For the first time in over two weeks, the Mets had the day off yesterday, but they’re set for a three-game series against the Marlins this weekend at Citi Field.
While the Mets avoided falling to their lowest point below .500 in the David Stearns era with their win on Wednesday, Tim Britton and Will Sammon take a look at the long-term problems facing the organization.
Longtime hockey executive Lou Lamoriello once recruited then-17-year-old Bobby Valentine to play for a Cape Cod baseball team he was managing, and the two remain friends to this day.
The Cubs scored seven runs in a win over the Pirates, giving them a second-straight win after ending their ten-game losing streak against Pittsburgh one day earlier.
NBC and Peacock have got you covered with another thrilling Sunday slate of baseball action. The excitement begins at 12:00 PM ET with an MLBSunday Leadoff matchup featuring the Toronto Blue Jays vs Baltimore Orioles on Peacock and NBCSN. Later, at 7:00 PM ET, the Chicago Cubs take on the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball. See below for additional information on how to stream both games.
After making consecutive playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024, the Baltimore Orioles entered last season with high hopes, but finished last in the AL East with a 75-87 record. 2023 Manager of the Year Brandon Hyde was fired mid-season after a 15-28 start.
The Orioles, now under first-year manager Craig Albernaz, are looking to find stability, although questions remain surrounding their rotation.
The Toronto Blue Jays look to build off of last season's World Series run that fell just one win shy of the title.
Matt Vasgersian joins Hall-of-Famer Jim Palmer, 2016 World Series champion Dexter Fowler, and reporter John Fanta in the broadcast booth this on Sunday.
How to watch Toronto Blue Jays vs Baltimore Orioles:
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
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Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club's home television territory. For more information visit, Peacock’s Help Center.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 20, 2026: Justin Lamkin #40 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 20, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Oof. I thought we’d get something lighter after last Friday. I don’t think the last week made things better.
Max covered the labor negotiations so I’m just going to link to that article here.
I know there are a lot of opportunities for jokes here. But, in all seriousness, here’s a chance do good. Donate blood at any Community Blood Center donor center and get free Royals tickets:
Everyone who donates Monday, June 1, through Sunday, June 14, at any CBC donor center or mobile blood drive will receive two vouchers redeemable for tickets to a select 2026 Royals home game, while supplies last.
In addition, CBC and the Royals will host a special blood drive at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, June 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donors who come to give at the stadium drive may choose between a limited-edition 2026 Royals T-shirt or two Royals ticket vouchers.
Lamkin has a deceptive delivery. It’s a crossfire action with a little hitch that helps him hide his pitches during his windup. His fastball sits at 91-93 mph and can play up deeper into games.
He also has a gyro slider, changeup and curveball. Those pitches have gotten better under the tutelage of Royals senior director of pitching performance Paul Gibson.
“I think the slider is better than we originally got him late last summer,” Gibson said. “I think a lot of that has to do with the preparation and taking care of business in the weight room and arm care. But the breaking ball has definitely been a big weapon for him aside from the command of all four pitches.”
Speaking of which, at The Athletic ($), Keith Law updates his Top 50 prospect list. Lo and behold, there are a pair of Royals on the list:
22. Kendry Chourio
44. Justin Lamkin
Back to The Star, Anyone remember April Fool’s Day 2016? That was a good one, Nigel P. Higginbotham. This announcement, however, is no joke! Well, ok, it’s a little bit of a joke. Something about Royals and Royals cross-promotion comes to mind. Per Pete Grathoff, England’s soccer team will be attending the Royals game on June 21st:
“We would love to have them play catch,” said Sam Mellinger, the Royals’ vice president of communications and broadcasting, “but it just depends on their schedule.”
That game of catch would be before first pitch, of course. And the ceremonial first pitch likely would involve Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka or Jude Bellingham, three of England’s biggest stars.
I’m also grabbing a story from The Star from a couple of days ago that I don’t think we’ve linked to. Want some shoes to match your City Connect jersey? At The Star, PJ Green is reporting that the Royals City Connect Nike Air Max 1 drops on June 9th. I think we’re going to talk shoes sometime in the second half of this year.
Burress is in his junior season for Georgia Tech. He’s played center field again this season and set the Georgia Tech career home run record at 58. His slash line is absurd at .366/.478/.660 with 45 walks and 40 strikeouts. MLB Pipeline ranks Burress as the number eight overall prospect in this year’s draft class, grading him as a 60 grade prospect with above average grades on all five tools. The concern with Burress is his small stature. He’s listed at 5-9, but Pipeline calls him “shorter than his listed 5-foot-9.” His raw ability, work ethic, and baseball smarts could be enough to overcome that, but it’s a concern nonetheless. Burress has the smallest physical stature in Pipeline’s entire Top 150 draft prospects for 2026. Perhaps there is some Corbin Carroll to his game, but the raw tools are certainly clear for Burress despite his small frame. His right-handed swing would fit well in a farm system stocked full of lefties as well.
When looking at these May bullpen metrics, it’s obvious that Quatraro and the Royals need to shake up the bullpen usage. Right now, they should be investing in their young arms with upside, which includes Lynch, Avila, Cruz, and Lange. Schreiber has emerged as a key piece this month,, and he deserves to keep his spot, but Erceg probably needs to be utilized less like a traditional closer and more like the “fireman” he was utilized a year ago when Carlos Estevez closed things out in the ninth.
Even with Erceg out of the closer’s spot, the Royals need to adopt a different philosophy for building a bullpen.
Other than a year ago, the Royals’ weakness has always been the bullpen under Quatraro and Picollo. A big reason for that seems to be that they trust “experience” over “stuff”. That strategy blew up on them with free-agent relievers like Chris Stratton and Will Smith. It’s blowing up a bit, not just with Estevez and Strahm on the IL, but with Erceg as well, who looks like a shell of his 2024 self.
Here’s something new for OT today. We weren’t really going to talk much about baseball today, anyway, were we? Meanwhile, I had a couple of other things I’ve been working on, but, in light of last weekend’s closest Indianapolis 500 in the race’s long history, I thought I’d write about it today. It also flows nicely from the Olympic stuff last week.
Just to set the stage here, I know very little about racing. I literally watch one race a year, and not even every year. I’m sure there are better people to get you interested in the sport. However, I’m the one writing Friday Rumblings today, so you’re stuck with me today.
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Quick Soapbox: it’s impressive just how shameless sports networks are about covering their bottom line. For years, the race was broadcast on ABC, and the story was the front-page dominating event on ESPN.com from sun-up to sun-down all day on Memorial Day Sunday. They had a race tracker that was a lot like they use for the NFL draft that updated by the minute. This year, even during the race, you had to scroll past MLB results and NBA results that were more than 12 hours old. Really? It was impressive just how nakedly transparent it was.
