PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 9: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a three-run RBI double in the fourth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On this date in 2015, David Wright blasted the first World Series home run in Citi Field history to help propel the Mets to a 9-3 victory over the Royals in Game 3.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 20: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 20, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Every time the Knicks take the floor in the 2026-27 season, they will do so as the hunted. They won just about every prize you could win last season, meaning they’ll never get a game without a bit of edge from an opponent.
Things won’t truly get real until the postseason for the real title defense, but the Knicks did hang a second banner to hang forever at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
That’s right. It’s time for the NBA Cup.
Last year, as an appetizer for June’s dramatics, the Knicks went 3-1 in group play, ultimately winning East Group C via head-to-head tiebreaker. They then took down the Raptors in Toronto, the Magic in Vegas, and came back from an 11-point third-quarter deficit to take home the NBA Cup after consecutive years of losing in the quarterfinals.
This year, they’ll face by far their hardest path to getting out of group play for the fourth consecutive year. Adam Silver has stacked the deck with a ridiculously competitive Group B that will be a war to get through. Even the wild card, which the Knicks have used to advance in the past, will be tough with likely few opportunities to run up the point differential.
Still, the Knicks are champs until they aren’t, even in a midseason tournament. Let’s meet the contenders:
East Group B
Philadelphia 76ers (10/30, 7:30, Prime Video)
Tonight’s Cup opener in the City of Brotherly Love will be the Knicks’ second crack at the makeshift superteam that bested them on Opening Night in a back-and-forth affair.
The Sixers are one of those teams that I question how seriously they’re going to take the NBA Cup. Sure, there are some big measuring-stick games in this group, but with a lineup that they will be heavily load-managing throughout the season, one wonders if they’re going to take a condensed calendar that will require additional travel and even an extra game at the end of it. We saw how it burned out the Knicks last year.
To start the year, Philly is 4-1 with a very strange combination of a mediocre offense and… the best defense in basketball? What sense does that make? They’ve been healthy, only missing Joel Embiid and LeBron James for a single game on the dueling ends of a back-to-back. Despite playing Embiid for 39 minutes on Wednesday, he’s not on the injury report for Friday night.
While the Knicks might not care about the Cup anymore, it would behoove them to get revenge on Opening Night and not have to wait until February for another crack at these guys. We saw it with Detroit last year; the last thing we need is a year-long narrative of one team having our number.
Indiana Pacers (11/13, 7:00, Prime Video)
When the Knicks played the Pacers last season, it didn’t feel like the vibe of a rekindled rivalry between two teams that had played in consecutive postseasons. That was because Indiana was taking a voluntary gap year while Tyrese Haliburton rehabbed from an Achilles tear, managing injuries all season long and slipping to 19-63. Thankfully, it wasn’t rewarded in the lottery when they slipped to No. 5 and gave the pick to the Clippers.
That trade with the Clips did get them a certified big man that will swallow up boards in Ivica Zubac, someone who will be a tough cookie for Karl-Anthony Towns when these two teams finally face off in a heated atmosphere for the first time in almost two years.
The only problem? It doesn’t sound like Haliburton will be at the party.
He recently suffered a hamstring injury that will leave him out for at least two weeks. This game was just 16 days after that diagnosis, meaning the odds are slim that he’ll return based on what we know right now. That’ll diminish what we see, but we’re all aware of what Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, and TJ McConnell can do for this team.
Indiana’s started the year off to an uneven 2-3 start, but Nembhard and Pascal Siakam are more than capable of shouldering the load in the coming weeks. I doubt they’ll be as special offensively as we’ve been accustomed to seeing without Haliburton, but they won’t be a pushover.
Going undefeated in this group will be hard, so this might be the Knicks’ best chance to pad their point differential. But to do that, the Knicks will need a full 48 minutes.
Cleveland Cavaliers (11/25, 7:30, MSG)
There are plenty of playoff rematches in this group. One of them is this Eastern Conference rematch the day before Thanksgiving at MSG, the site of the soul-crushing Game 1 comeback that killed the Cavs.
They’re off to an interesting 3-2 start, one that involves getting out to big leads every game, only to choke them immediately. They blew a 29-point lead to Philly, nearly blew a 20-point lead to Brooklyn, and had to rally late to beat Washington. The vibes are low there, if not just because nobody trusts Kenny Atkinson and James Harden has been abhorrent to start the year.
It’s hard to get a read on this game because the regular-season Knicks and the playoff Knicks are entirely different. It’s a team you expect to win, but we’re far enough out that we need to see what the situations look like.
Miami Heat (11/27, 7:00, Prime Video)
The Knicks’ 0-3 start got heavily publicized, but the Heat’s 0-4 start somehow made bigger waves after the massive offseason trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The fit just looks clunky. He’s too similar to Bam Adebayo both offensively and defensively, which pushes Miami’s longest-tenured player to the periphery. That just can’t happen when your other scoring options are Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins. The defense will round into form (maybe?), but this is just a bleak offensive outlook.
That said, they could match up well against the Knicks, given their lack of size.
OG Anunoby and Towns are good, but they can’t play all game. Towns especially is extremely prone to getting in foul trouble, which is a disaster against Giannis. James Wiseman and/or Andre Drummond will be crucial to negating their paint advantage enough for the Knicks’ clear shooting advantage.
If this game is meaningful after good enough results in the first three games, it’s not a place I think the Knicks can get point differential out of. They’d need to just need a win. Beating Erik Spoelstra’s crew in Miami has always been hard for this crew.
The Rest of the East
Group A
Pistons Raptors Magic Bucks Nets
This could be a friskily fun group.
The Pistons are 4-1 with just that lone loss to the Knicks and feel like the favorite here. As we saw on Tuesday, things can get spooky outside of Cade Cunningham, and they’re without Jalen Duren for at least the first game, but Paul Reed has been more than capable in his absence.
The Raptors are also 4-1, but have a much bleaker outlook without Kawhi Leonard for the next few weeks. Their viability in this group will rely on Scottie Barnes’ offensive consistency. He’s gone from dropping 25 to dropping… zero at times. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley look good!
Orlando is 1-3 with their lone win over the Knicks, but they’re going to be without Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero for the foreseeable future. This will likely not be their year after a trip to the semifinals last year.
The same can be said for the Bucks, who are just very underwhelming with Kyle Kuzma-led hoops. The Nets will put up a big fight with Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. capable of going off for 30 a night, but they’re not good enough defensively nor deep enough to have a real shot.
Group C
Celtics Hawks Hornets Bulls Wizards
The Celtics will be the definitive favorite to come out of the group, especially with Jayson Tatum looking like an early MVP candidate. Their three-point shooting is enough to carry them through a regular season, but can they figure out what’s up with Mitchell Robinson? He looks like a shell of himself.
Atlanta ran back most of the group that pushed the Knicks to six games last year, but added a bunch of defense in Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins. They’re healthy, play with enough grit, and have the talent to sneak their way into the knockout round.
The Hornets are… better off without LaMelo? Despite injuries knocking out Kon Knueppel and Coby White, they’ve looked impressive to start the year under a new nucleus of Naz Reid and Brandon Miller. With Knueppel due back for the bulk of NBA Cup play, could their dynamic offense get them back in the saddle?
As we saw in a scare on Wednesday night, the Bulls have the ability to be frisky. Caleb Wilson has shown signs of brilliance, Norm Powell can score 35 on any given night, and they’ve gotten some damn good shot quality even if they aren’t always falling. They probably won’t do much, but in a four-game sample, anything is possible.
The Wizards have their Big 3 healthy: AJ Dybantsa, Trae Young, and Anthony Davis, but they haven’t played enough to tell if they’re a true threat. I lean no, as of now.
A Quick West Check
West Group A
Nuggets Rockets Suns Mavericks Jazz
There are a lot of good teams in this group, but the Rockets look by far the best to start the year. If they stay healthy, they should have no problem. Dallas can steal some games with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, and the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, but the outlook for the Suns and Jazz is bleaker. Utah’s injury bug is killing them, as Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss all of group play.
