With the announcement that the Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed Charlie Coyle to a six-year contract, what does than mean for a Jackets team desperate to make Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Well, for one, they're bringing back a 14-year NHL vet with 1032 NHL games under his belt. Coyle, who spent was brought to the Cannon City via a trade with the Colorado Avalanche in the summer of 2025, put up 58 points last season, and played some of the best hockey of his career. The guy oozed leadership from the minute he got here.
He's also never missed the NHL playoffs in his career until this past season, and if he was clearly upset with that during his exit interview with the media. Coyle also made it perfectly clear he wanted to come back to Columbus, and guide them to their first playoff berth since 2020.
So, Coyle has his long term, and possibly last contract of his career, so what now?
Coyle needs to keep up the pace in which he played last season. When Coyle, Mathieu Olivier, and Cole Sillinger scored, or were making plays, this team won. If those three players can play like they did in 2025-26, watch out.
But what else does Coyle coming mean to the CBJ?
It also means that the long-time Captain Boone Jenner might be on the move.
Jenner has played every game of his NHL career in Columbus, and is the definition of the city itself. He works hard, and does what he needs to do. It's often said that a plyers best attribute is his availability. In this case, as sad as it may be, that may be Jenner's downfall.
Boone Jenner has only played 82 games in his career once, back in 2016-17. The closest he's come to that since was 18-19 when he played 77. Since that season, he's played 70 once, 68, and then 67 this past season. Out of 1028 games he could've played, Jenner has only played in 808.
If Boone Jenner isn't brought back, might they give Charlie Coyle the C? If I had to make a guess, I'd say yes. As I said above, Charlie has leader written all over him. From what he brings on the ice, to what he brings off of it, Coyle is what you want in a professional hockey player. He's also from Massachusetts, so you know he has no issue's with speaking his mind.
This is a huge deal for Columbus going forward. Young guys love him, and the older players respect him, and value his experience.
Many will point to the term and get scared, but in my opinion, this deal is perfect for this franchise right now.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
After defeating a Stanley Cup favorite in the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the NHL playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens have now taken a 2-1 series lead over the Buffalo Sabres, and former St. Louis Blues first-round pick Zachary Bolduc has done his fair share of heavy lifting to do so.
Bolduc’s first season in Montreal was a bit of a letdown. Coming off a 19-goal, 36-point rookie season with the Blues, St. Louis decided to trade the 23-year-old to the Habs in exchange for right-handed defenseman Logan Mailloux.
Bolduc started the season on fire, finding minutes on the top line and top power play unit, but he then hit a cold streak that extended for far too long.
He finished the regular season with just 12 goals and 30 points in 78 games, averaging 13:38 of ice time. But the playoffs have changed things for the former 17th overall pick of the 2021 NHL draft.
In 10 games, Bolduc has notched two goals and six points despite his minutes shrinking to 11:30. He’s also fired 12 shots on goal, thrown 24 hits, and is a plus-6 in 10 post-season games. The Habs have outscored their opponents 8-2 at 5-on-5 with Bolduc on the ice, and he’s finding ways to be impactful, while also producing as a third liner.
On Sunday, with the Canadiens leading 2-1 in the second period, Bolduc came through with a crucial goal, which proved to be the game-winning goal as the Canadiens defeated the Sabres 6-2 to take a 2-1 series lead. Later in the game, Bolduc was assessed a 10-minute misconduct after receiving a double minor for roughing in the first period and a minor for roughing in the second.
There’s been plenty of debate about the Bolduc and Mailloux swap, but as of now, it appears both sides are pleased with the results. Bolduc’s production comes in waves, but he’s carving out a third-line role.
As for Mailloux, he stepped up late in the season, looking far more comfortable at the NHL level. He could be in store for a true breakout season in 2026-27.
The Canadiens are back in action tonight as they host the Sabres for a critical Game 4.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
After Game 2 of the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kirby Dach was the talk of the town, and not for the right reason. It was his icing that led to the defensive-zone faceoff on which the Bolts scored the game-winning goal in that second duel. Fans and media alike, including THN, were clamoring for him to be scratched in Game 3, but Martin St-Louis stuck to his guns and not only kept him in, but moved him to center. The message to Dach couldn’t be clearer: the coach had his back, and he was not going to give up on him.
At that stage, the big Albertan had no points and had a minus-one rating. The following game was one of the best Dach had ever played wearing the Sainte-Flanelle. He registered a goal and an assist and was everywhere on the ice alongside Zach Bolduc and Alexandre Texier. That line ended up being the Habs’ best in the first round. The Frenchman is no longer on their line these days against the Buffalo Sabres; it’s Joe Veleno who completes it, but the unit is still effective.
Dach might not have been dominant offensively in all the games so far, but the truth of the matter is that right now, he has five points, four goals, and an assist, exactly like Juraj Slafkovsky. However, the centerman has a plus-six rating while the power forward sports a minus-six rating. Of course, Dach’s line, which gets fourth-line minutes, is not on the ice as often and doesn’t get the toughest match-up. Still, their contribution has been essential, and their ability to contribute offensively despite limited ice time has been key to the Canadiens’ success.
With his contract being up this summer, Dach’s bounce-back performance will put Kent Hughes in a tricky position. The big center is often injured and has been largely inconsistent during his four-year tenure with the Canadiens. The GM will have to weigh the risks and rewards of keeping the big forward around. If the Habs opt to keep him, they will have to make him a qualifying offer of $4 million. That’s a much more digestible number if the playoff version of Dach starts showing up in the regular season, but that’s not a guarantee.
Needless to say, the longer the Canadiens’ spring goes on and the more consistent the big center becomes, the better his chances of getting a qualifying offer from the team. This summer will be the last time he is an RFA. At the end of his next contract, he will be a UFA and free to go wherever he pleases.
