If anyone forgot that Blake Burkhalter made an appearance for the Atlanta Braves this season, they likely would not be alone. What he did this season is the definition of the term “cup of coffee” in the majors, one of a handful of players in the Braves organization with the same experience in 2026.
How Acquired
Blake Burkhalter was drafted by the Braves in the same draft class as JR Ritchie (2022), in the second round, out of Auburn University. He has been in the Braves system ever since. The highest he reached in the prospect rankings in his time was 14th by Baseball America.
Somewhat interestingly and/or tellingly, the Braves did not protect Burkhalter by adding him to the 40-man roster ahead of last year’s Rule 5 Draft. This suggests that either they didn’t think highly of him, or figured other teams wouldn’t. They were right, in that no one bothered to claim Burkhalter, and also in that they had little interest in using him at the big league level.
What were the expectations?
There were virtually no expectations at the MLB level for Burkhalter, and any that existed probably took a hit when he was left unprotected. Beyond hovering around the 40 FV area, Burkhalter had a rough go of it after being promoted to Triple-A in 2025, with an FIP of 4.82 and an xFIP of 5.43 (and an xERA in that same area) while working mostly as a reliever.
The presumption was that he’d need to show something in the way of better peripherals before being a candidate for the big league roster.
2026 Results
It was a true cup of coffee for Burkhalter. The truest, really. He was promoted to the big leagues when rosters expanded on September 1, he pitched one inning, and then he was sent down the next day. The end.
That inning featured one hit, one walk, one strikeout, and one run charged to him. The Braves were already trailing 5-2, and the two baserunners, along with a wild pitch and two flyouts, led to a sixth Nationals run via sacrifice fly. He did at least end on a high note with his strikeout of Daylen Lile.
His bigger action was in the minors, where he dealt with some injury stuff and a variety of rehab assignments. Working as a pure reliever in Triple-A, he pitched 29 2/3 innings over 21 appearances, with a 2.43 ERA that was belied by a 3.35 FIP and 4.37 xFIP. He did strike out a bunch of guys (about 27 percent of batters faced), but his walk rate was about as close to being double digits (9.8 percent) as possible without actually tripping that concerning threshold.
What went right?
What went right is that Burkhalter can now say he was an MLB pitcher. He made his debut and it was not a terrible one, though it wasn’t great either. Beyond that, you can point to his ERA in the minors, where he again outpitched his peripherals substantially. Maybe he’s got some kind of unique ability to do so, but the Braves don’t seem to buy it.
What went wrong?
The flip side to the above is that the Braves don’t seem to really believe in him — his “shot” was all of one inning even when the Braves were playing garbage time games over the last week of the season, and the Braves definitely haven’t been swayed by the low ERAs combined with poor peripherals that he’s shown at Triple-A in 2025-2026.
He’s on the 40-man roster now, but it remains to be seen whether he survives a winter of cuts and adds.
2027 Outlook
There is a very real chance that we see Blake Burkhalter at the MLB level at some point during 2027 for the Braves unless he is traded. After all, he’s on the 40-man, and the Braves love their yo-yos. As to whether he gets a legitimate shot to validate his ERA-over-his-peripherals (or crash out if he can’t), that seems a lot less likely. Maybe with some extra development, he can become a guy whom the Braves are comfortable using as a reliever, but we’re not there yet. For the time being, he projects as yet another replacement level reliever, and the Braves, for whatever reason, love to make waiver claims for those guys rather than filling the roster fringe with promotions from within.
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 27: Baseballs sit in a baseball glove during the second inning of an MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays on September 27, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Back from our week away. Huatulco, Mexico, is a nice area. Not over-developed yet (they are working at it, though). The people in the resorts are largely Canadian (it is hard to fly there from the States, but WestJet has direct flights from many cities). Still, a big topic of conversation was the US election.
We mostly stayed at the resort, ate and drank too much. We did take an outing to a cemetery for the Day of the Dead. It is a really nice idea, a day (really a week) for people to think about, talk about, loved ones who have passed. People dress up and dress up the grave sites. I talked for a couple of minutes to a fellow whose young son was buried there, and he seemed happy to have the chance to talk about him. I want to borrow the idea to have a day here to talk about friends and family who are gone.
They have tennis courts, but I only played once. 32 degrees for a guy with extremely white skin, is too much for any sort of physical activity.
Anyway, I stayed nicely away from any Jays news, not that there was much. And, though I brought my computer, I only turned it on once, because my wife wanted to look up something.
Of course I saw the Anthony Santander comments. My personal feeling is that if you are being paid more money than God, and you have had 34 hits over two seasons, don’t say anything that gets your employer paying lawyers to search through your contract to see if it can be voided for stupidity. I’m being paid far less than God, and I’m sure if I posted something as dumb as he did, SB would fire me (very rightfully) in ten seconds.
If it were up to me, I’d likely release Anthony now and eat the money. But I’d imagine the team will see how spring training goes.
I did see a comment saying we should bring in Shari Lewis law. Everyone has to wear a sock puppet and sing that annoying song on and on. That I’m all for.
A question for the Jays is: Do they give the players any media training? Could they maybe do a better job of it?
No Jays players won a Gold Glove (I figured Vlad would), but we won the Team Gold Glove, which, around midseason, I would have said had no chance. But looking at the numbers, it does seem earned. This is the third time the Jays have won this award.
Lazaro Estrada was signed to a minor league deal. Also Adrian Pinto, Hedbert Perez, Josh Stephan, Geovanny Planchart and Alexis Hernandez have been signed to minor league deals.
Jake Bloss has been given another option year. Sometimes players get an extra option year if they use all three in their first five seasons of professional ball.
Tonight we learn who the Rookie of the Year is in each league. Tomorrow Manager of the Year.
On Sunday, the Winnipeg Jets won a memorable game over the Tampa Bay Lightning where star center Mark Scheifele scored the game winning goal with just seconds left on the clock.
It helped the Jets nab their third straight win after dropping nine in a row earlier this season. It was their first skid of that duration since last season when the Jets had lost 11 in a row from mid-December to early January. However, what followed could be playing out once again this season.
Winnipeg would go on to win four in a row and kick off a rampant hot streak that saw them finish with a 20-9-7 record over their next 36 games. During that span, the Jets record was tied for sixth-best in the NHL, tied with three other teams, and saw their backend operate as the team's strength with the fifth-best goals against per game average in the league at 2.75 over the 36 games.
Winnipeg could be very well starting a similar run as the offense has helped secure their last four wins with the Jets outscoring their opponents 15 to nine and could see their backend have a major rebound when Josh Morrissey returns in the coming games.
