MESA, AZ - MARCH 22: Eric Bitonti #48 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with Handelfry Encarnacion #94 at home plate after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium on Sunday, March 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup!
As a reminder, you can find this roundup — covering everything you need to know about each of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — every Tuesday morning right here on Brew Crew Ball. For consistency, all organizational prospect rankings will reference MLB Pipeline unless otherwise noted.
Triple-A Nashville Sounds
Current record: 68-55 Record this week: 3-2 This week’s opponent: @ Norfolk Tides Next week’s opponent: @ Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Standout performances:
Eric Brown Jr.: 6-for-11, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K Sal Frelick: 5-for-14, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K Brock Wilken: 6-for-18, 3 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K Tyler Black: 5-for-18, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K Coleman Crow: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Tate Kuehner: 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Tyson Hardin: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Now that we’re just under a month from the end of the minor league regular season, the Sounds’ roster is a bit less stacked than it was going into the year, with four of the Brewers’ top seven prospects entering the season (Cooper Pratt, Brandon Sproat, Luis Lara, and Logan Henderson) earning call-ups to the big leagues and graduating from prospect status.
Even still, the Sounds’ lineup features a few guys who you might eventually see in Milwaukee.
Luke Adams doesn’t have the in-game or raw power that Andrew Fischer or Blake Burke possess, so he doesn’t generate as many headlines, but he’s shown a knack for getting on base, produced at every level, and currently has a .906 OPS in over 200 at-bats this year. Jett Williams has had a bit of a down year, but he’s still here and was ranked ahead of all four of the Sounds’ graduated prospects entering the season. So is Jeferson Quero, who made his major league debut at the beginning of the year.
I’d also be remiss not to mention the players who weren’t with the Sounds at the start of the season, including catcher Bo Naylor, acquired prior to the trade deadline, who has an .895 OPS in 40 at-bats with the Sounds and could see some time this September as rosters expand. It also includes Burke, who’s only hitting .190 in 42 at-bats with Nashville but had a .970 OPS with 30 home runs in a much larger sample at Double-A.
The Sounds’ pitching staff is still their strong suit, even after the graduations of Henderson, Shane Drohan, and Robert Gasser. Coleman Crow (who’s already thrown 18.2 innings in Milwaukee), Tyson Hardin, and Tate Kuehner all threw four-plus shutout innings this week, and all three are legitimate prospects. Kuehner, probably the least exciting prospect of the three, has only made eight starts this year due to injury but posted a 2.77 ERA over 110.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025.
In other news:
— Sal Frelick continues to rehab in Nashville, going 5-for-14 with a pair of doubles and a home run.
— Sproat and Kuehner combined for a seven-inning no-hitter in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Tides.
(No) Hit City ⚾️🚫 Brandon Sproat and Tate Kuehner threw a combined no hitter in Norfolk yesterday, with Jeferson Quero behind the plate. pic.twitter.com/D6oV8QvFtU
Current record: 56-60 Record this week: 1-5 This week’s opponent: @ Rocket City Trash Pandas Next week’s opponent: vs. Knoxville Smokies
Standout performances:
Luis Peña: 7-for-24, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K Damon Keith: 4-for-15, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K Dylan O’Rae: 4-for-17, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K Josh Adamczewski: 3-for-15, 1 2B, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K Braylon Payne: 4-for-23, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 8 K Jaron DeBerry: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K Manuel Rodriguez: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K Peyton Niksch: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K J.D. Thompson: 9.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 15 K Stiven Cruz: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
In what was otherwise a rough week for the Shuckers, Luis Peña keeps doing top-20-prospect-in-baseball things.
The Brewers have a few other extremely talented infield prospects, and Peña’s missed a lot of time this year, so he’s gotten a bit lost in the shuffle compared to last year. With his first week in Double-A now in the books, let’s take a look at Peña’s High-A stat line:
In Peña’s first week in Double-A, he went 7-for-24 with a home run. Considering the health scares and the time that he missed, this season could have turned out so much better for Peña. At the same time, if hitting .298 in 200-plus at-bats is a less-than-ideal season, that bodes very well for the 19-year-old Peña’s future.
Peña’s .292 batting average led the Shuckers by a wide margin this week. Only three other Shuckers had more than three hits — Braylon Payne (4-for-23), Dylan O’Rae (4-for-17), and Damon Keith (4-for-15). Jesús Made went 3-for-21. Mike Boeve went 3-for-21. Josh Adamczewski went 3-for-15. Andrew Fischer went 1-for-19; his one hit was a home run, of course.
Biloxi’s pitching staff didn’t fare much better, either. J.D. Thompson led the Shuckers in innings with nine over two starts, striking out a whopping 15 Trash Pandas but walking six, giving up eight hits, and ultimately allowing five earned runs. Jaron DeBerry (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) and Manuel Rodriguez (5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) had the two best starts of the week, with Rodriguez picking up the staff’s lone win.
J.D. Thompson set a new career-high with 8 strikeouts!
Current record: 60-52 Record this week: 2-4 This week’s opponent: Lake County Captains (home, 2026-08-18 to 2026-08-23) Next week’s opponent: South Bend Cubs (home, 2026-08-25 to 2026-08-30)
Standout performances:
Eric Bitonti: 8-for-23, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K Daniel Dickinson: 8-for-24, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K Tayden Hall: 5-for-20, 3 2B, 0 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K Sawyer Strosnider: 5-for-21, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 10 K Yannic Walther: 2-for-10, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K Wande Torres: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K Josh Knoth: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K Jayden Dubanewicz: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K Jacob Morrison: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 11 K Ethan Dorchies: 4.0 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
It’s incredible how much talent the Timber Rattlers have had this year, just a couple hours away from Miller Park. Here are some of the prospects who have had at least 150 at-bats with Wisconsin this year:
Andrew Fischer: 1.118 OPS in 191 ABs, 173 wRC+
Josh Adamczewski: 1.036 OPS in 166 ABs, 165 wRC+
Braylon Payne: .930 OPS in 310 ABs, 130 wRC+
Eric Bitonti: .896 OPS in 354 ABs, 126 wRC+
Marco Dinges: .855 OPS in 220 ABs, 121 wRC+
Daniel Dickinson: .846 OPS in 347 ABs, 123 wRC+
Luis Peña: .804 OPS in 188 ABs, 109 wRC+
This list consists solely of players who were considered a top-30 prospect at some point this season, so it also leaves out Luis Castillo (.807 OPS in 330 at-bats) and Tayden Hall (.876 OPS in 265 at-bats).
Fischer, Adamczewski, Payne, Dinges, and Peña have all since earned promotions, but the Timber Rattlers somehow still have plenty of talent left. Bitonti’s 23 home runs speak for themselves, but Dickinson has now posted an OPS over 1.000 and a batting average over .300 in each of the last two months, raising his season-long OPS to .851 in the process.
Joining Bitonti and Dickinson in High-A a couple weeks ago was Sawyer Strosnider, the Brewers’ 2026 second-round pick who was widely mocked as a first-rounder leading up to the draft. Strosnider has one of the best power-speed profiles in the entire class, although he fell to Milwaukee after slumping late in the season with TCU. In his first 43 at-bats with the Timber Rattlers, Strosnider is hitting .302 with an .877 OPS and a home run (caught by his dad, how cool is that?).
As for the pitching staff, Wande Torres, Josh Knoth, and Jayden Dubanewicz all put together solid outings. Torres threw four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, while Knoth allowed just one run across five innings. Dubanewicz went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits. Jacob Morrison also deserves a mention after striking out 11 over 7 2/3 innings, while Ethan Dorchies allowed three runs on nine hits in four innings of work.
Single-A Wilson Warbirds
Current record: 63-53 Record this week: 3-3 This week’s opponent: @ Salem RidgeYaks Next week’s opponent: vs. Hickory Crawdads
Standout performances:
Brailyn Antunez: 10-for-22, 1 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K Handelfry Encarnacion: 8-for-21, 1 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K Carsten Sabathia III: 7-for-19, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K Kevin Garcia: 4-for-12, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K Juan Ortuno: 7-for-22, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K Diustin Mayorquin: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Miqueas Mercedes: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Jarrette Bonet: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K Tyler Renz: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Handelfry Encarnacion (.777 OPS on the season) is still here and doing his thing, but otherwise the Warbirds’ roster looks a lot different than it did to start the season.
Brady Ebel’s in High-A, but his brother Trey, the Brewers’ first-rounder this year, is now in Wilson. The younger Ebel is already looking comfortable, starting his career 6-for-21 with a double and four RBIs.
Jadyn Fielder is now with the Astros, but the Warbirds have another son of a former Brewers fan favorite on the roster. 22-year-old Carsten Sabathia III — son of CC — was drafted in the 20th round of this year’s draft out of the University of Houston. He’s outperformed that draft slot so far, going 16-for-39 (.410) with a pair of home runs.
