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The Perfect Game WWBA World Championship is one of the best—if not the best—high school baseball showcases on the circuit each year. The annual event gives scouts one last look at a plethora of top prospects all under the same roof, so to speak, before winter and the heart of the offseason.

As with our previous two pieces, please note that our list is alphabetized and not a ranking. Also, not every player listed is draft eligible this July.

Griffin Boesen, 1B

• Draft Class: 2027
• College Commitment: Uncommitted

From a sheer statistical standpoint, itâ€s hard to argue against Boesen being one of the top performers in the entire event. Across Canes Midwest Nationalâ€s run to the semifinals, Boesen went a video game-like 13-for-18 (.722) with a double, 10 RBIs and five walks against a pair of strikeouts.

A 6-foot-4, 190-pound lefthanded hitter, Boesen has a potential middle-of-the-order frame. He can impact the baseball now, but itâ€s not hard to envision Boesen adding more strength.

For someone of his size, Boesen does a nice job of staying synced up throughout his swing. Heâ€s shown the ability to create leverage by dropping his back knee, and this summer he flashed above-average bat-to-ball skills. Boesenâ€s power is geared more towards extra-base hits than home runs at this point, but look for him to start to put more balls over the fence as he continues to mature physically.

Connor Comeau, INF

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Texas A&M

A member of the loaded USA Prime National/Detroit Tigers Scout Team, Comeau collected four hits—including a double and three-run home run in consecutive games—and drove in eight runs. He has a long, lanky frame—with particular length in his lower half—and plenty of physical projection remaining.

Comeau stands fairly tall in the box with a slightly-open front side and shoulder-high handset. He has a simple operation without a whole lot of moving parts, and he deploys a small leg lift that gives way to a normal stride. Though he’s a bit lacking in the physicality department, he still has solid bat speed and is able to generate quality contact on a regular basis.

Comeau put good swings on the ball all week. As I alluded to earlier, he hammered a backside double in one of my looks and belted a home run a game later. He has present power, but itâ€s not all that difficult to envision him growing into above-average or plus game power down the line.

While his power upside is tantalizing, Comeau also has a feel to hit. He flashed a good feel for the strike zone with polished swing decisions. The swing that perhaps stood out to me the most was a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Comeau let the ball travel, got his barrel to it and shot a hard-hit ground ball through a vacated six hole.

Comeauâ€s defensive profile is somewhat murky. He played both corner infield spots last week and got some run at shortstop over the summer, but I think his overall defensive skill set will profile best in a corner outfield spot when all is said and done. His movement profile and level of athleticism likely fit better on the grass than it does on the dirt.

Comeau will still be 17 years old at the draft, and he has an exciting blend of a body to dream on, “now†tools and plenty of upside.

Trevor Condon, OF

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Tennessee

Condon was one of my favorite position players I saw last week in Jupiter. A sparkplug in every sense of the word, he scattered seven hits—including a double—and four RBIs across five games.

At 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Condon has an athletic frame with strength and impact, particularly to the pull side. A prototypical top-of-the-order tablesetter with an explosive and twitchy operation in the box, he shows no-doubt plus bat speed to go along with a feel for the barrel and high-level bat-to-ball skills. Condon controlled the zone well and demonstrated advanced swing decisions in my looks last week.

While he tends to hit the ball on the ground—Iâ€d like to see him turn some of his ground balls into line drives—Condon gets out of the box unbelievably quick and regularly turned in double-plus run times. He projects as a hit-over-power profile whose vast majority of home run power will likely come to the pull side.

Defensively, Condonâ€s tantalizing combination of speed and athleticism translates well to center field. He has plenty of gap-to-gap range and can really go and get the baseball. If he can shore up his routes by taking a more efficient and crisp path to the baseball, he has a chance to become an impact defender.

As a nice cherry on top, Condonâ€s on-field makeup is outstanding. His baseball sense is advanced, and he plays the game with his hair on fire. A prime example of this last week came when he stole second on a great dirt ball read and later swiped third on a well-executed shuffle lead. He has an unbelievably high motor and does not take a single pitch off. It feels like heâ€s always involved in some capacity and, like the Energizer bunny, is always ready to go, go, go. Condonâ€s love for the game is evident, and itâ€s a quality that rubs off on those with whom he shares a dugout.

If youâ€re looking for a couple of players with a similar archetype as Condon, think along the lines of Sal Frelick and Slater de Brun. De Brun was a better defender at this stage with more of a physical, barrel-chested look, but there are still some similarities.

RJ Cope, 1B/LHP

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Vanderbilt

Cope enjoyed one of the best performances of any player in the tournament, going 12-for-20 (.600) with a pair of doubles, a home run, five RBIs and seven walks to three strikeouts. He was a key reason why his East Cobb/San Diego Padres Scout Team club made a run to the championship game, and Cope took his play to another level in bracket play.

A 6-foot-8, 250-pound mountain of a human being, itâ€s hard to miss Cope on the diamond. He has an extra-large, high-waisted frame with plenty of physicality throughout. Cope used to devote most of his time to pitching—and will still toe the rubber—so heâ€s still learning how to hit. You can see it in his swing, as itâ€s not the most rhythmic or aesthetically pleasing operation in the world, but it clearly worked last week. Cope gets a little bar-armed at times and his bat will lag, but last week he was an auto-barrel.

Copeâ€s power upside is immense. He flashes big-time juice already, but there’s a chance he grows into double-plus power if he can clean up his operation and get more into his legs. In what is the case for most players of similar size, it will be important for Cope to keep his long levers connected and in-sync throughout his swing. Defensively, Cope is relegated to first base. Undoubtedly a power-over-hit profile, you are betting on Copeâ€s power upside.Â

All week, Cope brought the juice. He was a vocal leader both on the field and in the dugout, and after every big play you could set your watch to Cope being fired up for his teammates. This is a cold take, but without him, there is zero chance East Cobb would have been playing on Championship Monday.

