WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 09: Max Rajcic (68) of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch during a spring training game against the Houston Astros on March 09, 2026 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cardinals are doing their best to keep their heads above water in May, going 11-9 in their 20 games played thus far. As we approach the 1/3 point of the season, once you cross that threshold, it’s no longer early anymore. At that point, they’re in it, and the “it’s early” qualifiers begin to drop off, and this group just keeps their heads down and tries to do the right thing at the right moment, and then looks up at the end of 9 innings to see where they stand. For what it’s worth, projection models are still hesitant to buy into the team. Fangraphs still has the Cardinals at only a 30% chance of making the playoffs, and they only outpace the Cincinnati Reds at this point in the division in that regard.
It would be natural, at this point, to start identifying areas of the roster that could use some additional help if the Cardinals hope to sustain into the later stages of the season. In 2025, Kyle Leahy emerged as the multi-inning bridge to Romero-Maton-Helsley, and he was highly effective in that spot. Pitching in 62 games, he posted a 3.07 ERA in 88 IP. His 3.04 FIP also speaks highly to his performance, combining to accrue 1.4 fWAR as a reliever. Among 23 primary right-handed relievers who pitched a minimum of 70 innings in 2025, Kyle Leahy ranked 9th in baseball in WPA+ (Win Probability Added). So, he was one of the 10 most positively influential relievers in baseball.
This season, since Leahy transitioned to the rotation, the Cardinals have been searching for a replacement for the vacancy he left once moving up. Matt Svanson was supposed to fill that role, and it’s been an ugly go of it for him so far. Gordon Graceffo has done an admirable job of coming into games, throwing strikes, getting quick outs, and preserving the game where it is, for the most part, but he hasn’t generated the type of swing and miss a modern relief pitcher is expected to generate. When he spoke to us on the podcast earlier this month, he referenced that and mentioned they were looking into how to get more of that out of his game. There is, however, a multi inning reliever tearing it up at AAA Memphis currently that could be an immediate solution…
Max Rajcic.
A former starter-turned reliever has been money for the Memphis Redbirds in 2026, and in almost 30 IP this season, the sample size is getting harder and harder to ignore the more season that passes. Just like Leahy, in shorter stints, the stuff is playing up, Rajcic has 5+ pitches to turn to, and his sweeper is his true out pitch. All of those things you can say about Kyle Leahy are also applicable to Rajcic. The other interesting part to this is that Rajcic is still only 24 years old, even after being drafted 4 seasons ago in the 6th round out of UCLA.
The Cardinals have already swapped out their most glaring hole in the bullpen by optioning Matt Svanson on Sunday, opting for Ryan Fernandez, who appears back to 2024 form. They also dropped Chris Roycroft back to Memphis at the beginning of April, and that has not gone any better for Roycroft since his demotion. I continue to wonder how transferable Roycroft’s 40-man spot is and if the Cardinals would swap Rajcic for Roycroft, given that Rajcic is performing at the upper minors, is younger, has more actionable pitches, and would have the full flexibility to continue to option up and down for seasons to come, whereas Roycroft is closing in on an expiration of optionablity without waivers.
The Cardinals over the last 2-3 seasons have really made hay by featuring an effective bullpen, with multiple unique weapons, at Manager Oli Marmol’s disposal. If the Cardinals can manage to continue what they have started in the early portion of the season, they will likely start to act with a little more urgency and aggression when it comes to addressing weak points on the roster that aren’t performing. It isn’t a secret that the Cardinals’ low-leverage relievers are gettable, and eliminating those areas in favor of other young ascending pieces with more upside would seem to make too much sense. Hopefully, Rajcic can get his chance soon and contribute to a Cardinals roster in need of a couple of new elements in the bullpen.
Brewers third base prospect Andrew Fischer throws to first base during spring training workouts Sunday, February 15, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.
Triple-A Nashville Sounds (30-20)
Opponent this week: Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays)
Record this week: 4-1
Standout performances:
Luis Lara (No. 5): 7-for-18, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K Luis Matos: 5-for-13, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K Akil Baddoo: 4-for-16, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K Tyson Hardin (No. 17): 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K Thomas Pannone: 8 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Coleman Crow (No. 25): 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Tyson Hardin, who was promoted to Triple-A Nashville last Sunday, had another great start in his second appearance with Biloxi. Hardin has now pitched 12 2/3 innings with the Shuckers, allowing just two earned runs and 13 strikeouts while walking six. If you want to nitpick, he’s given out too many walks thus far, but he only walked 1.59 batters per nine innings in 21 starts last season. Given the rest of his numbers, it’s hard to ask for anything better from the 24-year-old righty as he adjusts to Triple-A.
Start #2 in AAA for Hardin
5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 ER
Really nice to see that much whiff against the four-seam this time out. Command has been spotty in both starts, but it's still great to see him start this well at the level. https://t.co/Hdvp5mZlFkpic.twitter.com/9tENoOlGMS
Coleman Crow made another start for Nashville, allowing six hits and three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Not a perfect line by any means, but Crow has impressed in his two appearances with Milwaukee. His performance next time he makes a spot start in Milwaukee will say more about his long-term potential than his Triple-A outings.
Thomas Pannone, who made one appearance for the Brewers back in 2023, pitched eight innings this week. He allowed four runs, so his ERA doesn’t look great, but he didn’t walk a batter while striking out eight.
The Sounds’ lineup this week was led by the Luises. Matos is now slashing .367/.457/.500 since clearing waivers and being outrighted to Nashville. Lara has continued to rake in Triple-A, and at this point, there might be no keeping him down. Brewers manager Pat Murphy has said that Lara won’t be up until there’s regular playing time, but if there’s any room for him in the lineup, he should be the first outfielder called up.
The other consideration with Lara is the “Super Two” deadline, which is quickly approaching. Normally, players need three years of service time before becoming eligible for salary arbitration. However, players who rank in the top 22% of service time among those with between two and three years of service qualify for “Super Two” status, allowing them to become arbitration-eligible a year early. Because of this, the Brewers are somewhat incentivized to keep Lara in Triple-A until they’re confident he won’t qualify.
Cooper Pratt (No. 4) only went 4-for-20, but hit a no-doubt home run. Jett Williams (No. 3) went 5-for-26 and struck out 10 times. Despite the off weeks, both prospects still have OPSes over .900 for the last month. Luis Rengifo currently has the fourth-worst OPS among qualifying batters, while Joey Ortiz would rank fifth if he qualified, so I’d keep an eye on these two (and Eddys Leonard: see video below). Pratt has already signed an extension, so Super Two status isn’t a factor for him. Williams, meanwhile, feels like a strong candidate to arrive shortly after the deadline passes.
