Sports
Three Overrated MLB Teams That Could Struggle to Make the Playoffs
Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Six of the 12 teams in last year’s playoff field did not reach the postseason in 2023, which suggests we’ll be sitting here in a few months realizing we underrated at least a handful of playoff-bound clubs and overestimated a similar number of squads. Here are three teams whose overrated nature may make their path to the postseason more difficult than expected.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
No, we are just kidding. Let’s get to the actual list.
New York Yankees
Now here we have a worthy candidate as baseball’s most overrated team. The Yankees, who fell to the Dodgers in the World Series last fall, seemed to pivot nicely once Juan Soto headed for the Mets by shoring up their pitching staff with the additions of Max Fried and Devin Williams before acquiring former MVPs Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to provide protection for Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. But then spring training started, and Stanton’s dual elbow injuries thrust the unproven likes of Austin Wells, Jasson Domínguez and Ben Rice into key spots in the order.
The rotation is an even bigger question mark for the Yankees, who are relying on rookie Will Warren and the aging Marcus Stroman and Carlos Carrasco after losing Gerrit Cole to season-ending Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil to a right lat strain that will sideline him for most of the first half. Yet the Yankees’ World Series-winning odds remain the best in the AL and have climbed only slightly from +800 as of last November to +900. But with the Red Sox on the verge of a resurgence and the Orioles coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, the Yankees aren’t even a sure thing to win the AL East.
New York Mets
Mar 17, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Two overrated Big Apple teams? In this economy? To be fair, the markets and prognosticators seem to recognize the longer path to a title for the Mets, whose odds of winning the World Series are +1200 — down from +1400 in November but still only the fourth-best in the loaded NL behind the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
The addition of Soto shouldn’t impact the immaculate vibes the Mets built last season, but their rotation — sans Sean Manaea to start the season and with Kodai Senga trying to come back from an injury-ruined season at the back end — might be an even bigger question mark than the one across town. Senga, Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning and David Peterson made just 68 regular-season starts in 2024. General manager David Stearns has proven an expert at adding on the margins, but the line between World Series contender and home in October is still a thin one for the Mets.
Chicago Cubs
Mar 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (9) hits a three RBI double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images This is as much about the defending NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers being underrated as it is about the Cubs being overrated. But the Brewers’ superior infrastructure — they won the division yet again last season after Craig Counsell bolted Milwaukee for the Cubs, who made him the highest-paid manager in history — deserves a little more attention over the Cubs, who have retained their status as the NL Central favorites through the winter.
Kyle Tucker is an upgrade on Bellinger, and there’s plenty of youthful promise around him in the starting lineup, but the rotation is unspectacular and reliant upon Matthew Boyd and Ben Brown, who combined for 95 big league innings last year. Ryan Pressly was acquired to serve as closer, but he’s 36 and posted his worst peripherals of the decade last season. The Brewers still feel like the better bet to win a division likely to yield only one playoff team.
Sports
Stars run win streak to 8 with OT defeat of Predators
Feb 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) stops a shot by Nashville Predators right wing Jonathan Marchessault (81) during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jason Robertson’s goal 1:47 into overtime capped a comeback and gave the host Dallas Stars a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist and Nathan Bastian also scored for the Stars, who trailed 2-0 with less than four minutes left in the second period. Jake Oettinger stopped 25 shots.
It was Dallas’ eighth win in a row.
Michael Bunting and Steven Stamkos scored the goals for the Predators, who are 1-1-2 in their last four. Luke Evangelista had two assists and Juuse Saros made 22 saves.
Robertson converted a cross-crease pass from defenseman Miro Heiskanen for the OT winner.
Bastian tied the game at 2 5:31 into the third period. He controlled and deposited the rebound of a shot by defenseman Thomas Harley.
Johnston’s power-play goal with 3:42 remaining in the second period put Dallas on the board and made it 2-1. He put in a cross-crease pass from Jamie Benn. It was Johnston’s 20th power-play marker of the season. He has 32 goals overall.
The Predators took a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals 1:09 apart.
Bunting opened the scoring with a power-play goal with 5:34 left in the opening period when he whipped in a shot from the left circle.
Stamkos started the rush on his goal by stealing the puck from Benn along the boards just outside the Dallas blue line. After taking a pass from Evangelista, Stamkos fired in his 30th goal from the inside edge of the right circle with 4:25 remaining in the first. It’s the 10th time in his career that Stamkos has reached the 30-goal mark.
Saros made a spectacular save on Johnston with a little less than nine minutes left in the opening period. Johnston took a pass cutting in off the right wing and skated across the top of the crease. But Saros used his right pad and stick to deny Johnston’s shot.
