Now that we’re the past the chaos of the weekend and the College Football Playoff being set between No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Alabama, we look ahead to what the rest of the postseason is going to bring us, and there is no shortage of high-profile and exciting games.
We break down the games and players we are most excited to watch once bowl season gets underway on Saturday, Dec. 16.
Jump to: CFP | New Year’s Six | The best of bowl season
Who has something to prove | Under-the-radar players
What are you excited to see in the playoff?
Blake Baumgartner: We’ve been here before with Texas and Washington. By the time the Allstate Sugar Bowl kicks off on New Year’s Day night, 368 days will have passed since the first year of the Kalen DeBoer era in Seattle concluded with a 27-20 victory over Steve Sarkisian and Texas in the Valero Alamo Bowl. A track meet is likely to ensue in New Orleans with Michael Penix Jr. (FBS-leading 4,218 passing yards with 33 touchdowns) and Quinn Ewers (3,161 passing yards with 21 touchdowns) calling the shots for two of the most explosive offenses in the country, with Texas ninth (475.9 YPG) and Washington not too far behind at 12th (469.1 YPG). How much does last December’s meeting in San Antonio play into preparation for this year’s? I’m unsure, but it undoubtedly adds intrigue and should provide a fun watch with the Huskies (1991) and Longhorns (2005) looking to end long national championship droughts.
Mark Schlabach: What font will the asterisk next to Michigan‘s national title be if the Wolverines finally get it done? Arial? Comic Sans MS? Times New Roman? There will be a lot of college football fans across the country rooting for Alabama — as difficult as that might be for some — to beat the Wolverines in a CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential. The same goes for the winner in the other CFP semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, either Texas or Washington, if the Wolverines win their first CFP game under coach Jim Harbaugh on New Year’s Day. Florida State‘s unprecedented snub in the CFP might have stolen headlines on Selection Day, but Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal isn’t going to be swept under the rug for many fans.
Chris Low: It wasn’t too long ago that Jalen Milroe was standing on the sideline and watching Tyler Buchner (yes, the same Tyler Buchner who just transferred to play lacrosse at Notre Dame) and Ty Simpson combine to complete 10 passes in an ugly win over South Florida. Now, here he is in the College Football Playoff three months later as one of the hottest players in the sport, trying to lead Alabama to its seventh national championship under Nick Saban. Milroe wasn’t on anybody’s radar back in September as a player who could be a catalyst for his team taking home the top prize. He’s like an explosive running back with great acceleration who’s gained increasing confidence to stand in the pocket, and he’s stepped up in the pocket when necessary to deliver big-time throws. Oh yeah, he’s pretty good at improvising, too. See his flip pass against Georgia in the SEC championship game. Michigan’s defense is stout and especially adept at bullying teams. It should make for good theater seeing Milroe go up against an elite defense for the second straight game after engineering Alabama’s 27-24 win over Georgia to win the SEC title.
Paolo Uggetti: Can the Pac-12 go out with a bang? It was a banner year for the conference in more ways than one. Elite quarterbacks ruled the season and, at one point, the conference had nine ranked teams in the AP Top 25. It took an undefeated Washington team to give the Pac-12 its first playoff team since 2016. Now, the Huskies will be carrying the conference into a matchup with Texas. A win and they’ll be the first to make it to a national title game since Oregon did in 2015. This season, the Huskies have shown they know how to simply keep winning in any situation. Can they keep it going?
Adam Rittenberg: Whether Michigan can take the step from bullying the Big Ten to winning on the national stage. This was a problem under Jim Harbaugh’s coach at Michigan, Bo Schembechler, and has been a problem during Harbaugh’s tenure as well. Harbaugh is 1-6 in bowls at Michigan, including losses in each of the past two CFP semifinals. The Wolverines don’t have an obvious weakness, although their offense didn’t impress against Iowa in the Big Ten championship game. They will need their best effort to take down Nick Saban and Alabama at the Rose Bowl. If they fall short, how will we look at this era at Michigan? I can’t wait to see what happens.
Which New Year’s Six bowl game are you most looking forward to?
Baumgartner: Oregon and Liberty have made the lives of opposing defenses miserable all season long and that should set the stage for a very entertaining Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Both teams feature dynamite quarterbacks, Bo Nix (Oregon) and Kaidon Salter (Liberty), who lead the second-and-third-best offenses, respectively, in the country — Oregon at 526.6 YPG and Liberty at 514.9 YPG. We know Jamey Chadwell and the Flames will be excited to be there with Salter (3,814 total yards and 43 total touchdowns) leading the way for the first Conference USA team to reach the New Year’s Six. Can the Ducks put another three-point loss to Washington in the rear-view mirror and allow Nix (4,145 passing yards with 40 TDs) to conclude his collegiate career in proper fashion?
Schlabach: I thought there were better potential matchups available — Georgia vs. Oregon in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl or Ohio State vs. Florida State in the Capital One Orange Bowl — than what we’ll actually watch. That being said, the Orange Bowl will be interesting, if not entertaining, to see how the Seminoles look on offense and who shows up for the Bulldogs. Is Georgia quarterback Carson Beck coming back or entering the NFL draft? Will star tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Ladd McConkey, two of the most competitive guys on the team, play one more game? Their motivation level might take a hit after the Bulldogs were left out of the CFP with a 12-1 record. The two-time defending national champions insist they’ll be ready to play, but it’s impossible to really know. If Florida State knocks off Georgia, the Seminoles will undoubtedly claim a national title. They can order their T-shirts from the same vendor that printed the UCF ones in 2017.
Hale: The best bowl games often come from two programs with diametrically opposed styles, and that’s exactly what makes the Peach Bowl so intriguing. Ole Miss is all offense, all the time under coach Lane Kiffin. Penn State‘s defense was among the most dominant in the country in 2023 (even if its offense was unaware of the forward pass at times). Drew Allar, Quinshon Judkins, Kaytron Allen and others provide ample star power, and both fan bases should show up in full force in Atlanta. Plus, the game’s on a Saturday, so the Chick-fil-A at Mercedes Benz Stadium will be open. Spicy chicken sandwiches all around!
