Picking No. 1 overall is the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the San Jose Sharks took a jump to pick at No. 2.
Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is likely to be the first prospect off the board, but there’s no true consensus this year. Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, Canadian defenseman Carson Carels and American defenseman Chase Reid are fellow top prospects.
The draft will be held from Friday, June 26 to Saturday, June 27 in Buffalo, home of the Sabres.
Here are the draft lottery results following the two big draws for the first two selections:
The Maple Leafs entered the lottery with an 8.5% chance at winning the first pick, the fifth highest of the 16. Fellow Canadian side Vancouver had the top odds with a 25.5% chance, but didn’t get within the first two picks.
Vancouver has never picked No. 1 overall in the draft, so the drought will continue after a season in which it won just 25 games, the fewest in the league.
Toronto would’ve also had to shift its first-rounder to the Boston Bruins had it not been in the top five due to a previous trade agreement involving Brandon Carlo. But it’ll be safe now with McKenna likely going first.
San Jose, which picked Macklin Celebrini No. 1 overall in 2024, had a 5% chance at picking first but will gladly collect second as it hopes to take another step forward to a playoff berth.
Picking No. 1 overall is the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the San Jose Sharks took a jump to pick at No. 2.
Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is likely to be the first prospect off the board, but there’s no true consensus this year. Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, Canadian defenseman Carson Carels and American defenseman Chase Reid are fellow top prospects.
The draft will be held from Friday, June 26 to Saturday, June 27 in Buffalo, home of the Sabres.
Here are the draft lottery results following the two big draws for the first two selections:
The Maple Leafs entered the lottery with an 8.5% chance at winning the first pick, the fifth highest of the 16. Fellow Canadian side Vancouver had the top odds with a 25.5% chance, but didn’t get within the first two picks.
Vancouver has never picked No. 1 overall in the draft, so the drought will continue after a season in which it won just 25 games, the fewest in the league.
Toronto would’ve also had to shift its first-rounder to the Boston Bruins had it not been in the top five due to a previous trade agreement involving Brandon Carlo. But it’ll be safe now with McKenna likely going first.
San Jose, which picked Macklin Celebrini No. 1 overall in 2024, had a 5% chance at picking first but will gladly collect second as it hopes to take another step forward to a playoff berth.
Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo recap a somewhat good, maybe not bad week on the latest episode of The Mets Pod.
The guys discuss a Mets team that won some games, the shaky status of manager Carlos Mendoza, some offensive production, the ups and downs of Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, and Carson Benge, plus the ace-like work provided by Clay Holmes.
Connor and Joe then cover the developing Christian Scott story, the non-development of hitting in the minor leagues the last few years, and answer Mailbag questions about the bullpen, Sean Manaea, and top prospect A.J. Ewing.
Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 14: Mitchell Parker #70 of the Washington Nationals in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a disastrous 2025 season, Mitchell Parker knew he had to change a lot. That point was driven home even further when the former rotation mainstay was sent to the minors on March 13th. Coming off a season where he posted a 5.68 ERA, Parker had to become a new pitcher to stick around in the big leagues.
The Nationals have made the following roster moves:
Optioned to Triple-A Rochester -LHP Andrew Alvarez -LHP Jake Eder -LHP Mitchell Parker
Reassigned to Minor League camp -RHP Trevor Gott -INF Seaver King -INF Trey Lipscomb -1B Matt Mervis
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) March 13, 2026
Parker has done just that in 2026, totally changing up his arsenal. Last season, Parker threw his 4-seam fastball 55% of the time and his slider at a 12% clip. This year, he is throwing the slider at a crazy 58% rate and throwing the heater just 31% of the time. Who knows if this will work long term, but Mitchell Parker is a very different pitcher these days.
It is not just the usage that has changed though. The shape of Parker’s slider is also quite different. It is almost 2 mph slower than last year, but has much more break. When you look at the pitch plot, you can see how much Parker subtly manipulates the shape as well.
Despite heavy usage, the slider is really fooling hitters. Parker is generating whiffs almost 40% of the time on the slider, despite using it as his primary pitch. Batters are hitting a decent .259 off the pitch, but their expected batting average is .233.
