He should be in high school! The meteoric rise of Alabama’s Ryan Williams
-
Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
ALABAMA COACH KALEN DeBoer and quarterback Jalen Milroe aren’t the only ones thrilled that receiver Ryan Williams decided to forego his senior year of high school to join the Crimson Tide this season. So are the high school football coaches who competed against Williams, the only two-time Mr. Football in Alabama history, the previous three seasons.
“Somebody texted me and said, ‘I bet you’re glad Ryan Williams reclassified,'” said Ham Barnett, head coach at St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile. “I told him my defensive backs were happy for sure.”
In three seasons at Saraland High School, just 10 miles north of Mobile, Williams had more than 4,400 yards of total offense and scored 76 touchdowns in 39 games — 47 receiving, 24 rushing, 1 passing and 4 on punt and kick returns.
Williams’ meteoric rise as a Crimson Tide freshman has been one of the top stories in the first half of the 2024 season.
Going into Saturday’s contest at No. 11 Tennessee (3:30 p.m. ET/ABC, ESPN+), Williams leads No. 7 Alabama with 23 catches for 576 yards with six touchdowns. His 25-yard average on receptions leads the FBS.
Those who watched him compete in youth leagues and high school aren’t that surprised by his instant impact.
“He would make plays that were not there, when you think you’ve got everything covered,” Barnett said. “He’d just make people miss. He was just a problem — a matchup nightmare for everybody. The things I see on Saturday are exactly what he was doing on Friday nights.”
Williams’ biggest moment so far came on Sept. 28 when he beat two Georgia defenders to haul in a 75-yard touchdown with 2:18 left in Alabama’s 41-34 victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
It was the type of explosive play Williams had made so many times before.
“Every game, he did something that left you just kind of scratching your head or laughing,” Saraland High coach Jeff Kelly said. “It was something all the time.”
BY NOW, YOU’VE probably heard more than once that Williams is only 17 years old. He turns 18 on Feb. 9.
“He’s an old soul,” said Tiffany Coleman, Williams’ mother. “People are like, ‘He’s so mature to be 17.’ His grandparents had a lot to do with that. His maturity and foundation came from them.”
Coleman was 18 years old when Williams was born. Williams’ father, Ryan Williams, was 17. A few months after the younger Williams came into the world, his father left for college. An all-state receiver at B.C. Rain High in Mobile, the elder Williams signed with Auburn as a cornerback in February 2007. He spent two seasons with the Tigers before transferring to Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi in 2009.
Williams’ father finished his college career at Louisiana Tech — a knee injury limited him to only two games as a senior in 2011.
While his father was at college, Williams lived with his paternal grandparents, Robert and Catherine Williams. His grandfather was retired, so he cooked breakfast for his grandson each morning and made sure his clothes were ironed for school. They were inseparable.
“He was always with his grandfather,” Coleman said. “He would take him to practice. He would take him to school. He was Robert’s shotgun buddy, you know?”
Robert Williams also helped introduce his grandson to football. They watched Auburn and Alabama games on TV together, as well as Michigan and Ohio State replays on the newly launched Big Ten Network. When Williams accompanied his grandfather to the neighborhood barbershop, the other patrons were surprised by the child’s vast knowledge of the game.
“With Ryan knowing that his dad played football, he was already all-in,” Coleman said. “He used to watch his dad do workouts when he came home. I’m not going to say he was destined to play football, but he already loved the game because that’s all he was around.”
Once Williams’ father returned home from Louisiana Tech, he nurtured his son’s interest in football. Williams was in the backyard on many mornings going through drills that his father learned at college — sprints, cones, proper angles and pass routes.
“When I came home from school, football was still fresh,” Williams’ father said. “He was just happy to be spending time with me, and we went in the backyard and did the same things we were doing in college. I broke it down to his level and it accelerated as we both got older.”
AS A 5-YEAR-OLD, Williams wanted to play running back. His first youth league coach put him at quarterback.
“He was a playmaker,” Coleman said. “When he was a quarterback, if he couldn’t find anybody open, he was like Cam Newton out there. He’s taking off and he’s going to score.”
Playing for the Spartans in the Saraland Youth Football League, Williams scored five touchdowns in a win over the Municipal Park Giants. His father’s best friend, Luther Page, dubbed his godson “Hollywood” after the game. The moniker has stayed with him throughout his career. “Every Saturday, we knew Hollywood was going to put on a show,” Coleman said. Soon, Hollywood was celebrating touchdowns with the latest dances he’d seen on the internet such as the Nae Nae or Woah.
