The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Miami Marlins for game 3 of Spring Training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium starting at 12:05pm Monday, February 23. According to MLB.com, Michael McGreevy will take the mound for the Cardinals while Eury Pérez will start for the Marlins.
For years, league wide fastball usage has been on the decline, as after decades of being used over 60% of the time by pitchers, it dropped below 50% in 2022, and even lower to 47% by 2023. The biggest proprietor of the change in fastball usage has been the introduction of Statcast to Major League Baseball, as in 2015, the first year of Statcast’s usage, all 30 MLB teams threw fastballs over 50% of the time, and now just 7 MLB teams remain who throw fastballs over 50% of the time.
Under Davey Martinez and his coaching staff, the Nationals were one of the last teams holding onto the fastball, being in the top 2 in fastball usage each of the last 4 seasons. While the higher heater usage than most certainly wasn’t the sole reason for the pitching staffs bad results over the last few years, it showed the lack in forward thinking the organization had, sticking to tradition and ignoring trends that could have had benefits for them.
With Blake Butera and his staff running the show, we knew things were going to look different in 2026, but not the full extent, as Butera, POBO Paul Toboni, and pitching coach Simon Mathews were all coming from organizations which ranked between 10th and 20th in fastball usage in 2026.
Would the club overcorrect and throw fastballs at a much lower rate in 2026, or would they stick to the status quo and cut down the teams fastball usage only a little? Although we’re just 3 games into Spring Training, I believe we have our answer.
So far, the Nationals have used 24 different pitchers in Spring Training over the course of 3 games. Of those 24 pitchers, only 5 of them have used their fastball as their primary pitch, those pitchers being Gus Varland, Zach Penrod, Tucker Biven, Sandy Gaston, and Erik Tolman. Compare this to the 2025 Nats’ pitching staff, where of the 25 pitchers to throw at least 10 innings in the big leagues last season, ALL of them threw their fastball as their primary pitch.
Perhaps the most notable example of a pitcher moving away from their fastball this spring has been Mitchell Parker, who, in a 43 pitch outing yesterday, threw his fastball just 27.9% of the time, well below his 55% usage rate in 2025. Instead, he favored his slider and curveball much more, throwing both pitches 30.2% of the time. The results: 2 scoreless innings with 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and plenty of soft contact.
Of the 5 pitchers who did throw their fastball primarily in their outings, they all had one thing in common; they throw it really hard. Varland, Gaston, and Tolman all sat above 95 with their heaters in their outings, with Penrod and Biven not too far behind at just below 95. While there are more variables that make a fastball good than its velocity, it’s still clear that the new coaching staffs focus is having its pitchers focus on their strengths on the mound, even if it means using an unorthodox pitch the most often.
Spring Training is a time for players to tinker with new approaches and ideas since the results won’t count against them, so I wouldn’t expect the number of Nationals pitcher who throw a heater primarily to remain this low in the regular season, but it’s still new and exciting to see the coaching staff having the pitchers trying something new with their approach. Hopefully, this new approach will help some pitchers, such as Mitchell Parker, have newfound success in 2026.
Monday notes…
Here are today’s particulars.
Cubs lineup:
Royals lineup:
Ben Brown will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Javier Assad, Porter Hodge, Ryan Rolison and Collin Snider.
Seth Lugo will start for the Royals. Other Royals pitchers scheduled today: Luinder Avila, former Cubs prospect Alex Lange, former Cub Jose Cuas and Eric Cerantola.
No TV today. There will be a radio broadcast on the Royals flagship station, 96.5 The Fan.
Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.
Please visit our SB Nation Royals site Royals Review. If you do go there to interact with Royals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA fined Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner $35,000 each on Monday for their scuffle in a game over the weekend.
With 1:55 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 136-120 victory on Saturday night, Gardner bumped Pippen from behind and knocked him down. Pippen then jogged down court to confront Gardner and gave him a hard two-handed shove, resulting in a melee that spilled into the seats with 1:19 remaining. Both received technical fouls and were ejected.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Recent speculation and trade rumors have circled around the New York Rangers and former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.
Although he is in his first season with the Rangers, the word around the Russian blueliner is that he doesn't want to be a part of the step-back transition the team is going through.
