TORONTO (AP) — Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist on a pair of first-period power plays as the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Brayden Schenn scored his first goal since being acquired from St. Louis ahead of the trade deadline, and Emil Heineman also scored for the Islanders, who have won nine of 12.
Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for New York, and Mathew Barzal had three assists.
Steven Lorentz scored for Toronto. Joseph Woll stopped 31 shots.
The Leafs fell to 2-1-1 since losing captain Auston Matthews for the season to a knee injury — a run on the heels of an ugly 0-6-2 slide that all but cratered their playoff hopes.
New York’s Matthew Schaefer picked up an assist to move within one point of becoming the fourth rookie defenseman in franchise history to reach 50 in a season. The 18-year-old is looking to join Stefan Persson (56 in 1977-78), Denis Potvin (54 in 1973-74) and Vladimir Malakhov (52 in 1992-93).
Schenn scored on the game’s first power play at 4:15 of the first. Ritchie doubled New York’s lead at 9:43, also with the man advantage.
Toronto entered Tuesday with the NHL’s third-best penalty kill at 83.5 percent. New York’s power play was 29th at 15.9 percent.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored 4:38 into overtime as the Montreal Canadiens edged the Boston Bruins 3-2 in a rivalry matchup Tuesday night.
Caufield tapped a pass from Nick Suzuki into the back of the net for his 40th of the season, becoming the first Canadien to reach the mark since Vincent Damphousse in 1993-94.
Suzuki and Josh Anderson also scored while Jakub Dobes made 26 saves for Montreal, which snapped a two-game losing skid.
Brendan Gallagher picked up an assist in his 900th NHL game, all for Montreal.
Pavel Zacha had both goals for Boston, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots.
The Canadiens sat third in the Atlantic Division and one point ahead of the Bruins — with one game in hand — heading into Tuesday’s games.
Zacha opened the scoring on the power play 2:22 into the first period when he shoveled home a backhand after Alexandre Carrier’s double-minor for high-sticking put the Canadiens on a four-minute penalty kill.
Suzuki replied at 10:30, casually deking to his backhand following a net-front pass from Juraj Slafkovsky to beat Swayman and tie the game.
Five minutes into the second period, Zacha tipped Viktor Arvidsson’s pass for his second of the night after defensive-zone confusion between Montreal’s Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen left the Bruins center all alone in front of the net. Anderson evened the score again at 13:15 in the second with a deflection on Hutson’s point shot.
Bruins star winger David Pastrnak extended his point streak against Montreal to 14 games, tying Bobby Orr for the longest by a Bruins player against the Canadiens.
MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 17: Tanner Jeannot (84) of the Boston Bruins wrestles with Alexandre Carrier (45) of the Montréal Canadiens during the second period of the NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens on Mar 17, 2026, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was déja vu all over again for the Bruins, as for the second night in a row, they gave away a lead and lost late in overtime.
This time, it was a Cole Caufield goal with 22 seconds left in the extra session that sank the B’s, giving Montreal an important 3-2 win in this Atlantic Division showdown.
Pavel Zacha scored both Bruins goals, while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves in defeat.
The Bruins had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in this game, only to see the Habs respond about eight minutes later in each case.
After a scoreless third period, Montreal emerged on top after a back-and-forth OT that saw the teams trade a few chances.
Overall, this was a pretty evenly played game, but one that ends with further frustration for the B’s as they squandered a point for the second time in 24 hours.
Zacha got the scoring started with a power play goal two minutes into the game, making it 1-0 Bruins.
That would remain the score through the third period and until late in overtime, when Cole Caufield scored with 22 seconds left to win the game for Montreal.
I suppose you can look on the bright side and say that the Bruins took four points out of a possible six on this three-game road trip, but it doesn’t really feel like a “glass half full” vibe at the moment. In a vacuum, this was a tight game that game down to Montreal making one extra play, but it becomes more frustrating when paired with last night’s unraveling in New Jersey.