It seems highly unlikely that Hughes will want to sign him to a long-term contract as things stand; he’s still too much of a gamble, but he may be willing to give him another bridge deal, another chance to show the Canadiens what he can do. Something that seemed inconceivable to many, including this writer, after Game 2 of the first-round series. Dach has flipped the script and can be proud of what he has accomplished so far in these playoffs, but he can hopefully keep building on it.
LIV in race against time to survive without PIF funding
McIlroy: ‘I was hearing about this in March, April time’
Rory McIlroy has revealed he heard rumblings of impending trouble for LIV Golf weeks before Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it would withdraw funding for the circuit. The Masters champion believes the PIF approach highlights the danger of sport becoming reliant on anything that can be affected by world affairs.
LIV is engaged in a race against time to survive with PIF, which has bestowed more than $5bn (£3.7bn) on the tour, to exit at the end of 2026. News of that, which emerged in the immediate aftermath of McIlroy’s successful defence at Augusta National last month, shocked those within LIV but not the Northern Irishman.
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has said it consistently all season long: He doesn't know what's next for him.
He doesn't know if he will play another season, and if so, whether it will be with the Lakers or another team. He — and the people around him — have consistently said he had not come close to making that decision.
Minutes after his 23rd season ended, that hadn't changed.
"I don't know what the future holds for me, honestly, as it stands right now tonight," LeBron said after his Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Thunder. "I've got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota: I'll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do."
LeBron is now a free agent and faces two major questions: Whether to return to the NBA, and if the answer to that is yes (as many around the league expect), will it be with the Lakers or another team?
The question is not can he still help a team — he answered that emphatically this season. LeBron, at age 41 and in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season, showed he is still one of the top players in the game and an All-Star. For the season, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists a night, shooting 51.5% from the floor.
"It's amazing what he's doing out there at this age," Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It's very impressive. It's hard to put into words. He's not very old in the grand scheme of life, but for the NBA, he's pretty old, and he doesn't seem like it out there. He was a force. He was the top of the scouting report all series. His size gave us issues at times. He was impressive out there. I'm not sure we'll see anything like that again, his longevity and his greatness." This season was unlike any other for LeBron: He battled more injuries, missing the first 14 games with sciatica and only playing in 60 total (ending his record streak of making 21 All-NBA teams), and for much of that season playing as the Lakers' third option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. LeBron also got to share the court again with his son Bronny, including playing in the playoffs together.
With Doncic (hamstring) out for the playoffs and Reaves (oblique strain) missing most of it, LeBron stepped back into the role of primary shot creator and led the Lakers in an upset of the Houston Rockets and into the second round. In the playoffs, he averaged 23.2 points a game with 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
"I was put into some positions that I never played in my career before. Actually, in my life," LeBron said of this season. "I've never been a third option in my life. So to be able to thrive in that role, for that period of time, and then have to step back into the role that I've been accustomed with over my career or my life playing the sport, and be able to thrive under that, and just my teammates allowing me to lead them under extreme circumstances, that was pretty cool for me at this stage of my career."
On the podium after the emotional loss, LeBron sounded like many great, aging athletes before him, including Lakers' legend Kobe Bryant: His love of the game is still there, but his decision whether to retire or continue is more about his whether he remains willing to put in the incredible and increasing amount of work it takes to get his aging body ready to play at this level for another season.
"I think for me, it's about the process," LeBron said. "If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game and start preparing for a game. Give everything I got, diving for loose balls, doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play. Showing up to 11 o'clock practice, I'm here at eight o'clock, preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in.
"So I think for me, I've always been in love with the process and not the aftermath. Okay, we won that game, or won a championship, like I've always enjoyed the process more than the outcome. So that will be a big factor.
"And also, have a conversation with my 12-year-old daughter, that's a big factor; my 19-year-old son entering his second year at Arizona and my wife as well. So they're a huge factor in any decision I've made, so they'll be a big part of it as well."
LeBron isn't going to be rushed into a decision, but it's also one he essentially needs to make in the next couple of months, while teams are still shaping and forming their rosters for next season. By the middle of July, that process is largely finished for teams.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 10: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers wrestle for a loose ball during the second quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You can feel it in the air.
It’s the rest-and-wait scent.
Here’s the latest from across Knicks nation.
Jalen Brunson eliminated the Sixers and immediately hopped on Papa’s Freezeria 😭 pic.twitter.com/H7cSANjEv8
On closing out series with composure and preparation:
“Closeout games are the hardest games to play, because of the level of desperation from the other team, especially when you’re on the road and you factor in your opponent’s home crowd — so, I give our guys a lot of credit. I give my staff a ton of credit. My staff has been unbelievable from top to bottom. They’ve been really, really, really good in our preparation and making sure guys understand what we need to do so that they can stay focused on the details at hand.”
PACKIN PHILLY UP EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON SO THEY CAN ALL SPEND TIME WITH THEY MOMS ON MOTHERS DAY!!💐
On the team’s mentality entering the Eastern Conference Finals:
“I think it’s really great to see our team in this mindset. The feeling that we’ve got a lot more work to do. To see us not really relaxing, looking at these next days as days to realign ourselves and get ready for the next challenge, I think it speaks volumes about this team where we’re at mentally, we understand collectively that the job’s not done and we have to get our bodies freshened up so we can get ready for the next series.”
On how this year’s mood differs from last season’s:
“To beat a great team like Boston last year, obviously we were very excited. This year we just have another year with each other. We — I don’t know. It’s just us being very locked into the moment and understanding there’s a lot more work to do. And as soon as you start relaxing is when you lose in the playoffs. It’s great to see our guys kind of hungry for the next challenge.”