The heavy slider usage is also helping Parker’s fastball be more effective. Batters are hitting .167 off his heater and whiffing almost twice as often this year. Parker’s whiff and chase rates this year have been elite, both ranking in the 93rd percentile. While this has only led to a 4.05 ERA so far, his underlying numbers suggest more improvement is in store.
Parker’s FIP and xFIP are 3.43 and 3.44 respectively. Last season both of those numbers were around 5. It is clear that Parker’s changes have made him a better pitcher. However, it is not just those changes that are allowing him to thrive. He is also in a new role as a multi-inning relief arm.
He is only going 2 or 3 innings per appearance. That allows him to spam those sliders without hitters catching on to it. If he used this approach as a starter who is meant to see hitters two or three times, he could be in trouble. However, this new mix and Parker’s experience as a starter makes him perfect as a multi-inning reliever.
Before the season, we talked a lot about the Nats cutting back on fastball usage. After being at the top of the charts for fastball usage last year, the Nats are now bottom 10 in that category. Parker is one of the guys who has benefited the most from that philosophy change. He was throwing a ton of heaters, but his fastball is not an elite pitch.
When Parker got recalled from AAA, you could immediately see his massive changes. In his first outing, Parker threw his slider over 60% of the time and was racking up the whiffs. It was pretty wild to see a pitcher you thought you knew transform that quickly.
Mitchell Parker has four strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Here's his pitch mix tonight compared to last season. Six whiffs on 14 swings against his slider. pic.twitter.com/7cBk7mx3Dy
Now, these changes are not going to make Parker an ace, or even part of the Nats long term pitching plans. However, it is clear that this slider heavy approach has made him a better pitcher. He now has a clear plus weapon that he can lean on to get big league hitters out. Parker’s slider has good movement and he is commanding it very well. When he does not command it, he is in trouble, but he is doing a great job putting it just underneath the zone.
Before the season, I would not say I was that interested in Mitchell Parker. He was a pretty generic arm with no real out pitch. I figured he would get a couple spot starts here and there, but that he would just be an ordinary arm. With his mix changes, that has changed.
Again, these tweaks have not made him a star, but they could make him a viable big league arm. Last season, Parker was in the big leagues, but was not a big league caliber arm. Now, he is a guy who has a chance to be a nice multi-inning relief weapon for this team.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 10: Manager Don Kelly #12 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pirates will be down pitcher Chris Devenski for the first two games of the Diamondbacks series and manager Don Kelly for one after Major League Baseball suspended Devenski for intentionally throwing at Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against the Reds.
The league announced the moves, which are accompanied by undisclosed fines, on Tuesday. Devenski was originally suspended for three games, but a settlement was reached to knock it down to two. Kelly will still be suspended for Tuesday’s game, and bench coach Kristopher Negrón will be the manager.
This all started over disagreement when Sal Stewert stepped outside of the box and messed with the timing of Devenski. There was some arguing going on between the two then Devenski went inside on a pitch and Stewert voiced his frustration over that.
It was then determined by crew chief Alan Porter that Devenski did it on purpose. The veteran pitcher got replaced by Yohan Ramirez who got Stewert to fly out to right field.
Personally, I don’t think Devenski did that on purpose at all. This is his 11th season in the Majors and there has been no history of him being a dirty pitcher or a pitcher who likes to throw at batters.
Devenski said after the game that he had no intentions of throwing at Stewert and that it was just a pitch that missed the spot. Stewart struggled vs the Pirates pitching going 0-13 in the series which also resulted in Cincinnati getting swept.
The timing of this could be a big deal especially with how much the Bucs have been using their bullpen to start the season. Through 35 games, Pirates relievers had worked 143 2/3 innings, which is the sixth-most in MLB.
