Braylon Mullins hadn't hit a 3-pointer in the first 39 minutes and 59 seconds of Connecticut’s Elite Eight game against Duke before Alex Karaban passed the ball to him for the eventual 40-foot game-winning shot with under a second left.
It’s a shot that represented more than a punched ticket to the Final Four in Indianapolis.
"It's like a dream come true, dream scenario, made-for-TV movie or — I guess it goes right to streaming now," UConn coach Dan Hurley said.
Indiana’s Mr. Basketball from last season sent his team back to his home state to compete for a third national championship ring in the past four years.
"You play for those moments," Mullins said after the game. "You dream about that. … That's a one-of-a-kind experience."
It was also a moment that depicted one of the roles the Greenfield, Indiana native has grown into for Hurley’s program this year: reliable and exuberantly confident shooter in key moments.
"This is kind of what I’ve dreamed of, and this is the position that I wanted to put myself in coming out of high school," Mullins told USA TODAY Sports in Philadelphia ahead of the Men’s NCAA Tournament.
On a team of veterans like Karaban, Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr., Mullins plays with an edge when he’s making shots, something that was missing from UConn’s roster last year. It’s what has led to gaining the trust and respect from his teammates to not back down from challenging shot attempts.
"It’s just kind of what the game gives you," Mullins said. "I know that I’m going to be put in spots that coach Hurley wants me to be put in and I’m going to shoot what is given to me. I know all my teammates want me to shoot those shots."
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 23, 2026
He backs up this edge and swagger with his stats: 11.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 43.9% from the field. He became the first Big East freshman since Marquette’s Markus Howard to knock down 50 made 3-pointers in the regular season.
"Once he’s hitting (shots), it just opens up everything else for us," Karaban told USA TODAY Sports. "He’s been doing it since the summer, so (I’m) never really going to tell him to turn down a shot."
The Huskies freshman is an impactful piece of the puzzle for much more than his shooting.
He’s able to impact the game defensively with steals and blocks, and then offensively with mid-range shots and playmaking. Pair that with his 3-point shooting, and its recipe for winning basketball. A recent example is UConn’s first round win vs. Furman when he overcame a bad shooting night with six assists, three steals and two rebounds.
Mullins' ability to impact the game in multiple ways has gained Hurley’s respect.
"You don't get far in this tournament unless your freshmen can do that," Hurley said of Mullins' growth in the tournament ahead of the Elite Eight. "He's a three-way player. He's out on the glass. He's a critical threat on offense, but he's also like an underrated defensive player with a maturity about him where, if he goes through stretches of the game where he's not getting shots, not making shots, he keeps playing winning basketball."
"The courage. The young man -- he's a rare human being. A toughness about him... He was due."@UConnMBB's Dan Hurley spoke with @TracyWolfson after Braylon Mullins' dramatic game-winner pic.twitter.com/oS6Pf9wCcV
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2026
The season hasn’t come without its ups and down for the freshman, though. But his maturity and composure help him provide the missing puzzle piece, too.
"(He’s) special. Super special," Karaban said of Mullins. "His maturity as a freshman, his composure, the way he carries himself, you don’t really typically see it as a freshman. Especially someone who was a McDonald’s All American.
"He’s not asking people for shots. He’s not asking for the ball. He just wants to do whatever the team wants, whatever the team needs to win."
So if it is a key shot (or multiple) down the stretch or impacting the game defensively, Mullins will now look to finish putting the puzzle of a third national title celebration in the past four years together with his teammates in front of the hometown crowd over the next few days.
The first step to that comes Saturday against No. 3 Illinois in the Final Four.
"It's unbelievable to be in the position I am," Mullins said.
It was a disaster for a team that had spent the last month clawing their way up the Western Conference standings with a 16-2 run. They had inserted themselves into the championship contender conversation. Doncic had risen to the forefront of the MVP race.
The Thunder took a pin to those narratives, popping them as though they were nothing but overinflated balloons filled with hot air.
Luka Doncic left the Lakers loss to the Thunder with an injury. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Lakers knew what was on the line against the top-seeded Thunder and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
This was their test to show they were the real deal. But long before Doncic got injured, they arrived for their final exam hungover and without a pencil.
It might seem hyperbolic to claim one game carries so much weight.
But then again, did you watch Thursday’s contest?
In the first quarter, the Lakers were outshot from the field, 63% to 33%, and they had more turnovers (eight) than field goals (five).
In the second quarter, they trailed by as much as 35 points.
Their deficit grew as large as 46 points, their biggest hole of the season.
“They beat the s—t out of us tonight,” said Reaves, who had a team-high 15 points along with four turnovers.
The Thunder emphatically stomped out the Lakers’ roaring flame, reducing all of the hope and excitement of the last month to embers struggling for oxygen.
The Lakers aren’t contenders. And Doncic is not the MVP.
But it gets way, way worse than that.
The Thunder destroyed LeBron James and the Lakers. AP
If Doncic’s injury is serious, LA may not even get past the first round of the playoffs.
