How many times does a team need to learn the same lesson before it’s legitimately recitified?
The San Antonio Spurs blew another double-digit lead on Tuesday night in a 111-106 loss to the Houston Rockets. This time, it was a 16-point lead that disappeared halfway through the fourth quarter after a big run from the Rockets. There were no late-game heroics that could save them this time. Houston steamrolled the Spurs for the entirety of the fourth.
The signs are always the same. The offense slows to a halt while the Spurs bleed transition buckets on the other end. Too often, the Spurs exhibit complacency when they hold a big lead. Their ball movement stalls, they get loose with the ball, and they make defensive mistakes in transition and the half-court. The Spurs went scoreless for the first four and a half minutes of the fourth while Houston cut the lead to 1. During that stretch, San Antonio didn’t attempt a two-point shot. They finished the final frame, only scoring 14 points. They looked completely shaken while the Rockets ratcheted up the defensive pressure and overall intensity.
The funny part is that Tuesday’s collapse wasn’t even their worst of the season. They’ve blown bigger leads to worse teams in more embarrassing fashion. But this one was against a rival, so it may sting the team a little bit more. Maybe it’ll be the wake-up call they need to stop blowing leads.
We’ve learned that no lead is safe in the modern NBA. That’s especially true in the playoffs when teams have no reason to take their foot off the gas. This problem isn’t going away without a mindset shift from the players or a tactical change from the coaching staff. If San Antonio wants to contend in the postseason, they have to nip this habit in the bud.
Takeaways
Straightening basketball rims is hard! It took the Rockets’ staff nearly 20 minutes to straighten a rim that the Spurs bent in pre-game warmups. They even had to look at it again in the fourth quarter. Blame the cold shooting in the second half on that, I guess?
San Antonio went from red hot in the first half to ice cold in the second. You could attribute that to several factors. One, the second night of a back-to-back means dead legs, especially late in the game. Two, the Rockets started to close out aggressively on Julian Champagnie, who had been hitting everything in the first half. Three, the quality of looks was worse in the second half. San Antonio stopped generating good offensive looks for the most part. Credit the Rockets’ defense for getting much better in crunch time, but the Spurs didn’t help matters by settling for contested looks.
San Antonio wasted a Champagnie heater. He had 27 points on 8-16 shooting from the three-point line. When he’s on fire, it feels like the Spurs are impossible to guard. It’s no coincidence that the game shifted the other way when the Rockets smothered him.
Victor Wembanyama struggled on both ends against Houston. He settled for contested, fadeaway jumpers far too often, leading to an inefficient 14 points on 5-21 shooting. Defensively, he was out of position and fell for foul-baiting, as Houston outscored San Antonio 52-46 in the paint. Wemby registered no blocks and recorded 4 fouls.
Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet were great off the bench. Harper had 8 points, 5 assists, and 1 turnover, with many of his passes finding Kornet for easy baskets. Kornet was awesome defensively, picking up 2 blocks to go along with his 8 points and 6 rebounds.
The Spurs offense continues to look at its best when it’s playing off a pick-and-roll initiated by either Harper or De’Aaron Fox, or running off-ball screens for Wembanyama and its shooters to get good looks. Yet in the fourth quarter, they seem to rely on high-post isolation plays that lead nowhere. The offensive playbook clearly needs some adjusting, especially late in the game. Finding some go-to plays and counters off of them should be a priority for the team down the stretch this season.
Reed Sheppard would have been an amazing Spur had he fallen to the fourth pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Of course, Spurs fans should be happy with Stephon Castle, who nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists on Tuesday. However, Sheppard’s combination of shooting, defensive instincts, fast hands, and athletic ability for his size is going to make him a tough guard to play against for years to come. Sheppard completely took over the game in the fourth quarter on his way to 21 points off the bench.
MLB Trade Rumors: The New York Mets are acquiring outfielder Luis Robert, Jr. from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for infielder Luisangel Acuna and pitcher Truman Pauley, per multiple reports.
The White Sox have been looking to move the 28 year old Robert for some time. He appeared to be a burgeoning star after finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2020, and then combining for 5.9 bWAR in just 166 games from 2021-22, missing significant time each year due to injury.
2023 seemed like a breakout year for Robert, as he slashed .264/.315/.542 and put up a 5.3 bWAR, finishing 12th in the MVP voting for a White Sox team that lost 101 games. Over the past two seasons, however, he has missed significant time while not hitting well, putting up a .223/.288/.372 slash line in 210 games.
The White Sox opted to pick up his $20 million option for 2026, a move that seemed questionable at the time. It ended up paying off, although the package they are getting back isn’t that exciting.
Most notably for us here at the LSofB is the inclusion of Luisangel Acuna, the former Ranger prospect who was sent to the Mets in 2023 for Max Scherzer. Acuna was impressive in a limited stint when he made his major league debut late in 2024, but slashed just .234/.293/.274 in 193 plate appearances in the majors over 93 games, and .303/.347/.385 in the minors.
Weirdly, considering he didn’t homer in 315 plate appearances between AAA and the majors in 2025, Acuna has been hitting bombs in the Venezuelan Winter League this winter, hitting 8 homers in 174 plate appearances, including four in one game.
Acuna is out of options this year, meaning he would either have to stick in the big leagues with New York as a utility guy in 2026 or be exposed to waivers. The rebuilding White Sox can give him a roster spot and opportunity it was going to much harder for him to get in New York.
Pauley was the Mets’ 12th round pick out of Harvard in 2025, getting a $397,500 bonus, $247,500 above what a player not picked in the first ten rounds can receive without it counting against a team’s bonus pool, and the third highest bonus received by a 12th rounder last year. He is the second minor league pitcher from Harvard traded in the last week, joining Chris Clark, who was part of the three team deal that sent Josh Lowe to Anaheim.
The Mets are reportedly still interested in signing Framber Valdez despite the draft pick penalties they would incur.
John Harper put out an offseason report card for the Mets, including the blockbuster Bo Bichette deal.
The Mets have discussed the possibility of retiring Carlos Beltrán’s number 15, but are struggling to find time for it this season.
Former Met Carlos Beltrán finally got elected into the Hall of Fame in his fourth year on the ballot.
The Mets released a video from the moment Beltrán found out the good news.
