Category: Baseball

The Brewers defeated the Dodgers and upended the narrative supporting the salary cap going into the offseason. Will this actually impact CBA negotiations?

James Attwood: I don’t really see how. Sure, the Brewers are a smaller market than the Dodgers. They have a much smaller payroll. But, if anything, the Brewers advancing is only going to fuel the MLBPA to get even stickier about trying to control salaries in any way, shape, or form. Also, even though plenty of fans and pundits like to give MLB front offices a hard time about making stupid decisions, those offices are by and large, stacked with incredibly intelligent people. Those people are going to be able to take a step back and recognize that one season’s playoff picture is hardly a sample size large enough to be called indicative of the sport moving forward. There were questions after Arizona went to the World Series in 2023 about whether or not MLB had done enough to create obstacles for Wild Card teams in the playoffs, all because Arizona steamrolled the Brewers and Dodgers. This year, pundits are calling for the entire seeding system to be blown up because there was a team with a .500 record that not only made the playoffs, but won their division outright. Single seasons may bring some oddities, but they are usually not indicative of the reality of the game’s overall health.

I suspect, both the ownership side of things and the MLBPA have already drawn their battle lines and have already started crafting their arguments. This outcome in the playoffs will do more to feed the online debates between fans and pundits than it will do for or against the CBA negotiations.

C. Wesley Baier: I think it will impact the CBA negotiations, but how much is the real question. I would be shocked if the MLBPA didn’t use this as evidence against a salary cal, but I cant say if it wil be all that successful of a tactic.

Spencer: Nope. Anything can happen in a small sample size. Owners are greedy and want to abuse their employees/customers for profit still. Players are greedy and only care about the uppermost tiers of earning power. Fans will quiet down a little, but fan opinion and outrage has never been a driving force for either side.

Justin27: FTD

Makakilo: In half of the last ten seasons, the Dodgers reached the World Series. Three times they won the World Series. Their frequent success remains a problem.

1AZfan1: I doubt it. The owners were asking for a salary cap before the Dodgers lost. The Players were adamantly against a cap before the Dodgers lost. It’s going to be ugly. It was always going to be ugly.

ISH95: I think it’s going to be a rallying cry for the MLBPA in their Court of Public Opinion negotiations, but I don’t think it’s going to have a huge effect. The problem with this loss is that, without a salary cap, it really sets them up for another similar explosion like we saw after 2023. Their current core is slipping and aging, and if there is no salary cap, they’ll just replace them and move on. Trade what salary they can, dump what they can’t. It’s what they’ve done before. The owners know this, so do the players but that’s a different story. Nothing has actually changed other than a random, broken clock situation.

The Diamondbacks moved on from Brian Kaplan, but kept Joe Mather. Was this the right call?

James Attwood: Time will tell. I was a bit surprised by the team moving on from Kaplan. But, the team looks like they are trying to get new voices into the pitching development pipeline and maybe they thought this newer approach might unlock even more success among the numerous arms trying to make the final leap to the Majors. As for Mather, I think he’s been fine. I don’t think he has been particularly good or bad. But, some struggling players were successful in making in-season adjustments, including Nolan Arenado. If the team was going to move on from Mather, I would either want to see how his approach is falling on deaf ears, making his coaching a waste of time, or see the team line up a highly regarded hitting guru to replace Mather. Since neither of those things are happening, retaining Joe Mather seems fine.

C. Wesley Baier: I think they should have let Mather go as well, and I wasnt impressed other than how revitalized Arenado was at the plate.

Spencer: I assume so. Seems to me like Kaplan was a lame duck all year and the new pitching coach will be chosen with Bleich’s input. As for Mather? Meh. I don’t think coaches matter all that much on a major league team. They are sounding boards. Most true star players have personal coaches and anyone below that level is always going to be fighting for their roster spot anyway.

Justin27: I am not sure. We were all wanting Kaplan to move on after last season, I think. It seems maybe he learned from his mistakes or gained experience this season, though. If it were up to me I would move on from both. Who would I take to replace them? I don’t know, but whomever Wes, James, etc would hypothetically want is who I would go with lol.

Makakilo: Yes because of one word: sustainability. Ignoring pitching performance (which was a problem for some pitchers), in 2026 about 70% of total salary was for pitching compared to 30% for position players. That is not sustainable.

1AZfan1: If it had to be one or the other, Mather was the one to keep in my opinion. The Diamondbacks offense fell short compared to last season’s team, but that loss was almost entirely due to a collective step back from the “Big 3” of Domo, CC, and Ketel. Last season, the team tallied 805 Weighted Runs Created (wRC) per FanGraphs. This year they had 723, about an 11% drop. Last year, the Big 3 accounted for 320 wRC and this year they fell to a combined 261, a 23% drop. The rest of the lineup had a more modest 4% drop in wRC, and when you’re replacing Bambino Geno Suarez with rookies and a clearance-rack purchase of Nolan Arenado, a 4% overall drop in offense is pretty good.

The pitching staff was the strength of this team this year for sure, but I’m fine pressing the “I Believe” button and allowing Jeremy Bleich to pick his guy.

ISH95: 12 months ago that’s an easy question to answer. His changes seemed to lead to far more injury last season, regression from those that weren’t, and a bullpen that wasn’t great. This year, though, injuries were curtailed to a reasonable amount, the bullpen was solidly average, and we got some overperformance from some pitchers. Like other’s have said, however, we have a new Maester of pitching, so he probably wants his own.

Similar answer for Mather, as well. The offense had a couple of really good seasons with him at the hitting helm, and then one bad one. As a general rule, I’m hesitant to make knee jerk reactions when we have multiple seasons of good data and only one of bad, so I’m okay keeping him. However, if we continue to see struggles from the offense by the second month of next season, then it probably should be time for a change.

Kendrick went on Arizona Sports and announced they would be cutting payroll. Do you believe this will all come from low cost pre arb players replacing veterans, or should we expect salary moving trades?

James Attwood: I expect that most of the salary saving likely comes from allowing the likes of Lourdes GurrielJr. and Zac Gallen to drop off the books. That alone will account for $26.025 million in savings. Michael Soroka, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, and A.J. Puk are all also likely to depart along with Jonathan Loaisiga, Taylor Clarke and Pavin Smith. That adds another $21.575 million in savings. With all of those players departing via free agency, there won’t be much in the way of contracts left to trade off. The team could potentially explore an Eduardo Rodriguez trade, or perhaps a Ketel Marte trade. But, given that the team will be in need of 3-4 more starters as it is and that Marte has 10/5 no-trade rights, I don’t see much in the way of moving contracts to clear salary.

