Sports
Fantasy baseball: Bold predictions for every American League team
Making bold sporting statements without real repercussions can be fun, and fantasy baseball certainly is fun, so it is time again for us to combine these fun things into one column. Well, really it is two columns, as we get bold separately with the American League and the National League, making myriad predictions and hoping some (or several) may hit. Perhaps not, but at least they should make one think.
For example, a year ago we predicted that Athletics DH Brent Rooker would hit 50 home runs. He did not, but he did not struggle. We predicted Houston Astros RHP Hunter Brown would whiff 200 hitters and make the All-Star team. That did occur. Tampa Bay Rays OF Chandler Simpson very nearly stole 45 bases, but three Chicago White Sox did not hit 25 home runs. Byron Buxton and Mike Trout did play a lot! Grayson Rodriguez and Liam Hendriks did not.
Some (most) of these predictions will look a bit silly in six months, if not sooner. Still, there is a basis for making each of these bold statements, and perhaps it makes you think. Perhaps the player in question has a particular skill — or opportunity — that defies groupthink. Perhaps the statement is not a positive one. Fantasy baseball managers tend to follow rankings and projections but trusting your gut is important, too. Trust yourself. Take a few chances. Perhaps some of these bold picks will look wise in a few months.
With that in mind, let us get bold yet again for the pending season, starting with the American League.
Athletics: Could an Athletic hit 50 home runs this season? With reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, anything seems possible. Let’s give Rooker 40 blasts. … SS Jacob Wilson trades some contact for pop, hitting .280 with 18 home runs. … RHP Luis Severino can’t be that bad again in home games (6.01 ERA): Overall, he wins 13 games with a 3.80 ERA. … RHP Justin Sterner saves 18 games.
Baltimore Orioles: 2B Jackson Holliday (hand) makes his season debut in mid-April and still reaches 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. … Two Orioles hit 40 home runs (SS Gunnar Henderson, 1B Pete Alonso). … OF prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. debuts in July. He steals 26 bases. … LHP Trevor Rogers surprisingly is for real: 15 wins, 2.80 ERA, All-Star appearance. … RHP Andrew Kittredge saves more games than Ryan Helsley.
Boston Red Sox: OF star Roman Anthony hits 40 home runs and he is not the primary leadoff hitter for long. … Seven Red Sox hit 20 home runs, including 1B Triston Casas. … LHP Garrett Crochet whiffs 275 hitters and earns the AL Cy Young Award. … RHP Sonny Gray fans 180 hitters for his fifth team, and he wins a career-high 15 games.
Chicago White Sox: New 1B Munetaka Murakami and SS Colson Montgomery each hit 31 home runs, although neither infielder hits above .220. … New 2B Luisangel Acuna steals 28 bases. … Staff ace RHP Shane Smith makes the AL All-Star team again! … RHP prospect David Sandlin debuts in July, and he posts a 3.40 ERA in 12 starts.
Cleveland Guardians: Three Guardians hit 30 home runs, with newcomer 1B Rhys Hoskins joining 3B Jose Ramirez and 1B Kyle Manzardo. … Brittle OF Chase DeLauter, new No. 2 hitter, bats 510 times. … DH David Fry earns his catcher eligibility in June, and he finishes as a top 15 fantasy catcher. … RHP Tanner Bibee makes his first All-Star game. He wins 15 games and strikes out 200.
Detroit Tigers: OF Kerry Carpenter hits 32 home runs, knocks in 99 runs. … Prospect Max Anderson takes the 3B job in late-May, hits .290 over 420 PA. … RHP Justin Verlander wins 13 games with a 3.40 ERA. He starts Game 2 of the playoffs. … RHP Kenley Jansen saves 36 wins, sailing past 500 saves for his career and he retires.
Houston Astros: 1B Christian Walker leads the team with 30 home runs, with OF Yordan Alvarez and 3B Isaac Paredes adding 28. … Year 2 goes better for OF Cam Smith. He hits .270 with 22 home runs. … New RHP Mike Burrows wins 12 games with 160 strikeouts. … RHP Bryan Abreu saves 25 games and makes the All-Star team. Be very careful about LHP Josh Hader.
