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We’re less than two weeks into the 2026 MLB season, but that doesn’t change the fact that some teams are off to promising starts, while others are decidedly not.

As discussed on the latest episode of “Baseball Bar-B-Cast,” perhaps the team in the worst position so far this season is the Boston Red Sox.

The Sox are 1-5 and 4.0 games back of the Yankees in the AL East, the largest deficit in any division entering play Friday. They were swept by the Astros this week and have lost five in a row since winning on Opening Day.

“This is the team that is objectively in the worst position of any team in the sport right now,” Jordan Shusterman said. “It’s not just that the Red Sox have lost these games … We’re already in the place where it’s, ‘Oh, boy, this doesn’t look great.’”

As Shusterman noted, the team’s offseason acquisitions, notably Caleb Durbin, Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, have not played well through the first six games. Also, Carlos Narváez was benched for an unknown reason, Trevor Story is 4-for-29 to begin the season and Roman Anthony struck out four times on Tuesday.

“As far as five-game losing streaks go, they’re packing in a lot of things that are pissing off their own fans,” Shusterman said.

Added Jake Mintz: “If you said to the Red Sox, you’re going to win on Opening Day, and then over the next five games, we need you to make people as concerned as possible without a debilitating injury … the Red Sox said, ‘Yeah, we got this.’”

As the hosts noted, it is silly to be panicking about any baseball team because it is the beginning of April. However, the AL East is not a division in which a contender can afford to fall behind early. Case in point: Boston’s playoff odds at FanGraphs dropped from around 60% to around 40% in one week, as Shusterman noted.

“I am not that concerned about the Red Sox,” Mintz said, “but at the same time, given the way that this team has operated in previous seasons, I think it is reasonable for fans to be frustrated.”

The Red Sox begin their first homestand of the season on Friday, with three games against the Padres followed by three games against the Brewers.

Emulating Jose Canseco is always a dangerous thing. Unfortunately for one Highland Community College player, he found that out the hard way during a game against Butler on Thursday.

With the game tied 1-1 in the third inning, a Butler player drove a ball to center field. The center fielder gave chase to the ball, which looked like it was going to fall a few feet short of not just the wall but the warning track. He got into position, put his glove up to make the catch … and missed it.

Instead, the ball bounced directly off the centerfielder’s head and all the way over the high wall in the outfield for a home run.

It didn’t look pretty.

It was eerily similar Canseco’s now infamous gaffe in the outfield over 30 years ago.

Highland came into Thursday on a 10-game losing streak. The team played a double-header against Butler, losing both contests to drop them to 5-29 on the season.

Here’s hoping Highland’s centerfielder is doing OK following the play. And that the one thing hurting Friday is his pride, not his head.

Welcome to Judgment Week. 

The final games of the 2025-26 regular season are upon us and award races are heating up. Teams are vying for playoff positioning, others are loading up the tanks for one last hurrah and the league is preparing for a pivotal period. Thanks as always for the question submissions, let’s dive in …

If Luka Dončić had beaten Oklahoma City and played well, would it be enough for him to get the MVP award? I know it should be, but what do you think? — @Grumsi24

Dončić finished with 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting in 26 minutes in a 139-96 loss on Thursday. But the major plot point is that

Fantastic question, because it really forced me to think. By the end of the exercise, I couldn’t break the tie between Charlotte and San Antonio. 

As part of my process, I probably tend to pay closer attention to head coaches than other media members. Certainly not in a bravado sense, but more along the lines of their delivery. Not what they’re saying, but how they’re getting a message across. 

I remember sitting in a back room at American Airlines Center for a preseason Hornets-Mavericks matchup, coming away from a six-minute chat with Charles Lee completely blown away with how effortlessly he broke down concepts, schemes and his vision for a Hornets team very few people expected anything from. I also remember sitting in the Spurs practice facility for the official passing-of-the-torch to Mitch Johnson, with the legendary Gregg Popovich beaming from ear to ear — a rarity if you’ve ever been around Pop. There was a palpable respect in the room that day bestowed upon a young mind hell-bent on inspiring others. 

On both occasions, the messaging spoke to a clear, concise plan of attack. Both desired to enhance their teams’ current spacing, share the ball and play to a collective. Obviously, there’s a clear difference between coaching Wembanyama and LaMelo Ball and Kon Kneuppel, but both require a vision. Both require sacrifice. Both require a buy-in. It’s no surprise that these are two of the most enjoyable League Pass watches on any given night, the NBA’s Nos. 3 and 5 offenses that are second and seventh, respectively, in efficiency differential. 

Expectations have gone from already throwing Charlotte into the Tankathon simulations to potential first-round opponents. San Antonio was meant to be a nice storyline, bright play-in team, but it could very well go all the way. None of this is possible without the full respect of a leader. Welcome, surprises. 

