20 August 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Hockey, Soccer: Joint press conference by FC Bayern Munich and the National Hockey League (NHL). John-Jason Peterka (left to right), a player for the Boston Bruins; Alphonso Davies, a player for FC Bayern Munich; and Leon Draisaitl, a player for the Edmonton Oilers, pose in their jerseys at the press conference. Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTICE: In accordance with the regulations of the Bundesliga and the German Football Association (DFB), it is prohibited to use or allow the use of photographs taken in the stadium and/or during the game in the form of sequential images and/or video-like photo series. (Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Per a release from FCBayern.com, Bayern Munich and the National Hockey League are teaming up.
The two sporting giants have announced a strategic, multi-year partnership designed to grow the NHL in Germany while strengthening Bayern Munich’s presence in North America.
The collaboration will connect football and hockey fans through digital campaigns, co-branded content and merchandise, street hockey events in Munich, watch parties, Allianz Arena activations, youth programs, hospitality experiences and player appearances.
The partnership was unveiled at Säbener Straße with Alphonso Davies joined by German NHL stars Leon Draisaitl and JJ Peterka.
Rouven Kasper called it a partnership that can “set a new benchmark” for what cross-sport collaborations can achieve, while NHL President Keith Wachtel described Germany as one of the league’s most important international growth markets.
“FC Bayern is renowned for constantly breaking the mould – and we are very excited about this special partnership with the NHL. By developing ideas together with one of the most tradition-steeped leagues in world sport, the connection of our respective regions will create unique synergies on a wide variety of levels, in sports and beyond. We are creating a platform that promises long-term value for both partners and sets a new benchmark in terms of what cross-sport collaborations can achieve,” said Kasper.
Wachtel was equally excited about the partnership.
“Germany is one of the most important international growth markets for the NHL, and FC Bayern is one of the most famous and respected sport brands in the world. Through the combination of the NHL’s passion for ice hockey with FC Bayern’s extraordinary reach and closeness to fans, we have a massive strategic opportunity to get more people interested in our sport, deepen the connection to existing fans and create one-of-a-kind experience,” Wachtel stated.
And there is an exciting bonus for German hockey fans: Munich will host two NHL regular-season games during the 2027/28 season, featuring the Boston Bruins and Munich-born Peterka. Cologne will also host two games involving the Edmonton Oilers and Cologne native Draisaitl.
Football and hockey. Bayern Munich and the NHL.
This could be a fascinating partnership to watch develop.
Every pitcher in the Little League World Series works under a hard limit. Once a 12-year-old reaches 85 pitches in a game, he or she comes off the mound, and how many pitches they threw determines how many days they have to sit before they can pitch again.
The rules come from the Little League rulebook. They apply the same way in Williamsport as they do on any field in the country. Managers plan around them from the first day of the tournament, because a double-elimination bracket rewards teams with a third and fourth pitcher more than teams with one good arm.
Little League moved to pitch counts in 2007, replacing a system that limited pitchers by innings. Under the old rules a 12-year-old could throw well past 100 pitches in a six-inning game, a number big league starters rarely reach. A 2011 University of North Carolina study commissioned by Little League found the program cut shoulder injury risk among pitchers ages 8 to 13 by half.
Here is how the limits, the rest chart and the catcher restrictions work:
How many pitches can a Little League pitcher throw?
Limits go by league age, not calendar age.
Ages 13 through 16: 95
Ages 11 and 12, the World Series division: 85 pitches
Ages 9 and 10: 75
Ages 7 and 8: 50
When a pitcher hits the number they're done. The one wrinkle is that they can finish the batter they're facing, staying in until that hitter reaches base or is retired or the third out ends the inning. So you'll occasionally see a kid finish with 89 in a game that caps at 85, and nothing is wrong.
Warm-up pitches don't count. Only what a pitcher throws to a hitter counts.
How many days of rest does a pitcher need?
Rest runs on calendar days and starts the day after the game.
66 to 85 pitches: four days
51 to 65: three days
36 to 50: two days
21 to 35: one day
Stretch that across a 12-day tournament and the problem shows up fast. Throw 70 on a Wednesday and you're not available again until Monday. An ace can win a team one game and leave it thin for the next three.
Nobody pitches on three calendar days in a row, whatever the counts say. And once a pitcher leaves the mound, they can't come back to it later in the same game.
The catcher rules
The pitching limits don't stop at the mound. Little League recognizes the catchers throwing as heavy arm work as well. The two positions are regulated together.
Three rules govern it.
A pitcher who throws 41 or more pitches can't catch that day. A player who catches four innings or more can't pitch that day. And a player who catches three innings or fewer and then moves to the mound and throws 21 or more pitches, can't go back behind the plate.
Catch more than three innings and you cannot pitch that day. The cutoff is strict. Three innings plus a single pitch in the fourth is enough to trigger the rule.
What happens if a team breaks the rule?
If a manager leaves a pitcher in past their limit, or brings them back without the required rest, the other team can protest.
Every game has an official pitch count recorder. That person has to give the current count to either manager or any umpire on request, and has to tell the umpire-in-chief the moment a pitcher reaches their limit. Whatever the recorder has is the count. What a coach has, or a parent has, doesn't matter.
Milan, Napoli and Atalanta all have new head coaches as Italian football hopes to return to the spotlight
And so, calcio’s “third apocalypse” has passed. A lot of Italians enjoyed the World Cup more than they expected. Without a team to cheer for, again, a country turned its attention to different sports. And found its athletes dominating them.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 13: Atlanta Hawks team huddle before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 13, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Last week, the NBA finally released its schedule for the 2026-27 NBA season. With its release, it allows everyone to map ahead what the 2026-27 season looks like for the Atlanta Hawks and identify where the good times or more challenging times lie across the 82 game-schedule. Immediately, there’s a key difference in this year’s edition of the schedule compared to last year for the Hawks, with many home tipoffs returning to a 7pm Eastern Time start, for the first time, I believe, since the 2015-16 season.
As we have done so for, perhaps, the last eight seasons now, we’ll break down the schedule month-by-month, examining the trends, fixtures of note, and the difficulty of each month (calculated by averaging the average winning projections of each team by way of Bet MGM.