The Bruins could have used more from their power play tonight, as they were given four opportunities with the man advantage, a rarity for a road game in Montreal. While they cashed in on one of those, the first half of a double minor early in the first period, they came up empty the rest of the way.
I know 3-on-3 OT usually ends up in a chaotic mix of guys swirling around, but I’m not sure the decision to let Caufield set up camp all alone in the crease was the best decision. Just a suggestion for the future.
Zacha had a chance for a fairy tale ending in this one, as he was sprung for a breakaway in OT about a minute before Caufield’s winner.
That winner was Caufield’s 40th goal of the season, the first time he has hit that mark in the NHL.
While he ultimately takes the loss, Swayman played well for the Bruins in this one. I’m not sure how you fault him for any of the three Montreal goals.
While a point certainly doesn’t hurt the Bruins, things got a little tighter near the wild card spots thanks to Columbus’s 5-1 pasting of Carolina.
The B’s currently find themselves in the first wild card spot due to a regulation wins tiebreaker over Detroit, with Columbus just a point back of both teams.
The Bruins will be off on Wednesday before hosting the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden on Thursday night. A huge game against the Red Wings in Detroit will follow on Saturday night.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 17: Brayden Schenn #10 celebrates scoring a goal against the New York Islanders with his teammates during the first period at the Scotiabank Arena on March 17, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Unsurprisingly in the lead up to this game, all the media attention for the New York Islanders was on rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer, who is from Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up going to Toronto Maple Leafs games. Blah, blah, you’ve heard it all before. But it would be a different rookie from the Toronto area who dominated the scoresheet tonight, as Cal Ritchie, also playing in his first game against the Maple Leafs (or should I say the St. Pats?) in Toronto, picked up a goal and an assist in the first period, both coming on the power play.
Ritchie set up Brayden Schenn’s first as an Islander before scoring what would be the eventual game winner himself, showing off in front of his family and friends. And Schaefer picked up an assist on Ritchie’s game winner, while Mathew Barzal, noted Leaf killer, assisted on all three goals, and he’s now up to 25 points in 21 games against the Maple Leafs.
Big win, and a solid start to a Canadian road trip, since Columbus won yet again and Boston picked up a point against Montreal.
William Nylander had a chance early that Ilya Sorokin saved after an Islanders giveaway.
After Cal Ritchie took a light slash on a developing 2 on 1, the Islanders went to the power play. On that power play, Mat Barzal passed the puck off to Ritchie, who went for a behind the back pass to Brayden Schenn, who scored his first goal as a New York Islander.
Adam Pelech took a hooking penalty on John Tavares, but the Islanders were the more dangerous team on the Leafs PP, as Simon Holmstrom had a short handed chance saved by Joseph Woll, and as the penalty expired, Holmstrom set up JG Pageau for a great chance that was saved by Woll as well.
Anthony Duclair was high sticked by Brandon Carlo, putting the Isles on the power play again. And again, they’d score quickly, as Barzal set up Ritchie in front. Ritchie picked up his own rebound and made it 2-0 batting the puck in past Woll.
Later, Sorokin made a big save on Mattias Maccelli to maintain the two goal lead.
Second Period
Bo Horvat hit the post on a good chance in front of Woll, and Nylander had a shot saved by Sorokin. Pelech was called for his second penalty of the game for slashing Nylander on that play.
Shorthanded, Matthew Schaefer set up a 3 on 2, but Holmstrom was knocked down, and Dakota Joshua was called for holding. There were chances exchanged during the 4 on 4, but neither team scored.
And then shortly after, the Leafs cut the Isles lead in half when Steven Lorentz made it 2-1. The Leafs looked much stronger this period, but a few minutes later, Emil Heineman restored the two goal lead, making it 3-1 off a pass from Tony DeAngelo. Barzal also picked up his third assist of the game on the goal.
Casey Cizikas was called for hooking, but the Islanders killed that.
