The Oklahoma City Thunder will attempt to close out the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals. One more victory and the defending NBA champion Thunder will advance to the NBA Finals to face the New York Knicks. The Spurs need to win Game 6 to force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday in Oklahoma City.
How to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs
Moneyline: San Antonio Spurs -159 (59.0%) / Oklahoma City Thunder +134 (41.0%)
Over/Under: 219.5
Series schedule, results
Game 1:Spurs 122, Thunder 115 (2OT) Game 2:Thunder 122, Spurs 113 Game 3:Thunder 123, Spurs 108 Game 4: Spurs 103, Thunder 82 Game 5: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Tuesday May 26, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) Game 6: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Thursday May 28, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)* Game 7: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Saturday May 30, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)*
The Major League Baseball Players' Association braced their players for years this would be coming, and there it was Thursday, presented in black-and-white, MLB’s first official salary cap proposal since 1994.
The reaction?
Pure, unadulterated disgust.
The 200-page proposal was worse than they ever anticipated after submitting their initial proposal on Wednesday.
“Yesterday, the MLBPA presented a comprehensive package of proposals designed to improve compensation for players at all levels, and to incentivize and reward competition on the field," interim union chief Bruce Meyer said in a statement. “The owners responded today with a demand for a salary cap system, something generations of players have fought against. The last time the owners made such an explicit push for a cap – over 30 years ago – it led to the longest work stoppage in MLB history.
“For generations, our members have fought against cap systems because they harm players at all levels, erode or eliminate contractual guarantees, pit player against player, lead to more work stoppages, not less, and get worse for players over time."
In other words, MLB’s proposal was a complete non-starter.
The union anticipated that MLB would offer to significantly raise the minimum salary, maybe not to $1.5 million as they are seeking in 2027, but at least increased from $780,000. They expected free agency to possibly be lowered from six years to five years, as they desire, for players 30 years or older. They thought that the salary arbitration pool would be expanded.
No. No. And no.
There was nothing, well, at least in this initial proposal.
MLB proposed a $245.3 million salary cap, which would cause eight teams to lower their payroll, and in return, offered a $171.2 million salary floor, which would cause 12 teams to increase their payroll.
The players would immediately gain $38 million in the return.
Sorry, the union isn’t buying it.
The cap and floor would be significantly lowered, the union believes when benefits and amateur signings are included.
It brought back memories of their collective bargaining talks in 2021 when MLB offered a luxury tax system beginning at $180 million, with also a salary floor at $100 million. It was flatly rejected by the union, and MLB implemented a lockout that lasted 99 days.
This proposal was rejected by the time the union lawyers walked out of the door.
They will talk again, perhaps in a few weeks, with meetings occurring more frequently later in the fall, but barring a more stunning surprise than the Colorado Rockies winning the NL West, there will be no agreement when the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 1.
MLB will impose a lockout.
The start of spring training will be delayed, and perhaps games will be missed.
MLB realizes that with the influx of new owners, showing more interest in acquiring real estate holdings than their actual team, this is their best and perhaps last chance to secure a salary cap.
If it doesn’t happen now, it never will.
So, MLB could keep the lockout going until mid-April, forcing the players to miss a paycheck, and see if they blink. If the players stay strong, then MLB must decide how long they are willing to keep the game shut down, and how many more missed paychecks will lead to any softening of their stance.
In the meantime, there will be plenty of rhetoric.
MLB is telling the players that if they don’t agree to a salary cap, they won’t come close to getting their fair share of the financial pie, and are offering 50% of all baseball revenue. MLB says the players are costing themselves money under the current system.
Payrolls increased by 149% since 2003, MLB says, while MLB’s revenue has increased by 247%. In fact, MLB says, the players’ share has actually declined in the last four collective bargaining agreements.
The union argues that if they agreed to MLB’s proposal, the players would receive less money than they’re getting now, worried about league-wide escrows which could potentially force them to return money once revenues are calculated.
MLB also says the middle class is getting squeezed, with their data showing that 10% of its highest-paid players receive 60% of the total payroll, compared to 51% in the NFL, 41% in the NBA and 31% in the NHL.
“The biggest issue we need to solve next to continue to grow the game off the field is fixing the payroll disparity unseen in any other major U.S. sport,” MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin said. “Ultimately the game is about hope and competition and too many fans in too many markets have too little hope their team has a fair chance to win. Fans overwhelmingly support a salary cap and floor like in the other leagues because they don't believe a $446 million spending gap from top to bottom is a fair fight. Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together."
The union calls it a cop-out, arguing that competitive balance isn’t a problem considering that small-market clubs like the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians are currently leading their respective divisions, with the Brewers winning an MLB-best 97 games last season.
“Caps don’t lower ticket prices for fans, eliminate tanking or ensure teams are run with equal competence,’’ Meyer said. “They suffocate competition by offering owners an all-purpose excuse for inaction and mediocrity.
“Baseball is experiencing unprecedented momentum and owners are enjoying record viewership, revenues and franchise values. Billionaire owners are not seeking to cap their profits or asset values, only player salaries. This isn’t out of generosity or a desire to protect the game’s well-being. It’s a play to control costs, increase profits and maximize franchise values – all at the expense of players past, present and future.
“We’ll continue our review of the owners’ proposal and stand ready to negotiate system improvements that benefit players and fans alike.’’
In other words, let baseball’s labor war proceed, with a whole lot of arguments, rhetoric, and hostility coming to a ballpark near you.
Arsenal striker scored the winner in the final five years ago and is determined to make up for being ‘in a bad place’ when injured this season
When Kai Havertz thinks back to the 2021 Champions League final, he can’t help smiling. Chelsea’s surprise victory over Manchester City in Porto still feels like yesterday for the Germany striker.
