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The Cleveland Guardians won the AL Central and made it all the way to the ALCS last season thanks mostly in part to their historically great bullpen, and while the entire pen was terrific all year, there were really three relief pitchers who were the bread and butter of it.
Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis.
Clase was baseball's most dominant closer in 2024, and Smith and Gaddis did a phenomenal job bridging the gap to Clase in the later innings.
Gaddis made 78 appearances, pitching to the tune of a 1.57 ERA while allowing just 43 hits and registering 66 strikeouts over 74.2 innings of work. He logged minuscule 0.763 WHIP and was electrifying throughout the entire campaign.
However, Fangraphs' projections do not seem to like the chances of the right-hander replicating his success in 2025.
Quincy Wheeler of Covering the Corner took an average of all of Fangraphs' projection systems to most accurately predict the production of the Guardians' players heading into the coming season, and when it came to Gaddis, the numbers were fairly concerning.
The 26-year-old averaged a 3.97 ERA across all projections, and his best mark was a 3.91 ERA. That isn't bad for a No. 3 starter, but it's not what you want from one of your top relievers.
In order for Cleveland to have another strong campaign, it will likely have to lean heavily on its bullpen again, as its starting rotation remains a major question mark.
Gaddis was largely unhittable for much of 2024, so if he suddenly becomes more mortal this year, it could pose a rather significant problem for the Guardians.
Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage
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Predicting the American League Manager of the Year finalists
The American League playoff picture is far from sealed as MLB marches towards its final week of the season, but the finalists for the AL Manager of the Year Award may be nearly set. Although awards won't be announced until November, these three managers have already demonstrated their excellence. John Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays The Blue Jays jumped from last place in the AL East in 2024 with a 74-88 record to an 89-64 showing in 2025. Toronto is on the verge of winning the division for the first time since 2015, and its skipper played a significant role in their bounce-back campaign. Schneider has dramatically refined a team that has endured very few roster changes between seasons. According to Baseball Reference, Toronto’s lineup rose from 19 WAR in 2024 to 24.6 in 2025, and its rotation skyrocketed from 3.1 WAR to 10.7. Stark improvement on both sides of the ball has resulted in an impressive +159 run differential, per ESPN. What’s most remarkable is how Schneider has managed to come out on top while injuries have run amok in Toronto. First baseman Anthony Santander and key pitchers like Bowden Francis and Yimi Garcia have been sidelined for the majority of the season. In his second full year as manager, Schneider deserves credit for navigating an injury-plagued pitching staff and competitive division without hiccups. Will Venable, Chicago White Sox Venable has made a profound impact on the White Sox, marginally bettering every aspect of Southside Chicago baseball. With a slim $77 million payroll, via Spotrac, Venable has helped the White Sox leap from 41 wins and a -306 run differential to at least 57 wins and a -89 run differential, as listed by ESPN. Venable has also overseen the development and strong production of Chicago’s rookies. According to Baseball Reference, six rookie positional players, including Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Edgar Quero, hold a cumulative 7.9 WAR. Rookie pitchers Mike Vasil, Wikelman Gonzalez and Shane Smith add 4.6 WAR total. Although it’s unlikely, Venable’s best chance at securing the accolade is if the White Sox can avoid 100 losses — Chicago is 57-96 as of Thursday. Joe Girardi is the only manager in MLB history to earn Manager of the Year after finishing the season with a losing record in 2006 with the Miami Marlins. While Venable probably won’t win Manager of the Year, his impact on the team should be recognized. Alex Cora, Boston Red Sox Expectations for the Red Sox were high after finishing .500 last season, and Cora hasn’t disappointed in guiding his squad to another encouraging campaign. Several challenges have plagued Cora along the way. Offseason acquisition Walker Buehler didn’t rebound as anticipated, and starter Patrick Sandoval was sidelined for the year before April began. First baseman Triston Casas' season ended in May, and rookie Kristian Campbell was demoted to Triple-A in June. Most notably, the Red Sox willingly traded designated hitter Rafael Devers in mid-June to the San Francisco Giants. Despite all these critical losses, Cora has managed to keep Boston afloat and on the heels of the Blue Jays and New York Yankees for most of the season. Boston’s run differential has increased by +98, according to ESPN, with only an $8 million increase in payroll, per Spotrac. At 83-70, Cora’s case for winning Manager of the Year is contingent upon the Red Sox making the playoffs. Boston is third in the AL East and holds a 1.5-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for the final AL wild-card spot.
