Five-star guard Brayden Burries, the second-highest-ranked prospect available in the senior class, committed to Arizona on Wednesday.

Burries, who announced his decision on "SportsCenter," is Arizona's second top-15 addition in recent weeks after Koa Peat picked the Wildcats in late March.

"Arizona was the best fit for me and my family," Burries told ESPN. "Coach [Tommy] Lloyd is a great guy. They have been recruiting me for a while. He allows his players to play both up and down, but they also execute within a structured framework. Everyone is held accountable. Their style of play is smart and aggressive."

Burries chose the Wildcats over USC, although his final group also included Tennessee, Oregon and Alabama.

"I love the fan base," Burries said. "I've been to a few of their games. There is great energy in the McKale Center. It's a basketball school."

A 6-foot-4 combo guard from Eleanor Roosevelt High School (California), Burries was a McDonald's All-American and is ranked No. 11 in the ESPN 100 for the 2025 class.

Burries was one of the most consistently productive players on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer, averaging 20.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 15 games in April and May -- including three games of 34 or more points. He was even better at the Nike Peach Jam in July, putting up 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds in six games, shooting 41.7% from 3-point range.

He also led Roosevelt to the California state championship, scoring 44 points in the Open Division title game win over Archbishop Riordan.

Burries is considered one of the most gifted scoring guards in the class of 2025. He boasts an impressive shooting percentage thanks to his keen understanding of shot quality. Recently, he has made significant strides in his playmaking abilities and has combined his vision with an improved ability to read defenses. He has proven to be a strong natural scorer who excels from midrange, is capable from the 3-point line, and finishes well at the rim due to his size and sturdy frame. His mature game should translate well as a freshman.

Arizona now has two top-15 prospects in the fold for next season, with Burries and Peat both projected to slot straight into the starting lineup. They're joined in the Wildcats' 2025 class by top-50 prospect Dwayne Aristode and four-star wing Bryce James, son of LeBron James.

Lloyd loses star guard Caleb Love (17.2 PPG) and three other rotation players, but will bring back starters Jaden Bradley (12.1 PPG), Anthony Dell'Orso (7.2 PPG) and Tobe Awaka (8.0 PPG) and awaits the decision of potential first-round pick Carter Bryant (6.5 PPG).

Texas Tech star forward JT Toppin, the Big 12 Player of the Year, announced Wednesday he will return to the Red Raiders for his junior season.

Toppin's return likely vaults Texas Tech back into the top 10 nationally and cements his position on the preseason All-American team.

He was one of the best players in the country over the final several weeks of the season, earning second-team All-American honors in addition to his Big 12 awards. Toppin was terrific down the stretch of the season, averaging 19.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in four NCAA tournament games, posting double-doubles in all four.

He had some of the best individual single-game performances of anyone in the sport in February, going for 41 points and 15 rebounds against Arizona State and then finishing with 32 points and 12 rebounds three days later against Oklahoma State. He also went for 30 points and 14 boards against Colorado toward the end of the regular season.

Overall, Toppin averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds on the season, helping lead Grand McCasland's team to a 28-9 record and an Elite Eight appearance.

It was Toppin's first season in Lubbock after spending his freshman campaign at New Mexico, where he averaged 12.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

He was No. 45 in ESPN's latest NBA draft rankings, projecting him in the second round.

LUKA DONCIC PULLED his blue '68 Camaro into the American Airlines Center parking garage and reached into the passenger seat to grab his brand-new cowboy hat. It was Dec. 25, 2022.

Doncic put on the black hat as he emerged from his classic hot rod, the finishing touch on an outfit that served as a proverbial tip of the cap to his adopted home state. He sported a black, western cut button-down shirt with a bolo tie, some Wrangler jeans and even a pair of Lucchese boots. He looked like a true Texan from head to toe.

"Howdy, howdy," Doncic greeted folks with a grin while making his way into the arena.

It was a big day for the Dallas Mavericks, who were hosting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in ABC's afternoon showcase. Doncic had arrived at the arena especially early so he could watch as the statue of his friend and former teammate, Dirk Nowitzki, was unveiled, standing a skip pass away from the street named after the German star who made Dallas his second home and led the Mavericks to the franchise's lone NBA championship.

"Loyalty never fades away," read the inscription on the base of the 23-foot statue depicting Nowitzki's signature one-legged shot. The 21 letters succinctly capture the essence of Nowitzki's record-setting 21-year run in a Mavericks uniform -- and the unbreakable bond between the icon and his lone franchise.

It was an inspiration for Doncic, who envisioned his career unfolding in similar fashion -- although not necessarily as long as Nowitzki's. The good vibes continued throughout the game, as Doncic had a performance that was typical by his lofty standards (32 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) while leading the Mavs to a win over the Lakers, who were missing James' co-star Anthony Davis because of a foot injury.

