WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 10: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistons on October 10, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Trae Young is in D.C. for the long haul. Your mileage may vary on the four-year max extension the Wizards handed him this summer, but it’s clear that the Wizards are committed to Young and his style.
That opens a range of questions around how (and whether) he molds his game to mesh with the Wizards’ young core. Here are some big ones I’ll be keeping an eye on.
Was last year’s Hawks performance a mirage?
Young’s very brief 10-game stint with the Hawks last year was a big step back. He shot the ball poorly, played especially lackadaisical defense, and struggled to drive winning. The Hawks took off when he left.
That is, to be fair, a 10-game sample, and in his even more brief Wizards cameo later in the year, he shot the ball well. But given their long-term commitment, the Wizards have to hope that Young can reach a gear of athleticism and quickness that we’ve seen from him in the past. His quick-twitch, shifty first step has helped him separate from elite defenders and poke holes in defenses. Much of his film from last year shows a player who lacked that same agility. The Wizards need him to find it again.
Is Young going to set some screens?
The Wizards profile as a different style of team than past Trae Young operations. His Hawks teams were stocked with shooters and off-ball players who fit inside of Young’s heavy pick-and-roll game. Washington, with AJ Dybantsa in the starting lineup, is oriented a bit differently.
With Dybantsa’s promising downhill game, there is going to be less appetite for endless Young pick-and-rolls. Dybantsa is too good to shuttle off to the corner and take catch-and-shoot threes. It will be important for the Wizards to weave in sets that unlock Dybantsa and others without leaving Young to wait around in a your turn, my turn offense.
One way to do that is by setting screens himself. Young, of course, is not exactly the most physical screen-setter out there. But he can ghost or slip screens, scrambling out at the last minute, to generate favorable switches and driving lanes for Dybantsa. It’s a way to leverage Young’s gravity as a shooter and create confusion at the point of attack. It also opens a bag of tricks for Brian Keefe — for example, Young could pop out of a screen, then immediately receive his own screen from a waiting big man.
Young has notoriously been reluctant to engage in off-ball actions. The Wizards have too many other offensive options for him to stand inattentively off to the side when he doesn’t have the ball.
Who will be his favorite pick-and-roll partner?
If there’s one thing we know about Trae Young, it’s that he is a big man’s best friend. He has propped up many NBA big men in the past, and now has Alex Sarr and Anthony Davis (and Deandre Ayton) to work with.
He’ll have plenty of chances to develop chemistry with all of them, and he surely will. It will be interesting, though, to see which big he most often uses as a roll man in the starting lineup, and by extension, which one that Keefe pairs him with during bench minutes. There’s a case for both AD and Sarr, and that likely will be a fluid decision.
Davis profiles as a more natural fit. He’s an elite play finisher and vertical threat at the rim — the platonic ideal of a big man partner for Young. Lineups with Davis at the five and shooting around them could score like gangbusters. (Ayton is a very nice luxury as a third big, but Keefe should resist the temptation to lean much on the AD-Ayton double-big combo.)
I also expect Young to unlock Sarr’s rim-running game, which has been relatively dormant as a result of the Wizards’ lack of high-level ball-handling. Sarr is immensely versatile; he can dive to the rim for dunks, hit floaters and jumpers on the short-roll, or pop for threes.
It will take time to develop chemistry and find the right rotations. Young has long been able to mesh with new players quickly and establish his style. We’ll see how he does it with this deep and versatile Wizards team.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 03: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts during Game One of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On the evening of October 5th, the White Sox were riding high. After enduring three consecutive 1oo-loss seasons, their revamped roster had won their first four playoff games, sweeping the Astros in the Wild Card round and taking the first two from their division rivals in Cleveland. With just one more win in the next three games against the Guardians, they’d be playing for the pennant for the first time since they won it all in 2005.
Alas, just a few days later, the White Sox are left to watch the rest of the playoffs from the sidelines, wondering how it all went so wrong, so fast. Such is the nature of October baseball. With the upstart Pale Hose and underachieving Yankees pushed aside, the ALCS will feature two teams with miniscule payrolls but remarkably consistent performance: the Guardians and the Rays. The two teams’ similarity of approach leads to an intriguing matchup that may well be decided at the margins as Cleveland targets its first championship since 1948 and Tampa Bay eyes its first in franchise history.
Let’s start with the team that will be painfully familiar to Yankees fans. A benefit of their sweep of New York is that the Rays will be able to line up their rotation on plenty of rest. That means Drew Rasmussen in Game 1. Rasmussen ate the Yankees’ lunch in the ALDS, no-hitting them for 7.2 innings and allowing just the botched Austin Wells extra-base knock across eight innings in one of the most dominant playoff performances in recent memory.
If they take a similar tack to what they did in the last round (and why wouldn’t they?) that would mean Freddy Peralta and Nick Martinez would follow. That trio of veteran starters headlined a staff that held New York to five runs in three games, with All-Star closer Bryan Baker earning all three saves while allowing just a single baserunner. Lefty Ian Seymour could be in the mix as well as the fourth starter, or potentially getting the ball instead of Martinez for Game 3 in Cleveland.
Tampa’s lineup is led by Yandy Díaz, Junior Caminero, and Jonathan Aranda. Aranda was the best of the bunch in the DS, hitting .333 with a homer. Díaz, who led the AL in hits, and Caminero, who just hit 40 home runs for the second straight year, loom large as well. The team’s position players also trade on their gloves, playing mostly clean baseball last round in contrast with the Yankees’ defensive unraveling. Their leader on that side of the ball of Taylor Walls, who brings almost nothing with the bat but led all of baseball with 3.0 dWAR at shortstop.
