Jalen Brunson is taking his show from the Broadway stage out West for a Hollywood premiere.
The Knicks' leading man has been named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA, the league announced Monday afternoon.
It's Brunson's third consecutive All-Star nomination, and second straight as a starter, as he's having arguably his best season in the league with 28.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game over 37 contests this year.
He joins the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey, Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham, and Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown as the East starters.
The Western Conference starters will consist of the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic, Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.
Brunson recorded 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds over 17 minutes in the 2024 All-Star Game (East vs. West format) and then scored three points with three assists in the 2025 All-Star Game for Kenny Smith's Young Stars team (three-team single elimination tournament format).
This year, the All-Star Game will adopt a new USA vs. World format with a round-robin tournament consisting of three teams. There will be two teams made of American players and one of international players with each team having eight players. If the teams fall short of the required numbers, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will add to the player pool. Overall, there will be four, 12-minute long games and the two teams with the best record will advance to the championship round.
The 2026 All-Star Game reserves will be selected by the league's coaches on Feb. 1.
The teenager Charalampos Kostoulas scored a brilliant overhead kick in injury time to rescue a point for Brighton
4 min Kadioglu, playing at left-back tonight, cuts inside and hits a hopeful shot from the left edge of the penalty area. It bounces just in front of Petrovic, who holds on with authority. Good boy.
2 min “I have much interest in the game tonight,” writes Roger Kirkby. “If Bournemouth don’t win tonight, no team in the Premier League will have won their last two games. Something rare in the world of anoraks.”
There were a number of lessons to take away from the Phillies’ failure to haul in Bo Bichette to a seven-year, $200 million contract last week.
Like with most teams, the luxury tax remains a self-imposed impediment to the Phils’ willingness to spend. The Dodgers and Mets are the two teams who will hold their noses to overpay players obscenely large average annual values in order to land them, eating tens of millions of luxury tax dollars in the process. They are willing to give away opt-outs throughout these short-term contracts, ceding much of the leverage to the player.
It’s clear if the Phillies want to play in the same free agency pool as Los Angeles and New York, they must re-evaluate their belief that young free agents prefer long-term security and big money deals. And if they continue to use the luxury tax as a soft salary cap, as most teams do, they will lose out on free agents to those two teams.
Maybe that’s a price they’re willing not to pay, but in the wake of the Bichette decision, it feels antiquated.
The price a team pays for needing to build out a roster through big-money free agent deals is sometimes unpalatable, but that is the bed Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies had to sleep in following the collapse of the 2007-2011 Phillies mini-dynasty that left the team with a roster of aging players and a farm system that offered little in terms of ready-to-play, impact talent.
Hopes were high that as the team traded away Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and others for prospects that the rebuild of 2013-2017 would be quick and fill the roster with young stars. Instead, the Phils’ return to respectability did not come because Scotty Jetpax, Dom Brown, Nick Martinez or Vince Velasquez took the team to the next level. It came because of free agent contracts to Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber and others.
Some of those deals are showing their age. They will likely be paying Castellanos $20 million to play somewhere else in 2026. Taijuan Walker’s $18 million salary is a tad pricey for a No. 6 starter/swing man. One wonders if the Phillies would think twice about Trea Turner’s 11-year, $300 million contract if they could do it again, and one can assume most would love a do-over of Aaron Nola’s seven-year, $172 million contract that still has another six years left on it. Add to that Kyle Schwarber’s five year, $150 million deal, J.T. Realmuto’s three-year, $45 million and, of course, Bryce Harper’s 13-year, $330 million contract, and you’ve got an inflexible roster with a high price tag.
To be fair, some of those guys are still playing at a very high level. Whether Harper remains “elite” or not, one cannot argue his contract hasn’t been outstanding for the organization. After a rocky first season, Turner has given the Phillies what they hoped for at shortstop, and Schwarber is an elite power hitter. But all those deals helped butt Dombrowski up against the fourth luxury tax, and outside of re-signing Schwarber and Realmuto, the Phillies’ biggest expenditure on a position player in free agency this off-season was outfielder Adolis Garcia. Contract extensions may also come soon for Jesus Luzardo and Jhoan Duran at some point. More money will be spent.
The front office cannot un-spend all the cash they are committed to spending, so in order to keep the window of contention open, the Phillies must do what they were unable to do in 2012 when the 2008 championship core began to age and it all fall apart.
They need to actually produce impact talent from their minor league system. They need to produce the next generation of stars.
Even after all the investments the Phils have made since Dombrowski took over, Philadelphia’s farm system is not considered among the top half of the league. Fangraphs ranks it 20th, and ESPN and MLB Pipeline had it 21st in August of last year. There are few highly touted prospects in the minors with the exception of their Big 3: Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller.
