Category: MLB

The New York Yankees didn’t really make too much noise before the 2026 trade deadline. They added a slugging first baseman in Luis García Jr., an outfielder in Heliot Ramos, and not much else. They failed to bring in significant additions to the rotation and bullpen, which was ‘addressed’ with cheap free-agent signing Michael Fulmer and waiver claim John Schreiber well after August 3.

For this exercise, let’s focus on the major trades, namely García and Ramos, and a third player who was called up from Triple-A Scranton but has been, essentially and for all intents and purposes, a post-deadline acquisition: shortstop George Lombard Jr.

Luis García Jr.

The lefty slugger has been the best player the Bombers acquired at or around the trade deadline. The 26-year-old masher started his breakout in the nation’s capital and continued it in the Bronx. He has hit, before Friday’s game, a robust .292/.337/.500 with five home runs and a 132 wRC+ in pinstripes.

García had flirted with above-average power numbers in the past, but he had never put together such a strong season until 2026, making him a bit of a gamble for the Yankees. So far, it’s safe to say it has paid off big-time, as he has given the team a reliable, productive left-handed slugger to plug and play in the middle of the lineup.

During times when the Yanks missed some key power hitters, including the still-absent Aaron Judge, García has proved to be a useful hitter.

Heliot Ramos

While García’s arrival has been a hit, the same can’t be said about Ramos. The outfielder is struggling to the tune of a .141/.286/.266 with a home run, a 27.3 percent strikeout rate, a 61 wRC+, and -0.5 fWAR. He has been with the Yankees for a month, yet he’s already their least valuable position player by fWAR.

If we see Ramos’ performance with the Yankees without context, he has been a disaster. However, it’s important to point out that since August 20, he has been hitting a solid .227/.370/.455 with a homer, two doubles, and a 136 wRC+ in 27 plate appearances. His expected stats also suggest he’s been quite unlucky in New York; he’s got a perfectly solid .338 expected wOBA as a Yankee. See, for instance, the hardest-hit double play ball in the majors this year:

Perhaps if we give him some more time, his overall stat line would look a lot better.

Ramos isn’t much of a defender, and he isn’t particularly fast, either, but in time, he’ll prove that he’s a fine hitter with power. His role will undoubtedly diminish when Aaron Judge returns from injury, though.

George Lombard Jr.

The Yankees decided to start the Lombard clock on August 4, right after the deadline. And what a ride it has been. He started his MLB tenure on fire, with highlight-reel defensive plays and two homers in his first four games.

After a few weeks, his offensive performance started to diminish, and he had a .253/.310/.367 line with a 90 wRC+ on Tuesday, when he had to depart a game after injuring his knee. He dodged a bullet and, after missing a few days, returned to the lineup on Friday.

The Yankees are committed to letting him develop at the MLB level. After all, he made light work of Double-A and Triple-A pitchers this year.

Lombard is the Yankees’ shortstop of the future. He’s an extremely young player, and he may make mistakes in bunches, but the potential is there for him to impact games both offensively and defensively (and on the basepaths, too) for a long time.

Today’s roster move: Here

Saturday notes…

• IT’S BEEN A WHILE: A win today will be the Cubs’ third in a row. They have not won three straight since Aug. 9-12, when they won at Kansas City, 10-2, and after a day off won at Washington, 8-6 and 12-6. They have played 21 games since the last of those wins, going 9-12, including back-to-back wins twice, Aug. 17-18 at home vs. the White Sox and Aug. 23-24 at Seattle, then Arizona. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• DAY vs. NIGHT: The Cubs are just 31-30 in day games, a stark difference from their 49-32 at night. They are 9-14 in day games on the road but 7-9 in day games on the road following night games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• GETTING AHEAD AND STAYING AHEAD: The Cubs never trailed in their wins Thursday and Friday. They had not done that in consecutive games since July 27-28, when they won at St. Louis, 7-3 and 10-2. They have played 35 games since then, going 19-16. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• JUST ONE RUN: The Cubs have allowed one run in each of the last two games. They had allowed no more than one in back-to-back games twice before this season, April 19-20 and June 12-13. They have given up one or zero runs in 15 total games, one of every 9.5 they have played. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Frank Schwindel’s seventh-inning grand slam, his third homer in a series against the Pirates in which he went 10-for-18 and was named NL Player of the Week, erased an 8-7 deficit and gave the Cubs a 11-8 win over the Pirates at Wrigley Field. It happened five years ago today, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021.

Cubs lineup:

The Saturday squad.

Tune in live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/djDkhUWu58

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 5, 2026

Marlins lineup:

Game two.

🤝: @PNCBank
📺: https://t.co/CoO4Nlpkc8
👂: @MarlinsRadio, @radiomambi710, @1043wqam
⏰: 4:10 PM ET
🏟️: Roof status: CLOSED#FightinFish // https://t.co/HLOUFjItKkpic.twitter.com/bCkwm4LCoo

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 5, 2026

Javier Assad, RHP vs. Ryan Gusto, RHP

In the words we used to use all the time for Kyle Hendricks: “All he does is get guys out.”

That really does apply to Javier Assad, who returns to make this start. The assumption I make is that the Cubs are pushing Clay Holmes, whose turn it would have been today, back so he can start in Milwaukee sometime next week.

Assad has been up and down from Triple-A Iowa multiple times this year. However, in the major leagues since May 1, here are his numbers: 2.24 ERA, 0.995 WHIP, 6.0 percent walk rate. A few too many home runs (12 in 64.1 innings) but out of his 17 outings since May 1, he allowed one or no runs in 12 of them and the Cubs are 15-2 in those games.

Go get ‘em, Javier.

Ryan Gusto was an 11th-round pick of the Astros in 2019 and came to the Marlins at the 2025 Trade Deadline in the deal that sent Jesus Sanchez to Houston.

