MILWAUKEE, WI - SEPTEMBER 12: Brady Singer #51 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Saturday, September 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
You need not dig too deeply through the annals of Major League Baseball history to discover a time when the Cincinnati Reds sported one of the finest collections of starting pitching in the land. In fact, you need only turn back the clock to last year to find the Reds, with 15.6 collective fWAR, ranking as the 2nd best starting pitching unit in the sport.
Oh, how times change!
Despite Chase Burns emerging as a legitimate ace prior to having his innings curtailed, Cincinnati’s starters sit with a meager 8.0 fWAR combined so far this season. That ranks 22nd overall, and given the rate at which they’ve been getting shelled lately there’s reason to believe that number could even shrink before season’s end.
(Where have you gone, Hunter Greene’s elbow? Reds nation turns their lonely eyes to you.)
As Cincinnati slumps its way towards game 162, it’s worth pointing out the meteoric fall of two starters in particular.
As of the morning of September 17th, there have been 52 big league pitchers to log 150 innings so far this season, and not a single one has a higher FIP (5.40) than Brady Singer, who’ll start this afternoon in the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s the guy that the front office hinted might get a $23 million qualifying offer at season’s end after they didn’t deal him away at the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, you need not look far down that bad-news leaderboard to find a fellow Reds starter, as Andrew Abbott (4.90) ranks 3rd worst. So, Cincinnati has had a bit of durability from these arms – as I mentioned, fewer than two starters per club have reached 150 IP so far this season, on average – but the ones the Reds have had clear that mark rank as the guys who more likely than not shouldn’t be pitching that much after all.
It’s almost like they lost their pitching coach mysteriously in the middle of the season and couldn’t remember how to throw anymore.
With just over two weeks remaining in the 2026 season, it’s unlikely that either of these two finds a new gear, a new pitch, a new approach that rights their respective ships enough for it to matter in the larger sample. That’s work that will be reserved for the long, cold offseason when Cincinnati once again gets to lick its wounds while other clubs play meaningful postseason ball. Whether or not it’ll be a long enough winter for them to fix all the problems remains to be seen.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 12: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch in the game against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field on September 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a come-from-behind win on Wednesday night, the Brewers are looking for a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday afternoon, as the team is now just three wins away from setting a new franchise record and five wins away from a 100-win season.
Left-hander Kyle Harrison gets the ball for the Crew, and while his season stats still look solid — 3.98 ERA, 4.03 FIP, and 134 strikeouts over 110 2/3 innings — he’s really struggled in his last few outings. Spanning 7 1/3 innings over two starts and a relief appearance, Harrison has allowed a whopping 19 runs (17 earned) on 23 hits (including six homers) and six walks while striking out seven. That’s raised his ERA and FIP from 2.79 and 3.30, respectively. He’ll look to get back on the right track against a team he’s had plenty of success against — across 17 career innings against the Pirates, he’s allowed no runs and struck out 29. That includes a pair of wins this season, as he’s totaled 11 innings with 22 strikeouts against them.
Opposite Harrison is right-hander Wilber Dotel. Dotel, 23, has made 19 appearances this season, and this will be just his second start. Across 35 1/3 innings here in his rookie year, he’s 1-5 with a 4.84 ERA, 2.98 FIP, and 36 strikeouts. He pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning against the Brewers in Tuesday night’s loss, allowing a hit and striking out one. His only other start came on Friday against the Cubs, when he went two innings and allowed three runs before Khristian Curtis (3 IP, 6 ER) and Antwone Kelly (3 IP, 3 ER) finished things out in a 12-2 loss.
In roster news, the Brewers have designated left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny for assignment. Zastryzny, 34, made 35 appearances for the Brewers between 2024 and 2025, pitching to a 2.12 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 25 strikeouts across 29 2/3 innings. He hasn’t appeared in any major league games this year as he’s dealt with multiple injuries and setbacks. He was sent on his latest rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville last week, but the Brewers activated and DFA’d him today. The move doesn’t open a 40-man spot, as Zastryzny was on the 60-day IL.
Brice Turang sits in the leadoff spot today, followed by Luis Lara and Jackson Chourio. Andrew Vaughn bats cleanup, with Gary Sánchez in the five-hole. Joey Ortiz, Sal Frelick, Bo Naylor, and David Hamilton round things out, as regular starters Jake Bauers, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Cooper Pratt, and Christian Yelich all get the day off.
First pitch is set for an early 11:35 a.m. CT and will be on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
Jul 10, 2020; St. Petersburg, Florida, United States; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Sam McWilliams (64) throws a pitch during a simulated game at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
We need to come up with a cool nickname for Allan Castro. Clutchstro? The Bull Runner? Because, he’s running those Bulls (Rays AAA) out of town the last couple of nights. After capturing the walk-off knock Tuesday, he was right back at it again on Wednesday with two home runs including a 7th-inning shot that turned the game on its head. The WooSox went into that seventh inning down 5-3 and never looked back after taking the lead. Castro’s home runs were aided by Tsung-Tse Cheng. Franklin Arias and Braiden Ward really extending those innings in front of him; Ward had a three-hit night, Cheng had two, and Arias had two RBIs of his own.
Defensively, things weren’t pristine, as Blake Wehunt allowed four runs in his five innings of work and left the game in the loss column, but it was also far from a terrible start. The bullpen shoved. Seth Martinez struck the side out, Sam McWilliams again slammed the door to get his second save in just over a week, and overall this all led Durham to go 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. McWilliams is an interesting case for a “get him up to eat some innings” once the playoff spot is captured and the team is secure in their slot. A 2014 Phillies draft pick, the 6’7” 230 righty touches the high 90’s with his fastball, but, due to the 31-year-old imploding at the wrong times, he hasn’t touched an MLB roster. This includes being selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Royals in 2018 and promptly having an ERA of 15 in 7 appearances in Spring Training. Still, if you want a low-leverage, innings eater, mop-up guy for late September, look no further than McWilliams, who now hasn’t allowed a run since last month.
Another eyebrow-raiser is Romy’s OPS growing closer to that hallowed 1.000 mark in Triple-A and the possiblity of him being a guy that can help should one of these platoon guys need some rest. Gonzalez is hitting .462 in September. That’s good, right? It’s also good that the team has several “break glass in case of emergency” guys that are not a considerable step down from guys currently on the roster… or at least not guys the fanbase would collectively be quivering in fear to see on a line-up card. At least, not any more than usual…
I think it bears repeating as the Cubs split their season series with the Braves. The Cubs won the season series from seven teams, including the Dodgers, Phillies, Padres and Diamondbacks. They split the series with four teams, including, now, the Braves. They lost the season series to only the Cardinals and Brewers. Are the Dodgers definitely doing a thing where they coast through the regular season just trying to stay healthy for a postseason run? Absolutely. Were all of those other teams? Did any of those other teams think they had so much margin of error that they could just mail in their games with the Cubs? I don’t think so. The National League was the better league this year, by a decent margin. And the Cubs played better against the NL.
