A Pro Football Hall of Famer could become a Major League Baseball owner.
The Athletic reports that Drew Brees has partnered with Vuori founder Joe Kudla to explore the possibility of joining one of the groups that has submitted an initial bid for the San Diego Padres.
The deadline for the first round of bids was Wednesday, February 25. Five groups made bids before the deadline.
The Padres were put on the market in November 2025. A sale could happen by the start of the 2026 MLB season.
In 2012, the Padres sold for $800 million. The record for a baseball team was set in 2020, when the Mets sold for $2.42 billion.
Brees, who was elected earlier this month to the Hall of Fame, started his career with the then-San Diego Chargers. He played for the Chargers from 2001 through 2005. Brees vaulted to superstar status with the Saints, where he played from 2006 through 2020.
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 25: The sneakers worn by Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 25, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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 Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jul 9, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) reacts after hitting a home run against the Athletics in the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Just officially a month away from the Atlanta Braves’ opening day, the team’s offense is showing glimpses of high intensity and promise that fans are hoping will carry over into the regular season. Taking the win (15-8) against Boston, they’re ending the first full Spring Training week on a high note and ready to build on their momentum.
The headlines speak for themselves. Not missing a beat, Ronald Acuña Jr., going 2-for-3 in his plate appearance, not only showed consistent quickness as he picked back up on his base-stealing, but he also collected his first homer of the spring that resulted in a grand slam to bring in Michael Harris II, Jonah Heim and Jorge Mateo, extending the Braves’ lead by nine runs (12-3) in the bottom of the third.
A force that continued to make noise in the Braves’ offense was Mike Yastremski, also going 3-for-3 and collecting two homers and three RBI’s of his own. This piece seems to be a smart move for the Braves’ front office, as his offensive prowess could help move the needle for the team as a whole and continue to put runs on the board to extend their campaign.
On the pitching side, Chris Sale is coming off just two innings with electric movement on the mound in his first appearance this past Sunday. In today’s matchup, it seems it wasn’t as strong a performance, only staying out for 2.2 innings; he gave up three earned runs that included two homers; however, he also collected three strikeouts to end the day. Though fans would like to see Sale out longer and more power in his arsenal that he’s displayed just last weekend, it’s still early enough in Spring Training to deem these innings as warmups to allow just enough of a feel against the competition.
Was this Sale’s best start? Not even close, but is it time to panic? Not at all. The impactful lefty is taking each opportunity as it comes and making adjustments when needed. It was after a two-run homer from Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela that relief pitcher Darius Vine subbed in to take the mound.
One of the arguably most exciting additions to the team, Robert Suárez, also made his spring debut in today’s game. The former Padres’ closer reached 100 mph multiple times on the radar gun and almost struck out the side if not for giving up a single from a Red Sox outfielder (Braiden Ward) before reaching 100.1 mph on a four-seamer to end the inning and his stint on the mound (1 IP/ 1 H/ 0 ER/ 0 BB/ 1 K). Aaron Bummer came in to replace him at the top of the sixth.
Braves country, if there’s one thing to take away from this game, it’s that the offense as a whole would’ve made you beyond proud, and building excitement going into the regular season if they keep up with this momentum. Could this be a sneak peak on what we should expect in exactly one month from today?
Tomorrow, the fun continues as the Braves take on the Orioles with Spencer Strider taking the mound.
BROOKLYN, NY - JANUARY 23: Danny Wolf #2 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics on January 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Brooklyn Nets (15-43) at Boston Celtics (38-20) Friday, February 27, 2025 7:30 PM ET Regular Season Game #59, Home Game #28 TV: NBCSB, YES, NBA-TV Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 101.9 FM, Serius XM TD Garden
The Celtics return home from their 3-1 western road trip to host the Brooklyn Nets. This is the 4th, and final, game between them this season. The Celtics won the first meeting 113-99 in Brooklyn on November 18. They lost the second game 113-205 at Boston on November 21. They won the 3rd game 130-126 in OT on January 23.
