Posts

Posted on

The 2026 projections are in for Padres

It’s a good thing the baseball season is still two months away. San Diego Padres president of baseball operations/general manager A.J. Preller has plenty of time to upgrade the roster before the start of the new season. It could be a problem if he doesn’t make the needed improvements before March 26, Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers.

With the roster still missing a 1B/DH and at least one starting pitcher, the projections for 2026 are not favorable, according to certain projections.

There are two different projections found on the FanGraphs pages. The Steamer projections are the work of Jared Cross, Dash Davidson and Peter Rosenbloom. The definition from MLB:

Steamer uses past performance and aging trends to develop a future projection for players. It also uses pitch-tracking data to help forecast pitchers. On Fangraphs, the projections are updated daily and predict each player’s numbers over the course of the remainder of the season.

These are the objective evaluations that are available to fans and media alike.

There is another system published on FanGraphs, the ZiPS projections developed by Dave Zymborski. The Zymborski Projection System (ZiPS) is not based on human evaluation but an algorithm developed by Zymborski.

ZiPS uses growth and decline curves based on player type to find trends. It then factors those trends into the past performance of those players to come up with projections. The system uses statistics from the previous four years for players from ages 24-38, and it weights more recent seasons heavier. For younger or older players, it uses weighted statistics from only the previous three years. The system also factors velocities, injury data and play-by-play data into its equations.

These two systems can differ significantly at times. The projections begin with a preseason posting of stats for all players and teams and are updated as the season goes along, based on performance.

As of now, the Padres are projected to have a .496 winning percentage from Steamer. ZiPS is more optimistic, with a high 80s to 90-win season. They would only have 80 wins based on the Steamer numbers after removing the players that have left the team. With Michael King being the only significant returning player, the Padres rotation does not measure up as a playoff team, according to those Steamer numbers.

Both Steamers and ZiPS uses WAR as the final tool to measure a player’s value. Specific stats are also included in the projection but the overall evaluation is expressed in WAR (Wins Above Replacement). For pitchers, their ERA and WAR is the overall valuation tool as well as games pitched and innings pitched.

The Padres bullpen is already acknowledged as one of the best, if not the best, in baseball. With the rotation and lineup being the factors still in flux, I limited my research to those areas.

Offense

For the 2025 season, Fernando Tatis Jr. topped the team with a fWAR of 6.1 (FanGraphs stat). The next closest Padre was Manny Machado at 3.8 WAR. Xander Bogaerts came in at 3.2 and Jackson Merrill at 3.0. Jake Cronenworth had a 2.9 WAR but then the WAR fell off significantly to Gavin Sheets at 1.3. Ramon Laureano played only 50 games with the Padres so his WAR only reflected those games. He had a 6.0 offensive WAR but his defense brought his overall down to 0.7. All other Padres were under 1.0.

For reference, 1-2 is considered below average. 2.0 is an average player with 2-3 being a good player. 3-4 is considered All-Star level and 4-5 is a superstar. 6 or 6-plus is an MVP candidate-type player.

With the season that Tatis Jr. had offensively, the majority of his WAR was accumulated defensively as his offense was good but not MVP level.

Pitchers WAR

For the starting pitchers, Nick Pivetta topped out at 3.7 WAR and Dylan Cease had a 3.4. They were the only two starters above 1.0 in WAR in 2025.

Projections: Offense

Here are some of the numbers projected for the Padres players for 2026. I’m listing both Steamers and ZiPS for comparison and listing other notable stats projected with their WAR.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has a projected 4.9 with ZiPS and 5.1 with Steamers. He has a similar batting average projected with both (.275 with Steamers and .265 with ZiPS). He is projected to hit 30 (Steamers) or 26 (ZiPS) homers with 80 (Z) or 78 (Z) RBI.

Manny Machado has a projected 3.2 WAR (Z) or 3.3 (S) and a batting average of .258 (Z) and .268 (S). They believe his home run totals will drop again in 2026 to 23 (Z) and 26 (S) with 84 (Z) and 85 (S) RBI.

