SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 18: Pitcher Corbin Burnes #39 of the Arizona Diamondbacks poses for a portrait during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 18, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country.
Since the break, the Diamondbacks’ rotation has been more than a run better than it was in the first half. Our starter’s ERA has dropped from 4.39 (18th in the majors) to 3.31 (ranked 6th), through thirty games. If sustained, that would be the lowest second-half ERA in franchise history. A major factor in that has obviously been the resurgence of Brandon Pfaadt, who has looked – almost literally – like a completely different pitcher since he returned from his spell in Triple-A. But we have seen virtually everyone in the rotation, from Merrill Kelly through to Mitch Bratt, show themselves capable of shutting down the opposition, on any given night.
Things might yet improve further, with the return of Corbin Burnes coming up, with probably a couple of weeks to go for that. While there are no certainties after Tommy John, there’s potential there for the starting pitching to get a major boost down the stretch. So, presuming he takes Bratt’s slot in the rotation, if the Diamondbacks were to make the playoffs – ideally with enough time to get their rotation set for the post-season – it would present Torey Lovullo with a bit of a dilemma. Albeit a nice one: who should start Game #1 for Arizona? Below are the five candidates, good health being taken as read.
Corbin Burnes. The staff ace before he was injured, he has the best career numbers, and also the most postseason experience, with a 2.33 ERA across 27 innings.
Merrill Kelly. Proved his worth during the 2023 run to the World Series, with a 2.25 ERA across four starts, including seven innings of one-run ball in the team’s only WS victory.
Brandon Pfaadt. Has been astonishing during his recent run, but still has a career ERA+ of only 89. Five post-season starts, although still looking for his first W there.
Eduardo Rodriguez. An All-Star this year. Far and away the team’s most valuable pitcher this year (4.4 bWAR), having gone 12-4 so far, with a 2.73 ERA that’s a career best.
Michael Soroka. The best FIP (2.86) among the candidates, and a stellar K:BB ratio of better than four – nobody else in the rotation is even at three this year.
I suspect the poll is likely to skew for Pfaadt, largely because of recency bias (it’s amazing to think that less than two months ago, he wasn’t considered good enough to hold down a long-relief spot out of the bullpen). But y’know something? I’d not be unhappy with any of the five getting the ball. Let’s hope it’s a decision which needs to be made, following the series in San Diego which ends the regular season. There’s a poll below, and as usual, please explain your choice in the comments. Bonus points if you want to line up the rotation and, presuming we only need four man, tell us who would be left off it…
AKRON, OHIO - MAY 03, 2026: Seaver King #3 of the Harrisburg Senators runs out a double during the third inning against the Akron RubberDucks at 7 17 Credit Union Park on May 03, 2026 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
In the 4th inning of Sunday’s contest between the Rochester Red Wings and Charlotte Knights, Seaver King fired a 90 mph rocket to first base to finish off an inning ending double play. After the play, the Nats star shortstop prospect was fired up, flexing on his way back to the dugout. This combination of athleticism and energy personifies Seaver King’s play style.
Just from watching the past couple games, I have noticed that Seaver King is a big personality on the field. Got fired up after turning an inning ending double play
The first thing that came out of manager Matt Lecroy’s mouth when I asked him about King was “Seaver is a sparkplug man”. He is one of those players that is easy to pick out as a casual observer because of his loud tools. King just plays the game faster and more aggressively than most players, which should endear him to fans.
However, that has not always been the case for the 23 year old. Last season was a disastrous campaign for the former 10th overall pick. He hit just .244 with a .631 OPS across two levels, particularly struggling in Double-A where he posted a .600 OPS. The chase rates were out of control and he was hitting the ball on the ground too much to tap into his power.
King admitted that his 2025 season was tough, but added that he “would not be here without last season”. It was a reality check for a player whose career had been a steady uphill climb to that point. King went from Division II Wingate University to Wake Forest, where he became a top 10 pick. However, baseball has a way of humbling players quickly.
It is not as if the success had gotten to King’s head. Rather, as he put it, he needed to learn what he can and cannot do. Following a successful stint in the Arizona Fall League and an offseason focused on building consistency, King once again looks like the player the Nats made a top 10 selection.
Right now King is knocking on the door of the big leagues. When I saw him this weekend, the bat sure looked big league ready. He was hammering balls to the opposite field and got on base five times in the two games. King’s biggest moment was a solo home run which he crushed to right field.
Using the whole field has always been a big emphasis for King and that remains the case even with a new hitting braintrust that emphasizes pulling the ball in the air. “Owning the right side of the field” is a motto that King has lived by for most of his baseball life. He wants to add more of a pullside element, but it is clear that he believes that he is at his best when he is using the opposite field.
While pulling the ball might not be King’s game, he clearly wants to hit the ball in the air more. He told me that every swing he takes in the cage is with the intent of putting the ball in the air. Elevating the baseball is at the core of the Nats new hitting philosophy, and King is a success story for this ideology.
Last season, he put the ball on the ground 52.4% of the time. This year that number is down to 44.5% and it has led to a massive surge in power. After hitting 6 homers in 125 games last season, King has 14 in 82 games this year, including 4 in his last 8 games. The explosive shortstop has always hit the ball hard, but now he is putting the ball in the air and doing damage.
That idea of doing damage is at the core of King’s offensive approach. His approach to hitting is both simple and effective, “hit strikes as hard as I can”. In an organization where data has become king, Seaver admits that he is not a guy who dives into the numbers too much.
Ideally, he wants his instincts and explosiveness to do the talking. However, when he does look at numbers, he said he tends to look at things such as chase percentage. That makes a lot of sense, as minimizing chase has been a big priority for the 23 year old.
In Double-A, he was swinging dramatically less at the beginning of the season. King had a lot of success with that approach. However, following his promotion to AAA, his swing happy nature re-emerged. Before his IL stint, King was chasing at 38.9% of pitches at the AAA level. Since he has come back, that number has dropped to the low 30’s but it is still something that gives the Nats some pause, which was mentioned in Spencer Nusbaum’s most recent article.
This weekend, King’s plate discipline was a mixed bag. There were some at bats where he came up with a great plan and forced pitchers into the zone. He did walk in both games I saw. However, there were other AB’s where he was clearly in swing mode. One at bat he swung at a pitch so wild that it got past the catcher and he got on base due to the dropped third strike.
