Port St. Lucie, Florida: New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta shares a laugh with fans during a spring training workout, February 20, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Alejandra Villa Loarca /Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Chris Sale didn’t get the ball as he wished he would, but the legend of Ray Kerr grew once again as he technically outpitched Blake Snell and combined with almost-cycling Michael Harris II to tie the NLDS at a game apiece against the dastardly Dodgers.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Ray Kerr #62 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the end, the Braves accomplished their goal. Through a dramatic 3-2 win over the Dodgers, the Braves won Game 2 and split the series in LA. Now the, the Braves have flipped home field advantage and will welcome the Dodgers to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4, with a fully rested Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle ready to go. It was a big gamble, but led by Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes, the job got done.
Milwaukee, WI - October 3: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres reacts after popping out where the ball hit the roof in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during Game One of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 3, 2026 in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Good morning. This is the time of year that the news becomes outdated very quickly. There won’t be anything about last night’s Dodgers/Braves game because I’m writing this before it ended. And not much from the Brewers and Padres Game 2.
Will Sammon thinks that Rasmussen was “untouchable” in Game 1. (The Athletic sub. req.) Also with more behind-the-scenes stuff about Rasmussen’s gem and what was going on in the Rays’ dugout.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates his game-winning two-run single against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you ask any baseball fan about what the single most important objective is for postseason baseball, some may bring up pitching depth or home runs, but what’s most important is timely hitting. We as Brewers fans have seen that twice already, just two games into the playoffs.
It’s easy to be riding the high of two electric postseason wins, especially when one player, such as Chourio, has played a major role in the two wins. But it’s hard to underestimate what he has done over his few short years as a Brewer.
On Saturday night, Chourio hit a game-tying two-run home run over the right-center field wall to even the game against the Padres at 2-2. What was hidden much further beneath the home run was the franchise significance: Chourio became the all-time leader in home runs in Brewers postseason history.
Now, it doesn’t feel that significant considering that the Brewers hadn’t hit many home runs in the postseason before, mainly because they were never in the postseason consistently until 2018. Oddly enough, before Chourio hit his home run Saturday night, Orlando Arcia, a player who struggled a ton for the Brewers, led the franchise with four.
However, Chourio taking over the all-time slot is exactly what this team was looking for. He’s been the main piece of the youth movement, and with him locked up through the 2031 season, he’s only expected to add to that lead throughout the next five years. That’s just one of many things that make him already one of the greatest to wear a Brewers uniform.
Clutch hitting for the Brewers feels like an oddity, especially when it matters. First, the most memorable clutch hitting moment for the Brewers in postseason history was Nyjer Morgan’s walk-off base hit to win against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 to advance to the National League Championship Series. The second was in game one of the NLDS against the Colorado Rockies in 2018, by Mike Moustakas. After Sunday night, there’s a new moment in town, and it was Chourio’s walk-off hit to survive a sloppy game against the San Diego Padres.
When it comes to the moments that the Brewers didn’t come through in the clutch, the 2024 Wild Card comes to mind, as the Crew had the tying run at the plate and didn’t come through. Or, the 2021 Division Series, where all the Crew needed was one run to tie the game against the Atlanta Braves, instead going 1-2-3. There were, of course, many more moments like that, but those are the most recent of this regime.
Sunday afternoon, the Brewers saw their defense commit three errors, which is uncharacteristic of them. But, as we’ve seen all season, this team has a knack for the comeback. This moment wouldn’t of been possible without Christian Yelich’s one-out walk to kick off the comeback. After a couple of walks, Chourio found himself down to his final strike of the game, and then he poked one through the infield up the middle.
This, of course, wasn’t the first moment for him, as in the bottom of the third inning in game one against the Padres, Chourio took advantage of a lead-off walk from Garrett Mitchell to tie the game at 2-2. A few innings later, William Contreras hit a solo home run to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead late.
With the two home runs in game one, Chourio, of course, accomplished what he did in franchise history, but coming up behind him is Contreras. In just a few postseason appearances, Contreras has three home runs, putting him third all-time in Brewers postseason home runs.
Clutch hitting might come across as the biggest goal for any postseason, but clutch pitching feels like something that’s not talked about enough. If it wasn’t for clutch hitting, the Brewers wouldn’t be headed to San Diego up 2-0. We wouldn’t have gotten to that point if it weren’t for the pitching. Out of the 18 innings played so far, 12 of those have had a Padres hitter on base, and only three times have they scored a run.
