The incredible journey of Cody Schrader, from Truman State to Missouri walk-on to SEC star
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
When he wasn’t running roughshod through Division II defenses at Truman State, Cody Schrader had no interest in watching other games on television in his spare time.
It didn’t matter who was playing, be it teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC or anybody else on college football’s biggest stages.
“I didn’t pay attention to any of the big-time Division I football games just because I always saw myself being able to play at that level and play in the biggest games even if nobody else did,” Schrader told ESPN. “I was mad about it. I wouldn’t watch, couldn’t watch.”
Now fans across the country are watching Schrader on those big stages, and defenses on those “big-time Division I football” teams are struggling to stop the 5-foot-9, 214-pound dynamo. In his second season at Missouri after transferring from Truman State as a walk-on, Schrader leads all FBS players with an average of 129.4 rushing yards per game.
His 1,499 rushing yards is 365 more than the closest SEC player this season, and he became the first player in SEC history to rush for 200 yards (205) and have 100 receiving yards (116) in the same game in Missouri’s 36-7 pummeling of Tennessee.
Schrader has been one of college football’s most captivating stories, one that will reach a climax Friday night when No. 9 Missouri takes on No. 7 Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (8 p.m. ET, ESPN and the ESPN App).
“If you know Cody, I don’t think he’d change anything about the way his career has unfolded.” said Gregg Nesbitt, Schrader’s coach at Truman State. “The ability has been there all along, and then there’s the work ethic, which you can’t duplicate, and I’m not talking about [just] a great competitor, but an elite competitor. And for some guys at that level, there’s a sense of entitlement that might slip in. But not with Cody.
“He’s the same person now, as the SEC’s top running back, as he was when everybody missed on him coming out of high school.”
The most enduring image of Schrader’s storybook 2023 season came when his teammates hoisted him on their shoulders after his record-setting performance against Tennessee, prompting Nesbitt to tweet, “This will become a movie.” Schrader gets a chance to write the ending of the script in his college football farewell against the Buckeyes, capping an improbable career fueled by persistence and self-belief. After all, despite rushing for 6,759 yards and 99 touchdowns at Lutheran High School South in St. Louis, Schrader was an afterthought when the Division I colleges started handing out scholarships.
Curtis Luper, the running backs coach at Missouri, said he thinks Schrader was overlooked primarily for one reason, even if it wasn’t overt.
“I think it’s pretty obvious. Cody’s a unicorn, a white running back, and you just don’t see that at this level,” said Luper, a 25-year coaching veteran who is Black and played at Oklahoma State with future Hall of Fame running backs Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas. “Let’s be honest. I think a lot of people had a hard time believing what they were seeing out there on the field when Cody was in high school.”
Carl Reed, now a college football analyst for 247 Sports, coached against Schrader in high school at rival Lutheran North and said Schrader remains the best running back he has ever coached against. Reed, who is Black, isn’t surprised by what Schrader has done at Missouri.
“It’s the same thing he was doing in high school,” Reed said. “We had 10 Division I players on our team, and he went through us like a hot knife through butter. It’s not like the St. Louis area was lacking talent, either. It’s just that there were questions about him as a white running back that wouldn’t have been there had he been a Black running back. He wasn’t what people were looking for.
“I know that’s a sensitive subject and people don’t want to say it, but I was there. I saw it.”
Sylvester Croom was the SEC’s first Black head football coach, at Mississippi State from 2004 to 2008, and coached running backs in the NFL for 21 years with seven organizations. Having recruited in the SEC, Croom understands how so many schools could have overlooked Schrader.
“You don’t see many white kids playing running back, period, in high school, not kids who are going to be playing that position in the SEC,” Croom said. “I mean, that’s the deal. You just don’t see it.”
But Croom has been in enough locker rooms to know that there’s no fooling the players.
“Guys may joke about it, like white men can’t jump and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “But let me tell you something: If that joker can play, the guys up there in the offensive line ain’t going to take a Black running back that can’t run over a white kid who can. They’re going to be like, ‘Hey, get your white butt out here and let’s roll.'”
Schrader said the issue of race has never really resonated with him, although he admits he’s been the subject of some good-natured kidding from teammates.
“We have one of the closest locker rooms you could ever imagine, and in a playful way, you might hear, ‘Man, that white boy can run,’ or something like that,” he said. “The beautiful thing about this team is that they’ve treated me just like one of the guys even when I came in as a walk-on. They never treated me any differently.
“We all wanted the same thing, to win.”
Schrader is one of only three white running backs in the SEC to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark over the past 50 years, making his odyssey even more unusual. The other two were Jacob Hester from LSU’s 2007 national championship team and Mississippi State’s Wayne Jones in 1973. Schrader is the first white back to lead the SEC in rushing since Alabama’s Johnny Musso did it in 1970 and 1971.
“It might be another 50 years before a white running back does it again, and that tells you how special Cody is,” Reed said.