On using the layoff to reset physically and mentally:
“We’ll take these days. We’ll take [Monday] to heal our bodies, heal our minds — especially me, myself, especially the mind part, mentally, and get back to work on us, on our game plan, our offensive execution, our defensive execution. Continue to find ways that we can get better so we start that next series and we’re at our best version of the year.”
On why reaching the conference finals isn’t enough for this Knicks team:
“That’s what we expect to do. I feel like this group is special. We can’t take it for granted. It’s something special to do. Obviously this fan base has been wanting this, but we have to stay locked in. Getting to the Eastern Conference finals isn’t the final goal.”
On his growth after feeling his fit in the NBA was uncertain earlier in his career:
“I just felt like my back was against the wall. The only way I could get out of it was to fight and just trust myself.”
On admitting the real reason behind his “Golden Child” tattoo:
“Yeah, but a lot of other people have called me that so it worked out. Shoutout to my sister.”
Trey McBride (Deuce’s Brother)
On feeling like Miles got away with things growing up:
“I would do something. I’d get in trouble for it. … Miles does something — he could do the exact same thing, and no one bats an eye. And I was just like, ‘Yo. He’s doing the same thing! I’m calling it out.’ And he would just look at me and kind of chuckle, because he knew he got away with it.”
On his reaction to the “Golden Child” tattoo:
“I swear to you, he got this as a middle finger to me.”
On Miles’ refusal to admit the real reason for the tattoo:
“He would never admit he was doing it to piss me off. He would say he’s doing it because my grandma calls me this or my brother gave me that nickname. Like, ‘It just feels right.’ Some Miles bull—- answer.”
On believing there was some truth behind the rivalry:
“It’s probably a little true, to be honest with you. Like, he probably does like the nickname that I gave to him, because things have gone pretty well for him. But I swear to you, there is a small piece of him that is like, ‘Yeah, Trey, take that. I’m the golden child.’”
"A lot of maturity. … Right now the Knicks are playing championship basketball."@DGreen_14 reacts to the Knicks sweeping the Sixers 🏀 pic.twitter.com/sg7fI3KRRG
On how this postseason run feels compared to last year’s:
“I think the way we beat Boston last year, the comebacks and all that, it was very — I don’t want to say celebratory, but it was — it hit a little bit different than here. It’s just, we’re approaching the business as normal and we gotta make sure we’re locked in and focused on the next team.”
On the team’s current flow and continued hunger:
“It just didn’t happen overnight. It was a process of trial and error and figuring things out, figuring out where everyone wants the ball, new system, new coaches, stuff like that. So I think we’re in a good little flow state right now, but we’ve got to make sure we continue to get better and not be complacent.”
On using the extended break to recover:
“It’s good. I think we’re all a little banged up, so you know — get some treatment, some rest and recovery. Watch the other games and be ready.”
Mikal Bridges
On playing with urgency even while holding a 3-0 series lead:
“Being able to play desperate even being up 3-0. Shoutouts to everybody: Shoutouts to the coaches and everybody who played tonight.”
On staying afloat while OG Anunoby recovers:
“We’re gonna hold it down for OG and do whatever it takes and hopefully give him some more time to heal up, but next man up. We’ve got a lot of talent on this team, a lot of smart IQ guys and we’re gonna hold it down for OG and anybody else who gets hurt.”
Peter Patton’s commitment to the craft is helping the Knicks to his historic performances:
On the impact of shooting coach Peter Patton on the Knicks’ performances:
“He’s the man. There’s some guys that get it, understand the nuances of shooting. The reality is it’s very nuanced. It’s not as cookie cutter as a lot of people might think like, ‘Have your elbow in a certain position’ and ‘You need more arch,’ and those kind of cliché things that you hear a lot. But Peter is very good at picking up on subtleties and nuances from person to person. My stuff is different from Mikal [Bridges’], and his stuff is different from Jose [Alvarado’s]. He understands that. And he’s good at not being overbearing and doing too much. Just finding ways to give you a couple things to hang onto to think about, to pay attention to. Cause the reality is a lot of guys in here were really good shooters. How can you marginally kind of move the needle? And he’s been really helpful. He’s been great.”
Kenny "Gets real again next round for Knicks…Cade such big guard…Cavs possibly most explosive backcourt NBA. This round…cakewalk … Shaq "They'll breeze thru whoever next if they play like this … Chuck "Had cakewalk…Whoever next v difficult … Shaq "Knicks going to Finals" pic.twitter.com/y31zkDBi9K
On the level of difficulty increasing in the Eastern Conference Finals:
“It gets real again in the next round for the Knicks. Cleveland and the Pistons have caused problems for the Knicks this year.”
Charles Barkley
On how he views the Knicks’ path to the conference finals:
“Whoever they play next is a very difficult series.”
Shaquille O’Neal
On whether anyone in the East can slow the Knicks right now:
“They’ve shown me they are ready. And I have to disagree with both guys, I think they’ll breeze through whoever the next opponent is if they play like this.”
On his ultimate prediction for New York:
“Knicks going to the finals.”
Stephen A Smith is officially kicking the Knicks to win the championship 👀
“The New York Knicks are going to the finals. I think they can win the championship. I’m taking the Knicks to win the title. We’re winning the chip!” pic.twitter.com/ZLCuBffV2K
“Philadelphia 76ers, my condolences. We’ll talk about them later. New York Knicks going to the finals. I think they can win the championship. Yes, I do.”
Jay Williams
On the Knicks’ chances if they reach the NBA Finals:
“1,000 percent. I’ll say, once you get to the finals, anything can happen. I still think OKC would be favoured. But still, they could put up a fighter’s chance. By the way, I know that we’ll talk about this later, but you have Cleveland, then you have Detroit. If I’m the Knicks, I want Detroit. I’ll say it.”
