The Colorado Avalanche aren't as dominant as they were at the beginning of the season, but they have a chance on Friday, March 20, to become the first team to clinch a 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs berth.
The Avalanche had only two regulation losses on Jan. 1. That's up to 13 now and the Dallas Stars are just two points back in the race for the Central Division title. But the early goodwill puts Colorado in position to clinch less than four weeks before the end of the regular season.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, surging after a coaching change, moved into a playoff position on Thursday night by improving to 17-2-4 under Rick Bowness. The New York Islanders dropped below the playoff line.
Here's what to know about the NHL standings, tiebreaker procedures and playoff field for the 2025-26 season:
Who can clinch today?
The Colorado Avalanche will clinch a playoff berth if they get at least one point against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.
NHL games today (Friday, March 20)
All times p.m. ET
Carolina at Toronto, 7
New Jersey at Washington, 7
Colorado at Chicago, 8:30
Florida at Calgary, 9
Anaheim at Utah, 10
NHL Eastern Conference standings 2025-26
Metropolitan Division
Carolina Hurricanes (92)
Pittsburgh Penguis (84)
Columbus Blue Jackets (83)
Atlantic Division
Buffalo Sabres (92)
Tampa Bay Lightning (88)
Montreal Canadiens (84)
Wild card
Boston Bruins (84)
Detroit Red Wings (84)
Sitting out of playoff position: New York Islanders (83), Ottawa Senators (79), Philadelphia Flyers (78), Washington Capitals (76), New Jersey Devils (72), Florida Panthers (71), Toronto Maple Leafs (70), New York Rangers (64)
NHL Western Conference standings 2025-26
Central Division
Colorado Avalanche (98)
Dallas Stars (96)
Minnesota Wild (90)
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks (78)
Edmonton Oilers (77)
Vegas Golden Knights (76)
Wild card
Utah Mammoth (78)
Los Angeles Kings (72)
Sitting out of playoff position: Seattle Kraken (71), Nashville Predators (71), San Jose Sharks (70), Winnipeg Jets (67), St. Louis Blues (65), Chicago Blackhawks (64), Calgary Flames (61), Vancouver Canucks (50)
NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended
Carolina (M1) vs Detroit (WC2)
Pittsburgh (M2) vs. Columbus (M3)
Buffalo (A1) vs. Boston (WC1)
Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Montreal (A3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: M - Metropolitan Division. A - Atlantic Division. WC - wild card
NHL Western Conference playoff bracket
Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended
Colorado (C1) vs. Los Angeles (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Minnesota (C3)
Anaheim (P1) vs. Utah (WC1)
Edmonton (P2) vs. Vegas (P3)
The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second in the second round. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. Key: C - Central Division P - Pacific Division. WC - wild card
NHL tiebreakers: What is the first tiebreaker in NHL standings?
If two teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, here are the tiebreakers:
Regulation wins
Regulation and overtime wins (ROW)
Total wins
Most points earned in head-to-head competition: If teams had an uneven number of meetings, the first game played in the city that has the extra game is excluded.
Goal differential
Total goals
When does the NHL regular season end?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 16, with six games.
When do the NHL playoffs start?
The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are expected to begin on Saturday, April 18.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 17: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on from the bench during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum on March 17, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By now, I assume everyone is aware of the disagreement between Giannis and the Bucks over him being shut down for the season after yet another injury. If you’re not, please read Van’s recap (along with his take on what Milwaukee should do). And to be clear, Van’s logic is completely reasonable: essentially, if and when Antetokounmpo gets 100% healthy, he can play the remainder of the season. On its face, it’s a position I have no issue with: get him back to full health, and he won’t be playing at any level of deficit, significantly reducing the risk of reinjury. He stays happy, everyone wins. I also no longer care too much about the tanking element of it at this point; it feels like they are locked into the ninth or 10th-best draft odds.
Here’s my problem: that doesn’t rule out freak injuries; you know, the injuries that take 12 months to recover from (touch wood, but I have to mention it). Now, you might say, “but Jack, what are the chances of that happening? 1%? 3%?” I don’t care how small the chances are. By putting him on the court for no tangible reason, you are accepting some percentage of risk—crucially, risk that is increased from that of a standard player because of GA’s high-flying style of play. My heart dropped when he hyperextended his knee, as it did when he went down holding his calf (both times). All three of those injuries had the potential to be catastrophic. Nope. I’m done tempting fate. Come hell or high water, they must stop him from returning.
