ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 23: Members of the Texas Rangers celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field on Sunday, August 23, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tenley Wright/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
WILLIAMSPORT, PA - AUGUST 23: Sean Murphy #12 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the 2026 Little League Classic presented by New York Life between the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field on Sunday, August 23, 2026 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Sean Murphy is not having a great time — he apparently suffered through a debilitating hip injury for years, and finally decided to call it quits in a lost season and get surgery. He returns, and a week later, has his finger fractured by a swing. Fast forward right about three months, and he’s re-activated, but this time to serve as a very platoon-y bat amidst a stretch of the team not facing that many southpaws.
On top of that, his stats this season are super-gross: a .138 wOBA and a .159 xwOBA. It’s only 42 PAs, but it’s probably not helping him have a great time.
To say that he’s not in any sort of rhythm is an understatement. In those 42 PAs, he’s running by far the highest chase rate of his career, but also the lowest rate of swinging at strikes. Put those together and woof. But, I also noticed something else, partly due to the fact that Murphy only has one hard-hit ball in his last 11 balls in play. To summarize:
That’s a… very slow swing now. It’s been declining as it is, amid injury, but in this tiny-sample 2026 we have so far, that’s a collapse.
I can think of three big-picture reasons:
There’s still some lingering injury-related stuff that’s preventing him from taking the hacks he used to, except in limited situations.
Either in combination with his lack of “sync” and horrible pitch recognition thus far, or separately for whatever reason, he’s slowing things down (to little avail).
The bat speed collapse isn’t deliberate, but just an extreme reflection of Murphy not being “ready” at the plate. (The thing I don’t like about this one is that his swing rate on pitches nowhere near is so high that it doesn’t seem to make sense, but it’s a possibility.)
If Murphy were doing his usual massive cuts thing, and missing the pitch by a bunch, that’d be one thing. And, if he were doing that while not really recognizing balls versus strikes, yeah, okay, he’s had a long layoff and is barely playing these days. But the lack of bat speed suggests something physical or deliberate, and that’s on its own plane of concern.
I will also say, unrelated to this, that even if bat speed concerns were allayed, he’s got a long road to go, as evidenced by his looking strikeout last night. Two outs, some guys on base, Murphy takes four pitches and gets a 3-1 count. Walking won’t help that much because the Brewers can make a pitching change to preserve the platoon advantage. Murphy has already seen the sinker from Grant Anderson, it was two of the last four pitches. There’s another one on 3-1, and it’s a good pitch on the bottom edge, but… Murphy takes it. And then, on 3-2, Anderson changes to a four-seam grip and fires a ball in the exact same location and… Murphy takes it. Yeah, that’s not bat speed, but it might be related — why isn’t Murphy swinging on 3-1, but also not on 3-2 when he gets a very similar pitch?
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 22: Kade Anderson #13 of the Seattle Mariners signs autographs from the bullpen prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at T-Mobile Park on August 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A lot can change in 427 days, especially if your name is Kade Anderson.
That’s exactly how many days were between his final collegiate start and his MLB debut. Since that final appearance in a Tiger uniform, Anderson won a national championship, got drafted #3 overall, breezed through AA baseball to become the top prospect in baseball, and then got called up to the Seattle Mariners to make his MLB debut.
Waiting for him at T-Mobile Park was the Chicago Cubs with a record of 74-55. With a lineup full of good right-handed hitters, they would present one of the toughest matchups possible for a rookie to debut against.
If there was one thing that we learned about Kade Anderson in his time at LSU, he’s the last person to shy away from competition. This is the same guy who sat in a press conference following a 16-9 game 1 victory vs West Virginia in a Super Regional with a face that was beet red with frustration for his own performance because he allowed 7 runs on 9 hits.
He has a high standard for himself and that’s why he didn’t even spend a full season in the minors. The lefty told everyone that he was going to be much better the next time and he did just that. Anderson showed up to the College World Series in Omaha and, between two starts, combined for 16.0 innnings pitched, 6 hits, 1 run, and 17 strikeouts.
He’s a competitor and there was no doubt that he’d be ready for the moment on Saturday afternoon in Seattle.
In his 1st inning, Anderson got through Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki fairly easily. Then, former LSU shortstop Alex Bregman stepped in to the batter’s box. After 2 balls, the southpaw fought back with back-to-back strikes to even the count. Bregman then fouled off 3 straight pitches and they were in the midst of a Tiger-on-Tiger battle. Anderson threw a beautifully executed changeup on the outside corner to get a swing and a miss and took round 1 in a matchup that made all of Baton Rouge proud.
After getting through the 2nd and 3rd innings with only a walk allowed, Anderson finally gave up his first hit on a bloop single to Suzuki to lead off the 4th. It didn’t phase him, as he retired Bregman, again, followed by another strikeout and a ground out.
Chicago finally got to him in the 5th, as they began the inning with a walk, a steal, and a single to set up runners at 1st and 3rd and no outs. A sacrifice fly would bring in Anderson’s first run allowed, but that was followed by a double play and as we saw him do numerous times in purple and gold, he pitched out of trouble.
With a reliever warmed and ready in the bullpen, the Mariners sent him back out there with just 72 pitches. Crow-Armstrong doubled to lead off the inning, but another double play quickly erased the danger. So we thought. It was time for round 3 with Bregman. The Golden Spikes finalist, World Series champion, and 11-year veteran is just too good to see the pitch that Anderson threw him. A first pitch changeup that was dead center of the zone quickly got turned around for a 415 foot homerun and that was part 1 the “welcome to the big leagues moment”. Part 2 came on the very next pitch when Michael Busch clobbered a 408 foot hanging slider out to center field and that would be it for the debut of Kade Anderson.
