Netflix is interested in a package of 2026 regular-season games that includes the Week 1 contest from Australia. If it had its druthers, it would already be streaming the game to be played one night earlier, in Seattle.
Via Brendon Kleen of Awful Announcing, a recent article from Bloomberg regarding the federal government’s sudden interest in the NFL includes a key claim about Netflix’s ambitions: “Netflix would love to find a way to get the season opener, which currently airs on NBC.”
The Week 1 opener is part of the NBC Sunday night package, which includes the Week 1 opener and the Thanksgiving night game. That won’t change until 2030, at the earliest.
Netflix aspires to televise big events in sports. It may not want a weekly package.
In theory, the NFL could peel the Week 1 opener away from NBC as part of a renegotiation. At a time when NBC may be unwilling to pay the NFL more for the next four years of games, giving up the opener could be part of a compromise.
Still, any movement of a significant event (like the regular-season opener) from a three-letter broadcast network to a streamer will do little to take the steam out of the federal government’s multi-pronged assault on Big Shield.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 10: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts after pitching the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before the start of the 2026 season the San Diego Padres were projected to win 79-80 games by FanGraphs and PECOTA. The assumption was the bench was not deep or talented enough, the starting pitching was not deep or talented enough and the bullpen wouldn’t be as good with the departure of closer Robert Suarez.
It is obviously way too early to prove any of those assertions wrong. The returns so far show that the Padres have the potential to be way better than assumed and a lot rests on the starting pitching.
The one thing no one expected, not the so-called experts or anyone who covers, or is a fan of the team, was for new closer Mason Miller to overwhelm baseball.
Coming to the Padres from the A’s at the 2025 trade deadline, in exchange for top prospect Leodalis DeVries, Miller was the setup man for Suarez. And he was really good. He pitched in 22 games and 23.1 innings with a 0.77 ERA, allowing 10 walks with 45 strikeouts. His fastball topped out at 104.5 mph in the playoffs against the Chicago Cubs – the highest velocity of any pitch in postseason history.
While no one on the outside of the organization knows exactly what changes were made between last year and this year, there are observable differences that might help explain what we are all seeing Miller do so far this year.
Defying gravity
Modern day pitchers increasingly rely on two things in order to get hitters out. Their velocity and their ability to spin the baseball. Command is a constant in baseball with every successful pitcher needing good command of their pitches.
The “rising fastball” description is a myth. No pitch can rise after being thrown. The term “Induced Vertical Break” (IVB) was developed to describe the illusion of a ball rising as it approaches the plate. What actually occurs is that the spin the pitcher puts on the ball causes it to drop less than we expect due to the forces of gravity on the pitch. That is called the “ride” of the pitch and backspin is the only way to induce it.
What Mason Miller does incredibly well is throw both of his dominant pitches (fastball and slider) for strikes consistently and also has the most break on his slider this season that he has ever had.
The hitters are timing up for a fastball that normally comes at them from 100-104 mph (his average is 101.4) and they often get a slider that looks like it’s coming right over the plate and ends up off the plate.
In 2025, Miller had a 44.4% K-rate and a 45.2% whiff rate with a 35.7% chase rate over the entire season. Those are all great numbers and put him in the 98-100% ranking among all pitchers. He threw these pitches from a 35-degree arm angle. In his previous professional seasons, his arm angle was fairly consistent, between 34-36 degrees.
2026 dominance
In the 7.1 innings pitched so far this season, Miller has thrown to 24 batters and has struck out 19 of them. 18 of those are swinging strikeouts. The best K-rate for a pitcher normally is 40-50%, exactly where Miller sat last season.
His success this year puts him at a 79.2% K-rate with a 60.8% whiff rate and a 57.1% chase rate against those 24 batters. Some of this can actually be explained. Miller has more IVB on his slider this season than ever before. Measured in inches, his previous slider broke 1.6 inches more than expected and he currently is sitting at three inches more break than expected. Sliders break laterally and down, as opposed to fastballs that appear to rise when they don’t drop as much as expected. Breaking pitches either move down or laterally and some do both.