My point? This Cubs team is a flawed team. We’ve all seen that. We all know it. Heck, this was a pretty good game and it saw the Cubs bullpen allow three runs in three innings of work. And the three guys who threw have definitely been three of the better arms of late, regardless of what that says about the guys who didn’t throw in this one. So even in a nice win, we see the problem. And yet, when you have the presumptive NL MVP, a guy who is going to get a fair bit of downballot support for that same award and a deep cast of supporting characters, you do have a chance to be a pain in somebody’s butt. I see what you see. I know what has you nervous or disappointed about this team. I get it. But this team can play. They’re not going to shy away from anyone (even the Brewers who, yeah, maybe they should).
Oh and one more thing. You aren’t digging around the web and finding BCB and then finding what I write and then hanging around because you are a casual fan. You are looking for sports talk and getting in the weeds. You’re a smart baseball fan. Don’t be one of those people who’s still doom speaking and suggesting this team won’t even get into the playoffs. This team is going to be a playoff team. They’ll probably, but not definitely, be the first Wild Card. They’ll clinch a playoff spot early next week.
Can’t let Al have all of the fun. The big picture is fun, but what a fun game this was from the closeup view. This was pretty certainly the best combined game of the two best Cub hitters this year. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman each had three hits, all extra base hits. 20 total bases between the two of them. Seven runs driven in between the two of them. Four runs scored. With Bregman’s continued late push, he might finish in the top five in the NL in fWAR among position players.
PCA? He’s chasing Rogers Hornsby for the highest fWAR season in Cub history. With two more homers and a triple along with his usual excellent defense, he feels like a good bet to set that record. He’s already set new records for most homers and most extra base hits by a Cub left handed hitter. It is mind-boggling that if he doesn’t get a 40/40 season, it’s largely because he has too many homers. As if that’s such a thing. As if his season will be any less special at 44/37 (and counting). There are players in baseball history with 37 or more steals and 44 or more homers in a single season — PCA, Shohei Ohtani and Alfonso Soriano.
Simply remarkable. If we didn’t have PCA, we’d be talking a lot about the impressive season of Bregman. Pretty amusing for a guy who many suggested was a terrible signing for the first couple of months of the season, while he was working hard to work out a couple of issues. How many teammates do you think were paying attention when a savvy veteran with a couple of rings and an enormous contract was working his butt off trying to work out some issues? He could have just been satisfied and plodded along until he got things together. But we saw on Marquee several times early him going through the process of getting things worked out.
This has been the kind of season that makes you want to pull your hair out. But it has also been so much fun. I suspect we’re going to have a long offseason to digest all of the things that went wrong and try to figure out how to triage that and correct it in what will likely be a disrupted offseason. We know in some way or another there will be new economics going forward and the team will have to figure out how to navigate that new system while also trying to keep a talented team building while significantly upgrading the pitching staff. We know that they can’t solely depend on the returns of a number of guys who missed all or most of this year. But we also know that those guys might come back and have a lot to add too.
Let’s do our best to put the frustration aside and really enjoy these last few weeks of the season. I feel like there are probably some thrills still to be had before the ride comes to a full and complete stop. Do keep your hands inside the car until then. Wouldn’t want to lose anybody.
Three Positives:
Perhaps the wildest thing in this game was a Tommy Hottovy mound visit for Shōta Imanaga with no clear reason. Imanaga was terrific in this one. Four hits, no walks, one run. He struck out eight over six. The Cubs got terrific work from their starters in this series. I have to wonder if the Marquee broadcast was correct and Imanaga was tipping pitches and the Cubs rather than the Braves picked up on it. He’s so often good other than when allowing homers, you don’t need a lot of tinfoil to wonder if he has a consistent ongoing problem with tipping his pitches.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had two homers and a triple. If I heard right on the broadcast, this was his second such game. The all time record for such games is four by a couple of fellows named Ruth and Gehrig. Pete’s probably going to break that record eventually, too.
Alex Bregman joined the club of guys who have gotten the three hardest parts of a cycle but didn’t finish it. Bummer for Alex not to finish it. That’s one thing he’s never done in his very successful career. He might join some fun groups this offseason. Things like Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, MVP top 5’s, etc.
Game 153, September 16: Cubs 8, Braves 4 (85-68)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Shōta Imanaga (.266). 6 IP, 22 BF, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 R, 8 K (W 11-10)
Hero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.210). 3-4, 2 HR, 3B, BB, 3 RBI, 3 R
Sidekick: Alex Bregman (.199). 3-4, HR, 3B, 2B, 4 RBI, R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.083). 0-4, HBP, R, DP
Goat: Michael Conforto (-.054). 1-3, BB, RBI
Kid: Pedro Ramirez (-.056). 1-4
WPA Play of the Game: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s solo homer with one out in the third inning increased the Cub lead to two. (.103)
Braves Play of the Game: JR Ritchie got Seiya Suzuki to ground into a double play with a runner on first and no outs in the first inning. (.072)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 152 Winner: Kevin Gausman received 22 of 50 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Pete Crow-Armstrong +26.5
Alex Bregman +25
Carson Kelly +16.5
Shōta Imanaga +15
Ben Brown +13.5
Jameson Taillon -13
Nico Hoerner -16
Dansby Swanson -17
Caleb Thielbar -17.5
Seiya Suzuki -18
Note: For the second time this week we see four of the top six (Conforto drops to sixth in the overall standings) on the podium. And Suzuki drops back into the cellar as his slump continues.
Scoreboard Watching: Blake Snell left a start early for the Dodgers in their loss to the Reds. The Phillies won and remain half a game behind the Cubs (but the Cubs own the tiebreaker). The Padres won for the ninth time in 10 games (1.5 back of the Cubs but Cubs own the tiebreaker). The Diamondbacks lost another close one (five back of the Cubs and Cubs the own tiebreaker). So the Diamondbacks would have to make up six games on the Cubs over nine games played. With full understanding that the Cubs do own a 10-game losing streak this year, they are going to be in a Wild Card spot. It’s only a matter of which one. That D-backs loss was notable because Sandy Alcántara got his first career save in the game. A team using a starter out of the pen late in the season probably wouldn’t raise eyebrows. But Alcántara was Monday’s starter for the Marlins. Now that is a throwback performance.
Up Next: The Reds will host the Dodgers again on Thursday afternoon while the Cubs have an off day. The Cubs can rest their bullpen and all of the players have a day to recharge and they don’t have any crazy travel. Of course, the Reds are staying at home, so no travel for them either. I’m sure the Reds would love to win two or three games from the Cubs here and play spoiler, but they are in last place in the division and very much playing out the string at this point. Heading into play Thursday, they’ve lost seven of 10.
