Despite temperatures in the feels-like single digits, you know baseball season is right around the corner when Evan Grant begins his roster projections.
Much like a group you may have heard about from Liverpool, the Red Sox have a quartet of young, talented lads who are breaking through a top 100 chart in the middle of the decade. Maybe that’s a stretch, I dunno, but I’m happy that we do have a Fab Four to call our own.
On Friday, MLB Pipeline released their updated rankings of the top 100 prospects in baseball. While it’s certainly not the be-all-end-all of prospect evaluation, Pipeline’s latest list gives us an opportunity to take stock in what we have at the top of our farm system.
The answer to that question: a trio of talented pitchers and a middle infielder. Left-handers Payton Tolle (number 19 in the league wide Top 100, according to Pipeline) and Connelly Early (number 56) are joined by 2025 first-round draft pick Kyson Witherspoon (number 84) on the bump, while shortstop Franklin Arias (number 31) represents the sole position player within the organization who currently makes the grade (another reference to that Liverpudlian band for ya).
Does that crop of players represent the most talent, on paper and in the eyes of Pipeline’s evaluators, across the sport? No, but there’s some legit juice among our representatives.
We’ve already seen glimpses of the potential that both Tolle and Early have from the left side; the former has a dynamite heater, while the latter has already displayed an ability to step into a massive role and provide his club with a chance to win a do-or-die game (they died, lmao, sure, but I’d hardly pin the majority of the blame on Early for how Game 3 in New York went down a few months ago). Witherspoon projects to be a guy who can deploy swing-and-miss stuff via multiple pitches, especially if he can develop his command. There’s a very real chance that Arias is up in Boston before we know it, possibly serving as a long-term solution on the infield dirt with his steady glove and ability to get lumber on the ball (Pipeline grades his hit tool as a 60 on the 20-80 scale; in plain English, that’s quite good).
This next wave, mixed with the group of guys who were on Pipeline lists of past and have already graduated from the minor league system, could very well be exciting! Of course, no prospect is a sure thing—although I’m still holding out hope for a Lars Anderson renaissance—but one can hope that this is a sign of continued progress within the Sox’s player development system. Craig Breslow has stressed his desire to build a sustainable winner, one that is primed to compete in both the short-term and for the long haul. Your opinion on that philosophy along with how the front office has actually done in carrying out that vision may vary, but if that master plan were to eventually bare fruit, it could look a little something like what we’re currently seeing: another hoard of players on the precipice of contributing to the major league club within the next 12 to 18 months or so.
Even with that in mind, I’m curious: does a continued faith in Boston’s player development open the door, perhaps, to some trades for veterans that can round out the roster—be it this winter, next summer, or in future offseasons (even if we might not have the patience for that)?
There are young position players already primed to play major roles in 2026, while you can point to plenty of young arms that can make an impact before their arbitration years are up. There’s an embarrassment of riches within the organization’s pitching depth—could that be leveraged in the future, especially if Breslow and Co. trust their own models and methods to develop pitching? Early was a fifth round draft pick a few years ago, and I can confidently assume that he wasn’t on many folks’ radars at this time last year (I can only speak with certainty for myself; if you had the Early emergence on your 2025 bingo card, hats off to ya), and he’s now been thrown around in trade ideas for multi-time All-Star players. Does the organization have faith in themselves to produce more Connelly Early-types?
Regardless of future transactions, the strides being made in the minors gives me some hope. There’s more work to be done—Tolle needs to work on his secondary pitches, Early has to be stretched out for longer outings, etc.—but the Red Sox aren’t in a bad spot right now. If they flip some of this prospect capital for a win-now type of player in the future, sure. If they keep them and they turn out to be big league contributors, sure. Either outcome would be a huge win for the work being done on the farm.
Now stop procrastinating and go shovel that snow, dear reader.
On Saturday night, Detroit Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal made baseball history by collecting his second straight American League Cy Young award. For all the conversation around Skubal as he prepares for his last season prior to free agency, the basic calculus for all parties involved revolves around the fundamental question; how long can Tarik Skubal stay at this level?
Since the middle of the 2023 season when he settled in after 2022 flexor tendon surgery, Skubal has been the best pitcher in baseball. When we talk about his arbitration battle with the Tigers, whether he should be traded or extended, and what he will ultimately be paid in a long-term contract next offseason, it all comes down to an assessment of how good Tarik Skubal will be going forward, and for how long.
Assuming he has another great season in 2026, which certainly isn’t guaranteed, Skubal is set to ask for $400 million in free agency over a 10-year span, and he may end up making more than that. To be worth such a deal, Skubal needs to have numerous great seasons ahead of him, and to be able to still produce good numbers in his decline phase. No one is going to expect Cy Young caliber production out of him for 10 years, but they’ll be paying like he can average well above average production over the life of the deal. In reality, deals like this are really only about the first 5-6 years, with a big spending team expecting to eat much of the remaining contract.
The game has changed so much over the last quarter century that drawing reasonable comparisons to other great pitchers is difficult.
