Texas Rangers lineup for September 23, 2026 against the New York Mets: starting pitchers are Cody Bradford for the Rangers and Nolan McLean for the Mets.
Texas did not play well yesterday. We shall see if they play better today.
The lineup:
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Jung — DH
Nimmo — RF
Duran — 3B
Burger — 1B
Lopez — 2B
Jansen — C
Carter — CF
7:05 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.
How Steph Curry's ailing knee is doing as Warriors prepare for NBA training camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
OAKLAND – For more than two months last season, Stephen Curry only could watch as the Warriors spiraled downward without him. His ailing right knee forced him to miss 27 games, 18 of which ended in defeat.
Curry, whose workout routine is legendary among NBA players, acknowledged then that there would be a “new normal” because changes were required.
As Golden State prepares for NBA training camp next week in Hawaii, those changes have Curry brimming with optimism after he was diagnosed last February with patellofemoral pain syndrome, commonly referred to as “runner’s knee,” and forced to the sideline.
“Feeling fantastic,” Curry said Wednesday at an appearance in east Oakland. “There was a very particular and kind of prescriptive plan over the course of the summer of what I could do on court (and) off court to build the foundation back but give my knee some rest. And then slowly build to where when I get to camp on Monday, I’ve got enough reps, enough pickup sessions and court time where I’m able to do everything like I normally do but not overdo it going into camp.”
Curry, 38, realizes he is nearing the end of a career that will earn him first-ballot Hall of Fame status. Always devoted to conditioning – the primary source of his success for 17 seasons – a first-time knee issue left him briefly unsettled.
Even now, the experience lives in the back of his mind.
“I think because I missed so many games last year that that’s going to be like top of mind, and obviously should be,” Curry said. “But anybody at this age and with the number of miles, you’re managing something. So, it’s kind of part of the longevity aspect of this, and I’m not afraid of it.”
Golden State’s medical and training staffs, led by Dr. Rick Celebrini, are considered among the best in the league. Curry will be monitored on a regular basis beginning with the first practice on Sept. 29 at BYU-Hawaii.
The Warriors are, according to league sources, somewhat concerned because Curry long has been the key to their fortunes and “runner’s knee,” which generally affects distance runners, can devolve into a chronic condition.
“It’s at that stage of my career . . . so all of this was just information to design a summer where you’re pacing yourself, getting your reps in, trying to improve the things that I set out to do skill-wise,” Curry said. “But I’m feeling strong and healthy, and I’m pretty sure I’m there.”
The Warriors surely hope so. Either way, this will be a season during which Curry will miss select games, mostly on back-to-back sets, for cautionary purposes.
Here are the players the Penguins are bringing to Columbus for their preseason game tomorrow night.
From the team:
Below is the Penguins’ lineup for Thursday night’s preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM ET, and fans can tune in to the game on the Penguins’ official flagship radio station, 105.9 ‘The X’.
FORWARDS
2 – Rutger McGroarty
11 – Filip Hallander
13 – David Gustafsson
19 – Connor Dewar
23 – Bill Zonnon
25 – Elmer Soderblom
26 – Tristan Broz
34 – Liam Ruck
40 – Tanner Howe
41 – Ville Koivunen
70 – Mikhail Ilyin
80 – Markus Ruck
84 – Atley Calvert
85 – Avery HayesDEFENSE
4 – Jake Livanavage
7 – Ilya Solovyov
27 – Ryan Graves
38 – Owen Pickering
44 – Chase Pietila
45 – Harrison Brunicke
82 – Caleb JonesGOALIES
1 – Sergei Murashov
39 – Collin Delia
The final preseason game will be played Saturday in Buffalo. The new rules dictate that NHL veterans with 100+ games can appear in a maximum of two games, thus why most of the major players on the team aren’t playing in Columbus and presumably will go Saturday night instead. That means Connor Dewar and Elmer Soderblom won’t be playing in the finale, should they play again.
A goalie decision for the starter hasn’t been announced but it stands to reason the team might ramp Sergei Murashov into playing the full 60 minutes, as Arturs Silovs did last night. Delia joins him as an option as a pro tryout.
Otherwise, the majority of the lineup is composed of players that need a good game to stay on the radar, like Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty. Ville Koivunen, who missed his planned preseason debut with an injury, has been listed here again. The push for those players to make a case at a roster spot will be one of the key focuses as the team gets to hold them up against players like Dewar, Soderblom and Filip Hallander to get a look at some down-the-lineup options on the same night against the same competition.
There is a pretty simple question surrounding Collin Murray-Boyles entering his second NBA season: how high can his ceiling actually be?
Selected ninth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, Murray-Boyles entered Toronto with plenty of intrigue. At 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, he is undersized for a traditional center, but his strength, physicality and instincts allow him to play much bigger than his frame suggests.
After an encouraging rookie season, the Raptors now have a better idea of what they have in their young forward.
Murray-Boyles averaged 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 57.9 percent from the field in 57 games. He also averaged 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game.