And if Doncic misses the team’s final five games, he’ll be disqualified from all NBA awards because of the league’s 65-game threshold. [Doncic has played in 64 games this season.]
That’s right, the guy who’s leading the league in points (33.5), is third in assists (8.3) and sixth in steals (1.6) could’ve gone from trying to surpass Gilgeous-Alexander for the league’s most prestigious individual honor to being wiped off the board entirely in one dreadful evening.
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“At this point, at this juncture of the season, it’s the last thing you want to see,” said LeBron James, who had 13 points, six rebounds and two assists in the second-worst loss of his career. “Especially, anybody on our team. But when you have an MVP candidate on your team, the last thing you want to see is somebody go down with a hamstring injury.”
Thursday was one of those nights that will haunt the Lakers, especially coach JJ Redick.
Doncic was grabbing at his left hamstring in the second quarter. Why the heck did Redick allow him to re-enter a game in which the Lakers were down by 31 points at halftime? Doncic wasn’t going to rescue the team on a night in which he had more turnovers (six) than field goals (three).
JJ Redick during the Lakers loss to the Thunder AP
“We checked him out,” Redick said. “He got work done. He was cleared. I mean, again, we’re not going to put a player at risk. Those things happen.”
Doncic should’ve never played in the third quarter. That was a massive mistake that could have major consequences for a team that was soaring.
It was just one of those nights.
LA had beaten multiple contenders over the last month, including the Rockets (twice), Timberwolves, Knicks and Nuggets.
If they had beaten the Thunder, they would’ve been considered real threats for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. And Doncic’s MVP case would’ve become far more bulletproof.
Instead, they walked away from Thursday’s game mortified and hobbled, like a boxer who fought way above his weight class.
This wasn’t just a bump in the road. It was an unraveling.
It was a nightmare.
But the Lakers don’t get to wake up from this and pretend it never happened.
The Hockey News' main site has revealed the top 10 players from their top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects list. Without any surprise, Philadelphia Flyers top prospect Porter Martone made the cut, as he was given the No. 4 spot.
It is entirely understandable that Martone has been ranked as one of the best NHL-affiliated prospects by THN. The potential for Martone to emerge as a star power forward at the NHL level is there, and it is exactly why Philadelphia selected him with the sixth-overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Martone just had an excellent freshman season with Michigan State University, as he recorded 25 goals, 25 assists, 50 points, and 78 penalty minutes in 35 games. After a big season at the collegiate level, Martone signed his entry-level deal with the Flyers and is currently getting his NHL career started.
Martone has had a solid start to his NHL career, as he recorded his first career assist in the Flyers' most recent contest against the Detroit Red Wings on April 2. While he has yet to score his first NHL goal, he already has 14 shots in two games. This included him having nine shots against Detroit, which was the most out of any player on the ice.
As Martone continues to adjust to the NHL level, he should only get better. There is a lot to like about the 6-foot-3 forward's game, and it will be fascinating to see how he grows his game from here.
The New York Islanders continue to be saved by the out-of-town scoreboard as they continue their push toward the playoffs.
After dropping both games of their back-to-backs, the Islanders had to put their faith in the hockey gods on Thursday night before they got the chance to redeem themselves on Friday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Islanders began Thursday's slate holding down the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, with a slim one-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
They woke up on Friday morning still sitting in third in the Metropolitan Division.
The Blue Jackets got steamrolled 5-1 by the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Flyers, who have to play the Islanders on the second leg of their back-to-back, fell 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who sat just three points ahead of the Islanders, fell 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Boston Bruins, holding down the top wild-card spot, lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers.
And finally, the Washington Capitals, who had snuck their way back into the playoff conversation, fell 7-3 to the New Jersey Devils.
Now, we must mention that the Senators, the Red Wings, and the Flyers have all played fewer games than the Islanders. But, we must also mention that games in hand mean nothing unless that team wins them.
If the Islanders are able to beat the Flyers on Friday night -- no other Eastern Conference team is in action-- that will give Long Island 91 points with five games to go, increasing their lead for third place by three over Columbus.
Sam Ersson started for the Flyers, so we'll see if Dan Vladar gets the nod against Ilya Sorokin.
Focusing on the wild-card is still something that has to happen. However, it has always seemed like an "easier" route for the Islanders to finish in the top three of their division than to finish in one of the two wild-card spots.
It's imperative that the Islanders start to help themselves, regardless of how things have gone from their playoff-hopeful competitors.
After playing the Flyers on Friday, the Islanders have to play the Hurricanes in Raleigh on Saturday night. Then they have four off days before four games in six nights to conclude their season.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers waits for a pitch in the seventh inning during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on March 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/IOS/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Entering the 2026 season, the Dodgers offense on paper consisted of an overwhelming juggernaut of former (and current) MVPs and All Stars, announcing themselves as one of the best lineups in baseball. Six games into the regular season, it has been anything but that.
