Here are the 26 players who will be available to face the Padres in the best-of-three Wild Card Series which begins this evening at Petco Park in San Diego. Players are listed in alphabetical order by position.
Infielders (6)
Gabriel Arias, Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Pedro Ramírez, Dansby Swanson
No surprises here.
Outfielders (6)
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Conforto, Ian Happ, Matt Shaw, Seiya Suzuki, Tyrone Taylor
I have Shaw listed as an outfielder here, but obviously, he can also play second base or third base.
Catchers (2)
Miguel Amaya, Carson Kelly
Obviously.
Starting pitchers (3)
Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Shōta Imanaga
Not necessarily in that order, though Boyd will start Game 1 tonight.
I want to make it crystal clear that this list is my opinion and no one else’s.
Relief pitchers (9)
Javier Assad, Aaron Civale, Clay Holmes, Daniel Palencia, David Peterson, Colin Rea, Ryan Rolison, Jacob Webb, Ryan Zeferjahn
Caleb Thielbar is odd-man-out for this series (and perhaps beyond).
Holmes, who’s been a starter the last two years, has extensive relief experience, including being a closer for the Yankees for three seasons. He could be an excellent bullpen weapon.
The 2026 MLB postseason has finally arrived. Starting with chaos in the Wild Card Series on NBC, Peacock and NBCSN, the field is packed with October veterans, the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and youthful squads looking to make statements.
Stay up to date with every game with our tracker below.
2026 MLB Playoffs bracket
The bracket is set and the quest for October magic begins!
DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 20: Gabriel Landeskog #92 and Taylor Makar #16 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrate their 4-1 win against the Utah Mammoth at Ball Arena on September 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images)
To celebrate the start of the 2026-27 season, we are recording our final thoughts and predictions as we are set for the first Colorado Avalanche puck drop tomorrow night. Will any of our predictions come true?
Let’s start easy: Who will score Colorado’s first goal of the season?
Jackie: I feel like this is going to be a big year for Cale Makar, so he’s going to be the one to start the team off.
Matthew: I think Brock Nelson scores the first Avs goal this season.
Brennan: It would be perfect to see T.J. Hughes score the first goal, with as much work he has put in over the summer.
Jess: I’ll throw Nazem Kadri out there; seeing him score the first goal after being traded back to Colorado last season would be so much fun.
Adrian: My original answer was Logan O’Connor, but he won’t be playing in game one. Since that was my unconventional pick, I’ll pivot to the most conventional pick. It will be Nathan MacKinnon, but I’ll make it bold by saying it comes on the first power play of the season.
Which trophies (if any) will the Avalanche win in the 2026-27 season?
Matthew: Nathan MacKinnon will win another Rocket Richard Trophy, much to the chagrin of Montréal Canadiens fans (again).
Jess: I think Makar has a good shot at another Norris this year, and I agree with MacKinnon winning the Rocket Richard as well.
Jackie: Continuing the theme of a big year for Cale Makar would mean he’s in line to win his third Norris trophy.
Brennan: I agree with Jackie have to say that Makar will get the Norris.
Adrian: I predict that Brock Nelson will, in fact, win the Selke this year and that the goalie tandem will repeat as Jennings winners as well. All of that, minus major scoring and MVP awards, will mean Jared Bednar finally earns a Jack Adams this time.
Which youth movement candidate will score the most points in burgundy and blue?
Matthew: As much as I want to believe it’ll be T.J. Hughes, I’m going for Fedor Svechkov.
Brennan: If Zachary L’Heureux can stay in the lineup and stay healthy, I think he is shaping up for a career year.
Jess: I’ve been impressed by T.J. Hughes through camp and preseason; I think there’s a good chance he’ll score quite a bit this season.
Adrian: I’m gonna say T.J. Hughes for most points from the youth movement, especially considering he’s seemingly going to get power-play opportunities. L’Heureux for most penalty minutes.
Jackie: I’m going real bold and believe it will be Taylor Makar.
Surprise team to make and/or miss the playoffs?
Matthew: Choosing one team from each conference on this question – Chicago and Columbus make the playoffs, while Anaheim and Florida miss the playoffs.
