The Mets dropped the final game of the 2026 Subway Series, but they ended up with a series split for the year and nobody is infected with legionnaires disease, yet.
In the rare position of making a late comeback of their own against someone’s weak bullpen, the Nationals scored four times in the eighth inning and handed the Angels a 6-5 loss.
The NHL Network is currently counting down the top 50 players across the entire NHL prior to the puck dropping on the 2026-27 season in just a few weeks.
The next batch of players dropped Sunday night, continuing with the NHL Network's ongoing schedule of revealing 10 players at a time each Sunday night through September 27, when plays #10-1 will be revealed.
This week, the NHL Network revealed that New York Islanders' former-rookie, now sophomore-sensation Matthew Schaefer checks in as the 28th-best player in the league today.
Matthew Schaefer (@NYIslanders) is the only rookie to appear on NHL Network's Top 50 Players Right Now list this year!
Schaefer, 19, will be the highest-ranked Islander on the list, joined by superstar goaltender Ilya Sorokin, whom the NHL Network placed at #35 in last week's ranking revelation.
The sensational defenseman found himself placed just ahead of established stars and 2026 Olympians Jake Sanderson and Moritz Seider, while being placed exactly one spot behind Lane Hutson.
NHL Network's Top 50 Players Right Now list rolls on with 30-21!
SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 22: Robert Suarez #75 of the Atlanta Braves reacts to the camera during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Monday, June 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Though the Braves did take care of business over the weekend, the Braves were unable to earn the sweep as the Phillies won Sunday’s game. But while this one game was disappointing, the Braves have to be pleased with the spot they are in to earn another NL East division title. They are now up five games (essentially 6 with the tie-breaker) with 12 games left. If Atlanta can get a split or better on this week’s tough road trip, they should be able to win the division with games to spare and prepare for the playoffs.
Braves News
Robert Suarez continues to make positive and notable progress in his return from injury. He is now in the midst of completing live bullpen sessions, and likely will complete another this week. That could allow for him to reasonably target a return to action before the regular season ends.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 13: Josue de Paula #95 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting a three run home run against the Miami Marlins in the fourth inning of the game at loanDepot park on September 13, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A few stories to start your Monday morning, as the Dodgers shift their road trip from Miami to Cincinnati.
Josue De Paula played his first three major league games over the weekend, but before stepping into the box for the first time on Friday was already displaying controlled confidence. From Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:
“Nothing I feel I really have to change especially on the offensive side. Just do what I know how to do,” he said, acknowledging that he doesn’t think making a bid for a spot on the postseason roster is out of the question.
“Yeah. I mean, that’s always in the back of your head too. But I don’t want to get too ahead of myself now. I’m trying to focus on the now and having fun while I’m here.”
De Paula walked at least once in all three games, then lowered the boom on Sunday with a three-run home run for his first major league hit, then added a double.
“I’ll never forget it,” De Paula said of his home run on Sunday. “It was awesome.”
Hannah Fry at the Los Angeles Times on Sunday wrote about the two weeks of turbulence for Los Angeles-area sports owners, including Dodgers owner Mark Walter selling the Lakers less than a year after buying them (amid ongoing federal investigations), Rams owner Stan Kroenke buying the Angels, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer getting suspended by the NBA for salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard.
I missed this a few weeks ago, but Brady and Trey Ebel, first-round picks of the Milwaukee Brewers in the last two years had a connected moment in the minors. Brady and Trey, the sons of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, were fixtures at Dodger Stadium during summers when they were at Corona High School, often practicing on the field.
Brady Ebel started the season in Class-A Wilson in North Carolina, and on July 19 started at shortstop and was hit by a pitch and scored in a six-run first inning. The game was suspended by rain with two outs in the top of the first inning and a 2-0 count on Brady, batting for a second time in the game already. Play wasn’t resumed until August 25, and by then, Brady was promoted to High-A Wisconsin. So Wilson put Trey Ebel in for Brady to complete the plate appearance, and he took two more balls to work a full-count walk, which was credited to Trey.
“I was in the cage this morning, and when they sent out what we’re gonna do for the game, I was like, ‘No way! This is crazy,'” Trey said after the game. “How cool is that? I don’t know if that’s been done before, having the younger brother finish [an older brother’s] at-bat. I’m super stoked.”
Aug 10, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) smiles after grounding out against the Athletics in the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This March, I was struggling to get that new-season thrill for the Tampa Bay Rays. The last two seasons were slogs, and frankly I didn’t see a lot suggesting this year would be better. Maybe Shane McClanahan would be healthy. Maybe Yandy could continue to be a league leading hitter even as he aged. The off season acquisitions didn’t have me picturing October baseball either. Nick Martinez? Ben Williamson? Ryan Vilade? These guys were going to going to get us the 10 + additional wins needed to make the post-season?