The Dodgers were nearly shut out twice at home against the Cleveland Guardians after sweeping Arizona to begin the year. They are tied for 20th among all teams in runs scored and at 14th in team OPS. The treacherous trio at the top of the lineup all have batting averages under .200, which features the reigning two-time NL MVP, the Dodgers brand new $60 million right fielder and a four-time World Series champion.
While the focus has been on the struggling offense as a whole, Andy Pages, on the other hand, is having quite a remarkable start to the year. He currently leads the Dodgers in batting average at .429 and leads the team in OPS among all players with at least 10 plate appearances. Although the Dodgers slumped against Cleveland, Pages had multi-hit games in all three contests, including a 3-3 performance in Wednesday’s loss.
Freddie Freeman, though not as drastically as the top three hitters has mired in an early slump, noted that Pages has been hitting well since the beginning of spring training and that the rest of the offense will look forward to picking up the pace during the team’s first road trip, per Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register.
“Andy’s been great since spring training,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said after Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. “He’s one of the ones that carried it from spring training into the season. Andy looks good, both sides of the ball. Really happy for him. So hopefully the rest of us can join him on Friday.”
Links
Jim Callis of MLB.com writes about which Dodgers prospects to focus on throughout the 2026 season. Callis named outfielder James Tibbs III as a can’t miss prospect that has the potential to crack the big league roster later in the year.
Tibbs in his first sample size of Triple-A ball has been a force at the plate, as he’s currently tied for second in the Pacific Coast League in batting average while slashing .500/.552/1.192 with four home runs, four doubles, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored over his first six games.
In half of the Dodgers’ first six games, fans have had the privilege of one of the most electric entrances for any pitcher in the game. Flashing strobe lights emerge, the blaring of trumpets engulf the crowd, and new star closer Edwin Díaz becomes the center of attention towards the end of the game.
Both Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández gave their input on Díaz’s signature entrance, per Katie Woo of The Athletic.
Per Hernández: “Everybody was waiting for that moment,” Hernández said. “I wanted to watch everything: Him coming out of the bullpen and getting all the way to the mound. I’m happy that he’s here now.”
Per Freeman: “When Edwin comes in the game, that means something good’s happening for the Dodgers,” Freddie Freeman said. “So I’m a fan.”
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 28: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts with Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians after hitting a home run during the tenth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians had a day off and will open Progressive Field for 2026 against the Cubs at 4:10PM ET today.
You can read about today’s festivities here. Hockey Gold Medalist Milano Cortina will throw out the first pitch.
Brian Hemminger recapped the minor league slate from yesterday which saw all four full-season affiliates play for the first time this season.
Zack Meisel has a great piece out today on Kyle Manzardo’s mom. Justin Lada of Next Year in Cleveland and Locked on Guardians has a great one on his own late dad’s relationship with him and the game. Terry Pluto had a great article sharing fan memories of Opening Day.
Deborah (Nicole) and Quincy did a Disgusting Baseball podcast featuring some hot take predictions for the upcoming season.
Centre wonders if he will play another Test but remains positive as his club side meet Saracens in Champions Cup
There have been some small but significant changes at Bath’s stately home training base at Farleigh House this week. Black flags, to complement their bespoke Champions Cup kit, flutter in the spring breeze and up in reception is the precise number of days and matches left this season should the club keep winning. “Choose Greatness” reads another motivational sign before their last-16 encounter with Saracens on Saturday.
One particular player, though, needs no extra impetus. One moment Max Ojomoh was accepting the man of the match award after a fine display for England against Argentina in late November, the next he was losing his Six Nations squad place. Even if he hadn’t turned up for this interview wearing a tight black bandana on his head, the 25-year-old would still look and sound like a man on a mission.
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - APRIL 2: Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Florida Panthers defends the net with the help of teammates against the Boston Bruins at the Amerant Bank Arena on April 2, 2026 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
There was bound to be a come-down at some point, what with a perfect weekend last weekend, a rousing comeback in Columbus, an impressive win over Dallas, etc.
Unsurprisingly, that come-down came down (?) at the hands of the Florida Panthers, who ended the Bruins’ winning streak at four games with a 2-1 win in Sunrise on Thursday night.
The B’s fell behind 2-0 eight minutes into the game, but managed to get one back via Fraser Minten late in the first, but after that, it was a vintage performance from Sergei Bobrovsky that kept the B’s from turning the tide.
Bobrovsky made 15 saves in the third period alone, holding off a pretty energetic Bruins charge and helping the Panthers avoid official playoff elimination again.
Overall, it wasn’t a terribly played game by the Bruins, but going down 2-0 and trying to furiously scramble back into the game isn’t necessarily a winning formula, even against a depleted Panthers team.
Your highlights from last night, if you’d like to review:
Unfortunately for the B’s, the loss came on a night where Ottawa, Montreal, and Detroit all won their games.
Those results put the B’s four points behind Montreal in the Atlantic, while bringing Ottawa and Detroit within six points of the Bruins, who are currently in the first wild card spot.
From a neutral observer’s perspective, the Eastern Conference playoff race is wild: three teams have 88 points, one has 86, and another has 85.
