Category: Sports News

2026 stats:.146/ .213/ .183, 15 wRC+, -0.1 fWAR over 30 G, 89 PA w/ Giants

In game 4 of the division series against the White Sox, the Guardians turned a 2-0 deficit into a 9-4 lead, helping them claim the series in a winner-take-all game 5. You’d be forgiven if you did a double-take watching that game as a distantly familiar face launched a pinch-hit solo homer then later delivered a tie-breaking RBI single that sparked a game-defining rally.

Hey…wasn’t that the guy who was the worst offensive player in the league when he was on the Giants?

Yeah — that was Patrick Bailey. Same dude who played just 30 games for San Francisco before being traded on May 9th to the Guardians. The move surprised many. It was aggressive. It wasn’t universally panned either. The catcher was a man of extremes: a number-one glove and dead-last bat. His 89 plate appearances through April were excruciating to watch. He hit .146 with a .183 slugging percentage. A .396 OPS. A 15 wRC+. He had somehow accrued a -11 batting run value in a month. Those numbers are bad, and somehow they still don’t really do justice to how bad he was. Watching his at-bats was the sensory equivalent of  blowing hot air into your eyeballs with a hair dryer. Trying to hit a baseball was a desperate, feckless act for Bailey, like an accountant, recently stranded on a desert island, rubbing two pencils together to start a fire. He’d leave the batter’s box as cold as it was when he arrived. 

Was he really that bad? I mean I’m having fun tooting the hyperbole horn, but that 15 wRC+ ain’t a lie. Perhaps the better question is was he going to stay that bad? No he wasn’t, and no, he didn’t. Looking at the batted-ball metrics and expected stats, it was pretty clear Bailey wasn’t getting a fair shake (his BABIP with the Giants was .186). Things evened-out in Cleveland. Bailey batted .228 for the rest of the year as a Guardian with a .292 OBP (256 PA) and a respectable .390 slugging percentage — 30 points higher than his previous career best mark he posted as a rookie in 2023. His 90 wRC+, while still below average, is good for the highest of his young career. Over 33 at-bats in the postseason, Bailey slashed .273/ .333/ .455 with two homers and four runs batted-in — one less rib-eye than he had as a Giant. 

Sift around in the muck and the mire of early 2026, and it’s pretty easy to track the logic of the trade. Everyone else was doing bad, and Bailey was the worst of the bunch. The catcher’s plate-appearances were a black hole that Buster Posey and pretty much everyone else was tired of getting sucked into. Something needed to be done, and Bailey gave Buster a decent-sized head to roll without causing mass clubhouse panic. It served as a hopeful wake-up call without looking completely rash or reactionary in the moment. While the move sacrificed defense, it was defensible. Back-up catcher Daniel Susac was off to a hot start, and Posey wanted to find ways to get players like Jesus Rodriguez and Eric Haase more at-bats. Bailey was relatively young, under team control, and had some serious value as a two-time Gold Glove winner. This was a person with elite skills in a particular area who knew how to shepherd a flock of pitchers over the hills and through the valleys of an at-bat, an inning, a game, and a season. While the institution of the ABS system limited some of his stand-out talents as a pitch-framer, there was still some room for the artistry with selling balls-and-strikes.

Bailey had value, and Posey turned him into a draft pick, a pitching prospect with a Major League nickname (who would end the year allowing just one earned run over 8 innings against LA, as well as a Shohei strikeout), and an immediate (though not sustained) offensive boost from catching reinforcements. Three days after Bailey’s trade, Eric Haase homered twice off Yoshinobu Yamamoto — a shellacking that heralded Yamamoto’s meltdown against Milwaukee in the National League pennant. You could see the shadows of past demons passing across his glazed over eyes in that 3rd inning. Brice Turang, Jake Bauers, and Christian Yelich were just descendents of one man: Haase. 

Posey and Tony Vitello replaced Bailey with an aggregate of five names. Daniel Susac boasted the most staying power. He’s 6’ 4’’ with a cannon for an arm, but after a hot start, Susac produced nominally better (94 wRC+) at the plate than Bailey did for Cleveland and was limited by injuries to his elbow and back before being shut down by a season-ending knee cap fracture in early August. 

Trading Bailey sacrificed clarity. Plans A, B, and C had to be scrapped due to injuries. The position became a Guess Who? Game. Andrew Knizner? Sounds familiar…  Drew Cavanaugh, who started the year in Double-A Richmond, Virginia, ended up making the most appearances at catcher for San Francisco. Offensively, he ended up ranking about the same as Bailey. Defensively, he was nowhere close.

It’s hard to argue that the Giants “won” the trade based on how the year panned out. Bailey found level at the plate. He moved out, moved on, and served up postseason dramatics for Guardian fans while the Giants’ cohort watched from their couches wringing their hands about a move made in May.

Diamondbacks News

Gabriel Moreno wins award for best Venezuelan player in MLB this season by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno was named the 2026 recipient of the Luis Aparicio Award, given out annually to the best Venezuelan player in Major League Baseball. 

The award is voted on by sports journalists in Venezuela, and Moreno received 65 out of 100 first-place votes. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo came in second, and D-backs pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez finished third.

