Category: Sports News

Introduction

With the regular season now over for both Major League and Minor League Baseball, I think now would a be good time take a look at the best individual performance at each position in the Diamondbacks farm system. For the sake of the reader and my own sanity, we’re going to look at just the starting battery and infield corner positions today, otherwise this would be a very long read.

Before I do that, I want to congratulate the D’Backs Double-A affiliate, the Amarillo Sod Poodles, on winning the Texas League Championship. Winning a championship is great for the development of the younger players on the team, especially those who might not have had the best individual season this year. That said, about half the players mentioned in the next few articles will be players on that team.

Starting Pitcher

David Hagaman is the clear and obvious answer for the best starting pitcher in the Diamondbacks farm system in 2026, and the pitcher most likely to actually be named the Dbacks MILB pitcher of the year. There really isn’t much competition, especially knowing the context behind the numbers.

Hagaman, who was acquired in last summer’s Merrill Kelly trade, started the year assigned to high-A Hillsboro in the pitcher friendly confines of the Northwestern League. Across 15 games, Hagaman put up 71⅓ innings with a 3.03 ERA, 4.10 FIP, and 4.15 xFIP. Adjusted for the League that works out to a very impressive 61 ERA- and a slightly less impressive 84 FIP-. His 10.85 strikeouts per nine innings and 28% strikeout percentage are very impressive as well. That alone might not be enough to make him pitcher of the year, but what he did after being promoted to Double-A Amarillo, in the much more hitter friendly Texas League that cemented him as the organization’s pitcher of the year.

Hagaman started seven games, putting up 35 ⅓ innings with a 2.55 ERA, a 3.22 FIP, and a 3.79 xFIP. His strikeout percentage went up to 32.4% and 11.72 strikeouts per nine innings. He also walked less batters, going from 10.7% to 8.5%. In the hitter friendly Texas league, that translates to a 43 ERA- and a 75 ERA-. Hagaman did struggle with walks though in his post season outing in the Texas League division series and the championship to a lesser extent. It’ll be interesting to see if he returns to Double-A next season, gets promoted to Triple-A Reno, or possibly even has a chance at making his MLB debut with a strong showing in spring training. My first article going in depth on Dbacks pitching prospects has a scouting report if you’re interested in reading more about him, which you can read here.

Catcher

Gabriel Moreno has won the NL batting title, which I’m pointing out now because it really helps show just how strong the Diamondbacks organization is right now at the catching position from top to bottom, and how many of them had very good seasons this year, which is how this turned into another multi part series.

The Dbacks reinforced that position of strength after using their first round pick on a well regarded college catcher, Ryder Helfrick, who went on to have a solid professional debut in the Low A level California League. Despite putting up a solid triple slash line of .245/.327/.521 with a 104 wRC+ in just 24 games, that’s just 24 games, so he’s not the All Star here.

Jhosep Villarroel put up eye popping numbers in his 47 games this summer, but he’s also a 17 year old in the Dominican Summmer League, so you have to take these number with a massive grain of salt, which is why he’s not my All-Star but another honorable mention. That said his numbers are REALLY good, it’s just a small sample size and he’s very young. Combined between the two Dbacks DSL teams he hit .303/.500/.485 with a .493 wOBA and a 148 OPS+. Villarroel will almost certainly make his stateside debut with either the ACL Dbacks or Visalia Rawhide next season, which will give us a much better chance to evaluate him as a prospect.

It’s also not Alberto Barriga, who tore up the pitcher friendly Northwestern League for 40 games, hitting 259/.345/.490 with a 113 wRC+. The reason he’s not is that he struggled in the extremely hitter friendly Texas League after being being promoted, hittng just 237/301/362 with .302 wOBA and 55 wRC+ in 57 Games. He’s one of the players mentioned in the intro who I think will benefit a lot from the experience gained in Amarillo’s championship run. Barriga’s probably the most unique of the catching prospects here, so I am really looking forward to seeing how he adjust next season.

Ivan Luciano has a very solid argument based on his above average play in 2026. Luciano spent the majority (85 games) of the season in Visalia, where he hit 264/.375/.441 with .372 wOBA and a 109 wRC+. In the 12 games in Hillsboro after being promoted, he hit .279/.380/.465 with a .383 wOBA and 122 WRC+. Combined across the two levels, Luciano put up a solidly above average tripleslash of .266/.376/.444 with a .374 wOBA and 111 wRC+. One of his teammates (at the beginning of the season) has a much stronger argument based on his numbers, and that’s Carlos Virahonda.

Carlos Virahonda started the year with 48 games in Visalia in which he hit .273/.359 /.508 .383 wOBA and 115 wRC+. He was then promoted to High A Hillsboro and in 50 games, and a in much more pitcher friendly league, where he’d hit .272/.393/.468 with a .391 wOBA and a 127 wRC+. He’d then finish his season playing in four games with Double A Amarillo, where he’d go 4 for 15 with a pair of doubles and a homerun, while getting plunked three times to give him a .267/.389/.600 and a 134 wC+. In 108 games combined across all three levels, Virahonda hit .272/.377/.493 with 18 HRS, a .388 wOBA and a 122 wRC+. To cap it all off, he also had a fantastic post season with Amarillo, playing a key role offensively.

If you’d like to read a more in depth look at the catchers, check out this article from earlier this season.

Third Base

Danny Serretti could have easily been an all-star at second base, but he had slightly more innings as a third baseman. There also really aren’t any other obvious candidates at the position, unlike second base which is just as stacked as catcher, so we’re sticking Serretti here. I had an article focused on Serretti’s background prior to this season, which you can read here if you are so interested.

Serreti spent a lot of time going back and forth between Amarillo and Reno, even coming back to play a key role in Amarillo’s championship. In 74 games in Amarillo he hit 272/.418/.510 with a .413 wOBA and a 124 WRC+. In 35 games in Reno, he hit .316/.421/.513 with a .419 wOBA a .357 xWOBA, and a 129 wRC+. His walk percentage fell slightly from 17.8% to 14.9%, but I’d attribute that to the higher batting average, which is backed up by his strikeout percentage staying within .3% of each other, with Serretti striking out 22.4% in Amarillo and 22.7% in Reno. As a whole, Serretti finished his season hitting 287/419/.511 with 19 homeruns, 11 stolen bases, a .415 wOBA and a 126 wRC+ in 109 games.

The only other third baseman in the same ballpark (at times literally) was LuJames Groover, who was above average in Reno but struggled at the MLB level in 2026.

First Base

Finally, at least for this week, we have another position with a single clear and obvious choice.

Manuel Pena broke out in a big way in 2026, hitting 26 homeruns in 61 games with Amarillo, while also putting up a triple slash line of .311/354/.673 with a robust .428 wOBA and 134 wRC+ in the first half of the season . After being promoted to Reno he’d cool down significantly, but overall in 112 games he would hit .305/.345/.555 with a 108 wRC+ with 31 HRs. The only other first baseman who had better numbers in the Dbacks farm system were Pavin Smith and Tyler Locklear and I don’t think anyone reading this wants to hear more about either player.

That’s it for now! Next time, I’ll look at the middle infield and outfielders.

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If that was the end for Max Scherzer, he went out exactly how you’d expect.

The 42-year-old three-time Cy Young winner emptied the tank in what could have been the final start of his Hall of Fame career Sunday, throwing 114 pitches over seven innings in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

And he did it on just three days’ rest.

The eight-time All-Star allowed just one earned run on six hits, walked one and struck out seven in his final appearance of the 2026 season.

“That was amazing,” Scherzer told reporters postgame. “The adrenaline starts kicking in, the fans start getting in, and that’s when I could start feeding off of the crowd here at the Rogers Centre. I really could just reach back and just felt like I was unlimited.”

The game also prompted one memorable scene for the final chapter of Scherzer’s career.

While already at over 100 pitches on the afternoon, Blue Jays manager John Schneider walked toward the mound as if he were finally coming to take the ball.

Scherzer quickly turned him away, which popped the audience at the Rogers Centre.

Schneider instead turned around as the former ace powered through the rest of inning.

“If that doesn’t sum up Max Scherzer, I don’t know what does,” Schneider said afterward.

Classic Mad Max.

He finished the inning and walked off the mound to a standing ovation, tipping his cap as teammates waited for him outside the dugout.

It looked like a farewell, and it might have been, though nothing is yet official.

Scherzer has not announced his retirement and said Saturday that he will wait until the offseason before deciding whether to return for a 20th major-league campaign.

“I’ve talked to everybody in my inner circle, and we all kind of feel the same way,” Scherzer said. “We don’t need to make a decision today. Get to the offseason and just see how things unfold.”

He also noted MLB’s forthcoming contentious labor negotiations between the league and the Players’ Association, which has left many predicting a lockout at least to begin the 2027 season.

“We’ve also got a lot of uncertainty next year with all the labor issues,” Scherzer said, “so you just don’t know how the season’s going to happen or unfold, or what opportunity is going to be in front of me.”

Scherzer’s seven strikeouts brought him to 3,557 on his career, ninth-most in MLB history and three behind longtime teammate Justin Verlander, who made the final start of his own career Saturday.

The game Sunday marked Scherzer’s 501st appearance and 492nd start.

He ended the 2026 season with a 5.74 ERA and a 4-9 record on the year.  

A year after Dan Wilson led the Mariners to the American League Championship Series, he is out as manager of the club. 

Wilson had announced that he would not be returning to manage the club after the Mariners’ season-finale win over the Angels. 

“This season has been very difficult, and of course the results have not been what any of us had expected,” Wilson said. “As a result, it was concluded that today is my last day as manager of the Seattle Mariners.”

The Seattle Times reported that Wilson informed the Mariners he was moving on prior to the start of Sunday’s game. 

The team also confirmed the change in a statement released on Sunday evening, thanking Wilson for his time with the team and saying that after “much discussion” between president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and Wilson, “it was concluded that a new direction is best for 2027 and beyond.”

“I want to thank Dan for his efforts over the past two years and specifically recognize his role in our club advancing to Game 7 of the ALCS in 2025,” Dipoto said in a statement. 

“I’ve appreciated the opportunity to lead this team the past two years,” Wilson said in a statement. “While this season has not gone the way any of us expected, I’m proud that the players in the clubhouse showed up each day to try and compete and battle in each game they played. I’m confident that the 2026 season doesn’t accurately reflect the talent, passion and desire of our players and know that bright things are ahead for this group.”

Wilson had been a catcher for the Mariners during his playing career and took the role of manager after Seattle let go of Scott Servais in the midst of the 2024 season. 

The 57-year-old helped Seattle reach the ALCS while finishing the regular season 90-72 and winning the American League West. 

The Mariners did not play to the same level of success in 2026 and missed the playoffs with a 76-86 record. He went 187-171 overall.

Wilson said postgame that the club has some interest in moving him to a different role in the organization and he would discuss it with his family.

Through the ups and downs of a full 162-game season, it’s still hard not to be romantic about baseball.

As this afternoon’s game put a bow on the 2026 Colorado Rockies season, we want to hear about the things — big or small — that are on your mind. With the team marking a 15-game improvement and with several young players emerging as core lineup pieces, there were plenty of fun moments and strong individual or team performances.

As we head into the long offseason and immediately start the countdown to spring training, which 2026 memories are sticking with you?

• Is it an overall performance? Like Hunter Goodman’s hot start into the home run race, TJ Rumfield making a name for himself in the Rookie of the Year conversation, or Tomoyuki Sugano mastering Coors Field early in the season and getting up to double-digit wins.
• Maybe it’s a specific game or milestone? Back to Goodman, seeing him hit his 40th (and 41st) home run yesterday was big. Jake McCarthy had a day back on August 8th, becoming one of a few players with four hits, two homers, and two stolen bases in a game. Connor Norby notched his first career grand slam in the 13-1 win over the Washington Nationals on August 26th. The Rockies being on the right side of a 20-burger was nice too, when they beat the A’s 23-9 out in Las Vegas on June 14th.
• Maybe an overall vibes thing? The emergence of the purple home run jacket was a great time.
• Was it a Coors Field memory? Attending both the Larry Walker and Todd Helton statue unveiling games are up there for me, as is getting one last hot dog combo from Diamond Dawgs before Joyl Watkins’ retirement after being a ballpark staple for 31 years.

Let’s dwell on some of the good things from the year. Give us your favorite memories, moments, performances, and players in the comments!

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

Twins 6, Rangers 4

• And that’s that.
• I wrote that Saturday’s win against the Twins was a reminder of what the Rangers can look like when they are playing well.
• Sunday’s season finale, though, was a reminder of what the Rangers looked like overall in 2026.
• The starting pitcher struggling physically, unable to give you innings.
• A makeshift bullpen leaned on too heavily, that ultimately couldn’t get the job done.
• A starting lineup missing a couple of key bats, that was quiet for much of the game before rallying late, only to see the comeback fall short.
• Having a chance until the end against underwhelming opposition, but still not being good enough.
• It was a minor miracle the Rangers were still in the race until the end. Not just in the race, but in control of their own destiny with a week left to go.
• And they lost two consecutive series against teams playing out the string.
• The Rangers never quit. You had guys playing hurt, guys battling to get back, a flawed team that hung in there and didn’t give up.
• They just weren’t good enough, even in a division where no one finished above .500.
• MacKenzie Gore hit 94.4 mph with his fastball, averaging 93.2 mph. Chase Silseth touched 97.5 mph with his fastball. Robert Garcia’s fastball maxed out at 94.6 mph. Tyler Alexander touched 92.2 mph with his sinker. Jakob Junis’s fastball hit 93.8 mph. Jordan Montgomery reached 92.6 mph with his sinker. Cody Bradford’s fastball maxed out at 90.0 mph.
• Brandon Nimmo had a 105.7 mph single. Elias Diaz had a 104.1 mph home run. Corey Seager had a 104.0 mph home run. Ezequiel Duran had a 101.1 mph groundout.
• 162 down, and none to go.

When news that Mariners manager Dan Wilson would not return in 2027 broke on social media, a significant portion of the fanbase was ecstatic, seeing Wilson as one of the primary culprits in the team’s dreadful season where they fell significantly short of expectations. (The portion that wasn’t celebrating was mostly complaining that the move didn’t also include firing Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto.)

But the mood inside the clubhouse was very different.

“I really haven’t wrapped my mind around it yet,” said Cal Raleigh.

Players were alerted that an announcement might be forthcoming when they got their daily schedule texted to them with an added team meeting prior to Sunday’s series finale, which the Mariners won 7-3. Wilson managed the game, knowing it was his last, including two mid-inning defensive changes to allow fan appreciation moments for both J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena, both of whom are set to become free agents this season.

Postgame, he read a statement to the media in which he called it a “very difficult day” – a variation on the oft-memed Wilson phrase “tough one tonight” – and said he was still processing the decision.

“We love this city, we love the community, and we appreciate the organization for what it has meant to the family since coming here as a player in ‘94,” said Wilson, on behalf of himself and his family.

He wasn’t the only one still processing the decision. Bryan Woo, normally one of the most eloquent clubhouse interviews, was uncharacteristically fragmented in his thought process.

“You build a relationship with a guy like that,” said Woo. “It’s really difficult to see him just wear everything this year. I know just by the interactions afterwards and right now, kind of, everyone’s going through the shuffle. The interactions with him and seeing the relationships that he meant to everyone in this clubhouse and the building…yeah, it’s hard to describe.”

“You never want to see people you love struggle, but people that you also know are very high character people, people that you know are about the right things, it goes hand in hand.”

Raleigh was more blunt.

“I feel terrible. I feel responsible. I think every guy in this clubhouse does,” said Raleigh.

For as shell-shocked as players seem to be, though, for most of them, this isn’t their first time seeing a manager fired. They understand the business of baseball.

“It’s a business, and that’s unfortunately what happens when you don’t perform,” said Raleigh.

“Big league managers, you wear so much of what goes on throughout the season,” said Woo. “If the team does well it’s because of the players; if the team struggles it’s because of the coaches or the managers. He wore it so much this year, and it’s tough, man…I think we as a group, we failed him much more than he failed us.”

Taking a slightly different approach on the business side of baseball, Julio Rodríguez took aim at those who consider themselves armchair managers.

“It’s a tough job. I feel like we can all just sit on the couch and think, oh, we can do this, we could have done that. There’s always a lot of things around that. But I think he’s a great guy who helped us get better in different ways. And I will always have love for him, the person that he is.”

Wilson, for his part, didn’t seem surprised, although he was visibly emotional, holding back tears while giving his statement.

“I’ve been in baseball a while, and this is what happens. Managers shoulder the blame, shoulder the responsibility. This is obviously difficult, and my family and I are still processing it.”

Him and his players, both. Today is for processing. Eventually, much further down the road, Wilson will look towards his future – he said there have been discussions of him remaining with the Mariners in a role, maybe similar to the player development work he was doing earlier – and the players will learn who their new manager will be. They hope whoever it is, that person will share some of Dan Wilson’s qualities.

“He always treated me with respect,” said Julio. “That’s how he was with the guys. I’m just happy I got to know him better as a manager and a person too, and I wish him the best.”

When Bryan Woo was asked about his favorite quality about Dan Wilson, he was quick with an answer.

“His authenticity. His genuineness.”

“The only thing that you can ask for in terms of a relationship like that is truth, and that’s what you got from him every day. I don’t want fluff. I don’t want bullshit. I want the truth, whether I like it or not, and he’s always there to give it to you. That’s a huge part. I think it is for everyone, but for me specifically, I just want truth. Whether I like it or not, or whether anybody hears it and they like it or not, that’s a big pillar for sure.”

For the youngest player in the clubhouse, losing the only big-league manager he’s known hits a little differently.

“It’s sad,” said Cole Young. “I had a lot of fun playing for him. Playing for him – it made me want to go out there and give it my all, every single pitch. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out, but I can say I gave it my all and tried my hardest.”

For the player who has arguably the deepest connection with Wilson, Cal Raleigh has a different set of feelings to process, losing both his long-term coach and likely his longest-tenured teammate in J.P. Crawford.

“You spend so much time with these people and you invest yourself in them – Dan, J.P., these are all people I’ve known since I’ve gotten into the organization. It’s hard. It’s hard turning that page. Both these guys have meant so much to us, and it’s just…yeah. It’s hard.”

It has been a hard one this season. Hopefully whoever takes up the helm of the listing SS Mariner next year has an idea for how to get back on course – but in a way that still feels authentic and genuine, respects the players as people, and inspires players to want to go out and give their all and try their hardest, and doesn’t mind shouldering the blame when and if things go wrong. Tough job tonight (and every night).

WASHINGTON — Bo Bichette knows the first half of this season was played, but maybe for good reason he doesn’t recall many details.

“It’s all a blur,” the Mets third baseman said before his team concluded the season with a 6-4 loss to the Nationals on Sunday.

The Mets finished 74-88, last in the National League East, and were all but eliminated from the postseason race by late June, prompting manager Carlos Mendoza’s firing. The Mets improved after the All-Star break — and particularly following the Aug. 3 trade deadline, under new manager Andy Green. The question is, can the 27-22 post-trade deadline surge serve a building block for next season?

“It’s what you take away from it culturally and individually,” Green said. “You can’t play with the weight of unmet expectations on your back and expect good baseball to happen. I think you have to take that with you into next year. I think you have to take a resolve that we’re not going to be in this spot again.”

Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán and Tyrone Taylor were key names for the Mets when the season began. All were traded as part of an overhaul that allowed the Mets to receive a better look at players such as Jonah Tong, Nate Lavender and Daniel Duarte, among others.

And a rookie class highlighted by NL Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Nolan McLean solidified. “I think that this [winning] has gotten us a lot closer, and it feels much more like a team,” Ewing said. “It feels like this is a family.”

The Mets will have pitching holes to fill in the offseason and questions persist about first base, but Bichette (who can opt out) sees a team that possesses a solid nucleus.

“We’ve proven that this group has enough talent to compete with anybody,” Bichette said. “But obviously it’s different doing that for an entire season. But I think this team has proven that it has everything it needs to win. I think that the organization, the fans, should feel really good about the team.”

Green noted that players pulled for each other. Such camaraderie was evident with young pitchers who were removed from the game returning to the dugout rather than retreating to the clubhouse.

“The guys jelled together with each other,” Green said. “You’re talking about a group that top to bottom genuinely likes playing baseball with each other and had a good time in the second half. That’s a productive thing to have. It’s not always necessary that you love everybody you work with to be productive, but it is a good thing that’s going on in there.”

Even so, the Mets are absent from the playoffs for a second straight year despite having the second-highest payroll in the game in both seasons.

“I think the bitter taste that exists in every player’s mouth right now should drive us to a very productive offseason, so I think you can take little bits and pieces from each one of those things that set you up better for success next year,” Green said. “Ultimately, it’s individual ownership over a collective goal that we need to take from here.

“We’re counting on each person in that clubhouse, every veteran to perform at their best level, every young guy to take a step forward, every coach to get better, me to get better. I think we’re collectively looking at life that way. We’re going to be counting on everybody.”

It wasn’t pretty, but the Astros are back in the postseason. 81-81 was good enough to win the American League West for an eighth time in 10 years, so now the Astros will host the Chicago White Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting on Tuesday.

The Astros will have to submit a 26-man roster Tuesday morning, and there will be some difficult decisions. Complicating matters further, the team doesn’t have a general manager, so who gets final say if there is a disagreement over who should be carried?

Here’s my pass at projecting the 26 players Joe Espada will have at his disposal:

Pitchers (12)

Hunter Brown, Hayden Wesneski, Peter Lambert, Ethan Pecko, Miguel Ullola, Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu, AJ Blubaugh, Bennett Sousa, Bryan King, Logan VanWey, Josh Hendrickson

Most teams carry 12 pitchers on their Wild Card Round roster. Some teams will carry as few as 11 pitchers, including the 2024 Astros, and there might be one team that carries 13. 

I have the Astros carrying 12, mostly because it looks like Game 1 will be a bullpen game after the team elected to use Peter Lambert for two innings on Sunday, and it’s not exactly easy coming up with 12.

Enyel De Los Santos and Cristian Javier are ineligible because of their recent placements on the injured list, while Ronel Blanco is ineligible after he was optioned to Triple-A before Sunday’s game. 

The last spot came down to Hendrickson and Tatsuya Imai. Hendrickson, who made his major league debut this week, threw pitches of significance, while Imai did not, so Hendrickson gets the nod.

Catchers (2)

Yainer Diaz, Cristian Vazquez

No explanation needed. 

Infielders (6)

Christian Walker, Jose Altuve, Jeremy Peña, Isaac Paredes, Nick Allen, Raynel Delgado

Outfielders/DH (6)

Yordan Alvarez, Cam Smith, Taylor Trammell, LaMonte Wade Jr., Nelson Velazquez, Lucas Spence

11 of the 12 were easy picks. Remember, Daulton Varsho is ineligible because he was placed on the IL this week, while Jorge Barrosa is ineligible because he joined the organization after the September 1 deadline. The last spot came down to Delgado and Joey Loperfido. I went with Delgado for two reasons:

1. Insurance for Isaac Paredes, who wasn’t moving great on Sunday after fouling a ball off his knee on Saturday. Delgado would give Espada a little extra flexibility to run for Paredes late in games, while still having Nick Allen available as a replacement for Jose Altuve.
2. The Astros might want to use Allen as a bat off the bench. He doubled in his only at-bat on Sunday, a game he entered slashing .333/.371/.491 in the second half. He posted a .308 batting average with an .821 OPS against lefties for the season, and he was 2 for 5 with a walk as a pinch hitter. He would seem to be a much better option against lefties than Nelson Velazquez.