The numbers do not tell the whole story. Murray-Boyles quickly became one of Toronto’s more physical defenders and reliable rebounders, using his strength to battle bigger players and his instincts to make plays around the basket.
That impact became even more noticeable in the playoffs. He averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game while shooting 65.6 percent from the field.
He had 15 points and 10 rebounds in Game 4 against Cleveland before scoring 17 points in Game 6 to help Toronto force a deciding Game 7. For a rookie, it was an encouraging way to finish the season.
The biggest change should simply be opportunity.
Murray-Boyles is no longer trying to figure out where he fits. He now has a full NBA season and playoff experience under his belt, and Toronto should give him more responsibility.
A reasonable expectation is for him to become a consistent rotation player and potentially start at times. He does not need to become a 20-point scorer. Instead, his development should focus on passing, cutting, screening and attacking mismatches.
The biggest question is his shooting. Murray-Boyles shot 34.0 percent from three as a rookie. If he can become a more reliable perimeter threat, his offensive fit becomes much easier to envision.
This is where things get interesting.
Yes, but probably as a modern small-ball centre rather than a traditional one.
Murray-Boyles has already shown he can survive at centre because of his strength and mobility. He can switch onto smaller players, battle bigger forwards and provide help around the rim, giving Toronto defensive flexibility that a traditional big may not.
The obvious concern is size. There will be nights when a 6-foot-7 center struggles against a legitimate 7-footer, particularly on the glass or in the post.
That is why it is too early to declare him the long-term answer. But it is also too early to rule him out. Toronto still has Jakob Poeltl if it needs a traditional centre, allowing the Raptors to continue experimenting with Murray-Boyles without forcing him into a role he is not ready for.
Murray-Boyles’ three-point shooting is the biggest swing skill. Even becoming a high-30s shooter would change how defenses approach him.
His foul discipline also needs to improve. His physicality is a strength, but learning when to challenge and when to stay vertical will become increasingly important.
Finally, he needs to become more comfortable creating advantages offensively rather than simply finishing plays.
It is too early to call Collin Murray-Boyles the answer to the Raptors’ long-term needs at centre.
It is not too early to say he could become one.
His rookie season showed that his physicality, defensive versatility and instincts translate to the NBA. If his shooting and offensive game continue to develop, Toronto could eventually have a centre who does not look like a traditional centre at all.
And that might be exactly what the Raptors want.
Contract extension talks between the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns have been ongoing this offseason after Towns played a huge role in helping New York capture its first championship in 53 years.
According to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, there's been plenty of dialogue between the two sides, and those conversations have been positive, with the Knicks making it known they think highly of the big man and want him in New York for a long time.
As far as numbers go, during negotiations the Knicks have discussed extensions starting between $45-$50 million a year. Obviously, no deal has come to fruition yet. ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that the Knicks and Towns had hit a snag in negotiations.
Towns will earn $57 million this season and has a player option worth $61 million next year. The Knicks have until June 30 to extend Towns. Josh Hart and Miles McBride are also eligible for extensions.
Jalen Brunson will presumably be getting a new contract in the 2028 offseason. So if Hart and Towns extend, the Knicks' starting five will command a significant percentage of the salary cap.
New York will not spend beyond the NBA’s second apron ($221.6 million) in team salary this season, according to owner James Dolan. If the club takes that stance in future seasons, it will be challenging to extend Towns and Hart while also extending McBride. McBride is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Training camp for the defending champs opens next week.
The 2026 MLB postseason schedule is just about locked in, and it’s time to take a deeper dive into the Yankees’ current roster to determine who will make the cut to kick things off.
The Rays clinched the AL East after defeating the Yankees in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, which means the Yankees will begin the postseason with the Wild Card Series against Boston. Unfortunately, it’s worth noting that the Yankees will be without Aaron Judge, who suffered a moderate grade right calf strain not too long after his lengthy IL stint.
Before we get into the ins and outs of the Pinstripes’ complex hitting dynamics, let’s begin with the starting rotation. Cam Schlittler had a standout season, finishing out the regular season with a 1.94 ERA and a frontrunner for the Cy Young Award. He also racked up an astounding 1.16 ERA on the road, the second-lowest in American League history, only behind Hall of Famer Walter Johnson, who recorded a 1.06 ERA on the road way back in 1913.
Schlittler will probably get the start for Game 1, and it’s likely that Max Fried gets the start in Game 2. Despite battling an elbow issue that limited him to 20 games this season, Fried finished the regular season with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. The veteran lefty will look to bounce back after taking the loss in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against Tampa Bay, where he only struck out four and gave up four runs on six hits and two walks in 6.2 innings.
