
Five months from Olympics, here’s what you should know about Team USA men’s hockey
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adminThe 4 Nations Face-Off last February was a smash hit and set the stage for an even more competitive 2026 Olympics in Milan in February. With NHL players participating for the first time in 12 years, USA coach Mike Sullivan said “the stakes have never been higher” for the 12-team tournament.
As Team USA gathered for an orientation camp last week in Plymouth, Michigan, the players and management did not shy away from the pressure .
“The expectation is to go to Milan and win the gold medal,” Vegas star Jack Eichel said Wednesday at the camp. “I think anything short of that, it would be disappointing.”
With the U.S. looking to win its first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, the talent pool is deeper than ever. General manager Bill Guerin and his staff have a series of difficult decisions.
“The guys that played in [4 Nations] did a great job, but we have to go back to the drawing board and start over again,” Guerin said. “Guys have to be playing well. They’ve got to be healthy. So it’s really tough to say how much is the roster going to change. I don’t know. We will see as time goes on, but having the two extra spots is huge.”
Five months out, here’s what you should know about how Team USA is being constructed.
THE TWO-DAY CAMP — about three weeks before NHL training camps open — featured no on-ice sessions, and no systems and strategy were discussed. The focus was building camaraderie and setting expectations. Guerin gathered the 44 players in a ballroom for a talk once they arrived. According to players, the message was this: Team USA had a good showing at the 4 Nations but fell short. The Olympics are a bigger stage, with more tradition. The 2026 Games are a prime opportunity to make a statement on how far the United States has come as a hockey country.
“I think the message is that we can play any style,” said Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh, joined by Patrick Kane as the only holdover invitees from the 2014 Olympic team in Sochi. “We can go against any team, how they’re built and we feel confident that we can win.”
“They had a good talk with us,” Devils defenseman Brett Pesce said. “The expectation is gold and nothing else — and I completely agree. Whoever makes the team, the talent pool is insane.”
ALL 23 PLAYERS who were named to the 4 Nations team were in attendance except Matthew Tkachuk — plus Jake Sanderson, Tage Thompson and Pesce who were later brought on as injury/illness replacements. Tkachuk tore his adductor muscle and suffered a sports hernia injury during 4 Nations, which sidelined him for most of the final against Canada, then Florida’s last 25 regular-season games before he returned in the playoffs. He had offseason surgery and is expected to sit out the start of the NHL regular season.
This summer was a big one for Tkachuk: he got married back home in St. Louis, then underwent surgery. Guerin said he was “planning and expecting” for Tkachuk to be ready for Milan. Tkachuk’s brother, Brady, was even more emphatic. “I think it’s a full expectation of him not just to play but be at his best,” he said. “It goes back to the injuries that he has had and he’s played through, he’ll just give you absolutely everything that he has. I know with his preparation and his work ethic that he’ll probably be in the best shape he’s ever been in after this surgery.”
Matthew and Brady talked constantly during the two-day camp, which Matthew didn’t attend because it wasn’t a good idea for him to travel. “He’s had the most FOMO that I’ve ever seen him have,” Brady said.
THE 44-PLAYER camp roster featured some notable omissions — but also some surprising additions: young players such as Jackson LaCombe, Frank Nazar, Shane Pinto and Alex Vlasic, all long shots to make the team. What they have in common: they were on the roster in May for the world championships, which the U.S. men’s team won for the first time in 92 years. That commitment was rewarded.
“We’re doing things differently now, and the world championships are absolutely connected to this. If you’re saying no and you don’t have a legit excuse, it will hurt you,” Guerin said. “I am not afraid to say that we don’t look at that with the Olympics coming up. That’s the biggest stage. The world championships are huge. They might not be as popular in the United States, but in Europe, in Canada, it is, and it has to be important for us. … We need to know what you’re all about. We need to know that you want to help USA Hockey win.”
TAGE THOMPSON SAYS he believes he should have been on the 4 Nations team.
The Sabres star said Guerin called him well before the roster was released to let him know he was on the outside. “When I received the news, obviously it sucked,” Thompson said. “That was a big goal of mine and I wanted to be on the team. To be honest with you, I felt like I would do a good enough job last year.”
The 6-foot-7 forward says he adds an element Team USA covets: versatility. “In the early stages of my career, I was in a different role and was playing more of a fourth, third line checking, defending role,” Thompson said. “As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve been given opportunities to move up, with the ability to score and create plays. If that’s something they already have and they don’t need, then I also believe with my size and my speed, I can play pretty much any role that they need me to. PK, power play, whatever.”
Thompson said he didn’t want to project it out loud but acknowledged he did use the snub as motivation. After his call with Guerin, Thompson scored 33 goals and 54 points over his final 57 games. Thompson says he’s putting an extra emphasis on consistency and cleaning up some of his game in the defensive zone. But the 27-year-old remains confident.