The Rays were 2nd in DRS (87) this year, and a big reason why was Taylor Walls. Among SS, his 21 DRS led the pack, and he was the 4th-best defender in MLB per DRS. Great pre-pitch movements, high IQ, & great range. He brings so much value to a team that prides itself on defense. pic.twitter.com/yIyb6LR4L9
Like the Rays with Rasmussen, the Guardians have a true ace of their own in Parker Messick. Messick exploded onto the scene in his first full season, pitching to a 2.56 ERA while punching out more than a batter per inning. Behind him is Gavin Williams, who led the league with 248 strikeouts and fanned 23 White Sox across two starts in the ALDS.
Just as vitally, Cleveland features one of the game’s most dominant closers, Cade Smith. Smith just recorded his second sub-2.oo ERA season in his three-year career while leading all of baseball with 41 saves.
The Guardians have less to hang their hat on offensively. While both they and the Rays were top-five in the AL in runs allowed, Tampa scored 58 more runs than Cleveland, a huge factor in their winning 13 more games. The Guardians, never an offensive juggernaut in recent years, was particularly hamstrung as their superstar, José Ramírez, had a massive down year. He played like a man reborn in the ALDS, though, posting a 1.187 OPS with two homers, a major factor in their ultimate victory.
Throughout the season, the team’s best hitter has been relative newcomer Chase DeLauter, who slashed a strong .287/.363/.457 in 133 games. Fellow rookie Travis Bazzana was named an All-Star at second base, posting a 110 OPS+ with 22 doubles and 15 homers in 517 trips to the plate. Elsewhere, there are notable holes; first baseman Kyle Manzardo took a step back in his second season and Cleveland struggled to find production at DH, with midseason acquisition Jo Adell settling into the role after Rhys Hoskins was unable to regain his previous form.
On paper, the edge goes to Tampa Bay in all three facets of the game. But underestimate Cleveland at your own peril. Since Terry Francona took over as skipper in 2013, the Guardians have made the playoffs in 9 of 14 seasons, including in each of Stephen Vogt’s three years at the helm. This is their second ALCS appearance under Vogt, and they could give Tampa Bay a bigger fight than they offered the Yankees in 2024. Both of these teams have a knack for overperforming expectations, making this a strength-on-strength matchup worth watching.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers slides into home to score in the second inning during Game One of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We have two games today.
Dodgers @ Brewers at 3:00 5:00 Eastern. Stupid time zones.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (14-9, 2.53) vs. Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47).
Go Brewers.
Last night’s game was great. Very enjoyable baseball, with the right team winning. I’m going to miss the start of this one but will see most of it.
Guardians @ Rays at 8:00 Eastern.
Foster Griffin (15-6, 3.60) vs Drew Rasmussen (18-5, 2.67).
SURPRISE, AZ - OCTOBER 04: Manager Ted Tom #9 of the Salt River Rafters looks on from the dugout prior to the game between the Salt River Rafters and the Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Sunday, October 4, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The Arizona Fall League is in full swing down here in Phoenix, but today we’re not here to discuss top prospects or future Mariners; rather, I’m interested in which coaches teams have opted to send in order to burnish their resumes and gain them experience with a diverse array of players from all different organizations. The Mariners are represented by long-tenured Mariner Jordan Cowan, acting as the hitting coach for the Javelinas, and pitching coach Dylan Gargas; look for stories on them later in the week.
Several big-league managers have experience helming an AFL crew: Kevin Cash, AJ Hinch, Torey Lovullo, Derek Shelton, and Warren Schaeffer have all managed AFL teams in the past. Generally there’s a bit of experience-building in between the two – Schaeffer managed the Salt River Rafters in 2022 before becoming interim manager of the Rockies in 2025 – but at the very least here are some names to put on your radar as the Mariners reassert their desire to look out of the organization for new voices on their coaching staff. (As such, I have left off Surprise’s manager, one-time Mariner and Sporcle remember-some-guys stumper Daniel Robertson.)
Billy Facteau (Bench coach, Peoria Javelinas)
Age: a literal infant
Current role: Development coach, Norfolk Tides (Orioles’ Triple-A team)
Relevant experience: 5+ years as development coach for the Orioles, played college baseball at Lynn University
Okay. OkAY. OKAY. I just need everyone to chill out and be cool for a moment and ignore the fact that Billy here looks like he came out of the beta version of the Orioles’ quirked-up-white-boy factory. And that his age starts with a 2. Remember we are scouting for the future here in addition to the current vacancies. And also, if you want a coach like this, someone who has been homegrown and nurtured in another organization, you’re going to have to dangle either more money or a bigger role (or both, ideally both) in front of them. It’d be too much to jump Facteau directly into a manager role – although he also has experience as a tech coordinator as an intern with the Orioles – but if the Mariners want to promote internally, I’d like to see an infusion of fresh perspective from outside the organization. As a former tech intern for the Orioles, he’s not only well-versed in tech like BlastMotion and Rapsodo but also how to translate that data to the players – including those who don’t speak English as a first language – and he has a special interest in coaching the outfield, a position in the Mariners system that’s maybe less robust than some other areas. A name to put on your radar.
Jeff Livesey (Hitting Coach, Surprise Saguaros)
Age: 60
Current role: Hitting coach, Reading Fightin’ Phils (Phillies’ AA team)
Relevant experience: Played professionally; 5+ years as MiLB hitting coach (WAS, PIT); two years as bench coach in NPB; one year as Marlins assistant hitting coach.
And now to the total opposite end of the spectrum. Livesey has the experience, but maybe not the fresh eyes the Mariners need. If you were a Kevin Seitzer fan, Livesey seems to have the same plainspoken approach to hitting, and the experience to back it up. Reading finished at the top of their division in the second half this season with the most runs scored in the Northeast division of the Eastern League.
