in scoring, fourth in field-goal percentage and fifth in assists per game.
The junior is averaging a career-best 10.1 points per game with 57 makes from 3-point range, nearly doubling his total from his final season at North Carolina. Cadeau has 28 fewer turnovers in one fewer game compared to last year while posting 5.7 assists per game, good for fourth in the Big Ten.
Cadeau has been the perfect fit for a system that needs a happy-to-share distributor, especially as Michigan looks to quickly turn defensive stops into transition.
“He’s a savant with what he’s doing,” May said. “He probably doesn’t even realize a lot of the things he’s doing because he’s so intelligent. He’s able to get us into close-out opportunities without really having to run any offense. His ability to read the floor, read the game, manipulate defenses, is incredibly impressive."
His arrival in Ann Arbor has sparked a clear increase in confidence. Cadeau has been much more willing to chase his own shot, especially given the attention paid to Michigan’s imposing frontcourt. He made three from long range against Saint Louis, helping the Wolverines take control in the first half and cruise to the 95-72 win.
Adding another outside shooter to Burnett and fellow guard Trey McKenney has made the offense even more dangerous, teammates said.
“The difference between him and last year, he was more pass-first,” Lendeborg said. “He's still pass-first now, but he's become way more of a scoring threat. You can't guard him anyway. So having to compete with him and trying to stop him when you think he's going to pass, it's good night pretty much honestly.”
Said Gayle, “It wasn’t the fact that he couldn’t, he’s just more confident in doing so. And he works really hard for it.”
This same level of dedication — one needed to fight through his medical conditions and to become a more complete and well-rounded player on both ends — has built Cadeau into an elite college point guard, and in turn made the Wolverines into a team capable of winning the second national championship in program history.
“He’s what we want in a point guard,” May said. “He’s a guy that makes everyone on the team better.”
We only have two games on the schedule, but I’ve still managed to find value in my NHL player props for tonight. I’ll include Connor Bedard, Mika Zibanejad, and Alex DeBrincat.
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Our best NHL player props for Friday, March 27
Take a look at our best bets and expert analysis below.
Prop #1: Connor Bedard Over 3.5 shots on goal
+115 at BET99
Connor Bedard is having a nice campaign for the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring 30 goals and tallying 37 assists.
He’s always creating opportunities, averaging 3.32 SOG per contest. The former first overall pick has cashed the Over in back-to-back appearances.
The Hawks visit the New York Rangers tonight, and Bedard has hit the Over in shots on target in three straight road games. The Rangers are incredibly vulnerable defensively, ranking 30th in the NHL in SOG allowed.
Bedard should have no issues generating chances this evening.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CHSN, MSG
Prop #2: Mika Zibanejad anytime goal
+145 at BET99
The Rangers may be in the midst of a six-game losing streak, but Mika Zibanejad can't be blamed. The Swede has 32 goals in 2025-26, and he’s found the back of the net in four of his last five games.
Despite Wednesday’s defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zibanejad notched both goals for the Rangers. He’s scored in two of his previous three outings at home, and the Rangers welcome the Blackhawks to Madison Square Garden tonight.
Chicago is 23rd in goals allowed, and they just gave up five in their last contest.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CHSN, MSG
Prop #3: Alex DeBrincat Over 0.5 assists
+120 at BET99
Alex DeBrincat has been key for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 35 goals and assisting on 39.
We’ll focus on his playmaking here, because the winger is dominating lately. He’s cashed the Over in helpers in six of his last seven.
The 28-year-old has six assists across his previous four games alone. DeBrincat set up a goal on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators, and last Thursday, he tallied two helpers against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Wings visit the Buffalo Sabres tonight, and Buffalo has allowed 10 goals over its last two games.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 4–0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
It wasn’t a pretty night whatsoever for the Canucks, as Vancouver failed to hit the 20-shot mark for the 10th time this season. In terms of scoring chances-for, they only managed a grand total of 18, nine of which came during the third period. On the flip side, they surrendered 35, including 12 in the first period and 16 in the second. Half of their second-period scoring chances against were high-danger.
As evidenced by the location of their goals-against, Vancouver had a very difficult time clearing the crease against the Kings. Two of Los Angeles’ goals came from bounces off players driving to the net. In terms of offence, the Canucks were unable to generate anything even remotely dangerous near Darcy Kuemper.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Los Angeles Kings, March 26, 2026, Natural Stat Trick.
Offensively, there was not much to like about Vancouver’s performance. Having said that, statistically speaking, Nils Höglander had one of the stronger performances of the game. He was one of five Canucks to put up a CF% over 50%, with his coming in at 52.63% (fourth-highest on Vancouver). As well, he finished with the outright highest xGF% with 63.70%, with second being Zeev Buium with 49.65%.