His arm angle has changed significantly from previous seasons. He is now throwing from a 39 degree angle and that could explain the significant difference in his slider break from last season.
The effect on his fastball is less dramatic with less than an inch difference from last year to this year. (Stats per Baseball Savant)
Ben Clemens of FanGraphs wrote an article for the site detailing how dominant Miller has been and how unprecedented this dominance is.
We’re still squarely in small-sample season, but Miller stands out even there. His slider is missing more bats than anyone else’s in baseball, of course. The gap between his slider’s swinging-strike numbers and second place (Erik Miller) is the same as the gap between second and 11th place. That 80% whiff rate looks just as silly. Mason Miller has recorded as many swinging strikes on his slider as Jesús Luzardo, a slider-dominant elite starter. But Luzardo has thrown more than twice as many sliders! They’re tied for the sixth-most slider whiffs in the majors so far this year – and Miller has gotten there in only 7 1/3 innings.
Can he sustain this?
The obvious answer is no.
The Cy Young conversation has begun in baseball because of how dominant he has looked in this young season. The last reliever to win a Cy Young Award was Eric Gagne in 2003.
Miller is fast approaching the record for scoreless innings for a Padres reliever, held by Clay Meredith at 33 ⅔ innings in 2006. Randy Jones holds the record for starters at 30 scoreless innings. Miller currently sits at 28 ⅔ scoreless innings dating back to last August.
All over baseball, the Mason Miller appearance is considered must-watch. MLB Network put together a compilation showing his progress through his career and how dominant he has become.
No matter what happens this season with Miller, he has elevated the excitement on a national level and brought more attention to the Padres with his performances. His new walk-up music and the video show that Petco Park presents when he enters, also went viral at the start of the season.
All eyes remain on Miller while he tries to continue his dominance and set new records. The Friar Faithful have the best reliever in baseball. Enjoy it.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 10: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts after pitching the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before the start of the 2026 season the San Diego Padres were projected to win 79-80 games by FanGraphs and PECOTA. The assumption was the bench was not deep or talented enough, the starting pitching was not deep or talented enough and the bullpen wouldn’t be as good with the departure of closer Robert Suarez.
It is obviously way too early to prove any of those assertions wrong. The returns so far show that the Padres have the potential to be way better than assumed and a lot rests on the starting pitching.
The one thing no one expected, not the so-called experts or anyone who covers, or is a fan of the team, was for new closer Mason Miller to overwhelm baseball.
Coming to the Padres from the A’s at the 2025 trade deadline, in exchange for top prospect Leodalis DeVries, Miller was the setup man for Suarez. And he was really good. He pitched in 22 games and 23.1 innings with a 0.77 ERA, allowing 10 walks with 45 strikeouts. His fastball topped out at 104.5 mph in the playoffs against the Chicago Cubs – the highest velocity of any pitch in postseason history.
While no one on the outside of the organization knows exactly what changes were made between last year and this year, there are observable differences that might help explain what we are all seeing Miller do so far this year.
Defying gravity
Modern day pitchers increasingly rely on two things in order to get hitters out. Their velocity and their ability to spin the baseball. Command is a constant in baseball with every successful pitcher needing good command of their pitches.
The “rising fastball” description is a myth. No pitch can rise after being thrown. The term “Induced Vertical Break” (IVB) was developed to describe the illusion of a ball rising as it approaches the plate. What actually occurs is that the spin the pitcher puts on the ball causes it to drop less than we expect due to the forces of gravity on the pitch. That is called the “ride” of the pitch and backspin is the only way to induce it.
What Mason Miller does incredibly well is throw both of his dominant pitches (fastball and slider) for strikes consistently and also has the most break on his slider this season that he has ever had.
The hitters are timing up for a fastball that normally comes at them from 100-104 mph (his average is 101.4) and they often get a slider that looks like it’s coming right over the plate and ends up off the plate.
In 2025, Miller had a 44.4% K-rate and a 45.2% whiff rate with a 35.7% chase rate over the entire season. Those are all great numbers and put him in the 98-100% ranking among all pitchers. He threw these pitches from a 35-degree arm angle. In his previous professional seasons, his arm angle was fairly consistent, between 34-36 degrees.
