The consensus No. 2 prospect in Major League Baseball has done the near-impossible: Win a starting infield job on a veteran-laden team coming off a playoff appearance.
The Detroit Tigers announced March 24 that McGonigle will make their opening-day roster, and if the 21-year-old is in Detroit, it's not to sit the bench. Drafted 37th overall in 2023, McGonigle won a job outright in spring training - he can play either shortstop or third base - posting a .923 OPS with two homers and impressing both Detroit brass and his teammates with his field presence.
At 5-foot-9, 187 pounds, McGonigle is not the potential aircraft carrier that No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin, the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, embodies. Yet it will be McGonigle debuting at the game's highest level while the Pirates send Griffin to Class AAA.
If he starts at shortstop, it will be over veteran utilityman Zach McKinstry and former All-Star Javy Baez. His youth and skill set certainly raises the ceiling for a position in which the Tigers trotted out McKinstry, Trey Sweeney and others over the past two years while making runs to the American League Division Series.
Kevin McGonigle stats
McGonigle has a career .308/.410/.512 line in the minor leagues, with 123 walks to just 84 strikeouts over three seasons.
KLAIPEDA, LITHUANIA - NOVEMBER 30: Luigi Suigo of Italy looks on during the FIBA World Cup Group D Qualifiers between Lithuania and Italy at Svyturio Arena on November 30, 2025 in Klaipeda, Lithuania. (Photo by Rokas Lukosevicius/FIBA via Getty Images) | FIBA via Getty Images
NBA Draft analysis makes for some funny discourse.
Some basketball fans are obsessive about it. Once a player hits 25, they’re like Leonardo DiCaprio – they lose interest.
(My fingers typed that without my permission. It just, happened).
There’s nothing (in the case of basketball) wrong with that. Taking an interest in prospects is fun. There is a bit of a tendency to overrate young players. You’ll hear draft acolytes suggest that a team can plug an immediate hole by drafting a particular player, neglecting to consider that even the best prospects are typically bad NBA players in their first season. Otherwise, it’s fine.
Here’s the funny thing about draft discourse: It’s a funk that can be readily faked. It is frustrating for fans who commit large swaths of their free time to watching obscure 17-and-under Balkin tournaments. You can cobble together highlight packages and other people’s scouting reports, and honestly, make predictions that are comparable in accuracy to the zealots.
All of which is to say: Take my draft takes with a grain of salt. I try to watch prospects, but I’m not “A Draft Guy”. It’s a tertiary interest. In 2021, I would have moved mountains for Jalen Johnson. In 2022, I would have done the same for Ousmane Dieng. It’s possible that I “simp” for any ball-handling wing to hit the court.
Still, I’m pretty sure the Rockets should target Luigi Suigo in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Perfect Rockets target could be available in draft
Yes, it would be nice if the Rockets could target AJ Dybansta or Darryn Peterson. If you’re beginning to relitigate the Nets-for-Suns picks trade, you’re not alone. Sure, the Nets likely don’t move Bridges if they’re not getting their pick back. Are we sure the Nets aren’t a lottery team with Bridges? Is it possible that Bridges demands a trade anyway?
Such is life. The Rockets don’t have the pick. For the first time in five years, they won’t even have a first-round pick. Rockets fans watching 7’3″ behemoth Aday Mara in the March Madness tournament are even dreaming too big.
Suigo is different. He’s a projected second-round pick. To my semi-educated eye, he looks like he could exceed his projected value.
He’s a 7’2″ big man who plays for a club called Mega Superbet in Serbia. Side note: Does it feel like a lot of these European teams have the words Mega or Super in their name?
Table that. Suigo is a real big man at 250 pounds. He’s shooting 26.7% from three-point range this year. That’s not great, but let it be said that it puts him ahead of, as a random example, Blazers big man Donovan Clingan. He didn’t shoot threes in college, and he’s a credible floor spacer at the NBA level. At the NBA level, trainers will emphasize shooting for any big man who’s even hinted at floor spacing capacity. Suigo can likely flirt with 35% shooting in time.
Defensively, he’s mostly a rim protector. He seems to be, let’s say, not entirely useless in space, but he’s not a switch big. Still, at 7’2″ with good instincts, he should have considerable utility on that end of the floor.
By now, I know my audience. I know what you’re thinking: I’m in your head, man. The Rockets already have a starting-caliber big:
Is this guy really trying to replace Alperen Sengun again?
Rockets need a long-term rotational solution
Put it this way: If Suigo is good enough to replace Sengun, he’ll be a top five-or-ten second-round pick in NBA history.
