Posts

Posted on

Nets drop third straight after 119-109 loss to Raptors

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 25 points to help the Toronto Raptors beat the Brooklyn Nets 119-109 on Tuesday night.

Immanuel Quickley had 24 points for Toronto, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Scottie Barnes finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Jakob Poetl had 12 points and 10 boards.

The Raptors won for the fifth time in six games. They shot 49.5 percent (45 for 91) from the field and outrebounded the Nets 50-36.

Nic Claxton and Michael Porter Jr. each had 21 points for Brooklyn, losers of 10 of its first 11 games to start the season. The Nets are winless in six games at home.

Playing its third game of a five-game trip, Toronto led 60-52 at halftime and increased its lead to 14 points early in the third quarter.

Brooklyn closed to 83-81 late in the third, but Toronto responded with three consecutive baskets, including a buzzer-beating floater from Jamal Shead.

Quickley’s three-pointer sparked a 7-0 run for the Raptors that made it 102-89 with 7:41 left.

Toronto has won in its last three visits to Barclays Center.

Up next

Raptors: Continue their trip at Cleveland on Thursday.

Nets: Visit Orlando on Friday.

Posted on

MLB GM Meetings: Market for closers expected to be hot. Meanwhile, Brewers could move ace Freddy Peralta

LAS VEGAS — The MLB offseason is in full swing and as Day 1 of the GM Meetings concluded, there is a big interest in this year’s reliever market that features some of the biggest names in baseball. 

The reliever market always moves quickly and this year should be no different, especially with a full caliber of players available. This year’s free-agent reliever class is highlighted by Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Pete Fairbanks and Robert Suarez at the top of the market.  Industry sources believe the market for the group will also be competitive.

Teams that have serious needs for high-leverage arms include the New YorkYankees, New YorkMets, ChicagoCubs, Los AngelesDodgers, BostonRed Sox, San DiegoPadres and Toronto Blue Jays. 

Díaz had the best year of the group with a 1.63 ERA with 28 saves. Unlike the other three relievers, he is the only player who has a qualifying offer. So if another team ultimately signs the three-time All-Star, it would have to forfeit a draft pick and the Mets would receive draft-pick compensation. 

Suarez became a free agent for the first time after opting out of the remaining two years and $16 million of his deal with the Padres. The right-hander went 4-6 with a 2.97 ERA and a NL-leading 40 saves. His 76 saves since 2024 are the most in MLB in that span. 

Williams, 31, had the most interesting season of the group, spending his final season prior to free agency with the Yankees. While the overall numbers don’t stand out as the right-hander pitched to a 4.79 ERA in 67 appearances in 2025, underlying numbers tell a different story that could soften the fact that he lost his closer role in the Bronx in late April. Williams owned a 2.68 FIP in 2025 and an eye-popping 0.36 FIP over the final six weeks of the season. 

Last but not least is Fairbanks, who might be one of the most consistent relievers in baseball over the past three seasons. The former Tampa closer has at least 23 saves each of the past three seasons and had a career-high 27 saves in 2025.

All eyes on Brewers as decision with trade-target Freddy Peralta looms

The clock has begun on the Milwaukee Brewers as several teams wait to see what the fate of ace Freddy Peralta will be. Peralta, 29, is entering his final year of club control prior to becoming a free agent next offseason and could be one the biggest names to be traded this winter. 

Sources tell Yahoo Sports that a trade for Peralta is “likely,” and unlike other names, like Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, the right-hander is indeed a realistic candidate to be moved. 

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 09: Freddy Peralta #51 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on during Game Four of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday, October 9, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Brewers ace Freddy Peralta could be on the move as he enters the final season of his deal in Milwaukee. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Mary DeCicco via Getty Images

“Clearly, there’s a lot of interest in Freddy,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said Tuesday. “He means a lot to our group  but certainly a ton of interest there. And I've said before, we can never shut the door on anything with anybody in our market. We've had to make some very tough decisions over the years. … I mean, we want to try to compete next year, and I think he could be a really big part of that like he has for a long time.”

Peralta is coming off the best season of his career in 2025, with an NL-leading 17 wins and a career-best 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts in 33 starts. Milwaukee’s ace has a career 3.59 ERA in 162 starts over eight seasons with the Brewers. 