Can they hit on all three?
They will certainly get their chances. This time a year ago, Phils fans were salivating at the notion of Painter and his electric stuff in the starting rotation, even coming off of Tommy John surgery. A disappointing season in AAA has taken some of the shine off his arrival, and no one is sure if he will be able to adequately replace Ranger Suarez’ absence in the rotation (it would be great if Nola could step up into the Ranger role and save Painter the need to do it.) If Painter doesn’t turn out to be a top-of-the-rotation starter sooner rather than later, it will be a profound disappointment.
Sorry, kid. You were presented to us as an ace in the making. Those are the expectations, if not right away, then soon.
Crawford’s numbers in the minors have always been good. It makes sense that the Phillies are handing him the everyday job in center field. He’ll hit No. 9 in the lineup, and hopefully won’t be needed to do more than get his feet wet and contribute from time to time in ‘26. He has his detractors, but with an outfield that projects to be one of the weakest in MLB this season, Crawford turning into a quality big league player would go a long way to solidifying what appears to be a real weakness, both in 2026 and beyond.
Then, there’s Miller. He’s the top prospect in the organization right now, a power-hitting shortstop who got off to a very rough start in AA Reading but came on over the final six weeks of the season, finishing with a flourish in AAA Lehigh in the final week. He’ll start there in 2026, and all eyes will be on whether he stays at shortstop or transitions to another spot on the diamond in an effort to get him to the big leagues quicker.
Like Painter, they need Miller to turn into a star. He needs to be better than Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm or Bryson Stott became. He needs to be a Harper/Schwarber/Turner type player. Will that happen right away? Of course not, but at some point in the next 2-3 years.
If you think that’s unreasonable, it’s not. The Phillies drafted and developed three superstar position players in Utley, Howard and Rollins that became the backbone of a championship team. There are prospects playing for other teams who made a major impact in the Majors right away. First round draft picks are supposed to be great. It’s why they were drafted first. As the existing core ages, these younger players need to make up for what will certainly be a dip in production.
The Phillies need the farm system to hit because, even if they wanted to spend the money, there are no high impact free agents hitting the market in the next two years, as noted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan last week.
Sure, Bichette could opt-out of his Mets deal after the first year, but do you really see the Phillies re-engaging with him and his agent after what transpired last week? Given the paltry list of position players above, any help supplementing the roster, at least from an offensive standpoint, must come from within.
Outside of the Big 3, the player development side of the organization needs to do a better job getting players to be ready to play at a high level in the big leagues. Some organizations do a phenomenal job of churning out high-quality players year after year. The Dodgers almost never draft in the first round and always pick at the end of every round, and yet they have a top-five farm system in baseball. It’s not luck.
Last year’s first round pick for the Phils, pitcher Gage Wood, will start in high-A ball, although there are thoughts he could be a quick riser and potentially pitch in the bullpen this season. Aroon Escobar and Dante Nori are 21-year-olds in AA Reading this season. Neither projects as an All Star caliber player in the Majors, but much development remains. Gabriel Rincones Jr. is the likeliest to see time in the big leagues this season, with a powerful left-handed swing that murders right-handers and crumbles against southpaws. And then there is their big international signing, 17-year-old Francisco Renteria, the No. 3 international prospect this year, who has drawn comparisons to Hall of Fame candidate Bobby Abreu.
No one is putting that kind of pressure on the kid, but Renteria is as good a raw talent that has come into the Phillies farm system in a long time.
The Phillies also need to continue to develop pitching. Cristopher Sanchez wasn’t drafted by the Phils, but he was developed by the team and has turned into one of the five best starters in the game. Ranger Suarez, who just signed with Red Sox, was born and raised in the Phils’ system. Aaron Nola, despite his faults a year ago, is a future Wall of Famer and, if he has another few productive seasons, could warrant Cooperstown conversation. There are success stories there, but after Painter and Gage, there is a lack of young starting pitching prospects in the system, with Moises Chace’s lost 2025 season putting a dent in his prospects.
If the only way the Phils are going to be able to put a playoff caliber team on the field is through free agency, they’re going to have to run their payroll north of $350 million in the coming years. That doesn’t seem sustainable. Dombrowski spent his first year in Philadelphia diagnosing the problems and coming up with solutions to fixing them.
The Milwaukee Brewers recently announced their 2026 international free agent class, consisting of 22 prospects from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Notable international free agents signed by the Brewers over the years have included Jackson Chourio, Jesus Made, Luis Peña, and — this name brings back memories —Alcides Escobar.