On wanting a shot at the Pistons and Cade Cunningham:
“I know because Cade Cunningham is a Knicks killer. And J.B. Bickerstaff, we want all the smoke with that team all the time. You haven’t seen this version of us. OK, I want that back. I want a chance to redeem myself. I’ll take Cleveland or Detroit, doesn’t really matter.”
The Pittsburgh Pirates (22-19) welcome the Colorado Rockies (16-25) to town for a three-game series at PNC Park.
Paul Skenes takes the mound for Pittsburgh as the Pirates are 5-3 when he pitches. Pittsburgh is coming back from a West Coast trip (3-3 record) and a series loss to San Francisco. The Pirates have won three straight at home and hitting an MLB-best .283 at home with the fifth-most walks (94).
Colorado is coming off two straight losses and are 2-7 in the month of May. The Rockies are 8-14 on the road this season, but rank in the upper half of the league when it comes to batting average (.239), home runs (21), and doubles (35). Michael Lorenzen is pitching for Colorado and the Rockies are 3-6 when he starts and 1-4 on the road.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Rockies at Pirates
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 6:40 PM EST
Site: PNC Park
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Pirates’ Nick Gonzales is hitting .316 with 43 hits and 49 total bases over 136 at-bats
The Pirates’ Marcell Ozuna is hitting .194 with 25 hits and 37 strikeouts over 129 at-bats
The Rockies’ Troy Johnston is hitting .325 with 39 hits and 55 total bases over 120 at-bats
The Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar is hitting .197 with 27 hits and 42 strikeouts over 137 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rockies at Pirates
The Pirates are 22-19 ATS this season
The Pirates are 11-9 ATS at home
The Pirates are 22-18-1 to the Over this season
The Pirates are 13-7 to the Over at home, ranking fifth-best
The Rockies are 22-19 ATS this season
The Rockies are 12-10 ATS on the road
The Rockies are 22-19 to the Under this season
The Rockies are 12-10 to the Under on the road
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rockies and the Pirates
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game two between the Rockies and the Pirates:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Pirates on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Pirates at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
NEWARK, NJ - JULY 02: New Jersey Devils Chase Cheslock (62) reacts after scoring a shootout goal during the New Jersey Devils 2025 Development Camp at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center on July 2, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In this this post we look at five Devils prospects who rose their stocks the most this past season.
David Rozsival
A late birthday when drafted in the 5th round of last year’s NHL entry draft, David Rozsival is still only 18-years-old. That did not stop the 6’1 right winger from turning heads this season for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. After a slow start, Rozsival exploded with ten goals in ten games during the height of his growth, finishing his rookie USHL campaign with 23 goals and 37 points in 57 games.
Rozsival has the skill set to be a useful bottom six forward someday and is known for his knack for cycling, forechecking, and applying pressure in all three zones. While Rozsival’s road to the NHL is still long and full of potential speed bumps and pratfalls, his D+1 season was a large step in the right direction.
Daniil Orlov
Daniil Orlov has been on my personal radar as a potential mid-draft steal for awhile and this season has turned many more observers into believers. The 22-year-old KHL defenseman’s point production has nearly doubled each KHL season from seven points in 2023-24 to 15 points in 2024-2025 to 10 goals and 28 points this past year. Orlov has always been known for his skating and defensive play, but the rise in production has raised his projection to a PNHLe of 54 in Dobber’s model, projecting him as a potential second pairing defender in his prime. The Devils will have to wait a little while longer to bring Orlov over as his contract with Spartak expires at the end of the 2027-28 season.
Veeti Louhivaara
Louhivaara jumped around quite a bit this past season starting the season for the JYP U20 team, flashing a 2.52 GAA and .917 SV% in nine games. After an eight game stint in the Mestis, Louhivaara came over to North America to backstop the Chicago Steel of the USHL under the tutelage of Scott Gomez.
The move paid off. Louhivaara quickly earned a name for himself in the high-scoring USHL, finishing the season with a 12-6-4 record, 2.86 GAA, and .905 SV%, even earning goaltender of the week honors shortly after his arrival. Louhivaara’s play was good enough to earn a brief tryout with the Utica Comets at the end of the season to get a taste for the professional hockey life before his commitment to UCONN next year.
Louhivaara still has a long road to the NHL and remains behind Mikhail Yegorov and Jakub Malek on the Devils goaltender prospect depth chart, but a strong season in UCONN could change the conversation quickly. For those wanting to read more on Louhivaara, the Devils published this piece last month about the goalie’s decision to come over to North America early. It’s worth a look.
Topias Vilen
A fifth round pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft, Topias Vilen earned a North American contract after a nine goal, seventeen point tear in the Liiga in 2022-23. Since then Vilen has been steadily showing progress, earning the Utica Comet’s team award for most-improved player last season and the award for best defender this year. Vilen’s production is not going to wow anybody, but it is steady, and the Finnish defenseman is capable of playing in all situations, even earning power play time after Seamus Casey’s season-ending injury. Vilen’s 27 points this year was his AHL high, and second on the Comets blueline only to veteran former NHLer Calen Addison.
Vilen did not look out of place during his brief call-up at the end of the season and at 23, will likely be heading into camp as part of the conversation for the potential seventh defender spot on the Devils roster.
Chase Cheslock
Chase Cheslock broke out in a big way this season for St. Thomas of the NCAA. When the 6’3 right-handed defender was drafted in the 5th round by the Devils in 2023, Elite Prospects noted his “scary” defensive presence around the crease. This season, Cheslock added some offense to his mix, pocketing 24 points in 38 games. A former captain of his Rogers high school team and the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, Cheslock is a favorite to earn the honors again should he play his senior year for St. Thomas.
