Should the NBA Abolish the Draft? The Case for a Rookie Free Agency System

  • Adam Silver says the league would “seriously consider” rookie free agency if it ends tanking.
  • A draft-free system changes incentives for “poverty franchises,” but risks star clustering.
  • Alternatives like post-elimination win incentives exist.

Is the NBA Draft on the chopping block? Commissioner Adam Silver said that he and his advisors would "seriously consider" replacing the rookie draft with free agency if it's the only definitive way to end tanking.

I am fully onboard with this idea!

With the 2026 tanking crisis reaching a fever pitch following record-breaking fines for the Jazz and Pacers, the league's "flattened odds" lottery experiment has officially failed to deter strategic losing.

As owners grow restless over plummeting ticket sales in rebuilding markets, the nuclear option of a rookie open market is no longer just a "think-piece" theory; it's a looming reality for the next NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Eliminating the NBA draft would actually help small market teams

Claiming small-market teams would be "cooked" is the wrong takeaway.

Players prioritize money, usage, and minutes, which are resources that are limited on every roster. A top rookie might choose the Charlotte Hornets over the Los Angeles Lakers if Charlotte can guarantee 35 minutes a night and the "keys to the franchise," whereas the Lakers might only have a bench role available.

Each team would actually land players who want to be there and are more loyal to the franchise. Players would choose teams based on coaching staff and training facilities rather than being "forced" into a bad situation. This shifts the burden onto front offices to be competent to attract talent.

I opened the debate up on TikTok and was immediately met with hundreds of hot takes as well as a few intriguing solutions. Here are some of my favorites, along with my personal responses.


What NBA fans are saying

M.T.C||.vids: The NBA should NOT remove the draft. Players won’t willingly move to bad teams that have no chance of winning anything.

Metler: All the reason for those franchises to become competent and stop being rewarded with lottery picks.

M.T.C||.vids: How on earth do you expect a franchise to just “become competent”? This free agent format would make super teams stronger and weaker squads less talented, dealing with the bums the league doesn’t want. The draft allows bad teams to get good young players

Metler: It allows awful franchises to ruin the best young talent coming into the league.

buzz_master: Boston and LA would be good forever. It's everything they want.

Metler: It’s good for the league for those teams to always be good. Same as how it’s good for college hoops for Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky to always be good.

r08: Then the small market will always be at the bottom. The contender will always be the contender.

Metler: The same teams are already at the bottom anyways and are given false hope when they get a superstar for a rookie contract who then forces his way out. The solution is to build grassroots programs and connect with youth basketball in your state and city. Develop NBA talent in your hometown that you could sign in the future.

zacharydegraeve: I really think they should. I don’t think it’s the most popular opinion, but teams that build their organization top to bottom to lose so they can acquire a star prospect aren’t able to properly develop that prospect and build around that prospect in four years.

Metler: Why do we keep sending the best prospects to awful situations? If you want elite talent in your organization, earn it. Build better facilities, get better coaches, learn to develop players.

Cadie: I like what the PWHL does. Once you've been eliminated from the playoffs... every win after elimination gains points towards draft position. More points = higher draft position.

Metler: It’s way better than what we have now but NBA teams would still try and manipulate it.

Emorris984: Just use the NFL format!

Metler: They would tank even harder...


It's time to abolish the NBA draft

I was shocked by the outcry about protecting organizations that don’t even try to win games. Why are we so concerned about the bottom feeders of the league? Do you think college basketball sits around trying to game-plan ways to improve Boston College and make them relevant?

Imagine if we sent all the best high school recruits to the worst programs. We don’t. Those players go to North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona, and Duke. So why do we suddenly stop caring about the development of the best young talent coming into the NBA and then send them into awful situations?

A lot of the argument is built on the idea that teams like the Hornets would never be able to land a superstar coming out of college. My response to that concern is the 2009 NBA Draft. Do you really think the Hornets wouldn’t have had a legitimate chance to recruit Stephen Curry out of Davidson to play for his hometown team - the same team his dad played for?

The Hornets’ NBA championship odds wouldn’t be +50000 every single season if they had successfully recruited Curry back in 2009.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Top 20 prospects in the Cincinnati Reds system

Milwaukee Brewers v Cincinnati Reds

The 2026 edition of Red Reporter’s Community Prospect Rankings wrapped this week, doing so with nearly 3,000 total responses during the voting process. Thank you to each and every one of you who took the time to participate with us this year.

