February 2026

There were 1,487 posts published in February 2026 (this is page 8 of 149).

World Baseball Classic 2026 Pool D preview: Who will emerge among the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and the Netherlands?

It’s time for baseball’s international competition to move into the spotlight. That’s right: We’re less than a week away from the start of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the sixth edition of the tournament.

This week, we’re previewing all 20 teams set to participate in the WBC. We’ve already covered Pool A, Pool B and Pool C. Next up is Pool D, which features the Dominican Republic, Israel, the Netherlands, Nicaragua and Venezuela and begins play on March 6 in Miami.

Tournament history: The Dominican team’s history in this tournament features both triumphant peaks (a dominant 8-0 run en route to the title in 2013) and head–scratching valleys (failing to advance out of the group stage in 2009 and 2023). 

First game: March 6 vs. Nicaragua, 7 p.m. ET

Key players: Manager Albert Pujols has already announced his rotation for pool play: Cristopher Sánchez against Nicaragua, Luis Severino against the Netherlands, Brayan Bello against Israel and Sandy Alcantara against Venezuela. That Sánchez — one of the best pitchers in the world — isn’t slated to face the D.R.’s toughest opponent in Venezuela is a curious choice on its face, but it makes sense considering the bigger picture. If the Dominican can win its first three games, it’ll be through to the quarterfinals before even facing Venezuela, and it’ll have Sánchez available for the knockout game of its choosing. That said, winning the pool outright should be the goal, which makes Alcantara a fascinating main character. He allowed three runs in 3⅓  innings pitched in D.R.’s 5-1 loss against Venezuela in pool play in 2023. Next week he’ll get a chance at redemption. 

Guy you don’t know yet but should: It’s tough to pick an under-the-radar player on such a star-laden squad, but keep an eye on right-handed Rockies reliever Juan Mejia, a late addition to the WBC roster after Tampa Bay’s Edwin Uceta withdrew due to injury. Mejia’s terrific fastball/slider combo yielded impressive results as an MLB rookie in 2025, and he gives Pujols another late-game weapon to call on, even if he’s by far the most anonymous name on the roster.

Biggest strength: This lineup is ridiculous. It’s hard to fathom any squad amalgamating an offense as formidable as Team USA’s, but D.R. comes the closest to doing so, with a position-player group that is notably upgraded from the 2023 team. Five fantastic holdovers from three years ago — Manny Machado, Jeremy Peña, Julio Rodriguez, Juan Soto and Ketel Marte — are joined by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (who was a late scratch last tournament due to injury) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (who could not participate in 2023 due to PED suspension). Oh, and Junior Caminero — the Dominican home run leader in 2025, with 45 — is here, too.

Biggest weakness: Catching. Austin Wells— whose mother’s parents are both Dominican, if you were wondering — is a crucial addition to this roster, as there isn’t an abundance of quality Dominican backstops compared to what teams such as Venezuela and Puerto Rico have at their disposal. But Wells is coming off a disappointing season with the Yankees, and the D.R.’s backup catcher is 24-year-old Agustin Ramirez, who flashed gaudy power as a rookie with the Marlins but whose defensive deficiencies are rather extreme; no catcher rated worse with the glove in 2025. Both Wells and Ramirez bring impressive pop, but that matters so much less in a lineup like this. In these high-stakes tournament games, competence behind the dish is far more important, and without a third catcher on the roster, it’ll strictly be on these two to provide that stability.

Tournament outlook: The sour taste left from the most recent WBC should fuel the Dominican team’s motivation for a more respectable showing in 2026. The March 11 clash with Venezuela is easily the juiciest and arguably most consequential game of all of pool play, as it could determine not just the Pool D winner but also which team won’thave to play Japan in the quarterfinals. Buckle up.

Tournament history: This is Israel’s third WBC appearance. It won a handful of games in its tournament debut in 2017 and authored a dramatic comeback victory against Nicaragua for its lone win in pool play in 2023.

First game: March 7 vs. Venezuela, 7 p.m. ET

Key players: Spencer Horwitz had yet to make his MLB debut when he suited up for Team Israel in the 2023 WBC, but he has since established himself as an above-average bat in the majors (122 wRC+ in 836 career plate appearances) and is now the no-doubt headliner in this lineup. If not Horwitz, it’s Harrison Bader, who joins the team in center field coming off a career year at the plate in his ninth major-league season. These two will need to hit if Israel has any chance of keeping up with the other high-powered offenses in Pool D. 