He’s been in 19 games (14 starts) this year with middling results. Gusto pitched four innings in relief against the Cubs June 28, 2025 in Houston and allowed seven hits and four runs, including a two-run homer by Seiya Suzuki.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

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

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit the Marlins site Fish On First. If you do go there to interact with Marlins fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

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

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

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

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

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

Discuss amongst yourselves.

For all the talk about resurgent players (Lawrence Butler, Zack Gelof, Jacob Lopez), back sliding players (Luis Morales, Jack Perkins), and a hitting core with elite talent but only decent results (Nick Kurtz/Shea Langeliers/Jacob Wilson/Tyler Soderstrom/Brent Rooker), the A’s fortunes in the near future may lie with some prospects who are fast-tracking themselves towards 2027 relevance.

Without a doubt the A’s have a projected lineup for 2027-28 that could be imposing but so far has only been “middle of the pack” and with even less of a doubt the pitching has been bottom of the barrel in most statistical categories.

What the A’s are hoping to accomplish is to mirror, somewhat, the Chicago White Sox’ arc, rising from the depths of 100 loss territory to challenge for the division title soon after. On one hand, the White Sox did take 2 years, not 1, to go “last to first” but on the other hand they were coming from a record 121 losses.

This quartet of A’s prospects have in common that they would not normally be on a “2027 ETA” timeline and that they are very much poised to make an impact in 2027. And if they do, the A’s could be putting an awful lot of star talent on the field. In alphabetical order:

Jamie Arnold

Arnold is a key one to watch simply because he is a starting pitcher and nowhere is the need greater for the A’s than the front of the rotation. Arnold was just drafted in 2025 and only debuted in April, 2026 with an aggressive promotion to AA Midland.

Perhaps partly as a result of the aggressiveness of the assignment, Arnold sputtered some at the outset but he has come on like gangbusters of late and recently earned a promotion to AAA. With a 2.31 June ERA, a solid 3.54 ERA in July, and and a stellar 1.57 ERA in August, Arnold put a bow on his second half surge with 5 shutout innings in his PCL debut.

With a handful of AAA starts under his belt to end this season, it’s not inconceivable Arnold could vie for a spot in the A’s rotation out of camp in 2027, with the more likely outcome that he will be on the Gage Jump “first man up” track. Either way Arnold has a good chance to significantly impact the 2027 rotation, hopefully along side Jump, JT Ginn, and Jacob Lopez.

Drew Burress

2 months ago Burress hadn’t even yet been drafted by the A’s and yet his debut in Stockton has been so fantastic it’s not hard to envision a scenario where he begins the 2027 season at AA (or gets there within the first month) and forces his way up to the big leagues mid-season.

If this sounds overly aggressive, remember that Kurtz and Wilson shot through the minors at this rate and Burress matches their 1st round pedigree. In 26 games so far, Burress is crushing pitching to the tune of a .314/.453/.637 slash line with 7 HR and 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts.

The 28.5% K rate needs some work, and A ball is nowhere near MLB, but if Burress gets to AA in April and picks up where he is leaving off in September, he could well be in the big leagues sometime in 2027 giving the A’s another explosively athletic outfielder.

Leo De Vries

De Vries only started his pro career in 2024 and he did so at age 17, which would suggest a typical ETA of around 2029. But De Vries is no typical prospect, ranked top 3 in all of MLB.

Only injuries (finger, shoulder) stopped him from being a possible call up in 2026 and if he is fully healthy come spring training, the question will be “when” not “if” he will be called up to the big leagues in 2027.

Devin Taylor

Taylor is mashing and hasn’t let up all year, starting in A+, continuing in AA, and now making a mockery of AAA. At Lansing, Taylor earned a promotion by hitting .292/.425/.436 in 57 games. At Midland he found yet another gear, slashing .323/.409/.534 with 14 HR in 68 games. In 3 AAA games he’s 6 for 14 with 2 HR.

There are questions around Taylor’s LF glove, but if he can rake at the big league level the A’s can find a spot for the LH slugger even if it’s heavily utilizing the DH position, just as the Astros have done with the elite hitting/shaky fielding Yordan Alvarez and the Phillies have done with the similarly profiling Kyle Schwarber.

Already the A’s have quite a bit of enviable raw talent on the field with Kurtz at 1B, Wilson at SS, Langeliers at C, Soderstrom in LF, Henry Bolte in CF, Gelof somewhere on the infield and Butler looking, for the past half season, like the player the A’s saw and quickly inked to a multi-year extension.

Add Arnold, Burress, De Vries, and Taylor throughout the season and 2027 could have a plethora of star upside — upside that needs to be harnessed, mind you, upside that has to stay healthy. But in terms of potential to impact the AL West? These fast-trackers could be changing the landscape in a big way. Soon.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country.

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These sorts of surveys can be pretty fickle, especially when the Wild Card standings are changing nearly on a daily basis.

To recap: I asked you on Tuesday where you thought the Cubs would finish the regular season. At the time, the Cubs held the first Wild Card spot. They have since fallen out of that spot and trail the Phillies by half a game. I’d think most of us would agree that if it’s Cubs/Phillies in a Wild Card series, we’d like those games to be played at Wrigley Field.

And a plurality of voters in the SB Nation Reacts survey said that’s what will happen:

Fortunately, most of you are optimistic enough that the Cubs will, in fact, make the postseason — only four percent were negative enough to vote “miss the postseason.”

Should be an interesting ride the rest of the way. Three weeks to go.

The national questions asked of SB Nation Reacts respondents all had to do with home runs.

This includes both leagues, but Kyle Schwarber and Pete Crow-Armstrong have both hit more home runs than anyone in the American League. And, in fact, this race has tightened considerably since the survey was taken. Schwarber’s last home run was Aug. 26 in Seattle; since then he’s 4-for-23 with no long balls and still has 40.

