Posts

Posted on

27 games to find out what this Suns’ team really is

PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 10: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 10, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Tonight, the post-All-Star break gauntlet begins. And if it feels like you have heard me use that word before when talking about the Phoenix Suns, you are not imagining things. It always feels this way. For whatever reason, the Suns routinely land in the top ten in remaining strength of schedule, and yes, I went to Tankathon to double-check myself before saying it out loud again.

Checks Tankathon…

Ummm…why aren’t the Suns on anyone’s ‘toughest opponent’ list? What are we? Chopped liver here?!

What’s left is no joke. The final 27 games are stacked with teams that have something at stake. These are not drifting opponents. These are teams fighting for playoff positioning, teams clawing to avoid the Play-In, teams scrapping to get into it. And that is exactly where Phoenix lives right now, right in the middle of the mess, where every night feels like it carries a little extra weight.

The difference now is perception. The Suns are no longer sneaking up on anyone. That part of the season is gone. They have exceeded expectations, changed the tone around the league, and earned a reputation. Teams know what’s coming. They know about the pressure, the physicality, the disruption Phoenix brings possession after possession. Whether opponents can actually execute through that chaos is a different conversation, and one we are going to track in real time as this thing winds down. But the margin is thinner now. The urgency is louder. And this final stretch is going to tell us exactly who the Suns are, even though everyone knows the test is coming.

When you dig into the numbers and look at what remains, a few things jump out that feel worth paying attention to. Of the 27 games left, 14 are against teams currently above the .500 mark. To this point in the season, the Suns are 13–17 against teams over .500. That tells you that they have been good, not great, in those environments. Competitive but not dominant.

Where they have made their money is against lesser competition. Phoenix is 19–6 against teams under .500, and there are still 13 games left on the schedule against that tier of opponent. It reinforces what we already know. This team takes care of business when it should, and that has been a defining characteristic of the season.

So if you take those pre-All-Star break trends, apply the same winning percentages to what lies ahead, and do a little honest math (.433 winning percentage against over .500 teams, .760 winning percentage against sub-.500 teams, divided into the respective remaining totals against teams currently classified as such), the projection lands in a very reasonable place. A 17-12 finish over the final 27 games. That puts the Suns at 49–33. The question is now can that do that?

The feel-good story of the Suns is about to be tested over the remainder of the season, and a big part of that is because the expectations have quietly shifted, at least in the eyes of the fan base. This was a team that most people penciled in for around 31 wins, maybe fewer if things broke the wrong way. They hit 32 before the All-Star break.

When you start there, the natural question becomes how much the organization adjusts its priorities, its internal expectations, and its timelines. If the trade deadline told us anything about how Mat Ishbia and Brian Gregory view this season, it is that they are committed to staying the course. The focus remains on long-term viability and organizational health rather than chasing short-term fixes in a season where a championship run still feels out of reach. There was no panic. No swing for the fences. No attempt to paper over cracks with temporary solutions.

Now the roster is set. This is the team. And the interesting thing is that Phoenix is not alone in that reality. Every team they are chasing, or being chased by, has issues of its own. Oklahoma City does not look like the same juggernaut it was a year ago, and it is dealing with health concerns. Houston is staring down a Kevin Durant-sized cloud, something Suns fans know all too well. Minnesota has struggled to consistently beat quality opponents. The Lakers lack depth. The Warriors are showing the very real effects of age and injuries.

There are no clean paths in this part of the standings. No perfect teams waiting at the top. The Suns are flawed, but so is everyone else, and that is what makes the final stretch of this season so fascinating.

So the question becomes: as we march toward March, how many of the Suns’ deficiencies will actually show themselves and be exploited by opposing teams over the remainder of the schedule? How many wins? How many losses? Where does this ultimately land them in the standings? There are 27 games left, and every one of them feels like a data point in a larger experiment. How much of what we have seen so far is sustainable? How much of it was momentum, surprise, and timing lining up just right?

And maybe the most important question of all: how do you feel about the very real possibility that this team stumbles down the stretch? Because that possibility exists. The reasons are clear. The margin is thin. The league adjusts. The legs get heavy. The film piles up.

But if this team has taught us anything this season, it is to expect the unexpected. To acknowledge all the reasons it should not work, then sit back and enjoy it when it does. This is not a team built through traditional roster construction, clean archetypes, or tidy measurables. They are winning through things you cannot easily chart. Heart. Connectivity. Trust. Talent that keeps outperforming expectations.

So here we go. The final 27. No safety net. No mystery left. It starts tonight against the San Antonio Spurs.

Posted on

Mountain West in the NBA: How MW alums are performing midway through 2026-27

The Mountain West men’s basketball season is in full swing, but it’s never a bad time to discuss past Mountain West stars and their journeys after being in the conference. It’s time for our annual “Mountain West in the NBA” update, so let’s not waste any more time and dive into it!

Colorado State:

Isaiah Stevens, G/F, Sacramento Kings

After parlaying a strong summer into a two-way contract with the Miami Heat last season, Stevens found a new home in Sacramento. Though he’s spent most of the season in Stockton with the Kings’ G-League affiliate, averaging 14.1 points and 8.3 assists in 27 combined games. Stevens has played six career NBA games up to this point, totaling 10 points with five rebounds, 10 assists and six steals in 49 minutes.

Fresno State:

Orlando Robinson, C, UFA

Robinson was recently released by the Orlando Magic, who he held a two-way contract with. Robinson has been apart of four organizations (Heat, Kings, Raptors, Magic) the last three seasons, averaging 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds across 13.1 minutes per game over that span (84 games; 16 starts).

Nevada:

Cody Martin, F, Indiana Pacers

Martin’s career has largely been affected by injury, playing roughly 37 percent of available games over the last four seasons. He signed a 10-day hardship contract with the beleagured Indiana Pacers in November, and has since played 10 games with the Noblesville Boom (Pacers G-League affiliate), averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals on 54.9 percent true shooting.

Caleb Martin, F, Dallas Mavericks

Martin was dealt to Dallas in February of 2025 as part of the Quentin Grimes 1-for-1 swap with Philadelphia. Martin, 30, has appeared in 46 games (10 starts) with the Mavericks this season, averaging 3.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 44.5 percent shooting, including 36.8 percent from 3-point range and 62.9 percent from the charity stripe.

Kobe Sanders, G, Los Angeles Clippers

Drafted No. 50 overall in last summer’s draft, Sanders’ emergence with Los Angeles has been one of their brighest spots this season. The Clippers recently converted Sanders into a standard contract, where he’s averaging 6.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 43.6/37.0/80.0 shooting splits.

San Diego State:

Kawhi Leonard, F, Los Angeles Clippers

Leonard has been one of the NBA’s best players for the last 2-3 months. The Aztec alum is leading the NBA in steals (2.1), tallying 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on 49.1 percent shooting and 61.9 percent true shooting. Notably, Leonard took All-Star weekend by storm, scoring 37 points in three 12-minute games on 13-of-24 shooting and 7-of-12 from distance. The 14-year vet has, once again, reinforced the belief that he’s arguably the league’s best two-way player — when he’s on the court, which has occassionally been a struggle.

UNLV:

Derrick Jones Jr., F, Los Angeles Clippers

Our third Clipper! Jones has been one of their best point-of-attack defenders and 3-point shooters the last two seasons. In 99 games with the Clips, Jones is averaging 10.1 points and 3.2 rebounds on 36.7 percent shooting from 3-point range, where he’s taken nearly 40 percent of his attempts.

