PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: Andrew Painter #24 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the first inning of his MLB debut against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Now THAT is how you debut.
It’s a rather nice feeling that both of the players that the Phillies are entrusting with important roles this year – Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter – got off to good starts in their first game rather than the duds that could have happened. We’d have all been fine expecting both to fall flat on their face in their first ever MLB games, but both came out and performed.
BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 26: Craig Albernaz #55 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on during during batting practice before the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
You remember all of that starting pitching depth that Mike Elias was excited about? It’s probably going to be put to the test right away. That’s because Zach Eflin made it through just 3.2 innings of his season debut on Tuesday night before he had to leave with an apparent injury. We learned after the game that he was experiencing “elbow discomfort.” Not good!
Elbow discomfort is often the first step down the road towards Tommy John surgery. That would, of course, shelf Eflin for the year and likely mean the end of his time with the Orioles, although he and the team do have a mutual option for 2027.
It should be said, we do not know what the exact injury is at this moment. Everyone outside of the Orioles organization would simply be speculating. But, we have all seen this movie before. An injury to the UCL is most likely, and that usually requires surgery. However, that isn’t always the case. Back in 2014, Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka partially tore his UCL. He received PRP injections, rested for six weeks, and then returned to the team. He never needed surgery on the injury at all. But that is a unique case, and not what any of us should expect.
Fortunately, the Orioles did plan on absorbing at least one injury like this. Dean Kremer is standing by in Triple-A Norfolk. The 30-year-old was surprisingly demoted to begin the year, more as a roster maneuver than a reflection on his performance. He would be the obvious next man up to join the rotation if Eflin’s injury is serious.
Kremer is as dependable as they come. Over the last three seasons his ERA has hovered between 4.10 and 4.19. He has eclipsed 170 innings in two of the last three seasons. And the 3.97 FIP he posted in 2025 was his best mark since 2022 (3.80). He is what you would get if you built a number five starter in a lab, and that is a valuable player to have on your roster. For now, it seems the team will add Albert Suárez to beef up the bullpen (which is having its own issues), but Kremer still looks like the favorite to take Eflin’s spot in the rotation longer term.
The odds of a starting pitcher going down at some point this year were always going to be high. To have it happen in the first week of the season, though, is absolutely brutal. You have to imagine the Orioles were hoping to buy a little more time so that the likes of Trey Gibson, Cade Povich, and Brandon Young could get into their seasons a bit more, refine their approaches, and be in a better position to contribute. That trio won’t be called on yet, but each could just be one injury away from a trip to Baltimore.
Links
Eflin to undergo imaging after departing ’26 debut; IL stint likely | MLB.com This is the first time that Eflin has had an elbow issue during his career. Most of his other IL stints have come because of his back, which he had surgically repaired last summer. The way manager Craig Albernaz was talking after the game, it certainly doesn’t sound like Eflin will be coming off of the IL anytime soon.
Orioles To Select Albert Suárez | MLB Trade Rumors It is nice to have someone like Suárez to call on from Triple-A. When the Orioles have needed him in each of the last two seasons he has been quite good. Injuries limited him to just five big league appearances in 2025, and he did not have the best spring. But ultimately you have to trust the 36-year-old to figure it out. If he pitches well enough the Orioles might just hang onto him and demote one of the optionable bullpen arms when it comes time to call up Kremer.
Keegan Akin turns 31 today. Since fully transitioning to a reliever a few years ago, the lefty has been a rather reliable piece of the Orioles bullpen. He is currently on the IL, but is expected to slot right back into the middle innings once healthy.
Rich Amaral is 64. He was a backup outfielder for the O’s during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, known more for his glove than his bat.
Mike Kinnunen turns 68. A southpaw, he tossed 27 total innings for the Orioles between 1986 and ‘87.
This day in O’s history
2010 – The Orioles acquire infielder Julio Lugo from the Cardinals. He would become a utility option for them, spending most of his time at second base as Brian Roberts battles a herniated disc in his lower back.
Free of charge for the discerning reader.Unrest on the horizon and some of baseball’s sad passings. Also, a homer that wasn’t, and other stories.
Today in baseball history:
1914 – Rube Waddell dies from tuberculosis in San Antonio, TX, at the age of 37. One of the top lefthanded pitchers in major league history, Waddell led the American League in strikeouts for six years in a row, collected four consecutive 20-win seasons from 1902 to 1906, including the Triple Crown in 1905 with 27 wins, 287 strikeouts and a 1.48 ERA, leading the league in all pitching categories. Waddell, who dies in a sanitarium, had seen his condition weakened by his efforts to contain a winter flood in Kentucky. He will be selected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee in 1946.