We can look to former Tigers ace Justin Verlander as one possible point of comparison. The future Hall of Famer has been the most valuable pitcher in the game over the last 20 years, though the title of “best” may go to Clayton Kershaw. It’s difficult to use JV as a comp because Verlander is a freak. He was throwing 100 mph by the time he was 21-22 years old, and he was able to reach back for triple digits with his max fastball for over a decade before settling into steady mid-to-high 90’s velocity for much of another full decade. Skubal had his first major arm surgery when he had Tommy John in his freshman year of college. A 2022 flexor tendon injury also required surgery and cost him over a season of work. Verlander had one stretch in 2014-2015 of core and shoulder trouble, but was otherwise unscathed until he finally blew out his UCL in 2020. He then returned at age 39 and won his long coveted second American League Cy Young award in 2022.
Verlander possesses a once in a generation type combination of arm strength, durability, hunger, and work ethic that can really only be surpassed by the likes of Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson, and even now he’ll land himself a solid one-year deal in the coming weeks as he reaches his 43rd birthday. Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez had better careers than Verlander, though he’s closing in on Pedro, but they didn’t throw as hard nor maintain that kind of top shelf velocity deep into their careers.
Comparing aces
Other contemporary examples of a true ace, rather than just a good pitcher who had a peak season or two, may be a little more instructive than Verlander. So let’s take a quick look at the other top pitchers over the last 20 years and see what happened from age 30-35.
This chart below is the top 20 pitchers in fWAR from 2005-2025. Essentially you can see how much in fWAR they were worth prior to their 30’s, and then how much fWAR they earned in successive seasons. I left out guys who started their career in the 90’s like Roy Halladay. The 2020 season throws a bit of a wrinkle into this, and makes it a lot more of a project to take all these pitchers and get a fair average by each year of their career from age 30 onward. It’s not exactly cutting edge statistical analysis, but this is enough to give you a pretty good picture of the risk of a serious performance drop off from age 30 on.
Pitcher
20-29 fWAR
Age 30
Age 31
Age 32
Age 33
Age 34
35+
Clayton Kershaw
57.7
3.4
3.6
3.4
3.9
5.6
Max Scherzer
26.1
6.5
5.6
6.4
7.5
6.5
14.9
Felix Hernandez
52.6
1.1
0.3
0.3
-0.1
Jacob deGrom
15.5
9.0
6.9
4.9
2.2
5.3
Zack Greinke
31.4
4.5
5.3
2.3
4.9
2.7
11.7
Corey Kluber
16.6
4.9
7.2
5.5
0.6
1.4
Chris Sale
40.9
3.6
0.8
0.2
2.1
10.0
David Price
31
4.4
1.5
2.4
2.3
0.8
Sonny Gray
18.5
2.5
2.4
5.4
3.8
3.6
Aaron Nola
29.9
3.8
3.1
0.9
Zack Wheeler
12.4
7.2
4.2
5.9
5.4
4.0
Jon Lester
24.1
5.4
4.9
4.2
2.9
1.8
3.1
Cole Hamels
32.9
4.5
4.5
3.3
1.7
2.2
2.6
CC Sabathia
40.2
5.8
4.1
2.1
0.0
1.2
7.1
Adam Wainwright
17.6
3.9
6.2
4.9
0.9
2.8
9.4
Clliff Lee
14.8
6.4
7.3
7.1
5
5.6
2
Jake Peavy
32.1
2.9
4.3
2
1.5
1.2
0.7
Dan Haren
31.5
5.9
1.8
1.6
1.7
1.1
Justin Verlander
38.3
4.8
3.2
3.1
5.4
4.1
25.4
Avg fWAR
4.8
4.4
3.2
3
3.1
Again this only tells you so much, but it’s already pretty clear that paying a pitcher $35-40 million a year in their 30’s is never going to go very well. There’s a pretty good chance he’ll be a good pitcher for several more years, but the odds of many more Cy Young award caliber seasons isn’t great. Beyond 34, really only Justin Verlander remained a pretty valuable pitcher for a long time.
We should also note that most of these pitchers either never had a Tommy John surgery, or didn’t have one until they were already into their 30’s. DeGrom has already had two, and Zack Wheeler had the surgery in 2015 and came back very strong. Adam Wainwright had the surgery in 2011 and came back strong for another decade. Chris Sale had the surgery in 2020. Otherwise, the only other TJ guy on the list is Verlander, and he was 37 at the time with a crazy amount of mileage and high velocity heat behind him.
Now let’s consider the actual specimen himself.
Skubal is at the height of his powers
Tarik Skubal’s main attributes as a pitcher are velocity, a pretty unique fourseam fastball shape, a deceptive delivery, and one of the best changeups in baseball. The velocity isn’t going to last, but the other traits do bode well for Skubal remaining a pretty good starting iptcher even when he’s sitting 95 mph rather than the 97.6 mph he averaged in 2025. Frankly there’s a pretty good chance we’ve already seen peak velocity from the big left-hander. He averaged 95.8 mph in his 2023 return from flexor tendon surgery. He averaged 96.8 mph in winning his first Cy Young in 2024. That’s a pretty incredible trendline, but it can’t last forever.