The Celtics have swept the series against the Nets in the last 2 seasons. The Celtics are 147-75 overall all time against the Nets and they are 77-35 when playing in Boston. The Nets are playing on the second night of back to back games, having played the Spurs at home on Thursday night. The Celtics are playing in the first game at home after 4 straight games on the road on the West coast so, even though they had a day off, they had to travel across country and may still have a bit of jet lag.
The Nets made a couple of moves at the trade deadline. They got Ochai Agbaji from Toronto as part of a 3 team trade. They also received Josh Minott from the Celtics in exchange for cash considerations. They also waived Cam Thomas after the deadline. They are still the youngest team in the league with an average age of 23.98.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 5.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1.5 games ahead of 3rd place New York , 2 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 4.5 games ahead of 5th place Toronto, 6 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 6.5 games ahead of 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 24-13 against Eastern Conference opponents and 7-5 against the Atlantic Division. They are 18-9 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Nets are 14th in the East, 28.5 games behind first place Detroit, 13 games behind 10th place Charlotte, 11.5 games behind 11th place Milwaukee, 8.5 games behind 12th place Chicago, 1 game behind 13th place Washington and 1 game ahead of 15th place Indiana. They are 11-24 against Eastern Conference opponents and 3-9 against the Atlantic Division. They are 7-22 on the road and 2-8 in their last 10 games. They have lost their last 6 games.
The Celtics are back home after a 4 game Western road trip. They went 3-1 on the trip, losing only the final game at Denver. After this game against Brooklyn, they will host Philadelphia before a game at Milwaukee. Then they are back home for games against Charlotte and Dallas before a tough 3 game road trip through Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State. Then, it is one game at Memphis before a 3 game home stand against Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Atlanta.
The Nets are playing in the 2nd of back to back games after hosting San Antonio on Thursday. They will return home to play Cleveland before heading out to play 2 games at Miami and 1 at Detroit. Then they play home vs Memphis and Detroit before playing at Atlanta and Philadelphia. Next they host Portland, Oklahoma City, and New York before a road trip through Sacramento, Portland, Golden State and the Lakers.
The Celtics have just Jayson Tatum on the injury report and the rumors are getting stronger as to his return to play this season. The Nets have no one on their injury list. I’ve listed their starting lineup from their game notes. This is the same starting lineup that started Thursday’s game for the Nets.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Nolan Traore
Derrick White | NBAE via Getty ImagesNolan Traore | NBAE via Getty Images
SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Egor Demin
Baylor Scheierman | Denver Post via Getty ImagesEgor Demin | NBAE via Getty Images
SF: Jaylen Brown vs Michael Porter, Jr
Jaylen Brown | Getty ImagesMichael Porter, Jr | Getty Images
PF: Sam Hauser vs Noah Clowney
Sam Hauser | NBAE via Getty ImagesNoah Clowney | Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Amare Williams Nikola Vucevic Jordan Walsh Delano Banton (10-day) John Tonje (10-day)
2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr Max Shulga
Injuries/Out Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Nets Reserves Terance Mann Josh Minott Drake Powell Ben Seraf Day’Ron Sharpe Ziaire Williams Jalen Wilson Danny Wolf
Two-Way Players EJ Liddell Tyson Etienne Chaney Johnson
Injuries/Out None
Head Coach Jordi Fernandez
Key Matchups Jaylen Brown vs Michael Porter, Jr Porter is clearly the Nets best player and is averaging 24.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1 steal per game. He is shooting 47.2% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against Boston this season, he averaged 29 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 56.8% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the arc. In the January 21 game, he finished with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 47.4% from the field and 33.3%from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him better in this game.
Neemias Queta vs Nic Claxton Claxton is averaging 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4. 1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 59.1% from the field and 20% from three. In the first 2 games this season against the Celtics, he averaged 12.5 points, 11 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1 block while shooting 36.4% from the field with no threes. In the January 21 game, he finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds 4 assists and 1 block. In the Nets’ win over the Celtics, he put up his first career triple double. The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and be aware of him on defense as he is a good rim protector.