West Group B
Thunder Timberwolves Clippers Pelicans Grizzlies
Are… are the Grizzlies the favorite? They’re 5-0 entering group play, while the two contenders in this group will be without key pieces. Anthony Edwards is likely done until the New Year, as is Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams for OKC. The Clippers and Pelicans are two of the worst teams in basketball, so the unlikely underdog in Memphis might actually do this.
West Group C
Spurs Lakers Blazers Warriors Kings
There’s a clear hierarchy here. The Spurs are the favorites; the Lakers are a Luka Doncic explosion away from winning this whole damn thing; the Blazers are extremely frisky and could make noise, and both the Warriors and Kings are dead in the water. O/U 100 FGA for Darius Acuff Jr. in group play.
Predictions
East Group A: Give me the Pistons to win the group and the Raptors to come in second, but miss the wild card.
East Group B: The Knicks will not defend their cup title. There’s so much intensity with every game, not just in this group but league-wide, as the hunted. This feels like something that the regular-season merchants will succeed with, so congrats to the Cavs. This group will be cannibalized, so no wild card here
East Group C: Boston is the easy pick to win the group, but I see the Hornets somehow finding a way to steal the wild card. They’ll win a game against the Bulls by 40 and pad the point differential with that offense, especially with Knueppel back.
West Group A: The Rockets are a unit right now.
West Group B: I don’t know what way this is going to go with how diminished OKC is. Screw it, lt’s go with the Grizzlies.
West Group C: Spurs win the group, Blazers take the wild card via tiebreaker over the Lakers after a thrilling overtime win.
Quarterfinals: In the East, the No. 1 seed Pistons grind down the plucky Hornets at home, while the Cavs stun the Celtics in Boston due to three-point variance. In the West, the top-seeded Rockets blow out the Blazers in Houston, while the Spurs host and beat the Thunder.
Semifinals: The Pistons and Cavs fight hard in a big playoff rematch, but it goes the same way with the Cavs going to the finals. Meanwhile, the Rockets take down the Spurs at home.
Finals: At Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Cavs will be able to operate with an essential home game. Unfortunately, as usual, the lights will be too bright. The Rockets win the 2026 NBA Cup, with Fred VanVleet scoring NBA Cup MVP.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 21: A general view of empty stands is seen ahead of the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The World Series is over. There will be no baseball played today. There will be no baseball played tomorrow. And sadly, we have no idea when Major League Baseball will be restart again, if at all, in 2027.
Usually, this is where we turn to the famous Rogers Hornsby quote:
“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
But that depressing reality doesn’t quite capture the mood this year. There’s no guarantee spring will bring us relief from the hellscape the owners are about to unleash. So instead, I’m just angry. Angry at the owners, angry that the sport I love is about to do unspeakable levels of damage to itself, and angry that we have no idea what things are going to look like on the backside of this completely unnecessary carnage.
Back in 1994, baseball lost eight months of action from the time the strike ensued in August all the way through Opening Day in 1995, which was delayed until late April. With Covid, we technically went nine months without baseball as the season didn’t start until July, but the offseason leading up to it was relatively normal, and we even had spring training games start on time.
Over the last 150 years, nothing has disrupted an MLB season like this looming lockout could. Not World Wars, not the Great Depression, and not even the infancy of the sport back in the late 1800s. Since the Western Frontier closed, we’ve never gone more than nine months without a professional baseball game. Today marks the beginning of a stretch that could end that fact. We’re sailing straight into a sea of uncertainty.
What we do know is that the Milwaukee Brewers — The smallest market in the sport — just won the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays, who ooze overachievement an on annual basis. And yet, the owners are preparing to shut down everything down over the guise of competitive balance. They could not be more full of shit!
At least now, after the way this October unfolded, we can get a little bit more serious: The real reason the owners want a cap is because they need a line on a graph to go up. Nothing more, nothing less. Valuations of franchises tend to be much higher when you get to put a limit on how much you pay the guys who make your product magical, and since baseball has and always will reflect the American reality, we now get to sit back and watch as a small group of billionaires prepare to make life worse for everybody else.
And along those lines, there’s something else that has me very concerned. We as a society don’t compromise on much of anything anymore. Two sides dig in, never abandon hardline positions, and nothing gets done while everything crumbles around us. Is there any reason to believe this impending lockout will be any different? The owners have made it pretty clear they’re not going to budge unless they get a cap. The players meanwhile have always seen a cap as a nonstarter. Even if we didn’t live in the most unproductive debate environment in American history, it’s hard to see how this ends without one side emerging completely victorious.
There’s either going to be a cap, or there’s not. Baseball will either be changed forever when we resume, or we’ll be rebuilding the current structure and way of things when it’s time to pick up the pieces. I don’t see much of an in-between, but then again I don’t see much of anything right now as we stare into an apocopic abyss.
All I know for sure is that I’m angry right now, and it’s hard for me to direct that anger at any place other than the owners. The wonderful story of what the Milwaukee Brewers just did juxtaposed with what these jackals are about to do is deeply poignant at this hour, and with no more baseball games to distract us from the impending tsunami, I’m dreading just how ugly this is about to get.
The Warriors are 2-3 and looking to pick up their third straight win when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Friday night. But the team is navigating the early part of the season without one of their key players, big man Kristaps Porziņģis.
Porziņģis missed all of training camp after it was revealed that he is dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that affects his heart. Golden State is getting by without him and moving forward. But when his absence was first announced, it caught the team off guard.
“We were definitely caught off guard by it in that we were in communication with him over the summer, and it seemed like everything was in a good place right up until training camp,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “And then obviously things went south. Since the start of camp, when he was not here and we had to move forward, I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought to be honest, because we’re just busy. We have to take every single day and get our team ready for the next game.
“The days are full, the schedule is full, and so I check in with Kristaps occasionally to see how he’s doing. But we’re moving forward, and that’s all we can do. I like our young bigs, Graham [Ike] and Charles [Bassey]. We’re excited about playing those guys, and the opportunity that they’re going to receive, but everything else is not my jurisdiction. That’s Mike’s [Dunleavy] and the front office’s, and I just come to practice and I look forward to coaching the guys every day. We’re competing and seeing what we can put together.”
"We have to take every single day and get our team ready for the next game. I check in with Kristaps occasionally to see how he's doing but we're moving forward and that's all we can do."
Porziņģis provides a big boost when healthy, though. In 15 games for the Warriors last season, he averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds, giving the franchise a true big man, something they have lacked in recent seasons. He was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks in February in exchange for guard Buddy Hield and forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Golden State is 2-3 so far this season without him, relying heavily on players like Yaxel Lendeborg to fill the void. Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick in this year’s draft, is averaging over 22 points through five games and is climbing considerably in the NBA Rookie of the Year odds. If the Warriors can keep getting strong performances from players like him, they will be alright even if Porziņģis does not return.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout prior to game three of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on October 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Commissioner’s Trophy resides in the city of Milwaukee for the first time in 69 years after the Brewers secured their first World Series championship.
In doing so, they trampled over the Dodgers in a lackluster four-game series sweep, crushing the Dodgers’ dreams of becoming the first baseball team to three peat in 26 years. Reflecting on being eliminated for the first time in three years, Dave Roberts sat down with Buster Olney of ESPN about the Brewers’ tenacity, noting that while the Dodgers were hungry to win, the Brewers were “starving.”
“I was telling my wife after we got eliminated that I know our guys were hungry, but the Brewers were starving.”
Paul Sporer of Fangraphs lists four players to keep an eye on in fantasy baseball for the 2027 season, with right-hander Emmet Sheehan cracking the top spot on the list. Sheehan struggled to stay afloat at the big league level throughout the majority of the regular season, but had flashes of brilliance during the final stretch run.
