It’s time to predict how the season will play out! How will the Royals do? Who will win MVP? Who will end up playing in the World Series?
Give us your predictions on the Royals, the playoffs, and awards for the 2026 season by filling out this short survey. You can see last year’s predictions here. We’ll unveil what the readers predicted on Wednesday, plus predictions from our writers.
If you are having trouble reading the form on this site, you can go to this link.
Follow all of Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round games with USA TODAY Sports' live updates.
The unpredictability of Dan Hurley and Mick Cronin on the sidelines will draw a spotlight, but it's what happens on the court that will determine whether UConn or UCLA reach the Sweet 16.
The No. 2 Huskies messed around a little bit No. 15 Furman before putting the Paladins away, 82-71. UConn was shorthanded without point guards Silas Demary Jr. and Jaylin Stewart.
Demary listed as questionable on the NCAA's availability report for today's game vs. the No. 10 seed Bruins, and the Huskies will hope to have their point guard back.
No. 7 UCLA beat 10th-seeded UCF in 75-71 in the first round. The Bruins controlled most of the game but had some nervy moments late. Eric Dailey Jr. led the way with 20 points, with Trent Perry and Xavier Booker adding 15 each.
The winner of today's game advances to next week's Sweet 16 against No. 3 seed Michigan State in Washington D.C.
Here's what you need to know for today's game:
HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| UCLA | — | — | — |
| UConn | — | — | — |
Odds provided by BetMGM, as of 1 p.m., Sunday.
Hurley and Cronin are among the more volatile coaches on the bench. Put them together and there's a chance for a sideline explosion.
"It’s ridiculous. Everybody needs to get a life," Cronin said Saturday, March 21 when asked if he cares about how people perceive Hurley and himself. "You want to win big? Do you think Coach Hurley’s not supposed to be intense, but you want to win? We’re not coaching Little League."
The 6-4 guard was held out of UConn's first-round win over 15-seed Furman at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday, March 20 as he continues to rehab from an ankle injury he sustained in the Big East Tournament.
He was listed as questionable for the March 22 second-round game against the 10-seed Bruins in the NCAA's initial player availability report.
Murray's son Luke Murray is an associate head coach on the Huskies' coaching staff.
Luke Murray is in his fifth season on the UConn bench. Before taking the Huskies assistant job in 2021, he was an assistant at both Xavier and Louisville under now the College of Charleston coach Chris Mack. He is in his ninth season on Hurley's staff across three different stops.
Reid scored 31 points and pulled down 27 rebounds in the Huskies' first round win over Furman.
The 6-11 forward became the first player since Houston's Elvin Hayes in 1968 to finish with at least 30 points and 25 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game.
"That's as good as you are ever going to see it," UConn coach Dan Hurley said of Reed's performance after his team's 82-71 win over Furman to a group of reporters outside the Huskies locker room.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn vs UCLA live score updates, highlights from March Madness Round 2
No.
…
Wait, you want more? How about in bold?
No.
Ok, I guess I should probably show my working a little bit. So what I did was gather up the D-backs’ spring training results for each season since 2003 (which is where ESPN’s statistics begin), with the exception of 2020 – when both spring training and the regular season were kinda half-assed. I took the win percentage of the team that spring (ties, which are a thing in the Cactus League, were discarded) and plotted it against the regular season record for the same year. If there was any kind of correlation, you’d expect there to be a visible line. Here’s what the graph actually looks like:
Yeah, I’m not really seeing it, unless I squint particularly hard. Far and away the best spring record was in 2016, when the Diamondbacks went 24-8, the best spring record in the majors by 2.5 games. If you don’t remember much else about the 2016 season, there’s good reason for that. Conversely, one of the worst springs came in 2011, when Arizona went 12-25, the lowest win percentage in the Cactus League. But that ended up being the last time the team won the division, doing so by a comfortable eight-game margin. All told, the correlation between spring and regular season records is .105 – pretty weak.
That figure is roughly in line with an earlier and broader study, carried out in 2002. It concluded, “The correlation between spring records and regular season records is .15… For comparison, the correlation between last year’s regular season record and this year’s regular season record during the same period is a much stronger .52.” In other words, if you want to see how a team is going to do this year, looking at how they did last year is going to be a far better predictor, than what they are doing in spring. There are a lot of reasons for this, mostly connected to the fact that teams are simply not trying their utmost to win Cactus League games.
