PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 21: Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies congratulates Raul Ibanez after Ibanez scored during Game Five of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 21, 2009. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 10-4. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
Ibañez has been named as a candidate in multiple manager searches across baseball the last few years, and it feels like it’s only a matter of time until he finally steps back onto the field and out of the Dodgers front office where he is currently employed. To this point Ibañez has declined all overtures, but the aforementioned report from the Athletic’s Jayson Stark mentioned that he at least considered the Phillies coaching job for a few days before deciding to decline.
Utley on the other hand sounds as though it was something straight out of the mouth of a WIP caller. The report says that he quickly declined the opportunity and even includes quotes from Utley where he expresses that now is not the time for him to consider managing. Perhaps this was just a courtesy from the Phillies organization to get their former star’s name involved in the managerial carousel for future hiring cycles. Or maybe it was a way to placate the types of fans that call in to radio stations to suggest this type of thing.
Speaking of, let’s all let that part of us run wild for a second. Who’s your all Phillies alumni coaching staff? Here’s mine for example:
Desert heat: Caleb Bonemer brought his own firepower to Arizona, launching his first two AFL homers. | (Jill Weisleder/Getty Images)
The Arizona Fall League is underway, and Chicago has eight prospects in the Grand Canyon State, headlined by Caleb Bonemer, 3B/SS/OF (No. 2/MLB No. 27). Rounding out the crew are Mathias LaCombe, RHP (No. 17); Colby Shelton, INF (No. 23); Nick Altermatt, RHP; Jonathan Clark, RHP; Grant Magill, C; Tommy Vail, LHP and Garrett Wright, RHP.
The team added Vail after Pierce George, RHP (No. 18), suffered an olecranon fracture in his pitching elbow. While it sounds like an awful injury, he is expected to participate in 2027 Spring Training. Anthony DePino, INF (No. 21), was also originally on the Dogs roster, but instead underwent shoulder surgery. He should also be ready for spring.
The White Sox prospects are suiting up for the Glendale Desert Dogs, sharing the dugout with hopefuls from the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chicago ties Los Angeles for sending the most Top 30 prospects (five) to the AFL.
Salt River Rafters 6, Glendale Desert Dogs 5 (10/13/26 — 10 innings) The Dogs brought some early pop, but the Rafters had the last bark. Bonemer smacked his first AFL homer in the bottom of the first, sending a two-out, two-run shot 388 feet to left-center to give Glendale an early lead. It was his only hit of the contest, but he made it count.
Shelton joined the first-homer club in the fifth, leading off the frame with a solo shot to knot the game at 3-3. Magill also saw action behind the plate but went 0-for-4. The teams were tied at 5-5 after nine, but Salt River pushed its ghost runner across in the 10th to hand the Dogs the loss.
Glendale Desert Dogs 3, Scottsdale Scorpions 1 (10/16/26) The Dogs finally picked up their second win, and Bonemer made sure they started with a bang. His first-inning solo shot traveled 431 feet to left at 111.9 mph off the bat, giving Glendale a 1-0 lead it never surrendered.
Bonemer finished 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout while patrolling center field. Shelton had a quieter day at the plate, going 0-for-3 with a free pass and a K.
Surprise Saguaros 10, Glendale Desert Dogs 0 (10/17/26 — 7 innings) The Dogs managed just two hits as Surprise rolled to a shutout win. Bonemer supplied one of those knocks, a two-out double in the bottom of the first, and finished 1-for-3. Magill handled catching duties but went 0-for-2 with a pair of punchouts.
On the mound, LaCombe tossed a scoreless fifth before things got messy for his fellow Sox prospects. Wright inherited a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, allowing just one runner to score on a sac fly before ending the threat with a strikeout. The seventh was a different story, as a pair of errors by the shortstop helped saddle the righty with three unearned runs. Altermatt entered with runners on the corners, and the inning kept unraveling with a wild pitch, a single and a walk. Another unearned run crossed before he finally ended the frame, and the game, with a ground out.
Salt River Rafters 7, Desert Dogs 1 (10/19/26) The Dogs’ bats were quiet again, mustering only four hits in another offensive struggle. Shelton supplied half of them, including a two-out RBI base hit in the fourth that plated Glendale’s only run. The 23-year-old finished 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a walk, while Bonemer went 0-for-4 with a K.
Clark made quick work of the Rafters in the bottom of the eighth, needing just eight pitches to complete a scoreless, hitless frame.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Leody Taveras #30 of the Baltimore Orioles warms up before game one of a baseball doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the real hallmarks of the 2026 Orioles is how many things happened where, if you were told in March that they were going to happen, you would know that meant the season went poorly. Not all of these things were bad. “Brandon Young is the team’s starting pitcher ERA leader” would have seemed apocalyptic, for example. That was good! Most that would have sounded bad in March did in fact turn out to be bad for a successful Orioles team, including this one: Leody Taveras led Orioles outfielders in innings played this season.
