The Cubs and Padres will again be the last of the four Wild Card Series to get underway today. That game will begin at 9 p.m. CT and I will have the usual game preview up at 6:30 p.m. CT.
In the meantime, there are three other Wild Card games today, so this is an all-purpose game thread for you to discuss the baseball action this afternoon and early evening.
The Braves, White Sox and Yankees can wrap up their series by winning today, as well as the Padres over the Cubs later tonight.
Here are all the details for those three games.
1 p.m. CT: Phillies at Braves (Braves lead series 1-0)
TV: NBC. Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, John Kruk, C.J. Nitkowski, Joey Votto
The Atlanta Braves are looking to secure a Wild Card series win today behind Tyler Mahle. Mahle only allowed one earned run against the Phillies in thirteen innings against them earlier this month.
Cristopher Sánchez is pitching for the Phillies. Overall he has had a fantastic season, but has an ERA north of five this past month. He also has struggled mightily against Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña, and Austin Riley.
On paper the Braves have the slight edge. Follow along in the comments as we root for a series win today.
The Chicago White Sox' Sam Antonacci is hit by a pitch in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros in Game 1 of an A.L. Wild Card series at Daikin Park on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Houston. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
We have a second day of Wild Card games today, and you can talk about them here.
The Braves host the Phillies at 1 p.m. in a game that will be played on NBC. Atlanta is up 1-0 in the series.
The Astros, down 1-0, deal with the White Sox at 4 p.m. in a game that is on Peacock and NBC Sports Network.
Boston plays New York at 7 p.m. on NBC in a series where the Yankees are up 1-0.
And the Padres, up 1-0, play the Cubs in San Diego at 9 p.m. on a Peacock/NBC Sports Network game.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres reacts after scoring a run on a throwing error by Carson Kelly #15 of the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first day of the 2026 playoffs was a good one across the board. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies battled back and forth before the Braves took a crucial lead in the bottom of the eighth to win 5-3. The Chicago White Sox then rolled into Houston to defeat the Astros 6-3. Then, in the primetime matchups, the New York Yankees shut out the Boston Red Sox 9-0 while the San Diego Padres shut out the Chicago Cubs 8-0.
It’s a crucial day as Tuesday’s winners look to wrap up the series and move on to the division round while the losing teams try to stave off elimination.
Here’s the schedule for today:
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves on NBC/Peacock at 12:00 pm MDT
Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros on Peacock/NBC at 3:00 pm MDT
Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees on NBC/Peacock at 6:00 pm MDT
Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres on Peacock/NBC @ 8:00 pm MDT
We’ll add lineups as they become available.
Philadelphia Phillies (0-1) at Atlanta Braves (1-0) — 12:00 pm MDT
Feb 18, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) during spring training photo day. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 01: A television camera lens is shown before the start of the game as the New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 1, 2017 in New York City. The Red Sox won 4-1. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) | Getty Images
According to Wikipedia, comic relief is defined as, “the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious or dramatic work, often to relieve tension.” We were treated to some unexpected comic relief during the first game of the American League Wild Card Series, thanks to NBC’s production team.
Last night was a complete disaster for the Boston Red Sox, no doubt. It’s hard to find anything funny about a game where you:
-Lost 9-0 at your biggest rival’s yard,
-Saw your manager make some questionable decisions,
-Saw your starter fail to go five innings (though he left with the game in tact),
-Collected just three hits compared to approximately 38,000 whiffs,
-Hit the ball into the outfield on, like, five occasions,
-Saw one of your franchise players leave early due to (what I can only assume is at the time of writing) an injury, and
-Your bullpen got knocked around all over the place.
Not much joy to be found there whatsoever. However, I gotta call a spade a spade: The music situation that NBC/Peacock had on their hands during the top of the fifth inning—before everything really turned to shit—was hysterical in my book.
Peacock is currently playing elevator music in the middle of Yankees vs Red Sox? What the hell is going on
In case you missed it: NBC’s broadcast showed a replay of Caleb Durbin’s double play (one of the few bright spots for Boston on Tuesday) coming out of the break and into the start of the fifth. Typical network stock music was playing underneath it, nothing out of the ordinary. The highlight stopped, but the music kept going…and going…and going…and going…
Commentary be damned, action on the field be damned, the band played on. I wish I had a full replay of the broadcast to time exactly how long it was playing for, but it had to be for at least two minutes. Two minutes isn’t a lot of time in the wild ride we call life, sure, but when generic TV bed music is playing nonstop during a tense playoff game when you aren’t expecting it, two minutes feels like an eternity.
