Their megastar over the last eight years was nearly 3,000 miles away, talking about trying to win a championship in Philadelphia.
It was weird.
This has never happened to the Lakers before. A superstar has never chosen to leave the purple and gold. Let that sink in for a second.
LeBron James left the Lakers this offseason. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
The Lakers’ biggest stars have all opted to end their careers in Los Angeles, including Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. Some superstars have been traded, such as Shaquille O’Neal.
But none have chosen to leave.
So, things felt a little odd at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo on Monday.
There were fewer reporters. There was less sparkle. Less intrigue.
The longest-tenured player on the Lakers now? Austin Reaves. The most charismatic? Arguably Walker Kessler, who keeps talking about wanting to run through walls for the Lakers.
Sure, James not being on the Lakers is old news. He chose to sign a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers in free agency in July. But this is the first time we saw it. This is the first time we felt it.
James was wearing a blue and red jersey. And the Lakers were really without him.
LeBron James poses for a photo during media day in Camden, N.J. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Some people think they’re better off.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said Thursday that this is the first time since he took over the helm in June 2024 that all of the pieces fit.
Doncic didn’t hesitate when asked how he feels now that the Lakers are his team.
“It feels great,” Doncic said. “…I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me.”
Even Bronny James didn’t blink when asked about his father taking his talents across the country.
“We’re men of very little words when it comes to talking about business and what we’re going to do and how we feel about each other, so there wasn’t really much to be honest with you,” Bronny James said of their discussions over the summer. “I mean he’s got his own path and I got my own. So he knows that I want to make a name for myself and continue my career and keep growing as a player. And he knows that I want to focus on that.”
The world moves on.
Reaves praised James for giving him the cheat code on how to care for his body. Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said Thursday that James’ tenure with the Lakers was a “great era.”
But this is a new phenomenon for a team that has seen it all while under the harshest of microscopes in the NBA.
Maybe the Lakers wanted to move on from James. Maybe James felt underappreciated. Maybe he wanted a fresh start. Maybe all of that is true.
James is still one of the top players in the league at age 41, having single-handedly carried the Lakers to a 3-0 lead over the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs last season without Doncic and Reaves.
But his time with the Lakers had turned stale. Pelinka spent the offseason tailoring the roster around Doncic, including emptying out the cupboard for Walker Kessler. The Lakers are ready to move forward.
Luka Doncic attends media day at the UCLA Health Training Center on Monday, September 28, 2026, in El Segundo, California. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It’s a major period of transition for a franchise that has no patience for anything but winning.
Not only did James leave, but the Lakers experienced their second ownership change in 14 months after being under the Buss family’s reign for 47 years. It’s a lot.
But there’s also a lot of optimism around the Lakers.
Doncic is healthy after suffering a strained hamstring in April that sidelined him for the playoffs. Reaves is already stepping up as a leader. Walker wants nothing more than to prove that he was worth the Lakers sending two unprotected first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps to Utah to acquire him.
There are nine new players. They’re all thrilled to be playing for a franchise that has won 17 NBA championships. They’re all excited to share the court with Doncic.
But there’s also a weird feeling in Laker Land.
LeBron James is gone.
He chose to leave.
And let’s call it like it is: That dulls the shine on the purple and gold.
“The key was I was playing great golf,” Doncic said. “He gave me some strokes, I’m not going to lie — as he should.”
Reaves spoke about the events his group won in Slovenia and how they beat Doncic in the process.
“We won the rowing, we won the golf, we won bowling,” Reaves said. “Luka tried to put on a blue shirt when his rowing team lost, which is crazy. But he did host us, so we let him hold the first-place trophy for once.”
The two friends and teammates have developed a closeness that their teammates have noticed.
“They get along so well that it’s kind of easy for them to co-lead this team — in different ways sometimes,” Jake LaRavia said. “I think sometimes Luka leads by example and we watch him and we watch how he goes about himself. AR can sometimes be a bit more vocal. But I think they both do a great job at what they are good at it when it comes to being leaders for this team.”
Doncic led the NBA in scoring last season (33.5 points per game) and was third in assists (8.3). He averaged 7.7 rebounds and shot 47.6%, including 36.6% from three-point range.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic speaks during the team's media day in El Segundo on Monday. (Eric Thaye r/ Los Angeles Times)
The three-year, $165-million contract extension Doncic signed last year kicked in this season.
“Obviously, it’s a new challenge,” he said about his leadership role. “I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me. But I feel great, I feel excited, and like I said, I’m ready to go. It’s been a long time since I played basketball, so I’m ready.”
Reaves is entering his sixth season with the Lakers, making him the longest-tenured player on the team. In June, he signed a four-year, $180-million deal, the largest contract for an undrafted player in NBA history.
Reaves earned it by averaging career-highs in points (23.2) and rebounds (4.7).
The Lakers have nine new players and Reaves knows he’ll need to provide guidance.
“I think it’s different for everybody,” Reaves said. “I’m not going to lead the same way Bron does. I’m not going to lead the same way Luka does. I like to do things a little different. I was talking about doing more one-on-one conversations. There will be times where I need to speak up in group settings and I’ll do that when the time comes. But I think you just got to be true to yourself and do what’s comfortable for you.”
Doncic played in just 64 games last season. He missed the last five regular-season games and all of the playoffs with a left hamstring strain. After spending time in Europe rehabbing his hamstring over the summer, Doncic said he’s healthy and ready to go with no restrictions when the Lakers begin training camp Tuesday.
“I know I had a lot of time, just taking it slowly, not taking no risks,” Doncic said. “But right now, I’m feeling great. I feel rested. Mentally I feel great, so I can’t wait just to start.”
With Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Kevon Looney, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams among the newcomers on the Lakers, Doncic and Reaves are looking forward to what comes next.
“I like everybody that we signed,” Doncic said. “I think there’s a lot of underrated guys. ... Now training camp is going to help us a lot, focus on basketball, get to know what they like on the court, but I’m very excited to play with all of them.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 22: Khaman Maluach #10 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns celebrate during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There is no one more important to the future of the Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker’s legacy than second-year center Khaman Maluach. Selected 10th overall in the 2025 Draft and with rare physical attributes, the Duke alum had a dominant Las Vegas Summer League showing, averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds, earning him an All-Summer League Second team selection. With Mark Williams sidelined for the foreseeable due to a shoulder injury, he’s got a golden opportunity to make a major leap, become the team’s starting center and prove that he can be a cornerstone piece next to Booker in building the next elite Suns team. He’s taking initiative to make sure he becomes the game changer the team envisions him as.
On media day Monday, Booker shared that the two worked out during the offseason after Maluach reached out. Booker had heavy praise for the 20-year old, saying he’s taken the “biggest leap,” out of anyone he’s seen this summer.
Devin Booker on working with Khaman Maluach during the summer.
"It's something that he reached out to me about. We would end up being in the gym at the same time late night and then one time he just texted me and was like 'Can we, can we get some work in together?' I think that… pic.twitter.com/oq1qcOhEUO
With Booker playing the best basketball of his career when Deandre Ayton was in conversations for being one of the best young centers in the NBA and playing at a high level, the strong words from the franchise’s best player bode well for Maluach’s chances to start.
