KANSAS CITY, MO - CIRCA 1986: George Brett #5 and Bo Jackson #16 of the Kansas City Royals circa 1986 Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
I didn’t care for baseball as a young child. I knew the Royals were in the World Series, but I was more enamored with the guy in the red uniform doing backflips when he ran on the field than I was with any Royals players. At school, we were asked to draw a picture of our favorite Royals player. I asked my teacher who played left field for the Royals, since that was the position I played in t-ball (reflecting my playing ability at the time). She told me Lonnie Smith. I didn’t know what he looked like, so I drew a white guy with curly blonde hair. Lonnie Smith is not a white guy with curly blonde hair
But in 1987, my next-door neighbor set up a small TV in his garage and we watched the American League Championship Series between the Twins and Tigers on that thing. The Tigers are my ancestral team – my dad grew up in Detroit (attending Al Kaline camp!), and I was born there before we moved to KC when I was a tot. So I was rooting for them and slowly getting hooked on baseball. That offseason, I read everything about baseball I could get my hands on, and when the next season rolled around, I was a rabid fan.
I am pretty certain I could name every player on the 1988 Royals from memory, from Bo Jackson and George Brett down to Rey Palacios and José de Jesús. It was a fun team to follow with Bo becoming a superstar, George still in his prime, recognizable vets like Willie Wilson and Frank White, exciting young players like Danny Tartabull and Kevin Seitzer, and a terrific pitching staff with Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, and quirky submarining closer Dan Quisenberry.
But they floundered around .500 much of the year and were overwhelmed by an emerging mini-dynasty in Oakland, the “Bash Brothers.” They won 84 games, finishing a distant third place, 19.5 games back.
Still, I had watched as many games as I could (it was like 30-40 games on TV back in those days, kids!) and listened to the rest on my radio, sometimes cradling it in bed for the late-night West Coast games, drifting off to sleep as Denny Matthews described Charlie Leibrandt’s battle against Claudell Washington. I read the Star sports section on a regular basis – Dick Kaegel, Gib Twyman, and Jonathan Rand in those days. I asked for Royals Starting Lineup figures for Christmas. I got a Bo Jackson poster in my room. I got my first Royals cap.
That was my first season following the Royals. What was yours? What was the team that got you hooked?
LAKELAND, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 25: Wenceel Pérez #46 of the Detroit Tigers bats during the second inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on February 25, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs out a hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a spring training baseball game at BayCare Ballpark on February 22, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When I get older, losing my bat speed/many seasons from now/will you still call me among the best/putting up a .900 OPS?
Those lyrics to the Beatles’ When I’m Sixty Four—very slightly modified from the original— must be ringing in Bryce Harper’s ears right now. Entering his age-33 season, he is no longer young. He’s not overwhelmingly old, either. But he is well into the years in which aging becomes a factor. The oft-asked question about his potential to return to elite status is really a question about aging; his talent, drive, and tenacity are certainly not in question. The sole consolation to the aging is that it is not personal, as none are spared from it. Perhaps a gentler way to put it would be that we do not walk that path alone. Harper can turn to the examples of other Phillies legends to see how they took the sharp turns and gradual declines of the aging curve. Someday in the future, another Phillies great will come along, and and further still in the future he will hit his thirties, and will look to the example of Harper to provide signs and portents of how his own travels through that decade of life will go. Whether that example will be encouraging or not is yet to be seen.
Richie Ashburn
The comparison here is going to be extremely inexact, given that modern conditioning regimens and medical treatments far outstrip what Whitey had available in his era. Still, Putt-Putt (forgive the injudicious use of nicknames, Ashburn’s are just too good to leave out) offers a somewhat encouraging example for Harper. In 1958, his age-31 season, Ashburn took home the Senior Circuit’s batting title with a .350 average (that also beat out anything the Junior Circuit’s bushers could produce). In 1959, at the age of 32, Ashburn’s production fell off a cliff. His batting average dropped to .266. He went from leading both leagues in triples with thirteen to producing only a pair. Perhaps the starkest way to present it is by rWAR: in 1958, he had a rWAR of 7. In 1959, he dropped beneath replacement value, with an -0.9. He went from elite to being far from it. He also, unfortunately, went from being a Phillie to not being one, arriving in his new ivy-strewn home of Wrigley Field via trade following that dismal ‘59 campaign.