It’s an all-around team effort, especially when the defense has as rough a game as the Brewers did. Sunday afternoon, the Brewers pitching stranded eight Padres hitters on base, while leaving 12 on Saturday night. Of course, it’s hard to acknowledge exactly one person who has made it all possible, but if we were too, Chourio would be at the front.
Instantly, my mind goes to the Ty France controversy with his fly ball that hit the wire connected to the roof. Yes, it was a ball that could’ve gone foul, but not enough people are talking about how difficult it is to adjust mid-fly ball to make that catch, and Chourio did. It’s just one small piece of why he’s quickly establishing himself as one of the greats in Brewers history.
The Brewers are going to have the toughest road to the World Series of anyone in baseball. Being the No. 1 seed in the National League, they already have a target on their back. To further that, they have to face one of the hottest teams in September in San Diego, which they’ve already taken the first two games of the series. But with a series win, they’ll have to face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves, both of which they want to finally get over the hump against.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MAY 18: A general view of Tropicana Field during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, May 18, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Both American League Division Series continues today with Game 2. As of the time this is being written, Game 1 has not yet been played. Because as always, I write in the past baby.
The visiting Chicago White Sox will take on the Cleveland Guardians at 2:00 p.m. PT, with national radio coverage available on ESPN Radio, and television broadcast available on TBS/HBO Max.
After that, the visiting New York Yankees will go up against the Tampa Bay Rays at 5:00 p.m. PT. This will also have national radio coverage on ESPN Radio, and television coverage on TBS/HBO Max.
This time, I think I’ll also pick who I’m rooting for, since I keep asking you guys to. If you know me even a little bit, you know I’ve got to root for Cleveland! because it would make Taylor Swift happy. And honestly I don’t really have a preference among the non-Yankees teams. But I guess as a non-facetious answer, I’ll go with the White Sox. I feel like that would be a pretty cool story.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 18: Drew Waters #8 of the Kansas City Royals stands on deck during a Spring Training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 18, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s another issue, though, that I hope the Royals will delve deeper into as they audit their processes.
Heck, maybe they could even form a task force for the cause:
Solve why so many of their seasons get wrecked within weeks.
Because it’s an ever-hovering albatross that deflates fans and typically has made for too much ground to make up.
Yes, the Royals have been above water through May in two of Matt Quatraro’s first four seasons as manager.
And, yep, the early stumbles are intertwined with broader reasons they do or don’t succeed through the course of a 162-game marathon. And, sure there’s a difference between causal and correlation.
But, geez, this happens over and over and over and over.
Precocious righthander Kendry Chourio pitched at two Class A levels as an 18-year-old. The Royals knew he was ready for the challenge because they observed his pregame routine of studying hitters, reviewing video and developing game plans. “He’s super disciplined (and) he’s very mature for his age,” Royals farm director Mitch Maier said. “Just by the example, he sets on how he takes care of business when he starts, and the poise which he performs with, he sets a good example for everyone who he’s around.”
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 07: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Comerica Park on October 07, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I already know the reaction of the vast majority of fans reading this headline, which will produce some version of “Wait what?” I have legitimately not seen his name thrown out as a possible Cardinals target anywhere, and it’s understandable because he is technically a shortstop. In fact, there’s a strong possibility the only thing you really know about JP Crawford is that he was a l0ng-time Mariners shortstop. Probably didn’t even know he was a free agent, because why would you even bother to pay attention to the free agent shortstops.
You might notice that I said he was technically a shortstop. By virtue of standing at short when playing defense. Functionally speaking he deserves to no longer be called a shortstop, because is a very bad defensive shortstop. He has been worth -9 OAA or worse in four of the five last seasons and he’s been worth -25 OAA the past two seasons combined. This is despite the fact that he actually played 254 innings at 3B last year and only 720 innings at short. He’s been a bad shortstop for a while and this season, his numbers suggested he was on par with Jose Martinez in the outfield.
This is admittedly an extremely strange way to make the case for the Cardinals to sign someone, but I want to emphasize there is no team in baseball that will – or at least should – sign up for JP Crawford’s services with the intention of putting him at SS. Everyone is aware he is a bad defender. Crawford has to know that his numbers rate very poorly. He is a beloved Mariner and they were forced to put him at 3B. Colt Emerson got called up and at first Emerson was at 3B and Crawford was at SS, but well, by June, the positions switched. Emerson ended up getting hurt, so Crawford finished the year at SS, but hopefully message received.