We just covered this team at the end of August. They are 24th in OPS. They don’t really walk but they hit a lot of homers. This series features the first and third place teams in baseball in homers hit (and first and fifth in homers allowed). The Reds are 28th in ERA and 28th in WHIP. Their bullpen is 25th in ERA and WHIP, just slightly better than their starters. Keep the ball in the park and the team is very beatable.
Fangraphs still has the Reds as favorites in the first two games of this series. They have the Cubs as favorites in just four of the final nine games. Coincidentally, the four games the Cubs would need to reach the playoffs even if the Diamondbacks win out and the other two teams do enough to pass the Cubs.
The Cubs haven’t announced starters. But Clay Holmes (6-7, 2.85) is due. Clay is 2-3 with a 3.46 as a Cub in seven starts. Last time out, he got no decision as he allowed two runs over 5.2 innings versus the Pirates. He’s not started against the Reds this year. The Reds did beat him in New York once last year. So there are several Red hitters familiar with him.
Chase Burns (15-3) is scheduled for the Reds. He beat the Cubs a few weeks ago, allowing two runs on six hits over 5.2 innings. The Reds have him significantly pitch limited. He’s thrown three innings in each of his last two starts (at the Dodgers and Brewers). He allowed two runs over six innings and threw 100 pitches total in the two starts. So it’s essentially a bullpen day, regardless of how well he pitches (he had three no hit innings against the Dodgers).
Survive the Burns start and then beat the bullpen. Stay hot. Go Cubs.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 15: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves fields a ball in centerfield in the sixth inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on September 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Griffin Quinn) | Getty Images
Coming off a series where the Braves mostly sewed up the NL East by taking two of three from the Phillies, they then departed on a road trip consisting of the final part of their September gauntlet. The first part of that road trip had them go up to Wrigley Field to face the Cubs, who are in the midst of maybe the weirdest season (by one measure) ever. With Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle not deployed pitching-wise against the league’s best offense, things didn’t go well for the Braves… except for the one game where they donned their homer-hitting shoes and pulled off a really fun comeback win.
The Braves gave the start to Reynaldo Lopez, and it went pretty poorly. The Cubs plated three in the second (with an inning extended due to a non-double play on a slow-enough grounder hit by the Cubs’ catcher), and then two more in the third. AJ Smith-Shawver came out of the bullpen and finished up the rest of the game, but was taken deep by presumptive NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong, who ended up going 4-for-5 and finishing a triple shy of the cycle in the game. For their part on offense, the Braves mostly just hit a bazillion grounders when they weren’t striking out against David Peterson. They plated three in the seventh, including two on a Mike Yastrzemski pinch-hit homer, but nothing else. There was a rally-killing double play in the eighth after the first two batters reached, and then Ronald Acuña Jr. hit into a game-ending double play while representing the tying run in the ninth.
For a while, this game felt like it was going to be similar to the first one. The Cubs plated a run in second, but the big blow came in the fourth: with two on and no out, Pedro Ramirez hit a routine double play ball to Mauricio Dubon at short, but the latter inexplicably threw the ball nowhere near second base. By the time the inning ended, Martin Perez and the Braves trailed 3-0.
That’s where things stayed until top of the sixth, when the Braves finally got to old friend/frenemy Kevin Gausman, thanks to Acuña drilling a two-run shot to pull them within one. The tormenting of old friends wasn’t done there, though. In the top of the seventh, Ozzie Albies exorcised his latest slump demons by mashing another huge two-run homer, this time off Jacob Webb. That turned the game around, and after two perfect innings from Didier Fuentes, Drake Baldwin added a third two-run homer in the top of the ninth. Raisel Iglesias shut the door, and the Braves had a fun comeback win where they actually hit pulled fly balls in the air to good results, instead of not doing that (which has been a theme for about the last six weeks with this team).
Crow-Armstrong was kept in check here, going 0-for-5 with a strikeout. Martin Perez had a fairly brutal outing with a 2/4 K/BB ratio, but danced through the raindrops successful-y-ish, aside from Dubon throwing that ball away.
Braves: .367 wOBA, .359 xwOBA
Cubs: .201 wOBA, .300 xwOBA
Wow, the Cubs underhit their xwOBA massively. Go figure.
The Braves gave JR Ritchie the ball in this one after he had a really good four-start run in Triple-A, and it went terribly. Meanwhile, Shota Imanaga, who’s been having a meh season due in large part to an incredible run of homers allowed since August, absolutely eviscerated the Braves.
Ritchie’s struggles were present from the get-go, with two walks and a run in the first. Crow-Armstrong tagged him for a homer on an 0-2 pitch in the third. Alex Bregman followed suit with a homer in the fourth, and the rout became apparent when the Braves left Ritchie in to face the lineup a third time, where it quickly became 6-0. Owen Murphy and Brent Suter mopped the game up, with the former giving up yet another homer to Crow-Armstrong. He finished 3-for-4 with two homers, a triple, and a walk in this one, while Bregman finished a single shy of the cycle. Combine that with Imanaga putting up an 8/0 K/BB in six innings, and the Braves didn’t really have a chance.
The Braves did score four runs in this game, through three game on RBI groundouts, which is a tough way to sustain a rally. Two of those runs came in the ninth, where the first three Braves batters reached, but the next three all made outs to end the game.
Ritchie finished with an awful 5/2 K/BB, two homers, one HBP in 4 2/3 line. Murphy was even worse with a 2/1 K/BB ratio and a homer allowed in 2 1/3. The Braves don’t need to do much to clinch the division, but this sort of stuff doesn’t help.
Braves: .257 wOBA, .247 xwOBA
Cubs: .513 wOBA, .400 xwOBA
I’m kind of surprised this game was only 8-4, to be honest.
The great news for the Braves is that the Phillies went 1-1 against the Nationals while the Braves were going 1-2 against the Cubs. So, they lost only half a game, and are up 4.5 with nine to play (including holding the tiebreaker, which is kind of like being 5.5 up). They’re also more or less assured a playoff berth at this point, as it looks like just one more win or one more Diamondbacks loss will secure them a playoff berth. It’s fine for the Braves to be coasting at this point in terms of the big picture, but it does make the games somewhat less watchable. On the flip side, this team hasn’t had much offensive success for weeks now, whether facing the Cubs’ league-worst pitching or anyone else: they’re 20th in xwOBA and 26th in wRC+ since the start of August.
So, hopefully the three-homer game that led to a win was more of a sign of things to come than the other two games. We’ll see.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - SEPTEMBER 06: Luke Pelzer #6 of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals runs during the game between the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Sunday, September 6, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Caton Marsh/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
I am not a prospect hound. I don’t spend my time poring over scouting reports or watching tape. But that doesn’t mean that I am not interested in what’s happening on the Kansas City Royals farm. Those players playing in Omaha and Springfield and Davenport and Columbia have the potential to be future big leaguers, the potential to change the fortunes of the entire franchise.
