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Axios Sports

Connor McDavid is having a historic postseason, the likes of which we haven't seen since "The Great One" and "Super Mario" roamed the ice.

By the numbers: The Oilers superstar has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) through 10 games, joining Wayne Gretzky (1983 and 1985), Mario Lemieux (1992) and Rick Middleton (1983) as the only players to ever do that.

McDavid's three assists in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Flames gave him his ninth multi-point game, the most ever through 10 games.

His 23 points would have made him the leading scorer in the 2019, 2015, 2012 and 2011 playoffs. It's still the second round!

What to watch: No player has recorded more than 36 points in a single postseason in 29 years. If Edmonton keeps winning, McDavid will almost certainly end that drought.

Elsewhere ... It looks bleak for the top-seeded Panthers, who are down 3-0 to the two-time defending champs. The Hurricanes, Oilers and Avalanche lead the other series 2-1.

East: Lightning 3, Panthers 0; Hurricanes 2, Rangers 1

West: Oilers 2, Flames 1; Avalanche 2, Blues 1

Connor McDavid's historic NHL playoff run

If Edmonton keeps winning, McDavid will almost certainly end a 29-year drought.

Sports

NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Only in Canada do the Leafs fall in spring.

ICYMI: The Maple Leafs lost 2-1 to the Lightning on Saturday, their 10th straight loss in a series-clinching game and fifth straight loss in a winner-take-all game in the opening round. We've never seen anything like this.

The Leafs didn't blow it. In fact, they probably deserved to win the finale (70.5% chance) of a series that was shockingly even on aggregate: Toronto had 24 goals and 216 shots; Tampa had 23 and 215.

Wild stat: The probability of the Maple Leafs playing in five straight first-round series that went the distance, and then losing the decisive game in all five? 0.0036% (1 in 27,778 chance).

The big picture: When history keeps repeating itself in such excruciating ways, the word "cursed" gets thrown around. That built-up sense of inevitably heightens the pressure — and everybody feels it.

"We're getting sick and tired of feeling like this," a teary-eyed Mitch Marner, who joined the team in 2015, said after the Game 7 loss.

What's next: Toronto is in hockey hell: It's unclear what needs to change (the roster is stacked), but the streak has become so unbearable that they're almost obligated to make a bunch of moves anyway.

Rangers 4, Penguins 3 (OT): The Rangers are the first team in NHL history to record three consecutive comeback wins in elimination games within the same series. The clinching goal.

Flames 3, Stars 2 (OT): Jake Oettinger was brilliant (64 saves), but Calgary did just enough to set up a date with Edmonton — the first postseason Battle of Alberta since 1991. The clinching goal.

Hurricanes 3, Bruins 2: The home team won every game this series — the ninth time that's happened. After six straight multi-goal games, Carolina eked out a one-goal victory in front of a record crowd.

Oilers 2, Kings 0: Edmonton won its first playoff series since 2017 as Connor McDavid (playoff-leading 14 points) became the second player in NHL history to record six multi-point games in a series.

What's next: The second round kicks off Tuesday (Lightning-Panthers; Blues-Avalanche) and Wednesday (Rangers-Hurricanes; Oilers-Flames).

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in hockey hell

Toronto had its 10th straight loss in a series-clinching game.

The Maple Leafs' Jason Spezza hangs his head.

Photo: Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Stephen Curry graduated from Davidson College on Sunday, completing his degree 16 years after stepping foot on campus as a scrawny teenager.

Why it matters: Davidson only retires the jerseys of players who've graduated — no exceptions. At long last, the small liberal arts college (~2,000 students) will formally recognize its most famous son, with plans to hang his jersey in the rafters this year.

Curry received a bachelor of arts degree, with a major in sociology, as a member of the Class of 2022.

He couldn't attend commencement, but his name was in the program, causing a stir among students and attendees.

The backdrop: As a sophomore in 2008, Curry put Davidson on the map with an Elite Eight run. When he turned pro the following year, he told his parents and coach Bob McKillop that he'd be back to finish his degree.

Three years later, Curry returned to campus during the NBA lockout to take classes. He practiced with the team that semester, even playing the role of his brother Seth as Davidson prepped for Duke.

Curry quietly completed his final semester this spring, working with two members of the Davidson faculty, a Stanford professor and a UC Santa Cruz professor — both of whom taught him when they were at Davidson.

The last word: "I knew what I signed up for when I went to Davidson," Curry said in 2015 of the school's rigorous academics. In 2019, he shared a fond memory from the team's Cinderella run ...