Meanwhile, PCA has gone wild over the last week. Since Aug. 26, when he trailed Schwarber 40-33 in the home run race, the Cubs center fielder has batted .344/.382/.906 with six home runs, including his three-homer day against the Reds, and now trails the Phillies DH by just one.

Again… should be an interesting race the last three weeks and if these two teams meet up in the Wild Card round… something else to watch!

This is more just a matter of opinion. In general, 40-45 has been the high range for homer hitters in recent years, though Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, among others, blasted through that on their way to 60+ home run seasons.

It looks like this one will be right. Schwarber and PCA might be the only ones to top 40. Junior Caminero, Matt Olson and Yordan Alvarez all have 37, so they could hit that mark as well, as could Hunter Goodman (36) and Ben Rice (35).

Thanks for participating!

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This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.

Stan Kroenke has slowly assembled a professional sports empire.

On Sept. 1, America’s largest private landowner agreed to buy Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels from longtime owner Arte Moreno in a deal valuing the franchise at $4 billion.

If the purchase is approved by MLB, it would give Kroenke control of a team in each of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB — making him the first owner to do so.

Kroenke also owns several soccer teams, including Arsenal in the English Premier League and the Colorado Rapids in MLS, as well as the Colorado Mammoth in the National Lacrosse League.

Using the most recent Forbes valuations available and including Forbes’ $2.8 billion Angels valuation, Kroenke’s sports portfolio would total $25.7 billion. That’s a total valuation above other sports magnates, such as Josh Harris and the Glazer family.

Harris’ ownership stakes include the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils — a portfolio that equals roughly $15.5 billion by Forbes valuations.

Meanwhile, the Glazer family’s joint portfolio of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United totals $13.8 billion via Forbes.

Madison Square Garden Sports, which owns the New York Knicks and Rangers, sits just behind the Glazer family at $13.75 billion.

The Angels, who Kroenke has agreed to buy at a valuation well above Forbes’ estimate, would become the fourth-most valuable team in his portfolio, behind the Rams, Arsenal and Nuggets.

The premium Kroenke agreed to pay is among the heftiest in recent baseball transactions.

The three most recent MLB control-sale agreements have all valued franchises well above their preceding Forbes estimates, with the Angels going 43% above their latest valuation as of March 2026.

The San Diego Padres sale earlier this year went 26% above the team’s valuation, while last year’s Tampa Bay Rays sale went 36% above.

Those are in contrast with the earlier sales of the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets, both of which went for near their Forbes valuation.

Kroenke, however, isn’t alone in putting large sums of money into sports franchises.

Reported franchise transaction values have totaled $34.5 billion in 2026 to date, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ $12.5 billion transaction value and the Seattle Seahawks’ $9.6 billion sale.

The Padres deal was worth just under the Angels total at $3.9 billion, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx went for a joint total of $4.5 billion.

Combined, those five deals have set a record, beating the previous highs of $23.8 billion in 2025 and $21 billion in 2023.

And while new owners aren’t always an improvement, Angels fans have reason to hope: Kroenke’s teams have all won at least one league championship during his ownership, the most recent being Arsenal’s 2026 English Premier League title. Will the Halos join that circle?

Methodology: Team values are the latest Forbes estimates and represent full franchise enterprise values, not owners’ individual equity stakes. The Kroenke total includes the pending Angels acquisition and excludes the Colorado Mammoth, which Forbes does not value. Franchise transaction data are from J.P. Morgan through 2024 and USA TODAY analysis of Spotrac and league/team reports for 2025-26. J.P. Morgan determined the transaction universe and year placement through 2024. For 2025-26, USA TODAY assigned deals to the year their definitive sale agreement was announced.

Data is current through Sept. 4.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stan Kroenke's Angels deal would add MLB to his $25.7B sports empire

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 10, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) 5

The Tides brought the lumber with double-digit runs and hits, plus nine walks, overcoming an early 4-0 deficit for a runaway victory. Rece Hinds was the hitting star, reaching base five times on four singles and a walk, and he scored three runs. Six other batters had one hit apiece, including Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Creed Willems. Weirdly, despite scoring 10 runs, the Tides had only five RBIs. That’s because Jacksonville committed six (!) errors to hand Norfolk a bunch of gift runs.

Michael Forret had another uninspiring Triple-A start. He lasted three innings and gave up three walks, three hits, and two runs, and uncorked two wild pitches. I get why the O’s wanted to bring Forret back to the organization, but I feel like they would’ve been better off keeping Tyler Wells. Long reliever Christian Heberholz also gave up three runs, but relievers Gerald Ogando, Anthony Nunez, and Yosver Zulueta worked a scoreless inning apiece. Nunez struck out all three batters he faced.

Box score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 3, Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) 1

As usual for this loaded Baysox staff, they delivered a great pitching performance. This time it was right-hander JT Quinn who tossed five scoreless innings, striking out five. He has a 2.50 ERA in four Double-A starts. Four relievers kept the Sea Dogs at bay for the rest of the night.

Former Orioles farmhand Morgan McSweeney, whom the O’s released in 2024, made the start for Portland. Frederick Bencosme tagged him for a solo homer and Victor Figueroa added an RBI single. Vance Honeycutt had a double, a walk, and two stolen bases. Griff O’Ferrall contributed a pair of singles, while Aron Estrada took a rare 0-for-4. Wehiwa Aloy did not play.

Box score

High-A: Frederick Keys 9, Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 5

The Keys pulled off an impressive come-from-behind victory in Brooklyn. Trailing 5-1 in the eighth, they erupted for a seven-spot in the frame, then added an insurance run in the ninth. Impressively, they scored all seven of those eighth-inning runs with two outs. Five consecutive batters reached base, starting with a Braylin Tavera two-run double and capped by a Yasmil Bucce three-run homer.