Almost all these guys are extremely young, so it will most likely be years before any of them make an impact with the big league club. Still, for those of you who follow the Brewers farm system, here’s a full list of this year’s prospects — including everything I could find about them.
No. 24 Diego Frontado (SS, Venezuela)
Frontado is the second-highest-ranked prospect in the Brewers’ international free agent class but commanded the largest bonus ($1.6M). Per MLB Pipeline, the 17-year-old infielder is “an impactful hitter with a smooth glove that can quickly move through a club’s system.” While he’s still growing into his frame, Frontado has a nearly-perfect swing, makes loud contact, and can hit the ball to all fields. He’s also really, really fast for his age, already clocking 60-yard-dash times as low as 6.6.
No. 49 José Rodríguez (SS, Venezuela)
Rodriguez, another 17-year-old shortstop prospect, features quick hands and a compact, efficient swing at the plate. However, his best trait — by far — is his glove. Rodriguez has an above-average arm and the range (and hands) to make difficult plays look easy. Many scouts consider him one of the top defenders in this year’s class. If he develops power with age, he very well might look like a steal in a couple of years.
No. 20 Ricki Moneys (SS, Dominican Republic)
I didn’t think the Brewers could top “Jesus Made,” but Ricki Moneys just might be an even cooler name. I’m a believer in the idea that prospects with cool names always succeed, so if you ask me, this kid is going to be a superstar. Scouts agree, too. Per Pipeline:
“There’s a direct up arrow next to Moneys’ all-around stock. He plays the game with a high intensity and has a record of in-game production that backs up scouts’ belief he’ll hit for even more power as he continues to get more reps. A right-handed hitter with lots of bat speed, he puts together competitive at-bats consistently and can produce moonshots when he runs into them, something of a rarity for teenagers on the international scene.”
As Pipeline puts it, the “draw” in Moneys’ profile is his hit tool and outstanding production in the Dominican Republic. His defense isn’t too shabby, either — Moneys has great hands and an accurate (although not especially powerful) arm. He’s probably not getting to some of the balls that some (Rodriguez, for example) might be able to get to, so he might not stick at shortstop. Still, Moneys makes all the routine plays and doesn’t make many mistakes, traits that hint at long-term defensive viability at whatever position he ends up at.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The San Jose Sharks have acquired one of the most sought-after trade candidates of the NHL season by getting winger Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks more than six weeks before the March 6 deadline.
San Jose sent 2026 and ’27 second-round draft picks and minor league defenseman Cole Clayton to Vancouver for the 30-year-old pending free agent. The teams announced the deal Monday.
Sherwood led the Canucks with 17 goals through their first 48 games. He also has six assists.
"We would like to thank Kiefer for all his hard work and dedication in Vancouver," Canucks general manager Patrik Alvin said. “As an organization, we take a lot of pride in giving him the opportunity to grow and excel as a player. Given where things currently stand and the direction of our rebuild, we felt it was necessary to make a move like this as we continue to build our pipeline.”
Giving up draft picks to get Sherwood signals a shift for the Sharks from sellers to buyers. They’re in a playoff spot past the midway point of the season.
San Jose visits two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida on Monday night.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A record-breaking third-wicket stand between Ibrahim Zadran and Darwish Rasooli led Afghanistan to a commanding 38-run win over West Indies on Monday in the first Twenty20 of their three-match series.
Zadran made a career-best unbeaten 87 off 56 balls and Rasooli scored 84 off 59 balls as they combined in a 162-run stand in a strong total of 181-3.
The West Indies top-order struggled against the experienced spin duo of Rashid Khan (2-19) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-29) before cameos from debutant Quentin Sampson (30) and Gudakesh Motie (28) carried them to 143-9.
The series is part of the teams' build-up for next month’s T20 World Cup with West Indies yet to finalize its squad for the mega event to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
“As long as we are bringing our best skills to the game, it doesn’t matter whether we bat first or second,” Afghanistan captain Rashid said. “As a team, we are fit and hopefully we will have a good World Cup.”
West Indies made a promising start when Rahmanullah Gurbaz was run out on the first ball and captain Brandon King took a spectacular one-handed catch of Sediqullah Atal in the slips as Afghanistan slipped to 2-19 in the third over.
But Zadran and Rasooli then raised Afghanistan’s highest-ever third-wicket partnership in T20s off 113 balls against some wayward West Indies bowling. Motie stemmed the flow of runs briefly in the middle overs with his economical four-over spell of 0-18, but both Afghan batters showed plenty of aggression against pace in the second half of the innings.