“It is something I will never forget,” he says. “As a kid I could have never dreamed I would score a goal in the final and win that game. I will always be proud of it. I just try to take that feeling and hopefully it will happen again.”
Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky has taken a major step in the right direction this season. In 82 regular-season games for the Canadiens this year, the 6-foot-3 winger set new career highs with 30 goals, 43 assists, and 73 points. With this, the 2022 first-overall has cemented himself as a legitimate NHL star.
Now, due to his strong regular-season, Slafkovsky has landed himself some major praise.
The Hockey News recently revealed that Slafkovsky was given the No. 94 spot on their top 100 NHL players rankings for the 2025-26 season.
When looking at the campaign Slafkovsky put together for the Canadiens, it is easy to understand why he has been named among the top players in the NHL this season by The Hockey News. It was a special year for the young forward, and he was one of the Canadiens' biggest difference-makers because of it.
With the Canadiens being down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Final to the Carolina Hurricanes, Slafkovsky will be looking to heat back up for the Habs as they try to keep their playoff run alive. In 18 games so far this post-season, Slafkovsky has six goals, six assists, and 12 points.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 10: Signage during the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on May 10, 2026 at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
As a former lawyer, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is a professional at speaking without saying much.
However, during an interview in March, Silver spoke decisively, stating that the league would look into lottery reform and make changes to address tanking.
Well, it appears the league has just done that with the NBA Board of Governors voting in favor of draft lottery reform at 29-1, with the Grizzlies being the only franchise against the change.
Shams Charania of ESPN was the first to report on the seismic change to the NBA Draft Lottery system.
The NBA's Board of Governors vote passed 29-1 — with the Memphis Grizzlies as the lone vote against the new anti-tanking lottery reform, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/24FUnS0cd0
Now, the NBA Draft Lottery will expand from 12 to 16 teams. This new 3-2-1 system means that the bottom three teams will have significantly worse odds of getting the No. 1 pick. The odds in the old system of the worst team selecting first were at 14%, and now that’ll be dwarfed to just 5.4%, with a 71% chance of selecting outside of the top five.
This reform now goes in stark contrast to every other major sport in North America.
Typically, the draft is about helping the worst team to get better. Now, the NBA franchises that have won the fewest games actually don’t have the best odds of getting to pick first.
It’s important to note that an anomaly will still happen. Even in the old system, there were instances where teams in the play-in won the top pick. This is what happened with the Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
Clearly, given that everyone minus Memphis voted for this, the NBA felt it had to do something to incentivize winning and discourage tanking. And the likely reason the Grizzlies were against it is that it would impact a draft pick the Jazz owes them. Since the new rule indicates that a team can’t draft in the Top-5 for three consecutive seasons, it means that their draft pick from Utah now can only be sixth or worse.
Prior to this reform, Silver tried to create change without these restrictions.
From the Lakers’ perspective, they hopefully aren’t involved in the NBA Draft directly for years to come. So the biggest impact will be in trading draft picks. Now teams can’t protect picks top-12 through top-15 via trades, making those assets even more valuable.
This is a lot to adjust to, and there will be benefits and unintended consequences. But the NBA Draft Lottery has now changed forever, and the Lakers and all other teams will have to learn how to navigate through this reform.
The NBA Board of Governors has instituted new anti-tanking measures.
The body voted in favor of enacting the new 3-2-1 rule, which will completely change the NBA draft lottery, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The biggest draw of the new system is that the three worst teams in the NBA will now enter the “Relegation Zone.” This zone has lower odds of obtaining the No. 1 overall pick. The change will also expand the lottery to 16 teams and flatten odds.
This new system will take place starting with the 2027 lottery.
There could also be punishments for teams that are deemed to still be intentionally tanking. Punishments could range from reduced lottery odds to even draft-position moves.
Before voting commenced on Thursday, it was believed that these rules would pass, as a majority of teams supported the proposed changes.
The new system gives all 16 teams a chance to win the first overall pick. Each team will be assigned lottery balls. The three worst teams will receive two balls, but there is no way they will fall past the 12th pick.
The next seven teams that missed the playoffs will receive three lottery balls. The four teams that received the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds in the play-in games will receive two lottery balls.
NBAE via Getty Images
Lastly, the two teams that lose in the No. 7-8 play-in games will get one lottery ball.
The 3-2-1 rule would be used until 2029. When that year rolls around, the board of governors will assess if the new rules have worked and decide either to continue with the system or make changes.
During a press conference that month, Silver acknowledged the issue of tanking in the sport.
Adam Silver at the press conference before the NBA Cup Final Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“We are going to fix it,” Silver said. “Full stop.”
The issue of tanking was the reason the lottery was created in the first place, back in 1985. But recently, teams have begun to try to game the system.
The NBA fined the Jazz $500,000 for pulling their starters in the fourth quarter during two regular season road games.
In 2023, the Mavericks were fined $750,000 for “conduct detrimental to the league” after sitting key players in an attempt to protect their first-round draft pick.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 27: Terry Clark, CEO of PGA of America, stands on the field before throwing a ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field on May 27, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for May 28, 2026 against the Houston Astros: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Spencer Arrighetti for the Astros.
Its the finale of the four game series against Houston. Skip Schumaker will be missing the game today due to a graduation he will be attending. Luis Ureta will be managing in his stead.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Osuna — LF
Nimmo — RF
Jung — 3B
Carter — CF
Burger — 1B
Duran — SS
Higashioka — C
Lopez — 2B
7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -136 favorites.
The Winnipeg Jets are hoping to pull off a quick retool and climb back into Stanley Cup contention after a difficult 2025-26 campaign.
Winnipeg finished 26th in the NHL standings with 82 points this season, a stunning drop for a franchise that captured the Presidents' Trophy just one year earlier. Now, with the NHL Draft approaching in June, the Jets face a major decision: keep their first-round pick or trade it for immediate roster help.