Honorable Mention Sam Hauser vs Noah Clowney Clowney is averaging 12.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 39.5% from the field and 32.6% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 16 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal while shooting 47.8% from the field and 40% from 3. In the January 21 game he finished with15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.
Keys to the Game Defense – As always, defense is a key to winning this, and every, game. The Celtics are 7th with a defensive rating of 111.9. The Nets are 26th in the league with a defensive rating of 117.6 In the 16 games before Wednesday’s game against Denver, the Celtics were 3rd in the league on defense. Whether it was fatigue or the altitude, the Celtics let their defense slip in the second half. They must get back to playing tough lock down defense once again in this game to give themselves the best chance of winning.
Rebound – Rebounding is also an important key to winning every game. The Celtics are 5th in the league, pulling down 46.0 rebounds per game. The Nets are 30th with 40.3 rebounds per game. It is important for the Celtics to rebound the ball to give themselves extra possessions and to prevent the Nets from getting the same along with 2nd chance points. Much of rebounding is effort and the Celtics have got to put out more effort than the Nets to grab rebounds for all 4 quarters.
Don’t Underestimate – The Celtics need to stay focused and be aggressive from start to finish. The Nets have not been playing well, but they play hard and will always try to beat the Celtics. The Celtics did underestimate them in their last meeting in Boston and ended up losing. The Nets also took the Celtics to overtime in their last game. The Celtics can’t underestimate them because they have lost 8 of their last 10 games. The Celtics should have the talent to win easily, but if they underestimate the Nets and come out with less than 100% effort, they may be surprised with another loss to them. Effort and Focus – The Celtics have to put out more effort in this game than the Nets. They also have to stay focused on taking good shots and making them. In the 2nd half against the Nuggets, whether it was the altitude or fatigue from playing in 3 games in 4 nights in 4 different cities, they lost focus and turned the ball over and had one of their worst shooting games of the season. Hopefully they can shake that off and come out strong in this game and play with effort and stay focused.
X-Factors Home Game – The Celtics need to feed off the energy of the crowd and hopefully, the Nets will be distracted by travel and the very loud crowd. The Celtics need to take losing on their home court personally and make home court advantage a strength. The first game at home after a long road trip is usually a tough one due to fatigue and jet lag. The Celtics have to shake that off and come out and play hard and take motivation from the crowd and get a win in this one.
Officiating – The officiating is always an x-factor. Some referees call the game tight and others let them play. Some favor the home team and others call it evenly. Some refs just seem to have an agenda that doesn’t fit the events on the court. At times they miss important calls that change the momentum of the game. The Celtics need to play well enough not to leave the game in the hands of the officials at the end and they can’t let bad calls take away from their focus.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees high-fives teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the game against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees’ team-wide hitting philosophy in the Aaron Boone Era has been plate discipline and power, and that was certainly on display this afternoon against the Twins. They scored five in the first for the second straight Grapefruit League game after drawing four walks in the frame, while Jasson Domínguez, J.C Escarra, Spencer Jones, Paul DeJong, and Duke Ellis all went yard in the subsequent innings. Luis Gil was wild but effective while Carlos Lagrange turned in three of the most dominant innings you are likely to see this spring as the Yankees steamrolled the Twins, 17-5.
The Yankees wasted no time generating traffic against Twins starter Marco Raya. The righty pitched to a 6.02 ERA in 30 Triple-A appearances in 2025 as he struggled with the free pass, and that was immediately apparent in the top of the first. Ben Rice drew a leadoff walk, Domínguez singled up the middle, and DeJong walked to load the bases with no outs. Escarra then won a ten-pitch battle fouling off multiple breaking balls to draw the Yankees’ third walk in four batters and plate the opening run of the contest. Max Schuemann struck out on three pitches to offer a temporary reprieve, but the command issues came right back with a six-pitch free pass to Jones to walk in the second run of the inning and keep the bases loaded. That spelled the end of the outing for Raya, who departed having thrown 32 pitches and recorded just one out.
