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Sixers have blueprint for more success heading into Game 3 vs. Celtics

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 21: Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers react in the second quarter of a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Well, that was some turnaround. After an absolute disaster in Game 1, the Sixers improved in just about every way possible to beat the Celtics in Game 2, 111-97.

Now, heading into Game 3, there’s even some promise for a Joel Embiid return. If not Friday, then soon, as he’s officially listed as doubtful. It’s encouraging he participated in practice on Thursday, and when speaking with media afterwards, Nick Nurse emphasized that obviously Embiid is eager to take the floor and that there’s progress to him returning.

Apart from the fundamental improvements like hitting more shots and taking much better care of the ball in Game 2, the Sixers also made some stylistic tweaks to help. The main story being them putting far more emphasis on attacking the Celtics’ drop defense with a host of high pick-and-rolls (credit to Adem Bona and Andre Drummond for plenty of strong picks) to get Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe freed up at the arc for pull-up threes in space or room to dribble in for clearer mid-range attempts and drives.

The Sixers’ guard duo was electric in this one. Edgecombe was effective from all over the floor whether he was exploding on drives off closeouts or pulling up from three (and winking to the camera for good measure). He became the youngest rookie in NBA history to have 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game. And even though Maxey wasn’t his most efficient, finishing 11-of-28 overall, he still buried five triples and had some impressive drives to the rim.

The Celtics didn’t have an answer as the duo dropped a combined 59 points and 11 threes.

It’ll be important to monitor if the Celtics make many adjustments in an attempt to contain the Sixers’ backcourt, like using more blitzes or bringing bigs higher against the screen in pick-and-rolls more often to reduce space at the arc. The downside for Boston there, though, is that Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic don’t have the lateral quickness to hang with Philly’s guards creating space at the perimeter, or prevent them flying downhill into open drives around high closeouts.

The Celtics leaned on their deep drop scheme in Game 2 and it didn’t work whatsoever. One option could be running Jayson Tatum at the five a bit more, so they have a more agile center who can actually step up higher against drives and have a chance to hang with Maxey and Edgecombe.

But apart from changing that matchup, trying to send in more aggressive stunts to help from the strong-side wing (although this then opens up easy extra passes to shooters in a “make someone not called Tyrese or VJ beat us” strategy), higher closeouts, or blitzes, the Sixers have personnel advantages here.

At least, as long as their shooters stay hot. They only need it to last for a few games… The Celtics may just leave them to it and trust that the Sixers’ shooters can’t sustain it.

If Boston does get more aggressive in sending help from a strong-side defender on the wing like they do here, it’s hard for them to recover to their original assignment against shooters firing as quick as Maxey, Edgecombe and Paul George right now. On this second-quarter play, it’s so easy for Maxey to catch and drive off the pin-down screen from Bona, pull in Edgecombe’s defender (Sam Hauser) from the wing and then kick to VJ for an open three:

George showing off his IQ through his communication, sharp passing to exploit the attention he drew on the ball, and defense, plus hitting timely shots was also important in Game 2. Along with Maxey and Edgecombe killing it in pick-and-rolls, George did his fare share of quality work there too, including as a passer. Nothing too fancy. Just remaining calm, patient, and making the right reads to open shooters when defenders collapsed on him.

More of the same from George going forward would make such a difference to give the offense some balance if/when Maxey and Edgecombe receive more defensive attention. Having all three guys in a rhythm, getting to their spots, passing fluidly and playing off each other when they’re off the ball takes the Sixers’ chances to a new level in this series.

Even if Embiid is back in Game 3, we can’t know how he’ll look. But the bright side is he won’t need to carry the offensive load. He’ll still change the team just by providing far better finishing than his backups, creating some opportunities at the free throw line, and adding better spacing. Either way, the Sixers should keep leaning into spamming pick-and-rolls. Use Embiid as a screener too and let Maxey and Edgecombe in particular create when the Celtics have a drop scheme and personnel at center that can be exploited.

It’s unlikely the Celtics shoot as poorly again in Game 3. Unless the Sixers really are blessed by the basketball gods, Boston won’t shoot 26.0 percent from three every night, and Tatum and Derrick White won’t only go a combined 4-of-18 all the time. If the Sixers cool off a bit in that regard too, or any potential adjustments to better contain Maxey and Edgecombe come into play, momentum could easily shift away from the Sixers again.

But the fact that Philly turned in that level of performance without Embiid to make this a tie series, even if it’s right at the start at 1-1, is something to enjoy. And as our Sean Kennedy wrote, why don’t the Sixers just try to ride this small sample shooting variance for a few games to win the series? Let Maxey, Edgecombe (and PG) spam high screens and pull-up threes against drop coverage and hope the shots keep falling.

Let’s see if the renewed energy and efficiency continues Game 3, and if these scrappy Sixers can find a way to steal a series lead.

Game Details

When: Friday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: Prime Video
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

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Lakers employing secret code in playoffs and making Rockets sputter

It’s time to check LeBron James’ birth certificate. Is he really 41?

James, the NBA's oldest player – unless we discover otherwise – is the first component of the Los Angeles Lakers’ secret code. The code they’ve used while taking a 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in their first-round, best-of-seven playoff series, with Game 3 set for Friday, April 24 in Houston.

You did see LeBron’s reverse windmill jam in Game 2, right? He’s flying high, all right. In Game 1, he turned in a double-double (19 points and 13 assists), and in Game 2 he scored a game-high 28 points.

The Lakers are getting big-time performances from one-time role players while Luka Dončić and Austin Reeves remain sidelined with injuries. In fact, without their two leading scorers, the Lakers seemed more likely to be trailing the Rockets 2-0 than leading them 2-0.

Bottom line: the Lakers would not be thriving without James excelling.

Weeks ago, he agreed to play a supporting role that allowed Dončić and Reaves to get the shots they need for the Lakers to be at their most potent. But at least through two playoff games, James has proven he still has what it takes to lead a team in the postseason.

Stifling defense

The second component of the secret code is impressive defense.

Credit Lakers coach JJ Redick for devising the plan. It called for double teams, triple teams and traps on Kevin Durant in the second half of Game 2 that helped hold the Rockets star to three points. Not to mention his nine turnovers.

Heading into the playoffs, the Rockets were averaging 115.2 points per game. In Game 1, they managed 98 points. Yes, Durant was out with a knee injury. But in Game 2, with Durant on the floor, the Rockets produced only 94 points. The Rockets shooting percentages also have dipped below their regular-season levels.

Redick and his assistants are responsible for the X's and O's. But part of the Lakers' defensive success has from the hustle and grit exemplified by Smart.

New sources of offense

The third component of the secret code is finding new sources of offense.

During the regular season, Dončić and Reaves averaged a combined 56.8 points. With those two sidelined indefinitely, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart have emerged.