“Sometimes with young hitters you get pitched tough, and guys get in-between pitches, and get kind of careful, We want to get to the point, we hunt our pitches. Good hitters hunt what they want to hit. When they get it, they take aggressive swings. That’s what we want to work towards. If they make two good pitches on us, we still have got something we can go to with two strikes. We can battle, and still be tough outs.”
Toby Nagel (Pitching Coach, Glendale Desert Dogs)
Age: ?
Current role: Pitching coach for the Blue Wahoos (Miami’s AA team)
Relevant experience: Driveline, Inspiration Academy
As you’d expect from someone who worked at Driveline, Nagel is a data-driven coach, but also adept at explaining that tech to players – you can see a ton of short videos he’s made explaining pitching tech and how to use it on TikTok. The Mariners are pretty rich in pitching coaches already but I wanted to throw Nagel onto this list just to get his name out there; his thoughts on command specifically make him a particular organizational fit (and make me dream about having him work with George Kirby).
Relevant quote:
🧵You're Thinking About Command the Wrong Way
You think it's just dotting corners. But command isn’t just about control. It’s targeting strategy, too.
Relevant experience: 5+ years of playing professionally, 5+ years of managing the ACL Brewers
Bonus points: bilingual (born in Mexico, played at UNM)
The ACL Brewers have been to the playoffs twice under Neda, winning the ACL championship in 2023. Neda is another one who is deeply engrained with the organization he played for professionally, but hasn’t progressed past the complex level yet – maybe because he’s young enough that searching his name still provides stories about his playing days. As a player, Neda was a super utility player who played all across the diamond – including catcher, so a true super-super utility player. As a collegiate at UNM he was named to the Johnny Bench Award watchlist, with his coach calling him the best catcher in the country for his work on and off the field.
Ted Tom (Manager, Salt River Rafters)
Age: ? Older than Billy Facteau, for sure.
Current role: manager of the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals High-A)
Relevant experience: 20+ years of coaching at the college level
Another one for those of you who value extensive experience, although Tom’s mostly comes at the college level. He has experience working with future big-leaguers at that level, though, such as Alex Freeland, now playing for the Dodgers; he also has a Mariners tie-in, having coached Dylan Moore during his time at UCF. At UCF, Tom mentored six all-conference selections, and after being promoted to hitting coach in 2019, helped the team reach the NCAA tournament.
Relevant quote:
There are lots because this man loves a podcast interview, which I love. I really enjoyed his thoughts on failure here and also “You need to fall in love with the monotony of every day” from this unfortunately very business-brained podcast.
Danny Worth (Manager, Peoria Javelinas)
Age: 41
Current role: infield coordinator with the Padres
Relevant experience: 8+ years of pro baseball plus a stint in the KBO; coached at Pepperdine before moving to MLB.
Worth is in his first year of MLB coaching, so he’s in the shallower end as far as MLB experience, but he has some of the most playing experience out of anyone on this list. He’s also got some college-to-big-league pipeline experience; he worked with current Tigers prospect John Peck at Pepperdine, helping him with his swing mechanics in addition to his infielding. At Pepperdine, Worth also mentored the 2018 WCC Player of the Year, Jordan Qsar, as well as five MLB Draft picks from the positions he coached.
Michael Jordan’s final championship with the Bulls came in 1998, and a piece of memorabilia from the NBA Finals that season sold for a record eight-figure price.
A game-worn autographed Jordan jersey from 28 years ago sold this week for $14 million, according to auction house Hunt Auctions. That represents the most ever paid for a single item of basketball memorabilia, the Pennsylvania-based company announced Monday.
Florida real-estate investor Ron Firman was identified as the winner of the private treaty sale for the red road jersey, which Jordan wore in the Bulls’ Game 2 victory in the ’98 Finals against the Jazz.
Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan dunks during game two of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Friday, June 5, 1998. USA TODAY SportsA 1998 NBA Finals Game Two Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan game worn road jersey sold via private treaty sale for $14,000,000 by Hunt Auctions. The price is a world record for any basketball memorabilia item and the second highest price ever paid for a sports jersey of any type. Hunt Auctions
The Bulls took that series in six games to complete their second three-peat of the decade, also winning three straight titles from 1991-93.
Jordan earned Finals MVP honors during all six of those championship years, averaging 33.5 points in 1998 against Utah.
Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan pulls the ball out of reach of Utah Jazz guard Jeff Hornacek during third quarter action in Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Salt Lake City, Friday, June 5, 1998. AP Photo/MARK J. TERRILLChicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan plays against the Utah Jazz in game two of the 1998 NBA Finals at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Friday, June 5, 1998. USA TODAY Sports
That year also marked Jordan’s so-called “Last Dance” in Chicago; he retired after the ’98 Finals before coming back for two seasons with the Wizards from 2001-03.
The Jordan jersey, however, does not represent the highest-paid figure among all sports. A game-worn Babe Ruth jersey from his supposed “called shot” home run in the 1932 World Series sold in 2024 for $24.12 million, according to the Associated Press.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: Joey Ortiz #3, Jake Bauers #9, Brice Turang #2 and Cooper Pratt #12 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are looking to take a 2-0 series lead in an LCS for the first time in franchise history. They’ve had two chances in the LCS before (2011 and 2018) and they lost both of those games. Today is their chance to change that.
It’ll be a tough task with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Brewers faced Yamamoto in Game 2 last year and he threw a complete game three-hitter while striking out seven. Yamamoto faced the Brewers twice this season. The first time was in May and Yamamoto threw 7 IP and allowed just one run. Then he faced the Crew again in August and went 6 IP, allowing just one run.
Yamamoto is as good as it gets, especially in the postseason. In the NLDS against the Braves, Yamamoto went 7 IP again, allowing just one run and striking out 10. Over 11 career postseason outings over the last three years, he has a 2.14 ERA.