At this point, the only thing that tangibly matters to me is getting Antetokounmpo to the offseason healthy. A catastrophic injury to Giannis could significantly slow their return to competitiveness: if he demanded a trade while hurt, the package Milwaukee receives in return would likely be halved. I’m not comfortable with any level of risk. This offseason is going to be the most consequential offseason I can remember since I became a fan in 2018, which is why the front office needs to stand firm.
Here’s the bottom line: regardless of what happens this offseason, it is imperative that GA enters it healthy. From that point, the path forward will quite literally sort itself out: he’ll either A) sign the supermax extension, giving the front office leeway to take more risks and also cover for future injuries, or B) not sign it, giving the front office no choice but to trade him with one guaranteed year left on his contract. But you have to get to that point with him in one piece, or else this all becomes moot, and the team is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Truly, I can appreciate the “you have to keep Giannis happy” argument, but this isn’t a matter I’m playing with. I’d be willing to risk any unhappiness that would come with forcing him to sit, if that’s what it came to. That said, what are we talking about here? Is Antetokounmpo really going to be “happy” if he is allowed to play? Because playing this season hasn’t seemed to bring him much joy. Like, am I taking crazy pills, or is this argument something of a red herring? He’s seemed miserable playing in these blowouts. Why bother putting yourself through more?
In closing, I strongly believe Milwaukee should stand firm and prevent the big fella from playing any further this season. It’s not worth it—from their end or his. And crucially, it’s not as if they’re asking for the world! They’re simply requesting he sit out 13 meaningless games. Is that really all that big of a deal? Think about the silver lining, Giannis. With no international basketball this summer, you can start your planning for a long European holiday early! Win-win, eh?
March Madness is underway and today's college stars have a chance to cement themselves in this summer's NBA draft class. The 2026 draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. is expected to go in the first round.
Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the guard's draft night will play out.
Labaron Philon Jr. 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 12 overall, Golden State Warriors
The Warriors could still use more reliable players in the backcourt and could find a fairly compelling player in Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon. Even though the All-SEC guard is not playing at 100 percent due to injury issues, he is still playing well. The guard is now averaging 21.5 points per game and has improved his 3-point shooting from 31.5 percent as a freshman to 38.9 percent as a sophomore, also managing 5.0 assists per game in the process. He has one of the most productive one-footed floaters in college basketball, too.
March Madness is underway and today's college stars have a chance to cement themselves in this summer's NBA draft class. The 2026 draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson is expected to go in the first round.
Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.
Joshua Jefferson 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 18 overall, Memphis Grizzlies
A few years ago, research indicated that the Grizzlies tend to value a few statistical similarities in their draftees: Efficient shot selection, added value beyond scoring and defensive playmaking. For the second year in a row, Iowa State do-it-all Joshua Jefferson is an impactful dribble-pass-shoot forward who meets many of the qualifications that led Memphis to find players who spent many years on their roster. The All-Big 12 forward is someone who looks destined to have a sustainable NBA career.
It may be peak March Madness time, but don’t forget about the pros! There are six NBA games on the board, full of player props to bet on.
I’ve dug through the odds and found my three best bets for today, which include Amen Thompson stuffing the stat sheet against the Atlanta Hawks and Scottie Barnes dishing out the dimes when the Toronto Raptors face the Denver Nuggets.
Those and more NBA picks for Friday, March 20, below.
The Houston Rockets are the best rebounding team in the NBA. They not only have great length, but everyone crashes the boards.
Tonight, they play the Atlanta Hawks, who have a great rebounder in Jalen Johnson, but are not a great rebounding team. The Hawks rank 21st in rebounding rate and surrender the fifth-most opponent rebounds per game.
So, let’s target Amen Thompson. He’s been a beast on the boards since the All-Star break, averaging 8.5 rebounds, hauling down double-digit boards seven times over 14 games.
With that in mind, let’s not just take the Over on his rebounds; let’s back him to record another double-double.
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast-Atlanta, SCHN
Prop #2: Ty Jerome Over 18.5 points
-120 at bet365
The Memphis Grizzlies' injury report is something out of a horror story. But it has created an opportunity for Ty Jerome.
