The NBA All-Star Game is just three weeks away. The best players in the world will gather together to play on the same court at the same time. However, only one of them can be the best in the world.

With Nikola Jokic’s injury earlier this year, this season’s MVP award race became Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s to lose. However, there are certainly some players nipping at his heels. With how well the Detroit Pistons have been playing, Cade Cunningham is quickly climbing up the ranks, and now has the third-best odds to win MVP, per BetMGM.

Of course, there are also some long shots to win the award. Golden State’s Stephen Curry is being forced to take on more of the offensive load for the Warriors after Jimmy Butler went down with a season-ending ACL injury. If Curry can up his offensive output, he could start really contending for the award, as well. Several others are one injury or a hot streak away from having their name in the conversation as well.

Here’s where every NBA MVP contender ranks as we approach the end of January. All odds via BetMGM.

2026 NBA MVP odds

The favorites

1) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC: -450

2) Luka Doncic, LAL: +900

3) Cade Cunningham, DET: +1000

This award is SGA’s to lose. The Thunder boast the best record in the NBA, but his MVP odds could certainly fall if the Thunder were to lose that honor. The Pistons are just 2.5 games back of the Thunder for the best record in the league, and Cunningham is the league leader in assists per game. SGA currently doesn’t lead in any category, with Doncic the only person averaging more points per game, so perhaps the Thunder’s record is the only thing keeping him atop these leaderboards.

The dark horse

4) Jaylen Brown, BOS: +2200

There is a massive drop-off in odds after Brown, which is why he is the only person in this tier. And honestly, he should be up at the top. Prior to this season, people were writing the Celtics off without Jayson Tatum. Brown has overdelivered in every sense of the word, yet all people can talk about is how good the Celtics will be when Tatum returns. The narrative surrounding Brown is what is keeping him out of the top-tier MVP conversations right now, and that’s a crying shame.

The underdogs

5) Anthony Edwards, MIN: +6000

6) Tyrese Maxey, PHI: +8000

7) Jalen Brunson, NYK: +10000

Among these players, Edwards leads all three in both points and rebounds. While the Minnesota Timberwolves certainly aren’t considered legitimate contenders in the Western Conference, Edwards has proven himself the most valuable to his team, statistically speaking.

There’s a case to be made for Maxey given how he has kept the Sixers in contention despite Joel Embiid only playing 25 games. However, as mentioned, Edwards has more points per game, more rebounds per game, and his team has a better record.

The long shots

8) Donovan Mitchell, CLE: +50000

9) Stephen Curry, GS: +50000

10) Kevin Durant, HOU: +100000

Mitchell wasn’t even named an All-Star starter. That’s no fault of his own. But it shows just how people view him currently, making his odds far worse than what is actually offered here. On the flip side, there is potential for Curry to make a run for his third MVP award. The big question is whether or not he can elevate the Warriors in the absence of Jimmy Butler. With Butler gone, Curry will need to shoulder even more of the team’s offensive load, making him arguably the most important player for his team’s success currently. If he can push the Warriors to the 4 or 5-seed in the West (the team only sits four games back of the 4-seed), then there’s a serious conversation to be had. Of course, even if he does that, he doesn’t really have the raw stats to compete with SGA or Doncic, but it’s fun to think about.

The difference one defenseman can make for an NHL team is often quite large. 

If a squad has a weak link, it can be exposed because even the bottom pair generally plays around 15 minutes a night. 

In the NHL draft, defensemen are often the most interesting case studies. Since 2003, a defenseman has been drafted in the top five every year. 

What teams value on the blueline is always quite interesting, as they traditionally lean into drafting big, defensively focused defensemen. That said, the best blueliners in the world right now are all mobile puck-movers, and their physical stature is often not a major part of their game.

Let’s see which blueliners are the cream of the crop ahead of this year’s NHL draft.

Top 10 defensemen in the 2026 NHL Draft

North Dakota (NCAA) defenseman Keaton Verhoeff

The most well-rounded defender in the class, Verhoeff’s improvement this season makes him an easy choice as the top blueliner. He has good size, excellent fluidity on his feet and some of the best passing skills of any blueliner in the class. Verhoeff understands how to make smart plays at both ends of the ice, which allows him to win most of his shifts. He looks like a top-five pick. 

Jukurit (Finland) defenseman Alberts Smits

Smits is the ultimate ball of clay that NHL teams can mold into an effective defenseman. His baseline is quite high as a big, mobile, defensive-minded player who can shut opponents down. His upside is incredible with the kind of run-and-gun offensive skill and fluidity that makes the best defenders in the world what they are. If he can continue to refine his offensive game, he could be a top-pair stud.