Robert Williams didn’t like his grandson showboating, however, and told him, “Hey, man, act like you’ve been there before. Don’t get down there and celebrate. Just hand the ball to the referee and go about your business.”
The celebrations continued.
“If you’re Hollywood, you’ve got to be Hollywood,” Coleman said.
In the fifth grade, Williams joined the Eight Mile Giants of the Mobile Youth Football Conference. The Giants already had a quarterback, so he played receiver for the first time. Hollywood didn’t slow down at a new position on a new team.
“You’d see him working out with his dad before games, and you could just tell that the kid was different because of his work ethic,” said Jermaine Rogers, an assistant coach with the Giants. “His talent was out of this world, but his work ethic was out of this universe.”
The Giants came up with another name for their team, “First 48 Boyz,” because Rogers, a homicide detective for the Mobile Police Department, appeared in the reality TV show, “The First 48.” Williams’ teammates included Saraland High defensive tackle Antonio Coleman, who is committed to Auburn, and Williamson High offensive tackle Carde Smith, who is headed to USC.
Williams was a superstar for the Giants, even proclaiming in a video taken at the time, “My name is Hollywood Williams, and I’m the No. 1 receiver in the nation.”
The short clip would prove to be prophetic.
AFTER PLAYING QUARTERBACK for three seasons in middle school, Williams was poised to run the offense for the ninth-grade team at Saraland High in 2021. He was working with the varsity squad during preseason camp and stayed after practice one day to throw with receiver Jarel Williams, who is now a sophomore at West Virginia.
Just a week before the season opener, the Spartans were still looking for a third receiver, and assistant coach Brett Boutwell noticed Williams running routes and catching passes out the office window.
“Coach Boutwell looked out there and said, ‘Hey, we need to give Ryan a shot,'” Kelly said. “He had a natural something special to him. He was 14 years old and playing against 17- and 18-year-olds. By the second half of the season and the playoffs, he was making some big plays.
“If they didn’t stay after practice that day and get those extra reps, he might have been a ninth-grade quarterback that year. I don’t know. We kind of stumbled into it.”
The summer before Williams’ sophomore season, Kelly told anyone who would listen: “Ryan is going to take over the state and nobody knows who he is.”
In Saraland High’s season opener in 2022, Williams scored his team’s first four touchdowns on a 75-yard punt return and three catches. He had 12 receptions for 138 yards in a 42-23 win against Daphne High.
Two weeks later, on the Spartans’ first offensive play against St. Paul’s Episcopal, an official sent quarterback K.J. Lacey back to the sideline because he wasn’t wearing proper knee pads. Williams lined up at receiver, motioned to quarterback and scored a 71-yard touchdown on a sweep.
“We pinched everybody and they decided to run stretch,” Barnett said. “He made two guys miss and outran them. We had a Division I safety [Chris Bracy] on that team too. He’s a starter at UAB now, and he outran him and beat him to the edge.”
Lacey, who is committed to Texas, returned to the field on Saraland High’s next possession. Williams ran for 103 yards with three touchdowns and caught another score in a 42-14 victory.
THROUGH SIX GAMES as a sophomore, Williams scored 18 times in 50 touches on offense. He committed to play for Alabama coach Nick Saban after scoring twice in a 48-7 rout of Baldwin County on Oct. 7, 2022.
Two weeks later, Saraland High, ranked No. 1 in Class 6A, suffered its first defeat, losing 27-26 at Theodore High on a 25-yard field goal with 1:19 left. Williams scored on a 76-yard punt return and a 13-yard reception.
His best work was still to come.
In the second round of the state playoffs, Williams scored a 68-yard touchdown on a go route on the first play from scrimmage against Hillcrest High in Tuscaloosa.
“Right out of the gate,” Hillcrest High coach Jamie Mitchell said. “He let us know real quick what was coming.”
Against the unbeaten Patriots, who had one of the best defenses in the state, Williams had eight catches for 240 yards with three touchdowns. He ran for two scores and threw another one in a 56-31 rout. “I’ve coached for 34 years and it’s hard for me to remember a player that had a bigger impact on a game than him,” Mitchell said. “He just single-handedly dismantled us, and we had a really good football team. He made it look really easy against us.”
Mitchell’s teams won state championships in two states. He coached Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown at Starkville High in Mississippi.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to get those guys the ball, even as good as they are,” Mitchell said. “[Williams] just had a knack for finding space and creating huge, explosive plays. When you look at him, there’s nothing in his appearance that’s going to strike fear in you. He’s not a big kid.
