Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

After a disappointing first full season as a pro, Seaver King was at a crossroads entering 2026. If he continued to struggle, the former top 10 pick would lose most of his prospect shine. However, he also had the chance to put himself back on the map. That is exactly what King did this season.

This season, Seaver King showed exactly why the Nats took him 10th overall in the 2024 draft. With some adjustments which we will dive into, King was able to tap into his explosive athleticism and power. After dominating AA and AAA this year, King is a consensus top 100 prospect and knocking on the door of the big leagues. It was truly a dream season for the 23 year old.

Even as early as Spring Training, Seaver King looked impressive. I remember seeing him take at bats in big league Spring Training games and I came away very impressed. However, I still had plenty of doubt because of his 2025 season and the fact we have all seen Spring Training mirages before.

In that 2025 season, King really struggled. In High-A and Double-A, King hit just .244 with a .631 OPS. That is not what you want to see from a top 10 pick, even with the fact that King was seen as more developmental than most first round college bats. King’s plate discipline was poor and he hit too many ground balls to tap into his power.

Those were the two things that King needed to fix, and he knew it. I wrote a story about King and talked to him in Rochester. In that piece, he emphasized how much he has been working on his approach and elevating the baseball. 

Early in the season, we saw King come to AA with a borderline passive approach. That led to a lot of walks and much more production. As the season went on, he was swinging more, but his chase rate never got out of control in AA. When he got to Rochester, those chase issues appeared again, but they gradually got better as he adjusted to the level.

Seaver King is always going to have some chase in his game. That is just naturally who he is as a hitter. If you neuter that aggression too much, it could have negative effects. The key will be balancing his natural aggression with good enough swing decisions.

Along with fine tuning his swing decisions, King needed to hit the ball in the air more. He has always had impressive bat speed and exit velocities, which got even better in 2026. However, he hit the ball on the ground over 52% of the time last year. 

This year that number was around 45%, which is right around average. With more balls in the air, King saw his slugging percentage go from .337 in 2025 to .516 in 2026. After hitting 6 homers last year, King launched 21 this season.

With an approach that is naturally geared towards right center field, King is not one of those hitters that pulls the ball in the air a lot. He told me that he just wants to elevate the ball, and he does not really care if it is pulled or not. That resulted in a lot of opposite field power like you can see with this home run.

This season, Seaver King was just a completely different hitter. In 2026, King hit .303 with 21 homers and an .898 OPS. After really struggling offensively last year, King now looks like a bat that can hit for power and average. In my opinion, King has the ability to be a .280 hitter that hits 20 homers and steals at least 20 bases. That is not something that seemed realistic after last season.

We should see Seaver King in the big leagues next season. The only question is what position he will play. King mostly played shortstop this year, but he spent time at second and third as well. While King is an elite athlete, his defense is still inconsistent. Even during my two days in Rochester, I saw this inconsistency. He made a couple unbelievable plays, but also airmailed a throw. 

Once King gets to the show, I think he has the chance to be a fan favorite. I was struck by the energy he plays with and the passion he has. This is a player who lives and dies by every game.

When Paul Toboni took over, a big part of his plan was to revitalize this farm system. He is doing that not only with his trades, but also through development. The story of Seaver King is the best example of that. King was a distressed asset, but with hard work and player development, he looks to be a huge part of the Nats future.

Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss has maintained all season that his ballclub is at its best whenever their backs are against the wall. They will well and truly be up against it tonight (and again on Friday if they win Game 4) as the specter of elimination looms with the next Braves loss.

Atlanta’s going to have yet another tough task with Tyler Glasnow getting the ball as the Dodgers continue to send out what feels like a never-ending parade of imposing starting pitchers. With that being said, the Braves are here for a reason and they have no choice but to step up and continue to find ways to meet the moment in order to keep their season going.

The pressure’s definitely going to be on Tyler Mahle to continue delivering strong production on the mound. He’s done it before as he did pitch seven shutout innings against the Dodgers back in April when he was playing with the Giants but the Postseason is a different animal. With that being said, Weiss appears confident that his Game 4 starter can hold LA at bay during this critical contest.

“I think [Mahle]’s just a good pitcher. Slow heartbeat. That’s what I’ve seen since he’s been with us,” said Weiss when he was asked during the pregame press conference about what makes Mahle made for these moments. “He’s got a really good split finger and commands the ball. He can execute pitches. And that’s what he’s done with us. He’s been really, really good for us. His fastball goes typically north and south, and the split works off of that. He’s got a good cutter that I think is very complementary to the other pitches. Occasional slider. And he commands the ball. He executes pitches.”

On top of simply executing and delivering in the moment, the mentality of the ballclub is also important. One of the other things that Weiss has maintained with his team all season is that the best type of clubhouse is one that’s loose and focused. Wild Card Series hero Austin Riley echoed those sentiments when I asked him about the importance of maintaining that type of mentality going into such a crucial portion of the Postseason.

“For sure, I think you’ve got to stay that way,” responded Riley. “No matter the situation, you’ve got to stay loose, you’ve got to stay focused, you’ve got to trust your plan and trust your work that you’ve put in in the cage and through the whole season, and really just, like I said, trust on that.”

“If you put pressure on yourself in big moments and try to do too much, I think that’s when things spiral. We’ve got to stay loose and this team’s good when our backs are against the wall. I really like tonight and trust that we’ll get the job done.”

Tonight could be the first in a fantastic Postseason chapter for the Atlanta Braves against a club that is aiming to become one of baseball’s great dynasties or it could be the end of the line as far as 2026 goes. Either way, the Braves appear to stay committed to what brought them to the dance so far in the Postseason.

The stars need to shine, the pitching staff needs to come up huge and everybody needs to play the role that was set for them. It’s time to see another example of this team being at they’re best when they’re cornered.

The two National League division series matchups play Game 4 today, while the two AL series play Game 3. Potentially, every one of these series could be over by the end of the day, if the team that has already won two games picks up its third win. The Dodgers and Brewers will be trying to win on the road. The Rays will be trying to finish a sweep on the road. Only the Chicago White Sox have a chance to finish off their series at home today.

Whatever happens today, this is the last day of the year where four MLB games will be played. If either NL series goes to a fifth game, they will have a travel day tomorrow, and they won’t play on the same day as the remaining AL games – if there are any after today. Enjoy it while you can. Winter is coming, and with the ownership lockout looming, this winter may drag on even longer than usual.

Today’s game times are staggered two hours apart, at 4, 6, 8, and 10pm Eastern. Here’s the schedule:

Guardians at White Sox, 4pm

Chicago leads 2-0, series ends with White Sox victory

Cleveland starting pitcher Daniel Espino had a 4.11 ERA across 15.1 innings in the regular season. Seems like an opener gambit or maybe a bullpen game. I wouldn’t feel great about either if my favorite team was trying to avoid a sweep in a postseason series.

White Sox lefty Sean Newcomb posted a 3.09 ERA in 90.1 innings this season, mostly in multi-inning relief with 60 games pitched. Are we looking at a double opener here? This is aesthetically displeasing.

This game, like the other AL series, will air on TBS.

Dodgers at Braves, 6pm

Los Angeles leads 2-1, series ends with Dodgers victory

Two real starting pitchers in this game, unlike that last one. LA’s Tyler Glasnow put up a 3.53 ERA in 13 regular season starts. Atlanta will try to hold on behind Tyler Mahle, who made 27 regular season starts and finished with a 3.99 ERA.

I am personally rooting for the Braves to pull off the comeback in the series, because wiping the possibility of a Dodgers three-peat off the board will make the rest of the postseason much more enjoyable.

This game as well as the other NL game will air on FS1.

Rays at Yankees, 8pm

Tampa Bay leads 2-0, series ends with Rays victory

The Yankees have spent the first two games of this series doing their best 2026 Orioles impersonation. This is a deeply satisfying outcome for me, though the Rays are going to need to finish the job to get that full satisfaction. Oh, man, the idea of the Yankees getting swept with the third game at home, it’s too good, I can’t even bring myself to imagine it might happen.

Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez rolled to a 3.10 ERA in 180 innings over 31 starts this season. Pretty good! I wouldn’t rule out Mike Elias trying to sign him as the designated rotation old guy next season – he’ll be heading into his age 36 season.

Yankees lefty Max Fried finished with a 2.80 ERA in 20 regular season starts, including a sub-1 WHIP. If the Yankees offense continues as it has done in these first two games, he will not have much margin for error.

Brewers at Padres, 10pm

Milwaukee leads 2-1, series ends with Brewers victory

As of this writing, there is no listed Brewers starting pitcher. San Diego sends Walker Buehler, about whom the only good thing that can be said is that he started 32 games this year. That helps a team get through 162 games. The 4.63 ERA doesn’t inspire much confidence for having him start a win-or-go-home postseason game. But, as we all know, plenty of weird stuff can happen in any given baseball game, something that’s only amplified with postseason stakes.

The final four-pack of games today. All four Division Series are in action for the final time, and all four could finish today. Or none of them could. Or any number in between. The two American League Division Series are both 2-0, with the Rays and White Sox sitting on the edge of going into the Championship Series. Meanwhile, in the American League, the Dodgers and Brewers will both seek to clinch, having a 2-1 advantage. Los Angeles have the momentum back, having one Game #3 in Atlanta, while Milwaukee fell just short in San Diego, but have two more chances. All three games there have been decided by one run, and I’d expect another close contest tonight.

Here are the games on order today. There’ll definitely be some overlap here, so be prepared to channel surf. Or, I guess these days, switch browser tabs.

• Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox (0-2): 1:00 pm, TBS/truTV
• Los Angeles Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves (2-1): 3:00 pm, FS1
• Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees (2-0): 5:00 pm, TBS/truTV
• Milwaukee Brewers @ San Diego Padres (2-1): 7:00 pm, FS1

There’s a massive slate of playoff baseball on the docket for today, the 7th of October. All four Division Series could well end up decided by the wee hours of the morning!

The Cleveland Guardians have their backs against the wall as the Chicago White Sox look to send them back home with a sweep. Chicago holds a commanding 2-0 lead already, and lefty Sean Newcomb will be on the mound for the Pale Hose at home as they look to lock up a surprise return to the ALCS after dropping 100+ games for three consecutive seasons before their 2026 breakout. That game is set for a 4:00 PM ET start on TBS.

Following that AL Central confrontation will be the Los Angeles Dodgers attempting to shelve the Atlanta Braves for the next four months. Tyler Glasnow gets the start with LA holding a 2-1 series advantage in their half of the NLDS, while fellow Tyler Tyler Mahle will start for Atlanta in what could be their final home game of the 2026 season. First pitch there is set for 6:00 PM ET on FS1.

The Bronx will be loud and obnoxious (and potentially booing by the end of the evening) as the New York Yankees play host to the Tampa Bay Rays at 8:00 PM ET. The Rays hold the 2-0 series lead and will send old friend Nick Martinez to the mound to attempt to close out the Yankees, who will counter with ace lefty Max Fried. This game will be carried on TBS and truTV.

The nightcap may well feature the most epic baseball of the day, at least based on the previous electric games within the series. The San Diego Padres will play host to the Milwaukee Brewers after besting them last night to keep their NLDS hopes alive, Milwaukee’s 2-1 series lead getting handed to lefty Robert Gasser for the start. Lexington, KY’s own Walker Buehler will hope to turn back the clock to his previous postseason glory days as starter for the Friars, and he’ll chuck out the game’s first pitch at 10:00 PM ET on FS1.

Quite the full day of playoff baseball with a chance for four franchises to set their tee times as early as tomorrow!

This is the last day of the year with four baseball games.

Today we have:

4:00 Eastern: Guardians @ White Sox. White Sox are up 2-0.

Lineups:

6:00 Eastern: Dodgers @ Braves. Dodgers are up 2-1.

Starting pitchers: Tyler Glasnow (5-2, 3.53) vs. Tyler Mahle (7-10, 3.99).

8:00 Eastern: Rays @ Yankees. Rays are up 2-0. Go Rays Go.

Starters: Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10) vs. Max Fried (5-5, 2.80).

10:00 Eastern: Brewers @ Padres. Brewers are up 2-1.

Starters: Brewers are showing TBD, which seems strange on the day of the game. Padres have Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.63).

Four games today? Four games today!

• Guardians at White Sox, Game 3 – 4:00 pm
• Dodgers at Braves, Game 4 – 6:00 pm
• Rays at Yankees, Game 3 – 8:00 pm
• Brewers at Padres, Game 4 – 10:00 pm

Let’s talk about all the goodness.

With a win tonight, the Braves can head to Los Angeles all tied up.

Walt Weiss is hoping another new batting order will provide the offensive spark to wake up an offense that needs to win to reach Game 5.

Center fielder Michael Harris II will lead off for Atlanta, followed by Ronald Acuña Jr., who returns to right field after a late switch to DH following reports of a sore knee. First baseman Matt Olson remains in the third spot. Ozzie Albies is slated to hit cleanup. Drake Baldwin drops down several spots to hit fifth as the designated hitter. Mike Yastrzemski gets the start in left field while Mauricio Dubón mans shortstop. Austin Riley is at his usual base and set to bat eighth and Sean Murphy will catch for Tyler Mahle and hit ninth.

Dave Roberts is going all in on alternating-handedness for today’s lineup. Mookie Betts continues to lead off and play shortstop. Freddie Freeman moves up from third to second as one of two Dodgers with two home runs off starter Tyler Mahle. Will Smith will bat third and catch for Tyler Glasnow. Shohei Ohtani’s stint batting fifth was brief, as he moves up to cleanup today. Teoscar Hernández is in left field and hitting fifth, followed by third baseman Max Muncy. The bottom of the order is second baseman Kiké Hernández, right fielder Kyle Tucker, and center fielder Andy Pages.

Per The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, BravesVision’s Brandon Gaudin will be on the call tonight filling in for Joe Davis.

We’ve seen the Braves rise to the occasion when under pressure, the most recent instance being last week’s Game 3 to eliminate the Philadelphia Phillies. Can this team fire on all cylinders to extend their season?

After several days in which the American and National Leagues alternated, all eight remaining teams will be in action today, with two Game 4s in the NL and two Game 3s in the AL.

Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox (4:00 PM EDT)

This afternoon, the White Sox will look to make their first postseason home game of 2026 a memorable one. With a third straight win, the upstart “South Siders” would clinch their first postseason series win at home since the 1906 World Series.

Chicago is using the opener strategy for a third consecutive game. Left-hander Sean Newcomb will start on the mound for the White Sox, who have yet to lose this postseason.

Seeking to avoid a swift elimination, the Guardians are also using an opener. Rookie right-hander Daniel Espino will start for the AL Central champions. Once again, Cleveland’s lack of offense is hindering its postseason success. If the Guardians want to keep their season alive, they will need third baseman José Ramírez and the rookie duo of Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter to get their bats going.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves (6:00 PM EDT)

One win away from their third consecutive NLCS appearance, the two-time defending champion Dodgers will turn to talented but injury-prone right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who will make his 14th career postseason start.

A Braves win would force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Los Angeles. Right-hander Tyler Mahle will make his second start of the playoffs, but his first of this round for the hosts. He received a no-decision in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies after allowing one run on six hits over seven innings. With their season on the line, Mahle will likely have a quick hook and be pulled early if he runs into trouble.

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (8:00 PM EDT)

After winning the first two games of the Division Series in Tampa Bay, the Rays will look to eliminate the Yankees tonight as the series shifts to the Bronx for Game 3. Right-hander Nick Martinez, who had a career-best season in his first year with the Rays, will make his first career postseason start.

It is do or die time for the Yankees, who must take advantage of their home crowd to spark a series comeback. The “Bronx Bombers” will turn to left-hander Max Fried, who will make his second start of the playoffs despite his girlfriend being due to give birth to their first child any day now. Fried earned the win in the second and final game of the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox after allowing one run on three hits over six innings.

Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres (10:00 PM EDT)

Playing in front of their passionate fans last night, the Padres staved off elimination with a 4-3 victory in the third consecutive closely contested game between the evenly matched teams. With closer Mason Miller on the paternity list, Game 2 starter Michael King came out of the bullpen to pitch the final two innings. If the past three games are any indication, today’s nightcap should be another thrilling affair.

Right-hander Walker Buehler, freshly back from the paternity list, will make his first postseason appearance with San Diego. The veteran has extensive playoff experience from his time with the Dodgers, as this will be Buehler 19th career postseason start. With the Padres looking to win a second straight game and force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Milwaukee, they will likely turn to their bullpen as soon as Buehler finds himself in trouble. As for that bullpen, there is a chance Miller could be activated for this game.

The Brewers, who have lost an MLB-record-tying 12 consecutive road playoff games, will send left-hander Robert Gasser to the mound for his first career playoff start.

The day of judgment may be at hand for teams today. The League Championship Series could be determined today as the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays aim for a three-game series sweep over their opponents. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers each have a 2-1 lead in the series over their opponents.

There is a lot of important baseball being played today. It should be a good day.

As a reminder, the ALDS games will be on TBS/HBO Max and the NLDS games will be on FS1/ Fox One.

And now to the details. We’ll add lineups as they become available.

Cleveland Guardians (0-2) at Chicago White Sox (2-0) — 2:00 PM MDT

Pitching Matchup: RHP Daniel Espino (0-0, 4.11 ERA) vs. RHP Sean Newcomb (2-5, 3.09 ERA)

SB Nation Sites:Southside Sox, Covering the Corner

Lineups:

Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1) at Atlanta Braves (1-2) — 4:00 PM MDT

Pitching Matchup: RHP Tyler Glasnow (5-2, 3.53 ERA) vs RHP Tyler Mahle (7-10, 3.99 ERA)

SB Nation Sites:True Blue LA, Battery Power

Lineups:

Tampa Bay Rays (2-0) at New York Yankees (0-2) — 6:00 PM MDT

Pitching Matchup: RHP Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA) vs. LHP Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA)

SB Nation Sites:Pinstripe Alley, DRaysBay

Lineups:

Milwaukee Brewers (2-1) at San Diego Padres (1-2) — 8:00 PM MDT

Pitching Matchup: LHP Robert Gasser (5-5, 3.87) vs RHP Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.63 ERA)

SB Nation Sites:Brew Crew Ball, Gaslamp Ball

Lineups:

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Here’s the Guardians’ lineup:

Here’s the White Sox lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

This will be the last day of 2026 in which there will be four MLB games. This thread is for the first two, Game 3 of the Guardians/White Sox ALDS and Game 4 of the Dodgers/Braves NLDS.

Another thread will post at 6:30 p.m. CT for the two night games.

3 p.m. CT: Guardians at White Sox (White Sox lead series 2-0)

TV: TBS, truTV, HBO Max (streaming). Announcers: Alex Faust, Ron Darling and Lauren Jbara.

Daniel Espino, RHP vs. Sean Newcomb, LHP

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com preview

5 p.m. CT: Dodgers at Braves (Dodgers lead series 2-1)

TV: FS1. Announcers: Joe Davis, John Smoltz and Ken Rosenthal.

Tyler Glasnow, RHP vs. Tyler Mahle, RHP

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com preview

The Dodgers are back in Atlanta for Game 4 of the NLDS on Wednesday, needing just one more win to clinch the series. After getting to Chris Sale in Game 3, the Dodgers will face right-hander Tyler Mahle, who has turned heads since being acquired at the trade deadline from the San Francisco Giants.

After batting fifth in the starting lineup for the first time as a Dodger, Shohei Ohtani will once again be hitting in the middle third of the order, this time moving up to the cleanup spot with Teoscar Hernández sliding down to the fifth spot in the order.

Max Muncy makes his first start this series since batting 8th in Game 1 against left-hander Dylan Dodd, this time batting sixth in the lineup with Miguel Rojas getting the day off after dealing with bat tightness. The hero of Game 3 on offense, Kiké Hernández, makes his second straight start, this time batting seventh while getting the start at second base. Kyle Tucker once again hits in the 8 spot while Andy Pages rounds things out after a multi-hit performance.

Runs have been hard to come by so far this series, as the Dodgers have plated just 10 combined runs over their first three postseason games, all of which have come via home runs. The main Achilles heel for the Dodgers has been their consistent inability to produce with runners in scoring position, as the team is 0-13 in those situations. The Braves, to their credit, have managed to get one hit with runners in scoring position, albeit across 14 at-bats, and have combined to score just eight runs over the first three games.

The Dodgers have fared well in previous matchups against Mahle, as the right-hander has a combined 3-3 record with a 3.15 ERA. Most of the damage came when Mahle was still with the Cincinnati Reds, and in his most recent start against the Dodgers back when he was with San Francisco, he shut them down over seven shutout innings in a 3-0 Giants win on April 22. Since joining Atlanta, Mahle finished the regular season with a 1.99 ERA and limited the Philadelphia Phillies to just one run in his most recent Wild Card start.

ATLANTA — Another day, another new spot in the lineup for Shohei Ohtani.

After batting the two-way star in the five-hole on Tuesday in a 3-1 win over the Braves in the National League Division Series — the lowest Ohtani had hit since the 2020 season with the Angels –– the Dodgers bumped the slumping four-time MVP up for their potential series-clinching Game 4 showdown with Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle on Wednesday, slotting him in the cleanup spot for his first time with the team.

That was one of several changes the Dodgers made as they looked to book a spot in the NL Championship Series.

Game 3 hero Kiké Hernández remained in the lineup, even against a right-handed pitcher, coming off his latest October highlight with a go-ahead home run against Chris Sale on Tuesday.

Max Muncy also returned to the starting nine for the first time since Game 1, having come off the bench the previous two games with the Braves starting left-handed pitchers.

Miguel Rojas did not get a start after tweaking his back on a swing Tuesday that forced him to leave Game 3 early (he was initially optimistic he hadn’t suffered anything too serious, but the team wanted to see how he felt pregame Wednesday before deciding on his availability).

Andy Pages, meanwhile, was dropped into the nine-hole, where he will look to build off a two-hit performance in Game 3 that snapped his previous 0-for-8 slump to start the series.

All eyes, of course, will be on Ohtani in Game 4.

The injury-hampered slugger has looked little like his typically dominant self this week, going 2-for-10 so far this series with one walk, three strikeouts and several empty at-bats with runners on base.

The 32-year-old is still searching for his first home run since Aug. 18, having suffered a power outage amid ongoing right arm and left knee injuries. He also has just one RBI in that span, hitting .163 in his last 21 games (including both regular-season and postseason play).

“I still thought his intent, the at-bats were better,” manager Dave Roberts said after Game 3, when the Dodgers overcame Ohtani’s lack of production again to take a 2-1 series lead. “It’s good to know that we can still win games without him doing a whole bunch. But he’s going to come to life. It will happen.”

Their hope on Wednesday: That a new spot in the batting order would help him snap out of his extended, physically diminished funk.

There are four — count ‘em, four — LDS games going on today.

The White Sox host the Guardians in the early game, with Chicago in position to sweep and move on to the ALCS with a win. Its a 3 p.m. Central start on TBS.

The Braves host the Dodgers in the late afternoon game. Los Angeles is up 2-1, so the Braves need to win in order to force a game five in L.A. The game starts at 5 p.m. and is on FS1.

The Yankees, down 0-2, host the Rays in the early evening game. It is on TBS and starts at 7 p.m. Central.

Finally, the Brewers, up 2-1, play in San Diego against the Padres in the late game. It is a 9 p.m. start on FS1.

Talk about the games here.