Category: Baseball

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo react to a new skipper and new voices in the front office. 

The guys cover the news that Andy Green is interim Mets manager no more, as he signed a three-year deal to be the permanent bench boss. 

Connor and Joe also discuss the addition of Derek Falvey as senior advisor, baseball operations, the promotion of Kris Gross to assistant GM, scouting, and whether or not there will be more new names added to the front office in the near future. 

The Mets Pod Answering Machine takes a call about the next steps for the organization, the guys take one more Scoreboard swing for the season, and the Mailbag delivers one more look at what "could have been" last offseason.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Guardians will try to secure a division title against a division rival eager to spoil their chances before heading to Cancun next week.

The Guardians are 83-76 with a +3 run differential, 23rd in MLB with a 95 wRC+, seventh in baserunning runs above average at 5.7, ninth in Defense at -8.6, ninth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.90 (3.88 FIP), and sixth in bullpen ERA at 3.48 (3.63 FIP).

The Royals are 68-91 with a -112 run differential, 20th in MLB with a 97 wRC+, eighth in baserunning runs above average at 5.1, sixth in Defense at -3.4, 25th in starting pitcher ERA at 4.56 (4.44 FIP), and 28th in bullpen ERA at 5.00 (5.00 FIP).

The Guardians and Royals are very similar for the season in offense, baserunning and defense. The Royals are in last place because their pitching has been awful… and they don’t have that dog in ‘em, of course. But, the Guardians will face the Royals’ best two starting pitchers this weekend, so… we will see.

Matchups:
Game One, Friday, 7:40PM ET: Cameron, LHP 3.92 ERA vs. Williams, RHP, 3.63 ERA
Game Two, Saturday, 7:10PM ET: Wacha, RHP 3.33 ERA vs. Bibee, RHP, 4.35 ERA
Game Three, Sunday, 3:10PM ET: Lynch IV, LHP 4.13 ERA vs. TBD (Messick if necessary)

The elephant in the room as we look at these matchups is Michael Wacha who has been a Guardians’ killer. Yes, the team will need the usual suspects to come through versus the two lefties (wake up, David Fry!), but it is Wacha who has tortured this team. Nathaniel Lowe DOES have a .400 wOBA against Wacha over the past four years. Bat him cleanup and let him come through, Stephen. Patrick Bailey has a .594 wOBA, David Fry .564 wOBA, and Angel Martinez .327 wOBA. That’s about all we have to offer in terms of guys who have shown some life vs. Wacha. Would like to see Fry get the DH day and have them sit Jo Adell, but we will see what happens.

For the season, the Guardians are led by Chase DeLauter 130 wRC+, Angel Martinez 112 wRC+, Steven Kwan 112 wRC+, Travis Bazzana 109 wRC+, and Nathaniel Lowe 108 wRC+.

The Royals are led by Jac Caglianone 128 wRC+, Bobby Witt Jr. 120 wRC+, Tyler Tolbert 114 wrC+, Carter Jensen 112 wRC+, John Rave 107 wRC+, and Vinnie Pasquantino 105 wRC+.

Make the Royals’ starters work and get into their bullpen as early as possible, and don’t let Witt and Caglianone beat you. Those are your keys. AND if the White Sox are tied with you on Sunday morning, do NOT start Parker Messick in that last game because the White Sox are playing the Rockies!

It wouldn’t be the 2026 Red Sox season if their final series could possibly be a show and go, right? The nor’easter impending arrival in New England is going to rock the region with snow and rain, which forced MLB’s hand into preempting the weather with a double header! The problem is there’s still one more game to play. Where and when, who knows, but we’ll get two in (hopefully) today! We start with a heavy bullpen game—Alec Gamboa takes the bump to start.

Game 1

⚾️ First Pitch: 1:05 PM EDT – Fenway Park, Boston, MA

📺 TV: NESN

📻 Radio: WEEI

Time to play 2 at Fenway. pic.twitter.com/gM5UaQkeWu

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 25, 2026

Two games on deck!

Watch live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/NbtvE4bjVS

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 25, 2026

As 2026 comes to a close, so does the first season of ABS in MLB.

Using the incredibly detailed breakdown on Baseball Savant’s ABS Challenge Dashboard, a paradoxical truth seems undeniable: The Rockies are one of the best teams at ABS challenges, while also simultaneously being one of the worst.

In the simplest terms, when the Rockies issue an ABS challenge on defense — mostly meaning when Hunter Goodman taps his catcher’s helmet — it turns out well. But when the Rockies are at the plate, they are the worst in baseball at gauging the strike zone. 

We can dive into the numbers to see how the Rockies have seen their fair share of ABS challenge success and how they could use the new system more efficiently.

Starting with the basics, combining fielding and batting challenges overall, the Rockies have overturned 206 calls, which ranks No. 7 through Wednesday’s games. They get it right 54.1% of the time, which has stayed pretty consistent this year.

Fielding ABS Challenges

When it comes to fielding, which can mean the pitcher or catcher objecting to the ball or strike call, the Rockies are correct 65% of the time. That’s 10% above the league average and tied for fourth-best with the Texas Rangers, who have won 96 challenges, while the Rockies won 133. 