He walked off of the mound shaking his head and frustrated with his final two pitches, but as he looked up, all of the Mariners fans in the stadium were on their feet to give a rousing ovation. Regardless of how the debut ended, it was well-deserved.
The smiles returned later that night, though. Anderson looked poised to get the loss on his record as Seattle went to the bottom of the 9th down 4-2 and recorded two quick outs to start the inning. Following a double and an RBI single, Randy Arozarena stepped to the plate having already homered in the 1st and robbed a homerun for Anderson in the 3rd. On his second pitch of the at-bat, the veteran left fielder deposited a ball over the center field wall, won the game for the Mariners, and let a cheerful Anderson off of the hook.
After the game, he was asked how were his jitters going in to his debut, despite having pitched in some huge games across his collegiate career.
Anderson said, “I feel like I’ve had opportunities to pitch in some pretty big games. I’ve used those games to help me through this one. Obviously, there’s going to be some jitters, but I feel like I controlled them pretty well.”
While LSU isn’t the MLB and Charles Schwab Field in Omaha isn’t T-Mobile Park, it’s hard to argue that Kade Anderson could have been any more prepared for that moment based on his time as a Tiger. It’s a testament to him, his family, his work ethic, attitude, etc., but it’s also a massive nod to Jay Johnson and the staff at LSU for the work they do to prepare their athletes for the big leagues.
Anderson is just the latest example. Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, Grant Taylor, Tommy White, Gage Jump, and Paul Gervase are all currently on active MLB rosters and each played for Johnson. That’s 7 players in the MLB in just 5 years as the Tigers head coach.
Sitting there in a post-game presser following LSU’s national championship in 2025, Johnson delivered delivered one of his most viral quotes.
“If you’re a pitcher and you don’t want to come here right now, you’re out to lunch. You’re not thinking clearly, because that’s three dudes that pitched in the series that are all going to be in the Major Leagues within 18 months.”
Those three dudes were Kade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson, and Chase Shores.
Scratch one off of the list, because Kade Anderson has arrived.
His next start, assuming Seattle follows the typical 5-man rotation schedule, looks to be on Friday night against the Blue Jays in Toronto, but that is very subject to change.
Stay locked in with ATVS to follow Anderson’s young journey, as the 22 year old now looks to settle in to a routine.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 21: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies fields a throw at first base during the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 21, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Phillies 9-2. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Late August, early September. The Phillies are headed out west to have three series in which they are playing teams that have given them trouble in the past. First, to Seattle to face the Mariners, then down the Pacific coastline to see the Los Angeles Angels, followed by their own house of horrors in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks.
Of these three, which one worries you the most? The obvious answer is Arizona since they have rarely played well there, but they are coming off a big time high, traveling across the country and play a game in Seattle this evening. It screams of a letdown series even if the Mariners have been disappointing this year. Maybe it’s the one we’re all overlooking in Anaheim.
If they can get through this going at least winning four of the nine, I’ll be happy.
As part of Sunday night’s Little League Classic festivities, Commissioner Rob Manfred appeared on the ESPN broadcast to announce the date and matchup of next year’s LLC in Williamsport, PA.
The Cubs will face the Toronto Blue Jays in that game, which will be held Thursday, Aug. 19, 2027 in Williamsport, in a change from past years (including this year) when the game’s been played on a Sunday.
The 2027 schedule released last month shows the Cubs in Toronto from Friday, Aug. 20 through Sunday, Aug. 22. This will move that Friday game to Thursday in Williamsport and then the teams will have Friday off before continuing the series at the Rogers Centre on Saturday.
In keeping with the tradition of this annual event, Major Leaguers from both the Blue Jays and the Cubs will attend Little League World Series games earlier in the day on August 19, demonstrating their commitment to helping grow the game at the youth level and engage with young fans. Later that evening, Little League World Series players and their families will fill Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field for the Little League Classic game.
As you likely remember, this will be the second time the Cubs will participate in the LLC. They were also in the 2019 version of the game, in which they defeated the Pirates 7-1. Here’s the BCB recap of that game.
This game is always fun for the players participating and it’s great for all the Little League kids who get to attend. Cubs outfielder Michael Conforto played in the Little League World Series in 2004, and is one of three players to appear in the Little League Baseball World Series, Men’s College World Series and Major League Baseball’s World Series, along with Jason Varitek and Ed Vosberg.
I look forward to seeing this game, which will be on ESPN and Sportsnet Canada at 6:10 p.m. CT next August 19… presuming we have a normal season in 2027. Fingers crossed.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 22: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 22, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All season long, the Orioles have tread water. Their win-loss record has never gotten better than two games above .500 (on April 13) or worse than nine games under .500 (July 8). That type of mediocre form has been enough to keep them in the conversation for a playoff spot, but with just a month of games left to play, they will need to find another gear if they are going make a genuine push for the postseason. This upcoming road trip is their opportunity to pull ahead.
Starting on Tuesday, the Orioles will begin a three-city road trip that takes them to St. Louis, Sacramento, and Denver for nine games against the Cardinals, Athletics, and Rockies, respectively.
The Cardinals are a solid club, boasting a 66-66 record. They have no hope of catching the Brewers in the NL Central, and even the wild card feels like a pipe dream. The Cards are 5.5 games out of the final wild card in the NL. But it’s not impossible for them to bounce back from their current three-game losing streak to go on a run and sneak into the playoffs. The Orioles will need to be careful with them.