Utah State:

Sam Merrill, G, Cleveland Cavaliers

Merrill has carved a niche as an elite 3-point shooter. Over the last three seasons, the Aggie alum is shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc on 5.8 3-point attempts per game (86.5 3PAr!), including a remarkable 47.2 percent on 7.5 triple tries in 31 games (22 starts) this year. He’s been in-and-out of the team’s lineup due to injury, but he’s been the best shooter on a middle-of-the-pack 3-point shooting team through 55 games.

Neemias Queta, C, Boston Celtics

Amid the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet, Queta, a five-year veteran, has been thrust into a much larger role with the Celtics this year. And he’s played up to expectation, tallying 9.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on 65.5 percent true shooting in 51 games (50 starts) this year. Most importantly, he’s shown he can be a starting-level center in the right context, even though he still has plenty of room to grow as a defender.

Wyoming:

Larry Nance Jr., F, Cleveland Cavaliers

Nance, now in his age-33 season, has sparingly played with Cleveland in his second stint there. He’s essentially been an end-of-bench rotation player this time around, averaging 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game across 25 appearances. We are toward the end of the hill with Nance, who has largely battled injuries over his 11-year journey.

Posted on

What Royals player are you rooting for the most in camp?

GOODYEAR, AZ - MARCH 21: The Kansas City Royals line up during the national anthem before a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark on March 21, 2014 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Royals have had a full squad working out all week and tomorrow they’ll begin their first exhibition matchups. Spring training performances can be difficult to judge. Many players are working on new pitches, new swings, and with new teammates. The thin, dry air of Arizona is not like the environment players will play in when the season begins in March in the cold spring air of the Midwest.

And yet, players can still impress coaches, teammates, and fans with their spring performance. Maybe they can dazzle everyone enough to make the team, or at least make an impression to be called up at some point to get their opportunity.

Who are you rooting for in Royals spring training to do well? Here’s a reminder of who’s in camp.

*-denotes non-roster invitee

Catchers (9): Jorge Alfaro*, Canyon Brown*, Omar Hernandez*, Carter Jensen, Elih Marrero*, Blake Mitchell*, Salvador Pérez, Ramon Ramirez*, Luca Tresh*

Infielders (13): Brandon Drury*, Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, Connor Kaiser*, Michael Massey, Kevin Newman*, Vinnie Pasquantino, Josh Rojas*, Tyler Tolbert, Abraham Toro*, Daniel Vazquez*, Peyton Wilson*, Bobby Witt Jr.

Outfielders (11): Dairon Blanco, Jac Caglianone, Gavin Cross*, Isaac Collins, Kyle Isbel, Nick Loftin, Kameron Misner, John Rave, Carson Roccaforte*, Lane Thomas, Drew Waters

Pitchers (34): Luinder Avila, Ryan Bergert, Mason Black, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, Eric Cerantola, Dennis Colleran*, Steven Cruz, Jose Cuas*, Lucas Erceg, Carlos Estévez, Bailey Falter, Stephen Kolek, Ben Kudrna, Alex Lange, Seth Lugo, Daniel Lynch IV, Chazz Martinez*, James McArthur, John Means*, Nick Mears, Eli Morgan*, Frank Mozzicato*, Héctor Neris*, Helcris Olivárez*, Shane Panzini*, Hunter Patteson*, Cole Ragans, Aaron Sanchez*, John Schreiber, Mitch Spence, Matt Strahm, Michael Wacha, Steven Zobac

Injured List (1): Alec Marsh

Posted on

What one move would you make right now?

We stand on the eve of spring training. Tomorrow sees the 2026 incarnation of the Arizona Diamondbacks take the field for the first time – albeit in an empty and meaningless contest against their complexmates from Colorado. With the team now apparently close to maxed out on payroll – and, as we’ll see later today, closer to the luxury tax bracket than ever before – it feels largely like the roster we currently have is going to be the one we will have in Dodger Stadium five weeks from today. But if there was something else you got to do, what would it be?

You’re the GM: What’s one trade, signing or extension you’d make right now?

There are certainly ways in which the team could potentially be improved. Indeed, almost every area, be it infield, outfield, rotation or bullpen has a question-mark over some aspect. But if you had to pick a single (and plausible – no trading Carlos Santana for Aaron Judge!) move to improve the team for Opening Day, what would you do? Bear in mind there’s basically no salary room available, so any trade is probably going to be like-for-like. But perhaps you would rather look long term, and sign someone already on the roster to an extension? If so, who would that be and why?

Posted on

50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings: Max Fried

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 18: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees is introduced at a press conference at Yankee Stadium on December 18, 2024, in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We’ve reached the end of our 50 Most Notable Yankees’ Free Agent Signings, and today we’ll wrap up with the most recent within the paramters. Okay, maybe you could argue that the re-signing of Cody Bellinger earlier this winter is technically the most recent biggest one. That one was a touch too recent to show up on our list, and also bringing a non-All-Star back like that is a little different than the big splash the Yankees made when they signed Max Fried last winter.

It’s also one that has worked out swimmingly so far.

Max Fried
Signing Date: December 17, 2024
Contract: Eight years, $218 million

At the start of the 2024-25 offseason, the Yankees’ main focus was on brining back Juan Soto. In addition to hitting the home run that sent the Yankees to the 2024 World Series, Soto had an unbelievable season and his combination with Aaron Judge had the potential to be an all-time great one if he stayed in the Bronx.

Unfortunately, we know how that story went. The Mets seemingly weren’t going to be denied in their pursuit of Soto, and they beat the Yankees to the punch. That being said, even without Soto, the Yankees had a roster that had just won the AL pennant. They were still in a, hopefully, “contending” window and needed somewhere to pivot. They decided to do so with one of the best pitchers on the market.

The Los Angeles-area born Max Fried had been a first-round draft pick of the Padres — seventh overall — in 2012 after starring at Harvard-Westlake School alongside fellow future standouts Jack Flaherty and Lucas Giolito. However, San Diego would not be where Fried would make his name. Having worked his way into the top 100 prospect lists, Fried was part of a multi-player deal in 2014 that sent him to the Braves, with Justin Upton the headliner going to the Padres. It was a savvy move that would have major ramifications for Atlanta in just a few years.

The trade went down as Fried was still recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he missed the entire 2015 season. After returning for 2016, Fried got the call-up to the majors in August 2017, debuting out of the bullpen. Fried ended up appearing in nine games — four starts — in 2017, posting a 3.81 ERA in 26 innings. While he returned to the minors for much of the following season, he was again pretty solid when getting his cup of coffee in the bigs in 2018.

Fried got a chance to start 2019 in the majors, albeit in the bullpen. However, he quickly ended up in the rotation and made 30 starts in his first full major-league season that year. The 2020 season was, of course, COVID-shortened, but it was Fried’s breakout campaign, as he posted a 2.25 ERA over his 11 starts, finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting.

The next two years saw Fried fully get on the map. In 2021, he was, by several measures, the Braves’ best starter as they won the 2021 World Series crown. He was the winning pitcher in the series-clinching Game 6 victory, shutting the Astros out for six innings.

View Link

In 2022, Fried posted arguably his best year, putting up a career best total in both WARs, recording a 2.48 ERA and a second place Cy Young finish. His 2023 was limited to just 77.2 innings due to injury, but both that year and 2024, he was still very good. That led him to being one of the marquee free agents on the 2024-25 market, and on the short list for the best pitcher available.

The Yankees have a history of employing very good left-handed pitchers, which may have prompted them to pivot to Fried as their big acquisition post-Soto. While they had already met with him while still pursuing Soto, they moved quickly after losing the outfielder, inking Fried to an eight-year deal less than a week after Soto went to Queens. The $218 million deal was the largest ever signed by a left-handed pitcher.