With his induction, Beltrán has solidified his place among the all-time great Mets.
Plenty around the Mets organization offered their congratulations to Beltrán, including Steve and Alex Cohen, David Stearns, and Francisco Lindor.
In addition, multiple former teammates and managers of Beltrán sent their congratulations, including David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and fellow Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez.
Anthony DiComo broke down everything that Beltran’s election means, both on an individual level and on a greater historical level.
David Wright got 14.8% percent of the votes in this year’s Hall of Fame balloting, nearly doubling last years 8.1% total.
MLB.com revealed their top ten third base prospects, and a Met prospect claimed second place on the list.
The Mets made a major trade, sending infielder Luisangel Acuña and prospect Truman Pauley to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for outfielder Luis Robert Jr. They’re taking on his entire salary this year and either the option or buyout for 2027.
Around the National League East
The Marlins acquired right-handed pitcher Bradley Blalock in a trade with the Colorado Rockies.
In addition to Beltrán, former Brave Andruw Jones also got elected to the Hall of Fame.
Around Major League Baseball
Joel Sherman explained his Hall of Fame ballot this year.
Ken Rosenthal put out more offseason notes, including some about how a potential lockout isn’t affecting the free agency market.
The Orioles revealed their new on-field alternate caps for the 2026 season.
Pitcher Bryce Miller agreed to a one year deal with the Mariners to avoid arbitration.
Part of the Cubs path to success next season is a bounce back from Shota Imanaga, who will have to focus on some improvements to his game to make it happen.
An ownership source told Evan Drellich that it’s “a 100 percent certainty” that owners will push for a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement.
The BBWAA released the full vote tally from this year’s Hall of Fame balloting.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Thomas Henderson wrote about how, after the Bichette signing, one major hole in the Mets offense remains.
After getting hammered in the first two of a five-game road set, it doesn’t get easier for the Indiana Pacers, who square off with the Boston Celtics at TD Garden tonight.
My Pacers vs. Celtics predictions and NBA picks don't expect Indiana to keep up its end of the scoring bargain, ultimately dragging down the total, on Wednesday, January 21.
Pacers vs Celtics prediction
Pacers vs Celtics best bet: Under 227.5 (-110)
On Saturday, the Indiana Pacers put up their fewest points of the campaign in a 121-78 thrashing at the hands of the Pistons.
They followed that up by scoring just 104 points in a loss to the 76ers, turning it over a whopping 24 times.
Over their last five games, Indiana has scored 104 points or less four times – well below their 110.1 points per game average on the year, which ranks 29th, better than only Brooklyn.
Amazingly, one of those games was a win against these same Boston Celtics, who have lost three of five, with the C’s putting up just 98 points per game in those losses.
Still, in what was supposed to be a regroup year, Boston sits second in the East, powered by All-Star Jaylen Brown.
However, Brown did find his way onto the injury report with a hamstring injury, though he is listed as probable for Wednesday. The one loss to Indy was with Brown out of the lineup.
Indiana can’t score, and Boston owns the second-best scoring defense in the league, and third-best field goal shooting defense.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Under has hit in two of three meetings this season. Indiana has cashed the Under in six of its last seven, and the beat (and beatings) should go on in Beantown.
Pacers vs Celtics same-game parlay
Brown was just named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career on Monday, and Indy is a good opponent to showcase his wares. He’s topped 30 points in both meetings with the Pacers, clearing this total once and falling short by a free throw the other.
And perhaps the books haven’t been following Aaron Nesmith too closely, setting his 3-point make line at 2.5. He’s gone Under that figure in six straight, and is just 2-for-22 from distance in his last three games.
Pacers vs Celtics SGP
Under 227.5
Jaylen Brown Over 30.5 points
Aaron Nesmith Under 2.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Derrick White's Block Party
Neemias Queta has been a revelation for Boston’s improbable run this year, leading the team in rebounds at 8.2 per game. But he’s only topped his 8.5-board line in two of the last six, and has gone sub-9 in all three games vs. Indy this year.
We’ll finish with the Over for the best blocking guard in the business. Derrick White has had multi-block games in eight of his last 11, including a 7-swat effort against Utah.
The Pacers have lost 15 straight road games vs teams with a winning record. Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Celtics.
How to watch Pacers vs Celtics
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Indiana, NBC Sports Boston
Pacers vs Celtics latest injuries
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
Big-serving Serbian takes Australian hope to four sets
‘I’m super happy to battle my way through’
Alex de Minaur maintained his perfect record at the Australian Open against lower-ranked opponents by outlasting the big-hitting Hamad Medjedovic over four sets and advancing to the third round.
After being stunned by the world No 90 in the first set, the Australian’s superior fitness and class came to the fore as he prevailed 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in three hours and four minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Mike Dunleavy may have been a sharpshooter during his 15-year NBA career, but he showed Tuesday night he can still dunk when needed.
The Warriors’ general manager provided a brutal reality check to Jonathan Kuminga, who recently demanded a trade following rocky offseason contract negotiations with the team.
“I think as far as the demand, we’re aware of that. In terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be a demand in the market,” Dunleavy said Tuesday night, one day after the team lost superstar Jimmy Butler for the year with a torn ACL.
“So, we’ll see where that unfolds. But heard, always with these guys, I tell them I’m willing to work with them, want to help people out whether that’s J.K. or any player on our roster. We’re good with, if that’s his wishes, trying to figure that out, but we got to do what’s best for our organization and that’s what we’ll do, as far as it goes with the deadline coming up.”
Mike Dunleavy on the Jonathan Kuminga trade demand: “I’m aware of that. In terms of demands, when you make a demand there needs to be demand.” pic.twitter.com/XOGXj3HFrs
It’s not often you hear a general manager basically say that nobody wants their player, but it would appear there is mounting frustration on both sides.
The Warriors selected Kuminga with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and it’s been a bumpy journey since.
Kuminga reportedly lost faith in coach Steve Kerr during the 2023-24 season, raising questions about his future with the team.
He then rejected a three-year, $75 million contract to become a free agent faster, with the sides agreeing in September to a two-year, $48.5 million deal.
ESPN reported the second year is essentially a dummy year, allowing Kuminga to hit free agency earlier.
