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Fantasy Baseball Power Rankings

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Fantasy Baseball Power Rankings

I’m giving most of this roster an injury pass after a season from hell last year. But I wasn’t keen on drafting Ronald Acuña Jr. after he openly admitted that he’s going to run less often. This won’t be the dream offense of 2023, but it’s still likely to be top five when all the runs are counted.They’ll be a little better just because you can’t be historically terrible for two straight years. That’s the plexiglass principle, right? I was open to drafting Andrew Benintendi (look at his final two months) and possible closer Mike Clevinger with late picks. That’s it for now.Kyle Tucker is in the prime of his career — and in a prove-it year for free agency — but how much is the park going to hurt him? Wrigley suffocates left-handed power. Pete Crow-Armstrong offers category juice and he’s a wonder in center field.Even if you’re an ardent fantasy player, I dare you to name their entire starting lineup without help. Bo Bichette was affordably priced all spring but I found it hard to make the click. José Berríos might never be truly great but he’s always playable.

30. Chicago White Sox

Is the timing right for a Kyle Manzardo breakout? He might bat third, the catbird seat behind Steven Kwan and the forever-underrated José Ramírez. One key is staying out of a platoon.

29. Miami Marlins

They’ll score a zillion runs and Zack Wheeler is the perfect No. 1 horse up front. They better hope the Cristopher Sánchez buzz is real because Aaron Nola dealt with lagging velocity all spring.

28. Colorado Rockies

Every so often I like to rank the MLB teams by order of how fun and fantasy-friendly they are. So here are your initial power rankings. I suppose they would probably line up mostly with power rankings that are solely based on the real-life strength of a team, but we like to throw in some special sauce when we can.

27. Los Angeles Angels

I have no idea why they didn’t make a more aggressive move for pitching — and that was doubly true late last summer. Runs will flow easier with the left-field wall coming back in.

26. St. Louis Cardinals

Oneil Cruz has dreamy hard-hit metrics and don’t miss that he was 15-for-15 on steals in the second half. I’ll sign off on a proactive Cruz pick. Joey Bart looked legit in the second half last year, too, and should finally get that coveted full season.

25. The Athletics

This team deserves the rep that the Rays carried for so long — they’re smart, and they do so many little things well. It’s probably the best defensive team in the NL, so you can talk me into almost any of their pitchers. Please, fantasy gods, let Christian Yelich have a healthy six months. He’s good at everything.

24. Washington Nationals

It’s a top-heavy lineup, and I’ve been afraid to draft Fernando Tatís Jr. for a few years. Mike King looks the part at the top of the rotation, a Cy Young semi-sleeper.

23. San Francisco Giants

Willy Adames is a fine player but an obvious fade, with a big contract and a big park. The Brewers love to run; the Giants always have a red light flashing. Hayden Birdsong’s electric spring didn’t get him in the rotation, but he’s the first man up and eventually, someone will get hurt. I’m in on Logan Webb.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates

MLB’s real Opening Day is just a couple of sleeps away and I couldn’t be more pumped. Bring on the baseball. Bring on the fantasy baseball, too.

21. Tampa Bay Rays

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20. Seattle Mariners

The rotation is filled with a lot of throw-and-hope, but Juan Soto was the biggest catch of the free-agent season and I loved that the team brought Pete Alonso back. This is a destination offense, top to bottom, for fantasy managers.

19. Milwaukee Brewers

Good to see Terry Francona back in the dugout. A healthy Matt McLain could be a second-round fantasy pick by next year. I have no idea how they’re going to handle the closer spot. Whatever gets you through the ninth, it’s alright.

18. Kansas City Royals

The lineup reminds me of the pricy headphones I used to regularly buy. They look good, they sound good, and they always break. Still, I’m fine to pass on Mike Trout because Byron Buxton is a similar fantasy commodity, about 100 picks later. Bailey Ober is popular in the fantasy industry, but may be more reasonably priced in your pool.

17. Detroit Tigers

It’s sad to see such a mediocre offense living in this park. Michael Toglia will strike out 200 times but the category juice will play. Ryan McMahon should at least return his ADP. I will not be talked into any Colorado pitcher.

16. Toronto Blue Jays

This lineup led the majors in runs scored last year, by a fairly healthy margin. Trot that question out to an East Coast bar — you’ll drink for free all night. The Corbin Burnes strikeout rate has dropped four straight seasons, enough for me to fade him all spring.