In line with Höglander’s performance is the fact that his line — himself, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson — put up the highest CF% of all four of Vancouver’s lines with 62.50%. While they did play the least amount of time together of all four units (7:03), they did manage four scoring chances-for and only two against.
Vancouver will now go on the road for the next four games, with their next game taking place on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Mar 26, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander (21) checks Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar (11) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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With their 12-game winning streak snapped, the Oklahoma City Thunder will return home and try to get right against the hapless Chicago Bulls tonight.
The Bulls have lost seven straight to OKC, and are a rough 1-6 ATS in that span — a big reason why they’re 19.5-point underdogs on Friday, March 27.
My Bulls vs. Thunder predictions and free NBA picks have OKC laying down a whipping against a less-than-complete Chicago roster.
Bulls vs Thunder prediction
Bulls vs Thunder best bet: Thunder -19.5 (-110)
The Chicago Bulls are coming off a 20-point beating at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers, marking their highest point total (157) allowed this season. This is a team that’s seen its opponent touch 150 points twice previously.
Chicago is fourth-worst in the NBA in scoring defense, surrendering 120.8 points per game.
They’re dinged up as well, with Jaden Ivey (knee) and Jalen Smith (calf) done for the year, Anfernee Simons (wrist) doubtful, and Nick Richards (elbow) and Guerschon Yabusele (ankle) listed as questionable.
The Oklahoma City Thunder should be surly after dropping a game in Boston to the Celtics, just their second loss in 17 games following the All-Star break.
Prior to their loss to Boston, OKC had walloped each of their last three opponents by at least 20 points. This is a Top 5 scoring team in the NBA, that’s also allowed just 106.3 points per game in their last 13.
That’s a recipe for a blowout win against a banged-up Bulls team that’s playing out the string.
This might seem foolish, especially if he drops 50, but Shai is more likely to be sidelined in the fourth quarter than gunning for a career high against Chicago. He’s gone for 30+ in just five of 13 career games vs. the Bulls.
However, he’s been doling out a bunch of assists. In his last four games vs. the Bulls, SGA has had at least 10 assists three times.
Bulls vs Thunder SGP
Thunder -19.5
Gilgeous-Alexander Under 29.5 points
Gilgeous-Alexander Over 6.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: SGA (almost) all the way
Gilgeous-Alexander has hit a couple of moneyballs in five of his last eight games, and in three of his last four against the Bulls.
His board work against the Bulls has been impressive, grabbing at least five rebounds in five of his last six games.
Bulls vs Thunder SGP
Thunder -19.5
Gilgeous-Alexander Under 29.5 points
Gilgeous-Alexander Over 6.5 assists
Gilgeous-Alexander Over 1.5 3-point makes
Gilgeous-Alexander Over 3.5 rebounds
Bulls vs Thunder odds
Spread: Bulls +19.5 | Thunder -19.5
Moneyline: Bulls +1200 | Thunder -2400
Over/Under: Over 239.5 | Under 239.5
Bulls vs Thunder betting trend to know
Nine of OKC's last 12 games have cashed the Under. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Thunder.
How to watch Bulls vs Thunder
Location
Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Date
Friday, March 27, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
Chicago Sports Network, FDSN Oklahoma
Bulls vs Thunder latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
For the second game of their three-game Pacific Division road trip to Canada, the Anaheim Ducks traveled to Alberta to take on the Calgary Flames on Thursday evening.
The Ducks were coming off a 5-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday and were looking to extend their lead in the Pacific Division standings as well as extend their winning streak to four games.
Calgary came into this game with the fourth fewest points in the NHL standings, but were riding a four-game winning streak of their own. The Ducks traded forward Ryan Strome to the Flames at the NHL trade deadline earlier this month for a seventh-round pick, and this was to be Strome’s first game against his former club.
The Ducks’ lineup took a bit of a hit, as Troy Terry was ruled out of this game with a lower-body injury. Frank Vatrano was inserted into Terry’s spot on the first line. Jansen Harkins was injured early in Tuesday’s game and was also not featured in the lineup.
The Ducks recalled forward Nathan Gaucher from the San Diego Gulls earlier on Thursday, but he was scratched, as was Drew Helleson on the blueline. Ian Moore started the game as the fourth line right winger, and the remainder of the lineup remained somewhat steady to start.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Vatrano
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Viel-Poehling-Gauthier
McTavish-Washe-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Zellweger-Gudas
Ville Husso got the start for the Ducks for the second time in their last three games and saved 23 of 25 shots in this one. For Calgary, Devin Cooley stood between the pipes and stopped 30 of 33.
Game Notes
The Ducks attempted to push tempo and manufacture chances early, but were thwarted by an effective Calgary forecheck, which broke up several plays with an active and effective F1 before they could build and were turned back toward Husso. As the game progressed and Anaheim generated the majority of power play opportunities, the game flow flipped, and they made safer plays up ice after going down 1-0 early in the second period.