On the other side, the Brewers will have Logan Henderson, the 24-year-old rookie who has yet to allow more than 3 ER in a single start in his career. Henderson was solid in Game 2 in the NLDS against the Padres, going 5 IP allowing just one earned run. He did have some shaky command, allowing three walks, but he kept the Brewers in the game.
“I don’t know what the secret sauce is, man, but he’s in the clubhouse now chopping it up with some of the guys like he doesn’t have one of the biggest starts of his life tonight. That, I think, reflects when he’s one the mound. You can just feel it,” Jake Bauers said on Henderson.
Pat Murphy is changing up his lineup a little bit again from Game 1. Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick are back in the lineup today to face the right-handed Yamamoto. David Hamilton is also in the lineup starting at third base.
The top four spots remain unchanged with Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras and Jake Bauers getting things started. Yelich is the DH and batting fifth. Garrett Mitchell and Cooper Pratt are in their same spots of sixth and seventh. Frelick is batting eighth in right field and Hamilton bats ninth.
The Dodgers lineup also will have a few changes. Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández have flip-flopped in the No. 3 and 5 spots in the lineup. Also, Tommy Edman will be starting at second base and batting ninth in place of Kiké Hernández, who got the start last night. Still, the group of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani make up the No. 1, 2, and 4 spots in the lineup.
Milwaukee hasn’t gotten a ton of length from their starters this postseason, putting quite the toll on their bullpen. The multiple days of rest has helped, and an off day on Tuesday will help as well. But the more looks the Dodgers get on the Brewers top relievers, the more of a chance familiarity could breed success for the hitters.
“Sometimes there’s nothing else you can do. You have to give your team the best chance to win. Familiarity, as we know, as the numbers tell us, does provide an edge when you know them better. So, what we try to do is make sure they don’t face the same guys the next time they pitch if they’re the one-inning guys. Can’t always do that, but we try like hell. I do think it’s an advantage, but what were we to do last night differently?” Pat Murphy said.
The Brewers will be hoping for length, and perhaps a larger lead than they’ve enjoyed to this point in the postseason as every single inning has been within two runs so far for the Crew. But runs will be hard to come by against Yamamoto.
First pitch is at 4:08 p.m. CT on Fox and the Brewers Radio Network.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: Brody Hopkins #88 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws a pitch during the sixth inning of the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The rosters are out for the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians.
The Rays look to keep the good times rolling after sweeping the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series as they’ve kept the group of 26 players mostly the same. In fact, the Rays only made one change and that was to add their top pitching prospect, Brody Hopkins, to the active roster and dropped LHP Garrett Cleavinger.
Brody Hopkins has the arsenal of a sure fire 100% first ballot Hall of Famer but the command of someone that could only enter Coopertown with a paid admission ticket. The 24-year former 6th round draft pick is still relatively new to being a full-time pitcher as he didn’t fully make the conversion until he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2023. The Rays acquired him a year later as part of the return for Randy Arozarena and quickly looked like they had pilfered another team in a deal as Hopkins quickly developed into one of the top starting pitching prospects in baseball.
However, his command issues quickly became apparent with a promotion to Triple-A to start off the 2026 season. There were times when Hopkins was absolutely unhittable on the mound, but the reasoning at times could either be due to his incredible pitch repertoire or his inability to throw within the zone. The Rays eventually tinkered with Hopkins mechanics and moved him from the starting rotation to try and see what they could do solve Hopkins command woes. While pitching in relief, Hopkins BB% did drop while he remained very effective so in late September, and the Rays decided to bring the talented flame thrower up to the big leagues in a trial run for the postseason.
The results were disastrous.
Hopkins did demonstrate just how ridiculous his aresnal is as FanGraphs rated his stuff as elite, albeit in a small sample size of 5 IP.
However, it doesn’t matter how jawdropping your fastball is when you can’t locate it. Over those 5.1 IP, Hopkins 6 of the 24 hitters he faced (25%) while also throwing 3 wild pitches. A bright spot is that Hopkins threw in the zone on 49% of his offerings, which is above league average.
Unlike the ALDS where the Rays only used 8 of their rostered 12 players, the ALCS will likely call for each arm that Kevin Cash has in his deck, meaning that Hopkins will make an appearance at some point.
VANCOUVER, CANADA - OCTOBER 10: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors warms up before the game against the Toronto Raptors during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 10, 2026 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 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 Jordan Jones/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Raptors have split the outcome of their first two preseason games, but it seems they might have a leg up against their Atlantic division rivals with the first on-court appearance for the Raptors of Kawhi Leonard.
“He went through practice today,” said Rajaković about Leonard at today’s practice. “He’s feeling great. So, yes, he’s gonna be available for game tomorrow.”
The superstar’s status seemed to be somewhat ambiguous before today. When the question was raised about how Jamal Shead felt about facing the New York Knicks alongside Kawhi, he seemed surprised.
“I ain’t know that,” Shead said, with a laugh. “Yeah, I mean, it’s going to be cool… seeing him in that 1st group and see how they start the game and see, you know, where he’s at conditioning wise. I know that was one of his biggest focusses… He’s a talent. He’s who he is.”
The New York Knicks handily defeated the Raptors in all five of their regular season games last year, en route to the championship, but things are different with Kawhi back. Brandon Ingram, while indeed an All-Star and a talented scorer, is not the player Kawhi is from both an offensive and defensive perspective, and Leonard’s addition to the squad could make all the difference.
The Knicks and the Raptors share a love for defensive wings, but this time, Leonard brings a level of experience and offensive prowess that the Knicks’ forwards will be hard pressed to match.
