It’s one of the best times of the year to be a sports fan!  

The end of April brings tons of action. The Major League Baseball season is well underway, the Stanley Cup playoffs are starting for the NHL, the beginning of the NBA playoffs, and the infamous Masters Tournament.  

As a New York Mets fan, I have been pretty happy with the start of the MLB season. At the time of writing this, the Mets sit alone in first place in the National League East, a division they haven’t won since 2015.  

Of course, it is a 162-game season, and there is still a long way to go, but overall, Mets fans should be happy.  

Also worth noting in the N.L. East is the Atlanta Braves, who I would say have been the biggest surprise in the East as they currently sit in last, having started the season with just a 5-13 record through their first 18 games.  

The National League West has been arguably the most interesting race to begin the season. Many thought the reigning World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, would be the clear-cut favorites for the division. But, it seems as though they might have their work cut out for them this year, with the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants, who both started the season incredibly hot.  

In the American League, the East is looking to be a good race as the season progresses. The New York Yankees currently sit at the top of the division, but both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox aren’t far behind. I think this will shape up to be a close division by the time playoffs roll around in October.  

The AL Central and West have also been pretty close, with no real clear-cut front-runner established yet.  

Switching gears, the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup playoffs are finally here!  

As a New Jersey Devils fan, I will say I have mixed emotions heading into round one.  

I am very excited that they made the playoffs, and I am anxious to see what they can accomplish.  

However, I do think it will be a tall task taking on the Carolina Hurricanes, especially without arguably their best player on the ice.   

The Devils have been without their star player, Jack Hughes, since the beginning of March, when he suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery and ended his season early.  

The team put up enough of a fight to get into the playoffs, but how they fare against the Hurricanes will be interesting to watch.  

I think there are lots of good matchups in the first round that hockey fans should be excited for. I would say, besides the Devils, I am most excited for the Ottawa Senators-Toronto Maple Leafs series and the Dallas Stars-Colorado Avalanche series. I think those should be fun watches.  

Another thing to keep an eye on is the NBA playoffs, which are also upon us. I don’t watch a ton of basketball, but I do think there will be some fun matchups in the first round.  

I will particularly be keeping an eye on the Knicks-Pistons series and the Celtics-Magic series.  

I also have to mention Rory McIlroy’s Masters win that sealed his first career Grand Slam, making him the first European to accomplish the feat.  

These next few weeks should provide lots of fun and entertainment for sports fans of all backgrounds!