More likely, he’s a career backup. That’s a value pick in the second round. In time, the hope is that he can replace Steven Adams and Clint Capela.
His viability next to Sengun in situational double big lineups should be part of his appeal to Houston. If Suigo does continue to develop as a floor spacer, that could be more effective than any of the two non-shooting bigs looks Ime Udoka has gone with. If he’s on the board when the Rockets are picking, they ought to give him some serious consideration:
Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle practices during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Detroit Tigers have made it official.
Young phenom Kevin McGonigle, one of the top prospects in all of Major League Baseball, has made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster.
Detroit drafted McGonigle with the 37th-overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, a move made possible when the team drafted Max Clark to a below-slot deal after making him the third-overall pick that same draft class. While McGonigle has dealt with injuries since being drafted (a fractured right hamate bone in 2024 and a right-ankle sprain early last season) the infielder has done nothing but rake since the Tigers selected him.
Last year at High-A West Michigan he posted a slash line of .372/.462/.648, and the numbers dipped a bit when he moved to Double-A, he still belted 12 home runs in 46 games.
He also played in the Arizona Fall League, earning MVP honors thanks to slashing .362/.500/.710 with five home runs over just 19 games.
During Spring Training this year, he slashed .250/.423/.500 over 19 games and 52 plate appearances, with a pair of home runs and six runs batted in.
Moments like this from Monday night — a 108-mph rocket off the bat — have Tigers fans excited about his future:
Kevin McGonigle smokes a 108-MPH single to center that appears to tie the game, but Woody Hadeen is called out. pic.twitter.com/N9KLY9wfwH
Where he fits in Detroit was once an open question, manager A.J. Hinch has noted that a better pre-pitch routine has led to improved defensive play at shortstop.
“”He’s been very, very good on defense,” stated the Tigers manager.
Now that he is on the roster, he might just be Detroit’s starting shortstop come Opening Day.
AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 04: Texas pitcher Jason Flores (4) watches his pitch as he follows through during the college baseball game between Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders on March 4, 2025, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Certainty in SEC baseball scheduling isn’t easy — the conference schedule released last September wasn’t finalized with on television until February, which wouldn’t matter much except for Thursday-Saturday series that impact how coaches choose their midweek games.
That’s the explanation for how the No. 2 Texas Longhorns ended up traveling to face the Houston Cougars at Schroeder Park on Tuesday before returning to Austin for a Red River Showdown against the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners that starts on Thursday.
“Had I known we were going to have a Thursday series, I certainly wouldn’t have scheduled a road game on a Tuesday night, in Houston, much less. But we owe coach [Todd] Whitting a trip. This is what it’s come down to,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said in his Monday appearance on the Around the Horns podcast.
Last year, a matchup between the Cougars and Longhorns in Austin was cancelled due to cold weather.
“We’ll leave some guys back so they can be rested, but we have to go down there and play. I know they had a rough weekend, but he’s got one of his better Big 12 teams right now, so we’re excited to go play,” Schlossnagle said.
Houston is 12-11 and 1-5 in Big play with a 6-6 home record after losing a home conference series to Kansas State and getting swept on the road in Lawrence over the weekend after allowing 29 runs to Kansas in the three-game series.
The loss of star center fielder Tre Broussard for three weeks due to a hamstring injury hasn’t helped the Cougars — considered a top 2026 MLB Draft prospect, Broussard’s speed makes him an elite outfielder and a dangerous base runner to complement an excellent left-handed swing with some power. In 14 games, Broussard is slashing .468/.542/.787 with three home runs and 17 RBI after stealing 31 bases last season.
Batting .289 as a team, Houston only has one regular starter hitting over .300 — shortstop Tyler Cox, a Dartmouth transfer who hits leadoff and is batting .329 — but does have some pop with 27 home runs on the season.
Former Texas outfielder Easton Winfield is scuffling for a second straight season, batting .200 in nine games with four starts, continuing his downward trend after leading Louisiana-Monroe in eight offensive categories as a freshman in 2024.
Receiving the start for the Coogs is freshman right-hander Caleb Kimble (7.71 ERA, 0-0), the first of his career after throwing two scoreless innings against Arkansas Pine-Bluff before allowing two runs on three hits in 0.1 innings against Kansas State.
Houston has a staff ERA of 5.87, a WHIP of 1.49, and is allowing opponents to bat .260.