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 21, 2026
Jeferson Quero went 4-for-14 with a pair of RBIs, although none of his four hits went for extra bases. Brock Wilken went 3-for-17 with a double and nine strikeouts. Akil Baddoo, who was activated yesterday from the IL after starting a rehab assignment on May 15, hit two home runs in 16 at-bats.
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) May 22, 2026
Next week’s opponent: Gwinnett Stripers (Atlanta Braves)
Double-A Biloxi Shuckers (23-21)
Opponent this week: Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)
Record this week: 6-0
Standout performances:
Dylan O’Rae: 11-for-22, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 7 BB, 3 K Jesús Made (No. 1): 10-for-28, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K Blake Burke (No. 16): 7-for-23, 2 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 7 K Jaron DeBerry: 7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K Manuel Rodriguez: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
After a few relatively lackluster weeks, No. 1 overall prospect Jesús Made produced eye-popping numbers once again with a 13-RBI week. For context, Dylan O’Rae — who leads the Shuckers in hits and batting average — has 13 RBIs all season. Made now leads the entire Southern League in RBIs, with 35, and is slashing .277/.353/.452. Guess who ranks second in the Southern League? Blake Burke, with 33.
Burke has found another level since being promoted to Double-A at the end of last year. He’s tied for the Southern League lead with 12 home runs and has an OPS of .866. He profiles as a 1B/DH in the majors, so with Andrew Vaughn, Jake Bauers, and Gary Sánchez all healthy, there’s no reason to rush him through the farm system. Still, if he keeps this up, he’ll end up in Nashville sometime soon.
Jaron DeBerry continues to do nothing but rack up strikeouts. He’s now punched out 49 batters in 41 1/3 innings, but the rest of his profile remains uneven. DeBerry owns a 5.66 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, largely because he’s been extremely volatile: four very rough blow-up outings have inflated his numbers, but he’s held opponents to two runs or fewer in his other five appearances. The right-hander could very well become a useful major league pitcher, but he’ll need to find more consistency to do so.
Jaron DeBerry's Last 3 Starts ⤵️
19.0ip, 3.79 ERA, 5bb, 27k, .162 AVG
DeBerry is also the 1st BLX pitcher w/ 6.0+ip and 8+k in 3 consecutive starts since Brandon Woodruff in 2016 💪 pic.twitter.com/VV9wo3OkR4
Finally, Manuel Rodriguez had another good outing this week. His ERA is still near 5.00, but he’s only allowed two earned runs in each of his last three outings.
Next week’s opponent: Columbus Clingstones (Atlanta Braves)
High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (20-16)
Opponent this week: Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Record this week: 3-2
Standout performances:
Josiah Ragsdale: 9-for-20, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 7 K Andrew Fischer (No. 6): 7-for-19, 1 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 6 K Josh Adamczewski (No. 10): 4-for-15, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 8 BB, 4 K Marco Dinges (No. 9): 4-for-16, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K Wande Torres: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Braylon Owens: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
A 2025 seventh-round pick, Josiah Ragsdale spent his first weeks as a member of the Brewers organization in Low-A, but started this season in Wisconsin and has quietly been one of the Timber Rattlers’ best players. After this week’s 9-for-20 showing, Ragsdale is now slashing .292/.423/.442 with three home runs and 17 stolen bases, good for fifth in the Midwest League.
.@JosiahRagsdale brings home Alastre with a single in the 2nd🔥
— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) May 23, 2026
Braylon Payne now ranks second in the Midwest League with 10 home runs, behind only Andrew Fischer. As a reminder, Payne hit eight home runs in nearly 300 at-bats last season in Single-A. His batting average is up 20 points, to .260, while his OPS (.569) is also up in a major way (nearly 200 points). These are clear signs of development, which is exactly what you want to see from a 19-year-old prospect who has all of the athletic tools to succeed at the big-league level someday.
With Fischer, Payne, Josh Adamczewski, and Luis Peña on the roster, some of the Timber Rattlers’ other players have flown a bit under the radar. One of those guys is catcher Marco Dinges. Even after a breakout 2025 season, Dinges — the Brewers’ No. 9 prospect — doesn’t get quite as much coverage as some of the other prospects on the roster.
This may be because, unlike Fischer, Adamczewski, Peña, and even Ragsdale, he rarely puts together huge statistical weeks. However, Dinges has been remarkably consistent all season, putting together a .261/.397/.468 slash line with six home runs.
Speaking of Peña, he started his rehab assignment in rookie ball over the weekend. In five at-bats over two games, he’s recorded a single, double, and RBI.
Pitchers Wande Torres and Braylon Owens, both of whom have made multiple appearances in this column, had the two best outings among Wisconsin pitchers. Ethan Dorchies (No. 18) has had a rough start to his season, but bounced back this week, pitching three innings and allowing two hits and a lone earned run.
Next week’s opponent: Peoria Chiefs (St. Louis Cardinals)
Single-A Wilson Warbirds (23-21)
Opponent this week: Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)
Record this week: 4-2
Standout performances:
Brady Ebel (No. 13): 9-for-22, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K Juan Ortuno: 6-for-19, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 3 K Pedro Ibarguen: 4-for-13, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K Jarrette Bonet: 6 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Carlos Carra: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Brady Ebel, a 2025 first-round compensatory pick, has now had 16 hits over his last two weeks, including nine this week. Ebel had a scholarship offer from LSU, but instead chose to sign with Milwaukee. The 18-year-old shortstop got off to a bit of a slow start, but after a strong two-week stretch, his slash line is up to .242/.388/.362 — a mark that looks even more impressive when you remember he could still be in his first college season.
Brady Ebel earned the Carolina League Player of the Week award🏅getting on base at a .500 clip and collecting 5 XBH including his first 2 professional home runs for the @wilsonwarbirds 🔥#ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/TWYEOUuJRq
— Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) May 25, 2026
In last week’s column, I mentioned Pedro Ibarguen had been hitting .353/.433/.510 over the last month in his first full season in Single-A. He didn’t slow down much this week, adding a pair of doubles and walking more than he struck out. Juan Ortuno has also been steadily producing for the Warbirds, and this week wasn’t an exception.
Jarrette Bonet, who was named the Brewers organization’s Pitcher of the Month back in April, had allowed at least four earned runs in each of his three starts in May. He bounced back in a big way with his best start of the year, going 6 1/3 one-hit innings while striking out six and walking one. Carlos Carra (6.63 ERA) also had a quality start.
