Wrexham rally against West Brom to boost playoff push
Leicester earn precious point against Preston
Jack Rudoni came off the bench to score twice as Championship leaders Coventry moved 11 points clear of second-placed Millwall with a 3-2 victory against Derby.
The midfielder had been out of action since 28 February but returned to devastating effect as Coventry made it eight wins in nine league outings.
Continue reading...Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The New York Knicks will try to find some consistency ahead of the playoffs as they host the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
New York is beating bad teams but failing to cover, and I’m taking Chicago with the points tonight in my Bulls vs. Knicks predictions.
Let’s break down this matchup and see all my free NBA picks for Friday, April 3.
The Chicago Bulls may have watched their season go down the drain in recent weeks, but there have been moments when they’ve been able to come through for bettors.
Specifically, they’ve done a good job when they’ve been given a boatload of points, covering in five straight games in which they’ve been underdogs by nine points or more.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are dealing with their own struggles as they look towards the playoffs.
New York has now lost three of its last four outright, and while it continues to score wins against bad teams – the Knicks have won 10 straight games against opponents with losing records – that’s only masking the team’s struggles.
Along with having issues getting wins against quality opposition, the Knicks have now failed to cover in any of their last five games and are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 overall. They’re just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games as a favorite.
While not as dramatic as some other patches of shaky defense, New York has allowed 114.0 ppg over its last six games, well up from the season average of 110.6 ppg.
And it’s still not clear exactly how Karl-Anthony Towns best fits into the offensive system alongside Jalen Brunson, with the Knicks putting up 103 points or less in four of their last seven games.
New York should win tonight – it’s what they do against weaker teams – but there’s no way to have any confidence in a blowout. I’m taking the Bulls to cover the massive spread on offer here.
Along with taking the Bulls to cover, I’m also going to target the Over tonight. Chicago has hit the Over in five of its last six games and has played to a total of Over 237.5 points in each of their last six games.
In what should be a high-scoring affair, I also like Tre Jones to hit his points total. The Chicago guard has now scored 15+ points in seven straight games and should continue to get high usage for the Bulls for the rest of the regular season.
For a longshot SGP, let’s roll with Josh Giddey to pick up a triple-double tonight. He’s coming off a March where he put up six triple-doubles and came within 0.6 rebounds per game of averaging one for the month.
I’ll also take Tre Jones to hit the Over on his PRA total, as he’s put up 24+ PRA in six of his last seven games. I’m also taking Matas Buzelis to hit Over 2.5 threes tonight, something he’s done in four of his last six games.
The Bulls are 3-0 ATS in their last three games as double-digit underdogs. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Knicks.
| Location | Madison Sqaure Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Friday, April 3, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | CHSN, MSG |
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
The Penguins lost to Tampa last night but still remain incredibly well-positioned to secure a playoff spot this season.
Here’s the relevant standings for them as of now.
While there could be other avenues with a Wild Card spot, for now we’ll keep it simple on the most straight-forward path available to Pittsburgh: finishing in the top-3 of the Metropolitan Division.
To ensure that, the Penguins simply must not be surpassed by two of: the New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. Regulation wins is the first tiebreaker if a team ends up with the same number of points, and that’s good news for the Pens since their 31 RW is unlikely to be overtaken by anyone they’re in competition with (the Caps have a case, but being seven points back with six games to go it’s highly unlikely they will be able to pull into a tie with Pittsburgh).
Since Carolina is 10 points ahead of the Pens, the realistic best case scenario for Pittsburgh is the second spot in the Metro, which easily enough accomplished by keeping all the teams currently behind them that way at the end of the season.
Here’s a breakdown for that:
First glance might look scary, but the maximum totals are not going to be anyone’s final outcome, and shifting down all the time. The Islanders and Flyers play each other tonight, if that games ends in regulation then someone’s max is being reduced by two points (if it ends in OT, it goes down by one for the losing side). A team like the Caps had a max of 99 yesterday before their loss to New Jersey, same story for Columbus who had their max reduced from 102 to 100 as a result of losing last night to Carolina.
Cut and dry, as of now, a good base-line magic number for the Pens’ is 8. Any combination of eight points earned by PIT or lost by Columbus and Philadelphia is going to lock up a Pittsburgh playoff spot. To secure second place, the magic number is 9 and focus shifts to the Islanders. In that regard, and in a hard-and-fast outlook, if the Pens win four of their last six games then they don’t even need any outside help and will sew things up all by themselves.
What could that mean? Let’s look at the remaining schedules for the remaining teams in the hunt and even forecast their paths in a somewhat conservative way.
(Green represents projected, hypothetical wins, yellow for an OT/SO loss and white for a regulation loss)
Games have been impossible to predict ahead of time, a team like NYI lost to Chicago and defeated Dallas last week, most would have figured those results being reversed. We’ll split the middle and more or less project 3-2-1 records for everyone, a little above average but nothing extreme. This could be generous considering teams like NYI (3-5-0 in last eight) and CBJ (1-5-1 in their last seven) aren’t exactly setting the world on fire. Could a team like Philadelphia out-perform their projection? Absolutely. Even so, tack a couple more points on and — barring a team going on a ridiculous run — the projected totals seem pretty realistic and viable as a base that likely could have a tolerance of 1 or 2 points in either direction.
This kind of outlook shows how strongly the Pens’ position is. They would need two wins in their last six games to get to 96 points and likely clinch second place if the teams behind them have a semi-realistic finish. If something zany happens – like NYI wins Game 82 vs Carolina because the Hurricanes bench their star players — then that simply becomes Pittsburgh needing three wins to secure second place and home ice advantage.
Who should Penguin fans root for, aside from the obvious for NYI, CBJ and PHI to lose as much as possible in regulation? Game-by-game you can go above for that. Hold your nose, but if the main focus is on second place you’d want the Flyers to win tonight in regulation against the Islanders and then definitely lose their next game against Boston. If the results are reversed and NYI beats the Flyers tonight, the good news for the Pens is that helps the cause for Pittsburgh’s overall playoff number. There’s some bittersweetness and dual feelings on either end of the result, more than anything the preference would be for NYI/PHI to simply not end up going to overtime.
Generally speaking, you’d also like for Atlantic Division teams like Buffalo, Montreal, Detroit and Boston to do well in their multiple games remaining against the Metropolitan Division. Toronto could also play spoiler, though count on that at your own risk. Carolina could also do Pittsburgh a solid by taking care of business in their three games against NYI and PHI. The Winnipeg Jets are out there too with games against CBJ and PHI, the Jets could perform a service with some wins there to bring further momentum out of those two would-be contenders.