Kelly being suspended is not a massive deal for the team since he is only slated to miss Tuesday night’s game vs the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kelly will be back to his managing duties Wednesday night with Paul Skenes set to pitch.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 09: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket on Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets during the second half of the game at Fiserv Forum on November 09, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Rockets were a relatively top-heavy ball club in 2025-26. Their only consistent performer was Kevin Durant, followed by Amen Thompson, although Thompson’s contributions extend far beyond the stat sheet.
Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason were all major contributors. However, they weren’t exactly consistent contributors, as each of them hit a lull at one point or another during the season.
Houston had two All-Star players in Durant and Sengun, although Sengun made the All-Star team due to injuries (which still counts). Houston will have just one All-NBA player in Durant. Which likely isn’t enough, due to Durant’s age (although any talks about his decline can and should be neutered expeditiously).
Durant took on a myriad of roles, playing every position, ranging from point guard to shooting guard to small forward to power forward. To the tune of the third-most minutes per night and the second-most minutes in total.
Durant played 78 games –his most since the 2018-19 season. And after a disappointing postseason appearance, in which the Rockets were defeated by the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round, the Rockets are rumored to be considering a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks to land two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It’s believed that it would take Sengun, Smith and draft capital to land Antetokounmpo. If so, the Rockets will have to think long and hard about it.
The Rockets are expected to call on Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer after another disappointing playoff run.
Houston would likely build an offer to the Bucks centered around Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., which is a near identical salary match, plus future draft capital. pic.twitter.com/BCZxyaDaem
The only two players that should be considered as untradeable are Thompson and Durant (in my opinion). Don’t get me wrong, Smith was the x-factor for Houston. When he played well, the Rockets usually did well also.
And Sengun made consecutive All-Star teams and is still just scratching the surface of his potential.
But we’re talking about Antetokounmpo, after all. One of the league’s 75 greatest players of all-time, who just averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 65.8 percent true shooting and 63.6 percent effective shooting.
Antetokounmpo would’ve led the Rockets in scoring and efficiency, even in a season that saw him turn 31-years-old midway through the calendar year. Houston will certainly want to maximize Durant’s window, which will likely be just two more years, at most.
Neither Smith nor Sengun will likely become the player that Antetokounmpo is, even now. And again, both are fine, young players.
But Antetokounmpo’s presence will make life easier for Durant, which Houston has to consider, after asking Durant to do essentially everything in his first season in Houston. If Houston can get a deal done with Milwaukee by parting just Sengun and Smith (and draft capital), that would be tough to turn down.
Great things happen, historically, when you pair multiple MVPs together. And the Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t going anywhere.
Houston may as well load up. It’s their best chance of dethroning the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 29: Don Mattingly #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies walks off the field prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on April 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game between San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies has been postponed. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park Tuesday in a much better place than when they left it.
Rob Thomson began last week at the helm of a struggling 9-19 team that had suffered a 10-game losing streak and had lost 11 of 12. Dave Dombrowski reacted and replaced Thomson with his new bench coach, Don Mattingly.
Everyone said the right things in the days after the switch. No one expected Mattingly to magically fix everything just because he was a reasonably successful manager in Los Angeles and Miami.
One week later, the 15-20 Phillies have won two consecutive series and are 6-1 in Mattingly’s first seven games at the helm. They are playing crisper baseball, making fewer mistakes and, by no coincidence, are winning again.
So is it Mattingly Magic, as we discussed on the latest Hittin’ Season podcast from WHYY?
The Phillies are 6-1 under Don Mattingly. Are we witnessing Mattingly Magic? Or are the Phils simply getting back to normal thanks to strong starting pitching and weaker competition? We discussed on an all NEW Hittin' Season, powered by @WHYY!
You can listen to the FULL Hittin’ Season podcast here:
It’s almost impossible to say Mattingly himself has radically changed how the Phillies have played, but multiple players have mentioned the firing of Thomson as a wakeup call. To the average fan, it’s bewildering that a team of star players whose lone goal is to win a World Series would need a wake up call like that in the first place, but Bryce Harper appeared to say as much after Monday night’s 1-0 victory in which his solo homer in the second inning was the game’s only run.