On July 1, the off-season's first day of NHL free agency, he signed a seven-year, $49-million contract that pays him $7 million per year. However, with the new deal, and only featuring in 57 contests as a Ranger, Gavrikov appears to be open to moving on to a more preferable situation.
NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp claimed that he heard some rumblings involving Gavrikov and how the current state of the Rangers "isn't necessarily what he signed up for."
In 2023-24, a couple of seasons before Gavrikov joined the Blueshirts, the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference final and were a strong team. Since then, that has changed, and Gavrikov's perspective with this team may have been reset.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Does Vladislav Gavrikov Want Out Of New York? Can The Canucks Move Evander Kane?It's speculated that New York Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov isn't happy with the club's direction. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if the Vancouver Canucks can find a trade partner for Evander Kane.In addition to the organization openly announcing a retooling phase, the Kings acquired superstar left winger Artemi Panarin.
Panarin is a fellow countryman of Gavrikov, and they were teammates before the Rangers when they were both members of the Columbus Blue Jackets at one point. So, Panarin's departure to Los Angeles in tandem with the team's poor performances is a strong recipe for Gavrikov's willingness to move.
Report: Kings Practice Reveals Panarin's Potential LinematesWhile the madness that was the Olympic quarterfinals were taking place, the Los Angeles Kings returned to practice. During pratice, Artemi Panarin's potential line mates were revealed.However, it must be noted that there hasn't been any official trade request or reports of conversations regarding Gavrikov's situation in New York City.
Nonetheless, the 30-year-old defenseman was a solid blueliner during his parts of three seasons with the Kings. In his final campaign in Hollywood, Gavrikov posted a plus-26 plus-minus rating, the most among the team's D-corps.
Even in this season with the Rangers, he's having a respectable year while averaging 24:04 of ice time, the most of his NHL career. And while it's not what he's paid to do, he has nine goals this season, beating his previous best of six goals with the Kings in 2023-24.
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Jackson Baumeister, RHP
23 | 6’4” | 224
AA | 4.62 ERA, 4.15 FIP (15 GS) 62.1 IP, 19.5% K, 9.6% BB
AFL | 6 ER (1 HR), 9.0 IP (4 G, 3 GS), 10 K, 9 BB
A shoulder injury derailed what should have been Baumeister’s coming out party, as his previously plus breaking ball was expected to carve up Double-A. After a tough start to the year and two months on the sidelines, Baumeister returned in August and salvaged the season with a brilliant finish. The tough luck continued, however, in the Arizona Fall League, where a line drive struck him in the head, but he escaped without significant injury. Currently, Baumeister has taken on a fastball/slutter profile, with a slow curve in his back pocket, and has shown teachability and pitchability over the years. The former Seminole currently thrives on his frequently used major league fastball that may be better challenged by a promotion to Triple-A.
| Rank | Player | Position | Votes | Total | Percentage | Last Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carson Williams | SS | 14 | 25 | 56% | 1 |
| 2 | Brody Hopkins | RHP | 19 | 25 | 76% | 8 |
| 3 | Jacob Melton | OF | 14 | 28 | 50% | N/A |
| 4 | Theo Gillen | OF | 14 | 26 | 54% | 13 |
| 5 | Ty Johnson | RHP | 12 | 25 | 48% | 15 |
| 6 | Daniel Pierce | SS | 13 | 23 | 57% | N/A |
| 7 | Jadher Areinamo | INF | 15 | 28 | 54% | N/A |
| 8 | TJ Nichols | RHP | 13 | 28 | 46% | N/R |
| 9 | Michael Forret | RHP | 8 | 33 | 24% | N/A |
| 10 | Santiago Suarez | RHP | 11 | 30 | 37% | 16 |
| 11 | Anderson Brito | RHP | 7 | 28 | 25% | N/A |
| 12 | Xavier Isaac | 1B | 9 | 28 | 32% | 3 |
| 13 | Caden Bodine | C | 10 | 25 | 40% | N/A |
| 14 | Brendan Summerhill | OF | 11 | 27 | 41% | N/A |
| 15 | Slater de Brun | OF | 10 | 25 | 40% | N/A |
| 16 | Nathan Flewelling | C | 8 | 26 | 31% | N/R |
| 17 | Trevor Harrison | RHP | 9 | 26 | 35% | 10 |
| 18 | Jose Urbina | RHP | 13 | 26 | 50% | 25 |
| 19 | Tre’ Morgan | 1B/LF | 15 | 25 | 60% | 4 |
| 20 | Jackson Baumeister | RHP | 12 | 27 | 44% | 12 |
The top 20 is a bit of an inflection point for our list. Thus far half of the players ranked did not appear on last years list, with eight having been newly added to the Rays system during that time. Players from last year’s list that have not ranked yet made the list:
Fabricio Blanco, SS
17 | S/R | 5’11” | 161
A bat-first middle infielder, the Venezuelan is an elite prospect within the context of the international signing process, with some believing he’s the best Rays signee this off-season, despite gathering only a $1 million bonus. He can barrel up from both sides of the plate, but may settle into a right handed swing in the long term, with quick hands. He has the ability and instincts to stick at short, with a high-IQ approach and gritty demeanor.
