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ASK LEGENDARY BROADCASTER Verne Lundquist about his enduring memory of one of the most infamous bowl games of all time, and steel yourself for the response.

“The Village People,” Lundquist said with his trademark guffaw, without a split-second of hesitation or a hint of irony.

Lundquist was on the mic for the 2008 Sun Bowl, a 3-0 Oregon State win over Pitt that was the lowest-scoring bowl game since a 0-0 tie between TCU and Air Force in 1959.

Between the 20 punts in the game, there was a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records set at halftime when the Village People electrified a crowd of 40,138, recording the largest performance of the “YMCA” dance.

After the game mercifully ended, Lundquist said the real fun began. That’s when the 1970s-vintage band showed up in its 2008 form with six members consisting of the policeman, the Native American, the soldier/sailor, the construction worker, the cowboy and the one member simply described as the “leather man.”

“It’s the last game of the year for CBS,” the 83-year-old Lundquist said, noting he called 11 or 12 Sun Bowl contests before he retired from calling college football games in 2016. “We have a big postgame party. [The Village People] were in the same hotel. And there were quite a few of us who got overserved. When they walked into our party, everybody went nuts. Particularly me. There’s a picture that exists — thank God it’s not on the internet — of me dancing with the Indian with the headdress on. We had our arms around [each other]. My wife [Nancy] had to witness all this.”

It’s just one of the legends of one of the strangest bowl games in history, when an Oregon State team that averaged 32.8 points and a Pitt team that averaged 29.3 combined to score three points.

“I won’t say it was the worst bowl game ever,” Lundquist said. “But you could certainly make the case that it was the most boring.”

In the last game of his college career, Pitt All-American linebacker Scott McKillop remembers it fondly in his own way.

“I guess the joke was ‘I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out,'” McKillop said. “It’s honestly like, ‘I went to see ‘YMCA’ and a football game — if you want to call it a football game — broke out.'”


FOR THE FIRST time since 2008, Oregon State made its way back to El Paso, Texas, this week to play Notre Dame on Friday in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (2 p.m., CBS).

Like its predecessor 15 years ago, this Beavers team might view the trip as somewhat of a consolation. With two games left in the regular season, Oregon State had a path to the Pac-12 championship game and a New Year’s Six bowl. Instead, it lost to Washington and rival Oregon — and its coach, Jonathan Smith, to Michigan State — and wound up in West Texas.

In 2008, the disappointment might have been worse. A win against Oregon in the final game of the regular season would have secured a share of the Pac-10 title with USC and the school’s first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1965 (the Beavers owned a tiebreaker after upsetting then-No. 1 USC earlier in the season), but the Beavers fell flat, losing to the Ducks 65-38.

“We were obviously disappointed that we didn’t [beat Oregon] and have a chance to play in the Rose Bowl,” said former Oregon State quarterback Lyle Moevao, who is now an offensive analyst at San José State. “But at the same time, I think our coaches did a good job of preparing us and getting us an understanding that as unfortunate as it is to go to El Paso instead of Pasadena, you’ve still got to win the football game.”

It shouldn’t have been boring. Two former NFL head coaches — OSU’s Mike Riley and Pitt’s Dave Wannstedt — were on the sidelines. Both teams were ranked, with Pitt at No. 18 and Oregon State at No. 24.

Under Riley, the Beavers had one of the deepest rosters in program history. Seven OSU players would be selected in the 2009 NFL draft, second only to USC. Their scoring offense ranked third in the Pac-10. But injuries were a problem for the bowl game with brothers James and Jaquizz Rodgers — who combined for 50% of OSU’s yards from scrimmage during the regular season (2,515) — unavailable.

Pitt could score too. Future NFL All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy was the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and the highest scorer in the country (10.5 points per game) going into the contest. Like McCoy, running back LaRod Stephens-Howling and receiver Derek Kinder were drafted in 2009.

But the desert had other plans.

“One thing I do remember about El Paso is it was really, really windy, which is kind of what carried over into the game,” Moevao said. “It was ridiculous. The winds, I want to say they were like up to 40, 50 miles an hour.”

For many players, the lead-up to the matchup was more memorable than the actual game. It turned into a time to let loose.

“I’ll be honest, we went extremely hard,” McKillop said.

Perhaps too hard. With UTEP students away for winter break, the players did their best to make sure local bars didn’t suffer financially, and they paid for it the next day at practice.

“People were throwing up on the sideline. It reeked like a bar,” McKillop said. “[The coaches] were just like, ‘What happened last night?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know. What didn’t?’ Wannstedt told us, ‘Practice is canceled. Go sleep it off.’ They weren’t very happy. Let’s put it that way.”

As is the case during every bowl week, the teams had to attend several collaborative events. This one included a luncheon at Fort Bliss featuring a hypnotist, and on another occasion, a talent show that pitted the two teams against each other.

“They had their punter, David Brytus, a talented guy,” said longtime NFL punter Johnny Hekker, then a freshman for Oregon State. “He was like a black belt in karate. He said something like, ‘I’m David Brytus, I’m the punter for the team and I’m gonna break some boards.’ One of our quarterbacks, Lyle Moevao, stood up and goes, ‘Why?’ A very hilarious moment.”