The Bruins will play the 86-point team, the Philadelphia Flyers, on Sunday, in what could be a make-or-break game for Philly.
Prior to that, a visit to Tampa looms, with the Bruins playing the Lightning on Saturday evening.
That game will have a 5 PM start, with Sunday’s game against Philly at 3:30 PM.
Tampa remains in a back-and-forth tussle with Buffalo for first in the Atlantic, which still seems wild to say at this point in the season, but…times have changed!
Six games left for the Bruins, six points clear of the playoff line. Buckle up!
CHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 2: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on April 2, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Some nights you have it, some nights you don’t. And for the Phoenix Suns, the nights where it is not there have started to show up a little too often. As the season winds down, that early joy, the feeling of watching a group outperform expectations, it has faded, and it has faded as quickly as their point of attack defense.
Thursday night in Charlotte felt familiar. The issues on the perimeter showed up again, and everything flows from that. When you cannot keep the ball in front, the defense bends, and then it breaks. The paint opens up, rotations get late, and without consistent rim protection, teams feast inside. That is how you end up asking why the Suns give up so many points in the paint. It starts on the outside.
Give credit where it is due: the Charlotte Hornets play hard, they are feisty, and they will make you earn it. But Phoenix did not help themselves. And that is the part that sticks.
Because the game opened with a different feel. The Suns dropped 41 in the first quarter, and with Mark Williams back and Dillon Brooks settling in during his second game back, it felt like maybe things were starting to line up. Like the timing was coming back, like the pieces were finding each other again.
And then it unraveled.
Phoenix scores 41 in the first quarter, then just 19 in the second. Offensive consistency remains the challenge
They lost every margin that matters. Second-chance points, points in the paint, bench production, points off turnovers, three-point efficiency; you run down the list, and Charlotte had the edge everywhere. The Phoenix Suns looked a step slow — sometimes two — reacting instead of dictating, chasing instead of controlling.
And yeah, nights like that happen. You can live with a bad night. The Charlotte Hornets are not a pushover. They play with energy, they play with pace, and when they get rolling it is tough to deal with. But the concern is not just one night. It is the pattern.
Over the last two months, the Suns are 12–15. That is the 11th-worst record in the league in that stretch, sitting right alongside teams that are not trying to win games. Injuries have played a role, no doubt. And now that guys are returning, there is an adjustment period, rotations shift, roles change, and timing gets thrown off.
Since February 2, the Phoenix Suns are 12–15. The only teams with the worse record? Bucks, Warriors, Kings, Grizzlies, Jazz, Bulls, Mavs, Pacers, Nets, Wizards.
But earlier in the season, they were navigating those same challenges and still finding ways to win. It did not always look clean, but it worked. Right now, it is not working the same way.
This team needs to be one that can beat you in multiple ways. That is how they are built, that is how they found success. Lately, they are losing in multiple ways instead. And that is the part that sticks as the season starts to slip toward its end.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Chalk up another Bright Side Baller for Devin Booker following the loss against the Magic. You can pin your blame in plenty of directions for the overall team performance that night. Booker was leaast at fault.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 77 against the Hornets. Here are your nominees:
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 27: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on March 27, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to Part III of a four-part series taking a look at the proposed changes to the NBA Draft Lottery that are being put before the Board of Governors to prevent tanking. If you’d like to catch up, check out Part I and Part II. Before we take a look at the second proposal, it’s important to reiterate the current draft rules.
As it stands, the 14 teams that do not make the Playoffs are eligible for the lottery. Don’t confuse making the Play In Tournament with making the Playoffs – they are not the same. 16 teams make the Playoffs when all is said and done, with 14 heading to the lottery. Lottery odds are flat (14%) for the three worst teams, with the odds decreasing from there down to the 14th worst team (0.5%). The team with the worst record can receive no worse than the 5th pick, as the lottery only determines picks 1-4 with the rest of the draft order following inversely of a team’s record.
Option 2 – increase the number of lottery teams significantly, draft position based on record across two seasons
Key aspects of the proposal include:
22 teams in the draft lottery (10 that miss the Playoffs outright plus 8 that make the Play In Tournament plus 4 that lose in the 1st Round of the Playoffs).
Draft positioning is determined by a team’s record across the current season and the season prior (e.g. a team that goes 20-62 and 24-58 will have a record of 22-60 for purposes of draft order).
A minimum win total floor TBD will be implemented (e.g. if we assume a floor of 25 wins, any team with fewer than 25 wins in either of the two seasons will have their win total bumped to 25 in that season for purposes of draft order).
Top 4 draft positions determined by lottery drawing.
Thoughts on the proposal
If we thought the first proposal was a no-nonsense bid by the NBA, this proposal is truly next level. This scenario leaves only eight teams in the league outside the lottery. With the four first round losers entering the mix, there is plenty of room for insanity to ensue.