Hester, who played five seasons in the NFL, loves to tell a story from the 2007 SEC championship game, when LSU played Tennessee. He was tackled by the Vols’ Jerod Mayo, who is now the New England Patriots‘ linebackers coach, and Hester’s helmet popped off. As they were getting up from the pile, Hester said Mayo looked at him, grinned and said jokingly, “Hey, you’re a white dude. Shouldn’t you be playing at Air Force?”
That kind of chatter wasn’t uncommon, Hester said, but he said it was never problematic.
“Once you’re in that locker room, all that matters to your teammates is whether or not you can play, and that’s the way it should be,” Hester said.
ONCE SCHRADER WAS given a chance, there was never any question he could play. And he never allowed his frustration to get the best of him even when countless recruiters told his high school coaches he wasn’t a Division I back.
“No one would ever really say why,” said Desmond Reichold, who was Schrader’s offensive coordinator at Lutheran South and now coaches at Webster Groves High. “He did it all for us, covered kicks, could return kicks, could have been a great linebacker in college.
“And you talk about toughness. He finished a state semifinal game for us after breaking his sternum and did it by running over a guy. The guy’s face mask went into Cody’s sternum as the guy was falling backward.”
The lack of interest, even from FCS schools, was disheartening for Schrader and everybody close to him, but he refused to let it break him.
“He’s refused to let anything beat him, on the field or off,” Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “That’s his mindset and what separates him.”
For a fleeting moment, Northern Colorado looked as if it might be a possible landing spot, but the school lost interest when it landed another player it was recruiting. Schrader spent the next four years at Truman State in Kirksville, Missouri, a Division II school with a little more than 3,900 students.
Schrader was the national Division II rushing leader in 2021 with 2,074 yards and showcased the same blend of toughness, vision and production he did in high school. Although he appreciated his time at Truman State, he yearned for more.
He still wanted a shot to play on college football’s biggest stage, and he got the chance thanks to a favor Drinkwitz felt he owed a prominent donor. The Missouri coach happened to be meeting with Steve Trulaske after the Tigers’ 2021 season. Trulaske knew Schrader from working out at the same gym as him and asked Drinkwitz if he would take a look at Schrader if he sent him a tape.
“That’s the first time I heard Cody’s name, and what was I going to say, that I wasn’t interested?” Drinkwitz said. “The next morning, Steve sends me a text and was like, ‘Hey, did you watch the tape?’ and I hadn’t watched it. So I said, ‘We’d love to have him. Send him over.’ Because, really, at the end of the day, I was more interested in getting the donation. I didn’t want to make Steve mad.”
Sure enough, Schrader showed up on campus in January along with the early 2022 enrollees. The only thing Drinkwitz had promised him was the opportunity to walk on. Nothing else.
“In my mind, I’m thinking, ‘You can always use another walk-on running back on down the depth chart the way those guys get beaten up,'” Drinkwitz recalled.
Schrader was hell-bent on being more than just “another walk-on running back,” and in virtual anonymity, he went to work. His sanctuary was the weight room, and he soaked up every aspect of the Tigers’ offseason conditioning program. He was willing to play anywhere on the field, particularly on special teams, and started to turn heads after playing well in the spring game. He continued to gain momentum in the summer, and then a pair of running backs — freshman Tavorus Jones and Stanford transfer Nathaniel Peat — suffered injuries in preseason camp.
“The last man standing was Cody Schrader, and he’s never looked back, not once,” Drinkwitz said. “And I’m glad Steve asked me a second time about that tape.”
It didn’t take Schrader long to earn his scholarship as he went from walk-on to Missouri’s leading rusher in 2022 with 746 yards. This season, he blossomed into one of the country’s most complete running backs.
A punishing runner, Schrader ranks seventh among FBS players with 788 yards after contact, and he has fumbled just once in 248 carries. And, yes, he’s still peeved over that one lost fumble. One of the knocks on Schrader was that he didn’t have that extra gear to accelerate like many of the elite backs. Yet he ranks second in the FBS to Oklahoma State‘s Ollie Gordon II with 11 runs of 30 yards or longer. Gordon, the Doak Walker Award winner, and Schrader were the only FBS running backs with more than 240 carries who averaged more than 6 yards per carry.
In the passing game, Schrader caught 22 passes and had the second-highest pass-blocking grade among SEC running backs (behind Georgia‘s Daijun Edwards), according to Pro Football Focus. And he didn’t pad his stats by rolling up big numbers against outmanned teams; Schrader rushed for 100 yards against six of Mizzou’s eight SEC opponents.
“I have an old-school running style that I think a lot of people haven’t seen at the Division I level for a long time,” said Schrader, who was the first player in three years to rush for 100 yards against Georgia in the Tigers’ 30-21 loss to the then-No. 1 Bulldogs.