1957 – Called by Les Biederman of The Sporting News ”one of the most unusual games in modern spring training history,” Kansas City and Pittsburgh battle through 18 innings to a scoreless tie “before probably one of the smallest crowds of the season anywhere, only 432 paid admissions.” Starting at 1:30 p.m., the game is called by mutual agreement at 5:27 because of impending darkness and high winds. Each team uses three pitchers, with the Athletics managing eleven safeties and the Bucs held to seven. Of the latter total, Roberto Clemente accumulates three, including the contest’s only extra-base hits, a leadoff double to begin the game and a one-out double in the top of the 18th. Clemente then saves the game in the bottom of the frame by gunning down Clete Boyer trying to go from first to third on Vic Power’s single with none out.
1970 – An ownership group headed by automobile dealer Bud Selig buys the Seattle Pilots for $10.8 million. Selig will immediately move the Pilots to Milwaukee, WI and rename the team the “Brewers.” The Pilots lost $1 million during their lone season in Seattle, WA.
1980 – After failing to come up with a new collective bargaining agreement with the owners, the Executive Board of the Players’ Association votes unanimously to cancel the 92 remaining exhibition games and to strike on May 22 if a deal has not been reached by then. During spring training, the players had voted 971-1 in favor of a strike. The lone dissenter was Kansas City’s Jerry Terrell, who voted no for religious reasons.
1985 – Today’s issue of Sports Illustrated contains a fictitious article about a New York Mets pitching prospect named Sidd Finch*, whose fastball has been timed at 168 miles per hour. Author George Plimpton offers bogus quotes from real-life members of the Mets, as well as several staged photos, and fools readers nationwide.
1996 – Home plate umpireJohn McSherry collapses and dies from a heart attack on Opening Day at Cincinnati’sRiverfront Stadium, in the 1st inning of a game between the Reds and Expos, which is cancelled. The 51-year-old McSherry had umpired in the National League for 26 seasons. Reds owner Marge Schott hits a low point with her insensitive remarks, blaming the late umpire for spoiling the team’s opening day celebrations.
2012 – The Cardinals’Lance Berkman plays an April Fools prank on teammate Adam Wainwright. Before the third inning of a Grapefruit League game, Wainwright’s white Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck is driven on the warning track at Roger Dean Stadium as the public address announcer states that it will be given away to a lucky fan. A stunned Wainwright watches from the bench as the supposed prize winners, a father and his son, climb into the bed of the truck when it stops in front of the home dugout and Berkman, who is driving, pokes his head out of the window, waves to everyone, and drives away.
2021 – In one of the strangest plays today, the Dodgers’Cody Bellinger connects for an apparent home run with Justin Turner on first base in the third inning of their game against the Rockies at Coors Field. The ball goes in and out of leaping LF Raimel Tapia’s glove to land in the stands, but Turner, who was running on the play, thinks it has been caught and sprints back to first base. On the way, he crosses paths with Bellinger, who is running in the opposite direction. Bellinger is called out for passing a baserunner, and his homer becomes a long single, but once the confusion has been cleared, Turner is allowed to trot around the bases, so at least Bellinger gets an RBI. The play helps the Rockies win the game, 8-5.
374 – Comet 1P/374 E1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0884 AUs of Earth.
1748 – Ruins of Pompeii rediscovered by Spaniard Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre.
1867 – International Exhibition opens in Paris.
1891 – The Wrigley Company is founded in Chicago, Illinois.
1927 – First automatic record changer introduced by His Master’s Voice.
1948 – ”Big Bang” theory proposed in scientific journal “Physical Review” by American cosmologists Ralph Alpher, Hans Bethe, and George Gamow.
1976 – Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs found Apple Computer in the garage of Jobs’ parents house in Cupertino, California.
1989 – A. Bartlett Giamatti replaces Peter Ueberroth as the seventh commissioner of Major League Baseball; dies suddenly of a heart attack five months later.
Mar 31, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) and New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) fight in the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
“It will be interesting to see if the Devils do look to hire someone solely for the president of hockey operations title this summer, and whether that would allow Fitzgerald to stick around for at least one more season as GM and assess him from there. The feeling in New Jersey is that Fitzgerald is preparing for the worst, knowing he’s on the hot seat.” [Sportsnet]
The Rangers avoided a season series sweep with a 4-1 win over the Devils on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]
We had a goalie fight:
Igor Shesterkin: First Rangers goalie fight since Dan Cloutier on April 4, 1998
And the #NJDevils, who could have been where the Flyers are if they'd played the last 2 games before the Olympic break and the first 2 out of the break like they meant something:
— Whatever ownership has planned — firing GMTF, keeping him and hiring a POHOP or status quo –…
“MLB’s automated strike zone system is leading to more accurate officiating. Should the NHL also use tracking technologies for offside and goal-line calls?” [The Hockey News]
A look around the league at each team’s best prospect: [ESPN]
“Macklin Celebrini is in the midst of one of the best NHL seasons ever produced by a teenager. On Monday night, the 19-year-old notched the 100th point of his sophomore campaign, posting two goals and an assist in a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues. Reaching the milestone puts him in some very elite company.” [Sportsnet]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the first period during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins have positioned themselves nicely for a potential playoff spot with their back-to-back big wins against the New York Islanders and the Detroit Red Wings.
