WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 13: Riley Cornelio #74 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As we finish off this season, players are looking to establish themselves and make statements entering 2027. That is especially true on the mound, where there are only a few guys who have locked down spots for next season. One pitcher who has impressed in his late season audition is Riley Cornelio and I wanted to talk about him a little bit.
Cornelio has had a few different opportunities at points this season. In total, he has thrown 27.2 innings across 14 outings. Cornelio initially got called up in late April, but his only extended runs have been in July and now down the stretch in September. Early in his big league career, Cornelio looked a bit overwhelmed, but that is starting to change as he gets more experienced.
Riley Cornelio’s go-to pitch is his slider. It is a true bullet slider that looks like a fastball before dropping off the table. Everything about Cornelio’s arsenal is built around getting to that slider. When Cornelio can execute his slider, it is game over for hitters. We saw that in his excellent opener appearance yesterday.
When you look at the data on Cornelio’s slider, the numbers are pretty ludicrous. The pitch generates an insane 53.2% whiff rate. Among pitches thrown at least 200 times, Cornelio’s slider has the 4th highest whiff rate of any offering in baseball. Mason Miller’s slider, Adrian Morejon’s changeup and Erik Miller’s slider are the only pitches that generate empty swings at a higher rate.
That pitch is Cornelio’s crown jewel. He has always had a nasty slider in his bag. The key is making everything else work too. For most of this season, control has been a big issue for him. Cornelio’s 17.7% walk rate is a big reason why he has a 4.88 ERA despite having a premier swing and miss offering. He also allows a fair share of hard contact.
It is worth noting that Cornelio’s command has looked noticeably better since he was last re-called in early September. We only have a 3 outing sample, but Cornelio has only walked 2 hitters in 7.2 innings this month. Honestly, I think his 17.7% walk rate is a bit of an outlier.
Throughout Cornelio’s career, his walk rate has consistently been between 10 to 11%. That is not amazing by any means, but if he can replicate that in the big leagues, he will be effective. I also think there is one recent tweak he made that will make throwing strikes a bit easier.
For most of his career, Cornelio has been a two-pitch guy. His fastball and slider are both good pitches, with the latter being fantastic. However, it is tough to survive in today’s game with just two pitches. That is especially true given that Cornelio’s slider is more of a chase pitch.
Midway through this season, he added a cutter. We saw glimpses of the pitch at times, but he has fully unleashed it in September. This year, Cornelio has thrown his cutter 8.5% of the time. However, in September that number spiked to 23.9%. The pitch is used to bridge the gap between his fastball and slider, which is working wonderfully.
That third shape makes the hitter’s decision much more difficult. The 90 MPH cutter sits right between his 85 MPH slider and 96-97 MPH fastball both in velocity and movement. It is a really good addition to his arsenal and I think it could take him to the next level.
I think Cornelio now has the arsenal to thrive as a 1 inning or multi-inning reliever. He looks really comfortable as a 2 to 3 inning opener, so that could be a home for him. However, with a whiff rate of 35.5% this season, I would like to see what he could do in late innings next year.
The ability to generate whiffs is the highlight of Cornelio’s game and he truly does it at an elite level. In his last 300 pitches, Cornelio has generated 56 whiffs, one of the best marks in all of baseball. For context, Cade Cavalli is right behind him at 55 whiffs.
SP Leaders – Last 300 Pitches Thrown
Most Whiffs: Cristian Javier: 61 Whiffs Jacob deGrom: 60 Whiffs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 60 Whiffs Emmet Sheehan: 56 Whiffs Riley Cornelio: 56 Whiffs Ian Seymour: 55 Whiffs Cade Cavalli: 55 Whiffs Jared Jones: 54 Whiffs
As you can see, I am bullish on Cornelio, but he is far from a finished product. The command will need to be better for him in 2027. Issuing 22 walks in 27.2 innings is just not good enough. Given his history of mediocre but not awful command, there is some hope on that front though.
When Cornelio first came up, he felt overwhelmed by the moment at times. There were moments where his mound presence was shaky. If he wants to be a late inning arm, that cannot happen. To his credit, Cornelio has gotten a lot better at that and looks like a much more confident pitcher.
Riley Cornelio’s surface level numbers do not jump off the page, but I think he is a sneaky breakout candidate. What he has been doing in his last few outings is highly encouraging. In his last 7 outings, Cornelio has a 2.77 ERA. With his filthy slider, new cutter and hard fastball, Cornelio has what it takes to be a quality big league arm.
A lot of the guys who have been put in the Nats bullpen just do not have the necessary talent. I do not think talent is a problem for Cornelio. For him, it comes down to three C’s. The three C’s are command, confidence and cutter. All three of those things could lead him to a big year next season.
A major shareholder of Atlanta Braves Holdings is publicly pushing the team’s board to explore a sale, arguing the current sports market presents a rare opportunity ownership shouldn’t let pass by. Businesswire.com reported this news and published a letter to the Braves from Breach Inlet Capital Management.
Breach Inlet, which has held its stake in the company for nearly a decade, laid out its case in a letter addressed to the Braves’ board of directors. The firm argues a confluence of factors — a booming sports sales market, looming labor uncertainty in Major League Baseball, and unfavorable tax changes on the horizon — make now the ideal time for the Braves to explore a sale.
“We believe the timing is optimal to pursue a sale of BATRK,” the firm’s press release states, referring to the company’s stock ticker.
A red-hot market for sports franchises
Breach Inlet pointed to a string of record-breaking sports sales this year as evidence that investor appetite for teams has never been higher. The NFL’s Seattle Seahawks sold for a league-record price in July, only for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers to set an even bigger record the following month. Major League Baseball has seen similar momentum, with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels both setting new league sale records in recent months.
The firm also cited a Wall Street Journal report highlighting rising investor interest in sports franchises as a hedge against artificial intelligence’s disruption of other industries, framing sports teams as a rare “AI-proof” asset class.
Breach Inlet’s message to the board and controlling shareholder John Malone was straightforward: cash in now, rather than assume franchise valuations will keep climbing indefinitely.
A looming labor fight
The letter also raised concerns about Major League Baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which expires Dec. 1. With team owners reportedly favoring a salary cap and players firmly opposed, Breach Inlet expects a lockout, drawing comparisons to the 1994 players’ strike that canceled that year’s World Series and depressed league attendance for more than a decade afterward.
The firm argued the Braves should capitalize on the sport’s current momentum — attendance and national television viewership have both risen significantly in recent years — before a potential lockout threatens that progress.
Tax changes on the horizon
Breach Inlet also flagged upcoming changes to federal tax law that could put the Braves at a financial disadvantage compared to other MLB franchises. Because the Braves are publicly traded, the team faces limits on how much executive compensation it can deduct for tax purposes — a restriction that will expand in 2027 to cover additional highly paid employees, including star players. Nearly every other MLB franchise is privately held and wouldn’t face the same tax exposure, according to the letter.
A franchise with “scarcity value”
The firm made the case that the Braves represent a uniquely valuable asset, citing the team’s status as MLB’s longest continuously operating franchise, its large fan base across the Southeast, a strong on-field track record, and its ownership of BravesVision, the team’s in-house media platform.
Much of Breach Inlet’s argument centered on The Battery Atlanta, the mixed-use development surrounding Truist Park. The firm noted the complex draws roughly 9 million visitors annually, a figure it says exceeds comparable sports developments and even Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The letter cited praise from other league executives, including a Tampa Bay Rays official who called The Battery “the gold standard” for similar ballpark district projects.
Arguing the Braves are undervalued
Breach Inlet contends that, despite that combination of assets, BATRK stock is currently undervalued relative to recent MLB sale prices. Using various valuation comparisons to the recently sold Angels, the firm estimated the Braves could be worth anywhere from roughly $72 to $109 per share in a sale — implying substantial upside compared to the stock’s current trading price.
The letter also noted that Braves executives and directors hold meaningful equity stakes in the company, arguing that a sale would reward leadership for years of financial growth under their watch, including significant increases in company revenue and earnings since 2016.
What’s next
Breach Inlet acknowledged that MLB’s national television rights deals, most of which expire in December 2028, could become more valuable at renewal — a factor that might argue for waiting. But the firm pointed to recent record sale prices as evidence that buyers are already pricing in that future upside, and it urged the board to test that theory by running a formal sale process.
The letter closes with a direct call for the board to engage with Malone, who holds effective voting control of the company, to gauge his willingness to sell. If Malone prefers to keep the team, Breach Inlet suggested he consider taking the company private instead.
It remains to be seen how the Braves’ board, or Malone himself, will respond to the letter’s recommendations.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 12: Lucas Erceg #60 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 12, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It has been a long fall for Lucas Erceg, who went from being the most trusted Royals reliever a year ago, to being demoted to the minors. But the 31-year-old right-hander will get his shot at redemption.