Here’s how the list shook out:

  1. Sal Stewart
  2. Alfredo Duno
  3. Rhett Lowder
  4. Hector Rodriguez
  5. Edwin Arroyo
  6. Cam Collier
  7. Steele Hall
  8. Tyson Lewis
  9. Chase Petty
  10. Arnaldo Lantigua
  11. Jose Franco
  12. Zach Maxwell
  13. Leo Balcazar
  14. Adolfo Sanchez
  15. Carlos Jorge
  16. Aaron Watson
  17. Julian Aguiar
  18. Tyler Callihan
  19. Sheng-En Lin
  20. Ricky Cabrera

Here’s how the Top 20 of the 2025 Community Prospect Rankings looked for comparison:

  1. Rhett Lowder
  2. Chase Burns
  3. Edwin Arroyo
  4. Chase Petty
  5. Cam Collier
  6. Sal Stewart
  7. Alfredo Duno
  8. Sammy Stafura
  9. Ricky Cabrera
  10. Hector Rodriguez
  11. Tyson Lewis
  12. Connor Phillips
  13. Sheng-En Lin
  14. Luke Holman
  15. Zach Maxwell
  16. Ty Floyd
  17. Adam Serwinowski
  18. Rece Hinds
  19. Carlos Jorge
  20. Julian Aguiar

Obviously, there were some graduates from last year’s rankings, with Chase Burns, Connor Phillips, and Rece Hinds having logged enough big league service time to no longer qualify as prospects anymore. Sammy Stafura was included in the deal with Pittsburgh that landed Ke’Bryan Hayes in Cincinnati, while Adam Serwinowski was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the three-team deal that landed Zack Littell with the Reds for last season’s stretch run.

Congrats to those Reds prospects on the distinguished honor of being included in this year’s CPR!

The Rockets are losing the math game

The relationship between NBA basketball and math has long been tenuous.

You’ve seen the debates. The stat nerd vs the hooper. Metrics vs the eye test. It’s as false a dichotomy as one could imagine. To understand basketball, you need both. That will always be the case.

Anyway, the 2025-26 Houston Rockets need a math tutor. Their calculations are off. They’re losing the math game:

And the numbers aren’t lying.

Rockets need to improve efficiency

If you’re reading this, you surely know that the Rockets don’t shoot many threes. In fact, their 34.0% three-point frequency ranks dead last in the NBA.

They hit a high percentage of those triples. Houston’s 37.0% three-point shooting ranks sixth. That amounts to 11.3 made threes per game, which lands 24th in the NBA.

That would be fine – if the Rockets hit a high percentage of their twos. This team wasn’t built to overwhelm opponents with three-point shooting. They were built to dominate the offensive glass and win the math game with extra possessions.

They’re still dominating the glass. Houston’s 39.9% Offensive Rebounding Percentage is first in the league by a long shot. It’s just a somewhat moot point when they’re hitting 52.3% of their two-point field goal attempts.

That’s second-last in the NBA.

That’s right. Only the Pacers hit a lower percentage of their twos. This is a gap year for the Pacers. Despite the significance of Fred VanVleet’s absence, the same cannot be said for the Rockets.

So let’s break out the calculators. What can the Rockets do?

The Rockets must play to their strengths

They shouldn’t be thinking about increasing their three-point volume too dramatically.

They simply do not have the personnel. Sure, Ime Udoka ought to have a little more faith in Reed Sheppard. He could bolster the three-point volume a bit, but he’s only one NBA sophomore. That won’t meaningfully move the needle.

Above all else, the Rockets need to hit a higher percentage of their twos.

The elephant in the room: Alperen Sengun needs to be more efficient. He just does. He’s hitting 69.7% of his shots between zero-and-three feet. That’s a career high, but it’s still not high enough.

For context, Giannis Antetokounmpo hits 81.1% of his field goals from the same area. Nikola Jokic hits 78.6% of his bunnies.

Am I being unfair by comparing Sengun to the best players in the NBA? OK. Domantas Sabonis hits 69.9% of his attempts from the same range. Newsflash:

The Rockets need Alperen Sengun to be better than Domantas Sabonis.

Holding the young star to a high standard should not be frowned upon. Sengun doesn’t offer much from three-point range, so to be a star playmaker, he needs to make hay at the rim. That’s what the math dictates.