Team	Chal	Won	Lost	Won%	Plus K Flip	Minus BB Flip	Chal. Rate
Philadelphia Phillies	140	95	45	68%	23	12	1.80%
Cincinnati Reds	195	131	64	67%	39	13	2.20%
Chicago Cubs	173	116	57	67%	29	9	2.20%
Texas Rangers	148	96	52	65%	26	10	1.90%
Colorado Rockies	206	133	73	65%	42	14	2.60%
Athletics	215	135	80	63%	53	24	2.50%
Detroit Tigers	152	95	57	63%	24	8	2.00%
Arizona Diamondbacks	157	98	59	62%	24	7	2.10%
Atlanta Braves	178	110	68	62%	27	15	2.30%
Boston Red Sox	156	95	61	61%	42	14	2.10%
Los Angeles Angels	189	115	74	61%	29	13	2.30%
Miami Marlins	239	144	95	60%	36	12	3.10%
Seattle Mariners	164	98	66	60%	37	10	2.30%
Tampa Bay Rays	182	108	74	59%	22	9	2.60%
Los Angeles Dodgers	146	86	60	59%	27	10	2.00%
Minnesota Twins	264	154	110	58%	51	20	3.40%
New York Yankees	208	121	87	58%	35	14	2.80%
Kansas City Royals	174	98	76	56%	21	17	2.10%
Toronto Blue Jays	184	102	82	55%	28	14	2.30%
San Francisco Giants	181	99	82	55%	17	10	2.20%
Milwaukee Brewers	245	134	111	55%	33	13	3.40%
San Diego Padres	205	111	94	54%	33	9	2.60%
Houston Astros	194	105	89	54%	20	7	2.40%
Washington Nationals	204	110	94	54%	21	10	2.50%
St. Louis Cardinals	147	79	68	54%	27	14	1.70%
Cleveland Guardians	193	101	92	52%	26	7	2.50%
Baltimore Orioles	155	81	74	52%	26	7	2.00%
New York Mets	190	99	91	52%	30	11	2.50%
Pittsburgh Pirates	187	95	92	51%	26	9	2.40%
Chicago White Sox	273	134	139	49%	34	11	3.60%

Colorado tends to challenge more than most teams as they are ranked No. 7 at 206. This is great because it’s working. The Rockies have flipped 42 calls that then lead to the opposing batter striking out. That’s tied for third-best in the big leagues.

Check out this Goodman challenge that resulted in Mason Adams striking out Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo on Wednesday.

They’ve also erased 14 would-be walks, which is tied for fifth-best. Goodman added to that total on Sept. 19 vs. the Mariners when he challenged what turned out to be not-ball four to Domonic Canzone.

This is largely due to Goodman’s masterful eye behind the plate. His 77 challenges won are the fourth-best in MLB, while his 68.1% success rate is the third-best among starting catchers. In addition, Brett Sullivan has 73 challenges behind the plate with a 58.9% win rate and Braxton Fulford went 7-for-10 in his challenges to boost the Rockies’ stats.

Zooming out, mostly thanks to Goodman, the Rockies have an MLB-best net ABS overturns more than expected by a fielding team seeing identical pitches (only challenges by team) at 30.6. When it comes to actual run value on overturns on challenges by team minus expected, the Rockies are No. 1 at 6.8. 

Even though the Rockies enter Thursday’s home finale against Arizona with a -184 run differential, and 6.8 runs doesn’t seem like a lot, they have played in 41 one-run games (and gone 17-24). If better days are ahead and the Rockies are closer to competing, this could make a difference for Colorado.

Pitchers have a collective success rate of 39.3% across the league, which has resulted in fewer pitchers using ABS (only 178 total this season). The Rockies pitchers have combined for 10 challenges and have a 60% win rate. That’s largely due to Kyle Freeland, who has challenged four times and won three.

Batting ABS Challenges

The ABS wins on defense will only matter if they aren’t cancelled out by the Rockies batters’ horrendous challenge rate at the plate.

Through games on Sept. 23, the Rockies are in a three-way tie for worst in MLB with a 42% ABS success rate for hitters. They have challenged 175 calls and won only 73 times. That’s 7% lower than the league average of 49%. Despite the lack of success, the Rockies hitters continue to tap their batting helmets. The 175 attempts ranks No. 6.

In other words, even though they are terrible at it, they keep doing it. A lot.

The Rockies hitters have avoided 20 strikeouts with ABS calls, which is impressive, but only ranks No. 18 in MLB. The 20 strikeouts are more closely aligned with a “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” mentality than an effective approach of when to challenge or not. Colorado is No. 23 with 1,373 strikeouts, which is an improvement from finishing No. 29 last year, but hitters’ eye for the strike zone definitely leaves room for improvement. This is supported by the fact that Colorado batters have only drawn eight extra walks thanks to challenges, which ranks No. 24.