Jonathan Kuminga in action Tuesday against Toronto. David Gonzales-Imagn Images
This season has not gone as either party would like, with Kuminga averaging 12.2 points — his lowest since the 2022-23 campaign — and appearing in just 19 of 45 games.
He became trade eligible on Jan. 15 and promptly demanded to be dealt with this year’s trade deadline coming on Feb. 5.
Kuminga missed 16 straight games due to injuries and Kerr not playing him before finally returning Tuesday and scoring 20 points in a 145-127 home loss to Toronto.
Trading Kuminga would have been more straightforward if not for Butler’s injury, but the Warriors likely need him now if they hope to still contend.
“I think we’ll take the next couple weeks to assess this team a little bit more. I felt pretty good with where we’re at heading into (Monday)’s game in terms of what we need to do,” Dunleavy said. “Thought our team was playing really well, heading in the right direction, obviously things have changed. I want to take a couple of weeks here to watch these games, see our team and what we can do better.”
At the time of the trade, Vernon was owed about $86 million over the next four years. His salary was to jump from $15.7 million in 2010 to $26.1 million in 2011. So it was the perfect moment to trade him.
Vernon played 2 seasons for the Angels, hitting .222/.258/.409 with 36 home runs. After that, they sent him (and a lot of money) to the Yankees. With them, Vernon hit .233/.282/.349 with 11 home runs in 2013 and was paid to stay home in 2014.
I’ll admit I always liked Wells. He was one of those guys who played full out all the time (he might have been better off to pick his spots), always ran out grounders as hard as he could, did tonnes of charity work, was a good teammate, and seemed to like playing in Toronto. It wasn’t his fault that the Jays offered him way too much money. Playing all those seasons on the hard surface at Rogers Centre likely didn’t help his career. Somewhere, I have a Jays jersey with his name on it.
We didn’t get a lot out of the two players who came to Toronto. Rivera hit .243/.305/.360 in 70 games before the Jays put him on waivers to be claimed by the Dodgers. Napoli, we quickly sent on to the Rangers for Frank Francisco. In Alex’s defense, if we had kept Napoli, we likely would have lost Edwin Encarnacion.
Dumping Vernon’s contract allowed Alex to make the trade with the Marlins, which may not have turned out the way we would have liked, but it did add some excitement to our lives for a while.
I have no idea what the thought process was on the Angels’ end of things.
Tuesday marked a huge day for the Atlanta Braves organization, as Andruw Jones was finally elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Atlanta great was included on 333 of the 425 ballots, giving him just over the 75% of votes needed to make the 2026 class. Fellow center fielder Carlos Beltran was also elected.
Debuting in 1996, Jones spent 12 seasons in Atlanta before heading West to suit up for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The five-time All-Star played his last MLB game in 2012 and finished his career with 10 Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger award, a .992 fielding percentage, 1,933 hits, 1,289 RBI, and 434 home runs.
His Hall of Fame election cements his place among the legendary Braves of the ’90s and recognizes one of the game’s premier all-around talents.
More Braves News:
We’ve provided the stats, but now it’s your turn. How do you predict Ronald Acuña Jr. will perform in 2026?
It was recently announced that shortstop Ha-Seong Kim will miss a couple months of the regular season due to a hand injury, and here’s what that means for the Braves.
MLB News:
The New York Mets acquired outfielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox. In exchange, the Sox received INF/OF Luisangel Acuña and a minor league pitcher.
LHP Rich Hill announced that he does not plan to pitch in 2026.
The Dodgers’ signing of Kyle Tucker gave opposing fans all the more reason to hate the Dodgers, and it gave fellow team owners all the more reason to loathe the Dodgers front office.
To win two consecutive championships and continue to add star talent while sporting one of the highest payrolls in baseball is the envy and ire of small market organizations. With the current collective bargaining agreement expiring after the 2026 season, an impending lockout is all but certain. Rather than discuss a salary floor to ensure that owners allocate a fair percentage of revenue towards their roster, the main issue that will be brought up this offseason will be a salary cap, notes Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
Major League Baseball owners are “raging” in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s free agency agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers and it is now “a 100 percent certainty” that the owners will push for a salary cap, one person briefed on ownership conversations who was not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic. “These guys are going to go for a cap no matter what it takes,” the source said.
Links
With a four-headed monster that includes Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers starting rotation on paper looks to be one of, if not the best, in baseball entering the 2026 season. What has been a dire issue over the last two seasons has been the health of the rotation, as each of the aforementioned names have missed significant time due to injury since the beginning of the 2024 season.
As a means to potentially shore up the back end of the rotation and add a relatively younger arm, the Dodgers are maintaining their interest in Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, notes Katie Woo of The Athletic.
The Dodgers remain interested in Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star approaching his final season before free agency. Peralta is one of the top starters on the trade market after logging a career-best 2.70 ERA over 33 starts for the National League Central champions. Given the injuries that plagued the rotation last year, trading for Peralta is worth exploring.
Andruw Jones had two more years of Hall of Fame eligibility entering this year, and he made history on Tuesday by becoming the first player from Curacao to be elected into Cooperstown. On making the Hall of Fame in his ninth year of eligibility, here is what Jones had to say on getting the call, per Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
“You don’t play this game to be a Hall of Famer. You play to help your team win a championship. And when you go out there and be consistent and put up numbers and then your name starts popping up [as a candidate], it’s a big honor for me, and it’s a big honor for my family.”
Former Dodger Rich Hill isn’t planning on pitching in 2026 despite spending limited time with the Kansas City Royals this past season. He also has his disagreements with Joe Kelly’s definition of retirement, as he explained on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
The main rhetorical question of the offseason: Are the Dodgers truly ruining baseball? That is what Huston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times answers in the latest edition of Dodgers Dugout.
The Charlotte Hornets return from a successful five-game road swing to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs' perimeter defense is struggling, and my Cavaliers vs. Hornets predictions expect the home team to sneak away with a victory.
Read on for my NBA picks for Wednesday, January 21.
Cavaliers vs Hornets prediction
Cavaliers vs Hornets best bet: Hornets moneyline (+120)
The Charlotte Hornets will win tonight because they present the most dangerous perimeter matchup for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ biggest defensive flaw: their 30th-ranked 3-point defense.
Charlotte owns elite offensive efficiency over its last 10 games and is built to exploit that weakness with Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball spacing the floor.