“You’re looking at the 25 best players in the country,” Thompson said. “So now it’s, what role are you going to play and who is going to do their job the best? I believe I can do any of those roles the best.”
JOHN TORTORELLA WAS an unsung member of Team USA’s coaching staff at 4 Nations. Sullivan asked his former mentor to take on a different role. “I don’t want you to be the hammer,” Sullivan told Tortorella. “I’ll be the hammer. I want you to be the old wise man. I want you to reveal yourself to the players and the other coaches, to show the John Tortorella that I know, that my wife knows, my kids know, that your kids know. The side you don’t show the world very often.”
While the younger players loved having Tortorella around, Sullivan credited the former Flyers coach for being his sounding board; it was Tortorella who gave affirmed to Sullivan that they should put the Tkachuk brothers together on a line halfway through the opening game against Finland — which changed the complexion of the tournament.
Since Tortorella is not on an NHL bench this fall, Guerin has tasked Tortorella with another new role. The 67-year-old will be hitting the road early in the NHL season to scout, with an extra focus on bubble players.
BEFORE 4 NATIONS, it had been a long time since NHL players competed in a best-on-best competition, and even the stars were taken aback by the intensity.
“The game really didn’t translate to the NHL game; it was a different skill level, different speed,” goalie Connor Hellebuyck said. “When I got back to my NHL game, first I had to shake off losing. Then I had to get back into my routine.”
Quinn Hughes, watching at home while injured, noted: “I don’t want to say you couldn’t notice anyone, but it felt like everyone was just fitting in because guys were so good. I felt like no one could really stand out or you couldn’t really put your imprint on the game too much. You might’ve had one chance or two chances and it’s either you take advantage of those chances or you don’t, but no one was getting six, seven chances, which you might get in an NHL game.”
HUGHES WAS GUTTED to miss 4 Nations because of injury.
“Obviously I feel like I could have made a difference. I mean there’s still moments in the game where I feel like I could have taken advantage of some things, but you never know,” Hughes said. “The beautiful thing is that I’ll hopefully have the chance in February again, so really test myself there.”
It was a challenging season for the Vancouver captain, as he managed several different injuries.
“I tore my oblique, then came back a little too early and hurt my groin because my oblique was probably weak,” Hughes said. “And then I hurt the ligament in my hand in late December off a one-timer, and I’ve taken two million one-timers in my career, and for whatever reason that happened.”
He was able to play with a cast on his hand, which he said “actually worked out great.” It was the oblique, Hughes said, that kept him out of 4 Nations. The good news heading into important season — both for the Canucks, and Team USA — is that Hughes said he had a great summer, which he called a mental and physical reset.
THE TRADE FROM Chicago to Florida changed Seth Jones‘ hockey life. When the 4 Nations roster was submitted in December, Jones was on the Blackhawks and it seemed nobody talked about the 30-year-old as a notable omission. Fast-forward a few months and Jones played the most of any Panther (outside goalie Sergei Bobrovsky) in Florida’s dominant 23-game Stanley Cup run. Jones is now firmly back on the radar.
He’s careful to compare his situation with the Blackhawks and Panthers, but believed he played “more confidently” with Florida.
“I’m comfortable with where I’m at; over a long playoff run you can show you can play with that physicality, and in different situations over those 2½ months,” Jones said. “Hopefully they saw that.”
With Hughes, Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin and Zach Werenski basically locked into the top four, the final spots on the blue line are fierce. Adam Fox is coming off a down season, but talk at USA camp was that the Rangers’ defenseman is poised for a major comeback. Sanderson, an up-and-comer, earned his way into a more regular role after being thrust into 4 Nations as a 22-year-old.
“I’m not sure what my chances are,” Jones said. “But I’m going to do my best to make it.”
IT’S GOING TO be an intense start to the season. With dozens of players across several countries and NHL teams fighting for bubble spots on Olympic rosters, there’s a common prediction among players: games over the first three months are going to have extra juice.
“Obviously it’s going to be interesting playing for your team, your personal team, then in the back of your mind, you’re kind of playing for this as well, right?” Jones said. “Usually you have the first 20 games after training camp, everyone’s getting settled into their system. I think you’re going to see a lot more guys look faster early on this season, because they’re fighting for something.”
4 NATIONS MARKED the first time Brady and Matthew Tkachuk were teammates, outside of an All-Star game. “It was the little moments — going back to the hotel and going to each other’s rooms, hanging out, getting dinner, I felt like we were just inseparable for the two weeks. It felt like we were kids again,” Brady said. “It was just so special in the locker room, looking across the room and seeing him and hearing what he has to say and his Stanley Cup experience of giving it to everybody.”
Now, the Hughes brothers, who are good friends with the Tkachuks, have a chance to do the same. Quinn Hughes has already been named to the team; Jack and Luke hope to join him. Quinn and Jack were teammates for a World Juniors team. Jack and Luke are teammates in New Jersey. But Quinn has never played with Luke, who is 23.