What differentiates Maluach compared to the other centers that Booker’s played alongside is not only his physical attributes (he’s 7’1” with a 7’7” wingspan), but also his willingness and ability to shoot the three, something he improved on during the Summer, shooting 40% from three in Vegas after shooting just 24% from deep during his rookie campaign. Outside of Aron Baynes and Dario Šarić, he hasn’t played alongside many bigs who have the same potential to space the floor as he can.
Suns GM Brian Gregory said that he’s competing for the starting center spot and noted that he looks stronger and runs differently than a season ago. His biggest competitor for the position is Oso Ighodaro, who started 28 games last season, including all of the team’s playoff contests. Ighodaro is another one of the team’s best prospects, who made significant leaps in his second season and was the only Sun to play in all 82 games. His passing, durability and basketball awareness make him a valuable piece for the team’s offense.
While there’s a golden opportunity for the 2025 lottery pick to become the starter, Maluach says he just wants to do what’s best for the team, even if it means he comes off the bench.
I asked Khaman Maluach how he doesn’t let the pressure of competing for the team’s starting center spot get to him.
“It’s not like, oh who's gonna start or who's gonna play this kind of minutes. It’s what the team needs. If that night Oso is a good matchup for whatever center… pic.twitter.com/rAKdcsIKEU
While Booker’s praise of Maluach has made most of the headlines, the second-year big received a sea of compliments from his teammates and members of the organization on his character Monday, including newly signed guard Pat Spencer and team CEO Josh Bartelstein.
With many of the best teams’ rosters built on elite guard/big duos (The New York Knicks with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns and the Oklahoma City Thunder with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren), Khaman Maluach and Devin Booker are trying to take the first steps in building a rapport that can help them compete with the best of the Western Conference, and Maluach is making it easy for Booker to work with him.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 22: Khaman Maluach #10 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns celebrate during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There is no one more important to the future of the Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker’s legacy than second-year center Khaman Maluach. Selected 10th overall in the 2025 Draft and with rare physical attributes, the Duke alum had a dominant Las Vegas Summer League showing, averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds, earning him an All-Summer League Second team selection. With Mark Williams sidelined for the foreseeable due to a shoulder injury, he’s got a golden opportunity to make a major leap, become the team’s starting center and prove that he can be a cornerstone piece next to Booker in building the next elite Suns team. He’s taking initiative to make sure he becomes the game changer the team envisions him as.
On media day Monday, Booker shared that the two worked out during the offseason after Maluach reached out. Booker had heavy praise for the 20-year old, saying he’s taken the “biggest leap,” out of anyone he’s seen this summer.
Devin Booker on working with Khaman Maluach during the summer.
"It's something that he reached out to me about. We would end up being in the gym at the same time late night and then one time he just texted me and was like 'Can we, can we get some work in together?' I think that… pic.twitter.com/oq1qcOhEUO
With Booker playing the best basketball of his career when Deandre Ayton was in conversations for being one of the best young centers in the NBA and playing at a high level, the strong words from the franchise’s best player bode well for Maluach’s chances to start.
What differentiates Maluach compared to the other centers that Booker’s played alongside is not only his physical attributes (he’s 7’1” with a 7’7” wingspan), but also his willingness and ability to shoot the three, something he improved on during the Summer, shooting 40% from three in Vegas after shooting just 24% from deep during his rookie campaign. Outside of Aron Baynes and Dario Šarić, he hasn’t played alongside many bigs who have the same potential to space the floor as he can.
Suns GM Brian Gregory said that he’s competing for the starting center spot and noted that he looks stronger and runs differently than a season ago. His biggest competitor for the position is Oso Ighodaro, who started 28 games last season, including all of the team’s playoff contests. Ighodaro is another one of the team’s best prospects, who made significant leaps in his second season and was the only Sun to play in all 82 games. His passing, durability and basketball awareness make him a valuable piece for the team’s offense.
While there’s a golden opportunity for the 2025 lottery pick to become the starter, Maluach says he just wants to do what’s best for the team, even if it means he comes off the bench.
I asked Khaman Maluach how he doesn’t let the pressure of competing for the team’s starting center spot get to him.
“It’s not like, oh who's gonna start or who's gonna play this kind of minutes. It’s what the team needs. If that night Oso is a good matchup for whatever center… pic.twitter.com/rAKdcsIKEU
While Booker’s praise of Maluach has made most of the headlines, the second-year big received a sea of compliments from his teammates and members of the organization on his character Monday, including newly signed guard Pat Spencer and team CEO Josh Bartelstein.
With many of the best teams’ rosters built on elite guard/big duos (The New York Knicks with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns and the Oklahoma City Thunder with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren), Khaman Maluach and Devin Booker are trying to take the first steps in building a rapport that can help them compete with the best of the Western Conference, and Maluach is making it easy for Booker to work with him.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 14: Meleek Thomas #15 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at UNLV on July 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The season hasn’t started yet, but Meleek Thomas has already won over his teammates. The Cleveland Cavaliers spoke highly of their rookie during media day.
“That kid’s a dog,” said Donovan Mitchell. “He is who he thinks he is — he reminds me of myself.”
That’s a glowing endorsement from the franchise superstar. Mitchell has never shied away from supporting younger prospects. He took Jaylon Tyson under his wing last season, for instance. But going this far out on a limb to rave about a rookie is something special even for Mitchell.
That might be because Thomas is the type of rookie who makes a good first impression.
Thomas shined in Summer League, showcasing his three-level scoring ability while turning heads as a playmaker. He’s carried that forward into individual workouts and practices with the team.
“Ever since I first saw him, you see it in Summer League, then you have the camp, and I’m like, this dude is still going,” said Mitchell.
Clearly, Thomas is making himself stand out. He carries the bravado and the belief that he should have been a first-round talent, but follows it up with a work ethic to match. There is no entitlement to his game. Thomas is here to prove people wrong.
“He thinks that guy, but he is that guy,” said Nae’Qwan Tomlin. “He can really shoot the ball, he can play make, and he’s a dog too — he’s gritty, he likes to play defense.”
No one should expect Thomas to contribute heavily in his rookie season. It would be unfair to hold him to that standard. There’s no shame in taking a year to develop while being buried in the rotation of a team that just reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
With that said, teams that reach the ECF don’t usually roll into media day praising a second-round draft pick. That speaks to the type of player and person that Thomas is. He’s a smart kid who is eager to become the best version of himself.
“Every day, he wants to learn; he asks so many questions,” said Mitchell. “He’ll ask myself, he’ll ask James, TB [Thomas Bryant], the coaches. He’s the real deal, and I’m excited for him this year. ”
Although we had a general idea of what the San Jose Sharks' roster would look like when they take the ice on Thursday against the Florida Panthers, the organization has officially confirmed their 23-man roster ahead of the compliance deadline. On Monday afternoon, they announced who will remain in the NHL.