Texas is giving sophomore right-hander Jason Flores (0-0, 9.00 ERA) his second start of the season after moving freshman right-hander Sam Cozart into the weekend bullpen. Flores has consistently received praise from Schlossnagle despite subpar results this season — in his first start against Lamar in the first midweek game, the 6’1, 240-pounder allowed three runs on three hits with one walk and one hit batter in 1.2 innings before giving up two runs on three hits with a walk and a wild pitch in two innings of relief against Houston Christian.
The poor results have often come on good pitches for Flores, a distinction that matters less the more often it happens, making Tuesday an important opportunity for the No. 76 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, according to Perfect Game.
Schlossnagle also wants to get freshman right-hander Brody Walls some work after he pitched well in last week’s embarrassing home loss to Tarleton State, allowing one unearned run over 2.1 inning with four strikeouts.
“Brody did great last week against Tarleton,” Schlossnagle said. “He’ll certainly see the mound tomorrow in some form.”
Tuesday also represents an opportunity for struggling junior second baseman Ethan Mendoza to get back on track after a hitless week that saw his batting average drop from .325 to .269 as he went 0-for-16 with four strikeouts.
“I don’t think it’s swing mechanics much with Ethan — if anything, it may be that green monster out there. When you’re a right-handed hitter, like it does in Fenway, it’s in your mind,” Schlossnagle said.
Auburn’s 37-foot wall in left field is only 315 feet from home plate, which the Texas head coach believes may have influenced multiple infield popups by Mendoza, a rarity for the contact hitter with burgeoning power who typically has a strong feel for the barrel.
Sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez is also continuing to battle through the impact of his left hand injury last year that offseason surgery did not fully repair. The switch hitter is still batting .280, but his slugging percentage is down 118 points from 2025, when he hit seven home runs, five of which came before he was hit by a pitch against Missouri in late March.
“If Adrian was fully healthy, we would have six, eight more homers, for sure,” Schlossnagle said.
Now almost a year fully removed from the injury, it seems likely to linger through the season and continue sapping his power — Rodriguez doesn’t have a home run this year, forcing him to settle for some gap-to-gap pop.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Carter Baumler thought he was coming out of the game. Instead, he’ll be sticking around a while.
The mound visit Baumler received from Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wasn’t to remove the rookie right-hander from his last spring training outing, but rather to let him know he made the opening day roster.
Schumaker emerged from the dugout after Baumler retired the first two Kansas City Royals batters in the fifth inning. Texas catcher Danny Jansen and all four infielders also were on the mound when the new Rangers skipper told the 24-year-old reliever he will start the season in the Texas bullpen.
“I wasn’t expecting it. I was like, why is he coming out here? And he got on the mound and told me I made the team,” Baumler said during an in-game TV interview on the Rangers Sports Network. “I mean, honestly, I thought I was like getting taken out of the game. ... Obviously, whenever the manager comes out, you’re usually done.”
Jansen patted his catcher’s mitt on Baumler’s chest and the infielders offered their congratulations. Baumler, looking to make his major league debut after never pitching above Double-A, had a big smile on his face but composed himself enough to strike out Isaac Collins swinging on a 96.8 mph fastball to end the inning.
In his eight spring training games, Baumler allowed one earned run and struck out 10 over 9 1/3 innings.
Baumler hugged Schumaker when he got back to the dugout after the third out, then was greeted by high-fives from teammates.
Baumler was selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2020 amateur draft out of high school in Iowa and had Tommy John surgery soon after that. He pitched in the Orioles organization from 2022-25, but was left off their 40-man roster last fall. He was scooped up by Pittsburgh in the first round of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December and traded to Texas the same day.
“A few years ago I never would have expected this,” Baumler said. “Looking back ... I’m glad I kept my head down and kept hammering away.”
Feb 28, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a RBI single in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
It’s hard to shake the memories of the Phils’ failures against the Dodgers in last year’s postseason.
A .212 batting average in four games. A .299 on-base percentage. They slugged .358, for an OPS of .657. If a player posted an OPS of .657, that would have put them 139th out of 145 qualified hitters in baseball last season. They hit just three home runs in the series, all of them in their lone victory, 8-2 in Game 3.
It’s hard to shake those memories. It’s difficult to shake the ghosts of the 2024 NLDS against the Mets, when the offense was even worse, posting a .186/.295/.302 slash line and a .598 OPS. The futility of Games 6 and 7 of the 2023 NLCS against the Diamondbacks left an indelible mark, too.
It’s understandable fans are down on the offense heading into 2026, a lineup that mirrors the ones we’ve watched come up short in October each of the last three seasons.
Everyone is another year older, and time is undefeated. There are worries the bats simply are not good enough to win a championship.
Let me posit a counter-argument. That the offense might actually be… good?