On consecutive nights, the Penguins blew past their opponents to give themselves a much better chance of making the playoffs now than they had just 48 hours prior.
As of Wednesday morning, the Penguins have a 95% chance of making the playoffs.
Going into Monday’s game against the Islanders, the Penguins were sitting with a 79% chance of making the playoffs, according to HockeyViz.
With their big 8-3 win on the road in New York, Pittsburgh’s chances jumped to around 90% with another pivotal game against the Red Wings at home the following day.
As the Penguins took care of their own business, their playoff chances jumped to 95%, according to HockeyViz and then scoreboard watching did them some favors, as well.
Other teams in the playoff hunt like the Senators, islanders, Blue Jackets, and Flyers all came up on the losing end on Tuesday night.
BUFFALO, NY -- The New York Islanders were bailed out by the out-of-town scoreboard on Tuesday night after their 4-3 regulation loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
However, those results, while helpful to the Islanders, are a bit misleading.
The Blue Jackets have a game in hand, while Ottawa, Detroit, and Philadelphia each have two games in hand.
Now, games in hand only matter if you win them, but the Islanders certainly aren't safe in a playoff spot with six games to go.
They'll need the scoreboard to keep breaking in their favor, but a win over the Flyers at home on Friday before heading to Raleigh for their final road game on Saturday night against the Hurricanes would do a world of good.
The Warriors forward, who, along with a handful of future draft picks, reportedly was included in Golden State’s trade offer to the Milwaukee Bucks for superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, ultimately stayed put past the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline with the only team he has known throughout his 14-year career.
However, that did not always appear to be the most likely outcome for Green before the Bucks eventually decided not to trade Antetokounmpo this season.
“This is probably it,” Green told ESPN’s Anthony Slater about what he told himself in the days leading up to the deadline. “And I got to be OK with that. You see so many people leave places bad and I just didn’t want that.”
“I’m a human being. There was a second of me [at the deadline] that felt like, ‘Damn, they really going to do that to me?'”
While Green initially might have been hurt by the possibility of being traded, he certainly understood why Golden State was willing to part with him, even if it resulted in him playing for a team that he, admittedly, had no interest in playing for.
“I understand this business probably [as] good as any player,” Green shared with ESPN. “I understand like, ‘Yo, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo. They not just about to trade me for a bag of peanuts.’ It would’ve almost been a point of pride.
“I’ll be honest though. I didn’t want to play for Milwaukee.”
Warriors superstar Steph Curry, who has accomplished so much in his illustrious NBA career alongside — and in part, because of Green –also understands why the franchise would have to part with his longtime teammate.
“I didn’t spend time on the conversation,” Curry told ESPN about the possibility of Green being traded. “But I guess Giannis is the only one that would’ve made sense. And I think, to his point, any team would’ve looked at that. But we never got there. I guess I’m the only one that is off the board, out of the conversation, but you have to be naïve to not understand the business side of it.”
Green and Curry will close out their 14th season together before the Warriors embark on an offseason that, once again, could result in a major roster shake-up.
The same holds for the Michigan basketball star, is true for Arizona's Koa Peat, Illinois' Keaton Wagler and Connecticut's Terrian Reed. These four have been among the best players in March Madness, but have also proven themselves over the course of the season.
For either the Wolverines, Wildcats, Fighting Illini or the Huskies to win the 2026 national championship, they'll need their best players to shine in the biggest moments of the year when the quartet plays in the Final Four on Saturday, April 4, from Indianapolis.
However, just because a star has a big game, it does not mean these teams can easily be knocked off. Just ask Alabama and Labaron Philon. The Crimson Tide star matched a career-high of 35 points, but got little help from his supporting cast, causing Alabama to lose to Michigan in the Sweet 16.
All four stars will need help from a potential unsung hero for their team to win a national title. Here's a look at some potential candidates who could step up in that role:
Trey McKenny, Michigan
Trey McKenny, the freshman from Flint, Michigan, is potentially finding his stroke at the right time. On the season, he is averaging 9.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on 46.2% shooting from the field, incluidng 38% from 3-point range.
However, McKenny scored at least eight points in every NCAA Tournament game, including 17 points against Alabama and followed it up with a 12-point performance against Alabama. Against the Crimson Tide, he connected on three 3-pointers.
In addition to his hot outside shooting, McKenney has also gotten to the free throw line 11 times over the last two games, knocking down 10 of them. While Lendeborg is the present for the Wolverines, McKenney is likely the future, already declaring his intention to return next season.
Could he give a glimpse into why he was a top-20 recruit in the 2025 class to help Michigan win its first title since 1989?
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Could the first-year starter and junior for Arizona, Motiejus Krivas, be a key for the Wildcats to win their first national title since 1997?