While Cleveland likely controls the paint, it can’t match Charlotte’s volume shooting on either end of the floor.
Add in Darius Garland’s absence, and momentum from the Hornets' huge upset over Denver can overwhelm a tired defense that struggles to close out on shooters late.
Cavaliers vs Hornets same-game parlay
As previously mentioned, the Cavaliers' perimeter defense has struggled, and they’ll have their hands full tonight with Ball and Knueppel.
Ball has averaged 3.7 made threes in his past 10 contests, while Knueppel is at 2.6 over that same stretch.
Cavaliers vs Hornets SGP
Hornets moneyline
LaMelo Ball Over 3.5 threes
Kon Knueppel Over 2.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: What's the Buzz?
Hornets forward Moussa Diabate has become a willing passer out of the double-team and has dished at least two assists in seven of his previous 10 games.
Cavs guard Jaylon Tyson is seeing 30+ minutes with Garland on the shelf and has scored 16+ points in six straight games with at least 30 minutes.
Over/Under: Over 236.5 (-110) | Under 236.5 (-110)
Cavaliers vs Hornets betting trend to know
The Cleveland Cavaliers have only hit the Moneyline in 26 of their last 50 games (-30.55 Units / -20% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Hornets.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Hornets
Location
Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Date
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Cavaliers vs Hornets latest injuries
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their third game of the season against the Charlotte Hornets. They are 1-1 in their season series so far. Let’s take a look at what we should keep our eyes on tonight.
3PT Shooting
Last season, the Cavs were one of the top three-point shooting teams in the NBA. I’d argue that high-volume shooting and crisp ball movement were their identity. Now? Not so much.
Cleveland has gradually gone away from the three-point line after leading the league in attempts by a wide margin to start the season. The Cavs are now third in three-point attempts per game this season and have fallen to 13th over their last 15 games.
This is largely because the team has lost much of its three-point talent. Darius Garland, Sam Merrill and Max Strus haven’t been available. Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, and Georges Niang are no longer on the roster. It’s hard to replicate last season when it simply isn’t the same roster.
That said, I’d like to see the Cavs re-establish themselves as a three-point shooting team. You don’t abandon the identity that made you a 64-win team last season just because the roster has changed. You stick to a process and figure out how to make it work.
Energy and Effort
I wish this weren’t such a theme this season, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. We might know the outcome of this game in the opening minutes.
Does it look like the Cavs are playing focused, high-effort basketball? Then they’ll win this game easily. But if we get to the second quarter and the team is disorganized, then get ready for a long night.
To their credit, Cleveland has been much more locked in than before. They’ve begun to turn their season around recently, even if a 32-point loss to the Thunder might make you feel otherwise. I have a reasonable amount of faith that the Cavs will approach this game with the appropriate energy.
Evan Mobley’s Usage
I’m going to make this last one simple. Evan Mobley, we need you to score 20+ points tonight. Or at least try to.
The Cavs have lacked offensive firepower this season. And, without Garland again in this matchup, they don’t have many options to turn to. There’s no reason why Mobley shouldn’t be thrust back into the spotlight and expected to carry them with his scoring.
Evan Mobley's FGAs have steadily dropped each month this season
OCT: 14.8 FGAs per game NOV: 13.5 FGAs per game DEC: 12.8 FGAs per game JAN: 12.0 FGAs per game
Cleveland experimented with Mobley’s usage earlier in the season but quickly pulled the plug. That’s not good enough. This team doesn’t reach its ceiling if they don’t push Mobley out of his comfort zone. It’s a two-way street, of course. But an aggressive scoring game from Mobley is long overdue at this point.
The NBA is officially at the midway point in the season with every team playing at least 41 games so far during the 2025-26 campaign. At this point, we have a pretty good feel for the season while acknowledging the many surprises that can still be in store.
Yes, the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs are legitimate championship contenders who are way ahead of schedule from how they were seen coming into the season. The Eastern Conference remains wide open, and now the Boston Celtics feel like a legitimate contender for an NBA Finals spot if Jayson Tatum can return from his torn Achilles. The West is still led by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they don’t feel quite as overpowering now as they did during the first 25 games of the season.
With the Feb. 5 trade deadline and the 2026 NBA All-Star Game both approaching, here’s an updated ranking of every team in the league by their championship chances right now.
The Tankers
30. New Orleans Pelicans
29. Indiana Pacers
28. Brooklyn Nets
27. Washington Wizards
26. Sacramento Kings
25. Utah Jazz
24. Dallas Mavericks
23. Charlotte Hornets
The top of the 2026 NBA Draft is absolutely loaded, with Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and A.J. Dybantsa representing one of the strongest top-3s in recent memory. It was always inevitable that a trio this talented would cause mass tanking psychosis eventually this season, and that appears to be happening already. Some caveats do apply: the Pelicans aren’t tanking for anything after trading their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta for Derik Queen — they’re just really bad. The Mavericks are still hovering around play-in range, but Anthony Davis’ hand injury means they’re probably better off tanking ASAP to maximize the chances of the only first-round pick they control until 2031. The Washington Wizards signaled they’re ready to stop tanking with their trade for Trae Young … after this season at least, as he’s still recovering from various lower body injuries. The Pacers are set up to execute the perfect gap year as Tyrese Haliburton recovers from a torn Achilles.
With the exception of the Kings who need a full teardown and have to deal with a loaded Western Conference, the rest of the teams in this tier feel like they could be in the playoff mix next season with some lottery luck. Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson are franchise cornerstone level prospects to me, and while I have been consistent in ranking Dybantsa third, he could also quickly emerge as an All-Star in the right environment. The winners of this draft lottery will suddenly be gifted a way out of jail. The future of the league will change based on how the ping pong balls bounce, and all of the teams in this tier have at least given themselves a chance to luck into a young star.
Fighting for the play-in tournament
22 Atlanta Hawks
21. Milwaukee Bucks
20. Chicago Bulls
19. Memphis Grizzlies
18. Golden State Warriors
17. Los Angeles Clippers
16. Portland Trail Blazers
15. Miami Heat
This is the worst tier to be in: no shot at doing anything of substance in the playoffs while also having very low odds to cash in lottery luck … aside from the Hawks, who own the Pelicans’ draft pick this year. It feels like almost all of these teams are dealing with some sort of crisis: the Bucks are hopelessly trying to build a contender around Giannis without any assets, the Warriors now have no hope to go on a run after Jimmy Butler’s torn ACL, the Grizzlies are stuck in Ja Morant trade rumor limbo, and the Bulls are in the exact same position every year with no real hope of ever getting better.