It’s understandable that we fixate on the October failures, but perhaps we should reflect on how they performed in the regular season last year. They scored the 8th-most runs in the Majors, 5th-most in the NL. Their 212 home runs were 9th-most, and their .759 OPS ranked 4th.
Yes, that’s right. The Phillies had the 4th-highest OPS in Major League Baseball in 2025. And for the first time in the last few seasons, everything was humming beautifully heading into October.
Their .797 OPS after the All-Star Game was 2nd-highest, behind only the Yankees’ .799. They slugged .471, which was the best mark in MLB in the second half. Their 110 homers were 2nd-most, their 340 runs scored were tied for 4th and they were tied for 3rd in wRC+. Every regular except for J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos posted an above average wRC+, with Kyle Schwarber (152), Trea Turner (144), Brandon Marsh (140), Bryson Stott (135), Bryce Harper (133), Harrison Bader (129) and Edmundo Sosa (120) all at least 20% better than league average. All seven of those players had an OPS over .800.
Essentially, the vast majority of the lineup played like All Stars over the final two months of the season.
The Phillies enter 2026 without a major anchor around their necks, Castellanos, sucking up playing time. It’s no coincidence the offense performed better once his role was reduced. While I remain skeptical his replacement, Adolis Garcia, can improve upon Castellanos’ offense performance, there were encouraging signs late in spring training for the 33-year-old.
After a slow start, Garcia smoked the ball over the final two weeks, finishing with a .275 batting average, two home runs, and a .408 OBP in 40 spring at-bats. Most impressive was newfound plate discipline displayed by Garcia this spring, walking 8 times and striking out in only 5 plate appearances.
There is hope Harper will have a more impactful, “elite” season, in 2026. His late home run at the World Baseball Classic inspires hope. Bryson Stott’s mechanical adjustments that spurred on an .855 second half OPS last year appear to be taking hold. No one should expect a 1.072 OPS from him in the regular season, but it’s encouraging to see him picking up where he left off last season.
Yes, there will still be platoons in some spots. Despite Stott’s improvement, he’ll likely continue to share time with Sosa, and Otto Kemp will split duties in left field with Marsh. And center field remains a question mark. Bader was a breath of fresh air and an offensive injection for a lineup that had gone stale by last year’s trade deadline. Justin Crawford’s solid spring (.250/.291/.346, with 10 runs scored in 18 games) earned him the everyday nod in center, and as the No. 9 hitter, he is not expected to carry the lineup.
On Monday, the Phillies posted what will most likely be their starting lineup on Opening Day against the Texas Rangers.
Everyone knows Alec Bohm, who also had an outstanding spring down in Clearwater, is miscast as a traditional cleanup hitter. It is a spot in the batting order in which the Phillies received below league average production a season ago, with a .720 OPS that ranked 20th. But they were 9th out of the No. 5 spot, 1st in the No. 6, 13th at No. 7, and 3rd at No. 8.
The top and bottom of the Phillies lineup was one of the best in baseball. That cleanup spot, an admittedly important role, was the only one that was below league average. Maybe they can survive that. Maybe it’ll get better.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you this offense isn’t going to frustrate us this year. It absolutely will. Here’s the thing; if we zoom out, we’ll realize every other offense and every other fanbase goes through similar frustrations.
Yep, even the Dodgers.
Nationally, analysts are more bullish on the offense. MLB.com recently ranked every lineup and put the Phillies at No. 8. I think everyone would take that. The dream would be a repeat performance of 2025. It was the best year this group has ever had together. They just couldn’t carry it through into October.
I know you’re down on the Phillies’ lineup, but it’s probably going to be better than you think, and may actually be pretty darn good.
Check out my latest Hittin’ Season podcast, powered by WHYY, where we discussed the lineup, Cristopher Sanchez’ contract extension, and a disastrous start to the season for the Atlanta Braves!
After an eventful spring training for the Mets, who saw tons of prospects get playing time on the field and in the batter's box, it's time to answer some of your questions regarding players who will start the season in the minor leagues.
How disheartening was Jonah Tong’s spring? On a scale of “no big deal” to “should’ve kept Sproat”, where should I be? - @_Biergan
This is squarely in the no big deal category for me. I’d even lean closer to being more encouraged than disheartened.
Tong did not possess any realistic pathway to breaking camp with the big league team. The most important thing for him this spring was development, not results. He knows that he has the fastball and the Vulcan changeup to lean on, but development of the third and fourth pitch is paramount.