Collin Gillespie has gone from a marginal NBA player who played 10 games in the G league last season to a quality rotation player and a glue guy on a surprising Phoenix Suns team ravaged by injuries. Why isn’t he considered a major MIP award candidate? He should typify the award. — @arhooptalk

I recently stumbled upon a well written Gillespie-centric article in Forbes, written by NBA writer Mat Issa, stating the guard’s case for Most Improved. 

(I’ll shout it from the mountaintops: Abolish Most Improved! Create All-Improved First Team!)

In a vacuum, yes, Gillespie’s improvement — based on how he initially entered the NBA — should give him real legs in any Most Improved race. His brand of low-usage, decent-efficiency output with a wholesome usage-to-playmaking ratio is valuable, and that’s before you dive into his elite floor spacing and his underrated/underdiscussed defensive ability as a point-of-attack option, smart shot contestster and an energy magnet. Gillespie is on the level in win shares per 48 with Scottie Barnes and Stephon Castle, and advanced analytics — like LEBRON — paint him as just outside the top 50 in overall impact. That’s good! 

A few things are working against him, though. His production has slipped some since the break, going from a 43% 3-point shooter to a 37% one, which also aligns with his drop in overall scoring efficiency. Gillespie is scoring just 109.6 points per 100 shot attempts since the deadline, which is essentially in the bottom third of the league. He’s also averaging a shade over 12 points per game; good, but doesn’t exactly scream award winner. 

Compared to names like Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Duren, who are currently the top two favorites for the award per BetMGM, Gillespie’s numbers don’t give him a strong argument over these two. 

NAW detractors will point to his draft position, taken 17th in 2019, and say, “He’s a former first-rounder. He’s supposed to be this good!” Which is fair to some degree, but I’ll read you the list of names drafted right before and after Walker. Stop me when you find a 20-point scorer. Romeo Langford. Sekou Doumbouya. Chuma Okeke. Goga Bitadze. Luka Šamanić. Matisse Thybulle. Should I keep going? 

I think I will. Brandon Clarke. Grant Williams. Darius Bazley. Ty Jerome. Nasir Little. Dylan Windler. Real deep draft. 

NAW has essentially doubled his 3-point output from last season in Minnesota and somehow is shooting better, a sliver under 40%. He’s shown a proclivity for driving more, doubling his frequency from last season, and uses his length for good, with creative finishes around the rim. The Hawks are a plus-7.3 points per 100 possessions better offensively when he’s on the floor, a 95th-percentile impact. Advanced analytics — DARKO, LEBRON AND Real Adjusted Plus-Minus — all portray Alexander-Walker as a top-60 player, which tracks. The Hawks are a +211 in nearly 2,500 Alexander-Walker minutes and plus-24 in net rating. In other words, he’s a more impactful player on a slightly better team that had a larger year-over-year leap. Same with Duren, who became an All-Star on a 60-ish win-pace Pistons team while becoming a bonafide go-to option, better ballhandler and finisher. 

For the most part, fantasy baseball managers should add players with significant long-term upside at this point in the season. After all, the benefits of a potential six-month asset far outweigh those of a player who will only be on your roster for a few days. That being said, victories in head-to-head leagues in April count just as much as those in August. For that reason, this article will always feature some long-term and short-term options.

The majority of enticing early-season options tend to come from the mound, as a few starters will show exciting skill developments and a handful of relievers will slide into ninth-inning roles. On the hitting side, we should usually exercise patience with the players who we deemed fit to draft.

Pitchers to add

Parker Messick, SP, Guardians, 29%: When Messick made the rotation, I labelled him as my FOMO player for 2026. But the left-hander even exceeded my expectations when he posted a 5:0 K:BB ratio over six scoreless innings during a road start against the mighty Dodgers on Monday. I’m all-in on Messick and would find a way to add him in every 12-team league and plenty of 10-team formats ahead of his upcoming Sunday start against the Cubs.

Eric Lauer, SP, Blue Jays, 30%: Lauer, who was eighth on Toronto’s rotation depth chart at one point in spring training, is now the team’s No. 4 starter. Sure, injuries to others have aided his climb, but he also fared well in the rotation last year (3.77 ERA, 9.0 K/9 rate) and looked great when he struck out nine over 5.1 innings of one-run ball in his initial 2026 start. The schedule makes me even more bullish on Lauer, as his next two starts come against the White Sox and Twins.

Paul Sewald, RP, Diamondbacks, 45%: With so many unsettled closer situations during March, it’s not surprising that new save options are continuously emerging during the initial days of the season. Sewald may be the top option to add, as he has looked great thus far (0.00 ERA, 4:0 K:BB ratio) en route to earning two saves. The 35-year-old has plenty of closer experience (88 career saves), and although the D-backs aren’t World Series contenders, they are better than most of the teams who have an unsettled closer picture.