The Clippers are surging over the last month, and feel like the one team in this tier could maybe win a playoff series this year. The Blazers also have some good vibes this year with Deni Avdija’s breakout and a solid young core around him led by second-year big man Donovan Clingan. Miami just feels like it’s always waiting to pounce on the next available superstar, but there have been some wasted seasons along the way while they wait. I’ll give credit to the teams in this tier for not wanting to lose on purpose, but at a certain point, the NBA is all about superstars, and if you don’t have one, you might as well try to maximize your chances at landing a future one in the draft.
Solid playoff teams without real title equity
14. Philadelphia 76ers
13. Cleveland Cavaliers
12. Toronto Raptors
11. Orlando Magic
10. Phoenix Suns
9. Los Angeles Lakers
These teams could give their fans a thrill or two in the playoffs, but it’s hard to see them winning four straight series to claim the championship. It’s a tier with an equal mix of surprises and disappointments: the Cavs were supposed to be a legit title contender but haven’t looked the part all year, the Suns were supposed to be at the bottom of the West before morphing into the season’s most pleasant surprise, the Sixers’ youth movement has carried the team as Joel Embiid and Paul George have battled injuries, and the Lakers are just plain confusing with an encouraging record but a negative point-differential. I find Orlando — my preseason Eastern Conference champion pick! — to be the most frustrating team on this list. Paolo Banchero has been up-and-down and the team is once again better with him off the floor. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs should be ascendent two-way players but injuries keep slowing their momentum. Anthony Black is having a legit breakout year and gave us maybe the season’s best dunk, but the Magic are ultimately still a middling East playoff team rather than a real contender.
I still like the Lakers to have the most long-term hope out of this group, strictly because they have the best player in Luka Doncic. It just feels like there’s so much more work that needs to be done to fully optimize the roster for Luka’s talents (and deficiencies) that they’re a year away, at least. I also want to shout-out Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles in this section, who has looked outstanding lately as a small ball five. Read my big pre-draft feature on Murray-Boyles here.
Puncher’s chance at the championship
8. Boston Celtics
7. Houston Rockets
6. New York Knicks
5. Detroit Pistons
Someone has to win the East, and the conference’s three best teams find themselves in the second tier of the league title race. The Knicks looked like the obvious favorite to reach the NBA Finals after their NBA Cup win, but they’ve folded like a chair ever since they disrespected the Cup by refusing to hang a banner. New York’s two best players are still horrible defensively and that complicates any run through the bracket. The Pistons have been an amazing story and should be built to last as an East contender, but it feels like they’re one move away from a Finals run even in a weak conference. Detroit’s defense is fantastic, but their offense is still outside of the top-10 and could face a whole new set of problems in the playoffs. I think the Pistons need another ball handler and a front court shooter before they’re Finals-bound, but it would be hard to blame them for slow-rolling it with such a young team in a wide open conference. I’m suddenly fascinated by the Celtics’ Finals chances with Jayson Tatum potentially returning. I’ve thought a Tatum return was a terrible idea all season, but at this point it’s clear he’s determined to come back, and the Celtics are way ahead of where they should have been entering this season. If Tatum somehow hits the ground running, Boston probably has the most balance of any East contender.
I would be very tempted to pick the Celtics in a playoff series over both the Pistons and Knicks at this point, but that’s mostly pending how Tatum looks if and when he returns. I had Boston at No. 16 in my preseason rankings, and really thought they would be in the lottery mix in a great draft. There’s no need to tank when you already have a wagon, and the Celtics really might be there. For now, I’ll give the Pistons the slight edge in the East because I trust their offense slightly more than I trust the Knicks’ defense.
True championship contenders
4. Minnesota Timberwolves
3. San Antonio Spurs
2. Denver Nuggets
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
I framed this season as “the Thunder vs. the field” in my initial season power rankings and it still feels that way … only now the field might have the upper hand. OKC started 24-1, but they’ve shown some signs of vulnerability since then, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being unable to keep up his sky-high free throw rate, Jalen Williams’ scoring efficiency plummeting after his wrist injury, and the team-wide three-point shooting dropping off significantly. The Thunder’s biggest challenger has felt like the Nuggets since the summer, and I’m still sticking with it. Nikola Jokic’s injury killed his chances at a fourth MVP, but it did allow the Nuggets to let Jamal Murray show what he can do with more creation reps, and give a bigger role to suddenly surging young wing Peyton Watson. A Thunder-Nuggets playoff rematch would be absolute cinema, but don’t discount San Antonio and Minnesota, either.
The Spurs have beaten OKC three times this season. Victor Wembanyama is a problem without a solution, and not even a top-3 center like Chet Holmgren can slow him down. I’m not sure the Spurs’ young guards are really ready for prime-time yet, and rookie No. 2 pick Dylan Harper has been struggling in particular over the last month. The Timberwolves might feel like a surprising pick for No. 4, but ultimately I feel like they’re a more complete team than the Knicks, Pistons, and Rockets with a better lead superstar. Anthony Edwards keeps taking his game to new levels, and right now it feels like he can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league. The Wolves have been to the conference finals the last two years, and if they can add one more piece at the deadline, this team can go even further. For now, the championship still goes through OKC with Jokic looming as their biggest challenger.
The Dallas Mavericks’ rookie star and number one overall pick Cooper Flagg just played the 41st game of his young career on Monday against the New York Knicks. His inaugural season has been a little interesting. Head coach Jason Kidd experimented with Flagg at point guard to open the season, a tough situation for any young player. The Mavericks’ odd lineups made it even tougher for the first year forward.
Kidd eventually pivoted away from that experiment and put Flagg at the forward spot, and things improved drastically. Flagg won Western Conference rookie of the month in both November and December, and looks to be in a tight race with Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year.
With half of his first season in the books, I wanted to look back at the last ten years of number one overall picks and see how Flagg compares. I compiled each number one pick’s basic counting stats—field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and 3-pointers made. Slash stats are points/rebounds/assists per game. All stats are through a player’s first 41 games of their career, regardless of whether those first 41 games came in their rookie year or in later seasons.