Doncic changed his attire postgame -- putting on a pair of Jordan sweats displaying his personal logo -- but remained in character. He playfully claimed during his media availability that he had a "horny toad" as a pet.

"'Cause I'm Texan," Doncic quickly quipped. He smiled and shrugged.

On Feb. 1, 2025, some 25 months later, the Mavs' social media accounts showed a video of Doncic's western-wear walk into the arena a few Christmases ago to celebrate a little-known holiday. "Happy National Texas Day, y'all," the Instagram caption stated, punctuated with the cowboy-hat-sporting smiley face emoji.

Hours later, before the clock struck midnight in Dallas, Mavs general manager Nico Harrison and the team agreed to one of the most shocking trades in NBA history. Doncic was being sent to the Lakers, only months after leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals, in return for a package headlined by Davis.

It's a decision, team sources told ESPN, that probably will cost the franchise nine figures over the next several years, as the Mavs are projected to lose dozens of millions in revenue this season due to dwindling crowds, plummeting merchandise sales and sponsors severing ties with the franchise in the wake of the trade. So many fans canceled season tickets in the days after the trade that the Mavs attempted to generate some goodwill by offering limited refunds.

The franchise plans to play a tribute video for Doncic, sources said, providing fans in the arena a final opportunity to savor all of his accomplishments in a Mavs uniform -- and mourn not getting more. Team sources told ESPN that the Mavs had also lined up lucrative sponsorship deals for Wednesday's game, with multiple companies that Doncic endorses, but those deals fell apart after Doncic's camp declined to give its blessing, pointedly noting that he now plays for the Lakers.

Now, as a lot of lifelong Mavs fans are questioning their loyalty to the franchise, Doncic is returning to Dallas for the first time in a Lakers uniform (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN). His initial appearance as a visitor at the American Airlines Center will be a surreal celebration of Doncic's spectacular 6 seasons in a Mavs uniform, marred by agony and bitterness that it didn't last any longer.

"At the end of the day, the trade has happened," Mavs forward P.J. Washington said after a March 16 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, one of multiple games in which Dallas had only the league-minimum eight available players. "We understand we have a new team now. All that 'Fire Nico' stuff, we're sick and tired of hearing it. We just want to go out there and play, and we need the fans to support us, no matter who's on the floor. That's just how I feel about it."

HARRISON MADE A point to keep the trade talks involving Doncic top secret for several reasons. One of those was because he didn't want fan backlash to factor into the franchise's decision-making.

Harrison ultimately convinced Mavs governor Patrick Dumont, the front man for the family that bought the majority share of the franchise from Mark Cuban last season, that signing Doncic to a five-year, $345 million supermax extension this summer would be a poor investment, primarily due to the belief that the superstar's body would break down because of his perceived lackadaisical approach to conditioning.

"If we lost any of our fans' trust, it was hard and I apologize," Dumont said during a Bank of Texas Speaker Series event in Dallas on Feb. 13. "But I hope over time we can regain that trust through hard work. And that's our plan. And hopefully people will believe in the long run that what we did was the right decision. Time will tell."

The Mavs gave up a generational talent still approaching what should be his prime years to create a three- to four-year window as a title contender. That was the timeframe that Harrison laid out to a small group of Dallas-based reporters when he joined the first half of coach Jason Kidd's pregame media session Feb. 2 in Cleveland. It's the only time the Mavs' GM has been made available to reporters since making the deal that sent shockwaves across the league.

And that three- to four-year window got shorter almost immediately.

Davis, who was recovering from an abdominal strain at the time of the trade and sat out his first two games after joining the Mavericks, dominated the first half of his Feb. 8 debut with the franchise, putting up 24 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks by the break. But he sustained a strained left adductor in the third quarter, an injury that sidelined him for the next six weeks.

Kyrie Irving, the co-star on last season's Finals team whose shot-creating skills became even more critical after Doncic's sudden departure, sustained a torn ACL in his left knee on March 3, an injury likely to sideline him into next season. The two All-Stars, players the former Nike executive Harrison has known since they were teens and targeted in his biggest blockbuster trades as Mavs GM, shared the court for only 25 minutes as Mavericks this season.

Davis and centers Daniel Gafford (sprained MCL in his right knee) and Dereck Lively II (stress fracture in his right ankle) all recently returned from extended injury absences. They continue to be on minutes restrictions as the Mavs fight for the Western Conference's ninth seed and the right to host a play-in game -- a far cry from contending status.

"We're missing Kai, so we'll never know how good we really can be," Davis said, acknowledging the painfully obvious.

