TORONTO — Anthony Stolarz came into this season with less NHL playoff experience than the average episode length of a prestige drama show.

Now the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender is writing his own script — starring the Edison, New Jersey, native as the steady, reliable netminder Toronto has been desperately seeking through one failed postseason run after another. The Leafs have a Stanley Cup drought going back to 1967.

And — spoiler alert! — Stolarz could have a potential hit on his hands in the Leafs’ first-round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators. All Toronto needs is one more win — featuring a top-notch performance from Stolarz. It’s for him to stand and deliver.

Flash back to one year ago, and Stolarz was backing up Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida. He made his lone playoff appearance in Game 4 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton, replacing Bobrovsky after the Panthers had fallen into a 5-1 hole.

That became Stolarz’s playoff résumé — less than 35 minutes of cleanup duty in an 8-1 defeat. Bobrovsky returned for Game 5 and backstopped Florida to its first Cup win.

Stolarz rightly drank in the victory with his teammates. But would champagne from hockey’s holy grail have tasted sweeter to Stolarz if he’d had more opportunity to help earn it? He’s hoping to find out.

Florida let Stolarz explore free agency in the summer, and Toronto stepped in with a two-year, $5 million contract. The Leafs, who had moved on from Ilya Samsonov, needed a veteran to play in tandem with up-and-comer Joseph Woll and believed Stolarz, 31, could fill the role. To that point he’d never been a true starter — his busiest season had been in 2021-22 with the Anaheim Ducks, appearing in 28 games with a .917 save percentage and 2.67 goals-against average.

Stolarz might have grown used to being second on the call sheet. Going to Toronto gave him a chance at top billing. And Stolarz hasn’t taken the investment for granted.

He was sensational from the start, compiling a regular-season record of 21-8-3 with a .926 SV% and 2.14 GAA. Stolarz’s impact on the Leafs was further reflected by his absence — the netminder missed 23 games following a December knee surgery and Toronto produced a 13-10 record. The Leafs were 20-7-2 after Stolarz’s return. Coincidence? Unlikely.

That’s not to say Woll didn’t pull his weight alongside — and without — Stolarz. The 26-year-old was 27-14-1 in the regular season with a .909 SV% and 2.73 GAA. But when it came time for Toronto coach Craig Berube to choose a playoff starter, it seemed like a no-brainer to tap Stolarz.

“He has experience in the playoffs,” Berube said. “He didn’t start [games], but he has experience of being there and seeing it. He’s been around for quite some time now. He’s played extremely well this year, and so he’s ready to go.”

Even that feels like an understatement. Stolarz has stood tall — with all of his 6-foot-6, 243-pound frame — in what could become the most successful postseason run Toronto has enjoyed in decades. If anyone can play their part to keep it going, it’s him. And what awaits Toronto on the other side would be more than just a second-round bout, but one against Bobrovsky and the Panthers — where Stolarz can flaunt his now-leading man status.

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COUNTLESS INTERNET MEMES have been launched featuring the Maple Leafs’ backlog of disappointing postseasons. Goaltending wasn’t entirely responsible for all of the Leafs’ floundering, but — especially lately — it hasn’t been a real boost, either.

The Leafs have flamed out in six first-round playoff series since 2016-17. The losses have come with impressive variety — from blown multigame leads to stomach-churning Game 7 overtime defeats — and through it all there’s been some lingering question of what a difference timely goaltending could have made.

Because that’s the key: It’s not just how many saves a goalie can accumulate but when they occur. That has been Stolarz’s calling card — that his dependability, not perfection, is a virtue.

Consider Toronto’s recent postseason history:

• In the 2021-22 playoffs, Jack Campbell had a marvelous regular season (.914 SV%, 2.64 GAA) and then stumbled in the playoffs (3-4, .897 SV% and 3.15 GAA). Toronto lost in the first round to Tampa Bay.

• In 2022-23, Samsonov was terrific in the regular season (.919 SV%, 2.33 GAA) but turned increasingly mediocre in the playoffs (4-4 record, .898 SV% and 3.13 GAA). Woll made three starts that postseason, going 1-2 with a .915 SV% and 2.43 GAA. Toronto lost in the second round to Florida.