Sean Dunlap, C

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Tennessee

Of Dunlapâ€s six hits last week, five went for extra bases. Across five games, the 6-foot-3 backstop tallied a pair of doubles, a pair of triples and one home run.

Thereâ€s plenty to like with Dunlap. He has a lean, athletic frame with some length in his lower half to go along with present strength and physical projection remaining. Dunlap moves well in the batterâ€s box and has a minimal load with big-time bat and hand speed. His swing can get long at times, which leaves him susceptible to swing-and-miss, so making enough contact to tap into his power on a regular basis will be key. Dunlap steps in the box with the intent to do damage and does not get cheated.

Though heâ€s slightly tall for the position, Dunlap has a solid defensive skill set behind the dish thatâ€s headlined by his athleticism and arm strength.

Dylan Fairchild, SS

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Cincinnati

Fairchild was the best hitter on the SmarTense/ZT National Prospects team, and he parlayed his solid showing at East Coast Pro into a strong week in Jupiter.

The “how he does it†with Fairchild is unorthodox. He drops his hands a considerable amount in his load and sits a bit deeper in his base, but he was able to make it work and collected a trio of extra-base hits with five RBIs. Fairchild moves well both in the box and on the dirt, and heâ€s a Midwest name on which to keep tabs this spring.Â

Matthew Mansbery, SS

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Michigan

Mansbery was on the barrel all week for Canes Midwest and laced three doubles, a pair of triples and drove in six runs.

A name to follow closely throughout this yearâ€s draft cycle, Mansbery has an athletic frame with room to fill out further. He has a simple setup in the batterâ€s box and an easy, almost effortless, operation featuring minimal load, a small stride and a level head throughout his swing. Mansbery has quickness in his hands with budding power he flashed last week in Jupiter.

Mansbery isnâ€t the twitchiest or most explosive player in the world, but heâ€s shown sound actions on the dirt with arm strength on the left side of the infield. Mansbery is very much an unfinished product physically, and itâ€s exciting to think about what his ceiling might be. He is a potential top five-round pick this July.

Winston Pennant, OF

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Ole Miss

Pennant fits the mold of someone who is more likely to end up on a college campus than not, but Iâ€d be remiss if I didnâ€t highlight his performance in Jupiter. Pennantâ€s 10 RBIs were tied for the most in the tournament, and he also blasted a pair of long balls and tripled.

At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Pennant is plenty physical with strength throughout his frame. He flashed all-fields impact last week and was consistently on the barrel. He has a bit of a noisy load and there are some hit tool questions, but thereâ€s no questioning his raw power.Â

Noah Wilson, OF

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Vanderbilt

Wilson impressed all week and was one of the more productive hitters in the event. Across four games, he amassed six hits with a triple, a home run and eight RBIs.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Wilson has a pro body with present strength and some projection remaining. He possesses an enticing tool set that was on full display in Jupiter. He has a simple, yet explosive operation in the box, showing plenty of bat speed and taking a direct path to the baseball.

Wilson has an all-fields approach and has shown the ability to drive the baseball to either gap, as evidenced last week by his home run going out to left-center field. On top of the quality contact he was able to generate, Wilson demonstrated a feel for the barrel. While he stayed within the strike zone for the most part, Wilson this summer struggled with swing-and-miss—especially as it pertained to picking up secondaries out of the hand—which is something to monitor.

A plus runner, Wilsonâ€s speed translates well, both on the basepaths and on the grass. His arm is a little light, but his legs and athleticism will give him a chance to prove himself in center field professionally.

An intriguing blend of tools and upside, Wilson has a chance to be a top-three round pick this summer.

Sebastian “Sushi†Wilson, OF

• Draft Class: 2027
• College Commitment: Tennessee

With no relation to Noah, “Sushi†was one of the better underclass hitters in the event. He served as the straw that stirred the drink for Wow Factorâ€s 17U National Team and notched 10 hits with a pair of doubles and four RBIs.

Wilson has strength baked into his 6-foot, 190-pound frame. He has a hitterish look in the box with a fairly upright stance, a slightly-open front side and a medium-high handset. There’s a slight barrel tip in his load and quickness in his hands

Wilson was a high-level performer throughout the summer circuit. According to Synergy Sports, this summer he hit .340/.444/.420 across all major events.

Wilson runs well and has also flashed an above-average arm in center field. With a smattering of tools, Wilson is a high-priority follow in the 2027 class.Â

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Oct 17, 2025, 07:23 AM ET

Sometimes it takes an expert’s eye to see something before everyone else does, such as Tyler Herro finishing No. 13 on the Player Rater, or Ivica Zubac putting up 16.8 PPG and 12.6 RPG, like each of them did last season.

How many people saw this coming?

If you did, you had a major leg up on the competition in your fantasy basketball leagues — that’s for sure!

With that in mind, we gathered our fantasy basketball experts — André Snellings, Eric Moody, Eric Karabell, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander — and tasked them with detailing their boldest fantasy predictions for 2025-26.

