The Golden State Warriors have put together their teams through a variety of ways over the years, yet few approaches have proven as successful as the NBA draft. More than anything else, the most talented players to represent the Warriors have arrived in Golden State either by being selected directly in the annual draft or through trades executed on that same night.
The Golden State Warriors have taken many of their top stars through the draft, but have also landed a number of notable players over the years as well. From tiny colleges to blue blood programs, these alumni have contributed significantly to the team’s roster over the years. So, we chose to take a closer look at which Dubs came from which schools over the years.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Warriors out of Alabama State.
Lewis Jackson – guard
Draft year and position: third round (eighth pick, 55th overall), 1984 NBA Draft
Seasons at Alabama State: two
Seasons played with Warriors: did not make the team
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 10: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on in the first inning during a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on August 10, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies lost the finale of their series with the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, but they were able to win their second straight series in Colorado and will look to keep that momentum going as their road trip moves on to San Francisco.
As the team looks to accumulate early regular season wins and set itself up for a deep playoff run this year, fans can’t help but look ahead to the potential return for star pitcher Zack Wheeler.
He saw his Cy Young Award caliber campaign cut short last year when he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his throwing shoulder and in the latest step toward his return to the team, he took the mound in a minor league rehab start that did not go as well as some might have hoped.
“Pitching for the Triple A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the right-hander worked three innings against the Durham Bulls and threw 49 pitches,” Jim Salisbury
Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler Raises Fastball Concerns During Rehab Start
Wheeler’s command seemed to deteriorate after the first two innings and there was a notable downtick in his velocity. His fastball topped out at less than 94 mph, while it averaged 96 mph last year.
As Wheeler looks to pick up where he left off last season following his surgery, he’ll want his fastball back at full strength. But when asked about concerns that the pitcher’s stuff might never come all the way back, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski downplayed the latest results.
“We expect it to keep building up,” Dombrowski said,
Philadelphia Phillies’ Dave Dombrowski Sends 2-Word Zack Wheeler Message After Injury Rehab Turns Heads
But with Wheeler now 35 and coming off of a significant surgery, it’s also possible that he will have to adjust to a slower fastball moving forward. Though Dombrowski downplayed that possibility, he offered a three-word response when asked if Wheeler could still be effective even if the speed never comes fully back.
“For sure,” Dombrowski said, according to Gelb. “No question about it. With all his pitches and the effectiveness of his breaking stuff, for sure. It just takes it to another level when it’s got that (added velocity). But he can be a very effective major-league pitcher at 95 mph.”
Presumably, Dombrowski would still have confidence in Wheeler if his fastball sticks around the 93 mph range that it was mired in during his latest rehab start. But as he continues to work his way back to the major-league rotation, Wheeler will be looking to get his full power back.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 02: Starter Ryne Nelson #19 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Chase Field on April 02, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By the time this is published, three series will be in the books, and it’s been the best of times and the worst of times. Initial thoughts on the whip lash?
James: The team’s lack of overall depth is staring them straight in the face. Paul Sewald is still a head-scratching signing by the front office. Loaisiga is pretty much just who we all thought he would be when he signed the make-good minor league deal. He’s likely working his way into becoming the team’s primary closer the way Shelby Miller did last season. The team needs to find some consistency in the offense. Right now, Marte, Perdomo, and Carroll are largely carrying the team. Lawlar was just really starting to shape up before he got hurt. The currently rostered alternatives to Lawlar are not encouraging. Santana and Arenado need to find some sort of fountain of youth, at least for a few months. The current Eduardo Rodriguez is the one we all thought we were getting starting 1.5-2 years ago. Zac Gallen is starting to look like the “better” version of Gallen from last season, the post deadline version. Someone needs to get into the bullpen and work with Ryne Nelson on his pitch shape. His four-seam is not moving quite like it did last year and he is getting punished as a result.
Overall, the team is basically playing to the level expected, even if a closer examination has those results coming in a way other than expected. Mostly, the team cannot afford any further significant injuries. The roster is already being held together with bubble gum and bailing wire. One more injury to a starter or primary bullpen arm and this season could get ugly in a damn hurry.
