HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Brian Snitker #43 of the Atlanta Braves looks on from the dugout prior to Game 2 of the 2021 World Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves will inducted former manager Brian Snitker to the organization’s Hall of Fame on April 25, 2026. The third winningest manager in franchise history with 811 regular season victories, Snitker also led the team to the 2021 World Series championship – the organization’s first since 1995.
Snitker, who joined the organization as a player in 1977, began his coaching career in 1980 in the Braves minor league system garnering his first managerial opportunity in 1982 in the South Atlantic League. For the next four decades, he was a manager or coach with the organization in the minor leagues or with the big league club.
Snitker replaced Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez during the 2016 season on a interim basis. He would go on to manage the team through 2025, winning six consecutive National League East Division titles from 2018 through 2023 and making the post-season in seven of the nine season’s he was at the helm of the team for the entirety of the year.
After the end of the 2025 regular season, Snitker announced he would retire from managing. He is now an advisor in the organization.
The ceremony will take place prior to a game with the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies. Snitker will be the first inductee to the Braves Hall of Fame since 2024.
ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 11: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Thomas Bryant #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers high five during the game against the Orlando Magic on March 11, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to push their winning streak to four games as they take on the Orlando Magic on national TV.
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Dealing with a busted bracket?
The Sweet 16 is almost here – who’s still alive? We’re reviewing the week that was in the first week of the NCAA tournament and turning our focus to remaining teams. How bad (or good!) is your bracket? Join us in the SB Nation March Madness Feed and let’s talk about who’s most likely to make a run to glory.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 01: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on March 01, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cleveland Cavaliers head coachKenny Atkinson provided an update for injured center Jarrett Allen, and it was an encouraging one.
“He’s ramped it up in the last few days,” Atkinson said before Tuesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic. “Trending positive, watched him yesterday on the court. I think we are in the last stage of getting him ready.”
Allen has now missed nine games in a row, having first felt discomfort on March 3 against the Detroit Pistons. The team has described it as tendonitis, though there has been a bit of ambiguity since it was first thought to be a banged knee. But his impending return would be a boon for the Cavs, who have missed the pick-and-roll dynamism and rim protection. That has not stopped the Cavs from finding ways to win games, however.
Evan Mobley has filled the role of center admirably with more confidence and force of late, though his inability to hit free throws leaves a lot to be desired. But the overarching theme is that his play is translating in a way that should persist even when his front-court mate is back in the starting lineup.
“When he (Mobley) goes back to the four when Allen is back, I anticipate him playing better,” Atkinson continued. “I feel like post-All-Star, Evan has just been a different character.”
Sure enough, Mobley is shooting nearly 10% better from the floor after the All-Star Break compared to prior while maintaining similar rebounds, steals, and blocks. The return of Allen will impede those numbers, surely, but the bigger question for Mobley has been aggressiveness and confidence. If that manages to continue even with Allen’s return, it would be a very positive development for the Cavs as they head toward the postseason.
The patellar tendon attaches the kneecap to the shinbone and is crucial in helping straighten out a leg. This tear is more common among football players (especially linemen), but it has also happened in the NBA to Jeremy Lin, Victor Oladipo, and Dante Exum, among others. Full recovery can take anywhere from nine months to a year, meaning Moody will miss at least some of next season.
The injury occurred in overtime, when Moody stole the ball from Dallas’ rookie Cooper Flagg near midcourt and was going in for the exclamation point dunk when his knee gave way.
This is the second knee injury to a Warriors rotation player that will bleed into next season. Jimmy Butler’s torn ACL will force him to miss a portion of next season.
Moody had a solid season for the Warriors, averaging 11.9 points per game while shooting 40.2% from 3-point range. This was Moody’s first game back after missing 10 games with a sprained wrist.
Moody is in the first year of a three-year, $37.5 million contract signed this past summer. He will make $12.5 million next season and $13.4 million in the 2027-28 season.
The Denver Nuggets need every win they can get right now, and they’re finally nearing full health at the perfect time. The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, have a bit more breathing room as the postseason approaches.
Yet this line sits at just two possessions.
My Nuggets vs. Suns predictions and NBA picks expect Phoenix to key in on Nikola Jokic — and that defensive attention should open the door for a monster night on the glass, with Jokic clearing his rebound prop on March 24.
Nuggets vs Suns prediction
Nuggets vs Suns best bet: Nikola Jokic Over 13.5 rebounds (-110)
The obvious handicap is that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has cleared this prop in four of his last six games. There should still be some worry tonight, though.