Homer Bush Jr.
24 | R/R | 6’3” | 215
AA | .301/.375/.360 (122 wRC+) 546 PA, 0 HR, 57 SB, 8.8% BB, 17.9% K
Acquired in the 2024 Jason Adam trade, the starting center fielder at Double-A passed the test of advanced pitching, but just barely. He lacks in-game power due to a lack of use of his lower half in his swing, and he whiffed more often than you can for long term success with a low-power approach. His calling cards are Rays-grade defense and plus-speed, having notably swiped 57 bags in back-to-back seasons.
Cooper Flemming, SS
19 | L/R | 6’3” | 190
One of the best high school bats in the 2025 draft, Flemming surprisingly fell into the Rays laps in the second round. He has a too-quiet swing that lacks the load necessary to hit for power, but he’s historically compensated for that with a high contact rate that would have rated him as first round material if his defense projected to stick. The Rays were able to convince him to forgo an education at Vanderbilt by going above slot ($2.3m, Comp-A money).
Brailer Guerrero, OF
20 | L/R | 6’1” | 215
A | 249.338/.399 (119 wRC+) 222 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 11.3% BB, 29.3% K
AFL | 2 H, 0 HR, 2 SB, 3 BB, 16 K, 29 PA
Good news: the $3.7 million 2023 signee made the leap out of the complex league in his final teenage season. Bad News: He was injured yet again, with hamstring and knee injuries limiting him to 51 games for Charleston. The Rays tried to make up for lost time with an aggressive assignment to the AFL that resulted in only two hits in 29 plate appearances. He makes loud contact from a quick, quiet swing which he pre-loads by reaching back for even more power. He appears to make early decisions to swing, leading to a bit extra whiffs against anything off-speed, but that could easily clear up with some consistent playing time.
Dom Keegan, C
25 | R/R | 6’0” | 210
AAA | .241/.306/.429 (89 wRC+) 297 PA, 10 HR, 0 SB, 8.1% BB, 30.6% K
Keegan is at an inflection point in his minor league career, having joined the 40-man roster as the third catcher, and overall the jury is still out. Trusted more at first base than backstop at Vanderbilt, the Rays have kept him behind the dish but reports still have his defense below average, and 2025 was a wash after an elbow injury in the Spring sank his season, in particular his bat speed. While the lack of progress on the edges of his game has some evaluators calling into question his once-sure major league projection, he’ll get a long look in Spring Training, where his ability to punish mistakes in the zone may flourish.
OF Victor Mesa Jr.
24 | L/L | 5’11” | 195
AAA (MIA) | .301/.368/.510 (136 wRC+) 171 PA, 7 HR, 4 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.4% K
MLB (MIA) | 6 H (1 HR), 5 BB, 5 K (81 wRC+) 38 PA
This Cuban power bat already made his major league debut with Miami last year after bouncing back from a spring hamstring injury, and was dealt to the Rays in February. He profiles as a fourth outfielder but has an option remaining, so the organization may send him down for regular playing time and one last chance for something more in development. If not, he’s a center field capable on defense, which goes a long way for a platoon bat. In the running for the nicest guy in baseball.