“But once the ball is snapped, his twitch and his ability to create room and space for himself are unreal. He has an innate ability to get to 10th gear in just a blink of an eye.”
In a 57-56 win in overtime against Homewood High in the state quarterfinals, Williams ran 10 times for 159 yards with two touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 160 with one score. The Spartans needed every bit of his production after nearly squandering a 27-0 lead.
Saraland High avenged its only loss of the season with a 21-6 win over Theodore High in the semifinals to reach the state championship game.
At Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, Williams scored four touchdowns and had 291 all-purpose yards in a 38-17 win over Mountain Brook to give Saraland its first state title. Williams’ 58-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 play helped seal it. He was named MVP of the championship game.
As a sophomore, Williams had 1,641 receiving yards with 24 touchdowns and 700 rushing yards with 15 scores. He threw for a touchdown and ran back two punts for scores. He became the first sophomore to win the state’s Mr. Football honor.
“It was a highlight reel all year,” Kelly said. “He had big moments and dynamite moments and just played at a different speed and level. I don’t want to take it for granted, but it was kind of commonplace. The things that would stand out to everybody else watching him for the first time was just kind of another Friday night in Saraland.”
0:57
Ryan Williams elevates for unreal Alabama TD
Jalen Milroe throws it up the sideline to Ryan Williams, who comes down with ball, stays inbounds, then scores a touchdown for Alabama.
IN MID-JULY 2023, Williams broke the news to Kelly that he was reclassifying to the Class of 2024 and his junior season would be his final one at Saraland High. Williams didn’t publicly announce his decision until Dec. 23.
“I think it speaks volumes about who he is,” Kelly said. “He didn’t want it to be out there because he didn’t want to be a distraction for his teammates. We had a team that had a chance to win another state title. He and his family did a tremendous job keeping that decision private.”
Saraland High’s opener against Lipscomb Academy in Nashville was broadcast by ESPN. Williams was covered by Tennessee commitment Kaleb Beasley throughout the game. He scored on a 50-yard catch and run in the third quarter, then put the Spartans ahead 31-24 when he ran into the end zone on the first play of overtime. Lipscomb answered with a touchdown but missed the extra point in Saraland’s 31-30 victory.
Along with Williams’ big-play ability and Lacey’s arm, Saraland relied on its dominant defense in going 10-0 in the regular season. After the nail-biter against Lipscomb Academy, the Spartans outscored their next nine opponents, 513-103. They scored on all 10 possessions in a 70-20 rout of Foley High, then Lacey threw seven touchdowns — three to Williams — in a 59-20 win against Blount High.
Saraland had a 35-0 lead at the half against Theodore High, the only team to beat them in 2022, before winning 42-13.
After cruising through its first four playoff games to run the state’s longest winning streak to 20 games, the Spartans faced Clay-Chalkville High with a chance to win back-to-back Class 6A state titles. The game was played at Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium, and Williams provided Crimson Tide fans with a preview of what was to come.
Williams had 343 all-purpose yards and scored all four of Saraland’s touchdowns in a 31-28 loss. Clay-Chalkville’s defense stopped Lacey at its 1-yard line on the final play of the game. Williams hauled in 11 passes for 232 yards with two scores, ran for 27 yards with one score and returned the opening kickoff of the second half 86 yards for another touchdown.
It was a fitting ending for a player who would become the state’s first two-time winner of the Mr. Football award, and it wouldn’t be the last time he would star at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Barnett, who describes himself as an Alabama football fan, is happy Williams is now competing for the Crimson Tide — and not against his team.
Barnett called Williams the best high school skill player the talent-rich Mobile area has produced. That includes former NFL players Julio Jones, T.J. Yeldon, Pat White and others.
“He’s something different with his wiggle,” Barnett said. “He can change direction and feel where defenders are, even in the air, and land and make a move like I’ve never seen before.
“We knew he was more elite than all the high school players he was going against. He gets to the [college] level, and you think it might even out a little bit, especially at his age. Watching him doing the same things he was doing against high school kids, at 17, really amazes me.”
Sports
NHL Power Rankings: Capitals retain the crown, plus each team’s most intriguing game before 4 Nations
NHL teams will be taking a break in the middle of February for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, featuring star players from each team playing for the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland.