The Phoenix Suns are slowing things down these days to hide their disadvantages as injuries expose their roster, but those injuries will play a big part in Joker eclipsing this number.
Oso Ighodaro and Jordan Goodwin will mount only so much resistance to Jokic, and he’ll dominate this frontcourt.
Nuggets vs Suns same-game parlay
Jokic should dominate his every matchup against the Suns, which should also reduce his need to pass the ball. Then, if Phoenix does indeed slow down the game, that should further lessen Jokic’s chances to move the ball to his teammates.
Not to mention, bet365 is offering a 30% boost on this same-game parlay, raising it to +780 if applied.
Nuggets vs Suns SGP
Nikola Jokic Over 13.5 rebounds
Nikola Jokic Over 28.5 points
Nikola Jokic Under 10.5 assists
Our “from downtown” SGP: Let Jokic eat
Phoenix knows it is thin these days, yet the Suns rank No. 13 in offensive rating in March and No. 12 in defensive rating. They’re hanging on in intentional ways. Tonight’s intention will be to let Jokic feast, but no other Nugget beats them.
Clearly, the Under on Jokic’s assists is correlated to the Under on Jamal Murray’s points. And both thoughts tie to the Suns setting tonight’s terms.
Nuggets vs Suns SGP
Suns +5.5
Under 232.5
Jamal Murray Under 23.5 points
Nikola Jokic Under 10.5 assists
Nikola Jokic Over 13.5 rebounds
Nuggets vs Suns odds
Spread: Nuggets -5.5 | Suns +5.5
Moneyline: Nuggets -240 | Suns +195
Over/Under: Over 232.5 | Under 232.5
Nuggets vs Suns betting trend to know
Phoenix has cashed four straight Unders, falling short of bookmakers’ expectations by an average of 8.5 points per game. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Suns.
How to watch Nuggets vs Suns
Location
Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ
Date
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Tip-off
11:00 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Nuggets vs Suns latest injuries
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Fans enter Angels Stadium before a baseball game between the Angels and the Houston Astros in April 2022. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
Two decades after owner Arte Moreno decided the Angels should play under the Los Angeles name, elected officials representing Anaheim are pursuing two paths toward getting their hometown back into the team name.
Assemblyman Avelino Valencia, whose district includes Angel Stadium, has introduced state legislation that could require any sale or new lease of the stadium property be conditioned upon the team reverting to the Anaheim Angels name.
Meanwhile, Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken has asked the city attorney to explore whether the Angels have violated their current lease by dropping the Anaheim name from legal documents.
Valencia’s bill — dubbed the “Home Run for Anaheim Act” — aims to mandate what the city of Anaheim could not negotiate in its ill-fated deal with Moreno in 2019: If a team owner wants to develop the parking lots around the city stadium, the team should carry the city’s name.
“The Angels have been supported by the city and its residents for 60 years,” Valencia said. “I think it’s rightfully owed to the residents that, if the team wants to play in Anaheim and be in partnership with Anaheim when it comes to future developments of that stadium and surrounding property, then the name should also resemble that.”
Angels spokeswoman Marie Garvey said the team had no comment.
The Angels’ current stadium lease extends through 2032, with the team holding options to extend the lease through 2038.
The city and team had agreed on a deal in which the Angels would remain in Anaheim through 2050, with the team buying the 150-acre stadium property for $150 million, renovating or replacing the stadium, and building a ballpark village atop the parking lots.
The state objected, however. The Surplus Land Act requires public property up for sale must first be made available for affordable housing, and the city negotiated only with the Angels. The city agreed to a $96-million settlement.
The Anaheim City Council ultimately killed the deal three years later, after an FBI investigation uncovered — and former mayor Harry Sidhu acknowledged in a plea agreement — that Sidhu provided confidential information to the team “so that the Angels could buy Angel Stadium on terms beneficial to the Angels” and that he “expected a $1,000,000 campaign contribution from the Angels.” The government has not alleged any wrongdoing by the Angels.
Valencia’s bill was developed in consultation with city leaders and publicly endorsed by Aitken and former Mayors Tom Daly and Tom Tait.
Under the bill, if the city can obtain an exemption from the Surplus Land Act, the team could not buy or lease Angel Stadium unless “materials refer to that team as the Anaheim Angels.”
The bill would only apply to Anaheim, and its provisions would not take effect “if the city of Anaheim is able to come to an agreement with the Major League Baseball team known as the Los Angeles Angels about their affiliation.”