HV71 (Sweden) defenseman Malte Gustafsson

Malte Gustafsson has impressed in the Swedish League, and his overall control of the game makes him one of the most interesting defenders in the draft. There isn’t an area of the game you can point to as a weakness. Gustafsson has become more physical at the men’s level while continuing to showcase his mobility and puck-moving on the breakout. He’s become a true two-way presence and should be taken inside the top 10. 

Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) defenseman Xavier Villeneuve

Villeneuve is one of the most dynamic puck-moving blueliners in the class. He is a true difference-maker on offense, with incredible shiftiness and passing. His defensive game is better than he gets credit for, using his feet to defend and turn the play around. He’s a wild card, however, because he’s 5-foot-11 and 162 pounds. Villeneuve could be taken in the top half of the first round, or he could fall because of his size. 

Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) defenseman Chase Reid

Reid is possibly the most divisive defenseman at the top of the class. He can carry the puck through the neutral zone and create off the rush. His passing is inconsistent, but when it’s on, it’s quite dangerous in the attacking end. Reid shows the tools needed to be effective defensively, but that’s a work in progress. He’s being discussed as a top-10 pick, but he could fall outside that range. 

Lulea (Sweden) defenseman William Hakansson

One of the premier defensive blueliners, Hakansson is a stopper in the simplest terms. He has excellent size, uses his length well to defend in transition and gets into the corners to recover pucks effectively. Hakansson has a physical edge to his game as well. If a team wants a defender who can put up a wall in their own zone, you could see Hakansson go around the mid-first round. 

Tappara (Finland) defenseman Juho Piiparinen

Piiparinen is a steady, do-it-all defenseman who limits mistakes and knows when to make the right play. He won’t blow your mind when you watch him, but he can do just about everything asked of him. He can shut down plays, recover dump-ins and move the puck up ice reliably. A mid-to-late first-round pick seems appropriate for a player you don’t have to worry about too often. 

Prince George (WHL) defenseman Carson Carels

After getting some hype at the World Junior Championship, Carels has shot up many draft boards. His playmaking and steady all-around game have made him a very solid prospect. Carels can play just about any role adequately, but he just needs to find his specialty and really lean into it. He really could go anywhere in the first round since draft experts have him ranked all over the place. 

Vancouver (WHL) defenseman Ryan Lin

Although he’s injured, Lin builds off his mobility in all areas of the game. His game is a bit inconsistent overall, but when he is on his A-game, he could be one of the top five defenders in the draft class. His ability to handle the puck, work along the blueline and set up teammates is impressive. He skates forward to defend, attempting to cut off play in the neutral zone. He could go anywhere in the mid-to-late first round. 

Dukla Trencin (Slovakia) defenseman Adam Goljer

A shutdown defender who is on the younger side of the draft class, Goljer is still a bit raw, but his potential as a top-four play-killer could be quite intriguing. The Slovak blueliner doesn’t dangle his opponents on the breakout or at the offensive blueline – he punishes them. Goljer isn’t quite as refined as some of the guys ahead of him, but he’s got the upside you want to see from a no-nonsense defenseman.

The final day of the UEFA Champions League league phase has arrived.

In a complete bonanza of action, all 36 teams will be in action simultaneously with 18 matches kicking off at 3 p.m. ET.

There is plenty on the line Wednesday, with only two teams having clinched a spot in the last 16 and only four teams completely eliminated from the competition already.

That means 30 teams will be jockeying for position on Wednesday. Some will be aiming to finish inside the top eight and clinch an automatic berth in the round of 16. Others are pushing to finish in the top 24, clinching a spot in the playoff round.

Here is everything you need to know heading into the final day of action.

