It may have seemed surprising that Bradley Beal chose to re-sign with the Clippers this summer.
Gone are Ivica Zubac, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, as well as any chance to compete.
The Clippers were embroiled in the salary cup circumvention scandal, which led to them being stripped of five first-round draft picks, the franchise being given a $30 million fine and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer being suspended for a year, among other penalties.
Bradley Beal of the Los Angeles Clippers poses for a photo at the Los Angeles Clippers Media Day at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Getty Images
To put it mildly, the Clippers weren’t exactly a shining beacon for free agents.
“Obviously, I’m getting older,” Beal told reporters. “I can go try to win and go chase winning, and I had plenty of opportunities to go do that. But I can’t be of service to them, either, if I’m not healthy. My biggest thing is being healthy and making sure that I can consistently play, consistently be available.”
Beal is a three-time All-Star and averaged more than 30 points in consecutive seasons from 2019-2021. But he has missed at least 29 games the last five seasons due to various injuries. He’s currently out for the start of Clippers training camp because of right knee inflammation.
“It’s been a knock on me the last four or five years. And I can’t shy away from that,” Beal said. “My biggest thing is who gives me the best advantage of being available, being myself consistently. And I have a great relationship with the staff here. And I entrusted them with putting me in that position.
“I feel like if I went anywhere else, I’d be starting all over again, kind of putting a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure on myself to perform and do things. And I can’t answer and necessarily check that box yet. So giving myself time to be able to check some of those boxes before making those types of moves.”
Beal, who only played six games for the Clippers last season after suffering a left hip fracture that required season-ending surgery, is clearly prioritizing his mental and physical health over the prospect of winning a title.
The revamped Heat, who acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo in June, showed interest in Beal in free agency. The Celtics and Warriors had varying degrees of interest in him as well.
Dec 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) walks down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The back-to-school-like excitement that surrounds Boston Celtics Training Camp is unmatched. The Patriots stink, Drake Maye may be a fraud, and the Red Sox just played 18 innings of torturous baseball in a humiliating Wild Card Series sweep vs. the rival Yankees.
Many, if not all, Boston sports fans are wondering what Lucky has for them this fall. Washed away in all of the preseason wonder is Payton Pritchard’s new extension eligibility. As of Thursday, the Celtics can offer Pritchard an extra three years for a total of $67 million — roughly $22.3 annually.
The seventh-year guard still has two seasons remaining on his current four-year, $30 million contract. Said deal has become one of the most valuable in the league ever since the former Oregon standout hit his stride two years ago en route to a Sixth Man of the Year worthy campaign. He’s averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game on 46.8% from the field and a crisp 39.3% from beyond the arc during that span.
There’s no disputing that he’s earned a proper payday at this point.
Pritchard’s recent emergence clearly played a role in the front office’s decision to shake up the roster this summer. His consistency on the ball, last season in particular with Jayson Tatum sidelined for the majority, gave Brad Stevens and Co. the confidence to build a roster with an expanded role for him in mind.
He was more than comfortable being aggressive offensively, and the team was better for it. Quite frankly, the most frustrating part of the playoff collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers was Pritchard’s lower usage as the series went on.
Unfortunately, with the way the league works today with all of the financial restrictions, there’s no guarantee that a deal comes together smoothly. The Celtics have the challenge of trying to maximize every dollar they spend to avoid finding themsleves facing the dreaded apron penalties again.
In 2026, two years before an extension would kick in, it doesn’t feel like there’s much risk to paying Pritchard. The reality that Boston’s executives have to live in is that of 2028. The six-foot-one-inch guard will be entering his age 31 season.
As Celtics fans have witnessed with former small stars like Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker, time isn’t always kind to the little guys. Thomas’s career was derailed after his age 27 season when he played through a hip injury in the playoffs, and Walker wasn’t ever the same after his age 30 season when recurring knee issues limited his quickness.
Because of their size disadvantages, small guards typically have to rely on quickness and athleticism to thrive in the NBA.
It would be unfair to put Pritchard in a box and pretend like his game is entirely dependant on his burst. It’s a big part of it, but his elite skills play a huge role too. The West Linn native is the Celtic that I am most confident in every time he fires up a three. His patience on drives and attention to detail with his footwork make him a menance for opposing defenders to deal with.
Neither of those skills should go away with age. In fact, I’m pretty sure most shooters will be able to shoot it until the day they retire.
Paying Pritchard, whatever the number is, will most likley work out for the Celtics. The question is more about their eagerness to get a deal done — something to pay attention to over the next two and a half weeks during No. 11’s eligibility window.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees avoids a tag by Liam Hicks #34 of the Tampa Bay Rays to score a run during the seventh inning of the game at Yankee Stadium on September 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees are on their way to Tampa after making quick work of the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series. It’s only fitting that their next hurdle takes the form of the team that edged them for the division title—just like last year. The Tampa Bay Rays own the Junior Circuit’s top regular season record and likely represent the Yankees’ most significant hurdle for returning to the World Series.
Unsurprisingly, the Yankees fed off terrific starting pitching to sweep Boston. Cam Schlittler continued his superlative season (and his ownership of their arch rival) in Game 1, then Max Fried followed with an understated yet still stellar six innings of his own. But Aaron Boone’s club didn’t need to rely solely on the starters. In both games, the Yankee offense exploded in the latter half of the game to make the late innings as comfortable as a California King after a long day on the road.
With all that in mind, the Yankees are entering this tilt with the Rays looking like a well-oiled machine. They’ll need to keep it up to handle a pesky, modular, and cerebral Tampa Bay team that thrives on the margins.
On offense, this year’s Rays are not unlike the Blue Jays who ended the Bombers’ season in 2025, marking a departure from more power-focused, high-whiff lineups of past iterations. Like that Toronto team, they are extremely difficult to strike out—both their K rate and whiff rate were lowest in the league. They have plenty of contact-oriented bats: Yandy Díaz led the AL with 180 hits, and Chandler Simpson is the ultimate throwback, hitting over .300 with 46 steals and zero homers. Jonathan Aranda blends contact skills and pull power to right field. But they also have their own equivalent to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the heart of the order: All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero, whose 42 homers match the total Ben Rice put up this year. Their 104 team wRC+ was tied for fifth in MLB with the ALDS-bound White Sox.
As ever, the Rays’ pitching staff is loaded for bear—one of the few staffs that can compete with the Yankees. They throw tons of different looks at you, from the relentless top-down attack of ace Drew Rasmussen to the bouncy, crafty stylings of veteran Nick Martinez. Trade deadline addition Freddy Peralta is pitching like Freddy Peralta again, and they’ve got Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour as additional options.