The Orioles signed Taveras very early on last offseason, inking him to a one-year contract worth about $2 million for the 2026 campaign. That was less than fourth outfielder money for a guy who is kind of a classic fourth outfielder, in that he’s hit badly but not so badly as to be unplayable, he’s decent enough as a defender that he should be able to play any of the outfield positions, and he’s modestly fast, such that you could even maybe deploy him as a pinch runner sometimes.
There was nothing exciting at all about that signing. That was especially true since Taveras was coming off of a 2025 season where he had been horrible, getting dumped by the Rangers – where Taveras was once a top 50 prospect who debuted for his age 21 season – after just a month and then getting dropped by the Mariners, who claimed him off waivers, after about six weeks. He ended up batting .205/.226/.304 for 58 games of the 2025 season; that’s why the Orioles could sign him for the price they did. Taveras was hitting badly enough to be unplayable in 2025. It wasn’t a bad cheap bet to guess he’d be better than that this year. Overall, he was better than that.
The path to more regular playing time for Taveras opened up a couple of weeks into the season, when Tyler O’Neill fell ill and ultimately landed on the concussion injured list due to passing out during an off day at home and hitting his head on the way down. The Orioles shifted Colton Cowser out of center field to a corner spot and had Taveras as their every day guy while O’Neill was out.
Taveras seized the opportunity. By the end of April, he was batting .288/.397/.455. Of the younger players who we might have expected to play over Taveras, Cowser had a .489 OPS and Dylan Beavers was better but still not good at a .645 OPS. The Orioles responded to who was actually playing well and this meant more playing time for Taveras. He played most games in center field through early June. The main problem is he stopped hitting; he had a .630 OPS from the end of April until he relinquished the every day center field job back to Cowser.
The chaos kept on continuing for Orioles outfielders. Beavers suffered an oblique strain. Cowser batted like a guy who needs to never take an at-bat against a lefty starting pitcher. Taylor Ward was traded at the deadline. O’Neill got hurt again toward the end of the season.
What all of this meant was that Taveras stayed in the lineup even after he started hitting more like the guy who was ditched by two teams in 2025; he posted a .591 OPS from May 1 to the end of the season. That is unplayable, except if you’re on the 2026 Orioles and the other outfielders either keep getting hurt, or keep proving to be terrible defenders, or can’t hit a changeup, or whatever other problems were going on.
Taveras is the only reason the Orioles didn’t start turning to Christian Franklin- or Rece Hinds-level players earlier than they did. Never mind that Taveras himself probably would have been shuffled out of any semi-functional team’s outfield mix. That’s just not what the Orioles were in 2026.
Even so, Taveras ended the season at exactly 0.0 bWAR, so he was the definition of a replacement-level player. There is a whole lot of blue on the Statcast page. Blue is bad. There were, unfortunately, multiple below-replacement Orioles outfielders as the season went along, including Beavers. I think if you had gone back a year ago and told Mike Elias that his fourth outfielder signing was going to start 115 games, he would have probably signed a better guy than Taveras.
Or at least, I hope he would have. I don’t know. Elias is a weird guy who galaxy brains himself into stupid decisions sometimes. This wouldn’t be the first time and if that’s what it was, it won’t be the last either. He might have still thought he nailed it with signing Taveras, believing he had the secret to get Taveras to hit like it was 2023 (.733 OPS in a 2.9 bWAR season) again. This did not turn out to be the case. His defense was worse than past years as well, at least as measured by Statcast’s Outs Above Average. Taveras was a 34th percentile range defender.
It’s not exactly Taveras’s fault that every other part of Mike Elias’s outfield plan went haywire. You can’t expect a guy to be something that he’s not. Though in baseball, sometimes for a month or two, a guy can be something that he’s not, which Taveras managed to pull off in April.
There is no contractual obligation to the Orioles for Taveras next year. The deal was for one season and at the end of the World Series, that season is done. Something is going to have to be done about the outfield situation that was a complete disaster for the 2026 O’s. Hopefully, part of that is signing a better bench outfielder than Taveras, so that even if he is needed as much as Taveras was, that won’t be as much of a downgrade for the Orioles.
CANADA - NOVEMBER 06: Good as gold: Outfielder Devon White added another Gold Glove to his collection yesterday. This stunning catch in Game 3 of the World Series sparked the Blue Jays to victory over the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
34 years ago:
Devon White made the most incredible catch I’ve ever witnessed.
The Jays pulled off a 3-2 victory, grabbing a 2-1 series lead. Without that catch, the outcome could have been very different—two runs would have scored, giving the Braves a runner in scoring position with no outs. This pivotal play happened in the fourth inning, with the game still scoreless. In the bottom half, Joe Carter launched a home run to put us ahead.