One year into that contract, and it’s hard to have any big complaints. Fried’s debut season in the Bronx saw him post a 2.86 ERA along with a league-leading 19 wins. He got off to a ridiculous start, winning AL Pitcher of the Month for April, and ended up winning that same honor during the season’s home stretch in September. Fried earned All-MLB First Team honors, finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting, and nabbed his fourth career Gold Glove.

View Link

Beyond that, with the absence of Gerrit Cole, Fried had to step up as the de facto Yankees’ ace. He was the man who took the mound in Game 1 of the Yankees’ Wild Card Series clash against Boston and threw 6.1 shutout innings. His start against the Blue Jays in the ALDS didn’t go well, but on the whole, Fried came up big in his first year in pinstripes — especially given the increased pressure caused by Cole’s absence.

Fried will be under contract through his age-38 season in 2032. Fingers crossed that he has more greatness ahead this coming season!

Edtior’s note: As Matt wrote at the top, since this series and its selection process began before Cody Bellinger was re-signed a month ago, the Max Fried signing from December 2024 will mark the end of our “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series. Thank you for following along in this walk down Yankees history! If you missed any of the contracts we discussed, check out the full rundown here.

Posted on

Tigers release images of new alternate jerseys

DETROIT, MI - JUNE 07: A detail shot of the Detroit Tigers city connect jersey is seen prior to the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Friday, June 7, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Detroit Tigers were teasing new alternate jerseys all week on their social media accounts. On Thursday they finally introduced a new navy blue road jersey with orange script, and the bright orange road jerseys with the Olde English D for Friday night home games.

The Tigers spent 18 months researching the idea and conducting fan surveys and focus group testing on many different concepts to come up with the final designs. 28 other clubs have been wearing alternate home/road jerseys for specific games, on top of the City Connect unis that will still be used as well. These all on top of the classic home whites, and road grey, for five different options.

Many of us have clamored for an alternate that resembled the Tigers classic road greys from the ‘68 season, and we’ll have to wait on that. Personally, I’m a fan of the simple navy blue and white spring training uniforms as well. But they wanted something with more color and pop, and they got it.

Staff opinion is mixed, but then we don’t have many jersey hounds. Everyone likes that the orange home alternate jerseys still have the Olde English D front and center, at least. As noted the electric blue City Connects will still be in the rotation as well for select Monday home games. We didn’t have images of the alternates in our Getty or USA Today photo tools just yet, but they have been released on the Tigers site and to all the social media accounts.

What’s your opinion on the new alternates?

View Link
Posted on

Itoje warns against ‘corrosive’ social media after racist abuse of Edogbo

  • ‘We will see huge amount of damage from social media’

  • England captain’s 100th cap in crunch clash with Ireland

The England captain, Maro Itoje, has warned of the corrosive effect of social media on professional athletes and wider society before the crucial Six Nations encounter with Ireland on Saturday.

Itoje will win his 100th England cap at Twickenham in what has become a must-win game for the hosts after last weekend’s deflating defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield. The buildup has been marred by racist abuse on social media of the Ireland second row Edwin Edogbo, after the 23-year-old made his debut from the replacements’ bench in their win against Italy in round two.

Continue reading...
Posted on

What to expect from Teoscar Hernández in 2026?

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 19: Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers poses for a photo during Los Angeles Dodgers Photo Day at Camelback Ranch on February 19, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Teoscar Hernández was a driving force in the Dodgers lineup in his first year in Los Angeles, in 2024, but last year struggled mightily.

After starting the All-Star Game, winning a Silver Slugger Award, and leading all National League outfielders in home runs (33) and RBI (99) with a 132 wRC+ in his first year with the Dodgers, Hernández in 2025 hit 25 home runs and 102 wRC+.

He missed two weeks in May with a groin strain, and the difference in his numbers before and after the injury were stark:

  • .315/.333/.600, 155 wRC+, eight home runs in 33 games prior
  • .223/.268/.404, 84 wRC+, 17 home runs in 101 games after

Hernández spoke to reporters Tuesday at Camelback Ranch, and talked about losing 12 pounds this offseason after workouts with a group of players, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., his old Blue Jays teammate. Hernández admitted the groin injury took a toll, from Dylan Hernández at The California Post:

“I never recovered 100 percent,” he said, adding that he believed his condition affected him both on offense and defense. 

Following the World Series, Hernández said he did nothing for two months.

“I knew my body needed rest,” he said. 

Hernández played in only 134 games last year after playing in 154 games in his first year with the Dodgers and 160 games in 2023 with the Mariners. Since becoming a regular in 2018 with Toronto, Hernández has played in 86.3 percent of games, averaging 140 games and 134 starts per 162 games over the last eight seasons.

Now, Hernández enters his age-33 season.

Teoscar Hernández 2026 projections
  • ZiPS: .266/.318/.485, 28 HR, 121 wRC+
  • THE BAT: .263/.314/.469, 25 HR, 116 wRC+
  • OOPSY: .258/.313/.472, 29 HR, 116 wRC+
  • Steamer: .255/.310/.461, 26 HR, 112 wRC+
  • Marcel: .254/.307/.448, 23 HR
  • PECOTA: .246/.299/.432, 24 HR, 98 DRC+

He’s playing left field this year now that Kyle Tucker has signed, but let’s throw this out to the group. What do you expect from Teoscar Hernández in 2026? Let us know his batting line, home runs, games played, or any other thing that comes to mind.

Posted on

'I can't trust him': Stephen A. Smith, others weigh in on Darryn Peterson

Kansas' Darryn Peterson has been one of the best players in college basketball season — when he has been on the court.

Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, that hasn't happened nearly as much as the NCAA Tournament champion hopefuls might have envisioned.

Peterson's inconsistent availability has been head-scratching at times, as he has played in 15 of Kansas' 26 games this season due to a nagging hamstring injury. He also missed a game against top-ranked Arizona with flu-like symptoms. He most recently subbed himself out early in the second half of Kansas' 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, and didn't sub back in after playing 18 minutes.

REQUIRED READING: 'Learned to play without him': Kansas' Bill Self addresses Darryn Peterson saga

Peterson's participation in games has become a national story in recent weeks, and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said on Thursday, Feb. 19, that he wouldn't take Peterson No. 1 overall due to the questions surrounding the talented guard.

"There is no team in (expletive) that should grab Darryn Peterson No. 1," he said on ESPN's "First Take." "You cannot do it. The first ability is availability. And my brother, Darryn Peterson, I hope you're watching because I'm talking directly to him, and whoever — his family members, his inner circle, whatever. What the (expletive) is going on? ... This is business. I can't trust him. You cannot be trusted."

The projected No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft is averaging 20 points per game this season on 48.5% shooting and a 43.1% mark from 3-point range. Kansas coach Bill Self said after the game Peterson left due to "cramping," adding he was disappointed because he thought Peterson was "good to go" pregame.

Former Duke star Jay Williams, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft to the Chicago Bulls, also questioned drafting Peterson at No. 1.

"If I were a general manager, I would be extremely concerned about Darryn Peterson," Williams said on ESPN's "Get Up" on Feb. 19. "I don't question his talent at all. His talent is the No. 1 pick in the draft. But I would take (BYU forward) AJ Dybantsa because I'm not sure about the availability of Darryn Peterson."

ESPN's Scott Van Pelt also questioned Peterson's intangibles on Feb. 18 after Peterson checked himself out of the Oklahoma State game.

“When the presumed No. 1 player sits out a home game against unbeaten, No. 1 Arizona with the flu after having all these questions and managing minutes throughout the season with other issues, it makes people wonder," Van Pelt said, "Not about his talent, but about those intangibles that can’t really be measured."