I was coming back from dinner, after practice — the night before we played Kansas. ... And it was the strangest thing ever: I turned the corner down the hallway ... and I ran into about half the team. The guys were sitting there, right on the floor, with their warm-ups on and their clunky 2007 laptops out.

Like, this bunch of dudes that had just given back-to-back whoopings to Georgetown and Wisconsin. Sitting on the floor, typing away. And I'm like, "Umm ... what are y'all doing?" The whole group of them answer at the same time: "MIDTERMS."

No, for real. That's a true story. It's 12 hours to the Elite Eight, 12 hours to the biggest game of any of our lives — and those boys were literally writing term papers in the hallway. Straight up GRINDING in the Word doc. Man, I love Davidson with all my heart.

Stephen Curry graduates from college

Davidson College only retires the jerseys of players who've graduated — no exceptions.

Stephen Curry during an interview in San Francisco in August 2017.

Stephen Curry during an interview in San Francisco in August 2017. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images 

Angels rookie Reid Detmers entered last night's game with a 5.32 ERA. He exited it having thrown the second no-hitter of the season in a 12-0 shellacking of the Rays.

Why it matters: At 22, he's the youngest pitcher in franchise history to throw a no-hitter and the youngest in MLB since Aníbal Sánchez in 2006 with the Marlins.

Pitching line: 9 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, 108 pitches (68 strikes)

By the numbers: This was the 12th no-hitter in Angels history, and the 25th by a rookie in MLB history.

Wild stat No. 1: Detmers' 6.33 career ERA is the third-highest entering a no-hitter since ER became official in 1913.

Wild stat No. 2: He's just the fifth pitcher in the Divisional Era (1969) to throw a no-hitter with 2 Ks or fewer.

The big picture: Detmers, the Angels' first-round pick in 2020, had thrown just 42 career innings entering Tuesday, and never more than six in any game. What a night for the rook.

Angels rookie pitches no-hitter

At 22, he's the youngest pitcher in the MLB to throw a no-hitter since 2006.

Axios Media Trends

Tom Brady's mega-deal with Fox Sports shows just how much TV networks are willing to pay to stay competitive in the broadcasting booth.

Why it matters: Big names have the ability to lure viewers at a time when more and more people are cutting the cord.

Driving the news: Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced Tuesday that Brady will join as Fox Sports' lead analyst "immediately following his playing career."  

Brady will call games with Kevin Burkhardt and "serve as an ambassador" for Fox Sports, Murdoch added. 

By the numbers: The 10-year deal is reportedly worth $375 million, per the New York Post, a testament to Fox's willingness to spend big to make up for lost ground. 

Earlier this year, ESPN snagged Fox's top two NFL announcers — Troy Aikman and Joe Buck — for a reported $33 million per year combined to host Monday Night Football. 

Add in what ESPN pays Eli and Peyton Manning to host an alternative broadcast of Monday Night Football on ESPN2, and the network's shelling out more than $50 million for big-name announcers on Monday nights, per The Post. 

Between the lines: Streamers with ample cashflow are giving traditional networks a run for their money, making the talent wars even more competitive.

In March, Amazon snagged NBC's legendary analyst Al Michaels to announce its exclusive Thursday Night Football games beginning this season. 

The Post reported that Michaels, the longtime voice of NBC's Sunday Night Football games, has a standing offer from Amazon Prime Video "that may reach $11 million a year."

Amazon is paying around $1 billion per year over 10 years to carry and produce the games. Former cornerback Richard Sherman is also reportedly in talks with Amazon about an on-air gig. 

Be smart: Networks have long hired ex-football players as announcers, but in recent years, those contracts have gotten much bigger as the competition for NFL rights has intensified. 

CBS Sports renewed Tony Romo's contract for a then record-breaking deal of $170 million over 10 years in 2020, kicking off the bull market for booth talent. 

In an interview with Axios earlier this year, Eli Manning noted that pro-footballers from big markets can sometimes have a leg up in the broadcasting booth, as they are used to a lot of media attention.

Yes, but: Fox is paying a huge sum to a player that's never been a broadcaster before, and that comes with some risk, as evidenced by the mixed reaction to Drew Brees as an announcer. 

The big picture: NFL games are by far the most-viewed television programs in America, which gives the league license to charge streamers and TV networks big bucks to broadcast their games live. 

Next year, NFL rights will collectively cost TV networks around $10 billion per year. The cost of live sports rights will continue to cut into networks' profits if networks can't continue to attract viewers as more people cut the cord. 