That brought George Lombard Jr. to the plate with the bases loaded facing High-A pitcher Nick Trabacchi, and after three straight balls, the Yankees’ top prospect got the green light 3-0 and ripped a two-run single to left, his second two-run hit in as many games. Yanquiel Fernández then drew a full count, and though he struck out, Alex Jackson threw the ball into center field on a steal attempt from Lombard, allowing him to advance to third and Jones to walk home for the fifth run of the frame.
Gil’s command was noticeably dulled relative to his first spring start, but it wasn’t an issue given the way his offense was swinging the bat. He was sailing his four-seamer high and spraying his changeup to both sides of the plate, and even burned the Yankees’ final ABS challenge on a ball above the zone, reaffirming that only the catcher and not the pitcher should be the one initiating ABS challenges. The Twins got themselves on the board on a missile solo shot by Trevor Larnach off a 2-1 fastball down the middle, though Gil did retire the next two batters to limit the damage to one in the first.
After sending nine batters to the plate in the first, the lineup turned over to face Cole Sands in the second and picked things up right where they were left off. Rice lined a leadoff single to center, and Domínguez fouled off several close pitches before he got an elevated 2-2 splitter, which he lasered 111 mph just inside the right-foul pole for a two-run homer to extend their lead, 7-1.
After a soft groundout from DeJong, Escarra demolished a 1-0 fastball for the hardest-hit ball of his career at 109.6 mph, leaving the yard for the Yankees’ second dinger of the inning to make it 8-1.
Gil got himself into a spot of bother in the second, walking Brooks Lee and surrendering an Austin Martin single with one out, but extracted himself without yielding a run. He retired Buxton to open the third and that would spend the end of his outing having given up a run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout on 52 pitches. Two of the biggest issues for Gil when he returned from a four-month lat injury absence in 2025 was reduced fastball velocity and a lack of swing and miss. That persisted in this outing, Gil’s four-seamer averaging 94.7 mph while Gil recorded only four whiffs on 30 swings for just a 13-percent whiff rate.
The Twins pitchers managed to settle things down for a spell, facing the minimum in the third and fourth, but it was only delaying the inevitable. Schuemann drew a walk to leadoff the fifth, bringing the red-hot Jones to the plate. Sporting his new Ohtani-esque toe tap in place of a leg kick, Jones demolished his third home run this spring, a two-run shot off the batter’s eye in center that traveled 427 feet.
Lombard followed with a walk and advanced to third on a ground ball single from Fernández, allowing him to jog home on Domínguez single — Jasson’s third RBI of the contest. Up stepped DeJong, and the one-time Cardinals All-Star got all of a hanging 0-1 curveball for his first home run of the spring, a two run shot to left to make it 14-1.
This initiated the wholesale changes to the lineup all of the starting nine except Marco Luciano subbed out, but that didn’t mean an end to the fireworks. Speed specialist Ellis came to bat with one out in the sixth and got in on the fun, lining a solo shot to right-center off a cement mixer 1-0 sweeper from reliever Andrew Bash.
In the meantime, the Yankees’ second-ranked pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange made his second Grapefruit League appearance and looked pretty much untouchable for three innings. He surrendered just a lone single while striking out four on 41 pitches. His fastball averaged 100.1 mph and topped out at 102.1, garnering six whiffs on 14 swings for a gaudy 43-percent whiff rate. He also exhibited impressive command of the cutter, inducing a further pair of whiffs as hitters were way out in front expecting the heater.
Minnesota tallied a pair of consolation runs in the eighth on a two-run homer from former Baby Bomber Eric Wagaman off bullpen contender Brent Headrick. The Yankees subs responded with a pair of their own in the ninth, Tyler Hardman and Kenedy Corona getting things started with a hit-by-pitch and walk to put a pair on with no outs. Twins reliever Kyle Bischoff struck out a pair to get within an out of snuffing out the threat, but Kaeden Kent — son of now-Hall of Famer Jeff Kent — clubbed a two-run double to make it two touchdowns and a field goal for the Yankees. Lefty reliever Geoffrey Gilbert prolonged things unnecessarily at the very end, surrendering a pair of runs on two singles, a double, and a sac fly, but he eventually recorded the final out of this 17-5 rout.