Rittenberg: Ohio State’s transfers and opt-outs change the outlook for the Buckeyes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, but I’m still interested to see how coach Ryan Day and his players respond from their latest setback against Michigan. They take on a Missouri team that seemingly will be much more motivated at AT&T Stadium after a surprising 10-2 season. The Tigers’ backfield of Brady Cook and Cody Schrader is must-see, and will provide a real challenge for a Buckeyes’ defense that couldn’t get off the field against Michigan. Missouri’s defense is solid, too, and goes against a Buckeyes’ offense now featuring Devin Brown at quarterback and most likely new faces around the field. Ohio State has handled these consolation bowls better than expected, winning the Rose Bowl after both the 2018 and 2021 seasons. Day certainly is incentivized to regain some goodwill after another Michigan failure. Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz joked on ESPN that he would be getting intel on the Buckeyes from former Michigan staff member Connor Stalions. It should be an interesting night at Jerry World.
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Missouri coach makes Connor Stalions joke to end interview
Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz jokes that he’s getting a call from alleged Michigan signal-stealer Connor Stalions ahead of the Tigers’ matchup vs. Ohio State.
Which under-the-radar bowl is a must watch?
Baumgartner: James Madison‘s fight for bowl eligibility amid its two-year transition from FCS to FBS was one of the season’s captivating storylines as it got off to a 10-0 start and “College GameDay” came to town ahead of its game with Appalachian State. With coach Curt Cignetti now at Indiana and quarterback Jordan McCloud (3,413 passing yards with 32 lTDs; 311 rushing yards and eight rushing TDs) intending to play despite entering the transfer portal, the Dukes’ matchup with Air Force in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 23 reeks a little of uncertainty. But something will have to give with the Falcons’ rush offense (275.8 YPG; second in the FBS) going up against a Dukes’ rush defense that has allowed just 61.5 yards per game, which led the entire country. James Madison has won at a high level and has done so frequently — five 11-win seasons since 2016 — and is aiming to finish with 12 victories for the second time in the past two seasons.
Schlabach: The Las Vegas Bowl features what might be the best coaching job of the season by Northwestern‘s David Braun and one of the best of the past decade in Utah‘s Kyle Whittingham. After winning 11 of their first 12 bowl games under Whittingham, the Utes have fallen in four straight. Braun worked a miracle after taking over for longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald in July following a hazing investigation, then guiding the Wildcats to a 7-5 record.
Low: If you’re looking for a pairing of two coaches who’ve done serious work this year and the past couple of years, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl matchup between Kansas and UNLV should be one to watch. Lance Leipold has worked wonders at Kansas, which was 8-4 and 5-4 in the Big 12. Let’s put that into perspective. The last time the Jayhawks had a winning overall record was 2008, and it was only the third time in the past 30 years that Kansas finished with a winning record in conference play. Barry Odom wasn’t to be outdone in his first season at UNLV. The Rebels won nine games and made it to the Mountain West Conference championship game. Before Odom’s arrival, UNLV had suffered through nine straight losing seasons.
Uggetti: The Alamo Bowl seems to always deliver an entertaining matchup and this year’s game sets up for an offensive explosion with Oklahoma and Arizona suiting up in San Antonio. Despite the Sooners losing quarterback Dillon Gabriel to the transfer portal, the opportunity is there for freshman five-star prospect Jackson Arnold to show why he’s the guy for the job next season. On the other sideline, Noah Fifita has done just that this season. The freshman stepped in following an injury to Jayden de Laura and immediately became one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, throwing for 2,515 yards and 23 touchdowns while leading the Wildcats to a 9-3 record. Between Fifita’s rise and the potential emergence of Arnold, this will be a fun watch.
Hale: Florida State’s frustration at being snubbed by the committee might be echoed by another soon-to-be ACC team, SMU. The Mustangs got the opposite treatment of FSU though. While the Seminoles were left out based on a “best team” qualification, Liberty grabbed the Group of 5’s New Year’s Six bid from the Mustangs based on its undefeated record. Was the committee talking out both sides of its mouth? Of course! But the upshot is SMU still gets an interesting matchup in the Fenway Bowl against its soon-to-be conference mate, Boston College. Both offenses can put up points, and who doesn’t love going to (checks notes) Boston in (checks notes again) December?
Kyle Bonagura: How about a little love for New Mexico State? The Aggies won 10 games for the first time in over 60 years as coach Jerry Kill, in Year 2, has somehow breathed life into a program that managed just eight combined wins in the four seasons before his arrival. Their first appearance in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl comes against a Fresno State team that, despite some tough losses down the stretch, has traditionally been one of the best Group of 5 programs. A win against the Bulldogs, who will be without their coach, Jeff Tedford, as he deals with a health issue, would tie NMSU’s school record for wins.
Rittenberg: The fact that none of you picked the Pop-Tarts Bowl is absurd and disappointing. Even if the matchup wasn’t interesting, we’re talking about Pop-Tarts here. The winner gets to EAT the Pop-Tart mascot! The matchup is pretty good, too, as NC State aims for the elusive 10th win against Kansas State, in a Top 25 matchup. Wolfpack quarterback Brennan Armstrong will cap an up-and-down season, while Kansas State should counter with Avery Johnson, its quarterback of the future. NC State hasn’t won 10 games since 2002, when Philip Rivers was its quarterback. Kansas State aims for consecutive seasons of nine or more wins for the first time since 2011 and 2012. But Pop-Tarts, guys. Enough said.
What player, team or coach has the most to prove in a bowl?
Baumgartner: J.J. McCarthy and Michigan have had a year to stew over what happened last season against TCU in the CFP. McCarthy threw two pick-sixes in the 51-45 loss to the Horned Frogs, but has since has had a solid junior season in Ann Arbor, throwing for 2,630 yards and 19 touchdowns for the three-time reigning Big Ten champions. But the standard at Michigan is higher than conference titles. The collective reaction to the drawing of Alabama in the Rose Bowl during the Wolverines’ watch party on Sunday was telling. They know they’ve got their work cut out for them with Nick Saban and company. But it provides the Wolverines a tremendous chance and opportunity to finally put those demons away for good if they can knock off the Tide and take a step they couldn’t a year ago and find themselves 60 minutes away from their first undisputed national championship since 1948. — Baumgartner
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Michigan seems less than enthusiastic about facing Alabama in CFP
Check out Michigan’s reaction as the team finds out it is facing Alabama in the College Football Playoff.