Nationals make another addition to new-look staff

The Washington Nationals have hired Simon Mathews to be their new pitching coach, the team announced Tuesday. Mathews, 30, has been with the Cincinnati Reds since 2021 and was serving as the team’s assistant pitching coach under Derek Johnson. Mathew’s hiring, which was first reported by Yahoo Sports, is unique as he becomes the youngest pitching coach in the big leagues. 

Nationals president Paul Toboni, 35, has been turning over Washington’s front office and coaching staff since he was hired in October and there has been a clear eye on youth. Toboni hired 33-year-old Blake Butera to be the team’s next manager, making him the youngest manager in MLB and the youngest in the last 50 years. 

While hiring youth has been the direction the Nationals have taken, Toboni says it’s not a requirement to be on Washington’s staff.  

“I thought about it a lot and one of the ways I think about it is, ‘Let's just evaluate this person. Completely remove age from the equation,” Toboni told Yahoo Sports after the announcement of Mathew’s hire. “Let's evaluate this person and evaluate on their merits and their knowledge, their intelligence and space and their leadership traits. Like, are they the best fit? 

“I almost think about it from a player perspective. Do we talk about the player’s ages at the basic level or do we just say, ‘Hey, can this guy play and produce or can he not play and produce?’ And so I view our staff in the same set of ways. Are these guys stud leaders? Are they going to do a really good job creating a culture that we want?”

Posted on

Knicks win fifth straight, stay unbeaten at home with 133-120 victory over Grizzlies

The Knicks led by 23 points at halftime, and as much by 28 points in the third quarter, holding on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 133-120, on Tuesday night.

New York has now won five straight games as the team improved to 7-0 at home to start the season. It's also the first time in franchise history they've scored 130-plus points in three straight contests.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Coming off a 40-point first quarter on Sunday against the Nets, the Knicks continued their stretch of fast starts against the Grizzlies. Memphis went up 5-0, but New York came storming back in what became a track meet at the Garden. OG Anunoby opened the scoring, and with Mitchell Robinson out, Landry Shamet stepped up with five of the team's first 11 points. Jalen Brunson then hit a three for his first points of the night and Ja Morant came right back with his first bucket on a floater.

Karl-Anthony Towns started to get going midway through the first quarter, blowing by Jock Landale for a two-handed slam to go up 18-15. Memphis continued to keep up, finding ways to score inside and tie the game at 30-30. 

-- Anunoby scored on a layup, Miles McBride came in and hit a three, and Anunoby got the crowd on their feet with a two-handed reverse dunk. The Knicks used that momentum and closed the quarter on a 12-0 run, as Josh Hart scored an and-one layup and Brunson hit a floater with 0.6 seconds left on the clock to put them up 42-30.

It's New York's second straight 40-point first quarter and seventh 40-point quarter of the season already.

-- The 12-0 run became a 19-0 run into the second quarter as Anunoby got another dunk, Towns scored quickly, and McBride made his second three-pointer. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Morant tried to stop the bleeding, but Towns made his first three-pointer to go up 52-35. Jordan Clarkson then heated up, scoring 10 straight of his own to pace the Knicks' second unit and build a 16-point lead, 63-47.

-- Memphis committed four turnovers in the first quarter, with three by Morant, and that trend became a real issue throughout the second. The Grizzlies turned it over eight more times in the second (12 total), allowing the Knicks to score in transition repeatedly (11 fast break points). Mikal Bridges' dunk put New York up 20 points with about a minute left in the first half, and then he connected with Hart for a three-pointer. Brunson hit a pull-up jumper with eight seconds left to make it a 77-54 game at the break.

New York won the second quarter, 35-24, as they shot 54.7 percent (29-for-53) from the field with 11 three-pointers (39.3 percent) in the first half. Brunson led the way for the starters with 14 points, while Towns and Bridges each had 10 points, Anunoby had nine, and Shamet had eight. Sandi Aldama was Memphis' leading scorer with 10 off the bench, with Jackson and Morant each scoring nine points.

