Over the past three days, we have revealed our MLB Rank list of the top 100 players in baseball for the 2021 season.

Now that the full ranking has been unveiled, it's time for the real fun to begin -- debating who is too high, too low and who should have the biggest gripes about not making the top 100 at all. Starting with Mike Trout and Mookie Betts at the top and continuing right through current stars who just missed the cut, there is plenty to discuss this year, so we asked ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Buster Olney and David Schoenfield to weigh in on what caught their attention.

Who will be the best player of the 2021 MLB season?

With Opening Day nearly upon us, it's time to break down how baseball's elite stack up.

To create our annual MLB Rank list of the top 100 players in the sport, we presented our panel of ESPN baseball experts with multiple pairings of the biggest names in the game and asked simply, "Which player will be better in 2021?"

This final portion of our list -- the top 25 -- features Cy Young Award winners, MVPs, veterans already building Hall of Fame résumés and breakout megastars primed to dominate the sport for years to come. But which one is No. 1?

Alongside each player below, you'll find a relevant stat or storyline to put his position on the list in context.

On Monday, we revealed Nos. 100-51, featuring rising stars like the reigning National League Rookie of the Year and a trio of young hitters in Chicago who help make the White Sox one of the American League's most exciting teams. On Tuesday, it was Nos. 50-26, featuring seven shortstops in what is truly a golden age for the position.

Today, we determine the No. 1 player overall in the game, pitting names like Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr. against each other and helping to settle -- or add more fuel to -- positional debates like who is MLB's best starting pitcher.

More: 100-51 | 50-26 | Who's next? | Snubs, debates | 2020 list

25. Bryce Harper, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

2020 rank: 25

Why he's here: Harper enters his third season with the Phillies after a strong 2020 campaign in which he hit .268/.420/.542 with 13 homers. The right fielder is still just 28 years old, which seems nearly impossible given how long he's been on the minds of baseball fans, but he has yet to win his first playoff series as a major leaguer, something Philadelphia undoubtedly envisioned when it signed him to a 13-year, $330 million deal. -- Joon Lee

24. Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees

2020 rank: 15

Why he's here: This will be a critical season for Judge, who turns 29 in April. Fans have been waiting three years for a glimpse of a season like Judge's monumental 52-homer Rookie of the Year campaign in 2017. But since the start of the 2018 season, Judge has played in just 242 games out of the scheduled 384. -- Marly Rivera

23. Trevor Story, SS, Colorado Rockies

2020 rank: 30

Why he's here: With the offseason trade of Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals, Story has become a one-man act for the Rockies. And with the two-way standout shortstop heading into a walk year, Story's act might be a limited-run performance. If Colorado falters as the projections suggest, Story will be a hot commodity on the in-season trade market. Only Francisco Lindor and Xander Bogaerts have compiled more fWAR among shortstops over the past three years, and Story may be a better all-around performer than them both. -- Bradford Doolittle

22. Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: 78

Why he's here: Given a full season to recover from hip surgery -- and build a strong enough base so that his mechanics didn't waver through the rigors of a season -- Seager returned to the superstar form he displayed in his early years, batting .307/.358/.585 with 28 extra-base hits in 52 games during the regular season. He then won NLCS MVP and World Series MVP. Now he'll head into his free-agent year looking to cement his place among the game's most valuable players. -- Alden Gonzalez

21. Max Scherzer, SP, Washington Nationals

2020 rank: 7

Why he's here: Seven years have gone fast as Scherzer is entering the final season of his contract in Washington in 2021. After years of ERAs in the 2.00s, his ballooned to 3.74 in 2020, hardly a huge cause for concern but a drop-off nonetheless. Is Scherzer entering the "just good" stage of his career, or is he still elite? -- Jesse Rogers

20. Manny Machado, 3B, San Diego Padres

2020 rank: 50

Why he's here: After an uneven first season in San Diego, Machado was terrific in 2020. He hit .304/.370/.580 with 16 home runs, provided his usual good defense (although it's impossible to win a Gold Glove in a league with Nolan Arenado) and finished third in the NL MVP voting. His value has fluctuated with his batting averages, which have gone .294, .259, .297, .256 and .304 since 2016. If he hits around .300, he's clearly a top-20 player. If he hits around .250, he slides into the back half of the top 100. -- David Schoenfield

19. DJ LeMahieu, 2B, New York Yankees

2020 rank: 57

Why he's here: Re-signing LeMahieu was arguably the best move made in the AL this offseason. In two years with the Yankees, LeMahieu has twice finished in the top five in MVP voting and led the majors in batting average in 2020. While other players might see a decline at 32, LeMahieu's versatility in the field and discipline at the plate continue to set a gold standard. -- Rivera

18. Walker Buehler, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: 19

Why he's here: Buehler took some time off when the 2020 season initially shut down and was thus slow to build up when MLB restarted midsummer. But Buehler was at his best when it mattered most, allowing just five runs and striking out 39 batters in 25 innings during the postseason. He's only 26 and has already established himself as one of the game's best big-game pitchers -- and it seems as if the best is yet to come. -- Gonzalez

17. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland

2020 rank: 47

Why he's here: He's a little undersized, but all this guy does is hit, hit for power and steal some bases. In the past four years, he has finished third, third and second in the MVP voting, sandwiched around a subpar (for him) 2019 season. He was a 7 WAR player in 2017 and 2018 and was on pace for 6.4 WAR in 2020. -- Schoenfield

16. Trevor Bauer, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: 88

Why he's here: Bauer, the NL's reigning Cy Young winner, parlayed a sterling truncated season with the Reds into what is essentially a three-year, $102 million contract with baseball's reigning champions. While eyes will be fixed on how well he meshes with a club packed with established stars, of more tangible interest will be Bauer's quest to repeat his award-winning showing for Cincinnati. Coming off a season in which he posted a 1.73 ERA, there would seem to be nowhere to go but down. Then again, few players in MLB today have a greater penchant for self-improvement than Bauer. -- Doolittle

15. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Los Angeles Angels

2020 rank: 13

Why he's here: Making contact has never been more difficult than it is now for hitters, and over the past four years, Rendon has struck out only 24 more times than he has walked. In that stretch, he batted .307/.399/.550 while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense and accumulating 22.6 FanGraphs WAR, trailing only Trout and Betts. -- Gonzalez

14. Shane Bieber, SP, Cleveland

2020 rank: 40

Why he's here: Bieber emerged as one of the game's best pitchers over the past two seasons and put together a remarkable 2020 campaign. He posted a 1.63 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 12 starts and was in the hunt for the American League MVP award for much of the year in addition to the Cy Young he eventually won. -- Lee

13. Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros

2020 rank: 12

Why he's here: Bregman is coming off a forgettable 2020 season in which, perhaps more than any other fallen Astro, his on-field swagger appeared to wane amid the avalanche of derision that fell on Houston. The telltale metric was that Statcast credited Bregman with just five barrels on 128 batted balls a season ago. As Bregman eases into his prime seasons, he'll look to return to hitting rockets, and if he does, he'll remind everyone why he was second in AL MVP voting during our last full season. -- Doolittle

12. Cody Bellinger, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: 6

Why he's here: Bellinger is a naturally gifted fielder with a plus arm, elite speed and majestic power. When he gets the timing of his intricate load and swing right, he's one of the game's greatest players, as he showed through most of his MVP season in 2019. But sometimes, as was evident throughout the shortened 2020 season, his mechanics go awry, necessitating frequent maintenance. Bellinger was never quite in sync last year, batting .233/.329/.455 if you include the postseason. -- Gonzalez

11. Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals

2020 rank: 9

Why he's here: Arenado played through shoulder pain (AC joint) for most of 2020, which led to a career-worst .253/.303/.434 over 48 games. Many question whether his numbers will transfer outside of mile-high Denver, but the 29-year-old claims he is "ripping" the ball with no issues this spring, and that's good news for the Cardinals. In Colorado, Arenado twice led the league in both homers and RBIs, and he was a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Arenado's eight Gold Gloves will also bring an upgrade at the hot corner to an already talented defensive infield. -- Rivera

10. Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets

2020 rank: 10

Why he's here: This will be a crucial year for the two-time Gold Glove shortstop and four-time All-Star. "Mr. Smile" is coming off a down final season in Cleveland in which he hit a career-low .258 with eight home runs. Now he will need to keep his contract negotiations from being a distraction as he dons a Mets uniform and takes center stage in New York. -- Rivera

9. Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

2020 rank: 4

Why he's here: Of all the players who struggled in 2020, Yelich might have made the fewest excuses. He's now playing with a chip on his shoulder, and Brewers manager Craig Counsell is positive he'll return to form. Before posting a .786 mark last season, he led the National League in OPS his first two seasons in Milwaukee. -- Rogers

8. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, San Diego Padres

2020 rank: 41

Why he's here: He has played only a full season's worth of major league games and has already secured a 14-year, $340 million contract while being considered the new face of baseball. Why? Well, that one-season sample (143 games, 629 plate appearances) included a .301/.374/.582 slash line, 39 homers, 27 stolen bases, 8 triples and a 7.0 Baseball-Reference WAR -- all before turning 22. No player has ever accumulated more Baseball-Reference WAR within his first 150 games. -- Gonzalez

7. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves

2020 rank: 17

Why he's here: It's going to be almost impossible for Freeman to match the .341/.462/.640 line that won him MVP honors in 2020, but maybe he can do it again. He had more walks than strikeouts in 2020, with career-best rates in both categories. Having fewer strikeouts leads to a higher average and OBP, and he didn't sacrifice any power in cutting down the K's. -- Schoenfield

6. Jacob deGrom, SP, New York Mets

2020 rank: 3

Why he's here: He wasn't far from a third consecutive Cy Young Award in 2020, finishing third behind Trevor Bauer and Yu Darvish. With deGrom's velocity up this spring and an improved lineup around him, Mets fans can expect more deGrom dominance -- and more than likely some better run support -- in 2021. -- Rogers

5. Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees

2020 rank: 2

Why he's here: Baseball's best pitcher admitted to being affected by the stop-and-start nature of last year's pandemic-shortened season. Cole still lived up to his ace billing, going 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 regular-season starts in 2020, with 94 strikeouts over 73 innings. But the Yankees' $324 million right-hander does have to clean up his propensity to serve up home runs, as his 14 homers allowed was the second most in the majors. -- Rivera

4. Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves

2020 rank: 8

Why he's here: It's so easy to forget that Acuña is still just 23 years old, given how quickly he has established himself as one of the sport's most feared hitters, belting 14 homers and posting a .250/.406/.581 line in 46 games last year. Given the astronomical 14-year, $340 million contract given to Fernando Tatis Jr., Braves fans should feel lucky that the team has locked up the superstar outfielder to an eight-year, $100 million deal. -- Lee

3. Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals

2020 rank: 11

Why he's here: No, it's not foolish to compare Soto to Ted Williams. Williams hit .344/.442/.594 as a 21-year-old. Soto hit .351/.490/.695. Granted, Soto did it in just 47 games and Williams then hit .406 as a 22-year-old, but the point is Soto has the same superstar ability and plate discipline as Williams. If you're picking the player most likely to be the best hitter in the game in 2021, it's Soto. --Schoenfield

2. Mookie Betts, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: 5

Why he's here: Dodgers players and coaches knew Betts was good before he joined them last year. They just didn't realize how good. After sharing the same uniform for one season, they came away amazed by how sharp he was defensively, how well he worked counts, how forcefully the ball jumped off his bat and how perfectly he ran the bases. Betts is a five-tool player in every sense of the word. His 38.4 FanGraphs WAR from 2015 to 2020, topped by only Mike Trout, backs that up. -- Gonzalez

1. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

2020 rank: 1

Why he's here: Last season was Trout's worst since his cup-of-coffee debut a decade ago. His batting percentages were down across the board. He stole just one base and posted poor defensive metrics. He also deservedly finished in the top five of AL MVP voting for the ninth season in a row. If you can judge a player's greatness by his worst seasons, with Trout, you can see at a glance why he's as much in a race with the likes of Babe Ruth and Willie Mays for historical supremacy as he is with Mookie Betts, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. for the best-right-now throne that remains his, and his alone. -- Doolittle

Endurance legend says British Olympic trials features a super-quick route which could potentially stage world record attempts let alone Tokyo qualifying performances

Dave Bedford, the former world 10,000m record-holder and ex-race director of the London Marathon, believes the course at Kew Gardens for the British Olympic Marathon and 20km Walks Trials is every bit as fast as the one used in Vienna when Eliud Kipchoge broke two hours for the marathon.

Doubts have been raised over whether athletes will be able to hit the Tokyo qualifying standards of 2:11:30 (men) and 2:29:30 (women) but Bedford insists the loop around the south-west London course is as quick as anything he has ever seen, including the loop in Vienna’s Hauptallee in 2019 when Kipchoge ran 1:59:41.

Bedford has been working on the Olympic trials event on Friday (March 26) in a technical capacity alongside his son and race director of the event, Tom. But he says he has not allowed this to cloud his judgement.

“I am biased, right. However, if I was a runner and I wanted to break a world record on the roads, I would see that course as absolutely perfect for it,” he told AW.

“In my mind, taking things out such as the weather, the course is as fast as any course I have ever seen. In my mind it’s equally as fast as the course that Eliud did his sub-two hours on.”

Bedford adds: “Frankly, if I wasn’t involved in the organisation of it and I saw it, I would say exactly the same thing.

“Could I be biased? Yes. Is my judgement on this biased? Absolutely not.”

Bedford says early versions of the course toward the end of 2020 involved slightly more turns. But they have largely been ironed out and the result is a circuit which athletes will do a dozen times and which includes one totally straight stretch that is almost a metric mile in length. In addition, the area is enclosed with trees to shelter runners from the wind.

“There is one short lap of 1600-odd metres and 12 laps of exactly 3333.3 metres,” Bedford explains. “I can’t remember any other race anywhere having that much luck (with the distance of the long lap).

“It was luck and (course measurer) Hugh Jones’ ability to properly understand the benefits of having a lap of 3333.3m which is of course you’ll always have your 5, 15, 25, 35km marks in one place and 10, 20, 30 and 40km marks in another place.

“So you only essentially need two timing mats for the splits rather than eight. And by doing this the course is significantly faster than the original one was. There’s one element which is a virtually 1.4km straight line.”

Join the top British Athletes for a fast lap round the Muller British Athletics Olympic Marathon Course! #video #roadtojapan #britisholympictrials @kewgardens https://t.co/jfjTdykoBN

— Richmond RUNFEST (@RichmondRunFest) March 20, 2021

Bedford says he would have relished running on this course as an athlete and the only downside is that there will be no fans.

“It would be wonderful but even better if you could have spectators in there. You’ve seen the stuff that Ben Pochee has done at Highgate (with the Night of the 10,000m PBs). We might have to watch walking on the daffodils, but in different circumstances the atmosphere around this course could be electric.”

Even with no spectators, Bedford believes that the fast course together with hopefully decent weather, modern shoes and the tantalising prospect of Olympic qualification means that we should see some good times.

On the shoes, he says: “I don’t believe people are cheating but there is some clear benefit of them wearing them.”

READ MORE: Olympic hopes ready to bloom at Kew Gardens

Who is his money on? He reminds me slightly tongue-in-cheek that betting on athletics is banned under World Athletics rules and instead simply says we’re in for some exciting races with visitors to the live stream no doubt including a few nervous viewers.

“It’s an important event for the people doing it. And there will be some people who have qualified who have either decided not to take part and hope they stay lucky or are injured – and who knows how that will turn out – and I imagine they will be watching every second of it as well.”

Joe Cokanasiga has signed a new contract with Premiership club Bath.

"Joe is an exceptional young man, both on and off the field," said Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper.

"He's constantly looking to find ways to improve and is a hugely popular member of our squad. His physicality and ability to offload make him hard to play against and exciting to watch."

Fiji-born Cokanasiga has scored 10 tries in 28 appearances for Bath since moving from London Irish in 2018, as well as seven in his nine games for England.

He was ruled out by a knee injury in November 2019 but returned to action last September.

"I feel like a different player," he said. "I've definitely improved a lot, matured a lot.

"That's credit to the staff and the players that I've been around. We've got a young group coming up, something is building nicely here and I want to be part of it."

Bath, who just missed out on the play-offs last season, are currently seventh in the Premiership, eight points off a top-four place, having won five of their past six matches.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has set out a seven-step return for the sport as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

The process begins on 1 April as tag and touch fixtures return for under-18s and will continue through more phases before the sport reverts to its pre-Covid-19 status in mid-January, 2022.

Youth club rugby training is already in line to return from Saturday, 27 March.

WRU chair Rob Butcher said: "We know there is a strong desire within the community game to get back on the field.

"Rugby clubs are at the heart of our communities and we all miss the social interaction they provide.

"As soon as Welsh Government guidelines allow, we will sanction the gradual and safe return of rugby activities, provided the clubs have all the necessary protocols in place."

In the WRU's statement Butcher added: "We had around 300 WRU clubs when the pandemic hit us a year ago and our priority is to come out of this with all those clubs and other community teams in a position to welcome back their players, coaches, volunteers and members to their facilities."

WRU return-to-play time frame

The WRU says the return-to-play plan will initially "focus on a summer of fun formats of the game" to ease players back into the game after more than a year of inactivity below elite level.

The governing body says it will also issue guidance to clubs on how to manage training regimes safely as the sport resumes.

The Pandya brothers Krunal and Hardik lost their father Himanshu on January 16. On Tuesday, when Krunal made his ODI debut in Pune against England, and marked the occasion with a match-winning half-century, it was an emotional moment for the brothers, especially the older Pandya, who broke down during an interaction with the broadcasters during the break between innings.

Speaking to Hardik - who presented his brother with his India ODI cap - afterwards on bcci.tv, Krunal said, "This is all dedicated to the old man, his blessings are there with us, and obviously it was very emotional - for you and me, both of us - and again, getting the cap from you, and I guess somewhere down the line, up there, he must be having a good night today, and enjoying the way I batted. So yeah, this is for him."

And, as he revealed, Krunal had brought a bit of his father with him to the Indian dressing room in Pune, in the form of the clothes Pandya Sr had planned to wear that January 16 morning.

"I was playing Syed Mushtaq Ali on that day, 16th morning. He had a habit of keeping his clothes ready and select everything, his shoes, his pant, his shirts, hat as well… So what I did was just before the game, I got his bag from Baroda here…," Krunal said, adding that it was his way to make sure he had his father with him for the big day.

On that January morning, after Himanshu's death at 4am, Krunal left the bio-secure bubble in Vadodara that the Baroda team was in for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, to rush back home, and Hardik joined him after leaving the India camp in Mumbai.

Krunal managed to play just three games in the tournament as a result of the personal tragedy, even as Kedar Devdhar took charge of the team and took Baroda all the way to the final where they lost to Tamil Nadu. But Krunal had a remarkable run in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy after that, finishing with 388 runs - two half-centuries and two centuries - from five innings at an average of 129.33 and strike rate of 117.93.

That led to selection for the England ODIs for the Mumbai Indians man, and a debut straightaway after he had played 18 T20Is between 2018 and 2019.

"Dream come true, obviously. I have worked so hard to be here. Especially the last one-and-a-half months I have been putting in those hard yards not just in terms of cricket but in terms of everything: from taking care of my diet to fitness to everything," Krunal told Hardik. "I have not been working now (with a) result-oriented mind, my focus has always been lately about how I can be the best version of myself, how I can improve not just as a cricketer but how I can improve as a human being as well.

"So that focus has always been on the process rather than the result, whether that's good or bad is secondary for me, neither am I thinking about it. The only constant focus is how I can give the best opportunity to myself before every game."

On the field, it was a very impressive version of Krunal that showed up. When he walked in to bat after India had lost the toss, the scoreboard read 205 for 5 after 40.3 overs, Hardik having just been dismissed. Krunal, in collaboration with KL Rahul, lifted India to 317 from there, scoring 58* in 31 balls with seven fours and two sixes. That was enough to give India a 66-run win, with Krunal chipping in later with 1 for 59 from his ten overs, dismissing Sam Curran.

New Zealand's cricketers could be eligible for early Covid-19 vaccines after the government laid out its priority list with competing in events of "national significance" among the criteria.

The process will begin on March 31, so it will come too late for the players heading to the IPL but is likely to include those in the squad to tour England from late May.

Chris Hipkins, the minister responsible for New Zealand's response to the global health crisis, said people would be eligible to jump the queue for the vaccine on compassionate grounds or to compete in major global events.

The latter category would include Olympians, Paralympians and the cricketers, who will be travelling to the UK to play India in the final of the World Test Championship in June along with two other Tests against England.

"The key yardstick here is people travelling in an official capacity and ensuring their participation is in our national interest," Hipkins told reporters in Wellington. "They will have to make an application and it will depend on what sort of events they are participating in, to whether they fit the national interest criteria.

"But certainly, your expectation is that the Olympians would be eligible under the national interest criteria and a national sports team participating in a significant event would also meet those criteria."

There was some controversy earlier this month when Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the Director-General of Health attended the final T20I between New Zealand and Australia in Wellington, where he spoke with NZC officials and spent time in the dressing room after the match.

David White, the NZC chief executive, raised the issue of vaccines for players before upcoming travel and Bloomfield said he would take the conversation back to the government for consideration but both parties insisted there was no direct lobbying.

However, Bloomfield later donated the value of the tickets to a Wellington charity. "It is important that I avoid any potential for perception of a conflict of interest or personal benefit," he said.

New Zealand has been one of the most successful countries at containing the virus and started the second round of its vaccine rollout for border and quarantine workers last week.

International matches throughout the season have mostly been played in front of crowds except for a set of games in Wellington earlier this month involving Australia and the England women's team when the alert level around the country was raised.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As the clock ticked into the late hours of March 16, offensive tackle Trent Williams was growing more and more convinced that his first foray into free agency was going to lead him away from the San Francisco 49ers and to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Williams had long maintained that he wanted to stay in San Francisco with coach Kyle Shanahan, but momentum toward a new deal had stalled and the Chiefs were making what he called Tuesday a "good push."

But Williams, who has known Shanahan since their time together in Washington in 2010, had told Shanahan before free agency started that he wouldn't leave without giving Shanahan a final chance.

"Once I got the hunch that K.C. seemed like they were ready to make it official, I called Kyle," Williams said Tuesday. "I couldn't even get it out and just tell him, but I was just like, 'Hey man, we need to hurry this up, if you get my drift.'"

Williams' message to Shanahan was actually sent by text, and the drift was simple: If something didn't happen soon, he was on his way to Kansas City.

Shanahan immediately called Williams, who was walking into James Harden's new restaurant, Thirteen, in Houston when Shanahan reached out. Williams stepped outside to speak to Shanahan and let him know that he was planning to make his decision by the time his dinner was over.

Before Williams got his keys from the valet little more than an hour later, Vincent Taylor, Williams' agent, called with the news that Williams was staying in San Francisco on a record-setting six-year, $138 million deal with $55.1 million in guarantees.

It was the culmination of a two-year journey in which Williams sat out the 2019 season because of a rare form of cancer and a dispute with Washington over the handling of his injuries and his contract.

In the months leading up to free agency, Williams had maintained that he wanted to test his value -- something made possible by a contract stipulation that he couldn't be franchise tagged -- and wanted to remain in San Francisco.

Despite all of that, Williams wasn't sure he'd be able to make both things happen as he received recruiting messages from the likes of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson.

"I thought I would either get a lot of money and be somewhere I hated to be or I would be somewhere I love to be playing for a discount," Williams said. "I definitely didn't think it would be both."

Williams' comfort level with the 49ers, and especially Shanahan, was evident from the time the team traded for him on the third day of last year's NFL draft. The 49ers felt the same way about him.

"After a year away from the football field, Trent came in and performed at an incredibly high level for us, demonstrating that he remains an elite tackle in this league," general manager John Lynch said in a statement announcing the signing. "His familiarity with our coaching staff allowed for a seamless transition into our organization and culture, where he quickly earned the trust of his teammates and established himself as an important leader in our locker room. Trent's passion for the game could be felt from Day 1 and this fits exactly with our vision of the 49er way and a championship culture. His contributions to our team extend well beyond the field and we're thrilled to keep Trent in the Bay Area for a long time."

Williams has said Shanahan's offense has a way of showcasing his unique combination of size, strength and athleticism and that there's an inherent trust that goes with knowing the Shanahan family for so long.

In fact, Williams said he was in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with Shanahan's father, Mike, just before free agency began and the subject of free agency never even came up. No sales pitch from any member of the Shanahan family was necessary.

"Kyle is like family to me," Williams said. "His family is like family to me. ... That's just how close I am with that family. Kyle didn't have to sell anything to me. I already knew what this place has to offer. I knew what he has to offer, and I knew what the front office would have to offer."

As it turned out, once the front office offered the largest contract for an offensive lineman in NFL history, the deal was done. Soon after it was, Shanahan messaged Williams and told him to "go get" the sixth year of his deal, the implication being that the 32-year old Williams has a chance to show he can stay an elite tackle deep into his contract and his 30s. Possibly even his 40s.

"I think playing until 40 is well within reach," Williams said. "The way I feel right now, I do think I have six years in my body. But I'm not going to be unrealistic. I'll take it one day at a time and continue to plug away at it, but that is the goal. I have something to prove. Can I play at a high level until I'm 40? We'll see."

Australian legspinner Adam Zampa will not be available for the Royal Challengers Bangalore's first game of IPL 2021 because of his marriage, the team's director of cricket Mike Hesson said in a video posted on Twitter. The Royal Challengers will play the Mumbai Indians on April 9 in the tournament opener, to be held in Chennai.

Zampa, who has 200 wickets in 173 T20s, played only three games for the Royal Challengers in IPL 2020, picking up two wickets.

"We won't have our full contingent of overseas players available for the first game," Hesson said. "Adam Zampa is getting married. It's an important time for him and it's something that as a franchise we are aware of and we respect and we hope he has a great time. So when he joins us, once again he is going to be fresh and make a massive contribution to the rest of the tournament."

More to follow…

The NHL is investigating an incident in which one of its referees was caught saying he "wanted to give" the Predators a penalty in their win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night in Nashville, Tennessee.

With 15:04 left in the second period, Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson was called for tripping Red Wings defenseman Jon Merrill in the offensive zone, even though replays showed that Merrill embellished the fall to draw the call.

The referees officiating the game were veterans Tim Peel and Kelly Sutherland. Peel appeared to call the penalty on Arvidsson from center ice.

With 12:42 remaining in the second period, the Nashville broadcast captured audio from an on-ice official saying, "It wasn't much, but I wanted to get a f------ penalty against Nashville early."

The NHL told ESPN that it is "taking a look at" the incident.

Nashville won the game 2-0.

Both teams were whistled for three penalties, while the Predators took a fourth for putting the puck over the glass in the third period.

Asked after the contest about what the official was heard saying, Nashville coach John Hynes said, "I think the situation is what it is. I think from our perspective, it probably doesn't matter how I feel about it, in general; but the referees are employees of the league and rather than me comment, I think it's an issue that the league will have to take care of."

Hynes said "you always want to have things that are fair for your players and for your team" but that there are no excuses.

"We have to find a way to kill the penalty and control what we can control," he said.