On a team full of scorers, Bradley is fourth on the team with his career-best 10.4 points per game, while averaging a best 8.2 rebounds per game. He shoots 56.9% from the field. He has started all 38 games for Arizona this season after making just one start in his first two seasons.
He is capable of a big scoring performance, as he did when he scored 25 points against Kansas State on Jan. 27, on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and making 11 of 12 free throws.
Kylan Boswell, Illinois
With Wagler's emergence, it could be easy to forget his fellow backcourt mate, Kylan Bowell, at times. However, Boswell is the model of consistency for Brad Underwood's Illinois team.
The 6-foot-2 senior guard from Champaign, Illinois, is averaging a career-high 12.5 points per game on 45% shooting from the field, to go along with 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
Boswell had a 25-point performance against UConn earlier this season, while he also had 22-point performances against Texas Tech and Alabama. He also scored 20 points against Nebraska, proving he's capable of big games when called upon.
Silas Demary Jr., UConn
UConn's strength is having many players whom it can turn to for a shot with the game on the line. Case in point, freshman Braylon Mullins hitting the game-winning buzzer-beater against No. 1 seed Duke in the Sweet 16.
For this exercise, Mullins is too well-known now. So another player to keep an eye on is junior Silas Demary Jr. The UConn junior is averaging 10.4 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game on 45.5% shooting and 40.5% 3-point shooting.
The transfer from Georgia had 23 points and 15 assists on Jan. 7 against Providence, proving he is capable of a major game when it is needed.
Will two Big Ten teams face off with a national championship on the line? No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 1 Michigan are on opposite sides of the Final Four in 2026, and could guarantee the Big Ten the NCAA Tournament championship with wins in the national semifinals.
The Fighting Illini take on No. 2 Connecticut, while the Wolverines face fellow No. 1 seed Arizona, each on Saturday, April 4. The winners will move onto the national championship game on Monday, April 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The last Big Ten school to win a national championship was Michigan State in 2000, Tom Izzo's fifth season at the helm. The Huskies, meanwhile, are looking for their third national championship in four seasons under Dan Hurley, who's quickly rising the all-time coaching ranks.
The Wildcats have won one national championship in their history, which came in 1997. They last made the Final Four in 2001, and are looking to get back to college basketball's mountaintop.
What does Artificial Intelligence think about the Final Four in 2026? Here's how AI predicted the two matchups to go:
AI predicts Final Four games
No. 3 Illinois vs No. 2 UConn
Microsoft Copilot is impressed with Illinois' offense, but also thinks UConn's veteran presence and ability to win games late is important.
"Best offense left in the tournament," Copilot said of Illinois. "Illinois brings elite scoring versatility, with multiple shooters and one of the nation’s best offensive rebound rates."
The AI was also complementary of true freshman Keaton Wagler, one of the top remaining players in the NCAA Tournament.
"Since their November loss to UConn, Wagler has become a top‑10 NBA prospect and a dominant scorer — far more impactful than in the first meeting," Copilot said.
On the other hand, Copilot acknowledges Tarris Reed Jr. could be a matchup problem for Illinois, and that UConn wears teams down defensively.
"He’s averaging dominant numbers inside and could force Illinois into foul trouble or defensive adjustments," Copilot said of Reed. "They just survived Duke on a last‑second 3 and have shown resilience in multiple close games."
Copilot actually predicts an upset, taking Illinois in a close one.
"Illinois’ offensive versatility, improved defense, and Wagler’s rise give them the edge in a matchup where UConn’s inconsistent perimeter shooting could finally catch up to them," Copilot said.
Score prediction: Illinois 76, UConn 71
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan
Copilot noted both teams' dominance in the Men's NCAA Tournament as reasons to be excited for the Final Four matchup between Michigan and Arizona, noting Michigan outscored its opponents by 90 points in March Madness to Arizona's 82 points.
Copilot also noted Michigan's balance, acknowledging the Wolverines rank No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 5 in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. It also is impressed by Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American who scored 27 points against Tennessee in the Elite Eight.
But Copilot likes Arizona's balance and interior scoring a bit more than Michigan.
"Their starting lineup is the deepest and most balanced in the Final Four," the AI said. "Analysts consistently note Arizona’s edge on the glass and at the rim will be key in a game this evenly matched."
Ultimately, Copilot is going with Arizona to take down mighty Michigan for a spot in the national championship.
"This is the heavyweight fight everyone expected, but Arizona’s superior rim finishing, rebounding edge, and deeper scoring options give them a slight advantage," Copilot predicts.
Mar 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (24) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The Guardians offense remains completely invisible, and in the first inning last night, they lost 100% of their home run output.
Chase DeLauter fouled a ball off his foot and could not run to first base later in the AB. CJ Kayfus replaced him in the lineup and was an easy out for the 8 innings that followed.
Tanner Bibee was able to make his start as scheduled, but went just 4 innings because the team was rightly cautious in the steady light rain.