The Royals recalled Erceg from Omaha today and optioned right-hander Easton McGee to the minors. Erceg gave up two runs in 10.1 innings for a 1.74 ERA in Triple-A, and struck out 13 while walking just 3. He was demoted on August 18 after posting a 6.23 ERA with 29 walks and 31 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
Erceg had a big drop in strikeouts last year, and has caught up to him this year. While he still throws hard, opponents have teed off on his fastball, hitting .333 against the pitch. His command has been off and he has thrown his change up far less. Before his demotion, he had given up 14 runs and walked 9 in his last 13 outings covering 10.2 innings. Erceg will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time after this season.
McGee has appeared in seven games for the Royals and gave up nine runs in 9.1 innings with 8 strikeouts. The Royals purchased him from the Brewers in mid-July.
RICHMOND, VA - AUGUST 30: Jacob Bresnahan #32 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels pitches during the game between the Portland Sea Dogs and the Richmond Flying Squirrels at CarMax Park on Sunday, August 30, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matthew Mitrani/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
This was the most sparse Minor League Baseball weekend roundup in quite a while, as the San Francisco Giants affiliates played just seven games across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That means the season is winding down … but there’s still lots to talk about!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
A handful of roster moves across the Minors to report. Low-A San Jose outfielder Peyton Bonds, AA Richmond RHP Manuel Mercedes, and Richmond catcher Onil Perez were all placed on the Development List. Richmond activated shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) and catcher Ty Hanchey off of the 7-Day IL, and sent infielder Zane Zielinski to AAA Sacramento to cover some roster holes. Sacramento also activated RHP Tristan Beck off the IL.
A pair of recent draftees, outfielder Charles Bussey III and LHP Beau Bryans, were assigned to Low-A San Jose.
But the big news is that Jackson Flora has been promoted from San Jose to Richmond. July’s No. 4 overall pick, who pitched twice for San Jose (once in the regular season and once in the playoffs) will head to AA for the playoffs. While it’s probably a move made mostly with logistics in mind, given the different schedules of the teams, it will also be a great opportunity for Flora to prove that he deserves an aggressive assignment to begin the 2027 season.
AAA Sacramento (77-64)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Las Vegas Aviators 9-6 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Las Vegas Aviators 3-2 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Las Vegas Aviators 4-3 [box score]
The River Cats are limping to the finish line, as they lost the final 5 games of the season’s penultimate series. A winning record has been guaranteed for quite a while, but with so much talent having been siphoned off of the roster to head to the Majors, Sacramento is having a hard time competing down the stretch.
There were still some really good performances, though, particularly from a notable prospect on each side of the ball: LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) and third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL).
Whitman has been ending the best season of his young career in excellent fashion, and Sunday was yet another data point. The 2023 comp-round pick breezed through 6 innings with just 89 pitches thrown, while allowing only 5 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, and striking out 4 batters.
After a little bit of a hiccup, Whitman has flourished down the stretch. He’s pitched at least 6 innings in 5 consecutive starts, accruing a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 22-to-4 in that span. In 3 September starts, Whitman — who turns 25 on Thursday — has given up 16 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs in 21 innings, albeit with just 12 strikeouts. There’s work to do on the strikeout front, but that type of baserunner suppression is very impressive, especially since 2 of those starts were in Las Vegas, where the baseball positively flies.
Whitman is down to a 3.65 ERA in AAA, though the lack of strikeouts (7.6 per 9 innings) has resulted in an FIP lagging at 4.65. Of the 85 Pacific Coast League pitchers with at least 50 innings this year, that ERA ranks 10th, while the FIP is 13th (it’s a hitter’s league!). And while it would be nice to see the Kent State alum add more strikeouts to his tally, his 2.5 walks per 9 innings is 7th best.
The Giants MLB promotions of LHP César Perdomo and RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL), the latter directly from AA, suggested to me that they were leaning towards not protecting Whitman from the Rule 5 Draft. It’s unclear if this hot stretch has changed that equation, but if there is a Rule 5 Draft this year (and that’s admittedly a big “if”), it’s hard for me to see a lefty with those numbers and his draft pedigree getting passed over.
Whitman, who is at a career-high 129.1 innings pitched, is scheduled to make one more start. We’ll see if he can finish the season with a bang.
As for Harber, he had really been struggling lately, but had a great weekend. The righty slugger went 3-8 in this trio of games, while drawing 4 walks, striking out once, and smashing his 1st home run in 29 games.
Harber came out of the gates firing when he got promoted to AAA, but things have caught up to him over the last month. Even with that nice weekend, in the last 16 games the UNC product is hitting just 9-62 with 2 extra-base hits, 10 walks, and 21 strikeouts. Harber, who turns 25 later this month, has a .757 OPS and a 102 wRC+ in 48 games with the River Cats, and while it’s a bummer to see him cool down after his blistering stretch, it’s still a quality line overall, given that it’s his 1st taste of AAA and that he dominated AA this season. Very much looking forward to seeing what he does next year.
Other than that pair, there weren’t a ton of performances to talk about. Right fielder/left fielder Will Brennan continued his power burst to end the season, as he smacked a 2-run home run on Friday, though he finished the weekend just 1-10 with a stolen base and a strikeout. The veteran has an .813 OPS and a 109 wRC+ with Sacramento this year.
Right fielder/left fielder Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) continued his rehab assignment, and went 1-6 with a double, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) hit just 2-8 with a strikeout, but both of his hits were doubles. Outfielder Darren Baker, who will hopefully be back with the organization next year, went 3-11 with 2 walks, 2 stolen bases, and 3 strikeouts.
Whitman’s start was not only the best start, but the only real start, as Sacramento went with a bullpen game on both Friday and Saturday. RHP Duncan Davitt, a 26-year old rostered player who was claimed off of waivers, made his organizational debut and it went excellently, as he pitched 3 perfect innings with 2 strikeouts. What an introduction to the system! Now we’ll see if he can survive the mass exodus of the 40-man roster when the season ends.
Tough outings for a pair of arms who recently made it to AAA, RHPs Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) and Logan Martin. Both pitched on Friday, with Bednar allowing a hit, 2 walks, and 2 unearned runs in just 1 inning of work, with 2 strikeouts, and Martin ceding 4 hits, 2 walks, 2 homers, and 5 runs in just 2.1 innings. Bednar has a 7.23 ERA and a 4.72 FIP in 18.2 AAA innings this year, while Martin was making just his 2nd appearance at the level. RHP Ryan Walker again struggled, giving up 4 baserunners, a home run, and an earned run in 1.2 innings, as his time with the organization appears to be nearing an end.
AA Richmond (74-61)
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Chesapeake Baysox 1-0 [box score] Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Chesapeake Baysox 3-1 [box score]
Richmond had a great regular season but it sure didn’t end well. The Squirrels, who had Saturday’s game cancelled due to rain, won just 3 of their final 16 games. But they can still put that in the rearview mirror, as their division series against Erie kicks off on Tuesday. Things can be salvaged!
Just as with Sacramento, Richmond’s weekend was highlighted by a stellar start from a southpaw who is putting the cap on a brilliant season. For the Squirrels, it was LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL), who had far and away his best start since a recent promotion to the Eastern League.
It was a great year for Bresnahan, who has a chance at winning Pitcher of the Year honors in the High-A Northwest League, which would mark the 3rd season in a row that he won the award in his league. But his introduction to AA was fairly rude: in his 1st 2 starts, he gave up 20 baserunners and 9 runs in just 9 innings of work.
But in his 3rd and final (regular season) start at the level? Well, it seems he adjusted and figured it out. Bresnahan was sensational on Friday, tossing 7 shutout innings while giving up just 4 hits (all singles) and 1 walk, and striking out 7 Baysox batters.
The way that the recently-turned 21-year old, who came over in the Alex Cobb trade, controlled the strike zone was outstanding: he needed just 88 pitches to get through those 7 innings, and a whopping 66 of them were strikes.
Jacob Bresnahan just fired off his best AA start so far
7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K
The most impressive part may have been command, but the stuff looked good too. That fastball shape is crazy…#SFGiantspic.twitter.com/AILuBXMvoD
Bresnahan will be back in AA to start the 2027 season and, if he pitches like this a few more times, it won’t be long before he’s in AAA. And given what we’ve seen from the Giants promotion strategy this year, you would not be blamed for hoping — or even expecting — that the youngster makes his MLB debut sometime next year.
