When it comes to making roster moves, the Mets are unmatched. On the penultimate day of the season, the team has optioned left-handed reliever Jefry Yan to the minors and called up right-handed reliever Chayce McDermott to take his place on the active roster.
Known for his enthusiastic and elaborate strikeout celebrations, Yan made his major league debut with the Mets this year and wound up throwing 20.1 innings with the team. In that time, he had a 4.87 ERA and a 4.82 FIP with 26 strikeouts and 15 walks.
McDermott had brief stints with the Orioles and Dodgers before the Mets picked him up this year, and he’s thrown 5.1 innings with the team at the major league level. In a total of 7.2 innings with the Mets and Dodgers this season, he has a 5.87 ERA and a 6.49 FIP. In 41.1 innings in the minors, he has a 3.92 ERA and a 3.82 FIP.
Jefry Yan's season has officially comes to an end.
The Mets optioned the left-hander to the minors to bring in Chayce McDermott for Saturday's game.
Yan joined the big-league roster midseason after they dealt all of their big bullpen arms.
The reliever showed some of the positives he put on display with Syracuse but ultimately faltered, being optioned back to the minors after allowing runs in each of his last four appearances from late-August to early-September.
He eventually rejoined the squad and enjoyed some success, putting together 5.1 scoreless innings before allowing a pair of runs while serving as the opener for the first time in his career on Friday.
Yan finishes his season with 4.34 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over his first 17 MLB appearances.
It's a bit tough to see him back pitching for the Mets in meaningful games early on next season, but perhaps he'll be able to compete for a spot with the state of their bullpen.
This is McDermott's second stint with the Mets since being acquired from the Dodgers at the deadline.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 18: Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) walks off the field after a strike out in the fifth inning during a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
I missed that one in the Chinese New Year list of animals. I remembered the sheep, rabbit, and snake, and then completely overlooked the “didn’t see that one coming” creature (possibly symbolized by a dead chicken in the road who crossed not noticing the approaching Toyota).
When anyone refers to baseball as “the most unpredictable of games,” 2026 provides a fine template. It also offers a useful reminder of the limited value pre-season predictions, projections, and prognostications hold. You may not have cared for the last sentence but please, give p’s a chance.
Exhibit A: The AL West
Much has been made of the AL West’s mediocrity and it reached a crescendo Friday night when both the Astros and Rangers lost (to teams with over 90 losses). Each club suffered its 81st loss in the process, ensuring they will not finish the season with a winning record.
What one of them will finish with, however, is a division crown. This means had the A’s been able to assemble a .500 team they would lining up their post-season rotation as we speak.
Exhibit B: The Sunken Mariners
Missing from the AL West showdown are the Mariners, who were practically unanimously picked to waltz away with the division title. Most projections had them winning somewhere between 88-94 games and had they gone, say, 91-71, they would have taken the division by 10-11 games.
Instead Seattle sputtered, treaded water, and sunk like the Holey Mariner, entering the final weekend 74-86. Inexplicably, Cal Raleigh followed up his historic 60 HR season by batting .169/.271/.310 in the first half of 2026, including a woeful May in which he hit .056/.128/.056 (2 for 36 with 2 singles) and a 41% K rate.
#2: Seattle Mariners (90 wins) #4: Toronto Blue Jays (88 wins) #6: New York Mets #8: Detroit Tigers #12: Baltimore Orioles (86 wins) #15: Kansas City Royals #17: San Francisco Giants (83 wins)
#21 on the list with a projected record of 79-83? That would be your Tampa Bay Rays, predicted to finish in the AL East cellar and offered a 23% chance of making the post-season at all.
In fact the Rays hold the American’s League’s best record at 97-63, sitting 18.5 games ahead of the Orioles and 19 up on the Blue Jays — the team ESPN figured would win 9 more games than the Rays). So they were only off by 28 games.
Individual anomalies also abound. I could have made quite the fortune had I been gutsy, flown to Vegas, and put my life savings on Carlos Cortes out homering Vlad Guerrero Jr. I mean there’s still 2 games left but the A’s LFer/reliever is leading 10-9. That’s partly because Guerrero Jr. is getting “out homered at home” 2-1 by Alika Williams.
So next spring, or whenever MLB and MLBPA cry “PLAY BALL!!!”, don’t be too quick to assume you know what’s going to unfold in 2027. Expect the unexpected and only then will you be right. It might just be the Rockies’ year.
“But it turned out awful nice, I’ll tell you that — 16 years. You know, I lasted more than I thought I would. Boy, what a life. I really enjoyed every minute of it. Even when I was horseshit, I still liked it.”
As he approached his 100th birthday in 2025, Bobby Shantz took the opportunity to reflect on his career in baseball. More than 60 years since he’d hung up his cleats, he still had the mind of a ballplayer, reminiscing about the legends he played with and against with vividness and vibrancy. But he also had the perspective of a man who’d been on a long journey — and was grateful for every stop along the way.
Robert Clayton Shantz Born: September 26, 1925 (Pottstown, PA) Yankees Tenure: 1957-60
Shantz grew up in the suburbs in Pennsylvania. A small kid (his height peaked at 5-foot-6 as an adult), the young Bobby distinguished himself through pinpoint control and all-around athleticism. After his high school coach refused to let him pitch due to his size, a youth baseball manager saw Shantz working out his curveball and decided to give him a shot on the mound. He joined the Army in 1944 and continued to hone his craft on Army baseball teams while stationed in the Philippines, competing against big-leaguers and building confidence in his ability to go pro.
Upon his return to the States, Shantz continued to impress in semipro ball but struggled to find any takers among MLB teams due to his stature. Finally, after a couple of teammates with connections in the Philadelphia A’s organization put in a good word, Harry O’Donnell, a scout with the team, signed him to an A-Ball deal. He immediately impressed, winning 18 games in 28 starts and striking out nearly a batter an inning. The next year, at the age of 23, he made the leap all the way to the big leagues, where he would be managed by none other than Hall of Famer and baseball lifer Connie Mack.
In his first three seasons in Philly, the southpaw established himself as a strong contributor, pitching around league average and making his first All-Star team in 1951. But it was the following year that would be Shantz’s campaign for the ages. Seemingly out of nowhere, he emerged as the best pitcher in baseball, winning 24 games, posting a 152:63 K:BB ratio, recording a 2.48 ERA, 9.4 rWAR, and taking home the AL MVP. The career year was aided in part by the use of a knuckleball Mack had forbade him from employing but his new manager, Jimmie Dykes, encouraged.
In the ‘52 All-Star Game, Shantz struck out the side in his only inning of work, including punchouts of Jackie Robinson and Stan Musial. His newfound stardom even netted him a guest spot on the Ed Sullivan Show.
As is so often the case after a superlative season like Shantz’s ‘52, the pitcher took a step back in the years that followed. As he struggled with injury and inconsistency, he went 13-26 with a 4.42 ERA over the next four years, failing to recapture his peak form on floundering A’s teams as the franchise moved to Kansas City. After the ‘56 campaign, the A’s traded their former MVP to the Yankees as part of a 13-player trade. Shantz was a man reborn, leading all of baseball with a 2.45 ERA in ‘57 and earning his first All-Star berth since his MVP season.
Shantz also took home the very first AL Gold Glove for a pitcher, his first of eight such awards earned between both leagues. The man’s legacy as one of the greatest fielding pitchers has never been in question. “I’ll occasionally hear a guy introduce me and say, ‘He was the best fielding pitcher in baseball,’ and I’ll say, ‘No, Bobby Shantz was,’” said Jim Kaat, winner of 16 Gold Gloves himself. “He didn’t win a Gold Glove until ’57. Had they given them out starting in ’50, he would have had 16 or 17 as well.”
Shantz made the only World Series start of his long career that October, taking the ball in Game 2 against the Milwaukee Braves. He struggled, allowing four runs (three earned) in three innings, but rebounded well in Game 4, tossing three scoreless innings in relief to keep the Yankees in a game they’d eventually tie up in the ninth.
Shantz spent three more years in pinstripes, eventually transitioning to a bullpen role, where he pitched well as a proto-closer. Despite finding his greatest individual success in Philadelphia, Shantz would later recount that his time with the Yankees—who won a championship in 1958 and the pennant in three of his four seasons there—was the most rewarding of his career.
After the ‘60 season, the Yankees left him exposed in an expansion draft. Shantz was selected by the Washington Senators, who flipped him to the Pirates. He’d spend the final four seasons of his career in a state of perpetual motion, pitching for five different teams as a trusted reliever. After the ‘64 season, at the age of 39, Shantz retired. The 5-foot-6 non-prospect who was rejected repeatedly at the start of his career had stuck around for 16 years in the big leagues.
Shantz retired back to Pennsylvania, where he managed a restaurant and co-owned a bowling alley. In 2010, Pottstown High School renamed their baseball park Bobby Shantz Field in honor of their famous alumnus.
As the years have gone on and he’s passed the century mark, Shantz has increasingly become the “oldest living” designee in many areas — oldest living MLB MVP, oldest living A’s player, and on down the line. He’s accepted this status with grace and humor, giving colorful interviews and staying connected to the game he loves.
100-year-old former AL MVP Bobby Shantz autographs his baseball card 75 years later…pic.twitter.com/ZBDhqKw3HG
On the occasion of his 101st birthday, we celebrate the oldest living Yankee, Bobby Shantz. We’ll let him take us out in his own words: “I had a great life. Jesus, great life. Boy, I’d like to do that all over again.”
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 23: William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers and Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies look on during a game at Citizens Bank Park on September 23, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are all aware of the reputation Philadelphia has when it comes to underperforming athletes in this city. There are “boo birds” out en masse if a player does something that the city thinks isn’t up to their standards. Last night, against Tampa Bay, the fans were restless as scoring chance after scoring chance went wasted, frittered away by an offense that is so clearly pressing it’s barely funny.
When that ire is thrown from the stands, the suspects are usually the ones that have underperformed seemingly since the day they arrived. Trea Turner has been the subject of many a negative comment both in these parts and at the stadium in person. Alec Bohm frequently hears from the people when one of his cold streak appears out of nowhere. Much people’s current distaste has been directed at the currently 0 for his last 32 J.T. Realmuto, all of that completely justified.
However, there needs to be some criticism lobbed at the leadoff hitter. Kyle Schwarber has not just been ineffective lately, he’s been pretty ineffective for a while now.
The supposed fulcrum of the Phillies offense has been off for not just a little bit now. If we’re looking at recent runs, Schwarber’s last 14 days has seen him hit .143/.345/.262 with one home run. Stretch that back even 28 days and the line doesn’t really get all that much better (.185/.333/.380). His basing his entire offensive profile on hitting home runs is great and worth all the accolades he has been given in the past, but his dry spell is costing the team dearly.
Now, the entirety of the offense is currently to blame for their predicament. Meant to clinch a playoff spot earlier this week, they have found themselves in the position where missing the playoffs entirely is truly on the table and the cluster of the roster to blame is the offense. They have simply disappeared. When an All-Star starter disappears from the planet as far as production at the plate (Brandon Marsh’s wRC+ since 7/1 is 33), that is going to have an effect on the offense. When the catcher joins him in offensive ineptitude (Realmuto’s during that same time is a very not nice 69), that’s two hitters of nine that are just anchors on a lineup and what they can do.
But having a leadoff hitter that doesn’t do what he’s supposed to do is also a weight that is hard to ignore. Schwarber since 7/1 has hit .205/.336/.413, a paltry amount compared to what we have seen from him in the past. He’s hit 15 home runs in that time frame, which is great since the rest of the lineups has seen little power outside of him, but again, it’s not up to his standard.
And there are the strikeouts.
Holy cow, the strikeouts. He’s not nearly as strikeout prone as someone like Colson Montgomery, the young White Sox slugger that just whiffed his way to the MLB strikeout record for a season. But Schwarber truly looks lost at times at the plate, that he’s just unable to make contact when it is needed most. Two things that have been noticeable is that he’s not squaring the ball up
and he’s hitting the ball on the ground a lot more often.
It’s enough to make one wonder if there is something deeper at play, some kind of injury that he has been hiding that will require something done in the offseason.
There could be a few changes in mind to help with the malaise of the offense as a whole. Batting order changes, substitutions, something that can be used to shake up what looks to be a dormant group of hitters. Something in these final two games that maybe kickstart something drastic. Panicking? Maybe, but panic mode is probably in order right now.
What would really help is a leadoff hitter that was doing his job and right now, Kyle Schwarber is not doing that.
SACRAMENTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 25: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros hits a home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Houston Astros and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Friday, September 25, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Don Collier/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Magic Number remains at two, with two games remaining. A’s 6 Astros 5
In front of 9,012, Hunter Brown wasn’t spectacular; in fact, he was slightly above average for much of the night. By the time Brown’s pitch count hit 100, he’d exit with a body of work showing four issued walks, one each during each of the opening three frames. Along the way, there were plenty of missed targets, a pair of hits and Brown’s visual frustration.
Brown would exit in the 6th inning with 2 on (courtesy of an error by Jose Altuve that sabotaged a double play) and 1 out for Bennett Sousa. However, they wouldn’t be stranded for long. Sousa faced three batters, failed to register any outs and the runs began to pour in. The initial damage coming on Michael Stefanic’s two run pinch-hit RBI single. The wheels came off after that.
At one point, the A’s strung together four consecutive hits. By the time it was all said and done, they’d send 10 men to the plate, scoring 6 runs and in the process, busting things wide open. Brown was charged with two runs.
There were a few bright spots, the first coming from the bat of Christian Walker. Walker would take an inside fastball 425 feet to left field in the fourth inning which initially gave Houston a 1-0 lead. For Walker it was his third home run on this current road trip, his 28th for the season.
Cam Smith also used the long ball, hitting his first homer in roughly two weeks, making things 6-2.
In the Top Of the 8th, things would get interesting. A’s reliever Geoff Hartlieb failed to find the strike zone to the tune of loading up the bases. LaMonte Wade & Isaac Paredes drew walks with an Alvarez single sandwiched in between.
Luis Medina was dreadful as the next reliever, validating the anemic nature of the A’s bullpen. Jose Altuve would bring home Wade on a sacrifice fly, his 47th RBI of the year. Yainer Diaz scored Alvarez with a single to left, giving him 44 RBI on the year. Medina would then throw a wild pitch, scoring Paredes. The Astros put three up on the board, but it wasn’t enough.
With the loss, Houston is now 79-81.
Odds & Ends:
Yordan Alvarez now has 109 walks on this season.
The Astros will face Jack Perkins on Saturday Night. First pitch will once again be 8:40pm CDT. Perkins has a record of 3-12 on the season with an ERA of 5.90.
Former Astro, Justin Verlander will make his final career start on Saturday for the Tigers. It will be Verlander’s 557th time taking the mound.
Pfaadt Battles Hard, Diamondbacks Close to Within One Game of Philly Brandon Pfaadt was far from his crispest, most dominant self on Friday. He worked most of his night with runners all over the bases. He still managed to gut out 7.2 innings, allowing only four runs in what will not go down as a quality start in the books, but was everything Arizona could ask for and then some to take game one of the season’s biggest series.
What Happened to Corbin Burnes and What is Plan B for Saturday? Burnes was throwing a bullpen between his last start on Sunday and scheduled outing on Saturday, but it just did not feel right. General manager Mike Hazen said Burnes was not feeling pain, but the ball was not coming out right to where Burnes felt he could help the team. Burnes underwent an MRI in Phoenix on Friday and will receive a second opinion after landing on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. The Diamondbacks, facing a do or die situation in game two of the series against the San Diego Padres, look likely to use Ryne Nelson as an opener for a full-on bullpen game on Saturday.
Diamondbacks’ Postseason Push Takes a Turn and a Moreno Update Diamondbacks’ backstop, Gabriel Moreno exited an Arizona rout of the Padres on Friday with tightness in his leg. Manager Torey Lovullo reports he expects Moreno to be fine and has pencilled him in as the team’s DH to rest the leg. Meanwhile, the team will be calling up another catcher to make sure they still have two available for the final two games of the regular season.
Sanchez DFA’d, Moreno Injured The Jesus Sanchez experiment did not last long. It may well have finished the season if Gabriel Moreno had not left Friday night’s game early, due to tightness in his leg.
Hear me out phillies fans…
We purposely lose out and let the dbacks make the playoffs, because with their hot bats they are GUARANTEED to sweep the braves in the wild card round. Even if the phillies make the playoffs, we aren’t winning shit anyways. So let’s purposely let the…
What to Watch for in MLB’s Final Weekend Playoff races will be determined. A Triple Crown is on the line. Gabriel Moreno tries to edge out Arraez for the NL batting title and more.
The updated NL Wild Card race with 2 games to go after the Diamondbacks win their 6th straight game.
Why Another 100-Loss Season is not Deterring Colorado Fans Colorado has lost 100+ games for the third season in a row now. However, despite crossing the century mark for losses yet again, the team also posted a doble-digit improvement in the winning ways.
How to Watch Justin Verlander’s Final Start Justin Verlander, future first-ballot Hall of Famer, one of only two players to ever tally a Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Cy Young Award, will make the final start of his career today. This is indeed the end of an era.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 25: Carter Jensen #22 of the Kansas City Royals hits a home run during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium on September 25, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Noah Cameron’s last start of the year did not go well, writes Jaylon Thompson.
Cleveland first pounded KC left-handed starter Noah Cameron. He surrendered seven runs (six earned) in five innings.
“I made some bad pitches,” Cameron said. “Some tough plays, which happens, since it’s baseball. But yeah, I think it just got out of hand a little bit there. Just need to make better pitches in big spots.”
With two more homers on Friday, Jensen notched his 61st and 62nd extra-base hits of the season, passing Piazza (61) for the most by a rookie catcher in MLB history since at least 1947. Jensen’s 27 dingers are already a franchise record for a rookie, and his five RBIs on Friday set a career high in a single game. The five came in three at-bats, tying the game each time.
“To me, that means the hard work’s starting to pay off. But understanding that this year for me personally has been a lot of growth, on the field and off the field as a person and as a player,” Jensen said. “Not letting it stop there is the biggest thing. Just continue to keep climbing and keep putting my best foot forward each day.”
Matthews has been in the booth for every single one. And after counting 86.6% of the total possible scorebooks in Royals history, it was discovered that Matthews will be calling his 8,000th game on Friday night against the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium.
“I don’t think I’ve really accepted that yet. It’s still just a number, and maybe when the season is over and I start thinking about that, it’ll take on a little different tone,” Matthews said. “But that’s a lot of foul balls.”
The Mets' star shortstop has dealt with a number of different injuries over the past year, leading to him posting all-around one of the worst statistical seasons of his 12-year career.
Lindor underwent a procedure to clean up tissue in his elbow during the winter, he missed most of camp after arriving with a broken hamate bone, then was sidelined for two months after tweaked his calf just weeks into the season.
He’s shown flashes of the expected All-Star form since returning from the IL, but still hasn’t quite looked like himself at times at the plate, in the field, and even on the bases.
With just two games remaining this season, the 32-year-old carries a career-worst .731 OPS, has committed a career-high 11 errors at shortstop, and sits in the 41st percentile according to Statcast in OAA (-1).
You could potentially point at the slow start and injuries for the down offensive production, but the several mental mistakes on both sides of the ball have been very head-scratching.
Whatever the reasoning behind it, Lindor knows that he needs to be better next year.
“I have no other option,” he told Mike Puma of the NY Post. “I have to go back to being a plus-player at shortstop -- not only defensively, but running and hitting, too.”
That happening is a must if the Mets hope to get things turned around next year.
There are plenty of exciting pieces shining throughout the system as part of this developing young core, but they absolutely need their stars in Lindor and Juan Soto to stay healthy and lead the way at the top.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 25: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers reacts to getting hit by a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on September 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung suffered a fractured hand when he was hit by a pitch yesterday, putting an end to Jung’s 2026 season.
This is the third time that Jung, who has been plagued by injuries during his professional career, has had a broken bone sideline him in the last four seasons. In 2023, he fractured his left thumb catching a line drive. In 2024, he went on the injured list the first week of the season with a fractured wrist that ended up costing him almost four months.
Jung was having the best offensive season of his career this year, slashing .299/.363/.462 with a 139 OPS+. Jung also missed around six weeks due to a calf strain suffered in July.
The loss of Jung hurts the Rangers as they continue to try to come back in the division race against the Houston Astros, especially given that they also are without Joc Pederson due to a fractured hand suffered on a hit by pitch. Both the Astros and the Rangers lost yesterday, dropping them both to 79-81. This guarantees that whoever wins the American League West will not have a winning record.
Sep 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers fans react to the solo homer from Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Friday night, Oracle Park was far from the intimidating cave it may have once been in the SF-LA rivalry.
When the Dodgers from the south, along with their legion of supporters, arrived at the den of these Giants, their faces did not drain of color. They did not breathe dank air, nor pick their way through bones, the scraps of other intruders, as they tentatively descended into the darkness, dreading the fight that was soon to come.
No, when LA comes to the town, they arrive as the conquering army. Oracle Park is not hostile territory, but Dodger Stadium North. A team-owned retreat center, a spa center. Friday night’s game, the first of the final season series, felt, in tone, less like a contest for the Dodgers, and more of an opportunity to reset, relax, tinker a bit, and tune-up before a deep play-off run.
Dave Roberts’s line-up on Friday looked like the October line-up we’re all waaaaaayyyy too familiar with now. Shohei Ohtani was back at the top. Andy Pages was running down line drives in center field. Enrique Hernández, somehow, still out there, still patrolling some section of the diamond. And then there was Tarik Skubal on the mound. Reigning Cy Young, newest toy, ready to fulfill his sole purpose in a Dodger uniform: win in the postseason.
LA’s lead stayed at just two runs for the vast majority of the game, but there was never any measurable threat to it considering the Giants batting order isn’t much of a gauntlet, and Tarik Skubal is very good at pitching. The lefty needed just 75 pitches to complete 7 innings of work. He allowed just three singles. 13 Giant hitters were fed into the Skubal woodchipper between Bandura’s 3rd inning single and Davidson’s two-out, end of the bat nubber in the 7th. He didn’t just strike out 10, he blew them away, scattering as easily as leaves in an autumnal breeze.
Against the San Francisco Giant Flying Squirrels, this was a time to re-sharpen and embolden. Skubal went back-to-basics, ensuring the foundation of his arsenal was solid, the essential tools in working order. The scrape of a blade across a leather strop could be heard as he pitched. He upped his 4-seamer usage to 48% and just went right at the hitter. 21 of the 23 batters he faced saw a first pitch strike. Nothing he threw was errant. Anything out of the zone, tastefully and intentionally placed. He generated 21 whiffs in all, with both his fastball and change-up earning a 50% swing-and-miss rate. Skubal could’ve gone 9. Given how little stress he experienced, he probably could’ve pitched through the 11th or 12th — but that wasn’t needed. This was just a run-through, a dress rehearsal. Skubal walked off the stage for Roki Sasaki in the 8th, then Tanner Scott in the 9th — one iteration of many bullpen looks LA could show off in the coming weeks.
The game breezed by in under two hours. No pitcher broke a sweat. There were 10 total hits, and three of those hits turned into outs by outfield assists trying to stretch singles into doubles. Very little traffic on the basepaths for arms to navigate. The first time two consecutive batters for either team reached base and stayed there wasn’t until the top of the 9th. All the runs scored in the 2nd: a pair of solo shots courtesy of Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages in the 2nd inning. Both pounced on location mistakes by Giants starter, Yunior Marte, whose loopy pitch shapes can be devastating when dropping out of the zone,
Marte, the losing pitcher, still continued to show some levels of promise. Command of the splitter was mercurial at the start, but once he got some command of it(see Ohtani flail above), it helped prevent opposing hitters from ambushing his 4-seamer. Rather than focus on the outcome too, Marte celebrated the little victories. He pitched five complete, and struck out 4 while walking just one batter (his lowest game total in 5 starts). Mookie Betts knocked three hits off of Marte’s servings last Saturday, but after a 1st inning walk, coaxed two ground outs. He beamed, pumping his fist, as his fastball on the outside edge was overturned for a strike-3 against Ohtani to start the game.
After winning four of their first five games, the Giants have now lost six straight to the Dodgers. If the weekend continues as it has been, they’ll have a chance to tie the California-era streak of 8 on Sunday. The longest losing streak to the Dodgers in club history (limited to one season) is 10 games, back in 1953. 10 is also the Giants longest winning streak against the Dodgers. They achieved this twice (said under breath in 1938 and 1905), so…you know…that’s something.
One of baseball's greatest pitching careers took the mound for the last time Saturday, Sept. 26.
Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander is making the final start of his major league career, bringing an end to a journey that spanned more than two decades, multiple Cy Young Awards, MVP honors, championships and thousands of strikeouts.
Verlander emerged as one of the best pitchers of his generation, combining elite velocity, durability and postseason success while starring for several contenders throughout his career. Along the way, he built a resume that places him among the most accomplished starting pitchers in baseball history.
USA TODAY Sports will have live updates, highlights, notable moments, key statistics and reaction throughout the Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game. Follow along for coverage as Verlander takes the ball one more time.
Verlander and the Detroit Tigers will host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, Sept. 26, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park.
1-2-3 to start
01:20 PM ET, September 26 2026
Justin Verlander opened the final start of his career with a perfect first inning: three up, three down. His fastball topped out at 93 miles ab hour. That's well short of the 102 he hit during his 2007 no-hitter on the same mound, but it's plenty for a 43-year-old in his first big league outing since March 30.
As he walked off, home plate umpire and crew chief Laz Diaz check Verlander's glove and hands for substances, as is the norm now in baseball. They seemed to be wishing each other well. Diaz is also retiring after the season.
One last walk to the mound
01:11 PM ET, September 26 2026
Justin Verlander took the field for the final time by himself. His Tigers teammates let him go out on the mound at Comerica Park alone and the crowd cheer him. The moment lasted for nearly 40 seconds with the crowd on its feet and Verlander tipping his cap behind the mound before his teammates ran out on the field to join him.
Wearing the moment
12:56 PM ET, September 26 2026
Justin Verlander's teammates made sure that the day had some fun to it too. They showed up at Comerica wearing T-shirts with selfies Verlander had posted over the years, a nod to the 43-year-old future Hall of Famer from a clubhouse that knows its watching history.
Justin Verlander takes the mound for the final time today 🧡
His @Tigers teammates commemorated the occasion by coming to the ballpark with special shirts featuring Verlander 👏 pic.twitter.com/EJdwTeuTqc
It's a young Tigers clubhouse, and most of them were kids when Verlander threw his first no-hitter at Comerica in 2007. They are soaking it in.
All smiles
12:32 PM ET, September 26 2026
Justin Verlander arrived at Comerica Park for his final start in a tan suit and wearing a wide smile. It's his 557th career start and his first at Comerica since 2017. He looked like a man who has made his peace with the day. "I feel like I ran my race," he told reporters this week. "I feel like I gave it everything I could."
Justin Verlander arrives in style for his final career start in Detroit today 🤩 pic.twitter.com/L9bnn0PLfT
Tigers-Pirates lineups for Justin Verlander's final MLB game
12:31 PM ET, September 26 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates
Starting pitcher: Kirby Yates
Ryan O'Hearn DH
Brandon Lowe 2B
Bryan Reynolds LF
Oneil Cruz CF
Konnor Griffin SS
Spencer Horwitz 1B
Ronny Simon RF
Jacob Gonzalez 3B
Henry Davis C
Detroit Tigers
Starting pitcher: Justin Verlander
Max Clark CF
Hao-Yu Lee 2B
Kevin McGonigle 3B
Eduardo Valencia DH
Riley Greene LF
Dillon Dingler C
Spencer Torkelson 1B
Zach McKinstry RF
Javier Baez SS
What Justin Verlander has said about final MLB start
12:05 PM ET, September 26 2026
"It’s weird, because it’s almost like playoff anxiousness, but yet I’m not doing my headphones-on, normal routine, which usually helps assuage some of that. So, feel a little naked right now."
"I haven't really known what to expect this whole time coming into this weekend. And particularly (Friday), I started really noticing: I'm really on edge right now and have a lot of angst, in a good way. I enjoy it, but, I was like, 'Oh wow, this is more than maybe I anticipated.'"
"There’s no script. I want to go as long as I can. I skipped about a month’s worth of rehab to be able to do this, but I also don’t want to just go out there and throw 20 pitches. I think everybody feels comfortable with 20 pitches, and then after that, we’re kind of in a who-knows zone."
"We’ve been through a lot over the years. Your love and support has meant the world to me. … That love and support has solidified for me that I am, and always will be, a Detroit Tiger."
Justin Verlander's most memorable moments
11:40 AM ET, September 26 2026
MLB debut (2005)
Verlander made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers on July 4, 2005, beginning a career that would span more than two decades. He threw 5⅓ innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts against Cleveland.
AL Rookie of the Year (2006)
One year later, Verlander helped lead the Tigers to the World Series and was named American League Rookie of the Year. He made 30 starts and had a 17-9 record with a 3.63 ERA in 186 innings.
First no-hitter (2007)
Verlander threw the first of his three career no-hitters against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 12, 2007. He struck out 12 and walked four in a 4-0 win.
AL MVP and Cy Young season (2011)
Verlander authored one of the greatest pitching seasons of his generation in 2011, winning both the American League Cy Young Award and AL MVP after leading the league in numerous categories, including wins (24), ERA (2.40), innings (251) and strikeouts (250). He also threw his second no-hitter during the 2011 season, blanking the Blue Jays in Toronto.
World Series championship (2017)
After being traded to the Houston Astros late in the season, Verlander played a key role (5-0 in five regular-season starts, ALCS MVP) in the franchise's run to a World Series title.
3,000th career strikeout (2019)
Verlander became just the 18th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts on Sept. 28, 2019, further cementing his Hall of Fame credentials. He struck out Kole Calhoun of the Los Angeles Angels.
Third career no-hitter (2019)
He added another no-hitter to his résumé on Sept. 1, 2019, joining an exclusive group of pitchers with at least three no-hit games. Once again, the no-no came against the Blue Jays and Verlander recorded 14 strikeouts.
Return from Tommy John surgery (2022)
After missing nearly two full seasons, Verlander returned to win another Cy Young Award, one of the most remarkable comeback stories in recent baseball history. He made 28 starts for the Astros and went 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA at the ripe ole age of 39. He also had 185 strikeouts in 175 innings.
Another World Series title (2022)
Verlander helped the Astros capture a second championship during his tenure with the club, knocking off the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
Why is Justin Verlander retiring?
11:15 AM ET, September 26 2026
At 43 years old, Justin Verlander is in his 21st MLB season. Injuries plagued him this season as he's only made one start (March 30 at Arizona Diamondbacks).
Verlander was initially placed on the injured list with left hip inflammation after that start against the Diamondbacks. Later in the year, he suffered a hamstring injury, which further delayed his return to the mound.
Justin Verlander's career by the numbers
10:51 AM ET, September 26 2026
WAR: 82.3
Record: 266-159 (17-12 in postseason)
ERA: 3.33 (3.58 in postseason)
Starts: 556 (37 in postseason)
Complete games: 26 (2 in postseason)
Innings pitched: 3571⅓ (226 in postseason)
Strikeouts: 3554 (244 in postseason)
Walks: 1006 (74 in postseason)
WHIP: 1.13 (1.11 in postseason)
2006 American League Rookie of the Year
2011 American League MVP
American League Cy Young Award in 2011, 2019, 2022
2-time World Series champ (2017 and 2022 with Houston Astros)
2017 American League Championship Series MVP
Who is Justin Verlander facing in his final MLB start?
10:25 AM ET, September 26 2026
Verlander will face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, Sept. 26, in what will be the last start of his Hall of Fame career. Verlander has faced the Pirates 10 times in his career, sporting a 5-2 record and 3.08 ERA in 61⅓ innings.
He's only faced the Pirates once since 2017, though, and that came last season on July 29, 2025. He worked five innings, allowing one run on six hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.
The Braves don’t have any stakes here in the last two games, so while it would certainly be nice to grab another win, the real goal is to stay healthy, in rhythm, and not overworked. Brent Suter will start today’s game and will hope to cover some innings in the absence of Martin Perez. Suter has been able to cover 3.0 innings many times this season and has covered 3.2 innings twice, which will probably be his goal today. Atlanta will probably let him go as long as he can regardless of results.
Meanwhile, Miami will throw their own opener in what looks like a bullpen game. This game really is going to have a minor league feel with no real stakes and bullpen games for each team. Cover innings and stay healthy. Anything else is gravy.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 26, 4:10 p.m. ET
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 25: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers tips his cap to fans after being introduced at his Career Celebration Ceremony prior to playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park on September 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This weekend is all about celebrating Justin Verlander and his storied career that began and now ends in Detroit. We’ll ignore that little detour to Texas. This is a time to remember some of the most incredible moments in Verlander’s baseball history, so we asked the BYB staff to share some of their highlights from Verlander’s career and what he’s meant to all of us.
Mr Sunshine: Watching his first no-hitter live on TV. Was the first Tigers no-hitter I had seen in my life and such an incredible performance. True must-see JV.
JT Law: I was at the no-hitter in Toronto. Had a ticket in the 500 level but leaned up against a railing at the top of the 100s, behind third base. After a few innings, I didn’t even want to think the phrase “no-hitter,” so I told myself I’d go up to my proper seat when he gave up his “next hit.” Around the seventh, a guy in Blue Jays gear bounced up to me (I was wearing a Tigers hat) and said loudly, “He’s got a no-hitter going, eh?” Of course, when he finished it, tons of fans (of both teams) cheered vigorously, and hundreds of Tiger fans stuck around long after the final out to keep cheering when he was interviewed on the field.
Mr Sunshine: I may still have an unopened box of Fastball Flakes in my knick-knack trunk. JV was my favorite Tiger during his entire tenure.
Adam: I saw him get shelled in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series in person. It sucked.
Honestly, I don’t really feel anything for him anymore. He went and won World Series rings with other teams and it was a full decade before he returned to Detroit. In fact, it’s been so long, I don’t really remember anything specific about his tenure.
He was also a prick to a certain member of the press corps, and as a person who works in media, that does not endear me to him at all.
I hope he has a great final outing and goes into the Hall of Fame with a Tigers cap, but I kind of doubt either of those will happen. Still, he will always be a Tiger great.
Ashley: I honestly resisted admitting that one of my strongest memories of him was the disaster game one of the 2012 World Series that created some of the most magnificent gifs I’ve ever seen.
Zane: My sports fandom was kickstarted by JV’s 2011 MVP season! For the longest time, my lock screen passcode was 073111; Tigers vs Angels, Verlander vs Weaver. The bunt to break up JV’s potential no-hitter was infuriating, but Guillen pimping a home run and Weaver getting ejected and suspended for throwing at Avila’s head after? Peak baseball. Peak.
As Adam and Ashley highlighted, it hasn’t always been a smooth ride, but I will always respect that Verlander was ready to stick around for life and that he was ready and eager all these years later to end his career in Detroit (even if we knocked on the door a year too late). JV was the first guy to truly enamor me in sports. He is the reason I ended up here writing Skubal scouting reports and listening to Skubal minor-league starts in college, and I hope I’m at Comerica Fifth Third when we retire #35. (Also, I agree, Jack White; this is a White Sox stadium tier name.)
P.S. Like Mr. Sunshine, I definitely have a box of Fastball Flakes tucked away as well. Skubs didn’t stick around long enough for a shitty merch opportunity like that!
Mr Sunshine: Never forget the Don Kelly Hot Foot incident in 2011 either
I think the last two items really show what JV meant to the franchise during his first run: dominant pitching and a fun-loving guy elsewhere. Lots of memories of him smiling or being goofy with teammates, and just as many of him obliterating opposing hitters. You then got to pair him with one of the best hitters of all time and some of the best pitchers the game has seen and it was just…magical.
Brandon: Yeah, I’m going to be pretty sentimental about this. My only expectations for players in any sport is that they stay out of trouble, compete as hard as possible, and show love to the hometown crowd supporting them. Few did this as well or as long as JV. Was he a fiery hotshot? Yes, and I loved it. Signed reasonably team-friendly extensions, was the best pitcher in franchise history, and when we traded him away, he always showed love to Detroit even as he went on to pretty incredible 4th and 5th acts in his career, depending on how you want to break his 21 full-season career down into component eras.
Verlander was the guy that brought me back to baseball after checking out in the 90s and early 00s. I knew he was the hard-throwing rookie supposed to lead the Tigers’ return to glory, but it was a complete-game shutout against the Royals in May of 2006 where I really sat up and took notice. Watching that game is my first really distinct memory of thinking, damn, this guy could be great.
The no-hitters and MVP awards were fun, and there were long stretches in 2011 where he seemed to take a no-hitter into the sixth or seventh inning constantly, but probably my specific peak memories of those years come from the 2012 playoffs, shoving twice against the A’s and then carving up the Yankees in the ALCS too. Those starts were so impressively dominant it felt like we couldn’t lose. And then there’s the flip side, because I remember the Pablo Sandoval game, Game 1 of the World Series, really well too, and that was just crushing.
Probably my clearest memory from those years came in 2015, though. After struggling through 2014 with his velocity down, and then having an injury for the first time that spring, there was a lot of chatter that Verlander was done as an ace and moving into the downside of his career. I thought otherwise, and had just started writing for Bless You Boys in the 2014-2015 offseason. Kurt Menchsing and I went to see Verlander’s final rehab start in Toledo on June 6, 2015. We had a great time, chuckling at JV wearing a Jurassic Park-themed jersey, and cheering American Pharoah to horse racing’s first Triple Crown in decades as they broadcast the Belmont Stakes on the big screen before the game.
Verlander looked great, apart from some pesky kid named Francisco Lindor squaring him up twice, and I came away convinced that he was going to get back to dominating. And so he did. That second half of 2015, when he was once again the best pitcher in the American League and probably all of baseball, is really fresh in my memory. Statcast started up at midseason, and I was among the first to dig into that data, and I wrote immediately that Verlander’s spin rates and velocity were both back in elite territory in early July as he started ripping off one great start after another.
All those memories of starting here at BYB, learning to dig deeper into pitching data, Verlander’s resurgent season, Dombrowski getting fired, are all tied up together with the hope at the time that 2011-2013 was just the first act and they’d have another run with JV before he was through. Turns out it was the Tigers who were done, and JV was brewing up another decade of greatness that would take him to Houston for another great era of baseball for another city.
Justin Verlander has been my favorite pitcher and one of my favorite players for 20 years. It’s just going to feel weird that it’s all over after so many times when people wrongly thought he was done. I can’t say I’m excited to see him pitch in a diminished state on Saturday, but I am happy that he’ll leave the game where he began it, in front of the crowd that has loved him best for all these years. And yeah, I will probably get a bit weepy when AJ comes to take him out of the game and get him his standing ovation. Few in Detroit sports history have deserved it more.
Cameron: Got weepy reading that.
JT Law: No, no, just got dusty in here, is all.
Cam: It’s not hyperbolic to say that Justin Verlander is the biggest reason I’m a baseball fan. I was nine years old when he debuted, and he has been one of the few constants in the game since. Nothing lasts forever, but JV was a staple of Major League Baseball for such a long time that sometimes it felt like he just might. Twenty-one seasons as a Major League pitcher is unheard of in this era, and he wasn’t just some scrub collecting a paycheck; he was good-to-great until the wheels finally fell off. Watching his career unfold as the young, fire-breathing rookie who was one of the faces of the Tigers’ turnaround, to the best pitcher on the planet in the early 2010s, to erasing all doubt of his potential demise and leading the Astros to their organization’s first World Series title, to coming back from Tommy John surgery to win the Cy Young Award at age 39, and then to see him become a little bit of a journeyman into his 40s despite having nothing left to prove has been a true sight to behold. Though I never met him, I grew up with Justin Verlander, and his career, which has spanned two-thirds of my life, coming to an end puts a lot into perspective personally.
I was lucky enough to work for the Mud Hens in 2015 when Verlander made his rehab start in Toledo. That was a special night for the city, and my family having a suite for that night in advance turned out to be a wonderful stroke of luck. When I worked in social media and analytics, I was really just copying and printing batting average splits for the managers to digest; the organization at the time didn’t really do sabermetrics – one of my roles was to bring a packet of statistics into the clubhouse for the staff. While down there, I saw JV walking around with his headphones on, just absolutely locked the f*** in like he was about to take the mound for the World Series.
His presence loomed large, and no one in the clubhouse said a word to him. That is, until Jim Leyland walked in. JV snapped out of his daze and shared a warm embrace and a few words with his former manager. Two of the most important figures of the Tigers I grew up right in front of me; one enjoying retirement with nothing left to prove, and the other entering the back half of his career with everything still to prove. I’m really glad I witnessed that, and recalling it right now is stirring up lots of feelings.
Baseball at its best, and unfortunately at its worst, has the ability to move us die-hard fans in ways nothing in life can. Justin Verlander, the best pitcher in Detroit Tigers history, the best pitcher of his generation, and one of the all-time greats, moved everyone who watched him. There’s a reason he was called “Must See JV.” The level of dominance he displayed while toeing the rubber demanded your attention. Now, for better or worse, all eyes will be on him as he takes the mound for the last start of his illustrious career. He said that he’s willing to pitch until his arm falls off, and I hope he gets the chance. Regardless of how it goes, when AJ Hinch makes the long stroll from the dugout to yank him, two things will be true: Justin Verlander is going to be a stubborn prick about coming out of the game, and there will not be a dry eye in the stadium or anywhere else the game is being displayed.
Ashley: I may have joked a little about him, and I certainly had differences of opinion on some things Verlander has done, but as someone who became a Tigers’ fan in 2011 (my return to baseball as an adult), watching those years of Detroit baseball was really something special. I latched onto Alex Avila early on as my favorite player, and I think getting to watch his relationship with Justin Verlander really helped me appreciate the team and the sport on a totally different level. Getting to watch one of the best pitchers in the game routinely make batters look silly, and then getting to see the camaraderie that he had with his teammates in the bullpen, it made me understand that there was more to baseball than just what was happening on the field, that you could grow to love and appreciate the people playing it too. I really feel so blessed to have come into this fandom at that time, with some of the most amazing players in the franchise, and it really helped develop a love of the game for me that hasn’t gone anywhere since. I remember staying up until after midnight on the trade deadline where Verlander was sent to Houston, really feeling like it was the end of an era for a team that had been struggling. I’m not sure I’ll ever care about players as much as I did in that era, and that’s okay. It’s wild to see those guys retiring now. Admittedly, I also thought all those Perfect Game ads with Verlander and Kate Upton were a lot of fun.
If you missed the ceremony before Friday’s game, here it is in full:
