Major League Baseball is a fastball league. Velocity is all the rage, and pitchers up and down a roster are throwing harder than ever.
Fastball variations (four-seam, sinker, cutter) accounted for 55% of all pitches thrown in baseball this season, and the average four-seam velocity was 94.7 mph, which is up from 93 mph just a decade ago. Going further, 46% of four-seamers reached 95 mph or higher this season. It was just 24% in 2015, and 9.3% of all fastballs this season were 98 mph or harder, up from 2.8% a decade ago.
So, with hitters gearing up to hit high velocity more and more, the changeup is having its moment as a natural counterpunch.
"I feel like every couple of years there's another pitch out there that is the next pitch to get hitters out," explained Royals starter Michael Wacha at this year's All-Star Game. "A couple of years ago, it was the sweeper, then the high fastball, but hitters make adjustments, and they start to cover those pitches, and it always trends into 'Hey, what's the next pitch?' You saw it last year in the World Series, that split fingers and changeups were big-time pitches in that series, so, yeah, it might be making a little comeback. I've always been a fastball-changeup guy, so I've always kind of relied on it."
The emphasis on the fastball from hitters is part of what makes the changeup so impactful.
"It's one of those things that looks like a heater coming out of the hand, and a lot of hitters want to hit a heater," explained Guardians ace Parker Messick. "It looks like a heater, and then the bottom falls out. It's a push-pull, change-of-speed type of pitch, so I think it creates a bit of swing-and-miss, a bit of weak contact."
Since the changeup is a natural counter to the fastball, we've seen its usage increase in 2026 more than any other pitch in the league, other than the sweeper, which is a lower-usage pitch overall.
Pitch
2025 usage %
2026 usage %
Change (%)
Four-seam
31.8
30.5
-4.1
Sinker
15.4
16.6
+7.8
Slider
14.3
13.1
-8.4
Changeup
10.3
11.2
+8.7
Cutter
7.5
8.0
+6.7
Sweeper
7.6
8.3
+9.2
Curveball
6.7
6.4
-4.5
Splitter
3.3
3.2
-3.0
Not only is changeup usage up, but it's proving to be one of the most impactful pitches in the league, both in terms of weak contact allowed and swinging strikes.
Pitch
OPS against
Barrel% against
Hard-Hit% against
SwStr%
Contact%
Splitter
0.576
5.6
32.6
16.7
67.5
Changeup
0.618
5.6
31.8
14.9
70.4
Sweeper
0.631
7.6
30.4
13.2
70.5
Curveball
0.635
7.4
36.2
11.7
71
Slider
0.671
8.1
36.6
15.3
68.4
Four-seam
0.768
9.7
44.3
9.1
81.4
Sinker
0.776
6.3
42.4
5.3
88.5
Cutter
0.805
8.1
37.2
10.1
79.5
League-wide, the change-up's 5.6% barrel rate allowed is tied for the lowest mark of any pitch, and its 31.8% hard-hit rate allowed is second-best, only trailing the sweeper. Its .618 OPS against is second only to the splitter, while the four-seamer has a mark of .768. The changeup also allowed the third-lowest contact rate at 70.4%, and had the third-highest swinging strike rate at 14.9%. The only pitches league-wide that got more swinging strikes in 2026 than the changeup were splitters and sliders (not sweepers).
That's a key part of the changeup's value. Not only does it induce weak contact, but it misses bats. Not only can pitchers pound the strike zone with it, but they can have it fall below the zone for whiffs. In fact, the in-zone swinging strike rate on changeups league-wide is 14.9%, which is the same as the swinging strike rate on changeups out of the zone. Unlike pitches like the four-seamer and sweeper, the changeup does not rely on being thrown out of the zone to induce whiffs.
"Also, a changeup is a pitch where there are so many different movement profiles," explained Tampa Bay Rays starter Nick Martinez. "There's just so many variables that play into what can be a good changeup, and so it's hard for hitters to adjust for that."
One of the newest movement profiles is the kick-change. When I wrote about the pitch back in May, I mentioned that a kick change is a variation of a changeup that uses a two-seam grip primarily and some spike from a bent finger to create more depth than a normal changeup. The “kick” in kick-change refers to “kicking the axis of the ball down,” through pressure from the ring finger. The added depth generated on the kick-change means that you’re creating splitter-like movement on a pitch that has a changeup-like grip and spin.
"I don't know [if it's a changeup]," laughed Wacha. "It's not really a splitter either. I would say it's more of a changeup than a splitter, but also you're just using physics in your favor there."
Another reason the kick-change has become more popular is that it’s easy for supinators to use. As detailed in this video, supination is when a pitcher releases a pitch with their thumb pointing up at the sky, while pronation is when the thumb turns over to point more towards the ground. Most pitchers identify as either “pronators” or “supinators” based on what feels natural or physically possible with their wrist movement. If a pitcher is a pronator by nature, then it may be hard for them to throw a pitch like a sweeper, which requires supination. Meanwhile, supinators are generally more comfortable gripping the outside of the baseball and are better at throwing breaking balls.
The popularity of the kick-change has meant that pitchers who may not have been able to find a changeup grip they liked before can now add a pitch to their arsenal. As most pitchers will tell you, adding any pitch into your mix can be a major benefit.
"If you can add to your repertoire, I think that's a good thing for sure," explained Wacha. "You see guys have success and see what makes them successful, like 'Hey, this is that sweeper, this is that cutter, this is that changeup, and it's like, 'Hey, I could add that to my repertoire to help it get better and help my other pitches get better."
Whether you want to call the kick-change a changeup or not, harder and flatter changeups are becoming more en vogue in Major League Baseball.
2025
2026
Change
Changeups thrown
73,260.00
79,838.00
+6,578.00
Average changeup speed (mph)
85.85
86.03
+0.18
Average changeup induced break (in)
4.47
4.15
-0.32
% of changeups over 85 mph
63.76
65.41
+1.65
% of changeups under 2 in break
30.75
33.42
+2.67
% of changeups over 85 mph AND under 2 in
22.28
24.13
+1.85
Across the league, the average changeup is getting harder and flatter. The increased velocity makes some sense because fastballs are also getting harder and pitchers want to throw their changeup with the same arm speed as their fastball to create that deception. The flatter movement profile could be a result of the increased velocity, but it also could make the pitch more impactful to same-handed hitters.
In the past, pitchers have been hesitant to throw changeups to same-handed hitters because the movement profile is more of a soft pitch that runs away from an opposite-handed hitter. You don't want to leave a changeup over the plate, so if you throw it to a same-handed hitter, you need to start it inside. If you have too much movement, you run the risk of having the pitch hit them. The harder changeup with less horizontal break makes that a little less likely, and we've seen many teams, like the Rays, increase their usage of same-handed changeups this year, adding another wrinkle to make the pitch more impactful.
"I just feel like it's such a feel pitch," said Red Sox rookie Jake Bennett. "If you don't have that good feel for it, you don't want to leave something up and have it run into their barrel. But if you've got the command for it, being able to throw it almost back foot [to same-handed hitters] is great."
This season, Bennett's 19.2% swinging-strike rate on his changeup was about five points above the league average for changeups and nearly double his four-seamer’s 11.2% swinging strike rate.
With the increased use of the kick-change, we're still parsing through data because it's hard to know which pitches that are classified as changeups use what grips, but we do know that changeups over 86 mph (the league average for a changeup) have led to more whiffs.
2026
% of changeups 86+ mph
55.15
SwStr% 86+ mph AND under 2 in break
15.96
SwStr% under 86 mph AND under 2 in break
14.64
SwStr% under 86 mph AND 2+ in break
15.11
Same-pitcher difference in SwStr% (86+ minus under 86 mph, pts)
1.10
Fast, flat changeups missed more bats this season. Changeups thrown at 86 mph or harder with less than two inches of break posted a 16% swinging-strike rate, compared with 14.6% for changeups under 86 mph with similar break. If a pitcher threw a slower changeup with more break, it missed a few more bats, but the 15.1% mark was still below that of the harder changeups. When you split it up between individual pitchers, the gap between the swinging strike rate on their harder changeups and slower changeups was over 1%.
Another big benefit to the changeup is that it tends to be count-agnostic. The swinging strike rate on a changeup is consistent whether the pitch was thrown ahead or behind in the count, to lefties or righties, in the zone or out of it: "Just being able to throw it any count, I feel like that's why it helps," explained Bennett. "For two strikes, I try to throw it on top of the plate, and then if I'm behind the count, and I try to steal a strike or something, I just shift the sights up a little bit and try and get it in zone."
Swinging Strike Rate by Count
Pitch
Pitcher ahead (more strikes)
Even count (0-0, 1-1, 2-2)
Pitcher behind (more balls)
Full count (3-2)
Changeup
14.69
14.72
15.61
15.90
Four-seam
11.47
8.56
7.47
9.40
Sinker
6.23
5.02
5.04
6.64
Slider
16.67
14.51
14.62
17.54
Sweeper
14.84
12.07
12.22
15.96
Curveball
14.79
10.00
9.74
13.95
The swinging-strike rate on the changeup when a pitcher is ahead in the count is almost identical to when the pitcher is behind in the count. Interestingly, the swinging strike rate on a changeup is highest when a pitcher is behind in the count or in a full count. Undoubtedly, this is because these are typical fastball counts, and when the hitter is sitting on a fastball, they're more likely to be early on a changeup and swing through the pitch.
Many pitchers made a good living in 2026 by getting swings and misses on their changeup. Parker Messick was tied with Angels' starter Walbert Ureña for the second-most strikeouts in baseball on his changeup at 71. Those names being together is a beautiful encapsulation of how varied the changeup can be. Messick's changeup is 86 mph with over 15 inches of horizontal movement and essentially no vertical movement. Ureña has a 91 mph changeup with almost 18 inches of horizontal movement and 5.1 inches of vertical break or rise.
