Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy is showered in sunflower seeds after hitting a home run during Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
When the Oakland Athletics released Max Muncy before the 2017 season, the then-26-year-old didn’t know if a baseball career was for him anymore, let alone a future at third base.
“Man, there’s a lot with that,” Muncy told The Times. “It’s just a lot.”
Then, the Dodgers came calling, signing Muncy to a minor-league contract in late April 2017.
And now — nine seasons, three All-Star nods and three World Series championships later — Muncy just eclipsed 10 years of service time on Sunday against the Brewers, eight days before his 36th birthday.
“It’s special. It’s a rare accomplishment in baseball,” Muncy said of the feat that fewer than 10% of all MLB players reach. “It’s something that I’m extremely proud of. There’s not many things that I take personal pride in when it comes to, you know, personal accomplishments. For me, it’s always about winning rings and doing things as a team.
“But this is one of the few that I’m really, really proud of, and I’ll definitely cherish.”
No one could’ve foreseen the unobtrusively great career that Muncy has carved out for himself, specifically over the past nine seasons in Los Angeles since getting called up in 2018.
Entering this week’s three-game series in Colorado against the Rockies, Muncy is the Dodgers’ all-time playoff home run leader with 16 and is fifth on the franchise’s all-time home runs list with 233. He has slashed .234/.357/.486 over 1,039 regular-season games with the club, anchoring lineups alongside countless big-name teammates while evolving into a trustworthy defender.
Even someone who’s seen Muncy’s journey up close like Dodgers reliever Brock Stewart, who was also vying for a big-league opportunity in triple-A Oklahoma City during that forever-ago 2017 season, is still moved by his ascent.
“He’s always been a good teammate [and] always been a good human,” Stewart said. “I don’t know if he always believed in himself, and I can relate to that, because I didn’t believe in myself all the time … But to see him and how he persevered through that feeling [or] that self-doubt and became what he is now [is] super special.
“And, man, to know that he’s now the Dodger [Stadium] all-time home run leader? Whatever it is … after being an older guy in triple A with me and then getting called up … special.”
In retrospect, though, this was always Muncy’s destiny.
He’s long been a manager’s dream, a status that is timeless and priceless.
“I remember a guy that just got DFA’d that was sort of kicked to the curb by an organization that didn’t believe in him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Muncy. “He was close to being out of baseball … He’s one of the leaders on our ballclub, the longest-tenured Dodger currently. So I just have nothing but praise.
“The ability to kind of adapt, start, come off the bench and still [do] whatever it takes to help the team win — he’s all -in. ... He does everything you want as a manager — everything. He’s cut from the same Freddie Freeman cloth.”
Muncy is as team-first as it gets.
Although some stats might occasionally catch his eye, Muncy doesn’t put much thought into individual accomplishments. Recently passing Eric Karros, for example, for first in career homers at Dodger Stadium — Muncy currently has 132 to Karros’ 130 — doesn’t light up Muncy as one might think.
“There’s not much when it comes to me, personally, that I care about,” Muncy said. “But three rings is definitely what I [cherish] most.”
That selfless approach is what MLB’s premier organization and latest dynasty loves most about Muncy.
“He’s a guy that is always going to show up for the team and do whatever it takes to put the team in a good position,” said Miguel Rojas, Dodgers infielder and veteran leader. “That’s what I believe is a sign of a leader without talking much. … Every time he goes out there and he breaks a record, you feel good for the guy because he’s been working really hard toward the things he has right now in his power.
“I’m so happy and proud that I can say I was a teammate with him because he was one of the first guys that kind of opened his arms to me when I got back here in 2023. … He’s a guy you always can root for, especially in this organization full of stars. He always gets [overlooked] a little bit, but I feel like he’s one of the leaders of this club, and he will be until he retires.”
L.A. has borne witness to nothing but stars over the years.
Since Muncy has called L.A. home, he’s suited up alongside several future Hall of Famers, from Clayton Kershaw to Shohei Ohtani, mainly at the hot corner, where the bar is high after the trails blazed by Justin Turner, Ron Cey and others.
But if Muncy’s 10 years of service represent anything, it’s that he has become a Dodgers great too — even if he hasn’t fully embraced the label yet.
“Surreal. It’s crazy. I definitely don’t see myself as that,” Muncy said of his growing place in Dodgers history. “But maybe one day, when I’m done, I’ll be able to sit back and kind of reflect on that. But for me, it’s just all surreal.”
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks lifts the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Knicks are NBA champions.
That’s true now; it’ll be true when the season opens against Philly in October, it’ll be true in the Finals rematch against the Spurs on Christmas, and it’ll be true all the way until next June, when history suggests that a ninth NBA champion in nine years will be crowned.
The last team to go back-to-back was the 2017 and 2018 Warriors. Since then, most of the champions have thought they could turn what they have into a dynasty.
The Lakers saw no reason why they couldn’t do it again in 2021, but they didn’t.
The Bucks saw no reason why they couldn’t do it again in 2022, but they didn’t.
The Nuggets saw no reason why they couldn’t do it again in 2024, but they didn’t.
The Celtics saw no reason why they couldn’t do it again in 2025, but they didn’t.
The Thunder saw no reason why they couldn’t do it again in 2026, but they didn’t.
The Knicks right now see no reason why they can’t win another one in 2027, but the flow of the NBA suggests someone new will take the mantle.
But nobody ever said that ultimate parity would continue forever and ever.
The Knicks won it all 65 days ago; they open their season 64 days from now. We are closer to raising the championship banner than we were to raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy. As we head into the second half of this offseason of celebration, there’s one big question.
Why not us? Why can’t the Knicks go back-to-back?
The History
There have been 13 separate instances of a team winning a championship in back-to-back seasons in NBA history, but a good chunk of those were part of larger three-peats (or an eight-peat in the Celtics’ case). As much as we’ve talked about the last eight years being a stretch of unprecedented parity, there have only been three sets of back-to-back champions since 2003, after six of them from 1987-2002.
Those teams who’ve done it have all had legends of the game:
1949-50 Lakers: George Mikan
1952-54 Lakers: George Mikan
1959-66 Celtics: Bill Russell
1968-69 Celtics: Bill Russell
1987-88 Lakers: Magic Johnson & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1989-90 Pistons: Isiah Thomas
1991-93 Bulls: Michael Jordan
1994-95 Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon
1996-98 Bulls: Michael Jordan
2000-02 Lakers: Kobe Bryant & Shaquille O’Neal
2009-10: Kobe Bryant
2012-13 Heat: LeBron James
2017-18 Warriors: Kevin Durant & Stephen Curry
Were these players immortalized partially because of these championships? Absolutely. The inroads for the Knicks are likely to be those Bad Boys Pistons teams, a collection of guys who’ll likely never be called top-50 players of all time, but who got it done. Brunson would undoubtedly be one of the greatest point guards ever with another ring, as I.T. is.
But by and large, securing two consecutive titles requires an inner-circle Hall of Famer. Magical runs can happen with really good players and rosters, but dynasties happen with legends.
But didn’t people say you needed an MVP candidate to even win one title? The Knicks pulled a rarity, winning a title without a single player receiving an MVP vote, something not done since the 1978 Bullets and only done twice in total. If any team can defy the odds, it’d be the Knicks.
The Age of Parity
As we’ve all heard more than enough, the Knicks are the eighth consecutive different team to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 2019. Why didn’t those previous seven teams go back-to-back.
2019-20 Raptors
Win Difference from Title Year: +2 (60-win pace, shortened season due to COVID-19) Playoff Outcome: Lost in 7 in ECSF vs. Celtics Major Hangup: Losing Kawhi Leonard
All told, the 2020 Raptors were tremendously successful. They’re the only team in the 21st century to lose their leading scorer directly after winning the championship and are the first to do so since the MJ retirements in 1993 and 1998. Nobody expected them to win as many games, let alone go back-to-back, but they finished with the No. 2 seed with a 53-19 record in the bubble.
They did it by committee. 25-year-old Pascal Siakam took another step forward to evolve into the perennial all-star he is now; Kyle Lowry continued his steady presence as the lead guard; Fred VanVleet took a leap into being a borderline all-star; and OG Anunoby joined the starting lineup in his second season as a defensive presence. Add in Norman Powell’s microwave scoring and returning much of their role players, they masqueraded as strong defending champions deep into August.
Here’s the problem. As Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics showed this past season, a team that plays better than the sum of its parts can rack up regular-season wins, but playoff games are won with high-end performance by the superstars. Without said superstar, the Raptors were vulnerable. Kawhi averaged 30.5 points on 49/38/88 in the 2019 postseason, something no Raptor was capable of.