Another newcomer is Brailyn Antunez, one of the Brewers’ top international free agent signings from last year’s class. Antunez is 35-for-85 (.412) with a 1.256 OPS, seven home runs, five doubles, and a triple. A whopping 12.5% of his plate appearances have ended in an extra-base hit so far in his tenure as a Warbird. That won’t last, and he’s still raw, but he’s shown tantalizing promise — including surprising opposite-field power for his age — and his production thus far is an exciting hint of what he could eventually become.
Wilson’s pitching staff has struggled this year; of the team’s top 11 innings leaders, 10 have ERAs over 4. The 11th is 20-year-old Miqueas Mercedes, whose performance this week brought his ERA down to 3.11 through 66 2/3 innings. Mercedes has struck out 68 batters, but he’s also walked a borderline-unbelievable 45 (6.12 BB/9).
Player of the Week
Eric Bitonti, who went 8-for-23 with three home runs this week. Bitonti bounced back this year after a rough 2025 that saw him slide down prospect rankings. Even though he hasn’t exactly quelled strikeout concerns (34 K%) that have followed him throughout his career, he’s raised his OPS from .762 to .896 while moving up a level and already has a career-high 23 home runs with just under a month left in the season.
Brewers prospect Eric Bitonti is criminally underrated. The 6-ft-5 20-year-old has slashed .289/.378/.684 with 5 HR over his last 38 ABs.
As we’ve seen with Andrew Fischer, if a player produces well enough, it doesn’t matter how much he strikes out. Bitonti’s not quite there yet, but he’s showing clear signs of growth. If there’s anyone to be patient with, it’s a prospect who’s still only 20 years old and can hit home runs like this:
The Detroit Tigers made it six straight losses and ninth in the last 10 games with a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park on Monday night. Framber Valdez was just good enough to earn a quality start, but his offense failed to find any real momentum.
Taking the mound for the Tigers in Game 2 on Tuesday is right-hander Jackson Jobe, who will make his fourth start since returning from Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old’s last outing was his longest so far, throwing 86 pitches over 5 1/3 innings, allowing a run on four hits and three walks while striking out three.
It looks like he is getting stretched out well as the final month of the regular season approaches after throwing 71 and 74 pitches, respectively, during his two previous appearances.
For the Rays, left-hander Ian Seymour will toe the rubber for his 12th start of the 2026 campaign after spending a good portion of the year in a relief role. The 27-year-old has been solid over his past four outings — all starts — logging a 3.52 ERA and 4.13 FIP over 23 innings, allowing 24 hits (six home runs) and four walks while striking out 33, earning three quality starts and a pair of wins against one loss.
Seymour saw the Tigers once before this season back on June 2, when he was tagged for three runs on two hits (one home run) and three walks plus an intentional free pass with just a strikeout over two frames in a game his team lost, 8-0, at Tropicana Field.
Take a look below at how the two starters match up for Tuesday night’s battle at Comerica Park as the good guys look to snap the schneid.
Detroit Tigers (61-70) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (78-53)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:DRaysBay Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 132: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. LHP Ian Seymour (9-4, 4.17 ERA)
When you go to a concert, the less interesting part, but absolutely vital, element of the show is the building of the stage. The guys who put in the tireless, underappreciated hours of setting the scene for what’s to come later. Last week, the Cardinals appeared to be poised to make a run at the final Wild Card spot in the standings. This week, and the whole season really, we’re witnessing the buildup for what’s to come. The Cardinals making the playoffs in 2026 would’ve been like one of those undercover videos where the lead guitarist is dressed like one of the roadies and picks up the guitar on stage and starts shredding to everyone’s amazement, and the few scant fans early in attendance are blown away by the unexpected thrill of what they’re seeing in front of them, knowing show time isn’t here yet.
The same can be said about the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals. Unsuspecting, we came into this season with little to no expectations in terms of the standings for this season and have been pleasantly surprised by the positive steps forward overall. I believe there has been no greater improvement to a man than the steps forward in the St. Louis Bullpen. Yes, Jordan Walker has stepped into the stardom he was always promised. Yes, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy, and Kyle Leahy look like bona fide major league starters who can help a playoff-caliber team. But when I look at names like Riley O’Brien, George Soriano, Luis Gastelum, Justin Bruihl, Gordon Graceffo, and even guys who have yet to emerge, like Cade Winquest or Sandro Santana. Perhaps even Matt Svanson is able to go into the offseason and try to reclaim what he had discovered last season. Of note, his arm angle dropped about 4 degrees this season from last year, which could lead to different movement and more erratic command when expecting a pitch to be in one location and it winds up somewhere completely different than expected.
Riley O’Brien:
The stuff has been electric from the jump, but the command will waver at times, which will lead to poor location and results. But 9 times out of 10, he gets the job done, and the Cardinals seem intent on carrying him as far as they can into their next competitive window as their 9th-inning option. As the current NL leader in Saves and 2nd overall in MLB behind Bryan Baker of the Tampa Bay Rays, he’s done enough to retain the job going into 2027.
George Soriano:
When the Cardinals traded for Soriano, a majority of fans didn’t understand the move. Why trade for a guy coming off a season with an 8 ERA and is out of options? Chaim Bloom had admitted the Cardinals had tried to acquire Soriano on a couple of different occasions, and they decided to pony up with a young reliever in exchange for his services. Lately, it’s been really rough, and my estimation is that the Cardinals rode him hard this season en route to winning as many games as possible. The result is already blowing past his career high in innings: 36.2 IP in 2025 -> 57 IP so far in 2026. The changeup is a real weapon out of the bullpen, and it pairs well with the fastball and slider. The chase and whiff rates are both well above average, in the 85th percentile according to Savant. Soriano is a weapon for 2027; we’re just watching a reliever who was worked hard this summer run up against a wall.
Luis Gastelum:
Much like Soriano, Gastelum’s Bugs Bunny changeup leads to some very silly off-platform swings that will cause opposite-handed opponents fits. The chase rates, whiff rates, and the quality of contact are all elements we’re seeing progress in a positive direction, especially of late. Manager Oli Marmol was on the Gashouse Gang show a couple of weeks ago and shed some light on some of Gastelum’s HR issues he suffered from early. Marmol explained that there were some pitch-tipping issues that they believe they’ve turned a corner on. What we can evaluate the rest of the season is probably closer to the real Gastelum we can expect for seasons to come, and it’s AWESOME.
Justin Bruihl:
There’s a reason why first impressions matter, because it will color opinion for a lot longer than is probably deserved. But in a season designed for opportunity, Bruihl has persevered and found a way to get a really valuable piece out of the Cardinals bullpen. In his first 16 IP through the end of April, Bruihl had a 5.63 ERA and 5.65 FIP. It wasn’t pretty, and a lot of fans, and at times myself included, were ready to call it a nothing-ventured, nothing-gained unrealized opportunity on a player and to begin churning other options. Credit to the Cardinals for sticking with him and giving him an extended leash. Since May 1st, Bruihl has a 2.59 ERA and 3.29 FIP over 48.2 IP. While he doesn’t strike batters out, he has been a soft-contact merchant. Bruihl is in the 90th percentile or better in average exit velocity, barrel%, and groundball%. While not a modern high-leverage reliever, as a 2nd lefty in a middle-innings chase reliever role, Bruihl profiles excellently for such a vital role.
Gordon Graceffo:
Every role in a bullpen doesn’t come with the prerequisite that they have to be capable of pitching high-leverage situations. Gordon Graceffo has proven this season that he can get important outs for a big-league bullpen and be an early bridge solution for Manager Oli Marmol as a guy who comes in to throw strikes and get quick outs. The swing-and-miss needs improvement and is probably the area that Graceffo will need to improve to continue to grow into potential leverage situations. I’d also be curious to see what Graceffo’s stats are in his first-inning performance as opposed to when he goes multiple innings and what the differences are; for some reason, I recall a lot more hard contact comes against him after his first inning of work. Overall, Graceffo has positive run values in pitching, fastball, and offspeed values. So, while some of the underlying data suggests that he’s due for regression, his performance has still been a very noticeable positive this season.
Cade Winquest:
I am all aboard the hype train when it comes to the Cade Winquest express. 56 K’s in 39.1 IP this season. Winquest has the swing-and-miss profile that thrives in a modern bullpen, and there is little for Winquest left to prove at the AAA level at this point. Obviously, this being the 2nd week in a row I’m talking about Winquest should really say how optimistic I am about the 26-year-old’s future with STL. Winquest has not allowed a run in 7 games pitched in August, including 3 multi-inning appearances, and 16 of his 56 K’s have come in that span alone.
https://prospectsavant.com/player/685464 Here you can look at Winquest’s profile on Prospect Savant, and there is a ton of red proving that the quality across the board is overwhelmingly in support of a promotion. Hopefully Winquest gets an audition in September; he’s earned it.