That’s putting the cart ahead of the horse. For now, we have a much more pressing question: where does Bresnahan rank among Giants pitching prospects? He’s right there with RHP Ramon Marquez, LHP Carson Bolemon, and RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) for the top pitching prospect behind RHP Jackson Flora. That will be a fun debate in the Community Prospect List this winter…
The finale was started by LHP Greg Farone, who only pitched 3 innings and they were a little odd. Farone only gave up 1 hit, a single, and kept runs off the board. But he also only had 1 strikeout, while walking 3 batters, and throwing just 27 of 51 pitches for strikes. Farone, a 24-year old who was a 7th-round pick in 2024, ends his 2nd pro season — which was spent entirely in AA — with a 5.48 ERA and a 5.79 FIP. He’ll almost certainly be back in Richmond to start the 2027 season.
Strong relief showings to end the year for RHPs Shane Rademacher, Mitch White, and Tyler Vogel. Flame-throwing RHP Marty Gair, acquired at the deadline, threw a scoreless inning with a hit, a walk, and a strikeout in his 4th appearance since getting promoted.
Very little to mention on offense, as the Squirrels scored just 2 runs across as many games. The excitement came from the return of shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL), who came back from an IL stint for the final weekend. Kilen understandably had some rust, as last year’s 1st-round pick hit just 1-8 with 3 strikeouts, but the hit he did knock cleared the fence! There’s a sight for sore eyes!
After a quality year in High-A, Kilen ends his 33-game AA stint with an .811 OPS and a 112 wRC+. I’m curious to see if the Giants have the 22-year old lefty start 2027 in AAA; given the small games total in AA, it would make sense if he were back in Richmond. But on the other hand, he did very well in those 33 games, and it would keep the star shortstop prospects spaced out, since Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) is certainly bound for AA, Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) is almost certainly headed to High-A, Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) will surely continue in Low-A, and Joniel Hernandez will be headed to the ACL.
Right fielder/left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) has really struggled to acclimate to AA, but ended on a high note. After going 0-3 with a strikeout on Friday, the just-turned 21-year old right-hander hit 2-4 with a double, a stolen base, and an outfield assist in the finale, though he was caught stealing.
Lisbel does it again! 🎯
It’s Diaz’s second outfield assist to cut down a run at the plate in as many games! pic.twitter.com/sqyiUjICyV
After an excellent year in High-A, Diaz finished his AA debut with just a .497 OPS and a 27 wRC+ in 22 games, though he stole 8 bases in 9 attempts. He ends the year 2nd in the system with 26 home runs … not bad for someone his age and with his defensive abilities!
High-A Eugene (eliminated)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians 8-7 (12 innings) [box score]
An excellent season for the Emeralds came to a sad trombone ending. Eugene was swept in the best-of-5 championship series and, just to add a little salt to the wound, did so after blowing a 7-4 lead in the 9th inning (and a 7-3 lead in the 8th). The offending party was RHP Liam Simon, who gave up a single and a 3-run home run, which sandwiched an error, and tagged 3 runs to his name (in the box score all 3 runs are earned, which can’t be correct).
Simon, who struck out 2 batters, ended the year with a 5.51 ERA and a 5.29 FIP, with tons of strikeouts and tons of walks. The 2022 5th-rounder out of Notre Dame has about as much life in his arm as anyone in the system, but hasn’t yet figured out how to harness it.
RHP Nate Nabholz tried his best to keep the Emeralds in the game in extras, giving up just 1 baserunner in 3 innings with 2 strikeouts, but 2 of the 3 Manfred Men scored against him, and the Emeralds hitters just couldn’t keep pace.
As for the start, RHP Hunter Dryden ended his year with a not-so-great outing, as he gave up 3 hits, 3 walks, 1 hit batter, 1 home run, and 3 runs in 4 innings of work, while striking out 2. It will be interesting to see what the Giants do with the 17th-round pick from the 2024 draft. He showed some very interesting things this year, and put up some decent strikeout numbers, but he also finished his age-24 season with just a 4.47 ERA and a 5.47 FIP in High-A. Does he repeat the level as a starter? Does he head to AA as a starter? Does he get moved to the bullpen? We’ll find out in a few months.
Third baseman Isaiah Barkett ended a quality debut season with a bang, hitting 3-5 with a double and a walk. Barkett, who was taken in the 10th round out of Stetson a year ago, demolished Low-A pitchers this year, posting an .886 OPS, a 125 wRC+, and just an 8.2% strikeout rate. The 22-year old righty finished the year with a strong 10-game stint in High-A, where he had a .786 OPS, a 114 wRC+, and a 9.5% strikeout rate, before going 5-11 with 3 walks in the postseason. Barkett mostly played second base this year, but spent some time at third, first, and right field as well.
Shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) had one of the best years on the farm, and he ended it well, hitting 2-6 with a double and 3 runs batted in, though he was caught stealing and committed an error. After quickly proving that he was way too good for the California League, the switch-hitting 19-year old posted an .836 OPS and a 119 wRC+ in 69 High-A games. He looks ready for AA if you ask me!
Sunday: San Jose Giants lost to the Lake Elsinore Storm 12-1 [box score]
For the first time in a long time, the Baby Giants have their backs against the wall. San Jose ended the year having won 20 of their final 22 games, and then kicked off the playoffs with 2 straight wins to sweep their best-of-3 division series.
But the championship series will not go so smoothly, as San Jose got their butts kicked in the opener of the best-of-3 series. The Baby Giants will now have to win 2 straight games (Tuesday and Wednesday, both at home) in order for their dream season to end with a celebration.
It was a bad game through and through. When you give up 12 runs, you know you did something poor on the mound, and it began with the starter, RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL). Martinez has had a difficult season, and he had a very difficult outing in his final appearance of the year, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, 5 runs, and 4 earned runs in just 2 innings of work, with only 1 strikeout.
After a breakout 2025, the just-turned 22-year old came back to earth this season, posting a 4.61 ERA and a 4.77 FIP on the year. What really did Martinez in was an abundance of walks and home runs (4.5 and 1.1 per 9 innings, respectively), as he did a great job being hard to hit: he struck out 12.9 batters per 9 innings, and allowed just 73 hits in 93.2 innings. There’s a lot to love there, even if it needs to get back on track in 2027.
LHP Leandro Rodriguez, and RHPs Fernando Vasquez and Cooper McGrath also struggled quite a bit, though RHP Melvin Pineda was decent.
Just as this was a very rough game for a team that otherwise had a nearly-perfect season, it was a very rough game for a prospect that otherwise had a nearly-perfect season: shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL). Other than a better bill of health, it’s hard to draw up a better season for the 18-year old switch-hitter, who posted a .991 OPS and a 146 wRC+ between the ACL and Low-A, with 21 stolen bases. But this was a game he’ll want to forget … or better yet, bounce back from tomorrow. González reached base just once, on a walk, and finished the day 0-4 with 3 strikeouts and 2 errors.
In a more exciting hitless performance, right fielder Charles Bussey III made his professional debut in this game. Bussey is a 22-year old whom the Giants took in the 11th round in July out of a Junior College. The right-handed hitter went 0-4 with a strikeout, but hey … he’s a pro baseball player now!
Strong performances from a pair of 2025 draftees: second baseman Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) hit 1-2 with 3 walks, while left fielder Broedy Poppell went 2-3 with a walk and an outfield assist. Meola, drafted in the 4th round, finished the year with an .821 OPS and a 103 wRC+; Poppell, a 13th-rounder, posted a .767 OPS and a 96 wRC+.
Home run tracker
18 — Parks Harber — [6 in AAA; 12 in AA] 11 — Will Brennan — [AAA] 11 — Gavin Kilen — [2 in AA; 9 in High-A]
KANSAS CITY, MO - JULY 31: Kansas City Royals empty seats during the home opener game against the Chicago White Sox on July 31, 2020 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Royals announced today they have selected a construction team with Mortenson and McCownGordon heading the project, along with local builder JE Dunn for the proposed downtown ballpark. While the project could still be subject to a public vote, the plans call for a 34,000-seat ballpark located by Crown Center.
The seating capacity would represent a 10 percent reduction from the 37,903 capacity at Kauffman Stadium, which is a 6.7 percent reduction from the 40,625 seats the stadium held until renovations in the early 2000s. At 34,000 seats, it would have a smaller capacity than any other current MLB stadium (excluding Sutter Health Park in Sacramento).
But the smaller capacity is part of a larger trend in ballparks. The new Athletics ballpark in Las Vegas is projected to have just 33,000 seats, and a new proposed Rays ballpark in St. Petersburg will have just 31,000 permanent seats. Even recent ballparks for the Braves and Rangers, both of which have capacities over 40,000, reduced the number of seats by 15 percent over their previous homes.
This comes as average attendance at MLB games is above pre-pandemic levels and on pace to rise for the fifth consecutive year. While the number of fans at games is still down from the early 2000s, they are much higher than they were in the 80s and 90s when many teams played in cavernous multi-purpose stadiums.