Valencia said the city could make a case for an exemption because he believed the Surplus Land Act was designed for smaller properties like school sites and municipal office buildings. He said the community should have the primary say in how such land should be used, even if that might mean less housing on the Angel Stadium site.
“We definitely need more housing because it’s so dang expensive to live, but the amount of housing [in Anaheim] that has gone up in the last 10, 15 years, I think, mitigates some of that,” Valencia said.
“I think folks in Anaheim think that Anaheim is doing their fair share of developing housing. I don’t want to muddy the concept by saying Anaheim is saying, ‘We don’t need any more housing. We have been so proactive in that space. But I think people are going to be thrilled that we want to make the Angels have Anaheim back in the name.”
In 2005, after city officials declined Moreno’s request to change the team name from Anaheim Angels to Los Angeles Angels, the owner adopted the “Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim” name. The city sued and lost, with a jury finding that the Angels had not violated a stadium lease requirement that the team name “include the name Anaheim therein.”
When the city sued the Angels and asked for an injunction to stop the name change pending trial, Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Polos denied the request. He did, however, warn the Angels he would grant the injunction if the team dropped the “of Anaheim” and simply called themselves the Los Angeles Angels.
“When it comes to official designations, and to how they’re registered, I want us to look into how Anaheim is being used by the team in any official filings,” Aitken said, “and what their requirements are to do so.”
When Aitken asked City Atty. Robert Fabela to investigate, Fabela said the matter would be discussed in closed session as a “potential litigation item.”
NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 29: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 29, 2025 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks (47*-25) host the New Orleans Pelicans (25-47) tonight at Madison Square Garden. This matchup gives the Knicks a chance to pad their Eastern Conference standing against a weak Western team that doesn’t always play like it. Zion broke 30 points when they played last, and Dejounte Murray has given the birds a little lift since returning 10 games ago. Underestimate them at your peril, Knickerbockers.
Tonight’s tip off is 7:30 p.m. EST on MSG and NBA TV. This is your game thread. This is The Bird Writes. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be shining stars of humanity. And go Knicks!
* Should be one more, but NBA Cups have false bottoms.
What is a baseball season, if not a series of cascading stories, unfurling one after another? October is its own grand beast, but the marathon regular season is a stage all its own. The singular length of the MLB calendar allows for narrative arc, for character development in a way other sports do not. This is the lens through which we’ll attempt to preview the upcoming campaign.
Who are the figures most likely to define, influence and dictate the 2026 season? When the dust settles in November, what and whom will we remember? That is the admittedly vague framework for this list of the top 50 people who will impact the MLB season. But this is not a science, so lighten up and enjoy the ball, why don’t ya?
50. Roki Sasaki, Dodgers pitcher
Remember last winter? When we were losing our collective craniums over this guy? Scouts, analysts and baseball prognosticators of all sorts billed Sasaki as a generational can’t-miss prospect. The heater sat in the upper-90s. The splitter was otherworldly. The on-mound athleticism was eye-popping. Available at bargain-bin prices, the right-handed Japanese string bean sparked a minor firestorm when he opted to join the Dodgers anyway.
That all feels like a hallucination now. Because Sasaki, at this point in time, is a bad major-eague pitcher. His phenomenal October in relief is a relevant data point, no doubt, and Sasaki deserves credit for refashioning himself into a useful piece last autumn. But any progress he made late in 2025 appears to have been wiped completely clean over the winter.
Sasaki just slogged through a horrendous spring, sporting a 15.58 ERA across four starts. In his final tune-up Monday, he didn’t make it out of the first inning, walking three and hitting a batter. The Dodgers are starting the season with Sasaki in the rotation regardless, though skipper Dave Roberts, when asked if the 24-year-old is one of the best 13 pitchers in the organization, responded with a read-between-the-lines non-answer: “He is going to start the season in the rotation.”
Obviously, the Dodgers can afford to let Sasaki iron things out in the bigs for at least a little while, but a day might come when it all becomes unviable. What happens then? Will L.A. send him to the Arizona complex for another refresh? Does he go to Triple-A? A pitcher this talented should and will get loads of leash, but at some point, Sasaki has to, you know, get outs against MLB hitters.