-- Bridges scored on another Brunson assist, his ninth of the game already, to push the New York lead to 25 points with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter. Towns and Brunson hit back-to-back three pointers to keep the big lead, up 96-71 at the halfway mark, but the Grizzlies didn't give up. Vince Williams Jr. and Jaylen Wells each made three-pointers before Towns and Clarkson hit threes of their own, making it an 111-83 game.

Morant, Cam Spencer, and Williams made three straight threes to close the quarter for Memphis, but they allowed Bridges to hit a three with 13 seconds left to go up 114-93 at the end of the third quarter. Still, the Grizzlies won the third, 39-37.

-- The Grizzlies wouldn't go away and cut the Knicks' lead to 12 points on a Wells three-pointer, causing Mike Brown to call a timeout with 6:11 left in the game. The turnover problems resurfaced in the fourth as Williams threw the ball out of bounds, leading to a Brunson three on the other end to go up 129-116. It was Memphis' 22nd turnover of the game and New York's 33rd point off turnovers.

-- Towns scored 21 points with 13 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks in 31 minutes. Bridges had 22-7-4-4, while Anunoby put up 16 points on a tough shooting night (7 of 17, 1-for-10 from three). Morant finished with 16 points, 10 assists, and eight turnovers in the loss. Jackson and Aldama each scored 19 points, plus Wells had 18 points.

New York attempted a team record 55 three-pointers, making 22 of them. The franchise record for three-point makes in a game is 24 (Oct. 22, 2021 vs. Magic).

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

Brunson finished with 32 points, including 6 of 9 from three, with 10 assists and five rebounds. He was a plus-20 in his 35 minutes.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks will stay at home for a back-to-back on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic at 7:00 p.m.

Posted on

Kings Road Dominance Continues With Victory Over Canadiens

On Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Kings travelled to Montreal for a clash with the Canadiens in a rematch of the 1993 Stanley Cup Final.  A very interesting matchup considering the play style of both teams. 

The Kings may have just given the rest of the National Hockey League the blueprint for beating the high flying Canadiens. For 60 minutes, the Kings stayed structured and composed, not allowing Montreal to get any type of offense going. They were stronger on the puck and used their bodies, something Montreal is not a fan of. Los Angeles improves to 7-1-2 on the road in 2025-26.

LA Kings (@LAKings) on XLA Kings (@LAKings) on XKINGS HOCKEY BABY! #GoKingsGo

First Period: Not A Lot of 5-on-5 Time

The opening frame of the game was headlined by a plethora of penalties. The Kings received the first two penalties which ultimately gave the Canadiens a long 5-on-3 opportunity.

Just over seven minutes into the period, Brandt Clarke was called for hooking. It was one of those penalties that you are okay with a player taking as it likely saved a goal. Clarke hooked Montreal's sniper Cole Caufield who was in a prime scoring position as the puck came his way. Shortly after, Cody Ceci was called for hooking as well, which gave the Habs a two man advantage for over a minute.

Darcy Kuemper and the Kings penalty kill stood tall as Montreal was able to generate a number of solid scoring chances but were ultimately unable to capitalize due to the play of Kuemper and positioning of the LA defenders, as well as some fortunate bounces. 

After the Ceci penalty expired, the Kings were given a power play of their own as Kirby Dach was called for tripping. LA failed to take advantage, but they were give another chance thanks to Dach who took a high-sticking penalty right after he finished serving his initial penalty. Once again. the Kings were unable to score on the power play and the game remained 0-0 until very late in the period.

Josh Anderson gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead with just over 40 seconds remaining in the first. Anderson rifled a shot past the far right side of Kuemper who likely didn't see the shot due to the power behind it. The Habs entered the intermission with a one goal lead.

It's also worth noting that Kings forward Joel Armia received a touching tribute as he returned to the Bell Centre for the first time after playing seven seasons in the Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge. 

Second Period: The Floodgates Were Opened

Although the Kings outshot the Canadiens 12-9 after 20 minutes of play, they found themselves trailing by a goal. The entered the middle frame desperately needing to get one by Sam Montembeault. They didn't get one by the Montreal goaltender, they got three, and they happened quick. 

Just over one minute into the second period Joel Edmundson scored his first goal of the season. Edmundson blasted a one-timer past Montembeault off a feed from Brandt Clarke who took possession after a clean face-off win by Anze Kopitar in the offensive zone. The former Montreal Canadien evened the game at 1-1, but it wouldn't stay tied for very long.