He should and probably will be viewed as a free agent 3B and in that respect, he is a lot more appealing. He hasn’t played at 3B very long, but he now has 254 innings of experience and though it is an extremely small sample size, he rated as dead average. Now Crawford does have a weaker arm – it is 20th percentile according to Statcast. But it’s honestly not a huge difference between him and Thomas Saggese or Blaze Jordan. He threw it 80.2 mph on average, Saggese threw it 82 mph, and Blaze threw it 82.8. All were clearly below average arms. I don’t think it is a dealbreaker to have a weaker arm at 3B.
Crawford however is an above average hitter. He has a career 106 wRC+, which is pretty close to his 105 wRC+ on the 2026 season, which was achieved with a .253 BABIP and a .319 xwOBA compared to a .312 actual wOBA. His xwOBA and wOBA are nearly identical for his career. I would ordinarily not comment on a 7 point difference, but it sounds more appealing to sign a 110 wRC+ hitter than a 105 wRC+ hitter and… again low BABIP and same xwOBA as wOBA for career. There’s reasons to believe he was unlucky.
He doesn’t have quite as wide of a splits as I would hope, which is both a positive and a negative. It’s a negative because if he was worse against LHP, it’d be easier to maximize his production (and honestly easier selling point to platoon). It’s a positive because well it is better if he’s not unplayable against LHP. With his defense, he certainly was unplayable against LHP at SS, so I suppose it depends on how good his defense is at 3B, but a 98 career wRC+ against LHP is perfectly fine. He was actually better against LHP last year, which again I’d prefer to not be the case to convince him to platoon.
Which yes, that would be my hope with signing JP Crawford. The Cardinals have two right-handed options for 3B next season, neither of which were any good against the same-handed pitcher last season. Thomas Saggese had a 66 wRC+ (and 73 wRC+ career) and Blaze Jordan had a 51 wRC+ against RHP. I don’t hate the idea of those two getting a bunch of reps next year to see what they have, but for 75% of games, you at least appear to have one really bad hitter locked into your lineup with getting someone who can hit right-handed pitchers for 3B.
I also will add I think those two will still play plenty if you sign JP Crawford. There is of course all the games where they will play against a LHP, and they will come into many games when a left-handed reliever comes into the game. They will still start some games against RHP I’m sure – just the way a baseball season ends up going, someone will have injuries. But that’s kind of what those two should be against RHP – injury insurance, not the plan.
Another appealing aspect of Crawford – maybe the most appealing aside from his competence with the bat – I think he might have to sign a one-year deal. I don’t think he will be high in-demand from the market. He’s in no man’s land right now – a shortstop all his life, but nobody who will play him there – but a 3B without an arm and with not a whole lot of power (of course Safeco is terrible for power) is kind of difficult selling point. I know, I’m simultaneously making a case to not get him.
But that’s the thing in my mind. The Cardinals are trying to achieve a very delicate balance. I don’t think they are interested in a long-term solution at 3B, because maybe Rainiel Rodriguez will have to go there, maybe Jesus Baez looks like he should be called up in June. I could see them being uncomfortable with having literally no potential for any infielder to crack the starting lineup for a few years without an injury or a trade. At the same time, they want to improve at 3B for 2027 specifically, and I don’t think they really believe that Jordan or Saggese are future starting 3Bs. It’s a pretty big gamble that the Cardinals only improve at 3B because they literally could not get worse instead of improving to average or better.
Maybe Crawford is that delicate balance. A player you might be able to get for one year, that is an above average hitter, and yes a question mark on defense, but the early returns are positive. It could go really well. If he’s only a little bit below average at 3B and maintains his offensive consistency, he will be an above average player. He has been an above average player for most of his career at SS. He was 2.8 fWAR in 2025, so it isn’t ancient history either. He will be playing in his age 32 season, which for a one-year commitment isn’t super risky. If things go poorly, it’s not that hard to cut him. Hypothetically anyway. I don’t know what his market will be.
He will usually give you a good at-bat. He walks at a high rate and he doesn’t strike out all that much. He’s already used to playing in a park that doesn’t allow homers, I don’t think he will be too harmed by playing at Busch. He did hit 14 homers last year and he’s settled into a 10+ homer guy, so there is a little power, I don’t want to act like he’s David Eckstein. But power is not his strong point.
I know this is a boring signing. If you want to improve at 3B, this will not exactly excite people. I’m trying to be realistic. I don’t think the Cardinals will go international, and there’s not many great options. Crawford could be the boring, but effective signing to vastly improve 3B, admittedly because of how low the bar is, but still. He’s left-handed and a career 110 wRC+ hitter against RHP. I think it fits.