The focus has been on pitches that give him some glove-side movement to prevent him from being essentially an entirely north-south pitcher. Those pitches have been a cutter and attempting a harder version of his curveball, with a little more horizontal movement.
In his two spring training starts, Tong threw 34 cutters, according to Statcast -- roughly 26 percent of his pitches thrown. He did not throw the curveball as much in-game, but it’s something he’s thrown a lot on the backfields.
It should not be forgotten that Tong was called up to the major leagues before he was truly ready, due to a dire need. The positive of his up-and-down big-league stint is he learned what he had to work on.
He will head back to Triple-A and continue to work on those two pitches as well as refining some command. The internal feeling about Tong in the organization has not dampened. He just needs innings in Triple-A.
I never hear much about Jacob Reimer’s defense at 3rd, what are his pros and cons at the position and is it parallel to Mark Vientos orBrett Baty? - @KickinitwithKeef
Reimer told me explicitly in spring training that his big focus was improving defensively at third base.
The main pros is he has the actions and plenty of arm for the position. He continues to work on his pre-pitch setup and first step with infield coaches Tucker Frawley and David Adams.
The main con is his lateral quickness is below average, so it is important his first step is right, and he is in the proper positioning pre-pitch.
The organization believes his third base defense under the hood was better in 2025 than what it appeared surface level. However, scouts I spoke to outside of the organization believe he is more likely to fit at first base long-term, considering his third base defense at this time grades as just passable.
I believe Reimer’s bat will play at the next level. In 2026 I will be keeping a close eye on his defensive development and how much of a split the Mets deploy him between third base and first base. To compare him to Vientos and Baty defensively at third base, I’d say Reimer sits in the middle of the two.
Will Elian Peña fly through Low-A and High-A ball to Double-A this season? - @TonyHvacGod
The excitement surrounding Peña is real. The No. 7 prospect in the organization has stood out since reporting to Port St. Lucie in January. In the Spring Breakout game last week, the 18-year-old looked mature beyond his years and like the most talented player on the field. It wasn’t much of an offensive game for either side, but Peña went 1-for-2 with a walk. The hit was a single on a 1-2 pitch that he roped into right field at 102 mph off the bat.
The Mets will decide in the coming days if Peña will start with Low-A St. Lucie or the Florida Complex League, though this is the type of player who is ready for the slightly more aggressive starting point with St. Lucie, in my opinion.
It is a lofty expectation for an 18-year-old to go through three levels in his first season stateside. Despite the Mets being aggressive in promoting prospects within the farm system, I will predict he does not reach Double-A in 2026. However, I won’t completely rule out the possibility.
The more comfortable projection would be him performing well enough to reach High-A Brooklyn before the year is done.
Peña could be poised for a breakout year, and it should not shock anyone if he is on all top 100 prospect lists and competing to be the top ranked prospect in the Mets organization by the end of the season.
TODAY’S ROSTER CUTS: Kevin Alcántara and Javier Assad have been optioned to Triple-A Iowa. That leaves 36 players in camp, to be cut to the 26-man active roster by Thursday. The 36 include 19 pitchers (two non-roster invitees), four catchers (one non-roster invitee), seven infielders (one non-roster invitee) and six outfielders (three non-roster invitees).
AT LAST: Today’s game is the last Cubs game this year that will not be televised.
Here are today’s particulars.
For the third straight day, neither team’s lineup was available at posting time. I assure you that will change starting Thursday.
Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs.
Gerrit Cole will start for the Yankees.
As noted above, there’s no TV today. There will be a radio broadcast on the Yankees radio flagship, WFAN 660 AM.
Please visit our SB Nation Yankees site Pinstripe Alley. If you do go there to interact with Yankees 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 3:35 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, 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.
Who: Phoenix Suns (40-32) vs. Denver Nuggets (44-28)
When: 8:00pm Arizona Time
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center — Phoenix, Arizona
Watch: NBC, Peacock
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Phoenix Suns need to string together good performances to get back on track before the playoffs. The Suns have been missing two starters for almost a month now and have had their chances to climb into the race for a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoffs. However, now 3.5 games behind the Rockets and just 10 games left this regular season, the Suns will likely finish the season in seventh spot in the West.
The Nuggets are now playing at full strength for the first time in 2026 and are starting to come together as a championship contender. The extremely undersized Suns will need Oso Ighodaro, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, and others to defend and rebound against the best offense in the NBA, led by Nikola Jokic. The Suns will need Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Collin Gillespie to score at a high level to keep pace.