Still, even when Skubal eventually falls back to averaging 95-96 mph again, his seam-shifted changeup is still going to remain a great weapon. Per Statcast, Skubal’s changeup was worth 26.8 runs above average, easily the best changeup is baseball. Christopher Sanchez of the Phillies was second at 19.8 runs above average, and only three other pitchers were above 10 runs above average. Certainly a great changeup benefits from a great fastball, and the changeup won’t be as effective when his velocity declines, but it’s so good it should remain a well above average pitch for Skubal for many years to come.
The distinctive thing about Skubal’s fourseamer is the fact that it’s basically a straight pitch. His ability to tie up right-handed hitters inside is predicated both on the velocity and deceptive delivery, but it’s also the fact that not many left-handers have a fourseamer with that shape. It’s almost a 97-98 mph cutter, and hitters cannot get used to the idea that it won’t run back over the plate at all. And just as he’s got you recognizing that fact, he’ll mix in a sinker that does swing back 10 inches on average more than the fourseamer, and he can start that pitch right at a right-handed hitters’ hands and nail the inner edge of the strike zone. There’s just no way to get experience against that combination of velocity and stuff.
If there’s any flaw in his game right now, it’s that Skubal doesn’t really have a good breaking ball indpendent of his other pitches. His slider plays up because his two main offerings are both elite, but it’s really a pretty average slider that thrives on velocity and the need for hitters to worry about the fastball-changeup combination. It’s a straight 90 mph pitch that doesn’t really break at all, with very pedestrian spin considering the velocity he’s throwing with. As the effectiveness of his two main pitches declines along with his velocity, he isn’t going to have that third pitch to fall back on unless he comes up with something new.
Of course, maybe he will. One of the unifying tendencies of the greats is the insane work ethic and dedication to keep making adjustments as their peak phase of raw athleticim starts to decline. Skubal can occasionally dump in a solid curveball, and as his velo declines perhaps he leans more into the sinker and converts to a pitcher who gets more ground balls than fly balls, playing the sinker and changeup off each other. When you have such outsized weapons, coming up with adjustments as they decline may be a little bit more straightforward.
Full steam ahead to 2026
For now, there’s nothing to suggest that Skubal isn’t going to go right back out there in 2026 and win his third straight Cy Young award. Garrett Crochett, Hunter Brown, Cole Ragans, and a few others, will try and step up to challenge him, but until Skubal starts losing velocity or gets injured, he’s going to remain really hard to beat.
At some point in the next few years, Skubal is basically guaranteed to have a letdown year. Maybe it will be an injury, maybe wear and tear will just sap a little gas out of the tank, but it’s bound to happen. No pitcher can maintain a peak like this for a half decade or more, particulary once they’re into their 30’s. Then the question will be if Skubal can adapt. Justin Verlander has been able to do so because he has a great slider, outstanding command, and the spin rates to continue throwing a good fastball even without the ability to scrape triple digits. Max Scherzer mixed fastball types and leaned into his excellent slider-changeup combination to continue pitching well through his mid-30’s.
Perhaps Skubal will simple mix fourseamers and sinkers more, while still relying on a changeup that wreaks havoc on either-handed hitters to remain a well above average starting pitcher. Right now, his stuff is so overpowering that he doesn’t rely on pinpoint command, but at lower velocities he may be forced to spot his stuff a little more precisely rather than just aiming over the middle and trusting his stuff.
What I hope this post illustrates, is why signing Skubal long-term was never really in the cards for the Tigers. With no apparent interest in an early extension after 2023 or 2024, he was always going to free agency.
Based on the Tigers payroll, they could afford $40 million a year for great Skubal. They would still be fine paying him $40 million a year for just good Skubal. The club is paying Javier Báez $24 million to be a quality utility player and that isn’t killing them right now. One underwater contract is not the end of the world. But what Scott Harris probably can’t do under the Ilitch family’s payroll restrictions, is pay $40 million a year for 5-6 seasons while Skubal is injured or just a fairly average pitcher down the road. That’s the fear. Such a deal could work out for the Tigers, but it’s hard to fault Scott Harris for not making that move without the Ilitch family committing to eating some of the back of that contract without limiting the rest of the Tigers’ payroll should things go that way. This is the kind of deal that ownership has to make happen. No doubt if Mike Ilitch were still around he would be pretty likely to push it through. Unlikely that the Ilitch family trust controlling the Tigers now feels the same way.
If Skubal is great for 2-3 more seasons and then is still a good starting pitcher into his mid-30’s, he’ll be plenty worth his money. If it all starts to unravel for him in his early 30’s, whoever signs him long-term is going to have a problem. But, for the likes of the Dodgers or the Mets? Just another huge deal they can easily absorb.