• The Leafs’ most painful playoff chapter between the pipes might have been last season. Samsonov’s poor play contributed to Toronto’s 3-1 series deficit against Boston in the first round. Woll took over and salvaged the series with two sensational performances that forced Game 7. He then suffered an injury and couldn’t start in that deciding tilt. Toronto had no choice but to go back to Samsonov, who failed to shut the door in a 2-1 overtime loss. Samsonov finished the playoffs 1-4, with an .896 SV% and 3.01 GAA.

Stolarz has already backstopped the Leafs to a pair of overtime victories in this year’s first-round series against the Senators (although Ottawa managed just one OT shot on goal combined in those losses) and appears generally unruffled no matter the stakes.

He’s also a beacon of consistency: Toronto’s Game 3 win in extra time marked Stolarz’s 11th straight win going back to March 20. That stretch included shutouts in three of his past four starts.

That streak ended in Game 4. Ottawa’s desperation to stay alive in the series won out over the Leafs’ limp efforts in overtime — Toronto couldn’t capitalize on a four-minute power play, and later, after the Leafs failed to clear the zone, Jake Sanderson sent a shot sailing over Stolarz’s shoulder to give the Senators a 4-3 victory. Stolarz ended the night with an .810 SV%, his lowest of the season.

“I picked up [Sanderson’s shot] a little late. Tried to get there and fight through the screen,” Stolarz said after the defeat. “I thought we played a hell of a game. [The loss] boils down to making one more save on my end. But I like where our game is at; keep doing what we’re doing.”

Game 5 was slightly better for Stolarz — if worse overall for the Leafs. Toronto’s once dominant offense went ice cold as Senators’ goaltender Linus Ullmark turned in a 29-save shutout to lead Ottawa to a 4-0 victory and force a Game 6 on Thursday. Stolarz allowed two goals — one shorthanded, for the second consecutive game — on 17 shots to finish with an .882 SV%. He’s now 3-2 in the postseason, with an. 899 SV% and 2.25 GAA.

A pair of lackluster showings can’t snowball for Stolarz though if the Leafs expect to see Ottawa out of their first playoff appearance since 2017.

“We like our game, we’re doing a lot of good things,” Stolarz said after Game 5. “It’s always the toughest game to win, the fourth one. But if you had told us before the series we’d be up 3-2 going back to their place, that’s a position we’d take.”

Stolarz — who confirmed he “felt fine” despite a heavy workload in the series with three consecutive overtimes under his belt — learned a thing or two on the Panthers’ Cup run as well.

“No team is going to lay over,” he said. “[The Senators] have come out hard. It’s a little adversity for us. [The team] is making my job easy, it’s just fighting to make that one save.”

Those who know Stolarz best would expect no lesser response.

“He’s a gamer,” said Leafs winger Max Domi, who played with Stolarz on the OHL’s London Knights as they battled to consecutive Memorial Cup appearances in 2013 and 2014. “Unbelievable teammate.”

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STOLARZ DOES MORE to look out for the Leafs than just turn pucks aside. In the emotionally charged Battle of Ontario, Stolarz has used his imposing frame to keep the Senators from controlling his crease. Ottawa established a physical, net-front presence from the get-go, and Toronto has had to adjust accordingly. And when Senators forward Ridly Greig got in Stolarz’s face during Game 2, Stolarz required no invitation to push back — literally — at Greig, earning himself a roughing penalty.

There were no regrets from the goaltender.

“I’ve taken quite a few penalties in my day,” he said after the game. “Caught up in the heat of the battle. It is what it is.”

Stolarz’s teammates appreciate his enthusiasm and the way it drives his success guarding the cage.

“He’s just a competitor,” defenseman Brandon Carlo said. “There was that moment there where he and Greig got bodied up, but [Stolarz] is so focused on the present moment, and I love that. His compete level is just there the whole game, and I think that’s all you’re seeing is a ferocious competitor.”

That has spelled bad news for the Senators, as Stolarz has continuously stymied Ottawa’s offensive efforts. That could have been what drew the Senators’ Nick Cousins to get playful with Stolarz during warmups before Game 3, with the forward flipping a puck across the center ice line at Stolarz. The two had been teammates before — with Philadelphia in 2016-17 and last season with the Cup-winning Panthers — but the NHL didn’t see it as friendly fire. The league fined the Senators $25,000 and Cousins’ $2,083.33 for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Stolarz was hardly thrown off his game.