Jarrette Bonet has been named the Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April 🎖️
Bonet started his professional career strong with a 26:9 K:BB ratio over 23.1 IP and struck out at least 5 batters in all but one of his outings while running his 4-Seam up to 96.6 mph🔥… pic.twitter.com/mp7lTTvhgK
— Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) May 8, 2026
Next week’s opponent: Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs)
Player of the Week
My heart wanted to give this week’s award to Ragsdale, but Andrew Fischer just continues to produce. By “produce,” I mean on the stat sheet, but he also produces more than his fair share of highlights.
Andrew Fischer’s 13th homer of the year is a MOONSHOT for the High-A @TimberRattlers 💪
The @Brewers’ No. 6 prospect has homered in four of his past six games and sports an 1.089 OPS in the month of May: pic.twitter.com/YNALXvIpZA
Fischer had more hits than strikeouts this week and added three more home runs — the most in the Brewers’ organization — to bring him to a Midwest League-leading 13 for the year. The strikeouts are concerning, and will be until he manages to string together a few weeks with lower whiff totals, but at some point, you have to trust that the guy with a .266 batting average and 1.012 OPS in his first professional season can figure it out eventually.
Andrew Fischer hit his 12th HR of the season a moment ago
Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 3-8 (7) at FCL Blue Jays
1B Richard Matic 2-2, 2B, 2 BB — perfect day at the plate RF Wilberson De Pena 0-3, HBP C Queni Pineda 1-2, 2 BB, K, SB, picked off 3B Leni Done 0-3, BB, 2 K SS Dexters Peralta 1-4, 2 RBI, 3 K — since the first run scored on a wild pitch, his two-run single in the third marked FCL Yanks’ only ribbies on the afternoon LF Estivenzon Montero 2-3, K, picked off DH Austin Green 1-3 2B Christofer Reyes 0-3, K, SB CF Isael Arias 0-3
Stanly Alcantara 3.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R (3 ER), 4 BB, 3 K, HR, WP, 2 balks — difficult to hit but primarily because he had no idea where the ball was going Sunayro Martina 1 IP, 4 H, 5 R (5 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, HR, HBP (loss) — the flip side is that this is just, uh, bad despite zero walks; turned a 3-3 ballgame in the fifth into a comfortable 8-3 lead for FCL Jays, capped by Brock Tibbitts’ three-run bomb Marco Manzano 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, HBP — pitching savior of the day
Ty Madden and Sawyer Gipson-Long split this Memorial Day start and the Hens rallied late to walk off the Clippers.
Madden started things off firing three clean innings before giving up a double and an RBI single in the fourth. Drew Sommers took over to finish the fifth and then it was Gipson-Long’s turn. Eduardo Valencia launched a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth to tie things up 1-1. It was Valencia’s ninth homer of the season.
Eduardo Valencia with a monster solo blast to left to tie the game for Toledo. It’s his 9th home run of the year, and it left his bat at 108.3 and went 435 feet. pic.twitter.com/es4JKOviKW
Gipson-Long struck out CJ Kayfus and Stuart Fairchild to start the sixth, and got a good young Guardians infield prospect in Angel Genao to ground out. He cruised through the seventh before giving up a one-out double in the eighth and then walking Kayfus. Gipson-Long bore down and got Fairchild to fly out and Genao to slap a routine grounder to second base to escape.
In the ninth, the Clippers got a leadoff single from Kody Huff, who stole second base. A ground out from Milan Tolentino moved Huff to third where he scored on a sac fly for a 2-1 lead.
However, Max Clark drew a leadoff walk from Tanner Burns in the bottom half and took second on a wild pitch. Valencia and Jace Jung both drew walks as well, with Max Burt pinch-running for Valencia. Corey Julks struck out but Burns then hit Tyler Gentry to score Clark. Cal Stevenson stepped in and drilled a ball to right field that was dropped as the right fielder leapt against the wall to pull it in. That scored Burt and sent the Hens home crowd home happy.
🚨Mud Hens Walk-Off Win🚨
Cal Stevenson with a deep fly ball to right to bring home Max Burt and give Toledo a 3-2 win. pic.twitter.com/eEfqy2ZC4v
20-year-old lefty Carlos Rodriguez led the way with a solid outing for the Tigers in this one. Along with right-hander Jhonan Coba, Rodriguez is the other young international free agent pitcher most likely to join Kelvis Salcedo with the Lakeland Flying Tigers, although it may wait until Salcedo, Malachi Witherspoon move up to West Michigan. Rodriguez allowed a run on two hits and two walks, punching out three over 4 1/3 innings of work.
Rodriguez allowed his lone run in the top of the second. In the bottom of the third, Tigers’ first baseman Martin Tamara led off with a walk and took second on a wild pickoff throw. Angel de los Santos, another key name to watch down here, struck out, as did Jack Penney who began a rehab assignment on Monday. Another wild pitch advanced Tamara, and Cris Rodriguez walked and stole second base. A rehabbing Woody Hadeen singled in both runs and Cristian Perez doubled in Hadeen to make it 3-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Rodriguez and Hadeen singled and advanced to second and third. Catching prospect Enderson Delgado singled them both in to make it 5-1.
Johnathan Rogers took over from Carlos Rodriguez with one out in the fifth. Rogers was the Tigers’ 20th rounder back in 2023. He actually showed potential before an injury shut him down and he eventually left the organization before re-signing last week. Rogers is just stretching out so he cleaned up the fifth before turning things over to the bullpen.
The bullpen had a pretty easy time of it as the Tigers tacked on three more runs in the sixth. Cris Rodriguez and Hadeen both doubled with two outs, and Cristian Perez, playing right field in this one, jumped on the first pitch he saw and smashed a three-run shot to left field. That 8-1 lead held up.
Rodriguez and Perez continue to lead the FCL Tigers with an .873 and 1.129 OPS respectively. Hadeen should be back to West Michigan pretty soon.
The Boston Celtics were nearing the finish line of this year’s 56-win regular season, a campaign that far exceeded what most outsiders thought possible given the jarring roster changes.
But as we peppered head coach Joe Mazzulla with questions about the progress of all the players who elevated to larger roles, he turned introspective.
“I think that winning is obviously something that you’re going after, but you’re really going after the process of growth and the process of being in a competitive arena and having competition expose who you are as a person and a player — the good and the bad,” Mazzulla said. “And I think that journey is more fulfilling than the wins.”
It’s a quote that stuck with us, especially after Mazzulla’s team came unglued and fumbled away a 3-1 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers en route to an unceremonious first-round playoff exit, staining what otherwise was an overachieving season.
In the aftermath of Boston’s collapse, Mazzulla again pondered the duality of his job.
He suggested he felt as empty after Boston’s 2024 title season as he did in the years when the team fell short of its perpetual championship goals. Now, he hinted at a struggle to balance the obvious pain of a disappointing finish with all the high points in the journey before it.