An unfavorable lottery outcome, combined with a surprising jump from a division rival, pushed Winnipeg down the draft board. The Toronto Maple Leafs vaulted ahead to secure the first overall selection, leaving the Jets with the eighth overall pick.
It marks general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s highest draft selection since 2020, when he chose Cole Perfetti 10th overall, and his first top-10 pick since selecting Patrik Laine second overall in 2016. If Cheveldayoff decides to keep the pick, Winnipeg will have several intriguing prospects to consider.
One player drawing significant attention at the eighth overall spot is Windsor Spitfires winger Ethan Belchetz, who projects as a potential NHL-ready scorer. However, another prospect may offer an even higher ceiling while also filling one of hockey’s most valuable positions.
Swedish forward Viggo Björck has emerged as one of the most exciting players available in the 2026 draft class.
Fresh off his 18th birthday, Björck stands at five-foot-10 and 172 pounds. While he can shift to the wing when needed, he primarily plays center, a position NHL teams covet more than ever in today’s game. Scouts have been impressed by the maturity and composure he brings to the middle of the ice against elite competition.
Björck boosted his profile significantly at the World Junior Championship in January, recording three goals and six assists for nine points in seven games as Sweden captured its first gold medal at the tournament since 2012. He was later named one of Sweden’s top three players at the event.
His strong international play has continued at the IIHF World Championship, where he has spent time on Sweden’s top line against some of the best players in the world. Björck has skated alongside fellow 2026 draft prospect Ivar Stenberg, considered by many to be the strongest challenger to projected first-overall pick Gavin McKenna.
He has also shared the ice with Detroit Red Wings star Lucas Raymond and has looked comfortable against top-level professional competition, a rare feat for a teenager. He was again named one of Sweden’s top three players at the event with his two linemates.
Despite concerns from some scouts about his profile, Björck has consistently proven his ability to compete at a high level. His hockey IQ, defensive awareness, and relentless work ethic have made him one of the safest projections among top forwards in the class.
The Athletic’s Corey Pronman projects Björck as a future top-six NHL center who can contribute on both the power play and penalty kill. Even if he falls short of that ceiling, Pronman believes Björck’s two-way reliability gives him the tools to become an effective middle-six center and top penalty killer at the NHL level.
Björck’s draft stock has continued to rise throughout the season. The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari ranked him as high as third overall, while TSN’s Craig Button placed him fourth. Other respected evaluators, including TSN’s Craig Peters, Daily Faceoff, and Sportsnet analysts Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala, all ranked Björck among the top eight prospects in the draft.
Most projections have Björck coming off the board somewhere in the middle portion of the lottery, meaning there is a realistic chance he could still be available when Winnipeg selects eighth overall. If he is, the Jets may not want to overthink the decision.
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May 27, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) hits a double during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
The Baltimore Orioles went into the 2026 offseason with a purpose, making significant moves like signing slugger Pete Alonso, Ryan Helsley, and Leody Taveras and dipping into their deep farm system to trade for Taylor Ward, Andrew Kittredge and Shane Baz. Between those moves and the graduation of top prospects like Sam Basallo, many considered Baltimore to be one of the most improved teams of the offseason and ready to get right back into the thick of contention.
Unfortunately for Baltimore fans, that hasn’t happened. The Orioles sit fourth in the ALE with a 26-30 record, a game behind Toronto in the standings. Injuries, underperformance, and just plain bad luck have all contributed to an underwhelming first third of the season.
I reached out to old friend of VftOS, Tyler Young from Camden Chat to get his take on the current Orioles and what their fanbase is feeling and looking for right now.
Baltimore was widely considered to have had an excellent offseason and there was a lot of pre-season hype about them. What, in your opinion, are the key elements behind the under 500 start to the season?
Injuries are not the whole reason why the team has struggled, but it is definitely part of the story. Jordan Westburg won’t play at all this year. Jackson Holliday just got back. Zach Eflin made one start. Ryan Helsley has missed a month already. And that just scratches the surface. On top of that, the team hasn’t gotten enough out of its very best players. Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso, and Trevor Rogers have all underwhelmed. Tough to win with that combination. There’s been a lot of trade speculation with Adley Rutschman in the centre, especially with the emergence of Sam Basallo. Do you think the club is most likely to move him, try to extend him, or let him hit free agency and go from there?
I don’t expect anything to happen with Rutschman this year. The organization is convinced they can win with this roster, and Rutschman is a key component. I also don’t see an extension coming his way. So my guess would that if they stink in ‘27 he is dealt at the deadline. If they compete, he will stick around until free agency. Is this Front Office likely to make additions through trade to bolster the lineup and rotation over the next couple of months, or are they more likely to wait and see how it plays out?
There is pressure on this front office to win, but I don’t think they will force anything. The team has largely treaded water to this point, and in a flawed AL that has been enough to keep them in the playoff mix. If they can get healthier and be right around .500 come July I would expect them to be buyers. Which prospect are Orioles fans most excited for that debuted or might debut this year?
I’ve got two: Trey Gibson and Enrique Bradfield Jr. Gibson is a fringy Top 100 type that has already made a few big league appearances this year. He’s looked good, though he profiles as just a mid-rotation arm. Bradfield is an outfielder that could debut late in the year. Super fast, great glove, and a light bat. Sounds like a perfect bench option come playoff time. Who is your favourite member of the team to watch right now?
It’s Basallo. He’s just a pure hitter with ludicrous power. The ball explodes off his bat. He has been the team’s most productive offensive weapon, and he’s still only 21 years old. Signing him to that extension looks pretty wise right now! And just a fun little exercise, if you could make a guaranteed trade for one player from a division rival, who would it be and what would you consider a fair return to acquire them?
