PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 1: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck against Colton Sissons #10 of the Nashville Predators in the second period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 1, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Nashville Predators (3-3-3, 9 points, 7th Central Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (4-6-1, 9 points, 6th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally televised game on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and Scripps, streaming for out of market at ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins have a rare stretch of four days off before returning Thursday for another home game, this time against the Utah Mammoth.
Opponent Track: The Predators have lost four of their last five games in a 1-2-2 stretch that included two shootout defeats. The Preds most recently conceded a 6-0 shootout at the Boston Bruins.
Season Series: The Penguins and Predators will meet again next month during a November 21 game in Nashville.
Hidden Stat: The Penguins are heading into tonight’s matchup on a nine-game point streak against the Predators, having gone 7-0-2 against Nashville in a stretch dating back to April 2022.
Getting to know the Predators
Projected lines (based on Friday’s practice)
FORWARDS
Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Matthew Wood
Filip Forsberg – Mavrik Bourque – Jonathan Marchessault
Ross Colton – Alex Kerfoot – Nils Hoglander
Reid Schaefer – Jack Drury – Adam Edstrom
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Josi / Adam Wilsby
Nicolas Hague / Jayden Struble
Brady Skjei / Nick Perbix
Goalies: Juuse Saros, Justus Annunen
Potential scratches: Jack Ahcan, Nick Perbix, Vitali Pinchuk, Ilya Lyubushkin
Injured Reserve: William Trudeau (upper body, week-to-week)
Juuse Saros sat out his second game of the season in the shutout loss to the Bruins, so he might be getting the call against the Penguins. He is 4-6-1 with a .914 save percentage and 2.73 goals against average in 13 career games against the Pens.
The Predators are coming out of what coach Andrew Brunette called his team’s “worst effort of the year by far” in their 6-0 loss to the Bruins. He had some harsh words for his players after Thursday’s loss, per NHL.com’s Joe McDonald:
“We need a few more guys playing hockey. We had too many passengers tonight and probably almost all of them. It’s disappointing. We knew coming in this is a big stretch of hockey, a big month for our group. We knew that, but we forgot to play hockey tonight.”
It’s early, but Nashville’s 3-3-3 start is underwhelming for a team that had the goal of retooling into a contender this summer after Chris MacFarland was hired to succeed Barry Trotz as the team’s general manager in June. Longtime Predator Filip Forsberg called MacFarland’s hiring “a breath of fresh air” after the GM started off his tenure by making nine trades in five months, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
A few key aspects of the Predators remained the same this offseason, however. Brunette, who has led the Predators to a 118-111-26 record across parts of four seasons, is still in place as head coach. And the team’s veteran core of Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly is back for another run together.
Whether these four players, who currently sit atop the Predators production leaderboard, remain in Nashville this season looks like a similar situation to that of players like Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson in Pittsburgh— should the team drop out of postseason contention entirely, they could potentially be on the trade block this winter.
O’Reilly is a pending UFA next season. Incumbent 42-goal scorer Stamkos has two years remaining on his deal, although he said last season there was “zero” chance he would waive his full no-movement clause for a trade. The Predators may need to prove they can compete for a higher spot in the Central Division in order to keep either from becoming the subject of trade rumors down the stretch of the season.
Stamkos, who is 29 goals behind Sidney Crosby for the second-most among active players, is two power play goals shy of tying Phil Esposito’s career mark of 246 for the sixth most in NHL history. He has tied for the team lead with four goals in nine games, including a 6-on-5 buzzer-beater in what was ultimately a shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks last week.
Speaking of the power play, the Penguins will have plenty of motivation not to take any unnecessary penalties tonight. The Predators rank fourth in the NHL with a 28.6 scoring rate on the man advantage. The penalty kill is also humming along at an 83.3 success rate, which ties with the Penguins for seventh-best in the league.
That hasn’t been enough to cover for the team’s struggles at even strength. The Preds have tallied an NHL-low 10 goals at 5v5 through their first nine games of the season.
The Predators could prevent a good test for a Penguins defense that is coming off one of the unit’s stronger performances of the season against the Panthers. The Pens are looking to improve at even strength after having allowed the fifth-most 5v5 goals against in the NHL with 26 through 11 games.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Evgeni Malkin (?)
Andrei Kuzmenko – Blake Lizotte – Rutger McGroarty
Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Nick Robertson
DEFENSEMEN
Spencer Stastney / Erik Karlsson
Declan Carlile / Kaeden Korczak
Ilya Solovyov / Kris Letang
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov
Potential Scratches: Sam Girard (day to day), Egor Chinakhov (day to day, lower body), Chase Pietila, Avery Hayes (?)
IR: Ryan Graves, Justin Brazeau, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Bryan Rust (lower body), Ben Kindel
Neither Egor Chinakhov (lower body) nor Evgeni Malkin (illness) participated in Friday’s practice. It looks like Rutger McGroarty saw some power play time in Malkin’s absence:
With Evgeni Malkin out sick today and Egor Chinakhov missing practice with a lower-body injury, the second power play group looks a little different.
After shuffling the lines ahead of Thursday’s shoutout of the Florida Panthers, the Penguins might be forced to make some more changes should Malkin need more time to recover despite seeing some early chemistry between him and Hendrix Lapierre on the second line.
On that note, Avery Hayes was scratched from the Wilkes-Barre/Penguins’ Friday lineup. Coach Kirk MacDonald said after the game Hayes had been called up to Pittsburgh, per Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis. Hayes has yet to make his season debut after appearing in 16 games of the Penguins’ 2025-26 campaign.
In the second game of the season, the Washington Wizards’ offense staggered, wheezed, and stalled, and they lost to the Toronto Raptors, 112-102.
This was Washington’s first real test of the season. The Raptors were good last season, and added Kawhi Leonard. That should be enough to elevate them into Eastern Conference contention, at least if Leonard can stay healthy.
The difference in quality was evident early and often, despite Toronto shooting just 20.6% from three-point range. Despite making five fewer threes than the Wizards, the Raptors had the higher effective field goal percentage. They also won the battle on the glass and committed fewer turnovers. What kept Washington as close as they were was 35 free throw attempts to Toronto’s 21.
Credit Trae Young and some wordclass grifting for that free throw differential. He drew three fouls pulling up for jumpers when being closely followed by a chase defender. He got another by intentionally bumping into a defender and falling down.
Washington’s offensive struggles were pervasive. More than a little credit goes to the Raptors, which is well stocked with long, athletic players who play hard, smart, and tough. Washington had multiple possessions in which they could not even get their primary action initiated because of strong ball pressure by guys like Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, and Scottie Barnes, as well as effective denial one pass away.
In a potentially worrisome development, a few of those stalled, stagnant possessions involved Young and Anthony Davis trying to get into a pick-and-roll set. They’re supposed to be the veteran duo that knows how to attack a stout defense. Last night, they missed shots and committed turnovers.
Kyshawn George had a very bad game — 2-9 from the floor plus 8 turnovers and 5 fouls. One word kept showing up in my notes about George’s miscues: “sloppy.” In a particularly destructive two-minute stretch of the third quarter, George had three turnovers. He needs a crash course in post entry passes — at least two of his turnovers were attempts to feed Davis inside. In both cases in my notes, Davis was being fronted and George made terrible passes directly to Raptors.
Notes & Observations
Barnes is really, really good. He shot well from the midrange, and despite eight turnovers, made what felt like every important play throughout the game.