On Tuesday, Mazzulla could become the first Celtics coach to win NBA Coach of the Year since Bill Fitch in 1980. Mazzulla would be only the fourth Celtics coach to win the award, joining Fitch, Tommy Heinsohn (1972-73) and Red Auerbach (1964-65).
Receiving the honor in the aftermath of Boston’s early exit won’t sit well with Mazzulla, who routinely bristled at talk of the award during the season. Mazzulla, who would prefer the organization as a whole be lauded for its regular-season success, is likely focused on what’s ahead and not what’s behind him.
Competition exposes who you are — the good and the bad. And despite his overwhelming successes — guiding the team to Banner 18 in 2024, and all those regular-season wins — the 2026-27 season will force Mazzulla to prove yet again that he can learn and grow from notable missteps.
The coach who so routinely pushed all the right buttons while leaning on every player on his roster at various points of the 2025-26 season must assess why, for the third time in four years, he wasn’t always able to find the right combinations on the big stage.
Mazzulla’s .726 regular-season winning percentage ranks third among all Celtics coaches, trailing only K.C. Jones (.751 over five seasons) and Fitch (.738 in four seasons). Fold in the playoffs and only Jones (.729 winning percentage over 512 games) has a better winning percentage overall than Mazzulla (.711 over 385 games).
The numbers make it impossible to suggest that Mazzulla hasn’t routinely put his team in position to be successful. The Celtics stiff-armed any suggestion of a gap year in large part because Mazzulla leaned heavily into bringing the best out of the younger players on Boston’s roster.
The one question heading into next season, with a harsher spotlight on Mazzulla despite all his successes, is whether he can be quicker to embrace change on the playoff stage.
It does not seem unfair to suggest that Mazzulla can sometimes be stubborn. He’s firm in his beliefs and surely isn’t afraid to voice them. While it’s also much easier in hindsight to second-guess some of his playing-time decisions in the aftermath of recent playoff exits, there does seem to be one theme in Boston’s recent playoff demises, and that’s a slow trigger on changes.
For much of the 2025-26 season, Mazzulla leaned into his team’s depth and thrived by finding the combinations that gave the team the best chance to win on a night-to-night basis. As the Sixers series slipped away, Mazzulla was perhaps a bit slow to try the curveballs that he routinely mixed in during the regular season.
He waited until Game 7 to fully experiment, trotting out a unique and unproven starting five, giving rookie Hugo Gonzalez his first real minutes of the series, and finally shifting fully away from midseason acquisition Nikola Vucevic while leaning on smaller lineups.
During the 2025 playoffs, Kristaps Porzingis was a shell of himself while battling a mystery illness that sapped his energy and left him inefficient on the floor, yet Mazzulla gave him every opportunity to fight through. In 2023, the Celtics dug themselves an 0-3 hole in the East Finals against Miami, eliminating all margin for error the rest of the way before falling short when Jayson Tatum limped through Game 7 after an early ankle sprain.
Mazzulla’s overall coaching acumen is not in judgment here. His Xs and Os are fantastic and Boston’s after-timeout success routinely showcases his white-board wizardry. Mazzulla has elite feel for his team over the course of an 82-game season.
The question is simply whether can he get better at the chess match when the playoffs arrive.
For those who want to rail against Mazzulla’s play style, we’ll kindly push back. The term “Mazzulla Ball” has become the blanket term for Boston’s 3-point heavy offensive style. But we’d suggest that Mazzulla’s bigger focus is on the margins as a whole, and Boston’s 3-point totals are more of a reflection of the roster delivered to him.
Yes, Mazzulla needs to be better at imploring his players to generate additional looks near the basket when perimeter shots are not falling. But we shake our head at the, “Too many 3s!” crowd when it’s clear that Boston’s roster is constructed to maximize that math game.
If the Celtics want to increase rim attempts, it’s also on president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to craft a roster with players who are able to create better off the dribble and get inside the paint with more frequency. The best shot for the Celtics might still be a kick-out 3 in most instances.
Crush Mazzulla if you want for Boston’s struggles against Philadelphia after Joel Embiid returned — and we absolutely would have preferred to see him get more creative with lineups earlier than Game 7 — but the Celtics simply did not have the personnel to combat Embiid once he shook his initial rust.
Neemias Queta couldn’t stay out of foul trouble, while Vucevic and Luka Garza had known defensive deficiencies. The Celtics lost a ton of talent up front last summer and, even as Queta thrived in his first season as a starter, the depth deficiency came to roost on the big stage.
Mazzulla isn’t the first coach to run into some other familiar troubles with this core. Like Stevens and Ime Udoka before him, the Celtics have routinely struggled with prosperity, fumbling away big leads and being unable to put away opponents when they’re on the ropes.
Regardless of the reason, the coach is always the easy target when things go awry. That’s just part of the job. It’s a lot easier for most organizations to shuffle in a new coaching voice than make changes to the core of their lineup. Every coach in the NBA knows they have a finite shelf life.
Mazzulla loves embracing a challenge. He’s the one who phoned Derrick White on his birthday last summer, noted how he loved that everyone thought the Celtics would suck, then hung up. Mazzulla used the gap-year suggestion as motivation to prove the doubters wrong.
The skeptics remain after the Celtics’ early playoff exit. Even Banner 18 doesn’t buy you much of a grace period in these parts. This is another chance for Mazzulla to embrace the journey, embrace some changes, and reaffirm why he’s a championship coach.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 25: The New York Knicks celebrate with the Bob Cousy Trophy after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees may be the most decorated franchise in professional sports, but they don’t exist in a vacuum. New York is the hub for an extensive history of sports teams across the four major sports, with storied franchises left right and center. One such team is the New York Knicks, who have wandered through the desert for much of the 21st century but have managed to put all the pieces together in 2026, culminating in a run to the NBA Finals that has energized the city in a way no one else has quite managed to.
The question at the heart of this ramble is less analytical, and more based on emotions and feeling, but considering the rush that most New Yorkers are feeling having witnessed this run it feels appropriate. How impactful is a team making a run to a championship round on the other teams that play in the same city as them? Can the Knicks’ push for an NBA Finals appearance have any influence on the Yankees (or Mets) as they get into the summer months?
We don’t have to look too far back to recall the last championship run the city has seen, as it came from the Yankees themselves. Their 2024 run to the World Series was a thrill to watch after years of coming just short in ALCS after ALCS, and while they ultimately got beat by the Dodgers in that postseason it was still a welcome sight after years of the big four sports leagues falling well short. At the same time as the Yankees’ push, the New York Liberty were closing out a title run that saw them take the WNBA championship over the Minnesota Lynx, and the Mets were entertaining hopes of a Subway Series rematch as they went to the NLCS that same year. There was an undeniable energy in the city, and you could argue that that time was also the start of the Knicks’ core assembling that would lead them to their first consistent deep playoff appearances before this year’s big push.