The Jets hope to keep their recent form as they just finished one of their toughest stretches of the season but it won't be getting easier as their next few opponents are largely made up of playoff teams like the New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth and Boston Bruins all in the next two weeks.
Winnipeg will have the upper hand of five of their next seven games will be on home ice and would love to see them continue to stack wins and start building towards playoff contention once again. The Jets sit just four points out of a playoff spot, behind the Utah Mammoth and Nashville Predators in the wild card spots and five points out of a divisional spot held by the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars.
While fans may have been down on Winnipeg following their start to the season, it can't be lost that they are nowhere near out of the fight for the playoffs. In fact, they've been in this exact same situation just months ago and Jets fans saw firsthand that this team can deal with adversity and bounce back. This time, it isn't happening before it's too late into the season.
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Mike and Dan get big picture after two Islanders losses to better teams last week and a looming trip to California this week.Mike and Dan get big picture after two Islanders losses to better teams last week and a looming trip to California this week.
Stop us if you’ve heard this before but the Islanders lost to the Hurricanes. They also blew a 4-2 lead and lost to New Jersey two nights later. Although the games weren’t similar, one aspect was: the Islanders simply don’t have the talent to beat the NHL’s better clubs. They can hang with them for a bit, and the Islanders love to talk the talk about how great they are. But ultimately, this roster is simply full of too many players bringing too little – which, ironically, is the best they can do. Has the team been bad for so long that they forgot that they can be better? Why bring in marginal players like Ben Hutton and Robby Fabbri with other similar players already here? What is the point of any of this when the playoff cutoff line gets further away and the reality of what this team is sinks in? What is the difference between false hope and the kind of manufactured hope the Islanders keep trying to sell us?
In the second half, we discuss the upcoming trip through San Jose, LA and Anaheim. On paper, the Islanders can win these and get back into the playoff picture. But it’s difficult to see them doing that, so things could be worse by next week. We also talk about the Hometown Remix jerseys, which were rolled out last week, and the Fisherman logo that still drives people crazy. This might be shocking but lots of younger people like it.
Finally, some late breaking news prompts our first ever impromptu Devil Piece Theater. In which their new big star goalie won’t play against his old team because of… data. Sure, guys.
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ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 01: Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on from the dugout prior to Game Three of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Thursday, October 1, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
While these report cards are about looking back on someone’s season, it doesn’t entirely seem right in Trea Turner’s case. There was no injury or excuse for why he had the worst season of his career but the format for how we do these report cards doesn’t seem right.
Here is one way to look at it: Trea Turner has seven more years on his contract, with an average annual value over $27 million. He will enter his age 33/34 season in 2027 and is coming off the worst season of his career. The Phillies are still going to treat him like he’s a star player. He will play shortstop in 2027, albeit on thin ince. He will probably bat at the top of the lineup for most, if not all, of 2027 unless multiple players perform much better than him.
So instead of purely discussing what went right or wrong in 2026, the goal will be to put it all into context for what 2027 could look like. Is this a pure outlier? Is he cooked? The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.
Not a lot of things went right for Trea Turner but the physical markers are not in a terrible spot. He still ranks in the 98th percentile for sprint speed and he probably stole as many bases as he could with an on-base percentage below .300 and their two best hitters right after him for most of the season.
His 90th percentile exit velocity is roughly similar to his past at 103.6 mph, although a tick lower than in 2025. His bat speed looked normal as well. So the general surface-level physical markers we can use are not indicating he is physically cooked, at least not yet, but it doesn’t entirely tell the full story for him at the plate.
What went wrong
Trea Turner went from being good at making contact against velocity to not being good at it. His whiff rate against pitches 95+ jumped three ticks. His whiff rate against secondary pitches jumped over two ticks and his zone contact rate dropped roughly two ticks.
This all happened with Turner’s pull fly ball rate not spiking so it wasn’t like he was trying to sell out for power either. This is not some easy fix for anyone involved and why we should be very skeptical on 2026 being a complete outlier. He just might not be as good at making contact anymore.
Defensively is where a lot of concerns about 2026 will apply to 2027, at least initially. Trea Turner is going to be their shortstop to start next season. He finished with -10 outs above average at the most critical defensive position in the sport. He shouldn’t play another inning there but there are other factors that are leading to their decision.
With that said, his 2025 shortstop should’ve made him in the running for a Gold Glove but that is more of the outlier than the norm. He was below average at the position in 2023 and 24 with the Phillies, with similar questions about moving off the position. The game might be a little too fast for him at the position.
Luckily, he is someone that still profiles as a solid second baseman whenever he makes the transition. The athleticism is still there and second base would play better for his arm and likely his mind. He would be far from the first defensively challenged shortstop to make a comfortable transition to second base. It also helps that he spent two months at second with the Dodgers in 2021 and looked very good there.
Final Grade: F
He was bad, very bad and he needed to be a star. They gave him chance after chance to right the ship and he never got there. There is no other justified grade if we are purely going off of 2026.
As for what 2026 means for 2027 and beyond, if you combine his 2025 and 2026 slash lines, you get a .271/.325/.416 with a 100 OPS+. Drop a few points because of recency bias and you get roughly realistic expectations for Turner in 2027. Is that good enough to justify what they’re paying him and the role he will play in their 2027 success? No, not even close but that’s a conversation for a different day.
As for the defense? He is not a shortstop and eventually he cannot play shortstop for them. It would be wise to make it work with him at second base as soon as possible but it doesn’t quite have to be opening day of 2026. He can flip there at any point.
With a bounce back as a baserunner, you’re probably looking at a slightly below league-average hitter, miscast as a shortstop while being a very good base runner.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 23: Haason Reddick of the Arizona Cardinals on a cellphone prior to the MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on June 23, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. Reddick is the Arizona Cardinals 2017 first-round draft pick. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You all have mastered the art of commenting but can you name a former baseball player faster than your fellow commenters? That’s the challenge with in-5, our daily trivia game, and today we’re announcing the debut of the game in the SB Nation app (in-5 is available on the web too, you’ve probably seen it at the top of the site).
The rules are simple. You get five clues to guess a player’s name. The fewer clues you need the better. Once you’ve played, drop your score in the comments of the game post and see how you stack up.
It’s a good opportunity to see if you can beat the commenter we all know you want to beat. Maybe you get it in the coveted first clue, maybe it takes four. But share your score in the comments, whatever it is.
How to play: In-5 is a daily trivia game. You get five clues to guess a player’s name. The clues go from broadest to most specific.
Play other teams and sports: We’ve got four broader sport games for MLB, NBA, NFL, MMA, and pro wrestling, and we have 25 team-specific games across pro baseball, basketball, and football.