Brandon Miller will finish in the top 40 on the Player Rater

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Currently going 85th on average in ESPN live drafts, Miller’s coaching staff already trusts him to find his own shot, and his ability to create offense for others is only growing. With the potential to loft an absurd number of 3-pointers per game and his knack for amassing defensive numbers, he could follow the Trey Murphy III path to becoming a special 3-and-D fantasy wing as early as this season. Few players his size are this skilled at both slashing and shooting, making Miller an outlier at his position. — McCormick

Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard will both finish top 50 in fantasy points this season, and at least one of them will finish in the top 20

Embiid and Leonard are both ultra-elite fantasy hoops performers on a per-game basis that have a history of missing significant quantities of time. Last season, they missed a combined 108 of the possible 164 games. But I look for this season to be bounce-backs for both. Both are entering the season relatively healthy and all it would take is 60-65 games at their typical levels to reach these milestones. — Snellings

Four Celtics will finish among the top 10 in made 3-pointers this season, even with Tatum out

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No team has attempted and made more 3-pointers than last season’s Boston Celtics, and that will hardly change just because star Jayson Tatum is out for most, if not the entirety, of the season. Four Celtics — Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Anfernee Simons and Sam Hauser — will finish among the top 10 in 3s made this season, while a fifth (leading scorer Jaylen Brown) will come close. — Karabell

Matas Buzelis will be a top-25 fantasy player

I foresee the Bulls starting him and giving him around 30 minutes per game, and his stat set is built for fantasy, hopefully providing blocks, steals, 3-pointers, rebounds and blocks. He’s being ignored until later in drafts after last season’s less-than-stellar numbers, but he has as much upside as almost any player in this year’s drafts. I’m trying to get him everywhere. — Alexander

LaMelo Ball plays more than 70 games

Ball has elite fantasy upside when he’s on the floor. Everyone knows that. He averaged 25.2 PPG, 7.4 APG, 4.9 RPG and 3.8 3-pointers last season, showing his all-around impact. The issue has always been health, with just 105 games played over the past three seasons. I think this is the season Ball plays more than 70 games. He is only 24, is fully recovered from ankle and wrist surgeries, and Charlotte’s added depth should help manage his workload. If he stays on the court, he has top-15 fantasy potential. — Moody

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The Perfect Game WWBA World Championship is one of the best—if not the best—high school baseball showcases on the circuit each year. The annual event gives scouts one last look at a plethora of top prospects all under the same roof, so to speak, before winter and the heart of the offseason.

After highlighting some lesser-known prospects at this year’s wood bat tournament, over the next two days, we’ll be taking a look at 10 pitchers and 10 hitters who caught our eye down in Jupiter, Fla.

Before we dig in, please note that our list is alphabetized and not a ranking. Also, not every player listed is draft eligible this July. In fact, the single loudest outing of the tournament came courtesy of a 16-year-old sophomore.

Brody Crane, RHP

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Arkansas

Crane turned in one of the best starts of the tournament and collected eight strikeouts across three shutout, hitless innings.

A stocky righthander, Crane has plenty of strength and physicality packed into his 6-foot, 215-pound frame. He works exclusively out of the stretch and features a short, somewhat stabby arm stroke whiling attacking out of a high three-quarters slot.

Crane pounded the strike zone for the entirety of his outing and ran his fastball up to 96 mph to go along with a low-80s slider and mid-80s splitter. Craneâ€s fastball flashed both run and ride through the zone, and he relied on it heavily. His slider and splitter each profile as effective secondaries. His slider was shorter in shape with some gloveside life and late depth, and the one splitter he threw was sub-1,000 rpm. Crane stayed off the barrel of opposing hitters all night and displayed an impressive feel to pitch.

Hudson DeVaughan, RHP

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Alabama

DeVaughan spun a quality start for his Canes Midwest National club in which he didnâ€t allow an earned run, gave up one hit and struck out seven across four innings.

DeVaughan is old for the class, but the 6-foot-4 righthander has a slender, high-waisted frame with physical projection remaining. He operated exclusively out of the stretch and featured an easy, under-control operation in which he attacked hitters out of a high three-quarters slot. His fastball reached 96 mph and was most effective up in the zone. He paired his heater with an upper-70s-to-low-80s curveball that he spun reasonably well.

DeVaughanâ€s fastball-curveball combination makes for an intriguing north-south profile, though heâ€ll need to continue to work on adding a viable third pitch. Perhaps most encouraging was that DeVaughan was consistently in and around the strike zone.Â

Sean Duncan, LHP

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Vanderbilt

Before the rain came on Thursday, I enjoyed my look at Duncan. Across three innings, the southpaw amassed seven strikeouts, walked one and surrendered three hits (one of which was a bunt).

At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Duncan has a lean, high-waisted frame with plenty of projection remaining. He features a loose, repeatable delivery and attacks out of a three-quarters slot with an appealing ease to his operation. In my look, Duncanâ€s fastball sat in the 90-93 mph range and got up to 95. Itâ€s a high-spin pitch that played particularly well in the top half of the zone thanks to its riding life, and he collected seven swings and misses with it over the course of his outing.

Check out recent @VandyBoys commit Sean Duncan on the mound 👀

The Canadian lefthander recorded seven strikeouts and one walk over three innings and generated 12 whiffs on the day. pic.twitter.com/yEG77kGH0P

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) October 10, 2025

The best pitch in Duncanâ€s arsenal at this point is his low-80s slider. The lefthander showed the ability to manipulate its shape, and at times it flashed ample, sharp lateral life—especially against lefthanded hitters. At other times, it took on more of a two-plane look with a similar degree of sharpness. Either way, it has no-doubt plus potential and looks the part of a true putaway pitch. In addition to the seven whiffs with his heater, Duncan notched five with his slider to make an even dozen on the day.

Duncan also flipped in a couple of curveballs in the low 80s and tried to turn over a changeup or two, but he relied heavily on his fastball-slider combination. His command became more scattershot in the third inning, and his front side began to fly open on a more frequent basis, which led to misses up and/or out.

Not only is there a lot to like now with Duncan, but thereâ€s just as much to dream on. As he continues to mature physically, I expect his entire arsenal—both in terms of velocity and dynamism—to tick up. He looks the part of a starter professionally and fits in the third-to-fifth round bucket for me.