“It is an honor to receive this award,” Moreno said in a press release. “Luis Aparicio is our legend, the first Hall of Famer we Venezuelans have in Cooperstown, and he means a lot to us.”

These D-backs have their eyes out for awards come November by Steve Gilbert [DBacks.com]

ALL-MLB TEAM
The Diamondbacks have six finalists for the All-MLB Team, including Moreno (catcher), Carroll (outfield), Perdomo (shortstop), Ketel Marte (second base), Nolan Arenado (third base) and Eduardo Rodriguez (starting pitcher).

Of that group, the only ones who have been named to the All-MLB Team as Diamondbacks in the past are Carroll (2023) and Marte (’24, ’25). 

Carroll was named as second team All-MLB in 2025. 

Of all the candidates, Moreno seems to have the strongest case, as he finished second in OPS (.906) among MLB backstops with at least 400 plate appearances as a catcher, while finishing first among big league catchers with 6.7 bWAR. 

The All-MLB Team, which was established in 2019, will be announced Nov. 11 during the fourth annual MLB Awards from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. 

Why Brandon Pfaadt’s 2027 Could Be His Most Important Season Yet by Alex D’Agostino [SI]

2026 is the first time Pfaadt has extended his positive contributions into a lengthy stretch of dominance. His shift away from a strikeout-focused approach fell in line with Arizona’s overall pitching output, and it led to more sustainable success.

But now, Pfaadt is an important cog in a concerningly depth-lacking rotation. Eduardo Rodriguez’s ace-like 2026 season could regress. Nelson is a question mark due to health and underperformance in 2026. Merrill Kelly struggled in 2026 and Corbin Burnes looked brutal in his three post-injury appearances.

Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt and Jose Cabrera all struggled in their debut seasons. There aren’t many arms in the system worthy of stepping into a major league role if needed.

Around the League

With historic romp, unrelenting Crew just 1 win from 1st World Series title by Anthony Castrovince [MLB]

When the World Series shifted to St. Pete for Game 3 on Monday night, the Rays had faith that they had been beaten but not creamed in the Cream City, had belief that Freddy Peralta could shut down his old squad, had hope that they were one win away from reshaping the narrative of this Fall Classic.

Then came the eight-spot in a fifth inning that Peralta could not finish. Not just any eight-run outburst, but one that came entirely with two out.

The big inning that cemented the Brewers’ epic 10-1 victory and the one hit allowed in six scoreless innings from Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser made for the most extreme encapsulation yet of the way this team has demoralized opponents and made the postseason its personal playground on the increasingly likely path to a franchise-first title. Every Brewers starter reached base, eight of the nine drove in a run, and Jackson Chourio had four hits – one shy of tying the World Series single-game record – by the end of the fifth inning.

MLB tests out restricted OF shifts in effort to up offense [ESPN]

The Arizona Fall League has long been a testing ground for the next generation of MLB players, and lately, it’s also been a venue for testing potential rules changes.

This year, Major League Baseball’s newest experiment is to restrict the positioning of outfielders on every at-bat.

The goal is to boost the game’s sluggish offense by making outfielders play straight up — instead of adjusting for individual hitters’ tendencies — which will in theory lead to more doubles and triples.

The outfield positioning experiment is limited to just games that are played at Salt River Fields, since it has similar technology to MLB parks.

Arizona Fall League Midseason Check-In by Eric Longenhagen [FanGraphs]

The Best of the New Names

Joey Dixon, RHP, Houston Astros
Sam Horn, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Maddox Long, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Joe Ariola, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks

Dixon missed multiple years recovering from Tommy John surgery and then most of 2026 dealing with a shoulder issue, and even when he pitched he wasn’t 100%. His velo is back and I’ve seen him parked at 94-97 while flashing bat-missing sliders and changeups. He’s smaller than most starters and his injury history points to the bullpen, but potentially as a multi-inning, platoon-neutral weapon. He’s getting added to The Board with a 40+ FV, the grade of a good bullpen’s third- or fourth-best guy. Sam Horn was a college quarterback at Missouri who missed time because of an elbow surgery and a fractured tibia. He rehabbed throughout 2026 and was active during Bridge League/Instructs, but I didn’t see him then because on the one day I knew he’d be pitching, Jackson Flora was making his uniformed debut for the Giants. In the AFL, Horn has been 93-96 with a plus slider and changeup. It’s a great starting point for someone who hasn’t pitched consistently since high school.

Long and Ariola look like standard middle relievers who could be ready fast. Long was at three different colleges across five seasons, then Indy ball. He’s 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, has a really loose delivery, a heavy low-90s sinker, and a plus slider that he commands with uncommon consistency. Ariola has a riding 93-94 mph fastball and hammer curveball, pretty standard lefty fare in the Caleb Thielbar mold.

Did Anyone Win The Caleb Durbin Trade? by Charlie Wright [MLB Trade Rumors]

The deal that sent infielder Caleb Durbin from the Brewers to the Red Sox seemed like a disaster for two months. By the end of the year, it looked like a season-saving maneuver.