C. Wesley Baier: I think we’re going to see both as part an effort to maximize the value coming out of the payroll.

Spencer: Wait. Again? How many seasons in a row has he said this now? Two? Three? I think it will mostly come from letting free agents walk. Gallen, Soroka, Gurriel alone account for significant money who won’t be back. Of them only Soroka needs to be replaced/retained. I expect some trades to fill the “holes.” While I don’t really expect “big” money to be moved, Erod, Kelly or Marte moving wouldn’t blow me away either. In true Hazen form, I think it will be a little bit of everything. I could see a medium/big free agent/trade splash (like a $20M/yr committment for who knows how many years) and dumpster diving for bullpen arms.

And I can see him buying a young MLBer or prospect with some upside as well. Despite all the bruhaha people want to give him for McCarthy and Blaze last winter, those are the type of deals he tends to excel in. And one strength of the farm (FINALLY) is having depth for hitters capable of filling emergency holes on an MLB team. Your Blazes and Groovers and Fernandezes of the world. Not stars, or even true starters, but capable filler. If he can find the right trade target who’s current team needs some depth, I can absolutely see him packaging some of those “lesser” Arizona prospects to obtain the necessary MLB piece.

All this is meaningless though since one other near surety of Kendrick saying he’s cutting payroll is Kendrick spending money on a pitcher no one had as a target for Arizona. So I predict Skubal signs with Arizona hours before the Lockout begins at $50M/yr and immediately becomes a pumpkin. But man, three years from now? He’s going to have such a pretty not-terrible year!

Justin27: To me, “from low cost pre arb players replacing veterans” sounds like a rebuild. Given those two options, and that I cant come up with a third, I will go with that though.

Makakilo: Expect less salary for pitchers, more salary for position players.

1AZfan1: I actually have an article in draft for (hopefully) later this week looking at trade candidates to open up financial room, but I looked at it more through the lens of opening up payroll space to spend in FA instead of straight cutting talent. I suppose it is a possibility that ownership’s vision was to not add anything of value in free agency and just let rookies and castoffs fill the roster holes created by free agency, but I don’t think the cost cutting will be that drastic.

ISH95: I suspect that most of it will come from expiring contracts. Just replacing Gallen with a pitching machine would lower payroll by 22 million (and the team ERA by about .75). I also could see a salary clearing move or two as well. Sitting Marte down and figuring out what three teams he wouldn’t veto a trade to, and then figuring out a package with one of them regardless of the return wouldn’t really surprise me either at this point. That would clear another 19 million or so, and suddenly you’ve already cut 40 million off the payroll, plus the other expiring contracts not mentioned. Cutting the salary isn’t the question. The real question is how much of the savings they’ll be able to reinvest and fill some holes.

Banana Ball is coming to Chase Field. Will you be putting your name in the lottery?

James Attwood: Probably. I’m supposed to discuss that with the Mrs. this weekend.

C. Wesley Baier: Would love to but I don’t think the trip up to Phoenix, a hotel for the night, food, and everything else is in my budget, even if I did manage to score some tickets.

Spencer: I will not. Because I live in Ohio. But I will be for their performances in Cleveland and Cincinnati. I’m going to need some sort of baseball next season afterall! MLB can’t be counted on for that anymore, so I’ll take my measely, pathetic, poor-man’s dollars elsewhere.

Justin27: No. The drive up to Phoenix and back at night is terrible. I can kind of see why ST left. [Ed. Note bookmarking this for later use :-)]

Makakilo: Banana Ball will be in Honolulu on April 30 to May 1, 2027. I entered the lottery for Honolulu.

1AZfan1: Not in the area so no I will not, but I wouldn’t mind taking the kids at some point in the future when they visit our area. I’m not sure Banana Ball is something I want to drop money on to attend in person, but I know my boys would get a kick out of it.

ISH95: Nothing like a question like this to remind me that basically none of the writers live in Phoenix lol but yes, both my wife and I have put in for the lottery. It would be our second time going to a Bananas game, and we are both hopefully that we’ll make it.

Rasmussen shines as Rays beat Guardians 3-1 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 ALCS lead originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tampa Bay’s Jonny DeLuca figured it was going to be a quiet day for the outfielders with Drew Rasmussen on the mound for Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians

With the way Rasmussen quieted the Guardians offense on Sunday, that made for a perfect evening.

“It gets kind of boring out there because it’s incredible the stuff he has,” DeLuca said. “But you like that because he’s your teammate.”

Rasmussen allowed one run over seven innings for his second postseason win in a 3-1 victory that gave the Rays a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out six.

“The way he limited anything was really, really impressive,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He got in rhythm with the fastball. A lot of power to everything. Then the depth on the changeup throughout the outing was a big pitch for him.”

Tampa Bay has won the last two games and will try to capture its third AL pennant and first since 2020 on Monday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Since the ALCS expanded to best-of-seven games in 1985, road teams winning Game 5 for a 3-2 lead have won the series four of five times.

“It’s a great opportunity. All of us are thinking of it. But it all ends tomorrow. We’re going to win tomorrow,” said designated hitter Yandy Díaz, who had three hits.

Game 7 if needed would be Tuesday. The World Series starts Friday at NL champion Milwaukee.

Rasmussen had given up two runs over six innings in the opener. After Chase DeLauter’s two-out single in the first, the 31-year-old right-hander retired nine straight batters and allowed only one other baserunner through the sixth.

Rasmussen is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three postseason starts, striking out 23 and walking three

He used his changeup only 12 times in the opener but threw it 27 times on Sunday, including 21 for strikes.

“We were able to attack with the changeup a lot more tonight,” he said. “The ability to drive the cutter to the top I thought was also another strength.”

Cleveland finally threatened in the seventh when Steven Kwan and José Ramírez singled to put runners at the corners, and DeLauter grounded an RBI single between first and second.

Cam Booser and Tyler Wells worked the eighth, with Wells striking out Ramírez to strand a runner.

Bryan Baker came in for the ninth and converted his 35th straight save chance, his fifth of this postseason. Jo Adell was on second base when Travis Bazzana hit a game-ending groundout.

Rays take advantage of early opportunities

Tampa Bay scored single runs in each of the first three innings, the first two off Parker Messick and the third against Tim Herrin.

Tampa Bay’s leadoff hitter reached base in the first four innings — scoring in the first three frames — and six times overall. Rays’ leadoff batters have reached in 10 of 14 innings dating to Saturday.

Díaz scored on a bases-loaded walk by Messick to DeLuca in the first inning. Díaz led off with a line-drive double over center fielder Petey Halpin that bounced on the warning track and off the wall.