Jackson Merrill is projected to take a significant step up, undoubtedly presuming that he will have better health in the coming season. His WAR increases to 4.3 (Z) and 4.1 (S) with a .270 (Z) or .269 (S) batting average. His home run total is 20 (Z) and 23 (S) with 75 (Z) and 77 (S) RBI.

Xander Bogaerts has a 3.3 WAR (Z) versus a 2.9 (S) with a batting average of .259 (Z) and .270 (S). He is projected to hit 10 (Z) and 13 (S) homers with 52 (Z) and 57 (S) RBI.

Jake Cronenworth is also projected to take a step down from his 2025 season. His WAR is projected to be 2.0 (Z) and 1.6 (S) with his batting average dropping to .233 (Z) and .236 (S). With his home run 12 (Z) and 13 (S) numbers and his RBI 55 (Z) and 56 (S) numbers also similar. His drop would be due to an assumed decrease in his on base ability or his defense dipping.

Ramon Laureano, in his first full season with the Padres, is projected to have a 2.2 (Z) and 1.2 (S) WAR with a .242 (Z) and .243 (S) average. He is projected to hit 17 homers in both with 58 (Z) and 57 (S) RBI.

Projections: Starters

None of the Padres starters are projected to have an ERA below 3.55, with Michael King projected to have 22 games pitched and 119 innings to achieve that ERA with a 2.2 WAR. Nick Pivetta has a projected 26 games started and 156 innings pitched with a 3.87 ERA and 2.3 WAR. He is obviously not viewed as being able to replicate his 2025 success.

Joe Musgrove is viewed conservatively in his first season back after UCL surgery. He projects to 16 starts and 91 innings with a 3.87 ERA and 1.4 WAR. JP Sears is seen with a 4.0 ERA in 28 games started and 144 innings pitched and a 0.8 WAR. Randy Vasquez brings up the rear with a 4.68 ERA in 25 starts and 125 innings pitched and a 0.7 WAR.

Any significant upgrade to the roster will improve the overall team projections but it will be up to the players to outperform their individual projections.

With most of the major free agents in MLB now off the board, it could be a good time to sign the mid-tier players that Preller would presumably be aiming to target. A quality bat and mid-rotation starter is just what is needed to improve the overall projections.

Posted on

Isaiah George feels ‘good’ about first shot at securing Islanders’ defensive job

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Isaiah George #36 of the New York Islanders and Tyson Kozak #48 of the Buffalo Sabres battle for the puck during the second period at UBS Arena on January 24, 2026 in Elmont, New York

The Islanders made the long-awaited move to call up Isaiah George before Saturday’s game, but did so in the sort of context they would have preferred to avoid.

Ryan Pulock was out with an upper-body injury and called day to day by coach Patrick Roy.

That meant instead of replacing Adam Boqvist in the lineup — which would have been the likely move had the Islanders brought home a fully healthy defensive corps from Wednesday’s 4-1 loss in Seattle — George was on a pair opposite the Swede.

Isaiah George (left) looks to keep the puck away from Tyson Kozak during the second period of the Islanders’ 5-0 loss to the Sabres at UBS Arena on Jan. 24, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images

Scott Mayfield moved up to the top pair in Pulock’s usual spot, reprising the role he played at the start of the season on the right side of Matthew Schaefer.

“I thought it was good,” George said of his performance across 13:56 of ice as the Islanders lost 5-0 to the Sabres. “Thought I had some moments, obviously, wish you had better shifts, but I felt comfortable out there. Getting back to the groove of things but I felt like I was handling the puck pretty well. Felt like I was seeing the ice.”

Before the game, Roy went through the list of players from Bridgeport the Islanders have given a chance this year: Travis Mitchell, Marshall Warren, Cole McWard and now George. Left unsaid was that part of the reason four defensemen have been called up is not one of them has seized a job for good.

George, who played 33 games with the Islanders last season, may have the best chance of doing so. Word is that the 21-year-old put on serious muscle mass since his stint with the Isles a year ago, addressing one of the issues that prevented him from finishing the season on Long Island.

The Oakville, Ontario native impressed last season with his poise and skating, but the NHL seemed to wear on him over time, in particular the physicality of the league. Roy also said that a concussion, sustained in Toronto that caused George to miss a few games, had to do with some of his struggles.