For now, we still have 2026 to enjoy this, so let’s just hope Skubal has at least one more monster year in him.
As we enter the last week of January, Spring Training is coming into full view and is about three weeks away for most teams. But many teams still have a need or two to address before the prep for the season arrives. The need for the Braves remains starting pitching, with some intriguing names still available. MLB.com looks at how current FA starter Zac Gallen can return to form plus reports many teams have interest in Lucas Giolito. It will be interesting to see who the Braves may target to add to their staff.
MLB.com looked back at 10 memorable games from the 2025 season. From the World Series to the All-Star game, there were certainly some fun moments to relive.
On this day 43 years ago, Steve Trout was sent across town to the Cubs as a key part of a blockbuster trade. | (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
1963 With expansion resulting in an explosion of offense, the MLB Rules Committee decides to increase the strike zone to the top of a batter’s shoulders down to his knees. The results swing the balance of power so dramatically that in just five years and in spite of a four-team expansion looming, baseball will shrink the strike zone in order to inject some offense back into the game.
1983 The White Sox and GM Roland Hemond outfoxed the Cubs by hinting through the media that they might select pitcher Fergie Jenkins after the Cubs left him unprotected in the free agent draft. Jenkins, the future Hall-of-Famer, was getting close to the magical 300-win mark in his career, and the Sox were entitled to compensation after losing outfielder Steve Kemp to the Yankees.
The Cubs were forced to make a rushed trade of Scott Fletcher, Dick “Dirt” Tidrow, Randy Martz and Pat Tabler to the Sox for a promise not to take Jenkins, along with pitchers Steve Trout and Warren Brusstar. The Sox then flipped Tabler to Cleveland for Jerry Dybzinski. After it was all said and done, Cubs GM Dallas Green was quoted as saying,“To say I’m relieved probably would be an understatement.”
While traditionally there has been a reluctance for the Chicago teams to trade with one another, this marked the third deal made between the White Sox and Cubs in the 1983-83 offseason.
Fletcher would be a key part of Chicago’s 1983 division champions. But his bigger impact perhaps came during his second stint with the White Sox, in 1990, for the “Doin’ the Little Things” White Sox, who shocked baseball by winning 94 games. Fletcher was a defensive rock at second base and executed small things exceptionally well — bunting, hitting behind a runner and to the opposite field, and driving in key runs. Tidrowdid just about everything a relief pitcher could do in 1983, and Dybzinskistabilized a shaky infield in the early part of that same season. (Unfortunately, Dybzinski’s baserunning error in Game 4 of the ALCS is what he is best remembered for.)
The White Sox starting staff was so deep in 1983, with seven pitchers on the roster who all won at least 10 games in a major league season, that Martz never really got a chance. He only made one emergency start that year, in a game at Detroit. The other pitchers besides Martz who won at least 10 games were LaMarr Hoyt, Richard Dotson, Floyd Bannister, Britt Burns, Jerry Koosman and Steve Mura.
In the end, Trout provided several strong starting years for the Cubs, offsetting the great value Fletcher brought with him to the White Sox. But there hasn’t been a weirder — or more panicked — trade between Chicago clubs than this one.
And one year later, Hemond successfully plucked an unprotected future Hall-of-Famer through the compensation draft: Tom Seaver.
1987 One of many flash points of the coming Rick Hahn rebuild, Néctor Noesí, was born in Esperanza, Valverde in the Dominican Republic.
Noesí came to the pitching-poor White Sox off of waivers from the Texas on April 25, 2014 — already his third team of the young MLB season. Oddly, the White Sox had just seen him the previous April 20, crushing him for seven earned runs in the ninth inning of a blowout over the Rangers.
Nonetheless, the White Sox plugged him into the next night’s game, on April 26. His next appearance was a start, and he logged 26 more to finish the season as a relative standout, with 0.9 WAR, 4.39 ERA, and 85 ERA+. Perhaps the most impressive about his 2014 was that despite his 8-11 record, the 73-89 White Sox went 14-14 in games he pitched.
Here’s some crazy trivia. Noesí brought an 11-game losing streak to Chicago with him and added three more losses before snapping it with a win on June 3, 2014. To end his White Sox career, Noesí dropped his final three starts of 2014 and then went 0-4 during the 2015 season in Chicago; the White Sox lost all 10 of the games he appeared in, making the club 0-13 in all Noesí games to end his time with the team. In that stretch, Noesí carried an 0-7 record and 6.31 ERA in that losing stretch.
Noesí went to the KBO in South Korea from 2016-18 and turned his losing ways around, going 46-20 in that time. However, when he got a final look in the majors with Miami in 2019, naturally he went 0-3, with the Marlins going 2-10 in the games he pitched.
All in all, Noesí finished his major league career 0-10, with his teams going 2-23 in that time.
2023 All-time great South Side southpaw Gary Peters died, at age 85, in Sarasota, Fla. The Rookie of the Year, two-time All-Star and two-time ERA titlist finished his White Sox career with 21.4 WAR, placing him 17th all-time among White Sox pitchers and tied for 40th among all players in team history. When Peters was on, he was dominant, as indicated by three MVP finishes of ninth or better in his career (eighth in 1963, seventh in 1964 and ninth in 1967).