Cam Schlittler is too obvious of an answer, but it’s the right one. A young, hard-throwing pitcher that’s already dominating is too good to pass up, even if he has to get Tommy John eventually. I don’t think the Yankees would value much of anything on the Orioles roster outside of Henderson, and I’m not parting with him. Maybe I could entice them with a package of Holliday, Gibson, two top prospects, and a Competitive Balance pick?
The NBA voted to approve a new draft lottery system designed to eliminate incentives for teams to tank during the regular season, the league announced on Thursday, May 28.
The “3-2-1 Lottery” approved by the NBA expands the lottery from 14 to 16 teams and flattens odds for teams that don't make the NBA playoffs or play-in tournament. The new system takes effect beginning with the 2027 NBA Draft.
The NBA said in its announcement that the league office has met with key stakeholders to discuss current competitive incentives and solicit ideas aimed at discouraging tanking since October. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said combating tanking was a priority for the league at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game in February.
Under the new system, which goes into effect for the 2027 NBA Draft, the teams with the three worst records will be “draft relegated” and have worse lottery odds to receive a top pick compared to other teams that did not qualify for the play-in tournament. Each of the "draft relegated" teams can pick no worse than No. 12 in the draft order.
No team will be permitted to select No. 1 overall in consecutive years, nor can a team receive a top-five pick in three straight drafts. The restrictions apply only to each team's own pick, regardless of whether the pick was retained by the team via trade or traded to another team.
It means for the 2027 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies will not be allowed to select within the top five using the 2027 first-round pick they obtained from the Utah Jazz in a trade deadline deal centered around Jaren Jackson Jr. The Jazz picked within the top five in each of the past two drafts and therefore aren't eligible to pick within the top-five again.
The Grizzlies were the only team to vote against the NBA's new 3-2-1 lottery system, according to multiplereports.
The NBA also announced it will have additional disciplinary authority to address tanking as a result of the new system, including "the ability to reduce teams’ lottery odds, modify teams’ draft positions and impose significant fines on offending teams."
Victor Wembanyama had 28 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks and the San Antonio Spurs sent the Western Conference finals back to Oklahoma City for Game 7, routing the Thunder 118-91 on Thursday night.
Game 7 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City, with the winner hosting the New York Knicks on Wednesday night to open the NBA Finals.
Wembanyama and the Spurs responded to a listless 127-114 loss in Game 5 on Tuesday night with their most energized outing of this see-saw series.
Dylan Harper had 18 points, Stephon Castle added 17 and Devin Vassell had 12 points and two thunderous blocks for San Antonio.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was limited to a team-high 15 points on 6-for-18 shooting for defending champion Oklahoma City.
The Thunder were scoreless for eight minutes in the third as the Spurs ran off 22 straight points to make it 92-64 with 56 seconds left in the quarter.
The average margin of victory has been 15.3 points, with the Spurs winning by an average of 18.3 points.
Wembanyama has been at the forefront of all three victories.
The 7-foot-4 star joined Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan as the only players in franchise history with five games of 25 points and 10 rebounds in a single postseason.
Wembanyama made his first two shots — both 3-pointers — and blocked Gilgeous-Alexander’s layup in the first 1:27 as San Antonio took a 9-2 lead.
Wembanyama had 11 points, five rebounds an assist and a block in the opening quarter.
The series remained physical and contentious, with the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren jawing with and bumping into Vassell after the Spurs’ wing blocked the 7-footer’s dunk attempt in the second quarter.
Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams returned after reinjuring his hamstring in Game 2 and missing the next three games. Williams was limited to one point on 0-for-1 shooting in 10 minutes.
Martin St. Louis finds himself in a difficult situation.
The Montreal Canadiens are down 3-1 in their Eastern Conference Final Series against the Carolina Hurricanes, on the brink of elimination.
While St. Louis has never been in this position as a head coach, he’s overcome a 3-1 deficit three times over the course of his 16-year NHL career as a player.
Two of those miraculous comebacks came with the New York Rangers in 2014 and 2015.
In 2014, down 3-1 in the second round to the Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis decided to join his team for Game 5 just three days after the sudden passing of his mother.
The Rangers were able to climb their way back in the series, winning three consecutive games.
That second-round comeback was headlined by St. Louis’s emotional Game 6 goal, which happened to fall on Mother’s Day.
The Blueshirts would go on to reach the Stanley Cup Final, but ultimately lost at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings.
One year later, in 2015, the Rangers found themselves in an identical position, down 3-1 in their second-round series against the Washington Capitals.
Winning two out of the next three games in overtime, the Rangers overcame a 3-1 series deficit to reach the Eastern Conference Final.
Now, St. Louis is using his past experiences with the Rangers to inspire his young Canadiens team, conveying the message that no matter how difficult it will be to come back from their 3-1 series hole, it’s possible.
“He’s done it twice,” Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobeš said of St. Louis’s past experiences coming back from a 3-1 series deficit. “If Marty can do it, we can do it.”
From his days as a player to now as a coach, St. Louis is keeping the same mindset in this situation.
“It’s just not worrying about the hole. It’s just winning a game, one game. You can’t look at the mountain, you just gotta look at what’s in front of you and stay present,” St. Louis said.
RICHMOND, VA - APRIL 02: Drew Cavanaugh #19 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels poses for a photo during the Richmond Flying Squirrels photo day at CarMax Park on Thursday, April 2, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Simon Bruty/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Arizona Complex League was off on Wednesday, and the Dominican Summer League still hasn’t started, but the other four Minor League Baseball affiliates of the San Francisco Giants were all in action. So let’s get into it!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
A few small bits of news. AA Richmond infielder Dayson Croes was activated off of the 7-Day Injured List, while High-A Eugene outfielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) was reassigned to the Arizona Complex League. Unclear what that move is about, as it’s certainly not a demotion, or Diaz would have been moved to Low-A San Jose (he’s also been playing quite well lately, and is hitting right at league average).