Makakilo: With a little bit of serendipity, the Diamondbacks could have won Friday’s game (tied after 8 innings), and they could have won two games against the Dodgers (each lost by 1 run). Their record would have been 6-2! So far, the Diamondbacks have not yet reached their potential to be a playoff team. It could happen!
Spencer: I’m not sure what to make of it. Expecting a win against LA would be foolish. But expecting to sweep the Tigers would’ve been similarly foolish going in. And we pulled the worst of Atlanta’s pitching yet receive no offense….? Let’s talk at the end of May and see what’s up.
1AZfan1: It’s been a rollercoaster, for sure, but I’m going to follow along with Mak’s comment and say that we’ve been blown out twice and in each other loss we’ve either lost by 1 or we were tied going into the 9th inning. Finishing about .500 in 1-run games is about what you should expect so sitting at 2-2 in those contests seems fair. The only disappointment with our current record is that we swept the Tigers instead of the Dodgers. It stinks losing to the Dodgers.
ISH95: Pretty crazy start to the season. There have definitely been positives. The offense got off to a great start, then switched to ice cold. E-rod has been great to see, Gallen’s been decent in total, but Nelson has been a concern. If this is how it’s going to be all season, we’re all going to have more grey hairs by the time it’s finished.
Which is more likely to continue: Rodriguez’ hot start of Nelson’s cold one?
James: I think Rodriguez’s hot start is the more likely for two reasons. First, this version of E-Rod is pretty much the pitcher the team was expecting to get all along. Over the previous two seasons he has shown flashes of this, but was constantly battling nagging injuries. A nick here, a knock there and he was rarely ever pitching at his best. Now, he’s in better shape after new conditioning and he was made ready earlier in the spring to pitch for Venezuela, which has helped him be in mid-season form in April. The second reason I pick E-Rod is that Ryne Nelson has had some ridiculously bad luck. The first four hits he surrendered this season all left the yard. Even Brandon Pfaadt bounced back from a similar stretch earlier in his career and he doesn’t have as high a ceiling. I’ve never been one convinced that Nelson had TOR stuff, but he does have the makings of a solid #2/3 pitcher if he can correct his current four-seam issue and continue to develop his secondaries.
Makakilo: Two reasons that Nelson will bounce back before Rodriguez regresses.
This season through Friday, Rodriguez’s FIP was 2.60 and Nelson’s FIP was 9.18. Nelson’s FIP is unbelievably different from his career FIP. Rodriguez and Nelson have career FIPS that are not that much different (3.95 vs 4.25).
Nelson is 28.2 years old and Rodriguez is 33.0 years old. Rodriguez has the experience needed to stay consistent.
Spencer: Rodriguez’. Nelson is still young and the league has been adjusting to him. Plus he’s only been a full time starter for…what like months not even years at this point because of Yo-Yo Hazen? Rodriguez has a history of a great season every few years.
1AZfan1: I’m expecting regression to the mean from both, but I don’t have faith in ERod to keep this going much longer. Maybe he really is the pitcher we had always hoped he was when we initially signed him, but it’s been a whole lot of disappointment over the last 2 years that have scarred me to the point that I’m just waiting on the other shoe to drop and he’s back to our old 5 ERA pal. I hope I’m wrong, of course.
ISH95: The constant hard contact that Nelson is giving up scares me. His last start saw 9 balls hit over 100 miles per hour while he was in the game and he was responsible for eight of them. That’s not a recipe for success, and if they don’t figure that out, he’s going to have a long season.
Bigger loss: Pavin Smith or Jordan Lawler?
James: Lawlar by a country mile. Pavin Smith is little more than a placeholder player in the 26-man roster anymore. He is entirely mediocre in the field, both at first and in right. Even without signing Santana, I wondered just how much time Smith would actually get as a starter. Yes, he puts together decent at-bats. But he doesn’t find the production of someone like Perdomo, despite his reputation for his discernment at the plate. On the other hand, this is basically Jordan Lawlar’s big make or break season. And right now, he is on the shelf with a significant break. Jordan Lawlar still looks to have a bright future in the desert, albeit in left instead of at short. This is likely Pavin Smith’s last season in Arizona
Makakilo: Lawlar’s injury was the bigger loss because the outfield has significant uncertainty about which outfield players will exceed pre-season expectations. After the injury, it looks like Carroll and Tawa have the best chances to exceed pre-season expectations.