James Jorgensen, RHP

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Texas

Jorgensen was another arm who turned heads in Jupiter last week. An undersized righthander with physicality packed into his frame, he has a rather compact arm stroke and attacks out of a near-over-the-top slot with present arm speed and a degree of explosiveness in his delivery.

While he threw just one inning, Jorgensen was able to punch two tickets. His fastball was up to 96 mph with natural ride through the zone to go along with a hammer upper-70s curveball that flashed both depth and plenty of sharpness. Jorgensenâ€s command was a bit inconsistent, but his combination of pure stuff and athleticism is exciting.

Dexter McCleon Jr., RHP

• Draft Class: 2028
• College Commitment: Uncommitted

Striker Pence (more on him below) wasnâ€t the only class of 2028 arm who turned heads last week.

Primarily a position player and one of the top players in his class, McCleon impressed in his outing in Jupiter. He was first out of the bullpen for a stacked USA Prime 17U National team and flashed big-time stuff in his two innings of work. A “toolshed†in every sense of the word, McCleon’s premium athleticism is evident in his delivery. He moves exceptionally well on the mound and attacks out of a high three-quarters slot with blistering arm speed.

McCleon’s fastball was up to 98 mph and sat in the mid 90s in his first inning of work, but his velocity tapered off a bit by the second. Nonetheless, itâ€s a lively pitch that routinely displays carry through the zone. He also mixed in a low-80s slider that flashed two-plane tilt.

McCleon is more thrower than pitcher right now, and his command was scattered, but there is an intriguing foundation in place.

Samir Mohammed, RHP

• Draft Class: 2027
• College Commitment: LSU

Mohammed got the ball in the first game for USA Prime 17U National and punched out six batters across five innings.

An ultra-physical workhorse, Mohammed is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound righthander who features a long, deep arm stroke and attacks out of a low three-quarters slot. He lands with his front side slightly open—which is something to watch—but his pure stuff is tantalizing. Thereâ€s an appealing ease to Mohammedâ€s delivery, and he commanded the baseball well in Jupiter.

95 mph from RHP Samir Mohammed (16) with a changeup thatâ€s about as good as you will see from any 2027 pitcher in the country. 6-5, 245 lbs. Baseball Americaâ€s No. 19 player in the class. pic.twitter.com/rVBypt2xuC

— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) July 2, 2025

Mohammedâ€s fastball was up to 97 mph with carry and natural armside life, but his calling card is his low-to-mid-80s changeup. Itâ€s arguably a plus pitch right now, and it routinely flashes both ample armside fade and depth. Mohammed ties together his arsenal with a low-to-mid-80s slider that flashes sharp two-plane tilt.

Striker Pence, RHP

• Draft Class: 2028
• College Commitment: Uncommitted

As I alluded to in the introduction, Penceâ€s outing was the loudest of the tournament, and the newly-minted sophomore last week had everyone flocking to the Marlins’ side of the complex. Against a quality Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team, the 16-year-old fired a pair of shutout innings in which he notched a trio of strikeouts, walked one and allowed one hit (a slow roller through the right side).Â

The nephew of four-time MLB all-star Hunter Pence, Striker has an extra-long frame with budding strength throughout—there’s particular physicality in his lower half. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound righthander works exclusively out of the stretch and attacks out of a three-quarters slot with a whippy arm stroke and tremendous arm speed.

The calling card of Penceâ€s arsenal is his fastball, and for good reason. It sat in the 96-99 mph range, and he touched 101—a new personal and Jupiter record—four times. The heater explodes out of his hand and flashed thunderous life through the zone with no shortage of carry.

Mind-numbing stuff from 2028 righty Striker Pence. The 16-year-oldâ€s (!!!) first three pitches were 100, 100, 101.1, per Trackman. Thereâ€s a very large crowd gathered for this outing. Not exactly hard to imagine why. pic.twitter.com/FKfQTDTTSg

— Jacob Rudner (@JacobRudner) October 9, 2025

Pence pairs his heater with a hellacious mid-to-upper-80s power slider. It routinely flashes tons of sharp, lateral life with some depth, and it presents an incredibly difficult look for righthanded hitters. Pence was also able to backdoor the pitch for a called third strike against a lefthanded hitter to conclude his outing.

This feels like the part of the infomercial where the person pitching the product exclaims “But wait, thereâ€s more!†That’s because Pence rounds out his arsenal with a high-80s split-change with which he does a nice job killing spin. He turned over a really good one in his outing last week that flashed late tumble, and it looks the part of a future above-average or plus third pitch.Â

While thereâ€s some low-hanging fruit to clean up in the delivery, and heâ€s a bit of a spray gun command-wise, Pence possesses premium stuff across the board. One of the biggest keys going forward will be consistently competing in and around the strike zone. But itâ€s important to remember that Pence is still just 16. It is flat-out ridiculous to think about what he might look like in a couple of years.

Connor Salerno, LHP

• Draft Class: 2027
• College Commitment: Mississippi State

One of the top 2027 arms in the country, Salerno dazzled in his outing for Wow Factor and struck out eight across three shutout innings. With an ideal pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Salerno features an up-tempo delivery with a deep arm stroke and attacks out of a lowered three-quarters slot. He lands closed off, so thereâ€s also a degree of crossfire in his operation.

Salernoâ€s fastball settled into the low 90s as his outing progressed, but he ran it up to 96 mph in the first with natural—and effective—armside life. In addition to his lively fastball, Salernoâ€s low-80s slider flashed above-average with more length than depth, and he also showed a mid-80s changeup. He was in attack mode all night and needed just 41 pitches to breeze through three innings.

Salerno is not eligible for the draft until 2027, but he already profiles as one of the premier prep arms in the class.

Donovan Thiery, RHP

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Florida State

Thiery didnâ€t light up the box score, but he stands out for his immense upside.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, Thiery has a long, high-waisted frame with ample projection remaining. He shows present arm speed and attacks from a near-over-the-top slot (though, heâ€ll lower it slightly when delivering his slider). His fastball was up to 96 mph with particular life in the top half of the zone, and it plays up thanks to above-average extension. Thieryâ€s slider flashed some lateral life, and his changeup acted as more of a “show†pitch. Heâ€ll need to continue to refine both of his secondaries going forward.

Another key for Thiery will be keeping his long limbs synced up throughout his delivery. He was disconnected at times, which led to inconsistent command. While there are things to clean up, Thiery has a handful of exciting building blocks in place.

Colin White, LHP

• Draft Class: 2026
• College Commitment: Georgia Tech

While his start was cut short due to rain, White turned heads across his two shutout, hitless innings of work. He punched out three, walked none and the lone baserunner he allowed was courtesy of an error. He only needed 23 pitches to cruise through his pair of innings.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, White is a strapping, high-waisted lefthander with upside remaining. Heâ€s gotten more physical over the course of the last year but still has room to fill out. He features an explosive, drop-and-drive delivery and attacks out of a high three-quarters slot with no shortage of arm speed.Â

White’s fastball sat in the 93-96 mph range and jumped out of his hand with plenty of carry through the zone. His heater is a high-spin offering and profiles as a real bat-misser. Given Whiteâ€s present arm speed and projection remaining, itâ€s not difficult to envision further velocity gains.

White supplemented his heater with a low-80s slider that flashed plus. Itâ€s a pitch thrown with conviction, and it has an enticing degree of sharpness to it. White also has a changeup, but he didnâ€t need to use it.

One of the biggest focal points for White going forward will be continuing to keep his long levers in-sync throughout his delivery. Though he threw less than two dozen pitches, White left Jupiter with an up arrow next to his name.Â

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Jon Moxley made sure to gain the psychological edge over Darby Allin just days before their I Quit match at AEW WrestleDream. Instead of confronting each other in the ring or backstage, the two met in a prison-style visitation room during the October 15 AEW Dynamite, separated by a thick glass wall.

Moxley was the first to speak, acknowledging that Allin wasnâ€t going to quit—but making it clear that he wouldnâ€t either. He admitted that he was out of options and appeared visibly frustrated. He offered Allin one final opportunity to join the Death Riders, pushing the idea that it was still not too late to align with him.

Allin didnâ€t back down. In a surprising reveal, he admitted that he thinks about joining the Death Riders every day. However, he refused the offer, saying that he couldnâ€t bring himself to follow someone he no longer respects—especially after how Moxley treated Bryan Danielson.

The mention of Danielson struck a nerve. Moxley lashed out verbally, insisting that his actions were necessary and that Danielsonâ€s pain served a bigger purpose. To Moxley, this wasnâ€t about friendships—it was about fighting a war for the future of professional wrestling.

Allin fired back with confidence, vowing to make Moxley say “I Quit†at WrestleDream. He claimed that once that happens, the rest of the Death Riders would lose faith in their leader and abandon his path.

Just as the conversation seemed to end, PAC blindsided Allin from behind and left him bloodied. Moxley remained on the other side of the glass, silently watching the assault unfold, sending a chilling reminder that Allin isnâ€t just walking into a fight—heâ€s walking into a war filled with ghosts and unfinished business.

The final image of Allin lying in a pool of his own blood makes one thing clear: Moxley isnâ€t just trying to win at WrestleDream—heâ€s trying to destroy him.

Will Darby Allin be able to overcome Moxleyâ€s mind games and violence, or has the war already taken a toll before the match even begins? Drop your thoughts below.

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If the New York Rangers could stop playing at Madison Square Garden, they might be a Stanley Cup Final contender.

After a 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, the Rangers became the first team in NHL history to start a season losing three straight games at home via shutout.

Tuesday’s game is at least easy to explain away because the Oilers are arguably the best team in the league right now and are coming off back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.

The combination of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have allowed a total of four goals on 67 shots faced in three games for Edmonton this season.

New York’s first home game, though, was against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens have allowed 13 goals in their three games since the season opener, including six to the Rangers when they met in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

“This is a unique start to a season,” Rangers captain J.T. Miller said after Tuesday’s loss. “It sucks that we had a couple games where we feel like we’ve really thrown a lot at the other team and we’re not getting rewarded.”

Per the Associated Press, the previous modern-era record for the longest streak without a home goal to start a season belonged to the 2001-02 Florida Panthers (155:17).

The good news for the Rangers is positive regression is almost certainly coming soon because they’ve had no issues scoring on the road. They have 10 goals in two games away from MSG, and their next two games are on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.

New York’s next chance to end the home scoring drought will come on Oct. 20 against the Minnesota Wild.

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The start of every football match brings a little flutter in the stomach. Will the stars perform? Will the referee have a good game by giving your players every decision? And will the football gods shine down on your team? A more pertinent question to ask this season, though, is how much football will we actually see?

We wrote about ball-in-play time a few seasons ago, revealing that fans were not seeing as much football as in previous years. Weâ€re not saying our data nosiness led to referees adding more stoppage time, but there was a notable rise in ball-in-play time over the next two campaigns. It went up from 54 minutes and 49 seconds in 2022-23 to 58 minutes and 11 seconds in 2023-24. Itâ€s still early in the 2025-26 season, but the pendulum may be swinging back the other way.

How much is the ball in play in 2025-26?

We have seen an average ball-in-play time of just 55 minutes per game this season – down from 56 minutes and 59 seconds last season. Stoppage time has crept up – games last 100 minutes and 35 seconds on average this season, which is 51 seconds longer than last season – but the ball is in play for almost two minutes fewer. Fans are spending two minutes and 50 seconds longer than last season waiting for restarts, roughly the time it takes to listen to Youâ€re the One That I Want by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

There are 45 minutes and 35 seconds of delays/pauses per game this season – or roughly one episode of Countdown. We could be struggling to solve a conundrum rather than watching someone saunter over slowly to take a corner. For clarity, a “delay†is the time between the ball going out and play resuming for corners, free-kicks, throw-ins, goal-kicks, kick-offs, penalties and drop balls. The ball has been in play for just 54.7% of the time this season; the lowest itâ€s been over the past 10 full seasons is 55.7%, which was in 2022-23.

So, which teams are giving us the most action? Despite being recently promoted and considered underdogs in most of their games, Leeds are averaging the longest ball-in-play time in the league this season at 56 minutes and 48 seconds (57.5% of total minutes). It either means Daniel Farke is happy for his side to get on with it, or their opponents are doing their utmost to keep the ball in play.

Newcastle games have the lowest proportion of ball-in-play action at 52.3% (53 minutes and nine seconds on average), closely followed by Chelsea (52.6%) and Manchester United (52.7%). One match in particular has dragged Newcastleâ€s numbers down.

The longest shortest game

Newcastleâ€s five-goal thriller against Liverpool has the lowest ball-in-play time this season, which is quite something when you consider it lasted 109 minutes and 24 seconds – the third longest match of the season so far.

There were 31 fouls, the joint-second most in a Premier League match this term, which created delays of 27 minutes and seven seconds. Newcastle averaged 67 seconds per free-kick, at least 10 seconds longer than any other team has averaged in a game.

There was 13 minutes and 43 seconds of stoppage time in the second half, the most in a Premier League match this season. Despite the added time, the ball was in play for just 45 minutes and 55 seconds (42%). So, for 63 minutes and 29 seconds of that game, nothing was happening. Itâ€s astonishing to think there were five goals, including Rio Ngumohaâ€s late winner for Liverpool.

Not far behind was Brightonâ€s 3-1 win at Chelsea, when the ball was in play for just 46 minutes and 44 seconds of the total time of 105 minutes and 14 seconds (44.4%). At the other end of the value-for-money scale, the ball was in play for 63.4% of Leeds†3-1 win at Wolves.

Who are the slowest at set-pieces?

Sunderland are spending the most time over each corner, with almost 50 seconds per corner. Arsenal, who topped this list last season and are second this term, have won more corners than any other team this season (53) so are comfortably ahead when it comes to total time to take them. Mikel Artetaâ€s team have spent 40 minutes and six seconds taking corners this season – at least 11 minutes and 12 seconds more than any other team.

All three goals in their recent game against Newcastle were scored from corners, which wasnâ€t that surprising considering 19 corners were awarded in the game. In total, 12 minutes and 14 seconds of that game was taken up by delays for taking corners, the most in a match this season.

Wolves are the quickest to take their corners, closely followed by Manchester City, who both average less than 30 seconds. There is not any clear correlation between time taken over corners and their effectiveness. Arsenal take the second longest time and have scored the most goals from corners this season (six), but Chelsea have scored the second most (five) despite taking the third shortest time. Sunderland and Wolves, who are at either end of the spectrum, have scored one each. Manchester City (29.1 seconds) are yet to score from a corner, but so are Liverpool (40.6 seconds).

Compared to last season, teams are generally spending more time taking corners, goal-kicks and throw-ins. Given the number of long throws weâ€re seeing, that is no surprise, with throw-ins taking an average of 17.7 seconds this season compared to 15.6 seconds last term.

Goal-kicks are also taking two seconds longer (30.3 seconds, up from 28.3 seconds), but corners have seen the most noticeable jump, up to 36.9 seconds from 33.6 seconds. With each corner taking 3.3 seconds longer on average, if we end up seeing the same number as last season (3,890), we will have spent more than three and a half hours extra waiting for them across the campaign.

Brentford are taking almost four seconds longer than any other team on throw-ins. This is largely because so many of them are long – the Bees have taken 34 long throws into the oppositionâ€s box, more than any other team – so they generally take more time to line everything up. Wolves are taking almost half the time on average, just 12.7 seconds per throw-in, the quickest in the division.

Sunderland are taking the longest over goal-kicks (36.7 seconds) and Nottingham Forest are the quickest. They have needed just 26.2 seconds per goal-kick, a steep decline from last season when their average of 34.1 seconds was the longest in the division.

Free-kicks can be tricky to read, as they depend on where they are won. Deep inside your own half and chances are youâ€ll take it quickly, but within 10-20 yards of the oppositionâ€s box and youâ€re far more likely to take your time lining up a cross or shot. For what itâ€s worth, Crystal Palace (41.6 seconds) and Brentford (41.0 seconds) spend the longest average time taking free-kicks, while Fulham (25.8 seconds), Brighton (26.8 seconds) and Liverpool (26.9 seconds) take them quickest.

Not so busy Bees

Taking all delays into account, Brentford are spending the most time getting the ball back into play, taking 33.5 seconds on average to do so. They are closely followed by promoted pair Burnley (32.7 seconds) and Sunderland (32.3 seconds), but also not far behind are Arsenal and Manchester United (both 31 seconds).

Wolves are the fastest at getting the game going again (24.1 seconds). Given that they are bottom of the Premier League with just two points after seven games, perhaps they should consider slowing down a bit. Manchester City (25.6 seconds), Nottingham Forest (26.4 seconds) and Liverpool (26.8 seconds) are also eager to get the ball back in play. Again, that is a big change from Forest, who were the slowest in the league last season at restarting play (32.2 seconds).