He either needs to greatly improve his fastball command or alter it in some way, perhaps even switching to a sinker. I tend to find homer issues something that can be overcome, though, so while it is a significant wart for Sheehan, the core skills are too strong for me to ignore so I’ll happily rebuy even around pick-160.
At least one player to have worn a Dodgers uniform was crowned a World Series champion this year, that being right-hander Dustin May. May discussed being in this year’s Fall Classic with Robert Flores of MLB Network prior to the start of the series, noting that this year was more significant due to his near-death experience two years prior.
“It means more to be in this moment today knowing two years ago, looking back at it, I wasn’t really sure if I was ever going to play again.”
The Dodgers are not going to win the World Series every year— as evident by this year’s postseason— but, as Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider notes, they are the ultimate challenge for any team’s chances of winning it all.
The Dodgers have built up this reputation: To win the World Series, one has to go through the Dodgers.
Steve Kerr often has come under fire for how he uses rookies in the Warriors’ system.
Trying to integrate themselves within a motion-based offense that revolves around Steph Curry, many of Golden State’s recent draft picks have failed to earn Kerr’s trust or make an immediate impact.
Through five games, Lendeborg leads the Warriors in minutes and rebounds, while ranking second in points per game behind only Curry with 22.6.
During an interview with 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on Thursday, Kerr described how Lendeborg has already carved out a major role.
“That first preseason game, he only took a few shots in Hawaii against the [Los Angeles] Clippers, and we all kind of talked to him, Steph, [Draymond Green], coaches like, ‘Hey, you got to be aggressive for us,’ and then all of a sudden, a couple preseason games where you see him attacking and scoring what he’s capable of doing,” Kerr said. “It’s like, all right, this guy is a little different, and we are now in the point where we’re recognizing we got to build a big part of the offense around him.”
“And then all of a sudden, a couple of preseason games where you see him attacking and scoring and what he’s capable of doing, and it’s like, alright, this guy’s a little different. We are now at the point where we recognize it. We gotta build a big part of the offense around… pic.twitter.com/qRV8XR02oR
Kerr compared Lendeborg’s skill set to that of star Jimmy Butler, currently recovering from a torn ACL, explaining how his strengths complement the Warriors’ offense when Curry needs a break.
“I think the similarity is the brute strength and the ability to create a shot for himself or his teammates,” Kerr said. “That’s a unique skill set in the NBA. You pay top dollar for that skill set. Jimmy, when he arrived, changed our team… and we changed our style a little bit. We slowed things down. We isolated him. We got him into spots and worked on our spacing. And Yaxel is having a similar impact in that, when Steph’s not on the floor or is tired, we can go to Yaxel in isolation, and he can create stuff for us, so he’s a really a big weapon for us.”
The 24-year-old is shooting 35.5 percent from distance and 64.3 percent at the rim, giving Golden State a well-rounded offensive weapon just five games into his NBA career.
Kerr praised Lendeborg’s mentality, mentioning that the rookie was “despondent” after Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he had 26 points and nine rebounds but also put up seven turnovers.
“We’re going to need him if we’re going to be really good,” Kerr said. “We’re going to need him to grow and mature more quickly than we would ask other rookies. But I think he’s capable of it because at 24… he’s just got a really mature game, and now it’s a matter of just figuring out the NBA.”
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 28: Members of the Milwaukee Brewers pose for a photo on the mound after Game Five of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
Here’s what’s going on with the Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball.
Outside of the joy of not having the Dodgers win the World Series, and having a first-time champion in the Milwaukee Brewers, the icing on the cake is seeing Antonio Senzatela celebrating. After helping Venezuela win the World Baseball Cup earlier this year, along with his Milwaukee teammates Jackson Chourio and William Contreras, the former Rockie is now soaking in another world title. This piece by Laura Lambert revisits Senzatela’s career from when the Rockies signed him at age 16 to pitching in the World Series.
All it takes is one day after the World Series, and the odds for next season are out. Of course, this is before trades, free agent signings, and all manner of roster changes that might happen before spring training hits in February. But it already doesn’t look good for the Rockies, who are facing 300-to-1 odds. Slightly more suprising, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the best odds, ahead of the World Series Champion Brewers.
It’s party time in Milwaukee and school is out. The World Series Champions will bring home their hardware to celebrate with their fans on Friday for a parade starting at 9 a.m. MST. Considering vibrant Brewers crowds at the World Series games at American Family Field and Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, a giant turnout is expected. The parade will be aired on MLB Network and streamed live for free on Brewers.com.
Cooperstown will be getting some new gear soon. As soon as the World Series concluded on Wednesday night, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was swooping in to collect artifacts to memorialize the Milwaukee Brewers first-ever championship. Items that will be added to the Autumn Glory section of the Hall of Fame include MVP William Contreras’ catching gear, Jacob Misiorowski’s hat from Game 5, Cooper Pratt’s bat that connected for six straight hits in Games 4 and 5 and more.
Happy Friday, everyone! Fair warning for today’s news post… it’s very Brewers-heavy for obvious reasons. We know, we know, we normally don’t love to share so much positive press about division rivals, but we suppose given the circumstances we need to make an exception. The Brewers did, indeed, end their own lengthy World Series curse this weekend by finally winning their first World Series championship, defeating the Rays in five games. They made their run through the postseason losing only two games in all of October, something that will surely put them among the names of the most dominant postseason teams in history. And catcher William Contreras became the first catcher since 2015 (when Salvador Perez did it for the Royals) to win World Series MVP.
So, of course, there’s a lot of discourse about the Brewers win to get through, and we’re just going to jump into it, because next week we start looking ahead to the big awards, and to a likely frenzied free agent market ahead of the MLB lockout.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy to Jake Bauers after the World Series:
“You’re gonna be a rich fucker. Just remember when you’re on that horse shit Yankee team and you’re all playing for yourselves… just remember this is way we used to do it.” pic.twitter.com/zPt5AzV3kH
MINNEAPOLIS - APRIL 12: Johan Santana, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Torii Hunter pose with the awards they received from the 2006 season prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 12, 2007. Santana holds his 2006 Cy Young Award; his Baseball America Player of the Year Award sits behind him, and his Major League Baseball Player's Choice Award sits in front in the middle; Hunter holds his 2006 Golden Glove Award; Morneau holds his 2006 American League Most Valuable Player Award; Mauer holds his 2006 American League Batting Championship silver bat; Morneau's and Mauer's Silver Slugger Awards rest next to them on the floor. The Twins defeated the Devil Rays 3-2. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Despite an all-time final-day comeback to win the American League Central Division title, the 2006 Minnesota Twins season didn’t end in as positive a manner. But one thing that cannot be taken away from the ‘06 campaign: it produced perhaps the most hardware-heavy season in franchise history.
Justin Morneau: AL MVP
The Canadian sensation put up this line to take home top-of-league honors: 157 G, 661 PA, 97 R, 190 H, 37 2B, 34 HR, 130 RBI, .321 BA, .934 OPS, 140 OPS+, 4.3 bWAR. Was this a 100% deserved MVP? Ehhh…David Ortiz, Travis Hafner, & maybe even resident MN 1B-coach Grady Sizemore had pretty compelling cases. But it’s not like Morneau has to give it back.
Johan Santana: AL Cy Young
This is one that the voters got exactly right—no one eclipsed ’06 Santana: 19-6 W/L, 233.2 IP, 245 K, 2.77 ERA, 162 ERA+, 1.00 WHIP, 7.6 bWAR. In what should have been Johan’s third straight Cy Young Award, there’s a case to be made he could have double-dipped as AL MVP considering that WAR total.
Joe Mauer: AL Batting Champion
A .347 batting average was tops in the Junior Circuit. This was the first time a backstop brought home the batting bacon since Ernie Lombardi (.330 BA) did so for the Cincinnati Reds in 1942. 2006 was Mauer’s third season in the bigs—and his second functional campaign (missing almost all of 2004 due to injury)
Torii Hunter: Gold Glove
Ho hum—just the sixth consecutive gilded glove-trophy for the CF-er.
