They might not see him on Sunday in Game 2, either.
Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park in Atlanta, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Getty Images
Because Braves manager Walt Weiss made the baffling decision to turn to Sale with a four-run lead to close out the deciding game of an NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies, there’s a chance the Dodgers won’t have to face the former Cy Young Award winner until the third game of the best-of-five series.
“A lot’s going to depend on how Chris feels,” Weiss said.
With one of the top bullpens in baseball, the NL East champion Braves present a real threat to the Dodgers on paper.
Reality won’t be nearly as dramatic.
Defeating the Phillies came at an extreme cost for the Braves, who enter this series looking more like cannon fodder than a realistic challenger.
“The Phillies series took a lot out of us, as far as our pitching,” Weiss said.
That series stretched to three games, with the games played on consecutive days. Closer Raisel Iglesias, fireballer Didier Fuentes and left-hander Dylan Lee pitched on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Fuentes returning to pitch again in the series finale.
In their bullpen game on Thursday, the Braves used six pitchers, including Sale, who was entrusted to take down the last four outs of a four-run game two days after he pitched 6 ⅓ innings in a Game 1 win.
The way the Braves used their relievers in the wild-card matchup will handicap a bullpen that was one of the best of baseball in the regular season.
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss speaks to the media after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park in Atlanta, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Getty Images
“The advantage for us is we have an opportunity to not let their pitching staff come up for air,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
In fact, with Weiss saying that sidelined starters Martin Perez and Bryce Elder won’t return in this round, the Braves could have to resort to bullpen games in Games 1 and 2.
In retrospect, Sale was more than a proverbial nail in the coffin for the Phillies — he was closer to an atomic bomb. But if Sale’s eighth-inning entrance detonated the minuscule chances of a Phillies comeback, it might have also nuked the Braves’ attempt to upset the Dodgers.
If Sale doesn’t pitch until Game 3, he will be limited to one start in the NLDS. So will Tyler Mahle, the only other usable starting pitcher on the Braves’ roster.
But say Sale can pitch by Sunday. What will the 37-year-old Sale look like after pitching in relief on Thursday? In that game, Sale threw four pitches in the eighth inning, sat on the bench for a half-inning, then returned to the mound to throw 17 more pitches.
Pitching in Game 2 would make Sale available to start Game 5 on four days’ rest, but, again, how will Sale look at that point? If Sale takes the mound for a hypothetical fifth game, he would be starting opposite Tarik Skubal, who would be pitching on five days’ rest.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, left, greets designated hitter Shohei Ohtani before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Don’t begrudge the Dodgers for this advantage. They earned it by securing one of the NL’s top two seeds, which earned them a bye in the wild-card round.
In 2021, the Dodgers won a then-franchise-record 106 games but had to play in a winner-take-all wild-card game because they were edged for the NL West title by the Giants. After beating the Cardinals on a walk-off home run in the wild-card game, the Dodgers were pushed to five games by the Giants in the NLDS. Max Scherzer closed out the last game of the NLDS, which affected him in the next round against the Braves. Scherzer lasted only 4 ⅓ innings in his Game 2 start and had to be scratched from his Game 6 assignment.
The record shows the Dodgers were eliminated by the Braves that year, but the truth was the damage they sustained in the Giants series is what ended their postseason run.
This time, the Dodgers are on the other side of the equation.
DETROIT, MI - JULY 09: Athletics left-fielder Zack Gelof (20) grabs his leg after sliding into the railing trying to catch a foul ball during game between Athletics and Detroit Tigers on July 9, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Zack Gelof is one of those athletes who only has one speed: full bore ahead. It’s part of what makes him an elite athlete and at times it makes it difficult for him to stay on the field. But there is also a difference between playing with “reckless abandon” and having “no regard for your body,” and hitting the ER because the other team’s stadium operations executives had no regard for your body.
In July, 2017 the A’s acquired Dustin Fowler from the New York Yankees as he was recovering from a serious knee injury, a rupture of his right patella tendon. In December, 2017, Fowler sued the Chicago White Sox, claiming negligence due to an unpadded, metal electrical box that was located in precisely the area where Fowler impacted the wall. Fowler’s lawsuit settled for an undisclosed amount of cash.
Now comes Gelof’s lawsuit filed against the Detroit Tigers after Gelof badly lacerated his leg on July 9 when his pursuit of a foul fly ball took him into the side wall — where instead of padding there was a stretch of metal wiring that sliced Gelof’s knee like a Veg-O-Matic and kept him out of action for a month.
Some injuries are preventable and many aren’t. Some mishaps are the result of foreseeable gross negligence and many are just plain bad luck. Stadium operators are obliged to notice clear safety hazards, and many hazards only reveal themselves when a fluky play exposes a formerly unknown truth.
The question in front of a judge or jury, first to be mediated by posturing attorneys, is whether Gelof’s injury was caused by a negligence that anyone could have, and should have, reasonably foreseen. The law doesn’t compensate you for bad luck like it does for bad faith.
Did the Tigers expressly have an obligation to put padding, or avoid putting a wire facing, in a part of the playing field a fielder might slide or crash into? Did Gelof have some obligation either to avoid going full tilt into a very visible wire structure or to notice the hazard during batting practice and bring it to someone’s attention?
Separately there is the question of “damages” as the two sides haggle about the “value” of the case. Certainly there was appreciable pain and suffering — that much was clear at the time of the collision as well as the fact that Gelof could not take the field in a big league game for 32 days.
But he was also paid while on the IL and rehab assignments, so there was no loss of income there. His future value, and how this injury did or did not affect it, is a pretty subjective question, but we do know that Gelof put up a 116 wRC+ before the injury and a very similar 112 wRC+ after.
One thing is for sure: Fowler’s case will be raised, by both sides, in conversations around Gelof’s chances of prevailing in his lawsuit and the value of any settlement. Fowler created precedent that informs comparable cases. And once again, here is an outfielder who was racing into foul territory when he bludgeoned himself on an exposed and unforgiving barrier to his pursuit.
What do you think are the material facts in Gelof’s case and who do they ultimately favor? In all likelihood this case, like the one before it, will settle and never go to trial and the settlement amount will not be made public. But if you were on a jury and were asked to rule on the merits, what information would most inform your verdict and what would that verdict look like? In the end, will Gelof get the 65th win of the season to bring vengeance upon the stadium where Oakland’s season was ended 20 years prior?
Major League Baseball wrapped a postseason advertisement around the front page of The Times this week. “OCTOBER STARTS TODAY,” the headline screamed.
Beneath those enormous letters, Shohei Ohtani smiled. Who else?
And so dozens of reporters crammed into a cramped room within Dodger Stadium on Friday afternoon, on the eve of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves, waiting for Ohtani to answer a few versions of “How are you?”