Radko Gudas was forced out of this game with 7:38 remaining in the second period with a lower-body injury and would not return. Pavel Mintyukov blocked a shot in the seventh minute of the third period, which forced him to writh in pain on the ice until Calgary took a 2-1 lead. He returned for two shifts in the dying minutes of the game, aiding his tiring blueline mates.
At 5v5 in this game, the Ducks accounted for the majority of shots on goal (53.06%) and shot attempts (53.85%), but Calgary got shots off from better locations, accounting for 51.84% of the expected goals.
Mikael Granlund: If there were such a thing as a “veteran hat trick,” this was it. Two minutes after the Ducks surrendered yet another opening goal, Granlund finds space in the middle on the rush, uses a defender as a screen, and beats Cooley from distance.
Later, when Calgary takes a late penalty in the final five minutes of a one-goal game, Granlund gets to a spot to the right of Cooley where a perimeter rebound finds him, and he buries from a severe angle.
To finish this one off, Calgary takes another penalty in the last minute of overtime. In the final second of the extra period, he and John Carlson run a switch at the top of the left circle that puts Granlund in a one-time spot, and while fading away from the net, Granlund is able to beat Cooley from distance again, this time using Kreider’s screen in front.
With McTavish in the press box or in the bottom six of late, Granlund has stepped up offensively, utilizing his elite vision, tenacity, and hockey IQ to fill in the gaps left by a struggling young player. Granlund now has seven points (all goals) in his last four games, including five in his last two.
Power Play: Though he’s been resigned to fourth-line duties since returning from a pair of healthy scratches, McTavish has performed well on the power play and found ways to spark quality chances on the man advantage. He’s being utilized at the left flank, where he can draw toward the blueline to support his point defenseman (LaCombe) at the top of the umbrella.
From that spot, as is the case with Granlund on the Ducks’ other unit, McTavish can feed one-time attempts to the top of the umbrella. When that option isn’t available, he can attack downhill, looking for space to get his own shot off, hit the goal line release forward, find the bumper, or attempt a seam pass to the opposite flank, all plays McTavish has shown he has the ability to make from that spot.
The Ducks will wrap up their Western Canada road trip on Saturday with a matinee game against the team trailing them in the Pacific Division race: the Edmonton Oilers. This will be a true litmus test for this Ducks group and perhaps their most important game of the season to date.
The Cleveland Browns frequently restructure contracts to create more flexibility under the salary cap. The recent move to restructure Myles Garrett’s contract has generated significant discussion among fans and media about Cleveland’s long-term plans for him. This specific restructure would make it easier for the team to trade him in the near future.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that he spoke with the Browns, who insist they have no intention of trading Garrett, but speculation continues. There has been significant turmoil between Cleveland Garrett and others over the years. Last off-season, Garrett requested a trade before eventually signing his contract extension with the team. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn that the relationship between the two sides remains fractured.
The Browns’ choosing to trade Garrett would be a sign that they are looking to reset the roster by getting some draft picks in return. Coming off a defensive player of the year season, his value is at its highest, so the team could expect to get a nice return while he is still at the peak of his career.
On the other hand, Garrett is the best player on this roster and has been the face of this team since he was drafted in 2017. He is a fan favorite, and his departure would be upsetting for many. It’s rare for teams to encounter a talent like Myles Garrett, so they should think very carefully before deciding to part ways with him.
Let me know what you think in the comments – Should the Browns trade Myles Garrett?
Los Angeles, CA - March 26: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches his RBI double as teammate Shohei Ohtani (not pictured) scores against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning of an opening day baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
There is no better feeling than starting the season with a win, and that’s how the Dodgers began the 2026 season, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday 8-2.
The Dodgers used a pair of four-run innings in the bottom of the fifth and seventh innings to erase their brief deficit against Arizona, and Kyle Tucker began the rally in the seventh with an RBI double to give him his first hit in a Dodger uniform. He later scored on a Mookie Betts single and finished the night 1-4 with a double, a walk and an RBI.
Tucker spoke with Bob Costas at NBC about getting his first game as a Dodger under his belt and about playing for a team that has their aspirations set on a third consecutive championship.
“It feels great,” Tucker said. “It started off well tonight. The audience— the fans coming out to and supporting us— is unbelievable… There’s some phenomenal players on this roster. They love the city of L.A. and try to do the best for everyone that comes out and supports us.”
Links
Will Smith ended his night on Thursday the same way he ended the 2025 World Series— with a home run. Smith’s home run capped off the second four-run inning for the Dodgers, and the All-Star catcher finished 2-4 with three RBI.
