Mar 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) on the bench after fouling out against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
The Washington Wizards experienced nearly triple their revenue in new full season ticket revenue and have triple the sales of new season tickets compared to last year, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Robbins’ report came after an interview with Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chief Revenue Officer Jim Van Stone.
In Greg’s article, some fans were upset about the increase in ticket prices despite poor performance. But from Robbins’ piece today, the Wizards have a rationale to raise the prices anyway. With the team anticipated to be better in 2026-27, there will be more demand for tickets. And with … maybe … AJ Dybantsa or Cameron Boozer headlining the roster this fall, perhaps the demand and the number of fans in the stands will stay high for years to come.
May 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle (70) pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
TV: NESN
First Pitch: 4:10 p.m. ET
The Red Sox and Braves will compete in the rubber match of their three-game series on Thursday at Fenway Park.
Payton Tolle and Chris Sale will be the men tasked with getting the job done.
I don’t have to tell you guys just how fun this matchup could be, with the former riding an incredible streak of four consecutive quality starts into the outing, while the latter has allowed six total earned runs across his last seven starts. Tolle and Sale both had an opportunity to meet each other on Wednesday.
Andruw Monasterio, Carlos Narváez, and Caleb Durbin will slot back into the lineup, with the former getting the start as the designated hitter over Masataka Yoshida. Narváez will return behind the dish, while Durbin plays third base.
From left: Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) have a laugh in the fourth quarter during an NBA preseason game against the LA Clippers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. The Clippers won 106-103. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Hello again, Golden State Warriors fans. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything substantive, as I took some PTO to reset before the offseason begins, and see what all the hype around the food in Italy was about.
But now I’m back, and it couldn’t be at a more exciting time for Bay Area basketball. Steve Kerr is back, and committed for multiple years. A Steph Curry extension is being discussed. A pivotal and fascinating offseason is right around the corner. Superstar names are swirling in rumors and reports. The 2026 NBA Draft is a month away. The Golden State Valkyries are underway and playing well. Two teams that remind us of the Dubs of yesteryear are battling for Western Conference supremacy in the NBA Playoffs.
What a time to be alive!
And what better way to get caught up on all things Golden State than with a mailbag? It’s been both a quiet few weeks, and an exciting few weeks, and I’m curious what’s on your mind, Dub Nation. So drop your comments here — or in The Feed — and I’ll get to them on Friday.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 20: Abimelec Ortiz #76 of the Washington Nationals poses for a photo during the Washington Nationals photo day at Cacti Park at the Palm Beaches on Friday, February 20, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As we all know, the Nationals have surprisingly played winning baseball in the first two months of the season, with a 29-28 record. However, the winning has not just been taking place at the MLB level. Nats minor league teams are winning more than ever, and the Rochester Red Wings are the hottest of the bunch.
The Red Wings are on a wild 10 game winning streak, and have won 15 out of their last 16 games. That 10 game winning streak is the longest in Rochester history since 1992. Obviously, this is long before they were a Nats affiliate. Like the big league club, the Red Wings are winning with a deep lineup and solid pitching.
The Rochester Red Wings did it again as they’ve won their 10th straight game. The 1st 10 game winning streak since July of 1992.
Abimelec Ortiz (.247) has homered in his 4th straight game. Brady House (.348) with 2 dingers today. Harry Ford’s over the Mendoza Line, .218 AVG. pic.twitter.com/DsRxRWSFBg
— Nationals Advisory (@nats_advisory) May 27, 2026
Manager Matt LeCroy really has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal. In the last game, the Red Wings lineup featured Christian Franklin, Harry Ford, Abimelec Ortiz, Brady House, Joey Wiemer and Riley Adams. They also had Yohandy Morales, Robert Hassell and Seaver King on the bench. This is the deepest core of hitters I have ever seen the Nats have in AAA. There may not be a mega star like in 2024 when they had James Wood, but there are a lot of solid ball players here.
During this winning streak, Abimelec Ortiz has been putting the offense on his back. He has 7 home runs and 20 RBI’s in his last six games. Ortiz, who the Nats acquired in the MacKenzie Gore trade, was doing a nice job getting on base at the beginning of the year, but was not showing his signature power. That power has arrived, and he is putting on an absolute show.
Abimelec Ortiz in May: 172 wRC+ | 9 HRs | .818 SLG 93rd pctl Average EV | 99th pctl Barrel% | 95th pctl PullAir%
He has put up insane numbers in May, and as you can see, the underlying numbers back it up. Ortiz is already on the 40 man roster, so a big league call up should come before too long. The Nats could make a spot for him by DFA’ing Jose Tena or trading Luis Garcia Jr. at the deadline. Ortiz is an absolute masher, and he is ready for the big leagues.