And CBS Sports was no better. For a while, they were trying to set themselves up as a viable alternative to ESPN. But that’s fallen off over the last few years. The Indy 500 was a story on the front page, but didn’t even have a picture – it was just a live blog entry that was the third or fourth story on the front page. Yahoo used to be excellent. Before you laugh too hard, remember where Jeff Passan and Adrian Wojnarowski were when they became household names or who broke the 2011 Miami booster scandal. But they’ve since been gutted by cost-saving measures. Unfortunately, the broadcast was on Fox. Fox Sports pivoted to video almost a decade ago, so their site has long since been hot garbage.
This isn’t even important stuff in life – it’s just sports. Theoretically, they cover the “news” of sports with the veneer of journalism while also broadcasting some of the same sports they cover. However, time and again, they are perfectly happy to throw away little bits of their integrity to chase a few dollars. SportsCenter coverage of the NHL went from 10 minutes a night to about 60 seconds the minute ESPN dropped their hockey contract in the early 00s. So next time someone wants to say something like “no, ESPN wouldn’t be biased towards overrating the SEC to try and get them extra, undeserved spots in the CFP just because they own the broadcast contract”, forgive me if I sideye something like that. Never mind what these networks do for stuff that dwarfs the money from sports – like business and politics.
Back to the more fun stuff…
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Most anyone can watch it on TV – it’s still broadcast on an over-the-air network. But the reason for this post is that I have attended the race twice in person (2011 and 2025) and thought I’d share some of my experiences.
I lived in Indianapolis for a couple of years and it has some charms. I really like that size of city. The Indianpolis metropolitan area is 2.2M, about the same as Cleveland, Nashville, Columbus, Cincinnati, and… Kansas City. It’s big enough that you have all the amenities of a city, but not so large that it’s endless miles of concrete. Plus, Chicago was only a couple of hours up the interstate if I needed anything larger.
Generally, I liked the people, and didn’t care for the weather. The climate wasn’t that different from Kansas City, but it was enough. The daily mean temperature differs by only 1 degree. However, winter felt longer – a few weeks longer – and that was enough to throw off the whole year. Both years I lived there, winter arrived the first week of November and just didn’t let up. In KC, you’ll usually start to see signs of spring in February – I didn’t see that in Indy. It was well into March or later. Kansas City gets an extra 400 hours of sunshine per year, and that probably shades my perception, as well. Weather aside, though, I really liked the city.
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If you asked 100 random strangers if they knew anything about Indianapolis, the 500 likely sits atop the Family Feud list.
While the total attendance is not officially announced, they do occasionally note records like how this year was a sell-out, which means more than 350K people. That makes logistics challenging at times. Indy is no stranger to conferences or major sporting events like the Super Bowl or Final Four. But 350K people is 350K people.
Flying into Indianapolis that week can be challenging. However, you can also get creative. Many people fly into Chicago or other surrounding cities. Trivia time! There are 8 MLB stadiums within a 6-hour drive from Indianapolis. Can you name them all? Results in the comments, provided someone tries to answer. Personally, we flew into Indianapolis on the Friday before the race and flew out of Cincinnati a few days after it, visiting some friends there. The ticket cost no more than a usual airline ticket. However, I bet if you tried to do Friday to Monday to Indy, you might be paying a pretty penny.
Hotels can be similarly challenging. I lived there the first time I went so no big deal. The second time, I used hotel points to great effect. The airport hotel we stayed at is normally economical so it had a low point cost and I booked it close to a year in advance. However, if we had tried to reserve it with a month or two to go, it was running $400 a night. It was not a $400-a-night room.
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Tickets have some interesting quirks.
You can buy your tickets or better from year to year. They do ticket “renewals” every year and there’s a whole FAQ about it. For instance:
Requests for upgrade/change are processed by availability, account seniority and reorder date. Again, another reason to renew early. You gain seniority by purchasing tickets on a yearly basis on the same IMS account. Due to limited inventory and high demand in our more popular locations (Penthouses, Decks, Stands B and E), higher seniority levels will see more opportunities for improvement. Specific requests, such as aisles, front rows, etc. make upgrade requests more difficult to fulfill, so the broader your request is, the higher chance of fulfillment.
In short, if you buy your tickets through the track (not resale), you can try to upgrade your tickets each year. They mentioned something on this year’s broadcast about X number of 50-year or more ticket holders but I don’t remember the number and can’t find an article about it. Here’s a 2016 story from the local Fox station about families that have attended for decades.
In 2011, I went on a whim. I didn’t have anything else going that weekend so I bought resale tickets the week of the race. For 2025, I bought tickets in October 2024. You can apply as soon as the previous race ends, but you have less control over where you sit. I waited until single tickets went onsale and we did, fine-ish.
In 2011, I was in Paddock Section 18. In 2025, we were in Tower Terrace S78. Both times I wanted shade and was fortunate to get it. The race is long. There is a lot of pageantry before and after it. And there’s always a chance of rain. Both years, I was near-ish but before the finish line. One time I was inside the oval, the other time I was outside. There are a lot of strong feelings about the best seats in the house. My seats are on nobody’s list, but I was happy with them.
Before we go much further, we have to talk about the track and the sheer size of it. The broadcast can’t clue you in since it’s constantly cutting from camera to camera. Saying it’s a 2-and-a-half-mile oval doesn’t capture it. Even looking at it from the air doesn’t really give you an idea. One thing really brought it home to me a couple of years ago. If you have any sense (or hearing), you wear earplugs. However, if you’re in the middle of the oval, you can’t even hear the hum of the cars. I don’t really know how to convey the size of it any better, but we’ll talk about it more later.
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There are a number of events leading up to the race, though we haven’t attended any at the track. Practice laps are pretty popular as is Carb Day. Carb Day also features the Wienie 500 “where six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles traded paint — or at least ketchup and mustard bragging rights — in a race for the coveted Borg-Wiener Trophy”.
Also, there’s a cool Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum at the track. I don’t think it’s open the day of the race and I wouldn’t even try. I remember taking the tour on a bus around the track back when I was a teenager.
Saturday, before the race, the 500 Festival Parade rumbles through downtown Indianapolis. It’s your usual municipal parade with local law enforcement, floats, and marching bands. We saw the Purdue “All-American” marching band and the “World’s Largest Drum”. We would also see them at the race.
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No matter how you get to the race, I think you have to pack your patience. Once again, 350K people is 350K people. While some camp there or get there (days?) in advance, the rest of us have to get there that morning. On the day of the race, dozens of streets are shut down or have alternative traffic flows.
One of the most popular ways to get there is by shuttle. Hundreds (thousands?) of buses from around the region carry people from the airport and downtown Indianapolis to the race track. This was how I got there both times.