“It’s a really tough lineup,” Smith said. “You got guys that can slug, guys that can get on base. There’s no off at-bats for the other team. There’s no easy outs and we take pride in that, whoever’s on the roster. It should be a really fun year. We started off 1-0 and that was the goal today.”
Miguel Rojas has now played in the final opening day of his 13-year playing career, going 1-4 with a run scored in Thursday’s victory. Rojas found out only on Tuesday that he was given the start at second base, noting that he wasn’t expecting any favors from Dave Roberts, notes Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
“I didn’t know if ‘Thank you’ was the right thing to say because it’s something I earned,” Rojas recounted before the Dodgers’ 8-2 win Thursday against the Diamondbacks. “It’s not something that I asked for as a favor. So I was just kind of speechless.”
Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: Currently, the Suns have a 95% chance of ending up in the Play-In tournament. Between the other most likely play-in teams (Clippers, Trail Blazers, Warriors), which is the team you would least prefer to play against?
GuarGuar: I’d least like to play against the Clippers in the Play-In, but that seems like who our first game matchup is going to be. Ty Lue always has some unique defensive game plans against us, and I think he could junk up our offense. No Harden or Zubac is big, but they still are performing very well, and Kawhi has been at an All-NBA level.
Diamondhacks: The fan in me would rather skirt playoff-tested coaches and superstars. The pretend-coach in me is more concerned with team pace, because we’ve notably struggled vs so-so (i.e., Play-In caliber) squads who play fast.
NBA Pace Rankings 2025-26
1st – Miami 2nd – Atlanta 3rd – Chicago … 8th – Portland 18th – GSW 28th – LAC
So, if Avdija is “back” healthy and pushing the pace, I’d be most averse to Portland.
Ashton: I am not using metrics here, but more of which game would I be most entertained to watch? For me, that is the GSW. This is not based on current playoff/seeding projections, but if the implosion of the Warriors happens during a Suns game, okay, cool. Keep in mind, I am a Steve Kerr fan.
Then we get to spend the summer reading about all the possible trades that GSW can do to get younger. End of an era type stuff.
Yeah, Beat LA light and I like some of the youth movement out of Portland, but GSW and the Suns would pull the TV ratings.
OldAz: Easy. Golden State. Basically, to face the Warriors, either the Warriors have to get hot down the stretch and make up 2-3 games to finish in 8th, or the Suns have been passed by both Portland and the Clippers to finish in 9th, of that the Suns have lost game 1 of the play in and now face elimination against the Warriors after losing game 1. The Warriors are also a team that historically have stepped it up in the playoffs after underwhelming regular season performances. If Curry and a green are healthy, and especially in option #1 they are on a hot streak, then I would want no part of them.
Rod: I’m going with the Clippers here mostly because I think they’re the most unpredictable team of the bunch. In the last few weeks, they beat the Knicks and the Timberwolves (by 25 points), then lost to Sacramento and New Orleans (twice), and then beat Milwaukee by 33 after barely squeaking by Dallas in an overtime game.
Whoever it turns out to be, I just hope that the Suns bring their A-game to the court that night.
Q2: According to Gambo, Dillon Brooks could be back early next week, possibly in time for Monday’s game against Memphis. When he returns, would you put him right back into the starting lineup or bring him in off the bench at first?
GuarGuar: I’d bring Dillon right back into the starting group when he gets back. We miss his defense and toughness greatly, and his fearlessness when it comes to creating his own shot. His intensity has been missed during this stretch of close losses.
Diamondhacks: The best usage decisions are typically informed, so I’d defer to someone intimately familiar with the team’s competitive and personal dynamics. Maybe someone who spends a lot of time communicating with, motivating, and analyzing the leveraged performance of the personnel in question? I mean for a living and with demonstrated success.
Hmmm…if only there was such a person. Gosh, I can’t imagine who that might be.
Ashton: I would get Brooks off the bench as soon as medically possible to start working off the rust and to start his motor mouth for technical fouls. This will play heavy with what Q3 is asking, in which case, if he’s good to go, then start him for the last few games.
He is going to have some frustration to work off with his pending driving misdemeanors. And if he thinks he has faced stiff defenses in the past, wait until he pleads (legal disclaimer: Innocent until proven guilty) out and runs up against the Arizona Department of Transportation. No Rolls-Royce for you, Dillon the Villain, and we are not talking about playing with RO. I will be surprised if my paragraph makes it past the editors and the SBNation legal team, but this is Scottsdale we are talking about. All professional athletes should be warned about visiting Scottsdale.
Royce may be the first option to start, but I still would like to see more of Fleming.
OldAz: I would personally already be starting Fleming at the 4 and this would really be asking if Brooks would return to start at the small forward position in place of Allen. The answer in that case would still be “yes” because I want the remaining games to work with that bigger front line. However, back in the real world, where Ott is unwilling to play his bigger wings at the start of games, I would also go back to Brooks because at least he plays big. I would again bench Gillespie or Allen and play Brooks with Onealle because this group has played along the front line together more so far this year.