2026 dominance
In the 7.1 innings pitched so far this season, Miller has thrown to 24 batters and has struck out 19 of them. 18 of those are swinging strikeouts. The best K-rate for a pitcher normally is 40-50%, exactly where Miller sat last season.
His success this year puts him at a 79.2% K-rate with a 60.8% whiff rate and a 57.1% chase rate against those 24 batters. Some of this can actually be explained. Miller has more IVB on his slider this season than ever before. Measured in inches, his previous slider broke 1.6 inches more than expected and he currently is sitting at three inches more break than expected. Sliders break laterally and down, as opposed to fastballs that appear to rise when they don’t drop as much as expected. Breaking pitches either move down or laterally and some do both.
His arm angle has changed significantly from previous seasons. He is now throwing from a 39 degree angle and that could explain the significant difference in his slider break from last season.
The effect on his fastball is less dramatic with less than an inch difference from last year to this year. (Stats per Baseball Savant)
Ben Clemens of FanGraphs wrote an article for the site detailing how dominant Miller has been and how unprecedented this dominance is.
We’re still squarely in small-sample season, but Miller stands out even there. His slider is missing more bats than anyone else’s in baseball, of course. The gap between his slider’s swinging-strike numbers and second place (Erik Miller) is the same as the gap between second and 11th place. That 80% whiff rate looks just as silly. Mason Miller has recorded as many swinging strikes on his slider as Jesús Luzardo, a slider-dominant elite starter. But Luzardo has thrown more than twice as many sliders! They’re tied for the sixth-most slider whiffs in the majors so far this year – and Miller has gotten there in only 7 1/3 innings.
Can he sustain this?
The obvious answer is no.
The Cy Young conversation has begun in baseball because of how dominant he has looked in this young season. The last reliever to win a Cy Young Award was Eric Gagne in 2003.
Miller is fast approaching the record for scoreless innings for a Padres reliever, held by Clay Meredith at 33 ⅔ innings in 2006. Randy Jones holds the record for starters at 30 scoreless innings. Miller currently sits at 28 ⅔ scoreless innings dating back to last August.
All over baseball, the Mason Miller appearance is considered must-watch. MLB Network put together a compilation showing his progress through his career and how dominant he has become.
No matter what happens this season with Miller, he has elevated the excitement on a national level and brought more attention to the Padres with his performances. His new walk-up music and the video show that Petco Park presents when he enters, also went viral at the start of the season.
All eyes remain on Miller while he tries to continue his dominance and set new records. The Friar Faithful have the best reliever in baseball. Enjoy it.
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 14: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Club Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on April 14, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images
There have been two big disappointments this season, both at the hands of Atlético Madrid, but Hansi Flick’s Blaugrana never give up, and they never stop entertaining.
Flick drew it up perfectly to start the second leg. You can’t argue with his starting lineup, the tactics, or the mentality of his players.
It was a bit of a surprise to see Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski dropped to the bench, and to see Gavi get the nod in the midfield, but those choices explain exactly what Flick was going for. Maximum intensity above all else, the core ingredient you need when you are looking to make a comeback.
Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Fermín López were the right forwards for the job. Dani Olmo didn’t have his best game, but from a tactical point of view, his inclusion was essential.
Gavi was at his warrior best, perhaps even outplaying Pedri, an almost impossible feat.
Lamine may just have taken his game to an ever higher level. This was a bona fide possessed superstar performance when it mattered most. More Michael Jordan than Lebron James if you ask me. On offense and defense, he set the tempo and carried his team on his shoulders.
If Fermin’s diving header goes in, Atleti are looking at a possible blow out. From the moment the blood started running down his face, the unstoppable momentum that Barcelona were building came to a stop.
In the end, Barcelona lived and died by their identity. The comeback was more than possible because of the aggressive attacking football they’ve become known for, and the comeback was extinguished in two key moments that highlight their biggest vulnerabilities.