Boston and Milwaukee executed the six-player swap in early February. Durbin joined the Red Sox after the club came up short in an attempt to replace third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency. Fellow infielders Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler, plus a draft pick, also came over in the deal. The Brewers received infielder David Hamilton and lefties Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan.

This was not the year for Ronny Mauricio (again). In 2026, he once again was up and down and only showed flashes of potential during his time at the plate. His offense was usually lackluster, and his defense often reminded you of the players you were missing.

Mauricio was first recalled from Triple-A on April 6, when Juan Soto went on the Injured List. He was optioned to Triple-A on April 13. He was recalled from Triple-A on April 23, when Francisco Lindor found himself on the IL for two months. It should have been an opportunity for Mauricio to prove himself, but on May 3, he fractured his left thumb sliding into first base and landed on the IL himself.

After completing his rehab assignment on June 24, he was optioned to Triple-A. He was recalled the next day when Marcus Semien was placed on the IL. On July 7, he was optioned to Triple-A, where he remained until September 18. Mauricio was recalled for the final time when Jared Young was placed on the 7-day concussion IL. In 2026, he played in 25 games and had 62 plate appearances. He hit .220/.258/.441 with a wRC+ of 91 and fWAR of -0.2.

There were some nice moments in Mauricio’s cameos this season. In April, he had his first walk-off hit, in extra innings, no less. At the beginning of May, he bludgeoned a 421-foot go-ahead home run that sealed the Mets’ win against the Angels. When he returned in September, he looked like a different hitter: more patient, better plate discipline. During his last seven games, he hit .294/.400/.824. He capped it off with three homers in his last two games. The totality just wasn’t quite enough, especially given the timing of his turnaround.

The Kansas City Royals Triple-A affiliate, the Omaha Storm Chasers finished the year with a record of 65-81. It was a balanced season of sorts for the team, as they finished both halves of the season 8 games under .500. However, which players were able to produce a good season?

The good from the position players:

Brett Squires was someone that most Royals fans probably hadn’t heard of before the season started. Then, the 26-year-old first baseman just kept hitting. Squires was an undrafted guy that the Royals signed. He has slowly worked his way through the system. He was very good in Quad Cities in 2024 and had a middling year in Northwest Arkansas in 2025. But 2026 was all good for Squires. Between 32 games in Double-A and 100 games in Omaha, Squires slashed .277/.351/.549. He smacked 34 doubles, 3 triples and 31 homers, driving in 103 runs. He walked 56 times, striking out 141. He mainly played 1st base, with a little bit of left field sprinkled in. I would love to see him get a chance in Kansas City next season.

Carson Roccaforte had a phenomenal season. The 24-year-old centerfielder, who the Royals took as a Comp B pick in 2023, out of Louisiana-Lafayette looked the part. It’s been somewhat of a slow grind to get to Omaha, but Roc finally did. This season, he played 110 games in Double-A and the final 28 in Omaha. Between the two stops, Roc slashed .257/.338/.519. He hit 26 doubles, 5 triples and 35 homers, while driving in 96 runs. He stole 32 bases. The issue with Roc is he struck out 181 times. The primary centerfielder is unbelievable defensively as well. As much as I’d like him to be the Opening Day centerfielder next season, I think he starts in Omaha for the first month or two. Not because he’s not worthy, but because the Royals probably want him to get more time in Triple-A first.

Jack Pineda is a late bloomer type of guy. The 27-year-old infielder put together a good season. The Royals took Pineda in the 12th round in 2022 out of Baylor. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Pineda slashed .351/.413/.530 in 81 games. He hit 20 doubles, 3 triples and 9 homers. He walked 23 times, striking out 46. He stole 18 bases. Defensively, he played shortstop, third and second base, all very well.

Peyton Wilson had a nice season, slashing .276/.358/.433 in 94 games this season. He hit 29 doubles and 8 homers, walking 41 times, stealing 17 bases. Wilson is a 26-year-old infielder, who the Royals took as a Comp B pick in 2021 out of Alabama. Defensively, he played second, third and left, very solid infield numbers.

Gavin Cross got off to a rough start, but finished nicely, finishing the season with a .247/.306/.434 slash line. He hit 20 doubles, 5 triples and 17 homers. He stole 25 bases, walked 32 times and struck out 149 times. The Royals took Cross 9th overall in 2022 out of Virginia Tech, he is now 25 years old. He can play all three outfield spots well.

Peyton Wilson demolished this baseball 🤯 pic.twitter.com/qwNpe3x7eV

— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) September 20, 2026

The good from the pitching staff:

If I am going to be completely honest with you, the Omaha Storm Chasers pitching staff is somewhat bleak. Mainly because it was a lot of older guys, some of them might be considered “washed”. So, this list isn’t that long. Most of the guys aren’t even with the team anymore or won’t be next season. They aren’t pieces for the future.

Ryan Ramsey is a 25-year-old lefty, who the Royals drafted in the 13th round in 2022 out of Maryland. He has grinded his way through the organization and finally got his first full year in Omaha. Ramsey made 28 appearances and 21 starts, throwing 115.2 innings. He walked 65, striking out 110. Opponents hit .275 off him. It wasn’t the most encouraging season, but a guy that could be in Kansas City next year.