Pitt kicker Conor Lee said that was just Brytus being Brytus.

“Dave was great, he had a huge leg,” Lee said. “We always joked Dave was a man of many talents, but average at all of them. He’s a punter, he’s a frickin’ UFC fighter, he would go and do long drive contests on the weekends. Professionally, he became a security guard for some famous kid [Austin Mahone, a teen star in the early 2010s].”

And the board-breaking renaissance man was given an opportunity to shine on game day. Even with multiple future NFL players on both offenses, the Sun Bowl quickly devolved into a punt-off between Hekker and Brytus.

“I mean, if you’re a fan of punts, that was your game,” Lundquist said.

The teams combined for 20 punts, totaling 879 yards, with Pitt registering as many punts as first downs (10). Hekker was named the game’s special teams MVP. He was awarded a comically large trophy to take home, nearly causing him to miss a connecting flight as he hauled it through the Phoenix airport.

“On the ‘SportsCenter’ highlights that night, there wasn’t much offense to show,” Hekker said. “So I think they showed part of the halftime — Guinness World Record.”


WHILE THE GAME was a snoozer, it was fun to stay until “YMCA.” The big prize? A chance to destroy the world record for the largest communal dance to the 1978 hit, which had been set seven years prior when 13,588 fans did it at a Salt Lake Stingers-Omaha Spikes minor league baseball game in Nebraska.

“There was a bit of time there where the Sun Bowl had some decent halftime shows,” said Nick Govea, an attorney in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who grew up in El Paso and went to the Sun Bowl with his family every year, including the historic 2008 edition. “Before she had blown up, Rihanna did the halftime show. Right after her, Los Lonely Boys. They were from West Texas and they were at the peak of their powers.

“But then they got Lee Greenwood to come sing ‘God Bless the U.S.A,’ and it just kind of nosedived after that. Then the Village People. I do remember it being hyped on the local news a lot.”

In advance of the game, the local newspaper, the El Paso Times, even ran a graphic explaining how to do the dance.

Govea said fans treated the second quarter more like halftime, grabbing snacks and drinks to be ready to be back in their seats for the big event.

“The only three points in the game I missed,” Govea said of Justin Kahut’s 44-yard field goal with 2:18 remaining in the second quarter, which happened while he was at a concession stand. “There were dudes who had dressed up in the stands as the Village People who were stretching, getting ready for it.”

But it was worth it once the Village People took the field.

“I remember being in the locker room hearing that and going, ‘Oh man, I’m missing it!'” Hekker said. “Then I saw the footage played back and I’m not sure I missed much.”

Hekker might not have been impressed, but Lundquist was up in the booth doing his part.

“Yes, of course,” he said. “Everybody in America was doing it. Gary [Danielson] and I were up there in the booth [dancing].”

That’s right. Among the other superlatives Lundquist has amassed during a legendary career, you can add another one to the list: a world-record holder.

“I’m proud to be a part of it,” Lundquist said. “It’s on my résumé.”

The Village People, meanwhile, were unavailable for comment. “Unfortunately, no Village People member is available to contribute to your article at this time,” a publicist wrote to ESPN via email.

Bennett said the crowd was whipped into a frenzy. He coached in the press box instead of the field due to the wind and said it took forever to make his way back.

“We went to go back up there and we couldn’t get across [the field],” Bennett said. “I think that the halftime lasted an hour, I swear to goodness. The whole stadium was dancing. It was crazy.”

The attempt took several months of planning and required Sun Bowl officials to submit photographic and video evidence for certification. Officially, the Guinness Book of World Records recognizes that there were 40,148 participants who sang and danced for 5 minutes, 34 seconds.

It’s one of three Guinness World Records that have been set in stadiums in El Paso, along with the world’s largest pecan pie (41,586 pounds at a minor league baseball game in 1999) and the women’s consecutive handsprings record (53 by former UTEP cheerleader JaLyssa Walker during halftime of a UTEP game in 2013).


ONCE THE FOOTBALL resumed, things got decidedly less exciting, with 12 punts coming after the break.

Govea said he and his family left midway through the third quarter amid the boredom. Lundquist and Danielson muddled through a “mind-numbing” and “lethargic” broadcast. “You fall into it,” Lundquist said.

The promise that, eventually, McCoy would break a big run never came through — he finished with 85 yards on 24 carries — and finally, Wannstedt reluctantly trotted out Lee for a 57-yard field goal attempt with 2:08 left, believing that was Pitt’s best chance at scoring.

“If you look at my whole career, I didn’t try one 50-yard field goal,” said Lee, the brother of former NFL linebacker Sean Lee. “I would be like, ‘Why won’t he let me kick?’ I would go back and look at his time as an NFL coach. He didn’t let Olindo Mare kick 50-yard field goals his first year as the coach of the Miami Dolphins, so I was like OK, maybe it’s not me, maybe it’s him. … I walked up to [Wannstedt] and was like ‘Coach, we gotta kick this.’