Yet, changeup success by count is not limited to swinging strike rate. It's also an impactful pitch in terms of weak contact allowed, regardless of the count.
wOBA By Count
Pitch
Pitcher ahead (more strikes)
Even count (0-0, 1-1, 2-2)
Pitcher behind (more balls)
Full count (3-2)
Changeup
0.220
0.280
0.410
0.390
Four-seam
0.230
0.330
0.500
0.390
Sinker
0.260
0.340
0.440
0.380
Slider
0.230
0.300
0.470
0.360
Sweeper
0.210
0.290
0.470
0.370
Curveball
0.230
0.290
0.520
0.390
Now, when a pitcher is behind in the count, the wOBA against a changeup goes up considerably, but that's the case for every pitch. Hitter's counts tend to favor hitters. When a pitcher is behind, the wOBA against a changeup is .410, but that's better than .500 for four-seamers, .440 for sinkers, and .470 for sliders. It's not a perfectly like-for-like comparison, because pitchers throw more fastballs for strikes when behind, but it's an indication that the higher wOBA number on the changeup when a pitcher is behind is not a negative factor against the offering.
"Just the change in speeds and the movement profile that I have," said Martinez about why his changeup is so effective. "My ability to command it in and out of the zone, and having confidence to throw it in any count, working the fastball off the changeup, the curveball, the slider, whatever pitch I can mix and match to get to that changeup." Martínez's 15.5% swinging-strike rate on his changeup was just above the league average (14.3%), but his 23.2% hard-hit was almost 9% below the league average for changeup, and his wOBA allowed was .052 better.
Across the league, in an even count, the changeup has the lowest wOBA allowed of any pitch in baseball and has the second-lowest wOBA allowed when a pitcher is ahead in the count. Wacha has a .251 wOBA on his changeup, which is far better than the league’s average mark. His 15.4% swinging strike on the chanegup is slightly above the league’s 14.3% mark, but his 25.5% hard-hit rate allowed on it was elite.
"I personally feel the changeup is one of those pitches that is always going to be a successful pitch in the major leagues, simply because there's no pitching machine that throws a changeup," explained Martinez. "Nowadays, you have pitching machines that throw curveballs, cutters, and sliders, and you can get repetitions off those pitches. But throwing a changeup in batting practice, you really need that speed difference, you know, established with your fastball, especially in my case, to be able to make it effective."
Year
Avg four-seam (mph)
Four-seams 95+ mph (%)
Four-seams 98+ mph (%)
SwStr% on 95+ four-seams
Changeup SwStr% (all)
2015
92.96
24.2
2.8
9.91
9.87
2019
93.31
26.2
2.7
11.29
11.15
2023
94.06
35.9
5.2
10.81
14.43
2024
94.21
38.7
5.5
11.06
14.25
2025
94.40
41.8
7.2
10.42
14.33
2026
94.73
46.4
9.3
10.71
14.68
That relationship between the fastball and changeup is crucial. As fastball velocity has increased, the swinging strike rate on high-velocity four-seamers has stayed relatively flat; however, the swinging strike rate on changeups has increased as hitters gear up for the increased fastball velocity. Messick and Bennett are pitchers who thrive off playing their four-seamer off their changeup.
Messick throws his four-seamer and changeup over 65% of the time. Both those pitches are well above the league average, with his four-seamer posting a .252 wOBA against (the league average is .345) and his changeup registering a .241 mark (the league average was .284. His swinging strike rates on both pitches were also above league average. 11.2% and 18.7% swinging strikes vs. 9.2% and 14.9% league. Jake Bennett throws either a four-seamer or changeup 63% of the time and has not been shy about the fact that his changeup success is predicated on his fastball location.
"I feel like, at least for me, the changeup tunnels off my fastball very well. I have a good four-seamer that plays at the top of the zone, and then just to be able to throw the changeup off of that and throw it below the zone, I feel like that's where I get a lot of my success."
Funnily enough, that last idea Bennett mentions about tunnelling off the fastball might be the reason that the changeup continues to befuddle people who create pitching models, which may also impact why the value of the changeup is not properly accounted for.
"The changeup depends on deception maybe most of all the pitches," said Eno Sarris, who helped create the Stuff+ model used by FanGraphs. "It's supposed to look like a fastball. Unfortunately for stuff models, I think 'looking like a fastball' includes data that we don't have access to. Things like arm speed, in particular, would probably help stuff models capture a good changeup better."
"I think the speed differential and movement are key," described Wacha. "You know, hopefully I get it coming out looking like a fastball with the arm speed, keeping the same arm speed as a fastball. Hopefully that speed differential and the movement on it can fool them or get some weak contact."
Wacha is one of the pitchers who has a changeup Stuff+ likes. His 130 Stuff+ grade on his changeup was second best in baseball among pitchers with 100 innings. Martinez ranked 9th on that list with a 109 Stuff+, and Messick was down at 18th with a 103 Stuff+, which is slightly above the 100 score for a league-average offering. Ureña's changeup had a 98 Stuff+ despite its success, and Bennett's changeup had an 87 Stuff+ grade, which was 66th among 141 qualified pitchers.
"Often the stats and data are behind when there's this much disconnect with common sense and first principles," explained Sarris.
While it may take the data and pitch models a little bit longer to catch up, pitchers across the league are already seeing that the changeup might be the key to unlocking another level of success in a velocity-driven league.
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 18: James Dolan, L, Executive Chairman of Madison Square Garden, stands with Phil Jackson during the press conference to announce Jackson as President of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 18, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The home stretch is here. In less than a week, the Knicks will raise their long-awaited third championship banner on national television at Madison Square Garden. It’s a day 53 years in the making.
As we get closer, we continue to move along our chronicle of the 53-year championship drought. Today, we pick up after the Knicks’ failed pursuit of LeBron James in 2010 and into the Knickstape era that finally returned the Mecca to postseason basketball, only for a plethora of drama, incompetency, and humiliation rituals to sink the franchise as far into the doldrums as they ever had been by the time the COVID-19 pandemic rang in the start of the 2020s.
The previous iterations of this series had distinct identities. Part I was about transitioning from an aging Golden Age core; Part II was about the Ewing era and the revival of the Knicks brand; and Part III was the Isiah Thomas clown show. This part bridges eras, but also shows the broad range of emotion of a championship drought nearing 50 years and an identity of LolKnicks that would be hard to shed.
Unlike the previous parts, there will be more visually stupid, individual moments in here, rather than front office moves and playoff failures. Such is the case with things we remember more vividly.
This is a really long one, folks, but that’s mostly because, unlike the old ones, which I’ve had to hear about my entire life through the accounts of others, I lived through this. It’s just nice to know that after this, it’s first-world problems from here.
Getting Impatient And Trading For Melo (2011)
After missing out on LeBron, the Knicks quickly pivoted to Amar’e Stoudemire, who had a sensational first season in New York with a young, middling roster. It was clear he was going to need another big-time scorer by his side for this team to actually move forward as a contender.
Midway through the 2010-11 season, it was clear that the Nuggets were going to lose their young star, Carmelo Anthony, in free agency that offseason. Despite being one of the best teams in the Western Conference, they were open to moving him.
Enter the Knicks.
The New York native was considered extremely likely to head east in free agency. The Knicks, as the preeminent brand in the market, were heavy favorites to land him, but there was the threat of the Jay-Z-owned, soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets, who were planning on pursuing Melo as well.
Feeling the pressure and also being fearful of the upcoming CBA negotiations, the Knicks engaged in trade talks with the Nuggets, but Denver demanded an extremely steep package, one that general manager Donnie Walsh was balking at.
James Dolan, as always, meddled and forced the trade through.
Four of the Knicks’ best young players, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari, along with two future first-round picks (one of which became Jamal Murray), would head off to the Nuggets for the prodigal son. Everyone rejoiced… except Walsh.
The trade would completely gut New York’s depth and have them completely reliant on the duo of Stoudemire and Anthony. They’d be swept by the Celtics in the first round after slipping into the playoffs, but the pairing had promise if they could continue to add talent… and as long as neither of them regressed.
The End Of Linsanity (2012)
Jeremy Lin was a second-year bench-warming point guard from Harvard, getting a rare opportunity to suit up on February 4, 2012. That night would go down in history as the start of an international phenomenon known as Linsanity.
Shortly after, an injury to Melo vaulted him into the starting lineup. In an 11-game span, Lin averaged 23.9 points, 9.2 assists, and 2.4 steals on 50% from the field and 36.1% from three, carrying a once-struggling Knicks team to a 9-2 stretch that saved their season.
After scoring 17 and 9 against Atlanta on February 22, the clock struck midnight on Lin. With Melo back, he was forced to take a backseat anyway, but he was still the team’s new starting point guard. The aura of Linsanity dissipated with an ugly 1-for-11, 8-turnover night against the Heat on February 23, the first such hardship he had experienced.
Some believe he turned back into a pumpkin after, but he actually still averaged 15 and 7 over the next 14 games as a complementary piece. He had seemed to find his place in the pecking order… until he suffered a season-ending knee injury on March 24.
After the season concluded, Lin hit restricted free agency. The Houston Rockets bit on his run as a superstar in the World’s Most Famous Arena and offered him a three-year, $25 million pact that the Knicks wouldn’t match due to a poison-pill provision that spiked his Year 3 salary. Initial reports of a four-year,$28 million deal would’ve reportedly been matched, but it didn’t.
The sharpest rise and fall ever.
Mike D’Antoni Resigns (March 2012)
The 2011-12 Knicks were a chaotic group. A midseason injury to Melo, regression from Amar’e, Linsanity, a dreadful start turning into an incredible 28-15 finish to get into the playoffs, and a coaching fiasco to put the cherry on top,
The worry when the Knicks acquired Melo was that his offensive playstyle, one of isolation offense, was a clash with D’Antoni’s mentality of pace and ball movement. That came to a head way quicker than anyone thought.
Lin’s rise seemed to be the last straw. He fit what D’Antoni wanted. When the great vibes from Linsanity wore off in March as these styles clashed, Melo gave the front office an ultimatum: it’s either me or him.
D’Antoni allegedly wanted to trade Melo to the Nets for Deron Williams, which, ironically, was something that Donnie Walsh wanted back in 2011. Of course, the man who overreached to get Melo wasn’t going to ditch him, since he was bringing the Knicks back to relevance for the first time in a decade, so D’Antoni was pushed out and resigned, and his assistant, Mike Woodson, replaced him.
Dating back to Rick Pitino, the Knicks had now had five full-time head coaches resign in 20 years. Not fired; resigned. Totally normal.