We’ll see if the Yankees offense can keep it rolling tomorrow after noon against the Blue Jays. Paul Blackburn takes the mound as the Yankees return home to GMS, facing off against José Berríos. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm ET with the broadcast returning to YES.
Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks smashed 44 off 16 balls to take England to a thrilling four-wicket T20 World Cup win over New Zealand in Colombo that kept Pakistan’s slender semi-final hopes alive.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros bats against the Athletics in the top of the third inning of a major league baseball game at Sutter Health Park on September 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. will each make their Grapefruit League debuts today.
The Houston Astros (1-4-1) take on the Washington Nationals (4-2-1) in Grapefruit League action.
RHP Lance McCullers Jr. is set to make his 2026 Grapefruit League debut. He made his return to the mound in 2025 after missing the entire 2023-24 seasons due to a right flexor tendon injury that required surgery. He worked around four IL stints to go 2-5 with a 6.51 ERA (40ER/55.1IP) and 9.92 SO/9IP through 16 games (13 starts).
Feb 27, 2026; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) talks with catcher C.J. Stubbs (50) and first baseman Riley Triotta (87) on the mound during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Jays 5 Rays 6
The Jays are now 1-5 with a tie, this spring.
It wasn’t a good day for Eric Lauer. He went 1.2, allowed 3 hits, 3 earned, hit a batter, and gave up 3 earned. It is early, but if he wants a starting rotation spot, he should give up less runs than innings.
Other pitchers:
Connor Larkin: Gave up 1 hit, 1 walk before getting the last out of the second inning. He had a
Braydon Fisher: 2 hits, 1 earned on a home run, 1 strikeout in his inning.
Mason Fluharty: 4 hits, 1 earned, 1 k in his inning.
CJ Van Eyk: 3 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks 2 strikeouts. The star pitcher of the day.
Jorge Alcala: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 earned.
Hitters, starters:
Nathan Lukes: 0 for 3, 2 strikeouts. .111 BA on the spring.
Davis Schneider: 0 for 3, strikeout. .125.
Addison Barger: for 3, strikeout. .000.
Jesus Sanchez: o for 2, walk. .143.
Eloy Jimenez: 0 for 2. .417.
Leo Jimenez: 1 for 2, 1 RBI, 1 k. .333.
CJ Stubbs: 0 for 1, k, hit by pitch. .333.
Ben Cowles: 0 for 2. .000.
Riley Tirotta: 0 for 2. .182.
Others:
Jonatan Clase: 0 for 2, k. .000.
Carlos Mendoza: walk.
Yohendrick Pinango: 0 for 1. .125.
Rafael Lantigua: 1 for 1, RBI. .556.
RJ Schreck: 0 for 1. .200.
Arjun Nimmala: 1 for 1, double, walk. .333.
Geovanny Planchart: 0 for 2. .000.
Josh Kasevich: 0 for 2. .444.
Sean Keys: 1 for 2, k. .182.
I’d like to see the batters doing better.
Tomorrow, the Jays are doing the split squad thing. Some are traveling to Tampa to play the Yankees, with Jose Berrios starting. Some are staying in Dunedin, with Dylan Cease starting. The later will be on Sportsnet. The former is on YES, and we’ll be able to watch MLB TV.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Mj Melendez #1 of the New York Mets celebrates in the dug out after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets decimated the Cardinals in a victory on the road in Jupiter this afternoon, and Freddy Peralta started his Mets tenure about as good as one would have hoped.
Freddy Peralta threw 29 pitches in three perfect innings, collecting three strikeouts in his appearance.
Devin Williams made his first appearance as well, going one inning and giving up one hit. That hit was a solo home run to top Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt.
Justin Hagenman went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out four.
Huascar Brazobán and Brett Banks each threw a scoreless inning to finish the game.
MJ Melendez was the offensive star of the game, going 2-for-3, both hits being home runs and driving in four runs.
AJ Ewing had another great appearance, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and a walk.