Jerome returned to the Grizzlies lineup at the end of January, and he’s basically been the only reliable bucket getter for them ever since.
The Grizz shooting guard is averaging 20.2 points while shooting 42.5% from three in the 13 games he’s played since his return.
Tonight, he takes on the Boston Celtics, who are big faves, but that could also mean they let off the gas late. Jerome has topped this number 10 times during those 13 games.
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSB, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast-Memphis
Prop #3: Scottie Barnes Over 4.5 assists
-115 at bet365
The Toronto Raptors have won three in a row thanks to an offense that is clicking. They’ll need that to continue to keep up with the high-powered Denver Nuggets, and I like their chances.
While the Nuggets have one of the best offenses in the NBA, the effort at the other end of the floor has been lacking. Denver ranks 21st in defensive rating and opponent assists per possession.
The Raptors are one of the best teams at moving the basketball, ranking fifth in assist rate. So, give me Scottie Barnes Over 4.5 assists. Despite a bit of a dip lately, he averages 5.3 assists per game and had 10 assists in Toronto’s other meeting with Denver this season.
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March Madness is underway and today's college stars have a chance to cement themselves in this summer's NBA draft class. The 2026 draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Tennessee's Nate Ament is expected to go in the first round.
Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.
After a relatively slow and inefficient start to the season, Tennessee freshman Nate Ament is starting to realize some of his lofty expectations. The freshman averaged 21.6 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent on 3-pointers during a 13-game stretch before an injury against Alabama on Feb. 28. The All-SEC forward then had 27 points (4-of-6 on 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal against Auburn on March 12. It will only take one team to fall in love with Ament and given so much of what he brings to the table cannot be taught, that team is probably picking fairly early in the lottery.
March Madness is underway and today's college stars have a chance to cement themselves in this summer's NBA draft class. The 2026 draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Florida's Thomas Haugh is expected to go in the first round.
Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.
Thomas Haugh 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 14 overall, San Antonio Spurs
After winning a national championship with Florida last season, Thomas Haugh was instantly regarded as one of the most interesting players who elected to return to college. The All-SEC forward has one of the top motors in the NCAA and he is an incredibly skilled basketball player. He does not need the ball in his hands very often to make a difference on the floor for his team, and he can serve as a glue guy for a contending team looking to win an NBA title like the Spurs.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 19: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns come limping home after a long, arduous road trip. When their plane lifted off from Sky Harbor, they were 37–27, sitting 1.5 games back of the seventh seed in the Western Conference. By the time they touched back down, they were 39–31, now 3 games back of that same spot, a subtle shift in the standings that carries a heavier weight when you feel everything that happened in between. There are plenty of reasons why, and the context matters.
This is a team that spent the entire trip without Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams, two starters who anchor both ends of the floor in different ways, and their absence was felt in the margins, in the rotations, and in the moments where you need stability and instead are searching for answers. Sprinkle in games where Grayson Allen could not go, add in the fact that Royce O’Neale, who had been a constant presence all season, missed time as well, and you start to see the shape of it. The continuity was not there. The availability was not there. The rhythm never had a chance to fully settle in.
Health has been an issue. It is not the only issue, but it is the one that keeps showing up, the one that keeps nudging everything else slightly off balance, the one that forces adjustments that are necessary but rarely ideal. And when you are navigating that over the course of a six-game road trip, it compounds. It stretches you thin. It asks players to take on roles they are still growing into, and it tests how sustainable your identity really is.
The result? A 2–4 trip that feels like it could have been more, but also one that tells a deeper story about where this team is right now, and what it is still trying to figure out as it heads home.
One of the primary reasons the Suns did not fare better on this road trip is simple: if this team wants to be better, Devin Booker has to be better late in games.
When you look at the last four games Phoenix has played, Booker has struggled in the fourth quarter, and the reason is not hard to find. Opposing defenses know exactly where the pressure point is. With so many rotation players unavailable, it becomes much easier to load up on him, to send extra bodies, to crowd his space, and to force somebody else to beat you. That is the tax of being the engine. That is the burden of being the one every defense circles before the game even tips.
You could see it clearly against San Antonio. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson made the plan obvious: blitz everything until the ball ends up in Rasheer Fleming’s hands. That strategy worked. Fleming missed the free throws, Wemby hit the game-winner, and Phoenix walked away with another late-game lesson and another loss that felt avoidable.