We see this in line-ups which become a game of “Who’s he?” after the fifth inning. In pitchers who enter a game more interested in refining a particular pitch – or perhaps, trying out a new one – than getting people out. In outfielders not putting their bodies on the line to make preseason plays which could end up in injury. In schedules which don’t reflect the regular season – this spring, the D-backs play the White Sox as often as any NL West opponent. In veterans who, let’s be honest, aren’t fighting for a roster spot, know exactly what they need to do to be ready, and are understandably disinclined to do any more.
There is an argument to be made that there is a connection, but it’s diluted by time. After all, the Opening Day roster for the D-backs in 2025, was radically different from the one which took the field after the trade deadline. [As a rough check, of the fourteen players to appear in the D-backs’ August 1 game against the Athletics, only half were on the Opening Day roster] So, let’s plot Arizona’s spring training record against what the team does at the very start of the season, with their record through the end of April that season. Maybe that will show a greater degree of correlation?
…or not. “Not” works too. Indeed, and slightly weirdly, there is actually less correlation, with a figure of just .007. It does vary. Last year, the numbers were actually fairly close: 17-14 in spring, then 16-14 through the end of April. But over three consecutive seasons either side of COVID, from 2018 through 2021, there was a gap of more than 150 points in the win percentages. The all-time gap, however, belongs to 2008, at a whopping 314 points. The Diamondbacks went an underwhelming 8-12 in spring, then roared out of the gate with a 20-8 record, before… Yeah, it kinda was downhill for them thereafter.
It does all average out over time. The composite record from 2003-25 (again, excluding 2020) comes in at a win percentage of .495, which sits almost exactly between the team’s record through April (.510) and their mark across all regular season games (.478) over the same period. The D-backs have generally been… well, mediocre over the past twenty-plus years and that is reflected in general mediocrity before Opening Day. Might be interesting to see whether or not that applies to, say, the Dodgers: are they as good in spring as they have been during the regular season? But, meh. It’s the Dodgers, so who cares?
Below is the actual data used in the graphs. Told you I’d show my working. 🙂
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame's Ahmed Hesham won the men's saber on Sunday, and the Fighting Irish men joined the women in winning the inaugural three-weapon national championship at the Joyce Center.
Hesham defeated St. John's Adham Moataz 15-12 in the final after a third-place finish last season.
Notre Dame finished with 91 points, 10 better than runner-up Columbia. St. John's (63), Harvard (62) and Pennsylvania (58) rounded out the top five.
Notre Dame's Chase Emmer fell short in defense of his foil title after losing 15-8 to Columbia's Sam Kumbla in the final.
Fighting Irish freshman Kruz Schembri made it to the épée final before losing to North Carolina's Youssef Shamel 15-7.
The Fighting Irish trio led all three disciplines after the first day.
Notre Dame won 14 co-ed championships, including six of the last eight. The Fighting Irish won last season's title in the final year of the combined men's and women's team championship.
Notre Dame edged Columbia 102-99 on Friday to win the first women's three-weapon title. Eszter Muhan won the épée for the Irish.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Mets top outfield prospect Carson Benge entered 2026 spring training with every chance to not only win a spot on the Opening Day roster but also the starting job in right field.
And while the team concluded their Grapefruit League schedule with a 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon, Benge still does not yet know what his fate will be, telling reporters afterwards that he still has not been informed whether or not he has made the team.
“Still waiting,” he said with a smile.
On paper, Benge did everything he needed to, and then some, to make the club this spring. The 23-year-old hit .366 with a .435 OBP, driving in five runs and stealing a base. And that doesn’t include a home run that he hit in an exhibition game against Team Israel.
But even more than that, Benge looked the part, which was what the Mets wanted to see from him this spring. He worked the count, took pitches the other way, and looked good defensively in right field.
"I’m happy that I carried myself in a very good way and I showed everyone what kind of person I am, and I feel like that spoke the loudest for me," Benge said.
With Mike Tauchman heading for meniscus surgery, all signs point towards Benge not only making the team but starting on Thursday against Pirates ace Paul Skenes.
But whether Benge ends up making the club or not, he gained some invaluable experience by being around the team for all of 2026 camp.
