Category: MLB

The Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals close out their four-game series this morning at Nationals Park. Colorado enters at 52-81, while Washington enters at 62-73.

Monday’s 13-3 loss extended the Rockies’ losing streak to a season-high seven games. During that stretch, Colorado was outscored 57-24, the rotation went 0-7 with a 9.64 ERA across 32.2 innings, and the offense averaged just 3.4 runs per game.

The Rockies have responded with two straight wins. They snapped the streak Tuesday behind an encouraging major-league debut from Mason Adams, who allowed one run over four-plus innings while striking out five. They followed it Wednesday with a 13-1 win powered by a loud offense and seven innings of one-run ball from Tanner Gordon.

Now they have a chance to leave Washington with three wins in four games.

Rookie right-hander Gabriel Hughes gets the ball for Colorado in his ninth major-league start, still looking for his first win.

Hughes enters at 0-5 with a 6.54 ERA, though the expected numbers are more encouraging. His 3.46 xERA, .230 xBA and 4.5% barrel rate suggest the quality of contact against him has been better than the surface results.

The pitch mix is still fastball-heavy. Hughes throws his four-seamer 55% of the time, and his fastball usage climbs over 60% when including the sinker. The four-seamer has not missed many bats, but it has limited damage, holding hitters to a .324 xSLG and a 28.2% hard-hit rate.

His hard-contact suppression is encouraging, but his low chase rate, low whiff rate and modest strikeout rate are working against him.

The curveball is the pitch to watch behind the fastball. Hughes has thrown it only 10.5% of the time, but hitters have a .326 xSLG against it with a 31.4% whiff rate and a 52.9% strikeout rate. It is still a small sample, but the numbers are interesting.

Washington counters with Jake Irvin, who gives the Rockies a unique look but is also a pitcher they should have a chance to hit.

The 29-year-old righty enters today with a 6.53 ERA in August. He has completed six innings in each of his last two starts, but the overall month has still been rough.

Standing 6-foot-6, Irvin gets excellent extension and works from a lower slot, with a 27-degree arm angle. He works with six pitches, anchored by three fastballs: a four-seamer, sinker and cutter. The four-seamer leads the arsenal at 28.2%, followed by his curveball at 23.4% and sinker at 19.7%. The cutter checks in at 15.8%, while the sweeper and changeup are used less often.

The curveball has been his best pitch by run value. It is not a big 12-6 shape. It is tighter, with more horizontal action, and the velocity gap is real: his fastballs sit in the low 90s, while the curveball averages around 78 mph.

After Wednesday night’s 13-run outburst, the Rockies have a decent chance to keep the offense moving if they force Irvin into the zone and avoid letting the curveball steal too many easy counts.

Connor Norby starts at second base after hitting his first career grand slam Wednesday night. Norby has hit .310/.408/.571 with two home runs and nine RBI in 14 games since joining the Rockies. Troy Johnston gets the start in right field after going deep last night and hitting .318/.444/.636 over his last seven games. Zac Veen is also back in the lineup, starting in left field.

And then there is the 63-win chase.

Colorado needs to finish 11-18 to reach 63 wins, and the schedule does not exactly open up after this series. Twelve of the Rockies’ remaining games come against sub-.500 teams: Baltimore, Detroit, St. Louis and Seattle. That sounds helpful until you put the group together. Those four teams are a combined 257-277, good for a .481 winning percentage.

A .481 winning percentage is exactly what the Rockies managed in April. They have not played at that level in any month since.

A 62-win team and a 63-win team are both bad teams. But after three straight seasons with 100 or more losses, including 119 losses in 2025, the Rockies need some kind of finish line worth tracking.

So, does getting to 63 wins matter? Maybe. Maybe not.

But beating Washington this morning would make the tough road to 63 feel a little more manageable.

The details…

First Pitch: 11:05 a.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Nationals SB Nation Site:Federal Baseball

Lineups:

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks! 

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The frenetic fight to make the MLB postseason in the American League has left oddsmakers in a state of constant chaos.

Key Takeaways

• The Guardians saw their playoff odds jump by 33.1 percentage points over the last week.
  
  
• The Twins lost 28.5 percentage points in postseason probability over that same span.
  
  
• Oddsmakers view the White Sox as the strongest World Series contenders among the teams in in the AL wild-card picture.

The race for the AL wild card is one of the closest in recent memory. Seven teams are within 5.5 games of earning the third and final spot, which the Guardians hold entering Thursday's slate. The Guardians are also just 2.5 games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox, meaning Cleveland could overtake Chicago for the division lead and push the White Sox into the wild-card places.

Data from baseball analytics platform FanGraphs shows noticeable changes for teams over the week ranging from Aug. 19 up to and including Aug. 26.

These percentages are very similar to the implied probabilities of MLB betting odds listed at FanDuel. 

As of Thursday morning, these are the odds for teams in wild-card picture to make and miss the postseason

Who is in the best position?

The regular season ends Sept. 27, leaving teams with exactly one month to make their final postseason pushes.

Although the White Sox are heavy favorites to make the postseason, they still have two series against the Twins and battles with the Astros, Guardians, and Tigers - all of whom are in the hunt for the wild card. 

The Guardians get the Blue Jays, Tigers, Orioles, Twins, and White Sox, among others. The remaining strength of schedule for the two top AL wild-card contenders rank 28th- and 26th-hardest, respectively, of 30 teams, according to Tankathon.

The Astros face a tough stretch with upcoming series against the Red Sox, White Sox, and Guardians, while their remaining schedule ranks 13th in difficulty. By contrast, the Mariners have the easiest remaining schedule, which features eight games against the Angels, seven against the Athletics, and three against the Rockies. 

The Rangers have the most difficult upcoming schedule among AL wild-card contenders, ranking 10th in the category. The Orioles are 17th; the Blue Jays are 29th; the Twins are 25th; and the Tigers are 21st.

The strength-of-schedule rankings for AL wild-card contenders are as follows:

• White Sox: 28th
• Guardians: 26th
• Astros: 13th
• Mariners: 30th
• Rangers: 10th
• Orioles: 17th
• Blue Jays: 29th
• Twins: 25th
• Tigers: 21st

World Series odds

As the race to make the wild card continues, the Dodgers continue to have a comfortable lead in World Series odds. FanDuel lists the back-to-back champions at +160 (38.5% implied chance), well ahead of the closest challengers, the Brewers (+750) and Yankees (+800).

The Rays (+1,100), Red Sox (+1,300), and Cubs (+1,400) fill out the list of the next challengers. The team in the wild-card picture with the shortest World Series odds is the White Sox, at +2,500.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

In the end, these incidents probably won’t matter much to the Cubs’ postseason chances.

But I think they’re both worth discussing, especially on an off day as we await the Cubs’ return to Wrigley Field for an important seven-game homestand.

The two things I’m talking about are:

• The Diamondbacks getting upset Monday about Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry allegedly relaying signs to Cubs hitters
• The missed balk call on D-backs pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez on Wednesday

Let’s begin with Monday’s events.

Here’s Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly on Berry on Monday’s incident [VIDEO].

That stemmed from this — and yes, there was a LOT of profanity!

The thing is, as long as the coach stays in the coach’s box — which is now a mandate from MLB after many coaches strayed way out of it before this year — signs are fair game. Kelly even acknowledged the gamesmanship in the clip above. And that led to an apology issued to the Cubs by D-backs manager Torey Lovullo:

Upon further review, Lovullo indicated he received a satisfactory explanation from Michael Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of on-field operations, which apparently absolved the Cubs.

“I stand corrected,” Lovullo told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s game. “I had a chance to call ‘Couns’ and apologize to him. I told him that we were wrong and they were doing everything right.

