The Vancouver Canucks welcome the San Jose Sharks to Rogers Arena this evening for a Pacific Division showdown. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.
Elias Pettersson is finding a rhythm as a playmaker lately, and my Sharks vs Canucks predictions are eyeing him to keep it rolling tonight.
Read more in my NHL picks for Tuesday, January 27.
Sharks vs Canucks prediction
Sharks vs Canucks best bet: Elias Pettersson Over 0.5 assists (+140)
Elias Pettersson may not be putting up the huge numbers he has in the past, but the Swede is still one of the Vancouver Canucks’ better players. He's compiled 18 helpers this season, cashing the Over in assists in back-to-back appearances.
The 27-year-old set up a goal in a loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday evening, and he registered another helper on Sunday in another defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pettersson is playing with more confidence right now, and he’ll play his part in helping Vancouver keep this contest competitive against the San Jose Sharks.
Sharks vs Canucks same-game parlay
Drew O’Connor has cashed the Over in shots in six consecutive appearances.
He’s also hit the Over in shots on net in five games in a row at Rogers Arena, and O’Connor has four SOG in two meetings with the Sharks.
We shift over to Jake DeBrusk, who is averaging 2.78 SOG. The former Bruin found the back of the net on Sunday and had five shots on target. He’s cashed the Over in SOG in two of his previous four outings.
The Vancouver Canucks have hit the game total Over in 15 of their last 25 home games (+4.95 Units / 18% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Sharks vs. Canucks.
How to watch Sharks vs Canucks
Location
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Date
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSCA, SNP
Sharks vs Canucks latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The Knicks led by 17 points with just over eight minutes to go on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers. After a choppy first half that saw the Knicks get dominated by Joel Embiid and allow the Sixers to shoot 65% from the field, the Knicks had dominated the first 16 minutes of the second half and had all but salted the game away.
Karl-Anthony Towns had barely played due to early foul trouble, and the team had been forced to go to Ariel Hukporti in a key spot in the fourth quarter. Still, all the correct buttons were being pressed for the Knicks… until it didn’t.
As the team has done so many times in the month of January, the offense ground to a halt after a Hukporti’s layup with 8:17 left. The Sixers would score 12 straight points and cut the deficit to five before the next Knicks’ basket over three and a half minutes later. Over a span of 6:20, they scored just four total points and went 1-for-14 from the field and 1-for-4 from the foul line, a truly disgusting effort to nearly piss away a big win.
Yet, they held on. They held on despite some of the worst clutch basketball you’ve ever seen, missing half their free throws, and some ill-advised decisions. Part of that was the simple fact that a lot has to go right to overcome such a deficit in so little time, but the other part was an important lineup switch made by Mike Brown, whose seat had become unexpectedly hot after the team’s disastrous start to the month.
Towns fouled out in just 16 minutes with 5:24 left. It was another bleh game for him, which is a story for another day. Brown inserted Mitchell Robinson in the game, who was a team-best plus-14 in the game and was an integral part of the team’s massive third quarter by shutting down Embiid and demolishing Philly on the boards. The decision to ride Robinson past his likely minutes limit was a big one on its own.
But Robinson had already logged over 25 minutes, a minute off his season high. If he closed the game, he would be over 30 minutes for the first time since April 11 of last season and just the third time since the December 2023 stress fracture in his ankle seemed to permanently put him on a minutes restriction. As such, Robinson only spent 86 seconds in the game before being lifted for…
Deuce McBride. Not Hukporti or Mikal Bridges, it was McBride.
Despite facing a full-throttle and healthy Embiid, Mike Brown elected to go to a bold small-ball lineup, keeping Bridges on the bench to run out a never-before-seen Brunson-McBride-Shamet-Hart-Anunoby lineup. OG Anunoby has very rarely played a small-ball 5 as a Knick and this was a bold way to use it.
Did the lineup do well? Not really, the Sixers outscored the Knicks the rest of the way. What the lineup did, however, was take Embiid out of the rhythm he was gaining to start the Sixers’ run. The former MVP had scored eight of his team’s last 11 during this run and would only manage one putback layup the rest of the game.
This possession really stood out to me. OG Anunoby guarded Joel Embiid really tightly here and didn’t fall for the attempt at drawing a foul.
Anunoby’s strength is his strength. He lacks the speed to stick a guy like Tyrese Maxey or De’Aaron Fox or any small, shifty guard, but makes his money by being able to use his strength to stonewall players who use their physicality to get points. Embiid is one of those, especially when he’s on.
They also didn’t lose anything on the boards. Grabbing rebounds isn’t always about having the bigger or savvier center, but about effort. This ludicrous standing putback dunk was a big part of holding off the Sixers.
One of the reasons the Knicks made the change from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown is lineup versatility. There haven’t been the revolutionary five-out spacing lineups that people envisioned (Brown has reverted to a Thibs classic to start most games), but there have been occasional lineups and adjustments that are necessary over the course of an NBA season that make you think “This is why they made the change they made.”
He passed a big test on Saturday. There are undoubtedly more to come.
The other day, MLB Pipeline dropped their new top 100 rankings and it featured four Nationals in the top 80. Out of all the public rankings I have seen, Pipeline is the highest on the Nats prospects. They have Eli Willits at 13th, Travis Sykora at 54th, Harry Ford at 71st and Jarlin Susana at 80th.
This is very exciting for Nats fans, who are very attached to prospects these days after all the losing that has come this decade. If these guys pan out, they can lead the next generation of winning Nats baseball. After all of the losing, Nats fans deserve it.
Let’s dive into the rankings and what they have to say about each player. Former first overall pick Eli Willits is the top ranked Nats prospect. Pipeline is higher on him than most other outlets, ranking him at 13th. Willits is the highest ranked player drafted in 2025, despite being 5th on their draft rankings. A strong pro debut combined with questions about Ethan Holliday’s hit tool allowed him to move past the more famous prospect.
Willits has three 60 grade tools according to Pipeline. His hitting, running and fielding all have 60 grades, meaning they are plus tools. Players with a 60 hit tool and 60 defense at shortstop do not come around very often, and that is why Willits was taken first overall. He showed both of those skills in his pro debut, where he hit .300 and flashed the leather at shortstop.