Otherwise, Amen Thompson is hitting 75.0% of his shots between zero-and-three. That’s consistent with last year (75.8%), but his volume is significantly down (36.1% from 42.0%). That’s likely symptomatic of his on-ball work. When Thompson is setting up in the halfcourt, it’s easier for defenses to force him into the midrange. Taking him back off the ball and putting him in a position to cut and attack closeouts could get him back at the rim more often.

That’s about it, as far as my solutions go. I’m no math wizard. Let it be said that the Rockets don’t need to play brutal, D’Antoni-style stat-ball. They do need to find a way to improve on their dreadful two-point efficiency if they’re going to be a low-volume three-point shooting club:

Otherwise, the numbers just aren’t in their favor.

Is Giancarlo Stanton a Hall of Famer? Yankees slugger ready for 2026

TAMPA, FL – There was no spring training surprise with Giancarlo Stanton in this Yankees camp.

“Ready to go," said Stanton on Tuesday, about the one-year anniversary when he arrived in Florida with elbow issues that delayed his entry until mid-June.

As a slugging right-handed hitter, the designated hitter’s “presence in the middle of the lineup is really big," said manager Aaron Boone, who “really noticed it" in 2024.

Following a lost 2023 season, Stanton was “such a presence" behind Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in 2024, culminating in another terrific postseason – seven homers in 14 games.

Last year, Stanton clubbed 24 homers with 66 RBIs in just 77 games, and his .944 OPS was the highest of his eight-year Yankees career.

Here are five things to know as he enters his ninth season in pinstripes:

Giancarlo Stanton’s elbow management

Entering his age 36 season, Stanton reported to camp leaner and “ready to go, ready for a good buildup in spring."

Stanton is still managing his elbow condition; it was likened to a severe bout of tennis elbow last year, and “as I said before, it’s not going to go anywhere.

“There’s always going to be maintenance, but it won’t hinder me from any work. That’s what’s most important."

Giancarlo Stanton’s defensive availability

Last August, Aaron Judge’s flexor strain put Stanton back in play as a part-time outfielder.

This year, Boone can see Stanton getting some outfield starts and “there’s even a chance we get some outfield" play during the exhibition season.

It’ll probably be a week before Stanton gets in a Grapefruit League game, with Boone keen on slow-playing certain veterans.

But during the season, “we want to keep that (outfield) option going," said Boone. “Best case, we probably almost never have to use him because everyone’s healthy and doing their thing, but we know that’s a little unrealistic."

Boone also believes the occasional outfield starts “can keep him healthy… I think it helps him," and Stanton agrees.

There were times when Stanton wanted to play more outfield (he made 18 starts), but he’s on board with any plan “for us to be the best and for me to stay out there."

Giancarlo Stanton’s Hall of Fame chances

Feb 16, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (27) prepares for batting practice during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Stanton’s 453 career home runs are the most by any active player.

He could potentially reach the 500 home run club in 2027, and his current hitter comps through age 35 via Baseball-Reference.com include Hall of Famers Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell and Harmon Killebrew.

As for milestones like 500 homers, Stanton said he’s only focused on “the next one," and the one after that.

“Those (personal) numbers are not the same as ‘We’re going to win the World Series,’" said Stanton. “That’s the way I’m looking at it."

Giancarlo Stanton’s incomplete career

Like his veteran teammates Judge, Gerrit Cole and Paul Goldschmidt, Stanton is still seeking that elusive World Series ring.

“The goal is a championship,’’ said Stanton. “But you’ve got to do what’s in between. Not (just) to get there, but complete it.’’

And in that sense, Stanton said his story “is still being written’’ since “the point of being a Yankee is being a champion.

“There’s always going to be a stain there without that.’’

Giancarlo Stanton contract

In December 2017, the Yankees' blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins brought Stanton to the Bronx, with the Yanks absorbing nearly all of what was a then-record 13-year, $325 million contract.

There are only two guaranteed years left, with Stanton owed a total of $64 million - $30 million of which is to be paid by the Marlins.

For luxury tax purposes, Stanton's contract is still a $25 million annual hit on the Yanks' payroll.

After the 2027 season, the Yankees hold a $25 million club option on Stanton for 2028, or they can buy him out for $10 million.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Giancarlo Stanton Hall of Fame? Yankees slugger ready for 2026

3 burning Sixers questions heading into the Second Half

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 07: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The 76ers defeated the Suns 109-103. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It really should be called the final third of the season now, shouldn’t it?