While Ortiz doesn’t provide much value in the field or on the bases, the kid can hit. He is also able to hit righties and lefties. In fact, his OPS is higher against lefties, and he has hit 4 of his 10 homers against southpaws, despite having far fewer at bats against them. Maybe, he is just a platoon masher, but he has the chance to hit against righties and lefties.
Another corner infielder who is red hot for the Red Wings is Yohandy Morales. He is cut from a similar cloth as Ortiz. Both are large men who hit the ball very hard. Morales hits more ground balls and low liners, which has resulted in a higher average. This season, Yohandy Morales is hitting .355 in 172 at bats with an OPS over 1.000. Morales has the ability to play first and third base as well. There are holes in his profile that we will discuss, but his numbers are making him tough to leave in AAA.
Yohandy Morales is having a tremendous season at Triple-A. Not sure what he has to do to get as hot in the majors.
Hit his 10th HR tonight. He's hitting over .350 with a 1.024 OPS. Plays the position Brady House just left vacant. pic.twitter.com/EpSd98EDEu
One might wonder why Paul Toboni has not called up Morales. In my opinion, the biggest reason is some of his under the hood data. Morales’ swing and miss concerns, combined with his nearly 55% ground ball rate raise some red flags. Players with this profile tend to struggle in the big leagues. However, Morales has earned the opportunity to see if his approach can work.
He would easily be an upgrade over Andres Chaparro as the right handed platoon bat at first base. However, I think the Nats don’t want to call up Morales and then have him on the bench for an extended period. With Curtis Mead locking down the third base spot for now, I am curious to see what the Nats do with Morales. He deserves a chance at the big leagues, but there is clearly some hesitation from this front office.
The last player carrying this Red Wings offense right now just got to the level. That would be the 2024 first round pick Seaver King. After a red hot start in AA, King was recently promoted to Triple-A. He has kept hitting at the new level. In six games, King is hitting .391 with a 1.140 OPS. He also hit his first AAA home run a few days ago.
It's so nice seeing Seaver King (WSH) bounce back in 2026. The newly turned 23-year-old has posted a 166 wRC+ across both AA & AAA with a .344/.429/.581 slashline to pair with 6 HR & 6 bags. He's had to be more passive this season as a result of seeing fewer in-zone offerings. pic.twitter.com/ClzOEAbEFh
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) May 26, 2026
The Nats have been playing King at both shortstop and second base. King playing some second base intrigues me because that position is a big need for the Nats. Nasim Nunez does a lot of really nice things, but he can’t hit. Even as he is adjusting to the big leagues, King would be an offensive upgrade over Nunez and probably Jorbit Vivas too. The question is whether the Nats front office wants to call him up quickly.
There is an argument to be made that King could use time to mature in AAA. He had a really rough season in 2025, so you want to make sure he is fully ready to go once he hits the big league level. There is also a looming lockout coming, and King would not be able to play games if he is added to the 40 man roster. However, if he stays red hot for a few more weeks and Nunez is still feeble at the plate, he may force the Nats hand.
Overall, it is a great time to be a Rochester Red Wings fan. You have these three big bats, along with some other guys too. Brady House has looked good since getting to AAA, Harry Ford is heating up after an ice cold start and the pitching staff has some exciting names like Jackson Kent and Luis Perales. The Nats stock as an organization is shooting up, and it is not just because of the success at the big league level. Teams like the Fred Nats and the Red Wings are giving fans a glimpse into a very bright future.
DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers placed closer Kenley Jansen on the 15-day injured list with pelvic inflammation.
Jansen left a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the ninth inning. The 38-year-old Jansen is 1-3 this season with a 4.80 ERA and seven saves in 11 chances. He has allowed three walk-off homers since April 24.
On April 14, he recorded his 479th career save to move past Lee Smith for third place on the MLB career list. He now has 483, trailing only Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera (652 saves) and Trevor Hoffman (601).
To replace Jansen, the Tigers recalled left-hander Drew Sommers from Triple-A Toledo. Sommers had four appearances with the Tigers last season, posting an 0-1 record with an 18.00 ERA.
Can he go deep four games in a row? | (Getty Images)
If the White Sox aren’t all exhausted from running around the bases so much in last night’s 15-2 lambasting of the Twins, they’ve got an excellent chance to make it three out of four for the Minnesota visit today.
Not only are the Chicago bats hot — okay, just for one game so far, but hot has to start somewhere — but a Twins offense that would have had to work its way up to feeble against lesser Sox starters has the problem of facing Davis Martin and his 2.04 ERA while themselves holding what will be pretty much a bullpen game.