Leonard playing his first game for the Raptors at home will mark the first time he’s played at Scotiabank Arena in a Raptors’ jersey since the 2019 Finals. While it’s possible that he could be held back at the last minute for load management, it’s likely that this matchup and its place on home court will mark the Klaw’s first steps back into the hearts of Raptors fans across the country.
But the odds will be stacked against them if the Dodgers lose Game 2 against the Brewers on Monday, Oct. 12, in Milwaukee.
Only six teams have fallen behind two games to none and still won a best-of-seven NL or AL championship series, according to MLB.com.
In fact, the Dodgers did it in 2020 against the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers then went on to win the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Historically speaking, not even a 3-0 deficit is reason to surrender. In 2004, the Boston Red Sox lost the first three games to the New York Yankees before storming back to win the ALCS in seven games.
Also, if the Dodgers fall behind 2-0, they’ll be headed back to Los Angeles for potentially three games in front of their home crowd before the series shifts back to Milwaukee.
Potentially demoralizing
The Dodgers' meager output in a 2-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 1 underscored a problem.
In the postseason, Los Angeles has scored 15 runs, leaving them tied for sixth in run production. Who are they tied with? Milwaukee, it turns out.
But scoring a single run on a night Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski struggled with his command was demoralizing for the Dodgers.
Even more demoralizing would be losing Game 2 with star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting for the Dodgers.
He finished the regular season with an ERA of 2.53 – fifth best in the majors. In Game 3 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, Yamamoto allowed one run on four hits in seven innings, striking out 10.
Teams that came back from 0-2 in LCS
The six teams that won the league championship after falling behind two games to none:
2025 ALCS: Toronto over Seattle in seven games
2023 NLCS: Arizona over Philadelphia in seven games
2020 NLCS: Los Angeles over Atlanta in seven games
2004 ALCS: Boston over New York in seven games
1985 ALCS: Kansas City over Toronto in seven games
1985 NLCS: St. Louis over Los Angeles in six games
Brewers comeback
The league championships were decided by a best-of-five before 1985. And in 1982, the Brewers fell behind the California Angels 2-0 in the ALCS before winning the final three games and advancing to the World Series. The Brewers moved to the National League in 1998.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks at his bat prior to game one of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Once again, the Dodgers clash with the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. Both teams were rested with comparable levels of health, and the end result of Game 1 was a 2-1 decision. Except this year, we’re not discussing Blake Snell’s dominant Game 1 performance or how Blake Treinen miraculously didn’t blow the save.
If you saw the warts of the 2026 Dodgers this year, a lot of them were on display last night without belaboring the point. The kicker is that the plan to wear down Brewers’ ace Jacob Misiorowski largely worked, sans the knockout punch.
Last year, I was fairly confident about the Dodgers’ chances in the NLCS. I would not have predicted a sweep, but it’s fair to conclude that those who predicted a tight, contested series in 2025 were not paying attention.
This year the consensus in punditry seems to be that we are on a collision course to a Milwaukee/Tampa World Series. It’s a hipster’s choice to be sure, considering that in that pairing, someone will be winning a World Series for the first time.
The fact that such a pairing would be a clash of less-than-average league payrolls is something that the owners would be doing their level best to ignore loudly in their dogged pursuit of a hard salary cap, but collective bargaining discussions are for another day.
Once again, the Dodgers are the bad guys of the NLCS and are trying to avoid the fate of Apollo Creed in Rocky II.
Personally, I still think we’re due to relive 2020 with the Dodgers and Rays, sans everyone living in quarantine at Globe Life Field. Personally, both fields are rather underwhelming. It’ll just take six games to get there.
Although now that the ALCS is set, Tampa should win in a walk. But a Dodgers/Cleveland Guardians World Series would be nothing less than a diabolical baseball summary execution of the Guardians.
The sports’ tiniest payroll versus the Dodgers? Comedies have been achieved with more believable scripts. It’s like making David fight Goliath without the sling.
If last night felt like a must-win (as Game 1s go), it felt more like a necessity for Milwaukee to finally best the Dodgers in postseason play, especially given the state of both rotations. This observation is due to the multiple emails I have received from the Brewers about the “tone-setting win.”
I chuckled.
Now the onus is on the Dodgers in Game 2 to do something that they haven’t been asked to do much so far this year: prevent themselves from going behind the figurative eight-ball.
If Game 1’s starting pitching matchup was the truest form of a toss-up, one would expect the Dodgers to have a nominal edge for the next couple of games, starting in Game 2 with Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to square off with Logan Henderson.
This observation is provided the team provides at least three runs of support, which is not a given. A nominal guess at what the pitching matchups would look like for the rest of this series is listed below.
Game 3 (LA): Blake Snell vs. Robert Gasser
Game 4 (LA): Tyler Glasnow vs. Dustin May
Game 5, if necessary (LA): Misiorowski vs. Skubal
Game 6, if necessary (MKE): Yamamoto vs. Henderson
Game 7, if necessary (MKE): Snell/Johnny Wholestaff vs. May/Johnny Wholestaff
To prevail in a seven-game series, the Brewers are going to have to win four times in a series where Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are likely to pitch at least twice, which is a tall order on paper, to be sure.
Milwaukee is one quarter of the way there, and games aren’t played on paper. Also, two of the Dodgers’ aces (Snell and Glasnow) have played more like jacks so far this October. I dabble in poker, and the hand that often gets me in the most trouble is aces over jacks, because I frequently underestimate the strength of opposing players’ hands.
Considering I declined to travel to Milwaukee, in part because Bernie’s Slide is closed for the offseason, now is as good a time as any to dig a little deeper into a fleeting moment from the broadcast of Game 1.