Hey everyone, happy to announce that I was recently hired as NBC Sports’ music production manager! Today’s my first day, wish me luck!
I know someone—or some people—were probably scrambling behind the scenes to get that music turned down so that we could hear the expert musings of Joe Girardi clearly, but funny’s funny. That, in my book, was a hysterical moment. What a way to cut the tension of a stressful postseason night: some unintentional comedy. It played out like a “Family Guy” cutaway sketch, where the fact that it went on for so long only made it that much more hilarious.
I’m not ashamed to admit that it got to the point where I had tears in my eyes laughing. I don’t know if the moment was just so ridiculous, I don’t know if my sense of humor is just so stupid at this point, I don’t know if it was because of how the snafu happened right in the middle of a high-intensity game where the chips were on the table for the Sox, and I don’t know if it’s a combination of all of those things. Honestly, I don’t care. That was a nice, brief moment of levity before I promptly went back to having a heart attack.
Sometimes, you just gotta laugh, right? Just for your own sake? I’m sure you woke up in a bad mood after last night’s loss; I’m none too pleased either, and things are looking dire for the 2026 season. Our backs are officially against the wall, and that’s an awful feeling to have. But a wise son of a son of a sailor said it best: “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”
To even bring it back into the game itself, Ben Rice’s late grand slam was even kind of funny! At that point, that might as well have happened, right? Hit a granny to make it 9-0, who cares? We were cooked anyways, might as well make it a laugher! I have to laugh or else I’d lose my marbles!
So thank you, NBC production team, for you inadvertent DJ set in the middle of Game One. It was a great piece of comic relief during an otherwise tense evening. I hope no one lost their job over it—and if any NBC heads are reading this for some reason, please don’t can anyone over that. I appreciate that I was given at least one thing to be happy about during that disastrous display at Yankee Stadium.
Now it’s time to wipe that smile off my face and continue to mope about how much of a clusterfuck that game was.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies is picked off and caught stealing second base against Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the Atlanta Braves during the third inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are the lineups for game 2 of the NLWC series in Atlanta. Let’s discuss!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres prepares to pitch during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on September 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first day of playoff baseball was fun. We saw a couple close games and a couple blowouts. Now four teams are one win away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Conversely, four squads are one more loss away from beginning their offseason earlier than expected. Teams that win the first game of the series in the Wild Card round are 15-1 so everyone should be in desperation mode at this point. That just means better baseball for us.
Phillies at Braves (2:00 PM EDT)
Atlanta took the first game yesterday thanks to a late three-run home run from third baseman Austin Riley. Former Athletic Jesus Luzardo pitched well for the Phillies while former A’s All-Star Matt Olson went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Atlanta won the NL East and showed why yesterday with a well-rounded win against their division rivals.
Now Philadelphia has their backs up against the wall and need a win to keep their season alive for at least one more day. They’ll ask left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (18-7, 2.91 ERA) to help keep their season alive for one more day. He’s arguably their best pitcher and as good as any option for them to turn to, The Braves meanwhile have mid-season acquisition Tyler Mahle (4-1, 1.99 ERA)* taking the ball for them today. Since his trade from San Francisco at the deadline Mahle has looked like a completely different pitcher, providing the Braves with ace-like production. Does that run out today in the playoffs against a tough opponent?
*with Atlanta, not counting his stats with the Giants.
The bullpen game did not work out great for the Astros, predictably. Now they’re down in the series to the young and upstart White Sox who just won their first playoff game in five years. Houston will now turn back to their starting rotation and send their ace in right-hander Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.19 ERA) out there. Brown missed some time earlier in the year but he’s healthy now and looking strong. In fact, his last start was against the A’s in the final series of the season. He pitched into the sixth, allowing just one run on two hits and four walks. He’ll need to be sharper than that if Houston lives to see Thursday.
Chicago meanwhile has one of their top young arms going for them with a chance to send them to the next round. Right-hander Sean Burke (11-7, 3.34 ERA) is getting the ball this afternoon looking to make a name for himself on a larger stage here in the playoffs. He’s coming into this game on a roll: in his last three starts he’s allowed just two runs, walking six compared to 16 strikeouts in 16 1/3 frames.