Four incredible individual performances that render 2006 memorable 20 years hence despite the ALDS thud.
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 22: Tony Gonsolin #36 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during an MLB game between the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals on Sep 22, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the World Series over, it’s time for wheeling and dealing!
The Royals made the first of many potential significant moves Thursday to address their bullpen for 2027 when Kansas City announced that it declined the $13 million club option on closer Carlos Estévez while exercising a $2.5 million club option on right-hander Tony Gonsolin.
Rose relies on an unconscious swing at the plate. He isn’t trying to overthink and, in turn, overcomplicate the situation. His plan revolves around sticking to an approach and letting his natural instincts and abilities take over.
“The unconscious behavior is just the muscle memory of what your body has been working on this whole time,” he said. “(It’s) what you have been preparing for. So yeah, that’s the unconscious one. You never want to think while you are in the box — at least about mechanics.”
One Royals fan thought it would be fun to dress as catcher Carter Jensen, but with a twist. Remember when Jensen was scratched from the starting lineup early in the season because he overslept?
That’s all for “official” stories for the Royals. How about a little MLB section for the World Series? Then we’ll get to the Royals blogs.
When including the preliminary figure from Game 5, the full five-game series averaged 11.83 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, and Univision, which would put the series’ viewership level with Astros-Phillies in 2022 (11.76 million viewers) and Braves-Astros in 2021 (11.74 million viewers), both of which had six games. Viewership will predictably fall short of Dodgers-Yankees in 2024 (15.10 million viewers) and Dodgers-Blue Jays last year (15.49 million viewers), but will easily surpass Rangers-Diamondbacks in 2023 (9.08 million viewers), the least-watched World Series of all time.
Hey, didn’t someone make that prediction last week? Oh, right, it was, checks notes, Drew Lerner at Awful Announcing, as linked to by everyone’s favorite Friday Rumblings host last week. So, wait? We don’t need the Yankees and Dodgers in the World Series to get decent ratings, though it would have been helpful if this went more than 5 games.
Milwaukee Public Schools are closed tomorrow so kids can go to the victory parad— I mean, for safety, of course:
MPS specified that schools will be closed “due to operations and safety impacts from the Brewers parade and celebration.”
Michael Maxwell, the presiding judge in neighboring Waukesha County, declared Brewers attire will be formally considered “in compliance with professional decorum expected of courtroom staff, litigants and attorneys appearing before the court” through the conclusion of the victory parade.
(NSFW) Brewers manager Pat Murphy had some NSFW advice for Jake Bauers and threw shade specifically at the Yankees, but more generally at large market teams:
“You’re going to be a rich f—er. Just remember when you’re on that horses— Yankees team and you’re all playing for yourselves, just remember this is the way we used to do it.”
Seven months after becoming World Baseball Classic champions with Team Venezuela, Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and Antonio Senzatela pulled off a rare double, joining Alex Bregman and Luke Gregerson as the only players to win WBC and World Series titles in the same calendar year. Bregman and Gregerson did so for Team USA and the Astros in 2017.
Also, I linked to a Dan Szymborski (Szymborksi! Szymborski!) article a month ago that said there’s basically no effect across the board, though effects on individual players may vary.
David Lesky continues to flood Inside the Crown ($) with awesome offseason content. He did his “JJ for a Day” three-parter. Yesterday was his “Offensive Free Agent Guide”. Today, it’s time for his Less Offensive Free Agent Guid— oh, wait “Pitching Free Agent Guide”:
Free agency is always a little kinder on the pitching side. I think I mentioned this in a comment yesterday, but teams are just more willing to let pitching go year-to-year and hit free agency than young talent, so there’s a little more out there every year. I think, for example, you can completely build a bullpen through free agency. It’s better if you don’t have to, but you could put together an expensive but not stupid expensive bullpen just from guys on the list above. It’s a little harder with starting pitching, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible to supplement what they already have. Ultimately, if the Royals are going to make good on their stated goal of competing in 2027, some of these guys above are going to need to be with the Royals whenever the season starts. I’ll be fascinated to see which ones they end up signing.
Because McArthur missed two full years at the Major League level, he will come cheap in arbitration. According to MLB Trade Rumors, his projected arbitration amount is $800,000, $10,000 less than a year ago. For context, Mears ($2.2 million), Alex Lange ($1.7 million), and Alec Marsh ($1.1 million) were expected to command higher amounts this offseason. McArthur is not only cheaper than those three, but he’s also more likely to be healthier and/or more effective.
While McArthur posted high ERAs in 2023 and 2024 with the Royals, his FIP numbers suggested he’s a much better pitcher. The now-30-year-old righty probably isn’t a fit for closing situations anymore, but his stuff, ability to generate CSW (31.9% career CSW%), and groundball-inducing style make him an ideal low- to medium-leverage arm who can eat the middle innings. Even in a small sample, McArthur showed decent stuff last year, with his curveball rated as a pretty plus pitch based on TJ Stuff+ and grade numbers.
We’ve reached the offseason and not as many people are reading. So it’s time for me to point out that in our link post, I’m linking to Royals Keep’s link post linking back to Royals Review. Royals Linkception!
Of course, there are tons of horror movies… but I’m not really into horror movies. However, I did review the Scream series a couple of Halloweens ago.
Last year, I wrote about candy. Maybe it’s time to revisit that for a second. I didn’t write about a specific type of candy or candy tiers or anything like that. It was more a rambling screed in a couple of different directions.
I still feel the same way about the four major candy holidays, though, as I noted last year, my consumption has gone down with age. I also haven’t been able to discover the missing flavors I was chasing.
The real downer here is that candy prices keep going up. And we keep getting the same dumb excuses, just like last year:
Notice how all of those stories also talk about how candy is “outpacing inflation”, as above? That’s weird – it’s almost as if there’s a new cover story every year. I’m sure it’s not the expensive acquisitions, failed buyouts, and stock buybacks that need to be paid for by the consumer in an ever less competitive marketplace.
That’s whether you’re getting your information from Delaware Online:
The cost of a bulk bag of 100 pieces of candy has gone from $9.91 in 2021 to $16.96, a 71% increase over five years. The national rate of inflation over those five years was 22%.
The biggest increases have taken place over the last three years, with an increase of $2.45 from 2023 to 2024, $2.34 from 2024 to 2025 and 57 cents from 2025 to 2026. Combined, that’s a $5.36 increase over the last three years.
Or ABC7 in New York:
According to an analysis by the ABC7 Data Team, candy prices are up about 7.7% from a year ago, compared with a 1.8% increase in grocery prices overall. The analysis found candy prices have risen at more than four times the rate of overall grocery inflation.
Overall, the price of candy and chewing gum has risen by more than 47% since 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index. Marketplace looked at price changes for popular chocolates and candy between 2020 and 2026 using the Wayback Machine, finding that some products rose even more, with prices increasing between 60% and 100%…
A bag of party-size Hershey’s Kisses weighed 35.8 ounces in 2020 and retailed for $8.98 at Walmart. Now, the party size weighs 30 ounces and costs $14.92. That’s a 66% price increase. But if you look at the cost per ounce, the price actually doubled, rising from 25 cents an ounce to 50 cents an ounce. The largest bag of Brach’s Classic Candy Corn shrunk from 44 ounces in 2020 to 34 ounces in 2026. But the price per ounce doubled from 11 cents to 22 cents.
They talk about some of the cocoa and sugar shortages we looked at last year. They don’t talk about the consolidation in the industry that we also mentioned.
It’s not just that candy costs more—economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative, in association with the Century Foundation, found candy prices are up 15% on average over last year. For many shoppers, Costaglia said, they simply “don’t have the financial means to buy it this year.”