They combined for 42 points in Game 1 and 48 points in Game 2. Not Dončić-Reaves levels, but the kind of production the Lakers needed to survive.

Kennard ranks second on the NBA’s list for career 3-point field goal percentage at 44.2%. The numbers don't lie. In Game 1, he made all five of his 3-point attempts and finished with 27 points, a career playoff high. In Game 2, he was 3-for-6 from 3-point range and finished with 23 points.

Meanwhile, Smart is channeling the best days of his nine-year stint with the Boston Celtics. He had 15 points in Game 1 and 25 points in Game 2.

Experts fueled Lakers

The fourth component of the secret code is responding to external doubt.

The NBA experts made themselves clear: The Lakers had virtually no shot against the Rockets. After their victory in Game 1, the easy explanation was, duh, Durant was out. The Rockets were return to form in Game 2.

Think again.

Now the experts are having to rethink their predictions with the Lakers off to this unimagiably hot star to the playoffs.

The Lakers are only too happy to thank those experts. The dire predictions appear to have strengthened their determinatioiin to overcome adversity and prove the doubters wrong,

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers head into Game 3 vs Rockets with secret code in NBA playoffs

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Will Lakers stars play tonight? Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic injury updates

The Los Angeles Lakers have a 2-0 lead against the Houston Rockets without top scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as they enter Game 3 on April 24 (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

LeBron James has led the Lakers alongside inspired efforts from Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton. They hope to maintain their level of play as their leading scorers work their way back from injury.

Los Angeles has got to feel good about where it is currently, especially given the latest news on its stars.

Doncic, ruled out of the first round with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, was able to get some shots up during the Lakers' practice on Thursday. He was seen completing controlled, light movement and shooting with assistant coach Greg St. Jean.

Doncic first injured his hamstring with days remaining in the regular season, during a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. He was ruled out for the rest of the regular season following an MRI. \

Although he reportedly "gingerly" performed those shooting drills from inside and around the perimeter, it's still got to be a good feeling for Los Angeles to see Doncic making strides to a return.

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Guardians News and Notes: Cleveland vs. Toronto x2

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 19: Carlos Santana #41 of the Cleveland Indians celebrates with his teammates in the locker room after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays with a score of 3 to 0 in game five to win the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on October 19, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Some Guardians players were at the Cavs-Raptors game in Toronto ahead of their series vs. the Blue Jays last night.

Sadly, the outcome was not in Cleveland’s favor. Hopefully, tonight will be different for the baseball guys.

Myself and Matt Seese talked about the baseball guys on the Disgusting Baseball Podcast last night.

Zack Meisel has 10 things that we have learned aboit the Guardians in April for the Athletic.

AROUND MLB:

Tigers walked off the Brewers and the Twins lost to the Mets who have won TWO IN A ROW!

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An unforgettable night at the Paycom Center

Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault’s pregame press conference before Game 2 of the First Round of the NBA playoffs was like every other press conference. Reporters asked questions, the PR staff was calling on people, and it came 90 minutes before tip-off. To the naked eye, it was no big deal, despite the fact that it was the playoffs; the layout looked no different than an important regular-season game.

But to me, it created one of the most symbolic moments of my early career.

As I looked to my left and my right, I realized something: I was by far the youngest person in the room. Being the youngest person in an NBA media room is not a foreign experience to me. In fact, in the 15+ NBA events I’ve covered since 2023, it’s been the case for most occasions, but covering the NBA Playoffs while still in school is objectively a different beast.

It’s one of the only times of the year opposing teams will make players available to the media outside of the locker room, and unlike in the regular season, where many beat writers don’t travel to cover their team’s road games, all of them are in attendance to do live shots and get exclusive interviews. You need to be trusted to be in the media scrum for a nationally televised broadcast with playoff implications. There is no textbook to understand how things work. You just need to know how things roll, or you’ll get lost or appear out of place—the last thing you want to be when you look and are a college student in a room full of seasoned professionals. If I’m a distraction in any measure, I’ll be asked to leave or get my credentials revoked. I need to fit in while being visibly different than everyone else.

From Suns PR accepting my credential request without me needing to fill out any forms, to that when I connected with new reporters, I could tell them we had mutuals, the night for me was completely built on the fact that just because I’m still in college, I can be trusted to be a professional, which has gotten me more opportunities. Something I’ve realized is that the more opportunities I take advantage of, the more that the next one comes—with more stakes.

One of the hardest parts about being young or having a small following (or both!) is getting people to trust you, understandably. It’s why I’m ecstatic when I get popular creators or broadcasters on my podcast, Holden Conversations, where I interview Gen Z on their media experiences. The opportunities for more popular guests are continuing to grow for me because of how I’ve handled myself, and people trust me with their network to have guests with even larger followings—this helps me stay level-headed and patient with more than just growing my podcast.

I’m graduating from Syracuse University in 15 days, and more and more of my friends are getting jobs, but I still don’t have one. Getting to experience covering the playoffs and why I was able to reminds me of all the progress I’ve made as a professional, as well as reminds me that finding my first job isn’t everything. There are experiences to be had no matter what point of my life I’m in, and I can’t let what my future may or may not hold take distract me from experiences like getting to cover the defending champs pursuit of repeating, experiencing a completely new city and getting to meet great writers, reporters and broadcasters like Tim MacMahon, Joel Lorenzi, Nick Gallo, Doris Burke, Jorge Sedano and Dave Pasch.

Covering the NBA Playoffs, being a paid, traveling journalist while still in school doesn’t make me feel like I “made it,” or that I’m better than my peers, but it reminds me of how far I’ve gotten since I started college and started intensely pursuing my career aspirations. If I’m tracking my dream of hosting my own version Hot One’s like a 48-minute basketball game, I’ve finished the first quarter strong with some new momentum as I head into a new quarter of the journey.

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LeBron James has history on side in Lakers-Rockets NBA playoff series

There’s a certain confidence that follows a 2-0 lead in the NBA playoffs. The air tightens. The margin for error disappears. And when LeBron James is the one holding that two-game lead, history is always on his side. 

Over 23 seasons, across three different franchises and countless postseason runs, James has built a playoff series record that borders on untouchable. When LeBron’s team wins the first two games of a best-of-seven series, the result is literally automatic: 24-0. No exceptions. No series collapses. No Game 7 heartbreaks. 

The Lakers’ LeBron James (right) is undefeated in the NBA playoffs after his team wins the first two games of a best-of-seven series. NBAE via Getty Images

Let’s adjust the lens and extend it further … anytime James has secured a two-game cushion in a series — whether that’s a 2-0 lead or stretching it to a 3-1 advantage — his team’s record is 32-0. Think about that for a second. The man responsible for coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals has never lost a 3-1 series lead himself. That’s not just dominance. That’s an absolute killer instinct. 

