The Mets MVP who’s making magic happen from the dugout — even if he says there’s no ‘pixie dust’
NY Post
The MVP of the first-place Mets, and maybe the National League, too, is Pete Alonso.
The Mets’ second MVP might be the fellow who brought back Alonso, owner Steve Cohen, who’s paying Alonso $30 million (never mind the $33M in luxury tax).
But the third MVP just might be a more anonymous fellow, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who’s the leader of baseball’s best and most surprising pitching staff. The Mets’ starting rotation was supposed to be the question mark of an otherwise strong team, especially after their two highest-paid starters — Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas — went out with injuries in spring.
Just to be clear: That’s only my own MVP thought. It’s definitely not from Hefner, who emphatically batted back the idea of him as team MVP candidate before a rare bullpen blowup in the 7-5 defeat to the Rays Friday on Pride Night at Citi Field.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — With the Rangers hovering over the bottom of the NHL standings, it’s easy to root for whatever outcome would most likely lead to general manager Chris Drury announcing Gavin McKenna’s name on the draft stage at KeyBank Center in Buffalo this June.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — When the Rangers started the 2025-26 season, Noah Laba and Matthew Robertson were the only first-year players on the Opening Night roster.
SALT LAKE CITY — It’s easy to forget about the quiet, which in Knicks World means Leon Rose. We’re approaching five years — amazingly — since the team president answered questions from the independent media, and I’ve always maintained that’s poor practice because it avoids responsibility. If there’s no public explanation behind a move or a goal, there’s no accountability if it doesn’t work out.
PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets’ 2025 failing (one of them anyway) might be their big strength now.
The discourse has gone on for two seasons now. But it doesn’t exactly match reality.
Where were the grownups for Team USA?
The Rangers reconvened after the Olympic stoppage wanting to find some successful combinations that had been largely absent through much of a disappointing last-place season.
SALT LAKE CITY — There was no sugarcoating an ugly first-half performance from the Knicks in the locker room, and the harsh words during the break helped spur a comeback in Wednesday’s 134-117 victory over the Jazz.
Team USA’s fate is out of its hands.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Jasson Domínguez’s first-inning at-bat against Tanner Banks on Tuesday featured a different result and a different swing than “The Martian” had been accustomed to against lefty pitching.
Maxx Crosby isn’t looking in the rearview after a wild 24 hours.
Bam Adebayo occupies a new spot in the NBA history books.
Jets fans have been waiting for months to put the 2025 season in the past and start building a new roster.