MLB Andrew McCutchen Is Hitting It Big Again With The Pirates By Alex Kirshner Apr. 26, 2023, at 10:26 AM Back in Pittsburgh, Andrew McCutchen is proving there’s no place like home. Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo A year after Albert Pujols found the fountain of youth and spent his final season setting major league pitching on fire, the old-guy star of the 2023 season hasn’t been a positional contemporary like Joey Votto or Miguel Cabrera. Instead, April’s ultimate veteran revival has belonged to Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Much like Pujols, McCutchen returned to the club that ..read more

MLB Can Fernando Tatis Jr. Still Mash After A Year Away From MLB? By Howard Megdal Apr. 25, 2023, at 6:00 AM Coming off injury and suspension, Fernando Tatis Jr. might be baseball’s most enigmatic superstar. Christian Petersen / Getty Images Bob Melvin played 10 years in the big leagues, and has managed for another 20. Yet the San Diego Padres’ skipper freely admitted that he has no idea exactly what to expect from Fernando Tatis Jr., now that the 24-year-old superstar has returned to the field after missing the entire 2022 season. “Based on what we saw in spring training and who he is ..read more

NFL Why Is Anthony Richardson Suddenly The NFL Draft's Hottest Prospect? By Josh Hermsmeyer Apr. 24, 2023, at 6:00 AM Anthony Richardson’s NFL draft value has spiked since he played his last college game. Stacy Revere / Getty Images Each spring, NFL prospects rocket up mock draft boards for both obvious and inscrutable reasons. Sometimes it’s due to a player’s performance at the NFL combine or pro day where they flash unexpected athleticism (think receiver Denzel Mims’s 4.38 second 40-yard dash at the combine in 2020 or linebacker Jamin Davis and his 4.37 pro-day 40 time in 2021). In oth ..read more

NBA Playoffs The Bucks Would Be In Big Trouble Without Brook Lopez By Josh Planos Apr. 21, 2023, at 6:00 AM Giannis Antetokounmpo is Milwaukee’s most important player. But Brook Lopez might be No. 2. Aaron Gash / AP Photo When two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo tumbled to the court in the first quarter of the Milwaukee Bucks’ series-opening loss against the Miami Heat, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference knew it would need to rally around the rest of its core.  “Everyone’s ready,” said center Brook Lopez of the challenge. And as it turned out, Lopez was the one leading the char ..read more

NBA Playoffs Busting 4 Major Myths About Referees In The NBA Playoffs By Ben Dowsett Apr. 20, 2023, at 6:00 AM Do the refs have it out for certain players and teams? Draymond Green might say yes. But the NBA tries very hard to root bias out of the officiating process. Randall Benton / AP Photo The NBA playoffs come with an intensified microscope on everyone, referees maybe most of all. Typically an afterthought (with some exceptions) during the regular season, NBA officials tend to be thrust into the limelight in the spring. Seemingly every postseason comes with a new incident or think p ..read more

NBA Playoffs How Mikal Bridges Went From Supporting Player To Star By Jared Dubin Apr. 19, 2023, at 6:00 AM Mikal Bridges has taken his game to new (and unexpected) heights since joining the Brooklyn Nets. Mitchell Leff / Getty Images The Brooklyn Nets dropped both Games 1 and 2 of their series with the Philadelphia 76ers on the road, and they face a tough climb to come back and make this a competitive series — let alone advance to the second round. The Nets were heavy underdogs coming into the matchup, so their 2-0 deficit is not all that surprising. But one bright spot for Brooklyn is ..read more

MLB These 3 Former MLB Prospects Have Gone From Busts To Busting Out Jarred Kelenic, MacKenzie Gore and Geraldo Perdomo were running out of time to reach their potential — but no longer. By Alex Kirshner Apr. 18, 2023, at 10:29 AM In 2021, Jarred Kelenic was the No. 4 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. That placed him one spot ahead of a fellow Seattle Mariners outfield prospect, Julio Rodriguez, at No. 5. But while Rodriguez would soon become one of the most awe-inspiring young mashers in years — and sign a huge, complicated contract worth several hundred million dollars ..read more

MLB The Rays' Dominance Goes Even Deeper Than Their 13-0 Start By Neil Paine Apr. 17, 2023, at 10:58 AM During their 13-0 start, the Tampa Bay Rays won by an average of 5.5 runs — the best such margin among any team that’s started the season at least 8-0. Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images When we talk about the Tampa Bay Rays, it’s usually regarding their plucky ability to surprise the baseball world and win more games than expected despite a meager payroll, sparse attendance and imposing division rivals. But they’re seldom described as a clear-cut powerhouse dominating the league, without any ..read more

WNBA Who Won The 2023 WNBA Draft? By Howard Megdal Apr. 14, 2023, at 6:00 AM No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston could change the recent fortunes of the Indiana Fever. Sarah Stier / Getty Images Every WNBA draft has the potential to reshape the league. But Monday’s picks might carry more of that capability than most. Last year’s worst teams just got a lot better. The Indiana Fever added a massive amount of frontcourt help, headlined by No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston, plus the best pure point guard and the best perimeter shooter in this year’s class. The Minnesota Lynx selected the most in ..read more

NHL The NHL Playoffs Are Here. Can Anyone Stop The Big, Bad Bruins? We break down why each contender will — or won't — win Lord Stanley's Cup. By Neil Paine and Terrence Doyle and Neil Paine and Terrence Doyle Apr. 13, 2023, at 6:00 AM PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY SCHERER / GETTY IMAGES The puck drops on the 2023 NHL playoffs on Monday, which means the most grueling postseason in all of professional sports will soon commence. In anticipation, let’s run down the list of top Stanley Cup contenders (every team with at least a 5 percent chance,1 according to our NHL predictions model) and det ..read more