Nevertheless, Davis insisted on playing down the stretch of the regular season, resisting advice from some within the organization to shut it down. He refuses to give up hope of making a playoff run, as much as the odds are stacked against the Mavs. No team has ever emerged from the 9/10 play-in game to win a playoff series.

"We can't play, what if?" Davis said. "You get nothing out of it. We play present basketball. Whatever's in front of us, whoever we got on the floor, whoever we got active to play, that's what we can count on and that's who we can roll with."

Meanwhile, Doncic has the Lakers looking like contenders again. L.A. was in fifth in the West, just three games ahead of the Mavericks when the trade was made. The Lakers will roll into Dallas third in the West, coming off a loss in Oklahoma City in which Doncic was ejected, as he continues to get comfortable after joining a new franchise following the longest injury layoff of his career.

"I know it's been two months or something, but still adapting a little bit," Doncic, who is averaging 27.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists for the Lakers, said recently. "It was a big change. But it's getting better."

NOWITZKI WAS SO stunned by the trade that he skipped a family lunch on his final day of vacation in Maldives, sitting in his hotel room for an hour "trying to figure out it was real," as he said in German recently on the Campus 41 podcast with his sister, Silke. Nowitzki flew to Los Angeles for Doncic's Lakers debut in a sign of strong public support for his former teammate.

"I will always be a Mavs fan, but this trade really hurt," Nowitzki said, according to a translation by the European website basketnews.com. "And it will take a while before everyone processes it and moves on."

Doncic said he was emotionally devastated in the immediate aftermath of the trade, which occurred as the Slovenian superstar was in the process of closing on what he anticipated would be his American forever home in Dallas' Preston Hollow neighborhood.

"Dallas was my home for seven years, almost seven years," Doncic said more than six weeks after the trade. "It really felt like home."

Mavs fans instantly developed an emotional attachment to Doncic after he arrived from Europe as a teenager just in time to take the torch from Nowitzki. Doncic's entertaining, gunslinger-style of play -- from the breathtaking highlights to barking at opponents -- further endeared him to the fan base.

"Every night he'd always give you one of those, 'Oh s---!' moments," said Jeremy Williams, a 47-year-old who works in the construction business and has had tickets in the top row of the upper deck since Nowitzki's first playoff appearance in 2001, moving with the franchise from Reunion Arena to the American Airlines Center. "You call your buddies and say, 'Did you see that?!' Or you'd call your son into the room and wind it back."

Nowitzki might be the most beloved athlete in football-wild Dallas' sports history. Doncic was on that type of trajectory. Despite his flaws, such as weight fluctuations and frequent ranting at referees, most of his fans are either fiercely protective or forgiving.

"It sounds ridiculous to think of it in these terms, but there's kind of the real hero's journey, the literary element of a guy figuring it out," said Kirk Henderson, the managing editor of Mavs Moneyball, a blog that covers the franchise from the perspective of the fans. "He's very clearly special, but [Mavs fans missed watching him] being able to put the pieces together and become something even more. That's the part that I think I'm most sad about over the long run."

The Mavs' fan base was blindsided and heartbroken by Harrison's decision. The deal prompted protests in the shadow of Nowitzki's statue the next morning, and again before the next home game a week later.

"We've always had either Dirk or Luka to give us a tremendous amount of joy and excitement," Williams said. "I've been fighting through the ol' stages of grief. I went through the shock and the anger and the denial like everybody else. I guess I'm still in denial."

The Mavs' fan base, by and large, harbors no ill will toward Davis, a surefire future Hall of Famer who made the NBA's 75th anniversary team. It isn't the same as rooting for a homegrown franchise player who had become entrenched in the city's identity, and "Fire Nico" chants have randomly broken out at a variety of local events, from St. Patrick's Day parades to Texas Rangers games.

Variations of Doncic's No. 77 -- from his Dallas tenure, the Slovenian national team and now even the Lakers -- still outnumber all other jerseys combined in the Mavs' home crowds. Williams estimates that he has bought 15 to 20 Doncic jerseys over the years for his 12-year-old son, Ryan, and himself.

"It makes me sad to look in my closet and see them," Williams said.

Unlike many fans, Williams won't wear one of those jerseys to Wednesday's game. Nor will he wear the T-shirt he recently purchased that looks like Doncic's Lakers jersey but has "LUKARS" across the chest.

Instead, Williams plans to wear a green T-shirt with a blunt message -- "NICO SUCKS" -- expressed in blue letters on the front. He's well-aware that arena security has ejected fans for wearing similar T-shirts, classifying them as violations of the NBA's fan code of conduct.