Brennan: Ottawa will make the playoffs, and just in the Wild Card, but in the top three of the Atlantic with Brady gone. Nashville is in a position to make a jump into the playoffs with six former Avalanche players on the roster as well.
Jess: I think Utah will finally get into the playoffs this year, by way of either a Wild Card spot or the third spot in the Central Division. I think there’s a chance the Kings miss the playoffs, but I also don’t see them bottoming out and being as bad as some other bottom teams in the Western Conference. Out in the Eastern Conference, I think the Islanders make it this year, and the Senators end up missing.
Adrian: I think the Blackhawks will steal a wildcard spot, but mostly because of how bad the Pacific will look, in my opinion. I think the Central will earn both wild-card spots by year’s end.
Jackie: The New York Rangers will make the playoffs and the Buffalo Sabres will miss.
Guess a big-name player who will get traded in-season?
Matthew: Connor Hellebuyck gets his wish and finally gets traded out of Winnipeg…and lands in Utah.
Brennan: Hellebuyck, but he will go to an Eastern Conference team based in the U.S.
Adrian: Quinn Hughes is headed to New Jersey, right?
Jess: Not to jump in and give the exact same answer, I think Hellebuyck gets traded this season and lands in Buffalo; that’s the location that’s been widely talked about when discussing him getting traded since the NHL draft.
Jackie: Now that things are moving in Columbus, I’ll say the Blue Jackets revisit the Zach Werenski situation that was supposedly smoothed out over the summer and trade him by the deadline.
Who will win the Stanley Cup?
Matthew: After sixty years, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally end the drought, and the jeers of “1967” will be replaced with cheers of “2027”!
Brennan: Do I dare say the Canes repeat (and of course I would love to see the Avs take it).
Jess: I’ll be an unashamed homer and take Colorado; for a more fun, underdog pick, seeing Buffalo go all the way would be really fun
Adrian: The Colorado Avalanche will win the Stanley Cup on the back of a dominant commitment to defense and netminding. Defense wins championships.
Jackie: For some reason, I’m feeling the Washington Capitals.
What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments!
Houston won the AL West with the worst record (81-81) of any playoff team in history and are in the postseason for the 10th time in 12 seasons. Meanwhile, the White Sox reached the playoffs for the first time since 2021, just two years after setting the MLB record with 121 losses in 2024.
Both teams will open the game with their bullpens, as rookies AJ Blubaugh gets the start for the Astros and Hagen Smith for the White Sox. The right-hander Blubaugh made 64 appearances with a 3.66 ERA in 96 innings in the regular season. Smith, the fifth overall pick in the 2024 draft, made 18 appearances after being promoted to the majors, racking up 41 strikeouts in 28 innings with a 1.29 ERA.
Follow for live updates:
Where to watch Astros vs White Sox: Channel, live stream
First pitch between the Astros and White Sox is scheduled for 5 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The Astros host the White Sox on Tuesday, Sept. 29. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
The plan for facing Yordan Alvarez
03:23 PM ET, September 29 2026
How do you pitch -- or not pitch -- to Yordan Alvarez? White Sox manager Will Venable said his team is prepared to pitch both to and around the Astros slugger, who hit .316 and won the American League batting title while staking a claim as an AL MVP candidate.
"We do have an attack plan in which we know that there's parts of the plate that we want to attack. We also know that there's going to be situations in this game in which we don't want to mess with him at all and potentially will walk him," Venable said. "So we're going to walk that fine line throughout this series and try to do the best that we can with having the understanding of the situation and the information we have, who we have on the mound, game state, all those things will factor in."
Rob Manfred begins the playoffs in Houston
03:22 PM ET, September 29 2026
Rob Manfred is at Daikin Park for the first day of the MLB playoffs. Before first pitch, the commissioner spent time talking to Astros owner Jim Crane.
White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery is batting ninth in the order for the first time this season in Game 1 against the Astros. Montgomery, who for most of the season hit cleanup or in the middle of the order, slugged 31 home runs this season but also set an unenviable MLB record for single-season strikeouts with 227.
His second half was especially rough, and he finished the season 8-for-81with 42 strikeouts and two homers in his final 24 games.