“It’s a very intense time of the year, and a lot goes on. It’s two teams trying to protect their turf. (Counsell) got it, hung up the phone and (we) went our ways and told them that I’d take care of our clubhouse, which I did.”

“Everything the Chicago Cubs were doing was perfectly legal and within the boundaries of the rules,” Lovullo said. “Yes, they were (relaying information), and good for them. They did a good coaching job; they took advantage of one of our vulnerabilities. Merrill was giving away a couple of his pitches, and the base coaches were relaying it to the hitter or the base runner.”

“Everybody’s paranoid,” Berry said. “It happens to us all the time. You’re always like, ‘Is there something? Can we clean up on our side? Do they have something?’ That’s the way the game is. Everybody’s thinking about it. Everybody’s trying to keep their house clean. You worry about that. You can’t control anything else.”

These two teams won’t face each other again this year, unless somehow they both make the postseason and wind up in an October series down the line. That’s very unlikely, but… it would probably be pretty intense after all of that.

The other incident during this series cost the Cubs a run on Wednesday.

Situation: The game is scoreless in the top of the sixth. Pete Crow-Armstrong led off with a double and went to third on a ground out. One out later, Michael Busch was at bat when this happened:

The umpires conferred and said “no balk.” PCA was livid and had to be restrained by Berry to avoid getting tossed (and contact with the umpires, which might have resulted in a suspension).

Turns out PCA was correct:

The umpires admitted their mistake… too late for it to make any difference. If the correct call had been made. the Cubs would have had a run and led 1-0. Would that have made a difference in the final score of the game? It’s possible. Instead of it being 1-0 in the eighth, when Ryan Zeferjahn entered and allowed Arizona a second run, it would have been 1-1 — assuming everything else went in sequence as it did in the actual game, which isn’t a sure thing either.

So my suggestion: Why not allow calls like this to be reviewable? That would have taken away any need for argument and risk of a player being ejected. In my view, there are a fair number of non-reviewable plays of this nature which really should be subject to review.

The Cubs didn’t lose this game because of this call, but it certainly would have made a difference if it had been made correctly.

All the Cubs can do is pick up and try to win the next game. They begin a stretch of 13 games in a row without an off day Friday at Wrigley Field, and seven of those games are against the division-leading Brewers. Go Cubs.

Winning a series and still losing ground in the playoff race is not ideal for any ballclub, but the timing couldn’t be any more unfortunate as was for the Dbacks after taking 2 of 3 from the Cincinnati Reds and still dropping a game in the standings to the scorching hot Padres and Phillies, as the snakes would then welcome the #1 Wild Card team (at the moment at least) in the Chicago Cubs to town for a tough 3 game series. As we discussed on the last episode of Dbacks Dispatch, we all agreed that a series win would be the bare minimum requirement if the Diamondbacks want to stay afloat in this race, as dropping this series or even getting swept by the hands of the Cubs could potentially be a brutal blow to the D’Backs playoff chances.

Tipping Culture Is Out Of Hand!

The first topic of this episode came from Monday nights 7-0 clubbing from the Cubbies, as Merrill Kelly would continue his struggling ways in August (better this start than previous at least), as the most sign of life the Diamondbacks would show all night would be when D’Backs bench coach Jeff Bannister and pitching coach Brian Kaplan would be in a yelling match with Cubs 3rd-Base coach Quintin Berry and other members of Chicago’s bench over Berry reading Merrill’s pitch grips and relaying that information to the Cubs hitters which Kelly would later call “bush league”.

The fellas and I discussed whether or not we were in agreement with the mainstay, or if this was something that the Diamondbacks potentially overreacted to at the moment. We were all in agreement that while some things like what Quintin Berry did could be seen as “bush league” depending on ones point of view, the blame should mostly be on Merrill for tipping his pitches, as even Torey Lovullo looked into it and found that nothing the Cubs did was against the rules and this most likely was Merrill just finding an outlet to vent his frustrations for a very subpar month of August.

Waldy and the Walk-Off Factory

After getting blanked 7-0 in Monday night’s affair, the Cubs starter Clay Holmes was copying Kevin Gausman’s homework from the night before as he also kept the D’Backs offense on their toes and shut them out through his 7 innings of work. It looked like it would be another night where the Snakes offense appeared to forget to offer rum and cigars to Jobu before the game. Thankfully for the D’Backs (and all of our mental well being) the offense decided to show up fashionably late top the party and get 3 runs back in the 8th (1 off a Gabi check swing double and 2 more on a Perdomo single) and get the team right back into the fight by making it a 1 run deficit. It looked like the D’Backs comeback might fall just short as Jose Fernandez sat at 2nd base with 2 outs, Ryan Waldschmidt would once again come up big in the clutch and would launch a walk off 2-Run shot into the left field bleachers for his 3rd bomb on the year and 2nd walk off home run of his short career.

Gabe, Brandon and I discussed just what was going through our minds during that rally in both the 8th and 9th innings along with what emotions went through our heads during Waldys big moment in the 9th. Gabes frustration from watching Kepler and the struggling offense in person had him ready to chug a few more tall boys to drown his sorrows but the exciting comeback and walk off from Waldschmidt had him leaving the stadium with a happy buzz and happy that all the snowbird Cub fans left without the same feeling. Brandon mentioned that it was so nice to see the Snakes get what we call “MLB The Show’d” on the Gabriel Moreno check swing double, he also gave manager Torey Lovullo credit for the decisions he made with the bench that led to this crazy comeback.

Ace-uardo Rodriguez Flies The L

Trying to follow up an ending like Tuesday night’s walkoff excitement is always a tough task, but if there was anyone that would be able to answer the call and build off that win into a series victory over a strong wild card opponent that would be the Diamondbacks 2026 Ace Eduardo Rodriguez.

So far it has been the best year for Rodriguez in Sedona red and teal with his 2.50 ERA (lowest since 3.30 in 2023 and only time being below 3), 162 IP and 1.19 WHIP being his best marks by far and some of his best numbers since his days pitching in the American League, and that kind of performance is what the Snakes needed as their struggling offense would only be able to muster 2 runs of support for ERod but it was more than enough as Rodriguez would go 7 shutty (might have been helped by a no call on a potential balk with PCA at 3rd base in the 6th) with 9 strikeouts. This outing adds on to his resume of his impressive outings against some of the best teams in the NL this year.

Brandon, Gabe and I talked about how much of a blessing this kind of season has been from Rodriguez in a year where the Diamondbacks starting pitching depth has been pushed to its limits, while also asking each other if this season has made up for his rough 2 seasons to start his D’Backs career. Gabe believes that Rodriguez has almost single handedly saved this team from being well out of the wild card race with the performances we’ve gotten out of him and that his health has been a big factor to his success to his start this year. Brandon decided to steal Merrill’s nickname and dub Eduardo the “Mainstay” of the 2026 staff due to him making all his starts and being healthy when seemingly every other starter has had issues in that area, and in regards to his contract he believe4s that its turned the thought process on ERod’s deal from MadBum territory of “oh no how do we get rid of this guy” to “can we keep in for a few more years?”.

Giant(s) Series On The Horizon

After finishing the quick homestand with a record of 4-2 and leaving the same way they entered the desert, one game back of the Padres for that 3rd WIld Card, the Diamondbacks would be taking a trip to San Fran for a short 4 game road trip as they would matchup against the 2nd to last place Giants. The Diamondbacks have enjoyed their previous 9 meetings as they have lost just 1 game against San Francisco and have used them as their interdivisional punching bag throughout 2026. 

The fellas and I agreed that while we have had what Borat would call “Great Success!” against the Giants this year, we have struggled against San Fran in past years during previous wild card races (I still have nightmares about that late September series in 2024) and the Snakes winning 3 of 4 or even sweeping the 4 game set could set them up very nicely going into a huge 3 game series against the Phillies.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Very small slate today, but there are still a ton of MLB player props to sift through.