Personally, I hope the Devils sign Cheslock this summer. A team cannot have too many large, defensive, right-handed defensemen with capable puck-moving skills in their system and Cheslock seems like a guy destined for a pro career. Whether that pro career includes a niche role in the NHL one day remains to be seen.
Your Take
What do you think? Did I miss someone you think should be on this list? Post your comments below.
When the final out is recorded following Game No. 162 of the 2026 MLB season, when the records are finalized and the statistical ledgers are put to bed, we will be comforted in knowing exactly what saved Alec Bohm’s year.
After starting April in the most dreadful slump imaginable on the field while dealing with what one can only assume is a nightmarish legal dispute with his parents off the field, interim manager Don Mattingly gave Bohm two nights off.
No baseball on Thursday. No baseball on Friday.
Entering Saturday, Bohm dragged a .159 batting average, .227 on-base percentage and .433 OPS around his neck like an anchor. The Phillies were running out of options. He was in danger of losing his starting spot to Edmundo Sosa or some combination of minor leaguers who would be called up to replace him.
Then, Elmo entered the picture.
After declaring “Elmo wants to see a home run,” to Tom McCarthy and John Kruk on the Phillies’ broadcast, Bohm stepped up to the plate and swatted a solo homer to left field, his first since Opening Day. He followed it up with a second dinger in his second at-bat and finished the day 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs in the Phils’ 9-3 victory.
On Sunday, Bohm didn’t exactly repeat those heroics, but did got 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Sunday’s 6-0 whitewashing of Colorado.
Sometimes, a player needs a little something, even if it’s not real. For Bohm, who has seen nothing go right for him in 2026, why not attribute a turnaround to a furry little red muppet?
Clearly, Bohm is entering the Elmo Stage of this current iteration of the Phillies.
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - APRIL 18, 2026: Ryan Clifford #20 of the Syracuse Mets hits a three-run home run during the first inning of the first game of a doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders at NBT Bank Stadium on April 18, 2026 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Ryan Clifford logged 9 hits this past week, over 25% of his total on the season. The slugger is one of the streakiest minor league hitters the Mets have had in years, maybe even decades. When he is cold, he can be a black hole in the lineup, incapable of even having productive at-bats like moving runners over or plating sac flies. When he is hot, he can single-handedly win games, or entire series’; Syracuse lost this week’s series against Rochester 4 games to 2, so maybe next week.
Given how moribund the Mets currently are and how poorly David Stearns handled the first base situation over the off-season, now would be the perfect opportunity for Clifford to make his case and force his name into the conversation. Unfortunately, Clifford is not having that kind of season, and truthfully, may simply not be a player who has the necessary tools and abilities to play in the majors. There have been plenty of players in baseball history who had light tower power, blazing speed, a cannon for an arm, or an elite glove, or some combination of some or all of those tools, but if you can’t hit, you can’t hit.
Generously, Ryan Clifford has a below-average hit tool, if not something considered below that; he has not hit above .240 since 2023, when he hit .271 in 58 games in the late spring/early summer for the High-A Ashville Tourists just prior to being traded to the Mets. Since then, he hit .201 in 63 games with the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2023-2024, .237 in 203 with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 2024-2025, and, interestingly enough, .237 in 71 games with the Syracuse Mets from his promotion there in late 2025 until Sunday night, all while striking out roughly around 30% of the time.
If transcribed 1:1 at the major league level, a .240 batting average with Clifford’s strong walk rate and his obvious power would be more than palatable, but there’s the rub: these things do not get transcribed 1:1 from the upper levels of the minor league to the majors.
Mark Vientos, the most successful of the most recent group of Mets prospects to make it to the majors, hit .281 during his 72 games in Double-A and .285 in his 210 games in Triple-A; he is currently a .239 hitter in 345 MLB games/1199 at-bats. Brett Baty hit .299 in 129 Double-A games and .273 in 97 Triple-A games; he is currently a .229 hitter in 336 MLB games/1048 at-bats. Ronny Mauricio hit .259 in 136 Double-A games and .305 in 140 Triple-A games; he is a .233 hitter in 97 MLB games/301 at-bats at present.
I’m not really sure what kind of baseball future Ryan Clifford is going to have, and maybe I’m being unfairly pessimistic as I’ve been accused of being by others in the past, but I don’t really know if I see it, even when I squint. Here’s hoping I’m wrong.
Jonathan Santucci
Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K (Double-A)
We are a month-plus into the season now, and this was Jonathan Santucci’s first real actually good game. I wouldn’t say that the former Blue Devil has been bad, but he certainly hasn’t been good, either. Coming into his start this past week, the left-hander had a 5.57 ERA in 21.0 innings over five starts, with 14 hits allowed, 17 walks, and 31 strikeouts.
Given the strong strikeout rate and BAA, Santucci’s stuff has not backed up, but he is not as sharp as he was last season, when he posted a 2.52 ERA in 50.0 innings with the Rumble Ponies. Command has been Santucci’s biggest problem going back to his college days, and that has been his biggest issue so far this season, an issue that he largely avoided last year; with 17 walks, he has virtually reached the same total he had last season while pitching for Binghamton (18), but in roughly 20 fewer innings. The left-hander generally has not looked as sharp the second or third time through the order, wearing himself out and/or giving batters a look at all of his pitches because of his inability to put himself in favorable counts early, and his stat splits for the fourth inning and beyond bear this out- his hit rate increases, his walk rate increases, and his strikeout rate shrinks.