Fleming is a 57% FT shooter. Not sure why you keep him in after the timeout and then on the inbounds play pass it to him. Spurs forced the timeout with three traps one each on Jalen, Collin and Book. Then the game plan was to deny everyone else on the inbounds play and even have…
Boston had a similar rhythm, only Phoenix played into it.
The Suns were so committed to getting Booker the ball late that they kept initiating actions in ways that made life easier for the Celtics’ defense. Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard were draped all over him possession after possession, and still Phoenix kept trying to force the offense through that same point of attack. The result was an offense that stalled out completely, allowing Boston to close the game on a 12-1 run and turn a competitive finish into another frustrating collapse.
Three nights prior, Toronto followed a familiar script. Booker is the driver of the offense, so naturally the Suns kept trying to put the ball in his hands and let him organize the late-game attack. Some poor officiating played its part, sure, but the larger issue remained the same. Phoenix became too predictable, too dependent on one initiation point, and when the resistance tightened, the offense did not have enough counters to survive it. The game slipped. Then it was gone.
That is three of the four losses on this trip. Because of late-game execution, because of predictable offense, and because of an inability to adapt quickly enough when teams made Booker the entire focus of their defensive plan. The only loss that does not really fit that description is Minnesota, which felt less like a choke and more like a team running out of answers.
And that is where the frustration should live. Not in the idea that Booker is incapable, because he is not. Not in pretending he is the only problem, because he is not. But if Phoenix wants to climb out of this lane it keeps drifting into, its best player has to find a way to be sharper, calmer, and more effective when defenses inevitably come hunting for him late. That is what stars are asked to solve. That is what this version of the Suns keeps running into.
So yes, there is some real cause and effect here. When there is no proper release valve around Devin Booker, it becomes harder to expect him to operate cleanly. Defenses know where the play is headed. They know who matters most. They know where to send the extra attention. That context is real, and it matters. At the same time, two things can be true. He is your max player. He is the one who is supposed to rise above moments like this and execute.
One way to create cleaner offense for Booker, especially against teams with high defensive IQ, is to place him in secondary and tertiary actions within the same possession, allowing the defense to shift first, allowing the floor to bend a little, and then giving him a better chance to either get to a clean look or create a positive possession. We saw some of that on the trip, and it worked at times. It is a smart adjustment. It is a necessary adjustment.
It also should not be necessary every single time.
Because when you watch other teams late in close games, their primary offensive players still get the ball and still make things happen. Phoenix is not some broken defensive team either. They sit 10th in defensive rating, and yet the Suns still watched Jaylen Brown score 18 points in the fourth quarter, Julius Randle put up 11, and Wemby deliver 9, including the buzzer beater. Those players were not hidden away in secondary actions all night, hoping the defense might forget about them. They got the ball, they handled the pressure, and they executed.
That is the standard.
Yes, I think it is a good idea to avoid force-feeding Booker late to the point that opposing defenses can load up on him and choke off the entire possession before it starts. That part is basketball survival. That part is smart. But it also should not have to live there permanently. At some point, your best player has to be able to take the ball in those moments, see the coverage, absorb the pressure, and still deliver. That is what this league asks of stars. That is what Phoenix needs from Devin Booker.
When you look at Devin Booker’s fourth quarter production over the last four games, the problem becomes pretty clear. He is averaging 5.0 points, but doing it on 35.3% shooting. He has not hit a three. His assist-to-turnover ratio sits at -0.6, and he is a -17 in plus/minus. That is the part of the story that keeps showing up late, and it is hard to ignore.
What makes it feel so strange is everything else he is doing.
Over those same four games, Booker is second in the NBA in scoring at 31.8 points per game. He has poured in 127 total points, yet only 20 of them have come in the fourth quarter. So the scoring volume is there. The aggression is there. The burden is certainly there. But when games tighten, when the floor shrinks, when defenses stop messing around and start sending real pressure, that is where Phoenix has needed more from its best player.
In short, when the defenses get tougher, Devin Booker has to get tougher. That is the blunt truth. It feels weird saying considering that Booker has been one tough son of a bitch this season, but to be the best, you have to rise above what the opposition is attempting to do to you.