Austin Overn, OF
23 | L/R | 6’0” | 175
A+ (BAL) | .242/.367/.386 (127 wRC+) 341 PA, 8 HR, 43 SB, 15.5% BB, 28.2% K
AA (BAL) | .266/.326/.427 (112 wRC+) 136 PA, 5 HR, 21 SB, 6.6% BB, 25.0% K
Acquired in the Shane Baz trade, Overn was once a top draft prospect after committing to baseball over football at USC, but surprisingly struggled as a draft-eligible sophomore. That didn’t stop Baltimore from taking him in the third round (97th overall) in 2024. Now a professional, Overn overhauled his swing in the first half of 2025, and earned an early promotion to Double-A for his efforts, where he didn’t look overmatched. His biggest threat is his speed, which raises his floor and gives him an easy projection to a major league bench thanks to plus defensive instincts (BA gave 70’s to his run and field tools). His offensive profile is buoyed by his ability to work the count, but evaluators would like to see him punish fastballs more often for him to be considered a regular.
Aidan Smith, OF
21 | R/R | 6’2” | 190
A+ | .237/.331/.388 (114 wRC+) 459 PA, 14 HR, 41 SB, 11.5% BB, 31.2% K
Acquired in the Arozarena trade, Smith became the prince who was promised, a five tool athlete with a strong bat, good face, and a preternatural glove in center field. That promise unraveled a bit in 2025, with his strikeout rate rocketing nine percent and his power stroke faltering after facing harder velocities in High-A, causing both his hit and power grades to drop into the 40’s. It was a full transformation into a “center field” profile, but with his ceiling that’s not a compliment. He plays with a fire, but the dip in contact rate left some evaluators feeling burned.
Brayden Taylor, 2B/3B
24 | L/R | 6’0” | 180
AA | .173/.289/.286 (77 wRC+) 437 PA, 8 HR, 17 SB, 14% BB, 27.7% K
AFL | .264/.400/.472 (.384 wOBA) 65 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, 12 BB, 19 K
Taylor entered 2025 as a top-100 prospect after demolishing High-A (154 wRC+), and left 2025 as an afterthought on prospect lists, although he was selected as an Arizona Fall League “Fall Star” in between, where he worked to keep his chase rate low and his hard hit rate high. The juice must have been worth the squeeze, as the Rays have elected to invite Taylor to major league Spring Training this year.
Victor Valdez, SS
17 | R/R | 6’1” | 186
A pretty swing with a low whiff rate earned Valdez a big payday this winter — $3.5 million — with as good of a power projection as you can reasonably ask for from a a teenage bat, having been given a 25+ home run projection by Baseball America, who also praise his plus foot speed, bat speed, and control of the zone. Reports say he has ever improving lateral movements on defense, with smooth actions and a strong arm. If it all clicks, it’s a middle-of-the-order bat on the left side of the infield. At signing, the Rays gave him a comp to Francisco Lindor. It will be interesting to see if his first professional season can solidify the five tool profile.
Welcome to Week in Review: a Monday feature that looks back at the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a look at the week ahead, and more. Enjoy!
Week 17: The Spurs started off the Rodeo Road Trip by sweeping a couple of games against injured Lakers and Warriors teams to head into the All-Star break riding a six-game winning streak. They then had a big showing at All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, leaving their mark all over the state of California.
121-94 win vs. Phoenix Suns (in Austin)
Already missing Dillon Brooks to suspension for receiving his 16th technical of the season, the Suns then lost Devin Booker to hip soreness at halftime, leaving a shorthanded Phoenix team reeling against a Spurs squad that picked up right where they left off after the All-Star break. The Spurs weren’t their most efficient selves in the first half but played well enough to build a sizeable lead, and by the third quarter the offense was back on a roll, turning the fourth quarter into extended garbage time at the Moody Center.
139-122 win vs. Sacramento Kings (in Austin)
Facing the team with the worst record in the NBA and on a 15-game losing streak, the Spurs’ good old friend Complacency gave them a visit. After a dominant start to the game, they took their foot off the gas for a while, allowing the depleted Kings to get as close three late in the third quarter quarter before once again flipping the switch and turning a close game against an inferior opponent into a fourth-quarter blowout.