“I think we were all just waiting for that ball to drop, waiting for something to happen,” Harper said. “If Topper was going to get fired or he wasn’t, it was just kind of, ‘We need to get over this hump and get through this,’ whatever that looked like. So as a team, I think it’s just coming out, playing our game, understanding that we didn’t play well the first couple weeks of the season.
April’s behind us. We’ve got to step forward and understand that we’re stacking days and playing better and just keep it going, no matter where we’re at, what’s happening in the game or anything. Just stack the days and be where we want to be at the end.”
Perhaps it’s less magic, and more the return of outstanding starting pitching.
Here is how Phils starters have fared over the past week:
Jesus Luzardo vs. Giants: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 Ks
Cristopher Sanchez vs. Giants: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 Ks
Bullpen Game
Zack Wheeler at Miami: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 Ks
Andrew Painter at Miami: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 Ks
Luzardo at Miami: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 Ks
Aaron Nola at Miami: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks
Over the past week, the Phillies piled up 45 strikeouts against 8 walks and gave up a total of 6 earned runs over 37 innings. That’s a 1.46 ERA. That kind of pitching will make any manager look better.
Starting pitching was always supposed to be this team’s strength. That they were so ineffective through the first 28 games was a genuine surprise. Over the past week, the starting five finally began to put together the kinds of performances we were expecting of them.
Were Phils pitchers simply not as dialed in under Thomson? Did they focus more after the managerial change? Did Mattingly unlock some mechanical adjustment that helped them throw more strikes and fewer meatballs over the middle of the plate?
The schedule also provided some needed relief. While the Phillies’ 12 straight games against the Cubs and Braves were challenging, one of the reasons those teams were so “red hot” was in part because they were facing a struggling Phillies team. That being said, there was an obvious drop off in competition against a Giants team that has scored the fewest runs in the Majors, and a Miami team that is obviously less talented than the Phils.
And while the upcoming schedule doesn’t feature a slew of cupcakes, there are three winnable series in a row coming up.
3 vs. the Athletics (18-16) at home
3 vs. the Rockies (14-22) at home
3 vs. the Red Sox (14-21) in Boston
It’s a nice respite ahead of another jump in competition thereafter that will hopefully allow the Phillies to creep close to .500 by the time they leave Beantown.
The defense has also improved over the last week. It’s still not great, but for a team tied for the 7th-most errors (19), in dead last by Defensive Runs Saved (-24) and tied for 26th in Outs Above Average (-10), the Phillies made their first error of the Mattingly Era on Sunday, his seventh game.
Are the players more dialed in? Focusing more? Doing extra drills? Mattingly has talked about stressing more fundamental play, but it’s hard to imagine Thomson didn’t also stress playing fundamentally sound baseball.
At the end of the day, the Phillies are winning games for a multitude of reasons. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm are suddenly contributing at the bottom of the lineup. Bryce Harper remains hot. The starters have been great, and the bullpen, although shaky at times, has largely held up and will welcome closer Jhoan Duran back to the ‘pen on Tuesday. There have been fewer baserunning gaffes, too.
It’s hard to ascribe the turnaround to any one thing that Mattingly has done, but perhaps the dismissal of Thomson has had the desired, nebulous effect of re-focusing the team on playing better baseball.
It’s an Atlantic Division showdown at the KeyBank Center as the Montreal Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres to open their Round 2 series on Wednesday, May 6.
Our Canadiens vs. Sabres predictions and NHL picks back Jakub Dobes to stay locked in and continue his strong postseason run, with the Montreal netminder expected to deliver again in Game 1.
UPDATE: Added prediction for who will win & goal scorer pick.
Canadiens vs Sabres Game 1 prediction
Who will win Canadiens vs Sabres Game 1?
Buffalo Sabres: Montreal found ways to win in Round 1 despite losing the five-on-five possession battle and expected goals battle, so I’m expecting the poor five-on-five play to catch up with the Habs against the Sabres in the series opener.
Buffalo allowed the second-fewest goals per game (2.0) and posted a solid 87.5 penalty-kill percentage during the opening round, while also posting a high-end 53.4 Corsi For percentage and 52.9 expected goals percentage at 5-on-5.