“And I missed it.”

The official Sun Bowl game story, as well as other articles recapping the game, reported that the kick was short, which really gets Lee steamed. It had enough length, he said. It just didn’t go where he thought it would.

“It was the last kick of my career, so I think I remember it the best,” Lee said. “I turn 40 next year. I have four kids. You think I would have moved on by now.”

Lee, a right-footed kicker, set up on the left hash with a plan to start it right and let the wind sail it home.

“I told myself, I’m not missing this kick left because I’m not pulling this kick like an idiot, shanking it,” Lee said. “I kicked that s— right at the fricking upright. And that s— missed right. The wind just totally betrayed me. It didn’t do a damn thing. I couldn’t believe it.”

Pitt’s best chance of scoring was gone without the wind.

The game has been memorialized over the past 15 years as the worst bowl game ever. Most participants choose to celebrate its general peculiarity.

“I remember it for it being kind of funny,” Govea said. “Mostly to do with just kind of the weird happenstance of people being really pumped for the Village People.”

“My wife still laughs about the Village People deal,” Bennett said.

“It’s all my mom was talking about,” McKillop said. “I was like, ‘Mom, you do realize we lost?’ She said, ‘I don’t care. The halftime show was amazing.'”

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NBC’s Tirico left Derby broadcast with nut allergy

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NBC's Tirico left Derby broadcast with nut allergy

NBC Sports host Mike Tirico said Monday he is feeling fine after having to leave the Kentucky Derby broadcast early over the weekend because of a strong reaction to a nut allergy.

“I’ve had a nut allergy my whole life and am usually very, very careful,” Tirico said on the “Today” show. “I ate something that had a nut in it and had a nut allergy, causing your throat and your nose and all that stuff to kind of clog up and swell. It affects your breathing a little bit.”

Tirico said he took an epinephrine shot and was treated by EMTs at Churchill Downs. He began feeling better later Saturday night.

“I’m embarrassed about the attention,” he said.

Ahmed Fareed took over for the 58-year-old broadcaster, who was hosting Derby coverage for the ninth year.

Tirico is set to host the Preakness Stakes on NBC on May 17.

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From health to depth to the entire offense: One thing that must change for all 30 MLB teams

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From health to depth to the entire offense: One thing that must change for all 30 MLB teams

Something has to change.

Of course, much has already changed since we last convened with our final preseason projections. But for each MLB team, playing five weeks of a new season will inevitably expose additional shifts that are needed. Every team, no matter how splendid or how dreadful the start, has something.

One thing the forecasts suggested that has borne out so far is the relative levels of stratification between the leagues. The National League, led by the champion Dodgers, looked top-heavy, and while not all of the teams we thought would make up that elite tier are a perfect match with the forecasts, the overall dynamic is very much one of dominance. Meanwhile, the American League figured to be a whole bunch of teams in spitting distance of break even, with little separation among the top 12-13 teams in the circuit.

How will these dynamics hold up until we Stock Watch again in June?

Each team’s ability, or lack thereof, to make the following changes might determine that.


Win average: 104.5 (Last: 102.4, 1st)
In the playoffs: 98.8% (Last: 97.7%)
Champions: 28.5% (Last: 28.4%)

What must change: Rotation health

There were actually some bumpy moments in the early weeks of the season for the Dodgers but nothing has happened to really knock them out of the favorite’s perch as we think ahead to late October. One thing that could change that is L.A.’s ever-growing injured list, especially its collection of 60-day IL assignments. For all the depth the Dodgers seemed to build up in their rotation over the winter, they’ve still gone with two bullpen games already. And this doesn’t even include Shohei Ohtani, who’s still building up so he can take his turns in the rotation. Given their recent history of starter injuries … maybe he shouldn’t? Including the two openers, the Dodgers have already had 10 different pitchers start games.


Win average: 96.0 (Last: 90.2, 3rd)
In the playoffs: 88.6% (Last: 73.5%)
Champions: 10.5% (Last: 6.0%)

What must change: Middle relief instability

There hasn’t been much to complain about with the Mets. Though New York hasn’t overtaken the Dodgers in the simulations from a going-forward perspective, the Mets have probably been the better team to this point. The Dodgers have the better winning percentage, but the Mets’ Pythagorean pace (109.7) is the National League’s best. With not much to nitpick about, the relief contingent in front of Edwin Diaz needs to coalesce a little more. Ryne Stanek has the pen’s second-highest average leverage index but has struggled, and the two top lefties (A.J. Minter and Danny Young) have already been lost to injury. Still, if this is a team’s biggest worry at the beginning of May, it’s in a good place.


Win average: 95.8 (Last: 84.3, 13th)
In the playoffs: 92.7% (Last: 51.2%)
Champions: 7.8% (Last: 1.5%)

What must change: Ninth-inning drama

The Cubs have mostly bludgeoned their opposition so far with a breakout offense that ranks among baseball’s best in pretty much every major category. Assuming Chicago won’t average over six runs per game all season, eventually its thin bullpen is going to move into the spotlight. The Cubs have blown seven of their first 15 save opportunities. Closer Ryan Pressly has managed to white-knuckle his way through most of his outings but has struck out fewer than four batters per nine innings, with more walks than K’s. Overall, Chicago’s relievers rank 28th in swing-and-miss percentage, underscoring the general lack of dominance in that unit. The Cubs have been strong in every other facet but for them to establish themselves as a true front-runner, the relief leaks will need to be shored up.