In a year with multiple high-end NBA draft prospects such as Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer, Houston's Kingston Flemings and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, an NBA organization may have second guesses when it comes to Peterson as a prospect given his recent availability. At least, according to some NBA experts around the league.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stephen A. Smith, others weigh in on Darryn Peterson's NBA draft prospects

Posted on

2026 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings: What does Cal Raleigh have in store after historic season?

Even moving past Cal Raleigh's awe-inspiring, record-breaking, MVP-quality campaign, 2025 was a great year for the catchers on the whole. In fact, the catcher spot was responsible for more homers (606) and RBI (2,216) than five of the other nine positions, including left field and third base (designated hitter, first base and right field topped the list). Most of the best players were young, too. Of the 10 catchers to hit 19 or more homers last year, only Salvador Perez was older than 28. Five were 25 or younger, and that doesn't count Iván Herrera, who came up short of qualifying at the spot but hopefully will regain eligibility this year.

At this point, there's enough depth at catcher that only Raleigh truthers should consider a significant investment on a backstop in a one-catcher mixed league. There are nine guys on this list who would seem to offer rather high floors and upside beyond that. And, again, that's not counting Herrera, who will probably belong in the top four here if and when he regains eligibility. Even missing out on one of those nine or 10 players wouldn't be a disaster... there are still at least another half-dozen players behind them capable of making a run at 20 homers.

So, here's our breakdown of the mixed-league options for 2026. You won't be surprised by the top choice.

Other position previews:

⚾️ Coming soon: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

⚾ 2026 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings

** Rotoworld staff consensus rankings **

RankPlayerPouliotSamulskiSchianoShortMontanezBissellShoveinCrawfordConsensus Avg
1Cal Raleigh111111111
2William Contreras322222322.25
3Ben Rice234433643.63
4Hunter Goodman573545534.63
4Shea Langeliers745354454.63
6Agustín Ramírez6511766296.5
7Drake Baldwon8666791067.25
8Salvador Perez488888887.5
9Will Smith91071097778.25
10Yainer Diaz1111139101191110.63
11Adley Rutschman1299111313111011
12Alejandro Kirk141312121112161212.75
13Francisco Alvarez191210131214181313.88
14Gabriel Moreno101614151517141414.38
15Kyle Teel151417171616151615.75
16J.T. Realmuto131715181920121716.38
17Samuel Basallo20191814141017NR17.13
18Carter Jensen16NR16201815131517.25
19Austin WellsNR18NR162018221820.25
20Logan O’Hoppe1715NR19NR19NR1920.5

Editor’s Note: Projections and dollar values from Matthew Pouliot; player rankings are based on consensus.

⚾ 2026 Catcher Projections and Previews

1) Cal Raleigh — Seattle Mariners

2026 Outlook: It was probably the best fantasy season from a catcher ever. Raleigh hardly came out of nowhere in 2025 after finishing 18th and 12th in the AL MVP balloting the previous two seasons, but his fantasy potential seemed capped by playing in the game’s toughest ballpark for batting average in Seattle. Of course, he still didn’t excel there in batting .247 in 2025, but the rest was remarkable. He hit 60 homers, which led the majors and shattered MLB records for catchers and switch-hitters. He also topped the AL with 125 RBI and even stole twice as many bases (14) as in his previous 3 1/3 big-league seasons combined.

After something like that, Raleigh can only go down. His exit velocity numbers last year were just a little better than his career numbers. He had homers on a full 75% of his barrels, compared to 64% previously. His contact numbers didn’t change much. He’ll probably hold on to some of those gains in the power department, but less so in terms of average. He does project to get more plate appearances than any other catcher, but as durable as he’s been thus far, it still only takes one unfortunate foul tip to mess up a season. The premium price tag is earned, but it just doesn’t seem worth paying, especially with the increased depth at the catcher spot this year.

2026 projection: (Mixed $18) 547 AB, 85 R, 38 HR, 90 RBI, 6 SB, 21 2B, 1 3B, .225/.323/.475

2) William Contreras — Milwaukee Brewers

2026 Outlook: Fantasy baseball’s No. 1 catcher in both 2023 and ’24, Contreras was derailed in 2025 by a fractured finger suffered in early May. He missed just one game when it happened, but it was always a hinderance and he wound up undergoing surgery in October. In spite of his issues, Contreras did finish very nicely, hitting .293/.380/.510 with 11 homers over his final 51 games. He should be 100 percent this spring, and a rebound seems likely. Perhaps worthy of note is that he didn’t seem happy with how the Brewers handled his arbitration negotiations after a season in which he started 128 games behind the plate in spite of a mangled finger. Maybe it’s extra motivation or maybe it eventually makes him the next star the team trades away.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 524 AB, 78 R, 20 HR, 80 RBI, 5 SB, 27 2B, 1 3B, .271/.356/.441

3) Ben Rice — New York Yankees

2026 Outlook: Many expect Rice to bust out as the Yankees’ primary first baseman this season, but the breakthrough already took place, and Rice was just really unlucky it didn’t materialize more obviously. Of last year’s 145 batting-title qualifiers, Rice ranked 15th in barrel rate, seventh in hard-hit rate, seventh with a .557 xSLG and sixth with a .394 xwOBA. He did this with just an 18.9% strikeout rate. Of the six guys ahead of him on the hard-hit rate list, Aaron Judge had the next best strikeout rate at 23.6%. Pretty much everything beyond the fine-but-unspectacular .255/.337/.499 line painted him as one of baseball’s best hitters.

Of course, Rice didn’t face many lefties along the way, and while the Yankees initially indicated that would change this season, they went ahead and re-signed Paul Goldschmidt in February to serve as a platoon first baseman. That means what time Rice sees versus southpaws figures to come behind the plate. Rice had seven homers and a .752 OPS in his 119 plate appearances against lefties last season, but that came with a .208 average and a 27.7% strikeout rate. He projects to be adequate but probably below average against lefties this year. Against righties, though, he should be simply outstanding, and that he'll be catching less than most makes him a better bet to stay off the IL than pretty much everyone else on this list.

2026 projection: (Mixed $8) 454 AB, 73 R, 26 HR, 76 RBI, 4 SB, 23 2B, 2 3B, .267/.352/.498

t4) Hunter Goodman — Colorado Rockies

2026 Outlook: One tricky part in judging this strong class of rather young catchers is that the ones who seem most likely to regress are playing in ballparks that will do their best to help prevent it. Goodman was just a sleeper in a shaky situation with Jacob Stallings seemingly likely to open last year as the Rockies’ starting catcher. In a rare moment of clarity, however, the Rockies made him an everyday player and stuck with him after a May slump. He went on to hit .342 with seven homers in June, and there was no denying him afterwards. Goodman still has significant plate discipline issues -- both his chase and his whiff rates were in the eighth percentile of major leaguers last season -- and his EV numbers are more good than great. That’s reason to think he’ll be marginally worse in 2026, but he can afford a drop off from a .278-31-91 season and retain some value. That’s he’s backed by Coors and is likely to hit third or fourth for a team that will play him at either catcher or DH nearly every day would seem to give him a pretty high floor.