The Sixers just need to put the finishing touches on the final 28 games of the regular season to complete a bounce back from their disastrous 24-win campaign a season ago. With just a game in the loss column currently keeping them out of the play-in tournament in the East, it’ll take a strong finish to secure a top-six playoff spot.

Here are the pressing questions that will define whether they’re able to do so or not.

Is the All-Star break enough to recharge VJ-Maxx?

This has come up quite a bit, because it’s no secret just how much of a workload these two have taken on — Maxey in particular with his 30% usage rate. Not only has the topic of fatigue and tiredness come up quite a bit in Maxey’s recent postgame press conferences, but it seems to be catching up with him as well.

Through the end of December, Maxey was averaging 30.8 points per game on the season shooting 39.6% from three-point range. In January and February he’s dipped down to 26.5 points a night shooting 35.6% from deep. If there’s a silver lining it’s that his minutes per game have gone down from 39 to 37 in that time, though he still leads the league in minutes by far.

Edgecombe is only averaging a measly 35 minutes a night, but he still has a comfortable lead on most minutes played this year by a rookie. Not only has his production gone through dips, but his shot selection seems to indicate a rookie wall as well.

Again, through December, Edgecombe was taking 35% of his shots at the rim and 18% from the short midrange. In the roughly month and a half since, he’s only taken 29% of his shots at the rim and his short midrange attempts have dropped to 14%, according to Cleaning the Glass.

With the top-heavy roster the Sixers have, a week off may be the only relief coming when it comes to these two. Neither of them even had a full week technically, with Maxey being both an All-Star and three-point contest participant, and Edgecombe competing in the Rising Stars game.

We’ll see soon enough whether four days off is enough to recharge either of their batteries because there’s likely to be plenty of 40-minute nights in their near futures.

How much will this shaken up bench be able to produce?

Relatedly, a big reason why so much responsibility is placed on Maxey and Edgecombe’s shoulders is due to the lack of bench production as of late. The Sixers are currently the 28th-ranked team in the league in bench points, averaging 30.4 a night. Jared McCain struggling to crack the rotation while he was still here put the role of bench shooting entirely onto Quentin Grimes.

However tall of an ask that is, he’s struggled to do so after a pretty solid start. Through November he was averaging 17 points a night shooting just a tick below 37% from three. No one’s come down to earth harder though, as he’s averaging 9.9 points a game shooting 42% from the field and 31% from three in the 29 games since then.

Through most of that time, the Sixers had been getting solid bench production from whichever of Kelly Oubre Jr. or Dominick Barlow came off the bench. With Paul George suspended though, both of those guys have become required starters.poiu9o0p[=p-]\

The dumping of McCain as well as Eric Gordon only intensified the need for Grimes to get right. Through the buyout market the Sixers may have found an additional scoring burst in Cam Payne. It’s a long shot, with Payne having spent the first half of this season playing in Europe, but at least the Sixers have seen him impact a playoff game before. As a bottom three bench team in the league, the Sixers will take any help they can get.

How will the front court behind Joel Embiid hold up?

So obviously this stems from the most burning, everlasting question surrounding the Sixers: how healthy will Joel Embiid be?

After enjoying over a month long stretch of healthy basketball, only missing planned nights that were back-to-backs, Embiid missed the last two games before the All-Star break due to another bout of knee swelling. The positive spin there is that this was his right knee, not the left that he’s injured so frequently. Nick Nurse didn’t seem super concerned by this either, saying the soreness had progressed somewhat and that the All-Star break should help that as well.

No one here has to be reminded of the history, though. After starting the season playing well without Embiid, the Sixers once again look like a team dependent on him, losing six of their last seven with him out of the lineup. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers are a -1.4 with Adem Bona on the court and -4.3 in lineups with Andre Drummond.

Bona continues to show flashes as a shot blocker, but has yet to really develop his rebounding skills and has been abysmal as a lob catcher this year. After a resurgent start to the year, Drummond has started to look older each passing game. While they both turned their two-way deals into standard contracts, neither Barlow nor Jabari Walker has seen enough substantial time playing center to know if they are legitimate backup five options.

With the trade deadline come and gone and the buyout market looking just as bare in the front court, the only solution to this problem is probably Embiid staying as healthy as possible. Even if he’s able to, the Sixers still have six more back-to-backs to get through this regular season as they gear up for a busy March.

They won’t be easy hurdles with all the solutions needing to be internal, but how the Sixers deal with these issues will define their second half of the season.