West Indies was also scrappy in the outfield and dropped at least three catches in the death overs as Zadran and Rasooli upped the ante and scored 70 runs in the last six overs. Fast bowlers Matthew Forde and Shamar Joseph gave away 91 runs in their eight overs while left-arm spinner Khary Pierre (0-42) was also expensive.
Forde had a consolation wicket on the final ball when Rasooli holed out in the outfield after striking eight boundaries and two sixes.
West Indies stumbled to 3-42 inside the power play when Mujeeb clean bowled King in the first over; Rasooli held on to Evin Lewis’ top-edge in the outfield and Johnson Charles was out lbw while attempting a switch hit against Mujeeb’s quicker delivery.
Rashid then made an immediate impact by grabbing two wickets in his successive overs that included the key wicket of Shimron Hetmyer, who scored only three off seven balls, as West Indies further slipped to 5-50 in the ninth over.
Sampson and Forde (25) combined in the best West Indies partnership of 45 before fast bowler Ziaur Rahman, who conceded 16 runs off his first four balls, claimed two wickets in his return spell and finished with 3-36.
“We are disappointed to lose the game,” King said. “We showed glimpses of good cricket but it wasn’t good enough. Afghanistan are a team that have quite a few good spinners, we will talk about it on the day off and review the game.”
The next two games will be played on Wednesday on Thursday.
The Cubs’ 2022 season began much like 2021 ended — with the team losing games, some of them by large scores (though they also had a 21-0 win over the Pirates in that span, go figure).
They had taken two of the first three games of a four-game set against the Reds in Cincinnati, and the last one started out well. The Cubs had a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the second. Frank Schwindel had doubled in two runs and Nico Hoerner homered, all of that off Hunter Greene. Greene, who had promise, wasn’t quite yet the pitcher he became by 2025.
So that’s all good, right?
Well, not so much. Justin Steele, who wasn’t quite yet the pitcher he became in 2023 and 2024, got hammered for seven runs in two innings (plus five batters into the third). Scott Effross relieved and wasn’t any better, and neither were Brandon Hughes, Chris Martin and Rowan Wick.
The Cubs trailed 15-5 going into the bottom of the eighth and so David Ross summoned infielder Andrelton Simmons to throw that inning.
Simmons, let’s be frank, was not a good signing by Jed Hoyer & Co. He had posted a poor year for the Twins in 2021 (.558 OPS in 131 games) and was coming off a shoulder injury. That hampered his fielding and the man simply could not hit anymore. In 34 games for the Cubs Simmons batted .173/.244/.187 (13-for-75).
And he wasn’t any better as a pitcher. First eight batters he faced: single, single, walk, single, sacrifice fly, single, double, sacrifice fly. If you’ve lost count, that’s five runs before Simmons got Alejo López to pop up to end the inning.
At least Gaetti did make some positive contributions to the Cubs in his time with the team. Not so much with Simmons, who was released in August 2022. His contract was a complete waste of $4 million.
The New York Knicks will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks to Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
New York hasn’t been able to cover with any regularity lately, and I’m taking Dallas with a boatload of points in my Mavericks vs. Knicks predictions.
Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup in New York in my free NBA picks for January 19.
Mavericks vs Knicks prediction
Mavericks vs Knicks best bet: Mavericks +10.5 (-110)
The New York Knicks may be getting Jalen Brunson back tonight, but how much that will matter remains to be seen.
New York is 0-3 since Wednesday, when Brunson went down early in a 112-101 loss to the Kings. It’s not as though the Knicks were lighting the world on fire before Brunson got hurt, as they had won just two of their previous seven games.
The Dallas Mavericks are also getting a key player back tonight. Rookie Cooper Flagg (18.8 ppg) was also hurt early in a Wednesday loss to the Nuggets, but is expected to come back from his sprained ankle in New York tonight.
Unlike the Knicks, the Mavericks were able to work around the loss of Flagg, winning two straight games against the Jazz on Thursday and Saturday.
Dallas is still trying to find itself — this is still a rebuilding season — but they’ve gone 4-3 in their last seven games overall, and have proven they have weapons that can win games.
That includes 35-year-old Klay Thompson, who is averaging 12.0 ppg and put up 23 and 26 points in the two games Flagg missed.
The Knicks have been awful for bettors lately, covering in just two of their last 12 games. Given those struggles, it’s hard to see them covering a double-digit spread against a healthy Mavericks team.
Mavericks vs Knicks same-game parlay
Dallas has his the Over on its last three games, and with both Flagg and Brunson likely back tonight, we should see enough points on the board to hit the Over again.
I’m also going to take Flagg to hit at least two 3-pointers tonight, as he hit that target in three of his last four complete games before getting injured in Wednesday’s contest.