The Game 3 starter, if needed, will likely be either Carlos Rodón or Gerrit Cole, both of whom have enough postseason experience to help propel the Yankees to the ALDS. Rodón, who was limited to 16 starts this season after struggling with lingering elbow issues from his offseason surgery, finished the season with a 2.67 ERA, allowing only 25 earned runs. Even if he doesn’t end up making the start in the Wild Card, he’ll make a nice addition to the bullpen. Cole, on the other hand, finished the regular season with a 3.63 ERA, his highest in the last five seasons. He began the season taking rehab assignments in the minors and first rejoined the team in May after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Aaron Boone recently added that he expects to see Cole start in the postseason, but it’s not definitive.
The question of whether Ryan Weathers will return for the playoffs remains unanswered. It would’ve been nice to see him get some reps or even a rehab assignment in before the end of the regular season, but his return for the postseason shouldn’t be ruled out.
The outlook for the bullpen is overall positive after adding a few notable starters to pitch relief, including Clarke Schmidt, who recently rejoined the majors after a nearly season-long stint on the IL. However, the Yankees may not take a gamble on Schmidt so soon after he cut his bullpen warmup short on Sunday against the Diamondbacks due to bicep soreness.
As for the outfield, Trent Grisham has yet to make his return to the majors from the IL with a right hamstring strain. He’s not completely out of the question to make the cut, but Boone may rely on a different option. Spencer Jones has made an impact both on defense and at the plate, showing off his progress as the regular season comes to a close, so it’s likely he’ll earn a spot.
Looking at the position players, there’s a plethora of uncertainty about the state of the infield. Jazz Chisholm Jr. made his return from the IL during the second game of the doubleheader against the Rays on Tuesday, so he’ll likely be a solid weapon at second. Will Warren, who finished the regular season with a 4.02 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, has made enough of an impression that can put him in a relief role as well.
Who will play at third base is arguably one of the most circulated topics of conversation among fans going into the Wild Card. Boone relayed that he’s planning on putting Volpe at third this week and keeping George Lombard Jr. at shortstop, according to Talkin’ Yanks. If he can show off his agility and make clutch defensive plays, then it’s likely Volpe will stay at the position heading into the postseason. Amed Rosario and José Caballero are also options, but it doesn’t seem like they’ve impressed the front office enough to be considered starters.
It’s all up in the air until next week, but experimenting with a few changes this weekend against Baltimore will hopefully make it obvious where everyone will end up.
Sign up for a user account and get:
The Atlanta Braves have fortunately gotten to a point in the season where they don’t have to go all out if they choose in terms of roster moves and lineups. The odds of getting the second seed has significantly dwindled and they have already clinched their division.
Because of this, and add in that Ronald Acuña just fouled a ball off his leg, there was no telling what the lineup was going to be before we saw it. Not knowing can make waiting for it fun in a way for some. Rather than assuming what the lineup will be based on matchups or other ideas, we are at the part of the season where some players may get rest to get ready for the postseason which can result in lineups that almost look random sometimes.
Today’s lineup, which is responsible for putting up runs for Chris Sale, will not have Ronald Acuña as many likely expected and he will be replaced by Brewer Hicklen. With Abbott being a lefty, that moves Mauricio Dubón to LF batting second.
The Reds have been terrible offensively. In fact, they have five of the bottom nine hitters in wRC+ of hitters with at least one-hundred-fifty at bats. Only three teams have scored fewer runs than the Reds. They have not been much better in the month of September with only five teams scoring fewer runs.
The one bright spot for the Reds has been Sal Stewart, the front runner for the ROY award. Somehow, with a team scoring so few runs, he has been responsible for one-hundred-ten RBI. RBI by itself can usually be argued to be an overrated stat, but when your teams is in the bottom four in runs, yet you are on the leaderboards in RBI, you can make a good argument for being clutch. He also has a wRC+ sixteen percent higher than league average. Only fifty-one qualified hitters have been better than him.
First pitch is at 7:15 EDT
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues trimmed their training camp roster by seven down to 32 by assigning six players to Springfield of the American Hockey League.
The Blues assigned forwards Justin Carbonneau and Nikita Susuev, defensemen Quinton Burns, Arseni Koromyslov, and Colin Ralph and goalie Will Cranley.
Also, forward Felix Trudeau has reported to Springfield to continue rehabilitation for an upper-body injury that he sustained while playing in a two-game prospect set recently against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blues have two more preseason games remaining before the regular season opens Oct. 2 against the Dallas Stars and will continue it when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Enterprise Center before playing the Blackhawks on Saturday in Chicago.
Thursday's game will be broadcast on Matrix Midwest (Spectrum Ch. 186, DISH Ch. 31, Over-the-Air Ch. 32.2, 32.3) and available to stream for free on both stlouisblues.com and the Blues app. The broadcast and stream will carry the same territorial restrictions as a normal regular-season broadcast. Fans can visit the “Where to Watch” page on the Blues website to find out if their zip code is included in the broadcast territory.