A not small caveat to all this is…. it is contingent on quite a few things to happen. Crawford has to actually be available for a one-year-deal, that there isn’t another team willing to give him more opportunities at SS, that there isn’t another opportunity for him to play 2B or 3B full-time instead of as a platoon option, and that the Cardinals believe Crawford could be fine at 3B defensively. It would not shock me if someone gives him two years, it would not shock me if another team would play him full-time instead of planning to platoon him, and it would not shock me if the Cardinals were not high on his defense at 3B. It would shock me if another team kept him at SS, he only lasted as long as he did at SS because he was the longest tenured Mariner who fans loved.
So yes, the chips have to fall right for this to work. I can think of a bunch of reasons for why this won’t happen. But the right version of this could work well for the Cardinals. They can delay the 3B question for another year while not sacrificing the on-field product. It is boring. I can’t imagine a lot of fans would be excited about this move.
But when the Mariners had the tribute for him on the last game of the season, Crawford to 3B occurred to me and it apparently occurred to nobody else, and I just want to throw this idea into the world more than anything. See what people think. He is not being treated as an option and he is an option. He is the not necessarily exciting option, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a solid hitter in the lineup against RHP next season. I don’t know I really want to believe in the best case scenario of this.
DENVER - OCTOBER 01: Matt Holliday #5 of the Colorado Rockies dives home with the winning run on a base hit by Jamey Carroll as Michael Barrett #4 of the San Diego Padres tries to control the ball at Coors Field on October 1, 2007 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies defeated the Padres 9-8 in 13 innings. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Rockies fans!
Did you see what happened in Milwaukee yesterday?
The Brewers were down 3-2 in the ninth, and after Andrew Vaughn flied out for the second out, their win probability had sunk to 17.6%. Gary Sánchez walked to load the bases, but even then Milwaukee was still sitting at just 28.2%.
Then Jackson Chourio ripped a 109.5 mph line drive up the middle.
One swing, and Milwaukee’s win probability was 100%.
Two runs scored. Game over.
Our friends at Brew Crew Ball have the full recap, but watching the Padres stand around while another team celebrated a walk-off got me thinking about something Rockies fans know pretty well.
Carlos González completed the cycle with a walk-off homer against the Cubs in 2010, jumping on the first pitch and launching a no-doubter into the third deck at Coors Field.
Nolan Arenado somehow did it, too. On Father’s Day in 2017, Arenado hit a three-run walk-off homer to complete the cycle against the Giants. Arenado emerged from the celebration looking like a wild man — completely amped up, blood streaming down his face. Unforgettable.
And Dante Bichette christened Coors Field properly. The first Rockies game ever played there went 14 innings before Bichette ended it with a three-run walk-off homer.
Colorado’s offense made a noticeable jump in plate discipline this season, improving from a league-worst .293 on-base percentage in 2025 to .322 in 2026. TJ Rumfield, Kyle Karros and Cole Carrigg were all part of that progress, while the piece also points to Jordan Pacheco’s approach as part of the broader shift.
Maddy Dickens takes an early look at how the Rockies’ lineup could shape up next season, with TJ Rumfield leading off, Cole Carrigg and Hunter Goodman near the top, and Charlie Condon making his MLB debut as the primary DH. The young core is starting to come into focus, even if there is still plenty of offseason left to change the picture.
Rockies left-hander Konnor Eaton is among the Virginia-born prospects getting extra work in the Arizona Fall League. The 2024 sixth-round pick reached Double-A Hartford and went 5-3 with a 4.46 ERA over 107 innings this season, giving Colorado an arm to keep an eye on this fall.
Matt Postins runs through the Rockies’ biggest financial calls heading into 2027, from Kyle Freeland and Jordan Romano’s free agencies to arbitration decisions on Hunter Goodman and Jake McCarthy. Kris Bryant’s contract still looms over everything, but there are several smaller choices that could help shape DePodesta and Byrnes’ next step.
Monday’s ALDS action shifts the spotlight to two critical Game 2s. Cleveland was supposed to have a rotation advantage in a series that otherwise looked fairly evenly matched, but Chicago took Game 1, while the Rays will try to push the Yankees into a 2-0 hole in the nightcap.
Cam Schlittler has dominated all year with a fastball-heavy mix, but his curveball is becoming a real postseason weapon. He threw a career-high 32 of them against Boston, generated eight whiffs and four strikeouts with the pitch, and now gets a Rays lineup that has also struggled against hard curveballs.