But though he did leave Philadelphia, he did not leave the ranks of the productive pros. His first season in Cubbie blue, his age-33 campaign, saw him revitalize himself, boosting his OPS from .667 to .753. He lead the National League in walks, and both leagues in OBP. He concluded the campaign with 4.4 rWAR and, one must imagine, a jolt of confidence. Sadly, it would be something of a last hurrah: he had a -0.4 rWAR season with the Cubs in 1961, then concluded his career with a 2.1 rWAR effort for the newly-born Mets.
Mike Schmidt: Mike Schmidt’s decline came suddenly, shockingly, saddeningly. But it didn’t come in his age-33 season. It wouldn’t come for years afterward. Schmidt’s 1983 performance was indeed a downturn from his age-32 season, but not even the harshest Phillies fan could call a decline from 7.4 rWARto 6.9 all that worrying. The age-33 version of Michael Jack Schmidt lead both leagues in round trippers with 40, and in free passes with 128. If there was anything to complain about, it was his National League-leading 148 strikeouts. Those punchouts were probably cold comfort for the pitchers who he otherwise pummeled with four-baggers and tormented via the extraction of walks (128, more than anyone else in baseball that season). Schmidt would remain a top player, never dropping beneath 5 WAR until 1988, when a 1.9 rWAR season presaged the abbreviated campaign that would prompt his sudden retirement the following year.
Ryan Howard
The Big Piece’s age-33 campaign was a resurgence for the slugger, though not a terribly encouraging one in context. Howard’s age-32 season, 2012, was a major disappointment: hampered by injuries, he played in fewer than half of his team’s games, and posted career-lows in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. In a bit of fearful symmetry, his rWAR was precisely the opposite of what it had been the year prior: 1.2 in 2011, and -1.2 in 2012. In 2013 Howard still struggled with injuries, managing just a few more games than he had the year prior. But he did recover his performance somewhat, with his batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage all jumping back up. He provided production above replacement value, if just barely. Unfortunately, it proved to be the last time he would do so. He struggled at the plate in the next three seasons and was a below-average hitter by OPS+, a major retreat from the ground upon which he had once stood.
Jimmy Rollins
Thirty is a big turning point in life, and, it would turn out, in Jimmy Rollins’ career. In 2009, his age-30 season, Rollins dropped from 5.5 rWAR the season prior to 1.8. His performance at the plate declined in all three slash line categories, and he stole 16 fewer bases. The next few seasons were much the same, and by the time he was 33 he was batting precisely .250, no longer flirting with .300 as he had in his younger days. He remained resilient, playing in no fewer than 138 games per season between 2011 and 2015, and he remained fast, putting up 30 stolen bases at 32 and 33. But his best days were firmly behind him.
Chase Utley
As the 2010 season reached its midpoint, Chase Utley, age 31, took the field for the All-Star Game introductions. It was his fifth appearance in the Midsummer Classic, and it wouldn’t be his last. But it would be his last for a while. Utley’s age-32 season saw his performance drop, with his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging all dropping. He still ended up an above-average hitter and player, though not to the same extent that he had been before. His age-33 season was marred by injury to the point where he only played half of it; it was to be hoped that his good, not great performance could be blamed on that. It was not to be. Utley was a solid player for the next few seasons before the decline worsened. He ended up retiring just before he turned 40. A good career, and a long one. But Harper, who has stated a desire to take the field at 40, is hoping his thirties will look more like Schmidt’s than Utley’s.