Spencer: Lawlar because he needs healthy reps and was finally showing why judging a prospect with ~100 plate appearances is bad analysis. But don’t sleep on the effect of losing Smith. Santana’s leash just got a lot longer since we have basically no 1B depth. That’s going to have a big impact too. Positive behind the scenes (hopefully) and negative on the field.
1AZfan1: Lawlar is the popular answer for all the reasons everyone mentioned above and I agree with it. Among players with at least 20 PA on the D-backs, he leads in OBP, wOBA and wRC+ and he’s second (to only Corbin) in SLG, xwOBA and fWAR. Pavin’s loss hurts because Santana is now our only first baseman, but I’m happy to see Fernandez getting reps there just to find him a spot in the lineup.
ISH95: At the start of the season, I’d have said Pavin Smith because Carlos Santana: Only First Base Option is the stuff of nightmares, but Fernandez has shown very strong early returns that might mitage that disaster a bit more. Plus I wasn’t really expecting a whole lot from Lawler in his first real season. But Fernandez and Lawler’s start has switched that around for me.
How has the first few games of ABS gone in your opinion? Has it changed anything about your game experience?
James: I don’t mind it. I think it is helping to drive home just who the worst of the worst umpires are. Mostly, I will be glad when ABS has been around long enough that I don’t get 5-10 minutes of explanation about the ABS system in every MLB game I watch. Overall, I think it is shaping up to be a net positive. That will only become more so once the early days negatives start to fade away.
Makakilo: I like it! Even a few corrected calls give the players more control over the game outcome, which is a great thing!
Spencer: I’ve been singing its praises since I first saw it in AAA years ago. Full Robo Calling can’t come fast enough for me. Human action changes everything else about the game, why limit the one thing you can fully automate to create a level playing field? (We all know the actual answer: the ump union would be furious and mlb gets free marketing from bots and incels tweeting about wrong calls constantly…)
1AZfan1: I think on the whole it’s been a success, but I don’t think it’s made as much an impact on the game as the pitch clock did. I still feel there are too many missed opportunities by our hitters and catchers. To that point, our 4 ABS challenges by hitters is the least amount in the league, per FanGraphs (catchers are middle of the pack in total challenges). I hope our hitters get more comfortable challenging soon.
ISH95: Love it. And one thing I’ve been particularly happy to see is that my general reaction to a call being overturned against the Diamondbacks has been fairly neutral. I’m sure that will change as the season progresses and the stakes get higher.
What’s one topic that you could give a 15 minute Ted Talk on with no prep time?
James: I was a chef for 30 years before becoming a scholar of Anglo-Saxon literature, Tolkien, and fairy tales. So I have two knowledge bases that I can pretty readily draw from for anything from a 30 second explainer all the way up to a 90 minute lecture. None of those subjects are particularly Ted Talk type material though. I would probably have to settle for something like the value of art or something related.
Makakilo: My journey from Diamondbacks fan to writer. Along the way, I learned how to use statistics websites, improved my writing, and developed my own writing style. And I had a lot of fun! I overcame several bumps in the road. My writing moves between Microsoft Office Software, Google Docs, and the WordPress Editor. The editor shows that I currently have 555 posted articles.
Spencer: Personal security in Big Brother America. More necessary than ever and yet rarely allowed.
1AZfan1: My professional training is in maintenance management, but that’s not a very TED Talk friendly subject, so it would likely be on the value of utilizing history in organizational leadership. The Navy is huge on history and heritage and learning to leverage that has helped me tremendously as a leader. Maybe that doesn’t play too well outside the military, though.
ISH95: I’d always argue that history and heritage is important as a leader. What that history and heritage looks like, however, would differ from path to path. For me, I could probably give a pretty decent TED talk on how to improve the financials of a restaurant or how to train and develop younger people to get to where they want to be. That’s a huge part of my job as a fast casual/fast food restaurant manager, and, as much as I may complain about them kids sometimes, something I actually find very rewarding.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 02: Starter Ryne Nelson #19 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Chase Field on April 02, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By the time this is published, three series will be in the books, and it’s been the best of times and the worst of times. Initial thoughts on the whip lash?
