OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Keyshawn Hall scored 19 points, Tahaad Pettiford added 17, and Auburn beat Mississippi 78-66 on Tuesday night, the Tigers' first true road win of the season.
The Tigers have won 10 straight against Ole Miss and lead the series 87-64.
KeShawn Murphy had 16 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds for Auburn (12-7, 3-3 SEC). Sebastian Williams-Adams had 10 points, two steals and two blocks.
Pettiford and Murphy made back-to-back layups before Elyjah Freeman threw down a dunk that made it 23-19 and Auburn led the rest of the way.
The Rebels used a 14-4 run to trim their deficit to 66-63 but Pettiford answered with a three-point play, threw down a high-flying dunk, and then made two free throws that gave Auburn a seven-point lead with a minute left.
AJ Storr scored 13 of his 18 in the second half for Ole Miss (11-8, 3-3). Travis Perry, who hit five 3-pointers, and Patton Pinkins added 15 points apiece. The Rebels had their three-game win streak snapped.
Auburn made just 2 of 17 (12%) from 3-point range but set season highs for free throws made (32) and attempted (39).
Up next
Auburn: The Tigers visit No. 16 Florida on Saturday.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — B.J. Edwards scored 24 points, and SMU took the lead for good midway through the first half and cruised past Wake Forest 91-79 on Tuesday night.
Edwards shot 8 of 13 from the floor and finished with eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals. Jaron Pierre Jr. added 13 points for SMU (14-5, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Boopie Miller added 12 points and six assists for the Mustangs. Jaden Toombs chipped in with 10 points to go with nine rebounds.
The Mustangs built a nine-point halftime lead and led 47-36 in the second half. Wake Forest answered with a 10-3 surge to pull to 50-46 with 16:45 remaining but the Demon Deacons didn't get closer.
Pierre's 3-pointer made it 89-67 with 3:33 to play.
Juke Harris made five 3-pointers and finished with 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting to lead Wake Forest (11-8, 2-4). Tre’Von Spillers scored 19 points and Myles Colvin added 17.
Edwards scored 17 points in the first half to help SMU take a 45-36 lead into the break. Harris scored 11 first-half points for Wake Forest, which had its last lead, 20-18, with 10:48 remaining in the half.
Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates with teammates against the Minnesota Twins at Rate Field on August 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
A gaping hole in the Mets outfield got filled Tuesday night.
Luis Robert Jr., a player the team tried to acquire at last year’s trade deadline, is headed to Queens, following a deal with the White Sox that cost the Mets infielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley, the team announced.
Robert struggled offensively for a second straight season, producing a .223/.297/.364 slash line with 14 homers and 33 stolen bases last year, but remains an elite defender in center field, where he finished in MLB’s 93rd percentile with seven outs above average, according to Statcast.
Luis Robert Jr. celebrates with teammates during the White Sox’s win over the Twins at Rate Field on Aug. 23, 2025 in Chicago. Getty Images
The 28-year-old’s addition diminishes the possibility the Mets will look to sign Cody Bellinger, the top outfielder on the free agent market.
Bellinger this week hit a stalemate in negotiations with the Yankees and there previously was thought the Mets could seriously pursue him.
That possibility isn’t completely removed, but has become less likely given that Robert is under contract for $20 million this season.
His deal also includes a club option worth $20 million for 2027.
In need of outfield help last summer, the Mets pursued a deal for Robert, but one never materialized.
The White Sox sought Mark Vientos as part of the deal, and the Mets ultimately settled on a trade with the Orioles for Cedric Mullins, who underwhelmed during his two-month stint in Queens.
The Mets began last season with Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor in center field, but Siri sustained a fractured tibia in April and missed most of the season.
He was ineffective upon his return and released. Taylor brings elite defense to the position, but has limited offensive upside.
As it stands, the Mets have outfield prospect Carson Benge set to compete for an outfield job in spring training, with Taylor also in the mix.
Juan Soto is the incumbent in right field as he enters the second season of his record $765 million contract.
The Mets had bid $220 million, according to a source, and believed they were in strong position to land the former Astros star.
The Mets quickly pivoted and signed Bo Bichette to a three-year deal worth $126 million that contains two opt-outs.
Bichette, who played second base and shortstop for the Blue Jays last season, is set to play third for the first time in his career.