Shohei Ohtani was Bibee’s opponent, and did nothing special, but looking merely decent is enough when your’e facing Cleveland’s “offense.”
In addition to being bad at hitting, the Guardian position players are really bad at challenging balls and strikes. 0-for-2 yet again.
It’s a shame this organization is never going to figure hitting out. It would seemingly be impossible to always be this bad. Really depressing to watch. They just refuse to find a competent hitting coach. Every year we think “Well, they have to be better THIS year because it would be impossible to be worse”—and then they find a way to be worse. By xBA, 9 of the 10 batted balls most likely to be a hit were batted by Dodgers.
The Guards scored a meaningless run in the 9th. Dodgers 4, Guardians 1.
Around baseball
• The Tigers had a 5-0 lead after 3 and a 5-1 lead after 7. They gave up 6 runs in the 8th. This division looks terrible yet again.
• Aaron Civale picked up a win for the Sacramento A’s—their first W of the season.
• The Mariners, possibly getting ahead of a new CBA, locked up prospect Colt Emerson for 95M.
• FG hyped DeLauter earlier in the day before his injury.
Tampa, Florida: New York Yankees' George Lombard Jr. fielding a hit by the Minnesota Twins' Anthony Prato in the top of the 5th inning at George M Steinbrenner Field in Tampa FL on February 26, 2024. (Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Long-term deals for top prospects are all the rage. Yesterday morning, news broke of the Mariners and minor-league infielder Colt Emerson agreeing on an eight-year deal worth a minimum of $95 million, a record for player who has yet to make his MLB debut. This, just hours after reports emerged that the Brewers were nearing an eight-year, $50-million deal with infielder Cooper Pratt, who only made his Triple-A debut in the last week.
Of course, this pair of deals represents a longer trend toward extensions for players who either had yet to debut or only had a smattering of MLB service time. The Brewers themselves pulled the trick just two years ago with Jackson Chourio, while a multitude of other players, such as Corbin Carroll and Jacob Wilson, put pen to paper very early in their careers, if not quite as early as Emerson and Pratt. It forces one to wonder: should the Yankees be doing the same?
Extensions of any kind have been pretty rare under the Brian Cashman regime. Luis Severino’s four-year extension, signed in 2019, is one of the few cases of the Yankees extending a young player, and even that came well into Severino’s career and after a pair of campaigns that saw the right-hander earn Cy Young votes. The last major extension of any kind New York handed out was to Aaron Hicks, and, well, we all know how that one turned out (Aroldis Chapman’s 2019 contract technically counts too, though that was more a case of the Yankees tacking on an extra year to prevent the closer from opting out).
Zigging while everyone else is also zigging could be in the Yankees’ best interests. While the team has never been shy about signing free agents to long-term deals, opportunities to sign stars in free agency are slowly dwindling precisely because other teams are locking up their best young talent early. It stands to reason the Yankees could do the same, committing to their own young talent as a way to spend money that is becoming increasingly more difficult to spend on top players in free agency.
If the Yankees were to take this tack, who would you like to see them sign long term? A few years ago, Anthony Volpe seemed like a prime candidate, which serves as a good reminder that these early extensions, while largely pretty team-friendly, are not always a slam dunk for the organizations signing them. Still, there are a number of options on the farm.
When George Lombard Jr. starts to near the majors, perhaps the club should gauge his interest in signing long-term. Any numbers of pithing prospects, from Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodriguez, to Ben Hess and Bryce Cunningham, could be candidates as their call-ups grow closer. And, while he’s not a perfect example for this discussion given he’s exhausted his rookie eligibility, Cam Schlittler’s elite performance certainly entices one to sign him up for as long as reasonably possible.
What do you think? Should the Yankees be using this strategy, and who should they consider if they did?
Today on the site, Sam remembers Phil Niekro on what would have been his 87th birthday, and Josh discusses how MLB has run a few gimmicks into the ground. Later, John takes inspiration from the NBA’s controversial 65-game minimum rule to examine how many games MLB players typically need to play in order to be considered for major awards, and Maximo compares the discontent of the Yankees and Phillies fan bases.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 31: Justin Brazeau #16 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
I dubbed Monday’s Pens Points headline as “A season-defining back-to-back.” Forty-eight hours after that was published, the Penguins came out the other side of that B2B with two dominant regulation wins, beating the Islanders on Monday and the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday by a combined score of 13-4. [Recap]
Anthony Mantha delivered one of the Penguins’ most dominant individual performances of the season in Monday’s comeback win over the Islanders, highlighting his breakout, career-best year. His continued production has not only made him a key driver of Pittsburgh’s playoff push but also one of the league’s best value signings. [PensBurgh]
Minor transactional news: The Penguins reassigned rookie forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty to the AHL Penguins before both were promptly recalled again to the NHL roster on Tuesday. The moves were likely made for roster management purposes. Both players were healthy scratches for Tuesday’s game against Detroit. [Trib Live]
News and updates from around the NHL…
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president Keith Pelley said Tuesday the Toronto Maple Leafs are seeking a more data-driven leader to head hockey operations after moving on from now-former general manager Brad Treliving. I think I know a guy… [TSN]
Pelley added that Craig Berube’s future as Maple Leafs head coach will not be finalized until a new leader of hockey operations is hired. [TSN]
Former NHL forward Mikhail Grabovski has been charged with assault following an incident at a minor hockey game in Markham, Ontario. [Sportsnet]
The AHL’s board of governors unanimously approved the relocation of the New York Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, beginning with the 2026-27 season. [Sportsnet]
Boston fans know the team is in another golden age of contention.