Their elite defense was enough to smother the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets, but they didn’t have enough offense to get past Boston. In a highly competitive series that went seven games, the Raptors had two chances to tie the game in the final 40 seconds that they squandered. If they won that, could they have beaten Miami and got to the Finals? Sure, but they just didn’t have enough to beat that Lakers team.
2020-21 Lakers
Win Difference from Title Year: -12 (adjusting for 82-game pace) Playoff Outcome: Lost in 6 in West 1st Round vs. Suns Major Hangup: Injuries
Heading into the 2020-21 season, the Lakers didn’t have the feeling of pure inevitability, unlike some of the teams we still have coming up, but they were still considered solid favorites, especially in the Western Conference. They were the only West team in the top six teams in championship odds before the season.
The team’s regression had nothing to do with losing pieces. They spent the offseason acquiring the likes of Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder to bolster the bench. Sure, they regressed offensively across the board, but they surrounded a fearsome dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the best defense in basketball. If anything, their lack of shooting would’ve done them in come playoff time.
But that wasn’t what took them down; it was injuries. The usually durable LeBron had his ankle rolled up by Solomon Hill in late March, causing him to miss 26 of the team’s final 30 games. The start of the downfall of Davis’ durability came that season as well, missing 30 consecutive games from February to April with a calf/Achilles injury.
In total, the two stars missed 63 games combined, only suiting up together in 27 games, and played 500 fewer minutes together than they did the season before. For much of the second half of the season, the Lakers relied on Kyle Kuzma first-option lineups to keep them afloat, which didn’t go well. They went 19-8 with both stars in the lineup and 23-22 in every other game.
A hyper-competitive West pushed them down to the No. 7 seed, where they matched up with the up-and-coming Phoenix Suns. With both stars returning from injury a week before the postseason, the Lakers were picked as a popular upset pick, but the wear and tear did them in.
In the three games that Davis played start-to-finish, the Lakers went 2-1. He then played 25 total minutes across the next three games, as Phoenix ran the table and went on to come within two wins of their first championship, losing to…
2021-22 Bucks
Win Difference from Title Year: -1 (adjusting for 82-game pace) Playoff Outcome: Lost in 7 in ECSF vs. Celtics Major Hangup: Poorly timed injuries
Remember when it felt like Giannis completed basketball? He was an MVP, a champion, a Finals MVP, a perennial All-NBA First Team talent, and Defensive Player of the Year. By the time he won it all in 2021, he was already a top-five power forward in history by the age of 26. Who knows how high he could’ve climbed?
Outside of the inevitability of Giannis, the Bucks are the best comparison to our current bunch for a few reasons. For one, their offseason was similar, running back an identical core. Milwaukee returned their entire starting lineup, with only Bryn Forbes not returning from their top-eight scorers. They even added a shooting threat in Grayson Allen via trade.
The other thing that makes this team extremely similar is the fact that their championship wasn’t viewed as “impressive” by the basketball world. They “got lucky” that Kevin Durant’s foot was on the line. Injuries took out a lot of their competition. They ran into a young and inexperienced Suns team in the NBA Finals. They entered the following season third in championship odds behind two “superteams” that they had proven they were better than the season prior. Sound familiar?
There was no reason to think they couldn’t do it again in the regular season. Both conference favorites (Nets and Lakers) fizzled out due to injuries and poor team chemistry, while the Bucks went on to win 51 games. They did it on the back of more Giannis dominance, along with All-Star-caliber production from Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. To make things better, all three played at least 65 games, keeping them upright into the postseason.
There were certainly warts. Their defense slipped to the middle of the pack. Their only in-season response to a season full of going through the motions was trading Donte DiVincenzo for veteran forward Serge Ibaka. They were in contention for the No. 1 seed late in the season, but settled for third behind Miami and Boston. In the first round, they made quick work of a Bulls team that was in a death spiral since January, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
In Game 2, the only one the Bucks lost due to a 41-point masterpiece by DeMar DeRozan, Middleton slipped on a wet spot and sprained his MCL, missing the remainder of a series they didn’t need him to win. The problem was that the injury was severe enough to hold him out for several weeks, a death knell against a hungry Celtics team in the second round.
Despite going up 3-2 with Giannis averaging 34 a night and Holiday stepping up as a second option, the Celtics stole Game 6 in Milwaukee before blowing them to smithereens in Game 7 at TD Garden. Without Middleton’s offense, the Bucks scored under 105 points in five of the seven games, including three where they were held to 95 or fewer. It’s the kind of freak accident that could happen to anyone.
2022-23 Warriors
Win Difference from Title Year: -9 Playoff Outcome: Lost in 6 in WCSF vs. Lakers Major Hangup: Injuries/Age
The Warriors were probably the team least likely to repeat, just due to the finality of things. It was the last dance of a Big 3 that had defined the late 2010s, and while they were optimistic about some of the young guys on their roster, most accepted that it would take a lot to get them back to this point.
In the offseason, they essentially just replaced the outgoing Gary Payton II with DiVincenzo, who at this point had a depressed stock after injuries and underperformance in Sacramento. Still, they were one of five teams with 7-1 or better odds when the season began.
The Warriors battled a few things in their championship push. It’s hard to ask an aging core, one that was older than any defending champion since the 2014-15 Spurs, to be able to run that gauntlet again, but the main culprit was injuries.
Steph Curry has always been the straw that stirs the drink in Golden State, so the team was fortunate to be able to tread water in the 26 games he missed due to various ailments. Andrew Wiggins was an incredibly vital part of their championship run, but he was held to just 37 games in 2022-23 due to an adductor strain in December and a personal issue that held him out for the team’s final 22 regular-season games. Add in load management and minor ailments for Klay and Draymond, and you get a 44-win season that’s only good enough for the No. 6 seed in the West.
Fortunately for the Warriors, they weren’t really underdogs running into the “Light the Beam” Kings in the first round, feasting on their inexperience and asking a healthy Curry to carry them to the tune of 34 points a night in the first round and a 50-burger in Game 7 in hostile territory. The problems arose when they went toe-to-toe with the 2020 champion Lakers.
The Warriors, at this point, just weren’t good enough. Curry shot pretty inefficiently by his standards, while Klay had some ghastly shooting performances. A healthy Lakers squad that season was pretty good and took down the defending champions in six games before getting swept by the eventual champion Nuggets. There isn’t always a reason behind these things, just that some other team puts it together.
2023-24 Nuggets
Win Difference from Title Year: +4 Playoff Outcome: Lost in 7 in WCSF vs. T-Wolves Major Hangup: Bad Playoff Matchup
Nobody really saw the Nuggets coming in 2023, but when you have the best player in the world, you always have a chance to do something special. That Nuggets team is also regarded as having a pretty weak title run, as the league itself lacked an alpha, and by the time Denver got through the West, all that was left was for them to pick the bones of a scrappy No. 8 seed that had already expended so much energy to get there.
Their offseason eerily mirrors what the Knicks went through. They lost a key role player due to the champion tax and an inability to match the contract, as Bruce Brown signed a $45 million deal in Indiana. They were unable to adequately replace him, hoping Julian Strawther and internal replacements could do the job. They entered the following season as co-favorites to repeat with the eventual champion Celtics.
Everything looked normal throughout the regular season, as Nikola Jokic went on to win another MVP, their role players continued to provide him with countless opportunities to share the love, and they stayed healthy aside from a 23-game absence of Jamal Murray. The Nuggets won 57 games, an improvement on their championship season, and only missed out on the No. 1 seed by a tiebreaker with the up-and-coming Thunder.
Denver made quick work of a rematch with LeBron and the Lakers in the first round, but they had to deal with a rising Minnesota team that was a lot more mature than they were in the playoffs the year before. As we saw this past season, this T-Wolves team can give Denver stylistic fits.
Jokic was still great this series, but Rudy Gobert limits his potential to go into god mode. Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns has the ability to torment his defensive limits, something that made him an excellent co-star in this series for Anthony Edwards, who went nuclear. Losing Bruce Brown softened them up in the wing defense department, giving the Ant-Man assignment to the likes of KCP or MPJ, neither of whom could slow him down.
A seven-game series went Minnesota’s way. A slugfest in Game 7 saw the issues that have plagued the Nuggets in the years since. Murray and Jokic scored 69 of the team’s 90 points. They can get theirs, but what happens when they don’t have the ball?
2024-25 Celtics
Win Difference from Title Year: -3 Playoff Outcome: Lost in 6 in ECSF vs. Knicks Major Hangup: Murphy’s Law
I firmly believe that the 2024 Celtics were, perhaps, the best team the league has seen since the dynasty Warriors. No team had the straight inevitability that they did, dominating the regular season and an admittedly light playoff run with some of the most complete team basketball in recent memory. It was a starting five who could all score, shoot, and defend, with unlimited depth. The second apron always loomed over them, but they felt as much of a lock to repeat as anyone.