AAA Sacramento (31-20)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 12-5 Box score
In yesterday’s roundup, I wrote about how catcher Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL) could definitely factor into the organization’s plans at some point, given that Patrick Bailey has been traded, and that neither Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) nor Daniel Susac (No. 20 CPL) was yet a proven entity. Often times when I write things (good or bad), prospects spend the following game making sure I look like I don’t know what I’m talking about (which, indeed, is the case).
But Drew is a sweet guy, so he did the opposite. The 2023 17th-round pick had one of the best games of his career on Wednesday, which is a pretty huge achievement given that his entire 2025 season (and the start of 2026) was built on good games followed by great games. But Wednesday was special: Cavanaugh came to the plate 5 times and reached base in all 5 at-bats. The total damage? 1 walk, 2 singles, 2 home runs, and 5 runs batted in.
With that, Cavanaugh now has a 1.381 OPS and a 240 wRC+ through 11 games in AAA this year, after putting up similarly scintillating figures in AA before his early-year promotion. And for anyone wondering, the lefty has a whole lot of talent behind the dish, as well.
Since the Giants have 3 catchers in the Majors and a 4th on the 40-man roster, they can afford to let Cavanaugh take his time annihilating Pacific Coast League pitchers, and working his way through any bumps or walls that pop up in the coming days, weeks, and months. But my goodness, he sure went from organizational filler to a great story to an inevitable Major Leaguer in shockingly short time period. What a story!
One thing to note: the Giants, somewhat surprisingly in my eye, did not give Cavanaugh an invite to spring training this year, so he’s not as familiar with the pitching staff as Rodríguez, Susac, Eric Haase, and Logan Porter are. That will probably be a factor to consider if he starts knocking on the door of the Majors, though that’s putting the cart ahead of the horse.
Another recent promotee had a great game as well, as right fielder Turner Hill went 3-5 and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
The home run was certainly surprising to see, as it was not only his 1st of the year, but just his 6th career dinger in nearly 1,300 Minor League plate appearances. But then again, Reno gonna Reno…
Hill continues to make a case that he can play a Jared Oliva role at some point. The recently-turned 27-year old, who was an undrafted free agent in 2023, began the year in AA (though that was probably just a logistics thing, given his prior success at the level), and moved up to AAA when the Giants sent a wave of River Cats to the Majors, and had a hole in the outfield. It’s probably safe to say that Hill isn’t going back: in 28 games with Sacramento, he has a .848 OPS, a 131 wRC+, 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and excellent defense across all 3 outfield positions. He’s turned into a quality depth piece to have around.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go so well for another recently-promoted player, as left fielder Scott Bandura struck out in all 5 of his plate appearances. A day to forget … or to learn from.
Center fielder Grant McCray had a nice day, hitting 2-4 with a triple, a walk, and a strikeout. McCray has really seen his status take a hit this year: he openly campaigned for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but lost that battle to Oliva, who wasn’t even on the 40-man roster. Since then, he’s watched as Drew Gilbert got promoted, Will Brennan got promoted twice, Victor Bericoto got rostered and promoted, and Rodríguez and Casey Schmitt got reps in the outfield in the Majors. But the 2019 3rd-round pick is fighting to get back there … while his overall numbers are modest (.752 OPS, 104 wRC+), he has a 7-game hit streak currently, during which time he’s 11-23 with 1 triple, 4 doubles, 6 walks, and just 4 strikeouts.
It was a funny pitching game, as the starting pitching was bad and the bullpen was excellent. That starter was RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL), who had a bit of a funny game.
Tidwell showed good command, as he threw 54 of 82 pitches for strikes and didn’t walk a single batter. But living over the plate had its consequences, as he got knocked for 10 hits in just 4 innings, which resulted in 5 runs. Tidwell wasn’t entirely hittable, though, as he did strike out 6 batters … but even in Reno, giving up 10 hits while facing just 22 batters is mighty ugly, and it raised the 2022 2nd-rounder’s ERA to 6.75, while moving his FIP to 5.21. Even with the struggles, though, we’re seeing Tidwell’s electricity: his 12.2 strikeouts per 9 innings ranks 9th out of the 87 PCL pitchers with at least 20 innings thrown this year.
As for the bullpen, 4 arms combined to throw 5 shutout innings. It began with a perfect 5th inning from rehabbing RHP Jason Foley, who has yet to allow a run in 5 rehab appearances with Sacramento (he did give up some runs in his 1st rehab appearance, though, which came with Low-A San Jose). He should be in the Majors soon, and that will be exciting.
RHP Dylan Smith tossed a pair of shutout frames, while RHPs Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL) and Marques Johnson handled an inning apiece. Johnson struck out 2 batters in a perfect inning, and now has a 4.05 ERA and a 4.46 FIP. His strikeout and walk numbers have both taken a big hit this year, unfortunately. But that’s to be expected when adjusting to a new level.
Revenge is a dish best served by a tugboat. Or something like that.
Wednesday was a special day for one of the newest prospects in the system, LHP Matt Wilkinson. The hefty lefty, who came over in the Patrick Bailey trade, was not only making his 3rd start with his new organization, but making his 1st start against his old team. The 23-year old was dominant in 6 starts with the RubberDucks prior to the trade … but not nearly as dominant as he was facing off against them.