“I think it took the right fit for me to get this opportunity, which is maybe part of why I didn’t receive a lot of interest,” he said. “I’m more of an old-school, downhill, one-cut running back. I don’t have that Reggie Bush or Saquon Barkley style that people see in most of the premier running backs. It just took a while for people to believe in me, even the Mizzou fans, and I understand that.”
SCHRADER’S COMMITMENT AND loyalty are legendary. He went through practice scripts on his own during freezing temperatures one night last December after missing practice earlier in the day because he was taking part in graduation ceremonies. And this season, after injuring a quad, he spent more than 12 hours a day in the football complex receiving treatment to make sure he didn’t miss any games.
“He’s the leader of this team. He’s the one who holds everybody accountable in everything we do,” said Missouri quarterback Brady Cook, who is Schrader’s roommate.
Schrader has always held himself accountable too. When he entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season at Truman State, he was sure he would get at least some Power 5 interest. He got none. In fact, he said the only FCS offer he received was from Southern Illinois. Everything else was in the Division II ranks, where he had already proved himself.
Nesbitt remembers receiving the phone call from Schrader that he was entering the portal.
“It was time for him to go. I told him so,” Nesbitt said. “I tell everybody that I slept like a baby after that call and then woke up every two hours and cried when he actually left. He made us all look like pretty good coaches.”
But if not for the invite to Missouri, Schrader said, he was close to returning to Truman State. There was no way he was going to turn his back on his brothers there just to start anew at another Division II school.
“I would have never done that,” Schrader said. “But I knew if I could just get on the practice field at Missouri, that’s all I needed. I’m in love with this game, and I just love everything about it. I tell people all the time that when I’m on the field and when I’m playing, it’s the only time I feel absolutely free from the world.”
Luper picked up on that vibe pretty quickly, although he notes that Schrader was about eighth on the depth chart when he arrived on campus.
“He doesn’t want to come off the field,” Luper said. “He had over 300 yards in that Tennessee game, covered kickoffs, covered punts, made a tackle. That’s who he is.
“He’s just a different breed.”
Luper has put his old teammate, Thurman Thomas, in touch with Schrader, and they’re planning to talk again after the season. Thomas slipped to the second round of the NFL draft after questions were raised about an injury to his knee.
“Thurman had a chip on his shoulder his entire NFL career,” Luper said. “Cody’s going to be the exact same way. He’s going to be overlooked at the next level just like he was at this level, and he’s going to prove them wrong.”
Luper paused and added with emphasis: “Again.”
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Buster Olney
Most of the MLB players given a preview of our Top 100 player ranking were polite, and some were even deferential, suggesting they didn’t feel qualified to assess the relative strengths of the players across the broad spectrum of Major League Baseball.
It’s a fair concern — for the players and for us as writers and rankers. We are not perfect, which is why we presented our list to current players for feedback over the past few weeks. We work daily to evaluate the work of players, and in this case, we want to know what they think — to give unvarnished opinions about how we ranked the best players in the sport.
And once niceties were set aside — and with some players feeling more comfortable speaking on the condition of anonymity — it became clear that many of them believe that ESPN’s ranking is constructed too heavily on hype, rather than actual achievement.
“You have [Roki] Sasaki” — the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ rookie pitcher who’s ranked No. 60 — “over J.T. Realmuto?” asked one player, who called attention to Realmuto’s nearly decade-long standing as one of the best catchers. “In what world does that make sense?”
Weighing possibility over production seemed to be the biggest concern across the board when we spoke to 15 MLB players about our ranking.
“I’m not going to call out anybody by name, but there are guys on this list who have had a good two months over players who had good years,” Pittsburgh Pirates veteran outfielder Tommy Pham said. “You’re basing [a ranking] on two months? I can’t get on board with that.”
Longtime reliever Adam Ottavino was also surprised by this fact, pointing to Francisco Lindor and Elly De La Cruz being ranked back-to-back at No. 16 and 17, respectively.
“I feel like there’s a huge separation in actual production at this moment between Lindor and De La Cruz,” he said. “I know [De La Cruz’s] ceiling is insane and he’s so fun to watch, but he’s just not anywhere close to Lindor yet, in my mind.”
Tangible major league production was a sticking point for players, and so was position.
“Paul Skenes has amazing stuff,” said another player about the fifth-ranked young Pirates pitcher. “But he’s ahead of Francisco Lindor? Like, a shortstop who plays every day and just finished second in the NL MVP race?”
Andrew McCutchen, playing in his 17th year in the big leagues with Pittsburgh this season, believes that you cannot fairly rank position players and pitchers on the same list because the demands of their work are so completely different.
“Shohei [Ohtani] hits and he pitches, and you have him at No. 1,” McCutchen said. “But you guys have Paul Skenes at [No. 5], but Paul Skenes doesn’t hit. That skews the list for me. … To me, that’s like ranking offensive and defensive [NFL] players on the same list. It doesn’t work.”
Ottavino, now back with the New York Yankees, found it interesting that you don’t see as many pitchers mixed in near the top of the list — outside of Ohtani, who is expected to return to a two-way role at some point this season. There are just three starting pitchers in the top 20.