Kyle MacLean made slight contact with Woll while skating across the ice near the crease, and Morgan Rielly cross checked him and then they exchanged punches. Both players got five minute majors, and Rielly also picked up the extra 2 minutes for cross checking, sending the Isles to the PP.
Horvat’s stick broke on a one timer chance, and he had to get back with a new stick off the bench to help defend a shorthanded chance from the Leafs, and the Leafs killed the penalty.
Third Period
Sorokin saved Calle Jarnkrok’s shot but left a big rebound, and Jacob Quillan put the puck wide as Sorokin was getting across.
That was the most dangerous chance for a while, but then Tavares took a four minute high sticking double minor. The four minute power play was pretty dangerous, but the Isles didn’t score on it. The Leafs pulled Woll as soon as they got possession, while still on the penalty kill, but they couldn’t score anything, and the Islanders would close out the 3-1 win.
Up Next
Next, the Islanders head to Ottawa to take on the Senators on Thursday night. The Senators are just hanging on in the wild card mix with a couple extra games to play, so this will be another important game with playoff implications as the Isles try to maintain their 3rd seed in the Metro Division.
Mar 17, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) shoots past New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The past two playoffs, the Knicks lost to the Pacers despite Jalen Brunson’s heroics. Tonight the Knicks beat beat them 136-110 despite Brunson’s absence due to ankle and cervical owies.
Interviewed after the final buzzer, Josh Hart said he was able to have a big scoring night because Brunson wasn’t around to hog the ball. When you become just the fourth Knickerbocker* to score 30+ points shooting 90% or better, you can say whatever you want. 33 points on 12-of-13 shooting for Hart. For you Knick numerologists out there, that’s a holy trinity of digits: Patrick Ewing, Dick Barnett and Malik Rose. Amen y amen.
Hart was joshing, but the Knicks let many hands make light work of the captain’s absence. Six Knicks scored in double-figures with five dishing four or more dimes. It all added up to a Pleasantville-like frictionlessness: 38 assists to nine turnovers. If this were a video game, you’d have raised the difficulty level a few. Not that Indiana didn’t make it a game for most of the night; the fifth law of thermodynamics states the Pacers will always be more of a problem for the Knicks than it seems they should. For Knicks fans of almost any age, any win over any Pacers team goes down smooth.
That’s four straight wins for your favorite team’s favorite team. Russell Richardson’s got your recap a-comin’. Cleveland’s in a dogfight late with the Giannis-less Bucks. Go Giannis-less Bucks!
*Hart joins Walt Bellamy, Willis Reed and Bernard King
TORONTO (AP) — Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist on a pair of first-period power plays as the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Brayden Schenn scored his first goal since being acquired from St. Louis ahead of the trade deadline, and Emil Heineman also scored for the Islanders, who have won nine of 12.
Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for New York, and Mathew Barzal had three assists.
Steven Lorentz scored for Toronto. Joseph Woll stopped 31 shots.
The Leafs fell to 2-1-1 since losing captain Auston Matthews for the season to a knee injury — a run on the heels of an ugly 0-6-2 slide that all but cratered their playoff hopes.
New York's Matthew Schaefer picked up an assist to move within one point of becoming the fourth rookie defenseman in franchise history to reach 50 in a season. The 18-year-old is looking to join Stefan Persson (56 in 1977-78), Denis Potvin (54 in 1973-74) and Vladimir Malakhov (52 in 1992-93).
Schenn scored on the game's first power play at 4:15 of the first. Ritchie doubled New York's lead at 9:43, also with the man advantage.
Toronto entered Tuesday with the NHL’s third-best penalty kill at 83.5%. New York’s power play was 29th at 15.9%.
The Mavericks were 2-3 this past week and dropped to 13th place in the West. They lost by double-digits thrice, to Atlanta (124-112), Cleveland (138-105), and New Orleans (129-111), and beat Memphis (120-112) and Cleveland (130-120). Cooper Flagg led the team in scoring with 20 points per game.