This most recent time, we took our hotel shuttle to the airport at 7:45, waited in line a half hour, and boarded a school bus. Most of the time, we were on streets reserved for the shuttles. It still took an hour to go 12 miles.
Security and tickets were Midwesternly efficient, so we had a lot of time to explore before the race. As we were there pretty early, getting souvenirs and food was easy, too. We walked around up by the suites (I think someone accidentally left some stairs open that weren’t supposed to be).
We went down by the Pagoda. There was a celebrity red carpet, but we were far enough away that I couldn’t see who was up there. Supposedly, Keanu Reeves and Terry Crews were there. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Michael Strahan were there, probably contractually obligated because it was on Fox. Looking through my pictures, I think I caught a picture of Crews – by which I mean, I have a picture of his orange jacket and white pants walking up there, but you can’t see his face.
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Wikipedia has an entire page entitled “Indianapolis 500 Traditions” and I couldn’t possibly do it justice. Pomp and circumstance abound.
I’m going to miss some, but these are ones that I remember:
Multiple parade laps for various VIPs – like former winners, celebrities, and the Festival Queen
Parade lap of vintage cars – a half dozen or so older cars – from the very old to more recent – take a lap
Military appreciation lap
Driver introductions – they all go up to the podium by rows
Then it’s almost time to race. From the above page:
The pre-race ceremonies usually go in the following order: * Invocation * “Taps” * “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America” * “The Star-Spangled Banner” followed by flyover * “Drivers to your cars” command * “Back Home Again in Indiana” (accompanied by a balloon release until 2021) * Starting command
YMMV with each individual item, but I think the package as a whole lends an air of importance to the proceedings.
* * * * *
After that, it’s race time.
I don’t know how to describe what 200 mph looks like. But this is the only place I’ve seen it. Sure, you go faster in an airplane. But your frame of reference is skewed by three dimensions.
I also can’t describe what 200 mph sounds like. The TV broadcast tries to do it justice, but there’s no way to adequately replicate that sound.
You can’t see the whole track – it’s just too big – and somehow they race around this 2.5-mile circle in about 30 seconds. Then there’s pit strategy and the alternate strategy and the cautions and all the stuff that makes up the race.
However, we didn’t just sit there and watch all 200 laps. We watched a few dozen and then started wandering. The whole environment is interesting.
The Goodyear blimp soared above the race. That seems a good way to try and capture the scale
We walked around for over an hour and barely covered a quarter of the infield
There are giant walkways that go under the race track. You can hear and feel the rumble of the cars as they go over
In 2011, I could get really close to the track – there were fences and barriers up – but I was maybe 20 feet away from the cars at the closest spot and just feel the speed. In 2025, we couldn’t get nearly this close.
You can walk over by pit row. Team members are running back and forth with rows of tires and tools and you can get remarkably close
There’s a giant concert stage in the middle. From there, you can’t hear much of the race, if any
We made our way back to our seats with 50ish laps to go. Without cautions, it can take less than half an hour. With cautions, a bit more.
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The 2011 race was one of the more notable in history as rookie J. R. Hildebrand hit the wall in the final turn and was passed by Dan Wheldon. The 2025 was dramatic as Álex Palou held off Marcus Ericsson and there were no lead changes after lap 187.
After the race, there is more ceremony: the victory lap, the milk, the kissing of the bricks. It’s fun, but it’s also at the end of a long day.
Then you have to find your way out of the speedway, line up for shuttles, and make your way home. I think it’s safe to say it’s a bit of a drinky crowd and, in the hour we were standing in line for shuttles, our son learned some colorful new language.
We had a similar experience with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade a couple of years ago in New York City – maybe I’ll write about it one of these days. I can’t imagine doing this year after year – it’s just a lot. However, it’s neat to experience at least once. In future years, when we’re watching, we can do the “remember when”s and look back fondly.
I guess I could use “Back Home Again in Indiana” here. But I thought the better video was the final crazy lap from this year:
Apr 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Zach Agnos (36) celebrates after defeating the New York Mets 3-0 at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Zach Agnos loves doing impressions.
So when the outgoing 25-year-old got the text from Warren Schaeffer telling him he’d be starting instead of waiting in the bullpen on May 21 vs. the Diamondbacks, Agnos stuck with his pregame routine. That includes mimicking some of his teammates, including the pitchers he works with day in and day out.
“I like impersonating Tomo Sugano. He always gets kind of jokingly upset when I do his impersonation, but he’s a good sport about it,” Agnos told Purple Row. “And [Juan] Mejia, I think my best one is probably Mejia, but the one I like doing the most is Sugano.”
Even with the weight of his first start since high school seven years ago on his shoulders, Agnos knew that the best thing he could do was just be himself. When asked to elaborate on that, Agnos offered details on what he’s like with his teammates inside the Colorado clubhouse.
“We have this little soccer game — a flick soccer game in there. I’ll play darts, just kind of being loose, having fun, cracking jokes, and impersonating some people. It’s a lot of laughs and smiles,” Agnos said. “It’s always the same thing. I came out, warmed up, played soccer with the guys before, so just the same thing all the time.”
Agnos made his MLB debut with the Rockies in April last season after being selected in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by Colorado out of East Carolina. In his young career, he’s 1-3 with a 6.42 ERA in 45 innings with 44 strikeouts, six saves and three holds. In his rookie season, he mostly worked as a late-inning reliever, often in set-up or closer roles.
This season, Agnos’s 36 innings have already surpassed his 31.1 in 2025. In those 36 innings, he has put up a 6.25 ERA in 15 appearances with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks.
Agnos, who grew up playing shortstop before transitioning to pitching, is also showing more versatility. Outside of his start on May 21 — when he threw five scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and four strikeouts — Agnos has served as a long reliever. Eight of his starts have been two innings or longer, with five of those going at least three innings.
Even though Agnos got a no-decision and the Rockies lost in the lone start of his MLB career, 2-1, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer was impressed with his performance.
“He exceeded expectations — fantastic job taking the ball, throwing up five zeros,” Schaeffer said. “I know he’s done it a couple of times this year, where he’s gone three or four innings, but this is uncharted territory for him, and he’s doing it for the team. I can’t praise him enough. He was efficient with his pitches. Fantastic job by Ags.”
Whether it’s the first, the sixth or the ninth inning, Agnos said he sticks to his same approach to pitching. Thanks to his offseason work and preparation from the Rockies pitching staff, he was able to remain calm and manage his excitement for his start. Agnos let his coaches’ advice of “don’t change anything” be his guide.
“In the couple of outings leading up to the start, I was back to being myself in zone with a lot of my pitches. That was our goal — just to stick to that game plan and attack hitters,” Agnos said. “A big word that they use with me is suffocation, meaning just suffocate the hitters with the sinker, cutter, slider, sweeper and splitter. Suffocate them with that in the zone, because it’s going to be a tough at-bat.”