Canadiens vs Sabres best bet: Jakub Dobes Over 26.5 saves (-110)
Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes has been incredible with an elite .916 save percentage with 30.35 goals saved above expected across 26 games since Marco Marciano took over as the interim goalie coach January 28.
So, with the Habs ranking 23rd with a 48.6 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five in the regular season and 14th out of 16 teams in Round 1, I’m expecting Dobes to be busy in the series opener.
After all, the Buffalo Sabres finished Round 1 with a solid 53.3 CF% at 5-on-5 while averaging the third-most shots per 60 minutes (30.9) during their six-game series against the Boston Bruins.
Canadiens vs Sabres Game 1 same-game parlay
The Sabres averaged 3.33 goals per game in Round 1, and there have been six or more goals in each of the past eight games between Montreal and Buffalo, with the total at 6.5 for seven of the eight.
Additionally, the Canadiens generated the fewest expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (1.99) in the opening round, so I’m anticipating an uptick in scoring chances from the Habs after posting a middling 2.69 xGF/60 at 5-on-5 during the regular season.
I’m also particularly looking to the new-look second line of Jake Evans, centering Ivan Demidov and Alex Newhook, as candidates to break out. Demidov is an elite offensive talent, while Newhook has ample postseason experience and an excellent motor and compete level to create space and time for the trio.
Canadiens vs Sabres SGP
Over 5.5
Alex Newhook Over 0.5 points
Ivan Demidov Over 0.5 points
Canadiens vs Sabres Game 1 goal scorer pick
Tage Thompson (+135)
Buffalo star Tage Thompson hasn’t scored since Game 1 of the playoffs despite racking up 2.32 expected goals and a team-high 20 scoring chances. He’s also only found the back of the net in two of his past 12 games dating back to the regular season, and his 9.1 shooting percentage during the stretch is well below the 15.1% mark he posted across 384 regular-season contests since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign.
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-120) | Under Under 5.5 (+100)
Canadiens vs Sabres trend
There have been six or more goals in each of the past eight games between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres. Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Sabres.
How to watch Canadiens vs Sabres Game 1
Location
KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Date
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, CBC
Canadiens vs Sabres latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Arsenal are in the Budapest final thanks to Bukayo Saka’s first-half goal
Pennant Watch. There’s nothing wrong, in and of itself, with the commemorative gift stand-in captain Bukayo Saka will hand over to his opposite number Koke. But that badge. Come on, man. Stand it next to the time-honoured Victoria Concodria Crescit crest and weep. And that’s before we get to the stratospherically sexy Art Deco A-football-C logo. Ever since that fateful rebrand, Herbert Chapman has been spinning elegantly in his grave, nearly a quarter of a style-free century on.
Atletico Madrid’s offering, however, is a thing of timeless beauty. Enrique Collar would have been proud to hand that over. Arsenal are favourites to go through tonight, but they’ve lost this very important pre-match skirmish.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 4: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves is guarded by Victor Wembanyama during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama showed why he was awarded the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year and seems poised to win the award for years to come.
Wembanyama blocked an incredible 12 Timberwolves shots in the series-opening game, an NBA record in a playoff game dating back to when blocks became an official stat during the 1973-74 season. Unofficially, according to Basketball Reference, the last time a player had 12 or more blocks in a playoff game was Wilt Chamberlain in 1970.
Wemby had 12 blocks against the Wolves in Game 1, the most in a playoff game since 1970. Here are all 12.
Setting aside a couple of missed goaltending calls early, the story of the series for the Wolves will be about generating enough offense with Wemby on the court pic.twitter.com/vQyWJbTwYB
The Wolves’ ability to generate offense when Wembanyama is on the court is likely to be the largest determining factor of whether or not Minnesota can win this series. Unlike the last series against the Denver Nuggets, where Nikola Jokić provided little to no resistance at the rim, the Spurs have a generational rim protector underneath the basket.