The top of the Frederick lineup did nearly all the damage, with the first four batters combining for eight of the club’s nine hits. That included a 3-for-5, two-RBI performance by Jaiden Lo Re, a Randal Diaz homer, and a pair of hits by leadoff man and 2026 second-round pick Ty Head, playing his fourth game since his promotion to High-A.

Keys starter Twine Palmer and reliever Ben Vespi gave up five runs before relievers Chandler Marsh, Teddy Sharkey, and Braeden Sloan worked a scoreless inning apiece to finish off Frederick’s comeback.

Box score

Low-A: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox) 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 4

The Shorebirds were the only O’s affiliate to lose, as a three-run rally in the top of the ninth came up just short. Delmarva had 11 hits, and every batter in the starting lineup had at least one, but they stranded 11 runners in the game. Catcher Miguel Rodríguez and shortstop Jemone Nuel combined to drive in all four runs. First round pick Eric Booth Jr. went 1-for-5 atop the lineup.

Right-hander Braden Smith, the Orioles’ 15th round pick this year, made his first professional start. He worked two innings, giving up three hits, three walks, and two runs.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: vs. Jacksonville, 6:35 PM. Starter: Cade Povich (2-4, 5.68)
• Chesapeake: vs. Portland, 6:35 PM. Starter: Patrick Reilly (0-2, 4.33)
• Frederick: at Brooklyn, 6:00 PM. Starter: Christian Rodriguez (2-2, 5.96)
• Delmarva: at Kannapolis, 7:00 PM. Starter: Collin McKinney (0-0, 0.00)

Diamondbacks News

Diamondbacks’ Slump Is Hurting Postseason Chances
The Diamondbacks simply must find a way to get out of this scoring funk they have been in for a while now.

Diamondbacks Prospect Has Award Winning Homer Spree
The Amarillo Sodpoodles’ Avery Owusu-Asiedu has had himself a great time since being promoted to AA. The outfield prospect has now homered in four consecutive games for the second time in a month. The feat hasn’t been done for a few years now and was done by the Dodgers’ Will SMith.

Diamondbacks Release Spring Training Schedule Despite Threat of Lockout
Anything to distract from the owners and players competing to see who can set fire to the game faster.

Diamondbacks Make Surprise Decision to DFA Jorge Barrosa
The longer the season gets into September, the more it looks like Arizona has some sort of handshake deal with Max Kepler to keep him around.

Diamondbacks to Activate Corbin Burnes Tuesday
Can Corbin Burnes maybe get a hit with runners in scoring position?

Other Baseball News

How Mark Walter’s Financial Scandal Shapes the NL West
Those hoping that Walter playing fast and loose with investor funds will lead to the Dodgers being put on a leash are likely to be sorely disappointed.

Sal Stewart Stands as Clear NL ROY Favorite
The Cincinnati Reds might have themselves another Rookie of the Year winner. Sal Stewart is certainly making his case, but he cannot rest on his laurels as this competition could go down to the wire.

NL Central Could Sweep Awards
The Brewers might have the Cy Young winner, joining the Reds with the Rookie of the Year and the Cubs with the likely NL MVP. The division could even end up with the NL Manager of the Year.

The Giants Have Been Way Off BaseRuns
The San Francisco Giants are over 12.5 base runs below what they should be and it is costing them heavily.

I’ve never seen anything like this…

This ump stopped the game & made Cardinals rookie Hancel Rincon straighten his hat, saying nobody will wear it like that on his field. Quickly followed up by the worst revenge call I’ve ever seen.

Suspend him now @MLBpic.twitter.com/wgov05ubXy

— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) September 5, 2026

Ranking the Worst Remaining MLB Owners Post-Moreno
An interesting ranking. Ken Kendrick does enough to stay off the list.

Blaze Alexander Slide Starts O’s – Red Sox Donnybrook
Old friend alert. Blaze Alexander is causing some chaos. But really, it seems he is just living rent free in the heads of the Red Sox.

This was slide from Blaze Alexander. He was clearly trying to send a message. https://t.co/2j9bwflr6mpic.twitter.com/eRs7ghQESu

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) September 5, 2026

I’m a personal believer in wearing the lowest possible number as a player. No infielder should have a number greater than 25, and 25 should only be worn by a first baseman. Numbers in the 30s and 40s are for pitchers, and your outfielders fill out the rest. That is the Way Baseball Numbers Should Work.

Of course, the Yankees have retired 21 numbers, every single one-digit, and 15 of those 21 are below #25 — yes, I’m finally correctly counting Whitey Ford, who I always forget when listing off the retirees by memory. Add that to the 25 other guys that are on the present roster, when you get added to the big-league club there aren’t that many options to put on your back. In 2016, Aaron Judge ran into this problem, eventually deciding to keep the #99 issued to him in spring training. That #99 will likely be the next number the Yankees retire, and I think it’s a part of what’s made him one of the faces of baseball over the past decade.

Now we have a pair of rookies filling out the middle of the Yankee order, both of them sporting unusual jersey numbers for much the same reason that Judge did. George Lombard Jr. is #96 and Spencer Jones #78, George one of three MLB players to sport those digits this year and one of them was Quad-A relief depth Yovanny Cruz for these same Yankees. Jones wears a slightly more popular number, even if I only know one of the other guys who share 78:

And despite my penchant for lower numbers (I’m #24 myself), I love what Lombard and Jones have done, even if it was by accident. It’s difficult to stand out on the current Yankee roster — ok, it’s difficult to stand out on what the ideal current Yankee roster is. Even if you’re a threeish win player, pretty good, you’re going to end up behind the big three in the rotation, Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and of course the captain himself. This goes triple when you try and stand out in the annals of Yankee history itself.

