The Key for the week of April 13, 2026
April Fools!
Just when the Reds fan base was feeling pretty good about this team with a five-game win streak, here came reality—in the form of four losses in five games to the Marlins and then, at home, to the Angels. To shake up the slumping offense, the Reds sent Noelvi Marte to Louisville in hopes he gets his hitting eye back, and brought up Rece Hinds who, admittedly has been hitting the cover off the ball in AAA to the tune of a .354 batting average and a league-leading five home runs. It’s important for the Reds to get their bats going while their two top pitchers, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, remain on the shelf. The Reds will need to improve on their National League dead-last .205 batting average to make headway in the Central.
Setting Records
Not only did UCLA win the women’s basketball national championship, the Bruins made history in Monday’s WNBA draft with five first-round picks and six players overall drafted. Leading the way was Final Four MVP Lauren Betts, going with the fourth pick to the Washington Mystics. No surprise, UConn star Azzi Fudd, was picked first by Dallas, giving the Wings two straight top picks (Paige Bueckers was last year’s #1). Not much time for the new team members to get acclimated to their new teams—the WNBA season starts May 8.
Back Home
FC Cincinnati returns to TQL Stadium this weekend, and just in time. After a draw on the road last weekend in Toronto, the Orange and Blue faces Chicago Saturday. FC Cincinnati remains in 10th place after seven games in the Eastern Conference with just two wins on the season. Meantime, Chicago is in second place in the conference just behind Nashville. FC is said to be looking at roster moves to get the offense going, most notably Brazilian superstar Neymar (if a player goes by just one name, you know they’re good). Anything to jumpstart the offense will be welcome, even this early in the season.
Ben’s best bet
With the WNBA draft concluding and the season starting in less than a month, it’s a good time to look at what team might be favored in this year’s WNBA title race. Right now the New York Liberty with new head coach Chris DeMarco are the favorites, with defending champion Las Vegas right behind. But don’t look now, the Indiana Fever are neck and neck with the Aces in the futures odds. Ben says with a healthy Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull waiting in the wings, along with the return of Kelsie Mitchell, it would be worth putting a quid or two down on the Fever to claim the title they came close to winning (even with all those injuries) last season.