Cholowsky is the top amateur prospect in the sport and the runaway favorite to be drafted first overall by the Chicago White Sox in July. Not since Adley Rutschman in 2019 has somebody gone wire-to-wire as the consensus No. 1 player on the board. And while Cholowsky might not have the supersonic ceiling of a Konnor Griffin, a Bobby Witt Jr. or a Paul Skenes, he’s as safe a bet as we’ve seen in some time. Just 23 games into his junior season, the Arizonan has 10 long balls and a 1.197 OPS to go with stellar defense. He’s got shades of peak Xander Bogaerts if everything clicks and will immediately become a crucial building block on Chicago’s road back to contention.
48. Joe Ryan, Twins starting pitcher
Ryan is a very good pitcher — eighth-best K/BB rate in MLB last season among qualified starters — but he’s in these rankings because he’s the front-runner to be the best player traded at this year’s deadline. The Twins undertook a substantial fire sale last summer but held on to Ryan, starter Pablo López and center fielder Byron Buxton. That means Minnesota probably won’t be god-awful in 2026, though Lopez is out for the year. Still, it’s difficult to envision a playoff run for a ballclub this reliant on injury-prone cornerstones.
In the event that the Twins are done and dusted by July, they absolutely have to trade Ryan, who will almost certainly become a free agent at season’s end. (He has a mutual option that he’s unlikely to pick up). It’s not often that a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter becomes available at the deadline; Ryan would be the best arm dealt midseason since Max Scherzer in 2021. That’s a huge deal for whichever team lands him.
Here are the pitchers dealt at the deadline who started a playoff game the past five seasons:
Year
Pitchers
2025
Shane Bieber (TOR), Andrew Kittredge (CHC), Zach Littell (CIN), Louis Varland (TOR)
2024
Jack Flaherty (LAD), Alex Cobb (CLE), Frankie Montas (MIL), Zach Eflin (BAL)
2023
Justin Verlander (HOU), Jordan Montgomery (TEX), Lance Lynn (LAD), Max Scherzer (TEX)
2022
Noah Syndergaard (PHI), José Quintana (STL), Luis Castillo (SEA)
2021
Max Scherzer (LAD)
47. Mike Trout, Angels outfielder
2025 was an odd year for the Millville Meteor. Trout stayed healthy, playing in 130 baseball games for the first time since 2019. But for the first time since his 40-game debut in 2011, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer was definitively not elite. Trout slashed .232/.359/.439 with 26 homers. That .797 OPS was the top mark on a bad Angels team but light-years below Trout’s supersonic standards.
But the ballplayer who dominated an era might not be done just yet. Set to turn 35 in August, Trout flashed a 30 feet/second run time during spring training, a sprint speed that just seven qualified players averaged in 2025. Don’t expect him to unleash that pace every journey down the line, but it’s good to know Trout still has that in the bag, and it’s especially important considering he’s slated to be Anaheim’s every-day center fielder.
Is this a harbinger of a bounce-back? Can Trout rage against the undefeated beast that is Father Time? Or is it merely a blip? Are our best days truly behind us?
46. Paul DePodesta, Rockies president of baseball operations
Nothing facilitates change like complete and total ineptitude. The Rockies were a dinosaur of a franchise long before their historically dreadful 2025. But that 43-win season was humbling enough to precipitate a long overdue organizational shakeup. For the first time in decades, the Rockies went outside the family to hire a new top baseball exec.
DePodesta, the inspiration for Jonah Hill’s character in “Moneyball,” was a curious choice, given he’d spent the previous decade with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. But so far, the club’s new POBO has made a series of well-regarded hires, including general manager Josh Byrnes and director of pitching Matt Daniels.
Given the desolate state of the Rockies’ big-league roster, it’s unlikely the new regime’s influence leads to immediate success at Coors Field this season. However, hints about the strategies for the future are sure to emerge. How do they plan to tackle the challenges of Denver’s mile-high environs? What types of pitchers do they target in trades? What does the first draft under Byrnes look like? What other hires do they make in player development? Can they finally help players develop at the big-league level? Progress is paramount, and it all starts with DePodesta.
45. Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida
The Tampa Bay Rays have been trying to find a new stadium since they moved into Tropicana Field back in 1998. It’s an outdated facility (opened in 1990) in a horrible location (across the bay in St. Petersburg). Whimsical though it might be, The Trop puts a literal roof on how this franchise chooses to conduct business. The Rays have been in an operational holding pattern for a while now — capable enough to be competent, too financially hamstrung to be anything more than that. That dynamic prompted a sale last summer, when longtime owner Stuart Sternberg offloaded the team to a group led by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski.
What does the governor of Florida have to do with all this? Well, DeSantis and Zalupski are thicker than thieves. The governor, who played ball at Yale, appointed Zalupski to the University of Florida Board of Trustees in 2023. Zalupski soon after donated $250,000 to DeSantis’ 2024 presidential bid. Earlier this year, DeSantis and the Florida cabinet agreed to allocate a 22-acre plot of land in Tampa for the construction of a ballpark. Myriad bureaucratic hurdles remain, but the Rays appear closer to ending their exhausting stadium saga than they have been in quite some time. The organization has struggled to compile the political capital necessary to get a deal done, but Zalupski’s relationship with DeSantis could well get the ball over the line.
The Phillies’ ace, the Padres’ owner, the Brewers’ young flame-thrower, the Orioles’ new slugger, the Rockies’ POBO and the Dodgers’ shortstop are all among the top 50 people who will shape the 2026 MLB season.
Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports
44. Munetaka Murakami, White Sox infielder
A year ago, Murakami looked primed to become the next superstar Japanese import. Equipped with light-tower power and still in his mid-20s, the single-season Japan-born NPB home run king was projected to score a sturdy, multiyear contract. Instead, an upper-body injury kept Murakami sidelined for the first two-thirds of 2025. And while he showcased upper-deck juice upon returning, the Yakult Swallows’ slugger made so little contact that he sent the MLB scouting community running for the hills.
And so, Murakami was forced to settle for a two-year deal with a rebuilding White Sox club that had little to lose by rolling the dice on the corner infielder’s immense ceiling. All things considered, it’s a strong landing spot for Murakami, who will be able to implement much-needed mechanical changes in a relatively low-pressure environment. Small-sample caveats aside, Murakami’s spring training showing did little to assuage doubts about his high-risk hit tool. But no matter how this plays out, it’ll be fascinating. If it totally clicks for Murakami, he’s a superstar. If he’s just OK, he’ll be a cult hero with billboard fame back home. If he stinks, the entire industry might need to reevaluate how we think about certain types of Japanese hitters.
43. José Ramírez, Guardians third baseman 42. Chase DeLauter, Guardians outfielder
Five seasons have flown by since Cleveland traded franchise pillar Francisco Lindor to the New York Mets in January 2021. Over that span, the Guardians rank in the bottom 10 of almost every important offensive category, despite Ramírez’s consistently fabulous statistical output.
Guardians’ offensive ranks since 2021
OPS
25th (.695)
SLG
26th (.388)
HR
26th (807)
Runs/game
22nd (4.24)
BB%
25th (7.8%)
Enter DeLauter, Cleveland’s best chance at finding J-Ram a sidekick while he’s still kicking butt. Drafted 16th overall in 2022, the 24-year-old DeLauter has battled a deluge of injuries during his playing career but has produced whenever healthy. The Guardians believed in the bat enough to shoehorn him into center field during last year’s wild-card series even though he (1) had yet to debut in the bigs and (2) had barely played center field.
DeLauter will slot in as Cleveland’s every-day right fielder for the foreseeable future and is a strong bet to hit for both average and power. Will that happen immediately? And how long will DeLauter’s window of impact overlap with Ramírez’s before the future Hall of Famer begins to decline? The answer to that question will define the next five years of Cleveland baseball.
41. Jackson Chourio, Brewers outfielder 40. Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers starting pitcher
No club in baseball won more games in 2025 than the Milwaukee stinkin’ Brewers and their band of scrappy misfits. Yet the doubters are out in full force once again, with sportsbooks and prognosticators alike projecting this 97-win wagon for a 2026 total in the low 80s. “How can the Brewers keep getting away with this?” we all yell into the void.
That Milwaukee has been able to sustain contention despite a relative lack of high-end offensive talent on the big-league roster is downright remarkable. The Brewers haven’t had a legitimate position-player behemoth since Christian Yelich’s peak in 2019. Chourio has a chance to change that. The 22-year-old Venezuelan has been teetering on the edge of full-blown stardom since debuting in 2024, and this could be the year he goes Super Saiyan and establishes himself as a perennial MVP candidate. The talent is certainly there.
Speaking of talent, Misiorowski is slated to start for the Brewers on Opening Day. The youthful, long-limbed manchild burst onto the scene last summer with a triple-digit heater and a jolly disposition. His inclusion in the All-Star Game after just five MLB starts made headlines. “The Miz” tailed off down the stretch but recaptured the magic in October. Now, with Freddy Peralta in Queens, the torch of Next Great Brewers Ace is Misiorowski’s to carry. Let’s see if his shoulders are big enough.
39. John Seidler, Padres chairman and principal owner
Peter Seidler, the cherished San Diego Padres owner who passed away in November 2023, was a singular force. No MLB owner in recent history so drastically and emphatically reoriented the fortunes of a franchise. Seidler dipped into his own pockets to sign and extend superstars, turning San Diego into a baseball-mad town once again. Then his death left a void and triggered a messy dispute over control of the franchise between Peter’s siblings and his widow, Sheel. In the end, the brothers Siedlers, with John at the helm, were handed control of the club.
Now they’re looking to sell. The current sale-price record for an MLB franchise is $2.4 billion, which hedge fund honcho Steve Cohen doled out for the Mets in 2020. Experts around the industry project the Padres to surpass that figure. According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, final bids are expected in mid-April, with four groups in the running. Three billionaires with prominent sports ties — José E. Feliciano (co-owner of Chelsea Football Club), Dan Friedkin (owner of Everton Football Club) and Joe Lacob (owner of the Golden State Warriors) — have reportedly shown interest.
That level of enthusiasm is a testament to the sport as a whole and to Peter Seidler’s legacy as an owner. Despite a poor farm system and a handful of albatross contracts, the Padres are in a strong spot. They have a beautiful, downtown ballpark, a passionately engaged fan base and superstar cornerstones in Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. In business terms: It’s a nice asset. But to whom John Seidler decides to sell the team — and for how much — will speak volumes about the future of San Diego baseball and MLB’s financial trajectory more broadly.
The 2025 Mets imploded, in large part, because their pitching staff couldn’t get outs. Some of that blame falls on New York’s shambolic defense, but the non-McLean pitchers carrying a 6.37 ERA and .806 opponent’s OPS over the last two months was much more than a defense problem. And while Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was open and honest about prioritizing run prevention this offseason, Peralta was the only starting pitcher he acquired.
The club’s new and improved defense should help a great deal in 2026, but there’s still quite a bit of pressure on Peralta and McLean to reestablish New York’s staff. For Peralta, it’s also a key season for his bank account. The right-hander, added via trade with Milwaukee in January, will hit free agency for the first time this winter, barring an extension. If he’s one-and-done in Queens, it better be a good one.
McLean, on the other hand, will be around for a while. His eight-start stint at the end of 2025 was outrageously impressive and solidified the 24-year-old as an NL Rookie of the Year front-runner for 2026. He didn’t dominate in two WBC starts for Team USA, but the raw stuff was very much on display. This is one of the most talented young arms in the sport. The Mets are counting on him to be just that.
36. Jason Benetti, NBC broadcaster
For 36 seasons, “Sunday Night Baseball” on ESPN operated as the sport’s weekly national showcase. Over that stretch, just four characters held the primary play-by-play gig: Jon Miller (1990-2010), Dan Shulman (2011-2017), Matt Vasgersian (2018-2021) and Karl Ravech (2022-2025). But with ESPN opting to reprioritize its baseball holdings, SNB is NBC-bound this season.
Benetti, the beloved lead broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers, will provide the soundtrack for the weekly stand-alone game’s new era. He’ll be joined in the booth by a rotating cast of local analysts. Few play-by-play personalities are able to flow seamlessly between intensity and humor like Benetti, who could not be more suited for the job.
35. Pete Alonso, Orioles first baseman
The Polar Bear finally got his ice. After multiple winters of consternation, Alonso earned a massive payday, hauling in a landmark, five-year, $155 million deal with the Orioles. Doubts about his defense and aging curve scared off a host of clubs, including his former employers in Queens, but Alonso has always raked.
That’s what he’ll be expected to do in Baltimore, where he’ll slot into the middle of an Orioles lineup coming off a disastrous 2025. On paper, it’s a good fit. Injuries derailed the O’s in 2026; Alonso has a phenomenal track record of health and rarely misses a game. Most of the young Orioles are lefty swingers; Alonso hits right-handed. His experience should also help a relatively unproven group of hitters still looking for its first postseason victory as a unit.
Baltimore’s new ownership group deserves a lot of credit for finally breaking the bank for a massive free agent. Alonso, too, deserves kudos for betting on himself and waiting out the market. Now, all that’s left to do is hit.
34. Junior Caminero, Rays third baseman 33. Nick Kurtz, Athletics first baseman
Only five players have hit 50 homers in a season over the past five years: Aaron Judge (thrice) Shohei Ohtani (twice), Cal Raleigh, Matt Olson and Kyle Schwarber. Here are the two best bets to join that list.
Caminero’s brilliant WBC showing was yet another reminder that this is an ascending megastar. Yes, the Dominican’s 45-homer campaign last year was boosted by the temporary launching pad of George M. Steinbrenner Field, but let’s not pretend that was some enormous fluke. Caminero clocked 45 last season despite sporting a second-percentile launch-angle sweetspot percentage (meaning he was very poor at hitting the ball at optimal angles). Besides, he doesn’t turn 23 until July and sports the second-fastest bat speed in the sport behind Oneil Cruz. The sky — or the Tropicana Field Roof — is the limit.
Kurtz’s path to 50 tanks is even simpler. “The Big Amish” didn’t debut until late April last season and went homerless in his first 59 plate appearances as he adjusted to big-league ball. Then he caught fire, blasting 36 long balls over his remaining 430 trips to the dish to unanimously win AL Rookie of the Year. There are warts to his game, to be sure. Kurtz had the highest whiff rate in the sport among hitters with at least 475 plate appearances. That resulted in a mountain of punchouts. He’s also a poor defender at first base. But those, my friends, are merely nits picked. Kurtz, who turned 23 during spring training, is a bona fide monster. Fifty homers is not just within range; it feels like a certainty at some point in his career.
For an ace, a true ace, there is no more defining trait than availability. From 2020 through 2024, this trio ranked second (Wheeler), third (Burnes) and 12th (Cole) in innings pitched. Combined, they made nine All-Star Games, won two Cy Youngs, finished runner-up three other times and started 26 postseason games. On an annual basis, they are the first (Wheeler), fifth (Cole) and sixth (Burnes) highest-paid pitchers in the game. All were no-doubt No. 1 pitcher material.
But arm injuries, as they tend to do, derailed the joyride for these three in 2025. Cole missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during spring training. Burnes, in year one of a hefty new contract with the Diamondbacks, also had elbow surgery after feeling tightness during a June 1 start. Wheeler’s ailment was even more dire; he went on the IL after doctors discovered a blood clot near his right shoulder. The issue turned out to be thoracic outlet syndrome, and Wheeler had a rib removed as part of the ensuing surgery.
All three hurlers are now on the road to recovery, all three are expected to return at some point in 2026, and all three are absolutely crucial to their clubs’ aspirations. Wheeler, impressively, is on track to be back first and should recapture his spot atop Philadelphia’s rotation at some point in late April. Then it’ll be Cole, whose impending return surely deterred the Yankees from making a significant offseason addition. Burnes will be last and the most important; Arizona’s 2026 plan is essentially to tread water until he and a pair of key relievers come off the IL this summer. But being healthy and being hearty are two different things. Just how quickly will these aces get back to being aces? That answer could completely reshape the playoff picture.
29. Carlos Correa, Astros shortstop
A decade ago, Correa was, alongside José Altuve, the emblem of Houston’s rise to dominance. Now, as he approaches his 32nd birthday, the Puerto Rican star will either be the face of a resolute resurgence or the symbol of a once-great empire, finally in ruin.
Traded back to Houston in a shocking move at last summer’s deadline, Correa performed well as his club tumbled down the standings in August and September. The Astros finished outside the playoff picture for the first time since 2016, Correa’s second year in the bigs. His return also created something of a positional logjam that resulted in 2025 All-Star Isaac Paredes getting jettisoned to the bench.
Remember, Correa has a no-trade clause. He chose to head back to Houston, opting into this challenge. That makes this a critical campaign for both him and his ballclub. Eventually, this organization and its barren farm system will run dry of talent. No dynasty lasts forever. But Correa will play a gigantic role in determining whether the Astros have a few more gasps of glory left.
28. Mookie Betts, Dodgers shortstop
The eight-time All-Star is coming off a supremely weird 2025. On the positive side, he transitioned brilliantly to shortstop, where he was a Gold Glove finalist in his first full season at the position. That’s ridiculously impressive for anybody — even more so for a primary outfielder making the shift at 32 years old. His aptitude shone through during the season’s final moment: a crisp 6-3 double play that ended Game 7 of the World Series.
Now, for the bad. Betts is coming off the worst offensive season of his Hall of Fame career. He posted an OPS below .800 for the first time, his bat speed tailed off precipitously, and he stole only eight bases. Things weren’t much better in October; Mookie’s postseason statline was mediocre, and he finished the postseason homerless.
So who is Mookie Betts now? Is his run as an elite hitter a thing of the past? We don’t think so. Remember, a stomach illness during spring training last year caused him to lose between 15 and 20 pounds. That sapped him of his strength and trademark quick twitch. He was playing catch-up all season while learning a new position.
This spring, he has been adopting some new, off-beat training methods, and his resumé has earned him some grace. But while things are hunky-dory in DodgerLand right now, another down year from Betts, who is under contract for seven more seasons, could be legitimate cause for worry.
27. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs center fielder 26. Alex Bregman, Cubs third baseman
For the first four months of last season, Crow-Armstrong was an MVP candidate, a dynamic power-speed threat with Gold Glove defense in center. For the last two months, he was a blindfolded kid at a birthday party swinging aimlessly at a piñata … with Gold Glove defense in center.
PCA, who on Monday reportedly agreed to an extension with the Cubs, is as mercurial as he is crucial. Few characters in the sport can match his talent or his charisma. He started the WBC on the bench, then clocked two homers in a game to crowbar his way into the lineup. His defense gives him a strong floor, meaning Chicago can justify running him out there every day, even when his bat gets colder than Lake Michigan in January. Either way, the upside remains immense. PCA turns 24 one day before Opening Day. As he goes, so will the Cubs.
Bregman’s arrival should help, too. Considered one of the most influential clubhouse presences in the sport, the 10-year vet has appeared in the playoffs in every full season of his career. The Cubs pried him away from Boston in free agency as something of a Kyle Tucker replacement. Chicago has not won an NL Central title (2020 season excluded) since 2017. Bregman was brought in to help track down the Brewers and establish a new era of Cubs baseball.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody will miss the rest of the season after a gruesome left knee injury that will require surgery later this week.
His knee buckled and Moody went down in agony for several minutes before being carted off the court on a stretcher and giving a wave to the supportive road crowd. The injury left teammates, coaches, the Mavericks and their fans in shock.
The 23-year-old Moody was averaging career-bests of 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 25.7 minutes for the Warriors this season.
Moody had just returned for the first time after missing 10 games with a sprained right wrist. He led the Warriors with 23 points and had three steals — all three against Flagg and all of those in the fourth quarter or overtime. The first two came during an 11-0 Golden State run that broke a tie at the start of the fourth.
“Mo is such a great human being, great teammate, wonderful guy to coach,” coach Steve Kerr said afterward. “Puts in the work every day. And was brilliant, by the way. Played so well defensively, changed the game for us with his ball pressure and knocked down big shots. So great to finally have him back. And then for that to happen, you’re just praying that it’s not too serious, but it sure looked serious.”
The noise didn’t return to the hushed arena over the final 58 seconds, the Warriors scoring the only point in that stretch.
“I saw the looks on the Mavericks’ faces,” Kerr said. “Everybody on the floor was just horrified. Players care about players. They know how fragile this business is and how short their careers are and how injuries can happen and can be catastrophic. We don’t know what it is yet. We’re just hoping for the best.”
The Warriors are headed to the play-in tournament in the Western Conference, and waiting for word on star guard Stephen Curry’s return from a right knee injury after losing Jimmy Butler to a season-ending knee injury that led to ACL surgery.
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AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon in Dallas contributed to this story.
LONDON (AP) — Arsenal underlined its credentials for back-to-back Women’s Champions League titles by beating English rival Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Also, Wolfsburg took a 1-0 lead over record eight-time champion Lyonnes in a meeting of two of the competition’s most storied names.
Stina Blackstenius — with her first Champions League goal since the winner in the final against Barcelona last season — and Chloe Kelly gave Arsenal a 2-0 halftime lead at Emirates Stadium.
Lauren James curled a brilliant long-range shot into the top corner to reduce the deficit for Chelsea but Arsenal regained its two-goal cushion when Alessia Russo drove home from the edge of the area.
Chelsea finished higher in the league stage — third place, compared to Arsenal in fifth — but has work to do in next week’s return leg across London to reach the semifinals for the fourth straight season.
Lineth Beerensteyn scored the only goal for Wolfsburg with a deflected 14th-minute shot against Lyon in the 12th Champions League meeting between the teams, which makes it tied for the most-played fixture in the competition’s history.
Four of those matches have been in finals, highlighting their status.
Kadidiatou Diani hit the post late in the game for Lyon, whose most recent of its eight titles came in 2022.
Remaining quarterfinals
The other two first-leg matches in the quarterfinals are on Wednesday, when Real Madrid hosts Barcelona in a big Spanish rivalry and Manchester United makes its debut at this stage against Bayern Munich.