Now that same script is unfolding again in real time with the Lakers holding a 2-0 first-round series lead over the Rockets. That lead is in spite of the fact that the Lakers have been stripped of their top two leading scorers: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

“It means nothing,” James said, brushing off the weight of history after Game 2. “The series is not won until you win four. It’s the first to four. Our only mindset is Game 3.”

James has built a playoff series record that borders on untouchable. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now you know why he’s never lost a series when up by two games. That mindset is the blueprint. 

Because what separates James in these moments isn’t just his talent, it’s his temperament. That closeout mentality when grabbing a two-game lead isn’t a catchphrase. It’s a habit. Once he gets leverage over an opponent he doesn’t manage it. He tightens it. Possession by possession, game by game, until that opponent runs out of breath. 

For context, James’ perfect record when taking a 2-0 lead is impressive, but it’s not too far off from the overall numbers.

Across NBA history, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series go on to win 93.7% of the time. The record stands at 433-34. Narrow that to the first round alone and the percentage doesn’t budge. Still 93.7% at 192-13. The last team to climb out of an 0-2 hole in the first round of an NBA series was the Warriors in 2023. They were the reigning champions, and they stormed back to beat the Kings in seven games.

For LeBron and the Lakers, this 2-0 lead feels different. Entering the series, Houston was the heavy favorite. Even now, after two games in Los Angeles, the odds barely lean toward the Lakers. Hovering around -135 for the series. This LeBron-led team is not a juggernaut rolling downhill. They have to navigate a narrow path with limited margin for error. 

James and the Lakers will try to close out the first-round series in Houston against the Rockets. AP

According to Opta Stats, over the course of NBA history, a team missing two players who each averaged over 20 points per game while making 100 or more 3s during the regular season have only won a playoff game twice. That was the Lakers in Games 1 and 2. 

By securing those first games at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers have guaranteed at least a Game 6. That means the series will stretch to early May, giving Doncic and Reaves over four weeks of recovery time. 

Not only do the Lakers have the numbers on their side, time is on their side as well. 

“Our group is an incredibly resilient group,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Game 2. “That’s why we have the confidence and belief … to be on this stage against a great basketball team like Houston.”

Not only do the Lakers have the numbers on their side, time is on their side as well.  Anadolu via Getty Images

Meanwhile, the cracks on the other side are widening.

Kevin Durant returned in Game 2 but looked out of rhythm, finishing with nine turnovers — more than his made field goals — and struggling to find balance against a swarming defense.

In the second half, he had more turnovers (5) than points (3). The Rockets, once defined by cohesion and defensive identity, have drifted to visible frustration, missed assignments and finger-pointing. 

“I just gotta be more aggressive,” Durant said after the Game 2 loss. “There’s plenty of time.”

Time is exactly what history says he doesn’t have.

For the Lakers to continue LeBron’s perfect record, they’ll need to repeat the same formula. They’ll need their role players to continue to step up. In Game 1, that was Luke Kennard. In Game 2, it was Marcus Smart. James will continue to anchor everything. He’s got 47 points, 16 rebounds and 20 assists through the first two games. 

At 41 years old, the question will always linger: How much does he have left? The postseason is way more demanding on the body. Look no further than James’ knee collision against the Timberwolves in Game 5 of last year’s playoffs. Durability is not guaranteed come playoff time. 

But history suggests one thing is guaranteed. 

When LeBron James takes a 2-0 lead, that series doesn’t extend, it ends. 

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Player grades from the heart-stopping Game 3 victory

Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) reacts after a basket against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Hawks pulled off a thrilling 109-108 victory to climb to a 2-1 record in this series against the New York Knicks.

After going up by as much as 18 points, the Hawks let their orange and blue rivals chip away slowly until they took a 3-point lead late. Frankly, the Hawks largely defended well down the stretch, but nothing could stop OG Anunoby from raining down a pair of miracle threes to raise everyone’s heart rates.

But then CJ McCollum’s and Onyeka Okongwu’s clutch heroics saved the day for the good guys.

Let’s mix things up and go player by player to grade them on their performances in Game 3.

Starters

CJ McCollum:

The professional bucket getter just kept plugging along, getting into his bag almost at will. He had the entire Knicks defense practically on a string all game long.

Even when he was defended well, he pulled rabbits out of his hat and displayed some incredible shot-making:

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Towards the end of the second quarter, his gameplay devolved into an overreliance on isolation — a lot of dribbling for a not-so-good look at the ends of the shot clock. But sometimes you have to let an artist craft their art and not interfere.

He slowed down scoring-wise some in the second half — and he was often a target on the defensive end — so it wasn’t all good. But honestly, who cares when you have the onions to make a clutch pull up jumper to give the Hawks the lead. When duty calls, McCollum the veteran absolutely delivers:

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“Quin drew up a winner for us,” McCollum remarked about the final basket. “Great pin [down from Kuminga]. Great [after timeout] guy. Great all-around coach. Executed just how we drew it up. Those are the things we work on in practice, after practice, post shootaround.”

“He can create his shot,” coach Snyder put succinctly. “And that’s unique thing. And he had the opportunity to do that tonight. And we had a ton of confidence in him to make those plays.”

Grade: A

Nickeil Alexander-Walker:

‘NAW’ still didn’t look comfortable out there just as has been the case all series. He lost his dribble against no pressure a couple of time and forced a few too many shots in traffic.

But he was still active on team defense as usual and nailed his defensive assignments when needed. Also, that man never takes a closeout off — even if it’s not his assignment.

In the second half, he hit two big transition threes to shake off the rust and remind everyone why he’s the single season franchise record-holder in made threes with 251 in regular season play.

On this third one, I have to credit the entire team for getting the ball inbounded after a Brunson make to not squander their 5-on-4 advantage. Alexander-Walker does the rest, draining his third transition triple of the period.

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From there, he was fairly quiet, but his hustle and team defense still made an impact in helping the Hawks get this game over the finish line.

He’ll look to improve on his 14 points on 4-for-12 (33%) including an ugly 1-for-5 (20%) mark from two-point range on Saturday.

Grade: C-

Dyson Daniels:

Daniels pushed the ball in transition and found a couple of openings in the Knicks transition defense with his passing. He continued to make Jalen Brunson’s life tough on the other end and slowed down New York’s entire offensive pace with his elite ball pressure.

There were a few possessions he absolutely wrecked possessions with digs for steals or simply a monster block at the rim.

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And he also proved why he’s maybe the best rebounding guard in the game with 13 rebounds tonight. Just Dyson Daniels things.

On the negative side of things, he did pass up a couple of wide-open layups and muff a couple of attempts through contact at the rim — as did Jalen Johnson who I’ll talk about next. Although in the third, he made up for those turndowns with a calm catch-and-shoot three after penetration and a kick from Johnson:

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But, man, did he have some brutal turnovers (five in total) during the game. Multiple times, he tried to kick out some blind passes that went directly into Knicks’ hands. And he wasn’t able to punish the Knicks for putting Karl-Anthony Towns on him offensively.