With that said, coincidentally or perhaps not, like Jonah Tong, Santucci has been quite unlucky in that the relievers who are coming in to replace him are allowing the baserunners he put on base to score at astronomically high rates. Over the course of those above-mentioned six starts prior to his start this past week, Santucci has an abysmal 60.3% LOB%, roughly 10-15% below the major league average; with his most recent start last week included, that number climbs to 64.9%, roughly 5-10% below the major league average. Having allowed 14 earned runs so far this season in 27.1 innings, if the left-hander’s LOB% was adjusted to be the MLB average, he would currently have a 3.95 to 4.28 ERA.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts as he comes to the mound to take out Roki Sasaki #11 from the game during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers at least had a lead on Monday, which counts as progress for the funk they are in at the moment. It was their first lead since Friday, when they scratched together three runs against Chris Sale in what felt like one of their best wins of the season so far. But they’ve laid three legs in a row since.
Alex Vesia gave up three hits and a walk while recording only one out in a three-run seventh, and then Wyatt Mills walked four and hit a batter in a three-run ninth that made the score more lopsided.
The 6-3 deficit would have been enough, shocking as it was facing the worst offense in Major League Baseball. But the Dodgers offense can’t seem to get much going, and were held to no more than three runs for the ninth time in their last 12 games.
“The effort, the focus is there, I thought the fight was there. You know, we’re going to come out of it,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday night. “It’s frustrating while you’re in it, but we just have too much talent and too much desire to keep doing this for much longer.”
Three straight blowout losses — by five runs or more — ties a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record, last done on June 12-14, 2008.
The Dodgers have their two best starting pitchers going in the next two games, trying to lower the threshold of victory for an offense that hasn’t been consistently good for several weeks. Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the ball on Tuesday, and Shohei Ohtani pitches on Wednesday. Ohtani the hitter is having his worst stretch in a while, his .404 slugging percentage on the season is his worst 38-game stretch within any season since 2021 with the Angels. Ohtani won’t hit in one of the final two games of the series, Roberts said Monday night.
Ohtani’s not alone in struggling at the plate. Teoscar Hernández has been fighting it for some time and didn’t have an extra-base hit for three weeks before Roberts moved him down to eighth in the lineup on Monday night, the first time Hernández hit that low since August 7, 2020 while with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I think he’s missing pitches that he should hit, whether it’s fastballs or spin. I think that he’s patient at sometimes the wrong time,” Roberts said before Monday’s game. “He’s working through his mechanics, that the hitting guys are trying to work through diligently. He hasn’t been successful, he hasn’t really hit left-handed pitching in quite some time, which is kind of a surprise for me.”
Hernández is hitting just .233/.410/.300 with a 113 wRC+ against southpaws this season, well below his career .273/.331/.542, 135 wRC+ line against left-handers. He didn’t face any lefties on Monday, but did double, single, and walk, his best game in a while.
The Dodgers can’t simply hit everyone eighth or ninth to try to get them going. At some point, the big hitters are going to have to hit big.
As we all turn the page to the offseason, Sixers fans are now in wait-and-see mode as reports swirl about the uncertain futures of president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse. What we all know is that the team is stuck in a bit of a holding pattern. As we saw in the playoffs, the Sixers lacked adequate depth to not only compete with the Knicks but to keep their starters fresh for what would have been six more weeks of basketball had they been able to advance all the way to the NBA Finals. The problem is, that depth might not be able to be acquired overnight.
There might be some renewed hope that Philadelphia can get out of the final two years of Paul George’s contract after George’s production improved after his 25-game suspension. If so, a trade of George could inject some much-needed depth to the Sixers’ roster by itself. Then there’s expiring contracts to Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre and Andre Drummond, really the only three role players that saw meaningful minutes this past postseason. Perhaps there’s a world in which Morey can replace some or all of those players in that trio with better role players for 2026-27.
But Morey’s history in Philadelphia is spotty at best in free agency and on the trade market. It’s his draft history that could ultimately give him some more time as the man in charge of basketball operations. Since taking over in 2020, Morey has drafted four players in the first round that have gone on to play games for the Sixers. Those picks were Tyrese Maxey, Jaden Springer, Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe. Springer was clearly the only miss amongst that group. Of course he traded McCain this past February, but drafting McCain was a wise decision. Maxey and McCain were both picked outside of the lottery which is where the Sixers find themselves drafting this summer with the 22nd overall pick via Houston acquired from Oklahoma City.
While second-round picks can be a crapshoot, Morey has also drafted Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed towards the end of the second round and both players are NBA rotation players for contending teams six years after being drafted. Adem Bona wasn’t a meaningful part of the Sixers’ playoff rotation this past season, but one could argue he has exceeded expectations of most 41st overall picks, the spot Bona was taken at in 2024.
I get it. You’ve already said, “What’s the point of making good draft picks if the players aren’t going to be retained?” I’m not here to give a ringing endorsement of Morey. But I am trying to get Sixers fans to understand something they might not want to understand at the moment given Morey’s unpopularity within the fanbase. The easiest way for the franchise to build the depth they didn’t have against New York is by continuing to draft good players.
Obviously, they’ll need to keep these players unlike some of Morey’s good draft picks who aren’t with the organization anymore. But the draft represents a chance for every team in the NBA to add young talent and the teams that can best identify said young talent each year are going to be well-positioned to contend.
Morey is under contract with the Sixers for two more seasons as his contract expires after the 2027-28 season. That would mean that Morey has two more drafts with the Sixers, if he’s given those two years in their entirety to remain in his current role. Between this summer and next summer’s drafts, the Sixers have a total of five picks. They also own what could be a very nice draft asset in 2028 as the holders of the Clippers’ unprotected first-rounder and they have first-round swap rights with Los Angeles in 2029.
With the first-round debt to Oklahoma City set to be paid off next month, the Sixers control all of their own first-rounders in the near future save for 2028. They owe Brooklyn their 2028 first-round pick to complete the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade, but that pick is top-eight protected. If it were to fall in the 2028 top eight, the Sixers would only owe the Nets a second-round pick to finalize the trade.