Team	Chal	Won	Lost	Won%	Minus K Flip	Plus BB Flip	Chal. Rate
Athletics	150	86	64	57%	22	8	4.80%
Arizona Diamondbacks	142	81	61	57%	19	7	3.50%
Toronto Blue Jays	151	83	68	55%	21	8	4.50%
Cincinnati Reds	164	90	74	55%	28	19	4.30%
Kansas City Royals	152	83	69	55%	24	11	4.20%
Detroit Tigers	170	91	79	54%	26	10	4.60%
New York Yankees	184	95	89	52%	23	10	5.30%
Los Angeles Dodgers	157	81	76	52%	25	12	4.40%
New York Mets	186	95	91	51%	19	11	5.50%
Chicago Cubs	159	81	78	51%	20	16	4.00%
Texas Rangers	136	69	67	51%	31	7	3.90%
Miami Marlins	157	79	78	50%	26	15	4.50%
Houston Astros	181	91	90	50%	17	11	5.50%
Minnesota Twins	178	89	89	50%	20	22	5.50%
Chicago White Sox	157	78	79	50%	16	7	5.10%
Boston Red Sox	167	81	86	49%	23	11	4.70%
San Francisco Giants	144	68	76	47%	22	9	4.00%
Milwaukee Brewers	123	58	65	47%	15	10	3.10%
Baltimore Orioles	168	79	89	47%	28	18	4.50%
Philadelphia Phillies	179	84	95	47%	16	9	5.10%
Los Angeles Angels	172	80	92	47%	26	20	5.20%
Tampa Bay Rays	150	69	81	46%	16	5	4.40%
San Diego Padres	126	57	69	45%	13	4	3.90%
St. Louis Cardinals	131	59	72	45%	14	5	3.50%
Pittsburgh Pirates	159	71	88	45%	23	8	4.80%
Washington Nationals	129	57	72	44%	21	8	3.70%
Cleveland Guardians	141	61	80	43%	15	11	3.90%
Seattle Mariners	160	67	93	42%	22	12	4.60%
Colorado Rockies	175	73	102	42%	20	8	6.70%
Atlanta Braves	118	49	69	42%	20	9	3.90%

When it comes to the bigger picture, the Rockies have an MLB-worst net ABS overturns more than expected by a team seeing identical pitches (only challenges by team) at -33.5. It’s not great, especially compared to MLB-leading A’s at 24.3. However, in the runs gained vs. runs expected department, the Rockies offense is in the top tier at 2.3, which ranks No. 6. Even though there is a large failure rate, when the Rockies do win, it’s leading to meaningful results.

Individually, the two Rockies who tend to challenge calls the most aren’t the best at it. Cole Carrigg leads the team with 26 challenges and he’s posted a 42.3% success rate.

The worst offender is Willi Castro, who has the second most challenges at 24, but a measly 25% success rate. It’s quite possible that if the Rockies made a rule that Castro can’t tap his helmet, the team average could rise exponentially next year. Here’s an example of one of Castro’s fails on Aug. 31 vs. the Orioles.

One of the Rockies with the most success is Kyle Karros, who gets it right 62.5% of the time (16 correct calls). TJ Rumfield is also above average at 15 correct calls at 46.7%. Other hitters, like Jake McCarthy, just don’t use it much. McCarthy has only challenged five times, winning four of them.

For the first season using ABS, the Rockies definitely have a lot to be proud of, especially the catchers. When it comes to improvement in 2027, if the Rockies can practice more self-control at the plate, they could turn their ABS challenges into even more of an advantage.

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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are in the postseason, we know they will start their quest for a third straight championship in October 3 with the National League Division Series. So let’s figure out how their postseason roster will shake out.

First, a caveat: each round has its own roster. The Dodgers will submit a roster for the National League Division Series on the morning of Game 1, and will do so again should they advance to the National League Championship Series and World Series. Each series roster might be different, based on opponent, length of series, or other factors.

Time on their side

By clinching the No. 2 seed, the Dodgers get a bye past the wild card round, which means they have five days off between the regular season and NLDS. They’ll need it, with the oldest position-player group in baseball, averaging just under 31 years old.

Shohei Ohtani was just activated off the injured list this week, as was Andy Pages. Freddie Freeman is playing through a right knee injury and is hitting only .219/.293/.260 in September. They could all use a combination of rest and finding their form between now and October 3.

Same for Roki Sasaki, who missed over three weeks after a blister on his middle finger, and Blake Snell, who left a start last week with left groin discomfort and will start Saturday in San Francisco to see if everything is okay. Edgardo Henriquez, out since September 14 with lower back discomfort, is expected to be ready for the NLDS, nearly three weeks after he last pitched.

Optional gambit

Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula got his first taste of the majors when Shohei Ohtani was placed on the injured list, and impressed greatly while filling in at designated hitter, plus one start in left field. In 11 games, De Paula hit .323/.500/581 with five extra-base hits and more walks (11) than strikeouts (five). But he was optioned once Ohtani returned on Wednesday.

“Josue has been awesome. Injected some life and energy into our team as we got into September,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “He handled himself and did as well as he could possibly do. Right now we view him as a DH, and Shohei’s back and going to take the DH at-bats.”

Manager Dave Roberts said something similar after De Paula was optioned.

“We have some other guys that need to play that we’ve got to put eyes on. And to be quite frank, there’s just not a lot of at-bats to go around now that Shohei’s back,” Roberts said. “We’ve still got to get Miggy (Rojas) some at-bats, Kiké (Hernández), and some other guys at-bats, too. They’re hard to come by.”

Sending De Paula down to the minors specifically on Wednesday meant that his 10 days on optional assignment will be up just in time to be available on October 3, the date of Game 1 of the NLDS. De Paula will be available for the Dodgers in the postseason, should they choose to use him.

For some pitchers, it’s not that easy.

Emmet Sheehan was optioned on Monday, and pitchers have to be down for 15 days instead of the 10-day requirement for position players. That means Sheehan wouldn’t be eligible to be called up to the Dodgers (or added to their postseason roster) until October 6, which is three days after the start of the NLDS.