Despite being rejected at the rim so many times, the Wolves made the correct choice to continue attacking the paint as much as possible. While the 3-point shot and the midrange will be a large part of the Timberwolves offense, it cannot be the only way they put the ball in the basket.
“We’re not going to just not attack the basket because he’s down there,” Randle explained about the team’s mindset. “We can be smarter about how we do it, be a little bit smarter. We’re not going to let him deter us from attacking the rim.”
One place the Wolves could do a better job offensively is to more often push the ball in transition and off of defensive rebounds.
If the Wolves can beat Wembanyama down the floor, he won’t be in a position to block the shot, which will lead to makes at the basket and open looks from beyond the arc. Terrence Shannon Jr. executed that idea best in Game 1 by pushing the pace early and often.
I think one area the Wolves can improve from Game 1 is to push the ball more in transition. Get out an run before Wemby can get back to the run
Terrence Shannon Jr. was really the only one who did push the pace in Game 1 and it led to good look each time pic.twitter.com/78uOuXRUZU
“He gonna have to block it every time,” Shannon said of Wembanyama after the game. “I ain’t gonna stop going downhill.”
The Timberwolves scored just 69 points through the first three quarters of the game, but put together a 35-point fourth quarter to win the game.
The big adjustment was moving Rudy Gobert to the bench, which allowed the Wolves to put all five players on the court who could shoot and stretch the floor. Instead of Wembanyama sitting by the rim and ignoring Gobert on offense, he was forced to guard out on the perimeter, which allowed the Wolves to get some open looks near the rim for the first time all game.
In the fourth quarter, the Wolves took Rudy Gobert off the floor and spaced the floor with 5 shooters trying to get Wemby out of the paint
It worked as the Wolves scored 35 points in the fourth quarter en route to the win. Here are a few of the plays that were made possible by… pic.twitter.com/2sx5vU9WBy
The question for the rest of the series is, can the Wolves score enough with Gobert on the floor, or will they need him on the bench to go on a scoring run?
The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. The Timberwolves still need Gobert to play a large role in this series, as his defense and rebounding are invaluable, and the team did win his 30 minutes in Game 1 by two points, but there will likely be times when it makes sense for Chris Finch to go with the five-out spacing lineup with Randle and Reid.
Finch has been outstanding with adjustments and lineups this entire postseason. Even though the Wolves have been down multiple rotation players since Game 4 against the Nuggets, he has consistently pulled the right levers in each game and will need to continue doing so for the Wolves to win this series.
Game 2 on Wednesday night should be another interesting test for Minnesota as they look to take the first two games on the road of a second-round series just as they did two years ago in Denver.
Chris Devenski was ejected without warning following this pitch in the 6th ⬇️😨 pic.twitter.com/8Fxkt4Xj71
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) May 2, 2026
Though the pitch missed Stewart, multiple umpires determined that the pitch was meant to hit him. Devenski was ejected from the game.
In addition, Pirates manager Don Kelly will serve a one-game suspension for his involvement in the incident.
Stewart has been one of the biggest reasons for the Reds' early surge to a 20-15 record. He is currently slashing .252/.338/.504 with nine home runs in 35 games. That is good for a 129 OPS+, the second-highest of any Red with at least 25 games played this year (Elly de la Cruz, 147).
When will Chris Devenski's suspension begin?
Devenski's suspension will begin May 5 as the Pirates begin a road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kelly will also serve his suspension during the same game.
Sal Stewart's comments on Chris Devenski
Following the May 2 game, Stewart was asked about the incident, to which he said he was glad someone (the umpires) still cared about his safety. He said he was glad the umpires took care of it.
"It was pretty blatantly obvious," Stewart said. He added, "Literally, I have no clue [why]. No one said anything."
"I saw that there was 17 seconds [on the pitch clock], so I just waited a second, you know, called time. Next thing you know, ball was just running through my ribs. I really don't know what happened."