2026 projection: (Mixed $5), 509 AB, 71 R, 27 HR, 80 RBI, 4 SB, 28 2B, 3 3B, .261/.315/.487

New York Mets v. Philadelphia Phillies
2026 Fantasy Baseball Top 300: Early injuries shake up preseason rankings
Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Jackson Holliday are among the injuries to watch in our latest update.

t4) Shea Langeliers — Athletics

2026 Outlook: No catcher this century had totaled 30 doubles and 30 homers in the same season until both Langeliers (32 doubles, 31 homers) and Salvador Perez did it last season. Langeliers also hit 29 homers in 2024, but he made so much more contact in 2025, hitting .277 with a 19.7% strikeout rate. He had a .215 average and 29% strikeout rate over 312 career games coming into last season. The ballpark switch from Oakland to Sacramento certainly helped, but Langeliers actually hit better on the road last season, finishing at .274/.332/.580. Nevertheless, his .278/.319/.498 home line was far better than the .197/.270/.406 he hit in his final year at The Coliseum. Statcast thinks Langeliers was pretty lucky, giving him a .255 xBA and a .454 xSLG that was 82 points lower than his actual mark and actually barely lower than his .456 xSLG from 2024. His barrel rate was slightly lower than in 2023 and ’24, and his hard-hit rate was practically unchanged. It suggests a decline is in store for 2026, but with Sutter Health Field playing so well for offense, it should be a mild one. He’s simply in so much better of a situation now than he was in 2023 and '24, especially with the A’s lineup looking more competitive than it has in years.

2026 projection: (Mixed $4) 489 AB, 68 R, 27 HR, 80 RBI, 5 SB, 24 2B, 2 3B, .258/.315/.481

6) Agustín Ramírez — Miami Marlins

2026 Outlook: Ramírez arrived as advertised late last April, hitting .242/.289/.470 with 14 homers through the All-Star break and playing the worst catcher defense in the league. Things mostly went south in the second half, as he hit .219/.285/.352 the rest of the way, but he stole 15 bases in 16 tries after going 1-for-3 in the first half. As a result, his fantasy value held up just fine. Because he’s an awful defender coming off three months of not hitting, Ramírez is sort of risky now. As a catcher, he probably doesn’t even belong in the majors at this point, yet all indications are that the Marlins want to continue to develop him defensively at the major league level. If they reverse course and make him their first baseman or DH, he’d move up the rankings here; he'd be in line for more at-bats, and it probably weighs on his offense that he has to work so hard on defense. And the offense still seems promising. He wound up with a .263 xBA and a .451 xSLG last year. His EV numbers were pretty good, and he struck out just 19.3% of the time as a rookie. There’s no guarantee he’ll do so much running again, especially since he’s not really very fast at all. Still, he did also go 22-for-24 stealing bases in the minors in 2024, so he both likes to run and is quite good at it. He should remain a top-10 catcher if he catches, and if he doesn’t, he’d move into the top five.

2026 projection: (Mixed $5) 530 AB, 71 R, 20 HR, 77 RBI, 11 SB, 30 2B, 2 3B, .264/.328/.442

7) Drake Baldwin — Atlanta Braves

2026 Outlook: They say the gap between the minors and majors might be bigger than ever right now, but don’t tell it to Baldwin. The 2025 NL Rookie of the Year hit .270 with 16 homers while spending most of 2023 in High-A ball, .276 with 16 homers between Double- and Triple-A in the 2024 and then .274 with 19 homers in his first year in Atlanta. Expected to share time with Sean Murphy, he got a quick boost when Murphy opened on the IL and wound up starting 85 games at catcher and 12 at DH. One imagines he’ll play even more this year, especially after his remarkable success in lefty-lefty matchups last season; he hit .299/.358/.460 in his 95 plate appearances versus southpaws. At 25, Baldwin should have more to add offensively; not only does he make more contact than most, but he did so last year with 91st-percentile bat speed and an 85th-percentile hard-hit rate. It just holds him back a tad that he projects for fewer plate appearances than the guys above him and that he's a complete zero in steals (he’s totaled three in four seasons as a pro).

2026 projection: (Mixed $3) 485 AB, 68 R, 21 HR, 76 RBI, 1 SB, 22 2B, 1 3B, .272/.341/.452

MLB: FEB 16 Yankees Spring Training Workout
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results
Everything you need for 2026 fantasy baseball draft season.

8) Salvador Perez — Kansas City Royals

2026 Outlook: Perez slipped to .236/.284/.446 in his age-35 season after coming in at .268/.312/.484 over the previous five years, so given his age, it’d seem reasonable to project continued decline. And, yet, his age really seems to be the only reason to do that. Perez’s EV numbers last year were all better than his norms, especially his 14.7%-barrel rate (his career mark was 10.2%). Just 43% of his barrels became homers, compared to 56% the previous three years. And not only was he hitting the ball harder, but his strikeout rate was also down. That his BABIP plummeted to .251 from a .290 career mark (.295 the previous three years) just doesn’t make much sense.

Furthermore, Perez has two significant new positives to consider here. First, the presence of Carter Jensen means that Perez should be doing more DHing than ever, keeping him healthy and strong. Second, the Royals have moved in their fences down the corners, something that’ll probably earn him a couple of extra homers over the course of 81 games. All things considered, he just might be the best value pick among the top 10 catchers.

2026 projection: (Mixed $5) 567 AB, 62 R, 32 HR, 95 RBI, 0 SB, 24 2B, 0 3B, .245/.292/.457

9) Will Smith — Los Angeles Dodgers

2026 Outlook: Although he hit .248 in 2024 and had a lifetime average of .258, Smith made a run at a batting title last season, hitting .325 through the end of July. Alas, he faded in August and then missed most of September with a broken hand caused by a foul tip. Smith’s bat speed was up about two mph last year, and while that did lead to a few more missed swings, producing harder contact made it well worth the trade. What holds Smith back in the rankings somewhat here is that there just aren’t any DH at-bats available for him in Los Angeles; when he needs a day off from catching, he’s going to sit entirely. It’s also likely that he’ll spend less time hitting third and fourth this year as a result of the Kyle Tucker signing. On a per at-bat basis, he rates as a top-five catcher.

2026 projection: (Mixed $2) 418 AB, 67 R, 20 HR, 69 RBI, 2 SB, 21 2B, 2 3B, .263/.360/.467

10) Yainer Diaz — Houston Astros

2026 Outlook: One of the league’s least disciplined hitters, Diaz is coming off the weakest of his three seasons, a combination of some seeming bad luck but also a slight downturn in his exit velocity numbers. Statcast had him with an xBA of .273 and an xSLG of .465, both a fair amount higher than his actual marks of .256 and .417. Still, it is worth nothing that his bat speed has declined each of the last two years, though by a lesser margin last season. It’s probably not a good sign for his long-term future, especially given his hacktastic ways, but for 2026 he remains a reasonable bet. That he no longer has to contend with arguably the game’s best backup catcher in Victor Caratini is a good thing, though that wasn’t really an issue last year since Yordan Alvarez’s absences allowed both to DH quite a bit. Something like .270-20-70 feels like a reasonable projection, but while that easily would have had him ranked comfortably as a top-10 catcher the last several seasons, it’s right on the fringe now.