Jonathan Aranda’s single drove in Ben Williamson for a 2-0 lead in the second, and Liam Hicks looped a curveball from Herrin to center to score Chandler Simpson in the third.

“I think we took advantage of getting ourselves in some favorable counts and getting some big hits,” Cash said. “We probably left some opportunities out there, and then they go to the bullpen, and it’s really challenging to piece together big innings when they’re mixing and matching from the third or fourth inning, whatever it was, on.”

Kwan helps keep Cleveland close

Kwan had two of Cleveland’s five hits and the four-time Gold Glove winner made two fine defensive plays: He threw out Walls trying to score from second base on Aranda’s fourth-inning single to left and made a leaping catch at the center-field wall on Victor Mesa Jr.’s eighth-inning drive, saving a run.

Messick had the shortest outing of his big league career and didn’t make it past the third inning for the second time in four postseason starts. The 25-year-old left-hander went two innings and allowed two runs, five hits and three walks, throwing just 34 of 57 pitches for strikes.

Cleveland has not won an ALCS when trailing 3-2 while the Rays are 58-27 at home this year, including the postseason.

The Guardians are seeking their first World Series title since 1948.

“We know we’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s a really good team and a really good team when they play at home, especially,” manager Stephen Vogt said. ”We know this is going to be tough but if there’s a group I’m betting on to get this done, it’s our guys.”

Up next

Tampa Bay will start right-hander Freddy Peralta (1-0, 0.79 ERA postseason), who will make his third appearance of the series. He threw six scoreless innings in his Game 2 start and pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief on Saturday. Cleveland has not announced a starter, and Vogt ruled out using right-hander Gavin Williams.

One of the three teams left standing in the 2026 Major League Baseball season, the Cleveland Guardians have the game's smallest payroll at $74.2 million.

Ranking 30th out of MLB's 30 teams in payroll, the Guardians are in the postseason for the third year in a row and making a second trip to the American League Championship Series in three years. In this ALCS, they're facing the Tampa Bay Rays – whose $98.3 million is 25th.

The winner of this series will face the Milwaukee Brewers (No. 19) in the World Series beginning on Friday, Oct 23. Milwaukee dispatched the Los Angeles Dodgers – whose $338 million payroll is more than the other three semifinalists combined – in the NL Championship Series.

The payroll figures obtained by USA TODAY Sports are the MLB Labor Relations Department's present-day salary calculation. The LRD numbers include the player’s actual salary plus his pro-rated signing bonus options – and the Dodgers' heavy use of deferrals and bonuses is why the New York Mets have the highest payroll according to these metrics.

MLB payrolls 2026

1. New York Mets: $346.8 million (out of the playoffs)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers: $338.0 million (In the playoffs)
3. New York Yankees: $304.6 million: In.
4. Philadelphia Phillies: $291.7 million: In.
5. Toronto Blue Jays: $275.4 million: Out.
6. Atlanta: $263.9 million: In.
7. Houston Astros: $249.5 million: In.
8. Chicago Cubs: $248.8 million: In
9. San Diego Padres: $223.9 million: In.
10. Boston Red Sox: $210.2 million: In
11. Detroit Tigers: $202.1 million: Out
12. San Francisco Giants: $197.6 million: Out.
13. Arizona Diamondbacks: $192.8 million: Out.
14. Texas Rangers: $192.5 million: Out.
15. Los Angeles Angels: $179.8 million: Out.
16. Seattle Mariners: $170.5 million: Out.
17. Baltimore Orioles: $169.2 million: Out
18. Kansas City Royals: $149.8 million: Out.
19. Milwaukee Brewers: $143.5 million: In.
20. Cincinnati Reds: $128.3 million: Out
21. Colorado Rockies: $117.0 million: Out
22. Minnesota Twins: $109.5 million: Out
23. Pittsburgh Pirates: $107.6 million: Out.
24. Athletics: $98.7 million: Out
25. Tampa Bay Rays: $98.3 million. In
26. Chicago White Sox: $98.0 million: In
27. St. Louis Cardinals: $94.7 million: Out.
28. Washington Nationals: $90.3 million: Out.
29. Miami Marlins: $83.0 million: Out.
30. Cleveland Guardians: $74.2 million: In.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB payrolls 2026: AL finalist Cleveland Guardians have lowest in baseball

The Rays and Guardians are putting together a very entertaining ALCS. The series is tied 2-2, with the teams alternating wins in each game.

Last night, the game was close until the late innings when the Rays pulled away. The bullpen game didn’t work to well for Cleveland, with five diffrent pitchers allowing at least one run in the game. And their defense didn’t help, either, with two errors. One led to an unearned run.

Drew Rasmussen starts for the Rays tonight against Patrick Messick for the Guardians. Rasmussen started game one of the series and pitched six innings with two runs. Messick allowed three runs in five innings in game two. All three runs were unearned after an error by José Ramírez extended an inning.

Because of the rainout on Friday, there will be no off day after tonight’s game. When it ends, both teams will hop a plane back to Florida for game six tomorrow night.

Rays lineup

1. Yandy Díaz (R) DH
2. Jonathan Aranda (L) 1B
3. Ryan Vilade (R) RF
4. Junior Caminero (R) 3B
5. Chandler Simpson (L) LF
6. Jonny DeLuca (R) CF
7. Liam Hicks (L) C
8. Ben Williamson (R) 2B
9. Taylor Walls (S) SS

Guardians lineup

1. Steven Kwan (L) LF
2. José Ramírez (S) 3B
3. Chase DeLauter (L) RF
4. Jo Adell (R) DH
5. Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B
6. Travis Bazzana (L) 2B
7. Patrick Bailey (S) C
8. Petey Halpin (L) CF
9. Brayan Rocchio (S) SS

The Yankees’ outfield was one of the main topics of discussion heading into this offseason, with a lot of uncertainty about what the future of the center field might look like.

Trent Grisham, who accepted a qualifying offer ahead of the 2026 season, held the position throughout the season until he was placed on the injured list during the summer with a hamstring injury. Spencer Jones took over the position in his place, performed well down the stretch, and went on to make his MLB postseason debut in the Wild Card Series against Boston.

After striking out to end the Yankees’ season in Game 3 of the ALDS against Tampa Bay, the free agent Grisham probably won’t be returning for another year in pinstripes. That leaves the position up for consideration ahead of the offseason, and right field likely won’t be an option with Aaron Judge returning to health. With Jones still getting a handle on manning center following some misplays and looking to also develop by solving his consistent strikeout problems at the plate, is it a good idea to bring in another player for center field next season?

