Written off by many as a bubble team when the season began, the Spurs have moved within three games of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference standings on the strength of a six-game win streak. That span includes an impressive 116-106 victory over the aforementioned Thunder, whom the Spurs are now 4-1 against this season.
San Antonio has a golden opportunity to move even closer – and improve its title odds – as OKC deals with an abdominal strain to reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Let’s break down the latest odds as the league officially enters the second half of the season following its annual All-Star break.
The Thunder’s odds have moved from +230 before the season began to +130 today. Rounding out the Top 5 are the Denver Nuggets (+500), Cleveland Cavaliers (+1200), New York Knicks (+1200), and Boston Celtics (+1200).
The Timberwolves have tumbled from +1400 to +3500 over the past week after losing two straight games to the Pelicans and Clippers and failing to make any truly impactful moves at the NBA Trade Deadline.
📈 2026 NBA Finals odds over time
Here’s a visual representation of how the NBA championship has odds evolved since the offseason.
🔮 NBA Championship prediction
Oklahoma City has the cleanest runway to be the best team in 2026: an MVP-caliber engine in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering the heart of his prime, a two-way star wing in Jalen Williams, and a 7-footer in Chet Holmgren whose blend of rim protection, spacing, and feel supercharges modern schemes. That trio already drives elite half-court efficiency and a top-tier defense, and it’s backed by organizational continuity that reliably turns role players into playoff-useful pieces. Holmgren’s strength and timing appear to be fully NBA-hardened, unlocking more switching and fewer help-and-recover compromises, while SGA’s mid-range and foul-drawing remain matchup-proof in May and June.
Depth and optionality push the Thunder over the top. They can win big or small, play five-out without sacrificing rim protection, and toggle between pressure defense and conservative coverages depending on opponent. Crucially, they still have surplus picks and cap flexibility to plug the inevitable holes that show up in a long postseason, whether that’s a second unit scorer, another stretch big, or a specialist wing.
Welcome to the fourth edition of our MLB 26-and-under power rankings.
This project began in 2023 at FOX Sports and has continued the past two seasons here at Yahoo. It’s truly a highlight of our offseason, and we’re amped for this year’s edition, which provides a thorough assessment of each organization’s young talent entering the 2026 season.
Top prospect lists and farm system rankings are useful proxies for forecasting a big-league team’s outlook, but those come with notable limitations. Our process expands the scope of evaluation beyond the minor leagues in hopes of painting a broader, more comprehensive picture that includes young hitters and young pitchers already in the majors.
Prospects are prospectsfor a reason; their value is rooted in projection, not MLB output. By evaluating all players aged 26 and younger, our methodology rewards teams with more proven commodities — players who have actually performed in the majors. Minor leaguers and 2026 rookies are still pivotal parts of the equation, but we believe that placing a stronger emphasis on established major leaguers allows for a more accurate portrayal of teams’ young talent bases.
Of course, young talent is merely one component of what wins at the major-league level. The mega-moneyed Los Angeles Dodgers have surged to consecutive World Series titles without significant contributions from 26-and-under talent. They plan to do the same in 2026, and the Dodgers aren’t alone in this regard. Having veteran star power is paramount to success. Clubs with higher payrolls also tend to have larger margins for error when building their rosters than those that rely heavily on young players.
But one of the keys to sustained success is accounting for older players’ inevitable declines and backfilling those voids with steady waves of homegrown talent. If youngsters thrive upon reaching the bigs, a team can keep its competitive window propped open. As such, this project seeks to capture which clubs have a wealth of players whose best years are either in progress or still in front of them.
Our rankings are the product of a scoring system that assigns each organization a grade in four categories, with higher scores available for the major-league categories:
Young MLB hitters: scored 0-10; 26-and-under position players and rookie-eligible hitters projected to be on Opening Day rosters
Young MLB pitchers: scored 0-10; 26-and-under pitchers and rookie-eligible pitchers projected to be on Opening Day rosters
Prospect hitters: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible position players projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years
Prospect pitchers: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible pitchers projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years
Within the prospect categories, our scoring favors teams with players who can be reasonably expected to reach the majors in the near future. The vast majority of prospects included in this project have already reached Double-A, though we made occasional exceptions for elite prospects who could rocket up the ranks in a hurry. Another important note: If a prospect-eligible player is expected to be on a team’s Opening Day roster — Nolan McLean, for example — we evaluated them as part of the team’s young MLB group rather than with their prospect peers.
All players included as part of these rankings are entering their age-26 seasons or younger, defined by Baseball-Reference as a player’s age on June 30, roughly halfway through the regular season. This line of demarcation is particularly relevant in this year’s edition of our rankings because of which players “graduated” from eligibility this season — i.e., those who played their age-26 seasons in 2025. That group includes three of the best hitters (Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) and three of the best pitchers (Garrett Crochet, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Hunter Brown) in the world. That’s a staggering amount of impact talent to no longer be included in their respective teams’ young cores, and nearly all of those teams dropped substantially in the rankings as a result.
We’re counting down all 30 organizations’ 26-and-under talent bases from weakest to strongest, diving into five teams at a time. Below, in addition to the scores for each team in each category, we’ll highlight the key players who fall into each bucket and contributed most to their organization’s place in the rankings.
Young MLB hitters (4/10): C Hunter Goodman, SS Ezequiel Tovar, OF Jordan Beck, 2B Adael Amador, INF Ryan Ritter Young MLB pitchers (3/10): RHP Chase Dollander, RHP Victor Vodnik, RHP Seth Halvorsen, RHP Juan Mejia, RHP RJ Petit Prospect hitters (1/5): 1B Charlie Condon, OF Cole Carrigg, OF Zac Veen, OF Jared Thomas, 2B Roc Riggio, SS Ethan Holliday Prospect pitchers (1/5): LHP Carson Palmquist, RHP McCade Brown, RHP Brody Brecht, LHP Welinton Herrera, LHP Sean Sullivan
The Rockies ranked dead last in the first two editions of our 26-and-under rankings but managed to avoid the absolute basement a year ago, thanks to some modest gains among the big-league position players and what looked to be a roughly average farm system. But 119 losses later, Colorado is right back at the bottom, as some mildly encouraging progress on the mound in the majors was offset by stagnation on offense and not nearly enough growth among the top prospects. It’s worth noting that Colorado accumulated the same total score as division peers San Francisco and San Diego, but it’s tough to give the tiebreaker to a team coming off such an abysmal season. As a result, the Rockies are No. 30 once more.
Nevertheless, there are a handful of hitters and pitchers to like here. Hunter Goodman was Colorado’s All-Star representative last summer, and deservingly so. Catchers with his level of power are rare, and his juice proved potent away from altitude as well: Goodman hit 18 of his 31 homers away from Coors Field, with a solid .801 road OPS to boot. His defense behind the plate needs some polishing, and his shaky plate discipline could yield some lean years with the bat, but he’s a hitter to feel good about. Ezequiel Tovar’s lack of on-base skills might always limit his offensive ceiling, but his plus glove at shortstop ensures a steady floor as an every-day player.
Even by Coors Field standards, right-hander Chase Dollander was pummeled to an extreme degree at home as a rookie: He posted a 9.98 ERA in 46 home innings compared to a 3.46 mark in 52 road frames. But his success away from altitude is a reminder that the 24-year-old checks all the boxes from a scouting perspective in terms of what a frontline starter should look and throw like, and he’s still capable of achieving his potential with the right tweaks. Colorado has also quietly produced a trio of quality, hard-throwing, righty relievers in Seth Halvorsen, Juan Mejia and Victor Vodnik. It’s possible none of them will ever pitch in high-leverage for a good Rockies team, but they could soon be highly attractive trade chips.
There are some useful pieces lurking in the upper levels of the minors on both sides of the ball, none of them more important than Colorado’s two most recent first-round draft picks, Charlie Condon and Ethan Holliday. Having reached Double-A and played in the Arizona Fall League, Condon’s progress is a much more pressing concern than that of the teenage Holliday, but both must answer serious questions from evaluators about whether their suspect hit tools will allow for their tremendous raw power to play in games.
No matter what these young players have or have not demonstrated thus far, there’s a renewed sense of optimism about their development following the complete (and long overdue) overhaul of Colorado’s front office. That the Rockies finally sought external front office candidates after decades of insulation was refreshing, and now Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes are tasked with ushering the franchise into a new era of modern competence and competitiveness. The organization’s wave of coaching hires at both the major- and minor-league levels earned strong reviews from around the league. The 2026 Rockies are still going to lose a whole bunch of ballgames, but there’s reason to believe they could move into a much less discouraging spot in these rankings by next year. — J.S.
