HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: The Chicago White Sox pose on the field after defeating the Houston Astros in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Daikin Park on September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Wild Card round came and went, with three series sweeps and one series ending in a game three battle. Now it’s time to get into the meat of October with a weekend slate of NLDS and ALDS matchups.
The Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers will get into the action after starting the playoffs with a bye.
The Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees pulled out the brooms against the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox, respectively. The Philadelphia Phillies stole one from the Atlanta Braves before Atlanta closed things out.
Now, two pairs of division foes meet in the American League, alongside two intriguing matchups in the National League.
Here’s the schedule for Saturday’s games:
Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians on truTV, TBS, HBO Max at 11:00 am MDT
Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers on FOX at 2:00 pm MDT
New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays on truTV, TBS, HBO Max at 4:30 pm MDT
San Diego Padres @ Milwaukee Brewers on Fox Sports 1 at 6:30 pm MDT
We’ll add lineups as they become available.
Chicago White Sox (0-0) at Cleveland Guardians (0-0) — 11:00 am MDT
Pitching Matchup: Hagen Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA) vs. Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA)
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates in the clubhouse after defeating the Houston Astros in Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to the divisional round! There’s a full slate of four games to be played today.
Starting at noon, we have White Sox at Guardians. The White Sox will use Hagen Smith (1.29 regular season ERA) as an opener for a bullpen game and the Guardians will counter with their rookie ace, Parker Messick (2.56 regular season ERA). The game can be seen on TBS and HBO Max.
At 3 PM, Atlanta will take on the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Atlanta has not yet declared their intended starter, the Dodgers will go with deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal (2.72 regular season ERA). That game can be seen on FOX.
At 5:30, the Yankees will venture to St. Petersburg to take on the Rays. Gerrit Cole (3.61 regular season ERA) will face Drew Rasmussen (2.67 regular season ERA) in the opener. This game can be seen on TBS and HBO Max.
The final game of the night, at 7:30, will see the Padres face the Brewers in a battle of brown teams. Robbie Ray (3.59 regular season ERA) will face presumptive NL Cy Young winner Jacob “The Mis” Misiorowski (1.80 regular season ERA).
If I might be allowed to editorialize for a moment, I think three of the four games promise to be especially good. I’m not convinced Atlanta has what it takes to battle with the Dodgers, but the Brewers and Padres have each shown me enough to think they could give them a run for their money in LCS. The White Sox haven’t pitched well but the Guardians haven’t hit well, and though the Guardians won the division, the White Sox won more head-to-head matchups, so that series figures to be a bloodbath of one kind or another.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 7: A fan holds a baseball waiting to get it autographed before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park on June 7, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 9-5. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are four baseball games today that will determine who plays for the pennants in the Championship Series.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: A general view during the national anthem before the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Both the American League Divisional Series and the National League Divisional Series kick off today.
In the early game, the White Sox go to Cleveland for a noon start in a game on TBS and TruTV.
The Dodgers host the Braves in a 3 p.m. game on Fox.
The Rays and the Yankees square off in Tampa in a 5:30 p.m. game on TBS and TruTV.
And the late game has Padres playing in Milwaukee on FS1 at 7:30 p.m.
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 27: Jo Adell #7 of the Cleveland Guardians rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, September 27, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at American Family Field on September 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brewers’ postseason is finally here, and with it, we’ve got our first look at a playoff roster. Given the relative health of the team at the end of the season (with only some restorative absences from Joey Ortiz and Andrew Vaughn in the season’s last week), there wasn’t a ton to be decided, though the question of whether they’d carry 12 or 13 pitchers — and the position player who might take that extra spot, if it existed — remained.
We have our answer! The Brewers did, indeed, carry 13 pitchers, and the inclusion that we may have all been wondering about was that of Kyle Harrison, who did make the cut. Other than that, there are no real surprises. Here’s the rundown:
Catchers (2): William Contreras, Gary Sánchez
Infielders (6): Jake Bauers, David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn
Outfielders/DH (5): Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich
Pitchers (13): Aaron Ashby, Shane Drohan, Robert Gasser, DL Hall, Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, Dustin May, Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, JoJo Romero, Antonio Senzatela, Abner Uribe
This pitcher breakdown gives the Brewers six lefties (Ashby, Drohan, Gasser, Hall, Harrison, Romero), five of which could conceivably pitch multiple innings. San Diego does feature a righty-heavy lineup, so that’s not going to be quite as big an advantage as the Brewers may have had against a team like the Dodgers or Cubs, but it’s interesting nonetheless. If Gasser is indeed the choice to start Game 3 and a bullpen game is in store for Game 4, then expect to see some combination of Drohan, Hall, Harrison, May, and Patrick as guys who cover a lot of innings in those two games.
There are no surprises on the position player side; in order to make it interesting, the Brewers would’ve had to carry 12 pitchers, and they would’ve had to opt against including Bo Naylor as an extra catcher. This means that Brandon Lockridge didn’t make the roster, and neither did a major wildcard inclusion along the lines of Andrew Fischer. Ortiz and Vaughn were both expected to make the roster, but it’s encouraging to see them both nonetheless, given that they were dealing with minor issues (injury and/or health) at the end of the season.
It’s a strong group, and we’ll hope they play up to their ability level. We’ll see you back here at 7:30 p.m. tonight for the game, and we’ll also have a general Division Series thread up during the day. Happy baseball.
UPDATE: The Padres have also announced their NLDS roster. No changes to their squad from the NL Wild Card Series, as they’ll stick with 11 pitchers and 15 position players.
Catchers (3): Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin, Ethan Salas
Infielders (6): Miguel Andujar, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, Ty France, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets
Outfielders (6): Jase Bowen, Dustin Harris, Austin Hays, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., Samad Taylor
Pitchers (11): Jason Adam, Walker Buehler, Michael King, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan, Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta, Robbie Ray, Bradgley Rodriguez
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Pitcher Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers leaves the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — After naming Tarik Skubal the Game 1 starter of the NLDS earlier on Friday, the Dodgers on Saturday announced that Blake Snell would start Game 2 on Sunday, pushing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Game 3 on Tuesday in Atlanta.
“We have such talented starters. I think you can roll out any of us in any situation and you’re going to be in a really good spot,” Skubal said Friday of Dodgers rotation depth, echoing comments made this week by Freddie Freeman, Dave Roberts, general manager Brandon Gomes, and others. “I don’t make any of those decisions. I don’t really think about that. They tell me when I’m going, and I’m ready to go that day. That’s kind of how I approach it.”
“I thought in the moment I was going to be able to finish the game, and he’s like get ready for Game 1,” Skubal said. “That’s how I was told, and obviously excited and fired up and ready to go.”
Skubal’s the most likely starter to pitch on four days rest if needed, and Snell and Tyler Glasnow have a history of pitching on four days rest as well. Yamamoto has never started in the majors on fewer than five days rest, with the one notable asterisk his eight-out relief appearance to close out Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. Yamamoto was the rock of the Dodgers rotation each of the last two seasons, the only starter to remain healthy all season in each of 2025 and 2026. Now he’s pushed to Game 3 of the Dodgers’ opening series, but there is method to the madness.
Now they’ll face two lefties to start the first two games of the NLDS in Skubal and Snell. But the matchup wasn’t the only consideration.
“A lot of it this series, the possibility of usage, as well as, as we look out, who’s best lined up,” Roberts said Friday. “I think it’s a good process, appreciating that the most important thing is this series right now. But if you have talented arms at your disposal, it’s prudent to kind of map out potentially how they could line up, and that’s just doing your due diligence.”
Should the Dodgers advance to beat the Braves — not a given, obviously — Yamamoto is the ideal Game 2 starter in a seven-game series, because it allows him to pitch the latter on five days rest, while starting in Game 1 or Game 3 would mean needing to be available to start in Game 5 or 7 on four days rest. And Yamamoto starting in Game 3 of the Division Series on Tuesday would line him up perfectly to potentially start Game 2 of the NLCS on Monday, October 12 on five days rest.
And if Skubal is needed again in the NLDS in Game 5 against the Braves, having Snell at the ready to potentially start Game 1 is a nice fallback option to have. Snell started three Games 1 last postseason for the Dodgers, and won two of them, part of an overall 3.18 ERA in 34 innings, and set a Dodgers franchise postseason record with 41 strikeouts.
There’s also the matter that Yamamoto had a 1.77 ERA and 2.93 FIP on in 12 road starts this season, compared to a 3.13 ERA and 3.65 FIP at home, and 14 of Yamamoto’s 20 home runs allowed were hit at Dodger Stadium. Plus starting him in Game 3 gives Yamamoto his first extended rest of the season, having last started on September 23 with only Wednesday night’s closed scrimmage at Dodger Stadium in between.
“If you’re fortunate enough to keep moving on, things start to get more unpredictable,” Roberts said. “So I think that at the outset, if you can kind of line it up in such a way to giving guys ample rest, it just puts you in a better position for more options down the road. That’s kind of some of the math we had.”
White Sox MVP (Most Venerated Pontiff)? | AFP via Getty Images
It’s showdown at high noon (Central), as two teams that played as even a regular season series as can be match up in an American League Division Series.
The White Sox won the season series, 7-6, with seven of the games being determined by one run, and only one by more than three. The teams were so close in talent that the Sox scored 58 runs and the Guardians 57 over the course of the season. Of course, the old cliché about throwing out the record books pops up now, but sometimes a peek at the books gives a pretty good hint at what’s to come.
What’s to come today is Hagen Smith throwing for the White Sox, just as he started the Wild Card series. He went a scoreless three innings on just 38 pitches in that one, giving up two hits and no walks and getting one strikeout. He faced Cleveland three times during the regular season and they hit just .105 against him, albeit with a .320 OBP due to Smith walking six of 25 batters.
The Sox are quiet about who will follow in a quasi-bullpen game, but against Houston it went Jordan Hicks, Sean Newcomb, David Sandlin and Grant Taylor. It may be mostly southpaws today, given the Guardians lefty-heavy lineup.
There’s no bullpen game for Cleveland, that’s for sure. With the advantage of a first-round bye, the Guardians are marching out their ace, lefty Parker Messick. Messick went 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 186 innings in his official rookie season. In four starts against the Sox he was 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA, giving up a .198/.245/.385 slash line.
Last time out against them he gave up three runs in six innings, all of them scoring on a Tommy Pham homer, so it’s no surprise that Pham is in the starting lineup again today, in the 5-slot.
Smith and friends face a Cleveland lineup that came alive in September, enough so to take the AL Central title from the Sox. Will the long break thanks to the opening-round bye give them needed rest, especially for José Ramirez’s hand, or will they be rusty? Only The Shadow knows.
First pitch is scheduled right at noon Central on a perfect fall day — mostly sunny, mid-60s and light wind in from right. Tube coverage is on TBS, truTV, Univision/TUDN and HBO Max, while ESPN 1000 has the radio side.
The 2026-27 Vancouver Canucks had a home opener for the ages. After going down 8-2 midway through the second period, Vancouver caught fire as they scored five goals over the final 20:01 of the game. Unfortunately, the Canucks fell just short as the Edmonton Oilers skated away from Rogers Arena with a 9-7 victory.
Games in which one team scores at least nine goals and the other team at least seven rarely happen in the NHL anymore. In fact, in the 59 regular-season games where it has happened, it has occurred only five times since the start of the 1997-96 season. Funny enough, Vancouver has been involved in two of those games, with the other being a 10-7 loss to the Minnesota Wild back in 2024.
A chaotic game like Thursday can be very hard to evaluate. The first two periods of the game featured virtually all negatives, while the third was almost completely positive. There is also a challenge as it is the type of game that these players may never experience again.
"It's obviously not something you want to do regularly," Jamie Oleksiak told The Hockey News after practice on Friday. "But I think, like anything, you can take positives away, and you can even use the negatives towards growing. I think in that game, you know, the start, obviously, something we got to clean up, but again, I think the resiliency was a positive there. So yeah."
One of the biggest positives was the Canucks fight in the final frame. Whether or not the Oilers stopped playing, it is not easy for any team to score four goals in a period. When asked about his team's play in the third, Oleksiak said this group wants to keep fighting regardless of the score.
"I think it speaks to the group as a whole in terms of not getting dejected and not getting overwhelmed by a situation. I think, obviously, the first two periods were tough, but in the third period, we went out there with a purpose. We went out there to try and have some pushback and build some momentum. I think we did a pretty good job of that. But obviously, we got to make sure that we carry that through 60 minutes."
As for Manny Malhotra, he and his staff need to find ways to learn from Thursday's game. Even the most out of the ordinary results can have lesson that will better the team moving forward. As Malhotra explained, there were plenty of moments, both good and bad, that he can show the group to help build for the future.
"That game is just like any other game," said Malhotra. "We will analyze the things that we like, the things that we don't like. We'll work and work on the things we like to make them better. We'll clean up the things that we feel need to clean up, and then we move on. But (Thursday's) game is not by any means a special game in that regard. It's going to be the same mentality throughout the course of the year."
Luckily for Vancouver, they won't have to wait long to put Thursday's result in the rearview mirror as they play a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday. With 15 games total in October, the Canucks will need to have short memories. While Thursday's home opener will soon be a distant memory for the players, Vancouver's performance still offers plenty of lessons Malhotra and his staff can use to strengthen this group.
Oct 1, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tom Willander (5) watches as defenseman Jamieson Oleksiak (4) trips up Edmonton Oilers forward Colton Dach (34) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Tommy Tanous, Amir Mamdani, Brian Jones, and Ian Levin at Rockies Fest 2026 | Kyle Cooper
Last Saturday, Tommy Tanous, the Colorado Rockies Assistant General Manager – Player Development & Scouting, spoke with Purple Row about his first season with the organization.
As a reminder, the Rockies hired Tanous during the offseason as part of their front office rebuild. He is responsible for the organization’s player development and scouting operations. Prior to joining the Rockies, Tanous spent 15 years with the New York Mets.
Below are a few takeaways from that conversation, which has been lightly edited for clarity.
On joining the Rockies
(It’s been) exciting, fun, great people. That that was probably the nicest surprise. The quality of people that I got to meet and work with here. So overall, it’s been an A-plus experience.
Paul (DePodesta) was my boss with the New York Mets, so I knew him quite well (laughs), and Paul is probably the number one reason why I left a really good situation. I probably wouldn’t have done that for anyone else, but enjoyed working with him so much and just appreciate the work environment he provided. So it was kind of a no-brainer when I got a chance.
On what his of scouting and player development job entails
It depends on the season, depends on the time of year. Going from January to really March, it’s a little player development and a little bit of the draft, and then from March to July, it’s mostly the draft — I’d say probably 80% is looking at players, looking at video, helping the staff, the amateur staff. And then after the draft, it’s mostly player development, going to the affiliates, helping write player plans, and now it’s a little mixture of both in the in the fall, both player development and trying to do some scouting.
You have a schedule. You touch each department a little bit each day, knowing the majority of the time is going to be in player development, but I still want to stay up on the amateurs. So your day is a mix of both, keeping your hand in both, and you have good people that help you, like we do on the amateur side and the PD side. It makes it easier.
On preparing for the draft and drafting specifically for the Rockies
Absolutely it’s taken into account — what we feel like will work here, what’s a little easier to adjust to. All of that’s taken into the evaluations, and Paul and Josh Byrnes have done, and Ian Levin, I should say, too, have done extensive work on that, and it’s been really helpful.
Going into the draft, (I was) very sick. I somehow caught some sort of virus, so for the majority of the draft, I was coughing and hacking, and people were sitting as far away from me as possible. But the draft is just about gaining as much information on players as possible. So constantly busy, constantly talking to the staff, finding out more information, using our analytics department to break down players, using our scouts to break down tools and makeup on these players. So it’s quite busy. It’s a lot of meetings, and it’s a lot of prep for basically a few days of the draft, but what I think are the most important days for the organization.
I ran the amateur department and made suggestions to both Josh and Paul on who our selections would be, but no one person runs a draft. You might have whatever title. It is a total team commitment from our area scouts to the to the cross checkers to the front office. But my day-to-day was to run the draft.
On initial impressions of the Rockies 2026 draft class
So far, so good. Obviously, we took Tyler Bell (No. 4 PuRP) knowing that he was not going to play for us this summer, and Daniel Jackson (No. 12 PuRP) just had a phenomenal start, and Jack Natili (No. 20 PuRP) really really played well. All of the prospects really hit all the benchmarks that we were looking for. Look, time will tell on all drafts. But (we’re) off to a really good start.
I was a junior college kid, and then I coached in junior college, so I just couldn’t seem to get enough of junior college. But how it formed me — I really think you don’t get the benefit of a lot of things that Division I teams get the perks. You have to really want to work in baseball if you’re coaching in a junior college or playing in a junior college. The game needs everything. So that part helped me I think in a lot of ways.
And also the ability to meet other people, as far as there were really smart people in this game, and coming from my background, I always felt a little bit inferior on an intellectual standpoint, and then realized, Wow, I can kind of talk to these people on a baseball level. And then it also provided me with the humbleness of, Wow, there’s a lot more I need to learn.
So I think that’s one of my bigger strengths: I’m not necessarily the smartest person in the room, so I need to listen to a lot of different voices.
On what he wishes people understood about scouting
Just how hard it is to make predictions because that’s what you really are (doing). You’re trying to predict the future, and you’re trying to do it with human beings, and it’s incredibly hard to do. And there’s a lot of failure in it, and you need to learn from that failure. And I think really good scouts learn from mistakes and become better each year and grow almost like an AI machine. That’s really what we’re doing. Why didn’t this work out? Why didn’t this player become what we thought they would be?
So I think you need tremendous resilience. Failure is going to happen. And what are you going to do the next year? And how are you going to get better? I think people think of it as fun. You get to go to games, and they don’t necessarily see the heartbreak in it all the time.
On how the player-development side of his job works
One of the major things in Paul and Josh’s vision is having more of a handoff. Once we draft the player. We just don’t send him to player development, and they’re shocked to learn like, “Oh, we have this player. What are his tools?” That should all be done prior to the draft. So we include player development while we’re drafting.
Nic Wilson, Matt Daniels — our hitting and pitching (coordinators) — they were involved in all our drafts. So when we drafted a player, they had already scouted that player. Part of my job is to make that transition a lot easier into professional baseball, and then working with Jesse (Stender) and Chris Forbes, try to make sure that these players are given every opportunity to really get better at their weaknesses and their strengths, and put together drill packages that are going to emphasize that. They’re pros, so I feel a ton of confidence in our play development.
On his favorite and least favorite parts of his job
Favorite part of my job? I tell you what it’s not. It’s not writing reports. That’s not my favorite.
I think once you get to the game and settle in, and the unraveling of a player and trying to discover what that player is going to be is probably the most enjoyable. Like you’re a detective, and you’re trying to peel this onion back. That’s probably my favorite part.
(My least favorite part is) travel. As I get older, it is hard to put up with delays on planes, rental car shuttles that don’t come. It is by far. I love the job. I’ll never not want to be at a baseball game or be involved in it. But getting there is a real pain in the neck.
On what he likes about working for the Rockies
The fans, how good they are to come out to games by far. I’ve worked in situations where if the team wasn’t playing particularly well, nobody came to the ballpark. So when you go there and you see the support, it’s really kind of special in professional sports what they have there.
Closing thoughts
I especially appreciated Tanous’ comments about drafting players and trying to predict what would and might not work for the Rockies.
Also, as a community college teacher, I really appreciated his comments on what he learned from studying at and coaching for a community college. Tanous is surrounded by Ivy Leaguers, and I respect how he respects what his background brings to his perspective.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 25: Dave Winfield receives the Willie, Mickey and The Duke Award during the 2025 BBWAA Dinner at New York Hilton Midtown on January 25, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, Dave Winfield (along with Dave Parker) was the definitive “Holy (bleep) that guy is huge!” star. Although his Yankees tenure was clouded by a tumultuous relationship with George Steinbrenner, Winfield deserves to be remembered as a great Yankee who made those 80s teams memorable despite never winning a ring.
David Mark Winfield Born: October 3, 1951 (St. Paul, MN) Yankees tenure: 1981-90
Winfield’s athletic abilities were already quite apparent in his youth. He starred in both baseball and basketball in high school and college. Following his time at the University of Minnesota, he was drafted by teams from not one, not two, but three pro leagues — in addition to MLB’s Padres and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings took a flier on Winfield even though he hadn’t played college football. Thankfully, the hulking phenom chose the diamond.
The Padres thrust Winfield into the fire, having him skip the minor leagues entirely and placing him on their major league roster. While he wasn’t exactly a star from the word go, he was a productive regular almost immediately, hitting .277/.331/.383 (106 wRC+) across 154 PAs in 1973 as a 21 year-old.
From there, Winfield continued to steadily improve, going from 1.9 WAR in ‘74, to 2.8 in ‘75, and 4.6 in ‘76. In 1977, he earned his first All-Star selection; he returned to the Midsummer Classic every year from then on until 1988. His pièces de résistance came in 1979, when he slashed .308/.395/.558 (161 wRC+) with 34 homers and a league-leading 118 RBI while winning a Gold Glove in right field. His 7.8 WAR paced the National League, even though he finished 3rd in MVP voting. Bet all the keyboard warriors were furi- oh right they didn’t exist back then.
All this was more than enough to catch the eye of George Steinbrenner, who was eager to add another ring after consecutive titles in ‘77 and ‘78. In December 1980, the Yankees made Winfield the richest player in baseball with a ten-year, $23 million contract. Winfield almost made the Boss’ dream come true in ‘81, posting a 139 wRC+ in the strike-shortened regular season before showing out on both sides of the ball in the ALDS and ALCS. Here’s the large baseball man robbing Tony Armas of a home run in ALCS Game 2:
However, the season ended on a sour note for Winfield and the Yankees. The Dodgers won the World Series in six games, and Winfield was limited to just one hit in 22 at bats. In a show of poor comedic timing, he asked for the ball after his lone hit, a single. Needless to say, this did not sit well with George Steinbrenner, and the two would become bitter enemies for the remainder of Winfield’s time in the Bronx.
The 1981 season would be the Yankees’ only postseason appearance during Winfield’s tenure. However, that was no fault of Winfield’s, who kept producing at a high level well into his thirties. Although modern defensive metrics suggest that his sterling defensive reputation at the time wasn’t wholly deserved, there is absolutely no doubt about the quality of his bat.
In terms of batting average, Winfield’s best year came in 1984, when he locked horns with a young Don Mattingly for the AL batting title. The teammates were tied going into the very last game of the season, but Mattingly won the title by going 4-for-5, raising his average to .343, while Winfield went 1-for-4, finishing the year at a .340 clip. Here’s a clip of him from that year showing not only his sheer strength, but the impressive plate coverage that allowed him to hit for such a high average:
On the other hand, saber-enthusiasts like me would point to 1988 as Winfield’s best season in pinstripes. That year, he slashed .322/.398/.530 for a 157 wRC+, the fourth-highest mark in the majors. What makes this even more impressive is that he did this at 36 years old. To put this into context, Giancarlo Stanton was in his age-35 season when he surprised us all by posting a 157 wRC+ in 77 games last year. Now imagine him being just as good this year, except over a full season. Can you? I certainly can’t. Among all qualified seasons by batters aged 36 or above since 1947, Winfield’s 1988 ranks 19th, tied with 1971 Willie Mays and 2001 Edgar Martinez.
All told, in his time as a Yankee, Winfield hit .290/.356/.495 with 205 homers and 818 RBI. No matter how you slice it, he was worth every penny of his contract. And yet, George Steinbrenner, famously afflicted with a severe case of “what have you done for me lately”-brain, made it his personal mission to antagonize Winfield at every turn.
In 1985, after the Yankees faded late in the season and ceded the division lead to the Toronto Blue Jays, the cantankerous owner derided Winfield in the papers, saying, “Where is Reggie Jackson? We need a Mr. October or a Mr. September. Winfield is Mr. May.” In 1987, Steinbrenner began to withhold payments owed to Winfield to be donated to the Winfield Foundation, founded in 1977 to provide relief and opportunities to struggling families in his hometown of St. Paul. Steinbrenner accused Winfield of misappropriating funds for personal gain, circulating unfounded reports in the media in an attempt to undermine the star player’s credibility.
Ultimately, Steinbrenner would ruin himself in his quest to tarnish Winfield’s name. The Yankees owner made a deal with gambler and alleged Mafia associate Howie Spira, paying him $40,000 in exchange to dig up dirt on Winfield. Spira publicly accused Winfield of betting on baseball, and commissioner Fay Vincent launched an investigation. However, no evidence was found of Winfield ever betting on baseball; what was uncovered was Steinbrenner’s clandestine deal with Spira. Vincent ordered Steinbrenner to resign as general partner of the Yankees and banned him from team operations for three years, and that was that.
At that point, Winfield had had more than enough. In May 1990, he waived his no-trade clause and accepted a trade to the California Angels, where he would play the following season as well. In 1992, at 40 years of age, Winfield played a crucial role on the championship-winning Blue Jays, hitting 26 homers and driving in 108 in the regular season, and coming up with the decisive blow in Game 6 of the World Series, an 11th-inning, two-run double. So much for the “Mr. May” moniker!
After three more years in the majors, two with his hometown Twins and one final year with Cleveland, Winfield called it quits. His career numbers are truly staggering; 465 homers, 3110 hits, and a .283/.353/.475 line over 23 seasons. In 2001, in his first year of eligibility, he was elected to the Hall of Fame.
Dave Winfield was a truly elite player who shone brightly in the Bronx. It’s a shame that he only had one chance to play in the postseason as a Yankee, but that shouldn’t cloud our appraisal of what he contributed to this franchise. For the better part of a decade, Winfield provided Yankee fans with top-level play, even as his teams could not quite reach October. He deserves to be remembered as one of the Yankees’ best free agent signings of all time, and just simply as a Yankees great.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with Jackson Chourio #11 after hitting two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at American Family Field on September 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The MLB postseason is back in action today, as all four Division Series get underway. In the American League, it’s a pair of intradivisional matchups, as the AL Central’s Guardians and White Sox battle while the AL East’s Rays and Yankees are also looking to make it to the ALCS. In the NL, the Brewers will take on the Padres, while the Dodgers begin their run to a three-peat against the Braves.
Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox (Game 1 @ 12 p.m. CT, TBS & HBO Max)
The Guardians, who locked up the No. 2 seed in the AL despite only 85 wins in the regular season, are set to begin their playoff run on Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field. Like several other teams here, the Guards have become a regular in the postseason, as this is their eighth appearance in the last 11 seasons. Since making the World Series in 2016, however, they haven’t had a deep run in the playoffs — they’ve made the ALCS just once (in 2024), bowing out in the ALWCS or ALDS in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2025. Even so, they have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, headlined by Parker Messick and Gavin Williams. They’ll take on the White Sox, who took out the AL West-winning Astros in Houston this week. Chicago is young and hungry, coming off their first playoff series win since they won the World Series back in 2005. They have a power-heavy offense behind Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas, and Munetaka Murakami, but they have one of the worst pitching staffs among the remaining playoff squads.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves (Game 1 @ 3 p.m. CT, FOX & FOX One)
The Dodgers are the Dodgers, so I don’t think I need to say much about them. Led by Shohei Ohtani and a plethora of other veterans, they’ve won the last two World Series, making the playoffs every year since 2013 and making it to at least the NLCS in seven of the last 11 seasons. The Braves eked out a series win over the Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series, and they’re looking to make a run in the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2021. They also have a bunch of veterans leading the way, with ace Chris Sale, closer Raisel Iglesias, and offensive pieces that include Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin, and Michael Harris II.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees (Game 1 @ 5:30 p.m. CT, TBS & HBO Max)
The Rays, like the Guardians and Brewers, are a small market team that has become a regular in the playoffs. While they didn’t make the last two postseasons, they reached five consecutive years from 2019 to 2023, including a World Series appearance in 2020. They’re led by Junior Caminero on offense, with Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz supporting him in the heart of the lineup. On the mound, Tampa has former Brewer Drew Rasmussen, who finished the year with a 2.67 ERA over 172 innings. They also have one of the best closers in baseball with Bryan Baker, who finished the year with 41 saves and a 1.44 ERA. The Yankees, whose offense looked pretty meh for a good chunk of the season, took it to the rival Red Sox in New York this week, scoring nine runs in both Wild Card games even without star Aaron Judge. They have a good mix of veterans like Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm, and Paul Goldschmidt to go with their young guys in Ben Rice, Luis García, Spencer Jones, and George Lombard Jr. On the mound, they have the three-headed monster of Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, and Max Fried to start games, with David Bednar closing things out.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Diego Padres (Game 1 @ 7:30 p.m. CT, FS1)
Paul dug deeper into this matchup in yesterday’s series preview, so I’ll keep this short. The Brewers have one of the most balanced offenses in baseball, and while they play small ball extremely well, they just don’t hit homers — will that work in a postseason environment? They also have a great pitching staff, led by Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson in the rotation and Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill in the bullpen. The Padres were arguably the best team in baseball after the All-Star break, as the offense found life behind Fernando Tatis Jr. Michael King anchors what is a pretty mediocre rotation, but they have one of the best bullpens in baseball with Mason Miller closing games and Yuki Matsui, Adrian Morejón, and Jason Adam setting him up.
El Segundo, CA - September 24, 2026: Lakers general manager/president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, left, speaks as Lakers coach JJ Redick listens during a press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo Thursday, September 24, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
In recent years, the Lakers have run into a problem.
They’ve taken a few successful inexpensive fliers, including Malik Monk and Dennis Schröder, but they’ve lacked the ability to retain those guys after they popped. That might not be the case next summer, which could bode especially well for the likes of Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle.
The NBA recently updated its salary-cap projection for the 2027-28, bumping it up from the initial $174 million to $176 million. The luxury-tax line and the aprons will also rise by roughly $2 million, which will give every team in the league extra financial wiggle room.
That’s particularly valuable for the Lakers, who structured their books to make one more big splash next offseason.
Austin Reaves took $5 million less than a max contract this summer to give the Lakers “more future flexibility.” He did so by taking roughly a 4% raise in 2027-28 rather than the full 8% raise that he was eligible to receive. The Lakers also structured Sandro Mamukelashvili’s contract in a unique fashion, making it dip by $650,000 in 2027-28 before going back up by $650,000 in each of its final two years.
In case you have Windhorst Face right now, the Lakers’ intentions aren’t exactly top-secret.
Reaves’ decision, sources told ESPN, will give LAL more financial flexibility moving forward – making it possible to pursue a player with the non-taxpayer midlevel exception next summer. https://t.co/7AHGDG2Pbu
The new cap projection could make it easier for them to maintain access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, too.
Could Ziaire or Matisse stick?
Since both Williams and Thybulle signed one-year deals this offseason, the Lakers will only have non-Bird rights on them next summer. That means they can’t offer them more than 120% of a minimum contract or their previous salary (whichever is greater) without dipping into another salary-cap exception.
If either one has a breakout season in L.A., the Lakers could use either some or all of their MLE to re-sign them next summer. If they do have access to the full non-taxpayer MLE, they could always look to split it between Williams and Thybulle, too. Teams don’t have to spend the full MLE on one player. The Philadelphia 76ers split theirs this past offseason between Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons, for instance.
The Lakers should also have access to the bi-annual exception, which is currently projected to land at roughly $5.85 million. That alone might be enough to re-sign one of Williams or Thybulle, allowing them to preserve the MLE for another target.
However, using either the non-taxpayer MLE or the bi-annual exception will hard-cap the Lakers at the first apron, which is projected to land at roughly $222 million. They’d need to leave themselves with at least $22 million of wiggle room under the first apron to preserve access to both the non-taxpayer MLE and bi-annual exception next summer.
If Jarred Vanderbilt and Collin Sexton pick up their respective player options for 2027-28, the Lakers will already be up to $181.6 million in guaranteed salary. If they pick up their team options on Dalton Knecht ($6.45 million), Jaden Hardy ($6.0 million), Bronny James ($2.5 million) and Adou Thiero ($2.5 million), they’d be up to $199.1 million with 12 players under contract. That would leave them with just enough space under the first apron to spend both the non-tax MLE and the bi-annual exception if the current projections hold.
Granted, the Lakers could easily decline their team option on Hardy next summer if they decide that they need a few extra million dollars in breathing room. They have to decide on Knecht’s option by the end of October, but they have until June 29 to decide on Hardy, Bronny and Thiero.
The Lakers could also wipe out this flexibility with a midseason trade, of course. Just because they’re currently projected to have enough room for the non-taxpayer MLE next summer doesn’t mean that they’ll enter the offseason with the exact same roster.
Still, the way that they structured Reaves and Mamukelashvili’s contracts suggests that they’re eyeing next summer as their chance to make another medium-to-big splash. If that doesn’t pan out, they could at least have those cap exceptions to spend on either Thybulle or Williams if needed.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Junior Caminero #13 and Victor Mesa Jr. #25 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate scoring on a two-run RBI single by Cedric Mullins #31 (not pictured) in the fifth inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Baseball Gods have lined up over 10 consecuive hours of baseball for you to view this Saturday as both the National League and American League Division Series begin.
First pitch in Cleveland between the Guardians and Chicago White Sox will be thrown at 1:00 PM ET byt breakout lefty Parker Messick as the Pale Hose attempt to continue their miracle return to the postseason. Chicago took the Wild Card Series over the Houston Astros after a series of 100 loss seasons had buried them in the depths of the AL Central, adding a postseason series victory to their ledger for the first time in 20 years. Rookie Hagen Smith, who was drafted three picks after the Cincinnati Reds selected Chase Burns 2nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, gets the start for Chicago with game coverage on TBS.
Following that game will be the Atlanta Braves on the road against their old NL West foes the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tarik Skubal, acquired from the Detroit Tigers for precisely this time of year, will start for LA on a day when temperatures in southern California are expected to soar into the triple digits, while Atlanta’s starter is still TBD this morning. The Braves shrugged off the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round just yesterday before catching a flight to the west coast. FOX has this broadcast.
The New York Yankees continue their quest for their first World Series title since the Second Treaty of Utrecht ended the War of the Spanish Succession on the road in Tampa against the Rays this evening. Righty Drew Rasmussen will throw the game’s first pitch at roughly 6:30 PM ET while righty Gerrit Cole will start for New York. That game will also be carried by TBS.
Saturday’s nightcap will feature the Milwaukee Brewers hosting the upstart San Diego Padres, who seemingly haven’t lost a baseball game in a month. Fireballer Jacob Misiorowski will start for the Beers opposite former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray for the Friars, with first pitch there set for 8:30 PM ET. This game will be carried by FS1.
Pack your coolers with some cold ones and drop a few tube meats on the grill – this Saturday is packed with playoff baseball (just not of the Cincinnati variety)!
The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers are the second game of the day at 4 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium, with scorching temperatures of 100 degrees expected in Southern California. In a matchup of AL East rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays host the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field at 6:30 p.m. ET. In the nightcap, the San Diego Padres visit the Milwaukee Brewers, who had MLB's best record in the regular season.
Game 2s of the NLDS will be played on Sunday, while the American League series get a day off and will resume with their second games on Monday, Oct. 5.