How to watch Champions League today: Live stream, TV

Watch Champions League on Paramount+

Champions League schedule, games today

*All games kick off at 3 p.m. ET

• Ajax vs. Olympiacos  
• Arsenal vs. Kairat  
• Monaco vs. Juventus  
• Athletic Club vs. Sporting CP  
• Atlético Madrid vs. Bodø / Glimt
• Bayer Leverkusen vs. Villarreal
• Borussia Dortmund vs. Inter
• Club Brugge vs. Marseille  
• Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham
• Barcelona vs. Copenhagen  
• Liverpool vs. Qarabağ
• Manchester City vs. Galatasaray
• Pafos vs. Slavia Prague
• Napoli vs. Chelsea 
• Paris Saint-Germain vs. Newcastle
• PSV vs. Bayern Munich
• Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Atalanta
• Benfica vs. Real Madrid

Champions League standings and table

(Entering play Wednesday, Jan. 28)

1. Arsenal – 21 points
2. Bayern Munich – 18 points
3. Real Madrid – 15 points, +11 goal differential
4. Liverpool – 15 points, +6 GD
5. Tottenham – 14 points
6. PSG – 13 points, +10 GD
7. Newcastle United – 13 points, +10 GD
8. Chelsea – 13 points, +6 GD

The full Champions League table can be found HERE.

Champions League tiebreakers

If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the league phase matches, the following criteria are applied, in this order, to determine their rankings:

• Superior goal difference in the league phase
• Higher number of goals scored in the league phase
• Higher number of away goals scored in the league phase
• Higher number of wins in the league phase
• Higher number of away wins in the league phase
• Higher number of points obtained collectively by league phase opponents
• Superior collective goal difference of league phase opponents
• Higher number of goals scored collectively by league phase opponents
• Lower disciplinary points total based only on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all league phase matches (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points)
• Higher club coefficient (see Annex D)

Champions League format

The top eight finishers will receive an automatic berth to the round of 16. So far, only Arsenal and Bayern Munich have clinched a top-eight finish.

The 16 teams who finish from ninth to 24th in the league phase will face each other in two-leg playoff ties, with the eight winners advancing to the round of 16.

The teams who finish from 25th to 36th place will be eliminated. So far, only four teams have no chance of finishing inside the top 24: Kairat, Villarreal, Slavia Prague and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Which teams have qualified?

In terms of qualification to the next round, the 36 teams can be divided into five different groups. They are as follows:

• Round of 16 confirmed: Arsenal, Bayern Munich
• Round of 16 or playoff place confirmed: Real Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle, Chelsea, Barcelona, Sporting CP, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Inter, Juventus
• Round of 16, playoff place, elimination possible: Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray, Qarabag
• Cannot advance directly to the round of 16, playoff place possible: Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco, PSV, Athletic Club, Olimpiacos, Napoli, Copenhagen, Club Brugge, Bodø/Glimt, Benfica, Pafos, Union Saint-Gilloise, Ajax
• Eliminated: Kairat, Villarreal, Slavia Prague and Eintracht Frankfurt

When is the Champions League draw?

The draw for the playoffs and knockout stage will be held on Friday, Jan. 30.

Champions League knockout round schedule

Playoff round

• First legs: Feb. 17 and 18
• Second legs: Feb 24 and 25

Round of 16

• First legs: March 10 and 11
• Second legs: March 17 and 18

Quarterfinals

• First legs: April 7 and 8
• Second legs: April 14 and 15

Semifinals

• First legs: April 28 and 29
• Second legs: May 5 and 6

Final

• May 30 in Budapest

The 2026 MLB season begins on March 25. That’s little more than two months away, and while everyone assumes the Los Angeles Dodgers are destined to three-peat, the bright side is that everyone is already looking to 2027 and beyond.

Looking so far ahead is difficult though. We don’t know how players will age. We don’t know what trades or free agent acquisitions will be made. We don’t even know whether or not there will be a lockout when the current CBA expires on Dec. 1 this year.

The only decent indication we have of each team’s future is their farm system. The teams with the best farm systems often become the best teams in the league soon after. The Chicago Cubs had one of the best in the league prior to their World Series title in 2016. The Tampa Bay Rays were near the top for much of the transition between the 2010’s and 2020’s. The Baltimore Orioles had the best for several years before finally breaking through in 2024, even if they fell apart just one year later.

So, looking ahead to the second half of the decade, which teams are set for contention? Here’s every MLB team’s farm system ranked from worst to best entering the 2026 season.

Power ranking all 30 MLB farm systems

*Prospect rankings listed via MLB.com

30) San Diego Padres

Top 5 prospects:

• C Ethan Salas (No. 77 on MLB.com’s Top 100)
• LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (No. 95)
• RHP Humberto Cruz
• LHP Kash Mayfield
• RHP Miguel Mendez

The Padres basically gutted their farm system last year at the trade deadline, with their biggest prospects, Leo De Vries being shipped to the Athletics in the deal for Mason Miller. The Padres have some players who could wind up becoming franchise stalwarts in the future but outside of Salas, Schoolcraft, and Mayfield, there isn’t much to love about San Diego’s future.