Since 1984 when the Playoffs expanded to 16 teams, there have been six 1 seeds to lose to the 8 seed in the first round of the Playoffs. The Seattle Sonics (1994), Miami Heat (1999), Mavericks (2007), San Antonio Spurs (2011), Chicago Bulls (2012) and Milwaukee Bucks (2023) all hold the dubious distinction. It is rare, but happens. This proposal means the best team in the league could possibly secure the 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Imagine the Thunder adding a Darryn Peterson or Cam Boozer because of one flukey Playoff loss. Highly unlikely, but when it happens, all but a single fanbase is going to be grabbing their pitchforks and torches.
The two-season lookback also adds potential chaos. Let’s use the Indiana Pacers as an example. In 2024-25, they won 50 games and took a trip to the NBA Finals. In 2025-26, they are on pace to win 18 games, largely due to the season-long absence of Tyrese Haliburton. That would put them at an average of 34 wins under this proposal, greatly increasing their chances of a higher pick despite being an otherwise elite team. On the other hand, the Mavericks were a 50-win Finals team in 2023-24 before imploding their franchise with one of the most notorious trades in sports history. Both teams would have their draft odds skewed in the wrong direction based largely on anomalous occurrences.
What it could mean for the Mavericks
Chaos is difficult to predict, and this scenario at least invites chaos, however unlikely it may be. The two-season lookback doesn’t strike me as doing the Mavericks or any other team any real favors. I actually think the overall proposal could encourage tanking. Case in point: the Pacers are doing it right now and they don’t even have the incentive this proposal affords teams. If a good team gets some bad injury luck, they are highly incentivized to completely tank the following season to better their draft odds. Add in a win floor and teams will simply use that number of wins as their tank-target.
My best guess is that Dallas ought to hope this proposal isn’t the winner. The Mavs likely won’t have control of their own pick (after this offseason) until 2031. Following up a few years of no pick control with a much wider field of lottery teams could really send Dallas on a long walk of poor draft outcomes.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier (2) bobbled the ball as Chicago White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier (21) stole second base in the eight inning at Target Field Thursday April 14, 2016 in Minneapolis, MN. ] The Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 3-1. Jerry Holt Jerry.Holt@Startribune.com(Photo By Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images) | Star Tribune via Getty Images
Within a week and a half, it had all imploded in inexplicable fashion. This is an oral history of the 0-9 start…
0-1: 3-2 L @ BAL
Keyed by Opening Day excitement and RBI from two Eds (Escobar & Rosario), Game 1 produced a taut 2-2 thriller at Camden Yards. But with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Twins reliever Kevin Jepsen went BB-1B-1B and saw Matt Wieters knock in Chris Davis for the Orioles winner.
0-2: 4-2 L @ BAL
Chris Davis & Trevor Plouffe traded home runs but Yovani Gallardo (5 IP, 1 ER) was better than Kyle Gibson (5 IP, 4 ER).
0-3: 4-2 L @ BAL
Despite jumping out to a 2-0 first inning lead thanks to a Joe Mauer homer, Phil Hughes & Trevor May coughed up four unanswered runs.
0-4: 4-3 L @ KCR
After a strong Ervin Santana (6 IP, 2 ER) start, the first Park-bang of the season, and a big Kurt Suzuki effort (2B & 3B), the Twins again handed Jepsen a 3-2 lead heading into B8. An Alex Gordon single, Salvador Perez triple, & Omar Infante sac fly erased it all and KC reliever Wade Davis locked down the save.
0-5: 7-0 L @ KCR
Two errors from Escobar at SS plus rough mound outings from Mommy Tilone Tommy Milone (4.2 IP, 4 R) and Casey Fien (1 IP, 3 ER) doomed attempt #5 at putting a 2016 win on the board.
0-6: 4-3 L @ KCR
Everything seemed to be lining up for victory on this day: 3 H from Mauer, HR from Dozier, 4 H from Eduardo Nunez. A rare gem from SP Ricky Nolasco (7 IP, 1 ER) and even a Jepsen HLD set up Glen Perkins with a 3-2 lead in B9. A quick single, triple, & sac fly and the Kauffman fountains flowed into extras. In B10, May had Terrance Gore (RIP) picked off—until a Park error at 1B allowed the speedster to scamper to 3B with zero outs. May recorded the next two outs keeping Gore stationed at the third sack—before promptly wild-pitching him home with the winning KC run.
0-7: 4-1 L vs CWS
The excitement of a Home Opener in front of 40,638 Twins faithful produced…6 H off Sox SP Jose Quintana and another lackluster loss.
0-8: 3-0 L vs CWS
The mound brigade of Hughes, Fernando Abad, Alex Pressly, & Michael Tonkin 1.0 (3 ER) kept this contest competitive. Just four hits (one for extra bases—a Mauer double) off Carlos Rodon & Co. kept it a loss.
0-9: 3-1 L vs CWS
Again, moundsmen Santana, Abad, May, & Taylor Rogers 1.0 (3 ER) gave the home squad a chance. Again, the offense sputtered: just 4 H off Mat Latos and the ChiSox bullpen.