2026 projection: (Mixed $1) 480 AB, 59 R, 20 HR, 69 RBI, 2 SB, 23 2B, 1 3B, .271/.303/.448

Dodgers vs Blue Jays
Clayton Kershaw, Joey Votto, Anthony Rizzo to join NBC Sports’ MLB coverage
The trio will appear as pregame analysts for the Wild Card round of the MLB postseason as well as select Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts.
  • DJShortBW.jpg D.J. Short
    ,

11) Adley Rutschman — Baltimore Orioles

2026 Outlook: Even after two seasons of dramatic decline in his numbers, Rutschman can't be entirely slept on. However, more questionable than betting on his talent is betting on his obliques; he injured both last year and missed five weeks in June and July and then four more in August and September. In the 90 games in which he took the field, he struggled to a .220/.307/.366 line. However, he did so with slight better EV numbers than usual. His strikeout rate was down a tad, too. One of the fascinating things about Rutschman is how much better he has hit as a DH (.282/.366/.467) than as a catcher (.245/.339/.390) over the course of his career, and with Samuel Basallo up, he’ll probably DH more than usual this year, even if he is a better defender than the youngster. If he proves healthy, there’s a good chance he’ll wind up as a top-10 catcher. Still, he wouldn’t seem to have a particularly high ceiling at this point. Even in easily his best year in 2023, his .277 average and 20 homers don’t really stand out, and there’s little chance he’ll approach the 687 plate appearances he received then.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 486 AB, 65 R, 18 HR, 66 RBI, 1 SB, 23 2B, 1 3B, .259/.346/.422

12) Alejandro Kirk — Toronto Blue Jays

2026 Outlook: Kirk was pretty well written off as a fantasy catcher after hitting .251 with a total of 13 homers in 226 games between 2023 and ’24, but he returned to his 2022 breakthrough form last season and then got a bunch of extra attention during a playoff run in which he hit five homers. Kirk’s improved exit velocity numbers backed up the rebound, and he was probably unfortunate that his 40 barrels produced a modest 15 homers. One problem, though, is that Kirk just doesn’t score runs. Even in a lineup that hummed along as well as Toronto’s did last season, he totaled 45 over the course of the year, partly because he’s often removed for pinch-runners. He’d rank a couple of spots higher in 4x4 leagues.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 427 AB, 50 R, 16 HR, 65 RBI, 0 SB, 20 2B, 0 3B, .272/.344/.431

13) Francisco Alvarez — New York Mets

2026 Outlook: Alvarez’s eventful 2025 included a fractured hamate bone suffered in early March, a June demotion to Triple-A, a sprained right thumb that put him on the IL for a second time in August and a fractured pinkie suffered while rehabbing the previous injury. Nevertheless, he hit a stellar .276/.360/.561 line with eight homers in 41 games after his recall from Triple-A. He ended up requiring surgery on his thumb in the offseason, but he’s slated to be ready to go this spring. Alvarez debuted in 2022, so it’s very easy to forget that he only turned 24 in November. He averaged 93.1 mph off the bat last season, a huge increase over his career mark of 89.5 mph. If he weren’t a catcher, it’d be very easy to imagine him busting out with a 30-homer campaign in 2026. Unfortunately, though, the repeated hand injuries are a real concern. Besides last year’s three, he also missed two months in 2024 with a sprained left thumb suffered running the bases. Even in his first full season, he was day-to-day with hand injuries three times. Because of that and because he’s probably going to open up in the bottom third of the Mets lineup, it’s difficult to project him for as many plate appearances as the top catchers are going to get.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 389 AB, 53 R, 20 HR, 56 RBI, 1 SB, 17 2B, 1 3B, .231/.317/.434

14) Gabriel Moreno — Arizona Diamondbacks

2026 Outlook: Because he’s missed chunks of the last two seasons and hasn’t hit many homers yet, there’s little hype surrounding Moreno. Still, just about every trend here is a good one for a player entering his prime at age 26. Moreno’s .285 average in 83 games last season placed him second among catchers, and in each of the last two seasons, he’s slightly increased his bat speed while also slightly decreasing his swing length, which isn’t typically how that works. He’s also made big gains by getting his groundball rate down from 55% in 2022-23 to 50% in 2024 to 39% last year. He finished last season as the cleanup hitter in a diminished Diamondbacks lineup, and he has a good argument for staying there, which would really add to his potential given the quality of the team’s top three hitters. Now he just needs to stay healthy. Last year’s big injury was a fractured finger suffered on a wild pitch. In 2024, he missed time with a sprained thumb and a strained groin. Maybe durability will continue to be a problem, but he’s one of this year’s breakthrough candidates.

2026 projection: (Mixed $1) 437 AB, 61 R, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 3 SB, 24 2B, 2 3B, .286/.352/.453

15) Kyle Teel — Chicago White Sox

2026 Outlook: Teel’s lofty minor league BABIPs carried right over to the majors after the White Sox gave him a try in June. He finished at .361 there, allowing him to bat .273 in spite of a 26% strikeout rate. That seems and probably is unsustainable, but it also wasn’t a fluke; Teel had a .380 BABIP in his 50 games in Triple-A last season. He was at .362 in the Red Sox system in 2024 and .456 over 26 games in his pro debut after being selected 14th overall in the 2023 draft. Using a rather compact swing, he has a knack for hitting liners and finding the gaps. He’ll still probably lose something off that BABIP this year, but he could help counter it by dropping his strikeout rate. He could also help his fantasy stock by doing a little more running. He was 7-for-8 stealing bases in his 50 minor league games last year but just 3-for-4 in his 78 appearances for the White Sox. Teel probably doesn’t yet have the power to make a real impact in mixed leagues, but he’s definitely off to a nice start.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 412 AB, 59 R, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 7 SB, 19 2B, 1 3B, .255/.347/.408

16) J.T. Realmuto — Philadelphia Phillies

2026 Outlook: Since a career-best season at age 31 in 2022, Realmuto’s OPS and home run totals have dropped three years running. Still, it’s not like he’s fallen off a cliff. At age 35 last season, his average exit velocity, hard-hit rate and barrel rate were all a bit above his career marks. He also had his best contact numbers since 2019. His bat speed is right around the league average, and perhaps the most incredible thing about him is that he still boasted 76th-percentile sprint speed while moving up to 64th all-time in games caught last season. It remains entirely possible that he has one more season of mixed-league viability in him, and while he’ll probably open this year hitting in the bottom third of the Phillies lineup, it might not take much of a hot streak to put him into the cleanup spot at some point.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 441 AB, 58 R, 15 HR, 57 RBI, 9 SB, 21 2B, 2 3B, .252/.315/.410

17) Samuel Basallo — Baltimore Orioles

2026 Outlook: Nothing the Orioles have done this winter would seem to benefit Basallo as he enters what should be his first full season. There was never really any reason to think the Orioles would trade Rutschman to make Basallo their starting catcher, as the plan was and is to keep and play both. It’s just that since that plan came about, the Orioles have signed Pete Alonso to start 162 games between first base and DH. They’ve also held on to Ryan Mountcastle, who is limited to first base and DH, and added Taylor Ward, which reduces Tyler O’Neill’s role in the outfield. Heck, there’s even the chance Coby Mayo figures things out. If Basallo performs up to his vast potential, none of that will be much of a problem. It might not leave him with much margin for error, though, especially if Mountcastle or O’Neill comes out of the gate hot. If all goes well, Basallo will be a regular against righties and make a run at 25 homers while batting .250 or so.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 353 AB, 43 R, 17 HR, 50 RBI, 1 SB, 15 2B, 1 3B, .241/.306/.433

18) Carter Jensen — Kansas City Royals

2026 Outlook: Royals manager Matt Quatraro didn’t seem quite as interested in giving Jensen a look last September as the front office did; the 22-year-old started just three of his first 11 games on the roster, serving as a DH each time. Fortunately, something changed in the middle of the month, and after Jensen hit two homers on Sept. 16, he was a fixture the rest of the way. It’s difficult to overstate just how impressive Jensen’s exit velocity numbers were. 58% of his 48 balls in play were hard hit, with 10 of them being barrels. Both the hard-hit rate and the 21%-barrel rate placed fifth in the majors for anyone with 50 plate appearances. Jensen also had a 59% hard-hit rate in 43 games after moving up to Triple-A. It’s probably a fluke that he struck out just 17% of the time in the majors, considering that he was at 25% in the minors, but with his power, a few more strikeouts won’t be a problem. Jensen also has some basestealing ability, having gone 38-for-43 in the minors the last three years. There’s upside for him to be a top-10 catcher right away this year, though it requires that the Royals give him regular playing time alternating with Perez between catcher and DH. There are probably some swing flaws still to be exposed, and he’ll be at risk for a Triple-A demotion if he gets off to a slow start. He’s very promising, though, and that the Royals brought in the walls some adds to his fantasy upside.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 356 AB, 50 R, 14 HR, 48 RBI, 6 SB, 19 2B, 1 3B, .253/.326/.430