So every year I like to peruse what I have access to: Minor League stats. And when I’m looking at those stats, I keep an eye out for guys with lines that interest me in one way or another. I have a system of sorts that I use, and though it’s basic I think it does pretty well. I look at four aspects of the stats:
Performance. I get that tools are important. But tools are meant to accomplish things on the field, and I value players who are productive.
Age. Until you get to the big leagues, you generally expect older players to dominate younger players. How often a player competes against older talent is an important indicator.
Skillset. How is a player accomplishing their production? Some skillsets translate better to big league play than others, and some deficiencies can be exploited more than others.
The Double-A line. Lots of guys are good in A ball. The upper minors are a crucible that separates guys who have a potential big league future and those who have a potential Banana Ball future.
Is this approach perfect? No. But I’m not in search of perfect. I’m in search of players who intrigue me and who I might want to spend time learning about because they could be future Royals.
Back in February, I applied this framework to Carter Jensen’s 2025 campaign. I argued that people were sleeping on Jensen, and that his track record and skillset at his age suggested that chances were really high that he’d end up as an effective big leaguer. Sure enough, Jensen has cruised to a 3.3 WAR season per Fangraphs this year–an incredible achievement for a rookie catcher. He’ll end up in the top three of the American League Rookie of the Year vote.
And now, I’m applying this framework to somebody a lot of Royals fans have no idea about: a 5’ 10” utility player from Wisconsin by the name of Luke Pelzer. What, you might be asking, is so interesting about a guy drafted in the 17th round from the University of Illinois Chicago? I’ll tell you what: dude just hits.
A .374/.450/.515 career slash line as a pro. Is that good?
After two full seasons in the minors with time in Columbia, Northwest Arkansas, and the Quad Cities, Pelzer has a robust .351/.429/.482 line. Oh, and this is coming off his senior year with the Flames where he hit .387/.455/.559.
Normally, you could chalk this up to a guy just being on a heater for a while–after all, batting average is a notoriously luck-dependent stat. Normally, you could chalk it up to your average late-round, no-power guy and point to Pelzer only having four home runs in those 565 minor league innings.
But I think there’s something there with Pelzer, for two key reasons. First: Pelzer’s swing is optimized to produce batted balls that result in hits. This year, Pelzer has posted a hilarious line drive rate of 27.5%. For context, there isn’t a single qualified hitter in Major League Baseball who has a line drive rate at 27% this season. Pelzer also limits fly balls, hitting them at a rate of 25.9% this year. And again, for context, only two of the 137 qualified MLB batters this year have hit fewer fly balls. Pelzer maximizes the types of batted ball events that could become hits and avoids the ones that become outs at a high rate.
The other reason is Pelzer’s plate discipline. Luke has walked 10.4% of the time this year and hasn’t walked below 10% in any of his three stops so far. It is pretty rare for a player with a contact-oriented swing to also have the eye to be able to take walks at the same time.
How rare is it? I took a look at all Minor League seasons dating back a decade with these qualifications:
Age 23 or younger season
Minimum 450 PAs
At least one plate appearance in Double-A
Batting average at least .300
Walk rate 10% or more
Line drive rate 27% or higher
Pelzer is one of only nine guys who qualify, and he has the highest batting average of anybody. Take a look:
Year
Name
Team
Level
Age
PA
BB%
K%
AVG
OBP
SLG
wRC+
2026
Luke Pelzer
KCR
A+,AA
23
482
10.4%
20.7%
0.336
0.407
0.466
128
2024
Kristian Campbell
BOS
A+,AA,AAA
22
517
14.3%
19.9%
0.330
0.439
0.558
177
2023
Vaughn Grissom
ATL
AAA
22
468
12.0%
14.1%
0.330
0.419
0.501
138
2016
Chance Sisco
BAL
AA,AAA
21
497
12.3%
17.7%
0.317
0.403
0.430
130
2025
A.J. Ewing
NYM
A,A+,AA
20
564
12.1%
18.6%
0.315
0.401
0.429
147
2025
LuJames Groover
ARI
AA
23
547
11.5%
14.4%
0.309
0.399
0.434
120
2026
Murf Gray
PIT
A,A+,AA
22
558
11.8%
20.4%
0.305
0.402
0.567
146
2026
Josue De Paula
LAD
AA
21
588
13.8%
14.8%
0.303
0.401
0.547
145
2024
Nick Yorke
PIT
AA,AAA
22
541
11.1%
18.7%
0.303
0.385
0.449
127
Now, none of those guys are world-beaters, at least not yet. But you know what they are? Big league players. Kristian Campbell, Vaughn Grissom, Chance Sisco, AJ Ewing, LuJames Groover, Josue De Paula, and Nick Yorke have all debuted with an MLB team. Murf Gray is a Top 100 prospect who is setting up a 2027 debut.
And then there’s Pelzer.
I want to be clear: I’m not saying that Pelzer is going to be the next Big Thing. The fact that he doesn’t hit for much power lowers his overall ceiling, and Pelzer is probably going to end up as a left fielder as opposed to a center fielder. That’s nice, but not a cornerstone defender or anything.
But what I am saying is that I think Pelzer is going to be a big leaguer, and it could happen as soon as next year. Keep an eye on him, because players with his performance and skillset don’t come along very often.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals is interviewed on the field after the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park on September 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As we enter the offseason, extensions will be a hot topic. Outside of Keibert Ruiz a few years ago the Nats have not really given out long term contracts to their young players. I hope that changes this offseason now that Paul Toboni has had a chance to evaluate everything.
Obviously, we would all love to see CJ Abrams and James Wood extended. However, those deals seem pretty difficult to pull off. A more realistic target is Daylen Lile. While Lile is not a superstar, he has established himself as a solid regular who still has room to grow. He is a well-rounded player who has the capability to carry the offense when he is rolling.
At 23 years old, Lile is still a player on the rise. After winning NL player of the month in September last year, Lile’s offensive production has been less consistent than expected. However, he has taken massive strides defensively, which has made him a solid ball player. Even with a streaky offensive season, Lile has posted 1.8 fWAR and 2.0 bWAR.
This just feels like the beginning for Lile as well. He has been more or less a league average hitter this season with a .251 average and .742 OPS. As he develops, I think he will be closer to a 120 wRC+ bat. If you can get that with his now above average defense, you have a very good starter.
Daylen Lile has 21 HR in his first full major league season. His OPS is up to .740.
Nats fans know what Lile is all about as a player at this point. The real question is what would an extension look like? When I looked over some recent contract extensions, I found a comparable deal. Before the 2025 season, the A’s signed Lawrence Butler to a 7-year $65.5 million extension with a club option for an 8th year.
Like Lile, Butler was coming off his first full big league season at age 23. His 2024 season was better than Lile’s 2026, but Lile has a longer track record of success. Butler’s 2024 success was propelled by a monster second half, he has been unable to replicate before or since. With Lile, we have a longer track record of at least solid production.