It’s not just about attracting casual fans to watch the icon whose face adorns everything from airplanes to skin care products. For the Dodgers and their fans, it’s about whether their most famous player can be a game-changer in October.
The Dodgers could have shut him down as a pitcher rather than let him continue to try to pitch through knee and biceps injuries. They didn’t, and that backfired.
The Dodgers could have shut him down as a hitter, not for the season but for a stint on the injured list. They didn’t. They gave him just a few days off, and that backfired.
Then the Dodgers did put him on the injured list, but activated him for the final five games of the regular season rather than give him extended rest for the playoffs, limiting his activity to controlled workouts.
That might backfire, or it might not, and the repercussions of the former could represent a significant hurdle in their quest for a third consecutive World Series championship. Giving Ohtani time off during the regular season would have carried no penalty; the Dodgers would have won the NL West with or without him.
If the Dodgers decide Ohtani needs a few days off now, they would face this unpleasant dilemma: play one man short, or put him on the injured list. Under MLB rules, a player put on the injured list during a postseason series must sit out the next series. So, if Ohtani starts wincing at the end of his swings during the NLDS, a stint on the injured list would mean he could not play again until the World Series — if the Dodgers get there.
Shohei Ohtani speaks during a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Friday. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Ohtani has not hit a home run since Aug. 18. Since then, he is batting .157, and he has struck out in 41% of his at-bats. In those final five games, he hit the ball hard in the first two, then hit ground balls in the final three. In the on-deck circle, he did not always take a swing.
In batting practice Friday, he hit lots of home runs.
The general sense of how Ohtani is feeling now: good enough.
Ohtani said he feels “really good” as compared to before he went on the injured list, but acknowledged he isn’t sure what he might need to do to address the injuries over the winter.
“As of now, it’s something I’m just going to have to manage,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offered this medical update: “Shohei’s not 100%, but he’s going to be in the lineup.”
Same for Freddie Freeman, who has not homered in a month. The difference, Roberts said, is how encouraged the manager was by Freeman’s workouts this week.
“With Shohei, I’m not so sure,” Roberts said. “I know that once the lights turn on, the postseason starts, the focus will be heightened. I expect good things. I really do. We just haven’t seen it enough to really — for me to forecast it.”
Ohtani plays when he says he can. After he tore up his left shoulder in Game 2 of the 2024 World Series, he had trainers tape the shoulder in place and took 11 at-bats over the final three games of the series. He had one hit, a single.
“I do pride myself on playing every day,” Ohtani said. “I do see it as an obligation as a professional to be on the field every single day.”
Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, acknowledged recently that communication with Ohtani has been “awesome” but “fully sharing exactly how he’s feeling, maybe not as awesome.”
Said Friedman: “He’s not always the best reporter of how he feels. Freddie’s the same way. Clayton Kershaw. I’ve been around a lot of these guys that feel like their job is to be out there to help the team however they can, and sometimes will downplay some things that are bothering them. But again, it’s because he wants to help the team win.”
The Dodgers are talented enough that Ohtani not hitting well would not damage their chances as much as, say, Sale not pitching well for the Braves. In the NLDS and the first three games of the NLCS last October, Ohtani hit .103 with no home runs and struck out in 48% of his at-bats.
In the NLCS clincher, he hit three home runs (and struck out 10 batters). The Dodgers could trade a few bad days from Ohtani for that one really good day.
In that MLB advertisement, the one that featured Ohtani, the league acknowledged that its screaming headline was not exactly accurate. The explanation also fits the Dodgers’ hopes of Ohtani starring in October.
The ad, after all, appeared on Sept. 29.
October starts today?
“Logic and reason would tell you otherwise,” the ad read. “But October isn’t about being reasonable.
The quivering voice, the nerves, the raw emotions have long been in check.
It will be just like any other postseason game, even on the road.
That, at least, is what Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman keeps telling himself.
The last time Freeman stepped on the playing field at Truist Park during the postseason, he was helping Atlanta win a World Series championship, Atlanta knocking off the Houston Astros in 2021 for its first title since 1995.
He was a homegrown hero, a crowd favorite, their biggest star. He believed he would be playing the rest of his career in Atlanta.
Instead, he was gone three months later when Atlanta stopped negotiating with him in free agency and turned to Matt Olson, acquiring Olson from the Oakland Athletics and quickly signing him to an eight-year, $168 million contract extension.
Freeman, who scrambled to find a team with only a few weeks remaining before the start of the season, wound up signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, receiving a six-year, $162 million deal, and tearfully parting with the team he loved, and a fanbase that loved him right back.
Freeman, who broke down in tears several times when he first returned to Atlanta in 2022, no longer cries when the Dodgers play annually there, trying to treat it like any other city.
But this will be different.
These are the playoffs.
Freeman can end Atlanta’s fabulous comeback season with his bat, or Atlanta can stop the Dodgers’ bid to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series championships.
The Dodgers face Atlanta in Game 1 of the NL Division Series Saturday (4 p.m. ET) at Dodger Stadium, with the winner of the best-of-five playing the winner of the San Diego Padres-Milwaukee Brewers series. The loser goes home.
“I'm going to try and not treat it any differently, and nor should anybody else treat anything differently,’’ Freeman told USA TODAY Sports and MLB.com outside the Dodgers’ clubhouse. “I understand it will be a storyline. I get it, but it is five years later. But I’m not going to try and look at it any differently. It's another team that I'm trying to get through to win another championship, and I know they're thinking the same thing.
“It's not the Los Angeles Freddies, you know? But I understand. I get the storyline. And it's an easy storyline. So, I try not to think about it like that. Come game time, I don't think anybody's going to be worrying about it. We could talk about it now, but by (Saturday), I don't think anybody's going to be worrying about who played for what team.’’
Certainly, it will be impossible during the series not to draw the comparisons between Freeman and Olson, but the truth of the matter is that it’s worked wonderfully for both teams.
The Dodgers don’t win back-to-back World Series championships without Freeman, who is beloved in Los Angeles. The 37-year-old grew up in nearby Orange County.
Olson, 32 and five years younger, has been everything Atlanta envisioned, too. He has become one of the game’s finest power hitters, hitting 187 homers since joining Atlanta five years ago − averaging 37 homers and 106 RBI a season. Olson also has become the game’s premier ironman, playing in every game since he joined Atlanta with a consecutive game streak of 944 games − ninth-longest of all time.
Yet, for those who believe there’s a rivalry between the two, or that Freeman may harbor ill feelings towards Olson, there’s absolutely no truth to it.
The fact of the matter is that the two have become close friends, and have even attended Morgan Wallen concerts together in Atlanta.