Nashville defenseman Adam Wilsby left early in the second period with a lower-body injury.
The Stars’ Roope Hintz missed his second consecutive game due to an illness.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Crew earn draw vs. Sporting KC on late goal
Feb 28, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Sporting Kansas City forward Shapi Suleymanov (93) controls the ball during the first half against the Columbus Crew at Children’s Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images Diego Rossi scored in the 82nd minute Saturday night, allowing the visiting Columbus Crew to salvage a 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas City.
Rossi took advantage of a failed clearance by defender Wyatt Meyer, who tried to head a crossing pass out of danger but instead deflected the ball right to Rossi. Given time to settle the ball and fire, Rossi wired a dart by goalie John Pulskamp and into the left corner for his second goal in as many matches.
Wassou Abou Ali also tallied for the second straight game for the Crew (0-1-1, 1 point). Dejan Joveljic registered a brace for Kansas City (0-1-1, 1 point), giving it a 2-1 lead in the 72nd minute when he gathered in a loose ball in the box and threaded a shot through a defender’s legs that rolled into the left corner.
Joveljic brought his team level in the 48th minute, finishing a beautiful counterattack. Jacob Davis fed him directly in front of the net and Joveljic toed a shot that goalie Patrick Schulte (two saves) had no chance to stop.
After a slow start, Columbus finished the match with slight advantages of 10-8 in shots and 5-4 in shots on frame. The Crew possessed the ball 52.5% of the time and attempted 16 crosses, 11 more than Kansas City.
Both teams opened the season last weekend with road losses. Columbus gave up a late goal to fall 3-2 against Portland and Kansas City experienced a lapse just before halftime, giving up two quick goals in a 3-0 defeat against San Jose.
Kansas City had the run of play for most of the first half-hour before Pulskamp made a shocking mistake in the 33rd minute. He tried to play the ball off the ground and offered up a nonchalant pass that Abou Ali was able to intercept, giving him an easy right-footed kick into an open net.
That play aside, Pulskamp (three saves) might have been the difference in enabling Kansas City to at least earn a draw. Columbus generated enough quality chances to log 3 1/2 expected goals, according to the league’s statistical service.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Henri Veesaar, No. 18 North Carolina hold off Virginia Tech
Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) and Virginia Tech Hokies forward Amani Hansberry (13) fight for the ball in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Henri Veesaar matched his career high with 26 points as No. 18 North Carolina pulled away from Virginia Tech in the second half for an 89-82 victory on Saturday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Seth Trimble put up 20 points as the Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) won for the fourth time in their last five games without top scorer and rebounder Caleb Wilson, a star freshman who is out with a broken left hand.
Reserves Jonathan Powell and Zayden High added 15 and 12 points, respectively, as the North Carolina bench outscored its counterparts from Virginia Tech 32-13.
The Tar Heels shot 55.8% from the floor (29 of 52) as they remained perfect at home, marking the first season they’ve won their first 17 home games since the Dean E. Smith Center opened 40 years ago.
Veesaar also pulled down seven rebounds to help North Carolina to a 34-22 edge on the boards and an 11-2 margin on second-chance points.
Neo Avdalas supplied 19 points and five assists for Virginia Tech (18-11, 7-9), which came up short of gaining its third Quad 1 victory in its pursuit of a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Tobi Lawal and Ben Hammond scored 16 points apiece and Amani Hansberry provided 11 points in 19 minutes before fouling out for the Hokies, who have not won at North Carolina since 2007.
After a 3-pointer by Virginia Tech’s Jaden Schutt tied it 57-57 with 13:51 left, North Carolina took the lead for good with a seven-point run.
Veesaar triggered it with a two-handed slam off an alley-oop feed from Powell, who followed with a 3-pointer. Trimble finished off the burst, spinning free off his dribble for a driving layup that made it 64-57.
A 3-pointer by Veesaar with 6:22 left gave North Carolina a 76-65 lead, which matched its largest of the game.
In the first half, the teams traded nine-point runs and finished a fast-paced period tied 44-44.
The Tar Heels’ run came midway through the half and was fueled by reserves including Kyan Evans, who drilled a 3-pointer to cap the burst and give North Carolina a 21-16 lead.
Powell later made a triple to give the Tar Heels the biggest lead of the half at 30-22.
But the Hokies answered with a 9-0 spurt triggered by a 3-pointer from Schutt.
–Field Level Media
Stars run win streak to 8 with OT defeat of Predators
Crew earn draw vs. Sporting KC on late goal