Ademola Lookman’s goal that put out Barca’s fire was once again made possible by a deep run behind a high backline. The foul from behind that got Eric Garcia sent off was a hard to believe case of déjà vu all over again.
Even before the red card, however, Barcelona were starting to slow down. If I’m critical of Hansi Flick in any way in this game, I think his in game management could have been a bit more proactive. Frenkie de Jong was needed earlier on, and perhaps it should have been Olmo making way instead of Fermín.
Maybe it’s neither here nor there. At that point, Barca was chasing the game.
The opportunity to win it was when they had a chance to press their advantage in the first half.
One thing we know, the Champions League is cruel, and it certainly doesn’t always reward the teams that play the best football.
For that reason, Barcelona, and their beautifully stubborn insistence on playing the game with poetry instead of prose, will always be at a disadvantage.
Could they have been better, and gone farther?
It’s hard to overlook the patterns that continue from the past, but if you judge them based on the two quarterfinal games against Atleti alone, in my heart I think they were unlucky this time around.
It’s heartbreaking, but I’m grateful for the show.
One thing’s for sure, with Hansi Flick in charge, I can’t wait to see what these incredible stewards of the game have in store for us next year.
Football needs Barcelona, so let’s hope this is just the beginning of their story.
ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 3: Alexey Toropchenko #13 of the St. Louis Blues and Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battle for the puck on April 3, 2025 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns host the Portland Trail Blazers in a high-stakes play-in matchup with the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference on the line.
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Phoenix enters this matchup built around a retooled roster headlined by Devin Booker, who leads the team in scoring at around 25 points per game while also averaging over 6 assists this season.
The Suns’ supporting cast looks very different from past years, featuring players like Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, with Mark Williams anchoring the interior as the team’s leading rebounder at 8+ boards per game. Phoenix has shown offensive explosiveness when healthy, including a recent win in which Booker scored 32 points, and Jalen Green added 25, but consistency has been an issue down the stretch.
With home-court advantage and star power, the Suns will look to control the tempo and secure an outright playoff berth.
Portland enters as the No. 8 seed after a competitive season, leaning on a young core that has taken steps forward late in the year.
The Trail Blazers have been driven by backcourt production and improved offensive balance, which have allowed them to stay in the playoff picture in a crowded Western Conference race. While they don’t have the same proven top-end scoring as Phoenix, their pace and ability to spread scoring across multiple contributors make them dangerous in a one-game scenario.
With the winner clinching the No. 7 seed and the loser getting one more chance, expect a fast-paced, high-pressure matchup with postseason implications on every possession.
This is a great NBA matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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The Penguins will take a trip to St. Louis on Tuesday for an East vs. West battle against the Blues.
Pittsburgh dropped back-to-back games against Washington over the weekend, but the Penguins sat several players in those losses after they clinched a playoff spot. The Pens can’t move from their current spot in the standings, so this will be a tune-up game before the start of the first round.
The Blues were eliminated from postseason contention last week. St. Louis will close out the regular season with Tuesday’s home game against Pittsburgh and a road contest against Utah on Thursday.
Here is everything you need to know about Penguins vs. Blues, including TV and streaming options for the game.
How to watch Penguins vs. Blues tonight: TV channel, live stream
TV channel: SportsNet Pittsburgh (local), ESPN (national)
Penguins vs. Blues will air locally on SportsNet Pittsburgh and nationally on ESPN. The game will also be available to stream on SNP360, fubo and the ESPN app.
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100-plus top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Penguins vs. Blues start time
Date: Tuesday, April 14
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Penguins vs. Blues is scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 14. The game will be played at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
Full NHL schedule for Tuesday, April 14
Here is the full slate of games for Tuesday, April 14:
Mets right-handerJonah Tong was dominant in the early innings of his start for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, but it did not end the way he would have wanted.
Going up against the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Tong struck out the side in the first inning, which included Jasson Dominguez and Oswaldo Cabrera.
Tong allowed one run across his first four innings, but the fifth was not kind to the youngster.
After walking the leadoff batter, Ernesto Martinez Jr. took Tong deep and cut Syracuse’s lead to 6-3. Tong bounced back to strike out former big leaguer Paul DeJong, but Payton Henry homered to make it 6-4.