Guy you don’t know yet but should: A ninth-round pick by the Mariners out of Vanderbilt in 2023, RJ Schreckwas flipped to Toronto for Justin Turner a year later at the trade deadline. He has since quietly climbed the ranks as one of the most productive bats in the Blue Jays’ system and could factor into Toronto’s outfield at some point in 2026 after posting a 129 wRC+ across 58 Triple-A games to finish last season.

Biggest strength: The bullpen. Not only are there a few relievers who spent a good amount of time in the majors last season in Tommy Kahnle, Matt Bowman and Max Lazar, but Israel also has a trio of younger arms who posted stellar numbers in the minors last year: Charlie Beilenson (Mariners), Josh Mallitz (Padres) and Harrison Cohen (Yankees).  

Biggest weakness: The rotation. Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer is a rock-solid rotation anchor, but there’s minimal starting pitching experience elsewhere on the pitching staff, particularly at the big-league level.

Tournament outlook: Israel should be slightly favored against Nicaragua and could hang tough with the Netherlands if the bats show up, but it’s difficult to envision this team having the pitching to slow down the likes of D.R. or Venezuela.

The Dominican and Venezuela are the clear front-runners in Pool D. But can Israel, the Netherlands or Nicaragua shake things up?
Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports

Tournament history: The Netherlands has participated in all five WBCs, with a pair of fourth-place finishes in 2013 and 2017 representing its best performances. The team failed to advance past pool play in 2023.

First game: March 6 vs. Venezuela, 12 p.m. ET

Key players: Xander Bogaerts participated in the 2023 WBC fresh off signing an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres, a contract that has since devolved into an apparent albatross as Bogaerts’ offensive impact has declined to a league-average level. He’s still arguably the best player on this roster, however, and has the opportunity to shine on a different stage without the shadow of his megadeal looming over him.

Guy you don’t know yet but should: In a Pirates organization practically overflowing with pitching talent, right-hander Antwone Kelly enjoyed a huge velocity spike last season, which helped propel him to Double-A as a 21-year-old. A native of Aruba, Kelly pitched one inning for the Netherlands in the 2023 WBC well before he was on the prospect radar. Now his high-90s heater and extended success as a starter in the minors have him firmly on track to be a big leaguer in the not-too-distant future.

Biggest strength: Big-league bats. Joining 2023 holdovers Bogaerts and Jurickson Profar are Ozzie Albies and Ceddanne Rafaela, giving the Dutch lineup the kind of major-league experience that gives them an edge over the two other underdogs in this pool, Nicaragua and Israel. 

Biggest weakness: Experience on the mound. Yes, potential Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen is on the roster, as is 38-year-old journeyman Shairon Martis. But 10 of this team’s 12 youngest players are pitchers, with seven of them age 22 or younger.

Tournament outlook: The Netherlands faces a difficult path to the knockout stage, with powerhouses Dominican Republic and Venezuela standing in its way. But this team has the top-end talent to make things interesting if the pitching for either of the co-favorites falters against them. Don’t sleep on the Dutch squad.

Tournament history: Nicaragua made its WBC debut in 2023 and went winless in a loaded Pool D, dropping all four contests against Puerto Rico, Israel, Dominican Republic and Venezuela by a combined score of 22-4. 

First game: March 6 vs. Dominican Republic, 7 p.m. ET

Key players: Mets slugger Mark Vientos adds a proven power source to the middle of the lineup, and he’ll have to rise to the occasion if Nicaragua is to keep up with the high-powered offenses in Pool D. On the mound, it’ll be on veteran right-handers Erasmo Ramirez and J.C. Ramirez— two of the more seasoned pitchers in this country’s limited history of producing big-league arms — to slow down said offenses with pure grit and guile.

Guy you don’t know yet but should: Ismael Munguiais a 27-year-old, 5-foot-8 outfielder who spent last season in Triple-A with the Yankees after spending the first seven years of his pro career in the San Francisco Giants organization. He signed a minor-league deal with Toronto in December and has always been exceptionally difficult to strike out (9.7% career strikeout rate), a skill that could propel him to a fourth or fifth outfielder role in the majors someday. 