“Position players are out there day in and day out,” Ottavino said. “But you see Chris Sale at No. 32, and you see him behind Brent Rooker, a DH. Rooker is a great player, but I just feel like a true ace has so much impact.”
Veteran infielder Manny Machado felt similarly, making the case for Tarik Skubal (No. 10) and Zack Wheeler (No. 9) to be higher on the list, saying, “Zack is the No. 1 pitcher in the league right now, by far.”
Ottavino also noted how players’ rankings on our list do not match with how positions are valued in the free agent market.
“First baseman, first baseman, first baseman,” he said, noting players near the top of the list. “And yet the market doesn’t value first baseman.”
Max Fried, No. 27 on our list, just signed a deal with the Yankees for $218 million this winter. Longtime New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, ranked just a few spots behind Fried, got a third of that after struggling to come to terms on a deal all offseason.
When looking at position players and where they should rank, Ottavino favored those who bear a wider range of skills, saying, “I would have Gunnar [Henderson] higher than some of these others because of overall impact.”
Maybe no major league player has as much impact as Aaron Judge, who ranked fourth on our list. Multiple players were surprised that the star slugger wasn’t No. 1 or No. 2.
“I like Bobby Witt [Jr.]‘s skill set, and he did some great things last year,” McCutchen said of the young Kansas City Royals star who secured the second overall ranking. “But what Judge did for a couple of years running, it’s hard for me to put [Witt] above him.”
“You’ve got Judge as the fourth-best player?” Pham exclaimed. “Am I tripping here?”
Hearing his teammate, McCutchen added, “The people who put together these lists think this game is easy.”
Well, I responded, I did bat over .300 in junior varsity and pitched a scoreless inning with my slowball in Little League. (No, I didn’t actually say that to these two players who have almost three decades between them in the majors.)
“Look at Judge’s numbers,” Pham continued. “Judge can’t be that low. With all due respect, everybody above him on the list is a great player — Mookie [Betts], Bobby, Ohtani is a unicorn. But Judge had a Barry Bonds season last year.”
And Pham isn’t wrong — Judge’s adjusted OPS+ of 223 in 2024 is the highest ever for a right-handed hitter.
“See?” Pham said. “I can’t work with this.”
Machado agreed, saying that “It should be 1, 4, 2, 3.” Translated: Ohtani, Judge, Witt and then Betts.
“There is a lot of hype around Paul [Skenes],” the San Diego Padres third baseman continued, perusing the list. “But he is nasty. I’m glad we missed him last year.”
Seeing his former teammate Corey Seager at No. 21, Machado said, “I don’t know why Seager is so low. I love Seager.”
There were a number of big-name stars whose rankings players were surprised to see.
Atlanta Braves infielders Matt Olson and Austin Riley were looking at the list together outside the Braves clubhouse when they saw fellow teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. was No. 20. While Acuña is recovering from a second ACL tear that sidelined him for the majority of the 2024 season, he’s not far removed from a 2023 campaign that saw him hit 41 homers and steal 73 bases en route to the National League MVP Award.
“That’s a little tough,” Riley said of the ranking.
Los Angeles Angels star outfielder Mike Trout was someone who players we spoke to last year about our list thought was ranked far too low at No. 19. They were equally surprised by his ranking of 33rd this year.
“I said it last year, too, but Trout is too low,” Olson said. “And Sale is too low.”
Riley took issue with Teoscar Hernandez‘ ranking at No. 53, after a season in which he won the Home Run Derby and helped the Dodgers win the World Series. Perusing, Riley turned to Olson, who’s ranked No. 41, and said, “You’re too low.”
“I think once you get past No. 30, it’s a free-for-all,” he said.
Their teammate Marcell Ozuna, who carried Atlanta’s offense at times last season as it dealt with injuries, slotted in at No. 78 on our list, which didn’t make sense to Olson.
“If he’s going to be that low, you’re going to say it’s a discount for being a DH and not playing the field,” he said. “But if that’s the case, Yordan [Alvarez] can’t be at [No. 7].”
And yes, Juan Soto‘s placement one spot down at No. 8 caught the attention of a few players.
“Are you f—-ing kidding?” asked one.
Please tell us how you really feel.
We’re just one week into the 2025 MLB season — and what a ride it has been already.
Torpedo bats are taking baseball by storm. Both the Dodgers and Padres are undefeated, while another National League team with lofty expectations in the Braves are winless to start the season.
We’ve also seen both great individual performances — Aaron Judge‘s three-homer game over the weekend; Mookie Betts‘ walk-off three-run blast; MacKenzie Gore‘s 13-strikeout Opening Day performance — and not so great ones — Rafael Devers‘ historic strikeout streak — across the league.
Is your favorite team off to a dominant start — and more importantly, will it last? Or are you hoping the first week’s returns aren’t a glimpse of the future?
