ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 23: Brett Baty #7 of the New York Mets celebrates a grand slam during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on September 23, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s almost the end of the season, and while the Braves are safe from the mild insanity, it doesn’t mean it can’t take hold elsewhere.
In the AL West, or really the AL Texas division at this point, both the Rangers and Astros are two games under .500 and tied atop the division. The loser probably won’t make the final AL Wild Card spot. (The Astros hold the tiebreaker.) It’d be funny if both teams lost out, leading to probably the worst team, record-wise, to ever receive a playoff spot in MLB.
In the NL, the Diamondbacks are almost-eliminated, and the three teams currently in line for a spot are all separated by a game or less. It’d be funny if the Diamondbacks knocked the Phillies out. Really it’d be funny if the Diamondbacks knocked anyone out.
Or, failing that, maybe some sort of crazy three-way tiebreak situation that MLB somehow didn’t account for? That’d be really funny too. Wait, what about a four-way tiebreak situation?
I’d say something about the Guardians and White Sox here, but honestly, the Guardians doing this same thing late in the season every year is too repetitive to be funny anymore.
READING, PA - SEPTEMBER 15: Gage Wood #15 of the Reading Fightin Phils pitches during the game between the Hartford Yard Goats and the Reading Fightin Phils at FirstEnergy Stadium on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 in Reading, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cade Burdette/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Earlier this week, the Phillies decided to effectively end top pitching prospect Gage Wood’s season. They placed Wood on the development list despite the Reading Fightin’ Phils still playing in the Double-A Eastern League postseason, where they ultimately won the championship.
It was almost certainly a predetermined decision, as Wood has now pitched exactly 99 innings in the season after his start in the opener of Reading’s postseason. It’s very likely that the Phillies set an innings limit of 100 on Wood before the season, which is by far the most he’s ever thrown, with his previous high being 40 while in college at Arkansas in 2024.
The 22-year-old had a solid if unspectacular season in his first full season of professional baseball. Wood began the season at low-A Clearwater before earning a promotion to Reading in late May, with the Phillies opting to have Wood skip High-A Jersey Shore. He started 17 games in Double-A and pitched to a 4.72 ERA with 99 strikeouts to 18 walks, eventually even earning the start at the MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park during All-Star weekend. There was some thought that maybe Wood could have appeared as a late season reliever for the major league club, especially considering the Phillies struggles in the bullpen, but his placement on the development list ended that possibility.
The Phillies’ plans for Wood in 2027 remain to be seen, but the safe bet is that he at least starts the year in Double-A but could end in Triple-A. The innings restriction will likely be loosened as the Phillies will want to see how Wood handles a more traditional starting pitcher workload now that he’s made it through his first full season unscathed. In a normal offseason, it feels as though it would be likely that Wood would receive an invite to MLB camp in the spring to test him against MLB hitters, but the looming lockout and possible delay to the start of the season makes that situation murky.
So, how do you feel about Gage Wood after his first professional season? When do you think will be the earliest we could see him in Phillies pinstripes?
Coming into this brief three-game homestand, the last regular-season games at Wrigley Field for 2026, the Cubs needed to win only one of them to punch their ticket into the postseason tournament and also to bolster their chances for hosting the first round of that tournament.
Well. Here we are two days into that three-game homestand and the first of those things is still true and the second might be fading away.
The Cubs lost to the Marlins 3-2 on another wind-blowing-in night at Wrigley Field. With the Diamondbacks defeating the woeful Rockies and the Padres beating the Dodgers, the Cubs did not clinch a wild-card spot — and if everyone wins out now, the Cubs would find themselves traveling to San Diego for a Wild Card Series on Tuesday.
Sheesh. This is not going the way anyone connected with the Cubs had hoped.
Let’s look at what happened in this one.
Kevin Gausman and Ryan Gusto matched zeroes for five innings. The Cubs had RISP in the first and fourth but failed to score. Yes, you have heard this song before. Way too many times. It didn’t help that Nico Hoerner got picked off in the second [VIDEO].
You can hear Jim Deshaies in the clip say, “Hopefully he’s okay” about Gausman, who left the game after that play. Gausman was at 101 pitches so he likely wasn’t going much longer anyway, but…
Kevin Gausman banged his left shoulder “pretty good” when he lunged to tag runner at 3B.
He dislocated the same shoulder in HS. Gausman said he “didn’t necessarily do the same exact thing” though his shoulder feels pretty weak right now. “Hopefully it’s just a couple day thing.”
Javier Assad got out of the inning by inducing a ground ball to short.
The Cubs then got some offense going in the bottom of the inning. Michael Busch led off with a single. One out later, Ian Happ doubled, with Busch stopping at third. Hoerner was hit by a pitch, loading the bases, but Pedro Ramirez then struck out.
So now the game’s tied heading to the seventh. Unfortunately, it would not be tied for long. Ryan Rolison entered to throw the seventh. With one out, Agustin Ramirez and pinch-hitter Esteury Ruiz singled. Ramirez took third on the Ruiz hit, which would turn out to be very important.
An inning-ending double play was called on the field, but as you can see, the runner at second was safe, and the call was overturned on review. That allowed the lead run to score.
Still, down 3-2 in the seventh, not insurmountable, right?