James: The team’s lack of overall depth is staring them straight in the face. Paul Sewald is still a head-scratching signing by the front office. Loaisiga is pretty much just who we all thought he would be when he signed the make-good minor league deal. He’s likely working his way into becoming the team’s primary closer the way Shelby Miller did last season. The team needs to find some consistency in the offense. Right now, Marte, Perdomo, and Carroll are largely carrying the team. Lawlar was just really starting to shape up before he got hurt. The currently rostered alternatives to Lawlar are not encouraging. Santana and Arenado need to find some sort of fountain of youth, at least for a few months. The current Eduardo Rodriguez is the one we all thought we were getting starting 1.5-2 years ago. Zac Gallen is starting to look like the “better” version of Gallen from last season, the post deadline version. Someone needs to get into the bullpen and work with Ryne Nelson on his pitch shape. His four-seam is not moving quite like it did last year and he is getting punished as a result.
Overall, the team is basically playing to the level expected, even if a closer examination has those results coming in a way other than expected. Mostly, the team cannot afford any further significant injuries. The roster is already being held together with bubble gum and bailing wire. One more injury to a starter or primary bullpen arm and this season could get ugly in a damn hurry.
Makakilo: With a little bit of serendipity, the Diamondbacks could have won Friday’s game (tied after 8 innings), and they could have won two games against the Dodgers (each lost by 1 run). Their record would have been 6-2! So far, the Diamondbacks have not yet reached their potential to be a playoff team. It could happen!
Spencer: I’m not sure what to make of it. Expecting a win against LA would be foolish. But expecting to sweep the Tigers would’ve been similarly foolish going in. And we pulled the worst of Atlanta’s pitching yet receive no offense….? Let’s talk at the end of May and see what’s up.
1AZfan1: It’s been a rollercoaster, for sure, but I’m going to follow along with Mak’s comment and say that we’ve been blown out twice and in each other loss we’ve either lost by 1 or we were tied going into the 9th inning. Finishing about .500 in 1-run games is about what you should expect so sitting at 2-2 in those contests seems fair. The only disappointment with our current record is that we swept the Tigers instead of the Dodgers. It stinks losing to the Dodgers.
ISH95: Pretty crazy start to the season. There have definitely been positives. The offense got off to a great start, then switched to ice cold. E-rod has been great to see, Gallen’s been decent in total, but Nelson has been a concern. If this is how it’s going to be all season, we’re all going to have more grey hairs by the time it’s finished.
Which is more likely to continue: Rodriguez’ hot start of Nelson’s cold one?
James: I think Rodriguez’s hot start is the more likely for two reasons. First, this version of E-Rod is pretty much the pitcher the team was expecting to get all along. Over the previous two seasons he has shown flashes of this, but was constantly battling nagging injuries. A nick here, a knock there and he was rarely ever pitching at his best. Now, he’s in better shape after new conditioning and he was made ready earlier in the spring to pitch for Venezuela, which has helped him be in mid-season form in April. The second reason I pick E-Rod is that Ryne Nelson has had some ridiculously bad luck. The first four hits he surrendered this season all left the yard. Even Brandon Pfaadt bounced back from a similar stretch earlier in his career and he doesn’t have as high a ceiling. I’ve never been one convinced that Nelson had TOR stuff, but he does have the makings of a solid #2/3 pitcher if he can correct his current four-seam issue and continue to develop his secondaries.
Makakilo: Two reasons that Nelson will bounce back before Rodriguez regresses.
This season through Friday, Rodriguez’s FIP was 2.60 and Nelson’s FIP was 9.18. Nelson’s FIP is unbelievably different from his career FIP. Rodriguez and Nelson have career FIPS that are not that much different (3.95 vs 4.25).
Nelson is 28.2 years old and Rodriguez is 33.0 years old. Rodriguez has the experience needed to stay consistent.
Spencer: Rodriguez’. Nelson is still young and the league has been adjusting to him. Plus he’s only been a full time starter for…what like months not even years at this point because of Yo-Yo Hazen? Rodriguez has a history of a great season every few years.
1AZfan1: I’m expecting regression to the mean from both, but I don’t have faith in ERod to keep this going much longer. Maybe he really is the pitcher we had always hoped he was when we initially signed him, but it’s been a whole lot of disappointment over the last 2 years that have scarred me to the point that I’m just waiting on the other shoe to drop and he’s back to our old 5 ERA pal. I hope I’m wrong, of course.