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 David Schoenfield, Alden Gonzalez and Buster Olney to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 8-0
Previous ranking: 1
The Dodgers have played eight games this season. Either Freddie Freeman or Mookie Betts — or, in two instances, both — have been absent for six of them. And yet it hasn’t really mattered. The Dodgers’ offense has hummed right along.
Betts has found some surprising home run power since sitting out the Japan series because of a debilitating illness that prompted him to shed nearly 20 pounds; Tommy Edman has continued to be a crucial part of the lineup, no matter where he hits; and the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith and Michael Conforto have shown just how deep this offense can be, even when it is without one or two of its three best players. — Gonzalez
Record: 4-1
Previous ranking: 3
Cristopher Sanchez was one of the most talked about pitchers of spring training, as he added even more velocity to a sinker that already had more velocity in 2024 than in 2023. His first start backed up what everyone saw in the Grapefruit League as he gave up one run in 5⅓ innings with seven strikeouts in a no-decision against the Rockies. His sinker averaged 96.5 mph — up from 94.5 mph in 2024. The sinker isn’t going to induce a lot of whiffs, but if Sanchez can improve the batting average against it (.345 last season), he could have a big season in store. — Schoenfield
Record: 7-0
Previous ranking: 10
Jackson Merrill, the Padres’ 21-year-old budding superstar, signed a nine-year extension Wednesday morning that guarantees him at least $135 million. Later in the day, he crushed his second home run in a 5-2 win over the Guardians, pushing the Padres to a 7-0 start — the longest season-opening winning streak in franchise history. A continuation of this early surge will hinge largely on their superstars, a list that includes Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish. But Merrill is squarely in that group, too. — Gonzalez
Record: 3-2
Previous ranking: 7
To put Judge’s start into perspective: At the outset of 2024 — what turned out to be one of the greatest seasons ever for a right-handed hitter — it took Judge 19 games to reach 11 RBIs. This season, it took him three games, in what was the best start to any season in his career. Judge began 4-for-6 with three homers against left-handers, and with runners on base, he started 5-for-9 with a walk. A big question coming into this season was how much Judge would be affected by the departure of Juan Soto from the No. 2 spot, and in a very small sample, the initial answer is: not at all. — Olney
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 5
Last year, Eugenio Suarez slashed just .196/.279/.312 through the first three months. It wasn’t until July that he really got going. His slump coincided with that of Corbin Carroll. The D-backs’ offense languished until the pair got going. So if there’s one major sign of encouragement that can be gleaned from this first week, it’s that Suarez clearly isn’t waiting around this year. The D-backs’ third baseman has already homered five times and driven in 11 runs while putting up a 1.312 OPS through his first six games. And given the hot starts of the Dodgers, Padres and Giants in the NL West, Suarez’s hot start has been crucial. — Gonzalez
Record: 5-2
Previous ranking: 8
Jacob deGrom pitched only 10 innings against major league competition in spring training and gave up five runs and two home runs, so nobody knew quite what to expect in his 2025 debut, but he delivered five scoreless innings against the Red Sox, giving up two hits with five strikeouts. Though it wasn’t quite vintage deGrom, he averaged 96.7 mph with his four-seamer while relying more on his slider and changeup than he traditionally has (he threw 29 sliders and 11 changeups out of 73 pitches), but it worked. The Red Sox went 1-for-11 with six strikeouts against those two pitches. — Schoenfield
Record: 3-3
Previous ranking: 6
Baltimore is going to hit, especially once Gunnar Henderson returns to the lineup and joins a rejuvenated Adley Rutschman and the powerful Tyler O’Neill. The barometer all season for the Orioles could be the performance of their starting pitchers, and whether they can limit opponents and also assume enough innings to take pressure off what could be a good bullpen. In the first pass through the rotation this season, Baltimore’s starters combined for a 6.26 ERA, which ranks 28th in the majors. Zach Eflin had a good first outing though, giving up two runs over six innings. — Olney
Record: 3-3
Previous ranking: 4
It has been a rough start for the Mets’ offense, which scored only 17 runs in the first five games — 10 of those coming in one game against the Marlins. Juan Soto’s start has been fine, homering in a 3-1 victory over the Astros in the second game of the season. He’s also taking his walks, no surprise there. He did strike out to end the season opener, representing the go-ahead run with two runners on base in a 3-1 loss, whiffing on a nasty 3-2 slider from Josh Hader. Mets fans will be ready to give him a loud ovation for the home opener Friday. — Schoenfield
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 16
Rival managers in the AL East talked up the Rays in spring training, but as always with Tampa Bay, the team operates with a small margin for error, and this is why Shane Baz‘s first start of the season was such a big deal. At a time when the Rays are without Shane McClanahan because of a triceps injury, Baz — a former first-round pick — threw six scoreless innings against the Pirates, striking out 10 without issuing a walk. The first time through Tampa Bay’s rotation, every Rays starter threw at least five innings, with the starters giving up only four earned runs in 29 innings. — Olney