The biggest question mark about Willits is his power. Pipeline gave his power tool a 45 grade, which is slightly below average. Due to how great the rest of his game is, that is okay. Willits has the chance to be a 15 home run guy, which is more than good enough considering the rest of his profile. I have always liked the comparison of Geraldo Perdomo when discussing Willits.
One of Pipeline’s more interesting rankings is Travis Sykora. While Baseball America and Keith Law dropped him out of their top 100 list after his Tommy John Surgery, Pipeline still has him at 54th. Personally, I would probably have him somewhere in between, on the back end of a top 100.
Sykora was one of the most dominant minor league arms in the sport before going down with injury. In his pro career, Sykora has a 2.14 ERA and 208 strikeouts in 130.1 innings. He overwhelmed lower minors hitters with his three potentially plus pitches and strong feel for pitching.
Travis Sykora's 2nd Single-A @FXBGNats start of 2025:
– 9 up, 9 down – 5 strikeouts – 11 whiffs (on 25 swings)
Sykora will need to throw his fastball in the zone more often when he comes back, but outside of that, he does not have many weaknesses on the mound. He fires a mid to upper 90’s heater from his unusual delivery. Sykora also has a slider and a splitter that can be plus pitches. The splitter was particularly effective in 2025 according to Pipeline.
Unfortunately, Sykora will miss most, if not all of this season due to the surgery. If he looks as good as new when he comes back, Travis Sykora has the chance to really surge up the rankings. He has top of the rotation upside, and I cannot wait to see him pitch again.
The next player on the list is the only Nats top 100 prospect who was acquired this offseason. That would be Harry Ford, who the Nats got in the Jose A. Ferrer trade. Ford is the closest to the big leagues of all these guys, having already made his debut.
Seattle developed Ford for a number of years, but had no room for the catcher due to Cal Raleigh. That made him expendable, and the catcher needy Nats took advantage. Ford, who ranks 71st on Pipeline’s list, has average hitting ability and power, but that is amplified due to his elite plate discipline.
Ford has a real chance to be a strong offensive catcher. He has 18-20 homer power and can be a .260ish hitter. That .260 average will come with a .350+ on base percentage. In his minor league career, Ford has a .405 career OBP in 1,693 at bats, despite only having a .266 average. That ability to get on base gives him a strong offensive floor. Ford is also a great runner for his position and has a chance to steal up to 15 bags a season.
The defensive side of the game is more of a question mark. Pipeline gives his glove a 45 grade, meaning he is a slightly below average defender behind the plate. With how important defense is behind the plate, this is not ideal, but he is certainly playable as a catcher.
Pipeline notes that he is a solid thrower, but his framing is not very good, even if it has gotten better over the years. With the challenge system coming in, that weakness could be mitigated. Ford’s leadership has been praised, which is something you like to see from a catcher. He will never be confused for Yadier Molina, but Ford should be able to stick behind the plate.
The last National on the top 100 list is Jarlin Susana, who ranks as the 80th best prospect. Like Sykora, Susana had season ending surgery, but his recovery from lat surgery should not take as long.
Susana has some of the most electric stuff in the minor leagues. His fastball sits at 100 MPH and can get up to the 103-104 range. He also has the rare ability to hold his triple digit velocity deep into games. However, some scouts think his slider is even better than his fastball. Pipeline gives both pitches a 70 grade, which is plus-plus stuff.
Jarlin Susana with another good performance today:
5 IP 2 H 1 R 3 BB 10 K 20 whiffs
The arsenal is there! If he can keep his command in check, this is a scary arm! pic.twitter.com/Fh7gAVHzkH
After struggling with injuries and inconsistency early in the season, Susana had a crazy run in the second half before his lat injury. Unfortunately, durability has been a problem for Susana in his career. He has had a few injury scares, which comes with the territory for pitchers with his velocity.
There are also some control issues, with Pipeline giving it a below average 40 grade. However, his stuff is so insane that he still has the chance to be a front of the rotation arm. If the injuries and control move him to a relief role, he could be one of the most dominant closers in baseball.
As long as Susana stays healthy and is anywhere near the strike zone, he will be an impactful pitcher, either as a starter or a high leverage relief arm. Hopefully we can see him on the mound early in the 2026 season. His stuff is just so ridiculous.
It is nice to see Pipeline being higher on some of the Nats prospects. Having four guys in the top 80 is a good sign. There are also other players that could rise on to the list with good seasons. Paul Toboni traded for intriguing prospects like Gavin Fien, Luis Perales and Devin Fitz-Gerald this offseason. I see all of them as having top 100 upside.
This will be something to monitor as we head into the season. Right now the Nats have four top 100 guys. While Ford should graduate, there should be plenty of other Nats prospects waiting in the wings to take his spot on the top 100 list. MLB Pipeline is a great resource for fans, and I really appreciate their lists, especially when the Nats are well represented.
Roope Hintz has averaged close to a point per game on the year and is showing no signs of slowing down, having picked up eight over his last nine contests.
My Stars vs. Blues predictions expect him to have another productive outing against a St. Louis team he always seems to cause problems for.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Tuesday, January 27.
Stars vs Blues prediction
Stars vs Blues best bet: Roope Hintz Over 0.5 points (-145)
Roope Hintz is somewhat of a St. Louis Blues killer. He has points in four of the past five head-to-head meetings, piling up eight along the way. His success should continue in this matchup, as Hintz is extremely well rested.
We don’t have much data to work with on that kind of rest, but he has eight points over eight games following two off days this season. He's also hit the scoresheet in four of the last five under those circumstances.
The Blues rank 28th in goals against and have struggled to get saves all year. Their struggles on the penalty kill, where they rank 29th, also play a major role in their inability to keep the puck out.
Hintz and the Dallas Stars are certainly equipped to take advantage, as the Stars rank No. 2 in power-play percentage at 29.1%.
Stars vs Blues same-game parlay
Miro Heiskanen has played 10 games against teams that rank in the Bottom 5 in shots allowed to defensemen. He recorded multiple shots in seven of them, including a two-shot effort vs. the Blues less than a week ago.
Mikko Rantanen has scored 11 goals over his past 10 games against the Blues. Given their struggles in net and on the penalty kill (Rantanen ranks fifth in power play points), he’s a real threat to score again.