“It’s something we’ve always dreamed of, to play with each other and wear the crest,” Luke Hughes said. “The three of us to do that together would be such an honor. So it will happen someday. I think it will happen someday.”
The Hughes brothers enjoyed being together at camp last week, and they were together … a lot.
“It’s like three brothers, they bicker back and forth,” said Pesce, Luke’s defense partner in New Jersey. “And then you add Quinn, he’s the older brother. I feel like he’s kind of the middle man. They’re always barking at each other. Sometimes it’s hockey, sometimes it’s the Chipotle bill. They’re always goofing on each other; it’s fun.”
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MLB trade deadline winners and losers — a month later
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1 hour agoon
September 3, 2025By
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Bradford DoolittleSep 3, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com
- Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com
- Been with ESPN since 2013
The last Stock Watch of the regular season is here. Before the next one, we’ll know who the 2025 World Series champion is, and will be knee-deep in another Hot Stove season.
With the Milwaukee Brewers topping the watch for the second month in a row, let’s use that surprising fact to make a couple of observations about this year’s competition:
• Payroll matters but it’s still no excuse. The likely playoff bracket looks loaded with big markets and big spenders, but teams like the Brewers and Kansas City Royals kind of take away the excuses of everyone who bemoans baseball’s economic disparity. Not that we shouldn’t seek to even the field, but in the meantime, teams should still be trying to win.
• There’s a solid chance we might see a champion we’ve never seen before. There are just five remaining teams with a goose egg in the World Series championship column. One of them is the Brewers, whose odds for ending that drought are the highest in baseball. Two others are the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners, both likely playoff teams. Taken together, these three clubs have around a 28% shot at this year’s title. In other words, there’s better than a 1-in-4 chance that some long-suffering fan base will get to have a parade in a couple of months.
With the MLB trade deadline more than a month old, let’s take a look at the most recent fortunes of all 30 teams, with an eye on how their moves (or non-moves) have worked (or not worked) so far.
Win average: 98.7 (Last: 95.9, 1st)
In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.2%)
Champions: 18.3% (Last:11.3%)
Deadline aftermath: Milwaukee was quiet at the deadline and hasn’t gotten much from its additions. Backup catcher Danny Jansen hasn’t hit since arriving, while reliever Shelby Miller has been so-so in a mid-leverage role. Yet Milwaukee has baseball’s best record and run differential since deadline day. Sometimes you don’t mess with a good thing. Should the injury to closer Trevor Megill linger, you might argue Milwaukee should have been more aggressive in pursuit of a back-end reliever. First, we ought to wait for the Brewers’ bullpen to actually struggle, because Milwaukee always has an answer when it comes to filling roster holes.
Win average: 93.8 (Last: 92.7, 5th)
In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 96.8%)
Champions: 10.6% (Last: 7.8%)
Deadline aftermath: Dave Dombrowski went with quality over quantity at the deadline and it has paid off. Harrison Bader has mashed while playing mostly every day in center field. Jhoan Duran hasn’t been perfect, but he has been everything the Phillies could have hoped for, while changing the dynamic of the bullpen, now and looking ahead to October. It took Duran a month to move into a tie for the Phillies’ saves lead, a period during which he didn’t allow a walk or a homer. The additions continue even after the stinging loss of Zack Wheeler. Conceding nothing, Dombrowski also signed Walker Buehler on Sunday after Buehler was released by the Red Sox.
Win average: 93.3 (Last: 95.8, 2nd)
In the playoffs: 99.9% (Last: 99.4%)
Champions: 7.2% (Last: 13.6%)
Deadline aftermath: Chicago’s quiet deadline rankled pundits, and the reaction hasn’t softened given the struggles of the few additions the Cubs did make, and the ongoing distance between them and the Brewers in the National League Central. The Cubs might want to stop trading for infielders at the deadline. Last year, they picked up Isaac Paredes, who flailed as a Cub, then moved on and went back to his typical self this year with the Astros. This time, Willi Castro has gone from an above-average hitter with Minnesota to borderline unplayable with the Cubs, at least at the dish, as part of Chicago’s overall offensive slide.
Win average: 92.9 (Last: 95.8, 2nd)
In the playoffs: 99.9% (Last: 99.4%)
Champions: 10.6% (Last: 15.4%)
Deadline aftermath: Los Angeles’ deadline approach was more similar to a team straddling the add/subtract fence than what the Dodgers actually are: a talent-laden, mega-rich defending champ angling for a repeat. Alex Call has helped as an extra outfielder who plays against lefties, but reliever Brock Stewart has struggled. Mostly the Dodgers have leaned on improved pitching health over the past month. Their revived hurlers have kept the Dodgers in the elite tier. Over the remainder of the season, if L.A. can match its first-half hitting with its second-half pitching, the Dodgers will hit the postseason as the behemoth we always thought they were.