In the offseason, they were able to keep things together. They returned essentially their entire roster by extending everyone under the sun. It never felt sustainable in the modern NBA, but it ensured that they would be as dominant a force as they were the year before. Entering 2024-25, they were heavy favorites to win it all.
The regular season showed no reason to believe anything different. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum remained the NBA’s best duo; Payton Pritchard won Sixth Man of the Year, and they had the depth across the board to make up for any minor ailment. The rise of the Cavs and Thunder made things seem like not such a walk in the park, but they were fully healthy come playoff time, so what went wrong?
As we all know, the Knicks were built specifically to topple the Celtics, but that was just one of the multiple reasons they went down. Murphy’s Law dictates that what can go wrong, must go wrong, and that’s what happened to Boston in that series.
Mazzulla ball relies on taking and making an ungodly number of threes. Such reliance carried them to a title in 2024, but also proved to be their downfall. Ugly shooting percentages allowed the Knicks to come back in multiple games, bringing them to the brink. Their stubborness, coupled with the Knicks’ ability to match them on both ends due to careful roster building, made them extremely vulnerable.
But what ultimately rang the death knell was the injuries. Jaylen Brown battled a knee injury. Kristaps Porzingis suffered from a mysterious illness. Al Horford was old. Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles towards the end of Game 4, and although most reasonable fans will conclude that the series was firmly in NYK’s favor, some still hold onto that single moment as the reason Boston didn’t go back-to-back.
2025-26 Thunder
Win Difference from Title Year: -4 Playoff Outcome: Lost in 7 in WCF vs. Spurs Major Hangup: Injuries/Bad Playoff Matchup
As stylistically perfect as the 2024 Celtics were, the award for the most inevitable goes to the Thunder, whose expert roster-building made them seemingly immune to the second apron with quick-fix restocking due to Sam Presti’s years of careful work stockpiling assets. After finishing as the No. 1 seed and falling short in 2024, they were a buzzsaw in 2025, even when looking mortal against Denver and Indiana in seven-game sets.
Just like the Celtics the year before, OKC was brilliantly equipped to retain their entire championship roster, only cycling through end-of-roster depth with their billions of draft picks. They entered this past season as the largest favorites to win the title since the 2019 Warriors. 25 games into the season, they were 24-1. This was a coronation.
Until it wasn’t. There was one team that had their number all season, and it was one that popped up out of nowhere. The freakish alien known as Victor Wembanyama feasted on their usually stout center rotation of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, while their role players and co-stars made SGA’s life hell defensively in all 12 matchups. Sometimes with these teams, another team is just built to beat you, and that’s what happened with San Antonio.
But even then, let’s be honest here. Long-term injuries to Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell ate away at them in the regular season, and by the time that grueling Western Conference Finals commenced, both Mitchell and Williams broke under the fatigue of the deep playoff run the year before. Missing two key players in a Game 7 is a death sentence.
The Trends
What are the biggest culprits behind an unsuccessful title defense?
There are three that stick out from our study of these seven teams. Injuries, bad matchups, and roster holes opening up from the championship tax.
Almost all of these teams suffered crippling injuries in their championship defense, either tanking their regular-season seeding or leaving them shorthanded for an opportunistic team to feast in the playoffs. The Bucks lost Middleton, the Celtics lost Tatum, the Thunder lost JDub; it’s all connected.
Especially recently, the forced parity of the second apron has allowed for new teams to come about every year via creative means. The teams that took down Boston and OKC weren’t together the year before, but stacked up perfectly when the time mattered. The fact that superteams are never that super means there are so many stars across the league capable of great things.
There were also cases of losing key players during the season that damage your odds of repeating. The last two champs didn’t have that problem, but the Nuggets really missed Bruce Brown, the Warriors missed GPII, and the Raptors really missed Kawhi.
More than anything? It might just be championship fatigue that causes it. You put so much more mileage on your body in a playoff run, have a shorter offseason than anyone else, and have to rediscover the hunger that got you to the mountaintop in the first place. That’s not to say complacency sets in, but it causes teams to go through the motions.
The Knicks are not immune to any of these.
Injuries and fatigue are not something you can predict, but they’re certainly possible after a long season. But hey, maybe Tom Thibodeau’s parting gift to the franchise was working these guys so damn hard that postseason fatigue feels like nothing. After all, most of the starting five played fewer total minutes this year than last:
2024-25 vs. 2025-26: Brunson: 2,981 vs. 3,292 (+311) Hart: 3,539 vs. 2,608 (-931) Bridges: 3,742 vs. 3,300 (-442) Anunoby: 3,411 vs. 2,810 (-601) Towns: 3,156 vs. 2,900 (-256)
The biggest threat might just be opposing teams. Let’s meet ‘em.
The Opposition
Detroit Pistons
2025-26 Record: 60-22 H2H Record: 0-3 (-84 PD) What Makes Them A Threat: Last Season
The Pistons are the red-headed stepchild of the 2026-27 Eastern Conference. Despite winning 60 games and looking like the next big thing last season, they fell on their faces come playoff time due to offensive inconsistency and their reliance on Cade Cunningham, who, despite trying to do his best 2024 Jalen Brunson impression, turns it over too much.
It’d be foolish to overlook them still, even with the fact that they made only marginal moves in the offseason. Assuming they get Jalen Duren back, he’s going to be their X-factor for postseason success.
Why should the Knicks be worried about them? Some of these other defending champions didn’t lose to the best team, but lost to a team built to stifle them. We saw Detroit pummel the Knicks in every regular-season meeting, and although we now know that was a different team, they’ll also go into any matchup with us with bad memories from 2024.
Boston Celtics
2025-26 Record: 56-26 H2H Record: 3-1 (+32 PD) What Makes Them A Threat: Mazzulla ball
There’s no doubt that the Celtics are weaker than they’ve been over the past several years after the second apron deconstructed their 2024 championship core and a rather controversial Jaylen Brown trade, but this is a team that stumbled into 56 wins in a perceived “gap year”. They’re always a threat.
I do truly believe that, even if healthy, the Knicks would have smacked the Celtics in Round 2 last year if they had moved on. They were hopelessly overmatched on the interior, relied on too many young shooters to make a lot of shots, and had the Tatum question coming off an Achilles tear. What could change this upcoming season?
I firmly believe that Boston will be a top-four seed again because of Mazzulla’s regular-season philosophy that maximizes his roster; the question is going to be if they can make enough shots come playoff time. Could Baylor Scheierman leap forward? Will the man they kept out of Giannis talks show why? There’s a lot of ifs, but they have the right coach to squeeze it out of.
Cleveland Cavaliers
2025-26 Record: 52-30 H2H Record: 6-1 (+72 PD, incl. playoffs) What Makes Them A Threat: Anything is possible
Remember how I said Detroit was the red-headed stepchild? Well, if that doesn’t fit Cleveland, they might just be the conjoined twin that got locked in the basement, à la The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror.
It’s quite sad to be a team that entered the second apron last season and will likely be above the first this season and be considered not even a top-five threat to win your own conference, but that seems to be the case in Cleveland. They were co-favorites to win the conference last year after a 64-win season went up in smoke against Indiana, but they disappointed all season long. When they got James Harden, there was renewed hope, only for them to struggle to even reach the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were obliterated and embarrassed.
They spent their offseason praying for LeBron, and he never came. The only reason they could be a threat is the theory that “everything needs time.” The Knicks needed a year to coalesce; why not them?
Toronto Raptors
2025-26 Record: 46-36 H2H Record: 5-0 (+98 PD) What Makes Them A Threat: Kawhi(?)
I almost didn’t want to put the Raptors on the list, but you have to respect a team that nearly upset the second-best team in the East in the first round and should be adding a top-flight player in Kawhi Leonard, assuming the investigation doesn’t hold this trade off much longer.
The Knicks eviscerated the Raptors in all five regular-season meetings, winning by an average of almost 20 per game. Toronto’s defensive identity rang hollow because they didn’t have an alpha scorer. If Brandon Ingram wasn’t going nuclear, what the hell did they have to offer? Kawhi could give them that, but I’m still wary because of that center rotation.
Philadelphia 76ers
2025-26 Record: 45-37 H2H Record: 6-2 (+111 PD, incl. postseason) What Makes Them A Threat: High-end talent
The Knicks outscored the Sixers by 131 points in their final six combined meetings last season. Just think about that for a quick second.
The Sixers are a threat, simply because of the talent they added in the offseason. When VJ Edgecombe goes from your clear third option (really second option due to Embiid’s knees) to a corner sitter, that’s legit.