…Forbes seems almost happy to report that companies will still make tons of money from us:
Halloween is still going to be a big celebration this year, with NRF predicting a total of $13.5 billion in spending—candy making up about 30% of the spending total at $4.1 billion, up 5% from last year but far below the overall 15% uptick in prices.
So there’s that. In other words, same story as last year. Prices continue to go up for consumers and businesses continue to take an ever bigger cut. Yay?
In light of (Sir) Patrick Stewart’s passing earlier this week, I thought I should feature a game that he was in. Obviously, he was more known as a star of stage and screen, but for Friday Rumblings, video games are our sandbox. I don’t think he was in any Star Trek games that were well received. However, the pair of X-Men Legends games were highly rated, back in the sixth generation of consoles.
Per wiki:
It was basically Final Fantasy with X-Men. Over time, however, it really started to evolve. As development moved along, we added more and more elements of action and combat to it… -— Co-project lead Patrick Lipo on the development of the gam
I remember playing some co-op games with friends on the GameCube and it was quite fun.
Here’s a chapter of the game with some voice acting from Stewart:
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 28: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate during the Awards Ceremony after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field on October 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB playoffs have officially come to an end, with the Milwaukee Brewers defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1, and securing the franchise’s very first World Series Championship!
Congratulations to the Brewers and their fans! And thank you, once again, for eliminating the Los Angeles Dodgers and keeping us from having to endure a three-peat. There are not enough words in any language to describe how much of a relief that was.
Next week, we’ll get back to discussing the Giants (oh god, no, please, don’t make me) but in the meantime:
What were your favorite moments from the Brewers postseason run?
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 15: Tyler O'Neill #9 of the Baltimore Orioles strikes out against the Tampa Bay Rays during a game at Tropicana Field on August 15, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Through two seasons with the Orioles, Tyler O’Neill has played in just 139 total games, hit 19 home runs, and made five trips to the IL. While the 2026 campaign was a slight improvement from his debut season in Baltimore, the Canadian outfielder was once again a gigantic disappointment.
The Orioles attempted to handle O’Neill more gently this time around. He was limited to just 54 games in 2025, and the hope was that they could avoid a similar fate in 2026. Of the 85 games in which he appeared in this year, only 61 of them were starts, and he played defense in just 67 of them. It was not a massive workload, particularly for someone being paid $16.5 million per year. But that didn’t stop the injuries from coming anyway.
O’Neill suffered a concussion early in the season when an illness led to dehydration, which resulted in him fainting and hitting his head. That left him sidelined from April 9 through April 23. He returned to the lineup in late April, and would remain an outfield option for much of the year until late August, when he suffered a rotator cuff strain. There was some hope at the time that O’Neill could rehab the injury quickly and return before the end of the season. But it didn’t work out that way. O’Neill received PRP injections in September, and his season was over.
There really weren’t any positives to speak of for O’Neill through the end of June. To that point he owned a .182/.282/.270 batting line with two home runs, six doubles, 17 walks, and 43 strikeouts. You could squint and see some potential for positive regression in things like hard hit rate and lower than expected BABIP, but it was grasping for straws.
July is where O’Neill finally became a spark for the lineup. From July 1 through August 17, O’Neill hit .289/.359/.602 with eight home runs, two doubles, nine walks, and 26 strikeouts across 30 games. His season totals jumped up to a respectable (if still underwhelming) .223/.310/.395 thanks to that seven-week stretch.
That would be the peak of O’Neill’s campaign. He finished his season by going 0-for-11 over his final four games, and then hit the IL with the shoulder injury that shelved him. His last game of season came on August 22.
There is an argument to be made that O’Neill had finally figured something out in July. It’s possible that the early-season concussion lingered and, paired with a less consistent role in the everyday lineup, it was difficult for him to get into an offensive groove. Then, as soon as things were clicking, the injury bug bit him again. Just bad luck.
But it’s pretty much impossible to actually make that argument for O’Neill given his history. The guy gets hurt a lot. The most games he has ever played in a single MLB season was 138, which came way back in 2021 with the Cardinals. He played 113 games for the Red Sox in ‘24, his platform year before inking the three-year contract with the Orioles prior to 2025. So, even when he is productive, he is good for at least one lengthy IL stint per season. In order to be of value, he needs to play really well in those games he can actually suit up for. As an Oriole, that is yet to happen with any sort of consistency.
As the Orioles plan for 2027, the reality that O’Neill is probably going to miss time has to be factored into roster planning. It cannot be assumed that he will hold down an outfield corner for 140 games next summer. That’s not something he has ever done, and it’s unlikely he starts now. The fact that he ended the season on the IL with a rotator cuff injury for which he received PRP injections already sounds dicey, though reports indicate that he should be ready for spring training.
O’Neill will be entering the final season of his contract in 2027. That gives the Orioles more flexibility with him if he struggles, if the team falls out of contention, or if he is consumed by injuries again. The team has already paid out a majority of his salary, and the chance for him to “turn things around” will dwindle by the day. Should the team need a 26-man roster spot sometime midsummer while O’Neill toils, cutting him will be on the table.
But in all likelihood, that is a consideration for sometime during the regular season. At the moment, the Orioles outfield, outside of Colton Cowser’s glove, is one big question mark. O’Neill, despite his flaws, may be closer to a productive and known commodity at the plate than any other outfielder on the Orioles 40-man roster. And it’s not as if the team is going to be able to save any money by cutting or trading him now anyway. So the incentive for doing so before other plans are in place is basically zero.
The outfield should be a top priority for the Orioles this offseason, whenever it is that they can actually make moves. It’s a shallow free agent class, and many of the top options (Randy Arozarena, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki) are already older than O’Neill is now, so it doesn’t feel like a market where the Orioles are going to seriously compete. Perhaps the trade market is more open. Or, and this could be the best path, the Orioles explore converting some of their infielders into corner outfielders. Coby Mayo and Blaze Alexander feel like the two most prominent candidates should their peers on the roster come into the spring healthy.
The O’Neill experiment has been a failure through two years. Given the uncertainty on both the roster and in baseball broadly, he’s unlikely to be going anywhere this offseason. At this point, he can be a very expensive insurance policy if the Orioles fail to solve their outfield issues this offseason. Hopefully the organization holds a similar view, because going into 2027 with the plan being for O’Neill to be an everyday option in one of the corner spots is a recipe for yet another underperformance.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 17: Connor Brown #16 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates after a goal during the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on December 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (8-5-0) @ Vegas Golden Knights (9-4-1)
Note the unusual start time. Today is Nevada Day, and the Golden Knights are celebrating with a weekday afternoon game. It’s odd, but it certainly beats the usual 10pm start time for games in Vegas.
Last Devils Game
On Wednesday, the Devils traveled to Colorado and lost to the Avalanche, 5-2. Connor Brown scored both goals, his first markers of the season. Jake Allen got the start and made 40 saves on 45 shots.
Last Golden Knights Game
Vegas’s last game was on Tuesday, when they defeated the Ottawa Senators, 4-1. The win snapped the Golden Knights’ three-game losing streak, with Adin Hill getting the win while making 25 saves on 26 shots.
The First Dud In A While
The 5-2 final score from Wednesday’s contest was, plain and simple, a very poor game by the Devils. Yes, the score was tied 1-1 after two periods, but through 40 minutes, the Avalanche were handily controlling play. The floodgates finally burst open in the third, with Colorado scoring four times in a row and coasting from there.
The Avalanche outshot the Devils 45-22. According to Natural Stat Trick, New Jersey posted a ghastly Expected Goals% of just under 30%. There were moments here and there that New Jersey could be proud of, but overall, this really was the first dud in a while after a prolonged stretch of good hockey. Only Jake Allen and Connor Brown had unambiguously good games. Yes, Allen’s save percentage doesn’t look great, but he was the only reason this game wasn’t 10-1 after two periods. Allen had himself a very strong night, regardless of what the numbers say.
