ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers shakes hands with Enrique Hernández #8 and Tommy Edman #25 after defeating the Atlanta Braves in game three of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers’ outlook wasn’t as dire as it might’ve looked after the Game 2 loss at home, just as it is not as ideal as it could appear following a Game 3 win on the road against the Braves’ ace. When it comes to their fate in this specific series, the Dodgers are well positioned to advance, but with the ultimate goal in mind of another World Series title, the problem remains the same: a team that right now seems only capable of winning with elite pitching and has yet to generate a run that hasn’t come via the long ball.
Three runs in five innings against Chris Sale is about the best-case scenario for a team that was shut out the last time it faced the future first-ballot Hall of Famer. And yet, they could have done a lot more damage off the left-hander, with him on the ropes for most of the game before Kiké Hernández’s two-run shot started the scoring in the fourth.
Whatever the offense did or did not do against Sale, it chased him off the game with just 15 outs, a crucial objective in this game. Against four different Braves relievers, though—not including Didier Fuentes, unused in this one after a masterful Game 2 performance—the Dodgers offense failed to add a single run of insurance, increasing the pressure on Yamamoto and their two star relievers, who finished this one out: Tanner Scott and Edwin Díaz, neither of whom has what you’d describe as unconditional trust.
Evidently, strong pitching has been a reality of this series on both sides, with these two offenses combining for a single hit with a runner in scoring position. For the Dodgers, though, it hasn’t looked like it matters who is on the mound for Atlanta—running into one or two is achievable even against the very best; in fact, they did it against Sale and Fuentes, the Braves’ two most talented pitchers. Stringing hits together for a big rally like this team is more than capable of doing and hasn’t been a part of their NLDS performance.
While for the Dodgers offense, it doesn’t appear like it matters who is on the mound; on the opposite side, it’s a different scenario. Tarik Skubal and Yamamoto were dominant, and that’s a big reason why the Dodgers won those two games. Now, can this Dodgers team win if Tyler Glasnow brings anything other than his A+ game, which we’ve seldom seen in the postseason? The bullpen, as we’ve seen, will likely be effective, but not bulletproof. It took very little for Game 2 to go off the rails, and for that scenario not to repeat itself, the offense must find a higher gear.
Perhaps if we’re to take a more positive view, the lack of damage in Game 3 had more than its fair share of bad luck. Teoscar Hernández, for instance, had three hard-hit balls and no hits to show for it—Freddie Freeman nearly had another home run, and Mookie Betts continues to get on at a terrific clip in the leadoff spot, even if he doesn’t have the runs to show for. Moving forward, though, the threat must be capitalized on more often.
3 Mar 1999: Infielder Rey Sanchez #1 of the Kansas City Royals poses for the camera on Photo Day during Spring Training at the Baseball City Stadium in Davenport, Florida. Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran /Allsport | Getty Images
During their history, the Royals have had several players who were overlooked, especially on a national level. David DeJesus comes to mind, as does Kevin Appier, who was criminally underrated.
Another player whose excellence slipped past us was shortstop Rey Sanchez, who unfortunately toiled for the Royals through some of their bleakest seasons. And for a team that has set the gold standard for bleak seasons, that is saying something.
Sanchez, a native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, broke into the majors with a 13-game stint with the Chicago Cubs at the tail end of the 1991 season. He collected his first hit with an eighth-inning single off the Pirates’ Doug Drabek on September 17 at Three Rivers Stadium.
Sanchez spent most of the next six seasons as the Cubs’ starting shortstop, putting up steady but unspectacular numbers. The Cubs sent Sanchez to the Yankees in a 1997 trade deadline deal, and he hit .312 in 38 games for the Yanks and got a taste of the postseason.
He signed a free-agent deal with the Giants in the offseason and enjoyed a solid year in San Francisco, slashing .285/.325/.361 while playing his usual spectacular defense.
The Royals had been employing Shane Halter and Mindy Lopez at short, and in the offseason, Herk Robinson made one of his best free-agent acquisitions by bringing in Sanchez on a one-year deal.
Sanchez had the best year of his career as a Royal in 1999, slashing .294/.329/.370 over 134 games while finishing second in the league in Defensive WAR.
That was enough for the Royals to ink Sanchez to a two-year deal in the offseason, and he was even better in 2000 and 2001, leading the league in Defensive WAR both seasons. He wasn’t too shabby with the bat, either, hitting .273 in 2000 and .303 in 2001.
All told, his Kansas City tenure lasted for 377 games, and he was worth 9.3 WAR while hitting a combined .289. About that defense. Sanchez wasn’t an acrobat like, say, Ozzie Smith, though he did have some spectacular plays. Sanchez was smooth. He got to every ball in his zip code, made a slick pickup and threw sweet, chest-high throws to first each time. He made it look so routine that it was easy to miss the beauty of it.
I saw Sanchez play once, on July 25, 1999 , George Brett Day at the K. It was impossibly hot that day, as late July in Kansas City tends to be, at least according to Ichiro. Carlos Beltran melted early in the game and had to be removed. The Oakland A’s jumped out to a large early lead before the Royals found their footing. Down 11-5 going into the bottom of the sixth, the Royals tacked on three runs to make it interesting.