Exactly three minutes later, Quinton Byfield found himself in the right place at the right time as he buried his third goal of the season. Byfield found the puck on his stick after an Adrian Kempe shot from the point deflected off of Edmundson's skate in front of the net. All Byfield had to do was put the puck into the open cage as Montembault was not set after the deflection. The scoring didn't stop there either.

Kevin Fiala doubled the Kings lead just over a minute after Byfield made it 2-1. Fiala scored his eighth goal of the season from virtually the same spot as 'Q' did just a minute prior. Byfield and Alex Laferriere pick up the assists on the goal.

The Kings were given their third power play of the game after Alex Newhook was called for tripping. Yet again, the power play did not look pretty as they failed to get any traction and didn't show much urgency. The penalty kill however remained perfect as they killed off a too many men on the ice penalty and brought a 3-1 lead with them to the final frame.

LA Kings (@LAKings) on XLA Kings (@LAKings) on XQ MADE IT ✌️

Third Period: Shutdown Effort Leads to Some Insurance

Los Angeles entered the third period needing a strong 20 minute effort to hold their lead and leave Quebec with a victory and they did just that.

The Kings stayed out of the box in the final frame which allowed them to have a consistent style of play with no interruptions. Due to the Kings structure and positioning, the Canadiens were unable to get anything going. Montreal was struggling to make passes and enter LA's zone. 

After shutting down the Habs for the first half of the period, the Kings decided to add some insurance. Joel Armia scored his third of the season after he stripped the puck form Lane Hutson before beating Montembeault to grow the LA lead to 4-1. A very cool moment for the former Canadien.

Warren Foegele later put the final nail in the coffin making it 5-1 as he buried his second of the year on the empty Montreal net. The Kings fifth goal is now their highest goal total in a victory this season and ties the most they've scored in a game this year. They last scored five goal in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knight on October 8th.

A complete 60 effort and strong style of play improves the Kinsg record to 8-5-4 and gives them back-to-back victories for the third time this season. They look to make it three in a row as they continue their road trip in Canada with a date with the Toronto Maple Leafs (8-8-1) on Thursday, November 13th at 4:00PM PT/7:00 PM ET.

Image

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Posted on

Duke dominates Army 114-59 on Veterans Day at West Point

Dame Sarr had 19 points and Isaiah Evans added 16 points, and No. Duke beat Army 114-59 on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils played on Veterans Day at West Point in honor of former coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was a cadet there and basketball player under legendary coach Bobby Knight.

Posted on

No. 25 Kansas cruises without Peterson to 77-46 rout of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Kohl Rosario scored 16 points to help make up for the absence of fellow freshman Darryn Peterson, and No. 25 Kansas bounced back from last week's loss to North Carolina with a 77-46 rout of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday night. Flory Bidunga added 12 points while Bryson Tiller and Tre White had 11 apiece for the Jayhawks (2-1), who held the Islanders (1-3) to 32% shooting while winning their 22nd consecutive nonconference home game. Peterson, the nation's No. 1 recruit, scored 21 points in his debut against Green Bay and 22 against the Tar Heels.

Posted on

Penguins Take Swedish Goaltending Prospect To Stockholm As Third Goalie

The trip overseas to Stockholm, Sweden for the NHL Global Series presented the opportunity for the Pittsburgh Penguins to bring a third-string goaltender with them.

And they happened to choose a Swede who travelled right to his backyard.

Penguins' goaltending prospect Filip Larsson, 27, is currently the starting goaltender for Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins. Larsson signed a two-year deal with the Penguins ahead of the 2024-25 season and owns a 3-0-1 record with a 2.92 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage in five appearances this season.

Larsson grew up in Stockholm, and - as he told Sportsnet Pittsburgh's Hailey Hunter on Tuesday - he has - quite literally - returned home to a very familiar place at Avicii Arena.

"The arena we practiced at today is where I played for three years," Larsson said. "So, yeah, it's nice to be back, and it's a lot of fun to step out on the ice."