Stars vs Blues SGP
Roope Hintz Over 0.5 points
Miro Heiskanen Over 1.5 shots
Mikko Rantanen anytime goalscorer
Stars vs Blues odds
Moneyline: Stars +130 | Blues -150
Puck Line: Stars -1.5 (+160) | Blues +1.5 (-190)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-115) | Under 5.5 (-105)
Stars vs Blues trend
Roope Hintz has points in 13 of his last 20 road games. Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs. Blues.
How to watch Stars vs Blues
Location
Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
Date
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Puck drop
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN Select, Hulu
Stars vs Blues latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
It has not been a fun time to be a prospect in the San Diego Padres farm system. For most of the position players, places to play are getting harder to find with multiple MLB players signed to play those positions at the major league level for years to come. Position player prospects may not even bother unpacking because Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller uses them to add other players to the MLB roster. For the prospects who do not get traded, Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball found they are left to make up one of the worst farm systems in baseball according to various prospect rankings. The best prospect among them at least on some lists, is catcher Ethan Salas who has seen his stock drop since missing all but 10 games of the 2025 season. The 2026 season is fast approaching with Spring Training just around the corner. Perhaps it will over an opportunity for some young players who might be overlooked or underrated to show their potential.
Padres News:
The Padres announced their promotional schedule for the 2026 season, which features scarves, bobbleheads, ponchos and more to entice fans to come out to Petco Park to watch their hometown team.
Jaff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribunecontinued his Padres roster review looking at reliever Jeremiah Estrada. The Chicago Cubs castoff has found his home in the San Diego bullpen and he has become and integral part of the best ‘pen in the game.
Framber Valdez remains the best remaining free agent pitcher and many believe he will end up with the Baltimore Orioles. Eugenio Suarez and Luis Arraez are two of the top position players left, but Suarez has not seen a ton of interest and Arraez has had essentially no interest at all. Time is running out for free agents to sign with teams if they don’t want to delay the starts to their seasons as Spring Training is just a few weeks away.
Joe Ryan has been discussed as a possible trade candidate for several teams this offseason. He and the Minnesota Twins agreed to a contract to avoid arbitration, which could keep him in Minnesota for 2026.
Japan named eight players to its World Baseball Classic roster and the top among those names were Shohei Ohtani and his Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Nolan Arenado, who was recently traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks from the St. Louis Cardinals, will play for Puerto Rico in the WBC.
The Long Island Nets returned home court Monday night for a game vs. Motor City Cruise. The game got underway at 7:00 p.m. EST, and early on, it looked as if it wasn’t going to be Long Island’s night. the Nets found themselves down by 16 points, but ultimately they came back to win it, 112-106.
After going down early, the Nets dominated the offensive glass in the third and picked up five steals to take an 83-80 lead over the Pistons G League team going into the final frame. Long Island closed out the win by shooting 88.9 percent (8-for-9) from the line in the fourth and going on a 14-5 run to snap Motor City’s five-game win streak…
The Nets trailed by as many as 16 points, marking the largest comeback win of the season for Long Island and the team’s first comeback from a deficit of at least 15 points since a 16-point comeback win over Motor City on March 22, 2025. The Nets G League affiliate’s record is now 9-6, good enough for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Long Island starters combined for 72 points with two vets, Nets two-way Tyson Etienne (22) and Long Island signee Malachi Smith (23) leading the way.
Grant Nelson has now started six straight games after returning from a seven-week rehab of a balky knee. He once again played a solid all-around game despite still being on a minutes restriction, The 23-year-old 7-footer played a little less than 20 minutes, his high since returning and flirted with a double-double, yet again. He shot the ball well, connecting on four of his eight attempts, as well as making two-of-three from the foul stripe, the last of which sealed the win…
BIG First Half from Grant Nelson 💪 10 PTS | 6 REB 80% field-goal percentage 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nPBwC5QwZ5
Nelson finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, which was a team best, as well as block and two assists. In his six starts, Nelson is averaging 28.9 points and 12.9 rebounds as well as 1.4 blocks, per 36 minutes. He’s also hitting 67% of his shots overall and 88% from the stripe. Although he shot nearly 30% from three in 160 college games, he’s only attempted two deep shots since returning although one of his four field goals Monday night was on the line.
.A small sample no doubt, but a growing one. No word yet on when the Nets might remove the restrictions, but the near 20 minutes he played Monday is the most he’s played in those starts.
E.J. Liddell, one of the Nets current two-ways along with Etienne and Chaney Johnson, remained with Brooklyn on the West Coast.. With the trade deadline just about 10 days away, Brooklyn could elevate one of their two-way players to a standard NBA deal if one opens up or waive the player from their NBA roster while retaining the players G League rights.
Malachi Smith, the 6’4” combo guard who was Liddell’s high school teammate once again got the start Friday with Brooklyn rookie PG Ben Saraf, also with the big club. Smith reminded Long Island exactly why the started him in the first place. He led the team in scoring with 23 points. Smith shot the ball very well, as he connected on eight of his 14 shots, including going four of six from three-point land.
Smith also contributed in other ways, as picked up four assists. That’s become an area where the 6’4” 24-year-old’s game has he’s exceled, getting s his teammates involved, particularly now with Saraf and Nolan Traore in Brooklyn.
Etienne, was second on the team in scoring in this one. After having a rough few performances shooting the ball, the 6’0” 26-year-old Etienne landed six of his 14 shots, six of 13 from deep, for a total of 22 points. Etienne also hauled in four rebounds and a team-high seven assists. This also marked Etienne’s 11th game with at least five makes from long range since joining the Nets, the second-most such games in franchise history.
Small forward Nate Williams, who turns 27 next month, looked to be more on his game in this one, tallying 16 points. Williams shot the ball well, hitting on six of his 14 shots. He also had three rebounds, four assists, and two steals. When Williams is on his game, he looks like one of the best on the court. Tonight, fortunately for Williams, was one of those nights. It was 13th consecutive game getting into double-digits in the points category. The 6’7” Sag Harbor native has the most NBA experience on Long Island, having played 47 games.
Rounding out the starting five, the Nets third two-way Chaney Johnson made his presence felt in this one. The 6’7’ 3-and-D prospect, youngest player on Long Island’s roster, got into the double digits in scoring, picking up 10 points. However, Johnson had a bit of a lackluster day shooting the ball. He connected on just three of his 10 tries, including going 1-of-4 from deep. But he had five rebounds, two assists, and one block to his credit…
Where Johnson excelled was as a ball hawk in this one. The 6’7” 23-year-old picked up a team-leading and game-leading four steals. It also marked a career-high.