But how long can it last?
The Celtics secured their fifth consecutive 50+ win season since 2021-22 with a 114-99 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night — the franchise’s 38th season with 50+ wins and its fourth time hitting that mark at least five seasons in a row (the most of any team in the league.)
That alone puts this run amongst some of the greatest prolonged stretches of contention in NBA history.
I mean, sure, the team hasn’t won 11 championships in 13 years like the Bill Russell Celtics or racked up 18 consecutive 50+ win seasons while winning five rings like the San Antonio Spurs.
Nevertheless, it is a rare accomplishment for NBA teams to win 50+ games in at least five straight seasons. Out of 30 teams in the league today, 14 have never done it (15 if you don’t count the Seattle Super Sonics’ history for the Oklahoma City Thunder.) That includes the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks — originally the Tri-Cities Blackhawks — despite being two of the league’s 11 founding franchises alongside the Celtics.
That includes historically bad teams like the Charlotte Hornets and the Washington Wizards, but it also features teams that have had dominant stretches over the years, like the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets.
Overall, at least five consecutive seasons of 50+ wins has only been accomplished 22 times throughout NBA history. Only 11 of those instances featured runs of more than five consecutive seasons and only four were runs of at least 10 straight seasons with 50+ wins.
The latter is topped by the Spurs’ aforementioned 18-season run from 1999-00 to 2016-17, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 12-year stretch from 1979-80 to 1990-91, and the Dallas Mavericks’ 11-season run from 2000-01 to 2010-11. Boston’s own 10-season run from 1958-59 to 1967-68 completes the list.
The Celtics also recorded nine consecutive seasons with 50+ wins under Larry Bird from 1979-80 to 1987-88, starting with 61 wins in Bird’s first season.
While it may be outlandish to say the team’s current five-season run could stretch on long enough to compete with the Spurs for the top spot, Boston’s own franchise record could very well be within reach of the current core.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been at the core of the team’s current five-season run of 50+ wins since it began in 2021-22, when the Jays led the Celtics to 51 wins and the Finals for the first time under Coach Ime Udoka.
Despite flaming out against the Warriors and losing Udoka to scandal, the run only ramped up the next year under the leadership of Coach Joe Mazzulla, who revamped the offense, unlocked Derrick White, and steered the team to 57 wins.
After falling one win short of another Finals trip, General Manager Brad Stevens used some of his managerial magic to acquire Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis. The newly assembled team then rattled off 64 wins and won the 2024 NBA Finals.
Boston again broke the 60-win threshold in 2024-25 with 61 wins, even though the Celtics struggled with injuries and diminished play in key roles over the year. The team then lost Tatum to a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the Eastern Conference Finals and offloaded Holiday, Porziņģis and Al Horford in the offseason. Boston even lost backup center Luke Kornet to the Spurs in free agency.
That’s where this run of 50+ win seasons probably should have ended. But, as we’ve seen this season, this team is simply too good for that.
In lieu of Tatum for 62 games and four of the 2024-25 team’s other top-nine players, Brown, Mazzulla, Pritchard and White still led the team to a 50+ win season. At the same time, Stevens brought the team below the second apron and repositioned it for future financial flexibility, all while maintaining every piece of the core.
And now, Tatum’s back — and dropping 32 points against a red-hot Hornets team on 52.2% shooting from the field and 50% from three-point range.
So, if the team didn’t fall short of 50 wins this year, when will it?
Well, it could be a while. Maybe even long enough to meet or surpass the team’s 9- and 10-season runs.
The two biggest pieces of the core, Brown and Tatum, are still only 29 and 28 years old, respectively. They both have three guaranteed years remaining on their contracts after this season ends. Derrick White, who many may consider to be the third core piece, is 31. He’s locked up for another two years and has a $34,844,000 player option for a third, at which point he’ll be 34 and may no longer field offers of more than $30 million per year from other teams.
Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser are both 28 years old. Pritchard’s contract extends through 2027-28 and Hauser’s through 2028-29.
If Stevens can find a way to lock up Neemias Queta when his current deal ends in 2026-27, the 26-year-old could be the Celtics’ starting center for years to come. That may be difficult, given Queta’s breakout this season and Boston’s delicate financial situation, but it should be possible since the team will have the Bird rights to re-sign him.