Win average: 92.9 (Last: 93.3, 4th)
In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.2%)
Champions: 11.3% (Last: 11.3%)
Deadline aftermath: The Tigers went heavy on pitching at the deadline with a particular focus on positive regression candidates. It has worked for the bullpen, where Kyle Finnegan in particular has looked like a different pitcher than he was for Washington. The returns on starters Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack have been mixed. Detroit has played middling ball over the past month, largely due to an offense that has fallen off a bit and went unaddressed in the trade market. The Tigers are fine in the American League Central race, but find themselves in a tight battle for a No. 1 seed with Toronto.
Win average: 91.7 (Last: 90.7, 6th)
In the playoffs: 99.4% (Last: 92.9%)
Champions: 7.7% (Last: 5.3%)
Deadline aftermath: A leaky bullpen has kept the Blue Jays from keeping their AL East rivals at bay, and, as we enter the final month, Toronto could end up with a No. 1 seed or could be a road team in the wild-card round. The deadline impact has been mixed. Shane Bieber looks like Shane Bieber, an undeniable boost. But on a relief staff that features a closer (Jeff Hoffman) with 29 saves and a below-replacement bWAR, the additions of Seranthony Dominguez and Louis Varland have yet to pay off. If Toronto’s bullpen picks up the pace, this is a complete team.
Win average: 90.6 (Last: 90.2, 7th)
In the playoffs: 99.4% (Last: 89.0%)
Champions: 4.0% (Last: 4.5%)
Deadline aftermath: The Padres overtook the Dodgers a couple of times in August, only to slip back behind their nemesis. A.J. Preller’s deadline haul has accomplished its primary objective, which was to shore up roster holes and raise San Diego’s floor. The exception to that description — the addition of Mason Miller to an already strong bullpen — looks very much like a ceiling raiser. The only quibble might be in the rotation, where those the Padres dealt (Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek) have together outpitched those Preller acquired (Nestor Cortes, JP Sears). But Freddy Fermin, acquired for Bergert and Kolek, stabilized the catcher position.
Win average: 90.5 (Last: 88.8, 11th)
In the playoffs: 98.9% (Last: 87.2%)
Champions: 10.6% (Last: 8.0%)
Deadline aftermath: The Yankees’ trajectory changed sharply over the second half of August, a month they exited as one of baseball’s hottest teams. Behind a reinvigorated offense and a steady rotation, New York is back in contention for the AL East crown, a No. 1 seed, the whole pinstriped ball of wax. But the deadline-infused bullpen needs to pull it together consistently, or Yankees fans will enter October in an even more heightened state of anxiety than usual. If not for the solid work done so far by ex-Pirate David Bednar, New York’s work bolstering the relief group might look even worse.
Win average: 89.7 (Last: 88.9, 10th)
In the playoffs: 97.9% (Last: 87.6%)
Champions: 6.7% (Last: 5.5%)
Deadline aftermath: Boston’s pitching staff additions of Steven Matz and Dustin May didn’t exactly scream “‘all-in!” for a team that by the end of July had positioned itself for a playoff run. May and earlier in-season addition Jordan Hicks haven’t had an impact, but Matz has been lights out in a surging bullpen. Boston continues to play well, and the promotion of rotation prospect Payton Tolle is a jolt of energy for that unit. The Red Sox needed a power bat, but those were in short supply. The bottom line is that Boston hasn’t lost any ground since we last convened.
Win average: 88.1 (Last: 89.5, 9th)
In the playoffs: 85.3% (Last: 88.0%)
Champions: 3.6% (Last: 6.1%)
Deadline aftermath: Whatever you thought about Houston’s attempt to bolster its offense at the deadline with the additions of Carlos Correa, Jesus Sanchez and Ramon Urias, it hasn’t had the desired effect. Houston had a losing August (13-15) while ranking 26th in net runs per game. Only the Guardians scored fewer runs. Each member of the incoming trio has performed close to projection, so you can’t blame them, and it’s likely that without them, things would be worse. Still, the Astros enter the stretch run in a more precarious position than they’ve been in a long time.
Win average: 86.7 (Last: 90.1, 8th)
In the playoffs: 88.2% (Last: 89.4%)
Champions: 5.2% (Last: 4.5%)
Deadline aftermath: The Mets enter September with one of baseball’s hottest offenses. They also have one of MLB’s coldest pitching staffs. Thus, we’ve seen many games like New York’s 10-8 win over Detroit on Labor Day. The Mets got five quality starts in August. That isn’t great, but if the bullpen is rolling … well, it’s not. The relievers went 2-for-7 in save opportunities. Deadline pickups Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers have been fine, but the splash was supposed to come from Ryan Helsley, whose August ERA (9.31) was more like a belly flop. There’s a month to get this right before the playoffs.