Forwards
Macklin Celebrini
Igor Chernyshov
Ty Dellandrea
Barclay Goodrow
Collin Graf
Brett Leason
Mason Marchment
Michael Misa
Zack Ostapchuk
Kiefer Sherwood
Will Smith
Ivar Stenberg
Tyler Toffoli
Alexander Wennberg
Defensemen
Nolan Allan
Luca Cagnoni
Sam Dickinson
Michael Kesselring
Darnell Nurse
Dmitry Orlov
Jacob Trouba
Goaltenders
Yaroslav Askarov
Alex Nedeljkovic
Additional Notes:
Injured Reserve
Alex Barre-Boulet
Logan Couture
Adam Gaudette
Non-Roster
Patrick Giles
Mattias Havelid
Kyle Keyser
Cam Lund
Quentin Musty
All non-roster players are expected to be reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda after they recover from their current injuries. Adam Gaudette is expected to remain in the NHL, however his role when he returns is still up in the air. Alex Barre-Boulet may get a depth role in the NHL when he returns, but only if there are other injuries at that time. Otherwise, he'll also likely be heading to the American Hockey League.
The MLB Postseason is set and boy, oh boy, are the Wild Card matchups exciting! We get Red Sox versus Yankees in the Wild Card back-to-back seasons, the young and surging White Sox take on the 81-81 Houston Astros and the presumable MVP Yordan Alvarez. The NL is just as good with two superstar packed matchups between the Braves and Phillies, plus the Cubs and Padres. Let's go over all the information for the playoffs, including seeding, scheduling, odds, and my best bets for the Wild Card series and World Series. All odds are via DraftKings.
American League Seeding
Tampa Bay Rays
Cleveland Guardians
Houston Astros
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
National League Seeding
Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Dodgers
Atlanta Braves
San Diego Padres
Chicago Cubs
Philadelphia Phillies
The 2026 MLB Wild Card Bracket:
American League:
Chicago White Sox (6) vs. Houston Astros (3) - Winner plays the Guardians (2)
Boston Red Sox (5) vs. New York Yankees (4) - Winner plays the Rays (1)
National League:
Philadelphia Phillies (6) vs. Atlanta Braves (3) - Winner plays the Dodgers (2)
Chicago Cubs (5) vs. San Diego Padres (4) - Winner plays the Brewers (1)
Wild Card Schedule 2026 on NBC & Peacock for Games 1 and 2 (September 29 & 30)
September 29
Pregame show: 1:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Phillies vs. Braves (Game 1): 2 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
White Sox vs. Astros (Game 1): 5 p.m. (Peacock)
Red Sox vs. Yankees (Game 1): 8 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
Cubs vs. Padres (Game 1): 10 p.m. (Peacock)
September 30
Pregame show: 1:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Phillies vs. Braves (Game 2): 2 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
White Sox vs. Astros (Game 2): 5 p.m. (Peacock)
Red Sox vs. Yankees (Game 2): 8 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
Peacock offers one of the most comprehensive live sports streaming lineups available today, bringing together the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, Premier League, NCAA football, NCAA basketball, golf, motorsports, and major global sporting events in a single service.
Odds to win the World Series via DraftKings
Odds to win the American and National League via DraftKings
Wild Card Series Predictions
Boston Red Sox (-160) vs New York Yankees (+130)
We couldn't have asked for a better AL Wild Card matchup than the Red Sox and Yankees! New York and Boston meet in the postseason for the seventh time, including their third matchup in the Wild Card Series (2021, 2025). Last year, New York beat Boston 2-1 and Cam Schlittler turned in a start for the ages striking out 12 in Game 3. Schlittler will start Game 1, followed by Max Fried, then Gerrit Cole. The starting pitchers for the series are as follows:
Game 1: Cam Schlittler vs Payton Tolle
Game 2: Max Fried vs Sonny Gray
Game 3: Gerrit Cole vs Ranger Suarez
I think this series shapes up to be the best as bitter rivals duke it out back to back years. I think the Red Sox win this year and the absence of Aaron Judge can't be overcome by the Yankees trio of Schlittler, Fried, and Cole. Payton Tolle and Sonny Gray will give the Yankees offense all it can handle. Ben Rice hit .222 in the postseason last year, Cody Bellinger hit .214, and Jazz Chisholm batted .182. I will take my shot on the Red Sox to get revenge from last season.
Prediction: Red Sox 2, Yankees 1 Best Bet: Red Sox to win series (+130)
Houston Astros (-135) vs Chicago White Sox (+115)
The American League has been a mess all year and I expect this series to be bananas. The starters aren't set for this series because Houston had to fight tooth and nail to make the postseason. We do know that the Astros will start rookie RHP AJ Blubaugh in a bullpen game. Chicago will likely see two or three different pitchers in the first six to seven innings in Game 1, so there's a lot of uncertainty on lineups and rotations a day before the games making it a little challenging to predict this series.
At DraftKings as of Monday around 4 PM Eastern, they are taking about 59% of the money and 61% of the handle on the White Sox to win the series. I don't love that Chicago is getting more of the money than Houston, but it seems the public wants to root for this White Sox team, and so do I. I said after a slow start in the beginning of the year that Houston would come back and win the AL West because the division is so bad, but the Astros would be a fade in the postseason. I am sticking to my word. Go Sox!
Prediction: White Sox 2, Astros 1 Best Bet: White Sox to win the series (+115)
Atlanta Braves (-125) vs Philadelphia Phillies (+105)
These two teams don't like each other. Did you know that the two longest trouts around the bases after a home run this year both came in Braves and Phillies games. Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a bomb and took over 32 seconds to round the bases. Bryce Harper returned the favor with a 34-second jog following a laser over the fence in a later game. I expect the benches to clear at least once and if we're lucky it will be Game 1 when Chris Sale and Jesus Luzardo duel it out!
The highest handle of the playoff series comes in this matchup of NL East foes. It seems the public is loving Atlanta in this series. The Braves are getting 78% of the money and 69% of the tickets at DraftKings. When everyone zigs one way, I like the zag the other. I picked both of these teams in the spring to win the World Series at +1600 and +2000, so it's a personal shame one of them has to lose in the Wild Card.
Prediction: Phillies 2, Braves 1 Best Bet: Phillies to win the series (+105)
Padres (-120) vs Cubs (+100)
We have another repeat meeting between 2025 Wild Card opponents. The Cubs beat the Padres last postseason, 2-1, and San Diego will try to extract revenge. Everyone is saying the Cubs are limping into the postseason after a 2-4 stretch to end the year, while the Padres are rolling with a 17-3 record over the last 20 games. San Diego is the hottest team entering the playoffs and at home, yet they are only -120 to win the series, which is strange to me. However, Chicago did win five out of six versus San Diego in the regular season — all coming in the first half of the year. The last time they played, Chicago destroyed San Diego, 23-3 back on July 1.
I was leaning the Cubs all week, but as we inch closer, I am starting to think the Padres are the obvious pick with how hot they've been. I don't know. I will go Over 2.5 games played and switch to the Padres. Over 64% of bets at DraftKings are on the Cubs to win the series, but only 51% of the money, so there are bigger bets being placed on the Padres.