Henry Williams is a 25-year-old right hander, who the Royals got from the Padres in the Scott Barlow trade. Williams made 28 appearances, 26 starts this season. Between Double and Triple-A, Williams threw 132 innings, striking out 120 hitters, walking 63. Opponents hit .277 off him. I think he could also get a shot in Kansas City next season.

Ethan Bosacker is another 25-year-old right hander. The Royals took him in the 13th round in 2023 out of Xavier. Between Double and Triple-A, Bosacker threw 62.2 innings. He struck out 48 hitters, walking 34, with opponents hitting .254 off him. This could be a bullpen option next season.

The final one who could be a Royal next season came over late in a trade. Lucas Braun is a 25-year-old right hander. He came over from Atlanta in the Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter trade. In his 8 starts with Omaha, Braun threw 37.2 innings, striking out 38 batters, while walking 13. Opponents hit .282 off him. He provides starting depth for the Royals next season.

Next year will be an interesting year for the Royals Triple-A affiliate. I hope they can get some more youth in there, especially pitching wise. Thank you for following along all year with Royals minor league coverage!

Out of the 10 Dodgers currently on the Desert Dogs roster, seven made an appearance in what was a 25-run thriller as Mesa defeated Glendale 13-12. The visiting Solar Sox overcame what was at one point a six-run deficit, handing the Desert Dogs their 13th loss in 18 games.

Three of the first four pitchers for Glendale were members of the Dodgers organization, including starter Brooks Auger, who was pulled an out shy of finishing the third inning, having allowed three earned runs—all of them in the opening frame. Mesa scored 13 runs with just a single home run, one that came in the first inning with a runner on base, as Antonio Anderson took Auger deep.

Dodgers’ Sam Horn and Cody Morse each pitched in with a clean inning, striking out two—it wasn’t until Samuel Carpio of the Marlins came on in the sixth that the wheels came off with an eight-run rally for the visiting side, losing this one despite out-hitting their opponent 16-to-9.

Productive one through nine offensively, the Desert Dogs saw eight of their nine starting hitters reach base multiple times, including all four Dodgers. Charles Davalan and Chase Harlan each secured two hits in six at-bats and drove in a run, while Eduardo Quintero walked twice and singled once in five opportunities up at the plate. Reaching base so often, Quintero made the most of it, responsible for three of Glendale’s six stolen bases in seven attempts. Lastly, down in the ninth spot, Anson Aroz had an RBI, going 1 for 4 with a walk.

Monday score

Mesa 13, Glendale 12

Tuesday schedule

The Glendale Desert Dogs look for their sixth win as they welcome the Mesa Solar Sox for an afternoon matchup, with first pitch scheduled for 1:30 p.m.(PT).

Good morning! The Milwaukee Brewers took a commanding 3-0 World Series lead over the Tampa Bay Rays last night with a dominant 10-1 win. What are your predictions for Game 4? Will the Brewers sweep, or will the Rays get one back at home?

MLB Postseason scores…

• The Milwaukee Brewers erupted for a 10-1 win at Tropicana Field over the Tampa Bay Rays thanks to an eight-run fifth inning. Brewers starter Robert Gasser allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings, and left fielder Jackson Chourio logged four hits by the end of the fifth inning.

In Mariners news…

• The Mariners are holding in-person interviews with former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada and Chicago Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler for their managerial vacancy.
• Members of the Lookout Landing staff review their top qualities for the Mariners’ new manager.
• Don’t forget to vote in both this week’s photo caption contest and the Fifth Annual Lookout Landing Awards.

Around the league…

• Former Mariner and current Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Daniel Vogelbach has brought a unique energy and game plan to the team’s hard-hitting offense.
• Dominant Milwaukee Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby has used a mechanical tweak to take his pitching to the next level.
• MLB has been testing out restricted outfield shifts in the Arizona Fall League to increase offensive production.
• This year’s World Series has the shortest average roster height in at least the past 40 years #justiceforshortkings.
• The Philadelphia Phillies should beware of signing an aging corner outfielder this offseason based on their recent contract history.
• New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was recognized for his off-field community involvement with the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award.

Before the 2026 season, the Yankees re-signed utilityman Amed Rosario to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. Long rumored to be a trade target for the Bombers, Rosario spent the latter half of 2025 with the team after being acquired from the Nationals at the Trade Deadline. The move was low-risk and really seemed like a fit that was too good to be true.

The organization brought Rosario back to balance the lineup against left-handed pitching, and he earned solid marks from PSA last year for doing just that. His ability to play multiple positions also made him a useful bench piece, allowing him to slide around the infield and outfield as needed. Still, I think we all know the vision was for him to serve as the other half of a platoon at third base alongside Ryan McMahon. To say that dream fell short would be an understatement.