So what gives?
While it may seem counterintuitive, baseball teams are no longer trying to get as many people into the ballpark as possible. Instead, they are trying to get more out of the people who do show up.
For much of baseball history, stadium economics were fairly straightforward – sell as many tickets as possible, then sell those fans hot dogs, beer, peanuts, and Cracker Jack after they’re in. Even if the stadium sits half-empty for mid-week September games, teams wanted to maximize the number of fans they could accommodate for big draws.
But today, the economics of the modern ballpark are different. Teams increasingly value premium seating, clubs, suites, restaurants, bars and social spaces over another few thousand inexpensive seats in the upper deck. Those amenities take up considerably more room per customer, but they can also generate considerably more revenue. A filing in a 2014 lawsuit showed that the Royals had just 19 private suites, by far the lowest number in baseball and far below the MLB-average of 76.
Fewer seats also constrain supply, which can drive prices up. According to a study by Seatgeek and Doc’s Sports, the Royals have the sixth-cheapest tickets in baseball. The Athletics, who went from playing in a huge football stadium in Oakland to a minor league ballpark with just over 14,000 seats, suddenly had the third-most expensive ticket in baseball to watch a team with a worse record than the Royals.
Forbes estimates the Royals made $76 million in gate receipts in 2025. That is not too bad considering they finished with the fifth-worst attendance. But there is considerably more money to be made from each customer, as teams with recently-built ballparks have found. The Braves, playing at Truist Park, generated an estimated $64 in gate receipts per attendee, while the Rangers generated about $55 per attendee at Globe Life Field.
Note: Data excludes the Rays and Athletics, who played at minor league ballparks in 2025.
Does a smaller capacity make sense for the Royals?
A new ballpark must fit into a tighter location at Crown Center than the sprawling Truman Sports Complex. The anticipated ballpark district would take up 85 acres, about a fifth of the acreage at their current location. With less land available for the stadium, parking and surrounding development, designers will have an incentive to use space more efficiently rather than devote it to thousands of seats that would sit empty for much of the season.
The team has never averaged 34,000 fans per game for an entire season. Not counting home openers, the team has only had 25 total games since 2016 with 34,000 fans or more – most of those were filled with Cardinals fans. For most games, the lost seats won’t be noticed.
On the other hand, during their 2015 championship season, they drew 34,000 or more in 41 of their 81 home games. And part of the argument for moving downtown is that the Royals could draw fans who aren’t coming to Kauffman Stadium now. More than 30,000 people live downtown, while thousands more commute there for work and could more easily catch a weeknight game. If a downtown stadium succeeds in expanding the Royals’ audience, a 34,000-seat capacity that looks perfectly adequate based on recent attendance could suddenly feel a lot more limiting.
Despite potentially higher prices, a smaller stadium does not necessarily mean a worse fan experience. Fewer seats may create a more intimate environment – it is not as much fun to attend a game with thousands of empty seats. Reducing the amount of space devoted to seating can also give designers more room for wider concourses, gathering areas, restaurants and bars, standing-room viewing areas and other amenities that allow fans to move around the ballpark without losing touch with the game.
A smaller stadium would be more than enough for the Royals on most nights, and a smaller footprint could create a more intimate and enjoyable experience. But the tradeoff will become apparent when the team is good, when fewer seats will mean higher prices and some fans getting shut out. The Royals are designing a ballpark to maximize revenues to compete with other teams. A smaller stadium may make sense for the economics of modern baseball, even if Royals fans someday find themselves wishing there were more seats.
San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Most Major League Baseball trade deadline deals swap top minor-league prospects for proven big-league talent.
Why? Playoff-contending teams are willing to gamble their future away to secure a postseason berth. Participating in October baseball is worth the risk.
Padres gambled and possibly won deadline deal
Last summer, the San Diego Padres acquired reliever Mason Miller from the Athletics for a package of minor-league talent, including the organization’s top prospect, Leo De Vries.
Since arriving in San Diego, Miller has elevated the Padres bullpen to elite status. The right-hander has posted a 1.04 ERA over 80 appearances and struck out 162 batters in 86.2 innings pitched. No question, he is a foundation piece of the franchise.
Friars President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller has a “win-now” mentality, and he saw an opportunity to trade for the game’s premier closer, who is not eligible to become a free agent until after the 2030 season. To complete the deal, Preller had to give up the organization’s top positional prospect.
Once it became official, the argument began over who won the trade.
Why positional prospect injuries only count when they happen
Most personnel departments would never trade a top everyday minor league prospect for a pitcher who perhaps is one of the best in baseball. The reason is that a positional prospect has his whole baseball career ahead of him. A pitcher is one throw away from an arm injury.
However, the narrative changes if the positional prospect sustains a major injury. That is why the news about De Vries was heartbreaking, as he is scheduled to have shoulder surgery this week. De Vries will be sidelined for approximately eight months.
The 19-year-old switch-hitter injured his right shoulder sliding head-first into a base. De Vries tried to play through the pain, but increasing shoulder instability ultimately led to an MRI. It revealed an anterior labrum tear.
The pending surgery will delay his major league debut until later in the 2027 season. The anticipation of De Vries’ arrival is high, and why not? He batted .290 with 13 HR and 55 RBI in 93 games. But the fear that De Vries may never return to his former self has crept into everyone’s minds.
The unfortunate shoulder injury has put the Padres ahead of the Athletics in the Miller-De Vries trade.
The Friars are counting on their closer to end the game that secures their postseason berth.
For top prospects, it is all about the hard work they put in to achieve their dream of playing in the majors. De Vries is young enough to rebound and have a very respectable major league career. But time will tell if he can become a difference-maker in the sport.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 09: Miguel Vargas #20 of the Chicago White Sox reaches second base on a double past the tag of Brayan Rocchio #4 of the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning at Rate Field on August 09, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the season’s final month halfway over, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.
(Note: Records and standings are up to date through games played on Sunday, September 13th.)
First Place: Chicago White Sox (76-73)
Top Position Player: Miguel Vargas (4.4 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Sean Burke (2.9 fWAR)
The White Sox had sorta been coasting for months as the AL’s No. 2 seed in a very dreadful division in a league where the best three teams all reside on the East Coast. Up until a few weeks ago, they weren’t in any danger, holding a 5.5-game lead as of August 16. Since then, though? They’ve lost five games to the surging Guardians while stumbling to 10 losses in their last 14 games. They enter this week with just a half-game lead heading into an important series with Cleveland, beginning tonight.
The offense is what’s trying to keep this team above water, as the young nucleus that we’ve all come to know this season has been remarkably consistent (for the most part). All-Stars Miguel Vargas and Tristan Peters are both continuing to hit, while they’re getting value across the board from guys like Chase Meidroth, Sam Antonacci, Colson Montgomery, and Yankee killer Randal Grichuk as a platoon bat. The guy everyone’s watched like a hawk all season, though, is Munetaka Murakami. He was awesome to start the year, but hasn’t been the same since his injury. Since August 1, he’s slashing just .140/.276/.322 with a 69 wRC+ and a 40 percent strikeout rate.
As I said, the offense is what’s kept them afloat. The pitching has been vulnerable, with their planned ace, Davis Martin, hitting a big midseason wall after a hot start. Sean Burke would probably start a potential Game 1 for them at this point, but the bigger issue is how things line up behind them, as Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde have been so-so all season long. They have a top-10 bullpen by ERA with high-leverage options in Bryan Hudson, Grant Taylor, and former Brave Sean Newcomb, but it gets shallow after that. Seranthony Dominguez and Jordan Hicks’ walk rates are way too high to trust in October.
Second Place: Cleveland Guardians (76-74)
Top Position Player: Chase DeLauter (3.2 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Parker Messick (4.5 fWAR)
With how mediocre the American League is this year, the Guardians have never quite been out of it, but there have been some times when it looked pretty bleak. They were 61-66 on August 19 after losing 18 of 25 and were falling behind the pack, even in an incredibly mediocre wild-card race. Since then, they’ve essentially mirrored the White Sox’s futility by going 15-8, pulling to within a half game and narrowly leading the Blue Jays and Rangers for the third wild card. They’d need to sweep the White Sox this week to get the tiebreaker, but even just winning the series would be huge to end the ChiSox’s 53-day streak of being alone in first.
They’ve gotten back into this division race despite an incredibly mediocre offense that hits way fewer homers than almost anyone else with a 94 wRC+. Rookie Chase DeLauter’s been their most consistent bat, while Travis Bazzana is heating back up after a post-All-Star break slump. Their defense-first catching platoon of Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges has shockingly shown some life offensively, but this team’s playoff chances will ride and die on José Ramírez. The 33-year-old has had his worst season since 2015 around a month-long hand injury, sitting with just a 91 wRC+ entering Sunday.
