Come 2027, Buster Posey will be set to complete a five-year arc practically unprecedented in baseball history: From All-Star catcher to franchise president to Hall of Famer.
Posey, who guided the San Francisco Giants to three World Series titles in the 2010s, highlights the first-year eligible players on the Baseball Hall of Fame's 2027 ballot.
Posey had a furious finishing kick to his career, batting .304 with 18 homers, earning an All-Star nod and winning a Silver Slugger as the Giants won a franchise-record 107 games. He startled the baseball world by announcing his retirement in November 2021. Posey soon joined the Giants front office in an advisory role and was, almost equally startlingly, named its president of baseball operations in September 2024.
He's likely the only newcomer who'll rank as an odds-on favorite, with pitcher Jon Lester, infielder Ryan Zimmerman and outfielder Brett Gardner the other notables making their ballot debut.
The top holdovers on the 2027 ballot include Chase Utley (59.1%), Andy Pettitte (48.5%) and Félix Hernández (46.1%).
2027 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot
Here's a look at the top players set to make their debut on the 2027 Hall of Fame ballot, ranked by career WAR:
The Oklahoma City Thunder restored order in the Wild West on Sunday, rolling past the surging Denver Nuggets 121–111.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander set the tone with a game-high 34 points as the Thunder now deal with their star being sidelined due to an abdominal strain that will keep him out through at least the All-Star break. The Thunder built an 18-point cushion and eased off late in the fourth, never allowing the outcome to come into doubt.
Even as injuries pile up, OKC remains on track to post the highest net rating in league history while keeping its grip atop the conference. That dominance is reflected in the market, where bet365 now lists a Thunder (+125) vs. the Field (-145) futures option.
Let’s break down the latest odds with February underway and the season reaching its midway point.
The Thunder's odds have moved from +230 before the season began to +125 today. Rounding out the Top 5 are the Denver Nuggets (+550), Cleveland Cavaliers (+1200), New York Knicks (+1400), and Minnesota Timberwolves (+1400).
📈 2026 NBA Finals odds over time
Here's a visual representation of how the NBA championship has odds evolved since June 2025.
We turned to the enormous computing power of ChatGPT to find out who the large language model believes will be the last team standing this season. Not surprisingly, it stuck with the defending champs.
Oklahoma City has the cleanest runway to be the best team in 2026: an MVP-caliber engine in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering the heart of his prime, a two-way star wing in Jalen Williams, and a 7-footer in Chet Holmgren whose blend of rim protection, spacing, and feel supercharges modern schemes. That trio already drives elite half-court efficiency and a top-tier defense, and it’s backed by organizational continuity that reliably turns role players into playoff-useful pieces. Holmgren’s strength and timing appear to be fully NBA-hardened, unlocking more switching and fewer help-and-recover compromises, while SGA’s mid-range and foul-drawing remain matchup-proof in May and June.
Depth and optionality push the Thunder over the top. They can win big or small, play five-out without sacrificing rim protection, and toggle between pressure defense and conservative coverages depending on opponent. Crucially, they still have surplus picks and cap flexibility to plug the inevitable holes that show up in a long postseason, whether that’s a second unit scorer, another stretch big, or a specialist wing.
Expect a rotation stacked with plus length, shooting, and decision-making around the core; enough to outlast the West’s heavyweights and finish the job in the Finals.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The Rangers are coming into Los Angeles following a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, meaning this is the second half of a back-to-back.
New York's head coach, Mike Sullivan, confirmed that former Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick will be getting the start in L.A.
It was made clear that Quick was scheduled to get the start in Los Angeles. Sullivan was asked by reporters if Quick's relationship with the Kings has anything to do with his start.
“It does,” he told reporters. “Without a doubt, it for sure does. I think Quickie deserves that.”
Given Quick's age and contract status - he was signed to a one-year deal in the off-season - this could be the very last appearance he makes in Los Angeles before he retires.
The netminder is 39 years old and in his 19th NHL season. Going into Tuesday's game, Quick has made 800 starts and 819 appearances.