Red Sox at Yankees (8:00 PM EDT)
New York won in convincing fashion last night, whooping their long-time rivals 9-0. They had everything going for them yesterday, from a dominant start from their likely Cy Young Award-winning starting pitcher, to their offense showing up even without their superstar leader in Aaron Judge. That’s put them one win away from not only moving on to the next round, but also knocking out their hated rivals and moving ahead in the all-time postseason series between these two (currently tied 3-3).
New York has their high-priced lefty on the mound in Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA) tonight. This is exactly the game that Fried was signed to his massive deal for so pressure is high on him in this one. Boston meanwhile has former Athletic Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72 ERA) going for them in this one and that should make them feel better. Gray has had a resurgent season and he’ll be getting some Cy Young votes himself this coming award season. He’ll also be going up against his former Yankee squad, and it’s known he did not enjoy his time in New York. This should be a good one.
Cubs at Padres (10:00 PM EDT)
We wrap the day back in California with the Padres looking to move onto the next round with one more win over the Cubs. San Diego pummeled Chicago last night, beating their NL Central foes 8-0. Like New York it was a well-rounded win as their offense provided 13 hits including three home runs. That was more than enough for Padres ace right-hander Michael King, who had a no-hitter going into the seventh.
Down but not out, Chicago will have a grizzled and playoff-tested veteran on the mound for them in Kevin Gausman (4-2, 4.83 ERA)*. This is the game that the Cubs acquired him for and they’ll be hoping to see the Gausman from last year’s playoffs with Toronto. San Diego meanwhile has righty Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA) going for them in this one. There’s never really been any doubt about his talent but moreso about his ability to stay healthy. Well, he’s healthy, and pitching well coming into this one. The Cubs offense needs to score some runs if they want to survive one more day.
*with Chicago, not counting his stats with the Blue Jays
What happens today? Do we see four eliminations? Or do all four teams that lost yesterday win today to set up an epic Thursday with four winner-take-all games? More likely somewhere in the middle but let’s all root for Game 3’s!
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 27: Tony Mansolino #89, Michael Harris II #23, Ozzie Albies #1 and Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate in the fourth inning during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hot off the heels of winning Game 1 in dramatic fashion, the Atlanta Braves will have another big challenge on their hands if they’re planning on finishing off this series in two games against the Philadelphia Phillies. Cristopher Sánchez is getting the ball for Philadelphia to start Game 2 and as such, the Braves have switched up their lineup a bit in response to the starting pitcher.
Game 1 hero Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies have both moved up in the lineup and while both of them did perform in Game 1, they’ve moved p because of their performance against Sánchez in the past as well. “I leaned a little bit on the personal history today, which you don’t typically do unless there’s a big enough sample,” stated Weiss when he was asked about the his lineup choices today.
“I’ve hit Ozzie third against lefties a lot this year, over 180 ABs, I think, in that spot against lefties. So nothing major there,” continued Weiss. “But with Michael [Harris II], Michael has had tough history. I think the two times we faced Sanchez this year, I gave Michael the day off. We had Lane Thomas at the time too, so a little different. And Michael is swinging the bat good, and I feel good about him being in there. But just move him down a few spots.”
It’s a bit of an astute move for Weiss to recognize that even if Harris has been performing lately, he’s got to take the recent history into consideration. Harris has only gone 2-for-15 with 10 strikeouts against Sánchez over the course of his career. Again, you don’t want to take Harris’s bat out of the lineup considering how well that he’s been going and how much of an impact player he is but it also makes sense that they don’t want to give Sánchez as many chances as possible to get one over on Harris again.
Despite the move down the lineup, Harris himself is still feeling pretty confident heading into this one. He also spoke with the media before Game 2 and when he was asked about what’s gone into the consistency that’s been a hallmark of his 2026 season, he went all the way back to the halfway point of 2025 to find a turning point.
“Yeah, it all just went back to All-Star break of last year,” stated Harris. “Once I made the change with my hands or whatever, just kind of maintaining that and making sure I keep the mechanics polished over the offseason. And then coming into Spring Training, seeing pitchers, making sure everything is still good, and then trusting it over 162. I think that’s pretty much all I did.”