Prediction: Padres 2, Cubs 1 Best Bet: Over 2.5 Games (-110)
When Alberts Šmits came to New York for training camp, he knew, in the back of his mind, that he would make the New York Rangers’ opening-night roster.
“Yeah, obviously,” Šmits said of whether he expected to make the team. “That’s why I came here.”
When the Rangers selected Šmits with the fifth-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, they touted him as the most pro-ready defenseman in the draft class.
Šmits is proving that to be true so far, as he made the Rangers’ opening-night roster out of training camp after an impressive two-week showing and will be in the lineup for New York’s first regular-season game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, officially beginning his professional hockey career.
“That’s a step I wanted to take over the last years, and over the summer, and now that I have accomplished making the team, it does not stop there,” Šmits said. “I think it’s just the start of a long journey.”
Despite entering training camp as one of the biggest unknowns, Šmits quickly proved that he can hold his own and thrive against NHL players.
Mike Sullivan had the 18-year-old defenseman practice with the main NHL group for the entirety of training camp, a clear indication that the organization was serious about giving Šmits a chance to make the team.
Over the past two weeks, Šmits has primarily slotted onto the Blueshirts’ third defensive pairing alongside Braden Schneider.
He ended up playing in three of the four preseason games, including one in which he recorded over 23 minutes of ice time.
The speculation going into training camp was that Šmits would likely start the year in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, but his play flipped that narrative entirely.
Sullivan was thoroughly impressed with Šmits maturity for a young defensemen, and he quickly realized that the 2026 fifth overall was worthy of making the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
“He’s made the team, he’s made the opening roster because he’s deserving,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “We feel based on where he’s at, we don’t think he’s overwhelmed. We think he belongs. The reason we think he belongs is through his play.
“The size and strength of him as a player at this point, the path that he’s taken to get here and playing the game against men, for all of those reasons, we think he’s deserving of being here… He played extremely well throughout the course of training camp, played well in the exhibition games. We think he’s deserving.”
The Rangers plan to carry eight defensemen to kick off the 2026-27 season, with Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow serving as extras.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Ethan Salas #8 of the San Diego Padres looks on during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on September 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you’re reading a Red Sox blog, you’re probably a bigger baseball fan than most. Still, baseball is a regional sport, and it can be hard to get eyes on other teams throughout the season. We see the American League East teams a few times, the other American League teams twice, and the National League teams once each. The team the Red Sox were in April is far from the team they are now. The same goes for every other team.
The baseball postseason has a way of breeding stars. Starters who go on short rest, relievers who perform Houdini-like escape acts, and utility players who come up with big hits. I won’t pretend to watch every game every night, but I do typically turn on a few innings during the day when they’re available, and flip over to another game on MLB.TV when the Red Sox game ends. That, combined with being chronically online with a Twitter algorithm that serves me baseball highlights, means I have a pretty solid lay of the land.
So if you haven’t had much opportunity to watch the rest of the playoff field yet, here is one player from each of the other Wild Card round teams to keep an eye on.
Tristan Peters, Chicago White Sox
FanGraphs projected the Chicago White Sox for 67 wins entering the season. They flew past that mark by recording 84 wins and securing the final American League Wild Card spot. FanGraphs isn’t infallible, but exceeding projections by 17 wins usually requires some breakout stars. One of those for the White Sox is center fielder Tristan Peters.
Peters played for the Savannah Bananas in 2021, before their popularity exploded and before he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was traded to the Giants, and then to the Rays in 2022 before debuting for Tampa in late 2025. He went 0-12 and was designated for assignment this past winter. The White Sox acquired Peters for cash, and he took off from there. His bat is solid but unspectacular; he hit .265 with 12 home runs and a low strikeout rate, but his fielding is excellent. If not for Ceddanne Rafaela, Peters would be a frontrunner for the Gold Glove in center field. The White Sox have been one of the better defensive teams in the league this season, and he’s a large part of that.
Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros
The Astros are full of familiar faces: Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, Jose Altuve, and Josh Hader, to name a few. Their offense kept them afloat, posting the fourth-best wRC+ on the way to the worst regular-season record ever by a postseason team. In the playoffs, they’ll need to pitch to make a run. Hunter Brown is their ace, but you’ve heard of him, so how about Hayden Wesneski?
Wesneski made his season debut in July after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and was a huge boost to the Astros’ rotation. In 11 starts, he was 6-2 with a 3.25 ERA. He’s not at all overpowering; his fastball averages 93 mph and gets hit hard, but he throws enough pitches to keep hitters off it. He leads with a huge sweeper with over 20 inches of horizontal break and commands a cutter well to generate weak contact. If he commands his changeup to lefties, he can get quick outs and eat innings for an Astros team that doesn’t want to lean on its bullpen.
Alex McFarlane, Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies nearly pulled off a historic collapse in September, losing four of their final five games. They gave the Diamondbacks a glimmer of hope, but ultimately beat the Rays to clinch on the last day. If Philadelphia makes a run during the postseason, it will likely be due to their pitching. They had the second-best team xERA in the second half of the season. A large part of that was thanks to the rotation, full of pitchers that you know: Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola. Jhoan Duran is at the back of the bullpen, but there’s another electric arm in the pen as well — Alex McFarlane.
McFarlane debuted in July and was nearly perfect for most of the season. He didn’t allow a run in 17 of 19 appearances, striking out 25% of opponents on the way. He’s got a huge fastball that averages 99 mph and gets up as high as 102. It’s from a low release that creates an uncomfortable look for hitters and racks up whiffs. He pairs it with a sinker that’s just as hard, plus two breaking balls. He’s your classic hard-throwing reliever, and he’ll likely find himself in a big spot against the Braves this week.
Ethan Salas, San Diego Padres
Ethan Salas is the youngest player in the majors. His bat isn’t anything special, although he’s performed better at the plate in a short sample than I think most expected. He’s got an absolute cannon behind the plate, though. It’s awesome.
He’s 0-5 on throwing runners out in the majors. In my unprofessional opinion, the bases were stolen on the pitchers more than Salas, though. Moving on.
Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs
This one is a deep cut, but a great story. Alex Bregman is playing for the Cubs just days after taking a foul ball off the face. You’ve probably heard of him because he hit two home runs against the Red Sox on the final day of the season. He’s really good.
Didier Fuentes, Atlanta Braves
The Braves are always in the mix, and they’re always kind of boring if you ask me. They have one of the best lineups in baseball (though they’ve slumped in the second half), a solid rotation led by Chris Sale, and a good bullpen. Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson, Michael Harris, and Drake Baldwin are all back this season, as is Rasiel Iglesis in the bullpen. Someone who hasn’t been in the mix this season is Didier Fuentes.
Fuentes debuted early this season and made one start before transitioning to the bullpen. He’s third on the team with 58 pitching appearances and has been the Braves’ top bullpen arm besides their closer. His 31% strikeout rate is among the best in baseball, while he limits walks as well. It’s a simple approach from Fuentes, who throws 70% four-seam fastballs and dares hitters to hit it. When he isn’t throwing fastballs by hitters, he’s pulling the string and dropping in mid-80s sliders to get ugly swings. He’ll likely move back to the rotation at some point, but for the next month, he’ll be a top arm in the Braves bullpen.
