Four members of the Winnipeg Jets organization were among the young players taking part in the NHL/NHLPA Player Orientation Program in Virginia last week.
Viggo Björck, Danny Zhilkin, Tyrel Bauer and Isaak Phillips represented the Jets at the annual three-day event, which is jointly administered by the NHL and NHL Players' Association.
Photo courtesy of the NHLPA
The program was established following collective bargaining in 2013 and is designed to prepare young players for life in professional hockey, with approximately 90 players selected by their respective clubs to participate each summer.
The orientation extends well beyond what happens on the ice.
Players take part in sessions covering financial literacy, personal branding, media and social media, mental health, medical rights, gambling, personal safety and sensitivity training. The program also introduces players to resources available through the NHL and NHLPA as they begin their professional careers.
For Winnipeg, the four attendees represent varying stages within the organization.
Björck, selected eighth overall by the Jets at the 2026 NHL Draft, is Winnipeg's highest draft pick since Patrik Laine went second overall in 2016. The 18-year-old is considered the organization's top prospect and could make his NHL debut as early as this season.
Zhilkin, meanwhile, continues his development within the Jets organization, while Bauer has already spent four seasons with the Manitoba Moose. The 24-year-old defenceman recently signed a two-year extension with Winnipeg after recording five points and 110 penalty minutes in 52 AHL games last season.
Phillips rounds out Winnipeg's four representatives at the event.
With rookie and prospect camps approaching and NHL training camps set to open later this month, the orientation serves as one of the final off-ice stops before players turn their attention toward the 2026-27 season.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 31: A general view of the AL East standings before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park on August 31, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello and happy Tuesday, folks. Hope you enjoyed your holiday.
Today’s a regular day, and it’s one where our beloved Red Sox take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of the United States of North America of Planet Earth. First pitch at Fenway is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Here’s a question for ya, as we now sit on the brink of officially avoiding a losing season while maintaining a strong hold on a wild card spot: Where is the line between resting players ahead of postseason play and pushing for better playoff positioning?
We’re technically two games behind the Yankees as things currently stand, but that’s effectively a three-game deficit since New York holds the tiebreaker over us. Still, that’s not an insurmountable lead with just over two weeks to go in the regular season. Should the Sox put more chips on the table to contest for the top wild card seed, thus the right to host a three-game series?
As tempting as that is, the guys are probably gassed. Sure, everyone in baseball is tired after nearly 150 games, but there’s something to be said for getting fully revved up for do-or-die time, even if it means that you have to go on the road for the wild card series. Guys like Ceddy and Contreras are already on the IL, while someone such as Caleb Durbin could maybe benefit from a few extra off days.
Maybe some more consistent time off will do the clubhouse some good. On the other hand, you don’t want the guys to get rusty. On the other other hand, the schedule in front of the Sox in the coming days—paging the Angels and Royals—does not exactly feature the greatest teams the sport has ever seen. Perhaps that gives Chad Tracy a chance to get guys off of their feet. On the other other other hand, you have to respect every opponent in front of you. On the other other other other hand, Baseball Reference has us at a damn near lock to qualify for the playoffs with 17 games to go, competition be damned. On the other other other other OTHER hand, do you really want to mock the almighty Baseball Gods by tempting fate?
Well……..that’s all for me to ask and for you to answer in the comments below.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 01: Texas Rangers right-fielder Ezequiel Duran (20) makes a diving catch during the game between Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers on May 1, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Kennedi Landry writes that Jack Leiter and Nathan Eovaldi are hoping to pitch again this month, but there probably isn’t time to ramp them back into the rotation.
McFarland notes that Robert Garcia is back as reinforcement for a bullpen that has been shaky in the middle innings over the last few weeks.
The MLB dot com folks predict the eventual Gold Glove winners with a month to go and hand Ezequiel Duran some presumptive hardware as the AL’s top utility fielder.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 06: Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) hits a two-run home run during the MLB game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on August 6th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Yeah, I could’ve phrased this as a question and had the same post body anyway, but why bother when I can just make a post? After the Braves split their big series on the road against the Phillies, I have three big picture thoughts, two of which were prompted by their dramatic comeback win in Game Three.
Why is everyone, including Ronald AcuñaJr., obsessed with going the other way?
In this series, the Braves’ most common ball in play was a grounder up the middle, followed by a ball in the air hit the other way. For the Phillies, it was fly balls to center, followed with a tie between pulled and opposite-field fly balls. The Braves managed a .180 wOBA and .167 on their 19 opposite-field fly balls in the series; they managed an .809 wOBA and .665 xwOBA on their 15 pulled fly balls.
This isn’t really surprising because yes, pulling fly balls in the air is great. But, maybe target it a bit better? Here’s the pitch plot of fly balls the other way by lefty batters:
This looks okay-ish at first glance, there’s maybe one pitch that was weirdly inside-outed, and it was Matt Olson against Cristopher Sanchez. There were some elevated balls you’d hope guys would pull, but it is what it is. And then you get the right-handed batter plot:
That’s a fair bit of basically middle-ish pitches hit the other way.
On the season, the Braves are 15th in pulled fly ball rate, but seventh in the rate of hitting fly balls the other way. But this obscures a lot of inconsistency:
Through April: 10th and 14th, respectively
May: 26th and 4th
June: 26th and 15th
July: 4th and 24th
August-onward: 17th and 1st
You get the idea. What’s the obsession with going the other way? By the way, while being first in that last bullet, the Braves have a .302 wOBA and .297 xwOBA on those balls. That’s actually ranked pretty high — their opposite-field fly balls are better than other teams’, but… those are terrible on-contact marks in general.
Acuña is an interesting case here. The first pitch of the series was a sinker a little bit away but squarely in the zone, and he hit a hard double into the right-center gap. Okay, he executed a clear plan there. The next time he got a pitch anywhere on the outer half was two PAs later, and that one turned into a hard groundout to second. He pulled a similar pitch but from a different pitcher (Alex McFarlane, his later victim) and turned it into an infield single.