What is different about this year though, is that King is not letting those at bats linger. One thing King told me he has gotten a lot better at is “Not letting bad days dwell into three in a row”. He will have the occasional bad at bat, but King learns from it and locks back in.
Those changes in his mental game are just as important as the physical ones. In fact, those are the changes that make me believe the 23 year old is big league ready. It is unclear if he will be called up this season, but I think he would help the team if given the opportunity.
His bat will be helpful, but I also think the way he plays would breathe life into a Nats team that looks out of gas. As Matt Lecroy put it, King is “an old timey player who gives everything he’s got every day”. The Nats need a guy who will puff his chest after turning a double play and play with reckless abandon. According to Lecroy, King is a guy who takes losses hard even at the AAA level.
In the dog days of summer, this Nats team is in need of a sparkplug. Seaver King’s aggressive and up tempo playstyle would be the perfect solution. If it were up to me, Seaver King would get a shot, but let’s see what the Nats decide to do next.
Shams Charania is not backing down after Jeanie Buss’ legal team accused the ESPN insider of inaccurately reporting the latest twist in the Lakers’ increasingly messy ownership saga.
Appearing Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Charania addressed a letter from Buss’ attorney that accused him of falsely reporting that all six Buss siblings voted to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the franchise.
The statement specifically claimed Charania “falsely reported that the six Buss siblings voted to sell” the stake to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger and that Jeanie was “out” as controlling owner.
Mark Walter, left, a majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Jeanie Buss, minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, talk as the Lakers play the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Charania took direct issue with that characterization.
“That letter included my name in it, which I do find interesting,” Charania said. “I do have to make it clear, I fully stand by my reporting.”
He then zeroed in on what he believes Buss’ legal team got wrong.
“The first line of the statement from the lawyer said that I reported that the six Buss siblings voted to sell,” Charania said. “That key sentence right there is inaccurate.”
Buss’ attorney, Adam Streisand, went further in Monday’s statement, alleging a “years-long pattern” in which Joey and Jesse Buss have leaked “false, defamatory and pernicious” information to Charania in an effort to damage the Lakers while Jeanie carries out what the attorney described as their late father Jerry Buss’ wishes.
Charania did not retreat from his reporting in response to those accusations, instead emphasizing that his report concerned whether the family had enough votes to move forward with the sale.
Shams Charania appears on ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage on June 23, 2026, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBAE via Getty Images
That distinction has become central to the latest round of Buss family infighting surrounding the Lakers. In ESPN’s current report, Charania wrote that the family trust received enough votes to approve the proposed sale, with at least five of the six siblings voting in favor.
ESPN separately reported that Jeanie did not participate in the vote. According to Charania’s sources, four votes were required to trigger the provision allowing the sale.
That is different, however, from whether those votes can actually force Jeanie to give up the family’s stake.
Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss is seen during a preseason NBA game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Buss is challenging her siblings’ attempt to sell, with Streisand arguing that the family trust and a 2017 court ruling prevent a sale without approval from the co-trustees and require them to preserve enough ownership for Jeanie to remain the Lakers’ controlling governor.
Charania maintained that his reporting concerned the majority vote while acknowledging that interpreting the rules of the trust itself is another matter.
So while Charania is pushing back on the claim that his reporting was inaccurate, the larger question remains unresolved.
What began as another blockbuster Lakers sale is increasingly shaping up as a battle over exactly what the Buss family voted for — and whether that vote actually has the power to end Jeanie’s reign.
One day after Jeanie Buss contested her siblings attempting to sell the family’s shares of the Lakers, the rest of the Buss family made it clear they aren’t backing down.
Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon: “The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team. They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our focus has always been on what we believe is best for the Lakers, the fans who have supported this franchise for generations and the greater Los Angeles community.
“Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse have made the decision to sell the family’s remaining stake, and we remain united in that decision. We intend to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through the appropriate process.”
Jeanie Buss, left, and Mark Walter attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. Getty Images
“We have tremendous respect for Bob Iger and Josh Kushner and believe they understand what the Lakers represent to Los Angeles and our incredibly loyal fan base,” the statement from the Buss siblings added. “We are confident they will honor everything this franchise stands for while building upon the foundation our father created.”
Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss is opposing her siblings’ vote to sell the family’s share of the Lakers, according to a letter from her lawyer, Adam Streisand, which was obtained by the California Post, arguing her siblings can’t legally execute a sale without her approval and that any vote of the Buss family selling would be “void”.
The Buss family trust includes six of the late Dr. Jerry Buss’ children: Johnny (69), Jim (66), Jeanie (64), Janie (62), Joey (41) and Jesse (37).
The siblings believe they simply need a majority vote (four out of six) to allow the trustees to sell the family’s shares.
Jim Buss and his sister Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers attend a news conference. Getty Images
“Pursuant to the JAB Trust and the attached Court Order, the co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain Controlling Owner,” Streisand said in the letter. “Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.”
The letter added: “On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the Controlling Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed “vote” to sell the 17.8% stake.”
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The siblings took the opposite action, making it clear they still intend to sell their share of the Lakers.
What comes next remains to be seen.
Jeanie and her representatives didn’t issue a statement in response Tuesday.
The Buss family said in a statement Monday morning: “We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction. We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can.”
Selling the Lakers would result in Jeanie no longer being the team’s Governor, since she would no longer have the qualifying 15% ownership stake in the franchise required told hold that position. She has been team’s Governor since 2013 after Jerry’s death.
When Walter purchased the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family, the league announced that Buss would remain the team’s Governor for a period of at least five years (through 2030).
But on Monday, Jeanie’s attorney sent a letter to lawyers for the other siblings demanding that they retract the announcement of the proposed sale, insisting that rules of the family trust and a 2017 court ruling make clear that she will remain a controlling owner of the team for life.
The letter also called the announcement of a planned sale of the family’s stake in the Lakers, “just the latest instance of a years-long pattern whereby Joey and Jesse Buss leak false, defamatory and pernicious `information’…for the malicious purpose of doing harm to the Los Angeles Lakers so long as Dr. [Jerry] Buss’ chosen successor, Jeanie Buss, carries out her father’s wishes.”