Join me as I break down three of my favorite MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 27, including why Yordan Alvarez is going to mash in the Bronx.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Spencer Arrighetti	Over 1.5 Earned Runs	-168
Yordan Alvarez	Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI	-120
Colorado Rockies	F5 Team Total Over 2.5 Runs	+100

Spencer Arrighetti Over 1.5 Earned Runs (-168)

The Kansas City Royals find themselves in a mouthwatering matchup against Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Spencer Arrighetti. The starter has been tormented by left-handed hitters this season, and the Royals have four left-handers in strong spots against him.

Against the last60 left-handed hitters he has faced, Arrighetti sports a 13.50 ERA and 9.10 xERA, while allowing a 43% hard-hit rate, 14.3% barrel rate and 22.9% ground-ball rate. Those left-handed hitters own a .336 xBA, .811 xSLG and .462 xwOBA.

Over the last week, Kansas City has a 127 wRC+, .355 wOBA and .804 OPS. This team has hit another gear this past week as it takes on a guy appearing on his third team this season.

Yes, it is a juicy prop, and if you are not in the juice-paying business, take the Royals' first-five team total over 2.5 at plus money, or his 2.5 earned runs allowed.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ROYL, Sportsnet

Yordan Alvarez Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI (-120)

Houston Astros big fella is in a cinematic matchup against New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Fingers crossed the right hander will not chicken out and actually pitch to the future 2026 AL MVP.

We are backing Yordan Alvarez for a few reasons, one being the price for a prop he has cashed almost 65% of the time when he has owned an elite rating on Batters-Box. Secondly, Cole is a very fastball-heavy pitcher. This season alone, Alvarez owns a .306 BA, .412 xBA and 1.096 OPS, while posting a 57% hard-hit rate against fastballs.

Over his last 10 batted balls, Alvarez has hit five balls above 102.2 MPH. He is in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks. We just need him to catch a fastball.

Take this down to -130.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: YES, SCHN

Rockies First Five Team Total Over 2.5 Runs (+100)

The Denver Pebbles have had a very productive offensive series against the Washington Nationals. This evening, they draw the worst-rated pitcher on Batters-Box while having five elite-rated hitters, with three having strong ratings.

That pitcher is right-hander Jake Irvin, who has struggled heavily this season, especially at home, where he sports a 7.52 ERA, 5.70 xERA and 1.67 WHIP.

Seven of those eight strongly rated bats will be hitting from the left side this afternoon. Over the last 60 left-handed hitters he has faced, Irvin has an 8.36 ERA, allowing a 50% hard-hit rate, 9.5% barrel rate and 2.57 HR/9. Those lefties have a .294 xBA, .636 xSLG and .304 ISO.

This past week, the Colorado Rockies own a .334 wOBA, 11.1% walk rate, .749 OPS and 42% hard-hit rate. With how poorly Irvin has been recently against left-handed hitters and overall this season at home, the Rockies have a strong chance to go up early.

Find plus money, do not pay juice.

• Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: COLR, NATS

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Milwaukee Brewers are headed back home for a quick three-game set with the Texas Rangers. The Brewers, at 82-51, are looking for their fourth consecutive series win in Thursday’s rubber match with the Mets. They currently sit 6.5 games ahead of the Cubs atop the NL Central and two games ahead of the Dodgers for the best record in baseball. The Rangers, who won the World Series in 2023, haven’t had much success since that run, as they’ve hovered right around .500 each of the last three seasons, including a 66-68 record in 2026. In a very bad AL West, though, they sit just a half game behind the Astros for the division lead.

Milwaukee’s lone position player on the injury report is first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers, who is reportedly dealing with shin splints and is considered day to day as the team hopes to give him a few days off. On the mound, Dustin May is the latest injury, as he took a 106-mph liner off his right shoulder blade on the first pitch of Wednesday night’s game, though X-rays came back negative and May said after the game he hopes to make his next scheduled start. Relievers Abner Uribe and JoJo Romero are both on rehab assignments and hope to return soon, with Brandon Woodruff, Joel Kuhnel, and Rob Zastryzny also potentially in the mix for returns before the end of the season. Brian Fitzpatrick, Quinn Priester, and Angel Zerpa are all out for the season after undergoing season-ending surgery.

The Rangers are without third baseman Josh Jung, catcher Kyle Higashioka, and outfielder Michael Helman (who, if you’ll recall, crushed the Brewers in Texas last year, going 4-for-9 with two homers, a double, and seven RBIs in a three-game sweep). On the mound, Jack Leiter, Robert Garcia, Nathan Eovaldi, Jose Corneill, Jalen Beeks, and Carter Baumler are all shelved.

Milwaukee’s offense is anchored by Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Garrett Mitchell, Andrew Vaughn, and Joey Ortiz have also been solid producers in recent weeks, and Christian Yelich has seemingly found a bit of a groove in New York. Gary Sánchez, Sal Frelick, David Hamilton, Cooper Pratt, and Luis Lara round things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .254/.337/.396 (.733 OPS ranks tied for fifth), with 121 homers (last), 660 runs scored (fourth), and 131 steals (third).

Jake Burger and Joc Pederson lead Texas with 23 homers each this season, while Brandon Nimmo and Ezequiel Duran lead the team with 127 and 119 hits, respectively. Old friend Danny Jansen shares backstop duties with Elias Díaz and deadline acquisition Logan O’Hoppe, who was just called up this week, while Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, and Evan Carter are also key threats offensively. Justin Foscue, Nicky Lopez, and Cody Freeman round things out. As a team, the Rangers are hitting .243/.317/.396 (.713 OPS ranks tied for 21st), with 149 homers (tied for 18th), 543 runs scored (tied for 26th), and 63 steals (26th).

Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill lead Milwaukee’s bullpen, as Ashby has a team-high 62 appearances and Megill has been one of the best closers in the league for the last few months, lowering his season ERA to 2.28 with 24 saves in 26 chances. Chad Patrick and DL Hall also sit in high-leverage roles with Uribe on the shelf, and Grant Anderson, Antonio Senzatela, and Bryse Wilson in low-leverage roles. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.39 team ERA (second), including a 3.47 starter ERA (third) and a 3.29 bullpen ERA (third). They’ve struck out 1,284 batters (second) over 1,189 2/3 innings.

The Rangers have a few old friends in their bullpen, including Tyler Alexander (team-high 60 appearances with a 3.47 ERA over 57 IP), Jordan Montgomery (5.73 ERA over 11 IP), and Jakob Junis (2.84 ERA over 44 1/3 IP). Closer Jakob Latz has been one of the best relievers in baseball with a 1.68 ERA and 26 saves in 29 opportunities. Peyton Gray (3.83 ERA over 54 IP), Cole Winn (5.63 ERA over 48 IP), Robby Ahlstrom (6.03 ERA over 31 1/3 IP), and deadline acquisition Chase Silseth (3.18 ERA over 11 1/3 IP) round things out. As a staff, the Rangers have a 4.27 team ERA (21st), including a 4.24 starter ERA (15th) and a 4.36 bullpen ERA (23rd). They’ve struck out 1,131 batters (13th) over 1,173 1/3 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, August 28 @ 6:40 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (8-2, 2.60 ERA, 3.33 FIP) vs. LHP Cody Bradford (0-2, 3.05 ERA, 3.18 FIP)

Henderson continues to be one of the best pitchers in Milwaukee’s rotation, with an 8-2 record, 2.60 ERA, 3.33 FIP, and 79 strikeouts across 69 1/3 innings this season. Milwaukee has won each of his last two games started, as he totaled 13 innings with two runs allowed and 10 strikeouts in victories over the Dodgers and Braves, the two teams alongside the Brewers vying for a first-round bye in the postseason. This marks Henderson’s first career appearance against Texas.