The Rockies once again find themselves at the very bottom of our 26-and-under team rankings.
Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports
29. San Diego Padres (total score: 9/30) | 2025 rank: 15
Young MLB hitters (5/10): OF Jackson Merrill Young MLB pitchers (2/10): RHP David Morgan, RHP Bradgley Rodriguez Prospect hitters (1/5): C Ethan Salas, OF Tirso Ornelas Prospect pitchers (1/5): RHP Miguel Mendez, LHP Kash Mayfield, RHP Garrett Hawkins, RHP Tucker Musgrove, LHP Kruz Schoolcraft
With Fernando Tatis Jr. and impact relievers Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon aging out of eligibility — and another round of win-now trades last July thinning out the farm system — the Padres have unsurprisingly plummeted in the rankings and were in consideration for the bottom spot. They’re saved from bringing up the rear by the presence of Jackson Merrill, who is comfortably the best position player on any of the teams in this tier, giving San Diego a tremendously valuable offensive pillar to build around.
Merrill surged to stardom in 2024 while playing a brand-new position in center field and raking for the playoff-bound Padres as a 21-year-old, ultimately finishing runner-up to Paul Skenes in the NL Rookie of the Year race. Further ascension seemed in store for Merrill as a sophomore, but injuries (hamstring, ankle, concussion) waylaid his second season. He was still productive, just not quite the game-changing talent he was as a rookie. 2026 will be a big opportunity for Merrill to reassert himself as one of the brightest young stars in baseball.
Beyond Merrill, however, this group thins out in a hurry. Like Colorado, San Diego boasts some exciting young relievers, with both David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez debuting last year in a bullpen already loaded with high-quality, high-leverage arms. Garrett Hawkins and Tucker Musgrove might not be far behind. But as far as young rotation candidates go, there’s very little to be found outside of Miguel Mendez, who has promise but finished last season with an 8.06 ERA across six starts in Double-A. It’s no accident the Padres just signed German Marquez, Griffin Canning and Walker Buehler in a matter of days. The most promising mound talent in the system is found at the lower levels, headlined by the team’s two most recent first-round picks, teenage left-handers Kash Mayfield and Kruz Schoolcraft.
Somehow still only 19 years old, Ethan Salas has been on the prospect radar for a while now. A nearly unprecedented and ultra-accelerated promotion pace pushed the catcher all the way to Double-A as a 17-year-old, but back injuries and struggles at the plate have stalled his development. His top-tier defense remains his calling card, and we should always be patient with catching prospects, but at some point, Salas will need to start hitting to still be considered a viable candidate to be a franchise backstop. — J.S.
28. San Francisco Giants (total score: 9/30) | 2025 rank: 24
Young MLB hitters (3/10): OF Heliot Ramos, OF Drew Gilbert, 1B/DH Bryce Eldridge, OF Luis Matos, OF Grant McCray, C Daniel Susac Young MLB pitchers (1/10): RHP Hayden Birdsong, RHP Randy Rodriguez Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Bo Davidson, OF Dakota Jordan, 1B/OF Parks Harber, 2B Gavin Kilen, SS Josuar Gonzalez, 2B Nate Furman Prospect pitchers (3/5): LHP Carson Whisenhunt, RHP Blade Tidwell, RHP Will Bednar, RHP Trevor McDonald, LHP Joe Whitman, LHP Jacob Bresnahan
What are the Buster Posey-run Giants good at? (Besides acquiring Rafael Devers, which, unfortunately, is not a repeatable skill.) So far, the answer is unclear, though the dearth of talent in this organization is mostly a problem that predates Posey’s tenure. This will be a big year for him and the organization.
Let’s start with Bryce Eldridge, upon whose shoulders much of San Francisco’s future rests. Built like an NBA wing, the 21-year-old first baseman debuted in September and looked overmatched in a small sample. But that burnt cup of coffee doesn’t change Eldrige’s projection. This guy has deafening raw power, top-of-the-charts stuff in the Joey Gallo mold and more bat-to-ball feel than your typical long-ball donkey. Still, dudes built like Eldridge — limbs for days, fresh out of the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” stretch machine — often struggle with elevated fastballs. If he makes enough contact, Eldridge will be an All-Star. Barry Bonds’ splash hit record (35) is definitely in play. But as with all first baseman, the bar is incredibly high.
Beyond that, it’s an underwhelming bunch. Heliot Ramos was an All-Star in 2024, but he has proven himself to be a dreadful defender in left and merely average with the stick. That’s not a cornerstone piece on a championship team. Drew Gilbert is a maniac and great TikTok fodder, but a lack of juice has him on the fourth-outfielder track. Daniel Susac might be a capable backup catcher.
Things aren’t much better on the bump, as the Giants were one of just three teams to receive a measly one out of 10 for their young MLB pitchers. Randy Rodriguez was an All-Star last season, surrendering just four earned runs across the entire first half (!!), but he blew out in August and will miss the entire 2026 season. He’s also a reliever and, thus, more volatile than a meme coin. Hayden Birdsong had a 2.31 ERA out of the ‘pen last season (good) and a 6.17 ERA out of the rotation (not good), so it’s doubtful he’ll evolve into an impact starter.
There are, however, some encouraging signs down on the farm, mostly in the lower levels. Josuar Gonzalez is only 18 years old and has yet to play stateside baseball, but he might just be The Next Great Dominican Shortstop. A year from now, he could easily be a top-10 prospect in all of the minors. Bo Davidson, an undrafted center fielder from a North Carolina community college, is an amazing story, but he hasn’t yet proved he can hit upper-minors arms. Second baseman Gavin Kilen was the 13th pick last year, and he should move relatively quickly as a high-floor, low-ceiling, Joe Panik type.
On the pitching side, not a single Giants farmhand was ranked in the top 100 by any of the major outlets, but there’s some solid depth here. Carson Whisenhunt’s unicorn changeup will propel him to an impact role of some sort, but it’s most likely in the bullpen. Trevor McDonald, BladeTidwell and Joe Whitman are back-end types. WillBednar is a reliever. Jacob Bresnahan is an arrow-up starter to get excited about, but the 20-year-old hasn’t yet pitched above low-A.
On the whole, it’s hard to believe there’s enough talent here to supplement San Francisco’s current core of Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman and Logan Webb. For the Giants to even think about chasing down the Dodgers in the next few years, Eldridge needs to be an absolute monster. But even that might not be enough, particularly if Posey and Co. don’t uncover an impact arm or two. — J.M.
Young MLB hitters (2/10): OF Zach Cole, OF Cam Smith, OF Zach Dezenzo Young MLB pitchers (4/10): RHP Mike Burrows, RHP Spencer Arrighetti, Roddery Muñoz Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Brice Matthews, OF Joseph Sullivan, C Walker Janek, OF Lucas Spence, OF Ethan Frey Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHPMiguel Ullola, RHP AJ Blubaugh, RHP Ethan Pecko, RHP Bryce Mayer
For the Astros, 2025 was the end of an era. For the first time since 2016, Houston spent October at home, on vacation or caring too much about the Texans. Injuries damned the team all season, but the organization’s inability to fill the gaps with homegrown players was a major factor in Houston’s late-season collapse.
Is the Jose Altuve-Yordan Alvarez-Carlos Correa Era truly over? That depends, a great deal, on the fortunes of Cam Smith. Acquired in the Kyle Tucker blockbuster last winter, Smith wowed his way through spring training and onto the Opening Day roster, despite being less than a year removed from draft day. Mauricio Dubón, with a straight face, referred to him as “a 60-homer guy.” And through three months, the hulking slugger held his own, finishing June with a .776 OPS and better outfield defense than expected. Then the wheels fell off, with Smith going 38-for-202 in the second half, with just two homers. By mid-September, he was starting only a few games a week.
Getting Smith back on track will be crucial to Houston’s chances in 2026 and beyond. Hopefully, his aggressive assignment last spring didn’t stunt his development, and he starts pulling the ball in the air more often to take advantage of his big power. It’s hard to blame him too much for his rough second half, considering that 2025 was the longest season of his life by a wide margin. We still like Smith — but more as a regular than the perennial All-Star he was being billed as a year ago.
Zach Cole is a very fun, very out-of-nowhere, late bloomer who might get a chance at a regular role if the Astros don’t add an outfielder before Opening Day. A 10th-round pick out of Ball State in 2022, he climbed his way up the minor-league ladder before breaking out with a massive 2025 in which he OPSed .917 and earned himself an MLB call-up. Cole has a long swing and might punch out too much to profile as an every-day dude, but there’s real bat speed and real juice here.