FORMER CUBS IN GUARDIANS CAMP: Shawn Armstrong, Codi Heuer
ABOUT CUBS CAMP: The Cubs opened their training camp with 58 players in camp: 31 pitchers, six catchers, 13 infielders and eight outfielders. Included in that group were 18 non-roster players: eight pitchers, three catchers, four infielders and three outfielders. Currently, the Cubs have 63 players in camp. Both Christian Bethancourt and Moises Ballesteros have now reported to camp.
Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Daniel Palencia, Jacob Webb, Porter Hodge, Ethan Roberts, Ryan Rolison, Collin Snider and Gavin Hollowell.
Logan Allen will start for the Guardians. Other Guardians pitchers scheduled today: Hunter Gaddis, Parker Messick, Jake Miller and Jack Leftwich.
Please visit our SB Nation Guardians site Covering The Corner. If you do go there to interact with Guardians fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 11: Keon Ellis #14 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles down the court during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Arena on February 11, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The team announced on Friday morning that X-rays have revealed that Ellis has a non-displaced solar plate avulsion in his left index PIP joint. The injury happened during Wednesday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Jarrett Allen Fro shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
Despite the injury, Ellis could play in Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. Both he and Harden are listed as questionable.
Even though this isn’t an injury that is expected to keep Ellis out of the lineup for a long period of time — if at all — it isn’t exactly coming at the most opportune time.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has the difficult job of trying to figure out lineup combinations that work before the playoffs. He’s running out of time to do so, considering there are just 22 games left, and they could be without several key players for a portion of those games, including Donovan Mitchell who will miss Friday’s contest with a groin strain.
Ellis has fit in nicely with the Cavs in the nine games he played. He scored 14 points on 4-8 shooting from deep in the loss to the Bucks. The defensive specialist has averaged 6.4 points, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1 block per game since coming to Cleveland.
On this day two years ago, the White Sox re-acquired a 2020 draft pick, Bailey Horn. | Tiffany Wintz/South Side Sox
1973 Coming off of his 1972 MVP season, Dick Allen signs a three-year, $750,000 contract with the White Sox, making him the highest-paid player in baseball. While contract details for early baseball are sketchy, this is believed to be the first time a White Sox player has been the highest-paid in the game.
Oakland owner Charlie Finley, himself embroiled in salary wars with players on his world champion A’s team and once aspiring to own the White Sox, blustered in the aftermath of Allen’s deal: “There’s an old saying that pigs get fat and hogs go to market. Well, some of the payers these days aren’t even pigs or hogs — they’re gluttons. We have to keep salaries within reason. If we just rolled over and gave them what they wanted, we’d price ourselves out of business.”
Allen earned his deal by leading the AL in homers (37), RBIs (113), on-base percentage (.420), slugging percentage (.603) and OPS (1.023).
It would be 24 years before the White Sox would boast the highest-paid player in the game again, when Albert Belle signed a deal that paid him $11 million for the 1997 season.
1986 Former White Sox ace LaMarr Hoyt checks into drug rehab after having been arrested twice already in 1986 for drug possession.
Hoyt had excelled for the Padres in his first season in San Diego in 1985, going 16-8 with a 3.47 ERA and 2.5 WAR in his only All-Star season. While trade centerpiece Ozzie Guillén won the 1985 AL Rookie of the Year for the White Sox and would go on to amass the most defensive WAR in franchise history, Hoyt would see 1986 as his last season in the majors, as his ERA swelled to 5.15/71 ERA+ with a -1.0 WAR.
1990 After meeting for five hours and casting three votes in Tampa despite four of its 18 members (Birdie Tebbetts, Stan Musial, Red Barber and Roy Campanella) absent, the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee failed to elect a single person for the 1990 class to join BBWAA honorees Jim Palmer and Joe Morgan. It was the second time the group had refused to elect a player in three years.
The group started with 25 candidates and debated that list down to 11, including White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox. Fox, who would be elected by the Veterans Committee seven years later, was last considered for the Hall on his 15th ballot, in 1985 — when he infamously fell just two votes shy of enshrinement.