In his 4.1-inning appearance preceding his start, Agnos limited the Diamondbacks to two runs on four hits with no walks and one strikeout after relieving a struggling Kyle Freeland in the fourth inning on May 15. Agnos entered the game with the bases loaded and only gave up one run in an inning that could have been much worse.
Despite the high pitch counts he’s seen this season — 67 vs. the Padres on April 23, 57 against the Diamondbacks on May 15 and 71 on May 21 — Agnos is taking it well.
“My arm feels great,” Agnos said. “I think when you’re rolling in a rhythm, and especially when you’re on the same page as Goody [Hunter Goodman] and [pitching coach] Alon [Leichman], I think the feeling kind of goes away, and it’s just straight compete mode.”
Like most Rockies pitchers, Agnos has had his ups and downs this season. His most recent outing, and the follow-up to his amazing start, was one of those downs. In a two-inning appearance out of the bullpen, he gave up seven runs on six hits, including two homers, with one walk and one strikeout against the Dodgers on May 26.
With the Rockies pitching staff being hit hard by the injury this season, including Thursday’s announcement of José Quintana being placed on the 60-day IL with a left elbow sprain, the Rockies will need lots of innings from Agnos.
When it comes to pitching or starting, Agnos said he doesn’t have a preference and just wants to help the team.
“I just love pitching,” Agnos said. “I love going out there and competing, and playing with the guys behind me, so it doesn’t matter.”
Even though the Isotopes got out-hit 12-11, they out-scored El Paso by taking advantage of nine walks and a five-run fourth inning to earn a victory on Thursday. Nic Kent hit two doubles, drove in two runs, scored two more and added a single, Jose Cordova doubled and drove in three runs and Kyle McCann got two hits, scored two runs and drove in two more, in addition to drawing three walks. Domingo Acevedo had a decent start, giving up three runs on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Sammy Peralta threw 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win.
Benny Montgomery hit a two-run homer and Aidan Longwell hit two doubles to help Hartford jump out a 5-0 lead after three innings on way to a win Thursday. Connoir Staine picked up the win to improve to 4-1 on the season after throwing 6.2 innings with six strikeouts, only allowing three runs on five hits with two walks. Conner Capel added two hits, scored two runs and drove in another while Fidel Ulloa allowed one run in 2.1 innings, but shut down the Curve when it mattered to get his third save of the season.
Tri City rallied with a two-run eighth inning to pull off an upset over the Indians on Thursday. Jack O’Dowd homered in the first inning to put Spokane up 2-0. After the Indians fell behind 3-2 in the third, O’Dowd tied the game with a triple in the sixth. Max Belyeu kept the rally going with an RBI double to put Spokane up 4-3. O’Dowd went 4-for-4 on the night. Bryson Hammer had a solid start, but didn’t have good defense behind him. In five innings of work, he allowed three runs, only one of which was earned. The Indians committed two errors, while striking out four and walking two. Justin Loer recorded a blown save and the loss after allowing an inherited runner to score on two singles and a sacrifice bunt.
Despite connecting for five hits, the Grizzlies struck out nine times and walked only once as they were shut out on Thursday night. Ethan Cole pitched a gem, throwing 6.1 innings and holding the Giants to one run on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts, but took the loss without any offensive support. Easton Marks added 2.2 scoreless innings to keep the Grizzlies in the game. Roldy Brito posted three of Fresno’s five hits. The Grizzlies had two runners on in the third and Tanner Thach doubled in the seventh with no outs, but that was the only two times Fresno had a runner in scoring position.
The hits just keep coming. With Chase Dollander and Ryan Feltner still on the IL, Jose Quintana was placed on the 60-day IL on Thursday. The LHP left his last start with soreness in his elbow that’s now been categorized as a left elbow sprain. The Rockies activated RHP reliever Jeff Criswell to fill Quintana’s roster spot.
Purple Row’s Samantha Bradfield checked in with Sterlin Thompson as he’s adjusting to life with the Colorado Rockies. The prospect, who was tearing up Triple-A before being called up, shared what it was like to tell his parents he was going to the Show, the crazy travel that was involved and what his impressions of MLB are like so far.
Edouard Julien is the highest-rated Rockie hitting, tied at No. 20 in MLB at five correct calls (50%). Hunter Goodman is tied for No. 6 at 26 correct challenges (66.7%). It’s interesting to see how different players and teams rank in the ABS era.
Happy Friday, everyone, and it is happy because the Cubs finally won a game! Let’s try to take that positive energy into the weekend, shall we? Before we can get to the weekend, though, we’ll round up a little bit of news from the latter part of the week.
In today’s links, we look at why Paul Skenes is so much better in night games than he is during the day. Is he a vampire? Anyone who has watched Twilight knows they prefer to play in the dark. We’ll also look at the intial proposals put forth by both MLB and MLBPA to address the upcoming CBA, and if that was a lot of initials for you, don’t worry, it’ll all make sense below. We also look at the rumor mill heating back up around Tarik Skubal, and pause to reflect on how no one is harder on Shohei Ohtani than he is on himself.
We’ve got all that and more in today’s links, so let’s just get right into it.
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 27, 2022: Coors Field at sunset during the game against the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers on June 27, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Harrison Barden/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants are back on the road this weekend, so it’s time to do our semi-regular temp check to see how everyone is feeling about how the season is going at the moment.
Personally, getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks two weeks in a row doesn’t really inspire confidence. The Diamondbacks are (as of the time this is being written) now tied with the San Diego Padres for second place in the division. And I think a lot of that had to do with the Giants losing six games against them in less than 10 days.
Meanwhile the Giants are firmly in fourth place, hovering just barely above the Colorado Rockies. And you never want to hover too close to the Rockies. You’ll get Dinger germs.
So morale for me isn’t super high right now. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The team has had more moments of fun over the last couple of weeks than their record would indicate. The results aren’t great, sure. But it’s not unwatchably bad baseball. Which I guess is a reminder that things could always get worse.
That said, they head to Colorado tonight for a three-game Coors Field series. So things could always get worse very, very quickly.
How are you feeling about the Giants at the moment?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies tonight at 5:40 p.m. PT.
May 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A view of the center field bleachers during a rainy game in the ninth inning in a game between the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
The Boston Red Sox are a tough watch.
I don’t think we’re breaking news with that statement, but the truth became impossible to ignore after their debacle of a series against the Minnesota Twins over Memorial Day Weekend.