The Royals came up in the bottom of the ninth trailing by three. Jermaine Dye stroked a leadoff double off A’s closer Billy Taylor. Joe Randa sent the heat-stricken crowd into hysteria with his second home run of the day. Jeremy Giambi punched a single through the left side of the infield. At this point, manager Tony Muser elected to go for the loss. He had catcher Tim Spehr lay down a bunt. Now, you can imagine that Spehr, being a catcher, was not particularly fleet of foot. He wasn’t. He stole nine bases in an eight-year career. Didn’t matter to Muser.
Spehr laid down a beauty and somehow, someway, beat it out. Runners on first and second, down by one, no outs and Rey Sanchez coming to the plate. This is what I wrote about that at-bat several years ago.
Now the crowd was going nuts. Probably heat delirium. Muser, never one to go for the win, had Rey Sanchez bunt the runners over. This is just an insanely stupid move. Nobody out, runners on first and second, the crowd and your team going nuts…and you bunt one of your best hitters into a sure out. Sanchez could handle the bat. The man hit .294 in 1999 over 479 at-bats. Let. Him. Hit.
After the Muser out, the A’s gave Johnny Damon an intentional pass. That brought Carlos Febles to the plate. He did what you would expect, looking at a third strike right down the middle. Bases loaded, two outs, down by one. Scott Pose came to the plate and bailed out Muser with a single to center. Hansen scored to tie it, but pinch-runner Steve Scarsone was thrown out at home in a close play to end the inning. The crowd was still going bananas.
The Royals ended up winning in spite of their manager when Jermaine Dye blasted a two-run homer over the right-field wall in the 10th.
In July 2001, the Royals traded Sanchez to the Braves, where he got into the playoffs. Sanchez bounced around a little after that, spending 2002 in Boston, where he primarily played second base, before splitting 2003 between the New York Mets and the Seattle Mariners. He spent 2004 in Tampa before ending his career with a 23-game stint with the Yankees in 2005.
Overall, it was a pretty darn good career: 15 years. Almost 1,500 games with a career batting average of .272 and almost 21 career WAR. I know people scoff at batting average today, but to me, it still means something, especially when you play defense like Sanchez did. Over his career, Sanchez handled 6,632 chances with only 112 errors. That’s a smooth .983 fielding percentage. Unbelievably, he never won a Gold Glove.
Omar Vizquel won the 2000 and 2001 awards for shortstop. Tough competition in those days.
Despite only playing two and a half seasons in Kansas City, Sanchez’s production places him among the best shortstops, not named Witt, that the Royals have ever employed.
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 16: Owen Carey #30 of the Atlanta Braves throws the ball back to the infield during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Sunday, March 16, 2025 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
(1-3) Glendale Desert Dogs 4, (1-2) Mesa Solar Sox 3
Tanner Baumann, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 11.57 ERA
Owen Hackman, RP: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3.38 ERA
Tyler LaPorte, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
Logan Samuels, RP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 3.00 ERA
It was a busy day for all of the Braves relievers that were sent to Arizona. Braves arms were responsible for 5 2/3 of Glendale’s ten innings with four pitchers making appearances, and the results for the crew were mixed. With a 1-0 lead on the table Tanner Baumann was brought in to try to keep Mesa at bay while insurance runs followed, and the inning got off to a concerning start. Baumann had trouble finding the strike zone with anything and walked the first two hitters he faced, but he wiggled out of it to maintain the lead. He forced two ground balls off of his sinker, one of which turned into a double play, and the fifth inning was a smoother affair. Baumann never really found any of his secondaries, but his sinker was an effective pitch for him and kept him mowing through batters with two strikeouts in the fifth inning. Owen Hackman came in during the 7th inning with a lead that had been extended to three runs, and it took every ounce of effort for him to keep any lead safe. Hackman started off hot with a strikeout, but after running the next count to 1-2 an errant fastball hit the batter and derailed the entire inning. Hackman gave up a solid single, then his own throwing error scored the first run and put the tying run on base. Another base hit on what was honestly not a bad pitch brought home the next run, but Hackman received his first dose of good luck with an assist from his buddy in right field. Owen Carey threw out the runner trying to go first- to-third, giving Hackman his second out and putting him in position to shut the door on the inning with a strikeout of the next hitter.
Tyler LaPorte escaped the eighth inning and held on to Glendale’s one run lead, but it was awfully close to going south for him. His pitch execution wasn’t awful, but the Solar Sox hitters were able to make good swings when they needed to and started the inning with a hit and a walk. LaPorte gave up his hardest contact to the third hitter, but the ball found the second baseman for a force out and saved a run from scoring for the moment. LaPorte’s best at-bat came with his dismantling of the next hitter for an easy strikeout on straight sliders, but he had to get lucky and escape thanks to a hard hit ball finding a glove after leaving a slider over the plate to the next hitter. It goes in the books as a scoreless inning, but LaPorte didn’t make it too easy. We can talk more good news/bad news with Logan Samuels. The good news is his whiff numbers. He diced up hitters with his changeup and totaled ten whiffs on 18 swings in his 1 2/3 innings of work. The bad news was that Mesa managed some hard contact against him. The first was on a sinker that stayed up in the strike zone, a pitch that was the worst Samuels made in the ninth inning and led to a hard-hit double to lead off the inning. The next is one that you would be hard-pressed to blame on him. An infield single, even on a hard hit ball, is rarely the pitcher’s fault, and it’s less so his fault when the batter had to golf a chopper inches off the ground and beat the ball to first base. Samuels made french toast out of everyone else, so even though the game goes on his record as a blown save it was ultimately a well-pitched game that happened to not go his way. Owen Carey made an appearance in this game outside of his defensive work, notching an infield single in the ninth inning. It’s still his defense that was the highlight, though. Carey saw a ton of fastballs in this game but still kept chasing pitch after pitch outside of the strike zone and it led to ugly results. He made a lot of contact but none of it was quality, and pitchers don’t even have to make particularly good pitches to get him to swing right now.
Let me start by being absolutely clear about the headline to this article. On Dec. 1, when the MLB/MLBPA collective bargaining agreement expires, team owners are going to lock out players. A lockout, not a strike, so this is all on the owners.
“We’re meeting regularly, which is good,” Manfred told ESPN during the Little League Classic about the labor talks. “Every week, we’ve had days where we’ve met with the players. It’s early, but we’ve got a lot of work to do, and we’re at it.
“Look, our goal is to make a deal. We want to make a deal. We want to play baseball next year. We’re planning on playing baseball next year.”
So while much of Cubs fans’ focus recently has been on the postseason run that ended last week, there have indeed been some labor-related things that you might have missed, so I thought I’d put this article together to bring you up to date.
About two weeks ago, Evan Drellich and Andrew Marchand reported in The Athletic of an interesting potential twist depending on how far into the season a lockout goes:
No one knows whether a shutdown will shorten the sport’s 162-game regular season, but if it does, 60 games — roughly the end of May, by the current MLB schedule — will bring perhaps the most crucial leverage point.
If at least 60 games are wiped out in 2027, most of the league’s national broadcast contracts would extend another year, through 2029, people briefed on MLB’s rights agreements who were not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic.
That means the big payday owners expect from new national TV rights deals could wind up delayed by a lockout.
Ah, ha. So if more than a couple of months of the 2027 season are delayed or wiped out by the lockout, that could cost owners money — maybe a year’s worth of money that they hope to get beginning when the current national TV deals expire after the 2028 season. Instead, that could be delayed until 2029. As you know, Manfred would love to have all local and national baseball TV rights available to sell in one package; owners think they could get a lot more money from TV partners that way. That remains to be seen — and also, teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Cubs, all of whom at least partly own their current regional sports networks, would be willing to cede those rights back to the league. In the current TV landscape, RSNs are going away, but those five teams are still making pretty good money with them.
To sum up, from the article in The Athletic:
If the entirety of the 2027 season were to be missed, the networks would pay nothing during 2029, the additional season they would get in return for their ’27 outlay. If MLB missed 60 games but still held a shortened campaign in 2027, the networks would have to pay some amount for 2029.
In either scenario, the networks might be pleased they’re receiving an extra year at a bargain rate. On the flip side, the owners would eventually feel some pain. The potential impact on their future earnings makes 60 games a key threshold in collective bargaining between players and owners.
So there is at least a clue as to how long owners would be willing to hold out on their stated desire for a salary cap until they begin to feel some financial pressure to make a deal.
Another interesting article in The Athletic appeared around season’s end, written by Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal, who also appears on Fox-TV national games, has been seen as kind of a shill for ownership’s position. Not in that article, though:
Revenue disparity between large- and small-market clubs is a legitimate concern. The league and players’ union need to adopt significant measures to make the playing field more level. But the league’s argument for greater competitive balance, if not a red herring, is at least an argument of convenience.
Right there is an acknowledgment, if not an outright statement, that owners’ claim of a salary cap is needed for “competitive balance.” Just watching this year’s postseason so far tells you that isn’t true. The headline of the article, “Even if Rays or Brewers win World Series, competitive balance argument will endure,” kind of goes against Rosenthal’s statement. And as we stand here nearing the end of the Division Series round, that World Series matchup is still possible. And that would also probably make Fox-TV executives cry, because while baseball purists would love that sort of matchup, it probably would not generate the sort of ratings the network or baseball executives want, unless it wound up a seven-game series with compelling games.
The real reason owners want a salary cap is to increase franchise values. Period, full stop. That was noted as far back as last May in this article by Drellich in The Athletic:
Why, at a time when MLB has otherwise built positive momentum, would the league pursue such an acrimonious change, and risk alienating fans with a work stoppage? Many issues are at play, but none supersede the long game owners are playing. Their mission is to maximize the worth of their teams.
Baseball has always been a business, yes — but not like this. Private equity has flowed into the sport for the better part of a decade, and someday, those investors will want a return. And even though every team continues to grow in value, many owners believe that their clubs should command still-higher prices.
Speaking of that positive momentum, MLB enjoyed an attendance increase this season for the fourth year in a row:
MLB topped 70 million fans in attendance in each of the last three seasons and did so again in 2026 — hitting a total of 71,752,722.
The Rays moving back to Tropicana Field accounted for an increase of over 600,000, and the White Sox’ playoff season got them an increase of over 500,000. Teams with big drop-offs include the Mets (down over 470,000), Astros (down over 250,000) and Royals (down about 220,000). The Blue Jays had a disappointing 2026 on the field, but their 2025 World Series appearance likely sold a lot of tickets, as they were up about 480,000. The Cubs were down, but just slightly, about 48,000 fewer than 2025.
Overall, though, the sport is riding high. Owners mess with this at their peril.
And that was the subject of a well-written column by Britt Ghiroli in The Athletic, in which she said she was almost “dreading” the postseason instead of enjoying it, because:
I’ll miss this, I think. Or, I already miss this, even as it’s happening.
That’s how I’ll feel about this postseason. Better enjoy it because, in the face of a pending labor lockout, who knows when we’ll get actual baseball again.
May? July? February 2028?
Even if the Cubs had made it past the first round, I think that’s kind of how I would have felt. Sure, enjoy the Cubs’ run but… when are we going to see them after this October? Spring Training is scheduled to begin for the Cubs on Friday, Feb. 19, 2027, but I don’t know a single Cubs fan (myself included) who thinks that’s going to happen as scheduled. As Britt Ghiroli’s article concludes:
Baseball is a beautiful sport. One team will win it all, and then its fanbase will get a victory lap muted by the league’s deafening calls for a salary cap and floor.
So, enjoy it while it’s happening, enjoy it while it lasts. Just enjoy it. I’ll be telling myself that all month.
For all of us who love baseball, let’s hope we see it next spring… and not have things delayed, or cancelled. As always, we await developments.
The New York Islanders dropped their game against the New York Rangers 5-2 on Tuesday night inside Madison Square Garden. Though it looks like a blowout, the game was effectively 3-2 until Alexis Lafreniére potted not one but two empty-net goals to seal the win for the Rangers.
The story became about two other things for the Islanders as the night evolved.
First, Alexander Romanov suffered an undisclosed injury, and is still being evaluated. An update is expected at some point Wednesday.
The other main storyline is the unbelievable, surreal return for Semyon Varlamov from partial double-knee replacement surgery.
For a 38-year-old goaltender, you'd not be surprised in the least to think that would be it for his career.
Instead, Varlamov rehabbed and worked hard for two years, and returned for his first NHL start in 676 days. Varlamov just enjoyed the moment Tuesday.
“I was having a lot of fun out there," Varlamov said postgame. "[It was] a little bit emotional in the beginning, especially during the warm-up.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the results today," The veteran netminder continued. "But the whole experience was awesome.”
Unfortunately for the Islanders and Varlamov, the team did not play their best game. The Islanders coughed up far too many Grade-A chances, and the Rangers took advantage.
“Considering the circumstances, I thought he was a warrior for us out in there today," Islanders' Head Coach Peter DeBoer said postgame. "I give him full marks for what he’s gone through to come back, and this is the first step for him.”
The trouble started from the first shot of the game. Oliver Bjorkstrand was left entirely unmarked from a dangerous position.
Bjorkstrand sniped it top shelf, burying it over Varlamov's glove
."The first shot was a great shot," Varlamov said. "He did surprise me a little bit on that one. Short side goal. That's not how you wanted to start a game.
"But you know it is what it is," Varlamov continued. "I gave up the the first first goal, the first shot, but I was trying to just not to think about it too much, and then kind of like move on quickly, and then continue to just stay focused on the game."
Varlamov's composure was key, as the Rangers fired off high-danger chances one after another.
Lafreniére's first of his hat trick came on a partial breakaway just 25 seconds into the second period, sniping one over Varlamov's glove.
The ESPN broadcast pointed it out, and made it out to be a potential weakness.
Varlamov proceeded to make multiple big glove saves from then onward, not allowing another goal to beat him on that side.
The Islanders clawed back from down 2-0 to tie the game, but a late second period penalty spelled doom.
The Islanders completely lost their assignments on a puck battle, and when the Rangers emerged with it, Bjorkstrand stood all alone on the opposite side of the rink, waiting for a pass.
The pass came, and the sniper rifled it home over Varlamov's blocker, a shot he had no chance at.
The Islanders then could not do much of anything in the third period with the puck, but Varlamov kept them in it til the very end. Varlamov made 10 third-period saves to keep the Islanders alive, until the empty-net goals.
That was all she wrote, and the Rangers won 5-2. Postgame, Varlamov physically felt 100%.
“Everything feels great," Varlamov said. "Everything feels 100%. Nothing holds me back. I felt like I finished the game strong, and then did not have any issues.”
The Islanders' next three games are all at home, followed by a two-game road trip to Ontario to see the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Varlamov' next start will likely be one of those two games, if not the home game next Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks.
Darcy Kuemper finally looked like himself again. Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Kings, it still wasn’t enough.
The former Colorado Avalanche goaltender and 2022 Stanley Cup champion stopped 26 of 28 shots Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, but the Kings lost 2-1. After giving up eight goals to Colorado in the season opener and then watching Anton Forsberg get the start against San Jose, Kuemper was back in net and gave Los Angeles a much-needed performance.
Kuemper was solid from the start and made several big saves as the game went on. It was a much different showing from the season opener, and for a night, he looked more like the goaltender who was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2024-25.
Cale Makar following a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues at Ball Arena.
The Kings gave him an early lead to work with.
Alex Laferriere made it 1-0 late in the first period, putting home a rebound after Erik Haula created the chance from behind the net. Los Angeles had a chance to add another goal in the second when Florida took two penalties, including 66 seconds of five-on-three, but the Kings couldn't score.
That ended up hurting them.
Just six seconds after the final penalty expired, Seth Jones tied the game for Florida. From there, the Kings had trouble generating much offensively. They finished 0-for-5 on the power play, while their penalty kill went 6-for-6.
Florida eventually took the lead in the third period. A turnover in the neutral zone sent the Panthers the other way, and Matthew Tkachuk beat Kuemper with 8:40 remaining. Los Angeles pushed for the equalizer and pulled Kuemper late, but Florida held on.
Kuemper played well enough to win. He just didn't get enough help in front of him.
Through two starts, Kuemper is 0-2 with a 5.11 goals-against average and a .825 save percentage. Those are rough numbers, especially for a goaltender who is trying to get his starting job back.
Kuemper has been here before, though. He was in net for Colorado when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, and he followed that up with a Vezina Trophy finalist finish in 2024-25. The Kings signed him expecting that version of Kuemper.
So far, they haven't gotten it consistently.
His situation became even more interesting last season when he lost the starting job to Forsberg down the stretch. Forsberg went on to start every game of the Kings' first-round playoff series, which ended with Los Angeles being swept by Kuemper's former team, the Avalanche.
Now Kuemper is trying to get his crease back.
Tuesday was at least a step in the right direction. He stopped 26 of 28 shots and kept Los Angeles within a goal until the final minutes. The Kings couldn't find enough offense to get him the win, but this was the kind of performance Kuemper needed.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 22: Max Clark #15 of the Detroit Tigers looks on during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Arizona Fall League is only a few games into its five week schedule. The Tigers have some players to follow out there, including top prospects Bryce Rainer and Zyhir Hope, infielder John Peck, hard-throwing relief prospect Jalen Evans, along with starting prospect Win Scott. We’ll be updating their progress weekly throughout the Fall League season. However, the most interesting note from the fall developmental league is an unannounced experiment with defensive positioning for outfielders.
The Fall League is generally designed to provide competition and development for prospects who missed time during the regular season. At times, players will go out there even when they didn’t miss much time if there’s something specific, like a positional change, that they’re working on. The Fall League has also been used as a laboratory for a lot of rule changes the league has implemented over the last few years.
Banning extreme infield shifts started as a Fall League experiment, as did the pitch clock and the ABS challenge system. MLB uses it as a testing ground, and other rule changes, like checked swing challenges, have been tried but not implemented in the major leagues, or anywhere else in the minor leagues. At least not yet.
Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs is out covering the AFL and reported today that the league is experimenting this season with restricted positioning for outfielders this time around. You should read his full description, and the league’s response to his inquiries here. Essentially though, they seem to be experimenting with forcing corner outfielders to stay within a certain distance of their respective foul lines, while playing relatively shallow as well.
It was back in 2023 that MLB decided to limit shifts for infielders, requiring all of them to stand on the dirt until the pitch is delivered, and stopping the second baseman and shortstop from shifting to the other side of second base. These changes haven’t had any noticeable effect on ground balls going for hits.
One would assume that the league wouldn’t have implemented the shift limits if they didn’t at least work in the AFL, but that’s just an assumption, as it hasn’t changed the amount of ground balls going for hits in the big leagues. Perhaps teams simply positioned their first baseman a little more toward second base or slightly deeper to help make up the difference. Maybe they started favoring defensive ability as a bigger part of their first base equation. Whatever the league thinks up, teams and players are going to adapt.
The overarching issue the league can’t seem to solve to its satisfaction is the strikeouts. They would do well to stop bothering to try. Teams, notably the Tigers among them, have gotten a lot better at training batspeed with their hitters. With that is likely to come a greater emphasis on contact hitters. If you know you can build light hitting contact guys into major leaguers with at least average raw power, then contact is going to become a lot more valuable commodity in the draft, and that might be the only antidote to the reign of swing and miss stuff around the game. The Tigers already have Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark in this vein, and teenaged shortstop prospect Jordan Yost and others might follow suit in time.
Young players in top shelf high school competition and in college are already seeing velocity that would’ve blown the hair of major league hitters back years ago. It’s going to take time to see if the younger crop of hitters coming up is better suited to put more balls in play. Instead of drafting pre-fabricated sluggers with major swing and miss issues, teams might be able to take light-hitting young players with elite hand-eye coordination and bat control into more power threats, keeping power in the game while also getting some ways toward defeating the tyranny of the whiff.
My only point here is that everything the league does to manipulate outcomes and increase offense has failed, and the sharpest teams quickly adapt and exploit changes. Sticking outfielders close to the foul lines would certainly be a much more difficult change to deal with from a pitching and defensive standpoint. Of course, so would simply making outfielders play without gloves. You want old school? We can go all the way back. This kind of thing can get silly in a real hurry.
The shift bans did nothing of note. Forcing pitchers to abandon their sticky substance of choice didn’t help offenses. Nor did the pitch clock. Nor has the ABS system. The league says they want more offense, but since they dejuiced the baseball, they don’t want crazy home run numbers and a full, three true outcomes, style of game either. What they really want is fewer strikeouts, and nothing they’ve tried has been remotely successful. Trying to manipulate defenses to allow more balls in play to go for hits is just gimmicky in my book, but more importantly it just hasn’t done any good, and probably won’t unless they go to some real extremes.
So far, this is very much just the experimental phase of any changes to outfield positioning. Probably we’ll see them experiment with some different ideas in the next few years. Maybe nothing will ultimately come to pass. The question is still just what people actually want to see, and how any of these things can actually accomplish what the league seems to want to accomplish when so many competing changes are going on all at the same time. We’ve seen more stolen bases with the bigger bases in use, and stolen bases are great action plays. Won’t that lead to prioritizing catcher defense over offense? There’s always a reaction. We might add stolen bases, but cut into catcher offense due to greater demand for arm strength and accuracy.
Personally, I would like the league to just chill out for a while and see how teams and players adapt to the enormous amount of changes they’ve already made. Throw in the varying springiness of different batches of baseball, and the league has created all sorts of little mini eras over the last decade. Comparing say, Justin Verlander’s career to Cy Young’s, is already kind of impossible. In the future, all this artificial manipulation of game elements is only going to add more and more layers of complexity to those sorts of evaluations.
We’re only four seasons from the National League adopting the designated hitter full-time. Now we have shift bans, bigger bases, pitch clocks, sticky stuff checks, the three batter minimum rule for pitchers, the Pitchcom system, the ABS challenge system, and a planned checked swing challenge system coming soon. There was a time when replay was controversial. Rapidly changing rulesets have come fast and furious ever since.
Some of these changes have been positive, and some haven’t, and we might all have different views as to which is which. There’s nothing wrong with experimenting in the Arizona Fall League or in the independent leagues, looking for ways to improve the game. It would just be nice to have a moratorium at some point so we can actually let things play out. Give teams time to study things and adapt and innovate on their own. The Brewers more than anyone, but the Rays as well, started bunting way more often this year. Maybe that will be part of the equation as well. Baseball often provides its own adaptations and counter balances if we just give it time, but it still looks like the league intends to keep trying to manipulate the game to make it look the way some in MLB committees want it to look. We can only hope for a point at which the players are allowed to just play the same game for a few years. They might come up with better, or at least more organic solutions, but only if there is finally an era with some consistency.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Jake Cronenworth #9 of the San Diego Padres rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on October 06, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was only fitting that Christian Yelich hit a ground ball to shortstop where Xander Bogaerts fielded the ball and completed an unassisted double play to help the San Diego Padres secure a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on Tuesday night.
Bogaerts was instrumental at multiple points throughout the game. His diving stop deep in the hole at shortstop in the top of the fifth inning did not take away a hit, but it did keep the Brewers from scoring a run. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Bogaerts hopped over a ground ball off the bat of Miguel Andujar. Bogaerts also avoided the broken bat of Andujar which was right behind the ball. The play by Bogaerts combined with the distracting broken bat caused Milwaukee shortstop Cooper Pratt to throw short to first base. The ball skipped past Jake Bauers and went into foul territory. Andujar reached safely and Bogaerts slid into home to give San Diego a one-run lead on what proved to be the winning run.
Michael King took the mound in relief in the top of the eighth inning and got through the top half of the frame without much trouble. The Padres were unable to add to their lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. On a night when San Diego did not have Mason Miller who was placed on paternity leave prior to the start of the game, and Adrian Morejon who seemed to be unavailable, King returned to the mound in the ninth and got the first two outs. He then allowed a walk to William Contreras and a walk to Bryce Tourang. Yelich came to the plate and on the first pitch after a mound visit from Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla, King got the Brewers captain to ground into a game-ending double play to help San Diego stave off elimination.
Xander Bogaerts turns the double play, Michael King locks down the save, and the @Padres live to see Game 4! pic.twitter.com/vYXcWkxjJ3
Nick Pivetta started on the mound for the Padres and left the game after 4 1/3 innings with a 2-1 lead. There were runners at second and third base and Jason Adam was called on to try to strand them there. Adam induced a shallow fly ball to left field that was caught by Dustin Harris for the second out, but Pratt tested Harris and raced home and slid in safely well ahead of the throw to make the score 2-2. Jake Cronenworth changed that with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning which put the Padres back in front, 3-2.
Bogaerts was not the only San Diego player to make game saving plays on defense. Jackson Merrill took away extra bases when he ran deep into the left-center gap and made a sliding backhanded catch to take away extra bases from Jackson Chourio. Merrill followed that up with a play in the top of the third inning with a play in the right-center gap to take away an extra-base hit from Sal Frelick, prompting a response from Brewers manager Pat Murphy.
Down two games to none to the Rays is the worst possible spot for the Yankees to be heading into Game 3 of the ALDS on Wednesday night. But there are a few positives – not with their play so far, obviously – that they can cling to as they try to save their season.
They have lefties scheduled to start Game 3 and Game 4 (should they make Game 4 necessary, anyway). They’re at home and, let’s be honest, there’s really no chance they play as poorly as they did in Game 2’s flop fest. Right?
Right?!!?
Here are three things to watch in Game 3 as the Yankees try to prevent the Rays from a second big celebration in the Bronx, where they cliched the AL East last month:
Friendly confines
Can the Yanks take advantage of home field and prove the resiliency they’ve been talking up since their Game 2 humiliation? The Rays had a clear advantage in the first two games at Tropicana Field – the speedy turf plays to their strengths, they know the backdrop the dome’s roof gives to fly balls, and they were awfully difficult to beat there, going 55-26 at home.
The Yankees were 46-34 at Yankee Stadium this season, including 4-2 against Tampa Bay. So they weren’t as dominant a home squad as the Rays were. But they’re also built to thrive on the short right field porch. They hit the most home runs at home this season and had the eighth-best home OPS.
Of course, the Yankee offense has been stymied by Rays pitching this series – Ben Rice and Austin Wells have two hits apiece, but the rest of the lineup is an unfathomable 1-for-46 (.022). The Rays are starting road warrior Nick Martinez, a Fordham product who had a 2.38 road ERA this year, including a 2.25 in two starts in the Bronx.
A loud, supportive crowd behind them should help. At least at first. Boot a few early, like Game 2, and that atmosphere will likely change.
Fried factor
Homers are not really the Rays’ game, but it’s worth noting they only hit 36 of them against left-handed pitchers this season, tied with the Marlins for the fewest in MLB. Only five teams had a worse OPS against southpaws than Tampa Bay. The put-it-in-play Rays batted 15 points lower against lefties than righties during the regular season. Still, they’re so good that they were 31-17 in games started by left-handers.
Aug 7, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
And Max Fried, of course, is not your average MLB lefty. Neither is Game 4’s scheduled starter Carlos Rodón. Fried allowed one run in six innings in his start in the Wild Card Series and the Yanks could use a repeat in Game 3.
Tampa Bay likely will insert righty Ryan Vilade into the lineup – he hit seven homers and had an .818 OPS against lefties this year. Junior Caminero hits every kind of pitcher (eight homers, .916 OPS against lefties) and Yandy Díaz (eight homers, .780 OPS against southpaws), will be his usual challenge.
Decisions, decisions!
Aaron Boone said on Tuesday’s off-day that he was "considering a couple of things" in terms of lineup changes. He’s used eight lefties and George Lombard Jr. so far in the series, but the huge platoon tilt has not worked. The Yanks have scored just twice, both on Rice solo homers, own a .369 OPS, and are striking out more than usual.
Oof!
They could use José Caballero at third instead of Ryan McMahon, who made an error on the first play of Game 2 and is 1-for-7 in the postseason. After Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s poor-judgment night at second base in Game 2, does he come out? Anthony Volpe could start there.
With Fried -- a groundball pitcher -- on the mound, the Yanks need defense.
New York might be giving up a couple of supposed platoon edges by replacing two lefties with two righties against the righty Martinez, but it might be worth it. Martinez thrives on soft contact, so maybe Caballero’s speed translates into an infield hit that could jump-start an inning.
MLB divisional series action Wednesday, Oct. 7 is headlined by the Tampa Bay Rays, who are just one win away from sweeping the New York Yankees in Game 3 and securing their spot in the American League Championship Series.
Game 2 saw the Rays capitalize on the Yankees’ defensive struggles, with Richie Palacios delivering a clutch two-run single in the fifth inning. The Rays won 5-2 for a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Now, the Rays have a chance to clinch a spot in the ALCS with a win, while the Yankees are fighting to avoid elimination and keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Utah Mammoth are having a strong start to the season, as evidenced by their 3-1-0 record so far.
Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Nick Schmaltz is a big reason behind Utah's good start the campaign, as he has been excellent for them.
In four games so far this season with the Mammoth, Schmaltz has recorded five goals and seven points. His five goals are currently at the top of the entire NHL, so there is no question that the former Blackhawks forward is impressing right now.
Schmaltz has scored at least one goal in each of his first four games of the season. He is also not showing any signs of slowing down, as he had one goal and three points in Utah's most recent game against the New Jersey Devils.
Schmaltz was selected by the Blackhawks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, 20th overall. In 162 games over three seasons with the Blackhawks from 2016-17 to 2018-19, he posted 29 goals, 62 assists, 91 points, and a plus-7 rating.
Luke Schenn has never ordered room service from a hotel when on an NHL road trip. Not a single time in his 1126-game NHL career.
As the Vancouver Canucks prepare to embark on one of their longest road trips throughout the 2026–27 season, Schenn is looking at keeping things that way.
The act of rallying teammates together for a dinner on the road is something known throughout the NHL as a custom for team-bonding. It serves as a good means of spending time in different cities after practices and team-obligations wrap for the day.
“That’s the best part about the NHL, is getting out there and getting to know your teammates,” Schenn told The Hockey News ahead of Vancouver’s trip out east.
The Canucks’ upcoming road trip will push the team through six different games in the span of a little less than two weeks. After facing the Carolina Hurricanes on October 8, Vancouver will head to New Jersey and New York to face the Devils, Rangers, and Islanders on the 10th, 11th, and 13th respectively, before heading down-south to Florida to play the Panthers on the 15th and the Tampa Bay Lightning on the 17th.
It’s the first long road trip for the Canucks during the early stages of the 2026–27 season, which means this trip will be when things like team-dinner organizers and airplane seatmates are sorted out.
Given his experience throughout the league, the role of the team’s rallying figure is usually something Schenn takes on.
“I would say 70 percent [of the time], probably. Decent amount,” he said. “When you’ve been around a long time, you kind of know the spots to go, and it’s easy to get a group together — throw it in the group text, and get some guys together and have some fun, have some laughs.”
Those 1126 games have seen Schenn take on roles with 10 different teams throughout the NHL — the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and, of course, the Canucks. Through these experiences, he’s seen how the road-trip team-bonding culture has changed.
“I think probably few guys that meet up for a beer a little more often, probably when you get into a city, that’s just kind of the old school environment of how the NHL used to be, I would say [...] now, obviously, with the speed of the game and the schedule, it’s a lot more recovery, I would say.”
Oct 1, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn (2) skates onto the ice prior to the start of a game against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
It’s still early in the season, which means Vancouver still hasn’t quite gotten the opportunity to do their fair share of team-bonding on the road other than their short one-game trip to open the season against the Edmonton Oilers. While they also went up to Penticton for 2026 training camp, due to the hectic schedule and large groups of players, there wasn’t much room for the players themselves to organize their dinners on their own.