St. Louis Blues Introduce Blue Note+ As Exclusive Multimedia Network For TelecastsBlue Note+ will be available on Spectrum and streaming on Prime Video; negotiations continue with additional cable, satellite and other providers
'It Was A Dream Come True To Play My First Couple Of NHL Games. ... Now it's a new season, you're starting from zero and you're here to take a spot.'Theo Lindstein's start to his NHL career has been better than advertised; the 21-year-old is guarded about things though. He understands he's only scratching the surface, there's plenty more to learn
St. Louis Blues' Tyler Tucker Injures Knee, Will Be Re-Evaluated In A Couple DaysDefenseman will be out more than day to day
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
It’s the last week of September! That means we’re just a few days away from training camp and media day. Ladies and gentlemen — make no mistake about it — Brooklyn basketball will return to your lives soon.
Our own Jordan Greene is here to help us get PUMPED for it! We’ll talk through the season projections that recently came out, reflect on some of our goofier takes from last year, look at the upcoming ‘eras’ celebration, and more!
In Episode 46 of The Brooklyn with Pooch & Collin, we touch on:
You can also check out the episode for free on Spotify and Apple Music. Make sure to follow us on X, Instagram, and TikTok as well.
We also recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers on YouTube. Thank you to everyone who has supported us thus far!
When I look back on the 2004 ALCS, the most visceral moments — and by “visceral” I’m talking about the moments I felt in my bones, the ones that changed my body chemistry as I was watching — had nothing to do with David Ortiz. They had nothing to do with Curt Schilling, either, or Johnny Damon, or even Dave Roberts. No. Those moments belonged to Tim Wakefield and Curtis Leskanic (cue Johnny Pesky voice: “Leskanic, you son of a bitch!”).
Leskanic’s moment came in Game 4, which he entered with 2 outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th. Leskanic had a 5.89 ERA in 2004. He walked 6.2 batters-per-nine. He was not remotely close to the best reliever on that team, but he was, unfortunately, the best option in that moment. Somehow, he got Bernie Williams to fly out to end the threat in the 11th. Then he returned to the mound in the 12th and worked around a leadoff single to keep the series alive. I still don’t understand how he did it.
Wakefield’s moment came in Game 5 (with a hat tip to his staff-saving bullpen work in Game 3). He entered the game in the 12th inning and, without Doug Mirabelli to pitch to, proceeded to throw the 43 most stressful pitches in the history of baseball. There were 3 passed balls in the 13th inning alone, including one that allowed Gary Sheffield to take first base after he’d struck out to lead off the inning. Jason Varitek looked about as comfortable behind the plate as someone waiting for the results of an STD test.
Wakefield did survive the 13th, of course, and went on to throw a relatively uneventful 14th. But the emotional scars that inning left on me are real. I’ve never felt like that watching a baseball game and I never will again.
October baseball is amazing. And October baseball is also terrible. And it tends to be at it’s most amazing/terrible when a shaky reliever is on the mound, desperately trying to keep his team in the game. So for that reason, I need to make something clear to Craig Breslow and Chad Tracy (assuming they kept reading past the STD joke): I want absolutely no part of Erik Miller in the playoffs. You can’t do it. Let him do anything — LITERALLY ANYTHING, UP TO AND INCLUDING PINCH HITTING — before you let him pitch in the late innings of a close game.
Erik Miller has struggled with control his entire career. Earlier this season, when he was still with the Giants, he walked 3 batters while recording just a single out. He walked 6 batters over a stretch of 2 cumulative innings back in May. Hell, in the very first appearance he made in his career, he walked 2 and allowed 3 earned runs without recording an out.
For a while there, he looked like he’d figured something out. He only walked 3 hitters in his first 11 games with the Sox. With Miller looking elite, it was easy to dream on a 7-8-9 combo of Miller, Garrett Whitlock, and Aroldis Chapman effectively shrinking every game in the playoffs to 6 innings.
But it’s pretty rare for a pitcher who struggles with control the way Miller does to suddenly figure things out in the middle of a season, no matter how much you believe in the pitcher-whispering powers of Andrew Bailey. And, suffice it to say, the wildness is back. He’s issued 9 walks over his last 7 innings and was a key culprit of both last night’s loss and the loss to the Rangers last Wednesday.
So I’m out. I can’t do it. I can’t watch Erik Miller in the postseason. Give him the next 5 days to try to fix whatever is going on with him. If he can’t, then turn to Tyron Guerrero instead. Or Tanner Houck. Or even Garrett Crochet, regardless of whether he can get his velocity back. They’ll all be better options than Miller. I barely survived Wakefield in 2004 and my heart health has only degraded since then. Tread carefully, Chad.
For the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates, the final week of the MLB regular season is a sprint toward the gaslight at the end of the tunnel.
The club enters play Wednesday with wins in its last five games. It’s already earned its most wins (80) since 2018 and could plausibly reach its fourth-best win total since 1992 if it can win three games by Sept. 27.
Most franchises would be embarrassed to trumpet stats like that. Turn on a Pirates broadcast between now and the end of the season, though, and you’ll find boundless enthusiasm about the year that was and the direction of the franchise that last changed baseball operations leadership nearly seven years ago.