On the mound, Mike Burrows, acquired from Pittsburgh over the winter, and Spencer Arrighetti, who missed a lot of 2025 due to injuries, kept Houston out of the cellar. Both guys project as mid-rotation arms, which is rarer than you’d expect for 26-and-unders.
This farm, unfortunately, is in very dire straits. The Astros were the only organization to not have a single prospect rank in the top 100 of any major prospect publications. That’s hard to do and a chilling reminder that Houston’s farm is squarely bottom-three. Trading away Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito for Burrows was a reasonable use of prospect capital, but the lack of reinforcements in the upper minors is striking. We like Brice Matthews, but it’s hard to see him getting playing time at second base, barring an Altuve injury.
It’s worth noting that the upcoming draft will be absolutely crucial for the Astros. Thanks to Hunter Brown finishing top-three in Cy Young and Framber Valdez leaving in free agency, Houston has four picks in the top 93 and its largest draft bonus pool in years. That presents a rare opportunity to replenish the system, one that Houston’s leadership group must take full advantage of. Otherwise, the next half-decade could be pretty bleak at Daikin Park. — J.M.
26. Philadelphia Phillies (total score: 10/30) | 2025 rank: 30
Young MLB hitters (2/10): INF/OF Otto Kemp, OF Justin Crawford, OF Johan Rojas Young MLB pitchers (2/10): RHP Orion Kerkering, RHP Andrew Painter Prospect hitters (4/5): SS Aidan Miller, OF Gabriel Rincones Jr., 2B Aroon Escobar, 1B Keaton Anthony, OF Dylan Campbell Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Moises Chace, RHP Gage Wood, RHP Jean Cabrera, RHP Alex McFarlane
The 2025 Phillies were, by many measures, the oldest team in MLB. No other club had a lineup and a pitching staff with an average age of 30 or older. This winter, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has received a barrage of criticism for opting to “run it back.” But the 2026 Phillies, for better or worse, should be much younger than the previous model.
That’s mostly due to Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford, a pair of yet-to-debut 22-year-olds projected to make the big-league club out of spring training. Painter has long been considered one of the sport’s top pitching prospects, but two seasons lost to Tommy John and a statistically underwhelming 2025 have lessened his sheen. Still, the Phillies clearly believe in him; the club didn’t replace Ranger Suárez this winter, clearing the way for Painter to earn a rotation spot. They’re hoping a normal offseason will help him rediscover his old arm slot — it dropped over the course of 2025 — and establish himself as a rotation stalwart.
Crawford, the son of longtime big-league outfielder Carl Crawford, is one of the game’s most unique prospects. In the box, he’s a groundball machine, a true danger to both bugs and blades of grass. But this is no slap hitter; Crawford’s exit velocities are genuinely good. It’s just … usually … the ball is earthbound after contact. If he were a no-doubt elite center fielder, his odd offensive profile would be less concerning, but Crawford, despite plus-plus speed, is closer to solid than great out in the grass. He’s going to start in center on Opening Day for the Phillies and will surely take some lumps in his rookie season, but he could develop into an All-Star-level player if he learns how to lift the baseball.
The other big-league youngsters are supplementary types. Orion Kerkering, his unfortunate October yeet for the ages aside, is a dependable, controllable, back-end reliever. OttoKemp will get regular playing time against southpaws and could emerge as a legitimate weak-side platoon option. JohanRojas probably missed his window in Philadelphia; the glovesmith got a chance to play every day for stretches of 2023, ‘24 and ‘25 but never progressed as a hitter.
The last character to focus on is Aidan Miller, a consensus top-15 prospect. His power-speed combo is very rare for a shortstop, even though many evaluators have him pegged as a below-average option at the position. Despite being young for the level, the 21-year-old popped 13 homers and swiped 52 bags in Double-A last year. Miller is an advanced hitter for his age, though his pull-heavy approach — his 50.5% pull rate last year would’ve placed him seventh among qualified MLBers — leaves him susceptible to breaking balls away from him. Still, this is, at worst, a big-league regular who should debut at some point this season and eventually supplant Alec Bohm as the Phillies’ every-day third baseman. — J.M.
Welcome to the fourth edition of our MLB 26-and-under power rankings.
This project began in 2023 at FOX Sports and has continued the past two seasons here at Yahoo. It’s truly a highlight of our offseason, and we’re amped for this year’s edition, which provides a thorough assessment of each organization’s young talent entering the 2026 season.
Top prospect lists and farm system rankings are useful proxies for forecasting a big-league team’s outlook, but those come with notable limitations. Our process expands the scope of evaluation beyond the minor leagues in hopes of painting a broader, more comprehensive picture that includes young hitters and young pitchers already in the majors.
Prospects are prospectsfor a reason; their value is rooted in projection, not MLB output. By evaluating all players aged 26 and younger, our methodology rewards teams with more proven commodities — players who have actually performed in the majors. Minor leaguers and 2026 rookies are still pivotal parts of the equation, but we believe that placing a stronger emphasis on established major leaguers allows for a more accurate portrayal of teams’ young talent bases.
Of course, young talent is merely one component of what wins at the major-league level. The mega-moneyed Los Angeles Dodgers have surged to consecutive World Series titles without significant contributions from 26-and-under talent. They plan to do the same in 2026, and the Dodgers aren’t alone in this regard. Having veteran star power is paramount to success. Clubs with higher payrolls also tend to have larger margins for error when building their rosters than those that rely heavily on young players.
But one of the keys to sustained success is accounting for older players’ inevitable declines and backfilling those voids with steady waves of homegrown talent. If youngsters thrive upon reaching the bigs, a team can keep its competitive window propped open. As such, this project seeks to capture which clubs have a wealth of players whose best years are either in progress or still in front of them.
Our rankings are the product of a scoring system that assigns each organization a grade in four categories, with higher scores available for the major-league categories:
Young MLB hitters: scored 0-10; 26-and-under position players and rookie-eligible hitters projected to be on Opening Day rosters
Young MLB pitchers: scored 0-10; 26-and-under pitchers and rookie-eligible pitchers projected to be on Opening Day rosters
Prospect hitters: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible position players projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years
Prospect pitchers: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible pitchers projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years
Within the prospect categories, our scoring favors teams with players who can be reasonably expected to reach the majors in the near future. The vast majority of prospects included in this project have already reached Double-A, though we made occasional exceptions for elite prospects who could rocket up the ranks in a hurry. Another important note: If a prospect-eligible player is expected to be on a team’s Opening Day roster — Nolan McLean, for example — we evaluated them as part of the team’s young MLB group rather than with their prospect peers.
All players included as part of these rankings are entering their age-26 seasons or younger, defined by Baseball-Reference as a player’s age on June 30, roughly halfway through the regular season. This line of demarcation is particularly relevant in this year’s edition of our rankings because of which players “graduated” from eligibility this season — i.e., those who played their age-26 seasons in 2025. That group includes three of the best hitters (Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) and three of the best pitchers (Garrett Crochet, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Hunter Brown) in the world. That’s a staggering amount of impact talent to no longer be included in their respective teams’ young cores, and nearly all of those teams dropped substantially in the rankings as a result.
We’re counting down all 30 organizations’ 26-and-under talent bases from weakest to strongest, diving into five teams at a time. Below, in addition to the scores for each team in each category, we’ll highlight the key players who fall into each bucket and contributed most to their organization’s place in the rankings.
Young MLB hitters (4/10): C Hunter Goodman, SS Ezequiel Tovar, OF Jordan Beck, 2B Adael Amador, INF Ryan Ritter Young MLB pitchers (3/10): RHP Chase Dollander, RHP Victor Vodnik, RHP Seth Halvorsen, RHP Juan Mejia, RHP RJ Petit Prospect hitters (1/5): 1B Charlie Condon, OF Cole Carrigg, OF Zac Veen, OF Jared Thomas, 2B Roc Riggio, SS Ethan Holliday Prospect pitchers (1/5): LHP Carson Palmquist, RHP McCade Brown, RHP Brody Brecht, LHP Welinton Herrera, LHP Sean Sullivan
The Rockies ranked dead last in the first two editions of our 26-and-under rankings but managed to avoid the absolute basement a year ago, thanks to some modest gains among the big-league position players and what looked to be a roughly average farm system. But 119 losses later, Colorado is right back at the bottom, as some mildly encouraging progress on the mound in the majors was offset by stagnation on offense and not nearly enough growth among the top prospects. It’s worth noting that Colorado accumulated the same total score as division peers San Francisco and San Diego, but it’s tough to give the tiebreaker to a team coming off such an abysmal season. As a result, the Rockies are No. 30 once more.