The team also features a deep bench full of young players who could prove vital to Boston’s future success. Baylor Scheierman, 25, Hugo González, 20, and Jordan Walsh, 22, have all shown their worth this season and could grow to become important complementary pieces.
Even Boston’s leadership is relatively young. Mazzulla is 37 years old and the youngest coach in the NBA. Stevens is 49 years old, which isn’t exactly young for the role, but young enough to foresee years to come with him at the helm. As made apparent this season, both remain at the top of their games.
In order to meet or surpass the franchise record for consecutive 50+ win seasons, the team needs to string along another five seasons following this one.
Age shouldn’t be a problem. While White will be 36 in another five years, Brown and Tatum should be 34 and 33, respectively. The Jays will have the rest of their athletic primes to pursue the record over the five seasons before that, then a couple more years of elite play to potentially surpass it before aging out of stardom. Mazzulla will be just about as old as the average NBA head coach by then.
Reaching 50 wins with the Jays in their primes shouldn’t be too much to expect, either. Hell, the Celtics only had one of them for the majority of this season and the team may still finish it with almost 60 wins (58 if they win out.) If Stevens can retain them when their contracts expire and maintain a decent roster around them, 50 wins should be within reach every year they remain at an elite level.
However, despite the team’s seemingly sturdy footing halfway through the trek to 10 consecutive seasons of 50+ wins, any Celtics fan who watched the 2007-08 season knows that, as Kevin Garnett screamed after winning the Finals, anything is possible — and not always in a good way.
There is a reason five consecutive seasons of 50+ wins has only occurred 22 times in all of NBA history. Between injuries, free agency, financial complications and the natural decline of aging players, teams need to be both well-piloted and outright lucky to make such a streak happen. For this team to match the franchise record, it would need to accomplish that rare feat twice in a row.
The biggest questions for the Celtics moving forward will be: 1) can Stevens continue to maintain a competitive roster while walking the veritable financial tightrope that is the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement? and 2) how much will Tatum’s Achilles injury impact his availability and effectiveness in future seasons?
In answering the first question, I think this year works as a perfect demonstration that Stevens is up for the task. He piloted the Celtics out of the second apron while maintaining a roster that can compete for a chip. Assuming Boston remains under the luxury tax next season, the repeater tax will reset and Stevens will be free to once again spend on a contending team.
As for the second question, only time will tell. Despite struggling with efficiency, Tatum has looked impressive since his return. He’s racked up rebounds at an even higher rate than he did before his injury and stepped right back into his role as floor general, using his ever-present gravity to lure help defenders before stringing a pass to an open man. On top of that, Tatum has had multiple stretches where he has caught fire from the field, dropping midrange shots and step-back threes reminiscent of his best days before the injury.
Nevertheless, Achilles injuries have notably impacted other players’ longevity over the years. Even Kevin Durant, the model of how to return from an Achilles injury, has averaged almost 16 fewer games played per season than he did before his return (not counting this year.) On a positive note, Durant has played 71 games so far this season and 75 in 2023-24. But, if Tatum misses more time moving forward, it will at the very least reduce the team’s margin of error for reaching 50 wins per season. If Brown suffers a long-term injury and Tatum can’t be his usual workhorse self, Boston’s 50+ win season streak would be at high risk of snapping.
Whether this Celtics core reaches the franchise record or not, their run of five consecutive 50+ seasons is already cemented in history amongst only 21 others, and fans should be happy to know that they may be watching one of the greatest prolonged stretches of contention in NBA history.
Draymond Green has spent his entire 14-year NBA career with the Warriors, but could that change this summer?
The Warriors forward has a $27.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season, giving him the option to explore other possibilities this offseason.
But Green opting out of his contract to test the free-agent market isn’t anticipated, team and league sources told ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
“The expectation is that Green will either opt in — keeping him as a bulky $27.6 million expiring deal that the Warriors could either hold or move — or work out a multiyear extension starting at a lower number, signaling a greater likelihood he finishes his career with the Warriors,” Slater wrote in a column published Wednesday.
Green shared that he and his agent, Rich Paul, “had a very quick one-minute talk” about the possibilities they could explore this summer.
“Maybe you opt out and do a longer deal. Maybe you opt in and extend,” Green said. “I earned it, the right to be in this position. I won’t misuse it. I won’t abuse it. I never have. You don’t get 14 years out of place if you were abusing it. All of that s–t matters.”
Green was involved in trade discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this year for two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, per multiple reports. Additional reporting indicated that had a trade occurred, Green would have pushed to be rerouted elsewhere rather than stay in Milwaukee.
Slater reported, citing league sources, that a reroute to the Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers was “on his radar” before the February trade deadline.
The last time Green was a free agent was during the summer of 2023, when he had a $27.6 million player option that he declined.
Barring any blockbuster trade in the coming years, it appears more and more likely that Green will remain a Warrior for his entire career.