"I think it'll be too overwhelming for them to kick people out, but if they decide to do it, that'll be my first time getting kicked out in [45] years of going to games," Williams said. "So I'll gladly wear that one with pride."

Williams draws the line at buying a Lakers No. 77 jersey. He doesn't begrudge longtime Mavs fans who are following Doncic and adopting the Lakers, but he just can't cross that line.

"Had he gone to Orlando or you name it, there may be a shred of a chance that I root for a different team," Williams said. "But given it's Lakers and my lifetime Mavs loyalty, I'm not going to go that far. I still ultimately root for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back, but that doesn't really help ease the pain.

"I just can't root for anybody on the Lakers."

ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.

The Texas Rangers will be without leading slugger Wyatt Langford for a while after placing the outfielder on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a right oblique strain.

Langford exited Tuesday's 10-6 road loss to the Chicago Cubs after batting in the seventh inning. He finished 2-for-4 with a double and a homer.

The 23-year-old tops the team with four homers and shares the team lead with six RBIs. He is slashing .244/.333/.561 and had started all 12 contests this season.

Texas recalled outfielder Dustin Harris from Triple-A Round Rock, where he has batted .184 in nine games with four stolen bases. He played in two games for the Rangers in September, going 2-for-6 with a homer.

The Rangers also recalled utilityman Ezequiel Duran, who had been sent down to Round Rock on Tuesday after the activation of Josh Jung. Duran is 0-for-11 this season.

Infielder Jonathan Ornelas, who was 0-for-4 in three games, was sent to Triple-A.

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers are wrapping up their first homestand with a subtle change on the field at Comerica Park, putting grass over a strip of dirt that used to be between the pitcher's mound and batter's box.

AL Cy Young and Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal said he's glad the team got rid of the keyhole, making the lefty's sightline the same as it is in every other ballpark in Major League Baseball.

"I might get some heat for this, but they asked what we thought of it, and I said I didn't really like it," Skubal said Wednesday morning before a series-ending game against the New York Yankees. "I wasn't a fan of it.

"Obviously, I understand from a fan perspective. It's unique and stuff, but just from a visual perspective, it's so much different."

Detroit was the last team in the majors to have the throwback feature -- which was common in the 1800s and early 1900s - in their ballpark that opened in 2000 after leaving Tiger Stadium. The Arizona Diamondbacks also had a keyhole at Chase Field before removing it in 2019 when they changed their playing surface from grass to synthetic turf.

The Tigers also made major renovations in the seating area behind home plate, removing a tunnel that was mostly used by umpires and installing state-of-the-art chairs that allow fans to heat or cool their seats.

"I'm a fan of having no tunnel," Skubal said. "I'm glad it's gone. It makes it feel pretty clean back there."

While Skubal said the front office asked for his input following the 2024 season and he gave his strong opinion, two other pitchers on the staff simply shrugged their shoulders when asked about the new-look view and an All-Star outfielder insisted he didn't even realize the keyhole was gone.

"They asked a couple guys, but it didn't bother me," right-handed reliever Will Vest said. "It just doesn't really move the needle too much for me."

When lefty Tyler Holton is on the mound, he said he's locked in on the catcher's target with or without a path of dirt in front of him.

"I think if you're noticing things like that, you're probably not focused on what you need to be focused on," Holton said.

Riley Greene, meanwhile, insisted he didn't know the keyhole was gone until a reporter asked him about it on Wednesday.

"I'm going to be honest, I didn't even notice it," Greene said. "Somebody told me that it was being taken out and I was like, `Oh, cool. I'm probably not even going to notice it.' And, I haven't even noticed it."

The Pittsburgh Pirates were on the back foot again this week, forced to explain the disappearance of fan-funded "Bucco Bricks" and the delay in their return to PNC Park.

The frustration was heightened after fans shared with KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh that some of the bricks, which had been located in front of the home plate entrance to the stadium, were found at a recycling plant in the area.

The team told multiple outlets Tuesday that the bricks were in the process of being returned for a "more permanent display." The bricks had been removed as part of renovations done outside the stadium, and the Pirates missed their goal of having the new display ready for their home opener on April 4.

The "Bucco Bricks" were introduced in 1999, with the team saying it sold about 10,000 of them. A number of the bricks include messages honoring family members, leading to some of the consternation among fans.

"Through the years, a host of environmental factors including weather and foot traffic have led to significant damage leading to multiple, full-scale replacements," Pirates senior vice president of communications and broadcasting Brian Warecki said in a statement. "This cycle of deterioration prompted our organization to look for a better way to preserve these cherished messages over the long term."

The Pirates noted to multiple outlets that the bricks have already been replaced twice since their introduction.