Cleveland Browns may be without a Pro Bowler against the Packers, and Green Bay suffers legit scare on Thursday
The Cleveland Browns have their attention on the Green Bay Packers with their first NFC opponent coming to town in Week 3. Cleveland opened the season with two AFC North losses against the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens and will now look to get right against perhaps the league’s best team. Green Bay has had the best defense this season through two games the league has and they bring a good quarterback with Jordan Love. Cleveland looks like they’ll get RT Jack Conklin back this week against the Packers, while DT Mike Hall did not participate on Thursday as part of his plan returning from the knee injury. It could be another week before the former second-round pick is out there. Joel Bitonio has not practiced yet this week with a back injury and tomorrow will tell whether or not he will be able to play against the Packers. Returner DeAndre Carter returned to practice for the Browns on Thursday from concussion protocol. The Packers suffer scare with one of their offensive stars Tucker Kraft is one of the league's more underrated tight ends and he suffered a knee tweak at practice on Thursday that was a scare, but he is expected to be fine. The star tight end had 124 yards and a touchdown against the Washington Commanders last week and will be a major weapon that the Packers and Love will look to target. Cleveland’s defense is allowing 146 passing yards per game through two games, which is third in the NFL. The Browns' offense will have to give the defense a chance to stay in this one at home. If Cleveland doesn’t have Bitonio against the Packers, they’ll be turning to backup offensive lineman Tevin Jenkins. Cleveland’s defensive front has been maybe the best in the NFL through the first two games, so they’ll only benefit when they put Hall’s interior rushing ability into the mix. It just may be too early for that to happen in Week 3 against Green Bay. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-424').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-424').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
Fantasy Football Week 3 Start ‘Em and Sit ‘Em – Bench Hill?
The NFL’s Week 3 action begins with the Buffalo Bills taking on the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. Following Thursday Night Football, Sunday’s slate presents some fun matchups for fantasy football. Ending the Week 3 lineup will be an exciting matchup featuring the Detroit Lions vs the Baltimore Ravens. Who’s worth a start and who’s worth benching this week? Here are five players to start and sit entering Week 3. Five Players to Start 1. Rome Odunze vs. Dallas Cowboys – No. 30 vs WRs (NFL Fantasy) Considering the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants had a thrilling 40-37 showdown last week, definitely start Rome Odunze. Last week, in a 52-21 loss against the Lions, Odunze was targeted 11 times and caught seven passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. In the Cowboys’ matchup against the Giants, New York’s receivers did very well. Malik Nabers scored 37.70 points. He caught nine passes on 13 targets for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Their secondary wide receiever, Wan’Dale Robinson, scored eight passes on 10 targets for 142 yards and a touchdown. The Bears feature two receivers in Odunze and D.J. Moore, but Odunze has been the alpha between the two early on this season. He can contribute mightily to fantasy teams in Week 3. 2. Drake Maye vs Pittsburgh Steelers – No. 28 vs QBs (NFL Fantasy) After allowing Justin Fields (29.52) and Sam Darnold (15.80) to some solid performances in the first two weeks, starting Drake Maye is a good idea. To start the season the Steelers have let up 200+ yards in the passing game and have struggled to guard the middle of the field. With weapons like Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas, Maye could have a big day and potentially throw for multiple touchdowns. Even with the Steelers having Ramsey in the secondary, their safety play has allowed big plays across the field. Until the Steelers fix their defensive miscues, starting the quarterback facing them makes sense. According to StatMuse the Patriots are 8-2 against the Steelers in their last 10 matchups. 3. Jonathan Taylor vs. Tennessee Titans – No. 22 vs RBs (NFL Fantasy) After a 165 yard performance vs the Denver Broncos, Jonathan Taylor will face the Tennessee Titans in a AFC South matchup. His 165 yard game netted him 29.5 points against a good Broncos defense. The Titans are currently giving up an average of 5.4 yards per carry. Seeing these numbers should give fantasy owners plenty of confidence to start Taylor against the Titans. Last time the Colts played the Titans on Dec. 22, 2024, Taylor rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns. 4. James Cook vs Miami Dolphins – No. 27 vs RB’s (NFL Fantasy) James Cook is another running back on this list that’s coming off another 100+ yard performance. Not only did he score two touchdowns but he rushed for 132 yards vs the New York Jets. The Dolphins are coming off another bad game and are on a short week. With little time to truly fix their run game, Cook can take advantage of a good situation. Though he’s only averaged 37.3 rushing yards vs the Dolphins, there’s optimism he can have his first big game against Miami on Thursday night. 5. Kyle Pitts vs Carolina Panthers – No. 30 vs TEs (NFL Fantasy) With Michael Penix and Kyle Pitts’ chemistry continuing to grow, Pitts is finally inching towards becoming a trustworthy start. Though he hasn’t had a big game yet this season, Week 3 looks to be ideal against the Panthers. His four catches for 37 yards in a 22-6 win may seem disappointing, but there’s hope that he can bounce back. Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride averaged 13.0 yards per catch in Week 1 against the Panthers. Even Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange average 14.8 yards per catch against the Panthers defense. If Pitts gets big receptions in space he could be a threat in fantasy football this week. Five Players to Sit 1. Jacory Croskey-Merritt vs. Las Vegas Raiders – No. 5 vs RBs (NFL Fantasy) Even with his expectation to take more snaps in the absence of Austin Ekeler, sitting him this week may be the best option. The Raiders are only allowing an average of 13.20 points to running backs. Having to face Maxx Crosby should caution fantasy owners from starting Croskey-Merritt. Last week, Chargers backs Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton combine for 10.3 fantasy points. 2. Garrett Wilson vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – N0. 5 vs WRs (NFL Fantasy) With Justin Fields missing Week 3 due to his concussion, there’s a reason to feel unsure about starting Garrett Wilson. After last weeks disappointing performance against the Bills, Wilson will face a well-rounded Buccaneers secondary. Facing a secondary of Antoine Winfield, Jamel Dean, Tykee Smith, Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish makes it a difficult decision to start Wilson. With Tyrod Taylor starting this week, his unstable chemistry with the receiving core as a whole may limit the production of Wilson. 3. Tyreek Hill vs Buffalo Bills – No. 6 vs WRs (NFL Fantasy) With Tua Tagovailoa‘s shaky performance to start the season, sitting Tyreek Hill vs. the Buffalo Bills is best. Despite Jaylen Waddle being questionable, the Bills defense could wreck the game for everyone on Miami. According to StatMuse, Hill has not had over 100 receiving yards against the Bills since starting his Dolphins tenure in 2022. The Bills defense has proven they can contain him and prevent him from having big time games. 4. Matthew Stafford vs Philadelphia Eagles – No. 11 vs QBs (NFL Fantasy) Matthew Stafford against the Philadelphia Eagles is a must avoid matchup. The Eagles have a fierce defense, including Jalen Carter and rookie safety Andrew Mukuba. Last week, Stafford struggled in the first half against the Titans before exploding in the second half in a 33-19 win. In the first two weeks, quarterbacks such as Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott have struggled against against the Eagles defense. In Week 2, Mahomes went 16-of-29 for 187 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He had to produce a lot with his legs, which Stafford cannot do. In Week 1, Prescott went 21-of-34 for 188 yards. 5. Ashton Jeanty vs Washington Commanders – No. 6 vs RBs (NFL Fantasy) Ashton Jeanty is worth the consideration of a sit this week. In his first two weeks, Jeanty has not cracked 50 rushing yards on 10+ carries. Since he is still adjusting to the NFL from Boise State, it’s okay to let him set on the bench this week or until he proves to be fantasy worthy.
South Carolina receives significant update on star QB LaNorris Sellers
The South Carolina Gamecocks received a positive update regarding quarterback LaNorris Sellers' health on Thursday, setting him up to return for their first road SEC game of the season against Associated Press No. 23 Missouri Tigers. LaNorris Sellers returns to practice On3's Pete Nakos and Chris Low reported that Sellers (head) "is trending towards playing ... barring a setback," with Nakos noting the trendy preseason Heisman pick was practicing with the team two days before kickoff. Sellers suffered a head injury in the first half of last Saturday's 31-7 upset loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores, which entered the Associated Press poll at No. 20 following the win. Before leaving the game, Sellers was 6-of-7 for 94 yards (13.4 yards per attempt) and an interception. South Carolina's hopes depend on LaNorris Sellers It's not an exaggeration to say that South Carolina's hopes of pulling off a road win against Missouri hinges on Sellers' health. As CBS Sports noted, the Gamecocks averaged 4.5 yards per play and turned the ball over three times with Luke Doty at quarterback. Their seven points were their fewest at home against an unranked conference opponent since 2007 (h/t Stathead). Sellers put up modest numbers in his first two games, averaging 168.5 passing yards in wins against the Virginia Tech Hokies (0-3) and FCS South Carolina State Bulldogs (2-1). But little was needed of Sellers in those games. Against tougher SEC competition, including Missouri (3-0), which is first in the conference in total offense (587 yards per game), South Carolina's offense will need to shoulder more of the burden. The Tigers have been particularly effective running the ball, ranking third in FBS in rushing offense (907 yards). With their ability to shorten games thanks to a potent rushing attack, Sellers' ability to hit on explosive passing plays could be crucial. This season, he's completed three of his four attempts that have traveled at least 20 air yards for 126 yards (31.5 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns. In 2024, Sellers had the highest adjusted completion percentage, which accounts for receiver drops, on deep passes among SEC quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts at 56.4 percent (h/t Pro Football Focus). Last Saturday was a huge setback for South Carolina, which fell from No. 11 to out of the AP poll with the 24-point loss to Vanderbilt, the largest in program history in a ranked-vs.-unranked home game. But the Gamecocks can quickly turn the page against Mizzou, and getting Sellers back at quarterback would give them a legitimate chance of doing so.
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