Jerry Buss died in 2013. AP
Kushner and Iger are purchasing about 65% of the Lakers in their deal with Walter. The Buss family’s share of the Lakers would give Kushner and Iger about 83% of the franchise.
That sale needs to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors, which is scheduled to meet Sept. 15-16 in New York.
Kushner also must sell his minority ownership stake in the Heat before he can officially become the Lakers’ co-majority owner.
But after the latest update in this saga, how and when this will be resolved isn’t clear.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 29: Danny Jansen #9 of the Texas Rangers bats against the Kansas City Royals at Globe Life Field on May 29, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers catcher Danny Jansen has been activated from the 60 day injured list, the team announced today. To make room for him on the active roster, the Rangers have designated catcher Austin Wynns for assignment, leaving 39 players on the 40 man roster. In addition, the Rangers announced that Marco Gonzales, who was designated for assignment on Saturday, has rejected an outright assignment and become a free agent.
Jansen was signed as a free agent to a two year contract this past offseason, with an eye towards him splitting time with Kyle Higashioka behind the plate for the Rangers this year. Jansen has been on the injured list since early June due to an elbow issue that may require offseason surgery. He spent last week on a rehab assignment with Round Rock, for whom he appeared in five games. He was slashing .171/.277/.309 on the season before he went on the i.l.
Wynns was called up when Higashioka went on the injured list about a month ago, having previously played in the majors for the A’s and the Braves this year in short stints. Wynns hit .276/.323/.379 in 32 plate appearances over 14 games during his time in the bigs with Texas.
Gonzales, meanwhile, is again a free agent, having again been designated for assignment, cleared waivers, and rejected an outright assignment. I imagine he will be re-signed by the Rangers in the next day or two, and will return to the Express rotation.
Nandy: ‘As a fan myself, I share fans’ disappointment’
The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has urged administrators to strike a deal to allow this autumn’s Rugby League World Cup to be shown on a free-to-air broadcast after it was announced the event would be shown in the United Kingdom exclusively on subscription TV.
The BBC’s longstanding relationship with the sport has led to it consistently showing the Rugby League World Cup irrespective of where and when the tournament has been held. But that tradition will seemingly end this autumn, after it was confirmed the broadcaster would not bid for the rights to show the event, which will be held in Australia.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 05: Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) watches from the dugout during the Pittsburgh Pirates versus Washington Nationals Major League Baseball (MLB) game on June 5, 2026 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are finally getting healthy, though it might be just too little, too late.
After getting some positive news on Oneil Cruz, the Pirates are on tap to get Konnor Griffin back in approximately three weeks, according to MLB.com.
Griffin went on the 6o-day IL with a left ring finger injury and is eligible to return on September 4. Griffin tore his left ring finger sagittal band and forced him to wear a splint for six weeks. Pirates Senior Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk gave some positive injury news on Griffin, a much needed change of pace from the seemingly never-ending cycle of players missing time.
“Not surprisingly, Konnor’s a little bit ahead of schedule,” Tomcyk told the media this week. “He has been cleared to transition out of the splints that you’ve seen him in. You will still see his hand taped, and that’s part of this transition phase.”
The original timeline for Griffin’s return put him more likely to return around mid-September, so it’s encouraging to see that he is progressing towards full baseball activities.
Over the next 48-72 hours, you’ll see him putting his hand in the glove,“ Tomczyk said. ”You’ll see him gripping the bat fully.”
Griffin suffered the injury on July 5 against the Washington Nationals, just eight games after returning from an elbow injury. The 20-year-old rookie’s season that was full of promise has been cut short with two lengthy injuries that hasn’t allowed the staff or fan base to see Griffin’s full potential at the major league level.
In 59 games, Griffin is slashing .276/.332/.404 with a .736 OPS. He owns 10 doubles, five home runs, and 25 RBIs over 225 at-bats.
The speedy shortstop has stolen 20 bases and was on pace to steal over 40 bags as a rookie.
If he does return on time, Griffin will return to the team when the Pirates host the LA Angels at PNC Park.
The NBA rumor mill never stops, and the latest smoke concerns one of the purest scorers of this generation.
Year One of Kevin Durant on the Houston Rockets proved to be “frustrating and disappointing,” in the words of general manager Rafael Stone. Houston won 52 games, but was bounced in the first round of the postseason, after injuries took their toll.
That has led to Durant, who will turn 38 in late September, to pop up on the rumor mill as a potential trade candidate. This, however, should be taken merely as the work of high speculation from the corners of NBA message boards.
For the Rockets, this entire offseason was essentially the anticipation of the return of point guard Fred VanVleet, who missed the entire 2025-26 campaign with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Point guard was the biggest weakness for the Rockets, and competent play at the position should take considerable pressure off of Durant to be the one to create offense. Houston tried several different options at point guard. From Amen Thompson in the regular season opener against the Thunder, to Reed Sheppard later in the year, Houston could not find a consistent facilitator.
That led to Durant playing on ball more than coach Ime Udoka wanted, and it also led to frequent offensive stagnation.
The reality is the Rockets can still field an interesting and competitive team this season, so there simply is no incentive to bail on Durant — at least not yet.
Houston will also return backup center Steven Adams, and Durant himself missed five of Houston’s six games in that first-round series loss against the Lakers.
“We think the players in our locker room can win a lot of games and can be very competitive,” Stone said in May. “We have players coming back from injury; they will help us. If we bring back, largely, the same group, I think continuity will help us.”
All this to say: don’t expect the Rockets to move Durant.
No major outlet or NBA insider has reported anything about Durant being on the trading block. The only reason his name has come up in the rumor mill is because fans have conjured highly speculative potential trades involving him, most of which — frankly — make no sense at all.
Durant has one more season left on his contract and also has a player option worth $46.1 million for 2027-28. He averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game across 78 appearances last season. He is still a steady scoring threat, though it’s clear he needs more help and facilitation at this stage of his career.
VanVleet should stabilize play-making and should get even more out of Durant. Houston still needs Thompson, Sheppard and forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason to develop further. Center Alperen Şengün has to continue playing within the system.
But the Rockets did not ship all those assets (Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, the 2025 No. 10 overall pick and five second-round selections) to simply pull the plug on Durant after one injury-riddled season.