15. Texas Rangers

I haven’t been reaching on high-end pitching for the most part but Cole Ragans was one of my rule-breakers. Seth Lugo was a steal all month — he’s always been good, just under-appreciated. I’m worried about Vinnie Pasquantino’s lower-body injury — he’s one of the league’s smartest hitters and a favorite of mine. Salvador Pérez is building a Hall of Fame case.

14. Cincinnati Reds

The second half of the lineup is depressing but the rotation is divine, no matter what George Kirby’s timetable winds up being. All of these pitchers pound the zone and obviously they work in a big park, which makes them easy on the eyes.

13. Minnesota Twins

It was refreshing to see them ditch the bargain-hunter mindset and actually pay up for Alex Bregman, a signature free agent. How healthy is Rafael Devers, dealing with two bad shoulders? Will he accept DH life if it comes to it? Justin Slaten is the saves sleeper in this bullpen. I still can’t believe Boston somehow acquired Garrett Crochet without having to touch its best rising prospects. Maybe it’s the Chris Sale story all over again.

12. Houston Astros

I will revisit and edit these ranks a few times during the season. Let’s go.

11. Cleveland Guardians

Given the horrible spring they’ve had, I think it’s comical the Yankees are still the A.L. East favorite in the markets. Of course, I said similar things last year and all they did was make the World Series. I’m excited to see if Austin Wells can stick as a leadoff man (at least against right-handed pitching). He’s my most rostered catcher.

10. Chicago Cubs

Isaac Paredes has been a steal all spring and it looks like he’ll open the year hitting second. The Rays didn’t always leave him alone in the lineup, but Houston will. Framber Valdez is Mr. Floor at the top of the rotation, but I’m also excited to see if Hunter Brown’s final four months were the beginning of sustainable stardom.

9. San Diego Padres

There are four ascending talents locked into the top five lineup spots, so that’s a reason to tune in. MacKenzie Gore already gets enough strikeouts to be mixed-league viable, and he has another level to potentially climb. Kyle Finnegan is the cheapest 20 saves on the board.

8. Arizona Diamondbacks

I still feel like they’re one hitter short. A long Alex Bregman contract probably wouldn’t have made sense, but a short-term deal would have fit perfectly. Hey, they tried. I’m curious if Casey Mise can reinvent himself after a winter of tinkering. I don’t think Jason Foley will stick as the closer; remember, he hardly pitched in the playoffs. I’m always in on Riley Greene.

7. New York Yankees

They’re the nomads of baseball, forced out of their park and perhaps moving to a new city altogether in an upcoming season. The midsummer schedule also has an odd shape to it, because outdoor baseball in Florida is hard to handle during the rainy season. For years, I always assumed Tampa Bay would figure things out, even if I didn’t see the genius of the plan. I’m no longer giving this organization the benefit of the doubt.

6. Baltimore Orioles

Is this the Jurickson Profar-breakout year for Jo Adell? The Anaheim center fielder just turned 26 and I think they’ll leave him alone. Mike Trout really should be a DH by now, but the Angels signed Jorge Soler for that gig. Ron Washington wants his team to run.

5. Boston Red Sox

Xavier Edwards makes contact, works the count, wants to run like crazy. Count me in. Max Meyer is an interesting rotation sleeper. But good luck reciting this team’s 1-to-9 lineup.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

You can’t spell Load Management without LAD. Last year, just two pitchers on this club made it past 90 innings, and nobody came close to qualifying for the ERA title. This year, it’s possible Dave Roberts will also be more proactive with resting his position guys. They’re a traveling circus, but be careful with your expectations.

3. New York Mets

Although the Oakland ballpark was a dump, it was sad to see the city lose its team. That doesn’t mean this can’t be a fun club. Every fantasy manager needs to know that Brent Rooker, Kyle Schwarber and Marcell Ozuna are all outfield-eligible in Yahoo leagues.

2. Atlanta Braves

The Wyatt Langford rocket ship looks ready to take off. I have no idea how many innings Jacob deGrom will throw — knowing I had him as a cheap keeper in one league, I decided to sit him out through draft season. My heart was already invested, I didn’t want to take it further than that. I was surprised Evan Carter didn’t make the team but after a washout spring, the move makes sense.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Whatever their special sauce was all these years, it’s apparently gone stale. At least the lineup is young and brimming with upside, but you need to be able to develop your talent, too. I liked the boring-veteran discount on Sonny Gray all spring, but he’s another pitcher dealing with a nervous velocity dip.