#78 and 96 allow the youngsters to carve out a bit of their own identity, just a little. It probably isn’t going to last. Ben Rice was issued #93 for his first taste of MLB in 2024, and once he carved out a permanent role for himself on the team switched to the much more sensible, and aesthetically pleasing, #22. If Jazz doesn’t return to the team this winter, #13 becomes an obvious option for George if he can stick to the roster, ditto for #12 if the club lets Trent Grisham walk. #78 is a little more of a reasonable number albeit one more for relievers than starting centerfielders, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jones switch down as well.

*Kramer's moviefone voice* "well why don't you just tell me what number isn't retired"

— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) July 8, 2014

With a club as numerically complicated as the Yankees, picking something a little funky and unconventional makes me like you just a little more — indeed, perhaps more than GLJ’s current performance deserves. We’ve seen how Judge has been able to take a strange jersey assignment and make it his own. I’m not asking either Spencer or George to be Aaron Judge, just to want to be as much of an individual in an org that sometimes squashes that.

After a solid win Friday night in the battle of the aces, the Braves now face what sure seems like a disadvantageous pitching matchup Saturday, with Martin Perez facing Zack Wheeler.

Wheeler has been mostly back to his normal self coming back from injury this season, though with a slightly elevated, but still low walk rate. He has struggled a bit over the last month or so, with walks in particular. The Braves’ offense would do well to pay attention to his command and be a little patient at the plate. Wheeler still utilizes a true six-pitch arsenal with his four-seamer as a primary but a sweeper, sinker, splitter, curve, and cutter all mixed in and serving as solid pitches. He also maintains elite extension in the 97th percentile. If the Braves get lucky, Wheeler will still be struggling with command and will pair some of those walks with a homer or two.

Perez continues to muddle through the 2026 season performing admirably as a veteran innings-eater and has been rewarded with a 3.05 ERA that is more than a bit lucky. The Phillies have struggled on offense this year and have historically struggled against lefty pitching, with this year being no different. This is a good matchup for Martin with that platoon advantage, but that won’t make us any more comfortable watching him face Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

Game Info

Game Time: Saturday, September 5th, 6:05 p.m. ET

Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Unless you have been living under a rock this year, you would know that the Nationals bullpen has struggled. The unit has an ERA over 5 and has blown a mind boggling 35 saves. However, in the last couple weeks the Nats have called up three home grown relievers who have all gotten off to impressive starts.

It is still very early days for Erik Tolman, Jared Simpson and Jack Sinclair, but so far they have impressed Nats fans. For Simpson and Sinclair, the jury is still very much out, with both only making one appearance. Tolman has plenty to prove as well but at least he has done it over multiple outings.

With the largest sample size, Tolman is the first name I want to talk about. His first five big league outings could not have gone much better. Through 6.2 innings, he has yet to allow a run and has struck out 8 batters. It also feels like he is getting better each time he takes the mound.

In his last appearance, Tolman came in with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 8th. He responded by getting a strikeout and double play to stamp out the threat. The 27 year old southpaw came back for the 9th and struck out the side. It was extremely impressive stuff from the rookie.

Erik Tolman first MLB save pic.twitter.com/ycnTBwouwf

— Kev (@klwoodjr) September 1, 2026

We have talked a lot about Tolman’s story, but his performance on the mound has been almost as impressive. His 97 MPH fastball gets on hitters in a hurry. With opponents fearing the fastball, Tolman can drop in his 85 MPH changeup which gets hitters way out in front. Against lefties, he will also feature a slider.

In the minors, command was an issue for Tolman. However, he has only walked two hitters so far in the big leagues. With a few more impressive outings, Tolman could easily lock down a spot in the 2027 bullpen. The raw stuff is impressive and the command has been better than expected for the former 14th rounder.

That is a theme for all of these guys. All three were late round picks who have command concerns. However, in the early going, all of them have been throwing strikes. Throughout his baseball life, Jared Simpson has struggled throwing strikes. It has gotten better this year, but he is still walking over 5 hitters per 9 in the minors. 

However, if you just watched his debut, you would not know that he has any command issues. The lefty out of Iowa was pounding the zone with his 4 pitches. He throws a 4-seamer, a sinker, a splitter and a slider. The sinker has been a massive addition this year and has been a big part of his breakout.

Like Tolman, Simpson came into his last appearance in a tough spot. He made his MLB debut facing the top of the Braves lineup with runners on first and second with nobody out. Simpson responded by getting a double play and flyout.

Jared Simpson comes out in a tough situation on his MLB debut

Gets the double play and fly out to end the inning

Can’t ask for anything better pic.twitter.com/9Qk633afAP

— Kev (@klwoodjr) September 2, 2026

Just like Tolman, Jared Simpson kept going. He got nine outs while facing just 8 batters. At first, he was pitching to contact a lot. However, as he built up confidence, the strikeouts began to come. Simpson finished his outing by striking out the last two batters he faced. I can’t wait to see the former 8th rounder pitch again.

Jack Sinclair was the latest homegrown reliever to make his debut. He was thrown into a more forgiving spot than Simpson. Sinclair came into a 5-0 deficit, so the stakes were lower. However, he still had to face Max Muncy to start his MLB career.

Sinclair ended up winning a 10 pitch battle with Muncy, finishing him off on his signature sweeper. That sweeper is a pitch that Sinclair will lean on a lot. However, with a sinker at 96 and a 4-seamer that can touch 99, he has enough heat to keep guys honest.

start the k counter on jack sinclair 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/ph1BV7R0IX

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 5, 2026

After a breakout 2024 season in AA, Sinclair really struggled in Rochester last year. This season, his ERA was around 4, but he got a lot of strikeouts. His FIP of 3.65 was also encouraging. With the Max Kranick experiment failing, the Nats pulled the plug and decided to give Sinclair a look.

Last night was a good start for the righty, who tossed a 1-2-3 inning. The former 16th round pick looked the part in his debut. All of these guys were drafted by Mike Rizzo, but took major strides with the new regime. Tolman and Sinclair added velocity, while that sinker unlocked a lot for Simpson.