Dallas' Kyrie Irving will miss remainder of season recovering from torn ACL

Kyrie Irving will sit out the remainder of this season and wait until the fall to make his return froma torn ACL suffered nearly a year ago, he and the Dallas Mavericks announced on Wednesday.

"This decision wasn't easy, but it's the right one," Irving said in a statement released by the team. "I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.

"And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who've torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!"

Irving tore his ACL in a March 3 game against Sacramento almost a year ago. There had been speculation that he might return later this season, but with Dallas sitting as the No. seed 12 in the West and focused more on draft positioning than climbing up into the play-in — this team is tanking — Irving's return made little sense. Although his agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, said it was not about that in a statement to Shams Charania of ESPN.

"This is about Kyrie being 1000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season."

Irving's timeline for a return is very realistic, it often takes players a year or more to come back. Irving is in the first year of a three-year $118 contract with Dallas and the Mavericks are on the hook for $39.5 million next season, plus he has a $42.4 player option for 2027-28.

When Dallas hires a new head of basketball operations this summer (to replace the fired Nico Harrison), one of the decisions for that person will be whether to lean into a youth movement and trade Irving, or whether to pair Cooper Flagg, whoever the team drafts this June, a (hopefully) healthy Dereck Lively II, with Irving, or whether to completely lean into the youth movement. (Part of that may be how the Mavericks fare in the NBA Draft Lottery and who they pick up.)

Irving was an All-Star with the Mavericks before his injury last season, averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists a game while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range.

Kyrie Irving’s latest health update is bad news for Mavericks

It will be another several months before Mavericks fans see Kyrie Irving on the hardwood again.

The Dallas point guard will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season as he continues to recover from an ACL tear, the team announced on Wednesday morning.

Irving sustained the injury in his left leg in March 2025, and after undergoing surgery shortly afterward, he had initially eyed a return at some point this year.

The Mavericks guard is still recovering from an ACL tear he sustained last March. AP

But in a statement, Irving explained “the right” choice was to allow the knee a few more months to heal.

“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” he said. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season.


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“The belief and drive I have inside only grows. And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!”

Irving is in the middle of a three-year, $119 million contract. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Irving joined the Mavericks in the 2022-23 season via a trade from Brooklyn, and the following season, he and Luka Doncic helped lead the team to the NBA Finals.

In 2024-25, he had an All-Star season, but missed the last portion of the year due to the knee injury.

The Mavericks, of course, are in no position to rush back Irving, who’s in the middle of a three-year, $119 million contract — the team sits near the bottom of Western Conference standings with a 19-35 record.

Why did this ticket to a 1992 Phillies-Pirates game sell for over $1,500?

Morandini played for the Phillies from 1990-1997 and later managed the team (Credit: Getty)
Morandini played for the Phillies from 1990-1997 and later managed the team (Credit: Getty)

When Mickey Morandini pulled it off, it came so quickly, even the announcers didn’t realize what happened.

And who could blame them? An unassisted triple play had only happened eight times in Major League Baseball history.

Why are we talking about Morandini’s magical moment? Because, on Tuesday, a ticket to the Sept. 20, 1992 game featuring Morandini’s Philadelphia Phillies against Barry Bonds’ Pittsburgh Pirates — sold for a whopping $1,540.

To put that in perspective of Pirates tickets, the most recent sale of Bill Mazeroski’s Game 7 World Series walk-off was $945. Paul Skenes' rookie debut ticket last sold for $708. But unlike those two, PSA had never graded an exemplar from this game.

At the time, Morandini, who caught a fly ball from Jeff King, doubled off a runner who left second and tagged Bonds on his way to second, was also ticked about not thinking about the memorabilia.

Video shows Morandini, who batted .268 in 11 years in the majors, flipping the ball up in the air as he runs by the mound.

“That was stupid on my part,” he told reporters after the game. “It was probably hit as a foul ball to some fan.”

Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.

Why are Washington Nationals pitchers wearing a black band on their elbow?

JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Josiah Gray #40 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the bullpen during Spring Training workout day at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday, February 12, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Lucas Casel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The first piece of Nationals related content I saw was DJ Herz doing some throwing. This is great because it shows he is making progress in his Tommy John recovery. However, what interested me was the black band on his left elbow. Herz is not the only pitcher to be wearing one of these bands. In fact, it has been common this spring.