What's next: It's unclear when Brady will officially start with Fox. He was supposed to retire from the field this year, but reversed his decision in March to play another season. 

Go deeper: The golden age of NFL broadcasting

Talent wars come for NFL announcers

Illustration of a football with headphones on

Media

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected to make clear that Trevor Bauer was never charged with a crime.

Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has been suspended for two seasons — or 324 games — after an "extensive investigation" for violating MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, the league announced on Friday. 

The big picture:  The former All-Star had faced allegations of beating and sexually abusing a San Diego woman, but prosecutors declined to file charges in February after investigators said they were unable to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Bauer had previously denied her allegations, and has filed suit against his accuser, AP reports.

What they're saying: Bauer said in a statement that he intends to appeal the suspension and expects to prevail.

"In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy," Bauer said.

Details: Commissioner Rob Manfred said that Bauer would be suspended without pay, effective immediately. 

Bauer had been placed on leave in July 2021 when allegations first surfaced.

The league and MLB Players Association eventually agreed to extend his paid leave through the rest of the season. 

MLB suspends Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer for 2 seasons for violating domestic violence policy

The former All-Star said he intends to appeal the suspension.

Trevor Bauer. Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

Major League Baseball (MLB)

Data: Baseball Reference; Chart: Axios Visuals

MLB rosters were reduced from 28 to 26 players on Monday, and no more than 14 can be pitchers, marking the first position-specific cap in league history.

Why it matters: There's no stopping the technological advancements that have made pitchers better than ever, but this limit should at least mitigate their dominance, which has yielded historically low offense.

State of play: In April, league-wide batting average (.231) was its lowest since 1968, while slugging percentage (.369) and runs scored per nine innings (4.12) were their lowest since 1992, per The Ringer.

Starting pitchers have faced opposing hitters for at least a third time in a game in a record-low 15.3% of plate appearances through Sunday, indicative of managers' militant use of analytics, which tells them when starters will be least effective.

Batters are hitting .273 in their third (or more) appearance against a starter this season, compared to .232 in their first two appearances. A pitcher cap will force managers to leave them on the mound longer.

On May 30, the 14-pitcher cap will be reduced to 13, and there have been reports of further reductions to 12 or even 11 in the future.

The bottom line: MLB hopes fewer pitchers leads to more offense, while also limiting the barrage of pitching changes that slow the game down.

MLB implements first-ever position-specific cap

MLB rosters were reduced to 26 players, and no more than 14 can be pitchers.

Jersey advertisements have long evaded the Big Four leagues, but that valuable real estate has become too tempting to ignore.

Driving the news: The Padres on Tuesday became the first MLB team to announce a jersey patch sponsor, signing a multi-year deal with Motorola reportedly worth $10 million annually.

The deal includes a Motorola patch on the right sleeve and branding throughout Petco Park.

The Dodgers also enlisted a marketing firm on Tuesday to help strike a jersey sponsorship deal.

The big picture: Five years ago, no Big Four sports leagues had jersey sponsors. By 2023, three of them will.

NBA: Jersey patches debuted in 2017, and this season the program is expected to generate $225 million in revenue, per Boardroom.

NHL:  Helmet ads debuted in 2020 to offset pandemic losses and stuck around after generating $15 million total in the first year. Jersey ads —  expected to generate $5–10 million per team — will debut next season.

MLB: Last month's CBA gave teams the right to sell sleeve patches beginning in 2023, which could generate $8–10 million per team, per SBJ. Helmet decals could debut as soon as this postseason.

NFL: Teams began selling ads on practice jerseys in 2009. There's no word yet on game day jerseys, but it feels somewhat inevitable.

By the numbers: The change is already bearing fruit for MLB. The average team is worth 5% more now than last year, per Sportico, thanks in part to the promise of jersey patches.

Zoom out: Jersey sponsorships stateside still pale in comparison to those in  European soccer, where some clubs make as much in a year as entire leagues do here.

Manchester United, for example, make $185 million annually on their jerseys alone.

Breakdown: $98 million from Adidas (kit supplier), $61 million from TeamViewer (jersey sponsor) and $26 million from Kohler (sleeve sponsor).

The bottom line: What was once jarring — like a "bibigo" logo on the iconic Lakers jersey or a  Nike swoosh atop the Yankees pinstripes — now feels normal. And it's only the beginning.

Advertising invades sports jerseys

Five years ago, no Big Four sports leagues had jersey sponsors. By 2023, three of them will.