As annoying as it is to admit, Boston’s had this effect on display more than any other city over the last couple of decades. The combination of the Patriots’ dynasty, the Red Sox breaking the Curse of the Bambino and pushing for three other titles, and the Celtics and Bruins tacking on additional rings has kept New Englanders’ spirits high year-round. Each franchise has had their share of superstars to lean on, but having the confidence of a winning culture constantly around them can’t hurt.
What do you think? Is there something to a team in a different sport finding success that can carry over energy to neighboring stadiums? And can the Yankees capitalize on the good vibes coming from the Garden in any way?
We’ve got a super busy day lined up for your perusal today, so let’s get into the schedule. Andrés starts us off with a discussion on why Trent Grisham deserves to stick to leading off the lineup, and then Andrew has the Rivalry Roundup featuring a wacky extra-inning Rays-Orioles match. I’ll be back to talk about which struggling Yankees drew your concern, Jeremy celebrates the birthday of one-time Yankee Travis Lee, and Michael has the weekly recap of action down on the Yankee farm. Finally, Peter delivers the latest At-Bat of the Week with Grisham’s big walk to set up Aaron Judge’s walkoff from Sunday before Josh wraps things up with a look at how Ryan Weathers has delivered surprising consistency for the rotation after entering as the biggest question mark for the staff.
Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend (if your country does that) and enjoyed hanging out with friends and watching NHL playoffs like I did.
Somewhat shockingly, John Tortorella’s Knights have the Avalanche on the brink of a sweep. Meanwhile, the Carolina-Montreal Offer Sheet Series continues to be a close one.
Islanders News
We already linked it before the weekend but man, I’m not inspired by that Hamilton Hammers logo. “Subtle hockey puck details on the hammer knobs pay homage to the iconic puck in the New York Islanders logo, linking the sport’s identity with the craftsmanship of the tools and nodding to the franchise’s origins, including the fisherman logo era.” Alright, okay, sure. [Isles]
Keeping up at the Worlds: Danny Nelson gets a point in the loss (to Latvia!?!) and is scratched for the win over Hungary (???). How is Hungary even in the… [Isles]
Elsewhere
It was another dominant Hurricanes performance (12 shots allowed!) yet close game as Carolina needed overtime to get past the Canadiens in Game 3. [Sportsnet]
Cale Makar returned and was a force in Game 3 logging over 27 minutes, but not enough. [NHL | Sportsnet]
But Nathan MacKinnon, who was injured blocking a shot in Game 3, is a question mark. [NHL]
Color of Hockey: profiling draft prospect Ryan Lin, who upped his offensive game for WHL Vancouver. [NHL]
Elliotte Friedman’s sources say the Leafs’ meeting with Auston Matthews was “positive.” [Sportsnet]
Meanwhile, his old running mate Mitch Marner is building a Conn Smythe candidacy. [Sportsnet]
Bad news for Max Domi, who must be reevaluated in training camp after complications from an unspecified surgery. [NHL]
Chris Pronger on failed Maple Leafs interview blah blah blah. [TSN]
Say what you will about PK Subban as a commentator (we sure will), he was an electric player who made an astounding charitable commitment, and kept it. [NHL]
The Oilers have signed Aku Raty, and I share that just so you can help keep straight that it’s not Aatu Raty, the former Islander and current Canuck who is Aku’s brother. [Sportsnet]
F Bettman and the NHL: A Quebec town could not hold a Canadiens playoff watch party because it’s in Senators “territory.” [TSN]
BALTIMORE – The script is similar, even if many of the characters have changed. The explanation is still very simple yet also complex beyond the layperson’s imagination.
The Tampa Bay Rays are once again the best team in the American League. And this particular brand of Rays ball looks sustainable.
At 34-17, Tampa Bay has built a 3 ½-game lead over a very good New York Yankees team in the AL East. They went five weeks without losing consecutive games. They are both hard to strike out but also incredibly stingy issuing free passes.
In short, they’re the sort of low-revenue, efficient nightmare their Major League Baseball rivals have grown accustomed to emerging out of Central Florida.
And though it’s been three years since they last threatened the game’s hierarchy, their current blend – most notably an offense that’s a punishing combo of speed, power and contact – is undeniably potent.
“There’s a place for everything in the game – a place for homers, a place for guys that get on base,” left fielder Chandler Simpson, the Rays’ speed merchant with 14 steals yet zero career home runs, tells USA TODAY Sports. “If you have nine Mes, it might not work out. If you have nine home run hitters, it might not work out.
“If you combine them together, it’s a recipe for success. I feel like both ways are winning baseball.”
Just how can the Rays beat you? Let us count the ways – five of them, anyway:
Speed kills
When the Rays drafted Simpson in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Georgia Tech, nurtured him through the minor league system and anointed him their left fielder in 2025, it seemed more curiosity than anything.
After all, Simpson had never hit a ball over the fence on his own until doing so in a spring training game in March. His lone homer at Georgia Tech? It was aided by a deflection off an opponent’s glove.
Yet the Rays rolled with Simpson anyway, even if modern baseball orthodoxy decreed that his lack of slug would not justify his derring-do on the basepaths. Metrics, though, can’t entirely measure Simpson.
“Chandler’s as motivated, as driven a player that I’ve been around,” says Rays manager Kevin Cash.
Simpson stole 44 bases last season, and many of his offensive numbers are trending in almost identical fashion, with 14 steals, a .285 average after batting .295 last season and an adjusted OPS of 85 – it was 88 in 2025.
So why, then, has Simpson already doubled his WAR from 0.4 all last season to 0.8 through just one-third of 2026?
He has thoroughly flipped his defensive performance.
Simpson was worth minus-5 outs above average last season, as measured by Statcast. The Rays didn’t need to see the metrics to know what he had to do: Work on his first step. Shadow shortstop Taylor Walls’ movements from his perch in left field.
And leverage that speed to chase down balls all over the outfield.
The result? Simpson’s already worth six outs above average, tied for third in the majors and trailing only defensively elite center fielders Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs and Washington’s Jacob Young.
Simpson boils his turnaround down to three words: “Anticipate every pitch.”
For Cash and his staff, it was a simple objective: Get Simpson’s speed and defensive acumen to match up. Long hours spent with outfield coach Corey Dickerson, a former Ray, paid off.
“With the amount of ground he’s covering this year,” says Cash, “it’s a huge credit to him and the work he’s put in.”
Simpson, meanwhile, doesn’t have to worry about swinging for the fences, not when the Rays love him just the way he is – sticking to their word since the day they drafted him.