Acting as an opener+ for the Twins will be lefty Kendry Rojas, who went four innings of two-hit shutout ball against the Astros the other time he started a game this season. The rookie has been excellent in limited action, with a 1.26 ERA and 14 K’s in 14 1/3 innings, but with a wildness problem — 10 walks, though just one in each of his last two appearances.
With a southpaw on the mound, Will Venable moved Chase Meidroth, who hit a grand slam in last night’s laugher, up to the leadoff spot.
Martin, who had his only bad start of the season against the Giants last time out — four earned runs in 5 2/3 — faces a Twins lineup that has only produced five runs in regulation in the series so far.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 Central on a beautiful day for baseball, 62 degrees and mostly sunny at game time, with wind a possible factor, gusting to 21 from left to right. Usual broadcast suspects.
The NHL world is stunned today with the passing of four-time Stanley Cup winning forward Claude Lemieux, who was one of the central figures of the legendary rivalry between the Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
Lemieux passed away on Thursday at the age of 60 as confirmed by multiple sources.
The NHL Alumni Association is devastated to share that Claude Lemieux has passed away at the age of 60.
Born in Buckingham, Quebec, Claude was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and would make his NHL debut just a few months later… pic.twitter.com/iohlATU6qz
A four-time Stanley Cup winner, Lemieux helped the New Jersey Devils defeat the Red Wings in a shocking four-game sweep in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final, collecting his second Stanley Cup ring.
Moving on to the Avalanche, Lemieux delivered the infamous hit from behind to Red Wings forward Kris Draper in Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Final, effectively sparking what became one of the most iconic rivalries in sports.
The infamous "Fight Night at the Joe" on March 26, 1997 remains one of the most memorable games in Red Wings history.
Lemieux would later win the Stanley Cup once again with the New Jersey Devils in 2000, and would go on to play for the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and briefly, the San Jose Sharks.
He would routinely make appearances with former rival Darren McCarty at joint autograph signings. Additionally, he became an NHLPA-certified player agent and included current Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider among his clients.
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ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 6: Landry Shamet #44 and Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks high five during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 6, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Most years, as June approaches, you have plenty of time to prepare for the offseason and everything that it may potential entail, in the draft, on the trade market, and in free agency.
Yet, with the Knicks in the NBA Finals, it’ll be a quick turnaround, so in the lead-up to the Finals, we’re getting to hear some rumors surrounding Knicks free agency, specifically with two of the players about to hit the market and be in line for nice paydays.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, the belief around the league is that both Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson will re-sign with the Knicks on multi-year contracts this summer.
ESPN’s @TimBontemps is reporting that “the belief is… both will be back” when it comes to Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet.
After a few years of ducking the harsh penalties of the second apron, it is believed that the Knicks will blow past it to preserve the best roster in generations. The penalties are only considerably harsh if you exceed them for more than two seasons, so Bontemps believes that Shamet and Robinson will sign two-year deals to allow the team to hit a hard reset after the 2027-28 season, which by that point, much of the core will be exiting their prime in their early-to-mid 30s.
Robinson, as the longest-tenured Knick, has full Bird rights, which allow the team to extend him for as much as possible. With his injury history and limited offensive game, his market value is difficult to pin down. ESPN projected him for a three-year, $39 million contract earlier this month, but Bontemps believes a bidding war could push it over the mid-level exception, which would give him a raise over his prior deal with a max value of $64 million over four years.
Shamet, who’s risen to the level of role player folk hero that we rarely see, is in Early Bird territory in a similar fashion to Isaiah Hartenstein in 2024. Unlike Hartenstein, no team is coming with a $29 million AAV offer. Based on Early Bird rules, Shamet can extend for up to $11 million as a Year 1 salary in 2026-27, something that doesn’t feel as risky due to most teams’ financial pictures.
What's the best way to improve NBA officiating? Introducing some AI into it, of course. What could possibly go wrong?
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver went on ESPN's Pat McAfee show to prop up his anti-tanking, dramatic lottery reform "3-2-1" proposal expected to be approved by NBA owners on Thursday. However, as part of that, he got drawn into the annual conversation around officiating in the NBA playoffs, which this year has focused on "flopping" and players who draw contact and a lot of fouls. Specifically on the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Flopping has been a conversation..
There’s a difference between selling a call, exaggeration, and a true flop..
"It's been a conversation. I would only say that there's a difference between selling a call, exaggeration, and a true flop which is where you're actually fooling the referees. I think sometimes, even as I sit in the stands at games, players may be falling down, players may be reacting to a call. But then to me, if they're not fooling the referees, it's like, 'Okay. That's like, the players are taught to sell calls these days.' I mean, can officiating get better? Of course, we're always working on that. Can officials get fooled occasionally? We're always looking that as well. But the officiating is incredible."