Cristian Pache went 3-for-3 with a double, and he scored twice.
Juan Soto went 1-for-3, hitting a double off Quinn Matthews.
Austin Barnes went 1-for-3, hitting a two-run double.
Kevin Parada went 1-for-1, driving in two runs and walking twice.
The Mets will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 1:10 PM EST, taking on the Washington Nationals back at Clover Park. Tobias Myers will make his second appearance of the spring, and his first start. You can actually watch that game on television, as it’s being broadcast on SNY.
Recap disclaimer – this may be more a random observations list than a specific blow-by-blow of the game. Spring training results are unimportant, right? It’s the process, after all.
Game Recap
Juan Soto and the Mets take the Cardinals by an 14-3 score. Cardinals use 11 pitchers to cover 9 innings, giving up 3 HR along the way, coupled with 9 walks. Offensively, youngsters Wetherholt (HR), Church, Davis and Saggese (all doubles) contributed extra base hits.
Pre-Game Notes
From my wanderings around the back fields, looking at schedules, etc.
Kind of a down day this morning at camp. Things will pick up later. I think this is day#3 for MiLB players, and there are lots of indoor meetings … As I write this, they are having an all-hands meeting that includes how to handle oneself on social media.
MiLB pitchers on the rehab list are Moran, Santos, King, Dutkanych, Clarke
Planning to get to sim game thrown by P. Graham along with live BP by Crossland and E. Young. Also of note, Dustin May is scheduled up for a sim game with Ivan catching. B. Holiday throws a rehab BP, so he is progressing.
Urias makes his first game appearance today at second base. JJW at DH. Saggese indeed starts in CF. Q. Mathews to start, followed by Pushard and others. Rodriguez part of the group of MLB game backups.
I try not to sweat the little details at the edge of the roster so early in camp, but I am rubbing my chin wondering who the backup 1B is really going to be, especially if Burly got hurt.
The Manager’s Corner (pre-game)
May is on a personalized plan to ramp up to Opening Day. With some guidance from Cardinals on suggestions for prepping to go pole-to-pole.
Talked a bit about Sags in OF a bit. What they look for, even if no balls are hit in his direction.
Game Observations
Rough start in the first inning for Mathews. HBP, walks and general command issues lead to an early run. The stuff appears sharp but the command a bit flighty. It is still February, so no worries. The second inning was better, although the pitch count got a little high and Bedell needed to contribute a pitch to end the inning. Sharp third inning to finish his outing.
Pushard relieves, greeted by a solo HR. Mets up 2-0. Church brings back a potential second HR in RF with those tricky wind currents out of the SE helping knock it down.
Peralta looks sharp for the Mets (shocking, I know!). Followed by Devin Williams in the 4th. Wetherholt greets him with a first pitch HR to RF. The ends the shutout AND the no-hitter. A no doubter at 422 Ft. into the breeze.
Pushard, Bruihl and Davila picked up the middle innings, with likewise middling results. Fernandez was very workmanlike.
I though Soriano was sharp, but some serious infield hijinks created an unearned run. I believe each of the five players on the infield contributed to the misadventures. Tough inning. Learning points all around.
Got to see a seventh inning rotation of batters that included Baez, Rodriguez and Chase. Got to wondering if we might see that again soon. They made some noise. There is some thump there.
Hence got in 27 pitches. Some hard-hit balls resulted in a not great line of 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. It’s good to see him pitching (healthy). Velo up around 96, but the common spring phenomenon of flighty command complicated his inning.
Love finishes the ninth after Hales hits his limit.
The Manager’s corner (post-game)
He liked JJWs approach. 422’ to CF off Williams cutter. Has good power, but not at the expense everything else (contact, all fields. etc.).
Likes the flexibility Urias brings. Does little things well.
On Dustin May, a plus. Good life to the pitches. In a good spot. Needs to figure out what the progression for him is.
ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Wyatt Novara #22 of the Michigan Wolverines pitches against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the 2025 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field on February 23, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Michigan Wolverines have faced a gauntlet so far this season in two weekend tournaments, and they have fared well. Michigan is 4-3, with three of those four wins coming against ranked teams. The Wolverines also won their opening weekend tournament in Surprise, Arizona, which was, well…a surprise.