I wanted to learn more about this device and see why so many Nats pitchers are using this thing. What I found was very interesting. The device is a Pulse workload monitor made by Driveline. It costs $320 and is designed to help pitchers know their limits. Pulse measures arm speed and workload metrics. If a pitcher’s arm speed drops unexpectedly, you now know when to take a break.

This is a really cool device and is in line with the Nats new vision. We wrote about the Nats Driveline connection earlier this month, and this is just another example of that. While the Nats want to add stuff to their pitchers, they are also going to be aware of the potential injury risk that comes with that.

Based on my research, I think the implementation of this device is being driven by Pitching Coach Simon Mathews. Driveline mentions that the Reds were early adopters of this device. Kyle Boddy, the founder of Driveline actually worked for the Reds for a bit. There is an article from 2021 describing how the Reds had been implementing the Pulse device.  

Mathews actually joined the Reds organization in 2021, and was involved in their rehab work for pitchers. That means he is very aware of this device and is likely a big proponent of it. It is no coincidence that it is all over Nats camp now. With that rehab background, Mathews is putting an emphasis on arm health.

However, this device is not just for pitchers with injuries. Healthy Nats arms have also been using it to track their workload. On one of the first days of camp, the Nats posted a photo of Brad Lord throwing, and he had the Pulse band on. It is easier to find a Nats pitcher wearing one than it is to see them without it.

This is such a cool contraption and it is one of many pieces of new technology the Nats have. Pulse obviously helps you catch potential injuries, but it can also help you optimize throwing plans. It allows you to know how far you can push a player while not risking injury or overuse. Optimizing performance is so important for pitchers, and this is a great tool for that.

It is not just the big leaguers using these things though. I saw a video of Nats third round pick Landon Harmon throwing a bullpen, and the 19 year old had a Pulse band on his right elbow. Honestly, this tool might be even more important for young pitchers who do not totally understand their limits yet.

That is not to say it can’t help veterans. There is a cool video from a couple years ago of Reds pitcher Nick Martinez talking about how much the Pulse band has helped him. For so long, the Nats were not taking part in these kinds of innovative practices. Now, with Paul Toboni at the wheel, the Nats are all in on innovating.

Honestly, keeping pitchers healthy might be the next great frontier for baseball minds. We know so much about how to optimize stuff, but it comes at the cost of pitchers’ elbows. If we can find a way to keep guys healthy while throwing nasty stuff, you can get an edge over the competition. The Pulse monitors are only the first step in that process, but it is cool that the Nats are trying this out.

Which Cincinnati Reds prospect is poised for a breakout in 2026?

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 25: Cam Collier #6 of the Peoria Javelinas swings the bat during an Arizona Fall League game against the Glendale Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch on October 25, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Last season saw Chase Burns go from ‘highly talented high draft pick who’d never thrown a pro pitch’ to perhaps the game’s top rated pitching prospect prior to making his big league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in late June. Meanwhile, Tyson Lewis hit balls so damn hard in Arizona in his first action as a pro that by the time he wrapped play in Daytona he’d found himself on Top 100 lists all over the place.

Alfredo Duno mashed his way to the top of the Reds list, emerging from a two-year odyssey to be a clear-cut catcher of the future with a bat featuring as much power as anyone, anywhere.

In a similar vein, Mike Sirota – who was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Gavin Lux deal – burst onto the scene in a huge, huge way, and now finds himself a consensus Top 100 prospect overall. Oops.

It happens each and every year, players who go from unknowns to household names (at least with prospect wonks), players who live up to the billing and more.

As we just wrapped the 2026 edition of our Community Prospect Rankings around here, who’s your pick among Reds prospects to be the biggest riser between now and season’s end? Could it be Cam Collier or Edwin Arroyo, two bats coming off power-sapping injuries that finally find a healthy swing once again?

Will Steele Hall, who only finds himself on the fringes of some Top 100 overall lists, hit the ground running and prove early the faith the Reds scouts placed in him?

Could we see an arm like Aaron Watson show his polished approach is ready to move fast?

Or, might we see someone making the jump stateside from Dominican Summer League play show the world they’re ready to tackle full-season ball at a level previously thought to be above their head?

What say you? Which Cincinnati Reds prospect is poised for a breakout 2026?

Tigers Topics: Have you ever been to spring training?

Spring training is officially here now that the Detroit Tigers have reported to Lakeland to begin their preseason workouts. The excitement in the air is palpable as winter fades, leaving the smell of fresh-cut grass and clay wafting through the air.