MLB insider Joel Sherman recently reported that the Yankees expressed some interest in Nationals center fielder Jacob Young, who finished the regular season batting .252 with a .318 OBP and .708 OPS. He only recorded 78 strikeouts this season in 140 games with the Nationals, while Spencer Jones recorded 105 in 86 regular season games (though he did out-produce Young with a .742 OPS). Young also brings a lot of grit to both sides of the ball, stealing 18 bases this season and posting an 11 OAA on defense with a 92-percent success rate per Statcast. He has a solid arm too, reaching a high of 94.2 mph in 334 total throws this season.

Young is eligible for arbitration, and it’s likely that the Nationals will give him an offer. He won’t have the chance to walk because he’s under club control until 2029. If he doesn’t like their pitch, however, Young will be free to submit his own offer and go through the arbitration process. If the Yankees are serious about pursuing Young, they’ll have to come up with a trade package that will attract the Nationals’ interest.

There are several clubs also in need of a steady starting outfielder, including the Astros, Rangers, Reds, Orioles, and Blue Jays. The 27-year-old center fielder may make a good fit in the Bronx to give Jones some more room for development, but the question is: will the Yankees move to secure him this offseason?

Game five of the ALCS is an afternoon game, or a late afternoon game. It is going to be about 16 C at game time, so they can’t complain about the temperature.

With the teams tied at two, the winner of game five wins about 65% of the time. I thought the number would be higher. I enjoy last night’s game. I still don’t care who wins, but it was interesting baseball.

They play again tomorrow and Tuesday.

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Feeling so sad for the people and their families effected by the fire in Wainwright.

pic.twitter.com/IHpi9t0NWu

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 18, 2026

It’s a brisk, fall afternoon by the lake in Cleveland, Ohio as the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians continue the fight to punch their ticket for the 2026 World Series.

With a Rays victory last night, this series is guaranteed to go at least six games and return to Florida. The results of this afternoon’s game will determine which team is on the back foot and facing elimination tomorrow night.

On the mound for the Rays is the right-handed Drew Rasmussen, who has been one Tampa Bay’s keys to success this post-season. Starting with a near no-hitter against the Yankees, Rasmussen has anchored the Rays rotation with just two earned runs allowed over 14 innings.

Pitching for the Guardians today is 25-year-old lefty Parker Messick. Messick gave up four earned runs but struck out 11 across 6.2 innings against the Chicago White Sox, but posted his first scoreless start of the post-season against Cleveland in game one of the ALCS.

Tampa Bay Rays (2-2) at Cleveland Guardians (2-2) — 3:08 PM MDT

Pitching Matchup: RHP Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 1.29 ERA) vs LHP Parker Messick (0-2, 3.09 ERA)

SB Nation sites:DRaysBay | Covering the Corner

Radio: ESPN Radio

TV: TBS/HBO Max

Lineups:

Game 5 almost live

👀: TBS/HBO MAX
👂: 95.7 WDAE pic.twitter.com/qxVoFQwBMw

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 18, 2026

Need you today, Cleveland. 🗣️#GuardsBall | #StandGuardpic.twitter.com/9XTZr1iXh9

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 18, 2026

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Hey look, it’s a Jurickson Profar post.

The last time that this guy was mentioned as the topic of discussion on this particular blog site was back when he was in the middle of his second PED-usage scandal in as many seasons. The second failed test caused Profar to miss the entirety of the 2026 season without pay, which meant that the Atlanta Braves were missing what could’ve been a useful DH bat for the entire 2026 season.

My assumptions that Profar would be back with the Braves in 2027 were put to the test when President/GM Alex Anthopoulos didn’t exactly confirm that the embattled hitter was a lock to return to the team going forward. As such, Profar has got something to prove for this upcoming season and he’ll be plying his trade for Los Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason. Lindsay Crosby was the first to report the news a few days ago. User Heydude2026 pointed it out over in The Feed so I’m sharing it over here, as well.

He also made a good point about the fact that Profar has signed with the team that Ronald Acuña Jr. has played multiple seasons of Winter ball for in the past. If Acuña goes back home to play as well, then I’d imagine that this could definitely be part of a clubhouse “goodwill assignment” of sorts, since I’d also imagine that Profar has a long, long way to go in order to smooth things over with the teammates that he has left high-and-dry for exactly 243 games over two seasons now.

Profar also just has a lot to prove in general. He posted some fine numbers at the plate during his 2025 season where he hit .245/.353/.434 with a .346 wOBA, 14 home runs and 123 wRC+ in 80 games played but the PED usage still hangs a big cloud over that production. He also didn’t seem particularly thrilled about serving in the DH role as the Braves were heading into this season and I’d assume that he’ll either try to play some outfield in Venezuela to show that he’s capable of being reliable out there or he’ll strictly focus on hitting going forward so he can fit in the role.

Either way, this is just a step in Profar’s quest to hopefully smooth things over with the Braves on all levels going forward. He’s still under contract but Anthopoulos’ comments about him during his end-of-season press conference certainly implied that his spot on the team may be in jeopardy regardless. We’ll see what happens going forwad, y’all.

On the 4th of July, Brandon Woodruff threw what he and many thought would certainly be his last pitch of 2026 and potentially the last pitch of his entire career. Soon, it was revealed that doctors believed surgery would be required to again fix the shoulder capsule in his throwing arm. Two major shoulder surgeries in just over three years would have been devastating.

Then, a sudden turn of events. Woodruff initially held off on surgery and went in for his four-week follow-up in August to determine if surgery was ultimately necessary. But the doctors found that Woodruff’s shoulder was healing much faster and better than expected. They decided not only did Woodruff not need surgery, but that it was safe for him to begin a throwing program.

The window was going to be tight. Woodruff needed a five-week throwing progression just to get his arm ramped back up before he could even get on a mound and that would take him to the end the regular season. Then he would need to be cleared to throw off a mound, get some bullpen sessions in and then face live hitters.

The margin for error was zero. Any sort of delay or setback and the hopes of making it back to the field in time for this postseason were going to be dashed. Woodruff has had numerous setbacks and delays in his previous returns from shoulder injuries, so the odds seemed slim.

Woodruff told reporters prior to the NLDS that the earliest he could possibly return to the field would be the World Series, should the Brewers get there.

Now, here the Brewers are, their spot clinched in the World Series and Woodruff remaining on time and on schedule in his comeback.

In the NLCS clinching celebration, Woodruff told Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that “it’s gonna be hard to keep me off that roster.” He threw a high-intensity 31-pitch bullpen in Los Angeles and according to Woodruff the stuff looked good.

All along this process, it seemed clear that it would take an absolute perfect storm of circumstances to get Woodruff back in a game in 2026.