Amar’e Punches A Fire Extinguisher (2012 1st Round, Game 2)
A turbulent season ended with a 36-30 record, with the Knicks clinching the No. 7 seed. Unfortunately, that earned them a date with the Heatles.
Miami shellacked the Knicks by 33 points in Game 1 at American Airlines Arena before outlasting them by 10 in Game 2. Stoudemire, who was having a down season marred by injuries, was held to just 27 total points and 12 rebounds across the two games while being opposed by Chris Bosh. The vibes were low, and this circus of a season hit its peak after the game when he was walking back to the locker room.
Out of frustration, Stoudemire punched the glass case of a fire extinguisher, suffering severe lacerations in his left hand. A season that was already on the brink now saw the team’s second option take himself out of a crucial Game 3 at MSG because he couldn’t control his temper.
The Knicks scored just 70 points in Game 3 in a blowout loss, effectively ending the series. Amar’e returned for Game 4 and scored 20 in a close win, but the season ended in Miami just three days later.
Stoudemire’s Knicks tenure would be defined by these injuries. He missed the first 30 games of a great 2012-13 season and later the final month of the regular season due to recurring knee issues, not returning until Game 3 of the second round against the Pacers.
His injuries forced him to be load-managed and come off the bench. He would start just 35 games as a Knick after blasting that fire extinguisher, eventually being bought out in February 2015. For one year, Amar’e let us dream, but his body failed him after.
Roy Hibbert’s Block (2013 ECSF, Game 6)
The Knicks rebounded from that disappointing exit in 2012 by continuing to get stronger. They brought in Raymond Felton, J.R. Smith, and Jason Kidd; they got a full training camp with big trade acquisition Tyson Chandler, and the Knicks burst out to an 8-1 start, looking like a legitimate threat in the East.
The injuries to Stoudemire hung over the team, but they went on to win 54 games and clinch the No. 2 seed. They were determined to make the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 13 years and get revenge on the Heat… but they had to get there first.
The aging rival Celtics were first on the revenge calendar, as the Knicks took a quick 3-0 lead on them, looking for payback for a 2011 sweep, but those older Celts, playing their last games as a core before that infamous Brooklyn game, fought back and got all the way to Game 6 in Boston before New York put them out of their misery.
Those two extra games robbed them of some rest and recuperation that they could’ve used into a series with the feisty, up-and-coming Pacers.
Sure enough, the Knicks looked flat in Game 1 at the Garden and were immediately at a disadvantage. Even when they got Amar’e back for Game 3 in Indiana, he was a non-factor as they lost both at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. A win facing elimination at MSG set up a crucial Game 6. This couldn’t be how the best Knicks team of a generation goes out, right?
The Knicks trailed by double digits early in the second half, but stormed all the way back to tie it after three quarters. Leading by two with five minutes to go, the Knicks had the momentum as the veteran team that refused to die when Melo rose for a dunk on the baseline, but that momentum was stolen the second that Roy Hibbert got his big left hand on the ball.
Lance Stephenson tied the game on the ensuing position and the Knicks never led again. Indiana went on a quick 11-2 run that helped them pull away, and despite the best efforts of Melo and J.R., they never got enough stops to give themselves a chance after that.
While it was disheartening, many believed that the window was still open for 2013-14 and beyond. Nobody then knew this would be the last Knick playoff game for another eight years.
The Andrea Bargnani Trade (July 2013)
It’s no coincidence the second Dark Ages in Knicks history was brought on by the Harbinger of Death himself, Andrea Bargnani.
Glen Grunwald, who was really just a placeholder after Walsh resigned in 2011, was only two months away from being replaced as lead executive by Steve Mills, but he made his impact in the arguable worst trade in Knicks history, sending Marcus Camby, fan favorite Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, a 2016 first, and two seconds for the former No. 1 pick.
Bargnani enjoyed some solid seasons as Chris Bosh’s second fiddle before becoming a 20-PPG scorer in 2010-11. The two seasons before the trade, he was limited to 65 games, while his stretch-four abilities waned and his three-point shooting regressed sharply. An elbow injury suffered the year before the trade seemed not to dissuade management.
The package they gave up wasn’t as inhibitive, but there were two key points. For one, they were taking on Bargnani’s remaining contract of two years and $23.5 million on an already expensive roster. Didn’t Dolan refuse to pay Lin because he was worried about the luxury tax?
Oh yeah, they also traded away the back end of a 2016 first-round pick swap that they got with Melo in the trade with Denver. The Knicks would be terrible by 2016 and could’ve used that swap that landed at No. 9.
As for Bargnani’s Knicks career, he sucked. He was the poster child of the team’s failure to maximize the rest of Melo’s prime, as Amar’e regressed hard, Chandler was traded, and this guy made eight figures to make boneheaded decision after boneheaded decision while battling injury. In two years, he played 71 total games and was awful.
For the next decade, Raptors fans took joy in clowning the Knicks for being scammed by Masai Ujiri. If only there was a way to pay them back…
The Chris Smith Saga (October 2013)
Steve Mills was now in charge, and boy did he have a doozy of a dilemma right when he took the gig.
J.R. Smith was coming off a Sixth Man of the Year campaign and was a beloved Knick, but he was quickly approaching free agency. The Knicks wanted him to extend, which he did for three years and $18 million that summer, so they did him and his family a little favor.
Chris Smith was J.R.’s younger, less-talented brother. He was still better than 99.9% of the world at basketball- don’t get me wrong- but after an okay career at Louisville that never stood out, he signed a training camp deal with the Knicks in 2012 and participated in Summer League. That’s no big deal; this happens all the time.
He was waived after an injury in 2012, but was back in camp the next year. Despite injuries making the roster a bit shallow entering the season, the Knicks decided that Chris was good enough to make the roster. Fans and the media, obviously, cried nepotism.
Whether it was or not, Smith played a grand total of two minutes as a Knick, spent much of his time in the D League, and was waived on New Year’s Eve. What the hell was the point of all that?
Phil Jackson Hired as President Of Basketball Operations (2014)
In 2005, James Dolan and Isiah Thomas went all-in on bringing one of the greatest coaches of all time to New York to lead a ragtag group back to Camelot. They failed, as he shockingly decided to stick with Kobe Bryant, and settled for the disastrous Larry Brown experience.
Jackson retired as a coach in 2011, but that wouldn’t stop Dolan’s quest to bring the Zen Master back to where he won a pair of titles as a player in 1970 and 1973. It took months of negotiating, but Dolan locked him in as POBO in March 2014, giving him a whopping $60 million contract.
Because of his pedigree, the move was universally celebrated. Those poor souls in March 2014 didn’t know that Jackson would attempt to be just as bad as Isiah was a decade earlier.
The Crawl Towards The Abyss (2013-15)
The Knicks, one season after winning 54 games, started 2013-14 with a 3-13 record. Amar’e was banged up, Chandler was banged up, Felton regressed, Bargnani sucked and got hurt, and the team became more and more reliant on Melo for scoring. Things just got worse and worse.
A seven-game losing streak sunk them to 21-40 on March 3. The season was completely cooked. Even worse, the team’s 2014 pick was in Denver. Because of that, the team probably found the extra gear to finish 16-5 and miss the playoffs by just one game. That strong finish must mean things will change, right?
Well, Jackson cleaned house in the coaching staff despite Woodson wanting to coach under Jackson and finishing strong. In keeping with the standard of bringing in “winners” who had no experience doing what they were doing, Jackson hired just-retired former Laker Derek Fisher as coach to run his triangle offense.
Jackson convinced Melo to re-sign on a $124 million supermax and traded Chandler and Felton to the Mavericks for a bunch of guys who didn’t amount to much and two seconds as his first two moves as executive. Well, if you don’t count signing Lamar Odom, Stephen A. can tell you about that.
The Knicks’ best pick in the 2014 draft was No. 34, used to select Cleanthony Early. Notably, still on the board? Spencer Dinwiddie, Jerami Grant, and Nikola Jokic.
After starting the season 2-1, the Knicks lost 34 of their next 37 games. They were an unbelievable 5-35 when the NBA sent them to London to face a young Giannis and the Bucks, which they lost en route to their 16th consecutive loss, a franchise record. A couple of small wins here and there did little to stop the runaway train of a 17-65 season, the worst in franchise history.
At least they had their pick this year…
Andrea Bargnani Being Dumb (2013-15)
I told you this part would also include in-game stupidity that didn’t have long-range effects. That’s what the Second Dark Ages were known for.
Here’s some stupid Bargnani moments. First, he made Clyde Frazier completely lose his mind when he shot a three with the shot clock off and the lead late in regulation on December 18, 2013.
He’s lucky the Knicks won in overtime. Now, here’s him trying to dunk from the damn free throw line for some reason against an equally bad Sixers team:
Good stuff.
The 2015 Draft Lottery
You would think with a 17-65 record, the Knicks would have the best lottery odds. Unfortunately, their futility was matched by the dreadful Timberwolves, who won just 16 games. The Knicks lost out at 25% odds after winning two of their last three games. Meaningless wins tanking lottery odds, you say…
That would come back to bite them. With still good odds (19.9%) of landing Kentucky superstar Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks felt good. Even if they didn’t get him, there was still star Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell and Duke forward Jahlil Okafor, all considered Grade A talent. There was a 55.8% chance the Knicks would stay in the top 3.
They fell to No. 4, the first of many lottery disasters for the late-2010s Knicks.
Now, they’d be pretty fortunate to have Kristaps Porzingis fall into their laps, but this was a deeply unpopular pick that even drove a young fan to tears. This moment was the peak of Jackson’s executive tenure: the one thing he did right.
Cleanthony Early Gets Shot (December 2015)
Early was never a big part of the Knicks’ plans, but he was at least a young player that had a moderate amount of investment put into him as the team’s top player from the 2014 draft class. While his tenure is very forgettable, one thing wasn’t.
On December 30, 2015, Early was shot in the leg and robbed by an unknown assailant after exiting a Queens strip club. This, one day after he logged 26 seconds in garbage time against the Pistons, would keep him out until late March. He’d play his last game as a Knick, and in the NBA, three weeks later.
It was also incredibly ironic timing, as recent signing Derrick Williams had $600,000 worth of jewelry stolen by two women he took home from a club in Manhattan 10 days earlier. Nice culture you’ve got here, Mr. Fisher.