Same goes for Kyle Hurt (optioned Wednesday) and Seth Halvorsen (optioned September 20), aside from depth-chart concerns. Landon Knack (optioned September 18), Bobby Miller (optioned September 17), and Paul Gervase (optioned September 16) would be technically eligible for the NLDS, though a lot would have to happen for them to be fully considered.

Will Klein is more of an option even while currently on the 60-day injured list. He’s eligible to return by the NLDS, though the Dodgers are considering him more for the later rounds, depending on how he progresses over the next few weeks after his simulated game on Tuesday.

“With Will it’s more get healthy, show that you’re healthy, throw to some hitters,” Roberts said. “He’ll throw during the week off, then we’ll kind of see if there’s an opportunity later on in the postseason, sort of like last year.”

How many pitchers?

Postseason rosters have 26 active players, with a limit of 13 pitchers, just like in the regular season. Here’s how many pitchers the Dodgers carried in each round of the last four postseasons, excluding the shortened wild card round which can get wonky:

• 2022 NLDS: 13 pitchers
• 2023 NLDS: 13 pitchers
• 2024 NLDS: 13 pitchers
• 2024 NLCS: 13 pitchers
• 2024 World Series: 13 pitchers
• 2025 NLDS: 11 pitchers*
• 2025 NLCS: 12 pitchers*
• 2025 World Series: 12 pitchers*

That’s 13 pitchers in every round for three postseasons, then last year one fewer pitcher when they had two-way player Shohei Ohtani covering a starter’s level of innings on the mound. The Dodgers do not have that luxury this year, as Ohtani won’t pitch again in 2026.

Last year’s NLDS was the exception, when the Dodgers carried 11 pitchers plus Ohtani, or 12 if they set a normal roster. But last year’s Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies had the built-in day off between Games 1-2 to help stagger both leagues for television purposes. This year, that extra day is during the American League Division Series, so the Dodgers won’t have an extra day of rest built in to maneuver their pitching usage.

In other words, 13 pitchers seems like the most likely route for the Dodgers in any best-of-7 series this October. Where it gets interesting is in the best-of-5 NLDS, where they could carry 12 pitchers and still feel they have enough coverage.

Which pitchers?

The pool is fairly well defined, especially for the NLDS. With four starting pitchers, the Dodgers have 10 relievers active at the moment, five from each side:

Right-handers (5): Roki Sasaki, Evan Phillips, Brock Stewart, Edwin Díaz, Blake Treinen

Left-handers (5): Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer, Justin Wrobleski, Kris Bubic

Edgardo Henriquez has been mentioned multiple times this week as being likely to be ready for the NLDS, so that’s 11 relievers from which to pick either nine (if the Dodgers carry 13 pitchers) or eight (if the Dodgers carry 12 pitchers).

One open bench spot or two?

It took until the Dodgers’ 158th game of the season, on Wednesday, until they had their planned starting eight in the same lineup for the first time in 2026.

Tonight's #Dodgers starting lineup for Game 2 against the Padres: pic.twitter.com/BUcFjgWqF5

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 23, 2026

For the most part, that will likely be the lineup all postseason, maybe save for a few times Max Muncy might sit against a left-handed starting pitcher before coming into the game later, as he did three times in 17 postseason games last year.

Kiké Hernández, the Dodgers’ all-time leader in postseason games played, will surely be active in October, as will Miguel Rojas and backup catcher Hunter Feduccia.

That’s already 12 position players.

The Dodgers plan to activate Dalton Rushing from the injured list on Friday, basically to get three pinch-hitting opportunities in three games in San Francisco. That puts him in direct competition with De Paula for a potential left-handed pinch-hitter role for October, a battle that thus far is decidedly in the rookie’s favor, in large part because Rushing has only played in five games in the last eight weeks thanks to two injured-list stints.

“To be quite frank, it’s going to be tougher for Dalton given the time he’s missed, and to think that you have [three] games to get back into playoff form, it’s tough to do,” Roberts said. “It’s not a knock on him, he’s been great for us, but it’s still tough, right, given that we talk about having the consistency of at-bats recently from Josue. But we have to have those conversations and make a decision.”

Teoscar Hernández started all 33 postseason games the last two seasons. He played every inning in eight of 16 games in 2024, and did so six times in 17 games last October. Kiké Hernández could be the late-inning defensive replacement, or the Dodgers could stick with Alex Call, who has been active all season and was active all postseason last year, too, and got into seven games. Call isn’t one of the 12 listed above.

That’s before considering if one of De Paula or Rushing makes the team, or even if they decide on an extra speedster like Hyeseong Kim, who could pinch-run and play defense up the middle as needed.

If the Dodgers carry 13 pitchers, there’s room for one more position player. If it’s 12 pitchers, there’s room for two more position players.

“It’s probably a different conversation if we’re fortunate enough to get to the next round, the CS,” Roberts said Thursday. “In a five-game series it’s not as much of a conversation, as far as the need for extra pitching.”

Picture this: 10 years ago. 2016. The Cavs are Champs, you’re in the best shape of your life, going to concerts on the beach and sippin’ on Spring Lakers in God’s Basement listening to E Street covers all summer long…

No? Just me? Oh well how about something we can all relate to, like the then Cleveland Indians winning the AL Central and going on a magical run to Game 7 of the World Series?