This series was potentially decided on August 2
While it’s not ideal to be down 0-1, it’s borderline catastrophic to go down 0-2 in a best-of-seven series. Since the start of LCS play, teams that go up 2-0 have prevailed 79 out of 95 times. The last time a team was able to dig themselves out of an 0-2 hole was last year, when the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays dropped the first two games against the Seattle Mariners.
The Blue Jays clawed all the way back to clutch victory from the confused jaws of defeat by winning in seven games. The victory partly arose through clutch hitting and partly through managerial blunders from Seattle that really should have led to a pink slip then, rather than a year later after a wasted year.
If Los Angeles can snag home field from Milwaukee, it has one more opportunity today, and there’s probably no better pitcher on the mound to try to snare that outcome than Yamamoto.
Still, there was a hypothetical briefly alluded to in the broadcast by Joe Davis: what if the Brewers had ended up with Tarik Skubal instead of the Dodgers? Considering the Detroit Tigers wanted young pitching, let us presume that Logan Henderson went to Detroit instead of River Ryan from the Dodgers, and everything else (results, schedule, injuries, etc.) remained equal.
Under this scenario, odds are we’d have something like below:
Game 1 (MKE): Blake Snell vs. Tarik Skubal
Game 2 (MKE): Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Jacob Misiorowski
Game 3 (LA): Tyler Glasnow vs. Robert Gasser
Game 4 (LA): Justin Wrobleski vs. Dustin May
Game 5, if necessary (LA): Snell vs. Skubal
Game 6, if necessary (MKE): Yamamoto vs. Misiorowski
Game 7, if necessary (MKE): Glasnow/Johnny Wholestaff vs. May/Johnny Wholestaff
Yikes. It’s as the saying goes: it can always get worse.
Personally, I would have used Emmet Sheehan in Game 4, but he’s not on the roster, so I’m not going to cheat him in. If one were looking for a silver lining from last night, because moral victories are the refuge of lesser clubs, it’s that the worst-case scenario was likely averted on August 2.
What’s done is done, and Skubal landing in Los Angeles was supposed to maintain the clear gap between the two National League powers. Except that gap might no longer exist, not after the Brewers won every margin to take the opener of this National League Championship Series, 2-1.
“We didn’t necessarily expect a sweep,” Kiké Hernández said. “It’s gonna be a good series.”
The decisive blow? A taste of “Brewer Ball” — a walk, a bunt and a knock. The go-ahead single came from Luis Lara, one of the promising young players Milwaukee didn’t trade for Skubal. He hit a Skubal changeup back up the middle to make it 2-1 in the fifth.
“It’s kind of what we envisioned the series was going to be,” Freddie Freeman said.
Skubal landing in Los Angeles was to fill the gap left by Shohei Ohtani in the rotation due to injury. As it stands, Ohtani threw his most consequential innings in Houston and San Francisco in May. How badly do you think the front office wants a do-over with the benefit of hindsight?
It’s a moot point. Either these Dodgers find a way to play their way, or the second title defense ends in the next week, simple as that. Once again, Mr. Ardaya:
“[The Brewers are] a good baseball team; they do that type of stuff,” Skubal said.
This is what Milwaukee does. The Dodgers are still searching for their own formula.
“We should play Dodger baseball,” Betts said. “Whatever Dodger baseball is, that’s what we should do. We should not try to play Milwaukee Brewers baseball.” …
…The only way to stifle Milwaukee, Roberts said this week, is to play from ahead.
“How do you combat that?” Roberts said. “You try to get them to play from behind, to get them out of their game.”
The Dodgers led all but one inning of last year’s NLCS. They led for just two innings on Sunday.
[Emphasis added.]
As rallying cries go, I have heard better, much better. But the Dodgers can let their play do the talking starting this afternoon.
Bedard has yet to play this season because he had shoulder surgery after being injured during offseason training. He was scheduled to be out until early November, but took part in a full-contact practice on Sunday.
Bedard led the Blackhawks with 75 points in 69 games last season, despite missing time with another shoulder injury. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick has topped 200 points over his three NHL seasons and in July signed a five-year, $75 million contract to make him one of the league's highest-paid players.
Without Bedard, the Blackhawks are averaging 2.0 goals per game and are clicking at only 7.1% on the power play. Both rank in the bottom five in the league.
Connor Bedard injury update
Bedard, the Blackhawks' top player, has resumed full-contact practice. He's trending toward returning on Tuesday, Blashill said.
"I feel really good," Bedard told reporters. "I'm excited to keep building and get going here."
Blashill said Bedard should be in a better position than when he returned from last season's shoulder injury.
"He came back last year and had still restrictions on him, with no faceoffs and things like that," the coach said. "I think there's some mental hurdles involved with that. With this one being surgically repaired, it's in a great spot."
Rasmus Dahlin injury update
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin left Monday's game with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.
Dahlin appeared to be in some discomfort after taking a shot on net. He had scored earlier in the game, giving the Sabres captain two goals and two assists in six games. He's probably ruled out for Tuesday's game, coach Lindy Ruff said.
Florida Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom didn't come out for the second period of the same game. Coach Paul Maurice said the goalie just experienced some tightness.
Matt Duchene injury update
Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene, who has yet to play this season, had core muscle surgery and will miss three months.
UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 08: Kade Snell #6 of the Mesa Solar Sox bats during the game between the Solar Sox and the River Rafters at Salt River Fields on Thursday, October 8, 2026 in Scottsdale, AZ United States. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
As mentioned in the Arizona Fall League update earlier today, we are fortunate that Kate Preusser, manager of our sister site for the Mariners Lookout Landing, was down in Arizona to do some interviews. She kindly offered to interview a Cubs prospect for us and this past weekend, she spoke with outfielder Kade Snell.