The Long Island bench was quiet in this one, but was headlined by Tre Scott, who picked up 10 points, becoming the sixth and final player this game to get into the double-digit mark. He also had five rebounds to his credit. David Muoka also tallied six points and seven rebounds off the bench. Alex Schumacher, a 6’3” shooting guard signed last week, had eight points. Muoka (Hong Kong) and Schumacher (Switzerland) are the team’s two international players.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (9-6) return to their home court on Wednesday, January 28th, as they once again face off with the Motor City Cruise. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN+ and the Gotham Sports app.
Pavel Zacha has piled up the points at home all season long.
Facing a poor defensive team in his own building, my Predators vs. Bruins predictions expect that trend to continue.
Let’s take a closer look at my NHL picks for Tuesday, January 27.
Predators vs Bruins prediction
Predators vs Bruins best bet: Pavel Zacha Over 0.5 points (-115)
Pavel Zacha owns some of the most drastic home/road splits you will find. He has been lights out at TD Garden this season, hitting the scoresheet in 21 of 27 games (78%) and only going back-to-back games without a point once.
The Boston Bruins forward has just 10 points through 25 road games and has only produced in nine of those games. His Over rate of 36% on the road is not even half of what he’s managed at home.
Zacha is not only home Tuesday night but is facing a bad Nashville Predators defense to boot. They have allowed 3.41 goals per game this season (fourth-most) and rank 22nd in shots allowed.
While they have won a lot more frequently of late, it’s not due to improved defensive play – at least not at 5-on-5.
The Predators sit 31st in shot suppression and 29th in goals against, and have played at the third-fastest pace over their last 10.
Zacha has excelled in similar spots this season, picking up a point in 11 of 12 home dates against teams that rank Bottom-10 in shots against, goals against, or both.
Predators vs Bruins same-game parlay
David Pastrnak has shot the lights out in back-to-backs this season. He has played in five of them and posted gaudy totals, averaging 9.8 attempts per game. That’s well above his season average of 7.7.
When Pastrnak posts high-volume shooting performances, goals usually follow. He has scored 16 times spanning 25 games in which he generated four shots or more.
Pavel Zacha has points in 11 of his last 14 home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Predators vs. Bruins.
How to watch Predators vs Bruins
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-SO, NESN
Predators vs Bruins latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The Washington Wizards signed Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
The Washington Wizards are signing center Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract out of their Capital City affiliate, agent Daniel Hazan tells ESPN. Labissiere enters a sixth NBA season after being a first-round pick in 2016. He has shot 55% from field and 44% from 3 in G League.
Labissiere comes to the Wizards from the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G-League affiliate, where he is playing this season. He is averaging 19.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season with Capital City. Labissiere was the No. 28 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, though he ultimately began his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings. He has mostly bounced in and out of the NBA and G League since beginning his professional career.
Going into the game, there was one certainty: this game would be about turnovers and taking care of the ball. While the Boston Celtics are among the very best teams at protecting the basketball, the Portland Trail Blazers are the team with the highest turnover rate in the league.
Nonetheless, they are also very aggressive and have shown throughout the season that they can force teams to lose focus and turn the ball over more often than usual. And that is exactly what happened last night at the TD Garden. The Celtics posted their fourth-worst turnover rate of the season, at 17% – back in December in Portland, they had the same issue with a 19% turnover rate. But this time, they were able to get the W despite their turnover problems.
What helped is that the Celtics also did a very good job of punishing Portland’s inability to protect the ball, forcing 18 turnovers from the young team while allowing only 17 assists. The Celtics’ defense was on point last night, and it all started by daring the Blazers to make their jump shots.
#2 – Making the most of the lack of shooting
Very early in the game, the Celtics decided to live with shooting variance and dare the Blazers to make their shots – or to drive into a crowded paint.
That approach forced a different shot profile than usual for the visitors. Usually, they are among the teams with the highest volume of shots at the rim (34% rim frequency). Yet last night, Boston took the rim away from them, and the Blazers’ lack of shooting made that easier, as they are dead last in three-point percentage at 33.7% since the start of the season.
Overall, this worked out pretty well on the defensive end, with only 94 points allowed, as the Blazers made just 25% of their attempts from deep. On the other side of the court, the defensive coverage was quite different.
#3 – How to deal with aggressive coverage
Similarly to what the Brooklyn Nets tried a few nights ago, Portland chose to be aggressive on the ball-handler in pick-and-roll situations. Often, the goal was to force Jaylen Brown to give up the ball and slow down the offense.
Against such coverage, the Celtics decided to go with Sam Hauser as a screener. This created a trap for the Portland defense because, as they sent two players at the ball-handler, it freed Hauser just a few meters from the ball – and he loves to convert from these situations.
Because of those consequences, the Blazers adjusted. Instead of sending two players straight away, they waited a little before committing the second defender, making the pass to Hauser impossible. And this is where Boston’s team IQ comes in. Because Hauser knows he can reach the ball, he runs to the free-throw line to give Brown an easier pass against the trap.
From that situation, the Celtics create a four-against-three advantage, and that leads to another open shot for Mazzulla’s team.
While the Celtics generated great shots against aggressive coverages, I had more mixed feelings about their approach against drop coverage. The Celtics took 26 mid-range shots in the second half of the game and made only eight of them.
Yes, the Celtics like these short and long mid-range zones, but it can be a trap. These shots are less efficient than drives to the rim and do not generate free throws. It also sometimes felt like Portland were dictating where the shots were taken, rather than the opposite.
This, combined with the high number of turnovers, helped the Trail Blazers stick around until the end.
#5 – Rookie push
Yet, despite some trouble on offense, the Celtics could always count on the push from their high-energy rookies. Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams brought the juice needed to impact the game on both ends. On this first play, they saved the possession after Jaylen Brown struggled to keep the ball alive.
As usual, Hugo brought the energy on the offensive glass and forced offensive fouls, but Amari also made his mark. On this play, he protected the rim, triggered a transition, ran the floor to offer an option below the rim, and scored the and-one. A five-point swing within a few seconds – instant impact.
But Amari wasn’t the only one who created a five-point swing within a few seconds.