That becomes the line that's increasingly hard to draw for officials and the league. Gilgeous-Alexander drives the lane as well as anyone, absorbs the contact and gets his shot off as he sells a call, often by falling. Where the line between selling a legit call by exaggerating contact is versus flopping is an eye-of-the-beholder thing — SGA walks that line as well as anyone. But there are plenty of players across the other 29 teams who do it to varying degrees, and fans of those teams don't see it the same way when their guy does it.
Silver then talked about trying to speed up the replay process and game flow by, at some point, using Hawkeye technology (not unlike tennis) with AI to handle in-bounds and out-of-bounds calls.
"Those calls will be done by an AI automated system with cameras lined around the court and it'll take all those so-called objective calls out of the hands of the referees. It'll be instantaneous, it'll be automatic. Just, 'Play on. Let's go, Spurs inbound.' And you'll move on, you won't have to deal with challenges on those calls."
It's a little more complex in the NBA. For example, the ball can go out of bounds off a thicket of players' hands under the basket, all going for a rebound. Having AI quickly determine whose hand from which team is not as straightforward a process as "in or out." That said, we're seeing things headed in that direction.
Feb 21, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (24) drives past Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner (15) during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Cam Spencer (53rd overall) and Tristen Newton (49th overall) were second round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. Both have performed well with the opportunities presented to them as less-heralded pro prospects.
Drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies, Spencer saw the floor 25 times in his rookie campaign with eight G League appearances. After signing a four-year, $10.5 million contract, he made a major jump in the sophomore season, playing in 72 games and starting in 25.
The 6 ‘3 guard averaged 11.1 points on 44.9% from three-point range, which ranked him 3rd in the NBA behind Bobby Portis and Luke Kennard. The former UConn sparkplug has become a key role player for the Grizzlies.
Spencer is on a rebuilding Memphis team which dealt Desmond Bane to Orlando last offseason and 2-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah at the deadline. He faced off against former teammate Stephon Castle and the San Antonio Spurs in early January, finishing with 21 points, 13 in the 4th quarter, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Spencer hit the go ahead shot with 36 seconds left, knocking off the powerhouse Spurs team.
“It felt good, I love winning,” Spencer said postgame.
Cam Spencer (21/8/8) hit the go-ahead shot as the Grizzlies took down the Spurs tonight. Killa Cam 📸 pic.twitter.com/VrE0dFAdGj
Winning is what the former Husky is used to. Off the court, Spencer caught some UConn games, most notably the Elite 8 classic as the Huskies knocked off Duke to head to the Final Four.
“I wouldn’t be here today without them and, super grateful to have had those guys in my life. Got to play with a few of the guys who are still left on the team, obviously, and, just super proud of them for fighting back yesterday,” said Spencer after seeing Braylon Mullin’s buzzer beater to cap off the comeback win over the Blue Devils.
Newton’s path has been more winding. He was selected 49th in the 2024 draft by the Indiana Pacers. The guard played for their G League affiliate before being waived and picked up by Minnesota. This season, he appeared in 35 G League games, 5 for the Iowa Wolves and 30 for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he is currently on a two-way Contract with the Houston Rockets.
Newton was selected to play in this year’s Rising Stars Game at NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles. Four out of the five starters on the 2024 championship team, himself, Donovan Clingan, Spencer and Castle were all playing in the Rising Stars Game.
“That shows a lot about UConn as a whole. The level of work we put in day in and day out translates to the next level.” Newton said. The fifth starter, Alex Karaban, is on his way as a prospect in this upcoming draft.
The two-time national champion has proved he is capable of making an NBA roster, averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 48% from the field. His scoring ranks 3rd among the G League behind Jahmir Young and 2-time G-League MVP Mac McClung, as he earned All-NBA G League first team honors.
Newton was called up for the final game of the season for the Rockets, where he put up 12 points in 12 minutes, knocking down a pair of three-pointers.
Over the last several years, the Philadelphia Flyers have developed a penchant for making opportunistic buy-low trades, especially for players who were formerly high draft picks.
As they head into the offseason in desperate need of more talent at center and an upgrade on defense, it's time for them to explore this habit once again.
On Thursday morning, The Athletic released its latest NHL trade board as we approach the beginning of June, and it's chock-full of interesting options for the Flyers.
For this article, though, I wanted to focus on Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Wright, 22, ranks 11th on the new trade board and fourth amongst centers, behind only Vincent Trocheck, Mason McTavish, and Elias Pettersson.