WBS Penguins Sign Goaltender To PTOWBS Penguins Sign Goaltender To PTOThe Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins have made a small move to shore up their depth.

From 2014-17, Larsson suited up for Djurgardens Jr. of the Swedish Junior Hockey League, which led to him getting drafted in the sixth round (167th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings in 2016.

"It was nice. It was one of the best junior teams in Sweden, maybe the best, probably," Larsson said. "Great program. Went to school, like, five, 10 minutes away from here and played here. So, yeah, it's great."

Larsson joins Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov as the available Penguins' netminders for the two-game swing against the Nashville Predators. The Pens and Preds face off Friday at 2:00 p.m. EDT and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

The Penguins May Now Have Three Pieces Of Their Future Core - And That's A Big DealThe Penguins May Now Have Three Pieces Of Their Future Core - And That's A Big DealObviously, there is such a thing as getting too far ahead of the curve in sports.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!     

Posted on

2026 NBA All-Star Game: All the details on new three-team, USA vs. international players format

The timing could not be more perfect.

The NBA All-Star Game returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026 — right in the middle of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. There is no better time to set up a first-of-its-kind All-Star Game pitting the best of the USA vs. the NBA's deep international talent pool, a world team.

Now we have the details on exactly what that will look like when the games are played on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California (home to the Los Angeles Clippers).

  • The 24 All-Star players will be divided into three teams — two USA teams and one world team — that will compete in a round-robin tournament of four 12-minute games. Each of the three teams will have a minimum of eight players (getting to the 24 in a traditional All-Star format).
  • Selection of All-Star players will remain the way it has been for many years. Fans (along with NBA players and select media) will vote for the 10 starters, five from the Eastern Conference and five from the Western Conference. Following that, a vote of the coaches will select the seven reserves from each conference.
  • The one big difference: Votes — and the rosters — will be positionless. Fans will be able to vote for five guards (or, with the West these days, five centers) to start if they choose; they will no longer be locked into two backcourt and three frontcourt players. The same will be true of the coach selections for reserves. This simply fits better with the increasingly positionless style of the NBA game today.
  • If that selection process does not end up with 16 U.S. players and eight international players (including American players with ties to other countries, if necessary), then NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select an additional player or players to join either group to reach that minimum. Which means some teams could have nine or more players.
  • How the players will be assigned to the two U.S. teams will be determined at a later date.
  • Once selected, those three teams will play in a classic round-robin format: Team A will play Team B in Game 1; the winning team from Game 1 will take on Team C in Game 2; followed by the losing team of Game 1 meeting Team C in Game 3.
  • From there, the top two teams by record advance to the finals, a fourth game. (Note: if all three teams have a 1-1 record after Game 3, the tiebreaker would be point differential.)

Bringing the energy

After the last handful of years, Silver and the NBA have been searching for ways to get more player buy-in — not to mention passion and energy — for the All-Star Game. The hope is that this format change will encourage players to bring the energy fans want to see.

"I would love that. Oh, I would love that," Giannis Antetokounmpo said at last season's All-Star Game about the idea of a USA vs. the World format. "I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I'd take pride in that."

"I would love to. My opinion is that it's more purposeful," Victor Wembanyama added about the idea at the time. "There's more pride in it. More stakes."

That eight-man World Team roster could be stacked: Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Sengun, Joel Embiid and Jamal Murray (not to mention Franz Wagner, Lauri Markkanen and more) could qualify for the international team.

Whoever ends up on the court, the pride of playing for one's country should inspire one of the best All-Star Games we have seen in a long time.

When is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?

The NBA All-Star Game returns to the Los Angeles area this season, with the game being played on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, and will be broadcast on NBC Sports and Peacock. The All-Star Friday Night Rising Stars game (featuring NBA rookies and second-year players) as well as the All-Star Saturday Night events, including the Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest, will also take place at the Intuit Dome. Fans will be able to watch all of it on NBC Sports and Peacock.

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

Posted on

Ottawa Senators Lose Defenseman Thomas Chabot To Injury On Tuesday Night

Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot suffered an upper-body injury Tuesday night in the club’s game against the Dallas Stars at Canadian Tire Centre. Chabot was injured near the end of the first period on a hard hit against the boards by Stars forward Colin Blackwell.