While Morey might not get a new contract to preside over the 2028 and 2029 drafts, we find those draft assets relevant to this discussion because the summer of 2029 is when the Sixers will be done with the three-year max contract for Joel Embiid that is set to kick in next season. Regardless of who is running the Sixers by then, if the franchise can string together some more good drafts for the rest of the decade, they’ll have a good core around Maxey and Edgecombe by then, even if they don’t hit on their free agent signings or strike gold in a few trades.
That’s been the chief problem for the Sixers this decade as they’ve unsuccessfully tried to build around Embiid. The franchise was missing too frequently in trades and free agency, and it’s what led to them being stuck now. Despite some good drafting from Morey, they were also trading away draft picks in an attempt to contend, but the returns in those trades were never helping them get over the hump. We’ve now reached the point where it doesn’t make sense for the franchise to be trading away draft picks as they must act as if Embiid does not exist and supplement their star guards in the backcourt with more young talent.
I don’t think anyone is talking themselves into Morey flipping George for a couple of good roster players or replacing Grimes, Drummond or Oubre with improvements. Those are ways that the Sixers could immediately improve for next season but no one is expecting the team to be significantly improved next year anyway. If the whole idea is having a better and younger core in place for Maxey and Edgecombe, that’s going to require a few more years of good drafting, and of course, retaining the good draft picks once they’re on the roster. Like it or not, Morey’s strong track record in the draft might be enough for him to get a chance to stick around and turn things over.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 09: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday, May 9, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Some of the biggest stars in baseball make up the early favorites for the National League’s Cy Young Award.
Skenes is off to another solid start with a 5-2 record, 2.36 ERA, 46 strikeouts and a league-leading 0.71 WHIP. But there are concerns about Skenes’ limited innings to start the season, with many outings ending before five innings.
After Skenes comes an avalanche of elite arms still in the mix after a strong opening stretch. Philadelphia Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez (+390) is behind Skenes on the heels of two dominant starts. Sanchez allowed zero runs and only nine hits over 15 innings in his last two outings — moving to 4-2 on the season in the process. His 67 strikeouts are second in baseball and Sanchez’s 2.11 ERA — eighth in baseball — is notable as well. After signing a six-year contract extension before the season, Sanchez is delivering so far for the Phillies.
Winning the NL Cy Young in 2024, Atlanta Braves veteran left-hander Chris Sale (+500) is off to another hot start with a 6-2 record. Sale leads baseball with seven quality starts while staying close to the top in ERA (11th at 2.20), strikeouts (10th at 57) and WHIP (4th at 0.88). Sale’s durability is a concern in his age-37 season; he’s only pitched more than 158 innings in a season once since 2018. But the season Sale did, he took home Cy Young honors. So if he stays healthy, Sale should be a strong contender once again.
Shohei Ohtani (+700) is used to racking up hardware as a reigning three-time MVP. Thanks to a solid start on the mound, the Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star is also entrenched in the early Cy Young race. In six starts, Ohtani has a 0.97 ERA and 42 strikeouts over 37 innings — looking dominant at times.
Similar to Sale’s candidacy, Ohtani’s usage on the mound will play a major factor. Ohtani has never been a full-time two-way player since signing with the Dodgers as the organization brings him along slowly as a pitcher following a right elbow UCL tear in 2023.
Ohtani’s teammate in Los Angeles, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (+850), is also still worth watching in the Cy Young race. Yamamoto finished third in Cy Young voting behind Skenes and Sanchez in 2025 and is off to another strong start.
After the core group of candidates, the secondary list of Cy Young candidates includes some of baseball’s best young power arms. Milwaukee Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski (+1500), New York Mets rookie Nolan McLean (+1600) and Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns (+1900) are all worth monitoring over the summer.
The Western Conference series between the Spurs and the Timberwolves is back in San Antonio tonight for Game 5 tonight with the series tied at two games apiece. For those who have yet to hear, Victor Wembanyama has not been suspended by the league for his elbow to the throat of Naz Reid in Game 4. That obviously is a major relief and advantage for the Spurs. They did not wilt but also could not hold off the Timberwolves over the weekend once their leader was sent to the showers. Minnesota wore down San Antonio outscoring them 34-25 in the fourth quarter enroute to a 114-109 win.
Dylan Harper has been a revelation this series. The rookie out of Rutgers has matured steadily throughout the season but his scoring has taken a big step in the postseason. Harper led the Spurs with 24 points in Game 4. Consider taking a look at his point totals for tonight’s game. Rudy Gobert has been a steady presence around the rim for the Timberwolves averaging 10 rebounds and nearly 1.5 blocks per game in the series. He is also averaging 2.5 assists.
It is fair to say the winner tonight will win this series. It may still take seven games, but the winner tonight will take a significant step towards a Western Conference Finals date with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who, oh by the way, have yet to lose a game this postseason. Because tonight is so pivotal, the pressure will be amped up that much more. Which side’s stars can take their team to a new level? Which side’s supporting cast can exceed expectations?
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content.