Now, there is context here, and it should not be ignored. He is missing key pieces around him, and that absolutely affects what late-game offense looks like. The spacing changes, the counters change, and the trust points in a possession change. But one of the biggest issues hurting Phoenix right now is that there has been no real release valve in the form of Jalen Green.
Green has scored 81 points over the last four games, which looks good at a glance, until you see where those points are coming from. 55 of them have come in the first half. That is where the split gets interesting and troubling. In the first half, Green is shooting 45.8% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. Once the second half arrives, and especially as the game leans into winning time, his production falls off a cliff. During this losing stretch, he is shooting 26.5% from the field and 20% from deep after halftime.
So Booker is carrying the early burden and fading late. Green is contributing early and disappearing later. And when both of those trends hit in the same game, Phoenix runs into the exact problem that has defined so much of this road trip, an offense that can survive for long stretches, but not always close. That is where the Suns keep getting stuck.
So again, two things can be true at once.
Devin Booker has to be better in the fourth quarter, especially when you are measuring him against the opposing team’s best players, the ones who are stepping into those same moments and delivering. And Jalen Green has to do his part to make life easier on Booker, to be a real threat that defenses have to respect when the game tightens. Because right now, that balance is not there. During this losing stretch, Green is shooting 14.3% from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, and when that shot is not falling, it allows defenses to stay locked in on Booker without fear of being punished.
Yes, context exists. Yes, injuries have reshaped what this team looks like on a nightly basis. But that is part of the league. That is part of every season. Champions adjust. They find solutions within the reality in front of them. They do not wait for perfect conditions to execute.
Phoenix is not there yet. Not this season.
BOOK:
But what you are looking for is the beginning of those habits. The ability to recognize what defenses are doing, to counter it in real time, and to execute with purpose when the game is on the line. This road trip, frustrating as it may feel, offered plenty of those moments. Moments where the Suns were tested. Moments where they came up short. Moments that can either sit with you or sharpen you. The hope is they choose the latter.
Because if they do, these losses stop being empty. They start becoming part of something, small steps that, over time, can turn nights like these into something different when it matters most.
BRADENTON, FL - MARCH 18: Kevin McGonigle (85) of the Detroit Tigers fields at shortstop during a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 18, 2026 at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 27: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 27, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As usual, this figures to be the strongest division in baseball — one where you could make an argument for four teams and if you squinted really hard, a fifth one as well. Still, this division has sent the American League representative to the World Series for the past two seasons in a row and there’s every opportunity for this collection of clubs to make it three in a row.
Baltimore Orioles
2025 season: 75-87
When do they play the Braves: Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25 at 7:05 p.m. ET. Sunday, July 26 at 1:35 p.m. ET. All games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
I feel like the Braves and Orioles are kindred spirits. Both teams had big expectations for 2025. Both teams fell flat on their faces for various reasons. Both teams went into the offseason needing at least one more starting pitcher in order to really seem set for the upcoming season. The Orioles were the ones who went into the free agent market in order to pick up a starter, as they’ll now be heading into the season with Chris Bassitt joining their pitching staff.
Bassitt will be joining the likes of Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz, Dean Kremer and Zach Eflin. While none of these guys are particularly dominant in their own right, that’s a rotation that could certainly give any lineup fits on any given day and honestly, you can do a lot better than having five decent arms instead of one great arm and four arms who have plenty of flaws. That’s not to say that this crew doesn’t have their flaws — their ceiling is low and their floor is pretty low as well, so while the O’s could have a perfectly fine rotation, it’s also possible that this crew ends up being a liability like they were last season.
It also doesn’t help that the bullpen doesn’t have a lot to write home about. Ryan Helsley is here now but he’ll have a lot to prove after he somehow finished with a 4.50 ERA and 4.14 FIP in 2025. Even with all of the concerns that Helsley has going into this season, he still appears to be the best hurler in this bullpen — which may or may not be concerning. Andrew Kittredge won’t be here for Opening Day, either, so this relief corps will already be a bit shorthanded heading into the upcoming season.
Speaking of shorthanded, that’s how this lineup will be as well. Jordan Westburg’s elbow injury is going to keep him out through at least April and then they’ll also be missing Jackson Holliday to start the season. They do have Pete Alonso at first base now and Baltimore is hoping that his power-hitting will become contagious with a lineup that has spent a long time scuffling now. If everybody lives up to what’s on the back of their baseball cards then they may be able to slug their way out of any holes that the pitching staff may leave them in if they aren’t clicking as well. If not then this could be a long Summer in Baltimore. Sounds familiar, right?