Win average: 93.7 (Last: 83.0, 16th)
In the playoffs: 91.7% (Last: 41.2%)
Champions: 10.1% (Last: 1.8%)

What must change: Shortstop play

You hate to pick on Trey Sweeney, who accounts for most of Detroit’s starts at shortstop, but there just aren’t many shortcomings for the Tigers so far. No team has improved its forecast more since the start of the season. Detroit is now landing a No. 1 playoff seed more often than any other AL team in the simulations, though the Yankees’ pennant odds are still a tick better because of a higher baseline. (New York has a lower regular-season win forecast because of schedule differences.) Sweeney hasn’t hit (.234/.317/.355)* and the Tigers’ shortstop defensive rating, per FanGraphs, ranks 20th. It’s the most obvious blemish on what is shaping up as a pristine season in Detroit.

* These numbers were .202/.282/.303 entering Sunday, but Sweeney must have had spies watching over my shoulder. Against the Angels, he went 4-for-5 with a homer and six RBIs. That’s more like it.


Win average: 92.9 (Last: 84.5, 12th)
In the playoffs: 76.9% (Last: 44.4%)
Champions: 4.0% (Last: 1.8%)

What must change: Lineup depth

The Padres are off to a great start, largely on the strength of a bullpen that has been off the charts. The relievers have racked up 14 saves (they’ve blown only one) and 27 holds while compiling a collective 1.73 ERA. Those numbers are both unbelievable and unsustainable. When some regression sets in, a top-heavy lineup will need to get production from spots like catcher (21st in OPS) and left field (27th) to offset the difference. We kind of knew this was how the Padres were constructed, but still — San Diego has given too many plate appearances to too many players in what we’ll call the post-productive phases of their careers.


Win average: 91.4 (Last: 84.3, 13th)
In the playoffs: 85.4% (Last: 46.8%)
Champions: 8.1% (Last: 2.5%)

What must change: First base production

Generally speaking, the more specific the issue we choose to worry about, the better off the team. For Seattle, the primary concern the past couple of years has been more wide-lens than specific: offense. For now, that problem has apparently been largely solved. The Mariners’ offense has been one of the hottest in baseball and over the past couple of weeks, with its hitters even managing to mash at T-Mobile Park. So rather than worrying about the offense, writ large, we can point out that at first base, the Rowdy TellezDonovan Solano combo is mostly responsible for Seattle’s .518 OPS (tied for 29th in MLB) at the position. This projected to be a major hole before the season, so the chances of self-correction are limited. Now, the stakes are higher to shore up the weak spots, since the Mariners have emerged as the early front-runner to win the AL West.


Win average: 90.8 (Last: 88.7, 5th)
In the playoffs: 84.5% (Last: 68.3%)
Champions: 9.3% (Last: 6.5%)

What must change: Rotation depth chart

For a first-place team, there is plenty to worry about when it comes to the Yankees. They’ve had the best position player (Aaron Judge, by far) and arguably the best pitcher (Max Fried) in baseball. The relief staff has dealt with the struggles of demoted closer Devin Williams, but the bullpen still ranks sixth in relief ERA and with only 14% of inherited runners scoring. But the rotation has been below average (4.07 ERA and only eight quality starts) despite Fried’s great beginning. Even worse, with Gerrit Cole out for the season and Luis Gil and Marcus Stroman currently on the shelf, it’s not immediately clear how this is going to get better. This issue might really start to mushroom if and when Fried regresses from his hot start.


Win average: 90.3 (Last: 89.2, 4th)
In the playoffs: 66.2% (Last: 68.9%)
Champions: 4.1% (Last: 4.8%)

What must change: Slumping stalwarts

The Phillies’ roster was constructed on star power, not depth, and while that has worked well enough the past few years, they need the stars to produce. The “it’s still early” caveat applies, but so far, Bryce Harper hasn’t hit like Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm‘s production has gone missing, Aaron Nola just earned his first win but remains under league average (91 ERA+) and key bullpen acquisition Jordan Romano has gotten shelled. If the Phillies don’t want to lose sight of the front-running Mets in the NL East race, they’ll need their main cogs to start firing.


Win average: 89.7 (Last: 79.9, 20th)
In the playoffs: 59.7% (Last: 24.6%)
Champions: 2.5% (Last: 0.6%)

What must change: Team batting average

The Giants have inserted themselves into a top-heavy NL postseason chase that they didn’t figure to be a part of when the season began. The pitching and defense has been stellar, but the offense hasn’t kept up. San Francisco ranks eighth in walks percentage but 24th in batting average. That can work in a take-and-rake general approach to offense, but the Giants are only middle of the pack in homers. Since they aren’t very athletic and rarely steal bases, this leads to uneven production. The Giants can hang in contention with a league-level batting average, but they simply don’t hit enough homers to do so if they continue to hover around .230. That puts the onus on low-average hitters such as Matt Chapman (.198), LaMonte Wade Jr. (.141, ouch) and Willy Adames (.230 and now four homers after hitting two on Sunday) to up the ante.