Wright's the youngest of the bunch and coming off the most disappointing season; he scored just 12 goals, 15 assists, and 27 points in 74 games for the Kraken after having 44 points in 79 games last season.
Now entering a contract year, it's now or never for Wright in Seattle, and the Kraken, at this point, aren't obligated to give him that opportunity.
The Burlington, Ontario, native can and will be replaced by prospects Berkly Catton and Jake O'Brien at center behind Matty Beniers, and the Kraken have long been looking for winger upgrades to complement those players.
Of course, it goes almost without saying by now that the Flyers have loads of wingers to trade in a deal that makes sense for them, and this might be one of those deals.
Shane Wright showed flashes of developing into a productive offensive player in the 2024-25 season. (Evolving-Hockey)
Wright's trade value has never been lower, and that should be music to the Flyers' ears.
In the recent past, the Flyers have shown a demonstrable level of patience when it comes to finding the right trade for them while maintaining interest in the players they want.
This was the case with David Jiricek before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild, and discussions around Trevor Zegras took place over an extended period of time before the deal was finally done last summer.
The Flyers also picked up Owen Tippett, a former No. 10 overall draft pick, in 2022 in the Claude Giroux trade.
That precedent tells us that now is the Flyers' time to trade for Shane Wright.
It has been suggested in the past that the Flyers were not especially interested in Wright, but again, the opportunity is presenting itself to Philadelphia at a great discount.
Wright had 44 points as a 21-year-old in his first full NHL season a year ago, and on the Flyers, he would be playing alongside much more talented wingers, such as Tippett, Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, and Travis Konecny.
It helps, too, that Wright is a right-shot center, one of the reasons the Flyers went out of their way to claim Luke Glendening off waivers a few months back.
Wright, unlike someone such as Jett Luchanko, is already a qualifiable, established NHL center, and with one year on his contract, the Flyers won't be tying themselves to a gaudy undertaking if things don't work out.
For a player who was once widely regarded as 2022's No. 1 overall prospect, this is a chance worth taking for the Flyers.
May 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presents Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) with the MVP award before game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
There are few things that make my blood boil more than being gaslit. It’s a term people use a lot more these days now that it’s been more clearly defined, and at its core, it’s pretty simple. You witness something with your own two eyes, you experience it in real time, and then somebody turns around and tells you that what you saw was wrong or that you somehow misinterpreted it. In essence, they’re attempting to devalue what you saw or experienced, and in the same breath, dismissing it entirely.
We see it everywhere these days, especially in politics. But I won’t go down that road.
The latest blatant example came courtesy of Adam Silver, who stopped by Pat McAfee’s show yesterday and proceeded to say that NBA “officiating is incredible”.
There will always be conversations about officiating in the NBA. The game moves too fast. There’s too much physicality and too much happening in real time for officials to catch everything perfectly. Everybody understands that going in, and there’s an accepted level of missed calls or imperfect moments that come with the territory. That’s part of basketball.
When your sport is in the national spotlight during its biggest and most important stretch — the postseason — and one of the dominant talking points becomes whether flopping has become too prevalent, that’s usually a sign things have drifted a little too far. And that’s where the conversation is right now, as made apparent by McAfee posing the question.
The best team in the NBA and the defending champions are a team that leans heavily into embellishment. People who watch the sport night after night see it. They recognize it immediately. And the frustration comes from watching that behavior continue to be rewarded. It doesn’t feel natural. It feels like a team identifying the flaws in an imperfect system and pushing against them every chance they get. And at this point, it feels like they’re pushing it a little too far.
Adam Silver’s response?
“Even as I sit in the stands at games, players may be falling down, players may be reacting to a call. But to me, if they’re not fooling the referees, it’s OK. Players are taught to sell calls these days.”
Then what in the name of Vlade Divac’s shoelaces is this shit?
It’s a tone deaf statement. If players aren’t fooling referees, then what exactly are we watching? Are modern NBA players simply so uncoordinated and frail that the slightest bump sends them flailing to the hardwood? Perhaps the NBA should partner with milk and focus on calcium intake.
And why are players “taught to sell calls”, Mr. Commissioner? Seems counterintuitive to the integrity of the game to me. Seems that if players are being taught to take advantage of poor officiating, the root cause is poor officiating. But you just said officiating was “incredible”. I can read it back to you. Did you order the code red?!
Players are taught to sell calls because officials allow themselves to be duped. And rather than acknowledging that referees are being manipulated over and over by blatant embellishment, Adam Silver doubled down. That’s the frustrating part. It undermines the sport. It undermines fan bases across the league. And yeah, it feels like gaslighting.