Midseason Collapse 1.0 (2015-16)
While the Knicks still had Carmelo Anthony, they still had eyes on winning. Despite coming off a 17-win season in 2014-15, nobody was capitulating.
The Knicks had an active offseason, signing Robin Lopez to a four-year, $54 million deal, Arron Afflalo to a two-year, $16 million deal, Kyle O’Quinn to a four-year, $16 million deal, and drafting Jerian Grant at No. 19 by trading away the underwhelming Tim Hardaway Jr.
Their intention to compete translated into wins early. Despite some ebbs and flows, the Knicks matched their previous season’s win total on January 5 and won consecutive overtime games at the Garden to improve to 22-22 on January 20. When they woke up two days later to face the Clippers, they were ninth in the East, but also just two games back of fifth. This was what they wanted.
The Clippers destroyed them that night in MSG. After a loss to Charlotte, they pushed an incredible Thunder team to the brink at home, but lost in OT. They split their next two games, but tumbled further with losses to the Warriors, Celtics, Pistons, Grizzlies, and Nuggets. Nine losses in 10 games to drop to 23-31.
That cost Derek Fisher his job, as he was fired by Jackson. His job was already tedious entering the season after he struggled to acclimate to it. His spat with Matt Barnes in October probably didn’t help either. The ESPN article about his firing, mentioning more former Lakers who could replace him, embodies how dumb this franchise was.
Under interim head coach Kurt Rambis, the Knicks lost two more games before finally ending the losing streak. That wouldn’t make things any better in a 9-19 finish that saw the team finish with 50 losses for the second straight season.
“They’re Saying Us And Golden State Are The Super Teams” (2016)
The entire 2016 offseason, looking back, was a humiliation ritual.
That 44-game start before things went off the rails allowed management to double down on believing this team, now focused around an aging Anthony and a young phenom in Porzingis,
Jackson, who could not stop looking at his old Bulls and Lakers, decided to poach two Bulls icons who were past their prime because, why not?
A stunning trade for Chicago’s favorite son, Derrick Rose, shipped out Lopez, Jerian Grant, and Jose Calderon for an uber-talented guard who could not stay on the court. Who cares that he was making $22 million and hadn’t been the star he was once in four years? It’s Derrick Rose!
Two weeks later, as part of the league-wide stupidity that resulted from the cap spiking, Jackson signed Courtney Lee to a four-year, $48 million contract, but that paled in comparison to the real prize.
Joakim Noah was signed to a four-year, $72 million contract, the largest free agent signing in franchise history. As a former Defensive Player of the Year, Noah was supposed to make up for the roster’s defensive deficiencies, but I think the team forgot he was now 31, several years removed from his impactful prime, and coming off an injury-laden season.
The roster looked good on paper. Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and Joakim Noah, with a bench group of Justin Holiday, former Bucks star Brandon Jennings, Lance Thomas, and Kyle O’Quinn. It prompted some bold words from D-Rose on Media Day:
I’m still not sure who said this, Derrick, but confidence is cool.
This offseason was a disaster, namely with the Lee and Noah contracts being extremely prohibitive to the salary cap going forward. In two disastrous seasons as a Knick, Noah tried his hardest to be the next Jerome James or Bargnani, playing 53 total games and averaging just 4.6 points and 7.9 rebounds before injuries, a PED suspension, and head coach Jeff Hornacek putting him in exile in January 2018, before he was finally bought out.
Charles Oakley Incident (February 2017)
The Knicks’ season was cooked by the time the Clippers came to town for their annual trip to MSG on February 8, 2017, as the Knicks entered at 22-31 amidst another collapse.
A close loss to a very good Lob City Clippers team isn’t really a story. What was a story? Franchise legend Charles Oakley, a symbol of the team’s grit and physicality in the 90s, was caught on camera getting into a fight with security just six minutes into the game, right behind the basket.
He had apparently purchased a seat a few rows behind Dolan and began jeering him. Security was then called to remove him; things got physical, and the Knicks legend was booked for assault after punching three different MSG security officers.
It’s maybe the defining moment of Dolan’s tenure. With all the off-court drama and absolutely baffling decisions, it’s his spat with a fan favorite from an era of joy in the midst of years of misery that stands out.
These two have been fighting it out for nine years, with a judge recently dismissing Oakley’s accusation of being assaulted himself in August. I was honestly shocked that this was still going on.
Midseason Collapse 2.0 (2016-17)
They were never Warriors good, obviously, but the 2016-17 Knicks were a solid bunch for a little while. They started 14-10 by feasting on a soft, early-season slate that was loaded with lower-level Western Conference teams. By the time they hosted the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day, they were 16-13 and fifth in the East.
Just like last year, despite having a new coach in Jeff Hornacek, the Knicks collapsed. After Melo tied the game at 112 on Christmas with 1:06 to go, Marcus Smart hit a go-ahead three that would ultimately give the Celtics the lead for good. Three days later, the Knicks lost in overtime against Atlanta. They’d lose 13 of 16, including a back-breaking buzzer-beater loss to future foe TJ McConnell and Philly, to sink down to 19-26 by MLK Day.
The clown show around the organization also proceeded. D-Rose just disappeared on January 9 without notifying anyone due to a family issue. He did return, but wound up ending his season in familiar fashion with torn cartilage in his knee in late March.
Melo started to rebel against Jackson’s triangle system, leading to a very public spat between the two. Dolan didn’t learn his lesson on how to construct a roster. He wanted Melo so badly on his team he cast aside D’Antoni, but was foolish enough to think that Jackson, another personality with a very different offensive philosophy to Melo’s iso ball, was going to make a difference.
Jackson tried to trade Anthony, but his no-trade clause got in the way. The feeling of the 2016-17 season quickly turned into one that felt like the New York icon’s last in the city that embraced him from the start.
The Knicks sank to 30-51 and seemed fated for the sixth-best lottery odds, but a Game 82 game-winner by Maurice N’dour slipped them below the Timberwolves in the lottery standings and ultimately led to them falling to No. 8.
After this failure of a season, the 2017 offseason was going to be crucial, but it was just as bad as the last one.
Phil Jackson Sets The Franchise Ablaze On His Way Out (2017 Offseason)
After the season ended, the Knicks held customary exit meetings. Porzingis, in his first sign of discontent with the organizational dysfunction, skipped out, drawing public ire from Jackson, who began shopping the promising Latvian big man in the trade market.
Imagine that. The best young player the Knicks have had in generations is being shopped because he made the POBO mad. No trade occurred, but between this and him very publicly trying to push Melo out the door, it just seemed like Jackson was trying to torpedo the franchise and whatever good they had left.
There were rumblings that he wanted to ship Porzingis out in a bid to move up in the 2017 NBA Draft, but the Knicks stayed at No. 8. Despite having New York native Donovan Mitchell on the board, Jackson drafted French point guard Frank Ntilikina, another European guy who had potential, but also a tremendously low floor.
It’d be whatever if this was just a typical bad draft pick, but Jackson would depart from the organization literally five days later. Dolan allowed this guy to call the shots for two months through the NBA Draft, let him select the guy he wanted, and then kicked him out before free agency began. It was the right move to move on, but to let him stick around to publicly drag your young star and make a crucial lottery pick is malpractice.
The Tim Hardaway Jr. Offer Sheet (2017)
Steve Mills took over as the interim President of Basketball Operations after Jackson’s firing in his second stint with the club. A few months before his first stint in charge began in October 2013, the Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway Jr. Two years later, he was shipped out for Jerian Grant, who was later fodder for D-Rose.
Fast forward to 2017. Hardaway became a pretty solid player for the Hawks, averaging 14.5 points a night as a sixth man. One year after the catastrophic Lee and Noah contracts, the Knicks gave Hardaway a baffling $72 million offer sheet, one the Hawks didn’t even consider matching.
Hardaway played some of his best basketball over the next year and a half, first as a running mate to Porzingis and then as the team’s best scorer after he went down with an injury, but he wasn’t worth $72 million. His salary was dumped in a January 2019 trade as part of the never-ending churn.
The Rise And Steep Fall Of Kristaps Porzingis (2018)
Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder before the 2017-18 season, definitively ending one era of Knicks basketball. The team was now solely and unequivocally Porzingis’s.
In his first two seasons, the 7’3” unicorn averaged 16 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. He was a two-way savant who could shoot the lights out from three and do everything a wing could do while being the tallest player in basketball. It was the Victor Wembanyama prototype.
With Melo out the door, there was nobody to take touches away from him. Hornacek configured the offense around his 22-year-old budding star. In his first 11 games as the No. 1, he averaged a staggering 30.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks on 51.3% from the field and 41.8% from deep. It was around this time in mid-November that a much younger me was bragging about my new star to classmates who were buzzing about Joel Embiid and the process down in South Jersey.
My younger delusional self believed Porzingis was an MVP in the making. As much as I loved watching Carmelo Anthony as a Knick, Porzingis was the new gold standard of Knicks basketball for me. As the months went on and he went from this MVP form to just being a certified star in this league, it didn’t matter what happened on the court.
Sure, the Knicks weren’t good. Sure, the Knicks had not much promising talent around him. Sure, there was plenty of skepticism whether many of the players, coaches, or executives could be part of the next great Knicks team, but there was one thing for certain as the calendar turned to 2018.
The Knicks were back in the late 1980s. They had their new Patrick Ewing. As long as Porzingis stayed upright and happy, the Knicks had a foundational piece that they had lacked in the many years of wandering the abyss. They didn’t have the pressure to win like they had with Melo or Phil or Isiah, they had a young star and the ability to dream.
Then came February 6, 2018.
It’s a day etched in my memory forever. Maybe I’ll be able to forget it one day now that the ghosts can’t hurt me anymore after that championship, but the simple fact was this. Starting with that day and over the next 18 months, a young me was traumatized by what would be the darkest year in Knicks history.
The game started fine. It was a blockbuster battle between two freaks of nature, Porzingis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the Greek Freak was on a team destined for greatness and thus way ahead of the Knicks in their ascension, the Knicks had their first homegrown All-Star since David Lee, but surely there would be a lot more than just one All-Star appearance in the Unicorn’s career.