The Athletics and Rockies, though, are a different story. Entering play on Monday, these are the two worst teams in baseball. The A’s, at 51-80, are at the bottom of the AL while the Rockies, at 50-80, are at the very bottom of the entire league.
Things aren’t trending better for either team. The A’s are 11-34 since the start of July. They have slipped from three games back in the division at the time to 14 games back now. The Rockies were awful back in May (8-20), improved a bit in June and July (21-29), but have fallen apart recently. They own a 7-13 record in August, which includes an active six-game losing streak.
Why are these two teams bad? It’s pretty simple. They can’t pitch. The Rockies’ 5.54 ERA is the worst in the sport, and the Athletics’ 5.47 mark is second-worst. Even if you slice and dice by rotation vs. bullpen it doesn’t get much better. The Rockies rotation has a 6.18 ERA while the Athletics is 5.35. In the bullpen it’s the Atheltics that are worse (5.66 ERA) while the Rockies are somewhat serviceable (4.80 ERA).
On paper, even the flawed Orioles should have an advantage in the series against these two bottom feeders. But that doesn’t guarantee anything. The Orioles have already lost two of three to the Athletics this year when the two teams met at Camden Yards back in May.
What makes this upcoming road trip even more vital is what follows.
The Orioles wrap up the series in Denver on Wednesday, September 2. The final out there will probably be recorded sometime around 6 p.m. ET. Then, they have to take the 3.5-hour flight home, find a way to get some rest, and then be at Camden Yards and ready for a 7:15 p.m. ET first pitch on Thursday night against a Red Sox team that will have probably already been in Baltimore for several hours before their hosts even arrive.
That game with the Red Sox will begin the final 22-game stretch of their season in which they will play four against Boston, three with Cleveland, six against Toronto, three with Milwaukee, and three against each of the New York teams.
The only perceived “break” in there is the series with the Mets, but even they have been better recently. Every other opponent is at least in the playoff mix with something to play for, whether that be seeding or even getting into the tournament in the first place. If the Orioles performance on the season to this point is any sort of guide, we can expect them to put up a fight against these competitive clubs, but hoping for any sort of streak seems foolish.
But it’s not only the Orioles schedule that we have to worry about, it’s also the schedules of the teams that the O’s are battling for that final wild card spot. An easier path likely means the Orioles need to play just that much better. The news isn’t great on that front, unfortunately.
According to Tankathon, the four easiest remaining schedules in Major League Baseball this season belong to the Twins, Guardians, Blue Jays, and Mariners.
Seattle has the easiest road, thanks in part to a down year for the AL West. Of their 31 remaining games, 17 of them are against the Angels, Athletics, and Rockies.
Toronto is second-easiest. As records exist today, none of the clubs left on their schedule have a .500 or better record. That’s particularly good for them, since they are 33-42 against such teams this season.
To be fair, it’s not as if the Orioles’ remaining schedule is the absolute toughest. They rank 20th on Tankathon, and while clubs like the Guardians or Blue Jays are daunting given the context of the standings, these are still flawed, sub-.500 teams that the Orioles could theoretically take care of.
So, what sort of performance should the Orioles be aiming for?
FanGraphs projects the standings for the rest of the year. They believe that in order to get into the AL playoff field, a team will need to finish with an 81-81 record, exactly .500. They also expect the Orioles to go 15-16 in their final 31 games, ending up at 78-84, last place in the AL East and just three games out of that final wild card spot.
That sounds entirely possible and reasonable. The Orioles have provided no evidence to suggest that they are a better than .500 club. Even when they briefly held a playoff spot earlier this month, they still had a losing record. Bucking that trend, going on a run, and leap frogging several teams that have an easier path from here is not what we should expect to happen. There’s a reason that Baseball Reference gives the O’s just a 9% chance of making the postseason at this point.
But that’s why we play the games. The Orioles could change the math by going on a tear out west, otherwise continuing to tread water, and then taking care of business against the Blue Jays in September. Most of the other games are window dressing.
May 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50), Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17), and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) meet on the mound during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Slowly but surely, the Dodgers are getting the band back together.
Ohtani could still build up to five-inning starts by October, Roberts said. If Ohtani keeps his standard once-per-week pitching schedule, he could get up to four or five (if he starts Sunday, with the regular season ending Sept. 27) starts in actual games before then.
“To then have the opportunity, the flexibility to insert Shohei to build up like he did last year, I think, is of huge benefit both ways,” Roberts said.
Eric Lauer figures into this week’s plan by being available out of the bullpen during the Tigers series, possibly following Glasnow on Tuesday. Then Lauer will likely follow Ohani on Sunday in Detroit. Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register has more.
Links
Will Smith last caught for he Dodgers on June 5, missing nearly four months with neck inflammation. But after ramping up baseball activities, including facing Ohtani in a simulated game on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, Smith will start a minor league rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Tuesday, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
When Edwin Díaz returns from the injured list after neck inflammation, he won’t be in the closer role, and will have to work his way back into high-leverage roles. “I’m good with the decision because I know I haven’t done my job,” Díaz told Dylan Hernández of the California Post. “If I’d done my job, I’d be pitching in the ninth inning.”
Even analytical fans can be overcome with emotions. The last ten days have been brutal. If we remove the opener of the Mariners series, we saw the Astros got a combined 2-6 in the span of eight days. That was against a collection of teams where they probably were hoping for a 6-2 run. They blew late leads, the offense sputtered at times, and the starting pitching continued to struggle to get through the fifth inning. Even the normally reliable Yordan Alvarez seemed to hit a snag throughout much of the run.