Win average: 87.1 (Last: 87.1, 8th)
In the playoffs: 44.2% (Last: 58.4%)
Champions: 1.7% (Last: 3.0%)

What must change: Bullpen health

In what’s shaping up as a historically good NL West (save for the Rockies), little problems can quickly become big ones. For the Diamondbacks, a shiny start has lost its luster a bit as they have battled bullpen problems in both the performance and health categories. The unit scuffled badly during a 5-9 stretch, posting a 5.61 collective ERA while blowing six of 10 save opportunities. Closer A.J. Puk (elbow) is on the 60-day IL and Justin Martinez (shoulder) hit the 15-day IL after two concerning outings with diminished velocity. Both are expected to help later this season but for that to matter, the likes of Kevin Ginkel, Shelby Miller and Ryan Thompson need to step up in high-leverage spots.


Win average: 86.8(Last: 88.7, 5th)
In the playoffs: 66.6% (Last: 68.7%)
Champions: 3.7% (Last: 5.4%)

What must change: Homer count

It has been a mixed bag for the Astros. Hunter Brown has been one of the game’s best pitchers and Josh Hader is having a vintage season at the back of the bullpen. The relief staff, in general, has been strong. But the lineup has been below average with a lack of power at the root of the issue. No Astro has homered more than four times and Houston ranks 21st in home run and overall slugging percentage. It’s an issue up and down the lineup but things would look a lot more promising if Christian Walker and Yordan Alvarez were going deep at their usual rates.


Win average: 86.7 (Last: 96.5, 2nd)
In the playoffs: 43.5% (Last: 91.1%)
Champions: 2.2% (Last: 14.4%)

What must change: IL roster

An 0-7 start threatened to sink the Braves’ season before it began. They recovered — nearly climbing to .500 at one point — but they have a lot of work to do. Hopes that the Braves can still reach their ceiling hinge on the longed-for returns of Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. In the meantime, they need underperforming stalwarts such as Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, Chris Sale and Raisel Iglesias to hit their stride. Atlanta can’t keep plodding along under .500 in this year’s NL while waiting for its stars to get healthy, but if the Braves can stay above water until then, they might be able to really take off. Considering what we’ve seen so far, the fact that they won’t see the Dodgers again during the regular season certainly helps.


Win average: 83.6 (Last: 84.6, 11th)
In the playoffs: 47.4% (Last: 48.8%)
Champions: 1.3% (Last: 2.3%)

What must change: Outfield production

The Royals’ offense, in general, has been missing, with only Bobby Witt Jr. producing all season. But the outfield ranks 29th in bWAR as a group — the continuation of a problem that hovered over the roster last season. MJ Melendez was sent to the minors to find himself. His initial results in Omaha suggest he’ll be searching for some time. Hunter Renfroe has produced less than a good-hitting pitcher. Mark Canha has helped in a big role and Drew Waters has had some nice moments. But the Royals need some stable offense from the corner outfielders, making this a must-get as the trade deadline starts to loom.


Win average: 82.9 (Last: 77.7, 22nd)
In the playoffs: 40.9% (Last: 19.0%)
Champions: 0.9% (Last: 0.5%)

What must change: Emmanuel Clase

You figured the Guardians’ bullpen would fall off a bit after last season’s off-the-charts showing. That has happened even though set-up relievers Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis have been every bit as good as they were in 2024. No, the problem has been a mystifying start by Clase, who has already given up more runs (11) than he did all of last season (10). He already has won four games, matching a career high, but of course that’s not necessarily a good sign for a closer. Clase’s dominance was the biggest differentiator on last year’s team. The 2025 squad, which has been outscored by 23 runs despite a 20-14 record, needs him to approximate that performance.


Win average: 82.8 (Last: 84.1, 15th)
In the playoffs: 43.6% (Last: 45.6%)
Champions: 1.8% (Last: 2.5%)

What must change: Bullpen depth

Despite an elite offense, the Red Sox have hovered around .500 because of a thin bullpen. The relievers have blown as many saves (eight) as they’ve converted and only one team has seen a higher rate of inherited runners score. Closer Aroldis Chapman has been fine, but he hasn’t had enough situational help. Boston ranks in the middle of the pack with a 4.11 relief ERA and its 10 holds are tied for the fewest of any bullpen. The rotation has been solid, but it’ll need more support to remain that way.