The good news is the math is very much in the Penguins’ favor. If they get even 4, 5 or 6 points in the remaining six games to play then they will be in very good shape to make the playoffs. If they play above .500% down the stretch and gain 7+ points, which isn’t a huge ask, the likelihood of securing the Metro2 playoff spot becomes all but elementary.
Unexpected outcomes can happen — that’s why they play the games to find out who actually wins them — but the current positioning of being up 3-4 points on their opponents (while holding the first tiebreaker) with only six games to go represents a huge edge for Pittsburgh right now. More than anything at this point, for the Pens it’s not about the desperation of going on a big run at the end of the year so much as playing well and being prepared to hit the postseason in good form and with momentum.
Six games left. That is the total amount of dates before we can set our eyes on a brighter future.
A few days ago, Brooklyn was belittled by a red hot Charlotte Hornets team that have been enjoying the fruits of its labor. Including their victory against the Nets and their 20 point win against the Phoenix Suns yesterday, the Hornets have won seven of their last nine contests and are one game ahead of the Orlando Magic for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. They are a few steps away from making their first playoff appearance exactly 10 seasons ago.
Tonight, the Nets will be taking on a similar opponent who have been red hot in their own right. The Atlanta Hawks, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, have become one of the league’s most exciting teams after they parted ways with their former star guard in Trae Young. As the Nets look for more advantages to increase their draft odds, this game may be in their favor.
And if you’re wondering — of course you are — the Nets are currently in what is essentially a three-way tie for best odds in the May 10 Lottery. At this point, they are second, a game behind the Wizards, tied with the Pacers for second. They are also a game and a half ahead of the Kings and two and a half ahead of the Jazz.
Catch the action at 7:30 p.m. ET on the YES Network and NBA League Pass as well as streaming on the Gotham Sports App.
MPJ (left hamstring strain), Egor Demin (left plantar fascia injury management), Danny Wolf (left ankle sprain), and Day’Ron Sharpe (left thumb surgery) will be out of action. The Nets three two-ways and two 10-days including new hire, Trevon Scott, should be available. This will be their third game in four days, a G League playoff game sandwiched between two NBA contests.
For the Hawks, Jock Landale (ankle) will miss tonight’s game.
If I’m the Atlanta Hawks, I couldn’t ask for a better situation.
First, they have not one, but two stars that have taken the rise to become what looks like an epic duo. Jalen Johnson is a matchup nightmare due to the fact that he is a 6’8 point forward who can do everything and fly through the air at the same time. Johnson is currently averaging a near triple double in 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists. A couple of months ago, he became the eighth player in league history to record four straight triple doubles.
In the backcourt, Nikeil Alexander-Walker has come to his own in Quinn Snyder’s offense. Averaging 20.6 points, he has taken the point guard duties of this team and made the most of it. Because he is not as ball dominant as Trae Young and he could move without the ball, Alexander-Walker has been able to flourish in this offense, especially with that Alexander-smoothness that he and Shai Gilgeous Alexander both possess. The two are cousins.
Both are great tributes to the Hawks development model. Johnson was drafted at No. 20 by Atlanta. Slowed by injury, he averaged 2.4 points and 5.6 points in his first two years before taking off. Alexander-Walker is more of a mid-career success story. He’s a bit older at 27 and taken a little earlier, at No. 17 (by the Nets who traded his rights to preserve cap space for the Clean Sweep in 2019.)
Secondly, the Hawks match up very well with the powerhouses of the Eastern Conference. With key victories against the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons, they have proven they could make some damage in the playoffs. Besides Alexander-Walker and Johnson, the Hawks have a complete team, especially with other newcomers like C.J. McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga. With so many bigger bodies, playing against guards like Jalen Brunson or James Harden could possibly work in their favor as we head into the Spring.
But before we get to that point, let’s see how the Nets can approach this game. The Kings defeated the Raptors a couple of days ago, which makes this race for draft odds that much more closer.
Alexander-Walker may not be the success story that Jalen Johnson is, but he may be a better story. NAW, as noted up top, is SGA’s cousin, and now after four teams in seven years, he has found a home. (Jordi Fernandez is familiar with both because they were part of Team Canada when he was head coach.)
Zach Langley of Soaring Down South wrote earlier Friday:
Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s breakout seventh campaign isn’t slowing down.
That’s what’s confirmed this year to be no fluke. His full-season emergence as a two-way star, with career-high averages in every major statistical category, has transformed the outlook of this Hawks team in both the immediate and long-term future.
And as Maxwell Ogden his colleague on SDS noted, his performance is accelerating.
Alexander-Walker entered March averaging 19.8 points on .431/.373/.888 shooting. Those are more than respectable numbers, but his efficiency has gone through the roof since Mar. 1 and given the Hawks a new outlook on what the postseason may hold.
Since May 1, Alexander-Walker is averaging 22.7 points on .528/.468/.942 shooting—on 7.4 three-point field goal attempts per game, no less.
Among players who appeared in at least 10 games in March, only three converted with more efficiency from beyond the arc than Alexander-Walker. Darius Garland was the only player who shot better than Alexander-Walker while attempting at least 7.0 treys per game.
He’s also under contract for another three years at a reasonable $15 million per season. If he keeps this up, he’ll be one of the league’s bargains.
This one is a little late for a obituary and a little early for retrospect but we figure it’s always a good time to honor a Brooklyn legend and singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka qualifies. Sedaka died in February at age 87. Much of the honors we read and listened to was about some of the great songs of the 50’s and 60’s — “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Bad Blood,” “Laughter in the Rain” and “Calendar Girl” — there wasn’t a lot about growing up in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach. After all, he lived across the street from Neil Diamond and dated Carole King. (Look them up if you have to.)
“We all lived in Brooklyn,” he said. “It was a wonderful time. It must have been something in the egg cream. We used to hang out in the sweet shop and have egg creams and potato knishes.”
Obviously, a different time, but Brooklyn’s musical legacy extends back a long, long time. Here’s Sedaka singing about his hometown 50 years ago.
Enjoy.
More reading: Soaring Down South, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter
The Nationals have a tough assignment for their home opener. They have to do battle with the back to back World Series champion Dodgers. The Nats have actually had surprising success against the Dodgers, especially at home. However, it is always a tough task when you face a team with this much star power.
The Nats are actually sitting their hottest hitter for this game. Joey Wiemer entered the season as a guy who would only play against lefties. However, he was so hot, the Nats have been playing him every day. He will not be in there today though. Instead, the outfield will be James Wood, Jacob Young and Daylen Lile. Brady House will actually be the DH today, with Jorbit Vivas playing third base. Miles Mikolas will be on the mound against a stacked Dodgers lineup.