Tampa Bay finally settled on Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero atop the order, and the trio became the engine of one of the AL’s best offenses. They all get there differently, but together they give the Rays a tough mix of contact, patience and power — and plenty for the Yankees to worry about in Game 2.
Baseball is headed toward a Dec. 1 lockout with the owners pushing for a salary cap and the players firmly opposed. The piece lays out what a work stoppage would actually mean — no player-team contact, likely no Winter Meetings and possible schedule changes — with neither side looking especially close to blinking.
Jun 5, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A general view of a baseball on the pitcher’s mound prior to the first inning between the Cleveland Guardians and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
The Orioles selected Caden Hunter with the 184th pick in the 2025 draft. It’s rare that a player can make a jump from the sixth round to MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list in only a year, but that’s exactly what Caden Hunter did after a dominant first season in professional baseball.
Hunter spent two years at Sierra College before transfering to the USC for his junior season. The lefty pitched well enough to find his way onto draft boards, but he never profiled as a top prospect. This wasn’t a case of a player falling in the draft due to injuries or signability concerns. The Orioles liked Hunter enough to take a chance in the sixth round, and Hunter signed at the allotted slot value.
It’s unlikely that anyone, including the Orioles, anticipated the breakout season that Hunter delivered this past year. The 22-year-old posted a 1.17 ERA over six games at Delmarva before earning a quick bump to Frederick. Hunter posted a 1.60 ERA over 45 innings at High-A with a 62/19 K/BB ratio. The strong numbers led to another promotion, and the former Trojan kept his foot on the gas.
Hunter tossed seven scoreless innings during his first Double-A appearance on July 29. He was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the week five days later. Hunter went on to post a 3.09 ERA over 35 innings despite a -2.8 age differential with his peers. He finished 2026 with a 2.01 ERA over 103 innings across three levels. He posted a 1.058 WHIP and struck out 151 batters compared to 47 walks.
Teammates Joseph Dzierwa and Anthony Eyanson captured plenty of headlines, but Hunter delivered one of the more consistent seasons in recent memory. Dzierwa bested Hunter for the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year, but the trio represent a three-headed monster at the top of Baltimore’s system.
MLB Pipeline currently ranks Hunter as Baltimore’s fourth highest prospect behind Eric Booth Jr., Eyanson and Dzierwa. A recent update of Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects ranked Hunter as the 92nd best prospect in baseball. Ike Irish (95) and Enddy Azocar (99) rounded out the Top 100.
Hunter did plenty of damage with a fastball that topped out at 98 MPH. Hunter and the Orioles found a way to add a few extra ticks to his heater, and he often used the pitch up in the strike zone. He complimented the fastball with a slider, changeup and curve, but the heater did a large portion of the damage at the lower levels.
The 6-foot-2 lefty could eventually find his way to the bullpen if things don’t work out, but the organization (and MLB Pipeline) believe Hunter has what it takes to make it as a starter. He’ll likely return to Double-A next spring with an opportunity to force his way to Norfolk rather quickly. A 2027 debut as a starter, or in a similar role to fellow lefty Luis De León, cannot be ruled out.
De León, Baltimore’s eighth best prospect, is expected to compete for a rotation spot this spring. With Trevor Rogers future uncertain, the Orioles will lean on righties Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, and Brandon Young to anchor the rotation moving forward. The Birds will need at least one lefty starter next season, but it helps to have Hunter and Dzierwa lurking in the upper minors.
Hunter will likely face adversity at some point. He’ll be tested whenever he reaches Triple-A, but it’s hard not to be optimistic after his 2026 campaign.
Orioles fans know all too well that pitching prospects do not always reach their full potential. In some ways, it may help that guys like Eyanson and Dizerwa are around to help share the spotlight. Hunter will enter next season with lofty goals, but he won’t face the same pressure to perform as the crown jewel of the Adley Rutschman deal or Mike Elias’ highest drafted pitcher.
Hunter figures to climb in the Top 100 as prospects begin to graduate next season. He shouldn’t be considered a can’t-miss type prospect after only one season, but he represents another valuable chip in Baltimore’s system.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 03: A base is seen before being place before game one of the American League Division Series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox at Tropicana Field on October 03, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The National League had the MLB playoff stage to itself on Sunday, but while those four teams switch cities, Monday belongs to the American League Division Series, with a pair of Games 2 in Cleveland and St. Petersburg.
Major League Baseball in recent years has started the Division Series round with all four series playing Game 1 on the same day, then will insert an extra off day between Games 1 and 2 for one of the leagues — alternating each year — to ensure that there are as many days with baseball games as possible. This year, the AL got the extra off day between the first two games.
First up on Monday is the Chicago White Sox, going for a fourth straight win to open their postseason, with their first three wins thus far coming on the road. There’s one more game for the Sox before returning home, having to face Gavin Williams and the Guardians in Cleveland on Monday.
Only one run was scored in the opener of Rays vs. Yankees, and New York turns to Cam Schlittler in Game 2 on Monday to try to avoid the 2-0 hole before returning home to The Bronx.
Both games, and the entire rest of the American League playoffs (Division Series and Championship Series) will be televised by TBS.
Monday Division Series schedule
2 p.m. PT: White Sox at Guardians Chicago leads, 1-0 ALDS Game 2: Anthony Kay vs. Gavin Williams TBS (Alex Faust, Ron Darling)
5 p.m.: Yankees at Rays Tampa Bay leads, 1-0 ALDS Game 2: Cam Schlittler vs. Freddy Peralta TBS (Brian Anderson, Jeff Francoeur)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 03: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees speaks to the media prior to Game One of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s becoming very easy to treat Cam Schlittler as a superhero, the old school television programs that end with the protagonist once again disposing of the villain, with everything present on screen except the ads for cereal are replaced by ones for so-called prediction markets that are rotting the brains of 30 percent of the male population. Throw whatever obstacle at him you want — playoff start, the hated rival, a lineup that refuses to score — and he’ll overcome it. I am at least slightly convinced the Yankees scoring nine runs last Tuesday had something to do with Cam.
Tonight he once again faces his toughest test of the year, tasked with preventing the Rays from taking what would be a strangling 2-0 lead in the ALDS. If there was one pitcher on planet Earth, with full respect to Jacob Misiorowski, that I would trust to lead my team away from that fate, it would be Cam Schlittler.
The what is one thing, and that’s discussed above. The how and why are different questions.
Cam’s disposal of the Red Sox last week was a particularly notable one, as the righty drastically changed his approach to pitching. If you’re standing in the box against Cam, there’s about a 90 percent chance he throws you some kind of fastball, and your job is to figure out, in the 0.4 seconds it takes for that pitch to reach the plate, whether it has rise, cut, or run. That approach has put Cam in the pole position for the AL Cy Young Award, just throw F*** You fastballs all around the strike zone and good things will happen.
Except, against the Red Sox, something changed:
You still get a lot of the No. 1, Cam will never abandon the four-seamer that’s made him one of the three or so best pitchers in the world. He caught the Sox completely flat footed with his curveball though, after the club reportedly spent the entire final regular season in Tampa working off his heaters on Tropicana Field’s Trejekt machine.
It’s hard to tell what’s funnier, that Cam got a 50 percent (!) whiff rate on the bender that night, or that while he edged out eight whiffs he got another six called for strikes. Boston doesn’t have the best lineup in baseball, but they’re still MLB players, and they were bamboozled by the change in gameplan.
And we’ve seen this with Cam before — what makes me so supremely confident in him, and what drives my desire for the Yankees to work out an extension with him the moment labor strife in the sport is resolved is that ability to tweak in-between starts. He gave up four home runs against the Tigers on June 30th, and then just six in the 15 starts and 89.2 innings he threw to close the year. He walked five against the Red Sox on August 28th, a start that could have made us otherwise nervous given his dominance of his hometown team. After that he made five starts to finish up his Cy Young campaign, 30 innings of work, and walked just seven combined.
Then of course facing a Boston team so geared up for velo on Tuesday, Cam quite literally bent the gameplan and pitched the game of his life, again. Mike Trout used to do this, at the height of his powers he would look at a part of his game that wasn’t A+ and just decide to make it A+. Mike Trout is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, maybe the best five-tool talent I have ever seen for an extended period of his career, and I am not quite ready to say that Cam Schlittler is at that level, but damn if he isn’t trying.
But he doesn’t face Boston tonight, he faces Tampa Bay. Instead of the league’s 17th best offense, it’s the sixth best. The Red Sox struck out 21.7 percent of the time, below league average to be clear but three full points higher than Tampa’s K-rate. They do have one thing in common though.
Boston was the worst team in baseball facing curveballs, -7 runs against the pitch. Tampa Bay is the second-worst, -5.7. Now we get into game theory, and perhaps paralysis by analysis. If I know how bad Tampa is against curves, and Tampa just watched the Red Sox get led around Yankee Stadium on a leash made of breaking balls, the Rays have to be gameplanning against a repeat, curve-heavy performance.