I hate to boil things down to simple math, but this is usually where my brain goes. There are essentially six months in a baseball season. It’s obviously grossly simplified to assume four weeks in a month, but we could probably add one week in there to account for the extra days. That means there are 25 weeks in a season. The last homestand accounts for slightly more than a week’s worth of games. 162 divided by nine equals 18. 18 is a nice round number.
To put this in perspective for most Houston fans, 18 essentially corresponds to the number of weeks in an NFL season. So, imagine if the Texans’ offense failed to show up for a particular game. I know that’s not hard to imagine. Imagine if they had held a lead into the fourth quarter and squandered it. Imagine if their defense simply got torched on a particular Sunday. What would the conversation be like?
Obviously, the conversation would likely depend on when that particular loss occurred. If it occurred in a random regular season game in October it would likely be a cause for concern, but no one would be quitting on the season quite yet. If it were the opening week of the season there would be some doom and gloom, but most people would realize it was just one game in a long schedule. If it occurred in January then obviously the season would be over.
This is where we find ourselves as Astros fans. We have experienced one terrible week of baseball. They have had worse this season. It doesn’t seem like it but the first road trip was an unmitigated disaster. There have been stretches at home that have looked just as awful. So, the key to sound analysis is to take a step back and keep a level head about these things.
The question we should ask is whether there is anything from these nine games that we can extrapolate to the much larger whole. I think there are a few through lines we can look at and pencil them in as areas of concern moving forward. These are things the next general manager and manager need to consider when the 2027 season opens (yes, I am assuming they are both gone).
The lineup is too shallow
Let’s do the math. We know Yordan Alvarez is great. We know Jeremy Pena is an all-star level player. We know Christian Walker overall has had a nice bounce back season. Isaac Paredes is also approaching career highs in OPS. That’s it. This lineup has four average to above average hitters when compared to the league average (as defined by 100 OPS+). That simply ain’t going to get it done.
Certainly, others have shown flashes of brilliance. Jose Altuve is a Hall of Famer in waiting, so he will have stretches where he looks like one. Cam Smith is obviously a physically gifted player and he will have stretches where he looks like a future all-star. Yainer Diaz even had a stretch earlier where he looked like his former self. That is why this offense can look great at times. Yet, on a nightly basis you are counting on the same four guys to hit. What happens when one or more of them aren’t hitting?
Moreover, if you have four guys that are clearly head and shoulders above everyone else then shouldn’t those four guys be the top four in your lineup? There are too many games when random people like Daulton Varsho are batting cleanup. Again, this is simple math. Who are your best hitters? Where they can hit in the lineup to get more opportunities?
The rotation is too shallow
Everyone here remembers the Jake Odorizzi days. Most fans would not remember them fondly, but they likely are misremembering things. Odorizzi was famously very effective two times through the order. The third time through things all went to crap. When Dusty Baker finally realized what he had then Odorizzi became a lot more effective. The Astros have a couple of those guys in their current rotation. Cristian Javier looks like one of those guys. Kai-Wei Teng was one of those guys when he was a starter. You could say Hayden Wesneski looks like one of those guys too.
Tatsuya Imai is also one of those guys as a starter. When more than half of your potential rotation are guys that are only effective two times through the order you are going to tax your bullpen. In my last lab, I suggested leaning into that. Obviously, that is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. You can’t go through a 162 game schedule without that blowing up in your face. You could credibly claim that it did on the last homestand.
Javier’s overall effectiveness has actually surprised me. I thought he was cooked earlier in the season. However, you are setting yourself up for problems if most of your starters are not capable of going beyond five innings. Heck, just getting to the fifth lately has been a struggle. In terms of short-term fixes, the answer is only Mike Burrows and hoping Ethan Pecko can go deeper than he did last time out. Neither of those are appetizing solutions. Still, when you do nothing at the deadline, your options are going to be limited.
The future is unwritten
If we have learned anything as Astros fans it is never to write them off in any situation. They taught us that in 2005 and throughout the current dynastic run. They are going up against the New York teams this week and that seems like a recipe for disaster. Still, this is when they usually have played their best baseball in the past. We can hope for it again. 3-6 is a horrible nine game stretch at home, but it is essentially one game’s worth of action in NFL terms. We wouldn’t write the Texans off after one week and we shouldn’t do that with the Astros even if the last nine games really makes us want to.
Aug 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) walks off the field after Chicago White Sox center fielder Tristan Peters (29) hits a walk-off home run during the ninth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
If you didn’t enjoy the first walk-off loss of the weekend, I have very bad news for you.
Sep 17, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A young Toronto Blue Jays fan enjoys the seventh inning stretch on her fathers shoulders as the Jays defeat the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
The Jays have this Monday off (and next Monday). Having Monday off is a good thing. I’ve always liked holiday Mondays.
They have 30 games left (and fortunately enough, no 17-game streaks without a day off.
They are a game and a half back of the last Wild Card spot. And would have to jump two teams to get there. I don’t know how many they would need to win to get there. I figure 20-10 would do it pretty easily. 18-12? Likely. Maybe even 17-13. Much worse than that? I don’t know.
They have three against the Rangers and three against the Guardians. Winning those series would help.
I’m mostly hoping it is a fun ride.
Anyway, use the thread, as always, to discuss anything you’d like.
Maybe long movies. I saw The Odyssey and Spider-Man this week. I guess they want you to feel you got your money’s worth. I enjoyed both and made it through without needing the washroom. I’ve hit that fun age that if I drink anything within like 6 hours of going to bed, I’m up three times during the night.