Wrong. The Cubs went down in order in the seventh and eighth. Jacob Webb and Colin Rea threw scoreless eighth and ninth innings, and then the Marlins used starter Sandy Alcántara to close, something he’d done a week ago against the Diamondbacks.
Pedro Ramirez led off with a single, but Swanson flied to left and Carson Kelly, batting for Amaya, hit into a game-ending double play.
You can clearly see how much this offense misses Alex Bregman’s bat. 1-for-8 with RISP in this one, making the team 2-for-26 in those situations over the last two days. That’s just not going to win many baseball games.
About this one, from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was the eighth loss of the season for the Cubs in which they rallied to tie but never led.
They have erased 72 deficits, in 64 different games. They are 41-23 in those games, but have lost four in a row, seven of eight and nine of 11 starting Aug. 21.
With the Padres’ win over the Dodgers Wednesday evening, that means the Cubs would have to win one more game than San Diego does over the season’s final four games to have home field — and also win at least as many games as the Phillies do going forward. Something that seemed a no-brainer two days ago now appears to be a tough hill to climb.
The Cubs can still get into the postseason tournament, of course, but they are looking at possibly having to play a road series at San Diego — or maybe at Atlanta, if things don’t shake out better than they have over the last two days.
One regular season game remains at Wrigley Field, Thursday afternoon at 1:20 p.m. CT. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and Tyler Phillips goes for Miami. The game will be televised by Marquee Sports Network.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 2: Head Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics (C) is given a technical foul in the second quarter of a game against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on April 2, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Training camp is almost here. You can feel the palpable tension in the air. We’re going to have Celtics basketball back.
And none too soon, I tell ya. I miss quality sports podcasts. I’ve enjoyed searching for new music to listen to in the car but if I hear one more Spotify commercial about LiMu Emu and Doug I’m going to drive my car right into a river. Or maybe I’ll lock myself into a dark room and write emo songs about big ego emus in the ER. Yep, I need some basketball back in my life.
One way you can always tell that basketball is near is the preseason power rankings start coming out. That’s always a fun discussion driving topic, so let’s start there.
Blog favorite Michael Pina at The Ringer posted his rankings and had Boston ranked #4. It is worth noting that he puts them at the top of the 2nd tier, titled “Title Contenders With a Puncher’s Chance”
Assuming Jayson Tatum is back to his All-NBA self (not a given, but fair enough to presume), the 28-year-old’s presence should offset Jaylen Brown’s departure on a team that essentially replaced him with Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and the great Mike Conley Jr. Defense, depth, athleticism, and lots and lots and lots of outside shooting are winning ingredients, all belonging to a group that happens to also be too disciplined to ever deviate beyond the periphery of their head coach’s pragmatic vision.
The big concern in Boston entering last season was the center position. Even though Robinson was signed, that’s still the case now. Queta had a good season but really struggled against Joel Embiid in the first round by logging 4.1 fouls in 21.7 minutes per game. Robinson is a historically injury-prone player and had his minutes managed by the Knicks. I have no concerns about Joe Mazzulla finding the best ways to replace Brown, but the center spot remains a question.
I did a quick Google search to see if there were more that I missed and I came up with this one at USA Today that has the Celtics down to 10th.
The Celtics took a calculated gamble. But there’s no way to spin that Jaylen Brown is a massive loss, even if Boston didn’t want to pay him long-term. Either way, the Celtics need Derrick White to bounce back from his down season.
ESPN doesn’t have traditional power rankings posted yet (or at least I couldn’t find them) but they did put the Celtics at #3 in their Future Power Rankings list.
Tatum will be the only member of the Celtics’ 2024 championship team still on the roster entering the 2029-30 season. After trading Brown this summer, Boston is down to just six members of its title team: Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh. With Boston’s new ownership making sharp cuts in the second apron era, the only constant has been change.
That’s quite the range of potential landing spots. So I leave the discussion open to you. Where would you have the Celtics ranked in the NBA headed into preseason? Bonus points if you name the teams ahead of them. Or feel free to rank the whole league if you want to. We’ve still got time to kill. Its better than listening to emu emo songs.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s highly-anticipated heavyweight clash will take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on 11 December after a deal was finally agreed.
The details will for the bout, one of the biggest in British boxing history, were announced by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, with the tagline: “Years in the making. One night to settle it.”
Just four days remain in MLB's regular season and there's a good chance at least one playoff spot − not to mention playoff seedings − won't be determined until the final outs are recorded.
That's just the way baseball fans like it. (Unless their team is the one that gets left out.)
One thing to keep in mind: The regular season won't go into extra innings.
If two or more teams finish tied for a playoff spot after 162 games, MLB now uses a tiebreaker formula instead of a one-game playoff to determine which team advances.
Here's how it could all play out.
NL wild card tiebreakers
The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record as four teams in the National League battle for the three wild card spots.
San Diego Padres (88-70): 1-5 vs. Cubs, 0-6 vs. Phillies
Chicago Cubs (87-71): 6-1 vs. Phillies, 5-1 vs. Padres
Philadelphia Phillies (87-71): 6-0 vs. Padres, 1-6 vs. Cubs
The Arizona Diamondbacks, who play the Padres in a three-game series this weekend, remain barely alive in the playoff chase. In order to claim a wild card spot, the D'backs will need to sweep and have either the Cubs or Phillies lose the rest of their games.