“I mean, there is nothing but love there,’’ Freeman said. “I know people are going to want to pit us (against one another) and that, but our families have hung out together. Sorry to ruin those rumors or anything if there is anything, but no, we've had great times.’’
And, yes, Freeman, whose career should land him in Cooperstown one day, roots for Olson to excel ... except when the Dodgers are facing Atlanta.
“He's a great guy, an unbelievable baseball player,’’ Freeman said. “I mean, he's one of the (best) power hitters in our game right now. He goes out there and he hits 50 homers a year. So it's fun, and he's from there, it’s cool.’’
And hopefully, Freeman says, when the two teams play one another in the postseason, it will simply be two superstars facing one another, and no comparisons − or flashbacks to five years ago.
“We can go up and just play baseball, and obviously everything else on the outside, people are going to do that,’’ Freeman said. “There's nothing we can do about it. He came in after me. I left. It's just how it is, and he understands it. …
“No one’s thinking about five years ago. I’m not. I’m just trying to help win a baseball game for the Dodgers. That’s all I’m trying to do. He’s trying to help the Braves win. There’s nothing else to it.’’
It won’t be anything different whether the games are in Los Angeles, or in Atlanta. It may be his former home, and the memories there will forever be cherished, but there’s no time for sentimentality. Freeman plans to treat this just like he’s going to Philadelphia or New York, although the boos certainly won’t be as loud.
“Time heals and time moves on,’’ Freeman said. “No one's really worried about it anymore, except when this happens. I think it's just the narrative that leads up to the series. And once the series starts, that narrative is going to be gone.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 24: Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after winning the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The MLB Postseason is in full swing and the Division Series are set:
American League
(2) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Chicago White Sox
(1) Tampa Bay Rays vs. (4) New York Yankees
National League
(1) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (4) San Diego Padres
(2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (3) Atlanta Braves
There are numerous former Rockies on these playoff rosters.
White Sox
Drew Romo
Brenton Doyle
Randal Grichuk
Rays
Ryan Vilade
Yankees
Ryan McMahon
Brewers
Antonio Senzatela
Dodgers
Seth Halvorsen
Braves
Brent Suter
So my question this evening is this: Which old friend(s) are you rooting for in the Division Series? Let us know in the comments!
Bryce Harper and the Phillies haven't won a playoff series since 2023.
Bryce Harper is expecting change in Philadelphia after another disappointing October.
The Phillies have gone three straight seasons without winning a playoff series after pushing the Diamondbacks to a seven-game series in the NLCS back in 2023.
But Harper asserts that next season will look different in Philly after yet another flop in early fall.
A candid Bryce Harper answers questions about Don Mattingly's future and the Phillies roster going into 2027. pic.twitter.com/u6I5OzDRUs
“Each year’s so different than the year before. I don’t really put stock into years before or what happened or anything else,” Harper said after being eliminated by the Braves. “This was a brand new team. Obviously, we had the guys that are part of that core group that we are.
“I’d imagine this team is going to look a lot different next year with the guys that are leaving this clubhouse. So, we’ll see.”
Since 2023, the Phillies have suffered NLDS exits in 2024 and 2025 before losing to the Braves in the wild-card round this week.
In 2026, Philadelphia finished with an 88-74 record and needed a Game 162 victory to secure its fifth consecutive postseason berth.
The Phillies had won at least 90 games in each of the prior three regular seasons.
Harper, a two-time MVP and nine-time All-Star, is signed with the team through 2031 and turns 34 in two weeks.
Bryce Harper and the Phillies haven’t won a playoff series since 2023. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“You’re here to do business. You’re here to win games, and we didn’t do that,” Harper said after their 6-2 Game 3 loss in Atlanta.
Harper wasn’t fully on an island either.
Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who has been with the major-league club since 2015, also noted the team’s shortcomings, specifically honing in on everything not coming together at the right time this season.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola walks to the dugout after the first inning against the Atlanta Braves in game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Field in Cumberland, Georgia on Oct. 2, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Obviously, we’d love to win a World Series with these guys. We’ve been together quite a while, and we’ve got a good clubhouse, and you know, good characters on this team,” Nola said. “We know what type of guys are in here. We know what type of players we have, and what we’re capable of.
“(We need to) kind of play good at the right time.”
Interim manager Don Mattingly also spoke about the team’s loss and what factored into it.
“You’d love to be able to set your pitching up and them be rested and all that kind of stuff,” said Mattingly, who exited his post as Phillies skipper on Friday. “But that’s not the way it went.
“We had to fight to get ourselves in, and to do what we had to do to get in, we had to do what we had to do basically every game in the series.”
Baseball: NLDS Playoffs: Los Angeles Dodgers Juan Uribe (9) victorious after hitting game-winning home run vs Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Game 4. Sequence. Los Angeles, CA 10/7/2013 CREDIT: Robert Beck (Photo by Robert Beck /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X157033 TK2 R1 F295 )
LOS ANGELES — The 2026 National League Division Series is the sixth postseason matchup between the Dodgers and Braves, dating back to 1996, and the fourth playoff matchup between the two teams in the last nine years.
The Dodgers beat the Braves in the NLDS in 2013 and 2018, both in four games, then beat Atlanta in seven games in a classic 2020 NLCS, coming back from down three games to one.
Atlanta swept the Dodgers in the 1996 NLDS and beat the Dodgers in six games in the 2021 NLCS.
Let’s take a brief look back at each previous October tilt.
1996 NLDS: Braves 3, Dodgers 0
In the first few years of the Division Series, “home-field advantage” meant playing the first two games on the road before coming home for the final three. So the wild card Dodgers were home to start off against the 96-win Braves, but it didn’t affect Atlanta much.
The Braves won two one-run games at Dodger Stadium, with John Smoltz allowing a run in nine innings of Game 1 before Javy López homered off of Antonio Osuna in the 10th inning. Greg Maddux allowed two unearned runs in seven innings of Game 2, then the Braves cruised in Atlanta in Game 3 to complete the sweep.
2013 NLDS: Dodgers 3, Braves 1
Juan Uribe was terrible in the first two years of his Dodgers contract, but turned things around in 2013. Even when he failed, he came up aces that year, including bunting foul twice down a run with Yasiel Puig on second base and nobody out in the eighth inning. Forced to swing, Uribe hit a two-run home run off David Carpenter while Craig Kimbrel watched from the visiting bullpen, sending the Dodgers to the NLCS.
Hyun-jin Ryu (seven innings in Game 1) and Clayton Kershaw (eight innings in Game 2) did the heavy lifting in two shutout wins in Los Angeles, then the Dodgers closed out in four games in Atlanta. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a grand slam off Walker Buehler to win Game 3 for the Braves, a moment Buehler has cited multiple times as helping him learn how to deal with failure and embrace pressure situations going forward.