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 2 (last week: 2)
OffRtg: 117.3 (6) DefRtg: 110.7 (3) NetRtg: +6.6 (4) Pace: 101.0 (13)
The Spurs remain undefeated (8-0) in February, having won their two games in Austin handily. All eight wins have been by nine points or more, with the last four coming by an average of 21.3.
Three takeaways
1. The first two games of this eight-game winning streak were somewhat ugly, but the Spurs have scored a remarkably efficient 127.2 points per 100 possessions over the last six. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper still aren’t making a lot of 3s, but they’ve combined to shoot 63-for-91 (69%) inside the arc over these last six games.
2. The Spurs have won their last six games against teams that are currently over .500 and have the second-best record (19-11) within that group overall. They’re four games into a stretch where they’re playing eight of 10 against winning teams, and the team with the league’s best record (and the best record against other winning teams) is up next.
3. The game in Detroit on Monday will probably be won or lost inside. While the Pistons have outscored their opponents in the paint in 32 of their last 33 games, the Spurs have outscored their opponents by an average of 18.3 points in the paint over their eight-game winning streak. Victor Wembanyama has been playing bigger (offensively) of late, taking 57% of his shots in the paint over the last 10 games, up from just 33% over his previous eight.Coming up: The Spurs have the league’s best record (14-3) in interconference games and now embark on their longest road trip of the season (five games over nine days), which includes visits to four of the top six teams in the East. Wembanyama has played just one career game (fewest against any opponent) against the first-place Pistons, who the Spurs will face twice in the next 11 days.
Law Murray, The Athletic — 2 (last week: 2)
Post All-Star break: We have a third 40 before 20 team! And it is the Spurs, a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the pandemic. The Spurs defense was on point against the Phoenix Suns, and then Victor Wembanyama lit up the Kings.
Brett Siegel, Clutch Points — 1 (last week: 1)
With the Cavs losing on Sunday, the San Antonio Spurs are the only team with a win streak longer than six games, as they have now won eight straight and are undefeated in February.
Victor Wembanyama continues to impress, with six double-doubles this month and six games with three or more blocks. As long as Wemby, Stephon Castle, and De’Aaron Fox are healthy heading into the final stretch run of the season, the Spurs have a strong chance at potentially catching the Thunder for the 1-seed in the West.
Coming up: Mon. 2/23 at Detroit Pistons (42-13); Wed. 2/25 at Toronto Raptors (34-23); Thurs. 2/26 at Brooklyn Nets (15-41); Sun. 3/1 at New York Knicks (37-21)
Prediction: 3-1 — This is not your big brother’s Eastern Conference. Other than the Nets, the Spurs are playing three of the top 5 teams in the East this week, beginning with the a Pistons team that has the best record in the NBA in what should be a strength-on-strength match-up, followed by a better-than-expected Raptors team and a Knicks squad that has been hovering around .500 in 2026, but MSG tends to be one of those cursed places for the Spurs (although at this point, they’d say the same of San Antonio). That being said, if the Spurs win tonight, which I whole heartedly believe they can, amend this prediction to 4-0, the Spurs getting their first double-digit winning streak since the 2016-17 season (which would just require also beating the Raptors), and an undefeated February.
A Milwaukee Admirals top center will remain in the Nashville Predators system for at least one more season.
Monday, the Predators announced that they had signed center Jake Lucchini to a 1-year, two-way contract worth $850,000 for the 2026-27 season. His original 2-year, $1.55 million contract was set to expire at the end of this season.
Lucchini has been a force for the Admirals down the middle, recording 38 points (13G, 25A) in 48 games and logging a low 17 penalty minutes.
He's one of the many Admirals players who have deserved a call-up, but have not moved from Milwaukee for the entirety of the season. The signing could signal that Lucchini may spend more time in Nashville next season.
Put it in ink ✍️
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) February 23, 2026
We've signed forward Jake Lucchini to a one-year, two-way contract beginning in the 2026-27 season. pic.twitter.com/7XR50dfICE
The 30-year-old from Trail, British Columbia, went undrafted but signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins following his senior season with Michigan Tech in 2019.