The hang-up with them is the start of this blurb. They have to overcome that gap. They certainly added two guys and some depth that can chip away, but is it enough to turn 6-0 and +131 into 3-4?
Miami Heat
2025-26 Record: 43-39 H2H Record: 2-2 (+2 PD) What Makes Them A Threat: Giannis and a hellacious defense
Never take an Erik Spoelstra team lightly. Even though Miami was the No. 10 seed and missed the playoffs in 2025-26, adding Giannis for a sum of its parts is great business by a normally comatose Pat Riley and will make them a threat, even if they did seem to lose too much scoring ability this offseason.
Miami’s path to knocking off the champs is based on smothering defense and playing a 2000s-style game. They will likely be starting a quintet that includes Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo. That’s matchup hell for opposing offenses. They hope the small signings like OAKAAK Tim Hardaway Jr. can supplement the shooting, but their path to a title is purely defensive.
Indiana Pacers
2025-26 Record: 19-63 H2H Record: 3-1 (+33 PD) What Makes Them A Threat: Ghost of Knicksmas Past
The only team in the last three seasons to send the Knicks home wasn’t present for the festivities in 2025-26 due to a gap year caused by Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles in the NBA Finals. While their shameless tanking wound up backfiring, they’ll still return a theoretically stronger unit in 2026-27 than they had last time we saw them.
They don’t scare you anymore because you’re a Larry and they don’t, but it works like a WWE feud, which Brunson and Haliburton know all too well. I don’t care what you’ve accomplished while I’m not around, you can’t beat me.
Will the Knicks “story” ever truly be complete without proving that they’ve moved past Indiana?
The West
No NBA champion has returned to the NBA Finals since 2019, but if the Knicks can do it, they’ll certainly have some opponents to face.
Oklahoma City siphoned off a bunch of depth to get below the second apron, but they were arguably the best team in basketball when fully healthy. Do the Finals go different if JDub and Ajay Mitchell stay healthy long enough to make it Thunder-Knicks instead?
As young as San Antonio looked last year, it’d be utterly foolish not to believe in their chances this year. That Big 3 is only getting better, and you have to assume De’Aaron Fox’s leash will be shorter when Dylan Harper looks like a stud. There’s a chance these guys win multiple titles in the next five years.
The field has some intriguing teams, at least. The Lakers spent the LeBron bucks on filling out a rather complete roster, but can Luka lead them to glory? LaMelo Ball gives Minnesota a true star point guard for the first time, perhaps ever, but do they have enough to get past the giants? Can someone like Houston or Denver buck the recent trend of constant disappointment to go on a run?
The Verdict
Odds are, the Knicks aren’t going back-to-back.
That’s not any expert analysis; that’s just how statistics work. You’re never inherently likely to win it all.
Only one of the past seven champions has made the Conference Finals in their repeat season, something that we seem to think is guaranteed. Everyone found a slip-up somewhere, whether it was injuries, fatigue, or a new rising power. There’s no telling whether a specific team can avoid it.
The Knicks have the willpower and focus to do whatever they set their minds to. After what this group showed me, I’m not conceding anything. See you in October.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 31, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country.
The next NBA season will be here soon. Before the fun begins, we want Fear the Sword to weigh in on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ expected win total for the upcoming season.
FanDuel currently has the Cavs over/under listed at 47.5. Do you think that number is fair? Too high, too low?
Let us know in our poll below. All you need to do to vote is sign in or create a free account. Thank you in advance.
The Cavs have won over 50 games in each of the last two seasons. They won 52 last season despite an injury-riddled campaign, and they won 64 the year before in a historically strong season.
Cleveland won 48 games in 2023-24 and 51 games in 2021-22, Mitchell’s first year as a Cavalier.
It’s been four seasons since the Cavs last finished below 48 wins. Meaning FanDuel expects the Cavs to take a slide down the Eastern Conference this year.
This might have more to do with the rise of other teams rather than a decline in Cleveland.
The East has upgraded. Multiple teams have seemingly leapfrogged the Cavaliers through their offseason additions. The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors come to mind. Other teams, like the Miami Heat, have simply gotten stronger and can provide more of an obstacle to the conference.
In other words, it won’t be as easy to rack up wins in the East. It might be harder than ever.
Cleveland has continuity on their side. The core of this squad, aside from James Harden, has been together for years. They’ve proven they can win in the regular season even when things aren’t going to plan. They should be expected to be a regular-season force once again next year.
The only question is, do you believe they can stay above 47 wins? Or is this the year they fall back down? Let us know!
Adric at Citizens Bank Park. July 20, 2026. | Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
By the time this missive goes live, Mom, Adric, and I will be in Denver, Colorado, on our annual trip. She is over the moon on the eve of going, and I look forward to adding to our growing travelogue of annual adventures while updating the Colorado portion of The Guide.
The Dodgers ran a dress rehearsal of the postseason over the past couple of weeks. When you barely sweep one of the worst teams in baseball, it should be no surprise to be found severely wanting in series against Milwaukee, Arizona, and Chicago.
Nothing cures terrible play like spending three days in Denver, he said, tempting fate. But what ails the Dodgers is an ongoing question for another day.
The Wisdom of Lester Freamon
The thing no one warns you about when you finish your MLB chase is how you will feel afterward. Some folks spiral into depression, some accept the completion with grace and pride, and some fall somewhere in between.
As for me, I did enough emotional prep work to keep myself from the worst outcomes of grief or mania. There was a line from the classic The Wire I heard many years ago and resonated strongly: “The job will not save you.”
Mindless devotion to a task at the expense of one’s life, the thing you fill while you wait for moments that never come, never seemed like the best idea. With the Chase to 30, I knew and accepted early on, especially after that scare in Miami in July 2021, that this trek was more about the journey and the memories than the actual destination.
If I am being honest, the Bronx was a bit of a bust.
In retrospect, the storm that caused the doubleheader was a major reason, but on a subsequent visit, I would follow the advice I give in the entry for Citi Field: stay in Manhattan or Brooklyn. I live in Vallejo, CA, these days, which is the northern part of the Bay Area and has a lot of problems that people attribute to San Francisco (crime, prostitution, drugs, etc.), which is really soulless and suffering from past decisions to cater to Big Tech.
Every big city has places one should not go unless they are looking for trouble. That fact said, at multiple points while staying in The Bronx, I thought “Well, I could avoid squalor/crime/drugs at home, except here I have access to a better transit network, which is just Tokyo but infinitely worse.”
Plus, my Tour got rained out, but the staff was super kind and accommodating. I know I will have to return to Yankee Stadium to tick this Tour off my to-do list, but preferably I can pair it with another stop along the way.
The real draw to this field report was Philadelphia and Citizens Bank Park (CBP). Originally, I had planned to visit CBP in 2022, but I could not because of an injury. I am glad that I was finally able to go. Yes, folks chirped at me, and 99% of them were respectful. I’d usually say something right back, smile, and tip my cap, as I tend to do.
The Mayor of Baseballtown
On the night I reached 30, the game itself was a turkey. Trea Turner suddenly regained All-Star form with his bat, while dealing with the possible yips with his mitt, and lit the Dodgers’ pitching staff up like a Christmas tree in March. Emmet Sheehan was roughed up on his eventual way to Oklahoma City. Mookie Betts showed pyrite-like promise of regaining some measure of his old form.
It didn’t matter.
I met a fellow traveler, David, who was staying at the same hotel as me, and we shared a rideshare to the game. I learned a long time ago that if I obsess over how the team is doing, I have significantly less fun on the road, which defeats the purpose of traveling. It was fun chatting with everyone, mentioning at every possible opportunity that I was at my 30th and final new MLB ballpark (until Nashville, Las Vegas, and hopefully Vancouver go online).
Having the staff give me extra swag apart from the First Game Certificate was a nice touch. I was worried that no one cared that I finished the MLB stadium circuit. Everyone I spoke to in Philadelphia made those worries seem silly, and I felt like the de facto mayor of baseballtown as I talked about my past adventures.
During this series, it was fun goofing off with Stephen Nelson, who was in my literal blind spot for most of the proceedings. I did get to finally chat with Nelson properly without bellowing before Game 3 and chat at Rick Monday for a moment, before someone came to interrupt us wanting to talk about “the flag incident.”
I will admit I did have a bit of an existential crisis a few months back when I learned I am older than Nelson, but that crisis ended when I learned he had one more ballpark to go, and as far as final parks go, it’s a good one. Moreover, because the announcers travel with the team, the one part that he could potentially goof up is ungoofable, since announcers travel with the team and friends don’t let friends stay near The Mall of America.