Biggest strength: The manager. One way to compensate for a lack of big-league talent is to hire a managerial icon as your skipper. That’s right: Dusty Bakerwill be guiding Team Nicaragua in this year’s tournament, an unlikely yet delightful collaboration that will add one more chapter to the 76-year-old’s legendary career.

Biggest weakness: Lack of MLB talent. Vientos is the only player on Team Nicaragua currently on a major-league roster, with only a handful of others even in affiliated ball, leaving this team considerably far behind not just the pool favorites, Venezuela and D.R., but also Israel and the Netherlands.

Tournament outlook: Nicaragua joins Brazil as the only teams in this tournament seeking their very first WBC victories. But back in Miami for pool play against a similar array of opponents, finding that first win will be challenging for Nicaragua.

Tournament history: Despite its deep pool of star big leaguers, Venezuela has never finished higher than third in the WBC, which happened way back in 2009. The team’s 2023 performance — an undefeated run through pool play followed by a heartbreaking loss to Team USA in the quarterfinals — still stings as a golden missed opportunity.

First game: March 6 vs. Netherlands, 12 p.m. ET

Key players: With notably weaker depth on the mound compared to the other tournament favorites, a lot is riding on Venezuela’s best arms to rise to the occasion. That begins with ace lefty Ranger Suárez — however many starts he makes — and also falls on the trio of top-end bullpen arms (Eduard Bazardo, Daniel Palencia, Angel Zerpa) who have the kind of stuff to nail down a late lead against a quality opponent. The offense is capable of providing a nice cushion, but this team will need to secure some high-stress outs — do the Venezuelans have the arms to make it happen? We’re about to find out.

Guy you don’t know yet but should: Like D.R., this roster is loaded with familiar faces, so let’s shine some light on another recent injury substitution who is lesser-known but could make a big relief appearance or two in the tournament: Royals right-hander Luinder Avila. Kansas City is excited about his long-term potential in the rotation, but he debuted in relief last year and showed well.

Biggest strength: The offense. It might not be on the level of the USA, D.R. or even Japan, but Venezuela’s lineup is easily the fourth-best in the field, with an argument that its wealth of MLB experience gives it the edge over Japan’s position-player group. The outfield — however it aligns defensively — features three bats in or approaching their primes in Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio and Wilyer Abreu. Having both Willson and William Contreras available as big right-handed bats and quality defenders is a boon after neither participated in 2023. There’s power (Salvador Perez, Eugenio Suarez), contact (Luis Arraez) and an all-around breakout star in Maikel Garcia. It’s a fantastic collection of ballplayers who give this team a real chance to win the whole thing if the arms can find enough outs.

Biggest weakness: Pitching depth. Since rosters were announced Feb. 5, Venezuela has had four of its pitchers withdraw from the tournament: Twins ace Pablo Lopez and Pirates minor-league lefty Oddanier Mosqueda due to injury, Phillies left-hander Jose Alvarado due to an issue with insurance and right-hander German Marquez after he signed with the Padres and decided to focus on competing for a rotation spot in camp. Both Lopez and Marquez were expected to make starts for Venezuela in the tournament, putting pressure on some less-experienced arms to cover important innings in pool play (and potentially beyond).

Tournament outlook: We don’t know Venezuela’s pitching plans yet, but it’ll be pivotal for this team to find a groove early in the tournament before its highly anticipated showdown with Dominican Republic. Winning the first three games against Netherlands, Israel and Nicaragua would ease the pressure going into the D.R. game, and that should be doable. It won’t be easy, but making it further than the previous tournament’s quarterfinal exit should be the goal for a Venezuela team with this much talent.

NBA Awards Eligibility Tracker: Which star players are at risk of missing out under the 65-game rule?

The NBA awards races are heating up. But in addition to the nightly on-court performances of the league’s brightest stars, fans (and voters) will have to keep an eye on whether or not the stars are actually, um, on the court.

Due to the NBA’s 65-game rule in which players must appear in 65 games over the course of the 82-game season in order to qualify for year-end awards, a number of injured stars — including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry — are already ineligible for regular-season honors. In addition, several other notable awards candidates are at risk of losing their eligibility with six weeks — and roughly 20 games — left in the season. Let’s take a look.