The bodycheck occurred at the Stars' bench, where there's no glass, and it looked like Chabot's lower back or left rib area took the brunt of the hit, colliding with the hard edge at the top of the boards.

Chabot came out for the second-period warm-up but, after a quick skate around, he headed down the tunnel and was shut down for the night.

There’s no word yet on the severity of the injury, but the left side of Ottawa’s blue line is probably the part of the lineup least prepared to absorb a loss. The next man up to start the season was Donovan Sebrango, but he was claimed on waivers by the Florida Panthers when the Senators tried to send him down to the minors last month. Sebrango has played the last five games for the Cup champs and had two assists on Monday night in their win in Vegas.

Related: Sebrango Registers First NHL Point: 'That Was For (My Mom) Tonight'

Former Ottawa Senator Registers First NHL Point: 'That Was For (My Mom) Tonight'Former Ottawa Senator Registers First NHL Point: 'That Was For (My Mom) Tonight'Sebrango earns his first NHL points with the Panthers and dedicates the achievement to his mom.

The left-shot defensive options in Belleville that are under contract include Jorian Donovan, Tomas Hamara, and Matthew Andonovski — a group that's completely void of NHL experience.

Former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington is also with Belleville on an AHL contract and represents the only option on the left side with NHL experience. Harrington has played 255 NHL games, mostly with Columbus, but hasn’t appeared since the 2022–23 season, when he split 45 games between the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.

It’s probably more likely that Nikolas Matinpalo will draw back into the lineup while someone like Jordan Spence will be asked to move over to the left side. It's also possible GM Steve Staios may need to step up the urgency in the trade market.

As for Chabot, who has 10 points in 16 games this season, his status will likely be clarified sometime tomorrow, although head coach Travis Green may have more to share after the game. Stranger things have happened.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa

Read more at The Hockey News Ottawa:

Staios On Linus Ullmark: ‘I Believe In Linus, The Team Believes In Linus.’
Four Takeaways From Senators 4-2 Victory Over Utah Sunday Night
Former Ottawa Senator GM Passes Away At Age 70
Ullmark: "There Are So Many Things I'd Like To Say To All The Doubters"
More Details On Scamming Accusations From Arthur Kaliyev's Ex-Girlfriend

Posted on

2025 MLB MVP Awards: Judge and Raleigh headline AL showdown as Ohtani chases history in NL

The 2025 American and National League Most Valuable Player Awards are set to be announced on Thursday, and while there’s really no argument about the National League winner, the American League crown has generated much debate after a pair of historic seasons from the front runners.

Let's go over everything you need to know about this year's field and history of the award.

MLB: Wildcard-San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs
MLB Free Agent Rankings 2025-26: Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman headline Top 100 list
Stars like Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger join headliners Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, and Bo Bichette in a 2025–26 MLB free agent class loaded with impact bats and arms.

▶ Rotoworld Baseball is now on Bluesky!

The MVP Finalists

2025 AL MVP

  • Aaron Judge (OF Yankees): .331/.457/.688, 53 HR, 114 RBI, 215 OPS+, 9.7 bWAR
  • Cal Raleigh (C Mariners): .247/.359/.589, 60 HR, 125 RBI, 169 OPS+, 7.4 bWAR
  • José Ramírez (3B Guardians): .283/.360/.503, 30 HR, 85 RBI, 137 OPS+, 5.8 bWAR

2025 NL MVP

  • Shohei Ohtani (DH Dodgers): .282/.374/.582, 55 HR, 102 RBI, 179 OPS+, 6.6 bWAR; Ohtani as a pitcher: 1-1, 2.87 ERA, 62/9 K/BB, 1.1 bWAR)
  • Kyle Schwarber (DH Phillies): .240/.365/.563, 56 HR, 132 RBI, 150 OPS+, 4.7 bWAR
  • Juan Soto (OF Mets): .263/.396/.535, 43 HR, 105 RBI, 160 OPS+, 6.2 bWAR

Who is the favorite to win 2025 AL MVP?

Most expect that Judge will add to his current total of two MVP awards. That he had more than 80 points of batting average and nearly 200 points of OPS on Raleigh is pretty overwhelming, even though Raleigh did top him in homers, setting single-season records for both catchers and switch-hitters in the process, and runs batted in while also playing the most difficult position on the field. Raleigh’s production would have warranted the award most years, but Judge is simply on an incredible run.