Juan Guzman surrendered the tying run in the sixth. Deion Sanders doubled, Terry Pendleton singled, and David Justice drove in Sanders with another single. Fortunately, Guzman managed to limit the damage. In the eighth, the Braves took the lead when Otis Nixon reached on a Kelly Gruber error, stole second, and scored on a Lonnie Smith single.
Gruber redeemed himself with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the inning, tying the game. In the ninth, Roberto Alomar singled and stole second. The Braves intentionally walked Carter, and Dave Winfield executed one of his rare sacrifice bunts (just 19 in 22 seasons). After another intentional walk loaded the bases, Candy Maldonado delivered a walk-off single.
That was easily the greatest catch I’ve ever seen. Devon quickly threw the ball back in to hold the runners. He was so smooth in the outfield—he rarely needed to make spectacular plays because he reached balls others couldn’t—but this one was truly special. Kevin Pillar has made some impressive catches as well, but I still think this tops them all.
It could have been a triple play if not for a missed call, but that’s baseball. I’d rather focus on the catch itself.
We went on to win the series in six games. I remember the final play vividly: Mike Timlin was pitching, with the tying run (John Smoltz, pinch-running) on third and Otis Nixon at the plate. Nixon laid down a well-placed drag bunt, but Timlin reacted quickly and made a perfect throw to Carter at first. As soon as the out was called, Joe started leaping in celebration—I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone jump higher (though he may have outdone himself a year later). I’ll admit, I was jumping up and down too.
I love re-watching this. Devon was such a smooth outfielder.
33 Years Ago Today:
The Jays triumphed in Game 5 of the 1993 World Series, edging out the Phillies 15-14 in an unforgettable slugfest.
Devon White was the hero once again, smashing a two-run triple in the eighth inning. That game set a World Series record for most runs scored.
I’m not going to recap it all, but here’s a snapshot:
Todd Stottlemyre wasn’t good, giving up 6 runs in 2 innings.
Al Leiter pitched next and wasn’t much better, giving up 6 runs in 2.2 innings.
Tony Castillo got the W, giving up just 2 runs in 2.1 innings.Timlin got 2 outs, and Duane Ward got the last 4 outs to get the save.
Rickey Henderson went 2 for 5 with a double, walk and steal, scoring 2 and driving in 2.
White went 3 for 5, with a double, triple, walk and steal, scoring 2 and driving in 4.
Carter was 3 for 6, with a double, scoring twice.
Tony Fernandez was 3 for 6 and drove in 5.
My favourite non-Jays reliever, Mitch Williams, got the blown save and loss. It was his third blown save of the playoffs that year. He would have one more, which you likely remember.
On the Phillies side, Lenny Dykstra scored and drove in 4 (Lenny has had an interesting life since, but that’s a story for another time), and Milt Thompson drove in 5.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home to face the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at 7:00 PM.
Toronto Maple Leafs - 4-4-2 - 10 Points - Won 1 - 6th in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 3-4-0 - 6 Points - Lost 1 - 7th in the Metro
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle has 4-21-25 in 33 career GP vs. Toronto, including a 0-4-4 effort last season on Oct. 29, 2025.
Luca Del Bel Belluz has 1-1-2 in two career matchups with Toronto and notched all points with his first career multi-point effort on Jan. 22, 2025.
Adam Fantilli has 6-2-8 in nine career GP vs. the Leafs, with multi-goal performances in each of the last two seasons (2-1-3 on Nov. 20, 2025 & 3-0-3 on Jan. 22, 2025).
Valeri Nichushkin has 8-5-13 in 14 career GP against Toronto, with a hat trick on Mar. 8, 2025 (3- 1-4), and has notched 6-3-9 in his last eight matchups as well as scoring in three of his six career home matchups against the Maple Leafs (6-2-8).
Mathieu Olivier has 3-5-8 in eight career GP and has all points in four of his last six matchups after notching his first career four-point game on Oct. 29, 2025 (1-3-4).
Zach Werenski has 2-19-21 with 6 multi-point efforts in 20 career GP, including having a 3-game overall point streak (2-4-6) as well as a 3-game home point streak (2-3-5), and has collected 2-7-9 in his last 6 overall.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 11.8% - 29th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 68.0% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 17 - 30th in the NHL
Goals Against - 23 - 12th in the NHL
Maple LeafsStats
Power Play - 27.6% - 7th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 96.4% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 29 - 10th in the NHL
Goals Against - 31 - 25th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheMaple Leafs
The Blue Jackets are 23-20-1-1 overall, and 10-11-0-1 at home vs. Toronto.
The Jackets have earned points in seven of their last nine matchups against the Maple Leafs (6-2-1).
The Blue Jackets have won three of the last four matchups at Nationwide Arena in the series, out-scoring the Maple Leafs by six goals (19-12).
CBJ have scored five-plus goals in five of their past six victories over the past 3 campaigns, including four instances of six-plus goals.