With that underwhelming offense, how do they have a fighter’s chance at the division and a first-round bye? Their pitching has been spectacular again. Gavin Williams looks like an ace with one of the league’s best strikeout rates, while Parker Messick is having one of the best rookie seasons by a starting pitcher that we’ve seen in a while. It’s a whole bunch of solid behind them too with a good amount of health, as 140 of their 150 starts this year have been made by their five starting pitchers.
As has usually been their strength, they’ve also ridden a pretty good bullpen. It’s the same guys who defined them in 2024, with the exception of you know who. Cade Smith is one of the best closers in baseball and is being set up by Matt Festa, Tim Herrin, and Hunter Gaddis. You look up and down their bullpen, and this might be the deepest unit in the sport. They have five or six guys that they’d probably trust in leverage, which, when you combine that with two guys who can consistently go deep in games, that’s dangerous in a playoff setting.
Third Place: Minnesota Twins (70-79)
Top Position Player: Ryan Jeffers (2.9 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Joe Ryan (2.6 fWAR)
We’re going to get a good look at a desperate Twins team that made the controversial choice to buy at the deadline, seeing an opportunity in a very rough AL wild-card race. Unfortunately for them, they’ve played much worse after the deadline and are entering late September five games behind the Guardians after a 14-22 post-deadline stretch. Their season is as good as dead, something the Yankees can officially bring to the morgue this week in the Twin Cities.
They have a handful of really good hitters that kept them in contention for a long time, but injuries are taking a toll as they always do. Yankees deadline target Ryan Jeffers missed extended time with a broken hamate bone, but has continued to rake upon his return. More lower-body injuries continue to doom Byron Buxton, who’s been ruled out for the season after being placed on the injured list for the third time this year with a hip issue. Kody Clemens’ breakout and Luke Keaschall’s emergence have stabilized their infield situation, but it’s a unit that isn’t quite doing enough to get them in a playoff spot.
They’ve gotten great seasons from Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley, who’ve made 53 combined starts with an ERA around 3.70, but it gets bad after that, displaying the weakness of this team. Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, and Connor Prielipp are replacement-level guys being backed up by an underwhelming bullpen. Their closer is former Yankees prospect Yoendrys Gomez, who’s been pretty effective in his first season as a real big leaguer.
The decision to soft buy at the deadline for a team devoid of investment is going to hang over this season and the Pohlads. They got Dean Kremer, Jeff Hoffman, and AJ Minter as their headline pieces, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s a half-measure for a team that was on a shaky foundation. There are too many guys on this team who are free agents in the next two years, so the soft-buying strategy for a team that would be heavy underdogs in the postseason is pretty confusing.
Fourth Place: Detroit Tigers (70-79)
Top Position Player: Kevin McGonigle (4.9 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Tarik Skubal (3.0 fWAR)
This is a team that gave up at the deadline, but tried to make a run anyway in mid-August, briefly climbing into a wild-card spot before going on a predictable skid and now finds itself on the periphery with time dwindling. It’s a big step back for the Tigers from their ALDS berth last year, but there are certainly positives to take away.
The biggest positive of them all is the emergence of a pair of stars at two of the most important positions in the sport. Kevin McGonigle will be the runaway Rookie of the Year with a very mature approach and extremely consistent offensive production, while Dillon Dingler is emerging as one of the best catchers in the sport with supreme defense and All-Star offense, even if he’s slumped in the second half. Riley Greene has also continued to be pretty awesome, as has old friend Gleyber Torres. They’ve even gotten some great cameos from recent call-ups Max Clark and Eduardo Valencia. The negatives here are the regression of 2025 Silver Slugger Zach McKinstry and the stagnation of former No. 1 pick Spencer Torkelson, but it’s an offense you gotta love going forward.
Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize are gone, so this has been a makeshift rotation ever since the deadline. Framber Valdez has been the constant all season, having an underwhelming but overall acceptable first year in Detroit. Troy Melton has been a complete revelation, being one of the best starters in baseball who’ve made at least 15 starts. Keider Montero has worked well in a swingman role, trading a spot in the rotation with bulk relief every other outing. All in all, it’s a solid group, especially if the recently returned Jackson Jobe can put together some good starts to end.
You’ve heard a lot of good things about this team, so here’s the bad. The bullpen is incredibly bad. They’ve heavily underperformed their run differential because of some horrific high-leverage relief and some pretty bad managing from ex-Astros skipper AJ Hinch. The ERAs all look pretty good, but they’ve blown a bunch of saves by overworking Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen with a very rigid bullpen structure. Tyler Holton and a rookie Drew Sommers have been good all year, but it hasn’t been enough to save this unit or their season.
Fifth Place: Kansas City Royals (66-84)
Top Position Player: Bobby Witt Jr. (6.5 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Noah Cameron (3.1 fWAR)
I’m never particularly high on the Royals as a very shallow, low-payroll team, but they’re a team that had high aspirations after their 2024 playoff run and have subsequently disappointed in back-to-back seasons. They have finished the season pretty well, going 16-10 in their last 26 including a nine-game winning streak.
The offense is Bobby Witt Jr. and eight guys who aren’t. He’s going to be the runner-up in MVP voting for the second time in three years, and might’ve had a good chance to get that award if his bat was closer to his 10-WAR 2024 self. Outside of him, Jac Caglianone has broken out in a big way, and Carter Jensen has made a name for himself behind the plate. It’s been a brutal year for Team Italy captain Vinnie Pasquantino and a down year for former All-Star Maikel Garcia, so if you’re looking at guys to step up for a better 2027, it’s them.
Noah Cameron and Michael Wacha have combined to make 56 starts with sub-4 ERAs apiece, but they’ve struggled to find depth behind them. Their best-performing starter outside that tandem? Randy Dobnak, who you might remember from the 2019 ALDS. Seth Lugo has a 4.99 ERA in 30 starts as the only other guy to make at least 15, and it’s been a hodgepodge to try and fill the rest of the rotation.
It’s not like the bullpen’s been much better. John Schreiber, currently on the Yankees after being claimed off waivers, was their best reliever. Daniel Lynch IV has gotten away with a pretty small strikeout rate, but everyone else? Big regression for Matt Strahm, and Lucas Erceg hasn’t helped.
The Cubs lost two of three to the Braves in Atlanta back in May, scoring only five runs in the series.
That was so long ago that Pete Crow-Armstrong batted ninth, eighth and ninth in the three games and Moisés Ballesteros was the starting catcher in the series opener.
Since that series ended the Cubs are 55-51 and the Braves 58-48, only three games apart. Now both teams are trying to nail down postseason positions, the Braves the NL East title and the Cubs the first wild card spot.
For more on the Braves, here’s Demetrius Bell, manager of our SB Nation Braves site Battery Power.
The last time these two teams squared off, everybody invested in the Braves was hoping that what they’d seen from this team over the first month-and-a-half of the season was legit. Here we are in September and the Braves have a very tight grip on the NL East lead and they’re still fighting for the second seed in the National League, so I’d say that this team has proven to be legit.
With that being said, this definitely hasn’t been the type of season where the team simply puts it in cruise control and waits for October. The Braves had an awful malaise in June that nearly caused them to lose their divisional lead and a lot of that was due to the fact that the offense suffered a sustained and collective slump. Obviously they’ve recovered since then but the consistency of Atlanta’s offense is still a reasonable concern — they’ve only had a 90 wRC+ as a team since the start of August and that wRC+ goes down to 68 when it comes to their performance on the road.
I’m not anticipating the Braves to score a ton of runs during this series, though it would be cool to see Ronald Acuña Jr. keep up the fiery pace that he’s been on in recent times. Matt Olson has been slumping lately but he had a strong series against the Phillies and he could play a big factor as well. Michael Harris II has been consistent all season so if there’s anybody who could be relied upon to at least keep the line going, it’s him. Mauricio Dubón has essentially been a veritable Swiss army knife for the Braves this season and it wouldn’t be all that surprising if he played a big role in any success that the Braves have in Chicago this week.
The strength of this team is the pitching. Despite the fact that it’s felt like the rotation has constantly been in flux this season, the pitching staff has still managed to get it done at a very high level. A lot of that has essentially come down to the bullpen for Atlanta being excellent as well. For most of the season, it’s basically been a case of Atlanta hoping that whoever is starting for them can give them six innings and keep them in the game since the opposing team will usually be kept quiet from the seventh inning onwards. While Dylan Lee has been slowing down a bit lately, guys like Didier Fuentes, Dylan Dodd, Victor Mederos, Brent Suter and Ray Kerr have really been effective coming out of the ‘pen lately. Raisel Iglesias is prone to an adventure or two but usually he’s able to bring things home for the Braves in the end when it comes to saves.