As for Ramírez, the superb Cleveland third baseman will finish third for the third time in his career and in the top five for a sixth time. He still hasn’t won one, though; he came closest in the shortened 2020, when he placed second to José Abreu.

How many MVP awards does Shohei Ohtani have?

He’s about to make it four; he won AL MVP with the Angels in 2021 and ’23 and NL MVP in his initial season with the Dodgers in 2024. This year’s results left him more beatable than last year, when he completed the first 50/50 season ever (54 homers, 59 steals) and drove in 130 runs. This year, he drove in just 47 teammates all season to finish sixth in the NL with 102 RBI, and while he did make a modest contribution on the mound after returning from Tommy John surgery, his 47 innings in the regular season weren’t a huge difference maker. He also didn’t do as much running after offseason shoulder surgery, finishing with 20 steals.

Fortunately for Ohtani, there was no Raleigh pushing him in the NL. Schwarber was awesome in collecting his 56 homers and 132 RBI, but he would have needed to be more than a designated hitter to make up the ground he needed. Soto played like an MVP the final two months, but he needed to catch fire earlier.

Oddly enough, the one position player who topped Ohtani in bWAR (7.0 to 6.6) didn’t show up among the top three finishers here. That is Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo, who stunned everyone by hitting .290/.389/.462 with 20 homers and 100 RBI. He totaled 14 homers and 124 RBI in 390 games the previous three seasons. His offensive numbers obviously still don’t quite match up with those of Ohtani, Schwarber and Soto, but he put them up while also playing above average defense at shortstop and deserved ample consideration for the second or third spots on ballots.

MLB: Playoffs-Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB Free Agent Tracker 2025-26: Latest signings, top players, and biggest offseason deals
Stay up to date with the MLB free agent market this offseason, including player signings, contract details, and team fits as the 2025-26 Hot Stove heats up.
  • DJShortBW.jpg D.J. Short
    ,

Which MLB player has the most MVP Awards all-time?

Ohtani is set to move into second place on this list. Barry Bonds, who won seven NL MVP awards between 1990 and 2014, was the only player to win more than three.

7 - Barry Bonds

3 - Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Shohei Ohtani, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Schmidt, Mike Trout

Ohtani will also join Bonds as the only player to win MVP three years in a row. Bonds won NL MVP all four years from 2001-04.

How many players have won MLB MVP unanimously?

Ohtani has actually won all three of his MVP awards unanimously and could make it a fourth. Conformity has become more of a force in award balloting during the age of social media, and both 2023 (Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr.) and 2024 (Ohtani and Judge) MVP winners were unanimous. In all, 23 players have won unanimously.

Has there even been a co-MVP in MLB?

Only once have players shared the MVP award. That happened in 1979, when the Cardinals’ Keith Hernandez and the Pirates’ Willie Stargell split the NL electorate.

What team has had the most MVPs?

The Yankees have had 22 MVPs since the BBWAA first started handing out the award in 1931. Judge’s third win would make it 23. Next on the list are the Cardinals at 18.

Ohtani would be the Dodgers’ 14th winner, breaking a tie with the Giants for third on the list.

If Raleigh sneaks in, he’d be the Mariners’ third winner, joining Ken Griffey Jr. in 1997 and Ichiro Suzuki in 2001.

Three teams have yet to produce an MVP: the Diamondbacks, Mets and Rays.

Posted on

‘Mentally it’s killing me’: Alex de Minaur on brink of ATP Finals exit after third-set collapse

  • Australia No 1 defeated by Lorenzo Musetti 7-5 3-6 7-5 in Turin

  • World No 7 needs convincing win over Taylor Fritz to reach last four

Alex de Minaur’s hopes of reaching the ATP Finals last four are hanging by a thread after a heartbreaking three-set loss to Lorenzo Musetti.

The world No 7 went down 7-5 3-6 7-5 after failing to serve out the match, keeping the Italian in the event and now leaving the Australian needing to convincingly beat Taylor Fritz in his third and final group match to reach the semi-finals.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Nico Harrison is out in Dallas, now is time to pivot, build around Cooper Flagg

Nico Harrison is out as the Dallas Mavericks general manager — something that needed to happen.