Let’s look ahead to the beginning, the month of October:
Total games: 7
Home games: 3
Road games: 4
Back-to-backs: 2
Three-in-fours: 3
Longest road trip: 2 games (twice)
Longest homestand: 2 games
Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 42.5 wins
A competitive beginning to the season on paper for the Atlanta Hawks. Two games on the road against Southeast Division rivals Orlando Magic (who should be very motivated to begin strongly after the disappointment of last season) and Charlotte Hornets should provide an early test for the Hawks.
Charlotte will be an interesting matchup, who are running a much-changed roster which, for the first time in six years, will not be led by LeMelo Ball, which will provide a very different dynamic to this fixture. Following that, the Hawks’ home opener also represents the first of a home-and-home with the Houston Rockets. Hawks rookie Kingston Flemmings will not have to wait long to return to the state of Texas, where he played with Houston in college as the rookie begins his NBA career.
The stiff opposition continues in the form of Miami and Cleveland, but will at least take place at State Farm Arena before the Hawks head on the road to face the New Orleans Pelicans. Two back-to-backs, a couple of three-games-in-four-nights sleds as well for the Hawks will prove a challenge in addition to the level of competition. Now, moving onto a jam-packed November!
Total games: 12
Home games: 5
Road games: 7
Back-to-backs: 1
Three-in-fours: 1
Longest road trip: 3 games
Longest homestand: 3 games
Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 41 wins
November sees the return of NBA Cup action, every Friday! The Hawks’ cup schedule is actually pretty kind to them, with the majority of those games, on paper, certainly winnable — the Celtics on the road represents the toughest game in the cup by some margin.
Elsewhere, the Hawks tackle some high-profile games such as the Lakers at home, the championship winning New York Knicks on the road, and of note for several of the Hawks’ new additions, a trip back to OKC to take on the Thunder. The reception for Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort will be very warm for their former champions and is sure to be emotional night for those involved. Elsewhere, the Hawks will face Trae Young and the Wizards twice, and a game against the Detroit Pistons at home should also prove to be an interesting measure of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference.
A little less intense overall compared to previous Novembers not only in terms of games played, but back-to-backs and three-in-fours aren’t too prevalent here. However, this is not to last as we move to December:
Total games: 14 (TBC, pending NBA Cup outcome)
Home games: 7 (TBC)
Road games: 5 (TBC)
Back-to-backs: 2
Three-in-fours: 2
Longest road trip: 3 games
Longest homestand: 2 games (three times)
Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 44 wins
December isn’t quite complete yet, as two games between December 4th and December 11th have yet to be determined by the NBA as it relates to the outcome of the group stage of the NBA Cup, so while 14 games will take place in total, the number of home/away games is not currently known.
Outside of this, an interesting opening to the month in the form of Miami and Indiana: two vastly different looking teams from last season. Miami now boasts the talents of Giannis Antetokounmpo, while the Pacers welcome back Tyrese Haliburton from injury and reinforcement through Ivica Zubac. The Hawks were able to finish above both teams last season, but will face a much stiffer challenge resisting these teams this season. Again, they represent a great opportunity to measure themselves in the establishing Eastern Conference playoff hierarchy.
A three-game road trip to the Western Conference lies ahead for the Hawks, the most challenging coming in Denver to finish. A difficult back-to-back follows, with a home game against OKC on the second night of that back-to-back one of the more challenging games of the month. A home game against Detroit wraps up the action before the holidays, before a back-to-back after the holidays — including heading on the road to San Antonio. A lighter end to 2026 in the form of Chicago and Milwaukee should provide some relief after a potentially challenging December.
Moving to 2027!
Total games: 15
Home games: 8
Road games: 7
Back-to-backs: 3
Three-in-fours: 3
Longest road trip: 4 games
Longest homestand: 4 games
Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 45 wins
2027 opens by welcoming back 2024 first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and the Dallas Mavericks to Atlanta. Other notable home games in January include the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, the newly stacked Philadelphia 76ers — armed with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James — in addition to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and the Knicks to end a four-game homestand. The January 18th game against the 76ers of course representing one of the most important games for the Hawks as part of MLK Day, and an afternoon tip. A four-game road-trip ends the month of January, featuring difficult fixtures against Miami, New York, and Detroit.
While three back-to-backs isn’t too strenuous, three three-games-in-four-nights is a bit more intense as the fixtures and fatigue rack up in January as the NBA edges closer to its halfway point and towards the NBA All-Star break
Moving to February!
Total games: 13
Home games: 8
Road games: 5
Back-to-backs: 3
Three-in-fours: 3
Longest road trip: 3 games
Longest homestand: 7 games
Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 38.7 wins
A relaxing in the schedule in terms of projected difficulty of opponents, and a home-heavy schedule with eight home games in total, a seven-game homestand, and a eight-home-games-in-nine-games stretch. A seven game homestand is certainly one of the longest single homestand stretches the Hawks have enjoyed in recent memory, and a number against — on paper — very winnable games. In general, due to the nature of the new NBA Draft lottery rules, the overall projected total games won is a little higher this year compared to previous years, so this should be taken into account.
Moving onto a very quirky March! A March which I’m dubbing ‘All the Western Conference teams you haven’t seen yet.’
(Seriously, I’m not joking!)
Total games: 16
Home games: 7
Road games: 9
Back-to-backs: 3
Three-in-fours: 3
Longest road trip: 6 games
Longest homestand: 2 games (three times)
Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 35.7 wins
First appearances of the season for the following teams: Memphis, Minnesota, the Jazz, and the Clippers…all twice! And all of those teams, with the exception of Minnesota, are projected to have low win totals, so while the schedule is intense in terms of number of games, the projected level of opponent isn’t quite as intense. In saying that, a six-game road-trip out West will be a challenge, no matter who the opponent is, but to make up for this, the games the Hawks do play at State Farm Arena are all very winnable games on paper. In short, though, it’s a very Western Conference heavy month!
Onto the final month of April!
Total games: 5
Home games: 2
Road games: 3
Back-to-backs: 0
Three-in-fours: 0
Longest road trip: 2 games
Longest homestand: 2 games
Average projected opponent win total (based on Bet MGM win totals): 49.5 wins
A tough end to the season: all of these teams project to win, at the very least, 45 games, and are all in the Eastern Conference. These could be key in determining playoff seeding, of which the Hawks will want to return rather than go back through the Play-In tournament. Of course, some seeding may already be set at this stage, and it’s entirely possible any one of Boston, Philly, and New York could be top-seeded or locked into a top-4 seed and may use the opportunity to rest key players.
