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  Ryan S. ClarkNov 5, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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  Ryan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.

Face it. You’ve thought about this at home or at work. You’ve done it when you’re with family and friends. You’ve even thought about it before bed and when you should be watching your favorite team.

Who is going to make the national team for [insert nation] at the Olympics?

Every national team is facing tough personnel decisions. Some more than others. But it all comes with the caveat that so much can change until it’s time to submit their final rosters at the end of December.

Until then, here’s a projection examining what the teams for Canada, Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States might look like ahead of the Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament that begins Feb. 11 in Milan-Cortina.

Jump to a roster:
United States
Canada
Sweden
Finland
Czechia

United States

United States of America

Note: Players in bold were the first six selected.

Names to watch: G Joey Daccord, F Alex DeBrincat, G Thatcher Demko, D Lane Hutson, F Patrick Kane, F Chris Kreider, F Frank Nazar, F Shane Pinto, F Jason Robertson, F Vincent Trocheck, F Trevor Zegras

From the point: Finding options isn’t going to be a problem for Team USA. Within this projected roster, the Americans can field a lineup that possesses balance and versatility in many areas.

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Yet it appears that the two players who could impact Team USA’s roster selection process might be Patrick Kane and Vincent Trocheck. Kane is currently injured and has been out of the lineup since mid-October. Before the injury, he had five points in as many games, which allowed him to present an early case for making the roster in what’s a crowded field at winger.

Trocheck was injured in the second game of the season and began practicing with the New York Rangers on Monday. A fully healthy Trocheck would give Team USA another two-way center who can be trusted to play in numerous situations — as well as one more selection discussion for what makes the most sense down the middle.

How does Thatcher Demko factor into the goaltending discussion?

The U.S. is believed to have the strongest set of goalies of any team eligible for the Olympics. But should its group of three include Demko?

The Vancouver Canucks goaltender was a Vezina Trophy finalist in the 2023-24 season before an injury-riddled 2024-25 season saw him struggle to attain consistency. As of Tuesday, Demko’s save percentage (.911) and goals-against average (2.57) were significantly better than Jeremy Swayman’s marks (.896, 3.14). He is also fourth in goals saved above average, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Canada

Canada

Note: Players in bold were the first six selected.

Names to watch: F Connor Bedard, F Sam Bennett, G Mackenzie Blackwood, D Evan Bouchard, F Anthony Cirelli, D Noah Dobson, F Bo Horvat, F Zach Hyman, D Mike Matheson, F John Tavares

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From the point: A wealth of options is Canada’s greatest strength while simultaneously being its biggest challenge. With this particular projection, there is a two-way element with many of the forwards, while the defensive setup has puck movers partnered with stay-at-home options who have size. There are remaining questions:

• What happens if Zach Hyman returns from his wrist injury and provides consistent production?

• How does Canada’s goalie situation change if Mackenzie Blackwood, who has also been injured to start the season, can find consistency?

• Can any of the players who missed the cut in this projection get back on the radar with a strong next month?

Could Canada take Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini?

Speed — and those who know how to use that speed in tight spaces — played a big role in Canada’s success at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Although Canada has numerous players like that in this projection, is it possible it could add more by bringing in Bedard and moving Celebrini into the active lineup?

Both provide another offensive dimension, and Celebrini has shown he can handle the demands of being a two-way center. Either way, expect both to be heavily in the mix in 2030.

Sweden

Sweden

Note: Players in bold were the first six selected.

Names to watch: F Mikael Backlund, F Andre Burakovsky, D Philip Broberg, D Simon Edvinsson, G Samuel Ersson, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D Adam Larsson, F Victor Olofsson

From the point: Sweden appears to have balance throughout its lineup in this projection, although there could still be certain adjustments. Namely, what makes the most sense for Sweden at left wing?

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Lucas Raymond and Jesper Bratt have had starts that justify them being on the top two lines; it’s at the bottom two lines where the questions begin. Gabriel Landeskog has three points through his first 13 games though his average ice time is seventh among forwards on the Colorado Avalanche. Before Rickard Rakell broke his hand, he had eight points in nine games; he’ll return sometime in December. And of course, there’s the discussion about whether Sweden should use Elias Pettersson down the middle or on the wing.

Sweden also could be facing questions related to Linus Ullmark’s struggles to start the season, and if the team could be inclined to take a look at Edvinsson after his start.

Are Simon Edvinsson and Victor Olofsson becoming too hard to ignore?

Playing for two of the top teams in the NHL entering November usually attracts attention, which is the case for Edvinsson and Olofsson.

Edvinsson has continued to carve out his place as one of the Red Wings’ most important players. He has played a top-pairing role, is second on the team in average ice time and 5-on-5 minutes, and is fourth in short-handed minutes.

Olofsson is operating in a top-nine role for the Avs and has used that opportunity to be fifth on the team in points. He’s on pace for a career-high 63 points this season.

Finland

Finland

Note: Players in bold were the first six selected.

Names to watch: F Kasperi Kapanen, G Joonas Korpisalo, F Patrik Laine, F Jani Nyman, F Juuso Parssinen, C Aatu Raty, F Eeli Tolvanen, D Juuso Valimaki

From the point: Finland’s potential roster has been — and will likely continue to be — impacted by major injuries this season.

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Aleksander Barkov, who was one of Finland’s “first six,” tore an ACL and MCL in training camp, and was the first domino to fall. Finland has seen other players — such as Kaapo Kakko, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Rasmus Ristolainen — miss the start of the regular season while recovering from injuries. Kakko played his first game Nov. 1, Luukkonen made his debut Oct. 25, and Ristolainen is expected to be out until December with a triceps injury.

Patrik Laine sustained a core muscle injury in late October, which could see him miss at least three months — and potentially place his Olympic chances in jeopardy.

What does Finland’s plan look like should more injuries arise?

It’s possible that Finland could find some relief should Laine be cleared to play at the Olympics. But in the event he’s not, Finland could be tempted to turn to some of its younger players in the NHL such as Nyman, Parssinen and Raty at forward. All three entered Nov. 3 with either the same or slightly more points than Jesperi Kotkaniemi in a similar number of games. There’s also the possibility that Finland could opt for more experienced forwards such as Kasperi Kapanen or Eeli Tolvanen.

Another option for Finland’s defense is Valimaki. He was named to Finland’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster but didn’t play. He tore an ACL in March and is expected to return sometime around November or December. He could be an option, given there have been only seven Finnish defensemen who have played in the NHL this season entering November.

Czechia

Czechia

Note: Players in bold were the first six selected.

Names to watch: F Filip Chlapik, F Jakub Lauko, F Adam Klapka, D Jan Kostalek, F Tomas Nosek, F Michael Spacek, F Matej Stransky, F Simon Stransky, G Karel Vejmelka, F Adam Zboril

From the point: Tomas Hertl, Martin Necas, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha have had the sort of starts to the season that strengthen the notion Czechia’s top-six forward corps could make a significant impact at the Games.

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Now it’s a matter of determining what Czechia could receive from its supporting cast — with a number of them playing outside of the NHL.

In the most recent men’s IIHF World Championship, Roman Cevenka and Lukas Sedlak finished second and third on the team in points. They’ve continued to produce in the Czech Extraliga, the nation’s top professional league. Jakub Flek has opened the season with 15 goals and 22 points through 21 games.

Which two goalies will join Lukas Dostal on the Czechia roster?

There was a time when Czechia seemed poised to take Dostal, Vejmelka and Dan Vladar as its three goalies. But that appears to have changed — or at least merited a conversation.

The expectation is that Dostal, who was among the first six players named to Czechia’s provisional roster, will be the starter. As for the rest of the field? Jakub Dobes has won his first six games, while his GSAA ranks third in the NHL, per Natural Stat Trick. Vladar entered Tuesday ranked third in goals-against average (2.11) and save percentage (.924) while being 14th in GSAA.

Although Vejmelka has the same number of wins (six) as Dobes, he was 25th in goals-against average, 34th in save percentage and 55th in GSAA.

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The LPGA’s team match-play competition, the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown, will take place this week at New Korea Country Club in Goyang-si, South Korea.

This is the fifth edition of the eight-team, 32-player event, which begins Thursday and will be contested over four days.

Thailand is the defending champion, beating runner-up Australia two years ago at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. South Korea (2018), U.S. (2016) and Spain (2014) are the other past winners.

New this year is the addition of a World team, which will include the top four players in the Rolex Rankings not on a qualifying team – Canada’s Brooke Henderson, England’s Charley Hull, Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko.

Here is everything you need to know about this week’s competition:

Format

The first three days will feature pool play and four-ball matches before the top two teams in each pool advance to a four-team knockout stage initially pitting the winners of each pool against the runners-up with matchups consisting of two singles matches and one foursomes match. There will be a third-place match in addition to the final on Sunday afternoon local time (South Korea is 13 hours ahead of ET).

In pool play, matchups will feature two four-ball matches; teams will receive one point for a win and a half-point for a tie.

All matches will scheduled for 18 holes with extra holes only used in knockout stage.

Tiebreakers

If two teams are tied for first after pool play, the following methods will be used, in order:
1. Head-to-head result between the two teams
2. Total number of matches won
3. Higher seed
If three or more countries are tied for first, or two or more are tied for second, a playoff will be used – for two teams: sudden-death, four-ball match play with two players per team; for more than two teams: sudden-death, four-ball stroke play with two players per team.

Pool assignments

Note that seedings were locked in on Aug. 4 before several withdrawals.
POOL A
1. U.S.
4. Australia
5. Thailand
8. China

POOL B
2. Japan
3. South Korea
6. Sweden
7. World

TV schedule

WEDNESDAY
10 p.m.-3 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

THURSDAY
10 p.m.-3 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

FRIDAY
10 p.m.-3 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

SATURDAY
7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

SUNDAY
Midnight-4 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Match schedule

Pool play matches will start from 8:15 p.m.-10 p.m. ET.

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY
Pool A: U.S. vs. China
Pool A: Australia vs. Thailand
Pool B: Japan vs. World
Pool B: South Korea vs. Sweden

THURSDAY-FRIDAY
Pool A: U.S. vs. Thailand
Pool A: Australia vs. China
Pool B: Japan vs. Sweden
Pool B: South Korea vs. World

FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Pool A: U.S. vs. Australia
Pool A: Thailand vs. China
Pool B: Japan vs. South Korea
Pool B: Sweden vs. World

SATURDAY-SUNDAY
Semifinal – Pool A winner vs. Pool B runner-up, 6 p.m.-6:20 p.m.
Semifinal – Pool B winner vs. Pool A runner-up, 6 p.m.-6:20 p.m.
Final – Semifinal winners, midnight-12:20 a.m.
Third-place match – Semifinal losers, midnight-12:20 a.m. (off No. 10)

Team rosters

Here are the four-player rosters with player’s Rolex Ranking listed in parentheses.

U.S.
Angel Yin (10)
Lauren Coughlin (16)
Yealimi Noh (28)
Lilia Vu (33)

Japan
Miyu Yamashita (6)
Mao Saigo (9)
Rio Takeda (12)
Ayaka Furue (23)

South Korea
Hyo Joo Kim (8)
Haeran Ryu (14)
Hye-Jin Choi (21)
Jin Young Ko (22)

Australia
Minjee Lee (3)
Hannah Green (18)
Grace Kim (26)
Steph Kyriacou (42)

Thailand
Jeeno Thitikul (1)
Chanettee Wannasaen (45)
Pajaree Anannarukarn (85)
Jasmine Suwannapura (141)

Sweden
Maja Stark (15)
Madelene Sagstrom (40)
Ingrid Lindblad (50)
Linn Grant (52)

World
Lydia Ko (4)
Charley Hull (5)
Brooke Henderson (25)
Wei-Ling Hsu (96)

China
Ruoning Yin (7)
Weiwei Zhang
Yan Liu (104)
Ruixin Liu (120)

Withdrawals

Nelly Korda (U.S.), Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) and Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand) have all withdrawn since the initial team announcements on Aug. 4. Korda cited injury when she withdrew earlier this month. As noted previously, the team seedings did not change.

Not qualified

England, Taiwan and Spain are the previous International Crown qualifiers who did not make the eight-team field this year. England and Taiwan each competed in three of the previous four editions while Spain hasn’t made the field since winning in 2014. England and Taiwan are represented on the World team this year, though.

The highest-ranked players not qualified, aside from the WDs, are England’s Lottie Woad (11), South Korea’s Sei Young Kim (13), France’s Celine Boutier (19) and American Andrea Lee (20).

Oct 13, 2025, 01:07 PM ET

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee right-hander Nick Mears was left off the Brewers’ roster for their NL Championship Series matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers after making 63 relief appearances during the regular season.

Milwaukee instead included right-hander Tobias Myers, who wasn’t on the Brewers’ roster for their NL Division Series with the Chicago Cubs. Game 1 of the NLCS is Monday at Milwaukee.

The Dodgers also altered their bullpen for this series. They added one more pitcher by including right-hander Ben Casparius and leaving out Dalton Rushing, who had been one of three catchers on their NLDS roster. Rushing struck out in his lone NLDS at bat.

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Los Angeles’ NLCS bullpen will also include left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who was added to the NLDS roster after Tanner Scott, who underwent a surgical removal of an abscess from an infection on his lower body before the final game of the NLDS matchup with Philadelphia.

Because Scott was removed from the NLDS roster during the series, it made him ineligible for the NLCS.

Mears went 5-3 with a 3.49 ERA for the Brewers during the regular season. He pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the NLDS.

Myers was 1-2 with a 3.55 ERA for Milwaukee in 22 appearances, including six starts. That followed a 2024 rookie season in which he went 9-6 with a 3.00 ERA while starting 25 of his 27 appearances. Myers also allowed only two hits over five shutout innings while starting Game 3 of the Brewers’ NL Wild Card Series loss to the New York Mets last season.

Milwaukee’s NLCS roster also doesn’t include two-time All-Star pitcher Brandon Woodruff as he continues to recover from a right lat strain.

Casparius went 7-5 with a 4.64 ERA in 46 appearances this season. He posted a 1.42 ERA in 6 1/3 postseason innings last year – including 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the NLCS – to help the Dodgers in their drive to the World Series title.

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Trey Yesavage (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

College baseballâ€s reach didnâ€t stop when the regular season ended—it followed players straight into October.

After 293 schools produced at least one big leaguer during the 2025 regular season, 118 of them were represented again in the Wild Card and Division Series rounds, underscoring just how essential the college pipeline has become to the gameâ€s biggest moments.

Recent college draftees like Trey Yesavage (East Carolina) and Cam Schlittler (Northeastern) were among the postseasonâ€s early standouts, further proof of how quickly top college prospects are impacting the majors.

Boston College, East Carolina, Florida State, LSU, Miami and Virginia led all schools with three former players apiece on postseason rosters.

Below is the complete list of all 118 colleges with at least one former player on a postseason roster. Note that players who participated in the regular season for a team that reached the playoffs but were not included on their club’s 26-man postseason roster were ineligible for this study.

SchoolPLAYERS in the playoffsBoston College3East Carolina3Florida State3LSU3Miami3Virginia3Arizona2Cal State Fullerton2Fordham2Fresno State2Georgia Tech2Houston2Indiana2Iowa2LMU2Louisville2New Mexico2North Carolina State2Northeastern2Ohio State2Oregon State2Sam Houston State2South Dakota State2Stanford2TCU2Texas State2UAB2UCLA2Vanderbilt2Wake Forest2Alabama1Arizona State1Auburn1Ball State1Baylor1BYU1Cal Poly1Cal State East Bay1California1California State University, Monterey Bay1Central Michigan1Cincinnati1Clemson1Cloud County (Kan.) JC1Concordia1Connecticut1Creighton1Dartmouth1East Stroudsburg1Eastern Illinois1Elon1Florida1Florida International1Gardner-Webb1Georgia1Georgia State1Harvard1Hawaii1Hope International University1Indiana State1Jacksonville1James Madison1JC Of Southern Nevada1Kent State1Kentucky1Lafayette (Pa.)1Lake Erie College1Lenoir-Rhyne1Liberty1Lynn University1Maryland1McNeese State1Miami Dade JC1Michigan1Millersville University1Mississippi State1Nevada1New Jersey Tech1New Mexico JC1New Mexico State1Newberry College1Niagara1North Carolina1Oklahoma State1Ole Miss1Oral Roberts1Oregon1Point Loma Nazarene1Purdue-Northwest (Ind.)1Sacramento City College1Sacramento State1San Diego1San Diego State1San Jacinto (Texas) JC1Santa Clara1Seattle1South Florida1Southeastern Louisiana1St. John’s River (Fla.) JC1State JC Of Florida1Stephen F. Austin State1Stetson1Tennessee1Texas1Texas A&M1Troy1Tulane1UC Santa Barbara1UNLV1Utah1Virginia Military Institute1Virginia Tech1Washington1Washington State1Washington University (St. Louis)1Wichita State1William & Mary1Wisconsin-Milwaukee1

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When asked a week ago if he wanted to be the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Stewart Cink said “heck yeah.” He saw the Americans had lost last month to the Europeans — their ninth loss in the past 12 playings of the event — and Cink said he wanted to “try to get this thing turned around.”

Naturally, another thought also interested him.

“I’d love to represent the United States,” he said.

In a couple months, he will. In a team competition, too.

Wednesday morning, Cink and 11 players were announced for the World Champions Cup, which will feature three six-man teams (U.S., Europe and International) made up of players from the 50-and-over PGA Tour Champions circuit. The Dec. 4-7 event will play six-ball, scotch sixsomes (modified alternate shot) and singles matches at Feather Sound Country Club in Clearwater, Fla.

Previously, the playing captains had been announced — Jim Furyk for the Americans; Darren Clarke for Europe; and Mike Weir for the Internationals — and each side will add one player after play at this week’s SAS Championship. As the rosters currently stand, the players have 43 combined major championships across PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions play, along with a combined 86 Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances.

Below is a look at the rosters:

United States:

–Jim Furyk (playing captain): two combined major wins, 16 combined Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances

–Stewart Cink: one major win, nine combined Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances

–Jerry Kelly: two Champions major wins, one Presidents Cup appearance

–Justin Leonard: one major win, eight combined Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances

–Steve Stricker: seven Champions major wins, eight combined Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances

Europe:

–Darren Clarke (playing captain): two combined major wins, five Ryder Cup appearances

–Thomas Bjorn: three Ryder Cup appearances

–Miguel Angel Jimenez: three Champions major wins, four Ryder Cup appearances

–Bernhard Langer: 14 combined major wins, 10 Ryder Cup appearances

–Colin Montgomerie: three Champions major wins, eight Ryder Cup appearances

International:

–Mike Weir (playing captain): one major win, five Presidents Cup appearances

–Steven Alker: one Champions major win

–Angel Cabrera: four combined major wins, four Presidents Cup appearances

–K.J. Choi: one Champions major win, three Presidents Cup appearances

–Y.E. Yang: one major win, two Presidents Cup appearances

The World Champions Cup was first played two years ago, with the U.S. winning, the Internationals finishing second and the Europeans finishing third. Last year’s event was canceled due to weather.

Apr 17, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Edmonton Oilers assistant coach Glen Gulutzan against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The 2025-26 NHL regular season is finally here, with Opening Night on Tuesday.

Final rosters for all 32 teams were submitted Monday. The ECHL has 60 players on NHL opening-day rosters, marking the 24th season in a row with more than 50 former ECHL players in that category.

The Premier ‘AA†Hockey League, the ECHL has a player or coach on each of the 32 teams and has affiliations with 30 of the 32 teams in the NHL, marking the 29th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL.

There are 57 coaches with an ECHL background working behind the benches of teams in the NHL including Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan, San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy and Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery. All previously were ECHL head coaches.

In addition, Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette is a former ECHL player. It is the 15th consecutive season that there have been 30 or more coaches with an ECHL background working in the NHL.

Last season, Carbery became the third former ECHL coach to win the Jack Adams as NHL Coach of the Year, joining Cassidy (2019-20) and Bruce Boudreau (2007-08).

In the 2022-23 season, Cassidy became the third former ECHL head coach to lead his team to a Stanley Cup title, joining Laviolette (Carolina, 2006) and Bednar (Colorado, 2022).

In 2021-22, Bednar became the first coach to lead teams to championships in the ECHL (South Carolina, 2009), AHL (Lake Erie, 2016) and NHL (Colorado, 2022).

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With the NHL’s pre-season schedule come and gone, teams must now prepare their opening-night rosters.

On Sunday, final cuts to training camp rosters began with a big list of players being placed on waivers in hopes that they can be assigned to AHL clubs.

Edmonton Oilers:Max Jones
Montreal Canadiens: Sammy Blais, Kaapo Kähkönen
Ottawa Senators: Hayden Hodgson, Jan Jenik, Arthur Kaliyev, Olle Lycksell, Mads Sogaard, Lassi Thomson
Toronto Maple Leafs:Matt Benning, Dakota Mermis, Michael Pezzetta, Henry Thrun
Winnipeg Jets: Walker Duehr, Ville Heinola

Among the notable names being cut by U.S. teams are a trio of goaltenders in Michael DiPietro (Boston Bruins), Nico Daws (New Jersey Devils), and Clay Stevenson (Washington Capitals), who are all garnering interest on the wire, according to Friedman.

Other players placed on waiver include:

Boston Bruins: Jonathan Aspirot, Matej Blumel, Michael DiPietro, Alex Steeves
Buffalo Sabres:Joshua Dunne
Carolina Hurricanes:Cayden Primeau
Colorado Avalanche:Jack Ahcan, Keaton Middleton
Detroit Red Wings:Erik Gustafsson, Justin Holl
Florida Panthers:Jack Studnicka
Minnesota Wild:Calvin Petersen, Tyler Pitlick
New Jersey Devils: Calen Addison, Nicolas Daws, Jonathan Gruden, Mike Hardman, Nathan Legare
Philadelphia Flyers:Carl Grundstrom
San Jose Sharks: Pavol Regenda
Tampa Bay Lightning:Declan Carlile
Utah Mammoth: Curtis Douglas
Vegas Golden Knights:Jonas Rondbjerg
Washington Capitals: Ethen Frank, Clay Stevenson

The deadline for NHL teams to submit their final opening night rosters is Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

The regular season begins Tuesday.

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Image credit:
Jose Ramirez (left) and Steven Kawn (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Building a successful MLB playoff roster requires being open to acquiring talent through any and all means. And this year’s postseason rosters feature players who took many different paths to success.

The Brewers, for example, picked up infielder Isaac Collins as a minor league Rule 5 pick in December 2022. At the time, it looked like just a useful MiLB roster addition. But Collins kept hitting and getting on base, and this year he proved to be a very valuable part of the Brewers’ outfield.

In Boston, waiver claim Romy Gonzalez helped the Red Sox fill the hole created by Triston Casas’ injury while MLB Rule 5 pick Garrett Whitlock is a key part of the team’s bullpen. Reds center fielder TJ Friedl was also a very astute pick-up as a non-drafted free agent.

And while MLB free agents like Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, Max Fried and Cody Bellinger are vital to their teams’ playoff hopes, under-the-radar MiLB free agent acquisitions like Tobias Myers, Gavin Sheets and Jake Bauers have also contributed.

With that diversity in mind, we’re presenting a look at how all 12 MLB playoff teams were built this season. Since all rosters are not officially set (and teams with first-round byes wonâ€t set them until the end of the week), we are using the final 28-man rosters from Sunday.

For this exercise, we are looking at the way the team acquired a player initially. For example, if a player was originally acquired by trade and then re-signed as a free agent, weâ€re treating that as a trade acquisition.

Also, for Japanese and Cuban free agents, we are treating those as international signings. If you’d rather consider those players as MLB free agents, add another free agent signing for the Blue Jays (Yariel Rodriguez), one for the Red Sox (Masataka Yoshida), one for the Cubs (Seiya Suzuki), one for the Padres (Yuki Matsui) and three for the Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Hyesong Kim).Â

How 2025 Playoff Teams Were Built

It may surprise you, but the largest proportion of 2025 postseason rosters are not players who were drafted and signed or signed as MLB free agents. Instead, these players were mostly acquired via trades. More than one out of every three players on 2025 playoff rosters were acquired by trade.

ACQUIREDNUMBER OF PlayersPercentageTrade12436.90%Draft7221.43%Free Agent6017.86%International339.82%MiLB Free Agent298.63%Waivers102.98%NDFA51.49%Rule 520.60%MiLB Rule 510.30%

The Brewers roster the most players acquired by trade with 15. And those trades were more than just peripheral additions, too, as those players helped to establish the core of the 2025 team.

When the Brewers acquired Christian Yelich, they were getting an established MLB regular, although he blossomed further as a Brewers. But in many cases, the Brewers have made trades that were more subtle and later turned into key moves, such as landing players like Freddy Peralta, Trevor Megill, Quinn Priester, Caleb Durbin, Chad Patrick and Andrew Vaughn.

The Mariners (14 traded players) were right behind the Brewers when it came to making trades. The acquisition of Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline helped fix holes in the club’s lineup, but it was past moves involving the likes of Randy Arozarena, Andres Munoz, Luis Castillo and J.P. Crawford that played an even bigger role in the Mariners winning the AL West.

The Most Homegrown Team

The Guardians are, without a doubt, the most “homegrown†of all 12 playoff teams. Cleveland has 18 players who originally signed with them still on their roster—no other team has more than 13.

And itâ€s not just about numbers to fill out a roster. Between ace Gavin Williams, all-star Steven Kwan and all-time Guardians great Jose Ramirez, the bulk of the teamâ€s star power comes from players who have been part of the Cleveland organization only as pros.

The Guardians could send out a lineup featuring homegrown talent at every spot around the diamond from catcher (Bo Naylor) to first base (C.J. Kayfus), second base (Daniel Schneemann), shortstop (Gabriel Arias), third base (Ramirez), left field (Steven Kwan), center field (Angel Martinez) and right field (Jhonkensy Noel, Jonathan Rodriguez or George Valera).

And with 2022 first-round draft pick Chase DeLauter added to the postseason roster, it only deepens Cleveland’s homegrown persona.

But teams donâ€t have to be homegrown to be able to make the playoffs on a limited payroll. The Brewers only have six homegrown players slated to be on their roster, and they had the best record in baseball with a bottom-third payroll.

Which Org Produced The Most Players On Playoff Teams?

Thanks to their 18 homegrown players, the Guardians got a nice head start on producing the most postseason players. There are 27 players who first signed with the Guardians on playoff teams. The Dodgers are second with 23, followed by the Padres (20), Mariners (20) and Cubs (18).

Of the 20 Padres players on playoff teams, only six are still with the organization.

Of the 30 MLB teams, the Rockies are last with three original Colorado players on playoff rosters: Ryan McMahon, Trevor Story and Isaac Collins.

Original TeamPlayersOriginal TeamPlayersCleveland Guardians27Texas Rangers9Los Angeles Dodgers23Athletics8San Diego Padres20Baltimore Orioles8Seattle Mariners20Chicago White Sox8Chicago Cubs18Kansas City Royals8Cincinnati Reds17Pittsburgh Pirates8New York Yankees17Tampa Bay Rays8Detroit Tigers14Miami Marlins7Milwaukee Brewers13St. Louis Cardinals7Arizona Diamondbacks12Atlanta Braves6Boston Red Sox12Washington Nationals6Houston Astros12New York Mets5Philadelphia Phillies11San Francisco Giants5Toronto Blue Jays11Los Angeles Angels4Minnesota Twins9Colorado Rockies3

Teams That Struck Gold In The Draft

Each playoff team features key players landed in the draft, but some rely more on the draft than others. The homegrown Guardians led the way with 12 draftees, but the Reds and Tigers are also particularly well-stocked with drafted talent.

The Reds feature first-round picks from 2015 (Tyler Stephenson), 2017 (Hunter Greene), 2019 (Nick Lodolo), 2021 (Matt McLain) and 2024 (Chase Burns) on their roster in addition to 2022 supplemental first-round pick (Sal Stewart), 2015 second-rounder (Tony Santillan), 2021 second-rounder (Andrew Abbott) and a pair of sixth-round picks (Graham Ashcraft, 2019 and Zach Maxwell, 2022).

In addition to the likely back-to-back Cy Young Award-winner in Tarik Skubal (2019 ninth round), the Tigers have 2018 first-rounder Casey Mize, 2019 first-rounder Riley Greene and 2020 first-rounder Spencer Torkelson on their roster. The team also has catcher Dillon Dingler (2020, second round), outfielders Parker Meadows (2018, second round) and Kerry Carpenter (2019, 19th round) and pitchers Brant Hurter (2021, seventh round), Troy Melton (2022, fourth round) and Will Vest (2022, 12th round).

Teams That Nailed The International Market

The Dodgers have the most international signings, but as we noted at the top, three of those are players who were already established in foreign professional leagues. Andy Pages and Edgardo Henriquez are the team’s international amateur acquisitions.

The Blue Jays have three international amateur signings. It’s hard to do better than the 2015 signing of first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed a year later by inking catcher Alejandro Kirk.

Teams That Hit On MLB Free Agents

The Phillies lead all playoff teams with nine MLB free agents. Philadelphia has made a point of supplementing its roster with stars, and it’s hard to complain about the results. The team’s four most productive position players this season were all free agents: Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto. Though he’s injured, Zack Wheeler has also been excellent.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have managed to blend homegrown stars like Aaron Judge with a free agent-led rotation. FA signings Max Fried and Carlos Rodon both stepped up this year after Gerrit Cole missed the entire season with an elbow injury. Cody Bellinger proved a vital addition to the outfield as well.

It Takes All Kinds

The Red Sox are a large-market team, but they also are the playoff team that has acquired players in more diverse ways than anyone else. Their roster consists of free agent signings like Aroldis Chapman, Trevor Story and Alex Bregman paired with international signings (Ceddanne Rafaela), draftees (Jarren Duran), trade pickups (Wilyer Abreu, Carlos Narvaez), Rule 5 picks (Garrett Whitlock) and MiLB free agent signings (Zack Kelly, Nate Eaton and Rob Refsnyder).

Savvy Traders

The Cubs have a relatively normal roster composition, but the team’s ability to acquire key regulars in trades has gotten them back to the postseason. Landing Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker and Michael Busch in deals gave the team the offensive punch that had been lacking.

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The U.S. Ryder Cup team is looking to continue the home advantage in this biennial competition as it prepares to win back the cup on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York.

After six players automatically qualified for the matches, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley finalized his team with six picks.

Here’s a look at the home team, which hasn’t lost a cup since the Americans were stunned by Europe in the “Miracle at Medinah.â€

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler enters the 2025 Ryder Cup as the undisputed top player in golf coming off the best two-year stretch since Tiger Woods.

Scottie Scheffler

• Age: 29
• Hometown: Dallas
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2021, 2023, 2025)
• Career Ryder Cup record: 2-2-3
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 1st
• OWGR rank: 1st
• Data Golf rank: 1st
• Wins in 2025: 5 (CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, Memorial Tournament, Open Championship, BMW Championship)
• What he brings: Everything. He’s Scottie Scheffler.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: J.J. Spaun

After breaking through in 2025 with a win at the U.S. Open, J.J. Spaun won’t be daunted by his first action at the Ryder Cup for the U.S. team.

J.J. Spaun

• Age: 35
• Hometown: Los Angeles
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
• Career Ryder Cup record: N/A
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 2nd
• OWGR rank: 6th
• Data Golf rank: 11th
• Wins in 2025: 1 (U.S. Open)
• What he brings: Ranked seventh on Tour in strokes gained approach, which wasn’t surprising. However, he broke out this season, capturing his first major, with help from an improving short game.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Xander Schauffele

Xander Schauffele will be a presence for the U.S. team at the 2025 Ryder Cup because of his lack of weaknesses.

Xander Schauffele

• Age: 31
• Hometown: San Diego
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2021, 2023, 2025)
• Career Ryder Cup record: 4-4
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 3rd
• OWGR rank: 4th
• Data Golf rank: 9th
• Wins in 2025: 0
• What he brings: Though he’s had a down year, the swagger will undoubtedly be there at Bethpage – and hopefully the game falls into place behind what’s still been great iron play (12th in strokes gained approach).

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Russell Henley

Russell Henley will be one of the newcomers that will look to add life to the U.S. team defending home soil at the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Russell Henley

• Age: 36
• Hometown: Columbus, Georgia
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
• Career Ryder Cup record: N/A
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 4th
• OWGR rank: 3rd
• Data Golf rank: 6th
• Wins in 2025: 1 (Arnold Palmer Invitational)
• What he brings: Not long, but makes up everywhere else – 13th in strokes gained approach, sixth around the greens and 32nd in putting, though the latter usually is better. Also proved at the last Presidents Cup that he can be a lethal partner for Scheffler.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Harris English

Harris English is back for his second U.S. team appearance at the Ryder Cup, and he is ready to “cherish the moment.”

Harris English

• Age: 36
• Hometown: Sea Island, Georgia
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2021, 2025)
• Career Ryder Cup record: 1-2
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 5th
• OWGR rank: 10th
• Data Golf rank: 22nd
• Wins in 2025: 1 (Farmers Insurance Open)
• What he brings: Despite this being just his second Ryder Cup, English has a veteran presence about him. And though he’s struggled with the irons this year, he’s top 20 in putting.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Bryson DeChambeau

A “box-office” talent, Bryson DeChambeau is set to bring his bold, entertaining style of play to the forefront with this year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Bryson DeChambeau

• Age: 32
• Hometown: Clovis, California
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2018, 2021, 2025)
• Career Ryder Cup record: 2-3-1
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 6th
• OWGR rank: 21st
• Data Golf rank: 7th
• Wins in 2025: 1 (LIV Golf Korea)
• What he brings: Passion, energy and the long ball. He hasn’t been great in this event, but he’ll likely have the crowd behind him.

*official LIV events only

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Justin Thomas

As the most experienced member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, Justin Thomas is “the heartbeat” of a squad looking to defend home soil at Bethpage Black.

Justin Thomas

• Age: 32
• Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: 4 (2018, 2021, 2023, 2025)
• Career Ryder Cup record: 7-4-2
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 7th
• OWGR rank: 5th
• Data Golf rank: 23rd
• Wins in 2025: 1 (RBC Heritage)
• What he brings: May not have ranked in the top 15 in any of the four strokes-gained metrics, but his inclusion as this team’s veteran leader leaves no doubt.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa’s resume “speaks for itself” as he enters another Ryder Cup for the U.S. team.

Collin Morikawa

• Age: 28
• Hometown: La Canada Flintridge, California
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2021, 2023, 2025)
• Career Ryder Cup record: 4-3-1
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 8th
• OWGR rank: 8th
• Data Golf rank: 31st
• Wins in 2025: 0
• What he brings: Easily in the worst form of the 12 team members, but he was still third on Tour in strokes gained approach and 13th off the tee, even if his length, or lack of, leaves a lot to be desired at Bethpage.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Ben Griffin

Ben Griffin’s breakthrough in 2025 will continue as he makes his rookie appearance with the U.S. team at the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Ben Griffin

• Age: 29
• Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
• Career Ryder Cup record: N/A
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 9th
• OWGR rank: 13th
• Data Golf rank: 5th
• Wins in 2025: 2 (Charles Schwab Challenge, Zurich Classic)
• What he brings: Not only has he popped for two wins this year, including one in a foursomes/four-ball format in New Orleans, but he posted two top-10s in majors and continued to play solidly through the playoffs. Balance game as his worst strokes-gained rank is 56th off the tee.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Cameron Young

Although he is a Ryder Cup rookie, New Yorker Cameron Young should be right at home at Bethpage Black.

Cameron Young

• Age: 28
• Hometown: Scarborough, New York
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: Rookie
• Career Ryder Cup record: N/A
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 14th
• OWGR rank: 20th
• Data Golf rank: 13th
• Wins in 2025: 1 (Wyndham Championship)
• What he brings: Great recent form and an unmatched connection with Bethpage, which he’s won a New York State Open on. Long and sixth on Tour in putting, too.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay has played some of his best golf in team settings, and now he’ll make his third appearance for the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black.

Patrick Cantlay

• Age: 33
• Hometown: Long Beach, California
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: 3 (2021, 2023, 2025)
• Career Ryder Cup record: 5-2-1
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 15th
• OWGR rank: 22nd
• Data Golf rank: 16th
• Wins in 2025: 0
• What he brings: Only Thomas has won more Ryder Cup matches on this team than Cantlay, who ranked ninth in strokes gained approach this season.

Ryder Cup Spotlight: Sam Burns

Between his hot finish to the PGA Tour season and his always reliable putting, Sam Burns is a weapon for the U.S. team at the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Sam Burns

• Age: 29
• Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana
• No. of Ryder Cup appearances: 2 (2023, 2025)
• Career Ryder Cup record: 1-2
• Final U.S. Ryder Cup points rank: 16th
• OWGR rank: 23rd
• Data Golf rank: 10th
• Wins in 2025: 0
• What he brings: Ranked No. 1 on Tour in strokes gained putting this season and finally has some major confidence after holding the 54-hole lead at Oakmont.

Baseball Factory and Under Armour announced the final rosters for their 2025 All-America game Thursday. The event is set to…