Now, should Houston’s season absolutely implode and should it become clear that this roster is not in position to compete, the Rockets may then consider moving Durant before the February trading deadline to recoup assets. But if this hypothetical goes down, it’s likely because Durant is either injured or has drastically underperformed, either of which would lower his value, anyway.
And though he’s in the sunset of his career, Durant has been far too consistent for that to feasibly be an option.
It’s always a challenge to incorporate an elite star into a new system. Often, it takes time for these new teammates to jell. That’s only magnified when key injuries rob a team of its identity.
This is the time of the year when hoops fans are starved for any news or juicy trade scenarios. Treat anything you see about Durant as just that.
ARLINGTON, TX - JUNE 07: Luis Curvelo #57 of the Texas Rangers pitches during a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on June 07, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kai Kanzer/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Luis Curvelo has cleared waivers and been outrighted to AAA Round Rock, the team has announced. As Curvelo has never been outrighted before, he does not have the option of rejecting the outright assignment, and thus will remain in the Rangers’ organization for the time being.
Curvelo, 25, was designated for assignment on August 14 so that the Rangers could add pitcher Marco Gonzales to the 40 man roster as part of adding Gonzales to the active roster. Gonzales was then designated for assignment a day later so that Jakob Junis could be activated from the 15 day injured list. That opened up a 40 man roster spot that I am guessing will be filled in the near future as a result of Jack Leiter being activated from the 60 day injured list.
Curvelo was originally signed out of Venezuela by the Seattle Mariners, and he pitched in their organization from 2018 through 2024. Curvelo became a minor league free agent after the 2024 season, and the Rangers opted to sign him to a major league deal that winter. After a somewhat promising 2025 season, where he put up a 3.76 ERA in 40 innings at Round Rock and a 5.68 ERA/4.66 FIP in 19 innings in the majors, he has regressed in 2026. In 10.1 innings over 9 games in the majors, he’s allowed 12 runs on 17 hits — including four homers — while walking seven and striking out six. Things haven’t been much better in AAA, as he’s allowed 27 runs in 25.2 innings for the Express this year, with 6 homers, 18 walks and 26 Ks.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 25: Giancarlo Stanton #27, Aaron Judge #99 and Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on March 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. The Yankees defeated the Giants 7-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees’ offense ranks 29th among 30 MLB teams with an 86 wRC+ since Aaron Judge went down in late May, and 27th with a 78 wRC+ since Cody Bellinger’s injury (July 26th). The two former MVPs are of vital importance for Aaron Boone’s lineup, as is a healthy Giancarlo Stanton, another past recipient of the honor. The three sluggers are expected to return at some point this season, with Bellinger and Stanton projected to beat Judge as things stand.
How would the Yankees’ lineup look when they are fully healthy? They added Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos before the Trade Deadline, not to mention Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. from their own minor league system in recent weeks. There will be a lot of movement, but the rosters expanding to 28 players in September will definitely help accommodate most of those who deserve a spot.
Our community evidently believes that the injuries to the star players and the inconsistent offense are certainly concerns heading into the stretch run, so it doesn’t hurt to look at the picture when everybody is fit to play.
Here’s a peek at how the Yankees’ offense would look against righties most nights when the injured stars return:
Ideal lineup vs. RHP:
1B Ben Rice RF Aaron Judge LF Cody Bellinger DH Giancarlo Stanton/Luis García Jr. CF Trent Grisham 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. SS George Lombard Jr. 3B Ryan McMahon C Austin Wells
Rice has hit second most of the season, but he does have 16 starts from the leadoff spot. It would be quite a statement by the Yankees: here’s our 143-wRC+ hitter to open the lineup. Judge, Bellinger, and Stanton comprise a formidable heart of the order, provided that they can reach peak form at some point. Remember, this is a hypothetical exercise.
Stanton, of course, won’t play every game vs. righties. When he rests, the Yankees could just use Rice a DH and García at first. If he’s still on the roster (unclear if everyone is back) Amed Rosario is also a candidate to get some starts from that spot or at third base, and José Caballero would spell Lombard, McMahon, or Chisholm if they are unavailable.
Bellinger will probably alternate between the outfield and the DH spot in his first few games back (with an offday sprinkled here and there), coming off a lower-body injury.
It remains to be seen what the Bombers will do with García in the event that everyone is healthy. Will Boone primarily keep in the lineup at first base against righties? Could they try him at second base, where he had -17 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) last year?
Ideal lineup vs. LHP:
1B Paul Goldschmidt RF Aaron Judge LF Cody Bellinger DH Giancarlo Stanton/Ben Rice 3B Amed Rosario/José Caballero SS George Lombard Jr. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr./José Caballero CF Trent Grisham C Alí Sánchez/Mitch Garver
Note that Rosario has been particularly productive vs. southpaws this year (68 wRC+, vs. 133 against RHP), but he has usually been much better vs. lefties over the course of his career. He will play in these situations — again, if he’s still on the roster.
Rice is actually solid vs. lefties (118 wRC+), so he will get starts. Ramos is also an asset against southpaws, with a 129 wRC+ during his career, and is expected to get some playing time there, too, either from the left field spot—where he is a subpar defender—or at DH.
Obviously, the idea is that players such as García, McMahon, and Wells don’t sniff the plate when there’s a left-handed pitcher on the mound. I did include the recent minor-league signee Garver as a possibility behind the plate against lefties because Sánchez has been so anemic that it might be worth trying the recently-dismissed Mariners backup in the bigs. He only reported to Triple-A on Friday though, so the Yankees may take a beat to assess him before making a move.
Caballero will be a super-utility guy who will get some starts here and there, plus some pinch-running and late-game appearances as a potential defensive replacement. Jones, who is currently part of the picture, will probably be squeezed out since he has minor-league options left. Both he and Rosario are candidates to depart the big-league roster upon Bellinger and Stanton’s returns — to say nothing of Judge, who likely won’t be available until rosters expand in September regardless.
TALKING STICK, AZ - OCTOBER 16: Jared Thomas #14 of the Salt River Rafters bats during the game between the Surprise Saguaros and the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Thursday, October 16, 2025 in Talking Stick, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Jared Thomas (Pre-Season PuRP No. 5) knew something was wrong with his hand last fall. He also knew it wasn’t stopping him.
“It started off during the Fall League last year,” Thomas said. “Knew I had something going in my hand. We didn’t really quite know what it was, but it wasn’t bothering me too much, or enough for me not to play. So played through it.”
Two days after the Arizona Fall League ended, he stayed in the desert and got imaging done. The hook of the hamate in his right wrist was broken. Thomas and the Colorado Rockies addressed it quickly.
“We knocked that surgery out, got to go home, took a little time off,” Thomas said. “Got back to swinging a bat after about three, four weeks, and then the progression just never got any better.”
He arrived at spring training as a non-roster invitee and was shut down almost immediately.
“Didn’t take very many swings, and then when we thought the time was right to start swinging again, it still had some pain in there, and we didn’t really know quite what was going on,” he said.
So he went back to Dr. Donald Sheridan — “one of the best hand specialists in the country,” as Thomas describes him — for a second look. More CT scans. More MRIs. And a second diagnosis.
“Found out there was some bone growth on my metacarpal bone in the top of my hand,” Thomas said. “So he went in there and cleaned out a bone spur. And after that surgery, which was in March, April, somewhere there — then the clock gets reset back to six to eight weeks.”
Two surgeries. Two recoveries. The Rockies’ second-round pick in 2024, coming off a season that made him the organization’s position player of the year, did not play a professional game until the middle of summer.
He is playing now. And in 11 games back between the complex league and Double-A Hartford, he is hitting .361 with a homer, a triple, and two doubles.
“You’ve got to give yourself some grace”
There’s a difference between a wrist that’s healed and a swing that feels like yours. Thomas doesn’t pretend otherwise.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’m there yet, but I’m damn close,” he said. “There’s been a lot of time spent at the complex revamping the swing, and trying to get back to your normal self after not swinging a bat or being out for five, six months. It’s tough, man.”
Ask what he took from the months away, and he doesn’t reach for anything about mechanics.
“You’ve got to give yourself some grace,” Thomas said. “That’s probably the biggest thing I learned with my time away from the game. You’ve got to give yourself some grace, especially coming back.”
What hasn’t wavered is the part underneath it.
“Ultimately, I know the caliber player I am,” he said. “I know deep down in my heart that I’m going to play in the big leagues. So just controlling what I can control on a day-to-day basis — that’s the biggest deal.”
He is not, at the moment, thinking about a September call or next year’s depth chart. He’s thinking about the club he was sent back to.
“Coming out and being able to get shipped back to Hartford and help these guys, hopefully win a championship in the Eastern League — that’s a big deal,” Thomas said. “We’re going to go give this Eastern League championship a shot for sure.”
JARED THOMAS GOES YARD! 💥🐐
Thomas launches a two-run homer to right-center to put the Goats on the board!
The non-roster invite came before any of the bad news, and Thomas talks about it like the receipt for a year’s work.
“That was the ultimate goal,” he said. “I worked my tail off the year prior, and to get that invite, it felt great. All that hard work — you got a little bone thrown to you.”
He couldn’t swing. He was there anyway, in a big league clubhouse with Mickey Moniak and Brenton Doyle, alongside Charlie Condon (Pre-Season PuRP No.1), Cole Messina, and Konner Eaton (Mid-Season PuRP No. 28), and with two other guys he’d shared a Hartford clubhouse with the year before.
“Especially now that [Kyle] Karros and [Cole] Carrigg have started to establish themselves in the big leagues — that proves that guys like us, we’re not that far out,” Thomas said. “Being around those guys and learning the language they use, and what the ultimate goal is when you get to the big leagues, that’s a big deal. Just being able to be a part of that was special.”
A championship in the complex
Thomas’ rehab landed him with the ACL Rockies at exactly the right moment. He joined a group comprised largely of teenagers for a few weeks and left with a ring.
“It was a blast, man,” he said, “especially seeing those guys that are, hell, 18, 19 years old — how much fun they’re having. That brings me back to when I was in college, and I was 18. Baseball was so fun back then. And those guys are really good, man, and they’re diligent about their work. A lot of those guys don’t come from much, so that shows up especially when the game’s on the line.
He remembers Game 3 of the ACL World Series specifically, and the way his teammates came to him before it.
“These guys speak a lot of broken English, so they’re like, ‘Papi, no matter what, win,’” Thomas said. “I was like, I got you, dude. This means as much to me as it does to you, I promise.”
League champs! Congrats to our Rookie-level Arizona Complex League team on an incredible season 👏 💜 pic.twitter.com/YzFo4F8rsR
He came away convinced that the organization’s next wave is real. One name in particular came up in our conversation — a 19-year-old Venezuelan outfielder he compared, without hedging, to a franchise icon.
“He’s the closest player I’ve ever seen to Carlos González in my life,” Thomas said of Cristian Arguelles (Pre-Season PuRP Preseason HM). “That guy’s straight CarGo. He’s got the sideways hat, he plays the outfield just like him with some swag. And that kid’s bat is real. That swing tool is real.”
Austin, and a phone call from Jack O’Dowd
Thomas came back from rehab to find a familiar face in the Hartford clubhouse.
Jack O’Dowd (Mid-Season HM PuRP ) went undrafted out of Texas in 2024, spent a season in the independent Pioneer League, signed a minor league deal with Colorado in January, and has climbed three levels in one summer.
The two were teammates in Austin and stayed in touch through two offseasons back in the same city.
“This past offseason, when he gave me a call and said that we’re teammates now — definitely caught me off guard,” Thomas said. “But I was so pumped for the kid, man, because I know what amount of grind he’s been through. Nobody else can really feel the same way. Nobody’s gone through stuff like that.”
He is unambiguous about what he thinks of the jump.
“That kid’s jumping three levels in a year, man. That’s unheard of,” Thomas said. “A lot of guys don’t do that, and especially a free agent guy doing it. It’s special.”
And unambiguous about the direction the respect runs.
“He’s a guy that I look up to,” said Thomas, the second-round pick with a $2 million bonus, about the undrafted free agent. “He was one of the seniors in the clubhouse my last year in college. That guy plays with grace. He doesn’t really get sped up. He enjoys the game, and he takes it pitch by pitch. That’s what I’m striving to do this year. Having him here that close is going to help for sure.”