We still need to see more from all of these guys, but at worst, they are quality depth. These three have proven they can get outs at this level and have good stuff. To get full time spots in the bullpen moving forward, they need to do more. However, these are all intriguing arms that the Nats can use as optionable bullpen pieces.

The process to get here has been ugly, but the Nats are finally starting to build some bullpen depth. If Paul Toboni can find a closer this offseason, I actually think the bullpen can make massive strides. These three under the radar arms can be a part of that.

Major League Baseball on Friday announced spring training schedules for 2027, which count as the most tentative things on the baseball calendar. Amid an upcoming offseason of labor uncertainty, you can take to the bank that these spring schedules will be altered in some way as negotiations drag on.

In the lockout during the 2021-22 offseason, the Dodgers originally-planned spring training was scheduled to begin on February 26, with 33 games over 32 days getting ready for an opening day on March 31. A labor agreement wasn’t reached until March 11, which meant a new spring training starting on March 18, and opening day pushed to April 7.

So take this 2027 spring training schedule, but here is the original plan of games, which includes 30 games in Arizona, including 17 at Camelback Ranch, beginning Friday, February 19 against the Chicago White Sox. The Freeway Series against the Angels runs from March 21-23 with the first game at Dodger Stadium and the final two games in Anaheim.

Game times will be announced at a later date.

Date	Opponent	Location
Fri, Feb. 19	White Sox	Camelback Ranch
Sat, Feb. 20	Royals	Camelback Ranch
Sun, Feb. 21	at Mariners	Peoria
Mon, Feb. 22	at Angels	Tempe
Tue, Feb. 23	Rockies	Camelback Ranch
Wed, Feb. 24	at Guardians	Goodyear
Thu, Feb. 25	Giants	Camelback Ranch
Fri, Feb. 26	at A’s	Mesa
Sat, Feb. 27	at Brewers	Maryvale
Sun, Feb. 28	at Rockies	Salt River Fields
Mon, Mar. 1	Mariners (ss)	Camelback Ranch
Mon, Mar. 1	at Royals (ss)	Surprise
Wed, Mar. 3	Rangers	Camelback Ranch
Thu, Mar. 4	at D-backs	Salt River Fields
Fri, Mar. 5	Cubs	Camelback Ranch
Sat, Mar. 6	Brewers	Camelback Ranch
Sun, Mar., 7	Padres	Camelback Ranch
Mon, Mar. 8	“at” White Sox	Camelback Ranch
Tue, Mar. 9	Angels	Camelback Ranch
Thu, Mar. 11	Reds	Camelback Ranch
Fri, Mar. 12	at Rangers	Surprise
Sat, Mar. 13	“at” White Sox	Camelback Ranch
Sun, Mar. 14	D-backs	Camelback Ranch
Mon, Mar. 15	at Cubs	Mesa
Tue, Mar. 16	Guardians	Camelback Ranch
Wed, Mar. 17	at Giants	Scottsdale
Thu, Mar. 18	at Padres (ss)	Peoria
Thu, Mar. 18	at Reds (ss)	Goodyear
Fri, Mar. 19	A’s	Camelback Ranch
Sat, Mar. 20	Mariners	Camelback Ranch
Sun, Mar. 21	Angels	Dodger Stadium
Mon, Mar. 22	at Angels	Angel Stadium
Tue, Mar. 23	at Angels	Angel Stadium

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San Diego is a slight market favorite after winning Friday’s opener, but I prefer the New York Yankees as a short underdog behind Carlos Rodón.

The Yankees have the better overall run-prevention profile, a stronger available bullpen and more offensive upside against a Robbie Ray season that has been better by ERA than by underlying metrics.

Here are my Yankees vs. Padres prediction and MLB picks for Saturday, Sept. 5.

Who will win Yankees vs Padres today: New York Yankees (48%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

The New York Yankees are my side against the San Diego Padres. New York’s strength is pitching depth, while San Diego’s weakness is its starting staff. Yankees starters own a 3.33 ERA, compared with 4.34 for Padres starters, and available bullpens will favor the Yankees.

Carlos Rodon has averaged only 4.1 innings over his last five starts, but the Yankees can cover that risk with the better bullpen.

Robbie Ray’s 3.14 ERA is less convincing underneath: his 4.58 expected ERA ranks in the 38th percentile among qualified MLB pitchers. I suspect that his bottom 30 percentile barrel rate and hard-hit rate will loom large against a Bombers offense that has gotten going more over the last two weeks.

I’d play the Yankees to 52% for two units.

Yankees vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (51%)

This Under is built around matchup-specific starting pitching.

Rodon has held the current Padres to a .278 wOBA, .207 xBA and .320 xSLG across 78 career plate appearances. Ray’s overall profile is less convincing, with a his previously mentioned underlying metrics, but the Yankees have just a .182 xBA against him over 83 plate appearances. That is a much better matchup for Ray than his season-long numbers suggest.

Rodon’s limited workload is the biggest threat to the Under. However, the relative strength of the Yankees bullpen should be enough to keep even a flimsy Under in tact.

With both lineups facing pitchers who have suppressed this specific group of hitters, I’d play Under 7.5 runs to 53%.

Yankees vs Padres home run prediction: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13%)

I love Jazz music on a Saturday. The left-handed matchup is not ideal on the surface, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. has hit five homers in 157 plate appearances against lefties this season.

He also brings 19 home runs, a 42.9% hard-hit rate and a 90.8-mph average exit velocity. 

Ray’s primary four-seamer and slider have allowed a .426 and a 409 xwOBA.

Yankees vs Padres weather

Temperatures should sit in the upper 70s around first pitch, with mostly cloudy conditions and a chance of showers. There is no major wind advantage expected, so the weather does not move me off the Under.