He'd spend a season and a half with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 2020. He played two seasons with the Laval Rocket before being traded to the Ottawa Senators prior to the 2021-22 season.
Lucchini played the bulk of the 2021-22 season with the Belleville Senators, but made his NHL debut with Ottawa the following season. He played 11 games and scored his first NHL goal on Jan. 1, 2023, against the Buffalo Sabres.
During the 2023-24 offseason, Lucchini signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild on a one-year, two-way contract. He played 30 games with the Iowa Wild and a career-high 40 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, scoring five points (2G, 3A).
Upon his contract expiration, Lucchini signed a two-year contract with the Predators in July 2024. Last season, he played three games with the Predators, recording two penalty minutes.
The signing comes less than 24-hours after the Predators announced that forward Zach L'Heureux and Matthew Wood were called up from Milwaukee.
Perhaps the biggest, most anticipated weekend of one of the most thrilling men’s college basketball seasons in recent memory delivered.
The top four teams in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll faced off last Saturday, with No. 1 Michigan taking on No. 3 Duke in a neutral-site game in Washington, D.C. and No. 2 Houston hosting No. 4 Arizona.
Behind 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists from Cameron Boozer, the Blue Devils knocked off the top-ranked Wolverines 68-63, snapping Michigan’s 11-game win streak. Even without star freshman Koa Peat, Arizona went on the road and beat Houston 74-66, handing the Cougars their first home loss this season.
The notable results weren’t limited to those matchups. Of the top 10 teams in the latest Coaches Poll, nine of them lost at least once last week.
How will those outcomes affect the next batch of rankings?
Here’s a look at the latest Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 for Feb. 23:
First-place votes in parentheses.
Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 35; Villanova 25; Georgia 18; Utah State 7; Iowa 6; Saint Mary's 5; Miami 5; Clemson 1
Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 47; Saint Mary's 30; Villanova 15; Miami 10; Utah State 8; NC State 7; SMU 4; Texas A&M 3; Iowa 3; UCF 3; High Point 2; Stephen F Austin 2; Navy 1
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Men's college basketball rankings: Updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25
The Colorado Rockies provided injury updates on Monday morning.
Two players — INF/OF Kris Bryant and RHP Jeff Criswell — are on the 60-day injured list. Bryant, of course, is dealing with lumbar degenerative disc disease while Criswell is continuing his throwing program on his way back from Tommy John surgery.
A new potential addition, though, is RHP Pierson Ohl, who was came to the Rockies from the Minnesota Twins with Edouard Julien. Ohl suffered a right UCL tear and will undergo Tommy John surgery.
The other notable injury is to OF Jared Thomas (No. 5 PuRP), who was a non-roster invitee. Thomas suffered a right hamate injury and underwent offseason surgery.
Otherwise, many Rockies are day-to-day with various injuries.
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There’s a change at the top once again in the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll following a busy week of high-profile matchups.
Duke is now the No. 1 team. The Blue Devils received 27 of 31 first-place votes this week after upending previous No. 1 Michigan in one of those marquee clashes. The Blue Devils received 27 of 31 first-place votes. The lofty perch is not new for the Duke program, though this is the first No. 1 ranking of the current season for the Blue Devils.
Arizona claimed the remaining four No. 1 votes and is back up to second overall after a defeat of Houston. Michigan slips to No. 3, and Houston also slides two spots to No. 4. Iowa State moves up a spot to No. 5 as the Cyclones swap positions with Connecticut.
TOP 25:Complete USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll
Florida continues to climb the rankings after a rough non-conference start. The Gators move up four more places to check in at No. 7 this week, seemingly rounding into form in time to defend their NCAA title. Purdue, Gonzaga and Nebraska round out the top 10.
A pair of SEC contenders, No. 18 Alabama and No. 22 Tennessee, rejoin the poll this week. Clemson and Wisconsin drop out.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball poll moves Duke to No. 1 in Top 25 rankings
Spring training keeps rolling on as we all get used to daily baseball back on our televisions. Today, the Yankees take the bus down to Bradenton to meet the sorta-trying Pittsburgh Pirates, who made a run at guys like Kyle Schwarber and Eugenio Suárez this offseason, but had to settle for their big coup being Ryan O’Hearn.