CBJ has gone 100 percent on the penalty kill percentage in the last six games between clubs (13-of-13).
Columbus has won the past three season series, taking two wins in each season.
Who To Watch For TheMaple Leafs
Auston Matthews leads the team in goals(6), assists(7), and points(13)
Kirill Marchenko has 4 goals and 9 points.
Goalie Anthony Stolarz is 2-1-0 with a SV% of .875
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 7 Games Missed
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 7 Games Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 7 Games Missed
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 25
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN (Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo)
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at 7:00 PM.
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ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 19: The Tampa Bay Rays celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Guardians in game six of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 19, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Anthony DiComo discussed what the Mets have learned from Freddy Peralta’s disappointing tenure in New York and his resurgence with the Rays.
Kevin Long will meet with the Mets today about a coaching staff position, according to Mike Puma’s source. Long most recently served as the Phillies’ hitting coach and was the Mets’ hitting coach in 2015 when the team made it to the World Series.
Danny Abriano broke down the options for the Mets at second base.
Jay Horwitz provided a positive update on Ethan Wilson, the Senior Director in the Mets’ media relations department, who underwent surgery a few weeks ago.
Around the National League East
Mark Bowman offered a progress report on Atlanta’s farm system.
Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb teamed up to provide some offseason takeaways for the Phillies, touching on the outfield, bullpen, catching, and Philadelphia’s analytics group.
Around Major League Baseball
If I had told you back on Opening Day that Freddy Peralta would take the ball with a chance to send his team to the World Series, you would understandably be very excited. Alas, while Peralta did pick up the win in such a scenario, it was for the Rays, leading them to a 7-3 win over the Guardians in Game 6 of the ALCS.
Not only did Peralta pick up the win—his second of the series—he was named ALCS MVP.
Yandy Díaz made good on his prediction that the series would end in six and delivered the knockout blow to lead his team to the World Series.
Junior Caminero savored his first career postseason home run.
The Hanshin Tigers will post Teruaki Sato soon, which will pave the way for him to be signed before the expected lockout on December 1. The Mets are among the teams expected to target the Japanese slugger.
Aaron Boone will return as the Yankees’ manager in 2027, but will do so without an extension as he prepares for the final year of his current c0ntract.
Sonja Chen outlined what the Dodgers could learn from Shohei Ohtani’s injury-plagued 2026 campaign.
Adam McCalvy shared some stories from Brewers fans that even the late, great Bob Uecker would get a kick out of.
The Athletics have hired Taylor Smith as President of Baseball Operations.
The Orioles have hired Jared Banner as their General Manager.
The Cubs have named Steve Miller their Director of International Scouting.
Yankees’ backstop Austin Wells said his season was sidetracked by multiple foul balls to the head.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: Manager Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves looks on from the dugout prior to game three of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on October 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 World Series is set, and it looks to be quite intriguing and fun. The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Rays will face off to determine who will be the 2026 World Series champion. With similar approaches to the success, it will be fun to see the strategy involved in the matchups.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 12: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game two of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the baseball world prepares itself for a low-cost World Series, Dodgers fans might still be looking backwards at what might’ve been.
Sonja Chen on MLB.com focuses on how the team managed Shohei Ohtani’s injuries, and what perhaps they might’ve done differently.
“I haven’t been able to really come to grip in terms of what I’ve learned overall this season,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton following the Dodgers’ elimination. “It’s something that I’m going to kind of go back to the drawing board in terms of treatment, training program, and see what I can come up with for next season.”
Chen breaks down the entire timeline of Ohtani and his injuries this season, from a knee tweak to being completely shut down from pitching, to starting again, and then a full IL stint. Chen notes that perhaps the Dodgers should’ve done more at the beginning to help their two-way player, and that said two-way player probably should’ve done more to help himself.
“The communication back and forth has been awesome,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said after Ohtani came off the IL. “The fully sharing exactly how he’s feeling, maybe not as awesome.”
Definitely lessons learned as the Dodgers look forward to 2027, where Ohtani has said that he definitely is going to pitch again.
Brian Murphy of MLB.com covered that and other quotes from Ohtani on his plans going forward, including that as of earlier this week, Ohtani did not know if that was going to include offseason surgery.
That is, of course, if there is a next season.
If there is, Tyler Kepner of The Athletic shares his experience with a dynasty after the World Series wins stop, as he covered the New York Yankees during and after their three-peat. No doubt it will be somewhat different for the Dodgers, who seem to be the scapegoat for the impending lockout.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 19: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Guardians in game six of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 19, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello and happy Tuesday, everybody. Hope you’re hanging in there with no Sox ball to talk about.