Flagg didn’t land into the perfect situation. The Mavericks are still reeling from the Luka Doncic trade, left in an odd purgatory. The roster is built poorly, expensive, yet far from being a contender for much of anything besides the play-in tournament. Worse still, the best player on that awkwardly fit roster, Anthony Davis, is consistently injured. Yet the Mavericks haven’t made any moves toward rebuilding the team around Flagg.
Head coach Jason Kidd went full mad scientist and experimented with Flagg at point guard early in the season. With Davis in and out of the lineup, there’s been no consistent rotation. Trade rumors and the detritus from the Doncic trade still linger over the franchise.
Flagg’s first 41 games in the NBA haven’t been ideal. But he’s put up numbers just as good or better than several of the number one overall picks listed below.
Towns was a good scorer the first half of his rookie season, but really stood out on defense. He’s one of the better rebounders on this list, and is second only to Victor Wembanyama in blocks.
Flagg edges Towns in scoring and is a better playmaker early on, and has better on ball defense. He’s also a much better shooter (40 3pm through 41 games compared to Towns’ 11) than the self-proclaimed “best shooting big man in NBA history.”
Simmons’ career has derailed to a point where he is now a professional competitive fisherman (no really, he is), so it’s easy to forget what a stat-stuffing phenom he was early on. Simmons did a little of everything on the basketball court, except shoot 3’s.
The Sixers had a more coherent vision for their team when Simmons was drafted than the Mavericks currently do with Flagg on board. Simmons also missed his first season in the league, giving him a full calendar year of development that Flagg hasn’t had.
Fultz didn’t get to his 41st career game until his third season in the league. Even with the extra time in the NBA to develop, his stats are unremarkable. Due to all his injuries and issues with his jump shot, it’s impressive that Fultz has been able to carve out a career that’s going on eight years in the league. It speaks to his mental toughness, despite whatever went wrong early on his career.
Needless to say, Flagg definitively had a better first half-year than Fultz.
Ayton was a good scorer the first half of his rookie season, but didn’t do much else. For a big man, his rebounding and block numbers are low. On the other hand, 2.2 assists per game is pretty good for a rookie center. Ayton’s stats through 41 games as a rookie are decent, but considering who was drafted after him (remember Luka Doncic?), you’d probably want more out of your number one pick.
Flagg has been asked to do more than Ayton was in his rookie year, and the play on the court, as well as the stats, shows it.
Williamson didn’t get to his 41st game until his second season, but unlike Fultz, he took advantage of that extra development time. He’s the highest scorer on this list, and looked unstoppable with the ball in his hands those first few years. When he was healthy, of course. Williamson didn’t do a lot, else, however, with low numbers in every other category.
It’s a question that can spark some debate—would you rather have an electric scorer like Williamson, or a better all-around player like Flagg?
Flagg has similar numbers to Edwards, which should be encouraging to Mavericks fans. Obviously they have different games, but a half-season of numbers similar to a multi-time all-star and All-NBA player is what you like to see.
Cunningham grinded out a messy situation as a rookie and put up some solid stats. His assist numbers are low for a point guard, but remember, the Detroit Pistons had absolutely no one to hit shots at that point. He’s second only to Simmons in steals on this list.
There’s some comparison here to Flagg’s rookie year. The Piston’s poorly built roster and a front office in flux sounds familiar to Mavericks fans. Hopefully things turn around for Dallas and Flagg like they did for Detroit and Cunningham.
Banchero showed flashes of greatness early, and as is tradition in Orlando, without any shooting to space the floor for him. That’s tough for a rookie. Banchero took a leap in his sophomore year, making his first all-star game. He’s failed to build on that second-year bump, however, and hasn’t upped his game since.
Banchero’s first 41 games are a pretty good comp for Flagg. Hopefully the Mavericks rookie can level up the same way Banchero did next year.
Wembanyama is the third leading scorer on this list. When you add in the tremendous amount of rebounds and blocks, along with the surprising number of assists, it’s easy to see why the Spurs’ phenom is considered an alien. If Wembanyama can stay healthy, he’ll be a force in the West for years.
Flagg beats out Wembanyama in assists and 3-pointers, but I give Wemby the edge here. He’s just too dynamic on both sides of the ball in those first 41 games.
Risacher’s first season was not what you want to see out of a number one overall pick. Only Fultz had worse counting stats, and as mentioned above, Fultz’s first few seasons were a disaster. But Fultz has overcome all his early issues and carved out a decent career in the NBA. Maybe Risacher can do the same.
Flagg easily surpassed Risacher’s production, but as we’ve seen above, every rookie’s situation needs to be taken into context. Risacher can still turn into a good rotation player.
The shortstop is sometimes referred to as “captain of the infield,” and filling that role in a starting big-league lineup is a huge responsibility. There’s an added layer of pressure when assuming the role of New York Yankees Shortstop, following the career of our own Captain, the legendary Hall-of-Famer Derek Jeter. For the past few years, that responsibility has fallen on Anthony Volpe, the former top prospect who was deemed by many to be a storybook successor to Jeter due to his own lifelong Yankee fandom and a photograph he took with The Captain as a little boy.
As great a story as that would be, Volpe is entering his fourth season as the starting shortstop and has never been able to produce enough offensively to be considered a franchise cornerstone. His wRC+ over those three years (83, 87, 83) has been consistently underwhelming, and his defense suffered major regression last season as well following a strong 2024 with the glove. The Yankees have more star potential in their farm system at shortstop than any other position, so 2026 will be a make-or-break year for Volpe.
The Yankees acquired José Caballero from the Rays at the trade deadline in 2025, and he provided an immediate boost during the final two months of the season in the field, on the basepaths, and even at the plate. The team also signed veteran Paul DeJong in free agency. DeJong is another glove-first shortstop who hasn’t posted an above-average season offensively since 2019 and is unlikely to play a major role as a Yankee, but he could realistically make the Opening Day roster while Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery. Amed Rosario, who will likely make most of his appearances at second and third base or in the outfield against left-handed pitching, can also fill in in a pinch at short.
Behind all this major-league depth, there are a number of exciting young shortstops in the minor leagues looking to keep the momentum alive or break out in 2026. Here are the players working their way through the organization at short.