AL Central tiebreakers
The Chicago White Sox won the season series with the Cleveland Guardians 7-6, so they will win the Central division title if the teams finish with the same record.
The Central runner-up will most likely claim the AL's final wild card spot with the White Sox three games ahead of both AL West teams with four to play.
Chicago White Sox (81-77): 4-2 vs. Rangers, 2-5 vs. Astros
Houston Astros (78-80): 5-2 vs. White Sox, 9-4 vs. Rangers
Texas Rangers (78-80): 2-4 vs. White Sox, 4-9 vs. Rangers
AL West tiebreakers
The Houston Astros won the season series against the Texas Rangers 9-4, so they'll take the West division crown if the two clubs finish the regular season tied.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 23: Wyatt Langford #36 of the Texas Rangers watches a home run by Marcus Semien #10 of the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field on September 23, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets 7, Rangers 2
I don’t want to think about it.
Or talk about it.
At least the Astros lost.
Cody Bradford topped out at 90.4 mph with his fastball, averaging 89.1 mph. Tyler Alexander hit 92.5 mph with his fastball. Chase Silseth maxed out at 96.9 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball touched 95.7 mph. Jordan Montgomery hit 90.2 mph with his sinker. Trevor Williams’ fastball reached 91.1 mph.
Ezequiel Duran had a 104.4 mph groundout. Danny Jansen had a 103.1 mph line out. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.8 mph single and a 100.6 mph fly out. Josh Jung had a 100.1 mph single.
Steph Curry has made his rounds through the media carwash.
The message has been the same, whether it’s to us (NBC Sports Bay Area), ESPN, The Athletic, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Standard, ABC 7, MSNBC and anybody else who has been there for a quote: Don’t worry about when he signs his contract extension.
Curry says he wants to be with the Warriors for the rest of his career, and he will be. He couldn’t be clearer there. As he enters Year 18, all with the Warriors, Curry is yet to ever be a free agent. Waiting to put pen to paper with one year left on his current contract, Curry stated he doesn’t want to go through free agency next offseason.
Even if he technically becomes a free agent, Curry, according to him, will still be wearing a Warriors jersey.
Curry is speaking with more conviction each time he talks to the press. His hope has to be that the noise will come to a halt after making his intentions as obvious as can be. He doesn’t want any drama, and he’s equipped to avoid it.
And Curry also has to know that, barring a change, there still will be more questions about his unsigned contract Monday at Warriors Media Day.
When they do come, Curry probably will give the same answers he has continued to give. That is, if he’s asked the same questions he has been asked. Then we will hear about how he’s not going anywhere and wants to retire as a Warrior. All that would be is Curry regurgitating the same words he has always said.
The most noteworthy comments he has made regarding his contract extension were to ESPN’s Anthony Slater when Curry said, “All the different salary cap conditions of whether I sign for a max or less or whatever it is, I want to be on a competitive team. I want to have an opportunity to have some flexibility because we haven’t had that in years past, the recent past. … This team should have flexibility to make necessary moves if things happen. Those are always just the considerations. For me, information and patience is key.”
Curry is the NBA’s highest-paid player at $62.59 million for the 2026-27 season. The 38-year-old, who will be 39 in March, is eligible for a two-year, $136.7 million max contract extension. He has until June 30 to sign.
The Warriors are projected to have over $100 million in salary cap space next offseason with a handful of expiring contracts coming off their books. Curry signing another max contract would significantly cut into the Warriors’ salary cap space. An acknowledgement that he’s thinking at all about taking less should spark everyone’s attention as Curry still seeks a fifth championship ring.
But Curry knows, if a contract isn’t somehow signed by Monday, more questions are coming at media day. Maybe not as many as Brandin Podziemski will get, though.
Podziemski has until Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. PT to sign a rookie contract extension. Failing to do so would make him a restricted free agent next offseason. For a number of reasons, Podziemski finds himself in a much more interesting place than Curry.
This offseason, a growing list of players from his 2023 draft class have signed their rookie extensions. Victor Wembanyama signed for five years and $255.2 million. Amen Thompson signed a five-year, $208 million contract, and his twin, Ausar, signed for five years and $155 million. Keyonte George, taken three picks ahead of Podziemski, also was given five years and $155 million from the Utah Jazz.
Pinpointing exactly where Podziemski is placed in dollar figures isn’t an easy exercise as a unique player whose best qualities are his ability to be a connector. Toumani Camara, the No. 52 pick in the 2023 draft, signed a four-year, $81 million contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers last offseason. Podziemski’s contract likely will come much closer to Camara than the four players above.
Peyton Watson’s four-year, $88 million contract he inked this summer is another to look at in terms of Podziemski’s next deal. What if Podziemski believes he deserves something more like Ayo Dosunmu’s five-year, $112 million contract he signed in July?
Then Podziemski’s best route might be betting on himself to have a money-making Year 4 leap while the Warriors continue to preach their optionality.
Draymond Green playing on a one-year contract will be a talking point, too. The same can be said if Jimmy Butler speaks. Kristaps Porziņģis might also field some questions about his contract as well. Just not to the level of Curry and Podziemski.