This Dodgers lineup looks like an All-Star team. Future Hall of Famers like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts litter the lineup. The Dodgers most recent pricey addition, Kyle Tucker, will be hitting second. While the Dodgers are 4-2, some of their biggest names have been cold to start the year. The Nats will need that to continue to have a shot in this one. Emmet Sheehan is on the mound and the former sixth rounder is an example of the Dodgers excellent player development.
Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 1:05 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
After a solid road trip to start the season, the Nats are finally back in DC. They will have to play with the same intensity we have seen early this year to beat the mighty Dodgers though. It will be exciting to see the young Nats square off with all of these LA super stars. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
The Colorado Avalanche are as close to a ‘cup or bust’ team as you’ll see.
They got their guy in Nazem Kadri, look like Presidents Trophy and Central Division winners, and have a litany of players who have or will set career highs, including some unexpected achievements— looking at you, Parker Kelly.
Captain Gabe Landeskog is back, Nathan MacKinnon somehow keeps getting better, Martin Necas has proved plenty capable, and Cale Makar (although banged up) is still the top dog defender.
The goalkeeping-by-committee approach has obviously worked during the regular season.
Still, after some shaky starts from Blackwood and unfortunate outcomes, some pundits and fans are calling for head coach Jared Bednar to pick a guy heading into the playoffs.
The winningest Boston Bruins team ever is the best and among the most clearly comparable case studies to look to now that these questions have begun in the press room at Ball Arena.
What can we learn?
Well, perhaps don’t give in to the pressure and stick to your guns.
The 2022-23 Bruins team and this year’s Avalanche club have a lot in common.
They both have a win over every NHL team in their respective seasons.
They both have a balance of depth and superstar/young talent.
Both went with a by-committee goaltending approach to achieve that regular-season success.
Both positioned themselves firmly as the clear cup favorite as the calendar turned to April.
So how did the winningest (regular-season) team ever finish?
A Bruins team that lost only 12 games in regulation over 7 months and all 82 regular-season games lost four games in 13 days to the Florida Panthers in round one of the playoffs, and didn’t even play in May.
Did they stick with the goalie by committee come playoff time?
Nope, they started Ullmark in 6 of 7 games, with game 7 going to Swayman.
I think it’s relatively common knowledge that humans are creatures of habit.
Now, enter a human who’s decided to play goalie in the NHL, and you have some of the most routine-oriented, borderline obsessive creatures of habit ever to have walked this planet.
Why?
Because, as my dad told me growing up, half of what it means to be a great goalie happens in the six inches between their ears.
The mentality and confidence of a goaltender are qualities to be fostered and nurtured, and the approach we are seeing right now has brought out the best in Wedgewood and allowed Blackwood to get back to form at a slower, more comfortable pace.
Imagine if the Avalanche didn’t have an option like Wedgewood.
Not having your starter for training camp and the first three weeks of the regular season usually isn’t the start of a story about a historically successful regular-season team.
I’d argue that’s why we’ve seen these two goalies grow close in their short stay so far in Colorado. The two netminders have each other’s back and don’t seem to have any issue with the current approach.
We know it typically takes two goalies to win a cup, and Colorado right now has the league’s best goalie by SV% in Scott Wedgewood and a fail-safe that proved (to end last season) to be a bona fide starter in MacKenzie Blackwood.
Does losing to the league’s worst team, the Vancouver Canucks, by a score of 8-6, pain the eyes?
Absolutely.
Is it reason to pull the plug on what’s gotten you to the top of the NHL and positioned you for a deep cup run?
Let us know what you think in the comments!
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
Toronto Blue Jays newcomer Dylan Cease is a strikeout maestro, and I’m expecting him to be crossing up Chicago White Sox batters all day long.
Find out why with my Blue Jays vs. Chicago White Sox predictions and free MLB picks for Friday, April 3.
No pitcher in baseball has had more strikeouts over the last five seasons than Dylan Cease, which continued into his first Toronto Blue Jays start, where he struck out 12 A’s batters in 5 1/3 innings.
This is an extremely favorable matchup for Cease, who faces a strikeout-prone Chicago White Sox squad.
Chicago ranks 29th in strikeout rate, averaging 12 K’s per game through its first six contests in 2026,
Additionally, the White Sox own a league-worst 35% whiff rate, while Cease had a league-best 52.2% in his season-opening start.
COVERS INTEL: Chicago’s lineup is only hitting .188 against Cease, with 15 strikeouts in 48 at-bats.Dylan Cease Over 7.5 strikeouts
Blue Jays -1.5
Blue Jays team total Over 4.5
The White Sox have been terrible to start the season, going 1-5 on the run line with an average loss margin of 5.16 runs per game. This should be the game where Toronto turns its offense around.
This is also why I’ll be taking Over 4.5 runs for the Jays today. Chicago has allowed five or more runs in all but one game, averaging 8.67 runs allowed per contest.
Sean Burke will get the ball after an opener starts the game for Chicago. Burke gave up three bombs in his lone meeting against Toronto last season.
One of the Jays batters who tagged Burke for a homer last year was Addison Barger, and I’ll back him to go yard again tonight. The pitch that was most costly for Burke last season was the slider, which was taken deep 10 times. Barger owned a 56.8% hard-hit rate against the slider last season.
The Toronto Blue Jays have covered the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 16 of their last 21 games (+11.05 Units / 46% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. White Sox.
| Location | Rate Field, Chicago, IL |
| Date | Friday, April 3, 2026 |
| First pitch | 2:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | Sportsnet |
| Blue Jays starting pitcher | Dylan Cease (0-0, 1.69 ERA) |
| White Sox starting pitcher | Grant Taylor (0-0, 4.50 ERA) |
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
The Los Angeles Lakers, at the worst possible time, caught a bad break with their biggest star.
All-Star guard and Most Valuable Player candidate Luka Dončić, suffered what appeared to be a hamstring injury in a blowout loss against the Thunder on Thursday, April 2, potentially putting his award eligibility – and the Lakers' dreams of a deep postseason run – in jeopardy.
Dončić is set to an undergo an MRI to evaluate the severity of the injury.
Thursday night’s game against Oklahoma City was his 64th of the season, putting him one shy of the minimum required for consideration for MVP, All-NBA selection and other individual honors. This means Dončić needs to play in at least one of Los Angeles’ remaining five games to become eligible. Meanwhile, the Lakers are still battling for seeding in the Western Conference in the final games of the season.