Yankees vs Padres odds

• Moneyline: Yankees 48% | Padres 52%
• Run line: Yankees +1.5 | Padres -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Yankees vs Padres trend

The New York Yankees have hit the Moneyline in 29 of their last 45 away games (+10.40 Units / 18% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Padres.

How to watch Yankees vs Padres and game info

Yankees vs Padres latest injuries

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The final game of the Cubs four-game series against the Brewers saw the Cubs eke out a series split on the back of a pitcher’s duel. Kevin Gausman and a pair of Ryans (Zeferjahn and Rolison) combined to hold the Brewers to one run while striking out 10, walking just one and surrendering five hits.

It’s exactly what you want from a bullpen on the back of a great start from Gausman, who threw seven innings, giving up the one run (it was a solo shot to Andrew Vaughn in the fourth). He gave up five hits and one walk, but stranded all of them while striking out nine. The bullpen was flawless, delivering two innings of scoreless, walkless, no nonsense or shenanigans relief. Let’s take a closer look at Gausman’s gem [VIDEO].

It was a radically different look from the pitching adventures of the prior two games, and while there is a lot of blame to go around for both of those outings today I want to zero in on the struggles Daniel Palencia has faced this season. A lot has been made of him “needing more time” to come back from injury, or whether a trip to the minors would help, but I have a sinking suspicion neither of those is the key to Palencia returning to closer form.

To be clear, there are signs that Palencia isn’t all the way recovered from injury. For starters, his four-seamer velocity is down, and while he stills throws gasolina, it’s worth noting that he’s only thrown one four-seamer over 100 miles per hour since returning from the injured list. That pitch averaged 100.3 miles per hour last July, and 99.9 miles per hour before he hit the injured list in May. Admittedly, these are tiny sample sizes, but it’s down to 99.1 miles per hour in August and 98.1 miles per hour so far in September. That is a meaningful dropoff and could explain some of the magnitude of different outcomes we’re seeing from Palencia since he’s returned from injury.

But the bigger issue for Palencia are his splits against left handed batters, and unfortunately, that’s an issue that predates 2026 as you can see from the table with his results by handedness below:

Season	Handedness	G	IP	TBF	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	K%	BB%	K-BB%	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA
2023	LHH	25	11.2	50	10.80	7.71	1.40	0.77	28.00%	20.00%	8.00%	.154	.327	.308	.294
2023	RHH	26	16.2	69	10.26	2.16	4.75	1.08	27.54%	5.80%	21.74%	.254	.319	.381	.309
2024	LHH	10	5.1	29	15.19	10.13	1.50	0.00	31.03%	20.69%	10.34%	.348	.483	.435	.412
2024	RHH	10	9.1	40	6.75	5.79	1.17	0.00	17.50%	15.00%	2.50%	.182	.325	.273	.282
2025	LHH	49	23	106	11.35	5.48	2.07	1.57	27.36%	13.21%	14.15%	.242	.340	.473	.345
2025	RHH	52	29.2	109	9.71	0.61	16.00	0.30	29.36%	1.83%	27.52%	.210	.239	.267	.225
2026	LHH	24	8.2	47	10.38	6.23	1.67	4.15	21.28%	12.77%	8.51%	.415	.489	.780	.530
2026	RHH	21	12.1	45	10.22	0.73	14.00	0.00	31.11%	2.22%	28.89%	.167	.200	.214	.187

Palencia has had pretty drastic splits against lefthanded hitters almost every season he’s pitched in MLB. 2023 is an outlier, but even last season, there were hints that lefties were seeing the ball better against Palencia. That .340 OBP and .473 SLG jump off the page relative to his results against righties. This is where wOBA is particularly interesting, because as a solid proxy for OBP with slugging incorporated, we can see that the on-base and slugging advantage lefties have against Palencia has been pretty consistent through his, admittedly young, career.

While the Cubs pitching lab surely has thoughts on how to fix this over the long-term, the Cubs postsason chances and hopes in 2026 are extremely short-term. Even with Thursday’s victory over the Brewers they’ve fallen half a game off the top Wild Card spot. That is the difference between hosting the Phillies at Wrigley or having to play Philadelphia in Citizens Bank Park. Not all home field advantages are created equally, but it’s hard for me to imagine a bigger gap than playing the Phillies at home or on the road.

Unfortunately, with the Cubs desperate for innings due to the slings and arrows their pitching staff has suffered over the course of the season, that likely moves Palencia into lower leverage situations where he doesn’t have to face lefties down the stretch. He can still help the Cubs in September and October, but it may be a different role than we all envisioned at the start of the year.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (69-66) lost 8-5 (BOX SCORE)

McPherson started for Sugar Land but struggled allowing 8 runs over 3.2 innings. The offense got a run in the 2nd inning on a Price RBI single and a run in the 3rd on Ferreras solo home run. They got another in the 4th on a Cole RBI single and one in the 5th on a Delgado groundout. The bullpen was solid with scoreless outings and Price connected on a solo home run in the 9th but that was it as Sugar Land fell 8-5.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .321 in Triple-A.

• Zach Cole, CF: 1-for-4, RBI, BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 3-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI
• Zach Dezenzo, RF: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
• Ray Delgado, 2B: 1-for-4, RBI
• Collin Price, C: 2-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB

• Brandon McPherson, RHP: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• Trey McLoughlin, RHP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Alex Santos II, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

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AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (59-71) lost 4-1 (BOX SCORE)

Torres got the start for the Hooks and allowed 3 runs over 2 innings. The offense got on the board in the bottom of the 2nd inning scoring a run on an error. The pen was solid allowing just one run over the next seven innings but the offense was unable to score again as the Hooks fell 4-1.

Note: Chirinos has a 3.04 ERA this season.