“All of them got heavy support,” committee member Ted Williams said. “It just shows how conscientious the members are about their voting, and the concern they have for putting someone in the Hall of Fame.”
2008 In their first game of Spring Training, the White Sox wear Northern Illinois University baseball caps, honoring the victims of the shooting rampage on the school’s campus earlier in February. The game-worn, autographed hats were later auctioned off to build a scholarship fund set up in memory of the five students who were killed.
2024 The White Sox reversed a trade of three years earlier by re-acquiring lefty Bailey Horn from the Cubs for righthander Matt Thompson.
Horn had been the final White Sox pick of the 2020 draft, which in that lost season was just the fifth round. After pitching in just 14 games in 2021 and reaching High-A, he was swapped across town for reliever Ryan Tepera. To get him back, the White Sox swapped a once-promising high school arm in Thompson, their second-rounder in 2019. Thompson had labored through a 6-15 season at Double-A Birmingham in 2023 and performed about the same at Double-A for the Cubs in 2024; he was released by the north siders before the 2025 season and is out of baseball.
Just two months later, the White Sox sold Horn to the Red Sox. He has since made the majors, with both the Red Sox and Tigers.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Marcelo Mayer #11 of the Boston Red Sox throws during a spring training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 16, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Is it on TV?
It’s on NESN at 1:05 PM
What’s the lineup?
What should we watch for?
It’s been an… interesting spring training for Marcelo Mayer so far. The wrist surgery he underwent last August was said to necessitate only a three-month recovery and Mayer arrived at Fort Myers claiming he was fully healed and ready to go. But then the Red Sox deliberately slow-walked his hitting program, while Alex Cora made a point to say that he hadn’t earned his position on the big league team yet. I don’t think either of these things warrant getting too worked up about, but they are two things most people didn’t expect just a few weeks ago. So I’ll be watching Marcelo today.
Might keep an eye on that Braves starting pitcher, too…
The Knicks have been without one of the key pieces on their bench for just under a month now, and it appears they won’t be getting him back in the mix anytime soon.
Speaking for the first time since undergoing core muscle surgery, Miles McBridetold reporters Friday in Milwaukee that he remains without a timeline for a return.
McBride hopes he'll be able to get back before the end of the regular season, but is unsure.
League sources told SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley earlier this month that a potential timetable for a return post-surgery would be six-to-eight weeks.
The guard underwent the procedure on Feb. 6, penciling him in for an earliest return in the first week of April.
The NBA playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 18.
McBride said that it is a slow process back, but he has begun shooting without jumping.
In his absence, head coach Mike Brown has been leaning on trade deadline acquisition Jose Alvarado, who was picked up from the Pelicans just before the news of the 25-year-old's injury broke.
Khris Middleton has a decision to make, and a Sunday deadline to make it.
Dallas has given the veteran forward the choice of whether or not he wants a buyout to join a playoff team, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Middleton has until Sunday to make his decision, which is the cut-off day to be waived and still be eligible for playoff rosters.
The Denver Nuggets are interested in Middleton, according to Stein and other reports, although other playoff teams may have contacted him as well. For the record, Cleveland, Golden State, and New York cannot sign anyone on the buyout market because they are over the tax apron.
Middleton started the season in Washington but was traded to Dallas as part of the Anthony Davis deal. In six games with the Mavericks Middleton has looked pretty good, averaging 14.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a game, shooting 38.1% from 3-point range. That said, nobody should confuse the 34-year-old with the younger version of himself, who was a three-time All-Star, a gold medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics, and the player who was a key part of Milwaukee's 2021 title run.
Middleton is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, unless he is waived and then signs a multi-year contract with a new team.
The Cleveland Cavaliers (37-23) travel to Little Caesars Arena tonight for a battle against the league-leading Detroit Pistons (43-14).