Boston Red Sox
2025 season: 89-73
When do they play the Braves: Three-game series May 15-17 at Truist Park, Three-game series May 26-28 at Fenway Park
Atlanta’s traditional interleague rivals appear primed to make another push for the Postseason. If that happens then Roman Anthony is going to have a lot to say about it. As his presence on Team USA during the WBC would seem to indicate, he appears to be on a star trajectory and he’ll also have to be the straw that stirs the drink for this lineup. He’ll also have to pride most of the power, since this team’s Achilles heel may be their lack of power-hitting. Maybe we’ll see Willson Contreras smack baseballs all around Fenway but outside of that, this team is definitely lacking a bit when it comes to real slugging and it could come back to bite them when it comes to making noise in October.
Boston’s rotation certainly appears ready to pick up the slack. Garrett Crochet is a superstar, Ranger Suárez is a great addition to this rotation and his presence should help take some pressure off of fellow addition Sonny Gray. Gray should settle into the middle of this rotation alongside Brayan Bello and Johan Oviedo has the potential to return to what he was before he went down due to Tommy John surgery a while back. Meanwhile with the relievers, Aroldis Chapman continues to be Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock is also an impactful arm coming out of the pen. Those two will help shorten games at the end of this bullpen but the Red Sox are likely going to be hoping that their starters can get straight to these two without any issues because there isn’t a lot of quality behind them.
Overall, the Red Sox seem like a Postseason contender — it’s just a matter of how they’ll fare in the always-tough AL East. If all goes well for them (mainly if they can start hitting the ball hard and if the rotation can carry them to glory) then a divisional title is certainly possible. If the power outage continues then they’ll be on the outside looking in or having to scratch and claw for another Wild Card spot.
New York Yankees
2025 season: 94-68
When do they play the Braves: August 7 at 7:05 p.m. ET, August 8 at 3:05 p.m. ET and August 9 at 1:35 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees have essentially decided to run it back, as they certainly didn’t have a flashy offseason by any means. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for a team that basically sauntered into the Postseason last year — even though they came up short in the divisional race. Perhaps that’s why the grumbling amongst Yankees fans that they’re choosing to simply go again with what they’ve got could be understandable.
As such, any preview that you’ve seen about the Yankees from 2025 could largely be applied to 2026. We know what Aaron Judge is going to provide. We know what Max Fried is going to provide. Will Trent Grisham slot into center field as a perfect fit for this team? Will Ryan Weathers serve as a reliable rotation arm for this group of starters? Will the rotation be able to stay afloat before both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón make their return from injury?
Outside of those questions, there’s a lot to like here(as much as you can like about the New York Yankees) with this squad. There’s a reason why they won 94 games last season and could’ve been primed for a rematch with the Dodgers in the World Series. However, they’ll have to be just as good this season if they want to reclaim their spot on the top of the American League mountain.
Tampa Bay Rays
2025 season: 77-85
When do they play the Braves: September 8 and 9 at 7:15 p.m. ET. September 10 at 12:15 p.m. at Truist Park.
Well, the good news is that the Rays will be back in their home of Tropicana Field as it appears to be ready for big league baseball once again following the disastrous effects of Hurricane Milton. They’re going to need a lot to go their way in order to contend in this division, as they appear to be the fifth-best team in a five-horse race of thoroughbreds.
That’s not to say that all hope is lost here, as the Rays have managed to defy expectations in the past in order to upset the apple cart in this division. The issue is that the Rays are clearly short on talent compared to the rest of the division. Sure, Junior Caminero is looking like a star and he’s got guys like Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz around him but outside of that, you have to look really hard to find some talent that’s ready to make impact production right now. This is a young team that’s going through a retooling and unelss there are some more surprise breakouts, this team seems destined to be fighting just to avoid the AL East cellar.
The pitching staff should be very good, though, which is why you shouldn’t write them off as being an also-ran. If Shane McClanahan can return to form now that he’s finally healthy then he should perfectly compliment a rotation that also has the likes of Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot as well. The bottom portion of this rotation overperforming would be crucial to seeing this team pull off a magical run. Steven Matz and Nick Martinez would have to be rock solid — or they could just wait for their hot prospects (like Joe Boyle and Ian Seymour) to emerge and maybe they could hit the ground running. The bullpen would also have to be way more effective outside of Griffin Jax and Edwin Uceta (once he’s healthy) in order for Tampa Bay to make it happen.