Win average: 86.5 (Last: 86.8, 12th)
In the playoffs: 74.1% (Last: 70.4%)
Champions: 2.6% (Last: 3.4%)
Deadline aftermath: The process — acquiring Arizona’s corner infield of Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez — was deservedly lauded. The early results are mixed. At first base, Seattle’s OPS before Naylor’s Mariners debut was 0.708, mostly Rowdy Tellez and Donovan Solano. Since then, it’s 0.761. Good! At third base, the OPS was 0.664 before Suarez. It’s 0.659 since. Meh! Seattle has treaded water since the deadline splash, ranking 18th in runs, despite a huge month from Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh‘s homer-fest. The Mariners need their big guns to get hot at the same time, because nothing, not even a playoff slot, is assured.
Win average: 83.6 (Last: 84.1, 13th)
In the playoffs: 28.7% (Last: 43.2%)
Champions: 1.1% (Last: 2.1%)
Deadline aftermath: Despite lackluster offense, Texas targeted pitching before the deadline, coming away with relievers Danny Coulombe and Phil Maton. The big prize was starter Merrill Kelly, who seemed like a luxury addition until the injury to Nathan Eovaldi. The Rangers have leaned on Kelly and he has responded. That hasn’t been the case for the relievers, and for most of August, the Texas bullpen prevented the club from really catching fire. Texas heated up lately, but now faces most if not all of September without Eovaldi, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Manager Bruce Bochy will need to be in Hall of Fame form.
Win average: 82.5 (Last: 80.9, 16th)
In the playoffs: 11.3% (Last: 12.5%)
Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.1%)
Deadline aftermath: The Royals continue to undermine excuses from less aggressive clubs in baseball’s lower economic tiers. The threshold isn’t that high. Just try. Kansas City’s offense for most of the season was a hodgepodge of negative regression performers down from 2024, and glaring, gaping holes. The Royals, seven games under .500 near the end of June, added anyway, raising their floor with the likes of Adam Frazier, Randal Grichuk and Mike Yastrzemski. They also bolstered an injury-plagued rotation with Bergert and Kolek. End result: The Royals have plenty to play for during the stretch run. A playoff return remains in play.
Win average: 81.6 (Last: 82.3, 14th)
In the playoffs: 6.8% (Last: 12.3%)
Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.4%)
Deadline aftermath: The Reds’ acquisition of starter Zack Littell struck me as odd and, frankly, it still does. He has been pretty good. But Cincinnati has plenty of “pretty good” when it comes to the rotation. The Reds have candidates for much better than that behind the pretty good. Anyway, the pickups for the lineup have been chef’s kiss good. Miguel Andujar has hit like peak-level Miguel Cabrera. Ke’Bryan Hayes has flashed his elite defense and paired it with a level of offense that adds up to a really good player. If the Reds don’t make the playoffs, it won’t be because of deadline deficiencies.
Win average: 81.6 (Last: 81.8, 15th)
In the playoffs: 4.8% (Last: 9.4%)
Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.2%)
Deadline aftermath: The Giants went into soft unload mode around the deadline. They weren’t playing well, and while their probabilities made the playoffs possible, the trajectory wasn’t good. A month later, the Giants’ position hasn’t changed — they’re still a fringe playoff candidate — but some of their pickups have already contributed. Jose Butto has been very good out of the bullpen, and Drew Gilbert, while swinging at everything, has flashed some pop and is getting acclimated to the majors. The Giants are offering a glimpse of what they’ll be next season, and have given their fans reasons to watch the stretch run with interest.
Win average: 80.8 (Last: 80.3, 17th)
In the playoffs: 3.6% (Last: 10.2%)
Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.4%)
Deadline aftermath: Once again, the Rays’ deadline was about setting themselves up for the next season while not totally raising the white flag on the current one. As you can see from the unchanged win projection, things have chugged along on the same track, though staying the course has come with dwindling playoff odds. The new catchers — Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes — have together hit less than a pre-universal-DH pitcher. But the various departures have created openings for Feduccia, Carson Williams and Everson Pereira, and that’s the general idea. A miracle wild-card berth is not, as yet, totally out of the question.
Win average: 79.4 (Last: 79.3, 19th)
In the playoffs: 0.9% (Last: 6.5%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)
Deadline aftermath: Having Bieber around for Cleveland’s long shot postseason bid would be nice, but the judgment on the deal with Toronto is years off and pending the development of prospect Khal Stephen. Besides, Cleveland’s problem isn’t pitching. Despite finishing .500 in August, the Guardians enjoyed a clean sweep in the major hitting categories, finishing last in runs, average, OBP and slugging. Between the putrid attack and the losses of pitchers Luis L. Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase to indefinite leave, it’s amazing that Cleveland’s hopes remain slightly alive. That’s the beauty of this year’s AL. It’s hard to play yourself out of contention.