Everyone knows about Quick's history in Los Angeles. The veteran goaltender played parts of 16 seasons with the Kings and 370 victories with the franchise.
With his long tenure, he holds nearly every goaltending franchise record, including most wins and most appearances in a season and in an entire career. The same records apply to the playoffs.
In addition to the records, he has several awards to his name, including three Stanley Cups, two with Los Angeles, two William M. Jennings Trophies and a Conn Smythe in 2011-12.
This season, Quick has made 15 appearances for the Rangers, posting a 3.13 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage, hoping to make one last memory in Los Angeles.
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The Golden State Warriors close out their eight-game homestand Tuesday night with a matchup against the Toronto Raptors. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Golden State is coming off its fourth straight win after a 135–112 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night. However, the win came at a significant cost, as Jimmy Butler suffered a knee injury in the third quarter that abruptly shifted the mood inside Chase Center.
Jimmy Butler had to be helped to the locker room after appearing to injury his knee pic.twitter.com/sOSpAxbbAP
The Warriors responded with resilience. Immediately after Butler went down, Golden State rattled off a 12–0 run to regain control of the game. In the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry picked up his fifth foul, leaving the Warriors without their two leading scorers, yet they still outscored Miami 31–19 to close the night. Brandin Podziemski played a major role in that stretch, finishing with 24 points and knocking down several timely shots to keep the Heat at bay.
Brandin Podziemski is all for opposing teams trying to get under his skin to get his aggression going like the Heat did tonight but since he's been in the league "not many people have said much" to him. pic.twitter.com/0Armv5rvcM
Despite the blowout victory, the Warriors now face a harsh new reality. ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed that Butler suffered a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.
Breaking: Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler has suffered a season-ending torn right ACL, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/WIbPQqubfJ
From a basketball standpoint, Golden State will need its offense to remain red-hot to help offset Butler’s absence on both sides of the floor. The Warriors shot 51.6 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range, knocking down 24 threes in Monday night’s win. It marked their fourth straight game with at least 20 made threes — a level of shooting efficiency they’ll need to sustain as they regroup and adjust in the short term without Butler.
HISTORY FOR GOLDEN STATE FROM DEEP!
The Warriors have knocked down 20+ triples in four straight games, becoming just the third team in NBA history to accomplish the feat!
Osmajic sent off as Preston beaten at home by Hull
Haji Wright scored the winner for the second time in three days as the league leaders Coventry beat Millwall 2-1 at the CBS Arena. Wright scored an 85th-minute goal against Leicester on Saturday and notched his 10th goal of the season as Coventry made it back-to-back victories.
The on-loan Crystal Palace winger Romain Esse opened his account for Coventry against his former club before Mihailo Ivanovic scored a brilliant equaliser just before the half-hour.
Suárez hits late winner after Kvaratskhelia stunner
McTominay scores but Copenhagen peg back Napoli
Paris Saint-Germain slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Sporting in Lisbon, jeopardising their bid to qualify directly for the Champions League last 16 after Luis Suárez struck twice, scoring the winner in the final minute.
Sporting had gone ahead against the run of play in the second half through Suárez, despite sustained pressure from PSG. The French champions hit back quickly as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia levelled with a superb strike, appearing to salvage a point.
The Buffalo Sabres continue to struggle without center Josh Norris in the lineup, as the club lost their second game in a row in Raleigh, NC on Monday, as Seth Jarvis’s third-period power-play goal held up for a 2-1 Carolina Hurricanes victory. Rasmus Dahlin scored the Sabres lone goal, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves in the loss.
Buffalo will continue their five-game road swing on Tuesday in Nashville against the Predators, but it is unknown whether Colten Ellis or Alex Lyon will get the start in the second of back-to-back games. Lyon has been out of action since December 29th and was activated to back up Luukkonen against the Canes.
Defenseman Michael Kesselring was not in the lineup on Monday. According to head coach Lindy Ruff, the big righty is questionable to play against Nashville. Kesselring was part of the deal, along with Josh Doan, for winger JJ Peterka last June. The 26-year-old missed the start of the season before returning in late October. In mid-November, he suffered a high-ankle sprain and returned to the lineup after a month, but has reaggravated the lower-body injury twice since.