So, for the second consecutive game, coach Snyder opted to have him on the bench in crunch time — minus the final defensive possession. You can’t argue with the results, however.

Ultimately, it wasn’t his best effort on Thursday night. But he still showed how indispensable he is in making Brunson’s life hell at times.

Grade: C+

Jalen Johnson:

The All-Star came out more aggressive than in either Games 1 or 2, and even though some of his shot selection was questionable, he still got to the line with regularity and put pressure on the Knicks defense.

This drive off a ‘twirl’ action with two pin downs was too easy once the Knicks inexplicably vacated the paint:

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After a hot start, however, he couldn’t convert on some good looks from three and started to disengage a bit from the game. He had a tough time finishing through contact on drives in particular. And then there were some bad off ball lapses on defense.

But in the fourth quarter, the aggressiveness picked back up. On two consecutive possessions, he dropped off Josh Hart for a step back three:

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And then he screened and rolled to draw a foul the next time down, splitting the two at the line.

But ultimately, he left a ton of points on the floor and at the free throw line. He finished 6-for-10 from the free throw line, including a couple of brutal misses on a trip to the line with a few minutes remaining. Johnson did respond with a couple of good takes in the closing two minutes when the game could have slipped away entirely — very encouraging after he showed clear signs of frustration on his face after some easy misses.

Down the home stretch of the game, the Hawks ran this action with Johnson bringing the ball up the floor with a stacked set waiting for him multiple times. Either Kuminga or Okongwu set an up screen while ‘NAW’ flared out the opposite way to open up the lane.

This play in particular was wild to see in real time, however. Johnson tried to yam it over ’KAT’, but the ball somehow slams off the bottom of the backboard right back to him for the easy lay-in to cut the lead to one point:

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“It was good to see [Johnson] play through a lot and stay even keeled,” his head coach had to say about his mindset.

It was an up and down performance for Johnson, whose 24-point, 10-rebound, 8-assist night flatters him. But I’d have to say it was his best performance of the series — a performance closer to his typical regular season play.

And the Hawks needed every bit of that from him in Game 3.

Grade: B-

Onyeka Okongwu:

It was overall a fairly muted game from Okongwu. He played solid defense on Towns early and throughout the game, and he registered a monster help side block early in the first quarter.

But ‘KAT’ largely got the better of him on the glass in the first half. He also wasn’t used much in the halfcourt offense but used a ‘pick-2’ and a couple of deafening putback dunks to get himself on the board in the first half:

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Ultimately, he was pretty quiet on a play-by-play basis (nine points and seven rebounds), but his team defense at the center position was pretty effective all throughout the night.

His biggest play, however, came on the final possession when he switched onto Jalen Brunson and slid his feet to push him to the baseline. As you saw, the Knicks never even got off a shot:

Grade: B+

Bench

Gabe Vincent:

Vincent came in and immediately provided some great ball pressure on Brunson and Jose Alvarado.

On offense, he relocated for a big three after a flare cut across the top of the key in the first quarter. His ball handling under pressure remains underrated as well — with the Hawks bench needing his steadying presence against an aggressive Knicks perimeter defense.

His contributions are almost imperceptible, but he’s such a fundamentally sound defender on and off the ball and is willing to get off the ball to space the floor on offense that he fits in just about any with playmakers at the wing and forward spots.

All those little things added up to a team-high +12 on the night in under 14 minutes. You can’t ask for much more from a seasoned NBA role player.

Grade: B

Jonathan Kuminga:

I can’t knock a 4-for-4 shooting performance for 10 points in the first quarter, plus he contributed on the glass as usual. These early contributions helped the Hawks race out to a 33-21 advantage after one quarter.

Everything after that was a bit more mixed, however. He had some erratic shot selection choices — twice turning down open threes for tougher midrange attempts in the halfcourt — but he still had a couple of good leakouts for scores.

His energy and physicality these past two games are just something the Knicks haven’t been ready for, and that’s help boost a Hawks bench that needed the punch:

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His defense was a less impactful than in the previous two games with him inexplicably trying to take charges in the lane on a handful of occasions. Still, with him playing small ball defense on Karl-Anthony Towns, he frustrated the Big Purr just enough by pushing him off his comfort spots. And that crossmatch allows the Hawks to play a small ball brand on the other end with all five guys spacing the floor.

Kuminga’s quickly fit into the Hawks’ team defense, and his impact hasn’t gone unnoticed in his short time here.

“I’m going to give my praise to Draymond [Green],” Kuminga responded about a Game 2 play instructing where Alexander-Walker should be on defense. “Growing up around him, watching him as much. I’ve seen him do that so many times. […] He’s one of the best at doing small things that won’t go on the [stat] sheet.”

Overall, it was a great performance off the bench for him with 21 huge points on 9-for-14 shooting. He has essentially become the team’s sixth man down the stretch of this season, with coach Snyder trusting him enough to close a tight playoff game over Dyson Daniels.

“Jonathan’s just been all-in,” coach Snyder had to say postgame. “Are you prepared to sacrifice what needs to be sacrifice on a given night in a playoff game? Whatever that looks like. Is it shots? Is it minutes? Is it rotations? He’s embraced that. Tonight he did some things that gave our team a lift. I think the biggest thing he’s done is he’s just defended.”

Needless to say, it’s remarkable that in his short time here he’s earned that level of trust from his coach.

Grade: A

Mouhamed Gueye:

Gueye had a tough time keeping Mitchell Robinson off the glass early on, but he repaid the favor with a catch-and-shoot triple and a late first quarter crosscourt pass for a Kuminga triple as well.

And then there was a minster putback dunk on the first possession of the second quarter — plus his usually disruptive switching defense stamped his name on the box score and the highlight reels alike. That’s how you feelin’, Mo?

Grade: A-

Corey Kispert:

He was just…there. Krispert Kispert got cooked by Jordan Clarkson once. He did have a nice outlet pass to Kuminga in the fourth quarter, however.

Grade: D+

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MLB Franchise Values: More money, same old disparity

USA - 2009: Anita Langemach color illustration of one-hundred-dollar bill with Benjamin Franklin wearing baseball cap and blowing whistle. (The Gazette (Colorado Springs)/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Though by no means a pleasant or enjoyable topic, an undercurrent of the 2026 MLB campaign will be the upcoming labor negotiations upon season’s-end—especially as they apply to economic affairs. As someone who has always been fascinated by baseball’s competitive balance, it is a subject I may return to a time or two this summer as the opportunity presents itself.

I recently saw this article from Sportico (decent chance you’ll hit a pay wall—but I somehow got one free crack at it) regarding their estimated MLB franchise values. Here are the (literal) bullet points:

  • All 30 MLB squads together are worth an estimated $95 billion. That’s an average of $3.17 billion—a 12% jump from the previous year (the largest upward mobility since Sportico started evals in 2001).
  • As one would expect, the New York Yankees ($9.4 billion) & the Los Angeles Dodgers ($9.05 billion) raked in the most cash-ola. On the other end of the spectrum: the Miami Marlins (a paltry $1.45 billion).