29) Los Angeles Angels

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Tyler Bremmer (No. 91)
• RHP Ryan Johnson (No. 96)
• RHP George Klassen
• LHP Johnny Slawinski
• SS Joswa Lugo

The Angels reached for Tyler Bremmer at No. 2 overall, and he is widely considered their top prospect. That’s not a great combination unless Bremmer can break out and exceed the expectations he had prior to being drafted. Another one of the organization’s top prospects, Caden Dana, also experienced some setbacks a season ago. For a team prone to calling up their prospects much earlier than they should, that’s a very unfortunate situation and could further delay the team’s rebuild.

28) Houston Astros

Top 5 prospects:

• 2B Brice Matthews (No. 93)
• SS Xavier Neyens
• C Walker Janek
• RHP Miguel Ullola
• OF Joseph Sullivan

Losing Jacob Melton in the Brandon Lowe trade is a huge blow to the Astros’ farm system, which was already rated lowly to begin with. While Melton didn’t have a spectacular stint in the big leagues, slashing just .157/.234/.186 in 32 games for Houston, we’d yet to see how he could perform in a full season. Now, Houston is forced to lean on guys like Janek and Kevin Alvarez who have potential but have yet to establish themselves as legitimate fanbase-inspiring prospects.

27) Atlanta Braves

Top 5 prospects:

• LHP Cam Caminiti (No. 72)
• RHP JR Ritchie (No. 86)
• SS/OF Tate Southisene
• SS Alex Lodise
• LHP Briggs McKenzie

The lack of depth in the Braves’ farm system is really showing here. The team had a great crop of young talent get called up a season ago including Drake Baldwin, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Hurston Waldrep, but outside of those guys, the Braves didn’t have much else to lean on in 2025. Now, heading into the 2026 season, the team didn’t do really anything to quell those concerns. Luckily for the Braves, most of their key players are locked up for a while, so the farm system isn’t much of an issue … for now.

26) Kansas City Royals

Top 5 prospects:

• C Carter Jensen (No. 39)
• C Blake Mitchell (No. 62)
• OF/2B Sean Gamble
• 3B Josh Hammond
• SS Yandel Ricardo

It’s hard to have faith in this team’s farm considering Jensen will be on the big league team sooner rather than later. Even with Jensen though, this team’s system lacks sustained star power. Sean Gamble doesn’t possess any attributes that really pop out of the stat sheet. Hammond likely won’t be ready for the majors anytime soon, and Ricardo is 18 years old and struggled in A-ball. There’s potential down the line, and Jensen is a stud, but they might have a dry spell of great prospects coming to the big leagues for a few years.

25) Texas Rangers

Top 5 prospects:

• SS/3B Sebastian Walcott (No. 6)
• SS Gavin Fien
• RHP Jose Corniell
• RHP Winston Santos
• RHP AJ Russell

The Rangers have some potential with their group of prospects considering many of their young pitchers were highly touted, even cracking MLB’s top-100 prospect list before small stints of poor play and suffering injuries that derailed their 2025 campaigns. If guys like Santos, Alejandro Rosario, and even Emiliano Teodo can bounce back, there’s reason to be excited. Obviously, Walcott is a stud, but he’s the only sure thing the Rangers have currently.

24) New York Yankees

Top 5 prospects:

• SS/2B George Lombard Jr. (No. 25)
• RHP Carlos Lagrange (No. 74)
• RHP Elmer Rodriguez (No. 97)
• OF Spencer Jones (No. 99)
• RHP Bryce Cunningham

Despite four players in MLB’s top-100 prospect list, the Yankees don’t have anyone outside of Lombard who has proven capable of sustaining such success. Spencer Jones smacked 35 home runs in Double and Triple-A last year, but his previous best was just 17. We’ll need to see more from him, Lagrange, and Rodriguez before we’re ready to rank the Yankees any higher.

23) Colorado Rockies

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Ethan Holliday (No. 19)
• 1B/OF Charlie Condon (No. 61)
• OF/SS Cole Carrigg
• OF Robert Calaz
• RHP Brody Brecht

Everyone lauds Ethan Holliday as this marvelous prospect. He is, but we can’t forget just how many lumps his brother Jackson has taken in the majors. He’s yet to really be an above average player for the Orioles. All that is to say that it might be some time before Ethan Holliday makes an impact for the club. That said, the team did pick up solid left-handed pitching prospect Griffin Herring at the trade deadline, and guys like Calaz and Carrigg have shown flashes of star potential if they can put all of their tools together.