Rod: I do believe that a game or two coming off the bench would probably be good for him until he gets his game legs and his rhythm back. The quicker those things return should be the guide as to when he returns to the starting lineup and the minutes he plays. At this point, I don’t see a big need to rush him back into the starting lineup or play him big minutes until he’s proven he’s ready for those things.
Q3: If the Suns wind up locked into a certain playoff/Play-In seed before the season ends, should they consider resting certain players in their final few games?
GuarGuar: I definitely think if we are locked into the 7 spot, we should rest a couple of guys a game or two before the Play-In. But I want us to have an established rhythm first before we do that. If we haven’t gelled yet with everyone back, I think getting game reps would be more beneficial than sitting out games out of caution.
Diamondhacks: Sure. Rest and recovery are essential for any successful athlete, and all resource managers consider it. They’re always ‘considering’ it. Every game. Every single run. Individual Suns who look tired or worn out to me on a semi-regular or cumulative basis include Gillespie, Allen, O’Neale, and Booker. Basically, our minutes leaders who trend older or less ‘athletic’ and who also tend to deliver the lion’s share of team value. Perhaps Goodwin as well, although he never really looks tired.
Ashton: It seems like the Suns have been “resting” players all season long due to injuries. What a turnstile that has been. Honestly, it is bad when the first thing I look at before a Suns game is the injury report. It has detracted from what has been an above-average season.
So, the pundits are saying the Suns are locked into a playoff season and most likely the seven seed. With all the injuries, I see zero reason not to rest players if that is the case. Silver can’t complain about the Suns tanking for a draft pick, and yes, the quality of the game sucks for the fans in attendance.
But more playing time for the rookies? Sign me up.
OldAz: Maybe in the last game, but otherwise I would just scale back the minutes for Booker to around 25 minutes for a few games so that he is fresher but still in rhythm come playoff time. Maybe the same for Gillespie who has played a lot of minutes this year. Beyond that, Green needs to keep playing to build rhythm and consistency, and everyone else’s minutes would be dictated mainly by getting and staying healthy.
Rod: Considering their bad luck with injuries this season, I’d say yes. If there are a few games at the end of the season where winning or losing won’t have any effect on their playoff/Play-In position, risking another injury to one of their key players just doesn’t seem particularly smart. I’m not certain whether I’d sit all the starters or just restrict their minutes and give the bench guys plenty of playing time in those games, though. Maybe playing the starters just enough to keep them from getting rusty without wearing them down might be the best way to go.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“We just have to keep growing, keep building and I think we’re competing hard. We’re just haven’t gotten over that hump. Yes, we’re getting there. We’re learning. When we’re the more physical team it puts us in a better situation.” – Devin Booker
“Roll the ball out, whoever’s in the rotation, whoever’s out there, let’s get it. It would be nice to be healthy, though but soon as that ball gets tossed in the air we aren’t thinking about it.” – Jalen Green
“Just knowing that I can go out there and compete with these guys and that just builds confidence for me.” – Rasheer Fleming
“If I’m passing up shots, it’s not doing really any good for our team. No matter who is out there, I got to be aggressive, especially when I first catch the ball because that’s the most open I’ll be.” – Collin Gillespie
“You’ve got to kind of earn your respect in the league.” – Collin Gillespie
“We don’t really dwell too much on what happened yesterday. That’s part of the NBA.” – Jalen Green
Suns Trivia/History
Grayson Allen’s first three-pointer vs Denver was the 1000th of his NBA career and his 2nd was his 500th playing for the Suns (his career total now stands at 1004, 503 for the Suns). His total of 503 three point makes for Phoenix is 10th on the Suns’ All-Time leaders list.
Collin Gillespie is just 7 three-point makes away from surpassing Quentin Richardson as the Suns’ All-Time leader in threes made in a single season. Richardson set the record (226) back in 2005. With 195 makes this season, Royce O’Neale is currently 8th on that list and, while it’s extremely unlikely that he could catch up to Collin by the end of the season, with 11 more makes he could move up as high as 3rd on that list, passing both Grayson Allen (2024) and Raja Bell (2007) who are currently tied for that position with 205 makes each.
Players Averaging Over 25.0 PPG & With A Defensive Field Goal Percentage (DFG%) Under 45.0% In The 2025-26 NBA Regular Season :
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — 31.5 PPG & 42.8 DFG%
Jaylen Brown — 28.6 PPG & 42.8 DFG%
Giannis Antetokounmpo — 27.6 PPG & 43.4 DFG%
Kevin Durant — 26.0 PPG & 42.4 DFG%
Devin Booker — 25.5 PPG & 43.6 DFG%
(From Stat Defender/@statdefender)
On April 3, 1994, Kevin Johnson scored a season high 42 points and dished out 17 assists while playing 45 minutes in a 108-98 non-OT win over the Denver Nuggets. He did not make a single 3-point shot in the game but was 14-16 from the FT line.