It’s been working out for Harris so far here in the 2026 season and in the Postseason as well, as he picked up three hits and scored two runs in Game 1. He (along with the rest of the lineup) will have a tall task on his hands dealing with Cristopher Sánchez, who has proven to be a pretty solid Postseason performer, himself. We’ll see if Weiss’s lineup tweaks and Harris’s renewed focus will be able to play a role in today’s contest as the Braves look to close this one out.
Houston fans made their frustration clear to the Astros after a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card, as boos echoed throughout Daikin Park.
Despite returning to the playoffs after missing out last season, the Astros drew a sparse crowd, just 34,011 attendees in a park that seats 40,963, on Tuesday afternoon. Fans were not pleased, booing the home team’s performance as Houston fell behind 3-0 after just two innings.
"It's extremely frustrating as a home player," first baseman Christian Walker told The Athletic. "We're here, playing at home; we need cheers. We need energy. We don't need boos. What purpose does that serve in that moment?”
He added that, regardless of how fans may feel, the players have battled and given their all throughout the season to earn this opportunity, and being booed in this moment is especially disheartening.
Walker wasn’t the only player to voice his displeasure with the crowd. Astros reliever Bennett Sousa told reporters he was “pretty pissed off” when fans began booing in the seventh inning, emphasizing how tough it was to hear negativity from their home supporters during such a crucial game.
"The fans here are definitely spoiled with a lot of ALCS and World Series runs, and we have to earn that right to bring this team back to that position,” Sousa said. “That being said, when this team was in their first (playoff) series 10 years ago, Minute Maid Park was probably packed. It makes a big difference. If we were in Chicago, it'd probably be loud as s---."
With the victory, the White Sox now hold a 1-0 lead over the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card series, putting added pressure on Houston to respond in Game 2.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage on the field during National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Postseason baseball is back, and unfortunately the Detroit Tigers aren’t part of it. For some, that really kills the interest level, and I get it. On the other hand, sports are amplified by the bright lights of the playoffs and World Series, and there is little better than postseason baseball in my opinion. So, pick a team or just see whose bandwagon you feel like jumping on along the way. Even without the Tigers, it’s going to be a really fun month of baseball, and potentially instructive in regard to the challenges facing the Tigers to get back to the playoffs.
All four Wild Card series are best-of-three, with the two top teams in each league waiting for their divisional round opponents. The home team stays the home team for the whole series, and there are no off days in an effort get to the full rounds without putting the top teams on the shelf for more than a few days.
Here are the times for Game 2 of each series, all of which are being broadcast through Peacock. If necessary, Game 3 schedules will be announced as required to take advantage of prime time. I never minded the old all-or-nothing Wild Card games, but it is fun that every series becomes win or go home for one team after the first game. We’ll see which of Tuesday’s winners can close it out today.
2:00 p.m. ET Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves
5:00 p.m. ET Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros
8:00 p.m. ET Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
10:00 p.m. ET Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres
The Phillies looked to have Game 1 of their series under control, but the Braves wouldn’t go away. Austin Riley launched a three-run shot off of closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning to seize a two-run lead and held on to win.
Both teams went with a bullpen game in this one, as White Sox pitching shut down the Astros and kept Yordan Alvarez in check. The White Sox’s offense cashed in some early runs and then added on after Houston threatened to get back into the game in the middle innings.
Cam Schlittler, the presumed AL Cy Young award winner, was pretty masterful for the Yankees as he shut down Boston over 6.1 scoreless frames with 10 punchouts. The Yankees built an early lead against lefty Peyton Tolle, but the game was close until they got to the Red Sox bullpen late and pulled away with a 9-0 victory.
Finally, the Padres lit up former Tigers’ lefty Matt Boyd while right-hander Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh before it was broken up. The Cubs bullpen couldn’t contain the damage as the Padres poured it on to win 8-0 in Game 1 at Petco Park.
NEW YORK - MAY 17, 1932. The starting pitching staff of the New York Yankees pose in the dugout on May 17, 1932. They are (L-R) Johnny Allen, George Pipgras, Red Ruffing, and Lefty Gomez. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sometimes it is easy to forget that professional athletes are human. They all have lives outside of their jerseys and had a journey to get to the biggest stage. Some players’ paths to the majors stand out from others. Johnny Allen has one of those stories that feels too human to be a professional athlete, much less a World Series champion.