"Just the level that these guys play at, day in and day out they put in the work," Benge said. "They put real focus into everything they do, from preparation, hydration, stuff on the field, and stuff off the field. That’s really what I picked up."
The Mets will pack up and head back to New York, where they'll play an intra-squad scrimmage game on Monday in preparation for Thursday's Opening Day.
Benge was unsure whether or not he'll be heading north with the big club, but he's ready to roll with the punches on whatever comes next.
"I’m excited to get out of here and play some ball, wherever that may be," he said.
Will Warren has set the tone this spring, and his final tune-up did not disappoint, as the Yankees defeated the Phillies 6-2 on Sunday afternoon.
In what turned into an eventful first inning, Warren had to work around a leadoff double by Kyle Schwarber. After the extra-base hit, Warren leaned on both his stuff and a little help from the challenge system. J.T. Realmuto had a borderline pitch called a ball, but catcher J.C. Escarra quickly signaled for a review. The call was overturned, giving Warren his first strikeout of the afternoon.
Bryce Harper followed with a challenge of his own the following at bat on a called strike and lost, then grounded out to move Schwarber to third, briefly putting pressure back on the Yankees’ right-hander.
With a runner 90 feet away, Warren went right back to work. After getting ahead in the count, he turned to the ABS system himself when a two-strike pitch at the top of the zone was called a ball. Warren’s challenge was successful and the call was overturned, strike three was awarded, and Schwarber was stranded at third to end the inning.
In total, the Yankees went 2-for-2 on successful challenges in the frame, while one additional challenge against them stood. The most aggressive team using the system this spring lived up to that billing early and often on Sunday.
After the leadoff hit, Warren retired 15 straight. His final line was all you could hope for and then some: five innings, six strikeouts, one hit, no walks, and just 62 pitches.
It was the perfect finishing touch on a strong spring for the still-official-nickname-less Will Warren. If he keeps pitching like this, he is going to need one. Wicked Willy? The Mississippi Magician? We’ll work on it.
Soon, the Yankees broke the gridlock. Following a successful challenge, Ryan McMahon put New York on the board with a single to center, scoring Giancarlo Stanton and moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third.
Jazz did not stay there long, coming home on Escarra’s hard-hit single to right as the Yankees pushed the lead to 2-0. Nola limited the damage from there, stranding two runners to end the fourth, but his afternoon would not last much longer.
In the bottom of the fifth, Aaron Judge put an emphatic end to Nola’s outing, launching a changeup over the left-field wall for one of his trademark, effortless rockets. The blast traveled 380 feet off the bat at 111.7 mph and would have left all 30 big league parks, a reminder that even in spring, Judge’s power plays anywhere.
The Yankees were not done in the inning. Ben Rice followed Judge’s home run with a double and later came around to score on a Chisholm single to right, extending the lead and continuing a strong offensive frame.
The Phillies threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs against Camilo Doval. Doval responded by strucking out Adolis García and then induced Edmundo Sosa into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play, escaping the jam and preserving the Yankees’ lead.
The Phillies finally broke through in the top of the eighth against left-hander Tim Hill. Schwarber got all of a sinker and drove it out to left, cutting the Yankees’ lead in half at 4-2.
The Yankees answered right back in the bottom of the eighth.
Max Schuemann laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Oswaldo Cabrera, pushing the lead back to three. Moments later, Amed Rosario followed with a single up the middle, scoring Kyle West making the score were it would finish at 6-2.
The Yankees now head west to wrap up spring training with a two-game matchup against the Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.
First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET, with the game available on WFAN 660 AM for Yankees listeners and 104.3 The Score for Cubs coverage. Carlos Lagrange is expected to get the start for New York, while Shota Imanaga is lined up for Chicago.
Following an altercation on the global stage, Seattle teammates have returned their focus to Opening Day.
Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena revealed Saturday that he has apologized to teammate Cal Raleigh, following his flagrant rant aimed at the superstar catcher earlier this month at the World Baseball Classic.
In a statement released through the club, the two-time All-Star emphasized that there’s no bad blood between the “brothers and teammates.”
“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction,” Arozarena said. “Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates.”
The Mariners sluggers sparked controversy at the WBC while pitted against each other during Team USA’s 5-3 group stage win over Mexico on March 9.