Dončić finished the game with 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting, including a sluggish 1-of-7 from 3-point range. He added 7 assists and 4 rebounds. The injury comes just days after he scored 600 points in March, marking just the 10th time in NBA history that a player has reached that level of production in any month.
This comes as a blow for Los Angeles, which had gone 15-2 in March and had climbed to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. With Thursday’s loss against the Thunder, however, L.A.’s hold of the third-seed over the Nuggets shrunk to just 1 game. Denver, meanwhile, is on a seven-game winning streak.
The Lakers have gone 7-6 this season in games Dončić has been sidelined and he has become the team’s premier and most reliable offensive force. In his absence, Austin Reaves and LeBron James will have to step up considerably.
The NBA playoffs are set to tip off April 18.
In 64 games this season, Dončić is averaging an NBA-high 33.5 points, with 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic injury update resets Lakers NBA playoff projections
Mar 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns (84) in the first period against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Isaiah J. Downing/Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
DENVER — Brent Burns took a wayward stick to the face while playing for San Jose in October 2013 that ended up costing him teeth and time on the ice.
Since his return — Nov. 21, 2013, to be precise — he’s been a permanent fixture in every lineup. Burns, now 41 years old and with the Colorado Avalanche, is set to play in his 1,000th straight regular-season game Saturday at Dallas.
The bearded blueliner has skated through the bumps and bruises that come with delivering checks and deflecting slap shots. So much so that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar can’t wait to one day sit down with Burns and discuss all the ailments that may have kept many a player sidelined for days, weeks and maybe even months.
“He plays through them like it’s not a big deal,” said Bednar, whose team currently owns the NHL’s top seed with eight games remaining, including the pivotal contest with the Stars (six points back). “(The streak) is an incredible accomplishment. It’s hard to believe.”
Burns, who turned 41 on March 9, joined the Avalanche on a one-year deal this season to chase the only thing missing from his résumé — a Stanley Cup title.
He’s become another leader/mentor on the Avalanche. He still chips in goals, too, on a high-scoring team that boasts Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas. Burns has 11 tallies this season, joining Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom as the only defensemen in league history to notch double-digit goals at 40 or older.
But Burns’ specialty remains putting his 6-foot-5, 228-pound frame to good use on opponents who venture into his territory. That’s what makes his streak so remarkable — all the punishment he dishes out and takes. He’s closing in on the all-time ironman streak held by forward Phil Kessel, who played in 1,064 consecutive regular-season games from Nov. 3, 2009, to April 13, 2023.
“It’s the same guy that we’ve been watching for a decade-plus, doing the exact thing,” Bednar said. “To have guys with these ironman streaks get to a certain point ... that’s an unbelievable career and accomplishment just to get that as a player total, never mind in a row.”
It’s a streak Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog fully appreciates. Landeskog missed three full regular seasons after helping the Avalanche to the 2022 Stanley Cup title because of a lingering knee injury.
“He comes to the rink with a great attitude,” Landeskog explained. “He wants to be here. He’s excited to come to work.”
Burns also arrives to the rink lugging around his military-style backpack that’s stuffed with everything necessary to keep him on skates. There’s a cloud of mystery surrounding the precise contents of the heavy pack, though. Whatever it may contain — rumors of recovery gear to his own coffee setup — there’s no denying it’s become a healing elixir. Burns is in his 22nd NHL season and about to play in his 1,572nd career contest. The 2016-17 Norris Trophy winner is still averaging nearly 19 minutes a game and has 83 blocked shots this season.
The streak certainly impresses goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
“In my position alone, you’ll do something one game and your hip locks up a little bit,” Wedgewood said. “It’s like, ‘Thank God, I’m not playing the next one. It feels like crap right now.’
“That happens 15 times a year, just on me, let alone taking body checks and slap shots. Playing as much as he does now at that age, keeping that body fresh and everything? He probably wouldn’t be the one to tell you, but he’s probably played through thousands of different nuances.”
Burns made his NHL debut on Oct. 8, 2003, with Minnesota after being a first-round pick by the Wild. He spent seven seasons with Minnesota, 11 in San Jose and three more in Carolina before joining Colorado.
His lone appearance in the Stanley Cup final was in 2016 with the Sharks, where they lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Burns has played in 135 career playoff contests.
His current games streak started Nov. 21, 2013 — he played right wing that season — when he returned from his injury and promptly scored a goal. In his 999th straight game against Vancouver, he delivered a goal and an assist to become the fifth different defensemen to notch a 30-point season while in their 40s.
“It’s just ridiculous,” Makar said of the streak before suffering an upper-body injury against Calgary that will keep him out a few games. “For him to be able to go out there every night and make an impact, and not just float around and do the minimum, is pretty spectacular, especially at his age.”
BOSTON – Last week, as the regular season began to wind down, I followed the Celtics around for a couple of days. The assignment was not too dissimilar from my usual shenanigans; as a beat reporter, you — in effect — follow the team around to shootarounds, practices, games, and other events (and if you’re wondering, yes, it feels invasive at times).
The difference was that this time, the team had two consecutive days off from game action and travel, something that very rarely happens during the regular season (only four times so far, to be exact).
Usually, when the team has two consecutive days off, one of those days is a travel day (if the Celtics play at home on a Monday, and on the road on a Thursday, they technically have two days off, but Wednesday would be a travel day).
But, in late March, a two-day span between a Sunday night game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and a Wednesday night game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was one of those rare times.
How do players maximize that time?
I dove deep into that question.
Much of it revolves around giving back to the community, said Celtics longtime team president Rich Gotham. Players participate in off-court events in and around the city of Boston, events that are oftentimes centered around empowering youth, among other causes.
“Generally, what we try to do is really understand, like, what makes each player tick — what they’re into, the kind of stuff they want to do, what their interests are,” Gotham told CelticsBlog. “It’s different for every player, depending on where they are in their career arc. But, particularly with the young players, we try to sort of cement that this is what it means to be a Celtic. You’re part of an organization. There’s what goes on on the floor, but then there’s everything that supports what goes on. And you have to actually be a participant in that. You have to contribute to that.”
Sam Hauser attended a financial literacy event for middle schoolers at the Dearborn STEM Academy, a public middle and high school in the heart of Roxbury that is focused on science, technology, and math.
Players attend these kinds of community events all the time. In March alone, Derrick White, Hugo Gonzalez, Amari Williams, Luka Garza, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Neemias Queta each headlined one of a myriad of Celtics off-court events.
The events are often hosted in collaboration with the team’s corporate partners; Hauser’s workshop was hosted in partnership with TD.