The one thing I was sure about, with all my years of baseball wisdom, is that a team playing Chandler Simpson every day was a team headed nowhere. No shade on Chandler as a human being. He seems like a lovely young man! I love his enthusiasm and his work ethic! His speed is otherwordly!
But you can’t be a major leaguer with speed as your only tool, and we saw that last year. Simpson was pretty terrible in the outfield. This was clear from the eye test — his speed may have disguised just how bad he was at finding the ball — and defensive stats like Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) which had him at -4 for the 2025 season.
As for hitting: Simpson has always shown great contact skills, and he seldom strikes out (although he also doesn’t often walk). But he has no power. I mean none. Usually when we say a guy doesn’t have power we mean, say, Taylor Walls, who will still manage to run into 3-4 home runs and a handful of hard hit doubles in any given season. But Simpson has never hit a ball out of a major league park, and even his doubles and triples tend to be grounders hit to just the right outfield corner.
I figured this skill set — bad defense, slap hit singles and stolen bases — didn’t add up to a starting outfielder.
But now the Rays are a playoff team and Simpson is their everyday left fielder. What is striking is what has changed, but also what has not changed.
Simpson reportedly worked hard this off season to improve his defense. Now we always hear these stories of players striving to address weaknesses, but all too often the effort doesn’t much matter. This time, however, it did. This year Simpson is rated at 8 Defensive Runs Saved. Statcast gives him high ratings (93 out of 100) for his range, although his arm remain a weak spot. Those of us who watch him daily no longer think of his routes to fly balls as Oregon Trail like adventures. His becoming an average or better defender has given this outfield a completely different look.
I have also been thinking that Simpson’s offensive skills have shown improvement, but then I checked the numbers and his line this year is similar to last. With half a month to go his batting average and OBP are slightly higher than at the end of last season, but not dramatically higher. Counting stats like total hits or stolen bases are higher this year, but since he spent parts of 2025 in the minors he’s simply had more at bats. He still has no power, he still neither walks nor does he strike out.
One improved metric does stand out: he has nine sac bunts this year compared to three last season. This difference, I think, helps us build a narrative about Simpson’s key offensive role this year. His game hasn’t changed, but the team’s offensive approach has changed around him, making his skills more central to many of those small ball wins. When the Rays score three on a few singles, a couple of stolen bases and a sac bunt you know that Chandler was in that mix.
I don’t know what kind of career Simpson will have. A pure speed player is always one hammy pull away from losing his edge. I’m also not sure whether a team can afford to have a corner outfielder with absolutely no power over the long run. But in 2026, this is clearly Chandler Simpson’s team, one built to take advantage of the speed, energy and discipline he brings to the field.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 11: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a three-run home run as Tyler Stephenson #37 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field on September 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to week 25 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!
1. Milwaukee Brewers (93-57); 5-1 this week; 100.0% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)
The Brewers locked up their postseason spot and have a magic number of just two to clinch the NL Central after they swept the Cubs and took two of three from the Reds in a strong homestand.
William Contreras led the offense with three homers and 12 RBIs, while Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Brice Turang added two homers each. Chourio also led the team with 13 hits overall, including three doubles.
Most of the Brewers’ rotation had a strong week, as Robert Gasser, Logan Henderson, Jacob Misiorowski, and Dustin May combined for 27 innings across five starts (Gasser made two), allowing just three earned runs and striking out 31. Garrett Stallings picked up a save with three shutout innings in Milwaukee’s 20-0 win over the Reds, while JoJo Romero, Chad Patrick, and DL Hall also turned in scoreless
Milwaukee now departs for their last road trip of the season, as they’ll visit the Pirates, Orioles, and Phillies for three games each over the next week and a half.
2. Chicago Cubs (83-67); 2-4 this week; 99.0% chance to make postseason
The Cubs are hanging in the fight for the top NL Wild Card spot, as they’re currently tied with the Phillies at 83-67 this season. Chicago was swept by the Brewers to begin the week but bounced back to take two of three at Wrigley against the Pirates.
Pedro Ramírez led the offense with two homers and two doubles this week, while Alex Bregman led the team with eight hits, including a homer and three doubles. Michael Busch, Miguel Amaya, and Pete Crow-Armstrong also homered.
Shota Imanaga had the only quality start of the week, going six innings with two runs allowed and four strikeouts. David Peterson went 4 1/3 innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts, while Javier Assad, Aaron Civale, Colin Rea, Ryan Rolison, and Trent Thornton combined for 11 1/3 scoreless innings for the bullpen, striking out 11.