In other news, Sabres center Tage Thompson was named the NHL First Star of the Week on Monday. Thompson led the NHL with nine points (3 goals, 6 assists) in four games last week, including a hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens on January 15th, and leads Buffalo with 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 48 games.
The Rangers Grand Letter-Writer, Chris (Foodini) Drury, has made it clear that his super scorer Breadman Panarin will be out there as a pending free agent to be dealt.
Obviously, the thinking is that by making such a fulsome deal, the Rangers will obtain a juicy return, suitable for chasing rainbows and pennies from Heaven.
But wait: shouldn't Drury put his Hope Diamond in storage? What happens if Bready gets toasted with the kind of injury that has Adam Fox somewhere in mothballs?
As Sean McCaffrey points out in Blue Collar Blue Shirt, playing Panarin nowadays, hockey-wise, worse than walking a mile on hot coals.
"It feels like the Rangers are begging for their greatest asset to be victimized by some sort of season-ending injury," says McCaffrey. "If that happens, it would nullify any chances Drury would have to trade him."
Excellent point. Hence the question, should the Rangers give Bready a pre-trade sabbatical? Yes or no, please!
We have already had several incredibly close voting results in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings, but the race for spot #7 was by far the most ridiculous.
The longer I left the poll open, the more confusing it got. At various points Tuesday, each of Chase Petty, Tyson Lewis, and Steele Hall were the top vote-getters, though it was never more than a two-vote advantage separating the three of them at any point. I let it go long in hopes that someone would run away with the lead, but the opposite ended up happening – at 3:00 PM MT, each had exactly 44 votes cast for them in a three-way tie.
I’d saved my vote, though, and cast it at the last…for Steele Hall, who takes home the #7 spot in this year’s CPR by the slimmest of margins.
Hall, the 1st round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in the 2025 MLB Draft (9th overall), reclassified last year in what was originally slated to be just his junior year at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, and as a result just turned 18 years of age on July 24th. The Alabama Mr. Baseball projects as a true shortstop defensively with perhaps the best speed in the draft class, though, and the Reds selected him 9th in 2025 because they’d originally scouted him as a guy who – if he stayed in the 2026 Draft as originally planned – had a chance to develop enough to be the #1 overall pick.
He’s already added muscle, as ones do at this time (and with the pressure and direction of being a nine-figure signee of a professional sports team), and the sky is hopefully the limit for him. It’s a testament to the depth in the system right now that he’s only checking in at #7 on the CPR, though it’s going to be quite some time before we see him at the big league level.
The Colorado Avalanche completed a depth swap with the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier Tuesday, acquiring forward Valtteri Puustinen and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in exchange for defenseman Ilya Solovyov.
The 23-year-old Solovyov was claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames in October and went on to carve out a modest but dependable role along Colorado’s blue line.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound left-shot defenseman appeared in 16 games, scoring his first career NHL goal on January 10 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, while adding two assists.
Primarily deployed in a bottom-pairing role, Solovyov provided physicality, steady positioning, and a willingness to block shots and play tough in his own end.
Although he was never projected to be an everyday fixture, he proved to be a reliable depth option when injuries tested the Avalanche’s defensive lineup.
We spoke to Ilya Solovyov after he arrived in Colorado from Calgary.
With star defenseman Devon Toews expected to return in the near future and Jack Ahcan poised for a call-up as Toews continues his rehabilitation, the Avalanche found themselves with increased flexibility on the back end—prompting the organization to address a more pressing need elsewhere in the lineup.
Puustinen arrives as a versatile winger capable of playing both the left and right sides. The 5-foot-9, 183-pound forward has spent the entirety of the 2025–26 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, recording seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points in 35 games. He also brings NHL experience, having appeared in 52 games with Pittsburgh during the 2023–24 season, where he totaled 20 points. The 26-year-old will report directly to Loveland and join the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate.