Last year’s media day can only be described as bizarre. The Warriors were held up all offseason by Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency. He remained unsigned, as did a few other Warriors who were waiting on Kuminga. The vibe shift will be felt, and some similar questions will be asked.
Whether the Warriors like it or not, contract talks again can’t be ignored this year.
Sep 23, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) and third baseman Brett Baty (7) hug after defeating the against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
The Mets launched three home runs to defeat the Rangers and take the series. Juan Soto, Marcus Semien, and Brett Baty all left the yard while Nolan McLean pitched seven solid innings. The Mets have an opportunity to sweep the series with Zac Thornton on the mound in the finale this afternoon.
Green’s past experience with struggle both as a manager and a player has made him the perfect person to take over managerial duties and put this season behind them.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 7 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #7.
Let's take a look.
Deron Quint - 2001-2002 - Drafted by Winnipeg in 1994.
Quint played 132 games with Columbus in the early days. He scored 14 goals and had 48 points, and he led the Jackets in minutes played per game.
He left for Europe in 2004 and played in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Russia. He retired in 2017.
Scott Lachance - 2003-2004 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1991.
He played 138 games in Columbus and had five total points. He never played another NHL game after leaving Columbus and retired in 2007 after playing a season in the AHL.
Nowadays, He's the Head of U.S. Scouting for the New Jersey Devils.
John Moore - 2011 - Drafted by Columbus in 2009.
Moore only played 86 games in Columbus and had 8 points. On April 3, 2013, Moore was included in the Derick Brassard deal with the New York Rangers that brought Marián Gáborík to Columbus.
He last played for the Anaheim Ducks.
On March 19, 2022, Moore was involved in a trade that sent him to the Anaheim Ducks along with Urho Vaakanainen in exchange for Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks then attempted to trade both Moore and the rest of Ryan Kesler's contract to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov and a conditional second-round pick at the NHL trade deadline on March 21, 2022. However, the deal was disputed due to a no-trade clause in Dadonov's contract. On March 23, the NHL officially cancelled the trade; therefore, Moore remained in the Ducks' organization.
Jeff Carter - 2012 - Drafted by Philadelphia in 2003.
Carter played less than one season in Columbus before forcing his way out via trade to the LA Kings.
On Feb. 23, 2012, the Blue Jackets traded the disgruntled forward to the LA Kings in exchange for Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.
Jeff Carter was booed by Columbus fans until the day he retired on April 17, 2024.
Jack Johnson - 2012-2018 - Drafted by Carolina in 2005.
Johnson played 486 games for Columbus after being traded from the LA Kings for Jeff Carter. He scored 36 goals and had 156 points in seven years.
He's bounced around since leaving Columbus, but finally won a Stanley Cup in 2022. He found his way back to Cannon City in the summer of 2024. Unfortunately for Johnson, he only played in 41 games for Columbus last year and had 6 points.
He and Head Coach Dean Evason didn't see eye to eye, leading to Johnson being scratched for most of the season. Johnson's family even boycotted the family day held ahead of the 2025 Stadium Series Game at Ohio Stadium.
Gavin Bayreuther - 2021 - Undrafted out of
Canaan, New Hampshire.
Bayreuther played 103 games for Columbus and totaled 23 points over three seasons. He also played for the Dallas Stars.
He was made famous in 2021 when he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the NHL Expansion Draft. One week later, he signed a two-year deal with Columbus, marking the end of his long tenure with Seattle.
After playing in Switzerland for
Lausanne HC two seasons ago, he returned to North America last season to play for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
He doesn't have a contract yet for this season, but owns and runs the Bayreuther Hockey Club, which is a development program in Maine for young hockey players.
Sean Kuraly - 2022-2025 - Drafted by San Jose in 2011.
The Columbus-area native has played 292 games for Columbus after coming home. He scored 40 goals and totaled 85 points in four seasons, beating his totals for Boston in 270 games.
After the 24-25 season, Kuraly signed back in Boston, where it all began for him. He played for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets 18U team and spent four years at Miami University in Oxford from 2012 to 2016.
Every now and then, something dramatic is required. No one could blame Sylvain Houles for threatening to quit rugby league if his Toulouse Olympique team were replaced in Super League next season by London Broncos. After all, he has just taken them to eighth in the table on half funding, finishing above their rivals Catalans Dragons for the first time in 25 years in the process.
The rumour that Toulouse could be ranked 14th by IMG and relegated has since been quashed – to every sane league fan’s relief. Shane Richardson, the NRL head of strategy, says the aim is to build the code’s presence in France, not slash it in half.
LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto sat in the dugout. He had just finished pitching six innings in his final start of the regular season on Wednesday, Sept. 23 and one of the first things he did was bury his head in his notebook as he began to write.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' ace had posted a mixed bag in a 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres in their penultimate home game before the postseason. Yamamoto was confident in his gameplan, which may have included throwing his four-seam fastball at a far lower clip (13%) than his usual usage rate of 27%. Instead, he threw his sinker more often, which he says wasn't predetermined but rather he threw pitches that he felt fit each situation.
But there was one that kept nagging at Yamamoto for the rest of the night.
In the top of the fourth inning, Yamamoto threw a first pitch sinker to Manny Machado. His intention was to throw it high and get the Padres' three-hole hitter to chase, but instead it fell just on the inner half of the plate – exactly the location where Machado has a .709 career slugging percentage – and he instantly made Yamamoto pay by sending it over the fence in straightaway center field.