Chicago now hosts the Braves for three games before visiting the Reds for three games over the weekend.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates (75-75); 4-2 this week; 0.1% chance to make postseason
The Pirates had a solid week as they’re on pace to finish at (or above) .500 for the first time since 2018. They spent the entire week in Chicago, sweeping the White Sox and dropping two of three against the Cubs.
Five players had a homer this week, including Oneil Cruz, Rafael Flores, Ryan O’Hearn, Bryan Reynolds, and Esmerlyn Valdez. Cruz led the team with nine hits and drove in five, while Flores added eight hits.
Jared Jones turned in another strong start, going seven scoreless with just a hit and two walks allowed, striking out eight. Lake Bachar continues to function as an opener, going 1 2/3 scoreless innings, while Paul Skenes went seven frames, allowing two runs and striking out four. Mason Montgomery led the bullpen, picking up three saves over three scoreless innings.
Pittsburgh now returns home for their final homestand of the season, hosting the Brewers, Royals, and Cardinals for three games each over the next week and a half.
4. St. Louis Cardinals (74-76); 2-4 this week; 0.0% chance to make postseason
The Cardinals had a rough week, as they were swept by the lowly Giants in San Francisco before taking two of three from the White Sox at home.
Leo Bernal led the squad with two homers as part of a six-hit week, adding a double and driving in seven. Alec Burleson had the only other homer, also doubling twice and driving in six. Joshua Báez and Nathan Church each added three doubles.
Michael McGreevy made a pair of solid starts, spanning 12 2/3 innings with four runs allowed (three earned) and 10 strikeouts. Quinn Mathews went six innings with two runs allowed and four strikeouts, Andre Pallante went five innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts, and Kyle Leahy worked three scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Luis Gastelum, Gordon Graceffo, and Ryne Stanek combined for 11 scoreless innings for the bullpen, striking out 11.
St. Louis wraps up their last homestand of the year this week, as they’ll host the Giants and Nationals for three games each.
5. Cincinnati Reds (70-79); 1-5 this week; 0.0% chance to make postseason
The Reds had another rough week, as they were swept by the Dodgers in Los Angeles and dropped two of three against the Brewers in Milwaukee, salvaging the series finale on Sunday.
Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez each slugged three homers this week, with De La Cruz adding three doubles as part of a nine-hit week. Juan Brito also homered, and Sal Stewart added seven hits (all singles).
Chase Burns was just about the only bright spot for the rotation, making a pair of starts totaling six innings with two runs allowed and 10 strikeouts. Tejay Antone, Brock Burke, and Emilio Pagán combined for six scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out four.
Cincinnati now heads home for the last time in 2026, as they’ll host the Dodgers for four games and the Cubs for three games.
UNITED STATES - APRIL 01: Baseball: St, Louis Cardinals Chris Carpenter (29) in action, throwing out first pitch of season vs New York Mets Jose Reyes (7) during opening day game, Scenic view of skyline from Busch Stadium, St, Louis, MO 4/1/2007 (Photo by David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X77764 TK1 R1)
Good morning, baseball fans!
A new week of San Francisco Giants baseball starts today, with the team heading back out on the road for the last time this season.
First up is a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, followed by a day off on Thursday and then a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I would usually pick a Dodgers series for the one that I’m most interested in this week. But given the way things are going, and the way things went against the Cardinals last week, I’m picking that series.
Which series are you most interested in this week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin this series against the Cardinals this afternoon at 4:45 p.m. PT.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: A detailed view of a Colorado Rockies baseball bag sitting in the dugout prior to the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Rockies 11-7. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
Today and tomorrow, we are trying something a little different with our morning lineup. Rather than having one singular Rockpile that contains a feature story, minor league recap, and links to Rockies news, we’re going to split it into three parts:
Scaling the Rocks at 6am MT: Links to Rockies and MLB News
Rockpile at 10am MT: Daily feature story
Daily Pebble Report at 12pm MT: Minor league recap from the night before
We will still have the weekly Pebble Report feature story on Tuesdays, but that will be renamed the “Pebble Report Spotlight.”
You’ll still get the same information, but it’ll be broken into smaller chunks instead of one long thread.
This is not something we’ll run regularly at this time, as we’re still in the experimentation phase, but we just wanted to make you aware.
But on to what’s happening!
Country Roads, Take Me Home
Yesterday, the Rockies lost once again, pushing their losing streak to seven games as they went 0-6 on their road trip and were outscored 46-17.
Today, they embark on their final homestand of the season. They will play four against the San Diego Padres, three against the Arizona Diamondbacks and three against the Seattle Mariners. Then, they will embark on a quick three-game road trip to end the season against the Chicago White Sox.
The quest for 63 wins is still alive, but it is exponentially more challenging than it was a few weeks ago. The Mariners are the only team not in the thick of a playoff race, so it will be a brutal push to the end.
Rockies News & Links
Hill’s calm demeanor has roots in pee-wee football | MLB.com — Jaden Hill has been a stalwart in the Rockies bullpen this year, and Thomas Harding asked him about his origin story. For Hill, it came from growing up playing pee-wee football and learning how to not only find weaknesses in his opponents, but also stay calm in the face of danger.
With Goodman raking, but Rox reeling, backstop focused on bigger picture | MLB.com — The Rockies lost 11-7 after a spectacular late-inning bullpen implosion. In the midst of it, though, Hunter Goodman hit his 38th home run of the season. Thomas Harding asked Goodman to shed light on his accomplishment, and how the team is dealing in the midst of a streak that has seen them lose seven in a row, 11 straight on the road, and 19 of their last 24.
Rockies GM Byrnes talks ups and downs of Colorado’s season | MLB.com — Rockies GM Josh Byrnes was in Detroit over the weekend and offered his insights on the current Rockies situation, as well as their 2026 season as a whole. He identified three shortcomings (offense, defense, pitching) and one strength (Warren Schaeffer).
Ryan McMahon’s reunion ‘normal baseball, while Gabriel Hughes faces off with Aaron Judge | Denver Gazette ($) — Kevin Henry traveled with the Rockies to New York when they faced the Yankees last week. He was able to connect with old friend Ryan McMahon, who was facing his old team for the first time since being traded at the 2025 deadline. Additionally, he asked Gabriel Hughes about facing Aaron Judge, who had just been activated off the IL on Tuesday, and Connor Norby about what makes for a stellar batting practice (something that helped Norby get in the starting lineup on Tuesday).
Around Baseball
Diamondbacks designate Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for assignment | Arizona Sports — The Diamondbacks are pushing for a playoff spot, and cut ties with Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who was a key player in their 2023 World Series run. However, since then, he’s been injury-prone — including an ACL tear in 2024 — and the Snakes decided it was time to move on.
WPBL Takes Adaptability to the Next Level | Kick the Concrete — Purple Row’s own Joelle Milholm covered the WPBL this season for Kick the Concrete. This is her third article in the series, and she talks about the positional versatility of all the players. You can read her other articles here and here, as well as a feature she wrote for SB Nation.
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 09: Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen (22) hits a solo home run in the third inning during a MLB game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Kansas City Royals on September 09, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Lugo threw his four-seamer 38% of the time during his first trip through the order. The pitch also registered 6-of-9 first-pitch strikes, per Baseball Savant.
“I think, you know, it makes the hitters be a little more aggressive,” Lugo said. “So then, the spin and off-speed pitches tend to work better when they’re trying to hit fastballs. So we were trying to challenge early in the count and make sure they are quality pitches.”
“He battles, that’s probably his Number 1 characteristic,” Quatraro said. “He’s exceptionally competitive and he’s been on a really good run here lately the way he throws the ball. He has a lot of confidence and we have a lot of confidence in him.”
Overall, Cameron threw 85 pitches, 57 for strikes, relying a bit more on his slider than usual.
“Obviously, a long first inning. I was thankful to get out of there,” he said.
“That’s a phenomenal record,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We know that he’s been on a tear here offensively as of late. So good for him. Not only that, but it tied the game.”
Jensen has 13 hits, five home runs and 10 RBIs in September. He leads all American League rookies in extra-base hits (57) and doubles (31). He also ranks second with 71 RBIs, and third with 24 home runs.
“He’s swinging the (expletive) out of it,” Royals starter Randy Dobnak said. “He can do it pretty well. And what he’s been doing is what he’s been doing all year. I mean, this month, he has four or five pumps. Just swinging it really well.”
Witt began his day by beating out an infield hit before he stole second base for his 40th bag of the season. The All-Star shortstop, who reached that number for the second time in his career (49 in 2023), is one of just five players in franchise history with multiple 40 stolen-base campaigns.
With 13 games remaining in the regular season, Witt is just two homers shy of the third 20 HR/40 SB season in franchise history. His 2023 campaign (30/49) and Carlos Beltran’s 2003 performance (26/41) are the only two to date.
“Yeah, definitely feel better,” Caglianone said pregame. “You know, with these, it’s different for everybody going through them. So I’m glad there was no IL (injured list) or anything like that. Still a few games left in the year, so I’m excited and very happy to be back.”
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - SEPTEMBER 9, 2026: Wehiwa Aloy #1 of the Chesapeake Baysox looks on during a game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels on September 9, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Tides fell, with starter Juaron Watts-Brown taking the loss. He didn’t pitch too badly, though, giving his team five innings with three runs allowed on six hits and two walks. The righty, acquired from the Blue Jays in 2025 in exchange for Seranthony Dominguez, had a 5.76 ERA in Double-A, but struggled to a 9.26 ERA in Triple-A over six starts. After JWB, Yaqui Rivera, Albert Suárez and Yosver Zulueta threw three scoreless.
The Tides scored their two runs in the sixth inning, courtesy of one big swing. Jud Fabian singled, ahead of one Creed Willems, who happily got a hanging curveball and went yard. It was the catcher’s eighteenth four-bagger this season. Other Tides batters who recorded hits were Christian Franklin, Silas Ardoin and Tavian Josenberger.
On their last day of the season, the Baysox pulled off a win with a three-run comeback in the eighth. But first we’ll start with pitching. Starter Patrick Reilly, reinstated in late July after Tommy John, posted a clean 5.2 one-run innings, bringing down his season ERA at Double-A to 3.63 ERA in eight starts. Reilly also struck out seven. Afterwards, 3 1/3 scoreless were tossed by a combination of Richard Guasch, Keegan Gillies, Alex Pham and Brock Moore.
This game was 1-0 Richmond until the top of the eighth, when the Baysox strung together the winning three-run rally. Griff O’Ferrall singled, Frederick Bencosme walked and then, with two outs, Wehiwa Aloy brought them all home with an Earl Weaver Special. That was all the offense the Baysox would get, and it’d be all they needed. O’Ferrall, Estrada and Aloy finished with two hits apiece.
Chesapeake ends its season 67-68, fifth in the Eastern League’s Southwest division.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - CIRCA 1987: Mike Scott #33 of the Houston Astros pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during an Major League Baseball game circa 1987 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Scott played for the Astros from 1983-91. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fret not with that hovering malaise permeating from St. Petersburg’s aftermath. The ambient rawness of a series loss in Tampa is still fresh, but we have the perfect cure. It’s time to unveil my “All October Squad” throughout the various decades.
This might be the only list you’ll ever find without the likes of Bagwell and Biggio. Bagwell in 106 post season plate appearances, hit only .226 with a pair of home runs. Biggio also had two longballs over 167 at-bats, hitting just .234.
The lineup card has been submitted to the home plate ump, so sit back and enjoy. Without further ado, here’s the best to do it for the Astros in October:
1. George Springer. CF.
Admit it, you miss hearing “Springer Dinger!” George’s epic 2017 Series in which he launched five home runs off Dodgers pitching is the stuff of legend. All told, he’d accumulate 19 HR, 38 RBI along with 43 runs across 63 post season games as an Astro.
2. Alex Bregman. 3B.
88 hits in the postseason. Enough said!
3. Yordan Alvarez. DH
The intimidation factor will always be there, as will stunning 3 run blast against Seattle in the 2022 ALDS.
4. Jose Altuve. 2B.
Not surprising, the newly minted member of the 2,500 club, leads all Astros with 118 post season hits.
5. Carlos Correa SS
Clutch. 18 home runs in 79 postseason games, with an engagement proposal on one knee to boot.
6. Michael Brantley. LF
On his tombstone, it will say, “professional baseball hitter” Believe it or not, he actually has more postseason hits than Yordan, even with injuries cutting him short.
7. Yuli Gurriel 1B
87 hits in 85 post season games.
8. Jason Castro C
Go back and watch the 2021 postseason. Castro was clutch off the bench, registering a monster 1.159 OPS over 6 games.
9. Billy Hatcher RF
Billy’s game tying solo home run in the 14th inning against the Mets is legendary. Every Astros fan remembers the left field foul pole shot! He also had 7 hits in that series with New York.
SP Mike Scott
Yes, Verlander has 10 wins in a Houston uniform, but Scott made his lone post-season appearance in 1986 count, so much so that he was named NLCS MVP even in the series loss. Scott’s combined stats from Games 1 & 4 are insane. Two complete games, 1 run allowed and 19 K’s.
Closer: Ryan Pressly
Shakira’s hips don’t lie and neither do the stats for Pressly. Simply put, he has the most saves in October for the Astros all-time with 14.
Let us know your all-time Astros October lineup in the comments.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 14, 2025: Yairo Padilla #89 of the St. Louis Cardinals warms up during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on March 14, 2025 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
On September 6th, both the Palm Beach Cardinals and the Peoria Chiefs played their last game of their seasons. Palm Beach ended with a 13-5 win, finishing with a 67-65 record. This was not good enough to make the playoffs. The Chiefs ended their season with a 3-2 loss and a 63-68 record. Obviously this was not good enough to make the playoffs. The Springfield Cardinals season ended yesterday, however they were good enough to make the playoffs. For some reason, minor league playoff stats don’t count which I think is dumb, but I will still wait to share the Springfield stats for the end of the Memphis Redbirds season, which doesn’t end until the 24th. In case you missed it, I covered the rookie leagues earlier this month.
Padilla got off to a very late start since his season didn’t start until late June. Technically, I could put Padilla in the Peoria section, because that’s where he ended his season, but he only played in 4 games and the stats weren’t good, so felt more appropriate for him to be in this section. Nice thing is that, although the injury was inconvenient, I’m not sure it actually delayed his progress much. I don’t think he’s promoted after just 128 PAs if he never got injured. I’m not sure he would have gotten promoted a whole lot quicker and he’s still starting next season in High A next season.
There are very few batting lines you could conjure up that are a less exciting 112 wRC+ than what Mitchell has put together. With that said, context is important. For starters, I imagine most players in his position get a trial run in the complex leagues first. I don’t know how many games are in a high school season, but it is a lot, lot less than 107 games. The Cardinals threw him into the fire and he came out with an above average hitting line. I would say there’s a fairly good chance the Cardinals will repeat him at this level. If he looks like a different hitter, a quick promotion may be in order, but I’d certainly want him to strike out less than 33% of them before a promotion.
Alexander Frias, OF – 18 (acquired in Dustin May trade)
It probably goes without saying, but his complex league stats were with the Brewers and a little more than half of his Low A stats were with the Brewers as well. I didn’t feel the need to separate his Low A stats with the Brewers and Cardinals because I really don’t think the Cardinals made any changes in the middle of the season. But he was both better and worse as a Cardinal. Better, because his 101 wRC+ was an improvement over the 92 wRC+. Worse, because he struck out more (27.3%) and had less power (.129), but did carry a much higher BABIP. So BABIP was the only reason he was better here. It’s all a small sample size anyway, and I’ll much less certain of his placement to begin next season than I am for Mitchell.
Well alrighty then. If you’re like me, this is the first time you were aware of how Condon did in Low A. It’s weird, because I knew he was down there, and yet I never checked his progress. Honestly, kind of unfortunate that the season has ended in his case, I want more. Very, very good start though. Probably not good enough to start next year in High A, because you know it’s seven games, but can’t ask for more.
Not the greatest start I’ve ever seen, but given the small sample, that Kennedy was playing more baseball than he’s ever played in his life and that his K/BB numbers were still really good, I don’t think we can read anything into this. I also have no idea how to handle super low BABIPs in the minors, especially with less than 100 PAs. For what it’s worth, his xwOBA was .284 which suggests he was unlucky, though still not great.
I let the stats surprise me and I transcribe them the way you read them, so I first saw that Henne was batting .218 and then saw the .358 OBP and thought, okay another high BB guy with no power. Then I saw the slugging percentage. Probably not gonna have a player’s stats surprise me as much as this. He hit 4 homers in 16 games. He didn’t have a set position, so I think he just kind of played his way into playing as much as he did.
Okay, I stand corrected. Immediately. Lobliner’s batting stats are a real rollercoaster. He hit four homers in 14 games, but unlike Henne, he didn’t walk. Also he struck out almost half the time. This is a line you can only get when you have a 14 game sample. His college stats suggest he’s not much of a walker. Feels like he was probably drafted for his defense.
Haley presumably pitched, unlike most other pitchers drafted, because he threw just 27.2 IP between his college season at South Alabama and in a summer league. The year before, he threw 33.1 IP. So his 11 innings gives him a career high of 37.2 IP, and I’m not entirely sure if the Cardinals want to attempt a starter route with him, but clearly next year would still be more of a first time through the order approach anyway. He can probably throw 60-70 innings next season, whether entirely in relief or not.
Moran missed pitching in live games entirely in 2025, and pitched 28 innings in his collegiate season. Whatever formula the Cardinals used, they determine Moran could throw about 40 innings this season, which is why his season continued. Like Haley, he wasn’t very good, but I suppose it would be stranger for a 16th rounder to dominate right away (or at all).
I’m ignoring his complex league stats, which are absolutely dreadful, but I’m pretty sure those are rehab appearances, which are just about making sure your arm doesn’t fall off. With that said, I am comfortable calling this a step back for Dutkanych, a player some VEBers wanted to put in the top 20. I kind of thought he already figured out Low A last season, but these are worse stats than last year. The one positive is that his innings did jump from 17.2 IP to 46 IP, so from an innings standpoint, he’s probably on track. I’m hoping he’s in Peoria next year though.
Dos Santos began his season in the complex league and dominated there for a 142 wRC+. I only shared Frias’ stats because he was in the Brewers system. You already knew Dos Santos dominated the complex league. It’s pretty cool how many teenagers I’ve covered in full season ball. Not just teenagers either, these are teenagers who will certainly be on next year’s top 20 list.
Unfortunately, Mejia’s season ended about a month early, as he played in his last game on August 5th. Though it has taken him much longer than I think the Cardinals hoped for when they first promoted him to Low A back in 2023, Mejia has played well enough to be in Peoria next season finally.
In Hernandez’s case, I’m pretty sure he hadn’t been promoted to Low A the last time I did a minor league update, so you get his complex league performance too. Happily though, you can see that he hit much better after being promoted, albeit entirely BABIP-related. So I’m pretty sure he’ll still be in Low A when next season starts, although it will be an extremely good sign if the Cardinals deem him ready for High A right at the start.
Young’s season got derailed very early on in the season. He got injured midseason, not pitching in a game from May until late August. He only pitched in two games at the end of the season. Who knows how long he pitched injured and he didn’t pitch particularly well in his last two games either. So it’s very nearly the same as if he missed this entire season to injury.
Graham did not pitch particularly well, although he showed flashes, but I imagine from the Cardinals’ perspective, the fact that Graham stayed healthy all year is the most important thing. If you remember, the Cardinals drafted Graham last season knowing he was, at the time, recovering from Tommy John surgery. He had thrown just one game in college before getting injured. He threw an additional 9.2 IP in the complex league, utterly destroying the competition, so he threw 63.1 IP in all this season.
I honestly probably didn’t even share Cabrera’s stats in the last update, because they most likely didn’t stand out to me. I don’t like to share bad stats. But the fact that this 19-year-old catcher was promoted to Low A despite poor hitting stats is worth pointing out. They clearly think highly of his defense.
This is… confusing! Franco was unimaginably bad in the complex league, not missing any bats and walking a ton. His one positive was that he induced groundballs, but he probably allowed a lot of hard contact. Behind-the-scenes though, the Cardinals saw something shift in him, and he was promoted to Low A and… he pitched fairly well! The groundballs stayed and the K/BB significantly improved. No idea how this happened.
Last year’s 13th round pick, Shelagowski pitched okay, actually pretty damn close to how I imagine a 13th round college pick to perform in Low A. Given his age, you’d hope for better though. He is currently injured.
Well I certainly don’t know what to make of this line. He’s actually striking out more batters than last season and though he has more walks, it’s not a lot more. He’s getting a smiliar amount of groundballs. However, he did not allow homers last year. He allowed a ton this year. He allowed 17 homers in his 18 games pitched, with 25.8% of flyballs turning into a homer. He was a victim of the home run insanity that occurred in the minors this season.
Crossland seems to be following the Braden Davis track. Don’t ever allow hitters to make contact, even if it means you will walk a lot of batters. Granted, significant improvement in his five starts at the High A level in terms of walks, even if you want it still lower. I’m not sure how positively I’d look at his season without those 5 starts, but well it’s a harder level and he acted like it wasn’t.
Jack Martinez, RHP – 23 (Acquired in Nolan Arenado trade)
Now this, this is what I expect when someone gets promoted to a higher level. I will commend Martinez for also improving upon his walk rate, but he missed a lot less bats and didn’t get better results. Martinez is a bit like found money though as I really didn’t envision a future MLB player in return for Nolan Arenado with his contract.
Raquet was released by the Orioles two weeks ago, so even though Smith might not become anything, I think the Orioles wish they could take this trade back. It does sort of seem like strikeouts will be a problem, maybe his biggest problem to making the majors.
Andrew Williamson, OF – 20 (2nd round, 2026 draft)
Sort of a mixed debut pro season for Williamson, who was rather aggressively placed in High A to begin his career. He had plenty of power with 5 homers in his 20 games. But BABIP was very much not his friend, resulting in a well below average line. This was considered his age 20 season, but he did turn 21 on July 11th, so he’s among the oldest “20”-year-olds.
Oddly similar to Williamson, but not as much power and a higher BABIP. But the same general concept is there. Ferraro had power and actually didn’t strike out that much, but lots of baseballs found gloves.
Odle also made 9 appearances in Low A at the beginning of this season, striking out 36% of batters with a 1.91 ERA. The walks kind of exploded in High A and he sort of stopped getting grounders, but he still struck out a third of the hitters he faced. Better yet, he increased his innings from 51.2 IP to 96 innings, putting him in a good position by the time he’d be ready for the big leagues.
Holiday pitched in 12 of those 19 games at Low A, and an additional four games in the complex league, and his stats are actually fairly similar at those two levels. The rookie league stats are a bit better, but it’s close. And he finished with three games at High A, which are a step down, although he still carries a low walk rate. I didn’t feel like listing the stats to three different levels, just know the High A stats drag it a down a bit (although he had a 3.94 ERA)
Kross’ season actually ended in early August to injury and he hasn’t played since. If you’re wondering how much he played at catcher, he started 31 games. 38 games were at 1B and 16 games were at DH. Given his defensive status, I suspect he’ll have to hit better than this.
Last year’s 8th round pick is on schedule even with his struggles at Peoria. His performance at Palm Beach wasn’t terribly exciting, but it was an overall good showing and you hope that the low BABIP was partially unlucky, because that line with a good BABIP would actually be an exciting batting line.
Patrick Galle, RHP – 22 (acquired in the trade for Sonny Gray)
Well his utter dominance in Low A did not really carry over to Peoria, although you can’t blame the Cardinals for promoting him. He struck out 60% of batters and that is not a typo.
Van Dyke was last year’s 10th round pick and he actually had zero issues at Palm Beach, throwing in 5 games to end last season and 7 starts to begin this season. In his second attempt, he managed to strike out a bunch of hitters. As you’ve probably picked up, the offensive environment is rather high, so his stats are not as discouraging as normal.
A season after posting a .064 ISO all year, Hernandez hits 11 homers and 18 doubles in 65 games this season. I don’t know what to make of this dude, because the Cardinals refuse to promote him. He seemingly excelled in 2024 at the Low A level, but then repeated the level in 2025. Then his power disappeared. Confusingly, he saw High A both at the end of 2024 and 2025. So I would assume he’s in Springfield next year, but maybe not!
And I’m going to stop there. Even with a more expansive list, I know I’ve chosen to omit some players who could be posted, but at a certain point, I have to pay attention to the clock.
Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you had a great weekend. Some players might not be feeling so good this week, as they are seeing their seasons end early as the need for rest or surgery has forced them into an early offseason. As we’ll read below, both Byron Buxton and Rafael Devers are out for the remainder of their seasons due to injury. We’ve also recently seen superstar Shohei Ohtani hit the bench to hopefully recover so he can help the Dodgers in the postseason. This is not a general statement on the grind of baseball, or how players are pushing themselves too hard, but it is always interesting to see players wait until their teams are out of postseason contention before allowing themselves to be taken off the roster for much-needed recovery or surgery.
We look at that and more below, including how one injured player — Justin Verlander — is hoping to come back in time to pitch one last time before he retires.
Colorado Avalanche youngsters shine in opening game of 2026 prospects tournament. [SI]
ICYMI: Where have the Avalanche gone? New addresses for old friends. [MHH]
Fabian Lysell could be a bigger addition than Avalanche expected. [Heavy]
Do the Avalanche have the real deal in T.J. Hughes? [DVNR]
Avalanche players give back during Youth Hockey Development Camp. Brock Nelson, Logan O’Connor, Josh Manson and Sean Behrens among guest coaches during Second Annual Camp. [NHL]
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews traded his hockey stick for a baseball Sunday, taking the mound at Coors Field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Rockies game. [The Hockey News]
News Around the League
NHL Draft sadly decentralized once again for 2027. [TSN]
Best, worst scenarios for every Central Division team. [Sportsnet]
Blues prospect Adam Jecho Enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. [Bleedin’Blue]
Defenseman John Klingberg retires after 700 games with six NHL teams. [USA Today]
News out of the OHL: The Sudbury Wolves made a historic trade to obtain the rights to Tanner Adams. The cost? Seventeen total selections between now and 2030. [Sudbury Star]
Harry Styles has taken over New York and Madison Square Garden: 30 sold-out dates for the superstar's residency.
But Styles still knows who the king of New York is and gave Jalen Brunson a shout-out during a show over the weekend.
“He’s just trying to have a quiet night out… not a chance.” Harry Styles salutes “King of New York” Jalen Brunson, MVP of 2026 NBA Champs, the New York Knicks pic.twitter.com/ffJ14Im0YC
Brunson is everywhere right now, he attended matches at the U.S. Open in Queens in the past week.
Brunson will host the season opener of Saturday Night Live on Sept. 26 with musical guest KATSEYE (broadcast on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT, plus "SNL" streams live on Peacock).
The Knicks open the season on NBC on Oct. 20, raising the team's first championship banner in Madison Square Garden in 53 years, plus getting their championship rings. Then they will begin their title defense, taking on Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and the revamped Philadelphia 76ers.