I think that perfect storm has come to fruition. Woodruff has made it through without any setbacks in his recovery, the Brewers have made their way to the World Series, and there are essentially available spots on the pitching staff. To this point in the postseason, Pat Murphy has not called upon Kyle Harrison nor Chad Patrick. Shane Drohan was in that group as well before he started Game 4 of the NLCS and lasted little longer than an inning.

Not long ago, it was hard to imagine Harrison and Patrick not playing important roles on this pitching staff in the postseason. Now, it’s hard to imagine the Brewers finding a spot for them to get in a game.

Murphy has consistently talked about how much Woodruff means to the organization, how much he’s done for the team, not only this year but over his whole career. For the Brewers to reach the World Series, to have Woodruff available for it would be poetic and perfect. Woodruff helped build the Brewers to get to this point, it’s only fair he would get a shot to pitch in the Crew’s first World Series in 44 years.

However, life isn’t always fair, especially in sports. The storybook ending doesn’t always happen. The Brewers have finally gotten to a World Series berth. The next one isn’t promised. They have one shot at this, and will the Brewers, a team that generally doesn’t take the biggest risks, risk putting a pitcher who hasn’t pitched in a game since July 4th, on the roster for the most important seven-game stretch in the organization’s history?

Provided facing hitters in live BP during the week leading up to the World Series goes well, I think they will. I think Woodruff will be put on this roster and he will pitch in the World Series for this organization. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Game 1 or Game 2 so he’s in front of the home crowd. Woodruff wants it, the organization wants it for him, and the stars appear to be aligning.

Woodruff has shown he can still get outs, even with diminished stuff. He doesn’t need to be fully stretched out, just getting an inning or two. The Brewers have two pitchers that have been unused all postseason, that makes it easier for them to switch Woodruff onto the roster in place of someone. For most players, there’d be the concern of if the stuff would be good enough for that important of a game to bring him off the IL for. For Woodruff though, he’s as trusted a big game pitcher the Brewers have.

Is there risk? Absolutely. Is it a risk the Brewers are willing to take? I think so. We won’t find out for sure until the roster drops on Friday morning.

What a story this season has been for the Brewers. Not only are they looking for the storybook ending with a World Series title, but to get Woodruff back on the mound and be a part of it, that would be poetic justice.

1912
The White Sox capped the most amazing City Series ever, having rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win the final four and take the crown. And on this day, in front of a Comiskey Park crowd of 14,985, the South Siders walloped the Cubs, 16-0. The rout would stand as the biggest win and most runs in City Series history, and at the time the South Siders’ 17 hits were the most in Series history.

Due to two ties (both called on account of darkness) that started the Series, this was officially Game 9. And the October 18 date made this the longest into October the City Series would ever stretch or ever go.

The two hurlers who had finished up the previous day’s White Sox win at Wrigley Field, Ed Walsh and Jimmy Lavender, took the pill to start the Game 9 decider, and only one survived past the second inning. Already up 3-0, the White Sox crushed Cubs pitching for eight runs in the third inning, turning the game into an 11-0 laffer.

Shano Collins had an incredible game, going 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBIs, a walk and two steals. He got on base a fifth time after being hit by a pitch, which may or may not have had to do with stealing home on the front end of a double-steal in a 10-0 game.

Walsh, after 393 innings pitched in the 1912 regular season, saw action in six of the nine City Series games, amassing a 2-1 record with a save and 41 more innings. Walsh completed this win, but the wear and tear of the season had an effect: He would throw just 14 more complete games in the rest of his career, and never again reached even 100 innings in a single year.

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1950
Filling the largest imaginable managerial shoes, former White Sox skipper Jimmy Dykes replaced Connie Mack in the dugout for the Philadelphia Athletics. Mack managed the A’s for 50 years, all the way back to their inception in 1901. (Dykes, who broke into the big leagues with Philly and won World Series under Mack before being sold to the White Sox in 1933, was not even Connie’s first choice. He preferred son Earle taking over, but was overruled by the rest of the A’s governing board, including one of Mack’s other sons.)

Dykes took over a floundering Athletics club but managed a winning season (79-75) in 1952, wrapped inside of two terrible ones. He was fired after the 1953 season but managed for four other teams in the years to come.

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1955
The White Sox sent infielder Bobby Adams to Baltimore for outfielder Cal Abrams.

Abrams saw action in four games for the White Sox in 1956, singling in his first at-bat with the team. But he was released in May, caught on in the Phillies system, but never saw the majors again. Adams was a spot player in Baltimore and then with the Cubs, winding his career up in 1959.

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1967
The White Sox sold third baseman Dick Kenworthy to the New York Mets. Kenworthy had played for five years on the South Side, sparingly — in no season did he play in more than 50 games or come to the plate more than 103 times.

However, at the end of Spring Training 1968, the two teams reversed the deal, as Kenworthy was returned to Chicago and played the most he ever had in a season — to disastrous results, as he ended his White Sox tenure (and MLB career) with a -0.8 WAR and a .221/.252/.238 slash.

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1969
A little-known studio musical group had released an oddly-named song. On this date, it broke into the Billboard Top 100, and would eventually move all the way to No. 1.

The group was called Steam, and the song, “Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye).” Thanks to the efforts of White Sox organist Nancy Faust, it would become the song Sox fans used to “serenade” pitchers being removed from games.

Faust had played the song many times at Comiskey Park before it caught on as a phenomenon, but it was during a battle for first place with the Kansas City Royals at the end of July 1977 that fans started singing along to Nancy’s playing — and never stopped. The song has crossed over to every sport, The Simpsons, Congress … in short, it made Faust a cultural icon.

The song became so enormously popular at Comiskey Park in 1977 that the Steam single was reissued, with the additional notation “(White Sox Theme Song)” — and Faust was awarded a commemorative gold record for reviving interest in the track.

In April 2021, ESPN had a special short documentary on the history of the song, and how through the efforts of Faust it became the fan base’s anthem before spreading to other teams, leagues and sports.

Although Faust only heard the Steam single and decided to move it into her rotation at the park years later, ironically the song was released just prior to her getting the White Sox organist job, taking over for Bob Creed in 1970.

The last two years, the Dodgers’ pitching staff carried them to World Series titles –– with the bullpen doing the heavy lifting in 2024, and the rotation pitching at a superhuman level in 2025.

This season, the group couldn’t replicate that success, enduring adversity during an injury-plagued regular season and then failure against a relentless Brewers offense in the team’s National League Championship Series elimination.

Still, the Dodgers boasted a talented staff, finishing with the fourth-lowest team ERA in the majors this year.