Ahhh yes, there it is. And while that Playoff run didn’t end like we all wish it would have, it’s important to remember how we got there and how much we enjoyed that journey. That team was a complete bunch: an experienced Manager who has been there before, a lineup filled with few young Superstars mixed with some savvy clutch Veterans and a rotation that was one of the best in baseball. However, after a few late injuries to that rotation (both unfortunate and self inflected), the Tribe needed to lean heavily on a few reliable arms out of the bullpen. Then, we saw history.

While Cody Allen deserves his flowers in his part for getting us oh so close to our first World Series ring since 1948, it was newly acquired Andrew Miller who came up the biggest, earning ALCS MVP in the 4-1 series Win vs Toronto.

There was no one more dominant in the 2016 Postseason than ALCS MVP, Andrew Miller. pic.twitter.com/i3y2FFdo6W

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 25, 2022

For those of you who don’t know (or just love to be reminded of it), Miller Time was the absolutely greatest tasting less filling arm you’ve ever seen in that series. In the 5 ALCS games, Miller pitched in 4 of them, for 7.2 IP, allowing 3 hits and striking out 14(!). And while those numbers would’ve been one incredible start for any SP, it’s especially important to remember that Andrew wasn’t pitching in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd innings and facing the bottom of the lineup. No. Tito had Miller pitching strictly in leverage innings, multiple in every appearance, and always facing Toronto’s best: Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and some sort of combination of Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzski. He neutralized the biggest threat, at the biggest time, in 4 Wins on the biggest stage. That’s how you win ALCS MVP.

Now, to expect ANYONE to ever do that again is crazy talk. Trust me, I get that. But if this Cleveland Guardians team is to make the World Series again, someone (well, a bunch of someones) will have to step up and deliver big time for n the ALCS. Who might that be?

Here are my 5 candidates to be this year’s version of ALCS MVP Andrew Miller…

Missed the Cut: Tim Herrin

Look, I don’t wanna pick on the guy. He actually fits the bill: big, long, lefty out of the ‘pen, who *when he throws strikes* can be a shutdown to possibly untouchable arm out of the ‘pen. Throw a beard on the baby face and he’s a spitting image of Andrew! BUT it would be disingenuous of me to predict him, even if other writers here may believe in him. I just haven’t seen the consistency from Tim to become his alter ego Jim long enough to give us an MVP performance. I would LOVE to be proven wrong, and I know, he will have to pitch well at least once if we make a run, but I don’t see it being THAT impactful. At least as a positive. But again, prove me wrong!

HM: Justin Campbell

Who?!?! Nahhh I know my readers know who our boy JC is. But if you’re new here, Justin was a highly ranked arm in the 2022 draft that many in Cleveland had very high expectations for. But after a few injuries that sidelined him for years, he became an afterthought. That was until this year, when he broke out at High A Lake County, AA Akron and eventually made his way to AAA Columbus. Campbell was amongst the organizational leaders in just about every stat/metric, and with an impending 40 man roster spot coming his way, what better time to ride the hot hand?

Cleveland #Guardians RHP prospect Justin Campbell struckout five Indianapolis batters tonight over three scoreless innings of work for Columbus.

Line – 3.0(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 0BB 5SO

(49 Pitches 36 Strikes)

2026 season:

– 56.2(IP) 37H 15ER 28BB 72SO 2.39 ERA#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/HZDqOqjoj9

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 29, 2026

We saw it with Chase DeLauter last year, debuting in the Wild Card Round vs Detroit. Cleveland has shown recently that they believe in being aggressive if it can provide an advantage. Well, why not a pitcher, stretched out to go multiple innings, this Fall? It’s not like our bullpen couldn’t use the fresh arm!

As fun as it is to imagine, it’s just an honorable mention, as this is for sure one of the tougher scenarios to see playing out. Still tho, rooting for the kid who will be with us next year and hopefully for a long time after.

#5: Daniel Espino/Joey Cantillo Combo

Well there’s an idea!

Piggybacking (see what I did there) off of the Campbell idea, both Espino and Cantillo have found themselves in new roles recently. And outside of one ugly inning for Daniel, it has been a revelation for them both. Cantillo, since moving to the Piggyback spot, has thrown 15 innings, allowing 4 hits, 0 runs scored while striking out 17. That my friends is a game changer. Add in Espino touching 102 and learning to throw more frequently than he ever has, and these two are primed for some big boy innings.

Joey Cantillo, since shifting to a new role with an opener pitching in front of him:

15 innings, 4 hits allowed, 0 runs allowed, 17 strikeouts

— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) September 25, 2026

Will they use these guys as a pseudo 3rd SP? It’s very likely! Could they deploy them in a way where they are more effective on a nightly basis? Anything is possible!

#4: Jose Ramirez

Jose is the GOAT. But he’s had a rough year. He was off to a slow start that turned into a subpar first half. And while we all believed he would break out of it, he would brake his hamate bone and be sidelined for 6 weeks, only to be nursing it (understandably so) when he returned. Jose never really found his footing this year (except for one week in April) and this turned into an extremely forgettable season.

But what if it wasn’t? What if Jose could give us one stretch of Prime Jose? Wouldn’t a classic Lapara Hot streak in late October make everyone forget about the down season? I know what people remember most, and it’s the Legends of the Fall.

We know it’s in there, and man it would be something to have him erase the bad memories of subpar Octobers past with one big one this year. And until he gives me a reason not to, I’ll always believe in Jose.

The 🐐 doing 🐐 things.

Congratulations to José Ramírez on being named American League Player of the Week for the 9th time in his career!#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/EJwAb3jMYg

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 20, 2026

#3: Erik Sabrowski

Ok now we’re talkin.

He’s been the #1 Lefty option for us all year, and outside of one bad dry spell (where he may have been pitching hurt?), he’s been absolutely LIGHTS OUT. It is so easy to see why Sabrowski could be THE GUY. He generates some of the most WHIFFS on the team, he’s thrown multiple innings a handful of times, he’s hit right now… and of course, he is a Lefty. If Vogt doesn’t want to mess with the 9th, moving Sabro around is likely his best bet at making life difficult for the other team

Last night, Erik Sabrowski punched out the side in a huge win as the Cleveland Guardians look to win their division!!

He now has a truly ridiculous 73 strikeouts in 46.2 innings on the season and is a huge part of one of the best bullpens in baseball! #AHPFamilypic.twitter.com/aJ2e5I6R94

— Taylor Burns (@tburns34) September 23, 2026

#2: Jo Adell

Part of the Miller Time Magic was that Andrew felt like the missing piece. That this team was already a contender, and then they added the perfect puzzle piece to help them get over the hump. And when utilized the right way, even just performing to his natural abilities, it was the greatest breath of fresh air that felt like it transformed the team.

Well, I get a lot of those feelings watching Jo Adell in the lineup. We had very little pop in the middle of the order and we couldn’t hit Lefties to save our life. Enter Adell and it felt like we just showed the bully at school we have a big brother that can whoop your butt.

Now, Jo has cooled off a bit this month, but anyone that has watched him before knows he has the ability to go scorched earth for a week or so. And if he can be that presence that he was when we brought him in and started this turn around, he can put on The Jo Show to the tune of an ALCS MVP Award.

JO ADELL IS ABSOLUTELY DIALED IN.

8-GAME HITTING STREAK 🔥

.303 AVG
10 H
2 HR
7 RBI
6 R

And he’s doing it right in the middle of an October push.

JO WANTS IT. #Guardsballpic.twitter.com/lbKMLZR9XF

— Jo Show Adell (@JoShowAdell) September 20, 2026

Storybook ending for the guy who could never escape the gallows of Anaheim.

#1: Cade Smith

I mean, duh. Have you seen this guy?!

I don’t even know what to lead with. His 41 saves? His sub-1.99 ERA for the season (remember when people were saying he isn’t a Closer??), and 0.62 ERA since the All Star Break? Or the recent stretch he’s put together for Vogt as a multi inning ASSASSIN?

The answer is Cade Smith. Steven Vogt has shown that he believes the Cade Crusader can do anything, including pitch the 8th and 9th or 9th and 10th of a tie ball game while already having men on. He’s been as steady of a presence and you can ever imagine. The Vancouver Vanisher has given up just 3 hits and 3 walks in his last 12 games, which spanned 14.1 IP. No runs have scored, and he’s struck out 25(!).

Cleveland #Guardians closer Cade Smith struckout the side in 9th inning tonight vs the Red Sox for his 41st save clinching a playoff berth!

Line – 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 3SO

(15 Pitches 11 Strikes)

Last 34 appearances: 🔥🔥🔥

– 37.0(IP) 15H 3ER 13BB 52SO 0.73 ERA#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/WFixIVit4G

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 25, 2026

In the Playoffs, when “a-SWIIIIIIIING-and-a-miss” is of the utmost importance, we have K’d Smith. And Steven Vogt knows that.

So there you have it, the next Andrew Miller is easily gonna be Cade Sm-BAH GAWD IS THAT ROCCHIO’S MUSIC?!?!

Brayan Rocchio: “It’s not Rocctober it’s Cletember and Cletober.”

OUR SHORTSTOP. pic.twitter.com/w5jo6ZY2f7

— Jose (@GuardsBurner_) September 25, 2026

Oh who am I kidding, WELCOME TO ROCCHTOBER GUARDS FANS!! BRAYAN ROCCHIO, YOU are the next ALCS MVP!!!

BRAYAN ROCCHIO
OFF THE FOUL POLE@CLEGUARDIANS WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/Z8I8O6ZPOG

— MLB (@MLB) September 28, 2025

BRAYAN ROCCHIO@CLEGUARDIANS LEAD IN THE 8TH! #POSTSEASONpic.twitter.com/CQCruErNr3

— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025

Brayan Rocchio plays hero. 🦸#GuardsBall | #GuardiWinspic.twitter.com/HnR5s9rD2M

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 7, 2026

"GOODBYE! GOOD NIGHT! UNBELIEVABLE!"

Brayan Rocchio launches a #walkoff 2-run homer for the @CleGuardians! pic.twitter.com/xGkRoYmbPl

— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2026

We adore you, Brayan Rocchio.#GuardsBall | #GuardiWinspic.twitter.com/4X4RBnLm39

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) September 4, 2026

ROCCHIO WALK OFF WINNER 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/WH6iIzhNxO

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 16, 2026

Was there ever another option?

Mother Nature is having a say in how the Major League Baseball season ends.

The three-game series between the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox, originally scheduled for three separate days, now includes a doubleheader on Sept. 25 due to impending weather expected to hit Boston this weekend.

Sunday's game has been moved to 1:05 p.m. Eastern on Friday as part of a doubleheader. The second game, originally scheduled for 7:05 p.m., was moved up an hour to 5:35 p.m.