Jordan Romano, RP, Angels, 42%: Everything that was said about Sewald also applies to Romano, who has been excellent (0.00 ERA, 4:2 K:BB ratio) while earning two saves. Like Sewald, Romano struggled last year but has plenty of ninth-inning experience (115 career saves) and a firm grip on his team’s closer role.

Lucas Erceg, RP, Royals, 48%: In comparison to Sewald and Romano, Erceg is less of a sure thing but has more upside, making him a more desirable option overall. The right-hander is the heavy favorite to assume closer responsibilities from Carlos Estévez, who has lost too much velocity to be used in high-leverage situations. Erceg is a quality reliever (2.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP in 2025), who could be regarded as a top-15 closer by the end of April. Of course, there is also a chance that Royals manager Matt Quatraro opts to split up ninth-inning duties.

Hitters to add

Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF, Pirates, 28%: So far, the addition of O’Hearn his paying dividends for a Pirates offense that needed a spark. The slugger is consistently batting out of premium lineup spots, has more walks (4) than whiffs (3) and has shown some power (.737 SLG). Although O’Hearn won’t dominate in any category, he should be helpful in every area except for steals.

Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Angels, 24%: Slowly but surely, Schanuel is becoming a quality major leaguer. The Angels promoted him prematurely way back in 2023, but he has made strides with his average exit velocity and has always had an excellent ability to control the strike zone. As the Angels’ regular No. 3 hitter, the 24-year-old should be involved in plenty of run scoring.

Andrés Giménez, 2B/SS, Blue Jays, 32%: Managers who need a speed boost in category leagues can consider Giménez, who is showing signs of bouncing back from a down year that was impacted by injuries. The slick fielder’s glove will keep him in the lineup, and he has a pair of 30-steal seasons on his resume (2023-24). He just needs to limit strikeouts, which he has done so far (12.5%).

Carson Benge, OF, Mets, 33%: Benge has been a mixed bag thus far. He’s drawing plenty of walks (9.5%) but striking out too often (33.3%). He’s making excellent contact (50% hard-hit rate) but hitting too many grounders (58.3%). The kid has been in the majors for a week – let’s add him and give him a time to smooth out the rough spots.

Hitters with favorable weekend matchups

Max Muncy, 3B, Dodgers, 38%

The Dodgers will face three below-average starters on a Nationals team that may not have any reliable relievers. With seven Los Angeles hitters rostered in 90% of leagues, Muncy stands out as the one regular who is both available and has significant upside.

Justin Crawford, OF, Phillies, 22%

A trip to Coors Field makes the Phillies the top offense to target this weekend. There are six Philadelphia regulars who are rostered in the majority of leagues, although Bryson Stott and Adolis García will be available in some shallow formats. Crawford, who is batting .412, is more widely available and has the speed and contact skills to thrive at Coors Field.

Pitchers to stream this weekend (ranked in order of preference)

Parker Messick vs. CHC (Sunday, 29%)
Ryan Weathers vs. MIA (Saturday, 30%)
Eric Lauer @ CWS (Sunday, 30%)
Jack Leiter vs. CIN (Sunday, 48%)
Brandon Ashcraft vs. BAL (Sunday, 48%)
Kyle Harrison @ KC (Sunday, 30%)
Chris Bassitt @ PIT (Sunday, 29%)
Tyler Mahle vs. NYM (Friday, 9%)
Clay Holmes @ SF (Saturday, 45%)
Chad Patrick @ KC (Friday, 18%)
Michael Wacha vs. MIL (Friday, 32%)
Carmen Mlodzinski vs. BAL (Saturday, 3%)
Grant Holmes @ ARI (Friday, 17%)

Rejoice, Minnesota Timberwolves fans, because the greatest player in franchise history is officially coming back. Kevin Garnett will make his return to Target Center on April 12, the team announced Friday.

It will mark Garnett’s first appearance at the venue since 2018, per the team. The Timberwolves will take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the contest, which is the final game of the regular season.

Garnett said he couldn’t wait to make that appearance.

“I can’t wait to come home,” said Garnett. “Coming back for me is about what’s next. I’ve spent time with Marc and Alex, and you can feel the difference. The energy is real. The vision is real. They’re building something that lasts, with a team on the court that’s hungry to win. I’m excited to be back in the building with the fans. Minnesota, let’s go!”

Garnett reuniting with the franchise shouldn’t come as a major surprise, as the team announced he had re-joined the franchise in a new role in December. While the Timberwolves announced Garnett would eventually have his number retired back then, it did not provide specifics on when that would happen.