3:30pm: Sam Hauser headlines a financial literacy workshop for Roxbury youth
Hauser was the guest of honor and the star of the show at Dearborn. For more than an hour, he hung out with kids as they reviewed information and answered questions about financial literacy, learning about concepts like interest rates, emergency funds, and credit scores.
“I didn’t learn this stuff in high school, so honestly, I was learning some stuff on the fly here today, which is pretty cool,” Hauser said. (I can confirm I also struggled with some of the questions the students were asked).
The highlight of the event came at its conclusion, when the Celtics forward participated in a heated knockout game against the middle schoolers.
Hauser taught a bunch of the kids the rules of knockout — then subsequently eliminated nearly all of the competitors.
“It’s tough love,” Hauser said afterwards with a smile, conducting his post-competition interview alongside one of the knockout participants. “As much as you love these kids, you gotta lose sometimes in life.”
Ultimately, Vladimir Hyppolite, an 8th grader at the Dearborn Academy, came out victorious, winning a pair of tickets to Friday’s Celtics game against the Hawks.
He walked both the basketball contest and the financial literacy trivia walked away with a basketball signed by Hauser and his autographed jersey.
“It’s definitely weird,” Hauser said of seeing his jersey be the event’s prized reward. “Still, I don’t see many of my jerseys out there, so seeing them here today and a few in the crowd every now and then. It’s pretty cool – something that you kind of dream of when you’re a little kid, like, ‘I hope someone wears my jersey when I grow up.’ But actively seeing it is pretty special.”
Hauser has a one-year-old boy, Teddy, and spends lots of downtime with his family when the Celtics have a day off.
But this type of give-back to the community was a priority, too.
“You’ve got to fit it in,” Hauser said. “In this case, we have an extra day before the next game, and this stuff’s important, so you make time for it. And, today was a special one for sure – to come in here and learn about this stuff, and be present, and fit into the schedule perfectly. It couldn’t have been more of a perfect storm.”
7pm: Luka Garza, Neemias Queta each attend corporate partner dinners
In addition to off-court community events, the Celtics have partnership dinners sprinkled throughout the season. Luka Garza, Neemias Queta, Hugo Gonzalez, and Cedric Maxwell participated in private dinners for Boston Celtics corporate partners at local Boston restaurants last week. At these dinners, the players mingled with guests, shared stories from the season and time in the NBA, and enjoyed dinner together.
8pm: Derrick White and Joe Mazzulla sit ringside for a WWE event with their families
A couple of hours later, Derrick White and Joe Mazzulla attended WWE’s Monday Night Raw at TD Garden with their respective families.
A clip of Mazzulla jokingly putting White in a chokehold went viral, and the Celtics coach later reflected on the off-night excursion.
“I grew up as a kid watching it,” Mazzulla said. “I was able to have a family night, take the kids there, hang out with D-White. It was a good time.”
White said these types of off-court excursions with Mazzulla have become increasingly during his tenure as head coach.
“Just bonding – I think that goes deeper than basketball,” White said. “So it’s always cool to do things like that.”
Mazzulla was asked if it felt unusual for a boss to go out with an employee on an off-night.
“I don’t consider myself a boss, and I don’t consider Derrick an employee, with all due respect,” he clarified. “It’s not how we operate. I think it’s more about relationships and the people that you have.”
It’s far from unusual for Derrick White to be found at a Boston sporting event. Last month, he attended a Boston Fleet gam, rooting for one of eight Professional Women’s Hockey League teams. He’s also a frequent attendee at Red Sox games.
And, White’s had an especially busy month of off-court endeavors; also last month, he was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
While the Celtics were off from basketball activities on Monday, the team was back in action at the Auerbach Center on Tuesday. But that’s not all they did.
10:00am-10:30am: Team Photo
Before practice, the Celtics took a full team photo, updated for the postseason action that will soon commence.
10:30am-12:30pm: Celtics Practice
Then, the team held its first official practice in more than two weeks, which came on the heels of a loss to the Timberwolves. Jayson Tatum later described the practice as a “really good” one, and the team went on to rattle off three straight wins against East playoff teams.
After practice, most players work on individual skill development with their assigned coaches on player development and review film from the previous game (some players get this work in before practice).
Derrick White, for example, fired up shots alongside longtime assistant coach Matt Reynolds. After the two completed White’s shooting workout, they typically compete in a trick shot competition — just for fun — along with other members of the staff.
On the opposing basket, Payton Pritchard, Ron Harper Jr, Jordan Walsh, and Charles Bassey competed in 2-on-2 drills organized by player development coaches Craig Luschenant, Nana Foulland, and Da’Sean Butler.
Luka Garza worked out on post moves and touch shots with Celtics assistant DJ MacLeay, his assigned player development coach.
Jayson Tatum got up shots with coaches Tony Dobbins, Amile Jefferson, and Steve Tchiegang.
And, Hugo Gonzalez and Neemias Queta worked out with Tyler Lashbrook and Ross McMains.
Then, after practice, Joe Mazzulla and at least one Celtics player address the media. On this particular day, that player was Derrick White.
12:30pm-3pm: Playoff Content Day
When practice concluded, Celtics players headed over to the WGBH TV studios down the street, where the team records a ton of content ahead of postseason action.
Playoff content day is a couple-hour obligation in which every player on the roster fulfills a litany of tasks that helps create video content for the postseason run ahead. That content will be posted on social media throughout the upcoming playoff run, repurposed for pregame and midgame Jumobotron hype-up videos, and more.
The goal is to record as much content as possible, so when the playoffs begin, players won’t have any off-court distractions.
Tuesday’s itinerary includes conducting interviews with a variety of media people; for example, Brian Scalabrine sat down with Jayson Tatum and Derrick White for NBC Sports Boston, and Marc D’Amico and Megan Ottolini interviewed Hugo Gonzalez for Celtics Weekly, the team’s in-house weekly show. (Those are just a few of the dozens of interviews that took place on Tuesday afternoon).
Accompanied by a member of the Celtics organization, each and every player on the roster went through the various stations. Those stations included signing basketballs and other memorabilia for the Shamrock Foundation, taking photos for jumbotron content, and filming social content with the marketing team.
5:30PM-6:30pm: Jordan Walsh headlines a community event in Lawrence
To wrap up a long day, Jordan Walsh attended an event in Lawrence in which fifty families enjoyed a sit-down dinner at the Boys and Girls Club. Families walked away from the PIMCO-sponsored event with a delicious dinner, gift cards to the grocery store Market Basket, and bags of produce. Some also won kitchen appliances in a raffle, which Walsh handed out.
