DETROIT — Athletics outfielder Zack Gelof has filed a lawsuit against the Detroit Tigers, Ilitch Holdings and the Detroit-Wayne County Stadium Authority for damages after his right knee slammed into a Comerica Park fence during a game last summer.
“We are aware of the lawsuit and do not comment on pending litigation,” the Tigers said in a statement on Tuesday.
Gelof was hurt in the third inning of a 4-1 loss to the Tigers on July 9 while making a sliding catch in foul territory and colliding with a metal fence. The 26-year-old infielder immediately grabbed his knee in obvious pain, a tear in his uniform pants showed where his leg made contact with the fence. He was left with a deep cut under his right knee cap, just missing the tendon, and didn’t play again until Aug. 10.
“This injury could have easily prevented through the most basic and inexpensive design,” said Gelof’s attorney, Jon Marko. “It doesn’t take a stadium design expert to realize that sharp metal fencing in an area where players are required to slide and play around is a recipe for disaster like the one that occurred here.
“All they had to do was put cheap padding up like they did after Zack was injured and this entire incident could have been avoided. My son’s little league diamond is safer.”
Gelof hit .256 with 22 homers and 55 RBIs — both career highs — in 111 games during his fourth season. The A’s finished the season 64-98, putting them ahead of only the Los Angeles Angels and the Colorado Rockies in the majors.
BOSTON, MA - JULY 10: Manager Terry Francona #47 of the Boston Red Sox talks with the umpires after pitcher Kyle Weiland was thrown out of the game against the Baltimore Orioles on July 10, 2011 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was almost exactly one year ago that the Cincinnati Reds embarked upon a fruitless foray into the MLB Playoffs for the first time (in a full season) in twelve years. They showed up in Los Angeles on September 30th, 2025 and promptly got shut out, their season ending for good a day later at the hands of the Dodgers.
At least they held our interests until the playoffs began that time. This year, they chucked fans to the curb with months to spare, so you may have overlooked that the good teams are actually starting up the important games today.
The Philadelphia Phillies are in Atlanta taking on the Braves in matinee action this afternoon, with veteran ace Chris Sale on the mound for the home team. Later at 5:00 PM ET, the surprising Chicago White Sox make their own return to postseason play after a trio of 100+ loss seasons as they travel to Houston to take on an Astros club that is hosting a postseason series a month after firing their own GM.
The baseball bigwigs will celebrate at 8:00 PM ET as the marquee series of this round commences in the Bronx as the Yankees play host to their age-old rivals from Boston. Then, out west, the all-hit no-pitch Chicago Cubs will take on the surging San Diego Padres at 10:00 PM ET, and that makes Red Reporter officially a San Diego Padres bar for the next few days.
The baseball will be good. If your only exposure to the sport this season was watching the Reds, well, you’ll be in for a treat – up until the point where you realize just how much the Reds need to add to their roster to even approach making it to this stage in 2027.
This is, as you all know, a rematch of last year’s Wild Card Series, won two games to one by the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The Padres had one of the best home records in MLB this year at 51-30. That included going 10-2 at home in September, although six of those wins were against the Nationals and Marlins. And the Cubs did win two of three from the Padres in San Diego in April.
Then there’s the Cubs’ record in postseason games in San Diego — no wins in three tries, though that was two generations ago in a different ballpark. It would be nice to erase some of those bad memories this week.
Here is the Cubs wild card roster. They are carrying 12 pitchers and 14 position players.
For more on the Padres, please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball.
Fun facts
The Cubs are 135-130 in regular-season games at San Diego and 0-3 in postseason games. In night games, they are 96-100, all in the regular season. They are 37-38 at Petco Park, including 27-29 at night. ….. This is the first time that the Cubs have played at San Diego immediately after having played at Tampa. They are 45-51 in first game of series at San Diego and have lost the opener in each of their last three visits. Before that, from 2016-2023, they were 5-2 in first games. ….. The Cubs are 10-12 this year in games following a day off, including 5-5 in road games after resting. ….. The Cubs were 42-36 against teams that had a winning record going into a game. They were 17-22 in such games on the road.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
2026 regular season records in parentheses.
Tuesday, Game 1: Matthew Boyd, LHP (10-5, 3.91 ERA, 1.208 WHIP, 4.21 FIP) vs. Michael King, RHP (12-10, 3.21 ERA, 1.178 WHIP, 4.13 FIP)
For the Padres, Nick Pivetta and Walker Buehler are the likely starters after King, although Robbie Ray could also be a starting option.
As always, we await developments.
Times & TV channels
Tuesday, Game 1: 9 p.m. CT, Peacock/NBC Sports Network
Wednesday, Game 2: 9 p.m. CT, Peacock/NBC Sports Network
Thursday, Game 3 (if necessary): TBD
NBC announcers for this series: Dave Flemming, Jim Deshaies, Mark Grant and Clayton Kershaw.
Flemming is the Giants radio play-by-play announcer.
NOTE: In the Chicago market, if you have Comcast/Xfinity or YouTube TV, you should have access to NBC Sports Network. NBCSN might also be on YouTube TV in other markets. I have been told by some FUBO subscribers that they have NBCSN. “Check local listings.”
Here are the umpires for this series:
Prediction
You didn’t really think I wouldn’t pick the Cubs to win this series, did you?
Cubs in three.
Up next
If the Cubs win this series, they will face the Brewers in a division series beginning Saturday, Oct. 3 in Milwaukee. Otherwise, it’s on to 2027 and uncertainty due to a likely owners’ lockout.
Aug 10, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) follows through on a pitch against the Athletics in the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta has been named American League (AL) Pitcher of the Month for September. This marks the second time a Rays pitcher has won the award this season, joining Drew Rasmussen’s award in June. It is also the third time in Peralta’s career he has been named Pitcher of the Month, winning two NL Pitcher of the Month awards with the Milwaukee Brewers in August 2025 and August 2023.
Peralta, 30, went 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA (28.0 IP, 3 ER), 23 strikeouts, nine walks, one home run, a 0.89 WHIP, and two quality starts while holding opponents to a .165/.243/.216 (16-for-97) slash line over five starts in September. He paced AL pitchers in ERA, tied for the league lead in wins, ranked second in opponent slugging percentage, third in opponent batting average, fourth in opponent OPS, sixth in WHIP, and tied for ninth in innings pitched. The Rays won all five of his September starts.
Along with Chris Archer in July 2013, Peralta is the second pitcher in team history to win four games or more with a sub-1.00 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP in a calendar month. He was one of four AL pitchers this season to toss 28.0 innings in a month with a sub-1.00 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP, joining Toronto’s Dylan Cease (July), Rasmussen (June), and Los Angeles-AL’s José Soriano (March/April).
He became one of four Rays pitchers in franchise history to post a sub-0.90 WHIP with 28.0 innings or more across a month in an age-30-or-older season, joining Rasmussen (June 2026 and March/April 2026), Rich Hill (May 2021), and James Shields (September/October 2012 and August 2012). Throughout September, Peralta allowed three extra-base hits (two doubles, one home run), becoming the ninth Rays traditional starter (10x) to make five starts or more in a month and permit three extra-base hits or fewer, and the first since Griffin Jax in May 2026 (5 GS, 1 XBH).
This marks the 13th time in franchise history a Rays hurler has won AL Pitcher of the Month. The Moca, Dominican Republic native is one of 10 Rays pitchers to earn a monthly award, joining Rasmussen (June 2026 and August 2022), Taj Bradley (July 2024), Tyler Glasnow (July 2023 and April 2019), Hill (May 2021), Blake Snell (August and September 2018), Archer (July 2013), Jeremy Hellickson (May 2011), David Price (September 2010), and Scott Kazmir (May 2008).
After being acquired from the New York Mets on Aug. 2 in exchange for right-handed pitcher Gary Gill Hill, infielder Émilien Pitre, and outfielder Aidan Smith, the right-hander went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA (55.1 IP, 20 ER), 43 strikeouts, a .208 (41-for-197) opponent batting average, and a 1.01 WHIP in 10 starts with the Rays compared to a 5-9 record, a 4.99 ERA (113.2 IP, 63 ER), 113 strikeouts, a .264 (120-for-455) opponent batting average, and a 1.48 WHIP in 22 starts to begin the season with New York-NL.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his two run home run with Josue de Paula #95, his second home run of the game and third Dodger home run of the inning, to take a 7-2 lead over the San Francisco Giants, during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on September 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers were mostly without Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages, and Roki Sasaki over the last month until the final week of the season. But they also saw an exciting debut by Josue De Paula and more excellent pitching en route to a strong September.
18-7 record 131 runs scored (5.24 per game, 5th in MLB) 83 runs allowed (3.32 per game, 2nd in MLB) .697 pythagorean win percentage (17-8)
Mookie comes alive
During a second straight down year offensively, relative to his lofty career standards, started to find his way in mid-August. In September his bat was one of the best in baseball, hitting .337/.438/.674 with seven home runs and nine doubles, with 20 runs scored and 22 RBI. His 16 extra-base hits were his most since a sublime August 2023 during which Betts won National League player of the month.
Betts in September was second to Reds star shortstop Elly De La Cruz in FanGraphs WAR (1.9, to 2.0), and Betts ranked fourth in the majors during the month in OPS (1.112) and wRC+ (202).
Betts wasn’t the only one with a late-season turnaround. After getting near-replacement-level production from both corner outfielders for nearly five months, Teoscar Hernández (166 wRC+, 18 RBI) and Kyle Tucker (140 wRC+, six home runs) were among the Dodgers’ best hitters in September. If there’s a concern with Tucker, he had only five singles in 21 at-bats after fouling a ball off his right knee on September 19.
The team also got Will Smith back after nearly three months on the injured list, and the catcher was back to his All-Star self, hitting .290/.400/.548 with a 160 wRC+.
Alex Freeland in limited duty had a 133 wRC+, hitting .250/.413/.389.
Blowout wins
In that mediocre stretch in July and August, the Dodgers stopped blowing teams out, winning just four games by at least five runs during that 51-game stretch, two in each month. But in September the Dodgers had five blowout wins, one shy of most in the majors.
First baseman Freddie Freeman hit a three-run home run on September 2, part of a two-hit game in which he reached base five times. But after that, Freeman did not have another extra-base hit in 18 games and 77 plate appearances, hitting a feeble .167/.208/.167.
That home run on September 2 snapped a string of 47 full games and 196 plate appearances without a long ball, the longest drought of Freeman’s career. During that homerless stretch, Freeman was still reasonably productive, hitting .318/.362/.374 with 10 doubles. But that power disappeared over the last nearly four weeks, with Freeman also working through a knee injury and he sat four games and was designated hitter for another. That had Freeman looking forward to the five days the Dodgers have off between the regular season and Game 1 of the NLDS.
“I think we all know why it’s important,” Freeman last week said of the bye. “There’s a lot of guys limping toward the end, a lot of aches and pains this year.”
Welcome aboard
With Ohtani on the injured list, Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula had a runway to play and impressed in his major league debut. His command of the strike zone was evident with 11 walks against only five strikeouts in 11 games, and he hit .323/.500/.581 with three doubles, a home run, and a triple.
De Paula the first Dodgers player to reach base at least half the time in a month of at least 40 plate appearances since Betts in August 2023. Those are the only two Dodgers to do so in the 2020s.
“Josue has been awesome. Injected some life and energy into our team as we got into September,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday. “He handled himself and did as well as he could possibly do.”
The big four
The Dodgers’ biggest strength going into October is its starting rotation, and while there was a brief concern with Blake Snell leaving his September 16 start after only one inning as a precaution with left groin discomfort, the quartet of Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Snell, and Glasnow combined for a 2.76 ERA with 117 strikeouts and a, 30.3-percent strikeout rate in 98 innings in their 17 starts.
Emmet Sheehan was also great in his three appearances after getting called back up from Triple-A, allowing only one run in 17 innings, with 24 strikeouts and three walks.
Among the relievers, Alex Vesia allowed only one run in his 11 games and 10 1/3 innings with 15 strikeouts. And while posting his highest walk rate (13.5 percent) in a season since 2021, Vesia in September only walked one of his 35 batters faced.
Soriano: the case is based on ‘a single false accusation’
Club to appeal after verdict on more than 100 charges
Manchester City’s chief executive, Ferran Soriano, has said the guilty verdicts against the club for breaches of financial rules are based on “a single false accusation” and a “Premier League conspiracy theory”, as he maintained City’s innocence.
It was confirmed on Tuesday that City, according to an independent panel, had artificially inflated revenue and reduced costs by more than £900m over a nine-year period through “sham” sponsorship deals, which were mainly funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club. In a video sent to City staff after confirmation of the guilty verdict on more than 100 charges, Soriano said the club would appeal and fight the case.
Here are the 26 players who will be available to face the Padres in the best-of-three Wild Card Series which begins this evening at Petco Park in San Diego. Players are listed in alphabetical order by position.
Infielders (6)
Gabriel Arias, Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Pedro Ramírez, Dansby Swanson
No surprises here.
Outfielders (6)
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Conforto, Ian Happ, Matt Shaw, Seiya Suzuki, Tyrone Taylor
I have Shaw listed as an outfielder here, but obviously, he can also play second base or third base.
Catchers (2)
Miguel Amaya, Carson Kelly
Obviously.
Starting pitchers (3)
Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Shōta Imanaga
Not necessarily in that order, though Boyd will start Game 1 tonight.
I want to make it crystal clear that this list is my opinion and no one else’s.
Relief pitchers (9)
Javier Assad, Aaron Civale, Clay Holmes, Daniel Palencia, David Peterson, Colin Rea, Ryan Rolison, Jacob Webb, Ryan Zeferjahn
Caleb Thielbar is odd-man-out for this series (and perhaps beyond).
Holmes, who’s been a starter the last two years, has extensive relief experience, including being a closer for the Yankees for three seasons. He could be an excellent bullpen weapon.
The 2026 MLB postseason has finally arrived. Starting with chaos in the Wild Card Series on NBC, Peacock and NBCSN, the field is packed with October veterans, the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and youthful squads looking to make statements.
Stay up to date with every game with our tracker below.
2026 MLB Playoffs bracket
The bracket is set and the quest for October magic begins!
Houston won the AL West with the worst record (81-81) of any playoff team in history and are in the postseason for the 10th time in 12 seasons. Meanwhile, the White Sox reached the playoffs for the first time since 2021, just two years after setting the MLB record with 121 losses in 2024.
Both teams will open the game with their bullpens, as rookies AJ Blubaugh gets the start for the Astros and Hagen Smith for the White Sox. The right-hander Blubaugh made 64 appearances with a 3.66 ERA in 96 innings in the regular season. Smith, the fifth overall pick in the 2024 draft, made 18 appearances after being promoted to the majors, racking up 41 strikeouts in 28 innings with a 1.29 ERA.
Follow for live updates:
Where to watch Astros vs White Sox: Channel, live stream
First pitch between the Astros and White Sox is scheduled for 5 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The Astros host the White Sox on Tuesday, Sept. 29. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
The plan for facing Yordan Alvarez
03:23 PM ET, September 29 2026
How do you pitch -- or not pitch -- to Yordan Alvarez? White Sox manager Will Venable said his team is prepared to pitch both to and around the Astros slugger, who hit .316 and won the American League batting title while staking a claim as an AL MVP candidate.
"We do have an attack plan in which we know that there's parts of the plate that we want to attack. We also know that there's going to be situations in this game in which we don't want to mess with him at all and potentially will walk him," Venable said. "So we're going to walk that fine line throughout this series and try to do the best that we can with having the understanding of the situation and the information we have, who we have on the mound, game state, all those things will factor in."
Rob Manfred begins the playoffs in Houston
03:22 PM ET, September 29 2026
Rob Manfred is at Daikin Park for the first day of the MLB playoffs. Before first pitch, the commissioner spent time talking to Astros owner Jim Crane.
White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery is batting ninth in the order for the first time this season in Game 1 against the Astros. Montgomery, who for most of the season hit cleanup or in the middle of the order, slugged 31 home runs this season but also set an unenviable MLB record for single-season strikeouts with 227.
His second half was especially rough, and he finished the season 8-for-81with 42 strikeouts and two homers in his final 24 games.
“I don't care where I'm at as long as I'm in the lineup,” Montgomery said pregame Tuesday. “That's the mindset I feel like you have to have. I know I batted ninth, I think, one time against the Cubs last year. So I don't see it any different. Just being in the lineup, that gives me the confidence that that's where they want me to be and I'm OK with it.”
White Sox manager Will Venable said his decision to move Montgomery down in the order should not detract from the contributions the 24-year-old made all year.
“I kind of feel like it's a choice on how you view Colson,” Venable said. “You can view the fact that he now leads the league all time in strikeouts, or that he hit 31 homers from the shortstop position, which I'm pretty sure leads Major League Baseball, and has done incredible things to help our team get to this point.
"So when I talk to him, it's a combination of both of those things, to make sure that he understands that this is tough and it's going to feel tough, but that myself, the organization, the people that watch him play are viewing the guy that has gone out and hit a bunch of homers, played really good defense, and helped a team make it to the playoffs when no one else expected us to. So those are the types of conversations we're having.”
Jose Altuve going for Manny Ramirez's record
02:47 PM ET, September 29 2026
Jose Altuve hasn't homered in a playoff game since Game 7 of the 2023 ALCS, a ninth-inning solo shot off Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc in an 11-4 loss that sent Texas to the World Series.
That was his 27th career playoff home run. He needs two more to tie Manny Ramirez's record of 19 playoff home runs and three to own it.
Ramirez got there in 111 postseason games across three teams. Altuve has 27 in 105 games, all with Houston, the most ever by a player with one franchise.
Altuve, 36, hit .250 with 16 homers this season, his fewest in a full season since 2018. But he did take the White Sox deep last week, a first-inning, two-run homer off Luis Castillo.
Information in this article was imported automatically into a template written and reviewed by a USA TODAY Sports editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 28: Tyler Freeman #2 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Emma Steinberg/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 54, Tyler Freeman (-2.0 rWAR)
Tyler Freeman’s second season with the Colorado Rockies had its moments.
He could put the bat on the ball. His throwing arm created outs from right field. There were games when Freeman reached base repeatedly, drove in runs, and helped the Rockies manufacture offense.
There just were not enough of them.
Injuries interrupted his season; his production fell off sharply during the summer; and his range in right field gave back much of the value created by his arm. By late August, Freeman was back in Triple-A. In September, the Rockies outrighted him off the 40-man roster.
The numbers
Level
G
PA
AB
H
R
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
SO
SB
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
MLB
79
288
255
63
29
6
1
3
23
11
34
6
.247
.317
.314
.631
AAA
23
101
85
26
17
9
0
1
12
10
8
4
.306
.400
.447
.847
Freeman’s major-league production fell well short of what Colorado needed from a regular, and the -2.0 rWAR reflects how quickly his overall value disappeared once the offense cooled. His Triple-A finish was considerably better, although the production still came mostly through contact, walks, and doubles.
What actually happened
Freeman technically began the season on the injured list, but he did not miss much time.
Colorado placed him on the 10-day IL on March 25 and activated him April 1, just a few games into the regular season. Freeman missed the opening portion of Colorado’s first road trip before joining the club in Toronto.
His first few months contained enough productive stretches to keep him involved regularly.
One of Freeman’s best games came April 30 in Cincinnati. Brenton Doyle was aboard with two outs in the first inning when Andrew Abbott left a 92.3 mph fastball over the middle of the plate.
Freeman drove the pitch 357 feet to right field for a two-run homer, giving Colorado an early 2-0 lead. He finished the afternoon 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. The homer was his first of three in 2026.
There were other good games along the way. Freeman went 3-for-5 with an RBI on April 16, and he collected three hits, including a double, on May 31.
Even some of Freeman’s stranger offensive contributions fit the way he produced runs. He was hit by 15 pitches, more than he walked all season. One of those HBPs came with the bases loaded in the ninth inning against the Mets on May 6.
Sean Manaea caught Freeman with an 89.2 mph sinker, forcing Mickey Moniak home. The Rockies were too far behind for the run to change the result, but the plate appearance fit Freeman’s season: another way to reach base without doing damage with the bat.
The first half also brought more time away from the lineup. Freeman went on the paternity list May 15 and returned May 19. On June 9, Colorado placed him on the seven-day concussion IL. He returned five days later.
Freeman then put together one of his best games of the season on June 24 against Boston.
The Rockies trailed 5-2 in the fourth when Freeman came up with a runner in scoring position and two outs against Ranger Suárez.
Freeman lined a 91.2 mph fastball into the outfield for an RBI single, trimming Boston’s lead to two. He later scored as Colorado continued to work its way back into the game.
By the eighth, the Rockies had tied the game at six. Mickey Moniak opened the inning with a single, and Freeman came to the plate with the go-ahead run aboard.
Freeman dropped a bunt in front of the plate and Moniak raced home, giving Colorado a 7-6 lead. Freeman finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI in an 8-6 Rockies win.
June 24 also became a pretty clear dividing line in Freeman’s season.
From the end of the June 24 game through the remainder of his major-league season, Freeman drove in only one more run and scored only twice. He hit .175/.203/.175 in 57 July at-bats and .182/.182/.182 in 11 August at-bats. Freeman had three extra-base hits in June and none during the rest of his time in the majors.
Freeman’s bat had almost no thump, and the lack of power left almost no cushion when the singles stopped falling. His contact ability remained, but contact without damage could only carry the offensive profile so far.
The season took another turn in August.
Colorado placed Freeman on the 10-day IL on August 10, retroactive to August 9, with lumbar pain. He began a rehab assignment with Albuquerque on August 20. Three days later, the Rockies activated him from the injured list and immediately optioned him to Triple-A rather than returning him to the major-league roster.
On September 5, Colorado outrighted Freeman to Albuquerque and removed him from the 40-man roster.
A strange collection of tools
Freeman’s bat-to-ball ability remained excellent. He struck out in only 11.8% of his plate appearances and whiffed on 12.8% of his swings, but the contact rarely carried much impact.
Freeman finished with an 87.7 mph average exit velocity, a 36.1% hard-hit rate, a 1.4% barrel rate and a .353 expected slugging percentage, producing only three barrels all season. He can hit the baseball; he just does not hit it very hard very often.
His defensive season followed a similar pattern, with useful tools that did not translate into enough overall value. Freeman logged 429.3 innings in right field in 2026, more than any other Rockies player. He made 49 starts in right field, did not commit an error, and recorded six assists.
His arm was a legitimate weapon, and one of the best examples came April 11 in San Diego, when Fernando Tatis Jr. stood at third with one out and Manny Machado lifted a fly ball into shallow right.
Freeman made the sliding catch, came up throwing and cut down Tatis at the plate to complete the inning-ending double play. The sequence showed both the athleticism and arm strength capable of making Freeman an asset in right field.
The arm showed up in other ways, too. On July 17 against Cincinnati, JJ Bleday ripped a 104.8 mph liner into right field with Sal Stewart trying to advance.
Freeman came up firing and threw Stewart out at third to end the inning, another example of how much value his arm could create when the play developed in front of him.
The throws were real. But so were the range problems.
He finished at -8 OAA overall, including -6 in right field. Statcast’s directional data showed negative value both coming in and going back, while the jump numbers pointed most strongly toward his reaction and initial burst rather than his routes.
The contrast was easiest to see on balls in front of him. Against Tampa Bay, Freeman got a good enough read on a sinking ball to close the gap and make the catch.
Tampa Bay challenged the play, but replay confirmed the catch. Freeman got a good enough jump to close the gap and make the catch before the ball hit the grass.
A similar play against the Cubs ended differently. Michael Busch lifted a soft fly into shallow right, with Edouard Julien also ranging out from second base.
Julien ranging out from second complicated the play, but Freeman never got himself into position to make a real attempt before the ball dropped between them.
The issues going back were even more noticeable. Freeman looked more comfortable when he had time to get underneath a deep fly, as he did on this ball from Brandon Marsh.
He was close enough to make a play, but he never quite got himself into position. His approach became more tentative as he neared the wall, and a catchable ball fell for a double.
Freeman’s defensive season was not defined by errors. The larger problem was the number of catchable balls he nearly reached but did not convert into outs.
Where does Freeman stand heading into 2027?
Freeman’s September outright changed his place in the organization. The Rockies still have a player who puts the ball in play, owns a strong arm, can run, and can move between the outfield and second base. He also spent 2026 as Colorado’s most-used right fielder, giving the club a long look at him in a regular defensive role. His strong finish in Albuquerque gives the Isotopes an experienced player who can raise the level of the Triple-A roster.
Finding a path back to regular playing time in Denver is harder. Colorado’s outfield is crowded, and the infield is fairly set. Freeman’s positional flexibility still gives the organization useful depth, but any return to the majors would first require a 40-man roster move.
His collection of tools makes “what if?” tempting, yet his career has provided little evidence of another offensive level waiting to emerge. The contact ability is established, and so is the lack of power. His defensive range and baserunning have not supplied enough secondary value when the batting average falls.
Freeman’s clearest role heading into 2027 may be in Albuquerque, if he doesn’t become a free agent, helping stabilize the Triple-A roster while remaining available as experienced depth. Freeman had useful moments in 2026, but there were too few of them.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage on the field before National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 MLB regular season ended this past weekend, meaning it is now time for playoff baseball. The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers are in pursuit of a historic three-peat, while the rest of the postseason field hopes this is the year they win the World Series.
The best-of-three Wild Card round gets underway today, with eight of the 12 teams in the bracket in action. The other four teams—the Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians—earned first-round byes as the top two seeds in their respective leagues.
In the American League (AL), the New York Yankees will host their bitter rival, the Boston Red Sox, for a second consecutive October. The other matchup pits the 81-81 AL West champion Houston Astros against the visiting Chicago White Sox, who surprisingly but deservedly made the playoffs after two consecutive 100-loss seasons.
In the National League (NL), the San Diego Padres will face the Chicago Cubs once again, but this time in San Diego instead of Chicago. On the East Coast, the Atlanta Braves will host their division rival, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Braves vs Phillies (2:00 PM EDT)
These two senior circuit juggernauts will each send standout left-handers to the mound to open the series. Former Athletic Jesús Luzardo (14-5, 2.86 ERA), who was just reinstated from the injured list, will make the start for the Phillies. He will be opposed by Atlanta ace Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA), who put together another strong season for the NL East champions.
Houston is using a bullpen game, with right-hander AJ Blubaugh making the start. That allows the Astros to preserve Hunter Brown for Game 2. The White Sox are also using a bullpen game as both teams look to take advantage of favorable matchups. Left-hander Hagen Smith will get the start for the South Siders.
Both of these historic franchises feature two of the best rotations in the league. AL Cy Young Award frontrunner Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA) will start for the Yankees, while the Red Sox will turn to left-hander Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03 ERA) to open the series.
New York knocked out Boston in three games last year. Will history repeat itself, or will the Red Sox oust their division rival? Aaron Judge not suiting up for the Yankees will have a drastic impact on this series, as his presence makes the Yankees’ lineup much more intimidating to opposing pitchers.
Right-hander Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA) will start for the Padres, looking to shut down NL MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong and the rest of the Cubs’ strong lineup. He will be opposed by Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91 ERA), who will be tasked with keeping Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill off the basepaths.
If the Padres are in front after five innings, the Cubs could have difficulty coming back against the Padres’ elite bullpen. Left-hander Adrian Morejon and arguably the best closer in baseball, Mason Miller, form a dynamic late-inning duo. This season, A’s fans often wished Miller was still in the team’s bullpen instead of the parade of relievers the Green and Gold employed in his absence.
Chicago knocked out San Diego in three games last year. Will history repeat itself, or will the Padres advance this time around?
What are your playoff predictions? Which team will win the World Series, and which players will make a name for themselves on the national stage?
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: Andrés Chaparro #87 of Washington Nationals celebrates with teammate CJ Abrams #5 after hitting a home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Throughout the season, the offense was a major story for this Nationals team. It was the unit that carried this team and made them so exciting to watch. I wanted to break down what made this offense so special and dive into some of the numbers.
Part of what made this offense so special was how surprising it was. Last season, the Nats ranked 24th in OPS, 20th in runs and 24th in home runs. Simply put, this was not a very good offense in 2025. However, this team made it very clear that 2026 would be different.
The offense was slugging early and often this season. They got off to a hot start and never looked back. This offense scored 10 runs on Opening Day, which was a sign of things to come. For the season, the Nats finished 3rd in OPS, 6th in homers and 3rd in runs scored. That is truly an elite offense.
The Washington Nationals offense finished third in runs scored, 6th in homers, 3rd in OPS, 3rd in slugging, 8th in OBP, 7th in hits 12th in average and 4th in doubles. What a unit this was in 2026. Crazy what good coaching can do
Seeing those kinds of strides in one season is very rare. It is not like the Nats added a ton of outside help either. This was all existing players making strides forward. A lot of that credit has to go to the coaching staff and front office.
In the offseason, the new regime made it clear that they wanted to modernize on the offensive side of the ball. They brought in new technology like the Trajekt Arc machine and hired coaches with analytical backgrounds. New hitting coach Matt Borgschulte was known as a bright, young mind in the industry. Meanwhile, assistant hitting coach Andrew Aydt came from Driveline and is on the cutting edge of modern hitting.
Between swing changes, approach tweaks and bat speed increases, Nats hitters had way more success in 2026. That was easy to see right away as well. Through one month, things can be shrugged off as a fluke, but when the Nats were leading baseball in runs by Memorial Day, this was hard to ignore.
We’re 2 months into the season and the Nationals are:
1st in Runs (294) 4th in HR (70) 5th in SB (53) 4th in OPS (.745) 4th in wRC+ (110)
So many individual players improved. One of the most drastic overhauls came with Jacob Young. In 2025, Young had no power and was hitting the ball on the ground over 55% of the time. This offseason, he worked with Driveline to fix his swing. With that outside help and the work of Nats hitting coaches, Young hit 10 home runs, despite only having 5 in his career before this season.
A big reason for that is his ground ball rate went down to 39.4%. Instead of trying to hit balls through the infield, Young was up there to do damage. That strategy worked and made him a very respectable hitter. In 2026, Young hit .252 with a .708 OPS. Those numbers are not mindblowing, but when you combine that with his great defense, Young posted 2.3 fWAR.
Another insane turnaround came from Keibert Ruiz. At this time last season, Ruiz’s career looked to be in jeopardy due to concussion issues and poor play. This season, he had a career year, hitting .280 with a .759 OPS. He accomplished this by pulling the ball in the air a ton. His 33.9% pull air rate was second in all of baseball behind Pete Crow-Armstrong. This allowed him to make the most of his middling exit velocities and become a productive hitter.
Andres Chaparro is another hitter who broke out due to pulling the ball in the air. Despite Chaparro struggling in the first half in limited playing time, the organization stuck with him and that paid off in a big way. In the second half, Chappy hit 12 homers and posted an OPS of .998.
Seeing one of these guys have this type of breakout would be one thing, but there are so many players improving. It is absolutely not a fluke. These are just three of many examples. Paul Toboni decided to cash in on the breakouts of Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr. at the deadline to get much needed pitching help.
Despite this great season, this offense cannot rest on their laurels and neither can the front office. Paul Toboni talked about how he can’t necessarily rely on the offense repeating this and that he still needs to act in order to improve the team. I think that is a very good point.
This offense should continue to be good, but it is worth pointing out that this was probably one of the higher end outcomes. There is no guarantee that they will be this good next year. Even with James Wood missing time, this offense was fairly healthy and a lot of players had breakout years.
Even so, I do not think this offense was a fluke or anything. One of my favorite stats is xwOBA because of how it takes quality of contact into account. The Nats actually finished third in that stat, meaning that they were not getting insane batted ball luck.
They might not be top 3 in runs next year, but the foundation is there to be a good offensive team for years to come. More pieces would obviously be helpful, but between the stars at the top of the lineup and all the depth, the offense is in a good place.
One of those stars is James Wood, who had a good season. He played at an MVP level in the first half before falling off down the stretch. Wood will need to find a way to finish seasons strong, but the talent is so obvious with him. The ball just comes off his bat differently, and the exit velocity data shows that.
Wood and CJ Abrams are a formidable big 2 at the top of the lineup. This coaching staff and front office has shown they can find bats to be productive around them. With a lot of young offensive talent in the system, this offense should be the core of the next iteration of Nats baseball. The offense gets an A+ for this season. Now it is time to find the right guys on the mound to surround them.
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 30: The MLB Wild Card and Postseason logos appears on the dugout wall prior to the Major League Baseball 2025 American League Wild Card Series Game 1 between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians on September 30, 2025, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Named the above to separate it from the SB Nation Gameday Thread, which I believe will also be making an appearance on the page at some point today. But there may be fans of other teams appearing in there and we all know how icky they are. 🙂 Anyway, the 2026 post-season gets under way today, with four games in the wild-card round. Here is the schedule for your viewing pleasure, with all times Arizona
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves (0-0): 11:00 am, NBC
Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros (0-0): 2:00 pm, Peacock
Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees (0-0): 5:00 pm, NBC
Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres (0-0): 8:00 pm, Peacock
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage on the field during National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Is there anybody out there who made some October plans back when the season looked bleak for the Orioles and then had to sweat it out a bit because, what if they actually rallied and made the postseason? I am in this group. Back in June when it looked like the O’s would never really be in the race, my wife and I planned a trip for the end of the wild card round and beginning of the division round. Ultimately, we didn’t have to spend too much of September wondering if we’d miss any Orioles in the playoffs.
The tournament to determine the champion starts today. The Orioles aren’t in it. They finished 4.5 games out. Teams who are in it include the 81-81 Astros and the 84-78 White Sox. Not playing today is the 85-win Cleveland Guardians, because they managed to get a bye even with only 85 wins. Sheesh.
These are the four matchups that will be playing today, tomorrow, and if necessary, Thursday. (Most wild card series have ended in sweeps since the inception of this round of the postseason.)
Phillies at Braves, 2pm Eastern (NBC)
PHI starter: Jesús Luzardo
ATL starter: Chris Sale
The Phillies very nearly had one of the greatest September collapses that’s ever been accomplished. They ended up holding on and now here they are. All they have to do is pretend that none of their problems exist for about four weeks and they could win the World Series. It has happened to champion teams before. Anything can happen over short series, particularly a little best-of-three.
White Sox at Astros, 5pm Eastern (Peacock)
CHW starter: Hagen Smith
HOU starter: AJ Blubaugh
For most people in Birdland, the White Sox are probably one of the more sympathetic teams in this year’s postseason field. There is not much in the way of White Sox-related beef that lingers. They’re a nice story of a revival that worked, and honestly, much better to see this team advance than a .500 division winner. What a joke that would be, to have Houston go forward from here.
However, owing to a grudge dating to 1989, when age 5 Mark was told by then-White Sox slugger Ron Kittle, during his first-ever Orioles game, “Hey, kid, why don’t you shut the hell up and buy me a beer?” I will not root for the White Sox except probably if they are playing the Yankees or Red Sox. That’s it. What a jerk.
It is fun that the current pope is a White Sox fan. Will they win for the new pope? Probably not.
Red Sox at Yankees, 8pm (NBC)
BOS starter: Payton Tolle
NYY starter: Cam Schlittler
Of course the Yankees-Red Sox series gets the prime time 8pm billing every day for as long as it’s going. The media noise around it any time these teams play is exhausting. Can’t they just both lose? Alas, no. At least, if they’re going to play one another, the wild card round is the best time.
There will be at most three games, and even better, the loser’s fans will have to endure going home in the first round to that other team that they really don’t like. The great thing about being a hater is that someone is always going to lose and you can always enjoy their angst. Even the winner may yet go on to lose in the next round. It’s not like a World Series bid is on the line here.
The Yankees have the luxury of starting the probable AL Cy Young winner in this game. I will enjoy it if they don’t capitalize on this.
Cubs at Padres, 10pm (Peacock)
CHC starter: Matthew Boyd
SDP starter: Michael King
The Padres finished with a better regular season record than four of the six American League postseason teams. All that this gets them is hosting this best-of-three first round against the Cubs, a team that is inherently interesting this year thanks to Pete Crow-Armstrong’s superstar breakout 45 homer/41 stolen base season. Pretty good!
Did you know that former Oriole Jacob Webb led the Cubs in saves this season? That’s weird. He only had nine saves. The Cubs as a team actually only had 36 saves, ten fewer than the Orioles did. One reason for this is that 35 of their 89 wins were blowout wins of 5+ runs.
**
Do you have any particular rooting interests for these series? If you’re watching or following the games today, join us in the comments below.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 13: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves is out at second by Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning at Truist Park on September 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
So it begins. The National League Wild Card round starts with the Atlanta Braves hosting the Philadelphia Phillies. LHP Jesús Luzardo is the scheduled starter for the Phillies while the Braves will give the ball to LHP Chris Sale. First pitch is scheduled for 1pm central time and the game broadcast will be handled by NBC/Peacock.