Young is a bad defender. He’s short, slender, and…not strong. This season, he pledged to work on that end, and at least in the early going, he was true to his word. I liked one possession where Toronto ran a pick-and-roll. Young switched onto Barrett aggressively and forced him to pick up his dribble. It hobbled the possession. On another, Young got screened, and Immanuel Quickley popped free for what looked like a wide open three-point attempt. Young sprinted back into the play and contested from the side. Quickley missed.
Young’s defense was far from perfect. Later in the first quarter, his attention drifted, and Quickley backcut him for a layup. The play was eerily similar to one from Washington’s opening night win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Wizards opened the second half with a well-designed set play. Young started in the left corner and came up for a dribble hand off from Davis. He then turned the corner and drew the attention of both his defender and Davis’ — forcing the defense to make decisions on the move. Davis rolled, and Young threw a perfect lob for a slam.
One nice offensive sequence from the kids. Bilal Coulibaly made a perfect post feed to Alex Sarr, who then made a strong move into the middle. That move drew weakside help, and Sarr recognized it and passed to the open man: George on the wing. George missed the shot, but it was good basketball that resulted in a wide open look.
Young grifted two fouls by RJ Barrett in just six seconds on the game clock.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
RAPTORS
WIZARDS
LGAVG
eFG%
47.0%
45.6%
51.6%
OREB%
35.8%
15.0%
27.4%
TOV%
15.1%
18.9%
14.4%
FTM/FGA
0.168
0.380
0.245
PACE
106
102.1
ORTG
106
96
110.2
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 23: Ryan Rollins #13 of the Milwaukee Bucks plays defense during the game against the Chicago Bulls on October 23, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
In a game they should have won, the Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Chicago Bulls, 132-125. Turnovers and missed free throws doomed the Bucks against one of the few teams they entered the season with a legit chance to beat. A major blow, for sure, and now the team hits a long stretch of opponents with realistic playoff aspirations. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Well, Rollins did at least have a better floor game than against Washington, but he just couldn’t get the offence going like we know he can. Rollins started slow, going 1/5 in the first half, and never got the engine started. Crucially, three of his four turnovers came in the final frame. Not to put it all on him, but if Rollins plays like Rollins, the Bucks probably have two wins right now.
The lone bright spot throughout both games, Herro continues to fill it up. Sure, this was another team with plenty of bad defenders to pick at, but you can only play who’s in front of you. What I’ve liked most about Herro is the methodical pace he’s playing at; many of the Bucks’ sets are run for him, but he treats each possession with purpose and precision, using great cadence to catch the ball in the right spots, change pace off screens, etc. Of course, the confidence to step up and lead the fourth-quarter charge was awesome to watch on a bunch of levels. Herro’s efficent scoring, solid floor game, and lack of turnovers put him in the A-band for me. Great game.
I mean, if you excuse the turnovers, Jaquez had another really solid game. He definitely tried to do too much at times, though; one no-pass possession in the fourth really got on my nerves. That said, Jaquez made some really nifty passes in traffic, including a nice slip pass to Kuzma and a nifty lob to Ware. The man also shot efficiently from deep, which obviously meant he would go 50% from the charity stripe. Ugh.
Kuzma was absolutely better in this one (low bar, I know). I liked the shots he took from the perimeter; they were the right shots to take within the offence. However, Kuz still had a few transition attempts where once he’d decided he was attacking, there was no talking him out of it. He’s going to lower that shoulder and euro-step every time; whatever happens from there, happens, LOL.
Have not been impressed with Turner through two games. At seven feet tall, his inability to wall up and deter shots at the rim has been even more jarring without Giannis; Turner started with a nice transition block on Josh Giddey, but as the contest wore on, he became less and less effective. Heck, there was a possession where the 6’10”, 220-pound Leonard Miller pushed Turner out of the way under the basket to lay it in easily. This is to say nothing about his ability, or lack thereof, to defend in space nowadays. Oh, and Myles, when you catch it in the paint with a bunch of smaller guys nipping at your ankles, hold the ball high and put it in! Man, he’s just played so small to start the year.
I did think Ware played with more vigour in this one, so kudos to him. Needed more urgency closing out to shooting bigs like Jalen Smith, though; a hand up isn’t enough; you need to make them put the ball on the floor.
Another very solid game from Jakucionis. I love the rhythm and pace he played with, taking what the defence gave him once he created an advantage, whether that was a layup, a lob, or a kickout. Crucially, as a big guard, he’s using his size to get downhill way more than he did last year in Miami. I also thought he was solid on defence yet again.
Tough night for Burries, as will happen a lot this season—he is a rookie, after all. I do think the rook needs to be more aware of his closeouts on three-point shooters; that’s been a theme through the first two games, and he picked up a flagrant on Norman Powell in this one. All the little things add up.
Grade: D+
Ousmane Dieng
16 minutes, 3 points, 1 assist, 5 PF, 1/3 FG, -10
As I keep saying, Ous needs to take and make shots for this to work, and he didn’t. I also thought he went up soft on some crucial rebounding possessions in the fourth, not pursuing the ball as hard as the player below. Too many fouls as well.
Grade: D-
AJ Green
16 minutes, 11 points, 4/7 FG, 3/6 3P, -17
Green felt more involved in the offence. He hunted his shot—though I could have done without the near-half-court bomb in the fourth—and even ventured inside the line for a pull-up two off the roll-replace action. Most importantly, Green felt like one of the few players willing to get scrappy and fight for loose balls.
Grade: B-
Taylor Jenkins
Like the Washington game, if the Bucks did just one or two things at an average level, they probably would have won. Jenkins can’t do anything about guys turning the ball over and missing free throws. I will say, however, that rolling with Dieng for a fair stretch in the fourth quarter, given how he’d played up to that point, was puzzling. There was also a jarring possession where a Buck shot the ball, two guys competed for the offensive rebound, and two guys kinda just stood meandering around the basket, leading to a leak-out and dunk down the other end. We know Jenkins wants to send guys to the O-boards, but there needs to be a balance where, if you’re not in the play, you need to get back. I’m sure Jenkins relays a similar message, but if it’s not getting through, that’s ultimately on him.
The Bucks are banging on the door of a victory and doing a lot right. However, this is a game of inches, and the little mistakes are adding up by the end of games.
Bonus Bucks Bits
Herro said his first official home game felt great. “Obviously we wanted to get a win… but my first time being back, playing in this uniform, on that court, in front of those fans—it was just a great moment. I was able to soak it in. I had a lot of family and friends here, so I was excited to be able to get that opportunity.”
Despite the Bulls’ smaller front line, the Bucks got killed in the paint yet again, and handily so (62-44). Also, Chicago’s bench got the better of Milwaukee’s by a mile (59-35).
Some more jarring stats from friend-of-the-site Camille Davis:
Final box score updated this to an 11-0 fastbreak advantage in the second quarter for the Bulls and the Bucks DID do a better job of defending that outside of that quarter.
Turnovers and free throws ended up dooming the Bucks down the stretch tho.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 14: Pat Spencer #61 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on October 14, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There’s a saying I use quite often, and that is, “Champions adjust.” You don’t become a champion by doing the same thing over and over. You become a champion by adjusting to the opposition, rethinking your approach, and executing a new game plan.
It’s a saying I turned into a poster years ago, one that still hangs in my office. Someday, I’ll edit it, adding a member of the Phoenix Suns to it when the team finally raises Larry.
Being a champion doesn’t necessarily mean winning a league championship. There are moments in life, challenges you face, and decisions you have to make, where you can become a champion simply by being willing to adjust.