It almost defied reality: three series into the 2016 season and the Twins had yet to make a mark in the left-hand column. The absolute personification of the “you can’t win a pennant in April—but you can lose one” maxim. Our boys of late-spring would post a victory in Game 10 of the campaign, but the tone of ‘16 had been irrevocably set.
Happy Friday, everyone. We’re getting ever closer to the Cubs’ home opener, which is looking like it might be a typically chilly affair. In the meantime, things are heating up in Pittsburgh, and not just because of the popularity of The Pitt. The Pirates are calling up one of the hottest prospects in baseball, Konnor Griffin, perhaps after seeing how well Kevin McGonigle was doing with the Tigers. It’ll be exciting to see more young talent coming to the MLB stage.
We also saw a pretty scary injury with umpire CB Bucknor, and some crazy plays all around baseball in the first week of play. We’ve got plenty of little news bites to ease you into the weekend so let’s not waste time and get right to it.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 18: Carter Jensen #22 of the Kansas City Royals stands on deck during a Spring Training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 18, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Whoopsie! Ballplayers are just like the rest of us. Anne Rogers wrote about Carter Jensen’s scratch before yesterday’s game:
“Carter had an oversight,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Overslept. Wasn’t here on time, and we made the decision to scratch him from the lineup. … He’s a stand-up guy, a really hard worker, a great kid. He feels terrible. He’s accountable to it. It’s not something that has been a pattern or any of that kind of stuff. Nobody feels worse than he does, and I think he’ll admit to that. And we’ll move on…”
“No running from it,” Jensen said. “Just didn’t wake up to my alarm. Slept through it. Don’t really have an excuse, nor should I. It sucks. Happens. I felt like I let my teammates down, coaches down. Just learn from it and know it won’t happen again.”
Slightly awkward after he was profiled by Jaylon Thompson in The Star yesterday:
“It’s just like the eagerness to learn,” reliever John Schreiber said. “You know, it’s awesome for him to have Salvy as a mentor (to) teach him the way, how to go about it up here. (Especially), when it comes to recovery, training, preparation and all that kind of stuff.
“So it’s been awesome seeing the work he’s put in. You know, studying everybody here from the pitching staff and seeing what works with them individually. Just getting to know the new guys and all that good stuff. He’s been on the right path, and it’s pretty cool to see him thrive at such a young age.”
There were some notes going back to Wednesday’s game.
OptaStats shared this nugget: “The Royals are the only MLB team in the modern era to have their bullpen allow 8+ walks and 8+ runs in 4.0 innings or less and yet still win the game.”
During an ugly, rainy 13-9 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night, the Twins, Major League Baseball’s most aggressive Automated Ball-Strike challenge system team, set season highs for challenges requested (nine), overturned calls (eight) and combined challenges in a game (11).
He said last night Jac Caglianone asked one of the grounds crew members how many were on the crew (~20). This morning, Cags brought in three-dozen donuts + coffee for them as a thank you for their hard work.
Okay, now the pitching. Noah Cameron was good. There were some concerns after a rough spring and the fact that he absolutely outperformed his peripherals last year. They’re all valid concerns. But he came out and looked a lot like he did in 2025. He was in the zone a good amount, got a little chase, but not much and got just enough swings and misses. Now, he did get hit a bit hard in his last inning of work, but overall, you’re not going to complain one bit about five innings of one run ball from your number five starter.
The four-seamer is still going to be an issue for me with Cameron if he can’t get whiffs on it. He threw 37 of them, which may have been impacted by the weather. He landed eight for called strikes and got swings on 18 others. The problem is that the Twins only came up empty on two of those 18 swings. And it was hit pretty hard with an average exit velocity of 96.8 MPH. But, again, it’s tough to evaluate because the weather was weird. His spin was way down. He averaged 2,288 rpms on it last year, and it was just 1,915 last night. That’s the weather. He was also having trouble spinning his curve and slider with those rpms down 216 and 877, respectively. So I think it’s fair to assume he didn’t feel great with the conditions. It’s just very difficult to evaluate this one.
Let’s focus on the fun parts first. The offense! Coming into Wednesday’s tilt against the Minnesota Twins, the Royals had scored a grand total of nine runs over their first four games. They more that doubled their output on the young season in a soggy, soupy night at The K where everyone got in on the action, highlighted by the collective production from the outfield. Forget about the much-maligned trio from 2025. It’s a new year, baby.
Jac Caglianone, Isaac Collins and Kyle Isbel, hitting seven, eight and nine in the order, combined to go 8-11, reaching base 11 times. They scored eight of the Royals 13 runs on the night. That’s some top-shelf production. Caglianone, in particular, seemed locked in to the extreme. Each one of his base knocks leaving the bat north of 100 mph.
The pitching staff may be the strength of this Fireflies team, especially the rotation. Three of our Top-20 prospects will be featured in the Fireflies rotation, including Kendry Chourio (No. 4), Blake Wolters (No. 17), and Michael Lombardi (No. 18).