To play the general MLB game, follow our “MLB” community on the SB Nation app.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 08: Greg Bird #33 of the New York Yankees hits a solo homerun during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the most part, many Yankee fans think of the Baby Bombers era as starting in August 2016, as that is the month when Aaron Judge hit a home run in his first Major League plate appearance and Gary Sánchez unleashed the Kraken en route to a runner-up finish in the Rookie of the Year vote despite playing only 53 games. And yet, in truth, the first two prospects of the era had reached the Bronx the previous year, as Luis Severino and today’s birthday boy, Greg Bird, made a splash and helped lead the Yankees to the 2015 Wild Card Game — their first postseason appearance in three years.
Gregory Paul Bird Born: November 9, 1992 (Memphis, Tennessee) Yankees Tenure: 2015, 2017-2019
Born in Tennessee and raised in Colorado, Bird made a name for himself as a catcher at Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado, where he was named the Colorado Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for his performance as a senior. From there, he committed to the University of Arkansas; before he ever made it to campus, he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2011 draft.
Bird made his professional debut with a brief cameo with the Gulf Coast League Yankees in 2011, before embarking on his first full season with the Short-A Staten Island Yankees. After he was limited to just 28 games due to a back injury, the Yankees moved Bird out from behind the plate, in an effort to both keep him healthy and ensure that his bat remained in the lineup on a more consistent basis. That decision paid off in a big way in 2013: not only did he post a .288/.428/.511 slash line with 20 homers with the Low-A Charleston Riverdogs, but he caught the eye of Alex Rodriguez when the latter was on a rehab assignment.
On the back of his 2013 performance, Bird climbed up prospect rankings, starting the 2014 season as the seventh-ranked prospect in the Yankees organization. Although he missed time with back injuries, he continued his success in 2014, and then went on to be named MVP of the Arizona Fall League. That winter, he hit his apex as a prospect, as Keith Law — then with ESPN, now with The Athletic — named him the 80th overall prospect in all of baseball.
Bird continued his rapid ascent in 2015, conquering Double-A and Triple-A before getting the call to The Show in the middle of August. Taking advantage of playing time afforded to him by an injury to Mark Teixeira, he seized the first base job and ran with it, posting a .261/.343./.529 line (good for a 135 OPS+) with 11 home runs in just 46 games. As the offseason began, it was clear that the Greg Bird era had begun.
Unfortunately, the Greg Bird Era didn’t even make it to spring training. Right before pitchers and catchers reported in February 2016, the Yankees announced that their young first baseman had undergone season-ending shoulder surgery — the first domino to fall in what would become a disastrous season for the Yankees.
The Yankees entered the 2017 season with the lowest expectation in years, as the team committed to giving playing time to the top prospects. Thanks to his 2015 performance and his strong spring training, Bird began the season as the Yankees’ three-hole hitter on Opening Day, sandwiched between 2016 breakout star Sánchez and the veteran free agent Matt Holliday. However, he never quite got it going at the plate, slashing just .107/.265/.214 before hitting the shelf with a foot injury at the start of May. After a three-month disaster of a rehab that ended with him undergoing surgery to remove a bone in his foot, Bird finally returned to the active roster on August 26th; by this point, he was no longer guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup, as the team had been using Chase Headley at first after acquiring third baseman Todd Frazier in July.
For his part, Bird forced his way back into the lineup, slashing .253/.316/.575 with eight home runs in 29 games down the stretch. Then, when the calendar flipped to October, he came up big when the lights shone brightest: not only did he put up a .938 OPS with five extra-base hits over the course of the postseason, he hit a clutch home run off former teammate Andrew Miller in Game 3 of the ALDS to keep the Yankees’ season alive and kickstart a three-game winning streak that erased an 0-2 deficit.
Unfortunately, that would be Bird’s last real Yankees highlight. Injuries and ineffectiveness plagued him across the next two seasons, limiting him to just 92 games in that stretch. He lost the first base job to 2018 Trade Deadline acquisition Luke Voit, and in November 2019, he was finally designated for assignment.
Bird spent the next few years bouncing around the minors, spending time with the Rangers, Phillies, Rockies, and Blue Jays, before returning to the Yankees farm for a few months at the start of the 2022 season. He never made it back to the Majors, however, and since 2023, he has gone overseas: he spent 2023 in Quebec, the winter of 2023-2024 in Australia, and 2024 in Mexico. While it’s not clear whether or not he’s officially retired, an article in The Athletic from 2024 showed that he is at peace with his inability to build on his strong 2015 season.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
The Washington Wizards (4-6) head to Motown tonight looking to stop a three-game losing streak when they face the Detroit Pistons (6-3) at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons will also be looking to right the ship after losing their last two games.
Detroit averages 111.7 points while allowing 103.9 per game, compared with the Wizards’ 107.8 scored and 112.5 allowed. The biggest statistical advantage in this game belongs to the Pistons beyond the arc. Detroit is shooting 38.0% from three-point range compared with Washington’s 30.2% from deep.
Washington’s most recent game/loss was by the score of 114-75 at Oklahoma City on Saturday. The 75 points was the lowest scoring output by an NBA team this season. The Thunder led 57-36 at halftime and 90-59 after three quarters as Washington shot just 29.6% overall and 7-for-43 from three-point range. Rookie AJ Dybantsa was one of the few bright spots with 19 points, while Alex Sarr recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds. Trae Young struggled badly, finishing with four points on 1-of-6 shooting, and Anthony Davis missed his second consecutive game because of an ankle injury.
Detroit’s most recent game/loss was competitive but a loss nonetheless last night to the Lakers, 121-116. The Pistons found themselves in a massive early hole, trailing 38-14 after the opening quarter and by as many as 26, before rallying all the way to within one point late in the third quarter. Daniss Jenkins erupted for a career-high 31 points, including eight three-pointers, and Kevin Huerter supplied 24 points off the bench, but Austin Reaves answered with 43 for Los Angeles and hit a difficult three in the final minute to help put Detroit away. The Pistons’ centerpiece remains Cade Cunningham, who had 14 points and eight assists against the Lakers. The Pistons were without Jalen Duren last night and will be without their star center again tonight.
The teams most recently met late last season on March 19, 2026, when Detroit rolled to a 117-95 victory in Washington. With the win, the Pistons took three of four in the season series against the Wizards.