Wilkinson gave up a single to the 1st batter he faced … and then faced 21 more batters, without allowing a single hit. Not a damn one! In all, Tugboat tossed 7 shutout innings while giving up just 1 hit and 1 walk, and needing just 75 pitches. A thoroughly impressive and dominant performance.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 28, 2026
The 2023 10th-round pick wasn’t overwhelming anyone, as he only recorded 3 strikeouts on the day, but it was a game full of soft contact and easy outs, and it lowered his ERA to 1.87 on the year, with a 2.92 FIP. Right now, it seems that Wilkinson and his new teammate, LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) are battling it out for the title of best pitcher in the Eastern League on any given day. There are 45 pitchers in the league with at least 30 innings thrown this year, and Wilkinson is 2nd in ERA, 2nd in FIP, 16th in strikeouts per 9 innings (10.2), 11th in walks per 9 (2.7), and 2nd in batting average against (.153). What an awesome dude.
The rest of the pitching was handled by RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL), who tossed 2 no-hit innings with 2 walks and 1 strikeout. Bednar has had a little bit of a disappointing year — which has featured time on the Development List and a demotion from AAA to AA — but he does have a nice 3.10 ERA and 3.91 FIP across the 2 levels. His strikeouts are down a bit year-over-year despite not really addressing his walk issue.
A quiet day on offense. Shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) had a great game though, hitting 2-2 with a double, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt. The 2023 4th-round pick has been slumping a bit in May, after a solid April, and has a .712 OPS and 88 wRC+ on the season. Nice to see him have a game with not just some damage, but no strikeouts.
As for the top prospects, center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) hit 1-4 with 2 strikeouts and a stolen base, left fielder Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 1-4 with a double and a strikeout, and right fielder Jonah Cox went 1-5 with a triple. Dayson Croes made his return after missing about 6 weeks with an injury (and a subsequent rehab assignment in the ACL), and went 1-5 while playing third base.
High-A Eugene (35-12)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 10-7 Box score
A quiet game for Eugene’s stars, but some other intriguing prospects had standout days. The highest-ranked trio sat atop the order and didn’t do much: right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) led off and went 0-5 with a strikeout, and was followed by center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), who hit 1-5, and was followed by shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) who had an 0-5.
But immediately after that, the fun started to happen, as the final 6 hitters combined to reach base 15 times. It started with the cleanup hitter, first baseman Zander Darby, who went 1-3, drew 2 walks, and smashed a solo home run.
Darby has positively exploded this year. The 23-year old lefty, who was taken in the 12th round of the 2024 draft, had a strong year in Low-A San Jose last season, but really struggled upon a late-season promotion to Eugene, as he posted just a .123 average, a .489 OPS, a 45 wRC+, and a 42.0% strikeout rate in 21 games with the Emeralds. He certainly made the adjustments, though, as this year he’s up to a .324 average, a .954 OPS, a 158 wRC+, and a 27.8% strikeout rate, and, through 40 games, has matched the home run total that he posted last year across the 2 levels, in 79 games. It’s always great seeing players take off like that!
But the best day belonged to left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who is starting to find his footing following a breakout 2025. The 21-year old lefty from Mexico, who looks much more athletic and strong this year, went 3-4 with a grand slam, a double, and a stolen base, and it’s safe to say that’s a game to remember.
Gutierrez is one of the best contact hitters in the system, though it’s taken a while for that to play out this year. He’s kept his strikeout rate low (it’s at 16.8% for the year, and has been around that mark all season), but the average is only just starting to come up, and has climbed to .259 (still nearly .100 points below what it was a year ago). But what he’s lost in average, he’s made up for in power. He entered the year with 3 career home runs in 85 games across the DSL, ACL, and Low-A. And on Wednesday, in his 37th game in High-A? He surpassed that mark with his 4th home run of the season. It’s always exciting when a high-contact, low-power player starts to add power without it sapping his contact, though, as the average and swinging strike rate point to, there is some work to do before his contact is fully back on track. Still, it’s an .810 OPS, a 124 wRC+, strong outfield defense, and 12 stolen bases without getting caught for Gutierrez who, in my eyes, has done nothing to lose his spot in the top 20.
Rounding out the dinger party was a fellow small player who has been bulking up a little, second baseman Jean Carlos Sio (No. 44 CPL). Sio, who missed the start of the year with an injury and then had a rehab assignment, went 2-4 with a 3-run shot, and the just-turned 22-year old already has 4 homers in just 12 games with Eugene this season.
Jean Carlos Sio is the hottest hitter on the planet!
Sio, who was signed in 2023 out of Cuba, had quite a breakout year last season, which featured an .808 OPS and a 130 wRC+, with just an 18.0% strikeout rate in 28 games with the Emeralds following a late-season promotion. Given that prior success, the Giants probably don’t need to see him maintain his current performance — he has a 1.117 OPS and a 197 wRC+ — for very much longer before they see how he fares in AA.
An uninteresting pitching day. Starting RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL) went 5 innings, but wasn’t fooling anyone. He allowed 7 hits during that time (which included a home run and a double), while also walking 3 and striking out just 4, en route to 5 earned runs on his ledger.
It’s been a so-so year for the 22-year old Marte, who came to the Giants in the Mike Yastrzemski trade last season. He has a 3.74 ERA, a 4.07 FIP, 8.5 strikeouts per 9, and 4.0 walks. A very middle-of-the-pack season thus far, though there’s a lot of potential in that arm.
Following him was RHP Hunter Dryden, who ceded a home run, 2 doubles, and 4 walks in just 2.2 innings, tagging him for 2 runs. Dryden, who struck out 4, has had an odd season, and the 2024 17th-rounder is sitting on a 3.58 ERA and a 4.26 FIP. Year-over-year, his strikeouts are up a bit from his debut season in San Jose (10.0 to 11.0 per 9 innings), and his ground ball rate has spiked (39.9% to 49.4%). But he’s also seen spikes in his walks (4.0 to 5.2 per 9) and home runs (0.3 to 0.8 per 9).