Grade: B
The Mavericks got clobbered in Dallas by the Cavaliers, but the other four games were valiant showings. They won two of them, including a huge bounce-back in Cleveland, and lost two in the late stages. With the loss to New Orleans, the Mavericks now own a share of the sixth-best odds for the number one pick (8.3 percent) and a 34.8 percent chance for a top-four selection. They are absolutely still trying, as much as a 23-win team can try, and the players have found ways to still get up for games as they did in Cleveland.
Daniel Gafford has looked great in the limited action that he has had. Despite playing just 52 minutes in two games, he tallied 36 points and 24 rebounds. Naji Marshall continues to defy modern basketball and had a near triple-double in New Orleans with 32 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Max Christie found his shot again and made almost 45 percent of the threes he took.
After playing eight-of-nine on the road, the Mavericks play three home games next week against the Hawks, Clippers, and Warriors.
Straight A’s: P.J. Washington
It only took three-or-so months, but Washington is playing good basketball like he was to begin the year. He has shot above 50 percent in two consecutive games for the first time since February 24, and just the second time since December 27. He made seven of his 12 threes in those games and was a big reason they beat the Cavaliers and got out to a hot start against the Pelicans. The better he plays, the better it is for Dallas going into the offseason. They need some confidence that he can be a piece if they decide to keep him, or evidence that he’s still a valuable asset if they decide a trade is necessary.
Currently Failing: The Unction
Tired legs win out this time of year, and that is certainly the case with the older players on the Mavericks. Klay Thompson played in just two of the five games this past week due to rest, and Khris Middleton shot 33 percent on his shots inside the arc. When Thompson last played, he shot 0-of-5 on threes in 16 minutes. Let’s hope the Mavericks have enough oxygen to get these two safely to April.
Extra Credit: Ethically Tanking
One of the main points of contention in NBA circles, and one that Adam Silver claims will be addressed this offseason, is tanking. What the Jazz have done this year, like resting starters for entire fourth quarters of close games, is egregious. Not new, but particularly egregious. And with Dallas only owning their pick this season before they lose control through 2030, there has been a running dialogue in Mavericks chats and forums about how they should be doing even more to lose. I vehemently disagree.
What the Jazz, and other teams through the years, have done damages culture. Telling key players they cannot finish winnable games in hopes the team gets a better chance to draft their replacement doesn’t leave a good feeling throughout the organization. It is grimy and underhanded, and, like we saw not even a year ago, there is karma involved in these things.
Much more important than losing a few games for a percentage point is learning how to win and committing to a winning culture. The Mavericks already have their franchise cornerstone. If all of these guys were not a part of the future, then maybe I would have a different opinion. But Cooper Flagg will be here. Max Christie will be here. Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington will likely be here. The Mavericks are 4-16 in their last 20 games; they don’t need to do any more losing. The few and far between wins are what are keeping these guys from caving to any sort of losing habits. Winning is fun, and that is how it should be. If guys are healthy, they should play and play to win. If they do their part, the chips will fall exactly where they need to be.
The story of the U.S. men’s hockey team winning the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics features a twist.
You know about Jack Hughes’ teeth, two of them knocked out before he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada to secure the gold medal.
But do you know about the missing puck?
Specifically, the puck Hughes shot past Canada goalie Jordan Binnington for the game-winning goal, which gave the U.S. hockey team its first Olympic gold medal since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team.
So where’s the “golden goal’’ puck? Did somebody get that puck? That's what former NHL player Tony Granato asked Hughes Feb. 26 during an interview on TNT.
"I honestly don't know where that puck went,’’ Hughes said. “I know who doesn't have it is me. I sure as hell don't have it.’’
Who has Jack Hughes' 'golden goal' puck?
A day after that interview, a spokesperson for the International Ice Hockey Federation told Sportico the puck was "designated for archival preservation with the (Hockey Hall of Fame) to ensure its long-term safekeeping and historical recognition."