Win average: 81.9 (Last: 87.1, 8th)
In the playoffs: 38.1% (Last: 61.0%)
Champions: 1.1% (Last: 5.2%)

What must change: The offense

Even after an eight-run outburst against the division-leading Mariners on Sunday, Texas ranks 29th in run scoring. Only the Rockies have scored fewer. It’s a stunning turnaround for an offense that kept scoreboards spinning in 2023 on the way to a World Series title. Last year’s falloff was steep, and based on what we’ve seen so far, hopes for positive regression are fading. Adolis Garcia is having another down season. Marcus Semien is below replacement. And the key additions from the winter — Joc Pederson and Jake Burger — have hurt more than they’ve helped. Pederson is hitting a remarkable .094 with a .334 OPS, and Burger (.561) was sent to the minors. Not good. The Rangers’ brass has taken note: Offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker, who was with the club during its 2023 run, was fired after Sunday’s game.


Win average: 79.5 (Last: 85.1, 10th)
In the playoffs: 25.7% (Last: 52.4%)
Champions: 0.7% (Last: 2.7%)

What must change: Carlos Correa

For once, we don’t have to cite the availability of the Twins’ stars as their primary problem. That’s still an issue, too, as Royce Lewis has yet to make his season debut — but the larger problem has been the star who has stayed on the field, Correa, is off to a miserable start. He’s hitting .216 with a lone homer and a .560 OPS to begin the season, hamstringing a Twins lineup that has struggled. Everything is off, even Correa’s plate discipline, as he has walked at a rate less than half his career norm. The Twins need more to turn around than just Correa, but no one else on the roster has fallen as far below expectation as he has.


Win average: 79.4 (Last: 82.9, 17th)
In the playoffs: 25.0% (Last: 39.2%)
Champions: 0.6% (Last: 1.6%)

What must change: Powerless stars

After the formerly punchless Royals hammered seven homers in Baltimore on Sunday, the Blue Jays sank to last in the majors with 23 homers. The power trio of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Anthony Santander and Bo Bichette have hit nine of those dingers between them — and that’s just not enough. Guerrero will be fine. Bichette has recovered most of the batting average he lost during last year’s .225 season, but he has homered only once. This is a player in his age-27 season who topped 20 homers in each season from 2021 to 2023. Finally, Santander has flailed during his first Toronto season, hitting four homers with a 67 OPS+. This can’t continue if the Jays are to contend.


Win average: 79.1 (Last: 79.9, 20th)
In the playoffs: 11.4% (Last: 28.9%)
Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.5%)

What must change: The pitching

The Brewers are built to win on pitching and defense. Every year, they overperform their projections because of an organizational ability to find, or produce, quality pitchers. But so far, they just haven’t found enough of them in 2025. The overall run prevention has been off. In the first season after Willy Adames’ departure, the team defense has been more decent than elite. The rotation has received good work from Freddy Peralta, Jose Quintana and upstart Chad Patrick, but the falloff after that has been steep. Brandon Woodruff might return to the mix soon and that will certainly help. More troubling is Milwaukee’s normally airtight relief staff, which has struggled to finish games and strand inherited runners.

This all needs to turn around — and fast. With the Cubs emerging as a potential powerhouse in the NL Central, being an above-average team is no longer the bar to clear in the division. And it’s unlikely the Central’s second-place club is going to have a chance at a wild-card slot — not in this league.


Win average: 78.8 (Last: 80.3, 19th)
In the playoffs: 22.3% (Last: 27.1%)
Champions: 0.5% (Last: 0.8%)

What must change: Home-field disadvantage

No matter what happened, this was going to be a strange season for the Rays. Playing in a minor league facility owned by a division rival was going to take some getting used to. The problem for the Rays is that they need to get used to it quickly, because of a schedule heavy on early home games. When the Rays depart for a six-game trip on June 8, they will have played nearly twice as many games in Tampa (43) as on the road (22). That means, of course, that the Rays will have a road-heavy schedule after that, which would be fine if the Rays were playing well at George M. Steinbrenner Field — but they aren’t. When the Rays return to Florida on Tuesday, they’ll be 9-13 at their temporary venue. With a lot more games in Tampa coming up, it’s an issue they need to fix fast. If they don’t, they’ll be looking at an uphill battle for playoff contention, and most of those hills will be confronted away from home.


Win average: 78.8 (Last: 75.9, 23rd)
In the playoffs: 10.6% (Last: 14.6%)
Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.2%)

What must change: Lead protection

The Reds might be good. The pitching staff (122 ERA+) ranks third in the NL. The rotation and the bullpen have contributed even though presumed closer Alexis Diaz floundered so badly that he was sent to the minors. Emilio Pagan has been OK in Diaz’s place, but he’s better suited for set-up work. Diaz’s trouble started last season, so it’s hard to say where his trajectory is headed. Recently recalled Luis Mey has electric stuff, but he’s unproven and prone to lapses of command. However it happens, manager Terry Francona needs someone to step up to lock down the ninth because the overall pitching is contention-worthy. The lineup … well, it’s another reason why the Reds can’t afford back-of-the-bullpen inconsistency.