Grade: F

2026 Stats: 87 G, 244 PA, 10 HR, 28 R, 34 RBI, 3 SB, .238/.279/.405, 88 wRC+, -0.2 fWAR, -0.2 bWAR

2027 Contract Status: Free agent

After participating in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic, Rosario got off to a strong start to the season. During April and May, he looked much like the player he had been for most of his career, batting around .270 and occasionally getting a hold of a pitch or two. His bat and versatility were useful as he moved around the infield, plugging holes as they arose due to injury. However, his production plummeted after he returned from the paternity list in early June.

In June and July, Rosario slashed .195/.241/.366. His strikeout rate climbed to 34.5 percent over that stretch, and it felt like he was swinging at flies in every at-bat. By this point, it was also becoming apparent that Rosario wasn’t hitting lefties remotely as well as he was righties, making the daily chess match that much harder.

Over the last third of the season, Rosario’s numbers settled in the middle of his previous two segments as he batted .258 in August and .231 in September. In another strange twist, after hitting a big blast at the end of July, Rosario’s power dried up, and he failed to hit another home run in either month. In a lot of ways, Rosario’s season was a microcosm of the Yankees’ year. What looked like a low-risk move that was too good to be true got off to a promising start before ultimately falling short of expectations in ways that were almost impressive.

Rosario made the Wild Card roster and went 0-for-1 with a strikeout and a walk in his lone postseason appearance against Boston. He was then left off the ALDS roster against the Rays as the coaching staff opted to carry another pitcher in his place. I assume Rosario’s baseball future will be somewhere other than the Bronx next season after his year and a half run with the Yankees.

Defensively, Rosario’s versatility was somewhat useful with the injuries the club faced, but the results were ugly as his Outs Above Average came in at -9. He appeared in 55 games at third base, seven at second base and designated hitter, five games in right field, and four in left field. Rosario’s defensive numbers at the infield spots were as rough as the eye test, as he posted a .911 fielding percentage at third and .882 at second. He was perfect in the limited action in both outfield spots, but overall he wasn’t a very reliable defender at any position making his versatility less valuable.

Rosario’s biggest highlight came on July 31, when he launched a 450-foot home run against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It was the second-longest home run hit by a Yankee all season. Another noteworthy performance came in April against the Athletics, when Rosario hit two home runs, including the go-ahead three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning off former Yankee reliever Mark Leiter Jr.

In 2026, Rosario, the man meant to mash lefties, ended the season batting .208 against southpaws, well below his .287 career average. His .606 OPS against left-handed pitching was a far cry from what the Yankees needed. The splits against righties made the situation even more head-scratching: he hit .295 with an .833 OPS, compared to a .265 career average against right-handers.

The final Statcast numbers showed a 39.3-percent hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of 90.2 mph. His average bat speed reached 74.0 mph, a career high, and he set a new career high with a 112.1 mph exit velocity. Additionally, Rosario might have suffered from some poor luck, as his expected batting average (xBA) was .250, 12 points higher than his actual average.

Rosario finished the season with negative WAR, posting a -0.2 mark. When you literally have one job and you fail to do it, a failing grade is fair and is what the group consensus here at PSA concluded. I personally gave Rosario a D- due to the fact he hit righties well this year, if nothing else. What grade would you place on his report card? 

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See more of the Yankees Roster Report Card series here.

A companion piece to yesterday’s, if you will. Some people already shared the reverse of what yesterday’s question was about, but we’ll do it in earnest now. And since Joel Payamps was my to-little-avail I told you so, I’ll share something I was (happily) wrong about.

The 2026 Braves June experience was pretty crazy. I looked it up, and no team in as far as I bothered looking (2001 or so) that ultimately made the playoffs had an aberrantly bad month like that. In other words, either having that bad of a month knocked the team out of the playoffs, or it was more normal than abnormal for that team, and as such it wasn’t going to make the playoffs anyway.

So, after June, and amid some rumblings from the team that I heard about a few weeks later, I figured that the Braves basically had met a fork in the road: either they improved their offense a lot post-June, or they’d collapse. To be more specific, I figured that the Braves had to be a top-ten offense by something from some specific stretch like July-on, the “second half,” etc., or else they’d fail to make the playoffs.

Well, that didn’t happen. They did make the playoffs.

• From July 1-on, they were 20th in xwOBA and 18th in wOBA
• From the All-Star Break on, they were 18th and 19th, respectively
• From August 1-on, they were 26th and 21, respectively
• From September 1-on, they were 19th and 21st, respectively

None of those are even close to top ten, and they’re all pretty much the same, too. This was not a good offense after June. And, yet, the Braves kept playing .580ish ball either way. Amazing.

In case you haven’t been paying much attention to the World Series, Game 2 on Saturday night ended with a little bit of controversy. Yandy Diaz of the Rays was up with two outs in the ninth inning with the tying run on third base. Diaz worked the count full before Brewers’ pitcher Aaron Ashby threw a curveball in the dirt that Diaz checked his swing on. Home plate umpire Jim Wolf ruled it a ball, but Milwaukee catcher William Contreras called for a review from first base umpire James Hoye who determined that Diaz did indeed go around for the strike out, ending the game with Tampa Bay going down 0-2 in the series.

Do you think Yandy Díaz checked his swing here? pic.twitter.com/CxwDi4ixlk

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 25, 2026

The MLB rulebook does not officially define what a swing is, rather leaving it up to the judgement of the umpires to rule on whether a hitter offered at a pitch. Because of this, any two people can look at this Diaz incident and have differing opinions on whether it was a swing or not. In a world where many parts of the game are now reviewable with the help of technology, check swing incidents stand out as something that is still entirely reliant upon the umpires on the field.

That may not be the case much longer though. Earlier this year, MLB began testing check swing challenges in the minor leagues two years after doing so in the Arizona Fall League. This process follows the one that the new automated balls and strikes system underwent before it was officially brought to the major leagues. Therefore, it’s not hard to see that the check swing challenge is likely going to be coming to the majors soon as well.

If the aforementioned Diaz play was able to be challenged, it would not have been ruled a swing under the system currently in use in the minor leagues.

This is how ACS would look, had it been in place https://t.co/YmWnZlj7Kgpic.twitter.com/DwN5os6its

— Tangotiger 🍁 (@tangotiger) October 25, 2026

No replay system is perfect, but so far, it’s hard to argue against the efficiency of the ABS now that it’s been implemented in MLB. Would the automated check swing system bring similar results or would it cause unintended consequences?

So, should check swing calls be reviewable? What is your judgment on the Diaz play? What do you think about the system being tested in the minor leagues?

Fifteen months ago, with the 2025 Orioles in the midst of a lost season, Mike Elias put a metaphorical Clearance Sale sign on the O’s roster. Everything that wasn’t nailed down was up for grabs, and in the span of a week, Elias made seven trades that jettisoned eight players from the major league squad, including Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, and nearly half the bullpen. In return, 14 newcomers joined the Orioles’ organization.

One notable fact about those 14: not a single one of them was a major league player. Even with the trades creating a litany of holes in the Orioles’ active roster, the O’s didn’t acquire anyone who would immediately fill those slots. For Birds fans anxious to get their first look at the return haul from the fire sale, they’d have to wait a while longer.

Enter Anthony Nunez. The rookie right-hander, acquired from the Mets in the Mullins deal, was the first of that 2025 prospect bonanza to arrive in the bigs after earning a surprise inclusion on this year’s Opening Day roster. And by the time the season ended, he’d become one of the Orioles’ most-used arms out of the bullpen, with his 52 appearances ranking fifth on the team.

Nunez’s path to the majors was circuitous, to say the least. A standout shortstop at Miami Springs HS, Nunez was drafted by the Padres in the 29th round in 2019, but was released two years later after topping out in Low-A. He took advantage of an NCAA rule that allowed former high school signees to return to college as long as it wasn’t with a Division I school, joining Division II University of Tampa in 2022.

With the Spartans, Nunez became a two-way player, taking the mound for the first time in 2024 and striking out 20 batters in 11.2 innings. With his arm clearly much more intriguing than his bat, Nunez landed a minor league deal with the Mets as a full-time pitcher, where he flew through the minors and reached Double-A Binghamton in 2025.

At the time the O’s acquired him for Mullins — along with fellow righties Raimon Gomez and Chandler Marsh — Nunez was laying waste to minor league hitters. He had a 0.80 WHIP, a 40% strikeout rate, and batters were hitting just .119 against him. The O’s immediately promoted him to Triple-A Norfolk, where Nunez had a bit of a ruder greeting, posting a 4.85 ERA and allowing 18 baserunners in 13 innings. He still racked up 21 strikeouts.

FanGraphs in particular loved Nunez, ranking him as the Orioles’ sixth-best prospect in May, ahead of Ike Irish, Nate George, and Joseph Dzierwa, among others. Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski pegged him as “a premium reliever with three plus or better pitches and uncommon strike-throwing consistency,” and also suggested that he could eventually be stretched out as a starter. They praised Nunez’s fastball, changeup, and a slider that they called “an elite swing-and-miss pitch.”

It seemed certain that Nunez would make his MLB debut this season, but it happened sooner than most expected. His impressive spring training — five scoreless innings, with no walks and six strikeouts — earned him an Opening Day roster spot, even though he’d been optioned to minor league camp weeks earlier.

Nunez dazzled in his major league debut March 28, throwing two perfect innings in mop-up work against the Twins, and soon he worked his way into high-leverage roles, earning holds in three consecutive appearances in early April. After his first dozen games, Nunez was rocking a 1.35 ERA and 16 strikeouts, looking like a great find for the Birds’ bullpen.

But baseball is a game of adjustments, and hitters adjusted to Nunez. Just one month later, at the end of May, Nunez’s ERA had ballooned to 5.67. He suffered six outings in which he allowed multiple runs, including a four-run blowup in Tampa Bay on May 20 when he turned a 3-1 Orioles eighth-inning lead into a discouraging 5-3 loss.

In June, when closer Ryan Helsley returned from the injured list, Nunez lost his roster spot. The O’s optioned him to the minors, and he spent most of the rest of the year riding the shuttle between Norfolk and Baltimore. He spent the majority of September in the Orioles’ bullpen, and ultimately finished the season with a 4.07 ERA (and an exactly league-average 100 ERA+) in 52 games. He struck out 10 batters per nine innings, and he did a good job of keeping the ball in the park, with a 0.8 HR/9 rate. His walk rate was a bit high (3.9 BB/9) but not disastrously so.