That Game 3 win in Atlanta was the last Braves win in a game facing elimination before Thursday’s wild card win over the Phillies in Game 3.
2020 NLCS: Dodgers 4, Braves 3
The Dodgers erased a 3-1 series deficit at Globe Life Field in Texas. Will Smith homered off Will Smith to key a Game 5 win, and Cody Bellinger hit the pennant-winning home run in Game 7, and dislocated his shoulder in the celebration.
2021 NLCS: Braves 4, Dodgers 2
The Dodgers three healthy Cy Young Award-vote-getting starting pitchers broken down by the NLCS, with Max Scherzer unable to pitch in the series at all. Eddie Rosario was Superman, hitting a robust .560/.607/1.040 with three home runs to win NLCS MVP.
When it comes to Shohei Ohtani’s health, the Dodgers have plenty of hope — but few precise expectations.
That, at least, was the way manager Dave Roberts framed his superstar’s status on the eve of the National League Division Series on Friday, saying he was hopeful Ohtani would play well after battling right arm and left knee injuries during the second half of the season, but also acknowledging that he was “not so sure” about exactly what the slugger would be able to provide.
“I know that once the lights turn on, the postseason starts, [his] focus will be heightened,” Roberts said. “I expect good things. I really do. We just haven’t seen it enough really for me to forecast it.”
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks towards the home plate umpire against the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While addressing reporters on Friday for the first time since before going on the injured list in mid-September — when his injuries had become so bad he was showing visible signs of pain at the plate — Ohtani insisted his ailments had “gotten much better” and that the past few days had been “productive” for his previously slumping swing.
“I think my swing has gotten better,” he said in Japanese. “If I can make solid adjustments today, I think I can go into tomorrow in sufficient condition.”
However, Roberts also reiterated that the four-time MVP is “not 100%” following an 11-for-70 slump in his final 18 games of the regular season (the last five of which came after he returned from the IL last week).
Ohtani, meanwhile, described his injuries as something he will have to continue to manage during the playoffs, unsure if further treatment will be needed in the offseason.
During the Japanese portion of his news conference, he even revealed that, during his stint on the injured list, he avoided holding his young daughter with his aching right arm.
“I was able to hold my daughter using my left arm,” he said.
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up in the on-deck circle in the top of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Getty Images
“The physical part, I think, he’s kind of moving past that,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said. “Now it’s just gaining the timing of different speeds and when he wants to get his move off, that sort of thing. Kind of the usual stuff that hitters go through, as opposed to trying to cheat [to pitches] because the physical components are limiting them.”
During the club’s bye week workouts, Ohtani took batting practice on the field multiple times — typically a rarity for him — and even sent a couple balls nearly to the outfield scoreboards, according to Bates.
“It was as good as I’ve seen it this year,” Bates said, “as far as just the way the ball was coming off [the bat].”
He also got live at-bats in the team’s intrasquad scrimmages, including a couple matchups against Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday.
“Yoshi won the matchup,” Roberts joked, but Ohtani at the very least didn’t strike out.
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Getty Images
Whether that will be enough for Ohtani to truly turn the corner, however, remains to be seen.
For the one intrasquad scrimmage reporters were allowed to observe on Thursday, Ohtani was nowhere to be seen (staying back in the clubhouse and indoor batting cages to get his work in instead).
Ohtani himself also failed to offer much of an expectation for how he might perform this October, saying only: “I think I can get closer to the results I want if I can adjust to the atmosphere of the postseason.”
For now, such hopes will have to suffice.
Only when Game 1 of the NLDS begins on Saturday afternoon will Ohtani and the Dodgers know exactly where he is at.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 29: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees takes batting practice prior to Game One of the American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are still several questions to be answered about who will star for the Yankees in the American League Division Series against the Rays.
Aaron Boone met with the media during Friday’s workout day and shared crumbs of information on questionable players, including Aaron Judge and Ryan Weathers. After taking some reps during batting practice and taking some swings in the cage, Judge is still being considered to make the roster according to the Yankees manager.
The Pinstripe Alley Feed appeared divided on the subject, with some believing that he’ll make the roster and appear as a pinch-hitter. The majority, as of Friday, voted that the Yankees captain won’t make it this time.
As for the lefty who’s been on the IL since late August with a left forearm flexor strain, Boone mentioned that he “expects Weathers to be available,” but admittedly hasn’t made any official decisions as of yet.
Let’s begin with dissecting the prospective starting rotation. Boone confirmed that Gerrit Cole will get the start for Game 1, which was expected since the Yankees took care of business against Boston in a two-game sweep. He’ll be making his first postseason start for the Yankees since 2024, as he missed the majority of last season due to Tommy John surgery.
Gerrit Cole meets the media ahead of his start tomorrow at Tropicana Field in Game One of the ALDS. pic.twitter.com/IAIObDQkx8
Cam Schlittler, who dominated the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, is reportedly expected to start in Game 2. The Yankees’ ace was his dominant self as he struck out 10 in 6.1 innings. Ultimately, if it comes down to the wire, it wouldn’t be surprising if he also got the start for Game 5.
Then there’s Max Fried, who earned the win that secured the Yankees’ slot in the Division Series. He’ll likely be an option to start Game 3 in time for the Yankees’ return to the Bronx. Boone also mentioned that Carlos Rodón could get the start for either Game 3 or Game 4, if needed. We’ll almost definitely see him in a relief role if he doesn’t end up in a starting role.
The Yankees made Wild Card Series history, having just 10 pitchers and 16 position players make the roster, and it worked out well in the end. However, will history repeat itself in the ALDS? Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn, and Will Warren will certainly be on the staff, but it’d be interesting to see Weathers in the mix if he becomes available. Ryan Yarbrough also made the Wild Card Series roster but didn’t make an appearance against Boston. The question is: Can the Yankees pull off the same feat in the Division Series with just 10 pitchers?
Moving on to the position players, there are quite a few impressive younger guys who made an impact in the Wild Card Series. George Lombard Jr., who went a combined 4-for-8 in the series with three runs, shined in the demolition of Boston’s playoff hopes. Even before the Yankees clinched their 61st postseason berth, some went as far to say that his swing reminds them of Yankees legend Derek Jeter. He also proved himself reliable on defense, which is a promising sign for his future at the position.
After getting the start in both games of the Wild Card Series, it’s also clear that Spencer Jones has earned his spot in the lineup. He recorded two hits and three runs combined in his first career postseason appearances and was flexible defensively, as he played right field in Game 2 while Trent Grisham retook his spot in center.
Grisham, on the other hand, made his return to the order on Wednesday after being sidelined for most of September with a hamstring injury. It would be surprising if he didn’t make the roster, given how compromised he looked in his brief time in the outfield, but that doesn’t seem likely since Boone seems to be relying on more position player options than not.