Schlabach: Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is only a sophomore and a first-year starter, so I’m not sure he’s under any type of pressure heading into his game against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl. I’m sure Nittany Lions coach James Franklin would like to see Allar step up on a big stage. He completed 61.1% of his passes for 2,336 yards with 23 touchdown passes and one interception in the regular season. But Allar had 70 yards with one touchdown pass in a 24-15 loss to Michigan, then 191 yards with one score in a 20-12 loss at Ohio State. Franklin fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich after the loss to the Buckeyes; he hired Kansas’ Andy Kotelnicki to replace him, but Kotelnicki will be only observing during bowl practices. Allar needs to take the next step if Penn State is ever going to challenge Michigan and Ohio State.
Wilson: Texas’ Quinn Ewers has an NFL arm. He’s got an NFL pedigree, going from the No. 1 overall recruit to the quarterback who led a storied program back to its first conference title after a 13-year drought and a College Football Playoff appearance. After a rocky first season as a starter last year in Austin, Ewers looked like a finished product in the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State, completing his first 12 passes, finishing the day early after completing 35 of 46 passes for 452 yards and four touchdowns to one interception. He’s missed part of the past two seasons with injuries and has been leaning toward returning to Texas, but with another stellar performance or two in the spotlight, his draft stock could rise, making that a tougher decision. Not to mention that he grew up a Longhorns fan and has a chance to become an all-time Texas legend in the process.
Hale: The answer is undoubtedly Michigan. After one of the most controversial seasons in years, and on the heels of two straight playoff defeats, the Wolverines could really use a win. And unlike the past two seasons when Michigan was clearly facing an uphill climb to a national championship with the vaunted Georgia Bulldogs in the way, this year’s field is wide open for Jim Harbaugh’s team to win it all. Two teams that shouldn’t feel pressure to prove something, however, are Alabama and Florida State. For the Tide, their playoff berth was controversial, but not undeserved. Nick Saban has done perhaps his best coaching job ever this year, and a win in the playoff isn’t needed to justify the program’s success in 2023. By that same token, an FSU loss in the Orange Bowl says nothing about the Seminoles’ snub. With opt-outs, frustration and a handful of players going into the portal, whatever version of the Seminoles shows up in South Florida will be something far different than the team that walked off the field in Charlotte with an ACC title.
Low: The pick here is Nick Saban, but not for conventional reasons. After all the uproar — from fans, media, other coaches and other teams — about Alabama not being deserving of a playoff spot or that Saban’s influence (or the SEC brand) is what landed the Crimson Tide that fourth spot over Florida State, it now comes down simply to what Saban’s Alabama team does on the field, starting with Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Saban is a stickler when it comes to outside forces (even yummy rat poison) not affecting the way his team prepares or plays in games. There will be plenty of noise surrounding Alabama and its eighth playoff appearance. This might be the ultimate test for Saban’s process-oriented approach as the college football world outside the Alabama bubble world screams loudly and incessantly that the Tide don’t deserve to be in this position. But as Clint Eastwood, aka William Munny, said in “Unforgiven,” the best Western film ever made, “Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.”
Bonagura: Look, Saban is far beyond ever having to prove himself in college football. Everyone should agree he’s the greatest coach in modern college football. That’s why Alabama is in the playoff over an undefeated Power 5 blue-blood program. The Great Alabama-Florida State Debate of 2023 will live on for years and however the Tide perform in the playoff will undoubtedly play an oversized role in how people justify their arguments in the future. It will never be as simple as vindication for the committee or proof they got it wrong, but rest assured, that’s often how it will be framed.
Which under-the-radar player should we have our eyes on?
Baumgartner: Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter has been the point man for a program that leads the nation in rushing (302.9 YPG), is third in total yards (514.9 YPG) behind LSU and Oregon and has gotten off to the program’s first-ever 13-0 start. Salter, who transferred from Tennessee, has accumulated 3,814 total yards (2,750 passing) and 43 total touchdowns (31 passing touchdowns) on the way to piloting an offense averaging 40.8 points a game (fifth in all of FBS). Seven times this season, Salter has accounted for at least four total touchdowns in a game as the Flames have tallied at least 30 points in all but one game this season (a 21-16 win over Sam Houston on Oct. 5).
Rittenberg: Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty appeared on my radar earlier this season and he’s not one to miss. Jeanty leads the nation in average yards from scrimmage (rushing or receiving) at 164.9 yards per game, 15.7 yards more than any other FBS player. The sophomore ranks sixth nationally in rushing yards per game (114.7) and also has 552 receiving yards and five touchdowns for Boise State, leading all FBS running backs in receiving yards per game (50.2). After helping Boise State to a Mountain West title Saturday, Jeanty announced Tuesday that he’s returning to the Broncos in 2024, passing up the portal and likely several lucrative offers. He will face UCLA, which leads the nation in rushing defense (69.6 ypg) but recently lost defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to rival USC, in the Starco Brands LA Bowl. — Rittenberg
Low: Jaylen Raynor won’t fly under the radar for long. He put together the best season for an FBS true freshman quarterback in 2023 and didn’t establish himself as Arkansas State‘s full-time starter until the fourth game of the season. His play was a big reason the Red Wolves were able to get to a bowl game for the first time since 2019. They will face Northern Illinois in the Camellia Bowl. In 10 games, Raynor passed for 2,300 yards, rushed for 324 yards and accounted for 20 touchdowns. He’s a dynamic playmaker. His 15.2 passing yards per completion ranks seventh nationally. — Low
Wilson: UTSA senior quarterback Frank Harris has been the most important player in the school’s football history. First of all, he’s been there seven of the program’s 13 years in existence due to a redshirt, a medical redshirt and a COVID year. He almost couldn’t play this year, his final season, due to that history of knee issues dating back to high school, but a surgeon patched him up enough to play this year, though the Roadrunners held him out of a couple of nonconference games to preserve him. Harris is a San Antonio native, wildly popular in the community, and under Jeff Traylor, has taken the program to new heights, throwing for 11,862 yards and 91 touchdowns as the Roadrunners have won 31 games in the past three years. His impact on the history of UTSA football is cemented, but the one thing that the Roadrunners have never done is win a bowl game. So while the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl might not be on your radar, watching Harris try to make history in Texas — a player who really wants to play in one last bowl game — will be worth it. — Wilson
Three weeks into the new MLB season, there’s a new No. 1 on our list.