Sandro Santana:
Acquired in the Lars Nootbaar trade with Arizona, Santana is the next leverage left-handed reliever that will impact the Cardinals bullpen likely sometime in 2027. Since his promotion to AA on June 24th, he has 35 K’s in 22.1 IP and a 0.81 ERA. A 2 pitch pitcher who is very interesting to watch. His setup is reminiscent of JoJo Romero, where he will twist and set, and then his delivery is very whippy and over-the-top, reminding some Cardinals prospect evaluators of Genesis Cabrera. Santana features a mid-to-high 90s fastball and a sharp, sweeping slider that bites hard glove-side and is a whiff machine.
Other names who I expect to factor into the bullpen mix in 2027 will include Matthew Liberatore, Richard Fitts, Brycen Mautz, Cooper Hjerpe, Tekoah Roby, Pete Hansen, and Hancel Rincon. The Cardinals’ depth should be much improved heading into next season and should have multiple options vying for big-league innings, so nothing will be a given; thus, the competition will force hard decisions for the Cardinals moving forward.
Could the Cardinals consolidate some of these options into a more proven high-leverage reliever? Perhaps. It could certainly be an area of need that would make sense to address from a monetary standpoint with a roster so free and devoid of financial commitment. Overall, the returning group we’ve seen this season should be an area where the 2027 team will take and learn from this season and grow into a secret weapon for a potential playoff hopeful squad heading into next season.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: Carlos Rodón #55 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on August 23, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees have had one of the strongest performances from their pitching staff start to finish that they’ve gotten in recent memory, flaunting a wealth of depth for a rotation that has consistently had at least one member missing from the rotation the entire season. Whether it was Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, or now the latest missing member in Ryan Weathers, its felt like the team has been waiting on a missing piece to arrive at every moment to put them over the edge. Despite that, the arms that have been available have more than delivered, as each of those four have largely thrived when called upon and Cam Schlittler has been shoving since Opening Weekend. The results: New York is neck-and-neck for the best fWAR of any starting rotation in baseball, ranking third with 14.1 and sitting a mere .2 away from first-place Milwaukee.
However, potential cracks have begun to show. Not from their performance, which has remained elite even through a lengthy run of weak run support for the entire staff that kept them afloat for over a month. However, their health which has never been optimal has started to stress test them, taking Weathers and Fried out of commission within the same week to force the team to reach into their minor-league depth. Rodón has only recently come back from the IL himself and is still building back up to a normal pitch count, meaning they’re down two starters and limited on one of their four regulars remaining putting additional stress on a bullpen that has placed a significant workload on their premier relievers. Consider that Will Warren, who has mostly been fine for the role he plays as the fifth starter, is typically a five-and-dive type of pitcher and the pressure for the top end pitchers to be on their A-game every fifth day only intensifies.
The offense is finally looking up, as the infusion of George Lombard Jr. and a resurgent Spencer Jones combined with upswings from Austin Wells and Trent Grisham as well as the return of Cody Bellinger have given them a greater ceiling than three runs in a game. It comes as the staff desperately could use a shoulder to lean on, having carried the team to mediocrity through the start of summer when they couldn’t hit worth a lick but still managed to play to a roughly .500 record. Fried is expected to be back relatively soon, as his bone bruise was deemed to be a minor concern needing only the minimum 15-day stint on the IL, but Weathers will likely be missing until the final weeks of the season and may only be limited to relief duties when he does return. Any other hits at this point would severely strain an already taxed segment of the roster, and as previously mentioned a majority of the staff has dealt with at least some kind of injury concern during the year. So with all that in mind, can they make it through the stretch run in a fit-enough form to compete in October?
Thankfully, the emergence of Schlittler as the team ace has been a godsend for the Yankees. A homegrown Cy Young contender in his second year in the big leagues, Schlittler has taken the ball and ran with it from the first series of the season and stayed a consistent frontrunner for the award since then. His 158 innings pitched are a new career-high at any level, meaning he is pushing the boundaries a bit going forward, but there’s only a handful of regular season starts left to make to stress test his arm. The team shuffled their rotation order around a bit this week, likely skipping his starting spot on Wednesday to use one of their Triple-A callups or a bullpen game before starting him against the rival Red Sox this weekend instead, and little optimizations like that will aid their push to keep the rest of their arms fully healthy. On top of that, Gerrit Cole’s injury history mostly relates to last season as he underwent Tommy John surgery before rehabbing and returning midseason this year. Since shaking off the rust Cole has looked much more like the ace of old that headlined this staff, and with fresher legs under him he should be fine to push himself a bit down the line here soaking up an extra inning here and there.
Fried and Rodón are more of a question mark, as both have underwent multiple IL stints this year (and Rodón started the year shelved after offseason surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow). But if Fried’s injury can be trusted to be minor as the team has described, then the team should at minimum have three elite pitchers to run out in any postseason series they line up for. They’ll need all hands on deck to finish the year strong though, as they currently sit sandwiched between the Rays and Red Sox in a race for the best record in the American League and as they saw the last two years firsthand, getting to skip that Wild Card Round and await the winner of one of those two teams can set up a strong run to the Fall Classic. Another setback with a rotation member could easily be the difference between being able to close the gap and settling for one of those Wild Card slots, but despite the recent hits they’re still in a good position to compete. The tools are still there for them to push for the AL East crown, they just need the hits to stop coming at some point.
The Yankees have a new foe arriving into town with the Astros arriving, and Nick starts us off with a series preview going over the pitching matchups to expect. Sam then wishes Adam Warren a happy birthday and remembers his days as one of the most relied on arms in the early Baby Bomber bullpens. I’ll be back to cover the Rivalry Roundup as the East stayed winning with the Yankees inactive, Michael goes over the latest week down in the minors as the rookie ball leagues wrap up, and Peter dives into Ben Rice’s crucial at-bat in Sunday’s win over the Jays to break the game over.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 23: Left fielder Edmundo Sosa #33 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a three RBI double during the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park on August 23, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The sky was falling on the Los Angeles Dodgers, and now the sky is the limit. At least that’s how it feels.
The Dodgers lost 10 of 13 games between July 26 and Aug. 9. Now they’ve won 10 of 13 games and have the second best record in baseball, one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers with five weeks until the playoffs start.
There’s no question the quality of opponents was superior during the Dodgers' losing skid. But there’s no denying there's reason for optimism on the field. (Owner Mark Walter and the investigation into potential business fraud, well, that’s another story.)
As the Dodgers head into a three-game road series against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday Aug. 25, here’s the best news: Pitcher Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to make his first start in 3 ½ months after being sidelined with back spasms.
“I’m excited to see Tyler back and I know he's been missing competing,’’ Roberts told reporters.
This comes two weeks after pitcher Blake Snell returned in spectacular fashion and, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports, the Dodgers expect Shohei Ohtani to resume pitching next month barring any setbacks.
Glasnow, the mop-haired righthander, was 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA in seven starts this season before he ended up on the injured list. He was sharp in two rehab starts with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. And the hope is Glasnow can recapture his form from the 2025 postseason, when he threw 21 1/3 innings with a 1.69 ERA.
He figures to be tested by the Braves, who have a 76-55 (.580) record and lead the NL East.
Said Roberts: “It's going to be a fun series here ... and it'll be good to get Tyler back in the mix."
Scintillating on the mound
Glasnow will rejoin the starting rotation rounding into top form.
“Starting pitching has been fantastic,’’ Roberts told reporters after Blake Snell threw six shutout innings in the Dodgers’ 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday Aug. 23.
Snell, in three starts since returning from elbow surgery, is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 18 innings.
Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA over the past six starts with 39 strikeouts in 41 innings.
Tarik Skubal, the prized pickup at the trade deadline, is coming off his finest performance in four starts with the Dodgers. In a 4-3 victory over the Pirates on Saturday Aug. 22, the lefthander struck out 11 batters in seven innings, gave up three earned runs and go the win.
Righthander Roki Sasaki has gone from occasional liability to asset. In his last six starts, he’s 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 35 innings.
The rotation could go from stacked to crowded if Ohtani regains his form and endurance. He hasn't pitched in a game since July 3 because of issues with his left knee. He is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA,
The Dodgers’ bullpen has show dependability too. Roberts said there was no option other than Edwin Diaz to close games even after Diaz’s disastrous outing Aug. 13 against the Milwaukee Brewers, but he appears to be wrong.
Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott has picked up three saves in the past four games.
Reality check?
When the Dodgers lost 10 of 13 games, eight defeats came against three teams: the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks. Through Monday, those teams had a combined record of 217-178 (.549).
By contrast, on their recent tear, the Dodgers won nine games against three teams: the Pirates, Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies. Through Sunday, those teams had a combined record of 172-223 (.435).
BOSTON - JUNE 5: Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game One of the NBA Finals at TD Banknorth Garden on June 5, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s History Month at CelticsBlog, celebrating all 18 banners hanging in the rafters. Today we look back at the team to bring the water back to the Garden, the utterly dominant yet humanely vulnerable 2008 Boston Celtics.
NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.
Five Olympics, five World Cups, 8,000 sleepless nights. A lot can happen in 22 years. For many a Celtics fan, the gap between 1986 and 2008 felt like an eternity. A franchise so renowned for its pedigree, with a fanbase so addicted to victory, had been starved of it for over two decades. It seemed that Bostonians, local and spiritual, had spent all their basketball capital to watch the most beautiful basketball ever put to the hardwood in 1986; what awaited was tragedy, disappointment and the feeling that Lucky the Leprechaun was never to witness the Green lifting the gold at the end of the rainbow again.
In 2007, spectators at TD Garden were subjected to the second-worst season in the history of the franchise at 24-58, all in the hopes of landing a top-two pick in the draft. Boston had been rescued by an ascendant rookie talent 28 years prior. Wyc Grousbeck, Paul Pierce, and anyone else who bled green hoped that one of Kevin Durant or Greg Oden would don the shamrocks to do the same once more.
It wasn’t to be.
Despite having the second-best odds at the number one pick, the Celtics slipped to fifth when the lottery balls fell as they did. It seemed purgatory wasn’t ready to let go of the Celtics just yet. Danny Ainge, former Celtics player and now GM, had to take matters into his own hands.
Assembling the Big Three:
June 28th, 2007. Draft Night.
“And with the 5th pick, in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select… Jeff Green, from Georgetown University!” And immediately traded both him and Wally Szczerbiak to the Seattle SuperSonics for Ray Allen and Glen Davis.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 12: Assistant coach Tom Thibodeau and Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Four of the 2008 NBA Finals on June 12, 2008 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright: 2008 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Purgatory no more, the Boston front office made a declaration that they were not content to languish in the doldrums of the Eastern Conference. Commentators, analysts and fans at the time were confused. Allen was coming off a 26.4 PPG season and his fourth consecutive All-Star selection — Ray could play. But Allen had just undergone surgery on both ankles. 2008 would be his age-32 season. Had Boston given up the 5th pick simply to become respectable, not revered?
Adrian Wojnarowski chastised the front office. “No vision, no plan.” Michael Wilbon described the Celtics as “wandering aimlessly philosophically.” For many, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Al Jefferson looked more like a playoff team than a championship one. If only they could acquire a “Big Ticket” item…
A month later, with the help of franchise legend and Minnesota Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale, Boston landed former MVP and NBA superstar Kevin Garnett. The skies had cleared. Over the course of a summer, Danny Ainge turned lottery heartbreak into perhaps the most formidable big three of the 2000s.
WALTHAM, MA – SEPTEMBER 10: Kevin Garnett #5, Paul Pierce #34 and Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics pose during a portrait session at the Boston Celtics practice facility September 10, 2007 in Waltham, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2007 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
A Regular Season for the Record Books:
Accompanied by sophomore starting point guard Rajon Rondo and a supporting cast featuring James Posey, Kendrick Perkins, Eddie House and Tony Allen, Boston had already surpassed its previous season’s win total by New Year’s Day. Through 30 games, the Celtics sat at 27-3, tied for the best 30-game start to an NBA season in history.
Pierce, Allen and Garnett blended seamlessly, each sacrificing shots and touches in pursuit of Banner 17. Highlights included a 16-0 start against the Western Conference, a 6-0 sweep of the Texas Triangle and a near-franchise record dismantling of the Knicks, 104-59! No, they didn’t turn the shot clock off for this game; this is what happens when Nate Robinson leads you into battle against KG & Co.
The individual accolades followed. Kevin Garnett won the only Defensive Player of the Year award of his career after spearheading a Celtics defense that posted a league-best 98.9 defensive rating. His willingness to sacrifice offensive production for the good of the team may have hurt his MVP case, but he still finished third in a fiercely contested race behind Chris Paul and eventual winner and future Finals rival, Kobe Bryant. Paul Pierce made All-NBA Third Team, while all three members of the Big Three were selected as All-Stars. Even Doc Rivers got in on the act, coaching the Eastern Conference All-Stars 20 years after appearing in the game as a player in 1988.
By season’s end, the Celtics had completed the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history: 24-58 in 2006-07 to 66-16 in 2007-08. A 42-win improvement transformed Boston from lottery hopefuls into championship favorites in the space of a year.
A Homesick Post-Season?
Let’s be clear. Boston went 31-10 on the road during the regular season. A tour of terror; no other franchise touched thirty plus wins away from home. Then something very strange happened. The best road team in basketball underwent mitosis, splitting into a swaggering, confident and imperious home team and a cursed, nervous and jumpy away team.
Their first-round opponent was Atlanta, a 37-45 Hawks team making its first postseason appearance in nine years. Boston had swept the regular-season series and wasted little time asserting itself at home, winning Games 1 and 2 by 23 and 19 points respectively. Then the series travelled south.
Atlanta won Game 3. Then Game 4. Boston returned home and comfortably won Game 5, only to lose again in Atlanta three nights later. Through six games, neither team had won on the road. A Celtics team that had lost just ten times away from home across the entire regular season had now lost three times in six days to an Atlanta team starring Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and a rookie Al Horford. I haven’t checked, but something tells me SI’s writers at the time didn’t have the two Big Threes ranked particularly close.
Fortunately, Game 7 was back in Boston. That swaggering buzzsaw from the regular season returned and any possibility of drama was quickly curtailed. All season long, Kevin Garnett had been the centerpiece of a progressive defensive scheme concocted by assistant coach Tom Thibodeau (whatever happened to him?). No game serves as a better microcosm for the C’s defensive dominance. They held Atlanta to just 26 first-half points. A second-half procession ensued and Boston escaped the first round having beaten Atlanta 99-65. The defending Eastern Conference champions and LeBron James were up next.
Remarkably, the pattern continued.
Boston won Games 1 and 2 at home, limiting Cleveland to 72 and 73 points. The Cavaliers responded with two victories in Ohio. Boston took Game 5 at the Garden; Cleveland answered in Game 6. Twelve playoff games had been played and the Celtics were now a perfect 6-0 at home and an inexplicable 0-6 on the road. Once again, their season would be decided by a Game 7 in Boston.
The Atlanta Hawks were a distant memory. Boston had done well throughout the second-round series to hold LeBron to 23.7 PPG through the first six games, but tension was palpable. Having seen James carry Cleveland past Detroit the season prior with a heroic 48-point Game 5 performance, including the Cavaliers’ final 25 points and 29 of their final 30, staff and squad alike knew that he was capable of ending their season.
Cue Paul Pierce and LeBron James in one of the great Game 7 duels in NBA history. James scored 45 points; Pierce answered with 41. Together they accounted for 86 of the 189 points scored in the game. Every time Boston threatened to pull away, LeBron dragged Cleveland back into contention. Every time Cleveland closed the gap, Pierce had an answer. With Boston nursing a three-point lead in the final seconds, Pierce even received a little help from the Garden rims, watching his first free throw bounce high off the iron before eventually dropping through. Pierce’s heroics saw Boston emerge winners, 97-92.
The game, and this series, should serve as a reminder of how blessed Bostonians were to watch Paul Pierce for 15 seasons. Nowadays, he’s a colorful character on broadcasts and whose social media posts are at times as embarrassing as the 2007 season, but KG summed up that night perfectly: “Tonight was basically get the ball to Paul Pierce and get the hell out of the way. Ain’t no need to ask me no questions.”
Somewhat ironically, the Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Detroit Pistons, the yardstick by which all Eastern Conference contenders were measured in the 2000s, was the shortest of Boston’s playoff series in the lead-up to the 2008 Finals.
We often talk about teams built to take down champions in the league today. Daryl Morey’s Rockets in the late 2010s were constructed with Golden State specifically in mind. Tim Connelly’s double-big Timberwolves were built to combat the Denver starting five that looked set to control the 2020s after their title win in 2023.
Looking back, it seems Boston took Detroit’s formula and improved upon it. Both teams could field starting fives without a defensive weak link, allowing them to dominate on that side of the ball. A team-first, as opposed to star-first, mentality saw the scoring burden shared amongst stars rather than the offense relying upon one savior. Both franchises had incredible movement shooters in Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton. Paul Pierce and former Celtic draftee Chauncey Billups thrived as each team’s de facto closer. The difference between the two was found in the frontcourt.
Detroit’s trade for Rasheed Wallace in 2004 was one of the best of the 2000s. A versatile big man who could stretch the floor, guard one-on-one and pair with a bruising defensive savant in the paint in Ben Wallace. The Wallaces walled off the paint together and had just enough on offense to hold it down. In Kevin Garnett, rather fittingly, Boston had acquired a player who could replicate the impact of each of Detroit’s frontcourt stars all in one.
The game to remember from the series was undoubtedly Game 6. Having split the first four, with each team winning once on the road, Boston grabbed Game 5 to set up a closeout game in Motor City. Three quarters in, it seemed as though another Game 7 was in the offing as Detroit carried a 68-60 advantage into the fourth at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Then Boston’s season-long identity finally travelled with them.
The start of the fourth saw Detroit increase its lead to double digits before Boston finally recaptured the defensive form it had shown throughout the regular season. The Celtics erased the deficit with an 18-4 run, turning a 70-60 Detroit lead into a 78-74 Boston advantage. Pierce took control, scoring 12 of his team-high 27 points over the final 7:35, dragging himself to the charity stripe repeatedly down the stretch. On the other side of the ball, defensive specialist James Posey took on an expanded role in place of Ray Allen as Boston held Detroit to a measly 13 points in the fourth, emerging victorious, 89-81.
AUBURN HILLS, MI – MAY 30: Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics shoots against Antonio McDyess #24 the Detroit Pistons in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs on May 30, 2008 at the Palace at Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
During the Detroit series, Garnett shone for Boston. Taking on a greater offensive burden than he had during the regular season, KG scored a series-high 22.8 PPG against the Pistons whilst continuing to captain that incredible defence. Garnett was the cheat code that helped close the book on Detroit’s reign as the East’s defining contender, preceding a marked decline in Motor City hoops that would last until Cade Cunningham arrived well over a decade later.
After needing 14 games to escape the first two rounds, Boston had finally learned how to win away from the Garden when it mattered most. The Celtics were Eastern Conference champions for the first time since 1987.
And waiting for them on the other side was Los Angeles.
The Finals and the return of the glory days
By the time the Finals rolled around, the odds had flipped. A team that had looked so dominant during the regular season had shown real vulnerability navigating the East. Boston had taken twenty games to reach the Finals, whereas Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol’s Lakers had blitzed the West, dropping only three on their journey to the ultimate showdown. The mood around the matchup reflected it. Bill Simmons admitted, “We’ve never battled anyone quite like Kobe in his prime.” Sporting News’ Stan McNeal cut to the heart of the national consensus: “Team with the best player wins.” Nine out of ten ESPN experts picked Los Angeles.
Coming into the playoffs, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen hadn’t made a postseason appearance since 2005, whilst KG had sat out since his MVP season in 2004. Perhaps there were fears that Boston’s star trio no longer had the legs for a hundred-game season. Bryant, meanwhile, was the league’s MVP and had just dismantled the defending champion Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. San Antonio possessed the third-best defense in basketball that season; Kobe still averaged an efficient 29.2 PPG to send them home in five.
Parity has defined much of the NBA since Kevin Durant left Golden State, but back then Jordan’s specter still loomed large over the league. More often than not, the best player eventually separated himself from the pack and ended the season with the Larry O’Brien Trophy in hand. Bryant, Gasol, Pierce, Garnett and Allen all entered the series chasing something different, but for Boston the stakes felt especially personal. Simmons argued that three players had the most to gain historically from a title: Kobe, Pierce and Garnett, with KG facing the greatest scrutiny if Boston fell short.
There was still a compelling case for the Celtics. Bob Ryan picked Boston in six, arguing that the series would be decided by which team imposed its identity more forcefully: Los Angeles with its pace and scoring, or Boston with a defense comfortable dragging games into the 80s. As Ryan later put it when explaining why so much of the national media favored LA: “They have the best player.” Boston’s answer was that it might have the better team.
Game 1:
Boston dominated the possession game in the opener, killing LA on the glass and drawing fouls at will. In a game that ended 98-88 in Boston’s favor, all three of the Big Three showed up, with Allen scoring 19, Pierce 22 and Garnett 24. Ticket grabbed thirteen rebounds, four offensive, setting a trend that would hold throughout the Finals. The Lakers defended with a lack of finesse, allowing Boston thirty-five attempts at the line. Meanwhile, Kobe’s long-awaited return to the Finals was a disappointment. He shot LA out of the game, going 9-for-26 and ending the night with 24. Perhaps Bob Ryan knew what he was talking about.
Game 2:
The Lakers’ starting five returned to form in their second TD Garden game. Kobe scored an efficient 30, laying on eight assists in the process, while Pau Gasol scored an efficient seventeen and held his own on the glass against Garnett and Perkins. This one was decided by the benches.
Boston went into maximum Powe-verdrive…
Leon Powe had the game of his life on the largest of stages. A fifteen-minute blur comprised of thirteen, yes, thirteen, trips to the free-throw line, as well as six of Powe’s seven shot attempts dropping. Rack attack after rack attack set the Garden alight, and rewatching the highlights, it’s clear to see Leon trying to keep his cool for the cameras whilst knowing he was on fire. One man with split allegiances on the night was Bill Walton. The legendary Celtic got to watch Boston emerge victorious at the expense of his son Luke, who was manhandled by Powe on the night. The Lakers’ bench failed to show up and, heading back to LA, Boston found themselves in a familiar spot.
Treat yourself to four minutes of a man on fire.
Game 3:
Probably the low point of the series. The Lakers captured their first win of the Finals, 87-81, and Boston couldn’t get anything going on offence. Pierce failed the proverbial polygraph, leaving the Truth at home for the night. His worst game of the postseason saw him go 2-for-14 from the field. KG wasn’t much better, shooting 26% from the field, meaning Ray Allen’s efficient twenty-five was lost to time without the support of his co-stars.
Kobe had the quintessential Kobe game: 36 points, 60% from the field, one assist. It was Sasha Vujacic’s turn to play bench hero, scoring twenty as a reserve.
Was momentum about to shift?
Game 4:
Game Four is often where series are won and lost. If LA were to tie the series, they’d have another game at Staples Center and, knowing the Celtics’ struggles on the road, there’d be a good chance they could carry a 3-2 lead back to the East Coast, giving the Lakers two chances to close out what would be a famous triumph over their bitterest of rivals. Boston had to get over its away-from-home struggles once and for all.
An eighteen-point deficit at the end of the second quarter was not what the doctor ordered. For the first time in the series, the Lakers gained the upper hand on the interior. Lamar Odom went a perfect 7-for-7 from the field. Odom and Pau were the driving force behind the Lakers’ ten-rebound advantage at halftime.
With the series and season hanging in the balance, a halftime demand was made. We hunger for star-on-star matchups these days; they’ve become rarer with the heavy-switching nature of modern NBA defence. Paul Pierce reportedly demanded to guard Kobe Bryant. Determination coursed through the Celtics dressing room and they emerged from the depths of Staples ready for war in the second half.
Doc Rivers granted Pierce’s request. He picked up Kobe in the second half. James Posey and Eddie House were huge in the third and the Celtics ripped off a 21-3 run to drag themselves back into the game. After scoring 35 points in the first quarter, the Lakers managed just 15 in the third. By the start of the fourth, Boston had cut an eighteen-point halftime deficit to two.
The comeback was completed in the fourth. Pierce’s halftime demand to Rivers, “I’m going to guard Kobe. Let me guard him,” proved prophetic; Bryant finished just 6-for-19 as Boston took its first lead of the night with under four minutes remaining. Rivers stuck with House and Posey, spreading the floor and trusting a smaller lineup. Boston wrestled control away from LA, flipping the first-half script and finally taking the lead with 3:48 to go.
Pierce had been Boston’s closer throughout the postseason, but Ray Allen, who played all forty-eight minutes on the night, took the reins to finish the Lakers. Sports Illustrated’s Ian Thomsen described Allen making “three sensational drives to puncture Bryant’s hopes,” the last of which saw him blow past Sasha Vujacic along the baseline for a left-handed layup that effectively ended the contest. Bill Simmons struggled to decide whether he had witnessed “the greatest comeback in Celtics history or the greatest collapse in Lakers history. Maybe a little of both.”
Boston had trailed by 24. They won 97-91.
A series that looked destined to be tied at two was suddenly 3-1 Celtics.
Game 5:
A 38-point eruption from Los Angeles native Pierce wasn’t enough to secure Banner 17 at Staples Center, as the Lakers took Game 5 103-98. Pierce had spoken at length about his desperation to win a championship in the city that raised him but, on the night, LA prevailed. Boston repeatedly threatened in the fourth, but the Lakers held on to send the series back east.
Game 6:
Game 6 was less a contest than a coronation. Kobe Bryant opened with eleven first-quarter points, but Boston still led 24-20 before the defense swallowed Los Angeles whole. The Celtics won the second quarter 34-15, held the Lakers to 29% shooting in the first half and carried a 58-35 lead into the break. Paul Pierce had already dished nine assists. Kevin Garnett was bullying Pau Gasol inside. Rajon Rondo was everywhere. Phil Jackson admitted afterwards that Boston had simply “overran us.” The tone, he said, had been established when Garnett knocked Gasol down in the lane early. There would be no coming back this time.
The beating only worsened. Rondo produced the finest game of his young career, finishing with 21 points, eight assists and six of Boston’s Finals-record 18 steals. Ray Allen buried seven threes on his way to 26 points; Garnett matched him with 26 and fourteen rebounds. Pierce added seventeen points and ten assists. Chad Finn of Boston.com called it a “public evisceration,” and there was little hyperbole involved. With 4:01 remaining, Pierce, Allen and Garnett checked out together, embracing Doc Rivers before taking their seats and watching the final minutes of a journey they had begun less than a year earlier.
131-92.
The 39-point margin was the largest ever in a championship-clinching game. Twenty-two years after Boston last reached the summit, Pierce was Finals MVP, Ray and KG were champions and Banner 17 was heading for the rafters. Garnett, almost incoherent with emotion in the aftermath, screamed three words that would follow this team forever:
“Anything is possible!”
BOSTON – JUNE 17: Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the 2008 NBA Finals on June 17, 2008 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics won 131-92 to capture the NBA Championship. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright: 2008 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Legacies and what could have been:
The final game of the season reflected the regular-season dominance while masking the postseason struggle. As banners were hung and songs were sung on the streets of Boston, fans let out a collective sigh of relief. The longest championship wait in the history of the NBA’s most successful franchise had come to an end.
Danny Ainge had further cemented his place in Celtics history. Two years after the passing of Red Auerbach, Ainge had assembled a team capable of standing alongside some of the very best Red had ever built. At +11.4, the 2008 Celtics have the seventh-best regular-season net rating of all time. Only Jordan’s 1996 and 1997 Bulls had posted a better mark prior to 2008, making the immediate success of Boston’s newly assembled Big Three somewhat unprecedented.
Contrastingly, the Celtics endured the longest route to a championship in NBA history. No champion has ever played more postseason games: 26 of a possible 28 en route to glory. We know about the team’s road struggles and the pressure that came with restoring a great franchise to its former glory. With the weight of expectation finally lifted and Rajon Rondo blossoming into a star in his own right, Celtics fans couldn’t have been blamed for expecting a run that might rank alongside the teams of the 1980s.
That wasn’t to be.
With a 27-2 start in 2008-09, it seemed Boston had solved basketball. The champions had somehow bettered their incredible opening from the season prior, but Kevin Garnett’s knee injury derailed their repeat hopes. Boston would return to the Finals in 2010 and come agonisingly close to Banner 18, but this group would never again recapture the overwhelming regular-season dominance of its first year together.
As we know, Garnett and Pierce eventually played their part in Banner 18 after all. Their trade to the Brooklyn Nets became pivotal in creating Boston’s next great team. So, when you’re watching Jayson Tatum this year; when we draft the next great Celtic with one of those Philadelphia picks acquired in the Jaylen Brown trade… remember the Big Three, and remember the sweet satisfaction that came with climbing the mountain once more.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, from left in first row, Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger attend the match between Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz at the 2025 U.S. Open on Sept. 2, 2025, in New York City. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger, successful businessmen by any measure, paid $12.5 billion for the Lakers, easily the highest price ever for a sports franchise.
It was a rare chance to acquire an iconic sports brand, and by all accounts, timing was everything.
The enormous sale price has implications for the rest of the NBA and raises a basic question: Did Kushner and Iger get a great deal or did they overpay?
Business titan Mark Walter owned the NBA franchise for only a year. Federal regulators are investigating Walter’s financial empire, and he reportedly felt compelled to sell as he moves billions to help unravel undisclosed related-party loans from two of his insurance companies to multinational holding company TWG Global — an abbreviation for The Walter Group, where he serves as chief executive.
Before many learned Walter might be interested in selling the team quickly, Kushner and Iger, already pining for an NBA franchise, jumped at the opportunity.
The haste of the transaction would seem to have given the buyers superior leverage, yet Walter negotiated a 25% increase on the $10 billion he spent on the team last October.
Some experts argue the Lakers are worth every penny. A deep dive into the market for legacy sports franchises indicates to Sports Value Consulting co-founder and chief executive Michael Rapkoch that the investment is sound.
“How often do the Lakers come up for sale? Why wouldn’t someone pay that amount if they were able?” Rapkoch said. “Are you going to be the person who says at a cocktail party that you could have bought the team but turned it down because you wouldn’t pay more than $11 billion? This is likely your one and only chance. It’s do it or lose it.”
Twelve years ago, Steve Ballmer bought the Clippers for $2 billion and admitted he willingly overpaid. In 2025, the Boston Celtics — like the Lakers, an illustrious legacy franchise — were sold for $6.1 billion, which closely matched Forbes market estimates.
Less than a year later, the Lakers sold for more than twice that amount. Some experts were astonished by the price tag.
“You’ve got to buy things with some discipline based on the revenue potential, the cost takeouts, what does the P&L [Profit and Loss] look like,” bestselling business author William D. Cohan said on a podcast. “You’ve got to believe that Iger and Kushner got caught up in wanting to own this thing.
“As usual with these kind of assets, you have to buy it smart, buy it right or else you overpay. If you get into ‘deal heat,’ which I have a feeling Bob Iger did ... it’s hard to get a return when you way overpay.”
Premium sports franchises have spiked in value so rapidly that sticker shock is nil. Shortly after Walter purchased the Lakers, sports business website Sportico determined that the average NBA team was worth $5.51 billion, a 20% increase in one year and a 113% surge since 2022.
The Golden State Warriors ranked first at $11.33 billion, the Lakers were second at $10 billion — reflecting what Walter paid for the team — and the Memphis Grizzlies ranked last at $4 billion. Collectively, the 30 NBA franchises were worth $165 billion.
Record-breaking purchases of NBA, NFL and MLB teams are often initially considered overpays, yet soon are deemed bargains.
Ballmer, like Iger, had come up short in earlier bids for teams, and wasn’t going to let it happen again with the Clippers. He acknowledged succumbing to the “deal heat” Cohan mentioned, but never regretted it. Forbes estimates the Clippers are worth $7.5 billion today.
“I was all in, but then it got into the bid process. And I was still all in, and I just said, ‘I’m gonna get this team,’” Ballmer said on a podcast in 2023. “People thought I way overpaid, but I got the team.”
Experts say the value of top-tier sports franchises involves three factors that differ from most other companies: guaranteed revenue through long-term league media rights deals; regional and global branding that fuels steady ancillary revenue from sponsorships and team merchandise; and extreme scarcity that fosters deep fan allegiances.
Major franchises — the Lakers, Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees, to name a few — don’t change hands often. Kushner and Iger were mired in a lengthy battle to gain approval for an NBA expansion franchise Las Vegas and clearly viewed the Lakers as a better opportunity.
Recently approved NBA media rights deals are worth $6.9 billion a year from 2025 through 2036. They include the renewal of the league’s partnership with Disney — which owns ESPN — and new agreements with NBCUniversal and Amazon under which ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video will telecast games.
Some financial experts consider the Lakers a less risky investment than, say, OpenAI, into which Kushner invested a billion dollars through his venture capital firm, Thrive Capital. That investment and others in the AI and tech sectors have paid off handsomely, but pivoting to a legacy NBA team with a locked-in elevated financial floor could be prudent. Iger just stepped down after two runs heading the Walt Disney Co.
“The NBA has more secured, annual retention revenue than most other investments,” Rapkoch said. “You are buying into something stable. In 15 to 20 years the Lakers are going to be here. Will an AI company be here? Maybe so. But lots of companies have come and gone. We know with a high level of certainty the Lakers will be here.”
Some who believe Kushner and Iger got caught up in the moment and overpaid point to the bidding war with Comcast for 21st Century Fox that Iger won for Disney in 2019. The price escalated from $54 billion to $72 billion and Disney was left with a debt load of $25 billion and mixed returns.
Iger rejected the notion that he experienced “buyer’s remorse,” maintaining on a November 2024 call with analysts that the deal was made “through the lens of streaming.” He asserted that Disney would not have successfully launched and scaled Disney+ without Fox’s immense content catalog, which included the “Avatar” franchise, “The Simpsons,” FX and National Geographic.
NBA franchise revenue is not as diversified as Disney‘s, yet the league generated $12.25 billion in revenue — an average of $408 million per team — during the 2024-25 season, including events such as concerts at arenas owned or operated by teams. These earnings ranged from the Warriors’ $833 million to the Grizzlies’ $301 million.
But NBA teams also do not have some of the business challenges movie studios face in the streaming era.
Rapkoch pointed out that it is unclear precisely how much of the Lakers will be owned by Kushner and Iger. Walter’s majority ownership share has not been publicly divulged. It has been widely reported that among minority owners, the Buss family owns 17.8%, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong 4% and Edward P. Roski Jr. 3%.
Jeanie Buss, the current governor of the Lakers and one of six children of the late longtime owner Jerry Buss, is fighting with her siblings, who voted to sell the family’s remaining stake to Iger and Kushner. Buss said any such vote is void because the sale cannot be completed without her approval.
Soon-Shiong, a biotech billionaire and owner of The Times, said through his attorney that he is not interested in selling his stake, which he purchased from Magic Johnson in 2010 for an undisclosed amount.
What is it worth today? Four percent of $12.5 billion is $500 million. Roski, whose stake is worth $375 million, has not disclosed his intentions.
Whatever the minority owners decide should not impact the sale of Walter’s majority stake, said Rapkoch, whose firm has provided valuation services and operational consulting to more than 50 professional sports franchises. Assuming they get the blessing of the NBA board of governors, Iger and Kushner will own the Lakers.
“Bob and Josh are going to do an amazing job,” Rapkoch said. “They know L.A., and they will bring a fresh look to the franchise.”
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - CIRCA 1988: Kevin McHale #32 of the Boston Celtics shoots against the New Jersey Nets during an NBA basketball game circa 1988 at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. McHale played for the Celtics from 1980-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Over the last few years, a lot of things have changed in college basketball. Not all that long ago, between the influence of the Golden State Warriors and the endless defection of young college post players to the NBA, SmallBall was very much in vogue.
More recently, with teams like Duke and Michigan building much taller rosters, college has left that era behind (it’s happening in the NBA as well).
The truth is that basketball always has been, and always will be, a big man’s game. If you are 6-9 and can do things that a 6-2 player can do, well, that 6-2 guy can’t flip the script and overpower you inside.
Some big men are more skilled than others. Hakeem Olajuwon had the Dream Shake and could get loose on anyone. The other guy who really mastered post play was Kevin McHale.
McHale was a master of post moves. The Up-and-Under, the Drop Step, the Uptake, and, when all else failed, a very accurate fall-away jumper, McHale was so difficult to guard inside that he gained a unique nickname: The Torture Chamber.
Having a 7-10 wingspan when you’re 6-10 made life much more difficult for people who had to guard McHale.
Of course, having Dennis Johnson and Larry Bird get you the ball made your life that much easier, too.
ESPN’s Michael C wrote: “The West goes through either Oklahoma City or San Antonio, but don’t count out Houston. The Rockets expect to take another step in Year 2 with Kevin Durant, bolstered by the return of guard Fred VanVleet and continued improvements from Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard,“
In the previous two regular seasons, the Rockets had a 52-30 record. Despite suffering major long-term injury losses in the form of Steven Adams and VanVleet, Houston finished 52-30 last season, spearheaded by the All-Star tandem of Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun. VanVleet and Adams are both anticipated to be healthy from the beginning of training camp this season. The addition of experienced guard Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović could strengthen the team’s depth as well.
Therefore, it may seem unrealistic to expect fewer victories than the previous season. However, the league’s recent draft lottery reform may result in much greater parity in 2026–2027, which should lessen the incentives for non-playoff teams to lose games.
In light of this, it’s conceivable that the Rockets could be a “better team” even though their win-loss record does not reflect it, at least in comparison to prior campaigns.
In all honesty, I feel that the West will definitely be a bloodbath next season, with San Antonio and OKC likely coming out on top. However, I personally expect the Rockets’ win total to improve rather than regress, and I have them slated for 55 wins in my personal standings. With that being said, what do you think about ESPN’s power rankings? Are the Rockets too high? Too low? Let us know!
Boston was one of the finest players in the sport’s history
Wigan plan series of tributes in Thursday’s Hull KR clash
Andy Burnham says he is “heartbroken” by the death of Sir Billy Boston after the prime minister led tributes to the rugby league icon.
Boston died on Tuesday at the age of 92. He was one of the sport’s all‑time great players, scoring almost 500 tries during an illustrious career for Wigan Warriors and Great Britain, and last year became the first man in rugby league history to be knighted for his services to the game.
Luka Dončić averaged more than 33 points a game last season. Photograph: Lynne Sladky/AP
Luka Dončić must feel as though, these past few months, he’s been twirling in a washing machine. He announced a separation from his fiancee in March; reports followed of a prolonged custody battle over their two daughters. As Dončić plays in the NBA and his children live in Slovenia, he doesn’t see them much as is. But after the reports of the rift with his ex emerged, he started playing some of the best basketball of his life: he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 15-2 record in March, a stretch that included a torrential 60-point display against the Miami Heat. Behind Dončić’s brightening star, the Lakers seemed to be sharpening into a real contender. Then Dončić tweaked his hamstring in April and the illusion shattered. He watched from the sidelines as the Lakers limped out of the playoffs with an inevitable second-round defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Actually, Dončić must feel as if he’s been in turmoil for the past few years. He made his first – and so far only – NBA finals in 2024, leading the Dallas Mavericks there with a barrage of awesome shotmaking. As the best offensive player on the court while playing through multiple injuries, Dončić and his Mavs lost to the far deeper Boston Celtics in five games. As thanks, the Mavericks traded Dončić to the Lakers, citing defensive concerns, when what had really doomed them against the Celtics was that no one aside from Luka – who led his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals in that series – could play at the requisite level to win.
And what to make of Dončić’s Lakers tenure? He and Austin Reaves seem to be platonic soulmates. He’s played with LeBron James, his idol. And yet the team remained built in the afterimage of the LeBron-Anthony Davis Lakers, a far worse fit for Dončić than the Mavs were during his stint in Dallas. With a hard ceiling imposed upon them – not enough shooting, less defense – they’ve yet to make an impactful playoff run during his time in LA.
Now Dončić may get his chance. James is gone, off to the clunky but alarmingly stacked Philadelphia 76ers. In his place the Lakers have, at long last, employed a center not named Deandre Ayton. Walker Kessler may transform the Lakers for the better; he may also need time to develop into what Dončić needs; he most definitely cost a lot of money. This is the first season in Los Angeles that Dončić will get to run the Lakers as truly his own team, which is a mixed blessing. Will the (hopefully) improved synergy be enough to take down, or even meaningfully threaten, the monstrous basketball ecosystems that are Thunder and Spurs? Probably not, in which case many will blame Dončić.
So, is Dončić cursed? Born to be an MVP, but thrust into the same era as Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Perfect on the Mavs, but helpless in the clumsy, unfeeling hands of owner Miriam Adelson and Nico “Defense wins championships” Harrison. Totally in control of any offense, but constantly furious at and distracted by those pesky outside factors, the referees. A shade too uninterested on defense for anybody to ignore the deficiency. Traded to the Lakers, who took too long to mold themselves around him. Brilliant in the regular season, capable of being a supernova in the playoffs, but too often injured. Early in his Lakers tenure, ready to return to the court after healing from a hamstring injury, the franchise gets new owners.
The clock’s ticking for the 27-year-old, and it’s not even his fault. How is it fair that one of the great pressure performers of his generation is primed for a James Harden-esque legacy? We should know by now to resist the immense gravitational pull of rings; they’re too elusive – and too reliant on the contributions of others – to be the main criteria by which to judge a player in a team sport. But if Dončić retires without an NBA title, it will be held against him. Likewise with his lack of an MVP award, despite the fact that Dončić’s lone crime is being a unicorn slightly smaller than Jokić, and being born too soon before Victor Wembanyama. By the time voter fatigue comes for Wemby, Dončić will be on the wrong side of 30.
Sports are made for narratives, all the more attractive when subjectivity enters the conversation. The prevailing attitude is that there are winners and there are losers, and excepting the most mythmakingly tragic bad luck everybody pretty much deserves what they get. Within that framework each player is buttonholed into a tidy little story, while various factors such as “timing”, “teammates”, and “De’Aaron Fox had a high ankle sprain during the most recent playoffs” are ignored or shunned. You wonder how much Dončić’s story will acknowledge that he didn’t always have agency in his fate, at least not to this point.
The more interesting question is how he feels right now. This is a player with something approaching absolute power on the basketball court who a) doesn’t seem very happy when exercising said power, b) is so bothered by any and all refereeing that his complaints are the pet peeve of half the fanbase, c) has repeatedly found himself in impossible situations through no fault of his own, and d) is dealing with a difficult situation in his life off the court. Lost in the inevitable handwringing about the pressure on Dončić and the potential of him underdelivering on what seemed to be a destined legacy is the feeling that one of the best basketball players alive doesn’t seem very happy. Think of his reaction after the famous game-winner over Rudy Gobert. That’s not self-satisfied or showy trash talk, he’s pissed off. Not to mention what his apparent discontentment says about the sport or the person. Perhaps this season Dončić will be able to conduct the team and the action the way he hopes, but I wonder if he’d trade that possibility for a measure of peace. To hijack a cliche, the best offense is a good defense.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 23: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on August 23, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Now in his third stint in the Major Leagues this season, Spencer Jones has begun to show some consistency at the plate, earning the praise of his teammates and coaches in the process. Cody Bellinger, who recently returned from the IL, called him “a freak athlete [and] a great defender” who has finally started “controlling his at-bats really well,” while manager Aaron Boone praised his ability to “to make adjustments to become a more well-rounded hitter.” That high praise — plus his strong performance of late — bodes well for the Yankees, who need to continue to rely on him while Aaron Judge remains on the injured list.
Yahoo! Sports | Bob Klapisch: The story of Jones as a prospect is well-known — a player with prodigious power potential and a prodigious ability to swing and miss — and indeed, his first two stints in The Show fit that description to such a degree that an anonymous scout called him “Joey Gallo 2.0” and believed that it would be wise for the Yankees to trade him before he lost any more value. Over the last few weeks, though, his ability to make adjustments has surprised even this anonymous scout, and while there is still a pretty big hole in his swing — high velocity up in the zone — there’s plenty of reason for optimism.
FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: As part of his annual series in which he checks in on players’ Hall of Fame chances, Jay Jaffe dove into the list of players who, through either injury or underperformance, saw their Cooperstown chances take a hit this season. A pair of Yankees outfielders made this list: Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. While Judge’s injury likely doesn’t derail his candidacy too much — after all, ZiPS still gives him a 28 percent chance of reaching 600 home runs, apparently — Stanton’s series of injuries may unfortunately end his time in the Bronx, and, thus, his best shot at hitting 500 home runs.
MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: In case you missed it, the Yankees selected the contract of Justin Topa and recalled him from Triple-A Scranton yesterday, sending Brendan Beck back down. The veteran reliever has struggled this season, and really hasn’t been a truly reliable arm since 2023, but he can generate ground balls. With the Yankees in need of some bullpen depth, it’s worth knocking on every door, and by promoting him now, he will be eligible for the postseason roster.
British No 2 looks back on ‘Fery-tale’ after dealing with injury and shares his ranking goals before US Open debut
“I was around 300 in the world and still really struggling with my arm,” Arthur Fery says as he explains how life has changed from this time last year when, after his shock appearance in the Wimbledon semi-finals, he rose to No 36 in the rankings. His run of five victories, which produced a stunning turnaround in his career, was celebrated as a glorious “Fery-tale”.
But it does not take long in the company of the measured and thoughtful 24-year-old for the grit to emerge from the deeper shadows in his story. There has been more pain than glory in the long hard slog to this point but, amid the doubt caused by his injury, Fery’s self-belief has remained intact. As he says in Cincinnati, his success at Wimbledon provides a dizzying contrast to the testing times he has endured.
SEATTLE — Before this past one, the last two trade deadlines followed a familiar pattern for the Phillies.
They needed a right-handed outfield bat. They went out and got one.
Last year, it was Harrison Bader. Two years ago, it was Austin Hays. In 2026, that need existed again, maybe even more clearly.
The Phillies’ right-handed bats had struggled badly. Their bench needed more punch. Their outfield mix still looked like it could use another right-handed piece.
Then Dave Dombrowski went a different route.
The Phillies’ biggest deadline addition was not a corner outfielder. It was Luis Arraez, a three-time batting champion and left-handed hitter whose arrival forced one of the more unusual defensive shuffles of the season.
Bryce Harper moved from first base to right field. Alec Bohm moved from third to first. Bryson Stott moved from second to third. Arraez took over at second.
The move gave the Phillies elite contact and a different offensive identity, but it also meant they were going to have to trust what they already had from the right side in the outfield.
So far, that has meant Derek Hill and Bryan De La Cruz.
One came in a June trade with the White Sox. The other signed a minor-league deal last November. Neither move brought the kind of deadline attention that a Taylor Ward-type acquisition would have.
But both have helped explain why the Phillies felt they could add Arraez and make the rest of the roster work.
Hill, 30, arrived from Chicago in a trade that sent two minor leaguers to the White Sox. He had played for six big-league teams across six seasons, still chasing the complete player profile that made him a first-round pick by Dombrowski in 2014.
The one thing the Phillies knew they were getting was a right-handed bat with a history of doing damage against lefties. Hill entered the trade with a career .491 slugging percentage against southpaws.
That mattered for a Phillies team whose right-handed hitters had produced a .622 OPS against lefties, a mark that would have ranked near the bottom of any season since those splits began being tracked in 1974.
Hill has not only helped there.
He has posted a .767 OPS with the Phillies, bringing defense, speed and energy to a roster that needed all three. He might already be one of the best defensive outfielders the Phillies have had in years.
And he has fit quickly.
“Everybody’s pulling from the same side,” Hill said. “Everybody’s been talking to each other in here. There’s not a lot of people just sitting doing their own thing. It’s very nice to be a part of a clubhouse.”
That has shown up in the way Hill talks about hitting here. It is not one voice or one adjustment. It is a lot of them.
“There’s just so much information here,” Hill said. “It’s easy to pull from and grab from. You can choose whatever applies to your process.”
That includes the hitting coaches. It includes the stars around him. It includes Arraez, whose bat has quickly become a resource in that room.
“If Schwarber’s in there, I’m picking his brain before the game starts,” Hill said. “Turner, Harper, if they’re in there, I’m picking their brains. It’s just a bunch of guys pulling from the same side.”
Hill said that part of his work with the Phillies has been getting into his legs more. He has also credited the group around him for helping him settle into a role that can be difficult. He does not play every day, but he plays with a clear purpose when he is in the lineup.
De La Cruz has done the same.
The sample is smaller, but the production has been loud. Through his first 45 plate appearances with the Phillies, De La Cruz is batting .359, the best start by a Phillie over that PA span since Wilson Ramos in late 2018.
De La Cruz was familiar to the Phillies before he ever got here. He spent parts of four seasons with the Marlins and played under Don Mattingly in Miami.
Before a rough 2025 season, De La Cruz had already shown he could be a productive major leaguer. Across his 162-game averages, he was a .253 hitter with nearly 50 extra-base hits and 71 RBIs. There was swing-and-miss in his game, but there was impact, too.
The Phillies signed him to a minor-league deal last November. He went on to win Dominican Winter League MVP, played well for Triple-A Lehigh Valley and earned a call-up before he could trigger free agency.
Now, even without steady playing time, he has stayed ready.
“I like the fact that he fits in with the group,” Mattingly said. “He has a role. It’s one of the things I like about where we’re at right now. The pieces kind of fit together. These guys know when they’re going to play, they know when they pinch-hit, when we defend and things like that.”
That role is not easy.
De La Cruz might sit for two or three days, then get one at-bat in a high-leverage spot. That was the case last Sunday in Minnesota, when he came off the bench and poked a two-run single down the first-base line to give the Phillies a 7-5 lead in their comeback win over the Twins.
Mattingly understands what that asks of a hitter.
“It’s definitely easier playing every day, getting regular at-bats, seeing pitching every day,” Mattingly said. “Guys like (De La Cruz), they have to work harder than the other guys. Always trying to stay up to speed. It’s tougher in that role.”
To no surprise De La Cruz has looked more settled than the young player Mattingly remembers from Miami.
“He’s a lot more experienced,” Mattingly said. “Experience, as a player, gives you a lot more comfort. A lot more situations out on the field, on the bases, at the plate. So he’s definitely a lot more experienced and probably calmer.”
Together, Hill and De La Cruz have given the Phillies a useful version of the right-handed outfield bat they did not acquire at the deadline.
Viewed as a pair, they are slashing .291/.333/.496 with an .829 OPS, five doubles and seven home runs in 139 plate appearances. With runners in scoring position, those numbers rise to a .317 average and .894 OPS.
They have also delivered in the kind of spots that tend to stick.
Since joining the Phillies this season, Hill and De La Cruz have combined for seven go-ahead or game-tying hits in the fifth inning or later. De La Cruz has four. Hill has three.
Quietly, they have essentially matched the production Bader gave the Phillies after last year’s deadline, when he hit .305 with five homers and an .824 OPS.
That is not a small thing.
For more reference, the rest of the Phillies’ right-handed regulars — Trea Turner, Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, Edmundo Sosa and Adolis García — have combined for a .233/.292/.372 slash line and a .664 OPS in that same span. Some of them have surged lately, but none entered this stretch batting .250 on the season or carrying an OPS above .690.
That is why Hill and De La Cruz have become more than extra pieces.
A postseason roster needs stars, but it also needs the surrounding cast to hold up. The 2008 Phillies had Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs and Chris Coste giving them real production around the edges. Different players, different roles, different team, but the same general idea.
When the bench is useful, the roster feels deeper.
When the bench is timely, it can change games.
Hill has brought speed, energy (a toothpick), and a right-handed option who can be moved around. De La Cruz has brought an experienced bat that can sit for a few days and still be trusted in a spot.
The clubhouse piece is important, as well. Hill pointed to the way this group has stayed connected through a season that started poorly, heated up, cooled off after the All-Star break and has since found another gear.
“Things go up, things go down,” Hill said. “It’s just if you guys are going to stick together and keep that camaraderie rolling. I think that’s the most important part.”
Playing the Mariners put the deadline part of this into perspective, too.
With his on-base abilities, Ward was one of the most obvious right-handed outfield fits on the market. Seattle acquired him from Baltimore for big-league reliever Alex Hoppe and two minor-league prospects.
Since arriving with the Mariners, Ward has the lowest batting average and OPS in the American League.
That is hindsight, and deadline decisions should not be judged only through three weeks of results. But the Phillies chose a different path. They acquired Arraez, trusted Harper’s move to right field and kept rolling with “D-Hill” and “De La” as their right-handed outfield support.
So far, that plan has held up.
The Phillies did not add the obvious right-handed outfield bat at the deadline.