Game Details and How to Watch Live: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 8PM EST
Site: Frost Bank Center
City: San Antonio, TX
Network/Streaming: NBC / Peacock
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Game Odds: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Minnesota Timberwolves (+320), San Antonio Spurs (-410)
Spread: Spurs -10.5
Total: 218.5 points
This game opened Spurs -9.5 with the Game Total set at 218.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
Minnesota Timberwolves
PG Anthony Edwards
SG Ayo Dosunmu
C Rudy Gobert
SF Julius Randle
PF Jaden McDaniels
San Antonio Spurs
PG De’Aaron Fox
SG Stephon Castle
SG Devin Vassell
PF Victor Wembanyama
SF Julian Champagnie
Injury Report: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
Minnesota Timberwolves
Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
San Antonio Spurs
David Jones Garcia (ankle) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
De’Aaron Fox (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
The Timberwolves are 29-15 at home this season
The Spurs are 31-12 on the road this season
The Spurs are 51-39-2 ATS this season
Minnesota is 43-49 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 40 of the Spurs’ 92 games this season (40-52)
The OVER has cashed in 42 of the Timberwolves’ 92 games this season (42-50)
Victor Wembanyama (ejected)played just 12 minutes in Game 4
Julius Randle has scored 12 points in each of the last 3 games in this series
Ayo Dosunmu was 3-12 from the field in Game 4
Dosunmui is 7-28 in the series from the field
Julian Champagnie had two steals in each game in Minnesota
De’Aaron Fox is averaging 4 assists per game in this series
Terrence Shannon Jr. was just 3-12 from the field in Game 4
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Timberwolves and Spurs’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Timberwolves +10.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 218.5
Player Prop: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Spurs’ Dylan Harper 12+ Points (-112).
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Apr 14, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) reacts after being called with a ball during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
Bryan Woo pitched the worst game of his career on April 25th and followed it up with another bottom-10 performance his next time out against the Royals. Combining the two outings, he struck out just three batters while surrendering 16 hits and six home runs. Six! So a lot of Mariners fans breathed a sigh of relief when Woo completed his turn against Atlanta on Wednesday with a line of 6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 9 K. But personally, I’m still holding my breath.
Here’s what’s bothering me:
Even for Bryan Woo, 66% is a lot of four-seamers. To be sure, he always throws a lot of fastballs, but he usually balances those four-seamers with a hefty dose of two-seamers. The seven sinkers Woo threw on Wednesday is the second-fewest he’s thrown in a game, ever.
Has his sinker become a stinker? Run value would sure tell you so. After running solidly positive numbers on the pitch over his first three seasons, this year, his sinker has collapsed to being worth -2.2 runs per 100 pitches.
And my concern has been magnified by the fact that the Mariners clearly see this issue too. Why else would they call for so few on Wednesday? I mentioned that game featured his second-fewest sinkers ever. Well, the third-fewest came in Woo’s prior game, when he threw seven in his first two innings, but just three over the entire rest of his outing. The team sees the bad results too, and they don’t think the problem is just going to go away.
To be sure, the plan to simply dial the sinker way back did work on Wednesday. Once. But scripture reminds us that band-aids don’t fix bullet holes.
So what’s up with the sinker? Sinkers aren’t really meant to induce whiffs, but Woo’s is generating the lowest swing-and-miss rate of his career. Rather, pitchers tend to use sinkers to induce weak contact. And by that score, it’s been a bit of a fiasco. Combining his first three seasons, Woo allowed an xwOBAcon (expected damage on contact) of .322, whereas this year, that’s up to .419. It’s like he turned Gleyber Torres into Bobby Witt Jr.
It’s hard to say why. The pitch shape really hasn’t changed that much. The velo’s the same, and he’s only getting the teensy-weensiest less run on it. The biggest difference is that he’s getting about an inch more drop, but that’s still a change of less than 5%. If you can spot the difference between the two pitches in this video, you’ve got a sharper eye than I do.
While the shape has stayed pretty consistent, his command has faltered. His sinker works best when he throws it toward the bottom rail, but he’s been leaving a lot of them belt-high this season, which is consistent with guys getting the barrel to it more often.
Maybe the issue is that he’s lost conviction in throwing the pitch. That’d help square the circle between the fact that he made a meaningful change in his pitch mix and his comments after the game that zeroed in on the mental game. “It felt like the last two starts, just trying to do too much, think too much, dive into scouting reports too much,” he said. “My best brand of baseball is . . . when it’s time to go on the mound, just go be. And I feel like I kind of got away from that the last two starts.”
Whatever the reason, the deterioration of his sinker is a big deal because arsenals are complementary. His four-seamer is a great pitch, but it needs something to play off of to keep hitters from sitting on it. Even the truly exceptional pitchers who only really needed one pitch to thrive were relievers who didn’t have to face guys more than once. Woo’s arsenal has really needed that sinker to contrast with his four-seamer.
Solutions are hard to come by.
Despite how the Mariners brass talks about it, his breaking balls aren’t that good. He’s often gotten decent results with them, as he did against the Braves, but I think that’s an effect of using them sparingly. Hitters aren’t ready for those breaking balls. It’s not that the pitches themselves are all that good.
One flag to plant here is that his changeup has looked better than ever, and maybe that can be the answer. But I’ve been saying that developing a better changeup is a good idea for Woo for years, and it’s just 34 changeups so far, so I don’t want to get over my skis on that.
Another possible answer is that the issue really is what Woo hinted at: that it’s a question of throwing with conviction. That seems eminently fixable.
And even if there is no answer, I can’t dismiss the possibility that this just doesn’t matter at all. He did just fine against the Braves—one of the best lineups in baseball—while throwing four-seamers two-thirds of the time. And I’ve long since learned not to doubt how Bryan Woo butters his bread. All this time it’s felt like it shouldn’t work, but it still did. Wombats poop in perfect cubes; some things are weird as hell and true anyway. That’s kind of Bryan Woo’s whole deal.
But I can’t help but worry that the one start against the Braves was a magic trick. The Braves weren’t sitting on the four-seamer yet. Why would they when it was the first time Woo had committed to that pitch so strongly? If that becomes the norm, the scouting report will get out in a hurry and who knows what happens next. Tonight’s test against Houston will tell us a lot. But until it’s over, I’m still holding my breath.