This season, George has missed time with a pair of injuries, but has impressed since returning from the latest one a couple of weeks ago in particular. In his last game before getting called up last Monday, George had two assists.

“Obviously, you’d rather not be hurt,” George said. “You want to be playing, playing good, so that was obviously a tough situation. But I’m just happy with the way I stuck with it, kept working. I feel like the last couple weeks it’s kind of gone my way.”

Bo Horvat played 19:20 and recorded four shots on net in his return from a lower-body injury.

“I felt pretty good,” Horvat said. “I think, obviously, can be better in certain areas and timing-wise and legs, but overall felt pretty good. Felt confident.”

Posted on

Knicks' OG Anunoby 'changed the game' defensively in win over 76ers, especially when guarding Joel Embiid

It looked as if the Knicks had Saturday's game against the 76ers in hand when they were up by 16 points heading into the fourth quarter, but a furious comeback by Philadelphia almost spelled disaster for New York, if it weren't for the efforts of OG Anunoby.

The Knicks forward finished with 23 points, second to Jalen Brunson's 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in the team's eventual 112-109 win. But Anunoby did much more than what was shown on the stat sheet. As has often been the case, Anunoby's high-effort plays and defense were the difference between a Knicks win or loss. 

"OG obviously changed the game defensively," head coach Mike Brown said after the game. "His quick decisions with the basketball, it was beautiful to watch. Defensively, guard Paul George, guard their power forward and then guard Joel Embiid. He was phenomenal defensively." 

That last part was especially crucial for the Knicks. With Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out and Mitchell Robinson in foul trouble of his own, Brown went with a smaller lineup in the final minutes of the game, and giving Anunoby the tall task of guarding Embiid as the five. 

While it wasn't perfect, Anunoby did his job keeping the former MVP from completely taking over the game. Embiid -- who finished with a game-high 38 points -- scored just four points in the final five minutes. 

"We can’t do anything like that if you don’t have a guy like OG," Brown said of going with the smaller lineup. "OG allows us to play the basketball game in a lot of different ways. So, we were able to do it."

Anunoby's offensive contributions were also huge. With the Sixers cutting the Knicks' lead to just three points and under two minutes remaining, Anunoby had a putback dunk that seemed to settle down the team. Anunoby followed with a three-pointer in the next offensive possession before assisting on a Landry Shamet three to give the Knicks a much-needed eight-point lead. 

The Knicks would need every point of that lead, as Philadelphia cut the lead back down to three, but Anunoby came up with a steal of Embiid's pass to ice the game. 

Brown was asked his thoughts on Anunoby guarding Embiid and the first-year Knicks coach said, "It was good." 

"He’s trying to do his work early," he added. "Try to make it hard for him to catch, guys on the perimeter get up on your guys so they can’t sit there and measure a pass and throw it over the top."

The Knicks, now winners of back-to-back games after a 2-9 stretch, will look to extend their winning streak to three when they host the Kings on Tuesday night.

Posted on

Donovan Mitchell’s 27 second-half points lead Cavs to 119-105 victory over Magic

The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business for the second night in a row. They comfortably defeated the Orlando Magic 119-105 thanks to a solid defensive effort and strong contributions from their entire rotation. Cleveland has now won six of their last eight games and 10 of their last 14.

This was an ugly game in the first half. The Cavs very much looked like a team on the second leg of a back-to-back as they struggled to establish any offensive momentum. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, combining to go 7-22 from the field in the first two quarters, played a large role in that happening.

Mitchell turning it around in the second half led to this being the stress-free win that it was. He provided 10 points in the third quarter to push what was a seven-point advantage at the break into a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Then, Mitchell put the game away in the fourth by supplying 17 points and three assists in that frame to keep Orlando at arm’s length. In total, 27 of his 36 points came in the second half. He finished the game shooting 15-30 from the field to go along with nine assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!

Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the new City Edition shirt can be found HERE.

Cleveland won this game on the defensive end. The Magic are statistically the worst three-point shooting team in the East. The Cavs played them as such. Cleveland packed the paint and dared Orlando’s shooters to beat them from outside. They didn’t, as the Magic went just 11-40 (27.5%) from distance.