Clearly, no matter how poor owners cry, the best of them are Scrooge McDuck-ing into piles of loot while the worst of them are still sitting on a billion-dollar asset.

Key figure #1: The percentage difference between the top and bottom team 2026 evaluations is 146.54%.

This got me wondering how things have changed in this regard over time, so I picked a nice anniversary—25 years back—and found these 2001 franchise $$$ evals from Forbes:

  • Start spreadin’ the news—the Yanks were #1 at $635 million
  • The Montreal Expos brought up the rear at $92 million (though no gloating here—our Minnesota Twins were second-worst at $99 million)

Key figure #2: The percentage difference between the top and bottom team 2001 evaluations was 149.38%.

The take-home points from this Baseball Economics 101 lecture…

  1. Major League Baseball clubs make money. Period. Full stop. If anyone says otherwise, they are either lying or incompetent as businesspeople.
  2. Despite these franchises going up, up, and away in valuations, the difference between the Elon Musk-class (high end) franchise and your general, everyday billionaire-owned franchise (low end) remains about the same over the past 25 years.

Without a doubt, disparity has always hounded the national pastime. Population-density alone guarantees the big coastal cities fuller ballparks and more lucrative media deals. But MLB—unlike the salary-capped NFL—allows its owners to self-police their oligarchical, antitrust-exempted setup. Sadly, those police officers are more Barney Fife than Joe Friday.

Despite a lot of big checks being cashed on the back of baseball, the gap between the top and bottom earning clubs remains unchanged in a quarter-century.

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Kansas City Royals news: Fangraphs publishes top prospect list

KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 04: Luinder Avila #58 of the Kansas City Royals warms up in front of a KC logo before an MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals on April 4, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

At Fangraphs, Brendan Gawlowski makes his “Kansas City Royals Top 36 Prospects” list:

6. Luinder Avila

Avila has been in Kansas City’s system for eight years, but it wasn’t until a velo breakout a couple of seasons back that he really popped onto the radar. He has a live arm and has sat 95-97 while touching 98 with both fastballs in starts this season. His high slot limits his ability to generate swing and miss, but hitters have to respect the velocity and the different ways he can make the ball move, which helps his secondaries play up. He has great raw feel for spin, and both his slider and curve flash plus, but he doesn’t always finish or execute them. At times he’s shown a decent changeup, but it has become increasingly peripheral and he only threw one in his first big league start.

With an off day, there was a pair of stories in The Star about the stadium news.

Kacen Bayless wrote about the timeline:

Sherman, in his remarks to the crowd, expressed a desire to break ground on the stadium project in 2027. But his comments — and a press release put out by the team — fell short of confirming the aggressive timeline emphasized by Lucas and other city officials. Lucas’ chief of staff confirmed to The Star on Thursday that Opening Day — or the spring of — 2030 was still the mayor’s target.

Sam McDowell talks about a different kind of timeline, looking backward:

Sherman said Don Hall Jr., chairman of Hallmark’s board, floated Crown Center for the stadium “months ago” before “we spent a lot of time together thinking through it with architects and land planners thinking about conceptually what we could do here.”

As for passing along those talks, Sherman said Wednesday, “We told them we were coming to Crown Center a while ago.”

On the baseball side of things, Jaylon Thompson looks at the good, bad, and ugly from the first 25 games. It was heavy on the last two, which is to be expected for a last-place team at 8-17.

The ability to finish games is also a problem. A few times, the Royals have run themselves out of key spots on the basepaths. Guys have been picked off by opposing teams or failed to advance when taking the extra base.

Royals catcher Elias Diaz was thrown out at home plate against the New York Yankees as he attempted to score from first base. And Thomas was tagged out trying to reach third base against the Orioles.

The Royals worked on their baserunning in spring training. It was an emphasis after similar troubles haunted them last season. But it continues to be a concern in the biggest moments.

At MLB.com, Anne Rogers asks if Vinnie is out of his early-season slump:

Pasquantino knows things are going well for him when he’s not striking out. That’s why his 21.1% strikeout rate this year is alarming, well above the 15.7% mark he posted last year. His walk rate is up to 10.1% after back-to-back years of 7.2%. He’s working to get back to the reputation he had as a Minor Leaguer, when he was known as a hitter with a keen understanding of the zone.

More stadium stuff? At Fox 4 KC, Jonathan Ketz talked to Kansas City manager Mario Vasquez:

“I will tell you in November, I get a freaked out phone call from somebody that says, ‘Hey, the Royals, it’s a done deal, in Overland Park,’” Vasquez said. “I was like, ‘It can’t be, there’s no way. There are too many pieces already locked up to think that that can be a done deal.’ Plus, at the time, Leawood and Overland Park were not necessarily in love with having baseball at that location. That said, I said, ‘Alright, let me make a contact,’ and I contacted somebody in the organization, and I said, ‘Where are we? I mean, are we going to have an opportunity to talk about this?’ The response back to me was, ‘Let’s keep talking.’”

Also from Fox 4 KC, Kristen Stokes writes about the connection between the Royals and Hallmark and Our Lady of Sorrow Catholic church:

According to Father Leonard Gicheru, the founder of Hallmark JC Halls frequented Our Lady of Sorrows in downtown Kansas City. “What I’ve heard is that JC Halls…used to come here in this church for quiet moments in prayer,” Ghicheru said. “The crown being the centerpiece of our church somehow inspired him to think about the logo of his company.”

Ghicheru has been the priest at Our Lady of Sorrows for six years and said the Royals moving in their backyard is a full circle moment for the church and Hallmark.

In renderings by Populous, the stadium will be directly behind the church. But the church isn’t going anywhere. It will continue to stand at the corner of 26th and Gillham. Ghicheru said he’s confident this change will bring more people to the church.

Blogs?

Craig Brown wrote about the new stadium plan at Into the Fountains:

With Sherman and the ownership group set on leaving The K for greener pastures, I do think this Crown Center solution is loaded with potential. It is much better than just the Washington Square Park site on its own. I’m also intrigued by this partnership between Hallmark and the Royals. This could solidify a corridor that runs down Main Street from the River Market area to the Plaza. Assuming the owners of the Plaza make good on their promises of improvements. It could be, pardon the pun, a crown jewel in the heart of the city.

As did Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep:

Only the Braves and Rangers were farther away than the Royals. However, the Rangers and Braves had developments around their respective ballparks, unlike the Royals, whose ballpark is surrounded by industrial buildings and a highway. 

If you were visiting from out of town and you wanted to go to a baseball game? You will need a car or be prepared to pay a sizeable amount for an Uber/Lyft, especially if you are staying in the downtown Kansas City area. It’s worth it for a one-time visit, but it definitely deters visitors without vehicles from going to multiple games in a series.