With just under nine minutes to play in the second quarter, Kyle O’Quinn held the ball on the right elbow, closely guarded by Tyler Zeller. Porzingis, involved in an off-ball action with Lance Thomas, cut to the rim, received the pass from O’Quinn, and posterized Giannis.
In another life, this is an all-time highlight in a career tape that has seen the budding superstar do this to plenty of household names. Unfortunately, he landed awkwardly on his left knee. He fell to the floor, writhing in pain.
I was walking out of basketball practice when I grabbed my phone from the locker and saw a Bleacher Report notification that spoke of Porzingis leaving the game with a knee injury. I frantically clicked the notification and saw the clip. It wasn’t long after that the worst fears were realizd: a season-ending torn ACL.
The injury itself was brutal. While they don’t seem as harrowing long-term today, these were the injuries you feared could hurt a player’s long-term potential. While players come back quicker and quicker now from these injuries, it was clear that this would mean likely no Porzingis until the start of the 2019-20 season.
So, as much as the dread was the possibility of him never being the same, which did wind up being true, this moment was the beginning of what would be the most humiliating 18 months of being a Knicks fan ever.
Not long after this, Giannis literally jumped over Hardaway on an alley-oop. This game was the beginning of a humiliation ritual that never seemed to end.
A Grab Bag Of Humiliating Dark Ages On-Court Moments (2015-19)
The Giannis poster is just the tip of the iceberg.
None of these plays influenced the franchise at all, they’re just dumb and would be put in LolKnicks compilations.
In the midst of a December 2016 blowout against LeBron James and the defending champion Cavaliers, he and his teammates began performing the then-popular Bottle Flip Challenge on the sideline. LeBron flipped it too far and had to sprawl on the court to grab it. This is how serious teams took us.
Y’all remember Jarrett Jack? He’s most memorable as a Knick for me for this ridiculous heave attempt on November 1, 2017. Credit to him, before the recent rule change, nobody would be ballsy enough to sacrifice their shooting percentage to just chuck a ball like that.
There is so much going on here. First, this was the night the Knicks went on a historic 28-0 run against a very good Raptors team, so vibes were high. What the hell is Spike doing on the sideline? The ref eating it is funny, but why is Hardaway calling him safe like he’s an umpire? What the hell is going on?
I don’t remember many regular season games from this era. It’s a memory-hole situation. One of the ones I remember was when, for some reason, the Knicks were told to play the Wizards in London on January 17, 2019. A younger me was excited to watch when I came home from school.
Entering at 10-33, the Knicks were actually in a position to win this one. They led the entire game, but were stuck in a back-and-forth battle at the death. A go-ahead hook shot from Noah Vonleh gave the Knicks the lead, but they needed a stop.
With three seconds left, the Wizards inbounded and passed it to a cutting Thomas Bryant, who attempted a game-winning layup at the buzzer over Emmanuel Mudiay and Allonzo Trier. He missed, but the refs called a buzzer-beating goaltending. One in a million, this team was.
Finally, we’re going to right before the Porzingis trade. The Knicks were going to shed basically every veteran on that team, so it became apparent that the same was coming to Enes Kanter. It might be hard to remember given his current exploits, but this guy was a pretty good Knick given the circumstances.
While he was being shopped on the trade market, Kanter was being sat for much of January. Was it also likely for the development of guys like Mitchell Robinson and Luke Kornet? Sure, but we knew the reason.
After sitting four straight games, Kanter was given a chance in a blowout in the third quarter against the Mavs on January 30. He kissed the court, showing his love to a fanbase that chanted “We Want Kanter”. It’s a great gesture, but I wish he just didn’t airball.
That’d be the funny moment from that night’s latest loss, but there would be no smiles the very next day.
The Kristaps Porzingis Trade (2019)
There was a cloud over the entire 2018-19 season, one that the horrendous coaching of David Fizdale couldn’t help. The roster was a mess, reminiscent of the Island of Misfit Toys. It was one of the worst collections of talent in modern NBA history. The only goal in mind was tanking for Zion Williamson, which we’ll get to later.
The one glimmer of hope was Porzingis, still in street clothes, still on the bench. One day, he’d return and save us.
What nobody could’ve imagined when this injury happened was that when Porzingis was helped into the locker room, that was the last time we would ever see him wear No. 6 in orange and blue. What would things look like if he had just been able to stay upright? We’ll never know, but management used his injury and his frustration to prepare for their most ambitious quest yet.
I was walking home from school on January 31, 2019, when I saw notification after notification from Woj about Porzingis’ discontent with the franchise. Remember the saga with his brother agent? He wanted more control in the organization. When the Knicks balked, Porzingis decided he was done with this franchise, demanding a trade.
Instead of either calling his bluff ahead of restricted free agency (which would be muddied by the ACL tear) or waiting a few days and fielding calls, a scared and antsy front office traded him to the Mavericks immediately in a massive deal that partially served as a salary dump to get rid of Hardaway and Lee’s contracts.
It was the latest LolKnicks in a long line of ‘em. The only promise in the organization was gone.
What was left in its wake was a dream. A dream of a Big 3 that could be formed in about a week in the most ambitious offseason plan in NBA history.
The 2019 Draft Lottery
The Knicks tanked for this. They had avoided bottoming out many times, but for once, they were committed to it.
The worst franchise in the NBA in the 21st century was finally in the cellar and would get the spoils of a team that once again lost 65 games. 34 years after winning the lottery for Ewing and four months after trading their only talented young player in the decades since, they were all-in on Zion and the dream of pairing him with two max salaries in free agency.
One small problem. Adam Silver’s anti-tanking philosophy, which has been heavily ramped up recently, was sparked in the 2018 offseason. That year, he decided to do something bold and flatten the lottery odds. The worst team’s odds would shrink from 25 percent to just 14 percent. The one year the Knicks decided to bottom out, this happened. Of course.
And, as you might’ve expected, they fell in the lottery. After falling two spots in 2015 and one in 2018, they fell another two spots in 2019. The dream of Zion was dead, Jorge Sedano screamed with joy, and millions of Knicks fans’ hope began to dissipate.
RJ Barrett was cool, I guess. The Knicks actually probably won out here by not having to deal with Ja Morant and Zion’s off-court stuff, but this sucked in the moment. We dared not dread what would happen if free agency also went wrong…
The Most Disastrous Free Agency In NBA History (July 2019)
All this time. The entire 2018-19 season.
Amidst the depressing and dark season, after the team traded the team’s only proven young talent, after the failure of not being able to draft Zion, there was one hope.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (among others, which included Kawhi Leonard and Kemba Walker) were free agents. Both had privately expressed a desire to team up. The Knicks were one of the only teams that had the space to do so.
At All-Star Weekend, someone caught them talking, where Irving seemed to gesture “two max spots”. All year, it was floated as more than a possibility. The savior complex that the media had, always trying to find someone to save the Knicks, put them in their crosshairs.
Leading into free agency, doubt was forming. The Knicks were a dumpster fire that didn’t have Zion and were run by idiots. Rumors started to buzz that Kyrie, an Elizabeth native who was the driving force in any talks of going to New York, was leaning toward the Nets. Irving posted on social media that he was going to the Nets, but the real horror came when Durant said he was following, leaving the Knicks empty-handed.
This was rock bottom. An offseason that was supposed to save the franchise reinforced its misery. Dolan didn’t offer Durant a max off his Achilles tear anyway. They didn’t even get a meeting with Kawhi. The organization literally had to issue a statement to a pissed-off fanbase.
In its wake, the team signed Julius Randle to a $63 million contract in an offseason that’d be defined by the team signing a billion power forwards, namely Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, and Marcus Morris. The Knicks had $70 million in cap space and spent it on role players.
As far as we knew, this franchise was dead.
David Fizdale Fired (2019)
The 2019-20 season was, honestly, the most peaceful in this entire stretch. The team was really bad, sure, but there was nothing to even be excited about that could disappoint you. They personified the quote from Zendaya’s portrayal of MJ from the recent Spider-Man movies:
There was still one thing. The Knicks got off to a horrid start to the season, as none of the veterans they acquired were able to gel with the young and disappointing nucleus. Scott Perry and Steve Mills thought it was a good idea to address the press after 10 games. After getting obliterated by the Bucks (which gave us this gem) and Nuggets in consecutive games to drop to 4-18, the worst 22-game start in franchise history, Fizdale was fired.
He was a terrible coach, one whose failure in New York has likely cost him another opportunity, but he was viewed as a scapegoat. You rarely saw Woj have opinionated tweets, but you got one here. To them, this was the leader of the Grit and Grind Grizzlies, not the man who embarrassed himself and the Knicks on a nightly basis.
It would be the first of the mass organizational changes to follow. Mike Miller did an admirable job as interim head coach, but the search was on for a successor. Mills would not be the one making that decision, as Leon Rose was hired to head the franchise in early March 2020.
Wonder if that guy knows a thing or two…
Vince Carter Ends His Career In Style (2020)
Carter is an interesting figure in this story of Knicks basketball. His Dunk of Death permanently destroyed the reputation of the team’s chosen successor to Patrick Ewing and likely caused him to never come to America.
Exactly 20 years later, he ended his career in a meaningless game between two awful teams, as the world shut down due to a pandemic, with the Knicks letting him score to end on a high note.
The Knicks walked into the locker room for the final time under Mike Miller… and for the final time as a joke of a basketball team. Leon Rose would get to work not long after it was clear the Knicks wouldn’t return in 2019-20 and begin his six-year process toward raising the most incompetent franchise in history to the top of the mountain.
To the surprise of very few people now, Joel Hofer is off to a fantastic start for the St. Louis Blues.
In four games, he's posted two wins, a .921 save percentage, a 1.76 goals-against average, a shutout, and 2.5 goals saved above expected. Hofer outduelled Jordan Binnington for the No. 1 role last year and is showing no signs of giving it up.
Hofer has been praised by St. Louis fans for quite some time now, as since the 2023-24 NHL season, Hofer hasn't posted a save percentage below .900. That's serving as the backup, then a tandem and now the No. 1.
But finally, the 26-year-old is starting to receive the nationwide respect his game deserves.
On Wednesday, after the Blues' dominant 7-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, former NHL goaltender and current TSN analyst Jamie McLennan sang Hofer's praises.