Mavericks vs Knicks SGP
Mavericks +10.5
Over 230
Cooper Flagg Over 1.5 made threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Fabulous Flagg
Flagg has dished out five or more assists in 10 of his last 11 full games, and should once again be able to move the ball tonight against the Knicks.
Mavericks vs Knicks SGP
Mavericks +10.5
Over 230
Cooper Flagg Over 1.5 made threes
Cooper Flagg Over 4.5 assists
Mavericks vs Knicks odds
Spread: Mavericks +10.5 | Knicks -10.5
Moneyline: Mavericks +350 | Knicks -450
Over/Under: Over 230 | Under 230
Mavericks vs Knicks betting trend to know
The Knicks are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Knicks.
How to watch Mavericks vs Knicks
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Monday, January 19, 2026
Tip-off
5:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC/Peacock
Mavericks vs Knicks latest injuries
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Brown, who'll turn 34 in July, had been with the Athletics the past seven years.
He played in just 38 MLB games during the 2025 season, but had seen action in 111 or more games for the A's over four straight seasons from 2021 to 2024. His best season came in 2022 when he hit .230 with 25 homers, 26 doubles, and 73 RBI over 150 games.
Overall, the left-handed hitter owns a career .226/.292/.419 slash line with 74 home runs, 79 doubles, eight triples, and 233 RBI. He's logged 197 games in RF, 172 games in LF, 159 games at first base, 32 games as the DH, and 28 games in CF.
Brown was released by the A's in June 2025 and signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks in July, before opting out on Aug. 10 and finishing the year unsigned. He hit .291 with six home runs and six doubles over 26 games for Triple-A Reno.
He will likely serve as outfield depth for the Yanks, who are still trying to reunite with Cody Bellinger in free agency and already have Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez, plus top prospect Spencer Jones looming.
ATLANTA (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher will both miss at least another week for the Atlanta Hawks while recovering from injuries.
Porzingis sat out his sixth straight game when the Hawks hosted the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. He has been dealing with left Achilles tendinitis in another season married by injuries and illness.
Risacher, the top overall pick in the 2024 draft, missed his sixth straight game because of a left knee bone contusion.
Both players will be reevaluated in about a week, the team said.
Porzingis has played just 17 games for the Hawks after being acquired last summer from the Boston Celtics. He is averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds.
The Vancouver Canucks will look to snap a 10-game losing streak with the New York Islanders visiting Rogers Arena on Monday, January 19
My Islanders vs. Canucks predictions and best NHL picks are calling for a high-scoring game tonight in the City of Glass.
Islanders vs Canucks prediction
Islanders vs Canucks best bet: Over 5.5 (-125)
The Vancouver Canucks have closed with a 6.5 total in five consecutive games, and they’ve also allowed four or more goals eight times for 4.5 per during their active 10-game losing streak.
On the flip side, the Canucks have scored the fewest goals per 60 minutes with the lowest team shooting percentage at five-on-five during the skid. A splash of statistical correction to the shooting percentage, paired with the continued poor defensive play, clears the path for this total to go Over the number tonight.
Additionally, there have been at least six goals in seven of the past 10 games for the New York Islanders, and the Isles have averaged 3.1 per night during the stretch.
Islanders vs Canucks same-game parlay
Canucks center Elias Pettersson has recorded two or more shots in eight of 12 games since the holiday break while logging a healthy 18:16 of ice time per game, including 3:23 on the power play.
The Islanders also have a 46.0 Corsi For percentage and 47.8% shot share at 5-on-5 during the noted 10-game run, so this matchup isn’t daunting, and I’m anticipating the Pettersson and the Canucks putting pucks on net tonight.
As a result, New York No. 1 Ilya Sorokin is also positioned to pile up saves, and he’s posted a .942 save percentage with an eye-popping 9.32 goals saved above expected across his past four starts.
The Vancouver Canucks have only covered the Puck Line in 2 of their last 13 games (-15.60 Units / -74% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Canucks.
How to watch Islanders vs Canucks
Location
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
Date
Monday, January 19, 2026
Puck drop
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSGSN2, SNP
Islanders vs Canucks latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
In a recent column for The Fourth Period, NHL insider David Pagnotta mentioned the Chicago Blackhawks as a team that could pursue New York Rangers star forward Vincent Trocheck.
"Vincent Trocheck is also on the radars of multiple clubs, including the Minnesota Wild, and he is someone to keep tabs on this trading season. I would venture a guess that teams like Carolina, Los Angeles, Chicago and Winnipeg may also inquire," Pagnotta wrote.