During the dinner, Walsh sat down for a Q&A alongside former Celtic Leon Powe, which was moderated by Kash Cannon, the Celtics’ director for community engagement.
The room erupted when the 22-year-old arrived — a reaction he’s received dozens of times throughout his Celtics tenure, but one that nevertheless doesn’t get old.
“It kind of does feel like a superpower, in a way, because you bring joy to people by entering a room,” Walsh said. “That’s the highest compliment you could get. Kids would be, like, screaming and yelling and just excited for you to walk into a room – that’s definitely the biggest compliment ever.”
Amanda Hinchcliff, a lifelong Lawrence resident who serves as the club’s program director, said anticipation ahead of the event had been building all week.
“We’re everything to these families,” Hinchliff said. “We’re obviously an after-school provider for them, for the parents who work. But, parents come to us for everything – whether they need help with their rent, with food. We’re like a one-stop shop – kids that come over just from the Dominican Republic, just fresh here, not speaking a lick of English. The first stop is here. I don’t know if we just have that reputation for helping families, and it’s just kind of spread throughout the city: go to the Boys and Girls Club, they’ll help you. And we do, if we can help them, we will.”
The Celtics have a partnership with the Lawrence Public School system and the Boys and Girls Club, and concluded that hosting a food insecurity event, headlined by a current player, would be impactful.
“Generally speaking, an NBA player might not show up in a community unless we’re saying we’re getting to know it, and we’re bringing them there because we see the need,” Gotham said. “And we understand the need, and we feel like we can help.”
Gotham said Lawrence has been a city the Celtics have long been invested in.
“Lawrence is further away,” Gotham said. “It’s a little harder between games or on off-days when guys are trying to get their rest. But we’ve come to understand the community up there. We’ve built some relationships. We understand where the need exists.
Due to some rush hour traffic, the event took more than an hour for Walsh to get to. Still, he was thrilled to be a part of an uplifting evening that also addressed a tangible need in the community.
“I don’t feel like it’s an obligation,” Walsh said. “I feel like it’s something I get to do, it’s an opportunity I get to do. Because, if it was me as one of those kids, I would want a guy like me to show up and be there.”
6:30pm-7:30pm: Hugo Gonzalez participates in a Q&A at the Auerbach Center
At the same time that Jordan Walsh wrapped up the event in Lawrence, 30 miles away at the Auerbach Center, Hugo Gonzalez was beginning a financial literacy workshop for 9th graders, similar to the one Hauser attended a day prior.
Gonzalez and Walsh have both been attending these types of off-court events since the day they were drafted by the Celtics.
“Whether we trade for a player, or sign a free agent, or draft a player, their first day in Boston, you’re doing a community event,” Gotham said. “And it’s our way of saying, ‘Hey, this is part of the responsibility here. It’s giving back.’ So that’s the first thing we do.”
It’s also the first thing they go back to — whenever the schedule allows.
All of it is a crucial part of being a part of the Celtics organization.
“You want people who appreciate what they’re a part of, and sort of understand it,” Gotham said. “And they put it in the context, like, ‘Wow, I’m grateful to actually have this kind of opportunity. And I want to contribute to it.’”
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
We’ve got an action-packed Friday in the NBA with nine games on the docket and a bunch of lopsided matchups.
My NBA picks for Friday, April 3, hone in on Karl-Anthony Towns, Alperen Sengun, and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Keep reading for my favorite NBA player props tonight.
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Karl-Anthony Towns | Over 11.5 rebounds | +100 |
 Alperen Sengun | Double-Double | +115 |
 Sandro Mamukelashvili | Over 11.5 points | -112 |
+100 at bet365
Karl-Anthony Towns continues to be a monster on the glass for the New York Knicks, logging 12.5 rebounds per game through March and clearing 11.5 boards in 12 of his last 17 contests.
The big man will dominate the glass tonight against a lackadaisical Chicago Bulls squad that ranks 23rd in opponent rebounds per game (45.4) and 29th in opponent field-goal attempts per contest (93.8).
The Bulls also own the second-fastest pace in the NBA (104.8), so there will be plenty of scoring (and rebounding) chances at both ends of the court.
+115 at bet365
The Houston Rockets are massive -1700 favorites tonight against the lowly Utah Jazz, setting the stage for Alperen Sengun to have a big game.
The center has 33 double-doubles in 67 appearances, including two in his last three games and six of nine.
While rebounds are his bread and butter, Sengun is also one of the best playmaking centers in the association, logging 6.2 dimes per game — the second-most at his position behind only Nikola Jokic.
The Jazz have allowed 128.3 points per game during their current 1-11 run, so Sengun and the Rockets will have no trouble padding their stats tonight.
-112 at bet365
Sandro Mamukelashvili has been a pleasant surprise in his first season with the Toronto Raptors, averaging a career-best 11.2 points per game while shooting an efficient 52.4% from the field.
The Raptors forward has been even better down the stretch, logging Over 11.5 points in six straight and averaging 17.7 PPG during that span — tied for the second-best mark on Toronto.
The depleted Memphis Grizzlies have already given up on their season, losing 15 of their last 17 while giving up 125.7 PPG during the skid.
Look for Mamukelashvili to make it rain in Memphis.
These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.
Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!
Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review!
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Australian manager Joe Brady and New Zealand striker Ben Waine have guided League One strugglers to quarter-finals
The Port Vale manager, Jon Brady, left Australia as a 17-year-old to chase his dream of playing in the United Kingdom. Spells at Brentford, Swansea and Wycombe did not make a first-team debut a reality. The sacrifice would not be wasted as determination to make a career in England grew stronger, becoming a non-league stalwart, but always with an eye on what came next.
Like Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final opponent, Chelsea’s head coach Liam Rosenior, Brady plotted a route to the dugout from early on, earning his B licence at the age of 23. Twenty-eight years later, he has managed more than 500 league games, in charge of Brackley and Northampton before joining League One’s bottom club in January, and embarking on a surprising Cup run.
Continue reading...
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
In last week’s Reacts survey results, Peter noted that Yankees fans seemed pessimistic about the team’s chances of postseason success. A playoff berth was a cinch at 88 percent, but only 35 percent had them returning to the World Series after a one-year absence. Just 22 percent saw them hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy for the first time since 2009. The most common prediction had them losing in the early rounds of the playoffs, as they’ve done three times already under Aaron Boone this decade, most recently last October against the Blue Jays. The exceptions were an ALCS sweep at the hands of Houston in 2022, a bizarre playoff absence in 2023, and the gut-wrenching loss to the Dodgers in the 2024 Fall Classic.