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 11
Spencer Arrighetti‘s first start might be a sign of great things to come. He gave up only one hit and one run in six innings in a win over the Mets. As a rookie last season, Arrighetti struggled in the first half (5.63 ERA, 1.60 WHIP), but the Astros stuck with him, and he came on strong with a 3.18 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over his final 11 starts. His sweeper and curveball were big weapons as a rookie, so the key will be fastball command — and he had it against the Mets, who went 0-for-10 with three K’s against his four-seamer. — Schoenfield
Record: 0-7
Previous ranking: 2
Everyone knew a season-opening road trip to San Diego and Los Angeles was going to be a tough one, especially with no Spencer Strider and no Ronald Acuña Jr., but the Braves stumbled their way to seven losses in a row to begin the season. Their nine runs in the first six games is tied for the fourth-fewest runs scored through a team’s first six games in the wild-card era (since 1995). The .137 average was also fourth lowest in that span. Oh, and along the way, Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80 games for a PED violation. — Schoenfield
Record: 5-1
Previous ranking: 22
The Giants, under new direction with Buster Posey, blitzed through spring training with a 21-6 record and drew praise from scouts who noted how sharp they looked. That has carried over into games that matter. Coming off a sweep in Houston, the Giants are 5-1, somehow keeping pace with the Dodgers and Padres in the NL West. A few of their key guys haven’t fully clicked yet — though Heliot Ramos surely has — but collectively they have an OPS of .941 with runners in scoring position. And their relievers have combined for a 1.74 ERA. — Gonzalez
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 9
Devers’ struggles in his first full week as a designated hitter are front and center for the Red Sox, which is understandable, given Boston’s investment in a star who thought he was the franchise’s third baseman. But Devers’ play has overshadowed the slow starts of others on the team, including Alex Bregman, who didn’t score or drive in a run in his first five games with the Red Sox; Walker Buehler, who gave up four runs and seven hits over 4⅓ innings in his first start; and first baseman Triston Casas, who had one hit (and no extra-base hits) in the first week of the season. — Olney
Record: 5-4
Previous ranking: 16
Justin Steele has acted as a steadying presence in the Cubs’ rotation over the past three years, winning 25 games, posting a 3.10 ERA and accumulating 427 innings. But the early part of this season has been a struggle. Through three starts, Steele leads the majors in hits (18), earned runs (12) and homers allowed (five). But that’s not entirely fair. He began his season before almost everyone else, on March 18 in Japan. None of his three starts — against the Dodgers, D-backs and A’s — have been terrible. It’s just that none of them have been all that good, either. — Gonzalez
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 11
With the team inhabiting a league that has strong lineups like that of the Yankees, Rangers and Orioles, Kansas City’s front office worked in the offseason to improve its offense. The Royals added Jonathan India to be their leadoff hitter, and just before the start of the season, traded for right-handed-hitting Mark Canha to help balance what appeared to be a left-handed heavy lineup.
In the first week of the season, the results are mixed: India is getting on base, but Hunter Renfroe, MJ Melendez and others manning the outfield have started slowly. So far, the Royals’ outfielders have a wRC+ that ranks in the bottom half of the majors. In a related note: Jac Caglianone, who showed big power in spring training, is starting this season at Double-A. — Olney
Record: 3-4
Previous ranking: 12
The Mariners scored only 15 runs in starting the season 2-4 while hitting .166 and getting five or fewer hits in five of the games. Here’s how bad things have been: Of those 15 runs, only two came on a non-home run RBI hit. They had two sacrifice flies, an RBI groundout, a run on an error and nine runs via the home run. The Mariners play 13 of their first 16 games at home, so they better figure it out, but it already looks like 2024, when they just hit .214/.307/.358 at home (only the White Sox had a lower OPS at home). — Schoenfield
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 18
With Parker Meadows out indefinitely because of a nerve issue, Matt Vierling on the injured list because of a rotator cuff injury and Gleyber Torres out because of an oblique problem, scoring runs will be a challenge on many days for the Tigers. The emergence of Spencer Torkelson has been a big help early, after Torkelson worked extensively in the offseason on his hitting mechanics. Torkelson had seven hits, including a home run, in his first 18 at-bats, plus five walks. This is a team with an opportunity for standouts to emerge in the everyday lineup, from Manuel Margot to Zach McKinstry. — Olney
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 20
.
Elly De La Cruz was a popular MVP pick at the start of the season, and it’s already clear why. Through his first six games, we’ve seen him turn in an impressive sliding catch in foul territory, produce 11 batted balls hit harder than 95 mph, steal two bases and launch four homers — including two Monday night, while debuting his torpedo bat.