Overall, the Hawks — more recently — have had schedules that are typically more difficult at the front-end of the season and lighten at the back end of the season. I’d argue that both cases are true here. In March, it’s a very road-heavy, Western Conference schedule but against opponents who are not projected to compete for the playoffs. April, short as it is, is a difficult schedule at a very important time of the season and will likely determine elements of the Hawks’ seeding.
In any case, the Atlanta Hawks’ path for the 2026-27 season is set! If you enjoyed the 7:30 home tips, my commiserations, I believe there’s only three (November 7th against Brooklyn, January 2nd against the Dallas Mavericks, March 4th against Memphis). If you prefer 7pm tips, then this is going to be a great season!
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 12: 2023 Inductee Tony Parker speaks during the 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Induction at Symphony Hall on August 12, 2023 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I moved to San Antonio (technically back to San Antonio) from New York in the summer 2013. The Spurs had just been upset in the Finals. I immediately plunged into my fandom and embraced the team I grew up adoring.
Somewhere over the next couple of years, the Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers. When they did, Bill Land and Sean Elliott announced that with that win, the Spurs had a winning record against all 29 NBA teams. Even over the next decade when the Spurs faced some losing seasons, they have still managed to maintain that feat.
But what I didn’t know was Tony Parker is the only player in NBA history to retire while maintaining a winning record against every team in the league.
Tony Parker didn’t just build a Hall of Fame career, he built a winning record against everyone.
He is the only player in NBA history to retire with a winning record against every active franchise.
I noticed in the comments section of this post, some fans mentioned that they thought Tim Duncan also accomplished a winning record with every team. While that may be true, Duncan only has a winning record against 29 of the 30 teams in the NBA. Keep in mind Parker spent his final season with the Charlotte Hornets who beat the Spurs in both meetings that year. That means he got the best of all 30!
So while Duncan and Manu Ginobili have winning records against the 29 teams not named the San Antonio Spurs, Parker swept the league.
And he’s the only one.
Or is he?
When I searched “What former NBA players have winning records against every team?” a second name came up.
Kawhi Leonard.
*The above post stipulates that Parker is the only player to retire with a record over 30 teams. Leonard is still an active player…in theory…for now…we assume.
According to StatMuse, Kawhi does also have a better record against all 30 NBA teams. He is the only active player with superstars like LeBron James (29), Stephen Curry (28), and Kevin Durant (28) a few teams shy.
But if anyone gets an honorable mention for Tony Parker’s and Kawhi Leonard’s accomplishment, it is Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Gregg Popovich, and the myriad players and assistant coaches who made the Spurs such a dominant force.
Without them, neither Parker’s nor Leonard’s career could have shined as they did in the time they spent in San Antonio.
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Is Kyshawn George a career backup or a long-term starter? The stats point towards and answer. | FIBA via Getty Images
Next stop in The Annual Statistical Doppelgänger Machine Tour: Switzerland. Well, kinda. No skiing or fancy-schmancy watches or neutrality — just a look at which players in NBA history had seasons that looked the most like what Kyshawn George did last season.
For those who haven’t memorized the birthplaces and childhood homes of every Wizards player, George was born and raised in Switzerland.
Is Kyshawn George a career backup or a long-term starter? The stats point towards and answer. | Getty Images
To my eye, the broadly favorable view of George’s performance got ahead of his actual performance. He looks good out there, he does many good things, and he does plenty of negative things as well.
To me, the biggest positive is his confidence. It also might be his biggest weakness. There’s good three-point shooting (38.1%) on above average volume, and 7.3 assists per 100 team possessions (well above average). He’s a competent ball handler, he’s tough, and he plays with a relentlessness and physicality that’s at times admirable.
He also commits a ton of turnovers (4.3 per 100 possessions — compare to a league average of 2.8) and fouls (5.8 per 100 possessions). George’s shot selection inside the three-point line was…well…let’s call it “adventurous,” and that sense of adventure contributed to shooting just 48.6% on twos — compared to a league average of 55.0%.
He finished well when he got to the rim (73.1%). The issue: lots of floater range attempts at a 35.7% conversion rate.
The good and bad tallied to an 87 score in my PPA metric. League average in PPA is 100. That’s fine for a second-year player who’s just 22-years-old picked 24th overall. The point here is merely that he still needs to make significant improvements to earn a starting role with the Wizards going forward.
Let’s get to the doppelgängers. And, unlike the comps for Bilal Coulibaly, you won’t need to take safety precautions for these:
Justise Winslow | 2018-19 | Miami Heat | Age: 22 — This was one of Winslow’s (rare) healthy seasons. He played 66 games — two fewer than he did the following season. This was his best overall performance, tallying to an 85 PPA. He was a talented player who never stayed healthy long enough to show what he could do. Gotta think (hope?) George will be healthier, though I have to mention George has played in 68 and 48 games respectively in his first two seasons.
Cole Anthony | 2022-23 | Orlando Magic | Age: 22 — Anthony is basically the little-guy version of George. Tough as nails, all-out effort, plenty of positives, and bit negatives.
Taurean Prince | 2017-18 | Atlanta Hawks | Age: 23 — Prince’s second season. He played all 82 games, though it was not a harbinger of his future health and availability. The 87 PPA he posted that season was also the best mark of his career.
Kevin Porter Jr. | 2021-22 | Houston Rockets | Age: 21 — I’m not a big Porter fan, but he’s been reasonably productive, albeit with enough issues that teams seem happy to move on from him. I don’t think that’ll be the case with George. The profile is there, though — talent enough to generate positives, enough judgement issues to produce negatives (hi there, turnovers) that can hurt the team.
Reggie Jackson | 2013-14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Age: 23 — Another maximal effort, maybe a bit nuts, little guy. Jackson spent most of his career as a pain-in-the-neck backup guard who was part of some winning teams.
Some honorable mentions:
Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs — age 24 season
Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons — age 21
Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers — age 22
Caris LeVert, Brooklyn Nets — age 23
My eye test comp was Dillon Brooks, but the closest Brooks season ranks around 260th.