On April 3, 2002, the Suns lost 89-83 – in an overtime game – to the Philadelphia 76ers. It is the lowest point total by the Suns ever in an overtime game. Curiously, the Suns 2nd lowest point total in an overtime game (84 points) was in an 84-83 overtime WIN against Minnesota on Feb. 26, 2013.
This Week’s Game Schedule
Saturday, March 28 – Suns vs Utah Jazz (7:00 pm) NBATV Monday, March 30 – Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies (5:00 pm) Tuesday, March 31 – Suns @ Orlando Magic (4:00 pm) Thursday, April 2 – Suns @ Charlotte Hornets (4:00 pm)
This Week’s Valley Suns Game Schedule
None.
The Valley Suns’ regular season is over and they did not qualify for the G League playoffs.
Important Future Dates
March 31 – 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin April 12 – Regular season ends (All 30 teams play) April 13 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET) April 14-17 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament April 18 – NBA Playoffs begin
CHICAGO,IL - JULY 2: Flags are displayed before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs on July 2, 2022 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve given you plenty of Brewers preview content this week (and all month), but let’s take a more detailed (but still Brewers-fan-centric) look around the rest of the division and see what the teams who are trying to knock the Brewers off their perch are bringing to the table this year.
We’ll go in alphabetical order (which just so happens to be the order in which I think they’ll finish), with a rating out of 10 on the threat level they pose to the Brewers this year, as determined by your humble author, who still thinks Milwaukee should be regarded as the favorite.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are viewed by essentially every major media outlet as the favorite in the National League Central. The headline additions for the Cubs are third baseman Alex Bregman (who signed a five-year, $175 million deal) and starting pitcher Edward Cabrera, who came over from the Marlins for a package headlined by top prospect Owen Caissie. The Cubs also added several bullpen pieces, most notably Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton, and Hoby Milner. (They also signed Shelby Miller, but he may not pitch at all in 2025 after he needed Tommy John surgery after a late-season injury with the Brewers last year.)
On the way out, the big Cubs loss was Kyle Tucker, who of course signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But they also watched several bullpen arms go, including a couple who were quite good for them in 2025 (Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz).
Chicago has been widely praised for the signing of Bregman, who is viewed as one of the league’s best clubhouse presences, plays good defense, and is a solidly above average hitter. Bregman, though, turns 32 in a few days, and played only 114 games in 2025, so that’s something to keep an eye on. And while Bregman has been a good player over the last six years, he hasn’t been a legitimate star since 2018 and 2019, when he had back-to-back top-five MVP finishes.
Bregman’s signing should help, but we need to look at it through the prism of who he “replaced,” Tucker. Even in what was viewed as a “down season” at times, Tucker put up a 143 OPS+ in 2025, made the All-Star Game, and earned 4.6 WAR in 135 games, a better rate than the 3.5 WAR Bregman earned in 114 games. Tucker is also three years younger than Bregman, and has been unequivocally better over the past five seasons.
Bregman is a good pickup for the Cubs, but he’s a step down from Tucker, and I don’t know why this isn’t being more widely considered.
As for Cabrera, he was quite good in 2025 (3.53 ERA/3.83 FIP, 3.13 K:BB in 137 2/3 innings) in his age-27 season. The question, really, is whether that’s who Cabrera is now or whether the significant control problems that plagued him from 2022-2024 will rear their head. Prior to 2025, Cabrera had made 63 career appearances (61 starts) and thrown 294 innings and walked over five batters per nine. That’s a huge number over such a large sample; for instance, the highest BB/9 among qualified starting pitchers in 2025 was Gavin Williams at 4.5. Jacob Misiorowski only walked 4.2 batters per nine in the big leagues in 2025.
Of course, the fact that Cabrera substantially lowered that rate over a large sample (last year was the first time he’d thrown more than 100 innings in his career) is encouraging. Cabrera does have good stuff—he sits around 97 with his fastball and had some of the better offspeed stuff in the league last year, according to Statcast. But if I were a Cubs fan, I’d be nervous watching his walks, at least early in the season.
Chicago should also be helped this season by the return of Justin Steele, who had surgery on his UCL about a year ago. He’s pitching again, but the Cubs just placed him on the 60-day IL, so he obviously won’t be back for at least a couple of months. Steele was one of the league’s best pitchers in 2023 and more-or-less replicated those results (although in a smaller sample) in 2024, but made only four starts before his injury in 2025.