But the pitching ended well, with RHP Ryan Vanderhei retiring all 4 batters he faced, with a strikeout. The 2023 10th-round pick has had an awesome season, with 30 strikeouts against 8 walks in 25 innings, to go with a 1.80 ERA and a 3.00 FIP. In his last 8 games, Vanderhei has thrown 12.1 innings and allowed just 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run, with 15 strikeouts.
Low-A San Jose (25-22)
San Jose Giants lost to the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 3-2 Box score
Down in the California League, LHP Jordan Gottesman put forth one of the best pitching performances in the system this year. Last year’s 6th-round pick was utterly sensational against Fresno, tossing 5 shutout innings with just a single and a walk allowed, while striking out 7 batters.
That represented a nice bounce-back for the 23-year old from Northeastern, as he had allowed 4 runs in his last start … which had come after back-to-back scoreless 5-inning starts. It takes a while to erase a 4-run start from an ERA, but still … not allowing a run in 3 out of 4 starts in a month is a very impressive thing!
The only thing looming over Gottesman right now is home runs, as he’s allowed 5 of them in 39 innings. That’s given him a 5.37 FIP despite a lovely 2.77 ERA, a pretty nice strikeout to walk ratio (41 to 13), and just 29 total hits allowed in those 39 innings.
A very mild-mannered game on offense, with just 5 hits and 1 walk secured. Right fielder Broedy Poppell had the biggest hit, as he went 1-3 with a solo home run. Last year’s 13th-round pick has really been struggling in his debut season, particularly with contact, as he has just a .232 average and a 28.8% strikeout rate, leading to a .691 OPS and a 78 wRC+. But he’s been a bit better in May than he was in April, particularly on the power front (he has 5 extra-base hits in 44 at-bats this month, after just 1 in 51 last month). Hopefully those improvements continue for the switch-hitter.
Also a nice day for center fielder Andy Polanco, who hit 1-3 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout. The just-turned 21-year old, who was taken in the 11th-round in 2024, has struggled on offense in his 2nd ACL season, as he has a .675 OPS, a 71 wRC+, and a 31.7% strikeout rate. But his defense continues to impress, and he’s up to 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts on the year. Through his 2-year career, Polanco has swiped 40 bags in just 82 games.
Home run tracker
7 — Drew Cavanaugh x2 — [4 in AAA; 3 in AA] 6 — Zander Darby — [High-A] 5 — Jean Carlos Sio — [4 in High-A; 1 in ACL] 4 — Carlos Gutierrez — [High-A] 3 — Broedy Poppell — [Low-A] 1 — Turner Hill — [AAA]
Thursday schedule
Sacramento: 6:05 p.m. PT at Reno (SP: TBD) Richmond: 3:35 p.m. PT at Akron (SP: Cesar Perdomo) Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Vancouver (SP: Jacob Bresnahan) San Jose: 6:50 p.m. PT at Fresno (SP: TBD)
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes that tanking is a scourge and the biggest current threat to the league. Now he has his radical solution to "fix" this problem.
By a 29-1 vote, the NBA Board of Governors voted to approve the new "3-2-1" lottery system that will go into effect next season. The new system both expands the number of teams in the lottery to 16 (up from 14) and dramatically flattens the odds, making it less likely that any one team will win. This new system actually punishes the teams with the three worst records in the league, they will have less of a chance than teams that finish 4-10, providing an incentive for teams to win games near the end of the season.
It also is set to make the NBA Lottery draw into a live televised event — not an unveiling of picks drawn in a back room, as is currently done, but the picks will come out live on air.
How the “3-2-1" system works
Here's how this system breaks down:
• It's called the "3-2-1" system because of how many ping pong lottery balls a team gets.
• The lottery now includes 16 teams: The 10 teams that miss even the play-in, the four teams that finish ninth or 10th in their conferences, plus the loser of the 7/8 play-in game.
• Also, the lottery will be drawn all the way through the No. 16 pick (currently, only the top four are drawn by the lottery and it is reverse record order after that). However, the teams with the three worst records can fall no further than 12th.
• The three teams with the worst records will be "draft relegated" (still a terrible name) and be penalized for their struggles by only getting two lottery balls, giving them a a 5.4% chance at the No. 1 pick.
• The teams with the 4-10 worst records will receive three lottery balls each and an 8.1% chance at the No. 1 pick.
• The teams that finish as the No. 9 and 10 seeds in each conference will each get two lottery balls and a 5.4% chance at the No. 1 pick (the same as the teams with the three worst records).
• The teams that lose the 7/8 play-in for each conference get one lottery ball, and with it a 2.7% chance of landing the No. 1 pick (for example, this season that would have been Orlando and Phoenix).
• The first 16 picks of the second round would be the reverse of the first round. To use this year's draft as an example, because the Wizards have the No. 1 pick, they would pick 46th overall in the second round, while a team that slid to 16th would have the 31st pick, the first of the second round. (That is different than the current system, where the second round is based purely on record. For example, Brooklyn had the third-worst record in the league, dropped to sixth in the first round because of the lottery, but will have the No. 33 pick, the third in the second round, regardless.)
• Teams cannot win the No. 1 pick in consecutive years.
• Teams cannot have top-five picks in three consecutive years. (Consider this the Spurs rule, it is clearly a direct reaction to them after some people were unhappy the Spurs got to draft Victor Wembanyama No. 1, Stephon Castle No. 4 and Dylan Harper No. 2 in three consecutive years.)
• This new plan also grants Silver dramatically expanded, unchecked authority to punish teams he perceives as tanking, including fines of up to $10 million, taking away ping pong balls, or even forcing them to surrender draft picks.
• This system is set to sunset after three lotteries (after the 2029 draft) and will either be retained, modified (again) or scrapped.
What are pros and cons?