My sense is that The Machine’s comps have the right overall type — competitive, hard-nosed, physical reserves who had value to good teams when they could rein in the fouls and turnovers. I think George is reasonably likely to be better than any of those five turned out to be, though it’s worth a reminder that player development is not linear.
I have the same kinds of neat career arc graphs most stat goobers do, but those are averages. There’s a lot of variation, and things get messy with individuals.
Don Nelson (L), head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, celebrates with Calvin Booth (R) after Dallas beat the Utah Jazz 84-83 to take the first round NBA Western Conference playoff series 03 May 2001 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Booth scored the winning basket to beat the Jazz 84-83 and advance to the second round. AFP PPHOTO/George FREY (Photo by GEORGE FREY / AFP) (Photo by GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
On April 21st, 2001, the Dallas Mavericks officially broke the seal on the NBA Playoffs after a lengthy hiatus. Dallas had missed the Playoffs for 10-straight seasons, including a near miss in 1999-2000 when they went 40-42. Following that campaign, Dallas improved their win total by 13 games to finish 53-29 in 2000-2001, leaving no doubt they had arrived on the postseason scene.
Not only was the +13 win total impressive in and of itself, but for context, the Western Conference was stacked. All but one of the eight West Playoff teams won 50 games (the 8 Seed Minnesota Timberwolves won 47). The 1 Seed San Antonio Spurs grabbed 58 wins, just five games better than a Mavericks team that was a postseason afterthought for so long.
Dallas’ 53 wins were good enough for the 5 Seed and a matchup against the Utah Jazz. Utah was just a few years removed from back-to-back Finals appearances and still featured NBA legends in John Stockton and Karl Malone, yet the two teams were nearly dead even during the regular season. Each team won two of their four regular season matchups. Both teams went 14-10 against the other (now defunct) Midwest Division teams. Utah however, performed better against the Western Conference at large and therefore got home court advantage in the best-of-five series.
Lucky charms fall short
The Mavericks did something that teams often do when they’ve broken through a wall. In this case, the Mavericks decided they would celebrate their return to the Playoffs with an overt show of unity – they wore nice blue socks to match their blue road uniforms. Meanwhile, the more experienced Jazz team needed no such demonstrations.
In game one, Dallas took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, which generally spelled doom for the opponent. The Mavericks were 46-2 during the regular season when leading after three quarters, including a 21-1 road record in those situations. Despite that, and despite their lucky socks, Dallas found themselves down by a point in the closing moments. Dirk Nowitzki was stripped on a drive that would have given Dallas the lead with roughly three seconds remaining in the game, had he converted. Utah made a free throw, giving Dallas the chance to win on the final shot, but Michael Finley’s three-point attempt was off target and the Mavs were down 0-1 in the series.
The Mavs were roundly beat in game two, losing 109-98 after being outscored in all but the fourth quarter. As a result, they were on the brink elimination. Upon their return to Dallas, they ditched the socks and found a reversal of fortune.
Evening the series
Home cooking was good for Dallas, as they pulled out a tight game three, 94-91 behind a strong first quarter. Finally, Dallas staved off elimination and got their first Playoff win since 1988. With the best-of-five setup, they were just a single win away from forcing a deciding game back in Utah. Game four ended up doing just that. The Mavericks started slow, trailing 24-17 after the first quarter, then collectively went insane, outscoring the Jazz by 37 points the rest of the way. The 107-77 victory gave the Mavs a chance to close the deal back in Utah in game five.
Calvin Booth plays the hero
Utah showed their veteran savvy in game five, getting off to a strong start, particularly in the second quarter. Carrying a 71-57 lead into the fourth quarter, it appeared as though the upstart Mavericks had met their match and would be going home after a valiant effort to force a deciding game. Dallas had other ideas.
Calvin Booth started the fourth quarter despite coming off the bench to start the game. The decision by Don Nelson proved to be an excellent one. The Mavericks slowly chipped away throughout the fourth quarter, with Booth turning away multiple Jazz shots at the rim.
The final two minutes were a roller coaster. Trailing by one, the Mavericks forced a turnover, courtesy of Booth’s quick hands. The ball ended up with Finley, who got it to Nash, who made a great pass from a few steps inside halfcourt to Dirk Nowitzki under the rim. Unbelievably, Nowitzki missed the reverse layup and Malone got the rebound. On the next possession, Dallas played terrific defense, forcing Danny Manning to attempt a shot clock beating jumper with none other than Booth defending him. The shot missed and Nash took it the other way. Finley hoisted a three that didn’t go down, sending Dallas back on defense. Malone missed a turnaround jumper and Nowitzki grabbed the board. Nash got the ball and took off, then slowed it down to set up the offense. Finley got the ball and backed down Stockton. Manning came over to double-team Finley with four seconds left on the shot clock. Booth slipped through on the baseline, Finley (who played every minute of the game) rose up, zipped a pass to him, and Booth turned to hit a layup – his first and only made field goal of the game. In the final 10 seconds, Utah missed a three, got the offense rebound and then missed a buzzer beater. The Mavs had won.
Booth’s entire 2000-2001 season consisted of 15 regular season games with the Mavericks and nine Playoff games. Despite his limited time on the team, he will forever be linked with an amazing Playoff comeback in a deciding game that put the Mavericks in the second round, kicking off a span of 12-straight seasons that Dallas made the Playoffs. Booth returned in 2004-2005 for a second stint. Despite his relatively short tenure with the Mavericks, he left an indelible mark on the franchise. Taking full advantage of Nelson’s intuition, Booth had a major impact across the deciding quarter of the deciding game.
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 16: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies (R) celebrates his three-run home run with Brandon Marsh #16 during the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on August 16, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies have the day off today before they will look to continue their recent streak of good play against the Cardinals this weekend at Citizens Bank Park. It’s probably for the best the off day is today, as it looks like it would have been incredibly difficult to play a ballgame with tonight’s forecasted weather.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 19: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts during a review in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 19, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. The review resulted in the play being a foul ball. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
Pete Alonso hit a fair ball into the left field seats last night that should have been a go-ahead home run. Let’s just get that one out of the way right off the top. It’s unbelievable that the umpire did not call a fair ball live and it’s even more unbelievable that the replay center did not accept the decisive angle that would have given the Orioles a 4-3 lead. I don’t subscribe to any conspiracy theories. I think those people are just bad at their jobs.