“Everything is up in the air,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Can we get out of Boston if we have to leave? There’s a lot of uncertainty. We’re prepared for the uncertainty. We know that plans are going to change this weekend.”

The third and final game of the series is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Saturday, but it could be moved due to the nor'easter expected to wreak havoc in the area. Contingency plans could include moving the final game of the series to Tropicana Field in Tampa, as the Rays are in Philadelphia to play the Phillies and conclude their regular season.

More: Cubs skipper unhappy with MLB's schedule change for Red Sox series

“I’m planning on being ready to play those two games tomorrow,” Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said Thursday. “We should be able to get that in, even if the second game there might be like a little bit of drizzle.”

Boston has already clinched a playoff spot and is currently the No. 5 seed in the American League. If the standings hold, they would begin their postseason in the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday if they win one of the games against Chicago.

The Cubs are also in the playoffs and are still fighting for home-field advantage in the first round.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Weather forecast forces Cubs vs. Red Sox doubleheader, move to Tampa in play

Today’s roster move: Here

Note on BCB procedure today: I will post a recap of Game 1 as soon as possible after it’s over. That post will include the starting pitcher info and other details for Game 2, which is scheduled to start at 4:35 p.m. CT (see below).

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You all know about the approaching storm in the Boston area. Here’s the Boston-area radar for you to keep handy.

Here’s more on the potential weather disruptions from Matthew Gross at our SB Nation Red Sox site Over The Monster. Further, if you have not already seen this (Bluesky link):

Friday notes…

• ROAD WARRIORS: The Cubs are 42-36 on the road, but only 11-17 in day games, including 2-7 in the second of back-to-back day games, at the same or different sites. The wins were at Cleveland on April 5 and Seattle on Aug. 23. The losses were at Cleveland on April 3 and 5, Tampa on April 6, Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers on April 26, Pittsburgh on May 25; Miami on Sept. 6 and Milwaukee on Sept. 7. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• FRIDAY ON MY MIND: The Cubs are 12-13 on Friday. They are 7-6 on the road, where they have lost two of the last three after having won the previous two. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• GOTTA SCORE MORE: Yesterday’s Wild Card-clinching 2-1 win was just the Cubs’ 12th of the season in which they have scored three or fewer runs. They have lost 47. They are 76-24 when they have scored at least four. It also was only their 14th win with six or fewer hits. They have lost 35. They are 74-36 with at least seven. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Ken Holtzman takes a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Dodgers and Sandy Koufax, billed as “the battle of the Jewish left-handers.” Dick Schofield leads off the ninth with a single, breaking up the no-no, and the Dodgers score a run before Holtzman gets Willie Davis to hit into a game-ending double play and the Cubs win 2-1. It happened 60 years ago today, Sunday, Sept, 25. 1966. More on this game in this BCB article from 2021.

Cubs lineup:

Two games on deck!

Watch live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/NbtvE4bjVS

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 25, 2026

Red Sox lineup:

Time to play 2 at Fenway. pic.twitter.com/gM5UaQkeWu

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 25, 2026

Clay Holmes, RHP vs. Alec Gamboa, LHP

The bad news is that since Clay Holmes joined the Cubs, he’s pitched much better at Wrigley Field (1.14 ERA in four starts) than on the road (8.24 ERA in four starts). Yikes.

The (sort of) good news? Well… Holmes has a 3.31 ERA in 16.1 career innings at Fenway Park (11 appearances, one start). That start was May 20, 2025 and he allowed two runs in six innings, which today would be just fine. Willson Contreras is 5-for-11 vs. Holmes.

Alec Gamboa is an opener today against the Cubs. He hasn’t thrown more than 29 pitches in a game since early August so expect him to go no more than two innings.

Gamboa is a rookie this year, originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2019, but they let him go last year and he spent the rest of 2025 in Korea before the Red Sox signed him last offseason. He’s never faced the Cubs, obviously, or anyone on their active roster. It’s possible that Jake Bennett, also a left-hander, could be the “bulk guy” after Gamboa.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Fenway Park. It does seem likely that this game, at least, will be played in dry conditions, though it will be pretty windy.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Red Sox site Over The Monster. If you do go there to interact with Red Sox fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

How do you define a legend like Phil Rizzuto? A kid from Brooklyn. A speedy, slick-fielding shortstop. An American League MVP. A seven-time World Series champion. A sailor in the United States Navy. The radio and television voice of the New York Yankees. The namesake for the Staten Island Yankees mascots. All of these descriptions are accurate, but none of them quite capture the Hall of Famer — although that impossibility may, in truth, capture the essence of the legend best.

Fiero Philip Francis “Phil” Rizzuto
Born: September 25, 1917 (Brooklyn, NY)
Died: August 13, 2007 (West Orange, NJ)
Yankees Tenure: 1941-42, 1946-56 (player); 1957-96 (announcer)

Rizzuto was born on this day, September 25, 1917… probably. His birth certificate, naval records, baseball cards, obituaries, and encyclopedia entries all list this as his date of birth, but after Rizzuto’s death, reporter Murray Chass shared that, while in the hospital back in the 1970s, Rizzuto claimed his actual year of birth was 1916.

No matter the year of his birth, Rizzuto faced a stark challenge trying to break into the sport during his youth. Both the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants refused to give him a shot due to his short stature. The Yankees, however, having seen him go up against the likes of Satchel Paige while playing for a semipro team, signed him as an amateur free agent in 1937, assigning him to their Virginia-based minor league affiliate, the Bassett Furnituremakers. He spent four years in the minors, racking up stories that he would tell for decades, but which were never told the same way twice: the New York native was surprised by the size of the minor league town, put grits in his pocket because he didn’t realize they were food, injured his foot stepping into a gopher hole, and received the nickname “Scooter” due to his speed.