There are just so many similarities between the two. I think if you offered Lile that deal, he would have to seriously consider it. There is a chance that it could take a little bit more, but I think we are in the right range here. Jacob Wilson’s 7-year $70 million deal is another bench mark to look at too.
Getting an extension done this offseason would be a PR win for Paul Toboni and I think Lile is a good candidate. While it is unlikely that Lile explodes and becomes a mega-star, it is tough to see this deal just going off the rails.
Lile is not a Boras client and was drafted by the organization. All of these things make him such a logical extension candidate. I still think the ceiling is fairly high as well. If everything clicks, there still is a Michael Brantley type player in Lile.
One other thing I love about Lile is that he gets better as the season goes on. That has not been the case for a lot of the Nats key players. Lile can be a guy who can pick up the slack if James Wood goes into his customary August rut.
With his bat to ball skills, power and athleticism, Lile is also a very fun player to watch. He can fly around the bases and loves pushing the envelope. The youngster already has 19 triples in his career, which is a testament to his speed.
Even in a year that could have been better for Lile, he has still put up impressive numbers. 21 homers, 15 steals and 85 RBI’s is a good jumping off point. I still truly believe the best is yet to come for Lile though.
This year seems to have taught him a lot. He is known to be tough on himself and can get into ruts because of that. However, he has kept pushing and is peaking at the right time. Lile has an .823 OPS since the All-Star break.
Daylen Lile will never be the face of the franchise, but he is one of those perfect complementary players. I can totally envision him being a force on a good team. He also feels like the type of player who would rise to the occasion in a big spot.
He is not the biggest name on the team, but I think Daylen Lile is a prime extension candidate. I would love to see the 23 year old locked up and spend his whole prime in DC. He is already a good young player, but he has so much more left in the tank.
Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Yandy Diaz (2) singles to center field during a Major League Baseball game against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on September 13, 2026. The Rays defeated the Astros 14-4 to sweep the series. (Photo by Kim Hukari/Image of Sport/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
So far this year the Rays as a team have produced just a 91 wRC+ against left-handed pitching heading into Wednesday’s game – ranking just 22nd in the league. After watching Martin Perez throw seven shutout innings against the Rays last week in Atlanta, I began wondering whether their struggles against left-handed pitching could become a problem in October. The short answer is no, and the current iteration of the roster suggests they should be better against lefties going forward.
First, that overall team wRC+ is skewed a bit. The problem is concentrated among the team’s left-handed hitters. They have combined for a 72 wRC+ against southpaws, while the team’s right-handed hitters have posted a 101 wRC+. Some left-handed hitters will still have to appear in a postseason lineup, but the Rays have enough alternatives that the weakest platoon bats do not all need to play.
Chandler Simpson should be in the lineup against lefty starters. He has transformed himself into an impact defender, and his skillset is platoon-neutral so there’s no reason his performance data should be as low as it has been against lefties. His contact rates are still near elite against them, but he does chase quite a bit more versus left-handed pitchers. Simpson’s underlying contact ability suggests there is room for improvement in his production against lefties, particularly if he can reduce the additional chase that has limited his results. It wasn’t an issue for Simpson in his minor league career as he maintained nearly identical chase rates against both righties and lefties, so I expect that to take shape in the majors with more time.
Jonathan Aranda is another player who could be in a lineup against left-handers. His approach is more passive against them; he gets his A-swing off about half the time compared to when he faces right-handers, but Aranda maintains similar contact rates against lefties. His results against southpaws have been roughly league average, and his batted-ball profile suggests he has leaned into contact toward left field and up-the-middle rather than trying to pull the ball. Here’s his spray heatmap against righties this year:
And then we can see how he’s going less pull-heavy when he faces a lefty:
That may not be enough to keep him in the lineup if Victor Mesa Jr. establishes himself as a viable everyday option.
Mesa looks like a potential everyday option for the Rays when healthy. He has similar contact and chase rates against both righties and lefties for his brief major-league career so far, and that trend extends back to his time in AAA since 2024. Mesa even gets to his best bat speeds when facing lefties, so he doesn’t appear to be overmatched by same-side matchups. I’m cautiously optimistic he could start and hold his own against lefties in a larger sample in the majors because of his underlying data. He plays near-elite defense in right field, so a configuration of Vilade at first base and Mesa in right field against lefties offers more impact on both sides of the ball compared to Aranda at first base and Vilade in right field.
Here’s how each position player on the current roster stacks up in the majors against righties and lefties from the start of 2024 through September 15th, 2026:
Player
Contact%(vs RHP and LHP)average ~77%
EV90(vs RHP and LHP)average is ~104mph
FB+LD% (vs RHP and LHP)average is ~48%
Yandy Diaz
85.8%, 88.6%
108.1mph, 108.2mph
39.5%, 47.4%
Jonathan Aranda
79.7%, 79.0%
105.9mph, 103.3mph
60.2%, 46.0%
Junior Caminero
76.4%, 78.4%
109.7mph, 110.2mph
43.0%, 43.2%
Liam Hicks
88.5%, 87.8%
101.1mph, 96.5mph
50.2%, 44.1%
Chandler Simpson
91.3%, 92.5%
96.7mph, 96.3mph
39.1%, 29.7%
Victor Mesa Jr.
77.3%, 84.7%
105.4mph, 98.0mph
60.3%, 45.8%
Cedric Mullins
80.2%, 81.6%
102.8mph, 100.9mph
53.4%, 49.0%
Richie Palacios
79.4%, 80.3%
101.4mph, 97.8mph
50.6%, 39.4%
Taylor Walls
79.3%, 79.9%
100.3mph, 98.0mph
51.5%, 46.1%
Ryan Vilade
78.6%, 79.9%
106.8mph, 106.9mph
41.0%, 53.2%
Nick Fortes
85.3%, 86.1%
102.6mph, 103.0mph
37.7%, 40.7%
Jonny DeLuca
79.9%,75.8%
102.7mph, 102.2mph
44.4%, 47.5%
Jake Fraley
78.8%, 82.2%
102.9mph, 97.0mph
52.7%, 42.4%
Jorge Mateo
72.1%, 75.1%
104.5mph, 104.0mph
44.9%, 55.0%
Nick Madrigal
89.9%, 92.5%
99.1mph, 97.7mph
38.1%, 35.7%
Ben Williamson
80.2%, 84.0%
102.9mph, 104.4mph
39.4%, 38.6%
Simpson’s underlying contact profile is nearly identical against both handedness groups, while Mesa’s contact and batted-ball data provide reason to believe he may be able to handle left-handed pitching better than his limited major-league results suggest. His Triple-A EV90 against lefties was 102.8 mph, suggesting the major-league split may have room to stabilize. Also, it’s likely that Mateo and Madrigal won’t be on the roster when Walls and Williamson get healthy. The left-handed hitters whose overall offensive production is weakest against southpaws are Aranda, Hicks, Mullins, Palacios, and Fraley.