It is one of those times I would have liked to see some fire from the manager. The figurative shadow of Earl Weaver looms over any major league field involving the Orioles. Craig Albernaz doesn’t have to do it Earl’s way, but he does need to do it some way. Just get caught being mad at the umpires when the process has screwed over your team. Point, yell, gesticulate, whatever, let the team know you’re not going to take it sitting down. Go around yelling at people until they eject you, then yell a little more.
Albernaz doesn’t seem to do this; he didn’t do it last night anyway. I don’t think it’s why the Orioles lost the game. They lost because they have an insufficient number of relievers to rely upon, and also because they went 0-6 with runners in scoring position. I just think it’s something that Albernaz should have done.
The Orioles bullpen being what it is lately, maybe Alonso getting the home run that he deserved would have only set up an even more tragic way of blowing the freshly-earned lead. Two runs were charged to Cam Sanders in an eighth inning outing where he hit two batters and walked another one. It’s not good to have to rely on guys of this ilk. You might get a few pleasant surprises out of them initially but guys like this are relatively cheaply available for a reason and the longer you give them, the more likely they’ll show you.
It’s a bad way to build a bullpen and these weaknesses have been exposed even more since Mike Elias decided to trade Tyler Wells ahead of the deadline. Grant Wolfram has fallen apart. Rico Garcia had his problems recently. Yennier Cano has hit a rough patch since being called into higher-leverage later-game situations. And those are just the ones you might have liked at one time. There are other, rougher names involved.
Perhaps there’s going to be at least one new face coming soon to the bullpen. Orioles beat writers, including The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka, put this one out last night:
Is De León going to be anything? I don’t know. He was only promoted to Triple-A Norfolk recently and he’s got a 5.28 ERA and 1.83 WHIP through his first four games. Just last night, he walked three batters over the course of a scoreless inning of relief. He is the #7 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s recently-updated top Orioles prospect list. He becomes Rule 5 draft eligible this offseason. Perhaps they think he can be an extra weapon out of the bullpen. Perhaps they’ll even be right.
The 2026 American League playoff situation being what it is, the Orioles did not lose any ground in the wild card chase. The Blue Jays lost. The Guardians lost. The Tigers lost. The Rangers lost. Only the Twins were winners, so they now stand in the third wild card spot, half a game ahead of Texas and a touch farther ahead of others. Minnesota is off today. The Orioles only have to win to peel back the half game.
They need the win also to avoid being swept by the Yankees. I’ve gotta say, folks, it is entirely in character for the 2026 team to really rope people in with winning the first three games of that Rays series only to fall apart after that. They lost the next three games, each in fairly agonizing fashion. They try to avoid a fourth straight loss as the series concludes starting at 6:35 tonight. It won’t be easy: Gerrit Cole is pitching for New York. Kyle Bradish makes the start for the O’s.
Albernaz must trust starters when they earn it (The Baltimore Sun) The Sun was taking Albernaz to task yesterday for pulling Shane Baz in Tuesday’s game. Many people took the opposite view, that Baz wasn’t pulled soon enough.
Alexander nearing rehab assignment and return (School of Roch) Samuel Basallo is back, Blaze Alexander is close to a rehab assignment, is there enough time for things to come back together? On that question, make sure you vote in our poll that’s running this week.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
The most recent Orioles victory on today’s date came two years ago, when they knocked off the Mets by a 9-5 margin to pull into first place in the AL East by a half-game margin. Anthony Santander and James McCann each homered in the game. Dean Kremer was pretty good. Just four of the fifteen players who appeared in that box score for the team are on the 40-man roster right now.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 1996-2001 outfielder Gene Kingsale, and 1955-59 pitcher George Zuverink.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Chilean Supreme Director Bernardo O’Higgins (1778), 23rd president Benjamin Harrison (1833), horror author H.P. Lovecraft (1890), baseball Hall of Famer Al López (1908), musician/actor Isaac Hayes (1942), TV weatherman Al Roker (1954), actor Ke Huy Quan (1971), and singer-songwriter Demi Lovato (1992).
On this day in history…
In 636, the expanding Rashidun Caliphate defeated the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of the Yarmuk, seizing control of the area of modern-day Syria from the Byzantines.
In 1648, France defeated a Spanish-Lorraine force in the Battle of Lens, a decisive victory that paved the way for the Peace of Westphalia and the end of the Thirty Years War later in the year.
In 1858, the theory of evolution developed by Charles Darwin was first published in a journal titled The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London.
In 1882, the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky had its premiere performance in Moscow.
In 1977, the Voyager 2 probe launched, actually launching before Voyager 1 even though it’s numbered second. The probe passed by Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune over the next 12 years and is now over 13.3 billion miles from Earth.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on August 20. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!
Jul 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I’m writing on August 19, and Jake Bauers has a 146 OPS+ in 452 plate appearances. The last time a Milwaukee Brewer had a 146 wRC+ in a season in which they had even 350 plate appearances was in 2019, when Christian Yelich was in the second of his back-to-back MVP-caliber seasons.
Of course, there’s a good chunk of season left, so we don’t know how things will end up. But Jake Bauers, right now, is as good an offensive weapon as the Brewers have had in the past seven years — a span in which the Brewers have made the playoffs in all but one season and in which they’ve won four, perhaps soon to be five, division titles. On top of his on-field play, Bauers has also turned into a team leader; it was he who spoke out after the Brewers’ tough series in San Diego last week, and he who sparked their turnaround in Los Angeles, where they took three of four to salvage a solid road trip at the end of a 17-games-in-17-days stretch.
How did we get here?
If you told someone in 2017 that 10 years later Bauers would be one of the league’s best hitters (Bauers is eighth in the league in OPS+ at the start of play on Wednesday), that wouldn’t have surprised anyone. Bauers was a seventh-round pick of the Padres out of high school all the way back in 2013, but he was included in a massive trade after the 2014 season (one which included such highly regarded prospects and young players as Wil Myers, Trea Turner, and Joe Ross) that sent him to Tampa Bay. In the Rays system, Bauers thrived; in 2016, when he was just 20, he hit .274/.370/.420 with 14 home runs and 28 doubles at Double-A Montgomery, and he started appearing on top 100 prospect lists heading into 2017. Another strong season in 2017 (.263/.368/.412 as a 21-year-old at Triple-A Durham) put him on the major league doorstep. He was 22, and Baseball America had him as a top 50 prospect.