Basically, if the Braves can keep things relatively low-scoring then I like their chances. If they’re unable to keep the Cubs quiet, I don’t like their chances in a slugfest. It should be fun to see how it goes!
Fun facts
The Cubs dropped two of three games when the teams met at Atlanta on May 12-14, losing by 5-2 and 4-1 before winning, 2-0.
The Cubs won their next game the next night, 10-5 over the White Sox on the South Side, then lost 10 in a row.
The Cubs’ 4-3 win over the Braves at Wrigley Field on Sept. 2 of last year was their 700th at home in the ancient rivalry, against only 466 losses. That .600 winning percentage is the Cubs’ best against any current team that they have hosted in more than 26 games.
Neither team has swept a series at Wrigley since the Cubs won four straight in 2015. They won three in 2017, then lost the fourth. They won two, then lost, in 2022 and last year.
The Braves’ last sweep at Wrigley was in 2006. This will be the 19th series between the teams on the North Side since then.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Monday: David Peterson, LHP (4-2, 4.41 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, 4.46 FIP in 13 games with Cubs; 7-8, 5.28 ERA, 1.576 WHIP, 4.15 FIP in 29 games overall) vs. Reynaldo Lopez, RHP (4-4, 4.13 ERA, 1.389 WHIP, 4.41 FIP)
Tuesday: Kevin Gausman, RHP (4-2, 5.31 ERA, 1.282 WHIP, 4.62 FIP in seven starts with Cubs; 9-12, 4.60 ERA, 1.287 WHIP, 3.77 FIP in 30 starts overall) vs. Martin Perez, LHP (8-9, 3.08 ERA, 1.246 WHIP, 4.24 FIP)
Monday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Braves market territories)
Tuesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, TBS (outside the Cubs and Braves market territories)
Wednesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
On paper these pitching matchups don’t look great, but I think the Cubs will rise to the occasion and take two of three.
Up next
The Cubs have Thursday off, then play a one-series, three-game road trip at Great American Ballpark against the Cincinnati Reds beginning Friday evening.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 14: Reynaldo Lopez #40 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on May 14, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, ten games into the Braves’ 16-contest headlong stroke through a sea of contenders, so far so good. Though the Braves have only gone 5-5 in those ten games, that’s included four wins (and three loses) against the Phillies, solidifying Atlanta’s chances of taking home a division title for the first time since 2023. On September 3, the calm before this specific storm, the Braves had a four-game lead over the Phillies, and division odds of 84 percent. Currently, they have a five-game lead over the Phillies, and division odds of 99 percent. Not bad for a 5-5 stretch.
But, the games still need to be played, and the Braves can’t fully coast yet. They’ve got six more games against contenders, while the Phillies are off today and begin a series in Washington tomorrow. The first part of those six games for Atlanta? A visit to Wrigley Field, with the probably-playoff-bound-but-very-bizarre Cubs for three games.
I talk about the Braves having a weird season and being a weird team, but the Cubs probably have them beat in this regard. Are the Cubs good? Probably. They have the majors’ sixth-best record (five games behind the Braves, though), as well as the fourth-best run differential and BaseRuns performance. But, here’s where it gets bizarre: the Cubs are far and away the most productive team in MLB both offensively and defensively… while having MLB’s worst pitching.
Seriously. The Cubs have 35.2 position player fWAR. The next-closest team, the Brewers, is at 24.3. If you take that 11ish fWAR gap and go from the Brewers on down, you get the Giants, who are ranked 25th. It’s insane. In 2023, the Braves, with their historic offensive season, finished about 6 fWAR up on the Rangers. The 2019 Astros paced the second-place team by 8.5 fWAR. We haven’t seen a gap this large between the top two teams in position player fWAR since 2001, which featured the Mariners outclassing the Cardinals by 13-plus. It’s been a rout on both sides of the ball, too. The Cubs are the only team with a wRC+ above 110. They have more than double the defensive value, in runs above average, than the next-closest team.
This sort of thing can only happen when something unusual rears it head, and yeah, that’s going on too. The Cubs have the third-highest xwOBA outperformance as a team. This isn’t a wind-at-Wrigley Field thing, either, as the Cubs haven’t had a notable xwOBA outperformance since somewhere around 2021-2022. It’s more just a syzygy of good fortune: among their 12 players with 200+ PAs, nine have a sizable xwOBA overperformance, two are neutral-ish, and only one guy (poor Nico Hoerner) is basically serving the role of sin eater for his teammates. Notably, only likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong is even hitting the cover off the ball — none of the other guys have an xwOBA above .341. But, thanks to the balls falling, ten guys have an above-average batting line anyway.
But, there’s a very dark flip side to all this. The Cubs may register a far-and-away first in position player fWAR, but… in pitching fWAR, they’re dead last. Their rotation is bottom five, their bullpen is bottom five. They made a bunch of pitching additions at the Trade Deadline… and rank even worse since that day has passed (29th). Much like the offense, though, it’s somewhat the result of shenanigans: the Cubs have a perfectly beige 100 xFIP-, but have been stung by HR/FB to an incredible degree. The gap between their HR/FB (14.8 percent) and that of the Athletics, who play in a minor league park and don’t really have any pitching to speak of (13.7 percent) is far larger than any other two sequentially-ranked teams. It’s neither entirely homers nor any semblance of poor fielding or positioning. It just looks like the baseball gods giveth with one hand, and taketh (or giveth to the other team) with the other.
Since I’ve been watching baseball, only the 2007 Phillies and 2008 Cardinals have come close — first in position player fWAR and 25th in pitching fWAR — but both of those teams had more than double the pitching fWAR of the Cubs. In fact, I went and pulled all of baseball history, and those two teams came closest to this kind of disparity… something that the Cubs will almost certainly shatter this year. (If you want a runner-up, consider the 2000 Angels: the league’s worst pitching, but second in position player value.)
Nor does the wildness stop there. The Cubs have had two ten-game winning streaks… and a ten-game losing streak. They join the 2017 Dodgers as the only team to manage that kind of feat.
The Braves took two of three from the Cubs back in the halcyon days of May. The Cubs have largely tread water over about the last month: they’re won just 11 of their last 28 games, and are one game below .500 since the start of August, but four games above .500 since the All-Star Break. The pattern of god-tier hitting/fielding and awful pitching has largely held… though it’s worth noting that over the last two weeks, the Cubs are more mediocre in both than their usual divergent pattern.
Okay, well, that was 900 words largely about the Cubs… so let’s go to the pitching matchup briefly. It’s far from a marquee event on that basis.
The Braves will once again give the ball to Reynaldo Lopez as they free-wheel their rotation and give everyone rest and sundry for the playoffs. Lopez has appeared in 25 games, including 12 starts. His line is meh: 98/106/103 (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-). His xFIP is basically the same across his starting and relieving stints, though he’s been more homer-prone as a starter. Lopez started the season in the rotation and was pretty terrible through five starts, then went to the bullpen and pitched like a mop-up guy, but then returned to the rotation and gave the Braves six starts of mid-rotation, Wade Miley-esque performance. That was fairly handy, but he was then sidelined with a knee injury for over a month. His return went really poorly, as he got BABIPed, HR/FBed, and everything else under the sun by the Rays in 4 2/3 innings. Given that, I wouldn’t expect much from Lopez this time around, either.
Lopez faced the Cubs as a reliever this year and gave up a homer to Ian Happ — that came in a 2-0 loss despite Chris Sale getting the start. The only other run in that game came as a result of a defensive error while Sale was in the game.
The Cubs will be starting a guy the Braves are very familiar with: David Peterson, an acquisition from the Mets in late June. Peterson was working as a swingman in Queens and had a 148/92/96 line at the time of the trade. Since then, he’s made 13 appearances for the Cubs and has a 107/107/97 line. The Cubs basically got exactly what they figured, albeit with some extra homers baked in. (Peterson was at 101/95/92 in six seasons with the Mets before 2026, so maybe the Cubs are a little disappointed.) He was terrible after the trade for most of July, but had a nice August, and has been a mixed bag since — his exposure in September so far was two starts against the Brewers, one where he was blown up and one where he did okay.
The Braves have a long history against Peterson, as he’s faced them 14 different times. He’s actually pitched better against them than his career line in terms of xFIP — but the Braves have hit a lot of homers off him, so his FIP is relatively inflated. The Braves will probably need to get some homers again if they want to hang with the Cubs while Lopez takes the hill.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, September 14, 7:40 p.m. EDT
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
TV/Streaming: BravesVision, MLB Network
Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 7: Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants prepares for the game at Oracle Park on August 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you’re a dumb idiot like me who thinks the San Francisco Giants having one of their worst seasons ever is a bad thing, then I have just the post to help you really stick it to whiners like me. The Giants aren’t bad. The process wasn’t flawed. The learning curves for Buster Posey, Zack Minasian, or Tony Vitello and his coaching staff were small, if they even existed. There’s a simple, irrefutable fact: the Giants just had so many injuries this season.