Snell was the Cubs’ fifth-round pick in 2025 out of Alabama and he spent all of this past season with High-A South Bend, which had a kind of magical season until they got a rude awakening in the first round of the playoffs. That happens. But Snell was a key player for South Bend all season, hitting .269/.350/.426 with nine home runs and 19 steals in 81 games for the Cubs. I should say “all season except for the seven weeks he lost to a wrist injury,” which Kate addresses in the interview.
I gave Kate several questions to ask and she picked a few of them to ask him. I think she did a terrific job and if you’re over at Lookout Landing, thank her.
For those of you who don’t want to listen, we have a transcript.
Kate:
About the Mariners, but I’m here doing some legwork for my friend who runs the Cubs site for SB Nation. So asking questions by proxy. So if they suck, they’re not my questions. Okay. So your wrist injury. What was the rehab process like? How frustrating was it, and what’d you learn from going through that? Yeah,
Kade Snell:
I’m actually I’m super glad that they kept me in South Bend for the most part. Because I mean we had a good team. We clinched. I was able to stay there for that and I was able to stay there with my boys and that meant the world to me. I didn’t want to, we were kind of on a roll and broke my wrist. And it is what it is but I was able I was glad I was able to stay
Kate:
Kind of a freak accident, right? It was like an outfield collision.
Kade Snell:
Yeah.
Kate:
Does that is that in the back of your mind sometimes when you’re out there, you just can’t let that affect how you play?
Kade Snell:
No. I’ve always played kind of like my hair’s on fire, and I can’t let that stuff creep in, or that’s just not who I am. And you know, good Lord’s blessed me with a with a good mentality, and I normally don’t think about stuff like that, whenever I come back.
Kate:
How much did it help the rehab process along to just be there with it instead of being sent back to Arizona? And you know, it can be such a grind.
Kade Snell:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it helped me out a ton, especially just being around the guys. And you know, Josiah [Hartshorn] came up that week. I broke my wrist, so I was able to kind of talk to him, kind of see how his brain works, and I was able to stay close with Kep [Kane Kepley], and then he ended up getting moved to Double A. But yeah, just staying close and being like a glue guy, still being in the clubhouse, not able to hit or do anything, but try and make a difference when you’re not on the field.
Kate:
Maybe it helped you work on that aspect of your game a little bit.
Kade Snell:
100% Yeah. I think you can always bring something to the table, and for me, in that moment, was just be a good teammate and go work my tail off, and I think I did that.
Kate:
You feel like it could help you develop some leadership skills?
Kade Snell:
For sure. Yeah, and just figuring out how guys work. You know, everybody’s a little different, and you have to talk to everybody a little different. But yeah, the fact that they kept me in South Bend kind of shows me what they think about me and what I meant to that clubhouse. And man, I don’t take that stuff for granted.
Kate:
What have you enjoyed so far about being here in Fall League?
Kade Snell:
A lot of good players, a lot of good arms, a lot of good players. Like I said, picking their brain. I mean, we got studs all all across this team and just sharing a locker room with them. I think it’s the best.
Kate:
Now that you’re able to be back, like, what have you realized about maybe the gift of kind of having baseball taken away for a while?
Kade Snell:
Yeah, I mean for sure. I try not to take it for granted being out there, and you know God always works in weird ways. And if it took Him pulling me off the field to appreciate the game more, I think it did. And yeah, I don’t take it for granted at all anytime I’m out there.
Kate:
Has it changed at all? Like what you’re proudest of as far as like what you take pride in in your game? ,
Kade Snell:
Yeah, them seeing me as a good teammate, I think that that kind of helped me out a ton. Just because, like I said before, there’s always way to impact the game, whether you’re on the field or off the field. You can always be doing something for your boys, and I think that meant a lot to me personally that they wanted to keep me there. And man, I’m so thankful that they did.
Kate:
Does it kind of round you off off the field as well as on the field. What do you most want Cubs fans to know about you?
Kade Snell:
I have a firm faith in Jesus Christ, and I like. I need people to see that when I play, and also I’m a fierce competitor, and I love to go out there. And like I said before, I love to play like my head’s on fire, and yeah, I work my tail off.
Kate:
Great, thanks so much. Thank you for talking.
So again, thank you to Kate Preusser for doing this. I fed her some questions and she picked the ones she liked and changed them and put them in her own words. She did a great job.
This interview just reaffirms what I’ve already thought about Snell. He’s an older prospect with skills that are solid but don’t jump out at you. But he’s also what we call a “baseball rat” who eats, drinks and sleeps the game and those guys often seem to find a way to get the most of what they have. No one is going to beat Snell because they outworked him. In any game I watched Snell play this past year in South Bend he was never not hustling, and he was always trying to be better. His walk-off home run in September was one of the highlights of the year for me.
Snell is also a player who takes as much pride being a good teammate as he does in being a great player. He has a chance to be a solid major leaguer but even if he falls short of that, he’s likely to make other players around him better. That type of mentality is good for everyone in the organization.
The New York Rangers’ offense has looked much improved through the first seven games of the season, but the last thing left to do is unlock Pavel Dorofeyev.
During the offseason, the Rangers went out and acquired Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights and signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract, with the hopes of adding an elite goalscorer.
Through his two previous seasons in Vegas, Dorofeyev scored 35 and 37 goals, respectively, as he was emerging into one of the more promising young goalscorers in the NHL.
Over his first seven games with the Rangers, the 25-year-old forward has just recorded one goal and three points, not being able to get going despite the team’s recent offensive success.
Dorofeyev may be snake-bitten right now, but he’s certainly generated chances, indicative of his team-leading 21 shots on net.
Throughout training camp and to kick off the season, Dorofeyev played on a line with J.T. Miller and Oliver Bjorkstrand/Tye Kartye.