After that, things got rocky. He debuted with the Rays in 2018 and slugged a bit with 11 homers and drew a bunch of walks in 388 plate appearances, but he hit just .201. After the season, he was sent to Cleveland in a big trade that ended up with Carlos Santana in Cleveland and Yandy Díaz in Tampa (the Mariners took back some cash, a pick, and the shell of Edwin Encarnación). Bauers played 117 games for Cleveland in 2019 but hit just .226/.312/.371 (a 78 OPS+). He didn’t make Cleveland’s roster in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and thus didn’t play baseball; in 2021, he got off to a poor start and was traded yet again, to Seattle, but the names in the trades that Bauers was included in at this point were losing some shine; Seattle sent a pitcher named Damon Casetta-Stubbs who never got above High-A.
The struggles continued in Seattle, and Bauers could only manage a minor league deal as a free agent in 2022. He played 29 games in Cincinnati’s system and hit .135/.276/.271. The Yankees brought him on and he hit .226/.352/.406 for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Things finally turned around a bit for the now 27-year-old Bauers in 2023; it was just a 24-game sample, but Bauers hit .359/.485/.897 (!) with 11 home runs in 97 plate appearances before he earned another chance in the big leagues with New York. The batting average was still poor, but Bauers did flash some power; 12 homers in 272 plate appearances for the Yankees in 84 games in 2023.
The Brewers traded for him after the season, sending a couple of lottery tickets, Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez, for him. As we all know here, the struggles continued for Bauers: in 117 games and 346 PA in 2024, he hit only .199. He did walk a lot, and he hit 12 homers, and Pat Murphy seemed to like him. He stuck around in 2025. Through 60 games played, Bauers was hitting .197 with five home runs in 151 plate appearances. On July 18, he went on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.
What changed?
It’s not entirely clear what happened in the four-ish weeks that Bauers spent on the injured list, but something happened. Bauers has talked about simplifying his approach, and in interviews these days you’ll hear him talk often about mental things like remaining even-keeled, not letting himself get too high or too low, valuing his family, and keeping a long view of things.
Whatever happened, Bauers was a different hitter. After a few games shaking the rust off, Bauers hit .360/.458/.560 in 22 games in September. In six postseason games, he hit .308 with a double and a homer in 14 plate appearances. This season, he has shown that whatever happened in that small sample at the end of the 2025 season has endured.
So what actually happened?
The fact is, Bauers always had some good indicators. Look at his Statcast pages going back to 2023; Bauers was always good at finding the barrel and hitting the ball hard. He didn’t chase much. He always swung the bat hard — he’s a strong guy. But the thing that really sticks out is strikeouts. Check out his strikeout percentages:
2023: 34.9% (unqualified on Statcast, but bottom five-percent-ish)
2024: 34.1%, 2nd percentile
2025: 27.1% (unqualified, but 15th percentile-ish)
2026: 24.8% (27th percentile)
Bauers still strikes out a lot, but he is vastly improved from four years ago, and the change that has made to his other indicators is enormous. While he was always getting his barrel on the ball and hitting it hard, he wasn’t putting the ball in play enough to be a major factor. But now look at the effect the increased balls in play have had on his expected batting average and slugging percentages:
2023: .221 xBA, .475 xSLG
2024: .199 xBA, .389 xSLG
2025: .234 xBA, .457 xSLG
2026: .260 xBA, .484 xSLG
Bauers has also always been an elite walk-taker; I mentioned the chase percentage as a major strength earlier, and to illustrate the point he was in the 88th percentile in walk percentage even when he was badly struggling in 2024. Bauers has sported walk percentages of 14.7 and 14.6% in the last two seasons; he’s in the top 10 in walk percentage this year and would’ve been last year if he’d qualified.
Bauers is a poor fielder. His reputation as a good defensive first baseman is merely a reputation at this point — his numbers don’t back it up. He does offer the Brewers value by being able to play in the outfield, and it has enabled them to opt for some offense-heavy lineups during times when they’ve really needed a boost. But let’s not pretend that Bauers is by any means a good, or even decent, defensive outfielder.
That does not diminish his value to the team, though. With Christian Yelich and William Contreras struggling badly for huge swaths of the 2026 season, with Jackson Chourio still in the “young and streaky” phase of his career (and absent for the first six weeks of the season), the Brewers needed someone to step up and lead the offense. Brice Turang has done his part, but Bauers is the guy who has been there all year, steadily. Bauers has five more homers than any other Brewer, he’s walked more than every Brewer except Turang (who has two more walks in 75 more plate appearances), his OPS+ is 12 points higher than the next highest (Andrew Vaughn) and 25 points higher than another player with 300 plate appearances (Turang).
Where do we go from here?
It’s certainly a question as to whether Bauers will be back to ply his trade with the Brewers beyond this season. He is a free agent, and he’s played well enough this season that he’s very possibly going to be the best free agent first baseman on the market. The Brewers very well may offer Bauers the qualifying offer (a decision that would be made before the looming lockout); would Bauers take it?
My guess is no — he’ll be 31 before the postseason is over, and according to Spotrac, Bauers’ career earnings are currently less than $10 million. I mean, I’d be happy to take that for my own career earnings, but we’re talking relatives here; this will be Bauers’ best chance to lock in generational wealth for his family. The roughly $22 million qualifying offer is a lot (and the Brewers should offer it, with Brandon Woodruff coming off the books), but at his age and with his limited track record of success beyond this season, I strongly suspect Bauers would be more likely to take a longer-term, higher-value deal even if the average annual value was lower.
Could the Brewers still be in on that deal? I’m looking at something like Christian Walker’s three-year, $60 million deal signed with the Astros before the 2025 season. Walker definitely had a longer record of success at that point — he’d averaged over three WAR per 162 games over the previous six seasons — but he was also entering his age-34 season, three years older than Bauers. Three years and $60 million would be a lot for the Brewers. Would Bauers settle for something like three years and $45 million? Or two years and $40 million? It’s hard to say, and it’s kind of difficult for me to believe that, given the offensive struggles of some of the league’s wealthiest teams this season, there wouldn’t be a team out there that would beat an offer like that. Plus, we’re all working in hypotheticals here, anyway — we do not know exactly what sort of limits on free agent contracts may or may not exist after the lockout.