Illustration of a megaphone beaming up sports balls like a UFO. 

The Washington Commanders sent a 17-page letter to the Federal Trade Commission on Monday, denying allegations of financial impropriety detailed last week by the House Oversight Committee.

Why it matters: Dan Snyder has a history of responding to allegations by digging his heels in, but Congress presents a formidable foe in this D.C.-based drama.

What they're saying: The Commanders rebutted all three alleged schemes involving improper ticket sales, withholding ticket revenue, and keeping $5 million worth of customers' security deposits.

In the letter, the team questioned the credibility of Jason Friedman, whose testimony drove the allegations, calling him a "disgruntled, lying former employee" who didn't have visibility into or expertise on their accounting practices.

Friedman's character was also questioned, as the team called him a "serial liar" who "created a culture of fear" before being fired in October 2020 for professional misconduct.

The Commanders say Friedman contacted them nearly 20 times asking for his job back between his firing and January 2022, when the team president rejected him. He testified weeks later.

The other side: "If the team maintains that it has nothing to hide, it should welcome an independent review by the FTC," said a House Oversight Committee spokesperson.

Eight former Commanders employees, all women, said the letter was a "clear attempt" to smear Friedman while "distracting the public from the truth: that the Snyders operate a franchise rooted in corrupt and toxic behavior."

Friedman's lawyers also responded to the letter, saying he "stands by his testimony [and] is happy to answer follow-up questions from Congress, the FTC, or any government agency."

What's next: The FTC will now determine whether or not to open an investigation.

Washington Commanders fire back at FTC

The Commanders rebutted alleged schemes involving improper ticket sales, withholding ticket revenue, and keeping $5M of customers' deposits.

Illustration of the Washington Commander's logo peeling back to reveal a hundred dollar bill on the reverse side.

MLB's instant replay system was upgraded in a small but critical way this year, as umpires now announce the results of every challenge over the stadium's PA system.

Why it matters:  The change provides clarity compared to the old format, wherein umpires non-verbally signaled the result of challenges, and triggers the type of epic crowd reaction one doesn't normally see at a baseball game.

Multiple monitors show different camera angles of play under review.

How it works: When a manager challenges a call, the umpires on the field cede control to a team of umps and technicians stationed at MLB's HQ in midtown Manhattan, which I recently had a  chance to tour.

The setup above is one of nine identical stations, each of which has one seat for a technician and one for an umpire, about five of whom are stationed there every game day.

When a challenge comes through, the tech and ump work together to view as many angles as necessary to get the call right. The goal is to complete the review in under two minutes.

Once the ump makes a decision, the call is relayed to the field umpire, who announces the result to the stadium.

By the numbers:  There were 1,287 challenges and another 155 reviews requested by the crew chief during the 2021 regular season. 47.2% were overturned, 31.7%  stood as called and 20% were confirmed.

Inside MLB's replay room

When a manager challenges a call, the umpires on the field cede control to MLB's HQ in Manhattan.

Umpires confer during an official review.

Photo: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

America's pro sports leagues sputtered back to life in 2020 with bubbles, comprehensive testing programs and a host of other changes that still seem unimaginable after the fact.

The state of play: The leagues succeeded because they have enormous wealth and were operating mostly in "salvage the season" mode — but now comes the hard part: Figuring out how to do it again — this time from an even worse financial position and amid a third coronavirus wave.

The state of play: If 2020 had been a normal year, the NBA and NHL would already be in the midst of their 2021 campaigns. Instead, they don't even know when they'll start.

MLB, which nearly canceled its season in July as owners and players bickered over money, is likely headed for another brutal labor fight this winter.

And don't forget about the many other leagues in this country that are hoping to have a season next year, all while trying to recover from lost revenue and adjust to new realities.

The third coronavirus wave means even more sports uncertainty

They have to figure out how to keep going from an even worse financial position.

Illustration of a giant wave casting a shadow over a stadium. 

NCAA

Coronavirus

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

We've compiled and ranked the all-time rosters for all 30 MLB franchises (as we did with the NBA), taking into account players, franchise success and a little bit of gut feeling. 

Note: Each team has six, position-agnostic outfielders. When, for example, you see Willie Mays in left field instead of center in the Giants' graphic, it's not a mistake — he's just one of their starting outfielders.

30-21: No. 30 Tampa Bay Rays, No. 29 Kansas City Royals, No. 28 Arizona Diamondbacks, No. 27 Toronto Blue Jays, No. 26 Los Angeles Angels, No. 25 San Diego Padres, No. 24 Colorado Rockies, No. 23 Milwaukee Brewers, No. 22 Washington Nationals, No. 21 New York Mets.