Who is and isn't a blue blood in college basketball is often a heated debate. By definition a blue blood is a program with elite lineage.
UConn's blood line of elite success didn't get going until the 1990s. The Huskies reached six Sweet 16s in the decade before breaking through in 1999 with the program's first national title.
The Huskies arrive at this week's Final Four looking to win a seventh national title (and third in four years). It's a run unmatched in modern history and winning at a level we haven't seen since the Wizard of Westwood.
If UConn wins the 2026 national championship, they would move into sole possession of third place on the NCAA's all-time title list, trailing only UCLA (11) and Kentucky (8).
Is UConn a blue blood or a new blood? How about both.
Members of the USA TODAY Sports staff debated for an hour. "It's an inexact science," they said. Challenge accepted. Using that 1999 season as the marker, we looked at which programs have been the most successful by devising a super scientific formula:
20 points for national title
10 points for Final Four
6 points for regular-season conference title
5 points for Sweet 16
-5 points for losing season
Here's how the math shook out:
10. Arizona (156 points)
10 Pac-12 regular season championships, 1 Big 12 title
14 Sweet 16s
2 Final Fours
0 national titles
0 losing seasons
709-250 (.739)
This might just be Arizona's first Final Four trip since 2001, but the Wildcats have been a model of consistency as one of the West's powerhouses.
9. Villanova (158 points)
8 Big East regular season championships
8 Sweet 16s
4 Final Fours
2 national titles
2 losing seasons
659-291 (.694)
Life without Jay Wright hasn't been great, but his run of two titles in three years (2016, 2018) and two more Final Fours land the Wildcats on this list.
8. Kentucky (185 points)
10 SEC regular season championships
14 Sweet 16s
4 Final Fours
1 national title
1 losing season
724-255 (.740)
A blue blood that still cracks this list. Kentucky fans will tell you they belong higher up on this list, but the numbers don't lie. Kentucky's eight national titles in program history are second-most in NCAA history, but the Wildcats have just one since 1999. In fact, UK hasn't been to a Final Four since 2015.
7. Florida (192 points)
7 SEC regular season championships
10 Sweet 16s
5 Final Fours
3 national titles
2 losing seasons
686-284 (.707)
Surprised to see Florida this low on the list, but sandwiched in between Billy Donovan and Todd Golden, the Mike White years were truly forgettable.
6. Gonzaga (234 points)
24 WCC regular season championships
14 Sweet 16s
2 Final Fours
0 losing seasons
801-163 (.831)
OK, so the 24 West Coast Conference titles are doing some heavy lifting here. But don't scoff at the 14 Sweet 16s. That's a remarkable run of steadiness, first as a Cinderella, then as a favorite. They played for the national title twice, losing to North Carolina in 2017 and Baylor in 2021. No one was won more (801) than the Zags.
5. Kansas (236 points)
11 Big 12 regular season championships
14 Sweet 16s
6 Final Fours
2 national titles
0 losing seasons
788-206 (.793)
No Sweet 16 appearances since winning the 2022 national title kept the Jayhawks from appearing higher on this list, that was actually the only Sweet 16 in the past seven tournaments for KU.
4. Michigan State (245 poins)
10 Big Ten regular season championships
17 Sweet 16s
8 Final Fours
1 national title
0 losing seasons
709-269 (.725)
The last Big Ten team to win a national title, Tom Izzo's staggering 17 Sweet 16s and eight Final Fours are a model of consistent excellence.
3. North Carolina (251 points)
11 ACC regular season championships
13 Sweet 16s
7 Final Fours
3 national titles
2 losing seasons
709-284 (.714)
Hubert Davis got the Tar Heels to a national championship game in Year 1, and then a Sweet 16 in 2024, but back-to-back first round losses didn't cut it at a school with much higher aspirations, as their spot on this list illustrates.
2. UConn (270 points)
5 Big East regular season championships
11 Sweet 16s
8 Final Fours
6 national titles
3 losing seasons
682-279 (.710)
Not even its six national titles could push UConn to the top of this list. Those three straight losing seasons (2017-19) were the anchor weighing the Huskies down. But also, a lack of conference titles cost them the top spot. If UConn wins this year's title, they'll take the crown.
Hate them all you want, Duke has earned its place atop college basketball. Twenty Sweet 16s! Now, the Blue Devils haven't won a national title since 2015, but they've been ranked No. 1 in seven of the past 10 seasons. Perhaps there should have been more March success, but the sheer volume of wins (nearly 800) is second only to Gonzaga.
Is Indiana still a blue blood?
Nah, the Hoosiers have bled out. Indiana has five national titles and eight Final Fours. But the last title was in 1987 and the last Final Four was in 2002. The program has had more coaches (four) than NCAA Tournament appearances (three) over the past 10 years. But hey, at least the football team is good now.
New blood or blue blood: Ranking college basketball's best teams
Based on our formula, calculating team success since 1999 (explained above).