Nevertheless, there are a handful of hitters and pitchers to like here. Hunter Goodman was Colorado’s All-Star representative last summer, and deservingly so. Catchers with his level of power are rare, and his juice proved potent away from altitude as well: Goodman hit 18 of his 31 homers away from Coors Field, with a solid .801 road OPS to boot. His defense behind the plate needs some polishing, and his shaky plate discipline could yield some lean years with the bat, but he’s a hitter to feel good about. Ezequiel Tovar’s lack of on-base skills might always limit his offensive ceiling, but his plus glove at shortstop ensures a steady floor as an every-day player.
Even by Coors Field standards, right-hander Chase Dollander was pummeled to an extreme degree at home as a rookie: He posted a 9.98 ERA in 46 home innings compared to a 3.46 mark in 52 road frames. But his success away from altitude is a reminder that the 24-year-old checks all the boxes from a scouting perspective in terms of what a frontline starter should look and throw like, and he’s still capable of achieving his potential with the right tweaks. Colorado has also quietly produced a trio of quality, hard-throwing, righty relievers in Seth Halvorsen, Juan Mejia and Victor Vodnik. It’s possible none of them will ever pitch in high-leverage for a good Rockies team, but they could soon be highly attractive trade chips.
There are some useful pieces lurking in the upper levels of the minors on both sides of the ball, none of them more important than Colorado’s two most recent first-round draft picks, Charlie Condon and Ethan Holliday. Having reached Double-A and played in the Arizona Fall League, Condon’s progress is a much more pressing concern than that of the teenage Holliday, but both must answer serious questions from evaluators about whether their suspect hit tools will allow for their tremendous raw power to play in games.
No matter what these young players have or have not demonstrated thus far, there’s a renewed sense of optimism about their development following the complete (and long overdue) overhaul of Colorado’s front office. That the Rockies finally sought external front office candidates after decades of insulation was refreshing, and now Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes are tasked with ushering the franchise into a new era of modern competence and competitiveness. The organization’s wave of coaching hires at both the major- and minor-league levels earned strong reviews from around the league. The 2026 Rockies are still going to lose a whole bunch of ballgames, but there’s reason to believe they could move into a much less discouraging spot in these rankings by next year. — J.S.
The Rockies once again find themselves at the very bottom of our 26-and-under team rankings.
Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports
29. San Diego Padres (total score: 9/30) | 2025 rank: 15
Young MLB hitters (5/10): OF Jackson Merrill Young MLB pitchers (2/10): RHP David Morgan, RHP Bradgley Rodriguez Prospect hitters (1/5): C Ethan Salas, OF Tirso Ornelas Prospect pitchers (1/5): RHP Miguel Mendez, LHP Kash Mayfield, RHP Garrett Hawkins, RHP Tucker Musgrove, LHP Kruz Schoolcraft
With Fernando Tatis Jr. and impact relievers Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon aging out of eligibility — and another round of win-now trades last July thinning out the farm system — the Padres have unsurprisingly plummeted in the rankings and were in consideration for the bottom spot. They’re saved from bringing up the rear by the presence of Jackson Merrill, who is comfortably the best position player on any of the teams in this tier, giving San Diego a tremendously valuable offensive pillar to build around.
Merrill surged to stardom in 2024 while playing a brand-new position in center field and raking for the playoff-bound Padres as a 21-year-old, ultimately finishing runner-up to Paul Skenes in the NL Rookie of the Year race. Further ascension seemed in store for Merrill as a sophomore, but injuries (hamstring, ankle, concussion) waylaid his second season. He was still productive, just not quite the game-changing talent he was as a rookie. 2026 will be a big opportunity for Merrill to reassert himself as one of the brightest young stars in baseball.
Beyond Merrill, however, this group thins out in a hurry. Like Colorado, San Diego boasts some exciting young relievers, with both David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez debuting last year in a bullpen already loaded with high-quality, high-leverage arms. Garrett Hawkins and Tucker Musgrove might not be far behind. But as far as young rotation candidates go, there’s very little to be found outside of Miguel Mendez, who has promise but finished last season with an 8.06 ERA across six starts in Double-A. It’s no accident the Padres just signed German Marquez, Griffin Canning and Walker Buehler in a matter of days. The most promising mound talent in the system is found at the lower levels, headlined by the team’s two most recent first-round picks, teenage left-handers Kash Mayfield and Kruz Schoolcraft.
Somehow still only 19 years old, Ethan Salas has been on the prospect radar for a while now. A nearly unprecedented and ultra-accelerated promotion pace pushed the catcher all the way to Double-A as a 17-year-old, but back injuries and struggles at the plate have stalled his development. His top-tier defense remains his calling card, and we should always be patient with catching prospects, but at some point, Salas will need to start hitting to still be considered a viable candidate to be a franchise backstop. — J.S.
28. San Francisco Giants (total score: 9/30) | 2025 rank: 24
Young MLB hitters (3/10): OF Heliot Ramos, OF Drew Gilbert, 1B/DH Bryce Eldridge, OF Luis Matos, OF Grant McCray, C Daniel Susac Young MLB pitchers (1/10): RHP Hayden Birdsong, RHP Randy Rodriguez Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Bo Davidson, OF Dakota Jordan, 1B/OF Parks Harber, 2B Gavin Kilen, SS Josuar Gonzalez, 2B Nate Furman Prospect pitchers (3/5): LHP Carson Whisenhunt, RHP Blade Tidwell, RHP Will Bednar, RHP Trevor McDonald, LHP Joe Whitman, LHP Jacob Bresnahan
What are the Buster Posey-run Giants good at? (Besides acquiring Rafael Devers, which, unfortunately, is not a repeatable skill.) So far, the answer is unclear, though the dearth of talent in this organization is mostly a problem that predates Posey’s tenure. This will be a big year for him and the organization.
Let’s start with Bryce Eldridge, upon whose shoulders much of San Francisco’s future rests. Built like an NBA wing, the 21-year-old first baseman debuted in September and looked overmatched in a small sample. But that burnt cup of coffee doesn’t change Eldrige’s projection. This guy has deafening raw power, top-of-the-charts stuff in the Joey Gallo mold and more bat-to-ball feel than your typical long-ball donkey. Still, dudes built like Eldridge — limbs for days, fresh out of the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” stretch machine — often struggle with elevated fastballs. If he makes enough contact, Eldridge will be an All-Star. Barry Bonds’ splash hit record (35) is definitely in play. But as with all first baseman, the bar is incredibly high.
Beyond that, it’s an underwhelming bunch. Heliot Ramos was an All-Star in 2024, but he has proven himself to be a dreadful defender in left and merely average with the stick. That’s not a cornerstone piece on a championship team. Drew Gilbert is a maniac and great TikTok fodder, but a lack of juice has him on the fourth-outfielder track. Daniel Susac might be a capable backup catcher.
Things aren’t much better on the bump, as the Giants were one of just three teams to receive a measly one out of 10 for their young MLB pitchers. Randy Rodriguez was an All-Star last season, surrendering just four earned runs across the entire first half (!!), but he blew out in August and will miss the entire 2026 season. He’s also a reliever and, thus, more volatile than a meme coin. Hayden Birdsong had a 2.31 ERA out of the ‘pen last season (good) and a 6.17 ERA out of the rotation (not good), so it’s doubtful he’ll evolve into an impact starter.
There are, however, some encouraging signs down on the farm, mostly in the lower levels. Josuar Gonzalez is only 18 years old and has yet to play stateside baseball, but he might just be The Next Great Dominican Shortstop. A year from now, he could easily be a top-10 prospect in all of the minors. Bo Davidson, an undrafted center fielder from a North Carolina community college, is an amazing story, but he hasn’t yet proved he can hit upper-minors arms. Second baseman Gavin Kilen was the 13th pick last year, and he should move relatively quickly as a high-floor, low-ceiling, Joe Panik type.
On the pitching side, not a single Giants farmhand was ranked in the top 100 by any of the major outlets, but there’s some solid depth here. Carson Whisenhunt’s unicorn changeup will propel him to an impact role of some sort, but it’s most likely in the bullpen. Trevor McDonald, BladeTidwell and Joe Whitman are back-end types. WillBednar is a reliever. Jacob Bresnahan is an arrow-up starter to get excited about, but the 20-year-old hasn’t yet pitched above low-A.