Or a favourite moment of the season up to this point. I’ve enjoyed seeing the young guys come up—Bateman, McAdoo, Valenzuela, Cameron, even Tiedemann for his 1.2 innings.
Or talk about what you plan to do with the last month of summer. Me? I don’t know. I tell myself I’m going to pick up my guitars more, but, with baseball and this place, my sitting on the couch time is pretty much filled. So, it is tough to add more ‘sitting on the couch time’.
Anyway, use the thread to talk about almost anything.
And….we could really use another voice or two on the site. What would be nice is if we could find someone or someones who could do a morning post on weekdays to take some of the morning pressure off me. When you are out here in Calgary, well, a morning post is up around noon Eastern. There is always a point in the season when burnout starts to show. Anyway, if you think you would like to help out, let me know. My email is in my profile.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 23: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Bowman Field on August 23, 2026 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves are likely very glad Monday is finally here and an off-day can be used as a needed break and reset. Thankfully, the Braves were able to get a badly needed win in the 2026 Little League Classic on Sunday night. This allowed for Atlanta to avoid a sweep to the Brewers, and also have a positive note to end on after a wild last few days. After ending the road trip playing in four different cities in five days, Atlanta can now return home for another big series against the Dodgers.
Braves News
As the Braves switched up the lineup a bit, Michael Harris II proved to be huge from the leadoff spot, including the final run of the game coming via a home run that was clearly wanted from the Little League crowd.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 20: The crowd reacts after Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox scores off a double hit by Wilyer Abreu #52 (not pictured) in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on July 20, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Saturday night, the Red Sox were down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth against the Giants. The crowd had been anxious all game—understandably—but something shifted when Caleb Durbin led off the inning with a walk. The noise inside a 114-year-old stadium started to rise and crescendoed in a walk-off that encapsulates the luck and magic of the 2026 Boston Red Sox.
The walk-off itself wasn’t just something the crowd watched, though. It felt like something they willed into existence.
That’s what’s been happening at Fenway Park this summer. A building and a fanbase that has decided it’s part of this team.
Sellouts, near-sellouts, 37,000-plus on a regular Friday night in August. You can cite the attendance figures, but the number that actually matters is decibels. Jerseys are coming off—the tarps-off phenomenon sweeping the bleachers, people yanking their shirts over their heads and spinning them in the air like rally towels. People in apartments on Boylston Street are posting videos of themselves hearing the roar from inside their living rooms. That’s not a normal August at Fenway, or at least hasn’t been for quite some time.
I was at last Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks, and the crowd there had that same edge—that sense that nobody in the building was treating this as a casual summer night out. Even in a blowout, it’s beyond apparent how engaged and just purely fun the stands at Fenway are right now. Yankees Suckchants breaking out unprompted, everyone screaming their heads off at Mr. Brightside during a pitching change, every single person leaping to their feet the moment Sweet Caroline came on. It was infectious. The energy is different this year. You can feel it the moment you walk through the gates.
Friday night was the purest version of it. Rafael Devers walked out for his first at-bat back at his old ballpark and Fenway didn’t just boo—it rained boos on this man, 37,000 people making sure he knew exactly where he was and what this series meant. Whether you wanted boos or cheers, the crowd made its distain pretty well known, even to the chagrin of some other media pundits who were shocked there were so many jeers. Devers struck out. Later on, Willson Contreras hit one 450 feet over the Monster and the building became the loudest it’s been all year.
After a stretch of Red Sox baseball where the question was whether anyone was going to bother showing up—the pandemic years, the “rebuilding years” with Chaim Bloom, the quiet Septembers, the half-filled sections and the general sense of waiting for something to happen—this summer has felt like a reset, not just in the standings, but in the relationship between this team and this city. For the years of apathy that permeated from ownership and the front office on down to Red Sox Nation, there’s finally a well-earned feeling that everyone has bought in all at once.
The Red Sox are 25-11 since the All-Star Break, the best record in baseball over that stretch. They’re back over .500 at home for the first time since April 17th. They have strong footing in the Wild Card hunt. And Fenway has responded the way Fenway responds when it actually believes in something—which is with everything it has, every night, from the first pitch to the ninth inning comeback.
The crowd needs the team to keep giving them reasons. The team needs the crowd in September. Right now, both sides of that deal are holding up their end. And it has been one of the most raucous, engaged, alive stretches this ballpark has seen in a very long time.
Go outside and stand on Lansdowne Street some time. You’ll hear it.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 09: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of the Colorado Rockies warms up prior to the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Thursday, July 9, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In the Friday night game discussion, when the Colorado Rockies were being blown out by the Cleveland Guardians, there was some conversation about the effect the Rockies defense had on their overall record.
Although I lack the skills to make that correlation, I did wonder how this year’s defense compared to some of the teams we’ve seen. Are the Colorado Rockies really that bad defensively?
All caveats about the limits of defensive metrics apply here, though I would add that, regardless of accuracy, defensive metrics create a common measure by which to compare players. In this discussion, I want to explore a number of defensive metrics: errors, defensive runs saved, outs above average, and fielding run average. Also, keep in mind this this year’s numbers are a work in progress while the numbers from previous years are for a full season.
In terms of my comparison pools, I went with this year’s team, last year’s 2025 (historically bad) team, and the 2018 team, which was the last season the Rockies went to the postseason.
All numbers were current as of Saturday.
Errors
According to MLB.com, “A fielder is given an error if, in the judgment of the official scorer, he fails to convert an out on a play that an average fielder should have made.”