Bradford, 28, is a former sixth-round pick who, after scattering 34 appearances (21 starts) across 2023 and 2024, missed all of 2025 and the first four months of 2026 with an arm injury before returning to the team in early August. He’s made four starts this month, totaling 20 2/3 innings with a 3.05 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and 13 strikeouts, though the Rangers are just 1-3 in those games. Bradford has hovered right around 80 pitches in all four of his outings, including his last start against the Angels, when he went 5 1/3 innings with two runs allowed on seven hits and no walks, striking out three on 80 pitches in a 3-0 loss. Bradford has never appeared against the Brewers.

Saturday, August 29 @ 6:15 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (6-5, 3.84 ERA, 3.33 FIP) vs. RHP Cal Quantrill (6-4, 2.90 ERA, 4.02 FIP)

Drohan continues to be good, not great at the back of Milwaukee’s current six-man rotation. He took the loss in Sunday’s Little League Classic against the Braves, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out five over five frames. For the year, he’s 6-5 with a 3.84 ERA, 3.33 FIP, and 104 strikeouts across 105 1/3 innings. Like Henderson, this marks his first career appearance against Texas.

Quantrill, 31, is a former No. 8 overall pick who has struggled mightily over the last few seasons, but he’s been much better in 2026 with Texas. He’s made 27 appearances (10 starts) this year, with a 6-4 record, 2.90 ERA, 4.02 FIP, and 60 strikeouts across 83 2/3 innings. He’s been really good in August, making five appearances (four starts) totaling 25 innings with an 0.72 ERA, 2.40 FIP, and 21 strikeouts. Quantrill has made four career appearances (three starts) against Milwaukee, with a 3.14 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 14 1/3 innings.

Sunday, August 30 @ 1:10 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (4-5, 4.59 ERA, 4.44 FIP) vs. RHP Kumar Rocker (5-10, 4.41 ERA, 4.39 FIP)

Gasser, who stepped in and basically started in Wednesday’s win over the Mets after May’s exit just one pitch into the game, seems unlikely to start on Sunday after throwing 82 pitches, but for now, we’ll keep him here as he’s still listed as the probable starter (if I was a betting man, I’d say this is more likely to be Coleman Crow or even May himself). Gasser has made 16 appearances (15 starts) this year, with a 4-5 record, 4.59 ERA, 4.44 FIP, and 78 strikeouts across 82 1/3 innings. He was solid in that win over the Mets, going 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed as he scatter six hits and a pair of walks, striking out six. This would also mark Gasser’s first career appearance against Texas.

Rocker, 26, is a former No. 3 overall pick by Texas in 2022. He made his debut with the Rangers in 2024 but hasn’t had much success across parts of three seasons in the majors, with -0.1 career bWAR across 42 appearances (40 starts). This has been his best season yet, though, as he’s made 25 appearances (23 starts) with a 5-10 record, 4.41 ERA, 4.39 FIP, and 117 strikeouts across 126 2/3 innings. Rocker has gone at least five innings in each of his last three starts, totaling 15 2/3 innings with seven runs allowed (4.02 ERA) and 14 strikeouts. This marks Rocker’s first career appearance against Milwaukee.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, August 28: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, August 29: Nationally televised on Fox/Fox One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, August 30: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

While the Brewers don’t have their top starters lined up this weekend (they’re saving them for next week’s Cubs series), they still have the advantage in just about every facet. I’ll take Milwaukee to win two of three.

Born in sunny San Diego, Ed Herrmann had an 11-year career as a Major League Baseball player. One of those years, 1975, was spent backing up the great Thurman Munson as a member of the New York Yankees. Herrmann was a wall behind the plate and loved when runners tried to take a bag on his watch.

Edward Martin Herrmann
Born: August 27, 1946 (San Diego, CA)
Died: December 22, 2013 (San Diego, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 1975

Herrmann attended Crawford High School in California. After graduation in 1964, he started his pro career by signing as an amateur free agent with the Milwaukee Braves, aspiring to become a big leaguer like his grandpa, Marty Herrmann, who played for Brooklyn in 1918. The following November, he was taken by the Chicago White Sox in a less restrictive phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

This would kick off a decade in Chicago’s organization. The journey started in A-ball in Iowa. As an 18-year-old, Herrmann hit .250 with five home runs across 54 games. The team would leave him in Single-A to start the 1966 season, but he would be promoted and play 42 games at the Double-A level, slashing .243/.316/.368.

Despite the modest results at the plate, Herrmann started to make a name for himself as a very good defensive catcher. Herrmann played in 117 games, hitting nine home runs in 1967 while seeing his average drop to .238. At the end of the season, though, an injury to backup catcher Jerry McNertney while on a road trip put the White Sox in a pinch. They called Herrmann up, and the kid appeared in two games. In his debut, he pinch-hit and doubled in a run before coming around to score himself.

Following that little bit of excitement at the end of 1967, Herrmann was back in Double-A to start the 1968 season. That stint would be short-lived, though, as he would get called up and spend most of the season in Triple-A, where he turned 22 years old that August.

The next spring, Herrmann earned a spot on the big-league roster. For that 1969 campaign, Herrmann split the catching duties with veteran Duane Josephson. Herrmann made 79 starts and posted a slash line of .231/.319/.341 with eight home runs.

Herrmann would spend five more seasons playing for the White Sox, steadily earning more and more of their starts behind the plate. 1970 was his best season at the plate as he batted .283 and hit his career-high 19 home runs. During this run, Herrmann caught legendary knuckleballer Wilbur Wood’s best seasons. Due to his fine work corralling the offering, Herrmann earned several awesome nicknames, including Fort Herrmann, SupHerrmann, and the Block of Granite.

In what would become one of his career highlights, Herrmann was selected to the 1974 All-Star team. That season would be his last in Chicago as an offseason contract dispute ultimately led to him getting traded. The Yankees swooped in and were able to get the catcher for minor leaguers Fred Anyzeski, Ken Bennett, John Narron, and Terry Quinn, none of whom made it to the show, along with some cash the club from the South Side allegedly needed to pay off bills from spring training.

Already rostering superstar Thurman Munson and future Orioles World Series MVP Rick Dempsey, Herrmann became a true luxury backup. In his lone season in pinstripes, he served as the third-string catcher. Herrmann started 53 games and appeared in 80 total, seeing time as a catcher and as the DH.

His final line for the 1975 season was a slash of .255/.309/.410 with six home runs. The Yankees finished the year with an 83-77 record, which slotted them third in the East and out of the playoffs. In the offseason, Herrmann was purchased from the Yankees by the California Angels. Herrmann would play part of a season for the Angels before they traded him in June of 1976 to the Houston Astros for Mike Barlow and Terry Humphrey.

Houston would be Herrmann’s home for the rest of 1976, all of the 1977 season, and until June of the 1978 season, when the Expos of Montreal would purchase Herrmann to back up future Hall of Famer Gary Carter for the rest of the season. The trip north of the border would conclude Herrmann’s time as a big leaguer after he clashed with manager Dick Williams and was released after the season. Herrmann went ahead and officially retired, ending his 11-year playing career at the big league level.

After retiring, Herrmann was hired to scout for the Royals. Additionally, he coached many youth travel teams back home in California and pursued his passion for motorcycles. In 2013, Herrmann passed away at 67 from prostate cancer.

Happy birthday, Ed! We wish your family well on this day.

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

Happy Thursday; we’ve almost made it to the end of another week. I’ve been trying to hold off on posting this until the expected roster move to send Chad Dallas back down to Buffalo.