Under the league’s 65-game rule, players who miss 18 games will no longer be eligible for season-ending awards.

Nikola Jokić, Nuggets: 16 games missed

Lauri Markannen, Jazz: 16 games missed

Devin Booker, Suns: 15 missed games

  • Currently out with a right hip strain; also missed time with an ankle sprain

  • Remaining schedule

Evan Mobley, Cavaliers: 15 games missed

Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: 14 missed games

Victor Wembanyama, Spurs:14 missed games

Luka Dončić, Lakers:12 missed games

Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers:12 missed games

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: 11 missed games

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves:10 missed games

Cooper Flagg, Mavericks:9 missed games

These star players will not reach the league’s 65-game threshold for year-end awards this season.

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

  • Jimmy Butler, Warriors

  • Stephen Curry, Warriors

  • Anthony Davis, Mavericks/Wizards

  • Joel Embiid, 76ers

  • Josh Giddey, Bulls

  • LeBron James, Lakers

  • Ja Morant, Grizzlies

  • Austin Reaves, Lakers

  • Domantas Sabonis, Kings

  • Franz Wagner, Magic

  • Jalen Williams, Thunder

  • Trae Young, Hawks/Wizards

Is the NBA’s MVP award up for grabs?

Each week during the 2025-26 NBA season, we will take a deeper dive into some of the league’s biggest storylines in an attempt to determine whether trends are based more in fact or fiction moving forward.

Last week: The NBA’s response is enough to curb its tanking epidemic

In my opinion, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is the best basketball player in the world, and he probably deserves the NBA’s MVP award for a fourth time in six seasons.

He probably deserved it last season, too. He is leading the league in rebounds and assists per game, while ranking among the league’s leaders in scoring. This is unprecedented. And his injury-riddled team is still holding on to a home playoff seed in the Western Conference.

[NBA Awards Eligibility Tracker: Who could miss out?]

This is not meant to take anything away from the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who brought home the MVP honor last season, before guiding his team to the NBA championship and adding a Finals MVP trophy to his collection. A scoring machine and the clear-cut leader of a defending champion, he is a deserving candidate once again.

The two betting favorites for the award at BetMGM meet Friday night at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Except, if Jokić misses just two more games this season, he will be ineligible for the MVP, because of a rule requiring players to participate in at least 65 games to qualify for the award. Likewise, SGA just missed nine straight games with an abdomen strain, and he, too, is a re-aggravation away from missing out on the chance to win consecutive MVP honors.

And if that’s the case, then San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, who serves as the game’s best defensive player and one heck of an offensive player, too, for a team that is nipping at the heels of Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder, is not so bad a choice, either.

Then again, he has missed 14 games as well. Now, we could rage against the 65-game rule, which was implemented to encourage players to participate in 80% of a regular season, or we could accept it, and appreciate that it is steering us in ways we may not normally think.

(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Speaking of ways we normally think: ESPN’s MVP straw poll, which on a few occasions each year tracks how a 100-person media panel will lean at season’s end, leads to a bit of groupthink among voters. Consider this: On March 30, 2023, Joel Embiid narrowly edged Jokić in the poll, despite fewer first-place votes; two weeks later, when official votes were tallied, Embiid received 73 of 100 possible first-place votes. The tide followed a narrative.

In the latest straw poll, SGA increased a lead over Jokić. We can see where this is headed.

But what if neither Jokić nor SGA is eligible? Every voter may have to dig deeper into his or her own idea of what valuable means as it pertains to a whole host of worthy candidates.

Sometimes it is the best player on the best team, as it was last season with SGA. Other times it is the best player alive, which is what happened when Jokić won in three of four seasons. Or the panel makes a statistical case for someone else, as it was with Embiid.

Think of MVPs of recent past. James Harden was a statistical monster and a great player on a great team. Russell Westbrook was a force of nature. Giannis Antetokounmpo was some combination of both. And Stephen Curry took us all on a ride for a couple seasons.

Maybe that is what SGA and Jokić are doing now. They have been 1-2 in each of the last seven ESPN straw polls. This is the beauty of MVP. It can be whatever you want it to be, and most of the time we know it when we see it, but what if we fail to see it in 65 games?