I’m not going to sit here and suggest that the Phoenix Suns’ change in two-way contract strategy suddenly makes them champions. But I do think their willingness to adjust is something worth recognizing and keeping in mind.
The Suns adjusted their strategy earlier this week when they waived both Koby Brea and CJ Huntley, two players who spent the majority of last season on two-way contracts. Brea was a mid-second-round pick, while Huntley went undrafted. But it was clear that Phoenix’s strategy last season was to use those two-way contracts on young prospects, hoping to develop them into players who could eventually earn guaranteed NBA deals.
That’s the goal of the G League, isn’t it? It’s a proving ground for players, an opportunity for prospects to showcase their development and growth while working toward a permanent place on an NBA roster. But that strategy began to change when the Suns acquired Jamaree Bouyea.
Bouyea was 26 years old when Phoenix brought him in. He wasn’t some young prospect fresh off his collegiate career. He was more seasoned, with professional experience already under his belt. And when the opportunity presented itself, he shined. He appeared in two games with the Valley Suns, averaging 24 points per contest. The organization brought him up, gave him opportunities to prove himself, and eventually converted him to a two-way contract player.
We should’ve recognized this as a sign that the Suns were adjusting their strategy in real time, and that they ultimately liked what they saw and how it worked out for them. Because that’s exactly what we’ve witnessed this offseason.
They signed Pat Spencer to a two-way contract. Then, after Mark Williams suffered an injury and the team found itself needing additional depth at the center position, Phoenix brought in Duop Reath on a training camp invitation. Rather than retain a younger developmental prospect in CJ Huntley, the Suns converted Reath’s deal to a two-way contract, despite him being 30 years old.
The moment Drew Timme became available following the Minnesota Timberwolves waiving his Exhibit 10 contract, Phoenix claimed him off waivers, adding another experienced player who recently turned 26.
Again, nobody is suggesting these transactions are going to result in a championship. We’re talking about two-way contract players, guys who should primarily serve as break glass in case of emergency options. But at least you’re bringing in players who can fulfill specific needs, placing less emphasis on their long-term development and more on refining the skill sets they already possess so they can contribute when called upon.
And I think that says something about this organization’s mindset. There’s a willingness to remain nimble, to stay agile, and to adjust when circumstances call for it. Rather than remaining committed to a particular philosophy simply because that’s how things have always been done, the Suns are demonstrating that they’re willing to reevaluate their approach. Ultimately, that mindset could bring a championship to the Valley one day.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Rainiel Rodriguez #88 of the St. Louis Cardinals at bat during a spring training game against the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It is no secret that the Cardinals have stockpiled minor league talent, but how did that talent develop in 2026? Let’s take a look at every player who started the season as a ranked prospect in the system.
Here are the rules:
Only players who started the year in the organization will be considered, so trade deadline acquisitions and the 2026 draft class are out of scope.
I will use the preseason FanGraphs list since it goes 53 deep and casts the widest net of any prospect list.
Every player must be given one of four designations:
Stock Up = the player improved at least one grade tier (e.g. 45+ to 50 Future Value)
Stock Ticking Up = the player had a positive season, but not enough to change their grade
Stock Ticking Down = the player had a negative season, but not enough to change their grade
Stock Down = the player regressed at least one grade tier
I will go in reverse order of the FanGraphs preseason ranking. I am not including the future value tier that FanGraphs assigned to each prospect because I do not want to muddy the waters with debating where the player should have ranked coming into the year. For example, I would not have ranked Pete Hansen in my top-20 Cardinals prospects with a 40+ FV, as FanGraphs did. So, my evaluation for Hansen of “Stock Ticking Up” means that I think he had a positive season, not that I agree with his FanGraphs grade. Said another way, I’m not re-grading every prospect, just judging which direction each one moved, regardless of where he started. Clear as mud. Alright, on to the list!
53. Branneli Franco, RHP, Low-A – Stock Ticking Down
Franco was terrible in the Complex League, but then put together 15 solid innings in Palm Beach as a 19-year-old. He showed impressive stuff with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s, but the 7.54 season ERA is ugly.
52. Sebastian Dos Santos, SS, Low-A – Stock Up
Dos Santos put together the second-best age-18 season of any Cardinals hitting prospect in the last two decades. He already has great plate discipline and an ability to drive the ball in the air and should be hitting national top-100 lists early next season.
51. Carlos Carrion, SS, DSL – Stock Ticking Down
Carrion was the Cardinals’ second-biggest international signee after Emanuel Luna, but missed most of the season with injury and was unproductive in his 10-game cameo in the DSL.
50. Chase Davis, CF, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Down
Davis made it to Triple-A and showed off above-average plate discipline and incredible exit velocity metrics. Unfortunately, he still has not figured out how to turn this skill set into production as he struggled to an 81 wRC+ in Memphis.
49. Won-Bin Cho, OF, Double-A – Stock Up
Cho had a breakout year, finally cracking the High-A level on his third try and earning a promotion to Springfield. He more than doubled his ISO to .231 and improved his K/BB rate substantially to give the Cardinals a hard 40-man roster decision this offseason.
48. Jack Gurevitch, 1B/3B, Double-A – Stock Up
Gurevitch advanced from Palm Beach to Peoria and finally to Springfield while swatting 32 home runs and carrying a 127 wRC+. He has real big swing-and-miss issues, but he definitely juiced his prospect status with his in-game power results.
47. Bryan Torres, UT, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Torres completed his personal odyssey to triumphantly reach St. Louis. He might have just enough versatility to stick around in some capacity.
46. Colton Ledbetter, OF, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Down
Ledbetter salvaged his season after a stint on the development list and ran a 125 wRC+ over his last 68 games. He improved offensively while advancing a level, but it may not be enough to earn him a 40-man spot this offseason.
45. Randel Clemente, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Clementeimproved his BB%… from 26.1% to 19.9%. He has some of the best stuff in the system but is running out of time.
44. Yordy Herrera, LHP, Low-A – Stock Down
Herrera was released in July.
43. Matt Pushard, RHP, MLB – Stock Down
Pushard did not stick in St. Louis after being selected in the Rule 5 draft.
42. Frank Elissalt, RHP, High-A – Stock Down
Elissalt, part of the return package for Ryan Helsley, missed the entire season with an injury, but at least he has returned to action in the AFL.
41. Mason Molina, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Up
Molina was one of the biggest risers in the system as he dismantled Double-A and finished the season in Memphis in his age-22 season. His 150 strikeouts ranked 12th in MiLB, and he now looks like a potential back-of-the-rotation arm as early as next season.
40. Ethan Young, RHP, Low-A – Stock Ticking Down
Young only managed to pitch 31 innings, but ended the year healthy. Despite a 7.26 ERA, he had decent underlying numbers and flashed good stuff at Palm Beach.
39. Jack Martinez, RHP, High-A – Stock Ticking Up
Martinez struck out 121 batters in 93.2 innings at the Low-A and High-A levels. His slider was ranked as one of the best in the minors by Baseball America.
38. Skylar Hales, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Hales walked too many and carried a 6.34 ERA at Memphis while losing a tick off his fastball. He is Rule 5 eligible and seems unlikely to be protected.
37. Jose Davila, RHP, Double-A – Stock Down
Davila converted to relief and posted decent, if unspectacular, numbers while finishing in Double-A.
36. Braden Davis, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Davis held his own in Double-A and cut his walk rate from 16.6% to 14.4%, but his strikeout rate fell from 33.8% to 28.3%.