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Fantin’s Late Goal Lifts No. 4 Nittany Lions over No. 10 Cornell – Penn State

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Matilde Fantin’s late third period goal lifted the No. 4 Nittany Lions over No. 10 Cornell on Tuesday evening to finish 18-1-0 in 2025.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • With under five minutes to go in the game and on the power play, Maddy Christian skated into the offensive zone after receiving a pass from Sophie Morrow and she dropped it off to Matilde Fantin who sent a rocket just under the bar to score.

GOALTENDERS

  • Senior goaltender Katie DeSa made a season-high 35 saves in the victory. She is now tied with Josie Bothun ’24 for the program’s all-time shutout.
  • Cornell goaltender Annelies Bergmann made 31 saves in the loss.

STATS AND NOTES

  • Penn State won their sixth game over a ranked opponent, their most wins over ranked opponents in a single season.
  • Katie DeSa’s 34 saves is the most by a Nittany Lion goaltender since she had 38 against Mercyhurst on Dec. 7, 2024.
  • Matilde Fantin scored her eighth goal of the season, to lead all rookie skaters on PSU.
  • Penn State improves to 2-4-1 against Cornell all-time, snapping a three-game losing streak dating back to Oct. 13, 2022.
  • Maddy Christian has points in back-to-back games to bring her season total to 20.

UP NEXT

  • Penn State hits the road to face No. 2 Ohio State in the program’s first ever top-five matchup in Columbus, Ohio this weekend. Friday’s game is set for 6 p.m. and Saturday’s puck drop slated 3:30 p.m.



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2025 All Mountain Volleyball | Sports

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The Appalachian Newspapers’ 2025 All Mountain Volleyball Team is comprised of players from the 15th Region, Jenkins, Buckhorn, Knott Central, Perry Central, Hazard and Letcher Central.

The 2025 All-Mountain Volleyball Team was voted upon by the Appalachian Newspapers’ Randy White, Steve LeMaster and Adam Mahan.

All Mountain 

Volleyball Player of the Year nominees:

Kylie Kinner — Paintsville

Miley Riddle — Shelby Valley

Lindy Gearheart — Pikeville

Taylor Baker — Knott Central

 

All Mountain Volleyball 

Player of the Year

Miley Riddle — Shelby Valley: Riddle had an outstanding junior season. She led the state in kills with 838 (Paintsville’s Kylie Kinner finished second with 828). Riddle helped Shelby Valley to its most successful season in school history as the Lady Wildcats finished the season with a 34-6 record. Shelby Valley won the 15th Region All “A” Classic and advanced to the state All “A” Classic Bronze Division finals, the 59th District Tournament, their first-ever 15th Region Tournament championship, a win over Knott Central in the opening round of the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament and an appearance in the state volleyball quarterfinals.

 

All Mountain Coach of 

the Year nominees:

Misty Riddle — Shelby Valley

Dawn Kinner — Paintsville

Shae Cornett — Knott Central

 

 

All Mountain Coach 

of the Year:

Misty Riddle — Shelby Valley: Riddle helped Shelby Valley to its most successful season in school history as the Lady Wildcats finished the season with a 34-6 record. Shelby Valley won the 15th Region All “A” Classic and advanced to the state All “A” Classic Bronze Division finals, the 59th District Tournament, their first-ever 15th Region Tournament championship, a win over Knott Central in the opening round of the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament and an appearance in the state volleyball quarterfinals.

 

All-Mountain 

Volleyball Team

Shelby Valley

Sahnia Linton

Talynn Johnson

Ryleigh Perry

Makaya Price

Lindsay Baldwin 

 

Paintsville

Kylie Kinner

Mallory May

Ella Wells

Addison Helton

Annabelle Blankenship

 

Pikeville

Lindy Gearheart

Carly May

Sophie Woods

Catharine Walters

Kyla Lee

 

East Ridge

Savannah Baldridge

Lily Stacy

Savannah Wallace

Olivia Stanley

 

Pike Central

Layla Johnson

Sadie Vaughn

Alyssa Hess

Molly Reed

Claire Stacy

 

Belfry

Baylor Hall

Makaylin Meade

Abrielle Swain

 