A question I have: I’m not sure how you would go about studying this, but teams are surprisingly successful on ‘bullpen days’, and I wonder if there’s payback over the next three or four days? Do you think teams lose more games over the next few days after a bullpen day, because the pen is tired? Do you think there is a cost to the team over the season? The Jays have several relievers who have thrown way more innings than you would like them to.

There is likely a cost to having guys pitch so much. One would think they lost some effectiveness late in the season. Mason Fluharty has pitched in 71 games, most in baseball. He’s averaged less than an inning per outing, but there are still 71 games where he’s warmed up and put strain on that left arm and shoulder. Will he be as effective next year?

Louis Varland, Braydon Fisher and Tyler Rogers are all above 60 appearances.

Last year, Brendon Little led baseball with 79 appearances. This season didn’t start well for Brendon, but since coming back from the minors in July, he’s been much better. 2.81 ERA. Still walks more guys than you would like, but then he’s averaging 1.5 strikeouts per inning.

I’m sure someone has studied how teams do the week after a bullpen day. It would be hard to do for the Jays because there wouldn’t be enough times when there hasn’t been a bullpen day recently.

I find the bullpen games interesting to watch, because I’m always curious how the team plans to get through the nine innings. I’d imagine they would have a plan for ‘if things go well’ and one for ‘if they don’t’.

I think it is time to give up the tradition of soaking the ‘player of the day’ with ice water. More and more of the players seem to be upset when they do it. Nathan Lukes clearly didn’t want it last night. Louis Varland was very angry when it happened a few weeks ago. They should come up with something else. Something less wet.

This really is a great quote. I wonder if Ernie is re-thinking things:

Rob Longley, in the Sun, has a story about Buck Martinez’ broadcasting journey (in one sentence paragraphs).

It wasn’t exactly the extended career path the California native envisioned following the 1986 season, however, as Martinez stubbornly maintained his playing career wasn’t done.

“I went kicking and screaming,” Martinez said in an interview. “Pat Gillick (Jays GM) and Paul Beeston (team president) released me the first day after the ’86 season and suggested I take a TV job and I said ‘no, I’m going to play again.’ Then I went home and (wife) Arlene told me to call them back and tell them I can’t play any more.

Nate Tomlinson had a rough time of it last night.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Gerrit Cole will take the hill Thursday as he looks to lead the New York Yankees to a series victory over a cold Houston Astros team.

Cole has limited barrels extremely well of late, and should make life very difficult on Houston's offense.

That's a key reason I'm backing the home team with my Astros vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 27.

Astros vs Yankees market report

Here is how the trading volume is coming in on Astros vs. Yankees from top traders at Polymarket:

Who will win Astros vs Yankees today: New York Yankees (-160)

The Houston Astros are not in a great place offensively, sitting 29th in wOBA and xwOBA against righties the past three weeks.

It’ll be difficult to flip the switch against Gerrit Cole, who has pitched to a 3.17 xFIP his last five starts while allowing a 2.5% barrel rate.

Hayden Wesneski is a much more vulnerable target. His xFIP sits at just under 4.5 despite facing five non playoff teams, four of which rank 24th or worse in scoring.

The New York Yankees hit for a lot more power, and should provide Cole support.

Play to -175.

COVERS INTEL:Cole has held opponents to two barrels over the past 30.2 innings of work, making it difficult to generate any sort of quick strike offense

Astros vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-116)

The best way to produce offense in bulk is power, and the Astros are lacking it right now. 

They sit 20th in OPS when facing right-handed pitchers in August, and Cole’s elite barrel suppression isn’t going to help matters.

Cole has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his last nine, including against high-end offenses like the Dodgers, Braves, and Cubs. It’ll be really hard for Houston to produce.

While the Yankees could cause problems for Wesneski, he’s backed by a bullpen sitting sixth in WHIP and fifth in xFIP this month.

Play the Under to -130.

Astros vs Yankees home run prediction: Luis Garcia Jr. (+305)

Luis Garcia Jr. has left the park in three of the past four games, and he’s in a good spot to extend his heater Thursday night.

He owns ISOs of .260 or higher against each of the four pitches Wesneski uses at least 10% of the time against left-handed hitters.

That includes a whopping .667 ISO against the sweeper, which Wesneski throws at more than a 30% clip.

Garcia has a 31.2% barrel rate against the fastball-sweeper combination, and will not be kind to Wesneski if he fails to locate one in a hitter-friendly ballpark.

Play down to +295.

Astros vs Yankees weather

Temperatures are expected to hover in the mid 70s with winds blowing west. 

Astros vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Astros +140 | Yankees -160
• Run line: Astros +1.5 (-150) | Yankees -1.5 (+130)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+105) | Under 8.5 (-125)

Astros vs Yankees trend

New York owns a 56-73 O/U record this season. Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. Yankees.

How to watch Astros vs Yankees and game info

Astros vs Yankees latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

.302/.355/.487.

That was Trea Turner’s career slash line prior to joining the Phillies ahead of the 2023 season.

A .302 career batting average. A .355 on base percentage. A .487 slugging percentage.

Can you imagine what the Phils’ offense would be like if that Trea Turner ever made it to Philadelphia?

After another 0-fer, this time a hitless day in five plate appearances on Wednesday, Turner’s spiraling 2026 season sends him to Anaheim this weekend with a .291 OBP that ranks 127th out of 138 qualified MLB players, a .671 OPS that ranks 131st, and a 0.7 fWAR that is 123rd. According to Baseball Reference, his bWAR is -0.2.

Frankly, I believe the bWAR number to be the more accurate one.

In his last 16 games, he’s hitting .152 with a .243 OBP and an OPS of .471. He has struck out 18 times and walked seven times. He is 0-for-his-last 17 and his defense has fallen into a black hole again.

He did reportedly have a conversation with former Seattle star Ichiro Suzuki last week, so I guess that’s somethin’!

Since he became a Phillie three years ago, Turner’s slash line is .277/.327/.443.

He can still run, at least.

Far too often, Bryce Harper has come to the plate this season with the bases empty in front of him. While Kyle Schwarber has struggled a bit in since the All Star Break (.211/.335/.453 slash line), he and his season-long .358 OBP isn’t the problem. After Wednesday’s 6-0 win over the Mariners, Don Mattingly was asked if there has been any consideration about moving Turner down from his No. 2 spot in the lineup, given his on-base deficiencies (quotes via On Pattison).

“Yeah, it’s kind of like the same for me. Kinda of what we’ve been doing is where we’ve had success. We’ve been consistent,” Mattingly continued. “I think we all know that Trea’s gonna come out of this. And when he does, it’ll be hot.

“You see it with Schwarb. We’ve seen it with Harp. You see it with Arraez, had a few days there where it was not good. You just gotta hang in with guys over the course of a season. And if there’s a point where it’s like, ‘OK, this has gotta go,’ then you get there. But right now, for me, I don’t know why we’re gonna … it feels like panic. It feels like to guys it’s panic when you start making changes like that late in the year.”

Mattingly is trying to pump up his veteran shortstop and show he still has confidence in him. I get that. But moving Turner out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup would not be a “panic” move. Nearly five months of the season have been completed. Waiting until 80% of your season is done to move a player with the 11th-worst on-base percentage out of a high leverage spot in the lineup isn’t “panicking.” One could argue, it’s long overdue.

And frankly, if Mattingly had another option, he probably would have made it by now. He can see what everyone else sees. Trea Turner has been a bad baseball player this season and should be hitting lower in the lineup.

But were Mattingly to do that, who hits in between Schwarber and Harper?

On its surface, Bryson Stott makes the most sense. Since the start of June, Stott’s OBP is .387. He is one of the best on the team at getting on base, he doesn’t strike out much, and can provide some pop at the top of the lineup. He’s also athletic enough to steal a base here and there and, more importantly, go first-to-third or second-to-home with the boppers in the lineup hitting behind him.