#6 – +5 in the last seconds of quarters
Against an aggressive opponent at the end of the first quarter, Anfernee Simons drove to his right and triggered Toumani Camara’s stunt, leaving Pritchard alone. The help from the corner was too far away to disrupt PP’s quick release, and that was the first buzzer-beater of the night.
Twelve minutes later, Payton hadn’t scored another bucket since his buzzer-beater in the first. With only a few seconds remaining before halftime, he quickly pushed the ball up the floor and didn’t hesitate to drive… almost lost the ball, but secured it just in time to fade away for another buzzer-beater.
A five-point addition in the final seconds of both quarters, in a game decided by fewer than 10 points – a game changer.
#7 – Fighting back in transition
Those buzzers weren’t the only illustration of the Celtics’ willingness to fight for that win last night. While their transition defense can sometimes be sloppy, that wasn’t the case against Portland. The Celtics were able to contain the young team’s desire to run and limited them to just 1.05 points per possession in transition, compared to 1.53 points per transition possession for Boston’s offense.
One of the leaders of that effort was Simons, despite being targeted every time he was on the court.
#8 – Portland attacking Simons
Maybe it was ego, maybe it was tactical, but Simons’ former teammates definitely went after him when he was on the court, especially in the second half with Jerami Grant.
Yet Simons made sure to show his former team that, despite his smaller frame, he is becoming a much better defensive player in Boston. He fought well through screens and did his best to stay in front of his matchup, even against bigger players. In the end, the Trail Blazers scored a few baskets and got to the free-throw line by targeting him, but Simons’ efforts were impressive.
Despite losing the ball on nine possessions throughout the game, it was Derrick White who saved the day against the Trail Blazers. First, with a three, then after another smart action from Hauser, who asked for the ball at the free-throw line to swing it to White for the dagger.
Then came the steal to seal the deal. Notice how the Celtics’ coaching staff matched him up with Williams, knowing he would be involved in the play, either as a passer or a screener.
A very well-deserved standing ovation for Jrue Holiday was the least Boston could do to celebrate the man – and the player – that he is. On and off the court, Jrue had a huge impact on the Celtics and was one of the keys to banner 18.
A standing ovation for Jrue Holiday following a very well put together tribute video pic.twitter.com/dIx0qBa2b1
BOSTON — Before Monday night, Celtics rookie Amari Williams had limited NBA minutes to his name, spending most of this year with the team’s G League affiliate in Maine. When the opportunity finally arrived against the Trail Blazers, the 23-year-old made the most of it.
Williams logged a career-high 25:53 minutes in Boston’s 102-94 win over Portland, leaving a strong impression in the process.
“I thought Amari did a great job today,” Jaylen Brown said. “I thought he looked exceptional. He came out, protected the rim, and was where he was supposed to be for the most part. Amari made it easy for us tonight, but any given night — depending on how the team is playing us — that communication has to be great.”
Originally, the Celtics rolled with Neemias Queta at starting center. But coach Joe Mazzulla made the substitution at 7:27 in the first quarter, swapping Queta out for Williams. Two minutes and 38 seconds later, Williams ran a pick-and-roll with Derrick White, cut, and found an easy two-handed dunk without a Trail Blazers defender in sight.
Gradually, through each passing possession, Williams grew more and more comfortable. He attacked the rim, challenged Portland’s Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III for rebounds, and walked away having nearly notched a double-double, with nine points and seven rebounds. Teammates, both on the floor and watching from the sideline, got a glimpse of what Williams could bring to the table, and they were impressed.
“His rebounding and boxing out, protecting the rim — and we got to use Amari more for his passing ability because he can really pass,” Payton Pritchard said.
Pritchard mentioned that limited practice runs with Williams make it difficult to get him up to speed. That makes his acclimation process a two-way street, as the weight doesn’t lie solely on Williams; it’s also on everyone in the locker room to adapt and help maximize Williams’ usage on the floor. Sometimes that looks like running pick-and-rolls to catch opposing defenses sleeping. Other times, it’s Williams hovering around the paint to generate offensive looks without ever touching the ball.
For someone who hasn’t spent most of the season with the team, it could be overwhelming. The Celtics understand the position that puts Williams in.
“We’re gonna have to learn on the fly when he gets in, but it should be quick,” Pritchard said. “He reads the game really well, so it’ll be fun playing with him.”
Then there’s the coaching factor. For Mazzulla, it comes down to doing what’s best for Williams from a perspective his teammates can’t provide. We’ve seen it at times with fellow rookie Hugo González and veteran Josh Minott. If Mazzulla spots a miscue he deems inexcusable, he’ll hold the Celtics culprit accountable, often with trips to the bench, animated earfuls, or both.
So with Williams, it’s about finding that sweet spot of trusting the process and establishing a standard.
“It’s keeping the patience on the stuff that you have to teach, and losing your patience on the stuff that has to be non-negotiable,” Mazzulla said. “Regardless of whether you’re playing out in the park or playing in the NBA, it shouldn’t matter. It’s just understanding that the differences are in that.”
Balancing those two sides of patience isn’t easy.
“One of the greatest gifts you can give young players is coaching them hard, because you get into a situation where they may not get that all the time,” Mazzulla said. “I think holding them to the highest standard is something they should want. So I don’t know if it’s impatience as much as it’s, ‘Regardless of who you think you are, I still think there’s a standard we can get to, and we’ve got to do it. That’s just how it goes.’”
The way Mazzulla views the team is the same way he views the roster: it’s about getting the most out of everyone, both collectively and individually. That outlook comes with a caveat — if someone isn’t pulling their weight, Mazzulla won’t hesitate to look elsewhere on the bench for a contributor to get the job done. Against the Trail Blazers, Williams embodied the principles that come with that mentality, doing a little bit of everything while adding an assist, a steal, and two blocks to his stat line.
In January, Williams averaged just over seven minutes across four games. His playing time against Portland nearly matched his combined total (29 minutes) from his first six career appearances over the season’s first three months. Even in a season when Mazzulla has been at his most experimental with lineups and rotations, Williams has had to wait his turn at the table.
Through 10 games with the Maine Celtics, he has averaged 12.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, along with 1.8 blocks, while shooting 60.5% from the field.