22) Arizona Diamondbacks

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Ryan Waldschmidt (No. 66)
• OF Slade Caldwell
• SS Kayson Cunningham
• 2B/3B Demetrio Crisantes
• 2B/OF Tommy Troy

Much of the Diamondbacks’ farm system lies in the strength of their 2024 draft haul. Waldschmidt has been an offensive juggernaut at every level he’s played in. Slade Caldwell has a great gap-to-gap swing which has allowed him to rack up extra-base hits in A and High-A ball. JD Dix hit .342 in rookie ball last year. And Daniel Eagen posted a sub-2.5 ERA in 97.2 innings of High-A last year. There’s reason to be optimistic moving forward, but it would be a shock to see many of these players make an impact at the big league level before 2027.

21) San Francisco Giants

Top 5 prospects:

• 1B Bryce Eldridge (No. 12)
• SS Josuar Gonzalez (No. 82)
• 2B/SS Gavin Kilen
• SS Jhonny Level
• OF Bo Davidson

The Giants had legitimate depth in their farm system going into the 2026 offseason, then they added the No. 1 international prospect in Luis Hernandez as well. That’s a major get for a team that has struggled to produce home grown talent for the last decade. Eldridge is expected to be a massive bat right away for the Giants in 2026, and although the team lacks star pitchers in their farm, the team needs young position players considering Willy Adames, Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers are all 29 or older.

20) St. Louis Cardinals

Top 5 prospects:

• SS/2B/3B JJ Wetherholt (No. 5)
• LHP Liam Doyle (No. 36)
• C Rainiel Rodriguez (No. 55)
• C Leonardo Bernal (No. 92)
• LHP Quinn Mathews

What’s not seen in this top-five above is that the Cardinals have another strong catching prospect in their system in Jimmy Crooks, who appeared in 15 games for the Cardinals last season. The team has depth at a very key position and it’s kind of shocking that they didn’t make any moves by dealing one of those players. Even with down seasons for players like Tink Hence and Quinn Mathews, the Cardinals have more than a few prospects with stellar upside and could probably make a move or two to make themselves more competitive in 2026.

19) Washington Nationals

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Eli Willits (No. 15)
• C Harry Ford (No. 42)
• RHP Travis Sykora (No. 49)
• RHP Jarlin Susana (No. 87)
• RHP Luis Perales

The addition of Harry Ford really propels this team forward. Without him, this is a team that has sunk a lot of assets into unproven talent with recent draft picks Willits, Petry, Harmon, James, and Sime each earning more than $2 million in signing bonuses.

18) Toronto Blue Jays

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Trey Yesavage (No. 26)
• SS JoJo Parker (No. 43)
• SS Arjun Nimmala (No. 68)
• LHP Ricky Tiedemann
• LHP Johnny King

The Blue Jays lost some depth at the trade deadline last year, dealing guys like Khal Stephenand Juaron Watts-Brown, but Trey Yesavage also put together a monster postseason run, still classifying as a prospect. One hit from a prospect pool is a big plus in my books as very few players are every sure-fire hits. Yesavage looked like a future star and that alone is enough to push Toronto up a few spots in these rankings.

17) Cincinnati Reds

Top 5 prospects:

• INF Sal Stewart (No. 31)
• C Alfredo Duno (No. 48)
• SS Tyson Lewis (No. 76)
• SS Steele Hall (No. 79)
• RHP Rhett Lowder (No. 80)

Sal Stewart and Rhett Lowder have both flashed significant potential in limited MLB action for Cincinnati, but Stewart still only posted a 102 OPS+ and Lowder is coming off a rather severe injury, so it’s yet to be seen if either can create long-term impact.

16) Miami Marlins

Top 5 prospects:

• LHP Thomas White (No. 22)
• SS Aiva Arquette (No. 41)
• OF Owen Caissie (No. 47)
• LHP Robby Snelling (No. 51)
• C Joe Mack (No. 70)

MLB is underrating Thomas White in my opinion. This man could be the top pitching prospect in baseball. He’s succeeded at every level, and even is just 20 years old. He made a brief appearance in Triple-A last season and was striking out 16.4 batters per nine innings. That is insane. Just nutty stuff. That said, I’m not sold on most of the other players in this system. Arquette didn’t wow anyone in his first year in the minors. Caissie was the big name in the Edward Cabrera deal, but he spent nearly two full seasons in Triple-A, didn’t show much improvement between 2024 and 2025 (but he did display a bit more pop) and then struggled in limited MLB action. There’s a reason the Cubs gave him away. That’s all I’ll say.