In Part 2 of the California Post’s end-of-season report card for the Dodgers’ 2026 season, here’s a look at how each key arm performed, and where they stand entering 2027:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto: A-

It’s worth remembering: Yamamoto entered 2026 coming off a career-high 30 regular-season starts in 2025, another 37 innings in his heroic postseason run, and an appearance this spring in the World Baseball Classic. You’d have been forgiven for thinking his right arm was about to fall off.

Instead, the reigning World Series MVP was even more productive in 2026, throwing more innings (185), collecting more wins (14-9 record) and lowering his WHIP (0.87) while posting a nearly-identical 2.53 ERA (fifth-lowest in the majors). The only disappointment: He didn’t replicate last year’s historic October, suffering the Dodgers’ shortest playoff start during a pivotal NLCS Game 2 loss. Still, he’s on the (very) short list for best pitchers in the game right now.

Tarik Skubal: B+

Another member of that short list, Skubal just about lived up to the billing following his blockbuster trade deadline deal, going 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in his 10 regular-season starts for the Dodgers. He also had the best postseason of anyone in their rotation, giving up three runs over 11 innings in two starts. 

Still, he took the defeat in his NLCS outing. And in the end, the team’s aggressive acquisition of the two-time Cy Young Award winner didn’t work out as intended, failing to help the team complete a World Series three-peat. The question now: Will the Dodgers be as aggressive in trying to re-sign him as a free agent?

Blake Snell: D

This was not the season Blake Snell was envisioning. He was limited to just nine starts by shoulder and elbow injuries. And though he did post a minuscule 1.90 ERA in the regular season, he suffered two disastrous playoff starts, failing to complete four innings against the Braves in one and giving up back-to-back seventh-inning home runs against the Brewers in the other. He showed he still has some of the best stuff in the sport when right. But after another abbreviated regular season, the Dodgers needed more from him in October.

Tyler Glasnow: D

Glasnow’s season was similar to Snell’s. He made just 13 regular-season starts because of back problems, going 5-2 with a 3.53 ERA. His performance also regressed in the playoffs, when he blew a four-run lead with the team facing elimination in Game 4 of the NLCS. The last couple years, the Dodgers have gotten away with limited workloads from both pitchers. But next year, they will be expecting more from each of them, in the regular season and the playoffs.

Justin Wrobleski: B+

Wrobleski was having an A+ season through mid-July, going from bullpen swingman to breakout rotation star with an 11-2 record and 2.62 ERA through his first 17 outings. However, the All-Star selection finished on a sour note, getting shifted to the bullpen after a serious bout with home run struggles down the stretch. He showed he can be a quality big-league starter. Now he needs to prove he can do it over the course of a full year.

Roki Sasaki: B

What started as a rollercoaster campaign for the second-year Japanese phenom finished with signs of tangible progress. In his first 15 starts, Sasaki had a 5.40 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. In his next seven starts after that, he had a 2.63 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, finding success with a reworked arsenal and improved command. A blister sidetracked that late-season surge, and prompted a shift back to the bullpen for the playoffs. But entering 2027, the Dodgers will be hoping he can take another step. Finally, they have real reason to believe he can.

Emmet Sheehan: C-

This was largely a lost season for Sheehan, whose first full campaign back from Tommy John surgery did not go according to plan. He was 5-8 with a 4.57 ERA in 23 outings. He battled inconsistent velocity and mechanics. He was sent back to triple-A for much of the final two months. He did seem to find something late in the year, giving up only one run over 17 innings in three September outings. But he has a big offseason ahead if he wants to re-cement himself as a long-term fixture in the Dodgers’ rotation.

Edwin Díaz: C-

For most of the year, nothing went right for the $69 million offseason signing. He battled elbow and neck injuries. He posted a career-worst 8.68 ERA in the regular season. He was nearly left off the team’s postseason roster. Despite all that, he did finish the year as the Dodgers’ expected, rediscovering his typically dominant form just in time to return to the closer’s role in October. But that was the only silver lining to take from an otherwise dismal debut Dodgers season.

Tanner Scott: B

The Edwin Díaz of 2025, Scott was significantly better in the second year of his $72 million deal. He had 25 saves and a 2.69 ERA, one of only 11 pitchers to do so this year. His 82 strikeouts were most of the Dodgers’ bullpen. However, he also gave up a pair of postseason home runs, including a go-ahead shot in their NLCS Game 4 elimination. In other words, while he was better in 2026, he still hasn’t lived up to his big contract.

Edgardo Henriquez: B+

Henriquez was a bit of a revelation in his first full MLB season, posting a 2.85 ERA in 61 outings while wowing with his 100.7 mph average fastball (second-hardest in the majors behind only Mason Miller). His postseason was forgettable. But, moving forward, he should be a key arm in the Dodgers’ bullpen long-term.

Alex Vesia: B+

The pending free agent had another solid season, posting a sub-3.02 ERA (2.64) for the fifth time in six years with the Dodgers. Before the playoffs, he expressed his hope of being back in Los Angeles next year. But, he should have plenty of other suitors on the open market this winter.

Evan Phillips: B

It took time for Phillips to knock the rust off following his return from Tommy John. But by the end of the year, his fastball was back in the upper-90s (even hitting 100 at one point). After re-signing with the Dodgers last year, he hits free agency again this offseason.

Brock Stewart: C

When healthy, Stewart was effective. But he continued his career-long battle with injuries, making only 28 appearances. He enters his final season of team control in 2027. 

Blake Treinen: C

Treinen never quite looked right this year, while spending extended time on the injured list for a second-straight season. A season-ending shoulder injury also put the 38-year-old’s future in question. At the very least, it’s possible the soon-to-be free agent might have thrown his last pitch for the Dodgers after a decorated seven-year tenure.

Will Klein: C

Last year’s World Series hero was good in the first half, but ultimately finished the year with a 3.67 ERA and elbow troubles. He should get another chance to prove himself as a high-leverage big-league reliever in 2027.

Jack Dreyer: B

It was a decent season overall for Dreyer (3.20 ERA). But a September slump cost him a spot on the Dodgers’ postseason roster. He’ll be trying to increase his role in 2027.

Eric Lauer: B

Lauer served his purpose this year, giving the Dodgers reliable starts amid a midseason injury crisis to the rest of their rotation. As a free agent, however, he will likely have to look elsewhere for starting opportunities in 2027.

Kyle Hurt: C

Once a highly-touted prospect who had dealt with injuries in recent years, Hurt made 44 appearances this year but had an up-and-down campaign that finished with a 4.14 ERA. He’ll be one of many fringe arms trying to earn a big-league job in spring training next year.

The Tampa Bay Rays have evened up the series thanks to a fantastic performance from Nick Martinez and the offensive big three coming alive.