With their current roster, the Rays have to use at least two left-handed hitters in a lineup against a left-handed starter. Here’s how I’d lineup against a left-handed starter with the current roster:
Yandy Diaz DH
Ryan Vilade 1B
Junior Caminero 3B
Jonny DeLuca CF
Chandler Simpson LF
Nick Madrigal 2B (or Ben Williamson when healthy)
Victor Mesa RF
Nick Fortes C
Jorge Mateo SS (or Taylor Walls when healthy)
This alignment prioritizes right-handed bats and defensive range while keeping the weakest left-handed platoon options on the bench. Cash could still use Aranda aggressively as a pinch hitter. Even if an opposing manager responds with a left-handed reliever, Aranda’s ability to shoot a single into left-center may be more valuable in a late-game matchup than in several early at-bats against a left-handed starter due to the difference in leverage.
While the lineup they can run against right-handed starters is more impactful, the drop-off against left-handed starters is not as severe as the Rays’ overall numbers might suggest. The combination of right-handed power, platoon-neutral contact skills, and strong defense gives them enough flexibility to build a competitive lineup against southpaws. If Mesa can establish himself as an everyday option, the Rays may have enough depth to handle left-handed starters without compromising their defensive identity.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 16: Ethan Salas #8 of the San Diego Padres hits his first career home run in the second inning during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning everyone and happy Thursday!
The Mariners managed to secure a victory in the series finale against the Angels, winning 7-2. The team has an off-day today as they head to Denver for what is sure to be a high-scoring affair with the Rockies.
In Mariners news…
Everett is in danger of losing the AquaSox with its stadium project hitting major hurdles. Neetish Basnet at Puget Sound Business Journal has more.
Felnin Celesten is taking home some hardware following a breakout season with the AquaSox.
FT. MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 15: Executives Mike Groopman, Eddie Romero, and Brian O'Halloran of the Boston Red Sox look on during a spring training team workout on February 15, 2024 at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning A’s fans!
The A’s have cast a growing net in their search for their next General Manager. Looking to replace their former long-time GM David Forst with someone capable of getting the A’s back to the playoffs, the first names to emerge were former GM’s James Click and Mike Rizzo, as well as current A’s assistant GM Billy Owens, who has been with the organization for the better part of three decades.
Well now we can add a couple more names to the list of potential new voices for the front office. Joe Doyle of OverSlotBaseball threw out a post a couple of days ago naming Red Sox assistant GM’s Mike Groopman and Taylor Smith as the newest candidates to lead the Athletics heading into Las Vegas:
The Athletics are casting a wide net in their search for their next general manager. According to multiple sources, they’ve had conversations with Boston Red Sox SVP/AGMs Mike Groopman and Taylor Smith about the role.
The AGM’s have been speculatively connected to bigger jobs over the past couple of years, especially Mike Groopman. The 41-year-old originally worked under current Mets PBO David Stearns in Milwaukee in their international scouting and player development department before getting a promotion and joining the Red Sox in 2022. He’s done a bit of everything with Boston but was especially involved in roster building, and is largely credited within the Red Sox’s organization for pushing the Garrett Crochet trade over the top.
He originally was in charge of analytics under then-GM Chaim Bloom, who famously delegated different duties to his lieutenants. But he would eventually secede those responsibilities to the other name connected in Joe Doyle’s report, fellow assistant GM Taylor Smith. Smith is yet another graduate of the Rays’ organization, joining the AL East rivals in 2024 after being Tampa’s director of “predictive modeling”. Since he’s been with the Red Sox for a shorter amount of time it’d be fair to assume he’s lower on the totem pole within the Boston front office but many in the league think it’s just a matter of time until he gets to build his own team somewhere.
Both of these guys have had interviews for full GM spots before with Boston, though these might be their first for new organizations. Between the two, Groopman seems to have more hands-on experience while Smith might have more of an analytical mind. If the A’s want a first-time GM, and one who comes from outside of the organization, you could do a lot worse than starting with these two guys. Is that the direction the team wants to go though with Las Vegas now just a year away? We’ll have to wait and see but there’s rumors they might pick their man before the season is over.
Fantastic development for Ryan Lasko leaving the hospital!
22 strong, always 💚💛
Ryan is heading home today after spending time in a rehab facility and he received a special surprise clap out from everyone along the way! He will begin out patient therapy and continue his journey to recovery.
No Devin Taylor this Fall League. Instead Breyson Guedez getting extra work this offseason:
A's are sending OF Breyson Guedez, catchers Cole Conn & Davis Diaz and pitchers Kenya Huggins, Tucker Novotny, Jared Johnson, Jay Dill & Grant Richardson to the Arizona Fall League. Originally planned to send Devin Taylor instead of Guedez but decided to give Taylor a rest.
Positive signs but definitely not enough to prevent the team from adding pitching this offseason:
“I said, ‘Look, if you get back here and get this opportunity, you need to take advantage, because you haven’t taken advantage yet.’ Tonight was a big step.”
Jack Perkins’ best start as a big leaguer Tuesday in Tampa could not have come at a better time. https://t.co/MxDwnwB94m
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs the bases after his seventh inning two run home run against Kodai Senga #34 of the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New York Mets (69-83) began their 2026 home schedule on MLB Opening Day by beating up on 2025 NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, which filled fans with hope and excitement even beyond what we imagined was possible, for a team coming into the year with playoff expectations. The team will now conclude their home schedule with four games against the Philadelphia Phillies (84-68) after being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and as a club just playing out rest of their schedule. For what little it’s worth, the Phillies lead the season series 5-4 and have won two of the three games at Citi Field.
The Mets are coming off one of the most surreal home series in recent memory, to say the least. Franchise Home Run Leader Pete Alonso took center stage in his return to Citi Field after leaving for Baltimore in the offseason, and the fan reaction sparked much lively debate on the radio waves, on podcasts, on social media, and everywhere else where sports discussion takes place. Mets fans, unsurprisingly, gave Alonso a hero’s welcome, but perhaps some, including the Mets’ players, did not expect just how resounding the applause would be. Alonso was cheered early and often, as his chase for 300 home runs seemed to be at the forefront of the fans’ mind.
In the end, he reached the feat at the most opportune time for his club, tying the game in the top of the ninth of Kodai Senga on Tuesday. The moment resulted in a standing ovation and a curtain call, which stunned many. For what it’s worth, I had very little problem with the Mets fans celebrating Alonso the way they did, and I thought it resulted in a nice moment with the fans who returned the ball, and that is the last we’ll say about that. Oh, and the Mets got swept, losing 2-1 on Monday, 7-5 in 11 innings on Tuesday, and 7-1 on Wednesday, which, at the very least, helped their tankathon odds. So it goes.
The Mets and their fans will go from celebrating and recognizing an icon who left the organization to two icons who remain within the organization during the final home weekend of the season. First, the club will recognize Carlos Beltran, who recently was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, by retiring his number and putting him in the Mets’ HOF on Saturday, September 19. On the following day, the team will appreciate long-time radio voice Howie Rose, who is retiring at the end of the season, with a special pregame ceremony on Sunday, September 20, which also represents the final Mets’ home game this year. The hopes are that, despite the bad record and despite being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention—this formality took place after Monday night’s loss to the Orioles—the Flushing Faithful will turn out to show their love for both Beltran and Rose, who each have a special place in Mets’ history.
The Phillies are in a completely different spot from the Mets, still fighting for their playoff lives but firmly in a spot at the moment. It’s a stark contrast between the two clubs, both of whom began the season pretty wretchedly. The two stories diverged when Philadelphia fired manager Rob Thomson on April 28, two full months before New York relieved Carlos Mendoza of his duties. The Phillies never looked back, and with Don Mattingly at the helm, they find themselves one game up in the Wild Card race. If the season were to end today, they would be the second NL Wild Card club, meaning they would travel to Wrigley Field for a date with the Cubs. However, both the red-hot Padres and the Diamondbacks, who sit on the outside looking in, are right behind them, so every game in this series is of the utmost importance to Philadelphia. The Phillies just split a two-game set with the Nationals.
Thursday, September 17: Nolan McLean vs. Aaron Nola, 7:15 PM EDT on FOX
For McLean to win NL Rookie of the Year, he basically had to end the year on a flawless run to make headway in the race. His chances took a big hit in his last start, as he allowed five earned runs on a career-worst 10 hits over five innings at Yankee Stadium. He only struck out five, which makes his quest for 200 Ks a bit challenging, as does his chance of reaching 180 innings. He likely has just one start left after this one against the Phillies, which means he’ll need to go 13 1/3 innings and strike out 16 across these two outings to reach two numbers that might make the voters take notice. In any event, he has been, by far, the best rookie hurler in the NL, though he still has a lot of things he can focus on fixing heading into his 2027 sophomore campaign, including his walks issued and his home runs surrendered.
It’s been a tale of two halves for Nola. In his first 21 starts of the year, he posted a 5.82 ERA and a 5.06 FIP in 108 1/3 innings. In nine starts since then, he’s posted a 2.38 ERA and a 4.44 FIP in 53 innings. Five of those nine outings have qualified as ‘quality starts’, and Nola has looked a little bit more like his old self. His last two starts have come against the Braves, and he went a combined 13 1/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on ten hits, with eight strikeouts and four walks. Despite the back-to-back quality starts, the Phillies lost both games, those Nola settled for a no decision in both. This is his third time facing the Mets this year and 33rd time in his career. He owns a 3.46 ERA with 230 strikeouts in his 32 appearances against New York.
Friday, September 18: Zach Thornton vs. Alan Rangel, 7:15 PM EDT on Apple TV+
Thornton is coming off one of his most impressive major league start. In the hitter friendly Yankee Stadium, he limited the potent Yankees’ lineup to two earned runs on five hits. He struck out four, walked one, and tossed 75% of his 81 pitches for strikes. He peppered the strike zone all afternoon and kept the Yankees’ bats at bay, while the Mets’ offense did more than enough to get the left-hander his fourth career win. Thornton has two more outings left to showcase his stuff as he looks to improve his standing within the club in the hopes of securing a spot in the 2027 rotation.
Rangel will step in for Luzardo, who hit the IL and will not pitch again in the regular season. He made three starts this year, all in July, with one of those outings coming against the Mets. New York treated him rather rudely, putting up five runs on seven hits in four innings to hand the right-hander a loss back on July 19. Overall, he’s given up eight earned runs on 13 hits over 11 1/3 innings as a starting pitcher in 2026.
Saturday, September 19: Christian Scott vs. Andrew Painter, 4:10 PM EDT on SNY
Scott was really impressive against the Yankees, completing six innings of work for just the third time since the All-Star break. He allowed two earned runs on three hits and struck out seven while allowing two walks. Unfortunately, two solo homers and a lack of offense against Cam Schlitter handed the right-hander his fifth loss of the season. Despite that, it was an encouraging outing for the right-hander, who looks to cement his spot in next season’s rotation with a strong finish to his first season coming off Tommy John Surgery.
The Phillies picked Painter in the first round (13th overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he finally made his debut for the club this season. He’s had an up-and-down rookie campaign though has shown signs of promise as of late. He picked up a win in his first career start on March 31, as he held the Nats to one earned run on four hits with eight strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. From then on, he went 0-8 and posted a 7.06 ERA and a 5.53 FIP in 53 innings across 14 starts, which earned him a demotion to Triple-A. Since returning on July 31, he’s been much better, posting a 3.58 ERA and a 3.77 FIP over 50 1/3 innings in nine starts. His last time out, he held the Braves to one earned run on six hits over five innings as he settled for a no decision. This will be his first taste of the Mets-Phillies rivalry.
Sunday, September 20: Jonah Tong vs. Cristopher Sánchez, 1:10 PM EDT on WPIX
Tong is coming off arguably the most impressive start of his young career, for many reasons. For one thing, it was the first time going six innings while not allowing an earned run. For another thing, he had to deal with the unique situation of having Mets fans loudly cheer an opposing player, and he handled it about as well as could be expected without appearing rattled. In all, he finished the outing allowing just one unearned run on four hits, with six strikeouts and one Polar Bear-sized walk. With a strong finish, he could put himself in a place to earn a spot in the rotation coming into spring training.
Through the end of June, Sánchez seemed to be the NL Cy Young frontrunner. The left-hander had an 2.00 ERA and a 2.30 FIP, with 136 strikeouts in 117 innings heading into July, but after that, he’s been much more pedestrian, posting a 4.34 ERA and a 3.54 FIP, 79 strikeouts in 76 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate has dropped from 28.6% in March-June, to 23.9% in July-September, while his HR/9 has jumped from 0.62/9 to 1.06/9 during those same stretches. He is also walking more batters, going from a 4.8% BB% from March-June to a 6.4% BB% in July-September. His struggles have been front-and-center across his last two starts, where he’s allowed 11 earned runs on 18 hits across 12 1/3 innings, with eight strikeouts, two walks, and three home runs allowed. With Luzardo hurt, it is imperative for Philadelphia’s World Series chances that Sánchez gets back to pitching like he did in the first half of the regular season.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 16: Nick Madrigal #20 of the Tampa Bay Rays secures a catch over his shoulder in the top of the seventh inning against the Athletics at Tropicana Field on September 16, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Wednesday ended up producing one of the more frustrating Yankees’ games of the season. Having rallied to tie the game after being down to their last out, the Yankees took leads in the 10th and 11th innings, and had the bases loaded and nobody out in the 12, but couldn’t put up a crooked number on any occasion. That allowed the Twins to continue answering and then eventually walk the game off in the 13th. While the Yankees had already won the first two games of the series, that was another very winnable one that they let slip away.