The Pistons lead the season series against the Cavs having won two of the first three games. Each team sits Top 4 in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons sit atop the East by 5.5 games over the Celtics while the Cavs are making noise, sitting in fourth, 7.5 games behind Detroit.
The storyline for tonight’s matchup is heavily influenced by a significant injury report for the Cavaliers, who are facing a severely shorthanded backcourt. Star guard Donovan Mitchell has been ruled out with a groin strain, while recent acquisitions James Harden (thumb) and Keon Ellis (finger) are listed with injuries alongside Dennis Schröder and Dean Wade. Cleveland will rely heavily on their strong frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to dominate the paint and control the glass, while requiring secondary scoring from a depleted bench to compete with Detroit.
Detroit, which has won six of its last seven games and eight of their last ten, takes the court far healthier than the Cavs with only Isaiah Stewart (suspension) sidelined. The Pistons' balanced, high-intensity team relies on stellar defense and top-tier playmaking from Cade Cunningham, who has evolved into one of the East's premier players and the dominating interior presence of Jalen Duren.
Lets take a closer look at the matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Cavaliers at Pistons
Date: Friday, February 27, 2026
Time: 7PM EST
Site: Little Caesars Arena
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: ESPN
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Game Odds: Cavaliers at Pistons
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers (+200), Detroit Pistons (-245)
Spread: Pistons -6.5
Total: 227.5 points
This game opened Pistons -7.5 with the Total set at 224.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Cavaliers at Pistons
Cleveland Cavaliers
PG James Harden
SG Sam Merrill
SF Dean Wade
PF Evan Mobley
C Jarrett Allen
Detroit Pistons
PG Cade Cunningham
SG Ausar Thompson
SF Tobias Harris
PF Duncan Robinson
C Jalen Duren
Injury Report: Cavaliers at Pistons
Cleveland Cavaliers
James Harden (thumb) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Dennis Schroeder (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Dean Wade (ankle) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Keon Ellis (finger) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
Donovan Mitchell (groin) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Max Strus (foot)has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Detroit Pistons
Isaiah Stewart (suspended) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: Cavaliers at Pistons
The Pistons are 22-7 at home this season
The Cavaliers are 17-12 on the road this season
The Pistons are 31-25-1 ATS this season / 14-15 at home
The Cavaliers are 25-35 ATS this season / 13-16 on the road
The OVER has cashed in 29 of the Cavaliers’ 60 games this season (29-31)
The OVER has cashed in 25 of the Pistons’ 57 games this season (25-32)
Each of these teams have won 8 of their last 10 games
Detroit has won 2 of the last 3 against Cleveland and has covered the spread in 3 of the last 4 against the Cavs
Jalen Duren has recorded double-doubles in each of his last 3 games (26.7ppg, 14reb/gm)
James Harden is averaging 8 assists per game since being traded to the Cavs
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Cavaliers and Pistons’ game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Pistons -5.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 226.5
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There’s a quick turnaround in action from the Yankees first night game of the Grapefruit League yesterday to a day game at the Twins. Let’s take a look at the starting pitchers and the lineups for both teams.
Luis Gil makes his second start of the spring after giving up a run and striking out four across 2.2 innings against the Mets on Sunday. His fastball velocity was still down, something which became a talking point when he returned from a lat injury last season. but he maintains that it’s not something he’s worried about since it’s early in spring training. In 11 starts last year, Gil went 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA (123 ERA+), 4.63 FIP, and 41 strikeouts in 57 innings.
Marco Raya was the Twins’ 18th-ranked prospect in 2025 according to MLB Pipeline, drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft. He throws a four-seamer and a sinker in the mid-90s, both topping out at 97, and a variety of secondaries including a slider, sweeper, curveball, and changeup. He made 30 appearances (20 starts) in Triple-A last season, going 2-8 with a 6.02 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 98.2 innings.