Not just because he traded away Luka Doncic, a top-five player in the world entering his prime — although it's hard to imagine a more fireable offense for a GM. More than that, Harrison's firing had to happen now to stop everything that was to come. He had staked everything on his belief that trading away Doncic was what was best for the franchise and had made the Mavericks contenders right now, behind Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, two championship players, but ones who are now older and with injury histories. Sure, Dallas now had No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, but Harrison was all-in on the short term and winning now with these Mavericks, not thinking long-term. Every move he would have made was going to be about the two- to three-year championship window he said the team had. He would have extended Anthony Davis this summer. It would have boxed the team in.

Dallas now has a chance for a reset, but what comes next?

Finding a new GM

Before picking a direction, Dallas has to pick its next decision-maker.

In the short term, Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will serve as co-interim general managers, the team announced. Finley has been in the Mavericks front office for 11 seasons following his 15-year playing career. Riccardi has been in Dallas since 2022, having come over from the Brooklyn Nets. Both are likely to be interviewed and in the mix to get the job full-time.

One name instantly floated — by none other than former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban — is Dennis Lindsey. He spent seven seasons as the general manager of the Utah Jazz, and has also worked in the front offices of Houston and San Antonio. He is currently the senior vice president of basketball operations with the Detroit Pistons. Lindsey has experience in the role and knows Dallas, although how having the public support of Cuban plays with the current Mavericks ownership is up for debate.
One other name to watch: Jason Kidd. He is currently the Mavericks head coach, but since his time in Brooklyn it has been no secret in league circles that ultimately, he would like to end up being in the front office, putting a team together. Kidd has a strong relationship with team governor/owner Patrick Dumont, which helps.

Whoever the Mavericks choose, they need to do so relatively quickly, because there are major decisions ahead, and they are coming fast.

Pivot toward Cooper Flagg

Dallas has started the season 3-8, although a big part of those struggles is Irving's absence as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered last season. Without him, Harrison turned to D'Angelo Russell to run the point, and while that was the best available option it was not a good one. It led to the situation where Kidd asked Cooper Flagg to play point forward, and he has done as well as a rookie being asked to play out of position could be expected to. But it's not ideal.

That 3-8 start, along with Irving's continued absence, points to a clear direction the Mavericks should take:

Pivot hard and start building around Flagg. Now.

Dallas controls its own draft pick this season, in what is considered a very deep draft at the top. The Mavericks do not control their own picks from 2027 to 2030 — they have only one shot at this.

Doing that leads to other obvious moves. That starts with trading Anthony Davis, maybe at the trade deadline but definitely by next summer. Explore trading some of the other veterans, including Irving, as well as Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington (Dereck Lively, at age 21, should stick around).

It may take a handful of years to bring the entire thing together, but what San Antonio has done around Victor Wembanyama is the model. The Spurs didn't rush it (as much as his otherworldly talent pushes the timeline), they got a little lucky in the NBA Draft Lottery but selected wisely with reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (who has taken a big step forward in his second season) and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper. When the opportunity arrived to land a high-level player who should pair well with Wemby in the form of De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio jumped at it. It took a few years, but we can all see the plan coming together.

Flagg is not Wembanyama, but the model is the same.

To be clear, the market for Davis — age 32 and with a history of nagging injuries — is not ideal, but there will be interest. Tell Irving to take all the time he needs and then some before returning this season. Then, this summer, work with Irving and test the trade market for a player who is still one of the better point guards in the game.

Dallas should have other goals, such as getting below the luxury tax in the short term and ideally finding a trade with Charlotte, which controls the Mavericks' 2027 first-round pick.

Harrison had a team in the NBA Finals just two seasons ago, then, inexplicably, traded away a star player in his prime, thinking that would give the franchise a better championship window. While there will be a temptation for ownership and the new GM to try to keep that timeline going, it's time to consider those sunk costs. The combination of injury-prone stars and elite teams in Denver and Oklahoma City makes a two- or three-year window seem like a long shot.

It's time for Dallas to think long-term. It's time to pivot and build around Flagg.