Dominguez doubled before Tong struck out Oswaldo Cabrera. Tong got behind Max Schuemann in the count, 2-1, when the infielder lined a single to score the fourth run of the inning, and ended Tong’s night.
Dan Hammer replaced Tong but gave up a double to Spencer Jones as the RailRiders tied the game at 6-6, with all six runs going against Tong.
Tong finished Tuesday’s start, throwing 86 pitches (53 strikes), allowing six earned runs on five hits (two home runs) and three walks. He did strike out a season-high 10 batters.
Tuesday was Tong’s fourth start at Triple-A this season. His last start saw him allow just two runs on one hit through five innings, but it’s been an inconsistent beginning to Tong’s minor league season.
His ERA now stands at 7.04, but his high strikeout rate is still intact. He’s now punched out 23 batters across 15.1 innings.
BRONX, NY – APRIL 09: Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics pitches during the game against the New York Yankees on April 9, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Ready to get back in the win column, A’s fans? After seeing their five-game winning streak snapped yesterday in the series opener the team dropped down a spot in the rankings to second place in the AL West. Luckily for them they can get back into a tie for the division lead if they can overcome their rivals the Texas Rangers in the second game of four tonight.
It’ll be a battle of left-handers on the mound tonight. For the Athletics’, they’ll have Jeffrey Springs on the bump getting the ball for his fourth start this season. He’s been easily the team’s best pitcher in the early going as he’s 2-0 and sporting a 1.47 ERA across 18 1/3 innings pitched. His most recent outing was especially dominant as he allowed just one hit and two walks in seven full frames against the New York Yankees’ dangerous lineup. If he can do that against that juggernaut of a lineup then the Rangers’ bats have a big challenge ahead of them tonight. In seven career games (four starts) against the Rangers Springs has a solid 2.55 ERA, including two starts last season when he first went six shutout frames on the road and then pitched into the sixth and allowed three runs in his second against these guys. The A’s would be happy with either of those performances again tonight.
Here’s how manager Mark Kotsay drew up the lineup for tonight’s contest:
As you may have noticed we’ll be getting our first real look at Zack Gelof in the outfield tonight. After getting an inning of work in center field last night he’ll be asked to handle a full game in right field, which will be his first career start on the grass at the big league level. Keep an eye on how he handles his new position this evening.
Elsewhere across the lineup Shea Langeliers will get a half-day off by DH’ing and leading off. That means we’ll get an Austin Wynns appearance this evening. First baseman Nick Kurtz will bat behind him tonight and then it’ll be Jacob Wilson, rising in the order above Tyler Soderstrom.
And we’re also getting some seriously good news in regards to the hot corner. After leaving yesterday’s contest after getting hit by a pitch on the hand Max Muncy is back in the starting nine and at his usual third base. We all held our breath last night when the HBP occurred but it seems like Muncy has dodged the worst possible outcome. Thanks incredibly lucky for the A’s since Muncy has been one of the better hitters for the squad so far.
The Rangers meanwhile have their own lefty in MacKenzie Gore on the mound for tonight’s game. One of Texas’ big offseason acquisitions, Gore has lived up to the high cost it took to acquire him from Washington, pitching to a 2.76 ERA in his first three games in a Rangers uniform. He’s pitched at least five innings in each appearance so far so if he’s looking lost or struggling early the A’s would be smart to capitalize on those chances and possibly chase him from the game early.
Here’s the Rangers’ starting lineup for Game 2 of this four-game set:
All the regulars in there for Texas this evening, with just a couple small changes from last night’s lineup. We’ll be getting an Andrew McCutchen sighting tonight as he’ll line up in left field for Texas in this one. A very right-handed heavy lineup, and that makes sense considering the left-handed Springs is on the bump.
First place is on the line tonight. Even though it’s early it’s still nice to be sitting atop the division. Let’s go A’s!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 11: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning at Petco Park on April 11, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Seattle Mariners (8-9) at San Diego Padres (10-6), April 14, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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