Win average: 78.9 (Last: 77.3, 21st)
In the playoffs: 0.5% (Last: 0.9%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: You can argue whether the Twins or the Diamondbacks traded more right-now value at the deadline but it’s one of the two. For Arizona, the losses of Kelly, Naylor, Suarez, Miller and Grichuk have … helped? It’s hard to claim that Arizona has played better because of those departures, but the Snakes have played better. The Diamondbacks went 17-12 in August and were in the top 10 in both run scoring and run prevention. Suarez replacement Blaze Alexander has taken off on offense, while on the pitching side, the bullpen has gotten hot thanks to the work of off-the-radar types.
Win average: 78.1 (Last: 79.4, 18th)
In the playoffs: 0.4% (Last: 2.6%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)
Deadline aftermath: The Cardinals followed a standard route last month, dealing free agents-to-be and forgoing short-term additions. The approach adheres to St. Louis’ plan to treat the 2025 season as a minor nuisance, no matter if the team on the field clings to fringe contention. The losses of those dealt, even closer Helsley, given how he has performed in New York, haven’t had any effect on the short-term performance. The Cardinals continue to plug along in the middle as they were, waiting for next season. In some ways, it might have been easier for their fans if the Cardinals had just politely bottomed out.
Win average: 75.8 (Last: 78.1, 20th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.6%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: The Marlins played it casual at the deadline rather than kicking the can down the road by dealing Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, for now anyway. So the rest of the season is about getting better and creating opportunity for young players like outfielder Jakob Marsee, who put up a huge August in the relative vacuum of a standard Marlins season. Unfortunately, one of the aspirants won’t be deadline pickup Ryan Gusto, who was torched over three Marlins starts before going down with a shoulder impingement. Hopefully in September we’ll see more prospects like Victor Mesa Jr. and Andrew Pintar.
Win average: 75.4 (Last: 76.0, 23rd)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.1%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: The Angels’ soft add around the deadline has actually worked, to a degree, in that bullpen additions Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia have been airtight. Thus a bottom-five bullpen has been middle of the pack since the end of July. But a 6.35 rotation ERA and an 0.665 OPS by the offense in August have rendered that development moot. The early returns on ex-Yankee Oswald Peraza haven’t been good, as not only has he struggled to keep his OPS over 0.500, but he gave up eight runs on the mound during a mop-up appearance. The Angels’ season appears headed nowhere.
Win average: 74.2 (Last: 69.5, 27th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: The A’s went 3-24 between May 6 and June 4, a month that sunk what looked like a possible wild-card candidacy. You don’t get to erase bad months from the record, but it’s worth considering that outside of that plunge, the Athletics are 10 games over .500. The splash at the deadline — trading Miller and getting elite prospect Leo De Vries in return — was a long-term play. Despite the short-term hit, the A’s had the fifth-best net runs per game figure in the majors during August and their relievers posted the best ERA in baseball. The Athletics are getting good.
Win average: 74.1 (Last: 72.4, 24th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: The Braves had a winning month after the deadline, but it did little to mitigate a titanically disappointing season in Cobb County. The injuries have continued, as have some pretty crucial underperformances, like that of starter Spencer Strider. Michael Harris II has been hot as a firecracker since the break, which has been encouraging, but this season has mostly been one of Atlanta becoming a frequent stop on the DFA merry-go-round. The only note you might offer about the deadline is that pending free agents Raisel Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna should have been moved. It’s been a rough season.
Win average: 73.8 (Last: 76.1, 22nd)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.3%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: Unsurprisingly, the Twins have floundered since their aggressive offloading approach to the deadline. With this season lost, Minnesota’s short-term focus is on the young players it picked up during the flurry of activity. The initial results for James Outman, Alan Roden, Mick Abel and Taj Bradley have been subpar across the board, but it’s early days and that list just represents those who have reached the majors. In any event, when you look at the exploits of ex-Twins like Harrison Bader, Jhoan Duran and Carlos Correa on their new teams, you can’t say Minnesota hasn’t impacted the pennant races.
Win average: 72.3 (Last: 72.3, 25th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: The Orioles turned the page on a disappointing season at the deadline and added depth to their system in the process. The on-field results haven’t improved since the reshuffling, though the rotation had a nice run of outings. It’s all about next season. The Orioles’ August was a mixed bag in that regard. On the downside, Coby Mayo, Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser struggled last month. Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers reached the majors, with Beavers in particular getting off to a good start. The Orioles won’t return to the postseason, but they can enter the offseason with positive momentum.