Justin Slaten, who had quite literally been perfect to that point, ruined what was an impressive start from Payton Tolle on Friday. Jovani Moran continued to be the worst opener in the history of the sport on Saturday. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Connor Wong simultaneously pimped/hesitated on a wall-ball double that could have tied the game but ultimately served as the final of many teases on Sunday. If there’s a chance for this team to build some momentum and/or string together victories, they do the exact opposite — making them the most frustrating team to watch in baseball.
“Keagan, you can just not watch.” “I already canceled my subscription to NESN!” “SELL THE TEAM!”
I understand your sentiments, truly, but the fact of the matter is that we all know we aren’t going to just stop watching this baseball team. I just think we all need something positive to look forward to in order to get through the dog days, which is why I floated this idea on Monday’s episode of Boston Has Entered The Chat on NESN:
The Boston Red Sox have 110 games remaining in 2026.
I’ll continue watching this team because (1) I hate myself and have always been a glutton for punishment, and (2) I happen to have some contractual obligations when it comes to this particular baseball team. I don’t have to wallow in what will almost certainly be a whiplash-inducing season full of highs and lows, though!
I’ll take that frustration and channel it into something more positive, following up each of the remaining 110 Red Sox games with a viewing of an episode of the 110 episodes of hit sitcom Community! Is that dumb? Yes. Is it going to be fun, though? I hope so!
I’ll be keeping track of this little watch club over on X, so if you’d like to follow along with me, go over there and tell me how you feel about that wacky cast of characters! We can even talk about the show, too! If you’d don’t want to follow along, just be cool about it and don’t dump all over the idea.
It’s going to be an annoying summer, so let’s at least get something positive out of it!
Syracuse jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, and although Kodai Senga gave those runs right back in the bottom of the inning, the Mets scored four in the fourth. That was more than enough cushion for the unearned run that Senga allowed in the bottom of that inning and Rochester’s last run of the game in the sixth. Syracuse tacked on a couple of late insurance runs, though, and their bullpen pitched well as it covered five-and-one-third innings in relief of Senga.
It’s not often that you see the top two hitters in your lineup combined for seven stolen bases, but Chris Suero’s four and Jacob Reimer’s three combined to do just that. Unfortunately, the offensive barrage from Binghamton wasn’t enough to overcome a particularly bad outing by Jordan Geber as he pitched out of the bullpen. With Channing Austin having been placed on the injured list instead of making his Double-A debut on Wednesday, the Rumble Ponies’ bullpen has covered a lot of innings over the past two games.
A three-run lead slipped away in the fourth when Cyclones starter Noah Hall gave up three runs in the inning, and after the Cyclones regained the lead with a run in the fifth, a pair of Brooklyn relievers gave up two runs apiece in the sixth and seventh. Brooklyn scored one in the eighth, but that was it as the Cyclones—like several of the Mets’ affiliates—saw their record on the season get even worse.
A three-run top of the second turned out to be more than enough, as Mets starter Jose Chirinos settled in very nicely after allowing a run in the bottom of the first. He went on to go six innings, notch nine strikeouts, and walk just one Bradenton batter, giving up just three hits in the process.
Organisers to fine player over criticism after Kouamé loss
French Open organisers have said a “significant sanction” will be imposed on Adolfo Daniel Vallejo after the Paraguayan player said his second-round match should not have been umpired by a woman. Vallejo sparked controversy by saying his the Brazilian Ana Carvalho was unable to keep home supporters in check as he tumbled to defeat at Roland Garros, and can now expect a fine.
Vallejo was facing the French teenager Moïse Kouamé on Thursday in what turned out to be one of the matches of the tournament so far. Kouamé, 17, was roared on by compatriots on Court Suzanne Lenglen, eventually winning 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) after four hours and 56 minutes.
The Boston Bruins, for the first time in a while, have a lot of good trade assets to use in the offseason to make substantial roster improvements.
But will general manager Don Sweeney be able to use his improved prospect pool and boatload of draft picks to find any deals to his liking?
The Bruins far exceeded expectations last season. After finishing with the fifth-worst record in the 2024-25 campaign, Boston ended the 2025-26 season with the league’s eighth-best record (45-27-10, 100 points) and a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Despite the positive steps taken in the regular season, the playoffs were a painful reminder of how much the Bruins still lack the needed amount of elite skill and speed to compete at the highest level. The B’s lost to the Buffalo Sabres in a six-game first-round series.
Making it back to the playoffs in 2027 won’t be easy for the Bruins. They need roster upgrades at key positions, specifically at center and the right side of the blue line.
Let’s look at seven players the Bruins should consider pursuing on the trade market.
Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis Blues
2025-26 Stats: 25 G, 39 A in 64 GP
Contract: $8.125 million, expires after 2030-31 season
Thomas is exactly what the Bruins need most: A true No. 1 center in the prime of his career. The B’s have not been able to find this kind of player since Patrice Bergeron retired after the 2022-23 campaign. They signed Elias Lindholm to a seven-year, $54.25 million deal in 2024 free agency to be that kind of center, and so far that experiment has been a huge failure.
Thomas is just 26 years old and an elite playmaker who can also score 25-30 goals. He tallied 64 points in 64 games this past season and posted 80-plus points in each of the previous two seasons.
The cost to get Thomas would be extraordinarily high.
The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reported on Feb. 26 that the Blues were seeking “three first-half-of-the-first-round assets ahead of the trade deadline. For example, that could mean an established young player, a drafted prospect and a draft pick who were all selected or could be taken in the first 15 or so picks.”
Chris Johnston wrote in The Athletic earlier this week that “the Blues attached an incredibly high price to Thomas while gauging interest ahead of the trade deadline and won’t be lowering the ask this summer.”
True first-line centers signed long-term at 26 years old are franchise building blocks. Drafting and developing is the best way to acquire one because they almost never get to free agency and cost a ton via trade.
Mason McTavish, C, Anaheim Ducks
2025-26 Stats: 17 G, 24 A in 75 GP
Contract: $7 million salary cap hit, expires after 2030-31 season
McTavish had a tough year in Anaheim. He saw his scoring drop by 11 points from the previous season and was a healthy scratch in multiple 2026 playoff games. His 12:25 of ice time per game in the postseason was almost three minutes less than his regular season playing time.
“I have zero evidence to suggest the Anaheim Ducks are the ones picking up the phone and calling teams about him,” The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote Wednesday. “But I know for a fact that several teams have inquired about him. He’s coming off a season in which he regressed after a contract stalemate delayed his start.”
McTavish tallied career highs of 22 goals and 30 assists during the 2024-25 campaign. Can he get back to, or exceed, that kind of offensive production on a different team? Maybe. He’s 23 years old and has an impressive offensive skill set. He is a strong playmaker (high-end passing and vision) who also has the ability to score 20-plus goals. He plays with a physical edge, too.