35. Blake Aita, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Aita advanced to Double-A and threw over 100 decent innings on the year, but did not distinguish himself in a loaded system and struggled to keep the ball in the yard.
34. Nate Dohm, RHP, Double-A – Stock Down
Dohm battled injuries and command problems while pitching to a 7.19 ERA over 61.1 innings. He still has huge stuff and potential upside, but 2026 was a setback.
33. Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Double-A – Stock Up
Fajardo was one of four teenagers to pitch in Double-A across all of baseball and one of the biggest risers in the system. His fastball is not overwhelming, but he rode his off-speed pitches to a sensational 22.3% K-BB% on the year.
32. Austin Love, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Love struggled to a 6.52 ERA at Springfield and Memphis and walked almost a batter per inning after his promotion.
31. Luis Gastelum, RHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Gastelum carried a mediocre 4.64 ERA and 19/12 K/BB ratio through his first 18 Triple-A games before turning into a terror, posting a 0.00 ERA and running a 30/5 K/BB ratio over his final 18 games. He started off rocky in St. Louis but pitched to a 2.31 ERA with a 34/7 K/BB ratio over his final 23.1 innings.
30. Emanuel Luna, OF, DSL – Stock Ticking Up
Luna turned heads in just nine games by hitting three DSL bombs, carrying a 226 wRC+, and hitting a ball 115.8 mph. It is an incredibly small sample size, but his K% of 18.2% was encouraging as well.
29. Juan Rujano, C, CPX – Stock Down
Rujano entered the season with some hype from the third-party outlets after a solid DSL debut in 2025, but struggled to a 68 wRC+ in the Complex League in his stateside debut.
28. Leonel Sequera, RHP, High-A – Stock Down
Sequera had decent strikeout and walk numbers, but for a player with a questionable fastball, the 1.92 HR/9 and 7.23 ERA are too much to overlook.
27. Cesar Prieto, IF, MLB – Stock Ticking Down
Prieto had the best Triple-A numbers of his career in 2026, but was downright horrible in his St. Louis cup of coffee.
26. Blaze Jordan, 3B, MLB – Stock Up
Blaze crushed Triple-A with a rare blend of power and contact, had solid underlying offensive metrics in 58 major league games, and graded out above average defensively at third. After being left exposed to the Rule 5 draft last offseason, he put himself back in the team’s plans with a strong 2026.
25. Nathan Church, CF, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Church ended with a slash line remarkably close to his preseason ZiPS projection, so this is a tough one. His status as the presumed starting center fielder shows the Cardinals have confidence in him beyond his surface-level numbers, so that will be the tiebreaker.
24. Tanner Franklin, RHP, Double-A – Stock Up
Franklin has been an up-arrow guy since the day he was drafted. Recently, Baseball America argued that he might have the best stuff of any pitcher in the minor leagues.
23. Cade Crossland, LHP, High-A – Stock Ticking Down
Crossland was a strikeout and walk machine in Palm Beach, but showed improved control at the end of the season in Peoria. He averaged only 92.1 mph on his fastball after topping out at 98 mph in college, so his ceiling may be more limited than we thought on draft day.
22. Sem Robberse, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Robberse had a second season mostly wiped out by injury.
21. Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Hjerpe successfully returned from Tommy John and earned his call-up by striking out 13.07 per nine across 42 minor league innings. The control and health remain huge question marks, but it was a positive year for Hjerpe.
20. Jesus Baez, SS, Double-A – Stock Up
Baez entered the year as a nice lottery ticket with tools to dream on. He leaves it with 39 home runs and underlying metrics that ranked him as the second-best 21-year-old hitter in the minors according to Baseball America’s HIT+, trailing only Josue De Paula.
19. Pete Hansen, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up
Hansen actually posted decent numbers in Memphis with ERA, FIP, and xFIP between 4.18 and 4.53 across 101.1 innings. His upside seems limited to a John King-type career, but he will probably debut for someone at some point.
18. Hancel Rincon, RHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Rincon followed up his breakout 2025 campaign in Springfield with a nice run at Memphis that led to his St. Louis debut and a 40-man roster spot. He has already moved to the bullpen, but his 21.4% K-BB% was the best in Triple-A for pitchers who threw 70+ innings.
17. Brycen Mautz, LHP, MLB – Stock Down
Mautz looked like a back-end rotation candidate with upside following his 2025 breakout in Springfield. After a rough season, you would be thrilled if he turned into a meaningful relief piece.
16. Ixan Henderson, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Henderson started the year injured, made it back for one start at Memphis, and then landed back on the 60-day IL. His status going into next year is unclear, but this year was an unfortunate setback for one of the big 2025 breakout prospects.
15. Chen-Wei Lin, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Up
Linhad a solid season behind the more heralded pitching prospects in the Springfield rotation, cutting his BB% from 17.5% to 11.2% across 102.2 innings. It wasn’t a full breakout, but it was progress for a pitcher with substantial upside.
14. Tai Peete, CF, Double-A – Stock Up
Peete started to translate his raw power into game power in 2026, posting an ISO of .254 while advancing to Double-A. His hit tool is still a question, but he improved his contact rate in Springfield and is obliterating the AFL.
13. Ryan Mitchell, OF, Low-A – Stock Ticking Up
Mitchell is still a bit of a project and will need to add strength to keep advancing through the system. Still, he held his own in full-season ball as a 19-year-old who had limited exposure to elite competition in high school.
12. Tekoah Roby, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up
Roby missed the entire season, as expected, so you cannot dock him for that. Back on the mound in the AFL, he has struck out 13 in 9.2 scoreless innings while topping out at 99 mph.
11. Tink Hence, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Hence was injured and ineffective while losing his 40-man roster spot.
10. Quinn Mathews, LHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Mathews showed marginal improvements in his second go at Memphis, but the walks were still concerning. His first nine starts for St. Louis were impressive, and if the improved control sticks, he will be a fixture in the rotation for years.
9. Leo Bernal, C, MLB – Stock Up
Bernal continued his methodical climb through the minors with an excellent showing in Triple-A as a 22-year-old. His impressive major league debut was enough to finally put him on the national radar and in top-100 prospect lists where he belongs.
8. Yairo Padilla, SS, High-A – Stock Ticking Up
Padilla showed off exceptional Statcast data in the Florida State League, posting above-major-league-average exit velocity numbers as a 19-year-old shortstop. Injuries limited him to 37 games and kept him from having a true breakout, but I was highly encouraged by the improvements we saw.
7. Joshua Baez, OF, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Baez gave up some of the contact gains that fueled his 2025 breakout, but showed the power was real, hitting 41 home runs between Triple-A and the majors. His productive 30-game MLB trial run is enough for me to come away feeling positive about his season overall.
6. Brandon Clarke, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Clarke was electric in limited innings and seemed to be improving his control as the season went on. Still, he threw only 29.2 innings, failing to alleviate the biggest concern in his profile.
5.Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up
Cijntje quietly put together an excellent season and, unlike many recent Cards prospects, had no issue adjusting to Triple-A. Finishing second in MiLB in strikeouts and the strong finish at Triple-A are enough for me.
4. Jimmy Crooks, C, MLB – Stock Ticking Down
Crooks doubled his Barrel% and cut his chase rate by 5% in Triple-A while putting up video-game numbers. But he is already 25 and failed to prove it in St. Louis in his second cup of coffee.
3. Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Double-A – Stock Up
Rodriguez had huge expectations coming into the season and was largely living up to those in the first half, earning a promotion to Double-A after tearing up the Midwest League. Then in July he went ballistic and hit .390 with 16 bombs over his final 44 games to establish himself as the best hitting prospect in the minors.