Williams, the most recent center drafted by the Celtics, at times even outshone Robert Williams III, the last center Boston selected before him in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Mazzulla admitted that juggling the priority of winning can also heighten the degree of difficulty in player management, which trickles down throughout the entire coaching staff — not just Mazzulla.
“Yes, we do have to win the game, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to play the guys who give it everything they’ve got every single day,” Mazzulla said. “… It just validates the work because if you don’t give them chances to validate them, then they’re not going to work hard. And I think it validates the staff because at the end of the day, I have to speak to Amari knowing that, up until the point he checks into the game, there’s a full level of trust in everything the staff is telling him.”
Just over 24 hours removed from being absolutely demolished by the Charlotte Hornets, the Philadelphia 76ers are back in action on Tuesday night to host the Milwaukee Bucks sans Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It’s a good thing there’s a quick turnaround here. I don’t think the Sixers want more time to dwell on their last contest. On Monday afternoon, Philadelphia put up a pathetic display for one of their worst losses all season falling to Charlotte 130-93. The Sixers even trailed by 50 at one point in the game. Joel Embiid and Paul George did not play (left knee injury management), but still. Just truly pathetic.
Fortunately, the Sixers will have to quickly flush that one from their memory with another game ahead on Tuesday.
This is the squad’s ninth back-to-back of the season so far with seven more ahead. In zero-days rest games, the Sixers are 5-3 this campaign. They will have had a few more hours of rest than a typical back-to-back, though. Philadelphia’s game on Monday in Charlotte was moved up to 3 p.m. ET (originally 7 p.m.) to give the Sixers more time to get back home in the wake of the winter storm that ripped through the East Coast this past weekend.
The Sixers’ injury report will not be made available until this afternoon. That being said, both Embiid and George did not play yesterday against the Hornets. Based on the pattern of the duo simply not playing both ends of back-to-backs, it would not be surprising to see both Embiid and George back available for today against the Bucks.
Per usual, we will keep you posted on everyone’s official statuses once they are available.
We do know that the Bucks will be without Giannis, who currently has no timetable for return after being diagnosed with a calf strain. It goes without saying that Milwaukee is a completely different team without Giannis, who is averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds per game in 30 contests this season. The Bucks are 3-11 this season when Giannis is sidelined.
Kevin Porter Jr. is also out with an oblique strain and Taurean Prince remains out recovering from neck surgery.
The last time the Sixers and Bucks faced off was also the second leg of a back-to-back for Philadelphia. Strangely, three of the four times the Sixers play the Bucks this season are second legs of back-to-backs. NBA brilliant scheduling at work!
What a night for Tyrese Maxey, dropping a career-high 54 points in the Sixers' OT win over the Bucks.
54 PTS (18/30 FG, 6/15 3PT), 5 REB, 9 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK Maxey was truly dominant all game.
But I digress. The Sixers are 2-0 against the Bucks this campaign. The squads had their most recent matchup back on Dec. 5, 2025, in Milwaukee with both Giannis and Embiid absent. The Sixers won 116-101 thanks in no small part to Quentin Grimes leading the team with 22 points off the bench on 7-for-9 field goal shooting (6-for-7 from long range) with five assists. Frankly, it was one of the last good (or even decent) Grimes performances, with the guard struggling mightily as of late to say the least.
In the teams’ first matchup back on Nov. 20, 2025, Tyrese Maxey put up a career-high 54 points on 18-for-30 field goal shooting (6-for-15 from three-point range) with nine assists, three steals and three blocks in a truly dominant performance. No Embiid nor Giannis for that one either.
The biggest thing this game provides for the Sixers is an opportunity to get momentum on their side. It feels like every time this team wins a good game, such as their overtime win over the Houston Rockets on Jan. 22, they follow it up with a big stumble into a loss or losing streak. That’s simply not going to cut it in a tight Eastern Conference. The Sixers haven’t been able to string four or more wins together since starting the season 4-0.
With a Giannis-less Bucks team ahead followed by meetings with the 12-win Sacramento Kings and 12-win New Orleans Pelicans, there’s not much excuse for not getting the ball rolling in their favor here.
The Sixers and Bucks tip off in South Philadelphia at 8 p.m. ET.
Game Details
When: Tuesday, January 27, 8:00 p.m. ET Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers
Should the Orioles secure the 32-year-old lefty from the Dominican Republic, it would not only transform the top of the O’s rotation but also create an interesting competition for the No. 5 spot. Depending on how new manager Craig Albernaz wants to structure his rotation, you’d expect Valdez, Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers to fill in the top three spots in some order. Then, high-risk, high-reward acquisition Shane Baz will likely slide into the No. 4 spot. With four potential options to round out the rotation, filling that No. 5 spot will be one of the hardest decisions facing Alby and the new coaching staff.
I’ve consistently thought of Kremer as a pitcher you’d be happy to have as your No. 5 starter. Too often in the past, the Orioles have been forced to have Kremer take on a more important role in the rotation. In 2023, he was the Game 3 starter in the Orioles’ playoff series against Texas. In 2024, he was third in total starts and innings pitched and probably would’ve taken the ball in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series had the O’s made it that far. Last year, Kremer was the Orioles’ most consistently available starter, leading the team in innings pitched and strikeouts while making 31 appearances.
Heading into the 2026 season, Kremer finally has a chance to fill the role he was destined for. Given the other three options’ struggles with injuries (and on-field performance) in 2025, Kremer would come into spring training with the inside track on landing the final spot in the rotation. He should be the most stretched out of all Orioles pitchers, as he starts his competitive season earlier than most, headlining Team Israel’s rotation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
And not only would the fifth-starter role better fit Kremer’s “consistent, but rarely spectacular” brand of baseball, but it also may help Kremer avoid the early-season struggles that have plagued him in the past. Due to some extra rest days in the first month of the season, the fifth starter often doesn’t get a full complement of starts. That’d suit Kremer just fine, who sports a 6.24 ERA in March/April and a 3.88 ERA across all other months.
While Kremer represents the steady, dependable option for the Orioles’ fifth starter, Eflin is the higher upside option. After a nine-start cameo in 2024 that saw him pitch to a 2.60 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over 55.1 innings, Eflin came into last season as the Orioles Opening Day starter and de facto ace.