Ryan Yarbrough gets the start for the Yanks as he looks to get himself ready as the team’s next man up in the pitching rotation. Pitching injuries are inevitable, so it would not be a surprise if Yarbrough were in the Opening Day rotation. He should be fine in that role if he replicates his 2025 production, which saw the soft-tossing lefty post a 4.36 ERA in 64 innings across 19 games and eight starts, but if he has to start more than those eight games he did in 2025, there’s something very wrong.
We’ll get to see one of the more exciting young arms in baseball for a few innings today, as Bubba Chandler gets the start for the Pirates after his up-and-down 31-inning stint in the bigs last season. He still has rookie eligibility, so the 23-year-old flamethrower will look to refine his location with his four-pitch mix to get more whiffs and strikeouts. Chandler’s command is very mature for his age, walking just four batters in the majors last season across those 31 innings.
Ben Rice will make his spring debut for the Yankees, leading off and DHing. Jasson Domínguez bats second in left field, followed by Ryan McMahon, Paul DeJong, and Spencer Jones. The bottom of the order is full of Triple-A depth, with Max Schuemann in right field, Seth Brown at first base, Zack Short at second base, and Paxton Henry behind the plate.
Oneil Cruz will lead off for the Pirates and will be joined by fellow regulars Nick Gonzales, Bryan Reynolds, Ryan O’Hearn, and the newly-signed Marcell Ozuna. One-time top prospect Joey Bart will catch for the Buccos, and they round out their lineup with former late first-round picks Davis Wendzel and Alika Williams.
How to watch
Location: LICOM Park — Bradenton, FL
First pitch: 1:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: SportsNet-PIT
Radio broadcast: 100.1 FM/KDKA-AM 1020 (PIT)
Online stream: Gotham Sports App
For updates, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
No! What a crock! We’re all stuck at home under a foot and a half of snow and we can’t even get some spring training baseball to keep us emotionally warm. Listen to it on WEEI, sickos.
The pop of the mitt on Connelly Early’s heaters, I guess?
The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to be among the league's sellers ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Because of this, let's look at two Blackhawks whom the Montreal Canadiens should consider pursuing in this latest edition of the Habs trade targets series.
The Canadiens could use a solid two-way forward who chips in offensively in their bottom six, and Ilya Mikheyev would have the potential to provide them just that. The 31-year-old forward is in the middle of a solid season with the Blackhawks, as he has recorded 11 goals, 12 assists, and 23 points in 52 games. This is after he had 20 goals and a career-high 34 points in 80 games for Chicago this past season.
With numbers like these, Mikheyev would give the Canadiens a bit more secondary offensive production if acquired. Yet, his strong defensive play is what could benefit the Canadiens the most, as he is a very effective penalty killer.
While Jason Dickinson would not give the Canadiens an answer for their second-line center spot, he could still be a very solid addition to their bottom six. Like Mikheyev, Dickinson is well-known for being an impactful defensive forward, so he would also offer the Canadiens another option for their penalty kill if acquired.
In 43 games this season, Dickinson has six goals, seven assists, 13 points, and 45 hits. While he does not provide a ton of offense, his smart defensive play could make him a solid addition to Montreal's forward depth.
The first weekend of the Grapefruit League season for the Atlanta Braves has come and gone and now we’re starting to get into the swing of things (for lack of a better term) as routine starts to set in here in the early goings. The Braves are now in Sarasota with Garrett Baumann serving as the starting pitcher today for their clash against Cade Povich and the Baltimore Orioles.
Here’s the lineup for the Braves:
Again, this is a road game early on in spring training which means that we’re going to see more of the organizational depth rather than the guys who you’d expect to see plenty of during the regular season. Ben Gamel will be looking to build off of his impressive performance on Saturday and we’ll also be seeing familiar faces like Chadwick Tromp and Nacho Alvarez Jr. making appearances as well. Dominic Smith will be making his spring debut with the Braves after signing a minor league deal around a week ago.
Here’s Baltimore’s lineup:
This game is radio-only so if you’re going to keep track with us, turn the dial to the Braves Radio Network 680 The Fan (93.7 FM in the Atlanta area)
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