On the whole, it’s hard to believe there’s enough talent here to supplement San Francisco’s current core of Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman and Logan Webb. For the Giants to even think about chasing down the Dodgers in the next few years, Eldridge needs to be an absolute monster. But even that might not be enough, particularly if Posey and Co. don’t uncover an impact arm or two. — J.M.
Young MLB hitters (2/10): OF Zach Cole, OF Cam Smith, OF Zach Dezenzo Young MLB pitchers (4/10): RHP Mike Burrows, RHP Spencer Arrighetti, Roddery Muñoz Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Brice Matthews, OF Joseph Sullivan, C Walker Janek, OF Lucas Spence, OF Ethan Frey Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHPMiguel Ullola, RHP AJ Blubaugh, RHP Ethan Pecko, RHP Bryce Mayer
For the Astros, 2025 was the end of an era. For the first time since 2016, Houston spent October at home, on vacation or caring too much about the Texans. Injuries damned the team all season, but the organization’s inability to fill the gaps with homegrown players was a major factor in Houston’s late-season collapse.
Is the Jose Altuve-Yordan Alvarez-Carlos Correa Era truly over? That depends, a great deal, on the fortunes of Cam Smith. Acquired in the Kyle Tucker blockbuster last winter, Smith wowed his way through spring training and onto the Opening Day roster, despite being less than a year removed from draft day. Mauricio Dubón, with a straight face, referred to him as “a 60-homer guy.” And through three months, the hulking slugger held his own, finishing June with a .776 OPS and better outfield defense than expected. Then the wheels fell off, with Smith going 38-for-202 in the second half, with just two homers. By mid-September, he was starting only a few games a week.
Getting Smith back on track will be crucial to Houston’s chances in 2026 and beyond. Hopefully, his aggressive assignment last spring didn’t stunt his development, and he starts pulling the ball in the air more often to take advantage of his big power. It’s hard to blame him too much for his rough second half, considering that 2025 was the longest season of his life by a wide margin. We still like Smith — but more as a regular than the perennial All-Star he was being billed as a year ago.
Zach Cole is a very fun, very out-of-nowhere, late bloomer who might get a chance at a regular role if the Astros don’t add an outfielder before Opening Day. A 10th-round pick out of Ball State in 2022, he climbed his way up the minor-league ladder before breaking out with a massive 2025 in which he OPSed .917 and earned himself an MLB call-up. Cole has a long swing and might punch out too much to profile as an every-day dude, but there’s real bat speed and real juice here.
On the mound, Mike Burrows, acquired from Pittsburgh over the winter, and Spencer Arrighetti, who missed a lot of 2025 due to injuries, kept Houston out of the cellar. Both guys project as mid-rotation arms, which is rarer than you’d expect for 26-and-unders.
This farm, unfortunately, is in very dire straits. The Astros were the only organization to not have a single prospect rank in the top 100 of any major prospect publications. That’s hard to do and a chilling reminder that Houston’s farm is squarely bottom-three. Trading away Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito for Burrows was a reasonable use of prospect capital, but the lack of reinforcements in the upper minors is striking. We like Brice Matthews, but it’s hard to see him getting playing time at second base, barring an Altuve injury.
It’s worth noting that the upcoming draft will be absolutely crucial for the Astros. Thanks to Hunter Brown finishing top-three in Cy Young and Framber Valdez leaving in free agency, Houston has four picks in the top 93 and its largest draft bonus pool in years. That presents a rare opportunity to replenish the system, one that Houston’s leadership group must take full advantage of. Otherwise, the next half-decade could be pretty bleak at Daikin Park. — J.M.
26. Philadelphia Phillies (total score: 10/30) | 2025 rank: 30
Young MLB hitters (2/10): INF/OF Otto Kemp, OF Justin Crawford, OF Johan Rojas Young MLB pitchers (2/10): RHP Orion Kerkering, RHP Andrew Painter Prospect hitters (4/5): SS Aidan Miller, OF Gabriel Rincones Jr., 2B Aroon Escobar, 1B Keaton Anthony, OF Dylan Campbell Prospect pitchers (2/5): RHP Moises Chace, RHP Gage Wood, RHP Jean Cabrera, RHP Alex McFarlane
The 2025 Phillies were, by many measures, the oldest team in MLB. No other club had a lineup and a pitching staff with an average age of 30 or older. This winter, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has received a barrage of criticism for opting to “run it back.” But the 2026 Phillies, for better or worse, should be much younger than the previous model.
That’s mostly due to Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford, a pair of yet-to-debut 22-year-olds projected to make the big-league club out of spring training. Painter has long been considered one of the sport’s top pitching prospects, but two seasons lost to Tommy John and a statistically underwhelming 2025 have lessened his sheen. Still, the Phillies clearly believe in him; the club didn’t replace Ranger Suárez this winter, clearing the way for Painter to earn a rotation spot. They’re hoping a normal offseason will help him rediscover his old arm slot — it dropped over the course of 2025 — and establish himself as a rotation stalwart.
Crawford, the son of longtime big-league outfielder Carl Crawford, is one of the game’s most unique prospects. In the box, he’s a groundball machine, a true danger to both bugs and blades of grass. But this is no slap hitter; Crawford’s exit velocities are genuinely good. It’s just … usually … the ball is earthbound after contact. If he were a no-doubt elite center fielder, his odd offensive profile would be less concerning, but Crawford, despite plus-plus speed, is closer to solid than great out in the grass. He’s going to start in center on Opening Day for the Phillies and will surely take some lumps in his rookie season, but he could develop into an All-Star-level player if he learns how to lift the baseball.
The other big-league youngsters are supplementary types. Orion Kerkering, his unfortunate October yeet for the ages aside, is a dependable, controllable, back-end reliever. OttoKemp will get regular playing time against southpaws and could emerge as a legitimate weak-side platoon option. JohanRojas probably missed his window in Philadelphia; the glovesmith got a chance to play every day for stretches of 2023, ‘24 and ‘25 but never progressed as a hitter.
The last character to focus on is Aidan Miller, a consensus top-15 prospect. His power-speed combo is very rare for a shortstop, even though many evaluators have him pegged as a below-average option at the position. Despite being young for the level, the 21-year-old popped 13 homers and swiped 52 bags in Double-A last year. Miller is an advanced hitter for his age, though his pull-heavy approach — his 50.5% pull rate last year would’ve placed him seventh among qualified MLBers — leaves him susceptible to breaking balls away from him. Still, this is, at worst, a big-league regular who should debut at some point this season and eventually supplant Alec Bohm as the Phillies’ every-day third baseman. — J.M.
The Dodgers’ Hyeseong Kim participates in a fielding drill during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch on Friday. (Brandon Sloter / Getty Images)
With Tommy Edman opening the season on the injured list, Hyeseong Kim is a prime candidate to see an uptick in playing time at second base for the Dodgers in the coming season. On Tuesday, he further solidified his case.
With teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto throwing a live batting practice session on the backfields at Camelback Ranch, Kim took the World Series MVP on an unexpected ride. On the 16th pitch of Yamamoto’s live batting practice, Kim crushed an opposite-field home run, dazzling the hundreds of Dodgers fans gathered to watch the team ready itself for its first slate of exhibition games that begin Saturday.
Kim’s home run came after watching Yamamoto walk Teoscar Hernández, induce a groundball from Andy Pages, and strike out newcomer Kyle Tucker looking. However, Kim wasn’t finished quite yet.
Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim just CRUSHED an opposite field homer off of World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in live BP at Dodgers Spring Training camp. pic.twitter.com/g92ernHvKt
Yamamoto took a short break, as Shohei Ohtani threw a round of batting practice himself. After Ohtani got his work in, Yamamoto returned to the mound, with Kim waiting for him in the batter’s box.
On the fifth pitch of his second at-bat versus Yamamoto, Kim ripped a base hit to right field. Yamamoto would see eight at bats on the day, logging 30 pitches. He gave up three hits, two of which came from Kim.
Kim said he tweaked his swing last year after coming over from the KBO on a three-year, $12.5-million contract, and is continuing to progress and feel more comfortable with the adjustments he’s made.
“The swing changes we made last year, I would say I felt about 70% comfortable with,” Kim said through an interpreter on Monday. “And then, this offseason and spring training, we were able to recognize some of the other stuff that we needed to work on, so I’m working very hard to make those changes again this year.”
As a rookie, he batted .280 with a .314 on base percentage, .699 OPS, three home runs and 17 RBI across 71 games. He began the season in triple A, before earning a promotion in May. A left shoulder injury would land him on the injured list, limiting his time in his first big league season — though he was healthy enough to be on the team’s postseason roster primarily as a late-inning defensive replacement, playing second base when the Dodgers closed out their Game 7 World Series victory.