Raleigh, behind the dish for the U.S., spurned a handshake from Arozarena as he came up to bat, the same non-greeting that Mexico’s star outfielder received from U.S. catcher Will Smith at the 2023 WBC.
Even so, Arozarena didn’t take kindly to being slighted by his longtime teammate — with whom he’s played since 2024 and helped punch Seattle’s first ticket to the ALCS since 2001 — going off on a profanity-laced tirade in Spanish to Mexican journalist Luis Gilbert after the game.
Raleigh immediately brushed off the situation, saying the pair had already spoken and that it wasn’t a “big deal at all.”
In case there was any doubt, the reigning MLB home run king reiterated his comments on Saturday, telling reporters that he and Arozarena are both ready to put the past behind them.
“We talked it out, and everything went great,” Raleigh said, via MLB.com. “Randy knows that I love him, and he’s a brother, and it’s in the past and none of us are carrying this forward. We’re in a good spot. We talked it out. We were both sorry, and we both got in a good place and we’re both happy to be here, too.
“It was really good walking in the door and seeing everybody. As fun as [the WBC] was, it was nice to feel back here. It feels like the family’s all back together in a way.”
Mariners skipper Dan Wilson applauded Seattle’s united clubhouse, underscoring that he wasn’t shocked by Arozarena’s apology — and that everyone’s focused on the same goal.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Wilson said, via MLB.com. “That’s what we’ve talked about in that clubhouse. It’s just a special group. They love each other, and yeah, it’s time. I think we’re all ready to get back to Seattle and get this thing started.”
The defending AL West champs open their season at home against the Guardians on Thursday.
It was another very early Sunday matinee affair as the Colorado Avalanche briefly visited the Nation’s Capital on their east coast swing to take on the Washington Capitals. It wasn’t pretty but Colorado woke from their slumber in the third period and survived until overtime to take home the 3-2 win and maintain a five-point lead in the Central division race.
One welcome surprise was the return of the captain to the lineup as Gabe Landeskog was deemed sufficiently recovered from his “uncomfortable” lower-body injury.
The Game
The visitors must have still been on mountain time because it was a sleepy start for the Avalanche. They only mustered six shots on goal in the first period and gave the Capitals the first score of the game. Washington super rookie Justin Sourdif converted on a breakaway on a defensive miscue by Val Nichushkin and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Truly nothing happened in the second period as the teams traded unsuccessful power plays. The Avalanche put up eight shots on goal this frame and looked a little bit more dangerous but still nothing on the scoreboard. After 40 minutes of play Washington continued to hold on to their one-goal lead.
In the third period Colorado decided it was finally time to win the game. Early into the frame Gabe Landeskog took advantage of a Logan Thompson miscue as the netminder misplayed the puck after vacating the crease and Gabe Landeskog an open cage to shoot at to tie the game. Then by the midpoint Colorado took the lead as Zakhar Bardakov found Nic Roy open in the slot to put the Avalanche up 2-1.
After that Colorado was almost ready to lock it down and sneak out of town with a win but the great Alex Ovechkin did what he does best and sniped a power play goal to tie the game 2-2 with five minutes remaining. It was his milestone 1000th career goal combining regular season and playoffs.
Back to the task at hand, both teams managed to get the game to overtime. There it didn’t take long as Matin Nečas found his legs and wouldn’t give up the puck. After several tries he found Brock Nelson open for the tip-in and secured the 3-2 Colorado win.
Takeaways
With Landeskog back in the lineup and hopefully some other injured forwards making their return soon it will be interesting to see how the lines are constructed for the remainder of the regular season. In today’s game Nichushkin started on the top line but he clearly did not have his best game and eventually Landeskog found his way up the lineup. Considering that’s how Colorado’s first goal was scored it will probably remain that way for now.
Also it’s worth monitoring how the bottom six shakes out because it seems Jared Bednar is keen to keep the trio of Parker Kelly-Jack Drury-Joel Kiviranta together. This means Nic Roy was on the fourth line with Gavin Brindley and Zakhar Bardakov, who will surely get replaced with returning veterans soon.
Upcoming
A rematch with the Pittsburgh Penguins to avenge the ugly 7-2 loss from a week ago. Puck drop is at 5 p.m. MT on Tuesday, March 24th.
