The surprising top team from MLB so far and the NBA playoffs begin

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Good morning! Have some sweets today.

Spring dreams: stubbornly large Padres -Leaving Spring Surprises

A month ago, the Padres thought as a rim playoff candidate who could get hot in October and challenge one or two elite teams -how they brought the later champion of Dodgers to a decisive fifth game in the NLDS. On the opening day, Fangraphs San Diego gave about a three shot to make a third off -season in four years.

Not a bad forecast, but the Padres did not feel exactly like an organization on the advance. Many things burdened any optimism:

• Deceased owner Peter Seidler, who died in 2023, Was an unusually large donor For a “little market owner” and his heirs, who immediately fought for the control of the team, do not seem to have the same financial appetite.
• The club Reduce almost 100 million US dollars of salary statements last season And recorded a loan of 50 million US dollars to cover expenses. The team has money problems that are largely due to the collapse of the regional television contract, which the team has once rely on millions of annually.
• One year after trading with Juan Soto (albeit for a beautiful package of players), the Padres Let a few solid freelance agents run. The Outfield Jurickson Profar went to the Braves (and was quickly suspended for PED use), a sweet Shortstop Ha-Song Kim to the Rays and Deadline rental rental, Tanner Scott, to the hated Dodgers.
• Injuries were an immediate problem. Joe Musgrove had an operation from Tommy John last autumn and will not be back before October if he is again this year. Yu Darvish has still not debut elbow infections this season thanks to a spring training. Jackson Merrill has been a tense thigh in the past few weeks.

Doesn’t matter. The Padres 15-6, the best record in baseball, are just more than 10 percent of the way into season. The team’s offensive core (Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Merrill, when it is healthy) is Rems. Michael King, part of the return from the Yankees for Soto before last season, called Light-out, as well as the newcomers Pivetta. Robert Suarez was a dominant narrower. Everything clicks.

The club packs Petco Park into the melody of more than 40,000 fans per game. Merrill has just signed a nine-year expansion to strengthen himself as a real franchise pillar. The mood could hardly be better, no matter what is going on with the dollars and cent.

Elsewhere, April is full of surprises. The good started 0: 7 and had a slow excavation from this hole. The twins were a disaster and triggered the Tigers Al Central favorites. The Big League Homerun Leader is … Athletics First Baseman Tyler Soder current? Indeed with nine homers.

We asked The athletes Eno Sarris and Derek Vanriper, host of “Prices & Barrel”, Which developments in April are prepared to withdraw to their respective means.

Sarris has the offensive of the Giants 📉:

💬 Who do you think, would have a good crime to start the year? The Cubs? Yes, they led MLB in runs per game that entered the game on Saturday. The diamondbacks and Yankees? Yes, second and third. But there are also exactly the Giants, on the fourth more than five runs a game. They may be fine, but that seems to be out of the race.

In the meantime, Vanriper has the Braves offensive, sixth from below in runs per game and goes 📈:

💬 Ronald Acuña Jr. is in the late stages of rehab from its second ACL tear, and better health results for Austin Riley, Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies should drive this offense back into its form of 2023. It is a matter of time before you are a feared list again.

The baseball season is young. Time to check messages.

Knowing news

NBA playoffs bring drama, dominance

The four-time headball of Game 1 from yesterday delivered a good old-fashioned beatdown, a lot of drama in the late game and a team that could not miss it. A quick summary:

Quite the start. Get in with our NBA employees. Full knowledge from every game. More playoffs:

Stanley Cup favorites win game 1s

The jets needed a Kyle Connor game that went through play With 1:36 in the third period to escape the blues with a win. Our NHL employees in Winnipeg have more take away from a back and forth game 1. In late game, The current title avalanche of the title agency (+600 Pro BetMGM) has handed the star to the stars (!) Game 1 loss. Your opening goal? Whatever this magic is:

Artturi Lehkonen simply threw the puck from his skate on the net without stepping 🤯 pic.twitter.com/25wwwqbzmy

– B/R Open ICE (@BR_OPENICE) April 20, 2025

More news:

What can be seen

📺 Formula 1: Saudi -Arab Grand Prix

1 PM et on ESPN2

The season develops like a McLaren exchanger, with the greatest drama being the driver in the orange car, Lando Norris or Oscar Piatri, the driver’s championship wins. However, the midfield has struggled subordinate acts on how Williams rises, despite new signs and ex-Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.

📺 NBA: Magic at Celtics, game 1

3:30 p.m. ET on ABC

The defending champions are second behind the thunder, in The athletes Pre-playoff power ranking. Boston is the seed No. 2 of the East and Orlando of No. 7? Any shot on the 41-41 Magic that annoys a series? Not really. We don’t lie in your pulse. But Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are fun to see and good for 50 points per game between them.

📺 NHL: Senators at Maple Leaf, game 1

7 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Ontario’s battle meets the playoffs, just like in the days before 2005. The Leafs try to avoid an early exit for the ninth year. The Sens are a fascinating wildcard team that is playing in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The hostilities become flair.

Pulse picks

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(Toptoto: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)