“Very thankful that they just allow me to play freely, to play my game,” he says. “They don’t expect me to be anything else and I’m very much appreciative of that fact.”
An offensive buffet
The Rays rank second in the AL with 53 stolen bases, one behind Cleveland. Nine Rays have registered steals, with Cedric Mullins joining Simpson in double digits with 10. Chaos can rule the day.
“We have a lineup that’s in the back of every other opposing pitcher’s minds - if they get a guy on, they start to panic a little more. I can speak to experience about that, facing this team,” says Rays right-hander Griffin Jax, a former Twins reliever who’s converting to starting pitcher with Tampa Bay.
“Because late in the game, if you get a guy on, you’re like, oh my gosh, this guy’s going to get to third base before I throw the next two pitches. That definitely plays into the opponents’ mind a little bit.”
Beyond that, the Rays know how to get down a bunt: Their 18 sacrifices lead the majors. Yet this is no small-ball outfit.
Lest we forget, slugging third baseman Junior Caminero walloped 45 home runs last year and is on a similar pace, with 13 already this year. The All-Star trio near the top of the lineup – Yandy Diaz, Caminero and Jonathan Aranda – sport OPS of .893, .846 and .833.
Slugging pays, and the Rays’ 26th-ranked payroll of $89 million is reflected in their No. 28 ranking in home runs. But the offense as a whole can be a suffocating combination.
“There’s so many different ways we can win,” says second baseman Richie Palacios.
Winning the info wars
Including run prevention.
Pitching coach Kyle Snyder has applied his savant-like touch to Tampa Bay’s starting pitchers since 2018. Yet their success is also a symphony of front office acquisition and ground-floor coaching.
Nick Martinez didn’t top anybody’s list of top free agent starters this past winter. After a year of mild regression in Cincinnati, he was available to Tampa Bay for just one year and $13 million.
Yet the man who carved out a niche as a swingman with Texas, San Diego and Cincinnati and in four seasons playing in Japan found another gear this year, at age 35: He’s 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA, even while striking out just 36 batters in 59 ⅓ innings.
His explanation is almost an echo of dozens of itinerant pitchers who preceded him at Tropicana Field.
“The information we get is really good,” says Martinez. “The communication they give us, maybe when we fall off the wagon a little bit, to get back on track, that gives the pitcher a lot of trust. A lot of confidence.
“And allows us to be more aggressive, knowing that these guys have our backs, and we’re going to adjust to what we need to and give you the information that’s going to make you a better player.”
For Martinez, the phrase that resonated the most in a big-picture sense was simple: Pound the strike zone. For a pitcher who’s hardly a strikeout artist, that message was lost last season, when his ERA skyrocketed to 4.45 in Cincinnati.
“It starts with mentality,” he says, “to be aggressive and challenge guys early and often. And expanding when you have to, instead of being too tricky, too fine, and then fall behind 1-0, 2-0.
“I fell into that pattern last year and it snowballed on me. It felt like I was in survivor mode just trying to stay in the count all season.”
This time, he’s potentially on his way to his first All-Star Game.
Strike zone control
Martinez has bucked a significant trend in MLB this season: He has reduced his walk percentage, from 6.1% down to 5%, in a year teams are averaging 3.54 walks per game, highest in the majors since 2000.
And it seems like the Rays are winning both sides of the strike zone equation. Their 365 strikeouts by batters are by far the fewest in the majors. And their pitchers have issued 160 walks; only Seattle has given out fewer free passes in the AL.
The scary thing is it is all by design. Just ask Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz, a longtime coach in the Rays’ organization whose new club absorbed a sweep by Tampa Bay last week.
“It’s the same Rays that I know,” says Albernaz. “Their pitching is elite. Kyle Snyder does a great job with those guys. It seems like it doesn’t matter who they put in a Rays uniform on the mound. They’ll have some of the nastiest stuff you’ll see in the league.
“On the offensive side, Junior and Yandy and Aranda are forces in the box. The rest of the lineup are forces as well, but it looks different. It’s a grindy at-bat. They make you work. They fight off tough pitches. They lay off tough pitches. They have the ability to put the ball in play. They have a lot of speed over there, so it causes a little bit of chaos on the defensive side of the ball.
“It’s a very diverse team. It’s very intentional how they construct that team.”
The vibes are good
Simpson noted that he has been able to flourish because the Rays allow him to play to his strengths. And that’s been a hallmark of “Rays culture,” such as it is.
Palacios, now in his third season in Tampa Bay, has seen enough to believe it’s real.
“They just want me to play the game I’ve always played,” says Palacios, who has a .359 OBP but just seven home runs in three seasons with Tampa Bay. “Not try to do anything out of the ordinary: Get on base, steal bases and play defense. That’s always been my game.
“It’s important that I’m able to just be myself within my game and bring the energy that I do. That’s when I play my best.”
As they say, if you feel good, you play good. And if you play good, well, that tends to make the vibes good.
“It’s not just the ability we have but the camaraderie we have,” says Palacios. “We push for each other. It’s a lot easier to make sacrifices for each other because we love each other.”
Can it last?
The Rays hit a wall last season once the weather turned hot in their temporary outdoor home in Tampa; now, Tropicana Field is repaired and the club will enjoy climate control all season.
The margin for error remains thin: The Yankees are lurking, having just added ace Gerrit Cole. The Blue Jays are not far off. The Orioles battled them for 13 innings and beat them Monday.
Yet what’s already in the bank – and what’s been built – feels pretty real.
“I think what we’re doing is pretty sustainable,” says Jax. “It’s six, seven weeks we’ve been doing it.”
And more than a few good reasons why they just might keep it going.
HOUSTON, TEXA - MAY 4: Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone speaks to the media during a news conference wrapping up the season at Toyota Center in Houston, Monday, May 4, 2026. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
The Houston Rockets’ offseason plans haven’t been made clear. The Rockets could go in a number of directions, as they’ve got glaring roster needs.
Last season’s team lacked playmaking guards, not to mention the Rockets’ lack of outside shooters. The Rockets lost the math game essentially every night. And they could use more shot makers (and shot takers) in general.
From a roster standpoint, the team needs major upgrades. They can’t expect another season like this from Kevin Durant.
And they can’t expect Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams to make all the difference and fill all of the voids. They’ve even admitted that.
However, the messaging regarding what Houston intends to do this summer has been very inconsistent, especially if you’ve been keeping up with General Manager Rafael Stone’s media appearances since Houston’s early postseason exit.
During Houston’s end of season presser, Stone essentially stated that Houston would be running it back, save for marginal moves intended to shore up the tail end of the roster.