That’s it. That’s the epitaph.
When we get into the offseason and see sites and platforms trash the Giants for what happened to them in 2026 and project their future records negatively as result, the real ball knowers will be able to point and laugh at them for ignoring the most obvious thing in the world. The Giants had more injuries than any team could stand and that’s why they performed below projections and below their franchise norms.
And that won’t be the case in 2027, snooty internet writer, because
Buster Posey has no doubt been meeting with the ownership group all season and will again before they lockout the players this winter, and when they ask him what went wrong — and maybe even before that when he gives a defensive and probably vacuous end of the season presser — he’ll be able to say “Bruh, check out that IL. No team can survive that.” Buster is the biggest believer that the team has gotten better throughout the season —
“I know it is easy to look at the record and say good things aren’t happening,” Posey said. “But our guys are working hard every day, and that’s a reflection on Tony and his work ethic. The effort is there, and that is important. There is improvement.”
So, I should think it’s no problem and far from unfair to predict what he’ll say very soon. And, guess what, he’d be right! At least, for the ball knowers. For the geeks, freaks, and losers like me, we’ll be stuck on results. I won’t be able to come to grips with the team’s first-ever 5-year stretch of no winning seasons. Or the decade of futility (sorry, 2021 — though, that team did lose to the Dodgers in the playoffs). But I should, because that’s what good and smart fans and media people and the team itself will do. They will point to the record and say, Minasianly, “Yeah, but there were so many injuries. That’s probably a 90-win team if it’d stayed healthy.”
Matt Chapman’s frustrating and brief season? Injury. Willy Adames in his flop era? Nah. He got hurt. Jung Hoo Lee being an average-at-best hitter and below average defender? Uhh… injury, maybe? Logan Webb? Not cooked! Just injured! Rafael Devers’ ugly and then beautiful season? Injury.
A quick note on Devers since I definitely look silly having written what I wrote back in June — he almost immediately turned around his season after I hit PUBLISH. I’ll wear the thesis, but the underlying stuff still holds up: 46th percentile bat speed, 46th percentile chase rate, 25th percentile Whiff rate, 23rd percentile K% — but he did up his zone contact rate (77.7%) and as someone who does damage when making contact, this noticeable uptick (+3.8%) surely made most of the difference — chalk that up to him not liking little dorks like me writing negatively about him or maybe it was simply getting comfortable once and for all on a team that likes and wants him on it. But then he got hurt — or… he was hurt all season. In any case, Buster won the trade, the Giants will be great next year because Devers was great this year, and if the rest of the team had stayed healthy all year — and Devers — we’d be looking ahead to the playoffs in a couple of weeks.
Right?
There’s still the matter of the pitching staff. Tyler Mahle was hurt, but then he got better, and then really good once he was traded away. Is that a sign that Atlanta is better or evidence that Mahle is less hurt? Since we have to defend Buster Posey as the face of the franchise, it’s certainly the latter. Remember, the Giants fixed Adrian Houser in-season… and then he got hurt.
Injury explains everything. The projected bullpen that the other Brian Murphy of KNBR criticized Buster for earlier in the season was hurt by all of those injuries. That’s the only explanation. Keaton Winn is an ace reliever if he doesn’t get hurt. Now, should his injury history have been taken into consideration when projecting his season? I would say yes under any other circumstance, but maybe I’m not giving Buster Posey & co. a fair shake. The tidal wave of Matt Gage, Sam Hentges, JT Brubaker, Joel Peguero, Jose Butto, Trevor McDonald and Carson Whisenhunt disrupted the team’s plans and shook up the bullpen roles before they could settle.
The Giants have not been able to really get on a roll because of all the injuries, and as Tony Vitello surmised this week, the belief that this team could really be something didn’t take hold in the clubhouse this season. From his Q&A with Andrew Baggarly:
Did the team’s rough start keep you from being the kind of person you want to be in this job?
I think a little bit. I think it’s been easier for me to be myself the deeper the season’s gotten. I assume people predicted (the Giants would be a) contender on paper; we added some guys, it’s Rafi’s (Rafael Devers) first full year, new vibe, and spring training was so good. I think everyone deep down felt we’re gonna take the world by storm, and when we didn’t right out of the chute, it put everybody on their heels, and I’d be guilty of that too. So that ultimately, I think, answers the question.
You know what doesn’t help people get off their heels over the course of a long season? Injuries!
Now, I don’t really like this excuse or explanation, but I think it’s the one that will find purchase. There’s data to back it up. It’ll be one of the rare times when data is used by the non-data crowd, sure, but I can’t refute that the Giants have had a lot of injuries and basically all of their key players have been hurt for huge chunks of the season. There are still people who are — rightfully — burned by the non-injury stuff the Giants have presented to fans this season and that isn’t going away, but for the crowd who insists that “real life” not intrude on their “escape,” INJURIES can be the battle cry.
Look, I’m doing this because if I seem to be running interference or making excuses for Buster Posey, then maybe fewer people will think it’s a good idea this offseason. That’s right. I’m tainting this take. To the takes-havers out there… you don’t want to sound like Bryan Murphy from McCovey Chronicles, do you?
Think about it. Buster Posey doesn’t have to answer any tough questions because he has an easy answer. Every question involving specificity can be returned with a “That’s definitely something we would’ve liked to have seen during the course of the season if we’d managed to stay healthier.” And, look, leading the fan base’s disappointment into a cul-de-sac of player health is just smart management. Now, Buster gets to shift things to Dave Groeschner and his staff. They get to talk about looking into things to see if they can figure out to what led to so many players having these big injuries. But also, they have a couple of carry overs to help explain away the 17 players on the 60-day IL.
They signed Rowan Wick knowing this would be a rehab year.
Randy Rodriguez is a young arm and that happened last season.
And then where some of the blame can be shifted onto the players.
Harrison Bader isn’t on the 60-day IL for any other reason than his own behavior.
Was Matt Chapman totally open about his pain from the very beginning or is he like most gamers and simply wants to play and will obfuscate to keep playing?
Maybe some of the guys — Houser, Whisenhunt, Gage — were trying to do more than they had to in order to stay on the radar.
I’m not saying this is what will happen, only that the “The injuries explain everything” gives the team a nice big space to vent some of the heat they could face once the 2026 season’s death rattle concludes. Buster Posey and Zack Minasian didn’t have a bad season. After all, they finally fixed the offense. If you take out April, August, and September, their team wRC+ of 107 was 7th-best in the sport. They scored nearly as many runs as the Phillies and more than the Yankees!
A season lost to injury gets to avoid the label of “bad” or “failure,” because injuries are beyond a team’s control and even the most conservative projections — ah, forget it. Simpsons reference:
Well, Buster Posey had nine misfortunes, so this season is a mulligan! Just bad luck. Buster wins again!
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 24: A detailed view of an MLB logo on an on deck circle is seen at Nationals Park on August 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers open a series against the Reds in Cincinnati on Monday, and can clinch a playoff berth with a win. If the Dodgers lose to the Reds, they can also clinch a playoff berth on Monday with both a Padres loss to the Rockies at Coors Field and a Diamondbacks loss to the Marlins in Arizona.
Here is the math behind it.
National League standings entering Monday
Brewers 93-57
Dodgers 90-59
Braves 88-62
Cubs 83-67
Phillies 83-67
Padres 81-68
Diamondbacks 79-71
As it stands now, the Padres are 2 1/2 games up on the D-backs for the third and final wild card spot. The Dodgers are nine games up on the Padres with 13 to play, with a magic number of four to win the National League West, since Los Angeles has already clinched the season series against San Diego, winning seven of heir first 10 matchups, with three left to play next week.
But this is about clinching a playoff spot, which for the Dodgers means guaranteeing they are better than the No. 7 seed, currently is the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers do not have the tiebreaker against Arizona, going 6-7 against them.
Why the Dodgers can clinch on Monday comes down to a potential three-team tie for two spots, and that the Padres and D-backs still have three games against each other in the final weekend of the regular season, September 25-27 at Petco Park in San Diego.
If three teams end up tying, the first tiebreaker is their record against the other two teams. Entering Monday, here’s how that stands:
Dodgers 13-10 vs. Padres, D-backs D-backs 12-11 vs. Dodgers, Padres Padres 8-12 vs. Dodgers, D-backs
The worst-case scenario for the Dodgers is losing out, but let’s look at what that looks like after Monday.