Kansas City Royals: Four Royals hit 30 home runs, led by slugging OF Jac Caglianone and solid 1B Vinnie Pasquantino with 34. … OF Starling Marte, active leader in stolen bases (and caught stealing), adds 22 steals. … OF Isaac Collins becomes the every-day 2B and posts a .375 OBP with 22 steals. … RHP Stephen Kolek (oblique), not in the Opening Day rotation, still wins 12 games with a 3.40 ERA.
Los Angeles Angels: SS Zach Neto delivers the third 30/30 season in franchise history (Bobby Bonds, Mike Trout). … Healthy OF Josh Lowe rediscovers his 2023 numbers, hitting 22 home runs and stealing 28 bases. … Speaking of health, RHP Grayson Rodriguez posts a 3.50 ERA over 26 starts, with myriad strikeouts. … LHP Drew Pomeranz saves 20 games.
Minnesota Twins: 2B Luke Keaschall scores 90 runs as leadoff hitter, batting .285 with 32 stolen bases. … OF Byron Buxton and 3B Royce Lewis each bat more than 500 times, and each reaches 30 home runs. … RHP Zebby Matthews breaks out with a 3.50 ERA and 170 strikeouts.
New York Yankees: OF Trent Grisham nearly does it again, hitting 30 home runs with 90 walks. … Grisham and C Ben Rice are among six Yankees who reach 30 home runs. … RHP Gerrit Cole (elbow) returns in May, and he wins 14 of his 22 starts with a 3.20 ERA. … LHP Ryan Weathers surprises with a 3.50 ERA in 24 starts.
Seattle Mariners: 2B Brendan Donovan scores 90 runs as leadoff hitter, while adding a .295 batting average. … SS prospect Colt Emerson debuts in May and he hits 15 home runs. … Five Mariners starting pitchers (Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Bryce Miller) make at least 28 starts with an ERA better than 3.50.
Tampa Bay Rays: An improved 3B Junior Caminero hits .280 with 50 home runs, and he ends up second in MVP voting. … OF Jonny DeLuca stays healthy enough to steal 30 bases, while OF Chandler Simpson steals 62 bases. … RHP Brody Hopkins debuts in July and dominates with a 2.80 ERA in 14 starts. … RHP Griffin Jax saves 28 wins.
Texas Rangers: OF Wyatt Langford stays healthy enough to appear in 152 games, reaching 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. Ian Kinsler was the last Ranger to reach 30/30 (2011). … 1B Jake Burger and DH Joc Pederson bounce back and each delivers 28 home runs. … RHP Nathan Eovaldi leads the staff with a 2.80 ERA in 26 starts and makes his third All-Star team.
Toronto Blue Jays: OF George Springer nearly does it again, hitting .280 with 28 home runs and 96 runs scored. … New 3B Kazuma Okamoto hits cleanup, protecting 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and he hits 28 home runs. … RHP Dylan Cease makes his first All-Star team, posts a 3.36 ERA. … RHP Louis Varland leads the team with 22 saves.
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Cameras showed former New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch in the team’s draft room Thursday night during the first round.
At one point, Tisch was seen standing near Giants head coach John Harbaugh. Despite no longer holding a majority stake in the NFL franchise, Tisch remains the Giants’ chairman of the board.
ESPN obtained an NFL memo last month detailing plans by Steve Tisch and his siblings to transfer their stake in the Giants to trusts for their children.
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New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch warms up before the NFL game between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 28, 2018. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
“Prior transfers to these Trusts were completed pursuant to 2023 and 2024 Finance Committee approvals,” the memo stated. “The Sellers now propose to transfer their entire remaining interests, totaling 23.1% of the Club, to the Trusts. … Following the transactions, the Sellers will no longer own any interest in the Club.”
It was not clear if the transfer requests were in any way related to Tisch’s name appearing in the Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January. Tisch’s name came up more than 400 times in the files. Tisch at the time said he knew Epstein but denied visiting Epstein’s island.