In its proposed location? Fans can get to the ballpark on the Streetcar, whether from the UMKC area or the River Market. Furthermore, fans can take the Amtrak from out of town to Union Station and go immediately to a baseball game. Not a lot of ballparks have that luxury.

Blog Roundup:

Big thanks again to Connor for filling in last week! My home internet was down and I was working off of my phone – not ideal for making a Rumblings.

So, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Two weeks ago we did the CPBL preview. This week is the KBO. And next week is NPB.

It’s always a little intimidating writing about the KBO and NPB. For the CPBL, there aren’t a lot of English-speaking fans. The subreddit is mostly dead, Twitter only has a couple of fans, and I could completely make up things and odds are you wouldn’t know the difference. Heck, those few English-speaking fans could be making stuff up and I may be passing along the baseball equivalent of Bigfoot stories and no one would be the wiser. But the KBO and NPB have numerous fans here and abroad. And they all know way more about those respective leagues than I do. I calm my fears by reminding myself that no one reads these anyway.

KBO – Korea Baseball Organization

Country: South Korea

Opening Day:March 28

International Players: Notable names include Yonny Chirinos, Chris Flexen, Drew VerHagen, Mitch White, Daz Cameron, Harold Castro, Matt Davidson, Austin Dean, Guillermo Heredia, Sam Hilliard, and Víctor Reyes. I’m not sure how many of those are actually “notable,” but those are the five-year (or more) MLB veterans in KBO. Matt Davidson had a couple of 20-homer seasons for the White Sox and always seemed to pummel the Royals. Just yesterday, Yasiel Puig, who was in the KBO last year, signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Canadian Baseball League. Also, there seems to be a disproportionate number of former Oakland Athletics, and I’m not sure what to make of that. Full list from MyKBOStats

Former Royals: While he never played for Kansas City, the aforementioned Harold Castro got over 400 ABs in Omaha last year and triple slashed .307/.354/.538 at age 31. There are a pair of former Royals relievers of recent vintage in the league. Matt Sauer is on the KT Wiz. He was a low-leverage arm from the early months of 2024 who was fine-ish in April until his FIP caught up to his ERA in May and was released. You might remember Anthony Veneziano. He was drafted by the Royals in 2019 and was perpetually on the lower end of prospect lists, working his way through the system. He never could get walks under control and only threw two games for the Royals in September of 2023. He’s on the SSG Landers.

Rooting Interest: Back when Max did the official RR guide for the KBO in 2020, the Hanwha Eagles best fit our rooting interest. Since 2008, the team had only made the playoffs once and they lost quickly. The franchise has existed for 40 years and has only won one Korea Series (1999). Since we’ve been rooting for them, they’ve finished 10th, 10th, 9th, and 8th. But last year, the pitching staff was lights out. Former Pittsburgh Pirate Cody Ponce won the league MVP, going 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA. Former Royals farmhand Ryan Weiss went 16-5 with a 2.87 ERA. They led the Eagles to 2nd place and an automatic berth in the KBO equivalent of the LCS. There, they dispatched the Samsung Lions before losing to the LG Twins in the Korea Series. Ponce and Weiss are in the MLB this season, the former with the Blue Jays and the latter with the Astros. It feels like it’s back to business as usual with the Eagles. But last year was fun for their fans.

Last Season: I already spoiled the playoffs, mentioning that the Twins won the Korea Series, the Eagles finished second, and the Lions third. Iconic closer Seung-hwan Oh (nicknamed “Stone Buddha” and “Final Boss”) announced his retirement. He is the only KBO player to ever get above 300 saves, retiring with 427. And that’s even with playing 4 years in MLB and another 2 in NPB.

World Baseball Classic: South Korea was in Pool C along with Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and Czechia. They took care of business against Czechia in their opener. Next up was Japan and the game was tied 5-5 going into the 7th, but Japan pulled away for a win. A couple of weeks ago, we talked about Taiwan’s dramatic 5-4 extra-inning win against Korea. This meant that Korea’s final game against Australia would rely on tiebreakers to determine who advanced from the group. Normally, Hyun Min Ahn’s sacrifice fly in the 9th to make the game 7-2 wouldn’t have meant much. But that final run advanced Korea into the knockout stages and sent Australia home.

This marked South Korea’s first trip to the elimination round since the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Back then, they lost the finals in 10 innings to Japan. This year, they did not go as far. In the quarterfinals, they were run-ruled by the undefeated Dominican Republic team: 10-0 in 7 innings.

Random Nuggets:

  • We listed all the MLB players in KBO. To flip this around, only one Korean player started the season in MLB. Giants outfielder and Korea WBC captain Lee Jung-hoo. Two others started the season on the injured list: Atlanta Braves shortstop Kim Ha-seong and San Diego Padres infielder Song Sung-mun. Three others start in the minors: Kim Hye-seong (Dodgers), Go Woo-suk (Tigers), and Bae Ji-hwan (Mets)
  • One of the big stories this offseason was a gambling controversy… only it’s not what you think. “The league suspended Lotte Giants outfielder Kim Dong-hyeok for 50 games while handing down 30-game bans on three of his teammates, Go Seung-min, Kim Se-min and Na Seung-yeup.” Was it for throwing games or shaving points? Nope! It was for visiting a casino while they did Spring Training in Taiwan. Oops: “It is illegal for Korean nationals to gamble overseas, and the four players are currently under police investigation.”
  • We’re already a couple of weeks into the season now. Want a quick spoiler on how it’s going for our rooting interest? Headline: “Eagles achieve dubious KBO record for most combined walks, HBPs allowed in game”. In case you were curious, the record is now 18: 16 BB and 2 HBP. “With a sellout crowd of 17,000 on hand, the Eagles led 5-1 entering the top of the eighth inning, but the Lions rallied with five runs in the final two frames. They scored the tying run and the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth without the benefit of a hit.” Our team is back, baby!

Links:

Last week* (two weeks ago), we did an NES game that we hadn’t used in a while. How about some more 8-bit fun?

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SF Giants News: Oracle Park promotions this weekend

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: A general view of the New York Yankees playing against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good morning, baseball fans!

The San Francisco Giants welcome the Miami Marlins to town today for a three-game series. So let’s take a look at what Oracle Park has on deck for fans attending the games this weekend.

First up, we’re calling CalBear to the front on this one because tonight is Cal Night. Fans with special event tickets will receive a roped hat with the Giants and Cal logo, as well as a Giants flag in the school’s colors that features the school’s iconic bear mascot.

Saturday is Brandon Belt Celebration Day! I feel like I’ve been waiting a year for this. The first 20,000 fans in attendance will receive a Brandon Belt Aloha Shirt giveaway. There will also be a Junior Giants donation drive, where fans can receive a Brandon Belt captain hat pin for donations of $30 that will go towards gloves for the kids. Fans will want to be in their seats well before first pitch to enjoy the festivities for the Captain.