We do have World Series ball to talk about, though. Our divisional foes, the Tampa Bay Rays (while donning those lovely Devil Rays unis; I hope they go back to that look full time) clinched the American League pennant last night. With Milwaukee’s pennant sweep completed a few days ago, we’re in line for a Brewers-Rays Fall Classic: a pairing that you’d only see 15 years into your MLB The Show franchise mode simulation.
My open-ended question to you, dear reader, is this: What lessons from Milwaukee and Tampa Bay can the Red Sox take away with them heading into the winter? This could mean anything you’d like it to be, but I’m curious to read your thoughts. I think the Red Sox should consider having a starter who can throw 105 miles per hour or installing an aquarium of their own in the outfield at Fenway, but I’m open to other ideas as well.
The Dallas Mavericks forward and former Duke standout steps into the shoes of a Foot Locker employee as the star of the company's "Hoops Lives Here" campaign. The ad debuts on Tuesday, Oct. 20 ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season tipoff. It shows Flagg wearing New Balance gear and hanging out playing video games in the backroom of a Foot Locker store. He assists an employee in reaching tall shelves, among other comedic moments.
“For me, basketball is everywhere in my life. Whether I’m playing, training, watching games or just spending time with people who love the sport, I’m always connected to it in some way," Flagg said in a statement of how the campaign concept resonates with him, noting, "It celebrates all the different ways basketball is part of our everyday lives and brings together those who share a passion for the game.”
Flagg's ad follows the debut of Foot Locker's "Hoops Lives Here" campaign in May. In the original spot, Payton Pritchard lounges while eating Chinese takeout, Paolo Banchero makes a smoothie, Chet Holmgren gets ready in a mirror and Jewell Loyd prepares to go to sleep all inside a Foot Locker store.
This fall, Foot Locker became the official athletic footwear retailer of the New York Knicks and will help celebrate last year's championship, the team's first title in 53 years. Besides activations and promotions throughout the season, the company will host a one-day Rings ‘N’ Things pop-up with exclusive merchandise to commemorate the NBA Finals victory.
The new "Hoops Lives Here" ad also shows the growth of the popularity of New Balance. Besides Flagg, the athletic company has Shohei Ohtani, Jamal Murray, Coco Gauff and Bukayo Saka on its roster of athletes.
"It took me a while to get used to New Balance because New Balance used to be, you cut grass in New Balance," he said as the crowd erupted in laughter.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 19: Freddy Peralta #51 of the Tampa Bay Rays is named series MVP after Game Six of the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field on Monday, October 19, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Well Cleveland, you gave it your all. The 85-win AL Central champions took two games off of the Rays in the ALCS, which is two more than the Yankees can say they got in the ALDS, but their run ended on Monday night as the top seed in the American League closed things out to set up a match against the top seed in the National League.
American League Championship Series Game 6
Tampa Bay Rays 7, Cleveland Guardians 3 (Rays win series 4-2)
Tampa could smell blood in the water with the Guardians forced to go with a bullpen game this late in the series, and after needing their bullpen to give them an overwhelming majority of the outs in Game 5 Cleveland’s relievers just ran out of gas. Shawn Armstrong was tasked with being the opener and got through the first inning unharmed, but Stephen Vogt knew he needed to stretch every arm as long as he could and thus let Armstrong go out to start the second inning. Junior Caminero greeted him with a single right up the middle and ended his night, Tim Herrin entering in his stead. Herrin got a forceout, but that put the speedy Chandler Simpson on base who promptly stole second, and Victor Mesa Jr. walked to put runners on for Richie Palacios who doubled them both home for an early 2-0 lead.
Herrin’s night was done after that, and Matt Festa allowed the bases to get loaded on a walk and hit by pitch but managed to evade further trouble in the inning by getting Jonathan Aranda to fly out. Joey Cantillo took over for the start of the third and wouldn’t fare as well though, loading the bases with no outs on a single, walk, and bunt single. Mesa then hit into a forceout at the plate, but Jonny DeLuca lifted a sac fly to bring in the third run of the game. Palacios was back up, but he couldn’t add on only grounding out to first to end the inning. It could’ve been a lot worse for Cleveland, but the game was already beginning to slip away with how many runs they were allowing.
On the other side, Freddy Peralta got the ball for Tampa Bay and he continued to put up zeroes like he has all postseason, though Cleveland did threaten. In the third inning Peralta had to strand a pair of runners, and in the fourth Jo Adell led off with a double followed by a walk to put runners on with nobody out. Travis Bazzana went after the first pitch he saw and lined out, and Patrick Bailey hit into a double play to end the threat with nothing to show for it. The fifth was uneventful for both sides, but Chase DeLauter led off the sixth with a double and came around to score on a Nathaniel Lowe single that ended Peralta’s night. Cam Booser entered and quickly put out the fire, but the Guardians were at least showing signs of life.