On the surface, the transaction appears to be a simple exchange of surplus for need. However, a closer look reveals a calculated move that aligns with the short-and long-term objectives of both organizations. Here’s why this trade makes sense for the Avalanche—and the Penguins.
Solovyov Will Get to Play More in Pittsburgh
The Penguins are navigating a multi-year rebuild under general manager Kyle Dubas, with an emphasis on stockpiling draft picks, developing prospects, and gradually infusing the roster with younger talent. That environment should allow a player like Solovyov to see more consistent ice time, giving him a valuable opportunity to continue sharpening his game at the NHL level.
It’s not that Solovyov failed to perform in Colorado—on the contrary, his play steadily improved. He became more composed with the puck, showed better decision-making under pressure, and flashed an underrated shot from the blue line. Unfortunately for him, the Avalanche are simply loaded with defensive talent, limiting his path to a regular role.
Solovyov had the chance to share the ice with one generational star in Nathan MacKinnon. Now, he’ll have the opportunity to learn from another—MacKinnon’s childhood hero and one of the game’s all-time greats, “The Kid” himself, Sidney Crosby.
Puustinen Fits the Avalanche Identity
Puustinen is a fast, efficient skater with strong short-area acceleration. His first few strides are particularly effective, allowing him to create just enough separation to open passing lanes or slip into soft ice, especially during controlled zone entries and in transition.
That speed is backed by data. According to NHL EDGE statistics, Puustinen has been clocked at a top speed of 23.02 miles per hour—just a fraction behind Nathan MacKinnon’s recorded top speed of 23.06 mph. While straight-line speed isn’t the defining element of his game, it underscores his ability to keep pace.
Look at this backcheck from Valtteri Puustinen on the powerplay. He's just faster than everyone else and stops a 2 on 1. He's been a breath of fresh air. pic.twitter.com/qvY4MxjEPX
Beyond his skating, Puustinen is well regarded for his work on special teams, particularly on the power play. He may not possess an elite shot, but he compensates with excellent puck awareness and a strong understanding of spacing and rotations. He processes plays quickly, keeps the puck moving, and consistently makes smart, connective decisions that help power-play units stay organized and dangerous.
With that said, Puustinen profiles as a legitimate call-up option heading into the postseason. If head coach Jared Bednar chooses to get creative, deploying him on the second power-play unit would be a low-risk move—one that could quietly pay dividends for a unit that has struggled for much of the season.
BOSTON — Jaylen Brown is on the injury report ahead of the Celtics’ Wednesday night game against the Indiana Pacers, listed as probable with left hamstring tightness. Brown is fresh off a 32-point, 11-rebound night against the Detroit Pistons, where he missed a potential game-winner just hours after being named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career.
Josh Minott, who has missed the last 8 games with a left ankle sprain, continues to be sidelined.
Celtics Injury Report vs. Indiana (1/21):
Jaylen Brown – Left Hamstring Tightness – PROBABLE Josh Minott – Left Ankle Sprain – OUT Jayson Tatum – Right Achilles Repair – OUT
And Jayson Tatum continues to be out as he rehabs a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered 8 months ago. Tatum took the floor for a nearly hour-long workout in front of reporters in Birmingham, Michigan, on Monday morning, as he continues to exhibit good signs of progress.
Payton Pritchard, who missed Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks with left ankle soreness, is off the injury report.
The Pacers, meanwhile, will be without Tyrese Haliburton (ruptured Achilles tendon recovery), Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture), and Bennedict Mathurin (right thumb sprain).
The Pacers and Celtics will match up for the 4th and final time
The Celtics have faced the Pacers three times over the past month, with Boston emerging victorious in two of the three matchups. The Celtics came back from double-digit deficits in back-to-back games against the Pacers in December.
However, last Monday, the Celtics fell to the Pacers 98-96 after a game-winning shot by Pascal Siakam. Brown missed that game as he dealt with back spasms.
The Pacers have been led by Pascal Siakam (23.6 points), Bennedict Mathurin (17.8 points), Andrew Nembard (17.6 points), and Aaron Nesmith (13.4 points).