“A little bit of recency bias, but I’ve liked this kid since last year; Joel Hofer is Canada’s next goaltender,” McLennan said on TSN's radio show, Overdrive. “I had the chance to visit with Jordan Binnington, who is Canada’s goaltender right now. So St. Louis has Canada’s goaltender of right now, and I think of the future. This kid’s a player.”
Hofer has represented Canada internationally a few times now. Notably, he won a gold medal at the 2020 World Junior Championship, posting a .946 SP in six games and taking home goaltender of the tournament and All-Star Team honors. He's also played for Canada at the World Championships, winning gold in 2023 despite playing just two games.
But Hofer has proved to be a star at every level. His international success is well known, and he was a star in the WHL and AHL before making his way to the NHL.
“This kid, I’m telling you, O (Jeff O’Neill), this kid's a player," McLennan continued. "6-foot-5, handles the puck like Hextall and makes great saves. I’m telling you, he’s a player."
Selected in the fourth round (107th overall) in 2018, Hofer has developed into an NHL star. Although the competition for Canada's international goaltending spot is notably weak right now, it's still nothing to scoff at. This is serious praise from a respected NHL analyst.
The next best-on-best events are the 2028 World Cup of Hockey and the 2030 Olympics. If Hofer shows he can consistently perform among the NHL's elite, he could very well find himself as one of the three goaltenders named to the rosters.
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He might be the one defender disappointed to miss Luka Doncic.
Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg got a taste for how quickly things can change in the NBA ahead of his preseason game Tuesday night against the Lakers.
Golden State Warriors’ Yaxel Lendeborg (1) looks to pass the ball during a preseason game against the LA Clippers on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu. NBAE via Getty Images
Doncic was given the night off by coach JJ Redick, but the Warriors didn’t know that when they were going over the defensive plan of attack leading up to tipoff. Lendeborg had held his own on offense, averaging 19 points per game over his previous three exhibitions, and the Warriors decided they wanted to put the No. 11 pick’s defensive versatility to the test.
Lendeborg did a double-take when assistant coach Frank Vogel informed him of his assignment. He was the two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the American Athletic Conference and a first-team defender last year in the Big Ten.
But this would be a new challenge.
“I’m on my phone chilling and [Vogel] comes up to me, ‘Hey, you’re guarding Luka tonight,’” Lendeborg recalled. “I said, ‘What the f–k? You’re just gonna throw me in the fire?’”
The rookie’s eyes widened as he shook his head retelling the story at his locker after the game.
“I tried to act all cool, but I was spooked,” he said. “That was crazy.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, Oct. 5, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Doncic led the NBA in scoring for the second time in his career last season, averaging 33.5 points per game on a league-high 22.8 shots from the field and 10.1 attempts at the foul line.
“I think [Vogel] said he averages like 30, 35. Nobody can stop him, so do your best,” Lendeborg said. “That was it. My mind was all over the place after that.”
A short while later, Lendeborg learned he wouldn’t have to try to stay in front of the 6-8, 230-pound Doncic. He’d instead be giving up 5 inches to the 7-2 Kessler.
In his first game in a Lakers uniform, Kessler scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 16 minutes. Lendeborg got to the line nine times and scored 17 points in 26 minutes.
It wasn’t exactly what he had in mind.
But he learned another lesson along the way.
In the NBA, change can come in a moment’s notice — he’d better be ready.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 23: Harry Ford #17 of the Washington Nationals looks on while batting during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 23, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. The Nationals defeated the Tigers 4-2. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The first major trade Paul Toboni made as Nationals POBO was to acquire Harry Ford in exchange for Jose A. Ferrer. Ford was expected to emerge as the Nats catcher of the future without an elite backstop like Cal Raleigh blocking him. However, this season did not go according to plan for the 23 year old catcher.
It was a bit of a surprise when Ford did not make the team out of camp. Clearly, the Nats thought he needed more time in the minors. Despite that, I still expected Ford to quickly show he belonged in the big leagues. That did not happen though, as Ford struggled mightily in AAA to start the year.
This was very surprising given the fact that Ford posted an .868 OPS in AAA last year. To start this season, Ford looked rough at the plate. His power was not showing up and he was striking out more. On May 10th, Ford was hitting .188 with a .557 OPS.
That is not exactly an ideal start to life in a new organization. Outside of his usual plate discipline, Ford just did not look like the player the Nats thought they were getting. Meanwhile, Jose A. Ferrer looked like a borderline elite reliever at the start of the season.
Let’s actually talk a little bit about Ferrer because it provides some important context. Nats fans wondered a lot about what the bullpen would look like with Ferrer. That narrative made a lot of sense at the beginning of the year, but even as Ferrer struggled, fans did not adjust the way they talked about him.
Ferrer’s 4.18 ERA and 4.09 FIP in 73 outings would be an upgrade on most of the guys the Nats had. However, those numbers are mediocre. It is not like Ferrer proved to be some major loss for the Nats this season. Even if things stay the same, a backup catcher for a mediocre reliever is not some awful deal.
Getting back to Ford, he did start to turn the corner in AAA. His OPS rose each month he was in the minors and was over .800 in both June and July. Following Drew Millas’ injury around the All-Star Break, Ford finally got his chance.
— Nats Of The Future (@NatsOfTheFuture) July 11, 2026
When Ford got to the majors, the results were not amazing, but not totally awful either. He only hit .190, but his 14.4% walk rate led to a .664 OPS. Ford struggled with his blocking, but he was not a total disaster defensively with a -2 FRV and a -1 DRS. That is not good by any means, but for a backup catcher, you can do worse.
This will be a big offseason for Ford though. There are a lot of things for him to work on. The biggest point of emphasis needs to be finding his power. In 2025, Ford hit 16 homers and showed solid power. It was not just the homers. Ford’s 88.8 MPH average exit velocity and his 103.4 MPH 90th percentile EV were rock solid.
We did not see that sort of power from him in the minors or the big leagues. In AAA, Ford’s average EV was 85.2 MPH and his EV90 was 101.8. That only got worse when he faced better pitching in the big leagues, with Ford posting an 84.9 MPH average and a 101.2 MPH EV90. To become a starting caliber catcher, that power needs to come back. There were reports that Ford had some nagging shoulder problems this year, so maybe his power will come back with a healthy offseason.
Ford’s super power is his plate discipline. That translated to the big league level, with the Nats catcher only chasing 18.7% of the time. However, with his limited power and mediocre contact skills, it is tough to be a good hitter. We saw some flashes, including a homer against the A’s in one of his first games. However, there was not enough consistency.
With the lower offensive ceiling of the catcher position and Ford’s ability to draw walks, there is a path to success. There is a world where he can be around a league average hitter with solid defense as well. At catcher, that is very valuable. They have very different offensive profiles, but I could see Ford producing like Keibert Ruiz did this year, just with walks carrying his profile.
However, this year did not go as planned and it did lower my view of Ford’s potential. He should be a solid big league catcher, though I am not sure he has the juice to be an above average full time starter. I can see Ruiz and Ford splitting reps and becoming a solid tandem.
The biggest key to Ford’s success will be recapturing his power stroke. I think he needs to find a way to improve his bat speed this offseason. We saw a lot of Nats hitters swinging faster this year, and hopefully Ford is next. His average bat speed was 69.2 MPH and I thought his swing looked noticeably slow.
It was a sluggish campaign for Ford, but he still posted 0.4 fWAR and 0.3 bWAR. Even right now, Ford is a decent backup catcher, but we know he can be more than that. Hopefully he can return to form in 2027 and show why Paul Toboni invested heavily into him.
The Test stalwart on his surreal last stand at the Oval, his ‘shabby’ treatment by Rob Key and the vexed problem of cricket’s drinking culture
On a rainy October afternoon, after his 20th season as a professional cricketer, Chris Woakes sits down at Edgbaston’s indoor nets and thinks of the advice that helped him when he was 17 and about to start a career in this consuming sport. “The words came from my parents, particularly my dad, and it was to always be myself,” he says in his thoughtful way.
Woakes has just won his third County Championship with Warwickshire and he played 62 Tests for England, taking 192 wickets and scoring 2,034 runs. He also won two World Cups and experienced a range of England coaches, from Andy Flower to Brendon McCullum, and played for captains as different as Sir Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 7: Chad Stevens #39 of the Colorado Rockies bats in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field on June 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 42, Chad Stevens (-0.3 rWAR)
During the 2025-26 offseason, the Colorado Rockies were busy trying to fill out the depth of the roster with a variety of minor league signings. Players capable of playing multiple positions while being able to raise the talent level, specifically in Triple-A Albuquerque, were a key component of the first offseason under president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta.
In December, the Rockies signed 27-year-old infielder Chad Stevens to a minor league deal. Stevens ability to play nearly every infield position, along with his .281/.354/.459 slash over the last two seasons that translated into a 110 wRC+ and 28 stolen bases. Stevens also had a brief five-game stint with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025 where he picked up a pair of singles and seven strikeouts in 14 at-bats.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the Rockies infield situation, the door was wide open for players like Stevens to make an impact and perhaps find a home with the rebuilding Rockies.
In spring training, Stevens made a decent impression. Despite hitting just .200 in 40 at-bats, it was his on-base percentage of .429 along with his 13 walks against 18 strikeouts that must have given the Rockies hope that he could have been a steal of a signing and useful depth piece.
Heading to Triple-A Albuquerque, Stevens settled in nicely with the Isotopes, where he was on fire. Through his first 168 plate appearances, he slashed .362/.435/.523 (.958 OPS) with three homers, 13 doubles and a triple. He also set an Isotopes franchise record on May 19 with his 39-game on-base streak.
Unfortunately, the red-hot bat that Stevens showcased in Albuquerque didn’t carry over to his second big-league stint. He appeared in 16 games and batted .036/.176/.036 in 28 at-bats, collecting just one hit and three RBI while striking out 13 times with five walks. That hit for Stevens came in his second game with the Rockies, meaning he went 0-for-23 over his next 14 games.
While the bat didn’t show up for Stevens, the glove definitely did. Across 78 innings in the field, primarily at second base, he recorded 1 Defensive Runs Saved and had a perfect fielding percentage. In 63 innings at second base, he had 2 DRS as well as 2 Outs Above Average and 2 Fielding Runs Value. Had the offense followed Stevens, he very likely could have gotten more opportunities to utilize his glove to make more stellar plays.