The Pirates win their 80th of the year, 2-0 over the Cardinals. They've won 5-straight for the first time since April.
— Dan Zangrilli (@DanZangrilli) September 23, 2026
If you're under the age of 34, the 2026 Buccos, at worst, are the 5th best Pirates team of your lifetime.
That’s the Pirates’ pre- and post-game flagship radio show host previewing the petroleum-based glow that the front office will welcome its fans into the embrace of in the weeks to come.
Never mind what team president Travis Williams set as the bar before the season when he said the goal was to reach the MLB postseason. “Period. Full stop.” Never mind that they’ve already been mathematically eliminated for several days and functionally eliminated for nearly two months.
Now glacial progress is enough for celebration. More than that, it’s historic, if you were metaphysically born both three and a half decades ago — and yesterday.
The Pirates won 69 games the year Neal Huntington was fired as general manager in 2019. If they get to 83 by the end of the week, that’ll be 14 games of progress over a seven-year odyssey with Huntington’s successor Ben Cherington.
In between, they’ve lost 100 games twice, posted six losing records and come no closer than – as of Sept. 23 – seven games of reaching a National League playoff field that’s expanded by two teams since Cherington was hired.
At that pace, they’ll approach the 100-win mark the Milwaukee Brewers are nearing in about a decade. Their division rival has already clinched a fourth consecutive NL Central title in a media market two thirds the size of Pittsburgh while spending approximately $40 million more on its roster, per Spotrac.
Management will get away with that company line, too, because the fan base has essentially calcified into three camps.
The cynics stopped buying tickets years ago and have about as much influence on production as Statler and Waldorf as a result. The Pirates will finish somewhere around 25th or 26th in attendance and draw nearly a million fewer fans than they did in their last playoff season in 2015.
The casuals are happy to make the pilgrimage once or twice a summer to enjoy their IC Light Mangos with a pleasant view of Downtown Pittsburgh. They’re content to conceive of PNC Park more as a baseball theme park than a competitive venue.
Then there are the cockeyed optimists who will excuse practically anything because they “love baseball” as a substitute for the therapy they should have sought years ago to resolve whatever trauma results in perceiving this particular team to be an escape.
Bob Nutting has made more than enough bilking the latter two camps over his 19 years as principal owner to graduate from a local rich guy to a billionaire. So there’s no real need for him to reach too far for the excuses.
Injuries are one. Shortstop Konnor Griffin, power-hitting outfielder Oneil Cruz, first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and starter Jared Jones all missed significant time. Other organizations might have cultivated the depth to weather the attrition that every team faces over a six-month season. This one will want you to believe it got a uniquely raw deal, even as it sits fifth in runs scored anyway despite the absences.
The unforeseen regression of Paul Skenes is another. The NL’s reigning Cy Young winner has seen his ERA balloon from 1.97 in 2025 to 3.91 in 2026. If only he’d continued throwing like the greatest pitcher of all time indefinitely, the Pirates would be right there. The plan would have been brilliant. Alas, Skenes has pointed to his World Baseball Classic participation as disruptive of his training regiment.
And, of course, the sport’s economic structure is always a crowd pleaser at this time of year. Nutting has bemoaned the collective bargaining agreement with players that he voted in 2023 because it enshrines an inherent economic disadvantage. The Pirates paid $106 million for their roster this year, per Spotrac. The Los Angeles Dodgers will pay $378 million, more than three times what the Pirates do.
Ipso facto, this mediocrity will do until the owners conquer the players in new CBA talks this winter to institute a salary cap – and some kind of logic that explains why it’s the Dodgers’ fault that the Pirates can’t compete with the Brewers despite facing the same disadvantages.
Cherington’s job therefore appears to be safe. After all, he acquired rental Brandon Lowe last winter and got a 30-homer season as a payoff. He’s responsible for the successful first-round selections of Skenes, Griffin, Nick Gonzales and Seth Hernandez, the next great hope for the rotation currently ranked the No. 7 prospect in all of baseball. He developed starter Braxton Ashcraft into becoming an All-Star. And he’s presided over the unexpected power delivery from former prospects Esmerlyn Valdez (17 homers in 72 games) and catcher Rafael Flores Jr. (10 homers in 44 games.)
All is well if you don’t think too hard about actual results and instead spend the summer enjoying broadcaster Joe Block’s statistical fun house, where the implicit message at any given time is that half the team could be headed for Cooperstown.