“I don't care where I'm at as long as I'm in the lineup,” Montgomery said pregame Tuesday. “That's the mindset I feel like you have to have. I know I batted ninth, I think, one time against the Cubs last year. So I don't see it any different. Just being in the lineup, that gives me the confidence that that's where they want me to be and I'm OK with it.”
White Sox manager Will Venable said his decision to move Montgomery down in the order should not detract from the contributions the 24-year-old made all year.
“I kind of feel like it's a choice on how you view Colson,” Venable said. “You can view the fact that he now leads the league all time in strikeouts, or that he hit 31 homers from the shortstop position, which I'm pretty sure leads Major League Baseball, and has done incredible things to help our team get to this point.
"So when I talk to him, it's a combination of both of those things, to make sure that he understands that this is tough and it's going to feel tough, but that myself, the organization, the people that watch him play are viewing the guy that has gone out and hit a bunch of homers, played really good defense, and helped a team make it to the playoffs when no one else expected us to. So those are the types of conversations we're having.”
Jose Altuve going for Manny Ramirez's record
02:47 PM ET, September 29 2026
Jose Altuve hasn't homered in a playoff game since Game 7 of the 2023 ALCS, a ninth-inning solo shot off Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc in an 11-4 loss that sent Texas to the World Series.
That was his 27th career playoff home run. He needs two more to tie Manny Ramirez's record of 19 playoff home runs and three to own it.
Ramirez got there in 111 postseason games across three teams. Altuve has 27 in 105 games, all with Houston, the most ever by a player with one franchise.
Altuve, 36, hit .250 with 16 homers this season, his fewest in a full season since 2018. But he did take the White Sox deep last week, a first-inning, two-run homer off Luis Castillo.
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SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 28: Tyler Freeman #2 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Emma Steinberg/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. 54, Tyler Freeman (-2.0 rWAR)
Tyler Freeman’s second season with the Colorado Rockies had its moments.
He could put the bat on the ball. His throwing arm created outs from right field. There were games when Freeman reached base repeatedly, drove in runs, and helped the Rockies manufacture offense.
There just were not enough of them.
Injuries interrupted his season; his production fell off sharply during the summer; and his range in right field gave back much of the value created by his arm. By late August, Freeman was back in Triple-A. In September, the Rockies outrighted him off the 40-man roster.
The numbers
Level
G
PA
AB
H
R
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
SO
SB
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
MLB
79
288
255
63
29
6
1
3
23
11
34
6
.247
.317
.314
.631
AAA
23
101
85
26
17
9
0
1
12
10
8
4
.306
.400
.447
.847
Freeman’s major-league production fell well short of what Colorado needed from a regular, and the -2.0 rWAR reflects how quickly his overall value disappeared once the offense cooled. His Triple-A finish was considerably better, although the production still came mostly through contact, walks, and doubles.
What actually happened
Freeman technically began the season on the injured list, but he did not miss much time.
Colorado placed him on the 10-day IL on March 25 and activated him April 1, just a few games into the regular season. Freeman missed the opening portion of Colorado’s first road trip before joining the club in Toronto.
His first few months contained enough productive stretches to keep him involved regularly.
One of Freeman’s best games came April 30 in Cincinnati. Brenton Doyle was aboard with two outs in the first inning when Andrew Abbott left a 92.3 mph fastball over the middle of the plate.
Freeman drove the pitch 357 feet to right field for a two-run homer, giving Colorado an early 2-0 lead. He finished the afternoon 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. The homer was his first of three in 2026.
There were other good games along the way. Freeman went 3-for-5 with an RBI on April 16, and he collected three hits, including a double, on May 31.
Even some of Freeman’s stranger offensive contributions fit the way he produced runs. He was hit by 15 pitches, more than he walked all season. One of those HBPs came with the bases loaded in the ninth inning against the Mets on May 6.
Sean Manaea caught Freeman with an 89.2 mph sinker, forcing Mickey Moniak home. The Rockies were too far behind for the run to change the result, but the plate appearance fit Freeman’s season: another way to reach base without doing damage with the bat.
The first half also brought more time away from the lineup. Freeman went on the paternity list May 15 and returned May 19. On June 9, Colorado placed him on the seven-day concussion IL. He returned five days later.
Freeman then put together one of his best games of the season on June 24 against Boston.
The Rockies trailed 5-2 in the fourth when Freeman came up with a runner in scoring position and two outs against Ranger Suárez.
Freeman lined a 91.2 mph fastball into the outfield for an RBI single, trimming Boston’s lead to two. He later scored as Colorado continued to work its way back into the game.
By the eighth, the Rockies had tied the game at six. Mickey Moniak opened the inning with a single, and Freeman came to the plate with the go-ahead run aboard.
Freeman dropped a bunt in front of the plate and Moniak raced home, giving Colorado a 7-6 lead. Freeman finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI in an 8-6 Rockies win.
June 24 also became a pretty clear dividing line in Freeman’s season.
From the end of the June 24 game through the remainder of his major-league season, Freeman drove in only one more run and scored only twice. He hit .175/.203/.175 in 57 July at-bats and .182/.182/.182 in 11 August at-bats. Freeman had three extra-base hits in June and none during the rest of his time in the majors.
Freeman’s bat had almost no thump, and the lack of power left almost no cushion when the singles stopped falling. His contact ability remained, but contact without damage could only carry the offensive profile so far.
The season took another turn in August.
Colorado placed Freeman on the 10-day IL on August 10, retroactive to August 9, with lumbar pain. He began a rehab assignment with Albuquerque on August 20. Three days later, the Rockies activated him from the injured list and immediately optioned him to Triple-A rather than returning him to the major-league roster.
On September 5, Colorado outrighted Freeman to Albuquerque and removed him from the 40-man roster.
A strange collection of tools
Freeman’s bat-to-ball ability remained excellent. He struck out in only 11.8% of his plate appearances and whiffed on 12.8% of his swings, but the contact rarely carried much impact.
Freeman finished with an 87.7 mph average exit velocity, a 36.1% hard-hit rate, a 1.4% barrel rate and a .353 expected slugging percentage, producing only three barrels all season. He can hit the baseball; he just does not hit it very hard very often.
His defensive season followed a similar pattern, with useful tools that did not translate into enough overall value. Freeman logged 429.3 innings in right field in 2026, more than any other Rockies player. He made 49 starts in right field, did not commit an error, and recorded six assists.
His arm was a legitimate weapon, and one of the best examples came April 11 in San Diego, when Fernando Tatis Jr. stood at third with one out and Manny Machado lifted a fly ball into shallow right.
Freeman made the sliding catch, came up throwing and cut down Tatis at the plate to complete the inning-ending double play. The sequence showed both the athleticism and arm strength capable of making Freeman an asset in right field.
The arm showed up in other ways, too. On July 17 against Cincinnati, JJ Bleday ripped a 104.8 mph liner into right field with Sal Stewart trying to advance.
Freeman came up firing and threw Stewart out at third to end the inning, another example of how much value his arm could create when the play developed in front of him.
The throws were real. But so were the range problems.
He finished at -8 OAA overall, including -6 in right field. Statcast’s directional data showed negative value both coming in and going back, while the jump numbers pointed most strongly toward his reaction and initial burst rather than his routes.
The contrast was easiest to see on balls in front of him. Against Tampa Bay, Freeman got a good enough read on a sinking ball to close the gap and make the catch.
Tampa Bay challenged the play, but replay confirmed the catch. Freeman got a good enough jump to close the gap and make the catch before the ball hit the grass.
A similar play against the Cubs ended differently. Michael Busch lifted a soft fly into shallow right, with Edouard Julien also ranging out from second base.
Julien ranging out from second complicated the play, but Freeman never got himself into position to make a real attempt before the ball dropped between them.
The issues going back were even more noticeable. Freeman looked more comfortable when he had time to get underneath a deep fly, as he did on this ball from Brandon Marsh.
He was close enough to make a play, but he never quite got himself into position. His approach became more tentative as he neared the wall, and a catchable ball fell for a double.
Freeman’s defensive season was not defined by errors. The larger problem was the number of catchable balls he nearly reached but did not convert into outs.
Where does Freeman stand heading into 2027?
Freeman’s September outright changed his place in the organization. The Rockies still have a player who puts the ball in play, owns a strong arm, can run, and can move between the outfield and second base. He also spent 2026 as Colorado’s most-used right fielder, giving the club a long look at him in a regular defensive role. His strong finish in Albuquerque gives the Isotopes an experienced player who can raise the level of the Triple-A roster.
Finding a path back to regular playing time in Denver is harder. Colorado’s outfield is crowded, and the infield is fairly set. Freeman’s positional flexibility still gives the organization useful depth, but any return to the majors would first require a 40-man roster move.
His collection of tools makes “what if?” tempting, yet his career has provided little evidence of another offensive level waiting to emerge. The contact ability is established, and so is the lack of power. His defensive range and baserunning have not supplied enough secondary value when the batting average falls.
Freeman’s clearest role heading into 2027 may be in Albuquerque, if he doesn’t become a free agent, helping stabilize the Triple-A roster while remaining available as experienced depth. Freeman had useful moments in 2026, but there were too few of them.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage on the field before National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 MLB regular season ended this past weekend, meaning it is now time for playoff baseball. The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers are in pursuit of a historic three-peat, while the rest of the postseason field hopes this is the year they win the World Series.
The best-of-three Wild Card round gets underway today, with eight of the 12 teams in the bracket in action. The other four teams—the Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians—earned first-round byes as the top two seeds in their respective leagues.
In the American League (AL), the New York Yankees will host their bitter rival, the Boston Red Sox, for a second consecutive October. The other matchup pits the 81-81 AL West champion Houston Astros against the visiting Chicago White Sox, who surprisingly but deservedly made the playoffs after two consecutive 100-loss seasons.
In the National League (NL), the San Diego Padres will face the Chicago Cubs once again, but this time in San Diego instead of Chicago. On the East Coast, the Atlanta Braves will host their division rival, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Braves vs Phillies (2:00 PM EDT)
These two senior circuit juggernauts will each send standout left-handers to the mound to open the series. Former Athletic Jesús Luzardo (14-5, 2.86 ERA), who was just reinstated from the injured list, will make the start for the Phillies. He will be opposed by Atlanta ace Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA), who put together another strong season for the NL East champions.
Houston is using a bullpen game, with right-hander AJ Blubaugh making the start. That allows the Astros to preserve Hunter Brown for Game 2. The White Sox are also using a bullpen game as both teams look to take advantage of favorable matchups. Left-hander Hagen Smith will get the start for the South Siders.
Both of these historic franchises feature two of the best rotations in the league. AL Cy Young Award frontrunner Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) will start for the Yankees, while the Red Sox will turn to left-hander Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03 ERA) to open the series.
New York knocked out Boston in three games last year. Will history repeat itself, or will the Red Sox oust their division rival? Aaron Judge not suiting up for the Yankees will have a drastic impact on this series, as his presence makes the Yankees’ lineup much more intimidating to opposing pitchers.
Right-hander Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA) will start for the Padres, looking to shut down NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong and the rest of the Cubs’ strong lineup. He will be opposed by Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91 ERA), who will be tasked with keeping Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill off the basepaths.
If the Padres are in front after five innings, the Cubs could have difficulty coming back against the Padres’ elite bullpen. Left-hander Adrian Morejon and arguably the best closer in baseball, Mason Miller, form a dynamic late-inning duo. This season, A’s fans often wished Miller was still in the team’s bullpen instead of the parade of relievers the Green and Gold employed in his absence.
Chicago knocked out San Diego in three games last year. Will history repeat itself, or will the Padres advance this time around?
What are your playoff predictions? Which team will win the World Series, and which players will make a name for themselves on the national stage?
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Andrés Chaparro #87 of Washington Nationals celebrates with teammate CJ Abrams #5 after hitting a home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Throughout the season, the offense was a major story for this Nationals team. It was the unit that carried this team and made them so exciting to watch. I wanted to break down what made this offense so special and dive into some of the numbers.
Part of what made this offense so special was how surprising it was. Last season, the Nats ranked 24th in OPS, 20th in runs and 24th in home runs. Simply put, this was not a very good offense in 2025. However, this team made it very clear that 2026 would be different.
The offense was slugging early and often this season. They got off to a hot start and never looked back. This offense scored 10 runs on Opening Day, which was a sign of things to come. For the season, the Nats finished 3rd in OPS, 6th in homers and 3rd in runs scored. That is truly an elite offense.
The Washington Nationals offense finished third in runs scored, 6th in homers, 3rd in OPS, 3rd in slugging, 8th in OBP, 7th in hits 12th in average and 4th in doubles. What a unit this was in 2026. Crazy what good coaching can do
Seeing those kinds of strides in one season is very rare. It is not like the Nats added a ton of outside help either. This was all existing players making strides forward. A lot of that credit has to go to the coaching staff and front office.
In the offseason, the new regime made it clear that they wanted to modernize on the offensive side of the ball. They brought in new technology like the Trajekt Arc machine and hired coaches with analytical backgrounds. New hitting coach Matt Borgschulte was known as a bright, young mind in the industry. Meanwhile, assistant hitting coach Andrew Aydt came from Driveline and is on the cutting edge of modern hitting.
Between swing changes, approach tweaks and bat speed increases, Nats hitters had way more success in 2026. That was easy to see right away as well. Through one month, things can be shrugged off as a fluke, but when the Nats were leading baseball in runs by Memorial Day, this was hard to ignore.
We’re 2 months into the season and the Nationals are:
1st in Runs (294) 4th in HR (70) 5th in SB (53) 4th in OPS (.745) 4th in wRC+ (110)
So many individual players improved. One of the most drastic overhauls came with Jacob Young. In 2025, Young had no power and was hitting the ball on the ground over 55% of the time. This offseason, he worked with Driveline to fix his swing. With that outside help and the work of Nats hitting coaches, Young hit 10 home runs, despite only having 5 in his career before this season.
A big reason for that is his ground ball rate went down to 39.4%. Instead of trying to hit balls through the infield, Young was up there to do damage. That strategy worked and made him a very respectable hitter. In 2026, Young hit .252 with a .708 OPS. Those numbers are not mindblowing, but when you combine that with his great defense, Young posted 2.3 fWAR.
Another insane turnaround came from Keibert Ruiz. At this time last season, Ruiz’s career looked to be in jeopardy due to concussion issues and poor play. This season, he had a career year, hitting .280 with a .759 OPS. He accomplished this by pulling the ball in the air a ton. His 33.9% pull air rate was second in all of baseball behind Pete Crow-Armstrong. This allowed him to make the most of his middling exit velocities and become a productive hitter.
Andres Chaparro is another hitter who broke out due to pulling the ball in the air. Despite Chaparro struggling in the first half in limited playing time, the organization stuck with him and that paid off in a big way. In the second half, Chappy hit 12 homers and posted an OPS of .998.
Seeing one of these guys have this type of breakout would be one thing, but there are so many players improving. It is absolutely not a fluke. These are just three of many examples. Paul Toboni decided to cash in on the breakouts of Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr. at the deadline to get much needed pitching help.
Despite this great season, this offense cannot rest on their laurels and neither can the front office. Paul Toboni talked about how he can’t necessarily rely on the offense repeating this and that he still needs to act in order to improve the team. I think that is a very good point.
This offense should continue to be good, but it is worth pointing out that this was probably one of the higher end outcomes. There is no guarantee that they will be this good next year. Even with James Wood missing time, this offense was fairly healthy and a lot of players had breakout years.
Even so, I do not think this offense was a fluke or anything. One of my favorite stats is xwOBA because of how it takes quality of contact into account. The Nats actually finished third in that stat, meaning that they were not getting insane batted ball luck.
They might not be top 3 in runs next year, but the foundation is there to be a good offensive team for years to come. More pieces would obviously be helpful, but between the stars at the top of the lineup and all the depth, the offense is in a good place.
One of those stars is James Wood, who had a good season. He played at an MVP level in the first half before falling off down the stretch. Wood will need to find a way to finish seasons strong, but the talent is so obvious with him. The ball just comes off his bat differently, and the exit velocity data shows that.