The infield is good: alongside Bregman, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner (my pick for the league’s best second baseman last season, and who the Cubs just signed to a lucrative extension) are both excellent defensive players who can hit a bit, and Michael Busch, who was the hitter in Chicago’s lineup who scared me the most in last year’s NLDS, looks to be the real deal, at least as long as he’s facing right-handed pitching.
Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the outfield, but we’ll have to see how he adjusts this season. After exploding out of the gate and making himself a Bonafide MVP candidate by mid summer, PCA struggled badly in the second half of the season and finished with a .287 on-base percentage. There are real, nearly existential questions about his plate discipline, but he did hit 31 homers and steal 35 bases last year, and if nothing else he’s a dynamic player who provides true A+ defense in center field. Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and Matt Shaw are all players who should help, while Dylan Carlson and Michael Conforto are looking to get their careers back on track.
Threat level: 7/10. The Cubs won 92 games in 2025, and went five with the Brewers in the NLDS. They’re well-funded. They have some star power, and maybe the best everyday infield in the game (though I wouldn’t want to be the one writing the checks in 2029, when Bregman and Swanson will be 35 and Hoerner 32 and they’ll make something like $75m combined). But I still see problems with the pitching staff, and while the narrative out there seems to be that Chicago greatly improved this offseason, I don’t really see it. They should win 90-ish games again and they certainly could usurp the Brewers at the top of the division, but I think the universal consensus that they will is a little bizarre, frankly.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds won 83 games in 2025 and snuck into the playoffs, where they lost two lopsided Wild Card games to the Dodgers. They’re a team with some intriguing talent, but the health of their pitching staff is in question at the beginning of the season and that’s a problem.
The biggest issue is Hunter Greene, their best pitcher, who made only 19 starts last year but pitched to a 2.76 ERA (166 ERA+) and struck out 11 batters per nine while walking only 2.2. Greene is one of the hardest throwers in the league—he averaged 99.5 on his fastball last year, higher even than Misiorowski—and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball while on the mound over the last two seasons. But he needed surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow earlier this month, and isn’t expected back in the big leagues until July, and of course any sort of elbow injury for a guy who throws in triple digits is alarming. The Reds probably need Greene in order to be good enough to make the postseason, and I’m not sure they’re going to get enough of him.
Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo, and Chase Burns round out what is hypothetically one of the best five-man rotations anywhere in baseball. Abbott had a 2.87 ERA in over 165 innings last season, and while there are some concerns that he’s outperforming his peripherals, he’d still be a well above-average pitcher even if his ERA ticked back closer to his FIP.
Lodolo has shown a lot of promise, but he’s also struggled at times to stay on the mound. He made only 28 starts between 2023 and 2024, and while he did appear in 29 games last season, he missed some time in August. He’s dealing with a blister that landed him on the IL to start this season, which isn’t exactly what you want.
Singer doesn’t bring many durability concerns; he’s topped 125 innings in each of his five full seasons and hasn’t thrown less than 153 since 2021. Singer isn’t going to be a star but he’s as reliable an innings eater as you’re likely to find in 2026. Burns is electric, and debuted to much fanfare last season, when in 43 1/3 innings he struck out 67 batters. He was a top-25 overall prospect prior to last season, and figures to be one of the most exciting young pitchers in the league.
Speaking of exciting, on the other side of the ball the Reds boast one of the most dynamic players in baseball, Elly De La Cruz. Over his first three seasons, things have been kind of all over the place, as you’d expect for a player with so much raw talent in his early 20s—for instance, in 2024 he stole a league-leading 67 bases and hit 36 doubles, 10 triples, and 25 homers, but also struck out a league-leading 218 times. His offensive game took a slight step back in 2025. But he’s still very young—he just turned 24 in January—and Reds fans have every reason to believe that this athletic freak with real power and good defensive tools (he’s rated as not bad, but not great at shortstop so far) will be a star for years to come. Heck, Keith Law even picked him for NL MVP.
There’s also a prime bounceback candidate in Matt McLain, a new (old) guy with potential for 50 homers in Eugenio Suárez, and a big-time prospect in Sal Stewart. Noelvi Marte occasionally looks like a star, though a steroid suspension threw a pretty big wrench in his career. TJ Friedl is pretty good. But this isn’t an overwhelming lineup unless a lot of things go right.
Threat level: 5/10. There are some interesting pieces here, and the rotation, at full health, is loaded. But will we ever get that rotation at full health? That remains to be seen, and while I like some parts of this lineup I’m not thrilled about others. I’ve also got questions about the bullpen. The skeleton of a good team is here, but I’m not sure they’ll be able to put it together this year.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are a trendy pick to improve greatly, and I saw them in multiple “bold predictions” columns and segments for “will make the playoffs in 2026.” Let’s even give them the benefit of the doubt and ignore (at least, mostly) the first game of the season, in which Paul Skenes didn’t even make it out of the first inning.