There’s risk with McTavish, though. If he doesn’t take his scoring production to another level — 70 to 80 points, for example — he could be just another expensive center not worthy of a top-six role on a contender. The Bruins already have one of those centers in Elias Lindholm.
Jason Robertson, LW, Dallas Stars
2025-26 Stats: 45 G, 51 A in 82 GP
Contract: RFA this summer
David Pastrnak is the only Bruins player since 2003 to score 40-plus goals in a season. He needs help — someone who can take on some of the scoring burden.
Robertson would be capable of doing that. He scored 45 goals and dished out 51 assists for the Stars this past season. He has scored 35-plus goals four times and has tallied at least 79 points in each of the last five seasons. Robertson has played well in the playoffs, too, posting 52 points in 62 career postseason games. He was especially effective in this year’s playoffs with six goals and two assists in six games.
Jason Robertson has scored a goal in SIX-STRAIGHT playoff games for the Stars going back to the 2025 postseason.
Robertson is a truly elite offensive player. The question is whether the Stars, who don’t have much salary cap space, will be able to pay him what he wants.
“The Stars have been adamant about their desire to sign the prolific scoring winger to a long-term extension, but finding the right number hasn’t been easy,” The Athletic’s Chris Johnston recently wrote in his trade board column. “Robertson has a case to exceed teammate Mikko Rantanen’s $12 million annual salary, given the 18 percent jump in the salary cap since Rantanen signed his deal.”
If Roberson actually becomes available on the trade market, the Bruins should at the very least pick up the phone and see how much it would cost to make a deal. He is exactly the kind of high-end goal scorer the B’s need.
Mavrik Bourque, C, Dallas Stars
2025-26 Stats: 20 G, 21 A, 82 GP
Contract: RFA this summer
If a trade for Robertson isn’t an option, then a pursuit of Bourque would make sense. Bourque has star potential, but it’s fair to wonder if he can reach his ceiling in Dallas with so many talented forwards ahead of him in the Stars’ loaded lineup.
Bourque tallied career highs with 20 goals, 21 assists and 82 games played this past season. His 36 even-strength points would have ranked fifth-most among B’s forwards.
The 2020 first-round pick could potentially be a No. 2 center in the near future, but on a contender he’s probably a very good No. 3 center. Either way, Bourque is a player who could thrive in a larger role on another team.
Shane Wright, C, Seattle Kraken
2025-26 Stats: 12 G, 15 A in 74 GP
Contract: $886,666 salary cap hit, expires after 2026-27 season
Wright is an interesting buy-low candidate. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft but hasn’t developed as expected, particularly offensively. Wright tallied 27 points this past season after posting a career-high 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in the 2024-25 campaign. He is a smart playmaker who is responsible defensively and still has plenty of room for growth offensively. Wright is capable of being a 20-goal scorer.
He is entering the final year of his entry-level contract. Could he thrive with a change of scenery? It’s possible. There are many reasons to believe Wright still hasn’t played his best hockey yet.
Olen Zellweger, D, Anaheim Ducks
2025-26 Stats: 7 G, 15 A in 76 GP
Contract: RFA this summer
The Ducks have a ton of defensemen able to hit free agency this summer, including captain Radko Gudas, John Carlson, Jacob Trouba and Zellweger.
Zellweger is just 22 years old and has shown a lot of potential as a puck-moving defenseman who plays with speed and skill. He’s also excellent at zone entries, which could make him valuable on the power play.
Zellweger was in and out of the Ducks’ lineup during the playoffs and appeared in just three of their 12 games over two rounds. He did, however, score a pretty clutch goal late in Game 5 of the second-round series versus the Vegas Golden Knights.
Zellweger is a left shot, which does not address the Bruins’ need for more depth on the right side of the blue line. He’s also not a shutdown defenseman with imposing physical traits. But his offensive skill and skating are impressive enough to considering pursuing him via trade.
Simon Nemec, D, New Jersey Devils
2025-26 Stats: 11 G, 15 A in 68 GP
Contract: RFA this summer
The Devils have a decision to make soon on Nemec’s future because he’ll be an RFA in July.
The No. 2 overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft is listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. He’s a very good skater, he’s an excellent puck-mover, he shoots the puck a ton, and he has the ability to score 10-plus goals. His speed and ability to skate out of trouble in the defensive zone is something the Bruins desperately need after they struggled so much with the Sabres’ relentless forecheck during the 2026 playoffs. He’s also a right-shot, and the Bruins really need another one of those players on their blue line.
Nemec has underwhelmed a bit over three seasons with the Devils, but he has a ton of talent. Taking a gamble on Nemec reaching his potential is a safer bet than giving a huge long-term contract to a UFA defenseman such as Darryn Raddysh or Rasmus Andersson.
A change of scenery and a larger role could greatly benefit Nemec.
“Claude Lemieux, a true legend of the game, and one of the fiercest competitors hockey has ever seen, has passed away,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.
“Claude was a friend to the family, and a tremendous ‘Trump’ supporter.”
Claude Lemieux is honored at the Colorado Avalanche 30th anniversary on Dec. 11, 2025. NHLI via Getty ImagesFormer Montreal Canadiens player Claude Lemieux holds a torch as he enters the arena before Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference on May 25, 2026. Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP
Trump gushed over Lemieux’s achievements on the ice – particularly the four Stanley Cup wins he achieved with Montreal, New Jersey, and Colorado.
“Claude will be missed by all who love winning and toughness,” Trump signed off the post, including a MAGA hashtag.
Lemieux, 60, was found dead by his adult son in the warehouse of a furniture store owned by his family in Florida at around 3 a.m. after they became concerned he had not returned home, TMZ first reported.
Lemieux’s son Brendan, a professional ice hockey player in Switzerland, paid tribute to his dad on Instagram. He said, “I love you dad! My son’s favorite person is going to watch from above for a while. We will see you.”
Brendan, 30, shared a photo taken on the ice – where Claude was seen beaming as he held his grandson.
Brendan previously told USA Today in 2014 following the NHL draft that his dad was his “biggest role model on and off the ice.”
President Donald Trump dedicated a Truth Social post to “tremendous” supporter Claude Lemieux. AFP via Getty Images
“I’m proud of the career he had,” he said.
“I’m proud of the way he played, how hated he was. I just love that about him. I definitely want to follow in his footsteps. I want to be the guy that can step up and be that playoff performer.”
The late NHL star’s daughter Claudia Lemieux, 28, shared a remembrance from the New Jersey Devils, for whom her dad played two stints from 1990 through 1995 and then again in 1999-2000.
Claude Lemieux played for a number of teams during his career — including the New Jersey Devils. AP Photo/BILL KOSTROUN
“No words to express the level of devastation we feel,” she wrote under the post on her Instagram Story. “I love you forever daddy. Forever your only girl.”