Lets take a closer look at the matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Wizards vs. Piston: Game Details and How to Watch
Date: Monday, November 9, 2026
Time: 7:00PM EST
Site: Little Caesar’s Arena
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: NBCSN
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Wizards vs. Pistons: Odds
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy ofDraftKings:
Moneyline: Washington Wizards (+376), Detroit Pistons (-490)
Spread: Pistons -10.5
Total: 217.5 points
The Total has been bet down a point since opening at 218.5 as has the Spread which opened at Piston -11.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Wizards vs. Pistons: Expected Starting Lineups
Washington Wizards (2026-27 Scoring Average)
PG Trae Young (18.4PPG)
SG Kyshawn George (18.5PPG)
C Alex Sarr (10.6PPG)
SF AJ Dybantsa (16.0PPG)
PF Bilal Coulibaly (7.2PPG)
Detroit Pistons(2026-27 Scoring Average)
PG Cade Cunningham (22.9PPG)
SG Duncan Robinson (18.2PPG)
C Paul Reed (12.2PPG)
SF Ausar Thompson (9.5PPG)
PF John Collins (9.2PPG)
Wizards vs. Pistons: Injury Report
Washington Wizards
Anthony Davis (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Reece Beekman (shoulder) is OUT for tonight’s game
Tristan Vukcevic (hip) is OUT for tonight’s game
Justin Champagnie (foot) is OUT for tonight’s game
Detroit Pistons
Jalen Duren (hamstring) is OUT for tonight’s game
Isaiah Joe (hip) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Wizards and the Piston:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Wizards -10.5
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 217.5
The Best Bet: Kyshawn George Points + Rebounds Over 21.5
The best prop on the board, and the road splits are the reason. George has cleared 21.5 combined points and rebounds in 4 of his last 5 games at a 25.6 average and 7 of his last 10 games at 23.0. George is carrying a 24.1% usage rate with a 58.0% true shooting percentage and 1.18 points per shot attempt — he's efficient and involved. He just posted 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks against Oklahoma City, and with Anthony Davis day-to-day with an ankle issue, George's role only grows.
Another Bet to Consider: Wizards +10.5
Detroit's defensive profile — 1st in defensive rating (102.0), 1st in effective field goal percentage allowed (48.5%), 1st in points per possession allowed (103.1), and 1st in transition efficiency allowed (104.0). But the Pistons are 22nd in defensive rebound percentage (0.662) and 22nd in offensive rebound percentage allowed (32.8%), and they're playing tonight without Jalen Duren, who is out with a hamstring injury. That's the interior anchor gone from a team that already struggles on the glass. Washington's edge is exactly there. The Wizards are 30th in offensive rebounds (8.3 per game) — a weakness — but they're 5th in free throws made (22.3 per game) and 4th in free throw rate (27.3), which means they generate points without needing to shoot well. Against a Detroit team that's 14th in personal fouls (22.1 per game), that's a path to staying within this number.
And Yet Another Bet to Consider: Game Total UNDER 217.5
The pace is the argument. Both teams play at 98.93 possessions per game, and Detroit's 98.43 pace ranks 24th in the league — this is a slow, half-court game by design. The Pistons are 1st in halfcourt points per 100 plays allowed (82.7) and 2nd in halfcourt percent of plays allowed (79.0). They force opponents into exactly the kind of grinding possessions that burn clock. Washington's offense is the anchor on the other side. The Wizards are 23rd in points per game (109.4), 23rd in field goals made (39.0 per game), 30th in three-pointers made (9.1 per game), and 28th in field goals attempted (82.0 per game). They're 18th in offensive rating (110.7) and 28th in transition efficiency (101.0) — this is not an offense built to push a total into the 220s.
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DENVER — Ross Colton never wanted his time in Colorado to end. But the Avalanche had other plans.
During the offseason, Colorado dealt the 30-year-old forward and goaltender Isak Posch to the Nashville Predators in exchange for goalie Magnus Chrona and two third-round draft picks. It wasn’t the move Colton wanted, but he’s making the most of his new surroundings.
Ross Colton last year on his favorite pre-game dish.
And so far, Nashville is getting a pretty good return.
Through 17 games, Colton has five goals and eight points. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but consider his role. He’s skating on Nashville’s third line alongside another former Avalanche forward, Jack Drury, who also found himself on the move this offseason.
Even without a spot in the top six, Colton has been productive. His five goals are tied for fourth on the Predators, and his eight points rank fifth. Keep that pace up over an 84-game season, and he’d finish with 25 goals — a new career high.
His previous best came in 2021-22 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Colton recorded 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points that season, his first as a full-time NHL player. He had already gotten a taste of winning at the highest level, too.
As a rookie in 2020-21, Colton appeared in 30 games for Tampa Bay, scoring nine goals and adding three assists. The Lightning went on to win the Stanley Cup. He remained a contributor during their subsequent playoff run, finishing the two postseasons with nine goals and six assists across 46 games.
Now he’s trying to build something of his own in Nashville.
Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten about Colorado.
Colton got his first chance to face his former team on Nov. 5 at Ball Arena. He made it count, scoring against the Avalanche before Nashville pulled out a 3-2 overtime win.
The return was bound to feel strange. Colton had spent time building relationships in Colorado, and suddenly he was on the opposite side of the ice.
“It’s never fun playing against friends,” Colton told reporters before the game. “I feel like it was nice to maybe get one out of the way against these guys. I saw them after the game. Obviously, I miss them a lot. The first five minutes, 10 minutes, it is super weird. You just don’t feel right. Then it just feels like another game.”
Even the morning skate brought back memories.
“It honestly feels so weird, just being back in the building for the morning skate. Obviously, a lot of good memories, so it should be fun,” Colton said.
Leaving Colorado wasn’t his choice. What he does with the opportunity in Nashville is.
And through the first 17 games, he’s giving the Predators plenty of reason to believe there’s another level to his game.
GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 05: Breyson Guedez #18 of the Solar Sox doubles in the fifth inning during the game between the Solar Sox and the Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch on Thursday, November 5, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Welcome to the start of another week A’s fans!
While major league baseball is in its offseason now, the sport is still being played down in Arizona where team’s younger prospects can get extra work over the winter. It’s a heavily abbreviated mini-season and it’s nearing the end here. With just two more games to go before the playoffs (which feature three rounds), it’s time to take a look back and see how certain prospects in the system have done with the extra work.
The Athletics sent seven players to go play for the Mesa Solar Sox this year. It’s not looking too good for them to advance to the playoffs so they likely only have a couple games left this year. Among the players the A’s sent were four pitchers, two catchers, and an outfielder. And among those seven, four are among the Athletics’ top 30 prospects.