To make matters worse, Yamamoto had plunked the previous batter, Dustin Harris, so it ended up being a two-run homer to push San Diego ahead.
"I felt really frustrated about that," Yamamoto said through an interpreter. "I also need to reflect deeply on the play after that, and I want to look back and review the video carefully."
It wasn't his sharpest outing of 2026, but it wasn't his worst, either. And more importantly than anything else that transpired on the diamond on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, Yamamoto finished his 28th start of the year. That means he's now gotten through each of the last two seasons having posted all of his scheduled outings. He doesn't expect it to be his last time accomplishing that feat, either.
"While it's a very difficult task," Yamamoto said. "I want to keep leveling up so that doing so becomes my absolute minimum goal going forward."
During his pregame comments, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said: "For me, players that you gravitate towards, and that you really love to have and you can't have enough of them, are dependable players. And Yoshinobu is very dependable. He's probably had one or two clunkers this year, but everything outside of that has been six innings plus. Very consistent. You know what you're going to get and when the moments get big, he certainly rises to those occasions."
Case in point, his 2025 postseason run in which he threw two complete games for the Dodgers, including one in the Game 2 of the World Series. Then of course, was his mythological outing in Game 7 when Yamamoto threw 2⅔ scoreless innings, a day after throwing 96 pitches in Game 6, to seal back-to-back championships for LA.
"He'll never say it outwardly, but he takes pride in being there for his teammates and knowing that he's the best option," Roberts said. "He's one of the more underappreciated pitchers in all of baseball."
Entering this year's postseason, Yamamoto says that he feels similar to how he did last fall. His confidence was never really part of the equation; it was the fact that he finished the season healthy. When his condition is in a good spot, Yamamoto feels like he can prepare well enough to face whatever and whoever might be facing him in the batter's box come October.
One of those possibilities just might be the Padres.
The divisional foes have also become a familiar face in the playoffs as well considering the two SoCal sides have squared off three times in the last three years, the most recent being the Dodgers' comeback from down 2-1 in the best of five NLDS in which they shut out the Padres and ended their season on 24 consecutive scoreless innings.
The bad blood hasn't been lost on either team or fanbase, as seen by the thunderous boos Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. routinely receive by the Dodger Stadium faithful as the possibility of yet another meeting in October loomed in the background.
"It's in there," Roberts said. "Looking at the five other teams that potentially we could play, and these guys are one of them. Certainly, we're playing them recently, we're pretty familiar with these guys. Gathering information on (Robbie) Ray and their guys in the pen, (Michael) King yesterday and we'll see (Nick) Pivetta tomorrow, so certainly."
When assessing his entire 2026, Yamamoto naturally knows there are parts of his game that he needs to adjust but maintained that his feel for the ball has been in a good spot throughout the second half of the season. He feels he's grown as his third season in the big leagues has unfolded, he's in shape, and he'll be ready to help the Dodgers on their quest for a historic World Series three-peat.
"Heading into October," Yamamoto said. "I want to prepare well and do my best so that we can be the best pitching staff possible."
College Basketball: Closeup portrait of Duke Christian Laettner (32) during photo shoot at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Durham, NC 10/30/1991 CREDIT: Peter Read Miller (Photo by Peter Read Miller /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images/Getty Images) (Set Number: X42063 )
Continuation of the “What If” Wolves series. In this series, I play the role of Timberwolves Overlord and go back in time and right some of the wrongs of our favorite franchise. Since this is the Timberwolves, there are a lot of wrongs. This series may go on forever.
Let me start by saying that unlike my wife, I do not believe conspiracy theories. Second shooter during the JFK assassination – doubtful. The Moon landing was fake – that would be the most expensive joke ever. Frozen envelope for the Ewing draft – seems like it could have been done, but come on.
There is however one conspiracy theory that I wholeheartedly believe, but this one has some backing.
Going into the 1992 NBA Draft Lottery, the Minnesota Timberwolves had the worst record in the NBA at 15-67. Just 15 wins! I have no idea how Head Coach Jimmy Rodgers was allowed near a basketball court after that (He was fired after starting the next season with a 6-23 record). That terrible finish to the season meant that the Wolves had the best odds (16.67%) to land the number one overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. The prize of that draft being Shaquille O’Neal, a monster center from LSU.
Every team wanted Shaq, even teams with All-NBA centers wanted this guy. I was no different.
JUNE 1: Shaquille O'Neal poses with NBA Commissioner David Stern after being drafted by the Orlando Magic first overall on June 1, 1992 in the first round of the 1992 NBA Draft. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1992 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
So where does the conspiracy theory enter the story?
While being interviewed by Ashley Nevel of the Ashley Nevel Show, Shaq let the conspiracy bomb drop and basically confirmed my belief that the NBA was out to screw me and my fandom over and over again. Shaq goes on to tell the story of meeting NBA Commissioner David Stern in March of 1992. During this meeting, Stern asked Shaq “Do you want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?” Shaq, being from Louisiana obviously said “hot”.
Stern gave a wry smile after the answer.
A few days pass and the lottery is held. Well guess what kids? Wolves got screwed. The “cold” Wolves dropped down to third overall and the “hot” Orlando Magic move up to #1. Tears. Literal tears. Not tears of sadness, this was pure rage tears.