For five seasons now, I have walked the line between serious baseball writer and goofball hardcore fan. In one breath, I am excoriating the team for the litany of stupid things that they do. In the next breath, I am talking about the history of foul balls, the Jumbo Jacks promotion, or what the best way to get to Tropicana Field is (there isn’t one unless you stay near the ballpark; otherwise, stay at home). In the last breath, I wonder whether I should cover Tim Neverett’s Japanese holiday or how best to present bus ridership numbers for Dodger Stadium Express.
The Cost of Experience is Wonder
For five years, I have walked the line between respectable columnist and hardcore fan. At times, being in the middle has allowed me to tackle sensitive topics with respect and compassion. At times, being in the middle has led to my being treated less seriously by fully serious baseball journalists.
The San Francisco Chapter of the Baseball Writers of America: What do you mean YOU want to join?!?
MJE: Yessum.
TSFCoftBBWAA: But you even don’t cover the Giants!
MJE: Only mockingly so. I prefer to cover a baseball team that tries.
Kidding aside, I did have the oddest sense of deja vu upon being politely rejected.
I suppose I could try the Los Angeles Chapter at some point, but that attempt is beside the point. I am asked what my endgame is. I don’t have an endgame. I have fun, go to baseball games, and chew bubblegum; unfortunately, I am usually out of bubblegum.
I am not putting on airs or trying to replace anyone. The world already has an Eric Stephen, and in my book, he’s irreplaceable. I travel, write long-form essays, and generally have fun doing something I am pretty good at. I want to see how far I can go.
I remember something I wrote last year that occurred to me after watching the players warm up in Arlington, while chatting with a couple of fans who were in awe: the cost of experience is wonder.
I took the VIP Tour at CBP, which was just code for “Do you want to spend three bills to watch batting practice on the field?” There is nothing wrong with that fact, but I wish the marketing were a bit clearer on the subject.
That said, I was watching folks get agog over Mookie Betts and Roki Sasaki, who both took the time to sign items for fans. Generally, these sorts of events in my travels have been so swamped; even if players were inclined to sign, there are too many people to make any meaningful dent.
I was filled with two emotions. First, melancholy. Everyone around me was generally happy and in awe, and it’s a bit of a bummer to not feel that. Word has gotten through the grapevine back to me that Betts knows, or at the very least is aware, of who I am. And I am not everyone’s cup of tea, which is fair.
Five years in the trenches, being honest for a living without fear of gaining or losing access, has a price. And here it is. I am not the story, nor should I ever be the story, except when writing field reports and missives, because I have a habit of showing up and interesting things happening. I can’t feel that awe that others do, because I know too much, or rather, I have learned too much regarding how the figurative sausage is made.
The second feeling was annoyance. The CBP staff present mistook Sasaki for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, prompting me to go, “Um, actually…” and correct them on the spot. I do note the irony of this behavior, considering that I once had an awkward social interaction with Stan Kasten at the Tokyo Dome last year, because my brain defaulted to identifying him as Mark Walter. Everybody goofs sometimes.
I passed along the photos above and others to our own Lindsay Adams before I had the chance to chat with Kirsten Watson, as everyone was escorted off the field because of a passing storm, which eventually opened with great aplomb.
Confessions from the road
Can I make an honest confession or two before wrapping up this milestone recap?
I think Panda Express is middling at best; I think The Habit is just In-N-Out, and Five Guys had an expensive, disappointing baby (an apt metaphor for the Dodgers’ bullpen and offense as of late); and I generally dislike Jack in the Box.
I would not recommend learning Japanese from Duolingo, but it works in a pinch. The app makers keep editing the course and adding words and concepts in a seemingly haphazard fashion, while assuming you already know what they just added. Think about learning to drive a car while it is being built and edited while you are in motion. Still, the ongoing conversations I have had with Japanese Dodgers fans are something I deeply enjoy.
As to what’s next? I think I’ll try getting really good at chess. There are still plenty of things to cover from my vantage point this season. Maybe my pessimism about the future of the sport is unwarranted; what a glorious thing that would be.
The 2026-27 season provides an intriguing opportunity for the Vancouver Canucks. Starting this year, teams can assign one 19-year-old CHL player to the AHL instead of having to send that prospect back to junior. This means that top prospects can be shuttled between the NHL and AHL all season, rather than being stuck in the CHL after being sent down until their campaign comes to a close.
According to two sources, including PuckPedia, a player is only eligible for the new rule if they turn 19 before the season starts. Depending on the exact wording, this could mean before September 16, when the new CBA takes effect, or September 29, when the regular season begins. It also looks like the rule will be limited to first-rounders only, but that detail hasn't been confirmed yet.
For the Canucks, only one player meets the criteria this year. That player is Braeden Cootes, who turned 19 on February 9. Cootes spent last season in the WHL, where he recorded 63 points in 45 games and helped lead the Prince Albert Raiders to the WHL Final.
As for Adam Novotný, he is ineligible for this exemption for the 2026-27 campaign. While the 2026 first-rounder will turn 19 before the end of 2026, his birthday is November 13, meaning he misses the cut. Novotný will return to the OHL and be a candidate for the 2027-28 season if the rule stays the same.
Overall, it will be interesting to see how Vancouver utilizes this exemption. As mentioned, if the Canucks do use the exemption on Cootes, the 2025 first-rounder could be shuttled between Vancouver and Abbotsford in order to get experience at both levels. Ultimately, the new exemption is a smart move by the NHL as it allows younger players more opportunities to get NHL games as 19-year-olds.
Oct 13, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) skates against the St. Louis Blues in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Andruw Monasterio tagged out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Wild Card Race
The Red Sox are solidly in position to enter the playoffs as the second AL Wild Card. As of the morning of 16 August, they were 5.5 games ahead of the Orioles and the Rangers, who are competing for the third Wild Card.
The Diamondbacks are fighting for a Wild Card. As of the morning of 16 August, the Diamondbacks were tied with the Padres and Phillies for the second and third NL Wild Cards.
Let’s compare the teams.
The Obvious. Per Roster Resource, the Red Sox have four prospects in the top 112 in baseball. This compares to the Diamondbacks who have zero or one prospect (zero per FanGraphs or one per MLB com). That prospect is Demetrio Crisantes.
Obvious and worth noting are two Diamondbacks prospects who recently graduated from top-100 status: Jordan Lawlar and Ryan Waldschmidt.
A Little Less Obvious. James Attwood, SB Nation, wrote that Tommy Troy (getting ready for a rehab stint) was too-soon removed from prospect status; that he ranked Troy as the number one Diamondbacks prospect, putting him ahead of Crisantes. That view bumps the Diamondbacks up to two top-100 prospects.
The Subtle. On their 40-man roster, the Red Sox have 5 home-grown players, which is less than any other team. The Diamondbacks have 16 home-grown players.
Despite being in the bottom eight teams in number of trades, the Red Sox currently have players who were drafted with nearly every team (all 30 teams except the Diamondbacks and Tigers). That included the Rockies who rarely trade (25 trades from 2017 to 2022, which is the least trades of any team).
No player drafted by the Diamondbacks or Tigers is playing for the Red Sox. Why not? Perhaps the reason is meaningful. Perhaps the Diamondbacks & Tigers drafted each player with a specific team-need to meet (eschewing the ideas of draft the best athlete or best talent), thereby lowering the likelihood of any drafted prospect being traded.
The Difference that Matters. The Diamondbacks are a younger team than the Red Sox per ESPN and Statistica. Younger teams tend to be higher energy, and lower cost. One view (perhaps a view held by a minority of fans) is that having a younger team, the Diamondbacks have more skill at drafting and developing needed players.
Team skill at drafting and developing players matters.
Red Sox Player to Watch.
This season, shortstop Andruw Monasterio has negative 12 Outs Above Average (OAA). This compares negatively to Geraldo Perdomo with positive 9 OAA. Poor defense at shortstop has the potential to tip the series to the Diamondbacks.
Mitigating his poor defense at shortstop, he hit well from 1 July to 12 August. His OBP/SLG/wOBA of ,412/.554/.412 compared positively to league averages (same dates) of .317/.403/.316.
Pitching Matchups.
Monday, 4:10 PM MST. Mitch Bratt vs Alec Gamboa. In July/August, Bratt’s ERA was 3.81. In July/August, Gamboa’s ERA was 1.76, but that was as a reliever averaging less than 2 innings per game. Gamboa will make his first start in the Majors. Perhaps he pitches 3 innings and the bullpen continues the game.
Tuesday, 4:10 PM MST. Merrill Kelly vs. Ranger Suarez. In July/August, Kelly had the better ERA (3.74 vs 4.66) and more quality starts (1 vs 0).