After being a unanimous choice atop our preseason rankings, the Los Angeles Dodgers have fallen from the top spot thanks to a recent rough patch (by their standards) combined with the strong performances of other National League powerhouses.
Was it the New York Mets, San Diego Padres or San Francisco Giants who replaced the defending champions atop our Week 3 Power Rankings? Which other teams off to surprising starts surged up our list? And who took the biggest April tumbles?
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason rankings
Record: 15-4
Previous ranking: 3
San Diego finally lost at home this week, but the Padres’ advantage at Petco Park shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s become a more raucous environment than ever, a destination for fans who want to see a pitching staff that so far has compiled the lowest home ERA in the game and a lineup that ranks eighth in home OPS. Fernando Tatis Jr., in particular, must like the sight lines there this year; he has an OPS over 1.100 at Petco Park. San Diego has established a home environment all smaller market teams should strive for, and the Padres are winning plenty to keep fans coming back for more. — Rogers
Record: 14-6
Previous ranking: 1
How much fun is Tommy Edman? Through Tuesday’s games, he is tied for the major league lead with six home runs. Yes, even if it’s for a moment in time, Edman has one more long ball than his teammate Shohei Ohtani, all while playing solid defense, both at second base and center field. Edman led the Dodgers last week with an OPS over .900 while Ohtani was experiencing a mini slump, especially during a weekend series loss to the Cubs. Edman remained hot with a four-hit performance against Colorado on Tuesday. He has yet to go hitless in consecutive games this season. — Rogers
Record: 11-7
Previous ranking: 4
Juan Soto was right: Pete Alonso isn’t Aaron Judge, the best hitter in the world and the American League MVP in two of the past three campaigns. But Alonso has been doing his best impression. The first baseman is slashing .356/.466/.729 with five home runs, 20 RBIs and 11 walks to 10 strikeouts hitting behind Soto through Tuesday. Alonso’s 1.195 OPS and 242 OPS+ lead the National League. His hard-hit rate is in the 100th percentile. His average exit velocity and barrel rate sit in the 99th percentile. He already has posted more than half of his fWAR total from last season (1.3 to 2.1). Opponents have mostly opted to pitch around Soto and attack Alonso, but that changed in Minnesota this week when Soto clubbed home runs on consecutive days. It makes for a dangerous recipe. — Castillo
Record: 13-5
Previous ranking: 8
The Giants are rolling, thanks in part to outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. He seems to be coming into his own during his second season in San Francisco, highlighted by a two-homer performance in New York over the weekend. He leads the league in doubles (10) while slugging .647. One thing he is doing particularly well is not letting mistake pitches get by him; instead, he is doing max damage on those pitches, hence all the slug. He already has more than double the number of extra-base hits this season in less than half the at-bats he had all of last year. — Rogers
Record: 10-8
Previous ranking: 2
Alec Bohm notched four hits and a walk in the Phillies’ first two games this season. In 15 games since, the third baseman has gone 8-for-64 with one extra-base hit (a double) and zero walks, an icy stretch that dropped him to eighth in the batting order against the Giants this week. Bohm enjoyed a breakout first half last season, which resulted in his first All-Star nod. But he stumbled down the stretch, culminating in getting benched in the NLDS against the Mets and rampant trade rumors over the offseason. Bohm is batting .228 with four home runs and a .599 OPS in 65 games since the start of last season’s second half. Continued struggles could result in less playing time with Edmundo Sosa pushing for more starts. — Castillo
Record: 12-9
Previous ranking: 6
Losing pitcher Justin Steele to a season-ending elbow injury is a tough early blow. The Cubs do have some pitching depth, but no one as reliable as Steele is. Replacements for the role include veteran right-hander Colin Rea — he threw 3⅔ shutout innings against the Dodgers on Sunday — and young left-hander Jordan Wicks.
Highly touted pitching prospect Cade Horton could also find his way to the majors in the coming month and Chicago’s front office will hit the phone lines as well, calling on potential trade targets like Marlins star Sandy Alcantara. For now, though, expect the Cubs to look inward. — Rogers
Record: 11-7
Previous ranking: 5
The Yankees’ starting rotation, a projected strength entering spring training, has been a weakness after injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt gutted the group. The rotation’s 4.98 ERA through Tuesday was the third-worst mark in the majors. Max Fried has pitched as advertised, posting a 1.88 ERA in his four starts, but Will Warren’s 5.14 ERA ranks second. Schmidt’s return from a shoulder injury this week should bolster the rotation, but the Yankees need Carlos Rodon (5.48 ERA, 12 walks in 23 innings across four starts) to be better in the third year of his six-year, $162 million contract. — Castillo
Record: 11-7
Previous ranking: 10
Offense, offense, offense. Arizona is becoming known for a relentless attack. After leading the majors in run scoring last season, the Diamondbacks are off to a hot start again, just behind the Cubs as the second-most prolific team in the NL. Outfielder Corbin Carroll is back to the elite form he displayed when he was named Rookie of the Year in 2023. And he has carried over a hot finish to 2024, hitting a league-leading six home runs, including a grand slam in Miami on Tuesday. Carroll’s output has helped mitigate the loss of second baseman Ketel Marte, who should be back soon. There’s no reason not to believe the D-backs’ offense will continue to lead them all year. — Rogers
Record: 10-8
Previous ranking: 12
Kerry Carpenter clubbed 18 homers in 264 at-bats last season, and then hit a memorable three-run homer against Emmanuel Clase in the postseason. Opposing managers have been saving left-handed relievers to face him, but here is some bad news for the opposition — the left-handed slugger’s production is climbing against lefties, too. He’s got two homers off lefties this season, which is one more than he had all of 2024. — Olney
Record: 11-7
Previous ranking: 7
If all you looked at were the offensive numbers, the Rangers’ record would make zero sense. Three key guys — Marcus Semien, Joc Pederson and Jake Burger — all carry on-base percentages of .220 or lower, and the deep lineup of mashers really hasn’t come together yet. But the starting pitching has been really good, with Texas’ rotation ERA of 3.45 ranked seventh in the majors.