That will present a real conundrum for voters, who have grown accustomed to slotting Jokić and SGA into the top two positions, and who may have to pivot if neither crosses the threshold. But even if SGA and Jokić are eligible, someone could state a solid case over a not-insignificantly greater sample size, and they have six more weeks to prove their point.

Seriously, how much value is there in availability? A lot, right? Wasn’t that why the NBA implemented the 65-game rule in the first place? Then again, voters were smart enough to consider games played before the 65-game rule, and they are smart enough now to weigh it whether or not Jokić and SGA qualify. So, let us add some spice to a debate gone stale.

After all, are the additional games played by Cade Cunningham more valuable to the East-leading Detroit Pistons, who now statistically own the NBA’s best record, than everything SGA has done for the Thunder this season? A single voter in ESPN’s straw poll thought so.

But more may get on board if the Pistons keep rolling. Last year’s vote was for the best player on the best team, not the guy with the best statistics — and not a guy considered the world’s best player. Who is to say the best player on the best team this season will not be Cunningham? Maybe he deserves more consideration, even if SGA remains eligible.

Heck, Wembanyama’s Spurs could overtake both the Pistons and the Thunder, and what then? We might actually have to acknowledge that defense is half the game. Or come up with a new definition of MVP, which seems to me what we do every other season anyhow.

And what about the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown? His leadership both on and off the court has kept them in contention, despite the loss of a handful of key contributors to their 2024 championship team, including a perennial MVP candidate in Jayson Tatum. What Brown has done for Boston this season may be more valuable than anything anyone else has done for his team, considering he doesn’t have a single other All-Star around him.

You want to make the case that Luka Dončić or Donovan Mitchell are enjoying better statistical seasons than Cunningham or Brown? Go for it, if that is your jam about value.

Anthony Edwards may be more talented than any of them. Make that argument, too. Make whatever case you want. Do not, however, put Jokić and SGA atop the ballot without a second thought, just because that is what the race has been for two-plus seasons now.

Again, it is my opinion that Jokić, who I think is the best player, putting up the best stats for a team I believe will contend when healthy, is the best candidate. But I might have to reconsider my own case. Is Jokić 10% better than everyone else? Because another player might have been 10% more available than Jokić, and that makes any argument interesting.

I am just saying: This race is far from over. We might have to get creative with our definition of value, especially if the 65-game rule forces us to, and isn’t that the fun part? We got into sports, in part, for the debate of it all, and the competition, too, and both are alive and well in this year’s MVP chase. There is still plenty of time left to make a case, starting on Friday, when SGA and Jokić meet after Cunningham’s Pistons host Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

What a league this is, really, with so many worthy MVP candidates.

Determination: Fact. The NBA’s MVP award is up for grabs.

Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft 2.0: Pick-by-pick analysis for first three rounds

One month ago, Scott Pianowski did his part to start the fantasy baseball mock draft process by detailing the first-round options for 2026. I’m going to take things one step further by breaking down the initial three rounds of a 12-team draft.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

Round 1 of Mock Draft, 2.0. (Photo by Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)

Judge or Ohtani. Flip a coin. I went with Judge in an effort to keep my utility spots open.

You can’t go wrong with a top-two pick this year. Ohtani has had 109 homers, 280 runs and 79 steals over the past two years. Not too shabby.

In a disappointing year, Witt hit .295 with 23 homers and 38 steals. With the fences coming in at Kauffman Stadium, the 25-year-old could have a 35-35 season.

Coming off a 38-steal season, Soto has a sky-high ceiling. And even if the steals dry up, his lifetime .948 OPS shows that he also has an elite floor.

With a massive drop-off after the top three starters, managers should be open to taking a pitcher in Round 1. Skubal offers the best combination of skills, track record and supporting cast.

On skills, career résumé and position scarcity, Ramírez belongs in this spot. Still, the Guardians’ lackluster lineup mates make me worried.

Now that we know about a quad injury that caused De La Cruz to slump last summer, we can return to projecting massive counting stats for an ascending talent who is back to full health.

Tucker was a second-round option until he signed with the high-scoring Dodgers. His new team and diverse skill set put him back into the top 10 selections.