The first nine outings of his 2025 season were similarly encouraging. Eflin pitched to a 4.08 ERA, which went down to 3.02 if you removed an eight-run blow-up against the Nationals. Eflin then crumbled as he tried to gut through the effects of the back injury that ultimately ended his season. Over his final five outings of last season, Eflin put up an 11.29 ERA while allowing 37 hits and eight home runs over 18.1 innings.
The Orioles may choose to be cautious with the 10-year MLB vet, as he looks to bounce back from the fourth major back injury of his career. If the O’s slow play his build-up in the spring, he may fall behind Kremer in the early-season pecking order. However, if Eflin is fully healthy when the team leaves Sarasota in two months, he may get the nod based on his contract. Eflin is set to make $10M in 2025, compared to $5.75M for Kremer.
Povich was in a similar position last year and ended up breaking spring training as the Orioles’ No. 5 starter. What happened after that was a bit of a trainwreck for the 25-year-old southpaw. In Povich’s first 13 starts of the season, the lefty they call Slim posted a 5.15 ERA, gave up a .286 average against, and overall, struggled to string together decent outings.
Povich missed six weeks in the middle of the season with a hip injury and wasn’t much better when he came off the IL. In nine starts down the stretch, his ERA grew to 5.29, his batting average against remained in the .280s and he continued to give up home runs at an alarming rate. In fact, Povich’s 1.4 HR/9 rate would have been one of the 10 worst in all of baseball if he had enough innings to qualify.
The former Nebraska Cornhusker does have two factors in his favor: youth and strikeout upside. Povich is at least four years younger than any of the other pitchers he’s competing against, meaning Albernaz and the new staff may want to give him another opportunity to maximize his upside. The coaching staff may also want another pitcher with swing-and-miss stuff. Outside of Bradish, Povich was the only starter last year who posted a K/9 greater than nine.
Wells is the ultimate wild card, as the Orioles could choose to use him in rotation, the bullpen or a hybrid, Albert Suárez-type role. The towering righty from Oklahoma has only pitched 27 innings over the last two seasons due to a UCL injury that required surgery, though not a full reconstruction. The fact that he moved back into the rotation last year upon his return from injury was a bit surprising, but his results justified it.
In four starts at the end of last season, Wells had two quality starts, limited opponents to a .213 batting average and only issued two walks in 21.2 innings. Home runs were a problem for him—he allowed a home run in each of his starts—but overall, he looked like pre-All-Star break, 2023 Tyler Wells again. If that’s the type of pitcher he can be over 25+ starts, he jumps to the front of the line for the Orioles fifth starter spot.
However, Wells’ biggest problem has always been his durability. After throwing 104.2 innings in the first half of 2023, he faded after the All-Star break. The former Rule 5 draft pick hit a wall in the second half, ultimately being demoted to Double-A midseason before being brought back as a reliever. Wells has never thrown 120+ innings in a season, and asking him to be a full-time starter may simply not be the best use of the innings the Orioles can get out of him.
Sigh, this is a depressing one of these to do. Everything about Spencer Strider was, in theory, so awesome, that it didn’t seem like a little thing like a year-long layoff due to elbow troubles was going to derail his career. Surely someone so diligent in being in tune with his body and mechanics could hit the ground running, right? Well, not exactly. After an uneven 2025, Strider’s outlook is uncertain, and pretty fraught.
Career-to-date, status
Drafted in the fourth round of the shortened 2020 MLB Draft, Strider pitched at five different levels (including MLB) in his first professional season. He started 2022 in the big league bullpen, but transitioned to the rotation at the end of May, and well, it seemed like the rest would be history. A hilariously dominant 2022 season could’ve earned him Rookie of the Year honors had his teammate, Michael Harris II, not taken that piece of hardware. (Strider actually had barely more fWAR than Harris, 4.9 to 4.7, though he was pitching in the bullpen while Harris was in the minors.) Strider then spent a full year in the rotation in 2023, and “hilariously dominant” still applied. His 5.5 fWAR that year was second only to Zack Wheeler’s 5.9. All in all, including his time in the bullpen, Strider put up 10.3 fWAR in 318 1/3 innings in 2022-2023, with a 79 ERA-, 59 FIP-, and 63 xFIP-. While perhaps not video game numbers, they were essentially dominant reliever numbers, but from a guy who was close to six innings a game as a starter.
Disaster struck fairly quickly after that, though. Strider looked like himself in his first start of 2024, but not so much in the second, and then missed the rest of the year with an elbow issue that let him avoid Tommy John Surgery, but not missing about a year of action anyway.
Even before his 2023 gave serious credence to the possibility of him being the best starter in the game, the Braves inked him to a $75 million, six-year extension in October 2022. It was, at the time, the highest average annual value for a player with between one and two years of service time. The extension gave Strider relatively low salaries through 2025, but bumps his pay up to $20 million for 2026 and $22 million for the two years thereafter, along with a $22 million club option for 2029 with a $5 million buyout. At the time, it was a move in line with the exuberance of the moment. In 2023, the only concern was that he might eventually get injured. In 2024, well, he got injured. What came after has basically become the antithesis of that exuberance.
Recent performance
2025 was a problem for the Braves, and with regard to Strider’s outlook even moreso than just the mess that was that calendar year for the organization. The main problem, as I’ll get into a bit below, wasn’t that Strider was rusty — it was that rather than improving, he more or less fell apart as the season went on. Maybe it’s not right to have expected rust removal or improvement with experience post-elbow procedure, but given that the proverbial ship seemingly unrighted itself after he had regained a level of decent performance, there are certainly a lot of concerns for Strider heading into 2026.
To be more specific, Strider struggled a fair bit in his first five starts back, though this was not surprising given the layoff and the fact that a hamstring injury actually forced him to take another monthlong break from active duty after his first start of the year. He then reeled off a seven-start stretch where no one would fault you for thinking that Strider was back: in 42 2/3 innings, he put together a 60 ERA-, 61 FIP-, and 66 xFIP-. Nor was this an artifact of facing weak teams, as five of those seven games came against teams that finished in the top ten in wRC+, including the top-finishing Yankees. (Even without the Rockies, the line goes to 70/74/76.) Unfortunately, and here’s the rub: he didn’t keep it going.