Bruce Bochy noted in a text the progression of the pitching — Jacob deGrom still refining his command, Nathan Eovaldi and Tyler Mahle have thrown well, and the hope is that Jack Leiter — “really impressive,” Bochy wrote — is past his blister issue and will rejoin the rotation. — Olney
Record: 9-8
Previous ranking: 22
It’s too soon to know whether Emmanuel Clase’s brutal start is temporary, but the struggle is real right now. He has already allowed more earned runs (6) than he did for the entire 2024 regular season, and he surrendered 15 hits in eight innings. As he dominated hitters last year, Clase pitched with precision, but so far this year, his raw stuff seems flat and he’s just leaving a lot over the middle of the zone. Interestingly, his first-pitch strike rate is a career-high 75.7%, and it’s fair to wonder if he’s throwing too many strikes. — Olney
Record: 8-10
Previous ranking: 16
Junior Caminero homered in three straight games and compiled three hits in another over the past week. But lesser-known Jonathan Aranda has been the Rays’ best hitter — and the best hitter against right-handed pitching across the sport. The 26-year-old first baseman entered Wednesday leading the majors in batting average (.413), slugging (.761), and OPS (1.242) facing almost exclusively right-handers in 15 games. And the underlying numbers suggest the production isn’t a fluke: He ranks in the 96th percentile or better across the majors in barrel rate, hard-hit rate and average exit velocity among other categories. Aranda is 0-for-4 with two walks in seven plate appearances against left-handed pitchers so he’s likely to remain a platoon player for now, but he is capitalizing on his chances against righties after an injury-plagued 2024 season postponed his breakout. — Castillo
Record: 11-8
Previous ranking: 17
For a team with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander, the Blue Jays have not hit the ball over the wall very often. Toronto’s 11 home runs through Tuesday were tied for the second-lowest total in baseball. Toronto’s 12 home runs through Wednesday are tied for the third-lowest total in baseball. Guerrero didn’t hit his first homer until Toronto’s 19th game Wednesday when he crushed a hanging slider from Spencer Strider. Bo Bichette is still looking for his first long ball.
Andres Giménez, who hit nine home runs last season in Cleveland, leads the club with three. Santander, who clubbed 44 home runs for the Orioles in 2024, went 15 games before homering as a Blue Jay. And yet Toronto is over .500 — a great sign for a club looking to rebound from last season’s last-place finish. — Castillo
Record: 10-10
Previous ranking: 9
Boston’s lineup is as deep as any in baseball on paper, but it has been a boom-or-bust unit so far. On Tuesday, for example, Alex Bregman went 5-for-5 with a double and two home runs in a 7-4 win over the Rays. Before that, the Red Sox were held to four or fewer runs in eight straight games after an 18-run explosion against the Cardinals on April 6. Boston has scored one run in five games and been limited to three or fewer runs in 11 games through Tuesday. It’s why they emerged from Tuesday’s win one game below .500. — Castillo
Record: 9-9
Previous ranking: 19
Julio Rodriguez isn’t on top of any American League leaderboard, but within the context of league-wide pitching dominance, he’s actually doing more at the plate early this season than he has in the past. His wRC+ is 113 and his patience at the plate has been striking: He already has drawn 11 bases on balls, with a walk rate that doubles that of last season. “He’s been as aggressive as he’s always been, especially early in the count,” said Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners’ head of baseball operations. “But the biggest difference to me is that he gets himself dialed back in.” — Olney
Record: 8-11
Previous ranking: 14
The Kansas City offense has a collective slash line of .206/.274/.308, but at the very least, Bobby Witt Jr. is hitting. He’s 10-for-20 over his past six games, with three walks and four strikeouts. The lack of production from the outfielders continues to be an issue: The Royals’ outfielders have a wRC+ of 51, which seems impossibly low. They had two homers in 187 plate appearances. In a related note, star prospect Jac Caglianone has a .290/.356/.579 slash line in Double-A, with all of his starts at first base. — Olney
Record: 9-9
Previous ranking: 20
The Reds finally pushed past the .500 mark earlier this week behind the strength of a pitching staff that dominated during a four-game win streak, surrendering just 16 hits in 36 innings. They allowed just nine runs (2.25 ERA) over that time frame with a minuscule 0.81 WHIP. Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott shined in the rotation while the bullpen, led by righty Emilio Pagan, was stellar. — Rogers
Record: 5-13
Previous ranking: 15
Not much has gone right for the Braves so far in 2025, but Spencer Strider‘s season debut against the Blue Jays on Wednesday qualifies as a resounding positive. Besides giving up an RBI single and a solo home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the right-hander held the Blue Jays in check over five-plus innings in his first major league start in more than a year. Strider finished with 10 strikeouts, including a vintage three-pitch strikeout of Bo Bichette to begin the outing, and became the fastest starting pitcher to 500 career strikeouts. He walked two, limited Toronto to three hits and threw 97 pitches. Most importantly, he looked uninhibited. — Castillo
Record: 10-9
Previous ranking: 18
Are the Brewers this year’s Jekyll and Hyde? They’re all over the place, giving up seven or more runs in a third of their games while also compiling four shutouts, second most in baseball. Their latest shutout came thanks to recent pickup Quinn Priester. Milwaukee acquired him from the Red Sox a week into the season — usually marking an inventory/depth addition — but Priester could end up being the move of the year. He has given up just one earned run in two starts: a solid performance at hitter-friendly Coors Field last week followed by five shutout innings against the Tigers on Tuesday. Milwaukee is looking for some consistency on the mound. Could Priester provide it? — Rogers
Record: 7-10
Previous ranking: 11
Orioles general manager Mike Elias met with reporters Tuesday and maintained he believes his club is a playoff team. Baltimore then lost to the Guardians to fall to 6-10. The Orioles’ offense, rightly heralded for its premier young talent, has been inconsistent, but that should improve. The bigger problem is the starting pitching. The Orioles’ rotation ranks last in the majors in ERA. Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and Albert Suarez, all projected starters during spring training, are on the injured list while Kyle Bradish isn’t expected to return from Tommy John surgery until the second half. Starting pitching was the concern entering the season after Baltimore failed to replace Corbin Burnes with another front-line starter. And it has so far played out as expected. — Castillo
Record: 8-10
Previous ranking: 13
Jim Crane’s instinct will be to hold his team together and push to make the playoffs for the ninth season in a row, and for the 10th time in the last 11 years. But without Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, the challenges are greater. Yordan Alvarez is off to a slow start, and the AL West is more competitive than it was a season ago.