“Elly is really good at baseball,” new Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer said afterward. He sure is. And he’s just starting to show it. — Gonzalez
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 25
Nolan Arenado spent all offseason thinking he was probably going to be traded. Then he wasn’t. Then he showed up to Busch Stadium on Opening Day wearing a Cardinals uniform, homered in the eighth inning and came out to a curtain call. Since then, Arenado has looked a lot like the guy who generated MVP votes in 2022, not the one who struggled in the two seasons thereafter, slashing .391/.500/.609 while turning in some solid defensive plays. At some point, he’ll be elsewhere — unless the Cardinals surprise us all and keep on winning. — Gonzalez
Record: 5-2
Previous ranking: 20
The question of whether the Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will agree to a long-term deal has dominated Toronto’s spring, but shortstop Bo Bichette is in a similar situation as Guerrero: Bichette is eligible for free agency at season’s end, and has a ton riding on his 2025 production. So far, so good. Bichette came out of the gate with a league-high nine hits. If Bichette plays well in the first half of the season, he’ll have value for the Jays no matter the direction of the team — if Toronto decides to make trades in July and reload for the future, there would be a market for Bichette (hello, Atlanta?), and if it wants to retain homegrown anchors, it could take a run to sign him to a long-term deal. — Olney
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 19
Cleveland did this offseason what it has had to do so often — proactively manage its payroll. This is part of the reason why the Guardians shed Andres Gimenez and Myles Straw in separate deals with the Blue Jays, and why they moved Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks. The trade of Naylor left rival evaluators wondering who, if anyone, would be able to make up for the loss of the first baseman’s production. Early on, DH Kyle Manzardo — acquired from Tampa Bay two seasons ago — is getting a chance to be that guy. He has done some damage, with four extra-base hits, three walks and three strikeouts to start the season. — Olney
Record: 4-2
Previous ranking: 27
One of the more interesting Opening Day roster decisions for any team was the Angels promoting reliever Ryan Johnson even though he never pitched in the minor leagues after getting drafted in the second round last year out of Dallas Baptist. Johnson’s debut was a disaster, as he gave up five runs and two home runs in the season opener, but in his next two outings he was pressed into service in extra innings and picked up a save and a win. Johnson is a 6-foot-6 right-hander with a funky delivery who dominated as a starter at Dallas Baptist (2.21 ERA, 151 K’s in 106 innings). He touched 100 mph in college but has averaged 94.2 mph on his sinker with the Angels, using a cutter that he has thrown 55% of the time as his primary pitch. — Schoenfield
Record: 2-5
Previous ranking: 23
The initial returns are Sutter Health Park might be a big test for A’s pitchers. After holding the Mariners to eight runs in splitting a four-game series in Seattle, the A’s gave up 25 runs in their first two games in their new home park. To be fair, the wind was blowing out in both of the games. But the game-time temperatures were also just 52 and 55 degrees — much cooler than it will be during the summer.
“I think it’s still too early to tell,” Brent Rooker said. “There have been guys who have hit some balls good, and it’s been windy. We’re going to need several more games before we can really tell how it’s playing. There’s been a lot of offense. Where that credit lies, I’m not really sure.” — Schoenfield
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 15
On Tuesday night, Chad Patrick, Jared Koenig, Abner Uribe, Joel Payamps and Trevor Megill took the mound at American Family Field in Milwaukee and combined to shut out the Royals. It was a welcomed sight. For the previous four games, a Brewers pitching staff that had been severely compromised by injury, with three starting pitchers added to the injured list last month alone, was suffering from a case of whiplash. The pitchers gave up a whopping 45 runs in 33 innings, including 20 in one game against the torpedo-bat-swinging Yankees. Opposing batters compiled 17 home runs against the Brewers. — Gonzalez
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 17
The constant refrain around the Twins in recent years has been that the team has potential if it can consistently field Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis, a trio of players who’ve had difficulty staying healthy. Lewis again got hurt late in spring training, pulling a hamstring, and while Correa and Buxton have been on the field, both had a rough first week. The pair combined to go 6-for-42 with three extra-base hits, three RBIs and nine strikeouts — though went 4-for-8 with a home run and a double in Wednesday’s win. Not surprisingly, the Twins are slow out of the starting gate, with two wins in their first six games. — Olney
Record: 4-3
Previous ranking: 29
The cardiac Marlins are back. Remember 2023, when they went 33-14 in one-run games, 7-3 in extra-inning games and had nine walk-off wins on their way to a surprising wild-card berth? Well, the Marlins had three walk-off wins in their opening series against Pittsburgh, rallying from a 4-2 deficit in the opener, winning 5-4 in 12 innings and then 3-2. Some shoddy Pirates defense certainly helped, but Kyle Stowers and Dane Myers delivered the walk-off hits with the other winning run coming on a wild pitch. For a team many predicted to lose 100 games, it at least has been a fun start. — Schoenfield
Record: 1-5
Previous ranking: 26
The Nationals received two strong performances on their first trip through the rotation. Gore fanned 13 Phillies in a brilliant Opening Day start, giving up only one hit and no runs in six innings. He became just the ninth pitcher with at least 13 strikeouts in a team’s first game (Randy Johnson did it twice, both times with 14). But it was not an Opening Day record for a Washington pitcher: Camilo Pascual of the Senators fanned a record 15 in 1960. Mitchell Parker then tossed 6⅓ scoreless innings to beat the Phillies. He’s coming off a rookie season in which he went 7-10 with a 4.29 ERA. — Schoenfield
Record: 2-5
Previous ranking: 24
Paul Skenes was profiled alongside his famous girlfriend, Livvy Dunne, in GQ on Wednesday morning, then he went about dominating the Rays, allowing three baserunners and an unearned run in seven innings to bring his ERA to 1.46. The Pirates absorbed the unfortunate news last month that fellow budding ace Jared Jones is nursing a UCL sprain, and though at this point it doesn’t seem as if surgery will be required, Jones will be reassessed Friday. Eventually, Skenes, Jones and Bubba Chandler will form a devastating rotation trio. For now, though, the Pirates will settle for employing the “it” pitcher in baseball. — Gonzalez