Cthulhu, New York Yankees
Last but not least, we have the New York Yankees. We play them 12 times a season, so you’re likely familiar with most of their players. Cam Schlittler is the ace, and Ben Rice is the best hitter. You’ve seen George Lombard debut and you know Gerrit Cole from years past. You probably haven’t seen Cthulhu, a cosmic entity that seeks to regain control over the world and whose presence drives humans mad. Seriously, he’s on the Yankees, and the players support his motives. Pretty messed up, right?
MILWAUKEE, WI - SEPTEMBER 26: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers high-fives teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Saturday, September 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s award season in Major League Baseball, and the first thing we’ve got to bring to your attention is the All-MLB team. As a quick reminder, the fans are included as one of several entities (media, broadcasters, former players, “other officials”) who have a say in who ends up on the league’s All-MLB teams, which award the best players at each position.
Finalists in this award don’t necessarily work the same way that they do in the other awards—this is a much more open field. But it’s still cool to see Brewers players among the finalists at several positions. Here’s a quick rundown of who you can vote for amongst Brewers.
Jake Bauers, 1B
Bauers, who finished second in the National League in wRC+, is up against 13 other options at first base. Bauers had his best season by far, and finished with 26 homers, 86 RBI, and the second-best on-base percentage in the National League, aided by a Soto-ian 16.3 walk percentage. Bauers stands out among the nominees but has some tough competition; others who figure to factor heavily at first base include Pete Alonso, who led the AL in homers (43) and RBI (113), Alec Burleson, who led the majors with 116 RBI, Willson Contreras, who hit a career-high 27 homers and had a career best 153 OPS+, and Ty France, who had a surprising career-best year for the Padres at age 31.
Brice Turang, 2B
Turang should be the heavy favorite at second base after finishing his season with a 124 OPS+, 37 doubles, 21 homers, 100 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and Gold Glove-caliber defense. He had a 7.3 WAR season via Baseball Reference, which is getting close to MVP territory in many seasons. His primary competition probably comes from Pittsburgh’s Brandon Lowe, who hit 35 homers and played some of the best defense of his career, and JJ Wetherholt, the St. Louis rookie who played some of the league’s best defense while putting up a slightly above average offensive season.
William Contreras, C
Contreras is right in the mix amongst a strong group of catchers despite going through a brutal offensive slump for much of the summer. A strong finish to the season meant Contreras finished with a .270/.341/.417 batting line (108 OPS+) and 27 doubles, 18 homers, and 94 RBI. By WAR, this was Contreras’s worst season as a Brewer, though, so he’s not the favorite this season; this should be Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno (143 OPS+, 6.7 bWAR, led the NL in batting average at .311), who will see competition from Colorado’s Hunter Goodman (41 homers), Detroit’s Dillon Dingler (4.9 fWAR, 27 homers), and Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin (.284/.358/.459, 25 homers).
Jackson Chourio, OF
Chourio is the Brewers’ one candidate in the outfield this season (a little harsh on Garrett Mitchell, in my opinion), and he would surely have had a great chance had he not missed six weeks at the beginning of the season. Chourio has looked like a superstar for the past couple of months, but with only 127 games played, he’s likely to get overlooked. The strongest contenders here include the presumptive NL MVP, Pete Crow-Armstrong (45 homers, 41 stolen bases, league-leading 156 OPS+, best defense in league), Seattle’s Randy Arozarena (AL leading 113 runs scored, 26 homers, 148 OPS+), the Dodgers’ Andy Pages (.274/.343/.468, 23 homers, excellent defense), Atlanta’s Michael Harris II (26 homers, 36 doubles, .294/.321/.491), Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela (great defense, solid offense) and Wilyer Abreu (AL leading 38 doubles, 24 homers, good defense), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (who overcame a very slow start to finish with a 130 OPS+, 25 homers, and 32 doubles).
Jacob Misiorowski, SP
Five pitchers make the All-MLB first team, and Miz is a lock to be one of those five (he would probably be a lock to be the only one if there were only one). Misiorowski is the only nominated Brewer; those who might join him on the first team include Cam Schlittler of the Yankees, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, and Zack Wheeler of the Phillies, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal of the Dodgers, Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays, Chris Sale of the Braves, and maybe a surprise like Eduardo Rodríguez of the Diamondbacks or Parker Messick of the Guardians.
Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe, RP
Both Megill and Uribe are finalists this season, deservedly so. After a rough first couple weeks, Megill was dominant for months; he converted 30 of 33 save opportunities and finished with a 2.63 ERA and 1.85 FIP. Uribe was just as good: in 61 outings, he had a 1.97 ERA and 2.68 FIP, converting six saves along the way. Either Brewer reliever could conceivably make it, but the favorites here figure to be Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker, who tied for the league lead with 41 saves and had a 1.44 ERA (though his 3.07 FIP will give pause to those who prefer FanGraphs’ WAR); San Diego’s Mason Miller, who looked like the league’s best reliever for essentially the entire season, tied for the NL lead in saves, had a 1.67 ERA and an eye-popping 1.17 FIP; Toronto’s Louis Varland, who had a 1.27 ERA in 78 innings (more than the other contenders here) and converted 35 saves; Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran, who pitched to a 1.82 ERA 1.42 FIP in 59 1/3 innings; and the ageless Aroldis Chapman, who had 35 saves for the Red Sox while pitching to a 1.92 ERA.
Who do you think should make it? Drop your All-MLB team in the comments. You can vote through Friday, October 9, and teams will be announced All-MLB teams will be announced on November 11 at the MLB Awards Show.
It’s about moving on, or attempting to, after the franchise endured a nightmare offseason.
“My entire summer’s been basketball,” guard Darius Garland nonchalantly said during media day at Intuit Dome. “My main thing is to come in here and win games. So, that’s my main focus.”
The Clippers’ offseason was engulfed by the NBA’s salary-cap circumvention investigation into the team’s endorsement deals with Kawhi Leonard. The NBA fined the Clippers $30 million, stripped them of five first-round picks, dealt suspensions to owner Steve Ballmer and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank — and the Clippers ultimately traded Leonard, who was fined merely $700,000, back to Toronto.
Garland represented his teammates in prioritizing hoops.
But for Trent Redden, the Clippers’ interim president of basketball operations, things weren’t that simple. The admittedly nervous executive started Monday’s news conferences by apologizing to the Clippers’ faithful for the aftermath of the Leonard situation.
“Our fans deserve to hear from us before this, and for that we’re sorry,” Redden said. “We’ve been listening to the thoughts, the concerns, and feeling the emotions of our fan base. They mean everything to us. … We hope to fulfill our promises to them, to build their trust and move forward through this time.
“This franchise often has done its best work with its back against the wall … We hope to represent our fans the same way we always have in dark times, by coming out fighting.”
Fighting is all the new-look Clippers can do as they enter the 2026-27 season.
Leonard is back north of the border. Other stars, such as Paul George, James Harden and the recently retired Russell Westbrook, are distant memories in L.A. For the first time in years, the Clippers aren’t entering a season with championship aspirations.