Follow all of Sunday's NCAA Tournament second round games with USA TODAY Sports' live updates.
No. 1 seed Arizona made it look easy against No. 16 Long Island in the first round, even if Wildcats players said it wasn't.
Arizona jumped out to a 27-point lead in the first half and got at least 14 points from three freshman starters and coasted to a 92-58 win over the Sharks.
No. 9 Utah State played in a much closer game, surviving No. 8 Villanova, 86-76, in one of the more entertaining first round games.
Mason Falslev had 22 points and MJ Collins Jr. had 20 points as Jerrod Calhoun's Aggies put on an offensive clinic that had broadcasters and studio analysts gushing afterward.
The winner of today's game advances to next week's Sweet 16 to play No. 4 Arkansas in San Jose.
Here's what you need to know about today's game.
HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Utah State | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
∎ Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: Arizona 83, Utah State 72
The Wildcats are seeking their first Final Four appearance since 2001. They will get one step closer with a win over Utah State, although it won't come quite as easily as the win over Long Island.
"This guy is an offensive genius," CBS commentator and former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said of Calhoun during Utah State's first round win over Villanova.
CBS Sports analyst Jamal Mashburn, who played 11 NBA seasons, also had high praise for Calhoun and what he's done with the Aggies program.
"Just a masterful job of what he's been able to do," Mashburn said. "Teach these kids how to play that way, and also put them in a position to be aggressive and not be afraid to make mistakes."
Even TNT Sports host Adam Lefkoe had to admire Calhoun's coaching prowess.
"Many of you have not seen Utah State. But we sat here and went, 'Coaches around the country need to steal their plays.' Hopefully they don't steal their players," Lefkoe said. "Utah State's offense was phenomenal. ... Let's look at the highlights because almost every play you see is a masterclass from coach Calhoun."
Calhoun, who's in his second season as head coach at Utah State, is being linked with a number of power conference openings, including Cincinnati.
An Ohio native, Calhoun got his start in coaching as a student assistant on the Bearcats staff in 2003-04. He spent seven years as head coach at Ohio's Youngstown State before heading to USU.
"Calhoun is going to be great walking the sidelines at UC," former Bearcat great Nick Van Exel tweeted after Calhoun's Aggies defeated Villanova. "Offense is great. Lots of ball/body movement and paint touches. And he gets the history of the program and understands that the UC vs X is a rivalry and not just another game."
No. 19 overall to Miami Heat
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
The Miami Heat have drafted several prospects known for their athleticism, which means a player like Arizona forward Koa Peat will probably have some appeal to their organization. Peat is an ideal match for this franchise given his versatility as a playmaking forward. The All-Big 12 forward just needs a jumper to carve out regular minutes as a high-impact pro. Arizona plays at a significantly faster pace (4.6 extra possessions) when Peat is on the floor relative to when he is not, per CBB Analytics, which would fit very well with Miamis fastest-paced offense in the NBA.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here
(all stats as of March 15)
No. 10 overall to Milwaukee Bucks.
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
Arizona freshman Brayden Burries had two breakout games in January, which helped solidify his draft stock. But the All-Big 12 guard has continued to display his tantalizing talent, scoring 31 points with seven rebounds and five steals against Colorado on March 7 and 20 points with 12 rebounds and five assists during a victory against No. 14 Kansas on Feb. 28. Burries has proven productivity and that he is able to defend, relocate, move the ball and make 3-pointers off the dribble.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft here
(all stats as of March 15)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona vs Utah State live score updates, highlights from March Madness Round 2
BOSTON — Paul Pierce is no stranger to winning at TD Garden. So, when the 10-time NBA All-Star and Celtics champion took the parquet for a three-point competition on Sunday afternoon, it felt just like the good ol’ days.
Pierce competed in the Celtics’ first annual Causeway Classic three-point shooting competition, going up against former ‘08 teammates Brian Scalabrine and Leon Powe, as well as former Celtic Evan Turner. The event, presented by Ticketmaster and held in front of Season Ticket members at the Garden, began with a first round that included all four competitors, and a final round between Pierce and Scalabrine.
Despite a cold start in the finals, Pierce edged out Scalabrine to win the inaugural competition.