MLB suspensions this year
Since the start of the MLB season, only one other situation has led to suspensions. An early April scuffle between the Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta Braves wound up getting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and slugger Jorge Soler suspended for seven games each.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 03: Chase Burns (26) of the Cincinnati Reds delivers a pitch during an MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 03, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds righty Chase Burns is fresh off a brilliant outing Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In it he pitched through a career-best 7.0 IP, held the Bucs scoreless, and lowered his season ERA to a tiny 2.20. He owns a 201 ERA+, 1.024 WHIP, and is striking out a wonderful 10.1 batters per 9 innings pitched.
When the stats were tallied by Baseball Reference overnight and run through their supercomputer’s extensive modeling system, it turns out that Burns currently sits atop the National League leaderboard for WAR accrued by pitchers so far in 2026 at 1.8.
It’s a testament to Burns, obviously, who at just 23 years of age seems to be putting all his immense tools together and lead this rotation. It’s also a testament to the Reds themselves, who have spent the entire season so far without ace Hunter Greene and rock-solid starter Nick Lodolo yet still boast a starting pitcher who’s atop the Wins Above Replacement leaderboard in their league.
The fun part is that I feel quite confident that this won’t be the last time we get a leaderboard update that has Burns atop the list in WAR. He’s got every tool needed to completely dominate this sport, and we’re getting an early glimpse of it right now despite him still having just 15 career starts under his belt.
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 01: (L-R) Emerson Hancock #26, Cole Young #2, Randy Arozarena #56, Dylan Moore #25 and Jorge Polanco #7 of the Seattle Mariners celebrate after a game against the Minnesota Twins at T-Mobile Park on June 1, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I asked y’all in the FEED about who has impressed you so far this season and the LL hive mind did not disappoint! Thanks to everyone who weighed in. Since there were many similar answers, I’m going to start with the top three players that were named and then I’ll break it down a bit more with my Trademarked Mariners Hot Take Ranking System:
Okay let’s break it down by the numbers here.
Your third most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
A two-way tie between George Kirby and Randy Arozarena!
Two mainstays of the team that had sorta down seasons in 2025, Kirby in particular, but are now off to very positive starts in 2026. Randy is leading the team in fWAR with Kirby right behind him. Kirby is running a HR/9 rate and BABIP in line with his 2022-2024 seasons and is certainly the team’s most reliable starter at this moment given Woo’s recent volatility and Gilbert’s very bad slider issues.
Randy, occasional defensive and base running lapses aside, has quietly been very reliable at the plate. He’s walking more and striking out less than the last 2 seasons and is currently running his highest wRC+ (130) since he joined the Mariners. And occasionally he’ll make a catch like this one:
Next up, your second most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
Emerson Hancock!
What a blessing our boy Emerson Hancock has been this season. With Bryce Miller out for a still undetermined amount of time, Hancock stepped into the rotation and has pitched like a dad 3 beers deep mowing down 8-year-olds in wiffleball. Just racking up K’s with movement previously thought impossible from this lad. He also got Felix’d for the first time this past Saturday on Randy Johnson number retirement night, chucking 14(!!!) K’s and getting a no-decision, which was all sorts of poetic. Hancock is truly a Mariners starting pitcher now. Welcome to the party, pal.
And now, your most popular response for which Mariners starter has impressed you so far is….
Cole Young!
I need to fill out an apology form for Yung Cole because given what I saw from him last season, I never saw this coming. Perhaps I was too quick to judge, and people smarter than me (Kate, et al) were all aboard the Cole-Train coming into the season and they were right! There have been many games this season so far where I was suddenly only looking forward to Cole Young at-bats because he was the most reliably professional and patient hitter in the lineup many nights. He doesn’t swing out of his shoes, he takes pitches, and he’s hitting for average and slugging .375, too. Delightful!
Now to highlight some other assorted takes!
Poster qrtqrt2 says: “All right. My real take: Rob Refsnyder. Initially I couldn’t warm to him. His name sounded too much like Rob Schneider who I don’t like. And Refsnyder? Sounded like someone jammed referee and John Schnider’s name together. Then he started saying nice things about the fans. And talking about the difficulties adjusting to a platoon role. And hitting home runs. And now he’s just “Ref” to me and I’m rooting for him to become another favorite son on this team on their way to a World Series win.”