But before that event begins, which games are the most intriguing? As part of this week’s updated edition of the Power Rankings, we’ve identified the top captivating contest for all 32 teams — whether it’s a game against a rival, one that takes on added value in the playoff races, or something else entirely.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 17. Points percentages and paces are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 73.96%
Feb. 1 vs. Jets. Not only is this a potential Stanley Cup Final preview — sponsored by the letter W? — but thanks to their heritage as the Southeast Division’s Atlanta Thrashers, the Jets franchise is the team against which Alex Ovechkin has scored the most goals in his career (55). How many will he get in this one?
Next eight days: @ VAN (Jan. 25), @ CGY (Jan. 28), @ OTT (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 68.37%
Jan. 28 at Canadiens. Maybe this isn’t for the entire team, but just for a couple of Jets in particular: Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor. Though this game against the Canadiens obviously counts in the NHL standings, Hellebuyck and Connor will hit this same ice at the Bell Centre on Feb. 15 as the U.S. takes on Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off, the first best-on-best clash between these two countries since the semifinal round of the 2014 Olympics.
Next eight days: vs. UTA (Jan. 24), vs. CGY (Jan. 26), @ MTL (Jan. 28), @ BOS (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 66.67%
Jan. 26 vs. Panthers. For any team that has its sights set on a long playoff run, games against the defending Cup champs take on extra meaning. The Knights lost a 4-3 overtime contest against the Cats on Oct. 19. How will this game end up?
Next eight days: @ DAL (Jan. 24), vs. FLA (Jan. 26), vs. DAL (Jan. 28), vs. CBJ (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 65.63%
Feb. 1 vs. Maple Leafs. No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Canadiens in 1993, though the Oilers were just one win away in 2024. Along with the Jets, these two clubs represent the country’s best chance of breaking that streak, and the cross-continent clash will give us a preview of what a Cup Final between the two could look like.
Next eight days: vs. BUF (Jan. 25), vs. SEA (Jan. 27), vs. DET (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 64.29%
Feb. 4 at Jets. A potential Stanley Cup Final preview? This matchup might not set any viewership records, but it would be superb hockey.
Next eight days: @ NYI (Jan. 25), @ NYR (Jan. 28), vs. CHI (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 63.27%
Feb. 6 at Kraken. For years, Yanni Gourde tormented the Maple Leafs as a member of the Lightning. With the veteran center’s name being floated in trade rumors — and the Leafs always looking for ways to improve the team — could they be playing this game against a future teammate?
Next eight days: @ OTT (Jan. 25), vs. MIN (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 62.50%
Jan. 30 at Canadiens. Future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury has announced he’ll retire at the end of this season, so — barring a Stanley Cup Final matchup between these teams — this will be his last visit as a pro to his home province.
Next eight days: vs. CGY (Jan. 25), @ CHI (Jan. 26), @ TOR (Jan. 29), @ MTL (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 62.77%
Jan. 24 vs. Golden Knights; Jan. 28 at Golden Knights. The Stars have had some epic postseason showdowns with the Knights recently — and both appear playoff-bound again this season — so this pair of games will be a treat. Will the intensity match what we’ve seen in springs past?
Next eight days: vs. VGK (Jan. 24), @ STL (Jan. 25), @ VGK (Jan. 28)
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 60.20%
Feb. 8 vs. Senators. There’s a possible future world in which the Panthers and Senators face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — ensuring us at least four games of Tkachuk-on-Tkachuk combat. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Any game in which Brady and Matthew face off has the potential for viral highlights.
Next eight days: @ SJ (Jan. 25), @ VGK (Jan. 26), vs. LA (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 63.33%
Feb. 7 vs. Stars. On some nights, the Kings look as if they could beat any team in the NHL; other nights, not so much. So this matchup against the perennial contender Stars will be a litmus test ahead of the 4 Nations break.
Next eight days: @ CBJ (Jan. 25), @ DET (Jan. 27), @ FLA (Jan. 29), @ TB (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 60.00%
Feb. 6 vs. Golden Knights. Because of some wonkiness with the schedule, this is the first meeting between these two playoff-bound clubs (they’ll face off again in Vegas on March 2).
Next eight days: @ MTL (Jan. 25), @ PHI (Jan. 27), vs. PHI (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 59.18%
Feb. 7 at Oilers. Once the 4 Nations Face-Off begins, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will be teammates of Connor McDavid’s for Canada. But on this night, they’ll be battling hard for two points as the Western Conference bracket remains tight.