Team errors
In 2026, as a team, the Colorado Rockies have committed 84 errors, which ties them with the San Francisco Giants for second most errors in MLB. (The Boston Red Sox have the most with 90 errors, and the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs have the fewest with 48 while the Los Angeles Dodgers have slightly more with 52. Also worth noting, the Chicago White Sox are 12th with 69.)
For comparison, in 2025, the Rockies had the second-most errors with 110. (The Red Sox had the most with 116 while the White Sox were third with 100.)
And the 2018 team? That postseason-bound team had just 74 errors, the third fewest in MLB.
Individual errors
That leads to the question of which players are committing those errors, and for that, I went to FanGraphs.
Clearly, Hunter Goodman and Kyle Karros led the team in errors with 10. Willi Castro is on the leaderboard as well since the sum of errors he has committed is 10. Add to that Ezequiel Tovar’s nine errors, and those four players are responsible for almost half of the errors. (Connor Norby’s three errors in eight games seems like a bad sign.)
Defensive runs saved
Now consider defensive runs saved (DRS), another defensive metric. As a refresher, MLB.com defines DRS as “DRS quantifies a player’s entire defensive performance by attempting to measure how many runs a defender saved. It takes into account errors, range, outfield arm and double-play ability. It differs only slightly from UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) in its formula, but the concept is the same.”
Team DRS This season in terms of DRS, the Rockies rank 25th with -11. (Notably, the Cubs are first with 89 followed by the Tampa Bay Rays with 61, which shows just how good the Cubs defense is this year. The worst DRS number goes to the Minnesota Twins with -37.)
Last year, the Rockies had -59 DRS, which was the worst number in baseball.
By this metric, the 2026 Rockies are significantly better than the 2025 squad.
And the DRS number in 2018? That would be 45, which was the eighth most in baseball.
Individual DRS
Here are the individual numbers, again per FanGraphs:
What’s notable here?
TJ Rumfield is the best in terms of DRS, and it’s not close. He has become a solid defender at first base. Meanwhile, Tyler Freeman looks on track to repeat as the Rockies worst defender as measured by DRS. This metric is less brutal on Karros and Goodman than errors, but the fact remains that only eight players have positive DRS numbers, and three of those where pitchers while Chad Steven’s only spent 63.0 innings with the Rockies.
In short, overall, this is not a very good team defensively.
Outs Above Average
According to MLB.com, “Outs Above Average (OAA) is a range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a player has saved.”
Team OAA
The 2026 Rockies are a bit more respectable by this metric by which they are ranked 20th with a -10. (Once again, the Cubs demonstrate this defensive dominance by putting up 62 OAA while the D-backs are second with 33, almost half as many.)
For comparison’s sake, the 2025 Rockies were 26th with -26 OAA. So, again, this is a better defensive team than the Rockies were last season. Believe it or not, the 2018 Rockies finished the season with -5 OAA, which put them at 18th.
Individual OAA
Below are the individual numbers for the Colorado Rockies, again courtesy of of FanGraphs.
This is another metric that indicates the deficiencies of the Rockies defense. Rumfield has a clear lead with six, but only five Rockies have an OOA score of higher than zero. Ten players have negative totals with Freeman and Edouard Julien tallying the lowest scores.
The good news is that 10 players have a zero OAA number, which means that they are average. A team with average defenders and improved hitters is a good trade off for a Rockies team that has struggled to get hits.
Fielding Runs Value
The final metric to consider is fielding run value, which MLB.com defines as follows: “Fielding Run Value (FRV) combines all of Statcast’s individual defensive metrics into one stat that measures a player’s overall defensive value.”
Team FRV
The 2026 Rockies are 25th at -19. Surprising no one, the Cubs are first with 63 while the Toronto Blue Jays come in second with 37.
Last season, the Rockies were 23rd with an FRV score of -20. It seems likely the 2026 squad will surpass that number before the season ends.
The 2018 team came in 10th with a four FRV score, which suggests the Rockies have never done very well by this metric.
Individual FRV
Here is how individual Rockies stack up:
Once again, Rumfield has surpassed his teammates, but having only five players with positive FRV’s seems like a bad sign. It is notable, however, this Tovar fares better by FRV.
Closing thoughts
So what does it all mean?
In compiling this, mostly I wanted to put together all of the numbers to provide a basis for a larger discussion.
But here are a few things I took away.
First, TJ Rumfield is as good defensively as we thought he is — and he is easily the best defender on this Rockies team.
Second, the defensive numbers are worse, but this team shows improvement over the 2025 Rockies. I suspect the still-below-average numbers are attributable to a few things. The Rockies have young players and new free agents who are learning the nuances of playing at Coors Field.
In addition, the Rockies are moving to a more “optionality-focused” defense, which is going to drive down numbers. So far, this front office is valuing a player’s utility over his expertise — though it’s worth noting that one of their defensive specialists, Rumfield, is the defensive leader.
Those are a few ideas I’m thinking through, and I look forward to reading your thoughts.
Former Isotopes pitcher Geoff Hartlieb escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom of the ninth by striking out the final two hitters, as the Las Vegas Aviators took the series-closing game 10-8 from Albuquerque on Sunday at Rio Grande Credit Union Field. The Aviators claimed five of six contests in the set.
Sterlin Thompson led off the ninth inning with a single, then an out later, Vimael Machin roped a single off the wall in right, sending Thompson to third. Hartlieb then fanned Chad Stevens swinging and caught Roc Riggiolooking to end the ballgame.