“Coming into the day with a fastball that ranked in the league’s sixth percentile for velocity, Suarez’s stuff was even slower than normal Friday, with his four-seamer down 0.9 mph from his season average — it topped out at 92.5 mph — and his sinker down 1.3 mph. — Josh Kirshenbaum, June 2026
This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.
Wednesday, 1:10 PM MST. Brandon Pfaadt vs Payton Tolle. In July/August, Pfaadt had a much better ERA (1.28 vs 3.30). In July/August, each pitcher had 4 quality starts. Tolle currently has a streak of 3 consecutive quality starts.
“[Tolle:] He’s pitching really well. He’s on a heater right now. It was quick outs and not a whole lot of contact quality, so you have to give him credit. He was living up and in on righties. When you’re aggressive, you’ve got to make something happen with the pitches you’re swinging at. That was it. We were trying to hunt the heater, we just didn’t do much with it.” — John Schneider, Manager of Blue Jays, 13 August
The White Sox have been one of the surprise teams of MLB this year after a 102-loss season in 2025, holding first place in the AL Central much of the year and taking two of three from the Cubs on the South Side back in May.
As I noted last month, the Cubs and Sox have been in the postseason in the same year just three times — 1906 (when they met in the World Series), 2008 and the pandemic 2020 season. This very well could become the fourth such year.
It’s been a good year for Chicago baseball.
For more on the White Sox, here’s Chrystal O’Keefe, managing editor of our SB Nation White Sox site South Side Sox.
The White Sox extended their lead in the AL Central to 5.5 games over the weekend after sweeping the series against the Tigers. While this division could be anyone’s, the White Sox have stayed consistently in the top spot for most of the season. The team picked up pitching help at the deadline and has refined Luis Castillo, giving him the role of a much-needed veteran starter. Brenton Doyle was also acquired, giving the outfield another good option for what will hopefully be a deep playoff run.
While Colson Montgomery is slowing down, the fresh batch of rookies have stepped up. With Munetaka Murakami back, the offense is picking up. Miguel Vargas is mashing, and Braden Montgomery and Sam Antonacci are hitting for power in clutch situations. Most notably, Chase Meidroth has been a threat at second base, and is also the hottest hitter on the team. He’s batting .333/.423/.622 with three home runs in 12 games so far in August.
There are still rookie errors, but this White Sox team is having quite a magical year, with or without the Pope and some wands from Amazon.
Fun facts
The Cubs have won six straight games at home vs. the White Sox: the last in 2023, then two in 2024 and three a year ago. The win in 2023 snapped a six-game losing streak at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs are 11-2 in all games of the rivalry the past three seasons. They won the first game this year, 10-5, on the South Side on May 15, then lost the second, 8-3.
In the rubber game, the Cubs scored three runs in the ninth to tie the score at 7, then tallied a run in the 10th, only to give up a walk-off two-run homer by Edgar Quero off Ryan Rolison. … The Cubs lead the regular-season rivalry, 78-77, including 38-38 at home.
Today’s game will be the 606th of all kinds between the teams. The Cubs are 284-309-12, a winning percentage of .479.
The Cubs are 2-4 vs. the Sox in the World Series and 204-228-12 in exhibition games, including 60-91-3 in the City Series from 1903-42, 25-26 in pre-season games in Chicago, 103-89-7 in pre-season games elsewhere and 16-22 in exhibition and benefit games played during the regular season.
In all games in Chicago, the Cubs are 181-220-5, .452.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Monday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (8-9, 3.74 ERA, 1.100 WHIP, 4.56 FIP) vs. Luis Castillo, RHP (1-0, 4.09 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, 2.35 FIP in two games with White Sox; 4-9, 4.96 ERA, 1.346 WHIP, 4.34 FIP in 22 games overall)
Tuesday: Kevin Gausman, RHP (1-1, 6.17 ERA, 1.114 WHIP, 3.94 FIP in two starts with Cubs; 6-11, 4.53 ERA, 1.273 WHIP, 3.53 FIP in 25 starts overall) vs. TBD
Wednesday: Clay Holmes, RHP (1-1, 3.38 ERA, 0.938 WHIP, 4.39 FIP in two starts with Cubs; 5-5, 2.56 ERA, 1.074 WHIP, 3.40 FIP in 11 starts overall) vs. TBD
As the anticipation for the 2026-27 NHL season grows, TheHockeyNews.com will be taking a look at the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues' system, starting with some honorable mentions for players who just missed the cut.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won't feature in this ranking for those reasons.
The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they've performed over the past year with their respective clubs.
The five honorable mentions include Love Harenstam, Marcus Gidlof, Juraj Pekarcik, Zach Dean, and Lukas Fischer.
Love Harenstam, G
Harenstam emerged last season as a potential steal for the Blues, who selected the 19-year-old in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL draft.
Acquired in the trade that sent Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders, Gidlof is a 6-foot-6 Swedish netminder. The 20-year-old wasn't great in his second professional season in the SHL, but with his tools and young age, Gidlof has plenty of room for growth.
Gidlof's Swedish club was relegated to the HockeyAllsvenskan, which should help Gidlof find his confidence against weaker competition.
Gidlof and Harenstam stand as the two most exciting goaltending prospects in the Blues pool.
Lukas Fischer, D
Fischer will join the Springfield Thunderbirds for his rookie season this year after another positive OHL campaign.
Fischer's goals and point totals will never stand out, but at 6-foot-3, Fischer is a lockdown defender who loves to throw his weight around. He's a solid enough puck-mover and skates well for his size, but his defensive acumen is where he receives his praise.
There's plenty for him to tidy up or improve on within his game, but the 19-year-old possesses traits that could land him on the third pairing of an NHL roster.
Pekarcik has the 6-foot-2 frame and skill to be an effective scorer, and he showed some flashes in his rookie season in the AHL.
Following a QMJHL campaign in which he posted 24 goals and 67 points in 53 games, Pekarcik has continued to emerge as a potential middle-six winger in the NHL.
The 20-year-old Slovakian winger is a constant threat with the puck on his stick, and improvements on his 11-goal, 35-point rookie season will go a long way in earning himself an eventual call-up to the NHL within the next couple of seasons.
Zach Dean, C
It was a challenging 2025-26 season for Dean, who began the season in the NHLPA's Player Assistance Program. Upon returning, Dean scored four goals and 14 points in 36 games. While those numbers aren't much to write home about, especially for a former first-round pick, it was the slight improvement the Blues needed to see.
If Dean is unable to stand out with the Thunderbirds and earn a call-up to the NHL, it could spell the end of his Blues tenure, which would feel like a major disappointment considering he was the piece the Blues acquired in the Ivan Barbashev trade.
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Major League Baseball’s team owners unanimously have approved the sale of the San Diego Padres to an investor group led by private equity billionaire José E. Feliciano and his wife and business partner, Kwanza Jones.
The league announced the approval after a vote. Feliciano and Jones reached an agreement in May to buy the Padres from the family of late owner Peter Seidler at an MLB-record valuation of $3.9 billion. The deal is still contingent on the official closing of the transaction in the coming weeks.
“José and Kwanza understand the unique place the Padres hold in San Diego and the powerful bond between the club and its fans,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “We look forward to their leadership of the Padres and to working with them to build on the club’s strong foundation in a market that is so important to Major League Baseball.”
Seidler’s family announced its intention to explore a sale of the Padres last November, two years after Peter Seidler’s death. The 53-year-old Feliciano, a co-founder of Santa Monica-based private equity firm Clearlake Capital, emerged from the competition as the Seidler family’s top choice.
Padres CEO Erik Greupner and general manager A.J. Preller will remain in charge of day-to-day operations, according to MLB’s announcement.
“We are a family first, and becoming owners of the San Diego Padres means joining an even larger one,” Jones and Feliciano said in a statement. “We are grateful to the Seidler family, and especially to Peter, for raising the expectations of what this franchise can achieve. ... Our ambition is clear: to bring a World Series championship to San Diego and build an enduring organization capable of competing for championships year after year. We intend to be engaged owners, bringing our energy, experience and perspective while working alongside the talented team already in place and investing ambitiously and thoughtfully in the Padres’ future.
“We are all in and committed to winning.”
Peter Seidler assumed majority control of the Padres in 2020 after first joining their ownership group in 2012, but he became beloved in San Diego for his aggressive financial pursuit of winning and his eagerness to engage with the team’s fan base. He died at 63 in November 2023.
The Padres dramatically increased their payroll under Seidler, allowing Preller to build the foundation for the current team, which has made four playoff appearances in the past six years and won at least 89 games in three of the last four seasons during the most successful stretch in franchise history. San Diego currently is in the playoff race again, winning 17 of its last 24 games to surge into an NL wild-card position at 67-58.
Manfred thanked the Seidler family, including John Seidler, who became the Padres’ chairman after his brother’s death.