“I didn’t even notice, to be honest with you,” the goalie said. “I know [Cousins], played with him for a number of years. I’m sure he didn’t mean any malicious intent by it.”

Stolarz was open to toning down his own physicality, under the right circumstances. He followed up with officials before Game 3 about the Greig incident and delivered a clear message — “watch my back, and I’ll behave.”

The way Stolarz executes at his best, it’s tough taking your eyes off him. But he can be his own toughest critic. He shouldered responsibility for not tracking that Sanderson winner and closing the Senators out. And it wasn’t the first goal he’d lamented letting in. When Toronto led Ottawa 2-1 midway through the third period of Game 3, Stolarz allowed a wrister from Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa’s first shot of the frame, to go top shelf. That teed up an overtime session — though it lasted only 19 seconds before Simon Benoit called game.

The happy outcome didn’t dissolve Stolarz’s frustration about the Tkachuk score.

“Tough one for me to give up,” he said. “But that’s the great thing about playoff hockey, you’ve got 19 other guys there to help pick you up, and I knew after that I’d be dialed and the next shot I’d be ready for.”

Perhaps that’s one of Stolarz’s superpowers, too. He can shake off a bad goal or a bad game easier than others. The only time all season Stolarz lost consecutive starts was during a five-game skid through March. He followed that up with the 11-game win streak.

“He’s been outstanding all year,” defenseman Morgan Rielly said. “As teammates, we have to do what we can to support him and make his life a little bit easier. He’s been outstanding all year, and playoffs have been no different.”

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BERUBE KNEW THAT Stolarz wanted to be more than a career backup.

His time with Stolarz goes all the way back to Philadelphia, when the fresh-faced goaltender was finally entering the Flyers’ lineup after nearly three seasons in the American Hockey League. Berube — then the Flyers’ coach — sensed Stolarz, a second-round draft pick (No. 45 overall) in 2012, was eager to get rolling in the NHL. And Stolarz clearly never gave up on his goal of being a No. 1.

Here’s what NHL is looking at from last night. “Friend of Bieksa” Nick Cousins shoots puck at Stolarz. NHL not crazy about pre-game stuff…also clamped down on funny Scheifele/Hofer standoff in Blues/Jets series pic.twitter.com/ZF08AZwdO4

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 25, 2025

“He came in this year wanting to be a starter,” Berube said. “He’s been excellent all year. It took him a bit of time to establish himself again, but he’s doing the job for us right now.”

As long as that remains true, the Leafs can reasonably believe their postseason fortunes will turn, too. It wouldn’t be just because of Stolarz, of course. But for the Leafs, it’s nice to know he’s there.

And loving every minute of being a leading man — at last.

“It’s fun. I go out there and I enjoy what I do. I enjoy the game,” Stolarz said. “[We’re] all striving for the same goal. You want to go out there with a smile on your face and enjoy it.

“At the end of the day, it’s intense, heat of the battle. This is what you live for. This is playoff hockey.”

A new week brings … shocker! Yet another No. 1 team atop our list.

The National League continues to dominate MLB as well as our power rankings, with seven of the top 10 clubs residing in the Senior Circuit. Meanwhile, the American League is represented by two East teams and a red-hot Central squad.

As we enter May, it’s time to start taking what we’ve seen — for better or worse — a little more seriously as the sample size continues to grow. How do we make sense of all these first month performances?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on what we’ve seen and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Buster Olney to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 4 | Preseason rankings

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Record: 21-10
Previous ranking: 3

The pitching continues to be nothing short of remarkable, coming at a time when the Mets have been without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, and closer Edwin Diaz has been shaky. The Mets’ pitching staff has the best ERA but they’re also dominating in underlying metrics, as well — the lowest home run rate (by far), second-highest ground ball rate, third-highest strikeout rate and fourth-best rate of stranding baserunners. Only one team has allowed fewer stolen bases. — Olney

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Record: 21-10
Previous ranking: 1