Yes, they have Skenes, and his dud of a start notwithstanding (Skenes was charged with five runs but should’ve gotten out of the first with only a run in; his center fielder, Oneil Cruz, made two awful plays in a row that cost the team at least three runs) he might be the best pitcher in baseball, and is certainly the best pitcher in the National League.
My big question here is: how far does one starting pitcher get you in an era where starting pitchers rarely throw even 200 innings?
That question is kind of central to the Pittsburgh Pirates problem. Their offense should be better this year, but that’s a low bar—they were dead last in 2025, 60 runs behind the third-worst Cleveland Guardians. Their offense in 2025 wasn’t just bad, it was atrocious. So what’d they do to address it? They traded for Brandon Lowe (who homered twice off Freddy Peralta on Opening Day), which should help a bit, and they signed Ryan O’Hearn, who had a good 2025 season, and they also signed Marcell Ozuna, who can still hit, I think.
There are a couple of problems here, though. First, none of those guys is at a stage where you’d expect them to get any better. In July, O’Hearn will turn 33 and Lowe will turn 32. Ozuna is 35, and while he was still an above-average hitter in 2025, he took a pretty major step back from the previous two seasons. The other issue here is defense. Lowe played second base today, while O’Hearn was in right field and Ozuna played the only position he can play: designated hitter. Lowe was one of the worst defensive second basemen in baseball last year, while O’Hearn has kind of mixed defensive numbers. But Pittsburgh is also going with Cruz in center—which, if early returns are any indication, is not going to go well—and while Ke’Bryan Hayes wasn’t helping their league-worst offense, he was one of the best defensive players in the league (he was traded to Cincinnati at least year’s trade deadline). Pittsburgh ranked a healthy ninth in defense in 2025. Their offense should be better in 2026, but they might give most of those runs back on the other side of the ball.
Might Konnor Griffin, the game’s top prospect, solve a lot of these issues? Yes, it’s certainly possible. As soon as the Pirates are certain they’ll get that extra year of service, I’d expect to see Griffin in the majors, and he’ll be in instant mega-upgrade over Jared Triolo at short. Griffin can handle himself defensively and has major offensive upside. He could be a star even this year.
But that’s one guy. This lineup still sent out Triolo, Spencer Horwitz, Nick Gonzales, and Henry Davis on Opening Day, not to mention the boom-or-bust Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, who despite his escapades against the Brewers, was a below-league-average hitter in 2025 (and who is also now on the wrong side of 30). In the rotation, there is some promise, but a lot of that is tied up in Bubba Chandler, who has only 31 major league innings, and Jared Jones, who can’t stay healthy (and is on the 60-day IL to start the season, meaning a late-May debut at the earliest). The bullpen looks like a weakness.
Threat level: 2/10. I don’t see it. The Angels had Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and couldn’t make the playoffs. I don’t see the Pirates doing it with Skenes and Griffin.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are doing a full rebuild for the first time I can ever really remember. They haven’t lost less than 70 games in a full, 162-game season since 1981. 1981! They didn’t even have Ozzie Smith yet in 1981. (The Cardinals did go 53-61 in 1994 and 62-81 in 1995, but those weren’t quite full seasons due to the strike.)
I’d say that streak is certainly in jeopardy this year. St. Louis traded Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray to the Red Sox, Nolan Arenado to the Diamondbacks, and Brendan Donovan to the Mariners. Donovan and Contreras were, by WAR, the Cards’ two best players last year. Gray was their best starter. Arenado had a rough, injury-plagued season, but he’s still Nolan Arenado.
The Cardinals are not trying to hide that they aren’t really trying to compete this year. John Mozeliak, who’d been at the helm of the front office since 2007, stepped down at the end of his contract after last season and was replaced by Chaim Bloom. The new leadership clearly demonstrated that they weren’t attached to any of the team’s veteran players, nor to winning, for that matter. Strange, for this team.
There are some interesting pieces. JJ Wetherholt is one of the league’s top prospects, and hit a homer in his major-league debut on Thursday. He could win Rookie of the Year. Masyn Winn is a defensive wizard. Victor Scott II is very fast. Lars Nootbaar has an interesting Statcast page. Iván Herrera is a good player.
But guys like these are interesting pieces, not foundational ones, at least not at this point in their career. The pitching staff might be a disaster. There’s not much else to it. I know I said in our division predictions the other day that I thought they’d win 71 games… but I don’t think they’re going to do that, actually.
Threat level: 0/10. It’s hard to ignore what 37 years of life on this Earth have told me about Cardinals Devil Magic, but they’re gonna be bad.
Kurt Helin
Bedard Over 3.5 shots on goal 
Zibanejad anytime goal 
DeBrincat Over 0.5 assists