Chourio is the most high-profile of this bunch, as he struck out 63 batters in 51.1 IP across the DSL, Complex, and Carolina Leagues. He faced more challenges in Columbia, posting a 5.16 ERA and 3.66 FIP with the Fireflies in 22.2 IP. That said, he didn’t have issues striking batters out, as evidenced by his 25% K% in Low-A. He also limited free runners on the basepaths, as demonstrated by his 20.8% K-BB%.
The 18-year-old righty also impressed in the Spring Breakout, impressing scouts with a fastball that touched 98 MPH. He still has to work on his pitch location and shape a bit, which explains why he is starting in Low-A. He could make a move to High-A by midseason if he fixes those issues.
I have a trio of older stories (from the last week or so) that I don’t think were linked to. These were from blogs that post on a bit of an irregular schedule, but I want to give them a nod:
I was going to start my Asia Baseball Previews this week.
But, I think we’re going to do something a little different this week. I’ve been having fun reading about the Artemis II mission.
We have a lot of things that divide us as humans and as Americans. Heck, there are even bits of this mission that are divisive. But this is also something that can give us a common purpose. As was stated by one of the astronauts last night: “Humanity has once again shown what we are capable of”.
It’s staggering to think that human beings are back on their way towards the moon. We haven’t left Earth orbit in more than 50 years, basically two generations. One of my favorite tourist things I have done while living here is to go to Johnson Space Center during the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 back in 1969. They had Mission Control set up to look just as it did during that historic moment.
I think today is a good time for one of those resource link dumps.
Want to know where the Integrity capsule is now? The easiest way is: https://www.nasa.gov/trackartemis. It redirects to this site, which shows us where the spaceship is right now. I was writing this part up about 7pm last night, just after the TLI (trans-lunar injection) burn. It went from a few hundred miles above Earth down to about 150 miles and then back out towards the moon. Within a half hour, they were a couple thousand miles away with a couple hundred thousand to go, racing at nearly 20K MPH. By 9pm, they had dropped below 10K MPH and were more than 20K miles away. By the time you’re reading this in the morning, it will probably be over 50K miles down and less than 200K to go.
I’m enjoying the NASA feed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NASA. After the TLI last night, they had a press conference with a couple of dozen questions. I saw Eric Berger, the former Houston Chronicle science editor, best weather blogger in the region, and current ars technica writer. The questions were varied and included things like how the systems were performing, details about the day six eclipse, the toilet malfunction, including jokes about “number one” and “number two”. After that was done, the feed returned to the view from Integrity with radio chatter from CAPCOM. Later on in the evening, there was an interview with the astronauts (it’s interesting to think about the delay during the questions): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myscgUlbua4
Naturally, Artemis II has its own wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_II. I had to go back and correct some of what I typed earlier. For instance, I figured out that “Orion” was the type of capsule, whereas “Integrity” was the specific one being used for Artemis II. Of course, there are other wiki links to the entire Artemis program: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Artemis_missions
With the season in its infancy and without enough data to grapple with yet, I’m going to look forward for a bit. Forward to the end of 2026. I’m not a good predictor, so I won’t go there, but I have formulated an outline of what I think success might be for the 2026 Cardinal edition. What might success look like? I mean, baseball is about hope, right?
By now, I’m sure you have read the various prognostications about how the Cardinals will fare in 2026. At the low-end, some folks see team with 90 or more losses. The high side, led by Dr. Howl, seems to be around 85 wins. That is some range.
But who really knows? I can imagine this season being a tale of two (or even three) different seasons and how they add up to a final win-loss tally is anyone’s guess. My interest is … within that wide range, what constitutes success?
Key questions
What does it have to look like for this team to finish at the higher end of the projections?
Could we see Dustin May pitching like a dominant TOR pitcher?
Will we see a full season from Mathew Liberatore more like the first-half of 2025
Could a full season of Michael McGreevy be worth double what last year’s half-season churned out?
Could Masyn Winn prove that last year’s defensive gem of a season was not a high side outlier, and maybe add a tick to his offensive output and cross 4 fWAR?
Will Alec Burleson continue his steady offensive climb and perhaps find a stable defensive platform now that he is playing one position?
Could JJ Wetherholt effectively replace Donovan’s 2.9 WAR at second?
Can Ivan Herrera be healthy and extend his .837 OPS hitting?
Can the rest of the rotation provide reliable quality day-in and day-out?
Can the bullpen lock down the leads that are present?
Will any of Scott II, Gorman, or Walker establish themselves as a line-up presence?
Will Nootbaar come back hale and hearty? An OBP machine with a bit of pop?
Is there enough depth at AAA to fill the inevitable holes created by injury and non-performance?
I think one could look individually at each of the questions and think that a YES answer to any one of them is entirely possible. Not guaranteed, maybe not even most likely, but within a reasonable range where YES wouldn’t be a huge surprise. All of them becoming YES is a bit of a stretch, though.
Timing is everything
The definition of the season could well come down to how many of these answers become YES, and how soon. The how soon part could help begin to define several distinct sections of the season.
Might we see a hale and healthy Nootbaar in late April/early May, or will it drag on until the ASB?