Only Pirate with a longer single-season, consecutive-game extra-base hit streak than rookie Esmerlyn Valdez: pic.twitter.com/65v2y1T7QF
— Joe Block (@joe_block) July 21, 2026
Only younger player than #Pirates Esmerlyn Valdez in MLB history to have both an RBI and extra-base hit in 8 consecutive games (and he wasn't a rookie) pic.twitter.com/Oe5yc0RhHs
— Joe Block (@joe_block) July 21, 2026
Konnor Griffin joins Hall-of-Famer Jake Beckley (1888) as the only #Pirates to have 15+ steals and 15+ extra-base hits in their Age 20 season (or younger)
— Joe Block (@joe_block) June 30, 2026
(via @StatsPerform) pic.twitter.com/8lviCmkYxx
Most 4+ hit games, Pirates, before turning 21:
— Joe Block (@joe_block) May 21, 2026
2 - Konnor Griffin
1 - Roberto Clemente
1 - Arky Vaughan
1 - Dale Coogan
(via @Stathead)
Through that lens, this team struck the oil necessary to feed its mouthpieces' rhetorical flame through another chilly offseason.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: For Pittsburgh Pirates, 2026 was playoffs or bust. Then the season started | Opinion
With NBA training camps right around the corner, ESPN is rolling out the latest edition of its annual NBA Rank exercise, which ranks players “based on predicted contributions—quality and quantity—for the 2026-27 regular season.“
Unsurprisingly, the Sixers’ starting five was well-represented. Here’s where they checked in this year:
No other Sixers players made the list.
Before getting too bent out of shape about where any of the Sixers landed here—Embiid in particular—it’s again worth emphasizing that ESPN’s panel factored in “quality and quantity” of predicted contributions this coming season when building these rankings. Vince Goodwill specifically brought that up in Embiid’s writeup.
“When Embiid plays, he’s productive and must be accounted for on every scouting report—a shoo-in for 27 points and eight boards and a matchup nightmare with his ability to score at all three levels,” Goodwill wrote. “But ‘when he plays’ is still an issue, the biggest question mark for whether this talent-laden 76ers experiment can lead to a run through May. Since winning MVP in 2023, he has played in a possible 96 of 246 games.”
For context, Embiid landed directly ahead of Rudy Gobert, De’Aaron Fox, Trae Young, Franz Wagner and Brandon Miller and right behind Anthony Davis (a fellow walking injury risk), Kyire Irving, Stephon Castle, Austin Reaves and Paolo Banchero.
No one in their right mind would argue that Banchero is a better player than Embiid at this stage of their respective careers, but it’s fair to bet on Banchero playing significantly more minutes than Embiid this season. The Sixers haven’t outright proclaimed that Embiid won’t be playing in back-to-backs this year like they did ahead of their ill-fated 2024-25 campaign, but it’s safe to assume that he’s going to miss 20-plus games.
If nothing else, this exercise makes you appreciate just how stacked the NBA is these days. Zion Williamson fell outside of the top 50, although much like Embiid, availability concerns largely fueled that. Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trey Murphy III were all in the 50s as well.
With that said, there’s a non-zero chance that Edgecombe’s spot at No. 72 will look laughably low in retrospect.
Perhaps he will get lost in the mix as the Sixers’ fifth option behind Embiid, Maxey, LeBron and Brown this season. Thanks to their offseason additions, the Sixers should be able to keep his playing time more in check this year after he averaged 35.0 minutes per game as a rookie. (That ranked 11th in the NBA. Canadian Thibs strikes again.)
Then again, with Embiid and James likely to miss 10-plus games during the regular season, there’s a chance that the Sixers wind up riding Edgecombe’s young legs yet again.
We’ve been fooled by Offseason Workout Video SZN one too many times in Philly, but Edgecombe appears to have vastly improved both his shooting stroke and handle. Thanks to the Sixers’ wealth of talent, he should also be able to conserve more energy on offense and devote more attention to being a defensive menace this season.
Putting Edgecombe behind post-Achilles-tear Damian Lillard (69th), the oft-injured Paul George (67th) and the-lights-were-too-bright Jarrett Allen (63rd) might be a major mistake.
Three Sixers in the top 20? Not bad for a fringe-top-10 team.
ESPN is unveiling the top 10 of its rankings on Thursday, but for perspective, here’s what 11-20 looks like:
11. Tyrese Maxey
12. Stephen Curry
13. Kevin Durant
14. Jaylen Brown
15. Kawhi Leonard
16. Karl-Anthony Towns
17. Scottie Barnes
18. LeBron James
19. Tyrese Haliburton
20. Devin Booker
Indiana Pacers fans should feel rightfully aggrieved about Tyrese Haliburton’s place on that list, even though he’s somewhat of a mystery box after missing the entire 2025-26 season due to an Achilles injury. But having Maxey right above Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant? Brown above Kawhi Leonard? If anything, ESPN’s panel might have been overly aggressive with where some of the Sixers rank based on the “predicted contributions” criteria. After all, the Sixers have a lot of mouths to feed this season.
But after Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers bemoaned the Sixers’ lack of identity earlier this offseason, it’s now clear where their bread will be buttered. Their starting five should be an elite offensive unit.
This is LeBron’s first time ever falling outside of the top 10 in ESPN’s NBA Rank, but the man is turning 42 in December. His f–kery really won’t go on forever… right? After all, he played a career-low 33.2 minutes per game last season and tied his career low with only 20.9 points per game. Given the Sixers’ wealth of talent, they shouldn’t need him to average 25-plus points like he did throughout most of his Hall of Fame career.