There was a two-homer game against the Giants, a poor-peripherals game against the Royals, and then another two-homer game against the Brewers. Whether you want to include those in the “Strider was fine/good” or “Strider was bad” column isn’t really the point, because after that, things just got awful. Strider’s final eight starts of the season featured eight homers, but leaving HR/FB concerns aside, he had a garbage-quality 124/133/125 line. I’m not going to use this projections post to talk about the specific issues he had (see his season review, among other things, for that), but the point is that Strider got worse and never really showed he could un-get worse after those dreadful seven weeks.
All in all, his 2025 involved 0.9 fWAR over 125 1/3 innings with a 105/111/102 line; the okay-ish xFIP could be offset by the fact that his xERA was much worse than his xFIP, assuming you give any weight to xERA as a measure of pitching effectiveness.
Forecasting
Same brief disclaimer: once upon a time I built a projection system to try to mirror/get at the workings of Steamer and ZiPS. I called it IWAG. You can figure out what that means, maybe. I’m bringing it back for this series of posts. Here’s Strider, for 2026.
This is probably the most fraught point estimate of this series. It makes Strider out to be an above-average starter with health issues. But… we know things are a little different. Namely, this is an average of his possible divergent outcomes, with some discounting of his availability given that he missed quite a lot of time in 2024-2025.
Steamer has Strider at around 3.4 WAR per 200 innings, with a point estimate of 161 innings and 2.7 WAR. ZiPS is at 3.2/200 and a point estimate of 2.2 WAR in about 138 innings. IWAG is more conservative on all fronts, but not really all that different (which makes sense because it was built to understand Steamer and ZiPS). So, no discrepancy, but…
Is Strider good or not? I don’t know. I’m not sure anyone knows. Maybe he’ll go back to pre-injury form. Maybe he’ll look like 2025. It’s possible he ends up somewhere in the middle, I guess, but we haven’t seen much middling performance from him at any point, so I’m not sure where that would come from. One of the two poles seems more likely at this point. And, there’s a huge competitive swing for the Braves depending on which of the two you get. I have a headache now. Who’s next on the list? Jurickson Profar? Well… that’s only somewhat less fraught. What a stretch of guys with variable performance we’ve been privy to.
Your turn
Alright, I’ve given you the info. Well, some info. You may have your own info. With that, I ask you:
Rounded to the nearest fWAR, how much will Spencer Strider produce in 2026? (If you ignore this and provide a partial fWAR, I will round it for you, and your scoring will not be based on 1 WAR around your point estimate, but 1 WAR around the rounded number.)
How confident are you in your choice? Go with a scale from 1-5, where 3 is “I dunno, reasonably confident,” 5 is certain, and 1 is “I am participating but have no confidence in my choice and don’t want the fact that it will likely be incorrect to affect my place in any theoretical standings all that much.”
The move marks a major shift from the 2023 tournament, when Arenado played for Team USA, as he now looks to represent his heritage after previously competing for his home country. The Diamondbacks’ third baseman has Puerto Rican heritage through his mom’s side and now has the opportunity to represent his roots on baseball’s biggest international stage.
With a little bit of hindsight, it was pretty obvious from the onset that the Diamondbacks were handicapped financially entering the offseason. Injuries to Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. limited what they could do. The quartet combined for $53.6 million of Arizona’s 209.2 million payroll for 2026 (Cots), or 25.6%.
With injuries completely decimating the pitching staff, which will linger into 2026, D-backs GM Mike Hazen had some tough decisions to make. He chose to address the rotation and third base this offseason, at the expense of the bullpen.
There’s no denying Marte, from a statistical standpoint, holds the advantage over the rest of MLB. He led all qualified second basemen in OPS (.893) in 2025 — a full 80 points above Jazz Chisholm in second place.
Despite missing a decent chunk of time with an injury, and finding himself in the middle of some mid-season drama, he also managed the third-most homers (28) and fourth-most doubles (also 28), while slashing an immense .283/.376/.517 and posting a 145 wRC+ (45% above league average) per FanGraphs.
The Houston Astros have made their position clear. Jose Altuve will not represent Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and the decision came from the organization, not the player. According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the Astros requested that their 36-year-old second baseman skip the tournament to focus on spring training preparation.
The club hasn’t officially confirmed the news, but Altuve’s comments from Saturday’s FanFest made the situation obvious. “I signed the paper that I’m willing to go play like I did the last two WBCs,” Altuve told reporters. “Always an honor to represent my country. I played in the last one and the one before, and I’m trying to do it in this one. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but it seems this year is not up to me. Hopefully everything clears up, and I’ll be able to go.”
Zac Gallen is a workhorse starting pitcher with two top-five Cy Young finishes in the past four years who’s still just 30 years old. Sounds like a top-tier free agent.
But instead, he’s a polarizing one because of his rocky 2025 season. Gallen still pitched 192 innings and recorded 175 strikeouts for the D-backs, but his ERA spiked to 4.83, one of the highest among qualified pitchers, and he just didn’t look the same as the ace-level Gallen of 2022-23.
This is Irmo, South Carolina, the most baseball a baseball town can be.
Irmo is so baseball that last year it sent not one, not two, not three, but four teams in different divisions to the Little League World Series — baseball teams of up to 12-, 13- and 16-year-old boys, along with a girls softball team. Little League has seven divisions, each of which holds a national tournament of top teams every year, the World Series. Do the math: One community sent clubs to more than half the national competitions.
Irmo is so baseball that championship jerseys hang in local restaurants as relics of pride with signatures of the ball players, who are treated as local celebrities.
Last year, there were three teams that beat their baseline win figure by at least 10, all in the American League: the White Sox, the Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Breaking out means different things for different teams. For the White Sox, it meant being less terrible than their record-setting 2024 collapse. For the Athletics, it meant a return to respectability, laying the foundation for a possible playoff run in 2026. For the Blue Jays, it meant falling inches shy of a World Series championship.
The Giants have a notable upgrade to their outfield defense in place, reportedly agreeing to a two-year, $20.5MM contract with free agent outfielder Harrison Bader. The Vayner Sports client can earn an additional $500K via incentives, bringing the deal’s maximum value to $21MM.
Bader, 31, has been a free agent for three consecutive offseasons but now lands the multi-year deal that’s previously eluded him. He signed one-year deals with the Mets and Twins, respectively, over the past two winters. Bader turned in a career-best performance in Minnesota and was red hot for the Phillies down the stretch after joining them in a deadline swap, and the market has rewarded that strong 2025 performance.