ISH95: The constant hard contact that Nelson is giving up scares me. His last start saw 9 balls hit over 100 miles per hour while he was in the game and he was responsible for eight of them. That’s not a recipe for success, and if they don’t figure that out, he’s going to have a long season.
Bigger loss: Pavin Smith or Jordan Lawler?
James: Lawlar by a country mile. Pavin Smith is little more than a placeholder player in the 26-man roster anymore. He is entirely mediocre in the field, both at first and in right. Even without signing Santana, I wondered just how much time Smith would actually get as a starter. Yes, he puts together decent at-bats. But he doesn’t find the production of someone like Perdomo, despite his reputation for his discernment at the plate. On the other hand, this is basically Jordan Lawlar’s big make or break season. And right now, he is on the shelf with a significant break. Jordan Lawlar still looks to have a bright future in the desert, albeit in left instead of at short. This is likely Pavin Smith’s last season in Arizona
Makakilo: Lawlar’s injury was the bigger loss because the outfield has significant uncertainty about which outfield players will exceed pre-season expectations. After the injury, it looks like Carroll and Tawa have the best chances to exceed pre-season expectations.
Spencer: Lawlar because he needs healthy reps and was finally showing why judging a prospect with ~100 plate appearances is bad analysis. But don’t sleep on the effect of losing Smith. Santana’s leash just got a lot longer since we have basically no 1B depth. That’s going to have a big impact too. Positive behind the scenes (hopefully) and negative on the field.
1AZfan1: Lawlar is the popular answer for all the reasons everyone mentioned above and I agree with it. Among players with at least 20 PA on the D-backs, he leads in OBP, wOBA and wRC+ and he’s second (to only Corbin) in SLG, xwOBA and fWAR. Pavin’s loss hurts because Santana is now our only first baseman, but I’m happy to see Fernandez getting reps there just to find him a spot in the lineup.
ISH95: At the start of the season, I’d have said Pavin Smith because Carlos Santana: Only First Base Option is the stuff of nightmares, but Fernandez has shown very strong early returns that might mitage that disaster a bit more. Plus I wasn’t really expecting a whole lot from Lawler in his first real season. But Fernandez and Lawler’s start has switched that around for me.
How has the first few games of ABS gone in your opinion? Has it changed anything about your game experience?
James: I don’t mind it. I think it is helping to drive home just who the worst of the worst umpires are. Mostly, I will be glad when ABS has been around long enough that I don’t get 5-10 minutes of explanation about the ABS system in every MLB game I watch. Overall, I think it is shaping up to be a net positive. That will only become more so once the early days negatives start to fade away.
Makakilo: I like it! Even a few corrected calls give the players more control over the game outcome, which is a great thing!
Spencer: I’ve been singing its praises since I first saw it in AAA years ago. Full Robo Calling can’t come fast enough for me. Human action changes everything else about the game, why limit the one thing you can fully automate to create a level playing field? (We all know the actual answer: the ump union would be furious and mlb gets free marketing from bots and incels tweeting about wrong calls constantly…)
1AZfan1: I think on the whole it’s been a success, but I don’t think it’s made as much an impact on the game as the pitch clock did. I still feel there are too many missed opportunities by our hitters and catchers. To that point, our 4 ABS challenges by hitters is the least amount in the league, per FanGraphs (catchers are middle of the pack in total challenges). I hope our hitters get more comfortable challenging soon.
ISH95: Love it. And one thing I’ve been particularly happy to see is that my general reaction to a call being overturned against the Diamondbacks has been fairly neutral. I’m sure that will change as the season progresses and the stakes get higher.
What’s one topic that you could give a 15 minute Ted Talk on with no prep time?
James: I was a chef for 30 years before becoming a scholar of Anglo-Saxon literature, Tolkien, and fairy tales. So I have two knowledge bases that I can pretty readily draw from for anything from a 30 second explainer all the way up to a 90 minute lecture. None of those subjects are particularly Ted Talk type material though. I would probably have to settle for something like the value of art or something related.
Makakilo: My journey from Diamondbacks fan to writer. Along the way, I learned how to use statistics websites, improved my writing, and developed my own writing style. And I had a lot of fun! I overcame several bumps in the road. My writing moves between Microsoft Office Software, Google Docs, and the WordPress Editor. The editor shows that I currently have 555 posted articles.