Shohei Ohtani turned on the first pitch he saw from Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara on Tuesday night and launched it 114 mph for a leadoff homer. It marked his first time going deep in 13 days. Mookie Betts, the man who hits behind him, has scuffled for most of that stretch. Max Muncy, meanwhile, went 106 plate appearances before finally connecting on his first home run Wednesday. The Dodgers’ offense is still rounding into form, an even bigger concern when coupled with the shoulder injuries that recently hit Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. But the team has nonetheless won 21 of its first 31 games. — Gonzalez

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Record: 18-13
Previous ranking: 4

The Yankees have consistently built strong bullpens over the past decade, and so there is a natural recognition within the organization that more (and better) will be needed from this group as the season progresses. Devin Williams struggled so badly that he made the decision to remove him from the closer role easy for the coaching staff, and for now he’ll try to recover in a middle relief role. Jonathan Loaisiga will soon return, and the team’s hope is that the eventual return of Luis Gil to the rotation next month will ease the stress on a bullpen that’s generated a lot of innings (116 ⅓, seventh most in the majors). — Olney

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Record: 19-11
Previous ranking: 2

A Padres offense without Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth received a welcomed sight in the form of Xander Bogaerts on Tuesday. The shortstop entered with his OPS at just .663, then homered for the first time this season and added an RBI single as his team beat the red-hot Giants and snapped a four-game losing streak. Bogaerts is coming off an underwhelming 2024 season that saw him slash just .264/.307/.381. He is in the third year of an 11-year, $280 million contract that was widely viewed as a gross overpay. The Padres could desperately use a bounce-back year from him. — Gonzalez

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Record: 18-13
Previous ranking: 7

The Cubs’ offense came back to Earth over the weekend in a series loss to the Phillies, prompting manager Craig Counsell to make lineup changes. Moving up was catcher Carson Kelly, while shortstop Dansby Swanson dropped. He began the week hitting .170 with runners on-base with a whopping 4.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It landed him in the 8-hole, where there will be less pressure as the top and middle of the Cubs’ order continue to get on base at a solid clip. Counsell’s decision looked smart as Kelly clobbered a home run in his first game batting cleanup. — Rogers

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Record: 19-12
Previous ranking: 5

The Giants wrapped up a 5-2 homestand against the Brewers and Rangers last week with back-to-back walk-off victories. The first was delivered by Patrick Bailey, who went into that game batting just .159. The second came courtesy of a little league home run, when Heliot Ramos‘ slow roller was followed by errant throws from the opposing pitcher and first baseman. With that, the Giants improved to 19-10. It’s early still but in their first year under new president of baseball operations Buster Posey, they seem to have an air of magic about them. — Gonzalez

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Record: 19-12
Previous ranking: 9

The Tigers avoided a sweep against the Astros on Wednesday thanks in large part to a grand slam by none other than Javier Baez, who took advantage of Houston’s short left-field dimensions to notch his first home run this season. Baez’s contract has been an albatross, but he has been a solid hitter this season, carrying a .296/.337/.407 slash line through the end of April. The Tigers came into the year in search of right-handed power alongside newcomer Gleyber Torres. Getting production out of Baez and a rejuvenated Spencer Torkelson (.241/.359/.537 slash line) has been huge. — Gonzalez

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Record: 17-13
Previous ranking: 8

It is remarkable how closely these 2025 Phillies resemble the Tigers teams that David Dombrowski built when he was with Detroit. The Phillies have an elite rotation, just as those Detroit teams did (Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, et al), and Philadelphia has a lineup packed with sluggers, like the Tigers had Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Prince Fielder. And these Phillies also have bullpen concerns, just as those Tigers did. At some point, the Phillies will need more relief depth, whether it comes from a starter moved to the bullpen, an internal promotion or a trade. — Olney

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Record: 16-14
Previous ranking: 6

Some concern has popped up around D-backs closer Justin Martinez lately. The explosive right-hander had been experiencing a bout of shoulder fatigue that kept him out of some recent games, then saw his fastball velocity drop over his last couple outings. Martinez told MLB.com his arm “doesn’t bother me anymore” and chalked up his velocity dip to shoulder-strengthening exercises he had been taking part in. The D-backs got Kevin Ginkel, one of their more important high-leverage relievers, back from the injured list Tuesday. But Martinez’s health will be important to monitor moving forward — especially with A.J. Puk out for an indefinite time while dealing with elbow inflammation. — Gonzalez