19) Austin Wells — New York Yankees

2026 Outlook: Wells got a stock boost last spring, when the Yankees tinkered with batting him leadoff. He was actually in that spot on Opening Day and kicked off the season by taking Freddy Peralta deep, getting him immediately picked up in a bunch of leagues. As it turned out, though, he led off just one more time all year. With his OBP hovering in the .250-.280 range, he batted in the top five spots in the Yankees lineup only eight times and never after May 13. Wells struck out 21% of the time and walked 11% of the time as a rookie in 2024. Last year, though, those figures were 26% and 7%, respectively. On the plus side, he did show more power, finishing with 21 homers and 71 RBI. His defense is excellent, and with Rice set to play first base this year, Wells is locked in as a starting catcher against righties. He’ll likely remain fine in the power department but without the batting average necessary to finish as a top-10 catcher.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 400 AB, 54 R, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 3 SB, 18 2B, 1 3B, .233/.308/.418

20) Logan O’Hoppe — Los Angeles Angels

2026 Outlook: Few position players saw their stock drop more than O’Hoppe last year. He’s always had big plate discipline issues, but he hit a solid enough .242/.301/.434 with 34 homers in 721 plate appearances between 2023 and ’24 and there still seemed to be some room to grow as he approached his age-25 season. Instead, he declined both offensively and defensively to the point at which there’s real doubt about his ability to stick as a starting catcher. Fortunately, O’Hoppe seems to know this and put in a lot of work over the winter. Also fortunate is that the Angels weren’t at all motivated to replace him. He still seems like a threat to hit 25 homers, but he probably won’t contribute enough in the other categories to be a difference maker.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 423 AB, 53 R, 22 HR, 57 RBI, 2 SB, 17 2B, 1 3B, .239/.295/.440

Posted on

Suns owner Mat Ishbia calls tanking "worse than any prop bet scandal"

Mark Cuban thinks the NBA should embrace tanking. Suns owner Mat Ishbia thinks the NBA should run away from it.

Ishbia shared his views in a Thursday afternoon Twitter post.

"This is ridiculous!" Ishbia said. "Tanking is losing behavior done by losers. Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with. Embarrassing for the league and for the organizations. And the talk about this as a 'strategy' is ridiculous.

"If you are a bad team, you get a good pick. That makes sense. But purposely shutting down players and purposely losing games is a disgrace and impacts the integrity of [the] whole league.

"This is much worse than any prop bet scandal. This is throwing games strategically. Horrible for fans that pay to watch and cheer on their team. And horrible for all the real teams that are competing for playoff spots. Awful behavior that Adam Silver and the NBA will need to stop with massive changes, and I have complete confidence that with his leadership, he will fix it. Those of us in a position of influence need to speak out . . . the only 'strategy' is doing right by fans, players, and the NBA community."

He's right. Cuban is wrong. By focusing on "experience" and not competition, Cuban turns sport into entertainment. The NBA becomes a blend of the WWE and the Harlem Globetrotters.

And it's wrong for any sports league to gaslight the public as to the importance of winning and losing each and every game, especially when the sports leagues are making millions from gambling. Even without legalized, normalized, and heavily monetized gambling, the integrity of sport relies upon both teams at all times trying their best to win every game.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently explained that tanking happens because the incentives are misaligned. The only way to align the incentives is to remove the incentive to tank. Not partially. Completely.

That requires an overhaul of the manner in which new players are absorbed into the league. Whether it's a truly random lottery or a draft order turned on its head to reward success and punish failure, the only solution entails removing the strategic basis for winning games taking a backseat to stumbling into a player who will make the franchise a consistent winner.

Posted on

ANALYSIS: Here are Nets’ ‘Kryptonite’ plays

BROOKLYN, NY - DECEMBER 18: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket during the game against the Miami Heat on December 18, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

After an anomalous hot December produced a 7-4 record and—briefly—the NBA’s best defense, the Nets have settled back into their intended losing ways. Going into the final two months of a long season, they have the
fifth-worst offense in the league, the fifth-worst defense, and the fifth-worst record. (Note to lottery dreamers: the fifth-worst record earns the sixth pick, on average.)

Unsurprisingly, the Nets haven’t been good at much. Their effective field goal percentage is 27th in the league (52.6%), and their effective field goal defense is 28th (56.5%). If you can’t make shots and can’t prevent the other guys from making shots, you’re not going to win. But let’s be a little more specific. What have the Nets done (relatively) well? And what are their most urgent problem areas?

The NBA tracks offensive and defensive performance for a variety of distinct play types. The most common types—spot-up shots, pick-and-roll plays, and transition plays—each account for roughly one-fifth of a typical NBA offense. The Nets are below league average in efficiency (points scored per possession) in all three of those categories. (The size of each circle in the figure reflects the frequency of those plays, and the position above or below the dotted line indicates the Nets’ efficiency relative to other teams.)

The most distinctive aspect of the Nets’ offensive profile is their reliance on spot-up shooting. More than 28% of their offense consists of stationary spot-up shots, about 5% more than the league average. However, they average a bit less than one point per possession on those shots, well below the league average.

Noah Clowney is 8th in the NBA in spot-up shots per game (5.7), but 253rd in efficiency (.96 points per). Michael Porter Jr. is 18th in volume (5.0 per game), but 245th in efficiency. Jalen Wilson and Ziaire Williams take fewer shots, but they are among the league’s top 20 in their reliance on spot-up shots, and they rank 193rd and 200th in spot-up scoring efficiency. If spot-up shooting is going to be the team’s offensive calling card, these are probably not the guys you want taking the shots. (Egor Dëmin is 46th in the league in spot-up scoring efficiency, but he takes just 3.5 per game.)

Handoff plays are another notable offensive weakness. They are among the least efficient offensive options, even for average teams—only slightly more efficient than isolation plays. As a result, most teams limit their use of handoffs to less than 5% of offensive possessions. The Nets rely on them much more heavily, for 9% of their offensive possessions, despite being well below the low league average in efficiency. Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe are both posting the best assist numbers of their careers, so hurray?

The Nets are even further below average in transition scoring. Typical NBA teams score 1.14 points per transition play, making them the most efficient common play type. But the Nets get out in transition less often than most other teams do—and when they do, they manage just 1.07 points per possession. As a result, they are dead last in the league in transition points per game and in fast break points per possession. They need more defensive rebounds (currently 28th), more steals (currently 22nd), and more emphasis on pushing the ball all the way up the court, not just far enough to get into offensive sets.

Play type weaknesses are arguably even worse for a team’s defense. If the Nets’ offense does poorly with, say, post-up plays, they can simply choose to run fewer post-up plays. But on defense, they need to defend whatever comes at them, and well-prepared opponents will aim to exploit weak links. While offensive versatility is a virtue, defensive versatility is a matter of survival.

The Nets’ problems in transition are mirrored at the defensive end. Their opponents get out in transition on 20% of their plays, and they score a league-high 1.20 points per possession on those plays. The result: No team gives up more fast break points. Both the frequency and the efficiency of opponents’ transition plays owe something to the Nets’ numerous live-ball turnovers; they average 9 opponents’ steals and almost 22 transition possessions per game. Still, it is striking that a team well above average in defending putbacks is so far below average in transition defense.