Phelps

Aerionna Pigman

Charity Mounts

Cloey Bevins

 

Johnson Central

Chloe Reed

Macie Clark

Mia Estep

Madi Conn

Leah Hall 

 

Martin County

No stats listed on the KHSAA website

 

Magoffin County

Karlee Wallen

Kellen Simpkins

Jaylee Reed

Abby Barnett

 

Betsy Layne

Jayden Jarrell

Jania Isom

Harlyn Slone

Aubrey Williams

Miley Burchett

 

Prestonsburg

Addison Wright

Ally Hamilton

Katie Slone

Kennedy Dixon

 

Floyd Central

Chloe Howard

Lydia Wallace

Caidence Lafferty

Rylee Daniels

Miley Thornsberry

 

Lawrence County

Brylee Stafford

Aryn Huffman

Kailyn Stacy

 

Hazard

Savannah Combs

Mallory Mitchell

Rachel Allen

Adyson Jent

 

Perry Central

Laney Davis

Lylah Sullivan

Meghan Asher

Kinley McGraner

Chloe Campbell

 

Knott Central

Taylor Baker

Zoe Miller

Samara Bailey

Ava Waddell

Avery Conley

 

Buckhorn

Ashlynn Adams

Chasity Turner

Haylee-Drew Blank

 

Jenkins

Abbigail Lilly

Peyton Wilder

Kassidy Bolling

 

Letcher Central

Evany Pack

Kelsi Holbrook

Calissa Lowe

Hanna Eldridge



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KU signee Stanley set for All-America Game

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article image
Under Armour Next


Taylor Stanley



The new year will begin with a significant showcase for a player who could mean a lot to the Kansas volleyball team down the line.

Right-side hitter Taylor Stanley, a 2026 signee, will take part in the Under Armour All-America Game, an all-star match that purports to feature “the 28 best high school volleyball players in the country, hands down.” The event will take place at The Venue at UCF in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday and is set for livestreams on ESPN+ and the SportsCenter Next YouTube channel beginning at 3 p.m. Central Time.

Stanley will wear No. 23 for Team Roses, which is led by longtime Texas, USC and United States national team coach Mick Haley, as one of seven pin hitters on its roster. She is the only Kansan or KU pledge taking part in the event.

Stanley stands 6-foot-3 and has played for Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park and the KC Power club team.

“Taylor definitely represents the best player in the area, and she’s choosing to be at her home school, and she wants to be a Jayhawk, KU coach Matt Ulmer said in a VBAdrenaline livestream for signing day, “and again hopefully people will want to follow that.”

She signed with KU in November and, according to her school newspaper, is set to enroll early, meaning she will join the Jayhawks not long after taking part in the All-America Game. VBAdrenaline.com ranks Stanley as the No. 12 overall player in the class and the No. 1 opposite.

“I don’t know what you don’t like about her,” Ulmer said on the livestream. “I really think there’s everything that you would want in an opposite. She can absolutely bring that. She can also score from the left, she can score from the back row, I mean, she’s going to be a six-rotation point scorer, and we know the names of the people that can do that at a high level, and I think that’s what she can bring.”

She has spent time representing the U.S. at the youth level, as she played with the under-19 national team, which competed above its age group at the 2025 FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia, in August. The U.S. went 7-2 with a ninth-place finish.

At KU, Stanley will be part of a six-player class that also includes pin hitters Tessa Dodd, Avery Poulton and Ryan Sadler and middle blockers Cydnee Bryant and Jaeli Rutledge. She may see significant action right away on the right side, in part because of the qualities Ulmer described and in part because of the offseason departure of all-conference opposite Jovana Zelenović.






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Written By Henry Greenstein


Henry is the sports editor at the Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com, and serves as the KU beat writer while managing day-to-day sports coverage. He previously worked as a sports reporter at The Bakersfield Californian and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (B.A., Linguistics) and Arizona State University (M.A., Sports Journalism). Though a native of Los Angeles, he has frequently been told he does not give off “California vibes,” whatever that means.









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St. Cloud State Athletics Names Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month for December

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ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Athletics recognized two student-athletes as the Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month for December. Men’s Basketball sophomore guard Luke Winkel (Ankeny, Iowa) was named Male Athlete of the Month while Volleyball junior outside hitter Shelby Kimm (North Liberty, Iowa) was named Female Athlete of the Month for their performances during the month.
 