So, there you have it. We are getting some of the longest football matches we have ever seen in the Premier League, but weâ€re not seeing more football, unless you enjoy the sight of a player with the ball under his arm waiting for teammates to flood the box. Weâ€re not here to judge.

This is an article by Opta Analyst

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Oct 15, 2025, 01:49 AM ET

NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad was at a loss for words after he and the New York Rangers made history Tuesday night by becoming the first team in NHL history to get shut out in each of its first three home games of the season.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Zibanejad said after a 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. “I honestly don’t know.”

The Rangers’ 180-minute drought at Madison Square Garden is the second-longest to start a season at home, behind only the now-defunct Pittsburgh Pirates in 1928. They went the first 187:19 without a goal at Duquesne Gardens before Hib Milks scored. The Pirates’ streak was longer because of overtime.

The previous longest in the modern era among teams that still exist was 155:17 by the Florida Panthers in 2001.

“This is a unique start to a season,” captain J.T. Miller said. “It sucks that we had a couple games where we feel like we’ve really thrown a lot at the other team and we’re not getting rewarded.”

Artemi Panarin had an early chance all alone in front against Edmonton that was stopped by Stuart Skinner. Will Cuylle also got the puck on net after an Oilers turnover only to be turned aside, and fourth-liners Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe had quality opportunities on the edge of the crease.

“We can all go home and sleep well knowing we played another good home game,” Miller said. “We’re competitors. We want to win. We’d love to see the puck go in the net. Right now, it’s not.”

Sam Carrick, who arguably was one of New York’s best players, almost scored with 2:31 left, but Skinner flashed his glove to make the save.

None of those shots made it over the goal line, and a couple of other attempts rang off the crossbar and out.

“We have two crossbars that go crossbar or post that goes right by the goal line,” Zibanejad said. “I think we’re creating lots of chances. I think there’s enough high-danger chances that we’re creating, but we’re not scoring. Simple.”

The Rangers have failed to score on their first 90 shots on goal at home, and fans booed at one point when they came up empty on consecutive power plays.

“You’re dying to give the fans a reason to cheer,” Carrick said. “They support us every night hugely here. Obviously they want to come and see goals. That’s the frustrating part.”

They’ll have to wait nearly a week for their next game on home ice. New York goes on the road for games at Toronto and Montreal before returning to host Minnesota on Monday night. Every player who spoke after the Oilers game had the same train of thought about not abandoning the structure that contributed to winning twice on the road and being competitive.

“It’s on us to make sure that the mindset stays the same in here and we don’t go off the grid to find something,” Miller said. “We need to stay the course. Over time, results will come.”

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By: Ed Weaver  /  October 14, 2025

The Wellsboro Junior High Volleyball team split their final two regular season games, falling to Troy on Saturday and sweeping rival North Penn-Liberty Monday.

“Our offense finally got comfortable with their new rotation, and our defense and serving were on point,” head coach Valery Weaver said. “The girls were scrappy and hustled the whole game. We forced extra points in the second set, and came out with the sweep! It was a fantastic way to end the regular season, as NPL is a worthy opponent and well-coached. I’m so proud of the growth of the players this year on A and B teams, and I can say without hesitation, the future of Wellsboro volleyball is bright!”

The young Lady Hornets edged the Lady Mounties 25-23 to win the 1st set and 27-25 to win the 2nd.

Rachel Weaver scored 12 points (4 aces) and made 6 digs and 2 assists to lead Wellsboro. Alexis Dunning scored 7 points (4 aces) to go along with 5 digs, 1 assist and a kill. Nora Mickey scored 6 points (1 ace) and had 6 digs and a kill.

Reese Eckart added 4 digs, Alayna Richards had 3 digs and Lila Morey added a kill.

Against Troy over the weekend Wellsboro lost both sets: 25-10 and 25-21.

Dunning scored 6 points (4 aces) and had 2 kills while Weaver scored 4 points (1 ace) and had 3 assists and 2 digs. Morey scored 3 points (1 ace) and had a kill. Mickey added a kill and Eckart added a dig.

Wellsboro finishes the regular season 9-7. The A team will be back in action Saturday at the Williamson Junior High Tournament.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are off to a 2-1 start this season, and they have played a bit better than most had expected up to this point.

And their AHL affiliate is off to a hot start, too.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins earned back-to-back victories – first a 2-1 win over the Hartford Wolfpack and then a 4-1 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. And there are already 12 different players who have been involved on the scoresheet for WBS.

On Saturday, forward Valtteri Puustinen opened the season scoring for the WBS Penguins in the second period with the Penguins trailing Hartford, 1-0. They carried the tie into second intermission, and then, a little more than three minutes into the final frame, defenseman Owen Pickering shot one from the point and through traffic to write the final 2-1 score.

Then, in game two against the Phantoms, one of the young forwards who nearly cracked the NHL roster out of training camp really shone through.

Aidan McDonough registered the first goal of the game on the power play a tick more than four minutes in, and the primary assist came from Tristan Broz, who impressed many with his NHL training camp. Avery Hayes – another camp standout – tallied WBS’s second power play goal of the game on a feed from Ville Koivunen, who was playing in his first AHL game since being re-assigned from Pittsburgh.

Helge Grans cut the deficit to 2-1 for Lehigh Valley on a power play of their own late in the second period, but in the third, Broz took it home. In the early part of the third, he pounced on a rebound in the slot off of a Koivunen shot, and then he added the empty-net goal at the end of the night to cap off the 4-1 win – giving him three points on the evening.

Penguins’ Prospect Shines In First KHL Action Of Season
There are several Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospects who have been making headlines as of late.