Win average: 71.6 (Last: 69.9, 26th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: With the Pirates’ focus, as ever, on the distant horizon, the remainder of Pittsburgh’s post-deadline roster has stayed competitive. The rotation remains the unit to watch, and August was not without interest for that group. Paul Skenes continues to build a Cy Young case, but for once, he’s not the biggest reason for excitement. That would be Bubba Chandler, technically a reliever for now, who has looked terrific over a pair of bulk outings. After eight scoreless frames to start his career, Chandler has a lifetime ERA even better than Skenes’. Hey, in Pittsburgh you get your kicks where you can.
Win average: 64.5 (Last: 64.5, 28th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: The Nationals’ never-ending rebuild feels stalled, perhaps even more so after another deadline of dealing veteran talent. Whether or not Washington got fair return in its deals is almost beside the point. When will it end? If the young foundational players were picking up momentum, it might feel different. But CJ Abrams, James Wood, Dylan Crews and Brady House are among those who have lagged since the All-Star break. If ever there was a franchise in need of a spark, it’s this one right now. The offense has been brutal, but the pitching, especially the rotation, has been even worse. Sigh.
Win average: 59.6 (Last: 62.1, 29th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: The White Sox were playing pretty well at the time of the deadline, but the month since has not been kind. Still, the record is neither here nor there, it’s more about individual performances right now. And through that prism, there is plenty to like about Chicago’s direction. Kyle Teel has been a well-rounded force at the plate. Colson Montgomery has displayed explosive power. There’s more, but you get the idea. The downer is the possible season-ending injury to Luis Robert Jr., whose combined slash over the past two seasons is .223/.288/.372. Maybe this is just what he is now.
Win average: 45.9 (Last: 44.3, 30th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Deadline aftermath: Colorado continues to lose games at a prodigious pace, but it’s a less frantic pace than earlier this season. Progress? Maybe not. During August, the Colorado rotation posted an ERA of 6.54 and allowed a .309/.381/.514 slash line. Before you start adjusting the rotation numbers for Coors Field, don’t bother. Those were the road numbers. The overall numbers can’t be published without a parental warning. One quest remains: Hunter Goodman‘s 2.7 bWAR places him third in Colorado history among primary catchers. The record is Chris Iannetta’s 3.2 in 2008. Setting any kind of positive record amid this mess would be something.
Sports
Bottom 10: Tide got rolled — but Bama isn’t the only Power 4 stinker
Published
3 hours agoon
September 3, 2025By
admin
-
Ryan McGeeSep 3, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- Senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com
- 2-time Sports Emmy winner
- 2010, 2014 NMPA Writer of the Year
Inspirational thought of the week:
Well, as I grew, indeed I rambled
Out along the open road
There I learned the rainbow circle
It’s truly said that’s a sign of storm
Now I’m old, my dreams they wander
Far away in yesterday
I’m going home to the Merrimack county
And find the grass that hides my grave
— “Merrimack County,” Tom Rush
Here at Bottom 10 Headquarters, currently located beside a roulette table in Tahoe, where we’re waiting on a callback from Coach Corso seeing as how he posted a perfect record in his final “College GameDay” picks and seeing as how he’s free this Saturday so maybe he might help us out, we are sifting through an old road atlas trying to locate Merrimack College.
Why? Because during college football’s opening weekend, the Warriors (located in North Andover, Massachusetts) went and upset the Bottom 10 cosmic balance like Thanos snapping his fingers, or Atlas shrugging, or whatever it was that Lex Luthor was doing with that weird army of tweeting monkeys in the latest “Superman” movie.
If you missed it — and if you did, shame on you and it’s time to rethink your priorities — the Warriors were on the cusp of handing State of Kent its 22nd consecutive loss. Then the realest thing happened. As in Da’Realyst Clark, he of the 100-yard kick return.
DA’REALYST CLARK TO THE HOUSE!!! KENT STATE MIGHT ACTUALLY WIN!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/GiJiy3KXWY
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) August 30, 2025
The Golden Flash in the Pan’s first win in more than 700 days. The two-time defending and reigning Bottom 10 champions suddenly with a “1” in the “W” column. And it’s just Week 1. At this pace we will be out of breath and in a ditch on the side of the road before the end of September. Likely covered in loose pages from last year’s Kent State football media guide.
With apologies to Oklahoma tight end Carson Kent, Tennessee Vols hero Joey Kent, MLB Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year runner-up Kent Tekulve and Steve Harvey, here are the post-Week 1 Bottom 10 rankings.
The Amherst Amblers are back in a familiar spot after losing to Bottom 10 Waiting Listers Temple of Doom 42-10. Let’s call it a homecoming. And not just because they have returned to #MACtion, but because they are scheduled as the homecoming opponent for four different teams this year. I don’t want to tell the UMass sports marketing department how to do its job, but shouldn’t it sell a florist sponsorship and have the team wear corsages?
The Bearkats kan’t klaim they kohabited in our preseason rankings, but konsidering they are the only 0-2 team in the kountry, konsequently we kurrently have them inkluded.