Aaron Judge may not have made the trip to Fort Myers, but there is still plenty of pop in the Yankees lineup. Ben Rice leads off, while Jasson Domínguez and Paul DeJong continue to get consistent reps in left and at shortstop, respectively. Top prospects Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. bat sixth and seventh, the former with a pair of booming home runs already this spring sporting an Ohtani-like toe-tap and the latter raking a two-run double last time out.
The Twins lineup more closely resembles what we might see on Opening Day than does the Yankees lineup. Byron Buxton leads off after reaffirming his commitment to the franchise amid trade rumors over the winter. Luke Keaschall burst onto the scene as a rookie last year and the second-year second baseman looks to be a cornerstone of their rebuild. We even get a visit from old friend Gio Urshela, who is in Twins camp as a non-roster invitee.
How to watch
Location: Lee Health Sports Complex — Fort Myers, FL
First pitch: 1:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: Gotham Sports App, Twins.TV, FOX9+KMSP, Gray Media
Radio broadcast: WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM (Twins broadcast)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 28: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the third inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on September 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day, another Spring Training game day for baseball fans.
After dropping a game yesterday’s performance to the Yankees with Carlos Carrasco on the mound, the Braves are set to face the Red Sox with a more competitive squad showing up, with Ronald Acuña Jr. batting leadoff, and a newly girded ace, Chris Sale, ready to close out the first full week of spring training games.
Gametime is set for 1:05 p.m. EST at CoolToday Park, North Port, Florida. You can catch it streaming on Gray TV, and listen on ESPN 103.7.
Apparently, the only thing that can stop Karl-Anthony Towns is his own team.
After blazing out of the All-Star break with efforts of 21, 25, and 28 points, KAT was iced out in the New York Knicks’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Towns shot the ball only five times — making all five attempts — and finished with just 14 points over 28 minutes. What makes that stat even more baffling is that the rest of New York’s roster shot a collective 37% in defeat.
The Knicks can right that wrong by feeding Towns early and often when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks, who are without star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
My Knicks vs. Bucks predictions and NBA picks are taking Towns to topple his scoring total on Friday, February 27.
Knicks vs Bucks prediction
Knicks vs Bucks best bet: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 18.5 points (-112)
The media is throwing gas on the fire after Karl-Anthony Towns’ lack of involvement on Tuesday. Before being limited to five FGAs, KAT averaged more than 15 shots in the first three outings back from the break.
The New York Knicks' big man has actually been hot all of February, upping his average points to 19.6 and shooting 55.4% from the field.
He won’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo in pursuit against the Milwaukee Bucks after struggling in the first two matchups with Milwaukee (4 for 20 with Giannis). His projections sit between 19.2 and 20.2 points tonight, giving good value to Over 18.5.
Knicks vs Bucks same-game parlay
The Knicks need a win to get right after a dud in Cleveland and opening the post-break slate with a 2-2 record. No Antetokounmpo on either end of the floor helps that cause a lot.
Towns is projected for 20+ points and has the hot hand this month, including a 40.5% clip from beyond the arc.
With Giannis sidelined, Bobby Portis gets extra touches inside and will battle on the boards for second-chance looks. Game models are as high as 13 points.
Knicks vs Bucks SGP
Knicks moneyline
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 18.5 points
Bobby Portis Over 9.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Going to Town!
After getting the cold shoulder from his team earlier this week, the Knicks jumped on KAT’s back.
His scoring, rebounding, and block projections all sit above these prop totals, powering New York to a road win and cover.
Knicks vs Bucks SGP
Knicks -8.5
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 18.5 points
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 10.5 rebounds
Karl-Anthony Towns Over 0.5 blocks
Knicks vs Bucks odds
Spread: Knicks -8.5 (-110) | Bucks +8.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Knicks -330 | Bucks +265
Over/Under: Over 219.5 (-110) | Under 219.5 (-110)
Knicks vs Bucks betting trend to know
Karl-Anthony Towns has scored 19+ points in seven of his last 10 games, topping his O/U scoring prop in six of those outings. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Bucks.