"We respect, appreciate and understand just how meaningful these messages are. We share in that feeling," Warecki said. "We have been actively planning to develop and unveil a more permanent display for these special messages to honor the enduring support that our fans shared then and continue to share in our future. We look forward to sharing those details soon in celebration of our 25th season [in PNC Park]."

The proceeds from the bricks went to the Roberto Clemente Foundation.

The treatment of the legacy of Clemente, one of the most-storied players in franchise history, drew scrutiny over the weekend. The Pirates announced Sunday that they would be adding the No. 21 logo back to the right-field wall at PNC Park to honor Clemente and issued an apology after his family expressed its unhappiness that the sign had been removed for an advertisement.

The Pirates, who haven't played in the postseason since 2015, are already in the cellar of the National League Central after a 4-8 start.

Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez said on social media that several of his family members were inside the nightclub that collapsed in the Dominican Republic early Tuesday.

"I still have family members that are still in the rubbles, and we don't know what happened to them," Martinez said in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday night.

At least 124 people have been killed, with hundreds more injured from the collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo that occurred around 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Former World Series champion Octavio Dotel and former MLB player Tony Blanco were among the dead, as was Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the Monte Cristi province in the country and sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz.

Dotel reportedly was alive when rescue crews located him and at least seven others, but authorities said Tuesday night that Dotel was declared dead upon arrival at a local hospital after his condition worsened.

Martinez, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star, grew up in a suburb of Santo Domingo. He is a baseball analyst.

"It is with a heavy heart that it is my turn to actually send condolences to all our family members and the people here in the United States who have family over there," he said in the video. "We're all sad. We're all affected by the tragedy. ... Our hearts are with you. We all are affected."

Rescue crews are still searching for survivors more than 24 hours after the collapse. Officials said Wednesday that they have rescued 145 people from the wreckage of the nightclub.

"As long as they report that there is a missing person, we will be here," emergency operations director Juan Manuel Méndez said, adding that rescue workers expected to need another 24 to 36 hours to complete their search.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse or when the Jet Set building was last inspected.

The Associated Press, Reuters and Field Level Media contributed to this report.

We are two weeks into the 2025 MLB season, and teams have played about a dozen of their 162 games. While that isn't enough for bold declarations, we're going to skip right past that fact and have some fun.

As we do every year at this time, we asked our MLB experts to go all-in on one thing they've noticed so far, with their boldest prediction based on the small sample. They were allowed to pick anything they wanted with two ground rules: It had to be bold, and it had to be something they actually believe can happen.

Some of our predictions came in hot, while others have a milder vibe, so we have taken the liberty of ranking the predictions by their MLB stadium weather equivalent and breaking down why they landed in their tier.

April at Comerica Park in Detroit

There's a reason the Yankees and Tigers are playing day games this week.

A breakout player smorgasbord

I'll go with a collection of predictions and expect three of the four to hit: Cristopher Sanchez finishes top three in National League Cy Young voting, Spencer Schwellenbach posts at least 4.0 WAR and gets NL Cy Young votes, Jack Leiter finishes top five in American League ROY voting, and Tyler Soderstrom posts at least 2.5 WAR after entering this year with minus-0.7 career WAR.

Sanchez is the elder statesman of the group at 28 years old, but I'm mostly betting on young players turning the corner (Leiter and Soderstrom), building on what they've already done (Schwellenbach) or making the leap with a couple extra ticks of velo (Sanchez). -- Kiley McDaniel

Why it's out in the cold: This strategy worked out for you last year, but as the old bold prediction saying goes: Someone who has multiple hot takes, has no hot takes. If you hit on any of these, we think you will consider it a win and tell us you got it right -- just like the fan who lets everyone know they called the big March Madness upset but doesn't mention they filled out four different brackets.

Pete Alonso is going to set a career high with 135 RBIs

Pete Alonso's offensive production has declined over the past three seasons, but he already looks like a better hitter in 2025. The four-time All-Star is making smarter swing decisions. He's clubbing balls the other way. He's playing like someone with millions of dollars on the line next winter after a disappointing initial free agent experience (because he is that someone).

That motivation, combined with having Francisco Lindor and the on-base machine known as Juan Soto hit in front of him, should generate improved numbers, including 135 RBIs, which would surpass his career high of 131, after he accumulated just 88 last season. -- Jorge Castillo

Why it's out in the cold: On the surface, 135 is a lot of runs batted in. It's a total that would have led the NL in all but one full season over the past 15 years. The thing bringing down the heat on this take is in your last sentence: Alonso has already driven in 131 runs once in his career -- and now he has Soto batting in front of him.

May at T-Mobile Park in Seattle

What feels warm to you, might not to others.