(One other quick note that could apply here: if the Brewers do offer Bauers the qualifying offer and he declines it and signs elsewhere, Milwaukee does recoup a draft pick. But where that pick ends up could be a question; under current rules, if he signed for less than $50 million, it would be after the second round; if more than $50 million, it’s after the first round.)
For now, let’s worry about next year next year. Bauers has been immense for the Brewers this season, and given how long it took him to get to his place, it’s a good story, too. He’s probably going to end up with some down-ballot MVP votes this year, a nearly unthinkable outcome after the first couple years of Bauers’ Brewers tenure. Great teams often need a player like this to step up unexpectedly, and Bauers, at a bargain price, is doing that for the 2026 Brewers as they march toward the league’s best record.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 14: Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils waits for a face off during the second period against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on April 14, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by China Wong/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
A look at a few key advanced metrics trends for the Devils heading into the 2026-2027 season: [NHL.com]
“The New Jersey Devils want to turn optimism into substance this season with a new general manager, a recommitted captain and a roster reshaped around more size, versatility and scoring.” [NHL.com]
“The New Jersey Devils were a huge disappointment last season. They were widely considered a sneaky contender and Dom Luszczyszyn gave them the 9th best odds to win the Stanley Cup. Fast forward and they finished 21st in the league while missing the playoffs by 12 points. Not great! Let’s take a look at three reasons to be optimistic the Devils could have a much more successful campaign in 2026-27.” [Infernal Access ($)]
“The 2026-27 season is an important one for the New Jersey Devils. They have to make the playoffs, or there could be consequences next offseason if they miss. That means everyone has to play at a high level, but some players have more to prove than others. Let’s look at five Devils with the most to prove next season.” [Devils on the Rush]
“A healthy Jack Hughes changes the outlook more than almost any other single variable on the roster. That remains the clearest path to a better year in New Jersey.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
Hockey Links
Everyone’s getting a new jersey:
Something new is coming to all 32 NHL cities this season. 👀
The countdown is on for the first-of-its-kind Hometown Remix program by the @NHL and @Fanatics. More details to come after the puck drops on the 2026-27 season next month. pic.twitter.com/zX1uBNLNZn
“If there’s one thing every NHL fan agrees on, it’s that anyone who bangs on the glass during play should go to jail. But if there’s a second thing, it’s that our favorite team is always getting lit up by some random rookie playing his first career game.” [The Athletic ($)]
“In the second half of our NHL 2030 series, we’re forecasting the future standings by ranking all 32 teams from worst to first. Who will lift the 2030 Stanley Cup? How has each franchise’s outlook shifted since we checked in last offseason?” [Daily Faceoff]
“Welcome to this year’s edition of the under-23 NHL player rankings. After ranking every organization’s best young players in the NHL Pipeline Rankings, we now turn to a ranking of the best young players overall on teams’ reserve lists, meaning within an NHL organization, in or outside the league. This is a ranking meant to show who I think will have the best NHL careers, not who I would take in a game tomorrow. This is also a good exercise to show how the last five age groups compare to each other, as this largely spans the player pool from the 2022 through 2026 NHL Drafts.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
BALTIMORE – There’s nothing quite so bottomless as a 162-game Major League Baseball season. Brent Headrick is discovering that three excruciating outs at a time.
After pitching a scoreless seventh inning and getting a favorable ruling on a questionable foul ball call, Headrick has pitched in 65 of the New York Yankees’ 126 games this season. That is an 84-game pace, which would rank second in franchise history, one game ahead of Scott Proctor and two games behind Paul Quantrill, who were used, shall we say, liberally by manager Joe Torre in the mid-2000s.
Back then, usage and load management and the long-term effects of a heavy season on an arm weren’t so copiously tracked. Nearly three decades into this century, arm care and the desire to avoid three appearances in three days, or four in five, are canon on most pitching staffs.
But these are the 2026 Yankees, wracked by injuries to the lineup and short in the rotation with aces Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Max Fried all recovering from elbow maladies at various points.
Close and late is the Yankee way right now. And so more nights than not, the bullpen phone rings and summons Headrick.
Answering that call night after night after night is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. And Headrick, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound left-hander, leans heavily on the words imparted by the Yankees’ mental skills staff.
“I’ve said this since early in the season: Attack the day,” Headrick tells USA TODAY Sports. “Each day can lead to the next. You can look two weeks in advance, but it’s not going to do any good. For me, with every aspect of the game, I try to live in today. Take care of what today needs.
“And worry about tomorrow when it gets here. That mentality has allowed me to be more present and take care of my body and do things the right way so I’m prepped for a longer season.”
And oh, what a season.
Headrick has posted a 1.55 ERA in his 65 games, striking out 79 in 64 innings. His 20 holds are eighth in the American League, and he’s holding opponents to a .224 average, with just three homers surrendered.
Yet any number of statistics don’t illustrate Headrick’s value as much as any phrase that exemplifies reliability.
The man posts, as they say.
“We’re always trying to take inventory with guys on a daily basis,” says Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake. “Are they emotionally up for it? Are they mentally or physically exhausted? He’s done a good job communicating when he needs a day. We typically avoid three in a row and four out of five. There have been a couple instances this year we’ve had to push a guy because of the schedule or where the starters were at.
“He’s always been up for it. It’s a testament to how he’s taken care of his body, how he’s managing his throwing program and how efficient he is out there.”
He’d better be efficient. Running your fastball up to 95 mph, mixing in a slider, a sinker and a splitter isn’t necessarily easy on the arm.
Proctor remains one of the game’s cautionary tales. He pitched in 83 games in both 2006 and 2007 but by 2009 his right elbow had, in the words of orthopedist James Andrews, “turned to mush.”
In fact, nine of the top 10 games pitched totals in Yankees history came under Torre’s watch between 1997 and 2007. Safe to say the Yankees are warier of the season’s odometer in this era.