Inter and Juventus exchanged remarkable home victories, while dominant Roma were held to a draw at home by Milan
Lady Gaga’s electropop banger Born This Way is 15 years old, but by the standards of some Serie A stadium DJs that makes it positively modern. Thumping out at the Olimpico on Sunday night it somehow felt timely. Roma were on the right track, baby, after a first half in which they thoroughly dominated Milan.
The expected goals counter had them up by 1.8 to 0.02. Sure, the actual scoreboard still showed 0-0, but the way Donyell Malen kept making space for himself inside the box was enough to convince fans his swaggering debut against Torino seven days before could be no flash in the pan.
Hello and happy Monday, folks. A very happy Monday, indeed, even after we’ve been whacked with snow—13 more days until we get a chance to see the Pats hoist another Lombardi. Perhaps Malcolm Butler can sign onto the practice squad, just for ol’ times’ sake.
This is a Red Sox blog, though. Not a ton of news about our beloved team right now, but rest assured that your ol’ pals at OTM will be on it if anything does happen. Maybe Craig Breslow’s communication systems are down due to the blizzard. Maybe we can get some sled dogs to get him over to another GM’s office if need be. Can’t risk missing out on any transactions due to Mother Nature; you gotta do what you gotta do.
Drop your favorite snow storm snack/drink/treat below in the comments. Not that I’d be able to go to the store right now, but I’m just curious.
Of course, the four players were asked how it would feel to compete against each other at the Olympics, and they gave the standard answer through Suzuki: they’re already used to playing against friends and former teammates in the NHL, which isn’t any different. When the group was asked what they would choose between winning the Stanley Cup and an Olympic Gold medal, Texier made the crowd chuckle when he said the Cup would be more realistic for him, since he plays for France, but ultimately, all four players opted for the Cup. Kapanen added that it’s what he grew up dreaming about.
The Finn was also asked if he thinks about winning the Calder Trophy since he leads all rookies in goal scoring, and if there’s some teasing between him and Ivan Demidov. He replied that no, it’s not something he thinks about, while also praising his teammate as a special player. I thought that was a bit of an awkward question to ask. Anyone who follows the NHL closely knows that Kapanen is not in the Calder conversation.
That was just one of a few awkward moments, however. Another one came when Suzuki was asked which words he knew in French, and he replied that he knew how to say his name and ask someone how they are doing. While I do not believe it’s essential for the Canadiens’ captain to learn to speak French, it’s a bit weird to get that answer after much was made of Suzuki doing his first interview in French earlier this season with TVA Sports. While we know that the interview was rehearsed, you’d still expect Suzuki to see a bit more than those two basic phrases by now.
Lepage also asked the players if any of them had watched Crave’s hit show Heated Rivalry, and there was a long pause while they looked at one another to decide who would answer. Suzuki replied that they had all heard about the series and that it was great that it brought new fans to the game. Texier was then asked why homosexuality was still a taboo in hockey, and he replied that it wasn’t and that the team would be fine with one of its members coming out, that they’d be welcomed with open arms.
Those were the expected answers, really, but the embarrassed silence when the players were asked whether they had watched the show is evidence that there’s still a lot of work to be done in the NHL. If players are shy about being asked if they watched a show about two hockey players secretly having a relationship, it’s hard to imagine that a coming-out would go down well.
Captain says it is a ‘good factor’ in Premier League push
Arsenal ‘not good enough’ against Manchester United
Martin Ødegaard says that Arsenal’s near misses in the Premier League over the past three seasons are on the players’ minds – but only in a way to motivate them to go all the way this time.
The captain sought to push a line that Mikel Arteta has also mentioned – the need to stay in the moment and blot out the external noise – as he reflected on Sunday’s 3-2 home defeat by Manchester United. However, the Norwegian midfielder did admit that his club’s run of three successive runners-up finishes was a part of the picture.
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 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sunday's loss by the Canuck was close both on the scoresheet and from an analytics perspective. The even-strength scoring chances were tied at 25 while Vancouver held a slight edge in even-strength high-danger scoring chances by a count of 13-11. In the end, though, the Penguins were able to capitalize on their chances, leading to the victory.
Both teams did a good job of crashing the net in this game. Kevin Lankinen faced nine high-danger shots while Stuart Skinner faced seven. Once again, though, the Canucks collapsed in the third period, which is when Pittsburgh scored all three of its goals.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, January 25, 2026, Natural Stat Trick
To wrap up this game, Filip Hroenk was one of Vancouver's top skaters from an analytics perspective. During his 26:55 of even-strength ice time, the Canucks held a 14-9 shots advantage while outscoring the opposition 2-0. Hronek also recorded an assist, which was the 98th of his career with Vancouver.