But Stott is left-handed. Were he to hit in between Schwarber and Harper, with left-hander Luis Arraez hitting fourth and Justin Crawford hitting in the No. 9 hole, it would put five straight lefties in the lineup. In the regular season against a non-ace, right-handed pitcher, that may not be a big deal. But it’s not a formula that will work in the postseason. Teams will load up left-handed relievers against that run of lefties, making life very difficult on the lineup.

To be fair, Turner’s presence in the lineup hasn’t helped much against left-handers, and Stott is hitting .295/.380/.442 with an .822 OPS against left-handers this year, a massive improvement of an area of weakness throughout his career. Turner, meanwhile, is batting .213/.303/.311 against left-handed pitching. Both players have reverse splits, although Turner’s numbers against everyone, no matter which hand they throw with, are awful.

So if a change were to be made, Stott is probably the answer, especially against right-handed starters.

But a right-handed hitter would be ideal in order to break up the lefties. So if not Turner, who?

Alec Bohm has certainly come on over the last few weeks, but he would be ill-fit to hit in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. His at-bats have been better over the last few weeks, but he’s far better suited to hitting in the bottom half of the lineup. Bohm is simply not a long-term, October solution. J.T. Realmuto’s OBP has been sub-.300 all season long (.298 currently), so no upgrade there, and while Bryan de la Cruz and Derek Hill are contributing as part-time platoon players, you’re not putting either of them at the top of the lineup no matter how well they’ve hit of late.

So, unless you want to make Stott the No. 2 and have a parade of left-handers at the top of the lineup, hoping adjustments are coming from Turner is still probably Mattingly’s best bet.

On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, I discussed the Trea Turner situation and recapped an interesting series against the Mariners in Seattle by the Phillies.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

With no bullpen help behind him, I am focusing on Spencer Arrighetti in my Royals vs. Blue Jays prediction tonight.

The Toronto Blue Jays walk into this one as -105 betting favorites at BET99 against the Kansas City Royals, looking to win a series and inch closer to a Wild Card spot.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 27, and bring the units home.

Royals vs Blue Jays predictions

Royals vs Blue Jays best bet: Spencer Arrighetti Over 14.5 Outs (-105)

The math is simple here: the Toronto Blue Jays ran through seven arms last night in a full bullpen game — Spencer Arrighetti has no help behind him.

Manager John Schneider has likely already told him the game is his. If Arrighetti is even a bit serviceable tonight, he'll go deep. The one thing we need from him is his command; his 13% walk rate this season is the highest of his career and would, of course, elevate his pitch count.

When he lives in the zone, Arrighetti can be highly effective, as his 31% hard-hit rate is among the best in baseball.

COVERS INTEL: Arrighetti has a short history against this lineup, but he's done a great job in a small sample size, owning a 32% K rate across 25 plate appearances while limiting the Royals to just a .239 xBA.

Royals vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

Arrighetti is in a prime spot to pitch into the fifth inning tonight, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has recorded a single in seven of his last nine games.

We'll take those odds. Noah Cameron, for what it's worth, is stellar right now, pitching 14 innings of shutout baseball coming into tonight.

Let's hit our third same-game parlay in the last eight days, shall we?

Royals vs Blue Jays SGP

• Spencer Arrighetti Over 14.5 outs
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 singles
• Blue Jays vs. Royals Under 8.5

Royals vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+365)

With Noah Cameron on the mound, Kazuma Okamoto is the best bet in the Blue Jays lineup to go yard tonight. Against lefties, Okamoto owns a .814 OPS and has hit seven of his 26 homers against southpaws in 232 fewer at-bats.

Let's see one fly tonight at one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball.

Royals vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Toronto (-105) | Kansas City (-115)
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-175) | Kansas City -1.5 (+150)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-120) | Under 8 (+100)

Royals vs Blue Jays trend

The Under is 4-0-1 in the Blue Jays' last five games against a team with a losing record. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Royals vs Blue Jays and game info

Royals vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Royals vs Blue Jays weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Worcester: L, 7-1 (BOX SCORE)

Okay, folks, I’ll say it: Since 2022 I’ve disliked the Trevor Story contract. And in 2026, I’m worried about Trevor Story being brought back into this iteration of the Boston Red Sox, a playoff team who can make rallies appear out of thin air. Since arriving in Triple-A, Trevor Story is 4 for 29 with 10 strikeouts; 3 of those 10 came last night in a night when the three rehabbing players all went hitless again. IKF, in a smaller sample size, is hitting no better. The team as a whole had five hits off RailRider (Yankees AAA) pitching; Gage Ziehl had given up almost double that, with two home runs, by the end of the third inning. Just an ugly game all around.

Portland: W, 5-4 (F/13) (BOX SCORE)

I know times have been tough lately for the organization’s pitching depth amidst a ton of injuries, but it should never be okay to ask a position player to come out and get the save. Not even in the thirteenth inning. Not even in a game against a team called the Flying Squirrels. Still, Salem held on for dear life in a back-and-forth game which featured not much offense at all. The game actually went into extras at a 0-0 tie thanks to an awesome start by Hayden Mullins and solid bullpen work out of Max Carlson. Richmond (Giants AA) and Portland traded barbs in the 10th inning, Then, Yoelin Cespedes went and called game with the night’s only home run in the top of the thirteenth. Enter an infielder coming in to Enter Sandman or Hell’s Bell’s; he gave up two runs, but slammed the door… if slamming the door meant also trapping your arm in the door and it ricocheting back closed.

Greenville: L, 5-1 (BOX SCORE)

Jason Gilman struck out ten and pitched into the sixth but the Emperors (Braves High-A) got to the bullpen in short order after Gilman was taken out having given up the tie, and so Gilman was saddled with the loss. The Drive had just one run and struck out fifteen times, but Owen Hull racked up his seventh double in just a couple short weeks of professional baseball.

Salem, Game 1: L, 11-4 (BOX SCORE)

Jesse Foutch didn’t have a great night. It hasn’t happened often to him throughout the year, but it happening in the first three innings of a double-hedaer is brutal. He gave up eleven runs (nine earned) before exiting in the third. Louis Andujar, who went 3-for-3, and Martin Shelar, the team’s ninth-round draft pick, each had a home run. It wasn’t enough to keep up with 11 runs the Woodpeckers (Astros A) scored.

Salem, Game 2: L, 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

A little bit more winnable, especially with Ethan Walker striking out seven and Nicholas Judice getting eight hitless outs in relief, but not so much when you go hitless with runners on (and generate just four attempts) and strand eleven runners, or when it takes until the last out of the game to get a run across the board.

Can you believe we even get to think about something like this?

I don’t remember when I gave up hope for the first time, but I’ll tell you I was pretty close on July 29th, a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. That game marked the first day that FanGraphs had the Mariners playoff odds below 50%. Their record was 53-56.

It certainly was before the Mariners low-water mark this season. On August 11th, 3 days after the club’s 50th anniversary fanfare and pageantry (another embarrassing loss), Seattle lost to the New York Yankees 4-1, dropping their record to 56-64. FanGraphs had their playoff odds at 23.9%.

They lost the next day, too. Then, over their next 13 games, they won 8 games and 3 series (and did it with a total run differential of -29) while Houston went 4-7 and Texas went 6-7. Cal Raleigh went and hit 4 home runs in two nights, and I found myself looking at squiggly lines with hope in my heart again, like an idiot.

As of this morning, with 28 games left to play, Seattle is 64-70, 2 games behind Texas and 2.5 games behind Houston in the division, 4 games behind Cleveland for the third wild card spot (lol) and have playoff odds of 42.1%.

Mariners fans’ hearts have historically strong when presented with reasons to hope, but the last few years of sporadically good baseball may have melted some of our resolve. One simply must wonder: can this team do it?