As for draft night, the Giants made what some viewed as an unconventional pick at No. 10, selecting offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
Francis Mauigoa of Miami celebrates after being selected as the tenth overall pick by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Before that, the Giants added another piece to their pass rush, selecting hybrid edge/off-ball linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5.
Reese earned All-American honors at Ohio State and finished his first season as a full-time starter with 6.5 sacks.
Arvell Reese of Ohio State celebrates after being selected as the fifth overall pick by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Reese is set to join a pass rush that includes Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and, likely, Kayvon Thibodeaux.
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One of the most intriguing stories entering the first round of the NFL Draft was where Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson might land. Well, fans got their answer sooner than they expected.
The Los Angeles Rams surprisingly selected Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The selection isn’t completely out of left field and is arguably the best-case scenario for Simpson. The Rams have Matthew Stafford as their starter for 2026, but Stafford has flirted with the idea of retirement each of the past two offseasons. It’s clear the clock is ticking on his NFL career.
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The Los Angeles Rams pulled a stunner and drafted Alababam QB Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the NFL Draft. (CFP/Getty Images)
Now, Simpson gets to sit behind one of the NFL’s best veteran quarterbacks, learn the position while adapting to life in the NFL, and not face immediate pressure to succeed. Additionally, the Rams are one of the most well-run franchises in the league right now. Sean McVay is an elite head coach who led the team to a Super Bowl victory to cap the 2021 season and just had the team within one win of another Super Bowl berth before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship.
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The most surprising aspect is the Rams looking toward the future, quite frankly. This is a team that has had no problem trading away first-round picks to make its team the best it can be each season. It seemed most likely the team would use the No. 13 pick to improve its team for next season, which could be Stafford’s last. Instead, the team decided to put itself in position for Stafford’s retirement without skipping a beat.
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, now 38-years-old, has flirted with retirement after each of the past two seasons. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
There were several surprises in the first 13 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft: the Cardinals taking Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, the Titans selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4, the Kansas City Chiefs trading up to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 and even the Cowboys trading up one spot to make sure they drafted Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11.
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But the Rams completely abandoning their recent strategy (usually trading away first-round picks and loading up for now) to select Stafford’s heir apparent is easily the biggest early shock of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sports
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner considering factors before debuting new alternate uniforms: report
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The choice for the New York Yankees to wear their new alternate uniform is ultimately up to owner Hal Steinbrenner, who has shown a knack for change in recent years.
And according to The Athletic, Steinbrenner and others in the front office will decide when the time is right based on some factors.
The outlet noted that economic impact, how often they’ll be worn, and how fans feel about the jerseys will all be key considerations in deciding if, and perhaps when, the jerseys will be worn.
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Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees makes a pitching change during the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, on March 17, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images)
Hours after The Athletic reported that players had gone to higher-ups about the idea, it was revealed that an alternate jersey had in fact been approved prior.
The Yankees’ navy blue batting practice tops, similar to their road spring training uniforms, were the ones that were approved to be worn in games.
The Yankees have taken part in wearing different jerseys in the past, including Players’ Weekend from 2017 through 2019, a nod to the 1912 team while playing in Boston on the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park’s opening, and jerseys commemorating the Black Yankees in 1996. The Yankees also wore replicas of their 1921 road uniforms for the first Field of Dreams game in 2021.
Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees wait for the start of a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, on March 24, 2026. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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However, none of those jerseys were ever officially put into the rotation, leaving them with just a home and road uniform from day one.
The Yankees also remain the only team to have no last names on the back of their jerseys, home or away, and they are also one of two teams, including the Athletics, without a City Connect jersey.
The Yankees added an advertisement patch on their jerseys in 2023, and beginning last year, “well-groomed” facial hair below the lip was reintroduced after a 50-year ban by Steinbrenner’s father, George.
Yankees players reportedly said they want the home pinstripes untouched and would wear the alternates on the road.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees bats against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a spring training game at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, on March 23, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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The Yankees sell navy blue “shirseys” that mimic the tone of their spring training uniforms, but the pinstripes have been even more prevalent in home spring games in Florida.
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