Kim also mixed in 17 games in the outfield to provide depth behind Pages last season, and he knew his outfield defense would be an offseason priority.
“I was aware that I needed to work on my center field and outfield defense,” Kim said. “Even without the front office telling me, I knew that it was something I needed to work on, so I was going to work on it regardless.”
As he prepped for the coming season, Kim focused on his nutrition, upping his protein intake and adding some weight.
“I noticed that I lost a little bit of weight throughout the season and I wanted to make sure that I was gaining my weight back before the season started,” Kim said. “So, I made sure to intake my proteins and my meals so that I was able to gain two-three kilograms this offseason.”
With the news that Edman is still on the mend from offseason ankle surgery, Kim stands to benefit in terms of playing time but he says he’s not getting ahead of himself.
“I’m using this time — the offseason and spring training — to just get better,” Kim said. “Whether I play more or not, it doesn’t really affect me much. I’m just trying to get better every day.”
Roberts manages expectations as he addresses team
On the Dodgers’ first day of full-squad workouts, manager Dave Roberts addressed his entire team for the first time Tuesday. Roberts opened with a speech, before players took turns talking.
“I was just kind of talking a little bit about last year and what we accomplished and how we got there, and talking about this year and expectations,” Roberts said. “And a lot of it is the same, continuing to focus on the right things, the little things, and how we go about practicing and playing. Keeping that enthusiasm and buckling up for the long season ahead and we expect to play through October. So, a lot of the same values that we believe in just reiterated.”
Once Roberts finished, his players shared some thoughts of their own. Veterans Miguel Rojas, Will Smith and Mookie Betts were among those to give a speech. Recently acquired stars Tucker and Edwin Díaz also chimed in, discussing why they each made Los Angeles their new home.
“It was more just about what made the Dodgers attractive to them,” Roberts said. “I think it’s powerful for our guys to hear it from the other side, from somebody who hasn’t been here. It was a great message from each of those guys. It’s important. It’s powerful for our players to hear from each other.”
And thus, the quest for a three-peat has begun.
“I feel good,” Roberts said. “I’m excited. Our players are excited, coaches are excited. It’s good to get everyone together and start our journey for 2026. I think there’s always optimism early, like every camp. So now, it’s just trying to sustain that energy, that focus every day. Just put those blinders on and stay focused.”
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton feels his Yankees career is lacking.
“It’s definitely incomplete,” he said Tuesday ahead of his ninth season in pinstripes. “The point of being a Yankee is being a champion.”
Now 36 and entering the final two guaranteed seasons of a $325 million, 13-year contract he signed with the Miami Marlins, Stanton has gone on the injured list in seven consecutive seasons but has been a force when healthy.
“I’m good. Ready to go,” Stanton maintained. “As I said before, it’s not going anywhere. It’s always going to be maintenance, but it didn’t hinder me from any work.”
He said the preparation is “a lot of hold, strengthening, make sure I’m able to maintain holding and swinging with power and throwing.”
A five-time All-Star and the 2017 NL MVP, Stanton has a .258 average with 453 homers — most among active players — and 1,169 RBIs in 16 big league seasons. He is key component in the Yankees batting order.
“With us over the last couple of years (having) become more and more left-handed, his presence in the middle is just really big,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s like having that guy lingering there, that’s Big G in the middle.”
Stanton had 38 homers with 100 RBIs in his first season with New York in 2018 but missed 266 of 708 games over the next five seasons because of a series of strains of right biceps, right knee, left hamstring (twice) and left quadriceps along with right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis.
Noticeably slimmer in 2024, he limited his lost time to 28 games for a strained left hamstring. Stanton finished with 27 homers and 72 RBIs in 114 games and added seven homers and 16 RBIs in 14 postseason games.
He isn’t thinking about career stats.
“Numbers like the next one and the next one is good for now,” he said. “Those numbers, 500 or what not, is the same as we’re going to win the World Series right now. You got each day to do work and prove and do something positive.”
Stanton is owed $64 million in guaranteed money by the Yankees: $29 million this year, $25 million in 2027 and a $10 million buyout of a $25 million club option for 2028. He comes at a discount because the Marlins owe the Yankees $30 million to offset part of what remains in his contract: $5 million each on July 1 and Oct. 1 in 2026, 2027 and 2028.
However, his salary for purposes of the Yankees’ luxury tax payroll is $25 million and since New York is likely to pay the top tax rate of 110%, he adds $27.5 million to the team’s tax bill.
Teammates look to Stanton for succinct tips before they bat.
“He just processes things really well and really gains from the things he sees: the experience, the times he faces a pitcher, how he processes that and puts it to use in future at-bats against guys,” Boone said. “I think he knows himself incredibly well as a hitter, but his presence with just the makeup of our club is huge.”
Volpe hopes to return in April
Shortstop Anthony Volpe won’t be ready for the March 25 opener but hopes to return in April following surgery on Oct. 14 to repair the labrum in his left shoulder.
He started a hitting progression Monday with dry swings — no ball involved — and hopes to advance soon to hitting off a tee and soft toss.
“My body’s ready to go defensively and running, so the hitting will be what we work through next, and judging on how everything’s gone so far, I’m just excited,” he said.
Volpe hurt the shoulder on May 3. He returned to the lineup two days later but struggled for much of the season. He had a pair of cortisone shots and hit .212 with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs. He went 1 for 15 with 11 strikeouts in the AL Division Series loss to Toronto, making an out in his last 13 at-bats.
Volpe’s surgery was more extensive than had been expected following an MRI.
“When I woke up from the surgery and we went through everything, we kind of had an idea of what the best case and what the worst case and everything in between would have been, so I wasn’t shocked” he said. “I was just more excited and in pain and motivated.”
Looking back, his left shoulder and side didn’t feel like his right after the injury. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said following the surgery that Volpe could start hitting in four months but couldn’t dive on the shoulder for six months.
“The first half rehabbing was tough. It felt like rock bottom as far as physically,” Volpe said. “Probably at the turn of the New Year is when I really started to feel good and I started to do stuff, baseball activity.”
The reigning world champion was the only one of American’s vaunted figure skating trio to put herself in contention for gold after the short program on Tuesday night. Liu landed a triple lutz-triple loop, the hardest combination that any woman attempted, and sat only two points back of leader Ami Nakai and right behind her Japanese teammate Kaori Sakamoto on the leaderboard.
“I am really happy about how I skated,” Liu said, “and my siblings, my best friends and a ton of my family is out there. And I saw them on the warmup. I also saw them during my program, so, I don’t know. It was a really cool moment, because they never come to watch like this. I’m really glad I did super well. I felt super grounded and I connected with my program on another level.”
Things didn’t go nearly as well for the rest of the American team Tuesday night.
Isabeau Levito was dinged for under-rotating her triple loop and got leveled down for her step sequence, which is where she tends to pick up points on the competition. It left her in eighth place and a long shot to climb her way onto the podium Thursday night.
Amber Glenn, the three-time reigning U.S. champion, was right in the medal mix until her final jump.
After landing a huge opening triple axel — Glenn and Nakai were the only ones in the women’s field to attempt the 3 1/2-revolution jump — she kept the momentum going with a triple flip-triple toe loop. But something seemed amiss as Glenn approached a triple loop, and she wound up bailing out of it. The resulting double loop became an invalid element and earned her no points.
The lost points on the jump, somewhere in the range of seven or eight, took away any chance of being a medal contender.
“I had it,” Glenn told her coach, Damon Allen, as she tried to hold back the tears stepping off the ice.
“It’s not over,” he replied, giving her a hug.
It certainly was not the way Glenn wanted to end a night that began with the euphoria of a message from Madonna, the “Queen of Pop.” Her song “Like a Prayer” serves as the soundtrack to Glenn’s free skate, and Madonna had seen a clip of the short program and sent a video to Glenn, telling her, “Go get that gold.”
Glenn already has one from the team event on the opening weekend of the Winter Games. Liu also has one from that event.
Now, it’s up to Liu if the Americans are going to bring home a medal from the individual competition.
She also can salvage what has been a largely frustrating Olympics for U.S. Figure Skating. While it won the team event, ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates were left with a bittersweet silver medal thanks in part to some questionable scoring by the French judge, while two-time world champion and Olympic favorite Ilia Malinin crashed out of the men’s free skate.