“[It’s] just a little bit different now to have the group together.”
The road trip team-bonding experience is an essential part of the NHL experience, according to Schenn. Back at home, there are personal and familial elements to life that keep players busy off the ice. Things are different on the road.
“I always say, I don’t remember a lot of games, good or bad, guys have had, or a lot of plays along the way. But I remember getting to know the guys and stories along the way, and some of the best memories are just getting to know your teammates.”
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 21: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball against Gary Trent Jr. #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on January 21, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks play the Oklahoma City Thunder for game two of their preseason campaign tonight. The Bucks fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a disappointing first outing where their lacklustre defence was put on full display, especially in transition. That said, the game also included some real positive flashes from Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, along with solid performances from Ryan Rollins and Kel’el Ware. Sure, the game was nothing to write home about—which is why I am writing all of you instead—but it could have been a lot worse. Jenkins may still be in the phase of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks tonight, but here’s to hoping we see this team start to find more of its footing.
The Task Ahead
Though not nearly the off-season shake-up that Milwaukee endured, Oklahoma City enters this year with some familiar faces gone: Isaiah Joe, Andrew Wiggins, and perhaps most notably, Lu Dort. This comes after falling in the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, so it stands to reason that this OKC team faces more questions than in previous years. Alex Caruso sensed this additional context and reassured reporters on Media Day that, “Fundamentally, we are still the Oklahoma City Thunder.”
While nobody can deny that the Thunder are still the benchmark, questions are warranted. To many fans, Dort felt like a key piece of their core—what do they look like without him? Between Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, the Thunder certainly aren’t lacking on the wing, but Dort’s switchability is hard to replace. Of course, they may start the season 24-1 again and make everyone forget these questions, but regardless, the personnel change will be a storyline worth tracking for the Thunder all season long.
Even so, don’t expect many answers against the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks, especially since there is no real guarantee we will see many, if any, of Oklahoma City’s starters. This will be their second night of a back-to-back, and despite resting many starters last night, OKC may still take a conservative approach, given they expect to be playing into June. Nevertheless, I am hoping to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ryan Rollins battle.
Injury Report
As of this writing, the Milwaukee Bucks have no injuries to report. The Oklahoma City Thunder, as I just mentioned, took a very conservative approach last night, sitting damn near half of their roster. Does that mean a chunk of them play tonight? There’s a decent chance, according to Thunder coach Mark Daigneault: “We make our own preseason schedule, so the back-to-backs are actually by design. We’re not going to play everybody in every game. At least the high-minute rotation guys. We will play some guys five games, but the high-minute guys don’t play in every game.” So yeah, we can expect some Thunder starters to play against the Bucks, but don’t be surprised if some remain out.
Player to Watch
Ousmane Dieng was one of several DNPs on Monday night, which shouldn’t surprise anyone given how large the roster currently is, but after signing a new contract with the Bucks over the summer, many fans and I are eager to see what Dieng can do in year two. While still somewhat unproven, Dieng showed some enticing flashes last year: length and athleticism on the perimeter, secondary and sometimes primary playmaking, and the ability to shoot or finish near the rim. This season, we are all hoping that he can take that next step forward and become a solidified rotational player, and I’d love to see him get started tonight.
Projected Starters
Bucks
Position
Thunder
Ryan Rollins
PG
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Tyler Herro
SG
Cason Wallace
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
SF
Jalen Williams
Kyle Kuzma
PF
Chet Holmgren
Myles Turner
C
Isaiah Hartenstein
Game Details
Who: Milwaukee Bucks (0-1) vs. Oklahoma City (0-1)
We see more from Superman. Kel’el Ware played 24 minutes in the first preseason game and grabbed 12 rebounds. In game two, I think we’ll see the Kryptonian play more minutes and grab more rebounds: 15 boards, six of which come off the offensive glass.
Los Angeles, - October 03: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Bravesreacts after hitting a two run home run against the Los Angeles yin the ninth inning of Game 1 of a NLDS playoff baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 3, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Two questions for the (zero) price of one. Backs against the wall, the Braves can only end tonight in one of two ways (I guess there could be a freak rain delay?): force a winner-take all Game 5, or bow out of their 2026 campaign.
That they’re in this place isn’t surprising given that they have A) allowed homers, and B) not hit many homers. They stole one game of the series while getting outhomered, but asking them to steal multiple that way is an even tougher sell than a single win. The Braves have been out-homered 7-2 in three games, and well, allowing seven homers in three games is basically a nightmare, especially for a team whose main claim to 90-plus wins was having relievers who didn’t allow key homers late.
While they’ve faced good pitching, the Braves have a .245 wOBA and .251 xwOBA in the Division Series so far; the Dodgers are at .309 and .339, respectively. So, something’s gonna need to change, or something very wacky is going to need to happen for the Braves to live to fight another day… or series.
Who’s going to be responsible for one or the other? Have at it.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 25: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners hits a single during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park on September 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two days ago, we asked who your top free agent target was. Today, it’s time for the reverse. Very few free agent possibilities meet with unanimous agreement; there’s always reason to believe that a player might not pan out, or that they might not be worth the price they’ll command. It’s more fun to dream of a new signing being that long-awaited missing piece than to dread them being a mistake, but you can’t always be positive.
Today’s question is: Are there any free agents you’d prefer the Phillies steer clear of?