But in the end, I get it. Think about all the factors going against the Devils on Wednesday:
Second half of a back-to-back
Travel required
Playing a well-rested team
That well-rested team just so happening to be an elite group in the Colorado Avalanche
In the thin air of Colorado
Going through Kurt’s game recap from Wednesday and the comments on that post, I saw the phrase “schedule loss” thrown around a lot. I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. Wednesday was a night where New Jersey was set up to fail, and while it’s certainly possible to win or at least come away with a loser point under those circumstances, I can’t be too hard on the Devils for how poor they looked. Every team has off-nights, and considering how much was working against them, Wednesday’s loss is one I’m content to write off as a schedule loss and move on from.
…so long as the Devils bounce back strong.
That’s the one thing that worries me, that the loss to the Avalanche kick starts a string of bad games. Tonight is going to be a very tough contest as well, going up against a strong Vegas team. I would not be surprised if New Jersey lost again, but at the very least, I expect a much better outing than on Wednesday. If the Devils lose a hard-fought, back-and-forth, 3-2 or 4-3 game or something, I won’t be happy but I can accept that. But if they lose again while looking like they did against the Avalanche, that will be disappointing and a bit of a concern.
Finishing The Trip Strong
All that being said, if the Devils can find a way to win this game, and maybe even get back to their dominant puck possession selves in the process, that would be a great sign. This was always going to be a brutal road trip. Not only is it a western swing, but it just so happens to be against three of the very best teams in the NHL. You could argue that Dallas, Colorado, and Vegas are the top three squads in the west. Throw in a back-to-back, and I don’t think anyone’s expectations were particularly high coming into the trip.
But the Devils not only won their opening contest of the road trip, they looked great while doing so. I’m of the opinion that New Jersey was a little leakier defensively than most people think, as while they gave up very few shots, the individual quality of those shots were quite high. Still, they outshot the Stars by a million and won 5-1, so it’s hard to complain too much. They laid an understandable egg against Colorado, and now they have a chance to go home with a winning road trip.
Vegas is a great team, but they are not unbeatable, as their recent three-game skid indicates. The Devils can absolutely steal a win from the Knights this evening. As mentioned, I won’t be too broken up if they lose. But I think the vibes would be through the roof if New Jersey collects four out of six points on this trip. All of us would have signed for that before this three-game journey began.
Power Outage
Colorado game aside, the Devils have been a play-driving machine over the first month of the season at 5-on-5. But for all their territorial dominance at even strength, the power play remains a big concern.
New Jersey went 0-for-3 against Colorado on Wednesday, including failing to score on roughly half a minute of 5-on-3 time at the end of the second period. I’m not sure if that game turns out to be any different if they convert, but I have to believe the Devils’ chances of squeezing at least a point out of that game would’ve gone up dramatically. Remember, the game was still knotted at 1-1 when the Devils went on the power play, and then got that 5-on-3. The second penalty carried over into the third period, so imagine if New Jersey could play with a lead in the final 20 minutes. Again, it’s very possible they still would have lost, but the power play failures are what truly sealed their fate.
Entering play today, the Devils are rocking a power play conversion rate of 17.5%. That’s good for 22nd in the league, which is not truly awful, but it’s certainly not good either. For a team as talented as New Jersey, that figure is unacceptable.
Now, brace yourselves. I’m about to give you some stats that I think a lot of you will be shocked by. I know I was.
And it’s not just NST either. According to Hockey Stats, the Devils have an xG/60 rate of 8.6 on the power play, tied for seventh-best in the league with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks. Post Hockey is lower on the Devils, tabbing them at an xG/60 rate of 7.61, down at 13th in the league. The important thing to note about Post Hockey’s numbers is that, if I’m reading the stats correctly, they adjust for shooting talent. So it makes sense that their model would have New Jersey much lower than Natural Stat Trick and moderately lower than Hockey Stats. Still, 13th-best seems higher than I would have expected.
I’m sorry, but as much of a believer as I am in analytics, I cannot endorse these numbers. There is no way the Devils’ process is the 4th-best in the league. Heck, 8th is way too high for me as well, and 13th is better but still a tad rich. From what I’ve watched of the power play this year, there is a serious problem with the process. PP1 consists mainly of The Hughes brothers and Jesper Bratt playing catch on the perimeter, with Jack and Luke occasionally taking medium-danger shots that mostly get blocked or go wide. On the rare occasions those three include Nico Hischier and Luke Evangelista on the inside of the formation, it’s either broken up quickly or fumbled away. There’s not nearly enough movement, not nearly enough decisiveness, and not nearly enough shooting threats to actually make this power play run.
PP2, on the other hand, has much less talent but provides way better process. Players like Timo Meier and Arseny Gritsyuk operate with confidence and decisiveness, providing the shooting threats the man advantage needs. Dougie Hamilton quarterbacking the unit works, and players like Evan Rodrigues and Anthony Mantha complement the unit as well. There’s an intentionality on PP2 that is missing on PP1, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the vast majority of New Jersey’s glowing process numbers come from the second unit.
In any case, the top power play unit is pretty busted at the moment, and it’s on the coaching staff to figure it out. There is way too much talent here for this unit to be as bad as it is.
Round Two For Hellebuyck?
The Devils did not practice yesterday, so we didn’t get any indication on who would start in net this evening. We’ll have to wait for morning skate today to get that answer. But I’m going to assume it will be the newest Devil, Connor Hellebuyck. The future Hall of Famer was strong in his debut with the club on Tuesday, stopping 17 of 18 shots in the victory.
What impressed and surprised me the most was just how Hellebuyck always seemed to be one step ahead of the play. The Stars didn’t get that many looks at the net on Tuesday, but as I mentioned earlier, when they did get their looks there was a healthy amount of danger sprinkled in. Maybe I’ve just gotten so used to watching the likes of Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood and Akira Schmid and Jacob Markstrom and even Jake Allen over the past few years. But something that really struck me when watching Hellebuyck was how often he made me go “…Oh…that was it?”. When the Stars would fire a prime chance at Hellebuyck, instead of flailing around to get into position at the last minute like all the other Devil goalies, Hellebuyck seemed to already be waiting for the shot. He read each play so well, he managed his positioning so well, and he controlled his rebounds so well that even the premium shots looked relatively nonthreatening. One moment I’m clenching up at a one-timer from the inner slot, and the next moment I’m watching the shot harmlessly settle into Hellebuyck’s chest for a stoppage, as if it was always destined to be that way.
And I would go “…Oh…that was it?”.
Obviously I’ve watched Hellbuyck over the years, but I haven’t taken the time to really study him. It’s only one game, but after watching him play for the Devils for the first time, and taking into account every stat and scouting report I could get my hands on about why Hellebuyck is so great, I can certainly understand it. His hockey IQ is stellar. It’s the equivalent of someone like Luke Evangelista, who might not skate fast (below 50th percentile in all skating speed metrics per NHL Edge), but who plays fast thanks to how smart he is and how quickly he processes. But unlike Evangelista, Hellebuyck is also gifted physically with monstrous size. When a goalie is borderline telepathic like Hellebuyck, AND they have a massive frame, it is very, very difficult to get pucks behind him.
All of that to say, even though it’s only one game, it was a terrific one. And I am thrilled Hellebuyck is a Devil. Assuming his second outing with the club really does come tonight, I expect another strong outing from New Jersey’s franchise netminder.
The Golden Triangle
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Vegas Golden Knights are, once again, one of the best teams in the league. And it also shouldn’t surprise anyone to see who is leading the charge. Vegas is getting contributions up and down the lineup, but Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Mitch Marner are the spearheads of a potent Golden Knights attack.