15) Chicago White Sox

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Braden Montgomery (No. 35)
• LHP Noah Schultz (No. 40)
• SS Billy Carlson (No. 71)
• SS/3B Caleb Bonemer (No. 73)
• LHP Hagen Smith (No. 88)

MLB.com isn’t considering Munetaka Murakami a prospect I guess, which is weird considering they counted Roki Sasaki for the Dodgers a year ago. If Murakami was on this list, the White Sox would have legitimate top-10, maybe top-7 considerations. Still, even without their Japanese slugger, the White Sox have tons of solid talent scheduled to come up in 2026, 2027, and 2028. While they don’t currently have someone who stands out as a potential MLB superstar, they have a well of talent that should continue to improve the team for years.

14) Chicago Cubs

Top 5 prospects:

• C Moises Ballesteros (No. 53)
• RHP Jaxon Wiggins (No. 67)
• SS/2B Jefferson Rojas
• OF Kevin Alcantara
• OF Ethan Conrad

Even without Caissie, I like this team moving forward. They were very well-prepared for the departure of Kyle Tucker in free agency, with Alcantara ready to take over the starting right field job. Ballesteros also flashed remarkable potential in 20 games with the Cubs at the end of 2025. Essentially, the Cubs don’t have a plethora of top-100 talent and lost Caissie, but they have a lot of pieces ready to fill in for anyone who might suffer an injury or get traded and they likely won’t see much of a dip in production.

13) Philadelphia Phillies

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Andrew Painter (No. 16)
• SS Aidan Miller (No. 32)
• OF Justin Crawford (No. 54)
• RHP Gage Wood
• 2B Aroon Escobar

When a guy with a 5.40 ERA in Triple-A is being heralded as the next big pitching prospect, there’s reason to be concerned. Painter was coming off Tommy John surgery, but there were more reasons to be skeptical about his potential moving forward. If he has a rough start to 2026, this team could fall much further down these rankings. Still, the questions surrounding Painter are mostly offset by breakout seasons from guys like Aroon Escobar, who managed an .828 OPS in A-ball from second base. That’s something to keep an eye on.

12) Athletics

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Leo De Vries (No. 3)
• LHP Jamie Arnold (No. 38)
• LHP Gage Jump (No. 60)
• RHP Brade Nett
• OF Henry Bolte

The addition of Leo De Vries did wonders for this team’s farm. Sure, losing Mason Miller hurts, but it bolsters this team’s future drastically, which is good considering they want to be great for their first year in Vegas. There were far more breakout seasons than there were setbacks in the A’s system altogether. That’s a recipe for succcess when guys like Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson have already made valuable impacts at the major league level.

11) New York Mets

Top 5 prospects:

• RHP Nolan McLean (No. 11)
• OF Carson Benge (No. 21)
• RHP Jonah Tong (No. 46)
• 3B/1B Jacob Reimer
• OF/2B A.J. Ewing

It’s shocking to see how the Mets’ farm system has turned on its head in the past year. Brandon Sproat was supposed to be the top guy in the organization, and he didn’t experience a bad year per se in 2025, posting a 4.24 ERA in Triple-A before having a brief, mediocre stint in the majors. But he’s not even on the team anymore after the Mets traded him and Jett Williams to Milwaukee.

Thankfully for Mets fans, the team saw several of their mid-tier prospects break out in unexpected ways. Benge, McLean, Tong, Ewing, and Reimer all exceed expectations, which has set them up very nicely for the immediate future, and enabled them to make the move for Freddy Peralta without their farm system suffering too drastically for it.

10) Boston Red Sox

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Franklin Arias (No. 24)
• LHP Payton Tolle (No. 28)
• RHP Kyson Witherspoon (No. 89)
• LHP Connelly Early
• OF Justin Gonzales

Many people believed the Red Sox farm would fall off after graduating guys like Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer last season. However, the team enjoyed a plethora of breakouts, particularly from Payton Tolle. Pitching certainly won’t be a problem for this team for years to come.

9) Baltimore Orioles

Top 5 prospects:

• C/1B Samuel Basallo (No. 7)
• OF Dylan Beavers (No. 83)
• C/OF Ike Irish
• OF Enrique Bradfield Jr.
• SS Wehiwa Aloy

A little top-heavy, it’s hard to rank the Orioles lower than top 10 considering how good and how ready for the bigs Samuel Basallo is. The Orioles certainly have depth but will need more consistency from their mid-tier prospects before anyone is ready to consider them a true powerhouse farm system again.