As such, Yankees fans might be a little jaded by this generation of players at this point. The franchise with 27 championships to their name has won only once in the past 25 years — a span that’s seen the historic rival Red Sox, Dodgers, Astros, Giants, and Cardinals all win multiple titles in contrast. Other fanbases likely see this perspective as spoiled, but their owners and front offices aren’t the ones always crowing about championship-caliber operations and legendary traditions, with wildly expensive tickets to boot. In a way, the Yankees are forever burdened by late owner George Steinbrenner’s “World Series or bust” mindset, even as the ever-expanding playoff field has made it harder to find sustained postseason success than it was in the dynastic late-1990s (let alone before divisional play in 1969, when the Yanks accrued 20 of those 27 titles). But again, they always lean into it. So they must wear it.
Anyway, those are just some thoughts on last week’s survey results, which still relate to this week’s since they’re also focused on predictions. This time around, we asked for forecasts on Aaron Judge’s 2026 home run count and the Yankees’ final wins total. Whether it’s because the Yanks were gradually building a strong 5-1 start on the West Coast or because fans generally have more confidence in their regular season success, the findings were more optimistic.
A confident 72 percent of fans think that Judge will top the 50-homer threshold for the fifth time in his career, which would break a tie with Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa for the most 50-homer seasons in MLB history. He hit 52 during his AL Rookie of the Year-winning 2017 before famously clubbing 62 in 2022, when he captured his first AL MVP. His second and third MVP honors came after 58 and 53 in 2024 and 2025, respectively, with an eye-popping 20.6 rWAR and a 219 OPS+ between the latter two campaigns. Judge was even on pace for 50 in 2023 until the Dodger Stadium bullpen fence got in the way! There’s a reason why he’s fourth on the Yankees’ all-time list behind only Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Lou Gehrig.
So yes, there is reason to feel good about Judge remaining a force at the plate, even with his 34th birthday on deck in late April. The most common range selected was 50-54 dingers at 22 percent, though 16 percent had him matching 2022 by topping 60. Judge already has two bombs this year, and with 30 more, he’ll join teammate Giancarlo Stanton with 400 homers. Both will be hoping to eventually punch their tickets to the more prestigious 500 Home Run Club. Judge is a truly special, Hall of Fame-caliber hitter, and we can only cross our fingers and hope that unlike in 2024 (when the team thrived while Judge slumped) and 2025 (when Judge thrived but the team slumped), the Yankees and their captain are on the same page come October.
Before we get out of here, how about that win prediction?
Ninety-five wins would have been enough to win the AL East in 2025, and over half the fans voting (54 voting) think that the Yankees can get there in 2026. They fell one win shy of that last year, and while that total won the AL East (and the Junior Circuit’s top seed) in 2024, the 2025 Blue Jays were a tougher opponent than anyone else in the division during the previous campaign. And because the Jays had the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Yankees, they were the ones who skipped the Wild Card round, set their playoff rotation, and got to open at home. Maybe the Yanks would’ve lost anyway if they had those advantage since again, few players aside from Judge showed up last October, but the importance was apparent — if not only in the raucous Jays fans’ energy.
Fans are hopeful again in 2026, and the 5-1 start is as good as they could’ve hoped for from a season-opening West Coast road trip. Let’s see what Judge and the Yanks do with it from there.
These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.
It is the beginning of a new season, and we likely have some new fans stopping by the site checking out game threads and other articles. Royals Review is a site written by fans like you, part of the SB Nation network of sports blogs. It was founded by Will McDonald 20 years ago and joined the SB Nation platform in 2008. Will departed in 2012 and the site was run by former Baseball Prospectus writer and current Into the Fountains writer Craig Brown for two years before I took over in 2014.
The site is a bit irreverent, can be full of gallows humor at times, but we welcome different viewpoints on the Royals. We run “game threads” for each game – an opportunity for readers to comment, vent, or celebrate the boys in blue. We can have our own language at times – some of the site memes are explained here – but we want you to be on the inside of the jokes as well!
I thought I would have us introduce ourselves with some short blurbs of who we are, and I invite readers to do the same!
Max Rieper: I grew up in the Kansas City area (Blue Springs, then Overland Park) and have been a Royals fan since 1988. I had a Bo Jackson poster in my room and collected Royals Starting Lineup figures. I went to Ohio State where myself and a couple of buddies founded the Club Baseball team there, where I “coached” and played for a year. Now I play beer league softball with buddies and coach Little League. I’ve been writing at Royals Review since 2010, and have served as editor since 2014. When I’m not writing poetry about Yuniesky Betancourt, I work as a legislative analyst/attorney for a government relations firm based in DC, primarily covering tech issues. I live in Prairie Village with my wife and three sons, and a dog named Sparky.
Jeremy Greco: Hi, my name is Jeremy “Hokius” Greco and this is going to be my tenth full season writing for Royals Review. How the time flies! I’ve been a fan since 1998, my favorite players include but are not limited to: Kris Bubic, Mike Moustakas, Peter Moylan, Aaron Guiel, and Chili Davis. When I’m not writing here I’m often working on the RR-adjacent podcast, Royals Rundown with my cohost Jacob Milham, playing video games – especially JRPGs, or reading fantasy novels – especially Brandon Sanderson. I moved away from KC in 2006, but I’ve never been able to stop loving the Royals!
Cullen Jekel: I’m an attorney who lives in the Northland with my wife and two sons. Grew up a Cardinals fan but started rooting for both them and the Royals around 2010, then mostly for the Royals around 2013. Also cheer for the Missouri Tigers (because things can’t always be good), the St. Louis Blues, Chiefs, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
When I’m not thinking about the law or baseball or at an event for my boys, I’m most likely reading, either a magazine like Empire, a British monthly film magazine, Baseball America or Vanity Fair, or novels by the likes of Michael Connelly, Craig Johnson, Keith Rosson, John Connolly, Ben Aaronovitch, Emily St. John-Mandel, or Stephen King. I’m strangely fond of Legendary’s MonsterVerse–mindlessly watching Titans like Godzilla and King Kong duke it out is great for a Saturday night. Otherwise, I’m into watching shows on Apple TV, including Pluribus and Silo, or half-hour comedies like Ghosts and The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. Matt Berry and his voice are incredible. I know incredibly too much about A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s been a while but you can find my other writing at doctorjekelpresents.wordpress.com.