Could it take several different iterations of the rotation to find the right combination of starters? How long will it take to swap out a struggling starter?
How long will it take for Wetherholt to adjust to the league, and them to him?
How long might it take to find the right bullpen combinations and roles?
Will the AAA depth be ready to ascend when needs arise?
What happens at the trade deadline with Noot, Romero, May and perhaps one or two others?
How long will Gorman or Walker get runway if they continue to struggle?
A tale of two (or even three) seasons
April-May … A lot of teams take the approach of coming out of Spring TrBaining with their roster and giving it until Flag Day to assess what they have and adjust. I could see a lot of mixing and matching line-ups, movement of pitchers up and down to Memphis and such during this early phase. Not sure they will wait til Flag Day, either.
June-July … Here is where I’d anticipate an influx of prospects to fill holes. Baez, Mathews, Dobbins, Fitts, Crooks. The past few years, this is where things have fallen apart, as the injury toll has exposed a lack of depth. Is this year different in that way?
August-September … I can imagine this part of the season being defined by what happens at the trade deadline. If the club moves Nootbaar, Romero, May and others, the last two months will become a tryout for the second tier depth, particularly the many pitchers behind Dobbins and Fitts.
The pathway via Starz
It seems to me like success will come (or not) based on how effective the rotation is day-in, day-out. There is enough talent there where I could see a more stable output than we’ve seen in years. I don’t know enough to project any individual’s success or failure, but it is easy to see that there are alternatives available if someone gets hurt or struggles (Fitts, Dobbins and Mathews being the first wave). In that sense, the manager won’t have to stick with a seriously struggling starter as long as in years past. Depth matters. In the end, if I apply the Starz model published late last year, success will be if they find 4 pitchers who can reliably project to > 1.8 fWAR in the rotation and two of those who can reliable project to more than 2.5 fWAR, and still retain some depth. Can you see this possibility by 2026 season’s end?
Perhaps an under-stated element will be how stable the defense becomes. Given that the offense is unlikely to be a juggernaut, defense seems to be a key for leveraging the pitching. Can a guy like Church provide enough offense to allow frequent deployment in the outfield? Can Wetherholt lock down second base defensively, giving the Cardinals the proverbial “strong up the middle” backbone? Can Saggese become a plus defender somewhere?
A third part could be the baserunning. Can Church and Scott II get on base enough to utilize their speed effectively? Can guys like Church, Saggese, Wetherholt infuse enough speed and athleticism to materially improve the team BsR and allow for the manufacture of more runs? I will miss Arenado and Contreras, but let’s face it, they weren’t great baserunners. Along with Pages and Burleson, there was a tendency for the bases to get clogged and a power deficient team became station-to-station, which is not a great combination. There is opportunity here with the new people.
It is difficult to look at this offense and imagine it being part of the pathway to success. Herrera, Wetherholt, Winn, Burleson are likely to be solid, but things fall off after that and four hitters is not enough. Nootbaar coming back strong would add a positive element. Baez and Crooks may get shots at adding offensive punch before the season gets too far along. If it works out, they could have seven guys that would feature 95 wRC+ or better in the line-up. That is an average line-up. With good pitching and good defense, that might be enough. Using the Starz model again, success would be finding five position players who can reliably project to top 2.7 fWAR, with 2 or 3 of them up and over 3.8 fWAR. Same question, can you see this potential by end of 2026?
A step forward from Scott II, Walker and/or Gorman would add needed depth to the line-up, also. After years of struggles, this is hard to count on. Maybe be mid-season the Cardinals end up with a cromulent offensive outfield of Baez, Church and Nootbaar. The final piece of the Starz model is … Zero, absolutely zero, below replacement level outcomes. Here is the support for that rule of thumb. Will this be the year that under-performing players are moved out?
A fallback
If 4 pitchers > 1.8 fWAR and five players > 2.7 fWAR seems like a bridge too far for this organization in 2026, perhaps a slightly lower bar of success could be … if they fall one or two players short of this target, knowing where they fall short (and not having too many holes) might propel them to begin acquiring MLB talent via trade or Free Agency next off-season to fill that last gap or two and be able to have a roster built to win 90 games.
Marcus Semien | (Photo: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images)
Meet the Mets
The Mets have now lost three in a row, as David Peterson simply didn’t have it in the team’s series opener in San Francisco last night. The Mets’ lineup continued to disappoint, too, in what wound up being a 7-2 loss.
Former Mets prospect Blade Tidwell, who was part of the package the Mets sent to the Giants for Tyler Rogers at the deadline last year, was called up for the game and earned a save as he threw three scoreless innings to finish it.
The Braves were the only other National League East team in action yesterday, and they scored a walloping 17 runs in a win over the Diamondbacks.
Around Major League Baseball
Royals catcher Carter Jensen overslept, arrived late, and found himself scratched in a game that he was supposed to catch. The Royals lost that game to the Twins by a 5-1 score.
The White Sox and Blue Jays were postponed in what would have been Chicago’s home opener.