Eichel leads the way with seven goals and 20 points in 14 games. Next is Stone, with eight goals (leading the team) and 16 points in 14 games. Marner is in third with two goals and 13 points in 12 games. The only other Knight in double figures in points is Ivan Barbashev, with an odd 1-9-10 statline. But considering Barbashev is logging 16:17 of ice time per game while the big three are up in the 18-20 minute range, Barbashev definitely falls under the “support” camp rather than the core.
On the backend, Vegas’ defense corps has been a bit disappointing from a point production standpoint. Their usual number one, Shea Theodore, has only registered a pair of goals and five points through 14 contests. Vegas’ second in command, Noah Hanifin, has that same exact statline as well. If the defensemen pick their game up, Vegas’ Golden Triangle could turn into a Golden Pentagram Pentagon. And if that happens, then the Pacific Division and the rest of the league will really be in trouble.
Under The Hood
Aside from the traditional production, Vegas’ underlying metrics are in good-not-great territory through the first month of play:
Category
Rate
League Rank
CF%
52.34%
10/32
SCF%
51.75%
13/32
HDCF%
53.33
11/32
xG%
53.78
11/32
Unlike last year when Vegas had superb advanced metrics but didn’t have the results to show for it (in the regular season at least), Vegas has been outkicking their coverage a little bit, rocking the sixth-best points percentage in the league entering play today.
Taking a look at some of the individual line combinations over at Moneypuck, many of Vegas’ forward combinations look quite good from a process standpoint. But a secret weapon of sorts appears to be the Tomas Hertl-Trevor Connelly combination. Hertl and Connelly are both a part of the top two lines on the Golden Knights according to Moneypuck’s 5-on-5 xG% numbers. In about 24 minutes with Braeden Bowman, the trio is posting a pretty silly 91.7% xG mark. In just over 29 minutes with Victor Olofsson, they’re rocking an xG% of 71.4%. Those are tiny sample sizes, but at this early stage, a pattern is emerging.
Connelly and Hertl have each played 14 games so far. Connelly has four goals and nine points, while Hertl has five goals and eight points. Decent point production, but certainly not elite. However, the Devils need to hope that their results don’t catch up with their process until after New Jersey leaves town. Eichel, Stone, and Marner need to be page one of the gameplan tonight. But Hertl and Connelly have earned the right to appear on page two.
A Tale Of Two Special Teams Units
Another interesting battle tonight might be the special teams battle. We’ve already went over New Jersey’s power play struggles, but they might get a chance to right the ship against Vegas this evening. The Knights come in with a penalty kill success rate of 67.6%, all the way down at 26th in the league. If ever there was a time to snap out of it, tonight might be the Devils’ opportunity.
On the other side, New Jersey better be careful not to take too many penalties. For as bad as the Golden Knights’ PK has been, their PP is making up a lot of the slack. Vegas enters with a power play conversion rate of 25.6%, good for eighth-best in the NHL. Against New Jersey’s 24th-ranked PK (72.4%), Vegas could wreak havoc.
One of the keys to this game for New Jersey absolutely has to be staying disciplined. Two points could be decided over it.
Projected Lineup
Here’s how the Golden Knights lined up in their most recent game:
What are you anticipating out of tonight’s game? Do you think the Devils will bounce back after their dud in Colorado? Who on the team do you think will have a big game? Who on the Golden Knights will you be keeping an eye on the most? As always, thanks for reading!
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 14: Kasparas Jakucionis #25 of the Milwaukee Bucks in action against the Chicago Bulls during the preseason NBA game at Fiserv Forum on October 14, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the inaugural Fawning or Warning?, a new fortnightly feature where I muse on all things Milwaukee Bucks, however explicitly or tangentially related, and determine if they’re worth fawning over or if they’re a warning sign of something going awry.
KPJ, roster building
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 05: Head coach Taylor Jenkins of the Milwaukee Bucks talks with Kevin Porter Jr. #7 in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a preseason NBA game at Fiserv Forum on October 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
My initial reaction to Kevin Porter Jr.’s axing was a combination of surprise and frustration. In fact, I had pencilled in Jon Horst as the inaugural Winners & Sinners sinner, penning the following before deciding against it:
Jon Horst. Yes, the Bucks were in a (self-imposed) difficult roster crunch prior to the season. And, yes, Kevin Porter Jr. opting in to his contract earlier in the offseason might not have been part of their plans. But to let a guy who was arguably the best player on the team last year, who has immense talent—perhaps the most on the team, and who Bucks fans still saw as the seventh-most-important player on the team go for nothing stings. To do that when there were much more logical options—ones fans wanted—makes it all the worse. Kyle Kuzma, Caris LeVert, and their expiring contracts sure better bring something meaningful back at the trade deadline.
Since then, thanks in no small part to all of your commentary, I’ve come to rationalise the move—and now actually support it. For one, as a one-year, $5.4m deal, Porter’s contract was a relatively easy one to cut. From an ownership perspective, this is an easier pill to swallow than, say, LeVert’s $14.8m deal. From a GM perspective, despite Porter certainly being the better talent and more productive player at this stage in their respective careers, it also makes sense. Porter clearly wasn’t a desired commodity league-wide, otherwise he would’ve been traded (he also probably wouldn’t have exercised his player option in the offseason). Moreover, LeVert’s larger salary is the better trade chip, either paired with other assets—players or picks—in matching for a desirable player who could help the Bucks now, or in taking on a “bad” contract to bring in assets.
The on-court ramifications are also favourable. Because of his talent, retaining Porter would’ve all but demanded playing him and that wouldundoubtedly come at the expense of younger players who are more likely part of Milwaukee’s future core, namely Brayden Burries and Kasparas Jakučionis. So, cutting him has afforded them meaningful developmental minutes. Moreover, it’s spared Taylor Jenkins from the difficult decision to play Burries and Jakučionis over Porter (or vice versa) altogether, instead enabling him to focus on cultivating the sort of relationships that are essential for a young team trying to instill a “Compete. Together. Get better” mantra. Of course, LeVert’s role in this part is also pivotal. As someone on the downside of his career, he can more easily be given—and accept—a back seat as an end-of-the-bench veteran to help guide these players. Kudos to him for that.
Bigger picture, does cutting Porter signal a philosophical shift within the franchise? Faults of yesteryear—heck, even (or especially) this year—aside, cutting Porter might suggest a renewed roster-building focus, one that prioritises internal growth and development from the ground up. For as talented as he is, it’s hard for someone like Porter to unlearn his ways (think ball-dominance, shot selection). At the same time, might it also signpost a return to the high-character ethos that was so prominent under Mike Budenholzer? After all, Jenkins was an assistant under Bud with the Atlanta Hawks for six years.
To be clear, this is by no means an attack on Porter, who by all accounts conducted himself admirably while with the Bucks—and who I “fell for” enough to write not one but two screenplays about. But stains linger for a reason, and with the Bucks beginning a new era without an obvious drawcard—and Porter already a divisive figure among fans—ownership and management have to seriously consider their brand and fan perception of it. Inherent within these considerations is who represents them and who they promote. At the least, this is something to monitor moving forward.
Verdict: Fawning.
Not all rebounders are created equal
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – OCTOBER 7: Kel'el Ware #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks grabs the rebound during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 7, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We’ve heard about it all offseason—how Taylor Jenkins will have these Bucks attacking the glass in an attempt to win the possession game. In the preseason, things looked pretty good, especially on the offensive glass (just check the notes). So far, this has translated in the regular season too. After five games, the Bucks rank third in rebounds per game (49.8) and 10th in rebounding percentage (51.7%). They also rank sixth in defensive rebounding percentage (72.6%). These are all great signs of a philosophical buy-in.