As with all Saturday home games this season, it will also be a Fiesta Gigantes game, with celebrations throughout the park.

Sunday will be Youth Baseball Day at the park. The first 11,000 fans age 14 and under will receive a pair of Youth Flip-Up Sunglasses as a giveaway! A perfect outing for the kids and their teammates.

If you’re headed to the park this weekend, have fun and make sure to share pictures down in the comments!

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants and Marlins play game one of the series tonight at 7:15 p.m. PT.

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Friday Rockpile: So far, Mickey really is fine and Hunter really is good

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Mickey Moniak #22 of the Colorado Rockies is congratulated by Hunter Goodman #15 after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 11, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Rockies’ top offensive performers last season — Mickey Moniak and Hunter Goodman — were not only bright spots in a 119-loss season, but also had the best seasons of their young careers.

With breakout seasons in the rearview mirror, one of the big questions heading into this season was whether or not they could repeat their success or if the seasons were a one-off. Even though the Rockies are only 26 games into the season, or 16% of the way in, it seems like a good time to see if Goodman and Moniak are on track to put up numbers like they did last season.

In 2025, Goodman led the Rockies with 31 homers, 91 RBI, 28 doubles, 150 hits, and hit .278/.323/.520 with an OPS of .843 to earn the Rockies lone All-Star and Silver Slugger nods. Last season, Moniak led the Rockies with eight triples, was second in homers with 24 and RBI with 68, tied for third with 117 hits, finished fifth in doubles with 20 and hit .270/.306/.518 and an .824 OPS.

While some numbers are down, most are on track or even better for Goodman and Moniak. 

Through Thursday’s action, Goodman is leading the team in runs (17), is second in homers (6), third in hits (23), and tied for fifth in RBI (9). He’s hitting .264/.340/.540 with an .880 OPS. Here’s how his numbers look from Baseball Savant.

Goodman is trying to take on the extra challenge of more playing time this year, which means DHing on the days when he’s not catching. He’s played in 24 of the Rockies 26 games so far, including eight where he played all or part of the game as DH. His power numbers are about the same, which is a great sign. Unfortunately, his strikeouts are much worse.

SeasonGPAHR2BRRBISBBB%K%AVGOBPSLGOPS
202624976617917.2%37.1%.241.315.470.880
20252495451411010.50%22%.253.352.468.828

Moniak — despite missing the first six games of the season with a sprained finger from spring training — leads Colorado with eight homers, which is tied for fifth-most in MLB, and he is tied for most RBI (15) on Colorado’s roster. He is second in runs (14) and fourth in hits (22) and doubles (5). Moniak is hitting .324/.347/.750 and has an OPS of 1.097.

It’s easy to see why he has had so much production early, thanks to Baseball Savant.

Moniak’s consistency is huge for the Rockies, especially considering he was a former No. 1 MLB draft pick and seemed to be a bust after not taking off in Philadelphia. It seemed even worse after being traded to and later released by the Angels in March of 2025. The Rockies picked him up, and that bet on Moniak is paying off.

His homers are ahead of where he was at in 2025, even if he’s striking out a little more and walking less.

SeasonGPAHR2BRRBISBBB%K%AVGOBPSLGOPS
2026197285141514.60%22.47%.324.347.7501.097
202519583210908.60%20.70%.231.310.231.868

Outside of swinging a hot bat, the Rockies also win more often when Moniak is in the lineup. Through Thursday, the Rockies are 8-11 when Moniak plays and 2-5 when he doesn’t (10-16 overall). When asked what Moniak provides outside the stats after Thursday’s game, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer explained Moniak’s value.

“Behind closed doors — just what he does. He’s part of keeping everything around her loose and keeps everybody ready to play. What he provides off the field is just as big as what he’s providing on the field,” Schaeffer said. “But he’s in a really good place offensively too.”

The season is still early, but all signs point to Goodman and Moniak continuing their impressive performances swinging the bat. With more support from hitters like TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston, and the quality of pitching keeping the Rockies in more games, it’s no wonder the Rockies are off to a better start. The Rockies took 60 games to win 10 games in 2025 compared to 25 this year.

The MLB season is long. Anything can happen. Last year, Goodman and Moniak combined for 55 homers. They could be on track to beat that this year. Will they? Will it help the Rockies increase their win total this year?

Let us know what you think in the comments.

On the Farm

Triple-A: Sacramento River Cats 12, Albuquerque Isotopes 10

Vimael Machín hit an RBI single to score Adael Amador in the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough to help the Isotopes come back on Thursday night in Sacramento. Albuquerque was outhit 15-10 and was hurt by three fielding errors. Amador hit a two-run homer and Drew Avans and Cole Carrigg each added two-run singles to help the Isotopes take a 6-0 lead in the second inning, but Sacramento answered back with an eight-run third to take a 9-6 lead. Albuquerque came back to tie it with a two-run homer from Zac Veen and an RBI from Chad Stevens in the fifth. Sacramento regained the lead with a three-run inning of its own in the seventh. Machín, Amador and Veen led the offense for the Isotopes with two hits each.

Double-A: Portland Sea Dogs 5, Hartford Yard Goats 4 (10)

The Yard Goats blew a 4-2 lead as the Sea Dogs scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extra innings and then won it on a walk-off single by Max Ferguson in the bottom of the 10th. Andy Perez had two hits for Hartford and stole a base, which led to a run in the fifth on an error. The Yard Goats scored their first run when Dyan Jorge led off with a single and came around to steal home on a double steal. In the sixth, Roc Riggio hit an RBI single and Jorge drew an RBI walk. Konner Eaton had a solid start for Hartford, giving up two uns on six hits in five innings, but Carlos Torres blew the save in the ninth and Cade Denton took the loss by pitching in the 10th.

High-A: Everett Aquasox 11, Spokane Indians 3

The Indians rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the fourth inning on a Caleb Hobson RBI single, but Everett put up four-run frames in the fifth and seventh to come away with a win on Thursday. Hobson hit an RBI single in the second inning too, as did Tommy Hopfe, to account for Spokane’s scoring. Jordy Vargas gave up five runs on five hits in 4.1 innings to take the loss.

Low-A: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 9, Fresno Grizzlies 2

The Quakes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second and never looked back on Thursday night. Fresno cut the 2-1 lead in half when Matt Klein hit an RBI single to score Lucas Ramirez, but Rancho Cucamonga answered back to take a 7-1 lead by the end of the fifth. Tanner Thach plated Clayton Gray, who had two hits on the night, on a fielder’s choice in the fifth for Spokane’s second and final run.

Feltner, Castro leave Thursday’s game early with injuries | MLB.com

Feltner left after two innings with right triceps tightness and Willi Castro was forced from the game with right knee soreness. The severity of either is currently unknown, but the moves appear to be precautionary.