One of the larger unanswered questions is whether Giancarlo Stanton will be an option to face Tampa Bay. He’ll likely make it on as a pinch-hitter, especially since he made the roster for the Wild Card Series. With Ben Rice as DH and either Paul Goldschmidt or Luis García Jr. at first and Austin Wells behind the plate, there’s not much room for Stanton to squeeze into the starting lineup.
What else is there to say about Rice other than the fact that he’s the Yankees’ most productive hitter without Aaron Judge? There’s no doubt that if he keeps up his hot streak, he’ll have the Rays’ starting rotation quivering at the bump.
The Yankees will most likely have Jazz Chisholm Jr. play second and have the option to start either Anthony Volpe, Amed Rosario, or José Caballero at third. Volpe got the start at second in Game 1, and went 1-for-3 against Boston. In the locker room celebrations that followed the annihilation of the Red Sox on Wednesday night, Rice called Volpe a “menace” with a champagne bottle.
Rosario didn’t produce offensively during his Game 1 start of the Wild Card Series, but he did draw a walk after a successful ABS challenge that put Lombard Jr. in scoring position in the fourth. It’s unclear whether he’s poised to make the postseason roster over options such as Volpe and Caballero, who the latter of whom remained on the bench against the Boston.
It’s difficult to imagine that Ali Sánchez will start over Austin Wells, who went 3-for-6 in the series with three runs. Sánchez will be included on the roster as a backup.
One thing’s for sure: Cody Bellinger will be easy to count on in the field and is poised to make an impact at the plate against the Rays. He proved himself after he instantly made the Red Sox regret walking Rice in the sixth inning on Wednesday night, crushing a 3-run homer that put the Yankees ahead 8-1.
The Yankees’ official ALDS roster is expected to be released on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the series in Tampa. Until then, Yankees fans can only hope for the best and brace for Boone’s decisions to come.
Here are five things to know about the regular-season series between the Yankees and Rays, which saw Tampa Bay win seven of 13 games, as they meet in the ALDS:
1. Rice’s dominance
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If Ben Rice becomes the centerpiece of the lineup again in the ALDS, depending on the status of Aaron Judge, the Yankees might find some extra comfort in that. Rice absolutely crushed the Rays during the regular season. Among teams Rice played at least five times, he recorded his third-highest OPS (1.320) against Tampa Bay.
He finished with seven homers and 12 RBIs, too, and was perhaps the Yankees’ most consistent hitter against the Rays outside of José Caballero (eight RBIs in 13 games) and Ryan McMahon (seven RBIs, eight hits in 10 games).
Ben Rice of the New York Yankees in action at bat against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 30, 2026. Getty Images
2. Containing Caminero
Junior Caminero became the youngest player since at least 1900 to homer in six straight games this year, and he finished his second full MLB season with 42 home runs. But against the Yankees, he managed just one homer and 10 hits, striking out 10 times and cobbling together a .565 OPS.
3. Turf monster
The Yankees went 2-5 at Tropicana Field this season, including a sweep back in April, and will need to win at least one game at the climate-controlled stadium to advance. They were outscored by a combined nine runs in those games, but it underscored an inability to win at the venue — a 79-95 record since the start of the 2006 season — that must change at least once.
Junior Caminero and the AL East champion Rays will host Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday. AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
4. Starting point
The Yankees received strong starting pitching against Tampa Bay this year, at least with rotation names — so excluding Luis Gil, Ryan Weathers and Paul Blackburn — who will get the ball to start an ALDS game. Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Max Fried pitched to a 2.75 ERA across nine starts, allowing just 17 earned runs across 55 ²/₃ innings. Fried, Schlittler and Rodón all tossed at least eight innings in one outing, too.
5. Bellinger’s struggles
Unlike Rice, Cody Bellinger never found a rhythm at the plate against the Rays, striking out 13 times in his 47 at-bats (27.7 percent) — compared to just 76 in his other 449 at-bats in the regular season (16.9 percent) — and recording a .522 OPS.
Oct 1, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielders Michael Harris II (23) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The thing that tickles me about the photo above is the bespoke “Let It Fly / Wild Card Won” sticker on that champagne bottle.
It’s been a beautiful, mostly stress-free day of enjoying the satisfaction of last night’s cathartic win and all the content that came with it. For example, did you see the BravesVision crew’s reaction to Mike’s homer?
BravesVision and Braves social media channels also have snippets of interviews in the champagne celebration, the pressers, and more. My favorite moment changes every hour, but right now it’s either Dubie being double-goggled up or Wiley’s absolute disregard for his own body and safety by not donning any protecting gear.
Anyways, more to come from us on the Divisonal Series that kicks off tomorrow. Who do you got for Padres/Brewers, White Sox/Guardians, and Yankees/Rays?
But the floor is yours tonight to speculate on the Braves’ NLDS roster, pitching plans, keys to beating LA, and more. I’ll leave you with this incredible field view and crowd reaction to Money Mike’s ridiculous(ly beautiful) homer.
Question: "So what was it like to be in the ballpark last night?"
Here are five things to know about the Rays as the Yankees get ready to open the 2026 ALDS in St. Petersburg:
1. Delicate balance
Drew Rasmussen, who will start Game 1, has posted an impressive 1.81 ERA in 10 career starts — and 11 games — against the Yankees. He also has overcome a number of major elbow injuries to get to this point. Rasmussen became an unlikely success story after two Tommy John surgeries (2016 and ’17), and he underwent an internal brace procedure in 2023.
2. Getting the boot
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez throws a pitch during the fourth inning of game one of a split doubleheader against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Rays All-Star Nick Martinez (3.10 ERA in 31 starts) spent three years at Fordham as a relief pitcher and infielder, and he was actually kicked out of Yankee Stadium the last time Martinez went as a fan. The Rams’ practice had been canceled that day. “Might’ve had a few too many adult beverages,” Martinez told reporters earlier this year. Next time he went to Yankee Stadium, it was as a major league pitcher.
3. Other local ties
Kevin Cash might’ve had his first World Series ring as a manager if he left Blake Snell in six years ago, but he actually earned one as a player for the Yankees’ 2009 title despite appearing in just 10 games. Cash, who also got a ring in 2007 with Boston, had been released by the Yankees in September.
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash speaks to the media ahead of the ALDS game against the New York Yankees Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Florida. ZUMAPRESS.com
4. Closing time
Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker tied for the MLB lead with 41 regular-season saves, and the Rays also might have been the league’s best closing team this season. They won 64 percent of their one-run games (25-14) — the best in MLB.