Brown landing at 14th—one spot ahead of Kawhi Leonard—might raise some eyebrows, especially after all of the insufferable analytics discourse this offseason. However, ESPN’s voting panel is not suggesting that Brown is a better basketball player than Leonard. It weighed availability as part of its criteria as well. With that in mind, there’s a real case to be made that Brown will outproduce Leonard during the regular season.
Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Donovan Mitchell, Cade Cunningham and Jayson Tatum will comprise ESPN’s top 10 in some order. If you want to argue that Maxey belongs in there ahead of Mitchell, go right ahead. But again, the Sixers having so many mouths to feed could bring down all of their individual production.
If nothing else, at least ESPN’s panel didn’t leave Embiid out of the top 100 entirely… unlike some other ragebait platform did last year.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.
Follow Bryan on Bluesky.
HeraldScouting the East: How do Celtics stack up against conference opponents?
GlobeCeltics’ Neemias Queta named player to watch for ESPN’s 2027 Top-100 list
Celtics .comBoston Celtics Welcome Tandem Vet Care as Official Partner
NBC Sports BostonRamp to Camp: Who will be the Celtics’ X-factor this season?
NESN Jayson Tatum Put On Blast Over Handling of Jaylen Brown Trade
Michael Jordan’s Fingerprints Might Be On The Celtics This Season
Celtics Legend Joins NBC Sports as Game Analyst
Mass LiveCeltics guard lands on best NBA contract list
Celtics WireAre we sure Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is still a superstar player?
Mookie Betts asks Celtics guard Derrick White how he got into podcasting
Boston Celtics announce partnership with Tandem Vet Care
Today in Boston Celtics history: Ricky Davis, Eric Montross born; drop G4 in 2020 ECF
Ceiling, floor, expectations: Derrick White with the Celtics in 2026-27
Why your East team (including the Celtics) won’t have home court advantage
Boston Sports Journal Simone: Reading between the lines of the Jaylen Brown trade one last time
Hardwood Houdini Michael Jordan handed Joe Mazzulla the ultimate advice for keeping the Celtics hungry
Marcus Smart gets to do something with Rockets he never got to do with Celtics
Celtics keep being proven right about Anton Watson after latest Lakers move
Celtics should take low-risk flier on record-setting Ryan Nembhard
Jayson Tatum’s playoff on/off numbers point to another Celtics championship run
Two contradictory Jaylen Brown narratives can actually both be true post-trade
Celtics shouldn’t entertain Luka Garza trade after Hawks take hit at center
Locked on CelticsEast Preview: Kawhi Leonard and Addition by Subtraction For Toronto Raptors
Chowder and Champions Celtics fans know exactly why sleeping on the Pacers is a mistake
Celtics must prioritize Payton Pritchard extension before it’s too late
Celtics had to trade Jaylen Brown to win another championship
Crossing BroadShameless Rage Bait from Boston’s “The Ringer” Ranks Sixers 10th in NBA, Celtics 4th
Basketball Network “I expected a lot more support” – DeMarcus Cousins questions if Jayson Tatum can be classified as a good teammate
Brian Scalabrine shares the advice Michael Jordan recently told Joe Mazzulla
Boston Celtics/YouTubeBIG things coming from Mitchell Robinson
Next Up: Chris Cenac Jr. & Dillon Mitchell arrive in Boston, Hugo Gonzalez continues his development
HeavyCeltics Critical Payton Pritchard Decision Looming
Celtics’ Urged To Target $112 Million Forward In Paul George Trade
Celtics Starter Left Off ESPN Top 100 After Breakout Season
Celtics Get Harsh News as Jayson Tatum Called a ‘Bad Teammate’
Lakers Fast Break/YouTube NBA Observations- Boston Celtics Season Preview With Matt John!
SI .comSam Hauser Trade? Kalshi Prediction Market Weighs In
Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics, Betting Big On Jayson Tatum
Complex Jayson Tatum Is Still Learning From Kobe Bryant
Bleacher Report NBA Training Camps 2026 Start Dates, Schedules and Top Storylines to Watch
Predicting the NBA’s 5 Best and 5 Worst Contracts This Season
Clutch PointsCeltics’ Jaylen Brown trade backlash has Brad Stevens glad he’s an old man
The bar Michael Jordan dropped on Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla about winning championships
Celtics RoundtableNBA Analyst Outlines How Losing Jaylen Brown Will Impact Boston Celtics
With Regards to Boston Celtics, One Big Question Keeps Coming Up
Reflecting on Four Years of Joe Mazzulla For Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics Guard Payton Pritchard Draws Interesting Compariso
Larry Brown SportsJoe Mazzulla gets a golden lesson from Michael Jordan
Essentially Sports Michael Jordan Reveals Winning Secret to Celtics Coach Just Before New NBA Season
USA TodayBoston Celtics season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction
This Week in Worcester Hugo González: Why the Boston Celtics Expect a Breakout Season
NBA/YouTubeIn Case You Forgot How Good Paul George Is… Watch This!