The most notable name among the group is the outfielder, Breyson Guedez. Currently the third-best outfield prospect in the system, Guedez just turned 19 last month but made it to High-A this past season, his first in pro ball. For someone so young there’s still lots of ways his career could go. Not many expect him to have much power, or speed but he’s a quality hitter that’s still extremely young and these at bats he’s been getting in the AFL are exactly what he needs. While he’s been getting the work, the results haven’t been there as he’s slashing just .164/.271/.213 with no home runs, no stolen bases, and a worrying 18-to-7 K-to-BB ratio.
Catchers are something that the A’s have done well developing over the years and the two they’re currently working on both went to the AFL. Considered a top-20 prospect, Davis Diaz looks like he’s on the cusp of making his big league debut after rising from High-A to the Aviators last year. Davis has displayed his quality eye in the batter’s box in recent weeks, walking nearly as much as he’s walked while hitting .271/.400/.391 with one long ball. Already 23, he’s not likely to develop much more power so he’s going to have to rely on his ability to put the bat to the ball in the big leagues, and he’s demonstrated that again. Add in he’s positionally flexible and he’ll be an option for the big league team next year.
Fellow catcher Cole Conn (#21 according to MLB Pipelin) hasn’t played as much as Diaz but he’s had a quality time in Arizona as well. He’s got four doubles in just nine games played, though with no long balls. More impressively, he’s bested Diaz’s eye with a 8-to-6 K-to-BB ratio while adding in four stolen bases. Fast catcher. Conn crushed Triple-A pitching at the end of last year and that could put him ahead of Diaz on the organizational depth chart.
Four pitchers in the system also made appearances for the Solar Sox this year. Right-hander Kenya Huggins has absolutely dominated as he’s pitched 10 1/3 innings of relief and allowed just two runs while collecting 13 strikeouts. Acquired from the Reds for half a season of Miguel Andujar, Huggins looks like a steal at this point but his long-term role is still being determined.
Journeyman right-hander Jared Johnson was also among the contingent sent by the A’s. He’s pitched in seven games and allowed six earned runs. There doesn’t seem to be much upside there but he pitched for the Aviators last year and could be a depth piece at some point next season. Fellow righty Jay Dill is a recent 18th-round pick by the A’s and spent most of last year at Double-A with mixed results. Things continued that way for Dill as he’s been tagged for seven earned runs in just 5 1/3 innings pitched. And finally we have a left-hander in Tucker Novotny. The 23-year-old has turned some heads with a strong AFL. He’s made three starts (five total appearances) and has allowed just five earned runs in 13 12/3 innings. The walks have been an issue but he’s also racked up 16 punchouts. Another 18th rounder, the southpaw only just made it to High-A last year so he’s got a long ways to go before he becomes an option for the big league team.
A mixed bag, to be sure, but not without positives. The two catchers in particular seem like decent bets to make their big league debuts in the coming season, especially if the A’s elect to move star catcher Shea Langeliers. Heck, the A’s do still need a backup catcher as of this moment. Could one of them break camp as Bangeliers’ backup? This AFL made that a real possibility.
Interesting. Shouldn’t really affect the A’s, but still interesting:
Hearing MLB trade candidates with 1 year of control left — Logan Gilbert, Steven Kwan, Joe Ryan, Sandy Alcántara, et al — are unlikely to be moved for prospects this month, because teams aren’t sure what kind of 2027 season to expect.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals talks with CJ Abrams #5 before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park on September 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When we have discussed offseason additions, most of the focus has been on the pitching staff. That is for good reason, as the pitching was the clear weak point of the team last year. However, I believe that Paul Toboni does not want to just stand still on the offense.
At the end of this season and during this offseason, Toboni has said that they can’t assume the offense is destined to be as good as it was last year. In an interview with the Nats Chat podcast, he made this point again. I think this is a good point, and should be acted upon.
Paul Toboni was our guest on the latest episode of @Nats_Chat. Here’s what he had to say about free agency, fixing the bullpen and where he anticipates CJ Abrams playing in 2027: https://t.co/0QomwhOEmk
It probably does not make a ton of sense to make a huge run at the top position players on the market, with what will not be an unlimited budget. However, if the right opportunity presents itself, Toboni should be willing to jump on it. The offense was very good, but you cannot assume the same sort of success next year.
When the Nats traded Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr., the offense was not quite the same. Both of those trades made sense, but they did leave a mark on this offense. The loss of Garcia was particularly costly, as Abimelec Ortiz did not perform well down the stretch.
If the Nats wanted to make a move on offense, that left handed hitting first base spot would be a place to look. Even if they want to give Ortiz more chances, there should be plenty of guys out there who could compete with him. Spencer Nusbaum wrote an article about the offense, and mentioned a couple targets. Those names included Triston Casas, Kyle Manzardo and Nolan Schanuel.
The Nationals’ offseason will be defined by the status of the pitching staff. That doesn’t mean the lineup will go untouched this winter.
All of those players would be good competition for Ortiz. Each of these guys have had moments of real success, but have also fallen on hard times. The Nats have shown an ability to rehabilitate these sorts of hitters. With that in mind, I would be happy with one of those bats.
We also talked about the idea of a Dylan Crews trade after the Jacob Young extension. If they did trade Crews, a big league ready first baseman could be something the Nats look for in a return. Sean Keys of the Blue Jays is one name that stands out to me. He is a 23 year old who was phenomenal in the minors last year, but struggled in his first taste of the big leagues. That would be great competition for Ortiz.
Adding offense would become an even more pressing need if the Nats do in fact trade CJ Abrams. The Nats shortstop has seen his name in trade rumors for a long time now. There is some logic to trading him if you are thinking long term, but it would leave a massive hole in the offense for 2027. If a trade does happen, I wonder what Toboni would do to fill the void.
The Nats were top 10 in most offensive categories, and top 5 in many of them. However, they did have fairly good injury luck and traded away some key pieces to that offensive machine. Many fans will ignore the offense and focus on the pitching staff, but I think Paul Toboni is aware that he cannot sit still.
The Washington Nationals offense finished third in runs scored, 6th in homers, 3rd in OPS, 3rd in slugging, 8th in OBP, 7th in hits 12th in average and 4th in doubles. What a unit this was in 2026. Crazy what good coaching can do
I still believe the biggest moves need to be pitching related, but the offense should not be ignored. Just because they were a great offense last season does not mean it will happen again. James Wood will be back, but there is plenty of uncertainty after that.
It is an under the radar storyline, but what Toboni does with the offense will be worth watching. Despite having a great offensive season last year, there are some holes. We should see prospects such as Seaver King fill some of those, but I do not think the Nationals will ignore the offense just because it was successful last year. Paul Toboni has proven to be a proactive GM, not a reactive one.
(Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Since teaming up in the fall of 2017, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum forged on in Beantown as the Boston Celtics shuffled through name after name around them.
Kyrie Irving. Gordon Hayward. Kemba Walker. Robert Williams III. Marcus Smart. Al Horford. Jrue Holiday. Kristaps Porzingis.
All of them came and went while Boston pursued a title — and eventually claimed one in emphatic fashion — behind its two young, then budding, and, finally, established stars on the wing.
A year after winning a championship in 2024, the Tatum-Brown-Holiday-Horford-Porzingis core dissolved as the latter three departed. Despite Tatum missing much of 2025-26 while recovering from a torn Achilles, the Celtics pivoted toward a new group around their two pillars. Then, after a bountiful nine-year partnership, Tatum and Brown split.
In exchange for Paul George and two first-round picks (and two swaps), Boston dealt Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer. Brown’s exit represented the Celtics’ most dramatic roster reshaping in recent years. Sure, the year prior marked a wider exodus of names but none of them helped define Boston’s vision and identity like Brown.
Through nine games, that’s proven true on both ends of the floor. The Celtics have altered how they elect to deploy their offensive figureheads and spotlight George’s defensive splendor — the product of Brown’s absence (for better and worse) and George’s arrival (for better and worse).
Without Brown, Boston does not sport a creator equipped to soak up mammoth on-ball volume beyond Tatum, who sports a career-high 36% usage rate (third league-wide, per Cleaning the Glass) and is averaging 27.9 points, 8.0 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game this season.
But the Celtics have not spiked Tatum’s responsibilities by simply handing him the ball up top and demanding he stir more of their drink. His 27.2% on-ball rate is lower than in 2025-26 (28.3%) and 2024-25 (28.8%) while his 20.0 creation true shot attempts per 100 possessions (pick-and-rolls, isolation, post-ups) align with the previous two years as well (19.0, 19.4), per databallr.
Instead, they’re leveraging his size, strength and fluidity to garner advantageous touches inside, dive to the rim around off-ball screens and attack tilted defenses on the move. A 33% rim frequency is his highest since 2022-23 and tied for the second-gaudiest mark of his career.
Tatum relishes contact these days and will bludgeon through any defender to finish or draw fouls. His .510 free-throw rate is obliterating a previous career-high of .399. Only Luka Doncic (102) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (83) have attempted more free throws than his 80 this season.
He is huge, strong and emboldened. The Celtics are wielding that to their benefit.
Plays like those emphasize another crucial detail in how Tatum’s reached such towering usage: teammates are setting up him more often. Forty-seven percent of all his field goals are assisted, his highest rate since 2022-23, including 53% at the rim and 41% from midrange — also his highest rates since 2022-23, per Cleaning the Glass.
In contrast to their guard-sized contemporaries, wing-sized initiators often incur drawbacks with their burst, handle and flexibility. They are bigger and stronger, so they are slower and less adept maneuvering through tight windows. Yet they are bigger and stronger than their diminutive peers, traits that present their own upshots. As best they can, the Celtics are embracing the upshots to help mitigate the drawbacks while still bestowing Tatum cream-of-the-crop usage.
He is logging plenty of traditional creation reps, though, too. And when he is commandeering Boston’s offense, he’s looked spectacular as a facilitator. His 40.5% assist rate dwarfs his previous career-high of 26.5%.
His 16.7 potential assists per 100 are also a career high, besting his 15.8 in 2024-25. When he returned last season, he was mighty punctual and precise as a distributor, reliably dissecting opponents if they sent too many limbs into his orbit. That’s continued this year.
Most notably, he’s amended his playmaking patterns. Whereas he’s typically erred for kickout passes to shooters against gap help or blitzes — partly because he’s played with many below-the-rim and/or floor-spacing centers — he’s prioritizing more interior reads this season and averaging a career-high 5.2 at-rim assists per 100 possessions (99th percentile).
That shatters last year’s career-high of 3.0, which already trounced his then-career-high of 2.2 in 2024-25. Boston’s rim frequency is 9.3% higher with him on the floor this season (per Cleaning the Glass), the result of his interior-oriented style and preferences as a passer.
Whether he’s playing alongside Neemias Queta or Mitchell Robinson, he’s utilizing his 84-inch acrobats to generate easy shots as the Celtics’ primary initiator. His own height empowers him to disregard extra attention over the top and he’s increasingly manipulating help defenders with his eyes to open up passes inside, particularly when George or Sam Hauser — Boston’s most vaunted off-ball shooters — are stationed in the weak-side corner.
In totality, Tatum receiving newfound off-ball opportunities is a positive for his game. But a focus operating downhill and starting touches inside the arc has somewhat damaged his shot profile. According to Cleaning the Glass, 19% of his field goals are long midrange attempts (14 feet to the 3-point line) and 35% of his field goals fall under the broader midrange designation (beyond 4 feet to the 3-point line). The former is highest since 2018-19 and the latter is his highest since 2020-21.
Of course, there are a handful of voluminous scorers who flourish in the intermediate region. Tatum is not among them. He’s shooting 39% from midrange and has only eclipsed 40% once in his decade-long NBA tenure.
Too routinely, he will catch the ball in the post or against a switch and squander the chance with an arduous pull-up 2, turnaround jumper or fadeaway. He’s shooting 51.5% inside the arc, his worst mark since 2020-21, when he shot 52.4% — last year’s abbreviated, post-injury stretch excluded.
An uptick in looks around the rim and from midrange has seen Tatum’s 3-point rate dwindle to 30%, his lowest mark since 2018-19. And he’s been anemic from deep thus far, shooting 28.6%. That should perk up as the sample swells and 51.5% on 2s isn’t such a deviation from recent years that any long-range pulse, when paired with his premier foul-drawing emergence, should allow him to approximate or exceed the 60% true shooting he accrued from 2022-23 to 2024-25 (a very respectable 58% this year).
If Tatum has not suddenly devolved into a Thompson Twins-level outside shooter, the tweaks to his usage and passing upswing should set the stage for a career-best campaign offensively. And he is not the only Celtics wing embarking on a new offensive journey.
Boston recognizes it requires a substantial role for George offensively but cannot just hand him Brown’s shoes and tell him to fit in them. He is nowhere near the shot creator or explosive driver of Brown but does have some advantages, such as size, versatile off-ball play and passing.
So, head coach Joe Mazzulla is constantly rotating George through various jobs to influence possessions without overtaxing him on the ball — and the early returns are excellent. He’s averaging 19.6 points (58% true shooting), 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 41.3% beyond the arc.