This season, the Celtics have been led by Jaylen Brown (29.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists), Derrick White (17.7 points, 5.4 assists), and Payton Pritchard (16.6 points, 5.3 assists per game).
In January, two Celtics sharpshooters have turned a corner. Sam Hauser is averaging 14.2 points per game, and shooting 46.2% from three, while Anfernee Simons is averaging 16.9 points and shooting 48.7% from three in January.
The Pacers had the fourth-worst net rating in the league (-9.6) and the worst record in the Eastern Conference (10-34). The Pacers have dropped their last two games, while the Celtics are coming off a 2-2 record and a 1-point loss to the Pistons.
The Celtics continue to maintain the East’s second-best record and the NBA’s third-best net rating.
The Celtics and Pacers will face off at 7:30pm on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
The Texas Rangers have signed relief pitcher Jakob Junis to a one year deal, the team announced today. To make room for Junis on the 40 man roster, the Rangers have designated pitcher Dom Hamel for assignment. In addition, the team has announced that relief pitcher Josh Sborz has been signed to a minor league deal with an invitation to the major league spring training camp.
The news that the Rangers had agreed to terms with Junis on a one year, $4 million deal broke late Sunday. As we discussed in our post yesterday, he’s a soft-tossing righthander with a quality slider, a changeup that was really good last year, and a fastball and sinker that were not so good. Junis started his career as a starter with the Royals, but worked exclusively out of the pen in 2025 for the Guardians, putting up a 2.97 ERA, 3.45 FIP and 4.04 xERA.
I also mentioned in that post that Dom Hamel, Zak Kent and Michael Otanez seemed to be the most likely candidates to get designated for assignment to make room for Junis on the 40 man roster. Hamel, a righthanded pitcher who has put up a 6.27 ERA in AAA over the previous two seasons, and who has one major league appearance (in which he pitched one shutout inning), was claimed on waivers by the Rangers on September 27, 2025 — exactly one week after the Baltimore Orioles had claimed him on waivers from the New York Mets. Kent and Otanez live for another day, and we shall wait and see if Hamel clears waivers or not.
Meanwhile, Josh Sborz will be in camp, looking to show he is healthy again. Sborz was one of the heroes of the 2023 playoffs for Texas, throwing 12 innings and allowing one run over 10 appearances, including closing out the clinching Game 5 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was on and off the injured list in 2024, however, and spent all of 2025 on the i.l. after shoulder surgery. Sborz made 12 appearances in the minors on rehab assignments late in 2025, but his velocity wasn’t there, and he ended up getting shut down, with his final appearance coming for Round Rock on August 30.
If Sborz is healthy and his velocity returns, that would be a big boost for a Ranger team that is currently looking thin in the bullpen for 2026. Those are a couple of big “if”s, however, and shoulder issues can be very difficult to return from.
It was a contender for shock result of the season. Nobody had given Tottenham any hope after the Premier League disaster here against West Ham on Saturday, one which came coated in vitriol for Thomas Frank. The fans had demanded his immediate removal as the manager, only for him to stagger on.
The execution was stayed. But here were Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga’s second-placed team, who had lost only three games all season, to apply the final cut.
Western Australian rising star Will Malajczuk produced a breathtaking display overnight, smashing the fastest hundred in Under 19 World Cup history to lead Australia to an eight-wicket win over Japan.
Pospisil joined the Wranglers on January 13 to continue his recovery after sustaining an injury during the preseason. The Slovak forward appeared in two games with Calgary’s AHL affiliate.
The injury had sidelined Pospisil since the preseason, when he was hurt in a matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. His return marks an important step forward for both the player and the Flames as the regular season continues.
Internationally, Pospisil is expected to represent Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, further underscoring his successful progression back to full health.
Pospisil could make his regular-season debut with the Flames as early as Wednesday, when Calgary hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
To make room on the roster, the Flames also announced that Dryden Hunt has been reassigned to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Denver Nuggets
Cleveland Cavaliers
New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves
San Antonio Spurs
Boston Celtics
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