His signing became official Tuesday night and the team is scheduled to introduce him during a Wednesday afternoon news conference at Citi Field.
An outfield that includes Robert and potentially Benge, coupled with Marcus Semien at second base, speaks to president of baseball operations David Stearns’ emphasis on improving the club defensively.
The Mets acquired Semien, last year’s American League Gold Glove winner at second base, in a November trade with the Rangers for Brandon Nimmo.
Semien’s arrival allowed the Mets to trade Jeff McNeil, who was shipped to the Athletics for a minor league pitcher.
The Mets last month watched Pete Alonso depart on a five-year contract worth $155 million with the Orioles.
Jorge Polanco arrived days later on a two-year contract worth $40 million and is positioned to be the regular first baseman.
But Polanco has played only one major league game at the position.
Acuña, who shined as a late-inning defensive replacement/pinch runner, was expendable because the Mets had a glut of infielders following the additions of Semien and Bichette.
As it stands, Brett Baty is without a regular position and Ronny Mauricio remains as infield depth who could potentially begin the season at Triple-A Syracuse.
MANHATTAN, Kansas (AP) — PJ Haggerty poured in 34 points and gave Kansas State the lead in the final minute in an 81-78 win over Utah on Tuesday.
Haggerty’s jump shot with 39 seconds left gave the Wildcats (10-9, 1-5 Big 12) a two-point lead that they held onto for their first Big 12 win of the season. He was 15 of 29 to go with eight rebounds and two steals. David Castillo had 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Nate Johnson added 17 points, five rebounds and six assists.
Haggerty entered the game fourth in the country with 22.8 points per game, and as the first Wildcat to score in double figures over the first 18 games since Jacob Pullen in 2009-10. It’s his 14th game this season with 21 points or more. He scored 28 in the second half.
Terrence Brown had 33 points for the Utes (9-10, 1-5), shooting 14 of 24 with four steals. Seydou Traore scored 15 to go with six rebounds. Don McHenry added 15 points and six rebounds, but the career 80% free throw shooter went 2 of 5 at the stripe, costing the Utes in the final seconds.
Starting from the 5:32 mark, Haggerty and Brown each scored eight points, and were the only players to score until McHenry drew a foul with 11 seconds remaining. With a chance to tie the game at the line, he made 1 of 2 attempts.
Johnson made a pair of free throws on the other end, and Brown's game-tying 3-point attempt caromed off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
The Wildcats entered with a five-game losing streak, including two to top-10 opponents in No. 1 Arizona and then-No. 10 BYU.
Up next
The Utes will travel to Provo to face No. 13 BYU on Saturday.
The Wildcats host in-state rival, No. 19 Kansas on Saturday.
Talking to reporters before the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Toronto Raptors — and one night after the tragic ACL injury that befell Jimmy Butler, ending his season prematurely — Mike Dunleavy stated that he has no plans to trade Jimmy Butler’s contract before the February 6 trade deadline.
“I don’t envision that,” Dunleavy said. “Now that you’ve brought it up, I’d say my vision for him is to give us a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived.”
This differs the approach the Warriors took with De’Anthony Melton last season. Melton, who tore his ACL after playing only six games with the Warriors, was part of the trade package sent to Brooklyn for Dennis Schröder. Melton was then re-signed in the offseason, during the late stages of his ACL rehabilitation. If Dunleavy is to be believed, the Warriors are taking a different approach by keeping Butler on their books and hoping he can return next year to contribute — shutting down hopes that Butler’s contract could be used to quickly pivot toward contributory players who could give the Warriors a shot at playoff contention this season.
“At his age, to have the year he’s had is impressive,” Dunleavy said. “I think he’s got a style of game that can play for a long time with his skill, his physicality, his mind for the game. So, I guess my vision for him is him returning at some point between now and this time next year.”
Mike Dunleavy said he does not envision he will trade Jimmy Butler’s contract and believes Butler will rehab and return to help the team at some point next season pic.twitter.com/FjU1xzDnb6
Butler is owed $54.1 million this season and $56.8 million next season, the final year of his contract before hitting free agency. Butler’s contract might be more of an attractive trade piece next season for teams looking for expiring contracts. But at such a high price, it still could give teams pause.