If the Astros do drift from contention, there will be teams calling on Framber Valdez, who will be eligible for free agency in the fall. The Tucker trade seemed to signal a greater willingness to identify deals that will help to turn over the roster and build around the likes of Hunter Brown, Yainer Diaz and Cam Smith. — Olney
Record: 9-8
Previous ranking: 21
The Angels are the AL’s biggest surprise so far, and given their struggles of last season, you could understand why rival executives aren’t buying in yet. But there are ways in which the team is clearly distinguishing itself from the ’24 edition, and of course, that starts with the right fielder.
“Mike Trout is still Mike Trout and as long as we have his presence, we have a chance,” manager Ron Washington wrote in a text.
Washington also noted that the youngest Angels are benefitting from the experience of last year – Nolan Schanuel has an .856 OPS, Kyren Paris is impressing and Logan O’Hoppe has an early-season OPS near 1.000. — Olney
Record: 9-9
Previous ranking: 23
Even with Ivan Herrera missing time with a knee injury, Cardinals catchers still lead the league with six home runs and a lofty .329 batting average through Tuesday. Backups Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo have held their own in Herrera’s absence. Pozo made headlines after coming up from Triple-A as he collected five hits — including two doubles and a home run — in his first three games. The longtime minor leaguer had not seen time in the majors since 2021 when he played in 21 games for the Texas Rangers. Over 1,000 minor league games later, he’s been an unexpected surprise in St. Louis. — Rogers
Record: 7-12
Previous ranking: 24
What is happening in Minnesota is the worst-case scenario — a slow start for a team that did very little to improve over the winter after failing to make the playoffs last season. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton are both batting under .200, at a time when Royce Lewis is on the injured list, and Bailey Ober and Chris Paddack have allowed 26 earned runs in 29 1/3 innings. The weather is always an early-season X factor for the Twins, but hey, a lot of teams have had to play in brutal conditions in the first weeks, and only two AL teams have a worse run differential so far. — Olney
Record: 8-9
Previous ranking: 28
Who had the rebuilding Marlins playing .500 ball through 16 games this season? The team’s relative success probably won’t last much longer, but Miami has held its own through 10% of the regular season.
First baseman Matt Mervis is fueling the offense with five home runs and a 1.009 OPS through Tuesday. Shortstop Xavier Edwards, coming off an impressive 70-game sample last season, is batting over .300 again. Right-hander Max Meyer was impressive in his first three starts, holding opponents to four earned runs across 18 innings.
Chances are the Marlins will sink back down to the basement of the loaded NL East, but this start constitutes a step in the right direction. — Castillo
Record: 8-10
Previous ranking: 25
The early returns on the ballpark in Sacramento are that it’s like Coors Field California. The A’s have the worst home-field ERA, at 5.89, and the 1.56 home runs allowed per game is the fourth-worst ratio in the big leagues. Or maybe those numbers are rooted in a small-sample size of rough pitching performances. — Olney
Record: 7-11
Previous ranking: 26
How bad has the Nationals’ bullpen been this season? Bad enough for manager Dave Martinez to summon his relievers to his office for a meeting before Tuesday’s game against the Pirates. Two Nationals relievers then combined to toss two scoreless innings in a 3-0 win, which qualifies as significant progress for a group that ranks last in the majors in ERA (7.21) and WHIP (1.89). — Castillo
Record: 7-12
Previous ranking: 27
Stop us if you’re heard this one before: The Pirates are having trouble scoring runs. It’s a rinse-and-repeat scenario for the Buccos, who hit just .185 as a team last week (which, incredibly, was not the lowest batting average in MLB). That was low enough to help produce a 2-5 record for Pittsburgh, which sits in last place in the NL Central. The Pirates’ overall team OPS ranks last in the NL and 29th in baseball, and that puts a tremendous strain on their young pitching staff. — Rogers
Record: 4-13
Previous ranking: 30
Andrew Vaughn has generated some ugly numbers so far this season, with a .131 batting average and two home runs in his first 61 at-bats. But the White Sox feel like he’s actually swung the bat better than those numbers indicate — Vaughn is hitting just .132 on balls in play, and he is 54th among 132 hitters in adjusted exit velocity. Whether Vaughn’s early production has been nicked by bad weather, or bad luck, the White Sox anticipate better days ahead for the first baseman. — Olney
Record: 3-15
Previous ranking: 29
Let’s try to find one positive thing about the Rockies, who went 1-7 over the course of the week, from last Tuesday to this one. Here it is: In their lone win — a 7-2 victory over Milwaukee last Thursday — outfielder Brenton Doyle went 4-for-5 with five runs driven in while scoring twice. Doyle, just 26, has an OPS over .900 (through Tuesday) that includes three home runs and a batting average over .300. See? It can be done. It just takes some looking to find the good in Colorado. A younger group of players might provide more positives this summer, but it won’t show up in the standings any time soon. — Rogers
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Eli Lederman
Former South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez, one of the top passers in the spring transfer portal, has committed to North Carolina, he announced on social media Thursday.