“It’s been difficult,” said Ty Lue, who enters his seventh season as the Clippers’ coach. “But I give our players a lot of credit … the leadership is great [and] the morale is great, even in these tough situations. That’s good to see, when you have your players coming in every day, giving everything they have; a lot of teams don’t have that.”
The Clippers’ league-record streak of 15 consecutive winning seasons is in jeopardy. Nonetheless, the team will still feature plenty of intrigue roster-wise, with a mix of youngsters “doing TikToks” and “old heads” trying to keep up, as Garland described it.
“I think we can surprise a lot of people,” he said.
Garland himself, 26, enters his first full season in L.A. as the team’s go-to scorer. A two-time All-Star, he’s primed to lead a promising backcourt alongside 19-year-old rookie Keaton Wagler, the Clippers’ No. 5 pick in the 2026 draft.
Wagler is one of the team’s promising young players, alongside fellow rookie Baba Miller, Kobe Sanders and the rehabbing Jordan Miller and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
“I’m just going to do my best to stay mentally focused,” Wagler said when asked about the pressure of being the team’s first top-five pick since Blake Griffin in 2009. “Not worry about all the outside noise.”
The Clippers return key role players like Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez, and sport new ones like Max Strus and Gradey Dick via trades.
However, the team’s ceiling will rest on the influence of new forwards Brandon Ingram and Rui Hachimura. Hachimura is coming off a strong playoff run and four-year stint with the Lakers.
“One thing about here … everybody talks about how they take really good care of their players,” Hachimura said of signing a two-year, $28-million contract with the Clippers this offseason.
Ingram, the centerpiece of the Leonard trade, is a solid three-level scorer and will shoulder much of the offensive load alongside Garland — when healthy.
Redden shockingly shared that Ingram is recovering from a partially torn Achilles tendon in addition to heel surgery.
“I had been dealing with some pain throughout the year with the Raptors, especially coming down crunch time with the Raptors,” Ingram said. “I didn’t quite know what it was. Near the end of the season, we figured out what it was, and surgery was the best thing to do.”
The 29-year-old Ingram, though, should make a full recovery and claims his best days are still ahead of him.
He feels the same way about his new Clippers team.
“I know [there are] little to no expectations for us this year,” Ingram said. “We have enough in the building to compete. This is what we love to do. So, we’ll go out and compete every single night, learn, go on to the next game and get better and better.”
As early as the middle of last season, Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić were already having conversations about their future. Reaves was set to hit free agency in June, but the two discussed what a continued partnership in the purple and gold would look like. Once the offseason came around, those talks evolved into what they each needed to do to put the Los Angeles Lakers in a position to succeed.
"Very bland, to be honest," Reaves told reporters at the Lakers' media day on Monday, Sept. 28. "But at the end of the day, we care about winning, and that's all that matters."
The result was a five-year, $184.76 million contract for Reaves - who president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka identified as the No. 1 priority this offseason after LeBron James left in free agency - and an almost entirely new supporting cast around him and Dončić.
So new, in fact, that Reaves is now the longest-tenured Laker. Not bad for a kid from Oklahoma who arrived in LA as a two-way player after going undrafted in 2021. The growth over his five-year career was most evident when he went from looking virally flustered by James' on-court directions as a rookie to commanding the attention of the NBA's all-time leading scorer on the sideline a year ago.
Dončić has seen that development in just over 18 months since coming to the Lakers.
"He improved a lot," Dončić said. "He talks more to a lot of people. Obviously, the new players, they're gonna look up to him, ask him things. So, I think he did a big step forward."
For a young Spurs team, making a run to the NBA Finals and losing there — at times in heartbreaking fashion — was a lot to process. There were a couple of ways they needed to deal with that, something Victor Wembanyama touched on Monday at San Antonio Spurs media day.
"I couldn't imagine a better motivation," Wembanyama said of losing to the New York Knicks in five games — kind of the classic "Mamba mentality" response.
However, it's more than just motivational fuel the young Spurs need to process, and Wemby understands that. Getting together as a team this summer and working out in Houston — something De'Aaron Fox put together — and in Paris, organized by Wembanyama, helped the team deal with a lot of emotions.
"Obviously, we have to go through some emotions, and you do some of that alone. But it's better to do it as a team," Wembanyama said. "I take a lot of positive things of everything we did this summer. Just being together, honestly, it was amazing. Especially Paris for me, that was really touching, very emotional for me...
"[Dealing with the loss] It's not over. It evolves with time, but I've had a few sleepless nights, maybe not sleepless nights, but hard to find sleep sometimes... But there's just a point where you accept that you have to go through it and you have to feel all of it, and we don't want to hide from anything. So, we're gonna face these emotions. Face the reality that we have 100 games to play [to get back to the NBA Finals]. And this is the reality of it. We're in a great spot. We're very hopeful, very ambitious, and we're ready."
Here are some other things Wembanyama touched on during his media day press conference.
On the Spurs being the hunted now, a team with Finals expectations: "It feels like we're in our place. It already felt like this last year when we were getting closer to the top of the conference. It feels normal. I would say it felt weird not being in that place in the past."
On training this summer (along with teammate Harrison Barnes) with French rugby club Provence Rugby in Aix-en-Provence: "It was a great experience seeing the kind of team spirit they have over there. Very inspiring. The relationships between teammates, coaches and fans. It was so interesting for me. The training in itself was really hard. I think it was really good for the vestibular system and new movement patterns and new ways to develop strength as well. But honestly, I'm more grateful for the experience in itself and how I was welcomed there. I've never been welcome like this anywhere. I mean, I'm not part of the team, and they treated me like I was."
On dealing with his heightened level of international fame, something he said he wanted before he was drafted: "It is too much often, but it's fine. It's all of it. This is not what I work for, but this is a symbol of success to some extent. It's the part that I like the least about the Finals or the playoffs expedition in general. But it's a good sign. So yeah, I still want it."
On him going from the young, rising player everybody loved to one that other fan bases don't like (because he's beating their team): "We're fighting for the top spot of the mountain, and we're gonna have to move people in our way. That's just the way it is. So, I take it as a great sign of respect as well.... Fans will love if you're on their team, and hate it if you're not. It's just the way people experience their own competitiveness. It's normal. I don't have nothing against it."
DETROIT — For the past two seasons, the Detroit Pistons have been trying to prove they belong.
Now, the challenge is proving they can stay there.
After completing one of the league’s quickest turnarounds and winning 60 games a season ago, the Pistons arrived at Monday’s Media Day with a noticeably different set of expectations.
Detroit is no longer the young team trying to surprise people. After finishing atop the Eastern Conference and advancing to the conference semifinals, the Pistons enter this season knowing they will receive everyone’s best shot.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, however, isn’t concerned with how the rest of the conference views Detroit — or what other contenders did during the offseason.
“Yeah, I mean, the East is good, obviously,” Bickerstaff said. “The amount of talent that’s flooded the East and the way the teams have been built and put together. But, you know, we don’t really give a [expletive] about what everybody else is doing. The only thing that matters to us is what we do.