We watch multiple members of the Oklahoma City Thunder hit the ground over and over in clear and obvious fashion, trying to sell contact and draw whistles, and then we’re told that’s not what’s happening. Come on. At some point it starts feeling like the league is insulting the intelligence of the people watching.
It has come to the point that analysts are tracking the number of times Shai Gilgeuos-Alexander (whom I affectionately now call FTA) falls down on his shots. Per Tom Haberstroh, who is out there doing God’s work, the two-time reigning MVP falls on 17.4% of his shots (through Game 3 of the Western Conference playoffs, counting only the postseason).
— House of Lowlights (@HouseLowlights) May 21, 2026
“Incredible.”
And no, Oklahoma City isn’t the only team that does it. Every team has a guy or two who leans into embellishment. Look at the NBA Finals-bound New York Knicks. Jalen Brunson has built a reputation for drawing contact and snapping his head back on drives to the rim. I often wonder if he’s playing basketball or galvanizing around the mosh pit while Metallica performs “Creeping Death”.
The difference with OKC is volume. They have so many players doing it that it becomes impossible to ignore. Watching them can feel like watching five Brunsons on the floor at once. One guy flopping around is annoying. An entire team kicking legs out on jumpers, throwing themselves backward on contact, and crumbling to the floor the second they feel any physicality, that’s something else entirely.
From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to backup big Jaylen Williams, and everyone in between, the embellishment shows up constantly. And it’s embarrassing.
Jared McCain elbowed Dylan Harper in the throat, backed it up on him and fell down 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/P8JsvftRHl
For those of us on the front lines who love this sport and spend so much time covering it, it’s hard to defend. This is the time of year when casual fans show up. The people who haven’t been watching all season. The people who naturally tune into the NBA once the postseason begins.
And when they come to me and ask, “What is this?”, I don’t have a great answer for them. Apparently, neither does Adam Silver.
Silver did go on to say the league plans to use artificial intelligence to assist with officiating. “We’re going to move to a system like [Hawk-Eye],” the gaslighting commissioner stated on The Pat McAfee show. “[Objective] calls will be done by an AI automated system with cameras lined around the court…You won’t have to deal with challenges on those calls.”
And hey, I’m open to that. If it helps speed up challenges and makes the review process cleaner, great. I didn’t think I’d be a fan of the ABS system in Major League Baseball either, and that’s worked out pretty well. It’s quick. It’s efficient. It gets you an answer.
That still doesn’t touch the core issue.
If AI is helping correct calls after the fact, at what point do we address the people responsible for getting the call right in real time? At what point is there accountability? At what point does the league truly live up to the standards it keeps talking about, where players aren’t rewarded for embellishment, for unnatural shooting motions designed to bait a whistle, for flopping all over the floor?
That’s the real issue. That’s what fans are frustrated by. And instead of acknowledging any of that, the commissioner looked at all of us and tried to tell us everything is fine. That’s why this lands the way it does. Because it doesn’t feel like the problem is being addressed. It feels like we’re being told not to believe what we’re watching.
And that’s where the disconnect keeps growing between the league office and the people actually consuming the product. Fans can handle missed calls. Players can handle occasional inconsistency. Basketball is chaotic, and nobody expects perfection.
What wears people down is when an obvious issue becomes impossible to ignore, and the response from the top feels dismissive. The postseason should be about brilliance, shot-making, adjustments, and stars delivering on the biggest stage. Instead, too often the conversation drifts toward whistle hunting and whether contact was exaggerated enough to earn two free throws.
That doesn’t mean the NBA is broken. The game itself is still incredible. It does mean the league owes people a more honest conversation than pretending the product on the floor and the frustration surrounding it somehow aren’t connected.
Cristopher Sánchez blanked another team, this time the San Diego Padres, for seven innings on Wednesday at Petco Park. He allowed six hits, no walks and struck out nine in the Phils’ 3-0, series-sweeping victory.
It was the fifth straight start in which he did not allow a run, a streak of 44.2 scoreless innings, all coming in the month of May. Grover Cleveland Alexander, a Hall of Famer whose jersey is retired by the team, previously held the record of 41 straight scoreless innings, done in 1911.
No one, not a single soul, over the course of 115 years was able to top Alexander’s mark until Cristopher Sánchez did it on Wednesday out in California.
We have fought two World Wars, one Cold War, been through a Great Depression, put men on the moon, watched rock ‘n roll rise and die, and created a world in which computers may someday soon rule us all during that time frame.
A lot of extremely talented pitchers have come and gone through Philadelphia in those 115 years. Four different pitchers have won seven Cy Young Awards, and dozens of others have come really close.
Steve Carlton. Roy Halladay. Curt Schilling. Cole Hamels. Zack Wheeler. Cliff Lee. Robin Roberts. Jim Bunning. Chris Short. Aaron Nola. Curt Simmons.