Win average: 77.5 (Last: 73.5, 26th)
In the playoffs: 16.1% (Last: 8.4%)
Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.1%)

What must change: The defense

This is shaping up as an exciting first season in Sacramento for the Athletics. The offense has been productive and looks legit, especially if rookie Nick Kurtz hits the ground running. The pitching is going to be more of a scramble, but what would help if the Athletics could field. They rank last or second to last in the leading defensive metrics. Only the Red Sox have committed more errors. Some teams can overwhelm opponents by favoring offense over defense at most positions, but the Athletics aren’t likely to be one of them. Key spots to shore up are second base and third base, positions that aren’t producing at the plate, either, so at the very least the Athletics could favor a glove.


Win average: 76.8 (Last: 81.0, 18th)
In the playoffs: 6.4% (Last: 33.9%)
Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.7%)

What must change: Ryan Helsley

The Cardinals are perfectly mediocre, owning a run differential that has hovered around break even. Their record is a little worse than the expectation the so-so differential portends, largely because of a 4-5 record in one-run games — two of those coming in Sunday’s doubleheader against the Mets. This is not exclusively because of Helsley, but he has not been on his game so far with two blown saves in seven chances and walking nearly as many batters as he has struck out. The strikeout and walk rates are alarming, as they reflect what Helsley was early in his career before he ascended to All-Star status. If the mediocre Cardinals are going to do better than middling, they need their star closer to help them close out more than their share of close games. The kicker, though, is that if the Cardinals go into offload mode, this version of Helsley isn’t going to look nearly as alluring in the trade marketplace.


Win average: 75.7 (Last: 88.0, 7th)
In the playoffs: 11.7% (Last: 64.7%)
Champions: 0.2% (Last: 5.9%)

What must change: Right-handed hitting

No team has lost more from its preseason projection than Baltimore, so it’s very difficult to boil it down to one big thing. The problem with right-handed hitting could also be framed as a problem with hitting left-handed pitchers. The Orioles rank fifth with a .774 OPS against righties but are dead last against lefties (an anemic .502). Their righty hitters (Tyler O’Neill, Jordan Westburg, Gary Sanchez, et al.) are hitting a collective .200/.261/.319. This of course comes after the Orioles moved in the left-field fence at Camden Yards over the winter. How’s that going? Opposing righty hitters have a .972 OPS there, while their Baltimore counterparts are at .586. The visitors have outhomered Baltimore’s righty swingers 20-8 at Oriole Park.


Win average: 70.5 (Last: 67.7, 27th)
In the playoffs: 0.9% (Last: 1.9%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

What must change: Dylan Crews

The Nationals are competitive already and often fun to watch. Actual contention seems like a longshot, though, especially given the current state of their bullpen. Still, the more long-term questions the Nationals can answer in the affirmative, the better they will be able to set themselves up for a real push in 2026. At some point, infield prospect Brady House should join the big league fray. Until that happens, eyeballs remain on Crews, the touted second-year player whose MLB career has sputtered at the beginning. Crews looked lost early, going 5-for-47 with zero extra-base hits to start. Then came a two-week splurge with four homers and a 1.026 OPS over 13 outings. He’s 1-for-21 since. More than anything, Crews needs to get off the roller coaster and enjoy a nice, prolonged run of good, solid consistency.


Win average: 66.8 (Last: 73.8, 25th)
In the playoffs: 0.9% (Last: 8.9%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)

What must change: Roster make-up

What do I mean by “roster make-up”? Remember the glory days of April 12, when L.A. was 9-5 and it seemed its floor-raising project from the winter was going to work? Since then, the Angels have a minus-65 run differential, 14 runs worse than any other team and, yes, that includes the Rockies. And also, Mike Trout is back on the injured list. The Angels are in the bottom five in OPS, ERA and defensive runs saved. This incidentally isn’t a tanking team. So how to change the roster makeup? Maybe just go young and lose big? The losing might happen anyway and, besides, what the Angels are doing now is not working.


Win average: 66.0 (Last: 74.2, 24th)
In the playoffs: 0.2% (Last: 10.4%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)

What must change: Oneil Cruz‘s defense

According to baseball-reference.com, Cruz’s offense has been nine runs better than average, once you combine his hitting (.243/.377/.505 with eight homers) and baserunning (14 steals). His defensive performance in center field is minus-9 runs, erasing all of that offensive value. His bWAR (0.5) is a product of accounting — positional value and replacement value. Cruz is now minus-12 in fielding runs over the past two seasons in center. His career figure at shortstop was minus-9. Given his speed and arm strength, wherever Cruz plays, this cannot continue to happen. For all that athletic ability and offensive output, to this point he’d have produced almost as much value as a DH.


Win average: 63.6 (Last: 62.9, 28th)
In the playoffs: 0.1% (Last: 0.4%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

What must change: Sandy Alcantara‘s command

It’s great to have Alcantara back after Tommy John surgery. But so far, he has been a little tough to watch. It’s often said that command lags behind stuff for many surgery returnees, and that certainly seems to be the case for the 2022 NL Cy Young winner. His walk ratio (5.9 per nine innings) is more than double his career norm and his strikeout rate (15.8%) is the lowest of his career. Alcantara threw strikes nearly 69% of the time during the three years before he was injured; this season he’s at 62%. His velocity isn’t quite all the way back either, but he’s still averaging 97.4 mph with his fastball. He’s just not putting it where it needs to be.