The Devils described Lemieux, who was nicknamed “Pepe,” as a “clutch player on the ice” and someone who was “widely respected throughout the NHL – both as a trusted agent and valued colleague.”
“Claude leaves behind a lasting legacy within our game that he gave so much to,” the Devils said.
Claude Lemieux holds up the Stanley Cup after the Montreal Canadiens won in 1986. Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images
During his stellar career, Lemieux won his first Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986 before scooping the prize with the New Jersey Devils in 1995 and Colorado Avalanche the following year.
He won his fourth Stanley Cup in 2000 after re-signing with the Devils.
Lemieux, who became a player agent after he retired, scored 80 postseason goals, the ninth-most all-time.
Lemieux recorded 379 goals and 407 assists in 1,215 regular-season games, and had 158 points in 234 playoff matches.
Claude Lemieux with his son, Brendan. Instagram / @brendan_lemieux
He played 1,449 regular-season and playoff games with six different teams from 1983-2009, finishing with Phoenix, Dallas and San Jose.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called Lemieux “one of the greatest big-game players in hockey history.”
With Post wires
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for free and confidential crisis counseling.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 27: Nate Ament #10 of the Tennessee Volunteers dribbles the ball against Milan Momcilovic #22 of the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half of a NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Sweet Sixteen game at the United Center on March 27, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. The Tennessee Volunteers won the game 76-62. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You’ve heard it a thousand times: “The 2026 NBA Draft is deep.” But how deep does it go, and who will be available by the time the Dallas Mavericks are on the clock with the ninth overall pick? There are tiers in this draft. The first four picks are the obvious standouts from this past season: AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson. The next tier of players gets more muddled and can vary depending on the specific team’s needs (and who you talk to). The fifth through 10th spots are the ones experts don’t agree on, but the talent is there. That tier includes names like: Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings, Brayden Burries, and Nate Ament. There hasn’t been as much chatter about Ament, but he’s a prospect worth taking a deep dive into.
The basics
Nathaniel Ament, born December 10, 2006, enters this year’s draft as one of the top forwards available. The 19-year-old was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players entering the 2025 college basketball season. Ament led the Tennessee Volunteers to a 25-12 record, averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
He grew up in Manassas, Virginia, and initially attended Colgan High School. He scored a mere 53 points his entire freshman season. After an underwhelming start to his high school career, Ament busted out of his shell as a sophomore, scoring 18.2 points per game and adding 9 rebounds. Following his sophomore season, he transferred to Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia. In his junior year, he showcased his ability to be elite on both ends of the floor, averaging 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, and 3.7 assists per game. Following his standout season, he signed a shoe deal with Reebok. His senior season did not disappoint as he averaged 18.9 points per game, 10.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks. Ament was named the 2024–2025 Virginia Boys Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year, earning him a spot in the 2025 McDonald’s All-American game. The Virginia standout led Highland to a 39-6 record and the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association Division I state championship.
Ament was highly coveted as he entered college and ultimately committed to Tennessee after receiving offers from Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisville. The Tennessee Volunteers made it to the elite eight in the 2026 NCAA tournament, but got routed by Michigan 95-62. In his final game, Ament had one of his worst showings of the season, posting 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. After the season, he was named second-team All-SEC and All-Freshman Team. While he may not be considered at the top of this draft class, his talent has been recognized leaguewide entering the 2026 draft.
The good
Ament is the type of forward the modern NBA team covets. The 6’10, 210-pound Volunteer is a long and fluid forward who is a rare blend of size, perimeter skill, and versatility. He also has a natural feel for the game that’s hard to teach. His size allows him to shoot over defenders with relative ease. He’s listed at 6’10 but has a 7’1 wingspan and 9’ standing reach. Although his shooting numbers weren’t great this year, he showed significant improvement as the season went on. On 16.7 points per game, Ament shot 40% from the floor (4.9 makes/12.3 attempts per game). His 3-point shot needs some work at just 33% (1.3 makes/3.9 attempts per game). He’s around average or a touch above average from the free-throw line for a forward at 79%.
Although the numbers don’t look ideal, Ament’s upside is legitimate. His shot is still a little raw, but his technique is there and just needs some fine-tuning and more volume. He shows a strong feel for the game with composure and awareness, operating comfortably facing the basket. He’s also showcased a great touch on fadeaway jumpers and mid-post scoring situations, where he often exploits mismatches. He shot 43% in the midrange with a 45% effective field goal percentage.
Ament is also very coordinated for his size, and that allows him to handle the ball and make plays in ways uncommon for his frame. He’s shown flashes of point-forward qualities, as he’s able to grab-and-go in transition, make reads on the move, and facilitate in space. He’s an ideal hybrid for a positionless NBA. In 30 minutes per game, he averaged only 2.3 turnovers per game. For his usage rate and position, you’ll take those numbers all day long.
The room to improve
What scouts get excited about with Ament, they also get a little nervous about. His shooting consistency and efficiency are key concerns, as reflected in his 40% field goal and 33% three-point shooting splits. Injuries have played a part and impacted his rhythm and development, particularly a right leg injury in February that sidelined him for four weeks until the SEC tournament. But injuries happen in the NBA, too, and if he can’t find a solid footing with his shot, he won’t reach elite status. His total shooting percentage should ideally be around 45%, and his three-point percentage in the 35-37% range as a forward.
Ament’s foot speed is adequate but not a strength, which can make it more challenging to consistently create separation off the dribble and fully maximize his ball-handling ability. Drives are more effective when he has momentum, but he can struggle to generate speed and separation from a standstill in half-court situations.
Defensively, he’s good, but there are still some concerns — particularly guarding in space and navigating screens, where his foot speed and strength are tested. The NBA has stronger, faster, and more mobile athletes. If Ament wants to at least be an average defender in the NBA, he’ll need more quickness, especially laterally, trying to stay in front of the league’s best offensive players.
Fit with the Mavericks
Outside the top four to five prospects, the player a team takes will hinge more on the specific needs of the team, rather than talent alone. For that reason, choosing Nate Ament with the ninth pick may not make a ton of sense for the Mavericks, unless they choose to trade someone like P.J. Washington for more future picks (remember, Dallas doesn’t own their own first-round pick again until 2031). The Mavericks are in desperate need of more guards and shooting, and there will likely be better options still available at nine. Ament isn’t a guard, and his shooting is spotty. As they currently sit, the Mavericks have P.J. Washington, Marvin Bagley III, Dwight Powell, Tyler Smith, and Daniel Gafford listed as power forwards. Of course, many of those guys interchangeably play center, too, but you get the point. Size is not a problem for Dallas. Ament will be a great fit for many teams, just not this one.