20-11: No. 20 Miami Marlins, No. 19 Baltimore Orioles, No. 18 Minnesota Twins, No. 17 Houston Astros, No. 16 Chicago White Sox, No. 15 Philadelphia Phillies, No. 14 Atlanta Braves, No. 13 Pittsburgh Pirates, No. 12 Seattle Mariners, No. 11 Texas Rangers.

10-1: No. 10 Cleveland Indians, No. 9 Los Angeles Dodgers, No. 8 Oakland Athletics, No. 7 Chicago Cubs, No. 6 St. Louis Cardinals, No. 5 Cincinnati Reds, No. 4 Detroit Tigers, No. 3 San Francisco Giants, No. 2 Boston Red Sox, No. 1 New York Yankees.

Player data from Baseball Reference; Graphic: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

They're tied for the youngest franchise in MLB, so it's hard to blame Tampa Bay for coming in dead last here. It's also part of their charm, as they've become known for putting together teams who are much greater than the sum of their parts (see: the 2020 AL champion Rays!).

James Shields: Easy to forget now, but he was one of the premier pitchers in the league not so long ago. His 11 complete games in 2011 are the most since Randy Johnson had 12 in 1999.

Catchers: They're generally the weakest part of any lineup, but 7.6 combined WAR is particularly egregious. Wilson Ramos played just 142 games for them and his 25 HR is fourth all-time among Rays catchers.

Carl Crawford: What happened here?!? Nine years as a stud in Tampa (35.6 WAR) earned him a massive seven-year contract worth $142 million with the Red Sox in 2011, but he compiled just 3.6 additional WAR over the next six seasons before being released and then retiring.

I like the Royals. George Brett's an inner-circle Hall of Famer (No. 35 on The Athletic's Top-100 all-time), the bullpen is strong and the defense for this team would be stout. Still, you can't score if you can't hit, and there are just too many easy outs in this lineup.

George Brett will always be a legend for the pine tar incident. His peak five-year WAR of 38.5 (age 23-27) was pretty impressive, too. (Nolan Arenado from age 23–27? 28.3 WAR.)

3B coach Mike Jirschele probably made the right move not sending Alex Gordon, but it sure didn't feel that way at the time. Game 7, two outs, bottom nine, down one, chance for a little league homer to tie it up ... and he's held at third! Okay, probably should have sent him after all.

Tied with Tampa as the youngest franchise, at least they edged out one older club in these rankings. Seems that winning the World Series with a Game 7 walk-off against the greatest closer of all time earns you brownie points with me. (See, told ya the Royals should've sent Gordon!)

Randy Johnson was an animal. Already solidified as one of the best in the game in Seattle (one Cy Young, three other top-three finishes), he joined Arizona at 35 ... and proceeded to win four straight Cy Young awards!

Teammate Curt Schilling, meanwhile, couldn't quite get over the hump, placing second to Johnson in both '01 and '02.

Another day, another team that won a World Series on a walk-off! I feel particularly compelled to mention it for Toronto because the hero, Joe Carter, was my final cut for this roster. His overall numbers weren't quite strong enough, but he and the Blue Jays will always have this.

Roger Clemens as a Blue Jay: Two seasons, 20.3 WAR and two Cy Young awards. Absurd.

Poor Fred McGriff. DH for my last-ranked Rays lineup, where he played his twilight years; wallowing in the Blue Jays utility spot; and, spoiler alert, the Braves roster was too strong to include him. A true victim of circumstance. *Pours one out*

They may be in the bottom five overall, but they can hang their hat on having a superbly deep outfield, anchored by someone who may very well become the single greatest baseball player who ever lived. Not bad.

Nolan Ryan was a machine, spending at least five seasons on four different teams, comprising the longest career in MLB history — 27 seasons (tied with Cap Anson). He also had the most no-hitters (7), strikeouts (5,714) and walks (2,795), while allowing the fewest hits per nine innings (6.6).

Fun closer facts: Francisco Rodriguez, or K-Rod, holds the MLB single-season saves record (62 in 2008), while Bryan Harvey earned the first save in Marlins history.

For a team with the worst winning percentage of all 30 franchises and no World Series titles to its name, the Padres made out alright, beating five other teams' lineups. No team is more well equipped to hit it past the opposing shortstop while preventing balls from making it past their own, and that's to say nothing of their bright future, anchored by Manny Machado and Dominican wunderkind Fernando Tatís Jr.