Seeing the Blackhawks be viewed as a potential suitor for Trocheck is certainly interesting. With Trocheck being an impactful top-six forward with a good amount of experience, there is no question that he would give Chicago's forward group a nice boost if acquired.
With the Blackhawks' playoff chances being low at this point in the season, they should not be in the business of adding rentals at the deadline. However, with Trocheck being signed until the end of the 2028-29 season with a $5.625 million cap hit, he would be a player who helps the Blackhawks for multiple years as they look to become a playoff team.
Yet, as good a player as Trocheck is, it is also important to note that the Blackhawks have multiple promising young centers, both on their NHL roster and in their system. If the Blackhawks want to bring in another top-six forward, a winger may make more sense because of this.
In 35 games this season with the Rangers, Trocheck has posted 11 goals, 18 assists, and 29 points.
This story has been corrected in reaction to a mathematical error caught by user Tim B.
In 2024, Logan Gilbert became one of MLB’s apex predators. He led baseball in innings pitched with 208.2 and finished second in the AL in strikeouts with 220. He was rewarded with a trip to the All-Star game and a sixth place finish in Cy Young voting. His 2025 looked just about as good on paper with his ERA, xERA, and FIP about the same or better. And he even improved his strikeout rate from 27.4% to 32.3%, going from 17th in the league to third.
Yet he wasn’t as valuable to the team.
Why? He pitched about an inning fewer per game, averaging 6.1 innings per start in 2024—workhorse numbers in the modern game—but collapsing to a more pedestrian 5.1 in 2025. A bit of this was managing the injury that caused him to hit the IL for the first time in his career in May. But the pattern actually held both before and after the IL stint (and, to frontload this, so does just about everything else in this article). And he only averaged six fewer pitches per start, which only explains about a third of an inning. Rather, the culprit is that Gilbert needed more pitches per plate appearance in 2025: His P/PA spiked from 3.78 to 4.03.
I know a jump of 0.25 P/PA doesn’t seem like much, but it adds up to the other two-thirds of an inning, or about 22 innings over the course of a season. That’s especially damaging because those are the innings that have to be covered by the soft underbelly of middle relief.
So why was he about as good on a rate basis, but less efficient? I thought I knew the answer, but what I found surprised me.
Suspect #1: The strikeout surge
The most obvious explanation is that 4.9% jump in his strikeout rate. Relatively speaking, that’s 17.9% more strikeouts, which is a lot. Strikeouts naturally take more pitches than PAs that end with balls in play since you need at least three pitches for a strikeout. For Gilbert, in 2024, his average strikeout took 4.92 pitches, and his PAs that ended in balls in play (we’ll call these BIPPAs, because it sounds better than PABIP and doesn’t risk confusion with BABIP) was 3.17. That’s a difference of 1.6 additional pitches for a strikeout.
But here’s the twist: while Gilbert was less efficient overall, he actually got more efficient in his strikeouts, from 4.918 P/K to 4.827 P/K. That’s a confounding factor in using his strikeout surge as the explanation.
The math says the additional strikeouts added 0.087 P/PA, while the better efficiency saved him 0.030 P/PA. Netted out, that’s an increase of +0.057 P/PA caused by the strikeout surge.
So, the new strikeouts explained 23% of Gilbert’s dip in efficiency. That’s sizable, but I’m not prepared to give a guilty verdict here because I’m willing to live with a little less efficiency if it means more strikeouts. I love a Maddux as much as the next guy, but strikeouts are good. The real question is: where are the other three-quarters of the pitches hiding?
Suspect #2: The walk problem
The second obvious culprit is that his walk rate increased from 4.6% to 5.8%. Walks are the worst result for pitch efficiency since they’re a bad result and come at a high pitch cost; a walk costs almost three more P/PA than a BIPPA. The increase in walk rate would be bad on its own, but Gilbert compounded that by using more pitches per walk this year. In 2024, his average walk was 6.0 pitches, which rose to 6.323 pitches in 2025.
The math here says the additional walks accounted for an extra 0.037 P/PA and the fact that his walks were less efficient added another 0.019 P/PA, for a net effect of 0.056 P/PA. That explains 22% more of the overall change. That’s a meaningful contribution, but more of an accomplice than a principal.
Taken together with the strikeouts, we’ve accounted for 45% of the increase in P/PA. But after dealing with the two most obvious suspects, we’ve still got more than half the problem unsolved.