Projected to start the year in Triple-A are three shortstops with modest big-league experience the Yankees have acquired at some point over the last calendar year: Braden Shewmake, Zack Short, and Jonathan Ornelas. Shewmake is entering his age-28 season with just 31 MLB games on his resume, and he’s never been a reliable option at the plate in his career. He played 85 games with the RailRiders in 2025 and slashed .244/.318/.362 with four home runs. Short spent 2021-23 with the Tigers, bounced between the Red Sox, Braves, and Mets in 2024, and was an Astro in 2025. He has 243 games played in his career and has been a below-average option on both sides of the ball. The same can be said for Ornelas, who spent most of his 32 career games with the Rangers and has yet to homer or steal a base in 58 plate appearances.
The Yankees’ top prospect, George Lombard Jr, should take over the starting shortstop role in Triple-A at some point in 2026, but will most likely begin the season where he left off, in Double-A with the Somerset Patriots. The Yankees drafted Lombard in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and he quickly ascended to the top of the farm system thanks to his defensive upside, raw power, and advanced plate discipline. He obliterated High-A pitching in 24 games to start the 2025 season before earning a promotion to Somerset, where he underwent an adjustment period but finished strong. Lombard will not turn 21 until early June, at which point he may be with the Triple-A team. A 2026 MLB debut is probably not in the cards for Lombard, but he is Volpe’s most direct competition long-term for the starting role. His upside is through the roof.
Directly behind Lombard on the depth chart are three players from the Yankees’ most recent draft class who will either be in High-A or Low-A to begin 2026: Dax Kilby, Kaeden Kent, and Core Jackson. Kilby was the team’s first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, and looks to be on a similar trajectory to Lombard as he’s already a consensus top-five player in the farm system. He was drafted out of high school and went directly to Low-A, where he slashed .353/.457/.441 with 16 stolen bases and a 159 wRC+ in 81 plate appearances. Kilby turned 19 in November, and his batted-ball metrics, plate discipline, and power-speed blend indicate star potential. He and Lombard could easily be the team’s two most enticing prospects by midseason.
Kent and Jackson were the Yankees’ third- and fifth-round picks from the same draft class. Kent (the son of recently elected Hall of Famer Jeff Kent) is a well-rounded player with slightly above-average tools across the board. His big-league debut in High-A was underwhelming through 25 games, but the sample size is small enough that it can be considered a footnote on a promising, high-floor profile. Jackson is in the same boat, as he hit .363 and .364 in his last two seasons at Mississippi but also struggled through a subpar 25-game sample with Hudson Valley to begin his big-league career. Both players will look to right the ship in 2026.
Also in the mix for at-bats around these levels is Roderick Arias, who once headlined the team’s international free-agent class in 2022 but has regressed mightily since then. Arias has spent the last two seasons with Low-A Tampa, and last year he slashed .208/.325/.315 with a 88 wRC+. Barring a major and immediate turnaround, it is difficult to be excited about Arias as a future big-leaguer at this point in his career.
The two main rookie ball shortstops to be aware of are Mani Cedeno and Stiven Marinez. Cedeno signed as part of last year’s international free-agent class, and is considered a promising young prospect due to his smooth right-handed swing and advanced plate approach. However, he struggled in his first season of rookie ball with a 35.7% strikeout rate in the Dominican Summer League. While this is certainly a red flag, Cedeno is still just 17-years-old and has time to turn it around. Marinez, who is a year older than Cedeno, has a similar offensive profile but found more success in the DSL in 2025. He posted a 116 wRC+ in 47 games with 22 stolen bases, and speed is considered one of his defining traits. Both players will need to develop physically before reaching their full game-power potential, but that’s to be expected at this point in their careers.
Shortstop is a deeply competitive position within the Yankees organization entering 2026. Those hoping for a Year 3 breakout from Volpe were sorely disappointed, but he’ll have at least one more opportunity to retain his role moving forward after recovering from shoulder surgery. If he’s unable to ever reach his full potential, the Yankees will hopefully be able to look to Lombard and Kilby as long-term options. The duo of first-round draft picks will look to continue developing into future stars this season, and we should hear their names a lot more as their careers continue to play out.
On Tuesday, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were elected by the Baseball Writers of America Association as the two latest inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Those of you who have paid some attention know that I’m a Hall junkie, so I thought it would be fun to take a look to the future, to see who is in a good position from this year’s results and who will be joining the ballot next year; we’ll also see if there are any former Brewers coming up for consideration anytime soon.
Who’s in a good position after this year’s results?
Next year’s Hall of Fame ballot will be a really interesting one. There’s one strong newcomer (see below) but there are no slam-dunk first-ballot choices like we saw with Ichiro Suzuki last year, and there are no players coming back to the ballot who just missed—both Beltrán and Jones were over 65% last year and needed to make only small jumps in support to make it.
We aren’t going to see that with returning players next year, and in fact, it’s definitely possible that no returning players get elected.
After Beltrán and Jones, the next highest vote-getter on Tuesday was the former Phillies second baseman Chase Utley at 59%. That’s a big jump for Utley, who got just 39.8% of the vote the year before, but he’d need another leap of almost 20% to make it in next year. It’s not inconceivable: as we saw with the selections of Ichiro, Billy Wagner, and CC Sabathia a year ago and no super-strong first-ballot candidates this year, others will tend to soak up votes from writers who now turn their focus elsewhere.
This could get Utley close. His case is a bit non-traditional—he finished his career with just 1,885 hits and 259 homers, he never won a Gold Glove, and he never finished higher than seventh in MVP voting. 20 years ago, he’d have no chance. But the analytics that have become the most popular tools to evaluate players suggest that we were missing something with Utley, and his WAR-based case does not just make him a borderline candidate; if you believe the WAR numbers, he’s a pretty ironclad Hall of Famer. Not everyone believes those numbers, which is why Utley is still 16 percentage points short after his third appearance on the ballot.
There are a couple of other interesting returning cases: Andy Pettitte, a staple of the late-90s Yankees dynasty and one of the most prolific postseason pitchers of all time, also made a big jump—even bigger than Utley’s, from 27.9% to 48.5%. Pettitte is also reaching the end of his time on the ballot; he’ll have two more chances before his eligibility expires. Pettitte’s case is complicated by his connection to performance-enhancing drugs, a connection which is viewed as far less egregious than some of his contemporaries but is, nonetheless, an issue for many voters.