The good news for the Suns is that the Nuggets have the 21st-best defense in the NBA with a 120.2 rating. This nationally televised game should be a fun, high-scoring, highly entertaining affair if the Suns can keep pace.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
Grayson Allen — QUESTIONABLE (Left Knee Injury Management)
Dillon Brooks — OUT (Left Hand Fracture)
Amir Coffey — OUT (Left Ankle Sprain)
Haywood Highsmith — OUT (Right Knee Injury Management)
Royce O’Neale — PROBABLE (Left Knee Soreness)
Mark Williams — OUT (Left Foot Third Metatarsal Stress Reaction)
Nuggets
Payton Watson — OUT (Right Hamstring Injury Management)
What to Watch For
In the previous two matchups this season, Phoenix has had no answer for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, who have blown the Suns out of the water and scored over 130 points in both games. Both games took place before December, which was before Ighodaro’s jump to a higher level of play. Ighodaro and the rest of the Suns’ defense will need to play ultra-aggressively by creating turnovers with their frenetic defense. While Maluach is still young and raw, the reason why the Suns drafted him is for his physical gifts defensively against the players in the world. It will be interesting to see how Jordan Ott deploys Maluach and if he will get substantial reps against the best player in the world.
Offensively, poor fourth-quarter play has plagued Booker and Green specifically, and the rest of the Suns over their recent five-game losing streak that they snapped on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors in a blowout win. Unless the Nuggets fall completely flat, the Suns will likely need to win a close game to defeat the Nuggets. Elite shotmaking from Green and Booker in the fourth quarter is a necessity to hang with the Denver, and the two have to take care of the ball as well. The Nuggets’ defense is nothing special, so the Suns just need to play a clean game to be in this one late, then it comes down to whose stars can come up with the win.
Key to a Suns Win
Turnovers. The Suns have to take care of the ball and force the Nuggets to make mistakes. While the Suns are significantly undersized against the Nuggets, they can make up for that disadvantage by pressing the Nuggets and creating turnovers that lead to easy offense on the other end. Jordan Goodwin and Ryan Dunn need to lead the charge in causing the kind of chaos this team thrives in when they are at their best.
Offensively, the Suns are going to target Jokic. While he does not block shots at an elite level, he is incredibly smart with great hands and forces turnovers at a high level. The Suns have to effectively attack Jokic without turning the ball over and giving the Nuggets easy baskets in transition. The Suns have to take care of the ball to win the game.
Victor Wembanyama is in the mix for NBA Most Valuable Player this season. Providing he plays in enough games — he can only miss two more games this season to meet the league's 65-game threshold — he will be in the top five for sure, maybe the top three.
After the Spurs' convincing win Monday against the Heat, Victor Wembanyama made his case to be the MVP.
"My first [argument] would be that defense is 50% of the game and that is undervalued, so far, in the MVP race. I believe I'm the most impactful player defensively in the league. Second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season, and we dominated them three times with their real team and four times with the, you know, more rotation players. My third argument would be that offense impact is not just points...
"I think right now, there is a debate. There should be, even though I think I should lead the race. And I'll try to make sure that by the end of the season, there's no debate."
In the latest ESPN MVP straw poll — done just after the All-Star Game — Wembanyama was fourth, with Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver's Nikola Jokic clearly ahead of the field in the race. Since then, Jokic has not played at quite the same level, while SGA has the Thunder looking like the best team in the NBA again and is putting up monster numbers. Wembanyama has played his best basketball since the break as well and is making a push up that list. (Cade Cunningham was third in that poll, but he is out with a collapsed lung and may not make the league's 65-game threshold.)
Gilgous-Alexander is the clear frontrunner to repeat as MVP and has three key things going for him. First is just minutes played — while Gilgeous-Alexander has played in just three more games than Wembanyama (60 to 57), he has played 336 more minutes, the equivalent of seven full 48-minute games. That matters. Second, Gilgeous-Alexander is not only carrying more of his team's offense than Wembanyama, but he's also doing it more efficiently — the real key to SGA and Jokic's dominance is their efficiency (which is why the advanced stats still like Gilgeous-Alexander more than Wemby). Third, while Wembanyama is unquestionably the better defender — and the clear frontrunner to win the first of many Defensive Player of the Year awards — Gilgeous-Alexander is no slouch on that end of the floor. SGA is a plus defender on the league's best defensive team. Wembanyama's advantage on this front is not as stark as with other players.
Wembanyama has a legitimate case to make — and it's refreshing to hear a contender for the award say they want it and make that case public — no false modesty required.
It’s a light night on the hardcourt with just four games on the NBA schedule, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of betting value to be found in the player prop markets.