8) Tampa Bay Rays

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Carson Williams (No. 50)
• OF Theo Gillen (No. 65)
• RHP Brody Hopkins
• OF Jacob Melton
• SS Daniel Pierce

Another year, another great haul of prospects for the Rays. The addition of Jacob Melton just added to an already loaded farm. The Rays do lack some pithing depth, particularly southpaws, as not a single lefty cracks their top-30 prospects, but outside of that, this team has such a ‘next man up’ attitude and great developmental program that you can’t really knock them too much.

7) Minnesota Twins

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Walker Jenkins (No. 10)
• SS Kaelen Culpepper (No. 52)
• C Eduardo Tait (No. 57)
• OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (No. 69)
• LHP Kendry Rojas

Considering the fire sale the Twins endured in 2025, you’d hope they have a good farm system now. Thankfully, they do, the addition of guys like Mick Abel, Kendry Rojas, and Eduardo Tait mark a serious shift in the outlook for this team’s future.

6) Cleveland Guardians

Top 5 prospects:

• 2B Travis Bazzana (No. 17)
• OF Chase DeLauter (No. 58)
• SS Angel Genao (No. 59)
• C Cooper Ingle
• OF Jaison Chourio

For a team that was in the playoffs a year ago, it’s easy to forget they actually bolstered their farm system by playing the role of ‘seller’ at the trade deadline, shipping Shane Bieber to Toronto for Khal Stephen. Stephen struggled in Double-A for Cleveland, but has the tools necessary to be a strong major league arm. He’s still only 22 and doesn’t walk people much. His strikeout numbers could stand to improve though.

5) Pittsburgh Pirates

Top 5 prospects:

• SS/OF Konnor Griffin (No. 1)
• RHP Bubba Chandler (No. 14)
• RHP Seth Hernandez (No. 27)
• LHP Hunter Barco (No. 78)
• OF/1B Edward Florentino (No. 81)

Griffin and Chandler are the truth. They were already on the team heading into the 2025 trade deadline. Then they added Rafael Flores Jr. and Sammy Stafura at the deadline? Yeah, this team has a bright future, meaning they’ll have a three-year window of playoff contention before all their best players sign with the Dodgers, thus beginning another 10-year rebuild.

4) Detroit Tigers

Top 5 prospects:

• SS Kevin McGonigle (No. 2)
• OF Max Clark (No. 8)
• C/1B Josue Briceño (No. 33)
• SS Bryce Rainer (No. 37)
• C/1B Thayron Liranzo

Everyone knows how great the top four prospects in this system are, but they have some potential further down as well. A player a lot of people have noticed is Cris Rodriguez who slashed a stellar .308/.340/.564 at 17 years old in the Dominican Summer League.

3) Milwaukee Brewers

Top 5 prospects:

• SS/2B Jesus Made (No. 4)
• INF Luis Peña (No. 18)
• SS/OF/2B Jett Williams (No. 30)
• SS Cooper Pratt (No. 56)
• C Jeferson Quero (No. 84)

Jesus Made and Luis Peña emerged as two of the best international prospects in baseball last season. They were already highly touted and then each enjoyed an OPS of .760 or better in A-ball. Oh, they’re also each entering their age-19 seasons.

Furthermore, while the loss of Freddy Peralta obviously hurts the team, the additions of the Mets’ No. 3 and 5 prospects in Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat gives the farm system a huge boost.

2) Los Angeles Dodgers

Top 5 prospects:

• OF Josue De Paula (No. 13)
• OF Zyhir Hope (No. 20)
• OF Eduardo Quintero (No. 34)
• SS/3B Alex Freeland (No. 45)
• OF Mike Sirota (No. 64)

The rich get richer. Look at it. This is what baseball has become. It wasn’t enough for them to give out $1.2 billion in guaranteed money, they had to have a tremendous scouting department as well. On the bright side, most of these guys will likely get traded away for proven MLB-ready talent.

1) Seattle Mariners

Top 5 prospects:

• SS/3B Colt Emerson (No. 9)
• LHP Kade Anderson (No. 23)
• OF Lazaro Montes (No. 29)
• RHP Ryan Sloan (No. 44)
• 2B Michael Arroyo (No. 63)

The impressive part of the Mariners’ farm system is that they built it quietly and have put themselves in position to have a steady influx of highly-touted talent join the team for years to come. While the loss of Harry Ford certainly stings a little bit, the Mariners already have a decent catcher (in case you hadn’t noticed) and just added Luke Stevenson via the draft, who enjoyed a very solid year in A-ball, slashing .280/.460/.400.

Dabo Swinney went scorched earth late last week, decrying the ills of college football and the absurdity of those in charge ignoring the obvious. 

He laid out the most damning of all tampering allegations against Ole Miss. He called out a head coach and player by name. 

“This is about protecting our program,” Swinney said Jan. 23. “This is about college football.”

Meanwhile, two days before the national championship game, Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich stumped for no salary cap in college football. A free, open market. 

On the same day — an incredible coincidence, I know — Duke quarterback Darian Mensah backed out of the second year of a two-year deal with the Blue Devils, and entered the transfer portal.

Guess which program, after having spent more money on one-year quarterback deals than any other in the free player movement era, desperately needs a quarterback for 2026?

I have no idea if Miami tampered with Mensah, and frankly, I don’t care. Because if the NCAA isn’t going to police it, they’re allowing it. 

We’ve officially entered the if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’ era of college football. 

And that brings us all the way back to Clemson, which hasn’t been the same program since the NCAA flew open the doors to NIL and free player movement in 2021 and left every man for himself.

Clemson has lost 20 games in the five NIL seasons to date — after losing 18 games in the 10 years prior while battling in the high rent district with Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia. A 2025 season of national title expectations ended with a loss to an untethered Penn State team in a meaningless bowl game. 

The half-decade of falling back to the pack has officially hit rock bottom. And now — an incredible coincidence, I know — here come the allegations of tampering against Ole Miss coach Pete Golding. 

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Swinney laid out the allegations like it was next-level stuff, only it’s not. If you want to know why Clemson hasn’t looked like Clemson since getting thumped by Ohio State in the 2020 College Football Playoff semifinals, the answer is simple. 

Clemson isn’t competing at the same, whatever-it-takes level when it comes to player procurement.

Swinney was floored that Golding allegedly kept recruiting linebacker Luke Ferrelli long after Ferrelli left California at the end of the 2025 season and committed to Clemson. Couldn’t believe that Golding, allegedly, was texting Ferrelli in class and trying to get him to flip. 

Wouldn’t you know it, in this Wild, Wild West world of free player movement and cash is king, Ferrelli jumped at the better offer and switched his commitment to Ole Miss. For those scoring at home, it went like this: 

• January 7: Ferrelli commits to Clemson. 
• January 16: Ferrelli re-enters the transfer portal.
• January 22: Ferrelli commits to Ole Miss. 

As much as I’d love to side with Swinney on this, we now have a clear, unobstructed view into Clemson’s regression from the national elite. Everyone knows the rules to this absurd money grab of free player movement, and Clemson refuses to play by them.

And by rules, I mean no rules at all. 

Swinney says Golding spoke to Ferrelli, and that Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and former quarterback Jaxson Dart called Ferrelli. Even alleged Golding sent Ferrelli a photo of a check for $1 million.

Ole Miss pushed the envelope and Clemson didn’t push back — until after the fact. Until after Ferrelli decided to go with the best offer, and leave Clemson with a significant hole in its defense.

Look, there’s nothing pretty or practical about this new era of the game. It’s unseemly and unsettling and has run off far lesser coaches than Swinney. Good men who refuse to get dirty to get better. 

“We have a broken system,” Swinney said. “If there are no consequences for tampering, then we have no rules and we have no governance.”

There hasn’t been rules and governance for five years now, no matter what the NCAA rulebook says. While there’s a bylaw against tampering, if you’re not pushing the envelope at every possible angle while recruiting, you’re left behind. 

There’s a reason Ole Miss, which has never even played in the SEC championship game, was playing in the CFP semifinals while big, bad Clemson was still thawing out from a brutal bowl game in the Bronx. 

Ole Miss is 52-15 in the NIL era, including its first CFP season of 2025. Clemson is 47-20, despite playing in a significantly easier conference.

Ole Miss was 61-61 in the 10 years prior to the advent of NIL and free player movement, and Clemson was 121-18 — with two national titles and six CFP appearances.

One team presses the new recruiting envelope as well as any program in college football. The other sits around and complains about the transfer portal, and how college football isn’t what it once was. 

In the irony of ironies, by exposing Ole Miss for allegedly tampering with a player, Clemson pulled back the curtain on its fall from the national elite. 

If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’.