Next eight days: @ BOS (Jan. 25), @ NYR (Jan. 26), @ NYI (Jan. 28)
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 57.61%
Feb. 4, 6 vs. Senators. For the past few preseasons, there has been some thought that the Lightning would regress and one of the rising Atlantic teams would take their spot in the playoffs. So far, that hasn’t proven to be the case — but this back-to-back set against one of those rising teams will go a long way (one way or another).
Next eight days: @ CHI (Jan. 24), @ DET (Jan. 25), vs. CHI (Jan. 28), vs. LA (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 57.61%
Jan. 26 at Jets. Every game is important for a team like the Flames on the cusp of a wild-card berth. But, we’ll circle this one as an old-school Smythe Division rivalry renewed, featuring two elite American goaltenders: leading Vezina Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck and Calder Trophy candidate Dustin Wolf.
Next eight days: @ MIN (Jan. 25), @ WPG (Jan. 26), vs. WSH (Jan. 28), vs. ANA (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 54.17%
Jan. 25 vs. Maple Leafs. The Battle of Ontario continues! The Sens took Round 1 this season in Toronto, and the two clubs will face off again on March 15. These games are never boring, especially with both teams in the playoff hunt.
Next eight days: vs. TOR (Jan. 25), vs. UTA (Jan. 26), vs. WSH (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 54.17%
Feb. 9 vs. Lightning. Despite modest expectations entering this season, the Canadiens remain within shouting distance of a wild-card berth. A win against their division rivals from central Florida would greatly aid in that quest.
Next eight days: vs. NJ (Jan. 25), vs. WPG (Jan. 28), vs. MIN (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 54.08%
Feb. 8 vs. Rangers. For a team on the wild-card bubble, every point matters. But games against division rivals matter more — especially if a team can hand that rival a regulation loss. This game will make a statement (one way or another) for the Blue Jackets.
Next eight days: vs. LA (Jan. 25), @ VGK (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 54.00%
Feb. 1 vs. Rangers. Have the Rangers turned a corner back to being a true contender after a midseason swoon? Perhaps. Whether the trend sticks or not, this is a pivotal game for the Bruins to use as a measuring stick (and the two teams will face off again four days later at MSG.)
Next eight days: vs. COL (Jan. 25), @ BUF (Jan. 28), vs. WPG (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 54.17%
Jan. 28 vs. Hurricanes. Although the Rangers won their second-round playoff series against the Canes last spring, Carolina has beaten them in regulation in both matchups this season. A win here would really signal that the Blueshirts have turned around their fortunes.
Next eight days: vs. COL (Jan. 26), vs. CAR (Jan. 28)
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 53.19%
Jan. 31 at Stars. If the various reports are true, the Canucks are seeking out the best new home for disgruntled center J.T. Miller. Well, on this night, they’ll be visiting one of those potential options, as the Stars are on the prowl for a veteran center to replace injured Tyler Seguin.
Next eight days: vs. WSH (Jan. 25), @ STL (Jan. 27), @ NSH (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 51.02%
Feb. 4 vs. Oilers. There are some who considered Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner a snub from Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster. One of the netminders who did make it? The Blues’ Jordan Binnington. Perhaps Binnington will have extra motivation in this one to show that Hockey Canada made the right call.
Next eight days: vs. DAL (Jan. 25), vs. VAN (Jan. 27)
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 51.02%
Feb. 8 vs. Penguins. Although the Keystone State battles are a little more captivating when the Flyers and Penguins are both in line for playoff berths, the matchups are typically enthralling; to wit, their matchup on Dec. 23 ended 7-3.
Next eight days: @ NYI (Jan. 24), vs. NJ (Jan. 27), @ NJ (Jan. 29), vs. NYI (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 52.13%
Jan. 29 vs. Penguins. It’s a big deal any time a superstar comes to town, but Penguins games are particularly notable for UHC center Logan Cooley, who participated in Sidney Crosby‘s “Little Penguins” program as a youth player.
Next eight days: @ WPG (Jan. 24), @ OTT (Jan. 26), vs. PIT (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 51.04%
Jan. 25, Feb. 8 vs. Lightning. Given the ties between the franchises — including current Detroit GM/former Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman — games between the two are always must-see affairs. And with the Red Wings currently chasing the Lightning in the standings, these will matter even more.
Next eight days: vs. TB (Jan. 25), vs. LA (Jan. 27), @ EDM (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 48.00%
Feb. 8 at Flyers. A stretch in late January (at the Kraken, Sharks and Utah) might wield more influence on the Penguins’ playoff hopes, but a win here against the rival Flyers might mean more heading into the break.