Cam’s made three starts against the Rays this year, and has actually underperformed to his own baseline, posting a gaudy 2.81 ERA in 16 innings. He has also struck out seven Rays for every one he walked so, maybe the gameplan is just “do that again.” Then again, he owns the lowest ERA of any pitcher ever against the Red Sox, and became a completely different man when taking them down Tuesday. Maybe we get F*** You Fastball Cam, maybe we get Schlittler on a bender, maybe there’s something else he’s cooking up. The joy of watching Cam Schlittler over the last year and a half has been witnessing the evolution of an ace, and the next chapter comes tonight.
Sep 22, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg (11) throws to first base in the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The MLB postseason rolls on, and yesterday brought two quality games in the NL Division Series. The Brewers and Padres played an absolute thriller, one that ended on Jackson Chourio’s dramatic two-run, two-out, two-strike walkoff single off of the unhittable San Diego closer Mason Miller, putting Milwaukee one win away from a sweep. And in Los Angeles, the Braves clapped back against the Dodgers with a 3-2 victory — with their bullpen game defeating Blake Snell — to even the series at one. The NL teams have a travel day today while the two AL Division Series are back in action.
In the meantime, it’s never too early to start thinking about what the Orioles’ roster will look like in 2027, whenever the season may begin. MLB Trade Rumors’ Charlie Wright wrote about Jordan Westburg’s expected return and what it might mean for the Orioles’ crowded infield picture. In the absence of Westburg, the Orioles’ regular third baseman in 2025, the O’s filled the hot corner this season with the trio of Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who happened to be three of the Orioles’ best hitters. All remain under team control for years to come.
Wright also suggests that the O’s could plug in Westburg at second base, a position he’s played 120 times in his career, as a way to ease him back into action. The Orioles’ current starter at the keystone position is Jackson Holliday, who struggled after suffering a hamate injury in spring training.
That makes five players for two positions. All of them have some warts, though. Mayo’s bat belongs in the lineup but he isn’t really a quality defender. Alexander had a scorching bat in part-time duty but could be overexposed as a regular. Encarnacion-Strand is just a few months removed from being waived by the Reds and can’t be considered a sure thing. And it’s unclear how quickly Westburg will be able to round back into form after missing the entire 2026 season.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Orioles aim to alleviate the logjam, if they try to do so at all. Would they consider optioning Holliday to the minors for the first time since 2024? Will they put Westburg on the IL at the start of the season to give him a little extra time to recover? Or, as Wright suggests, could the O’s try to swing a trade involving one or more of their infielders?
Me, I say just keep them all, unless you get an overwhelming trade offer. These things tend to have a way of sorting themselves out. Last year before spring training, O’s fans thought there was no possible place on the team for Mayo, with Pete Alonso and Ryan Mountcastle blocking him at 1B/DH and Westburg at 3B. And look what happened. Westburg and Mountcastle both suffered injuries that cost them most or all of the season, and Mayo ended up playing 132 games. It’s always nice to have extra depth.
What do you think, Camden Chatters? What should the Orioles’ infield — especially the second and third base situations — look like in 2027?
If it weren’t already obvious by the fact that he played zero games behind the plate in 2026, Ike Irish is no longer a catcher. That’s probably a good thing, considering that he openly hated catching.
The newly acquired outfield prospect hasn’t taken long to Endd-ear himself to Orioles fans. (I’ll show myself out.)
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only player in Orioles history born on Oct. 5 is the late right-hander Terry Mathews (b. 1964, d. 2012).
On this date in 1986, Hall of Fame Orioles skipper Earl Weaver managed the final game of his 17-year career, which included 2,541 regular season games, 46 postseason games, and 96 ejections. Weaver, who had retaken the reins of the Orioles in 1985 after initially retiring in 1982, took a loss in his finale, 6-3 to the Tigers. That finished a 73-89 season, which remarkably was the only losing season of Earl’s career.
The Orioles have played 11 postseason games on this date, going an incredible 9-2 in those games. Among the highlights:
In 1966, the O’s opened their first-ever World Series with a 5-2 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson set the tone for the series with back-to-back homers in the top of the first against fellow Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, taking an early lead that the O’s never relinquished. Moe Drabowsky turned in a brilliant appearance in long relief, working the final 6.2 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts.
In 1969, the Orioles won Game 2 of the ALCS with their second straight extra-inning, walkoff win against the Twins. Dave McNally pitched a masterpiece, tossing an 11-inning shutout with 11 strikeouts. The Twins’ Dave Boswell was very nearly McNally’s equal, carrying a shutout of his own into the bottom of the 11th, but a walk, a sac bunt, and a pinch-hit RBI single by Curt Motton led the Orioles to a 1-0 victory.