On the young season, there are four players with multiple points on the season in Broz (3), Hayes (2), Koivunen (2), and Sam Poulin (2). WBS’s next set of games starts Friday, when they play a weekend back-to-back against Hartford and the Bridgeport Islanders.

It’s Only Been Three Games. But Kindel And Brunicke Should Be In Pittsburgh To Stay.
Going into Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp this season, it’s safe to say that most folks did not have 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel making the NHL roster out of the gate.

Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!

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Going into Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp this season, it’s safe to say that most folks did not have 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel making the NHL roster out of the gate.

Defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke? Maybe, but even that was a huge question mark. The Penguins had four right-side defenseman with NHL experience penciled in to crack the roster, even if Brunicke had already impressed the Penguins’ organization during his 2024 camp.

But, against all odds, both teenagers did make the NHL roster out of training camp and earned at least a nine-game trial with the big club.

Brunicke, 19, registered his first NHL goal Thursday in a 4-3 win against the New York Islanders, which was a beautiful wrist shot through a screen from the slot. Kindel, 18, scored his in the very next game – a 6-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday – which was a Phil Kessel-esque long-range wrister from the right wing off the rush.

Both players have one goal and are a plus-1 after three NHL games. Both have shown improvement with each passing pre-season and regular season game. And both players could be sent back to the Western Hockey League (WHL) before their respective entry-level contracts kick in at Game No. 10.

Three games in, it is already looking like they no longer belong in junior hockey. Now, they’re making a very strong case to stick around for good.

It’s important to note that Kindel and Brunicke are not a package deal. One has an additional year of seasoning in junior hockey, they play different positions and fill different needs for this Penguins’ team, and they are at different places in their development, even if they are both showing well in the early parts of the season.

On A Night Of Firsts, Penguins Defeat Islanders, 4-3
It was a night of firsts for several Pittsburgh Penguins’ players in Thursday’s home opener against the New York Islanders.

For one, there is a size factor to consider, even if it should not be the deciding factor in terms of whether a player stays or goes. Brunicke is 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, while Kindel is 5-foot-11, 181 pounds. Development also looks different for forwards and defensemen. Oftentimes, it takes longer for defensemen to fully develop and settle into their NHL roles.

There is a very real possiblity that only one of them – even none of them – will stay in the NHL beyond nine games this season. There are players set to come off of injured reserve, including forwards Kevin Hayes and Rutger McGroarty, at some point. Hayes made the road trip to Southern California, meaning there is a chance he will play sometime this week.

For Hayes to be activated, someone has to go – whether that’s Hayes himself or someone else – as the Penguins are at their full 23-man roster capacity. With Ville Koivunen already optioned back to the AHL level, that means that no one on the roster is waiver-exempt aside from Kindel and Brunicke, neither of which are AHL-eligible and must be sent back to their junior teams.

If they are sent back to their junior teams, they must remain there until the end of their respective junior seasons. And something about that just doesn’t seem fair to either player.

Youth Movement Cultivating Fresh Identity For Penguins
On Thursday night against the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins’ rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke became the first teenager to score a goal for the Penguins since Daniel Sprong in 2015.

Brunicke is already proving to be one of the Penguins’ best-six defensemen, and he’s probably not at the bottom of that list, either. His skating is a marvel to watch, and his hockey sense – especially his offensive instincts – is impressive for a teenage blueliner. He does still have some room for improvement as far as his decision-making in the defensive zone, but those reads will come with more experience at the NHL level.

Quite simply, there is nothing left for him to learn in junior hockey. His development, at this point, is best-served to happen at the NHL level this season, even if he doesn’t play in all 82 games. There is a lot of value in him being taken under the wing of veterans like Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang and learning from them, especially since he has a high degree of offensive upside.

Things aren’t much different for Kindel on the forward front. He has been centering the third line – primarily with Tommy Novak and Filip Hallander on his wings – and he doesn’t look a touch out of pace. Kindel’s hockey smarts are off the charts, and his reads are already up to NHL speed. He’s winning battles on the walls, he’s beating guys to pucks, and he is finding and creating the space to generate chances – both in the offensive zone and transitioning out of the defensive zone.

Yes, Kindel could return to the Calgary Hitmen for a year and dominate the league. His 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games were second only to Michael Misa in CHL scoring among 2025 draft-eligible forwards last season. But, if he’s already miles ahead of his junior competition – and has already proven capable of measuring up to NHL competition – is there any real benefit for his development in sending him back, especially if they can manage Kindel’s workload in a similar way to Brunicke’s?

Honestly, a large part of whatever decisions Kyle Dubas and company make with regards to these players may come down to whether or not they’re comfortable allowing either or both players’ three-year contract timelines to begin this season. But, even still, is that worth potentially stunting their development if they are indeed ready to compete at the NHL level?

One thing is for certain: This Western road trip is a critical one for both players. There’s still a small possibility that one or both of them could take a step back in the next three games, which could make any decisions a bit easier for the Penguins.

But if they continue to trend upward, those decisions will almost certainly be made harder. It would be the easier path for the Penguins to simply pull the plug on one or both instead of placing veterans on waivers in order to make way for the teenage rookies to stick around, especially since there are other, slightly older prospects who are probably deserving of a shot at the NHL roster as well.

In this case, the Penguins should take the hard path. If this team is truly keen on prioritizing youth and development at the NHL level this season, they are at a place where they need to show a culture shift, let the kids play, and figure out the rest.

After all – so far – they’ve earned their stay.

Mike Sullivan’s Time In Pittsburgh Deserves To Be Celebrated
If folks have been keeping tabs on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last year and a half, they very well know that the organization is going through a plethora of change.

Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!

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