“In terms of the roster, we’ll look at everything and look at all potential deals but we think that the players in our locker room can win alot of games and be very competitive.
We have players coming back from injury that will help us. If we bring back largely the same group, continuity will help us.”
Stone and Ime Udoka sat side by side and emphasized the importance of internal growth from the Rockets’ younger players, across the board. Udoka’s quote is below.
“For us, I think improvement across the board with our young guys…not making any changes, that’s growth from those guys. Getting everybody back healthy, that’s part of it.”
Stone then joined the Ryen Russilo podcast and seemingly said something entirely different.
“Hopefully, we get healthy and we’ll work really hard this summer at bolstering the roster. Maybe there’s things we can do that help us a little bit and come back next year and hopefully we’re a much better team.”
Perhaps this is all just a matter of conjuring. Maybe Stone doesn’t want to show his hand.
Understandably.
Once you make it known that you’re looking to move a player, they lose value, as an asset. Because teams know you’re ultimately wanting to rid yourself of said asset and they may not be as inclined to offer top value.
The messaging has certainly been inconsistent and a bit difficult to follow, regarding whether the Rockets intend to run it back or make an aggressive, franchise-defining move. They likely want to find another bargain, like last year’s deal for Kevin Durant.
That seems unlikely. Especially on the star front.
Donovan Mitchell and/or Giannis Antetokounmpo — the stars on the market this summer — won’t come cheap. It’s been suggested that Houston could try to make a move at those players.
Regardless, Houston’s brass can’t afford to simply run it back and bank on internal improvement and/or development. They’re going to have to be active, if they hope to get on the same tier as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs — who sit atop the Western Conference.
Kouame holds for 6-6 in the first; he and Cilic will now play a first-set tiebreaker, and I’d not be at all surprised if the 17-year-old took it. I’m almost tempted to post one of my school reports from the same age just to make clear how ridiculous what he’s doing is.
On Chatrier,Sabalenka and Bouzas Maneiro are ready to start. Can the world no 1 win a major on a non-hard surface? I’m sure the answer is yes, but equally, I’m not sure it’ll be this one, this year.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the second quarter an in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
An NBA season can end in many ways.
For about half of the league, the season ends without ever really beginning. Teams that finish in the lottery or lose in the Play-In Tournament never had much on the line.
Losing in the actual playoffs can vary. A hard-fought exit for a young team like the Toronto Raptors is still encouraging. A brutal 3-1 collapse from a title contender in Boston is harrowing, but they have enough championship DNA to feel good about running it back.
But then, there are the teams that get humbled. The ones who have to swallow some reality pills.
It’s hard to feel good about anything that comes on the wrong side of a sweep, and that only gets worse the deeper you go in the postseason.
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, I’m not sure a clearer message could have been sent in the Eastern Conference Finals: This team isn’t good enough.
Let’s start by adding context.
Getting this far is hard
Making it to the Eastern Conference Finals is an achievement. It’s not the ultimate goal, of course, but an accomplishment nonetheless. This was only the ninth time in 56 years that Cleveland made it to the final four. That means something.
It’s more impressive considering this team was put together on the fly. Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, and Lonzo Ball were all supposed to be key contributors to this team. All of which were shipped out in February, leaving the newcomers only a few weeks to acclimate themselves to Cleveland.
Teams that make a blockbuster move at the deadline rarely go deep into the playoffs. Inserting James Harden into the lineup and managing to go this far in the postseason is an anomaly. Again, that’s worth something.
But it still wasn’t good enough.
The Cavs hit the ground running in round one. They surged to a 2-0 series lead over the Raptors, riding the momentum of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. The two-shot creators looked ready to rewrite the narratives around their playoff shortcomings and hit no hitches in their first two playoff games together.
That didn’t last.
Mitchell and Harden hit a wall in Toronto. They struggled to generate quality offense without turning it over or relying entirely on the outside shot. This would prove to be the theme throughout the rest of the playoffs, causing them to play seven games against a Raptors team that was missing multiple starters and then later failing to close out a reeling Pistons team.
“I tell you what didn’t help was losing those two Game 6’s,” said Kenny Atkinson. “I’ve been in this a long time, and you have to take advantage of those opportunities.”
Overcoming adversity and winning two Game 7s is encouraging. It’s a step forward for this squad. But it was also a sign that this team isn’t as close as they should be. Good teams don’t play with their food.
The Eastern Conference Finals confirmed that.
Shut Out by New York
The Cavs had to battle through two grueling seven-game series to get here. That begged the question, how much gas would they have left? The answer, after blowing a 22-point lead in Game 1, was none.
“We didn’t give ourselves a chance,” said Mitchell. “You can’t play with your food. We had an opportunity to close both [previous] series and give ourselves a rest.”
Cleveland jumped out to an early lead and then gradually played worse as the series went on. New York controlled every facet by the end, working harder, playing smarter, and providing solutions for anything the Cavs threw at them.
Conversely, the Cavs had nothing to fall back on. They aren’t an elite defense, falling outside of the top 10 this season for the first time since emerging as a playoff team. They also took a step backwards offensively, finishing the season 13th in three-point percentage after being a historically efficient squad last year.
That all rang true throughout the series as New York blew the doors off offensively while the Cavs failed to ever muster up a counter punch.
“I don’t think we even had a chance, not giving our best punch,” said Harden. “We didn’t even play a quarter of Cavs basketball.”
They were defeated through and through. I’m not sure holding on in Game 1 would have made a meaningful difference.
“Go through the other games, and look at the totality of it, and they pretty much dominated,” said Aktinson.
New York has won 11 straight playoff games. They’ve done it with the greatest offensive stretch of basketball in postseason history. That didn’t happen just because they shot the cover off the ball (they did), but because they properly adjusted to every moment of adversity and had an identity to fall back on.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks don’t need three-pointers to beat you. They can get downhill, score from the mid-range, get to the free-throw line, or punish you with their passing. And while Brunson, for example, isn’t a great defender, the effort he puts into not being picked on was far greater than either Mitchell or Harden showed. That gives you a higher floor to work with.
That wasn’t true for Cleveland. The Cavs, who finished 13th in three-point percentage, launched over 150 three-pointers in this series and converted on fewer than 30% of them. That’s an indication that no one knows what this team is supposed to turn to when things get tough. They just kept firing away from deep, praying the results would change.
Again, how you end a season can tell you a lot.
The Cavs didn’t just get swept; they were run off their home floor in an elimination game. A night that was over almost as soon as the jump ball was thrown into the air. Championship-caliber teams don’t do that.
Season Conclusion
This type of exit means more than Cleveland’s previous losses. They weren’t injured. They didn’t underperform against a team that’s going nowhere. They measured themselves up against a legit contender and found out they don’t even come close to meeting the mark.