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Record: 17-15
Previous ranking: 11

Boston has a good problem developing in Triple-A, where star prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are thriving. Mayer has four doubles and seven homers in his first 24 games, and Anthony is dominating the strike zone, with 21 walks and 22 strikeouts on top of his 1.004 OPS. The front office has clear alternatives in the event of injuries or lack of performance at the big league level, as well as valued trade options — maybe not these two prospects, but marketable big leaguers, like Wilyer Abreu — for the July trade deadline. — Olney

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Record: 18-12
Previous ranking: 16

Slowly but surely, the Mariners passed every AL West team recently on their way to first place this week as they’ve won their last seven series in a row. Seattle has finally started hitting — it ranked fourth in OPS last week (April 22-29), tied for the second-most home runs (10). Jorge Polanco went off, hitting five of the 10 while driving in 12. He was 9-for-16 over that time frame and is proving to be a good pickup for a hitting-starved team. — Rogers

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Record: 16-14
Previous ranking: 14

Quick, which pitcher leads the league in Baseball-Reference WAR? If you guessed Hunter Brown, you know your baseball. Brown is helping the Astros inch their way toward first place in the division as he’s been dominant through six starts this year, including his latest — a nine-strikeout performance against the Royals on Sunday. He’s given up just 24 hits in 37 innings while issuing a miniscule seven walks to 40 K’s. It’s exactly what Houston has needed as it continues to figure out its new-look offense. Brown showed signs of it last year, but he’s emerging as a true No.1 starter. — Rogers

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Record: 14-16
Previous ranking: 15

If the Braves overcome that brutal 0-7 start and make the playoffs, the narrative of their season will have to mention three emerging players — shortstop Nick Allen, acquired in a minor offseason trade with Oakland; right fielder Eli White, who has gone from bench player to regular as the Braves await the return of Ronald Acuna Jr.; and Alex Verdugo, who spent the offseason waiting for a deal before signing with Atlanta for $1.5 million. That trio has spurred the recent turnaround. — Olney

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Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 18

Have the Reds turned the corner or did a series sweep in Colorado just pad some stats? Time will tell, but the confidence boost for the offense must have some meaning. Seemingly everyone in the lineup hit at Coors Field, which celebrated its 30th anniversary Saturday — though it was the Reds who celebrated that night when newcomer Austin Hays blasted two home runs. That came one night after Cincinnati totaled 13 hits in an 8-7 win. Overall, the Reds scored 22 runs in the three games against Colorado and then came home and beat the Cardinals. Nice week. — Rogers

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Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 10

The Rangers continue to have all sorts of problems scoring runs, especially now that Corey Seager is on the shelf. They rank in the bottom five in the majors in average runs per game — and that includes a 15-run outburst against the A’s on Tuesday. That came after six straight games of scoring fewer than four runs. Texas won a few of those contests thanks to its pitching staff but outside of Wyatt Langford and Josh Smith, the Rangers simply aren’t getting enough production at the plate. Marcus Semien heads the list of players who are struggling. — Rogers

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Record: 17-13
Previous ranking: 12

Steven Kwan flirted with a .400 batting average into June last year. This year, his early-season surge has been predicated largely on power. His slugging percentage sits at .466, 70 points higher than his career mark heading into 2025. An April surge, though, is nothing new. Lots of major league hitters struggle out of the gate, but Kwan has a career .323/.397/.427 slash line through the season’s first full month. “I think it being the start of the year helps a lot,” Kwan told MLB.com. “All your prep takes just a little longer, in a good way. You’re very intentional.” — Gonzalez

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Record: 14-16
Previous ranking: 19

Chandler Simpson made peace long ago with the reality that he is at his best when he gets on base and runs like hell, rather than getting swept up in the collective effort of his generation to put the ball in the air. One number will largely define his career: on-base percentage. And so far, so good — he has a .349 OBP in his first days in the big leagues, with five strikeouts to three walks. He’s hit a total of two home runs since he started college — i.e., in over 2,000 plate appearances. That’s a good thing … for him. — Olney

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Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 13