By win shares, Garnett is far and away the greatest player in Timberwolves history. The center averaged 19.8 points and 11 rebounds in 14 seasons with the franchise. He was a perennial contender for both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award during his time with the team. Garnett did eventually win an MVP award with the Timberwolves during the 2003-04 NBA season. His Defensive Player of the Year award came when Garnett was a member of the Boston Celtics.

Despite leading the Timberwolves to the playoffs multiple times, Garnett was never able to secure a championship in Minnesota. He eventually did reach that milestone, but it came after a trade to the Celtics.

That trade was the result of mounting frustration from Garnett, who kept performing well despite the team’s poor record.

At some point, Garnett’s relationship with former Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor soured. Garnett has never gone into specifics on what transpired, though he told ESPN’s Shams Charania in 2020, “I won’t forgive Glen.”

“Glen knows where I’m at, I’m not entertaining it. First of all, it’s not genuine. Two, he’s getting pressure from a lot of fans and, I guess, the community there. Glen and I had an understanding before Flip died, and when Flip died, that understanding went with Flip. For that, I won’t forgive Glen. I won’t forgive him for that. I thought he was a straight-up person, straight-up businessman, and when Flip died, everything went with him.”

There were rumors Flip Saunders wanted to bring Garnett back to the Timberwolves following his playing career, but those never came to fruition following Saunders’ death in 2015. That seems to have played a role in Garnett’s frustration with Taylor.

But with Taylor out of the picture after selling the team, the door was open for Garnett’s return. Garnett reportedly has a close relationship with new team owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, which paved the way for Garnett’s new role with the franchise.

Given Garnett’s excellence — and his longtime feud — Timberwolves fans will almost certainly give him an enthusiastic reception when he makes his return April 12.

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 — including Cade Cunningham, who will reportedly miss an ‘extended period of time’ with a collapsed lung — are at risk of losing their eligibility with less than four weeks left in the season. Let’s take a look.

Players at risk of not qualifying for NBA awards

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

• Missed a month with a left knee injury

• Remaining schedule

Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers:16 missed games

• Recently returned from a back injury

• Remaining schedule

Devin Booker, Suns: 16 missed games

• Has missed time with a right hip strain and an ankle sprain

• Remaining schedule

Kawhi Leonard, Clippers: 16 missed games

• Has missed time with foot/ankle injuries

• Remaining schedule

Victor Wembanyama, Spurs:16 missed games (effectively 15)

• Missed time earlier in the season with calf and knee injuries

• Gets a one-game credit for his NBA Cup Final appearance

• Remaining schedule

Cade Cunningham, Pistons:15 missed games

• Currently out indefinitely with collapsed lung

• Remaining schedule

Evan Mobley, Cavaliers: 15 games missed

• Missed time due to two calf strain injuries

• Remaining schedule

Luka Dončić, Lakers:12 missed games

• Missed four games with a left hamstring injury before All-Star break

• Remaining schedule

Cooper Flagg, Mavericks:12 missed games

• Recently returned from a left foot sprain

• Remaining schedule

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: 11 missed games

• Recently missed nine games with an abdominal strain

• Remaining schedule

Players ineligible for NBA awards

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

• Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

• Jimmy Butler, Warriors

• Stephen Curry, Warriors

• Anthony Davis, Mavericks/Wizards

• Joel Embiid, 76ers

• Josh Giddey, Bulls

• LeBron James, Lakers

• Lauri Markkanen, Jazz

• Ja Morant, Grizzlies

• Austin Reaves, Lakers

• Domantas Sabonis, Kings

• Franz Wagner, Magic

• Jalen Williams, Thunder

• Trae Young, Hawks/Wizards

The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA – a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the second of two players who wore the No. 77 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State big man alum Omer Yurtseven. After ending his college career at Georgetown, Yurtseven went unselected in the 2020 NBA Draft, playing in other leagues until he signed with the Miami Heat in 2021.

The Tashkent, Uzbekistan native played the first two seasons of his pro career with Miami. He also played for the Utah Jazz before he signed with the Dubs in 2026, and he remains with the team at the time of writing.

During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Yurtseven wore only jersey No. 77 and put up 3.2 points and as many rebounds per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history – No. 77 – Omer Yurtseven (2026)

The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.

To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.

With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.

And for today’s article, we will continue with the 16th of 21 who wore the No. 10, wing alum Carlos Delfino. After starting his pro career abroad, Delfino was picked up with the 25th overall selection of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.

The Santa Fe, Argentina native played the first three seasons of his NBA career with Detroit. He also played for the Toronto Raptors, in another league, and the Milwaukee Bucks before he signed with Houston for the final season of his NBA career in 2012.

During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Delfino wore only jersey No. 10 and put up 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and a steal per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets jersey history No. 10 Carlos Delfino (2012-13)