Unfortunately, because of the lack of offense, Stevens was optioned back to Albuquerque when Tyler Freeman came off the concussion list on June 14.
He continued to thrive with the Isotopes through the rest of the season. In the 59 games after his return to Triple-A, Stevens slashed .284/.392/.423 with 10 doubles, four triples, and four home runs with 28 RBI. He also drew 35 walks against 74 strikeouts while collecting 11 stolen bases.
In total, Stevens hit .316/.409/.464 with 23 doubles, five triples and seven home runs in 423 plate appearances over 99 games. He struck out 118 times, but managed 51 walks and was a key contributor to the Isotopes’ improvement as a club this season.
It’s hard to tell what the future holds for Stevens. Should the Rockies retain him on the 40-man roster, he can continue to serve as a utility infield depth piece with minor league options intact and several years of team control. On the other hand, 40-man roster spots are precious, and he may end up on the chopping block if the Rockies decide they want more room to protect players. The glove definitely demands big league opportunities, but the bat needs to follow and replicate some of the success in the minors.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 14: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics attempts a three-point basket against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of the preseason game at the TD Garden on October 14, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s not uncommon to see Neemias Queta practicing threes out on the TD Garden parquet before Boston Celtics home games — though the average fan may be asking why he’s even working on that part of his game. The Portuguese big man has done the majority of his scoring in the NBA around the basket in catch-and-finish spots.
He’s attemped just 11 total three-pointers (one make) across the first five seasons of his professional career. This year, though, it might be #DifferentHere for Queta. Through two preseason appearances this fall, he’s already fired up four — five if you include a make from the corner with his right big toe (not to be confused with Al Horford’s left big toe) on the line.
Wednesday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets featured three of those four long-range tries (and the long-two). Seeing Queta try to lean into a floor-spacing role was interesting. He looked both comfortable and confident taking the shots when the opportunities were there.
The first and last attempts came within the flow of the offense. Queta was open, a teammate found him, and he squared up with confidence. Even though both attempts came up short, they were still fine misses and were on line. The middle attempt… well, that came out of a broken play and the result reflected that.
What may seem like a small development that has yet to pay any real dividends for Neemi or the Celtics has been years in the making.
“I think it’s just over the years, just after practice, just getting the reps and getting getting more consistent in general with the form, the way I stick the landing, all that type of stuff makes a difference,” Queta explained after the win. “I think [the coaching staff has] seen over the years that I got better at it. It’s a two-way street on the trust. I’ve been making more of them during the offseason. They trust me to shoot them. I just gotta make them.”
The sheer amount of thought and effort that goes into adding a skill like three-point shooting into an NBA player’s game is incredible. Think about it. Queta can probably make 70 of 100 attempts in an open gym (the number could very well be higher, but let’s set this as the baseline). If any of us mere mortals did that ourselves, we’d tell all of our friends about the insane shooting clinic we’d just put on. If we saw Queta do it, we’d be questioning why he isn’t getting these chances in games.
“I want to empower him to take his game to a different level,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Queta potentially getting more opportunities to shoot from distance. “At the same time, we have to fight to get the best shots at the right time.”
I guess the simple answer is that there are probably multiple guys on the floor at all times that would make upwards of 85 out of 100. So, it’s tough to justify taking shots away from them to let Queta try and space the floor.
If the Celtics can find a place for it, however, letting No. 88 let it fly once or twice a game might wind up being valuable to them.
“I think it can help us,” he said of potentially taking more threes throughout the season. “It can be a weapon that we can use at certain points. And obviously, it’s not going to derail my attention span too often and take away from things that I do best on the court, but we can see what we use as a weapon and a strength.”
This isn’t the first time Queta’s featured threes in his game. When he led Portugal to the nation’s first-ever knockout stage berth at last summer’s EuroBasket tournament, the big man took seven total threes and made two of them. He averaged 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game across six appearances. Shooting threes certainly didn’t take away from his production.
Whether or not it’ll become part of his role with the Celtics in the regular season has yet to be seen, but Mazzulla seemed open to it in the right spots.
”I think as we open that up a little bit, it’s an ongoing conversation about timing,“ he added. ”When’s it a good shot? When’s it not? What that looks like? It could be different depending upon what the lineup is, what the matchups are, etc. But at the end of the day he’s a guy that continues to get better and better, and it’s a space that we’ll look to to to see how he can take advantage of it.“
The Knicks waived three players on nonguaranteed contracts ahead of Thursday’s preseason finale, leaving James Wiseman and Bruce Brown as the two remaining for at least one roster spot.
Centers Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley were cut, along with athletic wing Ochai Agbaji. Eubanks suffered a torn pectoral muscle this week, sealing his fate with the Knicks.
James Wiseman #35 of the New York Knicks boxes out during the game against the Toronto Raptors. NBAE via Getty Images
But Wiseman was the frontrunner since camp started, as The Post reported, and the 25-year-old enhanced his standing with an 18-point, 10-rebound effort in Tuesday’s preseason loss to the Raptors.
The Knicks, who are thin in the frontcourt with only Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond, have prioritized a center for their final roster spot, placing Wiseman in strong position to make the final roster. The former second overall pick has been saddled by injuries throughout his career – and was waived last season by the Pacers – but has a fan in Knicks head coach Mike Brown, who coached Wiseman as the top assistant with the Warriors.
Bruce Brown, a combo guard, has also impressed in camp and holds, by far, the best NBA résumé of the players on non-guaranteed deals.
To keep both Wiseman and Brown, the Knicks would have to make a trade to free up enough cap space under the second apron.
Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, back, tries to steal the ball from New York Knicks guard Bruce Brown. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP
Pacome Dadiet is the most logical to be shipped out by the Knicks – as a first-round disappointment, he has no path to playing time – but that would likely require second-round picks attached to compel a team to take his $3 million salary.
Tyler Kolek and especially Miles McBride are more valuable in the trade market.
Who will win the NBA Championship? • San Antonio Spurs 50% • Oklahoma City Thunder 43% The Knicks and 76ers each got one vote each.
Who will be named the 2026-27 MVP? • Victor Wembanyama 77% • Nikola Jokic 10% • Anthony Edwards 7%
Who is the best defensive player in the NBA? • Victor Wembanyama 97% The one vote for someone else (Ausar Thompson) had to come from the Spurs, since they cannot vote for their own player,
Which player forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments? • Victor Wembanyama 47% • Nikola Jokic 33% • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 7%
Who will win Rookie of the Year? • Cameron Boozer 50% • Caleb Wilson 20% • AJ Dybantsa 17% • Darryn Peterson 13% It's worth noting that when asked who will be the best player from this class five years from now, Dybantsa and Wilson each tied with 33%.
Who is the best coach in the NBA? • Erik Spoelstra (Miami) 43% • Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City) 37% • Mike Brown (New York) 10%
Which player is the most athletic? • Amen Thompson 63% • Anthony Edwards 20% • Ausar Thompson 10% Amen and Ausar Thompson are twins.
Which player is the best leader? • Jalen Brunson 53% • Stephen Curry 20% • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 7%
Which team will be the most improved? • Indiana Pacers 43% • Washington Wizards 23% • Utah Jazz 13%
Which team had the best overall offseason? • Philadelphia 76ers 73% • Miami Heat 10% It's worth noting that two GMs picked Charlotte here, supporting the decision to trade away LaMelo Ball.
What player acquisition will have the biggest impact? • Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami), 53% • Jaylen Brown (Philadelphia), 20%
What is the most underrated player acquisition? • Tobias Harris (San Antonio) 20% • Mitchell Robinson (Boston) 17% • Naz Reid (Charlotte) 10%
Which player would you want taking the shot with the game on the line? • Stephen Curry 50% • Jalen Brunson 17% • Tie between Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 10%
While these results are interesting, GMs are often quite wrong. For example, last season 80% predicted the Thunder would repeat as champions, the MVP was going to be Nikola Jokic (67%), the biggest impact acquisition was Kevin Durant (73%), and the most improved was going to be the Orlando Magic (47%).
The NBA published its annual GM survey – in which the league’s power brokers answer 48 questions – Thursday, Oct. 15, and the Sixers, unsurprisingly, garnered significant attention. When asked which team made the best overall offseason moves, NBA general managers overwhelmingly voted for the 76ers, with 73% picking Philadelphia. The next closest team, the Miami Heat, drew just 10% of votes, by comparison.
Yet, when asked which team’s level of success for the 2026-27 season is most difficult to project, the Sixers also garnered most votes, at 27%. The second place team in that category, the Minnesota Timberwolves, generated 17% of the vote.
The uncertainty is not unfounded.
The 76ers must incorporate two new stars, as the entire starting five is essentially having to adapt to new wrinkles in their roles. In Philadelphia’s first preseason game in which all five starters played, Oct. 8 against the Nets, the 76ers committed 14 first half turnovers, against 12 assists on 16 made field goals.
Other interesting findings from NBA general manager survey
The Spurs got plenty of love. Half of the GMs who voted picked San Antonio to win the NBA Finals. An overwhelming 87% of general managers selected the Spurs as having the best young core.
Victor Wembanyama also was the leader in votes for eight different questions: projected 2026-27 Most Valuable Player (77%); player they would want most to start a franchise (93%); player who forces opposing coaches to make most adjustments (47%); best international player (53%); best defensive player (97%); best interior defender (97%); most versatile defender (30%) and most versatile player (57%).
The player most likely to have a breakout season was also a Spur, second-year guard Dylan Harper, at 27%.
The most underrated offseason acquisition: another Spur, forward Tobias Harris (20%).
The 2026 NBA Draft class was loaded with talent, and GMs picked the most polished, pro-ready player in Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer as the projected 2026-27 Rookie of the Year (50%), over Bulls forward Caleb Wilson (20%), No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa (17%) and No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson (13%), of the Jazz.
When asked which player would be the best in five seasons, however, both Dybantsa and Wilson tied for first, at 33%.
Although the 76ers were picked as the best offseason, Miami’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was picked as the one player acquisition who will make the biggest impact, at 53%, compared to Brown (20%) and James (13%).
The person who will be coaching him, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, was picked as the best head coach in the NBA for the second consecutive season. His vote share, however, fell from 52% last year to 43% this season.