While that was a missed opportunity, just how much did it end up hurting the Yankees? Let’s check in on action from around the AL playoff races on Wednesday.
Tampa Bay Rays (92-59) 4, The Athletics (61-91) 3
Well, New York didn’t get any help in the race atop the AL East, as the Rays scored four early runs and withstood an A’s charge to hang on and gain a game on the Bombers. They’re 4.5 ahead of the Yanks and could boost it to a full five with another win over the A’s this afternoon.
Tampa Bay seemed like they were going to walk away with an easy one early. They picked up two runs in the first inning on Jonny DeLuca and Chandler Simpson RBI hits. They then opened up a 4-0 lead in the second after Nick Fortes and Ryan Vilade drove home runs with hits of their own.
However, the A’s kept Tampa Bay off the board after that and got back into the game. Tommy White and Henry Bolte each hit solo homers in the third, halving the Rays’ lead immediately. A Shea Langeliers RBI single in the sixth then had the A’s within one.
After that though, the Rays’ bullpen kept the Athletics in check. The A’s managed just one more hit over the final three innings, and it was a single that didn’t lead to much.
Other Games
Cleveland Guardians (78-75) 6, Chicago White Sox (77-75) 3: The Guardians have taken over first place of the AL Central after rallying to defeat the White Sox. Petey Halpin’s three-run home run helped Cleveland put up four runs in the sixth, taking the lead for good. The Pale Hose had gotten their own key three-run homer from Tommy Pham, but they couldn’t hold onto their edge and have now dropped to second place for the first time since July 3rd. Chicago is half a game behind Cleveland now and also only a game up for the last Wild Card spot.
Texas Rangers (76-76) 7, Boston Red Sox (82-70) 3: The Red Sox failed to take advantage of the Yankees’ loss, while the Rangers — aided by the game below — won to draw even for first in the AL West (yes, at .500). The game was tied going into the seventh, where Texas scored three runs via RBI hits from Brandon Nimmo and Ezequiel Duran. Nathan Eovaldi also gave them four good innings out of the bullpen, helping the Rangers to a key win.
Kansas City Royals (67-85) 5, Houston Astros (76-76) 2: Meanwhile, the Astros failed to beat the lowly Royals, resulting in the aforementioned tie atop the AL West. Houston couldn’t muster much against KC starter Daniel Lynch IV, who allowed just two hits in five innings. The Royals themselves only managed two runs off Cristian Javier, but they tacked on some insurances runs late on, allowing them to hang on for the win. Houston does have the tiebreaker over Texas, but this division struggle should go down to the wire.
Toronto Blue Jays (76-77) 5, Detroit Tigers (72-80) 1: Max Scherzer turned back the clock, allowing just one run in his five innings to help the Blue Jays to a win. The Tigers scored first, picking up a run in the top of the first, but that was all they got. Seven Toronto position players recorded at least one hit as the Jays overtook Detroit in the fourth inning and held on from there. The Jays are a game and a half back of the White Sox for the final Wild Card.
Baltimore Orioles (75-78) 7, New York Mets (69-83): Pete Alonso homered against his former team again as the Orioles picked up a necessary win for their slim playoff hopes. Mets’ starter Xzavion Curry was crushed to the tune of six runs in three innings, as the O’s went up big early and never looked back. Baltimore is still alive at two and a half games behind Chicago, but there’s no margin for error as they welcome the NL Central-winning Brewers to town tomorrow.
For the tea time scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the “candy” flower cup that Gene Wilder chomped on was actually made of wax. Additionally, the chocolate river was made of actual water, chocolate, and cream that spoiled throughout shooting.
The smallest ocean is the Arctic ocean.
It is also the shallowest and the coldest ocean among the world’s five ocean basins. The Arctic ocean is about 1.5 times the size of the United States.
An episode of Peppa Pig was banned in Australia.
This was mainly due to the episode’s message that aimed to teach children not to fear spiders. For Australians, spiders found on the continent are much larger and deadlier compared to other parts of the world. This episode was banned in the country so that children would not harm themselves whenever a spider was around.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 16: Ethan Salas #8 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting his second career home run in the fifth inning during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ethan Salas had been mired in an 0-for-15 slump since he was called up to the MLB roster by the San Diego Padres before he logged his first hit in the form of a triple against the San Francisco Giants. That slump is just a thing of the past for the top prospect who hit his first big league home run and led the Padres to a 9-3 win over the Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday.
Salas connected on a solo home run to center field to lead off the top of the second inning, which put San Diego ahead of Colorado, 3-1. Two is always better than one, so Salas hit his second career home run and second of the game in the top of the fifth inning when he hit a two-out, two-run home run just over the wall in right field which put the Padres ahead, 8-1.
Salas had a career day at the plate and that was in support of his battery mate Robbie Ray. The veteran left-hander cruised through much of the game, holding the Rockies to one run on one hit until he reached the bottom of the sixth inning. Ray allowed his second hit of the game with a leadoff double to Connor Norby. He then allowed a one-out, two-run home run to Kyle Karros before completing the inning and finishing his day. Ray walked off the mound after the sixth inning with a 9-3 lead.
The Padres offense continued to hit Rockies pitching, adding another 13 hits in the game, which give them 37 hits over the first three games of the series. The main statistic for San Diego in their six-run win on Wednesday was 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Jackson Merrill stayed hot and finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored. Dustin Harris, Jake Cronenworth and Samad Taylor all finished with multiple hits in the game.
Ray was replaced on the mound by David Morgan in the seventh inning and he pitched two scoreless frames before handing the ninth inning over to Yuki Matsui to secure the win.
The Padres will try to win the series when they face the Rockies today at 12:10 p.m.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 03, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! Last night, Jake Bennett was unable to hold the Rangers in check during the team’s 7-3 loss in Texas. Some of his numbers look good (seven strikeouts against just one walk), but he also surrendered eight hits in just 4.2 innings, which did in his evening.
With just ten games left in the season, the question now becomes how should the Sox use Bennett going forward? With some combination of Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle and Ranger Suarez likely to get lined up in a best of three Wild Card Series, do you just hold Bennett on the sidelines and hope he gets to come back into the fold as a fourth starter in the ALDS or even ALCS? Or do you start transitioning him to some sort of relief role?
It’s a bit of an awkward moment for Bennett. He’s been getting knocked around during his last two outings while Suarez is seemingly getting locked in. It almost certainly cuts him out of the Wild Card rotation, and if the Sox get some combination of Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck and Tyron Guerrero back to add to Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock and Erik Miller in the bullpen, Bennett largely gets squeezed out of relevance.
So how do you want him used? Do those six shutout innings Bennett threw against the Yankees back on August 29th make you want the Sox to find a role for him if they play New York? Do you think he’s just a young pitcher who looks out of gas and want to hide him until the team needs a fourth starter?
Use this space to talk about Bennett and the rest of the difficult upcoming pitching staff decisions, and, as always, be good to one another.