Thompson was 3-for-4, the third time he has picked up three hits in the last eight games he has played. Meanwhile, Adael Amador was 2-for-4 with a double, and is slashing .333/.421/.636 with five doubles, five homers and 13 RBI over his last 15 games. Charlie Condonwas 1-for-4 with a single and hit by pitch. He is slashing .202/.311/.287 with three doubles, a triple, two homers and 16 RBI over his last 33 games. Condon has been hit by 16 pitches this year, most in the Pacific Coast League.
The Isotopes issued at least nine walks in a game for the 11th time this season.
With 24 games remaining in the season, Albuquerque must go a minimum of 14-10 down the stretch to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2013.
In the series finale, the Somerset Patriots scored five runs in the ninth inning to come from behind and defeat the Hartford Yard Goats 9-6 in Hartford. Although the Yard Goats had a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning and a 6-4 lead in the ninth inning, the Patriots rallied to win the series. Dyan Jorge mashed a two-run homer, his first of the season, and Jared Thomas and Skyler Messinger each had two hits.
The Yard Goats scored the game’s first run in the first inning against Somerset starter Sean Paul Linan. Thomas singled, stole second base, and scored on a hit by Jack O’Dowd to make it 1-0. Then the Yard Goats plates three more runs in the fourth inning to give them a 4-0 lead. After Jorge’s homer, Zach Kokoska scored on a wild pitch to give Hartford a 4-0 lead.
In addition, Yard Goats starter Konner Eaton allowed just two hits over the first five innings, completed six innings, surrendered two runs on three hits, and left with a 4-2 lead. Eaton retired the first five batters of the game before working out of bases-loaded jams in both the second and third innings. The lefty handled the fifth inning before allowing a two-out, two-run home run to Manny Palencia in the sixth inning make it a 4-2 game.
Somerset made it 4-3 on Jace Avina’s RBI single in the seventh inning against reliever Fidel Ulloa and then tied the game in the eighth inning on a throwing error. The Yard Goats took a 6-4 lead with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
But it wasn’t enough. The Patriots scored five runs in the ninth off reliever Victor Juarez to take a 9-6 lead. The inning began with back-to-back doubles and a walk to load the bases. Jace Avina then walked with the bases loaded to make it 6-5, and DJ Gladney’s sacrifice fly tied the game at 6-6. then, Manny Palencia’s RBI single scored Avina and Somerset grabbed a 7-6 lead. The Patriots added two more runs on an error and hit batsman.
Today, the Indians dropped their series finale with Hillsboro as the Hops pummeled the Indians.
The Hops hit four home runs, including two from Kenny Castillo and a grand slam from Carlos Virahonda. In the course of the game, Hillsboro batted around twice (first and seventh innings) and tallied 13 runs in those innings.
In the bottom of the second inning, Robert Calaz hit a solo homer to get the Indians on the board. It was his ninth of the season and fifth in his last eight games.
Spokane tried to mount a comeback in the fifth inning with no outs when they loaded the bases. With one out, Wilder Dalis singled followed by an Ethan Hedges walk that forced in a run, making the score 9-3. After a pitching change, Tanner Thach hit into a double play to end the inning.
The Indians tried again in the sixth and got the score down to 9-5. But things pretty much ended in the seventh when the Hops took a 13-5 lead on a pair of homers, including a grand slam.
It was a back-and-forth affair, but the Grizzlies were the only Rockies affiliate to win their game today against the Stockton Ports (A’s).
Stockton got out to an early lead when they drew a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. They then tacked on in the second with a sac fly, and then an RBI single in the third to go up 3-0. Then, Gavin Turley hit a grand slam to put the Ports up 7-0. Fresno finally broke through in the fourth when Carlos Renzullo walked, Cristian Arguelles (No. 5 PuRP) singled, and then Daniel Jackson (No. 12 PuRP) singled to score Renzullo.
However, things got interesting in the sixth.
Renzullo singled to lead things off, and then Arguelles tripled to score him. Jackson ten singled to score Arguelles, and Ronny Ugarte doubled. A wild pitch moved up Ugarte, and then Jack Natili walked. Upon a pitching change, Juan Martinez grounded into a 4-6 force out, but Ugarte was able to score and put Fresno within two. Cort MacDonald popped out to short, but then Aidan Redahan singled to push Martinez to third. Ashly Andujar singled to score Martinez, and made the score 7-6. Renzullo flew out to end the inning.
In the seventh, Gavin Turley homered to make it 8-6. But then Fresno came alive again in the ninth when Arguelles walked and Jackson doubled to score him. Then, Ugarte singled and Daniel Jackson scored on a fielding error by the left fielder to tie the game 8-8.
It went back-and-forth in extras, but Fresno had the last laugh. In the 11th inning, Juan Martinez singled to move Jack Natili, the ghost runner, and then Cort MacDonald singled to walk it off 10-9.
Jackson went 4-for-6 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored. Arguelles went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk. And Ugarte went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and two strikeouts.
On the pitching side, Bryson Van Sickle took the brunt of it — pitching just four innings and allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Sam Larson and Tanner Sagouspe combined for two scoreless innings, while Wilmis Paulino gave up one earned run — a homer — in his one inning of work. Ethan Cole earned the win, pitching the final four innings and allowing one unearned run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Patrick Saunders (recently of the Denver Post) stood in for Thomas Harding today and covered the unveiling of the Larry Walker statue. “To have a statue outside of this ballpark, that’s an honor that’s pretty tough to put into words,” Walker said. “When I came here, my job was to keep moving — hit the ball, run the bases, chase fly balls in the gap, do anything I could to help us win. And now, here I am, frozen in bronze. I guess that’s a way to slow me down.”
That’s as good a place as any to start paying the butcher’s bill. Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages is out for 4-to-5 weeks after surgery on a fractured hand after getting hit by a pitch. So that’s pretty close to the rest of the regular season.
Good news and bad news for the Brewers. The good news is that right-hander Brandon Woodruff does not need shoulder surgery. The bad news is that Woodruff is probably out for the season anyway. But at least he should be ready for Opening Day, whenever that is.
Tim Britton examines the hottest team in baseball since the Trade Deadline: The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the Mets’ Double-A team. (The Athletic sub. req.) The Rumble Ponies’ surge is led in part by former Cub Jefferson Rojas. Interestingly enough, Rojas said the Cubs told him that he was likely to be traded at the deadline, which I think is pretty classy of the Cubs.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 21: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at American Family Field on August 21, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to week 22 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!
1. Milwaukee Brewers (81-50); 4-2 this week; 100.0% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)
The Brewers had another strong week with a pair of series victories over the Mariners and Braves, including a 22-0 romp of Seattle in Tuesday’s series opener. Milwaukee became the first team in the majors to guarantee at least a .500 season with their 81st win on Saturday afternoon.
Jake Bauers led the team with a pair of homers and a double this week, while William Contreras led the team with 10 hits this week. Luis Lara added nine hits, including his first career homer, and Garrett Mitchell had eight hits with a homer and two doubles. Joey Ortiz added six hits, including a homer and a double with five RBIs.
Logan Henderson, Kyle Harrison, and Jacob Misiorowski continue to shine atop Milwaukee’s rotation, as the three combined to allow just one run (by Henderson) across 17 innings in their appearances this week, striking out 18. DL Hall, Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick, and Bryse Wilson had scoreless weeks for the bullpen, totaling 13 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts.
Milwaukee gets another off day on Monday as they head to New York to face the Mets for three games beginning Tuesday night. They’ll then return home to host the Rangers for three games over the weekend.
2. Chicago Cubs (75-56); 3-3 this week; 97.8% chance to make postseason
The Cubs had a .500 week, taking two of three against the White Sox behind a pair of walk-off wins before dropping two of three to the Mariners over the weekend in Seattle.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had another big week with five homers and two doubles as part of nine hits, while Alex Bregman also had nine hits with three homers and eight RBIs. Nico Hoerner picked up eight hits, and Ian Happ and Michael Busch both homered twice.
David Peterson and Clay Holmes turned in the best starts of the week for the Cubs, as Peterson went 7 1/3 innings across a start and relief appearance, allowing two runs and striking out nine. Holmes went 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed despite picking up just one strikeout. Aaron Civale shined out of the bullpen with four strikeouts and no runs allowed across 5 1/3 relief innings.
Chicago now heads down to Phoenix to take on the Diamondbacks for three games before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then host the Reds for three games over the weekend.
3. St. Louis Cardinals (66-66); 3-5 this week; 2.2% chance to make postseason
The Cardinals had a long, disappointing week, as they took three of five against the Reds before being swept by the Phillies, including a tough 6-4 walk-off loss after leading 4-0 in the ninth on Sunday.
Jordan Walker continued to rake, with 12 hits, including three homers and two doubles, driving in eight. Five other players also homered, including rookie JJ Wetherholt, who added a double as part of a nine-hit week. Alec Burleson added 10 hits, driving in six and picking up a pair of doubles.
While the starting rotation as a whole didn’t have a great week, Kyle Leahy shined. He made a pair of starts, totaling nine innings with no runs allowed on five hits and two walks, striking out a team-high 10 batters. Peter Strzelecki was solid out of the bullpen with five innings of one-run ball, striking out five, and Gordon Graceffo went 2 2/3 scoreless innings over three appearances.
St. Louis gets Monday off before a homestand featuring matchups with the Orioles and Pirates begins on Tuesday.
4. Cincinnati Reds (62-69); 3-5 this week; 0.0% chance to make postseason
The Reds dropped three of five to the Cardinals at home this week before dropping two of three to the D-backs, and their once promising season is all but done at this point.
Matt McLain and Dane Myers both slugged a pair of homers, while Sal Stewart homered as part of an 11-hit week, driving in a team-high seven runs. Elly De La Cruz also had nine hits, and JJ Bleday added eight hits.
Chase Burns and Kent Emanuel had the best starts of the week for Cincy, as both pitchers went five innings with two runs allowed (Burns struck out eight and Emanuel struck out four). Tejay Antone, Julian Garcia, and Zach McCambley combined for 7 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing no runs and striking out four.
Cincinnati will continue the road trip with three games in San Francisco to begin this week. After an off day on Thursday, they’ll wrap up their trip with three games at Wrigley against the Cubs.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (63-69); 2-4 this week; 1.0% chance to make postseason
The Pirates took two of three at home against the Tigers to begin the week but were swept by the Dodgers in L.A. to finish with another sub-.500 week.
Oneil Cruz and Rafael Flores both slugged a pair of homers to lead Pittsburgh’s offense, while Brandon Lowe led the team with six hits, including a homer and double in what was an overall down week offensively for the Pirates.
Braxton Ashcraft turned in another strong start, totaling eight innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts to pick up the win. Lake Bachar went three total innings in a start and a relief appearance, allowing one run and striking out a pair. Khristian Curtis, Camilo Doval, Antwone Kelly, Mason Montgomery, Luke Weaver, and Kirby Yates combined for 15 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out 16.
Pittsburgh continues the road trip with three games in San Diego before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then wrap up the trip with a three-game set in St. Louis.