I’ll take another slow start if it ends with another 30-30 campaign. At some point, Rodríguez will come out of the gate quickly and make a run at 40-40.

By adding to their lineup, the Pirates have improved Skenes’ win potential. That was the final piece to cement the LSU product as a first-round pick.

Managers who are picking 11th will need to decide if they are willing to roll the dice on Crochet making it through the turn. In this draft, the manager didn’t want to take the chance, given that there will be plenty of hitting options for their second selection.

Acuña reestablished himself as a great hitter last season (.935 OPS) and is expected to bring back his base-stealing aggressiveness this year. He could return to top-three status by the end of the season.

Round 2 of Mock Draft, 2.0. (Photo by Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)

Team 12 is excited to blend a balanced contributor (Acuña) with a pure power hitter. Slugging 45 homers in his first full season was impressive. It will be even more impressive if Caminero can repeat the feat while playing half his games at Tropicana Field.

Grabbing Henderson after a down year seems like a wise move for Team 11 after they opened with a pitcher. After all, he still swiped 30 bases in 2025 and produced 37 homers and 118 runs the previous year.

After selecting Skenes, Team 10 was looking for a balanced contributor with upside. Tatís fits the bill as a potential 30-30 player who is still trying to recapture the form he showed before missing all of 2022.

Chourio’s production leveled off last season, which wasn’t a terrible outcome for a 21-year-old sophomore. He could take the next step and threaten the 30-30 club in his age-22 campaign.

Coming off his initial 30-30 season, Carroll would have been a top-10 pick if not for surgery to repair a broken hamate bone.

Rare power, an emerging lineup and a hitter-friendly park are a trifecta of reasons to grab Kurtz in Round 2, and his power skills are a great compliment to Team 7’s first pick of De La Cruz. Lowering his strikeout rate will be the next step to superstar status.

Team 6 is deploying the “position scarcity” plan that was recently detailed in my draft strategies article. By grabbing the top third baseman (Ramírez) and the best catcher, they have set themselves up to pick from the deeper pools at other positions.

After starting with Skubal, Team 5 was looking for a balanced contributor as their first hitter. Enter Chisholm, who offers the bonus of being eligible at two scarce positions.

Team 4 would have preferred more of a balanced contributor to pair with Soto, but they instead opted for the best remaining hitter and will address steals later. Schwarber has remarkably averaged 46.75 homers, 107.25 runs and 108.5 RBI over his four years in Philly.

Team 3 reached a bit on Alonso, since his power potential is the perfect complement to Witt’s high batting average and steals total. Alonso shouldn’t skip a beat after moving from the New York Mets to Baltimore.

Team 2 has a pair of rock-solid hitters. Guerrero’s good-but-not-great power skills are less of an issue when he’s paired with Ohtani, who is coming off consecutive 50-homer seasons.

Turner is quietly productive every year, and Team 1 opted for his consistency over the upside of some younger options.

Round 3 of Mock Draft, 2.0. (Photo by Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)

With the long wait from pick 25 to 48, Team 1 decided to jump into the pitcher market. Sánchez and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have pulled away from the pack to emerge as the popular SP4 and SP5 draft options.

Knowing that Team 1 was unlikely to take two pitchers on the turn, Team 2 waited and took the leftover hurler. That turned out to be Yamamoto, who would rank ahead of Sánchez on many draft boards if not for concerns of a six-man Dodgers rotation.

With a lifetime .961 OPS, Alvarez is one of baseball’s best pure hitters. After starting with a shortstop (Witt) and first baseman (Alonso), Team 3 decided to take a chance that the 28-year-old could bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 season.

Neto fell into the lap of Team 4, who was looking for some speed after starting with Soto and Schwarber. Neto will be selected shortly after Turner in most drafts. His 162-game pace in 2025 included 32 homers, 32 steals and 104 runs scored.

Lindor was one 2024 stolen base away from three straight 30-30 seasons. The Mets’ sparkplug lasted a little longer than usual in this draft; though he’s reportedly on track to be ready by Opening Day, he’s recovering from surgery to repair a broken hamate bone.