Michigan wasn’t predicted to be great this year, but the results of the first two weekends are promising. The three losses have come to No. 19 Oregon State (in extra innings; the Wolverines beat the Beavers in their other matchup), No. 21 Florida State and Kansas State.
The Wolverines will once again be somewhere warm this weekend, as they will head to California to take on San Diego in a three-game series. Let’s take a closer look at this weekend’s matchup.
San Diego this season vs. last season
San Diego was one of the best teams in the WCC last year. The Toreros finished 28-30 overall record and a 19-5 conference record. They made it all the way to the WCC Championship with a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line, but St. Mary’s ended up earning the auto bid.
The Toreros are off to a hot start in 2026, as they are 6-1 with wins against Charlotte (twice), Long Beach State, Utah, Creighton and San Diego State. The lone loss came against Charlotte.
San Diego’s record is impressive, but it has not been tested like Michigan has. The Toreros have zero ranked wins to Michigan’s three, so the difficult schedule the Wolverines started with could end up giving them an advantage.
Players to watch
Offensively, San Diego has three players who are hitting .300 or better so far, and all three have started all seven games. Outfielder Aden Howard is leading the way for the Toreros so far, as he is hitting .345 to start the year. He is 10-of-29 with one double, three triples, one home run and seven RBIs.
Catcher Jayden Lobliner is also having a hot start to the season, as he is 9-of-3o (.300) so far. He also has some pop in his bat, as three of his nine hits have been home runs. Lobliner can turn a mistake into runs very quickly. He has 10 RBIs on the year. Lastly, infielder Gabe Springer is hitting .300 as well. He has three doubles, one triple, one home run and six RBIs to start the season.
It’s hard to know what a pitching rotation will look like for a weekend series in college baseball, especially this early in the season. But Michigan will likely face Kyle Bade, Diego Gutierrez and Drake Frize, three guys that all have two starts under their belts this season.
Bade has been the best of them so far, tossing nine innings pitched and giving up three earned runs. Gutierrez has been solid as well, giving up four earned runs in 10 innings pitched. Frize has struggled a bit, as he has given up seven earned runs in nine innings pitched.
Overall, this will be another tough test for Michigan, but this is a winnable series. Programs out west are always solid, but the Wolverines have already notched a few impressive wins this season.
Series schedule
Game 1: Friday 2/27 @ 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Game 2: Saturday 2/28 @ 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Game 3: Sunday 3/1 @ 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Looking ahead
Michigan will be out in California for a while, as the Wolverines have another series next weekend against Pepperdine. In between Pepperdine and San Diego, however, Michigan will have a mid-week clash against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. The Matadors are 5-3 to begin the year with wins against Seattle (three times), St. Mary’s and Cal Baptist.
4pm CT on D1Baseball (and they’re trying to get $30 for it)
After a 6 game stretch of beating up on EMU, Marist, and Evansville, the Diamond Dores travel to the I Like Ike Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Classic (I have no idea what this refers to and I refuse to look it up), where yet another bullshit one time use streamer (this time something called D1 Baseball) is trying to take money ($30?!?!) from you after you already pay over $300 to ESPN to watch these damned regular season baseball games. Must be nice to live like Lou, but for the rest of us, these damned streaming sports tariffs are nickel and dime-ing (well, more $20 and $10-ing) us into the poor house.
At least FloSports pretends to do something for the rest of the month or year that you’ve purchased (though that something is basically college wrestling practices). This one? Just for this mini-tourney. I’ve had enough. You will get my $30 when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
…anyway, though I highly suspect very few if not none of you will see any of these games, the Diamond Dores are about to face a bit of a test, as they go against UC Irvine Friday, Arizona Saturday, and Phil Knight’s own Faber College Sunday.
Knowledge is good.