“And we know what Pistons basketball looks like. So if we go out and play Pistons basketball, I like our chances versus anybody.”
While the biggest storyline surrounding the team remains the contract situation involving All-Star center Jalen Duren, Detroit otherwise returns much of the core responsible for last season’s success.
All-Star Cade Cunningham and rising star Ausar Thompson remain at the center of it, while players such as Paul Reed, Ron Holland II and Kevin Huerter could enter the season with larger roles. Detroit also added veterans John Collins, Isaiah Joe and Taurean Prince during the offseason.
For Bickerstaff, those additions give the Pistons something they were searching for entering the offseason — more ways to attack opposing defenses.
“Shooting obviously is a big difference for us,” Bickerstaff said of the offseason moves. “When you’ve got guys that have proven in this league that they can carry weight and gravity, people are going to have to play them differently than they did in the past for us.
“Bringing in that experience, playoff experience, and have an understanding of what is it that we’re trying to do. I think that experience along with their skill set is going to be helpful. Their ability to move off the ball, also carry gravity and make teams have to chase us, and not just sit and pack the paint. I think all of those things are going to be helpful.”
That versatility could become even more important for a team that knows opponents have spent the offseason searching for ways to slow it down.
President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said Detroit’s offseason decisions weren’t made simply with another 60-win regular season in mind. Instead, the Pistons wanted to build a roster capable of giving Bickerstaff more answers when the postseason arrives.
“I think the East is much tougher than it was last year, not only with the acquisition of some players in certain markets, but also returning players that had injuries last year as well,” Langdon said. “I don’t know that any team in the East will exceed 60 wins just because it’s going to be that competitive.”
Langdon said the goal was to preserve the defensive identity that helped fuel Detroit’s success while adding more shooting, spacing and lineup flexibility.
“I do believe we’ve gotten better,” Langdon said. “Obviously, time will tell on the way that we play, the rotations we play, the five-man units that are on the floor at different times, but it was can we create more space, have more shooting, and give J.B. and his staff more versatility, more optionality, different lineups that you can play at different points in the game and in the season as well.”
For Cunningham, the additional shooting should create more space for both himself and his teammates.
“All of those things create advantages,” Cunningham said. “My job is trying to make as many advantages as I can for the team so that we can finish plays and score the ball.
“It’s a huge help, and it’s on me to make sure that I make their job easier as well and getting them good passes, allowing them space to score for us by beating somebody and getting them open shots.”
Detroit’s rise has happened quickly, and while only a few players remain from the 14-win team, several members of the current roster have experienced much of the climb.
Three seasons ago, the Pistons finished an NBA-worst 14-68.
A year later, Detroit improved to 44 wins, earned the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and returned to the playoffs before falling to the New York Knicks in the opening round.
Last season brought another jump.
Detroit went 60-22, secured the No. 1 seed in the East and won its first playoff series since 2008. The Pistons’ season eventually ended one round later, when Cleveland eliminated them in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
For Cunningham, each step — including the painful ones — has helped shape what comes next.
“Yeah, it’s another hurdle, another whatever you want to call it, that really made me look in the mirror and assess myself, assess the team, ways that I can help,” Cunningham said. “We wanted to go further than we did. We had a great regular season, but it taught us a lot as far as what playoff basketball is about and what it takes to be successful during that.
“So all those things happen for a reason and I definitely think myself, but all of us would be better for it.”
Thompson has experienced that climb alongside Cunningham.
The 23-year-old, who signed a five-year, $155 million extension this offseason, is now part of a Pistons core entering the season with heightened expectations rather than questions about whether it can compete.
For Thompson, looking back at where the group started only makes the transformation more striking.
“It’s crazy cause now it’s just me and Cade when we lost all of those games,” Thompson said. “We talk about it sometimes in the locker room, and it’s weird looking back at it. But when I think of it, I think of all the lessons I’ve learned and as a team, and applied those hardships and moved on and got better from them.
“First year we won 14 games, next year we made the playoffs and lost the first round. Last year we made the playoffs, won the first round and then lost the second round in seven. What we learned from that is we have to be ready to play seven games. I just feel like we’ll keep taking it further and defy expectations.”
Those expectations are different now.
The Pistons won’t enter this season as one of the league’s surprise teams, nor will opponents need to be convinced that Detroit belongs among the East’s best.
After 60 wins, a No. 1 seed and a trip to the conference semifinals, the target has shifted.
The Pistons spent the last two seasons hunting.
Now, they’ll find out how they respond when they’re the ones being hunted.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 04: President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto of the Seattle Mariners speaks with media before the game against the Detroit Tigers at T-Mobile Park on August 04, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Kevin Ng/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After parting ways with manager Dan Wilson yesterday, the Mariners announced sweeping changes to their coaching staff today. While pitching coaches Pete Woodworth and Trent Blank will return, the Mariners have now moved on from their hitting coaches with the exception of franchise legend Edgar Martínez, who Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said would return “in some capacity”, as well as bench coach Manny Acta, and defensive coaches Perry Hill and Eric Young Jr. At a post-season press conference at T-Mobile Park on Monday, Dipoto spoke about the need for a “culture reset” across the organization.
“We need to reset our culture and refocus ourselves on what we need to do to to get back to an efficient, clean, crisp brand of baseball like the Mariners have played for a number of years.”
Some were surprised to see coaches Perry Hill, who has overseen two Gold Glovers in J.P. Crawford and Dylan Moore and will have a third if Cole Young wins one this winter, and Eric Young Jr., who oversaw part of Josh Naylor’s historic back-to-back 30 steals campaign, let go. But Dipoto was especially emphatic on how poorly the team played defensively, and how much that impacted the overall fortunes of the team given a pitching staff that is focused on throwing strikes and putting the ball in play.
“Being a bad defender is a choice,” said Dipoto. “Being a good defender sometimes requires a skill set that some players may or may not have. Our players have the skills to do it, and and for a five-year stretch, they’ve somewhere between a slightly above-average to, in some areas, a well above-average major league defense, and we didn’t beat ourselves. This year we led the league in throwing errors. It was awful to watch, and and it was awful for the players.”
The fault wasn’t just on the players underachieving defensively, Dipoto seemed to suggest, but on defensive positioning that didn’t set them up for success.
“We led the league in the least likely team to convert a double play that we started. That’s not helpful to our pitchers. A starting pitching staff who attacks the strike zone and has the ball put in play is harmed by by the lack of range and positioning our team, and we can solve some of that through more focus, more demanding and challenging practice, but especially in the positioning of those players. That’s something that we, as a scouting advance team, can can provide our players that we need to to implement more effectively than we did this year.”
The defense, particularly, was a letdown, but the overall poor performance served as a red flag to the front office that performance standards once upheld in the minor leagues were slipping. The Mariners model has for a long time been about connecting minor league standards of excellence to the major leagues, creating a pipeline of success with consistent messaging and, ideally, consistent performance. That wasn’t the case this year.