In both 1970 and 1971 on this date, the O’s finished off a three-game ALCS sweep, beating the Twins in the former and the Athletics in the latter. In both cases, it was Hall of Famer Jim Palmer who led the Orioles to victory with a complete game. In the 1970 game, he dominated the Twins with 12 strikeouts and gave up only one run in a 6-1 decision, and in the ’71 contest he held the A’s to three runs in a 5-3 Orioles win.
In both 1996 and 1997, the Orioles finished off the Division Series with a Game 4 victory to advance to the ALCS. In ’96, they outlasted Cleveland in a 4-3, 12-inning thriller at Jacobs Field. Roberto Alomar played the hero, first tying the game with two outs in the ninth on an RBI single, then winning it with a leadoff homer in the top of the 12th. And in ’97, in an epic pitcher’s duel between Hall of Famers Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson, Moose came out on top with seven innings of one-run ball. O’s manager Davey Johnson riskily countered the Big Unit by benching top hitters like Alomar and Rafael Palmeiro in favor of little-used righties, and it worked when utility infielder Jeff Reboulet powered a homer en route to a 3-1 Orioles win.
In 2012, the Orioles won the first-ever AL Wild Card Game in Texas, stunning the Rangers with a 5-1 victory. Journeyman lefty Joe Saunders, who historically had always struggled in Texas, memorably outdueled Rangers ace Yu Darvish by holding Texas to one run in 5.2 innings. Darren O’Day, Brian Matusz, and Jim Johnson followed with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief. Nate McLouth and J.J. Hardy sparked the O’s lineup by combining for three hits and three RBIs atop the order.
And in 2014, the O’s sealed a three-game sweep of the Tigers in the Division Series, eking out a 2-1 win in Detroit. For the third consecutive game, the Orioles defeated a former Cy Young winner, besting David Price after doing the same to Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Nelson Cruz’s two-run homer in the sixth provided all the offense the O’s needed, backing 6.1 scoreless innings from Bud Norris. Closer Zack Britton kept the tying and winning runs stranded on base in the ninth by inducing a series-ending double play.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a single in the first inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park on September 27, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Crazy what happens when the roof is open, huh Milwaukee? Still, I’ve never seen anything like Ty France’s long out on Saturday night in a playoff game. It’s why baseball playoffs are the best.
1921 – New York is host to the first one-city World Series since 1906 and the Polo Grounds is the site for all nine games. Carl Mays of the Yankees needs 86 pitches to set the Giants down on five hits, four of them by Frankie Frisch, as Babe Ruth drives in the first run of the Series in the opening inning of the 3-0 Yankees win.
1954 – Oscar Charleston, one of the greatest players in the history of the Negro Leagues, dies in Philadelphia, days after he had fallen down a flight of stairs. He was 57 years old.
2003 – Chicago Cubs win their first MLB postseason series since the 1908 World Series with a 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the NLDS at Turner Field
1274 – Around 1,000 soldiers of the Mongol army land on the Japanese island of Tsushima in the first attack of Kublai Khan‘s Mongol invasion of Japan.
1892 – The Dalton Gang ends in a shootout in Coffeyville, Kansas, during a bank holdup; four members are killed, and a fifth is captured.
1947 – Harry Truman delivers the first presidential address televised from the White House.
1969 – TV sketch comedy series “Monty Python‘s Flying Circus” premieres on BBC1.
1973 – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the 7th studio album by Elton John, is released.
1975 – Austrian Niki Lauda wins the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen to claim his first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship, winning by 19.5 points over Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil.
Jonathan Aranda's solo homer was the game's only run and Rays starter Drew Rasmussen took a no-hitter into the eighth inning as Tampa Bay took the all-important Game 1 on Saturday.
Likely AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler takes the mound for the Yankees in Game 2 coming off his scoreless outing with 10 strikeouts in the first game of the AL wild card series against the Boston Red Sox, the second year in a row he dominated the rivals in the postseason. Freddy Peralta starts for the Rays in Game 2 after going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA following a trade deadline deal with the Mets.
Yankees players were able to spend the off day working out at the team's spring training facility in Tampa and manager Aaron Boone didn't have any updates on the status of MVP Aaron Judge, who was left off the ALDS roster as he continues making his way back from injuries.
How to watch Yankees vs Rays: TV channel, streaming
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