The Cavs, on the other hand, were able to knock down their outside shots. They connected on 44.1% of their triples to outscore the Magic by 12 points from beyond the arc.

Cleveland also controlled the paint on both ends. They did a good job of walling off the basket defensively, forcing the Magic to take tough in-between shots. This led to the Cavs having 10 more points in the paint.

You’re going to win most games when you hit more threes and score more points in the paint than your opponent.

Mobley wasn’t able to replicate his Shaq-like performance from Friday’s win over the Sacramento Kings. He was aggressive on the offensive end, but wasn’t able to get those shots to fall as he went just 4-14 from the field, leading to 13 points. Mobley was once again effective on the defensive end and was a large reason why the Cavs were able to keep Orlando’s attack in check.

Cleveland received positive contributions from everyone who played.

Jaylon Tyson continues to make the most of his scoring chances as he provided 17 points on 5-9 shooting. Tyrese Proctor supplied an impressive 12 points on 4-4 shooting in under 10 minutes of play. Dean Wade had a positive contribution as a scorer, as he went 4-4 from the field with 10 points to go along with three steals and two blocks.

The Magic were led by Paolo Banchero’s 27 points on 7-14 shooting. Desmond Bane had 20 points and four rebounds in the loss.

The Cavs will take on the Magic again on Monday. This time, it’ll be in Cleveland. Tip-off is at 7 PM.

Posted on

Collins scores 28 off bench as No. 19 Texas Tech women beat Utah 77-49

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Snudda Collins scored 28 points off the bench, and the No. 19 Texas Tech women rolled past Utah 77-49 on Saturday night.

Collins had 20 points by halftime, going 4 for 4 from behind the arc in the first half as the Lady Raiders built a commanding 39-20 lead. Texas Tech shot 52% from the field and 45% from 3-point range while holding Utah to 33% shooting and just 3 of 16 from deep.

Texas Tech put the game away in the third quarter, outscoring the Utes 25-12 to push the margin past 30. The Lady Raiders led 64-32 entering the fourth and never allowed Utah to threaten.

Bailey Maupin added 15 points for Texas Tech (20-2, 7-2 Big 12), and Jada Malone scored 11 off the bench. Gemma Nuñez pulled down nine rebounds and dished out five assists as the Lady Raiders forced 18 turnovers and finished with 12 steals.

Reese Ross led Utah (14-6, 5-3) with 13 points and nine rebounds. Lani White scored 10 points.

The win snapped a two-game skid for Texas Tech.

Up Next

Texas Tech faces Iowa State on Wednesday.

Utah hosts No. 22 West Virginia this Tuesday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

Posted on

Mets, Craig Kimbrel, agree to minor league deal

The Mets, who are always on the lookout for pitching depth, came to an agreement with Craig Kimbrel Saturday night, according to Jon Heyman. It is a minor league deal for Kimbrel, with an invite to MLB Spring Training. He will make $2.5m in base salary if he does make the team, according to Will Sammon.

Kimbrel, 37, likely needs little introduction to those reading this. He is in the twilight seasons of an excellent career, to say the very least. He has amassed 440 saves across 15 seasons with a 2.58 ERA, making him one of the premier relievers in the game during his prime. He started his career with the NL East rival Atlanta Braves, where Mets fans saw plenty of him — he has made 46 appearances against the Mets, earning 30 saves and a 1.46 ERA against those appearances.

Kimbrel has since bounced around since he left the Braves via trade early in the 2015 seasons, when he was dealt to the Padres alongside Melvin Upton Jr. for Carlos Quentin, Cameron Maybin, and Matt Wisler when he was a prospect (an excellent trade for Remembering Some Guys). He spent a year in San Diego before being dealt again, this time to the Red Sox, in exchange for Manuel Margot. After three years in Boston, he spent three years with the Cubs, and truly became a jouneyman, appearing in Major League games with the White Sox, Dodgers, Phillies, and Orioles, before splitting 2025 between the Braves and Astros.