• Will Bush, 1B: 2-for-3, BB
• Brandon Forrester, 3B: 2-for-3, R, BB, SB

• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Andrew Marrero, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

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A+: Asheville Tourists (43-86) won 10-6 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board in the first inning on a Powell 3 run home run. They got another run in the third on a Moss groundout. Oakes got the start and went 5 innings allowing 3 runs while striking out 5. In the 5th, Powell connected on another home run, this time a 2 run shot. After a Neyens RBI double in the 6th, the offense got 3 more runs in the 7th on Garcia 3 run home run. The pen allows a few runs but held on for the 10-6 win.

Note: Powell has a .823 OPS this season.

• Anthony Huezo, LF: 1-for-4, R, BB, SB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI, BB
• Caden Powell, CF: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-4, R
• Kyle Walker, 2B: 3-for-4, 2 2B
• Zach Daudet, SS: 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB
• John Garcia, C: 1-for-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB
• DJ Newman, RF: 2-for-4, R, 2 SB

• Kellan Oakes, RHP: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Max Martin, RHP: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

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A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (71-57) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

Beck started for the Woodpeckers and tossed a scoreless first inning but he was pulled after the first. He was released by Carrera who pitched well allowing 1 run over 6 innings of work. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 5th inning on a Sierra RBI double. Rosario tossed 2 scoreless innings as the game went to extra innings. In the 10th, the Woodpeckers picked up a run on a Nowak bases loaded walk.  The Crawdads tied it up in the 10th. The game went to 12 innings and in the bottom of the 12th, Hickory walked it off on an error.

Note: Beck has a 2.80 ERA this season.

• Owen Nowak, CF: 1-for-3, 2 BB, SB
• Aaron Piasecki, 2B: 1-for-4, BB
• German Ramirez, SS: 1-for-5, R
• Juan Sierra, RF: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB

• Jagger Beck, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Mick Uebelhor, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Taz Butler, RHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

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Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Bryce Mayer – 7:05 CT

CC: Nolan DeVos – 7:05 CT

AV: Parker Smith – 5:05 CT

FV: TBD – 6:00 CT

There are several forgotten heroes from Yankees’ baseball prior to when the franchise started to win championships. Not that they didn’t have good years as a team in that time, but the pre-Babe Ruth years tend to blend together in a lot of fans’ minds.

One of those forgotten heroes was Al Orth, whose 1906 could be in the discussion for best seasons by a Yankee pitcher.

Albert Lewis “Al” Orth
Born: September 5, 1872 (Sedalia, MO)
Died: October 8, 1948 (Lynchburg, VA)
Yankees Tenure: 1904-09

While he was born in Missouri, Al Orth lived much of his early life in Indiana. There’s not a ton out there about his early life other than that he eventually attended DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. At some point, he developed an ability for baseball and begins showing up in on minor league rosters at 22-years-old, playing for the Lynchburg Hill Climbers in 1895.

In Lynchburg, Orth very quickly began to catch the eye of major league teams. After 269 good innings in 1895, Lynchburg sold him to the Phillies later that season. He went on to debut and throw 88 more innings in Philly that year, and put up a very solid, for that year, 3.89 ERA.

Over the next several years, while he had his ups and down, Orth became a fixture on the Phillies’ roster, and a mostly solid one at that. Known as the “Curveless Wonder,” Orth got his success from just varying the speed of his pitches as opposed to getting great movement. With the exceptions of 1895-96 — when he was still breaking into the bigs — and 1899, Orth threw at least 250 innings every season in Philadelphia and also posted at least 14 wins in all except his debut 1895. However, the Phillies never really got all that close to a NL pennant in his time there.

Orth had his best year as a Phillie in 1901. That year, he went 20-12 with a 2.27 ERA (151 ERA+), and recorded a league high six complete game shutouts. However, something else also happened in 1901: the American League was founded. Many NL mainstays started making the jump over, and Orth did so too, joining the Washington Senators for a reported $3500.

Despite moving to the still developing league from the “Senior Circuit,” Orth struggled in Washington. In 84 appearances over three seasons with the Senators, ho posted a 4.21 ERA, which equated to a 79 ERA+, as baseball began to enter the “deadball era.” He dropped off even further in 1904, leading to a July trade that sent him to the New York Highlanders.

The move to the Highlanders led to a rejuvenation for Orth. He was much better over the rest of 1904 — helping New York nearly swipe the AL pennant — and was again solid in 1905. Then in 1906, he put together his best career season. In New York, Orth joined a pitching staff that featured “spitballer” Jack Chesbro. With help from Chesbro, Orth began to throw the spitball himself, leading to a standout 1906. In a league-leading 338.2 innings, Orth put up a 2.34 ERA (127 ERA+), with 27 wins. According to modern stats, Orth was worth 8.1 rWAR and 6.0 fWAR, putting him among the league’s best that season.

Orth was okay the next year, but the Highlanders fell way back in the standings, and Orth ended up leading the league in losses. It was the first time ever a pitcher went from having the most wins to the most losses in consecutive years. After an even worse year in 1908, Orth seemingly left the majors, moved to Virginia and was set to be a player-manager in the Virginia League.

However, new Highlanders’ manager George Stallings lured Orth back for 1909. He only threw three innings on the mound and instead filled a new role. Orth had always been a pretty solid hitter, and not even for just pitcher standards, with a career 92 OPS+. Stallings used Orth as a pinch-hitter and in a handful of games at second base, and he put up a 113 OPS+ for the year.

Following that season, Orth did leave the majors and played for a couple minor league teams, including back in his new home in Lynchburg. He then returned to the majors in 1912, albeit as an umpire. He was the home plate ump for a 1912 game where pitchers Hippo Vaughn and Fred Toney both had no-hitters through nine innings. Toney completed his in 10 innings, after his Reds’ teammates scored a run on two hits in the top of the 10th.

Orth was a NL ump through 1917, at which point he left that role. Back in Virginia, he had stints as the baseball coaches at Washington & Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. He resided in the area until his death in 1948 at age 76.

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