Liu has experience on this stage, having finished sixth at the 2022 Beijing Games. She also has a carefree attitude after going through a brief retirement, which allowed her to learn a whole lot about herself and put figure skating into perspective.
Liu was asked whether she thinks she can beat the Japanese on Thursday night.
“I don’t think about stuff like that,” she replied. “Whether I beat them or not is not my goal. My goal is just to do my programs and share my story and I don’t need to be over or under anyone to do that.”
TAMPA, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 19: Yandy Díaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays runs the bases after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field on September 19, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians have spent the offseason not doing much; will they pull off a late-Spring Training trade as they did last year for Nolan Jones?
I would say the general – and sensible – conclusion among Guardians fans is that the team will enter the season with their roster as is, with an eye to improve as needed at the August trade deadline. However, the Guardians did surprise us by acquiring Nolan Jones for Tyler Freeman as Spring Training closed last season. Perhaps they will have an eye to something similar if the right name comes available in the next six weeks.
Conveniently, Jayson Stark of the Athletic interviewed MLB executives to ask for their guesses of which players will be traded this spring. Let’s take a look at the answers execs gave and see which players may or may not interest the Guardians:
High Interest:
Nico Hoerner, 2B/SS, Cubs – Because Hoerner can play an excellent shortstop (and the Cubs have Dansby Swanson and Matt Shaw on hand), trading for Hoerner and his career 120 wRC+ vs. LHP and then immediately attempting to extend him as your shortstop would be a fun, aggressive move that I have no hope of the Guardians making.
Alec Bohm, 1B/3B, Phillies – Bohm would just be a much surer option for 1B/DH partner with Manzardo than David Fry and can play third on Jose’s DH days. But, the Guardians seem set on going with Fry for now.
Yandy Diaz, DH, Rays – I really don’t care about Diaz being DH-only. He remains an elite bat and crushes lefties. He transforms the order immediately and there are few guys out there like that.
James Wood, OF, Nationals – Make no mistake… Wood would cost A LOT for a 23 year-old under control through 2030. But that’s a middle of the order hitter who probably DH’s and replaces Kwan in left when Kwan is traded this offseason and immediately shows us how much we will miss Kwan’s gold glove. A 112/131 wRC+ vs LHP/RHP works for me, though.
Moderate Interest:
Lars Nootbaar, OF, Cardinals – Nolan Jones x2.0 but it works this time? I don’t know…
CJ Abrams, SS, Nationals – I wouls be interested in Abrams in theory, but given his public issue with staying out all night at a casino… it seems a bit untenable given other PR issues the Guardians face.
Nick Pivetta, RHP, Padres – I would love this. Pivetta is under team control through 2028 (unless he opts out) and it’s not an expensive deal. Plus, there seems to be a need for a veteran presence like this on a young staff. But I have trouble seeing the Guardians go outside their top 6 starters.
Jaren Duran, CF, Red Sox or Wilyer Abreu, OF, Red Sox – Duran and Abreu would cost a lot and can’t hit lefties. Would I take either in centerfield here? Absolutely. Will the Guardians acquire either? No.
Jake Cronenworth, Utility, Padres – He upgrades Daniel Schneemann at the plate but may not be able to play SS. Meh.
Matt Shaw, 2B/3B, Cubs – Not sure he is better than any of our up and coming second base options. Maybe?
Low Interest:
Isaac Parades, 1B/3B, Astros – His bat becomes so much less valuable at Progressive Field. Not worth the price.
Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins – I’d like to see the Guardians work with Alcantara but there are questions here and they aren’t going to take on his contract.
Mark Vientos, 1B/3B, Mets – I don’t see a great roster fit here and I am not at all sure he is better than Fry.
N/A – Division targets who aren’t being traded to Cleveland.
Tarik Skubal, LHP, Tigers
Joe Ryan, RHP, Twins
Kris Bubic, LHP, Royals
Byron Buxton, OF, Twins
Bottom line, I do not expect the Guardians to be involved in trading for any of these players. But, should they be discontent with what they see from Fry, from Brito and from Arias/Rocchio this spring – there are some options!
When announcing a $500,000 fine last week for Utah after the Jazz sat star players Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of a loss to Orlando, Silver said the league “would respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games.”
The sharpest comments from Cuban amounted to a response to Silver’s strong words.
“The worst that the NBA dishes out is that if you don’t lie to your fans about what you are doing, even though it’s obvious to them, you get fined,” Cuban wrote. “And (they) threaten you with losing picks.”
Indiana president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard, whose Pacers were fined $100,000 at the same time as the Jazz over roster management decisions, asked his fans in a post if they agreed with Cuban. Most did.
The Pacers reached the NBA Finals last season, losing to Oklahoma City. Their best player, Tyrese Haliburton, tore an Achilles tendon in Game 7, and the expectation was he would miss the entire 2025-26 season. Indiana lost 12 of its first 13 games and had a 13-game losing streak to drop to 6-31, but has a .500 record since then.
The Mavericks are in a similar situation a year after trading generational superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around oft-injured big man Anthony Davis, just nine months after Dallas reached the NBA Finals.
Davis missed more games than he played for the Mavs before getting sent to Washington in a trade deadline deal this year. It was the final step in moving on from an ill-fated trade. The first was the November firing of general manager Nico Harrison, who orchestrated the Doncic deal.
Dallas converted just a 1.8% chance in the lottery for the rights to draft former Duke star Cooper Flagg first overall this past summer.
Flagg is now the future of the franchise, and the Mavs have to decide, presumably soon, whether Kyrie Irving will play at all this season. The nine-time All-Star tore an ACL last March, and the Mavs entered the All-Star break on a nine-game losing streak, their longest in 28 years.
While Cuban is no longer in a decision-making role after selling majority ownership of the Mavs, he was fined $600,000 by the league when he was still in charge late in the 2022-23 season for admitting Dallas was tanking to try to protect a first-round pick. The Mavs ended up getting center Dereck Lively II, a promising talent who has been plagued by injuries.
With tanking a hot topic again, Cuban started his post with “Why the NBA should embrace tanking,” and went on to say fans don’t mind tanking because they want to have hope that the team can improve.
“Few can remember the score from the last game they saw or went to,” Cuban wrote. “They can’t remember the dunks or shots. What they remember is who they were with. Their family, friends, a date. That’s what makes the experience special.”
With that in mind, Cuban said, the league should focus more on affordability than the integrity issue that is at the heart of tanking.
“The NBA should worry more about fan experience than tanking,” he wrote. “It should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking.”
Though the Mavericks weren’t accused of tanking in 2017-18, Cuban essentially wrote in his post that they did. Dallas finished with its worst record in 30 years at 24-58, but didn’t get lucky in the lottery like this past year. The Mavs ended up with the fifth pick and had to trade up two spots to get Doncic.
“We didn’t tank often,” wrote Cuban, who also noted that current salary cap rules have made productive rookies even more valuable for winning rosters. “Only a few times over 23 years, but when we did, our fans appreciated it. And it got us to where we could improve, trade up to get Luka and improve our team.”
iOS 26.3 was a decidedly small update. It introduced a new tool to transfer data to Android, and gave some iPhones the ability to hide precise location data from cellular networks. But beyond some other small changes and security patches, that’s all there was to write home about. iOS 26.4 is a different story. The update, which is currently in beta testing, adds a number of interesting new features to compatible iPhones, especially if you’re an Apple Music user.
As with all beta software, iOS 26.4 is currently in testing, which means these features are subject to change at any time. It’s possible some won’t make it to the official release of iOS 26.4, while others could look different than they do now. While you can install the iOS 26.4 beta at any time by enrolling your device in the beta program, do so at your own discretion. I’d recommend using a secondary device to test this software if you can, but either way, make sure the device in question is fully backed up to a computer before installing the beta.
Playlist Playground lets you generate playlists with AI
The latest trend in streaming services seems to be AI-generated playlists. YouTube Music recently rolled out the option, while Spotify offers a couple different takes on the feature. The idea is to tell the AI what type of music you want to listen to, whether that be a specific artist or genre, or just a concept or mood (e.g., “Make me a playlist for drinking coffee on a lazy Sunday morning”).
Now Apple Music is the latest service to introduce such a feature. The first iOS 26.4 beta comes with “Playlist Playground,” which works about how you’d expect. You tell Apple Music’s AI what you want to hear, and it generates a playlist with 25 different songs. You can adjust the playlist if you don’t like the result, as well as edit the title, cover image, and description.