I’m still fuming over this as I type. Let’s refocus…
So, the Wolves dropped a couple of spots down to the #3 overall pick. Not too bad (even though it was the lowest they could go). This was a three-player draft by most accounts. Shaq was the consensus #1 pick. Alonzo Mouning, a defensive stud from Georgetown, was slotted for #2. Naismith College Player of the Year and future Dream Team member, Christian Laettner, was the easy third pick.
And that is exactly how the draft played out for the first three picks. O’Neal to Orlando Magic at #1, Mourning to the Charlotte Hornets at #2, and Laettner to the Minnesota Timberwolves at #3. Now you may be thinking, “Back-to-Back NCAA Championships, College Player of the Year, and a Dream Teamer? Sign me up!” If you think that, you are wrong and I hate you.
In the 90’s I loved watching two college basketball teams, the UNLV Running Rebels and the Michigan Wolverines, also known as the “Fab Five”. I hated Duke at the time. Duke was boring and fundamentally sound. Plain vanilla. UNLV and the Fab Five were exciting. They played fast and were crazy aggressive. The players all had flair and an attitude to them. They even had cool nicknames. Stacey Augmon was “The Plastic Man”! Is there a better nickname than that? What was Bobby Hurley’s nickname, Bounce Pass Bobby? Plus, the Rebels and “Fab Five” looked awesome with their baggy shorts and black Nikes/black sock combination.
Basically, the opposite of Duke.
UNITED STATES – APRIL 05: College Basketball: NCAA Final Four, Michigan Fab Five (L-R) Jimmy King (24), Ray Jackson (21), Chris Webber (4), Juwan Howard (25), and Jalen Rose (5) on court during game vs North Carolina, New Orleans, LA 4/5/1993 (Photo by John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X44178 TK4 R14 F7)
Laettner was the lone college player selected to the Dream Team. Now Laettner did not play much in the Olympics, despite the Dream Team beating everybody by 200 points. But who cares? After all, he is in the Basketball Hall of Fame…for being on the Olympic roster. His NBA career had more playing time, but his output would not lead to another Olympic roster spot.
Let me just state that Laettner was okay for the Wolves. He was the best player on the team right away, which isn’t saying much. For his Wolves career, Laettner averaged 17.2 points and 8.1 rebound per game. But the Timberwolves ended up trading him halfway through his fourth year in the league to Atlanta (traded Laettner along with Sean Rooks for Andrew Lang and SPUD WEBB!!!). Those were decent stats, so why trade him?
Well, from what I have read, he was a terrible teammate. There is a story of his time with the Wolves where he went into the locker room and started pointing at each of his teammates nameplates above their respective stalls, calling them all losers, before calling himself a winner.
True asshole move, but it would have been awesome to have seen him do that if front of his teammates.
Now I can’t even imagine the scrutiny that Laettner was dealing with at the time. He went from being a back-to-back national champion, winning every individual award at the college level, and winning a gold medal with the Dream Team, to being on the worst team in the NBA.
But still, screw that guy.
MINNEAPOLIS – 1994: Christian Laettner #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves runs circa 1994 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1994 NBAE (Photo by Dale Tait/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Shaq on the Wolves would have been amazing. He was dominant from day one in the league. He was an athletic giant that dunked EVERYTHING. He was a runaway train when he decided to take a rebound from one end of the court to another. He was the definition of must see television.
My two favorite moments are when he broke two backboards. Not the rims. Backboards. One was in New Jersey where he dunked so hard that the metal frame holding the backboard broke and came crashing onto the parquet court. The shot clock even hit Shaq on the head when this happened. Shaq just smiled at the shot clock.
The second was in Phoenix. This time he dunked the ball with such force that he broke the hydraulic system that kept the backboard vertical. After he dunked the ball, the backboard station shook for a bit then slowly wheezed as it lowered itself to the ground. It was hilarious and awesome.
Shaq went on to win an MVP award, four NBA championships, multiple All-NBA teams, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and is in multiple Hall of Fames. The Magic got the number one pick the following year as well (1.5% chance), while the Wolves dropped to number five (second-best odds at #1 pick, 15.15%). The Magic selected Chris Webber from the “Fab Five”, then traded him to Golden State for Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and three first round picks. Great trade at the time, but injuries derailed Penny’s career.
The Wolves ended up going with Isaiah “JR” Rider at fifth. I loved watching JR play. He was the most exciting player that the Wolves had ever had up to that point. Rider would get into some legal trouble here and there, so the Wolves shipped him to Portland for a bag of pure hot trash (Bill Curley, James Robinson, and a pick that would turn into Paul Grant. Like I said, pure hot trash).
SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 28: Shaquille O'Neal #32 and Penny Hardaway #1 of the Orlando Magic talk against the Sacramento Kings on March 28, 1995 at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Since I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, except the Shaq to “where it’s hot,” I’ll have to rely on the Wayback Machine to change this history for the “What if” Wolves.
Dream Team selects Shaq instead of Laettner. Shaq along with Charles Barkley start a war with Angola (Chuck elbowed a guy from Angola. I think the announcer, maybe Bill Walton, said that Barkley shouldn’t be handing out elbows, he should hand out sandwiches to the skinnier Angolan players.)