But the overall numbers obscure a truth: for all their intentions, the Bucks still sit a mediocre 16th in offensive rebounding percentage (31.1%). Milwaukee’s problem? A lack of “go-get-it!” rebounders—you know, the sort of rebounders who go after it, grabbing boards outside their area. Who make opponents feel them and wear them down doing so. Think Moussa Diabaté. Tristan Thompson. Reggie Evans. Upon acquiring him in the Giannis trade, I envisioned Kel’el Ware as one of these players, but early signs are inconclusive, suggesting he more so collects rebounds as a by-product of his size and placement near the rim. Jericho Sims offers more in the “go-get-it!” regard, particularly on the offensive glass, but he’s not seeing action. Kyle Kuzma is seeing action—and full credit to him for getting his hands dirty—and Brayden Burries seems to have a nose for the ball off iron too. But they don’t fit the bill either, not really, especially for a team that starts Myles Turner and his career-worst 9.2% rebounding percentage (seventh best on the team) at centre. Horst, that leaves two options: target the “go-getters” or… Is Mike Dunleavy Jr. still calling?
Verdict: Warning (precautionary).
Must-have maestro
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 26: Kasparas Jakučionis #25 of the Milwaukee Bucks passes the ball past Kelly Oubre Jr. #10 of the Indiana Pacers in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum on October 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By all accounts, Kasparas Jakučionis was a must-have in the Giannis trade. But for all the hype, Jakučionis was satisfactory at best in Summer League play and preseason did nothing to up expectations heading into the regular season. In fact, after playing only three games and struggling to find nylon—37% overall shooting, 23% from three—it seemed Jakučionis would be an end-of-rotation player at best, a nice option to have but nothing to scare opponents. Turns out, this Kas ain’t so friendly.
Now, Jakučionis has emerged as the Bucks’ sixth man. And while his stats through five contests aren’t anything exceptional—9.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.2 APG—he’s shooting it better overall (50%), even if the long-range shot still hasn’t come around (23%), and mostly limiting turnovers (2.0 TOV). More importantly, he’s closing games. In the process, Jakučionis has been such a joy to watch. The highlight passing stands out, but dig deeper and you’ll notice the little things: how he’s in a perpetual state of motion (on and off ball), how he attacks the glass and then hustles back on D, how he gives the ball up early, knowing that he’ll get it back. How he uses his body and arms to draw fouls. How he knows when to take one to halt an opponent attack too. And, perhaps more than anything, how the game just looks so much smoother when he’s out there.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 25: Devin Booker meets with Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the First Round of the 2015 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 25, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Birthday, Devin Booker! Friday marks his 30th trip around the Sun. For most of the last 12 years, the Suns have been rotating around him. Fans have shared the rise, endured frustrating times together, enjoyed unbelievable moments, and lived an NBA Finals run. That run was SO close, up 2 games to nil for a title.
Phoenicians have enjoyed him as a pillar in the community and a true face of the franchise. Nearly every true Suns fan at some point has closed their eyes and pictured him hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy with purple and orange confetti falling from the rafters. We want this for him. For us.
In recent years, frustration murmurs have grown louder, with playoff losses and stretches where his level of play disappoints. I’m unashamedly a superfan, wearing his shoes and other name-branded sportswear. Yet I found myself coming down hard in my game recap after the most recent game. Our relationship with sports stars, much like family or friends, can get complicated. In this article, I’ll focus mostly on what he’s accomplished in those 30 years, with a peek into his role now and in the years to come.
Devin Armani Booker was born October 30, 1996. With DNA and motivation from his dad, a former All-Big 8 player, he quickly ascended as a youth player. At 15, he attended (and got quite a bit of attention) at LeBron James’ youth camp.
From there, he became a freshman 6th man on a 38-1 University of Kentucky team that included nine future NBA players headlined by Karl Anthony Towns. Then Suns GM Ryan McDonough selected him 13th in the 2015 NBA draft. It didn’t take long for him to make a name in the NBA, scoring 13.8 points per game as an 18-year-old rookie. The roster was thin during those first few seasons, but kept developing and improving. As a 20-year-old, he dropped 70 on the Celtics.
Those first four seasons all included 58 or more losses. Devin infused hope with his scoring (by then up to over 26 points a night) and basketball skills. With the arrival of a veteran point guard (Rickey Rubio) and a motivational coach (Monty Williams), and several promising young players, the COVID season represented a turning of the tide with a run in “the bubble” epitomized by this iconic shot by Booker.
Booker was becoming a true star. With Chris Paul’s arrival, his game and the team’s took that leap. In 2020-21, he led a playoff run that included four 40-point games and a trip to the NBA Finals. The next year, Book averaged 27/5/5, and the team went 64-18! That may have been the high point on his stock. He was voted first-team All-NBA and finished fourth in the MVP voting. After an opening-round playoff series win, Phoenix was ousted via a blowout 123-90 by the Dallas Mavericks. While that loss was a team effort, Devin shot 3-14 and got his first significant round of criticism.
He continued to contribute strong play at 27.8 points per game in 2022-23. In February of that season, Mat Ishbia took ownership of the team and immediately made the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. From KD’s layup line injury in his first game until the end of that era, the vision was never fully realized, but there were moments. In a full season together, Booker put up a career-high 9.2 win shares in spite of missing 14 games. The two stars teamed up and played key roles on the 2024 USA Basketball Gold Medal team, with Booker famously offering the “I’ll do it” quote in reference to doing all the little things on that team.
In February of 2025, he became the Suns’ all-time leading scorer. The team unraveled under Mike Budenholzer in 2024-25 to finish 10 games under .500, leading to a massive trade that sent KD packing and brought us to much of the current roster construct, including starters Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and youth in Khaman Maluach/Rasheer Fleming. That core plus several excellent additions flourished early last season under new head coach Jordan Ott, and Booker continued his high-scoring ways at 26.1 points per game, drawing a career-high 8.1 free throws per game as well.
In spite of a drop in three-point percentage these past two years, Book has always been a high-level scorer. He’s also been an excellent playmaker, soon to rank third in Suns history in assists behind two legendary pure point guards (Steve Nash, Kevin Johnson). What a career for someone who is 30! Devin, you’ve been a source of great pride, avoiding off-court embarrassments, saying the right things, giving countless special moments, connecting with fans, and initiating his Starting Five Foundation in 2019 as a significant way to give back to the community.
Thus, the ghost of “Booker Past” shines a far brighter picture than what Scrooge saw in the Christmas classic. What about “Booker Present”? The current roster is searching for its mojo. We’re only 3 games in, but there were troubling signs in the preseason. John Voita wrote about how the roster around Devin is not currently ideal:
Problems are magnified with two starting-level centers out with injury. Three games are indeed not a significant sample. There are troubling signs. Booker has played under 8 coaches and with well over 100 teammates — some good, some definitely not. Through all of that, he has consistently put up high-scoring seasons and good passing statistics. I believe that will continue in the balance of the 2026-27 season. He seems to play his best when the team has what is called, in technical jargon, “good vibes”.
Between teammates working on their weaknesses, adapting, and Coach Ott showing his abilities as a fixer and motivator, those good vibes are still attainable in the next 79 games. What we want to see (and we don’t see it all behind the scenes) is Devin asserting himself as a star and franchise icon to lead a change in those “vibes”.
Finally, what about “Future Booker”? The team awarded all of the accomplishments above with a contract that runs through this year plus three more (~$264 million in that span). The money is a certainty. It’s extremely unlikely the Suns will move him.
DARKO is a model proven to be the most accurate single metric of player value per a HoopsHype GM survey. It also projects remaining longevity of a career and compares the trend for the 10 most similar players. Booker’s DARKO?
It suggests the break-even on longevity is 8 more seasons. In terms of value, Booker peaked through 2024 at roughly a +4 rating, is currently at a +2, and projects a +1 by the end of that contract. That means he’d still contribute 1 point per 100 possessions better than an average NBA player.
This aging progression has exceptions: Steve Nash actually improved in DARKO while 32-34 years old! If the trend holds for Devin, Phoenix has a limited window to capitalize on his star abilities. That means making this current roster work, or trying one more big move.
Either way, let’s celebrate Devin for all that he’s done and get the good mojo going for more magic in his thirties.