5. Second chance
Lefty Cam Booser (1.98 ERA in 42 appearances) might get some high-leverage matchups in the ALDS, but he actually initially retired back in 2017. In high school, he broke his femur and fractured a vertebra, according to The Athletic. He underwent Tommy John surgery in college, tore his labrum with the Twins and broke a bone in his back while biking when a car hit him.
He was also suspended for 50 games in 2015 after testing positive for marijuana. He reportedly joined a carpenters union and worked in construction following retirement before beginning to claw his way back with an independent team in 2021.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal set to take on Braves in extreme heat conditions. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Saturday is expected to be the hottest day of the heat wave. Temperatures are predicted to reach the high 90s during the rest of the week.
The harsh conditions aren’t expected to be as much of a factor in Game 2, with first pitch set for 5 p.m. Sunday.
But for Skubal, 29, the heat wave raises the question of low long he will be able to go.
According to a study by Jyh-How Huang, Yung-Chin Chiu and Chen-Kang Chang from the National Library of Medicine, when pitchers and hitters are playing in an extremely hot environment, there is an increase in slugging percentage, isolated power, walks and home runs.
The Brain Cooler wrote that extreme heat conditions can affect pitchers’ performances because they may struggle with grip and control of the baseball. They also added that players’ health can be affected because they may play with an increased heart rate, sweating and fluid loss — all of which can lead to dehydration.
Tarik Skubal is expected to pitch in extreme heat conditions against the Atlanta Braves. Wally Skalij for CA Post
Skubal’s play style could be a blessing and a curse this weekend. Known as one of the more prominent power pitchers in the game, Skubal could find himself exhausting early if he relies heavily on his fastball.
Last season, he threw it 38% of the time, topping out at 100 mph.
Aside from the challenging conditions, the Braves present another daunting task.
Atlanta finished the regular season fifth in the National League for slugging percentage (.409) and tied with the Dodgers at fourth for home runs (204).
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to take on the Atlanta Braves in extreme heat conditions. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Matt Olson led the Braves with a .502 slugging percentage and 41 homers. Behind him in slugging were Michael Harris (.491) and Drake Baldwin (.459).
The Dodgers are expected to have an early advantage against the Braves, who used a lot of their rotation in a three-game NL wild-card series against the Phillies.
If Atlanta manages to knock out Skubal early, it might level the playing field.
Los Angeles’ bullpen has been the weakest link in its star-studded cast this season. FanGraphs had its bullpen finishing with a 3.74 team ERA, a 9.9 walk percentage and an HR/9 of 0.96.
Whoa, last night was fun, no? This playoff series win was at least five years in the making, which is exactly the last time the Braves won a playoff series. The Phillies have excelled at beating the Braves in October in recent years, but didn’t have a lot of luck with anyone else. I felt very confident in the 50-50 nature of this particular encounter, and felt Atlanta could pull this off if they don’t blow it. However that’s been the rub, nay a calloused blister formed over 35 years of (mostly) playoff disappointment. But Michael Harris and crew pushed through years of angst and pain into the next playoff round.
The Braves will have to refocus on the red-eye flight this morning and prepare for a much different encounter tomorrow. The Dodgers will be rested and preparing to kick off their run toward a third World Series title. This is not a team like the Phillies, who needed to scratch and claw to advance and brought a jumbled and rest-deprived starting rotation. Let’s have a look at that Dodgers rotation and what will greet the Braves.
Starting Rotation
The Dodgers healthy starting pitching options look like this: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Justin Wrobleski, and Emmet Sheehan. Is that all they have and no Shohei Ohtani, huh Dodgers? They aren’t the Evil Empire 2.0 for nothing, folks. The best option to start Game 1 will be Yoshinobu Yamamoto. After him the Dodgers can run three left-hand starting pitchers at Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Michael Harris II. Let’s walk through Yamamoto first.
Those are some menacing red bars there. The other menacing part is the arsenal, which includes a 96 MPH fastball, split-finger, cutter, curveball, sinker, and slider. The four-season fastball usage has gone down season, and so have the strikeouts. But he has back-to-back 4.6+ WAR seasons, so it’s a pick-your-poison type of encounter.
I would expect the Yoshinobu to dial up the fastball some more in Game 1. There’s no reason to ration the fastballs or the MPH. He will enter Game 1 after 10 days of rest. The rested bullpen will be able to pick him up later in the game. If you’re looking for green shoots, Michael Harris is 2-6 lifetime versus Yamamoto. Drake Baldwin has a home in 3 plate appearances. All of NLWCS starters have hits off him except Matt Olson and Mauricio Dubon. But combined they’re 8-44 with 1 home run and a .182/.250/.333 line.
Next up will be the two lefties: Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell. Let’s grudgingly look at these lefty options.
If you don’t know Tarik Skubal, you may wish that you haven’t. He was the prize trade deadline target this July, and of course the Dodgers with their army of talent were able to get his services. He’s a back-to-back Cy Young award winner. He’s accumulated 1075 strikeouts in his age 29 season and 24.7 WAR. There’s no telling what it would take to sign him in the offseason. But right now, he’s bearing down on the Braves.
His fastball touches 100, works a devastating changeup off it, a sinker, slider, and why not a curveball as well. He’s also never faced the Braves as a team. Neat. For Game 3, Blake Snell has 28.3 career WAR, but has been limited to 104 innings over the last few years. He exited a game on September 16th after 1 inning with a groin issue. But it’s apparently okay now.
Tyler Glasnow might be waiting in Game 4. He’s been back after a back injury that warranted a 60-day Injured List stint. He’s put up a 4.46/2.14/2.88 line since. He struck out 7 Braves in five innings in a game that the Braves would eventually win on August 25th.
Dodgers Heavy Hitters
The Dodgers are second in position player WAR at 26.9 WAR and feature nine hitters with at least 10 home runs. Shohei Ohtani will not be pitching, but he brings a team-high 30 HRs and 139 wRC+. Mookie Betts has a .780 OPS at short. Max Muncy has 29 home runs and a .830 OPS. Old friend Freddie Freeman has been merely pretty good with a 120 wRC+. Then there’s Andy Pages and Will Smith as well, and Teoscar Hernandez with his torture devices. It’s a deep lineup, everybody.
Dodgers bullpen
Lefty Tanner Scott brings a 100 MPH fastball and 25 saves into this series. However the Braves victimize him for two losses to August. Those would be the Ha-Seong Kim game and another featuring Ozzie Alibes with an 8th-inning RBI single.
I’m deeply concerned about Game 1
Yesterday these guys were dumping champaign on each other deep into the night. Since June, the Braves are 5-10 in the first game of a road series when they don’t get a travel day. They appear to arrive in new cities rather flat. This time they will have Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Tarik Skubal waiting on them. Now, they do get a travel day this time. But they will also arrive with their starting rotation in a mess.