Getting down to Florida — or Arizona — for the rebirth of baseball is in and of itself a significant experience for fans both young and old, offering an opportunity to see their favorite players in a more intimate setting than back in the big stadiums. It also offers those living up north a temporary respite from the frigid weather back home.

As you can see below, the Tigers are settling in and getting ready for the opening game this Saturday in Tampa against the New York Yankees.

So today’s prompt for open discussion is the question of whether you, our cherished Bless You Boys reader, have ever been to spring training, and if so, what was your experience? Do you plan on trekking down I-75 this year to see the Olde English D in preseason action?

Those of you who have been around the site know that I cut my teeth at BYB providing spring training and minor league coverage from Lakeland. I have been going out there since I was a kid, and I enjoy every trip out there (as long as I can avoid I-4).

So now it is your turn! Let us know about your sentiments and experiences when it comes to spring training in the comments below.

Kansas State basketball carrying Jerome Tang's 'crazy faith' mantra after firing

Kansas State basketball's attempt to fire Jerome Tang for cause has been widely derided by the basketball world. After a 90-74 win over Baylor with interim coach Matthew Driscoll on the bench, the Wildcats still mentioned Tang several times postgame.

Kansas State arguably looked more complete than it has all season, with PJ Haggerty and Nate Johnson putting up 34 and 33 points, respectively.

"We (came) more together as a team," Johnson told reporters postgame. "It just bonded us over that period of time, and it showed. His message still showed that we are still together and we're just going to keep getting better every day."

"It's been some very difficult days," Haggerty added. "Every day, we all love Coach T (Tang), you know, as a coach and as a person. He just wanted us to be better men rather than just basketball players, too. But at the end of the day, we're just gonna keep playing and honoring him."

Haggerty also harkened back to a mantra of Tang's.

"'Crazy faith' is something he said every day, whether it was good days or bad days; he always stuck with faith," he said. "Either he had it on his shirt, or he said, 'crazy faith,' and that was the biggest thing that he always told us."

This support lingers even after Tang's firing for cause was justified by a press conference in which Tang derided his roster and said most of the players wouldn't be back next season.

"This was embarrassing," Tang said after a 91-62 loss at the hands of Cincinnati. "These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I'm embarrassed for the university, I'm embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It's just ridiculous."

Even with those harsh words, Kansas State's players are rallying behind him as he looks for the $18.675 million buyout he would be owed if Kansas State loses its case to fire him for cause.

Driscoll also sung Tang's praises following his first win as an interim coach. In a lengthy press answer, he said: "I did not come to Kansas State to be the head coach. Coach Tang is an amazing human being. He has always been there for me, he's always supported me, and he's an amazing human being, and he did amazing things at Kansas State."

Driscoll added: "Because of his leadership and because of what he did, that's why tonight transpired, and it's why everything came to fruition tonight. We went through a lot of things, but if you want to know something, there's nothing easy in life, and nothing's normal. Everyone wants it easy, and he said we're not doing that."

Clearly the players and new installation of coaches aren't hoping to bolster the university's case.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas State players react to first win since Jerome Tang firing

The Good Phight’s Community Prospect list: #16 – Dylan Campbell

Last January, the Dodgers were chasing Roki Sasaki and needed more international signing bonus money. That led them to utilizing their deep farm system to trade Dylan Campbell to the Phillies in return for some of that international money.

Now the Phillies have an interesting prospect.

Dylan Campbell – 80 (I promise you, that’s not Griffin Burkholder’s pie slice)
Mavis Graves – 31
Keaton Anthony – 15
Yoniel Curet – 13
Carson DeMartini – 13
Griffin Burkholder – 10
Alex McFarlane – 9
Seth Johnson – 4
Ramon Marquez – 4
Zach McCambley – 4
Devin Saltiban – 2

Having players that can be developed into utility guys are useful. Think about how much the team uses Edmundo Sosa. Were they to be able to develop someone like that, it would be invaluable as they would not have to worry about going out and signing one that is either on the downslope of his career or isn’t that good in the first place. Campbell may not get to the Sosa-esque level of utility production, but even getting someone like him to try and create a prospect is worthwhile endeavor. It’s something they really need to do more of.