On paper, this is a last place team in the AL East. In reality? The Rays have shocked us all before and it’ll have to be a major shock again if they can become a contender in 2026.
Toronto Blue Jays
2025 season: 94-68
When do they play the Braves: June 2-4, all at 7:15 p.m. ET at Truist Park
The fact that the Dodgers had to completely empty the tank in order to beat this team should tell you the quality that this team had last season. The good news is that they’re bringing back most of the players from that run. The bad news is that they’ve lost Bo Bichette and also outfield slugger Anthony Santander is going to be out long-term. Toronto did manage to add Jesús Sánchez in order to help cover for that huge loss of production and they also added Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to their rotation as well. The Kazuma Okamoto signing seems like a perfect fit for them as well.
The big question for the Jays is whether or not they’ll have the same level of production from both their stars and some unexpected sources as well. George Springer producing a 5.2 fWAR season at Age-35 out of nowhere was massive for them and it’s tough to envision them reaching those same heights without him at least coming close to that level of production. Still, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is here, Alejandro Kirk is here and the rest of the lineup is rock solid as well. Toronto’s rotation is also filled to. the brim with talent and they’ve got a perfectly reliable closer in Jeff Hoffman as well. Everything came together for the Blue Jays last season and yet they came up painfully short. Will they have the fortitude to make sure it all comes together again so they can return? We’ll see what happens.
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
Less than a week away from the start of the 2026 regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals will send Matthew Liberatore to the mound for a Spring Training matchup against the New York Mets at Clover Park with a start time of 12:10pm. MLB.com shows that the Mets will start Tobias Myers.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Also earlier this week, Cubs manager Craig Counsell stated that Matt Shaw would be his choice to be in that position.
And the majority of you agreed with Counsell:
Honestly, I don’t think I agree with this choice. Shaw has looked… well, adequate at best in right field. He’s made a couple of misplays and the eye test says he doesn’t really have the arm for right field. Personally? If it were up to me, I’d put Dylan Carlson out there. He’s at least played the position before and he’s a switch-hitter. Carlson has also had a good spring and is almost certainly going to make the team.
When the update on Suzuki’s injury was made on Tuesday and the Cubs got the good news that it was “minor,” Counsell said he’d wait until Saturday to make a decision about whether Suzuki would open the year on the injured list. So, as always, we await developments.
There were three questions asked of all SB Nation Reacts survey members this week, all having to do with the World Baseball Classic and international baseball in general.
All of the first three answers were good things about the WBC. Certainly, high-intensity baseball, the choice of the plurality, was a good thing. But I liked the player energy and celebrations and that was my choice. That’s the sort of thing we don’t often see in MLB, and I really liked seeing players from countries like Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and others really seem to be having fun. Even the Italian-Americans representing Italy made the WBC a happy place with their espresso machine celebration. Speaking of which…
Can’t disagree with that one.
I voted for “it should happen more often.” I really enjoy these events, as well as MLB teams playing overseas. Having gone to both the London Series and Tokyo Series games in which the Cubs were involved, I can tell you that even in the UK, not a baseball hotbed, people seemed into the event. And Japanese folks were just overjoyed to have the Tokyo Series.
I am not sure when the next WBC will be held — I have read both 2029 and 2030. The date will likely be part of the next CBA negotiation. Again, as always, we await developments.
March Madness is underway and today's college stars have a chance to cement themselves in this summer's NBA draft class. The 2026 draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Alabama's Amari Allen is expected to go in the first round.
Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the forward's draft night will play out.
Amari Allen 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 26 overall, Atlanta Hawks
Alabama's Amari Allen is a 6-foot-7 freshman who averaged 12.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists with 1.7 "stocks" (combined steals and blocks) per game for the Crimson Tide during SEC conference play. The SEC All-Freshman wing also shot 39.5 percent on 3-pointers while attempting 4.8 shots per game beyond the arc. Allen is a good connective piece who plays hard and knows how to make the right play.
Amen Thompson
Ty Jerome
Scottie Barnes