MLB’s Top 10 Most Likely Trade Candidates Before 2026 Deadline | Bleacher Report

There is a Rockie on the list at No. 7. Bleacher Report believes that the arm of Jimmy Herget, aka the Human Glitch, will be in high demand at the trade deadline.

MLB Power Rankings Week 4: Who are the top teams one month in? | ESPN.com

Despite improvement from 2025, the Rockies are still coming in at No. 30 on this list.

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MLB News Outside the Confines: Is it time to panic yet?

Good morning.

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Orioles minor league recap 4/24: Ike Irish gets pinch-hit walk-off for Keys

Triple-A: Memphis Red Birds (STL) 5, Norfolk Tides 2

Levi Wells pitched four innings of one-run baseball. He gave up just three hits but also walked three in the short outing. The lone run came in the third inning on back-to-back doubles from the Red Birds, the second from former Orioles farmhand César Prieto.

Wells took the loss because they were down 1-0 when he exited, but the bullpen was worse than he was. Jeisson Cabrera and Enoli Paredes allowed two runs apiece.

The Tides had six hits, and three of them came off the bat of leadoff hitter Jud Fabian. That includes his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot. Fabian’s OPS is .894 after 23 games. Their other run scored in the bottom of the ninth on a single by Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Encarnacion-Strand reached base three times in the game with a single and two walks. Enrique Bradfield did not play.

Box Score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 5, Akron RubberDucks (CLE) 2

Luis De León started the game with three shutout innings. The lefty allowed two hits with two walks and struck out four. He threw 67 pitches, which is not ideal. His relief, Cohen Achen, also pitched two scoreless and was awarded the win. The RubberDucks scored both of their runs in the ninth.

The Baysox had just seven hits in the game but they managed to score five runs anyway. Anderson De Los Santos had three hits and scored three runs. He was a triple short of the cycle. Griff O’Ferrall had one hit; his batting average early on is just .104. The top three batters in the lineup, Brandon Butterworth, Aron Estrada, and Ethan Anderson, were hitless.

Box Score

High-A: Frederick Keys 10, Wilmington Blue Rocks (WAS) 9

The Keys were ahead 6-3 before allowing the Blue Rocks to score five runs in the fifth inning, but they came back and scored three in the bottom of the ninth to get the walk-off win.

JT Quinn had an off night, with six runs allowed in 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs, with a home run, in the top of the first. He put together three scoreless innings, then gave up three more runs with another homer to start the fifth. He ended the game eight hits and five strikeouts. But no walks, so that’s something?

Despite being down 3-0 immediately, the offense started fighting back right away. They scored six runs in the second through fourth innings, thanks in part to back-to-back homers from RJ Austin and Nate George. Both Austin and George had two-hit games. Vance Honeycutt reached base twice and stole twice, including home.

In the bottom of the ninth, down by two, the Keys loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Braylin Tavera singled in one run to make the score 9-8. Pinch-hitter Ike Irish came through in the clutch, lining a single to center field to knock in both the tying and winning runs.

Box Score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 7, Wilson Warbirds (MIL) 3

It was a good night for starting pitcher Esteban Meija. He struck out eight batters in four shutout innings with just three hits and a walk. It was the best start for Meija so far this season, who walked an unimaginable eight batters in his previous start on April 17th. Meija was replaced by Brandon Downer, who was awarded the win with three innings and one run allowed.

The offense took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. DJ Layton continued to lay waste to Carolina League. He had two doubles and a walk as the leadoff batter, and his OPS is 1.076. Delmarva had three two-run innings and even scored one run on a steal of home for extra fun. Jordan Sanchez tripled and walked, and four Shorebirds had multi-hit games.

Box Score

Today’s Schedule

  • Triple-A: Norfolk vs Memphis, 6:35. Starter: Cameron Weston
  • Double-A: Chesapeake vs Akron, 7:05. Starter: Sebastian Gongora
  • High-A: Frederick vs Wilmington, 7:00. Starter: Juaron Watts-Brown
  • Low-A: Delmarva vs Wilson, 7:05. Starter: Caden Hunter

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Mets Morning News: Bichette, Baty, and Benge have a Killer B kind of night

Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets drops his bat to run after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in New York, New York.

Meet the Mets

It wasn’t the sharpest game of baseball, but the Mets won their second-straight game by beating the Twins 10-8.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post

Before the game, the Mets got bad news, as Francisco Lindor is expected to miss significant time because of his left calf strain. David Lennon writes that the injury might be the Mets’ breaking point.

Anthony DiComo provided as many details as possible about Lindor’s injury.

The Mets managed to embarrass themselves in the win, as Huascar Brazobán returned to the field for the ninth inning as Devin Williams started to come in from the bullpen while the Citi Field light show happened.

Tim Britton and Will Sammon write about the Mets’ awkward roster and whether or trades will be necessary to get to a point that the pieces are a better fit.

Jon Heyman says that the Mets’ struggles shouldn’t be blamed on Carlos Mendoza.

Around the National League East

The Phillies lost their ninth-straight game in an 8-7 loss to the Cubs. Bryce Harper is miffed, and the Phillies released former Mets pitcher Taijuan Walker yesterday after his latest bad outing.

The Braves beat the Nationals for their fifth-straight series win.

Around Major League Baseball

The Tigers beat the Brewers in walk-off fashion.

The Rangers beat the Pirates by a 6-1 score.

The Yankees completed a sweep of the Red Sox. Here’s how Cam Schlittler became a better pitcher after talking to Gerrit Cole.

Tyler Glasnow finished the Dodgers’ road trip with a strong start as his team beat the rival Giants.

Andrew Benintendi led the White Sox to victory over the Diamondbacks.

The Rockies had a series win within their grasp, but that fell apart as they lost to the Padres.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1962, Casey Stengel was fined five hundred bucks for appearing in an beer advertisement while wearing his uniform.

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Pittsburgh Penguins Need Top Winger To Heat Back Up

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a very challenging spot, as they are down 3-0 in their series against the Philadelphia Flyers. If they hope to have any chance of reverse-sweeping the Flyers, they are going to need all of their top players to be on their A-game from here.

This includes Penguins forward Anthony Mantha, who has had a slow start to the playoffs. In three games so far this postseason, Mantha has zero points to go along with a minus-4 rating. With this, the 6-foot-5 winger has gone cold offensively, and the Penguins absolutely need him to regain his scoring touch from here.

When looking at how well Mantha played during the regular season, he certainly has the potential to heat back up for Pittsburgh. In 81 games this regular season, he set new career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points. With numbers like these, he was a notable reason behind the Penguins getting into the playoffs. Now, Pittsburgh needs him to snap his cold streak and regain his top form. 

It will be interesting to see how Mantha performs for the Penguins in Game 4 from here.