The Brewers’ rotation is quietly starting to come together. It is up to eighth in starter’s ERA — that’s one spot higher than the first-place Cubs — and just got Tobias Myers back from an oblique strain. With Quinn Priester pitching well in the back end and the long-awaited return of Brandon Woodruff nearing, Milwaukee’s arrow is pointing up. The Brewers haven’t had as tough of a schedule as the Cubs, but until playing the White Sox this week, it’s still been pretty gnarly. Milwaukee has played 23 games against plus-.500 teams — third most in the NL behind the Cubs and Giants. — Rogers

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Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 21

The Royals sat at 8-14 on April 19. Since then they have won eight of nine games to stay relevant in the AL Central. And though their offense continues to be a problem — they’ve hit the fewest home runs in the majors this year, with their outfield combining for just four — their pitching has been a strength. The Royals’ staff has posted a 2.14 ERA since April 20. Four of their starters — Michael Lorenzen, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic — have combined for a 1.66 ERA since then. — Gonzalez

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20. Athletics

Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 24

JP Sears continues to take steps forward, emerging as a top starter for the Athletics. His ERA has dropped each year he’s been with the A’s as he sports a nifty 2.94 mark after six outings, including a one-run performance against Texas on Monday. He tied a season high with seven strikeouts in that game, a number he’s reached in half his starts. Sears is doing it with some nasty breaking stuff, including a slider/sweeper combo that has stymied hitters. He’s even getting some back luck on those pitches, as his expected numbers on them are lower than his actual ones. — Rogers

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Record: 13-18
Previous ranking: 26

There’s no better antidote to early season struggles than a light schedule. Give the Twins credit, though — they took advantage of it. They hosted the White Sox and Angels for six games last week and won five of them, including holding the Angels to just one run in 18 innings on Saturday and Sunday. Seven of those innings were pitched by Joe Ryan, who was coming off a rough outing against the Braves but now has a 3.18 ERA through his first six starts. David Festa, meanwhile, has allowed just two earned runs in 13 innings this season. And Chris Paddack has been much better, posting a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts. The rotation beyond Pablo Lopez is seemingly solidifying. — Gonzalez

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Record: 14-16
Previous ranking: 17

Toronto plays its home games in a ballpark that fosters home runs, and the team’s big offseason acquisition was Anthony Santander, who hit more home runs last season than anyone not named Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. It is shocking, then, to see Toronto’s lack of power early in this season: Incredibly, the Blue Jays have just four more total home runs (19) than the Yankees have hit in the first inning (15). Santander has just four this year, with a shockingly low slugging percentage of .316, while Bo Bichette is still looking for his first home run. The Jays are 26th place in runs scored. Not good. — Olney

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Record: 12-18
Previous ranking: 20

Under general manager Mike Elias, Baltimore has worked from the same playbook as the Astros and Cubs a dozen years ago: tanking, followed by the drafting of elite position players, followed by some success at the big league level. Where the Orioles’ path diverged from those models, however, is in spending on pitching. The Cubs invested $155 million in Jon Lester, for example, and the Astros traded for the pricey Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. What the O’s are doing now — struggling — is not a manager problem; it’s about a miserly ownership and front office. — Olney

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Record: 14-17
Previous ranking: 22

Lars Nootbaar is on his way to a career season. It’s still early but the signs are good, beginning with a strikeout-to-walk ratio that’s less than 1.00. That’s easily the best of his career as is his overall 17.9% walk percentage. It’s all added up to a .400 OBP and .800-plus OPS. The Cardinals are using this season to figure out who they want as part of their future and the 27-year-old is showing them — at least through the first month — that he should be included in that conversation. — Rogers

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Record: 13-18
Previous ranking: 27

Some of the expected teams leading up to the trade deadline aren’t perceived by rival executives to have much in the way of valued options, but the Nationals could be popular among scouts, with Nathaniel Lowe (who has six homers and a respectable .786 OPS), Alex Call (strong OBP) and closer Kyle Finnegan. According to Fangraphs, the Nationals’ chances for making the playoffs stand at 1% — and general manager Mike Rizzo has a reputation built on his decisiveness. — Olney

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Record: 12-17
Previous ranking: 23