While all three teams we will face are currently unranked, they are all traditionally good baseball teams. Will we continue mashing the ball against tougher competition, or will we return to the hot-and-cold play from the first series of the year? I’d like to tell you I’ll be able to see the answer, but I’ll likely just be checking in on the stat tracker and/or listening to the radio.
On the Mound
Friday @ 4:00pm on Yet Another Bullshit Single Use Streamer
Vanderbilt #39 Jr. RHP Connor “The Spice” Fennell (1-0; 3.48 ERA)
vs. UC Irvine #28 Jr. RHP Trevor “Why Don’t You Take a Seat Over There?” Hansen (2-0; 1.88 ERA)
The Lineup
*Will update when posted (unless, you know, I’m driving home).
Feb 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) dunks the ball against LA Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
This topic is a little random, but I was somewhat inspired by various podcasts and articles that talk about players that aren’t what they used to be or haven’t lived up to our expectations. I don’t know if he’s the first to come up with this, but a common phrase that Keith Smith likes to use is “he’s more name than game at this point.”
The examples that I can think of off the top of my head are mostly older players that were once very good to great but Father Time has caught up with them. Guys like Brook Lopez, Joe Ingles, and Kevin Love. Some might put Al Horford in that category, but honestly I don’t want to. Actually, I think Nikola Vučević has been trending in this direction for a year or more.
Then there’s a similar type of player that maybe was ranked highly in the draft, showed some promise early on, or flashes in his career, but just haven’t panned out as anyone would have hoped. Sometimes related to injury, and sometimes just not panning out. Maybe that falls under the “bust” category, but not always. Think guys like DeAndre Ayton, Duncan Robinson, Dejounte Murray, or Jalen Green.
So who am I forgetting? Who would you call overrated or over the hill or whatever? Who’s more name than game these days?
PHILADELPHIA - MAY 24: Doug Collins speaks with the media after being named the new coach of the Philadelphia 76ers during the press conference on May 24, 2010 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey’s ascension as the next superstar Sixers perimeter player continues to crystalize. On Thursday night in a win over the Miami Heat, the 25-year-old All-Star set the franchise record for made three-point shots, moving ahead of Allen Iverson’s total of 885. Maxey has his whole career in front of him, one that hopefully includes him wearing Sixers red, white and blue for the entirety of it. If all goes as well as Philadelphia hopes, the sharpshooting guard will make this an unbreakable record for the franchise.
The fact that Maxey was able to break this record so quickly into his NBA life is a testament to his skill when launching it up from deep, but also speaks to how weird and inept the Sixers franchise has been when it comes to three-point shooting and how long they were in the basketball Stone Age.
Iverson, who played before the NBA’s analytical and three-point revolution, was never a great shooter from deep. He shot just 30.9 percent from three during his decade-plus stint in Philly. He was just chucking them up while mixing in his crafty driving and ability to live at the free throw line as an undersized superhero.
Previously second in made threes was Robert Covington, initially a Process-era afterthought who carved out an 11-year NBA career. Those Sixers teams, after Sam Hinkie came to power and installed Brett Brown as head coach, finally caught up to the fact that three points are worth more than two. Novel idea! No one was hoisting more shots from beyond the arc during that time than Covington, who did so for some tremendously bad teams in addition to some pretty damn compelling ones.
Before that though? Before Hinkie, after years spent with Daryl Morey in Houston as the Rockets became the league’s most analytically inclined organization, came to Philly? It was as if the team was scared to shoot threes.
I became a full-on NBA nerd, consuming podcasts and all that, during Doug Collins’ tenure. Do you know how hard it was to be a 17-year-old basketball dork who was watching teams like San Antonio flourish, pushing the sport into the next generation, while the laughably irrelevant Sixers preached an offensive philosophy built around long-2s and general junk nonsense? Don’t even get me started on whatever they were doing when Eddie Jordan was running the show with his Princeton offense in 2010 too!
All the credit in the world to Maxey. Again, he should make this total skyrocket with any future Sixer unable to close in on it. I do hope, however, someone like VJ Edgecombe and whatever future role players that the team surrounds the backcourt duo with are up for the task of rewriting this sad record book as it stands currently.