2.Liam Doyle, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Doyle had an adjustment period to Double-A but finished strong over his final 11 starts with a 1.78 ERA, a 30.3% strikeout rate, an improved 12.4% walk rate, and only 0.49 HR/9. He basically held serve throughout the season, but since he has nudged down slightly on top-100 lists, we will be conservative.
1. JJ Wetherholt, 2B, MLB – Stock Up
Wetherholt’s offensive performance was in line with preseason projections and his defense wildly exceeded expectations. His .029 gap between expected and actual wOBA was the third unluckiest among qualified hitters.
And finally, here are the players who were not ranked coming into the year who should be ranked in the Cardinals’ top 30 heading into next season.
Miguel Hernandez, SS, Low-A
After a successful run in the Complex League, Hernandez bashed out a 163 wRC+ over 103 plate appearances in Low-A as an 18-year-old. Like Dos Santos, he will start making noise on national lists with a good start to 2027.
Deniel Ortiz, 1B/3B, Double-A
Ortiz was criminally omitted from the FanGraphs preseason prospect list, but that surely won’t happen again. He improved his contact rate by 10% while moving up to Double-A and mashed a 120 wRC+, despite a wrist injury that sapped some of his power.
Jacob Odle, RHP, High-A
It was Jacob Odle, not Tanner Franklin or Liam Doyle, who graded out as having the best starting-pitcher Stuff+ in the system by Baseball America (sixth in MiLB). Odle will need to improve on his 15.5% BB%, but his 34.1% K% was the best in the system.
Xavier Cruz, RHP, Low-A
Cruz came out of nowhere in 2026, flashing an upper-90s fastball and insane spin rates in the Complex League and at Palm Beach. In Jake Wood’s excellent podcast earlier this week, Moises Rodriguez compared his arm talent to that of Tanner Franklin.
The Final Tally
Stock Up: 12
Stock Ticking Up: 15
Stock Ticking Down: 13
Stock Down: 13
Brycen Mautz and Nate Dohm were the two I was highest on who took a step back this year. You are always going to have some pitcher injuries, and Elissalt and Henderson both losing a year was disappointing. Tink Hence is really in a separate category since his decline started in 2025 and he just did not bounce back the way we hoped. The rest of the prospects who slipped a full grade, by my evaluation, were lower-impact.
The raw numbers understate just how successful this season was from a development perspective. Top prospects’ performance has an outsized impact on the health of a system. The Wetherholt, Bernal, and Rainiel seasons alone would have been enough to make this a pretty positive season for the system. No players in the preseason top 10 performed poorly enough to move them down a FV tier. When you add the Franklin, Fajardo, and Molina breakouts on the pitching side along with the emergence of Dos Santos, Jesus Baez, and Miguel Hernandez on the hitters’ side, you have to be incredibly happy with the results.
Final Grade: A+
Now, the important part. Which player evaluations do you disagree with? Who did I miss?
Sep 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred before game one of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning Birdland,
The Fall Classic is underway, and the Milwaukee Brewers have taken the early lead. The Brewers were able to hold off a late Rays rally to take Game 1 of the World Series 3-2 on Friday night.
Trevor Megill, Milwaukee’s closer, got himself into quite a jam in the ninth inning, loading the bases with one out and a two-run lead. He got Liam Hicks to ground into what seemed like a game-ending double-play, but replay revealed that shortstop Cooper Pratt’s foot had come off of second base prior to receiving the initial feed. The runner at second was called safe, the runner at first was out, and Tampa’s second run of the day had scored.
That made it a one-run lead with two outs and Jonny DeLuca at the plate. But rather than becoming a iconic moment in Rays history, Megill was able to win the battle, striking out DeLuca to secure the victory.
That sets the stage for Game 2 tonight at 8 p.m. Drew Rasmussen is on the bump for Tampa. The 31-year-old has been terrific this year, posting a 2.67 ERA over 172 innings in the regular season and then dominating in the postseason as well with a 1.29 ERA over 21 frames. Perhaps, if it was really even necessary, there is the added incentive for Rasmussen to pitch well against his former club. After making his big league debut earlier that season, he was dealt from Milwaukee to Tampa back in 2021 as part of the Willy Adames deal.
That likely future could make the typical offseason calendar rather useless. MLB free agency will technically start five days after the World Series ends. But most players don’t sign anywhere until after Thanksgiving. The lockout is set to start on December 1. And the possibility that the league will be implementing a salary cap of some sort makes it almost impossible for some front offices to sign major contracts until they know what sort of budget they are working within.
Enjoy these few days where the focus will be on the field. Because once it’s over, we might instead be fixated on some office building in New York for the months that follow.
Rising prospect Anderson wraps strong season with stellar homecoming | Orioles.com It was nice to see Ethan Anderson take a step forward this past season. He’s a switch hitter that seems to have really found himself at the plate this last year. Finding a spot for him on the field could be an issue. The Orioles want him to catch, but there are questions about his ability back there. He may have no choice if he stays in the organization since Pete Alonso won’t be leaving any time soon at first base.
Colin Selby turns 29 today. The bearded reliever pitched in 14 games for the Orioles between 2024 and ‘25. He remained in the organization for 2026 as well, but did not get on the field due to labrum and rotator cuff injuries that eventually needed surgery.
Omar Quintanilla is 45 years old. He bounced around the league as a utility infielder for nearly a decade. That included a 36-game stay with the Orioles in 2012.
Arthur Rhodes is 57 today. The southpaw was a key part of the Orioles pitching staff from 1991 through ‘99, eventually transitioning from the rotation to the bullpen. In total he tossed 622.1 innings for the O’s across nine seasons.
Dave Johnson turns 67. The Baltimore native would spend parts of three seasons with the Orioles from 1989-91, most often working as a starter. Over 353.1 innings with the O’s, Johnson had a 4.84 ERA. His son, Steve, would later pitch for the Orioles as well, and Johnson himself would be a contributor to MASN and the Orioles Radio Network well after his playing career ended.
This day in O’s history
It’s been a slow date in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. So, instead, here are some happenings from beyond Birdland:
1926 – Harry Houdini’s last performance takes place at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit.
1931 – The George Washington Bridge opens to public traffic over the Hudson River.
1946 – A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket takes the first photograph of earth from outer spcae.
1992 – The Toronto Blue Jays become the first Major League Baseball Team based outside of the United States to win the World Series.
2003 – The Concorde supersonic airliner makes its last commercial flight.
2004 – Arsenal Football Club loses to Manchester United, ending a row of 49 matches unbeaten, a Premier League record.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 23: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game one of the 2026 World Series at American Family Field on October 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brewers’ formula this postseason has followed a similar recipe in many of their wins: hope your starter makes it two turns through the lineup, rely on your middle-inning groundball specialists, and then hand the ball off to Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill for the final three innings. The tale of the tape in Game 1 followed this script almost to a T, Milwaukee jumping out to an early lead, Jacob Misiorowski going two turns, Abner Uribe recording a dominant four outs, and Ashby and Megill locking down the final 2.2 innings to secure the opening game of this edition of the Fall Classic in front of a packed and frenetic Miller Park crowd, 3-2.
World Series Game 1
Milwaukee Brewers 3, Tampa Bay Rays 2
(Milwaukee leads, 1-0)
As untouchable as Misiorowski pitched during the regular season — leading MLB in ERA (1.80), FIP (2.17), strikeouts (252), and pitcher fWAR (6.6) while throwing more pitches over 100 mph (1,115) than every other starter combined to virtually guarantee NL Cy Young honors — he has looked mortal in the playoffs. During the regular season, his four-seamer induced a 40.2-percent whiff rate and held batters to a .174 average, but in the postseason the whiff rate plummets to 16.1-percent while the batting average against skyrockets to .364. The velocity is holding steady, but he’s lost life on the pitch while throwing a much higher percentage down in the zone. Fastballs that hitters had been whiffing beneath are now a fair bit easier to foul off, leading to inlfated pitch counts early and a dearth of strikeouts.
The Miz made a partial adjustment in Game 1, commanding his four-seamer belt high or above with better consistency than his starts against the Padres and Dodgers, and it allowed the Brewers’ ace to complete five innings for the first time this postseason. The strikeouts didn’t return, Misiorowski punching out just three of the 19 batters he faced, but for the most part he was able to stay out of trouble thanks to some brilliant defensive plays by his teammates.]
The traffic started early, Misiorowski giving up consecutive one-out singles in the first to Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson, but he got Junior Caminero to roll over a cutter for the inning-ending double play. One of the many marks of a good team is the ability to immediately punish your opponents for failing to capitalize on a scoring opportunity, and that’s just what happened in the bottom of the first. Jackson Chourio led off with a single, and after a Jake Bauers pop out, Christian Yelich lined an 0-2 Nick Martinez cutter into the gap in right-center. Center fielder Jonny DeLuca covered a ton of ground and went fully horizontal on the diving attempt, but the ball clanged off his glove for an RBI triple.
William Contreras then ambushed the next pitch Martinez threw, another cutter that the All-Star catcher rocketed to the left side of the infield. Taylor Walls couldn’t get his glove up quite in time, and the liner ricocheted off the webbing into left field to easily plate Yelich and spot Misiorowski an early 2-0 lead. For all that has been made of the elite defense from the Rays outfielders and Walls this postseason, you just had this feeling that both those tough liners would have been caught had they been hit by Yankees batters.
Misiorowski settled down to retire the side in order in the second and third, but encountered his toughest test in the fourth. A leadoff walk from Aranda followed by a Caminero double put runners on second and third with one out. Liam Hicks then topped a weak grounder to the right side to get the run in from third and cut the deficit in half. Misiorowski refocused to get DeLuca to fly out and strand Caminero at third.
In the Miz’s final inning of work, he allowed a leadoff single to Victor Mesa Jr., who then advanced to second on a Ben Williamson grounder. The Rays right fielder bailed the Brewers out though, committing a cardinal sin by making the final out at third base on an ill-advised steal attempt that drew a pinpoint throw from Contreras.
Martinez posted the lowest strikeout rate and walk rate of any qualified starter during the regular season, but it was he instead of Misiorowski who won in the strikeout department in Game 1 with five in five innings. Martinez stranded Sal Frelick at second in the second following a single and sac bunt by striking out Chourio on a backdoor sinker. He then faced the minimum across his final three innings of work, aided by a sparkling defensive play from Mesa to atone for his blunder. Speedster David Hamilton laced a grounder down the right field line and was thinking triple immediately out of the box. However, a stumble around second paired with a perfect throw and relay from Mesa and Williamson beat Hamilton to third by half a step.
With both starters out of the game after five, Uribe was the first man out of the Brewers bullpen. Normally more of a groundball specialist than a strikeout artist, Uribe rung up three of the four batters he faced. The most important one was to finish the sixth. After Aranda reached on a one out single, the Brewers executed a textbook strike-‘em-out, throw-‘em-out double play to end the inning, Simpson going down swinging on a back-foot slider and Contreras gunning down Aranda at second for his second caught stealing of the contest.
Kevin Cash selected Steven Matz as his first reliever out of the ‘pen, and the veteran southpaw was wayward with his command, issuing three walks while recording five outs between the sixth and seventh. The final of those free passes came back to haunt him, Cooper Pratt drawing the walk to lead off the seventh and advancing to second on a Hamilton grounder. That brought sidewinding righty Kevin Kelly out of the Rays bullpen to neutralize Chourio with a runner in scoring position with two outs, but the Brewers’ young star inside-outed a first-pitch sinker just inside the bag at first and beyond Aranda’s diving attempt to plate Pratt. The score was 3-1, Milwaukee.
With this extra insurance run, you felt that the Brewers’ lead was unassailable with Ashby and Megill primed for their lanes. Ashby entered the Fall Classic with the most innings (12.1) of any postseason reliever yet had not surrendered a single run, and it was more of the same in the seventh and eighth innings. He retired all five batters he faced, three via the strikeout thanks to his deadly sinker-changeup duo.
That left it up to Megill to secure his fifth save of these playoffs, but this game had one more dose of high drama in store. Aranda and Simpson reached on a pair of one-out singles and Caminero worked a six-pitch walk after falling behind, 1-2, to load the bases with one out. Hicks appeared to ground into the game-ending double play, but replay review revealed that Pratt prematurely took his foot off the bag at second before the ball had contacted the inside of his glove. The call on the field was overturned, Caminero ruled safe at second while pinch-runner Jorge Mateo scored on the play and Simpson advanced to third.
Megill had to do it all over again, this time facing DeLuca with runners on second and third with two outs. However, Brewers fans could exhale and celebrate for a second time as he made quick work of the Rays center fielder, striking him out on a filthy knuckle curve below the zone to secure the Brewers’ first win in a World Series in 16,077 days (Game 5 in 1982) by a score of 3-2.
The Brewers will look to maintain the momentum of this narrow victory into Game 2 tonight. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen is set to face off against Logan Henderson with first pitch scheduled for 8:00 pm ET.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 23: A general view of the exterior of American Family Field prior to game one of the 2026 World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays on October 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue this weekend with Game 2 of the World Series between the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers.
As usual, this is being written before Game 1 has taken place, because I live in the past. So I don’t know who won Game 1 Friday night. But you do, lucky you!
Game 2 will be Saturday night at 5:00 p.m. PT, broadcast on Fox/Fox One, with national radio coverage available on ESPN Radio.
Right-hander Drew Rasmussen is scheduled to start for the Rays. Rasmussen ended the regular season with a 2.67 ERA, 2.82 FIP, with 174 strikeouts to 32 walks in 172 innings pitched. This will be his fourth start of this postseason, his most recent was in the Rays’ 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on October 18th, in which he allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.
He’ll be facing off against Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson, who ended the regular season with a 2.47 ERA, 3.32 FIP, with 110 strikeouts to 19 walks in 98.1 innings pitched. This will be his third start in this postseason, his last was in the Brewers’ 7-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 12th, in which he allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits with two strikeouts and and two walks in four innings.
Good morning. If you recall, I moved from Oklahoma a little over a year ago, leaving things like baseball-size hail and tornadoes behind. Tornado watches are a part of life in Oklahoma, just like brushing your teeth. Warnings? You stop what you’re doing and go watch what going on out your front door. You know how to quickly get in your hidey hole. So pull up a chair if need be.
So why were there four unconfirmed (thus far) tornadoes in Northern Arizona?!?! The tornado warnings were the first ones since 2010! I live hours from these areas, but I guess I brought some bad mojo for them.
And for my area — golf ball- to baseball-sized hail pummeled several areas around town, luckily not my part. As a former insurance manager, I’m blue in the face telling people to call their insurance agent if they have comprehensive coverage so a claim can be started. “No, it won’t be covered — It’s an act of God.” It could be looked at like an Act of God, but that is one that is covered. “No, you need a special rider.” (?) I have the same insurance coverage as I did in OK, and it would be covered here. “Oh, you must have gotten a waiver.” (??)
I’ve been out the biz for a while. I forgot how stubborn and stupid people are about insurance.
ANYWAY (sorry for the rant), World Series Game 1 was pretty exciting! Good ballgame, the Brewers survived a ninth-inning rally by the Rays and won 3-2.
I appreciate your reading.
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Three Cubs Prospects Who Will Be Prime Trade Chips This Offseason. “The Cubs have their sights set on competing again in 2027, and their farm system could help them get there. These three prospects could be valuable pieces in a deal for proven talent.”
Mamie Smith (néeRobinson; May 26, 1891 – October 23, 1946) was an American singer. As a vaudeville singer, she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African-American artist to make vocal blues recordings. Robinson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1891. When she was around age 10, she found work touring with the Four Dancing Mitchells, a white act. As a teenager, she danced in Salem Tutt Whitney’s Smart Set. In 1913, she left the Tutt Brothers to sing in clubs in Harlem and married William “Smitty” Smith, a singer.
On February 14, 1920, Smith recorded “That Thing Called Love” and “You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” for the Okeh label in New York City, after African-American songwriter and bandleader Perry Bradford persuaded Fred Hager to break the color barrier in black music recording. Although this was the first recording by a black blues singer, the backing musicians were all white. Hager had received threats from Northern and Southern pressure groups saying they would boycott the company if he recorded a black singer. Despite these threats, the record was a commercial success and opened the door for more black musicians to record.
Smith’s biggest hits were the August 10, 1920 recordings of a set of songs written by Perry Bradford, including “Crazy Blues” and “It’s Right Here for You (If You Don’t Get It, ‘Tain’t No Fault of Mine)”, again for Okeh Records. A million copies were sold in less than a year. Because of its historical significance, “Crazy Blues” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994 and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2005.
Although other African Americans had been recorded earlier, such as George W. Johnson in the 1890s, they were performing music that had a substantial following among European-American audiences. The success of Smith’s record prompted record companies to seek to record other female blues singers and began the era of what is now known as classic female blues.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 13: Jack O'Dowd #18 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during a game between the Salt River Rafters and the Glendale Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch on October 13, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Rockies fans!
There’s little need to spend much time discussing what Hunter Goodman brings to the table as the Colorado Rockies’ starting catcher. His 41 home runs in 2026 speak for themselves.
And when I talk about Colorado’s catching depth, I’m not necessarily talking about who’s immediately behind Goodman.
No, it’s what’s happening further down in the organization that gets interesting.
Bryant Betancourt (No. 32 PuRP), Colorado’s No. 27 prospect according to MLB.com, hit .271 with 17 home runs and an .815 OPS, reaching Triple-A at just 22 years old while boasting a plus throwing arm.
Cole Messina (No. 45 PuRP), Colorado’s 2024 third-round pick, reached Double-A Hartford, hitting .226 with eight home runs, 21 doubles and 21 stolen bases while earning above-average grades for his defense and arm.
Colorado’s No. 6 and No. 9 prospects per MLB, Daniel Jackson (No. 12 PuRP) and Jack Natili (No. 20 PuRP), combined for 10 home runs in just 37 games at Fresno after being drafted in 2026. Natili also brings a plus arm behind the plate. Not bad for their first taste of professional baseball.
Jack O’Dowd (No. 35 PuRP), son of former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd, came through independent ball before hitting .307 with 23 home runs across three levels this season. He’s now hitting home runs in the Arizona Fall League, though his future might be at first base.
None of these players is guaranteed to become an everyday big-league catcher. But for an organization with more questions than answers at most positions, Colorado’s catching pipeline might actually be something to get excited about.
Speaking of O’Dowd, he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI in Wednesday’s 7–5 win over Scottsdale, while Jared Thomas added two hits, three RBI and two stolen bases.
The two kept hitting Thursday, despite Salt River’s 15–8 loss. O’Dowd launched his AFL-leading fifth home run, while Thomas finished with a double, triple and four RBI.
O’Dowd is now batting .350 with five home runs and a 1.206 OPS through 10 games. The Rafters sit at 9–7, just 1.5 games out of first place, and return to action Saturday against Surprise at 4:30 p.m. MDT. Fans can watch AFL games for free on MLB.com.
Trading Hunter Goodman after a 41-homer season? That’s certainly one way to shake things up. Scott Roche makes the case that Colorado could follow Baltimore’s approach with Adley Rutschman and cash in on its biggest trade chip. I’m not convinced Goodman is going anywhere, but if Paul DePodesta decides to move him, he’d better get a haul.
Connor Norby didn’t receive much attention when he arrived from Miami in the Victor Vodnik trade, but he quietly became one of Colorado’s better hitters down the stretch. After batting .309 with an .829 OPS in September, the 26-year-old enters 2027 with a chance to establish himself as a regular contributor. Augustus Oswald takes a closer look at one of the Rockies’ less-heralded deadline acquisitions.
Nineteen years ago today, the Rockies took the field at Fenway Park for the first World Series game in franchise history. The Rocktober magic lasted approximately zero innings. Josh Beckett and the Red Sox handed Colorado a 13–1 beating in Game 1, and, well, we know how the rest of that series went.
The Rockies have plenty of roster holes and not nearly enough established talent to fill them all. So who could Colorado actually afford to trade? Christian Saez and the DNVR crew run through the possibilities, potential returns and what could be a busy winter for Paul DePodesta.
Well, this should be fun. With the CBA expiring December 1, MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer described the owners’ salary cap proposal as a “nuclear bomb.” Rob Manfred, meanwhile, continues to argue that baseball needs a more competitive economic system. The two sides don’t appear particularly close, and another lockout is looking more and more likely.
This is pretty cool. Robin Yount threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Milwaukee’s first World Series game since 1982 while wearing one of Bob Uecker’s plaid sport coats. The Brewers’ radio crew joined in, wearing jackets from Uecker’s personal wardrobe. A wonderful way to make sure Harry Doyle — er, Mr. Baseball — was part of the moment.
Ever watch a bullpen game and think, “There’s no way all six of these guys are going to have it today”? Apparently, that feeling isn’t supported by the numbers. Ben Clemens digs into years of data and finds surprisingly little difference in blowup rates between bullpen games and games started by non-ace starters. It’s a fascinating look at something that feels obvious until you actually do the math.
From Cherry Creek High School to the Air Force Academy to the World Series. Not a bad baseball journey. Kyle Newman traces Griffin Jax’s path to Tampa Bay, where the former reliever has returned to the rotation and is expected to start Game 4 against Milwaukee. A fun Colorado connection to this year’s Fall Classic.
How will Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur fare today? Here is what to know, including kick-off time, TV channels and live stream options
Chelsea produced their most complete performance of the season so far in last weekend’s 2-0 away victory over Everton, the clearest indication yet that things are coming together under new manager Xabi Alonso.
Tottenham Hotspur similarly enter Saturday’s match with a spring in their step following Monday’s 3-1 victory over Coventry City, a result that lifted Roberto De Zerbi’s team off the foot of the Premier League table.
Tilak Varma struck a brutal half-century as India powered to a thrilling four-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20 on Saturday for a 2-0 series lead.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura controls the ball on a fastbreak in front of Lakers guard Matisse Thybulle during the Lakers' 125-117 win Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Two former teammates sized each other up. Luka Doncic waved off the screen. He wanted the matchup with Rui Hachimura. The crowd at Crypto.com Arena buzzed in anticipation.