On the positive side, this system is going to do what Silver and the owners intend: There is far less incentive to tank, and more teams will compete through the end of the season to avoid landing in the bottom three. If you believe that tanking is the biggest blight the league faces today, this is a huge win.
On the negative side, there are real concerns about how this change, starting next season, will affect already-traded picks or might dampen the market for trading future first-round picks. If a team sees better odds of potentially moving up in the draft, those picks become more valuable and less likely to be traded.
The lone no vote on the new plan was from Memphis, because they are screwed over by one of the odd provisions of this system, where the restrictions on a pick stay even if it is traded. Memphis owns the rights to Utah's first-round pick next year (part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade), but because Utah drafted fifth last year (Ace Bailey) and will pick second this year, their pick cannot fall in the top five — even though that is now Memphis' pick. Meaning Memphis can't pick higher than sixth next year with the Utah pick (Memphis did not know that at the time of the JJJ trade).
The timing of this new plan is crucial for the perception Adam Silver wants. Next year at this time, he will be taking a victory lap about how there was no tanking (even as unintended consequences quickly start to appear), but the reality is there would have been less tanking next year because it's seen as a much weaker draft class. This year saw nine teams tanking by the end because it is a particularly deep class with multiple franchise-changing, cornerstone players at the top and quality players well down the board. Next year, nobody was tanking for that class before this was approved.
The other knock is that this moves the league further away from the original purpose of a draft — to redistribute talent and allow the worst teams to draft the best players. It's how the NFL does it: The Las Vegas Raiders had the worst record, so they get to pick Fernando Mendoza. Now, a genuinely bad NBA team could be screwed over and drop dramatically multiple years in a row.
On the positive side, it will force those same front offices to be far smarter and more creative in building out a roster rather than hoping for lottery luck.
The hockey world mourned the passing of Claude Lemieux after the news broke that the four-time Stanley Cup champion died on Thursday, May 28.
Lemieux was taken by the Montréal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL draft. He played for the team for seven seasons and won his first Stanley Cup with them in the 1985-1986 campaign. He then joined the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche where he won the rest of this three championships, two with New Jersey and one with Colorado. He finished his career with stints on the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks.
The Quebec native helped fuel the rivalry between the Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings when, in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Finals, he slammed into Kris Draper. Lemieux was suspended two games for the hit.
Several of Lemieux's former teams and media personalities from across the sports world expressed their condolences for the hockey great's passing, which is being investigated as suicide.
NHL commissioner honors Claude Lemieux
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement upon Claude Lemieux's death praising him for his accomplishments on the ice.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest big-game Players in hockey history," he said.
“Lemieux forged his postseason reputation and won the Cup for the first time as a rookie in 1986, when he scored 10 goals in the Playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoffs MVP in 1995, scoring 13 goals in 20 postseason games with the New Jersey Devils. He also was an integral part of Cup-winning teams in Colorado, in 1996, and back with New Jersey in 2000.
“Overall, his teams reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 15 straight seasons; his 234 postseason games played rank sixth in NHL history; and his 80 career Playoff goals rank ninth. In recent years, as a player agent, he has represented some of the top stars in the NHL.
“We send our deepest condolences to Claude’s wife, Deborah, and his four children, Brendan, Claudia, Michael and Christopher.”
Canadiens, Avalanche, Devils pay tribute to Claude Lemieux
The Montréal Canadiens shared the news of Claude Lemieux's death and mourned his passing.
“Today is a dark day for the Canadiens family and the entire hockey community. I wish to express my most sincere and deepest condolences to Claude’s family and loved ones,” Geoff Molson, owner and CEO of Groupe CH, said in a statement. “A fierce competitor who rose to the occasion in big moments, Claude was a relentless, courageous, and tenacious player who led the team to the highest honors. He embodied the very essence of being a Montréal Canadiens player."
In an Instagram post, the team said it was "shocked and saddened" to hear the news of his death.
In his tribute, former Detroit Red Wings player Darren McCarty said that Lemieux was a venerable threat on the ice and a different person off it.
"This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold, he wrote on X. "My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on. As I’ve said and will always call it as I see it 'If your on the ICE with Claude Lemieux and your turn your back. YOU Are an IDIOT. But off the ICE I’ll turn mine.'"
Just heard the news on #ClaudeLemieux This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on. As I’ve said and will always call it as I…
The official X page for Canada Hockey also honored Lemieux.
"We are saddened by the passing of Team Canada alumnus Claude Lemieux, and send our condolences to his family and friends," the team wrote.
Nous sommes attristés par le décès de Claude Lemieux, ancien d’Équipe Canada. Nous transmettons nos condoléances à sa famille et à ses proches. ❤️
We are saddened by the passing of Team Canada alumnus Claude Lemieux, and send our condolences to his family and friends. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uqMwtCd33m
Jemele Hill, Vic Lombardi among media mourning Claude Lemieux
Jemele Hill and Vic Lombardi also took to social media to pay tribute to Claude Lemieux.
Hill recalled the rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
"This is just horrible news. I watched a lot of hockey growing up and even collected trading cards," she said on X. "As a Detroiter, we spent a lot of time absolutely hating Claude Lemieux, but he was a heck of a player."
Lombardi reflected on the right wing's impact on Colorado sports.
"This awful," he wrote on X. "Such an instrumental piece of the Avs first Cup winner. He was the sandpaper that team desperately needed. So him many years later. Could not have been nicer."
This is just horrible news. I watched a lot of hockey growing up and even collected trading cards. As a Detroiter, we spent a lot of time absolutely hating Claude Lemieux, but he was a heck of a player. https://t.co/j60JAczpYN
This awful. Such an instrumental piece of the Avs first Cup winner. He was the sandpaper that team desperately needed. So him many years later. Could not have been nicer.