None of them did what Sánchez has done.
And is still doing.
His 44.2 straight scoreless innings ranks 11th all-time in MLB history. He is 16.2 innings away from breaking Orel Hershiser’s all-time record of 59. It’s also the third-longest scoreless inning streak by a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, and he’s just three innings away from surpassing Carl Hubbell’s 45.1. He’s the first pitcher in Phillies history to have five straight starts of seven or more innings. Only Don Drysdale (1968) and Hershiser (1988) reached six.
Sanchez’ season ERA stands at 1.47. He leads all MLB starters in fWAR (3.3). Only six pitchers are over 2.0. His rise from a AAAA/No. 5 fringe starter to the best left-handed pitcher in baseball is unprecedented in the history of the Phillies.
And although the competition is fierce, Sanchez should be the favorite to win NL Pitcher of the Month for May.
This is the greatest battle for NL Pitcher of the Month in the history of the award:
Cristopher Sánchez: 0 runs in 39 IP Jacob Misiorowski: 0.29 ERA, 49 K in 31 1/3 IP Shohei Ohtani: 0.95 ERA Kyle Harrison: 4-0, 0.96 ERA Chase Burns: 4-0, 1.19 ERA Zack Wheeler: 4-0, 1.38 ERA
Only one of those pitchers didn’t give up a single run all month. And, Sánchez has been piling up strikeouts, giving up no walks, and dominating on another level.
He’s one of only three pitchers in MLB history to have a month in which he pitched at least 39 innings without giving up a run, joining Hershiser and Doc Gooden.
Now, there were a few instances in Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over San Diego where it looked like the Padres might break through.
Philly is such an incredible sports city. All of us had knots in our stomachs watching this play out today. Can't tell you how sick I felt watching some of these swings before Cristopher Sánchez made history pic.twitter.com/WUg50rIs3A
It’s also fair to wonder if this is the greatest single month any Phillies player has had, offensively or defensively. In terms of pitching, Cliff Lee’s iconic 2011 month of June has often been cited as the greatest single month of pitching in franchise history. Sánchez just topped it.
Cliff Lee’s iconic June 2011 is widely viewed as the greatest month a Phillies pitcher has ever had.
Nearly 15 years later, Cristopher Sánchez’s pristine May 2026 has given Lee a run for his money. pic.twitter.com/EQTZYQMSfD
Offensively, one could argue Ryan Howard’s August of 2006 was superior. He tied the franchise record (Cy Williams) for most home runs in a calendar month (14), totaled 41 RBIs and hit .348/.464/.750 with a 1.214 OPS. He followed that up with a September in which he hit 9 bombs, knocked in 21 runs, and put up an even better slash line: .385/.562/.750, 1.312 OPS.
That’s a coin flip.
What’s next? In order to keep the streak going, he’ll have to go up against most of the same hitters he faced on Wednesday when the Padres visit Citizens Bank Park next week.
No one knows how long he’ll be able to keep this going. But for one afternoon, Phils fans got to experience a little bit of electricity watching The Sánchize make history.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 18: Kendry Rojas #60 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Houston Astros on May 18, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):1:10 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: South Side Sox
This series has had everything. A nail-biting loss, a nail-biting win, a blowout loss. Let’s hope the pattern keeps up this afternoon and the Twins get a blowout win.
Taj Bradley had his start bumped a day in his return from the IL, so it will be rookie left-hander Kendry Rojas on the mound for the Twins. Rojas has showcased his effectively wild tendencies with electric stuff complimented by spotty command, but calling his potential tantalizing would be an understatement. The rook is off to a strong start with a 1.26 ERA, but will still be in the hybrid starter role and limited to 50-60 pitches. The Twins have quite a few pitchers on that same schedule between Rojas, Simeon Woods Richardson, Travis Adams, and Andrew Morris, though the latter’s outings have been getting shorter and shorter in his move to higher leverage spots.
Minnesota will be facing Davis Martin, the White Sox starter off to a blistering start. Martin had a solid, if unspectacular, first three seasons in Chicago but has ratcheted things up this year. He has a 2.04 ERA/2.30 FIP and 66 strikeouts in 61.2 innings this season. Martin’s 2.3 fWAR is 6th in the entire AL and second among pitchers. Even with some expected regression factored in, Martin looks like a surefire All-Star.
When the Yankees acquired David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates at last season’s Trade Deadline, he almost immediately stabilized the back end of the bullpen. After his first disastrous appearance with the team against the Marlins in early August, he allowed just 4 runs in 23 innings, striking out 33 and walking only 9, as “the Renegade” seized the closer’s role by the horns. Sure, the bullpen still wound up a block of Swiss cheese, but hey, it wasn’t his fault.