The No. 6 available transfer in ESPN’s spring portal rankings, Lopez lands as an immediate front-runner to claim the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback job under first-year coach Bill Belichick. Per sources, Lopez will join North Carolina on a two-year, $4 million contract with three seasons of remaining eligibility after a breakout redshirt freshman season in 2024.
Lopez entered the transfer portal earlier this week two days after completing spring camp with South Alabama. His commitment formally closes the Tar Heels’ lengthy search for a quarterback since Belichick took over the program in December.
Sources said that Lopez initially considered an exit from South Alabama during the winter transfer portal window before opting to remain with the program. He stayed with the Jaguars through spring practices and took part in the program’s spring showcase Saturday, but transfer portal interest from major Power 4 programs persisted in the lead-up to the spring window.
Sources told ESPN that Georgia and LSU held discussions with Lopez this spring, each with an eye on giving him a chance to compete for a starting spot in 2026. According to sources, North Carolina initiated contact with Lopez’s camp in March and continued talks through Thursday, when Lopez finalized his deal with general manager Michael Lombardi and the Tar Heels.
North Carolina entered Belichick’s first spring camp with three quarterbacks on the roster — Max Johnson, Ryan Browne and incoming freshman Bryce Baker.
Browne, a former Purdue transfer, entered the portal earlier this week. Baker, ESPN’s No. 200 recruit in the 2025 cycle, remains with the Tar Heels after affirming his commitment following coach Mack Brown’s departure. Johnson, a 23-game starter, returns in 2025 after suffering a season-ending leg injury in Week 1 last fall.
A 6-foot-2, 220-pound dual-threat, Lopez emerged as one of the most productive Group of 5 quarterbacks in the nation last fall when he led South Alabama to a 7-6 finish in coach Major Applewhite’s first season. Lopez completed 66% of his passes for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns in 11 starts, adding another 465 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Per TruMedia, Lopez’s 8.20 yards per passing attempt in 2024 ranked 26th among quarterbacks nationally. He also completed 38 passes of 20-plus yards last fall, more than 27 returning passers across the country in 2025.
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Dave Wilson
DAVE LeBLANC REMEMBERS when he saw Jack Bech practice for the first time at a middle school football camp. A strength and offensive line coach at St. Thomas More in Lafayette, Louisiana, since 1995, he has seen his share of talented players come through south Louisiana. But Bech stood out.
“I have witnesses,” LeBlanc said. “When he was running, doing some agility blocks and I was watching him perform, I said, ‘This is going to be the next kid that plays on Sundays.’ I made that call in seventh grade before he had hair under his arms.”
The coaches already had a frame of reference, albeit a smaller one. They had coached Tiger Bech, Jack’s older brother, an aggressive, fiery, but diminutive all-purpose talent who went on to star at Princeton.
“Before Jack, Tiger was the best receiver we’ve ever had,” said Lance Strother, STM’s wide receivers coach. “Then Jack came along with the same skill set, but he also brought the metrics with him, the size and the strength.”
Both fearless. Neither lacked a drop of confidence. They were just five years apart in age and completely different in build.
“Tiger was 5-9 on a tall day,” their dad Martin said, “while Jack was always a man amongst boys. He always was huge.”
All these years later, Jack Bech is standing taller than ever. Now 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, he’s considered a solid Day 2 pick in next week’s NFL draft, all while carrying the hopes of his brother and his family after Tiger, his best friend, was killed on Jan. 1 in the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
“Whatever team gets me, it’s going to be a two-for-one special. Not only do you get Jack Bech, you get Tiger Bech too,” Jack said. “I have a superpower now. I have another presence about me that just can’t lose.”
JACK IDOLIZED TIGER, following him everywhere from the time he could walk. He watched his brother become a football star, and wanted to be just like him. But Tiger would always tell Jack he got the genetic gifts that he was lacking, calling his little brother “the prototype.”
Two of their uncles, Brett and Blain Bech, played football at LSU, and their aunt, Brenna Bech, was on the Tigers’ first soccer team. Naturally, they were competitive, but Tiger, who became an All-Ivy League return specialist in college, saw bigger things for Jack.
Baton Rouge was just 45 minutes away, and they grew up going to LSU games at Death Valley, watching Tyrann Mathieu, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette.
And Jack would be next.
“I had two dreams: One was to play in Tiger Stadium, and one was to play in the NFL,” Jack said.
In late October 2020, shortly before signing day, Jack, who had committed to Vanderbilt, finally got an offer from LSU. The family was ecstatic. One of his dreams was coming true.
And he was a star out of the gate. Jack Bech started seven games as a freshman, catching 43 passes for 489 yards and three touchdowns, and becoming a fan favorite. Playing as a hybrid tight end/slot receiver, he was named to two different freshman All-America teams in 2021 alongside players such as Xavier Worthy and Brock Bowers. But once Ed Orgeron was fired and Brian Kelly arrived with a new coaching staff, he had to start over.
He struggled with some nagging injuries but was cleared to play, although he ultimately got stuck in a logjam in a loaded receivers room with Malik Nabers, Kayshon Boutte, Kyren Lacy and Brian Thomas Jr. He played in 12 games, and caught just 16 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown.
“When the coaching change happened at LSU, those weren’t the guys that recruited him and everybody around him didn’t think he was getting a fair shake,” LeBlanc said. “He went from being a freshman All-American, then getting on the field maybe 25% of the snaps. I think the transfer portal is bad for football in the long run. But if anybody should have transferred, it was Jack.”
He picked TCU as his destination, but Sonny Dykes, who had coached at Louisiana Tech and knows the psychic power LSU has over the state’s residents, knew it was a gut-wrenching decision.
“There’s nobody that loves the state of Louisiana more than his family,” Dykes said. “There was a lineage and I’m sure it was very difficult for him to leave. But there’s a quiet confidence about that whole family and it took a lot of confidence to bet on yourself. That’s what makes him different and unique.”
In Fort Worth, Jack suffered a high ankle sprain and had surgery as the Horned Frogs, coming off a 13-2 season in 2022, slipped to 5-7. But amid the struggles, Dykes sold him on a long-range plan, telling him they wanted him to get him fully healthy and back to who he was as a freshman, even if it was frustrating for Jack.