What August is for
Asked what he’s working on with the season’s last weeks in front of him, Thomas named the thing his 2025 numbers were already pointing at.
“I think pitch selection is a big one,” he said. “Pitch selection, swing decisions — they all kind of correlate. Going up there with a pretty good plan and sticking to the plan.”
He’s built for that. Thomas walked 70 times in 118 games last season, posted a .398 on-base percentage across two levels, and hit .348 with a 1.088 OPS in plate appearances where he got ahead in the count.
He is also, by his own framing, done treating any single at-bat as the whole thing.
“This game’s hard. This game’s real hard,” Thomas said. “If I go up there and I stick to my plan and it doesn’t work out — hell, you got another one coming. That’s the great thing about this game, is you get to play tomorrow.”
The rest of it is a word he keeps coming back to.
“Just got out there and have fun, dude,” he said. “I now know what it’s like having time away from the game, which I hadn’t had to go through so far. Being back here in a clubhouse with a bunch of guys I was with last year in Spokane — just enjoying it.”
Snake Farm and the Postman
Two nicknames follow Thomas around, and he can tell you the exact day each one started.
The first came during a bad stretch his freshman year at Texas, out of a batting practice playlist that assistant coach Philip Miller played on a loop.
“That song just happened to get stuck in my head one night,” Thomas said. “I walked past our player development person, Carli Todd, and she was like, ‘That’s what you’re walking up to tonight.‘ And I was like, there’s no way. I end up walking up to it. I got 3-for-4 with a homer that night, and it just stuck.”
Snake Farm followed him through a great college career and into pro ball.
The second came last year at Spokane, from hitting coach Trevor Burmeister, now with the Portland Sea Dogs.
“He called me the Postman because I’m always delivering the barrel,” Thomas said. “I always wore a U.S. Postal Service hat for BP, so I was all in on that.”
He has a favorite.
“Honestly, I’d probably say Snake Farm,” Thomas said. “Just the amount of fun, and how much that stuck in college — that was special.”
The barrels are the part he’s still getting back. The rest of it, by every indication in his voice, never left.
Albuquerque opened its trip to Oklahoma City (Los Angeles Dodgers) with a 13-run outburst and then essentially stopped hitting. The Isotopes scored seven runs across the next five games, were shut out three times, and dropped the series finale, falling to nine games back of a playoff spot.
Nic Kent led the offense with three doubles and four RBIs, and Jose Cordova hit .375 over four starts. There was a familiar face on the other side Saturday: Seth Halvorsen, traded from Colorado to Los Angeles in July, closed out a 1-0 win against his former organization’s top affiliate.
⬆️ Stock Up: Brooks has OKC shook
Jake Brooks was excellent on Saturday and still lost. He went six innings against the Comets, allowing one run on six hits with four strikeouts and — most notably — no walks, only for Albuquerque’s offense to manage two hits in a 1-0 defeat. It was Brooks’ sharpest outing in Triple-A since his promotion in July.
Jake Brooks is your @Toyota Reliable Player of the Week after tossing 6.0 innings of one-run ball for a quality start on Saturday night! pic.twitter.com/tQ9VkP6JKq
Charlie Condon managed two hits in 22 at-bats and struck out nine times across all six games, the coldest stretch he has had this season. He did triple and steal a base, as well as drawing four walks, so he wasn’t entirely absent from the lineup — but a week after hitting his 22nd home run, Colorado’s most-watched prospect went nearly a full series without a base hit. For a club that scored seven runs in five games, the timing compounded the problem.
Upcoming
The Isotopes host the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics) for a six-game series.
Hartford’s collapse continued at home against Erie (Detroit Tigers), who won five of six. The Yard Goats have now lost 11 of 12 dating back to the Binghamton sweep, and are now 16-29 in the second half. The pitching was hardly the problem — seven Hartford arms finished the series without allowing an earned run, and Stu Flesland III continued to roll with five innings of unearned-run ball with seven strikeouts that still ended in a loss. The offense scored 16 runs in six games, and four of the five defeats came by two or fewer runs.
⬆️ Stock Up: Weatherly Finds His Stuff
Sam Weatherly was untouchable in two appearances, throwing five innings without allowing a run, surrendering one hit and striking out 10. Seven of those punchouts came in three innings of Sunday’s finale, when he retired nearly everyone he faced. It’s a marked turn for the left-hander who had spent much of the season searching — he entered the week with an ERA north of nine — and it gives a taxed Hartford bullpen an arm worth trusting again.
Tevin Tucker went 0-for-13 in his first extended look at Double-A, striking out five times after arriving from High-A Spokane. The bright spot is that he found other ways to help — three stolen bases in five games, plus a walk and a hit-by-pitch — so the speed translated even as the bat didn’t. It’s a small sample and a real jump in level, but the first impression at the plate was a difficult one.
Upcoming
The Yard Goats will welcome the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees) to Hartford for six games.
High-A: Spokane Indians (2-4, 52-61 Overall)
Spokane lost the first four at Everett (Seattle Mariners) before salvaging the last two, including an 8-7 win in 10 innings on Sunday. Control was the through-line: Indians pitchers issued 41 walks across the six games, 14 of them in a 16-2 opening loss and 13 more in the finale they somehow won. Kelvin Hidalgo drew six walks of his own and hit .381, and the club kept running — Roldy Brito (Pre-Season PuRP No. 11) stole four bases, Hidalgo three, and Wilder Dalis (Pre-Season PuRP No. 24) three more. The Indians sit four games back of first place in the Northwest League.
⬆️ Stock Up: Thach Finds His Swing
Tanner Thach collected 11 hits in 25 at-bats, a .440 series with two home runs, a double, and a team-high 5 RBIs while playing all six games. He homered in each of the first two games and kept hitting when the rest of the lineup went quiet — Spokane scored eight runs across the first three games, and Thach had a hand in most of what little there was. He seems to be finding his stride in High-A.
Ismael Luciano faced six batters in Tuesday’s opener and retired none of them, walking three and allowing six runs before he was pulled without recording an out. He returned Sunday and gave up two more runs on two walks and a home run. Across the two outings, he faced 14 hitters and got five of them out. The command has deserted him at the worst time for a bullpen already issuing walks at an unsustainable rate.