Spencer: Personal security in Big Brother America. More necessary than ever and yet rarely allowed.
1AZfan1: My professional training is in maintenance management, but that’s not a very TED Talk friendly subject, so it would likely be on the value of utilizing history in organizational leadership. The Navy is huge on history and heritage and learning to leverage that has helped me tremendously as a leader. Maybe that doesn’t play too well outside the military, though.
ISH95: I’d always argue that history and heritage is important as a leader. What that history and heritage looks like, however, would differ from path to path. For me, I could probably give a pretty decent TED talk on how to improve the financials of a restaurant or how to train and develop younger people to get to where they want to be. That’s a huge part of my job as a fast casual/fast food restaurant manager, and, as much as I may complain about them kids sometimes, something I actually find very rewarding.
Vinicius vs Kimmich part 2 is about to be fireworks. (Photo by Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every Bayern Munich fan in the world only wants one thing right now.
REVENGE.
That burning sensation deep inside that is a mix of pent-up bitterness, anxiety, passion, and hope. The belief that Bayern will finally be able to have Real Madrid’s number. And the hope that they mop the floor with them.
In a recent interview with FC Bayern (as covered by @iMiaSanMia), Leon Goretzka conceded that “We haven’t had much success against Real recently. We’d very much like to turn around the statistics from recent years.” He’d like to reverse the result, and so would every Bayern fan across the globe. Too many atrocities have been committed. Too many robberies. Too many painful memories have been amassed.
It is time to give them a Real beating.
Of course, Goretzka knows that “Real are a world-class team with outstanding individual quality on the pitch. They’ve had some very, very good – but also some bad – moments this season. At the moment, you never really know what you’ll get from them. Experience tells us that they usually manage to pull something off in the Champions League.”
This is the core issue. Real Madrid is seemingly always able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and get the better of their opponents in the Champions League, their favorite competition. One they have won a record 15 times.
However, Goretzka finished with: “But we’ll be prepared for that.”
You bet we will.
It is time to remind those divers and actors about La Bestia Negra.
The NIT championship is set between Auburn and Tulsa who could’ve both been argued as NCAA Tournament teams leading up to selection Sunday as they both consistently sat on the bubble.
Coming into the title game, Tulsa has had close call after close call with three of their four wins coming within five points. On the other end, Auburn is coming off of a lopsided win against Illinois State in the semifinal 88-66.
Tulsa has played one Power Conference team all season in Kansas State and came away with a loss. Auburn is 10-0 against non-Power Conference teams.
Auburn and Tulsa met previously in the 2009 NIT tournament, where the Tigers came out with a 74-55 victory. Auburn was the highest-seeded team in that tournament as well.
Auburn notes:
Auburn has not lost a mid-major team all year (10-0)
332-287 (+45) scoring margin during NIT run
8-6 record over seven NIT appearances (last appered in 2009)
Highest ranked team in the NIT on KenPom (37th)
Defeated South Alabama, Seattle, Nevada, and Illinois State to advance to NIT final
Snapped four year streak of NCAA Tournament appearances
Tulsa notes:
Tulsa is 0-1 against their only Power Conference opponent this season (84-83 loss to Kansas State)
323-298 (+25) scoring margin over NIT run
16-8 record over 11 NIT appearances (last appeared in 2015)
56th ranked team on KenPom
Defeated SFA, UNLV, Wichita State, and New Mexico before NIT final
Apr 5, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone signals to the bullpen as pitcher Max Fried (54) leaves the game against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
And on the third start did his ERA rise. Yes, Max Fried finally allowed a man to score, indeed early in Sunday’s rain-delayed series finale with the Marlins. The game started three and a half hours after the scheduled first pitch time, and maybe that delay took a little off Fried’s game. His control wasn’t sparkling, but the Yankee offense was able to pick up for that early snafu…but the bullpen couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain. The Yankees have lost for the second time this year, 7-6 your final.