Unfortunately for them, it came too late. Caminero put his stamp on this game with a two-run home run in the seventh inning, and after Cleveland got those runs back in the top of the eighth via a bases-loaded walk and hit by pitch Yandy Díaz followed up with a two-run blast of his own. Now up 7-3, Bryan Baker was called on to close out the ALCS and sat the Guardians down in order to secure a trip to the World Series. For his efforts in winning Games 2 and 6 (as well as appearing in relief in Game 4), Peralta took home ALCS MVP honors, continuing one of the biggest turnarounds in a season after escaping the disaster that was the Mets. Now he’ll have to take on his former team if he wants to win a ring.
Tampa Bay will now get a few days off before flying out to Milwaukee to meet the Brewers for Game 1 of the World Series on Friday. These two teams were the best in their respective leagues, and they’ll both be aiming for their first championship in franchise history. For Tampa, this is their third shot at it after losing to the Phillies in 2008 and the Dodgers in 2020, while for Milwaukee their only trip to the Fall Classic came in 1982 when they were an American League team, losing in seven games to the Cardinals. The city has seen a World Series championship, but it came when the Braves were located there before they moved out to Atlanta.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 26: Luke Keaschall #15 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates a triple during a game between the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers on September 26, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In 2026, the Minnesota Twins were second in the American League in runs scored.
Take a moment and let that sink in. A team that finished 8 GB of the AL Central crown and couldn’t even compete down the stretch for the 3rd AL Wild Card spot was the second best run-producing squad.
It might be easy to think “hey, the offense isn’t the problem here!” based on that statistic—but to do so would be to rely on the AL to be as historically pedestrian as it was in ‘26. The Cleveland Guardians won the Central with 85 wins, the Houston Astros took the West at even-steven (81-81), while the 80-win Texas Rangers competed for the East and a WC berth until the season’s final weekend.
In short: it is unlikely for the Junior Circuit to be as mediocre in ‘27—evidenced by MN’s more understandable 9th-in-MLB runs scored ranking.
Though not a “problem” in the sense of being a team weakness, I am hopeful that Jeremy Zoll is given the a-okay to address some key aspects of the offense this offseason.
Five slots seem spoken for:
SS: Kaelen Culpepper
3B: Brooks Lee
LF: Emmanuel Rodriguez
CF: Walker Jenkins (unless/until Byron Buxton returns from hip surgery)
DH: Buxton + a rotation of breathers/platoons
The C position will of course be determined by whether or not a qualifying offer is made to incumbent Ryan Jeffers. I hope it happens, and if accepted it buys another year of time for Vahn Lackey to learn the ropes. If not offered or not accepted, it’ll likely be a Victor Caratini & Alex Jackson mix with another small-potatoes signing thrown in for depth/competition sake.
I view 2B & RF as a sort of “either or” scenario. Kody Clemens and Luke Keaschall can mix & match at one of those spots, and I’d like to see a new acquisition at the other. I don’t care which is which. I just don’t want Klobberin’ Kody & Young Master Luke inked in as starters for those two positions.
1B is perhaps the most fascinating position to posit. On one hand, cutting Royce Lewis loose after all his history would seem like a major franchise blow. On the other hand, he’s been a shell of that former self for two seasons now. A big bat at the first sack—plus one who can actually play the position—would slot into this roster perfectly to replace the almost-certainly-departing Josh Bell.
The bottom line is this: the Minnesota Twins have the makings of a strong offense, with young talent at multiple key positions. But instead of hoping for the American League to be as laconic as last season, ownership needs to keep pushing for improvement in order to retain a top-5 league finish in ‘27.
HARRISBURG, PA - AUGUST 27: Anthony Eyanson #18 of the Chesapeake Baysox pitches during the game between the Chesapeake Baysox and the Harrisburg Senators at FNB Field on Thursday, August 27, 2026 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Casey Saussaman/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Now arguably the Orioles No.1 prospect, Anthony Eyanson wasn’t even in the Orioles organization when the 2026 season began. In fact, outside of Ben McDonald, I doubt hardly anyone in Birdland knew who Eyanson was seven months ago. However, there is no doubt that the former LSU Tiger is primed for big things after delivering a ‘26 as good as any minor league pitcher.
How Eyanson came to the Orioles organization was, and still is, a sore point for those throughout Birdland. The 22-year-old right-hander spent 2025 as the No. 2 starter on the LSU team that won their second national championship in three years, sitting just behind future No.3 overall pick Kade Anderson. Eyanson was drafted by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft and spent the early part of 2026 rocketing up Boston’s prospect rankings.
Then, on August 3rd, the Orioles did the seemingly unthinkable; Mike Elias & Co. traded franchise cornerstone Adley Rutschman to the division rival Red Sox with Eyanson (then Boston’s No. 2 prospect) as the headliner of Baltimore’s return.