Apple Music gets a visual overhaul
In addition to Playlist Playground, Apple Music’s UI is also changing in iOS 26.4. You’ll see new full-page artwork when listening to music, as well as redesigned albums and playlists that adjust their colors based on the artwork. Plus, there’s now a “Concerts Near You” feature that helps you find shows in your area, based on the music you like to listen to.
iOS 26.4 finally introduces end-to-end encryption for RCS
RCS support is the best thing to happen to the iPhone in a long time. It makes texting Android users about the same as texting iPhone users, which has not been the case for most of iMessage’s history. But while most of the standard perks rolled in with the update, including functioning group chats and high-quality image sharing, one key feature did not: end-to-end encryption (E2EE).
Without (E2EE), your messages can be intercepted and read by those with the skills to do so. With E2EE, they cannot. It’s a major security feature that’s key to both iMessage and RCS, and one of the reasons you shouldn’t send messages over SMS, as it doesn’t support E2EE. Not all Android setups support E2EE over RCS, but it’s still a bummer that the iPhone’s Messages app doesn’t either.
That’s now changing. With the first iOS 26.4 beta, Apple is now testing E2EE for RCS. You’ll find the option in Settings, though Apple notes that not all devices or carriers support it. Someday soon, however, iPhone users texting Android users over RCS will be able to enjoy the added security benefits of E2EE.
Apple changed how you choose wallpaper packs on iPhone
With iOS 26.4, Apple changed the Wallpapers settings menu. Before, you could select from pre-downloaded wallpaper packs on your iPhone; now, you can choose which packs you want to download instead. It’s a small change, but an interesting one at that. It seems Apple doesn’t want to assume you’re interested in all of its wallpaper options anymore, and instead would rather pick and choose the ones you want to try. Apple also made similar changes to picking watch faces in the Apple Watch app.
Your iPhone’s Reminders now has an “Urgent” section
If you ever label reminders as “urgent” on your iPhone, you’ll find them in a new location. Now, when you open Reminders, you’l find an Urgent section, alongside other options like Today, All, and Scheduled.
macOS 26.4 introduces a Charge Limit feature on Mac
While this isn’t an iOS feature, it is a key new change in the first macOS 26.4 beta. Apple is now testing a “charge limit” feature on Mac, similar to the charge limit feature that already exists on iOS; when your device is plugged in for a long period of time, it will limit how much the battery can charge to. You can set the cap as low as 80%, or as high as 100%. The idea is, by limiting the charge level, you reduce how often the battery completes a full charge cycle, which can prolong its lifespan and delay aging. The “younger” your battery is, the longer it’ll last between charges, so enthusiasts like to use these features to maximize how much battery life they can get out of their devices.
DENVER (AP) — Doug Moe, an ABA original who gained fame over a rumpled, irreverent and sometimes R-rated decade as coach of the Denver Nuggets in the 1980s, died Tuesday. He was 87.
Moe’s son, David, notified several of the coach’s friends that his father had died after a long bout with cancer, Ron Zappolo, a longtime Denver TV personality and good friend of Moe’s, told The Associated Press.
The Nuggets, in a social media post, called Moe “a one-of-a-kind leader and person who spearheaded one of the most successful and exciting decades in Nuggets history.”
Moe went 628-529 over 15 seasons as a head coach, including stints with the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers. He never won a title — his most memorable run coming in 1985 when his best Denver team fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. He was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1988.
More than for wins and losses, Moe will be remembered for his motion offense and for the equally entertaining shows he put on while prowling the bench during his coaching days.
His Denver teams led the league in scoring over five straight seasons in the early ‘80s, and he rarely ran a set play.
He called the people he liked the most “stiffs,” (or worse) and used more colorful language to drive points home to some of his favorite foils — Kiki VanDeWeghe, Danny Schayes and Bill Hanzlik stood out.
The coach stalked the sidelines in one of his well-worn sports coats, usually without a tie (he had a small stash of “emergency suits” in his closet for bigger events), his hair a mess and his overtaxed voice barely at a croak by the end of most games.
The Nuggets bench, along with the 10 rows behind it, was no place for children, but within hours, Moe would be at the bar or coffee shop hanging with many of those same players he’d excoriated, often himself wondering where that foul-mouthed man on the sideline had come from.
“Sometimes I think I have a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. I clown around a lot before and after a game, but once a game starts, my emotions just take over,” Moe said in a 1983 interview with The New York Times.
Years before John Elway arrived, Moe was Denver’s biggest sports personality. Zappolo, the sportscaster, said there was a sweet teddy bear behind the game-day bluster.
“I don’t know if there’s ever been a more important sports figure in Denver, not only because of how successful he was, but how colorful he was and how kind he was,” Zappolo said. “There are a lot of people walking around today who feel like they were Doug’s best friend.”
A legend in Brooklyn and North Carolina before a pro career in the ABA
Douglas Edwin Moe was born Sept. 21, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York. As a teen he became well-known in New York basketball circles, where he would sometimes head to gyms using fake names to play on teams he wouldn’t otherwise be eligible for.
He paired with good friend Larry Brown at North Carolina, where as a 6-foot-5 small forward he twice earned All-America honors. But Moe’s college career was terminated early because of a point-shaving scandal for which he received $75 to fly to a meeting; he refused to throw games.
After a few years in Europe, Moe again became a package deal with Brown, as they winded their way through the new and fledgling ABA. Moe was a three-time All-Star over a five-year career that ended early because of his perpetually ailing knees.
His playing days done, he teamed again with Brown, working as his assistant with the Carolina Cougars, and then with the Nuggets toward the end of the franchise’s ABA days.
Moe insisted he never wanted a head coaching job — didn’t want to work that hard — but Brown coaxed him into taking a job in San Antonio. With the help of George Gervin, Moe won the division twice and made one conference final in four seasons with the Spurs.
Moe’s next stop was Denver, where he took over after another of his Carolina buddies, Donnie Walsh, got fired in 1980. The ensuing 10 seasons marked a golden era for the Nuggets, who played in rainbow uniforms and rewrote record books but never climbed out from the shadows of the Lakers and Celtics dynasties of the era.
Moe coached the top-scoring duo in NBA history and in its highest-scoring game
Alex English and VanDeWeghe finished 1-2 in scoring in the 1982-83 season, a feat no teammates have accomplished since. The Nuggets lost a 186-184 game to the Pistons in 1983 that remains the highest-scoring game in NBA history. Moe won 432 games with the Nuggets, and the franchise retired that number, with Moe’s name attached.
It took more than 30 years after Moe retired and moved back to San Antonio for the Nuggets to break through and become NBA champions.
Oddly enough, one of Moe’s most colorful coaching coups came at the expense of the Nuggets on the last day of the 1977-78 season when he was with the Spurs. In an early game, Denver, coached by Brown at the time, fed David Thompson on the way to a 73-point outburst against Detroit that briefly put him ahead of Gervin in a neck-and-neck battle for the scoring title.
So, that night, Moe told the Spurs to get out of “Ice’s” way. Gervin scored 63 against the Jazz to win the title by .07.
Moe’s coaching peak, however, came with the Nuggets, where his teams got considerably better when Fat Lever and Calvin Natt came via a trade in 1984. But both were injured during that 1985 conference final against the Lakers. The Nuggets dropped the last three games in a 4-1 series loss, and Moe never got closer.
Though the focus of the Nuggets was offense, Moe spent ample time preaching defense — insisting it, not the team’s scoring ability, would make the difference between winning and losing.
Once, incensed at the lack of effort during a blowout loss at Portland, he commanded his team to stop trying on defense and to let the Blazers make layups at will over the final minutes to set the franchise scoring record for a single game. That earned him a fine and suspension, only weeks after he was fined for throwing water on an official.
For the most part, though, Moe made a career out of not taking himself too seriously — a wryly wrinkled counterbalance to the slicked-down Pat Riley and the Laker Showtime teams that dominated the NBA’s Western Conference over the decade.
Moe even punctuated one of his lowest moments — his firing by the Nuggets in 1990 — by wearing a Hawaiian shirt and popping open champagne at the news conference while his wife, whom he called “Big Jane,” looked on. A day to celebrate, he insisted, because he would now be getting paid to do nothing.
Moe finished his head coaching career with an unsuccessful stint in Philadelphia that lasted less than a season before returning to Denver in supporting roles, including a return to the bench as George Karl’s assistant.
“Because I’m stupid, or something like that,” Moe said when asked to explain why he was coaching again.
Far from it.
And despite his insistence that he did little more than throw a ball out there, there was a well-honed, much-practiced method behind what looked like the madness of his always-in-overdrive passing game.
“There will never be another sports figure like Doug Moe,” Zappolo said. “He really was one of a kind.”