Next eight days: @ SEA (Jan. 25), @ SJ (Jan. 27), @ UTA (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 48.91%
Jan. 24 vs. Flyers, Jan. 30 at Flyers. The Islanders’ playoff hopes remain alive, and the Flyers are one of the teams over which they’ll have to climb if they want to extend their postseason streak.
Next eight days: vs. PHI (Jan. 24), vs. CAR (Jan. 25), vs. COL (Jan. 28), @ PHI (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 45.92%
Jan. 28 vs. Ducks. Things haven’t gone as well as planned in Dan Bylsma’s first season behind the Kraken bench, and the team is closer to the bottom of the standings than the top. As a result, this matchup against another struggling Pacific Division club could have outsized impact on Seattle’s ultimate spot in the draft order.
Next eight days: vs. PIT (Jan. 25), @ EDM (Jan. 27), vs. ANA (Jan. 28), vs. SJ (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 45.74%
Feb. 1 at Penguins. A rematch of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final! But as both GMs have continually been asked by reporters about their plans for the trade deadline, perhaps this will be a preview of some players who will find themselves skating elsewhere by March 7.
Next eight days: @ ANA (Jan. 25), vs. VAN (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 42.71%
Jan. 31 vs. Predators. It’s looking more likely that the Sabres will miss the playoffs again, meaning that their rise up the draft lottery board is of no small amount of interest. Games against fellow struggling teams like the Preds will have an outsized impact.
Next eight days: @ EDM (Jan. 25), vs. BOS (Jan. 28)
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 45.83%
Feb. 8 at Kings. The Ducks are mainly looking at their spot in the draft lottery standings at this point, but their final game before the break will be against the rival Kings, a matchup that always raises the proverbial temperature.
Next eight days: vs. NSH (Jan. 25), @ SEA (Jan. 28), @ CGY (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 36.17%
Feb. 5 vs. Oilers. At one point, Connor McDavid was a generational star playing for a team that wasn’t winning a ton of games. Will this matchup be a look into the future for Connor Bedard?
Next eight days: vs. TB (Jan. 24), vs. MIN (Jan. 26), @ TB (Jan. 28), @ CAR (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 33.33%
Jan. 30 at Kraken. At some point, these are going to be really great matchups given the wealth of young talent on both of these rosters (and in the pipelines). For now, it’s all about the nautical theming.
Next eight days: vs. FLA (Jan. 25), vs. PIT (Jan. 28), @ SEA (Jan. 30)
Outfielder Jurickson Profar and the Atlanta Braves agreed on a three-year, $42 million contract Thursday, uniting the veteran coming off a career year with a team that has struggled in recent years to find a suitable left fielder.
Profar, 31, was a revelation for the San Diego Padres last year, hitting .280/.380/.459 with a career-high 24 home runs and 85 RBIs. Once the top prospect in all of baseball, Profar made his first All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger — all on a one-year, $1 million deal.
He cashed in with the Braves, who outbid a number of teams interested in Profar’s on-base skills as well as his energy that invigorated Padres supporters and infuriated rival fan bases.
Profar will join center fielder Michael Harris II and right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr., the former National League MVP coming off a torn left ACL just three years after tearing the ligament in his right knee. Without Acuña for most of last season, the Braves’ offense suffered a deep regression from 2023, when they set a single-season team record with a .501 slugging percentage.
The switch-hitting Profar can slot almost anywhere in the lineup, though he figures to begin the season toward the top as Acuña continues to rehab his knee. Beyond Harris and Acuña, Atlanta’s lineup includes All-Star third baseman Austin Riley, second baseman Ozzie Albies and first baseman Matt Olson. Profar will receive $12 million this year and $15 million in 2026 and 2027.
Atlanta is typically one of the most aggressive teams in baseball, striking early in free agency and with trades. After trading slugger Jorge Soler in late October, the Braves dabbled in minor league deals and watched as starter Max Fried went to the New York Yankees, starter Charlie Morton went to the Baltimore Orioles and reliever A.J. Minter went to the New York Mets.
Profar is Atlanta’s first real addition this winter after sneaking into the postseason at 89-73 and promptly getting swept by San Diego. He has spent all 11 years of his major league career in the West divisions, debuting at 19 with the Texas Rangers. Profar never fulfilled his potential there and went to Oakland in 2019 before settling with the Padres, where he became a full-time outfielder. Over 1,119 games in his career, Profar has hit .245/.331/.395 with 111 home runs and 444 RBIs in 4,291 plate appearances.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports10 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway