DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 6: Matisse Thybulle #4 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts to a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on April 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the Lakers’ four presumed starters, all other spots in the rotation are up for grabs as training camp begins. A summer defined by change and considerable turnover moved in a hopeful direction toward more defense with some key acquisitions.
Veteran Marcus Smart walked to Houston in free agency, leaving behind a clear position of need. Enter Matisse Thybulle, who on arrival instantly becomes the highest-pedigree perimeter defender on the roster. Health permitting, he brings elite disruption ability with an improved outside shot for much-needed two-way play around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Thybulle entered just 30 games last season for the Trail Blazers and 15 the season before that. That’s why he was available to LA to sign on a minimum contract. While still just 29 years old, he’s a player LA will need to manage throughout the regular season.
When he’s on the floor, he’s no short of a defensive monster. The 6’5” wing boasts a 7’1” wingspan to terrorize offensive players. He made Second Team All-Defense in 2021 and 2022 as a Philadelphia 76er.
One of the league’s most chaos-inducing defensive playmakers. His excellent hands help obstruct diverse offensive actions. Watch below as he defends the guard-to-guard screen against superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The screener slips the screen to counter the switch. Thybulle not only reads it, but also times it to put his hand out, deflect the pass and catch the turnover.
He can also prey on unsuspecting offensive players. Watch below as Giannis Antetokounmpo looks to take advantage in the post near the baseline. Thybulle quickly rushes over to swarm and his cat-like swipe pokes the ball out of his hands before he can begin his attack.
For players averaging under 20 minutes per game, Thybulle led the league with 3.9 deflections per game. Alex Caruso came in second with 3.1. He also led the Blazers’ talented perimeter defensive personnel with two steals per night.
Throughout his career, Thybulle has been a thorn in the side of the league’s top ball-handling playmakers. In his limited games, Portland matched him up on all types of stars and he held his own. Whether it’s against isolation or ball screen actions, his wingspan and textbook technique give him the tools to be an elite on-ball defender.
In the clip below, he’s matched up with Jaylen Brown. He chases him around the screen, negating any first-step advantage. While attached to the hip, he contests with his right hand and blocks the shot, forcing a jump ball.
In the next clip, he does the same to Jamal Murray coming off a dribble handoff action. Thybulle goes under the screen, beats Murray to the spot, and gets the block.
Thybulle gave up just 0.54 points per possession when defending pick-and-roll ball handlers, putting him in the 100th percentile league-wide. He has a knack for getting timely blocks on contests from behind when players think they’ve created separation.
Portland had a 113.5 defensive rating, good for 12th in the league last year. It shifted to an elite 99.8 when Thybulle was on the floor, where he led the team in overall net rating at a +9.
Not only the numbers, but his reputation and resume have Thybulle as one of the best defenders on the roster, if not at the top behind big-man addition Walker Kessler. The offense is where he, like many others vying for minutes, will need to be serviceable to earn ample playing time.
He will not be asked to do anything outside of his comfort zone. Playmaking and shot creation are accounted for, allowing him to do what he does best. He shot 38.8% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season, including 44% on wide-open attempts.
Thybulle should get more of those attempts than he could dream of on this roster. Defensive schemes haven’t caught up to or respected the percentages, and he will likely still be the guy teams leave wide open when given the choice.
He has limited offensive versatility, as 69% of his shot attempts came from behind the arc. He drives less than three times per game and doesn’t get to the line often.
Even with those offensive limitations, the Lakers desperately need a player with his skill set and playoff experience. With the offensive load Luka and Reaves will carry, finding defensive talent to pair around them was crucial this summer. Thybulle slides in as an elite option…if he can stay relatively healthy.
Mar 30, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers executives Jason Hillman (left), Koby Altman (center) and Brandon Weems (right) watch a game against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers are not done making off season moves. This time the changes are coming in the front office. It was reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday morning that the Cavaliers are promoting Brandon Weems to the role of General Manager under President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are promoting executive Brandon Weems to General Manager under President Koby Altman, sources tell ESPN. Weems has been in the Cavaliers organization for the last decade, rising through scouting and personnel roles before becoming assistant GM in 2022, and…
Weems, who has been with the Cavaliers organization since 2015, has taken the long road to becoming the Cavaliers GM. In the past decade, Weems has held the roles of director of scouting, director of player personnel, and most recently assistant general manager.
With Mike Gansey joining the Philadelphia 76ers this past offseason as their president of basketball operations, there became a vacancy for the Cavaliers GM role. Having served under Gansey, it became a natural transition for Weems as the team would look to continue the trajectory of the franchise and maintain consistency in their approach.
During the offseason there was the narrative that the Cavaliers would use Weems’s pre-existing relationship with LeBron James to lure him back to his third stint to Cleveland. This, as pointed out by Brian Windhorst, is a disservice to the body of work that Weems has put together and his standing within the organization. With LeBron taking his talents to the city of brotherly love, it only has become apparent that Weems’s rise in the organization is based on his own merit and not who he happened to play basketball in high school with.
Weems’s promotion already seems to be making waves across the local fan base.
Suns head coach Jordan Ott high-fives guard Jordan Goodwin (23) during a game at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on Feb. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
How do you define an X-factor? When you look up and down a roster, what skills or characteristics are you searching for in a player before giving them that designation? As we prepare for the 2026–27 Phoenix Suns season, our writing staff decided to take on that question. What makes someone an X-factor? And who will fill that role for the Suns this season?
I’ll start with my own definition. Pulling out my personal basketball dictionary, an X-factor isn’t one of your primary stars. Yes, your season may ultimately sink or swim based on how those players perform, but that doesn’t make them X-factors. That makes them primary factors. An X-factor, at least in my mind, is a role player who has the ability to significantly alter the outcome of a game or even the direction of a season. They are the needle movers; those opposing teams don’t gameplan against but wish they did. And when you look at this Suns roster, there are plenty of candidates.
Last year, in my opinion, it was Collin Gillespie. He took a real step forward as a player, and while he faded down the stretch, what he gave Phoenix through the first two-thirds of the season changed the energy, effort, and outcomes of games on a consistent basis. He was given the opportunity to become an X-factor, and for most of the season, he ran with it. When opposing fanbases are asking who you are, you did the right thing.
So when I look up and down this roster and ask who can be this year’s X-factor, and certainly no opposing fan doesn’t know who he is (for unfortunate reasons), I keep coming back to Miles Bridges. I think what he brings has the potential to change the Suns’ entire offensive ecosystem. You can also make the argument that he sits just outside the primary core, with Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks representing the main trio. Our recent SunsRank rankings reflected that as well, with Bridges landing outside that group. So, yes, Miles Bridges absolutely qualifies as an X-factor.
Bridges adds another layer of complexity, gravity, and pressure to the offense. He can attack downhill, create advantages, and force defenses to account for him in ways that should open the floor for everyone else. And if he can turn that into 18 or more points per game while remaining an efficient threat, it raises the ceiling of what this offense can become. Because if Bridges plays well enough that defenses have to treat him like a legitimate scoring threat, it creates more room for your primary factors. That means better opportunities for Devin Booker. Better opportunities for Jalen Green. And potentially a much more dynamic Suns offense.
Phoenix doesn’t need him to be its best player. It needs him to make life easier for the players who are. If his downhill pressure, physicality, and scoring force defenses to give him additional attention, the ripple effect could touch everything around him. Booker and Green get cleaner opportunities. The offense gains another dimension. And Miles Bridges becomes exactly what an X-factor should be, the variable that changes the equation.
Now, onto the rest of our Bright Side writing team. Let’s see how they define the term and who they’ve identified as their X-factors for the season.
Holden Sherman: An X-factor is the player who has the largest impact on driving your team’s wins and losses. Typically, that is your squad’s best player, but not always. Take the KD Warriors as an example. Steph Curry was the player who drove the most winning but Durant was the best.
For the Phoenix Suns, however, the team’s X-factor also happens to be their best player, which is Devin Booker. Turning 30 at the start of the season, he’s in the middle of his prime, and if he plays closer to the player we saw in 2023 than the one we’ve seen the past few seasons, the Suns could potentially be a top-six seed in an uncertain Western Conference. Along with staying healthy after not qualifying for All-NBA awards this past season, he needs to be an offensive engine not just for himself but for the team. While the roster has a good amount of continuity from a season ago, there will at minimum be two new starters from a season ago to begin the year, with Miles Bridges at the four and whoever replaces Mark Williams while he deals with his shoulder injury.
Booker needs to be the team’s leader off the court, find his own offense, especially late in games, put Dillon Brooks in a position to build off his offensive career year, allow Jalen Green to fully acclimate himself after an injury-packed first season on the Suns, and work in the team’s new starters around him, Green and Brooks
Brandon Duenas: The X-Factor term has so many different meanings. To me, it is someone who doesn’t jump off the page as a headliner. They are not the person you go to an arena to watch play. It is not Devin Booker (sorry Holden). It’s not even Dillon Brooks anymore.
It’s the player who can not only swing a game, but it’s the player who does the little things throughout. It’s the player who doesn’t get the recognition they deserve. It’s the player that mimics the phrase “you don’t know what you got til it’s gone.” To me, that is Jordan Goodwin.
We all saw what happened to the Suns’ perimeter defense without him against OKC. He is indispensable. He is the heart and soul of this team, and when he’s on offensively, very few can impact the game on both ends as he does. The silent assassin. When he goes, boy are the Suns tough to beat.
Bruce Veliz: An X-Factor for me is someone who will truly change or help shape a better season for this team. Last year, the X-Factor made that clear when he got here and shook up the culture and stepped up to the plate when injuries came to play. That is someone I am looking for this year to really help change the narrative once again on what people expect for this team, and the X-Factor to me is the person who changes that trajectory.
That’s why this year for me the X-Factor has to be Khaman Maluach, and even more so, I think now with the recent injury to Mark Williams. Maluach has to step out and really show some signs of progress after his rookie year, where he didn’t get as much of an opportunity as people may have expected/wanted. Now, after a solid summer league and being a lottery pick, the eyes are all on him to truly help this team make it to the next level, even if it’s not immediate. He will be the true catalyst in a lot of discussions surrounding this team, regardless of whether he does or doesn’t pan out.
If he can pan out, he’s that center the Suns have been wanting since the Ayton draft pick and someone who can truly be that dominant big man to Booker’s game, bringing a solid 1-2 punch. If he can reach that, not only does the future look bright for Phoenix, but the KD trade looks even better in hindsight for the team’s direction it pivoted to.
Kevin Humphries: An X-factor to me is a role player, often unproven, that will swing games for the Suns in their favor consistently. Last season, Oso Ighodaro was the ultimate X-factor to me because he was not a star player but arguably starred in his role better than anyone else on the team. He was one of the Suns’ top 5 players last season and won many games for Phoenix.
While I want to go with Ighodaro again, I believe Collin Gillespie is this year’s X-factor for Phoenix. Gillespie started 58 games last season and logged heavy minutes throughout the season, often playing through visible discomfort. In 2025-26, he had the 7th-most made threes in the NBA and was 10th in attempts. He shot a blistering 40.1% from long distance. He also averaged 4.6 assists, which was second on the team.
He will most likely start this season on the bench, but will be the first player off it and will start games when any non-center is injured. He will be the head of the snake for the bench this season, which will once again swing games. The Suns could have the best bench unit in the NBA because of Gillespie, and he could easily earn 6th Man of the Year award votes at season’s end. The big question for Gillespie is whether he can repeat his level of shooting and playmaking again this season. And if he maintains or improves his play this season, there is a case for him to start over Jalen Green to balance out the rotation for Jordan Ott. If that happens, it could force the front office’s hand to move on from Green because Gillespie is the better player.
Tom Mildenberger: X-factor means to me someone who, if they do well or play poorly, can affect the Suns’ win totals. My X-factor is Jordan Ott.
There were a lot of things to love about Ott’s first season in terms of buy-in and culture. He was not able to scheme even a game in the postseason where Devin Booker was free to be the number one scoring option. In his second year, he needs to be more intentional about which players he wants taking shots.
Mark Bowser: I am framing an X-factor as someone who is less predictable, and could also sway the season with a high-end outcome. I considered Man Man because of the extended time on the court he’s likely to get. I understand Booker, but I feel like we mostly know what we’re getting with him.
While not probable, let me submit that a best-case Jalen Green playing a high fraction of the 82 games, being a better distributor (not saying CP3 or KJ here), quicker ball movement, and improving three-point accuracy with improved chemistry year two in the system would easily be our #2 player and a likely All-Star. It would have positive ripple effects on other players, including Book. While also not likely, another injury-plagued season and reduced efficiency, potentially even pouting if there are fewer shots for him with the Bridges addition, could weigh down the team’s hopes. High variance player and our 2026-27 X-factor.
What did members of our community say?
There’s probably no single right way to define an X-factor, and that’s what makes the conversation interesting. It can be the role player who swings a game, the player whose absence exposes a weakness, the guy who takes a leap, or even the coach responsible for putting everyone in the right position. For the Suns, there are plenty of candidates, and everyone has a different reason for putting their name on the list.
So now we want to hear from you. How do you define an X-factor, and who is your X-factor for the 2026–27 Phoenix Suns? Is it one of the names mentioned above, or is there someone we overlooked? Let us know in the comments.
Celtics fans are still trying to adjust to the idea that their team traded away Jaylen Brown. Even Brown admitted he's still adjusting to playing for a new team in a new city.
"For me, I love that guy. What we were able to accomplish together in nine years, right, went to the conference finals five times, we went to the championship twice, we won a championship, we've shared All-Star games together. You can't talk about him without talking about me and vice versa, the success that we've had as just two young kids growing up in this league and really just pushing each other.
"Unfortunately, the business of basketball is always going to play a part. Nobody has ever played together forever, but it's not like a thing to be sad or upset about, it's a thing to celebrate what we were able to do."
As for this coming season, Tatum admitted, "I was nervous every game I played in," not fully trusting his Achilles yet after returning from rupturing it. That has changed now, he added.
"I'll be back to myself when we get out there this October."
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 16: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates his solo home run with third base coach Tony Beasley #27 in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on September 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pirates have hovered around .500 all season, which was enough to keep them in contention through the trade deadline. But the Phillies and Padres have pulled away since then, leaving the Pirates without a postseason appearance for the eleventh consecutive season.
Kansas City Royals (67-86) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (76-77) at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Last year the Pirates scored the fewest runs in baseball, this year they are fifth. The spike in offense has come from the additions of veterans Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn, improvements by Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales, and solid rookie debuts by Esmerlyn Valdez (who is out this series) and Konnor Griffin.
Who’s hot:
Rafael Flores Jr. is hitting .390/.405/.561 over his last 11 games.
John Rave is htiting .255/.369/.509 with four home runs and five steals in his last 18 games.
Who’s not:
Konnor Griffin is hitting .200/.245/.300 in 12 games since coming off the Injured List.
Nick Loftin has hit .158/.200/.211 in his last 12 games.
Interesting splits:
Oneil Cruz is hitting .311/.364/.462 against lefties.
Maikel Garcia is hitting .333/.405/.413 with runners in scoring position
Since July 1, Randy Dobnak has the 9th-highest groundball rate among starting pitchers at 49.8 percent. Paul Skenes has the tenth-best strikeout rate in baseball at 27.8 percent.
Noah Cameron has a 3.18 ERA on the road in 14 games this year. Right-handers are hitting .216/.313/.290 against Bubba Chandler.
Opponents are hitting just .191 against Michael Wacha, and FanGraphs grades his changeup as the fourth-best in baseball. The Pirates have not yet announced a starter for Sunday, but it could be lefty Antoine Kelly, who was just called up.
Pittsburgh has a 4.13 ERA out of their bullpen, with the third-highest walk rate. They are tied with the Royals with 24 blown saves. Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto are tied for the team-high in saves with 14 each. Montgomery has the second-highest strikeout rate among qualified relievers.
The Pirates swept the White Sox in Chicago last week, but dropped back-to-back series to the Cubs and Brewers. They are 39-36 at home this year, with the fourth-best home wRC+, hitting .269/.347/.431 at PNC Park.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 6: Tyler Mahle #54 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch in the bottom of the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 6, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s hard to believe, but there are just nine baseball games remaining in the regular season for the Atlanta Braves. The first of those nine will come on Friday night in Houston as the Braves battle with the Astros for first time in 2026.
The Astros, despite a paltry 77-76 record and a -50 run differential, find themselves atop the abysmal American League West by a game over the Rangers. For comparison, a 77-76 mark would place Houston just ahead of the Marlins in the NL East, a rousing 12 games back of the Braves.
Houston’s lost six of their last 10 heading into the series, although they did take their most recent series against the Royals.
Friday night’s tilt will feature Tyler Mahle, who has been nothing short of superb with the Braves. Mahle ranks among the top 20 starters in baseball since the trade deadline, posting a stellar 1.25 ERA / 3.03 FIP / 3.22 xFIP across seven starts and 43.1 innings. Mahle’s coming off seven strong innings against the Phillies last weekend, allowing just one run on six hits and no walks. Mahle’s game plan on Friday will be issuing an intentional walk to Yordan Alvarez every time and working to get his peers out.
The Astros will counter with 29-year-old righty Peter Lambert, who has been the club’s best starter in 2026. Lambert owns a 3.71 ERA (3.81 FIP, 4.44 xFIP) across 26 starts. Outside of a complete blowup against the Angels on August 20, Lambert has allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in every start since the calendar flipped to July. An impressive run for a team that has fallen well short of expectations.
Atlanta holds a four-game lead over the Phillies in the division. The magic number sits at 5 to clinch. It would be nice to trim that number quite a bit this weekend to make the final week of the regular season mostly academic. The Phillies have a four-game series against the Mets this weekend, which they won the first game of on Thursday night
First pitch in Houston is set for 8:10pm ET. You can watch and listen to the game in all the usual places.
The Reds have lost nine of their last 13 — all of those games against the Brewers and Dodgers, pretty tough competition.
Then again, the Cubs are a pretty good team as well, and the Cubs have won seven of the first 10 games between these two teams this year.
For more on the Reds, here’s Wick Terrell, manager of our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter.
Once again the Cincinnati Reds get to limp home at the end of a disappointing season, both literally and figuratively. Winners of just 2 of their last 10 games, the meat of their schedule has hit them at the precise time they were most ill-equipped to deal with it, and both the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers have slammed shut even the tiniest windows of ‘success’ this club could have held open down the stretch.
The Reds have been eliminated from postseason contention, officially. They’ve secured a ‘losing’ season with their 82nd loss. Brady Singer, who Chicago will unfortunately (for them) miss this series, has pitched so poorly he has mercifully made it impossible, surely, for the Reds to consider giving him a Qualifying Offer at season’s end. All that remains to be seen now for Cincinnati is if the Cubs can help them build on their -154 run differential on the season and make a run at the league-leading Colorado Rockies mark of -177.
At least Elly De La Cruz has gone nuclear of late. He’s staking his claim for NL Player of the Month and – in a non-PCA world – as the best player on the senior circuit altogether. Hopefully that shows up again for one last series in Great American Ball Park for the 2026 year with the Cubs in town.
Fun facts
The Cubs and Reds have played 2,439 games against one another since 1890, when the Reds jumped to the National League from the American Association, where it had been a founding member in 1882.
Over 137 seasons, the difference in wins and losses between the Cubs and Reds is . . . 23, with the Cubs leading, 1,220-1,197. There have been 32 ties.
The Cubs won two of three games in their previous trip to Cincinnati this season, on July 10-12, bouncing back from a 4-0 loss to win, 5-3 and 8-4.
They dropped four straight games in their second, late-season appearance at Great American Ball Park last year. The Cubs last swept a series there June 27-29, 2016. This is their 26th visit to Cincinnati since then. Five times, they won the first two games and lost the third, most recently Aug. 11 and 13-14, 2022.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Clay Holmes, RHP (2-3, 3.46 ERA, 1.205 WHIP, 4.07 FIP in seven starts with Cubs; 6-7, 2.85 ERA, 1.145 WHIP, 3.58 FIP in 16 starts overall) vs. Chase Burns, RHP (15-3, 2.80 ERA, 1.150 WHIP, 3.17 FIP)
Saturday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (8-5, 4.16 ERA, 1.238 WHIP, 4.34 FIP) vs. Nick Lodolo, LHP (3-5, 5.12 ERA, 1.490 WHIP, 5.76 FIP)
Sunday: David Peterson, LHP (5-2, 4.15 ERA, 1.457 WHIP, 4.27 FIP in 14 games with Cubs; 8-8, 5.11 ERA, 1.551 WHIP, 4.06 FIP in 30 games overall) vs. Rhett Lowder, RHP (6-11, 5.79 ERA, 1.520 WHIP, 4.78 FIP)
Times & TV channels
Friday: 5:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Reds market territories)
Saturday: 5:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Sunday: 12:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, also streaming on Peacock (outside the Cubs and Reds market territories)
Prediction
Given these pitching matchups, the Cubs ought to score a lot of runs in this series. They’ll take two of three.
Up next
The Cubs return to Wrigley Field for the final regular season home series of 2026. They’ll face the Miami Marlins in a three-game series beginning Tuesday evening, after an off day Monday.
RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 17: Jackson Flora #18 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels pitches during the game between the Erie SeaWolves and the Richmond Flying Squirrels at CarMax Park on Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matthew Mitrani/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
For the final time this season, our San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball roundup features multiple teams. First we lost the Arizona Complex League squad, then the pair of teams in the Dominican Summer League. Next up was High-A Eugene, followed by Low-A San Jose. And now? AA Richmond has joined the group. Six teams who won’t get to write about until next year, and just one remaining.
So here’s what happened on Thursday, the final multi-game day of the Minor League season for the GIants.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
AAA Sacramento (79-65)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 3-0 Box score
A very rare thing indeed: a Pacific Coast League shutout! And yet, despite that, the most notable performance came on offense. Specifically, on one swing of the bat from right fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL).
Davidson, playing in his 2nd game since returning from a recent minor injury, only hit 1-4 with 2 strikeouts, but he certainly made the hit count: he accounted for all 3 of Sacramento’s runs with a stunning 433-foot, 106.3-mph home run.
With that, Davidson is on the doorstep of becoming the first Giants prospect to hit 30 home runs in a season since Adam Duvall back in 2012. He’s got 3 more games to crank 1 more dinger out of the park … can he do it?
Also having a nice hitting day was designated hitter Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL). Bericoto is officially on a rehab assignment, though it’s unclear if he’ll return to San Francisco again this season or not, since the Giants seem to be enjoying getting frequent playing time for Drew Gilbert, Jonah Cox, Turner Hill, and Scott Bandura (and, to a lesser extent, Grant McCray). Bericoto has been fairly rusty during his rehab stint, but not in this game, as he went 3-4 with a strikeout, with one of his singles leaving the bat at a stunning 110.8 mph.
The rest of the offense was lifeless. Apart from that pair, which sat at the top of the lineup, the River Cats hit just 3-22 with 0 extra-base hits and 1 walk. Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL), who has been doing a good job recovering from a late August/early September slump, had an off day, going 0-4 with a strikeout, though he had some hard contact.
On the pitching front, it was a bullpen game that handled the shutout and, for the first 5 innings, it was even a no-hitter. It wasn’t the cleanest partial no-hitter, as RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) was first to take the mound and walked 3 batters in his 2.2 no-hit innings, though he also struck out 3. Bednar, who threw 26 of 41 pitches for strikes, has been a lot better lately, following a fairly rough re-introduction to AAA. His overall numbers at the level are still quite poor — he has a 6.33 ERA and a 4.75 FIP — but he’s showing something, that’s for sure. He’s definitely someone who could end up factoring into the MLB bullpen at some point next season.
Then it was RHP Wilkin Ramos, who took down the next 2.1 no-hit innings, with just 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Like Bednar, Ramos — who made his MLB debut earlier in the year, but has since been outrighted — doesn’t have the best numbers in AAA, as he has just a 4.07 ERA and a 4.91 FIP, with 8.0 strikeouts per 9 innings. But he’s got a lot of funk, and if he stays in the system next year he could work his way back to the Majors.
RHP Christian Alvarado finally broke the no-hitter when he gave up 3 hits in 2 innings, but he kept runs (and free runners) away, and struck out 2. What a great story Alvarado has been this year: he signed during the season after having not pitched in the Minors since 2019. The 31-year old was thoroughly dominant for AA Richmond, and is now trying to find his footing with AAA, where he’ll hopefully be a big asset next year.
Rounding out the shutout were RHPs R.J. Dabovich and Eric Cerantola, who each pitched a scoreless inning, Dabovich with a hit allowed, and Cerantola with 1 walk but 3 strikeouts. It’s so great seeing Dabovich healthy, after the 2020 4th-rounder lost so much time to injury. Let’s hope he can carry that health into next season.
AA Richmond (eliminated)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) 5-3 Box score
2026 was an absolutely brilliant season for the Flying Squirrels, but it didn’t end well. They were skidding and sliding all over the place as the regular season neared an end, and it resulted in being swept out of the playoffs.
But Richmond went out with a bang, thanks to one of the more exciting performances of the year on the farm: the AA debut of RHP Jackson Flora. The record books will show that Flora only had 1 appearance in his debut season, after being drafted 4th overall in July’s draft. But after that debut — a strong, if slightly shaky 1-inning start for Low-A San Jose — Flora had a dominant playoff appearance in Low-A. In that game, he tossed 2 no-hit innings with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts, and certainly opened some eyes.
The Giants moved him all the way up to AA which was both a recognition of his talent/readiness, and also a logistical matter given San Jose’s schedule and the fact that High-A Eugene’s season was over. And on Thursday, Flora made his AA debut in the playoffs, and one-upped his Low-A performance.
The UC Santa Barbara product needed just 28 pitches to take down the first 2 innings of the game, and here’s how they went:
Strikeout swinging Strikeout swinging Strikeout swinging Pop up Ground out Strikeout looking
Hell of an introduction, champ.
Jackson Flora’s night is over, and it was a perfect one in his Richmond debut
2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 H, 4 K
Fastball got up to 99, but the kick change stole the show today, it looked gross. The kid might already have big league level stuff #SFGiantspic.twitter.com/JhOETLXtMe
After that dominance, we’ll spend the entire offseason trying to figure out where the Giants will place Flora when next season begins. I do think the way he made quality AA hitters — including Zyhir Hope — look silly should rule out returning all the way down to Low-A, but I do think there’s a good chance he starts next season in High-A, rather than in AA. Even if he is in Eugene when the schedule kicks off, it almost certainly won’t be for long. This guy is the real deal, folks!
Next up was someone who we do know will be in Richmond when 2027 begins: LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL). Fresh off of winning Pitcher of the Year honors in the High-A Northwest League, Bresnahan made his fourth appearance for Richmond, after a trio of regular season starts to end the year. As with his prior starts, Bresnahan showed off some incredible strikeout stuff, while also serving as a reminder that the jump from High-A to AA is not the easiest one. The recently-turned 21-year old, who had a 2.92 ERA, a 4.32 FIP, and 10.8 strikeouts per 9 innings with Eugene this year, struggled with command in this game. He only threw 52 of 89 pitches for strikes, which led to 4 walks and a hit batter in just 3.2 innings. That, combined with 4 hits, knocked him for 4 runs (3 earned), but he struck out 6 batters along the way!
It’s all part of the learning curve. In his 4 AA games, Bresnahan finished with 23 strikeouts in 19.2 innings, and that’s worth being very, very excited about.
RHP Tyler Vogel had a very nice game, as he gave up just 1 walk in 2 shutout innings, with 2 strikeouts. Vogel, a 12th-round pick in 2022 out of Jacksonville University, spent the entire season with Richmond, primarily pitching 9th innings. He finished the year with a 3.25 ERA, a 4.63 FIP, and 9.4 strikeouts per 9 innings, albeit with 5.5 walks per 9.
As with Sacramento, Richmond’s 3 runs all came from a single swing of the bat, as designated hitter Kaeden Kent gave the team a 4th-inning lead with a towering 3-run home run.
Kent, who finished the day 1-3 with a walk, was getting his feet wet after a full season in High-A (split between the Yankees and Giants affiliates, and interrupted by injuries). The record books will show that Kent has yet to make his AA debut, as he was called up just for the playoffs, but that majestic home run he hit begs to differ!
It will be very exciting seeing Kent (who, if you’re new here, is Jeff’s son, was a 3rd-round pick last year, and came to the Giants in the Heliot Ramos trade) have a full year in the system next season, where he’ll presumably be playing middle infield across from Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL). Won’t that be fun! Kent finished the regular season with a .790 OPS and a 107 wRC+, but impressed with his well-rounded game, which featured just a 16.0% strikeout rate, strong defense, and 24 stolen bases. He’s also headed to Arizona in a few weeks for the Arizona Fall League, so that will be fun.
Otherwise, it was a very quiet day in the batter’s box, as Richmond had just 4 hits and 3 walks. Quiet ends to the season for the Squirrels top position player prospects, as shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) hit 1-4, while center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) went 0-3 with a walk. Outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) didn’t play.
Bon voyage, Richmond!
Home run tracker
29 — Bo Davidson — [10 in AAA; 19 in AA] 9 — Kaeden Kent — [1 in AA; 8 in High-A]
Friday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Reno (SP: Darien Smith)
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 17: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrate with teammates in the dugout after scoring a run in the first inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mariners have entered that phase of the season where they’re just playing out the remaining games without much purpose beyond fulfilling the MLB schedule. The last time the M’s were playing irrelevant games this early in September was during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. It’s been so long, I almost forgot what it was like to be in this limbo state.
The Rockies are well acquainted with playing irrelevant games, however. The last time they were truly competitive was back in 2018 when they won 91 games. Since then, the team has been in the midst of a long and arduous rebuilding cycle that doesn’t seem like it’s anywhere close to ending. After reaching a nadir seven years into this cycle with 119 losses last year, the team finally made a change atop the organization, hiring Paul DePodesta to lead the baseball operations department. The team is on track to make a 16 win improvement over last year — a small but meaningful step forward — but the work of building another contender in Colorado will continue for the foreseeable future.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Jake McCarthy
LF
L
558
15.8%
5.2%
0.190
112
Connor Norby
2B
R
354
28.8%
10.5%
0.141
96
Hunter Goodman
C
R
535
31.8%
8.2%
0.288
113
TJ Rumfield
1B
L
600
13.7%
11.7%
0.154
125
Cole Carrigg
CF
S
335
23.6%
8.4%
0.199
104
Kyle Karros
3B
R
441
20.2%
11.3%
0.165
103
Mickey Moniak
RF
L
416
27.2%
5.3%
0.242
94
Adael Amador
DH
S
68
14.7%
10.3%
0.254
135
Ezequiel Tovar
SS
R
479
25.5%
6.1%
0.123
51
Here’s a crazy stat: the Rockies’ .325 wOBA as a team is the highest it’s been since 2019. Over the past six years, despite playing in a stadium that boosts offense to ridiculous levels, the team has put up a .308 wOBA, 21st in baseball during that period. Last year’s breakout from Hunter Goodman and this year’s breakout from TJ Rumfield have gone a long way toward improving the lineup. Those two batters are dramatically different in approach; Goodman is a traditional power hitter with huge home run totals to go along with a huge strikeout rate. Rumfield is more measured in his approach, content to take a walk and put the ball in play to take advantage of the huge outfield in Coors Field. Cole Carrigg and Kyle Karros are another pair of youngsters who have shown a lot of promise this year. There are glimpses of a competent lineup here.
The Rockies don’t have a starter listed for Friday’s game at the time of publication but I expect Ryan Feltner to take some portion of the bulk innings. He had been a member of the Rockies’ rotation for most of the year but has been shifted to the bullpen in a long relief role recently. He pitched on Tuesday in relief of Kyle Freeland and spun five shutout innings against the Padres. At one point back in 2024, he looked like he had figured out how to find some success pitching at altitude — he posted a 4.49 ERA and a 4.16 FIP in 30 starts that season — but a series of injuries last year derailed that progress. He’s been mostly healthy this season, but his effectiveness has waned and now the team is reevaluating where he fits on the roster.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Gabriel Hughes
59.1
19.0%
8.7%
9.0%
40.7%
6.37
4.04
Bryce Miller
107.1
24.3%
7.8%
15.3%
37.5%
4.19
4.55
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
51.3%
50.6%
92.4
84
80
113
0.300
Sinker
14.3%
7.6%
92.9
81
164
64
0.326
Changeup
4.6%
15.6%
87.8
80
33
91
0.396
Curveball
3.7%
15.0%
78.7
82
103
116
0.232
Slider
11.5%
5.6%
86.5
96
Sweeper
14.6%
5.6%
85.5
96
It must be totally demoralizing to be a pitching prospect in the Rockies organization. You put in all the work to make your way through the minors up to the big leagues and then face the toughest pitching environment in baseball. Gabriel Hughes made his debut in July and has actually pitched pretty well all things considered — his park-adjusted FIP is better than league average at 92. Unfortunately, his ERA is more than two runs higher at 6.37. His fastball has a really interesting movement profile; it doesn’t fade arm-side like most four-seams tend to do. Instead, it has a bit of cut to it so that it’s almost arrow-straight from a three-quarters arm slot. Opposing batters find it extremely hard to square up even if they have no problem making contact with it.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Tomoyuki Sugano
142.2
14.0%
5.5%
15.3%
37.6%
5.49
5.49
Kade Anderson
25.1
19.6%
7.5%
13.8%
35.1%
5.33
4.44
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
18.6%
22.6%
92.5
86
78
80
0.416
Sinker
25.2%
14.0%
92.5
82
41
58
0.445
Cutter
11.3%
10.5%
89.0
82
74
84
0.481
Splitter
15.2%
26.2%
86.9
73
87
109
0.312
Curveball
5.6%
9.7%
79.8
84
65
97
0.331
Slider
11.3%
7.7%
85.4
87
59
86
0.311
Sweeper
12.9%
9.3%
83.7
87
62
58
0.327
Every rebuilding team needs a veteran innings eater or two to soak up as many innings as possible during the season. That’s Tomoyuki Sugano’s job this year. After coming over from NBP last year, he’s posted nearly identical 5.36 and 5.49 FIPs over the last two seasons while making 57 starts for the Orioles and Rockies. He’s got a deep repertoire that features a solid splitter, three variations on a breaking ball, and three very hittable fastballs. It’s a problem when all three of your fastballs feature expected wOBAs that start with a four.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Astros
77-76
0.503
—
-50
L-L-W-L-W
Rangers
76-77
0.497
1.0
-39
W-W-W-W-L
Mariners
71-82
0.464
6.0
-56
W-L-L-L-W
Athletics
61-92
0.399
16.0
-214
L-W-L-L-L
Angels
59-94
0.386
18.0
-77
L-W-W-L-W
On Wednesday, the Astros and Rangers were tied atop the AL West standings, but separated by a game after Houston won and Texas lost on Thursday. The Astros host the Braves and the Rangers host the Blue Jays this weekend.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 30: Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter talks with manager Dave Roberts #30 before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on March 30, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s a decent chance that your life insurance premiums have helped pay for Shohei Ohtani’s contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pablo Torre, fresh off of exposing the Los Angeles Clippers’ pathetic efforts to circumvent the NBA salary cap to satisfy Kwahi Leonard, has moved on to the Walter story and even in the first episode of his report, there’s enough to make you want to chew asphalt to stop from screaming.
So, yes, your suspicion that this golden era of Dodgers baseball is fraudulent in some way has proved to be correct. I can’t remember when I said this — it was either 2023 or 2024 — but I figured that the only thing that could take down the Dodgers is some unforeseeable calamity or a massive scandal, and I think they’ve got a scandal.
From The Athletic:
At the core of the suit are allegations that the insurance companies misled policyholders about the structure of their annuity packages by secretly sending their money into a fund fueling Walter’s larger business network. That fund allegedly helped Walter buy the Dodgers in 2012 and a majority share of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025, along with a raft of other investments.
In typical annuity plans, policyholders make payments to insurers, which then invest that money into stocks, bonds or index funds that pay the customer interest over time. Insurers normally invest their customers’ money into relatively safe assets and, by law, must notify regulators about any investments made in entities affiliated with the insurer.
Walter’s firms Delaware Life and Clear Spring allegedly reported having 3 percent of their assets in affiliated companies, but were actually investing 42 percent of those payments in companies affiliated with the billionaire’s other business interests, accounting for nearly $17 billion. The companies described the discrepancy as an internal labeling error.
The implications of the Walter investigation is sort of more than people probably want to fathom, because to think that Mark Walter is the only billionaire engaging in this sort of impropriety to enrich himself and his investing partners is a degree of naivete that should automatically ban you from using the internet. This entire century has seen digital robber barons loot the public in every conceivable manner.
The Torre video points to some of the extreme cronyism that setup Walter as he came to Los Angeles to purchase the Dodgers, including how rigged their incredibly rich cable TV deal actually was. It just underscores how naturally suspicious we all should be of so-called billionaires. They don’t come by those billions honestly, and they have your hand in your pocket whether you like it or not. They see a pot of money — risk pools, state and federal taxes, etc. — and they see opportunity and begin planning for a heist. They’ll dress themselves up however they have to get people to let them inside.
Mark Walter has no blood relationship to the Guggenheim family. Guggenheim Partners, founded in 1999, came by their name through a licensing deal with the Guggenheim family, because “The Guggenheim name has long been synonymous with philanthropy and has a reputation for its contributions to the advance of humanity.” ::wanking motion:: The real reason? Mark Walter, a charlatan, needed to buy credibility, which the Guggenheim name instantly conferred. “The firm was created to bring the Guggenheim name back to Wall Street after decades away from finance.”
A side note: this is actually standard practice in high finance. Giants principal owner Charles Johnson was the CEO of Franklin Templeton investments from 1957 to 2004 (taking over from his dad who began the firm in 1947). Franklin Templeton gets its name from Benjamin Franklin, “because Franklin epitomized the ideas of frugality and prudence when it came to saving and investing.” ::wanking motion:: Also, as a reminder, Johnson helped get Donald Trump into the White House and has bankrolled this century’s conservative reformation of the United States. Billionaires are, effectively, roaming nuclear warheads.
But these nukes don’t have autonomous guidance systems. They need to be brought in like the Trojan Horse. Mark Walter softened the ground in Southern California by charming the LA Times and getting LA’s mascot, Magic Johnson, firmly on board (see Torre video for more on Magic’s involvement). Granted, the McCourt family were rotten and hollowing out the Dodgers, but the LA Times puff piece on him was silly in the moment and gross to read now.
“Decent” is one word often used to describe Walter, 51, the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, a financial services company that manages more than $125 billion in assets. He’s also private, unassuming and almost studiously unflashy.
Born in Iowa and schooled at Creighton University and Northwestern University Law School, Walter has a net worth of $1.3 billion, according to Wealth-X, a Singapore business-intelligence firm that assesses the fortunes of the ultra rich and ranks Walter seventh among Major League Baseball owners. Walter is not on the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires.
[…]
“I’m a fairly quiet and private person,” he said at the time. “So I haven’t sought publicity.”
[…]
The insider who spoke on condition of anonymity said the firm’s success owes largely to Walter’s fiscal discipline and his skill as a “very focused, very careful” investor.
“I can tell you he is a guy with one of the great financial minds of our time, and he will help that team,” the person said.
Walter has said he is making a significant personal investment in the team, but neither he nor the Dodgers’ new ownership group — Guggenheim Baseball Management — has revealed the sources of purchase money in its all-cash bid of $2.15 billion, which topped others by about $500 million and was well above most estimates of the franchise’s worth.
So, yes, everything is true. Families were denied life insurance claims while they paid for Blake Snell’s bogus rehab stints. Shohei Ohtani will be collecting your parents and grandparents’ premium dollars and down the ripping off taxpayers. The Dodgers are the devil and if this century has proved anything, it’s that evil always wins.
But make no mistake, the Dodgers will probably win this series because the Giants stink by comparison. Sure, there has been some excitement with some flashes of upside from younger players and Los Angeles is looking very old these days — but, come on. The Dodgers have been better than the Giants for a while now. Even if this scandal takes them down, the only thing that does is give Giants fans a momentary thrill. Like the old couple in What About Bob? who help Bob because they hate that Dr. Leo Marvin swooped in and took the house they dreamed of buying right out from under them and then cheer when Bob blows up that house.
It doesn’t change the fact that the Giants have been losers for most of the last decade (and 13-13 in this Oracle Park era). And, as shaky as LA has looked — they had a losing record in August (13-14)! and were 26-25 in July & August — they’re 11-5 in September, 47-28 on the season in Dodger Stadium (and have won 10 of their last 12 home games). Sure, Shohei Ohtani is out, Freddie Freeman’s power has disappeared, and Blake Snell actually seems to be hurt again. But, Tyler Glasnow’s off the IL. They have Tarik Skubal. Mookie Betts has been hot the past month (.951 OPS). Jorge De Paula, their top hitting prospect, is up and having Juan Soto-esque at bats. The Giants might shut down Logan Webb for the rest of the season, but if they don’t he’ll probably get buzzsawed. Rafael Devers is out, but Bryce Eldridge is heating up. Jonah Cox is a dude. Jung Hoo Lee is not.
The rivalry has never been more dead and over, but it’s never been a better time to hate the Los Angeles Dodgers, because you cannot hate them enough. They lied, cheated, and stole their way to championships, which on the one hand is great, but on the other hand might put a lot of insurance purchases in a bad situation. It’ll also be bad for baseball fans because it’ll be used as cover to lockout the sport and (attempt to) break the MLBPA. Of course the Dodgers won’t lose their championships over this. The Astros didn’t. In fact, the Astros were hardly punished. The rest of the sport was: the qualifying offer came in, the minor leaguers were shrunk, a bunch of rule changes meant to “improve” the game were foisted on the players… and that’s what’s on offer with the Dodgers situation infecting these CBA negotiations. Like the NBA’s ridiculous salary cap system, owners use their own management decisions to both damage their investments and inflect pain on their labor force.
Rich people and baseball owners, especially, steal money from regular people all the time — that’s what all those publicly financed stadiums amount to — but this time, it’s the Dodgers doing it and in a very damaging way. The Dodgers, the “crimes.xls” organization, might have ruined baseball, but in so doing, they might have given the public a crucial glimpse behind the curtain to see just what our American oligarchs are up to — it’s not just seeing the sausage being made, it’s seeing that we’re the sausage.
Series Overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (64-89) at Los Angeles Dodgers (93-60) Where: Dodger Stadium | Los Angeles, California When: Friday at 7:15pm, Saturday at 6:10pm PT, Sunday at 1:10pm PT National broadcasts: Apple TV (Friday)
Projected starters Friday: Cesar Perdomo (LHP 0-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. Tyler Glasnow (RHP 4-1, 3.50 ERA) Saturday: TBD vs. Tarik Skubal (LHP 10-7, 2.70 ERA) Sunday: TBD vs. TBD
Prediction time
Jonah Cox will steal a base. Freddie Freeman will homer. He has hit 1 home run in his last 244 plate appearances (58 games).
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 13: Konnor Griffin #6 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws to first base during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday, September 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates is a team that is filled with a bunch of young talent. Even though they most likely won’t make the playoffs this year the future looks incredibly bright. Here are three young players that will be the stars for Pittsburgh next season.
Konnor Griffin
The obvious pick here is Griffin, the Pirates drafted him 9th overall in the 2024 draft. In his first season in the majors Griffin has a .262 batting average with five homers and 27 RBIs. The 20 year old has missed a lot of the season due to injuries.
His offensive numbers aren’t mind blowing but he does a little bit of everything on the field. His baserunning and defense are both excellent which makes a truly dangerous and versatile player. Griffin is only 20 years old so he will grow and mature as a player as well, so the future at short stop is bright.
Esmerlyn Valdez
Esmerlyn Valdez has been a great source of power for the Bucco offense. He has 17 home runs and 47 RBIs on the season with 72 games played. The right fielder is just 22 years old, marking another big time player that is under the age of 25 for this team.
Valdez is already one of the better hitters on the team and the fact that he is just 22 years old and this was just his first season in the majors should be really exciting for all the fans.
I expect both Valdez and Griffin to be big time contributors to the offense lineup next season. They have both dealt with injuries throughout the year but if they are able to stay healthy for next season we could be looking at two players that will be considered stars on the team.
Rafael Flores Jr.
It has been a while since the Bucs have had true offensive power from behind the plate but Flores jr has brought that in only 40 game plates this year. The 25 year old has nine homers with 40 RBIs. He has split time from behind the plate with Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez.
I know that Rodriguez was playing pretty well before he suffered his season ending injury but I see a lot of potential in Flores jr. He brings power to the lineup and is a good defender behind the plate. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Pirates come into next
season with Rodrigues and Flores jr as their main two catchers, leaving Henry Davis behind.
If these three players continue to develop and grow we could be looking at the next big three Pittsburgh and could possibly see those young stars help the Pirates finally get into the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game on December 25, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Philadelphia is undeniably a huge sports town and certain fans preen about their “4 for 4” status. Still, there exists a hierarchy, and who sits atop it is a certain combination of what part of the season we’re in, current competitiveness of each club, overall likeability of the team.
The last time the Sixers unquestionably sat atop the hierarchy was all the way back in 2001 for the Allen Iverson-led NBA Finals run. Between AI, still one of the city’s most popular athletes ever, an underdog status that you know Philadelphia loves, and a lunchpail defensive attitude that further endeared the squad to fans, it was a perfect combination for what became a magical playoff run. Could this be the year the Sixers ascend back up the Philadelphia sports mountain? Let’s examine.
First and foremost, Philadelphia is an NFL city. The Eagles dominate coverage and conversation across the greater Delaware Valley. For anyone to pass the Eagles in the current hierarchy, it has to be a combination of another team being really good and the Birds greatly disappointing. This could be a tough hurdle for the Sixers to overcome, because the Eagles should be pretty good, currently sitting with the seventh-best Super Bowl odds, per Fanduel.
Still, the narrative is easy to construct. Despite winning a Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hurts is a somewhat divisive quarterback that a section of the fanbase would be happy to move on from. Last year left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths with a bunch of ugly wins that overshadowed the huge flaws in the offensive scheme. Sean Mannion is in as offensive coordinator this season, but the opening win over Washington was uneven, and the offensive line looks like it could be an ongoing issue. There’s every chance some tweaks are made and the Eagles go on to have a very successful season, but you can envision a scenario where things go off the rails and fans demand a major shakeup.
Next, we have the Phillies, and I have a much easier case to make than I would have needed a couple weeks ago. After a recent rough patch, a couple wins have settled things a bit, but there’s still plenty of concern with the postseason approaching. Jesus Luzardo was just placed on the injured list, bringing into question the one surefire advantage the team had in a playoff series, which was the starting rotation. The bullpen is a mess and all the same questions exist about the lineup that have caused them previous postseason swoons, namely there aren’t enough patient hitters and they’re easy to gameplan around in a playoff setting. Vibes are very low at the moment. Fans were already getting antsy with this current core after the recent postseason defeats, and an early exit this fall could spell full-on emotional removal from the Phils with the emotional hierarchy.
The Flyers have some exciting young players, highlighted by Porter Martone. The front office certainly looks to have things on the right track, and beating the Penguins in the first round of the playoffs last season was enjoyed by one and all east of Harrisburg. Still, the sweep to Carolina showed this group still has some growth steps ahead of them. The Flyers are in the fun come up stage of a franchise rebuild cycle, but it’s hard to say they’re a threat to being atop the city hierarchy.
So, let’s make the case for the Sixers?
Before this offseason, I would have said there was no chance. With his injury history and huge contract, half the fan base wants Joel Embiid gone, and the other half is always internally wincing for the next injury report to drop. Tyrese Maxey is and always has been terrific, but he’s not enough to overcome all the scars of the playoff heartbreaks, tough injuries, and bizarre off-court situations that have plagued this franchise in recent years. No, we needed something big to reset the table and Mike Gansey arrived to provide it. The trade for Jaylen Brown immediately put the Sixers put into the short list of true contenders. Fans took notice. Then, LeBron James chose to come to Philadelphia on a minimum contract. Money was not a factor, and the greatest player of at least his generation…chose…the…Sixers. Sure, he’s 41 years old with a bad back, but LeBron is still playing at an All-Star level and he’s here on a minimum deal.
Things still need to break right. There’s injury luck involved and pieces needing to gel and all the rest of it. But the Sixers are now tied with the defending champion Knicks for the third-best NBA title odds, per Fanduel. They’re objectively the most fascinating team in the league, as evidenced by their having the maximum number of nationally televised games this season. It’s the potential for the perfect storm of competitiveness and intriguing storylines that could catapult the Sixers back atop the Philadelphia sports hierarchy for the first time in decades.
One of the bright young stars of the NBA — and perhaps a player you’ve never even heard of — just locked in a massive extension that affirms his status as an essential piece on an ascending team.
The Utah Jazz and Keyonte George have agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million rookie-scale contract extension, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal because it had not been formally announced.
As with all contract extensions, the instant question becomes: is it worth it?
There had been some speculation that Peterson, who like George can play both point guard and shooting guard, would make George redundant. This deal confirms that the two will be simultaneous features.
That grants Utah immense flexibility with its offense, as the Jazz are poised to become a breakout team in 2026-27 and beyond.
Utah has missed the playoffs the last four seasons and has won just 107 of a possible 328 games in that span, including only 39 of 164 across the last two seasons. The Jazz tanked their way to the No. 2 selection and now have an intriguing, young roster that could make some noise, even in the crowded Western Conference and even as soon as this season.
George averaged career highs in points (23.6 per game), assists (6.1), field goal percentage (45.6%), 3-point percentage (37.1%), win shares (3.3), player efficiency rating (18.5), steals (1.1) and other metrics last season.
He became one of only nine players in the league last season who surpassed the 23-point, 6-assist threshold on a per-game basis. The others: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Luka Dončić, Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray and James Harden. Those eight players, for reference, have 34 combined All-Star appearances.
George has become a three-tier scorer who is as comfortable slashing past defenders and finishing in the paint as he is lacing stepback 3s. His midrange game is fluid and he can operate off the ball. He’s a plus defender.
This deal is a reward for George's past performance, but it's also an investment in the future. At an average of $31.5 million per season, it could become a relative bargain. By comparison, that average annual salary puts him just below Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who averaged 13.8 points and 5.5 assists per game, and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.
For a young Jazz team that should suddenly compete, that's good business.
“Keyonte has changed all of our expectations for him, and I think that's a good thing,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said Dec. 15, 2025, after George dropped 37 points in an overtime victory against the Mavericks. “I think that does make us feel differently about him in terms of our roster and what that could mean moving forward.
“You know, he has become a real centerpiece of our organization, and it’s because of the work he has put in as a player and the work he has put in on himself as a young man.”
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 16: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammate Jake Burger #21 after the Texas Rangers defeated the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kelcee Skoug/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The 2026 Texas Rangers currently sit at 76-77 on the season, with nine games to go.
Most years, a team in this situation would either have been eliminated or would be on the verge of elimination, would be simply playing out the string or hoping for a miracle.
In the wild and wacky world of the American League in 2026, however, the Rangers are still legitimately in contention for a playoff spot.
Those aren’t great odds. But if we think about it from a baseball perspective, its not exactly a long shot, either. Joc Pederson and Ezequiel Duran each have a .329 OBP this year, so we can think of the Rangers’ playoff chances as being more or less the same as Duran or Pederson getting on base in any given plate appearance this year.
The teams that the Rangers are fighting with to make the playoffs, with their Fangraphs playoff odds, are:
Currently sporting a 77-76 record, one game up on the Rangers, and holding the tiebreaker, so effectively two games up.
Fangraphs gives the Astros a 77.8% chance of winning the division,* and a 3.2% chance of getting the third Wild Card berth. Basically, if the Astros don’t do well enough in their final nine games to stay ahead of the Rangers, they probably aren’t going to do well enough to earn a Wild Card berth. That being said, if Astros were to win the division and the Rangers win the Wild Card, or vice versa, the two teams would almost certainly face each other in the Wild Card Round,** which would be exciting.
* The Mariners, currently 71-82, have a 0.4% chance of winning the American League West, an eventuality that none of us want to think about.
** The first two Wild Card spots will almost certainly be filled by the Yankees (88-64) and the Red Sox (83-70), unless the Rays (93-59) completely collapse and get passed by the Yankees. Regardless, the top two Wild Card teams are almost certainly going to be the second and third place finishers in the American League East, and as the #3 and #4 seeds they will play each other in the other American League Wild Card series.Thus, the team that gets the third Wild Card will end up playing whoever has the worse record between the A.L. West champ and the A.L. Central champ, with the team with the better record, as well as the A.L. East champs, getting a bye.
The Astros were in much better shape a week ago, before they got swept by the Rays in Tampa. Like the Rangers, this week they won two out of three at home, though the Astros were facing a weaker opponent in the Royals.
Chicago White Sox— 80.7% playoff odds
What a great story! The Cinderella team of 2026, coming off three straight 100 loss seasons, currently 78-75, tied for first in the A.L. Central. Chicago has led the American League Central for most of the second half despite everyone waiting for them to fade.
The problem is that the White Sox are kinda starting to fade. They were 2.5 up in the division after beating the Twins on September 6. They’ve gone 3-7 in ten games since then, including getting swept at home by the Pirates, though a 3-1 win against Detroit on Thursday may have righted the ship. The White Sox currently are given a 51.0% chance of winning the A.L. Central, and a 29.4% chance of claiming a Wild Card spot.
Cleveland Guardians — 77.1% playoff odds
Cleveland has won the A.L. Central three of the past four seasons, including chasing down a Detroit Tiger team last season that was up as many as 11.5 games in the division in late August. When the Tigers* ended up going into sell mode a couple of months ago, Cleveland was the team expected to inherit the A.L. Central lead when the ChiSox turned back into a pumpkin.
* The Tigers have a +74 run differential — fourth best in the American League — and are 72-81. The Rays have a +80 run differential and are 93-59. Baseball isn’t always fair.
The Guardians just keep plugging along, having just won two of three at home against Chicago, though the White Sox own the tiebreaker over Cleveland. Fangraphs has them with a 49% chance of winning the division and a 28.1% chance of earning the Wild Card.
Toronto Blue Jays — 23.8% playoff odds
Last year’s A.L. champs have not built on their 2025 success, and are sporting a 76-77 record. This is largely due to an underachieving offense with the best OPS+ among the regulars coming from third baseman Kaz Okamoto, with a 110 OPS+. George Springer (104) is the only other Blue Jay with at least 300 plate appearances to have an OPS+ over 100. Vlad Guerrero Jr. has a 92 OPS+ on the season and just nine home runs. He had his first home run at home this season less than a week ago. Its weird.
Still, Toronto has hung around, and after bottoming out at 49-59 in late July, they’ve won 27 of 45, including 11 of their last 17.
Baltimore Orioles — 4.5% playoff odds
At 75-78, the Orioles are just one back of Texas and Toronto, despite having gone into sell mode at the deadline. Their path to a potential playoff berth is a narrow one, but there is a path.
So what lies ahead for these six teams that are battling for playoff spots?
Texas plays three games at home against the Blue Jays, the team they are tied with in the Wild Card race, this weekend. After an off day Monday, the Rangers play three at home against the Mets, then finish out the season with three in Minnesota.
Texas holds the tiebreaker against Cleveland, Baltimore and Toronto, but would lose a tiebreaker against the White Sox or Astros.
The Rangers need to win at least two of three against Toronto to feel good about things heading into the final week. That would give the Rangers effectively a two game edge over Toronto in the Wild Card race, and at least a one game edge over Baltimore even if Baltimore sweeps this weekend, due to the tiebreakers. Losing two of three puts the Rangers behind Toronto by a game, and also likely means, at best, treading water relative to Houston and the A.L. Central teams, and likely losing ground they can’t afford to lose. I’d expect Skip Schumaker to manage the next three games like a playoff series.
The Rangers have Kumar Rocker going up against Dylan Cease Friday night, Cal Quantrill versus Jose Soriano on Saturday, and Jacob deGrom going Sunday, with the Jays’ starter yet to be determined. The Friday matchup is the worst one for the Rangers, though the heavy bullpen usage on Thursday means that the Rangers may ask Rocker to wear it if they get down significantly early, or have Trevor Williams eat innings to save the rest of the bullpen. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Robby Ahlstrom was sent down so the Rangers could bring up Winston Santos, who last threw 36 pitches on Sunday for Round Rock, as a length guy to be used in case of a blowout.
If the Rangers can win at least two of three, they should be in a relatively good place for the final week. I would expect Nathan Eovaldi, who says that after Wednesday’s four inning outing he’s ready to move back into the starting rotation, to start Tuesday’s opener against the Mets and, if the game matters, the season finale against the Twins, with deGrom most likely pitching the opener in Minnesota on Friday.
Houston finishes out their season with three at home this weekend against Atlanta, an off day on Monday, two games in Seattle, and then a four game set in Sacramento against the A’s. Atlanta hasn’t clinched the N.L. East mathematically yet, but up four on the Phillies and with the tiebreaker in hand, and with the likelihood of passing the Brewers or Dodgers to earn a first round bye remote, the Braves don’t have a ton to play for.
In the opener, Houston has Peter Lambert going up against our old friend Tyler Mahle (who has been surprisingly effective since being traded to the Braves, putting up a 1.25 ERA in 43 innings over 7 starts) in the opener, Hayden Wesneski facing Grant Holmes on Saturday, and then Hunter Brown going against our other old friend Martin Perez on Sunday. The Braves are narrow favorites on Friday, with Saturday’s game likely being a pick ‘em or the Braves as slight favorites. Other than a hiccup a couple of starts ago, Brown has been outstanding of late, and Houston is probably going to be a significant favorite in that matchup.
As for the Seattle and Sacramento series, the reflexive reaction is to say, well, Seattle and the A’s are terrible and are playing out the string, so Houston will go at least 5-1. I will note, however, that Houston has a losing record against both of those teams this season, including a 2-9 record against Seattle. The Rangers went 2-5 in Anaheim and Sacramento last month in a series we thought we could clean up in, and just lost 2 of 3 in Seattle. You may say, well, yeah, but that’s because we’re the Rangers and they are the Astros, but I’m going to tell you a secret…the Astros aren’t any better than the Rangers right now. And the A’s actually have a winning record this month, including winning a series in Toronto.
Houston will be without Carlos Correa the rest of the season, which is a blow for them, as he is one of just six players who have appeared for the Astros this season with an OPS+ over 100 (one of those six is Nick Allen). Yordan Alvarez has been an MVP caliber performer this year, Jeremy Pena is raking, Isaac Paredes has been quite good, but there have been problems elsewhere in the lineup, and their bullpen, outside of Josh Hader, has been shaky.
The White Sox played Detroit on Thursday and have three more against them at home this weekend before an off day on Monday, followed by three in Kansas City and three at home against the Rockies. The White Sox rotation is a bit unsettled, with Luis Castillo, acquired from the Mariners at the deadline, being moved to the pen in favor of 25 year old rookie David Sandlin, who has a 5.64 ERA and 5.04 FIP this season. If Chicago can take two of three against Detroit, they should be in good shape with their weak opponents the final week, though their Three True Outcome-oriented offense has cooled of late.
Because they have the tiebreaker over Texas, the Rangers really need the White Sox to either be very good or very bad at this point. If the White Sox are very good, it makes it more likely they win the division over Cleveland. Since Texas has the tiebreaker over Cleveland, we’d rather see Chicago win the division than the Guardians. Alternatively, if the White Sox go into a tail spin and finish, say, 2-7, that puts the Rangers in a better position to pass them in the Wild Card race and not have to worry about the tiebreaker.
Cleveland has three games at home against the A’s this weekend, an off day on Monday, then three games in Boston before finishing the season with three games in Kansas City. The Guardians figure to be heavy favorites in all three games this weekend, and a sweep would put them in a very strong position for the final week, even with having to face a very good Boston team (albeit one that will not have much to play for) at Fenway.
Something to be aware of — if the White Sox, Guardians and Rangers all finished with the same record, and tiebreakers between the teams would determine both the A.L. Central and the third Wild Card spot, the White Sox would be named division winners by virtue of having won the season series against Cleveland. Then the tiebreaker would be applied to the Guardians and Rangers, in which case the Rangers would get the third Wild Card spot since they also won their season series against Cleveland.
Cleveland also lost their season series to Houston, so they’d lose out to the Astros should the two of them tie for the third Wild Card spot. The only contender they have the tiebreaker advantage over is Baltimore, which is the team they’d be least likely to be tied with, I think.
Toronto, as discussed above, plays Texas this weekend in Arlington, and unless there’s much stumbling from the other contenders as well this weekend, whoever loses that series will likely be, if not mathematically eliminated, needing a Hail Mary to make the postseason.
Toronto then plays three in Baltimore Monday through Wednesday, is off Thursday, and finishes the season at home against Cincinnati. Toronto holds the tiebreaker advantage over Baltimore and Cleveland, lost their season series to Texas and the White Sox, and split their series with Houston, as far as potential Wild Card tiebreaker scenarios go.
Baltimore is three games back, making them a very long shot right now. They currently hold the tiebreaker advantage over Houston and the White Sox, with Texas and Cleveland holding the tiebreaker advantage over the O’s. The Jays would have the tiebreaker advantage over Baltimore unless the Orioles sweep the Jays next week.
The Orioles have three games at home this weekend against the Brewers, play Toronto Monday to Wednesday at home as discussed above, then play three at Yankee Stadium to finish out the season, making theirs the most difficult schedule of the remaining teams.
Got all that? Good. Hopefully, we’ll have reason to re-visit and update all this Monday morning.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Cade Cavalli #24 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park on September 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Nationals will head to St. Louis for a three-game weekend series after splitting a short two-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies. Washington took the opener 6-3 behind a pinch-hit three-run home run from Daylen Lile, but the offense went quiet in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss. The Nationals enter the weekend at 71-82 and have officially secured their seventh straight losing season, but they have still won four of their last five games after sweeping the Angels and splitting with Philadelphia.
The Cardinals enter the series at 75-78 and sit fourth in the NL Central. St. Louis is a game away from being eliminated from playoff contention and is coming off a series loss to the San Francisco Giants. However, the Cardinals have plenty of young talent worth watching, including Jordan Walker, JJ Wetherholt, and rookie catcher Leo Bernal. Alec Burleson has been the biggest threat in the lineup, leading the National League with 109 RBIs, while Wetherholt recently returned from the injured list. With both teams looking toward 2027, this series will give several young players another opportunity to make an impression before the season comes to an end.
Game One – Friday, 8:15 PM ET
WSH: Cade Cavalli, RHP (12-5, 3.12 ERA)
Cavalli will take the mound for the Nationals in the series opener after another strong outing against the Angels. He allowed two runs on three hits over six innings while striking out nine, keeping Washington in the game before the offense rallied late for a 4-3 win. Cavalli has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 29 of his 31 starts this season and has established himself as the clear ace of the Nationals’ rotation.
STL: Kyle Leahy, RHP (10-4, 3.33 ERA)
Leahy will make his second straight shortened start as the Cardinals continue to manage his workload late in the season. He threw three scoreless innings against the White Sox in his last appearance, allowing two hits and striking out four without issuing a walk. Leahy has been one of St. Louis’ most consistent pitchers this season, but the Nationals should see the Cardinals’ bullpen early in the series opener.
Game Two – Saturday, 7:15 PM ET
WSH: Andrew Alvarez, LHP (2-6, 3.35 ERA)
Alvarez is coming off the best start of his young major league career. The left-hander held the Angels scoreless over seven innings, allowing only one hit while striking out a career-high eight. Alvarez has quietly become one of the Nationals’ most reliable starters, posting a 2.44 ERA over his last eight outings and making a strong case for a spot in the 2027 rotation.
STL: Michael McGreevy, RHP (7-9, 3.83 ERA)
McGreevy earned the win in his last start after holding the White Sox to one run over six innings. The right-hander has settled into the Cardinals’ rotation after an inconsistent start to the season and will look to build off one of his better recent outings. Washington will need to do a better job cashing in on its opportunities after being shut out and leaving seven runners on base Wednesday night.
Game Three – Sunday, 2:15 PM ET
WSH: Jake Irvin, RHP (2-9, 5.51 ERA)
Irvin will return to the mound after allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks over 5⅔ innings against the Padres in his last start. The right-hander has struggled to find consistency this season, but he will look to finish the year on a positive note with a strong performance in the series finale.
STL: Quinn Mathews, LHP (2-3, 3.62 ERA)
Mathews is lined up to start the finale after delivering the best outing of his young career against the Giants. The rookie left-hander allowed one run on four hits across 6⅔ innings while striking out a career-high eight. Mathews did not allow his first hit until the sixth inning and has quickly become one of the most interesting young arms in the Cardinals’ rotation.
