All articles tagged with #rookies
With John Harbaugh at the helm, a seven-round Giants mock draft envisions immediate and long-term impact by adding versatile defenders and line depth: Mansoor Delane (CB), Jake Golday (LB), Billy Schrauth (OL), Cyrus Allen (WR), Pat Coogan (C), Cole Wisniewski (S), and Joshua Weru (EDGE) to accelerate a return to NFC playoff contention.
SB Nation ranks the 12 best rookies of the 2025-26 season, led by Kon Knueppel’s league-leading shooting and playmaking, with Cooper Flagg a standout No. 2 who could still win Rookie of the Year; the list also highlights diverse strengths from Hugo Gonzalez’s defense to Dylan Harper’s rim finishing, showcasing a strong, versatile 2025 draft class.
NBC News’ MLB award-season preview spotlights Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as the AL MVP frontrunner and Shohei Ohtani as the NL MVP frontrunner, with Cy Young bets leaning to Max Fried (AL) and Sandy Alcantara (NL) and Rookie of the Year bets on Chase DeLauter (AL) and Nolan McLean (NL), complemented by expert picks and early-season notes on pace and surprises.
MLB’s Opening Weekend showcased a new era with Automatic Balls and Strikes calls driving overturned calls and strategic challenges, while contenders like the Dodgers and Yankees looked strong and the Blue Jays posted a record-setting start on the mound. A wave of top prospects—DeLauter, Wetherholt, Murakami, McGonigle—made big MLB debuts, helped by Dylan Cease’s sharp outing for Toronto as the rotation dominated early. Not all teams found instant success, with Seattle and Philadelphia facing rough starts.
Opening Day 2026 spotlighted six rookies who made immediate impact: Mets' Carson Benge recorded his first MLB hit and home run in the sixth after an eight-pitch walk; Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt homered and later drove in a run on a bases-loaded sac fly; White Sox's Munetaka Murakami slugged his first MLB homer in his debut; Phillies' Justin Crawford collected two hits in his first big-league game; Tigers' Kevin McGonigle posted four hits, becoming the fourth-youngest player since 1900 to debut with four hits; Guardians' Chase DeLauter doubled his impact with a first-inning homer for his first hit and added another later in the game. These performances highlighted a deep, promising influx of rookies across several teams on a memorable Opening Day.
The WNBA and the players’ union reached an in-principle agreement on a new CBA that will raise pay for all players under contract—including rookies (minimums rising from about $66k to over $300k). It also creates a path to a $1.4M supermax, with a league cap starting at $7M and an expected ~20% revenue share for players. Core-designation rules would tighten by 2027, and players with extensions of three or more years on rookie deals would not be eligible to be “core” thereafter. A term sheet will be signed, followed by a players’ vote and board ratification; the 30th season is set to begin May 8 (training camp April 19), with free agency and expansion processes for Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo to follow.
Eric Cross unveils his 2026 Top 25 rookie rankings for redraft fantasy baseball, highlighting players like JJ Wetherholt, Sal Stewart, Konnor Griffin, Justin Crawford, and Jett Williams, with notes on their paths to the majors, upside, and likely draft value. The piece includes honorable mentions and references ADP data from NFBC and Yahoo to help owners target breakout rookies for the upcoming season.
Sports Illustrated's 2026 NFL Top 100 projection begins with Nos. 100–51, featuring 11 rookies among future stars while veterans like Trey Hendrickson and Dak Prescott remain highly valued; the piece highlights notable 2025 rookies such as Tetairoa McMillan, Carson Schwesinger, and Colston Loveland and notes that Nos. 50–11 drop Wednesday with the top 10 revealed Thursday, as MMQB editors vote on the top 20 and analysis blends injury context, contracts and team situations to illustrate potential shifts in the league’s pecking order.
PFF ranks the highest-graded rookies from the wild-card round (minimum 25 snaps), led by Colston Loveland and Matthew Golden at 90.6, with eight more rookies like Jayden Higgins (79.3), Woody Marks (78.8), Craig Woodson (77.4), Ozzy Trapilo (76.0), Will Campbell (75.6), Marques Sigle (73.2) and Tetairoa McMillan (72.2) also delivering standout performances; Loveland’s 8 catches for 137 yards and Golden’s first NFL TD headline the weekend’s rookie production.
The Dallas Cowboys finished their 2025 season with a 7-9-1 record, highlighted by notable rookie performances, a historically low interception total, and record-breaking special teams stats, but also faced challenges like high points allowed and a season-ending loss to the Giants.
Chicago Bears rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III have made significant progress, contributing to the team's improved offensive performance, with Loveland surpassing 500 receiving yards and Burden achieving career highs, despite early injuries, under the leadership of QB Caleb Williams and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
The article highlights the top rookie defensemen and forwards in the NHL for the 2025-26 season, focusing on their ice time, contributions, and notable performances, with Matthew Schaefer and Beckett Sennecke among the standout rookies.
The Baltimore Ravens, once Super Bowl favorites, are now underdogs with less than a 10% chance to make the playoffs, facing challenges including injuries to star quarterback Lamar Jackson and inconsistent team performance. Pundits believe their season has been disappointing, and Jackson's evolving career may require more reliance on pocket passing as he ages. Despite these setbacks, the team remains competitive, with rookie safety Malaki Starks standing out among their draft class.
The article highlights the top NHL rookies making an impact this season, focusing on players who participated in the 2024-25 IIHF World Junior Championship, including Yaroslav Askarov, Zeev Buium, Oliver Kapanen, Ryan Leonard, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Jesper Wallstedt, and Matthew Wood, detailing their achievements and contributions.
San Francisco 49ers' coach Kyle Shanahan provided an optimistic injury update, highlighted Brock Purdy's strong performance, praised the offensive line's resilience against Titans' defense, expressed confidence in the rookie class, and outlined upcoming plans for Monday Night Football against the Colts.