Split between Boston’s High-A Greenville affiliate and Double-A Portland, Eyanson had amassed a first half almost too good to belief: a 1.32 ERA and .152 BAA while punching out 94 batters across 68.1 innings. The Orioles hadn’t had a truly elite pitching prospect since Grayson Rodriguez back in 2023. That changed with the arrival of the righty from Southern California.
The 6’2” flame-thrower was just as dominant after getting into the Orioles system. In six starts for the Baysox, Eyanson pitched to a 2.03 ERA, .221 BAA and struck out another 47 hitters over 31 innings. His best outing for Chesapeake came agains the playoff-bound Richmond Flying Squirrels, with Eyanson completing seven innings for the first time as a professional and finishing with a final line of 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB and 8 Ks.
His debut professional season brought a fair share of recognition for the Orioles’ new top pitching prospect. Eyanson was named Portland Sea Dogs Pitcher of the Year and was a the finalists (along with winner Anderson and Orioles’ prospect Joseph Dzierwa) for Minor League Pitcher of the Year. After finishing the year with a 1.54 ERA and 141 Ks over 99.1 IP, such superlatives were more than deserved.
Anthony Eyanson was one of the best pitchers in the minor leagues in 2026.
2026 (A+/AA) 99.1 IP 1.54 ERA 0.96 WHIP 9.2% BB 37.1% K .175 BAA 18.7% SwStr (#1 in MiLB, min 80 IP)
The only reason to temper expectations at all with Eyanson is the relatively few innings pitcher in the minors. Fellow Pitcher of the Year finalists. One minor league season, no matter how amazing it was, does not usually provide enough reps to prove your ready to take a major league mound.
And yet, the right-hander may not have to wait long for a call up to Baltimore. Fellow LSU alum Paul Skenes only pitched 34 minor league innings before making his way to Pittsburgh, with an ERA (1.85) and K/9 (14.6) that were pretty similar to Eyanson’s 2026 numbers (1.54 and 12.8). Anderson only needed 93.1 innings, all in Double-A, before getting the call to Seattle two months ago. However, presumptive Cy Young winners Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler both logged over 200 minor innings before debuting at 23 and 24 respectively.
What give Eyanson a chance to be really special at the big league level is a true four pitch repetoire. Like Kyle Bradish, he has a plus-plus slider that he can throw in an count to both lefties and righties. He backs that up with slower curveball that features sharper downward break. His fasbtall sits around 95 while touching triple digits and is often used to change eye levels at the top of the zone. He completes that devestating arsenal with a splitter he’s still refining, but has potential to be another above avearage pitch. At his best, he looks like a combination of Bradish and Félix Bautista in how he attacks hitters.
Whether or not there’s major league baseball in 2027 will likely shape where Eyanson begins his next campaign. With only Bradish, Shane Baz and Brandon Young locked in for next season, pitchers like Cade Povich and Trey Gibson could see a permanent promotion to the major like rotation. That would leave space at Triple-A for someone like Eyanson, though he’d be competing with Dzierwa and Orioles’ No. 4 prospect Caden Hunter for a promotion to Norfolk.
For years the Orioles have searched for outside reinforcements to bolster a rotation that’s often felt like the anchor holding Baltimore back from true contention. Now, if the O’s can bring back ace Trevor Rogers, the rotation is one of the few reliable aspects of this Orioles team. That means, for a prospect to really establish himself in Baltimore, he’ll need to be a type of special of young pitcher not often seen in the Orioles sysem.
Eyanson is that rare kind of special in that he has high expectations and seemingly has the goods to meet them. Most of Batlimore’s recent pitching success stories have come less heralded prospects. Bradish was the Orioles’ No. 10 prospect and no where near the MLB Top 100 before his debut in 2022. Young was Baltimore’s No. 19 prospect before his debut in 2025 and breakout last season.
The Orioles’ new No.1 pitching prospect has a chance to succeed where injuries ultimately caused Rodriguez to failed. Eyanson wasn’t an ace in college, but has proved to have ace-level upside based on his first professional season. The pending lockout means the right-hander is likely to spend his 2027 season further developing in Double and Triple-A. Come 2028, he should be ready to be unleashed on the big elagues and potentially give the Orioles their next Mike Mussina-level talent.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 19: Tampa Bay Rays players and staff members pose for a photo after defeating the Cleveland Guardians in game six of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 19, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The World Series is set.
Last night after the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 7-3, they punched their ticket to meet the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series. It should be a good contest of teams that are built on exceptional execution, small ball, and big analytics staffs.
This was a post making the rounds on social media yesterday.
If nothing else, it’s a sign of improvement that the Colorado Rockies, while still understaffed, are no longer worst in MLB — that honor goes to the Athletics and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said in his remarks earlier this month that they intended to keep growing their staff in the offseason, so that will be a story to watch going forward.
The data suggests that spending on analytics pays. Now to see what the Rockies do next.
In the meantime, here is the news from 20th and Blake as well as the rest of the league.
Jake Smith looks at catcher Jack O’Dowd (HM PuRP) and his baseball life given that he spent his formative years around the Rockies. His two favorite players? Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton.
Should the St. Louis Cardinals make a change in center field, and if so, who would be some good candidates? Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy makes Jake Woods’ list. “Perhaps on days the offense struggles to get going, as it did at times in ‘26, a spark plug like McCarthy to wake the guys up a little might be something worth investing a couple of resources in,” Woods writes.
“It’s fair to say the trade has not been a good one for the Yankees,” write Ben Stinar, contrasting the first baseman’s season with that of relief pitcher Angel Chivilli
As Troy Crumpton puts it, “For Cubs fans who remember Bryant as a cornerstone of Chicago’s historic 2016 championship team, his injury-plagued tenure with the Rockies has been an unfortunate turn for the former MVP.”
I’ve come to think of “Mile High Territory” as the best weekly baseball analysis Rockies fans will see during the offseason. This one is worth listening to for Ryan Spilborghs comments on why the Rockies may have decided to end their relationship with pitching coach Alon Leichman — and the possibility of revisiting pitch calling with a new (and interesting) twist.
Look for my Rockpile on TJ Rumfield’s Gold Glove chances later this morning.
This is big news. Teruaki Sato is a “superstar infielder.” The 28-year-old won the Central League Triple Crown in 2006. (A .306 batting average, 39 homers, and 106 RBIs will do that.) Tomoyuki Sugano, if you could put in a good word for your former team, we’d appreciate it!
The Athletics have hired their new PBO, Taylor Smith. What do we know so far? Smith is young but also has a background with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. Watch our sister site for new developments.
It’s hiring season, and the Baltimores went with Jared Banner, who brings with him experience with the Chicago Cubs in addition to the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox. “However, in hiring Banner, the O’s have brought in someone from outside the organization who is supposed to have a lot of influence in player development, an area where Elias has obliquely acknowledged that he’s been lacking in recent seasons,” writes Mark Brown.
If the Rockies sign any free-agent pitchers, Colorado native Kevin Gausman is probably at the top of their list. Our Blue Jays sister site reviews his 2026 season.
This week on the internet
Since we’re off to Milwaukee for the first game of the World Series, this seemed timely.
Reader, I watched in fascination wondering how all the pieces would fit.
But they did — clearly, this is not The Sausages’ first rodeo.
Outro
I almost went with the Loverboy song, but let’s kick off this on with some Mötley Crüe:
Monday night withstanding, as Cleveland threw a hodge-podge of relievers at the Devil Rays, just think if the Cleveland pitching and Cubs defense got together. Messy defense at key times, Cleveland. Good try, though. I’ll cheer for you if I can again next year.
I’ll just sit back and watch a relaxing World Series*.
*(Subject to sudden changes. This page is not responsible for erratic WS thoughts)
I appreciate your reading.
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Japanese Slugger Teruaki Sato is Officially Being Posted. “In a market thin in impact bats – ironically, Seiya Suzuki is probably right there at the top in this very same class – Teruaki Sato will find plenty of bidders out there.”
Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Did Ryan Rolison Do Enough for a Higher-Leverage Look in 2027? “As injuries mounted in the Cubs’ 2026 bullpen, Ryan Rolison took on an increased role. Did he do enough to not only make it permanent, but become even more important in 2027?”
Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Why Josiah Hartshorn is Now Cubs’ Top Prospect, and What He Still Needs to Work On. “Josiah Hartshorn’s first full season in professional baseball deserves another look. After a dominant 2026 season, he’s gone from a mid-round draft pick to the organization’s top prospect, with an exciting future ahead.”
Robert Petway (born c. 1903, date of death unknown) was an American blues singer and guitarist. He recorded only 16 songs, but it has been said that he was an influence on many notable blues and rock musicians, including John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix. There is only one known picture of Petway, a publicity photo from 1941. Like many bluesmen from the Mississippi Delta, Petway traveled as a musician, playing at parties, roadhouses, and other venues. Petway and Tommy McClennan often travelled and performed together. After McClennan had been in Chicago for a few years, Petway travelled north to join him and cut records, as did Georgia’s Frank Edwards, who had met them in Mississippi.
Petway recorded the song “Catfish Blues” in 1941. Among many other musicians who played variations of the song, Muddy Waters used the arrangement and lyrics of “Catfish Blues” for his song “Rollin’ Stone” (the song from which the Rolling Stones took their name). The composition credit given to Petway is based entirely on the recording date of his version of the song, but it cannot establish that his version was the original and the source of later versions. There is no record, official or unofficial, of Petway’s death. The last record of his public life is a quote from Honeyboy Edwards: “nobody I know heard what become of him.” In his autobiography, Edwards stated that he had heard that Petway may have moved to Chicago, where Edwards himself lived, but that he never met him there.
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