The Mariners will finish the season right where they are now: in last place

I had to talk myself into this hot take, but the more I thought about it the more I believed it really could happen. First off, predicting the Mariners for as low as third place isn't all that hard. Houston and Texas have good teams. The hotter take comes in having the Athletics and Angels beat them out as well.

It all comes down to those teams being able to pitch just enough while out-hitting the perennially challenged-at-the-plate Mariners. And here's the thing about Seattle's pitching staff: It's dominant at home but just OK on the road. Last year, the Mariners ranked 19^th in road ERA. There are some in the industry who already like the Athletics as much as the Mariners, so the real leap comes with the Angels. If healthy, the A's will narrowly beat out Seattle for fourth place. -- Jesse Rogers

Why it's more mild than hot: The Mariners won 16 games more than the A's last season and 25 more than the Angels, so we're not denying that this is where our takes really start warming up. And we love that you worked in some industry sources for some good old-fashioned hot takes reporting.

The true trouble with your take is that while you were willing to provide us with something that feels like that first warm spring day in the Pacific Northwest, we have another AL West standings prediction coming that blows yours away.

Mike Trout will win his first Gold Glove ... as a right fielder

A Gold Glove is the only individual accolade Mike Trout has not attained (team success is another story, of course). He desperately wanted one in center field, but the competition in the American League -- with Adam Jones, Byron Buxton, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Kevin Kiermaier -- was too stiff. And Trout, frankly, wasn't consistently elite enough.

Now, at age 33, he plays right field.

The transition was motivated by a desire to keep Trout healthy after he missed 41% of the Angels' games over the past four years. But Angels people have raved about how easily he has made the switch and how good he looks in an outfield corner. They believe he can be a difference-maker defensively there, just like Torii Hunter was when he made the same move late in his career. And if you're thinking this isn't a spicy take, take a look at what happened to Trout on Tuesday night, losing a fly ball while ranging down the right-field line in Tampa.

There will be growing pains as Trout adjusts to the flight of the ball from a different spot, but he will be dynamic nonetheless - and by the end of the year, his glove will be gold. -- Alden Gonzalez

Why it's more mild than hot: If we knew Trout was going to play at least 130 games this season, saying the former center fielder would win a Gold Glove in right field wouldn't seem like going out on a limb. So what you are really doing here is predicting Trout will stay healthy enough to win a Gold Glove in 2025. Which, given his recent history, is certainly bold. But Trout is still only 33 years old and has to stay healthy one of these years -- right? Let's hope.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is going to finish in the top 3 in the NL MVP race

That might not seem like a hot take based on his history -- he has already finished fourth and third in the MVP voting in his career. But after missing all of 2022 because of injury and PED suspension, this will be the year he returns to preeminence as an evolved player at age 26 -- he's more patient, putting himself in counts to do more damage. His small sample of early-season numbers are eye-opening: He has more walks than strikeouts and has reached base in about 45% of his plate appearances. -- Buster Olney

Why it's more mild than hot: The NL is stacked with individual talent this year, so predicting anyone not named Ohtani, Betts, Soto or Lindor will break through near the top of MVP voting has some heat to it. But we have indeed seen MVP-level play from Tatis during his young career, and at age 26, calling his place near the top of this year's voting seems a little more realistic than bold.

June at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas

These would be really hot, but there's something holding back the heat.

Aaron Judge will post a .500 OBP for the season

This is unattainable, right? Probably. It hasn't been done in MLB since 2004 (Barry Bonds), in the AL since 1957 (Mickey Mantle) and by a right-handed hitter since 1943 (Josh Gibson). Judge logged a career-high .458 OBP last season, including an astronomical .496 in 62 games after the All-Star break. He's likely to walk more frequently this season (133 walks in 2024) without Juan Soto clogging first base, and the metrics indicate he's being umpired more favorably, especially at the bottom of the zone. -- Paul Hembekides

Why it's hot-ish: Bonds! Mantle! Gibson! Those names were supposed to impress us, right? Well, they did. There's only one thing keeping your take from joining our hottest tiers: the man it is about. Judge has made a career out of joining the most revered names in baseball history at the top of so many hitting leaderboards that almost nothing he could do in a season would surprise us at this point.

Luis Arraez will be the first player in more than three decades with at least 600 plate appearances and fewer than 20 strikeouts

Oh, wow, you're really going out a limb here, Passan. Luis Arráez doesn't strike out a lot. Profound. A fair criticism, sure, but I'm not sure you understand the rarity of a player striking out fewer than 20 times with that sort of bulk. Tony Gwynn never did it. Wade Boggs never did it. The last player to log at least 600 plate appearances with punchouts in the teens was Ozzie Smith in 1993 (603 and 18, respectively). Before that, it was Bill Buckner and Rich Dauer in 1980.