The results may not have been overly impressive, but there was a lot to like about Nunez’s repertoire. His offspeed arsenal was especially sharp. The slider that the FanGraphs duo crowed about (which is classified in Baseball Savant as a sweeper) was Nunez’s most-used pitch. He generated a 45.8 whiff percentage with it, holding batters to a paltry .147 average and .200 SLG. His changeup was also elite (.102 AVG, .163 SLG), as was a cutter that he threw only 6% of the time (.125 AVG, .313 SLG).

Where Nunez struggled was with his fastball, which averaged a strong 96.1 mph but didn’t have enough movement to keep hitters off balance. Batters pounded his four-seamer for a .316 average and .561 slugging, and his sinker was simply non-competitive, surrendering a .458 AVG and .667 SLG. He’ll need to do some work on his heater this offseason so that opponents can’t just start sitting on his offspeed stuff.

Nunez’s 2026 performance had its ups and downs, but he showed promise as a 25-year-old getting his first introduction to the majors. It’s not out of the question that the Orioles could try to convert him into a starter, though as yet they haven’t announced any such plans. Even if not, Nunez should have a leg up for a spot in next year’s bullpen.

Not too shabby for a guy who was an infielder two years ago.

The Boston Red Sox are stuck. If you’re the type of person who is content finishing third within the division and being bounced by your arch rivals in just a handful of games in back-to-back seasons, you might disagree. If you’re not an idiot, you know difficult decisions need to be made and that things need to change.

I’ve decided to task myself with analyzing which players can be part of the turnaround and which should be shown the door, all as a way to take the heat off chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. If you’re not down with that, I’ve got two words for ya: Problem or Solution?

---

I genuinely have no idea what the plan is…

Kristian Campbell was supposed to be part of the future, but the same guy who signed an eight-year contract extension before making his big league debut just spent the entire season in the minor leagues and has been surpassed by several replacement-level players and new acquisitions on the depth chart.

I’d love to blame the organization for all that, but they’ve tried him at multiple positions and have given him plenty of time to fix the issues that started to plague him at the plate after his torrid start to professional baseball. If you look at his numbers and positions played the last two seasons, you can see that there has been plenty of time and energy placed into making this whole thing work.

2025 (MLB): 67 G (59 2B, 9 OF), .223/.319/.345, 6 HR, 10 2B, 72 K, 29 BB
2025 (MiLB):65 G (32 1B, 11 2B, 22 OF), .273/.382/.417, 8 HR, 11 2B, 84 K, 38 BB
2026 (MiLB):108 G (10 DH, 98 OF), .256/.383/.380, 8 HR, 22 2B, 126 K, 73 BB

ONCE AGAIN… I genuinely have no idea what the plan is.

WHAT WE KNOW
The Red Sox are stuck trying to figure out what to do with this guy — for better or worse.

Campbell spent last season rebuilding his swing, which seemed to be an edict from the organization as it looked to help get him back to being the guy it dished out that contract to. I don’t necessarily know if they got him there, but improvements were made and he definitely seemed to find his footing defensively as an outfielder/designated hitter.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW
I don’t know if he’s good enough to play over the likes of Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, or Curtis Mead.

Boston currently plans to fill all three outfield spots and second base with those four players, while it has also made it known that designated hitter is reserved for players who need a day off from playing the field or veterans who suck doing anything else. I can’t see them making that plan work, though, which is both good and bad news for the positionless guy with a big fat contract that needs to be paid out.

There’s still a ways to go, but Kristian Campbell looks like a different player than earlier in the season. Here’s an open-side look at his swing from April and then from tonight. pic.twitter.com/T2dgzRntGV

— Ian Cundall (@IanCundall) August 15, 2026

BEST-CASE SCENARIO

The Red Sox are able to turn him into the platoon outfielder that they’ve needed since losing Rob Refsnyder. If you can get him into the lineup consistently against left-handers, you can get that outfield trio off its feet and try to keep it healthy while also lengthening the lineup.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO
It’s a lost cause…

$80 million has been poorly spent and will now sit on the books long enough to make it a consistent issue we have to hear about when discussing why they refuse to spend money year after year.

CONCLUSION
I can’t give up on the guy, and neither will the organization. Campbell will be a positive contributor next season.

Good morning.

Kennedi Landry writes about Jack Leiter hoping to bounce back from a flukish injury that started what became a lost season for the young righty.

In today’s Sebastian Walcott update, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen checks out the prospects at the Arizona Fall League where Walcott has looked like the cream of the crop in the desert.

And, after a victory last night to go up 3-0, Thad Levine’s Brewers will have four shots at winning one more game against Jon Daniels’ Rays to join most recently the Rangers in winning the first World Series in franchise history.

Have a nice day!

When ranking the Mets' offseason needs, finding an ace to front a promising young rotation is right at the top. Beyond that, New York still has a glaring hole at first base, which they should aim to fill with a legitimate offensive upgrade to their in-house options.