For a five-game series, I anticipate Rasmussen (already listed as the Game 1 starter), Martinez, and Peralta in a three-man rotation, with Seymour as their designated long man out of the bullpen. Jax, who converted to starter this year after a fruitful stint in Minnesota’s bullpen, took a comebacker off his back in the penultimate game of the season. Indications from the team are that he’ll be good to go and could potentially reprise his late-inning role or be a “leverage guy.” Manager Kevin Cash demurred when asked for more details on his strategy—no surprise for a team that likes to keep their cards close to the chest.
Then there’s the bullpen, which could add Jax or Seymour to an already talented crew. Closer Bryan Baker, once an inconsistent middle-inning arm for Baltimore, has blossomed into an intimidating closer with triple-digit heat and a nasty changeup. Kevin Kelly has been among the league’s best setup men with a 2.44 ERA in 73.2 innings. Reports indicate that the Rays could welcome back Tyler Wells and Garrett Cleavinger, both of whom have missed time with injury. Add lefty Cam Booser to the mix, and you have a good idea of some of the arms the Yankees will see in the later innings.
The fruits of dispatching Boston early are borne in how the Yankees can set up their staff for this series. Gerrit Cole was the presumptive Game 3 starter for New York—he’ll likely start Game 1. There will then be a day between Game 1 and Game 2, giving an additional day of rest for Schlittler and Fried, who I expect to be deployed afterward. Since there will be a full four days between Game 1 and a hypothetical Game 4, the Yankees could start Cole again if they so choose and reserve Carlos Rodón for a piggyback role in case a starter can’t go deep.
The staggered scheduling of games promises to redound to the benefit of both pitching staffs, who likely won’t run their bullpens ragged with the first three games taking place across five days. As such, the focus in the series to me will be the lineups. Which team can snatch the initiative and give their pitchers a lead with which to work? Who can put up a crooked number—like the ones the Yankees pasted onto Boston—to dent opposing morale?
It’s with that question that we address the Aaron Judge of it all. Judge was vocal about his desire to play in the Wild Card Series, but ultimately was left off the roster. Instead, Giancarlo Stanton was given a spot, though he went unused. The full nature of Judge’s quad strain is still a little iffy, but bringing him back was wishful thinking against Boston, and I believe will be wishful thinking against Tampa, too. At any rate, this lineup has been clicking—which gives Boone every excuse to wait until they’re confident Judge can be his fully healthy self, rather than the limited version which probably couldn’t play the outfield as it stands. I expect the Yankees will not bring Judge onto the ALDS roster—and if they do, he will see limited playing time, if any.
For the best-of-three series with Boston, the Yankees got aggressive with their roster, constructing a super-bench and bringing only ten pitchers. With a best-of-five series on the horizon, the Yankees will probably add another arm or two, but I expect them to continue to carry a deep bench, especially if Judge remains sidelined. Boone was able to roll out two very different-looking lineups against Boston, and both produced. Just as the Rays thrive on changing things up and preventing their opponent from getting comfortable, the Yankees can and should continue to weaponize their depth in the same way.
Whose lineup is better? On paper, you can make a compelling argument for either side. One thing I’ll note, though, is the relative inexperience in the postseason for Tampa Bay as compared to the Yankees, who feature plenty of guys who have become postseason mainstays. Caminero has two postseason plate appearances in his career—Aranda has one. Richie Palacios and Victor Mesa Jr., two toolsy bats whom the Rays have relied upon for much of the latter half of the year, are playing October ball for the first time. Cedric Mullins appeared on two Orioles teams that combined to win zero postseason games.
The only hitter with an extensive October resumé is Díaz—who has a .561 OPS in 26 career playoff games. Past results don’t predict future outcomes, but we have seen plenty of teams with minimal collective postseason appearances flame out quickly. There will be lots of pressure on Tampa to prove they can hang.
One last thing: the last time New York faced Tampa in the postseason, they did so during the pandemic, in an absolutely vacant Petco Park in San Diego. This year, the series starts in Tropicana Field, where a healthy contingent of Yankee fans has always made their presence felt. This could undercut the Rays’ home-field advantage and give the Bombers an important energy source to siphon in the first two games. The Trop is not a beloved building in these pages, but if the Yankees can make it a second home field, the Rays will need to be that much more perfect.
For those reasons, I believe the Yankees will win this ALDS in four games. I think it could stand as another example of how participating in the Wild Card Series can help a team more than a first-round bye—provided they ace the test, which the Yankees did. From my perspective, New York’s pitching staff has more talent, and their lineup more experience. I think these factors will prevent us from seeing the complacent, often sluggish Yankees who bowed out early last October and were vanquished by the Dodgers in the previous Fall Classic. So long as they continue to cash in on their opportunities and mitigate mistakes, they’ll be able to unseat the AL’s top seed.
But you know what they say: you have to play the games. Game 1 of the Divsion Series is slated for Saturday, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST.
The San Jose Sharks continue to build something special on the ice in California's Silicon Valley. They're coming off the first winning season since 2019 and have established themselves as one of the younger, more promising teams in the NHL despite failing to make the postseason for a seventh consecutive year.
The Sharks have built their core through the draft over the years bringing in Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa and Igor Chernyshov. They continued that blueprint in the 2026 NHL Draft with three first round picks selecting Ivar Stenberg with the No. 2 pick, Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9 and Ryan Lin at No. 21.
One of the areas of focus was their defense and the team's physicality. They added Kiefer Sherwood during the 2025-26 season and his impact was felt immediately. They kept on adding guys that fit that mold during the offseason, a necessary move especially after rugged Ryan Reaves announced he's retiring.
They added defenseman Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba and Michael Kesselring, but traded forward William Eklund. Collin Graf was another big re-signing over the offseason, inking a three-year extension in San Jose.
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky was signed to a multi-year contract extension with the Sharks, after last season's 34-point improvement. Sharks GM Mike Grier puts a formidable team together. The Sharks are ready to get rolling as the team begins play on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Here's a breakdown of the San Jose Sharks' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NHL season:
San Jose Sharks offseason review
Record last season: 39-35-8, 86 points (11th in Western Conference)
Is the Sharks' young core ready to take the next step and make a postseason appearance?
Sharks general manager Mike Grier has slowly, but surely rebuilt this roster into a team that looks like it can be competitive and make a postseason run. Hired in 2022, Grier has methodically drafted and made complementary moves, whether through free agency or trades, to help improve the roster. Entering the 2026-27 season, San Jose has a roster made up of young stars led by Macklin Celebrini. One of the youngest teams in the league, the Sharks' average age is 24. Veterans Darnell Nurse, Michael Kesselring and Jacob Trouba are ready to help support and guide the young group. The Sharks were in the mix for the wild card spot last season, now they are on everyone's radar to make the leap as a playoff contender.
Projected lines and defensive partners
#SJSharks practice lines, trending toward Dickinson sitting on opening night:
The Sharks aren't a surprise team anymore. They have talent and it's known around the league. The Shark Tank will be rocking and it will feel like a playoff environment. This will fare well for the Sharks as they attempt to end a seven-year playoff drought. Macklin Celebrini will make his first NHL All-Star Game appearance and could even an MVP favorite if San Jose makes the playoffs.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Edouard Julien #6 of the Colorado Rockies looks on from the on-deck circle during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Sunday, April 26, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 52, Edouard Julien (-1.0 rWAR)
The modus operandi for the new front office of the Colorado Rockies entering the 2026 season was to raise the talent level and improve contact abilities. The free-swinging nature of the Rockies’ lineups of the past was an issue that the new leaders were hoping to rectify.
The Rockies made two trades near the end of January that seemed to focus on this goal and then some. One of those trades brought over TJ Rumfield from the New York Yankees, while the other brought back pitcher Pierson Ohl and infielder Edouard Julien from the Minnesota Twins. Ohl ended up as a non-factor in 2026 because of Tommy John surgery, but Julien spent significant time with the big-league club.
A strong start but a sharp decline
Julien’s time in Minnesota was disappointing. After a strong rookie campaign in 2023, Julien’s production declined rapidly over the next two seasons at the plate. Sure, he played well enough in Triple-A, but with other rising talent options for the Twins and his lack of minor league options, he became expendable for the Twins.
The Rockies hoped Julien’s elite contact and on-base skills could rebound and translate to a change of scenery, while providing defensive versatility at two open positions: first base and second base. The 27-year-old made a strong first impression in spring training, slashing .300/.417/.533 in 30 at-bats with 10 strikeouts and six walks over 11 games. It was certainly better than his .158/.304/.211 slash line during the World Baseball Classic with Team Canada, where he still drew four walks against eight strikeouts.
The trade appeared to be even more of a steal as Julien took off in April. By the end of the first month of the season, he was slashing .304/.396/.443 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 91 plate appearances over 27 games. Notably, Julien was doing quite well out of the leadoff spot, and it looked like the Rockies had found a quality option to get on base and get the offense started.
Then the wheels fell off.
Julien hit just .083 in May, going 5-for-61 while making 16 starts. He endured a 12-game hitless streak from May 10 to May 27, going 0-for-34 with 12 strikeouts and two walks. As he struggled, he was moved toward the bottom of the lineup as Jake McCarthy started to really take off.
He rebounded nicely in June, however, slashing .288/.422/.365 and showing off the plate discipline that made him intriguing in the first place. In 64 plate appearances, he drew 12 walks while striking out just 15 times. Unfortunately, he declined sharply again in July, going 5-for-38 across 14 games.
He played just three games in August, going hitless and drawing four walks, before he was designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque, where he finished out the season batting .263/.394/.375 with 20 strikeouts against 16 walks in 99 plate appearances. As for his line with the Rockies, Julien batted .208/.322/.292 in 88 games.
The good and the bad at the plate
Up until getting sent to Triple-A, Julien was a regular piece for the Rockies. He and Willi Castro split the majority of the time at second base as Castro bounced around the diamond at multiple positions.
The reason that Julien got so much playing time was that the on-base factor was so important for the Rockies. His 14.1% walk rate was the highest it had been since the 15.7% he recorded in 2023, and his 25.7% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career. Despite playing in just 88 games, Julien’s 39 walks were the fifth-most on the team this season.
He was also making more contact than he ever had before, at a rate of 78.0%. On pitches inside the strike zone, Julien had an 86.3% contact rate on a 62.5% swing rate. However, it also meant that he was making a lot of contact on pitches outside of the strike zone, with a 49.5% contact rate on an 18.6% swing rate. The ability to control the zone and exhibit elite discipline is what the Rockies hoped he could do on the regular, and they saw the impact it could have in two separate months. Unfortunately, the wild swings in the opposite direction showed that the contact didn’t always yield results.
Julien has been a groundball machine during his career with a 48.6% groundball rate. In 2026, Julien posted a career-high 50.3% groundball rate. Despite a career-high hard-hit rate of 49.7%, Julien just wasn’t finding results. See, he was elite at making contact on a lot of pitches, but that accounted for a lot of foul balls and weak balls put into play. When he would smoke a ball, it was on the ground half the time and playable for opposing defenses.
He also didn’t benefit much from the platoon system facing right-handed pitching, batting .214/.324/.307 in 84 games.
Julien definitely has the potential for more power in his bat; he hit 16 home runs during his rookie campaign, after all, but he couldn’t tap into that with the Rockies. Of the 49 hits he had this season, he had just nine doubles, a triple, and three home runs.
Offensively, the potential was there for Julien to thrive, especially looking at his Baseball Savant batting metrics, but the reality is that he just couldn’t take his game to the next level like a lot of other players were able to do this season at the plate. It feels as though his offensive stats are hollow outside of being able to draw walks and sometimes get a groundball single.
Defensive woes
As for the defensive side of things, that’s where Julien’s struggles really came to light. Initially, it was believed he would be a main option to man first base before Rumfield made that position his own. The Rockies were also committed to using Castro everywhere they could, particularly at third base and shortstop, to spot struggling players. That left second base primed for Julien to play the majority of his time there.
Unfortunately, it was not a pretty sight most of the time.
There were concerns about Julien’s defense in Minnesota and that is why he got bumped from spots multiple times. He didn’t do much to dispel those concerns in Colorado. In 467.1 innings at second base, Julien recorded -7 Defensive Runs Saved and was worth -4 Outs Above Average and -3 Fielding Run Value.
He could still throw out some highlight-reel plays here and there, but Julien’s defensive tenure at second base was not a pretty sight. His range and arm were not good, and there was a reason that his defensive playing time diminished as Kyle Karros solidified third base, allowing Castro to play at second base more regularly, and Julien served as the designated hitter and pinch hitter more often.
Au revoir?
The intentions behind the acquisition of Edouard Julien were well placed by the Rockies this season. Having a player capable of controlling the strike zone and drawing walks is something that will work for the crew at 20th and Blake. For brief moments, Julien did a great job showcasing that idea.
Unfortunately, his entire batting profile and lack of a defensive home made it more difficult to justify him staying around as the season entered the final stretch. Rumfield also ended up exhibiting the approach so much better over the course of the season as well.
In all likelihood, Julien will be made a free agent when the offseason begins. There is a world where you keep him on as a minor league depth piece, but ultimately he doesn’t bring enough to the table to justify keeping him around. Hopefully he can find an opportunity elsewhere, because there is some sort of potential, but the best thing he did for Colorado was show what a disciplined approach can do for a ball club.
As it does every season, the NBA has a few new points of emphasis for officials to focus on, something reporters were briefed on this week.
Flopping is back on the agenda, it's a point of emphasis. Nobody is happier about it than Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, who said this, via Jon Krawczynski at The Athletic.
"Hopefully the league cleans up this crap, because nobody wants to watch it," Finch said Wednesday. "That's what they said was the feedback from the fans. They're tired of watching the flopping. And we know that it's been rewarded at too high a level, so just stop rewarding the flopping."
The league knows what flopping is when it sees it, they just have to call it.
"We have a really strong definition of what a flop is — it's secondary theatrical exaggerated movements (STEM)," said Monty McCutchen, the NBA's head of referee development and training, when speaking to reporters this week. Definition or not, enforcement of that has been inconsistent (at best) in recent years.
There is nobody in favor of flopping. Where it gets tricky for officials is that embellishment — something not as dramatic as a flop — is legal. For example, a player driving the ball and snapping his head back to embellish any contact is not flopping. It has to be more theatrical than that. Also worth noting, just because a player sits down after a contested corner 3 doesn't mean it's a flop or foul either.
There are other points of emphasis for officials as well.
See below for Part 1 of the 2026-27 Points of Emphasis video (narrated by SVP, Head of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutchen), which provides examples and guidance regarding Off-Arm Push Offs by Offensive Players and Freedom of Movement – Screens: pic.twitter.com/zMMmOK3Kxq
• Off-arm push-offs by offensive player. This has become a growing issue in recent years, with high-profile players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, James Harden — singled out by fans and online referees for pushing off with their off arm. In the NBA's view, a ballhandler can use his off arm to feel for an opponent and be firm to hold a space, but if there is force used by the arm — particularly a push-off — to create space, the focus is to make that an offensive foul call. McCutchen admitted referees haven't been as consistent or as focused on that as they should have been in recent years.
It's a tough line for officials to draw.
"We have players that are going to live on the line where 10 times that they have the ball, they're going to be feeling and firming [with their off arm, which is legal] during a game, and three times during the game they may have full extension or have force," McCutchen said. "You're not allowed to call it because of the name on the back of their jersey."
McCutchen added this could tie into flopping, with defenders exaggerating and selling contact from a player's off-arm in hopes of drawing a call.
• Pushes by screen setters. There was a rise in guys setting legal screens last season, then pushing/shoving the guy trying to get over the screen to create space. The league wants those called.
El Segundo, CA, - September 28, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler participates in the team's media day at the UCLA Health Training Center on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 in El Segundo, CA. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Whether it’s been head coach JJ Redick or superstar point guard Luka Dončić, excitement surrounding Walker Kessler’s arrival with the revamped Los Angeles Lakers is palpable.
Kessler himself relayed that excitement during Monday’s media day, expressing optimism about his fit alongside Dončić and Austin Reaves, as well as what the organization’s commitment to him means.
“Obviously, playing with guys like Luka and AR that are unbelievable guards, and especially – and even AR in the pick and roll – but Luka in Dallas with playing with kind of a lob threat big, the formula’s been done before and it makes sense,” Kessler said. “As far as the belief they’ve shown in me, it makes me excited for this year. It makes me feel like I can run through a brick wall for this organization, this team, my teammates. I’m just so excited.”
This isn’t the first time that Kessler has said he wants to bust through a wall. Back in July, one of his first quotes as a Laker was a similar sentiment based on having a franchise back him the purple and gold did.
“It definitely makes you feel a certain way when you know an organization believes in you,” Kessler said on Monday during his first media availability since joining the Lakers. “And I think what they’ve invested, they’re showing that belief in a monetary value, not just with money, but like you said, assets. And for me, I’m somebody that if I know that they have that belief in me, I’m gonna run through a brick wall for them. That’s just how I’ve been wired my whole life and it definitely makes it a lot easier to go out there and compete for a team.”
Run through a brick wall is a classic sports truism, so Kessler was asked to explain how that sentiment may manifest on the court. The fifth-year center clarified he’s willing to embrace the little things and the dirty work to help make the Lakers a great team.
Of course, his rim protection and interior scoring are the headlining reasons Los Angeles sought him but nailing the details of his role could take his impact to another level. He seems ready to do exactly that because of the confidence the organization has instilled him.
“For me, it’s just doing the little things and just competing my tail off every night and doing all the little stuff,” Kessler said. “Whether that’s setting a hard screen, crashing the glass, sprinting the floor, just doing all the things it takes to win. I think when you have someone backing you and someone that shows you the belief that they have in you, it makes it a lot easier to want to make them proud and make them feel like you’re doing your absolute best for them.”
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees looks on during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It was always inevitable that Cam Schlittler would continue his feud with Red Sox fans and Boston-based media outlets.
Following the blowout 9-2 win on Wednesday night that clinched the Yankees’ slot in the ALDS, Schlittler was easy to find in the comments on the Yankees’ celebratory social media post. The Walpole, Massachusetts native had some choice words in response to some earlier comments made about his career stats against the Red Sox.
Schlittler’s comment, “Wat the 4’s gotta say now,” is a clapback at some personalities from New England sports media personality Jared Carrabis’ podcast ‘Section 10.’
To provide a bit more context, Rusey, one of the personalities on the podcast, previously called Schlittler ugly and essentially useless, even after dominating Boston in the final rivalry matchup of the regular season. He could’ve taken the high road in celebratory fashion on Wednesday night, but he seemingly found that choice too boring and let the fans stay mad.
Schlittler had an outstanding performance to completely shut down Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday night. Pitching through six and a third scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, the Yankees’ ace has accumulated a 0.47 ERA in his first six career starts against the Red Sox. He’s the fourth pitcher in MLB postseason history with two 10-strikeout games before turning 26.
The Yankees’ postseason run hasn’t seen the last of Schlittler, as he will likely take the mound for the second game of the best-of-five Division Series against Tampa Bay, with a chance to start in Game 5 as well should it go the distance. Securing the Wild Card Series in two games allows for an extra day of rest before the Yankees travel down to face the Rays.
Phil Mickelson sought treatment earlier this year for “family trauma and addiction”, his representatives confirmed to multiple outlets on Wednesday.
The 56-year-old golfer voluntarily entered a treatment facility and has since returned home. Mickelson’s representatives did not say when he sought treatment or how long he stayed at a facility.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 25: Josh Hart of the New York Knicks throws out the ceremonial first pitch before game two of the doubleheader between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Would you believe the Knicks play basketball tomorrow!?
That’s right, and they do so against the Philadelphia 76ers of all teams, one that surely pays homage to the age of their roster with their moniker.
Here’s the latest we heard straight out of Tarrytown and elsewhere on Wednesday.
Mike Brown
On eventually discussing Miles McBride’s contract situation with him:
“There will probably be a time and place where I talk to him about that because he’s human, and we all want what’s best for ourselves, our families, as well as the organization. That’s a nice balancing act, but at the end of the day, he wants to be here, we want him to be here, and that’s something that I have faith in Leon and Deuce’s representatives to figure that out.”
On staying out of the Knicks’ contract negotiations:
“It literally is the [salary] cap’s above my head. I don’t know how that works, and we’ve got a lot of moving parts as we all know. So I’m gonna let that unfold how it unfolds and in the meantime, we’re all just worried about how we can help each other on the court more than anything else because we know off the court, things get taken care of the right way here.”
On Gregg Popovich reaching out during the Knicks’ playoff run:
“[Pop] is grizzled, experienced. He understands how this works. We actually talked a couple of times during the playoffs. After OG’s tip-in, he called me and talked me through a lot of things. It was great to have conversations with him from time to time.”
On the support he received from the NBA coaching community after winning the championship:
“The coaching community is tight. Everybody wants everybody to do well because they know that the guy across from them is the one that really knows what I’m going through or the other guy’s going through. So because it’s that hard we really try to uplift one another whenever we can and when we won it, a lot of guys reached out if not everybody, and said congratulations in some way shape or form. It was great.”
On the Knicks looking for more centers:
“We’re looking for bigs. We’re looking at that [center] position heavily.”
On adding Tony Bradley and the need for center depth:
“Tony’s a veteran guy that’s still in his prime and has a good feel for the game, knows how to play the game the right way and he’s hurt us in the past. And, to be honest, when a guy hurts you in the past, you tend to remember him more than others. So to be able to add him to camp was a positive for us because, again, I said this last year: KAT has one of the most [difficult] spots out of everybody because I want to move him around when I play him at center. I want to play him at power forward, and at power forward, one through four is interchangeable.
“Same with OG [Anunoby]. OG we put him at the 5 last year. We probably will do it a little bit more this year as well. But to be able to do that, you’ve gotta have enough centers around on the team, so having Tony here with his skill set and feel is definitely a blessing because we’re looking at that position heavily.”
On planning to use Karl-Anthony Towns and OG at multiple positions:
“I want to play him at center, I want to play him at power forward.
“OG, we threw him at the five some last year. We probably will do a little bit more this year as well.”
On Josh Hart suddenly embracing the power forward label for the conditioning test:
“Josh was a power forward but when it came to the conditioning test, the power forwards and centers have an easier time [requirement]. Not much, but an easier time than guards. So all year I was calling him a power forward and he was cool with it but I could tell he didn’t really like it. But as soon as he heard about the conditioning test, he said he was a power forward.”
On wanting to remain with the Knicks for the rest of his career:
“Obviously, I love being in New York. I’d love to continue my career here, end my career here. Best fans, feel like we’ve done, obviously, something great this past year, and the years leading up to that. And I want to continue with this team.
“I’ve addressed a little bit earlier with some comments. But I’ll let the front office and my agency handle that.”
On being disappointed by the lack of a contract extension while remaining professional:
“It’s a little hard at times, but I’m gonna be a professional. I want to go out and do my job. So that’s in my ability, and to help the team win for as long as I’m with the team.”
On not allowing his contract uncertainty to affect his play:
“In a sense, every year you have to prove yourself. I feel like there’s uncertainty across the board for everybody in the league. Everybody’s going for big contracts and this and that. So I don’t let it really bother me. At the end of the day, I just want to go out there and give it my shot, play my best basketball.”
On whether he sees similarities in Mitchell Robinson’s departure and his situation:
“No, no. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s a business.”
On being fully healthy after recovering over the summer:
“I’m feeling a lot better. It’s kind of crazy thinking about how unhealthy I was playing through that playoff run. You go through surgery in an area where you need it. The easy medical term is sports hernia but it was a lot more complex than that. So having a summer under me, getting back fully healthy, it’s been so much better being able to move around how I want to move.
“They took my hip flexor, my abdomen and my groin and they pulled it and they put it in my pelvis and they did it on both sides. So trying to open a door, reach for a remote and everything you do is in that core, in that core section.
“So trying to keep up with those young guys in the Finals was tough.”
On the Knicks moving on from their championship summer:
“The summer that you’re champions, obviously, you only get to experience that for the summer, and then you’re right back to playing. I feel like we all had a good time. Everybody did the right thing over the summer. And we got right back to work when it was time to get back to work.”
On the Knicks’ championship bringing estranged families back together:
“I have people coming to me and saying, ‘I haven’t talked to my family member in 10 years,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, we should not be the reason that’s happening.’ But, you know, that’s cool to hear. Like I said, it’s not what I want to hear, necessarily, but those are cool moments to hear that what we’re doing on the court was able to bring people back together.”
On getting to take the Larry O’Brien Trophy to his high school:
“So you actually get to request it. You have to get approval from the front office and somebody in the front office is supposed to have it that weekend. They kindly let me have it, so shout out to Leon [Rose] for that. He let me have it for that weekend.”
"I've never been with a team three years in a row, given the camp deal stuff last year. Just the comfortability with the group alone, that's huge"
Landry Shamet talks about his comfort level with the Knicks and within Mike Brown's system: pic.twitter.com/ipLqKvjnUb
“It definitely gives you a sense of perspective and appreciation that I’m grateful for. To be believed in and have that offered to me, for me and [his fiancée] Cammi to be able to stay here in New York and continue to grow this thing, it’s pretty special. To be asked to be a part of it is humbling and I’m grateful for it every day. It means a lot.”
On feeling proud after earning long-term security with the Knicks:
“In a way, it just makes me proud of myself. That’s why you work through the difficult times and the challenging and the questioning ones. Typically, there’s really good stuff on the other end of that. It feels good, it feels good to be a part of this moving forward. I don’t want to drop my level or get complacent or any of that, that’s definitely not the feeling. It’s more, it just feels good to know that you don’t have that heavy wave right on your ass again this training camp.”
On whether he has rewatched his Eastern Conference Finals 11-of-12-from-three performance:
“I haven’t watched it all back in full, no. I’ve seen little clips.”
On staying ready for his playoff opportunity:
“Playoffs are funny in that way, and I feel like I’ve been privy to that with my past experiences, where you sit and you’re not in the rotation, but you’re one or two games away from being called on, being relied on to do something. I don’t know, I kind of just had a feeling, I’ve seen this movie before. It worked out.”
On what his new contract means after years of uncertainty:
“Last couple of years I’ve been pretty open with you guys. It definitely gives you a sense of perspective and appreciation that I’m grateful for. To be believed in and have that offered to me, for me and Cammi to be able to stay here in New York and continue to grow this thing, it’s pretty special. To be asked to be a part of it is humbling and I’m grateful for it every day. It means a lot.”
"I took it on a date. I took it to my wedding. I couldn't have a wedding without Larry there" 😂
Karl-Anthony Towns talks about spending time with the Larry O'Brien trophy this summer: pic.twitter.com/REeNRDVCwe
On bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy to his wedding:
“I took it on a date. I took it to my wedding. I asked to have it. I couldn’t have a wedding without Larry there, you know?”
On traveling with the trophy and still being amazed by winning it:
“He had a rider and all, and we made sure we got him there first class, and we got it done. So, I spent some time with the trophy this summer, and every time I see the trophy, I still can’t believe it.”
Julius Randle says he’s happy the Knicks won the championship and plans to do the same with the Nets.
“It was a great thing not just for them, for the city…We plan to do the same thing here.”
On being happy for his former Knicks teammates after their championship:
“I’m happy [for the Knicks], man. I kept in touch with guys. I’ve had a lot of great moments here in the city. I spent five years here, my family has grown here; so I was extremely excited, happy for those guys. A lot went into that; it’s not just myself, years before me.
“So, just happy for those guys. I was just last month on a trip with OG [Anunoby] in Brazil, just kicking it, talking with each other. So it was a great thing, not just for them, for the organization, [but] for the city that has craved that — we know how New York is — so has craved that winning formula, winning environment. And we plan to do the same thing here.”
Yankees captain Aaron Judge: “It’s tough to go up against world champs like the Knicks and the run they went on, it was so incredible with the ups & downs. But I got a lot of faith in these guys, man. We’ve got a special group here with a lot of grit.”https://t.co/XQ83Y7ZXz9
On what Knicks and Yankees championships in the same year would mean:
“A Knicks championship in June and a Yankees World Series in October would bring world peace.”
On the Knicks’ championship run and his faith in the Yankees:
“It’s tough to go up against world champs like the Knicks, and the run they went on, it was so incredible with the ups and downs. But I got a lot of faith in these guys, man. We’ve got a special group here with a lot of grit.”
On the Yankees drawing inspiration from the Knicks:
“We’re definitely inspired by the Knicks, and we’ve got to keep the winning going in New York.”
Yanks advance Liberty advance Knicks been advanced It's Winning Time in Gotham pic.twitter.com/IhfJQ63AZu
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox reacts in the fourth inning against the New York Yankees in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By now you’ve seen the quotes. After another ugly night at Yankee Stadium, a number of Red Sox veterans expressed their frustration not only with the way they played, but with certain on and off-field decisions.
First and most notably there was Sonny Gray, who didn’t mince words when it came to his thoughts about being lifted after having thrown just 70 pitches in an elimination game. “I think I’m the best pitcher in the American League going through the order a third time. I think that’s a fact,” Gray said. “I would have liked to have been trusted in that moment.” (ESPN)
Making matters worse, Chad Tracy’s decision to lift Gray in favor of Erik Miller seems to have soured the pending free agent on the organization as a whole. Gray was asked a variation on a question that every veteran has been asked dozens of times throughout their career: “Are the Red Sox a destination you’d want to return to?” It’s a softball question that, 99 times out of 100, would be answered with pablum about enjoying his time here and wanting to explore his options, and doing what’s best for his family, yadda, yadda, yadda. But in the heat of the moment, Gray offered something else:
When Sonny Gray was asked if the Red Sox were a destination he'd want to return to…
Earlier this season, in the midst of one of the hottest stretches in baseball history, Willson Contreras made it clear that he wanted to finish his career in Boston, saying that he had “found my family.” But in the clubhouse last night he didn’t hold back in criticizing the organization’s decision-making “It’s not enough when you have talent, or you have data, or you have computers telling you what to do, because this is baseball,” he said. “The data is here to help us, but at the end of the day, you’re going to need experience and veteran guys to win games. There’s a lot of stuff that I would like to say, but I’ll stay (with) that.” Asked further about accounted for the Sox’ swing from mid-summer brilliance to fall failure, Contreras demurred in eyebrow-raising fashion: ”I’m not going to answer it because I don’t want to give my honest answer.“ (Justin Leger, NBC Sports)
So what was Chad Tracy’s explanation for the quick hook? “We were trailing, we’re struggling to score runs, and you have to when you get in spots where you’re struggling to score runs and you’re already trailing, you feel like you’ve got to be aggressive and go,” he said. “They’re getting back to the top of the lineup, they got a couple hits against them, you see if you can put it out. And if you put it out, you’re kind of lined up to where we wanted to go. That just didn’t work.” (Tara Sullivan, Boston Globe)
While Tracy’s quick hooks are garnering a lot of attention, the Red Sox weren’t going to win much of anything with the way they were hitting. “Obviously, we didn’t score enough runs,” said Sox Trevor Story. “That’s kind of what it comes down to. We weren’t really swinging it real hot at the end of the season coming into the postseason.” (Steve Buckley, The Athletic)
Naturally, it’s even harder to score runs without Roman Anthony. The Red Sox have struggled to get a handle on Anthony’s injury all season long, and that appears to still be the case today. “We’re still trying to figure out exactly what happened and what the prognosis will be,” Craig Breslow said, while Anthony himself sounded devastated: “I feel sick to my stomach. I haven’t slept much. It doesn’t really feel real, to be honest,” he said. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees looks on during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Well that’s how you win a playoff series! The Yankees swept aside an inferior Red Sox squad, outscoring their opponents, 17-2, in two games in the Bronx. They are set for a date with the Rays in what should be a thrilling ALDS. However, before we get to that, we get to introduce our first Sequence of the Week of the postseason, Cam Schlittler setting the tone in Game 1 for the eventual sweep of Boston.
We join Schlittler in a packed house at 161st St. and River Ave., the Yankees ace set to throw the first pitch of this seventh playoff meeting between eternal foes. He is the best pitcher in the AL, the presumptive Cy Young winner after posting the third-lowest ERA (1.95) by a starter in a season in franchise history. He owns the Red Sox in his young career and is looking to author another chapter in his postseason biography after tossing eight scoreless innings and striking out a dozen to eliminate the Red Sox in Game 3 of last year’s AL Wild Card Series. The Red Sox offense may have been hobbled by injury in September, but they are not a group to be trifled with, starting with leadoff hitter Roman Anthony. Anthony missed most of the season with a torn finger ligament but returned at the end of August to post a 119 wRC+ in his final 25 games.
Schlittler certainly wants to declare a statement of intent from the first batter he faces, particularly the face of the Boston franchise. Everybody in the stadium and watching the broadcast knows a heater is coming first pitch, the only question is how fast.
We have our answer. Schlittler throws one of the fastest pitches of his season, dotting this 101 mph four-seamer on the corner away and at the knees for strike one. If anyone had any doubts whether Schlittler would be amped up for this start, this pitch is a resounding yes.
With the adrenaline coursing through his veins, it looks like Schlittler has access to a couple more mph on his fastball. He looks to take advantage of this fleeting boost in velo with another four-seamer to Anthony, convinced that he can throw it by the dangerous Boston lefty.
This one comes in at *just* 100 mph. Austin Wells sets a target up and in and Schlittler doesn’t miss his spot by much, tugging this pitch just a few inches inside. It starts as a ball out of his hand and never really deviates toward the zone, making for a pretty straightforward take by Anthony.
After two pitches, it appears Schlittler’s release is better aligned for that outside lane than to the glove side. Anthony showed zero interest in offering at the first pitch fastball called for a strike, so Schlittler and Wells go back to that well.
Schlittler throws almost an identical copy of the first pitch of the game, dotting another 101 mph four-seamer low and away. Same pitch, same result. Anthony is clearly hunting something up and on the inner half. It wouldn’t make sense for him to be guarding against the breaking ball below the zone considering Schlittler threw a fastball roughly 90-percent of the time during the regular season.
It’s been a slightly different approach from Schlittler to start the game, as he generally likes to live up in the zone with all three of his fastballs. That partially helps to explain Anthony’s passivity against the two in-zone four-seamers low, however that approach now has him in the hole, 1-2. There’s no subtlety to the following pitch selection, Schlittler looking to bully Anthony into submission with another heater over the plate.
This is Schlittler’s third four-seamer at 101, though this one catches way more plate than the other two. All the same, Anthony still can’t catch up despite knowing exactly what’s coming, his late swing slashing the pitch foul back to the screen.
Following that foul ball, Schlittler introduces his first wrinkle of the AB. After finally establishing his four-seamer in the zone but above the knees, Schlittler has the situation perfectly set up to get Anthony to chase a curveball in the dirt.
You might wonder why an MLB hitter would swing at a pitch that bounces in front of home plate. However, out of the hand this curveball looks exactly like the four-seamer in the zone that immediately preceded it. Because he has to stay geared up for 101, Anthony is almost forced into starting his swing before that curveball’s downward break kicks in, leaving him no chance to check his swing in time. I’ll admit I was shocked to see Schlittler throw a curveball this early in the game. I was expecting a diet of purely fastballs in the first inning and maybe even the whole first time through the order before using the curveball later in the game as a change of speeds and change of look.
Here’s the full sequence:
This outing was vintage Schlittler against Boston, but with an extra twist that could vault the Yankees ace into truly untouchable territory this postseason. He threw a career-high 32 curveballs to the tune of a gaudy 50-percent whiff rate. It surely confounded the Red Sox game plan against him and they were helpless against the Uncle Charlie for the entirety of his outing. Even if he ups the fastball usage in subsequent starts, the curveball usage rate in this game plants the seed of doubt in the mind of anyone attempting to game plan for Schlittler. Don’t be surprised to see his calling card elevated heater rack up whiffs in bunches now that hitters have to be mindful of the hook.
Though not quite as stratospherically dominant as last season’s Wild Card start against the Red Sox, Schlittler still found a way to silence Boston without his A-1 fastball command. He threw a career-high 117 pitches across 6.1 scoreless, striking out ten to join Bob Gibson as the only other pitcher in MLB history with multiple scoreless starts with double-digit strikeouts against the Red Sox in the playoffs. Needless to say, we are excited to see what brilliance he cooks up next.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Andrew Painter #24 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with Derek Hill #49 after winning Game Two of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Basking in the afterglow of a Phillies victory over the Braves on Wednesday, I kept going back to something over and over. Yes the in game redemption arc of Bryce Harper was probably the dominant storyline of the game, as was the Alec Bohm home run. Cristopher Sanchez carried them on his back for 6+ innings until he could literally not do it any more, sending the game to the bullpen. That’s when Don Mattingly pulled the Andrew Painter card to help him get through the game.
It turned out: the Phillies may have another pitcher with an elite pitch on their staff.
If we look at the Phillies’ starting rotation and tried to name the elite, 80 grade pitches that are there, one might determine these ones, in no particular order:
But did Painter’s changeup also just join the list? After only one game, one could be tempted to call it elite, especially since it was in a playoff setting when the leverage index was well over one. I’m not sure that I am there yet, but boy did that pitch look elite.
It wasn’t just one pitch that made me consider this over and over. I cannot get over the pitches that he threw to Dominic Smith. To have the absolute stones to throw the changeup as the first pitch is impressive. It ended up being middle-middle, not exactly where one wants to put it, but Smith was likely so amped up about getting a first pitch fastball that he’s miss the changeup by a mile.
Then to back it up with another changeup, this one down in the zone?!?!?!?!
Heavenly lord that pitch is illegal in about four countries.
In that moment, the tying and winning runs on base, seeing Painter rely on that pitch means that the trust he has in it is sky high at the moment. The coaching staff probably has more, better data on the pitch that suggested throwing it to Smith in that moment was the correct call. It perfectly set up his third strike, the ABS challenge that, quite honestly, should have never needed a challenge in the first place. There was quite literally nothing that Smith was going to be able to do with that well placed of a fastball.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Joe Davis and John Smoltz during the 2026 MLB All-Star Game broadcast at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/FOX Sports via Getty Images) | FOX Sports via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The television broadcast for every single Dodgers game this postseason, however long they last, will feature a familiar voice for those in and around Los Angeles. Joe Davis will call the Dodgers National League Division Series for Fox Sports, which begins on Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers in the NLDS will play either the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies, with that wild card series getting decided on Thursday night (5 p.m. PT, NBC) in Atlanta.
Davis will call the NLDS alongside John Smoltz for Fox Sports, with reporter Ken Rosenthal. That’s the No. 1 MLB crew for Fox, which will also televise the National League Championship Series and World Series. In other words, Davis will call every Dodgers game on television this October, no matter how long they last, just like he did in 2024.
Davis called 88 Dodgers games on SportsNet LA this season, right in line with recent years — he called 87 games in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025 — in addition to five regular season Dodgers games on Fox Saturdays. This is the fifth season Davis is on the No. 1 MLB broadcast crew for Fox.
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal sits in the dugout before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 3. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers did not need Tarik Skubal to win the National League West. They traded for him to help them win a third consecutive World Series.
Their legacy is at stake. So is his.
That could be hyperbole. Skubal turns 30 next month, already the winner of two Cy Young awards, one of them unanimously. He could sign the largest contract of any pitcher in major league history this fall. His career might be only at its halfway point, and already we can say he’ll be remembered as a star.
So I asked him if his career would feel somehow empty if he did not win a World Series. No one in Anaheim thinks any less of Mike Trout, and no one in San Diego thinks any less of Tony Gwynn, because neither Hall of Famer won a World Series.
Skubal thought about it. Yes, he said, his career would feel diminished without a championship.
“I think winning is the most important thing, so I think that’s fair to say,” Skubal told me.
“If I retire and I don’t have one, that will definitely be something that I don’t know when I will live it down.”
The Dodgers imported him for five or six starts in October, the first of them this weekend. I wasn’t sure of the right noun to use to capture his feelings: Excitement? Pressure? Responsibility?
“I think all of those things,” he said.
How so?
“I’ve grown to appreciate expectations from teammates, from fans, from organizations,” he said. “I’ve come to appreciate pressure. Early on in my career, there wasn’t much of that. It was more just kind of finding my footing, which I’m grateful for. It helped me learn a lot about myself.
“Having the expectation of being a team that is going to win the World Series, and me being a part of that, is something that I’ve come to really appreciate. I’ve come to appreciate all that stuff. As much as they can be looked at as negative things, or stress-inducing things, I’ve come to really appreciate those things, because I haven’t had that for my entire career.”
As soon as the Dodgers traded for Skubal two months ago, he was delighted to receive a text message from a pitcher who wore the weight of expectations throughout his career.
“Honestly,” Skubal said, “I wanted to get a jersey from him.”
The Dodgers' Tarik Skubal pitched seven scoreless innings in his final start of the regular season last week against the San Francisco Giants. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
They talked pitching too, of course, and stayed in touch. When the Dodgers landed Skubal, Kershaw’s welcome text led to him sharing advice not just about the team itself but about navigating the notorious L.A. roads to Dodger Stadium, and various neighborhoods that Skubal, his wife and two young boys might enjoy.
For Kershaw, the postseason was a widely publicized menace throughout the previous decade. In 2019, after he inherited a two-run lead in the deciding game of the division series, Kershaw gave up home runs to Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto.
After the game, Kershaw said, “Everything people say is true right now about the postseason.”
In 2024, the Tigers were five innings from the American League Championship Series, leading 1-0 in the deciding game of the division series, with Skubal on the mound. Three singles, a hit batter and a grand slam later, the Tigers trailed for good.
“I felt pretty responsible for the season ending,” Skubal said.
Kershaw earned his redemption in 2020, winning both of his World Series starts as the Dodgers won their first championship since 1988. That title lifted the postseason burden off Kershaw, and I wondered whether Skubal might feel the same way if he leads these Dodgers to a parade.
Skubal rejected the premise.
“I don’t really buy into that narrative with Kersh, the postseason struggles,” Skubal said.
Kershaw’s 41 postseason appearances include four starts on short rest and nine relief outings. In 2013, he pitched a combined 259 innings between the regular season and playoffs. In 2015, that number was 246 innings.
“It takes a superhuman to be held to the standard he was being held to, in the biggest of moments,” Skubal said. “I think he was great. He did everything he could for his team. He wore it out there sometimes. Chasing box scores and stuff is kind of unfair to judge guys on, because I’m sure he was pitching through some stuff and grinding through some stuff.
“But he had to do it, because he was Clayton Kershaw.”
Kershaw’s postseason earned-run average: 4.62. For Skubal, in six postseason appearances, all of them starts: 2.04. In that one five-run inning, he gave up more runs than he has in the other 38-2/3 innings of his postseason career.
After he gave up those five runs, he returned for one more inning and retired the side in order.
“That moment solidified who I thought I am, in terms of how I responded to that failure, how I responded to that adversity,” he said. “It’s weird to say and it’s probably weird to portray, and I don’t know how many people it’s going to resonate with, but that’s what I feel.”
Right time, right place: If Skubal wants to win a World Series, where else would he rather be?
“For him?” pitcher Blake Snell said. “There’s no better time for anybody than right now.”
The Dodgers acquired infielder Tommy Edman from the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2024 trade deadline. For Edman, that’s two Octobers and two parades.
“In St. Louis, I think we were hovering around .500,” Edman said. “I found myself traded here and I was like, ‘OK, all of a sudden I’m on the team with the best record in baseball right now, going for a ring just about every single year.’
“That’s the expectation we have here. There’s definitely a level of excitement.”
“There’s also a difference between being on a team like the Tigers — and nothing against that organization — where the goal really isn’t to win the World Series. It’s the hope,” Roberts said. “But being here and seeing the standard that we have and it’s like: ‘I’m here to win the World Series. This team has the best chance to win the World Series, and I get to be a part of it.’
“So I fully see him, now that he is completely immersed into our culture, where the first month was trying to feel his way: ‘Where do I fit in? I’m this hired gun.’ And now it’s like he’s one of the guys.”
Skubal insists that he has not really thought about his free agency, that his focus is on the here and now, and on each start as it comes. That means this month could be his last in Dodger blue, and that means this really might be his best chance to win a World Series.
“I don’t really know if I like the verbiage of that, thinking I must win this year,” he said. “I don’t think that’s fair.”