Arraez struck out 29 times in 672 plate appearances last year, but he's off to a far better start this season -- zero in 48 trips to the plate -- and at 28 years old his contact skills are nearing their peak. Arráez's bat-to-ball ability has been great; this year, it will ascend to historically so. -- Jeff Passan

Why it's hot-ish: This is hotter than it might seem. Twenty strikeouts is a long weekend for some of today's hitters. So why isn't it in one of the next tiers? It suffers from the same thing as the Judge prediction above -- the player it's about. Arraez struck out 11 times in the first month of the 2024 season, then never K'd more than six times in a calendar month again, including just five times after the All-Star break. Those numbers are just silly in today's strikeout-fueled game, and they show Arraez is more than capable of making your prediction a reality.

July at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento

At least it's a dry heat, right?

Athletics prospect Nick Kurtz debuts in April, finishes with a top-10 OPS, wins AL Rookie of the Year

Kurtz, the left-handed-hitting slugger chosen with the No. 4 pick just last summer out of Wake Forest, is ready for the major leagues, like now. Now! Kurtz, 22, produced ridiculous college numbers, showing off his power and plate discipline; starred in brief action in the minors last season; and is already tearing up Triple-A. You want to attract fans in Sacramento? Move 50-homer possibility Brent Rooker to left field and install the next Jim Thome at DH, eradicating the Miguel Andujar-Seth Brown platoon. Score more runs. Score many more runs. Kurtz helps do that. Now. - Eric Karabell

Why it's hot: It's currently April 9, 2025. A year ago today, Nick Kurtz put together a two-home run, five-RBI game -- against Coastal Carolina while batting cleanup for Wake Forest. Since then, Kurtz has gone No. 4 in the draft, landed at No. 52 in Kiley McDaniel's preseason top 100 and torn up Triple-A pitching this spring.

But you know what really got us here? The way you just casually slipped in a comp to a Hall of Fame slugger with 612 career home runs midway through your reasoning. Whether he's in the majors in time to make your Rookie of the Year prediction possible remains to be seen. But let's all hope Kurtz is up dropping bombs like Jim Thome in the Sacramento heat by the time July rolls around.

Kris Bubic will be a top-five Cy Young finisher

My annual disclaimer: Hot-taking is just not a comfortable space to me, either offering them or consuming them. But I am contractually obligated to participate, so I chose something that feels like a long shot but is based on a real observation.

Bubic is a new guy. He learned last season how his stuff could play at the big league level, working in increasingly high-leverage bullpen spots down the stretch and into the playoffs. He has taken that approach, added a new slider and slotted into the Royals' overall rotation design that emphasizes aggression in the zone and the pitch efficiency that goes along with it. Bubic has sparkled, ranking among the top 10 starters in average exit velocity allowed on pitches in the zone. Last year, the Royals had two top-five Cy Young finishers, and they're going to do it again. Only this time, it'll be Bubic joining Cole Ragans on that leaderboard. -- Bradford Doolittle

Why it's hot-ish: If we were simply ranking pitchers in the Royals rotation by likelihood of finishing in the top five of AL Cy Young voting, Bubic might not land in the top three. And even with his hot start to 2025, he has a career mark of 11-27 with a 4.81 ERA as a starter. So, yeah, this is a hot take by our standards.

There's only one thing keeping this from landing in our hottest tier: We've seen this story of unproven pitcher to top-flight starter play out for the Royals before -- first with Cole Ragans, then Seth Lugo last season. And we read an excellent article going into the season that has us believing Kansas City might have a formula for this success. You should check it out, it's by someone named Bradfor -- hey, wait. We see what's going on here.

The New York Yankees will end 2025 outside the top 10 in home runs

Torpedo, schmorpedo! Yes, the Yankees' first series of the season saw the sparks fly and birthed the "new era of baseball" with 15 total home runs, thanks in large part to innovative lumber construction. Never mind the fact that two of the three starters they victimized are already on the injured list. Never mind the fact that, aside from Aaron Judge, who could well hit 60, there's not a single other player on this team who is likely to hit more than 25. Yes, this team will win a ton of games, but they're simply not going to be anything special in the power department. -- AJ Mass

Why it's hot: Let's see here. At press time, the Yankees lead the sport in home runs. They led the sport in home runs last season as well. The torpedo bats you decry have been a bit of a talking point so far this season. And the Yankees also employ a guy named Judge who is capable of hitting 60-plus home runs in any given season.

Yet you predict not just that they won't lead the majors, or the AL, in home runs, but finish outside the top third of the majors. Yeah, that is as hot as one of those scorching summer days in the Bronx when the ball is flying out of Yankee Stadium. You know, the kind of day when the Yankees hit a ton of long balls on the way to leading the majors again.