Then, in a postgame interview with 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, Pierce jokingly shouted, “We did it!” and “Anything is possible!” an ode to the words he and Kevin Garnett yelled out as confetti fell, moments after the 2008 championship became officially theirs.
The former Finals MVP then spent his post-competition press conference advocating for this current group of Celtics, who have exceeded expectations.
He began with Jaylen Brown, who is averaging 28.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game this season — all-career highs. Pierce has been very impressed with Brown’s 2025-2026, which included setting a new franchise record for most consecutive 30+ point games (9).
“Brown is having an MVP season,” Pierce said. “Not enough is being said on how he’s held down the fort pretty much all year. To still elevate your game in your 10th year is pretty amazing, because most of the time, guys are who they are by the time they are in their 4th or 5th year.”
“It’s just unfortunate that he’s not in MVP talks like he should be,” Pierce said.
Pierce also showed love to Joe Mazzulla, who has led the Celtics to a 47-23 record this season despite critical offseason departures and Jayson Tatum’s Achilles rupture.
“This is just a testament of who Coach Mazzulla; he’s hands down the Coach of the Year,” Pierce said. “Coach Mazzulla hasn’t gotten enough credit for what he’s done to develop some of these young guys.“
Many former Celtics have maintained they’re not surprised at how much success the Celtics have had this season, but Pierce is not in the camp. He’s happy to admit he did not see this level of success coming so quickly.
“A lot of us was like, you know, not this year, maybe next year,” Pierce said. “Now, we’re weeks away from the playoffs, talking about we can actually win the East and be in the Finals.”
Pierce said he’ll be seeing Tatum for the first time since his return on Sunday evening, when the Celtics face the Minnesota Timberwolves. He briefly checked in with Tatum during his recovery, but said he wanted to give Tatum his space as he worked toward his recovery, recalling how Kevin Garnett went about his rehab in 2009 when the two were teammates.
Nowadays, Pierce lives in Los Angeles, but said he always likes to see Tatum, Brown, and others on the road when they come through his city. Staying connected to the Celtics organization feels important, and it’s something that Mazzulla has always encouraged during his tenure as head coach.
That’s how it was when Pierce was a player, too.
“When I was coming up, there’d be times when I’d always look up, and I’d see Bob Cousy, I’d see John Havlicek, JoJo White — so it’s always been like that,” Pierce said. “And these guys will come to our practice also. And it was always open arms to the former players who helped build this place, who helped decorate this place. And that’s what Celtic culture is – it lives on through our history, through our culture. That’s something that’s always gonna be, no matter who’s here, as players or coaches or owners — the former players who helped build this arena, they always will be invited back, no matter who’s here.”
Pierce also explained why he uses his platform to shine light on the current Celtics’ success. He feels that in recent years, Celtics athletes have been snubbed, and pointed to the 2024 US Olympic basketball team as the latest example. Brown was left off that team just weeks after winning Finals MVP, and Tatum largely fell out of the rotation, just weeks after the two led the Celtics to the 2024 championship.
“I feel like Boston players don’t get their just due, for the most part,” Pierce said. “Obviously, Brown not being in the Olympics, Tatum not getting the minutes. I’m always advocating and pushing for them and fighting for them.”
Why does he think Boston athletes are often overlooked?
Pierce laughed when posed that question, pointing to what he perceives as envy from other parts of the country.
“I’d be jealous! We have everything,” Pierce said, with a grin. “We got the most championships — probably the best sports city in all of America.”
LeBron James has added another NBA record to his resume.
With his appearance in the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Orlando Magic March 21, the 22-time NBA All-Star broke Robert Parrish's all-time games played record. Now, LeBron stands alone with 1,612 games played in his career.
While James has numerous iconic moments under his belt, any NBA fan can probably pinpoint one or two moments where the four-time MVP went off against their favorite team. It may not be a fond memory for them, but it's just another example of the type of legacy James has left on the league.
But which team has James played the most games against? Has he won a game against every team in the league? Has he won a playoff game against every team in the league? Here's a full breakdown of James' 1,612 career games (and 292 playoff games).
*- record against each team is listed in parentheses following total games played
NOTE: Teams no longer in existence (e.g. Seattle Supersonics, New Jersey Nets, etc.) are not listed, but are counted as part of the franchise's current location (e.g. Supersonics are counted with Oklahoma City Thunder).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James games played, record, playoff success vs every NBA Team
The Mets rounded out their 2026 Grapefruit League schedule with a 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins.