Jan 25, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov (59) pursues Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
The Canucks continue their homestand on Tuesday when they face the San Jose Sharks. While Kiefer Sherwood is injured, there is a chance he will make his Sharks debut on Tuesday. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their second straight game against the Orlando Magic. They won their previous game in Orlando 119-105.
Repeating success
Beating the same team twice in a row isn’t easy. There’s added motivation for the other team to get their revenge, and what worked in the first matchup isn’t guaranteed to work the second time. This, combined with a wild winter storm that can throw a curveball into everyone’s pre-game preparation, is something to keep in mind.
The Cavs took it to Orlando in their first matchup. It was an encouraging, feel-good win led by the best game of Donovan Mitchell’s season. Or at least, one of his most impressive performances. The Cavs have taken some great steps forward during this month. Let’s try to avoid stumbling after winning three in a row.
A win tomorrow would match the Cavaliers’ longest streak of the season.
Donovan Mitchell
We might have seen Mitchell’s best game of the season in Orlando. It was definitely one of his more entertaining. The array of floaters and over-the-head swim moves he used was nothing short of incredible.
Mitchell has had to carry a heavy load with Darius Garland on the sidelines. He hasn’t always balanced his responsibilities as a playmaker and scorer. But when he’s at his best, this team is tough to beat. Cleveland’s recent win puts them at 10-1 this season when Mitchell scores 35 or more points.
Taking care of the ball
One of the only things holding this team back from truly taking off in the standings has been their turnovers. Even in their recent success, the team is turning it over at an unsustainable rate.
Cleveland had 17 turnovers in their first meeting with the Magic. This is more than you’d like, but it was actually an improvement from the way they had been carelessly turning it over in the games before. The Cavs are 26th in turnover percentage for the month of January.
That will have to be better for them to continue trending in the right direction.
In the long history of the Yankees, the players to have donned the pinstripes run the spectrum from complete unknowns to national heroes. In between those two extremes, you have the type of player who maybe didn’t compile the most noteworthy career, but who provided a moment that has become immortalized in the annals of the franchise. Brian Doyle certainly falls into this category.
Brian Reed Doyle Born: January 26, 1954 (Glasgow, KY) Yankees Tenure: 1978-80
Brian Doyle and his twin brother, Blake, were born on January 26, 1954, in Glasgow, KY, the younger brothers of major league second baseman Denny Doyle. The pair attended Caverna High School in Horse Cave, Kentucky, where Brian (a second baseman) and Blake (a pitcher and shortstop) led the team to the second state baseball championship in the program’s history in 1972. Both brothers had received several athletic scholarship offers from Division I schools, but had to change course following a family health scare. Their father suffered a heart attack in 1972, causing both brothers to declare for the 1972 June amateur draft thanks to the lucrative signing bonus offers that could help keep the family afloat in that time of financial need.
Brian and Blake were drafted in the fourth round that summer, by the Rangers and Orioles, respectively, and this is where the twins’ baseball stories diverged. Doyle experienced instant success upon being assigned to the Geneva Senators in the Short-Season A New York-Pennsylvania League, batting .256/.390/.363 with 16 stolen bases in 215 ABs. Unfortunately, Doyle was not able to sustain that early success, with injuries limiting him to just 115 ABs in 1974 and a prolonged slump leading to his demotion to the Class A Carolina League in 1975.
But then in his fourth season in the minor leagues, something clicked. In 1976, Doyle started the season on fire, leading to a promotion to Triple-A Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League. He finished that season batting .290 with three home runs and 32 RBI in 393 ABs, attracting the attention of the Yankees. Intrigued by this surging young player, on February 17, 1977, the Yankees traded Sandy Alomar Sr. to the Rangers for Doyle, fellow minor leaguer Greg Pryor, and $25,000.
Doyle was assigned to the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs of the International League and began his tenure in the Yankees organization exactly as he ended his tenure in the Rangers organization — on fire. He scored nine hits in his first 26 ABs including lining up opposite his twin in a May 16th game against the Rochester Red Wings. However, misfortune struck again, a severely injured finger derailing a player who looked to be on the fast track to the majors. Both his offense and defense suffered, Doyle finishing the year batting .200 with no home runs in the second half of the season.
By the time 1978 rolled around, Doyle was back to full health, though the same could not be said for the major league club. The Yankees were struck by an uncommon number of injuries to start the season, which led to Doyle’s first call-up in April to replace infielder Mickey Klutts, who had broken his thumb. Doyle made his MLB debut on April 30th, going hitless in three ABs against Twins righty Roger Erickson after replacing Willie Randolph at second base early in the contest.
Doyle was briefly optioned back down in May, but found his way back to the major league club after batting .333 in 75 ABs at Triple-A Tacoma. He collected his first two major league hits in a 4-0 win over the California Angels on June 17th, but was back on the shuttle to the minor leagues when first baseman Jim Spencer came off the DL. The September roster expansions gave Doyle another crack in the majors, but he registered just one appearance as a defensive sub with the Yankees and Red Sox locked in a fierce divisional battle for first place.