Chris Sale bookended the previous series. Starting him on Sunday for Game 2 would keep him in line to pitch Game 5, or perhaps be the fireman in a Game 4. But what does Walt Weiss do for Game 1? It’s too early for Tyler Mahle, Grant Holmes just pitched almost 1 turn through the order. No one knows yet if Bryce Elder will be available (at time of writing, at least). Martin Perez won’t be eligible to return until Game 3. And hero Ray Kerr just picked up 10 outs. So what can Walt Weiss do?
There’s Didier Fuentes, Brent Suter, Dylan Dodd and Robert Suarez as multi-inning options. JR Ritchie and AJ Smith-Shawver are also available. Weiss has limited options here. They might not have a starter and they may not score.
Are the Dodgers going to pitch to Ronald?
Ronald Acuña Jr went 1 for 9 in the NL Wild Card Series. However, he needed to be super patient. There were 4 walks, with one of those intentional in a Game 2 big spot. Overall, he had a very good .385 OBP versus the top end of the Philadelphia pitching staff. But it won’t fit The NarrativeTM and only the 1 for 9 will be remembered. However, look what he was served.
This is a classic Don Mattingly approach, especially as the Marlins manager. A heavy dose of inside pitches, and no fastballs in the healthy part of the zone. They dotted the upper inside corner, which is thankfully better than in his ear as in previous seasons. The walks definitely hurt the Phillies last night, mainly because of what Michael Harris would contribute. I’m not sure how the Dodgers will approach Ronald. But with some strong left handed pitching, they may not have to challenge him. Postseason games hinge on home runs, and they may elect to not give him that opportunity.
What happened to the outfield defense?
This was funny, but the play in right field overall in the Wild Card Series was bad, shambolic even. Even Michael Harris had trouble in the first inning of the series. But there’s a throughline between Ronald Acuña Jr and Bryce. Both have had numerous lower body injuries. Harper has been ailing since June. When Ronald would finally get comfortable at the plate this season, an injury would knock him off track.
While Harper has the offseason now to rest and perhaps consider options for his knee. The Braves will play again on Saturday afternoon. Designated hitter is an option for Acuña, but it’s also a position that Drake Baldwin needs while not behind the plate. Lane Thomas is returning, but I don’t know if this helps this particular situation. The Dodger Stadium’s right field has some nuance, so Ronnie will have to be on his toes.
So now, Ronald will be in a position where he may not have as many opportunities for power. And he may be hobbled in right field. Atlanta media is going to Atlanta media, and the national ones may pile on as well. So it’s essential for the Braves that Ronald make the most of this series. And it will save us a full offseason of hot takes.
Ray Kerr is not a playoff one-off
Kerr was acquired by the Atlanta Braves in exchange for the Braves assuming 4 million of Matt Carpenter’s contract over the 2023 offseason. I remember being very excited about this move. I saw a lefty with a 96 MPH fastball, 3 option years, and a 38/13 K/BB ratio. I thought at the very least that the Braves would have a bullpen arm in the prime of his playing years that they could bring up and down as needed. So upside would be 2024 Dylan Lee, and baseline a helpful arm. With Bryce Elder and Martin Perez possibly unavailable, he may be employed as a multiple inning option again this series.
Projected Pitching Matchups
Fangraphs is guessing Didier Fuentes versus Tarik Skubal in Game 1. They give the Dodgers a 62% chance to win. I think Brent Suter is more likely, though we may see both. And we may see Yamamoto first, because Suter versus Skubal feels like overkill.
Game 2 will feature Chris Sale versus Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Again, the Dodgers might flip the first too. But Fangraphs gives the Dodgers a 56% chance in this matchup.
Game 3 will be a battle of Tylers. Glasnow for the Dodgers will meet Mahle for the Braves. Fangraphs puts 56% Dodgers again.
I don’t feel comfortable guessing any deeper for this series. And I would argue with Fangraphs’ odds, but honestly those numbers feel slightly favorable. The Braves did win 5 of 6 matchups this season. So maybe these are okay.
Dodgers in 4?
In any other regular season scenario, I wouldn’t be worried about Los Angeles. The Braves tended to play up for good teams this year more than any other year. They have the second best winning percentage versus over-.500 teams. However, they will enter this round with depleted starting pitching, a sagging offense, and perhaps a metaphorical (not physical, please) hangover. But we might as well win now that we’re past the first round.
Well, that was not the Wild Card round we wanted. This Cubs team provided the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in 2026. We’ll think of this as the year of the walkoff, brought to you in no small part by a pitching staff that was decimated by injuries. Pete Crow-Armstrong notching the first 40-40 season in the history of the franchise is clearly the defining highlight of the season, and we’ll all celebrate his MVP award when it’s official. But at the end of the day this team hit one of their down stretches towards the end of September and really just never turned it around. It’s disappointing, but baseball is gonna baseball.
Without the Cubs cheering interest in the Division Series this guide will return to its original vibe: a slightly snarky, but hopefully informative, look at all of the divisional action that kicks off tomorrow in Cleveland. Most of the former Cubs in the field were eliminated in the Wild Card round. So unless you’re really pulling for Cody Bellinger and the Yankees for some unfathomable reason, might I propose jumping on the bandwagon of the world’s most famous Chicagoan: Pope Leo XIV and cheering for the White Sox?
White Sox vs. Guardians: The choices of Master Samwise
To cheer for Chicago or to cheer against Chicago? That is a deep question many Cubs fans face today. As a Cubs fan who grew up far away and moved to Chicago in 2015, I’ve just really never had the animosity for the Sox that many native Chicagoans profess. Cheering for Cleveland, Tampa Bay or San Diego over the Sox really just feels ridiculous. There is no world where I’m taking Atlanta or Milwaukee over a team from Chicago and don’t make me laugh by suggesting I cheer for either coastal Death Star, have we met?
The Sox won their first playoff series since 2005 taking out the Astros in Houston. They’ll return to Chicago with a flawed, but scrappy team. Manager Will Venable will send Hagen Smith, the Game 1 opener from the Wild Card round, to the mound for Game 1 of the American League Divisional Series. Hey, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it [VIDEO].
To advance to the American League Championship Series, the Sox will need to thwart the Guardians. The Guardians have won the AL Central for the last three seasons, although they’ve only posted 90+ wins one time in that period. They’ll send Parker Messick, Gavin Williams and (likely) Foster Griffin to the mound.
On the position side Cleveland is still led by José Ramírez, although the future Hall of Famer had a down year this season only slashing .235/.320/.368 with 12 home runs with a wRC+ of 92 in 544 plate appearances. To put that in perspective, his 2025 slashline was .283/.360/.503 with 30 home runs and a wRC+ of 133 in 673 plate appearances. Savvy readers will note that 130 plate appearance difference, it seems pretty clear J-Ram was dealing with injuries this year. It’s worth keeping an eye on whether the drive all players destined for Cooperstown have will kick in in October transcending whatever issues hamstrung him in 2026. It’s worth noting he seemed to tap into that for his 1,000th RBI, which came on this solo home run in September [VIDEO].