There were plenty of mediocre performances on the mound for the Angels this past week as no starter gave up less than three runs in an outing while the bullpen had its issues as well. Tyler Anderson and Jack Kochanowicz each pitched a quality start, but in between, Jose Soriano, Kyle Hendricks and Yusei Kikuchi all struggled. Reliever Carl Edwards Jr.’s return to the majors didn’t go smoothly, nor did an outing by Victor Mederos. Only Ryan Johnson pitched well out of the pen. It’s added up to a staff ERA closer to 5.00 than 4.00 and a ranking in the bottom five of the AL. — Rogers

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Record: 12-18
Previous ranking: 25

The assumption going into spring training was that Sandy Alcantara would eventually become the most coveted starting pitcher in the trade market, as he works in his first full season after an elbow reconstruction. But there is no getting around this reality: Alcantara is really struggling, with an 8.31 ERA following his truncated outing in Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. His strikeout rate is a shockingly low 6.58 per nine innings. His changeup has devolved from one of the most devastating pitches to a problem. Right now, he has no trade value. — Olney

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Record: 12-19
Previous ranking: 28

Paul Skenes went into the belly of the beast and took care of business Friday, shutting down the Dodgers in Los Angeles with a gem of a performance. He pitched into the seventh inning, giving up five hits — three to No. 9 hitter Andy Pages — while striking out nine without issuing a free pass. Skenes threw fastballs for 38% of his pitches, with an even split between his splitter, curve and sweeper. It was masterful and lowered his ERA to 2.39. The shining light of the Pirates continues to do just that: shine. — Rogers

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Record: 7-23
Previous ranking: 29

Through the first 30 games of their 121-loss season in 2024, the White Sox were 6-24. Through their first 30 games of 2025, the White Sox are … 7-23. And though the lack of progress from even the worst of campaigns has been incredibly exasperating on the South Side of Chicago, White Sox general manager Chris Getz preached patience in a recent session with the local media. “It is frustrating when we don’t win ballgames,” he said, “but we’ve got greater hopes of bringing this together. And we know it’s going to take time, but we’re all confident it’s going to happen.” — Gonzalez

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Record: 5-25
Previous ranking: 30

German Marquez was charged with seven earned runs in 5⅓ innings against the Braves on Tuesday, and the Rockies lost for the eighth consecutive time. It marked their second such losing streak in 17 games, a 1-16 run that stands as the worst stretch in franchise history. Their overall record by that point was 4-25, tied with the 2003 Tigers and the 1988 Orioles for the worst 29-game start since 1900. The former team ultimately lost 119 games that season. Given the overall strength of this year’s NL West, it isn’t hard to foresee the 2025 Rockies doing even worse. — Gonzalez

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored on a laser of a shot off a faceoff, Logan Thompson made some spectacular saves among his 28, and the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in Game 5 of their first-round series Wednesday night to advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It’s the Capitals’ first series win since capturing the Stanley Cup in 2018, and they clinched at home for the first time since 2015. They face the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round with a spot in the Eastern Conference finals at stake.

Ovechkin led the way with his power-play goal 11 minutes in, setting off chants of “Ovi! Ovi!” from the juiced-up crowd. Pierre-Luc Dubois delivered a perfect pass to Jakob Chychrun, who beat Jakub Dobes just over two minutes later. Tom Wilson provided a valuable insurance goal late in the second period.

Fans expressed their appreciation for Thompson with chants of “LT! LT!” when he turned aside Kaiden Guhle on a 3-on-1 rush and with under two minutes left when he flashed his glove to rob Nick Suzuki with Dobes pulled for an extra attacker. Brandon Duhaime sealed it with an empty-netter with 25.6 seconds left.

Thompson was at his best at the start, when the Canadiens came out with the desperation expected from a team facing elimination, and in the third period, when they pressed and tilted the ice toward him. Much like the final minutes of Game 2, Washington’s No. 1 goaltender kept the puck out of the net in crucial situations to pave the way to a victory — sometimes getting his masked head in the way of shots.

The Capitals asserted their dominance in the East’s 1 versus 8 series a year after getting swept as the underdog in it by the New York Rangers. Banged up and without top goalie Sam Montembeault and scoring winger Patrik Laine, the Canadiens got a goal from Emil Heineman but ultimately ran out of steam after going on a tear down the stretch late in the regular season to be the last team to qualify for the playoffs.

Carolina and Washington will meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The Hurricanes won that series in seven games on a goal in double overtime.