In Game Two, he started stuff by pulling an outer-edge fastball from Zack Wheeler for a hard single. Then he homered off a Wheeler knee-high splitter also towards the outer half of the plate. The next outer-portion pitch he saw was a non-strike in both dimensions from Aaron Nola, a knuckle curve he dropped into right field for a double. But then, he got a hanging changeup down the middle on 2-2 from Nola and could only hit it weakly to right for a sac fly. Then, it was his homer against McFarlane. In the finale, Jesus Luzardo didn’t really throw him stuff outside he could poke; even his one fly to right came from basically an inside-out effort on a pitch inside. So, Acuña isn’t really the guy to pick on here, he’s at least wrapping his bat around pitches away from him sometimes.
Still, even he has a .320 wOBA / .227 xwOBA on balls in the air the other way since the start of August, compared to an absurd 1.053 wOBA / .877 xwOBA on pulled balls in the air in that span. I’ll keep hoping for some realignment in this regard.
Acuña did something amazing anyway
The pitch Acuña homered on was a four-seamer nearly bisected by the outer edge of the zone at 100.5 mph. Acuña got around it and pulled it into left field for a massive homer, both in terms of distance and effect on the game (and the series). This season, the highest-velocity pitch on an outer edge homered on by a right-handed batter was 98.6 mph (Pete Alonso). Acuña basically skipped two ticks relative to anyone else.
In fact, in the entire Statcast era, only one right-handed batter has homered on a pitch on the outer edge that was harder than what Acuña did on Sunday: Avisail Garcia, who took a 100.7 mph pitch from Ryne Stanek in 2017 and hit it the other way for a longball. So, there you go: Acuña turned around the hardest righty outer-edge pitch to a righty batter for a pulled homer that we know of.
This series had the Braves doing what they do best
The Braves weren’t favored to win any of these games. Two games — and in fact, the two games they lost — had some of the lowest pre-game odds the Braves have faced all season.
The Braves posted a matching .260 wOBA and xwOBA in this series. The Phillies were cut down by some poor fortune and good defense en route to a .284 wOBA and .327 xwOBA. Does that seem like it should be a series split? Okay, fine, that’s a little unfair, because wins aren’t awarded after the entire series finishes.
Game 1 (win): Braves .303 wOBA / .269 xwOBA | Phillies .266 wOBA / .281 xwOBA. Some combination of defense and luck bails out the Braves.
Game 2 (loss): Braves .248 / .266 | Phillies .352 / .355. Yeah, a blatant loss.
Game 3 (win): Braves .350 / .326 | Phillies .278 / .334. A reprise of Game 1, except the Braves actually hit okay.
Game 4 (loss): Braves .107 / .160 | Phillies .224 / .334. It’s miraculous this was a 1-0 game.
It amuses me that the Phillies compiled 0.7 more fWAR than the Braves in these four games, yet both teams won two games. But that’s par for the course. The Braves are now 85-59, and have just 73 WAR-wins based on fWAR. While there is probably some assumption that over time, a team’s record would trend closer to its WAR-wins record just due to adding extra sample that aligns… the Braves are once again defying the odds in this regard, pulling further away. There isn’t really enough time in the season for any of this to be “fixed” unless they hit basically a gigantic September collapse, and I don’t expect it to be “fixed” because the team itself is fine. It’s just… weird. And they used that weirdness to split with the Phillies.
I continue to be amazed that the Braves have avoided the bottom dropping out despite whammying themselves into stupid (stupid-bad, not stupid-good) offense after July, but it is what it is.
If this were a question post, I guess I’d ask what takeaways you had from this series split. Feel free to drop those in the comments, I guess.
Sep 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) and pitcher Jesús Luzardo (44) celebrate win against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The first four games of this pivotal stretch for the Phillies against the Atlanta Braves are over. It didn’t go quite the way Philadelphia could’ve hoped, as they were only able to split the series. They are now still four games behind the Braves with three games in Atlanta coming next weekend and 18 games remaining overall.
As the even result may hint towards, it was a competitive series throughout. The Phillies starting pitching, particularly Aaron Nola and Jesús Luzardo, looked prepared for primetime Their offense cooled off from their previous torrid stretch, but were only outscored 12-11. The biggest problem that revealed itself was the bullpen, as the Phillies blew a three-run eighth inning lead on Sunday and allowed a 3-2 game to turn into a 5-2 deficit on Friday. The rotation has rounded into peak form, but the bullpen, especially the set-up men ahead of Jhoan Duran, still do not inspire much confidence.
The division isn’t necessarily out of reach, but it’s quickly becoming a math equation. The Phillies now have to make up four games with 18 to play, a difficult feat considering their September schedule. Luckily for the Phillies, they at least have a somewhat comfortable cushion for a Wild Card spot, even if that is not guaranteed yet. But still, this series with the Braves offered the chance for the Phillies to measure themselves against the likes of competition they will face in October after having a relatively light schedule in the month of August. Some parts of their play were encouraging while some older, familiar problems still rose their ugly head.
So, what did we learn from this Phillies-Braves series?
ELMONT, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 28: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins arrives to the arena prior to the game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on December 28, 2024 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Timely enough off the heels of the Labor Day holiday yesterday, the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement, the labor rules agreed to by the NHL and the NHLPA, kicks in next week. The new agreement is in place through September 2030, marking the second time in a row the two sides have put a deal in place without missing any time. That’s no small matter, prior to the recent labor peace the NHL owners have locked out the players in 2004 and 2012 for significant periods that cost a total of 116 games.
These days, fortunately for all, there is more cooperation and perhaps about the best working relationship between the owners and players that we have seen in hockey. Those good feelings are no doubt influenced by business as a whole booming – revenue is way up so their is more money to be made by both sides. Further, ownership is absolutely swimming in vastly increased valuation and sale prices lately – look no further than the Penguins selling for $1.75 billion in 2026 after selling for $900 million just five years earlier.
The new CBA had some rules come on board early for last season – like LTIR tweaks and the playoff salary cap. Here are a few more interesting tweaks in place.
Training camps open Sept. 16 to coincide with the start of that new labor deal, and they’ll look much different than they did in the past. Experienced players will be put through only a 13-day camp, down from 20 days, and those with at least 100 NHL games on their resumes are now limited to two exhibition games. Each team will play only four exhibition games.
The preseason shrinks again, at least formally. Most players across the league are already skating informally with their teammates and have been for a week or more by this point. That amount of time in the pre-practice stage will now be longer than the formal, official 13-day training camp. Long gone are the days of multiple on-ice sessions per day. In fact, teams can also no longer implement fitness testing for unpopular tests on the exercise bike or the so-called dreaded bag skate or repetitive timed sprints.
The schedule has also been adjusted to drop two exhibition games and add on two more regular season games, boosting the season to 84-games. What the players earn in less games that don’t count are balanced out by adding more games that are meaningful, surely to the delight of season ticket holders everywhere.
Another new change is each team will employ a full-time emergency backup goalie, no longer being a single goalie per arena that could play for either team that might need it.
the new CBA includes a provision requiring each club to carry an emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) “prepared to enter all of its home and away games.”
The eligible goalies must meet a narrow band of requirements. They can’t have previously played an NHL game on a standard player contract, can’t have more than 80 games of professional experience, can’t have been a professional in the past three seasons, can’t have another contractual obligation that would preclude their ability to be an emergency goalie and can’t be on the reserve list of an NHL club.
The Penguins have designated 40-year old Mike Chiasson as their EBUG. Chiasson is no stranger to the organization, working as a ‘Goaltending Consultant’ and has been involved with the Pittsburgh Penguins elite youth program for the last decade.
We’ve been seeing this more, teams can use this extra goalie to help in practices (also serving to keep their EBUG somewhat sharp) to reduce the workload on their two NHL goalies – particularly if one might have a minor injury or illness. The EBUG will now be a pseudo-member of the team, in the shadows but always hanging around and ready just in case.
There’s a new rule for young players as well.
The new CBA gives teams more flexibility to develop their top prospects because it now allows players drafted in the first round out of the Canadian Hockey League to be assigned to the AHL for their 19-year-old season.
Previously, teenagers had to be sent back to their CHL teams and weren’t eligible for that kind of assignment.
Since the player has to be a first round pick, this wouldn’t have changed Harrison Brunicke’s situation last year. It doesn’t apply for the Penguins this year – Bill Zonnon turns 20 in early October and is eligible for the AHL this season as it is. Technically, it does mean Ben Kindel is now AHL eligible, though his play on ice has shown him to be of NHL quality.
This could be in the cards next year in 2027-28, as Liam Ruck will be eligible to play in the AHL. However, his twin brother Markus will not – since Markus was a second round choice. Marty Walsh, an NHLPA VP, is quoted in the article that the same NHL team can have multiple 19-year olds in the AHL provided they are first round picks (which also might shed some light on why the Pens wanted to trade back into the first round this summer).
The Ruck twins are committed to play at the University of North Dakota for 2027-28, plans are always subject to change so that could be something to monitor in 12 months to see if the team opts to split the paths of the twins or have both stay together at the collegiate level.
Things will be getting a little more informal with the outfits seen on social media for pre-game entrances by players.
The requirement that NHL players wear a suit and tie to games is officially a thing of the past.
In fact, the dress code was actually eliminated during the 2025-26 season as part of early transition dates agreed upon for the new CBA. However, the new standard wasn’t always observed properly last season.
“There was a little hiccup with the dress code,” Walsh said. “Some coaches and GMs and other players wanted players to wear suits and that’s not the rule anymore. Players can wear whatever they want.”
Small change for the outside, but nice for the players. It still seemed like most of the Penguins were dressed up going into the rink last year, that probably won’t change much. Ever the creature of habit, we wouldn’t expect Sidney Crosby to start rolling up in sweats just because he can. But if he wanted to, he could.
That’s about it for the major changes. One other adjustment going into effect is that players can only be signed for a maximum of seven years, starting next week. We already saw the Penguins take (what they hope will be) advantage of the eight year deal by signing Ville Koivunen last month. Unfortunately for them, Pittsburgh can’t extend Kindel until July 1, 2028 – and by that time it will only be for up to seven years if they want to employ the similar strategy to lock up a young player through his prime at what could be a team-friendly figure by the end of the deal.
As mentioned above, the LTIR rules from last year are in place. If an injured player is expected to return during the regular season or playoffs, team cap relief is restricted to the previous season’s league average salary ($3,973,228 for the 2026-27 season). If the player is deemed out for the balance, the team can get the full cap hit on LTIR but that player is ineligible to suit up again.
The Pens won’t have to worry about that any time soon, they have over $10 million in cap space and LTIR is only in place when a team runs out of space. Any injured player for them this season can and will be placed on the regular IR where the team carries their normal cap hit, given that they have plenty of room to call-up a replacement from the AHL that typically comes with a relatively modest cap hit.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 02: Brett Sullivan #26 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates with first base coach Doug Bernier #50 after hitting a walk-off two-run single to win the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Three cheers, Yankees fans: Aaron Judge is at last coming off the injured list! The slugging superstar returns to the fold just in time for the stretch run, and not a moment too soon. The Bombers have been struggling to close the distance on the Rays in the AL East race with time running out, and the Red Sox remain hot on their trail in the Wild Card hunt. Now, which unfortunate team will be pulling into the Bronx just in time for the captain’s return?
Why, the Colorado Rockies — owners of the National League’s worst record at 55-88. Colorado has shown a bit more panache than their utterly moribund incarnation from last year, but they remain a franchise stuck deep in the cellar. They lost seven straight games, rallied to take a pair in Washington, then lost five more games consecutively before surprising the Orioles with a few plucky wins at home. They just came off a series loss in St. Louis which featured one of the more odious ump shows in recent memory.
All three games of this series will be televised on YES.
Tuesday:Cam Schlittler vs. Gabriel Hughes (7:05 p.m. EST)
This is one of the more lopsided cards you’ll see. Cam Schlittler comes into the series opener with a 2.04 ERA across 171.2 innings as he chases a Cy Young award in his first full MLB season. Rookie Gabriel Hughes has pitched to a 6.19 ERA with six losing decisions (and no wins) in his first 11 appearances in the show.
While he has been a noticeably better pitcher away from home this season, Schlittler is probably thrilled to not have to contend with the mile-high air as he tries to keep his numbers as pristine as possible. Colorado does have some dangerous bats: Hunter Goodman has socked 36 home runs this season and former Yankee farmhand TJ Rumfield has been the team’s most valuable offensive contributor.
Hughes’ numbers didn’t get truly gaudy until he gave up seven earned runs in two straight starts last month. His last time out was a marked improvement against Baltimore, as he limited the O’s to just one run on four hits in a shade under five innings.
Wednesday: Will Warren vs. Tomoyuki Sugano(7:05 p.m. EST)
Warren made just his second appearance out of the bullpen this season on Friday against the Padres, as the Yankees get him ready to fill that role in the postseason. He did well, providing 2.1 innings of hitless relief. He’ll return to the rotation against the Rockies and try to build on a solid little run he’s been on; his previous start against Boston was one of his best as a big-leaguer.
Tomoyuki Sugano came to Colorado to eat innings for an undernourished rotation. The 36-year old’s unglamorous, throwback-to-the-aughts style has allowed him to be a perfectly competent starter for the Rockies, pitching to a 5.18 ERA. He strikes out practically nobody, and issues few walks either. The Yankees saw him four times last year when he was an Oriole, to mixed results. His final two starts of that season were short losing efforts; the final score was 6-1 both times.
Thursday: Max Fried vs. Ryan Feltner(7:05 p.m. EST)
Will Warren’s aforementioned relief outing came after a strong start from Max Fried. In his second start off the IL, he held the Padres to one run on four hits, throwing 72 pitches. Aaron Boone will continue to be cautious with the lefty as the playoffs approach — don’t expect to see him push Fried deep into this game either, especially against another NL West team. His results, sparser as they are, have been better than last year — his 2.66 FIP would be a top-10 figure in baseball right next to Cam Schlittler’s 2.62 if he had enough innings to qualify.
Ryan Feltner is a tough cookie who has stuck it out through an uneven tenure in Denver. Drafted out of Ohio State in 2018 and debuting in 2021, Feltner became a rotation regular the following season. In 2023, he was struck in the head by a line drive and suffered a skull fracture which sidelined him from May to September. After a full 30-start campaign the following year, back issues knocked out most of his 2025. This year, he’s dealt with nerve inflammation, and had to tough it out through a stomach bug last week to try and prevent a sweep in Atlanta (he could not). Feltner has only managed a 5.36 ERA in 90 MLB games with the Rockies — but that’s good for 4.5 career fWAR! Yup, Colorado is just that brutal of a pitching environment.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 07: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets high fives Francisco Alvarez #4 of the New York Mets after scoring during the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 07, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets’ bats continued their impressive Labor Day weekend by pounding out 16 hits and scoring nine runs in a 9-4 victory over the Marlins. Jonah Tong, who was called upon for his first start of the 2026 season, earned a win by striking out seven over five innings.
The Mets optioned Justin Hagenman to Triple-A to make room for Jonah Tong on the roster.
Jon Heyman explained that the Mets’ trifecta is giving the team hope that this can be a $365 million learning experience.
Abbey Mastracco wrote about ‘Beat It’ becoming Citi Field’s answer to a lost season.
On the latest This Week In Mets, Tim Britton explored how the team can better prepare for underperformance.
Around the National League East
The Phillies blanked the Braves 1-0 to earn a much-needed split in the Labor Day weekend series. Jesus Luzardo struck out 12 and earned the first complete game shutout of his career, as the game lasted just one hour and 51 minutes. Kyle Schwarber hit a solo homer in the eighth, which was the lone run.
The Nationals fell 3-2 to the Padres, which actually helped the Mets fall into a statistical tie with Washington for fourth place in the NL East.
The MLB.com staff predicted the 2026 Gold Glove Award winners.
ESPN made some September predictions regarding the playoff race and stats leaders.
The Padres and Diamondbacks could end up deciding the final Wild Card round in the National League, and with the two clubs squaring off at Petco Park in the final weekend of the regular season, it could essentially serve as an additional playoff round.
Mike Lupica explained how Aaron Judge’s impending return could turn the tide in the Yankees’ favor. Judge was officially activated from the IL yesterday, which was an offday for the Yankees.
The Brewers placed Grant Anderson on the IL with right biceps inflammation and called Brandon Sproat back up.
The ‘totally different’ Blue Jays feel that they are primed for a late-season playoff push.
The Red Sox topped the Angels 5-2. Brayan Belo made his first start since June 4 for the Red Sox and picked up where he left off.
The Orioles ended their losing skid with a 6-4 win over the Guardians.
In a game that entered extra innings tied at 0-0, the Diamondbacks prevailed 5-4 in 10 innings over the Royals. Arizona’s bullpen shined in the win to help keep the D’Backs in a Wild Card spot.
The Brewers scored three in the eighth to top the Cubs 4-3, as some amazing robberies rescued the Brew Crew from the Cubbies’ late comeback attempt.
The Tigers held off the Twins 5-4. The Twins activated Joe Ryan from the IL to make the start against Detroit, and he was his vintage shelf in his comeback performance.
The Giants outlasted the Cardinals 5-4 in 11 innings.
The Mets scored six runs in the seventh to come back and tie up their game against the Nationals, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ solo homer in the eighth put New York ahead for good on this date in 2015. The win helped New York secure a series victory in Washington DC en route to a sweep and an eventual NL East crown.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 07: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, September 7, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Denis Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As a result, the Braves earned a series split with the Phillies. While the offense still had plenty of struggles, the kept their division lead the same. Furthermore, they earned the tiebreaker by winning the season series, essentially making the division lead five games. You have to feel that makes the weekend a success, as long as the Braves continue the momentum as the schedule remains tough over the next few weeks.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 4: Tyler Glasnow #31, Shohei Ohtani #17 and Dalton Rushing #68 of the Los Angeles Dodgers wait for players to leave the field after the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on September 4, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shohei Ohtani returned to the Dodgers lineup on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds after missing four games dealing with lingering issues. He looked much more like himself that he has in a while. He very likely will not return as a pitcher this season, however.
The Dodgers are hoping that being able to just focus on his batting with help him get out of his offensive slump.
“I don’t want to say it’s day to day, but I am very curious to see how he comes out of tonight to then make the decision for tomorrow and ensuing days,” Roberts said. “We’ve put a pin in throwing and just having him focus on the hitting, the running, keeping his legs good and doing whatever it takes to help us win.”
Being that it is September 8th and there are only 18 games left in the regular season, it seems unlikely that Ohtani will pitch in the playoffs. But manager Dave Roberts has not completely ruled it out.
“That’s one part of the thought, to sort of take the pitching off of his plate and really try to let him lock in on being a hitter and get on track,” Roberts said. “Because the last couple of weeks he just hasn’t been himself in the box.”
Maddie Lee of the LA Times has more thoughts on the Dodgers’ superstar here.
Bill Plunkett of the OC Register ponders if Mookie Betts is starting his usual late season surge.
After having another summer that was not so great, just like last summer, Mookie has picked it up, with Plunkett noting in his past 29 games through Sunday, he was 35 for 114 (.307) with an .887 OPS, five home runs and 22 RBIs.
“I’ve been able to put good at-bats together, hit the ball hard consistently, and again, just try to keep on going, keep on going, and stay in the moment,” he said. “That’s the main thing. Don’t let prior at-bats dictate what’s going on right now, and don’t think about the future.”
Plunkett also covers an update on Andy Pages.
After not playing for a little over the two weeks while dealing with a left hand fracture, Pages is back to swinging the bat and is pain free.
“If it were up to him, he’d be playing tonight,” Roberts said.
“I’m actually not (surprised by his quick recovery). I think this guy has got a crazy desire and youth is a good thing. But bones still have to heal.”
That is all the Canucks needed to see before committing $75.04 million to Zeev Buium. The 20-year-old defenceman signed an eight-year, $75.04 million extension on Sept. 4. It begins in 2027–28 and carries a $9.38 million cap hit.
At first, the numbers can be startling. The comparison becomes even more interesting when another young defenceman is added to the picture.
Lane Hutson won the Calder Trophy after producing 66 points as a rookie. In return, the Montréal Canadiens gave him an eight-year extension worth $8.85 million annually. Buium, with 26 points in 76 NHL games, will make $530,000 more per season.
One had already produced at an elite offensive level. The other is still being paid for what Vancouver believes he can become. The salary cap paints a different picture.
The Math Changes
Hutson's extension begins this season, when the salary cap is projected at $104 million. His cap hit represents roughly 8.5%of the ceiling. Buium's begins one year later, when the cap is projected to rise to $113.5 million. His larger cap hit would account for roughly 8.3%. He will make more than Hutson while taking up slightly less of the cap.
That does not erase the difference in what they have accomplished. But it changes what Vancouver's commitment represents. "This contract isn't about Zeev the player today or tomorrow," general manager Ryan Johnson said after the signing. "It's where we see him in three, four and five years."
The Projection Is Still A Projection
Buium produced 98 points in 83 games at the University of Denver. His role also expanded after arriving in Vancouver, with his average ice time rising from 18:27 with the Minnesota Wild to 20:20 with the Canucks.
But his first NHL season showed how much development is still being priced into the deal. According to BenchRates, Buium ranked in the 11th percentile among NHL defencemen in first-assist production.
For a defenceman whose passing was expected to be one of the most translatable parts of his game, that is notable. It does not mean the ability disappeared. Buium was adjusting to NHL pace, teammates and role.
After 76 games, there simply is not enough evidence to know how close Buium will come to Vancouver's projection.
What Waiting Could Have Cost
Another season would have provided more evidence, but it also could have made Buium more expensive.
There is precedent for acting this early. Jake Sanderson played 77 NHL games, all during his rookie season, when the Ottawa Senators committed eight years and $64.4 million to him. As mentioned, Buium has played 76.
Sanderson's $8.05-million cap hit represented roughly 9.1% of the $88-million ceiling when his contract began. Buium's is scheduled to begin at roughly 8.3%. The dollar figure is higher. The relative commitment is smaller.
The comparison does not make Buium's deal a slam-dunk bargain. Sanderson had also produced 32 points in 77 games before signing, compared with Buium's 26 in 76. It does show Vancouver is not alone in betting on a young defenceman before a second NHL season provides more answers.
The timing mattered for another reason. Buium signed on Sept. 4. Sept. 15 is the final day teams can sign players to eight-year extensions before the NHL's new seven-year maximum takes effect on Sept. 16.
Waiting would have provided more information, but it also could have meant a higher price and one fewer year of control. The Canucks chose the certainty within the uncertainty. Buium's ceiling is still unknown. His price is not.
How Good Does Buium Need To Become?
If Buium develops into a legitimate No. 1 defenceman, Vancouver likely has little to worry about. But he may not need to reach that level for the contract to work.
If he settles in as a high-end top-four defenceman who moves the puck, contributes offensively and handles significant minutes, the rising cap gives Vancouver some margin for error. At a hypothetical $125 million ceiling, his $9.38 million cap hit would occupy roughly 7.5% of the cap. At $135 million, it would fall below seven percent. Those are not projections. They show how the relative cost of a fixed contract can decline as the market grows.
If Buium becomes a high-end top-four defenceman, his development may be enough to outpace the relative cost of the contract. That may be enough to justify it. Ultimately, though, the Canucks will be hoping for more. They committed eight years and $75.04 million because they believe Buium can become a true top-pairing defenceman.
Dec 27, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium (24) skates against the San Jose Sharks in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 18: Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates during the first period of the Philadelphia Flyers versus Pittsburgh Penguins in Game One of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round on April 18, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Fans got a first look this week at what Pittsburgh Penguins players will look like in the upcoming release of EA Sports’ NHL 27.
X user @TestOnAQuest shared screenshots of what are reportedly player face scans from the new game, which will be released worldwide this Friday.
EA Sports has previously released rankings for the Penguins players featured in the game. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson are ranked within the top 100 players in the game.
Here’s a look at the overall rankings for the Penguins players according to EA Sports:
No. 8: Sidney Crosby, OVR 95
No. 73: Evgeni Malkin, OVR 89
No. 89: Erik Karlsson, OVR 88
No. 164: Rickard Rakell, OVR 86
No. 172: Bryan Rust, OVR 86
No. 240: Samuel Girard, OVR 85
No. 261: Kris Letang, OVR 85
No. 295: Benjamin Kindel, OVR 84
Players who pre-ordered the deluxe edition have had access to the game since Sept. 4. The game will officially release Friday, the day before Penguins prospects kick off the 2026 NHL prospect tournament Saturday in Detroit.
The Penguins have yet to announce which players will be featured on that roster, although last year the franchise waited until the day before the event started to confirm which participants would be attending.
I hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend. I’m sure the baseball writers did, given the paltry number of articles written that weren’t repetitive ones about PCA’s 40th.
Obviously, Pete Crow-Armstrong joining Billy Williams as the only Chicago Cubs lefthanded hitters to hit 40 home runs in a season was the highlight of the weekend. It should have pumped up the Cubs on the road to a sweep of the Marlins, but while the team held on to win Saturday and the series, the loss Sunday highlighted the moderate success of the offense, and the lukewarm-to-poor showing of the starting pitching this weekend.
PCA became the 10th Cub in history to hit 40 home runs in a season when he hit an 85 mile per hour sweeper down the right-field line in the top of the fifth. He stood at the plate and watched at the ball screamed down the line into the right field corner to tie the game at three.
The rest of weekend wasn’t as explosive. Michael Conforto was 3-for-5 with a walk, two runs scored and a home run, which was the 200th HR of the season for the Cubs. Nico Hoerner was 4-for-8 with an RBI. Seiya Suzuki was 2-for-6 with three walks, a double and a run scored. PCA finished going 2-for-7 with a walk, three RBI and the home run.
On Saturday, Ian Happ was 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI, while Michael Busch was 2-for-5 with a run scored and a double. And Miguel Amaya was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a double. Sunday, Carson Kelly went 1-for-4 with a run scored, and Tyrone Taylor 1-for-3 with a double and a great defensive play.
On the pitching side, there wasn’t a whole lot of very good over the two games. Javier Assad got the recall for the Saturday start. The start wasn’t horrible. He threw 88 pitches and lasted 4.2 innings. He had allowed three hits and struck out three, but he limited the damage of five walks. To start the fifth inning, Assad allowed a single before having chalked up a strikeout and a pop-up and left with game with a 5-2 lead. Caleb Thielbar entered the game and promptly gave up a two-run home run, one of those runs charged to Assad.
A pair of relievers carried the game into the eighth, where with one out, Ryan Jeferzahn entered the game, Cubs still up, 6-5. It took him just 19 pitches to get the last five outs for his first save as a Cub and his fifth for the year.
Clay Holmes just didn’t have it on Sunday, having allowed eight runs in 4.1 innings of work in the 10-3 loss. Chris Rea pitched 2.2 innings and allowed the other two runs. The only plus? Daniel Palencia pitched a scoreless eighth inning, having allowed just a walk while he added a strikeout. However, only six of his 16 pitches were for strikes.
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Field Level Media (Yardbarker): Michael Conforto, Ian Happ lead Cubs past Marlins. “Ryan Zeferjahn got the final five outs without allowing a run to earn his first save with the Cubs and fifth of the season.”
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 05: The Baltimore Orioles mascot on the field before a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 5, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Across the whole of the Orioles organization, it may end up that only the High-A affiliate in Frederick has much to play for in the month of September. The rest of the farm teams haven’t done much all season, and as for the big league team, well, they started out playing meaningful September games and rapidly moved towards making them meaningless.
This week-long look at the action on the Orioles farm tends to focus on players who are on the midseason updated top prospect lists, guys who will hopefully make their way into the major league picture eventually.
The regular seasons for Low-A Delmarva and High-A Frederick are both over now. Chesapeake’s season ends after this week. Norfolk has two more weeks to go.
Here’s how things shook out over the minor league week that just finished:
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week’s record: 3-3 vs. Jacksonville (Marlins)
This week’s opponent: at Memphis (Cardinals)
Second half record: 24-36, last place (12 GB) in International League East
In Baltimore, another random outfielder has recently arrived – Rece Hinds. That’s twice now that the Orioles have chosen to just call up some random dude instead of giving Enrique Bradfield Jr. a chance; they brought Christian Franklin into the mix rather than trying Bradfield after the trade deadline. It’s weird. As for Bradfield’s performance this week, he batted 7-24 across six games, with four walks and four stolen bases.
To some extent, I get it: Bradfield is hitting .264/.352/.354 in 79 games and you have to wonder how that slugging percentage will translate to MLB. But, again, instead we’re seeing Rece Hinds, who can’t hit and also screwed up a routine fly ball yesterday.
Relatively recent Norfolk arrival Brandon Butterworth, from last year’s Padres trade, went 5-19 across six games, with two of his five hits being homers. His 18 games since getting promoted have generated a .631 OPS. It’d be nice to see him raise that to more respectable levels by season’s end. This week makes for a move in the right direction.
I’d like to tell you that Michael Forret, who the Orioles re-acquired from the Rays for Tyler Wells after including him in the Shane Baz trade, pitched well. Instead, what I can tell you is that he had just a three-inning start and managed to allow two runs on three hits and three walks. The 22-year-old has a 5.43 ERA in 14 games between Tampa’s and Baltimore’s Triple-A teams this year. Eh.
Others of interest
RHP Félix Bautista – The Mountain’s rehab continued. He walked three batters over 1.2 innings in two games.
C/1B Creed Willems – 2-12 with no extra-base hits; he slumped in August and so far September is worse.
This week’s opponent: at Richmond (Giants) – end of regular season
Second half record: 34-28, second place (6.5 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
The Baysox are eliminated from Eastern League postseason contention. The second half went better than the first half (29-39).
My guy Aron Estrada went just 2-22 with no extra-base hits and only one walk. He’s still my guy. I just won’t be waving the flag too high right now.
The ever-enigmatic Vance Honeycutt was about as far from Estrada’s performance as can be over these games. He packed nine hits into six games, with three doubles and two homers, and he stole three bases. Honeycutt, who you’d be forgiven for bailing on based on his Frederick batting, has a .339/.431/.661 in 16 games with Chesapeake.
Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy did one better than Honeycutt for homers, with three homers in his five games. Aloy has nine homers in 35 games since joining this level. He struck out 10 times in 21 at-bats. That’s going to be the thing to keep an eye on as much as anything else.
Three of the organization’s top four prospects are currently in the Baysox rotation. The headliner from the Adley Rutschman trade, Anthony Eyanson, had the best outing of this group of guys this week, allowing just a run over six innings while striking out eight and walking none. That’ll play! Eyanson has a 2.00 ERA in five starts since joining the Baysox.
Lefty Caden Hunter, this season’s big surprise, struck out nine over five innings, with two runs allowed. Joseph Dzierwa had a nice K/BB rate (7/1) though four runs allowed in three innings isn’t so good. Still, he has a 2.43 ERA and 0.961 WHIP in 17 games with the Double-A affiliate.
Others of interest
C/1B Ethan Anderson – 5-19 with a homer across five games; .871 OPS for the season
1B Victor Figueroa 6-19, also with a homer, across five games. He’s got an .808 OPS in 32 games since getting promoted here
RHP JT Quinn – Five shutout innings with just three hits allowed, five strikeouts. Quinn has a 2.50 ERA in four games with the Baysox
RHP Patrick Reilly – Two runs allowed in seven innings, with eight strikeouts and only one walk. Reilly has a 3.97 ERA in seven starts here since returning from Tommy John surgery
This week’s opponent: Division Series vs. Greensboro (Pirates)
Second half record: 42-23, first place in South Atlantic League North
The Keys also won their first half division with a 41-23 record. Their 83 wins are a record for the affiliate. Their best-of-three against Greensboro this week pits them against the team that finished a combined 2.5 games back in the first and second halves of the season. If Frederick wins this series, they’ll play the winner of Bowling Green (Rays) and Winston-Salem (White Sox) for the league title.
It’s not only players who’ve already been promoted beyond Frederick who helped rack up those 83 wins. Recent arrivals are playing their part too, including a dynamic duo of age-19 infielders, DJ Layton and Jaiden Lo Re. Layton notched nine hits, including five doubles, in five games for the Keys, with four walks and five stolen bases. He’s already stolen 13 bases in 23 games here. Lo Re’s seven hits includes two doubles.
Not so much a part of this party were outfielders Enddy Azocar and Ty Head. Azocar, also 19, went just 4-19 with a double; still, he’s OPSing .9o1 in 25 games here. Head, the Orioles second round pick this year, was 5-18, and although he had no extra-base hits, he did steal three bases in his first week playing at High-A.
Others of interest
LHP Boston Bateman – Three innings, three runs, four hits, three walks. Finished with a 3.65 ERA and 1.378 WHIP in 24 games. Would really like to see that 5.0 BB/9 get cut down.
C Yasmil Bucce – He signed the same day as Samuel Basallo and has been on a slower development path, but still, at age 21, this is like where an American college player would be now. That’s totally fine! He hit two homers and walked six times; .860 OPS in 58 games, with 11 homers, isn’t nothing.
Second half record: 22-44, last place (18 GB) in Carolina League North
Delmarva finished last in the first half as well.
One piece of good news to send the Shorebirds into the offseason. First round pick Eric Booth Jr. racked up 11 hits over the six games in this series, adding three stolen bases. He had a .719 OPS over 18 games; he’ll probably start next season at this level as well, hopefully with a midseason promotion to Frederick in his future.
The winner of last week’s minor league player of the week poll was Victor Figueroa, who took 55% of the vote in a head-to-head with Cade Povich after a week where Figueroa had a 1.102 OPS. That’s Figueroa’s second win of the season, joining a list of two-time winners that also includes Enddy Azocar, Caden Hunter, Ike Irish, and my guy Aron Estrada. Man, it sucks that Irish tore his meniscus in July.
The list of single-week winners: Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Wehiwa Aloy, Jaiden Lo Re, Joseph Dzierwa, Luis De León, and Heston Kjerstad.
We’re going to crown a new winner this week. Though some of the players named above had nice weeks for themselves, particularly Aloy, I’m putting a set of choices into the poll where no one has taken a weekly crown yet.
Rockies bullpen coach Matt Buschmann works with pitcher Nick Frasso | Colorado Rockies | Kyle Cooper
This has been a year of rebuilding for the Colorado Rockies.
Understandably, the tendency is to focus on personnel, but don’t overlook the technology rebuild that’s happening as well. Prior to the Rockies decision to bring on president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, reporters documented extensively how the Rockies were behind their peers in terms of using technology to improve player performance. It’s an area in which the current front office is working to correct.
Manager Warren Schaefer noted that the Rockies were one of the last MLB teams to adopt this technology, but it’s become a significant factor in helping the organization manage pitcher workloads.
We wanted to know more about Catapule, so I spent last weekend asking coaches and players to explain what Catapult does and how it’s affected their approach to the game.
What do the numbers show?
Let’s start with the obvious: Bullpen management is key to any successful baseball team. A big part of that involves tracking pitcher workload.
“I think it’s more important here in Denver than it is anywhere,” Schaeffer said.
As a starting point, consider how many innings Rockies relievers have thrown over the last three seasons.
2024: 601.0 IP (13th in MLB), 5.41 ERA (30th in MLB), -0.3fWAR (29th in MLB)
2025: 631.0 IP (6th in MLB), 5.18 ERA (29th in MLB), -0.7 fWAR (30th in MLB)
2026: 579.2 IP (5th in MLB), 4.72 ERA (26th in MLB), 3.3 fWAR (15th in MLB)
So, yes, the 2026 Rockies bullpen is significantly better than it was in the previous two years. Although it is on track to throw more innings than most other teams, the ERA is lower than that of previous Rockies teams, and the fWAR is significantly improved.
(I realize this leaves out many significant factors, but given that Catapult is primarily focused on workload management, that’s the factor I am most interested in examining.)
Here are the heaviest throwers in those seasons:
2024: Victor Vodnik (73.2 IP), Tyler Kinley (64.0 IP), Justin Lawrence (59.2 IP)
2025: Jimmy Herbert, (83.1 IP), Juan Mejia (61.1 IP), Angel Chivilli (58.2 IP)
Given Agnos’ status as a bulk reliever, it makes sense that his innings count would be so high. Notably, Mejia and most of the Rockies heavy-use relievers will exceed their 2025 numbers. But they are still being effective.
That’s where Catapult comes in.
What is Catapult?
Baseball teams know how many pitches a player throws in a game. That data is easily tracked.
Buschmann wanted to know how many pitches a pitcher throws outside the context of a game because all of those throws contribute to a pitcher becoming fatigued.
Think about it.
Pitchers are throwing all the time. They play catch with a teammate. They work on pitches. They warm up. And, as Schaeffer puts it, “It’s a ridiculous high amount of throws to get themselves feeling right.”
But all those throws add up over the course of the season.
“The majority of the throws are made outside the game,” Buschmann said. “So once we track that, we get a full idea of the throwing.
Plus, the intensity varies, and it’s not possible for a pitcher to accurately measure how much he has exerted himself over the course of a day.
“I’m a guy that always used to throw a lot,” Rockies closer Jordan Romano said, “and I didn’t even really know that. I would say, ‘Oh, I’m throwing light today.’ But my light day would actually be super heavy compared to everyone else, so (Catapult) kind of helps monitor you, keeps the arm feeling good, makes sure you’re not overdoing it.”
A visit to Catapult’s website shows this is an Australia-based company involved with many sports. It provides “[c]omprehensive baseball data & video analysis tracking technology to capture, analyze, plan, and share every aspect of team & player performance.”
A Catapult vest has a GPS system with an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer that measures a variety of activities.
When a player who has been wearing a Catapult vest finishes a throwing session, Buschmann uploads the data. Catapult then has a program that extracts each throw and determines how hard each throw was.
“So that gives you a score,” Buschmann said. “Then every day, we kind of add up all those scores to understand and make sure we’re kind of rolling a wave where you have high days and you have low days and mediums in between. But you want to make sure that you’re actually doing that, so kind of staying in one place throughout.”
The result is a visual report that he discusses with pitchers.
After a player has worn a Catapult vest long enough, the Rockies are able to establish a baseline, which guides, according to Buschmann, “What you should throw that day to make sure you stay within a certain throwing load to make sure we don’t spike it.”
Knowing this information provides additional data Buschmann and the Rockies can use in load management.
“Essentially, if we understand how much they’ve thrown, know what they did in the game,” Buschmann said, “it really comes down to what your workload was, what your output was in that workload, and then your response to it. So when we measure those three things, we get a really good idea of where that player is relative to their baseline.”
“But it kind of takes the guesswork out of what to do pregame throwing,” Romano said.
What do the pitchers say?
Romano is a Catapult enthusiast.
He first began using the technology in 2021 when he and Buschmann were with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Then I then I got off it just because other teams didn’t have it,” Romano said.
That changed when he signed with the Rockies.
“I got here — I think a week or two in — Buschmann’s like, ‘Hey, do you want to get back on the Catapult?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I think that’d be a great idea just for myself.’ So I started wearing it, and then I think a lot of other guys are wearing it, too. And I think just talking with them, they’re finding it very helpful as well.”
For Romano, it’s taken a lot of the guesswork out of his training program.
“I just found it really helpful. It helps you understand what you’re supposed to do pregame. So if you’re throwing a lot pregame, then you get in the game, Catapult will tell you, ‘Hey, today needs to be within these parameters. It needs to be a light day.’”
For the last month, starter Gabriel Hughes has also been experimenting with Catapult while playing catch.
“The (measures) that I look at are the amount of throws and the intensity building up in the throws,” Hughes said. “And so I think it’s allowed me to manage my workload a lot better, both in the number of throws and the way that I’m throwing, the manner that I’m throwing.”
Like Romano, Hughes appreciates having an additional information source.
“I think it’s been very valuable because it’s given me an objective measure to how much I’m throwing. That’s what I’m very bad at estimating,” Hughes said. “So I think, in the same vein, it’s helped me manage my workload better because it gives me an accurate number for how much I’m throwing and the intensity that I’m throwing at.”
Not all Rockies pitchers are experimenting with Catapult.
As Brennan Bernadino put it, “I’m just old school.”
And, to be fair, the numbers indicate that Bernadino’s current system is working just fine for him. It’s tough to beat a 2.09 ERA in 56.0 IP.)
(Per the Major League Baseball Players Association, players’ decisions to use wearable technology “shall be wholly voluntary.” Moreover, teams must be explicit about the data that will be collected and those who will have access to that information, which is considered highly confidential.)
Final thoughts
It can be easy to focus on roster and staffing decisions and lost sight of the fact that the Rockies are not only rebuilding but also trying to solve baseball at elevation.
Catapult is one tool the Rockies hope will help them do that.
They are also exploring other kinds of sports technologies, but that’s a subject for a separate discussion.
This week on the internet
Speaking of technology, in case you missed the recent feature on Rockies TV about Trajekt, here you go:
This week in his Rockies Beat newsletter, Thomas Harding spoke with Rockies hitting coach Brett Pill about what he’s seeing in terms of hitting improvements on the part of a young Rockies team.
By this point in the season, I’ve generally stopped reading power rankings but this one caught my attention given that it factored in teams’ trade deadline moves. The good news is that the Rockies are not last. Instead, they have moved into a less-basement-y 27th place. However, they received a “C” from the evaluators based on the Rockies decision not to trade Mickey Moniak, especially in light of his terrible August. That’s a fair criticism, but to focus on Moniak as opposed to the pitchers the Rockies brought in seems to me to be missing the forest for the trees. The Rockies have already put some of those pitchers to work with promising results.