Shaq wants a change of pace from hot Louisiana and tells Stern he wants to be “cold”. Minnesota wins the lottery and takes O’Neal #1 overall. Wolves then trade center Luc Longley, Tony Campbell, and a future second round pick to Orlando for their 1993 first round pick and Sam Vincent (In this history, the Magic are acting how the real Wolves would have and did not protect their first round pick).
Shaq goes on to wreak havoc throughout the league. Spalding stock slides because Shaq breaks an average of 1.25 backboards per game. Wolves win their first title by going 68-10-4 (the “4” represents games that could not be finished due to no rims remaining).
The Magic pick lands at spot number three. Wolves draft Penny Hardaway, who enjoys a relatively injury-free career. Back-to-back titles. Shaq and Penny go on to lead the Wolves to 10 NBA titles before Shaq retires to focus on his movie career, where he wins an Oscar for his work starring in the Fast and Furious franchise (Bonus, Vin Diesel never happens).
And if it makes you feel better about the Laettner bashing. Let’s say he goes to the Charlotte Hornets at number two and gets to stay in North Carolina. The Duke fans shower him with praise during a 15-year career as a lifelong Hornet.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks scores on a dunk during the first half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming in at #10, Kyle Kuzma has certainly been one of the more controversial additions to the roster in recent memory. He was brought in as a versatile forward who could reasonably play next to Giannis, but it was at the expense of franchise legend Khris Middleton, who, despite never getting over the injury bug, still played a crucial role for the Bucks. Kuzma had huge expectations upon his arrival, but through the rest of that regular season, he never really seemed to click with the team. In the 2025 playoffs, Kuz had one of the worst postseason performances we have seen from a starter, which led to him being benched and barely seeing the floor after his goose-egg game against the Pacers. He did not get a playoff redo last season, so despite having won a ring with the Lakers (the reason why LeBron has his ring in LA (please Google this meme before killing me in the comments)), he finds himself near the bottom of the list for postseason importance on a young roster.
Okay, controversial tweets and fashion choices notwithstanding, let’s look at the good perfectly cromulent aspects of Kuzma’s game to look forward to this year. For starters, he came into the season last year as a backup to Giannis. In a league where players often want the ball (and the attention), Kuzma took a team-first approach that meant he entered the year in a role he hadn’t had in several seasons at that point in his career. While it’s easy to critique Kuzma’s game, it’s worth giving him credit for the presence he brought to that role. Throughout the season, you could see him with his arm around other players at various points, offering advice and trying to lead in his own right. As we learned about the locker room fallout as the season dragged on, we heard that Kuzma specifically went to Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. after they were put on blast during a team meeting and told them to ignore the unfair way Doc handled the situation. Having a veteran presence like this can greatly benefit younger players and the overall locker room culture—Kuzma’s willingness to be a team player could help the team find its identity this season.
Now, for readers who just gasped at that thought, here are the perfectly cromulent aspects of Kuzma’s game that should hopefully quell some of those fears. For starters, Kuzma had a 14.1 player efficiency rating (PER) last season, which is by no means great but puts him firmly in the “decent rotational player” category. That also means he is right around his career average, and in the ballpark of one of his most efficient years overall. If you felt like he was more efficient off the bench last year, that’s because he was. For the season, Kuzma averaged 26.2 minutes for 13.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.7 APG, but off the bench he averaged 22.4 minutes and slashed 11.8/3.4/2.2, meaning he was more efficient in smaller bursts. Finally, last season Kuzma hit his career high in true shooting at 58.1%, which is exactly league average and only slightly behind the league average for power forwards (58.6%), meaning he found his spots and converted opportunities better than ever.
For those still with me and who haven’t either wretched themselves onto another page or left to buy themselves a Kuzma jersey, I think, taken together, this all means a few things: first, Kuzma is a decent player, and likely a decent veteran presence to have in the locker room, which, if we ignore the price point for this year, does present some opportunities for the Bucks. If Kuzma continues to be this efficient, some team will certainly be interested in him around the trade deadline. While the playoff goose egg game may still be fresh in the minds of Bucks fans, another half season or more of him 1) taking on the role of big brother Kuz to the younger guys and 2) being a league-average player means that a team in need of frontcourt depth would certainly consider adding Kuzma at the trade deadline. Of course, in a contract year, Kuzma knows he is auditioning for his next role and payday around the league. On top of remaining a reasonably efficient shooter, he can help himself and the Bucks by using his size to get downhill more and clean the glass at a better rate. While Kuzma is many things to many people, he is a lifelong hooper. From what we saw last year, he is willing to play a selfless brand of basketball, which, at this point in his career, is his most likely path to staying a rotational player in the league for years to come. That selflessness can also help elevate the young Bucks roster this season as he auditions for his next contract. So all in all, I think we can expect at least one more greatgood perfectly cromulent year out of Kuz.
And we’ve reached single digits! Who goes at nine?
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 01: RJ Barrett #9 of the Toronto Raptors speaks to the media after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-110 in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 01, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Duke of York isn’t done with Toronto yet. At least, if everything goes according to plan.
After being traded from the Knicks, RJ Barrett went on to have his best scoring season in 2024-25 , where he stepped up in a big way to give the Raptors momentum with Scottie Barnes out for a chunk of the season.