Upcoming
The Hillsboro Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks) come to town for a six-game set in Spokane.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies (2-4, 61-53 Overall)
Fresno fell victim to a series loss at the hands of the San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants). The Grizzlies won the first two, then dropped four straight, the last of them on a 10-9 walk-off in 11 innings on Sunday after they had led 8-1 entering the eighth — Yanzel Correa surrendered six runs in a single inning to erase it. They fell to two games back of first place in the division. Ashly Andujar (Mid-Season PuRP No. 30) and Juan Martinez each collected six hits, Martinez adding two triples in the finale. Jack Natili (Mid-Season PuRP No. 20) and Daniel Jackson each hit their first career professional home runs.
⬆️ Stock Up: Parker Nearly Threw a No-Hitter
Brady Parker took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning Tuesday, retiring San Jose without a hit through six innings before handing it to the bullpen, which gave up the first hit an inning later. Parker came back Sunday and allowed one run over four innings, finishing the series with 10 innings, four hits, and a single earned run. He has now been Fresno’s steadiest arm for a month.
Brady Parker silenced San Jose for six hitless innings while Daniel Jackson and Cort MacDonald slug their first professional hits to help support the gem.
Cristian Arguelles went 4-for-25 (.160) across all six games, three weeks after arriving from the Arizona Complex League and a week removed from hitting .435 to earn a spot in this column. The at-bats weren’t wild — he struck out just once in 25 tries, and he stole two bases as well as drawing a hit-by-pitch — but the contact stopped finding grass at the worst time, with Fresno needing runs in a series with real playoff implications. He’s still only a few weeks into full-season ball at this level.
Upcoming
The Grizzlies play host to the Stockton Ports (Athletics) for a six-game series.
DSL: DSL Colorado (2-2) & DSL Rockies (2-3)
Neither Dominican Summer League affiliate found much rhythm, though DSL Colorado stayed atop the DSL Southeast at 34-18 and closed the week with a 9-1 win. Their odd game came Friday: 10 walks drawn, two hits, and a 4-3 loss. DSL Rockies took two of five to reach 21-32, and one of them was extraordinary — a 19-18 walk-off win that lasted four hours and 12 minutes and produced 37 runs, 26 hits, and 21 walks between both teams. Danny Cancro hit .500 for the week, and Maiker Ramirez hit .533.
⬆️ Stock Up: Vielma Keeps Getting On
Carlos Vielma (Acquired in the Antonio Senzatela trade) reached base 10 times in four games, going 5-for-12 (.417) with two doubles and five walks. The most telling of those hits came Friday, when Colorado managed just two all afternoon — Vielma had one of them, a double, in a game his team otherwise filled with walks and stranded runners. He’s hitting .363 on the season and just turned 17 last week.
⬇️ Stock Down: Oh, Darling
Darling Pena went 1-for-19 across all five games, striking out six times and driving in nobody. His lone hit came in Thursday’s 9-7 loss. The starkest illustration came Friday, when the Rockies scored 19 runs and Pena finished 0-for-4.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Trey Mancini, the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 for his return from colon cancer who then helped Houston win the 2022 World Series, announced his retirement after his latest comeback lasted five games with the Los Angeles Angels.
“Thank you, baseball,” Mancini wrote on lnstagram.
Mancini, 34, agreed to a minor league contract with the Angels in February, a deal that included an invitation to major league spring training. Mancini hit .273 with six homers, 29 RBIs and three steals for Triple-A Salt Lake this year.
The right-handed batter had three hits in his first major league game since 2023 playing first base in a 5-4 loss to the Houston Astros in 10 innings. Mancini’s final major league appearance was June 14, and he was designated for assignment on June 17.
“I am blessed to have made a home in the Orioles organization for 10 years, win a World Series in Houston, play for the Cubs in Chicago (I wish I played better for you guys), and make it back up to the MLB with the Angels,” Mancini wrote while also thanking the Reds, Marlins and Diamondbacks as well.
Mancini batted .263 with 129 homers and 404 RBIs in the majors. He played parts of six seasons with the Orioles and hit a career-high 29 homers in 2019.
He then missed the 2020 season after surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon. He made a successful return to the Orioles in 2021, and he won a World Series ring in 2022 after Baltimore traded him to Houston.
Mancini spent part of the 2023 season with the Chicago Cubs. He has since played in the minor league systems of the Reds, Marlins and Diamondbacks. He opted out of a minor league deal with Arizona last July after batting .308 with 16 homers for Triple-A Reno.
Is there a more disposable job in pro sports than NHL head coach?
Senators coach Travis Green is a pretty good example of just how quickly the NHL coaching carousel spins. The Senators just hired Green two summers ago, and somehow, he's already the 12th-longest-serving active NHL coach with his current team.
In a 32-team league, that's pretty crazy.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss Travis Green's comments about Brady Tkachuk's exit.
Green has done an excellent job since arriving in Ottawa. The Senators have made the playoffs in each of his first two years, ending a seven-year postseason drought in his first year and then navigating a much more difficult 2025-26 season to get back there again.
Green's work this past season earned him significant recognition around the league. He finished sixth in Jack Adams Trophy voting and received four first-place votes.
That's pretty good company, but a two-season run feels like a cup of coffee, like you've barely had enough time to really put your stamp on the club. It shouldn't place you near the top third of the NHL.
NHL head coaches continue to get hired, fired and recycled at an unreasonably high rate in the NHL.
A couple of disappointing months can suddenly put an established coach on the hot seat. A bad playoff series can change everything. Sometimes, even winning doesn't buy much security.
Just look at Vegas, everyone's favourite team.
The Golden Knights were in a playoff spot in late March, but they felt like their dressing room was flat, so they fired their 2023 Cup champion, Bruce Cassidy, and brought in John Tortorella. Then, despite getting them to the Cup Final this year, they parted ways with Tortorella right after that run, then hired rookie coach Ryan Craig.
The Knights didn't give a reason for Tortorella's exit, but maybe he'll be back again to jolt them next spring like a walking-talking defibrillator.
The volatile state of coaching makes Jon Cooper an absolute unicorn.