Rob Schneider does suck and has never actually been funny. But our guy, Ref? By all accounts he’s a great teammate, nice person, takes the game very seriously, and knows his time in MLB is nearly up and is trying his damnedest to stay afloat. Did you see how the dugout reacted to his home run that only happened because he correctly challenged a pitch? That’s the clearest sign that Ref being an occasional contributor will produce a vibes boost of immense volumes. I rate this take an Iwakuma because there’s a lot of truth here, but he’s ultimately an underdog with an uphill battle.
Poster chicagomariner says: “Yes, Cole — hoorah, Emerson — and Randy has been a rock. But you want a scalding hot take? Julio! He has shaken off the offseason rust quicker than usual, and I predict we’ll get ¡Julio de agosto en mayo!”
Yesssss, Julio Haters are in SHAMBLES as our guy has been quietly smacking the ball all over the field and into the stands. “But what about his declining defense?!?!” Hey. Shut up. He’s still young, he’ll bounce back. A grounder through the 5-hole is unfortunate but very fixable. I rate this take as BRASH because it’ll incense every fan who thinks just because Julio has a “large” contract that he should be hitting like steroids-era McGwire and fielding like early to mid 90’s Ken Griffey, Jr.
Poster wishfuleephus says: “I was impressed by Cole Young in spring training and a believer from then. But I’d like to give some love for Jose Ferrer. After a start with some bad luck, he’s stepped up to be a reliable reliever in middle or even late innings. If Brash goes on the IL, I think it will be Ferrer who takes his place and has been played as Brash’s left-handed role counterpart already.”
This was posted before Brash went on the IL and so Ferrer has definitely seen more higher-leverage spots since then. His bad BABIP luck has unfortunately continued, but I think he will regress to his normal level of production soon. New team, no longer in the NL, no longer pitching for a team no one was watching…it’s all a big adjustment. I rate this take (sadly ironically) as BRASH because while I think Ferrer will get better results going forward, they will not be on the level of Matt Brash and honestly few pitchers are.
All right, thanks for all the participation, friends! I’ll be back with another prompt in the FEED soon. Go Mariners.
A stacked incoming draft class could change the trajectories for many desperate NBA franchises.
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is coming up, with three teams tied for the best odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick. All three are in the Eastern Conference, a conference that could benefit from an injection of young talent.
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, UNC forward Caleb Wilson, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. are among the top prospects, though the list of possible impact players extends a few more names.
Here’s what to know about the lottery, which should make for an enthralling viewing as the draft board could go in numerous directions:
When is the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery?
The lottery will be held on Sunday, May 10. Coverage will start at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on ABC.
Who will pick first in the 2026 NBA Draft?
The draft lottery odds are sorted with the teams with the worst records leading the way. This year, the three teams tied for the best odds at picking first overall are the Washington Wizards (17-65), Indiana Pacers (19-63) and Brooklyn Nets (20-62).
2026 NBA Draft Lottery odds with ties included
The Wizards, Pacers, Nets, Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings have the best odds at picking first, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
A stacked incoming draft class could change the trajectories for many desperate NBA franchises.
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is coming up, with three teams tied for the best odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick. All three are in the Eastern Conference, a conference that could benefit from an injection of young talent.
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, UNC forward Caleb Wilson, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. are among the top prospects, though the list of possible impact players extends a few more names.
Here’s what to know about the lottery, which should make for an enthralling viewing as the draft board could go in numerous directions:
When is the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery?
The lottery will be held on Sunday, May 10. Coverage will start at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on ABC.
Who will pick first in the 2026 NBA Draft?
The draft lottery odds are sorted with the teams with the worst records leading the way. This year, the three teams tied for the best odds at picking first overall are the Washington Wizards (17-65), Indiana Pacers (19-63) and Brooklyn Nets (20-62).
2026 NBA Draft Lottery odds with ties included
The Wizards, Pacers, Nets, Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings have the best odds at picking first, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