Kimbrel can still miss bats despite his age, notching a 34.7% strikeout rate in 14 games (12 innings) last year, which is pretty closely in line with his career 38.8% strikeout rate. He also had a 2.25 ERA in those 12 innings, as well as a 3.00 ERA in 42 minor league games with the Braves and Rangers (who he did not appear in a Major League game with last year), acquitting himself well enough to get another chance in 2026.

For the Mets, Kimbrel gives them another interesting arm to throw at the wall while they continue to map out what the middle and front end of their bullpen looks like. For Kimbrel, the Mets give him a legitimate chance to continue his potentially Hall of Fame career, considering parts of their bullpen are not set in stone. It will be a fun side story during Spring Training.

Posted on

Pierre scores career-high 25, reaches 1,000 points in TCU's 97-90 win over Baylor

WACO, Texas (AP) — Jayden Pierre scored a career-high 25 points, Xavier Edmonds added 23, and TCU defeated Baylor 97-90 on Saturday night.

The Horned Frogs (13-7, 3-4 Big 12) rode a strong second half to the win, outscoring Baylor 59-52 after heading to halftime tied at 38. Pierre scored 14 in the second half, reaching 1,000 career points in the process.

Edmonds scored five points during a 7-0 TCU run that stretched the lead to 17, their largest of the night, with seven minutes remaining. Baylor cut the lead to single-digits late but couldn't complete the comeback, as Edmonds hit six straight free throws with under a minute remaining.

TCU shot 52% from the floor and 46% from 3-point range, and hit 26 of 32 free throws. The Horned Frogs scored 44 points in the paint and led for 25:09, taking the lead for good with 15:14 remaining in the second half during a 9-0 run.

The Bears (11-8, 1-6) were paced by Isaac Williams and Tounde Yessoufou, who each scored 21 points before fouling out. Cameron Carr added 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Sophomore forward David Punch was a late scratch for TCU due to illness. He leads the team with averages of 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Up next

TCU hosts Houston on Wednesday.

Baylor visits Cincinnati on Wednesday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Posted on

Check Out These Photos from Astros FanFest 2026

(All photos courtesy Houston Astros)

The Astros hosted a successful 2026 FanFest on Saturday, Jan. 24 at Daikin Park. The 2026 FanFest wraps up a great week of Astros Caravan stops throughout the Texas community and represents the official launch of baseball season for Astros fans.

The official kickoff of the 2026 season saw 10,420 fans participate in autograph sessions, photo opportunities, games, Fan Forums, Q&As, play catch on the field, take swings in the batting cages, and more.

“We were thrilled to welcome the greatest fans in baseball back to Daikin Park to kick off the 2026 season, and we’re grateful to our players and coaches for spending the day with them,” said Anita Sehgal, Astros Executive Vice President, Marketing and Communications.  “Fan Fest is such a special tradition, and we love creating unforgettable moments and memories for all our fans.”

Astros Manager Joe Espada participated in FanFest along with all the members of his coaching and support staff: Omar López (bench coach), Josh Miller (pitching coach), Ethan Katz (assistant pitching coach), Victor Rodriguez (hitting coach), Anthony Iapoce (assistant hitting coach), Dave Clark (first base coach), Tony Perezchica (third base coach), Jason Bell (Major League field coordinator/outfield coach), Tommy Kawamura (game planning coach), Tim Cossins (catching instructor) and Dan Hennigan (director of hitting and offensive coordinator), as well as bullpen catchers Javier Bracamonte and Caleb Nunes.

Astros General Manager Dana Brown also took part in FanFest.

The Astros had 22 players at FanFest, including IF/OF Jose Altuve, OF Yordan Alvarez, RHP Spencer Arrighetti, RHP Hunter Brown, 3B Carlos Correa, RHP Lance McCullers Jr., and OF Cam Smith. The player group also included RHP Jason Alexander, IF Nick Allen, RHP AJ Blubaugh, OF Zach Cole, IF Zach Dezenzo, LHP Colton Gordon, LHP Bryan King, IF Brice Mathews, RHP Jayden Murray, LHP Bennett Sousa, RHP Logan VanWey, LHP Brandon Walter, RHP Ryan Weiss, RHP Hayden Wesneski and IF Shay Whitcomb.