The other big mover this year was Félix Hernández, who improved by 26.1 percentage points from year one to year two (the largest single-year gain under the modern voting system, according to Ryan Thibodaux, who runs the Hall of Fame tracker) and, at 46.1% after two ballots, is in excellent position. Hernández’s counting stats are far lower than the traditional Hall of Fame starting pitcher, but it looks like he may be the test case for what Hall voters will have to start looking for in an era when starting pitchers do not play the same way as they used to.
Other returners include Alex Rodríguez (who topped 40% this year on his 5th ballot but probably has a hard cap on the number of voters who will vote for him), Bobby Abreu (who made a modest leap to above 30% but is running out of time), Jimmy Rollins (the counting stats support him over his teammate, Utley, but the advanced stats do not), Dustin Pedroia, Cole Hamels, Mark Buehrle, David Wright, Omar Vizquel, Francisco Rodríguez, and Torii Hunter. Vizquel, who got 18.4% on his ninth ballot, will be back for the 10th and final time next winter. The one first-ballot player who will make a second ballot is Hamels, who received 23.8% of the votes on his first ballot. That’s an uphill climb, but it’s better than Hernández did on his first try.
Who’s new to the ballot?
The next big question is who the new players are. This group is headlined by a player who I think has a strong chance at becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer but has a tricky case: Buster Posey. Posey, from a quality perspective, certainly played at a Hall of Fame level: he won an MVP in 2012, something only two other catchers have done since the 1970s (Iván Rodríguez in 1999 and Joe Mauer in 2009), and by rate stats had one of the best careers of any catcher, ever. FanGraphs’ version of WAR, which includes a player’s pitch framing prowess, is especially fond of Posey.
But Posey had a short career. He played only 1,371 games (that’s almost 150 fewer than Pedroia and over 200 fewer than Wright, both great players who we think of as having careers that were “too short”), and in terms of counting stats, finished with just 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Even at catcher, where physical demands tend to limit the number of games played per season and shorten careers, that’s low; that’s fewer hits than Thurman Munson, another catcher who some feel played at a Hall of Fame level but isn’t there because his career was cut short when he died in a plane crash not long after turning 32.
Posey’s case will be fascinating. I think the lack of great catchers, historically, will probably work to his advantage, and I think he’ll be recognized for what he was, which was—from a pure peak perspective—probably the best catcher of the 21st century (though Joe Mauer and Cal Raleigh fans will argue, and I’m sure Yadier Molina fans would argue too, though Molina’s case is more about longevity than peak prowess).
There is really only one other new name on the ballot next season who might garner enough support to make it to a second year, and that’s pitcher Jon Lester. Lester probably didn’t do enough to get real Hall support—he has just 43.4 bWAR for his career—but he won 200 games, a rarity in modern times, struck out almost 2,500 batters, had three top-four Cy Young finishes, and was a postseason hero who won an NLCS MVP and three World Series. That should be enough of a resumé to get him to the 5% needed for a second showing.
Other interesting but not exactly compelling first-year players include Brett Gardner, who won a World Series, was one of the best defensive corner outfielders of all time, and was about a league-average hitter; Ryan Zimmerman, one of the great heroes of the Washington Nationals franchise; and Kyle Seager, who has no shot at all at making the Hall of Fame but was a better player than people remember.
Are there any former Brewers debuting on next year’s ballot?
We will not know who the new players on the ballot will be until it’s announced late next fall, but we can make a few guesses at what former Brewers could join Francisco Rodríguez in representing the franchise.
One very notable former Brewer shouldget a spot on next year’s ballot: Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy, who is the best catcher in Brewers history (though William Contreras is coming for that crown), had a 12-year career that included a couple of All-Star games and a fourth-place MVP finish in 2014, the best season ever by a Brewers catcher. Lucroy was also one of the first players to get extra shine because of the new ways in which pitch framing was being measured, and FanGraphs’ version of WAR viewed him as a legitimate star, with four straight seasons with at least 5.6 WAR. Lucroy’s 17.7 career bWAR is nothing particularly special, but his 35.2 fWAR ranks 38th all time among catchers in that database.
The next former Brewer who should get a spot on this ballot was only in Milwaukee briefly, and that’s reliever Joakim Soria. From 2007-2010, Soria was one of the best relievers in baseball. A lost season in 2012 derailed him a bit but he continued to have solid seasons into the mid 2010s, and in 2018 the first-place Brewers acquired him from the White Sox at the trade deadline to bolster their bullpen for the stretch run (Milwaukee sent Wilber Pérez and former first-round pick Kodi Medeiros to Chicago; neither ever made the majors). Soria pitched 26 times for the Brewers in the regular season and suffered some bad luck (a 2.93 FIP but 4.09 ERA) but had a difficult postseason. He had three scoreless outings (including a win and a hold) in the divisional round against the Rockies, but he gave up multiple earned runs twice in four outings in the NLCS against the Dodgers. Soria became a free agent after the season and left for Oakland, and his brief Brewers career was over. In all, Soria amassed 229 saves and had a 3.11 ERA (137 ERA+) and 3.12 FIP in 763 innings pitched.
The last guess is more borderline, and that’s that Wisconsin native and former Brewer—for all of 5 2/3 innings—Jordan Zimmermann will get an honorary spot. Zimmermann pitched 1,614 innings across 13 years, almost entirely for the Nationals and Tigers, and he had a respectable career that saw him make back-to-back All-Star Games and seventh- and fifth-place Cy Young finishes in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Zimmermann, who was from Auburndale, Wisconsin and pitched at UW-Stevens Point, made his last two big-league appearances for the Brewers in 2021.
None of these players has any shot at making the Hall of Fame, and I’d be surprised if any got more than a token vote or two, but it’s still fun to see their names.
Brewers fans will need to wait until 2029 before anyone who spent time in Milwaukee will actually make some noise on the ballot. That’s the year when Zack Greinke should become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But he’s not the only former Brewer with a good chance of getting a little support: Brewers Legend Josh Donaldson also debuts that year. (Let’s go out for a beverage and I’ll tell you why Donaldson should get serious consideration for the Hall of Fame.)