I hate to stop the celebration of the big win by moving the Flashes up “only” two spots, but reminder: I had to search high and low to find out about the team that lost to them.
The bad news? UCLA and its new former Vols QB lost to former Pac-12 foes Utah 43-10. The good news? Their TV ratings in Tennessee were the highest for a SoCal team since Lane Kiffin’s first game at USC. Sources tell Bottom 10 JortsCenter that Knoxville Walmarts sold out of Windex because of, quote, “All of the nacho cheese and Jack Daniel’s thrown at TVs when UCLA had the ball.”
The Coveted Fifth Spot is Bottom 10 holy ground. When you walk into this room, you do so by strolling past papier-mâché busts of Randy Edsall and Jeremy Pruitt. If you’ve ever been to the Alabama football facility, then you know that when Kalen DeBoer goes to work, he walks past the giant bronze heads of Wallace Wade, Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings and Nick Saban. I wonder, after you lose to Florida State 31-17: Do those busts make scary faces and sing spooky songs like the ones on the Haunted Mansion ride?
In ancient Rome, they would bring in bears to attack convicted criminals on the floor of the Colosseum. Last week it was a group of Bears that was mauled 73-13 by a bunch of Trojans.
The Owls of South Florida traveled to play the Eastern Seaboard Terrapins, where they were chomped 39-7. Now they host the Florida A&M Rattlers, before games with the Panthers, Tigers, other Owls and Dragons. I am assuming this is all part of a Nat Geo documentary soon to be streaming on Disney+.
September means #MACtion Paycheck Season. See: the Cards, who are receiving gift cards of $1.2 million and $1.3 million from Purdue and Auburn, respectively, for their first two games. Judging from their 31-0 loss to the Boilermakers, that should be just about enough to cover the cost of ibuprofen and bandages.
The Niners scored 11 points in their opening loss to Appalachian State, setting up our first and unlikeliest Pillow Fight of the Week of the Year, against …
When I was a kid growing up in the 1980s, Duke and NC State fans would put bumper stickers on their cars with the Carolina Blue footprint logo, the one with the black circle on the heel and the words “It ain’t Tar.” I once saw one of those stickers on a DeLorean. So was that actually a message from the future? From Doc Brown or Mack Brown?
Waiting list: Akronmonious, Southern Missed, Kennesaw Mountain Landis State, Muddled Tennessee, no Coach Corso.
Sports
McLean retires last 14, 1st Met to win 1st 4 starts
Published
10 hours agoon
September 3, 2025By
admin
-
ESPN News Services
Sep 2, 2025, 10:51 PM ET
DETROIT — Rookie Nolan McLean continued his brilliant start to his MLB career, retiring his final 14 batters Tuesday night to lead the Mets to a 12-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
McLean became the first Mets pitcher to go 4-0 in his first four starts, and just the first pitcher in the majors to do so since Chase Anderson, who started 5-0 with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014.
After a rocky first inning, McLean finished with seven strikeouts while giving up two runs on three hits and three walks. He is the first pitcher to win his first four career starts while allowing two or fewer runs in each start since Jered Weaver, who did it in his first seven starts for the Los Angeles Angels in 2006.
“Another impressive outing for him,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We all saw how in that first inning, especially the sweeper and the curveball … he didn’t have command of those pitches. A couple of walks, and they got him with a couple of singles there. That’s what you call pitching. Understanding that you have to make adjustments and find a way to get through five or six innings, and he was able to do that.”
Mendoza added: “Another really good sign for a kid that is just making his fourth start at the big league level.”
McLean’s 28 strikeouts through his first four starts ranks second in Mets history behind only Nolan Ryan (29).
Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who homered twice Tuesday night, said McLean’s work ethic has a lot to do with the incredible start to his career.
“I know everyone’s going to be talking about all the great stuff he’s doing on the field, which is for sure warranted, but how he’s going about his business, the day to day, it’s super impressive,” Alonso said.
“And that’s the reason why he’s able to do what he’s been able to do on the field. … He’s been a pro since he’s come up, and there’s no shock and awe for why he’s found his success.”
Juan Soto and Luis Torrens also homered for the Mets, who won the series opener 10-8 on Monday. New York moved five games ahead of Cincinnati for the final National League wild card.
The American League Central-leading Tigers have lost seven of nine.
Alonso’s first homer was a 435-foot drive in the first inning that landed between the first and second row of shrubs behind the center-field wall. Soto and Alonso hit back-to-back solo shots in a six-run seventh that gave the Mets a 12-2 cushion.
Soto has 37 home runs in his first season with New York, including five homers in the past five games. Alonso’s second homer was his 33rd of the year.
Jeff McNeil drove in three runs and finished with three of New York’s 17 hits. Brandon Nimmo and Brett Baty also had three hits for the Mets.
Information from The Associated Press and ESPN Research was used in this report.
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