Despite a career-high 75% of his field goals coming via assists, he touts a 27.6% usage rate, his highest since 2022-23, and is averaging 9.1 creation true shooting attempts per 100, his lowest in the stat’s database spanning back to 2013-14; his time of possession is also its lowest since 2017-18, per NBA.com. Similar to Tatum, Boston is granting George touches in favorable contexts by leaning on its blend of elite screening, decision-making and spacing around them.
As George has aged, he’s lost much of his spunk as a driver. That physical decline has resigned him into many challenging midrange jumpers over defenders who he can no longer scoot past or chisel through to the rim. The Celtics don’t want that as a basis of their offense, so they’re implementing plenty of actions that manufacture advantages for George, whether it be off-ball screens to help him pressure the paint, forcing smaller defenders onto him or letting him catch the ball on the move to ease his creation burden.
His .508 3-point rate is a career high and he’s hoisting a career-high 13.0 triples per 100 possessions. They’re also utilizing him as a screener and roller more than any other team has in his career. According to databallr, his 3.7 finishing true shooting attempts (cuts, putbacks, rolls) per 100 is a career-high. Related: a 21% rim frequency is his highest since 2022-23. Boston’s offense is helping George optimize his shot profile and he’s taking his fewest share of midrange jumpers (31%) since 2011-12.
Reinvigorating George and Tatum as forces inside — and Tatum’s playmaking pivot — feels like an intentional effort to replace Brown’s driving prowess. The Celtics’ 30.2% rim frequency is their highest since 2021-22 and ranks 16th league-wide, their highest standing since 2019-20. That 30.2% mark is loftier than anything they posted with Brown on the floor over his final three years in Boston, which isn’t to frame Brown negatively but to underscore the Celtics’ revamped approach offensively.
*Billy Beane voice* Boston is aiming to recreate Brown in the aggregate.
Tatum has commanded a heftier workload and is calling the rim home more often. George is the secondary creator, albeit a lesser one than Brown. Because Tatum’s offensive role has expanded to help replace Brown, the Celtics are asking less of him defensively and calling upon George to fill that void and some of the void Brown left behind.
He’s assuming Brown’s former point-of-attack duties while doubling as an off-ball roamer who can guard bigs (Tatum’s tasks) when Queta ignores a non-shooter to patrol the paint. He’s third in the NBA in deflections per game (5.3) and fifth in steals (2.4), and owns a career-high STOP% of 4.7 (steals, blocks recovered and offensive fouls drawn per 100).
Just as Boston is highlighting Tatum’s enormity on offense, it’s doing the same with George on defense. His blend of size, screen navigation, instincts and off-ball disruption puts him in rare air defensively. He is huge and mobile. The Celtics are wielding that to their benefit.
Despite a 7-2 start with their leading men generally thriving, there is much to still sort out and navigate for the Celtics as the season further unfolds. Although I was higher than most on George’s entire Sixers tenure and his pre-suspension performance in 2025-26, it is undeniable he played much better last year once returning from a 25-game layoff.
An offseason of recuperation offered a similar reprieve. And his scoring numbers since a 38-point barrage to open the year aren’t as rosy: 17.0 points on 53.6% true shooting (37.3% from 3) over the past seven games. How will he fare on both ends as the grind of a long season mounts and transitions to a grueling playoff environment?
As splendid as Tatum’s been offensively and wondrous as George has been defensively, I still believe Boston, to etch a deep postseason run, will need more of its franchise superstar defensively. His rim protection, general activity and rebounding on that end are at career-worst levels, the last of which is bleeding into Boston’s 24th-ranked defensive rebounding rate (it’s never finished worse than 11th in the Mazzulla era).
Perhaps, that is a conscious decision from him and the coaching staff, given his prolific offensive scope. But he is, ideally, capable of more. Will he dial it up at some point? Can he? It’s a ton to ask, particularly because I don’t believe this offensive setting has an off-ramp for him to effectively scale back.
And for as cohesive and cunning as the Celtics’ offense is, I’m unsure of its playoff translation. They win on the margins with early flare screens, back-screens and drag screens that catch less-alert defenses off guard in the regular season — all details Tatum and George have ridden to early success.
When the stakes are raised in the postseason, countering schematic advantages is easier than countering talent advantages. The 2025-26 and 2026-27 Celtics have typically won because of the former, not the latter; their title team merged both components for dominance. This iteration lacks the ball-handling abundance and malleable center play the 2023-24 and 2024-25 squads enjoyed.
It is also possible a championship is not Boston’s utmost goal or one the organization internally deems plausible this year. Building a team unable to do so during its All-NBA superstar’s prime may warrant criticism but is a separate conversation.
This is Tatum’s first full year back from a torn Achilles. George, while still very good, is 36 years old and not an All-Star-caliber player anymore. His lucrative contract will be an expiring deal next summer. Derrick White, while a pillar of Boston’s prosperous last half-decade, is 32 and potentially trending downward.
Maybe, the Celtics are content to see what this Tatum-led group can achieve before parlaying George’s expiring deal and their wealth of first-round picks into a better, younger upgrade over the offseason. Maybe, they continue piling up wins and feel compelled to make a splash at this season’s deadline.
Regardless, this team is good but different than years past and still spearheaded by Tatum — who, for the first time in his career, is flanked by a new running mate on the wing.
All stats accurate prior to games played on Nov. 8.
Major League Baseball's awards season gets going in earnest Monday, Nov. 9 when the winners of the American League and National League Rookie of the Year awards are revealed.
It kickstarts four days of hardware awarded by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, culminating Thursday when the Most Valuable Players for each league are announced.
Balloting will be revealed during an MLB Network broadcast that begins at 7 p.m. ET. Interviews with the finalists and analysis precede announcement of the awards.
AL Rookie of the Year: Finalists
Kevin McGonigle, 22, announced his arrival with authority, notching four hits in his opening day debut, and did not stop from there. The Tigers shortstop led the AL in WAR (7.1) and plate appearances (707), amasssing 168 hits and batting .278 with a .376 on-base percentange His adjusted OPS of 126 was well above league average. McGonigle would be the first Detroit Tiger to win AL Rookie of the Year since pitcher Michael Fulmer in 2016.
Payton Tolle, who turned 24 Nov. 1, debuted with Boston in 2025 but became one of its rotation anchors this past season, striking out 171 batters over 148 ⅔ innings and compiling a 3.03 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. The garrulous southpaw has emerged as a fan favorite in Boston, thanks in part to his carefree mound mentality mixed with an oft-dominant fastball.