This year, though, the situation is very much different. While it would be unfair to pin the entire bullpen’s struggles on Bednar, the closer certainly shoulders some of the blame. Heading into action last night, he had a 4.70 ERA (89 ERA+), having allowed 15 runs (12 earned) in 23 innings; his K% is a career-low 26.4 percent (ignoring his four-game cameo in 2020), while his walk rate has inched up to 9.4 percent after a career-best 7.6 percent last season. He’s allowed at least one run in 11 of his 23 appearances this season, and two or more hits in eight of them.
Bednar has been able to lock down his share of leads — his 12 saves are tied for sixth in baseball — but even when he’s kept the opposition off the board, he’s needed to put on his emotional support baserunners first before he locks in. Meanwhile, his meltdowns have been big and loud, and were a major contributor to the oft-cited “June Swoon, but make it May” that dogged the Yanks until this week in Kansas City.
So how concerned should we be? Is this simply a cold stretch by a reliever, or are we looking at another Devin Williams situation on our hands? Well…it’s complicated.
As can be seen here, Statcast is overall very much a fan of what Bednar has been doing. While I’m sure everybody involved would like to see that walk rate and that hard-hit rate down, a 97th-percentile ground-ball percentage is exactly what the Yankees are looking for out of their relievers; after all, you can’t take advantage of the Short Porch on a worm-burner to second. When we dive into Bednar’s individual offerings, however, we see where the problems begin to emerge.
Bednar is a three-pitch pitcher*, throwing a four-seamer, a curveball, and a splitter. Whereas he was once overwhelmingly fastball-dominant — from 2021 through 2024, he threw the four-seamer more than 54 percent of the time — he has settled into a much more even three-pitch mix over the past two years. This year, he still throws his fastball the most (39.4 percent), but his splitter is a close second at 34.2 percent and he throws his curveball a touch over a quarter of the time (26.4 percent).
*He technically threw one sinker in 2023 and one cutter in 2019, but I’m willing to bet those were fastballs that wound up moving a bit too much, so they can be safely ignored.
Last season, Bednar found success with all three pitches, with both his curveball and splitter serving as very effective out pitches, generating whiffs roughly 40 percent of the time and soft contact when they did manage to hit it. 2026 has been a very different story. Opposing hitters have crushed the fastball and the curveball, with batters hitting .419 with a .613 slugging percentage against the former, and .412 and .765 against the latter. And of course, one particularly awful Uncle Charlie got annihilated by Tyrone Taylor on May 17th, leading to a galling Subway Series loss at the hands of a cellar-dwelling Mets team. It was Bednar’s second blown save of the road trip.
Only Bednar’s splitter has maintained its effectiveness from last season, as hitters have batted just .130 and posted a .152 slugging percentage against it.
When it comes to the fastball, the Statcast data suggests that we shouldn’t be too concerned. The pitch has an xBA of .230 and an xSLG of .327: so long as his defense doesn’t continue to let him down—much like Clay Holmes in 2024, it feels that the infield forgets how to play defense when Bednar is pitching—we should see better results from his fastball.
On the other hand, Bednar has been having some trouble throwing the curveball with consistency. Despite the pitch having the lowest exit velocity against of the three (82.1 mph), it is the pitch that hitters have been able to square up most consistency, as he has surrendered seven hits, including both of his home runs, on curveballs like the one above to Taylor. Furthermore, the batted-ball data does not suggest regression to the mean should be expected, as the xBA and xSLG of .368 and .626 are better than the actual numbers mentioned above, but not all that much better.
In order for Bednar to be the dominant closer he was down the stretch last season, the Yankees will need to figure out what exactly has been wrong with his curveball. In the meantime, however, the solution is simple: focus on the splitter. Despite occasional bouts of wildness, Fernando Cruz has shown just how useful a fastball/splitter pitcher can be out of the bullpen, and it seems like Bednar and pitching coach Matt Blake may have been taking notes. Bednar has increasingly sidelined his curveball in favor of throwing his splitter more over the last few outings, to great success. Against the Rays on the 22nd, he threw just two curves, leaning on his splitter as he struck out three of the four Tampa Bay batters he faced.
This past Monday, meanwhile, Bednar abandoned the curveball entirely, using the fastball and splitter evenly against Kansas City in one of his most stress-free outings of the season.
Time will tell if this was just a small blip in the data, or if Bednar will truly be leaning more heavily on his splitter going forward. In either case, it’s something to keep an eye out going forward — and if it works, well, it’ll go a long way towards getting the bullpen back on track.