“The performance on the field this year has made us question a lot of the things that we are doing at the major league level, and I will say multiple of our major league players who came through our system have referenced what they learned in player development that that got abandoned in the big leagues this year. And not just the players who came up for the first time, but we have a host of players who’ve come through our system, and they saw a difference. We need to get back to to what we believe is a Mariners baseball process.”
“You can’t be the worst defensive team in baseball. You can’t make the mistakes that we made constantly throughout the year. You need to be better prepared and in line with a process that leads to winning.”
But the defensive downturn is just a symptom of a larger problem with the 2026 team: a lack of accountability, and a slipping of standards, as also expressed by Cal Raleigh in some of his postseason remarks. Like Raleigh, Dipoto dismisses the idea that injuries waylaid the 2026 Mariners, noting the Mariners had fewer injuries to deal with than many teams that were able to play to the end of the season and into the post-season. Instead, the problem was one of passivity and a lack of accountability. Dipoto defined what he sees “holding accountable” to mean.
“[It] looks like culture. It is, what are you willing to tolerate? Are you willing to tolerate less than full effort? Are you willing to tolerate less than full focus? What we saw in mid-season was a team playing with limited urgency and waiting for the water to turn on. And it just didn’t come on, instead of turning it on ourselves. And we saw it unfolding. Our players saw it unfolding. We talked about it a lot as the season went along. And again, it’s where I would count myself most at fault. You can talk about it or you can just go out and do it.”
“Accountability is just a word, unless you are accountable to a standard that is preset. Everybody understands what that standard is, and then we hold ourselves accountable to it. You know, the bigger issue is the standard itself, and that’s on me. The one person who has the ability to to drill down to the bottom, say we are not upholding these standards, we need to do better. I did an ineffective job of making sure that we held one another accountable, because we started with standards and it faded. And that’s not just on our players. That’s on that’s on me. It’s on our front office group. It’s on the staff and and the players collectively.”
“We had a tendency this year to just shrug it off, to [think] ‘oh, we’re more talented than the teams around us. Don’t worry, it’ll happen.’ Instead of going out and making our own thing happen, and that’s that’s what accountability looks like. It’s calling that out in the moment. It’s stopping it before it gets rolling any further. It’s being truthful in our discussion with one another, and for years our program has always been built on truth. We tell the truth with love, and and sometimes you might get your nose out of joint for a moment, but you wake up the next day and you realize that you’re loved, and you’re just trying to help one another.”
Despite Bryan Woo’s assertion that his most appreciated aspect of Dan Wilson as a manager was his ability to do exactly that – tell the truth – it seems that messaging got lost somewhere between Dipoto’s understanding of the standard and the players’ execution of that standard. Dipoto described the hiring of Wilson as looking for someone “who could bring levity to the environment” after nine years of a more severe tenure under Scott Servais, and someone who had built-in trust with the players, which Wilson did. For a new manager, Dipoto was explicit about wanting to look outside of the organization to get new eyes and new ideas about what went wrong this year.
“We will go outside to hire our manager,” he said. “We need fresh thought. We need something new. It could be a shift in programming. It could be a shift in messaging. It could be a shift in language. We’ll collaborate with whoever our future manager is, and and try to find the right person. If that person has major league managerial experience, that would be preferred. But generally speaking, we’re just looking for someone who has high character, growth mindset. You know, has the ability to think strategically in in the context of a major league game.”
“There are a lot of good people out there, and most of what we’ve done in recent years, especially, has been insular, and I think this year’s failure requires that we look outside to find someone who might be able to poke holes in what we’re doing and help us see something that perhaps we’re blind to. Because you know, obviously, this is this has not been what we intended nor what we expected from our team.”
Dipoto says he and Justin Hollander are beginning the process of seeking a new manager – making calls and looking into available candidates – but refuses to put a timeline on the managerial search, saying it will take “as long as it takes.” As much as he’ll have full autonomy in determining candidates, Dipoto also says whoever takes the job will have autonomy in choosing a coaching staff, hence part of the reason for the vast turnover announced today.
“We thought it was important that whoever we hire as the manager come in and have the ability to to have his hand on the wheel in creating his own staff. Handing a new manager [the task of] ‘we want to get better culturally. We want you to show us where we might be doing this wrong’ – with our people, seems to be a very difficult needle to thread. So that that manager, whoever it is, will have the ability to point us in the direction of the people he wants, if we can access them.”
Several players – Bryan Woo and Cal Raleigh among them – have expressed interest in having a voice in this cultural reset. Considering employee feedback during management changes isn’t an uncommon practice in the business world, although less common in the baseball world. Dipoto said this past week they’ve spoken with players – both long-tenured Mariners and those who are more recent additions – but declined to commit to how much players’ opinions will be weighted in the hiring process.
“I will say Cal’s been invested in this for years now. You know, I’ve joked around that he’s like an assistant GM, but we bounce all this off Cal, and he’s very communicative with us. He knows what we’re doing before we do it with player personnel,” said Dipoto.
“How much we will factor their opinions in on who the manager is, that remains to be seen. I think there’s also a danger zone there, but they’ll be in tune as to what we’re doing, and and they will give us the feedback that that is required to make sure that this is a good fit, but we’re not going to ask them to be a part of an interview process. I think that’s unfair. It’s unfair to the candidate as much as it is unfair to to the organization.”
The biggest question fans might as is how much of a culture reset can this be when there’s no change at the very top – Jerry Dipoto, the de facto architect of the team’s culture, will return in 2027. Dipoto – who says he thinks of his tenure in two stages, the first five years and what’s been the second six years – says the team culture is the foundation of the success they’ve seen in that back half of his tenure; the problem is having gotten away from that team identity in 2026.
“For the last five years, we’ve been one of the winningest teams in Major League Baseball. This year, we stunk, and it never got on track. And again, that’s on me first, and I’m trying to find solutions. I feel proud of what we’ve built organizationally over these years. You know, 11 years, it’s two different tenures that I’ve had, and and in the last six years, I feel proud of what we’ve accomplished on the field, if incomplete.”
“This year was an opportunity to take that next or final step, and we just didn’t. And if I didn’t have a job today, it’d be justified. You know, we failed, and again, we’re going to attempt to learn from that failure, and and lean into what I think is a great foundation to build on with homegrown players up the middle, a complete rotation that I think many in the league would love to have, and just reset our culture and refocus ourselves on what we need to do to to get back to an efficient, clean, crisp brand of baseball like the Mariners have played for a number of years.”
For fans hoping for a total teardown, that won’t be the case. It’s a reset, not a remodel. The overall vision remains in place: a team built around a young core of homegrown pitching that suppresses runs and up-the-middle players that plays clean defense, runs the bases well, and can score runs both via the small and long ball. That wasn’t the team that took the field in 2026 with any degree of consistency; towards the end of the season, they maybe checked none of those boxes on any given night.
It was an unacceptable performance that prompted sweeping personnel changes – although notably, not at the top. How fans feel about that depends on if they still believe in Dipoto’s vision and ability, give the financial limitations imposed upon him, to put the pieces in place that can bring that vision to life. The first, and maybe most foundational piece, will be identifying a manager who can bridge that gap between front office expectations and the actions of the players on the field.