Win average: 54.9 (Last: 54.1, 30th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

What must change: Fan patience

To paraphrase Timothée Chalamet, now ain’t the time for your tears, Sox fans. That was last year. The White Sox are the team nearest to me — less than two miles from my keyboard — so I get a good sampling of fan feedback as I get out and about, plus plenty from the local media. This isn’t a scientifically-informed observation, but it feels as if many are missing the point. The White Sox tore the team down to the studs — last year — and this is the aftermath. The bounce-back was never going to be immediate. This year’s team stinks, sure, but it’s playing a much better brand of baseball than it did last year. There are players on the roster now who might be around for awhile and more are on the way. The rebuild isn’t even 20% complete and another 100-plus losses is a near certainty, but things are better. They had to be. Watching a team come together required patience, but it’s better than what White Sox fans dealt with a year ago.


Win average: 44.6 (Last: 57.1, 29th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

What must change: Everything

The Rockies’ saves leader (Zach Agnos with two) has struck out one of the 26 batters he has faced. Their wins leader (Chase Dollander, a legitimately exciting prospect) has a 6.48 ERA. The team OPS+ is 62. Their leader in plate appearances (Ryan McMahon with 136) has an OPS of .574. Did the Rockies tear down? If so, how long have they been rebuilding? It’s really hard to make sense of the last half-decade or so of this franchise, and at this point, there seems to be no relief on the horizon. They did change hitting coaches.

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Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Round 2 begins with Maple Leafs-Panthers Game 1

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Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Round 2 begins with Maple Leafs-Panthers Game 1

With the final game of the first round of 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs completed Sunday night, there’s no rest for hockey fans. The second round begins Monday.

The first series to get rolling features the two remaining teams from the Atlantic Division, as the Florida Panthers visit the Toronto Maple Leafs (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Read on for a game preview with statistical insights from ESPN Research, a recap of what went down in Sunday’s game and the three stars of the first round from Arda Öcal.

Matchup notes

Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 1 | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN

ESPN BET has installed the Panthers as the favorites in the series at -175, while the Maple Leafs are +150 to win the series against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

The Panthers won the regular-season series 3-1 by an aggregate score of 13-7. A major factor in those four games was the Panthers’ power play, which converted five of 11 chances (45.5%). For comparison, the Leafs’ power play converted only one of nine opportunities (11.1%).

This is the second time these clubs have met in the postseason; the other time was also the second round in 2023. Florida eliminated Toronto in five games, punctuated by an overtime win in Game 5. (Nick Cousins scored the goal.)

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Steven Lorentz and Anthony Stolarz won the Stanley Cup with the 2024 Panthers. The only previous playoff series in NHL history in which three players dressed against a team with which they won a Cup during the previous season was when Los Angeles Kings teammates Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley skated against the Edmonton Oilers in 1989.

The Panthers have won more playoff games (39) since 2021 than they did in their first 26 seasons (19). Their 39 wins and 66 games played in the postseason since 2021 lead the NHL.

Florida’s postseason goal-scoring leaderboard features current players through the top four spots: Carter Verhaeghe (28), Sam Reinhart (23), Aleksander Barkov (20), Matthew Tkachuk (20).

This is the Leafs’ ninth straight postseason appearance, which is the longest active streak in the NHL and tied for the second longest in franchise history. That other nine-year streak ended in 1967 with a Stanley Cup win.

Toronto captain Auston Matthews is tied with Darryl Sittler for seventh in franchise history in playoff goals, with 25. His next goal will push him into a tie for fifth, with Steve Thomas and George Armstrong. Wendel Clark is atop the leaderboard, with 34.


Arda’s three stars from Round 1

Rantanen had 12 points in the first round to help the Stars eliminate his former team the Avalanche. He had multiple Stanley Cup playoff firsts along the way, including the first Game 7 with a third-period hat trick (“The Rantanen Game”).

McDavid put the team on his back many times during the series against the Kings, especially early. He finished with 11 points in the series, as the Oilers sent the Kings home in the first round for the fourth straight season.

The netminder allowed two goals or fewer in four of the Caps’ five games against the Canadiens, earning a .922 save percentage.


Sunday’s score

Winnipeg Jets 4, St. Louis Blues 3 (2OT)
WPG wins 4-3, plays DAL in Round 2

The Blues raced out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period — on goals by Jordan Kyrou and Mathieu Joseph — and many thought this could be another bad playoff memory for Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Though the Jets got one back in the second off the stick of Cole Perfetti, Blues center Radek Faksa scored with under a minute left in the period, giving them a 3-1 lead heading into the third.

St. Louis carried that lead into the final two minutes, when the Jets furiously rallied; Vladislav Namestnikov scored at 18:04, and Perfetti deflected in the game-tying goal with three seconds remaining. The teams fought hard through the first 36 minutes of OT, before Adam Lowry tipped Neal Pionk‘s shot from the point past Jordan Binnington for the series-clinching tally. Full recap.

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Jets score tying goal in final seconds of regulation

Cole Perfetti knocks in the tying goal for the Jets with one second remaining in regulation.

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