Then, in the 2025-26 season, Barrett helped get the Raptors back to the playoffs as the team’s second-highest scorer (ahead of Barnes), and in the playoffs, emerged as the team’s second-best player. Then, in game six of the first round, he makes what is perhaps the second clutch-est shot in Raptors team history to beat the Cavaliers and forcing a game seven. All together, this sounds like the recipe for a great career ahead in Toronto. Add in the fact that he’s Canadian, and the Raptors should be chomping at the bit for a chance to keep him on the team. But, there is some reluctance from the Raptors to buy-in on the Maple Mamba. Here’s an examination of why that might be.
On the court
RJ Barrett fills an important role on the team, being able to get buckets with his downhill momentum, scoring at the rim while both rebounding and passing a respectable amount. While his shooting is not a remarkable part of his game, it’s not completely without value, and Barrett’s utility as an offensive creator had been sorely needed on the Raptors squads of the past two years.
From a less tangible standpoint, Barrett has been willing to take on primary roles, as well as secondary and tertiary positions on the team, and demonstrates a general lack of ego on a roster with a great deal of personalities in its locker room. In regards to the Canadian now playing alongside Raptors legend Kawhi Leonard, RJ spoke on how it felt to share a team with the Klaw, saying that “it’s surreal…” and that he has “been a Raptors fan [his] whole life…” and “from being a fan, to now being able to play with him, it’s going to be so special.”
RJ Barrett on waiting on the Kawhi Leonard trade to finalize all summer long/now playing alongside him:
“When it first happened, I was like, ‘Let me just not try to think about it, and just wait for it to happen.’”
There is also the matter of Canadian identity. Barrett is one of the most prominent Canadians in the NBA, and this part of who he is (while under-explored by the franchise) is something that should be factored in to his desire to be on his country’s only team.
All together, RJ Barrett has not only proved his capabilities, but has shown dedication to the Raptors, and a desire to mold himself to the Raptors’ new lineup. However, that may not be enough to ensure his place on the team. More could be asked of Barrett, with the team requesting a price that is not always easy to pay.
The salary question
Potential problems emerge when the Raptors’ circumstances are examined from a financial perspective. The Raps are already in a position where they are paying the luxury tax, but real consequences arise when the first and second tax aprons are hit, where severe financial and operational penalties involving trades are accrued. This is a less than ideal situation, but one that might become a frightening reality going forward.
Barrett is now in the final year of his deal, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year, unless a deal can be reached to extend his contract. This is coming at a time when the team has just taken on a Kawhi Leonard extension, Jakob Poeltl is set to get a raise, and all together, costs will rise for the Raptors, even factoring out a hypothetical RJ Barrett contract.
Barrett is currently coming off of a deal where he will make north of $29 million in the 2026-27 season. The season after, the Raptors are currently projected to have a salary of $181,907,409. This is well above the current salary cap of $164,961,000, and and if Barrett were to simply continue taking his current salary, this would bring the Raptors to more than $211 million dollars in pay, taking them into the first apron. Generally speaking, discounts from players are not given lightly to teams, and with RJ having put in real work for the Raps, he would, under usual circumstances, be in the position to make some demands of the team.
Fire and desire
Barrett spoke candidly about his feelings in May, putting things plainly: “I want to be here,” he said. “I want to be here for the rest of my career. I don’t ever want to leave. I don’t have any problems openly saying that.”
RJ Barrett on dealing with the business-side going into a contract year:
“What do you think?”
“I think that this is an easier question for me to answer, because I’m from here, and who doesn’t want to play at home? I’m trying to stay here.”
This puts both parties in an uneven position. Barrett clearly has a desire to remain in the red and black, but would very possibly have to take a pay cut to do so. General Manager Bobby Webster gave no indication of whether or not an extension was in the works, noting that such conversations would be taking place out of the public eye, stating that “he is under contract, and so, that decision can also happen at the end of the summer.”
While Barrett’s desire to stay in Toronto seems unwavering, the team’s desire to keep Barrett on the roster seems like anything but. Insider Jake Fischer raised the point over the summer that throughout the past two years, RJ Barrett’s name had been floating in trade talks, with the Maple Mamba’s future on the team seeming rather insecure. Michael Scotto reported in February that Barrett could very well have been shipped off to the Sacramento Kings in a deal for Domantas Sabonis.
Barrett is in some regards the black sheep of the Raptors. He does not shoot like Immanuel Quickley, nor does he pass and defend like Scottie Barnes, and while his scoring is certainly important to team success, score-first players are becoming less and less valued outside of the upper echelons of production in this league. Kawhi Leonard does exactly that, at a level higher than almost anyone in the league. Barrett might be too good to underpay, but lacking a niche on a team too cash-strapped to give him a raise, putting him in an awkward position that could result in him accepting less pay than he deserves.
Throughout this year, it seems likely that the Raptors will continue to explore trade options for Barrett to improve the team’s gaps at the centre position, and, for better or worse, the swingman will be playing with a level of uncertainty in this year ahead. Barrett shows no indication of causing a fuss. “I’ve done my part on the court this year,” he said at the same press conference where he announced his desire to stay in Toronto. “And I will continue to do my part, and just hope things work out that way.”