How to watch Knicks vs Bucks
Location
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Date
Friday, February 27, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
MSG Sportsnet, FDSN Wisconsin
Knicks vs Bucks latest injuries
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Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jesus Sanchez (12) is congratulated by manager John Schneider (14) after he scored a run against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Jesús Sánchez is a 28-year-old, left-handed hitting, outfielder. The Jays traded Joey Loperfido to the Astros to pick him up. Loperfido will be 27 in May, so there isn’t that much difference in age. Sánchez has played 580 MLB games and has a 4.8 bWAR. Loperfido has played 122 games and has a 1.1 bWAR. We could debate which player will be the most valuable for the rest of their careers, but, if we are talking this season, I’d bet Jesús will be more valuable, and that’s more important to the Jays at the moment.
Jesús isn’t a free agent until 2028.
Sánchez was traded from the Marlins to the Astros at the deadline last year. With the Marlins he was hitting .256/.320/.420, with the Astros .199/.269/.342. David Popkins, Jays hitting coach, told Keegan Matheson:
Popkins: “He went over to Houston, and they had some ideas for him to change some things and I think they didn’t quite resonate with his personality and who he is as a hitter. It kind of went more towards weakness prevention than his strengths, so we’re shifting him back more towards, ‘We want you to do what you do well.’ Let’s start there, then we can go elsewhere. We’re just trying to see him have rhythm again and get his swing off. We’re excited. He’s had some good days the last couple of days.”
Basically, ‘the Astros ruined him’. I always take these things with a grain of salt. I think if you can hit you can hit and a batting coach shouldn’t be able to change that. Or at least ruin that. But I’m hopeful that Popkins will help him find his way back to the swing that made him valuable. I also think Popkins says that to build up Sánchez’s ego a bit. Sports physiology is a big thing.
The best thing about Sánchez is that he hits the ball hard, 93rd percentile in bat speed, 79th percentile in Average Exit Speed last year. The year before (when he was just with the Marlins) he was 95th percentile in Bat Speed, 93rd in Exit Velocity and 95th in Hard Hit %. He was 46th percentile in strikeout rate and 51st in walk rate.
Ideally, he is a low average/high power hitter (though he hasn’t cracked the 20 home run barrier yet). Career, his batting average is .239. I’m hoping he’ll do better than that this year. It would be nice if he had more than 20 home runs.
Defensively? He’s ok. Outs Above Average had him at a +1 in right field. Savant has him a 41st percentile in range and 80th percentile in Arm Strength.
He steals some bases too. 13 last year, caught 3 times.
Steamer has Sánchez playing in 88 games, hitting .248/.317/.427 with 13 home runs. Seems somewhat pessimistic to me.
I don’t know what to expect, but I think he’ll be playing against right-handers everyday (presuming no injury issues). I’d like to think the batting coaches can unlock his power and he hits a few more than 13 home runs.
I think there are lots of reasons to be optimistic. He was a little unlucky last year. His strikeout rate improved a lot last year. I’m taking Popkins at his word that Popkins can improve his swing from last year.
Max Scherzer's 8-year-old daughter wanted her father back with the Blue Jays so much she wrote a letter to the team in December expressing her hope for his return to Toronto.
“Dear Blue Jays,” the note began, "I am so sorry that you didn’t win the World Series. I hope that you win next time. I hope my dad is back on the team. My whole family loves spending time in Toronto with our dad. We loved the aquarium, the (CN) Tower and of course the stadium. I am looking forward to come back next season. Love, Max Scherzer daughter”
An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer is a 41-year-old right-hander with a 221-117 record and a 3.22 ERA for Arizona (2008-09), Detroit (2010-14), Washington (2015-21), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), New York Mets (2022-23), Texas (2023-24) and Toronto (2025). He ranks 11th on the career list with 3,489 strikeouts — 20 behind Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.