Wood and CJ Abrams are a formidable big 2 at the top of the lineup. This coaching staff and front office has shown they can find bats to be productive around them. With a lot of young offensive talent in the system, this offense should be the core of the next iteration of Nats baseball. The offense gets an A+ for this season. Now it is time to find the right guys on the mound to surround them.
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 30: The MLB Wild Card and Postseason logos appears on the dugout wall prior to the Major League Baseball 2025 American League Wild Card Series Game 1 between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians on September 30, 2025, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Named the above to separate it from the SB Nation Gameday Thread, which I believe will also be making an appearance on the page at some point today. But there may be fans of other teams appearing in there and we all know how icky they are. 🙂 Anyway, the 2026 post-season gets under way today, with four games in the wild-card round. Here is the schedule for your viewing pleasure, with all times Arizona
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves (0-0): 11:00 am, NBC
Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros (0-0): 2:00 pm, Peacock
Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees (0-0): 5:00 pm, NBC
Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres (0-0): 8:00 pm, Peacock
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage on the field during National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Is there anybody out there who made some October plans back when the season looked bleak for the Orioles and then had to sweat it out a bit because, what if they actually rallied and made the postseason? I am in this group. Back in June when it looked like the O’s would never really be in the race, my wife and I planned a trip for the end of the wild card round and beginning of the division round. Ultimately, we didn’t have to spend too much of September wondering if we’d miss any Orioles in the playoffs.
The tournament to determine the champion starts today. The Orioles aren’t in it. They finished 4.5 games out. Teams who are in it include the 81-81 Astros and the 84-78 White Sox. Not playing today is the 85-win Cleveland Guardians, because they managed to get a bye even with only 85 wins. Sheesh.
These are the four matchups that will be playing today, tomorrow, and if necessary, Thursday. (Most wild card series have ended in sweeps since the inception of this round of the postseason.)
Phillies at Braves, 2pm Eastern (NBC)
PHI starter: Jesús Luzardo
ATL starter: Chris Sale
The Phillies very nearly had one of the greatest September collapses that’s ever been accomplished. They ended up holding on and now here they are. All they have to do is pretend that none of their problems exist for about four weeks and they could win the World Series. It has happened to champion teams before. Anything can happen over short series, particularly a little best-of-three.
White Sox at Astros, 5pm Eastern (Peacock)
CHW starter: Hagen Smith
HOU starter: AJ Blubaugh
For most people in Birdland, the White Sox are probably one of the more sympathetic teams in this year’s postseason field. There is not much in the way of White Sox-related beef that lingers. They’re a nice story of a revival that worked, and honestly, much better to see this team advance than a .500 division winner. What a joke that would be, to have Houston go forward from here.
However, owing to a grudge dating to 1989, when age 5 Mark was told by then-White Sox slugger Ron Kittle, during his first-ever Orioles game, “Hey, kid, why don’t you shut the hell up and buy me a beer?” I will not root for the White Sox except probably if they are playing the Yankees or Red Sox. That’s it. What a jerk.
It is fun that the current pope is a White Sox fan. Will they win for the new pope? Probably not.
Red Sox at Yankees, 8pm (NBC)
BOS starter: Payton Tolle
NYY starter: Cam Schlittler
Of course the Yankees-Red Sox series gets the prime time 8pm billing every day for as long as it’s going. The media noise around it any time these teams play is exhausting. Can’t they just both lose? Alas, no. At least, if they’re going to play one another, the wild card round is the best time.
There will be at most three games, and even better, the loser’s fans will have to endure going home in the first round to that other team that they really don’t like. The great thing about being a hater is that someone is always going to lose and you can always enjoy their angst. Even the winner may yet go on to lose in the next round. It’s not like a World Series bid is on the line here.
The Yankees have the luxury of starting the probable AL Cy Young winner in this game. I will enjoy it if they don’t capitalize on this.
Cubs at Padres, 10pm (Peacock)
CHC starter: Matthew Boyd
SDP starter: Michael King
The Padres finished with a better regular season record than four of the six American League postseason teams. All that this gets them is hosting this best-of-three first round against the Cubs, a team that is inherently interesting this year thanks to Pete Crow-Armstrong’s superstar breakout 45 homer/41 stolen base season. Pretty good!