John Thomas Allen Born: September 30, 1904 (Lenoir, NC) Died: March 29, 1959 (St. Petersberg, FL) Yankees Tenure: 1932-1935
The first part of Allen’s life was less than ideal, as his father passed away suddenly while he was still a young child. Facing hard times, Allen’s mom had to make the tough decision to send him and some of his siblings to an orphanage. Allen would grow up in that orphanage. When he was a teen, he lost some of his toes when a shotgun accidentally fired into his foot. However, while at the orphanage, Allen started playing baseball.
After graduating from Thomasville High School in North Carolina, Allen took a job and went to work in Sanford. As a young adult, Allen started playing baseball again and quickly made a name for himself on the local scene as a fiery and dominant pitcher. It took a few years, but Yankees scouts would eventually find and sign Allen in 1929.
The Yankees sent Allen to Jersey City for the 1930 season. The 25-year-old went 12-16 with a 3.98 ERA at the Double-A level. Then, in 1931, Allen split time with Jersey City and Toronto and went a very impressive 21-9. That performance earned him a spring training invite.
Allen broke spring training with the Yankees for the 1932 season. In his rookie year, at the young age of 27, Allen would go 17-4 with a 3.70 ERA in 192 innings. The Yankees faced the Cubs in the World Series, the same one that featured Babe Ruth’s famous “Called Shot.” Allen started Game 4 of the series but only got two outs and gave up three runs. Despite his rough outing, the Yankees were able to come back in the finale and complete the sweep. The 1932 World Series featured a record number of future Hall of Famers, including 13 players, both managers (Joe McCarthy for the Yankees and Rogers Hornsby for the Cubs), and even an umpire in Bill Klem.
In his sophomore season, Allen remained primarily in the starting rotation but had a bit of a sophomore slump, seeing his ERA rise to 4.39 and his record slip to 15-7. The Yankees finished the season in second place and out of the postseason. Allen went into the offseason feeling like he deserved more innings and money from the Yankees. He finally agreed to a contract after a long holdout.
The holdout was left to sour in the mind of ownership as Allen was plagued by injuries in 1934. Limited to only 13 games, Allen posted a 5-2 record with a 2.89 ERA across 71.2 innings. The team missed out on the playoffs again despite a 94-60 record.
1935 saw Allen bounce back in a big way. He went 13-6 in 23 starts and was able to log 67.0 innings with a 3.61 ERA. He led the American League in allowing the fewest hits per nine innings at an 8.0 clip and strikeouts per nine innings with 6.1. However, after constant clashes and outbursts, including destroying furniture after bad games, the Yankees decided they had had enough of Allen. Despite being 50-19 in pinstripes, the Yankees dealt Allen to Cleveland for Monte Pearson and Steve Sundra.
Although Pearson turned out to be a heckuva find, Allen did enjoy the best years of his career in Cleveland from 1936 to 1941 following his trade from New York. His tenure by Lake Erie was highlighted by a historic 1937 season in which he pitched to a 15-1 record, a then-record for the highest single-season winning percentage at .938. Allen would be named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News. In the Land, Allen compiled a stellar 67-34 record with a 3.65 ERA and earned his sole All-Star selection in 1938.
After his time in Cleveland, the remainder of Allen’s playing career became a journey. In December 1941, the front office traded him to the St. Louis Browns, where he went 18-7 with a 3.21 ERA over two seasons. In 1943, the Brooklyn Dodgers purchased his contract, transitioning Allen to the National League for the first time. He spent two and a half seasons in Brooklyn’s bullpen.
The Dodgers traded Allen to the New York Giants in July 1944 for pitchers Bill Sayles and Andy Karl. Allen closed out his 13-year Major League career with the Giants in 1945. When he retired, Allen hung ’em up with a lifetime 142-75 record, a 3.75 ERA, and a reputation as one of the fiercest competitors of his era.
After his playing days ended, Allen ended up working his way up the ranks as a minor league umpire. He additionally worked in real estate and as an automobile tag inspector. Allen was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, posthumously, in 1977.
Happy birthday, Johnny!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 1: Colorado Rockies players, from left, center fielder Jake McCarthy (31), left fielder Mickey Moniak (22), center fielder Cole Carrigg (16), and shortstop Ryan Ritter (8) celebrate the win after a game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
During the 2024 and 2025 seasons, it seemed like the Colorado Rockies were finding ways to make the record books in the worst ways imaginable every day. It was so frequent that I took it upon myself to try to chronicle those records and statistics, compiling them into articles to cap off the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
I entered 2026 expecting to do the same thing, preparing a document that the Purple Row crew and I could add to throughout the year. To my joyous surprise, I won’t be writing that dubious history article again. Despite the Rockies becoming the first team since the 1965 New York Mets to have four consecutive 100-loss seasons, there wasn’t a lot of notable historical failings for the club. Instead of being historically awful, they were mostly just bad in 2026, which is a milestone in its own right.
Rather than dig through the weeds to find more reasons to point the finger at how far this team has to go, let’s look at the improvement for the club that inspires some inkling of hope for the future.
The record
I know it seems asinine to celebrate the fact that a team lost only 104 games, but considering that the Rockies lost 119 a year ago, that 15-game improvement feels remarkable.
Remember how they didn’t have 10 wins until June 2 last season? Well, the 2026 club managed to secure the 10th win on April 22. The 2025 squad’s 43rd and final win didn’t come until September 21, during their final home game of the season. The 2026 team secured their 43rd win on July 31 and were up to 45 wins at the end of a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals on August 2.
The separation of a few weeks between when the 2025 squad lost their 100th game (Game No. 139) and when the 2026 team lost their 100th (Game No. 157) shows a team that made some steady improvement. The fact that it was a real possibility in the middle of August that the team could avoid 100 losses made the collapse through the end of the season all the more painful.
Considering where the team started coming into the year, 104 losses is still some positive momentum, even if it’s ugly to look at.
Offensive improvement
The majority of improvements for the 2026 season are thanks to the offense. While still flawed in ways, the Rockies batters made a massive leap forward under Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco.
In 2025, the Rockies offense was the worst in franchise history. Compared to the rest of baseball, Colorado ranked:
23rd in AVG (.237)
30th in OBP (.293)
24th in SLG (.386)
29th in runs scored (597)
25th in HR (160)
29th in K% (25.9%)
30th in BB% (6.7%)
30th in wRC+ (75)
30th in fWAR (-3.0)
Across the board, the Rockies were not a good offensive team last season. So, the emphasis of the new front office and coaching staff was to boost production and approach at the plate through a new philosophy and personnel.
The results ended up speaking for themselves. At the end of the 2026 season, the Rockies ranked:
4th in AVG (.254)
7th in OBP (.322)
5th in SLG (.417)
7th in runs scored (752)
19th in HR (180)
21st in K% (22.8%)
27th in BB% (8.1%)
29th in wRC+ (91)
30th in fWAR (8.0)
In the basic counting stats, the Rockies saw such incredible improvement. Instead of being a bottom feeder in most every single category, they managed to put the ball in play more and get on base. It helped by having an influx of talent for the season and a better overall lineup.
The team still strikes out too much and walks too little, but the fact that they were able to get back toward the league average in both of those categories is an important step forward for the club. The Rockies were at their best when they were able to draw walks and get base hits to drive in runs.
They scored nearly 150 more runs in 2026 than they did last season. The run differential still wasn’t great at -192, but considering the Rockies had a historically bad -424 differential last season, that’s a promising improvement that could get better if the Rockies can get the entire offense working cohesively and more consistently.
Road warriors
Part of the significance for the offense was that they looked like a more competent team on the road. Despite the natural regression for the offense away from Coors Field, where there was much more offensive output, the road offense was actually one of the best for the franchise since 2002.
The Rockies batted .237 on the road this season, which actually ranked 11th for the franchise since the introduction of the humidor at Coors Field, with the .704 OPS ranking sixth. In 2025, the Rockies had a .203 AVG and .589 OPS, which was by far one of, if not the worst, road offenses in team history.
The key factor was that they managed to score more runs on the road. Their 346 road runs ranked 21st in baseball this season but ranked third for the club since 2002 and most since they scored 340 road runs in 2009. If the pitching had been better, there is no doubt that the Rockies could have won more than 25 games on the road this season.
Bits and pieces of the pitching
Pitching, particularly starting pitching, was the major flaw of the Rockies in the 2026 season, a theme that carries throughout team history. The rotation was truly awful this season and took a nosedive over the final two months. However, there are some inklings of positive notes from the pitching staff this season.
The offense did a lot of heavy lifting to improve the 2026 Rockies, but the bullpen held its own for most of the season. The Rockies pitching staff had a league-worst 5.59 ERA, but the relievers had a 4.80 ERA, which ranked 27th in baseball. Compared to the 5.18 ERA for the bullpen in 2025, that’s a steady improvement with room for more growth, especially with the infusion of some young arms like Mark Manfredi and Nick Frasso.
The Rockies also proved that struggling arms could find new life in the bullpen. Chase Dollander found a groove starting the year as a bulk reliever out of the bullpen before carrying over into the rotation. Antonio Senzatela was one of the best relievers in baseball to start the season after struggling so long in his career as a starter. Ryan Feltner found a new gear coming out of the bullpen to end the season as a bulk reliever. Jordan Romano reestablished his ability to be a high-leverage reliever worthy of closer opportunities.
While he faded down the stretch, Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) brought a stabilizing, reliable veteran presence to the rotation and recorded 12 wins in the year, the most for a starter since 2021. There were plenty of lessons to be learned from top to bottom for the pitching staff.
Something that shouldn’t be overlooked is that the Rockies made incremental progress in walks allowed. An 8.7% rate in 2025 improved slightly to 8.3% in 2026, which isn’t much, but it’s enough to take the Rockies from 11th-highest to 21st-highest.
If the Rockies could improve their ability to miss bats and start getting more strikeouts across the board, it would certainly help complement the slight improvement in walks allowed.
A long way to go
Ultimately, it’s clear the Rockies have a long way to go. However, they are trending in the right direction in some areas. The offense has a clearer identity and a group of players capable of doing good things. TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg, along with Kyle Karros, headlined a group of young hitters that can make a big impact. You had experienced players like Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro put together extraordinary bounce-back seasons. You had the explosive power of Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak (when he’s healthy).
2026 mostly boiled down to finding an offensive baseline that works. There is plenty of work to do to take the next step offensively, but you can see the path forward.
The pitching is another story. The franchise has to find a way to build a pitching pipeline, complemented by better acquisitions. We saw hints of what a competitive rotation can do for the club back in April, but things quickly went off the rails. Adjustments and recalculations will have to be made, and new experiments need to be conducted, but you can see potential in the arms and what could be if things start clicking.
Either way, 2026 was a step in the right direction and, if nothing else, gave me hope that things can get better.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 23: Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals bats during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Zack Belsky/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In the next edition of my player grading series, I wanted to talk about a player I have been thinking about quite a bit these past couple of days. Brady House did not have a full scale breakout in 2026, but he took a substantial leap forward. He made serious improvements and has put himself in position to fully break out in 2027.
Heading into the season, there was cautious optimism around House, especially after a monster Spring Training. However, he did really struggle in his first taste of big league action. In 2025, House hit just .234 with a .574 OPS in 73 games. He showed his whiff and chase issues, while also not displaying the power that made him a top prospect.
That put a lot of pressure on House entering 2026. He needed to take a step forward in order to maintain a spot in the Nats future. The best way to describe House’s season is that he held serve. He did not become a star, but he did enough to keep his spot as the third baseman entering next season.
A theme of House’s career is that he gets a little bit better every year without taking a massive jump. That happened again this year. Rather than getting overwhelmed in the big leagues, House held his own. On the season, House hit .247 with a .710 OPS, which is solid but not mindblowing by any means.
There was one area where House was elite though, and that was hitting left handed pitching. On the year, House hit .350 with a .975 OPS against southpaws. He has established a floor as a platoon masher with great tools. Moving forward, he will have to show more against right handed pitching though.
House got protected against righties, but he still got ample opportunities. In 220 AB’s against righties, House hit just .200 with a .586 OPS. Whenever Blake Butera talks about House, he emphasizes that the approach against righties is something that needs to improve.
However, Butera has also said that the 23 year old is just scratching the surface of his potential. This is an idea that I buy into as well. You can see the talent with House, he just needs more consistency.
One thing that stands out to me is House’s batted ball data. His xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard hit rate all rank at least in the 63rd percentile. House actually underperformed his xwOBA by 20 points this season, showing there is more in the tank.
Despite not having great chase or whiff numbers, House makes enough hard contact to make up for that. He also found a way to cut that chase rate by over 2% compared to 2025. This new found discipline helped House’s walk rate go from 2.9% to 8.2%.