I’ve found my three favorite for today, which include Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray continuing his epic comeback in a matchup with the Knicks.
That and more NBA picks for Tuesday, March 24, below.
Miller is a big reason there’s been so much buzz around the Hornets. He’s shooting nearly 50% from three-point range on 7.8 attempts per game over his last 15 games. He has drained four or more threes in three straight games, and eight times over this 15-game stretch.
Now, he gets a matchup against a Kings team that allows the second-highest three-point shooting percentage in the NBA.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSCA, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast-Charlotte
Prop #2: Dejounte Murray Over 16.5 Points
-112 at bet365
With everyone healthy, the New Orleans Pelicans aren’t your typical projected lottery team. In fact, they’ve won six of their last nine, going 8-1 ATS.
The return of Dejounte Murray has been a big part of that. Murray is putting up 18.7 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in the 10 games since he’s been back, and I’m betting he keeps getting buckets tonight against the New York Knicks.
The Knicks allow the most points per game to opposing guards and rank 22nd in opponent made threes per game.
Murray’s point total is a modest 16.5, a number he’s topped in four of his last five games.
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: GCSEN, MSG
Prop #3: Collin Gillespie Over 4.5 assists
+110 at bet365
It has been the March of dimes for Collin Gillespie. The Phoenix Suns’ guard has been racking up the assists this month, and he’s going to keep that going in tonight’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
Gillespie has handed out 5.3 assists per game over 12 games this month, topping 4.5 eight times during that period.
The Nuggets' ability to prevent buckets has been suspect all season and enters this game ranked 21st in defensive rating. One way to really burn them is by making the extra pass. Denver also ranks 21st in opponent assists per possession.
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LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki had another rough spring training start.
Sasaki issued six walks while allowing five runs in two-plus innings against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. He threw 66 pitches, 32 for strikes.
The Japanese right-hander has a 15.58 ERA over four exhibition starts for the defending World Series champions. He has walked 15 in 8 2/3 innings, raising questions about his preparedness for the beginning of the regular season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers when they host Arizona in their opener.
Sasaki failed to get an out in the first. He hit Zach Neto with a 3-0 fastball before Mike Trout reached on a fielder’s choice. Sasaki then walked three consecutive batters before he was replaced by Ronan Kopp.
The 24-year-old Sasaki returned for the start of the second. He hit Neto again and walked Trout before escaping the jam on a pair of grounders.
He issued a leadoff walk to Yoán Moncada in the third before striking out Jo Adell and Josh Lowe. Logan O’Hoppe then lined to second for the final out of the inning.
Sasaki was replaced by Ben Casparius after he walked Adam Frazier leading off the fourth. Frazier ended up scoring on Nolan Schanuel’s sacrifice fly.
Sasaki signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January 2025, receiving a $6.5 million signing bonus because he was under age 25 and subject to international signing bonus pool rules. He had spent the previous four seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.
Sidelined for much of last season because of a right shoulder impingement, Sasaki went 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in eight starts and two relief appearances.
He returned in September and became a key piece of the bullpen during the postseason, giving up just one earned run over 10 2/3 innings and earning three saves to help the Dodgers win their second straight championship.
At long last, we've reached the final day of spring training.
With regular-season games set to start on Wednesday, I've got one last batch of spring training MLB picks for you, including the Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cubs on their respective moneylines on Tuesday, March 24.
Spring Training predictions for March 24
Pick
Odds
CLE moneyline
+105
Tigers moneyline
-160
Cubs moneyline
-115
Pick #1: Guardians moneyline
Cleveland Guardians left-hander Parker Messick is a popular breakout candidate this year, and it's easy to see why. He boasted a 2.72 ERA across seven starts while limiting the walks and home runs in his first cup of coffee at the MLB level.
The uptick in long balls this spring isn't a concern, and I like him more than Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Soroka in this matchup.
Obviously, spring bullpens can strike (as they did for two of my three picks yesterday), and even with Jose Ramirez and Chase DeLauter on the bench, I like these odds, which have shifted from -110 to +105 since the Cleveland lineup was announced.
Pick #2: Tigers moneyline
At -160, this is a lot of juice, but I expect the Detroit Tigers to deploy something very similar to their Opening Day lineup against Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.
Sugano has thrown just three innings this spring and is coming off his debut MLB season where he posted a 4.64 ERA, allowed 33 home runs, and recorded a paltry 15.7% strikeout rate over 157 innings.
He doesn't miss bats, and even though Justin Verlander hasn't looked his best this spring, the old goat still has something left in the tank, as evidenced by his 3.85 ERA in 152 innings with the Giants last season. The talent disparity on the whole is worth paying the elevated price.