Did you know that former Oriole Jacob Webb led the Cubs in saves this season? That’s weird. He only had nine saves. The Cubs as a team actually only had 36 saves, ten fewer than the Orioles did. One reason for this is that 35 of their 89 wins were blowout wins of 5+ runs.
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Do you have any particular rooting interests for these series? If you’re watching or following the games today, join us in the comments below.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves is out at second by Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning at Truist Park on September 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So it begins. The National League Wild Card round starts with the Atlanta Braves hosting the Philadelphia Phillies. LHP Jesús Luzardo is the scheduled starter for the Phillies while the Braves will give the ball to LHP Chris Sale. First pitch is scheduled for 1pm central time and the game broadcast will be handled by NBC/Peacock.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage in the dugout before National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have four games today:
Phillies @ Braves 2:00 Eastern
We have lineups for this one:
Today’s Lineups
PHILLIES
BRAVES
Trea Turner – SS
Drake Baldwin – C
Kyle Schwarber – DH
Ronald Acuna – RF
Bryce Harper – RF
Matt Olson – 1B
Alec Bohm – 1B
Mauricio Dubon – LF
Derek Hill – CF
Michael Harris – CF
Bryan De La Cruz – LF
Ozzie Albies – 2B
Bryson Stott – 2B
Austin Riley – 3B
Edmundo Sosa – 3B
Mike Yastrzemski – DH
J.T. Realmuto – C
Ha-Seong Kim – SS
Andrew Painter – RHP
Chris Sale – LHP
White Sox @ Astros 5:00 Eastern
Hagen Smith (3-3, 1.29 in 28 inning) is starting or opening for the White Sox.
AJ Blubaugh (5-3, 3.66) also an opener for the Astros
It seems a weird way to start a playoff series.
Red Sox @ Yankees 8:00 Eastern
Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03 in 26 starts)
Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 in 33 starts). The old man in me wonders how a guy with 14 wins can get the Cy Young.
No Aaron Judge this series.
Cubs @ Braves 10:00 Eastern
Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91 in 22 starts). The former Blue Jays player. Starts for the Cubs.
Michael King (12-10, 3.21 in 32 starts) goes for the Padres.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 22: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox walks through the dugout before a game against the Cleveland Guardians on September 22, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cubs and Padres will be the last of the four Wild Card Series to get underway today. That game will begin at 9 p.m. CT and I will have the usual game preview up at 7 p.m. CT.
In the meantime, there are three other Wild Card games today, so this is an all-purpose game thread for you to discuss the baseball action this afternoon and early evening.
Here are all the details for those three games.
1 p.m. CT: Phillies at Braves
TV: NBC. Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, John Kruk, C.J. Nitkowski, Joey Votto
Jesús Luzardo, LHP vs. Chris Sale, LHP
Though Luzardo is a starter, he threw an inning on Sunday after returning from a shoulder issue, so for the Phillies this will be some sort of bullpen game.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage on the field during National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies did not make the playoffs (again), but it’s going to be a great day to talk about playoff baseball.
Here’s today’s bracket:
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves on NBC/Peacock at 12:00 pm MDT
Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros on Peacock/NBC at 3:00 pm MDT
Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees on NBC/Peacock at 6:00 pm MDT
Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres on Peacock/NBC @ 8:00 pm MDT
We’ll add lineups as they become available.
Okay, let’s enjoy some October baseball.
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves — 12:00 pm MDT
Record when teams met in 2026: Braves 9, Phillies 4
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 26: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox looks on during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Saturday, September 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Lawrence Brown/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Regular season baseball may be over, but postseason baseball is here.
Today, we’ve got the first action of the playoffs, with four Wild Card games gracing our televisions and streaming services. The two evening games—Yankees v Red Sox and Cubs v Padres—should be very good contests, as the average win total among all four teams is 90. This is in stark contrast to the 4pm American League game, which features the 84-win White Sox and the 81-win Astros. Could have been the Royals if they were competent this year, but alas.
At the time this article will publish, we only have lineups for the 1pm game. As the day goes on, I’ll update this with official rosters and then lineups as they become available.