Hughes, back in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, is not celebrating the decision like he did the golden goal.
"I'm trying to get it,’’ Hughes said of the puck in an exclusive interview with ESPN Tuesday, March 17. “Like, that's (b.s.) that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?"
That puck, along with the puck Megan Keller shot and scored in overtime that secured a gold medal for the U.S. women’s hockey team, are part of an "Olympics '26" display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, according to ESPN.
But not permanently. If Hughes can help it.
"I don't see why Megan Keller or I shouldn't have those pucks," Hughes told ESPN, explaining that his father has collected hockey memorabilia during the careers of Jack and his two brothers. "I wouldn't even want it for myself. I'd want it for my dad. I know he'd just love, love having it."
Yankees shortstop Ryan McMahon (19) throws to first against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning during spring training.
Observations for Yankees spring training on Tuesday.
In short order
Ryan McMahon started at shortstop for the fourth time this spring and looked fine.
It sounds like the Yankees are comfortable with him starting the season as their backup shortstop, giving them more flexibility in how they construct their bench. “I think he could handle that,” Aaron Boone said.
Yankees shortstop Ryan McMahon (19) throws to first against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Up for a challenge
Jake Bird had an inning-ending Strike 3 turned into Ball 4 via the ABS challenge system, but the Yankees reliever rebounded by striking out the next batter, giving him three punch-outs in a scoreless inning.
Caught my eye
Yovanny Cruz continued to turn heads by throwing another scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts and a sinker that averaged 100.3 mph. He was delayed earlier in camp by a shoulder issue, likely costing him a chance to break camp with the team, but is putting himself in the conversation to help at some point this season. “If he throws strikes, he can impact things,” Boone said.
Wednesday’s schedule
Fifty-three weeks removed from Tommy John surgery, Gerrit Cole will make his spring debut against the Red Sox at Steinbrenner Field, set to throw an inning as he continues his comeback.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Charlie Coyle had a goal and three assists, Danton Heinen scored his 100th career goal and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Mason Marchment, Denton Mateychuk and Mathieu Olivier also scored for Columbus, which has gotten points in a season-high 10-straight games (6-0-4). Cole Sillinger and Adam Fantilli each added two assist, and Jet Greaves stopped 27 shots.
Andrei Svechnikov scored and Brandon Bussi made 25 saves for the Hurricanes.
Marchment scored on a power play 5:25 into the first period, and the Blue Jackets have scored in the opening 10 minutes in 13 of their last 20 games. Coyle added another power-play goal in the final minute of the first.
Svechnikov scored his 25th goal of the season with 5:55 left in the second period before Heinen and Mateychuk scored 34 seconds apart.
Olivier capped the scoring 7:38 into the third period.
Up next
Hurricanes: Host Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Blue Jackets: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 113-108 Tuesday night for their 10th straight win.
Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder and Ajay Mitchell had 16 points, five of them during a mid-fourth quarter run that put the Thunder ahead to stay.
Paolo Banchero had 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Orlando. Jalen Suggs added 14 points for the Magic, who lost on a second straight night after a seven-game win streak of their own.
Gilgeous-Alexander's record 129th game scoring 20 or more points was accomplished on 14 for 27 shooting and 9 of 11 free throws. He hit 3 of 5 3-point shots, the final one giving the Thunder a 102-96 lead with 3:11 remaining.
His streak of 20-plus point road games, also an NBA record, reached 61 games.
Holmgren scored on three dunks and a midrange jumper while Oklahoma City opened the second quarter on a 19-5 spurt to lead 45-27, the largest lead of the game.
Jevon Carter started Orlando's response with back-to-back 3-pointers, and Banchero opened the third quarter with a scoring burst to put the Magic up by seven points.
Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench when Mitchell scored inside to lift the Thunder to a 91-90 lead with 8:05 left. He followed with a three-point play and Isaiah Joe added a 3-pointer.
Center Isaiah Hartenstein played his third straight scoreless game for the Thunder, finishing with seven rebounds and eight assists in 16 minutes.
BOSTON (AP) — Daryl Watts scored her eighth goal of the season with 11:01 left in the third period, Raygan Kirk recorded her second straight shutout, and the Toronto Sceptres beat the Boston Fleet 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Toronto (8-1-5-8) leads the PWHL with 14 points (4-0-2-0) in six games since the Olympic break — the team’s longest point streak of the season.
Boston (9-5-2-4), which sits atop the PWHL standings with 39 points, lost a home game for the first time this season. The Fleet were playing at home for the first time in 48 days.
Watts, who won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2018 with Boston College, cut to the left to create some separation and snuck it through the pads of goaltender Aerin Frankel to open the scoring. Watts also scored two goals in Toronto’s last game at Agganis Arena on March 26, 2025, a 4-2 win over the Fleet.
Blayre Turnbull added an empty netter with 26.5 seconds left after Boston pulled Frankel at 1:20. Turnbull is riding a four-game point streak with three goals and an assist to set a career high with 12 points.
Kirk made 26 saves for the first shutout win on the road in team history. Kirk also stopped 32 shots to shut out the Seattle Torrent 2-0 on Sunday.
Up next
Toronto has more than a week off before hosting Boston on March 27.
The Fleet host Seattle on Saturday and Vancouver on Tuesday before a rematch with the Sceptres.
Mar 13, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Spencer Miles (62) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the third inning during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
It’s the most exciting time of the year. The grass is cut. The sun is shining. The bats are cracking. The gloves are popping. You can talk yourself into any prospect being the breakout star to come. You can convince yourself that (almost) any player is in the best shape of their life. Hope is in the air. More importantly, baseball is in the air.
It’s also, if we’re being honest, kind of the most boring time of the year. Baseball is back, but it’s not really back. The games are rarely televised, and when they are, they’re half-filled with players you won’t actually watch at any point during the regular season. Every bad performance feels like a warning sign, while every good performance smacks you over the head with aLooney Tunes anvil that reads, it’s just Spring Training, it doesn’t mean anything.
But that’s the case for everyone. For you, for me, for every San Francisco Giants fan, and every fan of the other 29 teams in the Majors. We’re all loving that baseball is back, but frustrated that it’s not more back. We’re all hanging on every pitch and every swing, while also wondering what — if anything — we can learn from those pitches and swings.
So let’s take a brief break from Giants baseball. After all, that’s what they’re doing today — taking their last off day until … uhh … the day after Opening Night. Let’s look at some players on other teams, and see how they’re doing this spring. After all, their fans are watching them just as closely as you’re watching Carson Whisenhunt and Parks Harber and Luis Arráez. Let’s see what they’re seeing.
Let’s start with the old friend who might soon be a new friend. Miles was poached by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Rule 5 Draft, which means that, if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, he’ll be returned to the Giants in time for Minor League Opening Day (assuming he clears waivers).
Right now, it’s looking like that will happen. Miles sticking with Toronto was always a long shot: he’s basically never played above rookie ball, appearing in just two Low-A games in his draft year in 2022. The walks and the subsequent 1.95 WHIP paint the picture of someone who probably needs more Minor League seasoning — not really a shock, given that he’s pitched just 14.2 innings in his Minor League career. His fastball velocity also hasn’t been quite as strong as some might have expected after his Arizona Fall League showing a few months ago.
But the strikeouts offer a strong reminder as to what a tantalizing talent Miles is, and how good he can be if he stays healthy. Really, his Spring Training has been perfect for the Giants. He probably hasn’t pitched well enough to be rostered, especially for a team with World Series aspirations that made significant bullpen additions after the Rule 5 Draft … including the signing of Tyler Rogers. But he’s stayed healthy and pitched well … things that bode well for his (likely) future with the Giants.
You’ve got to feel for Luciano. His 2025 was brutal — despite being the unanimous top prospect in the Giants organization for multiple years, he spent his final option year in AAA, never once getting called up to join a decidedly mediocre San Francisco squad. He started his offseason by getting unceremoniously waived early in the offseason, and not even because the Giants needed to clear a space to sign a player (though they did open up a space for the Rule 5 Draft). And then he entered the distinct cycle that unproven former top prospects who are out of options go through: his talent was intriguing enough that everyone wanted him, but far enough away that nobody wanted him on their Major League roster. So Luciano was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates and waived. And then he was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles and waived. And then he was claimed by the New York Yankees and waived. Finally, he cleared waivers, and was outrighted to New York’s AAA affiliate.
So far, his spring has been exceedingly ugly. After ending his 2025 in a 2-45 slump, Luciano started his spring by going 0-23 in his first 13 games, before mercifully picking up a hit — a 65-mph single — in his most recent game. All while running a 33.3% strikeout rate.
Something clearly happened to Luciano over the past few years. Perhaps it’s a confidence issue. Perhaps the back injury he suffered has messed up his swing. Likely it’s some combination of the two, and probably some other things as well. But it’s sad to see, and I’m certainly rooting for him to figure things out this year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He’s been used strictly as a left fielder and designated hitter this spring.
I’ll admit it: I was very sad when the Giants traded Harrison, even though the Rafael Devers trade was emphatically a win for the Giants. And I was quite happy when the Boston Red Sox turned around and traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason. The Brewers are where young pitchers go to maximize their potential, and if Harrison does that … well … the Giants won’t have any regrets, but they’ll certainly wish that Boston had asked for one of their other young starters instead.
Harrison was dynamic in his first outing, recording eight of his nine outs with strikes. He got roughed up in his second outing but, you know … it’s spring. He’s talked excitedly about the changes that the Brewers have made with him, and his fastball looks quite lively. The 12 strikeouts in seven innings is reminiscent of the top prospect who once tore through the Giants system while setting records with his strikeouts.
He’s got a great chance to break camp in Milwaukee’s rotation, and I can’t wait to see what he does with that opportunity.
Black ended up with the Kansas City Royals after the Giants designated him for assignment early in the offseason. He’s working strictly as a reliever for the Giants’ 2014 World Series foe, and so far the results have been splendid. He’s yet to allow a run, and he’s ceding just a baserunner per inning. His stuff still isn’t quite dynamic enough to make the Giants regret letting him go, but he looks to have a decent shot at making Kansas City’s Opening Day roster as a part of the bullpen; and he still has an option year remaining, if not. I’m not going to put the cart in front of the horse, but if Black ends up having a quality year in the Majors, the Giants might have to think about re-evaluating what they’re doing with pitchers.
I’ve made no attempts to hide my belief that Teng can be a very good MLB pitcher. It hasn’t really been on display for the Houston Astros, though, as he’s back to struggling with walks. The Astros are using Teng as a swing man — he pitched three innings his last time out — and he’ll certainly factor into their Major League plans at some point this year. But if his spring performance is any indication, he’ll probably work on some things in AAA before making his Houston debut.
And that’s your old friends update. There are other old friends of course — Mike Yastrzemski, notably, is hitting .429/.543/.964 for the Atlanta Braves — but it seemed best to keep our focus on the unproven youngsters that left the Giants this offseason.
Maybe one of them will come back. Hopefully all of them will do well.
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — It was almost a year ago that torpedo bats caught the baseball world by storm, a 72-hour craze that generated some outrageous reactions along the way.
Except unlike the best of fads, the torpedo bats never actually went away, only the noise around them died down.
J.C. Escarra dabbled with one early last season, but did not see immediate results, so he went back to using his regular bat.
But with some help from the Yankees’ analytics department, the catcher has been using one again this spring — a heavier Aaron Judge model that they had turned into a torpedo bat, specifically designed to fit his swing — and strong results have followed.
The latest came on Tuesday, when Escarra collected a three-hit day, including crushing a 438-foot homer off Rays starter Ryan Pepiot in a 3-2 win at Charlotte Sports Park.
“I think it has to be the torpedo bats,” said Escarra, who also threw out a runner trying to steal second. “My boy Zac [Fieroh, the club’s manager of analytics and implementation in quantitative analysis] in the analytic hitting department, he’s doing a great job with my bats. I bought into the torpedo bats and maybe it’s that. Maybe it’s not, but I like to think so.
“This year, I said I’m going to live and die by this bat.”
The early returns have been encouraging, specifically in how hard Escarra is hitting the ball more consistently. His homer on Tuesday came off the bat at 108.4 mph, his second-highest exit velocity of the spring, behind only his first home run on Feb. 27 that came off the bat at 109.6 mph — both higher than his regular-season career-high of 107.1 mph. He came into Tuesday with an average exit velocity of 94.1 mph this spring, up from the 90.8 mph he averaged in his first season as a big leaguer.
J.C.Escarra reacts after hitting a home run during the Yankees’ 3-2 spring training win over the Rays on March 17, 2026. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
That has only reinforced what Aaron Boone and the Yankees believe about Escarra, who is likely to make the club as its traditional backup catcher behind Austin Wells.
“J.C. is a really good player — I tell him this, too — he just hasn’t gotten a chance yet,” Boone said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s a top-half-of-the-league catcher. … He can play, man.”
Last season, after winning over the fan base as the former Uber driver who made the team out of camp, Escarra hit .202 with two home runs and a .629 OPS in sporadic playing time — totaling 40 games and 98 plate appearances.
He was more impactful behind the plate, with above-average framing metrics, but was relegated to Triple-A by the second half of the season as Ben Rice took on more catching duties to keep his bat in the lineup.
It remains to be seen how much playing time Escarra will get this season with Rice now the starting first baseman but a crowded bench picture, though he is giving himself a chance to make a bigger impact with his bat — torpedo bat, to be specific.
“I found one that feels comfortable and they made it into how my swing works,” he said. “So I’m seeing it through. I like to think it gives me a little bit of an edge.
“It gives me the biggest barrel that I can use, so maybe that pitch I used to miss, now I’m foul-tipping it and giving me another chance to hit. Maybe I just missed it and then the next one I hit it a little better. It’s all about the small advantages it gives me. If it is proven that it helps me, then I’m going to see it through and keep using it.”
As for his defense, Escarra said getting better at throwing runners out has been a point of emphasis. He only caught one runner stealing on 20 attempts last season, and the Yankees overall had the 10th-lowest caught stealing percentage at 20.3 percent (26-for-128).
All of his work this spring is making sure he is ready to go when called upon.
“I know my role, and I’m going to try to be the best at my role,” Escarra said. “Whatever the team needs, I’m going to be ready for it.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jalen Duren had 36 points and 12 rebounds for the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, who lost fellow All-Star Cade Cunningham to back spasms in the first half of a 130-117 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Cunningham was hurt early in the first quarter while diving for a loose ball. He played for a few more minutes before being taken out at the 6:40 mark, and the team said during the second quarter he would not return.
Reserve Daniss Jenkins added 15 points for the Pistons, who have won four of five and sent the Wizards to their 13th straight loss. The teams meet again on Thursday; should Detroit prevail, Washington would equal its 14-game skid from early this season that sent it to a 1-15 start.
Bub Carrington scored a season-high 30 points for the injury-depleted Wizards, who had little-used veteran Anthony Gill in the starting lineup. Rookie Will Riley added 21 points and Justin Champagnie scored 18.
The Wizards have been surprisingly tough against the Pistons this season, with a victory at Detroit on Feb. 5 and an overtime loss in November. Washington kept this one within double digits before Duren gave the Pistons a 78-67 lead midway through the third quarter.
Detroit extended its advantage to 22 points late in the period.
Up next
The teams conclude their season series Thursday at Washington.