The Nets have been even more inefficient defending screen plays. These aren’t a big part of most teams’ offensive repertoires, nor are they generally all that potent; but Nets’ opponents have averaged a remarkable 1.29 points per possession on screen plays. The next worst team in the league, Sacramento, gives up just 1.13, and average NBA defenses give up just .98. With 135 screen plays defended so far this season, this is hardly the Nets’ most important defensive failing—but it should be a point of embarrassment.

The Nets are a young team heavily invested in “development.” But development mostly means focusing on what is hard. As a wise young man put it even before the season got underway, “I’m not only trying to do what I’m good at and be happy with whatever I have. I’m trying to be a versatile player and to be able to execute whatever I’m being asked.” That’s a good philosophy for teams as well as individuals. In the Nets’ remaining 29 games, even fans who are not looking for wins should be looking for collective improvement in the areas where they are weakest.

Posted on

Why is Giants' rookie manager still talking about his days at Tennessee?

For a second straight day, Tennessee Volunteers baseball was the hottest topic in the San Francisco Giants dugout, where reporters asked former Vols coach Tony Vitello to clarify his comments regarding his departure from UT.

"I didn’t say anything surprising that I know of. I was just stating the facts," Vitello said during a media availability on Feb. 17 at spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona. "If somebody tweets out or says something that’s not true about you and affects your life significantly – not just a deal where your feelings are hurt, but has a significant impact on my family … the (Tennessee) team was my family – then I’m not going to be happy about it."

News of Vitello's departure for San Francisco first dropped on Oct. 18, which was rebutted at the time by Vitello, who told Knox News "nothing is done." The hiring was announced Oct. 22.

On Feb. 16, Vitello expressed frustration that he felt reporters at national outlets, as well as the Bay Area, jumped the gun in reporting that he was leaving Tennessee. He doubled down when asked to clarify his remarks the next day.

Either Vitello won't let it go or Giants reporters have accurately sensed a raw nerve, or both.

"It’s just like I would want our (Giants) players to defend themselves. That’s what I would do. But it’s kind of hard to defend yourself if it’s an anonymous tip," Vitello said, referring to October reports of his hiring that cited unnamed sources.

"... I think the facts of the case were what I just said. Anyone else would react the exact same way. And it has no real impact on the opportunity that was presented and it wouldn’t have changed what (Giants president of baseball operations) Buster (Posey) and I agreed to do."

Why Giants are hearing what Tony Vitello said in Knoxville

Vitello's recollection of his departure from Tennessee is old news in Knoxville. On Oct. 23, the day after the Giants hired him, he told Knox News how it went down. He said he had not made a decision about the Giants job when news broke, but he had to address it with his shocked UT staff and players at the time.

But reporters who cover the Giants are just now getting a clear picture of Vitello's thoughts about his Tennessee exit. He opened that can of worms, and he might find it difficult to close.

But Vitello, in his typical fashion, warned reporters that he'll often say whatever is on his mind with very little filter.

"I wouldn’t take what I say too seriously," Vitello said. "I mean we were talking about (rapper) Lil Wayne yesterday (during a media availability)."

Vitello was the first sitting college baseball coach to make the direct jump into an MLB manager role without prior professional experience. In eight seasons at Tennessee, he went 341-131, leading the Vols to the 2024 College World Series championship while also claiming two SEC regular season titles and two SEC Tournament titles.

Tennessee replaced Vitello by promoting Josh Elander, an assistant since 2018. The Vols started their season on Feb. 13.

Vitello makes his managerial debut when the Giants play Seattle Mariners in spring training on Feb. 21.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Giants' Tony Vitello is still talking about Tennessee baseball

Posted on

Suns vs Spurs Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The next few weeks will be a joy. Can the San Antonio Spurs catch the Thunder atop the West? Can the Phoenix Suns escape the Play-In Tournament?

My Suns vs. Spurs predictions expect San Antonio to start the season’s homestretch with aggression, one of many NBA picks for Thursday, February 19.

Suns vs Spurs prediction

Suns vs Spurs best bet: Spurs -7.5 (-110)

Predicting results immediately after the All-Star Break can be an exercise in educated guessing. But looking at the NBA standings, it should be clear that the San Antonio Spurs have an opportunity in front of them, sitting only three games behind the Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West.

The Phoenix Suns were already stumbling heading into the break, losing three of four both outright and against the spread. It would be bold to assume those mistakes turned into focus during the weeklong break.

Suns vs Spurs same-game parlay

Devin Booker has played only two games in three weeks. He is not in rhythm, and that will become an issue against the Spurs’ length. Those misses should lead to transition opportunities for Victor Wembanyama to capitalize on.

Suns vs Spurs SGP

  • Spurs -7.5
  • Devin Booker Under 25.5 points
  • Victor Wembanyama Over 22.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Spurring on the offense

San Antonio’s last five games before the All-Star Break all went Over their totals.

Suns vs Spurs SGP

  • Spurs -7.5
  • Devin Booker Under 25.5 points
  • Victor Wembanyama Over 22.5 points
  • Over 229.5

Suns vs Spurs odds

  • Spread: Suns +7.5 (-110) | Spurs -7.5 (-110)
  • Moneyline: Suns +235 | Spurs -290
  • Over/Under: Over 229.5 (-110) | Under 229.5 (-110)

Suns vs Spurs betting trend to know

The Spurs not only cashed five straight Overs before the All-Star Break, but did so by an average of 18.9 points per game. Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Spurs.

How to watch Suns vs Spurs

LocationMoody Center, Austin, TX
DateThursday, February 19, 2026
Tip-off8:30 p.m. ET
TVKTVK, KENS

Suns vs Spurs latest injuries

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.

Posted on

Mariners Reacts Survey: World Baseball Clash

Last time we spoke, we wanted to hear from you, the reader, about spring training. As we all know, the roster gets crunched in the spring, crushing dreams, occasionally ending careers, and dashing the hopes of young prospects everywhere. We all know how it goes. One of the items we discussed was who stands to gain the most from spring training. See the results below: 

Of course, this is more of a moot point now because Williamson has since been traded, but what can you do, right? For those of you who voted for Williamson, I respect your commitment and hope to see him break out; maybe he can do that for the Rays, ideally not against the Mariners. 

Of course, that still leaves us with our second-place winner, Cole Young. The opportunity is certainly there for Young, and the overwhelming thing I hear from people here at LL and out on the streets (conversations with my brother) is that the spot is his if he’s willing to reach out and take it. While I think this downplays the presence of Ryan Bliss, I agree that Young is the best positioned to be the starting second baseman on Opening Day. 

We also wanted to hear from you on which players needed to make a big step forward this year, and the results were more contentious: 

In particular, the conversation in the comments centered on Canzone. Seems people are disagreeing on how much time Canzone should get to really show he’s ready to be a roster mainstay. While Canzone has shown flashes at times, how many at-bats are you willing to cede to maybe see him do something great with the ball? I know where I stand. I’m willing to see how it plays out in spring, but I’m more than ready to see the end of the Canzone experience. 

This week, we have the WBC around the corner and spring training, but I’m more interested in talking about the WBC, especially with so many Mariners participating this year. The question comes to mind, what Mariners will do best at the World Baseball Classic? 

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mariners fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Unfortunately, the polls are limited on space, but feel free to shout out your favs in the comments. Personally, I think Julio is going to tear it up; plus, I’m hopeful that a hot WBC could lead to a hot April. Historically, Julio has been a bit of a slow starter, so seeing him get the early-season jitters out with the Dominican Republic and then tear it up for the Mariners would be incredible. But let us know your thoughts in the poll and the comments below!