Like Tolle, Parker Messick, 26, debuted in 2025 and became a rotation fixture for Cleveland in his full rookie season, starting Game 1 of their AL Division Series after a dominant campaign. Messick struck out 193 batters in 186 ⅓ innings, with a 2.56 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. The Guardians emerged to defend their AL Central championship as Messick, a 2022 second-round pick, joined with Gavin Williams to provide a dominant foundation to their rotation.
NL Rookie of the Year: Finalists
The likely favorite for this award wasn't necessarily on the radar to win it at the start of the year. But Sal Stewart, 22, just never stopped slugging, ripping 32 home runs and driving in 112 runs for the Cincinnati Reds. He finished the season with a .787 OPS and even stole 15 bases as he played in all 162 games.
Carson Benge, 23, likely exceeded the high hopes the Mets harbored for his first season. He hit an opening day home run and didn't stop from there, hitting 20 home runs, stealing 22 bases and solidifying right field for the Mets in an otherwise lost season. Defensively, Benge was slightly above the norm based on outs above average, but his throwing arm ranked in the 99th percentile.
JJ Wetherholt, 24, was the seventh overall pick in the 2024 draft and methodically beat down the door to St. Louis, like Benge debuting on opening day. He hit 17 homers and stole 14 bases, but his biggest impact came defensively. The former shortstop finished second in the major leagues to likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong in fielding run value, teaming with shortstop Masyn Winn to give the Cardinals an elite defensive look in their middle infield.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 04: Starting pitcher Randy Dobnak #62 of the Kansas City Royals warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on August 04, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Back on the 4th of August this year, it had been a relatively long time since Kauffman Stadium bustled with the anthill-like activity it takes to put on an event in front of tens of thousands of people. The Kansas City Royals had just wrapped up a 10-game road trip with a pair of off days sandwiched within, and thanks to the All-Star break this game was only the seventh game at Kauffman in almost the month.
But inside the stadium, four hours before first pitch, it was business as usual. A few parking attendants set up at key spots. Half a dozen happy Minnesota Twins fans got an autograph after camping out by the player’s entrance. Food service workers slowly trickled in, some of whom are piloting unwieldy carts into elevators in preparation to feed the many hungry mouths. And inside the clubhouse, players were prepping for the game, the equipment staff placing protein water in some lockers, the media quietly checking their phones in between keeping watch for the players they needed for a story.
For all its glitz and glamor and spectacle, professional sports is a human-intensive endeavor. ChatGPT isn’t prepping the mound and the grass before the game. Gemini isn’t helping people to their seats or directing traffic. Claude isn’t running the graphics or answering the box office phone or staffing the stores. And, of course, there are the players, coaches, and front office staff who were not only present on that day but during the entire road trip…and all the other road trips before.
This is the big gulf between fandom and the production of professional sports: fandom is optional. You can watch the game. You can record the game. You can watch the game, but later, with all the commercials subject to the fast forward button. You can pay to show up to the game in person if you really feel like it. You can also, notably, skip a game, or two, or the whole season. You can turn off the game the moment you get disgusted or bored.
The people in charge of running the baseball operations do not get that option. Lose 15-1 or win 4-3, they have to pay attention. I suppose, technically, front office members don’t have to watch the game like the players or coaches do, but that’s not much of a relief when those same front office members’ jobs depend on the team performing well.
This is especially true for those who are really, really involved—think general manager JJ Picollo, for instance. I’ve seen Picollo walk through the clubhouse before a game more than once to converse with players and coaches. Even beyond Picollo, the number of front office and coaching staff and players is not gigantic. They know lots of information about each other and the game. They certainly know more than pundits or writers or commenters. They are, really, just simple coworkers who go to work together everyday.
And who is truly objective about their coworkers?
I started writing this piece months ago on that night. The Royals won. Randy Dobnak defied gravity again and the top trio of Carter Jensen, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone got on base a combined seven times. It was a temporary salve at the time because Royals fans were frustrated that nothing much happened at the trade deadline, and they were frustrated that that August 4 victory only brought the team to 20 games below .500.
Obviously, I didn’t end up publishing it. That’s why you’re reading it now with the cool fall air and leaves swirling outside wherever you are right now. I didn’t feel like I had anything to say, really. Some pieces are germs of an idea that just doesn’t work as a full plant. At the time, I made that call. But I really liked how I started this one—still do, that’s why I revisited it—and maybe my subjectivity would have won out if the Royals had lost. I guess it wouldn’t have mattered. This is only sports writing on a free site, after all.
That objectivity, though, is really hard to find when you’re close to something. It’s why you should always step away from a piece of writing if you really want to evaluate how you’re doing. It’s why consultants exist, because they don’t have the emotional attachments. And after my second year of regularly covering Royals games with a credential, I am frankly amazed that the front offices or coaching staffs can handle anything with objectivity.
One time last year, Michael Massey and Vinnie Pasquantino were arguing about Playstation games in the clubhouse, loudly, and everyone there got a kick out of it. These aren’t just names on Fangraphs.
This isn’t to say that front offices and coaching staffs should get a free pass at all times. Evaluating players—evaluating your team—is something that even boring middle corporate managers have to do all the time. Lord knows we’ve all experienced what a bad boss can be like, and there weren’t even millions of dollars at stake. All I’m saying is that the closeness to dirt, as it were, brings a human element into it all that makes decisions (or a lack thereof) more understandable.
Baseball is a people business, in other words. No matter how well or badly it went for the team, they have to go back out there and do it again on the next day, and the day after, and they day after that.
Dec 14, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket beside Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James (4) and center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to reestablish some positive momentum as they take on an injured and struggling Charlotte Hornets team.
Things aren’t going well for the Hornets. They have been one of the worst teams in the league based on their point differential. It doesn’t help that they’ve been without one of their best players for most of the season, and their second-best player has struggled mightily.
Kon Knueppel will be missing this game with a hamstring injury. He has played just six minutes so far this season for Charlotte. The Hornets will also be without Brandon Miller (hip), who’s gotten off to a rough start to the season as he’s been unable to find his range from beyond the arc (26%).
This is a prime opportunity for the Cavs to pick up a win and start another busy week on the right foot.
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Cavs injury report: Sam Merrill – OUT (elbow) , Jarrett Allen – QUESTIONABLE (knee), Jaylon Tyson – OUT (ankle), Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (back), Khalifa Diop – OUT (G League), Ernest Udeh, Jr. – OUT (G League)
Hornets injury report: Kon Kneuppel – OUT (hamstring), Brandon Miller – OUT (hip), Dennis Schroder – OUT (hamstring), Grant Williams – OUT (hamstring), Moussa Diabate – QUESTIONABLE (quad)