The staff weighed in on their personal Hope/Cope-ometer placement, with the scale below for reference, and our composite final, official hope ranking at the end. -NV

John:

There’s a mantra in scouting, on the 20-80 scale, that a grade of 65 is utter cowardice. With a 50 as big league average, most players will see their skills fall between a 40-60. Standard deviations, bell curves, things of that nature. So when you see something more impressive than most, you should be confident. The Mariners are playing like they were expected to most nights, they have a strong setup for the home stretch, and the teams they are chasing are donkeys in dumpsters. More to the point, if the Mariners are to make the playoffs, it will only be possible by playing at a caliber befitting of a playoff running club.

Hope Rating: 8

Isabelle:

When I take longtime former roommate and CTA (certified troublemaking asshole) corgi, Cedar, on walks, we only ever stroll peacefully and in unison for a handful of minutes. The rest of the time is spent with him yanking repeatedly at the leash to get closer to whomever or whatever he’s screaming at, or dragging him bodily up hills (no corgis were actually harmed on any of these walks) because he’s petulant about the direction we’ve gone/the fact I yelled at him about hollering at an ancient Labrador/how I deprived him of enough sniffing time/any myriad of other wrongdoings. This is the closest comparison I can make for this season to something I have actively experienced. I imagine it’s also not dissimilar to when you bungee jump off a bridge and do that painful-looking ricochet up and down a few times due to said bungee.

All that to say, I’m a 6. Please know that prior to attending Tuesday’s game, I had this as a 4. (Oh god, there comes the ground.) Maybe I’ll change it back again before it actually pubs. (Oh wait, now we’re soaring back up to the sky.)

Nicky V:

It feels as though we live in a pessimistic world at times. Call it the new media environment, call it the rise of social media, call it the reality of being a Mariners fan, but regardless of what’s to blame, I can’t say that watching this season of Mariners Baseball has often been an exercise in escapism, or has made me feel, like, better than I did before turning on the game. It’s been comfy, though! Bad Mariners baseball feels like home, an unfortunate & revealing wound on my/our collective psyche.

Even more unfortunate, Cal Raleigh hit 4 home runs in the last two days (as I write this), George Kirby looks vintage, Canzone is out of platoon jail, so goddamnit, I’m starting to believe in the Seattle Mariners. They don’t have to do much over this final stretch to beat out Houston and Texas and put the West back in the AL West. I think they can do it. The Mariners might win every series the rest of the season with an average run differential of minus-8 per set, and win the AL West.

Hope Rating: 7/10. I think they make a decent run and lose in 5 in the ALDS.

Kate: 

In scouting they call a 45 a coward’s grade: you don’t think the prospect is bad, exactly, but you don’t think they’re good, either; some scouting departments think any grade that ends in a 5 is cowardly, trying to split the difference between projections (“fringe-average” rather than just “average” or “below average”). Typical Kate behavior, yes, why pick one thing when can pick two.

I fully acknowledge that a 5/10 is a coward’s grade to put on the old Hope-o-meter, resting exactly in the middle. But that’s not my fault, that’s the fault of the 2026 Seattle Mariners, who have Lucy-and-the-footballed me all year, seeming to promise to turn things around only to sink back down in the offensive doldrums. I’m on the record as having complained about this team’s lack of consistency all season, and while occasionally that helps them – like bouncing back for a win after getting the stuffing kicked out of them the night before – it also makes it hard to project this team putting together any kind of run going forward, which is what it would take for them to make it to the playoffs. But since no one seems to have any interest in winning the AL West, I can’t go much below 45 – and hey, Emerson Hancock was a 45 grade as a prospect, so maybe there’s hope yet.

Hope Rating: 5/10

Bee:

I have never had an interest in rooting for a super-team. Yes, comfortable wins are nice, and I would like the Mariners to win more than they lose. Someday I would like to see that culminate in a World Series win. But… I don’t need it. What I need is for baseball to be fun, for it to feel like the team at least has a chance. When that chance has been slim, the odds stacked against them? Those have been my favorite moments of Mariners success. When the deck seems stacked against a gritty team of grinders, and the hard effort, the heart, wins the day. 

Admittedly, because of my own life issues putting me on the IL of baseball fandom, I didn’t watch as much of the first half of the season as I would have liked. My first recap of the year was only just over a week ago, game three against the Houston Astros. Even from a distance I could tell the first half of the season was a bit of a miserable slog for all of those involved. Whether because of that or despite it, after re-engaging with following the team the last several weeks, I actually have a lot of hope for them trending upward through the rest of the season. That’s because, often for better and sometimes for the absolute, truly, terribly, the worst, the team has been fun in that time. The remaining twilight of the season grows dimmer, but the team genuinely feels like it is starting to play like they realize it. It’s easy to and is often said as a Mariners fan that it would be just like the team to make the playoffs, or win it all, in the most bizarre and possibly stressful way possible. Usually, it rings of grief; the most common way it is said is to inject acceptance, or maybe it is bargaining. I choose to embrace it. This team is weird, and kinda broken… and that’s where they thrive. The whole AL West is broken, sure… but we have home field advantage.

Hope Rating: 6.9/10

Anders:

It’s pretty wild we’re having the playoff conversation at all considering this is probably the worst vibes season since…2019? There’s absolutely zero reason that the Mariners deserve to make the playoffs, and yet here we are.

It’s pretty upsetting to consider the AL West might send a below .500 team to the playoffs. One time when I was in a high school musical competition, the judges ruled that nobody was good enough to win. They straight up refused to name a winner. Can we not do that here? Because even if this Mariners team technically has a good shot to make it, I’m not sure I want them representing the organization or division in this capacity.

I exaggerate, of course. I would be thrilled if they won the division even if it felt icky. And honestly, with how they’ve been playing over the last week (games started by Bryce Miller notwithstanding), and looking at their September schedule…I dunno, guys! Besides, this is the hope score, not the worthiness score. There’s enough to legitimately hope for with a month to go. 

Hope Rating: 5/10

Eric:

During the 50th anniversary golden turd jubilee weekend where the Mariners got swept by the Rays, I was finally ready to give up on any playoff hopes for this team. Even with the mostly soft September schedule, they just seemed far too hurt and mostly listless to imagine them turning it around. Randy and Cole Young cannot will this offense to the postseason by themselves, although Randy is trying his damnedest. 

But given their recent week-ish stretch of much improved play (blowouts aside), Kade Anderson’s excellent debut, J.P. returning from the IL, Julio warming up, and Cal’s four dingers in 2 games…well…

My playoff mustache is in effect and I’m keeping hope alive until they’re dead. Go Mariners.

Hope rating: 6/10

James:
If you asked me to rate my hope before the start of the Cubs series, I probably would’ve landed somewhere between four and five. Though I am cautious to jump to any conclusions based on only a few games, I do feel like the last several days have helped me better envision the September run that will be necessary for the Mariners. I think many people, myself included, were beginning to accept 2026 as a lost season for Cal; if a late-season turnaround continues to materialize, then that changes the outlook quite a bit in my view.

After next Wednesday, the remaining games are as follows: 14 games against the bad teams in one of the worst divisions in baseball history, five games against your similarly mediocre counterparts in one of the worst divisions in baseball history, and three games against the Colorado Rockies. As long as the Mariners don’t dig a much deeper hole in the coming week — and the way they’ve played in recent days has helped quell that fear — their season will ultimately come down to divisional games. They are already 20-13 in such games this year and have held the best intradivision record in the AL West each of the past three seasons. I’d argue they also have the most upside of the contenders. While they aren’t out of the woods yet and probably enter September trailing, it seems more likely now than a couple of weeks ago that the division title will remain within reach in the final month.