The writing was on the wall for most of the season. Cleveland wore their weaknesses on their sleeve and stayed committed to a process that no longer matched the personnel on the roster. They never came close to finding the joy, pace, or unselfish ball movement that defined their success a year ago. That finally led to their end versus New York.
The individual talent on this roster allowed the Cavs to overachieve in many ways. They made it farther than most. But the cohesion and willingness to adapt are what made the Knicks a significantly better basketball team. You can’t fake what they had — and the Cavs clearly didn’t have it.
Perhaps this is another stepping stone towards the end goal. That’s what the Cavs are hoping, anyway. Harden and Mitchell both ended their media availability by re-committing to the franchise and each other.
“I’m sorry for the city of Cleveland, for it to be like this in a sweep,” said Mitchell. “We have unfinished business. The city deserves a ring.”
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 13: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees warms up in the bullpen before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 13, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips ($): Ace southpaw Max Fried has taken a small step forward in his return from the elbow injury that felled him. Monday, Fried played catch for the first time since hitting the Injured List. Despite that, there are no plans for Fried to quickly ramp up for a return. Fried has previously called his timeline “ambiguous,” and he’s trying to manage expectations. Honestly, given the way the rest of the rotation is pitching, the Yankees are best served being careful with the star lefty. It’s not like he can hit and play third base or catcher, anyway.
MLB | Robert Falkoff: If it seems like it’s been a hot minute since the Yankees lost a baseball game to the Kansas City Royals, it’s because it has been. Monday marked the 12th consecutive Yanks’ victory over the Royals, including the postseason. Monday, Anthony Volpe was the unlikely hero. His two-run single off Royals closer Lucas Erceg in the ninth inning turned a one-out deficit into a one-run lead and set the stage for the comeback win. The Yanks’ dominance over KC is their longest such streak since they won a dozen in a row against Boston during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. With Cam Schlitter going Tuesday, they have a decent chance to get to a baker’s dozen.
TJ Stats | Thomas Nestico: Another Yankee prospect is making some noise in the early going. Jackson Lovich, a 6-foot-4 shortstop playing at Low-A, has been absolutely raking the past couple of weeks. The Yanks drafted him in the 16th round in 2025. FanGraphs noted prior to this season (leaving him off their Top 30 Yankees prospects list) that the question would be whether he could overcome a penchant for striking out and maximize his power. But over the past two weeks, he’s hit eight long balls while displaying elite exit velocities, and while he’s still striking out a lot, it’s less than before. If he keeps this up, he’ll likely get a chance to see if he can hit High-A pitching sooner rather than later.
Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division)
Montreal, Quebec; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -141, Canadiens +118; over/under is 5.5
STANLEY CUP SEMIFINALS: Hurricanes lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Montreal Canadiens in the third round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the seventh time this season. The Hurricanes won 3-2 in overtime in the last matchup.
Montreal has a 48-24-10 record overall and a 26-18-4 record on its home ice. The Canadiens are fifth in the league serving 10.4 penalty minutes per game.
Carolina has a 53-22-7 record overall and a 29-12-5 record on the road. The Hurricanes rank second in NHL play with 291 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).
TOP PERFORMERS: Cole Caufield has 51 goals and 37 assists for the Canadiens. Alexander Newhook has six goals and two assists over the last 10 games.
Seth Jarvis has 32 goals and 34 assists for the Hurricanes. Logan Stankoven has six goals over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 5-3-2, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.3 assists, 5.3 penalties and 17.4 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.
Hurricanes: 9-1-0, averaging three goals, 5.7 assists, 5.9 penalties and 13.4 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game.
INJURIES: Canadiens: Patrik Laine: out (abdomen).
Hurricanes: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Premier League season is over, but what did Guardian football writers enjoy, dislike or marvel at over the last nine months?
Goalkeepers never usually get a mention for this award but David Raya played an integral role in Arsenal finally getting over the line, winning the Premier League’s Golden Glove award for a third year in a row thanks to 19 clean sheets. Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes were the outstanding outfield players. Ed Aarons
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 24: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Four of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 24, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Everything is tied up heading into Game Five of the Western Conference Finals. The San Antonio Spurs played stout defense against the Oklahoma City Thunder on their way to a 103-82 victory in Game Four. Now the Spurs need to win two of the next three games, including one on the road, to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
San Antonio made a major adjustment in the Game Four win. The Spurs doubled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander early and often in the first three games of the series. That may have neutralized SGA’s impact to an extent, but it also led to more open shots for the Thunder’s role players. In Game Four, the Spurs guarded Gilgeous-Alexander 1-on-1 and sent light help on drives. The result was a 19-point game for SGA and a 6-33 night from deep for OKC.
The playoffs are all about adjustments and counter-adjustments. The Thunder will certainly come out with a solution to San Antonio’s defense. They’ll have to do it without key ball-handlers. Ajay Mitchell is out with a calf strain, and Jalen Williams is questionable as he deals with his hamstring injury.
Every playoff game is a “must-win,” but Game Five feels particularly important. Defeating a shorthanded OKC squad on the road with two chances to clinch the series would put the Spurs in a strong position to advance to the Finals. They’ll need another dominant defensive performance to steal Game Five on the road.
Thunder Injuries: Thomas Sorber – Out (knee), Ajay Mitchell – Out (calf), Jalen Williams – Questionable (hamstring)
What to watch for:
Interior scoring
The Spurs outscored the Thunder in the paint 50-36 in Game Four. So far in the playoffs, if San Antonio can control the battle on the interior, they typically can win the game. The Thunder have been good at keeping Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs’ guards from dominating inside. In Game Four, Wembanyama was able to score through or over Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, while the guards did a better job getting downhill, particularly in the pick-and-roll. Outscoring the Thunder inside again will be crucial to winning Game Five.
Limiting turnovers
The best part about having De’Aaron Fox back in the lineup is the calming presence he brings alongside Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. San Antonio has been much better at valuing possessions since Fox returned to the lineup in Game Three. The Spurs had just 13 turnovers in Game Four. OKC is at its best when it can create turnovers and score easy buckets in transition. San Antonio’s defense is already suffocating enough. They can’t give the Thunder breaks by turning the ball over and letting them get easy shots.
Champagnie’s shooting
Julian Champagnie has been ice-cold in the Conference Finals. He’s shooting 19.4% from three-point range in the series. San Antonio desperately needs him to start hitting shots. The Thunder have loaded up on Wembanyama and the Spurs’ guards. Devin Vassell has taken advantage of the lack of defensive attention. If Champagnie can follow suit, San Antonio’s offense could be set for an explosion in Game Five.