Naturally it was old friend Austin Slater — er, old acquaintance —, he of the sub-.100 OPS, that reached in the first and came around to score, the first such player to do so against Fried in 2026. Nobody is going to be on it every single day, but you could tell that for the second time in three starts Fried wasn’t quite what you’d expect him to be, especially with his fastball offerings:
There’s far more easy takes here than we’re used to seeing with Fried, and when he uses his fastball early in counts to set up the four other, more “junky” pitches he uses later in the count, throwing fastballs for balls gets him into 1-0 or 2-1 holes, rather than spotting himself an early strike. We then are left with hitters in hitters’ counts and throwing more pitches than we’d like to see.
The Marlins got to Fried twice more in his outing, and were on the verge of tying things up when home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez calling Marlin Connor Norby safe on a contact play at home. Fortunately we have the benefit of review:
If nothing else the Yankees can return their own firepower, and Ben Rice was able to do just that in the bottom half of the first:
Rice’s all-world contact quality also helped the Yankees push across what would be a very needed insurance run, this time in the third inning with two men on once again:
No RBI here for Rice, but if that ball’s not 98 off the bat, maybe Norby is able to handle it cleaner and get off a better throw. Hit ball hard, good things happen.
That wouldn’t be enough for a contact-heavy Marlins team to overcome though. The Fish walked twice before Griffin Conine was hit by a pitch in the eighth, and Jake Bird couldn’t bear down. Graham Pauley’s double gave Miami the lead, and Xavier Edwards welcomed Ryan Yarbrough to the game with a two-run single of his own.
Ryan McMahon actually had himself a decent day at the plate, with a hit and a walk to reach twice. That was welcome because the rest of the bottom half of the order was bowling shoe ugly.
It’s still very early in the season, but the Yankees entered today’s game with the worst 6-7-8-9 hitters in baseball.
Those spots had a combined 22 wRC+ before today’s game. They are currently 0-for-6 with 3 Ks today.
That same 6-9 entered the ninth with the score 7-4. Grisham, Judge, Rice and Giancarlo Stanton have all had strong starts to the year, but that’s still only half a lineup. The Yankees need more out of their depth bats, and while Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a better player than he’s shown, maybe this is why we don’t brag about going 50/50 in the offseason. Perhaps that pressure finally came to a head for Jazz, whose big two-run double down to the final strike of the game may be what shakes him out of this early-season slump:
That would be as good as it gets, as Austin Wells was intentionally walked and J.C. Escarra would be sat down on three pitches. Game over.
We haven’t had many of these games this year, and while it did come on a day the rest of the AL East was also slapped around, if the club goes 4-2 every week for the rest of the season we’ll end things just fine. If nothing else hopefully our upcoming series with the Athletics won’t involve multiple three-hour slogs, but will feature the same end result or better. Cam Schlittler gets the ball Tuesday night, with a 7:05pm Eastern start time.
Apr 5, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone signals to the bullpen as pitcher Max Fried (54) leaves the game against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
And on the third start did his ERA rise. Yes, Max Fried finally allowed a man to score, indeed early in Sunday’s rain-delayed series finale with the Marlins. The game started three and a half hours after the scheduled first pitch time, and maybe that delay took a little off Fried’s game. His control wasn’t sparkling, but the Yankee offense was able to pick up for that early snafu…but the bullpen couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain. The Yankees have lost for the second time this year, 7-6 your final.
Naturally it was old friend Austin Slater — er, old acquaintance —, he of the sub-.100 OPS, that reached in the first and came around to score, the first such player to do so against Fried in 2026. Nobody is going to be on it every single day, but you could tell that for the second time in three starts Fried wasn’t quite what you’d expect him to be, especially with his fastball offerings:
There’s far more easy takes here than we’re used to seeing with Fried, and when he uses his fastball early in counts to set up the four other, more “junky” pitches he uses later in the count, throwing fastballs for balls gets him into 1-0 or 2-1 holes, rather than spotting himself an early strike. We then are left with hitters in hitters’ counts and throwing more pitches than we’d like to see.
The Marlins got to Fried twice more in his outing, and were on the verge of tying things up when home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez calling Marlin Connor Norby safe on a contact play at home. Fortunately we have the benefit of review:
If nothing else the Yankees can return their own firepower, and Ben Rice was able to do just that in the bottom half of the first:
Rice’s all-world contact quality also helped the Yankees push across what would be a very needed insurance run, this time in the third inning with two men on once again:
No RBI here for Rice, but if that ball’s not 98 off the bat, maybe Norby is able to handle it cleaner and get off a better throw. Hit ball hard, good things happen.