Hope rating: 6/10

ZachMason

My head looks at how badly this team has played despite its talent and potential and tells me they’re more likely to miss the playoffs than make them. But no matter what I think, I can’t escape how I feel when Julio’s bat connects with the ball. Playoff odds are over at FanGraphs. You asked for a hope rating, and hope lives in the heart.

Hope rating: 8/10

Ryan

I don’t think the Mariners are good at hitting, pitching, fielding, or base running, and I think they deserve their place at six games under .500. But they have the weakest strength of schedule remaining, according to FanGraphs. That also implies their schedule to this point has been rather difficult. Over the last few weeks, they’ve played the best, second best, third best, fifth best, sixth best and seventh best teams in the majors – pretty much every team that figures to matter in October. Maybe we’ll feel different about this roster after they get a chance to beat up on some bottom dwellers. The snarky Mariners-fan in me wants to say, “maybe we’ll feel much, much worse.” But I kind of don’t think so. I think they’ll finish out the year strong and win the division. And from there, who knows.
Hope rating: 7/10

Composite LL Staff Hope Barometer: 6.5/10

You heard it here first: The Looking Landing staff believes the Mariners are going to make the playoffs. We’re coping here, folks. Are you?

We are closing in on September call-up season, and to be honest, it snuck up on me. On September 1, rosters expand from 26 players to 28, meaning the Kansas City Royals can add two more guys to the Major League roster. Last September was an exciting time; the Royals called up then-#2 prospect Carter Jensen, and we got to see the young catcher start his career on a high note.

I don’t think the Royals will call up someone quite as high-profile as Jensen this season. Most of their top prospects are lower in the minor league system and farther away from the majors. Still, the opportunity to evaluate fresh talent is always exciting, and we’re doing our best to stay excited and engaged around here. So, who are some of the players Kansas City might call up this September?

Guys we’ve already seen

Josh Rojas – Rojas is the only minor-league position player currently on the 40-man roster, making him a logical candidate to come up. However, as fun as his first game as a Royal was, this wouldn’t be the most thrilling addition.

Lucas Erceg – The Royals could really use 2024 Erceg back. It’s hard to say whether a brief stint in Omaha fixed his mechanics, but perhaps a quick mental reset was all he needed.

Mitch Spence – Spence issued more walks than strikeouts over the 9.1 innings we’ve seen from him in Kansas City. His Triple-A numbers don’t exactly blow you away either, but he’s on the 40-man, and the Royals are almost certainly going to add at least one arm.

Easton McGee – I have no memory of McGee’s 5.1 innings that he’s pitched for the Royals. The internet tells me he surrendered two home runs in just four appearances. He does manage to rack up a decent number of strikeouts, at least.

Carlos Durán – Durán would easily be the most electric arm of this group to get the nod. He might not always know where the ball is going, but he throws absolute heat and has put up impressive strikeout numbers in the minors.The Royals have prioritized getting big guys who throw the ball hard and Durán fits this mold. 

You can never have too many pitchers

Nolan Hoffman – Acquired from the Phillies in August, the southpaw generates plenty of groundballs alongside a solid strikeout rate, though command remains an issue. Hoffman also had more walks than strikeouts during his few innings with the Philadelphia Phillies this year. 

Luke Little – Little is a 6-foot-8 lefty who sits at 95 mph with truly wild command. A staggering 21.1% of the batters he’s faced in the majors this season have reached base via walk or hit-by-pitch. I kind of want to watch the chaos.

Steven Zobac – Zobac is currently in Double-A, but the Royals added him to the 40-man roster over the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Unfortunately, he was placed on the Injured List earlier this month, and with his injury past, they probably won’t rush him back.

Tony Gonsolin – Gonsolin just started his rehab assignment, striking out three over three scoreless frames. A September 1st call-up might be overly aggressive, but he could be an option later in the month as injuries pile up elsewhere. I’m ready to be way too excited about Gonsolin for 2027. 

Extra bats

Brett Squires – Squires has posted an OPS right around .900 across both Double-A and Triple-A this season. He primarily plays first base, a position that’s already crowded on the big-league club. I think he will be mashing overseas in a few years, but you never know.

Gavin Cross – Cross just returned to Omaha following an injury and immediately homered in his first game back. His overall numbers may look just okay, but he’s hitting .332/.386/.629 with 12 home runs in his last 46 games. He’s been locked in since July and would easily generate the most buzz among the fanbase if he gets the call.

Lucas Braun – Acquired from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Lane Thomas and Bailey Falter, Braun looks like a candidate to compete for rotation starts next season. Getting a brief MLB look at the end of the year would make a lot of sense.

Carson Roccaforte – Having just earned a promotion to Omaha, a September jump for Roccaforte seems unlikely. Still, the center fielder could push for a roster spot next spring thanks to his elite defense and some power that produced 30 home runs at Double-A. I wonder how close Roccaforte is today to giving the Royals the same production they get out of Kyle Isbel. 

Who would you like to see the Royals call up next week? Let us know in the comments!

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It's a small seven-game MLB slate on Thursday, but one that's headlined by a massive National League matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.

Our Covers experts bring you the best MLB picks on the board, including one for that much-anticipated battle between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chris Sale in Atlanta.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: Royals moneyline	-104odds/odds
Jon Metler: Dodgers moneyline	+100odds/odds
Dustin Saracini: WAS/COL o9.5	-113odds/odds

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Royals moneyline

Price: 51¢ at Polymarket

The Royals failed to record their 10th straight win, but have a big edge today as a slight road dog in the series finale. This Blue Jays offense has been broken all year, and more than 21% of their wins have come while scoring three or fewer runs, like last night, and they could be giving up runs and not having the offense to make up for it.

Spencer Arrighetti lasted just 10 outs in his Jays debut and threw 61 pitches while giving up three runs. His bullpen is more than depleted. I really don't know who's going to be available today, as six bullpen arms threw more than 30 pitches yesterday or have thrown on back-to-back days.

It could be Arighetti to Simeon Woods Richardson for 21 outs, but SWR has thrown 21, 20, and 29 pitches in his last three appearances. The Jays don't have the arms to keep this a low-scoring affair and also have zero left-handed options out of the pen. I have this fair price at 56%.

• Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Sportsnet

Jon Metler's expert pick: Dodgers moneyline

Price: 50¢ at Polymarket

This is about as close to appointment television as you can get, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto facing Chris Sale in a matchup between two of the NL's best teams. The Braves are going for the sweep today, and I've been on the wrong side of their wins in this series, but I'm going back to the Dodgers on the moneyline. The Dodgers are trading at 50 cents on Polymarket, but I make them closer to a 53-cent favorite, giving us enough of an edge to get back on the Dodgers.

Sale is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but I think the swing paths of several Dodgers hitters give them a better chance to generate offense than the market is pricing in. Sale's sweeping slider can be a nightmare for hitters, but Mookie Betts' compact hands and Freddie Freeman's short, inside-out swing give this lineup the tools to handle his breaking stuff and generate just enough offense to get the job done.

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• How to watch: FS1

Dustin Saracini's expert pick: Nationals/Rockies o9.5

Price: 53¢ at Polymarket

How about some matinee baseball? And how about some early afternoon offense? That's exactly what we're looking at in this pitching matchup between the Rockies and Nationals. Gabriel Hughes, who comes into this one for Colorado having coughed up 22 runs across his last five starts, will be in tough against a team with the third-highest wRC+ in baseball coming off an embarrassing 13-1 loss.

It doesn't get better for Nats starter Jake Irvin, whose 45% hard-hit rate, 5.38 xERA, and .464 xSLG are among the worst in baseball. With a Washington bullpen that ran through five arms last night, this could get ugly quick. I'd play this up to 55 cents at Polymarket

• Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Rockies.TV/Nationals.TV

More MLB best bets for today

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.