That line struggled to score goals, but they were matched up against the opposing team’s top lines at certain points, and Mike Sullivan praised the way they were able to generate offense.
“J.T. 's line analytically was strong,” Sullivan said. “They just weren’t scoring goals, but they were generating offense.”
In an effort to try and unlock Dorofeyev’s scoring potential, Mike Sullivan put him on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault, two players who are known for their playmaking abilities.
“Both Mika and Gabe have the ability to see the ice well, and if they get him the puck, potentially he can score goals for us,” Sullivan said.
In his first game playing with Perreault and Zibanejad on Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks, Dorofeyev took two shots on net, but he failed to record a point.
Dorofeyev also specializes on the power play, with his shot from the flank proving to be one of the most lethal in the NHL, which was directly shown during the 2025-26 season, as he scored 20 power-play goals, ranking him second in the league, only behind Wyatt Johnston.
However, Dorofeyev hasn’t scored a power-play goal for the Rangers, and Sullivan opened the third period of Sunday night’s game with Gabe Perreault on the first power-play unit in place of Dorofeyev.
“I thought Pav was fighting it a little bit, and sometimes players have those nights,” Sullivan said of his decision to take Dorofeyev off the first power-play unit to start the third period against the Canucks. “We thought we'd make a little tweak and see if we could get it going a little bit. Obviously, Gabe was a part of the goal, so we were happy about that. But it was just situationally based on how we thought guys were going throughout the course of the night.”
All elite goalscorers go through hot and cold stretches, and for Dorofeyev, he is just in the midst of a cold stretch.
Sometimes it just takes one puck to go in the net for the floodgates to open, and in Dorofeyev’s case, that might be all he needs to get going.
SAN ANTONIO - 1973: George Karl #22 of the San Antonio Spurs of the ABA looks to pass circa 1973 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1973 NBAE (Photo by NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s a not a new season without new alternate uniforms in this day and age, and the Spurs have released their new Classic Editions: a retro throwback to their ABA origins in honor of the 50th anniversary of the American Basketball Association’s merger with the National Basketball Association back in 1976.
“Honoring our ABA roots through this Classic Edition uniform gives us an opportunity to celebrate the history that helped shape the Spurs and our city,” said Jordan Mandelkorn, vice president of marketing, creative and retail at Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “From the original design worn at HemisFair Arena to the special court with the ABA 50th anniversary logo, this season-long celebration will connect generations of fans to our past while carrying that legacy forward into the future.”
The uniform features a silver base, grounding the team in a core color that reflects the early identity of the franchise. The arched Spurs wordmark returns in its original form on the jersey, worn by the first players to ever represent the city in the early ‘70s and now carrying forward their legacy. Directly above the jock tag, a special ABA anthem tag honors the league that brought the Spurs to the NBA. The shorts will feature the original black diamond backdrop framing the Spurs logo. The team’s patch partner, Ledger, appears on each jersey, symbolizing the commitment they share with the Spurs to build upon past greatness as the next generation forges forward into the future.
Each thread tells a story, and every detail carries us forward.
The Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA first came to San Antonio in 1973. They were initially going to be renamed “The “Gunslingers” before it was changed to the Spurs (probably a good idea), although there is debate as to whether the change was the result of a contest or one of the owners being from the small town of Spur, TX. They soon joined the NBA as part of the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, along with the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and then-New York Nets. The Spurs saw early success in the ABA and NBA, led by George Gervin and James Silas, and although it would take until 1999, they because the first former ABA team to win an NBA title — five, to be specific — and held that distinction until the Nuggets won it all in 2023.
The Spurs will sport their new Classic Edition uniforms and court nine times during the 2026-27 regular season, beginning on November 4 when they fittingly host the Dallas Mavericks. What do you think of the new unis, Pounders? It’s far from their first grey/silver uniform, but these are pretty slick, and the extra meaning behind them definitely adds some significance. Plus, there couldn’t be a more rad duo for rolling them out than Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant.
Lead an NBA team in scoring one day, find yourself looking for work less than a week later.
Such is the tough-luck life on the fringes of NBA rosters, which Miles Kelly experienced this week.
The 6-foot-5, second-year guard out of Auburn dropped 28 points in the Warriors’ preseason loss to the Trail Blazers last Wednesday. He came off the bench, drained six 3-pointers and posted a team-high plus-14 — the second-best on/off margin of any player — despite Golden State losing the game 123-118.
And, on Sunday, he was unceremoniously released.
Miles Kelly (26) of the Golden State Warriors arrives to the arena before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NBAE via Getty ImagesGolden State Warriors guard Miles Kelly (99) reacts after making a three-point basket during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. AP Photo/Ali Gradischer
Golden State opted to free up a roster spot to bring in Tyler Burton on a non-guaranteed deal — known as an Exhibit 10 — that can be converted into a two-way or minimum contract. Burton, a 6-foot-7 wing who went undrafted out of Villanova after a five-year college career, averaged 10.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 10 games with the Grizzlies last season.
Burton provides more depth at a position of need for the Warriors, who are stocked full in the back court but will be without their top two wings, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, for the first portion of the season.
Still, the move may have come as a surprise for Warriors fans who watched Kelly’s impressive performance. Then again, anybody who tuned in would have been aware that Golden State was on the second night of a back-to-back and playing without seven of their typical rotation pieces.
Kelly scored six points in six minutes off the bench the previous night against the Lakers. He sank both his 3-point attempts and shot 8-for-15 from deep in three preseason games.
However, coach Steve Kerr apparently saw all he needed and left Kelly on the bench in the Warriors’ 111-106 exhibition win over the Kings on Saturday.
The next day, they cut bait.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gestures during the second half of a preseason basketball game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in San Francisco. Getty Images