Trenton Kraxner: I’ve been a Royals fan since birth, so almost 22 years now. I have lived an hour from the Truman Sports Complex my entire life and my dad was born in Independence, MO, and went to countless games in his youth, so that’s why I’m a Royals fan. Bobby Witt Jr. is the obvious answer for favorite player, but if we are talking all-time, I loved Eric Hosmer growing up. Happy to see him in the booth now. My favorite Royals team all-time is the 2014 Royals, shoutout Josh Willingham for getting on base in the ninth.
I’ve been writing for Royals Review for a year now. I am an opinionated person and like to write opinion or analysis pieces, although admittedly, that can upset some people. But I try my best to keep it real and not lie to the people, as I know this is a passionate fan base that watches the games. I live in a small town, Nortonville, KS. We have no stop lights, a gas station, bank, post office and liquor store, and that’s about it.
I am a recent college graduate from the University of Kansas, with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. The journalism field is a hard one to break into, so I am still looking for a full time job at the moment, but I fill time by subbing at different school districts and coaching middle school basketball and track.
As a 21 year old, I have no kids or pets, I love the movie Dodgeball, Ace Ventura and the Princess Bride. I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite TV show since I watch a lot of live sporting events, but I enjoy the Big Bang Theory and High Potential. I loved Brooklyn Nine-Nine when it ran. I am currently reading the Amos Decker book series, and just started the third book.
Matthew LaMar: Hello, everyone. This year marks my 13th season of writing about the Royals here at Royals Review. My favorite Royal of all time is Zack Greinke who, thanks to my work here at Royals Review, I was able to interview a few years ago. Outside of baseball, my wife and I have two cats and are huge roller coaster nerds. I’m also a musician who plays French horn for a variety of Kansas City-area ensembles.
Bradford Lee: As a child and young adult, I lived in towns all over the great state of Kansas, but consider Lincoln, Kansas my hometown. Went to college at Kansas State, back when they were good at basketball and terrible at football. I’ve been a Royals fan since the beginning, though my fandom really took off in 1973. I’m married with four grown children. Thankfully, my wife is also a baseball fan and enjoys going to games with me. One of our retirement goals is to visit as many baseball stadiums as possible.
At Royals Review, I’ve become the history guy. I enjoy writing about the older players and games and seasons of the past. Baseball seems to have a never-ending supply of interesting personalities and stories. I’ve been writing for RR since March of 2018 and appreciate those who read my ramblings and the relationships I’ve built with my readers. Outside of my RR gig, I’ve owned and operated a Financial Advisory business for the past 42 years. In my free time, I like spending time with my children and grandchildren, fishing, hiking and painting.
Kevin Ruprecht: Hey I’m Kevin Ruprecht. The original Kevin. I started writing here, uh, more than a decade ago. I took a long break before coming back last season. I was at the 2014 Wild Card game and was unable to speak afterward. I’m generally an idiot, but I have two kids, a job, and a house in KC.
Frank Williams: I’ve been writing for the site for, checks notes… no, this can’t be right… 10 years now. I was not raised a Royals fan, but I attended one of the local schools. Like countless others, I hopped on the Royals bandwagon in the 2000s: five dollar Hy-Vee seats, John Buck sherseys, and double-digit losing streaks for all! I now live in the Houston area, where I can watch the Royals rally from historic deficits in the ALDS and lead Team Italy to espresso-fueled World Baseball Classic wins.
Sign up for a user account and get:
Tell us about yourself, as much or as little as you’d like to share! How long have you been a Royals fan and why? And welcome to Royals Review!
We’re only a week into this new season and nearly two months overall into the Automated Ball-Strike System and I’ve seen enough. It’s what we all thought it would be, y’all: ABS is a real and true game-changer for Major League Baseball. This is a pretty big benefit for the sport as a whole and something that should be here to stay for the future betterment of the game.
I’m not just saying that because the Atlanta Braves finally benefited greatly from it — we saw just how beneficial it was for the Kansas City Royals when Salvador Perez spent most of Opening Day auditioning for a post-playing career as a home plate umpire with the way he was nailing challenges left-and-right.
Still, Thursday night’s game against the Diamondbacks was the clearest example yet of just how beneficial ABS will be for the sport going forward. Leading off the top of the fifth inning with the Braves up 2-1, Ozzie Albies had worked himself into a full count before seemingly getting rung up for strike three on a pitch that was quite clearly outside — a call that Ozzie challenged the exact second he heard the strike call from the ump.
I have no scientific data to back up the following claims but I think you’ll know what I’m talking about. You know — that particular type of ball-strike call from the home plate ump where it feels like the ump is getting one over on the batter for going to first base too quickly or doing the same thing for a pitcher for getting into his strikeout strut too early. Either way, it feels less like an accurate call and more like the umpire trying to exert undue influence on the game and it’s always frustrating every time you see it.
Ozzie Albies just delivered one of the clearest examples of how this will be beneficial to the game going forward. The call went Atlanta’s way, Ozzie Albies took a walk (which is always news in and of itself) and now the Braves had the leadoff man on instead of starting off the frame with an out.
As this article from FanGraphs on the 2020s Run Expectancy Matrix details, getting the leadoff man on base in any given inning is huge. While it may not be the difference between scoring eight runs like they did last night or simply scoring one run, just having the opportunity is massive when compared to the past when that opportunity would’ve had to go by the wayside just because you had to accept whatever the umpire decided behind the plate.
Now, teams have a say in the matter and missed calls like that have less of a chance of being the subtle game changers that they had been in the past. Now, I won’t say that it’s going to eradicate this type of thing — once teams run out of challenges, then they’re back at the mercy of whatever the umpire sees. The Red Sox can tell you all about that based on their experience with the infamous C.B. Bucknor last week.
Bucknor aside, umpiring at the big league level is incredibly difficult and expecting these folks to get every call correct is a largely impossible task. The fact that they routinely get calls correct in the high-90 percent range says less about how easy it is and more about how good the majority of umps are at doing their job. With that being said, ABS is a positive even for them since it’ll help get those numbers up even higher. The umpires get an extra set of automated eyes while the players, coaches and managerial staff get to have an actual and tangible say in the matter of balls and strikes rather than risking ejection each time they disagree with a call.
This might be a quick analysis/opinion article but there’s not a lot else to be said other than ABS is great. While the current data suggests that the Braves may not be the best at using the system to overturn calls in their favor (at least not yet) but for now, it really feels like the early data and the previous ideas of what ABS would be like in big league baseball are all confirming what we suspected: This system works, it’s good for the sport and hopefully it stays around for a very long time. Maybe it’ll need some slight tweaks if some glitches/exploits in the system come up but for now, the ABS era of baseball is off to a fantastic start.
TOR
CHW