-- The Mets trotted out what’s likely to be their Opening Day lineup, minus Francisco Alvarez:
The Mets play their final spring training game today in Jupiter against the Marlins
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 22, 2026
⏰: 1:10 p.m. pic.twitter.com/SIKNnN46yp
But even with that much punch in the lineup, the Mets couldn’t do much of anything against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, until they started a rally in the fourth. Alcantara didn't allow a hit until a Francisco Lindor single off the first baseman's glove in the fourth inning. Juan Soto followed with a single of his own, and Bo Bichette then ripped a double into the left field corner to give the Mets their first run of the day. A Jorge Polanco sac fly to left and a Brett Baty single up the middle made it a three-run inning for the Mets.
Alcantara was pulled in fourth but came back out to pitch the fifth. In all, the righty went 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out six without a walk.
-- David Peterson made his final start of the spring for the Mets. After a pair of scoreless innings, the tall lefty allowed a run in the third on a pair of singles and wild pitch. He got into another jam in the fourth, with runners at first and third and one out, but a pickoff at first base followed by a strikeout on the next pitch quickly ended the threat.
Peterson went 5.0 inning, allowing one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. His ERA for the spring was 4.15.
--Carson Benge showed off another aspect of his overall game, dropping a bunt single off Alcantara and advancing to second on a throwing error. Benge went 1-for-3, and with Mike Tauchman to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus, it sure appears like Benge will be the Opening Day right fielder. He finished his spring with a .366 average.
-- Luke Weaver didn’t end his spring on a high note. The right-handed reliever entered to pitch the sixth, but his command was all over the place. Weaver recorded just one out and walked three, leaving with the bases loaded.
He’d ultimately be charged with one earned run, and he finished his spring with an ERA of 2.08.
--Lindor went 1-for-4, ending his shortened spring training with a .158 average. Bichette and Baty both ended their springs with identical .333 batting averages.
A 1-2-3 first inning for David Peterson! 👏 pic.twitter.com/9SwadL2Wny
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 22, 2026
Bo Bichette's RBI double puts the Mets on the board! pic.twitter.com/LX3Qo7tMzZ
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 22, 2026
Baty keeps it going! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Nnvxs3HC1f
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 22, 2026
The Mets host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday for Opening Day, with first pitch set for 1:15 p.m.
Freddy Peralta will start against reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at utility guy Donovan Solano.
Donovan Solano was just barely a Texas Ranger in 2025. Signed to a minor league deal in early September, after he had been released by the Seattle Mariners, Solano played in 10 games for Round Rock in September before their season ended.
One week later, Josh Smith went on the paternity list prior to the Rangers’ final series of the season, in Cleveland. Needing someone who could play the infield to round out the roster for the final three games, the Rangers selected Solano’s contract. To the extent there was any discussion about it at the time, it was about why the Rangers opted for him, rather than Justin Foscue, who was already on the 40 man roster.
Solano started at second base for the Rangers in Game 161, and went 0 for 3. He came into Game 162 in the bottom of the 9th, after Joc Pederson had pinch hit for starting second baseman Cody Freeman, and didn’t get a plate appearance.
Solano is currently, as I type this, a 38 year old free agent. He played for Colombia in the WBC in this year’s competition, going 1 for 10 with 7 walks and 4 strikeouts, giving him an entertaining .100/.471/.100 slash line.
Under the circumstances, it seems likely Solano’s professional career is over.
Solano has had an unusual career arc. Signed in 2005 by the St. Louis Cardinals, he never was added to their 40 man roster, and became a minor league free agent after the 2011 season. He spent a few years in a part-time role with the Marlins from 2012-14, primarily playing second base, then was released at the end of the 2015 season after a .189/.215/.244 slash line in 94 plate appearances.
Solano signed with the Yankees, but spent most of 2016 in the minors, getting just nine games in the bigs that year, and then spent all of 2017 and 2018 in AAA, with the Yankees in 2017 and the Dodgers in 2018. Solano, aged 31, was signed by the San Francisco Giants for the 2019 season, and it seemed then that he was probably done as a major leaguer, other than possibly the occasional cameo when there was a need for a short-term replacement.