That wouldn’t be enough for a contact-heavy Marlins team to overcome though. The Fish walked twice before Griffin Conine was hit by a pitch in the eighth, and Jake Bird couldn’t bear down. Graham Pauley’s double gave Miami the lead, and Xavier Edwards welcomed Ryan Yarbrough to the game with a two-run single of his own.
Ryan McMahon actually had himself a decent day at the plate, with a hit and a walk to reach twice. That was welcome because the rest of the bottom half of the order was bowling shoe ugly.
It’s still very early in the season, but the Yankees entered today’s game with the worst 6-7-8-9 hitters in baseball.
Those spots had a combined 22 wRC+ before today’s game. They are currently 0-for-6 with 3 Ks today.
That same 6-9 entered the ninth with the score 7-4. Grisham, Judge, Rice and Giancarlo Stanton have all had strong starts to the year, but that’s still only half a lineup. The Yankees need more out of their depth bats, and while Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a better player than he’s shown, maybe this is why we don’t brag about going 50/50 in the offseason. Perhaps that pressure finally came to a head for Jazz, whose big two-run double down to the final strike of the game may be what shakes him out of this early-season slump:
That would be as good as it gets, as Austin Wells was intentionally walked and J.C. Escarra would be sat down on three pitches. Game over.
We haven’t had many of these games this year, and while it did come on a day the rest of the AL East was also slapped around, if the club goes 4-2 every week for the rest of the season we’ll end things just fine. If nothing else hopefully our upcoming series with the Athletics won’t involve multiple three-hour slogs, but will feature the same end result or better. Cam Schlittler gets the ball Tuesday night, with a 7:05pm Eastern start time.
It was a rough Easter Sunday for Max Strus. He had the worst shooting night of his short season, going just 1-10 from the floor and 1-9 from three. Culminating with him finishing Sunday’s game with just four points. All on a night where the Cleveland Cavaliers were short-handed. Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, and Sam Merrill were all out for the game. Putting a heavy workload on Strus and the rest of the squad.
The Cavaliers still won, 117-108, but that was mostly on Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, who combined for 66 points on the night. The win got the Cavs to number 49 on the season.
For Strus, he struggled against arguably the worst team in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers. It was a performance you hoped Strus wouldn’t have with the playoffs around the corner. You’d hope that Strus would have a better outing, especially when you consider that he’s been out for most of the season. After all, the playoffs are in four short games, and then it’s the most important stretch of the season. Strus has to be ready for that.
Getting him playoff-ready is crucial, so watching him fall apart against one of the easiest defenses is far from what was expected of him. Now some fans are starting to worry.
The Cavaliers are still one of the best teams in the NBA, and have only gotten better with Strus’ return. Even with the bad outing against the Pacers, Strus is still hitting just under half of his shots from the floor at a clip of 48.1%. His shot from three is exceptional as well, hitting 44.7% from three. Even with a bad game, Strus is still shooting lights out.
If he were to miss his shot, however, as he did on Sunday against the Pacers, that wouldn’t mean he isn’t capable of contributing elsewhere. He’s been finding other ways to contribute since his return, most notably by being relentless on the boards. Over the last nine games, he’s been averaging six rebounds per game. It’ll likely be the highest number he posts for an entire season, even if his season is only a handful of games long.
Strus is doing everything he can to help support the faces of the team. He’s passing well, playing hard on defense, rebounding, and hitting his mark more often than not. It’s one of the reasons the Cavs are 7-2 since he returned from his injury, and it’s very likely the reason why the Cavs may get past the second round for the first time since landing Donovan Mitchell.
🔥 On fire! Julián Quiñones is in great form in Saudi Arabia
We’re just a short time away from the World Cup starting, and there’s one Mexican player who could arrive in one of the best moments of his football career.
Quiñones is on fire in Saudi Arabia, averaging a G+A per match with Al-Qadsiah. He’s also at the top of the scoring table, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Julián wasn’t among the “favorites” to make Mexico’s squad, but given his great form, it would be a mistake not to take him, and that became clear in El Tri’s most recent friendlies, where he was one of the national team’s standout players.