Looking to move on from the aging Frankie Crosetti, the Yankees made Rizzuto their starting shortstop to start the 1941 season in his age-23 season. Across his first two seasons in the Bronx, he posted a .295/.343/.386 slash line, stealing 36 bases and playing great defense. He earned down-ballot MVP votes in each season, losing both times to teammmates (Joe DiMaggio in 1941, Joe Gordon in 1942), made the All-Star team in his second season, and won his first World Series as a rookie.

Like many of his teammates and opponents, Rizzuto put his Major League career on hold after the 1942 season and joined the Navy. Originally stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, to play with the dock teams, the young man was eventually transferred to the Pacific theater, where he led a 20 mm gun crew — taking him away from his new wife Cora, whom he met while at the Norfolk base. Following a stint in Australia to recover from a battle with malaria, Rizzuto briefly served on a cargo ship, then was sent ashore to organize sports competitions and serve as an athletic trainer; not only was this a much better use of his skills as a professional athlete, it was also a relief to Rizzuto, who learned after joining the Navy that he was prone to seasickness.

After the war, Rizzuto returned to the Yankees despite a brief flirtation with the Mexican League, and after sandwiching his second World Series ring between a pair of third-place finishes, Rizzuto and the Yankees embarked on arguably the greatest run in franchise history. Starting in 1949, the Bronx Bombers won five consecutive World Series championships, and the now-veteran shortstop was a big reason why. He finished as the runner-up to Ted Williams for AL MVP in 1949, then won the award the following year with a .324/.418/.439 showing, tallying a league-best 6.8 WAR. In 1951, he made the Giants regret passing on him as a teenager, slashing .320/.393/.440 against them in the Fall Classic to down them in six games.

The Yankees’ World Series streak came to an end in 1954. It was also, perhaps uncoincidentally, the beginning of Rizzuto’s decline. After two seasons of less-than-stellar production from the now-aging star, the Yankees unceremoniously released him in the middle of the 1956 season. That was almost the end of Rizzuto’s relationship with New York, as he was furious at the disrespect shown to him. Teammate Snuffy Stirnweiss, however, encouraged him to take some time away from the team before he did something he would later regret, and that turned out to be one of the greatest pieces of advice in Yankees history; soon afterwards, the Yankees invited him to join Mel Allen and Red Barber in the broadcast booth.

Rizzuto spent four decades in the broadcast booth, and in truth, had he never played for the Bombers, he would have become a Yankee legend just from his time with the microphone. He was not only the voice of the Yankees for multiple generations of Yankees fans, he in many ways set the tone for the YES Network with his ability to blend seriousness and fun: when Michael Kay, Joe Girardi, David Cone, Paul O’Neill, and Meredith Marakovits banter during the game, they follow in the legacy of Scooter.

Due to his less-than-stellar counting stats, Rizzuto became a controversial candidate for the Hall of Fame, failing to achieve baseball immortality through the traditional writers’ vote and only receiving the honor once good friends Yogi Berra, Bill White, and Pee Wee Reese sat on the Veterans’ Committee in 1994. This is fortunate, not only because he deserved the honor, but because otherwise, the world would not have gotten one of the best Hall of Fame speeches.

Major League Baseball may have waited to honor Rizzuto, but the Yankees did not. In 1985, they retired his No. 10 and gave him a plaque in Monument Park. During the ceremony, a holy cow famously knocked Rizzuto to the ground. That cow would get reincarnated, metaphorically speaking, as Scooter the Holy Cow, the first mascot for the Yankees’ former Short Season Single-A affiliate, the Staten Island Yankees.

After his retirement from the broadcast booth following the 1996 season, Rizzuto continued to be a regular presence at Yankee Stadium. When he passed away after a long period of declining health in August 2007, the entire Yankees family felt the loss. Between his playing and broadcasting days, Rizzuto had spent more than 53 years with the organization, making him by far the longest-tenured Yankee in franchise history. To honor him, the 2007 Yankees played the final two months of the season with a black armband and on his No. 10 on their sleeves.

Happy birthday, Scooter! We miss you.

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See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Five days after sustaining facial fractures after getting struck in his left eye by a foul ball, Alex Bregman is back in the Chicago Cubs lineup.

Bregman will be the designated hitter and bat third in the Cubs' first game of a doubleheader Friday, Sep. 25 at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.

His return completes a remarkable recovery after a Michael Busch foul ball took one hop and struck him in the face near the on-deck circle in the Cubs' game at Cincinnati Sunday. Bregman sat out three games and by Wednesday was already lightly working out and tracking pitches from a machine.

And depending on the results, it certainly stokes hopes that Bregman will be good to go once the Cubs begin their National League wild-card series on Tuesday.

Bregman has hit 26 home runs in his first season with Chicago after signing a five-year, $175 million contract; he'll be facing the Red Sox, his old team with whom he reached the playoffs a year ago. Bregman has now gone to the postseason 10 consecutive seasons with three teams.

Matt Shaw is playing third base in Game 1 against Red Sox starter Alec Gamboa.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Bregman returns to Chicago Cubs lineup days after scary face injury