If the Dodgers win Monday, they have 91 wins, with the Padres at 68 losses and D-backs at 71 losses
If the Dodgers lose, they have 90 wins, but two losses means Padres at 69 losses, D-backs 72 losses
In both scenarios, the Dodgers losing out after Monday and Arizona winning out would leave them tied at either 91-71 or 90-72. That would also mean the Padres lose at least three games (to the Diamondbacks), putting them at either 71 or 72 losses.
Let’s give San Diego the benefit of the doubt and assume they otherwise win out, so that’s a three-team tie for two spots. But with these updated head-to-head records among the three teams:
D-backs 15-11 vs. Dodgers, Padres Dodgers 13-13 vs. Padres, D-backs Padres 11-12 vs. Dodgers, D-backs
In a three-team tie, the Diamondbacks would win the NL West, leaving a two-team tie for a wild card spot between the Dodgers and Padres. Los Angeles would win that because they would at worst be 7-6 against San Diego.
In the above situation — either the Dodgers win on Monday, or both the Padres and D-backs lose Monday — if the Padres take even one game against the Diamondbacks in the final weekend, the Dodgers would be assured of finishing above Arizona, as the D-backs would either be at 72 losses with the Dodgers already at 91 wins or Arizona at 73 losses with the Dodgers at 90 wins.
That’s why the Dodgers can clinch on Monday, either with the simplest path (a win in Cincinnati) or a more complicated one (losses by both the Padres in Colorado and the D-backs at home to the Marlins, in later games).
Yordan Alvarez's bid for a Triple Crown has hit a wall with a dozen games left in the seaosn.
More specifically, a couple of walls - Junior Caminero and Pete Alonso.
Those All-Star sluggers have seized the home run and RBI leads from Alvarez, although the Houston Astros star still leads the American League with a .310 batting average entering play Monday, Sept. 14. Alvarez is just two homers behind Caminero's 40 and four RBI behind Alonso's 100, giving him a window to steal back the crowns by season's end.
Yet his current standing shows how difficult it is to play one-on-three.
Alvarez is bidding to become the first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera pulled it off for the Detroit Tigers in 2012. Before Cabrera, Carl Yastrzemski was the last to pull off the feat, in 1967.
Here's where the 29-year-old Alvarez stands with roughly a dozen games left in the season:
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 4: Ke’bryan Hayes #3 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a double by TJ Friedl during the second inning of the World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Cuba at Goodyear Ballpark on March 4, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Once dead-last in all of Major League Baseball in almost every major statistical category offensively, the Cincinnati Reds have managed to make a push towards being not-worst among their 29 peers.
Though their team batting average of .230 still ranks in the cellar, their collective .308 on-base percentage ranks…wait a minute, that still ranks dead last on the list, too. If you’ll give me one second here I promise I will come up with a way to describe how not-worst they are…
…and there it is! They are slugging a robust .397 as a team, and that ranks 21st overall. You can thank the surge from Eugenio Suarez and Elly De La Cruz over the last month for that one! As a result of that power binge, Cincinnati’s team wOBA now sits at .311 – tied with the San Diego Padres for 23rd overall (even though a dip back to as much as .306 would have them tied with Cleveland for 2nd worst in the game).
Because wRC+ adjusts for Cincinnati’s home park in a brutally honest way, though, that still leaves them with just a 92 mark there – tied with the woeful Los Angeles Angels and ahead of only the miserable Colorado Rockies (90) on that leaderboard.
The team, as we all well know, is top-heavy. Elly has been transcendant, Sal Stewart a significantly above-average rock all year, and since the moment he woke up on August 4th after the trade deadline sent him nowhere Geno’s .401 wOBA ranks as the 10th best in the entire sport (just beind pending MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong’s .404).
It’s what isn’t that trio on the roster where things get dicey. Not just dicey, I should say, but downright cataclysmic.
349 MLB players have logged at least 200 PA so far this season. That’s a lot of baseball hitters! You’ll likely be unsurprised to hear that with a wRC+ of just 20, Cincinnati 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes ranks a clear 349th among them. You may also not be surprised to hear that TJ Friedl, at 35, ranks 347th. Ranking just behind TJ is Noelvi Marte (46) at 346th.
You’ve read that correctly – the Cincinnati Reds actively deployed three of the four worst hitters in the sport at this level this season, and every single one of them is still on the roster.
I’m honestly not even sure what’s worse here – that the front office in charge of putting together a big league roster so egregiously failed at assembling offense that they’ve sought out and employed three of the four worst hitters in the sport, or that they still, at this juncture of this awful season, think all three are still deserving of roster spots heading into the offseason.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Bryce Eldridge #8 of the San Francisco Giants hits a single that scored a run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Oracle Park on September 09, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After winning the weekend series against the Chicago White Sox, the St. Louis Cardinals do not get a break as they begin the week playing host to the San Francisco Giants. While there are no playoff slots realistically at stake, it should make for an interesting 3-game series.
I can’t give you a realistic look at pitching matchups for the Cardinals/Giants series since San Francisco has not announced their starters as of the time of this writing. St. Louis has announced their starters and they’re expected to hit the mound in this order:
Monday night – Quinn Mathews
Tuesday night – Andre Pallante
Wednesday afternoon – Matthew Liberatore
The San Francisco Giants come to town after losing a weekend series against their NL West adversaries the Padres. They are 5-5 over their last 10 games 3 of which will be very familiar to St. Louis Cardinals fans after the team was swept a week ago in San Francisco. The Cardinals are 4-6 in their last 10 games, but they are coming off of the weekend series win against the White Sox.
UPDATE: Rafael Devers will not be someone the Cardinals have to deal with as ESPN is reporting his season is ending due to a core muscle injury.
Willy Adames: Adames has 21 home runs with 51 RBI’s and an average of just .230.
Casey Schmitt: Schmitt also has 21 home runs on the season with 55 RBI’s and an average of .271.
Bryce Eldridge: Eldridge is having a solid season with 16 home runs, 53 RBI’s and an average of .267.
The San Francisco Giants have already been eliminated from playoff contention and the St. Louis Cardinals aren’t far behind as they’re currently 7 games out of the final Wild Card slot with 4 teams ahead of them which include the Diamondbacks, Padres, Pirates and Marlins. The Cardinals are hopeful that JJ Wetherholt will be back in the lineup before the final homestand of the year against the Washington Nationals happens. You would think that the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals would give the young Cardinals an opportunity to string together some wins before the 2026 campaign is over, but the bullpen will always be a question mark with this roster. Let’s hope the development of exciting young players like Bernal, Baez and others continues to make positive strides. More than a few of us would also love to see Alec Burleson win the NL RBI title this year. Let’s hope good things happen as our team of the future begins to take shape.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, September 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We’ve talked a lot around these parts about how Red Sox baseball this September — particularly after the disappointing late-August Yankees series in the Bronx — has been looking a little sleepy. With playoff positioning essentially fixed, the Sox have gone just 7-5 on the month overall, despite playing an entire slate of teams below .500. Does it matter? Well, maybe. “Throughout baseball history, World Series winners have typically excelled on October’s doorstep, with the 121 champions posting a collective .629 winning percentage from Sept. 1 through the end of the regular season… Only 10 World Series winners had sub-.500 records in September, most recently the 2015 Royals.” But the expanded playoffs has changed things. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
But there was nothing sleepy about Payton Tolle’s performance last night. His immaculate inning was just the eighth in Red Sox history, the first since Chris Sale in 2021, and the first to occur in the first inning since Pedro did it in 2002. The fact that he cracked a smile before firing the final pitch certainly made Tolle’s unique, though. “I was definitely thinking about it, had it in the mind,” Tolle said. “Just looked over at Bailes (pitching coach Andrew Bailey), and he was smiling, too.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
And here is that Pedro immaculate inning, by the way. He should probably get a few bonus points for starting his off against Ichiro:
Tolle is almost certainly the most well-liked Red Sox player right now (though Mickey Gasper of all people is hot on his heels, judging by the reception he receives at Fenway). Where does he stand in terms of popularity amongst New England athletes overall? If he has some moments like last night in October, he could become the most popular athlete in the whole region. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
Willson Contreras may not have cracked as big a smile as Tolle, but he was pretty pleased with his return performance, though he still seems a little miffed about recent treatment from the fans. “I had to (run the bases). I don’t want to get booed again,” Contreras said. “So I made sure my hamstring was 100%.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Hopefully Tanner Houck returns from injury as seamlessly as Contreras did. But what role will he play? “Three innings out of the pen is a little bit more appealing than just being a one-inning limited-pitch-count guy,” Houck said. “So if I can get built up for 40-50 pitches and help out in any way, then it’s a lot easier role. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