2025 stats (w/ Lakewood and Reading)

514 PA, .215/.298/.367, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 33 SB, 9.9 BB%, 21.4 K%, 95 wC+

Fangraphs scouting report

Short levers and strong wrists give Campbell notable hitterish traits, and he told MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra that he was working with a new swing in the AFL (for what it’s worth, it looked the same to me). Though he has kept his infielder’s mitt handy for occasional second base duty in pro ball, Campbell was introduced to first and third base for the first time in the AFL. A stocky athlete whose meaty torso and trunk taper down to toothpick ankles, Campbell runs well in a straight line but isn’t the best lateral mover. Defensive versatility is going to be important to his rosterability, but he played the corner infield so infrequently in Arizona that seeing him enough to satisfactorily evaluate his prospects there was difficult. Campbell is back on the radar as a potential bat-first utilityman who plays the outfield corners and hopefully at least one infield position.

With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.

Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!

Kyrie Irving to miss remainder of season for the Mavericks

DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 22: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on after the game against the San Antonio Spurs on OCTOBER 22, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

In the latest installment of Ethical Tanking Theater, the Dallas Mavericks (19-35) announced on Wednesday that Kyrie Irving would miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season as he continues to recover from his ACL reconstruction surgery, which he underwent in 2025.

The team said in a press release that “Irving has made steady progress in rehabilitation and will remain actively engaged with the team through the remainder of the season.”

“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving said. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.”

There was some hope that Irving would return to the court sometime this season after suffering the knee injury that ended his 2024-25 season on March 3 in a 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings. The normal recovery time for ACL reconstruction is usually 9-12 months, and here we sit on Wednesday, 11-plus months since Irving crumpled to the ground in the second quarter of that loss.

This news should be viewed through the lens of player health and safety, despite the Mavericks’ current record and downward trajectory. Irving will turn 34 next month, and erring on the side of caution is the only smart thing to do with a player of his caliber and importance to the team. The long end of the normal recovery window would put Irving back on the court sometime in March, and the season will be over in April for these Mavs.

DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 03: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks lies on the court after suffering an injury in the first half against the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center on March 03, 2025 in Dallas, 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 Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Irving averaged 25.6 points per game in his first full season with the Mavericks and 24.7 before his injury in 2024-25. He shot better than 40% from 3-point range in both his seasons in a Mavs’ uniform.

Fans have been anxious to see how Irving’s game will fit with Cooper Flagg in his rookie-year ascendancy, but they’ll have to wait until year two for that now, when the team’s war chest will hopefully be restocked with another high draft pick in the stellar 2026 NBA Draft. Irving may have been brought here to play Robin to Luka Dončić‘s Batman, but now it appears he’ll come back for 2026-27 as a veteran leader in a young, up-and-coming reboot scenario.

This decision is in the best interest of the player and the team in this case, but it will no doubt be cast as a “tank move” among NBA fans throughout the league. When the loudest cries are pronounced, just be sure to check whose store-bought jersey the one making the call is wearing.

“I wanted to send a huge shoutout to all of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day,” Irving continued in the team release. “Thank you for the inspiration. No fear!”

Are the Dodgers done adding players?

Phoenix, AZ - February 17, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas and Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy take a ride on the back of a cart at the 2026 Dodgers spring training at Camelback Ranch, Phoenix, AZ on February 17, 2026. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

We are nearly at the point where we get to watch the Dodgers play actual games, with the exhibition slate starting this Saturday. Timelines over the last week-plus have been inundated with the sights and sounds from spring training, from backfield workouts to clubhouse speeches.

The Dodgers already brought back two of the players most of us expected to return, with Evan Phillips and Kiké Hernández signing last week, though both will miss the beginning of the season while rehabbing.

Also rehabbing is Tommy Edman after right ankle surgery, and his injured list stint to begin the season opens up an actual position battle in camp, for second base.

Blake Snell being a bit behind schedule in throwing at least puts his opening day readiness into question, which could open up another opportunity for another pitcher to earn some early starts in the rotation.

With 41 players on the 40-man roster (Phillips is on the 60-day injured list) and another 34 non-roster invitees after infielder Santiago Espinal signed this week, that means a whopping 75 players in big league camp at the moment at Camelback Ranch.

It feels like the Dodgers will make an active roster out of those 75 players currently in camp, but with just over five weeks remaining until opening day, there’s plenty of time remaining for more moves to be made. You never know who might hit the waiver wire in the next few weeks, maybe even a certain backup catcher.

Today’s question is what’s one roster move you think the Dodgers should make before opening day?