Team 6 continues to avoid the deeper hitting positions and instead opts to draft their ace. Opinions vary on Woo, with some valuing him as much as Sánchez and Yamamoto, and others wanting to first see a repeat of his breakout 2025 season (2.94 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 198 SO).

Team 7 has adopted a strategy to fill their infield first, as Marte joins Kurtz and De La Cruz. With three outstanding hitters, they can next turn their attention to pitching before plucking from the wide range of outfield options in the later rounds.

Gilbert could be undervalued, as his strikeout rate jumped in an injury-impacted 2025 season. He thrives at his pitcher-friendly home park and should be good enough on the road to give Team 8 a mid-level ace.

Sale remains as skilled as nearly any pitcher, but his injury history and age make him a boom-or-bust option for his age-37 season. After drafting two five-category stars (Rodríguez, Chourio), Team 9 takes their first risk.

Team 10 is borrowing from a fantasy football strategy, by stacking their top-two hitters from the same team. If Tatís has a terrific season, Machado will benefit from more RBI opportunities.

Would you rather roster Crochet and Harper or Acuña and Hunter Brown? That is the debate that will keep Team 11 up at night, as their Round 1 decision to draft Crochet forced them to pass on the remaining aces in Round 3.

Who says that you can’t build a great roster with the last pick? Team 12 has a pair of potential superstars in Acuña and Caminero, and Brown could be a top-five starter.

  • Team 1: Aaron Judge-Trea Turner-Cristopher Sánchez

  • Team 2: Shohei Ohtani-Vladimir Guerrero Jr.-Yoshinobu Yamamoto

  • Team 3: Bobby Witt Jr.-Pete Alonso-Yordan Alvarez

  • Team 4: Juan Soto-Kyle Schwarber-Zach Neto

  • Team 5: Tarik Skubal-Jazz Chisholm Jr.-Francisco Lindor

  • Team 6: José Ramírez-Cal Raleigh-Bryan Woo

  • Team 7: Elly De La Cruz-Nick Kurtz-Ketel Marte

  • Team 8: Kyle Tucker-Corbin Carroll-Logan Gilbert

  • Team 9: Julio Rodríguez-Jackson Chourio-Chris Sale

  • Team 10: Paul Skenes-Fernando Tatís Jr.-Manny Machado

  • Team 11: Garrett Crochet-Gunnar Henderson-Bryce Harper

  • Team 12: Ronald Acuña Jr.-Junior Caminero-Hunter Brown

Clint Capela claps back at DeAndre Ayton’s comments after Lakers loss

There’s no drama in the NBA like big man drama.

Thursday’s protagonist was Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton, who was the subject of a feature from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The article is a lengthy breakdown of Ayton’s somewhat uneven Lakers tenure, in which he has been asked to take a tertiary role at best on a star-heavy offense, but one section stood out in particular:

When he was finished speaking to [reporters], Ayton made his way back toward the showers and said what he really felt — loud enough for anyone still in the locker room to hear.

“They’re trying to make me Clint Capela,” Ayton said, referring to the Houston Rockets’ now-backup center, who a decade ago made his impact as a lob-catching, rim-running big on a team that made it to two conference finals.

“I’m not no Clint Capela!”

That quote was soon making the rounds on social media.

When something like that happens and you are the quote-giver in question, there are two things you should hope do not happen. You really need to have a good game the next time you take the court, and you’ll want the person you sure seem to be disparaging to not take offense.

Ayton failed on both counts Thursday night.

The former saw him post only two points on 1-of-3 shooting with four rebounds in 23 minutes. The Lakers were outscored by 24 points while he was on the court in a 113-110 loss to a short-handed Phoenix Suns team, which he used to play for.

That is tied for Ayton’s worst plus-minus of the season, and is easily the worst mark compared to how his team performed without him. The next-closest Lakers starter was Marcus Smart at minus-3, with LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves all sitting in the positive realm.

Meanwhile, Capela had 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks in 7 minutes of a 113-108 Rockets win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday. 

He then had this to say on his Instagram story: “U got 2 of the best floor general in the game my dawg Lockinnn [two laughing emoji].”

Devastating.

It should be noted: Ayton might have a point about his offensive skill set being wasted in a Clint Capela role, but Capela in his prime was an order of magnitude better than Ayton in the areas of rebounding and defense. On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers spent seven years trying to figure out how to maximize that skill set in a way that actually helped their championship odds.

Ayton’s career has been defined by talent that has perhaps not been wasted, but has certainly been unevenly applied. That’s not exactly what you want from a player who was taken first overall by the Suns ahead of, among others, Dončić, Jaren Jackson Jr., Trae Young, Mikal Bridges, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson. He performed well enough to reach an NBA Finals and get a max contract, but questions about his effort level have dogged him across three different teams.

Days like Thursday are not going to help that reputation.

Suns’ Royce O’Neale spoils Lakers’ comeback with game-winning 3-pointer

Nothing is easy for the Los Angeles Lakers these days. Especially when players like Royce O’Neale are doing what he did Thursday.

The veteran wing hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left to lift the short-handed Phoenix Suns to a 113-110 win over the Lakers, spoiling a double-digit comeback in the fourth quarter for Los Angeles.

With two free throws and a layup in the Suns’ previous two possessions, O’Neale scored the team’s final seven points.

The Suns entered the game missing their top scorers in Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks due to injuries. Yet, they were competitive from the start against a nearly full-strength Lakers team. 

They took a 12-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, at which point the Lakers went to work. A 10-2 run made it a competitive game in the final minutes, and the Lakers tied the game with a minute left on an Austin Reaves 3-pointer.

O’Neale finished the game with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, while Grayson Allen led the Suns with 26 points and 6 assists off the bench. It was a big Luka Dončić night on the other side, with 41 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

Ultimately, the Suns’ strategy was to go to the 3-point line with their two most-used offensive players sidelined. They made 22 of 50 shots from deep, the most 3-pointers any team has attempted against the Lakers this season. Allen and Collin Gillespie combined for 27 of those shots, and made six each.

It was a supremely meaningful game for the standings as well. The Suns remain in seventh place in the Western Conference, but are now only a game back from the sixth-place Lakers for the final guaranteed playoff spot. 

The Lakers have lost three straight games — their previous losses came against the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics — and are 19-20 since Dec. 1. 

Spurs win 11th straight, finishing undefeated February and closing in on Thunder for West’s best record

The San Antonio Spurs won their 11th consecutive game Thursday with a 126-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. With their next game Sunday, the Spurs finished February undefeated. San Antonio’s last defeat was Jan. 31, a 111-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

The 11-game winning streak is the third longest in the NBA this season, following the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 16 straight wins and the Detroit Pistons’ 13 consecutive victories. 

Coupled with the Thunder’s loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, the Spurs are now only 1.5 games back of OKC for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The two teams don’t play each other again for the remainder of the regular season. (The Thunder is probably fine with that, going 1-4 against the Spurs in their matchups.) San Antonio has 23 games left; Oklahoma City has 22. 

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Julian Champagnie led the Spurs with 26 points (shooting 6-of-9 on 3-pointers), 3 steals and 2 blocks. Stephon Castle followed with 18 points, making 10-of-12 free throws. Devin Vassell scored 14 points, hitting 4-of-7 3s, with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. And Victor Wembanyama finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks as San Antonio improved to 43-16. 

Champagnie said “it means everything” to return to New York, where he played college basketball at St. John’s and grew up on Staten Island, and have a great game in front of hometown fans. He told the Spurs TV broadcast team that he had to buy 17 tickets for family and friends.

San Antonio ran out to a 36-22 lead in the first quarter, led by 13 points from Castle. Brooklyn opened the third quarter with a 13-4 run that cut its deficit to 75-69 with 8:34 remaining in the frame. But the Spurs closed out the quarter by outscoring the Nets 29-15. 

“It feels like the players are finding different ways to win,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game, via the San Antonio Express-News. “That’s a sign of growth.”

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Brooklyn was led by Michael Porter Jr.’s 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Danny Wolf and Day’Ron Sharpe each contributed 14 points off the bench. With the loss, the Nets dropped to 15-43, the second-worst record in the East and third-worst in the NBA. 

The 11-0 February was the third undefeated month in Spurs history and first since a 16-0 March during the 2013-14 season.

The Spurs next face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden for a nationally televised Sunday matinee at 1 p.m ET. By then, they could be within a game of the Thunder, who host the Denver Nuggets on Friday.