Two teams tied for most fun to watch: the Timberwolves and Spurs, each at 30%.
The best pure shooter in the world continues to be Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who overwhelmingly secured 97% of the vote.
The league’s best passer wasn’t a point guard or forward, but Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, who garnered 87% of the vote.
“We didn’t expect to be in this situation, this position. But this one sucks,” Hernández said, per Santiago Gil Sam.
Kiké Hernández speaking to the media after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Game 3 NLCS loss. (X/@sgilsantiago).
“We’ve got to find a way to turn the page quick, because tomorrow is gonna be here pretty fast. And, yeah. We lose, we’re done. So we gotta go on one-game winning streaks for four games in a row and see what happens. But, yeah, this one sucks,” he added.
Hernández’s eyes were noticeably watery throughout the interview, and he looked like he was about to cry when realizing that the Dodgers likely lost their one opportunity to salvage this NLCS.
Kiké Hernández speaking to the media after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Game 3 NLCS loss. (X/@sgilsantiago).
Hernández doesn’t need to be reminded that history has not boded well for MLB teams down 3-0 in a series. Only one of 43 teams has won a series from this position, and Los Angeles’ uninspired performance to this point doesn’t make it seem like they will be No. 2.
The 35-year-old Hernández hasn’t tallied a hit in five NLCS at-bats. He’ll be a free agent after this season, which could mean Thursday will be his last game wearing a Dodgers uniform.
Perhaps that played in to his emotional reaction to Los Angeles’ Game 3 defeat.
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Kike Hernandez plays during Game 1 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. AP Photo/Abbie Parr
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 10: Teruaki Sato #7 of Team Japan hits a double in the first inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Czechia and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 10, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees have a lot of uncertainty at multiple positions heading into the offseason, but there’s one potential newcomer to the league who could solve third base.
MLB insider Jon Heyman reported before the final stretch of the regular season that Teruaki Sato could be a good fit with several MLB clubs, including the Yankees. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman also said that he could be “in play” for the Yankees, though they might want to be confident that he can handle third base.
Sato led the Central League in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, batting .306 with 39 homers and 106 RBIs, and became the first Hanshin Tigers player in franchise history to win the Triple Crown. The lefty hitter also finished the season with a .991 OPS, 383 OBP, and a .600 slugging percentage, so it’s safe to say that he can easily conquer the Short Porch when the time comes. Once the free agency frenzy starts, there’s no doubt that Sato will be one of the targets that the Yankees should keep an eye on (and we’ll have more to come on him at that time as well).
For some context on how the system works, NPB players who have fewer than nine years of experience can be posted to pursue contracts with MLB clubs during the November 1 to December 5 window. If they don’t sign a contract with a team by the end of the 45 days, they’ll return to the NPB and won’t be eligible for posting until the following season.
The 27-year-old primarily played third base for the Tigers, but he also appeared in right field during the most recent World Baseball Classic. He went 3-for-10 combined through five games in the tournament, recording three doubles with two RBIs before Team Venezuela defeated Team Japan in the quarterfinals.
His versatility could be just what the Yankees need to bolster confidence at third base, especially after the options this season were, to say the least, disappointing. With Rosario entering free agency, fans aren’t eager to have Ryan McMahon in the starting role again, especially since he made little impact on offense and committed costly defensive errors that put the Yankees at risk throughout the postseason. It is at least within the realm of possibility that the Yankees could outright cut ties with McMahon, as well.
Anthony Volpe and José Caballero, who also made appearances at the position this season, are eligible for arbitration, and if either or both end up parting with the pinstripes, it could give the Yankees enough room to give Sato a decent deal — though neither salary figure will be so onerous that it should hamstring a pursuit.
Munetaka Murakami, who played alongside Sato at the World Baseball Classic, was a standout for Team Japan and hit a grand slam to secure their spot in the quarterfinals as the Pool C winners. After witnessing his inspiring success story with the White Sox this season, it’s possible that adding Sato to the Yankees’ roster could reignite a seemingly dying flame in the clubhouse and propel the Yankees to extend their postseason run next year.
Dave Dombrowski can’t take another seven years of watching Trea Turner handle shortstop like he did in 2026 — likely since that would cost him his job.
The Phillies’ top baseball executive issued a stern warning to the regressing $300 million veteran in his first comments since the team’s season ended in a three-game wild-card loss to the Braves.
“From a defensive perspective, we are very clear. He knows he has to be better at shortstop. And I told him that it’s really mandatory that he’s like that,” Dombrowski said Thursday.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sunday, April 19, 2026. The Braves defeated the Phillies 4-2. Getty Images
“He feels he can play and if he plays shortstop like he did in ’25, he can play shortstop. But if plays it like he did in ’26, he can’t. He totally understands that.”
He also offered a tepid endorsement for Turner being the team’s Opening Day 2027 shortstop.
“At this point, but we’ll see what happens,” he said. “It’s up to him to show us he can do it and we’ll see — we’ll have fallback opportunities and some of them may come back for the young players we have.”
It’s not a good sign that Turner isn’t even halfway through his 11-year, $300 million pact and discussions are already being had about whether he can still handle the the premium defensive infield position.
Dombrowski said he met with Turner face to face to discuss the matter, and his season overall, for several hours earlier this week.
Turner posted negative marks in both outs above average (OAA) and defensive runs saved (DRS) in his first two seasons with the franchise from 2023-24 before making a stark improvement in 2025.
Phillies infielder Trea Turner (7) throws to second base for an out after fielding a ground ball hit by Braves catcher Drake Baldwin during the second inning in game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He posted plus-2 DRS and plus-16 OAA marks that year.
That uprise lasted just one season, with Turner regressing to minus-17 DRS and minus-8 OAA metrics this past year while committing 21 errors.
Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) fields a ball hit by Atlanta Braves outfielder Mauricio Dubon in the sixth inning during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park in Georgia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Dombrowski said the team has provided Turner with information they believe can help him, and new third base coach Carlos Mendoza — the former Mets’ skipper — is being tasked with aiding him.
Turner does have experience manning the outfield, but the team is giving him a chance to show that he should remain at shortstop.
“He is very willing to do — if he doesn’t play shortstop — to do what is best for the Philadelphia Phillies organization,” Dombrowski said of the 12-season veteran. “So, that’s how we left it with him and he’s determined to show us he can play it and I said, You have to show it. You cannot play shortstop like he did defensively in ’26 going into ’27.”
Dombrowski praised Turner for owning up to his poor overall season, which also included an uncharacteristic down offensive campaign.
Turner, 33, posted career-lows in batting average (.242), on-base percentage (.297), slugging percentage (.378) and OPT (.675) for any non-rookie season.
He finished fifth in MVP voting in 2025 while logging an .812 OPS.
“Trea does not think he had a good season offensively or defensively. He takes completely accountability on that and is already working on his swing, and I’ve told him to kind of slow down, you don’t have to do it that quickly, make sure he gets with some people,” Dombrowski said.
“I think Trea still has his fast-twitch muscles, he did not have a good year but I think he can bounce back from an offensive perspective, he needs to fix things with his swing.”
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Hiromi Itoh #14 of Team Japan pitches in the sixth inning during the game between Venezuela and Japan at loanDepot park on March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The offseason is here and plenty of folks have opinions on what the Atlanta Braves should do during the offseason. Because there’s no such thing as having enough pitching and the fact that Braves President/GM Alex Anthopoulos recently stated that both Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider may not be reliable options to get a ton of innings in 2027, that does apparently open up the Braves to pursuing some pitching options going forward.
That search could include Atlanta potentially providing a home ballpark for a pitcher who could be making his way across the Pacific Ocean from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball. Back in March while the World Baseball Classic was going on, Jorge Castillo of ESPN reported that RHP Hiromi Itoh of the Nippon Ham Fighters was widely expected to make the jump to MLB.
The Japanese season has come and gone and it’s still expected that Itoh will be coming over. The reason why we’re talking about it here is because in his International Beat newsletter for MLB.com (which you can subscribe to here), Michael Clair shared what he gleaned from an anonymous scout currently working in Japan and Clair stated that the Braves could be a “potential fit” for Itoh if/when he makes the move.
Here’s part of what Clair had to say about Itoh:
While Itoh has an extra inch on [Kaima] Taira, he’s also 40 lbs lighter and could be ticketed for a relief role. “He could be an up and down starter,” our scout said, “but maybe in relief he might show some more velocity. In the previous WBC, he came out of the bullpen and he was 94-96 with some nasty stuff.” However, what Itoh lacks in size, he makes up for with a deep pitch mix consisting of “10+ unique grips and shapes” as noted by Yakyu Cosmopolitan.
Here’s the linked tweet from Yakyu Cosmopolitan (and if you’re on Twitter and you want to learn more about Japanese baseball, he is a fantastic resource to learn from)
Hiromi Itoh isn’t as flashy or overpowering as some other Japanese aces to go stateside in recent years and doesn’t throw nearly as hard, but he has some of the best fastball specs in NPB from a movement perspective.
Here’s some video of Itoh pitching for the Fighters this season, while we’re at it:
Itoh didn’t have as dominating of a season in 2026 as he did in 2025 which is when he won the Sawamura Award (basically the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award) with an ERA of 2.52 (79 ERA-) and a FIP of 2.27 (73 ERA-) across 27 starts and 196.2 innings pitched — but he still produced an ERA of 3.23 (94 ERA-) and a 2.81 FIP (82 FIP-) across 172.2 innings and 26 starts in 2026. He also took a step back in the 2026 WBC when compared to his dominant effort during the 2023 WBC, so hopefully this isn’t a case of Itoh starting to really slow down now that he’ll be hitting his age-30 season in 2027.
With that being said, Japanese stars have continued to somewhat routinely over-perform their expectations and it’s fun to think about what, say, Jeremy Hefner could do with this guy if they got in the lab together. While the Braves have only been speculated as a potential fit, there’s real MLB interest here as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that the Giants were spotted scouting Itoh, so there’s plenty of smoke when it comes to the fire of seeing Itoh in a big league uniform soon.
Will the Braves be the team that decides to seriously pursue Itoh? There’s no telling as this is purely speculation at this point for everybody involved. It’s fun to think about and discuss, though, so let us know what y’all think about this.