But while the rotation and first base might be 1A and 1B on the Mets' checklist, rebuilding the bullpen isn't far behind.

The Mets' relief corps was a strength in 2026, both before and after the trade deadline sell-off that saw four late-inning arms (two pending free agents, two players under team control beyond 2026) shipped off.

Overall in 2026, New York's bullpen ERA was 3.76, which ranked 10th in MLB and was just a tick below the Dodgers (3.74 ERA).

Of the nine teams who finished with a better bullpen ERA than the Mets, eight of them reached the postseason, with the Brewers (No. 3) making it all the way to the World Series. 

So New York clearly has something to build on. And for all of David Stearns' missteps in 2026, he deserves credit for building a strong bullpen ahead of the season and pressing the right buttons to keep it humming even after so many key members were traded. 

Still, there are big questions when it comes to who will be closing games in 2027, whether Kodai Senga will be a factor in relief, and which relievers who shined down the stretch can be counted on.

Who are the Mets' bullpen options for 2027, and how should they proceed? Let's break it down...

The Internal Options

If you had to list pitchers who are guaranteed to be in the bullpen -- assuming everyone is healthy -- on Opening Day of 2027, there would probably just be one name on the list: Devin Williams.

There are other likely members, including Daniel Duarte and Austin Warren (who are both out of minor league options). 

Left-hander Nate Lavender, who excelled down the stretch this season in what was his first taste of the majors, also feels like close to a lock.

But there are lots of questions beyond that.

A huge variable exists when it comes to Senga.

Senga acclimated well when he was shifted to a late-inning relief role this past season, and his fastball/forkball combination played up. But his preference is to start. Beyond that, it is fair to wonder whether his health would hold up over a full season of short-relief usage, and whether he's suited for the role given his meticulous routines. 

Reed Garrett could be a key cog if he's back healthy, which is the expectation after he spent the last year-plus recovering from Tommy John surgery. But he hasn't pitched in a big league game since September of 2025.

Dedniel Núñez, who emerged as a late-game arm in 2024 and missed 2025 after having TJS, rounded into form after returning last season and was very impressive -- posting a 3.32 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 19 innings. While he figures to be a key part of the bullpen next season, he has minor league options remaining, meaning New York could possibly start him in the minors if there's a roster crunch. 

Lefty Cionel Perez is an interesting case, since he's arbitration-eligible and out of minor league options. During a nine-year career with the Orioles, Astros, Reds, Nationals, and Mets, Perez has shown enough to keep getting chances. He had a terrific season for Baltimore in 2022 (1.40 ERA in 57.2 innings) and was also good for the O's in 2023 (3.54 ERA in 53.1 innings), but it's been tough sledding since then. Over the last three years, Perez has a 5.30 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 120.2 innings.

However, Perez was solid for the Mets in 24 appearances over 29.1 innings in 2026, with a 3.99 ERA (3.75 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP while walking just 2.5 per nine and striking out 10.7 per nine. 

Perez also has a fastball that can touch close to 99 mph, so perhaps the Mets roll the dice and see if they can unlock what made him a key cog for the Orioles a few years ago. 

Then there's Tobias Myers, who had an up-and-down season in 2026, but could be an option as a long reliever. 

Elsewhere on the 40-man roster are depth options such as Jonathan Pintaro, Justin Hagenman, and Jefry Yan -- a hard-throwing lefty whom Stearns spoke highly of after the season. 

Minor leaguers who could possibly contribute in 2027 include hard throwers Dylan Ross and Ryan Lambert. 

The External Options

The Mets have enough intriguing bullpen depth on the roster that wholesale changes aren't needed. But it can be argued that they should be targeting a closer.

That's because as dominant as Williams can be at times, he is coming off back-to-back subpar seasons.

Spanning 2025 (with the Yankees) and 2026, Williams has posted a 4.65 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 102.2 innings. In 2026, Williams' WHIP was an unsightly 1.57 as his hits per nine (9.5) and walks per nine (4.6) shot up, while his strikeout rate (11.4 per nine) dropped to its lowest level since his rookie season.

That Williams' FIP over the last two seasons is 2.83 suggests he has also been unlucky. But even with that being the case, he is about to be four years removed from his last full season of dominance, which came with the Brewers in 2023.

If the Mets look for a closer on the open market, the most obvious choice would be pending free agent Adrian Morejon, who will be entering his age-28 season in 2027.

Over the last three years, Morejon has a 2.58 ERA (2.46 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP in 223.1 innings while striking out 248 (a rate of 10.0 per nine). A glance at Morejon's advanced stats via Baseball Savant suggests that his dominance should be sustainable. Meanwhile, his stuff -- primarily a two-seam fastball and four-seamer that both average a tick under 100 mph, and a changeup -- graded out near the top of the league.

If the Padres place the qualifying offer on Morejon, however, things could get complicated. 

If New York turns to the free agent market for a reliever who profiles in the late innings but might not unseat Williams as the closer, Jonathan Loaisiga and Bryan Abreu stand out. 

The Mets should also be on the lookout for an established left-hander, with Alex Vesia being among the best options.