Fan Recap Doc Rivers Is Stepping Back Into The NBA Spotlight
Celtics Suddenly Have A Luka Garza Decision They May Not Like
Celtics Have A Low-Risk Point Guard Option Worth Watching
Neemias Queta Just Got A Reason To Prove Everyone Wrong
Celtics Keep Getting Validation On Their Anton Watson Decision
Joe Mazzulla Brings New Pressure Into A Celtics Season That Changed
Gameday New England Jayson Tatum Needs To Step Up For His Teammates
How ‘Bout Them Celtics/YouTubeReacting to Jordan Walsh Highlights Because He’s An Elite Defender
Warriors star Steph Curry isn't slowed by impaired vision as best shooter ever originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
OAKLAND – Nearly a decade after Stephen Curry established himself as the best deep shooter in basketball history, he disclosed that such acclaim came despite eyesight that was profoundly imperfect.
That he had no idea his vision was impaired until former Warriors general manager Bob Myers reached out during the 2018-19 NBA season after catching a glimpse of Curry’s frequent squinting when TV cameras scanned the team’s bench.
“I knew I had blurry vision,” Curry said Wednesday during a philanthropic visit to Madison Park Academy in deep East Oakland. “Like it’s called ‘ghosting,’ where you kind of see shadows with light sensitivity headaches all that type of stuff. But you chalk that up to a lot of different things.”
Curry was unaware he was squinting, much less that he was trying to see clearly. There was no evidence of poor vision on the court, where he shot 91.6 percent from the line – slightly above his 91.2-percent career mark – and 43.7 percent from beyond the arc. His 354 3-pointers that season were, at the time, second only to his NBA-record 402 in the 2015-16 season.
It is obvious, in retrospect, that Curry was relying largely on the muscle memory that comes with having taken thousands upon thousands of shots since his teen years.
“It was just kind of adapting and adjusting and figuring out a way around it the whole time,” Curry said. “That could only last so long until you need to get it looked at.”
At Myers’ urging, Curry was examined by an optometrist, who diagnosed he was playing through keratoconus. That’s when the cornea, normally shaped like a dome, thins and begins to bulge more like a cone. Curry’s vision was both blurry and distorted. Keratoconus can have a negative effect on such routine activities as reading and driving.
But not splashing baskets – if you’re Curry.
Contact lenses were recommended, and Curry has worn them ever since.
“I know everybody who’s worn glasses or contacts or had prescriptions done, (there’s an) ‘Aha’ moment,” Curry said. “Like, oh this is what the world really looks like. That type of moment. It’s not unique to me at all, but that was a big part of it.”
In seven seasons after being diagnosed and treated, Curry is shooting 92.3 percent from the line and 40.3 percent from distance. His effective field-goal percentage of 58.2 is the same as his career average.
Curry, 38, is entering his 18th NBA season. He’s the second-oldest member of the Warriors, behind only 40-year-old Al Horford. Curry last season was diagnosed with “runner’s knee,” which sidelined him for nine weeks. Six days before Golden State’s first training-camp practice, he says the right knee feels “fantastic” and that he’s ready to go.
The keratoconus diagnosis, however, was significance to give him pause.
“Anything that’s sensitive to your vision, you’re kind of on a little bit of an alert, especially as an athlete,” Curry said. “That’s my way to play the game, and to see the court. Other than having biannual checkups to make sure I was keeping track of it, the treatment plan that worked for me. Healthcare providers can kind of guide you in the right direction for what’s right for you. Thankfully, it’s worked, so it kind of eased the anxiety after a while.
“But it is a new normal of stuff that you have to do to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”
Major League Baseball, fearing that a storm could postpone at least one or two games of the three-game series between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, are discussing the possibility of having the two teams play a doubleheader Friday at Fenway Park and a single game on Saturday – concluding the regular season a day early – an MLB official told USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because no decision has been finalized.
The two teams have each told MLB that they would prefer playing a doubleheader Friday instead of a potential makeup game on Monday, just one day ahead of the postseason, with the Red Sox already clinching a berth and the Cubs’ magic number at one entering Wednesday.
The series is much more important to the Cubs and the NL wild-card race than the Red Sox, who have all but mathematically clinched the No. 5 seed in the AL with a wild-card matchup against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
The Cubs, however, are in a three-way tie with the Padres and Phillies for the National League three wild-card spots with 87-70 records. The team that finishes with the best record among the three would be the No. 4 seed, and host the best-of-three wild-card series beginning Tuesday. The No. 5 seed would face the No. 4 seed on the road while the No. 6 seed would play Atlanta at Truist Park.
The Cubs have the tiebreaker advantage against the Phillies and Padres if they finish in a tie.
In 2024, weather forced MLB into scheduling a doubleheader between the New York Mets and Atlanta a day after the regular season ended, with both teams ultimately clinching playoff spots in the twinbill.
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will weather force MLB into dramatic Red Sox vs Cubs schedule change?