Several Astros alumni were also in attendance, including Astros Hall of Famers José Cruz, Larry Dierker, Terry Puhl, and Shane Reynolds, as well as Alan Ashby, Brandon Backe, Michael Bourn, Jason Castro, Jarred Cozart, J.C. Hartman, Art Howe, Phil Garner, and Chris Sampson.

Many members of the broadcast teams on Astros TV and Astros radio also had a presence. This group included Todd Kalas, Geoff Blum, Julia Morales, Robert Ford, Francisco Romero, Alex Treviño, Brian Bogusevic and Kevin Eschenfelder.

FanFest is also the culmination of a successful Astros Caravan from January 21-23, which gave fans the opportunity to connect with players, manager, alumni, broadcasters and front office personnel at various locations as the club approaches the start of Spring Training. This year’s caravan made visits to Tomball, The Woodlands, Corpus Christi, Central Houston, Austin, Baytown, Port Neches, Beaumont, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Ingram and San Antonio.

Posted on

Brad Marchand returns to Panthers lineup in Minnesota after 7 game absence

Marchand, you ready? Good, cause you’re going!

When the Florida Panthers took the ice for pregame warmups on Saturday night in Minnesota, there was an unexpected surprise that emerged from the locker room.

Brad Marchand, who has missed each of the past seven games with an undisclosed injury, joined his teammates for warmups.

Marchand lined up on the right side of a line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen.

A.J. Greer was moved alongside the duo of Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett, while Sam Reinhart slid to a line with Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues.

Florida will seek their fifth road win in six tries against the Wild before heading straight to Chicago to complete a back-to-back set on Sunday.

Despite missing the chunk of time, Marchand remains tied for the team lead in assists and one point back of Sam Reinhart for the team lead in points. He’s been an integral part of Florida remaining in contention during their injury woes.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORID

Road trip continues for Panthers in chilly Minnesota

REPORT: Panthers Looking To Make Trades; Cap Situation And Aleksander Barkov's Health Is Holding Them Back

The Hockey Show: Sergei Bobrovsky fights, Panthers getting healthy, Heated Rivalry, Adnan Virk

Panthers earn gritty 2-1 shootout win over Jets

Mikkola To Play, Tarasov To Start As Panthers Make No Other Lineup Changes Ahead Of Matchup With Jets

Photo caption: Jan 6, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

Posted on

Bilodeau, Perry help UCLA jump out early in 71-64 win over Northwestern

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tyler Bilodeau and Trent Perry combined for 28 first-half points and finished with 18 points apiece, leading UCLA to a 71-64 victory over Northwestern on Saturday night.

UCLA used a 10-0 surge to take a 41-27 lead late in the first half and led 41-31 at the break. The Bruins had its largest lead, 58-42 with 12:50 to play. Later in the second half, Northwestern's 7-0 spurt cut its deficit to 62-56. Jamar Brown answered with a 3-pointer and the Bruins then sealed it from the free-throw line.

Bilodeau didn't miss a shot in the first half, going 6 of 6 from the floor with four 3-pointers. He made a layup early in the second half before finally missing on a 3-pointer with 6:43 to play. He finished 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 4 of 8 from long range. Perry scored 12 first-half points and and was 6 of 12 overall.

Donovan Dent, who scored 23 points and had 13 assists in the Bruins' 69-67 win over No. 4 Purdue on Wednesday, added 13 points and five assists against the Wildcats.

Eric Dailey Jr. chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds for UCLA (14-6, 6-3 Big Ten), which has won four of its last five games.

Nick Martinelli scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Northwestern (9-11, 1-8). Tre Singleton had 12 points and six rebounds. The Wildcats have lost six of their last seven games.

UCLA is 7-1 in the series.

Up next

UCLA: At Oregon on Wednesday.

Northwestern: Hosts Penn State on Thursday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Posted on

Craig Kimbrel signs minor league deal with Mets as pitching depth piece

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel #31 closes out the 9th inning

Craig Kimbrel agreed to a minor league deal with the Mets, which includes an invite to big league spring training, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported Saturday.

The 37-year-old Kimbrel, whose 440 career saves rank fifth all time, spent last year bouncing between Triple-A and the majors in the Rangers, Braves and Astros organizations.

In 14 big league appearances (13 with the Astros), he posted a 2.25 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 12 innings. He last closed in 2024, when he had a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves with the Orioles.

Craig Kimbrel closes out a save in the ninth inning while a member of the Phillies in the 2023 season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Kimbrel will have a shot this spring to win a job in a remade Mets bullpen, which lost All-Star closer Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers but added ex-Yankees Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to help replace him in the late innings.

They also signed veteran reliever Luis Garcia to a major league deal earlier this week — part of a flurry of activity in which they acquired infielder Bo Bichette, right-hander Freddy Peralta, swingman Tobias Myers and outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Among the reported non-roster invite relievers who will join Kimbrel in big league spring training are Carl Edwards Jr., Nick Burdi, Joe Jacques, Anderson Severino and Kevin Herget.

Posted on

Shrewsberry scores 22 as Notre Dame pulls off 68-64 comeback win over Boston College

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Braeden Shrewsberry scored 22 points and Notre Dame beat Boston College 68-64 in a double-digit second half comeback on Saturday.

Shrewsberry was 8-of-17 shooting for the Irish (11-9, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference). Jalen Haralson added 17 points on 8 of 13 from the floor. Carson Towt had 13 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

Fred Payne led the Eagles (9-11, 2-5) with 18 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. Donald Hand Jr. had 17 points and six rebounds. Luka Toews had 14 points.

The Eagles took a 35-24 lead into the half after opening the game on an 8-0 run. The Irish flipped the script in the second half with a 10-run to start the half, and an 18-6 run over eight minutes to take the lead for good. It turned a 13-point deficit into a seven-point advantage with 2:57 remaining.

Shrewsberry had 12 points in the second half, and Haralson had 11.

The Eagles cut the deficit to two points with a 3-pointer from Toews with 10 seconds remaining. After Shrewsberry was fouled and made the resulting free throws for the Irish, Payne drove to make a layup, returning the deficit to two points with two seconds on the clock.

The Eagles were assessed a technical foul immediately after the score for calling a timeout when they had none remaining. It gave the Irish a pair of free throws and possession, sealing the result.

Up next

The Irish host No. 14 Virginia on Tuesday.

The Eagles will also host No. 14 Virginia in their next game, next Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Posted on

Mets signing veteran closer Craig Kimbrel to minor league deal: report

The Mets are adding another veteran reliever to the system.

Right-hander Craig Kimbrel has agreed to a minor league deal with an MLB camp invite, according to a report from The New York Post's Jon Heyman on Saturday.

If Kimbrel, 37, appears with the Mets in the big leagues next year, it will be his 17th season in professional baseball. He appeared in just 14 big league games last year, allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits in 12 innings pitched, after signing a minor league deal and spending the majority of his time at Triple-A. The right-hander did strike out 17 of the 49 batters he faced with seven walks while pitching for Atlanta (once) and Houston (13 times).

He pitched to a 3.00 ERA and 1.051 WHIP across 39 innings over 42 minor league appearances last season. He tallied 51 strikeouts to 21 walks. 

Kimbrel's last full major league season came in 2024 with Baltimore, and it did not go well for him as he was designated for assignment in late September after losing his spot as the closer. In 57 appearances with the Orioles, he pitched to a 5.33 ERA and 1.357 WHIP over 52.1 innings with 73 strikeouts to 31 walks. He had 23 saves in 29 opportunities. 

The Mets will hope Kimbrel can return to the form that made him a surprise All-Star for Philadelphia during the 2023 campaign. He had a 3.26 ERA and 1.043 WHIP across 69 innings and 71 appearances out of the bullpen, with 94 strikeouts to 28 walks. 

However, after four good appearances to start the 2023 postseason, he had two blowups in save situations that cost the Phillies Games 3 and 4 of the NLCS. Kimbrel allowed four runs on six hits over six innings with five strikeouts and five walks in seven outings.

Overall, he has 440 saves to his name over his big league career, with a 2.58 ERA over 821.2 innings and 851 games.