Now the Guardians and Rays will basically play a best of three series to determines who will take the American League pennant and move on to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.

Standing in the Rays way this afternoon is southpaw Parker Messick, who the Rays faced and beat in the second game of the ALCS, mostly thanks to a well timed error by future Hall of Famer Jose Ramirez. Overall, Messick allowed three runs — zero earned — on six hits, while walking two and striking out three.

Meanwhile the ace of the Rays staff, Drew Rasmussen, returns to the mound after a solid performance in the first game of this series. Rasmussen battled the Cleveland lineup for the duration of his outing as the Guardians hitters grinded through each at bat and managed to collect eight hits. Still, the Guardians only managed two runs, both on solo homeruns, while striking out seven times and didn’t draw a walk. Rasmussen pitched into the 7th inning but was done for the day after Patrick Bailey tagged him for a homerun.

The Rays will need a lengthy performane from Rasmussen this afternoon after the bullpen’s hefty usage during game four, but there isn’t anyone else they’d rather have on the mound today.

With the Yankees’ season over for 2026, we here at Pinstripe Alley have been looking back at the campaign. With how it ended, a lot of our coverage has come through a lens of frustration, but we’ve looked back at some of the good and bad all the same. However, now it’s time to look back on some pure stupidity.

We’ve ranked things like the best and worst moments of the year. We’ve talked about some of the best individual performances of the season. However, I am a connoisseur of stupid baseball: games that go 15 innings, ones that feature game changing plays that are ridiculous errors instead of home runs, stuff like that. Every year, I like to take part in our end-of-season reviews by ranking the dumbest games of the year, and we’ve reached that point for 2026.

Now, it should be noted, this is not a worst games of the season list (or worst moments; check out Andrés for that). We’re not just ranking the most consequential losses, or biggest blown leads, or whatever. This is purely the games that were the dumbest in how they played out.

Honorable Mention

It didn’t feel right putting it in the rankings since there was no baseball actually played, but we’ll give a mention to the rainout on the final day of the regular season. With a nor’easter wreaking havoc and the game not meaning anything in the standings for either the Yankees or Orioles, it was obvious this game was never actually going to be played. However, the game was put into a delay and just stayed there for hours until it was finally called off. The Yankees never even actually released a lineup. Ridiculous.

5. September 25th – Orioles 10, Yankees 2

The aforementioned nor’easter messed with the entirety of the final series of the season, which had an impact on some other events. The Yankees were planning on holding the ceremony for CC Sabathia’s number retirement ahead of the game against the Orioles on Saturday, September 26th. However, the expected rain led to the teams instead forgoing Saturday’s game in favor of a doubleheader on Friday. The new plan was to hold Sabathia’s ceremony ahead of the opening game of the twin bill (in accordance with his wishes). However with it now being an afternoon game on a weekday, the crowd was not remotely as full as it could’ve or should’ve been for a moment like that.

Plus, when the game started, the Yankees got absolutely blown to smithereens. The Yankees gave Brendan Beck a spot start as they prepared for the postseason, and he got smoked for seven runs in five innings. We honestly weren’t far away from seeing if CC himself could eat some innings out of the bullpen.

4. August 3rd – Cardinals 13, Yankees 7

After a rare bad outing from Cam Schlittler, the Yankees found themselves down 6-0 going into the bottom of the fifth. Back-to-back homers from Austin Wells and Trent Grisham cut into the lead, but they still trailed in the seventh. There, a trio of homers brought the Yankees all the way back, with a two-run moonshot from Luis García Jr. give the Bombers a very unexpected lead.

However, the good vibes from that comeback only lasted so long. Ryan Yarbrough allowed a triple to lead off the eighth, at which point Angel Chivili came in. Chivili’s final numbers for the season only look so-so, but that’s almost entirely because of this game. He had a 0.57 ERA in 15.2 innings coming in and wouldn’t appear again after this performance (at least partially due to injury). In this game, Chivili allowed seven runs on six hits, including three home runs. In one inning of work, he put up a -0.512 Win Probability Added. Losing games after big comebacks happen, but rarely do they happen in such an immediate and drastic way.

3. ALDS Game 1 – October 3rd – Rays 1, Yankees 0

As I said, this isn’t purely a ranking of the most meaningful losses, but as it happens, one of those was also especially dumb. After crushing the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, the Yankees then went to the Trop to take on the Rays. They then proceeded to get no-hit into the eighth inning by Rays’ ace Drew Rasmussen. Plus, when they finally did get it hit on an Austin Wells double, this happened, and it ended up being the only one they got:

2. July 29th – White Sox 6, Yankees 5 (12 innings)

In general, I’m not one to truly hate on a Yankee player. Sure, there are some bad ones that pop up every now and then, but usually any anger I have is to the front office/management for putting them in bad situations, rather than hating a player who is generally trying their best. However, one particular play made me something of a hater when it comes to backup catcher Ali Sánchez.

In one game in Chicago against the White Sox, the Yankees had already blown a late lead, sending it to extra innings. In the 11th, they got the lead back thanks to an Anthony Volpe sacrifice fly. In what turned out to be his final game as a Yankee, Camilo Doval entered for the 11th and got two quick outs, albeit one was a grounder that did allow the auto-runner to move to third. However, the Yankees were just one out away, and all they had to do was focus on Andrew Benintendi at the plate.

Someone apparently forgot to remind Sánchez that. Following a pitch during the next at-bat, he attempted to check back Munetaka Murakami at third. However, his throw got past Ryan McMahon, allowing Murakami to come home and tie the game.

Errors happen to even the best players and best defenders, yes. However, what was so galling about that one was that — to use a tennis term — it was unforced. Again, they were an out away from the win, you just needed to focus on the batter. Sure, throw to third if you catch the runner completely sleeping and a mile off the bag, but that wasn’t the case. The risk was too much considering the consequences if it went wrong, and it went very wrong. Naturally, the White Sox proceeded to win the game the following inning.

1. September 16th – Twins 5, Yankees 4 (13 innings)

The Yankees’ struggles in extra innings since the introduction of the automatic runner are often remarked on. Since that rule was introduced in 2020, the Yankees have gone 49-54 in extra inning games. While that’s not that far under .500, they actually went 25-18 in extras from 2020-22, so they have just a .400 winning percentage since then. They’ve also been the second-worst road team in extras in this time at 19-36. Arguably no game epitomizes those struggles than this one.

Having been shutout for eight innings at Target Field, the Yankees somewhat miraculously tied the game with two outs in the ninth on a two-RBI double from Anthony Volpe. Mind you, a lot of us, including Volpe himself, thought the ball was going over the fence for a two-run homer. However, it didn’t and the Yankees couldn’t score Volpe, sending it to extras.