“Definitely something we’ve got to be mindful of, especially as we head down the stretch,” says Blake. “You gotta be smart.”
But the way these Yankees are built makes this challenging. At 71-55, they have a firm grasp on the No. 1 wild card in the AL, and are five games behind Tampa Bay in the East. Minus reigning MVP Aaron Judge, though, and with Cody Bellinger starting a rehab assignment Thursday, it has been a grind.
The value is reflected in the team’s WAR totals. Cy Young Award favorite Cam Schlittler is No. 1, followed by Bellinger and Fried. No. 4, with 2.6 WAR? That’d be Headrick, selected off waivers from the Twins in February 2025.
Righty set-up man Paul Blackburn (2.3) is tied with 34-homer All-Star Ben Rice for fourth. Weird year.
Yet Headrick and Co. keep answering. They’ve taken two games off the Orioles here by 3-1 and 5-3 scores, with four of their relievers – Fernando Cruz, Headrick, Blackburn and closer David Bednar – all pitching back-to-back.
While Cruz gave up a game-tying home run Wednesday, all got their jobs done, with the other lefty, Tim Hill, retiring all four batters after starter Will Warren went just four innings.
The Yankees are 41-24 when Headrick pitches, perhaps the best proof of his high-leverage lifestyle.
“They’ve been awesome,” says manager Aaron Boone. “It’s why we’re in this position playing where we are now, is the strength of our starting rotation, anchored by Bus at the end.”
Headrick calls the bullpen’s success “contagious,” and it is evident. The unit ranks second in the majors with a 3.02 ERA and seventh in strikeouts per nine innings, buttressed by a precision that comes with a 2.49 strikeout-walk ratio that ranks ninth in MLB.
He’s pitched three times in four days on a half-dozen occasions, though the Yankees have avoided throwing him three days in a row, for now.
Still, showing up, in a sense, is half the battle.
“I take a ton of pride. I love being able to help this team win games any day I can,” says Headrick. “Whenever that opportunity comes and they call my name, it’s my job to be ready and I’m going to go out there and give it everything I have.”
Feb 21, 2025; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Christian Bethancourt (60) participates in media day at the Blue Jays Player Development Complex. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a minor move yesterday, acquiring catcher Christian Bethancourt from the New York Yankees for the ever nebulous cash considerations.
The 34-year-old Bethancourt was playing in the Minors for the Yankees organization, and while he will be a Minor League player for the Bucs, officially to be assigned to Triple-A Indianpolis, he will be part of the taxi squad for the Bucs for their extended road trip on Friday.
Bethancourt has bounced around the league quite a bit, spending time with the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Rays, San Diego Padres, Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, and even did a stint with the Bucs back in 2021.
He hit 11 homers in 2022 and again in 2023, but he’s just a career .225 hitter, and his high water mark for RBIs was 34.
Nonetheless, with Endy Rodriguez once again dealing with injury issues, the Bucs are shorthanded at catcher, and having another backstop in the mix, especially for the upcoming road trip, was a priority for the team.
So a minor move for the Bucs, but one that appears neccessary. Welcome back to the ‘Burgh, Christian.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 12: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees smiles during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on August 12, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s a bit of a cliche, but one of the great things about baseball is that it never fails to surprise us. You can go to the ballpark and see something you’ve never seen before every night. The worst team in the league is liable to beat the best team in the league on any given day. And most crucially, ballplayers themselves are breathing, dynamic people that can and do change. Players who you thought were backups at best can shake up their offseason regimen, learn a new pitch, overhaul their plate approach, make any number of infinite changes, and turn into something you’d never dreamed of.
Of course, the process works in reverse too (players you never thought could regress and fail manage to surprise and go backwards). But let’s focus on the bright side right now and consider the Yankees that have surprised in positive ways this year. Now that we’re three-quarters into the season, which Yankee has raised your opinion of them the most?
Early in the season, I thought the answer to this question was sure to be Ben Rice. On May 3rd, Rice had a 1.214 OPS, and his 222 wRC+ led the majors. Rice carried a high level of production into the summer, but he’s cratered the last month or two. His 140 OPS+ on the year is still excellent, but it’s also probably not a hugely surprising figure to anyone that watched Rice closely in 2025.
Cam Schlittler also seemed like a great answer to this question early in the year, and thankfully, that remains the case even as we head toward the home stretch. Though he hasn’t been quite as dominant as he was during the season’s first couple months, Schlittler is still at or near the top of every AL pitching leaderboard and has a very real shot at the AL Cy Young. He’s an Ace, which was not a guarantee at the beginning of the year.
If no one on the Yankees has moved your expectations of them more than Schlittler, that’s fair. But there are some other candidates on this roster. Ryan Weathers comes to mind; his 3.56 ERA/3.62 FIP on the year are excellent for a mid-rotation arm, and if you put a little added weight onto his most recent stretch in which he’s allowed just three runs over his last five outings, Weathers starts to resemble a front-line starter.
There’s also the matter of the rooks. Everyone knew entering the year that George Lombard Jr. had real talent, but the idea that he’d be ready to contribute at a high level in the majors by the summer seemed a bit of a stretch. While we don’t know how long he can sustain this, Lombard has been a plus player in every way during his first few weeks in the majors after looking extremely polished in Triple-A. We also can give an honorable mention to Spencer Jones, who still strikes out too much but at least has looked like a major-league caliber player during his debut.
If you’re able to look past the Anthony Volpes and Jasson Domínguez’s of the world, there really are quite a number of Yankees who have taken steps forward and shifted our expectations of them. David Bednar has solidified himself as the Closer that was promised, Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn have flourished into high-leverage arms, hell, even Gerrit Cole has done a lot to wipe away any concerns during his return from elbow surgery.
What do you think? Try and go back to the start of the season, and remember how you felt about each player. Who’s done the most to raise your opinion of them since then?
We’ve got the finale in Baltimore tonight, and we’ve got lots on the site to keep you busy beforehand. In the morning, Nick reviews Wednesday night’s action, and Michael calls for the Yankees to amp up their aggressiveness on the base paths. Later, Peter profiles the great Graig Nettles, and also praises Carlos Rodon’s work in his return against the Orioles this week, while Jonathan discusses the Yankees’ tendency to downplay injuries at times.