Player comparison
Ament is frequently compared to players like Jabari Smith Jr. and Jonathan Isaac. This past season for the Rockets, Smith Jr. averaged 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 45.0%, 36.3% from three, and 77.5% from the free throw line. He’s known for his ability to face up and shoot over the top of defenders, finding crafty ways to drive and score, and he can hit the occasional three. While he’s not a franchise-altering player, Smith Jr. has been a solid piece for the Rockets as they’ve rebuilt themselves into a West contender. Jonathan Isaac has similar characteristics but is a touch more defensive-focused than Smith Jr. Isaac does a lot of his damage inside and on short shots in the post. At his peak, Isaac averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. He shot 47.0% from the floor, 34.0% from three, and 77.9% from the free-throw line. Isaac has been a solid anchor on both ends of the floor for the Magic as they’ve returned to prominence in recent years.
No matter what type of player he evolves into, Ament has the promise of being at worst a solid role player and at best an elite two-way guy that any team needs to win a championship.
Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) shoots against Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
There are always several players in the NBA Draft who just know how to play the game at a high level. They make the right plays, are always in the right spots, and are efficient in almost everything they do. This year, one of those players is Bennett Stirtz out of Iowa. Stirtz has an amazing combination of ball skills, shooting ability and high IQ that makes him one of the more solid point guard prospects, and he could help any team with what he provides.
It’s a list of things that Stirtz does well, but the thing that jumps out the most that will help him at the next level is his play in the pick-and-roll. Whatever Iowa needed Stirtz to do out of that play, he executed it and made something out of it. He knows how to create easy shots for himself, whether that’s getting crafty and going to the rim or creating a shot on the perimeter. He averaged 19.8 points per game, and it’s safe to say most of his points came out of the pick-and-roll.
When it comes to his playmaking, his assist numbers don’t do him much justice (4.4 per game), but he makes the right play. He hits the roller with a perfect pass, or he might make a skip pass to an open shooter. These are the type of intangibles a team would want, and Stirtz has it on offense.
What makes him even more of an efficient prospect is his shooting numbers. He shot 36% from behind the arc, and in his junior season with Drake, he shot 40%. That should be enough to show that he can knock it down at a high level, and in different situations. Though he thrives in pick-and-roll, he was also good playing off ball, and his catch-and-shoot ability worked well in Iowa. Unfortunately, when it comes to creating his own shot, Stirtz falls short in that category, but if he’s doing everything else right on offense, it may not be a big issue for teams.
The reason for his lack of shot creation is attributed to his athleticism. When looking at the mix of guards that are projected to go in the lottery, they all have some sort of speed, strength, or twitch that helps their game. As for Stirtz, he just doesn’t have that extra burst, which could limit him on offense if you’re asking him to go get a bucket in isolation.
His lack of athleticism also bleeds into the other side of the ball, where he can be taken advantage of at the point of attack. He’s not the worst defender, but Iowa usually sat him in the corner against the opposing team’s worst offensive player, which is what might happen at the next level. The thing is, camping him in the corner at the next level isn’t going to work all the time, especially if teams are looking to attack him.
Of course, the other thing that is always questionable about prospects is their age, and Stirtz will be 22 years old on draft day. At the end of the day, Stirtz has the skills to play at the next level, and age shouldn’t deter teams away from drafting him.
The Hawks could look at Stirtz as a guy to draft late in the first round. The two areas of need for them are guard and center, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were on their draft board. He seems like a guy who would fit in perfectly in Quin Snyder’s system, but his lack of shot creation may be something that could make them lose interest.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MAY 24: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center on May 24, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Eighty-two regular season games. One Emirates Cup Final. Five games in round one of the playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers. It took six games to eliminate the Minnesota Timberwolves. And last night the Spurs evened the Western Conference Finals at three games apiece.
By my count —and I am a math teacher after all — that is 100 games.
The Spurs are heading back to Oklahoma City in a winner-take-all Game 7. Their 101st game.
Basketball 101.
The biggest factor for the Spurs in wins versus losses comes down to Victor Wembanyama.
In Games 1 and 4, the Spurs won when Wemby scored over 30 points. In the losses in Games 2, 3, and 5, Victor scored 21, 26, and 20 respectively.
Last night in Game 6, Wembanyama scored 22 points in the first half. He ended the night with 28 points, but he played sparingly in the second half as the Spurs pushed the game out of reach during the 3rd quarter.
By comparison, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in Game 6 and sat out the entire 4th quarter. This is the second loss in a row at the Frost Bank Center where Mark Daigneault has kept his MVP out of the final frame.
The Spurs did a fantastic job in the elimination game of limiting SGA to just three free throws. Over the series, they have frustrated his shooting game, forcing him to score from the line. Reducing his trips to the charity stripe paired with the Spurs defense on him has been paramount in taking the series to a Game 7.
Meanwhile, both teams have suffered injuries.
From the Spurs side, De’Aaron Fox have been pushing through a high ankle sprain, and though he’s not a hundred percent, he is able to steer the ship when needed. Dylan Harper also suffered a right adductor injury. He played through but was not producing. If Game 6 was any indication, Harper is better and ready to battle.
For the Thunder, Jalen Williams (J-Dub) has missed much of the Western Conference Finals with a hamstring injury. Though he came off the bench in Game 6, he scored only 1 point in ten minutes of playing time.
The Thunder have also utilized Alex Caruso as a difference maker. Other than the doule-overtime loss in Game 1, Caruso scored 17, 15, and 22 in the Thunder victories, a key component to their success. But in the losses they endured in San Antonio, Caruso scored 0 and 7 respectively.
While the Spurs have exhibited balance all season — they were close to having eight players averging double figures in the regular season — their wins and losses in this series align with Victor Wembanyama.
So the real question is, which Wemby will hit the hardwood in Oklahoma’s capital Saturday night?
Victor has made his intentions clear. He shares his emotions readily and he does not hide his frustration when he does not perform at his best. But this is win or go home.
He will be the focal point of the Thunder’s defense. He should expect double teams and clogging in the paint, which is an asset when he’s dishing to Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and De’Aaron Fox, provided they are hitting open threes.
The version of him from Games 3 and 5 that looked winded, missed shots, and hung around the three-point line instead of making a play for the paint cannot step onto the court Saturday night.
It is imperative the same confident superstar that came out of the gate hitting threes in Game 6 dominates the reigning champions. For 48 minutes, the Spurs must execute.
For most on the team, this is just another in the series of “firsts” they have experienced this season.
Victor has to impose his will to ensure this is the first of many.
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May 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) waves to the fans after the Phillies beat the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Well, Friday is here. The Phillies are about to start a three-game set in Los Angeles. Tonight’s start time is 10:15. Tomorrow night’s is earlier…. by five minutes. Break out the coffee.
D.J. Short
Matthew Pouliot