Doncic smiled wide.
After four years in which he became a staple in the Lakers’ lineup, Hachimura returned to face his former team for the first time as a Clipper on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. The forward got a warm greeting from the fans, who welcomed him in the starting lineup with a loud roar. The Lakers played a video tribute during the first timeout to honor Hachimura’s four years with the franchise.
But as he started piling up his 16 points in the Lakers’ 125-117 win over their crosstown rival, the crowd started to turn on the sharp-shooting Hachimura.
“Traitor!” one fan yelled when he hit a shot during a tight first half before the Lakers pulled away by outscoring the Clippers 39-26 in the third quarter.
Hachimura, who left the Lakers in free agency, made his love for the team clear. He signed a relatively conservative two-year, $28-million deal with the Clippers, turning down other offers in part because he wanted to stay in L.A.
“It was amazing,” Hachimura said of his time with the Lakers. “I had a great time with them. The organization, yeah, of course I miss them, but it was time to move on. It was special, my four years, four seasons with them. I’m happy with the Clippers right now, and I gotta keep growing my career.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said playing the first game back in an old arena can be disorienting. He experienced it after leaving the Lakers, who drafted him in 1998, and returning with the Washington Wizards in 2002. He had never seen the other locker room in his former home arena.
“Just being on the other side, the other bench, in the other locker room, it was just really weird,” Lue said. “And then playing against guys that kind of taught you the game, kind of molded you as a player, and just sitting across from it, it was really weird for me.”
Hachimura jokingly walked toward the Lakers locker room before the game. Before beginning his pregame shooting routine, Hachimura hugged Lakers assistant Beau Levesque, who was Hachimura’s player development coach, and Lakers guard Austin Reaves, one of his closest friends.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura, right, guards Lakers guard Luka Doncic in the first half Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
When Hachimura was traded to the Lakers in January 2023, Reaves was in his second season with the Lakers. While they became close, Reaves initially spent weeks thinking Hachimura didn’t speak English.
“I’d sit by him on the plane and he didn’t speak to me,” Reaves said this week. “After that, I couldn’t get him to shut up. Great guy, great player and I miss him.”
Hachimura developed into one of the Lakers’ most dependable shooters. A 35.6% three-point shooter while with Washington, where he was drafted ninth overall in 2019, Hachimura shot 44.3% from three during his last season with the Lakers. Lakers coach JJ Redick marveled at Hachimura’s reliable mid-range game that he once compared to “prime Michael Jordan.”
During the playoffs, when the injury-riddled Lakers stunned the Houston Rockets in the first round before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, Hachimura shot a sizzling 56.9% (15 for 31) from three. His career 51.6% postseason three-point shooting percentage is the highest in NBA history.
Hachimura filled a supporting role with the Lakers, where he was overshadowed by Reaves, Doncic and LeBron James. But with the Clippers, he has a leading opportunity. Hachimura had the second-most shot attempts among Clippers players Friday, going five for 14 from the field and three for six from three.
Facing different defenses than he saw while being the Lakers’ fourth offensive option, Hachimura’s efficiency has dipped. He is shooting 29.6% from the field and 38.5% from three while averaging 13 points and seven rebounds for the Clippers (0-2).
“I think understanding some of the actions we’re trying to run from him, like being quicker, being faster, not allowing guys to get back to his body so he can come off open, and just timing things,” Lue said of how Hachimura can adjust to being a focal point of an opposing team’s scouting report. “Little timing things here and there. We know when it’s post up, teams are doubling. So he has to find a way in transition, playing faster, attacking early, attacking faster in transition, but we’ll get him shots.”
During pregame warmups, Doncic sprinted out of the Lakers tunnel and straight to Hachimura, who was warming up in the corner. Doncic wrapped his former teammate in a hug. They laughed and joked all the way to midcourt before Hachimura resumed his shooting.
When the game started, Hachimura hit his first three over Doncic, who was late to close out. The Lakers star waved his hand in mock disgust toward Hachimura.
Lakers star Luka Doncic, left, controls the ball in front of Clippers forward Rui Hachimura during the Lakers' 125-117 win Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. Doncic finished with 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
You do whatever you want; I’m not offended by any of it.
You are not entertained. You don’t like the demonstrative way he waves off calls. You hate how he’ll belabor a point for possessions at a time — as he did, per usual, in Friday’s not-particularly-pretty 125-117 victory over the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers improved to 2-0 and Doncic had 23 points, six rebounds, seven assists and, if you’re looking to complain, a career high-tying 11 turnovers.
But me? I am entertained — endlessly. As long as Luka’s list of grievances is long.
Because Doncic is a maniac. Not a mad man, a madman. And a reminder that these millionaires are playing a child’s game, because no one relishes it with quite the joy and verve and passion and emotion and occasional tantrum like Doncic does.
He’s someone who arrived onstage, talented beyond his years. He’s also a toddler.
He couldn’t change if he wanted to, but would you really want him to?
There’s no slicing and dicing without a sufficiently sharp edge.
But if you’re a Lakers fan, you have to know you can’t take out the trash talk from Doncic’s game. You can’t ask him nicely to clean up his mess, man. Petty isn’t going to be pretty. And everyone can get it — including, once, the reporters on press row covering Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks. “You can’t guard me!” he screamed at us, ridiculously.
You have to let him cook, your very own basketball anarchist.
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts during a win over the Clippers on Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“He’s always going to play with an edge,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “As long as he’s not causing the other team to have a five-on-four transition opportunity, it doesn’t bother me.”
And if he’s not toeing the line on a late-season suspension triggered by a 16th technical foul, his antics probably wouldn’t bother Lakers fans, either.
“This season, I’m trying to not get techs,” Doncic said after Wednesday’s season-opening victory against the Warriors, when he and Lendeborg mixed it up. “It was the first time that was not a double tech, ’cause I didn’t say nothing. So I’m working on it.”
It isn’t that Doncic busies himself with the refs because he’s lazy and doesn’t want to get back on defense — do you know how much stamina it takes to keep up a marathon-length running dialogue? How exhausting it has to be to litigate every little thing, to be so constantly aggrieved?
It’s a special part of his special skillset; put him in the top 1% in the world of complainers. If he wasn’t one of the world’s top 1% of hoopers, imagine him in court instead of on the court; he’d be a bulldog: Objection! Objection! Objection!
The man is a rascal, but he’s not a villain. Everything he does is with a wink-wink twinkle in his eye.
He never shuts up on the court, but he’s a man of few words off of it, low-key and community-minded and in the top 1% of patient autograph-givers. A generous teammate to whom good vibes matter much.
But he’s an absolute menace to compete against and, yes, to officiate.
So, kids, don’t try this at home. At least not during a basketball game. Don’t show that energy to the refs, who deserve your respect. As do your teachers and your coaches and your parents or guardians.
But do keep that energy. You’re not going to get what you want in life unless you advocate — agitate — for it. Put pressure on powers that be. Ask for explanations — demand them. Because it’s true, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Being pushy works, even if it won’t win you popularity contests. The GMs left Doncic off their predictive MVP list for a reason. He finished fourth in MVP voting last season and has never been higher than third in his eight NBA seasons.
That’s largely a reflection of where the Lakers placed last season — fourth. And where they’re expected to finish this season; there are 12 teams with better odds to win the title, according to DraftKings.
But it probably has more to do with voters’ appetite for discussion, the type of heated debate that offends the sensibilities of so many — even though that mayhem is a crucial ingredient of Luka’s magic. Just sit back and relax. Enjoy the show.