“Well, let’s give a lot of credit to Sonny Dykes for that,” Strother said. “Imagine having a world-class race car tuned up and ready to go and you’re pretty sure there’s not another car that can beat it anywhere, but you keep it in the garage. It was a matter of Jack getting healthy and then being unleashed with opportunity.”
Dykes said by midway through his junior year, Jack had so many small little bumps and bruises that he “had one of everything.” He could see how badly Jack wanted to play, which he said might have been part of the problem. He couldn’t ease off the gas.
“He’s a guy that’s trained his body really, really hard, has never taken a break and tried to squeeze every single ounce of ability out of his body,” Dykes said. “And it was pretty banged up because of it.”
He caught just five passes from October on, as they kept him on a tight leash. He finished his junior year in 2023 with appearances in eight games, catching 12 passes for 146 yards. But Dykes would tell anyone who would listen that he was going to be a star the next season. And by the spring, it was evident.
“We were going to play him inside, but we had a logjam of players inside, and he just kept performing at such a high level that we wanted to play him every down. So we moved him outside, and the thing about him is he knew all the positions. It’s easier to move from outside to inside because you’ve got to deal with press corners and releases. There’s usually a transition. With Jack, there was no transition.”
He responded with one of the greatest seasons by a Horned Frogs receiver, catching 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024, the fourth-highest single-season total in TCU history, trailing only Josh Doctson, Quentin Johnston and Jalen Reagor, who were all first-round picks.
And best of all, Tiger was there to watch every game, flying down from New York, where he had begun a career as a stockbroker.
“One of the greatest things about this season was it gave us, our whole family a focus,” Martin Bech said. “My daughter lives in Philadelphia, another one lives in Nashville. It gave us all a gathering point. Tiger just loved being there, being in Fort Worth and being with Jack. There’s a famous text in the family now about how Tiger was just so enamored by Jack’s success.”
“It’s happening,” Tiger wrote.
AT 3:15 A.M. on Jan. 1, Tiger and his roommate Ryan Quigley, whom he worked with in New York, were on Bourbon Street when Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Houston accelerated his pickup truck into the crowd, then got into a shootout with police before he was fatally wounded. He killed 14 people, including Tiger, and injured at least 57 others, including Quigley.
Tiger was taken to the hospital and kept on life support until his family could arrive. A TCU booster flew Jack to New Orleans on his plane immediately, but he didn’t make it in time. The moment he got the news Tiger was gone, he told himself he was going to get Tiger a Hall of Fame jacket.
Jack was out front immediately, doing television interviews and hoping to talk about his brother whenever he was needed. He and the family were unimaginably unshakeable.
“Our pain and our suffering is no different from the 13 other families that lost their loved ones in that horror,” Martin said. “All these kids that were in the ICU for weeks on end and Tiger’s roommate who had his leg shattered and his face gashed for six inches, everyone is struggling the same. We’re just blessed that we are given the platform to share Tiger’s story.”
Jack said his foundation is his faith, that he believes there was a reason this year played out the way it did. Tiger and the family were gathered for every game. He had the best season of his life. They were all together in New Orleans for Christmas.
Martin said he started hearing stories after Tiger had died about all the people he had visited back home in Louisiana over the holidays who he hadn’t seen in years. He thinks that was all by design too. He said Tiger knew Jack was going to be near Fort Worth rigorously training for the draft, so he wanted to maximize their time together.
“When we’re home together, we’re going to spend every minute together,” Tiger told Jack. “If we have to go Christmas shopping, we’re going to go together. If we have to go meet a friend, we’re going to meet the friend together. If we’re going to go to our aunt’s house for dinner, we’re going together.”
They were inseparable the entire holiday season, even down to the pets, Martin said.
“We have pictures of him sleeping on the sofa with Jack’s dog,” he said of Tiger. “Is it any more special than a lot of brothers’ relationships? Maybe not, but it was pretty damn special.”
Jack says this is all destiny. And it has allowed him to find a new gear.
Every coach who knows Jack has seen a different Jack since that day. And they all have a similar vantage point on what they see.
“He was already on a great trajectory,” Dykes said. “This was kind of the rocket fuel.”
“Some people could have spun off the rails after you lose your best friend, but it did the total opposite with Jack,” LeBlanc said. “Jack was going to be in the league with or without Tiger’s passing, but Tiger’s passing kind of propelled him.”
“Tiger, who was an absolutely phenomenal football player himself, knew and understood long before the rest of the football world understood and believed Jack was bound for greatness at the highest level,” Strother said. “Now he’s bound, determined and on fire to bring to the fullest potential his talent and ability in honor of Tiger and in honor of his faith.”
Everything culminated in a magical Senior Bowl performance.
Jim Nagy, the game’s executive director, got Jack the No. 7 jersey, Tiger’s number. Every player on the field wore a tiger-striped decal with 7 on it. Jack had an impressive performance, earning MVP honors with six catches for 68 yards.
Dykes said he was watching with his 8-year-old son Daniel, who said, “Dad, Jack’s going to score a touchdown on the last play of the game.”
With 7 seconds left, Memphis QB Seth Henigan rolled right, and found Jack for the game-winner. Jack calls these moments “Tiger Winks.”
“I knew I was about to catch that ball and score that touchdown,” he said. “My brother’s name was written in the clouds above us. Just so many signs. I mean, if you don’t believe God is real, I don’t know how much more you need.”
He has lived a lifetime this offseason. Now he waits to see where he goes. But wherever it is, Tiger will be with him. He’s got “7 to Heaven” tattooed on his chest, along with a set of Roman numerals representing Tiger’s birth and death dates.
“They’re only on the left side of my body, because he was my other half,” Jack said.
Strother said it will be tough knowing Tiger won’t be there for Jack’s draft party.
“There will be a profound Tiger spirit all throughout that draft party room because it was a day and a moment that Jack and Tiger together really looked forward to,” he said.
And whoever turns that card in with Jack’s number on it will get both of them.
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