As has been extensively reported, Dunleavy stated that they are not willing to give up their trove of draft picks unless it is for a big name.
“If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn’t here, it’s going to have to be a player that we think we’ll be getting back that is going to be here when those picks are going out,” Dunleavy said. “That player’s going to have to be pretty impactful…. But if there’s a great player to be had, we’ve got everything in the war chest that we would be willing to use.”
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mark Scheifele had two goals and an assist to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
Josh Morrissey added a goal and two assists as Winnipeg scored three goals on 16 shots. Eric Comrie made 22 saves for Winnipeg (20-23-6), which won for the fifth time in seven games.
Jordan Kyrou scored for St. Louis. Joel Hofer stopped 13 of 15 shots for St. Louis (19-23-8), which lost its second straight and for the fifth time in seven games.
The Jets took advantage of a four-minute high-sticking penalty to the Blues’ Nathan Walker, who clipped Winnipeg defenseman Isaak Phillips, scoring twice in a 1:33 span midway through the first period.
First, Morrissey beat Hofer on a slap shot from the blue line with Scheifele and Kyle Connor assisting at 9:52. Then, Scheifele lifted the puck over Hofer from close range, with Morrissey getting the assist, at 11:25.
The Blues had pulled to within 2-1 late in the second. With Vladislav Namestnikov serving a four-minute minor for high-sticking Jonathan Berggren, Kyrou scored past Comrie.
Scheifele put the game away with an empty-net goal with 2:23 left.
Nino Niederreiter saved a goal with about six minutes left in the first. After a shot by Cam Fowler trickled through Comrie, Niederreiter swept the puck off the goal line.
It’s a pretty exciting time for the San Francisco Giants and the Hall of Fame. Sure, Barry Bonds and Duane Kuiper have been passed over more times than I was anytime we picked teams for any sport at the playground. But in December, Jeff Kent was elected to the hall by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee. And next year, Buster Posey, Bruce Bochy, and Dusty Baker will all be on the ballot, and all three will be expected to make it at some point or other.
And on Tuesday, they added another name to the hall: Forever Giant Carlos Beltrán.
Beltrán was one of two players elected to the Hall of Fame this year, joining fellow outfielder Andruw Jones. And while most people remember the nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and one-time champion for his superstar tenure with the New York Mets, around here we associate him with the Giants.
The switch-hitter played just 44 games for the Giants in the 2011 season, but he was electric in them. As he approached free agency following a seven-season tenure with the Mets, New York — a team that won just 77 games that year – flipped him at the deadline to the Giants, who were hoping to recreate their World Series magic from the year prior … and, most importantly, replace Posey, who had suffered a brutal season-ending injury early in the year.
Beltrán was every bit as good as advertised, hitting .323/.369/.551 with seven home runs. Unfortunately the Giants, who were 60-44 at the time of the trade, went just 26-32 following the trade, and missed the playoffs.
Unfortunately, despite his individual success, the fan opinion of Beltrán has always been fairly cold, as many see the trade as a short-sighted move by Brian Sabean. The Giants traded pitcher Zack Wheeler — their 2009 first-round pick who was, at the time, in High-A — for Beltrán, and Wheeler has gone on to be one of the top pitchers of this generation, with three All-Star appearances, two Cy Young runner-ups, and a few hundred million in earnings. Beltrán, meanwhile, entered free agency and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. And many fans view the move as selling the future for a mild run at the present.
It’s an unfair way of viewing it, of course. The Giants were in position to make a run, and you can’t blame them for chasing one of the top hitters in baseball and giving themselves a chance. And while Wheeler has gone on to have a fabulous career, it didn’t fully materialize until after he, himself, had reached free agency and left the Mets; he made his first All-Star team and earned his first top-10 Cy Young finish a full 10 years after the trade.
Congratulations, Carlos. You played more games with the Mets and the Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers than you played with the Giants. But you still played for the Giants.
The San Antonio Spurs’ tour into Houston was a failure because they got satisfied with their work late and lost interest in guarding the 3-point line. It was their second matchup of the season with the Rockets, and now they are even with two outings to go.
The first quarter ended with a 39-28 lead, as their hot 3-point shooting carried them and made up for struggles in the lane, while the Rockets were getting nearly everything at close range. Victor Wembanyama subsequently heated up after jamming over Clint Capela, and the team drained three more trifectas, but their open-court offense failed to pick up easy points.
They still went to halftime ahead by 10, more than doubling Houston’s 3-point makes, and keeping them at bay on the glass. The long-range shooting slowed down in the third quarter, but it took a while, and at one point, coach Ime Udoka looked numb on the bench when the cameras caught him following the Spurs’ 14th trey.
The Rockets then started playing with more urgency, quickly erasing all of San Antonio’s cushioning early in the fourth quarter as the latter started settling for outside shots. The Spurs even suffered a six-minute drought extending from the end of the third quarter, but they still couldn’t get it together after that amid Houston’s Tsunami.
Observations
This is one of the team’s biggest meltdowns of the season. They failed 11 3-point tries in the fourth quarter, giving the game away because they refused to go to the body more. They were outscored in the fourth quarter by 15.
The Rockets have a top-seven defense, but it’s no surprise the Spurs were blazing from 3-point range for three quarters because Houston allows 20.8 wide-open attempts per game. It makes no sense why the strategy is to pack the paint first when three is more than two.
Houston had a problem with the rim’s leveling and had to bring in a new one 20 minutes after the scheduled tip-off. The Spurs went back to the locker room for a bit, while the Rockets kept warming up, but everything got rolling after the maintenance crew fixed it. This played a role in the Spurs being shaky on defense early because bizarre things like this can mentally throw players off, as they are creatures of routine. The rim needed a brief second look early in the fourth quarter, which cut the flow of the game as Houston was taking control, but they were fine. San Antonio was shellshocked the entire period.
Julian Champagnie was the team’s top marksman, making eight 3-pointers. Four of them came in the first quarter, and that was a big reason why the Spurs maintained their early mental edge after the delayed start. But he later went colder than an ice box.
Alperen Şengün’s objective against the Spurs is to get physical with Wembanyama, and it will continue to work until the latter gets stronger. Bumping and driving to the chest are how Şengün counters the length. Wemby can’t bail him out by leaving his feet, like when he picked up his third foul with seven seconds left of the second quarter.
Reed Sheppard is a sharpshooter who torched the Spurs in the fourth quarter, but he is one of the worst defenders in the league, and he took on the easier assignment of guarding a weaker offensive player- Carter Bryant- so he didn’t have to contend with the quicker-footed ball handlers. Then there was a substitution, and he had no choice but to pick one up, and he looked lost out there. If the offense fails apart, he’s an option to hunt to try to reestablish a rhythm instead of settling for jumpers.
This was the sixth time the Spurs have scored at least 70 going into halftime. Their record is 4-2 on those nights.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points, reserve Tate Sage added 17 and Iowa held off Rutgers 68-62 on Tuesday night for the Hawkeyes' second straight win.
Tavion Banks had 12 points for Iowa (14-5, 4-4 Big Ten), which shot 47% (24 of 51) from the field.
Darren Buchanan Jr. scored 17 points and reserve Tariq Francis had 15 for Rutgers (9-10, 2-6). The Scarlet Knights have lost back-to-back games and three of their last four.
Francis made a pair of foul shots with 22 seconds left to get Rutgers within 64-62. After being intentionally fouled, Sage went to the line and made two free throws.
Lino Mark missed an off-balance 3-pointer for Rutgers with 10 seconds left and Iowa guard Isaia Howard made a pair of free throws to seal the win with eight seconds left.
Stirtz's driving layup with 8:22 left to play gave Iowa a 46-45 lead and they never trailed again. The Hawkeyes led 31-24 at halftime before Rutgers emerged from the break and used a 9-0 run to take a 33-31 lead.
The Nashville Predators' comeback effort came a little too late in Tuesday's game, falling in a 4-0 hole early and unable to fully recover in their 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at home.
It's the Predators' second straight loss, the first time they've lost back-to-back games since Nov. 24.
The Sabres scored four unanswered goals, three of which came in the first 20 minutes of the game. Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and Filip Forsberg once to cut the Buffalo lead down to a goal.
Peyton Krebs added an empty net goal in the third period to ice the game.
Juuse Saros was pulled in the second period for Justus Annunen after allowing four goals on 18 shots. Annunen made 13 saves on 13 shots.
Here are three takeaways from the Predators' loss to the Sabres.
"We didn't want to work."
In the previous three games, the Predators have been the first to strike. Even in the loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville had a 1-0 lead to open up the game.
In Tuesday's matchup, the Sabres poured it on, seeing Noah Ostlund score twice and rookie Konsta Helenius score his first NHL goal and log two assists. By the end of 20 minutes, Buffalo had a 3-0 lead.
"We just didn't want to work. It's pretty simple," Filip Forsberg said. "They're a skilled team, they're a fast team. We gave them exactly that, and they hurt us. Sometimes it's just as simple as that."
Predators head coach Andrew Brunette wasn't taking any moral victories, specifically in Nashville's comeback effort, saying the game was "lost in the first period."
"I thought they out-worked us and out-competed us," Brunette said. "They wanted it more than we did in the first period, and it was pretty evident for everybody who was watching the game. We were lucky it was only 3-0...
"At this time of year, when we know these points are so valuable, you can't take any solace in saying you played a good second half of the game. The game was lost in the first period."
"It's not fair for Little Juice."
Jan 20, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) blocks the shot of Buffalo Sabres left wing Jason Zucker (17) during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Brunette said he wanted his team to get mad after Saros was pulled at the beginning of the second period after letting in the Sabres' fourth goal of the night.
Even if it "wasn't fair" for Saros to see his night end early, Brunette needed a response from his team.
"I hope they get mad," Brunette said. "They should be upset that they let their goalies for two games in a row, kind of get barraged when they've (the goalies) kind of hung in there with us in a lot of these different games through this stretch.
"It's over. You're disappointed, you're upset. Hopefully we learn a lesson."
Nashville did respond in the second period, seeing O'Reilly and Forsberg score to cut Buffalo's lead in half. After the game, Forsberg expressed that Saros should've been pulled "a little bit before" when he was originally called off.
"It's certainly not Juice's (Saros') fault, but we've definitely got to be better," Forsberg said.
Forcing a comeback
Jan 20, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) celebrates his goal with left wing Filip Forsberg (9) against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The one positive to take away from the night was that the Predators gave themselves a chance late.
O'Reilly's second goal of the night in the third period cut Buffalo's lead down to one and suddenly swung the momentum in favor of the Predators. He had three points on the night and now has nine points in five games.
It mirrored what the Predators had been doing from late November to early January: going down early and clawing their way back.
"We had the momentum and control of the game, but just the whole we dug was too deep," O'Reilly said. "We're gonna have times where we lose momentum, and things don't go our way, but to do it for a full period that's not us. You can't be doing that. It's too tough."
This is a different Predators team compared to the one a month ago, as they want to be in the driver's seat and not have to come back to win. Especially now when Nashville is battling for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
The loss puts Nashville three points outside the Wild Card spot in an extremely tight race.
"You learn from it, move on," Brunette said. "Obviously, we're disappointed. There's no consolation, but you saw the team we can be when we get going."
Up next: Ottawa Senators (23-19-7, 8th Atlantic) at Nashville Predators (23-22-4, 5th Central) on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. CST at Bridgestone Arena.
In Teng’s case, that is a very positive development, as despite his terrible performance as a starter, he showed aptitude in shorter bursts — or in the bulk innings role following an opener. But since the Giants are organizationally resistant to that strategy over the course of a season, let’s zero in on Teng’s likely role going forward.
The trendy-because-it’s-really-effective pitch these days is the sweeper. Kai-Wei Teng threw his 38.7% of the time duromg his MLB service in 2025. Batters hit .191 off of it with an expected slugging percentage of just .256. In a very limited sample size, it was about as effective as Shohei Ohtani’s sweeper, Chris Bassitt’s, Trevor Roger’s, Mitch Keller’s, and Dylan Cease’s. Remarkably, based on the quality of contact, it had the same expected batting average (.167) as Paul Skenes’s. But that’s hardly the point!
The point is that relief pitchers are usually 1 or 2 pitch pitchers. As a starter, his fastball velocity sat more in the 92-93 range, but as a reliever he’s more in the 94-95 range. That’s really effective paired with that sweeper. 21 of his strikeouts came off that best pitch while 10 more off that fastball, meaning 31 of his 39 strikeouts (79.5%) came on just those two pitches… which really does cement his best role being that of a relief pitcher.
It was an unusual route he took to getting to this position, though. For many, he was an afterthought, and the Buster Posey-led organization’s behavior only supported that. They designated him for assignment after the 2024 season, an action that was among the first taken by the Posey administration. Just 10 days later, they signed him to a minor league contract to bring him back into the organization.
Why make that move? They almost certainly had his stuff pegged and had the opportunity to bring him back into the organization presumably because they knew he’d clear waivers. Because they didn’t outright him, they still maintain that flexibility down the road if they need to shove him off the 40-man roster for whatever reason. But more immediately, he still has 2 major league options remaining; so, there’s plenty of time to sort out a proper role for him.
It’s worth noting that on the day of his callup (August 1st), Eno Sarris posted this analysis regarding Teng’s Triple-A measurements:
Giants SP Kai-Wei Teng has interesting arsenal. Wide, no standout pitch.
Only Sweeper has above-ave locations —> fits his command grades.
The Giants rolled the dice to clear a roster spot but knew they had something to work with if they could retain him. I’d hope that the number-based discussion to this point would prove sufficient evidence for those who are skeptical, but at the end of the day, the analytics, the results, and the Giants actions demonstrate that the organization is glad to have him on the 40-man roster heading into Spring Training.
Teng pitched his way into being the next in a line of perfectly serviceable back of the bullpen arms. Maybe close to already improving upon Spencer Bivens and Tristan Beck — just from a stuff standpoint — and, at worst, even with Carson Seymour in the upside reliever role — if they had to establish the depth chart today. His strikeout totals are impressive. In September, he K’d 27 in 16.1 IP and had this tidy little highlight against the Dodgers:
He struckout out Shohei Ohtani with his four-seamer in the 1st inning and then with the sweeper in the 3rd. He got Mookie Betts, Andy Pages, and Freddie Freeman with that sweeper, too. Michael Conforto struck out on Teng’s changeup.
Teng is a wild arm that’s still a work in progress. He’s still best known for getting shelled and putting too many runners on base. In that strikeout-laden September (28 K%), he still walked too many (12.2 BB%) and hit too many batters with stray pitches (4 — with 7 on the season). But, he allowed just 1 home run in the final month and just 2 across his innings.
His results are far from great but they were clearly good enough to thrust him into a meaningful conversation the organization has held all offseason. He’s definitely “pitching depth” that should be confidently mentioned in a conversation about that very subject — not quite on the level of the outlandish statement made by last season’s pitching coach, J.P. Martinez, but certainly as a factor in the team covering innings in 2026. While I don’t personally believe he pitched his way into a backup starting pitcher role, he’s certainly an option if they need to do some bullpen games or as an injury or blowout replacement to give the team multiple innings.
He’s a big guy (6’4”, 241 lbs), so, I like the durability potential here, and I suspect the Giants do, too. Most starters wind up sustaining their careers as relievers, and it looks like that’s the course Kai-Wei Teng managed to chart for himself in 2025.
Will Carlos Beltrán don a Mets cap on his Cooperstown plaque?
That’s the million-dollar question at the moment after the former Mets star, who also spent time with the Royals, Yankees, Cardinals, Astros, Rangers and Giants, was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
Beltrán previously told The Post last year that he would go into the Hall wearing a Mets cap, but he didn’t commit to doing so while appearing on MLB Network on Tuesday night.
“There’s no doubt that my best years in baseball are with two teams, the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets,” Beltrán said. “That’s a decision I would love to sit down with my family, with Jessica, with my kids and make a decision on that. I did really enjoy my time in New York. Now I work as an advisor for the Mets, so there’s a lot of weight wearing the New York [Mets] cap.”
Now that Carlos Beltrán is elected to the Hall of Fame, which hat will he wear on his plaque?
The 2026 Hall of Fame inductee did admit he had thought about the idea of playing for the Royals his entire career and how “great” it would have been.
However, that idea changed after he was traded by the Royals to Houston in 2004 and then ended up with the Mets on a seven-year deal before the 2005 season.
“New York really invested in my career big time,” Beltrán said.
Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets at bat against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on July 1, 2011. Getty Images
Beltrán, in his fourth year on the ballot, was elected to the Hall of Fame after receiving 84.2 percent from the Baseball Writers Association of America.
He played seven seasons in Queens, where he hit .280 with 149 home runs and 559 RBIs. He was a five-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves in center field. With Kansas City, he won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1999 and hit 123 homers over 795 games.
Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alex congratulated Beltrán in a statement released Tuesday night.
“On behalf of the entire organization, we are thrilled to congratulate Carlos on receiving the highest honor in baseball,” they wrote in a statement. “One of the most dynamic players ever to wear a Mets uniform, Carlos combined rare power and speed with elite defense, setting a standard of excellence that endures today. Beyond his achievements on the field, his leadership, insight, and presence continue to shape our organization. It is a proud moment for Carlos, his family, and Mets fans everywhere.”
SEATTLE — Max Tsyplakov’s return to the lineup for the Islanders’ 4-3 win over the Canucks on Monday marked a nadir in what’s been a messy sophomore season in the NHL for the Russian winger.
After being on for two goals against in the first period, and plainly looking like he lacked confidence, Tsyplakov played just two shifts in the second and zero in the third.
“It’s on me,” coach Patrick Roy said afterward, falling on his sword to avoid criticizing the player. “He didn’t play a bad game. Just, he hasn’t played a lot and sometimes when that happens, you just want to go with the guys that you think you’ve got the best chance to win [with].
Maxim Tsyplakov (7) skates around Troy Stecher (28) during the first period of the Islanders’ win over the Maple Leafs at UBS Arena on Jan. 3, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“He’s probably gonna be back in against Seattle. Hopefully I can use him more.”
Keeping Tsyplakov in the lineup against the Kraken on Wednesday, assuming that is the route Roy goes, would be a highly interesting move.
On one hand, it’s obvious that Tsyplakov needs a confidence boost, and that he’s not going to recover his game without some time to work through it.
On the other, it doesn’t help Tsyplakov — let alone the Islanders — if he’s nailed to the bench and the team is effectively down to 11 forwards.
Tsyplakov put together a strong first half last season, and finished the year with 35 points despite fading late.
The 27-year-old who scored 30 goals with Spartak Moscow in the KHL probably won’t ever do the same thing in the NHL, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t be an effective middle-six player.
Right now, though, his lack of confidence and Roy’s lack of trust in him appear to be working hand in hand to sabotage the situation.
Roy, when announcing that Tsyplakov would come back in the lineup against Vancouver after sitting three straight games, also took a hard left turn when he brought up Tsyplakov’s last KHL season, saying he wanted the winger to be a power forward and get pucks to the net.
Maxim Tsyplakov fires a shot off the side of the net as goalie Kevin Lankinen defends during the first period of the Islanders’ win over the Canucks on Jan. 19, 2026. AP
That may not have directly contradicted his prior messaging to the player. But for most of the last calendar year, Roy has preached responsibility with the puck and playing north as keys for Tsyplakov to stay in the lineup.
For a player whose confidence was already low, the sudden change there may not have helped matters.
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored two goals, Justin Hryckowian had a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars ended a three-game skid while snapping the Boston Bruins' six-game winning streak, 6-2 on Tuesday night.
Wyatt Johnston, Mavrik Bourque and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars, who had just three goals in their previous three games. Miro Heiskanen had three assists and Jake Oettinger had 16 saves.
The Bruins trailed 6-0 when Morgan Geekie scored on the power play to end Oettinger's shutout bid with 7:49 to play. Geekie ended a personal 12-game goal-scoring drought when he tipped in David Pastrnak's shot.
Fraser Minten also scored for Boston while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves before he was lifted in favor of Joonas Korpisalo, who had three stops.
The Stars played without leading scorer Mikko Rantanen (19 goals, 44 assists), who was out with an illness.
Johnston's goal with 3:52 left in the first was his NHL-leading 16th power-play goal this season. Bourque's first-period goal also came on the power play.
Johnston has six goals and six assists over the past 12 games.
Robertson scored his 28th and 29th goals of the season early in the third period.
The Bruins had allowed two goals or less per game during their six-game winning streak.
The Stars outshot the Bruins 37-18 and won 65% of the faceoffs.
Up next
Bruins: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night.
Stars: Visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