Pick #3: Cubs moneyline
Gerrit Cole makes his second spring start for the New York Yankees in his road back from elbow surgery. He pitched just one inning in his last outing, and I don't see them pushing him much more than that today, as his regular-season debut isn't expected to come until May or June.
The Chicago Cubs haven't seen the best from Edward Cabrera yet, but most of his 6.35 ERA came from his last outing when he allowed seven earned runs over three awful innings.
So, small sample sizes aside, with the Yankees likely going to the pen early, the Cubs are in a better position to do damage against the relievers.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
For once, Shohei Ohtani’s left-handed swing wasn’t the smoothest thing at Dodger Stadium.
On Monday night, as Kirsten Watson was delivering a live shot from the Dodgers’ dugout just ahead of the team’s exhibition matchup with the Angels, she pulled off a slick move that had social media buzzing.
The Spectrum SportsNet reporter was breaking down Santiago Espinal’s positional versatility, when suddenly, a Dodgers staffer asked for a fist bump right in the middle of one of her sentences.
Without missing a beat, Watson casually dapped up the guy without looking, and went on with her analysis as if nothing had happened.
Los Angeles Dodgers reporter Kirsten Watson went viral after she delivered a no-look fist bump while live on-air on Monday night.
Quickly, X users clipped the video and praised her for the clean maneuver.
“That’s a championship reporter right there,” one wrote.
“Peripheral vision off the charts,” another added.
At least one of the X videos had nearly half a million views as of Tuesday morning.
It won’t be long until Dodgers fans can get another up-close look at Watson’s work — the reigning World Series champions play the Angels again on Spectrum SportsNet later Tuesday, before they officially open their regular season against the Diamondbacks on Thursday.
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Andrew McCutchen will be on the opening day roster for the Texas Rangers, who expect the 39-year-old former MVP outfielder to split some time at designated hitter, maybe play a few games in the field and be a mentor to their young, talented outfielders.
Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said McCutchen, who joined the team on a minor league contract less than three weeks ago, will be part of the 26-man squad when the Rangers begin the season at Philadelphia. The 2013 National League MVP and five-time All-Star more than a decade ago with Pittsburgh won a roster spot over Mark Canha, another veteran outfielder also in camp on a minor league deal.
“I was wrote off in a lot of places, honestly told to retire. But I knew deep down there was something in me that told me that there was still more in the tank and that I could continue to keep playing,” McCutchen said. “For them giving me the opportunity ... I’m going to make sure that it’s worth it from both of our ends.”
The right-handed-hitting McCutchen, who will make $1.5 million playing in the majors this season, batted .444 (8 for 18) in seven spring training games, with three doubles, a home run and seven RBIs.
“There were a number of factors that went into it, but ultimately we felt like Cutch earned it just with his performance,” Young said.
McCutchen is a .271 career hitter with 332 homers and 1,152 RBIs in 2,262 games over 17 big league seasons, all but five of those with the Pirates. He spent the past three seasons back in Pittsburgh, batting .239 with 13 homers and 57 RBIs last year when 120 of his 135 games were as the DH.
“This is the beginning of for me to continue to keep doing what I’ve been doing since I got here. And understanding that just because I’m here doesn’t mean that I’m here to stay,” McCutchen said. “I have to remind myself of that every single day that I’m out here and that I am on the field. Even the days that I’m not starting, always knowing that there’s a way to improve, and for my peers and teammates, there’s something that I can do to be able to help them.”
The Rangers have rising standouts Wyatt Langford in left field and Evan Carter in center, with veteran newcomer Brandon Nimmo in right after they acquired him from the Mets in a trade that sent second baseman Marcus Semien to New York.
Carter was limited to 63 games last season because of injuries. Left-handed-hitting DH Joc Pederson missed about two months because of a broken hand after getting hit by a pitch.
Pittsburgh drafted McCutchen in the first round in 2005 and promoted him in 2009 for his major league debut. McCutchen played his first nine years with the Pirates, making five straight All-Star teams from 2011-15. He played for San Francisco, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia and Milwaukee from 2018-22 before reuniting with the Pirates.
“He came in and performed well right away. He fit right in in the clubhouse, can still play the outfield at times,” new Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “I don’t think you’ll see him all the time out there, but if we need him, he’ll play out there. But just a really valuable piece to either come off the bench in a high-leverage spot or also potentially start against left-handed pitching.”
Brandon Miller
Dejounte Murray
Collin Gillespie
CLE moneyline
Tigers moneyline
Cubs moneyline