Nonetheless, Solano’s 2019 was the start of an unexpected and surprising six year run as a useful major league role player. Called up by the Giants after six weeks in AAA, Solano slashed .330/.360/.456 in 228 plate appearances. He followed that up with a .326/.365/.463 slash line in 54 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, winning the Silver Slugger Award for second base.
Solano became eligible for free agency after 2021 — another solid year with the Giants — and he signed a one year deal with Cincinnati, followed by a one year deal with Minnesota for 2023. In 2024, Solano didn’t sign until mid-April, with the San Diego Padres, but once he did, he put up a 760 OPS in 309 plate appearances.
Solano shifted to play more first base and third base after he left San Francisco, and with the Mariners in 2025, he played almost exclusively first base. His .247/.291/.337 slash line wasn’t first base production, however, and especially once the M’s acquired Josh Naylor, Solano became superfluous, resulting in his ultimately being cut loose on September 1.
Father Time catches up with us all, and it looks like it has for Solano. Still, it is worth taking a moment to appreciate the unlikely, unexpected run he had from 2019-24, from age 31-36, when he put up a 7.6 bWAR and .294/.353/.415 slash line in 546 games. Pretty remarkable for a guy who had a 0.1 bWAR and .257/.306/.331 slash line in 370 games from age 24-28, and spent most of three years stuck in AAA as a major league veteran holding on for another chance.
Previously:
Tennessee's star freshman is playing in the NCAA Tournament banged up.
Forward Nate Ament is pushing through the Big Dance with an injury that has been bothering him for nearly a month, and kept him out of the last week of the regular season. While he did play in the first round game against Miami (Ohio), he clearly wasn't 100%. Ament didn't score in the 18 minutes of action.
It was a concerning outing, and will be something to monitor as the Volunteers continue their March Madness run. So how will it affect Ament's status for the second round matchup against Virginia?
Yes, Ament will play. The All-SEC freshman is still dealing with soreness but expects to play against the Cavaliers and through the rest of the tournament.
"There's no chance I'd sit out a March Madness game," he said. "It's about what can we do to get back to 100%, or as close to it as we can."
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes called the injury a "problem," and Ament won't be fully healthy until he gets time off at the end of the season. While he will play, it's unknown if there will be a minutes restriction, as it will all depend on how he looks and feels
"We need Nate. He knows it, but he will give us everything that he can, and that's really all I can say about it. If it's up to him, he would play every minute if he could. We'll see game time," Barnes said.
Ament suffered a high ankle sprain against Missouri on Feb. 24, and then hurt his knee in the next game against Alabama on Feb. 28. He missed the final two regular season games as a result.
Ament averages 17 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nate Ament injury update: Will Vols star play vs. Virginia in March Madness?
With Opening Day less than a week away, you almost wish Spring Training ended with this – – the Spring Breakout game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Here, we’ll see a grip of guys with a lot of promise square up against the product of what MLB.com is calling the #1 ranked farm system in all of baseball.
On that list, the A’s came in at #18. Not terribly great and a little surprising, given how much young talent the team seems to have. It’s also been a Spring Training highlighted by the performance of some of these players listed in the starting lineup
Yes, all eyes will be on Leo De Vries and starting pitcher Jamie Arnold. But me personally? I’m anxious to see how the young Breyson Guedez performs. He initially caught my eye when he took Michael King deep a week or so ago. His swing reminds me of Terrence Long and he’s only 18! So much potential there.
Sure, Tommy “Tanks” White has become the Glen Powell of the A’s farm system, though that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be giving two-way player Shotaro Morii a little love too. He’ll be starting at second base and possibly throwing a few frames? We’ll see. The A’s are carrying a lot of arms I’d like see heave, such as Gage Jump and Braden Nett. I’m curious to how they’ll roll these guys out over nine innings against the Brewers.
Fun day at the yard! This’ll be the last Spring Breakout game before tournament play kicks in next spring. Last year saw the A’s beat up on the San Diego Padres in a game that featured Nick Kurtz, Luis Morales, Max Muncy, Denzel Clarke, and Colby Thomas!
Besides Leo De Vries (because of course) who is a player you’re not only excited to see play today but also hope will be wearing the green and gold in the big ‘26?