Honestly, you can divide House’s season into two parts. After making the team and starting the first six weeks, House was sent down to AAA, where he played 50 games. Before he got sent down, House was hitting .227 with a .681 OPS. That was an improvement on 2025, but still left plenty to be desired. He hit for more power, but still struck out a lot.
In the minors, House was able to work on some things. He hit over .300 in Rochester and was able to develop. House actually hit for the cycle in one game down on the farm. He did his thing and waited for his next shot.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) July 11, 2026
After Curtis Mead got traded, House got that opportunity and was rock solid. He hit .268 with a .738 OPS in the second half. House only hit three home runs, but he was driving the ball from gap to gap. He posted a 104 wRC+ and only struck out 23% of the time.
With 10 home runs on the year, House made strides towards tapping into his impressive raw power. However, I still think there is a lot more to come. While a lot of Nats were pulling and elevating the ball more, House’s GB rate and air pull percentage stayed stable. Hopefully that is an element of his game that will improve in 2027.
If House can elevate more consistently, there is every reason to believe he can be a 25 home run bat. As we saw with that moonshot against Eury Perez, when House gets a hold of a baseball, it flies out of the stadium. The key will be getting to that A swing on a more consistent basis.
Like a lot of his offensive game, House got better against fastballs in 2026, but still could use further improvement. We saw with that swing against Perez, he can time up the heater. House just cannot do it every time right now.
Honestly, the most disappointing part of House’s game in 2026 was his defense. After grading out as a positive defender in 2025, House posted -4 outs above average this year. It was particularly ugly at the beginning of the season. In fact, his defensive struggles were a big reason he got sent down.
To his credit, I thought House’s defense looked a lot better once he came back. There were not as many errors and the routine plays became routine. House has all the tools to be an above average defender, and I think that will happen in time.
Overall, this was a solid but not spectacular season for House. He posted 0.6 fWAR and 0.7 bWAR. That is a step in the right direction, but he has not made it quite yet. With how he finished the season, I have faith in House to make further improvements.
Given his slow but steady progression as a pro, I think House will establish himself as a solid but not spectacular starter in 2027. My expectation is a .740 to .750 OPS with 20-22 homers and around 2-2.5 WAR. House will not get a super high grade, but he had a solid season. As the saying goes, C’s get degrees and I think Brady House had a C+ season.
The Atlanta Braves offense has been hot and cold all season long. This has led to multiple shifts in not only which players are in the lineup, but also where they hit in the lineup. This makes sense because if it is not working, there is not reason to keep it the same.
In the game yesterday the Braves were able to score five runs and had opportunity to score even more based on the fact that they were able to produce more base runners than some may have assumed they would based on the pitching matchup.
Today the Braves are taking a similar approach that was sometimes deployed in the regular season of constructing a lineup based on the starting pitcher.
In today’s lineup the only player difference is that Sean Murphy will be in and Mike Yastrzemski is out, but there has been a massive shift where the players are hitting in the lineup. We see Ronald Acuña move up to leadoff, Ozzie Albies shift from sixth to third, Matt Olson shifts down to fourth, Austin Riley shifts from seventh to sixth, and the biggest one is Michael Harris shifting from fifth to seventh.
This shifts may seem odd at first, but the Braves have a decent sample size against Cristopher Sánchez and the lineup seems to be constructed based on that. Ronald Acuña has a 1.000 OPS against him in sixteen ABs, Ozzie Albies has a .500 average and 1.193 OPS in eighteen ABs, and Austin Riley has a 1.104 OPS in fifteen ABs. This would explain some of the shifting. On the flip side of the coin, Michael Harris has a .321 OPS against Sánchez in fifteen ABs.
This is the point where analytical teams are likely in the ear of the manager, and this lineup is set to get to Sánchez the best way they can.
The Phillies were bound to have a different lineup since Sale is a LHP and Mahle is a RHP.
This is indeed the case as Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford will both be getting the start today. Tyler Mahle faced the Phillies twice already this month and held them to only one run over thirteen innings while only walking one and inducing twenty-three ground balls.
On paper the Braves have the edge, but this is playoff baseball where anything can happen. The Braves lead MLB in wRC+ in the ninth inning and are in the top eight in the eighth inning. If they can get to the bullpen early, it could be the X factor.