Cooper took over the Tampa Bay Lightning in March 2013 and is now entering his 14th season behind their bench. He's won two Stanley Cups, reached four Stanley Cup Finals and taken Tampa Bay to the playoffs in 12 of his 13 full seasons.
And somehow, after all of that, he had never won the Jack Adams Trophy until this year. Cooper has been an outlier for a long time, and it's been suggested that the so-called Jack Adams curse may finally be his undoing.
But what coach isn't feeling cursed, hearing the footsteps of his replacement? No matter how well things are going, recent history will tell you that unemployment isn't far off.
Montreal's Marty St. Louis has been on the job for four years, and he's already the fourth-longest-tenured head coach in the entire league?
Maybe it's the short attention span of today's young players, who are easily bored (and sometimes entitled) as they tune out coaches faster than ever.
Maybe with social media now so prevalent, general managers hear the barking from fans and media sooner and louder. A quick coaching change can be like throwing a hunk of meat to the wolves. It gives them something else to chew on as the GM slowly backs into the hedges like Homer Simpson.
Whatever it is, Cooper's longevity is a million times more impressive than the silly notion of a trophy curse.
As for Green, who's done a tremendous job so far, Senators fans should probably enjoy the coaching stability while they have it because it can obviously be fleeting.
It's truly hard to believe that a two-year run qualifies as veteran status now.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest headlines below:
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 09: Dennis Schroder #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates after a basket against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 09, 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dennis Schroder isn’t one to shy away from the truth. He showed this in his limited time with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, often being one of the most vocal players on the court and in the locker room.
Whether he was urging his teammates to hustle back on defense or to keep the bigs involved offensively, Schroder wasn’t afraid to call it how he sees it.
That’s continued even after Schroder was traded to the Charlotte Hornets last week.
In an interview with EuroHoops, Schroder opened up about the challenges of his role in Cleveland.
“When you have two legends in your position who bring the ball up the court and play a lot of isolation, then it’s just difficult,” said Schroder.
Playing behind James Harden and Donovan Mitchell is a unique challenge for anyone. Being the backup to two ball-dominant stars is a thankless job. It requires a sacrifice that isn’t always recognized. Schroder wasn’t in his comfort zone sharing the floor with both Mitchell and Harden, as no one in that group excels without the ball.
Anyone watching the Cavs could tell you that.
This isn’t to say that Schroder should have had more touches. We all agree that the ball should be primarily in Harden or Mitchell’s hands. But it’s no secret that co-existing with them in the backcourt is easier said than done. You need a specific skill set that doesn’t match Schroder’s archetype.
Schroder is at his best when he’s on the ball. He isn’t the type of player who can spot up in the corner or space the floor. And even with his scrappiness on the defensive end, he still isn’t the ideal partner to cover up for either Harden or Mitchell on that end of the floor.
That put Schroder in an awkward position. The Cavs needed a backup point guard — but they didn’t need the type of package that Schroder brings. He’s a speedy, on-ball floor general who can run the offense in a pinch. Not a 3-and-D guard who can fill in the gaps.
For this reason, Schroder is right to feel optimistic about landing in Charlotte.
“I’ve known [I was being traded] for a month,” said Schroder. “I think it’s a better situation for me from a sporting perspective.”
Schroder will have more room to be himself on the Hornets bench. Meanwhile, the Cavs search for a way to capitalize on their newfound financial freedom. The trade feels like a win for both parties.
On Sunday, the NHL Network will release its list of the top 20 centers in the NHL right now, and after seeing one of their players make the first three rankings, it is likely the Montreal Canadiens will also be represented on this fourth and final list. Cole Caufield was named the ninth-best winger, Lane Hutson the sixth-best defenseman, and Jakub Dobes the 10th-best goaltender. Where will Nick Suzuki rank on the best center list? We’ll have the final answer on Sunday night, but for now, let’s have a look at where he should land.
Last year, Suzuki ranked 10th, and when he entered the conversation ahead of the 2024 season, he was 16th. Needless to say, he should carry on climbing the rankings this season.
It’s been a fantastic season for the Canadiens’ captain, who not only broke the 100-point barrier with 101 points but also won his first major NHL award when he claimed the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive winger. He was the first choice for the award on 151 of 198 ballots and a top-five pick for 191 of the voters. He received a total of 1,726 voting points, a 1,259-point lead over his closest rival, Anthony Cirelli, who had 467 points.
From a pure point-production standpoint, Suzuki was fifth amongst all centers last year, trailing only Connor McDavid (138 points), Nathan MacKinnon (127 points), Macklin Celebrini (115 points), and Mark Scheifele (103 points). However, Suzuki is more than points on the scoresheet for the Canadiens. This past season, he ranked sixth in the NHL in faceoffs taken with 1,449, or 32.2% of all Habs faceoffs, and when he was on the ice, the Sainte-Flanelle outshot its opponent 94-58. His contribution is so valuable to the Canadiens that he finished fifth in Hart Trophy voting, earning one first-place vote, 19 fourth-place votes, and 35 fifth-place votes for 102 points. He was light-years away from first place (Nikita Kucherov with 1,436 points), but those votes show how well regarded he is in the NHL.
Even though he failed to make the cut for the 4 Nations Face-Off roster, Suzuki’s performance in the last two seasons forced Hockey Canada to bring him to the Milano Cortina Olympics, where he showed the rest of the NHL what he could actually do.
Last season, McDavid, MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Aleksander Barkov, Sidney Crosby, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Brayden Point, and Mark Scheifele all finished ahead of Suzuki in the top-20 centers rankings, but that should change this season. For one, Barkov didn’t play a single game last season after suffering a serious knee injury, tearing both his ACL and MCL. Point also missed just under 20 games and saw his scoring drop from 82 to 50 points. Matthews’ scoring also dropped significantly, from 78 points to 53, as he played only 60 games and couldn't lead his Toronto Maple Leafs to the playoffs. As for Crosby, he could only muster 74 points ( in 68 games), his lowest total since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season (62 points in 55 games). In other words, there is room for Suzuki to climb up a few spots in the rankings.
Based on last season’s results, it would make sense for Suzuki to make his way into the top five, behind McDavid, MacKinnon, Celebrini, and Draisaitl, who put up 97 points in just 65 games. We’ll find out on Sunday at 7:00 PM if NHL Network agrees with our assessment.