“Continuing the legacy established by the late Peter Seidler, the Padres reached the postseason four times in the last six years, energized one of baseball’s most passionate fanbases and strengthened the club’s role as a cornerstone of the San Diego community,” Manfred said.
When Feliciano and Jones reached their agreement to purchase the Padres earlier this year, they praised the team as “a unifying force in San Diego, rooted in community, connection and belonging.” They’ve since been spotted at Padres games in San Diego and in Mexico City.
The Padres never have won a World Series, but they were a valuable commodity for potential owners as the only team in the four biggest North American sports leagues in a metropolitan area with roughly 3.3 million people. Downtown Petco Park has become one of the liveliest ballparks in the sport, and the Padres ranked second in the majors in attendance last season.
Feliciano, who was born in Puerto Rico, becomes the second Latino principal owner in baseball, along with the Los Angeles Angels’ Arte Moreno. Latino and Hispanic players comprise roughly 30% of major league rosters.
Feliciano and Jones will hold an introductory news conference at Petco Park on Monday, Aug. 24.
The New York Mets will look to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the San Diego Padres tonight at Citi Field.
Nolan McLean gives the Mets an edge on the mound, and that has me picking New York in my Padres vs. Mets predictions.
Keep reading to see my full MLB picks for Monday, Aug. 17.
Who will win Padres vs Mets today: Mets (-121)
The New York Mets are coming off a home sweep over the Washington Nationals, and now send their best starter to the mound against the San Diego Padres.
Nolan McLean rates in the 98th percentile in fastball run value and strikes out 28% of the batters he faces.
The Mets should find success against Walker Buehler, who lets opponents hit the ball hard.
Buehler has allowed an average exit velocity of 89.4 mph, while New York ranks third in MLB in hard-hit percentage (41.5%).
I'm betting on the Mets tonight at -130 or shorter.
While both teams have bad offensive reputations, they have improved a bit as the season has worn on. While both rank below average in run scoring, they've gotten well out of the basement: The Padres are 21st (4.28 runs per game) and the Mets 22nd (4.18).
These offenses are being undervalued against decent but far from overwhelming pitching tonight.
I'm betting the Over at -125 or better.
Padres vs Mets home run prediction: Carson Benge (+820)
Carson Benge has shown solid power for the Mets in his rookie season, hitting 14 homers in 492 plate appearances. That includes three homers in August, with one coming over the weekend against the Nationals.
After an awful start through April, Benge has shown massive improvement — slugging .560 in August — by far his best month yet.
Buehler has allowed 14 homers in 114 1/3 innings of work this year, and has allowed 1.13 homers per nine innings for his career.
I like Benge as a home run pick tonight at +800 or better.
Ed Scimia's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 14-23, -10.11 units
Over/Under bets: 14-21, -8.09 units
Padres vs Mets weather
Clear and warm with a slight wind in from center, the weather should have little impact on tonight's game.
Padres vs Mets odds
Moneyline: Padres +113 | Mets -117
Run line: Padres +1.5 (-186) | Mets -1.5 (+178)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-117) | Under 7.5 (+113)
Padres vs Mets trend
The Mets are 9-3 straight up in their last 12 games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Mets.
How to watch Padres vs Mets and game info
Location
Citi Field, Queens, NY
Date
Monday, August 17, 2026
First pitch
7:10 p.m. ET
TV
Padres.TV, SNY
Padres starting pitcher
Walker Buehler (7-5, 4.88 ERA)
Mets starting pitcher
Nolan McLean (8-8, 3.42 ERA)
Padres vs Mets latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 16: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Sunday, August 16, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Colton Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Ryan Weathers carried on his improved form this weekend by dominating the Blue Jays lineup in what turned out to be a Yankees win in extras. Weathers has found superior results by adjusting his arsenal to minimize the damage he allows and maximize his potential. And those changes are so meaningful that they warrant multiple focal points of discussion.
Earlier in the month, fellow Pinstripe Alley writer Andrés Chávez came here to talk about the root behind these changes; Weathers’ fastball was getting tattooed regularly, and he needed to do something about it. Long story short, he started throwing it less and less, a decision that has been paying dividends, with the rest of his arsenal carrying the load.
Weathers wasn’t the first and won’t be the last pitcher to deal with problems from a fastball that, despite having good velocity, doesn’t possess any outstanding characteristics to consistently perform well. What has allowed Weathers to more appropriately handle this challenge has been his ability to quickly transition into relying increasingly on the sinker, which was already a pretty important part of his arsenal.
No matter how appealing his offspeed stuff is, any starting pitcher needs at least one fastball they can somewhat consistently go to in order to thrive in that role. For Weathers, that has been the sinker, and it was more evident than ever in Sunday’s win over the Blue Jays. Notice the very few red dots down below.
After the first two starts of the 2026 campaign, Weathers had been consistent about not overexposing any of his pitches. Before his latest appearance, the most Weathers had thrown any of his pitches was a 36 percent four-seam fastball usage in late April against the Astros. Well, against the Blue Jays, he set a season high, featuring the sinker 41 percent of the time as the four-seamer was nowhere to be found apart from a rare surprise look above the strike zone.
With such an adjustment, you can forget about the high strikeout rates of early in the season, but the hard contact will also be limited in a more efficient manner. In this particular game against the Blue Jays, for instance, Weathers didn’t record a single whiff on 11 swings against his sinkers — he made a living out of earning called strikes to get ahead, and when contact was made, only singles were given up. The two extra-base hits the Jays had against Weathers both came on poorly located changeups.
For Weathers, ditching the four-seamer doesn’t directly correlate to just hammering sinkers regardless of feel for his other pitches. If that were the case, his sinker would be dominant enough that all of these adjustments wouldn’t even be needed in the first place. There will be games such as the July 20th win over the Pirates in which the changeup is the go-to offering for Weathers. What matters is that the existence of the sinker as a reliable hard offering allows Weathers to take this approach in the first place.
Although it has been present for a few starts already, it’ll be important to see how the opposition reacts to these adjustments and if we start seeing a different approach against the Yankees lefty. For now, the consistency he has found rounds out this Yankees rotation quite nicely.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 17: Lawrence Butler #4 of the Athletics strikes out on a foul tip in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Sutter Health Park on July 17, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics had three consecutive 90+ loss seasons, but appeared to be improving with a 76-win season last year built on a core of solid hitters like Brent Rooker, Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, and Jacob Wilson. They got off to a good start and were at .500 in mid-June before injuries hit their lineup and their pitching fell apart. They have lost 37 of their last 48 games, costing GM David Forst his job.
Athletics (49-75) vs. Kansas City Royals (51-74) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Zack Gelof is hitting .318/.375/.568 with eight home runs in his last 35 games.
Jac Caglianone is second among all hitters with a 259 wRC+ in August, hitting .407/.429/.759 this month.
Who’s not:
Jacob Wilson has drawn just one walk in his last 19 games and is hitting .178/.211/.260 over that time.
John Rave is hitting just .189/.231/.324 in 15 games since being recalled.
Interesting splits:
Lawrence Butler got off to a dreadful start this season, but is hitting .242/.307/.506 since the All-Star break.
Michael Massey is hitting .316/.342/.526 against lefties this year.
Former Royals prospect Mason Barnett has given up six home runs in his last two games. Jeff McNeil is 4-for-9 (.444) with a double in his matchups against Michael Wacha. Jack Perkins gave up 12 hits against the Rays in his last start, the third-most hits any pitcher has given up this year. Gage Jump struck out a career-high 11 hitters against the Red Sox on August 8, but struck out just one in his last start against the Rangers. J.T. Ginn has a 45 percent groundball rate, 14th-highest among qualified pitchers.
The A’s have the worst pitching staff in baseball with a 5.48 ERA, with a 5.70 bullpen ERA. Their 24 blown saves are the third-most in baseball. Luis Medina has not allowed a run in five games in August, with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Hogan Harris has 12 saves, but 5 blown saves.
The A’s have the second-worst record in baseball, behind only the Angels, who the Royals just defeated in a series. They took two of three from the Royals earlier this year, but their pitching is in shambles and they are missing four of their best hitters – Rooker, Kurtz, Soderstrom, and Langeliers. The Royals have a chance to get their homestand off to a good start and score some runs off the worst pitching staff in baseball.
Bailey is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, but his lack of offensive production left some fans frustrated while younger players like Jesus Rodriguez and Daniel Susac waited in the wings.
Other fans weren't sold on the trade though, believing Bailey's defensive prowess and clutch factor made him a valuable asset. To only get one prospect and a draft pick in return seemed too little.
Well this week, fans should get to see part of what they got for Bailey.