The Red Herrings: What the problem wasn’t
False lead #1: Two-strike struggles. The culprit had to be that Gilbert was struggling to finish guys off. It had to be. The mental image is Gilbert expanding the zone too much with two strikes, getting beat by balls and fouls. Look at his slider location with and without two strikes in 2024 and 2025:
Doesn’t that look like a guy who’s trying to get too cute and chase the chase? As soon as Gilbert’s efficiency started to be a problem last year, I locked in on this. But that led to confirmation bias, as every ball or foul in a two-strike count stood out in my head. I was so sure this was the answer that I signed up for Gilbert’s 40 in 40 with a title in mind (“40 in 40: Logan. Keith. Gilbert. Stop playing with your food, young man”) and assumed I’d bang it out in 45 minutes.
So imagine my surprise when I dug in and learned that Gilbert was actually a bit teensy bit more efficient with two strikes this year, contingent on getting a strikeout. He was only less efficient if the at-bat ended with a walk or a ball in play. That’s not really an issue of playing with his food or it would show up in the strikeout numbers as well. Keep in mind that, after all, his strikeout rate even improved this year.
False lead #2: Worse command. More balls and falling behind more often would explain things. The increase in walk rate even points in this direction. But no. His first-pitch strike rate went up (67.7% to 69.9%); his called strike rate remained flat (15.2%); he was in the zone slightly more(50.9% to 51.3%); and when he went out of the zone, he got more swings on those pitches (chases) (31.6% to 32.3%) and less contact on those swings (44.2% to 40.4%). That’s not a guy with a command problem.
To be sure, he did throw more balls in non-walk PAs (we exclude walks since they always have exactly four balls). But most of them came in his PAs that ended in strikeouts, and we want to strip those out of our analysis here to avoid double-counting since we already looked at P/K. The net effect of the additional balls in BIPPAs is just 0.005 P/PA. That’s not zero, but it’s just 2% of the total spike—more of a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time than a criminal.
The drawing room scene
Having accounted for strikeouts, walks, and balls/BIPPA, there’s really only one place left to look: strikes/BIPPA. (His HBP rate is too small to matter.) To quantify it, Gilbert threw 1.151 strikes/BIPPA in 2024, which spiked to 1.363 in 2025. That’s an 18% jump. Helpfully, this also explains why his walks took more pitches—since walks always take four balls, the additional pitches must be strikes. As we saw when looking at whether he was struggling with the put-away pitch above, Gilbert did see drawn out at-bats when he wasn’t able to get the strikeout.
But what kind of strikes are they? If it’s all called strikes and whiffs, then that’s a problem you’d live with. Those are pure good outcomes. But Gilbert’s called strikes and whiffs per BIPPA only increased by 0.010. Nearly all the additional strikes were coming from foul balls, going from 0.448 fouls/BIPPA in 2024 to 0.650 in 2025.
So at last, we have our culprit: Hitters fouling off 45% more pitches in plate appearances that ended with contact. This single factor explains nearly half of Gilbert’s entire inefficiency spike.
What’s odd is that while there was a 45% increase in BIPPA foul balls overall, only about half of them came before Gilbert got to two strikes. Those aren’t as good as a whiff or a called strike—and they do work to make the at-bat longer since unlike a walk or a strikeout, a BIPPA can happen in an 0-0 count—but it’d still be basically fine. They’re additional strikes that put Gilbert ahead, and the better a count is for a pitcher, the better all his outcomes are, increasing strikeouts, reducing walks, and even softening the contact hitters make when they connect. These pre-two-strike fouls helped explain why more PAs reached two strikes (60% versus 53.4%)—which is a good thing.
But the other half came from two-strike foul balls that extended the at-bat, pure pitch-count killers with no benefit. What makes it odd is that Gilbert’s two-strike efficiency on strikeouts actually improved—he was finishing strikeouts faster than ever. But in the plate appearances that reached two strikes and didn’t end in strikeouts, hitters were fouling off pitch after pitch until they saw something they could put in play. It’s not that he was playing with his food—it’s that he was either on or he wasn’t.
The murder weapon: hitter adjustments?
So we know what happened: hitters fouled off way more pitches in 2025, especially in plate appearances that ended with contact. But why?
I don’t think this was a matter of consistency. While there was more game-to-game variation in his strikeout totals (standard deviation went up by 18%), his overall game scores were actually more consistent (standard deviation went down by 25%).
There’s some evidence that hitters may have adjusted their approach. Gilbert’s overall foul rate jumped from 16.6% to 19.2% of all pitches while league-wide foul rates held steady. Whether this represents a strategic adjustment by opposing hitters—perhaps sitting on certain pitches or protecting the plate more aggressively—or simply Gilbert’s stuff playing differently on different nights is hard to say definitively. His foul rate went up on his fastball, splitter, and curveball. It only went down on his slider, and even then by just a touch; and that’s a natural consequence of his using it in two-strike counts much less since guys will protect more with two strikes.
What’s clear is that in 2025, when Gilbert didn’t have his best command or when hitters were able to spoil his pitches, plate appearances dragged on much longer than they had in 2024.
The aftermath for 2026: How to adjust to the adjustment
The frustrating part is that there’s no obvious fix. Gilbert’s strikeout gains are real and valuable—jumping from 17th to third in the league is elite. His command metrics actually improved. He was more efficient in getting strikeouts. By most measures, he got better in 2025.
And yet: fewer innings, more stress on the bullpen, less overall value to the team.
Can Gilbert find a way to maintain his strikeout gains while reducing the foul-ball problem in 2026? Perhaps. But without a clear explanation for why hitters fouled off so many more pitches, there’s no clear path forward. I’d like to look further at the impact of his splitter becoming his go-to two-strike pitch, and what happened to his slider, which had similar velocity and movement but much worse results.
The price of greatness
But while we figured out how it happened, we still don’t know why. So, until we find answers, we’re left wondering if this is who Gilbert is now: a high-strikeout, low-efficiency pitcher. Maybe that’s okay. Even at 4.03 P/PA, we’re talking about 5-6 innings per start. That’s viable for a modern starter, especially if the Mariners can get more length from George Kirby and Bryce Miller or figure out the middle of their bullpen. But it’s not the workhorse ace of 2024—and it’s hard not to be disappointed by the 2025 version in comparison.
While college football is set to crown its national championship on Monday, Jan. 19 after Indiana's game against Miami, the race for men's college basketball's ultimate prize is heating up about two months before the start of the NCAA Tournament.
In a week, the number of undefeated teams in the sport dwindled from five to three, with No. 2 Iowa State and No. 8 Vanderbilt both suffering two losses. The Cyclones were blown out 84-63 on the road by Kansas before following that up with a 79-70 setback at Cincinnati four days later. The Commodores, meanwhile, lost by 16 on the road against Texas and fell 98-94 at home to reigning national champion Florida.
No. 1 Arizona continued its perfect start to the season, moving to 18-0 with wins against rival Arizona State and at UCF. No. 10 Nebraska, the only other unbeaten team from a power conference, also kept its unblemished record intact, drubbing Oregon and Northwestern by a combined 54 points.
The Vancouver Canucks’ last regulation win came against the New York Islanders on December 19.
That was exactly one month ago.
Yes, the Canucks have yet to register a regulation win since before the holiday break in December. Every single one of their two wins after that have been in overtime. As well, of course, they also have yet to win a game since 2026 started. Throughout all 48 games in the 2025–26 season, Vancouver has only registered 10 regulation wins.
Wins at home have been hard to come by for the Canucks. Wins in regulation at home have been even more elusive. Of their 10 regulation wins this season, only three have taken place at Rogers Arena: Vancouver’s 5–1 home-opener win against the Calgary Flames, their 4–3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 8, and their 4–2 win against the Minnesota Wild on December 6. The Minnesota game in particular is one to note, as this was the last time the Canucks won on home ice.
One thing that has been noticeable about Vancouver’s regulation winning pattern is the manner in which they do-so. Four of their 10 regulation wins have been separated by only one goal, while only four of these have ended with scores separated by more than two goals. Two of these regulation wins nearly resulted in blown multi-goal leads, as Vancouver nearly gave up a 4–0 lead against the Washington Capitals and allowed the Anaheim Ducks to erase a 3–1 deficit.
To get their first win of 2026, the Canucks will need to do the simplest thing in the book — score goals. It may sound like an overly-simplified solution, but it’s true. Throughout Vancouver’s 10 regulation wins on the season, they’ve put together an average goals-for of 4.2 — miles above their season average of 2.54. In all but two of their regulation wins, the Canucks have scored 4+ goals, with their highest being six in their 6–2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 16. Outside of regulation, Vancouver has only scored five or more goals twice — in a 5–4 win against the Nashville Predators in overtime and an 8–5 loss to the Florida Panthers.
Jan 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Linus Karlsson (94) and forward Evander Kane (91) and defenseman Zeev Buium (24) and forward Drew O'Connor (18) celebrate a goal scored by defenseman Filip Hronek (17) against the Boston Bruins in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Pro-rebuild fans have likely been content with the Canucks’ progress throughout the past couple of weeks, as they’ve successfully played themselves far into 32nd in the NHL with 37 points. With that being said, the lack of pushback from the team itself in games such as their 6–0 drumming against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday is concerning. Regardless of where things are heading, losing in a manner like that doesn’t quite instill hope in a fanbase that has its eyes set on the future. While this season is more than likely lost for the Canucks, it’s not like they can avoid winning forever.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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