August at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa

Are you sure you can handle this heat?

The Angels will win the AL West

The longest playoff drought in the majors is going to end. In fact, not only are the Los Angeles Angels -- a franchise that last played in the postseason in 2014 -- going to make the playoffs, they're going to win the AL West.

Yes, this says more about the division than it does about the Angels. But supporting evidence exists. The Athletics have no pitching. The Mariners have no hitting. The Astros have no Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman. And while the Rangers are off to a hot start, it's a mirage: They're 8-4 and have been outscored by 12 runs.

That leaves the Angels. A potential stellar bullpen. A decent rotation. A stud catcher in Logan O'Hoppe. A healthy -- so far -- Mike Trout. And Zach Neto hasn't even played yet. Yep, 82-80 just might get it done. -- David Schoenfield

Why it's scorching: Let's start with some numbers: 99, 89, 89. Those are the numbers of losses the Angels have finished with the past three seasons. Now let's add some names: Jorge Soler, Kenley Jansen, Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Hendricks. Those are free agents the Angels added in the offseason. Soler is the youngest of the group at 33.

You've made a strong case that the rest of the AL West is going to be down (as did another hot taker earlier on) -- but predicting that a team coming off a 99-loss season is going to ride a few aging offseason acquisitions to a division crown is a take so hot another participant debated changing their own prediction after getting wind of yours. The only thing keeping this pick from being the hottest of the hot is that you finished off your case by predicting they will simply finish a couple games over .500.

The top three pitchers in NL Cy Young balloting will all come from the Phillies

There have been several cases of teammates finishing one-two in the Cy Young balloting, and the 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers placed three among the top four, but three pitchers claiming the top spots? That has never happened. I'm predicting it does this season, as the Phillies' top four of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo is competitive with -- and, most importantly, more likely to remain healthy -- than that of the Dodgers. I'm going with a Wheeler, Sanchez, Nola final order. -- Tristan Cockcroft

Why it's scorching: You had us at "that has never happened." This prediction is what hot takes are all about: It's historic, it's bold and yet it somehow feels attainable. Just calling that the Phillies would finish 1-2-3 in the voting would have been enough, yet you went out and gave us a predicted order and a bonus name to watch, too.

There's only one thing wrong with this prediction. His name is Paul Skenes, he pitches on the other side of the Keystone State -- and he just might have something to say about a Phillies sweep.

Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee will win the NL batting title and finish in the top 5 in MVP voting

Lee's rookie season was cut short by injury after just 37 games, and if he had 15 fewer at bats in 2024, we would add NL Rookie of the Year to this prediction.

Lee is Luis Arraez with far more speed and extra-base potential. He sprays the ball, which makes him difficult to defend, and he bats behind Willy Adames and in front of Matt Chapman, which makes him more likely to: (A) get pitches to hit and (B) hit with runners on base. -- Tim Keown

Why it's scorching: We here at Hot Take Headquarters love a good two-pronged prediction, and this one is a doozy. Believe it or not, calling a batting title is not as bold as one might think. Lesser-known hitters leading the league in batting average happens. Just look at this list of recent league champions: Yandy Diaz, Yuli Gurriel, Tim Anderson, Jeff McNeil and Dee Gordon. But the second half of your prediction is where you truly level up the heat.

Last we checked, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Elly De La Cruz, Corbin Carroll, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Kyle Tucker all call the NL home. So, in essence, you are saying Hoo Lee -- someone many of our readers are scrambling to learn about as they digest this take -- will be better than all but four players on that list? That's as hot as a summer afternoon in the Florida sun. Now let's check back in August to see how it is holding up.

Kartal is set to make her BJK Cup debut following Raducanu's withdrawal, a year after a health issue meant she had to watch GB's qualifier against France from afar.

After three months out, the 23-year-old staged an impressive comeback, breaking into the top 100 and winning a WTA title on her way to a current career-high ranking of 60.

"It'll be a really proud moment for me - having the opportunity to play for your country is the greatest honour," Kartal said.

"There a few goals in my career that stand out more than others and this is one of them."

Britain reached the semi-finals of the BJK Cup last year, losing to eventual runners-up Slovakia.

Defending champions Italy have already secured a spot in November's finals, as have hosts China.

Legendary tennis player and social equality advocate Billie Jean King has received a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

King, 81, is the first woman to be given the honour in the new sports entertainment category.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame was previously reserved for stars of cinema, television, radio, theatre and music.

"The important thing is, I don't want to be the last one," said King.

"My family loved music and movies. My mother would have loved this."

Her star is the 2,807th to be installed on the Walk of Fame, which began in 1960 and runs along along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Los Angeles.