On Monday, Aug. 17, the Giants called up left-handed pitcher Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson, the prospect they acquired in the trade, from the minors. Ironically, it's just in time for the Giants to face the Guardians in a three-game series between Tuesday, Aug. 18 and Thursday, Aug. 20.
Here's what to know about the latest member of the team.
Matt Wilkinson is a former 10th-round draft pick out of Central Arizona College. The 23-year-old starter dominated Double-A this year between his time with the Giants and Guardians' affiliates, totaling 43.1 innings with a 1.87 ERA all while striking out 10.2 hitters per nine innings.
He struggled to maintain that level of success with the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, though. The southpaw pitched 43.2 innings in Triple-A, recording a 5.15 ERA and striking out just 8.9 hitters per nine innings. He also surrendered seven home runs in those 43.2 innings, compared to just two in his prior 43.1 innings of work at Double-A.
Wilkinson does not boast overpowering stuff. His fastball has averaged 89.9 mph during his time in Triple-A, and he mostly relies on a three-pitch mix of his fastball, slider and changeup, though he also has a cutter in his arsenal that he rarely uses.
The pitch he's most well-known for is his "Invisi-ball." Wilkinson describes the pitch as his fastball, just with "really low release and really good extension." It makes his 90-91 mph fastball come up on hitters quicker than they expect, which has helped him tremendously throughout his minor league career.
How he earned the nickname 'Tugboat'
At a very young age, Wilkinson's dad's best friend gave him the moniker after watching him run the bases. The friend described the pace of Wilkinson's running as "similar to that of a boat designed to tow larger ships."
The nickname stuck.
Wilkinson's stint in the WBC
Wilkinson pitched 2.2 innings for Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic in March this year, allowing zero hits, two walks and four strikeouts during his two appearances for the team.
How has Patrick Bailey done for Cleveland?
Though not an everyday player for the Guardians, Bailey has performed at a level to be expected of the Gold Glove-winning catcher. His defense has been very good in the 54 appearances he's made, but he remains a well-below average hitter and sports a .208/.260/.357 triple-slash for the Guardians, amounting to an OPS+ of 70.
That said, he has flashed decent power for the Guardians, with five home runs for the club in just 171 plate appearances, much greater than the rate he collected for the Giants in any of his three seasons prior.
When do the Giants play the Guardians?
The Giants and Guardians embark on a three-game series in Cleveland beginning tomorrow, Aug. 18, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET.
The series ends with the final game on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 1:10 p.m. ET.
As the Kawhi Leonard saga drags on, now approaching a full year, a new wrinkle sheds light on where the investigation stands. A new report has drawn pushback from the NBA on what it alleges are "significant inaccuracies."
According to ESPN, the NBA has found no evidence linking Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer to an alleged scheme to funnel money to Leonard during the franchise’s courtship of the star forward during the 2019 offseason.
ESPN also reported that the league’s investigation is now focused on the Clippers introducing Leonard to corporate sponsors, and whether that classifies as violations of the NBA’s rules against salary cap circumvention. As part of that focus, the NBA is assessing whether the alleged actions constitute “failure to supervise” employees, though ESPN noted it’s unclear which rules violations would have taken place.
In response, the NBA pushed back against the content in the report.
“ESPN’s article regarding the LA Clippers investigation — for which the NBA declined to cooperate — contains numerous and significant inaccuracies,” NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass said on Monday, Aug. 17 in a statement. “The results in this matter will be made clear once the investigation is concluded.”
For its part, ESPN defended its article.
“We stand by our reporting, which included numerous attempts by ESPN to get comment from the NBA,” the company said Monday in a statement.
The Clippers also issued a statement Monday, defending their practices throughout Leonard’s courtship and employment.
“The Clippers introduced players, including Kawhi Leonard, to companies with which we had business relationships,” the statement reads. “Making introductions between players and team partners is both an ordinary practice by NBA teams and a common request of players and representatives. From there, Kawhi and his representatives handled their own negotiations. The Clippers did not negotiate or dictate the terms of Kawhi’s endorsement agreements or determine what he would be paid.”
The Clippers, who have denied any wrongdoing since the beginning of the matter, also said they “did not overpay any vendor or provide any sponsor, vendor, or business partner with discounts or other favorable terms in order to funnel money to Kawhi.”
The NBA outsourced its investigation into Leonard, which began in September 2025, to the New York-based law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. The inquiry examined a four-year, $28 million contract that Leonard signed to market and endorse a now-bankrupt "green" financial services company called Aspiration, which had previously received a significant investment from Ballmer.
Earlier in August, another possible endorsement deal between Leonard and a Clippers corporate sponsor emerged, though it had previously been undisclosed. This one was with Daktronics, the company that designed the Clippers' video board inside the Intuit Dome where they play home games.
“The fact that a player has an endorsement relationship with a company that also does business with his team is not evidence of salary-cap circumvention,” the Clippers added Monday in their statement.
Per ESPN, the NBA presented the findings of the investigation to the Clippers in July, and both sides are negotiating a resolution to the matter. Those discussions, according to the report, are being led by David N. Kelley, a lawyer from O'Melveny & Myers who is representing Ballmer and the Clippers and NBA general counsel and chief compliance officer Rick Buchanan. ESPN said, citing an unnamed source, that those discussions have been “spirited.”
On June 30, the Clippers agreed to trade Leonard to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one pick swap and two second-round picks. That deal, however, has been held up as the investigation is ongoing; both the Clippers and the Raptors have issued statements indicating that they are waiting for the full findings — and any discipline that may arise from the investigation — before completing the transaction.
In September 2025, just as the investigation was getting underway, NBA commissioner Adam Silver stressed that the burden of proof would fall on the league and its investigators to determine whether any wrongdoing had occurred.
“I would be reluctant to act if there was a mere appearance of impropriety,” Silver said then.
The Orioles (61-63) have the brooms out and will be looking to sweep a four-game set from the AL-East-leading Rays (74-49) tonight at Tropicana Field. While taking the first three games does not put any real fear into Tampa, the O’s have taken over the third and final Wild Card spot as a result.
Baltimore took Friday's opener 6-5, edged Tampa Bay 4-3 on Saturday, and made it three in a row with a convincing 10-2 victory yesterday on Peacock. Batting in the leadoff spot, Jackson Holliday delivered picking up a couple hits, scoring a couple runs, and driving in three. Holliday is 4-13 in the series and 10-33 over his last eight games. Colton Cowser went yard for the eleventh time this season in support of the cause for Baltimore. Trevor Rogers continued his strong August, allowing two runs over six innings to earn his eighth win of the season. Freddy Peralta lasted just 4.2 innings and took the loss for the Rays.
Tonight's pitching matchup features Brandon Young (9-3, 3.33) taking on Shane McClanahan (9-6, 3.09). Young's most recent outing came against the Twins last Tuesday. He allowed one earned run on six hits across six innings while helping Baltimore secure a victory. The 27-year-old has been remarkably consistent this year, recording 10 quality starts and lasting at least five innings in 17 of his 20 starts. McClanahan's recent workload has been somewhat unusual. His most recent appearance came on July 30 against the Rangers, when he pitched three hitless innings while allowing one earned run. Overall, the left-hander has held opponents to a .207 batting average this season and has posted seven scoreless outings in 20 starts.
Lets dive further into tonight’s game and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Orioles vs. Rays
Date: Monday, August 17, 2026
Time: 6:05PM EST
Site: Tropicana Field
City: St. Petersburg, FL
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, MASN, Rays.TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Orioles vs. Rays
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Baltimore Orioles (+147), Tampa Bay Rays (-158)
Spread: Orioles +1.5 (-158), Rays -1.5 (+131)
Total: 7.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers – Orioles vs. Rays for August 17
Orioles: Brandon Young Season Totals: 113.2 IP, 9-3, 3.33 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 93K, 41 BB
Shane McClanahan has allowed one or fewer runs in 4 of 5 starts in July (has been on the IL for all of August)
Yandy Diaz has hit in 7 straight games (14-33)
Chandler Simpson has hit in 7 straight games (15-31)
Cedric Mullins is 4-12 in this series
Gunnar Henderson is 5-11 in this series
Pete Alonso has hit safely in 8 straight games (16-29) including 4 HRs and 9 RBIs
Carlos Narvaez is 3-29 (.103) since being traded to Tampa from Boston
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Top Betting Trends & Insights: Orioles vs. Rays
The O’s are 65-59 on the Run Line this season
The Rays are 71-52 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 63 times in Baltimore’s 124 games this season (63-57-4)
The OVER has cashed 55 times in Tampa’s 123 games this season (55-63-5)
Expert picks & predictions: Orioles vs. Rays
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Rays:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Rays on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total OVER 7.5
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