Record: 2-4
Previous ranking: 30
On the way to making ignominious history, the 2024 White Sox didn’t pick up their second win until the 11th game of the season. This year, they split their first four games, an early sign the White Sox are bound to be better. Andrew Benintendi, starting his 10th season on the roster, is among the most experienced White Sox players, and he’s off to a good start, with a couple of homers and six hits (.353 average) in his first five games. You’d assume that if anyone called the White Sox looking for outfield help, Chicago would be open to moving Benintendi. But he’s owed about $50 million over this season and the two that follow. — Olney
Record: 1-4
Previous ranking: 28
The Rockies’ propensity for strange is already showing itself. Case in point: Their starting pitchers have combined for a 1.61 ERA through their first five games, and yet they’ve won only once. So while German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and Ryan Feltner have combined to given up only five runs in 28 innings, Colorado’s bullpen has fashioned an ERA over 10.00. And its offense has combined for only a .184 batting average. — Gonzalez
The final day of the regular season is exactly two weeks away, but the race for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot remains open for five contenders.
Two of those teams are in action Thursday night. The Montreal Canadiens host the Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+), and the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Colorado Avalanche (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
As play begins Thursday, the Canadiens hold the second wild card with 79 points and 25 regulation wins through 74 games; the New York Rangers are tied in standings points (and ahead in RW, with 32), but have played more games. The Blue Jackets are two behind in points, and one behind in regulation wins. The idle Detroit Red Wings (75 points, 26 RW) and New York Islanders (74 points, 25 RW) round out the quintet.
The Stathletes projection model likes the Canadiens’ chances to make the playoffs the most, at 51.7%, followed by the Blue Jackets (25.5%), Rangers (19.0%), Islanders (3.1%) and Red Wings (2.3%). How will this all shake out? Thursday’s pair of games featuring these teams will provide our next set of clues.
With the regular season ending April 17, we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 St. Louis Blues
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Thursday’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Utah Hockey Club, 9 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames, 9:30 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+)
Wednesday’s scoreboard
New York Rangers 5, Minnesota Wild 4 (OT)
Carolina Hurricanes 5, Washington Capitals 1
Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Florida Panthers 2
Colorado Avalanche 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (SO)
Seattle Kraken 5, Vancouver Canucks 0
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 105.0
Next game: vs. CBJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 103.1
Next game: @ OTT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: @ OTT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 93.1
Next game: vs. TB (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 98.6%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 87.5
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 51.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: vs. CAR (Friday)
Playoff chances: 2.3%
Tragic number: 13
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 77.6
Next game: vs. TB (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 8
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 75.4
Next game: @ MTL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 5
Metro Division
Points: 105
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 114.8
Next game: vs. CHI (Friday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 106.4
Next game: @ DET (Friday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 93.9
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 86.4
Next game: @ NJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 19%
Tragic number: 15
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 86.5
Next game: vs. COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 25.5%
Tragic number: 17
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: vs. MIN (Friday)
Playoff chances: 3.1%
Tragic number: 12
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 77.6
Next game: @ STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 7
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 76.6
Next game: @ MTL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 5
Central Division
Points: 106
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 115.9
Next game: @ VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 102
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 113.0
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 103.6
Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 96.0
Next game: @ NYI (Friday)
Playoff chances: 93.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 96.0
Next game: vs. PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 96.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 87.5
Next game: vs. LA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.7%
Tragic number: 6
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 67.8
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 52
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 56.9
Next game: @ WSH (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 108.6
Next game: vs. WPG (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 103.1
Next game: @ UTA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 100.8
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 90.9
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 6.4%
Tragic number: 10
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 88.6
Next game: vs. ANA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 2.4%
Tragic number: 7
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: @ CGY (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: 2
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 75.5
Next game: @ SJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 55.4
Next game: vs. EDM (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Note: An “x” means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Points: 52
Regulation wins: 18
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
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