The bullpens are closer in raw talent than you might think, with the Guardians rostering one of the best closers in the game in Cade Smith and the White Sox countering with Grant Taylor (who I discussed at length in the Wild Card Series guide). The Guardians relievers put up a 3.54 ERA off a 3.70 FIP with 46 saves in 63 opportunities this season. By fWAR their bullpen ranked second in the American League behind Boston. Meanwhile the White Sox relievers put up a 3.70 ERA off a 4.10 FIP with 41 saves in 71 opportunities. They ranked fifth by fWAR in the AL.
The regular season between these two teams was about as even as it gets with the White Sox holding a 7-6 edge over the course of the season.
Braves vs. Dodgers: Out of the frying pan into the fryer
The Phillies gave the Braves a real run for their money coming back to win Game 2 of the Wild Card round before ultimately succumbing in Game 3. The Braves won handily, and probably feel a bit of swagger heading to LA. They’ll need every ounce of that swagger to take on the defending World Series Champion Dodgers.
There are not probable pitchers announced for either team beyond the Dodgers Game 1 hurler, Tarik Skubal. FanGraphs Roster Resource currently projects Game 1 as a bullpen game for the Braves followed by Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow following Skubal for the Dodgers [VIDEO].
Starting pitching seems like a definitive edge to the Dodgers, if only because L.A. will line up three aces and Atlanta will counter with a future Hall of Fame ace, a solid guy and their bullpen. It’s a similar story on the offensive side of the equation where the Braves are led by first baseman Matt Olson who hit 41 home runs in 2026 plus catcher Drake Baldwin, former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and Cubs killer Ozzie Albies. But the Dodgers are sporting the second best offense in MLB behind the Chicago Cubs. It turns out even relatively down years from guys like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman is still utterly dominant relative to the rest of the league [VIDEO].
Even the bullpen, which had given the Dodgers some trouble down the stretch, shows a large edge for LA. While some of their relievers struggled at times this season, they righted the ship in the final two weeks of the season. Closer Tanner Scott had a 2.69 ERA off a 2.10 FIP with 26 saves in 63.2 innings. Braves closer Raisel Iglesias compares favorably to Scott head-to-head with a 2.55 ERA off a 3.17 FIP and 34 saves in 60 innings, however the remainder of Atlanta’s pen just isn’t in the same league as the Dodgers [VIDEO].
For what it’s worth, despite all of the statistical indicators pointing in the direction of the Dodgers, Atlanta won this series handily in 2026 taking five of six meetings between the two teams.
Yankees vs. Rays: The steward and the king
All due apologies to the Tampa Bay Rays with the title here, but until the sabermetrically inclined little front office who could can hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy they are going to have to live with looking like the underdog against the Yankees. Yes, that’s even true when the Rays won 98 games to their division rival’s 93. Yes, even when you’ve narrowly beaten the Yankees head-to-head in seven of 13 games.
Admittedly, the Rays will likely get a shot at the king playing without their best hitter. Aaron Judge was left off the Wild Card roster due to a calf strain that has kept him from fulling engaging in baseball activities. As of Friday afternoon, it seems probable he’ll be left off the Division Series roster as well. Ben Rice did an excellent job filling Judge’s size 17 shoes. The Yankees first baseman went five for ten with two home runs and six RBI in the Wild Card round. Meanwhile, the Rays best hitter is absolutely 23-year-old Junior Caminero who hit .276/.360/.524 with 42 home runs and a wRC+ of 142 in 702 plate appearances. Caminero is in the PCA tier of outstanding young MLB talent as evidenced by the fact that it was the second 40-home run campaign of his young career [VIDEO].
The Rays were actually ahead of the Yankees offensively this season, pacing the American League in position player fWAR with the Yankees 2.6 fWAR behind (admittedly, in one fewer game).
The Yankees hold the edge in pitching, however, and you don’t need to look further than Cam Schlittler’s performance against the Red Sox to see why. While both the Rays and the Yankees have excellent starting and relief pitching the Yankees just edge out the Rays in both categories. While the Rays will send Drew Rasmussen and his 2.67 ERA off a 2.82 FIP in 172 innings to the mound in Game 1 followed by Freddy Peralta and Nick Martinez, the Yankees will counter with Gerrit Cole, followed by Wild Card hero Schlittler and (probably) Max Fried. You can marvel over what a weapon Schlittler can be reliving his 10 strikeouts against the Red Sox below [VIDEO].
The day before the Cubs began their unceremonial march to being swept out of the Wild Card round by the Padres I wrote about my concerns regarding the way they were limping into the Postseason on the back of a difficult schedule. Part of my concern was also how hot the Padres were finishing the season with a 16-2 mark in their last 18 games. Well, now make that an 18-2 mark in their last 20 games as they head into Milwaukee to take on the team who posted the best record in baseball this season: The Brewers.
To be clear, the Brewers aren’t exactly limping into the playoffs. They won their last five games and went 15-5 in their last 20. This is truly two teams at their peak colliding. It should be an incredible series for baseball fans.
The Brewers will hand the baseball to likely NL Cy Young award winner Jacob Misiorowski while the Padres will counter with veteran Robbie Ray. Baseball is prone to the strangest outcomes, so it is entirely possible that Ray will outduel Misiorowski just because, however it’s hard to fathom they guy who’s thrown more than 1,000 pitches over 100 MPH as a starter flopping in early October [VIDEO]:
In game two, Logan Henderson will take on Michael King in a matchup that is sure to give Cubs fans flashbacks to unhittability, and while things are unannounced for Game 3, it certainly seems like a Brewers bullpen situation led by some combination of Dustin May, Shane Drohan and Robert Gasser going toe-to-toe with Nick Pivetta.
The bullpens are probably comparable with maybe a slight edge to the Padres? The question mark is deliberate, it’s hard to know how it will play out in reality but the San Diego bullpen can basically shut a game down after the sixth inning with some combination of Mason Miller, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon, Yuki Matsui and Jason Adam. Frankly, that list is deep enough you can imagine it shutting down two games played on back-to-back nights with that crew [VIDEO].
That’s no shade to an excellent bullpen in Milwaukee. Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby are a fierce trio at the end of games, but you’d absolutely rather be the team wielding the five-headed monster than the three-headed monster to close out games in October.
It’s probably more important that both of these teams are the hottest versions of themselves than anything that came before. That said, it is worth noting that the Padres won the season series four games to two.