In the top of 10th, Ali Sánchez, of all people, came up with a single to score the auto-runner and give the Yankees the lead. Despite having closer David Bednar on the hill, the Yankees couldn’t close the deal as Luke Keaschall hit a game-tying single on just the third pitch of the inning, and Bednar eventually needed a double play to escape the inning.

However in the 11th, José Caballero hit a sacrifice fly to restore that lead. Surely, they could hold on this time? No, Bednar again allowed a lead-off single, with a run then scoring on a Royce Lewis sacrifice fly.

To start the 12th, the Yankees put the first two runners on, adding to the auto-runner to load the bases. However, a Heliot Ramos double play and a Sánchez groundout caused the Yankees to put up a goose egg. Eventually all of that came back to haunt the Yankees. In the 13th, Victor Caratini singled off John Schreiber to win the game for the Twins.

This was also the game where Aaron Judge exited early with a calf injury, from which he never returned.

It wasn’t the most meaningful loss of the season — although with the Yankees still trying to chase down Tampa Bay in the division, it wasn’t nothing — however, it absolutely was the most ridiculous.

That’s my list, but what else should be on there?

There are, possibly, only six more MLB games left on the calendar for 2026. Ten at most. Baseball has been a part of our daily lives going back to March. But in a few short weeks it will be gone. Winter will come. And with a looming lockout, there’s no telling how long that winter will last. But while we don’t yet know when we’ll see MLB baseball next, we do when we’ll next see some banana ball. The Savannah Bananas released their 2027 schedule, which stretches from early February to late September, including international dates and games played in football stadia. As for New England, we get summer stops in Worcester and Portland. (Boston Globe)

But about that looming lockout. How will CBA negotiations be impacted by the fact that the three teams left standing represent three of the smallest markets in baseball? “Under the soon-expiring CBA that has governed the sport since 2022, spending had a correlation coefficient of 0.31 to team wins and losses — meaning, if carving the pie of what goes into successful team building, about 31 percent of it would go to how much a team spent. That’s a lot — and, in fact, is up from a 0.23 correlation coefficient in the prior two CBAs (2012-16, ′17-21). But the other things that go into team-building — scouting and drafting well, coaching and developing players to be their best, well-integrated analytics, culture, luck, and more — account collectively for a much larger share of the pie that determines team success.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

One of the small market Brewers’ keys to success this year has been the production of late-bloomer Jake Bauers. Could he be a good fit for the Sox this offseason? “Bauers may not be a household name. But a peek under the hood at his profile paints the picture of a late bloomer who doesn’t strike out often, works the count, and has a propensity for tearing the cover off the ball. Given Boston’s emphasis on bat speed and hard-hit percentages, a player like Bauers should hold plenty of appeal.” (Connor Ryan, Boston.com)

Even if the Sox do sign Jake Bauers in the offseason, the most intriguing new player at Spring Training next year will likely be super-prospect Franklin Arias. Everyone already knows about him, so here’s a look at a few other, more under-the-radar names making their way up the Red Sox organizational ladder. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

The Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer experiences will perhaps lead the Sox to exercise additional caution with respect to Arias. But the fact of the matter is that he’s doing to determine a lot about how the 2027 Red Sox roster fits together. “I am 100 percent convinced that he’s ready to be their everyday shortstop,” said one MLB evaluator witha rival team.Initially, however, that could come with its own issues. To install Arias, untested, as the team’s starting shortstop, would mean displacing Trevor Story, who remains a hugely popular and respected figure in the Red Sox clubhouse.“ (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

With this photo, I resume my photo sleuthing series that I generally run in baseball offseasons.

Before I get to this one, I’ll again put out a call: If you have any old Cubs or Wrigley Field (or even other baseball) photos you’d like me to sleuth, please send them along!

The sleuthing project for this photo isn’t about the date or location, because I already know that from the filename of the photo when I found it. It was “houstoncoltsfirstgamecubs.jpg.”

So this photo shows the very first pitch thrown by Houston’s MLB franchise. The pitcher is Bobby Shantz, who had been a pretty good lefty for the Philadelphia A’s a decade earlier — AL MVP in 1952 — and also put together some good years for the Yankees later in the 1950s, pitching for them in the World Series in 1957 and 1960. By 1961 he was about to turn 36 and so was left unprotected in the expansion draft.

Picked up by Houston, he was made their Opening Day starter on this day, April 11, 1962. This photo depicts him throwing that first pitch, to Lou Brock, that day’s leadoff hitter for the Cubs. Shantz wound up striking out Brock.

The sleuthing I’d like you to do is this. On the scoreboard, it shows Brock’s average as .353. That might be a bit small in the photo at the top of the post, so here’s a screenshot enlarging it:

Now, that couldn’t be possible if you’re the first batter of the season in your first at-bat, right?

I thought maybe this might be his BA from spring training. Unfortunately, back in that day, newspapers didn’t really keep track of spring numbers like they do now. In fact, MLB doesn’t have any spring stats on its website from before 2006. In trying to find out Brock’s 1962 spring BA, I did find one note that said he had hit safely in 18 straight spring games. Based on that, a .353 spring BA for Brock is certainly plausible.

Thus I’ll leave it to the sleuths among you: Can you find definitive proof of Brock’s 1962 spring batting average? Let us know.

The Cubs went 18-9 in spring training in 1962. Billy Williams had been the 1961 NL Rookie of the Year, and many observers were very high on Brock, who was about to turn 23 and who had played just four games for the Cubs in ‘61, and another rookie, Ken Hubbs. Many writers thought the Cubs could finish sixth or seventh in the new 10-team NL in 1962, which would have been an improvement over their 90-loss, seventh out of eight finish in ‘61.

Welp. Didn’t happen. The upstart expansion Colts pounded 13 hits, including three home runs, off five Cubs pitchers and won that Opening Day game 11-2. Ernie Banks’ first homer of the year (he’d hit 37 that year) was about the only Cubs highlight of the game. In fact, Houston swept that opening series and wound up finishing ahead of the Cubs, going 64-96 to the Cubs’ 59-103. It was the first-ever 100-loss season for the Cubs, which they wound up matching in 1966.

Shantz threw a complete game that day, but it was one of only three games he would pitch for Houston. On May 7 he was traded to the Cardinals for John Anderson and Carl Warwick. Warwick would later play for the Cubs in 1966, and Shantz pitched in 20 games for the Cubs in 1964 after coming over in the infamous deal that would send Brock to the Cardinals.

Just another little slice of Cubs and MLB history. And let us know if you find definitive proof of Lou Brock’s spring BA in 1962.