Sometimes, all you need is one opportunity, and Doyle’s came when Randolph suffered a season-ending hamstring injury running out an infield single in the eighth inning of a September 29th tilt against Cleveland. Doyle entered as a pinch-runner and scored the go-ahead run in a 3-1 come-from-behind victory. In the final games of the regular season, Doyle platooned with Fred Stanley, including starting the famous Bucky Dent Game when the Yankees defeated the Red Sox in the AL East tiebreaker playoff at Fenway to punch their ticket to the postseason.
The following day, Doyle was penciled in as the starter at second for Game 1 of the ALCS against the Royals. However, after being left off the 25-man playoff roster, he had to receive last-minute emergency dispensation from Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to be added to the roster. He collected a pair of hits including the first RBI of his career, a fifth inning single off Steve Mignori to plate Graig Nettles as the Yankees went on to win, 7-1. Doyle was used as a defensive sub in Game 2, did not appear in Game 3, and drew a walk in the series-clinching Game 4 as the Yankees were set to defend their World Series crown against the Dodgers.
With the southpaw Tommy John on the mound for the Dodgers in Game 1, Doyle started on the bench and was only used as a late-inning defensive replacement as the Yankees lost, 11-5. He drew the start in Game 2, knocking a single off Dodgers starter Burt Hooton, but Ron Cey’s three-run homer off Catfish Hunter put the Yankees in a hole, 0-2, to start the series.
Doyle got the start again in Game 3 and went hitless in four ABs, but the Yankees clawed themselves back into the series with a 5-1 victory. John started his second game of the series in Game 4, which again relegated Doyle to being a late-inning defensive replacement as Lou Piniella leveled the series at two games apiece with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th.
Hooton was back on the mound for the Dodgers in Game 5 meaning Doyle earned the start and batted eighth. He singled to center with one out in the fourth off reliever Lance Rautzhan and scored on a Mickey Rivers single as the Yankees plated three in the frame to extend their lead to 7-2. He singled again with one on and one out in the seventh off reliever Charlie Hough, scoring on a Roy White single as part of a four-run outburst. He collected his third single of the contest in the eighth, this time with two outs, and the Yankees completed their 12-2 romp to pull within a win of back-to-back titles.
The series returned to Los Angeles for Game 6 with future Hall of Famer Don Sutton on the mound for the home team. Davey Lopes opened the scoring with a leadoff home run off Hunter in the first, but Doyle responded in the second, doubling to deep left with two on and one out to plate Nettles as the tying run. Both Doyle and Spencer would score a batter later when Dent grounded a two-run single up the middle to give the Yankees the lead, 3-1. After Lopes drew the Dodgers within one in the third, Doyle legged out an infield single in the fourth, though the Yankees failed to score in the frame. Two innings later, Piniella led off with a single, but Sutton recored a pair of quick-fire outs to seemingly end the threat. However, Doyle lined a two-out single to center to plate Piniella and restore the Yankees’ two-run cushion before scoring himself on a Dent single to left that made it 5-2, Yankees. Reggie Jackson clinched the World Series winning victory with a two-run home run in the seventh, and just like that Doyle went from a September call-up to World Series hero in the span of six weeks.
Doyle led all Yankees hitters with a .438 average across those six games. He finished second in World Series MVP voting behind Dent. The pair collected three hits each in Games 5 and 6 as the No. eight and nine hitters in the lineup, scoring four runs between them in Game 5 and driving in five runs combined in Game 6. As Doyle put it after raising the trophy, “All I know is, I’m not going to sell clothes this winter,” in reference to his offseason job selling shirts and fitting customers at Gold & Farley’s clothing store in Bowling Green, KY. Doyle was celebrated in a parade on “Brian Doyle Day” in his hometown of Cave City, KY, a week later and capitalized on his newfound family name fame by opening the Doyle Baseball instructional school in Florida alongside his brothers that winter.
With Randolph fully healthy at the start of the 1979 season, Doyle returned to a bench role and appeared in just 20 games. It was more of the same in 1980, though Doyle did collect the lone home run of his major league career — a solo shot off Cleveland righty Len Barker on June 29th. Following the conclusion of the season, the Yankees traded Doyle’s platoon partner Stanley and a player to be named later to the A’s for pitcher Mike Morgan, the Yankees sending Doyle to complete the deal. However, the commissioner vetoed Doyle’s inclusion given he was assigned to a minor league club at the time, though the A’s managed to complete the transaction by selecting Doyle in the Rule 5 Draft in December.
Injuries prevented Doyle from ever nailing down a starting role in Oakland, as a separated shoulder suffered in a collision at second base with Blue Jays DH Otto Vélez on May 24, 1982 ended Doyle’s major-league career. After brief management stints in the minor leagues, Doyle retired from organizational baseball in 1984. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014, but was able to make it to Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium that season, where he was celebrated for his World Series performance. Doyle has remained a familiar presence at Old-Timers’ Day events ever since.
If not for his World Series heroics, Brian Doyle would likely have joined the long list of players to have played for the Yankees but faded into obscurity. However, those six games cemented Doyle’s place in the memories of many Yankees fans.
References
Brian Doyle. Baseball-Reference.
Brian Doyle. Baseball Almanac.
Skelton, David E. “Brian Doyle.” SABR
Grubbs, Rob. “From the Bronx to the Barn: Brian Doyle’s remarkable journey comes full circle in Newnan.” The Newnan Times-Herald. July 3, 2025.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Zack Meisel thinks that Ramírez and Cleveland are a perfect match that almost never happened. (The Athletic sub. req.) Ramírez has now twice agreed to a below-market extension to stay in the Western Reserve.
Tyler Kepner looks at newly-elected Hall-of-Famer Carlos Beltrán’s cap dilemma for his plaque in Cooperstown. (The Athletic sub. req.) Kepner also notes that this has been an increasing issue in recent years. Beltrán appears to be debating between a Mets cap, a Royals cap or going in without a team insignia on his plaque.
For years, many folks have clamored for the Colorado Rockies to honor their history. Many teams around the league have some sort of “Hall of Fame” honoring great achievements in franchise history. The Arizona Diamondbacks came into the league five years after the Rockies did, and even they set up both a 20th Anniversary Experience in 2018and a team Hall of Fame in 2024. The Rays, who also joined MLB in 1998, created their own team Hall of Fame in 2023; and the Miami Marlins — the Rockies’ 1993 expansion twins — created one in 2025.
In 2022, Skyler Timmins wrote about establishing a Rockies Hall of Fame. In 2025, Evan Lang called upon the Rockies to celebrate more of their history. After all, they now have two Hall of Famers in Cooperstown and both have had their numbers retired.
While the team has not officially announced a team Hall of Fame, they did make an announcement on Saturday at Rockies Fest: Hall of Famers Larry Walker and Todd Helton would be honored with statues commemorating their time with the Rockies.
Join us for a celebration and statue unveiling of Rockies Legends Larry Walker and Todd Helton!
While Helton was unable to attend the festival due to an illness, both Walkers — Larry and Monfort — were on hand to discuss the momentous occasion.
“A while back, a few of us here internally got together,” Monfort explained.
“Obviously, we have two retired numbers up there — 33 and 17. It commemorates their incredible achievements as Rockies, both Todd and Larry. To me, they are a big part of me being a baseball fan today. They’re just incredible athletes, and we took it a step further. We got together and decided ‘Hey, we ought to also commemorate here at Coors Field the fact that they are also both members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“So this year, we are very excited to announce that on Sunday, August 23, we will unveil a Larry Walker statue here at Coors,” he continued. “And on Saturday, September 19, we will unveil a Todd Helton statue.”
In addition to the statues, Monfort also said that fans will receive commemorative mini statues. (“I wouldn’t say bobbleheads because their heads don’t bobble.”)
“Obviously, these two have meant so much not only to me and my family personally, but to all of us Rockies fans and staff, and we’re very excited that they will live forever here at Coors Field.”
Larry Walker said he has already met with the sculptors, and explained how much this moment means to him.
“The number being retired, and you walk in the ballpark, and I see 33 up there, trust me, it melts my heart. It’s a pretty cool honor to have that,” Walker said.
“And then when the phone call comes and says ‘We’re going to put a statue outside the ballpark’ — those are two pretty cool things that when you play baseball you don’t (think about). And I’m glad I enjoyed my career in a Rockies uniform, and I’m honored and thank you to the Monfort and Rockies family for allowing this to happen.”
Monfort mentioned that they took inspiration from the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as the New York Yankees Monument Park. He also said the process has been in the works for the last five or so years, with Vice President of Community Relations and Retail Operations Jim Kellogg working to secure the sculptors.
Eventually, the Rockies commissioned George and Mark Lundeen of Lundeen Sculptures in Longmont.
Even though the Rockies are still considered an expansion team, they do have history to be recognized and are finally leaning into it.
“If you’ve been a Rockies fan for long enough, we’ve been impacted by these guys,” Monfort said.
“We have memories that will never, ever go away because we were either here or we saw something on TV, and that’s what this is all about. We’re capturing history, and want to be able to explain our history to future generations and to the kids that are running around here that didn’t have the chance to see them play… that’s why it’s so important to us.”
While this wasn’t an official “Rockies Hall of Fame” announcement, it is a step in the right direction. The Rockies have had some bad years as of late and won’t be competitive in 2026. However, there is a new vibe at 20th and Blake; there is an optimism for what can be accomplished, and there is a lot of buy-in from coaches and players. While the statues might be part of “the future of nostalgia,” it’s a great way for the Rockies to continue to honor their greatest players while setting a precedent for the future.
There is a lot riding on the 2026 season, but even more in the seasons beyond. Matt Postins identifies Ethan Holliday and Charlie Condon as key cogs to turn the franchise around. So far they’ve showed promise, and Condon could be in the majors potentially as early as 2026.