Tony Gwynn is on the short list of greatest hitters of all time. His eight batting titles are tied with Rogers Hornsby for most in the NL, while his .338 lifetime average ranks 18th (but is by far the best for any player in the last 70 years). In 541 PA (nearly a full season's worth) against Hall of Famers in his career, he batted .331 with just 26 strikeouts.

Trevor Hoffman held the saves record (601) before Mariano Rivera passed him (652). The next closest total? 478, by Lee Smith.

Honestly, you look at the names in this lineup and wonder why it's not at least five or six spots higher, but then you remember the Coors Effect and say, "Ah. Right." I hate being that guy, and perhaps I'm docking them for their advantageous environment more than I should — but life goes on.

Larry Walker is one of the inductees in the most recent Hall of Fame class, making him the first member of the Rockies in the Hall.

Nolan Arenado's offensive numbers may benefit from Coors, but that glove is all him. His seven straight Gold Gloves to begin his career are the most ever for an infielder, and second only to Ichiro's 10. Will he get No. 8 this season?

What is it about stars from the 1980s that just hits different? I can't explain it except to say that Paul Molitor and Robin Yount both occupy a spot in my brain for players that I know were incredible, but can recall very few highlights or tangible reasons as to why I know that. Does that make sense? No? Cool.

Yelich's first two seasons in Milwaukee were so outrageous that he's already made their all-time roster. Two years, 14.3 WAR, two batting titles and one MVP (which probably should have been two). We'll cut him some slack for a poor 2020.

I miss Prince Fielder. He averaged 33 HR, 94 RBI and 81 walks in his seven seasons with Milwaukee, but five years later injuries forced him to retire at 32. Boo.

Just wanted to take this space to quickly mention Jayson Werth, who didn't quite make the cut with a two-year peak (8.8 WAR) that comprised nearly his entire statistical contribution to the team (seven years, 9 WAR total). But a star deciding to sign with a club mired in mediocrity and then taking the mantle of emotional leader through a decade that saw them win the fourth most games in the sport is much more impactful than his on-field production. Plus: this home run.

Year established: 1969 (as Montreal Expos)

Stephen Strasburg became just the third pitcher (Randy Johnson, Francisco Rodríguez) to earn five wins in a single postseason last October, but he's the first to go a perfect 5-0.

Anthony Rendon's success en route to the 2019 World Series, particularly in clutch situations, was staggering. The Nats played in five elimination games, and in the seventh inning or later of those games, Rendon went 5-for-7 with 3 HR, 2 doubles, and 6 RBI.

Ranking MLB's all-time rosters

We took into account players, franchise success and a little bit of gut feeling.

We compiled and ranked the all-time rosters for all 30 NBA franchises, based on a combination of championship pedigree, roster construction and a dash of gut feeling. Reminder: The ABA is part of the NBA's official record book, so it's part of our rankings, too. 

30-21: No. 30 Memphis Grizzlies, No. 29 Minnesota Timberwolves, No. 28 Charlotte Hornets, No. 27 Toronto Raptors, No. 26 New Orleans Pelicans, No. 25 Indiana Pacers, No. 24 Los Angeles Clippers, No. 23 Dallas Mavericks, No. 22 Brooklyn Nets, No. 21 Cleveland Cavaliers.

20-11: No. 20 Atlanta Hawks, No. 19 Washington Wizards, No. 18 Phoenix Suns, No. 17 Sacramento Kings, No. 16 Orlando Magic, No. 15 Milwaukee Bucks, No. 14 Denver Nuggets, No. 13 Portland Trail Blazers, No. 12 Houston Rockets, No. 11 New York Knicks.

10-1: No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder, No. 9 Utah Jazz, No. 8 Miami Heat, No. 7 Detroit Pistons, No. 6 Chicago Bulls, No. 5 Philadelphia 76ers, No. 4 Golden State Warriors, No. 3 San Antonio Spurs, No. 2 Boston Celtics, No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers.

Player data: Basketball Reference; Graphic: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

The "Grit and Grind" Grizzlies have a lot of heart, with guys like Tony Allen and Zach Randolph embodying that ethos. But heart only gets you so far, and despite a recent streak of seven straight playoff appearances (2011-17), the NBA's second-youngest franchise sits at the bottom of our rankings.

Ranking the NBA's all-time rosters

We compiled and ranked the all-time rosters for all 30 NBA franchises

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