Luke Winkel’s December Highlights

  • Averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.5 assists.
  • Shot 44.7% from the field, 43.6% from three, and 74.2% from the free throw line.
  • Tallied his first career double-double with 27 points and 11 assists against Wayne State.
  • Scored a then career-high 29 points against Concordia-St. Paul to go with six assists.
  • Totaled a new career-high of 30 points with seven rebounds and five steals against Sioux Falls.
  • Helped lead the Huskies to a 5-0 start in the NSIC for the first time since 2008-09.
  • SCSU went 4-2 in December and are tied for third in the NSIC with a 5-2 conference record.
  • Currently fourth in the NSIC in scoring and assists.

Shelby Kimm’s December Highlights

  • 3 MP: 3.38 digs/set, 2.69 points/set, 2.38 kills/set, 0.46 blocks/set, one double-double
  • Produced 19 digs and seven kills in the Huskies 3-1 win over No. 17 Missouri Western in the NCAA Round of 64/Central Region Quarterfinals. Her 19 digs were tied for the second most in a single match this season and it was her sixth straight match with double digit digs.
  • Recorded 11 kills and eight digs in SCSU’s 3-1 win over No. 2 and Central Region Host, Nebraska Kearney in the NCAA Round of 32/Central Region Semifinals. It was her 21st match with 10+ kills.
  • Notched an 18-dig, 13-kill double-double with three block assists in the Huskies five-set loss to No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul in the NCAA Sweet 16/Central Region Championship. It was her 17th double-double of the season. It was also her fifth match with 18+ digs and her 13th match with 13+ kills.
  • Named to the AVCA All-America Second Team, AVCA All-Central Region Second Team, D2CCA All-Central Region First Team and NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team.
  • Named to CSC Academic All-District® Team, NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence and NSIC All-Academic Team.
  • Helped the Huskies earn a No. 5 ranking in the final AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Poll for the second consecutive season and third time in program history.
  • Helped SCSU tie its program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season with two and advance to the NCAA Round of 16/Central Region Championship for the second consecutive season and third time in the past four seasons.

 

2025-2026 Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month
September

October

  • Austin Burnevik (Men’s Hockey)
  • Ellie Primerano (Women’s Soccer)

November

  • Dominic Ducato (Wrestling)
  • Jaylee Strickland (Women’s Soccer)

December

For all the latest on St. Cloud State Athletics, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the Huskies on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.





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Three Husker Newcomers Set for Under Armour Next All-America Match – University of Nebraska

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Three incoming Nebraska volleyball student-athletes will compete in the 2026 Under Armour Next All-America Match on New Year’s Day at The Venue on the campus of UCF in Orlando.

 

Gabby DiVita will play on Team Pearls, while Jayden Robinson and Keoni Williams will be on Team Roses. 

 

The Under Armour Next All-America Match will be streamed live on the SCNext YouTube Channel at 3:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 1, with ESPNU re-airing the event at 6 p.m. CT on Jan. 4.

 

The Under Armour Next All-America match features some of the nation’s best high school seniors as they prepare to join some of the top college volleyball programs in the country. This elite class has committed to 16 different colleges.



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2025 All-Westbank Volleyball Team – Crescent City Sports

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Name School Position Class
Adelynn Creath Academy of Our Lady MB Senior
Lillian Daviss Academy of Our Lady OH Senior
Zhoey Johnson Academy of Our Lady MB Sophomore
Kaitlynn Riley Academy of Our Lady OH Sophomore
Raya Dickinson Belle Chasse S Junior
Brelan Fremin Belle Chasse L Junior
Illeana Austin Edna Karr L Senior
Morgan Ellis Edna Karr S Senior
Laikyn Sabio Fisher OH Senior
Sophia Briscoe John Ehret L/DS Senior
Kiley Davis John Ehret OH Sophomore
Jes’Unique Murdock John Ehret MB Freshman
Dakota Sylve L.B. Landry MB Senior
Addison McGuire South Plaquemines MB Junior
Ny’Jae Barnes Thomas Jefferson MB Senior
Devin Hubbard Thomas Jefferson MB Junior
Kyra Harriet Young Audiences MB Senior

Individual Honors

Offensive MVP:
Lillian Daviss, Senior — Academy of Our Lady

Defensive MVP:
Brelan Fremin, Junior — Belle Chasse



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